Lopez Blogs

Summer is here and I automatically turn into a sun hating version of Ebeneezer Scrooge. I'm not a summer fan - the hayfever, the sweaty blokes on the train, the stifling heat. Bah humbug I cry, bah blooming humbug! The one positive thing about the summer though is it seems to put everyone else in a proper bonza mood and there is lots of delightful skybound anthems to get your feet tapping along. Here are some of the latest that I've discovered via Larry Flick's Morning Jolt/Feel The Spin - always a great source for up and coming artists :)

WEEKEND ESSENTIALS:

• Bright Light Bright Light ~ Love Part II: Apparently this will be the engaging Rod's first single proper later in the year (around September 2010 I believe)... It's a deliciously synth driven, very smart, melody drenched pop anthem in waiting, and one that makes me think he'd do an outstanding job of writing for Kylie Minogue. It's all about finding love after a probably rubbish experience with some cad. It's so giddily optimistic and uplifting that it is incredibly difficult not to feel entirely joyful each time you listen to it. Based on this and his free download single A New Word To Say, his forthcoming album is shaping up to be quite the enticing prospect. Absolutely essential...
• Bailey Tzuke ~ Strong: Big things are happening for the lovely Bailey - Larry Flick has been promoting the heck out of this song; it's the number one track on gaydar radio; and rather thrillingly, Kylie Minogue is a fan! Bloody nora! Equally as wonderful is the physical cd package which looks like a vinyl single with grooves and everything. But the song - oh the song! What a particularly gorgeous slice of powerful, emotive music with insightful lyrics, a glorious vocal performance and a chorus so instantly endearing and raw that it delivers a hefty wallop of gut wrenching honesty. I feel like the song is screaming "good grief have some faith in us" and is full of lyrical genius like "I know your heart like the back of my hand". Hauntingly brilliant (or amazingly danceable in the dealer version). You must check this out (live acoustic version here).
• Todd Alsup ~ How I'm Made: I've been grossly negligent in reviewing Todd's rather top notch album. I'm getting round to it, i promise - i just want to give it the words it absolutely deserves. This track is just one of those instantly timeless, classic soulful pop songs - driven by some deeply luxurious piano, some muted choir background and the most soaring vocal from Todd that just gives me goosebumps each time I listen to it. Candidly honest, emotionally devastating - it's not just a song you are listening to: it's a full experience of love, heartbreak and disappointment. Be prepared!
• Sam Taylor ~ It's A Mistake: Young Sam has certainly built up a lot of good will and support over the past couple of years based on his plainative ballads on the Beautiful People soundtrack and his flawless reading of I Don't Know How To Love Him. This latest track is written by Charlie Mason, who has also penned tracks for Kyle Brylin, Eric Saade and many others. It's a downbeat ballad that shows off Sam's vocals to fine form and would perfeectly soundtrack a melancholy evening, glass of wine in hand watching the sunset.

Top 21 songs of the week:

Thanks to the rather good video above, my interest for Sergey Lazarev's fun but generic track Alarm has been totally reignited. For many reasons - Sergey looks quite good in a high class dirty rent boy sort of way; it has some quite good dance moves including the slow running on spot style of Eric Saade's Manboy (52 seconds in vid above; 2m02s here); i'm not a huge fan of the studded jacket and boots, but I do like a guy in a suit; the touching of the vagina area ruffles; the way the jumping in the chorus is essentially exactly the same as Same Difference We R One; the visuals somehow make the song pop a lot more for me, particularly when the boy kneels in front of him at the end. Hurrah, etc.

