Lopez Blogs

There is nothing more exciting than when other people share your enthusiasm for a new artist, and in preparation for this feature, I alerted several other bloggers and thezapping readers to the tracks on Simon's website and asked for their opinions. Some absolutely love him. Most really like his unique yet familiar take on pop. And a couple - well, they didn't like every track, but they tracks they did like they loved! And all agreed that Simon could be a driving force in bringing pop back to the charts. Here is what they had to say...

POPPOSTERGIRL (Veronica Mars):

I think probably an unmissable part of understanding and appreciating Simon Curtis’s music is the lyrics—the commentary they provide swings from personal to political, and they’re meant to be dark in subject, a darkness which the music enhances. What I really like about Alter Boy, though, are the soundscapes Simon and producer Jadion have created. Words are part of that, but in the sense of how they fit in and sound. The album overall is pop, but it’s got an electronic edge, and it doesn’t sound like anything in the Top 40. I’m tempted to start throwing the word “experimental” around. There are moments where that feels especially true—“Halo,” for example, chops Simon’s voice up to turn it into the beat itself. There’s also a sense of greatness, grandeur, or a desire for the epic (listen to that intro and then tell me that’s not what they’re trying for!). It’s a pop/electronica epic, though, so hooks are never in short supply. Over the course of at least sixteen tracks, the album never sounds the same. That’s not to say that it’s schizophrenic; even beyond thematic connections, the album does definitely have musical coherence, but no one song sounds like another.

Some highlights: the soldier chant-sampling “Left Right Left;” the perfect anger of “Sugar Sugar White,” which has a middle 8 that reminds me of Moulin Rouge’s “Hindi Sad Diamonds” (but given that very little of Moulin Rouge is original, they probably used a sample or cover that I just don’t know); the catchy chorus with its stretched-out words of “Alter Boy;” “Halo,” which originally closed out the album and provided the music for the intro and, to me, sums up what the album is about; and “Put Your Makeup On.” And, of course, the song no review of Alter Boy would be complete without reference to: “Broken.” It may not be dealing with social commentary, but it is easily the most addictive song on the album. That chorus—oh my gosh! And the middle 8! And the bridge! Really, the whole song is just captivating for reasons I haven’t yet worked out. Honestly, if you don’t want to spend the next week being forced to compulsively listen to it, avoid “Broken” at all costs. Deliciously dark and, as I said, addictive. For sheer enjoyment, the only rival to “Broken” comes in the form of parts of “Put Your Makeup On,” with Xenomania (as part of the PopJustice theme contest) providing the music backing and Simon singing a super-accessible pop song over the top. The key moment in this song, and one that Paul has mentioned before, has to be near the end, where we get a near perfect combination of music and lyrics, with Simon singing about getting harassed for his musical tastes, written in the form of a back-and-forth between him and his critics: “As a kid, I got a lot of shit for/liking my music, but what is it for?/You should listen to this because it gives more/Yeah, but it’d sound lousy on the dancefloor!” It’s not meant to be an in-depth defense of the merits of pop music, but it is meant to reflect the instinctive response that many people have—the desire for music that’s fun, not caught up in itself—and, in that respect, works perfectly by being itself what it most desires.

The introduction to the album asks, “If you could hear the sound, would you listen?” Given my current lack of faith in the public, I fear I may already know the answer to that question, but whenever Alter Boy is released, I can only hope the world responds with a resounding “YES!”

(thezapping note: PPG and I often have conversations over Broken and Put Your Make Up On and regularly say things like "can simon do no wrong?! ;) Read PPG's previous post on Simon here)

ELECTROQUEER (Raj)

(thezapping note - Raj fell in love completely with Simon's music and kindly chose today to do his own post about Simon that you can read here. he felt that would get Simon more exposure. Here, then is just a sample of his brillo review!)

"At the tender age of twenty, Simon Curtis seems hellbent on bringing a different type of pop to the world which is aching to be heard. His edgy and thought-provoking lyrics have us questioning...Is he old enough to be singing about such saucy subjects? Well the answer is, 'We don't care...it's great music and Simon promises us that the resurrection of pop will soon be upon us. Even if the resurrection doesn't sustain, we are overjoyed to bear witness to a new musical messiah in the making."

