Indie Girl & Pop Boy

"I'm Looking For A New Direction..."

2007-03-14T00:30:00.000+01:00

As some of you may know, I frequent quite a lot of different messageboards and tend to lurk about on them, like a bad smell. Well, a lot of these messageboards like talking about music so I thought i'd mention what's HAWT on there at the moment, and also a particular track that i'm surprised no-one's arsed about at all.

The two tracks I will talk about are ALSO the supposed "new directions" of both artists. Hence the title of the post.

Everyone won't fucking shut up about:
Avril Lavigne - Girlfriend

Yes, Avril is back and everyone thought she would be all grown up now she's a married woman. But there are varied opinions on her decision to go down the "extremely silly catchy pop" route. Despite having heard rumours that the song, image and silly pink heart and crossbones logo are infact, a joke, I will treat "Girlfriend" as though it is actually Avril's new direction.

Now, some people who didn't listen properly have simply criticised the song for having terrible lyrics.

What I will say to these people is, THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT. There's no point of meaningful lyrics in a song that looks to be this decade's answer to "Hey Mickey" ! It's nonsense and Avril pretty much knows that.

Secondly, I will come back the "Hey Mickey" comparison which feels like it's already been made 42646757432 times on various messageboards, but it has a point! The handclap breakdown, as I like to call it, has got to be one of the most giddy, jig provoking pieces of music for a while.

Either way, this is a TOP POP TUNE. Well done Avril for making something that sounds like... The Pipettes x meaningless teen pop rock. You've only been stuck in my head the whole fucking day... and I didn't mind either! That shows good pop credentials!

And here's the video which is brilliant. I especially like the sudden choreographed dance routine, and the fact that the whole thing looks as if it could've been made by Nickelodeon.

And i'm surprised to see no threads on:-
Arctic Monkeys - Brianstorm

Now, I heard this song properly for the first time today, after getting a download off "THEPLACEWHEREALLMUSICLEAKS". Maybe it's been around a few days and i've just missed the boat or something, but no-one is talking about this song.

I've been round all the boards I frequent and I find not one thread on it. And it's not because no-one has heard it, because even bloody Chris Moyles had it on this very morning (maybe people just... have taste and don't listen to Chris Moyles. The cunt.)

Anyway, from what I hear, it's not actually that different from the Monkey's old stuff, though maybe i'm just surprised because the media hyped their "new style" to death.

Still, it's not a bad tune. And on first listen and sort of vague skimming of the lyrics, it seems to be attacking all those scenester twats or something like that. HURRAH!

Unfortunately, there's no video going about at the moment. But some people have kindly just been putting the songs onto still backgrounds for people like me to embed onto their crappy blogs. So here it is!

And remember folks, comments always appreciated!

The NME Awards = Tragic.

2007-03-04T16:08:00.000+01:00

Yes, we haven't posted in FUCKING AGES but that's due to all this "new blogger/old blogger" nonsense stopping me from posting at all. Also see the whole "your browser doesn't allow cookies shite which happens every two seconds. Blogger really is quite shit. So even when I feel like it, and that's not very often, I can't post!

But now, ladies, gentlemen and random visitors who found us whilst looking for porn or somesuch, I will talk to you about what I thought of the NME Awards. "The Rock and Roll Party of the Year", NME call it on their website. I can't believe they're actually trying to pretend it went well.

It had all the cringe of Joss Stone trapsing onto the stage 2 1/2 weeks ago spread across two hours, which made watching like some sort of endurance test.

The whole shambles was presented by poor brave Lauren Laverne who was given some admittedly COMPLETELY SHIT jokes (they should've just gone with a Kenickie reunion. It's the way to go... people.) but may I ask NME, what was the point of getting anyone trying to be funny with THAT crowd? The biggest bunch of stony faced humourless twats one has seen at any awards ceremony EVAR. Seriously, what a bunch of utter cunts. I didn't think you could pack so many into one room. Though when you think about it, great opportunity to get rid of the entire NME at once and start over, but this time, make it good.

There were however, a few decent wins amongst the rot. There were deserved wins for Jamie T, Klaxons and Muse, and in the awards that have fuck all to do with music, Youtube won best website and The Mighty Boosh won best TV show and provided the only vaguely humourous acceptance speech of the entire thing (or at least what I watched of it) with a few silly jokes from Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt's drunken attempt at taking the piss out of Mitchell and Webb's annoying shit of an Apple ad.

There were of course, quite a lot of just WRONG winners and complete nonsense awards as well (though not quite as many as the laughable Q Awards, but at least they aren't televised.) My Chemical Romance, Kasabian and The View among the quite shit and/or unoriginal bands picking up prizes. And then there are the pointless categories such as Best Dressed and Sexiest Woman which I won't even say any more about because they are just so irrelevant.

The performances, to fit in with the whole boring spectacle, were rather joyless and uninteresting. All apart from one. People, I give you, live from what is officially the best website in the world ever because the NME says so, Beth Ditto and Jarvis Cocker performing Heaven 17's Temptation!

So there you have it people! The mess that was the NME Awards 2007. Ugh, at least everyone knows the Brits are shit. The NME Awards are still masquerading about like their slightly cooler cousin. Wankers.

It'll be nice to see any comments from you lot. About the NME, the awards or even just my return.

Pop Boy's Top 40 Songs Of The Year

2006-12-18T14:27:00.000+01:00

I've actually gotten off my arse and written something! In fact, this took longer, and contains more words than one of my essays. Geesh! In truth there are reviews for 'Ta-Dah!', 'Sam's Town' and 'The Sweet Escape' I wrote, but it's a bit late now.

But hey, everyone's doing them, and no-one's reaidng mine, but here it is anyway...

#40 The Fratellis – Henrietta
This should be so much more higher. And I apologise. The Fratellis are one of the most exciting British bands of 2006. I saw them live back in June and it was one the most insane massacres of skinny indie boys I’ve ever seen. I came out unscathed but a fair few people left with bloody noses and black eyes. Then again, it was in Stoke, so I can understand why people would’ve been riled anyway. I digress, this song makes me dance like the scarecrow from Wizard of Oz on Pro Plus. And at the end of the day, that’s all that fucking matters.

#39 Divine Comedy – To Die A Virgin
In a world where it’s been proven time and time again that pop and politics should never EVER mix with one another, here is a song that references “all the bombs and the bird flu” in a brilliant and unique way. This song can’t be avoided just for the straight face it’s delivered with, with only ever a tiny wirey smile creasing Neil Hannon’s face.

#38 Beyonce – Ring The Alarm
Probably supposed to be the best pop song in the galaxy. The sirens and megaphoned vocals are certainly very menacing. It’s impossible not to take notice of Beyonce, but then, when isn’t it? She’s loud, we’ll give her that. It’s easily her best work –schizo-pop at it’s best- however it tries so hard to be amazing, brilliant and original that it ends up sounding a bit contrived and psychotic.

#37 The Long Blondes – Weekend Without Make Up
Due to an administrative error, this song is unusually low down in the list. It should be a lot nearer the top but given that it’s been hovering around since mid-2005 it probably should bow out and let some younger songs run forward. A superb lyric helps Kate Jackson snarl on behalf of all under-appreciated twenty-something women.

#36 The Killers – Bones
One of the only notable songs on ‘Sam’s Town’ and one of the few times when the new sound really works for me. In typical Killers’ style it’s very cinematic and theatric. And a bit kinky and homoerotic.

#35 Cat Power – The Greatest
I think I heard this song last year but it wasn’t released until this year. Heartbreakingly beautiful in everyway, from the scattered piano to the strings to the echoing backing vocals. Whenever this comes on, whoever the company is, the room goes silent. It demands that you listen. You don’t just want to hear Chan’s heart break, you need to.

#34 Scissor Sisters – I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’
Much like the Killers, I was a little dissappointed by the Scissors’ new album. It just didn’t have the spark that the first album did, their was something lacking. With it’s Beegees-esque, disco vibe that hasn’t been done this well for a good few decades and a chorus more addictive than meths I really want to put this song higher, but just can’t, as, unfortunately, there are 33 songs better than this out there.

#33 Hot Chip – Over & Over
Over & Over or On & On & On & On (& On & On…)? Yes it goes on for what seems like a whole fucking week, but the glockenspiels, thumping synths and random electro-farts make for a cracking pop record. Plus, I’ll bet it’s the only song in this list that you have time to buy a drink at the beginning (when everyone’s left the bar for the dancefloor) and still have ample time left at the end to clap and stomp like a monkey with a miniature cymbal.

#32 Oakenfold – Faster Kill Pussycat
It really was the year that dance music made it again. Having been so contrived for such a long time, the genre had to undergo a fast Darwinian evolution or get left behind. Consider this the missing link between Eric fucking Prydz and the (as-yet non-existent) dance choon that’ll have us all dancing to our graves. Oakenfold pulls together everything that makes dance music brilliant… a beat so simple being used so effectively, a fit blonde girl singing and a non-sensical, repetitive lyric. How could it fail?

#31 Panic! At The Disco – I Write Sins Not Tragedies
The whole world went emo this year, and if this is emo then go on and tar me with that brush. (At this point I’ll also give an honourable mention to Fall Out Boy’s ‘Dance Dance’ which didn’t quite make it onto the list.) A superb, if not slightly absurd, lyric that easy to scream along to, guitars to throw yourself about to and hot boys in make-up.

#30 Amy Winehouse – You Know I’m No Good
Lock up your sons! Etc… It would be very easy to make pot-shots at Amy’s oh-so-appropriate surname, but I won’t. The unashamedly slutty second single from the astounding album ‘Back To Black’ which simultaneously swaggers and staggers around the room is a triumph on all counts, fusing pop and jazz so well that it appears never to have been any different. Oh, and this is the version without Ghostface Killah I’m reffering to, thank you very much.

#29 Gwen Stefani – Wind It Up
This was a bit of a surprise wasn’t it? Except it wasn’t, as it was leaked in very bad quality about 18 months ago. Let’s get one thing clear: this is by no means a bad song. It’s just incredibly unexpected and about three years too late. I think we’ve all moved on from the Neptunes’ sound a bit by now as they’ve become progressively non-descript, as this song shows. No doubt, it’s popping like a mad thing, but don’t all Pharrell songs do that nowadays? I wish the Sound Of Music sample (which is by the by, a master stroke) could save this, but it can’t.

#28 Sugababes – Red Dress
I never cared much for Mutya anyway… This was Amelle’s chance to prove her worth and the girl did well, growling and purring like a panther making even veteran-babe Keisha look like a kitten. But, with or without Amelle, this song provides an interesting and thought-provoking view of life which many young fans can aspire to.

