Lopez Blogs

Ooo it really is the most wonderful time of the year. The walk to work this morning was jolly freezing, the fields were glistening with frost and I get to go home tonight and pack for two weeks of Florida! How magnifico. I have lots of posts to keep you going over the next couple of weeks and hope you will keep me entertained with plenty of comments as although I am having a self imposed internet exile (it's so cleansing!), comments will come straight to my phone. Hurrah! In the mean time (and in between time - guess that pop reference, 90s disney group fans!), here are 10 lovely new Christmas songs and one extremely brilliant non festive treat (for more excellent Christmas stuff visit John's writing on top40about.com)...

The non-festive nugget ~ Dirty Disco return with Storyteller:

Sometimes, just sometimes at Christmas you need a bit of respite from the relentless cheer and good tidings that are almost rammed down your throat. Dirty Disco's excellent and thoughtprovoking new single is just the tune to do this. Following on from deliriously bonkers yet quality pop like Sista, Vulture and White Room, the innovative and artsy group have returned with an intense, brooding, gothic electro tune. It's tinged with eerie synth sounds and a stark strumming guitar and tackles aging, our obsession with youth and fitting into a restrictive society while remaining true to yourself. If you need a comparison, try Kidz or SOS on the new Take That album - yet it's different to those and has it's own Dirty Disco charm. Adam's distinctive voice consumes the lyrics to make them both angry and regretful at times without sounding aggressive (though there is a rather glorious "fuck" early on). The instrumental parts weave together and elevate an already good tune into a great one - little touches like the sounds of strings at the end or the guitar playing off the synth give little frissons of excitement throughout. Check the video above too as Adam and the boys in some haunting costumes seek down the Storyteller they wish to become. Tremendous stuff...

10 New Christmas Tunes:

• Hurts ~ All I Want For Christmas Is New Years Day: Yay! Hurts top off a year of quality music with an exquisite new festive offering that examines the bleaker side of this time of year. With a familiar sounding shuffling beat, sound effects that sound like walking over freshly crunching snow and chiming bells through a soaring chorus, the boys look at how the hope can make one feel even more lonely and hopeless as the persevere to get through the season. I like a bit of bleakness at Christmas and this is one beautifully crafted tune that once again proves they are stars in the ascendency. Check out vinny vero's review also...
• Owl City ~ Peppermint Winter: It's Fireflies the festive edition and the complete antithesis of the Hurts track. It's a love letter to all the cheesiness of this time of year and how it's even more magical if you just embrace it. Full of feel good bon mots like "i troll through the driveway with angelic grace/til i slip on the sidewalk and fall on my face" & "the snowflakes are falling and I start to float/til my mean older brother shoves snow down my coat", it's built around a sleigh ride of bells and the glorious refrain "what's december without Christmas eve". Heavenly optimistic and joyful. Love.
• Mans Zelmerlow ~ Christmas (Baby Please Come Home): I shall return to Mans' festive album a few more times before the big day. His big band readings of yuletide faves are brimming with elegance and a genuine warmth and love for the genre and songs he sings. This is a classy addition to any Christmas dinner party soundtrack and gets you fingerclicking along. Brilliant orchestration of the music too. I'm loving Mans formal Christmas look too - you can just imagine him coming home, loosening his tie and smooching the face off you under the mistletoe. Now, that's magic :)
• Wilson Phillips ~ Warm Loving Christmastime: It's not the first time the Wilsons have done Christmas (indeed this song featured on the second Wilson linked Christmas album - Carnie's solo) but it is the first time they have all felt the seasonal pull together. And hurrah, it's glorious, particularly for a long standing Wilson Phillips fan like myself :) It's a swinging and fun pop song with enough added jingle and bells to make it feel as Christmas morn as possible. And those choruses are saturated in their amazing harmonies. So so lovely. Well worth the import charges!!
• Jessica Simpson ~ My Only Wish: Jessica gets a lot of stick and I'm not sure why. I'm glad she's done a Christmas album anyway. This single from it is a decent pop tune and a nice ode to her new fella. Showcases her great pop voice (come back from country music!) and reminds me of how fun some of her music has been. Bits of it are reminiscent of Darlene Love's Alone on Christmas (which Britney liberally borrowed for her christmas tune) but it's a catchy little number with a lovely intricate piano middle 8. marvy.
• Indigo Girls ~ Mistletoe: Who would have thought that a blue(grass) Christmas would be so enchanting? The Indigo Girls did - their Happy Holly Days album alternates between rollicking joy and reflective pauses. This is one of the most beautiful on the album - a stripped back lyrical poem, resonant in a superb tenor vocal and supported by subtle harmonies and a gentle guitar. Makes me stop and luxuriate in it's beauty each time I hear it. Reminds me a little of Bette Midler's The Folks Who Live On The Hill. Never thought i'd make that comparison, but it's a complimentary one :) Delightful tune that you should really check out...
• Pink Martini ~ A Snowglobe Christmas: It's like being transported to a simpler time when the movies were black and white and people wrote to each other using pen and paper. This is a timeless, hawaian tinged classic that would sound beautiful whatever time period you are in when sung like this. it's from a whole album of magical wonder and one that should really investigate. As close to Doris Day as you are going to get this snowglobe Christmas. Like a festive hug and kiss. Melts me every time.
• Mariah Carey ~ Christmastime Is In The Air Again: I'm sure I'll return to Mariah's new Christmas album again lots more before the 25th December. There are lots of fun moments on that but this is one of the slower, sipping mulled wine by the fireplace moments. It's a string laden track with a restrained and impeccable vocal from Mariah that enables the song to transcend genres and time. The pull of the tune is undeniable and I soon find myself having little memory flashbacks to the ghosts of my own Christmas past. Dickensian!
• Lady Antebellum ~ Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas: A lovely little reading of this classic tune from the country group du jour. The cd of Christmas faves is (I believe) only available at Target but it's worth tracking down as it's full of faithful renditions like this that just sparkle with sincerity. Plus the fellas look proper foxy on the cover :)
• Puppini Sisters ~ Step Into Christmas: SCREAM! The Puppinis are back! And they have stuck to their absolutely delightful Andrews Sisters for the new millenium mantra. This has led to an amazing album of jazz tinged, boogie woogie Christmas faves and their turn on this Elton John fave is a fizzy explosion of joi de vivre all wrapped up in their tightly knitted harmonies. So much fun yet put together so very cleverly, very carefully and very well. Check out their older christmas tunes too like Jingle Bells and Little Match Girl. Top drawer!

