Lopez Blogs

I could absolutely and positively get used to these 4 day weekends. The sun is in the sky like a gigantic fried egg. Clouds are floating by, birds are tweeting (not literally on twitter, obv, as they don't have opposable digits), voles are vole-ing and poodles are poodling. Everyone is in a quite good mood and yay! It happens all again next weekend thanks to May Day Monday (aka national holiday in celebration of my momentous birth. 11lbs 4 oz. My mom still moans over the Christmas turkey that i ripped her like a tissue) and of course KATILLIAM ARE GETTING MARRIED!! Mazel tov!! One thing that I am disappointed about here is the lack of pop spectacle surrounding the event - last year in Sweden, loads of the country's top popstars had specifically commissioned songs out. My fave was lovely Darin singing Can't Stop Love, which would have been brilliant for Mr Shayne of the Ward to cover :/ And I'm assuming Shayne would look as trouser stretchingly magnificent in a tux as Darin did. Still, his song Closer to Close (see my chart) would have worked equally well. Here are 3 more of my faves that should be the official soundtrack (who would you pick??)...

• The Overtones ~ Only Girl In The World: I have been rather effusive about The Overtones over the past six months on this blog and am more than pleased to see their album go platinum, their recent tour be a massive success and more national adulation on the horizon. Britain is currently in the mood for pure pop melodies that is free from studio gimmickery & heavy on melody, musical ability & harmony. Obviously, the 'Tones deliver this in bucketloads. This - and their penchant for seeming like absolute (well-attired) gentlemen would have made them the ideal commission for Katilliam's reception. And what better to sing than this sparkling version of the Rihanna smash that features on the special edition of their latest album? They turn it effortlessly from sparse club stomper to smoky jazz club vibed cool-cat track. It's a little bit romantic, a little bit naughty and the fingerclicking and harmonies give it that cheeky feel that makes it just fly

• Daniel Boys ~ Too Much In Love To Care (with Rebecca Lock): Oh my. For my money, Daniel Boys would be one of my premiere picks to perform at my wedding (perhaps my 5 yr civil partnership anniversary on June6th?? :P), so he's completely qualified to sing at the royal wedding. I love the versatility that the very dashing Mr Boys has - he can absolutely kill a Broadway track as much as he can nail every note of a pop standard like To Make You Feel My Love. For kate and William there is an embarrassment of riches from Mr Boys to choose from, but I'm going for his regal cover of Too Much In Love To Care (duetting with Rebecca Lock). The version above doesn't need anything other than the sumptuous piano accompaniment to match a soaring vocal from Rebecca and a goose bump delivery from Daniel. It encapsulates the crazy wild abandon that comes with love and both singers more than do justice to this delightful Sunset Boulevard track. Second album soon then please Daniel??

• Darren Criss & The Warblers ~ Hey Soul Sister: I've suggested the modern cool of the Overtones, west end magic of Daniel Boys, so why not the sheer exuberance of The Warblers doing Hey Soul Sister? It would be a bit irreverant, a bit cheeky for the royal wedding but totally appropriate for a modern monarchy. As I've said many times, Blaine and the Warblers are the sparkling highlight of season 2 of Glee and as they promote their entirely brilliant album, Mr Criss just comes across as so endearingly humble and charming that I want to scoop him up and pop him in my pocket. I can't help but think they party would definitely be getting started Westminster way thanks to the sheer joy that they give to this track. Dazzling.

Top 21 songs of the week:


21 ~ Shayne Ward, Close to Close (NE/VID)
20 ~ Sanna Nielsen, I'm In Love
19 ~ The Monikier, Oh My God
18 ~ Tove Styrke, High & Low
17 ~ The Wanted, Gold Forever
16 ~ Scissor Sisters, Sex & Violence
15 ~ Joe McElderry, Feel The Fire
14 ~ Love Generation, I Dance Alone
13 ~ Westlife, I Will Reach You
12 ~ Brandon Flowers, Was It Something I Said?
11 ~ Lady Gaga, Judas
10 ~ Same Difference, Best Mistake
09 ~ Take That, Happy Now
08 ~ Rochella Danishei, Never Been Kissed
07 ~ Maroon 5, Is Anybody Out There?
06 ~ Andrea Lewis, She
05 ~ Kylie, Put Your Hands Up
04 ~ Eric Saade, Popular
03 ~ The Feeling, Set My World On Fire
02 ~ Elouise, Born This Way
 01 ~ Sara Ramirez, The Story (3 weeks)

