Lopez Blogs

Someone in the office today actually said in a non-ironic quoting way "oh my god, you look like Shakira" and I thought I was being dead witty and urbane when I quickly threw in there "no, no she's Catherine Zeta, actually her name's Marina" only to be met with a barrage of clueless stares. Sigh. It was then that I knew my day could only get better with some lovely pop to listen to when I got home. And hurrah! It was! So let's have a look at some of the super new tunes I got to aurally assess...

Industry ~ I played Industry's My Baby's Waiting when I was on Larry Flick earlier this month (on again on Thurs March 4th!) and I thought, hmmm, as much as I like your ballads (particularly My Mistake), where is this balls to the wall, pecs on patrol, sweaty gonad disco stomper you've been promising? And ta-dah! Much like buses, you wait for one and two come along at once. Splendid. Kill The DJ is a dark ominous electro thumper with some rather saucy lyrics and a swirling chorus. Love the opening line "party's packed/but the music kind of sucks/sick n tired of hearing the same old ga-ga" and the chorus "if you don't keep this song on replay/we're gonna have to kill (kill) the DJ". Genius. Drown In The Music follows along the same theme of excellent electro frippery and a massive skybound pop chorus drenched in dance beats and sing along lyrics. They've been building a following for a while now, but I'm about to go crazy for these tunes. Immense.

The Candle Thieves ~ I wrote about their EP earlier this month, and have since become rather besotted with their lovely brand of sunshine pop. Luckily (as happens when you discover a band a little bit into their career), I didn't have to wait too long for something new and smashing to come along. Their new single We're All Gonna Die is already up on youtube and released for your purchasing pleasure on March 29th, which isn't very far away at all is it? And honestly, it's well worth several of your pennies because it's equally as marvelous as anything on The Sunshine EP. Scott and Glock have created another winning melody that lets their quintessentially English charm shine through (the vocal has shades of my beloved Upper Room's All Over This Town) ~ the single has a positively joyous feel that juxtaposes nicely with the gorgeously bittersweet lyrics, all mixed together in a jangly casio-pop production. It is not only entirely endearing but a real delight to listen to again and again. Their debut album is getting more and more promising with each note they play. Essential.

Rongedal ~ After the mika-tastic Just A Minute "dropped" two melodifestivalens ago, I had a bit of a love affair with the maniac music that was Rongedal. Absolutely adored their debut album, milked it for singles harder than a call girl milks her john in the last five minutes of his paid hour (ew). So hurrah for a second album having just been released in Sweden, because i'm all over it like a rash. The first single proper (Day In Day Out) isn't a million miles away from the jaunty pop sound they showcased on their debut; however I'm going with Nick's recommendation of Because of You as a great example of how they have progressed to a more aggressive, electronica vibe that works well with their penchant for dramatic piano and ridiculously memorable hooks. Can't wait to spend more time getting into the album - full review no doubt some time soon!

Sergey Lazarev ~ There was a bit of a sneak peek last month of Sergey's forthcoming album when Heartbeat leaked on the net. I did quite like that track and wished I'd thought of what one commentator said with "it's like Beat Again over a One Republic beat". It's safe to say that Alarm is radically different to that song. It's Simon Curtis' Diablo/Quentin Mossimann Toc Toc mixed with a Lord Gaga rising instrumentation that slams the beat down in the chorus. It's a great tune, and great to see some boy pop in this vein; very reminiscent of what Darin was doing a couple of years back but Sergey manages to make the tune stand out and remain memorable after a few listens. Could be enormous depending on how saucy the video is :)Plus the dude does look ridiculously good in a suit...

Ah, the above snap shot from the cold, chilly yet exhilarating ice rink outdoors is really what Christmas is all about. Meeting up with friends, sharing experiences, hot chocolate from Starbucks with whipped cream on top, cold noses, Christmas carols being blasted through sound system, then a walk back to a roaring fire (or a picture of one ripped out a magazine sellotaped to the radiator) to enjoy a glass of mulled wine and the town drunk stumbles past, with his coffee flask aromating a distinctly Irish Coffee aroma slurring "merry bloody christmas". Ah yes, if Hairspray were a Christmas musical, that's exactly how the opening number would play out. Marvelous. Now on with the post, because I'm in a bit of a mood - Darren only went to order 2 things from Amazon that I have bought him from Christmas. The surprise is now gone. Hence no magic... :/ I need a hug :P

CHRISTMAS FUTURE:

It's really been quite an amazing year for the lovely Industry pop group. Two Irish number ones (I'm not sure where their third single In Your Arms got to) including the poptacular My Baby's Waiting and an amazing Erik Holter remix of Burn. They are back with their fourth Irish single, My Mistake which is their most lushly produced power ballad to date. It feels instantly recognisable with it's lilting piano melody, sumptuous and inviting backbeat, gorgeous vocals and some lovely singalong harmonies in the chorus. While I've loved their previous releases, it's definitely their strongest statement yet for me and highlights that through their careful planning of building an audience through selected releases, this time next Christmas we'll be smooching along to tunes like this at every office bash across the country. Quite simply a delightful treat from the band to tide me through Christmas. Gorgeous.

CHRISTMAS PRESENT:

As my darling Australian friends would say, Hugh Sheridan is a bit of a spunk. He's from the show Packed To The Rafters and a bit of a crooner too. Aaron Fabtastic has written lots about him and I'm hoping to get his album by new year. For now, I'm quite happy to be wooed by his lovely festive offering for an Australian Christmas compilation album called The Christmas Waltz. It starts off with some lovely strings then quickly merges into an off kilter beat that reminds me a little bit of a Blake Lewis ADD type song - Hugh's vocal is very different to that though. He has one of those classic pop voices that are instantly warming and the juxtaposition of that with the funky backing track work really well. Of course there are jingle bells thrown in there for good luck too, which is quite smashing. It's quite a delightful, optimistic, hopeful aural Christmas Card which I can't stop playing - it's really won me over to Hugh's lovely vocals and I'm really excited for that album now. So yes, I would definitely put the words Hugh Sheridan and spunk in the same sentence (! sigh !) but his voice is just as enticing as his looks :)

CHRISTMAS PAST:

I can hardly believe it that it has been a whopping 20 years since Jason Donovan was the biggest boy in pop (ahem) and charming audiences across Britain with his sort of festive entry When You Come Back To Me. One of my all time favourite Jason tunes, I absolutely begged my parents for a red trench coat, but it did not materialise that year. Not to worry, their gift of a Jason calendar kept my spaff fresh... Anyway, I love to whip this song out each year and enjoy the chiming bells in the S/A/W disco-pop production, the joyous singalong chorus, the shuffly-dance beat middle 8, Jason's fisting signal at 2m 36 in the vid, and the all together feel good factor the song brings out. So although the ozzie spunk tissue has been passed from Jason to Hugh, the former's contribution to Christmas pop remains unparalled by his contemporaries. Viva 1989!!

TOP 21 SONGS OF THE WEEK:

21 ~ Madonna, Revolver
20 ~ The Killers, A White Demon Love Song
19 ~ Little Boots, Earthquake
18 ~ Mika, Blame It On The Girls
17 ~ Whitney Houston, I Look To You
16 ~ Blake Lewis, I Left My Baby For You (NE/VID)
15 ~ William Young, Hopes & Fears
14 ~ The Saturdays, Ego
13 ~ Darin, Viva La Vida
12 ~ Backstreet Boys, Bigger
11 ~ Agnes, Love Love Love
10 ~ Mini Viva, I Wish
09 ~ Simon Curtis, Delusional
08 ~ JLS, Close To You
07 ~ Leona Lewis, Stop Crying Your Heart Out
06 ~ BWO, Kings of Tomorrow
05 ~ Mans Zelmerlow, A Stranger Saved My Life
04 ~ Alcazar, Thank You
03 ~ Robbie Williams, You Know Me
02 ~ Simon Curtis, Diablo
01 ~ Pet Shop Boys, It Doesn't Often Snow At Christmas 2009 (4 weeks)

Back both Sat and Sun for x factor filled weekend :)

Usually the November playlist is jampacked with exciting autumnal hits for your listening pleasure. I'm not saying this isn't a great one, but I'm not as excited about it as I have been the past few years. Still the inclusion of the first song on the list pleases me greatly, and there are many wonderful pop ditties within to keep you going til the double disc Christmas special! And if that isn't enough to cheer you up, the red cups are here! RED CUPS!!!

