Lopez Blogs

"Come Marry Me" - Miss Platnum featuring Pete Fox.

Absolutely bonkers mish-mash of rap, hip-hop and Eastern rhythms with a massive dose of humour made this a great big holiday hit for us whilst in Berlin. I will really need to check out her album.

Ok. I’m getting impatient. It’s been 7 long years since the release of Deb’s last album of original material (the aces MYOB) and 5 since her album of Broadway covers. I need a new album! To be fair, it’s not like she has been lazy - she’s been reality showing it, getting her bits out, doing concerts up and down the land and being a right west end wendy in the theatre district. And she’s also had a fair output of songs, that all put together would make a somewhat incohesive but ultimately satisfying album that I’m going to call Naked. Actually she probably would have kicked it all off with that track - released to tie in with her Playboy shoot, it was a smart slice of frothy pop with a great hook and some lovely piano work. That would have been followed up with a double A single of Someone You Love (for the O’Neill Bros album) and an acoustic remake of Lost In Your Eyes. Then there was the lovely “we belong together”-esque Sounds Like Love from Coffee Date, the movie, and a duet with Jordan Knight (Say Goodbye) that I wasn’t overly thrilled with at the time, but has since grown on me. Actually the sound of those songs merges very well together and it would have been a nice contrast from the dancier MYOB album to see the softer side of Sears, um Deborah… Here’s how it should have gone down…

1. Naked (single release)
2. Famous (website release)
3. Rich Girl (website release)
4. Sounds Like Love (from OST Coffee Date)
5. Someone You Love (from O’Neill Bros album)
6. Say Goodbye (duet with Jordan Knight)
7. Lost In Your Eyes (2005 acoustic remake from O’Neill Bros album)
8. Portrait of Loneliness (from Japanese tribute album)
9. Not That Girl (from Steven Sondheim tribute)
10. Song of Hope (from Aids Awareness Concert)
11. Christmas Without You (single release)
12. Naked (acoustic version)

And be sure to check out Debs as a judge on Total Pop Star…

"Live Forever" - Magnus Carlsson.

Magnus Carlsson's recording career was about to take a new and interesting twist: he discovered falsetto, and managed to channel the spirit of A-Ha into this pulsating retro pop stormer. I still like it, even if I'm not really keen on him singing falsetto all the time now. And I want to hear him singing in Swedish again.

"The Pretender" - Foo Fighters.

Unlikely holiday anthem of our late summer trip to Berlin, and a song which refuses to leave my iPod. I've always liked them, but this just reminded me how good they are.

"What Have You Done" - Within Temptation.

Fans of female-fronted symphonic-goth combos like Evanescence and Nightwish will also probably love Dutch band Within Temptation who have been around for years but whom I only discovered thanks to this song, which I'm still playing months later.

"With Every Heartbeat" - Robyn.

Arguably the year's biggest hit within some parts of the pop blogging community, the song that took Robyn to the top of the UK charts - what an amazing comeback for her, and her success could continue well into 2008 as this bizarre and quirky singer finally releases "Be Mine" as a single in the UK.

New TV appearance: about 19 minutes into the the SVT programme "Eftersnack" on 28.11.07 there is a short behind-the-scenes feature and interviews with Salem and Maia at their soundcheck for their Vasteras show. An unusually subdued Salem, it has to be said. Not looking mega-swoonsome, had his hair tied back, but it doesn't matter, I like watching him being interviewed anyway, even if I don't understand it I still like to hear him speaking Swedish..!

Short clips of his soundcheck with his wonderful band (now with additional keyboard player!), doing an extremely jazzy "Tell Me".

This show will be available at SVT Play for the next 28 days or so. Find it at http://svt.se/svt/play/video.jsp?a=908179

Before I start on my blogging marathon tonight, I've just got one question.....WHO STOLE SALEM'S SHOES? And before you ask, it wasn't me :-)))

Anyway this was the promo pic for Salem and Maia's current tour of Sweden. It just struck me that they are both very similar: both are talented singer-songwriters who played all the instruments on their respective debut albums, and both doing very unique music. Quite appropriate and nice that they are touring together.

What’s not to love about my favourite acts doing Christmas material? For the second year in a row, the Killers have come out with a festive tune that manages to be totally them, but also totally seasonal as well. I mean, before I even addressing how much I am into this song after two listens (ooo shiver ~ I just totally got the feeling D’Luv is writing about this the same time as me. How spooly), the cover of the 4 guys as tots at Christmas is worth the entry price to B~Flo land alone. The song itself is very Sam’s Town which is fine by me, and like all good Christmas anthems has about 4 tempo changes and is ridiculously addictive. I’m probably over giddy from another new tune from the boys and the fact that it’s Christmas but for now i stand by gleeful witterings. Plus its for charity, so I’m even more accomodating than usual!

Haven't had time to post anything tonight, I've been trawling the web in search of anything to do with a certain Swedish singer's current tour, trying to get reviews, interviews, pictures, anything...I'll report back about this tomorrow, by which time I should have something to write about, failing that I will just post a nice gratuitous picture of Salem, not that I need persuading ha ha, and there hasn't been one for at least, ooh, 2 days :-)))

Also tomorrow: double helping of the 2007-50, an Idol preview, and some random ramblings about chess. (Not the Benny & Bjorn musical, but the game...!)

I gotta go, I gotta go....

Shayne Ward was really a bit of a breath of fresh air on the X Factor. There hadn’t really been a true “pop” star emerge. Oh I love Will Young and think his music is generally stunning, but he didn’t scream instant popstar, more classy person’s unashamed album choice. Let’s skip over the Anus (Michelle Mc) and Steve Brookstein, who were about as pop star as David Sneddon’s last name. Shayne was a good looking boy, nice fashion style (as seen in vid above), suitably rough background to make him abit of a rebel in the eyes of impressionable young girls (so much gold jewellry dripping from his chavvy mom) and a clear understanding of what pop is. And he did it uptempo. Check out his sassy version of Take Your Mama Out above, and then ponder like the rest of the nation did why (first two singles notwithstanding ~ That’s My Hole and No Promises) he made an album of increasingly dull ballads. Really, he should have something like Gareth’s Skeletons for the third single and then a nice double AA side Christmas single with his genuinely incredible version of Over The Rainbow backed with his cover of Cry Me A River. Cos Lord knows he tries to emulate Justin T enough of his sophomore set…

