Lopez Blogs

There are plenty of marvelous things happening in the land down under right at this very second. Or at least eminating internationally from there. I mean aside from the sheery dribbly hunkiness of Hugh Sheridan, there is additionally quite a lot of excellent pop (and classical) music to be appreciated. Here are some of the current best...

Gabriella Cilmi ~ Hearts Don't Lie: I have been entirely enchanted by the wonderful pop music spell that is Gabriella's fantastic album Ten. It is in fact the best australian pop album with ten in the title since Jason Donovan's Ten Good Reasons. The still excellent On A Mission has become my walk to work anthem despite the fact that I am clearly not a woman. Or on a mission. That's how universal the pop of Gabriella is!! Anyway, there's no rest for the fabulous as Gabriella is already planning her second single - the effervescent Hearts Don't Lie. It's out on May 31st, which is not only a lovely sunny (hopefully) bank holiday weekend in the UK, it's also Birmingham Gay Pride and additionally the weekend of Eurovision so pop magnificence abounds. HDL is a wild beast of a song, almost feral in a new moto blanco remix (below) - you imagine Gabriella reigning in the tune before it bursts free in a massive glittering chorus. Absolutely brilliant. Totally besotted...



Kylie ~ Love Love Love/Announcement: As the world and his dog knows by now, lovely Kylie is making a very important announcement at noon today. So just as Larry Flick starts his Morning Jolt rather conveniently! Hurrah! In the meantime, a rather lovely Biff Stannard track has surfaced that probably won't be on the new album but is just so delicious and heavenly that it's a nice treat to tide the masses over. I'll edit in the announcement later - in the meantime, pop over to PopTrashAddicts for a rather good write up of the leaked track...EDIT: The new single is the Kish Mauve (2 Hearts) penned All The Lovers from the BRILLIANTLY new titled album Aphrodite. This is all very exciting indeed (and quite close to the release of new Scissor Sisters so June is turning out to be an excellent month for pop!). View the album artwork here. Kylie looks stunning.

Aston ~ Telephone (Lady Gaga cover): After writing about the lovely Aston classical music group on Sunday, I've become a bit obsessed with them. It's such a refreshing change to listen to them and they are a very delightful soundtrack to the summery evenings and even make me feel a little bit elegant. Not content with absolutely nailing Confide In Me, they have taken on Telephone, albeit without the overly elaborate video which is a plus. They clearly absolutely love what they do, and part of the joy of their cover is watching them create something together in the video that they feel is special and enjoyable to them. Apparently Empire State of Mind II is their next song. Hurrah.

My ear may well explode in the next however many minutes it takes to write this. So if an unattractive goo spaffs across your screen then you will know what has happened. Do not be alarmed. Repeat, do not be alarmed. Anyway, I was going to do a post a day as I am off work this week. This has almost happened. Frankly, even when I have time, I'm not a post a day person. 3 times a week seems to be my limit. Sometimes 4 if the mood takes me (ask Darren)! Anyhoo, I've put together a brief overview of some essential albums that have really brightened up my week off and helped me plow forward with some serious novel writing/book revisions. Merci beaucoup incredible artists :)

Gabriella Cilmi ~ Ten: I had absolutely no interest in the debut album of young Gabriella. That annoying (but probably fairly good) Sweet About Me seemed to be popping up everywhere and got right on my wick. Luckily her new album is a bit of a reinvention as an amazing disco diva - she channels the kids from fame, Donna Summer and solo Girl Aloud (but not in a ghastly Cheryl Tweedy sort of way). Lead single On A Mission is an incredible slice of pop that is a refreshing slice of chewing gum aceness; Hearts Don't Lie is the second single Xenomania track that sounds a bit like Mini Viva but is still quite good in that do-xeno-even-try-anymore sort of way; Superhot screams of single potential and will be one of the most criminally ignored singles of the year a la Beware of The Dog/I Said Never Again and Boys (dodgy lyrics aside) is entirely charming. For more thorough reviews check out AlienHits and Fabtasticmusic.

