Lopez Blogs

Ah the weekend where time goes back an hour thanks to daylight savings, and Darren and I visited a spookified Warwick Castle in preparation for Hallowe'en. To be fair it would've been better in the dark, but it was a most pleasing if freezing cold day out and the chocolate mice we bought at the end of it were delicious. What was not delicious was the fifth installment of the Saw movies. Though really, 5 movies in did I expect anything different?! Anyway, thanks for all the comments this week - we both are feeling lots better :) Now on with la blog...

THE X-FACTOR:

Frankly, I'm probably too annoyed to write properly about Big Bad Week (as Glossy calls it - no spelling error) or Ray Quinn Week as everyone else calls it. It wasn't a particularly good week - it never is. Why the producers think it is a good idea is beyond me! Dermot has now just become a hugging post for people (frankly the only reason I would go on it is to hug Dermy), and the judges scripted responses were more predictable than ever. Eoghan who was particularly vocally weak and did some very questionable dance moves in his 3rd horrific outfit in a row was once again praised. Alexandra who was criticised for copying Whitney in week one and Mariah in week two, blathered on about how she was stamping her own identity on this week's number, then does a carbon copy (including the dance routine and outfit) of Christina's Candyman, yet no one is scripted to pick up on it so it is classed as original and brilliant. Austin was actually very good this week (though his clothes looked way too big for him), but his needy desperation is reaching Lisa Scott-Lee levels. JLS i thought did a decent job this week, but tops by miles were the aforementioned Austin (with Mack The Knife), Ruth with a stunning version of Summertime and of course quirky Diana with Smile. Note to Diana - those hand gestures around your face during each song are starting to become a parody. Ditch them quick smart!

Now, the reason i'm so annoyed - first of the cloyingly manipulative emotional Heroes single is entirely dreadful. I'm all for charity records, but surely sometimes they should be quite good? This really isn't - save your pennies and donate directly to the fund instead. Secondly, no Scott Bruton wasn't particularly good tonight (or ever) but he is by far the most likeable contestant on the show and didn't deserve to be in the bottom two. That should've been Daniel and Eoghan, by far the two weakest most irritating contestants. At least one of the bottom two was Daniel and I was convinced he was going to go home. Until... he dedicated his last song to his dead wife, and started crying at the end of it. I mean, how do you compete with that?! Poor Scott didn't stand a chance. I was screaming when they showed his mom "for god's sake have some compassion and die, so your son will get through!!!" Of course that was the wine and medication talking and I wish no ill towards Momma Scott. But Daniel - for shame. He lives to be huge (he's HUGE!) for disco week. May God have mercy on us all...

BRITANNIA HIGH:

Colour me obsessed with the comeback of pop. What with Same Difference blazing the Steps sound comeback, Britannia High is bringing back everything S Club/I Dream. And yes it may be cheesy, but it has dance moves, an amazing soundtrack, uplifting motivational bits and of course a not very ugly at all cast (that features a clone of Jon from S Club, Maxie from Skins with an increasingly acceptable perm and Adam "Duets with kylie/Fiyero in London's Wicked" Garcia. Gorgeous!). Episode one kicked off with the free download single Start Of Something (kudos to writers Gary Barlow and Eliot Kennedy) complete with full dance routine and colours so bright across each little scene that i fear for my retinas. The rest of the episode was typical Kids From Fame type drama leading up to a full stage performance where in a Dirty Dancing-esque moment the nervous girl finally manages to do the lift. Hurrah! Tear in eye, etc. It's not going to be for everybody, but it is filling the whole in my soul left by the end of the 1998-2002 pop era. Bring on next week when Nicola GA is featured. Boss!

TOP 21 TRACKS OF THE WEEK:

Sigh. Still totally obsessed with Girls Aloud then. And "Human" by the Killers. I think the complexity of that track has gone over some reviewers heads. I find it utterly captivating. Plus numbers 3 and 4 have become my new latest obsession...

21 ~ Lily Allen, Everybody's At It (NE)
20 ~ The Feeling, Won't Go Away (NE)
19 ~ The Feeling, Join With Us
18 ~ William Young, Changes
17 ~ McFly, Lies
16 ~ Regina Spektor, You Don't Know Me
15 ~ Rongedal, Europhia
14 ~ Sugababes, Girls
13 ~ Infernal, Whenever You Need Me
12 ~ Alphabeat, What Is Happening?
11 ~ Miley Cyrus, Fly On The Wall
10 ~ Lenka, The Show
09 ~ Pink, So What
08 ~ Jason Mraz, Make It Mine
07 ~ Darin, Breathing Your Love
06 ~ Alesha, The Boy Does Nothing
05 ~ Marit Larsen, If A Song Could Get Me You
04 ~ Take That, Greatest Day
03 ~ Britannia High, Start Of Something
02 ~ The Killers, Human
01 ~ Girls Aloud, The Promise (4 Weeks)

Coming monday - sugababes vs girls aloud. And not in a walk this way type scenario!
AND FINALLY: Please vote for lovely James Leon "Never Been Cool" and leave a review if you are feeling the mood. He might get playlisted on US Radio :)