THIS MANS WORLD (DanUSA)

I've listened to the entirety of the Simon Curtis CD several times. I do like it - quite a bit in fact. I think Simon has a great voice and a great sound that's familiar enough but new enough to attract attention. I also think that his songs transcend typical pop songs. One of my favorite stories that I tell about pop music is that one time when I was in college, a good friend of mine was having boyfriend trouble, and she said to me, "A pop song should NOT know how I feel." - I think that she was specifically referring to Michael Bolton, and in that respect, I would have to agree. I mean, Michael Bolton able to express what I can't? Surely not! But as far as general pop songs go, my reply to her lament is "If it doesn't, what's the point?" That having been said, I think Simon has a great potential to speak about great issues under the guise of wonderful pop music.

Case in point - "Religion Reduced" which is one of the songs I really like on the album. I don't know what it's like in the UK, but here in America, the word Christian has become reduced to "right-wing homophobic intolerant asshole." And that's really unfortunate. And I think this is the message that gets across in the song - along with the "believe in your own spirituality!" line - which to me says "don't let the right-wingers be the ONLY representative of Christianity." Again, this might not be as big of a deal in the UK right now, but rest assured, in the U.S., it's one of the biggest dividing lines in our culture right now.

As far as fun pop songs go, there's nothing that's going to beat "Put Your Make-Up On." It has a driving pop beat and Simon really sings well on this one. I think I especially appreciate the bridge of the song - and what good is a song without a good bridge?? - talking about he got shit for the music he listened to as a kid and how he should listen to such and such, only it wasn't worth a damn on the dance floor! *raises hand* Hmmm...well, that could be taken straight from the pages of my life.

All in all, I hope that when they release the CD, they cull some songs and make it a stronger, shorter album rather than a long, all over the place album. I mean, the songs are all good, but less is more sometimes. This is so true with so many artists - especially established ones. I'll take a tight 10 song album like Madonna's Music over a meandering 17 track CD that doesn't know when to call it quits. And yeah, some of the songs sound a little bit same-ish, but that's not all bad. I just think that a shorter, stronger album will help quite a bit. But what do I know? I'm certainly not a record producer. I'm a mere consumer.

NATHAN (Zapping reader)

First of all I totally agree that he has super infectious songs yet a differentiating image enough to be mega successful here and in the U.K. As for my personal preference, my favorite songs were: Put your makeup on, Broken, and Naivite.... I also liked: Return to Sender, Alter Boy, and The Kids In.... The rest of them will def stay on my ipod but prob. will get skipped about half the time I listen to this playlist. They were good though ~ who knows? Maybe the rest will grow on me. I would also love to see him do more "fun" songs too about less serious stuff, but maybe thats not what he's all about. I can't wait to see what he has in store for performances (maybe cd:usa or trl) and/or music videos, but I'm sure you'll be right on top of that when it happens.

Thanks to all the bloggers and readers who contributed and gave an objective overview of Simon's music :) Oh! And here is another link we found to someone who wrote about Simon long before i was an alter boy convert!

Happy new year everyone - thanks for sticking with thezapping and entertaining me with your comments and opinions throughout 2006. Much happiness and prosperity to you all in 2007 :)
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MP3: Abba - Happy New Year
MP3: Sugababes - New Year
MP3: Barenaked Ladies - Auld Lang Syne