1 ~ Simon Curtis, Delusional: Really, how much more can I write about this song that I haven't said here, here or here! So instead I'll repeat what Larry Flick said about it on Sunday when he played it for the first time on his Feel The Spin radio show - "it's one of those songs that once you have heard it, you can't stop singing all day long. It sounds like a massive number one anthem, and I can't wait to hear more from this promising young artist!" Amen! Check out reviews by Ken and Aaron also!
2 ~ Darin, Viva La Vida: Ah lovely little Darin. He's come a long way since his Idol days yet he's happy to return to his roots to promote the show with this Coldplay cover that just sparkles with Euro-pop sizzle. It perhaps doesn't work outside of that setting but Darin is getting ready to launch his forward thinking Flashback album in the UK pretty soon. Oh, and I can only imagine what a PSB cover of this might sound like!!
3 ~ Madonna, Revolver: Not her finest ever moment, but a spunky bit of fun to pad out the not bad Celebration collection. Frankly it could be sung by anyone, but I do like the way she makes the refrain sound like she's singing about a vulva. Whatever one of those is :)
4 ~ Shakira, Did It Again: Not a Kylie cover nor the best choice for second single from the She-Wolf album. However, this does showcase Shakira doing what she does well - slinking along with a singalong hook. And in terms of a long term album campaign, it just means there is much better to come in terms of foxy single (*cough* men in this town *cough*)
5 ~ Little Boots, Earthquake: The Little Boots phenomenon is finally taking off properly isn't it? Everyone loved Remedy and I can only imagine that this sweet little pop ditty will only seal the deal for her increasing fanbase. Unfortunately, it's being released at a very tough time of year so may suffer chartwise but that doesn't mean you have to love it any less :)
6 ~ Marina & The Diamonds, Mowgli's Road: Another campaign gathering heat is that of the nearly popstar career of the internet savvy Marina. After the quirkiness of Obsessions and the sheer beauty of one of the year's best songs (I Am Not A Robot) comes this Kate Bush inspired moment of joy. Will it break her to a wider audience? I'm not entirely sure, but it's a listening treat for your ears all the same...
7 ~ Mini Viva, I Wish (above): I know I only got around to featuring Tokyo on last month's list, but I Wish is so lovely that I couldn't bare to wait my requisite 2 months before featuring an artist again. Yes, it's the Girls Aloud mid-tempo ballad that would have been released had the 5 piece not been on a break, but that doesn't make it any gorgeous or sweeping in it's production or delivery.
8 ~ Sugababes 3.0, About A Girl: You know, I was sad-ish when Keisha left/was flung out but it wasn't until the Keisha Sweet 7 sampler leaked that I properly missed her. Yes, Heidi probably staged a coup to cling onto the group at any cost and yes it's not their finest work ever, but it is the last proper chance to hear Keisha sing her little socks off and it's catchy enough so I'm totally on board!
9 ~ Bananarama, Love Don't Live Here: Why Love Comes wasn't a bigger hit is a bit of a crime and a mystery really. Get Ruth Rendell on the case! This epic little number from the Viva album is awash with strings, grandiose production values and a chorus as big as all outdoors. It's almost the Bananarama version of Untouchable. Only not quite. Still mega though.
10 ~ Backstreet Boys, Bigger: Ah, I'm vaguely disappointed with the latest BSB album. It's not quite the grown up boy pop I wanted from them. Having said that, I do think their last single Straight Through The Heart was immense, and this Max Martin ditty is both brilliantly singable and wonderfully delivered. It's a crime they only got to sing it on the Xtra Factor instead of the main stage (see link)...

11 ~ Mika, Blame It On The Girls: While I don't hold with all this "different singles released in different areas of the world simultaneously" malarky, I have remained a lot more fond of Mika than most people who bought his debut album (or so sales of his second album would suggest). This song is like candy floss - it's sugary goodness and you know what you are getting before you even bite into it. It's bold, it's brash and it's a little ray of aural sunshine in a cold damp autumn...
12 ~ Neo, Bachelor: Neo first came to my attention as Linus via Bobby's Don't Stop The Pop site. And now as I pick a fourth single from his delightful debut, he is still out Mika-ing Mika with this effortlessly contagious gem of a song. Like Rongedal, there are plenty of joyous melodies to be found floating around Europe if you know where to look :)
13 ~ Take That, Hold Up A Light For Me (above): Either the That or the record company get antsy when after a 3rd single, the Takers are not racking up top 3 hits and basically stop promoting the album with any more singles. Still it's a bumper Christmas for thatties as there are 2 gorgeous photo biographies, a live CD/DVD combo of the stellar tour and of course the perfect opportunity to rediscover this classic Mark sung track from The Circus. Immerse yourself!
14 ~ Westlife, What About Now: You know the world is all akimber when the stench of failure surrounds a number 2 charting single. What else is there to say about the song other than it's what Westlife do and you will either love it or hate it. Sure, I would have preferred something more along the lines of When You're Looking Like That but the world isn't perfect. Nicky is though and that is the important thing. It does scream of "rush job to fit in with an X Factor appearance" though - rubbishy single sleeve, no video and album not out for weeks yet. Tut Louis and Simon, tut.
15 ~ Whitney Houston, I Look To You: But done right an X Factor performance can boost a career no end. Look at Whitters. Million Dollar Bill hovvered outside the top ten, then she goes on, breaks her dress, disses Dermot, stares at the floor and bam! She is top 5. I like a nice Whitney ballad around Christmas so if a second single were to be rush released for the festive market, this uplifting little number would do nicely. And played back to back with the next tune you would think it was 1992 all over again!
16 ~ Mariah Carey, I Want To Know What Love Is: Yes, yes, it's a bit dated now and linked to one of her less overwhelming albums (more underwhelming?), but that doesn't stop her Foreigner cover being a powerhouse performance from start to finish. She's probably on autopilot all the way through, but it still reminds you how great she can be when she tries!
17 ~ Industry, In Your Arms: At this rate, the debut album by Industry will be a greatest hits collection :P It's perhaps their most organic and raw sounding song to date, that really showcases their vocals and they get to emote for ireland in the video (particularly Donal). Passes the time nicely until a big UK launch next year with a massive pop number that no doubt several acts will be entirely jealous of...
18 ~ Kelly Clarkson, Cry: Oh dear. Single number three (Already Gone) was lovely but ever so reminiscent of Halo by Bouncey. That's what happens when you sell your soul to Ryan Tedder. This is actually the song that kelly wanted to release instead of Already Gone but didn't get her way with. I bet there was some footstamping at Clive Davies' house that day!!
19 ~ Taylor Swift, Fifteen: Oh dear. She wins an award for video of the year and kanye comes onto the stage and basically shits all over her face. Though not literally because that would be a) gross and b) worse than seeing Janet Jackson's nipple. Luckily she came out of it as the darling of the downtrodden and her stock is worth more than ever. Lucky really because while this song is entirely pleasant, it's not really earth shattering. That is no doubt being saved for a revenge track about Kanye. ooooo!
20 ~ Dashboard Confessional, Belle of the Boulevard: Much like the Indigo Girls, I don't really spend enough time talking about how much I like Dashboard Confessional, yet often listen to their music and avidly follow their releases. This is much more acoustic indie-pop DBC than their Jennifer's Body release (which was very reminiscent of Sex and Candy by Macy's Playground) but not quite as brilliant as one of my fave songs of the decade - Hands Down. Still can't complain if the album is as good as this!
21 ~ The Killers, A White Demon Love Song: Oh where to start when picking a Killers song for this month's compilation. Do I go with this, the wonderful low-key tune from the (ugh)(overrated) Twilight saga? Or should I have gone with their quite decent cover of Hotel California (best cover since Wilson Phillips did it!) or should I wait til December for their annual Christmas single? Uh, obviously I went with this, but don't be surprised if their festive treat ends up on the double "disc" next month!!

Back Friday with a wrap up, then Sunday with the usual x-factor "gumpf" - see you then!

As Boney M so succinctly put it, hooray hooray, it's a holi-holiday. Or at least it will be in 18 hours when I'm up at 3.30am driving up to Manchowder airport for our ridiculously early flight to Gran Canaria (Starbucks better be open, that's all I'm sayin!) I'm all packed, chosen my books for some lazy afternoon reading (mornings are always strenuous hikes through the slutty sand dunes), popped some tv shows to catch up on for the archos (better not break this time :/ ) and selected a ridiculous amount of music to listen to (including, bizarrely, the rare demo album of Prisoner: Cell Block H the musical. Amazing)... So I'm all ready to immerse myself in energetic mornings, lazy afternoons, creative early evenings (progress on the novels are woefully slow :/ ) and boozy nights. I'm leaving the blackberry at home, so no twitter, blogger or gmail. It's back to basics and I can't wait :) See you back here next Friday!

