Lopez Blogs

(Movie choice for the month ~ Adventures in Babysitting. Who hasn't pranced around like this while getting ready for a date?!)

1 ~ Sugababes, Get Sexy: I know, I know, this really should have been on the August chronicles. But i forgot. So it ends up here instead, and shockingly even though it feels like it has been around forever, it isn't even released yet anyway! Sounding best played loud in a club, it tries hard but doesn't quite emulate the giddy heights of Hole In The Head or Freak Like Me. Good try though...
2 ~ Alexandra Burke, Bad Boys: I am consumed with agogosity by the mere fact that I am entertaining the inclusion of this on the chronicles so bored of the Burke I was during the X Factor. But never let it be said I can't open my mind. Basically even though the inclusion of FloRida was entirely unnecessary, this tune is part Miley (See You Again), part Katy (I Kissed A Girl) and all Womanizer. How could it not fail to be quite intruiging over all?
3 ~ JLS, Everybody In Love: Not quite the amazing follow up to Beat Again that it could have been, but there is something eminently likeable about the JLS boys - and while this is generic by the numbers boyband pop, they deliver it with such conviction and joi de vivre that their enthusiasm is utterly infectious. Here's hoping that the album delivers some absolutely stomping pop corkers though...
4 ~ V Factory, Lights Camera Action: It's not their next official single, but I do like this song quite a lot so I'm focusing on this and will return to their scheduled release schedule at a later date. And while I live in fear that the V will split up before an album materialises, I'll drench myself in this rather funky if-simon-curtis-were-in-a-boyband type sound (and a sound that doesn't exactly sound out of place next to the BSB's Straight Through My Heart).
5 ~ Alphabeat, The Spell: The 'beat are back! How jolly amazing is that? Very amazing is the answer to that quite rhetorical question. Ooo it took me a while to work out how to SPELL rhetorical, but it all came good in the end. Basically, I don't have much to say about this right now other than the popjustice clip sounds rather delish. Check out a full version on Friday on the Scott Mills show, radio one, 4pm.
6 ~ The Saturdays, Forever is Over: As surprised as I was by liking Alexandra, I was just as surprised by how emphatically disappointed I was (am) by this song. I like the Saturdays. Up and Issues are wonderful. Work was undervalued. This however is overrated. It's a mix between Battlefield and I'm Outta Love, and not really too surprising as it's produced by the same people. Still I'm not willing to give up on the Turds yet, and I suspect this mediocrity will grow on me :)
7 ~ Sound of Arrows, Into The Clouds: I'm finding it incredibly hard not to be completely captivated by the Sound of Arrows. Not only was M.A.G.I.C one of the most infernally catchy songs in years, but they have stepped up their game on this equally astonishing tune which retains pop sensibilities with a very slight indie gloss. Probably what Candy Flip would have sounded like if they had the technology back in the 90s...
8 ~ Jordin Sparks, SOS: Vocoder alert! But it's all good as Jordin does an Alexandra and Saturdays by taking a template of what works well in a pop song (in this case elements of Rihanna and Lady Cuckoo) and turns it into a song that is ever so slightly appealing basically because of who is singing it. Quite nice, but not a patch on Battlefield. Sigh. Better go and get my armour... (kudos for the mentally undressing line. Always pleasing)
09 ~ BWO, Love Came Crashing Down: Again, I deviated from the official single release schedule (could've gone for the Velvet duet or next Swedish single Rise To The Occasion) but this has always been a favourite of their glorious fourth album. It's quite pet shop boysy and while built around a simple riff, it utterly soars to the skies in the chorus and sounds quite grand and epic. Marina sounds great at 2m30s and powers a great key change 15 seconds later. What's not to love?
10 ~ Pet Shop Boys, All Over The World: Does anyone even care if there are any more releases from the brilliant PSB Yes album? If not, then it's a cruel harsh unfair world that we live in. There could easily be about 5 songs that are single worthy. This is just one of them. From the classical sample to the epic chorus, it's indelibly Pet Shop Boys. What more can I say? (I suspect XO, Chartrigger or Worrapolava could say it all much better...)