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2006 was the year that Live Lounge really came into it's own, thanks to Arctic Monkeys sparkling version of Girls Aloud's Love Machine, proving that the blurring lines between indie and pop were getting fuzzier by the day. Soon it seemed that everyone and his ferret was doing a live lounge, but here are my personal favourites from the year....
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13 ~ Panic! At The Disco - Maneater (Nelly Furtado Cover)
the las vegas kids took on Nelly Furtado's poptastic song and turned into a funk driven emo classic with just the right amount of pomp and audacity...
12 ~ Matt Willis - All These Things I've Done (The Killers Cover)
nothing will top the sheer genius of The Killers version which is one of my top ten favourite songs of the millenium. However, Matt has won me over with a better than expected debut and his acoustic, somewhat faithful version of the track manages to tick all the boxes...
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11 ~ L'il Chris - Sexy/Back (Justin Timberlake Cover)
not a huge fan of l'il Chris, but this rather tongue in cheek, irreverant cover of one of the years most talked about song rarely fails to bring a smile to the face. Now take it to the walrus!
10 ~ The Kooks, Crazy (Gnarls Barkley Cover)
in a year when this song took over the world and I never really got it, multiple covers abounded over the internet from Nelly Furtado to Sandi Thom to G4 to The Raconteurs. Kudos to new style boyband The Kooks for turning in a much more than passable version of the tune and making it bearable.
09 ~ Goldfrapp - Boys Will Be Boys (Ordinary Boys Cover)
Preston's spell in Big Brother bought this song back into the limelight, but it took Alison to turn it into the sleazy sounding back street jazz club ditty it now sounds like it should have always been. Gorgeous.
08 ~ William Young - Don't Cha (Pussyflap Trolls Cover)
Wisely steering clear of Crazy, William went for the other big fave and turned the PCD song into his very own plea to a straight boy to abandon his girl, with a lush arrangement of instrumentation and a laid back groove supplementing his lovely vocal.
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07 ~ Keane - Dirrtylicious (Beyonce/Christina Cover)
Keane broke my heart this year by putting out a rubbish (in my opinion) second album, but their choice of covers proves to be the most interesting thing from them. A cover of Depeche Mode's Enjoy The Silence was on over at Yahoo, but it was this mashup of two iconical dance tunes that made them sparkle all over again.
6 ~ Arctic Monkeys - Love Machine (Girls Aloud Cover)
aaah the song that bought Live Lounge to the masses. Arguably the biggest indie act in the country took the rather genius route of covering arguably the biggest pop group in the country. And it totally works, is a lot of fun and the muffled giggling in the middle eight just makes the track even more endearing...
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5 ~ Paolo Nutini - Rehab (Amy Winehouse Cover)
Another song that i didn't really get in it's original form until I heard covers of it. This isn't the premium version of the song, but it made me realise how much I love Paolo this year and how diverse his range is. Splendid.
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4 ~ Girls Aloud - Rehab (Amy Winehouse Cover)
But Girls Aloud did it better. It just seemed to click into place when they sang it - their vocals, their interpreation of the music, their image and lifestyle. Suddenly Britain's biggest female saucehound was perfectly at home in the company of 5 like minded girls. Splendid +1.
3 ~ Sugababes - I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor (Arctic Monkeys Cover)
The northern lad had laid down the gauntlet with their pop cover, so it was almost perfect symmetry when Britain's other big girl group decided to return the favour and churn out a storming version of their biggest hit, that retains it frenetic nature but instantly makes it sound at home in the library of quality electro clash pop.
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2 ~ Simon Webbe - When You Were Young (The Killers Cover)
Who knew? Simon Webbe takes the Killers stellar comeback single, wraps his silky smooth vocal around it, ups the gospel quota in it and gives the song a whole new power as an r'n'b standard that could work this way for generations to come. The almost stopping of the song before the middle eight starts all quiet, before gently strumming into an anthemic finish is glorious. Suddenly Simon is relevant in my world...
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1 ~ Take That - Every Day I Love You Less and Less (Kaiser Chiefs Cover)
Of course my favourite boys are going to be my favourite cover of the year. Their choice of song and artist fits perfectly in with their new mature sound and they have never sounded so confident and full of beans.
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And just because I can - here is a pic of Jo with the rather lovely Jonas Armstrong (Robin Hood) who doesn't sing but sure looks pretty. Rar!
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LINK: Jo Wiley's radio one page
LINK: Buy the Live Lounge cd