TWEET THE WEEK:

Blimey! Their popping them out like puppies in a litter! Yes the lovely people called Industry are back! Their third single (when's the album coming out?!) is entitled In Your Arms (and was previewed by D'luv way back in April) and is their most stripped back organic sounding track to date. It goes without saying that they all look quite ridiculously stunning in the video (above) and while Lee's pop-rocker vocals dominate track, if you concentrate you can hear some lovely layered harmonies in the background. Rumour has it that the debut UK single will be a balls to the wall (not literally obviously) party banger. *Whips off top and swirls round head*!! Oh and Donal's excellent Good Mood Food cookbook is on the shelves now! Great Christmas gift...

Does the world need another female singer songwriter? They do if it's the exquisite Elsa Chapman. She has put together a bunch of songs ahead of her debut album in 2010 that evoke the musical sensibilities of the girl groups of the sixties (harmonic adlibs, melodic choruses, true storytelling in the lyrics and strong powerful vocal delivery) yet that sounds timeless and relevant in today's crowded musical market. Cry Baby is a gorgeous singalong number with a hand clap beat while Breakup has a bouncey feel to it that contrasts with the genuinely sad lyrics and Suffocate is a brilliant piano driven lightly dusted funk fest with girl power (actually anyone power who has been in that situation!) sassing through it's veins. Think early Mariah mixed with Alicia and throw in some lovely lyrical traits and it's definitely a pop package that is charming me completely. Lovely.

The latest act to (deservedly) garner some blogger buzz is the spunky indie-pop group Flamboyant Bella. Their new single Get A Reaction is a pulsating mix of energy, enthusiasm and rowdiness that completely grabs you by the synapses and refuses to let go until a breathless 3+ minutes later. It's effortlessly easy to like - whether it be the breakneck speed addictive chorus, singer Flo Citron's likeable vocals, infectious dancing, pearl necklace and handclapping in the video, or the spazz out moves of the (quite attractive) bass player Mitch. It's positively don't care, fun music that just exudes cheerfulness each time I listen to it. Amazing song (and you can download a legal free remix of it here) - and frankly a group that has a track called Absolutely Wankered has my vote for "next big thing" (and they are not even twenty yet!)...

Turns out Simon Curtis has been tweeting a lot recently (who hasn't?!) and it's all super good news - he's back in the studio recording some tracks with Jadion (who he worked with on one of my fave albums of all time, the tragically unreleased Alter Boy), utilising a sample in a song that he is very excited about and even come up with a name for the new album. It's been a long time coming but i'm still extremely positive that success is just around the corner for the guy who's been my fave new singer since 2006!

WEEKLY GLEE: Oh once again it was all sorts of marvelous this week pitting Sue and the Schue against each other in all sorts of dastardly ways. As always some brilliant laugh out loud moments and excellent musical choices. Of course the highlight was the brilliant use of Avril Lavigne's Holding On for the closing number - yes, even beating No Air. Love the guys in white as well :) That's how Sue c-s it!

TOP 21 SONGS OF THE WEEK:

21 ~ Mini Viva, I Left My Heart in Tokyo
20 ~ Mika, We Are Golden
19 ~ Madonna, Celebration
18 ~ Shakira, She-Wolf
17 ~ BWO, Love Comes Crashing Down
16 ~ Mariah Carey, I Want To Know What Love Is
15 ~ Whitney Houston, Million Dollar Bill
14 ~ The Dolly Rockers, Boys Will Be Boys
13 ~ Madonna, Revolver
12 ~ Mika, Blame It On The Girls
11 ~ Alexandra Burke, Bad Boys
10 ~ Leona Lewis, Happy
09 ~ Alphabeat, The Spell
08 ~ Little Boots, Earthquake
07 ~ JLS, Everybody In Love (VID ABOVE - Amazing Cahill remix version)
06 ~ Robbie Williams, Bodies
05 ~ The Killers, White Demon Love Song (NE)
04 ~ Nerina Pallot, Real Late Starter
03 ~ Blake Lewis, Heartbreak On Vinyl
02 ~ William Young, Hopes and Fears (NE)
01 ~ Darin, Viva La Vida (NE/1 Week)

Back next Friday. Don't miss me too much during this week's X Factor!!

Blimey. Even though it's 71 days til Christmas (and I promise not to bombard you before December this year!) there is still an air of festive preparation floating about. Fight past the ghost and ghoulie costumes in the stores and there are a plethora of christmas purchasings just tempting you to dip into your wallet. March into tesco and the traditional tin of Roses (so much better than Quality St) whose wrappings litter the floor on Santa's birthday are half price! Even i'm busy planning for the following "events"...

• A day trip to London on either the 5th or 12th December to go shopping and visit Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland! Woohoo! The ace gang all together and skating outside :)
• The annual christmas party combined with the x factor finale party - just got to work out which date the finale will air on! Anyone know?!
• Flying to vegas on Christmas day so planning out that little trip - just spent a fortune on Bette Midler tickets on New Years eve for DazdivinemisterS.

Of course, one industry planning for the christmas period way in advance of any other (ooo that sentence is very X Factor Dermot "one act who wants it more than anyone...") is the music industry in the UK. They will have been carefully selecting albums and singles from artists that have the best chance of getting a slice of the christmas spending pie (Mmmm, pie) for ages now. Everyone is pulling out the big guns to be the Christmas number 2 (of course the X Factor winner has the Christmas number one sewn up. Sigh) - so with that in mind, here are some slightly off the wall suggestions for acts not really in the running in the UK....

5 COVER VERSIONS THAT WOULD BE BRILLO AT FESTIVE PARTIES:

Song: One Night Only - it's no surprise that I'm suggesting the wonderful Elouise release a brilliant discotastic studio version of this because it's already a staple of her live shows. It's fair to say that when she performs this tune, she takes on the persona of the lyrics and you can almost see it build from within her during the ballad part before exploding in a cavalcade of glitter as the beat kicks in. Just marvelous.
Song: Cool Rider - while I'm delving into the archives of musicals, I was in a bit of a Grease 2 mood today and was listening to some of the underrated tunes from that film. When Cool Rider came on, I thought that in the right hands it would make a rather great pop song. Maybe Dolly Rockers could punk it up to beef up their Boys Will Be Boys with it? Or Red Blooded Women could turn it into a electro-pop wonder! Or perhaps Mini Viva could get Xenomania to work their magic on it in a Girls Aloud-St Trinians sort of way. Just putting it out there - it could be the best musical girl group cover since Play did Hard Knock Life (vid above of that epic classic)!
Song: Chocolate Box - One of Bros's greatest moments is a pop-rock song neatly dressed in synthy dance trimmings and to my knowledge hasn't been covered by anyone. It's the perfect tune to be updated whether it be as funky prince-esque jam ("") or a solid 80s tribute dance tune. Who better than to step up to the plate for the job than the one and only ex Digital dude Dean Lennon? He looks good in a waistcoat, has the vocal capacity to tackle it and would sound quite foxy doing the "rurrrrrr" bit. Perfect :)
Song: Shock Your Mama - if I was less lazy I could find out in the annals of the blog that I had bemoaned the fact that someone (preferrably Simon Curtis or The Killers) needed to cover Debbie Gibson's Electric Youth. I don't want to bleat on about it, so let's concentrate on the excellent Shock Your Mama instead. Full of sauce and sass, it's the precursor to Love Game but without being a complete alley cat about it. How about one of the swede boy-pop sensations like Danny or Ola putting a fun twist on this and whipping it out there.
Song: In My Dreams - ah The Party. They were the almost Disney sensation of the early 90s that never really happened. That doesn't mean that they didn't pop out some stomping classics though and this is as good as anything they did (almost up there with the lovely I Found Love or cutesy Sugar Is Sweet). After the brillo dance remix of Burn that they put out, I can't think of anyone better to cover this than the lovely guys and gals of Industry. Pop it on the double A of the forthcoming In Your Arms and you got a winner :P