Avid readers will be pleased to know that the bee-sting on my face has dissapated to far less noticeable levels thanks to copious antihistimines, aloe vera and the power of positive thinking. I had no sympathy from anyone - my mom said "roffle", which after much deduction turned out to be what she thought the text abbreviation ROFL was (ie, an actual word. The goon!); and an ace ganger told me that essentially living things would rather die than sit on my face. Charmant. Let's dwell no more on this tawdry subject and sally forth with the post...

THE OVERTONES (LIVE IN B'HAM-MARCH 25th)

In hindsight, the title of The Overtones debut album, Good Ol' Fashioned Love, sets out the stall for what the boys are all about. They embrace a musical heritage that is rich in melody, harmony and sincerity, yet prove that they can make it sound fresh and relevant in a vocoder heavy musical landscape. They are romantics at heart. And the "good" at the start of the title indicates that they are rightly unashamed to fly the flag for these values - that sometimes a timeless, classic approach will always win out. This was more than evidenced in their sparkling live show on Friday night. Strolling on stage to deafening cheers (from the girls and gays), they looked like they just came from the set of Mad Men - vintage in their style but rocking the timeless, classic mix of cravat, bowtie and tie between them. The show proved that their voices blend together as wonderfully in a live setting as they do on record (still top ten this week after the Dancing On Ice boost. World domination follows?!) with the jaunty opening track Sh-Boom (Sh-Brum!) and the magic continued right through to the enthusiastically received closing number - Gambling Man (which oddly enough I heard a club version of when I was out on Saturday night. Amaze). (Pic above taken from thetoners website - always an excellent Overtones resource!)


Apart from those songs (the audience definitely seemed to be at their most boisterous singing along to the giddy charms of Gambling Man), the highlights included a vocally reconstructed version of Cee-Lo's F*** You, a swoonworthy In The Still Of The Night and a gorgeously romantic Blue Moon that achieved near perfection by being accompanied by an actual wedding proposal. Good Ol' Fashioned Love indeed (thank god she said yes :P). The boys never faltered and it really was over far too soon. After the show (I was too ashamed of my bee sting to stick around and try and meet the guys :/) I was contemplating their sound and I think there is a reason that the Dalton Warblers are the definite highlight vocally of the second season of Glee - unlike New Directions, who mainly do karaoke versions of pop hits, the Warblers seem to really look at a track and evaluate how it will best suit their blend of voices. This is exactly the same with The Overtones - the lead vocal, the backing harmonies, the instruments and the melody are equal components that take no precedence over the other; rather they slot together to create a layered, textured sound that sparkles as much today as it did years ago and as much as it will in twenty years time. People are clearly clammering for a pure musical experience and whether on record or in a live setting, The Overtones excel. I remain smitten... (bring on the nude-ish Cosmo photo shoot!!)

THE HISTORY BOYS (CURVE THEATRE, LEICESTER - March 26th):


I've seen several different productions of The History Boys now. Like a lot of people I've seen the film. I've also seen Ben Barnes play Dakin - once on tour, and once in a London residency. It's been a bit quiet of late for the play, but mercifully the touring West Yorkshire Playhouse production has changed all that. Perhaps the most famous of Alan Bennett's plays, it's a study of Englishness and, in particular, the English education system. Different teaching methods are enshrined in the three main teaching characters - Mrs Linnot, Hector and Mr Irwin - and this sets up a dialogue about truth, the function of knowledge and how history is made. This makes it sound very serious - and parts of it are. It's punctuated by an energetic soundtrack, lovely character studies and some genuinely hilarious moments. Previous history boys have gone onto big things (Dominic Cooper, James Corden, Ben Barnes, Russell Tovey et al) and I suspect it will be the same for this cast. All were excellent in their portrayal of much loved characters, though several of the cast really stood out in this "class of 2011" version. George Banks was a charming yet almost smarmy Dakin who managed to make the chemistry between himself and Irwin (Ben Lambert) utterly believable and totally engrossing (while sporting a particularly sturdy pair of legs for the famous y-front scene!) Philip Franks bought an almost devastating feel to Hector - a difficult role to play considering some of his actions and to keep the audience onside. The classroom breakdown scene and the impact of his death were both really touching and sweetly sad. And Ryan Saunders sparkled through in one of the overlooked roles as Lockwood (I noted he is an understudy for Dakin and would love to see him in that role in the future).