#27 The Kooks – Niave
The Kooks were huge this year, and all thanks to this. Bridging the gap between indie and pop so effortlessly that many became confused where one ended and the other began. I haven’t a clue what the lyric is on about, but to be honest I’m far too busy dancing to care.

#26 Darin – Perfect
Swedish, and not released in the UK, and never will be, but so… umm… perfect that it couldn’t be omitted from the list. Cheesey, unashamed pop at it’s best proving that pop can go indie, pop can go reggae, pop can go jazz, but it’s the pop core that’s essential for brilliance. It always helps if it’s a Swede too.

#25 New Young Pony Club – Ice Cream
I saw these guys supporting Lily Allen at the Astoria in November and was blown away by how well this dance song translated live. Clearly carrying on where ‘Milkshake’ left off. This will be claimed by NME’s new ravers, desperate for some actual music for the scene they’ve started, but once again, this lies clearly within the realms of pop. Fittingly snuggled between the teen bosoms of Darin and Lil Chris…

#24 Lil Chris – Checkin’It Out
Say what you want about Lil Chris. No really, go ahead. I think he’s brillaint, and not even in an ironic way. He’s a popstar out to make a quick buck out of his popularity from a TV show he was in. OK, so what sets him apart from any other I’m A Celeb…, Celebrity Big Brother no marks? First of all, he hasn’t just released any old tat (though it does sound a bit like the intro of Blur’s ‘Song 2’). Secondly, he had a hand in writing it. Thirdly, he really doesn’t want to do it this way, and it shows. He’s aware of his own corniness and his shelf life. The video to current single ‘Gettin’ Enough’ also shows how aware he is of his own image. Truly, there isn’t a rockstar more aware of how much of an arse they are making of themselves than Lil Chris.

#23 Lily Allen – Smile
I’m rather biased at this point, I know. Lily was a breath of fresh air to the whole music scene. Rather than singing dreary songs of love and the oh-so-hard-rockstar life, Lily Allen sings vemonous songs of disgust and mockery, filled to the brim with witticisms. Saying this, I’d’ve preferred her to stay unknown for a little while longer. Yes, she deserved the popualrity, but it overwhelmed her a little bit.

#22 The Strokes – Heart In A Cage
Despite being pop boy, one of my favourite bands in the world is The Strokes. And this song proves why. Guitars that bounce around your head like a rabbit on speed, drums that even when sitting still make you sweat with fear, Jule’s effortless vocals and a schizophrenic love-ravaged lyric from a heart that’s been stamped on one too many times.

#21 A-Studio – SOS
Whereas Oakenfold, the Knife and New Young Pony Club tried to re-invent dance music for the 21^st Century, Russians A-Studio adopted an “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” approach, creating a song that is at the same time achingly 2006 and hauntingly 1990. New rave? Pah! Here’s a bit of old rave you pill popping pussies! Now stop fiddling with your customised neon t-shirt and get your fucking hands in the fucking air!

#20 Amy Winehouse – Rehab
The record Billie Holiday never sung. Though, hauntingly it sounds just like she is. Amy channels the greats (late or otherwise) and smolders and pouts in equal proportions hitting us with the biggest surprise of the whole year getting the contemporary jazz world’s sub-prog knickers in a twist. Never before has alcoholism been so sexy.

#19 The Pipettes – Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me
The Pipettees are amazing. And I’ve raved about them from the word go. Girls with more balls than Borrell and Pritchard combined. Singing empowering, ball-breaking, neo-feminist anthems over music so dainty that you won’t notice them punch you in the nose and steal your car.

#18 Lily Allen – LDN
I’m now a resident of LDN and now appreciate the genius of Lily’s observations on a whole new level. Undecidedly cynically or optimistic, Lily celebrates the crime, opportunity, corruption, beauty, debauchery and diversity that make LDN the greatest city in the world. Long live Lily’s LDN!

#17 The Killers – When You Were Young
“Tune!” I made a promise I’d never say “Tune!” when a song was played, but I heard this and out it pops. “Tune!” Pounding guitars throwing Brandon and co. around like rag dolls over mildly-inspriational lyrics that are about finding heores and idols in unusual places. Destined to be used in a bajillion montages until the end of time. So Meatloaf and yet so undeniably cool.

#16 The Gossip – Listen Up!
I can’t comment on the quality of the rest of The Gossip’s album as my uncle bought it for me for Christmas way back in October and is refusing to give it to me until the 25^th (the scoundrel!) However, no band seems to have made such a huge impact so quickly. Beth Ditto is indie’s current queen of the dance, keeping Karen O on her toes. It’s the sound of 1am Sunday morning when the DJ’s getting alcohol-fuelled-dance-sensations back to the floor.
The song is lyrically nothing more than counting to 5 and some impressive cooing but that seems to say much more than many others.

#15 Justin Timberlake ft. T.I. – My Love
This is what it would sound like if you had sex with Justin Timberlake. First Justin charms your pants off, then he cooes and smolders rhythmically. And it’s all over in just under five minutes. And T.I.’s there. Ok, maybe, it’s not exactly like having sex with Justin Timberlake… every knows he’s finished after three minutes (and that's including foreplay).

#14 Madonna – Sorry
Technically a 2005 track but only released as a single this year, this song is far too large to be ignored. Dare I say one of Madonna’s best? Time, of course, will tell. The stand-out track of ‘Confessions On A Dancefloor’ which in February I described as, "a glittering, throbbing, roller disco diety which takes the brilliance of 'Hung Up' and the infamous ABBA sample, shakes it around, strangles it with a pair of toned yoga thighs and beats it with a big glittery stick." And that still rings true.

#13 The Knife – We Share Our Mother’s Health
Fuck me I love the Knife. So much. Not only crossing the line between genius and insane but playing hopscotch with it. It sounds so good, words fail me. It just sounds like I imagine drugs to feel. It feels alive, it’s not so much a song but a creature, a life form, a disease that’s clawing at your brain like a great big dirty beast, desperate to escape from your speakers so it can maul you to death. Quite frankly, I’m more than a little scared.

#12 Justice Vs Simian – We Are Your Friends
A song as annoying as it is brilliant. And that makes it very fucking annoying. However, the fact that the song commands the scissor arms, the drunken hug-and-jump and not-anywhere-near-tuneful shouting from everyone who listens to it makes it another gem of 2006, leaving a convent looking as anarchic as a 15 year old with a fake ID.

#11 Gnarls Barkley – Crazy
If 2006 is remembered for one song, it’ll be this one. It’s already covered more times than any other song in the history of songs and has spent a whole year (or thereabouts) at number one. But unlike many ‘modern classics’ this song seemed to strike a chord with everyone who heard it (and believe me – everyone heard it). An absolute corker of a song that defies genre, demographic and convention. Timeless and unique.

#10 The Fratellis – Creeping Up The Back Stairs
The energy generated from this song is apparently enough to light up half of the national grid. The cool half, of course. Fuck the Arctic Monkeys, it was the Fratellis who produced the most original indie album of the year, full of songs like this which are conventional and yet at the same time utterly unique. This song has non-sensical lyrics, bonkers guitars, insane drums, handclaps and a chorus you can sing along to. What more could you ask for?

#9 Nelly Furtado – All Good Things
Chris Martin is such a cunt isn’t he? He goes around naming his children after fruit and being an annoying twat but when he sits down and does his job he does it so well that you just can’t hate him. This is not only the most beautiful, touching ballad of the year, but maybe possibly the decade. Clearly ‘Loose’’s ‘Try’, it beggars belief just how Nelly can top this with album number four. It’s the combination of Martin’s panpipe melody and whistling and Nelly’s signature tortured vocals that make this work so well. A pop ballad on which all should be based.

#8 Girls Aloud – Something Kinda Oooh
2006 was the year we found out that dance is back and pop and this is living proof. Unlike ‘All Good Things’ and ‘Crazy’, this is no revelation in songwriting. But it was never going to be. Also unlike them, this is British. Thank fuck for that. Imperialism at it’s best. Jumping on the new-rave bandwagon, Xenomania and Girls Aloud shake off the ballads, borrow from C&C Music Factory’s ‘Gonna Make You Sweat (Everbody Dance Now)’ and create the biggest dance record of the year.If you want to dispute their punk credentials? Who else brings nine year old girls this close to a head-fuck without the bat of an eyelid? Punk that!

#7 The Gossip – Standing In the Way Of Control
Like all the songs in the top 15, this is in a class of it’s own. In fact, when making the list the top 11 changed so many times I got bored of it and left it like this. There is still a vague order but I think that each song is entirely different to the others. This may be due to the fact that they are entirely different to any other song ever. As a result, it’s kind of a tie: best ballad, best rock song, best dance song, best song to sing in the bath etc… This is the most exciting indie song of the year. By miles. This is none to far from being either sublime or ridiculous. It’s knocks you down then offers to help you up, it takes you to space and then dumps you in a dense urban jungle, it coaxs you into it’s boudoir then beats you across the head with a saucepan and then kisses you better. So very 2006. Yet another truly special record.

#6 Jamelia – Beware Of The Dog
The whole of ‘Walk With Me’ is piss poor, yet snuggled deep within it is an amazing pop song. This is ‘Beware Of The Dog’, a song that many were putting top of their list before they’d even heard it. Hyped such an incredible amount, it could’ve easily dissappointed. But it doesn’t. Every aspect of this song works just the way it should. The Depeche Mode sample goes practically unnoticed underneath the anarchy of the drums and Jamelia’s cautionary viceral vocals. Razor-edged, dangerous pop that attacks speakers like a musical samurai.

#5 Nelly Furtado - Maneater
Perhaps it’s a testament to Nelly that she’s made not one but TWO of the greatest songs of the year. Perhaps she got lucky? Back when she started Nelly was ‘just another’ female solo singer, however, through stonking songs like this one that grab you like a dog with a bone and never fail to get you dancing/crying/thinking/singing along every single time. This is Nelly’s best work to date, but then so was ‘Powerless’, and so was ‘Try’. I can only imagine when Nelly will reach her peak, and how magnificent it will be. Once the underdog, Nelly’s now ruling the pop world, with the power to command help from Timbaland, Chris Martin, Timberlake and anyone else she goddamn wants to work with her. And she’s done it all so easily. And she still can’t dance. An icon on the basis of that alone surely?

