Lopez Blogs

Dave Patten ~ I like Dave Patten. Whoever does his PR sent an incredibly polite email alerting me to his presence, his new tunes and his rather thrilling collaboration with Meek Mill (above - more on that in a minute). I've fallen and fallen rather hard for his music and hairstyle, mainly because I'm a sucker for coiffered locks mixed with decent pop. What's rather brilliant about Dave is that he's an accomplished musician and plays all the instruments on his startlingly good debut album himself. His love of epic pop tunes and catchy melodies shine through in his compositions, while his earnest and rather charming soulful-meets-rock vocal style give the tunes heart and passion. He's not afraid to step outside the comfort zone of traditional genres though and mix things up a bit - the tune above, Believe Me, seamlessly blends elements of hip-hop with some old school philly soul and combines two tales of regret at the stupid things we do growing up. The video paints a complete story soundtracked by this pulsating beat, great lyrics, soaring chorus and a rap that feels completely part of the tune rather than feeling forced in later (as happens with so many songs). I'll be writing more on Dave's album "Exposure" at a later date, but this serves as a scintillating introduction to the young fella. PS, i tried a bit of the freestyling Dave does in this video while Meek is rapping, but I looked more like an uptight Mormon missionary than someone getting their groove on. Oh dear ;)

Article One ~ I like Article One. Four clean cut lads. Nice clothing style. Addictive line of rollicking tunes that may or may not be about Jesus. I'm not a big fan of Christian music, but sometimes it's ambiguous enough that - like much of religion - you can interpret it in a way that works for you. Their latest tune (for they have been around for a while) - The One (I'm Fighting For) - is a galloping piece of hard-edged pop rock that is reminiscent of The Fray or Maroon 5. Think Harder To Breathe Maroon 5 rather than This Love Maroon 5. It's got a completely instanteous chorus that adds a driving guitar riff to the persistent beat and tops it all off with a memorable hook that has you humming along for days. I like the little nuances they've included in the song too - plucked guitars, addition of string instruments; all working to give the song some depth and sheen. Regardless of whether it's about Jesus, a girl, a fella or whatever, it's a wonderfully uplifting tune about how marvelous love can be and to have someone on your side when you need it the most. And we all need a little of that from time to time :)

The Mars Patrol ~ How brillopants are The Mars Patrol? They came along just at the right time - their sparkling video above (for new single "That's What You Get") showed me sunny beaches and love hearts in the sand on a day when it was pissing down with rain in grey Birmingham. Plus there was a rather magnificent Rocky Horror Picture Show reference in their press release, so I knew they were something special. The single (part of an ace EP "Landline") is a shimmering slice of rock-tinged pop music that is thrust along by a compulsive drum beat, warm guitar riffs and a completely engaging vocal from lovely lead singer Davina. Lyrically, it's a battle against the odds song as we are taken on a journey to make something good happen in a sometimes not very nice world landscape. It is musically very tight, each instrumentalist working well with their counterparts and providing a complementary soundscape for the vocal delivery. Absolutely charming song that I cannot get out of my head. Note - I also love love love the promotional poster they have done for their EP (top right of the main page of their website). Seems to completely capture the essence of the band, and to be frank James is a bit of alright isn't he?! Essential addition to your wintery blues playlist!