Lopez Blogs

Happy new year everybody! I had a lovely evening over at Ruthiepoos with Lou, Lydia, Tom and of course my very own dazpantaloons. Fun, good times, games and fireworks out in the freezing cold (hence the chilly look above) were had by all as we waved goodbye to the crapfest that was 2008 and bought in a bound to fine 2009. Although I am chagrinned that I shamed myself by necking some booze at midnight, which caused me to dry heave and dribble all over lydia's creamy caramel slices :( When I woke up at Ruth's country house (she lives in a house a very big house in the country), it was one of those gorgeous frosty mornings where the trees and bushes and ground for miles around were covered in a dusting of frost. Very picturesque and wipe-the-slate clean way to start the new year. And what a good time to discuss what acts could be very enormous and gigantic indeed in 2009. I've broken this down in 2 parts - one is acts that I've written about before and still have to become as massive as they should be (today) and the second part will be on Sunday (with my first chart of the new year) with acts that are new to me, but probably not very new to anyone else at all. So that's something to look forward to then isn't it?!

THEIR TIME TO SHINE IN 2009:

06 - Mr Hudson: I wrote about the delightful Mr Hudson and his library back in 2007 when they came out with an album about living in London and Birmingham called a Tale of Two Cities. It promptly did pretty much nothing apart from enchant me, particularly with the hip-hop-brit-pop tinged cover of On The Street Where You Live. Since then they have hooked up with annoying genius Kanye West, and have a new album out sometime this year. After a year where decent british indie acts were few and far between, I'm eager to for Mr Hudson to come back and knock everyone's socks off. Check out a free download on their webpage to get you up to speed...
05 - Bryn Christopher: The Quest really should have shot the strangely attractive Mr Christopher into the stratosphere. I mean it was featured on Grey's Anatomy for goodness sake (as was a Mr Hudson track recently!) and was an epic and a half pop tune. Then came the equally amazing Smiling which was penned by some ozzie sheila and was a dark little tune that (with Bryn's velvety yet rugged tones) still managed to sound uplifting. Mercifully, the record company haven't given up on him yet, and he continues his brilliant singles streak with Fearless. His album is bur-illiant by the way.

04 - Isabel Guzman: I first fell in love with Isabel about a year ago and she has provided me with many an amazing pop-dance number since then without ever getting the attention that lesser pop strumpets like Lady BlahBlah and CatPee Perry seem to attract. Isabel not only continues to look stunning in each photoshoot she does, but she will be blowing sky high with Mysterious very soon indeed. Her album should be one of THE essential pop treats of this year.
03 - Daniel Merriweather: Daniel first came to my (and everyone elses) attention when he did the stunning remake of The Smiths' Stop Me with Mark Ronson. Soon everyone was talking about his distinctive voice and eagerly awaiting his first album. Which has taken forever and a day to put together. I mean, I'm all for DIY pop but you don't have to burn each cd individually Daniel! Still, his first single proper is out soon, is called Change and apart from an annoying rap bit in the middle is a soul drenched and beat lead as one could hope for from this bright young spark...

02 - Ryan Ferrada: Somehow without any promotional video, no promo club appearances and no release date on the schedule, Ryan Ferrada has managed to effortlessly glide to number two on the Music Week Club Chart with his infectious pop-funk ditty Dirty In The Club. With a video and marketing campaign that Ryan has carefully orchestrated himself ready to launch in the first quarter of 2009, I can't help but feel that with the right exposure this massive club smash will be crossing over to the pop charts very soon. And only 3 years after I first heard Touch You Sexy...
01 - Simon Curtis/Spectacular: Yes yes. Simon has topped my "must stars" list at the end of 2006, 2007 and now 2008. I'm loyal and Simon has yet to let me down with his delightful brand of suckled-at-the-teat-of-swedish-pop Alter Boy music. Once the movie-musical Spectacular hits in February, all eyes will be on Simon and the world will FINALLY be exposed to his music. Bring on the music, the cd release, but more importantly the carefully choreographed dance videos and highly entertaining world tours. Spectacular will just be the start. By this time next year, we will all be worshipping this pop messiah...

Other acts worthy of still watching: Candy Coated Chaos; Oh Laura; A-List; Red Blooded Women; Stonefoxx; Jonah; V-Factory; Gavin Mikhail...

The one song that desperately needs a decent pop cover in 2009!

Celeb Big Brother Update: Latoya Jackson is in the house! And if 2008 reminded of 2000 with it's musical output (Same Difference=Steps; Britannia High=S Club) then Big Brother 2009 brings back 2001. There's Mutya from the Sugababes (who entered in the foulest dress i've ever seen), Michelle from Liberty X and of course lovely Ben from A1. Which means that Ben is this year's Mark Owen. So he might win. Release two albums. Then get A1 to reform and be massive. Aces....