#4 Long Blondes – Once And Never Again
It’s a damn shame only two of my top five are British. But hey, if it’s going to be British, it may as well be the Long Blondes, one of 2006’s most exciting, most British bands, able to captivate with simply the flutter of an eyelash or stomp of a heel. ‘Once And Never Again’ is the song of an older sister, of a has-been living a second youth thorugh someone else. Is there a more legendary lyric of the year than “You’re only nineteen for god’s sake, you don’t need a boyfriend”? This is, however, just one lyric from an altogether superb lyric that elevate Kate Jackson and co. to the esteemed position of Best Band In Britain. Dressed in polka dots and berets, looking like indie kids from the 1950’s, the Long Blondes are one of the few bands who are actually as cool as they look. And they look fucking cool.

#3 Muse – Supermassive Blackhole
With this song, words fail me. There’s no one part of the song that stands out more than any other part. It just gels as a magnificent amalgam of everything that’s right about music. Matt Bellamy’s falsetto vocals take on a whole new level, pining and aching over a guitar which stalks his every move. The lyric is total bonkers, and means absolutely nothing, but then, that’s kind of the point of it all isn’t it? I wish I could justify why I love this song so much, but I can’t. It’s just very very very good.

#2 Rihanna - SOS (Rescue Me)
Much like Winehouse, I doubt many were expecting much from Rihanna. Her previous two singles had sounded like a) reggae’s squelchy attempts to follow the electro craze and b) a generic r&b tune lost amongst all the others. ‘SOS’ however, was something special, something different all together. Bursting on the ear drums with a vivacious excitement that knocks you to the floor and then tramples all over you. The lyrics beg for you to swish your head and throw up your arms. Add in the ‘Tainted Love’ sample, a nod to electro’s glory days, which is overshadowed so much it almost becomes irrelevant, and bam! Resistance is futile, you will dance. A masterpiece in pop, easily the best song of any other year, were it not for one man…

#1 Justin Timberlake – Sexy/Back
Timbaland’s had his fingers in a lot of pies this year. Namely, creating albums for Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake. In 2003 the world went crazy for Pharrell Williams, but now we see a new duke of hip-pop genius, serving under HRH Justin Timberlake, Prince of Pop Music. The pinnacle of both careers, showing a lot of promise for things to come.
This song re-invents not only Justin but also music itself. ‘Sexy/Back’ doesn’t appear to have any constructs of the normal pop song. It’s just a bassline and a snare drum with Timberlake singing over it, heck, it doesn’t even have any verses. And yet it’s this charged-rawness, this etheral-electricity, the complex-simplicity that make both the charm and logic of this song so interesting. When this first hit the radio, love it or hate it, you listened to ‘Sexy/Back’, you paid attention to ‘Sexy/Back’. For four minutes your world stood still as the future of pop music poured into your brain. It’s OK to be a little scared. It’s even OK if your body went into spasms (or was that dancing?). We’re all in this together. Take it to the bridge…

And that's your lot...

Robyn Live Review

2006-12-04T16:54:00.000+01:00

Robyn needs no introduction to many of you readers I’m sure but just in case, I’ll set the scene… She’s a crazy hip-pop Swedish popstar who breaks rules, defies conventions and is, quite simply, probably one of the most original, genuinely talented musicians of the 21^st Century.

Got it? Good! So it comes as no surprise that when she performed at Club YoYo in Notting Hill, her first show in the UK for a long long while I was there super early (and entry was free before 8). I was not alone though, I had an accomplice in Poptastic Jessica of countless ace blogs that really make me feel stupid.

Robyn was amazing, as expected, blasting out ‘Be Mine’ and ‘Handle Me’ with ease, captivating the (albeit small) audience. She had everyone dancing on the palm of her hand.

Then we were treated to a cover of Prince’s ‘Jack U Off’. When the ‘band’ consisted of just Robyn and Kleerup, one of which was singing, the other one playing guitar, drums might, under normal circumstances, prove difficult. No such problems for these super Swedes as Kleerup banged the snare drum and Robyn took a drumstick in one hand and convulsed over the track, hitting the skins and cymbals brilliantly. It left quite a lot of the audience gasping in awe.

‘Konichiwa Bitches’ came on, and Robyn’s scarf came off, and with it came all the pleasantness and twee smiles she’d shot us so far. Now Robyn was an animalistic monster hell bent on kicking everyone’s ass and making them dance. If we were in Colonial Salem then Robyn’s mystifying stage presence might result in a ducking. Fortunately, we were Notting Hill, so her efforts got her some polite moshing from people wearing co-ordinated shirts and jumpers.

Finally, we got a treat in the form of ‘With Every Heartbeat’, her latest collaboration, with Kleerup, and 'Girliestyle'. 'With Every Heartbeat' is, even by Robyn’s standards, one of her best. One of THE best in fact. Hopefully, it’ll be the song to give Robyn the success in the UK she so thoroughly deserves. Robyn’s presence and talent are to big to be confined to Scandinavia. Infact, I think ‘With Every Heartbeat’ is almost guaranteed to be Jupiter’s biggest hit of 2007. You heard it here first and all that.

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On a related note, one of the support acts, Cock n Bull Kid, was sensational. Obviously influenced by Neneh Cherry and M.I.A. she threw out four songs with such wit and insight I couldn’t help but be enamoured. In truth, I hate this speculating over what will be huge next year, though having said this; if Cock N Bull Kid’s best song ‘Velvet Glove, Iron Fist’ isn’t gobbled up and doesn’t redefine Brit-hop then I’ll eat my hat.

And you can ask Jessica, it’s a very nice hat.

The REAL Best Of The Nineties.

2006-11-12T13:05:00.000+01:00

People always bang on about how Oasis and Blur were the best Britpop bands to come out of the nineties. But, as most of us know, that is bollocks. Here is my small list of bands of the nineties that I like more than Blur and a hell of a lot more than Oasis.

PULP
Some say that Pulp were third in the race for Britpop domination, I believe that they are not appreciated as much as they should be, or as they should be. Jarvis and the gang did not only produce catchy tunes that would dance around your head for a few weeks after your trip to the indie disco, the lyrics had something. The difference between Pulp and your average indie tribe is that Mr Cocker thoughts about the lyrics, and in fact based a hell of a lot of the songs on things that had happened to him. Disco 2000 being about a girl that he fancied at school but had no chance with, Common People about a well-off girl that he met in art college, who had been conned by the glamourisation of working class culture into wanting to be a bit rough and poor like everyone else etc.. etc.

Of course those are only the singles that people always say are Pulp's best. They arguably are, though really... they are just the most popular.

I say that people watch the equally danceable Razzmatazz , the spine tingling Do You Remember The First Time? , and the epic This Is Hardcore (even if just to play "Spot Lolly!" Yes, THE Lolly. She actually acts in this video.)

SUEDE
See, I don't know a hell of a lot about Suede, but what I do know is that people often seem to neglect them when making a little list of Britpop folk. Well, I won't. Suede produce great British glam for us all to flail and jig about to. I recently rediscovered Suede by buying a compilation I used to have on tape back in '96 and used to love... without knowing who any of the bands were. Turns out one of them was Suede, and the song was Trash. Brett Anderson's vocals kind of, shoot right through you, listening to this song, and yet you can't help but find yourself bobbing your head and lip syncing to the chorus, perhaps even having a bit of a dance.

I don't really like them as much as Pulp mind, but the songs are worth checking out. Even if you do have to watch the video, which are also a bit crap. Here's Trash.

DUBSTAR
Rediscovered from the same Smash Hits compilation album, Dubstar are great. Well, not really, I found one track from their later album which I liked called I'm Conscious Of Myself which really doesn't sound like proper Dubstar at all. So when I was listening to that compilation, I was wondering what that haunting song with the women's vocals was, it was Dubstar's Stars. It seems that Dubstar are better when they sound like Saint Etienne, who people say are better but I don't know, because i've never really listened to them.

Anyway, Stars was in absolutely no doubt, Dubstar's best song. Strangely enough, Stars didn't do particularly well despite lots of promotion, and instead they had a bigger break with the inferior (in my opinion) Not So Manic Now.

Please have a glance at Stars and try to look up the rather good Anywhere which kind of sounds like Ace Of Base, but doesn't... if you get my meaning.

And finally:
KENICKIE
I've known about Kenickie for a while now, but unlike all the bands I have mentioned previously, they completely passed me by back in the 90s when I was all 5ive and 911. I decided to check out Kenickie the minute I heard that the FABULOUS Lauren Laverne had been in a band. They were either Proper party-going, working class lyrics over crunchy guitars, in the case of album At The Club or calmed-down Summer pop fun which featured heavily on their second album Get In.

I find it very sad that the band have now split up completely and none of the band will talk to Lauren anymore. But have a bask in the glory of Kenickie by watching the video for In Your Car , a good example of first album Kenickie, and I Would Fix You which is an example of Kenickie from the second album.

And if you like those (or don't), check out the video for the Summer classic that never was, Don't Falter, by Mint Royale and Lauren Laverne.

Whose idea was it to release it in January? Pah!

Pop Boy Meets Girls Aloud

2006-11-04T18:22:00.000+01:00

Girls Aloud have released a greatest hits album. My fingers have been itching since ‘Something Kinda Oooh!’ first blasted on the radio. So why have I held on for so long? That’s because I didn’t get the album until today and whereas I don’t mind downloading albums from rubbish/unimportant people, but when it comes to Girls Aloud I’d gladly spend my few student pennies. They are worth it.

Today they were particularly worth splashing out £16.95 on in HMV for the special edition version at 9am because it meant that, after a three hour wait, I got to meet the girls! I realise this makes me a total fanboy, and a little bit sad, but I must remind you, this isn’t Clea, it isn’t Lisa Scott-Lee, it’s Girls Aloud, the single most important thing to happen to British music and punk since the dawn of time. There, I said it.

The girls were lovely, but weren’t taking pictures; however, after I sweet talked Nicola I managed to worm a special one out of her which needs to be kept under wraps. I told her she was my favourite, at which point Nadine said, “you said that to me!” and the girls squabbled for my affections. I didn’t say Nadine was my favourite, I told her that the cover art was crap. She tutted and nodded. You heard it here first and all that.

Kimberley and Cheryl were ace too, and as I explained the three hour wait to them a security guard tried to usher me away. Cheryl then said “Oi! He’s talking to us!” and then said bye properly to me.

Sarah was wearing lots of make up. She was nice. But she’s just Sarah. There’s nothing wrong with that, she’s just not Nicola, Cheryl, Kimberley or Nadine and therefore, not as ace.

To the passing reader this may seem trivial, and going to a band signing (particularly one for a girlband) may be extremely immature and cliché ghey (true enough I was the oldest person there who wasn’t an escort/minder and the only guy on his own – that I could see), but for me this is everything. I mean, I touched Nicola for crying out loud, talk about something kinda ooooh!