5 EURO POPSTARS WHO WOULD POSSIBLY CHOOSE THESE TRACKS IF THEY WERE BIG(GER) IN THE UK:

Alcazar - Thank You: Frankly I sometimes forget that Disco Defenders came out this year and that I like it so much. I return to it quite often, but not as often as I'd like. I really think they could've mined it for single after single, but none suits the spirit of the Christmas number two better than this Abba pastiche at the end of the album. A virtual remake but not quite of Thank You For The Music, it's schmaltzy, cheesy, wonderful and entirely uplifting. Approach with caution - you may develop develop diabetes just from listening. For a proper party, pop Funkytown on the flipside :)
BWO - Kings of Tomorrow: In the past I've been loving myself sick in a BWO ballad around the season of goodwill. They sort of churn out a classier version of the type of ballad Steps would attempt (never their strong point other than Mars & Venus; oh and It's The Way You Make Me Feel) and i've sipped many a mulled wine to the strains of Destiny of Love and Will My Arms Be Strong Enough (still perfect for someone like Leona to cover). This of course is their latest from Big Science and while not as hamazing as Destiny... it's still a corker and comes in both ballad and disco-ified form so everyone's a winnabego.
Mans Zelmerlow - A Stranger Saved My Life: Oh sweet sweet Mans, you perfect specimen of a man! Sure the MZW project has suffered slightly from the wrong single releases (Hope and Glory should have been followed by Home, then Forever&Rewind as a big remix package double a side and then this), but this ballad was tailor made for singing loud and you could easily have a video filled with snow and dangerous icy roads (or put it to a montage of Grey's Anatomy and that girl that George saved before getting hit by a bus!). Key changes, inspiring lyrics that JLS would kill for, a choir - it's cheesier than a 4 week old jock strap but it works (for me anyway!) That or sell it to Westlife...
Marit Larsen - If A Song Could Get Me You: 18 months on and I'm still completely and utterly smitten up to my ears by this gorgeous piano driven tune. Europe is slowly being won over by it and it could be one of those songs that surprises everyone in England by coming from nowhere to be a massive smash. It's the crashing piano chords that get me every single time. Every. Single. Time. Get the point? Good. Let's dance (ooo JJ reference). Fin.
Alien Beat Club - My Way (vid above): Oh they were just ever so good and entertaining on Danish Idol. They tackled everything from I'm Yours to Just Dance and threw themselves into it with "gusto". So I was initially a bit surprised by their debut single being less in your face pop and more of a sleek, classy, sneaks up on you and politely taps you on the shoulder type tune that just gets better each time I hear it. It's Liberty X meets JLS and I like it. Now something upbeat next time around please :)

QUICK BITS:

• Best songs that should be covered by a boyband: A Shoulder To Cry On (Tommy Page); Room In Your Heart (Living In A Box)
• Best song already covered by a girl group: In Your House (Originally Alanis Morrisette; gussied up to perfection by Shine4)
• Best seasonal tunes not already overbaked: Doesn't Often Snow At Christmas (Pet Shop Boys); Happy New Year (Abba)
• What the X Factor should do: Final 12 should record Second Best To None (the Hotel Rival song - perfect lyrics give or take for the competition); Winner should record Story Of A Heart (Benny Andersson Band)

Motivated, nay inspired by the recent allSTARS* post by D'Luv yesterday, I decided to ward off the back to work after a long weekend blues and create a nice 25 min play list of should've been massive pop songs from this millenium for the walk to work. And it fair put a spring in my step. I was pirohuetting around like a noddy on numpty tablets at a ninny carnival. And then as if to make my day more perfect, Popjustice reminded me of the seminal Same Difference's I Don't Feel Like Dancing X Factor performance and I felt like was Olive Snook singing Birdhouse In Your Soul in Pushing Daisies ie very happy indeed. Here are the 7...

Donal Skehan ~ Double Cross My Heart: Shame on Ireland for not making this brilliant song their eurovision entry last year. Just watch that submission clip above - it's a brilliant endorsement from someone who clearly loves and understands the eurovision process (check out my interview with Donal and his Industry bandmates to show how clued up on Donal is on europop). The song has bits of Bosson's One In A Million in it (not literally in a sampling way, more in a reminds me way), is totally singalong and would have been a worthy eurovision winner and could've spawned a stellar debut album. Luckily Donal found success with Industry who just celebrated their second Irish number one with Burn, and has a new cookbook out in October (link here, now with pics that practically instruct you how to look good in an apron). Good things come to those who cook :)

Fifth Avenue ~ Infidelity: Let's stay in Ireland for this pop nugget. Ignore the big Irish chart success of theirs, Sometimes When We Touch because frankly Newton did it far better. Instead skip to this Papa Don't Preach sampling gem which works incredibly well not only because it's instantly familiar but is a smart pop tune that plays to the strengths of the band. The clip may be on the cheaper end of the pop spectrum, but it doesn't detract from the charm this song holds for me. I still think this song could be massive for someone, and still hold out hope that Deb Gibson (happy birthday!) will pick it up...

Six ~ Whole Lotta Lovin': Yes yes, this is the band that Nadine Coyle lied to get into. Funny how things work out... At one point this was the biggest selling Irish single ever, but I'm not sure if that's still the case or not. Honestly I could've picked any number of Six songs for the playlist (This Is It, United We Stand, the Same Difference covered Let Me Be The One), but this one still holds the most appeal for me. It's about as Abba as you can get in a pop hit and reminds me how innocent and naive the first series of popstars were before public voting turned them into the freakshows they often are today... Weird possi-fact: Liam now apparently works at Bubble Hits where Donal came from! Synergy!

Scandal'us ~ Me Myself and I: Talking of popstars this lot were the second lot of Australian spunk-outs after the glorious bardot. And what a rather funky tune they presented to the world. It hasn't aged brilliantly, but by god I was totally obsessed with it at the time and I still enjoy a good singalong to it. Plus it does go rather brilliant from 2m30s onwards and sounds great blasting loud when you are stuck in slow moving traffic. Fact: Bardot's Poison is one of the finest popstars songs ever.

allSTARS* ~ Land of Make Believe: Oh dear god, I sometimes what is wrong with me when I end up liking songs like this. Look, cards on the table - D'luv is right. Love Is is the far superior song here and Sam looks much more lovely in the Back When clip, but there is something innocent yet vaguely creepy about this clip. Plus they supported Steps once when a whole bunch of the Ace Gang went with me to see them, and we had a right good singalong. Memories ~ a powerful thing when choosing your fave songs :P

Play ~ I Must Not Chase The Boys: Although this song came about ten years too late, it was sort of an anthem to my horny 17 year old self :) Slightly naughty, with a rather thrilling middle 8, there was nothing about this song that failed to impress me for months on end when I first heard it. Why it wasn't an enormous worldwide hit a la Just Dance still causes me to lie awake at night in a cold sweat to this very day...

Deborah Gibson ~ MYOB: Ok, so of course I think any Deborah song post 1990 should have been a massive hit (Everytime We Say Goodbye penned for Ana is still a long lost pop gem). And I'm longing for a huge pop comeback for her (I was too harsh on Already Gone, the teaser track released earlier in the year - it's really grown on me lately!). I actually do believe that MYOB and the album it takes it's name from should've been massive. Any pop group from today would be wise to pick up this song :P Enough talk - I'll let the music do the talking ;) (from about 3m45s)

Blimey ~ this post was a lot like this earlier one I wrote 3 years ago. Nothing like regurgitating one's own work :P

What a moody patoody I have been. I have now snapped myself out of it and am ready for my holiday and life can continue to happen when I get back :) Bring on Austria! 5 days and counting... In the meantime here are some rather good new videos from rather good new pop acts...

INDUSTRY ~ BURN:

They have topped the charts in Ireland, but there is no time for this industrious little pop group to rest on their laurels. This rather moreish lovely ballad (which I previously said reminds me of Steps, but to be fair has more in common with Liberty X) has an appropriately moody video where the gang get to emote their hearts out to a shadowy black backdrop. And they all look ridiculously amazing. If I had one request for the song, it would be that they harmonised together more often. I know they have it in them and would just give that extra kick to a song I'm already smitten with. It's sleek, it's elegant and it's wonderfully performed. Bonus points definitely for the rather lovely looking skinhead bloke in the clip too :)
~ Check out Nikki's opinion here ...
~ More breaking Industry news at Chartrigger...
~ the official Industry website...

THE YEAH YOU'S ~ GETTING UP WITH YOU:

It's lazy to use smitten twice in the same post, but I am already quite the smitten little kitten with the yeah you's. They have lots of elements of pop acts I already like (Mika, The Feeling, Robbie Williams) and still manage to retain their quirky individuality in the delivery of their pop nuggets. This tune is the follow up to their should have been a bit more massive but good introduction single 15 Minutes, and scores on lots of levels with more. Great piano driven pop, harmony filled choruses, cute and amusing video where the blokes spend the whole day in bed with their respective ladeez, it's entirely relateable and a brilliant end of summer feel to the song, that I believe sounded quite anthemic at Leeds Pride this very weekend. I'm practically chomping at the bit for their album. Their bonus points, btw, are achieved by having astonishingly ace eyewear throughout the vid :)
~ The Yeah You's official site...