Scenewise, my favourites have always been the Gracie Fields song, the reenactments of Now Voyager & Brief Encounters and the sorrowful Bye Bye Blackbird of the funeral scene. Two additional scenes really shone in this production - Mrs Linnot's delivery of her "c*** struck" line was still shocking and hilarious, while the french bordello scene was the filthiest, bawdiest and funniest I've ever seen it. A genuinely splendid way to spend the afternoon, and one that made me a fan of several upcoming young actors. Delightful.

I love it when acts that I adore get launched from their humble beginnings into a much bigger arena of success. Two of my more recent favourites have experienced a bit of a boost from strategically aligned television performances this past week, so I thought it worth a quick peek to see how they got on...

THE OVERTONES ON DANCING ON ICE:

The rise and rise of the delightful overtones boys has been an absolute joy to watch. They've done everything they could right. They gave themselves a fashionable geek-chic image, blended their harmonies to perfection, pitched themselves around familiar songs but with a modern take on the doo-wop sound and then worked tirelessly to ensure as many people got to know about them as possible. And all the while they've remained in touch with their fans - tweeting, twit-piccing and doing impromptu video cover versions (F*** You was a particular classic). All of these have endeared them to a growing legion of 'toners who also adore their catchy tunes and charmingly enthusiastic performances. The pinnacle of this hard work culminated Sunday night with an effervescent performance on Dancing On Ice. For people reading outside the UK, this is the equivalent to appearing on X-Factor or American Idol. It opens you up to a huge audience - indeed, blog hits went through the roof just after their performance with people coming to the site to read some of my reviews from google. And the boys whizzed past Bruno Mars on the iTunes chart. Their performance was deliciously upbeat (Why Do Fools Fall In Love) as ice legends Torville and Dean did a perky routine all around them (how the boys got onto the blocks without falling on their arses is beyond me :P) And always ones to give back to the fans, there is now a special edition available of their incredibly engaging debut album, Good Ol' Fashioned Love, on iTunes which features some new cover versions of Adele's Rolling In The Deep and Rihanna's Only Girl In The World (on which Lachie's deep vocal does funny things to me!!) Both break the songs down and reconstruct them with the boys impeccable voices building up much of the instrumentation as well as the melody. So if you fancy something a bit different but completely captivating, you could do much worse than to invest in The Overtones today. Can't wait to see them in Brum on the 25th March :)

JULIAN VELARD DOES THIS MORNING:


I've been banging on about Mr Velard for a good while now. He delivers an intoxicating blend of piano based pop that is strong on melody and heavy on catchiness. I've always felt that his tunes, particularly the sparkling Jimmy Dean & Steve McQueen & Love Again For The First Time, deserved a huge audience as they pulled together the best of blokey pop influences like Billy Joel and Ben Folds yet gave them a liberal sprinkling of the ol' Velard charm. Well luckily for the UK, the latter of those tunes has been dusted off and Love Again For The First Time is the lead single from Julian's upcoming album "Mr Saturday Night". It draws you into Julian's lyrical world (like which dvd to watch from HBO) and the rollicking piano work must have Julian's fingers flying all over the keyboard. Julian performed the track on ITV show, This Morning (think Regis and Kelly or whatever it is now) and looked tres dapper indeed with gleaming teeth and a rather lovely bow-tie,jacket, jeans combo. How fancy! Despite not being given much of a stage set, Julian commands your attention and the song is an absolute dream. And because he's a giving sort of fella, you can now download his version of my 3rd fave Madonna song ever (Crazy For You) on his facebook page. And very romantic it is too. Oh Mr Saturday Night is definitely a-coming and I can't wait :)

Tomorrow: boy pop special lead by Simon Curtis!

