Thursday, May 31, 2007

Big Brother 8 has arrived, bringing a load of female contestants into the house. As the great philosopher Patricia Kaas once sang, "Ou Sont Les Hommes?". I'm not watching it: not yet anyway!! The must-see glory days where you switched on at 8am to see four different camera angles of housemates fast asleep, are long gone. Now the people who go into the house know far too much about media manipulation, and this for me has killed a once great show. But maybe I'll give it a go. I'd love to be proved wrong: maybe for once Channel 4 might give us a group of genuinely funny, likeable (or love-to-hate) housemates whom we might actually care about. Doubt it though...

My interest in "Nouvelle Star" has waned considerably since Pierre's departure last week, leaving Julien, Tigane, Gaetane and Julie as the final four. This week Tigane and Julie were in the bottom two, and it was Julie - who's lucky she made it to this stage as she's nothing particularly special - who made her exit. Oh well, I'll probably watch the videos eventually..

As stated previously, it looks as if Julien (described by one French showbiz mag as the long lost son of oddball Philippe "J'Adoooooooore" Katerine) who will take the prize this year. As you know I am not a fan of Julien, although credit where it's due for his slaughter of "I Put A Spell On You" some weeks back. No reality pop show contestant anywhere in the world would ever dare to put on such a so-bad-it's-good performance like that. He may yet have the last laugh.

As for Gaetane, she got some mileage out of an alleged romance with Julien, although when it comes to singing talent she wouldn't stand a chance against, say, Star Academy's Dominique and Cynthia or indeed Nouvelle Star's Amel Bent.

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

So much for customer choice. We learned today that the rather wonderful CD-WOW! lost its court case against the all powerful BPI, the fatcats who control the British record industry, and will now have to pay approximately £35 million in damages. Yeah, the BPI, who all those years ago wagged the finger and told us that home taping is killing music. The same BPI which now battles the tide of illegal downloading. Yet they choose to punish something as legitimate as CD-WOW! which sells real CDs - not fake ones - the only 'crime' being that the company may have sold CDs which were licensed for sale in Hong Kong, for example. Who cares where they were licensed - they were (and are) legal, and give us, the record-buying public, a chance to obtain CDs at decent affordable prices and not the rip-off-Britain prices which you'll pay in many record stores. What was that about internet shopping giving us freedom of choice? There won't be much chance of that as long as the Scrooges of the BPI exist. We at EuropeCrazy say "Long Live CD-WOW!" We will certainly continue to order our CDs from them.

t’s been kind of a strange weekend. Because our apartment is right in the centre of the gay village here in Birmingham, Darren and I become the unofficial gay pride hosts to all our friends and it’s a role I really enjoy. However, after a week of being sick, I was pretty much really looking forward to the weekend as I hadn’t really had the greatest week ever obviously ;) Anyway, you should always be careful what you wish for as sometimes you end up very disappointed! First off, the weather was freaking atrocious, it did nothing but rain rain rain rain rain! And not summer rain Belinda Carlisle styl-ee, but more Travis Why Does It Always Rain on me styl-ee. It was very chilly too. Then, my pills should have kicked in by this point and made me better but they totally haven’t so I am due back at the doctors tomorrow for more tests. Oy! So i was feeling quite rough still, and now everytime I go anywhere I’m exhausted after about a few minutes. Grife! Then I was meant to hook up and meet/see Kevin Jon, Beyond and Billiam (all pyramid of power acts who were playing the main stage of pride) but was too ill to go out in the rain! And I was kind of really upset and disappointed about this. But then something really kind of magical happened – my friends. The apartment was never empty this weekend, and my lovely friends were chatty, considerate, comforting, funny, entertaining and constant. Even those that couldn’t be there were texting or emailing constantly (xo, cat, simon&markalicious, Bernice and Kirsty!). And really, that is more important to me than anything else I could have done this weekend J Here are some photos from the friends pride weekend...(i love how the first one is really grainy it reflects how rough i felt, but i love my new trousers and t-shirt in this shot!!)

THE RANDOM FINDINGS FROM THE WEEKEND:

· Simon Curtis is growing his hair. Good luck to him. I’m four weeks late for a hair cut and it’s driving me nuts! PS ~ I can post future-celebrity minutae if i like :P

· Check out the lovely Candy Coated Chaos girls and their pics from their current club tour. As they said to me, it’s all about the hair and make up... you can now purchase their aces single Take Me Home Tonite here! The remixes are bonza!

· Switch22 have done an interview at Phoenix FM – the interviewer quite rightly was fizzing at the slit over them. It’s great to see the boys getting more and more publicity, I feel like a proud father :P

· Lee Cheney and some aces other acts (including supercute Sean Mac) are playing at a showcase in London this Thursday. You can still get tickets here. It’s not to be missed.

· Dr. Who is now a human and some little kid I can’t place from a movie has the pocket watch that can turn everything back to normal. In other words, it was a very very good episode.

· I have started dealing with my Veronica Mars grief by watching again from season one...i’m up to episode four. She’s a marshmallow.

· My favourites Ben and Lee are in the final four of Any Dream Will Do. Justice may indeed prevail!

· One of my friends was going through my blog roll on my comp this weekend and said one of the bloggers (male) looked like Nadia from Big Brother 5!! Which made me laugh a lot, though I won’t say who in case they feel insulted!!

· Maroon 5 quite rightly have the number one album in all of England. Sadly they are only number two in the singles chart. I just don’t get Umbrella...

Hopefully back tomorrow!! See you then!

Monday, May 28, 2007

It's only been 5 months since the end of the 6th series of "Star Academy" in France - but already auditions have commenced for the 7th (and possibly final) series of France's biggest reality pop show. Auditions kicked off in Marseille over the weekend with the usual massive turnout.
This despite some very negative comments by season 6 finalist Brice, who in an exclusive interview with "Public" last week revealed that the finalists' tour has been a shambles, as the singers are paid very little and they have received virtually no support from the likes of Alexia Laroche-Joubert and Kamel Ouali to name two. As for Raphaelle Ricci, it appears that she has been frozen out of the show and claimed that she wasn't even told that their concert was taking place at Bercy.
There may also be a big change to Season 7 - when it starts and ends. Fitness guru Christophe Pinna recently revealed that the show is due to start in October 2007 and run until February 2008, instead of its usual end of August to pre-Christmas run time.

