Lopez Blogs

Greetings all and a very merry Christmas to one and all. As my most favourite time of year draws to a close, I'd like - as is tradition now - to present you with my rewrite of The Night Before Christmas, and some festive contributions (that are hugely appreciated by myself) from friends of the blog. Please enjoy, have a wonderful holiday break and many positive happy wishes for a great new year :) Oh and if you have any time for cooking left, please try some of Donal "Industry" Skehan's Christmas recipes - I've been delving into them all December with brilliant results (PS, imagine if him and Simon Curtis made a record together!! Talk about dream Christmas wishes!!)

It's me again, yes how did you guess cos the last time you were really impressed! Hope you enjoy :) Sorry my head's cut off slightly! Sorry it's so dark! Sorry it's not as funny as last year! Sorry the sound's crap! Sorry I'm such a colossal failure :P Oh pooey to all that, i think it's quite good! Merry Christmas!

Ah, the lovely Sean and Sarah from Same Difference share their unique and adorable brand of festive cheer. I'm still playing the wonderful Pop (2008) album with alarming regularity and can't wait for the 2010 version. Plus their interview in Gay Times is hilarious. "I prefer a battered cod!!" It makes me all fuzzypop inside...

Love this video from gorgeous diva in waiting, Elouise. It's so picturesque Christmas card, with the fire and the tree and the oversized brooch. Oh, and that she recognises that fizzypop makes the yuletide gay :) Amazing. SuBo!! Oh and obviously I'm fully behind Elouise as the pick for Bond song in 2011, as long as 2010 gives us full studio releases of Fireman, Another Day, Pretender and One Night Only... :)

I think Adam Tyler has rapidly become one of my favourite stars to watch in 2010. He just seems so gleeful and exciteable, almost like an overstimulated puppy! And I mean that in the nicest way possible! I love that out of all the things I've written about him, his press release quotes me saying he is "a thoroughly lovely chappy". Not only has he played bongos on a makeshift drum, but he has given me a copy of his christmas song Ghost Of Christmas Past (reviewed here) to pass onto you all for a mere 24 hours! So get it while it's hot. May I just say the full version is entirely more amazing than the clip ever gave me hope it would be. Totally haunting, ethereal chimes, a melancholy vocal and morose yet engaging chorus. Full credits if you're interested of the song in the comments...


THE PICTURES:

Ah how I've become besotted with The Morning Jolt this year, hosted ably by Larry Flick and his hilarious sidekick Keith. They have really brightened up a lot of my afternoons at work (time difference) and played some great music too. Here's to a wonderful amount of amazing DJing in 2010...

Oooo and now it's time to get all bloggy for Christmas, so in order it's seasons greetings from lovely Aaron at fabtasticmusic, then festive cheer from the super Mel at Melismatic, topped off with a double ender of two photos from the fine fella Phil at Worrapolava. Hurrah!

Then there is Will W, who (along with Mel) is probably the one person I know who shares such an obsession for Starbucks and their festive flavouring. Plus he has done a rather spiffy version of Blue Christmas, which you may or may not be able to get on his blog! If you can't get it then there is the aces Christmas gift of a remix of Hollywood Ending that Will is giving away - and being played soon on the aforementioned Larry Flick's show! Looking jolly chilly in the winter wilds of Colorado is my globe trotting amigo John of PopMusicNotes whilst below them and bunkering down from the snow in Iowa is the gorgeous Dan and his ever so wonderful family. Of course, rounding off this quadrilogy is the effortlessly cool DanUk :) And under him is the fine figure of a couple Olga and Yuri who look radiant and like little Christmas angels :)


And finally, it's the witty spunkbag (i mean that lovingly) known as Dluv who gets a pic all to himself because cos quite frankly he deserves it. And it also means anyone else who wants a pic edited in before the end of Christmas eve can do so and as an extra incentive you'll be snuggled up next to Chartrigger. Amaze!

To be updated ~ new non exclusive videos from The Feeling and hopefully more pics from readers and friends! But until then...Merry Christmas y'all!!

UPDATE#1

XO will like this and hopefully help him feel a bit better :) Paloma Faith, who expertly sang about New York earlier in the year, has done a cover version of the seminal and raucous Pogues/Kirsty McColl song Fairytale of New York. It's a song that is easy to get wrong - just look at how Ronan Keating tried to tame the song a few years back! However, even with Scouting For Girls this works really well - i love the introduction of the female vocal in the intro and the choir as effective as "BING CROSBY" in the Pet Shop Boys Fizzypop Christmas number one :) Paloma is just mesmerising to watch - slight point deducted for looking like she was reading the words, but otherwise a sterling effort :)

UPDATE#2

Two very different but great Christmas songs for you now. First up is the still wonderful purveyor of piano pop tunes, Gavin Mikhail. He's put up a delightful version of Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas. His voice is always quite pure and wonderful, and the piano arrangement is heavenly and makes it sound like the most beautiful contemporary pop song you've heard this festive season. I love songs that are just driven by piano and Gavin excels at this. If you haven't heard his anthemic should-have-been-an-x-factor-winners-song Brave, then you are doing yourself a big disservice. Check that out now, and be prepared to hear more about Gavin in the new year... Next up is a rather different Christmas entry from two merging for a common cause groups Crocodiles and Dum Dum Girls. Merry Christmas Baby (Please Don't Die) is a decidedly fuzzy sounding, garage punk effort with jangling bells that is instantly quite brilliant and possibly sounds like The Ronettes would if they had been recording after one too many jack daniels. Surprisingly amazing (and dedicated to DanP76 & Phil - I think they'll like this!)