21 ~ Darin, Drowning
20 ~ Elouise, You'll Never Walk Alone
19 ~ Westlife, Beautiful Tonight
18 ~ James Blunt, Too Far Gone
17 ~ Matt Cardle, When We Collide
16 ~ Brandon Flowers, Broken Hearts & Jilted Lovers
15 ~ Jessie J, Do It Like A Dude
14 ~ JLS, Eyes Wide Shut
13 ~ Maroon 5, Never Gonna Leave This Bed (VID)
12 ~ Scissor Sisters, Whole New Way
11 ~ Shayne Ward, Obsession
10 ~ Neo, Underground
09 ~ Tove Styrke, White Light Moment
08 ~ One Direction, Forever Young
07 ~ Britney, Hold It Against Me
06 ~ Avril Lavigne, What The Hell
05 ~ Rochella Danishei, Michelle
04 ~ Take That, Kidz
03 ~ Same Difference, Karma Karma
02 ~ Deborah Gibson, Snake Charmer
01 ~ Andreas Johnson, One Man Army (NE/1 Week)

Coming tomorrow to the blog ~ 10 things you need to know about the new Kyle Brylin video...

As a sage young singer once said, you know it's Christmas in a week and a day! Yay! And it's snowing up a storm outside which is entirely lovely (when you are inside watching it. It was not as pleasant yesterday when I was driving back from Dorset in it. Hideous, though copious plays of Glee's We Need A Little Christmas kept me going). I think I shall celebrate the festive season being in full swing by watching Love, Actually and maybe The Holiday depending on how tired I am. But without further ado, here are 3 new Christmas marvels I came across (sadly not literally in the case of number three) this week in a little feature I like to call...

We Three Sings...

1. DeeDee ~ WinterWonderland: I adore DeeDee. You already know this. She has more swagger in her than Cher(yl) Lloyd possesses in her bratz doll little finger. She is the reason the proclamations about Cher being the most inventive artist in the UK bugged me because actually we already have DeeDee. But I digress. Not only has this essential for 2011 singer covered Winter Wonderland, but has put together an entirely charming video to go along with it that has stills flashing up that totally and wittily correspond with the lyrics. My faves include the smiling cow ("we're happy tonight"), the priest on a swing set ("then pretend that he is Parson Brown"), the gay assless chaps couple and lovely lesbian wedding scene ("we'll say are you married, we'll say no, man" - in your face Prop 8!), a terrified little girl ("face unafraid") and a much welcome appearance from WonderWoman. There are many more guffaw worthy moments in there, but I won't spoil them all for you. Watch, enjoy and repeat. Then come back on New Year's Day to see DeeDee in my "Big Pop Hopes for 2011" post. It will be amaze.
2. Rumer ~ Sings Bacharach At Christmas: Now this isn't strictly Christmas, other than the title of a new two track EP that the silky smooth vocals of Rumer has graciously presented to the world this week. If you haven't already checked out her debut album, you are missing a trick - it takes you back to an era when the voice (no autotune here) and sumptuous arrangements made a timeless pantheon of tunes that lift and soothe the soul. Two new tracks not on the album feature on this EP including the heavenly recording of Alfie. It's frankly all too beautiful for me to find words for, I just keep listening over and over again and letting the magic wash over me. Do check out Some Lovers as well. Equally as delightful as I gaze onto the gentle snowfall outside. It's the type of music you genuinely feel like saying "thank you" for...
3. The Overtones ~ Good Ol' Fashioned Love (SE): It's only been out a couple of months, but for iTunes purchasers, the rather adorable Overtones boys (my fashion gurus for Christmas parties) have added some additional acoustic tracks, some videos and *scream* 3 new recordings of Christmas classics! YAY! Their debut album is already a giddy treat of 50s-60s doo-wap harmonising with a modern twist and they weave their tightly knit vocals round the festive selection perfectly. While White Christmas and Winter Wonderland are particularly fine, Sleigh Ride definitely stands out with a resonant intro from Lachie before launching into a finger clicking, string aided edition of one of the most joyous seasonal tunes around. And check out the performance below - there are ties, cravats and bow ties, all too cute dance moves, leaning in with the microphone and a genuine impression that they are having the time of their lives. Absolutely magnificent :)

