Lopez Blogs

The Candle Thieves have quietly sprung up as one of the most charming and delightful purveyors of pop goodness that this year has seen. They manage to create wonderfully chirpy sounding tunes and then mirror this with sadness-tinged lyrics. It's never a depressing listen though and overall optimism and joi de vivre wins out. Check out my album review here and my review of their most recent EP "Happiness Blues" here. I'm also delighted that they are getting such amazing press at Entertainment Focus, Glasswerk, Allgigs, Virgin RedRoom and There Goes The Fear. Aceballs. I'm definitely hoping to catch them when they hit Birmingham later this year with Badly Drawn Boy... Here's my quick chat with the lads :)

Hello gentlemen. What is the very worst first interview question you have ever been asked? Or are you still waiting for that to happen...?!

Scott: Hey! Ha ha definitely not that, that's the best!

You've been described as "the UK Beach Boys", "the next big thing" and "your new favourite band" (which I'm sure you'll agree, there are worse things to be described as)... how would you describe the band and each other?

Scott: They really are lovely things to be described as, but we would never in a million years even slightly suggest in any way ever in the history of the world that we were anywhere near as good as The Beach Boys. I think describing ourselves is a tough one but a really good question. Sometimes you can actually be criticised for things like that. "The Candle Thieves are not as good as The Beatles!!". And you'll be sitting there wanting to scream "I know we're not!!". Glock's my friend, he's consistently nice to be around and writes songs that I love. I feel super lucky.

Glock: I think Scott's super lucky having a guy like me around. I'd say we're definitely as good as The Beatles.

Or at least as good as those bike riding chimps who were on the Ed Sullivan Show after the Beatles :P While most acts have been busy building up buzz on the internet, you've really taken it back to the people by reinventing the rock tour - visiting people's own gardens, kitchens, living rooms etc. A) how the heck did I miss out on this and B) what was that experience like? Any high and/or lowlights of such small intimate venues?

Glock: Those gigs worked way better than we expected. It was just a bit of a daft idea that grew into something forest-like. A bit like how the band started, but greener.

Your music makes me both giddy with joy at such delightful melodies but often want to weep at such fragile lyrics and vocal delivery - it's something that Abba (for example) excelled at. Do you have a life rooted in sadness that you need to put a positive spin on? Do you need a hug?! (Your album title reflects this musical dichotomy perfectly by the way)

Scott: I always need a hug! We are very lucky in our lives I think. I don't know about Glock, the sadness I personally get is with things going on in other places in the world. When you look into the world you'll be most likely hugely distressed by what you see. I think we started The Candle Thieves as a little form of escapism.

Glock: You see what I have to work with!

I do see! Nothing wrong with a hug though :P The album though is one of my favourites of the year and teaming with potential singles. Do you get a say over which tracks get selected for single release or is it more down to the record company? Do you have any favourite tracks on the album or do you love all your compositions equally?

Scott: Thanks so much. Honestly My Fizzy Pop is one of our favourite blogs so that means a lot to us. Yeah the label chooses the singles. I always hoped "My Little Room" would be a single but we definitely don't know what we're doing with the business/industry side of things so we're grateful to leave that to them! They do a great job for us.

Oh. I'm listening to My Little Room in a whole new light now. I love that you also focus on EP releases - i often think bands should revert to the formula of releasing 2-3 EPs a year rather than an album. That way fans are constantly getting something new and exciting, yet overall it's an album's worth of material. Any thoughts on that?

Scott: Ah thanks for saying that! I hugely agree. We're always trying to put up new releases with extra new songs and stuff. The great thing about downloading is that people can just buy the new tracks instead of getting ripped off by bonus editions where you used to have to buy the new version of an album you'd already bought before! We just did the Happiness Blues one and we're hoping for another EP before the end of the year which will be a bit different :)

Great - always remember a Christmas song never goes amiss on an end of year EP... Glock - you seemingly play every musical instrument under the sun and have been in other acts before the Candle Thieves. It seems that for both of you Alcopop records and your new music are the perfect fit. Have your previous experiences been essential to you getting to this point or do you really just wish that you'd found each other years ago?