10 ~ Mohair: Small Talk
I really had huge huge hopes for Mohair and actually perhaps 2007 will be their year. Indeed if I had done a 6 in 2006 feature, they certainly would have been part of it. Revitalising the generic rock industry by producing songs that were filled with cabaret and organs and killer choruses and enough pomp and ceremony to fill the Royal Variety Performance. End of The Line and Keep It Together were doused in innovation, while Life and Stranded were clearly written with stadiums in mind. These songs are too huge to go unnoticed for much longer…
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09 ~ William Young: Keep On
Kicking off his third album with Switch It On was a ballsy move. Ok it wasn't that courageous but we just wanted to write something about William and say ballsy so we could titter like a schoolgirl. But in all seriousness, Keep On was an accomplished set of tunes ranging from dance (Switch It On) to timeless balladry (All Time Love) to outright funk (the aces Ain't Such A Bad Place To Be). Stand out track Who Am I was one of his most beautiful creations yet and his live shows evolved into slick, professional theatrical productions. Can't wait for more.
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08 ~ The Killers: Sam's Town
I've written about what a grower this album is quite recently, so I probably don't have that much more to add here. Lead off single When You Were Young was a tune so huge, it could barely be contained on radio and some nifty Stuart Price remixes meant it spilled over to the dancefloor. The lack of success for Bones bamboozles me as it's an anthemic little number that will blow people away at the festivals next year. And although not on the album Great Big Sled is destined to become a Christmas classic. Whaddya know? I did have quite a lot to say after all!
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07 ~ Lily Allen: Alright, Still
Don't hate, D'luv! This is one of the freshest breakouts of the year, and while her gobby mouth seemed to ultimately attract more attention than her songs, you can't deny that this debut bought something different to the world of pop. LDN and Smile were perfect summer hits, while Alfie makes faux-bossonova cool all over again. Knock Em Out soundtracked some classic moments on Entourage and Littlest Things proved that ol' gobshite had a heart after all. And it's compact length and numerous unreleased recordings surfacing meant this zippy project remained vital long past it's supposed sell by date.
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06 ~ McFly: Motion In The Ocean
We are at the part of the list now where we are getting to acts that I have written multiple posts about already and so it is hard to find something new to say about them. However, McFly produced one of the most varied and musically accomplished album of the year, making their niche success and inability to break out of it even more mystifying. The first two singles from the album perhaps don't show it's stronger side, but the cavenous Sorry's Not Good Enough is a mini masterpiece in waiting, and their young age belies such mature and astounding songwriting. Bubblewrap, Translyvania and Friday Night all stand out on an album with no dud tracks. And their cover of Don't Stop Me Now provided an energetic reading of one of my favourite Queen songs. So leave your prejudices at the door and dive into the ocean :)
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05 ~ Take That: Beautiful World
Who would have thought that after 10 years of nothing, Take That – my favourite boyband of all time – would be back with such a vengeance. And is it telling that they do so in a year when Robbie's Rudebox fails to make my top twenty? (his first album to do so!) The reformed foursome surprised everyone by not only being hugely in demand, but crafting an eclectic and mature album of very accessible and memorable tunes ranging from the elegance of Patience through to the jaunty Shine and folksy Wooden Boat. Everyone wanted them, and as much as I love my little Robbie, they handled surpassing his star with much more tact than he ever afforded them. A class act in more ways than one…(PS - is it me or does it look like they left a space for Robbie on the cover??!)
.04 ~ Scissor Sisters: Ta-Dah
Much as with the Killers, there was much rumblings that the Scissters sophomore set didn't match the ingenuity and sass of their much loved debut album. It's certainly been a difficult year for sophomore albums, but I embraced this one whole heartedly. From the first few chords that lead into I Don't Feel Like Dancing to the honkytonk piano of I Can't Decide through to the dancefever of Kiss You Off and Lights, there certainly was a jaded bounce in the Scissters step. However, whereas on the first album I wasn't blown away by their balladry, here they stepped up to the mark and produced the beautiful Land Of A Thousand Words and swoony romantic I Just Might Tell You Tonight. What's not to love? Even a song called Intermission is groovy fabosity.
.03 ~ BWO: Halcyon Days
It wasn't hard for me to put this (way) ahead of Pet Shop Boys Fundamental, an album I just found it incredibly hard to access. Halcyon Days however, proved that dance pop with an edge wasn't just confined to girl group mania and really this is what Steps should sound like if they were back together. A triumph of catchy tunes and ballads, not only did the singles glitter like a disco ball on acid, but album tracks such as Marrakech, Obsession and even faux reggae of Hanging On The Phone made this one non guilty pleasure from start to finish. And early next year we will have some Halcyon Night remixes to tide us over for a while…
. 02 ~ Simon Curtis: Alter Boy
OK, this album wasn't officially released in 2006, but it certainly was my one bright hope for pop in 2007 and bought back to mind a time when pop could be dark and insightful and gleefully malevolent as well as catchy and bright and danceable. Simon's Alter Boy features an array of strong tracks (with more coming as final listing has not been decided yet) with songs of betrayal, religion, discrimination, sex and love. His producer Jadion should be credited for assisting in producing a sound that is a fresh as anything coming out of Sweden, but with an edge that makes it relevant for a world market. Simon knows pop and I'll eat my hat if he isn't big in 2007.
. 01 ~ The Feeling: 12 Stops and Home
Sigh. And so a debut album tops my list. With eight freshman albums in my final list, it certainly was a good year for new music and entering the blogging world is partly responsible for some more diverse tastes. No one produced more life affirming, radio friendly, video worthy, live stage excellency, cheek bone splendour than The Feeling did this year. So much more than a guilty pleasure, they embraced all the elements of feel good pop and made it their own with gorgeous layered harmonies and choruses so utterly moreish, you got calories added on just from singing them. Fill My Little World is by far my favourite track, but Never Be Lonely and Love It When You Call showed a firm grasp of what makes a good pop song great. I Want You Now is ripe to be covered by Wilson Phillips and slower songs like Rose and the "we're all freaks so embrace it" philosophy of Strange were powerful and rewarding numbers. Plus any act that features Mr Ellis Bextor and Dan Gillespie (Sex) Sells (RAR, etc)deserves to be high on any year end list. An auspicious debut from a promising act.