Top 21 songs of the week

21 ~ Gabriella Cilmi, Defender (NE)
20 ~ Jessie J, Price Tag
19 ~ Ola, Riot
18 ~ McFly, Shine A Light
17 ~ Shayne Ward, Gotta Be Somebody
16 ~ Joe McElderry, Someone Wake Me Up (VID)
15 ~ Darin, Drowning
14 ~ Eric Saade, Break of Dawn
13 ~ Westlife, Safe
12 ~ Kylie, Better Than Today
11 ~ A1, In Love & I Hate It
10 ~ P!nk, Raise Your Glass
09 ~ Deborah Gibson, I Love You
08 ~ EMD, What Is Love?
07 ~ JLS, Love You More
06 ~ Le Kid, We Should Go Home Together
05 ~ Andrea Lewis ft Simon Curtis, Talk To Me
04 ~ Take That, The Flood
03 ~ Daniel Boys, To Make You Feel My Love
02 ~ Gravitonas, You Break Me Up
01 ~ Elouise, You'll Never Walk Alone (1 week)

I was going to do this post yesterday, but I got distracted by silly little things like work (which pays the bills, it pays my telephone bills, pays my automo-bills, etc) and True Blood and trying to read a book that I am 2/3rds of the way into and still don't really care about :/ Then I realised it was pay day, and doesn't that make work seem more worthwhile on that one day of the month?! So yes, was all sorts of distracted and of course in the interim this post has grown from one about Hurts to one about lots of things. Oh blimey. But isn't that quintessentially me?! So do read on and share your thoughts, as you so often and very kindly do...

Hurts ~ Wonderful Life (2010):

This song has been around in one form or another now for a while, as the blogging world holds it's breath awaiting the moment when Hurts become as deservedly huge as they should be. In recent days there has been a flurry of internet activity surrounding the boys - a Kylie duet on their debut album, a rather brilliant freemasons remix of this tune and of course the accompanying video. Let's see what the latter is all about...