Glock: Yeah we did things very differently in my last band. Like any relationship, you have to be respectful and caring. If you get complacent then it can only function for so long. We're always learning but I was a different person with a different head on my shoulders 5 years ago. I wasn't ready for The Candle Thieves at that point and I'm very grateful for it now.

Let's talk about some of the tracks from your new EP - Annabelle's song has this very simple but very lovely piano refrain and seems like a biographical tale. Which comes first in the creation of a song - do you have some lyrical thread and build the music around it, or is it far more organic than that?

Glock: I'm no Bob Dylan but I read something about the way he used to write songs that I can relate to. About it kind of being channelled. I'm not sure where it comes from but it's never mapped out. It just kind of falls out and it's lovely when it happens.

Then there is Paper Aeroplanes which has some great handclap beats in (you can never go wrong with a hand clap in pop songs) and is entirely perky but has this juxtaposition of being a fragile song in a upbeat setting. It's sometimes how I feel at a party. Or seeing a sad clown. (That wasn't really a question was it, feel free to make general observations)....

Glock: I remember around 7 years of age being in primary school. There was a Paper Aeroplane competition where the whole year designed a paper areoplane and whoever's flew furthest won a prize. I remember mine going the furthest but because my young rival's had hit the ground after mine, I lost out. It's a metaphor for something but I'm not sure what. Also I'm scared of clowns.

And Peterborough. What with one of JLS coming from there and now you guys, you are really putting it on the map - and not just for speedy passport applications! Have you been given the keys to the city yet?!

Glock: It's bad but I literally can't leave my house at the moment. I lost my keys a few days ago you see and nobody's let me out.

Scott: Ha ha yes we have a great passport office! We haven't unfortunately but our hometown support has been amazing. All the local journalists and press have been lovely and everyone coming out to the gigs have been amazing.

So what are your plans for the rest of the year? Anything Birmingham way? We'll do coffee - my starbucks is opposite a candle emporium. We could go shoplifting!!

Scott: We are! We're supporting Badly Drawn Boy at Birmingham Town Hall in October. Let's meet up for coffee and shoplifting for sure. Thanks loads for the interview Paul.

Glock: Thank you.

Thanks for your time :)

Proper EPs are brilliant. Not these cobbled together ones of a few old album tracks and some new songs like The Saturdays (which actually could have been a not too bad 5 track EP itself, rather than a mini rehash album). No, I'm talking about proper 4-5 track EPs like in days of yore - remember Abba-esque by Erasure? Something magnifico like that. Then like buses, or a really decent cupcake topping at starbucks, you wait ages for one then two brilliant ones turn up at once! And here, although both brilliant in different ways, they are...

Gravitonas ~ The Hypnosis EP:

Gravitonas established themselves firmly in the consciousness of discerning pop pickers everywhere with their glorious single Kites. It was an instantly soaring single that grew to epic proportions with each carefully constructed note progression. Good news: lead off single from the EP, Religious, is even better. It starts it's life as a celestial piece of piano/vocal that then resurrects the percolating beat and effusive choir of Kites. It's pop majesty on the same heavenly plane of existence as Madonna's Like A Prayer or Simon Curtis' Pop Messiah. The lyrics cleverly work in references to worship and belief, and the hook of "when i'm back on the dancefloor, I'm religious" is a work of genius. The song grows, breathes and evolves into such a frenzy of ecstasy that it is very hard not to drop to your knees and pray. Definitely a contender for single of the year. That on it's own would be more than enough to convert the most heathen of pop disciples, but there's more! Amazing! Realm of the Senses puts them firmly into a slightly harder edged BWO dance territory - it's vaguely reminiscent of Right Here Right Now with a gloriously whispered middle 8 that is all sorts of seductive. It's a wonderfully affirmative feel good tune that balances the history of Alexander Bard alongside his new musical vision. Aces. Shameless is the song that the duo have performed a few times this summer and is a rollicking slice of music that emerges from it's pop chrysallis verses into a slamming rocking chorus that is as massive as say, Alice Cooper's Poison. Guitars work incredibly well in the Gravitonas universe and the fuzziness works well against the beautifully sweet delivery of the middle 8. And there is a key change so it's win win all the way through. The EP closes with Live Wire, a darkly entertaining look at the loose morals of the clubbing circuit delivered over a thrusting beat and relentless guitar. It's possibly what McFly would have done had they not gone the other direction with Party Girl and is a wonderfully off kilter way to finish the EP. A sterling piece of work that really deserves a wide audience to fully appreciate it's genius. Bring on the video already :) (Check out Scandipop's guide here)...

