Lopez Blogs

Boy bands eh? I've adored them ever since I was little and will probably continue to adore them when i've long since been in my cold cold grave (because by then modern technology will enable me to live on cyber-style as an iPad or amazon kindle or on twitter or something). Yet - much like any other pop genre - success can be a tricky thing for them to attain. For every Westlife, Take That, JLS or The Wanted, there is a Digital, Billiam, V, Vigo and Avenue. Most of whome I've effused about on these pages at one point or another. crikey! Anyway, time to have a look at some of the current stock out there and what they are currently up to (and most importantly how hunky they are)...

THE ALTERNATIVE SELECTION:

• The Overtones ~ what with Glee shining a spotlight on innovative vocal harmony, the time is right for a group of fellas to come along and woo England with their doo-wop stylings. The Overtones are 5 everyday chaps who come from a painting and decorating background. Obviously singing on the job has paid off as they now have a record deal and their first album is out in October. Amazes. They have produced a mix of original songs and 50s/60s cover versions. Their debut single "Gambling Man" is a self penned effort that effervesces with charm - it's a solid, finger clicking 3 minutes of jazz tinged cool that is heavy on melody and weaves their voices intrinsically with each other without overpowering the music. I also like that it's a bit cheeky and while is imbued with their musical influences also manages to feel entirely at ease in today's pop landscape. This is reflected in their clothing choices too - vintage "Mad Men" styling with a hint of modern geek chic about them. I'm tres excited about their debut album Good Ol' Fashioned Love and sense that they may be a new obsession of mine. Hurrah! Oh and they are quite dishy too :P
• Straight No Chaser ~ I've enjoyed the Christmassy albums of SNC for a couple of years now. This vocal harmony group manages to outdo Glee with their latest album full of a variety of cover versions that manage to twist and invert what you know about the song and bring something new to the table. Take their latest single - Tainted Love. Sure everyone has heard this tune in Soft Cell format, but in the hands of SNC they turn it into an effortlessly cool, wonderfully harmonised effort where their voices replace the instruments and still make it sound layered and lush all at the same time. The video (click here - embedding disabled which is of course hideous) seems like a riff on The Hangover movie as the boys get up to all sorts of shenanighans in Las Vegas. Oh that's my type of party...

THE TRADITIONAL ROUTE:

• Boy Banned ~ busy preparing their debut UK single are the quartet known as Boy Banned. Possibly a play on the Girls Aloud name (and of course boy band, i'm not totally thick you know :P) they are busy building quite the following on twitter and facebook and engaging with their fans at every opportunity. A clip of their first single proper Street Light shows them leading with an engaging tune that builds on a strong, resonant vocal with minimal instrumental (that's vaguely reminiscent of the brilliant Living In A Box song Room In Your Heart that some boy band absolutely must cover or I will explode!) before launching into a luscious, mid-tempo ballad with an engaging beat and memorable refrain. It builds on all the successful tenents of previous boybands and bodes well for the full length version and video which is apparently coming soon. Oh, and while all the boys seem very charming, I must confess that it's Ethan's pop star hair and innocent face that has me most entranced ;)
• Big Time Rush ~ how on earth have I missed the monumental Nick tv show about a boy band?! This is ridiculous! Why did nobody tell me? They not only have some madcap adventures on tv, but they are prepping their debut album for release in October. If it is like their lead off single Til I Forget About You, it promises to be a power pop extravaganza the likes of which haven't been seen since the glory days of The Click Five (are they still going?!) Season 2 has just started on Nick, so I'm busy playing catch up so I can keep up with the tween phenomenon!

Other established boy band goodness coming your way this "fall"... new take that! new A1! new Westlife! new McFly! new JLS! More Wanted! And they say boy bands are over... Who else should I be checking out?

Thank god for the weekend (now is the time, etc)... it's the final ever UK Big Brother tonight. If you're not from the UK, you may not be aware what a phenomenon it has been for 11 summers (and quite a few winters). It's had its ups and downs over the years and is probably the right time to retire it, but it's sad to see it go. Darren and I got together the summer it first aired back in 2000 and it's been part of our summers to an extent ever since. Oh gosh! I hope he didn't say to himself "i'll stay as long as Big Brother airs in the UK" in a Mary Poppins staying til the wind changes sort of way!! Gosh I guess I'll find out in the morning! Well in the meantime, here are some very special and brillo acts to get you through the weekend...