• Initially there are lots of people standing still and staring at a swimming pool. It would have been ever so slightly better if the water in the pool had been perfectly still too, but pesky winds make it a little bit choppy. Curses.
• Then the singing starts and we get to reflect on a man in a suit with quite a lustrious head of hair sitting on some steps (loving the black and white colour theme) while a photo of his presumed lady friend floats in the water.
• At about 38 seconds there are some Lady Gaga-esque ladies standing around, framed by some nice architecture. There is also quite a nice shot of the Hurts boys, one of whom is quite attractive indeed. I'll let you guess which one :P
• Yay! The chorus then starts and there is a bit of dance activity from the ladies by the pool. This is essentially the moment when you can see why a Freemasons remix of this is a very good idea indeed.
• "never give up it's such a wonderful life" - i love how these uplifting lyrics can be so dour in delivery and visual. That's not sarcasm, i like the juxtaposition of it. I also like writing the word juxtaposition. It seems to be a theme throughout the video, most obviously with the black and white clothes people are wearing, against the white buildings and backdrops.
• (I also like that the Hurts boys are essentially ignoring all the dancing going on around them - it reminds me of the latest Big Brother 11 task...)
• As the second verse starts, there is a bit more dancing and Theo is sitting down putting a bit more facial expression into his singing. The Gaga girls and lustrious hair man are also back - the latter is sinking deeper into a pit of despair. I know what that is like :P
• Cleverly the dance moves mirror the man's despair. I tried to have a go at them in the office this morning, but some bloke arrived delivering a parcel in tight shorts and I got distracted again. Plus, obviously, I looked a right numpty.
• Essentially then there is a slightly extended middle 8 where the four dancing girls jump into the swimming pool, hold their dance poses and do some underwater synchronised moves (occassionally mirrored by the girl between the Hurts lads). It's beautifully shot and rather lovely to look at.
• Theo floats in the water in a christ like pose (very essential in boy band videos - and Hurts are the most classy of the class boybands) with some bright sun shining behind him - the despair and redemption theme again. God, I am deeper than that swimming pool!
• More swimming pool dancing ensues and if you pause at 3m31s there is an absolutely great pause of Attractive Hurts (not that Theo isn't attractive of course, oh you know what I mean)...
• All in all it's a very wonderful video for an increasingly engaging song that I hope brings them much success :) Brava!

Performance - Unconsoled:

In case you have not cottoned on yet, Performance are indeed very good. I wrote about them a bit earlier this year when they had a rather magnificent single out called The Living. Nick Alien Hits has also recently written about their ever so magnifico other project Kiss In Cities. AND! one of the band, Joe Cross, has worked on the new Hurts album! See, these blog posts are intrinsically linked together :) Amazing. here's the need to know about the video...

• If you are not paying attention, you could be in a disco at the start - flashing lights, loud music... but no. There is a car. it's gone right into a tree. This is going to seriously affect someone's no claims bonus...
• The band are all scattered around and in the car, performing their song. This is interspersed with clips of people drinking shots and driving along. This is what probably got them into this mess.
• Actually, let's reflect on this - i'm loving the hurt band on a crashed car theme. There are bloody noses, cuts, broken glass, vacant expressions, the lot.
• And although this doesn't really have much to do with the music, and more to do with my constant cosmic horn, the two Joes are rather pleasing to look at aren't they?
• Apparently Performance are a band who have only been made stronger by their trials - trials which would have split lesser bands. This is true of the video too - Joe C and laura blindfold Joe S while he is driving and then play with the wheel. don't try this at home kids. it doesn't end well. Joe S at least has the decency to look a bit scared by the whole experience!
• Laura hauls herself out the window and lets the wind blow through her hair. I once did this on the drive to Toronto from Rochester NY. Only, the traffic was moving so slowly it was hardly daredevil at all.
• After fairly static "crash scene" shots, Joe S sits up at the start of the second chorus. This sounds fairly minor but it has quite a good effect on the song, matching to the lyrics.
• He does some quite good twitching and then lies back down again. I am seriously loving this video quite a lot. so simple yet amazing.
• Laura (i sense she should get the lion's share of the blame for the crash) sets off some party poppers in the car. Good grief. She is young and crazy and reckless. She would be brilliant at my X Factor finale party in December!
• The speed goes up to 70, Laura is loving hanging out the window, and then the crash happens. it's brilliantly done, they each end up hitting the glass in the car with their heads and the video fades out. It's as shocking and abrupt as the song is brilliant and intense. Brillo work Performance, brillo work
• (PS, please buy Joe Stretch's book Friction. It's bloody amaze).

Coming soon - fizzypop chronicles and perhaps that Olly Murs video breakdown. Plus pop bought to you by the letter E...

This weekend is kind of a big one as it represents a few significant milestones in my life. To commemorate these, Darren and I are going away to "the north" to stay in a nice B&B (not featured on tv's 3 In A Bed) and doing lots of exotic stuff, like seeing Jane McDonald live! Anyway, here are some of the things I am celebrating over the next few days...