11 ~ Dan Black, Pump My Pumps: One of the hideously underrated albums of the year so far is the very enjoyable Un by Dan of Black. It's like a male sung Kylie song of ice-cool proportions as he works in frenetic beats, edgy vocals and brilliant sound effects that give the song a slightly dangerous feel. I'm hoping this song will give him the enormous success he deserves - very different to the side he showed the world in Symphonies. Buy the album!!
12 ~ Agnes, On and On: Oh how I know Mike Poptrashaddict absolutely adores this very song. And artiste. I'd go as far as to say one of his favourites :P I'm warming to her immensely if only because LaPantaloondeDaz has become quite besotted with her music. It's another quite good A*teens-esque pop dance tune that should do quite well because it is jolly pleasant. Sigh - i miss the A*Teens...
13 ~ Dragonette, Pick Up The Phone: One gets the feeling that the 'Nette should be global megastars by now and being rumoured to be writing tracks for the next Kylie album. Instead they are plodding on with the new big in Japan label ("beloved by bloggers") and churning out very decent electro-pop songs for the world to nip at the heels of. It's the hypnotic beat and repetition of it all that draws me into their world every single time. Totally classy and elegant pop that deserves a much much bigger audience. Sigh...
14 ~ Alcazar, Harlem Nights: I just can't give up on the brilliant Disco Defenders album. It absolutely begs on it's knees to be mined for quality songs to be given a bigger airing than they already have. This is one of the slickest pop songs out there right now - if only for the "boys lit cigarettes with a sneer" line and the honkytonk piano. The accompanying video link is ghetto tragique and quite wonderful with it. Hoodytastic!
15 ~ Jonas Bros, Fly With Me: Let's face it - two things are very clear with the JonasBonusBros. 1) they will never ever be as good as McFly and 2) there music will never be as bad as their tv show. It's vaguely enjoyable in a I-should-really-know-better sort of way. Tweenage girls will go weak at the knees for it, it does have some nice piano bits in it but yes, I really really should know better...
16 ~ The Yeah You's, Getting Up With You: On paper the Yeah You's sound quite enterprising and brilliant. They mix the 70s type power pop of The Feeling with the youthful exuberance of The Click Five and manage to avoid being the next Journey South. And it does work quite well in practice. This is rather catchy, very summery and rather entertaining. In a moment of post modern irony brilliance, they were on british breakfast television today singing this very song. Career pinnacle or what?!
17 ~ Julian Velard, Jimmy Dean (vid above): (Click the link for Julian's myspace) Ok, here's the skinny. Julian Velard should be a worldwide megastar by now and it absolutely baffles me why he isn't. This song is a good 12 months old, but it's really connected with me lately. I'm not sure whether it's that Julian sleeps in his clothes, or the effortlessly rollicking piano, or the best use of dead idols in a pop song since Vogue or the ridiculously catchy chorus. It's probably all those things and more. I behove you to go and purchase this single. I thanks you :)
18 ~ Marit Larsen, Ten Steps: Marit's "The Chase" album has enjoyed a bit of a renaissance thanks to the much deserved number one hit of "If A Song" in Germany. She's rereleased her two albums as a bit of an "Ego Has Landed" type affair in Europe and this is her gorgeous next single. There is something enchanting about her voice and the lovely piano work that I can't get enough of...
19 ~ Pink, Bad Influence: One day Pink is going to have one of the best greatest hits albums to hit the market. In the meantime though she will keep ploughing on releasing amazing singles from her rather good actually Funhouse album. Pink can be a bad influence on me anyday :)
20 ~ Natalie Imbruglia, Want: Natalie is back and is a little bit throbbing. It's ever so slightly goldfrapp and shows once again, that Ms Imbruglia is an artist to be reckoned with - one who quietly reinvents her sound, takes on different genres and is far more creative than people give her credit for. Although it does remind me a little bit of Texas' Can't Resist but frankly comparisons to Sharleen are only a compliment. Can't wait to hear the album...
21 ~ Nerina Pallot, Real Late Starter: I have loved Nerina from the days I spotted her imaginatively titled poppy debut album advertised in Heat (Watch Out Billie and Jump are amazing) through to her complex and inviting second album (Sophia is a masterpiece) and am currently addicted to her tweets. This is a beautiful piece of poetry set to a lovely piano melody and quite witty with it too. Bodes incredibly well for the graduate. Looks absolutely stunning in the video below too :) Everything's coming up Nerina...