I don’t know much about Finland, but I know I like Indica. Their new album, “A Way Away,” compiled of old songs translated to English for the first time, is rife with the pixie rock all-girl group’s biggest hits over the last decade.

However, unlike other language crossover albums where new tracks are hastily scrawled into a foreign tongue just to sell records, this is the case of a legitimately successful European band being given the opportunity to market their art to the biggest consumer base in the world.

The first single on the record, “In Passing,” has an ethereal video where the five extremely attractive musicians rock out in the clouds of the night in what seems like a non-stop dream sequence. In this track, the instrumentation is simple, but other songs on the album are increasingly complex, with gorgeous piano riffs and often symphonic backgrounds that keep the album interesting from track one through the last note.

“Islands of Light,” “Scissor Paper Rock,” and “As If” all sound like they could get regular airtime on American rock stations right now, while tracks like “Children of Frost” and “Lilja’s Lament” are both haunting and dark in ways that are positive but not necessarily commercially viable.

The girls are probably going to get some flak for trying on a new language, some from Americans who think they sound unnatural and some from Finland who might think they’re betraying their roots. But criticism from any angle is unfounded. These girls really do know how to rock, and they know how to write music. Those are pretty much the only two things my iPod really needs, and I don’t need to know anything about Finland to know that.

Check out the video for “In Passing”:

And grab the album, “A Day Away,” out everywhere today!

Craig David – “Who Am I?”

There’s an unspoken role in the hip-hop community that anything Timbaland produces is pure cash money, so considering he put together the music for the new cut from Craig David, I already have to love it. But it’s a cool R&B pop ballad that doesn’t drag a lot of the other R&B pop ballads out there on the radio. The rolling toms and double-bass drums typical of Timbo make this an instrumental worth indulging in. And David’s voice is just as silky as it was when he was gracing the Top 40.

Great Divide – “Waiting”

Once upon a time, we at FS featured a now-defunct group called Brown Couch, which to this day remains one of our all-time favorites. When I heard this track from up-and-coming Chicago band Great Divide, we had to check and make sure there weren’t any old Brown Couchers involved in the project. There weren’t, meaning they’re just independently funky enough to put together some fantastic songs with tight harmonies and heaps of rock and soul.

Travis – “The Line Is Fine”

Somewhere in between Nirvana and Wheatus, Travis put together a very interesting little anthem with a delightfully whiny hook all the way back in 1997. It’s not exactly a tip for those of you looking for brand new stuff, but if you ever loved grunge at any point in your life, you’ll love this song.

With a name like Jimmie’s Chicken Shack, you expect music that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and I think that’s part of why JCS always has been one of those bands I just can’t shake off no matter how much time has passed since their last video hit TRL.

That video was “Do Right,” the song that sucked me towards these guys like that little rope spear thing Scorpion throws at people in the Moral Kombat games. The studio version is dandy, but the live acoustic version (which I’m not 100% where you’d find this musical masterpiece) is a million times more entertaining. And that’s saying a lot considering how delicious the studio version is.

The song comes from 1999’s “Bring Your Own Stereo,” which features “Do Right” and loads of other enjoyable diddies. “Trash” and “Spiraling” sound blissfully appropriate for late ‘90s radio play, “Lazy Boy Dash” comes off like something the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies would rock out to, and “String of Pearls” shows they can slow it down a little bit while keeping a catchy melody.

But perhaps the best thing about The Shack, as I’ve affectionately nicknamed them for the purpose of this article, is that they’re really, really fun to see live. These guys make fun of each other (and audience members), they do goofy crap on stage, and thus generally understand that a concert is supposed to be fun and musically entertaining, not just the latter. The lead singer’s name is Jimi Haha, for goodness sake. How can you not love this?

It’s been eleven years since B.Y.O.S. was released, and while it admittedly sounds a little dated, you can’t love turn of the century music and ignore this record. In the true spirit of Throwback Thursday, this album revives the fun and spirit of the times, without all the doom and gloom of the impending Y2K disaster. I say give it a shot, but then I’m the one writing the article.

So… Catch 22.

Check out the old “Do Right” video here:

Pick up “Bring Your Own Stereo” here:

I’ve been pouring through these Indie Music Playlists looking for talented bands that we could feature on site, and I’ve started to notice something pretty disconcerting about the genre: most of it is really, really bad.

Indie artists have, for the most part, started indie bands because they don’t want to fit into the tidy formulas of regular pop and rock, and while there’s a certain level of credibility to such a mission statement, the end result often ends up overly-experimental and—let’s face it—kinda weird.

But once in a while there’s an indie band that not only manages a hot song, but several hot songs and even complete hot albums. They experiment, and they strive to do something different, yet they also don’t sound like trash-can banging modern performance art. Rogue Wave is one of the indie bands that does it right.

In fact, they do it so right that I hardly even consider them indie. The first two tracks on their new album, “Permalight,” are both energetic, interesting, and most importantly, identifiably musical. “Solitary Gun” sounds like something Zach Braff would pick out for his next screenplay, and “Good Morning” has a stronger drumbeat and techno edge that absolutely makes it radio-worthy.

The entire record is painted with songs as colorful as the gorgeous album cover, and while it definitely makes strong efforts to do the whole indie thing, it’s not at all offensive to those of us who aren’t exactly gung-ho about some of the goofier stuff in the genre. We’ll give Rogue Wave a full endorsement for fans of rock, alternative, pop, and electronica. It’s not kinda weird. Just good.

Check out “Good Morning” here:

Buy “Permalight” here:

Let’s make a list of the things that Atlanta group The Constellations have going for them:

#1 – They’ve got an awesome logo:

#2 – They combine rap and rock in a way that’s not gimmicky or unauthentic, which is really, really hard to do.
#3 – Their new album, “Southern Gothic,” not only has one of the better album names of 2010 so far, but also features studs like Cee-Lo Green and Asher Roth.
#4 – They know who the great Tom Waits is, and even dedicated an entire song to the guy.
#5 – Capturing real local color on a record isn’t easy, but these guys have deliberately assembled eleven songs that do exactly that for the city of Atlanta. It’s ambitious and fun, and we like that sort of thing.

And there’s more. A lot more, actually, starting with the swagger of lead singer Elijah Jones, who’s got a completely unique and exciting vocal style. Do in large part to Jones’s nasally, too-cool-for-school vocal cadences, these guys have the potential to be the sort of band that is instantly recognizable the moment they come on the radio with a new song. You’ll say, “Isn’t this The Constellations?” And your friend will be all, “Yup.” And you’ll have known because Jones is so distinctive.

We first fell in love with the guys upon hearing “Felicia,” a seedy, tambouriney party anthem about a buxom beauty in a club, because it was so fun and energetic. The rest of “Southern Gothic” is equally entertaining, each track trying on different vibes and styles and genres. “Setback” is hip-hoppy, “Perfect Day” is indie-ish, “Love Is A Murder” is somewhere in between pop and soul, and “Step Right Up” is a jam-tastic musical narrative.

How many words did I make up in that last paragraph? I count four, but The Constellations probably deserve more.

For audio diversity, for fun, for a fair musical portrayal of night life in Atlanta, you’ve got to pick up “Southern Gothic.” We’ve got a list of five things they currently have going for them, but that list is going to grow, and quickly. Don’t wait for these guys to hit it big before you jump on their bandwagon. The Constellations are stars already. (Get it?)

Check out “Love Is A Murder,” featuring Cee-Lo:

And pick up “Southern Gothic” as soon as you can!