The Greatest Hits is, by it’s definition, nothing I haven’t heard before. And yes, in the age of iTunes and CD-Rs, greatest hits are extremely unnecessary. But this greatest hits isn’t just that, it’s the sound of pop music evolving at a rate that would have Darwin shitting himself. All it needs now is poseable thumbs and it shall inherit the earth.

The album features never before heard songs, ‘Money’ and ‘Singapore’, the latter of which was needlessly dropped off the Chemistry album and could possibly be one of the Girls’ finest moments, and the Girl’s takes on Tiffany’s ‘I Think We’re Alone Now’, which will be the next single apparently, Blondie’s ‘Hanging On The Telephone’, Kaiser Chief’s ‘I Predict A Riot’, a highlight of the recent tour, and, with a cruel tongue in cheek, The Beegee’s ‘Sacred Trust’, which was covered by their Colon Rivals ‘opponents’ One True Voice. All in all seven out of the twenty songs are covers. Is this a problem? No, and why? Because each of the covers equals if not betters the original.

In a drought of innovation and fun, with artists preferring acoustic guitars or simpleton basslines to rhythm and vibrancy, Girls Aloud have been left to fly the flag for pop single-handedly. In an industry where it’s do-or-die and sales mean everything, Girls Aloud have racked up thirteen consecutive top ten singles, more than any other girlband in the history of pop and have had sales and success that most acts can only dream of, pop, indie or otherwise. They’ve outlived not only their contemporaries but also their own genre with reality TV, Top of the Pops and Smash Hits! – staples of the pop music scene they were flung into.

Will Girls Aloud split Steps-stylee after this album? Who knows? And to be honest, who cares? I’d rather they went out unanimously now they were on top than be forced out two years down the line and fade into the background. They make music better than anyone, so I don’t want them to quit, but if they did they’d leave such a legacy behind them that it’d be hard to hold anything against them.

Long Blondes Live Review

2006-11-01T17:58:00.000+01:00

[Lust In the Movies/Weekend Without Make Up/Madame Ray/In The Company Of Women/Fulwood Babylon/Giddy Stratospheres/Only Lovers Left Alive/You Could Have Both/Appropriation (By Any Other Name)/Once & Never Again/5 Ways To Heaven/Separated By Motorways]

Let’s not beat around the bush, The Long Blondes are one of the most exciting to happen to music in a long time. Yes, the Pipettes have the style, and yes, the Fratellis have the swagger, but the Long Blondes have both the style and swagger, in abundance. And then some.

Cool enough to be devoured by the indie population, fun enough to be pop and clever enough to last, Long Blondes’ sensational album ‘Someone To Drive You Home’ is timeless. Not in the Pipettes/Fratellis heavily influenced, mish-mash way, but in the fact that it could easily have been enjoyed five years ago, and may still be enjoyed fifteen years from now. The album dips into every genre and period of rock and roll so subtley and so effectively that you almost don’t even notice it.

One thing you do notice is Kate Jackson, who brings the front woman back to the fore, in an indie environment majoritively filled with Y chromosomes. Kate provides both the style, dressed coolly but not showy, making an effort, but not too much, and the swagger, delivering empowering, man-hating anthems for the indie generations and flipping between empathy and blood-spitting rage faster than it was physically thought possible. Without Kate the Long Blondes would be like any other good indie band, nice, catchy songs but no staying power. With Kate the band is transformed into a world-beating non-stop indie dance machine.

The point is, eventually, that I went back home to the West Midlands on Saturday (thus missing Girls Aloud at G-A-Y – dammit!) to see Kate and co. perform at the Birmingham Academy and despite being contained in the smallest room in the building, they raised the roof and rocked the house. The crowd was not, as I’d expected, full of teeny-boppers attending their first gig but instead a lot of ‘too-cool-to-dance’ older fans. This didn’t kill the fun factor though, as the crowd was still electric, and submitting to Kate’s every wish. Quite simply, everyone was too busy enjoying the show to dance and spill beer over people.

Kate’s voice is much better than I’d expected. Perhaps it’s the ‘atmosphere’ that adds to it, but she sounded ten times better live than she does on record. Her voice is stronger, her Sheffield accent strengthened and weirdly sounds much less strained than it does on record.

‘Giddy Stratospheres’, in particular, comes into a league of its own live. The song is somewhat let down by the verses, but the chorus comes alive, literally when it’s spat in your face turning it from one of the lesser album tracks to a potential 2007 festival favourite.

But, from the reaction to ‘You Could Have Both’ and ‘Once And Never Again’, the Long Blondes needn’t pull out any kind of magic tricks in order to win the crowd over. Kate has us all bopping in the palm of her hand.

The Long Blondes put on a top show, promoting their album, which I think you should all play at Hallowe’en/Guy Fawkes’/Thanksgiving/Hanukah/Christmas parties/shindigs/box-socials as it will set any mood you want, it’s open to interpretation. They finished their set with the meteoric ‘Separated By Motorways’ (made particularly poignant as me and my friends ARE) which had the atmospheric effect of setting of fireworks on stage and handing out sparklers. They were dazzling, they were shit-hot.

Easily one of 2007’s big live bands, not be missed. And who knows, maybe ‘Christmas Is Cancelled’ will get the release it so thoroughly deserves. Here’s hoping. It’s my Christmas Number One. And we’re only just into November.

Happy Hallowe'en Folks.

2006-10-31T18:41:00.000+01:00

There's not many Hallowe'en songs but some people still can't decide which is the best. Some say Thriller... some say Ghost Town...

For me and Pop Boy (or at least me), it has to be the in-no-way-suggestive Things That Go Bump In The Night by allSTARS*!

Go on! You KNOW you want it on the setlist for your Hallowe'en party.

And yes, the video is on Youtube...

Best. Thing. Ever.

2006-10-26T15:54:00.000+01:00

You may or may not have realised, but Lil Chris is the closest thing we have to a rockstar. In the whole wide world.

And now, he's covered Sexy/Back!

It needs to be heard to be believed. It's brilliant. He says what we're all thinking.

This Scene Is Dead

2006-10-26T14:12:00.000+01:00

OK, It's been far far far too long, but now it's time for a post I think. We've basked in our birthday glory long enough. Maybe.

I feel a rant coming on... oh yes. This time it's geared towards the 'New Rave' scene (unsurprisingly championed by NME). The main offenders in this scene are The Klaxons and Shitdisco. Indie Girl recommended the Klaxons' song 'Atlantis To Interzone' a while back, and I have to admit, I liked it. 'Atlantis To Interzone' was a screechy indie-dance song with a dangerous, adventurous edge to it. '4 Horsemen of 2012' on the other hand is just noise, and not even tuneful, well-organised noise. 'Golden Skans' sounds less new-rave than just a remix of a Snow Patrol song.

As a rule, I tend to like songs about ejaculation, 'Gravity's Rainbow', however leaves me less than excited. Much like 'Magick', there's a strong beat present, but it's not exactly a 'revival' or 'new' rave scene emerging. It's not even indie-dance at times. It's just indie songs with a beat over top of them. What makes it worse? The Klaxons are from the Greenwich/New Cross area, and are therefore at the moment, local heroes round ours. Brilliant!

I had the pleasure of seeing Shitdisco perform at my Student Union on Friday (I skipped Patrick of the Wolf for it!!). I can tell you, they live up to the name, but they sure as hell aren't disco... See what I did there?

Upon expressing my disgust someone turned to me and saId "yeah, but I've heard they're really good when you're on ket". Which says it all I think.

The problem with the 'revival' is that, firstly, it's a revival, playing on past ideas rather than developing new ones. Secondly, the need for a rave scene seems to exist as a way to cater for new drugs, rather than emerging because of a surge of new music. Thirdly, the music isn't really very good.

It must be said though, that one headfuck anthem about taking ketamine, 'Lost In The K-Hole' by Ali Love, particularly the Sebastian Remix is absolutely amazing. It's not exactly singing ketamines praises though. I wouldn't call Ali Love new rave, as he's more of a male M.I.A. than anything else. Saying that, if the Klaxons sounded as original and exciting as this, I'd be tempted to get lost in the K-Hole (except I wouldn't).

-------------------

Also...

I'm seeing the Long Blondes live on Saturday! Woop!

And the Sugababes (again) on Sunday.

You'd Never Guess....

2006-10-14T13:43:00.000+01:00

INDIE GIRL AND POP BOY ARE 1 YEAR OLD! THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE ARE LITERALLY ONLY BABIES, BUT THE BLOG IS CELEBRATING IT'S FIRST BIRTHDAY!

Our chosen cake:

And if you're wondering what to get us as presents well... some CDs?

Or maybe some tickets to gigs?

And you could throw us a party that looks like this:

(yes, it looks shit because I did it on MS paint but it took me FOREVER.)

Woo! Any birthday messages for us? Please leave them in the comments box!

"I Don't Wanna Hear, I Don't Wanna Know..."

2006-10-04T20:42:00.000+01:00

SORRY!

I've started uni now and although London is swinging (as promised), I haven't got internet in my room, and the connection in the library is dodgy. Hence the muteness.

God knows I'm trying to sort it out. If only for my own health. NO INTERNET SUCKS!

Return Of The Wolf.

2006-09-24T00:20:00.000+01:00

Yes, i've been away for forever but I 1. couldn't be bothered and 2. Actually have proper work to do almost every night. The nights that I don't are spent sleeping. That's how knackered I am. I've also not really been listening to that much modern music, really. Plus Pop Boy's posts are so fucking huge and full of actual thought-out content that there's hardly a point of me bothering. But anyway...

One of me and Pop Boy's favourite singer songwriters (even though it's mean to throw him in tha category and make him sound like a total Blunt) has returned. Patrick Wolf is, as many of you will know, one of the most interesting solo artists of this decade. His last two albums have combined folk, electronica and various other stylings to provide us with two slices of music brilliance.

And now he's back! His new album, "The Magic Position" is due out sometime in early 2007 (Feburary. Yes, that far away. Though it'll probably be out back even further. Bastards.) and his new single "Accident Emergency" is nothing short of ACE.

It's out next month and the video is currently being shown on NME.com. But because it's the NME and they're rubbish and make you register just to see the only thing you give a flying fuck about on their entire website, i'm going to provide the goods myself. Well not the video, but an mp3! Which is sort of better, because you can listen to it on other things like your big CD player or shiny new iPod, but you don't get to see Patrick clambering about with his nice new red hair. Hmm.*

DOWNLOAD! I apologise in advance to all you high bitrate fiends. The quality is a bit low (128kbps) but it's still listenable and that.

