Baby Alice - Pina Colada Boy

Baby Alice have been around in Sweden for a few years now despite never really breaking into the mainstream. Their first two singles were pretty hardcore eurodance music that would apeal to really only a very select group of fans. Circa the 90s these singles may have found success but not so much in the 21st century.

Pina Colada Boy is a track of theirs that has been around for a while but which has only recently really been given a release to several countries across Europe. When first recorded, the vocals were from a former band member who has since been replaced for the new single release and video.

The song probably is best suited for a resort in the Caribbean but has managed to appeal to record labels across Europe and is even currently charting in Russia. It's incredibly cheesy and has an equally cheesy video to go along with it. For fans of eurotrash this one really has all the ingredients. It's got a sound reminiscent of Coco Jamboo or some of DJ BoBo's older singles.

Only in Sweden would you find something like Baby Alice! Have a look at the video and give the track a listen!



Baby Alice - Pina Colada Boy

Kostas Martakis - Kano Oti Thes

Kostas Martakis has been making a name for himself in Greece for the past few years. His involvement in reality tv and his unsuccessful effort to represent Greece at Eurovision in 2008 have slowly upped his reputation in Greece and his most recent album release, Pio Konta has further pushed him into the limelight.

I posted in 2009 on the first two singles from the album, and find myself now feeling like I need to post the most recent two as well. Kano Oti Thes was released in June 2010 as Kostas' fifth single from Pio Konta and Agapi Mou is a duet with Bulgarian popstar Desi Slava.

Kano Oti Thes falls into the same category as the first two singles and is very Swedish pop-heavy as this album was produced and recorded in Stockholm in 2009. As a bit of a departure for the album, Agapi Mou is actually performed in English (instead of either Kostas' native Greek or Desi Slava's native Bulgarian which might be the biggest problem of the song) but stands out as a relatively modern take on a very balkan sound.

Pio Konta has been called one of the best Greek pop albums of the past decade and with five great singles released so far, I would have to agree. Kostas has often been referred to as the next Sakis Rouvas and after this effort, he is well on his way.

Check out two great videos below as well as links to the songs.




Kostas Martakis - Kano Oti Thes & Agapi Mou (feat. Desi Slava)

Jenny Berggren - Here I Am

Anyone who wants to call them a fan of eurotrash has to be able to appreciate the amazement that was Ace of Base. Their albums produced some of the most memorable songs of the 90s and I would probably trace back my love of Sweden to beginning when I figured out that All That She Wants was from a group from Gothenburg.

Despite an effort last year for three of the group members to resurrect Ace of Base with some new remixes of old hits and some tour dates across Europe, not much success came their way. In 2010, plans are for Ace of Base once again to launch a comeback, this time with two new female members. This is causing a bit of controversy with the former members, but a new single is expected shortly. This should be interesting!

Moving on to the career of Jenny Berggren, who was one of the original members of Ace of Base (also known as the brunette one to those who weren't too familiar with their names). Her first physical release is Here I Am, which is a bit of a mid-tempo pop track not too far from what you might expect from Ace of Base would be releasing 2010 if the original group was still intact.

At first listen, it isn't much of a standout track, but after a few listens it really does start to grown on you. And we can't do anything but be happy for Jenny finding herself back involved with good eurotrash music! The song spent one week on the Swedish charts at #14 and has since not appeared again. A bit unfortunate and undeserved but yet also not totally surprising given how saturated the Swedish market is with this kind of stuff.

Check out the video and link below!



Jenny Berggren - Here I Am