Top 21 songs of the week:

21 ~ P!nk, Raise Your Glass
20 ~ Deborah Gibson, I Love You
19 ~ A1, In Love & I Hate It
18 ~ Joe McElderry, Someone Wake Me Up
17 ~ Gabriella Cilmi, Defender
16 ~ Andrea Lewis ft Simon Curtis, Talk To Me
15 ~ EMD, What Is Love?
14 ~ Erik Hassle, Standing Where You Left Me
13 ~ Bjorn Johan Muri, Nobody Knows
12 ~ Take That, The Flood
11 ~ Matt Cardle, When We Collide (NE)
10 ~ Eric Saade, Break of Dawn
09 ~ Le Kid, We Could Go Home Together
08 ~ Darin, Drowning
07 ~ Kylie, Better Than Today
06 ~ Same Difference, Karma Karma (NE)
05 ~ One Direction, Forever Young (NE)
04 ~ Gravitonas, You Break Me Up
03 ~ Tove Styrke, White Light Moment
02 ~ Daniel Boys, Make You Feel My Love
01 ~ Elouise, You'll Never Walk Alone (4 weeks)

PS - do check out the holiday Florida diaries here...

In terms of my obsession with boy bands/man bands, I've never really grown up. I'm still that enthusiastic tween who eagerly embraces each new act in the marketplace and then decides whether they are worthy of my loyalty or not. This means I have listened to a lot of crap over the years, but also been completely rewarded with some excellent tunes. Here are just some of the latest crop to tickle my fancy...


The Overtones ~ Good Ol' Fashioned Love: In the music world, everything new needs to be packaged & linked to something old in order to get people to connect to it. Slotting in nicely between The Puppini Sisters (40s Andrew Sisters style harmonies) and The Pipettes (60s/70s quirky pop-dance), The Overtones are a clean cut group of 5 lads offering Duffy-esque tunes (without the annoying Pepsi advert) in a post Glee, harmony ridden world. It seems unfair to compare The Overtones to anyone, however, as they have enough charm and unique musical interpretation to stand out on their own. They've already built up quite the following through supporting Matt Goss, being the darlings of the ITV morning scene and littering youtube with a variety of surprisingly daring cover versions.

The worry with any boy band/vocal harmony group is that they feel too packaged, too serious, too generic. One listen to The Overtones debut album dispells all these fears. Together they have a detailed knowledge of how to work their voices together to create musical chemistry, they don't seem to take themselves too seriously and their modern takes on old classics sit seamlessly alongside their self penned material. The first single, Gambling Man, firmly sets out their stall - they are definitely of the doo-wap era, yet manage to make the production sound incredibly relevant. The chorus is as catchy as anything and their vocal abilities put most of this year's x-factor contestants to shame. Similarly, Carolyn mixes retro sensibilities with a knowing wink to Glee audiences to produce a pulsating tune that would be a tremendous addition to the rap and hip hop dominated charts of late - a throwback to when melody and music mattered. It definitely makes you want to grab the one you love and shimmy. Further demonstrating their commitment to musical craft is the delightful title track - a stripped back demonstration of how wonderful their voices sound weaved together. Yes, Tim makes a fine lead vocalist but the band are fully complementary when working together and it's a joy to listen to.

