Lopez Blogs

Alright, alright, settle please :) Time to take a break from watching that hot dude in the new Britney video and check out some other tunes :) (Please)!

Boy Banned ~ Hot Spot: I do enjoy a bit of Boy Banned. Their tweets are often quite amusing. They do weird online challenges to keep their fanbase entertained. Pob will quite often have the most unhealthy food and then still maintain his slimline figure. The git. When they are not busy larking around for their adoring minions, they come up with new music to titillate and delight. And actually, in a way that works for the modern musical download world - announce, then a week later have a video and a song available for viewing and purchasing. It's a cheeky little dance number full of euro-disco beats, sultry down & dirty vocals & suggestive lyrics such as "take you where the sun don't shine"!! It's as potentially naughty as when Rachel Stevens promised to let you in her back door!! A simple but clever refrain of "if it's getting cold outside/welcome to the hot spot" is catchy and singalong enough to get the song fun & interesting from start to finish. and then there is that rather chortlesome video - the boys get invited into a limo by some deep voiced ladeez/ladyboyz, who proceed to strip them out of their geek chic attire (oh i do love a boy in a bowtie) while they generally look rather terrified/appalled by the process. (As they should, judging by how eager their hosts are, they are lucky they didn't end up strapped to chairs with a ball in their mouths!! Or maybe they did...) Anyway, interspersed with dance routines we finally get to the boyband (and hopefully regular Boy Banned) staple of some bare flesh and getting wet. Hurrah! So generally, all in all, tres bon!!


Dalton Warblers ~ Somewhere Only We Know: Not a boy band, but they absolutely should be :) Blaine (the lovely Darren Criss) & the Dalton Warblers are the definite high spot to a patchy season on Glee. As i've stated before, rather than do cookie cutter pop video versions of tunes the way the New Directions kids do, they examine every harmony and note to help them reconstruct the tune that matches their strengths while still providing familiarity. Their version of When I Get You Alone was inspired genius (check out the point at 1m25-1m30 where Blaine sings "baby girl you the sh...." - Gap guy and Kurt's reaction are hilarious). Now they are taking on my second favourite ever Keane track and frankly it could only be more perfect if they were tackling the epic Everybody Changes. It's a smooth, multi layered rendition that becomes a beautiful almost hymn like rendition. It's perhaps one of their most faithful renditions to date, but the interweaved harmonies raise this to new levels of gorgeousness. increasingly smitten!


Maroon 5 (ft PJ Horton) ~ Is Anybody Out There?: Hurrah times a bajillion! New music from Adam and the boys. It's essentially a song they penned in 24 hours for free download via Coca Cola for charity purposes. And jolly fine it is too. It's one of their tunes that builds from a basic beginning of a piano riff and Adam's lovely vocals through to adding layer upon layer of instrumentation. It all comes down to it's instantly memorable chorus, a 2-1 handclap beat that propels the song forward and gives it a rather joyful feel. The addition of PJ Horton in the middle 8 adds a nice bit of singing to the tune before one final singalong :) Slotting in nicely to their current sound of Hands All Over, this is a pleasant and unexpected addition to their canon. Now I cannot wait to see Adam on The Voice each week from the end of this month...

Grab your snuggie, get a mars bar and a beverage and get comfortable because this is going to be a fairly lengthy list of artists I shall be monitoring very closely throughout 2011. Some of them will already be familiar to you as I've written about them extensively already, while some will be brand new to you. All of them have something magical to offer in 2011 that makes me very excited for a new musical year. This is all in no particular order of amazingness because they all are quite sparkling and special :)

YOUR BRIGHTEST HOPES FOR POP FOR 2011...

• Claire Maguire ~ She's already a shoe in to win the BBC Sound of 2011 poll. She's from my home town of Birmingham so I feel abit of an affinity with her. Essentially, her stunning vocal style has been beautifully wrapped in a musical production that is powerfully emotive without actually being overpowering. Her debut single Ain't Nobody adds sumptuous violin and evocative guitar into a thunderous soundscape that thrills from start to finish. Her new single Last Dance is out in late February and sounds equally as delicious. Truly startlingly good.

• Xylos ~ I'm unforgiveably behind on this effortlessly charming group, but better late than never I say... The group weave together a beautifully intricate sound that is deliciously light and airy pop music matched with clever lyrics, vocal innovations and a driving beat to keep it all on track. The male/female vocal playoff on their heavenly single Not Enough is an absolute delight to behold, and with some vocal chiming to give it some quirk, it's a track you'll have on repeat until their debut album is released on Valentines Day. Magic.

• Vogue Collective ~ Not much is known about Vogue Collective other than they are quite enthusiastic on twitter and that their song Tarantula (which soundtracks the video above) has been stuck in my head for days. Basically you can't beat a song that has a fun beat, some whoo whoos and a chorus to die for. And their vocals are spot on and blend together nicely. For further evidence, check out their rehearsal footage of Rule The World. Saturdays, watch your backs...

