Lopez Blogs

Boo :( I have toothache. This is probably entirely my own fault as is usually the case with toothache. I am seeing the dentist on Monday morning. He will glare at me with his smouldering eyes and make me feel bad for indulging in that toffee from the £5 special offer tin of Quality Street. Curse the supermarket price wars! They will be the ultimate downfall of my nashers. So I am powering through the weekend with co-codemol and ibuprofen. And some surprisingly effective baby teething gel! Magnif! Luckily, there is lots of music to get me through til Monday morning. Here is what you should be checking out (toothache sympathy in the comments please!)...

Songs to ease the toothache :)

• Shayne Ward ~ Gotta Be Somebody: Christ this is getting out of hand! First Westlife do Chris Daughtry, then Joe does Donkeyboy. Next we'll have JLS coming out with a cover of some Hoobastank song! Frankly I was mortified when I heard Shayne was coming back with a Nickelback song! Both him and Joe have tweeted so much about the amazing music they are making, then both pop up with cover versions. However, I have learnt not to make snap judgements and rather than a straightforward cover, Shayne has got a nice glossy pop/r'n'b arrangement rendering it significantly different from an original I really wasn't too familiar with anyway. The full version is actually quite engaging, and a solid return for Shayne that I'm more smitten with with each listen. Hopefully the general public will agree too...
• Adam Tyler ~ Operation: Adam Tyler is currently in the united kingdom and by all accounts having a whale of a time. That has no bearing on whether this track is good or not. I'm pleased to report however that it is rather bonza. It's a sleek, persistant electro groove - Adam's tapping his lower register on the vocals and his voice sounds great. It's very downbeat lyrically, about removing negativity of a failed relationship from his life - the middle 8 sounds particularly sinister when Adam sings "anesthesia" and the backing gets almost psychotic; it's bleeps and beats all over the place but held tautly together with some great production. Is this the outcome of living too long with his Friction addiction? Regardless, it works well as a sequel to that song or just a great piece of pop music. More per favor.
• Mohombi ~ Bumpy Ride: I can't believe it's taken me this long to write about Mohombi and his instantly infectious track Bumpy Ride. Basically he's a RedOne protege and he's crafted a fun, compelling summer anthem that will take you way into Autumn and beyond. It mixes smooth vocals with a slightly reggae infused track and comes across as a slightly more credible Start Without You. The video is a bit literal and reminds me at times of Peter Andre, but overall it's definitely an enticing tune that reels you in. Apparently lots more good Mohombi stuff is coming up (War Zone is brillo)....
• Magnus Carlsson ~ Best In Me: Oh my amazesticles! Magnus - always a reliable bet for some bonkers, gleeful pop majesty - has popped himself in a time machine, whizzed back to 1989 and produced one of the most thoroughly giddily enjoyable sparklingly fizzy pop treats of the year! It's not just inspired by Stock Aitken & Waterman, it's positively drenched in their influences. I'm pretty certain the backing track owes a huge debt to Love In The First Degree. It doesn't even matter. It's such a feel good piece of music and I can't wait to devour Magnus' "Pop Galaxy" next week. It could be absolutely immensicles...

• Charlotte Church ~ Back To Scratch: This is a very lovely, lilting return to pop for Charlotte. It totally follows on from more madcap numbers like Crazy Chick & Call Your Name, but represents a more mature reading from her - a reflection of what she has been through the past few years. Her voice remains well suited for this type of number and there's a sadness mixed in with the quite wonderful floating music. It's all pulled together very well and I'm ever so eager for her album next month. Love the multiple charlottes video above too! Amazes.
• Velvet Code ~ Follow You Follow Me: I first heard of Velvet Code on Larry Flick's Morning Jolt. It's synth pop at it's finest and is an insidious tune that soon weaves it's way into your synapses and refuses to let go. It's beautifully created music that shimmies with the knowledge that the person behind has a thorough understanding of what makes pop music great. The chorus in itself represents a simplicity of melody but with some complex electro instrumentation running behind it that elevates it to huge singalong status. Definitely one to watch