Over the last couple of years, Maroon 5 have enjoyed great international success with their worldwide hit album "Songs About Jane". Therefore the follow-up, the strangely named "It Won't Be Soon Before Long" was a long-awaited release and is already at the top of the UK album charts.
The album opens with "If I Never See Your Face Again" which could best be described as Red Hot Chili Peppers-lite. "Makes Me Wonder" is my favourite track on the album - it's a very cool and sophisticated break-up song, (and even though Adam Levine generally doesn't do it for me, I still think he looks very hot in the video). "Little of Your Time" is very catchy and foot-tapping with a bit of a retro vibe. Sometimes Levine's vocals remind me a bit of Colin Hay (ex Men at Work, whose solo songs are currently being featured in E4's "What About Brian").
There are a number of potential singles, notably the harder "Wake Up Call" whilst "Won't Go Home Without You" recalls "She Will Be Loved". If you remember Kanye West's hit single "Heard 'Em Say" then the song featured in that was "Nothing Lasts Forever". "Can't Stop" again has a harder sound, although the whole album generally has a more polished feel to it, e.g. there is nothing as gritty as "Harder to Breathe". "Goodnight Goodnight" is quite a touching ballad, "Not Falling Apart" is forgettable filler, and "Kiwi" is a little different and more funky. "Better That We Break" is another hands in the air ballad whilst "Back At Your Door" brings the album to a satisfactory conclusion.
I'm sure this will be a very successful album, although it does lack some killer choruses and a few of the songs need repeated plays to grow on you, therefore it is unlikely to appreciate the huge success of "Songs About Jane". However I like it, I would say that it was worth the wait and will appeal to fans of the band's smooth and sophisticated grown-up pop sound.

Thanks to the excellent Livejournal community (check the link on the right) I couldn't resist putting some of their fab screencaps on my blog. So here goes.... Lee on video just before his performance of...
..."Daydream Believer"!
Lee and Ben rehearsing.
How great was Lee's duet with Josh Groban on "You Raise Me Up"??? (And how great did Lee look in a suit as well!!)

Sunday, May 27, 2007

Bit of a mainly Nordic one this week!!
Ah Nar Ni Tar Saken I Egna Hander - After Dark. Cheeky ode to Swedish daytime TV experts, allegedly loaded with double entendres, sung by a man in drag. What's not to like.
Hooked On You - Infinity. Still a big hit here at EuropeCrazy HQ, bringing back memories of those early 90s ravey days. They were a bit offputting visually at MGP, but on record this hits the target.
Here - Christina Undhjem. Another fave from this year's MGP. Very nice pop song, been listening to this quite a lot lately.
Alexandra - Sound of Music. Vintage shoulder pad schlager from Nanne Gronvall before she got the pointy ears.
Dancing Lasha Tumbai - Verka Serduchka. Name one song to define Eurovision 2007? This one. Blows Serbia right out of the water. Let's speak dance!
Falling In Love With You Again/Troubled Skies - Sebastian Karlsson. My current fave picks from his very good second album. I'm certainly falling in love with him again.... The picture above is from his recent appearance at the Rix FM festival in Kungstradgarden in Stockholm. Sadly I had left Stockers before this took place :-((
Makes Me Wonder - Maroon 5. Will have the album very soon I hope, in the meantime I can't stop listening to this.
Behind The Cow - Scooter. Recent mad effort using "Don't Fear The Reaper" and utterly daft lyrics as usual. The legend! Behind the cow! And why not.

After the emotional hankie-wringing finale of season 2 (yes I'll admit there was a major lump in my throat as Denny died) would episode 1 of season 3 live up to the hype? Well, strangely...no! I found it rather disappointing as it oddly relied on flashbacks to carry the episode through. Needless to say we can look forward to many weeks of Meredith dithering about her love life etc etc.... but being Grey's Anatomy we will lap it all up of course - and there are certainly some interesting storylines to come.

Saturday, May 26, 2007

Can you keep up with the format changes on ITV's "Grease Is The Word"? After last week's reshuffling of couples, the Dannys and Sandys were split and this week saw the Danny semi.

Four Dannys remained: appropriately two of them were actually called Danny!

Acting class this week with Jennifer Ellison and Paul Nicholas. The years have not been kind to him, have they?

Michael was first up with "Burning Love". He did well and was quite convincing, and David Ian likes him. Most disturbing thing of the evening: Brian Friedman's diva-hoodie outfit thing. Very worrying indeed.

Danny R - yes he can sing but it's not enough. He has a speech impediment, which in a show like this is, sadly, a drawback. He's not Danny Zuko in looks either. The sympathy vote got him this far but no further. His "I'm Still Standing" was good, and in another time and another place (Pop Idol? X Factor?) he might do very well, but this is, brutally and sadly, not the place for him.

Danny B - liking the format this week: you sometimes can't tell the quality of a performer in a duet. Did very well if a little cheesy on "It's Not Unusual". He is the best looking of the remaining Dannys and is our favourite for the part.

Anthony - "Higher and Higher". Ironic choice for a vertically-challenged washed-up pop star. At least David Ian was spot-on: he wants his pop career back. Watch the grin turn to a scowl, a smile turn to a sulk. Mum says: "he's an arrogant wee b*****d" and I agree.

The ever changing format - make it up as you go along??? - reached the first elimination - by the panel and not the Great British Public. Just as well, as to no great surprise Danny R was dispatched, for his own good as much as anybody's.

Round 2: Ballads

"I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing" - Michael. One of these years, can we have a reality-pop-show without this song? Michael is good, although to me seems a little old-fashioned, yet he gets results. Sinitta dared to turn it into a looks competition, suggesting that he was up against two better looking guys....

Danny B is of course the best looking male left in the contest. On "She's The One" he gave a very strong performance for a 19 year old who is mature beyond his years. We say: "You could still be Danny!!!"

Anthony-Me-Me-Me-Kavanagh sang "If You're Not The One". Not quite at the level of Shayne Ward's rendition on X Factor, and he's too short and too arrogant.

Format change again - can you keep up, cause I can't - now the viewers are evicting/saving: Danny B to the final!! Yay!!
Anthony "failed pop star Kavana" Kavanagh - Nooooooo!
So out goes Michael. At least he was a good loser. David Ian promised to work with him.

Next week: Sandys semi!!! We predict: Susan and Vicky to the final.

Five Josephs left, and after the major outcry over the eviction of the massively talented Daniel last week, surely this week would bring justice, i.e. the eviction of Lewis?
Where last week they saved the best till last, this week it was the turn of Lee Mead to kick off the proceedings. After all these weeks of deep and intense performances, it was time to see the lighter side of Lee. (Personally I prefer the darker side, but any Lee is better than no Lee at all...!) On "Daydream Believer" he delivered a performance full of life and enjoyment, but that whole pyjama-thing was so not a good look. However he managed to get The Lord's mojo working. Oo-er missus.

