When songs from Sally Shapiro’s debut album, Disco Romance, began showing up on mp3 blogs and music websites, there was not a lot known about the reclusive Swedish pop star, including her name. “Sally Shapiro” is the name of both the anonymous Swedish pop singer and the duo between producer Johan Agebjörn and the anonymous singer. She is known for refusing to play her songs live, or even record her vocals with anyone else in the same room. Still, it’s a beautiful idea that someone could succeed making excellent pop music free of the pressure of becoming a pop star.

Sally Shapiro's latest album, My Guilty Pleasure, like its predecessor, is a dazzling collection of Italo Disco songs that blends Agebjörn’s production values over Shapiro’s gorgeous, breathy harmonies. The songs are often melancholic and wistful, but still sound as though they belong in dance clubs, on mix CDs for potential partners and to be heard individually on your iPod. The album comes out on August 25 on Paper Bag Records.

I spoke with Shapiro by phone from her home in Sweden to discuss making this album, the expectations that came with having a popular debut album and why, exactly, is Sweden home to so much great pop music.

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When she was a guest on KUOW last Friday, Imaginary Liz was playing some of her favorite summer jams for the listeners and fellow guests, but in the comments she said "Now let's talk about what songs make YOU think of SUMMER 2009!"

Because I can post stuff here, I'll add a couple of selections that are making my summer of 2009 better and my iPod a happier device.

My favorite music question to answer is "what's your summer jam?" because it almost always means I don't have to be as defensive about loving pop.

The first one is, appropriately enough, Sally Shapiro's "Love in July". It reminds me a lot of Annie's "Heartbeat" in sense that it has a slow, breathy harmony and has a more upbeat melody that kicks shortly. It's a gorgeous italo disco song.

Shapiro is a Swedish pop star whose forthcoming album My Guilty Pleasure (which I haven't heard yet but am very anxious to) is the follow-up to her fantastic and dazzling 2007 album Disco Romance. It should be out sometime next month.

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CSS remixing the B-52s?! I'm so there!

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In which we gather up a sampling of free MP3s from the web so you don't have to!

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I don't mean to steal any of the thunder from my friend Imaginary Ash's "Free Music Friday" post coming up shortly, but this kicks way too much ass not to give it its own special entry

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Since I have the time and am not terribly anxious to go outside in the rain again but am looking to start an argument or two, here's my list of my top 10 albums of the year, with YouTube-age of my favorite song from each album (where available).

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