Top 21 singles of the week:

21 ~ Bright Light x 2, Love Part II
20 ~ Ace of Base, All For You
19 ~ Brandon Flowers, Only The Young
18 ~ Bjorn Johan Muri, Once Upon A Time
17 ~ Joe McElderry, Ambitions (NE)
16 ~ Eric Saade, Masquerade
15 ~ Darin, Lovekiller
14 ~ Jesse McCartney, Shake
13 ~ Charlotte Church, Back To Scratch (NE)
12 ~ DeeDee, Balls
11 ~ Kelly Rowland, Shake Them Haters Off
10 ~ Nadine Coyle, Insatiable
09 ~ James Blunt, Stay The Night (vid)
08 ~ Sophie Ellis Bextor, Not Giving Up On Love
07 ~ Kylie, Get Outta My Way
06 ~ Scissor Sisters, Any Which Way
05 ~ Jessie J, Price Tag
04 ~ Elouise, The Winner Takes It All
03 ~ Maroon 5, Give A Little More
02 ~ Gravitonas, Religious
01 ~ Robbie Williams, Shame (3 weeks)

What a week it has been. I'm absolutely shattered this early Friday evening to be honest with you. And this is going to be one of those mega giant ridiculously long posts that i'm so good at because there is so much going on this week that I'm behind with! Highlight of the week was definitely my latest slot on the Larry Flick show. I think the exhaustion of the week had caught up to me, so I took an hour's lunch and got a bit saucy on air. Check the comments if you want to hear it :P Right - most of the pop I've been interested in this week has been bought to us by the letter J! Let's see how this works out...

The week that was...

• J is for Jessie J (Price Tag): Oh didn't the world and his wife just fall for the extremely talented ways of young Jessie this week? The Doctor Luke (he always comes up with the perfect pop prescription) produced Price Tag just screams massive world wide hit. Jessie delivers a pop song that is essentially a social commentary with such gusto and brilliance that she puts to shame some of her longer established pop peers. It's a laid back groove, extolling the virtues of getting back to basics but without ever sounding preachy - rather it invites you in to it's simple but outstanding chorus and you just want to stay for days...Altogether now "we just wanna make the world dance/forget about the price tags"! Inredibly talented new act to watch (PS her song on the Step Up 3D soundtrack is TO DIE FOR)
• J is for new Jason Mraz duet (with Hope - Love Love Love): Hurrah! My beloved Jason Mraz has added his vocals to a single by delightful new artist Hope on her effervescent song Love Love Love. I've heard a solo version and this duet, and their vocals blend so well that at times I forget I'm not listening to a self duet (a la Janet's Love Will Never Do). It's musical alchemy of the highest order with a sweet as honey chorus that stays the right side of cheesy and just remains romantic. Quite heavenly. Perfect for the I'm Yours brigade. Keep an eye on Hope too - I really like her sound :)
• J is for Jordin Sparks (Beauty and The Beast): I actually mistyped that and put Beauty and the Beats, which - if it hasn't been already - would be a great girl group album title. But I digress. Anyway, Disney are putting one of my favourite movies of all time onto blu-ray and Jordin is joining Celine & Play in being the latest artist to cover the title track. It's got a lovely acoustic lilt to it for the first few bars which are so charming. Of course, it all then gets a bit A/C and Disneyfied, but that's to be expected and it's a fine version. Million miles from Battlefield of course but I'm so excited about the blu-ray that I can't help but not really care and sing along anyway.

