Could i love 'Bad Romance' anymore?

After a shaky start, it's offical, 'Bad Romance' is one hell of a single. Lady Gaga seems to be putting a whole career into one year. INSANE

A brand new term in music

As September comes, and the kids go back to school, so, metaphorically, do popstars. In the run up to Christmas and the prime selling period in the industry, everyone wants a piece of the pie. This year is no different with comebacks, sophmore albums and brand new campaigns all vying for your hard earned cash and attention.
So what better way to assess pop's latest efforts than to liken them to some familiar back to school cliches.

First off we have the Good Girl Goes Bad. Fresh from a hectic and eventful summer, miss goodie two shoes has decided that a squeaky clean image isn't for her, so she hooks up with a local low-key ruffian in order to gain a few popularity points and get herself notice by being consciously different from her obvious com temporaries. Enter Alexandra Burke, who with the aptly titled 'Bad Boys' has enlisted the help of Flo-Rida to ensure that she is not simply seen as some sort of sub-Beyonce / Leona hybrid.

The song itself is unremarkable, however catchy enough and a good start in the 'official career' of the latest X Factor winner.

Following on from that, we have the ying to Alexandra's yang, that of everyman's favourite voice - Leona Lewis. The Overachiever is back with another Tedder-tastic moment. Hailed as Bleeding Love's elder slightly different sister, 'Happy' is a song that has all the signature moments any Ryan Tedder track has, grand orchestra, soulful vocals, a killer middle-eight building crescendo, and a one word title.


Back from Holiday with renewed vigour and a more mature outlook, Robbie Williams releases his first single in a good few years. With the help of Trevor Horn, Williams has developed his style without loosing any Robbie-ness in it. In short, Bodies isn't like anything else he's done before, yet sounds like everything else he has ever done at the same time. His time in LA has meant he got over the whole 'Rudebox' fiasco and is now back to what he does best.


Our Foreign Exchange Students are out in force this September, with Sweden providing us with not one, but two prime examples of scando-pop. Alphabeat return with the addictive 'The Spell', whilst ginger ninja Erik Hassle shows Barbara Streisand and Neil Diamond how it's done with 'Don't Bring Me Flowers'. His effort is below.


The New Kids in class this year are Mini Viva, fresh from the Xenomania school of excellence. This international sounding tune has already been A-Listed by radio one and updates the September-esque club thomper.


Next up we have the first single from the Most Popular Girl from the Most Popular Girl Crew in School. Cheryl Cole's debut single drops on to the radio tomorrow, but the demo version of the track done by a guy called Andre Merritt, featured below, shows the song is one that will get stuck in your head. Now all we have to do is wait for that train wreck of an X Factor performance.


And finally we have the Van Wielder of pop herself: Madonna. Sounding like much of the Confession's album. 'Celebration' celebrates, geddit?, her career so far in the run up to another Greatest Hits. Not much else to say on her really!

In 2009 sisters, did it for themselves....well almost

The charts in 2009 are saturated by female acts or female fronted acts. The top four best selling singles of the year so far looks something like this - Lady Gaga, Lady Gaga, La Roux, Lily Allen. Female, female, female fronted duo, female. One year ago none of these acts were in any sales based end of year chart. One year ago the top 3 biggest selling songs of 2009 so far were by people the public had never even heard of. One year ago, was one year ago - we are now in the eye of an eighties storm. Everything electronic, technicoloured, brash, angular, androgynous and garish is back. Wandering round London town you can see 80s influence everywhere. The music, the advertising, the magazines, and most of all the fashion. Fashion is notorious for going round in circles, but the 80s throwback has slipped into pastiche.

Gone are the sixties girls groups that Winehouse lumbered us with back at the tail end of 2006. No more beehives, smokey eyes or mini dresses. It's all about leather, quiffs and excess. Lady Gaga has painted herself as the Madonna of our day, whilst La Roux fit into the box label with ginger, androgynous, electronic and duo created especially for the likes of Yazoo and Eurythmics. Florence and the Machine can be seen channeling her inner Kate Bush, Pixie her Kylie, Jordin her Pat Benetar and Beyonce has to be the closest thing this generation has to Michael Jackson.