STEFAN D'BART ~ GOING THROUGH CHANGES

Remember Switch 22? (They were all over thezapping in 2006/7)? On first listen to his debut single, Stefan D'Bart (one half of the superhero pop duo) doesn't - and in the changing face of pop, that's not necessarily a bad thing. However, Switch 22 weren't just about the in your face pop anthems like Back To The Dancefloor, Sweet Dreaming and 1985. They also did quite atmospheric pop goth ballads like The Day She Gave Up On Me and Beautiful Eyes. Perhaps that is where the foundations for solo Stefan have been lain - this song is an incredibly catchy pop-rock midtempo number with a great, memorable chorus that feels quite urgent, particularly when it threads into the guitar riff of the middle 8. The video was bound to turn out great - Stefan could look good in a dustbin bag and it was directed by Matt Pateman (of pop-electro group Jean; formerly Bad Boys Inc) who has always been quite creative in all his endeavours. Check this out, it really is quite stunning - and more rewarding with each listen.
~ Stefan's official website...

PETROS ~ PIN UP BOY

No official video for this yet, but it's rather addictive anyway. Again, I wrote about Petros ages ago (I'll find that link soon and put it up), but have neglected him of late. My bad - I made this mistake with Killian Wells and missed out on some great pop. This frenetic, jerky song is infused with a terrific electro dance vibe and some great lyrics about the illusion of owning popstars that the current internet environment creates. "It's mp3 pornography" sings Petros at one point as thousands of guys and girls feel they own him because they purchase his music or write about him on their twitter accounts. Oh no! I've committed mp3 pornography! I'll be shut down :P Seriously though, great song, nice commentary on modern day fame and one can't help but feel he wouldn't be having this problem if he was Shane McGowan :) More please and soon...
~ Become a "predator" and follow Petros on myspace :)

4 great songs by 4 great acts. Let me know what you think :)

Today has been very something kind of poo, making me feel blue blue. So I'm going to gloss right over that and get onto the sounds of summer cd I shall be sending around to my friends soon! First off (brits), can you actually believe it's summer? I'm no fan of the summer sun (it burns my neck and arms and makes me polleny) but this weather is bizarre. It's like being in The Day After Tomorrow - only with no hunky Jake Gyllenhall to rescue you. In fact, the only reason I still know it's summer is that Big Brother 10 is still plodding on despite a huge lack of interest from the world. I still dip in now and then - in fact it has actually produced one of my fave big bro moments EVER. Silly bint Noirin (who flirts with everyone, gets them to fall in love with her then cock blocks them with the old "i just like hugs. lets be friends" line) was in the diary room telling big brother that while she liked Marcus as a friend, she fancied and had kissed Siavash (leading him no doubt to SeeHerGash) but now fancied Tom instead. She was advised that honesty might be best to which she replied "oh no, i'm going to have to sacrifice myself. I feel like Jesus Christ" !!!! Quite literally jaw droppingly astonishing. I feel like Jesus Christ. Yes because Jesus was all "ooo Pointious Pilot, I know we fooled around last week but I actually fancy Judas Iscariot" (Pontious "i'll get you for this Jesus", etc). That's exactly what Jesus was about :P Ok, now I've blasphemed, on with this list! There are a whopping 8 big come back singles on this, compared with 3 this time last year. Aren't people busy when it rains a lot...

FIZZYPOP CHOICE OF SONGS FOR AUGUST 2009:

1 ~ Madonna, Celebration: It is literally extraordinary that this hasn't properly leaked yet and the world is impatiently drumming it's fingers to the beat of a dodgy camera phone clip on youtube. I've said as much as I can about this on Monday, so just go there if you haven't already. No doubt will be the sound of the summer...
2 ~ Whitney Houston, Million Dollar Bill: It is literally extraordinary that this hasn't properly leaked yet. Tragically already the album campaign feels like a proper mess. Different singles here and there. Different mixes all over the shop. But I am confident that I will at least like most of the album and according to D'Luv this sounds like it could be proper bonza. Hurrah. I'm all for 1992!
3 ~ Mariah Carey, Obsessed: It's almost entirely out of habit that I keep putting Mariah on these lists at all. I was so in love with her music in the 90s that despite the shoddy output in recent years I still cling on. This isn't bad per se, it's just not great. Sigh. When will I learn?
4 ~ Shakira, She Wolf: I sort of forgot about Shakira until Mike reminded me. I thought Hips Don't Lie was rubbish, but loved Illegal. This is quite discotastic and sounds like Shakira has been overdosing on Annie in the chorus. I like the fact that she practically spits out the lyrics and that it all goes abit crazy around the middle 8. Better with each listen.
5 ~ Mika, We Are Golden: Oh come off it. I know that you are all secretly in love with this song by now but you just don't want to say :P Again, I've already written about how much I love this (if Madonna doesn't leak it could be number one on Sunday) so I'll just say that his gold pumps remind me of that Sex and The City episode where Carrie snogged Alanis Morrisette. They didn't look good on Ms Bradshaw and they don't look good on Mika :P
6 ~ Backstreet Boys, Soldier Down: Yes, I know that's not the official title, but it's a lot less wanky and more in line with the song - which is actually quite a decent RedOne production that does indeed sound exactly like what a BSB song should sound like in 2009. It's a bit funky, a bit dancey and totally catchy. Score. (Shame the days of soldier up are over for me when I see the boys though :P)
7 ~ Blake Lewis, Sad Song: You know, for the life of me I can't think of which Cher song this reminds me of. Oh wait, yes I can - it's Song For The Lonely. This has that mix of vocoder and dance beats. I do find Blake quite charming and I'm entertained by this tune and found myself singing it quite a lot. I am amused at the battlefield reference (unrelated news - despite not reaching the top ten, Jordin S has sold 124,000 of that track in the UK. Marvy)
8 ~ Little Boots, Remedy: Glorious, glorious, glorious. Should this song (which is a spiritual lyrical sister to Heartbreak Makes Me A Dancer) have been the first single? Possibly, though I still think she should have hit with Stuck On Repeat. Poor Vicky gets a lot of stick for not being more successful (making her Sticky Vicky?!) but this song is just wonderful and I adore the album. Apart from the fact I love Stuck On Repeat a lot more than he does, Aaron has written the album review I've been stalling on for far too long...
9 ~ Marina & The Diamonds, Obsessions: I know I'm a bit late on this song, but i find it's ethereal minimalistic piano juxtaposed with Marina's quite haunting vocal to be quite quite mesmerising. I could honestly listen to her all day. I don't love this quite as much as ...Robot, but it's still a slice above most the myspace pop out there. And her blog is very often in the brilliant range.
10 ~ Bananarama, Love Comes: Oh this song gets better every time that I hear it. I'm just dying for a myriad of remixes to hit that pump up the bass and amp up the melody. Love how "love" is written in all disposal things at the beginning of the video. Love the britpop dresses at the end of the video. Quite like everything in between and the song is more moreish than a packet of Haribo Tangfastics. True.