Of the fine, fine cover versions the standouts include a spinetingling reading of Don't Make Me Over, a spellbinding version of In The Still Of The Night (a really key example of where the harmonised vocals really enhance and contribute to the essence of the track) and a perky Why Do Fools Fall In Love. Each cover seems like they've taken it back to basics and built it back up around their individual sound and style. It's an absolute labour of love and shows their ability to recreate well known tunes rather than just throw out a quick harmony or two. It all adds up to a real treat of an album. I'm hoping to get to see them live sometime this year and have all my fingers and toes crossed for some Christmas music from them because I can only imagine how they will enhance the most wonderful time of the year :)

Also worthy:

• The Wanted ~ The Wanted: On paper, The Wanted should be just another casualty of the put-together-by-a-label boy band genre. There is something about the 5 boys who make up Britain's latest boy band sensation that has helped them surpass this. Whether it's their down to earth, everyman appeal or their ability to make every teen and tween on the planet a little weak at the knees is irrelevant - if they didn't have some sparkling tunes to back this up, they would be faster than you can say Billiam. They stormed onto the scene with the excellent All Time Low which demonstrated groups such as this can deliver current sounding pop tunes without misjudging their audience (The Club is Alive by JLS, I'm looking at you!). The album continues to provide the listener with a polished, sleek sounding set of pop tunes - any number of which could follow ATL to the upper echelons of the chart. High and Low glistens and sparkles from being imbued with passion and personality from the boys, choral touches and an immense chorus. it's like a Christmas single waiting to happen. Replace Your Heart also needs to be a single - it actually delightfully uplifting with another chorus that soars as high as all outdoors. It's boy band, but it's distinctly Wanted boy band. The album is a cohesive set of tunes that flow together nicely and should be just on the right side of cool to help them enter a bigger marketplace. Plus! They have a lovely range of footwear :) One Direction could hardly model themselves on anyone better...
• Big Time Rush ~ BTR: American boy band du jour are Big Time Rush, a fictional band put together for a Nickleodeon tv comedy. Now in it's second season, it's like a sillier Glee but certainly not without it's charm - and certainly not without the tunes. They present themselves as a cross between The Click Five and One Direction doing P!nk, and their debut album has some real winning moments that could see them easily become the millenial Monkees! Til I Forget About You is a big singalong tune with a perky beat and chanting chorus that imbeds itself firmly in your brain. Boyfriend is a dreamy treat for any tween and has your foot tapping along, reminiscing about the days when you were able to singalong to pop confectionary like this without anyone judging you. At times they come across like a junior version of The Script while other times they are matching note for note the current pop sound of female contemporaries like the aforementioned P!nk and Katy perry. What it lacks in originality, it makes up for in catchy tunes, charm and enthusiasm. Listen without prejudice :)

Tomorrow - the return of established boybands!

So guilty pleasures week on the x-factor was nothing of the sort. Frankly, my suggestions for the contestants were far superior. And this week is Hallowe'en? Sweet merciful Blossom Russo, how they will stretch and butcher that theme is beyond me!! (For my song suggestions for the contestants, see the comments box)... But it got me thinking about some very good indeed acts that put out some very good indeed cover versions that are frankly all of the pleasure and none of the guilt. Here are four of my current faves...

Aston ~ Viva La Vida: This Australian orchestral group continues to absolutely amaze and delight me with their classical interpretations of modern day pop songs. And according to an email I just got, their debut album is winging it's way across the ocean to England as I type. Good job, import fees are a mother :P Anyway, what I adore about this version is that it is not only a seamless blend of instruments, weaving together a gloriously rousing version of the tune - but the accompanying video is just as uplifting (the guy on percussion is well foxy). They all look like they are having such a fun time and that reminds me of being in the orchestra band, playing piano at school. It was such fun to hear the tunes come together. The chorus here in particular is a work of genius - the piano really stands out and isn't drowned out by the dramatic percussion and plays perfectly with the violin melody. Quite heavenly. Oh! And the softening just before the choral part of the middle 8 kicks in just sends goosebumps running all over my body. Absolutely celestial.