The song sees Patrick drift away from the folksy feel of the last album, "Wind In The Wires" and dabble once again with the electronic sounds of "Lycanthropy." But don't presume this sounds just like another track from that though. A leftover from the first album, no sir! This is lively and anthemic with added horns and electronic nonsense all over it. Catchy as well, which is something you don't usually say for Patrick.

*You can still go and watch the video if you want... I can't stop you. It's on Patrick's artist page.

Back To Basics Review

2006-09-19T11:49:00.000+01:00

In the 'Intro' we hear a man say "That's how music should sound". That's generally the point of the album, to make an album full of proper music it's OK to like and if you don't like it you don't music. Christina seems to sneer at her contemporaries and let's the phenomonal success of 'Stripped' go to her head. She thinks she's better than everyone else. With 'Makes Me Wanna Pray', I really want to believe her, as her voice is on top form and the song rocks my socks.

Then with 'Back In the Day' the true cuntiness of Christina's campaign is revealed as she namechecks every soul artist that everybody should like, hoping they can rub off on her. Whilst looking down her nose that her contemporaries who won't embrace an old sound, she sings "when the originators, innovators were alive". Which is ironic, as had she been around when these innovators had been around, she'd've sneered at them and adopted a more traditional sound, just as she is here.

'I Got Trouble' is the song played at the beginning of the 'Ain't No Other Man' video and is probably the most jazz filled soul-tastic moment of indulgence, in the middle of the second disc. I was actually pleased they kept the tinniness and static sound throughout. It adds to the authenicity of the song.

'Still Dirrty' seems to be Christina justifying her actions from the last album. She declares "I still got the dirrty in me", whilst wearing her polished Monroe-esque, blonde look. 'F.U.S.S.' then namechecks her songs from 'Stripped'. I don't know what point she's trying to prove here, perhaps that though her sound has changed, apparently, and she's grown, she's still that same person she was four years ago. She still carries the hurt around. And most importantly, she's still very good at the sex, but now she saves it for her husband. In contrast to the pain of 'Stripped', 'Back To Basics' is a much happier album.

For example lead single 'Ain't No Other Man' and 'Candy Man' are joyful celebrations of life and love and work the soul sound to perfection. 'Ain't No Other Man' has a kick to it, and is a horn-fest (in more ways than one!). 'Candy Man' is debauched Christina being retro to the extreme. This should be a single at some point. It hits every mark, it's sexy, it's retro, it's cool, it's naughty, it uses sweet-analogies and Aggy's vocals are on top form. 'Without You' is also a happy song about being loved up. Let's remember that since 'Stripped' Christina has found love and got married. But rather your typical Christina-let's-have-sex ballad, 'Without You' shows maturity and devotion.

'Understand' swings silkily with a Kanye West style annoying high pitched sample. However, though Christina claims to be going back in the day, 'Understand' and 'Slow Down Baby' really don't sound that far away from what she was doing anyway. Once you see past the pretentious sentiment, the album isn't half bad at all, 'Slow Down Baby' is another slinky number, this time empowered and uptempo.

As if 'Still Dirrty' wasn't enough to convince us that Christina is still dirty, we get an intrusion into her bedroom with 'Naughty Nasty Boy' in which Aggy sings "You want a taste of the sugar below my waist" and "put your icing on my cake". Which is just classy. Horns blast through out making the whole thing even more boudoir-esque. Quite frankly, I feel queasy. And remind me never to bake a cake with Christina.

'Hurt' is the next single. It's the obligatory inspirational, chilling, sensational, tortured ballad which pushes Christina's vocals to the limits. As I said, it's chilling and sensational full of strings and pianoes and pain. 'Save Me From Myself' is equally tortured, and beats 'Hurt', and just about any other Christina song ever, for vocals. Both so growth and progression from 'Beautiful' and 'The Voice Within'.

'Back To Basics' is 22 songs long (that's double 'B'Day') and is spread over two discs. Though two discs seems insane, one of the main complaints of 'Stripped' was that it went on for two long, that being 20 songs long (with interludes). It appears Christina is literally splitting an overly long album into two halves, making it more manageable. That has to be commended. The debate, however, is whether or not 22 songs are needed in the first place...

'Thank You' is amazing if you are one of the fans on it, I'd imagine, and it once again takes Christina back, even further this time, to 'Genie In A Bottle'. But it really could've been left for a bonus edition or re-issue. And surely a real 'Thank You' would be one you wouldn't have to pay for? The intros, 'Intro (Back To Basics)' and 'Enter The Circus' make for a great live show I'm sure, but again, aren't really necessary.

I'd've got rid of 'On Our Way' too. It's very similar melodically to 'Without You' and it's very nothingy. 'Here To Stay' and 'Mercy On Me' are the same. They are both non-entities of songs that we've heard before from Christina, her vocals were on top form, I can't deny her that, but the lyrics are very inspirational and cliche and the songs goes nowhere fast. And 'Mercy On Me' proves once and for all that Jesus should stick to alchemy and keep his nose out of pop music.

I could do without 'The Right Man' too. There's nothing fundamentally wrong with it at all, but at the end of disc 2, I just want the whole thing to end as soon as possible. It's about her marriage but she doesn't sound too pleased about it. Poor Jordan.

'Oh Mother' on Disc 1 is just 'I'm OK' rehashed. Not only is it about her abusive father, but it sounds practically the same. But whereas 'I'm OK' was shunted to the end of a 'Stripped', 'Oh Mother' sits in the middle of the album, drudging along, spoiling the arse-kicking joie de vivre of the rest of the album. Let's hope that the next abusive father song gets left on the cutting room floor.

It's obvious the two discs were used to combat listeners getting tired of a very long album. However next Christina should just use the 13 best tracks and make a short album rather than padding it all out with filler. If she were to do that, she might have a sensational album on her hands, but as she doesn't it's nothing more than "occaissionally promising but ultimately dissappointing". Which is a shame.

Best Songs: 'Ain't No Other Man', 'Candy Man', 'Slow Down Baby', 'Save Me From Myself', 'Hurt'

Question Of The Week...

2006-09-18T15:56:00.000+01:00

What do you get if you cross a Portuguese British-Columbian, a Welsh Opera singer and the biggest selling single of the year?

This, that's what...

It shouldn't work, but by jove it does.

FutureSex/LoveSounds Review

2006-09-16T15:27:00.000+01:00

With this new album Justin manages to establish himself as a proper rockstar and well and truly brings sexy back. The album oozes sex appeal, charms and sometimes works so hard that it sweats.

Now, it's a common theme in many songs and many albums but I've interpreted that FutureSex/LoveSounds is actually a concept album about the thing JT holds dearest; sex! More precisely, an one night stand... the first glances, the playful whispers, the flirting, the foreplay, the act itself right up to the consequences. Follow me as I try to explain Justin's little rock opera...

FutureSex/LoveSounds - The opening title track is about Justin preparing for the night out. Maybe sinking a few drinks in a bar before he hits the club. Checking out his comeptition and auditioning his horizontal dance partner for the night in his head.
Sexy/Back - Now JT hits the club and turns it on, eyeing up his prey and going in for the kill. "Go your sexy on" chants Timbaland as JT promises a night of S&M and good loving.
Sexy Ladies/Let Me Talk To You - JT now hits the floor and dances in order to lure his prey in. And of course, looking like Justin Timberlake means the floor is filled with sexy ladies for him to take his pick of. Then in 'Let Me Talk To You' we get a prelude to 'My Love' and Timbaland and more of JT's chums take over the narrative of this lad's night out. I assume this means JT is busy saying naughty things we're not supposed to hear or is kissing the ladies.
My Love - This is by far my favourite song on the album, and one the nearest times the album gets to a proper melody. Here Justin turns on the liquid charm and talks the girl into bed. JT isn't just graced with goodlooks - he has a gift of the gab too! Annoying rapper T.I. interrupts this song and almost sabotages it. There is a non-rap version which is lush.
LoveStoned/I Think She Knows... - In 'LoveStoned' JT manages to get his woman, well, stoned, or drunk, let's say high on both the contents of a yellow bottle and his charms. She falls into JT's 'trap'. 'I Think She Knows' is rather instrumental, a slowed down, reversed version of 'LoveStoned' in which Justin admits he's falling for the girl that's falling for him. The tone is less romantic and sexual and sounds more sombre, as if monogamy kills poor JT. JT and his girl leave the nightclub without saying a world.
What Goes Around.../...Comes Around - This is the fifth slash in six songs. Clearly JT likes a slash or two when making an album (guffaw!). This is the song which fits the concept the least, it's placing is definitely questionable. We either assume JT tells of being cheated on by his ex-girlfriend and learns that this lady has a boyfriend of her own. Or! He's singing to his ex-girlfriend, via the phone or some such. Or! This girl is his ex-girlfriend who cheated on him. I'm clutching at straws a bit, you have work with me.
Chop Me Up - Lesson of the day: Three 6 Mafia are rubbish. In this song JT has now got the girl home and is trying to seduce her, trying to make her go all the way. The music is once again slightly sombre, as if JT will die if he doesn't get any sex. Maybe of embarrassment. Timbaland's a man after our own heart. He wants a bit of sex, but first he wants to watch Desperate Housewives episode which he's taped.
Damn Girl - The obligatory Wil.I.Am song. Here, the girl obliges to the proposition put forth in 'Chop Me Up', and things get a bit wild. Spluttering "damn girl" JT is clearly a bit flustered. he can't believe his luck - this girl is going to break his hips. He's "got to put it down tonight" and step up his game. Weirdly, Wil.I.Am is present. Maybe he's filming it? This, much like 'My Love' is one of the few songs on the album that even closely resembles an actual song.
Summerlove/Set The Mood - At the close of 'Damn Girl' they do it. We join them a few weeks down the line, and they are still doing it (I think they stopped in between to eat and that). Despite the reserved feelings in 'LoveStoned', JT and his lady aren't sure if it is true love, but know it's something more than just the dirty ("I can't wait to fall in love with you...This just can't be Summerlove"). But they keep doing the dirty to prove that they love each other ("Do what I gotta do, Just gotta show you that I'm the one"). The whole of the Smmer is in the present tense, so we imagine moths passing as this song goes on. Then in 'Set The Mood', JT erm... sets the mood and gets all deep and profound. There will be sex, but it will be deep, profound sex. Why the sudden depth of charcater I wonder?
Until The End Of Time - JT promises to the girl until, well, the end of time... This is the song people still immature enough to have 'our songs' will have as 'their song'. Kids may well be concieved to this. We just don't know...
Losing My Way - Fast forward 5/10 years. The magic of the relationship is gone. JT is working a lousy job and has kids he never sees ("I'll probably never see the colour of my daughter's eyes"). And JT makes a plea to be saved from his life, as he fails at everything. This acts as a warning to the life of excessive youth and promiscuity.
(Another Song) All Over Again - JT has moaned and groaned, and had his vocals churned and looped throughout the album. So here he sings. Just sings. Showing off his amazing vocals. Showing that for all his conquests, it's his voice that's put him where he is, and will keep him there. This is a song of regret, "let me write another song... start all over again". I can imagine what he's done to ask for forgiveness for. I'm not sure where it fits in in context to the concept to be honest but maybe he wants to go back to 'Until The End Of Time' after boobing up, righting the wrongs that led him to 'Losing My Way'.