I am trying to pick a second favourite in the event of Lee not making it (perish the thought) and Ben would appear to be it. He is sooooo cute and if I wasn't so besotted by Mr Mead I would have to go for Ben. What he loses in vocal talent - and he lost a lot tonight, tackling "Crying" (not the easiest song for anyone) he makes up for in presence and charisma. Although there were many off-notes, he managed to give a simple, subtle, theatrical rendition beyond his years and did a decent enough job. I am still a bit put off by his growing arrogance though - not quite at the level of Anthony-me-me-me-Kavanagh in "Grease Is The Word" but you can tell it's increasing by the week.

Be very afraid. Cabaret Craig is beginning to grow on me, but why is he wearing pink lipstick every week? If you have the mind of a conspiracy theorist you would think that "Suspicious Minds" had been deliberately chosen to get him into the sing-off. But he does have some appeal and we're glad he is still in, as he is the least theatrical of the lot and seems likeable enough. Bill would say that Craig has been on a journey blah blah blah, hoping it doesn't end tonight. And we like the hairdo. (Craig's that is, not Bill's).

The paper tissue industry will not go bankrupt as long as Lewis is around. (He should have sang "Crying"!!!!) He must realise that The Lord made the wrong decision last week. Anyway he was given "Hero" this week - surely some mistake as he was anything but. Unconvincing and devoid of any personality or star quality. More cabaret indeed than Cabaret-Craig!

After his performance the panel were polarised more than any other performance of the evening. John Barrowman - we looooove him - said that HE. WAS. NOT. JOSEPH. Whilst Bill (Mr Nice Guy) stuck up for him. Listen Bill - they can't all be Joseph! Stop being so positive!
Last word to The Lord - "fantastic charm but no inner strength". Charm????

Finally to Keith-Teeth who is quite frankly puzzling us now. Yes he is good, yes he can sing, but strangely left me cold tonight on "Let Me Entertain You". He is too young and clean-cut for this song, and I keep visualising him in pantomime. Last week he was Liza Minnelli, this week he's Tommy Steele (LOL!) Vocally he is Joseph, says Zoe, whilst Bill "Journey" Kenwright trots out the old "You are on a journey" thing blah blah.

And now to the results show with an added cliffhanger. Who would all-round quality singer Josh Groban choose to duet with him....er, let me think about that one for a moment....
Keith-Teeth spitting out "Josh Groban and Lee Mead", overflowing with envy. It's not nice, not nice at all.
Ooh....Lee and Josh singing "You Raise Me Up". Not one of my favourite songs unless Brian Kennedy is singing it, however the sight of Lee duetting with Josh screams "WINNER!" With the other Josephs relegated to backing vocals, presumably sticking pins into the Lee Mead voodoo doll whilst they wonder if any of them could ever still be Joseph.

Biggest shock of the evening is that Lewis (don't get me started) could still be Joseph. F***!!!!
Lee - YOU COULD STILL BE JOSEPH!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!
Ben - You are in the sing-off!!
Keith - You could still be Joseph, you jealous little....
Craig - You are in the sing-off, and you got the lowest vote. They know how to p*** you off.

Sing-Off: No big dramatic number but instead it's Barry Manilow's "I Made It Through The Rain". Only thing is, Craig didn't, and Ben got custody of the umbrella. The Lord's reasons for dumping a Joseph are getting more bananas by the week: "it was down to casting....your acting didn't come through". Blah blah.

Close every door to him: Take the coat Ben! Take the coat, take the coat. (Curse of the coat: it didn't work this week but surely next week...Yes. Lewis hopefully condemned to oblivion and a sponsorship deal with Kleenex). Four Josephs remain. Semi-final next week!!

So Dean Delannoit is Flemish-speaking Belgium's new "idol". He beat Esther Sels in VTM's final screened last night. The youngster performed his debut single in the final of course - "So Many Ways" is a catchy number which is very reminiscent of The Kooks' "She Moves In Her Own Way" - a song which of course he performed earlier in the contest.
Runner-up Esther needn't be too upset - she will also release a single called "That Will Make My Day" which lyrically is a bit of a gold-digging anthem and which is an equally catchy reggae flavoured number and is sure to be a big hit in the Flemish Ultratop chart. She seems a bit too clean cut for this song though!

Friday, May 25, 2007

Finally got round to watching the exceptional "Ray" which of course was all about the life of soul & r'n'b legend Ray Charles. No surprises that Jamie Foxx won many awards for his portrayal of the singer. What was particularly special about this film was that it showed Charles' life warts and all, and didn't gloss over his drug use or affairs with other women. Despite being almost two and a half hours long, our attention never wandered - that's the sign of a truly great film.

Whilst our multi-channel universe is full of exciting American imports - whether it's "Greys Anatomy" and "ER" emotionally ripping your heart out, "Prison Break" and "Heroes" having you on the edge of your seat, or the tremendous laugh-out-loud absurdity of "Boston Legal", there's lots to watch these days. Dig deeper and there are a few lesser known imports slipping under the radar, one being "What About Brian" currently airing on E4. It's been compared in some places to "Friends" but I would make a comparison with "Thirtysomething", reinvented for the 21st century. Its main man Brian is a pleasant looking leading man, the theme being that he's reached an age where he's still single whilst all his friends are married and settled down. Add to that him being in unrequired love with his best friend's girl, throw in some sub plots about open marriages and artificial insemination and the result is a pleasant way to pass an hour. However, I feel it's still missing that vital ingredient to elevate it to must-see status. Obviously the American tv network agreed, and they pulled the show after 2 series. Guess we better enjoy it while we can.

Veronica Mars (Series Finale – boo you CW Whores!) ~ Oh dear. I don’t really know where to begin. Little veronica filled the buffy sized hole in my life three years ago and provided some whip smart entertainment that never really took with the masses, despite almost universal critical acclaim. The final two episodes show why this masterpiece could never be a massive hit ~ it’s premise put people off discovering an incredibly cleverly written show, with hilarious one lines and deep layered plots that actually continually made sense and doled out revelations in a timely and suitable manner. I love that the more Veronica fell for Piz, the more attracted to him I became. I love the return of three of the Kanes (2 in slightly creepy picture form). I love that Papa Mars was willing to commit a crime for his daughter. I loved Paul Rudd as a washed up has been rock star with a happy ending. And I loved the dialogue throughout. Discussed in depth elsewhere (including my beloved P76 site) here are my 7 fave lines from this magnificent departed beast…

  1. “I hear matchbox twenty are making a return” “Who cares ~ Rob Thomas is a whore…” (RT is also the name of the show’s creator)
  2. “Weevil – you’re wobbling”
  3. “Teen People says if I shave my legs all the boys will notice” “Really? FHM says to bare my breasts…”
  4. “I’m easy. Easy like Sunday Morning…”
  5. “I’m in line, eating frozen yohurt, talking about my feelings. I’m a girl!”
  6. “two questions ~ one, why do you suck and two, what’s it like to suck so much?”
  7. “hello lover…” (as Mac sees a super computer!)

