I wish I could remember which site introduced me to Lost Summer Kitten because I would sincerely like to thank the owner, as the duo’s songs have been one of most listened to albums these past few months.

The acoustic twee-pop act of Lost Summer Kitten is the side project turned main focus of Lisa Westerlund and Matilda Hjärtstam. When half of their original band decided to move away from Lund, Sweden, Lost Summer Kitten’s home, Westerlund and Hjärtstam did what any dedicated musician would do: they picked up their instruments, came up with a super cute band name, and soldiered on.

Currently the group have two EPs under their name. The first, a self-titled four song demo album, the girls have graciously provided to download for free here on their website. Their latest EP, Yeah Oh Wow, can be purchased here. The album is a sweetly hand-assembled CD-R containing four new songs.

If you’re a fan of twee, acoustic, emotional lyrics or just good music in general, be sure to check this duo out.

Lost Summer Kitten: Lovesong No. 1

Lost Summer Kitten: Don’t Leave Me Hangin’

You can be the girls MySpace friend and hear more great tracks.

If you’ve been following this little site for a while, you may remember my Twee Pop Tuesday segment I had running for about a month. For some reason I got bored with it and scrapped it, but had plans to start some other weekly project.

To give you all a better idea of my tastes (or perhaps lack thereof), each Wednesday I’ll post three unrelated songs that have been staples on my weekly playlist. They may be good or they may be complete crap, but I’ll try to explain why I like them. Either way it gives you more music and lets you know what I’m really listening to. So, let me introduce My Three Songs.

Readymade FC: The Only One [ft. Yael Naim]

Despite the fact that it’s a blistering 7 degrees here, the ground’s covered with snow and ice and my mailbox is frozen shut, it’s been radiating summertime in my apartment, largely thanks to this Readymade FC song. Yael Naim’s vocals are simply exquisite in their breathy lightness, and the plucked guitar is buttery smooth. It’s the perfect accompaniment to a day on the beach, hand in hand with your lover as you explore the seaside together before lounging on the shore with an ice-cold mixed drink.

Air France: Beach Party

Another completely out of place song for the time of year, this one is also bursting with that summertime aura, but has a more chilled out vibe to it. While Air France’s “Beach Party” doesn’t sound anything like Zero 7′s “Destiny,” I have to compare the two for just having that “it” quality. “Beach Party” is like that fantastic tune you hear that you absolutely cannot wait to hear again, and again, and again. Fans of the Avalanches will love this one.

The Good, the Bad & the Queen: Herculean

Damon Albarn’s band Blur never did much for me. His side-project Gorillaz is hit-and-miss. For some reason, though, his latest side-project The Good, the Bad & the Queen I find appealing, especially this song, “Herculean.” It’s a combination of Think Tank‘s moodiness and Gorillaz layered textures. Mostly electronic Britpop in sound, Damon’s deadpan vocals are spot-on as they seem to capture that shimmering bit of hope in the disparity of life.

So there we have it. If you like what you heard, I encourage you to check out more songs by these artists. Google and MySpace are a great place to start.

Reason #1251 I love independent artists: the names. It’s hard to imagine turning on the radio and hearing the DJ say that was a song by a band named Butcher Boy. There again it may not be that far fetched, though, since there is a singer who calls himself Pretty Ricky now…

Contrary to what’s in the picture, Butcher Boy is actually a seven person group from Glasgow, Scotland. They will release their debut Profit In Your Poetry March 5 in England.

What makes them so noteworthy is their use of viola, cello and accordion in crafting Britpop/punk songs similar to the Smiths, Felt and other late 80s acts. I’ve only heard four cuts from the album, and I’m already predicting it will have an extremely long play life in my iPod, as well as possibly landing a spot in my mid-year best of list. In other words, give these songs a listen and tell me if you feel the same.

Butcher Boy: Keep Your Powder Dry

Butcher Boy: Girls Make Me Sick

Be Butcher Boy’s pal on MySpace, which features two additional tracks from Profit In Your Poetry.

As you may have noticed today is Valentine’s Day. It’s also the first post I’ve made in months. So what does my return and an artist named Butcher Boy have to do with Valentine’s Day. Well, probably nothing. But, in Christian lore, Saint Valentine was a martyr who was beheaded or “butchered,” and Butcher Boy do write love songs, in a sense. What this has to do with me, I’ll let you decide.

Anyway, I deeply apologize to all of you who faithfully visited Audictive for the past few months hoping to find new music and some sign of life. I had to take some time off, and it became really difficult to start this up again. With the new posts, though, there will also hopefully come some minor layout changes and an actual banner. Plus, great music. And, if these past two months are any indication about what the rest of 2007 will hold, the music will be great indeed.

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