Ollie Wride ~ I've written about Ollie before, as have people with very good taste like Nick, Aaron and Poppostergirl. He really is something very special indeed and I can't help but feel it's only a matter of time before he is quite massive indeed. Headrush remains a glorious, energetic, thrusting gem of a tune. Ollie has been out and about singing his songs at various gigs - and (as you can see above) manages the tricky task of managing to make harlequin stripey trousers look quite good as it goes. A couple of new songs have popped up on Ollie's soundcloud page and are further evidence that he is properly aces. Silhouettes is a song written for Charlie Haddon (from Ou Est Le Swimming Pool) before he tragically died last month. I'm not familiar with the work of the group, but the lyrics take on an extra sadness and pathos ("only the young survive/you're a memory stuck in time") and are beautifully delivered by Ollie to a sumptuous retro 80s soundscape. It's a haunting tune and works as a standalone and a lovely tribute to Charlie. It's an incredibly mature and accomplished tune and one that should further Ollie's standing as someone to watch out for. Modern Man is a more playful tune, with gentle but definite glam rock influences. It's chorus practically skips along and instantly sounds like you've known it all your life. There's an electrifying middle 8 and it's just a thoroughly entertaining tune. His vocal style is so engaging and it's so effortlessly likeable from the off. Oh god, please let there be an album (/ Birmingham gig) soon!!

Super Mirage ~ Is it just me or is Brooklyn getting rather good at giving us rather good music? Super Mirage are a quartet of jolly swell dudes who are just having a rollicking time making entirely danceable indie-pop that pervades the brain and just makes every moment of life more exciting. Not only are their songs as infectious as anything, but they are jam-packed with witty lyricisms. Take Song For A Go Go Girl - a warning tale about some foxy little floosy bopping her boots off at a million miles an hour. They advise that "little do they know/when you're 63/you're gonna look a little less pretty". If only someone would tell Madonna :P It's all set to a deliriously upbeat instrumental and a sweet vocal with added harmonies in the chorus - it's pop sensibilities but with a decidedly wicked twist. Never Too Late is another track from their debut album (Pretty Lies) and totally worthy of your pennies (hey if you can splash out $4 on the quick thrill of a latte, then you can throw some money at longer lasting musical pleasures)... it shows a different side of the boys than Song For A Go Go Girl as it is a heavier, more intense rocking track and although darker in delivery, it's the juxtaposition of being a more optimistic song than the poppier, yet more ominous Go Go Girl. And I like that. Their live shows seem to have a great energy and comraderie to them (their album launch featured burlesque dancers cavorting around stage - how brilliant) and I'm hopeful they will bring their music and show to the UK soon :)

Top 21 singles of the week:

21 ~ Brandon Flowers, Crossfire
20 ~ Bjorn Johan Muri, Once Upon A Time (NE)
19 ~ Jesse McCartney, Shake (NE)
18 ~ Gabriella Cilmi, Love Me Cos You Want To
17 ~ Bright Light x 2, Love Part II
16 ~ Amy Meredith, Lying
15 ~ Maroon 5, Misery
14 ~ McFly, Party Girl
13 ~ Alesha Dixon, Drummer Boy
12 ~ Ace of Base, All For You
11 ~ Kelly Rowland, Shake Them Haters Off
10 ~ Scissor Sisters, Any Which Way
09 ~ DeeDee, Balls
08 ~ Sophie Ellis Bextor, Not Giving Up On Love
07 ~ Kylie, Get Outta My Way
06 ~ Eric Saade, Masquerade
05 ~ Darin, Lovekiller
04 ~ Elouise, The Winner Takes It All
03 ~ Maroon 5, Give A Little More (video)
02 ~ Gravitonas, Religious
01 ~ Robbie Williams, Shame (1 week)

Coming soon: Elouise! Maroon 5 album review! And probably that boyband thing i keep promising!

I'm getting ridiculously behind with things that I want to blog about. I still haven't done some of the posts I wrote were upcoming 2 weekly round ups ago! I'm going to make a concerted effort to catch up over the next week and schedule some posts to "air" while I'm on holiday in Gran Canaria (woohoo 7 days and counting!) In the meantime, while I could happily post again about the charming Same Difference, I'll give it a rest and have a pokey around what's actually been happening the rest of the week! Including the new William of Young video which takes pride of place at the top of the page because the song is so eminently hummable, brilliant and singable and also because once again, the video is amazing (best bits? Of the song - when Will sings "if you could shed a little light on" and makes it sound totally Will, yet like an Annie Lennox song. Of the vid - William lamarze (sp?) class dancing)

TWEET THE WEEK:

• Thank the high heavens above. Darin is back. He didn't really go away though, did he? He was busy plugging away with his Flashback album (that unbeknownst to him - probably - turned out to brilliantly represent the sound of 2009 before anyone else was doing it) and alongside that recording brilliant pop cover versions of Coldplay's Viva La Vida (one of the best pop songs of the past few years). It's not quite as Christmassy as the initial clip suggested, but it's a great version and it's been on heavy repeat since I first got it this morning. Check out PPG and Jessica's views...
• Mans Zelmerlow has apparently chosen Impossible as the next single from MZW. Sigh. This is ok, but i think he really needed some better choices to promote this album (as I've said in my fizzypop chronicles). I only really wanted to mention that so I would have an excuse to link to some nice pics of Mans. PS, the start of the Rewind vid I posted in that first FP link (my) reminds me of We Go Together from Grease.
• And while we're pondering hot musical guys, let's all watch this again. If any boy/over 25 does a version as good as Daniel Boys does on the X Factor, I will "lose my shit" (ew. Will never use that expression again).
• Gary Barlow is a) looking more lovely than ever lately and b) putting out some quite good stuff lately isn't he? First off is the live Circus DVD/CD (Woo!); then the new Alesha ballad is quite elegant and lovely in a gets better with each listen sort of way. But taking elegant to a whole new level is his new signing, Camilla Kerslake. Coming across like an operatic version of Elouise, her voice floats around the ether and is both haunting and commanding. Check out her utterly beautiful version of Take That's Rule The World and hear it in a whole new way. Can't wait now for a debut single proper in November. I know it may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I'm smitten. Smitten like a kitten.
• And while we are on the fusion of classical and pop, remember G4? Oh how i liked their almost comedy pop-operatic-harmonised take on pop. They may be over, but plenty to take their place. Blake have a new album out on Monday (key tracks I'm looking forward to = With Or Without You; When A Child Is Born) and choirtastic Only Men Aloud compete with Band of Brothers (key tracks = Somebody To Love; Total Eclipse). If that weren't enough "vocal harmony group" Straight No Chaser have a new EP out (the I'm Yours medley is proper brillo) and follow up their ace Christmas set from last year with another one called Christmas Cheers. Be sure to click on the link and tell me which Chaser is hottest for you :) Me? 1st guy sitting down on the right :)
• Weekly Glee! Boys vs Girls? MAZE! Who'd you think was best? And is anyone else finding Puck insanely hot?

BIZARRE THEORIES OF THE WEEK:

No-one really agrees with me on the first two (lots of raised eyebrows and smiling & nodding!) but the last one gets a general big thumbs up. A) Lady Gaga's LoveGame is actually just an updated remake of Debbie Gibson's Shock Your Mama. B) Season 2 of True Blood was just a (albeit entertaining) season long version of the picnic scene from Elvira. C) Simon Curtis is made for Glee. That is all folks!

TOP 21 SONGS OF THE WEEK:

21 ~ Sugababes 3.0, Get Sexy
20 ~ Little Boots, Remedy
19 ~ Same Difference, Better Love Me
18 ~ Madonna, Revolver (NE)
17 ~ Madonna, Celebration
16 ~ Mika, Blame It On The Girls (NE/VID)
15 ~ Mika, We Are Golden
14 ~ Dolly Rockers, Boys Will Be Boys
13 ~ Mini Viva, I Left My Heart In Tokyo
12 ~ Shakira, She Wolf
11 ~ Whitney Houston, Million Dollar Bill
10 ~ BWO, Love Comes Crashing Down
09 ~ JLS, Everybody In Love
08 ~ Little Boots, Earthquakes
07 ~ Alexandra Burke, Bad Boys
06 ~ Mariah Carey, I Want To Know What Love Is
05 ~ Alphabeat, The Spell
04 ~ Nerina Pallot, Real Late Starter
03 ~ Leona Lewis, Happy
02 ~ Robbie Williams, Bodies
01 ~ Blake Lewis, Heartbreak On Vinyl (2 weeks)

COMING UP: (For real this time) ~ Sunday=X Factor First Live Show round up (+Robbie Williams!); Monday=Albums reviews spectacular; Weds=Christmas single suggestions; Thurs=TV round up... (all will probably have gone to hell by Sunday night :P)

I totally subscribe to the voice as an instrument so I'm always partial to an acapella take on christmas classics, especially when they are as layered and complex as this! Straight No Chaser are one of those university frat bros type barber shop quartets that throw everything and the kitchen sink into their songs. Not only do they all sing different parts of 12 days of Christmas simultaneously, but they also throw in other festive ditties here and there before culminating in a Toto-Africa tune version of the song they were originally trying to sing! It is all quite entertaining, very clever, and while possibly not going to be my favourite festive ditty of all time, their album Holiday Spirits is a real charmer and available in all good record stores now (how quaint and old fashioned that now sounds!!)

One song that charms me every year however, is Rockapella's It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas/Glow Worm medley. It's all whistles, gorgeous deep baritone ba-boom bass noises and harmonies so luxuriously layered that it's almost like tucking into a lovely Marks and Spencers White Cranberry Cheesecake. It's that decadant. The two songs work incredibly well together, and they never fail to put a smile on my face as I weave my way in and out of panicked christmas shoppers on my way to a traditional dark cherry mocha at starbucks with it blasting thru on my mp3 player. Oooo i want an acapella band for Christmas!!