The parallels between Knowles and Jackson are staggering. Pushy father, lead singer of a world class band goes solo, eclipses bands success, creates iconic image, creates iconic dance routine, dances, sings, becomes a brand. The one difference, which i think will be B's saving grace, is that she was only thrust into the lime light at about 16, more than a 10 years later than Jackson was. She had her childhood, she had her fun, it was time for her to conquer the world, and that is what she is doing. Look into her eyes, all you'll see is ambition, drive and determination.

Whilst this eighties look is working wonders for the girls, pushing it as far as it can go, the boys have to be a little more clever with it. If we take a look at the new video from ex-Ordinary Boy Preston, his eighties image stinks of pure trend following. Frankmusik, however, has worked the eighties electronic game by updating it rather than living it.

But how long can this last? Are the eighties on the way out before it's really got started, are we bored already? Are bum bags about to come back....don't bet against it!!

Glastonbury 2009

Now i have not written on here for a VERY long time. I've been here and there, moving to London, getting to grips with London, trying for the love of god to sort out Internet with Sky. But that's all over. I'm back, here, and one of the places that once was there is Glastonbury Festival 2009. Bringing my blog a full circle since my first ever post on the 2008 fest, i felt compelled to report, in short, my personal highlights of my five days of music at Worthy Farm down in Pilton, Somerset.

In order to maintain some briefness to the proceedings i will focus on the top five pop moments from Le Festival.

#5 - Frankmusik, dance east
A sheer beauty to look at in real life, pictures simply do not do Vincent Frank justice. Mesmerised by his good looks and electro hooks, Frankmusik was the perfect folly after a heavy viewing of solo female acts (see below). The jittery joy of '3 Little Words' was the definite highlight of the set, though he would have been a few places higher had his rumoured girlfriend and collaborator, Holly Valance, come on stage for a ditty or two - you know, just to mix things up a little.

#4 - La Roux, dance east
Proof that sometimes it is hard to prepare acts so far in advance, meaning that 2009 British breakthrough of the year - La Roux's presence in one of the smaller tents caused an over-flow that spilled out on the 'streets' of the Dance Village. I was lucky enough to find space in the outer-edges of the tent to experience a rather over whelmed and slightly bemused Elly Jackson perform the number one, the number two, the underground smash and a few choice cuts from the eponymous album. The highlight was of course that insatiable quiff, of which i am highly jealous!

#3 - Florence and the Machine, john peel stage
An energetic, eerie and bombastic set that raised the bar by literally climbing up it, Florence was on excellent form. Appearing in a simple short black bat-like outfit, Florence proceed to show the spirit of Kate Bush lives on with her earthy, rocky, and electronic sound filling the JP stage. She brought the house down with 'Dog Days Are Over' and created a Glastonbury moment with her magical version of 'You've Got The Love' (mentioned a few months ago on this very blog).

#2 - Lady Gaga, the other stage
Gaga at Glastonbury? Seeing was believing, topping the slew of pop acts that were present at this years' festival, Gaga proved why she is a unique force within 2009. With the creativity of Prince, the swagger of Madonna and a wardrobe from Star Trek, the Lady herself pulled out all the hits, all the costumes, all the props and all the butt cheeks in her nine song long set. Finishing with the second best single of the year (sorry 'Untouchable' is still slightly better) 'Poker Face', meshing an epic acoustic version with the upbeat original leading to a song touching the fifteen minute mark. All in all it was a performance that Glastonbury will probably never forget, or ever repeat.

#1 - Lily Allen, the pyramid stage
And finally we have the delicious Lily Allen at number one. Part of the Glastonbury family, she's as much of the frame work as Emily Eavis, Rolf Harris and the Cabaret tent. If she's not there, then it's probably not on. Decked out in a pink wig and blue jump suit, her set was humble, eclectic, bouncy and utterly laid back. Topped off by her dedication of 'Fuck You' to the BNP, i don't think this could have gone any better for Allen.