Overall, it was very much like a greatest hits of Veronica’s previous moments – weevil framed, a sex tape story, keith disgraced as sheriff, logan a bit of a psychopath and Veronica back in her high school mode of being alone again. Naturally.

Brothers & Sisters ~ this did what all good season finales should. It wound up the season in a satisfying way while moving things forward for next year. I love the party thrown for Kitty and the Senator and the two nightmare families mingling together. I’ve been waiting all season for someone to make a cat noise at kitty’s name and finally some drunken uncle in law did so yay! Ultimately, I was most moved by Justin’s story ~ his return to Iraq moved up by two days he tried to spend time with his family doing things they wanted to do (including going to see Wicked with Kevin!!) and Sally Fields was a power house actress once again. Ending the season havinf fun in the swimming pool where the pilot started and a place that caused so much misery was a really nice touch. It’s not groundbreaking tv, it’s not edgy or hip, it’s just good solid entertainment and I like it.

Lost ~ Sheesh, I don't even know where to begin addressing this one. It was fairly obvious from the start that Jack was in "the future" so i'll come back to that in a minute. The action on the island was pretty intense. Thanks to crap shot Jin, the plan to blow up the others didn't quite come off and Jin, Bernard and Sayyid had to be rescued (wearing last years black gags - i hope they washed them, ew.) by Hurley in a camper van! Genius. The underwater stuff was pretty cool too - i love Charlie and was sad to see him die in a quite poignant and sad scene :( And how rude was Penny, she was all "screw you bitch, bring me Dessypoos". No wonder Charlie slammed the door in his face... back to the island, now the signal is unjammed Jack was free to make a call on his brick of a phone, only for Locke to harpoon Naomi Liar in the back. Golly - now everyone thinks they are being rescued but the flash forwards hold a whole new intrigue to the show. I eagerly await next season to see if Desmond makes it out, to see if Juliet is a lying whore, to see if Ben survives being tied to a tree (they sure love tying each other up on the island, kinky buggers) and to see if Jack's chopper lands to change everything we've ever known. Feb seems a long time away...


I quite liked the last episode of Desperate Housewives this year. It did a good job of bringing Brie back into the fold (I love how she is going to wear a pregnancy belly to avoid the shame of having an unmarried knocked up daughter) while placing the rest of the ladies in various new situations. It was nice to see Susan ditch the drama for a change and have what I thought was a far more romantic wedding with Mike. And poor Gabrielle finding out that the politician who was into being peed on from sex and the city only married her to get the latino vote. At least she doesn’t have to whizzle on him in the shower like Carrie Bradshaw almost had to do. Lynette’s storyline was rather touching – it will be interesting to see if the lymphoma is still around in the new season or whether she has recovered over the summer. Her mom is amazing, hahaha in a scary evil way. And of course the biggest development was Edie’s final few minutes. It seemed a bit out of character for her, but maybe the thought of being alone combined with the weddings was just too much to take. Time will tell.

Heroes was a strangely muted affair. It certainly wrapped up the storyline well enough and things played out at the end almost exactly the same as in the visions with everyone being in NYC at the same time. Rather than a huge action packed finale, it was mainly about choices. Matt choses to protect Molly, despite that she is a weapon. Nathan choses love over destiny and ultimately saves the world. Hiro chose friendship over destiny. And Nikki chose Mika and her fella over Jessica, though seems to have absorbed her strength now. So is Nathan Petrelli no more? What about Peter? And why is Hiro now in some ancient Japanese land? (I swear his dad was on one of the horses)… I felt somewhat let down by it all, but was still pleased with the overall event. Bear in mind I was all sorts of pills when I watched both these finales so I could’ve screwed up the detail somewhere.

It was always going to be difficult to top last years Grey’s Anatomy finale. Thursday’s finale seemed a rather muted affair. That’s not to say it wasn’t full of the usual tender emotional moments where the patient’s cases seem to mirror the increasingly complex lives of the residents. George failing his intern exams was quite the shock, as was Callie getting chief resident over Bailey... It was nice that Christina acknowledged that everything seems to be about Meredith even when it’s not. Basing her relationship with McDreamy on whether Christina made it down the aisle was a bit foolish and frankly the lovely Dr Shepherd (male) deserves a lot better. Sandra Oh did an amazing job of breaking down after being left at the altar (sort of) by Burke (McJilty?)and fair bought a tear to my eye. Izzy and Alex’s romantic dilemmas were almost subplots but still will have an impact in the new season. Overall, it wasn’t the best Grey’s episode ever and I’m left feeling worried for Meredith and Derek’s relationship... Above is the final few minutes of the finale with the beautiful and highly effective song Keep Breathing by Ingrid Michaelson...

Smallville was a frigging rollercoaster of a ride of a season finale (end of current series). At times it was almost like it was written with a season finale cheat sheet to hand. Earth shattering revelations? Check. Major characters in life or death dilemmas? Check. Wrapping up of season long plot threads? Check. It was all pretty good, until the last 2 minutes which was quite brillo. I don’t believe for a second that Lana blew up in that jeep – I think it’s pretty obvious that she hopped into the Postal van. Lionel is currently drowning and Chloe’s tear transferred her lifeforce to Lois (how annoying British guy and Ivanova is Babylon 5). I’ve always been a bit annoyed by Lois in Smallville. I was quite hoping she would die after she had been stabbed and that Chloe would take her name in her honour. But probably not then. And Clark fighting himself at the end, before turning into Bizarro Clark was brilliant! Oh! And the “previously on...” was the best I’ve seen since Buffy’s The Gift. I still think season 7 should be the final year however..



Ugly Betty may well be the most over the top show on television at the moment, but if you embrace the insaneness, it’s actually pretty hilarious and amazing. The season finale had a lot going for it. SPOILERS AHEAD!! (PS Don't look at the pic above either :P)

OK where to begin? First of all, I think Amanda and Mark may well be the new Jack and Karen (who lets face it kept Will&Grace alive long after it should have finished…), I loved the moment where Willie was missing Mark and he came back and hugged her. Henry and Betty may be the cutest tv couple in a while. CURSE YOU TO HECK CHARLIE (Heck is a suburb of hell – it’s not as hot, but it has better taxes and cable tv). Amanda’s discovery that Faye Sommers may be her mother suddenly took on creepy connotation when I realised that ex-flame Daniel could possibly be her brother. Plus it had Kristin Chenowith in it. Sigh. Oh! And about a million cliffhangers including the hilarious prison escape (“What happened to Fish?” “Fish become bitch after two weeks!”), the car crash and possibly the saddest death announcement scene since Buffy told Dawn that her mom was dead. I’ll miss Santos – he had just turned into a great dad to Justin and actually was one stone cold fox in a rough sort of way.