11 ~ Industry, Burn: Another D'Luv exclusive. This will be out officially in a couple of weeks and is a lovely breezy midtempo ballad that Steps used to do so much better than S Club (though Show Me Your Colours was nice). I'm eager for ridiculously attractive foursome to make some waves in the UK - just bribe people with Donal's yummy cookies and they'll be lining up in the streets to buy this equally edible tune :)
12 ~ Same Difference, Better Love Me: As I've said many times before, I refuse to give up on the brilliant Pop album. This gorgeous track is the spiritual successor to the aforementioned Steps Way You Make Me Feel and should really be the fourth single from the album now. Sigh. Sometimes the world is cruel. PS, apparently August 1st is National Same Difference Day. I'm down with that :) (Note to self: never say "down" in that context again)!
13 ~ Mans Zelmerlow, Forever: Now if I was Mans Zelmerlow i'd a) be a lot more gorgeous than I currently am (and let's face it, i'm pretty yummers :P) and b) i'd be cramming in 3 more singles this year from my "sophomore" album. Forever is the perfect late summer tune that just tinkles and dances out of the speakers with it's dance/rave "leanings". Whatever it's trying to be, it's a massively catchy tune with a great uplifting vibe to it. Brillo pants.
14 ~ Neo, Higher: I can't find a link to this :( Maybe Bobpops can help out? Anyway, I do find Neo to be perhaps the Mika that people will find less annoying?! This tune was my instant favourite of his quite brilliant debut album and his master of pop etiquette screams from every note within this song. No that didn't make any sense, but it sounds quite complimentary doesn't it?!
15 ~ Take That, How Did It Come To This?: Jason Orange, it's your time to shine. The That absolutely need to pick this as their fourth single whether they are having one or not. I love this song that makes self doubt and commentary on the craziness of modern life sound so heavenly and enjoyable. Jason sounds great - (should take lead vocal more often) and there are some great crashing piano chords in the background.
16 ~ Darin, Runaway: See, when popstars that are quite famous in their home country make an album that is meant to break the worldwide market, it can often lead to no international success and a bit of resentment back home. I'm not sure that has quite happened with Darin's latest album, but when there are great tunes like this - an effortlessly likeable "urban" club jam delivered with a lovely understated restrained performance from Darin, well home and away are missing out not making it massive.
17 ~ Kelly Clarkson, Already Gone: I forgot (already!) how much I like this song and I feel mightily ashamed that it is my number one song called Already Gone this year (sorry Deborah Gibson - oh the sacrilege). Kelly does ballads incredibly well and this is a modern day shuffling beat ballad that sounds just lovely on a dusky summer night. Raining or not. If Buffy were still going, this would be soundtracking something devastating.
18 ~ Taylor Swift, You Belong To Me: Great video for a good song. Nothing's gonna top the amazing key change adoring Love Story, but this is quite a perky little number that isn't going to change anyone's opinions of the verbose teen but it genuinely is (in my opinion) a pretty little song. I do wonder if there is anything in Taylor's life that she hasn't written about tho?!
19 ~ Arctic Monkeys, Crying Lightning: Bizarre but brave marketing campaign for this song. Played on radio then shoved onto iTunes straight away to prevent illegal downloading. No one knew about it so doesn't chart quite as high as some of their others. Now is out the chart, but a physical release is imminent and finally a video is here. The digital age is crazy. Which tells you nothing about the song!
Golden Oldie: Debbie Gibson ~ We Could Be Together: 20 years since she performed at Brosin2Summer at Wembley and was quite marvelous. WCBT is still a great summer single. I'm just sad that i ripped my 20 year old Electric Youth tour tshirt tonight :( Bummer in the summer :(

Back Fri (maybe) with a friday five. If not then deffo Sunday :)

How is July nearly over already? My goals for July (which were rolled over from the 6 month stage of the year) are nowhere near complete, probably cos I have pissed too much time away on twitter. Grrr. Oh well, it's nice to have goals for August isn't it? I'm a bit bleary eyed today to be honest with you. I couldn't even be bothered to go and get my Sunday morning Starbucks (oh the horror, etc). Blame it on a fun night out with the reunited London Pride gang. Went to our usual haunt (Eden - gets more and more packed each week and deservedly so. James Leon and Elouise *may* [fingers crossed] be playing there in the near future...), listened to some good music, had a large man with a very sweaty back brush past me and leave most of his body moisture on my arm and then got persuaded by a tipsy Mark that we should go to a "bears and their admirers" bar to "see what it was like" :/ It did not taste good :S Though I did entertain by doing poetry style readings of popular raps in a posh accent (Shoop by Salt n Pepa always sounds bonza). Anywhere, lots to catch up on this week so here are the highlights...

THE WEEK THAT WAS:

• I've been entirely in love with Madonna's True Blue album this week. It is a delightful pop album from start to finish. After feeling a bit happy that work had finished on Friday, I skipped all the way home mouthing along to and pretending I was in a new video for the ebullient title track. Heavenly.


• (Thank God that during her many dodgy outfits - and many wonderful ones - Madonna didn't lose it and wear a kermit dress. Ridiculous).


• Talking of Madonna (part one) - it was quite sad that her stage rigging collapsed killing two people. How awful for their families - and I imagine Madonna too. As happens with these things, irreverent comments and jokes pop up over the internet. Call me humourless, but I don't get that, i'm sure the families don't get that and find it a bit repugnant. I remember in my late teens making a joke about Freddie Mercury at school shortly after he'd died and a teacher overhearing and simply said "He was loved by people and his family. Do you think they would find that funny?" And I was devoured by an entirely massive amount of shame. Each to their own though...:(


• Talking of Madonna (part two) - never has 18 seconds been so analysed. Celebrate clip leaked online this week and it's hard to make a comprehensive judgement on it. From what I can tell, it sounds like a quite decent COAD-era type song.


• Other clips floating around - as I mentioned last week, the chorus to Blake Lewis' Sad Song is available to listen to and quite brillopad. Ditto Mika's We Are Golden which instantly sounds like a cross between a Queen song, a Belinda Carlise chorus (i'm thinking We Want The Same Thing) and something else, I'm not sure what yet :P Barmy but brilliant.


• Over at lovely Robbie's pad, there is the first online clip for the new Industry single "Burn". Much like Same Difference, it's an updated Steps sound and similar to their decent midtempo ballads. Hard to judge from one little clip, but it's promising. Perhaps you heard it if you were at the Pussycat Dolls gig in Ireland last night? They were the opening act and marvy no doubt :P


• Sugababes "Get Sexy" continues to grow on me, and sounded rather marvelous played loud in Eden last night. Perhaps that's the optimum setting for it to be played?


• Ditto Bananarama's new one. Love Comes. (And so did I when I heard it as I rather disgracefully twittered in the week. And then repeated the "joke" on Mike's Poptrash singles of the week reviews). It's quite bonza indeed. It's a tightly produced little number with a great chorus and this whispery vocodered middle eight that just floats enticingly for a few seconds before launching back into the chorus. Those lovely rams continue with their diverse but always entertaining career then...
  


• I managed to go all last week without mentioning Elouise, but I can hold back no further! As it seems to be a "clips" week, I absolutely must spend some time talking about two tracks on her myspace. Pretender is what would happen musically if the amazing (and one of my favourite singers ever) Dusty Springfield were still around to record music today. It's epic in the extreme, with a glorious sounding chorus complete with tremendous backing vocals and the plainitive plea from Elouise to go back in time and "remember what you're missing baby". And she sings it so amazingly well, that I'm totally drawn into the world of the song and get this conflicted feeling - sadness from the message in the tune (who hasn't yearned for lost love?) but almost giddy euphoria at the sheer spectacular sound created. Another Day, i've written before, but i'm still obsessing over. The tune sounds like it belongs at the end of a James Bond film - or is a remake of Scissters Land Of A Thousand Words, but amping up the drama to the nth degree. Oh! And let's not even discuss the utterly charming Fireman of My Dreams (below). Not only is it one of the cutest songs I've heard in a long time, but it's quite witty and instantly anthemic. In a years time, many many drag queens will be miming to this. My god, an album better be coming soon or I will absolutely explode. And that won't be pretty.

TOP 21 SINGLES OF THE WEEK:

21 ~ Marina & The Diamonds, Obsessions (NE)
20 ~ Marina & The Diamonds, I Am Not A Robot
19 ~ Freemasons ft SEB, Heartbreak Makes Me A Dancer
18 ~ BWO, Right Here Right Now
17 ~ Ola, Sky's The Limit (NE/VID)
16 ~ Le Kid, Mercy Mercy
15 ~ Jordin Sparks, Battlefield
14 ~ Dan Black, Symphonies (the album UN is quite decent indeed)
13 ~ Sugababes, Get Sexy
12 ~ Lily Allen, 22
11 ~ Erik Hassle, Don't Bring Flowers
10 ~ Dolly Rockers, Je Suis Un Dolly
09 ~ Jason Mraz, Try Try Try
08 ~ Mr Hudson, Supernova (Did you see the size of his feet on Chattyman? Mazel Tov!)
07 ~ Mans Zelmerlow, Home
06 ~ Elouise, One Night Only
05 ~ "Abba", Second Best To None
04 ~ Little Boots, Remedy
03 ~ JLS, Beat Again (the deserved UK #1)
02 ~ Preston, Dressed To Kill
01 ~ Benny Andersson Band, Story Of A Heart (6 weeks)

Back soon with a Harry Potter post. At some point. And some career advice for artists...

FROM ABBA TO INDUSTRY...

The finest ever mixed sex pop group performing their finest ever song!