SINGLES:

10 ~ Mohair, End Of The Line
While everyone is excited (rightly) about Mika being the new Freddie Mercury, most people missed this years Freddie when Mohair put out the most theatrical, cabaret inspired slice of rock for years. A gleeful musical eff you was swathed in horns, synths, guitars and (queen) killer chorus.
09 ~ Justin Timberlake, Sexy/Back
One of the years most polarising songs – you either loved it or hated it. I loved it. I thought it was one of the most innovative slices of r'n'b infused dance-pop I had heard in the longest time. Plus Justin looked RAR! Video was all over the place though. Still, funk was back and soon everyone and his mom was covering it!
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08 ~ The Feeling, Never Be Lonely
As beautiful as The Feeling sound on their slower songs, it's the jaunty uptempo numbers dripping in cock-rock influences that they shine. This was this summer's most marvelous squint eyed look at the glories of love. It sounded just incredible live and Dan looked just darling and dapper in the video.
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07 ~ Paolo Nutini, Last Request
A bittersweet ode to breaking up introduced the sometimes sensitive Mr Nutini into my world, and never has the break up of young love sounded so desperate and pleading, yet so beautiful and melodic. A great heist video with twist ending accompanied the track.
06 ~ The Killers, When You Were Young
And so B-Flo and his boys returned cowboy style as they were done with England and now loved America again. I needn't have been worried – the tune was built for stadiums, the chorus soaring, the video beautiful and the whole package a breathtaking wonder from start to finish.
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05 ~ BWO, Temple Of Love
Third and final entry on this list for the best pop group around. Their comeback single (though was anyone really finished with the first album?) was't their best or particularly groundbreaking, but it was pure pop and all encompassing and wrapped its arms around you as spring leapt into action. Bracing and brilliant!
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04 ~ Take That, Patience
A title that described a relationship, but was also a wink to the fans who had waited ten years for this moment. Take That were back with an elegant song that saw their matured sound take their sophisti-pop to the next level. Strings, harmonies, class and sheer nostalgia made this comeback one for the books. Quite simply, lovely.
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03 ~ Simon Curtis, Broken
For someone who has had no official releases in 2006, this boy has done well. Broken remains one of the most exciting pop tracks I've heard in a long time. Gloriously gleeful in it's distaste for the errant partner, it's a song that has exquisite production, an amazing vocal and terrific lyrics. I want more, and have a sneaky suspicion 2007 will bring it…
02 ~ Scissor Sisters, I Don't Feel Like Dancing
A song about staying in proved to be a staple for people going out as Elton's piano, some honky tonk, a sublime falsetto and typically catchy chorus gave us the comeback single for the Scissters and a dance classic to boot. It's not their edgiest single but it certainly is the one that embraces all the elements of pop, and that makes it a winner from start to end :)
. 01 ~ The Feeling, Fill My Little World
Oh. My. Gosh. Unrequited love is heartbreaking, soul destroying and awful. Which is why it's even more impressive that such subject matter could spawn one of the years most exuberant and addictive songs. Stunning harmonies, beautifully crafted chorus, an amazing lead vocal from Dan and the sound of a band who know how to bring the best out in each other. It's utterly deserving of it's top place ranking in my favourite songs of the year.

Not long after I wrote the Alter Boy review, I came across 2 other songs of Simons that I hadn't heard before. One was called Flashback – a tune he wrote for Disney to mark their annual resort event of the same name. This is one of his most theatrical tunes – from the opening bars, it's almost impossible not to imagine him rising up on a smoke filled stage at the start of a concert while silhouetted dancers show off their choreographed moves. This is a song that is made to be performed on a huge scale, and was my first indication that Simon could write specifically as well as pouring out what was in his head and heart. The song provides enough Disney pomp and ceremony to work in a parade, yet retains Simon's trademark beats, lyrics and vocals as it details how you need to learn from the past to make your dreams happen. An incredibly catchy song, its proceeds also went to the The Leukaemia Society of America….