The Overtones ~ Well Well Well (Duffy cover): I have written a lot about The Overtones lately. And quite rightly so. I find myself quite charmed by them and eagerly await the release of their debut album in a week. They've taken the new Duffy single and managed to turn each unique vocal on the track into an essential element of their performance of the song; it comes across like it was always meant to be a rather avant garde 50s doo-wop classic; the chorus (at around 48s) speeds it up a little bit and you find yourself in finger clicking heaven. It's a catchy tune and they've managed to twist it around and make it something that is completely them. And let's face it - they all look rather marvelous. I adore their style and twitter has taught me that Lachie (far left) knows how to rock a pair of pink jeans. Now that's avant garde :)

Princes & Rogues ~ Acapella (kelis cover): I still mourn the fact that P&R didn't actually make the live shows of the X-Factor, but manage to cope with my varying stages of grief by picking songs for them each week. Not they actually need me (though if they want to offer me paid employment, I can live with that :P) judging from the assorted excellent cover versions on their youtube channel. One of my current faves is their version of Acapella by Kelis. And not just because it's acapella! And not just because of the enthusiastic WOO at the start of the video. And not just because Ash is a bit of a dish. No, mainly because they certainly know how to tightly harmonise, look like they are having a brilliant time and are definitely vocally miles better than about at least 6 of the current x-factor crew. And, like the overtones, they are another group that I am just utterly taken with. I'm wishing them all sorts of success in the future and have a brilliant song lined up from them for Sat's hallowe'en theme :)

Miss Kookie ~ Putting On The Ritz: I have to finish with something that makes me absolutely joyous and uplifted each time I hear it. If you want a song that is unashamedly fun, completely delightful and just insanely, deliriously wave your hands like you just don't care fantastic, then you have come to the right place. It's a modern day take on a classic 20s dancehall number that just enchants from the second the (rather hot) guy introduces us to Miss Kookie in the clip above. It's all hip thrusting vogueing, addictive dance routines, get your flapper on, horn laden magnificence. Miss Kookie delivers an outstanding vocal that totally encapsulates the vibrancy of the tune & there are enough modern day musical additions to make it sound fresh and relevant for today's market. A performance like this would bring the house down on the x-factor. I absolutely must have more, more more :)

Tomorrow: Boyband albums or the new Darin video!

It's being billed as the surprise upset of the week - yup, Cee-Lo is beating Robbie & Gary to number one with his unrepentant and slightly glorious Fuck You. Don't feel too sorry for R&G - the single still has high sales figures and I suspect some people are saving their pennies for the variety of options out on Monday for the big Robbie Greatest Hits packages. Plus, Britain loves a good curse word song. The fact that this one is set to such a wonderfully motown inspired groove makes the middle finger chorus seem so much more naughty (and yet so satisfying). There are bitter lovers all over the country singing into their hairbrushes while burning pictures of their ex to this song - it's that connection that's propelling this to the top stop (and potentially holding Joe McElderry off next week too). And if Cee-Lo isn't enough, check out a couple of smashing alternatives:

CJ Baran does Fuck You: Ah CJ. I wrote about him before because essentially he is very good indeed. And a bit handsome. He's getting rather good at doing decent cover versions - and this is no exception. He's all pretty fly for a white guy in the better than most popstars with a huge budget video clip that he's produced. Not only is the cover a jauntily produced affair, but the video is a hoot. Cycling around town, plethora of cheesy gifts, giving that middle finger some proper gusto, nice bit of grooving in a tank top in the park, funky graphics to match the lyrics - it's all quite satisfying indeed. What i'm loving is the studio shots of CJ dancing around and letting the rhythms of the tune totally infuse him - all inhibitions are good and it's a joy to watch. Oh and I'm quite partial to the way he gives the middle finger too. And the brilliant middle 8 and instrumental breakdown. Visual treat that works for me. Sign up for a free download of the video over at CJ's official site.

The Overtones do Fuck You: Ah The Overtones. I wrote about them before because essentially they are very good indeed. And a bit handsome. Not to repeat myself ;) It's a rather layered and brilliant harmonic version of the track that makes it sound like a 50s doowap classic. The version works so incredibly well because they deliver it with such sincerity and it's such a juxtaposition with the sweetness of their vocal instruments playing off against the decidedly had enough lyrics. They actually manage to bring out the sad pathos of the song, particularly when they slow it down at the end and it becomes a bit of a heartbreaker thanks to their careful staging of "i guess the change in my pocket wasn't enough"... Oh good things are going to happen for this boys, I can just feel it...

Any other cover versions I should be aware of?! (Tomorrow! TAKE THAT!)

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?