The Candle Thieves ~ Happiness Blues EP:

I adore Scott and Glock. They are very lovely pop people indeed who drape the sunniest of sunshine melodies with melancholy, real life lyrics and still manage to make you feel like you are having a great time. Which I do, everytime I listen to their fine debut album - Sunshine and other Misfortunes. The EP is bolstered by their new single from this album The Sunshine Song (above), which I have previously described as "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." The hook practically screams ice creams and lolly pops, so summery is it in it's execution and demands to be sung in shorts and flip flops - "We can't stay young forever/but we can stay young for the rest of our days". It's a musical delight. Following on from this are some new tracks - Annabelle's Song begins with the most elegant of piano refrains that practically floats with it's prettiness. A plainative vocal performance compliments this ethereal melodic kiss. It is of course tinged with sadness, not just in the lyrics but in the music too and it's so beautifully delivered that you are drawn into the world created and sway along with the unfolding story. Paper Aeroplanes begins with a hand clap beat and frankly you can't go far wrong once you've started that way. It's a fragile build up that mirrors the fragility of the song title before a more assertive beat kicks in and the song takes on an engaging, persistant tempo matched with breathy vocals. There's a simplicity about the song but you also get the impression that every single note, every single hand clap and each doo-da-doo vocal inflection has been carefully placed into the mix for maximum effect. Finally, there is Balloon #2 ~a tale of wishful longing that everyone can relate to. Who hasn't wished to be invisible or be able to fly to find out more, to see the world through different eyes? That's the concept of Balloon #2 and like the fragility of the previous tune and the elegance of Annabelle's Song, there is a delicacy here that is both heartbreaking and awe-inspiring. Scott and Glock know just how much to pour into each song without breaking the hold they have over the listener. A genuinely delightful piece of work that makes a fine addition to their album :) You can buy the EP from Peterborough's finest export since 1/5th of JLS on Sept 13th 2010 :)

It's absolutely no secret at all that I am a pop boy through and through. I like my music bright, cheerful, danceable, sometimes heartbreaking, loud and energetically, unashamedly pop. And that's ok. But sometimes pop music comes in other forms which make me yearn for something outside my comfort zone. I'm not always as vocal about the songs I come across that perhaps don't fit neatly into my "pop" genre, but that doesn't mean I love them any less. Here are three that I currently adore muchly...

Frankie & The Heartstrings ~ Fragile:

I first wrote about F&TH back in January and have followed their progress ever since. They've managed to turn a dedicated online following into an active fanbase, which has lead to the release of the track you see above. And what an exquisitely crafted tune it is - from the earnest building of the 60s infused verse structure through to a lovely melodic chorus, lead singer Frankie takes us on a tale of lamentable love doused in retro-pop sensibilities. There's a drama in the lyrics that gives the songwriting a real frisson of raw emotion; in turn this gives the music a real relateability regardless of where you are in your life. And by concentrating on creating music that has a timeless feel, it eschews current trends but I suspect will sound equally delightful in 10 years time, rather than dated and dreary. Definitely one to watch.

My First Tooth ~ Orchards:


My First Tooth are a real quirky kick in the backside. They take folk based music and soak it in a rich melodic and harmonious pop structure that gives the delivery a real passion. Think Surfjan Stevens but not... There's a je ne sais quoi about them that draws you in and makes their tunes part of your larger collective daily experience. Orchards is their new single, and one that aims for the sky in it's ambitious delivery and actually hits the mark too. It's jangly and perky, with some bonkers violin action going on right in the middle of the song, making you feel deliriously giddy with the energy and emotion it creates.. The harmonies are lovely and it's a warm, engaging ditty that I can only imagine would sound brilliant and energetic on a live stage. I'm definitely off to check out some of their earlier work that was released late last year. Alcopop are certainly churning out some quality bands lately :)