And so a little bit about the rest of the acts i managed to see. Will Young was charming, Black Eyed Peas: Big Budget, Bruce Sprinsteen = long, N.E.R.D. were anything but humble, Marina and the Diamonds: quirky, VV Brown was soulful, The Script only lived up to 'The Man Who Can't Be Moved', same with Jason Mraz and 'I'm Yours' (we either missed or he didn't do my personal favourite 'You and I Both'), Dan Black seemed to be on something, Mr Hudson and the Library had the rain to contend with and We Have Band had the expectations. All in all though it was a highly successful year for me catching some acts that i have been wanting to see for a while now.

So i probably should have mentioned this one sooner...

...but I have been in the process of moving and getting to grips with London. This song dropped online about a week and a half ago (and if you're clever enough you can find a file share download somewhere), and it blew me (and everyone else, namely popjustice) away! 'Battlefield' is Jordin Sparks newest single.

Written by Ryan Tedder, the singer of 'Apologize' and the man who wrote 'Bleeding Love' for Lewis and 'Halo' for Knowles (speaking of which i am off to see her at the O2 on Monday), the man who seems to be, if you like, a Jim Steinman for the 21st century, single handedly writing the best power ballads of the day.

'Battlefield' is like an almighty cry, like Bodica leading her charging army straight into the worlds most generous percussion. In a word 'Battlefield' is devastating.

Bang! Bang! Elly Jackson Shot You Down

'Bulletproof' is the next La Roux single, and it's safe to say that, after approximately 9 listens, it is brilliant. Sounding slightly like 'You Spin Me Right Round', with Robotic hand claps and a lesser screechy vocal from Ms Jackson, 'Bulletproof' is far more poppier than it's predesessor. Sounding more like 'Quicksand' than 'In for The Kill', it has a killer hook 'This time, baby, i'll be bulletproof'. As for the video, well for parts of it it looks like neon was sick all over 'Tron' with a bit of 'Take on Me' by A-Ha thrown in for good measure. Jackson looks mad in it too, further adding fuel to the fire that she's a girl with a bit of a 'ttude. PS. that quiff is immense.

Watch out...this summer this song will blow your mind.

'Shark in the Water' is V V Brown's third single and looks set to be her mainstream breakthrough. 'Crying Blood' was the big opener; 'Leave!' has the artsey (i.e. rather brilliant) video and accompanying banner ad campaign; 'Shark in the Water' is the radio hit.

The vocals on the first verse are sick-hot, a breezy guitar leads the way for a devastating chorus, it's the kind of song one could imagine Girls Aloud pulling off rather well (live lounge anyone?!). Brown is an artist one is unlikely to forget once they've seen her, the Japanese schoolgirl-come-fifties pin up look is the most unique in pop at the moment. I cannot wait for the album, and I cannot wait to have this song on my i-pod. Until then be satisfied with the video.

S.E.B.'s back

I thought it was about time i featured this disco dancer of a track from the Freemasons feat. Sophie Ellise Bextor. All the other blogs have been going wild for 'Heartbreak Make Me a Dancer', and i can see why. It'll have those club hoppers in a trance and the poppets ready to dance. After the rather lackluster performance of 'Trip The Light Fantastic' most had written Bextor off. This should see her treading on 'Murder on the Dancefloor' chart positions once again. Anyway have a listen.

An amazing yooooooutube singer

I can't enough of this guy, Airto, on youtube. His covers are amazing. He was first brought to my attention by his cover of 'Warwick Avenue' which is just as special as the original. His most recent is a cover of the 1960s song 'Sunny', both are embedded below. His voice is very soulful and his versions are always slight adjustments on the originals and these two definately work.