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Once upon a time, in a previous series of "Nouvelle Star", panellist Marianne James accused the French public of having s**t in their ears, when choosing to eliminate a talented contestant and, presumably, saving a dud one in the process.

May I then use the same expression tonight then, as I have just discovered that my favourite, and the most talented singer and performer in this year's competition, the divine Pierre Darmon, is out, and with him goes my interest in this competition. With Pierre, Raphaelle, Alex and Ilyes gone, Tigane is now the only remotely interesting and talented contestant left (although the fact that a non-white artist has never won this competition goes against him) - the less said the better about bland Julie and Gaetane, and don't even start me on Julien. Cult figure he may be, but a star he is definitely not.

If there is any consolation for Pierre and his fellow evictees, it's that the biggest star ever to emerge from this contest in its five year existence was a young woman who came third in season 2. Her name is Amel Bent, she enjoyed both commercial and critical success with her debut CD, and in the next few weeks she will release the long-awaited follow-up.

Today we learned that Liberty X, the band who were formed in 2001 by the three girls and two boys who didn't get into Hear'say on ITV's first "Popstars" series, are to split up. The split is said to be amicable with all five continuing to be friends, and they will now concentrate on the usual "solo projects". For a group manufactured on a reality show, Liberty X managed to make a few good records and they always managed to get attention thanks to their more risque image. Still, as the great philosopher Nelly Furtado would say "all good things come to an end" and in these days when pop seems to be a dirty word, so another pop act bites the dust.

Radio Netherlands Media Network (www.rnw.nl) has announced that Radio 10 Gold, the Dutch radio station which fans of mediumwave radio have enjoyed since it began in the 1990s, will cease broadcasts on its 1008 kHz frequency by 30 June at the latest. This is very sad news indeed as this station showed its dull British counterparts how oldies radio should be done - with a diverse playlist and a once strong signal (675 kHz R.I.P.) which could be received reasonably clearly here in the UK, especially on those dark winter nights. Recently the station has had to cut down its transmitter power which was the beginning of the end: the station's owners blame a lack of advertising revenue for the station's downfall. One more nail in the coffin of mediumwave: how many more stations will follow?

Så har det gått mer än en vecka sedan eurovisionen tog slut. Det är väl bara att acceptera att allt har ett slut. Normalt vardagsliv har infunnit sig med allt vad det innebär i form av SAS-strejk i antågande och en massa extra jobb som det kommer att generera.

Jag vill tacka alla er som har läst min inlägg och för era kommentarer. Det är ganska fascinerande att man kan kommunicera så enkelt och smidigt med en massa människor. Under de 10 eurovisionsdagarna som jag skrev på bloggen hade jag nästan 1500 besök. Självklart många återkommande men det är ju det man vill. Kul är det och det inspirerar också till att fortsätta skriva. Min tanke är att framöver bl.a skriva om resetips, mat och dryck och annat som är väsentligt och viktigt i livet.

På återhörande hälsar Lilian

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Just realised that I've reached 100 posts on this blog!
The theme of post 101: Måns Zelmerlöw’s debut CD is out today!
Couldn't wait to hear the soundclips of "Stand By For..." and I will definitely be ordering this one. From the 30 second soundclips on http://www.cdon.com/, it sounds like a very good pop album. Måns is already shaping up to be a very versatile performer - "Cara Mia" fans will like the very similar and schlager-tastic "Dreaming" whilst new single "Work of Art" is very reminiscent of Mika's "Grace Kelly". The result is yet another example of high quality, commercial Swedish pop, which they seem to do effortlessly - and Måns deserves to be a big star. I will review this album in full when it lands at EuropeCrazy HQ.

t Won’t Be Long Before Now is finally here! In the shops! Maroon 5 have returned triumphant. RAR! Without going into a long hyperbole about how magnify. they are, lets go have a quick shuftie at some of the magazine features recently out...

LINK: Download the M5 Nissan set

Monday, May 21, 2007

In the semi-final of "Idool 2007" it was Andrej who exited the competition, leaving Dean Delannoit and Esther Sels to battle for the title in this week's final. Dean is the clear favourite to win - not just because male contestants always win this contest, but he is young, with teen appeal and he is also quaintly endearing in an amateurish way. There has been a bit of an outcry at Esther taking a place in the final at the expense of Andrej. She is good and pleasant enough, but lacks charisma which Dean has, although there was no excuse for those stripey trousers last week. Hm.

..."for-me-daaaable!!"
Just discovered the video clip of Pierre Darmon on last week's Nouvelle Star. After his massacre/interesting version of "Grace Kelly" the previous week, this time he was back on very safe ground indeed for "Big Band" week, with a song which he had previously sung at the audition stages and which showed off his talent for a jazzy tune. A confident and winning performance which very clearly ensured another week for him in the competition, although at this stage it looks as if hype (Julien) may sadly triumph over talent (Pierre)
This week the three contestants with the lowest votes were Julie, Gaetane and Raphaelle. It was goodbye to Raphaelle, which I found very surprising as at one point I thought she was going to be the last girl in the competition.


Second album from the Idol 2005 runner-up, who has managed to combine commercial success and credibility. A very wise move has been to team up with Andreas Johnson's co-writer Peter Kvint, who has also produced this CD.
It's a very good collection of songs, mostly in an uptempo and anthemic vein.
"Troubled Skies" is a very good opener. Next is his MF 2007 entry "When The Night Comes Falling" which is still a very strong singalong. "Charlie Calm Down" is another uptempo number and very reminiscent of Andreas Johnson, whilst "I Can Feel You" is clearly inflenced by Robbie Williams and even Oasis. "Lead Me There" is a real hands-in-the-air tune, whilst "Words and Violence", which was the first single released from this album, still sounds good. "Falling In Love With You Again" is one of my personal favourites on this CD. "Kiss Kiss Kiss" is Sebastian in a state of euphoria - "I'm in a perfect state of perfect bliss/I'm in love and I don't want to stop". "Bear With Me" is already a regular on my MP3 player and reminds me a bit of Gavin Degraw. "Trigger" is probably the weakest track on the album, but the closer "Drink This Bottle of Wine" is very good but lyrically has Sebastian reflecting on a break-up. May I help you get over this, Mr Karlsson? No? OK then. Still a very good album though, and it's proof yet again that you don't need to win "Idol" to become a star.