The second song I heard post Alter Boy review was Put Your Make Up On. Simon wrote this as his entry for the Popjustice theme tune competition. The backing track was the same for each contestant (a typically edgy-pop Xenomania effort) and the task at hand was to write a pop tune that would fit the music. The song Simon came up with is one of his most hit-ready to date and one that I find incredibly hard to get out of my head. Indeed I was playing it rather loudly on my stereo on holiday earlier this year, when I heard a knock on the door. Assuming it was someone asking me to turn it down, it was 3 lads wanting to know how I got my hands on an unreleased Scissor Sisters song! Naturally, I explained and a conversation ensued as to how they wished the Scissor Sisters had retained the edginess of their first album and put more songs like Put Your Make Up On on Ta-Dah. What is often genius about so called "throwaway pop" is how multi-layered and meaningful it actually can be if you take the time to listen properly. As a song, yes, PYMO is incredibly catchy, upbeat and I have no doubt at some point will have some amazing remixes. Lyrically, it's a commentary on the looks and image obsessed society we live in and the lengths people will go to in order to get where they want to be. Which fits well into the world of pop, and so is actually quite a clever entry for a Popjustice theme tune. Which all would have been brill on it's own – only Simon takes it up a notch and ends the song on a crucial highlight: a refrain that plays over the main chorus as he sings an internal monologue "as a kid I got a lot of shit for/liking my music but what is it for?/You should listen to this because it gives more/Yeah, but it sounds lousy on the dance floor!" I nearly hugged my computer speakers when I heard that – I can't imagine readers of Popjustice not relating to those lyrics about how you can be mocked for liking music you can dance to – and how music like that is perceived unworthy and throwaway. Clever, clever stuff (and be sure to catch the reference to xenomania and the sugababes red dress in the second verse!) This may well end up as one of THE pop songs of 2007…

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL MY THEZAPPING READERS, FRIENDS, FAMILY AND FAMOUS FOLK! FESTIVE HOLIDAY GREETINGS TO YOU ALL!!

Click here to be taken to my christmas top 21 and a special live lounge wish list!

MP3: A christmas message and music from PaulZapping!

