Lopez Blogs

I love a bit of new music I do. It's always exciting to follow new acts, all ready to take their place on the pop stage and be as magnificent as they can be. or something. Increasingly, I find that there are better singers on youtube and la twitter than there are in the actual charts, but what do I know... Any"hoo", here are 3 lovely new (to me) acts that you should spend some time with this week getting to know a whole lot better...

Craig Powell ~ Remember Uniting Nations? Well Craig used to sing for them, but now he's uniting music lovers everywhere (and getting them to hug!) with his enticing blend of dance, pop and trance. It's a heady mix that JLS have tried to perfect (on One Shot and Eyes Wide Shut) and The Wanted are giving a good bash (on their brillo new single Gold Forever), but Craig gets it right straight out the gate with his delectable single Can't Let You Go. It's powered by a throbbing, vibrant beat that pulses with energy and is more than enough to get you doing your "thang" on the dancefloor on a saturday night. I also need a nice pop melody there are singable verses and catchy refrains such as "don't stop moving baby/i can't let you go" reverberating throughout. Tremendulent. And then there's the video - it may be done on a budget, but it's charmingly effective and has several things to like about it: Craig's jacket is lovely, I'd quite like one like that I think; the cute as a button couple being all coy and flirtatious with each other; and the ingenious flashmob literal take on the title as a g-rated All The Lovers takes place in a busy shopping centre with lots of people hugging each other during the chorus. Quite lovely as it happens. Buy it here!


Oliver Wimmer ~ Let's get the obvious out the way immediately. Oliver has excellent pop star hair. While this may have no baring on whether his music is bonza or not, it's certainly a step in the right direction. Oliver hails from Austria, where i have spent many a lovely summer exploring the foothills of the Tyrol region (though he might actually be German. I'm confused). His music isn't like any of the tradtional folk music I heard there however. It's more of Maroon 5, given a euro-pop remix. His single (put forth for this year's Eurovision) is the rather funky Let Love Kick In. It's riddled with down and dirty guitar licks and drum riffs that drive the track forward, yet it's all held ably together by Oliver's quite sexy vocal style that absolutely shines as he ranges between his lower register and a sparkling falsetto. The chorus is initially unassuming but ultimately quite insidious as it worms it's way into your head. I'd like to hear more please (and I did - he had me at The Story Of How I Lost Christmas. Amazes).


Austin Jennings ~ It would be lazy and poor penmanship to say that Sirius XM Search for LGBT Popstar winner Austin Jennings is like a male Adele. But it would be a good start and get you on the right sort of page (or at least within the right chapter) for what to expect. What is instantly clear with Austin is two things - firstly, he has an incredibly distinctive voice that draws you inextricably into whatever emotional tale he is spinning with his music. Secondly, you can absolutely and wholly tell that Austin grew up listening to classic pop, rich in melody and story telling. His astonishingly good single Damages casts a musical spell by weaving a shuffling beat together with strumming guitar, gutwrenching lyrics and the warm addition of resonant strings that provide added layer and depth to the tune. The middle 8 is a truly melodic feast as Austin firmly knits the tune together with the skill of a veteran that belies his young age. Definitely a worthy winner of the aforementioned contest, and like Adele an impressive talent for such a young age. Music that makes you want to give him a hug...