No, there isn't really a definite melody to the album, many of the songs are without one. But then, a lot of the songs are not intended to exist outside the album. Like all concept albums, there are songs that can be singles and stand up on their own and songs intended to move the whole thing along. And though the presence of Three 6 Mafia and T.I. do damage the album, it's only minimal scrapes rather than major internal bruising.
Admittedley, the concept doesn't fit perfectly on every track. But that's OK, as no concept album works beginning to end. I'm aware it's not actually a concept album, but it does read like a story.

The album is adventurous and bold. Proverbially, they say the proof of the pudding is in the eating. This pudding is rich, thick, creamy and indulgent. It's full of calories, it's good but it's 'bad'. But in it's indulgent there's a risk it could prove a bit sickly for some. Personally, I'm going for second portions.

Best Songs: 'Sexy/Back', 'My Love', 'LoveStoned/I Think She Knows', '(Another Song) All Over Again'

The Dutchess Review

2006-09-15T12:54:00.000+01:00

Fergie's 'The Dutchess' is an album with quite a lot of high expectations. Coming from world beating hip-pop band, Black Eyed Peas who've dominated American music this past year (is there an album Wil.I.Am hasn't featured on this year?) Fergie has a lot to live up to, facing a whole album all on her own.

'Fergalicious' opens the album and is shouted as Fergie's agenda, laying out her plans and telling us what to expect from the rest of the album. The only problem with this song is Wil.I.Am's interference and inability to spell as he shouts, "T to the A to the S-T-E-Y, TASTY".
'The Dutchess' is a very good album and it actually outclasses uber-slick 'B'Day' and 'FutureSex/LoveSounds'. 'Clumsy' is playful and carefree. Rather than letting the pressure drive her psycho as Beyonce did, Fergie appears to have just had a bit of fun. The whole album appears to have a relaxed, gentle feel to it and one imagines throughout that Fergie has her tongue firmly in cheek. With a wink and a smile.
'All That I Got' shows that Fergie does have an actually rather impressive voice, as she slows down and glides like silk through smooth romantic lyrics of sacrifice that somehow avoid being sickly sweet, as they could very easily be.
Beneath the insulting inaccuracies launch single 'London Bridge' is not a bad record in context (that being that it's a hip-hop song and there is a remix of the song that exists featuring King of Shite, 50 Cent) and I'm sure a song with that much innuendo some fans who want a taste salivating.
'Pedestal' carries on nicely 'London Bridge' with the actual traditional nursery rhyme sample: "your pedestal is falling down...". Here Fergie has a lot of attitude and doesn't show much sing as spit the vocal.

Juggling styles with a tremendous amount of ease, Fergie's turns her hand to jazz with the rousing 'Voodoo Doll' which once again, shows a combination of laidback ease and determination ot impress. In 'Mary Jane Shoes', Fergie treads on thin ice, she goes reggae. Going reggae should never be attempted by anyone. Ever. Fergie fairs well though due to some involvement from Rita Marley (though what that involvement is I have no clue). I think this is about drugs, hence the misspelling of Dutchess. It has a brilliant bit at the end of 'Mary Jane Shoes' that is just, wow! 'The Dutchess' is an impressive record that doesn't intimidate (B'Day), alienate (FutureSex/LoveSounds) or disappoint (Back To Basics) its listeners.

'Glamourous' features Ludacris and Fergie goes back to her familiar setting, singing duet with a rapper. But 'Glamourous' could not sound less like a BEP song. Neither could 'Here I Come' which features Wil.I.Am (the Kanal to Fergie's Stefani for sure?). Rather than being immediate songs for the dancefloor like the BEP and Wil.I.Am stuff, Fergie's songs seem more suitable for the after-show.
'Velvet', as the title would suggest, is the sex. Fergie's vocals again take on another level, going from screechy and loud to soft and gentle, gliding and dancing in the ears.

The tradition for all albums is to fill the end of the album with ballads. This applies to 'The Dutchess', though the ballads are anything but filler. 'Velvet' is followed by my favourite on the album, 'Big Girls Don't Cry (Personal)'. 'Big Girls' deals with growing up and is clearly aimed at Fergie's teenage audience, though rather sweetly there's a kind of innocence and reluctance to grow up that's a little bit lost on my generation I feel. 'Big Girls Don't Cry' sympathesises and understands that sometimes it's OK to cry, and says that there's nothing wrong with that.
If 'Big Girls' was the anthem to inspire, 'Losing My Ground' is the anthem to depress. Here it finds a grown-up Fergie of 'Big Girls' and finds herself lost and alone. Then it becomes clear that Big Girls Don't Cry, or more can't. This is song to give up to. 'Finally' sees Fergie transformed back to a six year old dreaming of a Cinderella fairytale, once again giving inspiration back to the deflated Fergie of 'Losing My Ground'.

The past few tracks have been quiet and low-key so Fergie needs to end in true Peas style with a lively one, don't you reckon? Well, that's just happens with 'Get Your Hands Up'. Wil.I.Am and Apl D of the Black Eyed Peas feature in it more than Fergie, and it's slightly contrived and neanderthal, but it's a hell of a lot of fun.

I have to say, I wasn't expecting a great deal from this album but it has fought it's way to the top of the pile as one of 2006's stronger albums, without doubt. Fifteen tracks long, not a single duffer, not a second too long, and still slots some nice bonus tracks on the end too. Buy it. Download it. Just make sure you hear it.

Best songs: 'Clumsy', 'Voodoo Doll', 'Big Girls Don't Cry (Personal)', 'Mary Jane Shoes'

Paris Review

2006-09-15T10:23:00.000+01:00

Paris is the girl it's OK to download. Afterall, it's not as if she needs the money. But don't download her, buy it and make a rich girl richer. The heiress whose tried everything and championed nothing. Now, Paris Hilton gets a lot of unnecessary shit. My standing on her is she's the embodiment of what used to be the American Dream, the manifestation of 'success' in the western world. Which is why I find it hard to understand why she gets so much shit. Criticising Paris is just criticising the entire western world. She shoudl be your idol, she's everything we've been told to idolise: who needs personality when you've got money and success? I'm not saying she's not vacuous, I'm just saying she's no more vacuous than we made her. There we go, my political rant over, let's review the album...

I feel a bit sorry for Ol' Pazza as I do admire her, and a significant chunk of her album is amazing (no, really). Unfortunately lead single 'Stars Are Blind' with it's UB40 sample is not only the worst song on the album, but it's also one of the worst songs of the year. As a result, many people may dismiss her and not give her a chance. What's worse, 'Turn It Up', the album opener, trudges tirelessly along and never becomes the it promises. Then we get 'Fighting Over Me' which features Fat Joe and Jadakiss (who I think were desperate to collaborate with Paris, she reluctnatly accepted). In this song, the 'theme' (two rappers arguing over one girl) shows promise, but once again Paris falls flat on her arse. And unlike Beyonce, when Paris' songs fall on their arse, she hasn't got the voice to save them.

Four tracks in however, we stumble upon one of the finest pop moments of the year, 'I Want You'. It samples the Grease theme, which is a master stroke all of it's own but it also has a killer chorus, handclaps and Paris' voice is squished through the machine enough times to suit the song. Next up is 'Jealousy'. I apologise, but I don't follow the gossip columns, but is this about Nicole Ritchie? Did they fall out? Should I care? 'Jealousy' is such a Paris song, suiting her much more than many of her other songs, as only someone as vacuous and self-centred as Paris could ever sing this. And once again, the chorus is killer.

'Nothing In This World' is another of pop's finer moments too, sounding very much like a Kelly Clarkson (with significant difference in vocal range). The "da, da, da, da, da, da, da" bits are gneius, and will stay with you forever and follow you around. 'Screwed' is impossible to get out of your head. I'm glad this ended up on the album, because even though it's been leaked on the internet since 1852, it's still a top-class pop song. It has an irresistible kick and bounce to it. And it has the greatest middle eight in the history of pop too. FACT! There's at all wrong with 'Heartbeat' either. It's a bit slow, but it's utterly charming. Shame that Paris' struggling vocals can't quite pull it off.

'I'm Not Leaving Without You' is the sort of track I was expecting from Paris. Dancepop with a nudge, a wink and a "come get me" smile. It sounds like 'I Feel Love' in a blender with the Dixie Chicks being sung by a drunken, oversexed socialite. This was what I was expecting, and an album full of this would've been no bad thing.

Then the album is bookended by Paris' cover of Rod Stewart's 'Do You Think I'm Sexy?'. The song is about as sexy as my granddad's speedos I'm afraid. I assume it's ironic, or supposed to be, but then when as irony ever been an excuse for being shit?

I really wanted this album to shut people up and be brilliant as it'd be one in the eye for culture pretentiousness. Essentially, Paris is great album. It has some belting songs that if sung by someone with more credibility and a stronger voice, would rule the world and be number ones the world over. But this is Paris Hilton, who wouldn't know self-awareness or subtlety if it slapped her in the face.

As a result she tries too much and gets confused as to the sound she wants. 'Fighting Over Me' and 'Stars Are Blind' are obviously meant for a 'cooler' R&B market, 'Screwed' and 'I'm Not Leaving Without You' are dance stormers and 'I Want You' is unadulterated pure pop. The album, and Paris herself, are confused and unsure, never quite deciding one a specific direction or sound that leaves the whole album sounding, forgive me, higgledy piggledy. Which is a shame, as a couple of storming songs end up getting wasted on a flat, fumbling album.

Best Songs: 'I Want You', 'Screwed', 'Nothing In This World'

B'Day Review

2006-09-14T09:10:00.000+01:00

This is the first of six reviews of American pop titans. Coming soon are Paris, Fergie, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera and Jessica Simpson. But first, to the Queen of R&B-sub-pop, Beyonce. 'B'Day' is the follow up to 2003's dissappointing 'Dangerously In Love'. 'B'Day' needed to be brilliant to justify Beyonce's hype and status in America. 'B'Day' was produced and put together in just two weeks. I can't help thinking that this is Ms Knowles anticipating making the excuse "sorry, it's not very good, but it's not bad for two weeks, eh?". Fortunately she needn't make excuses for this album, well, the first half at least.