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THE RANDOMS:
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Some fine folks really wanted to contribute to the Christmas Card project you see before your eyes right now, but were quite rightly swept up in the busy festive season, so here are some lovely yuletide snaps of them anyway because frankly, we love them too much not to be here...
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~ Billiam
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~ Pacific Avenue (we didn't notice Alan [in white] being so RAR before!)
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~ Eton Road
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~ The Click Five
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SEASON'S GREETINGS FROM MY GOOD FRIEND JIMMIE:
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to my friend Paul & the Zapping... H A P P Y * H O L I D A Y S ! from my Mary-Kate Olsen to yours, this Future Superstar of Kansas wishes you all tidings of comfort and Britney! Jims!
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LINK: Jimmie's myspace page
MP3: Martina McBride - Love's the only house
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SEASON'S GREETINGS FROM BLOGGER DAN & HIS 2CUTE FAMILY:
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Happy Holidays Paul! - and all readers of The Zapping! Both the missus and I discovered The Zapping just recently, and, well, it's a great blog! Where else would I get my daily dose of all things pop, especially here in the American Midwest? Here's to a great 2007 with even more good stuff ahead! Dan, Heidi & Anna!
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LINK: Dan's Pay Close Attention blogspot
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SEASON'S GREETINGS FROM SINGER ROBERT O'CONNOR
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"Thank you all so very much for voting for me in the Zapping poll this year, I was incredibly honoured to win my group and make the final! I hope that all you beautiful Zapping readers have a tremendous Christmas and a new year that brings with it lots of luck and happiness" - Robert O'Connor X
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LINK: Robert's myspace site
LINK: Robert's official page
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SEASON'S GREETINGS FROM THEZAPPING X-FACTOR WINNER:
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To everyone at The Zapping, I'd would like to wish everyone a merry christmas and a happy new year. May 2007 be a great year for each and every one of you! Thank you so much for voting me your Best New Myspace Artist of 2006! Take care Love Scott Ashley x
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LINK: Scott's myspace site
LINK: Scott's official homepage
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SEASON'S GREETINGS FROM YOUNG SINGER DANIEL PAXTON
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Daniel was kind enough to give us this acapella Christmas song he had written and recorded for his greeting to thezapping readers!.
MP3: Daniel's Christmas song
LINK: Daniel's myspace site
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SEASON'S GREETINGS FROM LONDON LOVING BLOGGER XO:
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Xolondon says "Season's Gruntings!" ...but REALLY Xolondon wishes The Zapping and his great readers a Starbucksian holiday of toasty cheer, mirth and frivolity. Please accept my sentimental favo(u)rite from Dolly Parton as my offering to Ye Old Christmas Blogge.... xo
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MP3: Dolly Parton - White Christmas
LINK: XO's Middle Eight blogspot
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SEASON'S GREETINGS FROM VOCAL GROUP 3NITY:
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Hey guys... Just wanted to stop by to wish you all a merry Christmas :-) And thank you all so much for the support this year... Allot of exiting things has happened to us the last couple of months and we got some new music for you all in the start of the new year. Stop by anytime :-)... just write us if you want to ask us anything... Have a great holiday Christmas Love 3nity/ Alex, Michael & Ron
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LINK: 3nity's myspace page
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SEASON'S GREETINGS FROM SUPERSEXY POP GROUP LOCKDOWN:
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Thanx for the support thezapping! Wishing you a fantastic Xmas and a brilliant New Year. Let's hope we all get what we want from Santa... i did hear he was good at getting people signed, so... ;) Love Lockdown
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LINK: Lockdown's myspace page
LINK: Lockdown's offical page
LINK: Lockdown at 9t9 studios
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SEASON'S GREETINGS FROM COMEDY PODCASTER GARY:
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LINK: Clever Little Pod website
MP3: Clever Little Pod Christmas promo
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SEASON'S GREETINGS FROM SASSY BLOGGER JASON D'LUV:
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J'Ason kindly sent two pics of his favourite Christmas ornaments and very lovely they are too! Here's what he said about them... "The first one is a once-beautiful partridge, or some kind of bird or other, that we have on our tree. One day, Miss Pussy decided to take it upon her catty self to sink her fangs into its face and rip it off. Lurvly.The second is one of my fave ornaments, a sparkly reindeer that my mom got for my boyfriend and mine's tree. Hope you all have sexy, two-dollar hooker-filled holidays!! xo -J'ason"
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LINK: J'Ason's chartrigger blogspot
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SEASON'S GREETINGS FROM ACE NEW SINGER AARON:
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Hi everyone at THE ZAPPING, It`s Aaron here from the U.K. wishing all you guys a brilliant Christmas and a Cool New Year IN 2007. It`s been a busy time for me, and i`m really excited about my new self title album which is out on Beat Factory Records on 12th March. Hope to see you guys at a gig in the future. Take care, and i will catch u later. LOVE Aaron x
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LINK: Aaron's myspace page
LINK: Aaron at 9t9's studio
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SEASON'S GREETINGS FROM IRISH LOVELY, SINGER CONOR:
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"Just thought I'd say Merry Christmas and a Happy & Healthy New Year to you all! Hope that you get all that you wish for and I know 2007 is gonna ba a great one!!!! I'm hopin to do great things next year and hope you'll be there with me to enjoy it!! Good Luck to Paul and keep writing funny stuff!! 2007 will be great for us all! I've recorded loadsa songs for ya'll to hear...and you will. Loadsa Love! CONOR"
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LINK: Conor's myspace page
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SEASON'S GREETINGS FROM SUPERB SUPER NICE SINGER DANIEL KIRKLEY:
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Daniel was good enough to send us his Christmas message in mp3 format to put on the site. Be sure to check out his fascinating "making of" clips for his new single My New Dawn...
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MP3: Daniel's christmas message
LINK: Daniel's myspace page
LINK: Sign up for Daniel's newsletter
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SEASON'S GREETINGS FROM THE EVER LOVELY RUTHIEPOOS:
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Hi Paul! Wanted to say a big heartfelt thankyou for all your hard work on The Zapping this year, for entertaining me (not to mention the masses!) and documenting our lives so entertainingly! :) I Wish you, Dazparty, everyone who has featured in your blog, and indeed anyone reading this ... a very Merry Christmas, a glorious new year and a 2007 to be proud of!! Have a good one all! Love from Ruthiepoos xxx
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SEASON'S GREETINGS FROM A GROUP ALWAYS EXUDING YULETIDE COOL, JEAN:
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LINK: Jean's myspace page
MP3: Jean vs Mylo - Electric Legs
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SEASON'S GREETINGS FROM FUNKY NEW POP COMBO BEYOND:
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Hey Peeps, So its that time of year agian, when we all wish for a "little bit of ohh" upon this festivie season. Heres to a fantastic crimbo and new year to get on that dance floor with your loved and making sure you tell him to "Show Me Off ".. Ok enough of the cheap plugs (haha) ! Heres to 2007 and us bringing pop back where it belongs. Merry Xmas . Love Beyond ..xx
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LINK: Beyond's myspace page
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SEASON'S GREETINGS FROM BLOGGER, SINGER & ALL ROUND GOOD GUY, LUCAS MIRE:
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Happy holidays all you beautiful Zapmeisters! Join me in celebrating the inaugural year of the Zapping's zippy commentary and the best new artist discoveries. Big love and hugs to you in 2007... Lucas!
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LINK: Lucas' myspace page
LINK: Lucas' blogspot
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SEASON'S GREETINGS FROM WHIPSMART ACTOR JEREMY:
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Just a quick note to say Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Eat,d rink and be merry and make sure you don't break that resolution on Jan 1!! J xx
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LINK: Jeremy's myspace page
LINK: Jeremy's acting page
LINK: Jeremy's poem page
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SEASON'S GREETINGS FROM GREAT POP-ROCK SINGER SHANE BUTLER:
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Festive greetings from Dublin to all thezapping readers..2006 was spent recording my album so now its time to eat,drink,and be very very merry before the hard work of releasing the album begins in 2007..check out my website www.shanebutlersite.com to keep up with everything that's happening...hope you all have a great christmas and new year. Shane!
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LINK: Shane's myspace site
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SEASON'S GREETINGS FROM STUNNING NEW ELECTRO-CLASH BOYBAND, DIGITAL:
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LINK: Digital's myspace site
LINK: Digital's official page
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SEASON'S GREETINGS FROM HOT NEW SOUL SINGER AARON JAMES:
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Hey all zapping readers and supporters.......... thanks so much for the support you show me and big thanks to zapping for the support! MERRY XMAS AND HAVE A GREAT NEW YEARS TOO ALL! Your friend Aaron James x x
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LINK: Aaron's myspace page
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SEASON'S GREETINGS FROM ACES TROUBADOR, SINGER STEWART MAC:

