I’m so excited to share this with you guys. All of the pop songs nowadays are somewhat related to sex, but in a hidden, dirty lyrical way. Sky Ferreira puts it all out there and just admits that sex rules. “Sex Rules” is Sky’s newest single, and probably my favorite of the 3 yet. It’s produced by Billy Steinberg (who has written for aritsts like Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, Whitney Houston) and Greg Kurstin (Lily Allen, Kylie Minogue, Sia), and the result is a synth that sounds like it’s borrowed from the 80’s mixed with a modern electric feel.

I mean, who can disagree with Sky on this?

Sky Ferreira – “Sex Rules”

Just when I was hoping for new material from Dragonette, I get a new press release about them e-mailed to me with a brand new single (that isn’t on the Fixin’ To Thrill album) called “Our Summer“. It’s basically a hot summer song with infectious beats that samples the lines from Beyonce’s “Single Ladies”. This is cowbell and pot-clanging done right. Move over Kesha and Katy Perry, Dragonette’s coming with some GOOD pop music.

Dragonette – “Our Summer”

Oh gosh, I haven’t listened to Panda Bear in a long time. I know that “Tomboy” was released via vinyl only this past weekend but I didn’t want to ruin it by listening to shitty vinyl rips so I resisted myself from listening to it. Just today Pitchfork posted the high quality stream of “Tomboy”‘s b-side, “Slow Motion“.

If you haven’t known, “Tomboy/Slow Motion” will be the first from a singles-series that will lead up to the release of his 3rd album under the same name, released this fall. The next single is “You Can Count on Me/Alsatian Darn” which will be out this summer via Dominos. “Tomboy” will be out July 20th.

Panda Bear – “Slow Motion”

Converse gathered Kid Cudi, Bethany Cosentino from Best Coast and Rostam Batmanglij from Vampire Weekend to make a collaboration song called “All Summer“. I admire and respect each of these artists individually, and combining them together is just an explosion of love. Each of these artist’s styles are present. “All Summer” is the perfect indie-pop summer song, but it’s one of those songs that stay for a bit and you forget about it in a couple of months.

Watch a short 2 minute interview of each of these amazing people and download the track on their website here, or download below:

Kid Cudi, Best Coast, Rostam Batmanglij – “All Summer”

The Raveonettes made an intensely wild remix of The Drum’s “Let’s Go Surfing”. It seems like the only thing they did was add a harder, more rock sound to beach pop which sounds fantastic. This is a perfect example of adding just a bit to a remix which makes a huge difference.

The Drums – “Let’s Go Surfing” (The Raveonettes Remix)

Cults, the anonymous band (not anymore, although they still don’t have a Myspace)  we were all awing about because of the release of “Go Outside” are releasing a free single called “Oh My God” for the Kia x Adult Swim singles project.

The song starts off with a drum beat accompanied by people talking in the background, then comes Madeline’s sweet voice (did you know that she used to be in a punk band?). Listening to this song I quickly realized their signature: a xylophone being played in the same tome as each syllable that she sings.

The Cults 7″ EP is sold out but you can still download it here, and see their tour dates here.

Cults – “Oh My God”

“Don’t Fucking Tell Me What To Do” is easily my favorite song from Robyn’s latest album. It’s danceable, and the lyrics are humorous. Scottish phroducer Mylo took some time off of producing his next album to remix this song by Robyn, which isn’t too shabby. An 80’s funk feel is present here.

Robyn – “Don’t Fucking Tell Me What To Do (Mylo & Sharooz Mix)”

Last year Röyksopp produced one of the best electronic albums I’ve ever heard, Junior. In September they’ll be releasing the follow up, Senior. I’m pretty stoked!

They have this feature on their website called “Track of The Month” which basically, features a track of the month. It doesn’t necessarily have to be produced by them, but for July’s it is. The song for July is called “Hus Nr. 9” (it’s not a part of Senior). It’s an instrumental track that will tickle your eardrums. They described the meaning behind the title:

Between two pages, in a dusty old book…

…we found this little number…

It’s called “Hus Nr. 9″, and is currently haunting the halls of the RYXP mansion

Röyksopp – “Hus Nr. 9″

I secretly love Best Coast. Not that it’s a big secret, but none of my friends know about them so I don’t really talk about them a lot. But I listen to the few songs that have been leaked/released almost daily. There’s something so interesting about their music that I just fell in love with.

“Boyfriend” is a new song that is off of Best Coast’s debut album, ‘Crazy For You’. It has the signature Best Coast feel to it, the polished lo-fi, beachy, garage-pop sound that I love. Their album is for sure going to be my summer album (and what I’ll be listening to over and over again in my English summer school courses which will take up half my summer). ‘Crazy For You’ is out July 27th via Mexican Summer.

Apparently the album has leaked, but I can’t find it anywhere!

Best Coast – “Boyfriend”

I wasn’t so sure if I liked N.E.R.D’s “Hot-N-Fun” featuring Nelly Furtado when it released in May. At first I thought it was an okay track that tried too hard to be  a summer hit, but it grew on me once I actually realized that this is N.E.R.D. – they’re just 3 dudes making fun, dancy music.

To try to make us love it even more, they got amazing artists like Yeasayer, Hot Chip, Boys Noize, and Crookers to hop on the N.E.R.D. train and remix this track for their “Hot-N-Fun” single EP.  My favorite from these 4 have to be Boys Noize and Hot Chip’s remixes. My least favorite has to be Yeasayer’s

N.E.R.D. – “Hot-N-Fun” (Boys Noize Remix)

N.E.R.D. – “Hot-N-Fun” (Hot Chip Remix)

Listen and download to the other two at 514 blog.

My summer is sure not going to be Hot N Fun, especially in July. I’ve got a summer school course starting in a couple of days…

“Erase Me” is the newest track to be heard from Kid Cudi’s ‘Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager’, from his Man on The Moon chronology. It just debuted on KIIS FM earlier today.

This very radio-friendly song is sure to be a hit, and adding Kanye West to the formula sure helps. It’s definitely not Kid Cudi’s best song, and doesn’t sound like the Kid Cudi we all knew. The song is way too poppy and mainstream, but it is catchy. Listen and download the HQ radio rip, courtesy of 130BPM:

Kid Cudi – “Erase Me” (feat. Kanye West)