Goldfrapp ~ Head First: Another act I've never paid attention to is the chameleon like charms of Alison and her troupe. Each album they have released changes sounds from the last release and this is - like Gabriella - is a sumptuous disco dance extravaganza that channels string laden disco sound of Oliva Newton John, Abba and even ELO on some points. First single Rocket soars as it should, comes close to Kim Carnes territory and has a fun melody that positively fizzes. The electro-tinged synths continue throughout the album and there is rarely a miss here - Believer is brilliantly retro but in a way where the band seem to embrace the 80s rather than are inspired by it. It's rather marvelous to be won over by such a highly thought of, smart band because it gives me a full back catalogue to explore (much like when I swooned for St Etienne) - but for now, I'm suckered in by brilliance such as Hunt (so lovely, dark and breathy), I Wanna Life (out and out pop that Girls Can't Catch & the current girl group pretenders wish they could make) and the creatively bonkers Alive. All quite engrossing. For more thorough reviews check out AlienHits (again!), ADH and Chartrigger's interview!

Barenaked Ladies ~ All In Good Time: I've been a long time fan of BNL since all the counsellors at camp in Rochester were obsessed with The Old Apartment back in 1996. They've had ups and downs since then, most recently a bit of a line up change that seems to have shaped their latest album into something that has moments of brilliance but is tempered by some really disappointing tunes. Their last album proper (ie not the live or kids album) Barenaked Ladies Are Me/Men had sterling moments of lyrical creativity and great melodies. Some of that is replicated here in the coldplay-lite but totally engaging You Run Away ~ a totally melancholy sounding (band) break up song that could carry someone through to the final of American Idol if sung well. There's a genuine sadness in the delivery of the song that elevates it and it's a shame that it hasn't done better (perhaps it's a grower). Tracks like Summertime and Another Heartbreak are great straightforward pop tracks that deserve to be singles - great choruses with that 70s friendly ELO/Supertramp vibe that has been so popular with Take That and The Feeling of late (the latter has an exquisite Abba-esque middle 8 that is to die for). What's missing is some of the more quirky stuff the band are famous for - they come close with 4 Seconds, a cabaret romp that almost delights and is well worth the listen. The rest of the album - well it's not bad, but it doesn't sparkle and these four songs are definitely the highlights and way superior to the rest...

The Candle Thieves ~ Sunshine & Other Misfortunes: There is something entirely mesmerising about Scott and Glock's music. It's engaging, uplifting, welcoming and warm - cleverly written, wonderfully presented and touching on themes of love, loss and life that everyone can relate to. Debut single The Sunshine Song is practically Pushing Daisies the pop song - a cheerful, bright song on the surface with a peppy melody yet laced with undertones of sadness at the downside of love. We're All Gonna Die (Have Fun) is a delightfully effervescent tune that dazzles from start to finish and deserves to brighten up the charts when released on the 29th. The use of instruments throughout the album is carefully thought out and utterly rewarding because of this - whether it's the heavenly piano solo in the charming Bright Lights, or lilting casio on my fave album song My Love Will Clap It's Hands For You (best song title of the year so far). And the boys are capable of switching from the more jaunty tunes such as My Little Room to the more pensive Lonely Lonely Lonely. Definitely one of the most likeable and instant albums I've heard this year - it's my mission to see them live before they go too stratospheric. Next stop Birmingham please boys (the Bullring is lovely!)...

Ooo, this month's fizzypop chronicles is a weird one. On the one hand, it has lots of brilliant songs on it. On the other hand it doesn't seem to flow quite right for some reason. So I'm not entirely happy with it, though I emphasise I think the song choices are - once again - flawless. They are here, presented in no particular order, except the first one and last one tend to be favourites so the playlist begins and ends on the most euphoric of highs with more euphoria on each song in between. Glad that's cleared up then, innit?