• May 1st is 10 years since i got the all clear from the big Cancer...
• May 3rd is not only my birthday, but also 10 years since I met Darren, when i was all bald still and blotchy from treatment :)
• He loved me anyway because May 6th is our 10th anniversary!!

So that's all rather splendid. I'll be computer free (by choice! Gasp!) for a few days, but feel free to leave comments, say hello on twitter, email me. I like to come back to a plethora of e-ness! Right, here's some stuff to tide you over :)

Video magnificence:

• Mans Zelmerlow & Maria Haukass ~ Precious To Me: I happen to think lovely Mans is one of the finest specimen of man to walk the planet. Plus he puts out stonkingly good pop music, which always delights me. He's back duetting with Maria on a song from her album, which is basically not only a rather lovely modern take on Kylie & Jason's Especially For You in aural form, but a visual nod of the head to it too. Mans looks heavenly in his shirt/tie/cardi combo while Maria struts around in killer heels giving some vixen colour to the mix. It's ever so dreamy and romantic and the perfect song to soundtrack the weekend ahead :) More please, more...
• Alphabeat ~ DJ (I Could Be Dancing): The title in parenthesis works much better as the official song title for me. Possibly because it then puts it in line with epics like SS I Don't Feel Like Dancing and SD If You Can't Dance. Both aces. The remix makes it a bit fresher, a bit funkier and the video - well Stine and Anders both look great. Loving the loose limbed tambourine playing :)
• Alexandra Burke ~ All Night Long: Oh dear. The beginning sounds like Don't Stop Gleelieving. The chorus sounds like a bit of a reheat of Paparazzi. No one else agrees with me on this theory. I still quite like the song though. The video is a slightly more frenetic, less polite, debauched version of Steps' Stomp... (And Alexandra has way to much eye makeup on)! PS I do love a piano at a party. I always go down well when there is one :)
• Hurts ~ Better Than Love: I initially fell much more in love with Blood Tears & Gold but I'm willing to cheat on it with this song. What i love about this video is that it puts the formal nature associated with a suit outfit and puts it against a more sleazy, underworld background. The two boys both look beautiful and the song is a slow growing, mid paced ditty that on a few listens becomes an absolute belter :)

Things I am looking forward to...

• The video to Sergey Lazarev's single Alarm - the thought of the vid (still above) has halted it's decline down my charts for several reasons. He has robbed my new hair"do" from last week; he ALWAYS looks good in a tie; those boots are quite amazing; it might invigorate and give new life to the song. Aces.
• Brandon Flowers solo album - oh yum yum indeed. I shall miss the Killers til they return but this will be a lovely interlude hopefully. D'Luv has all the details - I just hope it does better than my beloved Preston Ordinary Boy :(
• New singles by the Scissor Sisters and Kylie have me anxiously awaiting the first radio play - both have the potential to be utterly massive. The internet may very well explode. Check out XO for some scisster love...
• JLS are already moving onto a second album and have a new single out in early July. It's called The Club Is Alive and apparently samples The Sound of Music. I suspect in more of a I'm Too Sexy Sugababes way than a Gwen Stefani Wind it Up sort of way. I'm just said they haven't covered KLS... "JLS are gonna rock ya/ancients of mumu"; now that would be ace...
• Once the black smoke (monster) has settled over the Lost finale, season 3 of Tru Blood starts. Cannot. Wait!

Top 21 tracks of the week:

21 ~ Diana Vickers, Once
20 ~ Bjorn Johan Muri, Yes Man
19 ~ Gravitonas, Kites (NE)
18 ~ Music Go Music, Light of Love
17 ~ Donkeyboy, Sometimes
16 ~ Sergey Lazarev, Alarm
15 ~ Darin, You're Out Of My Life
14 ~ Kimberley Locke, Strobelight
13 ~ Alcazar, Headlines
12 ~ Mika, Kick Ass
11 ~ Ola, Unstoppable
10 ~ Candle Thieves, We're All Gonna Die
09 ~ Neo, Human Frontier
08 ~ Simon Curtis, Super Psycho Love
07 ~ Mariah Carey, 100%
06 ~ Sophie Ellis Bextor, Bittersweet
05 ~ DeeDee, Endure
04 ~ Maria Mena, All This Time
03 ~ Gabriella Cilmi, On A Mission
02 ~ Adam Tyler, Friction
01 ~ Eric Saade, Manboy (1 week)

back early next week catching up with aceness from Miley, Music Go Music, foxy shazam, the ark, etc...