Candle Thieves ~ Breathing (Just For You):

True story - I personally like to think the parenthisised 'just for you' is, in fact, just for me. That may be incredibly narcissistic though :/ Perhaps that is just one of the other misfortunes spoken about on their very good indeed debut album Sunshine & Other Misfortunes which takes upbeat perky pop melodies and mixes them with downbeat lyrical genius. Their latest single, Breathing, is a sweet and sour addition to this canon - it continues with their use of unusual instruments (glockenspiel, casio - i think?!), weaves in their magical ability to develop an instantly ingratiating and lush melody and wallops out an entirely mesmerising chorus that is full of joyous harmonies. It's all underscored with a lovely galloping syncopated rhythm that drives the song forward and makes it an ideal choice for chart success. Gorgeous. (Bright Lights as the next single please)...

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!)...

Oh what a (night) weekend it's been! I've packed Darren off on holiday for a week; I have the next week off from work; I'm still addicted to Russell T Davies' The Writer's Tale and now have my own version of "the great correspondence"; I watched all of series 1 of the Inbetweeners today in one sitting and laughed my arse off; I'm now watching the new season of The Tudors and fear that it does not bode well for silly nymphette Katherine Howard; and I met up for blogest ("tweetmeet") 2010 with lovely XO, Jessica, Jams, Dan, Phil, two Rods and Richard which was quite the enchanting evening! Anyway, here is the remainder of the fizzypop chronicles and the weekly chart (poor Robbie. I just barely listened to Morning Sun this week!)