• Sophie Ellis Bextor-Jones ~ Bittersweet: It's really all sorts of magnificent isn't it? If this song were a person, I'd want to hug it while shaking a groove thang in glitter-infused hot pants. The chorus is an insane belter of a tune, and Sophie sounds as marvelous and gorgeous as ever. I didn't think it was going to be possible to top the ever so wonderful Heartbreak Makes Me A Dancer, but good gracious me, she's only gone and done it. If this peaks outside the top ten, my whole world may implode quite heavily...
• Gabriella Cilmi ~ On A Mission: Tip - I was walking my usually deserted early morning route to work whilst this was blaring out in my earphones and I think I was actually quite audibly strutting along singing "I am a woman, on a mission" whenst I came across these old women and we all gave each other quite a start. I mean I didn't literally come across them, because that would be frightful, but I think you get the gist. The song is excellent, by the way. Love the faux bad girl rap. I sound well 'ard when I do it...
• Michaela Wright ~ Never Gonna Give In: There are multiple reasons to adore this heavily addictive song. Michaela seems rather lovely on twitter. It's a Larry Flick show staple. It has some rather amazing dance remixes of the song that send it soaring to the glitter ball and then bounce like little shards of multi-coloured lights around the dance floor. And whatever genre you hear it remixed into, it still has an ace melody and chorus. Bonus - it features the rather handsome Alex Kordek in the video. Yum yum pigs bum.
• Kimberley Locke ~ Strobelight: I worship Kimberley Locke. I still think that the heavenly 8th World Wonder is one of the best pop songs to come from American Idol. Her Christmas album was just a retro dream. And her last album was a corker that was criminally ignored. So I'm all ready for her new single, which is produced by Cutfather - who apparently has worked with Kylie and, er, the Pussycat Dolls so he's half way there. All of this is a very long way of saying, I haven't heard the song yet because the release dates been pushed back but I'm so eager to hear something dancetastic from l'il kim...:P
• Ke$ha ~ Blah Blah Blah: Hmmm, it seems a bit criminal to follow these classy dames with the dubious morality that is Ke$ha. However, I did quite like Tik Tok (did you hear it blended with Kylie's Love At First Sight? Almost as genius as MaDonna Summer!) and while this follow up single isn't nearly as brillo, it does have me blah blah blahing along sometimes. Though everyone knows Marina blahs better in the Girls song she has :)
• The Bang Bang Club ~ Chemistry: Rather brilliantly, I have heard this track described as Erasure on testosterone. Not much has changed since I last wrote about it - it remains a rather charming little 80s pop synth ditty with an excellent chorus, great production, enticing vocals and yummy boys. For a more grown up opinion than that, why not check out Nick Alien Hits, where you can download the track for free as well! Jonas Bonus - it's released on my birthday. Wizard!
• Adam Tyler ~ Schizophrenic: I actually had another Adam Tyler track which is really out of this world, but I don't think I'm allowed to write about it yet, so I'd rather draw everyone's attention to a down and funky Dirty Dasmo remix of this track which has just surfaced on his myspace page. It's a trip down the rabbit hole (for the overstimulated puppy!) as the remix adds mind-bending beats and effects to the slick electro club banging original. As with all Adam songs it's firmly focused on delivering a chorus so pleasing that you end up pinching yourself to check it's real. It is. Amaze and a half.
• Kyle Brylin ~ If They Only Knew: I wrote about this track quite recently, and quite frankly it's a pleasure to write about it again for two reasons. One is that the more you listen to it, the more the insinuating beats hook into your memory and the chorus creates a heady atmosphere of synth and song that is just delicious. Two - Kyle is quite dishy so any excuse to visit his myspace page as he looks quite nice in a shirt and tie. With good popstar cheekbones and hair.
• Sergey Lazarev ~ Alarm: On the one hand I remain intensely disappointed that this song isn't quite as brilliant as it should be. By Sergey standards, it's not one of his finest and actually rather generic sounding. On the other hand (for I have two), it's such a fun tune that fits in with "today's sound" so jolly well that it's hard to be peeved for long because you are having such rollicking good fun singing along to it. So what's the harm? To be fair the video above (ghastly sound) really enhances it with a fun dance routine and energetic performance :) The album better be superb though...
• Quentin Mosimann ~ Gimme A Break: Ah franglais! Quentin follows up his exciting single Toc Toc with a song that has the chorus mostly in English, the verses in French and tests my translation skills to the limit. He's a rather giddy mix of bonkers electro-pop though and utterly contemporary and fab. It's always nice to sing along in French too, even if you don't know what you are saying. And from SUCH a great album. Go check him out now. Bonkers and wonderful, possibly unofficial clip below - but exuding such fun and energy! Go! Tout de suite...
• Magnus Carlsson ~ A Little Respect: Oh my days. If Bang Bang Club are Erasure on testosterone, Magnus' version of A Little Respect is Erasure doused in perfume and poppers and kept in a handbag for a week. It's more festive than me at age 11 when I dressed action man Julian in a barbie evening gown and stuck him on the Christmas tree. It's totally europop, and fairly faithful to the original but with even more glitter and bells added. If that is at all possible. Too much, yet not enough...

Part two coming tomorrow!