You Are Like Cookies And Like Cake In One

Eagle & Talon “Dropped Down” – Given that the singer grew up in Winnipeg and now lives in Los Angeles, it sort of makes sense that Eagle & Talon’s lyrics would be so fixated on differences in temperature, and that the music would come out feeling like the rock equivalent of a Finnish sauna. The band is at their best when they turn up the heat and launch into their hooks with a confidence and power that comes close to that of a young Sleater-Kinney. (Click here to buy it from the official Eagle & Talon site.)

The Pipettes “Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me” – Though it’s not quite as magical or as funny as “Dirty Mind,” this new single from the Pipettes keeps up their impressive run of singles. As with its predecessor, the craft in the songwriting and production remains strong enough to make the record seem more like a girl group hit that arrived several decades too late rather than just silly kitsch. Sure, the kitsch is there and cannot be denied, but that “and you might cry / for some time” hook is too gorgeous and heart-melting to be written off so easily. (Click here to buy it via the Pipettes’ official site.)