Which leads me nicely onto Breathless. Frankly, If That’s Ok With You has turned into one of my most endearing pop tunes for this year. I’m still not bored of it. What I am slightly bored of however, is the pseudo r’n'b stylings of No U Hang Up and current single Breathless. Cohesively, the three singles played in order of release tell a rather sweet story of deepening love and devotion. It’s just the style of those latter two I am bored with. So it’s rather unfortunate that they kick off the album, though by the time OK comes on, it’s quite the breath of fresh air and sounds even better than before. Now I have to confess that on my first somewhat hurried background listen to the album, I was quite disappointed and found it quite mediocre. Blasting it out in the car twice today has totally changed my mind! The shrieky wail at the start of Damaged put me off initially, but it soon turns into the beat from All That She Wants and is really a less vicious more metrosexual version of M5’s Wake Up Call. See Adam? Violence isn’t always the answer! Stand By Your Side is a rather good slice of feel good pop, not far off from Ari Gold’s recent Mariah tribute Where The Music Takes You. Bit dubious about the choir joining in, but ultimately it works and makes me want to sing my little heart out. Some Tears Never Dry is a more exciting version of No U Hang Up ~ plinky piano works well, along with ominous strings and a cute little chorus. Tangled is about as good as this album gets - and that is very good. It mixes a bit of 90s boyband, some 80s dance influence and a tiny bit of electro for an almost pop masterpiece and a definite contender for single material. Tell Him is Shayne Ward doing Destiny’s Child Survivor via Justin Timberlake, and as pleasant as his version of Just Be Good To Me is, i can’t listen to it without going “tank fly boss work jam nitty gritty”…

Now there was a lot of talk about there being only one ballad on the album, and I assumed that was going to be Breathless, so was a bit disappointed. Shayne described it as a killer ballad - so I was expecting something like Say It Isn’t So by Gareth Gates, not the wishy washy stuff about babies having your eyes. So it’s a bit of a surprise to find two other ballads on the set ~ and both better than Breathless. Until You is a sweet ballad reminiscent of Blue, but the real triumph here is Melt The Snow. Cutesy vocal samples and a great shuffling beat, this has some incredibly corny lyrics, but they seem to work within the context of the song. I can even forgive the line “kick him to the curb” because this song is as adorable as Same Difference. In fact, if Shayne doesn’t release this as a single, then they should. Lovely. So overall, very reminiscent of lots of other people’s works, but get past that and it’s not nearly as boring as I first thought and actually I now can’t seem to get enough of it. Or Shayne. Rar.

Potential singles: If That’s Ok With You, Breathless, Tangled, Damaged, Melt The Snow

"Vayamos Companeros" - Marquess.

A German band which makes records in the Spanish language: meet Marquess, who came to my attention in 2006 with "El Temperamento". "Vayamos" is even more successful and its popularity is now spreading outside Germany. Catchy and fun track and I want to hear more from them.

"Tokyo" - Danny Saucedo.

You don't have to win "Idol" in Sweden to become a star. Just ask Måns Zelmerlow, or Sebastian Karlsson, or Ola Svensson, or Darin. This was the song that introduced me to Danny and his brand of bright, uptempo boy-pop.

Ok, here’s the deal. This is just between you and me. I’m seeing someone on the quiet. I don’t want a lot of people to know about it, because actually, the thought of this person physically repulses me. She is skanky and vile and a horrible role model and rude to her fans and constantly got booger sugar up her nose and looks a fright and by liking her music I feel I am enabling her self destructive behaviour. Yes, I am doing Amy Winehouse. Twice in the past few days. And it’s all the Zuton’s fault. Curse them and their infinitely average song made a million times better by Marky boy Ronson and his ace Amy free video. It’s the drug that got me hooked. Rehab always struck me as a bit of a smack round the chops (no not that smack) - cashing in on her “oh poor me i’m an addict” status (Britney’s doing the victim thing with Piece of Me too) and so I distanced myself from the song while deciding it was ok to like Paolo Nutini and Girls Aloud versions of it. Now I am listening with renewed enthusiasm and hating myself for it. She’s even a little bit funny on some songs like Me and Mrs Jones, and sanguine on others like the morose Back In Black and the marvelous Marvin Gaye sampling Tears Dry On Their Own. Basically take the first seven songs, and replace You Know I’m No Good with Valerie, and I’m good to go. Now if only I could stop the self loathing that happens every time i listen to the bloody woman. I’ll be at rehab if anyone needs me…

Only one of the following four will be saved tonight, and the other three will be nominated:

Claudia, Eva, Mathieu and Antoine.

Hopefully Claudia will be spared, the rest I'm not really too bothered about, although I can't really comment as I haven't watched the evaluations yet. Will watch them tonight and will post back about this.

"Who's Gonna Find Me" - The Coral.

To me this Merseyside combo can sometimes be a little hit and miss, but this was definitely in the 'hit' category. Strong 60s influences and a good catchy beat: you can't go wrong with this one.

Ok, this may be the worst year of the X Factor ever, but it has totally delivered in finding an act that I utterly utterly adore beyond all limits of rhyme and reason. I mean yes, I loved G4 in year one, and Shayne was rather horn-inducing in year two, Eton Road were cute enough last year, but I am head over heels in love with Same Difference. It’s an obsession. However, the rest of the show is as irritating and scripted as ever. Examples below…

