Summer Lovin'

Our memories of summers’ past always come with a soundtrack. What tunes will accompany our lives in summer 2009? Five artists whose singles have been rocking our world are about to release debut albums (to be available as imports) that are major contenders for summer soundtrack status.

La Roux — La Roux
Their name means “the reddish one,” perhaps in honor of vocalist Elly Jackson’s ginger locks or maybe their red-hot take on Eurythmics and Yaz. Unlike the other first-timers on our list, they’re so confident they named their debut after themselves. La Roux is out June 30 in the U.K.

Dan Black — ((un))
Dan Black blossoms beyond his U.K. rock band The Servant. His mesh of synth-hot pop and urban beats slays, from the mid-tempo “Symphonies” to the Celtic-tinged “U & Me.” ((un)) — that’s the album’s title — drops overseas July 6.

Florence + The Machine — Lungs
Florence + The Machine are in an unenviable position: after winning a Critics’ Choice Brit Award on the strength of only two singles, they’ve got massive hype to live up to. Based on those tracks — (one of which, "Dog Days Are Over," is available in the U.S.) — we’re certain that their full-length, Lungs, out July 6 in the U.K., will quiet the pending naysayers.

VV Brown — Travelling Like the Light
She calls her style “musical mashed potatoes” (it’s on Wikipedia, so it must be true), but it’s really just a mash. This black Brit of Caribbean parents loves rock from every era and knows how to mix it up. Travelling Like the Light hits U.K. shelves July 20.

Frankmusik — Complete Me
Frankmusik (aka Vincent Frank) is a one-hit wonder — that is, he releases one synth-a-licious hit after another — including his latest U.K. single, “Confusion Girl.” If his late July debut, Complete Me, is any indication, he’ll be topping the charts for years to come.


And we didn’t forget Little Boot’s highly-anticipated Hands (out Tuesday in the U.K.); we will cover that one in full next week.