Lopez Blogs

The good thing about the fizzypop chronicles is that I've kept a note of what has been on every mix tape/cd I have done my friends every month since 2000 - it gives me a really good overview of what music I liked at the time and the changing trends and fads in this crazy business called show. The bad thing about them is that I often forget tunes so they end up being flung on a bit later than when they were new and exciting; also as I only do it once a month the songs are often "old news" by the time they make the cd. Oh well - for me, it's an interesting musical diary. For you it's something you just have to put up with :P (I've updated and rearranged the order of the September playlist here) There are two other ace mix tapes on blogs this week:

• Adem has gone old school and actually used a cassette!
• Aaron skilfully blends a mix of old and new for an aural treat!!

ESSENTIAL SONGS FOR OCTOBER 2009:

1 ~ Robbie Williams, Bodies: The return of Mr Williams hasn't delighted everyone, but I couldn't be more thrilled to have him back. The song works perfectly - elements of some of his biggest hits hinted at it something new and wonderful. Trevor Horn throws everything into the production mix, but it works - the strings in the chorus and the choir at the end are just heavenly. Bring on the album already!
2 ~ William Young, Hopes and Fears: Tragically this project isn't a note for note cover of the excellent Keane album (that XO reports is being rereleased!) and for that I am slightly disappointed. That passes though when I realise that a) William is a bit tied up on the single cover and b) it's a stomping sounding uptempo number that showcases his amazing vocal and proves he is just as brillo at the fast stuff as he is at the slow (something I've always known as my fave two Will songs include Your Game and Switch It On)...
3 ~ Leona Lewis, Happy: Comfortably nestled just behind Robbie on my chart at the moment, this song is much more powerful than a cursory listen leads you to believe. Sure, it's not going to win any awards for inventiveness, but it's a soaring ballad of hope and redemption and her voice sounds stunning. Still can't quite believe it's not out here until November though. PS - wouldn't it be great if Leona Lewis and Blake Lewis got married so she could be Leona Lewis-Lewis? No. Ok then...
4 ~ Blake Lewis, Heartbreak On Vinyl (vid above): I do love Mr Lewis. I still think Gots To Get could have been massive in Europe. I loved Sad Song but this tune - the title track of his new album - is just one of his strongest songs to be released tonight. Full of poignancy yet set to an addictive 80s shuffling dance beat it's a winner from start to finish. Some clever lyrics too - "fall in love to analogue and never let go". Mel and Postergirl have all already expressed eloquently how amazing this song is. Could be huge if launched properly in the Uk...
5 ~ Britney, 3: Oh goodness me - well I guess you can't say some songs on this list aren't totally up to date! It's not an earthshattering single for her new greatest hits album (only two albums after her last one - how Hilary Duff) but like Alexandra's Bad Boys it sort of does the job really - an enjoyable-ish pop romp that will most likely grow on people the more they hear it. For me, the jury's still out - check out D'luv's view...
6 ~ Miley Cyrus, Party In The USA: Shame on me for forgetting this song so often. It's up there with 7 Things and See You Again for me - ie, totally brilliant, catchy and an ace ace pop song. It's heavy on the cheese factor but it wins me over every single time when she sings "and the Britney song was on..." This is what great pop should be - ever so singable, smidgeon of novelty and a chorus to die for :)
7 ~ Vanessa Amorosi, This Is Who I Am: Ah VanAm is back and she's busy channelling Kelly Clarkson and Pink. That's neither here nor there though as this has some brilliant spat out lyrics during the verses and an epic sing-it-to-the-back-of-the-stadium chorus that's as loud and noisy as it needs to be. Check out what the Pop Panel said about the song a few weeks back...
8 ~ Dolly Rockers, Boys Will Be Boys: Blimey, what else can I say about this song that I haven't said here or on the DR Interview Post (capital letters because it's very important). It's Republica, it's Tatu, it's Veronicas, it's Fuzzbox, it's indie girl group, it's Transvision Vamp, it's Girls Aloud, it's Bananarama, yet it's still very Dolly Rockers. Got the point? Good :P
9 ~ Mini Viva, Left My Heart in Tokyo: I'm late adding this to the "chronicles" as well aren't I? Oh well, to make up for it click the link to be taken to a Live Lounge version of the song that is rather marvelous in the extreme. It gives the already ridiculously catchy tune an organic live feel and breaks down the funk (or something). Single 2 sounds brilliant...
10 ~ Girls Can't Catch, Keep Your Head Up: Very late on this one too - not because I forgot, but because I wasn't sure that they had a long term future and couldn't work out how good the song was. Still, a couple of months on when it randomly pops up on my mp3 player I'm not displeased to hear it so that can only be a good sign. I suppose it's all resting on Echo then isn't it?