First single 'Deja Vu' has been all over the place over the last month and is a duet with Jay-Z, with whom she's previously released her smash 'Crazy In Love' and '03 Bonnie & Clyde'. Jay-Z also makes an pops up on 'Upgrade U' which might be decent if it wasn't so smug and self-satisified. I always get the impression that Beyonce has some mental health problems that cause her to scream like a banshee mid-song, but as this album goes on to prove, these are her finest moments. In 'Deja Vu' she's possibly her most mental yet, with her insanity and infatuation growing as the song develops. She's moderately sedated in 'Get Me Bodied' which brings her sound closer to classic, sassy pop. Once again though, spazzy booty shaking dancing is required. 'Suga Mama' is awesome, containing brilliant lyrics carrying a very retro sub-jazz-pop sound that is similar to Christina's 'Ain't No Other Man', calling on horns and guitar lashes. 'Upgrade U' has an erratic beat that bounces around jovially with the occaissional whistle but all in all at this point Beyonce seems to have clamed down a bit...

It's all just the calm before the storm however as we meet 'Ring The Alarm', by far Beyonce's best work yet, and a total schizophrenci, paranoid, bunny-boiling mind-fuck. The record doesn't quite do justice to the live performances of this song. The same is true for 'Green Light' which, live, is a scream filled fun-fest to shake your booty to but on the record is really tame. Perhaps they exist purely to be performed.

Excluding 'Freakum Dress', the final chapter to Beyonce's trilogy of insanity, a total maneating fest, the second half of the album is a lame duck. 'Kitty Kat' is squished between 'Ring The Alarm' and 'Freakum Dress', perhaps as a kind of neutraliser, whatever it's purpose, it's submissive and tame. The album is finished with 'Irreplaceable' and 'Resentment', which is a Victoria Beckham cover, which are slow, languid R&B dross that really cancel out the brilliance of the earlier songs. The latter half of the album reeks of two weeks work. Infact, it doesn't sound like two hours was spent on 'Irreplaceable'.

I can't help but think that this album would be much better if Beyonce had laid off the Ritalin and continued her crazy spazziness to the end. Still, there are some very good songs on the album, even if there are some very bad ones. Having five duffers on a fifteen track album might be excusable, but to have five duffers on a ten track album smacks of lack of effort.

Best Songs: 'Deja Vu', 'Ring The Alarm', 'Freakum Dress'

Something Kinda New!

2006-09-12T11:13:00.000+01:00

Yes! I'm a genius!

So, the new Girls Aloud single is very good isn't it?

Much more instant for me than a lot of their previous stuff. Sounding like 'The Show', 'Wake Me Up' and 'Waiting' put in a blender with C&C Music Factory's 'Gonna Make You Sweat' (which is sampled/stolen in the intro).

In fairness, it's none to similar to any Girls Aloud song before, which is weird, because it has 'Girls Aloud' stamped all over it. A definite change of direction from the singles from 'Chemistry', perhaps dampening any rumours that the release of the Greatest Hits signals the end.

The C&C Music Factory sound and the fact that the whole chorus rhymes with "oooh" gives the song a very old-skool, 90s-ish feel. It has a very generic dance-pop feel to it, but of course, this is Girls Aloud, so it's never generic, as they are bloody geniuses. I can imagine this getting played lots in club land though, it's their most dancey and accessible single by far.

Anyway, let's not beat around the bush. Here's a very tinney bad quality rip I did. You'll have to crank the bass up as well because it's quite quiet. But you should get the general gist of it...

Something Kinda Oooh!

Easy Money!

2006-09-08T14:42:00.000+01:00

This is Pete from BB's bands MySpace, Daddy Fantastic. I don't even need to comment, just click the link and let the music speak for itself. Pete could well be the next Nichola Holt...

You can also hear a clip of Spiral's 'Finglas' on YouTube. I pray for Dublin that this isn't their 'response' to 'LDN'. Then there's 'So Sexy', which was on BBLB. Watch out Eminem!

New My Chemical Romance Song Verdict: Actually Really Good

2006-09-08T11:56:00.000+01:00

No really.

Panic! At The Disco and, to a lesser extent, Fall Out Boy proved earlier this year that the line between pop and emo is a very thin one indeed. Infact, the same people who are emos now wanted to be Hannah or Jon from S Club 7 seven years ago. I wouldn't be surprised if Brendan Urie had such aspirations. It's all very reactionary and everything.

But here come My Chemical Romance with a 'new look', which means Gerard Way has had a haircut, a 'new sound', which actually is quite new, well the one new song is. 'Welcome To The Black Parade' starts off sounding as if it's a Rufus Wainwright song (yes - Rufus!) then goes into Queen, then goes back to their familiar emo style, then back to Queen again.

Of course, it still sounds like them. There are the perfunctory emo screams and drums-o-rama and the trademark MCR sound. A good deal of the lure of emo music is the o-t-t theatrics and imagery, which is why I'm not afraid to make bold Rufus comparisons, as his charm is very much the same, but here the sound and theatrics seem to be being read from the same songbook. The lyrics ("one day I'll leave you a phantom to lead in the summer to join the black parade") are typically theatrical and dark (I refuse to say gothic for fear Poe will spin in his grave), and, in true MCR are anthemic enough to have emo-kids across the world rising up and 'dancing' and toying with sub-suicidal-metaphors.

But the guitars sweeping underneath the craziness sound as powerful and lingering as those of Queen, so after they've cried the mascara from their eyes the emo kids might want to don a glittery catsuit and grow a moustache (that's one fashion accessory the emo girls can't pioneer!). Or at least they might start to consider wearing something other than black.

Also: Is there anyone out there who likes My Chemical Romance whose older than me? I mean, do thirty-somethings like it and that?

Spanish Pop

2006-08-26T10:51:00.000+01:00

I've just spent a week in Espana! Ibiza seemed to be as educational music wise as sticking on a Ministry of Sound compilation. Good old Catalonia was considerably better and I picked up a bit of Spanish Pop for my 'troubles'. I also bought an original vinyl of Kate Bush's 'The Kick Inside' from 1978 which I am in love with.

My first dip into Spanish pop was a rather tragic compilation called SuperVerano 2006 (Super Summer to you). It is tragic firstly because it's cover versions done by a band called La Banda El Diablo (well, quite). In fairness, of the originals I've heard, these versions don't sound too far away. But of course La Banda El Diablo may have slight artistic license, so the songs do begin to sound the same which I suspect may be down to the music itself. Also, it's very cheap sounding, but then it was only 5 euro, so it kind of was.

The most exciting song on the compilation is the (very close) cover of David Tavare's 'Summerlove', which Shakira and La Furtado aside, has been the 'exitos del verano' (that's hit of the summer to you). Incidentally, you can't move for 'Hips Don't Lie' and 'Te Busque' on Spanish radio, it's as if there's a law to play one or other every two songs. Back to 'Summerlove', it's Spanglish, as all the best Spanish pop is, and is the tale of well, summer love (duh!). It's very dancey and very Ibiza.

Another (Otra!) interesting song is Raul Paz's 'El Beso' ('The Kiss'). Not so much for the song, but the woman covering it who splutters it out in such a fabulous middle-aged Spanish could've-been singer lady way.

Reasonably self mocking is Batuka's 'Chi-Ka-Cha', clearly from the Las Ketchup school of shitting on the graves of Dali and Picasso and whoring out Spain with ditsy stupidity for a quick buck. The song is like Spanish Marvin & Tamara (remember them?), but twice as cheesy and no-where near as good. Not only is it offensive to Spain, it's offensive to pop.

Currently riding high in the singles chart is RBD, a band formed by actors from a TV show, 'Rebelde' set in a boarding school, like Miami 7 meets The OC meets Mexico. Now, they are Mexican, and as a result that makes them as Spanish as Usher is English (sorry Spain!). But, they are brilliant 90s style top pop sung in Spanish, so I picked up their album, 'Rebelde'.

A six piece (three boys, three girls) outfit in their school uniforms (when they are blatently in their twenties - ace!) singing boy-girl, girl-boy songs vaguely reminiscent of when *allStars and Steps were really good. It just couldn't fail to win my heart could it?

Debut single 'Rebelde' (yes, the same title as the album and the TV show) is a mid-tmepo affair which has it's quiet parts and it's fast parts. My favourite single of the album is 'Futuro Ex Novio' ('Future Ex-Boyfriend') is slightly rocky and sung entirely by the boys. It has ice-cream van style chime in the chorus, and has lines ending in "No comprender" and "Un momento", which I sort of vaguely understand. In fairness, the album doesn't really contain a duffer. Like all albums of this style, it has understated moments and it has it's "pow!" moments, but it never registers below brilliant.

I 'read' about RBD in a Smash hits style teen magazine and thought one of the boys (Alfonso Herrera) looked fit. Then the album pictures revealed that the one I thought was fugly (Christian Chavez) who colours his hair (like that one out of Aqua!) is actually quite fit and Alfonso is a bit iffy. This is the album photo that swung it. Confusing Spanish Pop!

Then I dipped my fingers into 'Spanish Britney', Natalia's 2006 album 'Nada Es Lo Crees' (vague pigeon translation: 'Not What It Seems'). The phrase '____ Britney' or '_____ Madonna' are bandied around in euro-pop far too lazily and is often in '___ Madonna's case, far off. However 'Britney' seems to mean, "washed up, ex-popstar who had a few very good singles but lots of bad albums and is a bit of a chav". I think the phrase is supposed to refer to 1999/2000 Britney when it meant "bird who sings who is a bit fit". So how does Natalia compare to Britney?

Hurrah! 'Nada Es Lo Crees' is a proper pop album. Worringly, the first great through-and-through pop album I've heard all year. Britney would kill for this K-Fed for this kind fo material. Opening track, 'Loco Por Mi' ('Crazy For Me') almost me think "Britney-who?", a stellar, sock-knocking-off 2006 pop song.

Of course, I don't 'habler' Espanol, but I get the idea that the title track is vaguely scathing, from the title, delivery and atmosphere of the song. One of those typical "it's so hard being young, rich and famous", 'aware', "I hate the media" songs. The obvious comparison is 'My Prerogative', which it shits on. From a great height.

'Por Ti [Call Me]' is amazing. It's one of my favourite songs of the year and it's crying out to be heard. Those lucky Spanish.

