Lopez Blogs

It's a double hurrah moment. It's six weeks til Christmas Day (the birth of Santa Claus and other important people) and also six weeks til the big D and I fly off to Las Vegas. It's all jolly exciting I must tell you (though I wonder how many Friday catch up blogs I will be able to start with "it's now 5 week/4 weeks, etc"!!) I will have to check the weather a bit closer to the date so I can plan my "winter wardrobe" but other than that, we are alarmingly ready already for the trip (including booking a rather lovely looking airport hotel for Christmas Eve - yes you may wish to weep at the thought of spending Christmas Eve in an airport hotel and Christmas Day on a plane, but I have plans for making the Eve portion rather magical and by lunchtime Christmas Day I'm over it all anyway. All about the build up! That was rather a lot to put in parenthesis wasn't it?) Anyway waffling on once again, must catch up with some of the highlights of the week (PS, my hair is dreadful this week)...

TWEET THE WEEK:

• Anyone who calls their debut single "Rockin' At The Disco" already has my attention. Because they said they are rocking! At a disco! It's actually a mindbending concept! People do things like the boogie and the bit where Lady Gaga walks down the stairs in LoveGame at a disco. They don't rock! New pop cock on the block Bandito does! He's taking those old fashioned values, throwing them away and coming back with something new and groovy. The aforementioned debut single is a mix of cheeky beats, dancey feets and pop sweets - ie, it's a tasty little morsel and one you'll probably find something to like about (perhaps the particularly juicy spelling of disco in the verse -always a winner for me). (Here comes the science) - apparently it's out in the UK on December 7th. Just in time for Christmas Party season. Nice one :P
• I don't know why but I'm suddenly quite sad about the split of Sugababes 3.0. I think I'm suffering from delayed shock! I think it's partially down to the leaking (such an unseemly word) of the Sweet 7 sampler with original Keisha vocals still in tact - About A Girl is a decent enough modern pop romp, but I have to agree with PPG that I'll Wait For You was indeed the single I've been waiting for. It's also partially down to their quite charming and lovely 3.0 collaboration on the HMV Inspirations cd, where they have covered For Once In My Life. It's strangely sad in hindsight, yet also takes me back to the days of Ally McBeal and dreamy guest star James Marsden. Sigh :)
• (I do think it's a sign of how far the Sugababes brand has fallen that they have not been invited on X-Factor to perform About A Girl :/ )
• Everyone is quite excited about this Lady Gaga album aren't they?! Bring on 8 Bit Heart I say :)
• Sarah from Girls Aloud is doing 3 solo tracks for the St Trinians soundtrack out on Dec 14th. This is obviously very good news indeed as it is a GA solo career I can get behind :) (Nadine's Boys II Men duet certainly doesn't count)!
• Although not as "maze" as the Lily Allen-choir version of Chinese, any cutesy choir version of the still completely bloody brilliant If A Song Could Get Me You by Marit Larsen has my vote :)
• Having finished Adrian Mole: The Prostrate Years, I am now swiftly ploughing through the new Alison Weir book about the downfall of Anne Boleyn before Gregory Maguire's Matchless arrives next week! Ooo get me.
  

• WEEKLY GLEE: This week's episode was absolutely corking. I thought from the description it might be an "issues episode" (aka "tonight, on a very special Blossom") and in a way it was (all about equality) but handled in a sweet and quite funny way. Full of brilliant lines ("I'm about to projectile express myself across your hush puppies" /"$1,200. That's enough for the short bus and two cases of Natty Light for the ride home") and endearing moments ("I love you more than I love being a star" / Sue visiting her sister and reading to her). I'm never a fan of Defying Gravity outside the concept of Wicked because it works so powerfully within that musical, but the lyrics were spot on for the theme of the episode. Proud Mary was magnificent though - up there with Rachel X Factor's version! Overall way better than many of the disability discrimination workshops I've attended :) Now bring on the Christmas single!
• Finally, talking about Christmas (you know I can't let it go), surely you have at least been casting your eye around for some pressies. As often happens when I do this, I find something that would be perfect for a buddy or a family member and then I decide that actually I want the product for myself. This week it was the SkullCandy Low Rider headphones - I had toyed with some noise cancelling ones, or those that pop inside your ear but let me be brutally frank about why I opted for these. It wasn't that they are a crossbetween the professional audio headset used by DJs and a high-end HiFi headset. No sir. It wasn't even that they are extremely stylish and give you exceptional audio quality. No sirree bob. Those things I'm sure are important. It was actually because it's quite cold out, they cover my ears and look less freakish than my shocking hot pink ear muffs. You happy now?! (I also found a nifty little voucher for it at the always-worth-a-peek voucher codes website, which also has some brilliant links this week to HMV discounts and a LoveFilm dvd rental free trial - all great if you are UK based and looking for some ace discounts. Ooo I sound like an advert on tv now don't I? Hey, a bargain is a bargain! Check them out!!)

TOP 21 SONGS OF THE WEEK:

21 ~ Alexandra Burke, Bad Boys
20 ~ Alphabeat, The Spell
19 ~ BWO, Kings of Tomorrow (NE)
18 ~ Robbie Williams, Bodies
17 ~ Nerina Pallot, Real Late Starter
16 ~ Alcazar, Thank You (NE)
15 ~ Westlife, What About Now
14 ~ Sugababes 3.0, About A Girl
13 ~ Mans Zelmerlow, A Stranger Saved My Life (NE/VID)
12 ~ Marina & The Diamonds, Mowgli's Road
11 ~ Leona Lewis, Happy
10 ~ Blake Lewis, Heartbreak On Vinyl
09 ~ JLS, Everybody In Love
08 ~ The Killers, A White Demon Love Song
07 ~ Mini Viva, I Wish
06 ~ Madonna, Revolver
05 ~ Mika, Blame It On The Girls
04 ~ Little Boots, Earthquake
03 ~ Darin, Viva La Vida
02 ~ William Young, Hopes and Fears (Will christmas decorations! ESSENTIAL!!)
01 ~ Simon Curtis, Delusional (2 weeks)