Pop music is proper bonza really isn't it? I mean, I love boy bands (I still mourn the loss of near-massive Digital and Avenue, but have high hopes for Avenue; viva the Take That concert tomorrow night!!!) and girl groups are quite wonderful (while Girls Aloud can't be bothered to promote their singles, I am quite happy awaiting Red Blooded Women, Candy Coated Chaos and The Dolly Rockers to become massive; viva GA supporting Coldplay in Sept!!!) However, some of my very favourite pop groups of all time are mixed sex combos. Abba happen to be my favourite group of all time. Steps reached a pinnacle of pop with amazing tracks like Deeper Shade of Blue and You'll Be Sorry. S Club in various formats delighted with Don't Stop Moving, Sundown and the grossly underrated Hey Kitty Kitty. Heck even less successful acts like All*Stars (ooo remember Sam Bloom? He was fine!) had entirely brilliant tunes like Love Is. So it's definitely about time that an amazing mixed sex combo entered the pop charts again to dazzle with their dance routines, enchant with their catchy melodies and wow with some beautifully blended harmonies. Enter Industry...

Industry interviewed on Xpose

4 piece combo Industry first caught the eye of the blogging world in April when Chartrigger bought them to the attention of a soon to be adoring public (and later did a proper interview with Donal!) Lee, Donal, Morgan and Michele have been busy working on a selection of brilliant new tunes, videos and a live show that will wow audiences at the Pussycat Dolls concert in Killarny this summer. The Irish and Swedish debut single, My Baby's Waiting, is a sunny slice of perky pop that is perfect for the summer months with a sun-drenched video and a chorus so delicious that you are screaming for seconds by the end. No matter what trends temporarily dominate the charts, I'm always thrilled when proper pop makes a return, so took every opportunity to feel completely ugly by sitting down with the glorious looking boys and girls of Industry and ask them some very serious questions...

The group at cool Swedish club Le Bon Palais (taken by Filipe Cederholm)

Despite being very disappointed that Donal hasn't bought me an edible offering (he writes a brilliant blog called Good Mood Food), I'm quickly won over when the conversation starts off with the pop idols of the group - and Donal declares that Abba were his idols growing up, followed by Michael Jackson (of course - find me a pop group that doesn't have the former genius, current nutter as an idol!) and the boombastic Queen. The group quickly agree with Michael Jackson and throw in some other suggestions as diverse as Backstreet Boys & Marvin Gaye (Lee - who starts to croon "let's get it on" but sadly/mercifully stops just short of grinding his hips) and Kylie, Spice Girls and Take That (Michele). In fact, Michele, like my good self, turns out to be quite the enormous Take That fan. " I loved them when I was 10 years old and I adore them now with the comeback albums. They are so so talented and have had huge success and longevity!! I just wish Robbie would come back now and my life would be complete!! " I can't help but absolutely agree with all of that, except of course I have completely resigned myself to Take That being amazing as a four piece. Michele is also rather enamoured with the career of the Spice Girls, with Geri being her favourite. I then ask what nicknames the group would give each other ala the Spice Girls...

Donal ~ Myself and Lee would be drag spice!
Lee ~ Uh, actually I'd be spice man! Or Rocky Spice...
Michele ~ Morgan would be Thumper, Lee would be the Naked Cowboy and Donal would be Pavarotti...
Morgan ~ Michele would be tinkerbell, Lee would be Lala, Donal would be Minerva and I would be Explicit.

Amazing stuff. Strange, bewildering amazing stuff. It's clear there is a love of pop music history and fun within the group and I wonder which artist's careers they would like to emulate. Michele and Lee both like Take That (with Rocky Spice also admiring U2, though probably not their recent chart positions!). Morgan is all about Destiny's Child, while Donal goes for the more diverse Robyn ~ "She is the comeback queen and she is so creative and quirky, I love how all her stuff really has her personality throughout". All the group seem to adore Robyn and how she's stayed in control of her career. It's part of the reason they decided to work in and launch their debut single in Sweden. Lee thinks the debut single will go down well with "the sweedies", and is an ideal product for that market. There is quite an indepth discussion about different pop artists from Sweden that the group love - lee recommends a soul singer called Samuel Ljungblahd, while Donal reels off literally everyone from Lena PH, Carola, BWO, Mans Zelmerlow, Amy Diamond to September, Shirley Clamp, Patrick Isaksson and Hello Saferide. I try to get him interested in my beloved Oh Laura, but apparently he already has the album and it wasn't for him :( Donal - the wikipedia of swedish pop! And of course, mention acts from Sweden and inevitably Abba comes up. Morgan is firmly of the opinion that Abba songs are perfect first time round and nobody should cover them. Lee's not a huge fan, but admits to liking a bit of Super Trooper for a laugh. Michele however is more enthused and raves on about her and Donal's priceless Abba impressions of tracks like Waterloo; Donal even offers up a bit of Voulez Vous' "ah ah" bit - and i ask him whether he has heard of my latest obsession, the Hotel Rival track... "I absolutely love that track, have you heard the latest the latest track from the Benny Andersson band? LOVE IT! I'm pretty sure Lee could write us a fancy little number about a hotel too, we could call it "Come stay at Casa De La Industry", it would have an amazing chorus, and lots of people would like to come and stay in our hotel, and we would leave mints on their pillow and love in their hearts." I'll take that as a yes then. HURRAH!

I note that successful boy-girl pop combos seem to appear in ten year cycles, with a decent ten year gap since Steps and S Club hit the big time. I wonder why Industry will succeed where my beloved Same Difference failed? Lee ponders this for a few seconds before offering "we all have something different to offer, we're very versatile in our sound, morgan has one of the best voices in the bizz, we can perform live acoustically with guitar, we have brilliant and very dedicated managment and were buzzing with a love of music and a lust to succeed!" Morgan adds that "we have a clear insight as to where we wanna see our career go and know what market we want to capture...with this confidence we know what music this market wants to hear and continue to pick songs that will suit that market,while keeping our followers interested." It's clear that all four think the management team behind them are so creative and hard working that they failing to become the next S Club is not even an option. I'm sure you have all seen the brillo video where they all look entirely beautiful (loving Donal's white on white layered top combo) and where Morgan possibly inadvertantly channels Alannah Myles :P I need to know how they keep so slim and spunky!! Lee recommends a morning gym session and a protein shake but points to Donal for healthy living. Donal suggests wholegrain foods, five a day of fruit and veg and plenty of water (and no doubt recipes from his Good Mood Food blog!!) Morgan's also all about the water and vividly tells me how it flushes out all the toxins (yum!)and Michele reckons some street dancing and hip hop will get me into shape. I choose not to notice how NONE of them think that I actually am in pretty good shape to begin with. Charmant!

Finally, I quiz them about the upcoming album and whether they have all practised their J'Ai Ho dance moves for the Pussycat Dolls support slot. Morgan's particularly excited for the support slot and tells me there will be a live band and lots of energetic bubbly songs. Lee states that the performance will be very attentive to the small details. Michele and Donal however promise to get cracking on those brillo J'Ai Ho dance moves. And frankly the album sounds like it's going to be a corker - a mix of pop, electro, r'n'b and ballads. Apparently there is an amazing ballad that Lee has written called In Ur Arms that gives Michele goosebumps. I suggest that perhaps they should give away stickers with it, just like Smash Hits used to do in the day. Donal is particularly enthused by that idea... " think stickers would be so COOL! Maybe we could have holographic ones, so it looked like we were jumping out! Now that would be fun! I hope people will be able to stick the album on and be able to enjoy each track!" As we part, I ask if they can come up with a fizzypop chorus, perhaps to put on a future b-side :P The results are of course quite amazing. Viva Industry and all who sail in them :)

Gonna drink you down like a can of fizzy pop, throw some glitter in the air ain't neva gonna stop, take a big filthy chorus show you what we got, we're Industry, peace out.