I finally finished rereading Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince today. I know some people think it’s all exposition and back story that could have possibly been spread out over the five preceeding books, but I really enjoyed it a lot more second time round and could barely put it down (hence enormous bags under my eyes today!!). It’s got me SO excited for the final book, and I have to jot down a few theories here – i’d love to know whether you agree or now...

· The Dursleys ~ It seems that Harry will have to return to the Dursleys at least one more time for the annual protection he receives there. I’m betting there is a lot more to Aunt Petunia that has not been told yet also...

· Horcrux ~ Book six was mainly about the revelation that Voldemort (oh stop flinching!!) had hidden parts of his soul in different horcruxes. Harry now must find at least four more (with two already destroyed – the diary from Chamber of Secrets and the ring blackening of Dumbledore’s hand). One that Dumbley and Harry looked for late in book six has already been nabbed by someone R.A.B. Regulus Black maybe? Sirius’ brother?? In book five, while staying at the headquarters of The Order of the Phoenix, Harry and the gang found “a heavy locket that none of them could open” at the Black residence...

· Hogwarts ~ Oh dear. Is this the end of Hogwarts? I doubt it – as much as Buffy was about Sunnydale, Harry Potter is about Hogwarts and it remains very much a key link to Voldemort. Still, i can’t see many parents being happy with all the year six attacks and now a headmaster being killed – by a teacher no less. I think there will be one more Dark Arts teacher (the curse continues! No one lasts more than a year!) and maybe Voldemort will return to seek out the Gryffindor sword??

· Dead or Alive ~ So is the headmaster really dead? Did Snape really kill him? Remember the scene where Harry was instructed by the headmaster to carry out his instructions no matter what the cost ~ was this mere foreshadowing for what will redeem Snape in the eyes of the readers – e.g. he promised the Headmaster he would continue to infiltrate Voldemort’s camp no matter what. That could be explained but doesn’t help the dead headmaster much – still he has a long time link to phoenixes and is last seen asleep in his portrait in Hogwarts. Maybe he’ll return from death and be the first wizard to do so with his soul in tact?

Saturday, May 19, 2007

Amid poor ratings and Simon Cowell's admission that it has been a flop, something had to happen over at ITV's "Grease Is The Word". As time is running out to choose a Danny and Sandy for the West End theatre production, money man David Ian chose to reshuffle the existing couples!
Anthony & Alison....became Anthony & Vicky
Song - "Ain't No Mountain High Enough". Now Vicky is our favourite girl of course but she will always be in the shadow of Anthony-me-me-me-Kavana-Kavanagh: they didn't bond, they had no chemistry, he's not that great and is only surviving on past glories.
Danny R & Lauren...became Danny R & Alison
Song - "When You're Gone". He sings well but the whole thing is a farce as he won't be able to carry a show's scripts due to his speech impediment. Really feel sorry for Alison as she's one of the best girls but will face an early exit as the other half of this couple.
Bradley & Michelle...became Bradley & Lauren
Song - "It Takes Two". He looks like her dad. I never really liked him, and she's too young, so I won't be too upset if they go.
Michael & Vicky...became Michael & Susan
Song - "We've Got Tonight". The first pairing tonight which have shown that they are serious contenders. I'm no Susan McFadden fan of course but have to admit that they have clicked and could be Danny and Sandy...
Danny B & Susan...became Danny B & Michelle
My attention wandered and I can't even remember what they sang. Bland bland bland.
The sing-off
Bradley & Lauren versus Danny R & Alison.
B & L out: so therefore Danny R lives to fight another week. Glad for Alison but how long will the panel put him through this?

19.05.07. "Any Dream Will Do": Six contestants were left and the contest just got tougher.

Keith: "Brown Eyed Girl": OK so apparently he looks like Liza Minnelli. LOL at Graham Norton's "whatever happened to her husband" remark. Keith-Teeth does well once again however there's the usual criticism about diction, blah blah blah. The Lord says: "He could really be Joseph".

Lewis: There's bland, and there is Lewis. He dared to steal Lee's whole sitting-on-stairs-then-getting-up act for his version of "The Rose". He's still weak and dull, and lacks personality. Even Zoe said so. The Lord says: "Got a way to go".

Ben: Another week, another bizarre song choice. "Blue Suede Shoes"??? Cheesy as hell but at least loaded with all the personality Lewis lacked. The Lord: "Had wit and cheekiness....knew what he was doing".

Keith/Lewis/Ben: "That's Life" (group number): fun version which worked well.

Craig: "Black or White": wearing Lee's waistcoat outfit from last week. Surprisingly good stagecraft and managed to do Jacko without resorting to his vocal/dance mannerisms. The Lord says: "Getting better but could you deliver?....marginal".

Daniel: "Evergreen": Another week and indeed another Will Young song. I thought he was very good at this type of song and that he excelled: but then what do I know? The Lord says: "Would an audience want you...singing for two hours?"

Lee: "Paint It Black": they promised intense, and we got it. Lee Mead is in a different league and once more proved it tonight. An incredibly watchable performer - but does he deserve better than the lightweight role of Joseph? He looks fantastic. Just thought I would say that anyway, as my mind wanders to the thought of running my fingers through his hair etc etc....but he is also a very talented artist and of course he still deserves to win this competition. The Lord says: "Absolutely superb....obviously Joseph".

Craig/Daniel/Lee: "Don't Rain On My Parade": absolutely professional and rained on the other youngsters' parade - check their facial expressions out!!

The Sing-Off

Craig/Lee/Keith/Ben: "you could still be Joseph"

Daniel/Lewis: to the sing-off! Daniel got the lowest votes? HELLO?

A real shocker. I thought it would be Lewis vs Craig this week but there you go. Daniel in the sing-off? Thought that whoever was up against the bland and emotionless Lewis would be a cert to go through to next week. "Bring Him Home" was this week's sing-off, wringing out as much emotion as you could possibly take. Yet despite Daniel's obviously better performance in the end, The Lord chose to save Lewis, thus dispatching Daniel to "poor poor Joseph what you gonna do....."

There is a theory on the web that there is a "curse of the coat" - he who touches the coat is evicted next week. Ben touched the coat this week. Go figure. Anyway, I am shocked and stunned, there are some who might suggest that the contest is a foregone conclusion that Lee will win... I don't buy that. After Daniel's eviction, no-one is safe anymore. The Great British Public are a very strange bunch of people when it comes to this type of contest! LEE MUST WIN! THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE!!