• Bright Light Bright Light ~ A New Word To Say: A popjustice song of the day on Monday (and deservedly so), BrightLightX2 is one of the Rods I met on Saturday night. Not only is he an intensely charming and well spoken chappie, he has worked my beloved Nerina Pallot but he produces eminently smart and well written pop music that delight the soul and tingles the senses. A New Word To Say (available as a free legal download on his website here) is a warm, lush, electro tinged track that is built around the constructs of some of his folk music and soars with the addition of some synths, a luxurious beat and a dreamy skybound chorus. Featured artist (from Neon Neon) Boom Bip works seamlessly with Rod and together they have conjured up one of the most engaging lovely songs of the spring. More to come soon on the debut album, Make Me Believe In Hope.
• Sound of Arrows ~ Into The Clouds: Much like my resurrected interest in Le Kid, I'm refreshing my love affair with the lovely synth-pop duo Sound of Arrows in anticipation of a new album fairly shortly. This track was out last year and while isn't quite as delicious and amazing as the always wondrous M.A.G.I.C, it is still a top notch tune - and the Fear of Tigers remix whips it into a disco frenzy that Giorgio Morodo would be jealous of. And although it's no crime to remind yourself of these tracks, I am hoping the new album won't be too far away now...
• Dirty Disco ~ Sista: I've written about Dirty Disco a couple of times, so it should be no surprise that their punchy, feisty single ends up on the monthly playlist. It's an energetic romp that is strong on dance beats, infectious melody and a heavy dollop of leaning towards theatrics - all things that make up an incredibly brilliant, smashing pop single. And one that deserves mighty success because it's a song that loves itself. That might sound a bit odd, but it's a tune that knows it is deliriously fun and plays on that, rather than tries to tame the fact. Play multiple times daily to cures the blues...
• Ryan Ferrada ~ Chemical Connection: Keeping the memory alive, I continue to mine Ryan's lovely album (Room 501) for singles and find the pickings rich in choice. Chemical Connection is a dark electro-dance tune that matches fuzzy synths and effects with Ryan's vocal style. It's definitely one of the most "pop" moments on the dance oriented album and a lovely - if now saddened - glimpse into the star Ryan could have become...
• Adam Lambert ~ Whadaya Want From Me: The sign of a good song is that it works quite well in a number of formats. So there is the dramatic, gothic-meets-glam original album mix that is quite nice (though not as brilliant as some of the BWO singles in the same ilk). There is the acoustic version which reins it in a little bit and is very pleasant (though not as brilliant as Darin, Danny or Mans turning their uptempo epics into acoustic ballads) and there is a fine dance mix floating around that works quite well. And it all works well and it's quite good, but I can't help but feel that it could be just that bit better...
• Hugh Sheridan ~ All About Me: Ah Hugh. I sometimes wonder whether I like his songs because he is actually incredibly pretty to look at at and yet looks quite gruff & rough in a denim shirt and tie. Heavy long sigh. But actually, I do quite like this song - it's an uptempo jangly number that is reminiscent of early Robbie Williams and is all about what a selfish tosser he has been in the past. Also it has some nice piano and sumptuous strings and a nice singalong chorus. Plus he also looks quite brilliant in a tux looking all tired after a night out. Oh I'm so shallow...
• Stan Walker ~ Think of Me: Australian Idol Stan looks like Bug from Life UneXpected. And then he has to suffer the indignity of having an album released that is mainly covers (although The Climb puts Joe's to shame). There are a couple of new songs that sparkle - Black Box is a corker (on the Jan Fizzypop Chronicles) and this one is nearly as good and well worth a few minutes of your time. It's a summery slice of soul that is smooth as silk and tasty as a galaxy caramel.
• Music Go Music ~ Just Me: Oh how I continually adore the music of, er, Music Go Music. Light of Love was the most abba-esque song since Benny Andersson Band. They have this exquisite knack of bridging the gap between the lovely 70s melodies so favoured by Abba and their ilk, and a more critical analytical blogging world of the new millenium. It's an ace chirpy, hook laden, marvelous four minutes and something that should be making lives sparkle across the world :)
• Todd Alsup ~ Let's Have A Party: I'm in full adoration mode of Todd Alsup. Mainly because he creates these genuinely inviting pop ditties that are full of uplifting melodies, great piano riffs and big singalong choruses. Let's Have A Party is a brilliant example of that type of tune and feels like it should be played loud on a Friday night as you grab a six pack of beer (= wine coolers/zima) and head on over to your friend. And how lovely that the song can help you create some lasting memories with your pals as it did me this week :)
• The Candle Thieves ~ We;re All Gonna Die: Oh, it's getting silly now. I can't really keep saying nice things about Candle Thieves, yet they keep providing me with such joyful music that I'm compelled. Their album review is coming later in the week and is going to be more of a love fest. Prepare for that with this heavenly track that is all chirpy melody and quirky instruments, with an excellent and memorable chorus. The title makes it seem bleak, but trust me - three plus minutes with this song and you'll feel better than you have in ages. Oh and check out this free remix - it turns it into a bloody brilliant synthtastic epic...
• The Sparkling Arrest ~ Skyman: I first fell (and fell hard) for Sparkling Arrest when I heard their ever so good song Skyman. It's an instant epic that mixes crashing piano chords with some brilliant guitar work, all the while driving the song forward with a vocal melody that weaves in and out of the instrumental drama going on. The performance below that they performed in their own home shows that it works in an intimate environment as well as it's most deserved place - a massive outdoor stage with people singing it back.

TOP 21 SONGS OF THE WEEK:

21 ~ The Candle Thieves, We're All Gonna Die (NE/VID)
20 ~ Simon Curtis, Diablo
19 ~ Marina & The Diamonds, Hollywood
18 ~ Diana Vickers, Once
17 ~ Boyzone, Gave It All Away
16 ~ Sergey Lazarev, Alarm
15 ~ Alex gardner, I'm Not Mad
14 ~ Mika, Rain
13 ~ Ola, Unstoppable
12 ~ Magnus Carlsson, A Little Respect
11 ~ Music Go Music, Light of Love
10 ~ Donkeyboy, Ambitions
09 ~ Darin, You're Out Of My Life
08 ~ Alcazar, Headlines
07 ~ Elouise, Fireman of My Dreams
06 ~ The Pipettes, Stop The Music
05 ~ Neo, Human Frontier
04 ~ Bjorn Johan Muri, Yes Man
03 ~ Simon Curtis, Super Psycho Love
02 ~ Gabriella Cilmi, On A Mission
01 ~ Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Bittersweet (NE/1 Week)

Coming this week: Elouise interview; Simon Curtis mammoth feature; album reviews for Candle Thieves, Sparkling Arrest, The Pipettes and more!

