Lopez Blogs

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!

What an entirely pleasant weekend it has been. This is clearly a nice change from me moaning about how busy/tired/moody I am, so grab it with both hands and run with it I say. Something called Aphrodite has brightened the world this weekend (it's the spiritual successor to Light Years and a general love letter to pop), and everything else good seems to a glow a little brighter because of it - Scissor Sisters live, a nice Starbucks, Shrek Forever After at the Imax (so pricey!), Chinese meal with the Ace Gang, No-van being evicted on Big Brother (Scabby and K-evil next please), the last Doctor Who episode before Christmas (wrapped up a good year nicely - something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue = silly genius!) and now a nice lazy Sunday. Plus of course the giddy thrill of the lovely Kylie duetting with the Scissters on my current fave from their Night Work album at Glastonbury (above). Even just watching the video and hearing the crowd roar at about 35 seconds gives me huge goosebumps. It's a giddy, glorious pop treat. Heaven.

Magnifico new pop for the remainder of your weekend:

• Didrik Solli-Tangen ~ My Heart Is Yours: I've been meaning to write about this for forever and a day (or at least since Eurovision). Basically Simon Cowell can stop looking for either the next X Factor winner's song or a brillo massive Westlife single because the exquisitely charming Didrik has delivered an elegant, crescendo-ing moment of pop regalness that continues to grow into it's massive and spine tingling finale. Utterly glorious, and lovely Didrik has a rather entertaining blog where he documents nearly every moment of his life with pics and diary entries. Oh and if the above is a bit too pomp and circumstance for you, there are some brilliant dance mixes floating around too...
• Tom Stereo ~ Number One: It's thanks to Scandipop that I've picked up on the latest boy-pop obsession from Sweden. His latest single is a pulsating disco affair that brings the sunshine from outside into wherever you are. Great catchy chorus reminiscent of the great S/A/W days of music, but with a more up to date sound. And if that wasn't pleasing enough, there is a fun key change to spice things up for the final couple of chorus renditions. Brillo and can't wait to hear more...Plus any video montage that starts off as hornily as the above link does it a-ok with me :)
• Ollie Wride ~ Headrush: This one is thanks to Poster Girl who it is entirely fair to say, has become a tad obsessed with young Ollie. There is definitely something about his music that straddles glam rock, electro-synth, the theatricality of the best McFly songs (think Transylvania) and yet is still firmly rooted in pop sensibilities. And that vocal - something really special could come from this guy; at around 2 minutes into Headrush he delivers a gorgeous, flawless vocal which just sends shivers. He certainly knows how to deliver catchy tunes, but there is something more about him that places him above your average generic boy-pop star. Check out his video for an incessantly addictive tune called Pop Music below - it's raw and unrefined and yet...I can't quite put my finger on it, but I just feel amazing things are coming from Ollie Wride :)

Top 21 singles of the week:

Well, like Kylie wasn't going to remain at number one with all the Aphrodite love going on... :P Maroon 5 get their umpteenth top 5 hit with Misery and Darin debuts at 8 with sparklingly lovely Can't Stop This Love. He looks rather dapper in the clip below too so be sure to enjoy that :P And the little Magic Numbers enter at 13 - definitely a grower this one. I love it more and more with each listen...

21 ~ Bjorn Johan Muri, Circles
20 ~ Lovestoned, Thursdays
19 ~ Gravitonas, Kites
18 ~ Adam Tyler, Friction
17 ~ Gabriella Cilmi, Hearts Don't Lie
16 ~ Kelly Rowland, Commander
15 ~ JLS, The Club Is Alive
14 ~ Bright LightX2, A New Word To Say
13 ~ Magic Numbers, Pulse (NE)
12 ~ The Bang Bang Club, Chemistry
11 ~ LeKid, Mercy
10 ~ Scissor Sisters, Fire With Fire
09 ~ Dirty Disco, White Room
08 ~ Darin, Can't Stop This Love (NE/VID)
07 ~ Chanee & N'Evergreen, In A Moment Like This
06 ~ Brandon Flowers, Crossfire
05 ~ Maroon 5, Misery (NE)
04 ~ Simon Curtis, Beat Drop
03 ~ Same Difference, Shine On Forever
02 ~ Eric Saade, It's Gonna Rain
01 ~ Kylie Minogue, All The Lovers (7 weeks)

Coming Monday ~ a full breakdown of the new Adam Tyler - Friction video :)