* Six performances and the show is still over an hour long?! Incredible :O
* Sharon now reckons she is the only impartial judge. Whatever, she gets more evil by the week. She hangs over Louis during most of the show which makes him even gayer than ever…
* Beverley goes first and her VT preview goes on about how she is doing it for the kids. Because apparently ditching your steady job and best pension scheme in England for a shot at singing will inspire children everywhere. She sings Without You and it starts off shaky (not as shaky as Girls Aloud With Every Heartbeat) but almost nice. Then of course she starts shouting and it all goes horribly wrong. It shows the limit of her range (which isn’t that much) and rather predictably, all the judges say it is very good. Not for the first time this show, I wonder if I am hearing something different from the rest of the country… (considering the result, turns out no, i’m not. Phew…)
* Same Diff are next and really they could do anything and I would adore it. But they cover one of my fave 80s songs and Sean looks lovely, and it is adorable and cute, and while Sarah is a tiny bit off this week (but miles better than most of Hope) I realise that their utter loveliness is detracting from the fact that they actually do sing very well. Louis is predictably bitter about everything, but when Sean tells his sis “well done” after Simon compliments her, I just about die of giddy glee.
* 2 commercial breaks already! Fucking hell. Evil bitch Nikki is next. She goes home and mentions her dad, who is dead, several more times and then absolutely shits all over her friends. Seriously, if she had done it literally, it would have been less venomous than what she says. She goes back to her dinner lady buddies and hugs them (they pretend to be surprised to see her, even though there are cameras filming her walking in. So huge surprise then, like camera crews are an every day occurence around the school lunch room) then says “they are all slogging away and I am having the time of my life” Because now she is so much better than them. Evil whore. I realise that its partly the producers fault for making “the journey” the be all and end all, and that life is worthless if you don’t win, but Nikki’s comments get increasingly evil each week. Her version of The Power of Love is absolutely dreadful and again I wonder if I am hearing anything different as the audience whoops it up. She then moves herself to tears with the sheer emotion of her performance. Not at all arrogant then. I am moved to nausea.
* Rhydian is brillo in his version of Somewhere from West Side Story. However, i am slightly hating the fact that it already has been decided that Rhydian will win this competition and the judges and the public seem to agree. It’s not that he’s a bad choice, because his voice is stunning, but a) I want Same Difference to win, get a recording contract and an S Club style tv show on the Disney Channel and b) it makes it a rather dull show. Dannii is soooo drunk once again this week because she is sobbing through her comments at how ace Rhydian is. Oh dear.
* Finally, we get Hope (no Hope or Hore, take your pick) and Leon. One of Hore sings a Chrstina Aguilera song. The others don’t do much and it’s only ok, partially cos I don’t like the lead singers voice. Why are Hore even in this competition. They are rubbish. Then Leon-who-i-have-no-interest-in-whatsoever sings and I am bored beyond belief. End of show.



* Ooh, it’s already the results show and I wonder why American Idol hasn’t done the between results show like the X(tra) Factor. Dannii was even more drunk on this when she spies Westlife in the wings and beckons them onto stage. Simon tells her off. It’s ace. She would look chagrinned if her latest botox injection hadn’t deadened her facial muscles.
* Westlife then sing. It’s quite a nice song (don’t hate me world) called I’m Already There and Nicky looks very yum. I’m suddenly aware that Shane hasn’t changed his hair or image in the 8 years they have been together, but it’s a fleeting thought as I continue drooling over Nicky.
* Hurrah. Same Difference are safe so who the fuck cares are in the final two, except that it’s Beverley and Hore. Hurrah. Finally, it’s down to the public vote as the judges are in deadlock. I am convinced that (w)Hore will have the least votes. I am wrong. It is Beverley and suddenly I am glad that she is going as she gives the most sanctimonious interview ever. Teaching is over. It’s a life of singing in clubs in Benidorm for her… She sure inspired the hell out of those kids.

I wish I was there, in Gothenburg, and Linköping, and Västerås, and Uppsala, and Lund, and Vara, and Örebro....oh you get the idea. Anyway tomorrow night he will kick off his mini-tour in Gothenburg and I'm looking forward to reading all about it, if some lovely people will post reviews and pictures and videos on the internet of course.

Sadly, "It's True" has now dropped out of the Swedish download chart. However some good news as this song has made it onto yet another UK dance compilation, the "Hed Kandi 2008 Mix".

We will continue to bring any news of course about Salem, and of course any non-news as well!!!

In this week's P3 Digilistan, Timbaland and One Republic remain at no.1 with the great "Apologize". Highest new entry is Cascada's "What Hurts the Most" at no. 9. Highest placed Swedish act this week is Måns Zelmerlöw who stays at no.5 with "Brother Oh Brother".

"Miss Blue" by Vincent climbs to no. 18, which I'm very happy about. Other Swedish acts in the top 30 this week include Mange Schmidt, Dogge Doggelito, Danny & Therese, and Kent whose "Ingenting" is still around.

We could all settle down and enjoy "Strictly Come Dancing" once again, now that the worst of the worst was gone.

What we weren't prepared for last night was one of our tips for the final three couples, Brendan and Kelly, being in the judges' bottom two after admittedly a below par effort, however having watched this show over the last few years I think it's more personal as the judges seem to have something against Brendan and snipe at him for things they would let other competitors away with. IMHO, of course.

Anyway it was Brendan and Kelly versus John and Nicole in the bottom two, and tonight the panel chose unanimously to keep Brendan and Kelly in and send John and Nicole home. We agreed with this one, as John had probably gone as far as he could go. Major surprise is that Kenny Logan is still in the contest and seems to be winning a lot of fans, but his time will probably be up next week.

Who's our tip to win? Alesha and Matthew: I'm not too keen on him, but she is glamorous and graceful and dances well, week after week.

Otherwise: Matt and Flavia: he's good, quick, best of the male dancers and I quite like her too.

Sadly though, nothing this year in the same league as Mark 'hot hot hot' Ramprakash...!

Two weeks in and it's just too boring for words. I used to love this show and watched it faithfully night after night, series after series. Maybe it's just the mix of 'celebrities' (one for the Trades Description Act I think), maybe it's just the editing, but it's a very bland and boring mix this year. The only thing worth mentioning is American ex-supermodel Janice Dickinson's "Awwww man!!!" catchphrase at eviction time. We need a David Gest, a Lord Brocket, a Paul Burrell, a Dean Gaffney or even (oh the insania) a Jordan and Peter.

Since my last post, Lynne Franks (some PR person I'd never heard of), John Burton Race (grumpy chef) and Rodney Marsh (misogynist footie hasbeen) have all gone, leaving Janice along with some other contestants that I'm too bored to even mention.

Might do another post about this in a couple of days, if I can summon up any interest.

In need of a good-looking young Swedish man singing a catchy pop song?

The latest offering from Mr Zelmerlöw can be found at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUv1BH5AImA

"Acceptable In The 80s" - Calvin Harris.

His 2nd song in my chart, and one of those songs which seemed to turn up as backing music on TV shows (see also "Starz In Their Eyes" by Just Jack and "Golden Skans" by Klaxons). Addictive electro-disco which sounded good on record but also worked well at the many summer festivals which he played this year.