Someone in the office today actually said in a non-ironic quoting way "oh my god, you look like Shakira" and I thought I was being dead witty and urbane when I quickly threw in there "no, no she's Catherine Zeta, actually her name's Marina" only to be met with a barrage of clueless stares. Sigh. It was then that I knew my day could only get better with some lovely pop to listen to when I got home. And hurrah! It was! So let's have a look at some of the super new tunes I got to aurally assess...

Industry ~ I played Industry's My Baby's Waiting when I was on Larry Flick earlier this month (on again on Thurs March 4th!) and I thought, hmmm, as much as I like your ballads (particularly My Mistake), where is this balls to the wall, pecs on patrol, sweaty gonad disco stomper you've been promising? And ta-dah! Much like buses, you wait for one and two come along at once. Splendid. Kill The DJ is a dark ominous electro thumper with some rather saucy lyrics and a swirling chorus. Love the opening line "party's packed/but the music kind of sucks/sick n tired of hearing the same old ga-ga" and the chorus "if you don't keep this song on replay/we're gonna have to kill (kill) the DJ". Genius. Drown In The Music follows along the same theme of excellent electro frippery and a massive skybound pop chorus drenched in dance beats and sing along lyrics. They've been building a following for a while now, but I'm about to go crazy for these tunes. Immense.

The Candle Thieves ~ I wrote about their EP earlier this month, and have since become rather besotted with their lovely brand of sunshine pop. Luckily (as happens when you discover a band a little bit into their career), I didn't have to wait too long for something new and smashing to come along. Their new single We're All Gonna Die is already up on youtube and released for your purchasing pleasure on March 29th, which isn't very far away at all is it? And honestly, it's well worth several of your pennies because it's equally as marvelous as anything on The Sunshine EP. Scott and Glock have created another winning melody that lets their quintessentially English charm shine through (the vocal has shades of my beloved Upper Room's All Over This Town) ~ the single has a positively joyous feel that juxtaposes nicely with the gorgeously bittersweet lyrics, all mixed together in a jangly casio-pop production. It is not only entirely endearing but a real delight to listen to again and again. Their debut album is getting more and more promising with each note they play. Essential.

Rongedal ~ After the mika-tastic Just A Minute "dropped" two melodifestivalens ago, I had a bit of a love affair with the maniac music that was Rongedal. Absolutely adored their debut album, milked it for singles harder than a call girl milks her john in the last five minutes of his paid hour (ew). So hurrah for a second album having just been released in Sweden, because i'm all over it like a rash. The first single proper (Day In Day Out) isn't a million miles away from the jaunty pop sound they showcased on their debut; however I'm going with Nick's recommendation of Because of You as a great example of how they have progressed to a more aggressive, electronica vibe that works well with their penchant for dramatic piano and ridiculously memorable hooks. Can't wait to spend more time getting into the album - full review no doubt some time soon!

Sergey Lazarev ~ There was a bit of a sneak peek last month of Sergey's forthcoming album when Heartbeat leaked on the net. I did quite like that track and wished I'd thought of what one commentator said with "it's like Beat Again over a One Republic beat". It's safe to say that Alarm is radically different to that song. It's Simon Curtis' Diablo/Quentin Mossimann Toc Toc mixed with a Lord Gaga rising instrumentation that slams the beat down in the chorus. It's a great tune, and great to see some boy pop in this vein; very reminiscent of what Darin was doing a couple of years back but Sergey manages to make the tune stand out and remain memorable after a few listens. Could be enormous depending on how saucy the video is :)Plus the dude does look ridiculously good in a suit...

Madonna was wrong. Time does not go by. So Slowly. In fact it whizzed by at a million miles per hour this week, which of course is way too fast and you probably experienced some motion sickness. So once again, blog posts got thrown out the window and I sometimes wonder why people stick around for such sporadicus! But you do and hurrah for that, etc. So here are lots of things I meant to do longer blogs on this week, but didn't get the time. It's your fizzypop weekend supplement!!