TOP 21 SONGS OF THE WEEK:

21 - Mans Zelmerlow, Hope and Glory
20 - The Killers, World That We Live In
19 - Paolo Nutini, Candy
18 - Mr Hudson, Supernova
17 - Same Difference, All Roads Lead To Heaven
16 - Annie, Anthonio
15 - Take That, The Garden
14 - Alesha Dixon, Let's Get Excited
13 - Alcazar, From Brazil With Love
12 - Pet Shop Boys, Did You See Me Coming
11 - Jason Mraz, Try Try Try (NE)
10 - Mans Zelmerlow, Home
09 - Industry, My Baby's Waiting
08 - Dolly Rockers, Je Suis Un Dolly (NE/VID)
07 - Marina & The Diamonds, I Am Not A Robot
06 - Jordin Sparks, Battlefield
05 - BWO, Right Here Right Now
04 - Elouise, One Night Only
03 - Little Boots, New In Town
02 - Sophie Ellis Bextor, Heartbreak Makes Me A Dancer
01 - "Abba", Second Best To None (4 Weeks)

Note: Little Boots may have given me the most instantly accessible, instantly gratifying yet richly rewarding album of the year so far. Amazing. See you next Sunday :)

I'm all cockahoop. After decorating the en-suite yesterday (i seriously despise decorating and it usually ends up in a massive argument between me and the big D; not this time though - surprisingly harmonious), Dazpainter and I had a nice stroll around town (despite the intermittent and vicious rain), and then watched Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus, starring my beloved Deborah Gibson!! D'luv emailed me saying he couldn't believe I hadn't blogged about it yet, so here it is - any chance to see Deb on screen is a-ok with me, and while this is merely a SeaQuest DSV episode (with approximately the same budget!) if you take it for what it is (a campy, 50s throwback done very tongue in cheek and not taking itself too seriously), you are in for 90 minutes of highly amusing brilliance. With clearly amazing lines like "you mean a prehistoric giant shark ate my whale", Deborah Gibson goes about saving the world as renegade shark bait Emma MacNeill (who incidentally drives a mini cooper, so clearly is feeling super dooper and is obviously a trooper) while the octopus wrestles with oil rigs and the definitely much cooler shark takes bites out the golden gate bridge and rather amazingly eats a plane. Through all of this Deborah/Emma not only manages to snog a bespectacled scientist, but also give Lorenzo Lamas some super withering looks :) What's not to like?! Only gripe was no bond-esque theme song at the end sung by Debs. Now lets get a sequel going - how about Super Squid vs Lovelorn Lobster?? On with the weeks essentials...

THE FIZZYPOP MUST LIST:

• I totally miss writing about new music from Simon Curtis. Yes, I've been spoiled with an album I adore (Alter Boy) and of course his poptastic contributions to Spectacular (which I also found in HMV last week. Woo!) which showed off a different side to his vocal style. While I (im)patiently wait for new stuff, I'm more than happy to continue my love affair with Candy Coated Chaos who Simon and his producer Jadion introduced me too. Both are involved with CCC - their amazing new single is written by Simon and produced by Jadion. It absolutely spits out dance floor ready beats and a frenetic groove that builds up in such an intense way that by the time you get to the chorus, it explodes out your speakers. If that's not enough to convince you (and it should be) try the glorious Masquerade which is so radio ready, it stands head and shoulders above anything Britney has done lately. Make these songs hits by purchasing them now. Don't disappoint me :) (See also: Previous posts on CCC; Mel's blog)
• Oh Industry! I see no shame at all in loving sunny pop songs like My Baby's Waiting by new Irish popgroup Industry. While Same Difference are off seeking success in Asia and Australia (their concert last week was mega - all of the album plus their version of When You Believe. And they are utterly adorable people - fizzypop SD page updated with more live vids!), I'm embracing the latest pop combo to hit - their debut single is perfect pop fare harking back to the glory days of Steps/All*Stars/SClub. It's string laden chorus and catchy hooks are custom made for people like me. And of course they are all ridiculously gorgeous and make me feel slightly prettier just watching them :P (See also: Previous post on Industry; D'luv's discovery; PosterGirl feels the love; Nikki approves!)
• Lovely Samuel Taylor has put up his version of The Cardigan's epic song Communication up on his myspace. I absolutely adore this song and hearing it sung by Sam's soothing tones is an utter treat. It's very understated, beautifully elegant with Sam's vocal being the focal point of the chorus despite a crescendo of strings. It's enough to bring a tear to your eye, and nearly did when I was feeling melancholy and slightly drunk last week. Exquisite :) (See also: previous post on Sam)
• Hurrah! Bonkers pop star Mika is back. And his new EP doesn't seem to have set the blogging community alight, but I actually quite like the introspective Mika sound. Blue Eyes is the perkiest (and most Jason Mraz-y meets Rusted Root) of the bunch, it's the sumptuous Toy Boy that I like best. As I stated last week, it's entirely Disney in it's execution but has some deliciously dark lyrics juxtaposed against the perky pop. I'm quite excited now for his second album later this year... (See also: If you are tired of waiting for Mika to return "proper", you might want to check out another bonkers popstar who could quite easily be the French Mika - Sliimy's Wake Up is not quite as immediate as you would hope but soon hooks into your brain with it's part brilliant pop song, part novelty chorus. Check out his version of Womaniser too!)
• IDOL GOSSIP: Jordin Sparks new single (the quite good actually Battlefield) has to be the most overtwittered song of all time. I went from being bemused by it, to OBSESSED to what-is-the-fuss-about to actually quite liking it (though I've had to stop playing it for a while so i don't fall out of love from it's inevitable overexposure!). Overall, it's clearly the best idol single since 8th World Wonder. Meanwhile Blake Lewis not only looked extremely spaffleable on AI Extra but turned in a kickass version of Rihanna's Disturbia. (Check out PPG for album news). And JLS have premiered their debut single Beat Again (clearly not a song title Chris Brown should use!) - it's only ok, but they are so charming and adorable that I am allowing it to grow on me! (See also: Nikki's opinion; Ken's views!)
• TV FINALES: I'm probably going to break my new once a week blogging habit already by doing a tv overview of the latest US season on Weds, but for now some very quick opinions on some of the most recent finales - Lost I thought was utterly epic. A bit barmy, but love the Man in Black and his connection to the island. Prison Break - as inconsistent and frustrating as ever, but overall a decent end to the show that had me sniffling ever so slightly. Thought Bro & Sis was nicely understated and set things up well for next year. Half way through Grey's Anatomy but they have totally turned it round from the near-unwatchable show it was for the first 3/4 of season 5...
• While I am reading Henry: The Virtuous Prince by David Starkey (as I love the Tudor period and it's the 500th anniversary of his ascension to the throne), my latest literary obsession is the amazing Johnny Mackenzie by Keith Mansfield. It's described as Alex Rider meets Dr Who and so far is entirely brilliant. Hurrah!
• FINALLY! Paolo Nutini was brillopants in concert earlier in the week. I nearly wept of course at his epic These Streets, but the new material sounds epic. Candy of course is already garnering hits at youtube but Pencil Full of Lead sounds like it was created in a test tube and engineered perfectly for summer festivals. Chorus is out of this world. Glorious :)

TOP 21 TRACKS OF THE WEEK:

Thanks to the utterly delightful, 60s influenced, delicious slice of perfect pop Since You've Been Gone being back on her myspace, Elouise has the highest new entry of my playlist this week. And fast becoming a pop obsession on par with Simon Curtis and Same Difference. Every track is a drop of heaven. Check out her full show at Stratford Circus on 20th June - backing band, full set, the works. A labour of love for a new artist. Can't. Wait.

21 - Neo, Flower Power Super Girl (Official video)
20 - Simon Curtis, Things We Do For Love (Movie video)
19 - Industry, My Baby's Waiting (NE/Official video)
18 - Kelly Clarkson, I Do Not Hook Up (GMA video)
17 - Pet Shop Boys, Did You See me Coming (Official video)
16 - Alcazar, Stay The Night (Melodifestivalen video)
15 - The Killers, World We Live In (Official video)
14 - Paolo Nutini, Candy (Official video)
13 - Lily Allen, Not Fair (Ant and Dec video)
12 - Infernal, Redefinition (Official video)
11 - BWO, Right Here Right Now (Live video)
10 - Same Difference, All Roads Lead To Heaven (Concert video - ace!)
09 - Mans Zelmerlow, Hope and Glory (Acoustic video)
08 - Alesha Dixon, I Get Excited (Feelgood Factor video)
07 - Annie, Anthonio (Static video)
06 - Take That, The Garden (Official video)
05 - Elouise, One Night Only (NE)
04 - Freemasons ft Sophie Ellis Bextor, Heartbreak Makes Me A Dancer (Official video)
03 - Marina & The Diamonds, I Am Not A Robot (Static video)
02 - Little Boots, New in Town (/Jools Holland video)
01 - "Abba", Second Best To None (1 Week)
Previous number ones: Marina - Robot (2 weeks); Mans Zelmerlow - Hope and Glory (4 weeks); BWO - You're Not Alone (4 weeks); PSB - Love Etc (1 week); Sugababes - Every Heart Broken (4 weeks); Simon Curtis/Victoria Justice - On The Wings of a Dream (4 weeks)
(Check out Mike Poptrash singles of the week with comments from respected and wonderful bloggers)

Midweek TV Season report! Then back next week with Bham Gay Pride update!