"Everything" - Michael Buble.

I've always been aware of him being around, but this particular song found a place in my heart this year and the video got a lot of airplay on the TV music channels. A very good singer, mainly known for his jazzy cover versions but I like him singing new songs like this one.

...says Salem Al Fakir in a new Swedish press interview at www.corren.se. (And why not, it is rather wonderful hair after all!)

It's quite a funny interview too, as he says it's been a great year and he's learned a lot about performing and singing. I had to laugh though as he describes himself as 'poor' in the English language (despite writing a brilliant CD of lyrics all in English). Hopefully he will be good enough at English to do lots of interviews when he comes over here, hopefully next year! Please! I don't care how bad his English is, it doesn't matter!! We love him anyway!!

14.01.08 will see Robyn's "Be Mine!" released as the follow-up single to "Handle Me", which has done quite well considering a) the video is quite strange and b) it's not in the same style as "With Every Heartbeat".

Talking of which, Girls Aloud covered that song on Radio 1 yesterday, but neither myself nor my work colleagues were too happy about their version.

But!

I was in a record shop today and heard some songs from "Tangled Up" which I rather liked, so I want to download this CD!

The evening kicked off with all the students singing "Je Marche Seul".
"Vivo Per Lei" - Andrea Bocelli, Chimene Badi & Alexia: not easy for Alexia being put beside not one but two great singers - but well done.
Top5: 5 - Maureen; 4 - Quentin; 3 - Jeremy; 2 - Pierre; 1 - Bertrand
So far, the boys are setting the pace, but don’t get too comfortable - I’ve watched enough Star Ac to know it can (and will) all change....
"Le Jerk" - Lorie & Lucie: I haven’t really noticed Lucie till now, but I quite like her and thought she was better than (double-tracked) Lorie on this.
"Entre Nous" - Noemie: she is no Chimene Badi, and any chance she had of remaining in the competition just vanished here.
"J’aime Regarder Les Filles" - Bertrand: poor excuse to showcase this year’s Miss France finalists. Vocally a bit off, but he’s still a character.
"Sweet Dreams" - Quentin: one of those unique Star Academy moments when you are just left speechless. What have you done to my lovely Quentin? Why the eye make-up? Anyway you can’t deny his talent and if he wins, he could possibly be one of the most unusual and fascinating winners this series has ever had.
"Je Vais Vite" - Lorie & Eva: good performance, even if it wasn’t the best song she managed to vocally compete with Lorie.
"Marcia Baila" - Claudia: she has, as Simon Cowell might say, the ‘likeability factor’ and I still can’t understand why she was nominated this week?
"Caroline" - MC Solaar & Maureen: Maureen rapping? What a waste.
"Con Te Partiro" - Andrea Bocelli & Pierre: Andrea is without question one of the world’s greatest singers, but sadly Pierre is no Gregory Lemarchal.
"Medley Will.I.Am" - Will.I.Am & Sevan: Sevan looks the part and this wasn’t too demanding - but how would he cope with a big chanson?
"La Boheme" - Chimene Badi & Maureen: Maureen is proving to be very versatile and this was a very different style for her but she was outclassed by the mighty Chimene.
"Une Seule Vie" - Antoine: he still looks too young for this competition, and I still have reservations about his potential. Managed this ok though.
"Hot Stuff" - Craig David & Mathieu: Mathieu very much at home on this song. Good.
"Da Vinci Claude" - MC Solaar & Sevan: like Harlem before him, rapper Sevan may have a limited shelf life, but he did well here - I like this!
"Le Diner" - Claire-Marie & Jeremy: a bit of old-fashioned French fun, although this jury’s still out on Claire-Marie...
Quentin, Maureen, Pierre, Mathieu & Claire-Marie get top 5 on this week’s prime.
"Malgre Tout" - Chimene Badi & Bertrand: nice duet, well done but Bertrand - less of the facial grimaces, they’re a bit offputting!
Result:
Antoine saved by 48% of the viewers. Noemie 34%, Claudia only 18% (?)
Thankfully the jury saw sense and sent home the one who tried just a little too hard in the opening weeks...au revoir Noemie.

"Let Me Think About It" - Ida Corr vs Fedde Le Grand.

Big-haired Danish dance diva meets all conquering DJ. The result is a rather great dance track which took some time to grow on me, but I suppose all the Fedde stuff is like that, as I used to hate "Put Your Hands Up For Detroit" with a passion, and now I rather like it. Look out for Ida in the future - check out her MySpace for more tracks.

"Just Another Summer" - Moneybrother.

I'd heard of Moneybrother before but hadn't heard any of their music. When I found out they were doing the "Parksommar - Just Another Summer" tour with Salem Al Fakir, I thought I'd check them out. Glad I did. This is good old fashioned rock 'n'roll with obvious Springsteen influences. Catchy and reminds me of summer 2007, even if the weather failed to deliver.

Oh my god, it’s like totally Tracy Turnblad here doing the pre-amble for PaulZaps who like totally loves the story of my life. Hairspray is out on dvd now, and even though the evil Baron Von Darren is making Paul like totally wait to see if it is in his Christmas stocking, it has put him in a totally happy mood, despite the total stress of work! Ohmigod, what about my Link and that High School Musical bitch? I am so getting my baps out for tomorrows post. Oh, here are some things Paul and I are totally loving and making us happy at the moment:

• Oh wow, i would so swim in an integrated pool with Kylie. X is so much fun, but the studio version of White Diamond is a stunningly underplayed ballad. Magnetic Electric is like way fun too…
• Christmas - it’s only around the corner and its time to start watching movies like The Muppets Christmas Carol, The Holiday and of course the greatest movie of all time, Love, Actually
• Drake Bell’s song Make Me Happy. It’s all hand claps, melody and gorgeousness wrapped into three minutes of pop goodness.
• Dan and Serena in pretty much every episode of the gloriously addictive and very bad for you Gossip Girl.
• The Fast Food Rockers singing I Love Christmas. See, they weren’t totally shit…
• Paul’s ace weekend coming up - Mika in concert on Friday, family gathering on Saturday, lunch with the very lovely Richard and Carly in the effortlessly timeless Lincoln on Sunday. Link!
• Can’t Speak French by Girls Aloud really is a disco version of the Wino song Back in Black and bloody amazing with it too. Oh my god, Amy Winehouse has nothing on my hair. What do can compare?!
• Oh boys are so cute in the new millenium. I gotta travel back in time to my Link soon, but I am a bit breathless over Shayne Ward. Homina, etc.
• OK, I gotta like totally go now because it’s the corny collins hairspray hour in a moment, and i’m totally doing the pony this week. Or at least pony style with Link. See ya soon!

