While it’s technically Tuesday, it feels like Monday because of the Memorial Day holiday. So kick those back-to-work blues away, ’cause here are two tracks sure to get you going.

Calvin Harris – “Acceptable In The Eighties”
Scottish musician Calvin Harris is something of an accidental artist. His real goal was to write and produce songs for others, but after friending an EMI publishing rep on MySpace, Harris found himself signed to a record deal with Sony based on his demos.

“I was singing on the songs because I couldn’t find anyone else to sing on them,” Harris recently told Time Out Chicago. “I guess it’s quite obvious why they would see me as a singer. It kind of got out of control.”

Titling his 2007 debut I Created Disco doesn’t do much to reign things in, but really this behind-the-scenes guy shouldn’t shy away from the spotlight, even if it wasn’t his original intention. Harris’ ’80s-style squiggly synths and brisk beats mesh nicely with his Beck-like vocals (and similar lyrical larks) on this uber-danceable disc.

“Acceptable In The 80s,” a good example of what Harris has concocted, nabs its drum beat from Prince’s “Raspberry Beret.” Hear here:

I Created Disco was released last June, though it hasn’t gotten a whole lot of mainstream notice in the States (mixes for another track, “The Girls,” came out in late February). Harris is currently working on the follow-up, though a luggage mix-up at Heathrow set him back a bit.

Purchase Calvin Harris – I Created Disco via Amazon, iTunes.

Kylie Minogue – “In My Arms”
You probably still can’t get Kylie Minogue‘s massive 2002 hit out of your head, but that doesn’t mean the global pop star hasn’t offered a wealth of worthy suitors since. Unfortunately, even the runaway success of “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head” didn’t stop U.S. radio programmers from stubbornly refusing to make room for Kylie’s new tunes on their playlists.

While Madonna grabs a bigger share of press here (let’s be honest, the whole pie), Kylie is just as much a music and fashion chameleon outside of our stars-and-stripes borders. Back after a bout with breast cancer that kept her out of the spotlight for a spell, Kylie has triumphantly returned with her tenth studio album, the fittingly roman numeral-ed X.

It’s a tasty, of-the-moment disc that finds Kylie further explore the electro-dance world. There’s a risk that such ventures can come off as cold and distant (most of Britney Spears’ Blackout), but Kylie’s veteran pop sensibilities make it work, with “Wow” and “2 Hearts” two standouts. Calvin Harris (see above) had a hand in X, co-writing and producing two songs, “Heart Beat Rock” and “In My Arms.” The former echoes Madonna’s “Everybody,” and the latter proves Harris can work his synthtastic magic around a melody, too. Hear here:

“In My Arms” is Kylie’s 32nd single to make the UK Top Ten. As for winning the hearts and minds of America, she acknowledged in a Today interview that it’s a “notoriously difficult market. You have so many denominations with radio. To know where I fit within that market is sometimes difficult.”

While Kylie’s most recent U.S. press tour didn’t pay off as planned, an open mind (and ears) is really all that’s needed. So listen up radio programmers: Kylie has marked a tempting spot with X, and she’s waiting patiently (again) for you to get into her groove.

Purchase Kylie Minogue – X via Amazon, iTunes.