Warwick Avenue


Sunny

Geography - A Lesson from Music

For years the world has inspired artists to create masterpieces based on it's many varying countries, towns and cities. Music has been no exceptions. Whilst shuffling through my i-pod I fished out (nearly) all the songs I had that were related to a country, city, town or place. Below is a list of 95 songs that were inspired by best and worst places in the world.
Click to enlarge
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No.	Song	Artist	Place
1	Tahiti	Bat For Lashes	Tahiti
2	Drinking in L.A.	Brand Van 3000	Los Angeles, California
3	Sweet Dreams My LAX	Rachel Stevens	Los Angeles, California
4	Welcome to Hollywood	Beyonce	Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
5	If You're Going to San Francisco	Scott McKenzie	San Francisco, California
6	Macarthur Park	Donna Summer	Macarthur Park, Los Angeles, California
7	Hollywood	Madonna	Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
8	Do You Know The Way To San Jose	Dionne Warwick	San Jose, California
9	Californication	The Red Hot Chili Peppers	California, USA
10	Orange County Girl	Gwen Stefani	Orange County, California
11	California Girls	The Beach Boys	California, USA
12	California Dreaming	The Mamas and the Papas	California, USA
13	Leaving Las Vegas	Sheryl Crow	Las Vegas, Nevada
14	America	Razorlight	USA
15	Waking Up in Vegas	Katy Perry	Las Vegas, Nevada
16	Breakfast in America	Supertramp	USA
17	American Boy	Estelle feat. Kanye West	USA/London
18	American Idiot	Greenday	USA
19	Loco in Acapulco	The Four Tops	Acapulco, Mexico
20	American Life	Madonna	USA
21	America's Suitehearts	Fall Out Boy	USA
22	Born In The USA	Bruce Springsteen	USA/Vietnam
23	Surfin' USA	The Beach Boys	USA
24	Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa	Gene Pitney	Tulsa, Oklahoma
25	Walking In Memphis	Cher	Memphis, Tennessee
26	Nutbush City Limits	Ike & Tina Turner	Nutbush, Tennessee
27	American Woman	Lenny Kravitz	USA
28	America	West Side Story	USA/Porto Rico
29	Georgia On My Mind	Ray Charles	Georgia, USA
30	Miami	Will Smith	Miami, Florida
31	Midnight Train to Georgia	Gladys Knight and the Pips	Georgia, USA
32	Why Georgia	John Mayer	Georgia, USA
33	My Jamaican Boy	Grace Jones	Jamaica
34	Kingston Town	UB40	Kingston, Jamaica
35	My Uncle John From Jamaica	The Vengaboys	Jamaica
36	Haiti	Arcade Fire	Haiti
37	Theme from New York, New York	Frank Sinatra	New York City, New York
38	Philadelphia Freedom	Elton John	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
39	New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down	LCD Soundsystem	New York City, New York
40	A Weekend In New England	Barry Manilow	North-Western States, USA
41	Massachusetts	Bee Gees	Massachusetts, USA
42	New York City Boy	The Pet Shop Boys	New York City, New York
43	Across 110th Street	Bobby Womack	110th Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York
44	Lullaby Of Broadway	Jerry Orbach	Broadway, Manhattan, New Your City, New York
45	Amazon	M.I.A.	Amazon, South America
46	Girl From Ipanema	Stan Getz & Astrud Gilberto	Ipanema, Brazil
47	Mama Africa	Akon	Senegal, Africa
48	Diamonds From Sierra Leone	Kanye West	Sierra Leone, Africa
49	Rockferry	Duffy	Rock Ferry, Birkenhead, Merseyside, England
50	A Town Called Malice	The Jam	Woking, Surrey, England
51	Strawberry Fields Forever	The Beatles	Strawberry Field Children's Home, Woolton, Liverpool, England
52	Made In England	Elton John	England
53	Penny Lane	The Beatles	Penny Lane, Liverpool, England
54	Spanish Lessons	Madonna	Spain
55	Mi Chico Latino	Geri Halliwell	Spain
56	Barcelona	Freddy Mercury & Montserrat Caballe	Barcelona, Spain
57	We're Going To Ibiza	The Vengaboys	Ibiza
58	Can't Speak French	Girls Aloud	France
59	Paris Is Burning	Ladyhawke	Paris, France
60	Paris To Berlin	Infernal	Paris, France/Berlin, Germany
61	Waterloo	ABBA	Waterloo, Belgium
62	Amsterdam	Coldplay	Amsterdam, The Netherlands
63	Mein Herr	Liza Minelli	Berlin, Germany
64	Edelweiss	The Sound Of Music	Austria
65	Italians Do It Better	Alesha Dixon	Italy
66	Walk Like An Egyptian	The Bangles	Egypt
67	Nights Over Egypt	The Jones Girls	Egypt
68	Mykonos	Fleet Foxes	Mykonos, Greece
69	Jerusalem	Classic	Jerusalem, Israel
70	Bombs Over Baghdad	Outkast	Baghdad, Iraq
71	Babylon	David Gray	Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq
72	Rivers Of Babylon	Boney M	Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq
73	Stranger In Moscow	Michael Jackson	Moscow, Russian Federation
74	Oh! Calcutta	The Meters	Calcutta, India
75	One Night In Bangkok	The Pet Shop Boys	Bangkok, Thailand
76	Khe Sanh	Cold Chisel	Khe Sanh, Quang Tri Province, Vietnam
77	Chinese	Lily Allen	China
78	Xanadu	Olivia Newton-John	Inner Mongolia
79	Paris, Tokyo	Lupe Fiasco	Paris, France/Tokyo, Japan
80	Lovers In Japan/Reign Of Love	Coldplay	Japan
81	Singapore	Girls Aloud	Republic of Singapore
82	Timor	Shakira	Timor
83	Down Under	Men at Work	Australia
84	LDN	Lily Allen	London, England
85	Warwick Avenue	Duffy	Warwick Avenue Tube Station, London, England
86	Chelsea Dagger	The Fratellis	Chelsea, London, England
87	Cemeteries of London	Coldplay	London, England
88	Werewolves of London	Warren Zevon	London, England
89	Swinging London Town	Girls Aloud	London, England
90	West End Girls	The Pet Shop Boys	West End, London, England
91	London Beckoned Songs About Money By Machines	Panic! At The Disco	London, England
92	Waterloo Sunset	The Kinks	Waterloo Station & Bridge, London, England
93	Hometown Glory	Adele	London, England
94	London Bridge (Oh Shit)	Fergie	London Bridge, London, England
95	Hoxton Heroes	Girls Aloud	Hoxton, London, England