TOP 21 SONGS OF THE WEEK - CHRISTMAS NUMBER ONE!

21 ~ Little Boots, Earthquake
20 ~ Mika, Blame It On The Girls
19 ~ Industry, My Mistake (NE)
18 ~ William Young, Hopes and Fears
17 ~ Backstreet Boys, Bigger
16 ~ Whitney Houston, I Look To You
15 ~ Mini Viva, I Wish
14 ~ BWO, Kings of Tomorrow
13 ~ Darin, Viva La Vida
12 ~ Blake Lewis, I Left My Baby For You
11 ~ Mans Zelmerlow, A Stranger Saved My Life
10 ~ The Saturdays, Ego
09 ~ Agnes, Love Love Love
08 ~ Simon Curtis, Delusional
07 ~ RyanDan, Can't Help Falling In Love
06 ~ Alcazar, Thank You
05 ~ JLS, Close To You
04 ~ Leona Lewis, Stop Crying Your Heart Out
03 ~ Robbie Williams, You Know Me
02 ~ Simon Curtis, Diablo
Christmas Number One: Pet Shop Boys ~ It Doesn't Often Snow At Christmas (6 weeks)

Coming up:

• December 26th - Top 50 songs of 2009
• December 28th - Top 30 albums of 2009
• December 29th - Top 10 TV Shows of 2009 (and best shows born this decade)
• December 31st - Top 5 albums of the millenium so far...

What a lovely weekend it has been. The sun is shining. Birds are singing. Bees are making out with them (as is my understanding). The latest Eragon book is released (Brisingr - though not a trilogy anymore, a fourth book is coming? Milk that cash cow). I had a lovely White Cafe Mocha at Starbucks served by the hot young twinky barista who was so flirting with me and please that is so not going to happen. Merlin started on tv and was officially *quite good*. And had a lovely night out with DazPecs and Bernice. Let's see what else went on this weekend...

• AS many of the news sites are saying, "anyone who was anyone in young hollywood, turned up for the annual Teen Vogue party..." and frankly, once again, I was quite happy that elite list now includes Simon Curtis! Fresh from looking satorially elegant at the MTV VMAs, he pops up in a lovely blue shirt and tie set with some gorgeous accessorising in the form of Victoria Justice. They are the new BFFs of Hollywood and rather adorable with it too. Sigh. I am BURSTING for Spectacular :)
• I can't even remember whether I have mentioned Sky One show Hairspray: The High School Musical yet? It's basically Denise Van Outen going into an ordinary school to get them to put on Hairspray within four weeks, then treating them like shit and threatening to take the roles off them when the 14 year olds don't deliver Broadway quality performances. It's incredibly frustrating, but there are some adorable kids in it and now they are releasing a single - Nicest Kids In Town/You Can't Stop The Beat. Which obviously as a HUGE Hairspray fan I am very excited about!! Hurrah.
• Talking of frustrating, thank God the audition process is over on The X Factor. It's incredibly formulaic week after week. Lots of bad auditions. Then one good person opens the floodgates and everyone gets a yes. Then plinky plinky music and someone who needs it more than most because of a dead relative/can't stop getting pregnant/drugs in past auditions and has a slightly above average voice. Cheryl does the perfect single tear and it's all over. Every week. Bring on boot camp! I am loving poor sidelined Dannii more and more each week as much as I dislike Cheryl more and more each week. Don't know why either than she just doesn't come across as likeable (to me) in the least...
• Will W continues to be blog ubiquitous (read my review of his album here) and is now giving away a signed copy of his album here, here, here and here! And if you haven't already entered, just email Will here and tell him what you want written on your cd. May I suggest something quirky like "Hi my name is Dita, i'll be your mistress tonight". Just a thought...
• Finally, don't even get me started that McFly are only number four on the singles chart. Behind Katy Perry!! Unbelieveable. Still William is at ten on downloads alone, and The Feeling re-enter the albums top 40 with Join With Us so it's a pretty decent week.