The skinny:

• Picture ~ courtesy of wonderful gifts sent in the mail dot com!
• Starbucks ~ none, far too busy
• Listening ~ Hilary Duff, Gypsy Woman
• Reading ~ Still on The Spook’s Battle
• Simpsons ~ Homer tries to break a world record with a human pyramid

"Through The Monsoon" - Tokio Hotel.

The German band’s big English language breakthrough song in Europe this year. As usual, the UK seems to be the only country where success has passed them by. I like them though, and in Bill Kaulitz they have a striking, charismatic, (and beautifully made-up) lead singer.

"Love is Gone" - David Guetta featuring Chris Willis.

The French DJ had found a great hit formula with "Love Don’t Let Me Go" and this is another variation on the theme. Massive dance hit with an amusing video too. Guetta manages to stay cool and please all the people all the time.

"Bubbly" - Colbie Caillat.

We start with a song which came to my attention whilst on holiday in Berlin in September. This sunny little acoustic number seems to have been more appreciated in Europe than in the UK, where it sadly flopped. Colbie is a new American singer songwriter described as the "female Jack Johnson". Nice comparison, and a fine debut single.

Tonight I've decided to begin my countdown of my 50 favourite songs of 2007. There are a few of them which were released in 2006, but they make my chart either because a) I hadn't heard them before this year or b) I played them a lot this year. Anyway I'll be doing two songs per day and that will take us up to just before Christmas when I will reveal the song I liked best this year. About half of the songs will be by European acts, and if you've been following my weekly playlists since the blog began in March, then most of my choices shouldn't be too surprising.

Wednesday again, so let's check out the additions to Swedish radio P3's playlist.

This week's A-list additions are "Little Dysfunk You" by The Ark (yay!) and "Columbus" by Kent (yay again, I'll publish that album review over the next week) whilst Peter Joback's "Han är med mej nu" moves up to the B list. Added to the C-list is an old favourite of ours "Bubbly" by Colbie Caillat, and "Stay My Baby" by Amy Diamond. Also worth mentioning is Juanes' "Me Enamora" is added to the S-list. Chamillionaire's latest song is added to the E-list, a bit of a Swedish link here as this rap song samples Europe's "The Final Countdown"!

Over on Rix FM, BWO's "Give Me The Night" is single of the week. More "electro" than their usual but I like this, they can do no wrong for me, all their songs are so catchy.

OK so been a bit sidetracked this week, apologies to anyone reading this blog who is a bit fed up with my ranting and raving about how brilliant Salem is, anyway I can't help myself.

However there are other things going on - like the latest series of "I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here", the popular British reality TV show which puts alleged "celebrities" into the Aussie jungle. I must admit I'm not really loving this series because there is a lack of entertaining personalities - certainly no David Gest this year, that's for sure. And why is the public choosing Janice Dickinson for trial after trial? This is nearly as bad as Kate being kept in Strictly for 6 weeks, and even she's gone now! Give someone else a chance! Let the anonymous boring people surprise us!

Tonight saw the first eviction, and it came as no surprise to us that Marc Bannerman, whom I had never heard of but I'm reliably informed that he was in Eastenders, was first out. His jungle romance with Cerys Matthews was the talk of the tabloids - slight problem being that he already had a girlfriend. He obviously didn't learn the lesson that the viewers love you if you're mad, they love you if you're bad....but they don't love you if you're a cad. Good riddance we say.

My Salem Al Fakir obsession is once more in full swing this week thanks to the new video and his appearance on that Norwegian TV show which I've been watching again tonight. Even though I understand very little Swedish (and no Norwegian) I get the idea that he's being asked the same old questions - like how he's managed to go from being a classical violinist to a pop star blah blah blah, which he's probably been asked in every interview over the last 12 months, but despite that he still manages to answer them without ever seeming bored. He is so cute and charming as ever.

Anyway I listened to this live version of "Good Song" which I like a lot more tonight, still don't think it's on a par with the "Allsång pa Skansen" version which is an established classic at EuropeCrazy HQ, but it's still very good, his band are great as ever and I like the way he goes a bit off key during the piano solo, his hair has got so big he can't see what he's playing any more !!!!

Lucky Norwegians. Wish he would appear on British telly - I'd watch him on anything. Hey, I'd even videotape "This Morning" or "The Paul O'Grady Show" if he was on! Yes I'm that desperate :-)))

THE ONE WHERE SIMON TAKES CONTROL:

Good morning dear Zapolytes, we are gathered here today to discuss the current state of pop music. I was initially recruited by the one and only PaulZapping a few weeks back to jot down my two cents regarding Britney’s new effort, Blackout, but since it could very well quite possibly be the most over-reviewed pop album of the millennia we shall cover it spark-notes-style;

Britney Spears ~ Blackout:

The album is great; a veritable exposition of the slickest, most-futuristic electronic pop-production that money could buy, but the most Britney-less of all her albums. If ever a critic were to criticize her for having “computers do all the work,” (as if THAT has ever happened) this would be the enormous box of evidence marked “exhibit A.” Bloodshy, Avant, and Danja shine like the top of the Chrysler building, but it is unfortunate that Britney’s involvement feels like an afterthought.

There we go, enough said about that. Now on to a few other albums making splashes in the wide, wide ocean of pop that haven’t yet been reviewed to death…yet being the operative word.

Private ~ My Secret Lover:

I can thank monsieur Robinson over at Popjustice for handing me this gleaming golden treasure of a pop group. Private’s album, “My Secret Lover” could quite possibly be the most dynamic debut from any pop group, ever. Truly. With Thomas Troelsen (of former rock outfit, Superheroes) at the helm, this Danish group is sure to be a mainstay in the pop blogosphere for many a year to come. You simply can’t ask for more instantly catching, delightful pop tunes than what they deliver on this record.