21 ~ Mariah Carey, 100%
20 ~ Simon Curtis, Super Psycho Love
19 ~ Mika, Kick Ass
18 ~ Kimberley Locke, Strobelight
17 ~ Sophie Ellis Bextor, Bittersweet
16 ~ Gabriella Cilmi, On A Mission
15 ~ Gabriella Cilmi, Hearts Don't Lie (NE)
14 ~ Eric Saade, It's Gonna Rain (NE)
13 ~ DeeDee, Endure
12 ~ Donkeyboy, Sometimes
11 ~ JLS, The Club Is Alive
10 ~ Gravitonas, Kites
09 ~ Sergey Lazarev, Alarm (RE/VID)
08 ~ Adam Tyler, Friction
07 ~ Maria Mena, All This Time
06 ~ Chanee & N'Evergreen, In A Moment Like This (NE)
05 ~ Josh DuBovie, That Sounds Good To Me
04 ~ Lovestoned, Thursdays
03 ~ Eric Saade, Manboy
02 ~ Scissor Sisters, Fire With Fire
01 ~ Kylie, All The Lovers (2 weeks)

Coming this week (best laid plans, etc) - the Eric Saade album review because it's bloody perfect pop; the return of one of two of my fave acts... and maybe some other stuff. Who knows?!

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!

Sometimes you just need to come home to some accomplished piano driven pop music with a seductive male vocal to lure you in. Today wasn't bad, but on the drive home from one of our offices the lorry in front of me was all over the place so I went across two lanes to pass him. Lucky I did, as he blew a tyre and took out about 3 cars, skidding across the motorway. I only just missed being in the pile up - in my rear view mirror, I could see the lorry getting closer and closer to me and it's only because I had the opportunity to speed up that I avoided it all! Sheesh! I checked the news when I got in and there were only minor injuries and shock. Lucky for all those involved because it looked a lot worse! So I was very ready for these fellas you are about to read about below...

TODD ALSUP:

I was listening to (what else) Larry Flick tother week when this jaunty pogo-pop driven tune popped up on the stereo and made me really pay attention. It was called Let's Have A Party and is the new single from the quite delightful Todd Alsup. True, the opening chords remind me a little bit of Wake Up by Sliimy, but then it evolves into something so much more than that. The effective instrumental romp provides this brilliant mood lifting vibe, while the chorus is one of those inviting singalongs that makes you feel part of the action whether you are listening to it for the first time or singing along for the 100th time at his live shows. It really is a great tune and a wonderful introduction to the talented Todd. For example, The Way It Goes shows a more subdued side with a mid tempo swaying ballad that still manages to put forward a positive attitude towards looking a life's problems. His voice has a rich resonant quality to it that is quite welcoming and soothing at the same time. And perfect for the beginning of the week is the perky It's Always Monday - absolutely gorgeous piano riff running through it with some great chords adding a depth to the rollicking melody. Never does Todd's vocal get lost in this lush blend of instrumentation and the choruses are always massive, always memorable. I absolutely adore pop like this and I can't wait to hear more :) Plus, what a cutie :P Follow him on twitter @toddalsup...

Clayton Senne:

This was a recommendation by Bill Smith on twitter (read his ace blog here) and I'm happy to have come across two such great male pop vocalists in one week :) Clayton has a great tag on his myspace which says "Saving the world, 88 keys at a time" which really just appealed to the inner piano player in me. His track Wonderland has some amazing intricate piano work on there, making it reminiscent of the work of Billy Joel and Elton John; and to an extent the piano riffs I adored in some of Debbie Gibson's earlier and more recent work. There's a heavy percussion in the song too which gives it an energy and vitality which I can only imagine is rather intoxicating live. And when he slows it down on tracks like The Sun Will Rise, it's equally as smooth and engaging. I am just so taken in by pop that relies on the timeless stuff like melody, strong natural vocals and just the sheer pleasure of being organic music. Clayton and Todd both have that, and it's this which appeals to me and lasts with me over a longer period of time, rather than the fads and trends which pass us by. Quite lovely. Follow him on twitter @musicbyclayton.

If you liked this...

Let's not forget the amazing Brave by Gavin Mikhail. Still gets me everytime. Heavenly.