Well after a day where 67 year old men did presentations on how Lady Gaga has changed pop amidst numerous other things, I barely thought I'd have time to get this post done. But i'm all for a quickie, so I'm going to throw it together for you in minimal time. How's that for love and devotion?! PS all links to tv performances where poss...

More essential playlist tunes for May:

• JLS ~ Heal This Heartbreak: The theme of this month's Chronicles is obviously "when record companies attack". Once again, a pop band has been let down by a record company (Shayne Ward starts every diary entry like this). They should essentially be on a 5th single, having missed the opportunity to release the corntastic but charming Close To You at Chrismtas. Oh well. This would have made a brillo single, but for now it's onto album two (next track on playlist pending)...
• Lemar ft JLS ~ What About Love: ...or instead just imagine that JLS had popped out this as a double AA side single (do I need to do 2 As if I have already typed double?!) with Heal The Heartbreak? Just imagine! Are you done imagining? This rather lovely ballad is dreamy and swoony all at once, with a simplistic but delightful melody and some lovely harmonies. Teenage girls could be crying at concerts in the video and all boyband cliches would be restored to the world (especially with some Christ like poses at the end of the video). No, no, album two it is then :(
• Donkeyboy ~ Sometimes: Hmm, are Donkeyboy still not famous in the UK with the lovely Ambitions? bah humbug to that. This track isn't quite as transcendent as Ambitions but it certainly is a rather lovely piece of 80s inspired magnificence - oh and it's definitely the glorious chorus that makes you want to get out your seat and smooch whoever you are standing next to at the time...
• Boyzone ~ Love Is A Hurricane: Wasn't Gave It All Away quite wonderful? Cellos in pop are becoming an increasing necessity. This should really be the boys next single if they are to get any more mileage out the album (though my head nearly exploded at the Corrie where the song played in the background of the Rovers while Shane was pulling pints at the bar. Insanity!) It's a nice upbeat song that's a little bit country, without being a little bit rock n roll. Inoffensive pop as people would call it...
• Westlife ~ Where We Are: Where you are Westlife, is stuck with an album that has only had one single out and that was back in bloody October. Sort it out you goons, and get Nicky naked while you are at it. They could have released Shadows back in Feb and have this title track of the album out to coincide with the tour they have planned. Sigh. It's very drummy, with nice harmonies. Again, not a world changer, but perfectly pleasant.
• Backstreet Boys ~ If I Knew Then: What a perfect opportunity for a Simon Curtis update :P He is supporting AJ McLean at the Roxy in LA on May 6th. My 10th anniversary. So if anyone wants to pay to fly Darren and I out there that would be super. Back to BSB, why Bigger wasn't bigger is beyond me, why All Of My Life wasn't a third single is a baffler and this could easily cap off a successful album/singles campaign but hasn't. MUST I DO EVERYTHING FOR THESE GROUPS? :P
• Natalie Imbruglia ~ Fun: If I was going to stop going on about botched album campaigns, now really wouldn't be the time to do it, but it is getting a bit repetitive isn't it?! Anyway, half of Natalie's album is genius, and half is a bit experimental for me (who won't try sweet chilli flavoured crisps because i feel they are too 'out there'). Fun is a brilliant follow up to Scars though, very radio friendly, nice chorus, lovely vocal. What's not to like?
• Nerina Pallot ~ I Don't Want To Go Out: Good for you Nerina. Sometimes I like to stay in, have a nice hot chocolate and watch a Dr Who or something. It's not all about buzzing your nuts off. I foolishly diverted from Nerina's single releases and chose When Did I Become Such A Bitch for the Feb playlist, which makes this early 2010 single seem a bit dated in terms of it should have featured earlier. In terms of it being utterly magnificent, then it is not dated at all and a rollicking little piano led pop tune. PS, i listened to Geek Love about 5 times this morning.
• Hurts ~ Better Than Love: This song gets better each time I hear it. Are Hurts actually ready to happen just yet, or are they going to be one of those bands that keep having "pre-single" singles out forever? Does it really matter? Not when the song builds up into this crashing chorus that entirely takes over everything in your life for those few seconds it plays. The song really gets going at about 40 seconds and it's full on from there. Keep with it and get rewarded :)
• Keane ~ Stop For A Minute: I'm honestly too tired to write about this again right now, so just go to my most recent post for a still relevant write up. It's really grown on me since then and I'm finding it more endearing with each and every listen. Yes, like Hurts. God I'm repetitive today!
• The Ark ~ Superstar: oh Nick AlienHits will be pleased. A new Ark single preceding an entirely new to be devoured Ark album. Bonza! It's a definite feelgood single with a great guitar riff running throughout it and an almost bonkers glam rock vibe to it. But that's what they do best and like Abba their not quite perfect English just adds to the overall charm of the package. Do check them out :)