The fizzypoptastic 21 songs of the week:

21 ~ Keane, Spiralling
20 ~ Alphabeat, Boyfriend
19 ~ Bryn Christopher, The Quest
18 ~ Little Jackie, The Whole World Should Revolve Around Me
17 ~ Regina Spektor, The Call
16 ~ Ben Folds w/Regina Spektor, You Don't Know Me
15 ~ Infernal, Downtown Boys
14 ~ Leon Jackson, Don't Call This Love
13 ~ Jason Mraz, Make It Mine
12 ~ Annie, My Love Is Better
11 ~ Daniel Powter, Next Plane Home
10 ~ Lily Allen, GWB
09 ~ Sugababes, Girls
08 ~ Girls Aloud, The Promise (NE)
07 ~ Miley Cyrus, 7 Things
06 ~ Pink, So What
05 ~ Madonna, The Beat Goes On
04 ~ William Young, Changes
03 ~ McFly, Lies
02 ~ The Feeling, Join With Us
01 ~ Marit Larsen, If A Song Could Get Me You (3 weeks)

Coming this week: The Killers get Human, more William of Young, Deborah Gibson catch up, Golden months in pop part two!

Let me preface this article with 3 things that have kept me from writing it before now:

1. Work imploded at the weekend which means I am up to my neck in sorting it out, so no judging on the popjustice twenty quid music prize for me :(
2. I was at my good friend Justin's on Saturday night and he fell over dancing to Madonna - we all told him to get back up and not be so wussy about his hurting foot. Next day turns out he has broken his foot, so I am now in full chagrinned guilty friend mode.
3. I was all excited about the pics of Simon Curtis on the red carpet.

Having said all that, the Will W album now has my undivided attention. And quite rightly so. It's a musical experience that is as luxurious and decadant as the classic Alexis Morrell Carrington Colby Dexter Rowan quote below:

"Could you pass the chocolate covered croissants please Adam. I had them flown in fresh from Paris and I feel like treating myself today"

Ergo, Mr W's album is a chocolate covered croissant. Delightfully fresh, but full of the tasty goodness that you expect in a pop album. It's an homage to the best in pop gone by all delivered with a silky smooth vocal that fits the songs pefectly. Take the album's opening gambit - Getting To Know You is part Will Young laid back groove, part jazz tinged soulful summer vibe that swirls like a perfectly formed ice cream cone being gently licked. There are some lovely layered harmonies emphasising the "on and on" refrain and good use of instrumentation to create a warm inviting track to lure you into the album. And it's a brave man who follows the getting to know you track with a song called Push The Envelope. It invites all sorts of criticisms about the music, vocal, relevance of the performance in today's musical landscape - all regardless of what the lyrical "push the envelope" content is about. The song ultimately isn't particularly groundbreaking, but that doesn't matter because it's another solid midtempo jam, that weaves in some funky vocoder sounds among a musical backdrop that starts off charming and innocent, yet without changing seems to get more down and dirty throughout the song as the steamy lyrics build. Like me in my late teens really. The track Connection appears on the album twice - once in regular format and once remixed. It's easy to see why - it's my favourite track on the disc and would make a brilliant first single. It's a brilliantly catchy chorus with some lovely housey piano chords that remind me of my third favourite Mariah song ever, Make It Happen. It just has that brilliant disco/dance/pop vibe about it, and is just rather effortless with it. Where Lady Gaga seems to try incredibly hard with her music, it seems to come oh so naturally - the "connection" with Will is firmly cemented with this song.

Hollywood Ending shows that Will is as mad as hell and isn't going to take it anymore. Only when he's mad, he's actually quite nice. It's very George Michael Fastlove, but without the seedy conotations. Then comes what has to be the second single (after Connection) - Big Shot. It's everything but the kitchen sink music. Hand claps, a funky insinuating groove, a confident vocal, and those gorgeous house fuelled piano chords again. I'm so going to be dancing my ass off to this this weekend. I'm not entirely sure, but I think Will has done most the backing vocals, and if so, he has done a great job of creating a layered effect that actually sounds like there are a group of sluttily dressed ladies cooing over his shoulder. Then there is a song built around one of my favourite tv creations ever - Carrie Bradshaw. Not only is the title of the track a brilliant way to attract attention to the album, but the groove and minimalistic chorus works well as a tribute to the show. It's totally the soundtrack to that hedonistic sex and the city nightlife. Which personally i only very vaguely recall now through the mists of time.

I'm Away and Forbidden both showcase the silky smooth vocal stylings of Will, and both have trance like choruses that propel the tune. Forbidden is by far the stronger track for me though - once Will is established as a dancehall star this will be throbbing in nightclubs across the country like the sexy lyrics suggest. My Life Story is another song with a title that has lofty aspirations - it needs to be confessional, intimate and epic. It ticks all the boxes and has a persistant beat along the narration. It's the type of song you have to go back to and listen to again and again to get the full impact of the lyrics. Bold and lovely all in one. The clincher of the album has to be Will's delightful cover of Crazy For You. It's very humble sounding, and makes lovely use of chiming instruments and finger clicks. It's hard to cover a Madonna song because often nothing tops the original - this doesn't, but it is a success in terms of transforming a power ballad into a gentle acoustic tune. It's totally sugary and sweet, but not in a winking at the audience sort of way, which I tend to feel some pop acts do. Overall it's a solid debut album with some great dance nuggets, some confessional tunes and an overall understanding of what makes good pop music. The album is available to purchase today fact fans and I suggest you all go and do so! In the meantime, here is a for-a-limited-time-only legal download of Crazy For You (coming later today...