I could dissect this album piece by piece, but honestly, this ten-track gem doesn’t need it. Take Prince (80’s Prince, not the lackluster, over-inflated midget he grew into) and Michael Jackson (again, 80’s Jackson, not the horrifying albino, child-molesting creature he grew into), throw em’ into a blender, and you have the sound that Private has perfected in “My Secret Lover.” Truly an instant classic. I just can’t get enough of this record, and have been shamelessly plugging it to all of my friends for weeks. I think you will thank me if I can convince you to take a listen.

Key tracks are “Crucify My Heart,” “We Got Some Breaking Up To Do,” title track “My Secret Lover,” and “Killer On The Dancefloor.”

Leona Lewis ~ Spirit:

A handful of good songs shine on one of the most lackluster albums this side of Celine Dion…

Seriously, have you read the all-star roster of producers and songwriters on this thing? It’s unbelievable! What is even more unbelievable, however, is how truly boring this record turned out to be. I, along with everyone else in the known universe, fell utterly in love with the humble lass sporting the diva pipes who took over the last season of X Factor. Along with everyone else in the world, I waited with bated breath to hear what Simon Cowell would do with his newfound ingénue, and now, along with everyone else in the world, I am settling for a record that bores me to tears.

Ryan Tedder, who produced first single, “Bleeding Love,” and powerhouse pop monster ballad, “Take A Bow,” should’ve have been given reign over the entire project, as his creations are hands down the best of the bunch. “Take A Bow” is incredible; a modern take on the pop ballad formula that is riveting to the very end, truly chilling and rather unique despite it’s lyrical similarities to Madonna’s song of the same name. Jörgen Elofsson lends “Homeless,” formerly of Darin Zanyar fame, to the belty wonder to great avail, and J. R. Rotem, a producer who has never impressed me, creates early Mariah magic on “Better In Time.” Billy Steinberg, writer of Madonna’s “Like A Virgin” also brings out Leona’s inner Mimi on my personal favorite, “The Best You Never Had;” a song that is just begging for a long, windows-down drive on PCH in the summer. Besides that, there is not much there. Yes there is some great balladry to be found in other songs on the album, but for the most part, “Spirit” is as dispirited a debut anyone could have prayed Leona’s fleet of behind the scenes puppeteers would’ve avoided. Speaking of snoozefests this side of a Celine Dion album…

Celine Dion ~ Taking Chances:

This piece of tripe should be re-titled “Taking Massive Dumps,” (editor: “Lovely!!”) cause that’s exactly what Celine and co. did on this pointless record. I know Paul loved it, but I just can’t see how. Kristian Lundin’s “Eyes On Me” is good (not as good as I would’ve expected from the Swedish luminary, but good nonetheless), and the much anticipated cover of “Alone” produced by Ben Moody is unfortunately nothing more than a glorified American Idol performance. I cannot believe how underwhelmed I am by it, I had such high hopes!I’ve listened to this album several times through now, and each time was more painful than the last; mainly due to the fact that I knew nothing worth listening to loomed on the horizon. “Umbrella” maestro Tricky Stewart gives Celine a nice ballad in “Skies of LA,” but even that is utterly boring. Why oh why does Celine Dion, one of the biggest talents in pop music history, consistently have such HORRIBLE albums? Her career is littered with amazing singles, but not one single album is worth a rat’s ass. Can no one tame this woman’s clearly horrible taste and give the world a Celine album worth buying (not to mention, listen to)??? Oy vey

(and is it just me, or is her blatheringly ridiculous accent getting worse as time goes on? hmmm)

Duran Duran ~ Red Carpet Massacre:

In a nutshell, Futuresex/Lovesounds 2.

“Falling Down” is quite nice, but unfortunately Timbo and friends have beaten this horse to the ground. Too bad Simon Le Bon and friends didn’t saddle up last year.

Kylie ~ X:

I’ve always been such a sucker for the pint-sized poptart, but now that she’s a fellow cancer buddy, I hold her closer to my heart than ever. She is one of those artists who I never expect too much from, but always expect to be pleased by. This album is no exception. While more pretentious critics may chide Kylie for keeping things superficial on a record following up what can only be assumed was one of the most trying times in the singer’s life, I have to agree with Paul’s assertion that this is what Kylie loves to do, and this is what we love to get from Kylie. I would honestly be a bit unnerved to pop in a sparkly new Kylie comeback record to find nothing more than a collection of dark, piano-driven dirges.

I just downloaded the record, and am still digesting it a bit, but I can safely say that I am as pleased as I was with “Body Language.” Several songs here will remain with Kylie throughout her career, and the rest will inevitably fade into back-catalogue obscurity, but as long as she keeps churning out delectable treats such as “The One” and “Nu-di-ty” I will not complain in the slightest.

Speaking of “Nu-di-ty,” I must say that Bloodshy and Avant deserve a bloody award and that I would give my left nut to work with them! *sigh

My favorites so far are “Like A Drug,” “Speakerphone,” “The One,” and “Nu-di-ty.”

One Republic ~ Dreaming Out Loud:

My fellow Tulsan, Ryan Tedder, has done rather well for himself in the past year. I first took notice of him when I fell instantly in love with Hilary Duff’s “Gypsy Woman,” and a little research revealed that he not only was poised to become quite the “it” producer, but also a major star in his own right as the frontman for OneRepublic, a band who’s internet omnipresence had everyone and his brother humming “Apologize” long before Timbo turned it into a “Timbaland feat. OneRepublic” affair (by spicing up the percussion a notch and throwing in a howler monkey) a year later.

I’ve listened to this record about three times so far, and I have a feeling that it is going to grow on me. As a writer for my highschool newspaper back in the day, I made the grave mistake of completely trashing Coldplay’s “A Rush of Blood To The Head” as a “boring, monotonous mess”, that later grew to be one of my favorite albums. Now why this might not quite be “Rush” in any sense, I am starting “Dreaming Out Loud” the same way I started the former; a bit bored, but somehow mesmerized into repeat listens, which, in the case of Coldplay, inevitably led to adoration. Could OneRepublic be the American answer to Keane, Coldplay and the like? We shall see indeed…

Been thinking about this for a while so I've decided to move my weekly playlist to a Tuesday because I do a lot of other posts at the weekend and thought this would even things out. That's the plan anyway. So...
Let Me Think About It - Ida Corr vs Fedde Le Grand: Didn't like this to begin with but now I think it's one of the year's best commercial dance tunes.
Ride The Storm - Carl Kennedy & Roachford: one of this country's most underrated singers of the 80s and 90s, and fitting very well into the dance environment.
It's True - Axwell & Ingrosso vs Salem Al Fakir: I just love it.
Waiting 4 - Peter Gelderblom: clever sampling of RHCP's "By The Way" turning it into a good dance tune.
Brother Oh Brother - Måns Zelmerlöw: not quite as catchy as "Cara Mia" but not far off. Now a firm favourite of mine.
Apologize - Timbaland feat. One Republic: This should be no.1 in the charts. I will do a post later about One Republic because their CD is now out in the USA.
Through The Monsoon - Tokio Hotel: been playing this a lot since they appeared on last week's "Star Academy".