You know what? November and December is so jam packed full of new music by some of my favourite artists, plus lots of stuff gets pushed aside for Christmas music, that I don't always have enough time to listen to some of the exciting new artists my friends recommend! So I always make a note of the ones that sound intruiging so I can catch up on them in January! And as it is now January, here is a list of some of the artists that i've been aware of for some time and find intruiging/good looking. I am enjoying checking out (plus links to people who write much more eloquently about them!) Oh, the video above? Nothing to do with pop in 2010, I just really like it for some reason. It's performed very...enthusiastically :)

OH! And if you were tuned in to the Larry Flick show on Thursday morning's Morning Jolt, you would have heard me! I sound very loud! But it was lots of fun :P Here are some links to the artists I talked about (that most of you already know, but just in case you didn't...) - i'm next on Feb 1st. Lordy, better sort out some more euro-pop music!

• Mans Zelmerlow - album review of MZW
• Neo - album review of NEO
• Evan - album review of Under Your Spell
• Sergey Lazarev - interview

NEW ACTS FOR '10 ~ RETWEET EDITION!

• From dontstopthepop... I'm intruiged by Miss Polly Rae who is putting on a burlesque show in London in February. It sounds absolutely magnificent. Burlesque meets pop via the amazing Steve Anderson & Terry Ronald sounds utterly butterly to me. I am SO there :) Bobby also drew my attention to the fine features of Jonas Myrin who not only looks yummers but sounds pretty decent too. Hurrah. (Still anxious for music from LeKid, Isabel Guzman and of course Elouise too)...
• From fabtasticmusic... Ah that adorable Aaron. He (and auspop) steered me directly towards the rather delightful Hugh Sheridan who has gone that traditional Australian route of tv star to pop star with admirable results. I've "spun" his debut album a couple of times and it has me hankering to go back for more already. Plus! Another stunner! Bonus!
• From Project76blog... DanUK and I don't often share the same taste in music, but occasionally the planets align and we go gaga over the same act. Dan injected some taste into my pop sensibilities when he steered me in the direction of Music Go Music who are a rather dreamy pop band who make very excellent music with a hint of Abba influence. Quite wonderful. Plus they are in the UK in february. Very excellent news.
• From thismustbepop... Jessica always does a rather comprehensive list of the more off-piste artists to keep an eye on. One of my favourites from this year has to be Donkeyboy who have the same pop sensibilities as Alphabeat, an album full of rather amazing tunes and a seal of approval from Popjustice. I sense I will be rather obsessed with them and rather soon.
• From worrapolava... Out of the ashes of Daggers rises good looking twosome Hurts. These two have been floating around the internet ether for a while now and are producing some solid good pop tunes, heavy on great vocals, addictive melodies and entirely alluring sax solos. Plus some great remixes are in the bag - this is one of those acts that several bloggers picked up on ages ago and just now all the "official big in 10" lists are all over. (See also XO and AlienHits)...
• From xolondon... talking of xo, he's always got some elegant pop choices up his sleeve; ones that focus on depth of lyric, meaningful choruses and sweeping majesty in the instrumental. He's written lots about, and totally converted me to, Ellie Goulding - she's got pop sensibilities mixed with a certain aura of cool around her music, which like a still pool on a hot day is just heaven to dip into and gently immerse yourself. Big things coming from her, especially as the winner of that BBC Sound of 2010 thingy!
• From billcs... I discovered Bill through a mutual love of acts like Simon Curtis, Dan Black, Mans Zelmerlow and Sammy Taylor. All those acts make Bill's 2010 list as does the guitarist from Avril Lavigne's early days - Evan Taubenfeld, who has been busy creating his own special brand of pop hook for you all to latch onto. He has a new album coming out pretty soon, but has preceded that with a few singles, including the catchy Cheater Of The Year (not a title I imagine many people would want to win!) I do love a bit of malicious revenge pop (check out Simon's Diablo if you haven't already) and this hits all the right buttons. Aces.

Come back Sunday for some tracks that I'm surprisingly loving (as the final part of my 2010 new music thingamabob), then Mon-Fri next week is the vegas diaries. Good lord!