#6 - Macarthur Park by Donna Summer: The title of the infamous Donna Summer cover of a Jimmy Webb classic was based on a real life park situated in the Westlake area of Los Angeles. Following it's poetic homages, the late 80s and early 90s saw a stark decline in the park, with drug dealing, shoot-outs and drownings in the artificial lake all common place. When the lake was drained during construction of the metro hundreds of handguns and firearms were found in it.

#22 - Born in the USA by Bruce Springsteen: Wrongly misconsued as a patriotic anthem, Springsteen's best known standrad actually deals with the effects of the Vietnam War on Americans. Name checking the Viet Cong, Saigon and the battle of Khe Sanh (more on that later) the song peaked in the US charts at number 9 in 1984.


#39 - New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down by LCD Soundsystem: New York has long inspired songwriters, and LCD Soundsystem are on different. A bitter sweet love song to the capital of the world. The message here is clear, New York just ain't what it used to be. You could also look at it as New York as being a metaphor for a loved one, who's changed seemingly for the better. Our protagonist is perhaps changing his mind about whether his love would have been better off as they were.

#63 - Mein Herr by Liza Minelli: A polite way to address one's gentleman friend in German, the title of Caberet's second finest moment ('Maybe This Time' being the best), is used to tackle the issue of no man being able to keep up with Sally Bowles. Bowles being our American heroine based in a Berlin that's adapting to the rise of the Nazis. A raw, persisitant and fierce performance from Minelli thoughout the song, and the movie, is what saw her nab the 1973 Best Actress Oscar.


#70 - Bombs Over Baghdad by Outkast: Based on a news report that stated there are 'bombs over Baghdad' Andre 3000 became complelled to construct a song with the title. Suitably fitting for the theme, the song is frantic and electric.