...Antoine, Noemie and Claudia. They must have got fed up with nominating Mathieu!

Hmmm.....I like Claudia and hope she stays. Going to sit on the fence here and say I really don't know who will go this week as I haven't been following the daily updates. I'm really shocked that Alexia was almost nominated though, she was great on the last prime.

Did I say there was no news about Salem? Ooh I spoke too soon. New video, new gigs and now a new TV appearance to report. He appeared last night in an NRK TV show called Store Studio which I found at http://www1.nrk.no/nett-tv/indeks/114062

He looks rather lovely during the short interview (in Swedish, with Norwegian subtitles) - big crazy hair! The pullover is back - the old one, not the new one!

This is followed by a rather 'different' version of "Good Song", let's just say, maybe he's getting tired of playing it now and wants to sing it a different way? Still great though - I want to watch this over and over again.

Still completely in love with this man. You know I cannot do anything about it.

Andreas Sjöberg : Heaven's On Fire (Kiss) / Livin' on a Prayer (Bon Jovi)

Amanda Jenssen : You Really Got Me (the Kinks) / I'm Just A Girl (No Doubt)

Marie Picasso : You Oughta Know (Alanis Morissette) / Weak (Skunk Anansie)

Daniel Karlsson : Roxanne (the Police) / Livin on the edge (Aerosmith)

My excitement has reached fever pitch tonight at the discovery of a new video for Salem Al Fakir's "It's True" (find it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vR50JB-XlZE)
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Shot in black and white, it's surprisingly dark and surreal and in contrast to the song's happy and positive vibe. Salem is dressed in a suit and tie, his hair is tied back and he's got this facial hair thing going on. Anyway he walks barefoot across the pebbles on the beach and into the sea, and eventually he is engulfed by a big wave, and a very cryptic ending.

Salem looks very different in this video, but there's always something about a man in a suit and you know that for me he can do no wrong anyway!!!!

I remember reading a messageboard post somewhere a couple of months ago which mentioned that they'd seen him filming this video on a beach, but I didn't really believe this at the time but indeed...it's true!! (sorry for this atrocious pun).

Haven't found any reviews of his Stockholm gig from last night yet - I need to find out how it went. If you were there and you're reading this blog - tell me! (sorry, yet another terrible pun) :-))))

Oh it was so lovely to wake up all snuggled and warm in the “nook” of darrens back this morning and get out of bed to see the white reflective glow of perfection lightly dusted over the courtyard. I nearly squirted my pre-Christmas glee all over the window! But i didn’t because frankly I have more restraint than that. It made me feel that it really is time to start watching Love, Actually again. I was a bit late for work actually, because I couldn’t work out which scarf went best with my outfit. And the day whizzed by before I knew it! Time seems to go so fast in the precious lead up to Christmas. Still, I may as well use this space to tell you about the exciting things coming up in December on a daily basis on lezaps. From 1st December there will be a daily greeting welcoming to you to the blog from an act featured in these very “pages” this past year, plus probably some other blog world celebs too! There will also be a daily Christmas tune, a tv episode recommendation with a Christmas theme and a look at the best festive films and cds out there. Plus a daily gift recommendation. All this plus the usual daily stuff, a look back at how the pyramid of potential have performed, the unveiling of the 2008 pyramid, the top songs and albums of the year, best of books, tv and film and finally a couple of stellar interviews you won’t want to miss. Blimey, I’m turning myself on with all the excitement. It’s gonna be a Christmas extravaganza you won’t want to miss. AND!! On December 24th you will be able to download the whole thing in glorious PDF magazine format to keep forever!! It’s like I’m Santa and I’m sliding down your hole to give you the best gift ever. God, must I make everything sound filthy?!

The skinny:

• Picture ~ A glorious representation of the probably forthcoming Britney scent by Simon Curtis
• Starbucks ~ none. Was too busy. I wept.
• Reading ~ I gave up on The Christmas Book. Shockingly it was boring. It’s all about the latest in the Spooks Apprentice range
• Listening ~ Desire by Darin
• Simpsons ~ the new US one where Marge starts a chain of lady gyms and Homer has his stomach stapled. Not great…

Andréa Bocelli
Robin Gibb
Will.I.Am
Chimène Badi
Craig David
Lorie
MC Solaar

OK line-up I suppose, although could have done without "Craaaaaig David" (I prefer the Bo Selecta character to the real thing) and I fear the worst, if Will.I.Am is going to sing that "Got it from my mama" song which was bad. Not bad-good, just bad.

This was yet another one of France 2's Saturday night entertainment extravaganzas shown in the UK on the TV5 satellite channel. Allegedly it was some kind of chart show where people had to vote for their favourite songs, it was an excuse to exhume various old French stars of chanson. Like Michel Delpech for instance, whose songs like "Pour Un Flirt" and "Le Loir et Cher" used to turn up in Star Academy a lot. "Wight is Wight" (no, not a spelling mistake - it's a song about the Isle of Wight festival!) was voted his best song.

Dave: I take it for a man his age, he's not a natural blond. "Du Côté de Chez Swann" turned up on Calogero's "Live 1.0" CD, but this was the original cheesy version.

I say original, because everyone on this show was miming. Like Desireless (who now resembles an old hippy in Hare Krishna style robes) and Julie Pietri, who both lip-synched their 80s classics "Voyage Voyage" and "Eve Leve-Toi" perfectly.

Maurane also appeared. Even in her heyday she didn't look like a popstar. Now she looks more mumsy than ever, but you can't deny that she always had a great distinctive voice.

Dany Brillant: is he the cheesiest man alive?