• Escort Knights ~ Sometimes my pop world needs a little edge and four piece Escort Knights provide some much needed indie cool to my playlist. They have this really contaigious energy about their music which is filled with blinding choruses, fuzzy guitars, shuffling beats and witty, wry lyrics. Their very excellent single I Don't Know Your Name showcases all of these fine traits, while Summer Is Coming shows they are not afraid to show a different side to their music, adding an addictive bosa nova beat, a bit of romantic sax and a more laid back acoustic vibe. This is all lining up to be something very special indeed.

• Ed Drewett ~ Ah Ed. Cheeky charm. Snazzy dresser. Goodlooking fella. Was responsible for two great moments in 2010 (co-wrote All Time Low by The Wanted & featured on Prof Green's Need You Tonight). Now everything is aligning for solo success. Champagne Lemonade was a mere pre-success tipple as his album sampler shows a knack for catchy tunes, current production values yet an old time tip to the hat to strong melodies and brillo chorus. Particularly on Parallels and Vital Signs. And if you are not utterly smitten after watching the clip above, then you need to check your pulse!

• Graffiti6 ~ This talented duo are an act I kept an eye on throughout most of 2010 but didn't spend nearly enough time with. I'm chagrinned and aim to change that in 2011. They have produced some tremendous tunes that are breezy, sunshine, soulful ditties that match Jamie's wondeful vocal with TommyD's knack for making each tune sound like ice cream on a summers day. Stop Mary (above) is an absolute gem of a tune and you should all be eagerly anticipating their debut album. They make everything so effortlessly wonderful.

• DeeDeeLovesMe ~ one of the things that annoyed me about the constant claims about Cher X Factor Lloyd being the most innovative thing in the UK ever since 3D tv was that there were perfectly brilliant artists like DeeDee already out there. DeeDee's debut EP "The Lowdown" is filled with cutting edge, cabaret tinged pop with an absolute bite that come across as very miss kitty with claws. Take the track above - hammond organ, handclaps and a shuffling beat all add up to a very catchy pop tune, yet there is arsenic in the lyrics. Plus the deliciously malevolent middle 8 on Balls will make your grandma blush. Much more please in 2011...

• Tove Styrke ~ In Sweden, not winning X Factor or Idol isn't a hindrance. So in love with pop music are they that they take 2nd, 3rd, 7th, 10th place finalists and give them a career. And that's normally because they come out with music that far surpasses British and American champs. Tove is the latest - her debut album is filled with icy pop gems that ingratiate themselves into your ears and brain on first listen and refuse to let go. Her voice is stunning, the tunes are marvelous. World domination is a must.

• BoyBanned ~ The group has altered slightly and definitely evolved over the past few months and are ready to launch themselves onto an unsuspecting public with their debut single Street Lights. Evocative of classic boyband moments from years gone by, it's a sparkling ballad with a silky smooth layered vocal and some lovely guitar-piano riff. What also works well about the song is you can totally imagine it as a balls to the wall dance mix, with the guys leaping up from their stools and launching into a dance routine. And you know how I love a good boyband. Familiar yet enticing all at the same time - both band and song :)

• The Ultra Girls ~ I totally want the Ultra Girls to do a superhero theme for one of their videos. Perhaps they could rescue me from the clutches of some evil (but suitably good looking) villain called Sir Spanxalot?! I love that the name of the group already gives them a fun personality that is matched by their onstage presence and choice of songs (Girls Will Be Girls is a spicy jam and trouble with a capital T)! Plus they can tone it down for some dreamy smooching music as their take on The Wanted shows above. I'm excited to follow them this coming year!

• Nick Hagelin ~ Oh how I adore it when some quality boy pop heads my way. Let's go thru the ingredients for a nice slice of boy pop pie. Ability to sing - yup, Nick has a voice that bypasses the need for vocoder and autotune, and therefore sounds surprisingly fresh. Catchy tune - yes! ICU is a insistent, pulsating dance track with pop overtones that sparkles from start to finish. Dedication to pop ~ yessirreebob! His ethos seems built around huge melodies, danceable beats and music that makes you feel good. Now that I can totally get on board with. Plus he has cheekbones to die for.

Acts I've written about lots before and have nothing but huge pop wishes for in 2011...

• Elouise ~ check out her stunning performance of No More Tears (Enough is Enough) here...
• Simon Curtis ~ his 8 Bit Heart bought him to an adoring internet public in 2010. Parlaying that into a record buying public is his next mission, should he choose to accept it...
• Kyle Brylin ~ ready to release his dancefloor epic Committed complete with a video in January, while you are waiting check out some lovely acoustic Kyle here...
• Dirty Disco ~ This visually arresting, musically stunning group established their signature sound and a solid fan base in 2010. Expect to hear much much more from them in 2011 as they forge forward with an electrifying assault on the pop world. Check them out on Larry Flick's Morning Jolt tomorrow with some live studio sessions. I'll be reviewing shortly!

Coming soon ~ an interview with my brightest pop hope for 2011 (tomorrow), then sometime over the weekend reviewing 2 scintillating albums that are FREE DOWNLOADS from Ro Danishei & Andrea Lewis...

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?