Hey everyone...Just droppin' in to wish you all a great Christmas and New Year - hopin you all have a great holiday! Thanks for all the support and comments everyone's made about my music in 2006...here's to more of the same in 2007! Peace...Stewart Mac!
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LINK: Stewart's myspace page
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SEASON'S GREETINGS FROM THE ONLY HEROES I WANT TO RESCUE ME, SWITCH22:
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Merry Christmas ZAPPERS!!!! we do hope that you've all been bad boyz n girlz and if you have then please dive into santas sack and grab what you can!!... thanks for all your support people!! Here's to 2007! ;-) Luv SDB & SWANY aka: SWITCH22!!
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LINK: Switch22's myspace page
LINK: Switch22's official page
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SEASON'S GREETINGS FROM ECLECTIC US SINGER EMO D:

"Hi everyone! I want to wish each and every one of you an unbelievable holiday season! There's definately magic in the air, so make sure to breathe it in and allow it to uplift you in ever single way! Also, have the best New Year you've ever had yet!" Blessings, Emo D.
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LINK: Emo D's myspace page
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SEASON'S GREETINGS FROM THEZAPPING'S FAVE FIND OF THE YEAR - ICED ENTERTAINMENT MEDIA INC:
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Producer Jadion: "Hey Zappers, thank you for all your support this year! We believe 2007 will be a fantastic year for us. It is those who have supported us in the beginning that will always have the most special places in our hearts. Our very best wishes for Christmas go out to each and every one of you! Sincerely Jadion"
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Girlgroup Bliss: "To all TheZapping blog readers, We hope you have a wonderful Christmas season! Sending lots of love your way this holiday! Much love, Bliss"
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Singer Simon Curtis: "First, a big thanks to you Paul, for being so kind and so interested in my music, the happiest of Christmases and New Years to you! Not to mention a big thank you and merry Christmas to all you guys who have checked out the music and are lending your support. Means so much more than you could possibly know! Hopefully the new year will bring much happiness, health, and prosperity to all you guys and all your loved ones - Simon"
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LINK: Iced Entertainment's myspace page
LINK: Iced Entertainment's official homepage
LINK: Jadion's myspace page
LINK: Jadion's official homepage
LINK: Bliss' myspace page
LINK: Bliss' official homepage
LINK: Simon Curtis' myspace page
LINK: Simon Curtis' official homepage
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BONUS ~ A festive last minute mp3 from Nick at Alienhits - a site we utterly adore :) Download The Ark - O Holy Night here...
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