#76 - Khe Sanh by Cold Chisel: Another song based on the horrific Vietnam war. Khe Sanh was an American military base situated in the north of Vietnam. The song is a tale told from the perspective of an Australian 'nam veteran. However it is interesting to note that there were few Australians based at Khe Sanh when the famous battle took place.

#92 - Waterloo Sunset by The Kinks: A soliatry man witnesses couples engaged in romantic or intimate moments at Waterloo station in London. He then takes a walk across the Waterloo Bridge. The name Waterloo is, of course, based on the historic battle of Waterloo in Belgium, which the ABBA song also takes it name from. Waterloo Sunset reached number 2 in the UK charts and became The Kinks most famous song.

#95 - Hoxton Heroes by Girls Aloud: This B-Side was an ironic take on the trendy, indie types that hang out in the Hoxton, Shordeditch and Primrose Hill areas of London. Written by Girls Aloud's powerhouse producing and writing team Xenomania the song addresses bands who think they are better than pop bands simply because they play guitars, get wasted and hang out in "trendy" areas of the city.

If you have some personal favourite 'Geography' related songs then please let me know and maybe i'll do an update!

So, what are the 7 best bits of the new Little Boots video?

Little Boots's new video 'New in Town' has been released. The song is a welcome to the electro neighbourhood from the YouTube sensation herself and the video is a grimmy, ghetto - possibly LA meets eighties glamour puss and naughties siren, affair. But what are the seven best bits of the video? Well i'm here to tell you:

#1 - Boots encounters a tramp begging for money with the sign saying 'NEED FOOD: Spent all my money on Judo lessons'. Needless to say Boots does not comply with his wishes.


#2 - Several trolley dollies all try to ram Boots at the same time meaning they all miss her and she continues to pout at the camera. Jammy bitch.


#3 - A Thriller meets Fame meets Oliver dance routine breaks out among the tramps for the first chorus.


#4 - A second well choreographed routine occurs round about the second chorus (do you see a pattern emerging?), this time it is a Run DMC Vs. Cotton-Eye Joe affair.


#5 - A bit of a perv on the local hussys.


#6 - Meanwhile, a commatosed Lady Gaga is helped out of a boot. A car boot, that is.


#7 - Finally the third and final dance number occurs to fit in with the final chorus. This one sees the local nymphomaniacs try their hands at a bit of crotch grabbing and roaching.


All in all the video is a success. As for the song, it looks set to throw Little Boots into the top ten, possibly number one, and prove all those 'Hot for 2009' lists right!

Need to decide for yourself? Here is the video in full.
Little Boots - New In Town

The best number two of the year?

So whilst i was away in Australia for two weeks, i came back to a rather suprising single sitting at number two in the UK Charts.

The song in question is 'In for the Kill' by La Roux, a song that, whilst delicious to my ears, doesn't seem to have mass market appeal written all over it. However the singles chart has always been unpredictable, and now downloads are included even more so than ever, meaning just about anything can happen. Usually this means some awful tosh will become more popular than it deserves, but this time the opposite has happened. A song that usually would be adored by the critics and pop fans alike, but lacking that exposure that would secure a top ten placing and with a chart history that looks something like this: 11-11-4-2-2 it seemed destined to remain a minor hit, then all of a sudden the song took hold and ascended to the upper reaches of the top ten and stayed there.
The fate of the song reminded me of 'Black and Gold' by Sam Sparro from 2008, a song that, too, could have remained underground if it wasn't for the fact it was so damn catchy.

So whats next for 'In for the Kill'? Number 1? possible, but i don't think it will happen.

A to B: Beyonce does Alanis

On 25th May I'm off to see the mighty Beyonce in concert. I think she is going to be amazing. I watched a bit of her concert from LA the other day as it was on 4music.

Her 'I Am...' tour looks set to raise the bar even further. Incorporating other people's songs into your tour set list is common practice amongst most touring acts. Usually the songs will be recent hits or old favourites. Beyonce has done this a lot on this tour and the one that has take the youtube world by storm is this - 'If I Were A Boy' with 'You Oughta Know', one of the stand out tracks from Alanis Morrisette's debut 'Jagged Little Pill'. Let's just say Be sure can turn it on when she needs to!