• J is for Japanese comeback (Deborah Gibson - Ms Vocalist): Well bless my barnacles! 7 long years after her broadway album, Deborah is back to being Debbie and is releasing an album of Japanese pop songs! Apparently it was done fella style by Eric Martin (from Mr Big, 90s ballad fans) and now Debs is doing 10 Japanese hits and a new version of Lost In Your Eyes (it's been 4 years since she rerecorded this last as an acoustic song with The O'Neill Bros). I was mightily surprised by Larry Flick lason Thurs when a sexily purring Deborah spoke to me on the phone for a little while. I was so flabbergasted I came across as right blustering tit (see the comment section!) but it was quite lovely. I got the scope from Deb that she is working on adding her new song Rise to the cd (from her fella's new documentary and potentially one of the best things she's done in a long time) and looking for a US iTunes release. Brillo.
• J is for Japanese bonus track (Maroon 5 - Crazy Little Thing Called Love): I did quite a positive write up of the new M5 album in the week. Since then, i've got their acoustic version of the Queen classic. It's a pretty straightforward cover version, but Adam's vocals stand out and are quite lovely against the rockabilly vibe of the tune. Definitely worth a moment or two of your time...
• J is for Elton John (duet with Leon Russell - If It Wasn't For the Bad): Apparently Leon is one of those grizzled old American singer songwriters. He's teamed up with Reginald for his new album The Union, and this dark little ditty is apparently the first fruits from that collaboration. It comes across as a sort of nicer version of the True Blood theme tune, with lots of enjoyable piano and a sort of wisdom to the simple message of the chorus that younger singers wouldn't be able to convey. I really like it as it happens...
• J is for James Blunt (Stay The Night): La Blunt is back! I've never been in the "lets revile him" camp and found lots of songs I enjoy by him. His comeback tune is a very pleasant indeed, upbeat little swinger - powered forth by an energetic guitar riff and fun chorus, with chanty vocals during the middle 8 (which I always adore in pop songs). A couple of listens and you're entirely hooked. Aces.

Top 21 songs of the week:

21 ~ Brandon Flowers, Only The Young (NE)
20 ~ Alesha Dixon, Drummer Boy
19 ~ McFly, Party Girl
18 ~ Bjorn Johan Muri, Once Upon A Time
17 ~ Bright Light x 2, Love Part II
16 ~ Jesse McCartney, Shake
15 ~ Nadine Coyle, Insatiable (NE)
14 ~ James Blunt, Stay The Night (NE)
13 ~ Ace of Base, All For You
12 ~ DeeDee, Balls
11 ~ Kelly Rowland, Shake Them Haters Off
10 ~ Scissor Sisters, Any Which Way
09 ~ Jessie J, Price Tag (NE)
08 ~ Kylie Minogue, Get Outta My Way
07 ~ Sophie Ellis Bextor, Not Giving Up On Love
06 ~ Eric Saade, Masquerade
05 ~ Darin, Lovekiller
04 ~ Elouise, The Winner Takes It All
03 ~ Maroon 5, Give A Little More
02 ~ Gravitonas, Religious
01 ~ Robbie Williams, Shame (2 weeks/vid)

Next: X Factor double bill. Oh Lord...

It’s rather fitting that I write about Travis today (it wasn’t planned, generally these blogs are just thrown together, much like Sharon’s X Factor outfits) as it was their radical interpretation of Baby, One More Time that kickstarted my obsession with Live Lounge. More recently Dermot O Lovely has gotten in on the act too and current chart stars are practically falling over themselves to cover something or other in the chart. Here are the latest crop from the last few months ranging from the awful (Editors doing Acceptable In The 80s) to those that make a song interesting for me (Athlete doing Robyn) to the quite good actually (James Blunt) . Enjoy my little lovelies and let me know what you think…

MP3: James Blunt – Young Folk (Peter Bjorn & John Cover)

MP3: KT Tunstall – The Prayer (Bloc Party Cover)

MP3: James Morrison – It Stoned Me (Bob Dylan Cover)

MP3: Editors – Acceptable In The 80s (Calvin Harris Cover)

MP3: Athlete – With Every Heartbeat (Robyn Cover)