The stars of today were also represented. Emmanuel Moire, for instance, oh swoon swoon swoon. Lovely voice, gorgeous man, the only person who ever looked hot in a Louis XIV wig. Now he is out of the wig and in the midst of a solo career but he doesn't seem to be as popular as his "Le Roi Soleil" co-star Christophe Mae, who also appeared on this TV show. His voice is annoying me now. Catchy song though ("On S'Attache") kind of acoustic funk. The original Nouvelle Star runner-up Thierry Amiel sang "Coeur Sacre" which is an electro-pop number from 2006 which I still like.

Needless to say Pascal Obispo also made an appearance (who said anything about the opening of an envelope?)

Other guests: Aaron, Zazie, Hugues Aufray, Cookie Dingler and Kaolin.

Good show with dangerous levels of cheese, but a bit of live singing wouldn't have gone amiss.

Sighs of relief all round tonight as our favourite British reality TV show regains its credibility and finally boots out the woman with the flexibility of a wooden clockwork toy. Appropriate this week that Kate Garraway and her partner, Anton du Beke, the 'nearly man' of Strictly (someone give him a decent partner one of these years!) danced to a song from The Killers, as week after week she committed murder on the dancefloor.

I couldn't really get into the show over the last couple of weeks, probably due to the-saving-of-Kate every week, maybe now I'll start to enjoy it again. What can't be argued is that the standard of celeb-dancing is well down this year. Alesha, Kelly and Matt excepted (and we had high hopes for Gethin, who's taking too long to deliver), the rest just range from adequate to wooden.

John Barnes was back in the bottom 2 tonight again: he and Kenny Logan (who we've warmed to over recent weeks, he tries hard even if he walks rather than dances) are now in danger of eviction next week. But didn't we say that about Kate about 6 weeks ago?

Two things ~ firstly, I am a little alarmed that the above video was tagged “lesbian, pussy, sucking, blow job, hard core smooch” on youtube (which incidentally is what i typed in to find it :P). Secondly, I was going to write indepth reviews about the new Girls Aloud and Kylie album, but seeing as Adem and PPG have quite eloquently written about the GA effort already, and one can always rely on XO for an ace Kylie write up, I thought I would just share some random thoughts on both sets. It’s interesting the differing levels of hype surrounding these albums. The release of X has been built up to epic proportions and has been much more widely leaked than Girls Aloud. In fact, I’ve already written extensively about the leaked tracks and those performed on The Kylie Show. Wow remains an incredible piece of SAW meets nu Kylie magic, while The One just shimmers with glorious disco enchantment. I am still entranced by No More Rain and Cosmic, though Nu-di-ty is a bit of a disaster, as is the Calvin Harris track. And the bonus track Rippin Up The Disco should be brilliant with a title like that, but isn’t. 2 Hearts has had a decent chart peak this week, but I really can’t see this album going to number one. Still Kylie is a perennial favourite in England and I think the longevity of the album will be aided by a hopefully stunning set of singles. Meanwhile, the popjustice forum is exploding with the sound of the underground, and after a bit of a “meh” reaction to my first listen of Tangled Up, I gotta admit it’s a pretty solid set of tunes. It’s weird how, when Sexy… came out I really thought it was trying to hard to be cool for cools sake, and now with a bit of hindsight I think it is a corker of a track that represents the Girls at the top of their game. Call The Shots suffers a bit from being released in winter, when it positively glows with summer groove potential, but not to worry because solid jams like Can’t Speak French (slightly Winehouse-ish), Blackjacks and Girls Overboard are more radio friendly triumphs. No ballads, but the set is peppered with an array of tempos, so it’s not noticeable. So both very solid efforts with mostly killer, some filler (the awful awful Fling) and tracks that will be played long into 2008. However, I don’t think either will be in my top ten albums of the year, despite my love for the songs and artists. Just too many other contenders that have had longer to wriggle deeper into my heart…
Kylie singles ~ 2 Hearts, Wow, The One, No More Rain
Girls Aloud singles ~ Sexy No No No, Call The Shots, Can’t Speak French, Girls Overboard

Just listening to "Digilistan" at the moment online at www.sr.se/p3, and I am extremely glad to report that Axwell & Ingrosso's marvellous remix of Salem's "It's True" is climbing the chart at last and is now no. 37 (ok, it's not no.1, but it's better than no. 56!!)

Also worth mentioning that "Brother Oh Brother" by Måns Zelmerlöw is now no.5 - hooray!! - "Vayamos Companeros" by Marquess is still no. 11, and Vincent's "Miss Blue" is up to no. 23.

And what's no.1 this week? None other than the mighty "Apologize" by Timbaland and One Republic, still one of my most favourite songs of the moment.

The ponytailed one appeared on TV4's "Nyhetsmorgon" this week and it's still on TV4's 'webb-TV' and if you head on over there to www.tv4.se you can find him singing "Don't Hate On Me" and "Miss Blue".

The prime was a day late this week.

I'll do a full review tomorrow, hopefully, if I've got time, but in the meantime I'll just mention that Mathieu was saved by the public, again, leaving Claire-Marie and Dojima at the mercy of the jury. They saved Claire-Marie and sent Dojima home, so "au revoir" to Dojima.

I'd taped the whole Children in Need thing as most of it's a bit tedious with singing newsreaders etc, still to watch it, but my curiosity was getting the better of me over the whole Lee thing so tonight I've gone over to YouTube where someone has kindly posted Lee's "Gonna Make You A Star" from last night's show. Rather wonderful too. Quite interesting that he is trying to pursue a recording career outwith the whole Joseph shenanigans. See why I'm getting so excited, at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VghO0VpWEBw

American punk veterans with an unexpectedly radio-friendly electro-disco number which I think has stood the test of time. This is another one of these obscure songs which I like, and want to share with you tonight. Find it in the usual place: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrMuZUIhjHI

Tonight I thought I'd give a mention to someone who would appear to love Salem Al Fakir just as much as I do.

Why not wander over to http://thelemurblog.blogspot.com where there is a great review of "This Is Who I Am". I was really touched by this review and I'm always delighted when I discover other fans of Salem's music, you are all friends of mine!!!! :-))

Haven't been around today so only just checking out how last night's Swedish Idol went. Worryingly, Carola was hanging around the show this week, so it was "gospel-themed" which is not really my bag, but here we go...