Here’s something that should come as no surprise to an avid reader at GamesRadar: we love game music. And we also love Rhythm Heaven on the DS. It’s cute, fun and totally accessible. The only thing is, we’re not really that huge on J-pop. The songs on Rhythm Heaven aren’t bad by any means (we still haven’t got that “I suppose” song out of our heads), but they don’t hold a candle to real music performed by real folks who, you know, don’t sound like they’ve been force-fed horse tranquilizers and estrogen.

So, armed with a BPM counter and our favorite mp3s, we set out to find some new songs to jam to. And we made some videos to show off what we found.

[Note: all of our videos consist of unaltered gameplay footage and music. So, if you’re feeling adventurous, we invite you to try and turn off the DS speakers, sync up the game with the music and rock out wit’cha bad self.]

“Here it Goes Again” by OK Go
Syncs with: Blue Birds 2

Awesome song, and we especially like the ending “stretch out your neck” bits. You might want to keep the DS speakers on low for this one: it’s a little tough to make out what to do without hearing the captain’s orders.

“Electric Feel” by MGMT
Syncs with: Love Lab

Even if you’re not an MGMT fan, it’s a breeze to sync up, and the computerized synth beats won’t throw you any curveballs. In fact, since MGMT’s song is so straightforward, you’re actually more likely to score a perfect if you rely on it alone. See, we give you pro tips, too!

“Bucky Done Gun” by M.I.A.
Syncs with: The Dazzles 2

Little tricky to sync, but if you can pull it off you get the added bonus of imagining the Dazzles as a horribly inappropriate backup group for the sexy singer herself. And those horn parts sound almost like the game’s MIDI, don’t they?

“I Believe in a Thing Called Love” by The Darkness
Syncs with: Karate Man

You might miss kicking a few bombs if you put on this tune, but come on! It’s the freakin’ Darkness! Who doesn’t love this song? I mean, really: who? No one.

“Complicated” by Avril Lavigne
Syncs with: Frog Hop

Okay, so we weren’t going to put this on the list initially (we’ve got our cred to consider here, you know), but it syncs up easily and we’ll be damned if we’re not still humming it in our heads now.