11 ~ Anders Fernette, So Incredible: Following the dance remake triumph of Hungry Eyes isn't going to be easy - and this isn't a bad song to undertake that task. Yes, bits of it sound like the best Backstreet Boys song you've heard in a while but it has a fuzzy frenetic beat and a sweet vocal delivery that just soars into a big as all outdoors chorus. After a few listens you can't help but smile each time you hear it...
12 ~ Kevin Borg, The Last Words: Click on the link to hear a 2009 remix of this song because it transforms a mundane album track into a soaring summer dance classic which is exactly the type of song Kevin should be belting out. It's very trancetastic indeed and I imagine it will be all over the stereo at Bar Tubos like the dirty little rash you know it could be. More dance on the next album then Kev...
13 ~ Danny Saucedo, Kiss You All Over: I skipped Emely as a single focussing on the aces Set Your Body Free (a song so good that Avenue did it first and now new group BVG are, er, having a brave bash at it!) back in July. This month it's time that the astonishingly huggable album track Kiss You All Over gets a bit of an airing. It's a proper dance-pop song and one that makes you think that Danny could be a proper pop star in England if a bit of thought were put into marketing him here. Sigh...
14 ~ Mans Zelmerlow, Rewind (vid above): Let's ignore the song for this (if you like the above two songs chances are you will like this - it's what Mans does best and I believe was a single in Poland?!) and focus on the video. It's incredibly amazing just in the first twenty seconds - a quite good-naff looking rollercoaster, a girl in a headband giving it some "i'm a serious fan" arm pumping action and one of those rides that drops you and makes your stomach feel all funny. Mans, amid all this insanity and bonkersosity, looks bloody gorgeous.
15 ~ Sally Shapiro, Miracle: Ah, our Sal has become a bit of a blog darling hasn't she? It's easy to see why - she is churning out tunes beautifully crafted pop tunes like this and wooing us with her sultry voice and hypnotic grooves. Hopefully she will become immensely successful worldwide, rather than be the next Annie (who I still adore of course)...
16 ~ Lily Allen, Chinese: This wasn't one of my favourites from her latest album when it first came out, but it's really grown on me over the last past 8 months. Mostly because of the gorgeous choral tribute out there. It's what Lily does best really - parlay everyday situations into great pop songs. It would be a shame if she did quit music :/
17 ~ Erik Hassle, All That I Wanted: Hasn't everyone been waiting forever for Hurtful to happen? It's got to be coming soon because nearly six months on that track still sounds epic and like an international number one. Still I popped it on the April mix so for this month I'm enjoying this guitar led number that has Erik's distinctive vocals, his knack for emotionally raw lyrics and really sores when the strings in the middle 8 add some additional heartbreak. Incredible...
18 - Paolo Nutini, Pencil Full of Lead: I picked up on this as an excellent choice for a single when I reviewed the album a while back. I've grown vaguely tired of his rather affected accent, but this song is just so different from anything else in the charts right now that I can't help but be charmed by it's organic good time feeling. I'm sure it's pretty much a rewrite of a Jungle Book song that Paolo loves so much though :P
19 ~ The Gossip, Love Long Distance: Always effortlessly cool in everything they do, this is a lush disco epic that would sound at home up against some of the early scissor sister demos (had they had more money to spend on production). "I want someone who's around for me" sings Beth and who can't relate to lyrics like that? Gorgeous from start to finish - plus who doesn't love some roller disco in a video...
20 ~ Franz Ferdinand, What She Came For: At least commercially, the Franz never fulfilled their early promise did they - yet I refuse to give up on them because with each album comes a bonnie selection of skinnytieindiedisco tunes to die for and the latest single is no exception. There is some funkalicious guitar work on here that Prince would be proud of and a huge chorus with shouty chanting and everything. Brilliant.Shame they didn't stick to their plan to name each album Franz Ferdinand though :(
21 ~ Mr Hudson, White Lies: Mr Hudson's time really is now isn't it? Supernova was rather amazing and brilliant and massive in the same way that I assume Erik's Hurtful will be. This is a properly huge piano driven song with an off kilter shuffling beat behind it. Massive vocal that sounds impassioned during the chorus and makes me die a little from happiness each time I hear it. Glorious...
(Next month - David Jordan, Westlife, Alesha Dixon, and more!)

Back soon with live lounge, tv catchup, book report, weekly round up and the x factor judges houses!!