Thursday, May 17, 2007


Long-awaited album from one of Sweden’s finest and most distinctive bands of recent years.
They may have reached their biggest audience ever by representing Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest, which resulted in glorious failure of course, but this band is so good that they will emerge with credibility intact, thanks to this mature and very impressive album.
If you’re looking for comparisons, The Ark are the band The Darkness could have been, were it not for the dodgy falsetto and subsequent difficulties related to the rock n’ roll lifestyle.
Lead singer Ola Salo is a compelling, attractive and fascinating frontman although there is a risk that his image is becoming more of a glam rock caricature of late. His vocals are also more toned down here - there are no over the top displays like on, say, "Father of A Son" but the result is a more easy on the ear slice of radio-friendly pop-rock which could be their biggest success to date - that is, if the Swedes forgive them for wrecking their sacred Eurovision final slot for 2008.
Their music formula is a winner - top tunes, killer choruses ("Little Dysfunk You" and "All I Want Is You" are firmly lodged in my brain) - and some very interesting lyrics. For a band whose English is not their native language, Salo’s way with words is outstanding, even if there are a few naughty words and ideas along the way, and one very bad word - yes that one, the one you shall not speak - (in "Death to the Martyrs") nevertheless this song has a hilarious chorus.
After one listen: I like it.
After two listens: completely hooked.
After three listens: already a contender for album of the year. Yes, that good.

Been too busy this week to write a review of my brilliant Stockholm holiday, so here are some pictures which I took instead! A friendly moo at Skansen.

A street in Gamla Stan.
Moose - can't get away from them.
The Royal Palace. Being royals of course, they don't actually live in this one - they've got a bigger and better one just outside the city. Can't resist an amusing sign whenever I go on holiday....!
A traditional old Swedish country house at Skansen.
And another one.
Yet another one of those tall, leggy Swedish blondes.
Took about 300 pictures of moose at Skansen. Here's just one.

Above is the City Hall at sunset, seen from the little island of Helgeandholmen.
The lovely square named Stortorget on Gamla Stan, whose architecture owes more to Holland than Sweden.
City Hall again, spoiled by a rather unnecessary crane.
Gamla Stan seen from the Djurgården ferry.
How Swedish can a lunch be? Meatballs, potatoes, cloudberries and a Pripps Blå !!



Tomorrow sees the semi final of Belgium's "Idool" and we are now down to three contestants (pictured above, left to right): Andrei Loegowskij, Esther Sels and Dean Delannoit. In tomorrow's semi, Andrei will sing: One - U2, The show must go on - Queen, and Life on Mars - David Bowie. Esther will sing Walk away - Kelly Clarkson, You oughta know - Alanis Morissette and Don’t Speak - No Doubt. Finally, Dean's songs will be Boulevard of Broken Dreams - Green Day, Great Balls of Fire - Jerry Lee Lewis and Ruby - Kaiser Chiefs.
I don't really care who wins, all three are strong performers and it's anyone's guess who will make it to the final, although I will hazard a guess at Andrei and Dean, with Esther going home tomorrow.

It’s hard to describe how much I love Maroon 5. I guess the easiest way to do it is by comparison. So… you know how excited I’ve been for nigh on a year now for Simon Curtis’ music? That’s what I was like in December 2003 when I first purchased Songs About Jane. The album had been out for over a year at this point, but I had been seduced by The Sweetest Goodbye, which was used in what was soon to become my favourite all time movie, Love, Actually. What delighted me about Songs About Jane was the variety of musical styles within – there were languid love songs like She Must Be Loved and The Sweetest Goodbye; hard rocking jams like Harder To Breathe and soulful tunes marinated in funk like the ever excellent This Love. I think I’ve seen them in concert 4 times now and each time has been a truly amazing experience. The songs from SAJ seemed to really resonate with me, I loved their embracing of differing musical genres and Adam Levine (or Adam LeFine as I call him) not only has one of the most gorgeous voices I have ever heard, but is a stone cold fox too. I can still put SAJ on over 3 years later and still find new joys and inferences within the songs, the lyrics and the music. I always smile and get slightly aroused by the incredibly filthy lyrics (“clutching your pillow and writhing in your naked sweat/hoping someday somebody will do you like I did”), revel in the energy shown on their 2 live albums and wallow in the sorrow of that song that introduced me to them – The Sweetest Goodbye. It’s been an impatient wait for the second album, but it’s finally here and I can’t wait to share some initial thoughts with you…

I was lucky enough about a month ago, thanks to my supersexual flirting and general whoring of my body to the fine folks at Instinct Magazine, to have a 42 minute (and 7 seconds) phone conversation with Adam Levine. You can read that exclusive interview in the latest issue of said amazing magazine (in all good usa stores right this second) and catch some of the excerpts that weren't published below. I'm in bold, Adam is just fine in regular font :P

~ You have spent most of the past five years travelling round the world in the company of four other guys, which probably sounds like heaven to our readers... did you get up to any hi-jinx along the way to liven up the journey??

We were pretty tame actually, normally we would just play music or sleep on the way to the next destination and just get some energy back. Of course we had practical jokes here and there, but nothing too elaborate or cruel...

(did anyone have bad hygiene, morning breath, etc?)

(Laughs) I think we were all probably the same as each other –and when you are sharing space with people every day for that long, you either become immune to it or everyone just has good habits. That was a really diplomatic answer wasn’t it?

(You played big crowds before – actually I saw you at V Festival a couple of years back and you looked exhausted!!) *asked after question on live shows!

(laughs) Ha, I remember that show, that was a great venue to play and the crowd were really receptive. But, yeah, after 3 ½ years straight performing the same songs over and over again, you get so depleted and start to lose energy. There are things that you want to do, creatively back in the studio and even sleeping in the same bed each night. I do realise, however, that there are worse things than being tired and I feel incredibly lucky to be doing what I do. Actually we are unofficially on tour from now doing some club shows, but our official tour will start in September. I am very excited to get out there and open up people’s perceptions of what we are about. I think folks will be surprised.

~ The album seems to have a great number of eclectic influences and styles running through it and is a little darker in it's tone - particularly Wake Up Call which addresses cheating and murder and the lovely ballad Better We Break. Was it hard to chose songs for the final tracklisting - are there any that didn't make it that you are sad to see the back of?

It was a very long process and it took a while to digest what was working and what wasn’t, but I am very happy with all the songs on there. We definitely went with the strength of the songs and we wanted to have songs on there that were well constructed. Some that didn’t make it had a beat that was too similar or didn’t quite work, and I do believe it’s about strong lyrics and melodies.

(Do you have a favourite? And you can’t say all of them!)

If I had to pick just one, I would go for Better We Break. I think it’s a really really strong song.

(Do you think it will be a single?)

I don’t know about that. I don’t choose the singles, the powers that be decide that for us. As a singer and writer, it is my job to do my best and leave it up to the record company to decide. You just have to ensure that all songs are strong enough to be singles so that you will be happy with any choice.