There is very much a need in the world for sparkling, uplifting, sunshine drenched pop music that makes you feel quite marvelous from your head to your toes. The Candle Thieves provide such music, delivering a realistic world view yet one saturated in optimism, dancing keyboard melodies and sing a long choruses. They had an EP out last year called The Sunshine EP which has four great songs on, but standouts in the summery The Sunshine Song (with a great hook "you can't stay young forever but we can stay young for the rest of our days") and the brilliantly titled Love Will Clap Its Hand For You. The latter is a cross between the genius of Sound of Arrows and immediacy of Owl City (but without the twee factor and always remaining effortlessly cool and lovely). Amazing. And double hurrah, they have a new single coming out soon called We're All Gonna Die. It's as upbeat and joyous as anything they've done before (whatever the title might lead you to believe) and if there is any justice this will be the first massive hit of the burgeoning spring weather, with thousands of people simultaneously crying "everybody just clap your hands". Heaven.

I'm rubbish with getting press releases and promotional e-mails. I always seem to forget to check them out/write about them, but still they keep a -coming :) And this is ok too because every so often one will stand out. This week it was the unique approach of The Dirty Disco who fair made me smile with a genuine mistake. But it also made me take notice so kudos to them :P Their debut single, Sista! (above) is a stand out slice of fuzzy synth driven pop that is full of theatrics, glam influences, energy and a massive dose of in your face personality. Vaguely reminiscent of the amazing Fuzzbox, the song grabs you by the short and curlies, swings you around the room and leaves you a bit breathless before you've even got to the brain-infecting chorus. Play it loud and let your freak flag fly. Oh and because they are lovely, there is a free remix version of the song to download here and a cover of Florence + The Machine's epic Rabbit Heart here. Brillo on toast.

Quick bits:

• Hurrah - it's time for melodifestivalen again! I'm not as dedicated a follower as some and usually live vicariously through Nick, PPG and ScandiPop. However, once again some of my fave artists are competing this year which means brillo new music from them. I'm particularly watching out for Alcazar, Darin, Ola, Erin Lanto, Salem Al Fakir and of course Neo. Ola and Salem have already previewed their clips here and I currently stand at satisfied with what I hear...
• Remember Steve Appleton? There was a bit of noise about his Uk-surfer boy brand of pop last year but then it all went a bit quiet despite a couple of quite good songs. He's making waves again at the moment, currently with a free download of his acoustic version of Fireflies, which is a pleasant way to pass a few minutes if you so have the desire. Check out his previous singles too, they weren't half bad...
• I've written about Waterloo a few times, and they are busy polishing their pop sound for the world at large. A plethora of remastered clips and new tracks are available to listen to on their myspace page. Four Letter Word is still a top notch tune, while Live Your Life sounds like it is quite the singalong disco-reggae pop song in the making (a bimbo jones remix of this could be entirely titillating). Excited to hear more from this band. Go check out their music and let me know what you think of the latest...
• Finally click here to see a promo for new Nickelodeon show Victorious. The stars of Spectacular are certainly making a name for themselves this year and while this could be the usual tween fare, Victoria Justice seems so charming and witty in it, plus sings rather good pop star songs as well so it's zipping up my boots and going back to my youth for this one. Hurry up March... :P

TOP 21 SONGS OF THE WEEK:

21 ~ Hugh Sheridan, All About Me (NE)
20 ~ Donkeyboy, Ambitions (NE/VID)
19 ~ Alexandra Burke, Broken Heels
18 ~ Dangerous Muse, I Want It All
17 ~ Alphabeat, Hole In My Heart
16 ~ The Saturdays, Ego
15 ~ Leona Lewis, I Got You
14 ~ Mika, Rain
13 ~ JLS, One Shot
12 ~ Hurts, Blood Tears and Gold (NE)
11 ~ Jason Mraz, Kickin With You
10 ~ Matt Morris, Money
09 ~ Owl City, Fireflies
08 ~ Natalie Imbruglia, Scars
07 ~ Nerina Pallot, When Did I Become Such A Bitch?
06 ~ Ryan Ferrada, Room 501
05 ~ Marina & The Diamonds, Hollywood
04 ~ Simon Curtis, Diablo
03 ~ Barenaked Ladies, You Run Away
02 ~ Boyzone, Gave It All Away
01 ~ Elouise, Fireman of my Dreams (1 week)