(That’s interesting, because I was sad that The Sweetest Goodbye wasn’t a single from the first album)

Yeah, that was in Love, Actually and that’s a favourite of mine too.

Any chance of you dumping your supermodel girlfriend and flying over to England to talk fashion??) *asked after talking fashion and flirting!!

(laughs quite a lot)

Obviously, it's a little disjointed when taken out of context from the entire interview, so go buy the magazine and check out instinct's website for the full glorious experience :P Thanks to the Instinct dude for making it happen - it was a very thrilling 42 minutes :)

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

I’ve listened to this album about 8 times in the past few days which is quite unusual for me. Usually when I get a new album, I don’t like to wear it out too quickly in case I get bored of it. I like to let the tunes grow on me and earn my love and devotion. Every so often though, an album comes along that I can’t stop playing. This is one of those times and it’s two for two for the talented Maroon 5. It’s straight in with attack mode with opening track If I Never See Your Face Again positively steeped in disco era Sly and The Family Stone, some electro influences and a healthy dose of Prince obsession. Nice use of backing vocals in the verses that sound a little distorted and add to the manic feel of the song. Makes Me Wonder is up next and was absolutely the right choice for first single. It’s an inspired funk driven tune that not only gets catchier the more you listen to it, but serves well as a mission statement for what the album is about. This is a Maroon 5 that are comfortable with their musical influences, feel cohesive as a band and are not to be messed with. It’s number one slot on the American charts gives me continued hope for quality pop making a comeback. VERY sexy video too. In terms of future singles, well there’s plenty to choice from here. It’s rumoured that Wake Up Call is to be the second choice and sees the boys take a slightly rockier stance on this menacing track about poor Adam finding some 6ft dude in his lady’s bed. So he shoots him. It’s The Thunder Rolls from the guys perspective. Great use of persistant guitar chord to add to the menace of the song, and I love the heart beat that ends the middle eight. For third single in October time I would probably plump for the slightly punk influenced Can’t Stop. The fuzzy guitars play well against Adam’s voice and work up to a frenzy in the chorus. Then for Christmas (and definite standout track on the cd) it’s Adam’s favourite tune, It’s Better That We Break. Shades of Elton and Billy Joel on this track as it starts off as a gorgeous piano ballad before adding some percussion gently to the backbeat. Devastating lyrics about how sometimes despite how hard you try, relationships don’t work make Mr LeFine’s voice sound more doleful and sorrowful than ever. I swear it’s a crime if this is not a single. However, that’s not to say there aren’t plenty of other gems in here and pretty much every song for me is a winner. What works so well about this album is that it not only reflects the styles of the first album, it also revels in what is in the Maroon 5 cd cabinet. For Harder To Breathe fans there are rockier tracks like the Little Of Your Time and Wake Up Call. For fans of the funky soul sounds of This Love there is current single and Kiwi (with the great lyrics “I’ll give you everything you ever want – a stronger hand a faster lover”) and for fans of laid back tracks like Must Get Out &unday Morning there are amazing tracks like Not Falling Apart (VERY Police inspired) and Goodnight Goodnight. Truly a winning cd from start to finish and one that I am sure I’ll be revisitng many times over the coming months…

LINK: Stream the new cd at MTV…

THE EXTRANEOUS TRACKS OF MAROON 5:

Good old Adam and the boys didn’t leave fans hanging for new material between albums. There was an acoustic ep, a live album, Live Lounge covers (Don’t Look Back In Anger), tracks for Spiderman2 (Woman), Christmas songs (War Is Over), childrens songs (Pure Imagination) and hook ups (Everyday People with Sly & Family Stone). It seems this album may well be going the same way – depending on where you purchase the album, there are already 3 bonus tracks floating around. The Way I Was (b-side to Makes Me Wonder) is a piano driven track that Keane would be proud to own, where Adam recalls the good times of hot love and making love to a picture frame with his special lady. Story is a more drum and guitar driven tune that actually reminds of Keane again in Is It Any Wonder mode, only more tolerable and with some lovely bittersweet lyrics. It’s Kanye influence all the way on Infatution ~ a slinky r’n’b style jam with a shuffling beat. As if all of this wasn’t enough, the boys have been doing the rounds for promotion. As reported last week, an amazing acoustic version of Makes Me Wonder was performed at BBC’s live lounge along with a smooth Akon-Police mashup. And AOL presented a performance from the boys on 3 album tracks plus This Love and She Will Be Loved thrown in for good measure. Brillo. Check out the links below to download the songs.

MP3: Maroon5 – Don’t Look Back In Anger

MP3: Maroon 5 – Makes Me Wonder (Live Lounge)

MP3: Maroon 5 – Akon-Police mashup (Live Lounge)

LINK: JohnnyAli’s site with zip file of AOL session

THIS (IDOL) LOVE:

Plus check out Chris C on Any Dream Will Do (love the outfit - darren hates it)

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Erasure – Light At The End Of The Tunnel:

As they approach their 25th anniversary, it’s a credit to the duo that every now and then they continue to churn out top notch pop songs. Not since the utterly gorgeous and sublime Breathe have the boys sounded so together and confident. The songs play to the strengths of Andy Bell’s gorgeous breathy vocals and tackle some intensely personal issues. It’s all froth and fun on the first two singles though, I Could Fall In Love and the adorable Sunday Girl (following the Arctic Monkeys example of releasing the better song second is a brave move) that percolate with modern computer pop slickness. When A Lover Leaves You should definitely be considered as a single as the poignant lyrics marry the music perfectly as Andy addresses the sad death of a lover. It’s actually a very listenable album, and while I think that sadly they are past the point of winning masses of new converts to their cause, it will serve the old faithful well and provide us all with true pop moments, not Scooch pop moments.

Travis – The Boy With No Name:
The Scottish band return with another uniquely titled album (named after Fran Healy’s baby boy) – their first since the underrated, politically charged 12 Memories. When Why Does It Always Rain On Me came out (an all time favourite of mine), they were hailed as the all conquering force for emotionally charged pop songs. While Keane and Coldplay may have stolen their thunder, Travis continue to put out bitter sweet melodic tunes. First single Closer has a gentle warm ambience about it that feels like Fran reaching out of the speakers to give you a hug. Along with the absolutely criminal-if-not-chosen-for-a-single Battleships, it’s easily the stand out tune of the album. However, there are other little pearls to be dived for here... My Eyes is an amazing tune that totally bathes in the marvel and joys of parenthood without coming across as sickly sweet (take note Carnie Wilson and Celine Dion). Selfish Jean has a great swagger to it and Big Chair has a refreshing beat that propels it along nicely. Again, like Erasure, not destined to win hundreds of new fans, but a nice reminder that decent melodic pop music is still out there for those that want it.

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