The whole album contains that sub-rock, sub-dance, sub-latin vibe that was really popular at the turn of the cenury, but that's not to make it sound dated. The album is as 2006 as "who is she!? where did you find her!?". It's sticks to what it's good at and stays with a continuous sound that never fails but avoids being samey. It's a culmunation of everything 2001 pop was and could've been ('No Fui Yo [Let's Get Wild]' even puts the Lumidee clap to good use).

Were this album sung in English it would your album of the year. I'm serious. In fact, rather promisingly, the credits seem to credit 7 of the 12 songs as being adapted from (I'm assuming) English. So if only we could adapt the other 4 songs (the other one's an intro), we've got the next Rachel Stevens album?

Natalia asks Britney who? Christina who? Shakira who? Ladies and gentlemen, this is our new icon.

She's a bit fit too, innit?

So I feel I've really tasted just a little bit of what Spain has to offer. Next time you visit those crazy Iberians, make sure you don't just go home with prickly heat and a sangria-induced-hangover.

Pop Boy's Summer Compilation Thingy 2006

2006-08-14T15:37:00.000+01:00

Indie Girl and Pop Boy is not an .mp3 blog (or an .m4a blog). But I was going to write about the perfect CD-R for this summer. Then I thought it would be a nice gesture to make it available for you to download so that you can listen, share and reflect. It all should fit onto a CD-R even though it's in two zip files. It's not copyright infringement, it's simply an advanced pop-music community thing. Or something.

Unfortunately, the sun isn't out. It's practically winter in fact. But, we can pretend a bit.

So here it is, then 'perfect' summer compilation, that I've lovingly named 'Shaking Like A Cool Lemonade'...

Girls Aloud - Long Hot Summer
The title of the compilation is lifted from this amazing Girls Aloud which really came into it's own when the sun came out. You've all heard it already, so I won't tell you about it. But, in case you've forgotten, it features the Nadine rap! which well and truly puts Dr Dre and his proteges in the shade.
Watch the video here.

The Banana Splits - Tra Tra La Song
This tune is currently being used by McDonalds in a recent ad campaign. But don't let that put you off. This psychedelic Hanna-Barbara theme is the very essence of summer; bouncy, fun and utterly ridiculous. If it doesn't have you throwing your arms around and finger clicking, then you have a heart of stone.
Watch the video here. It is a little bit scary.

Syreeta - Harmour Love
This song is gorgeous, and was originally recorded for the 1977 album 'One To One' but gained popularity again when it fetaured in 2005 film 'Junebug'. And yes, that is Stevie Wonder singing backing vocals, as Syreeta and he were married for 18 months in 1970 (their collaborative relationship lasted much longer). Syreeta died in 2004, but her legacy lives on with this song which seems to have been made for sunshine and lemonade, for those really lazy, laid back days for although it is relaxed, it's also tremendously upbeat.
Watch a Junebug/Syreeta video here.

Similou - All This Love
Technically, this should've been last year's summer anthem, as it released in it's native Sweden back in spring 2005. But we know the Swedes have a sixth sense for this kind of thing and although we may have had to wait 15 months for it to arrive over here, that's nothing compared to how long we've waited for Robyn. The song contrasts aching vocals and lyrics (which are actually quite painful) with perky melodies that just make you want to dance and throw up your arms.
Watch the video here.

Moloko - Sing It Back
Another blast from the past, this time from way back in 1999. 1999 was a great summer for music ('Red Alert', 'Livin' La Vida Loca') but this song remains as good as it was then. It's so summery it actually ice cream, I'm sure of it. This came into it's own particularly when I was in Ibiza on a boat from the south of the island to the north. As we cruised past the coast and saw people on the beaches and the rugged cliffs this song really just seemed to fit.
Watch the video here.

Cooler Kids - All Around The World
This song was featured in The O.C. in one of the first episodes I seem to remember, unfortunately it was omitted from the subsequent OC Mix albums. But it is on Cooler Kids' album 'Punk Debutante' which is packed with similar gems. Again, this is a bit ludicrous and silly at times, but it is one for the movers and shakers. Quite frankly, no DJ worth anything would dare omit it from their summer setlist.
Watch the video here.

Dandy Warhols Vs Mousse T - Horny As A Dandy
Another song from 1999, this time mashed up with a 2000 indie tune. This really shouldn't work, at all, but somehow it does. The addictive strum of the Dandy Warhols mixed with summer supremo Mousse T and vocalists Hot 'N' Juicy. HRNK! Embrace the summer horn!
Watch the video here.

Rogue Traders - Voodoo Child
Of course this is Izzy from Neighbours, who else could make something so brilliant and random? Again, this was floating around last year and has taken a whole year to arrive on the shores of Blighty, but better late than never. It almost makes people forget that soapstars turned popstars are supposed to be rubbish. And it's the soundtrack to heated games of strip pontoon everywhere, do I twist do I fold? Taken from the sensational album 'Here Comes The Drums...'
Watch the video here.

Nelly Furtado - No Hay Igual
Easily one of the best songs on 'Loose' and a song I put up for download I love it so much. Everybody needs this steamy Spanish banger in their life. It almost redeems Portugal (Nelly is Portuguese-Canadian but the song is Spanish) for the football (I said almost). Booty shaking done latino style.
Watch the song over the 'Promiscuous' video here.

The Kooks - She Moves In Her Own Way
The Kooks are brilliant, everyone knows that, after all they are the British band of 2006. Luke Kook is a bit of a hotty too, which, I'll be honest, always helps. The jaunty strumming of this song is just amazing. The video is filmed in Mexico, and they sit on a roof with a guitar and that's about it. This is the kind of song you can sit on a roof with a guitar to or just do absolutely fudge-all to. Maybe tap your toes a bit and do other Kook-ish things like look really cool and admire your own scenester-ness. This is about as indie as the compilation gets I'm afraid. If you want more Kooks then buy the album, 'Inside In Inside Out'.
Watch the video here.

Kelis - Till The Wheels Fall Off
The more I hear from Kelis' new album, 'Kelis Was Here', the more excited I get. 'Bossy' was a bit of a grower, and 'Fuck Them Bitches' isn't overly charming. This song, however, is an instant
favourite. It's about having a big long road trip and the melody bounces along like an L-reg Fiat Punto on it's way to Blackpool. Which I think is the exact sound Kelis was aiming for.

Kioki - Do & Don't For Love
The interwebnet isn't showing any information for Kioki, but maybe I'm looking in the wrong place. All I can find is the video. I seem to remember they were Dutch/Japanese and that this was first released a few years ago. It's all very cutesy and electronic. The video features a little toy baby crawling around toyland in stop-motion style and he ends up in a scary graveyard then he flies off in a bubble. The director may have been on drugs, I wouldn't like to say. But ignoring all that, it's an absolutely brilliant song and one of my all-time favourites. Enjoy!

Puppini Sisters - Sway
Last year it was the Pussycat Dolls, this year it's the turn of British Andrews Sisters impersonators Puppini Sisters to cover 'Sway'. No-one knows where 'Sway' comes from, legend has it was first heard being sung by God when he made summer. It wouldn't be summer without 'Sway'. This version is a little bit more melancholic than previous versions and a lot of the Sisters other material from the album 'Betcha Bottom Dollar' (including that version of 'Wuthering Heights' that is either the greatest thing ever made or the worst I can't quite decide). I still think the version Suranne Jones did on Star In Their Eyes is the best version (I just wish I could find it on YouTube!).
Learn the dance here.

Paolo Nutini - Loving You
Paolo Nutini is brilliant, I think that was established a while back. And it's OK for him to be huge because he's ace and he's not the next James Blunt, as that's James Morrison. What I've heard of his album 'These Streets' is all pretty fab and in much the same style, but this song is particularly summery. Paolo's vocals melt over the smolderingly lyrics.
Watch a makeshift video here.

The Pipettes - Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me
I don't think the Pipettes need much of an introduction, everybody knows they are brilliant. I'd take their album, the album of the year, 'We Are The Pipettes' to the beach with you for sure. Rays of sunshine beam out of the speakers, I could included any of the album tracks, but I decided with this one as it's particularly angsty and bolschy and rar! One to wear vintage swimming costumes to.
Watch the video here.

Zero 7 ft. Sia - You're My Flame
This is the third single from Zero 7's third album 'The Garden' and it's one of their finer moments, even if it is a departure from their traditional sound. The lyrics could be 'Humpty Dumpty' and Sia would still triumph and make it incredibly sexy. However, the lyrics are about goofing around when you really shouldn't and putting fun above everything else. Which is surely the essence of summer holidays?
There are no videos for this song, but there is the 'Destiny' video, which is just as good. Watch that here.

Rachel Stevens - Crazy Boys
This isn't a traditional summer song. It doesn't sound anything like a typical summer song. It was dark undertones that are more at home at Hallowe'en than 'high'-August. But it does work. Trust me. Richard X waves his magic wand again. I think this song became a summer song for me when I listened to it whilst perving at hotties on the beach under dark sunglasses in Ibiza. I'm not sure it was X's intial intention, but it fits that purpose perfectly.

Chelo - Cha Cha
I thought this would be THE song of the summer, and to a certain extent it was. It was No.1 Download from iTunes on the Latin charts. Borrowing elements from latin music, throwing in a pinch of pop all rapped over by Puerto-Rican hip-hop artist, Chelo (with handclaps for the beat), 'Cha Cha' is almost a work of art. It works on every level. And they really need to hurry up and release it over hear or it'll have to wait until next summer for it to be huge. From the album '360'.
Watch the English video here, and if you really feel up to it, the Spanish video here.

Fonseca - Hace Tiempo
More proper latino music, this time from Columbia. The album 'Curazon', from which this is taken went double platinum in Columbia last year. This is proper latin, not gimmicky latin or sub-latin or so forth, and it's very very good and has an authentic sound to it. It's very jaunty and almost as booty-shaking as 'No Hay Igual'.
Watch a live performance here.

Josh Hoge - Work That Body
I meant to do a post on Josh Hoge a while back after hearing a few tracks from his upcoming album, 'Call It What You Want', all of which were rather ace. This song, about perving on women dancing, is particularly brilliant. It's about dancing and has a very American rock-pop sound to it, with Josh sounding a lot like JC Chasez with his falsetto vocals.
Watch a short live performance here.

Justice Vs Simian - We Are Your Friends
Undoubtedley the dance anthem of the summer I think (not that stupid David Guetta Vs Egg one). Yes, it does grate on me a bit after a while, but it'd be foolish and stupid not to include it.
Watch the video here.

I'm From Barcelona - We're From Barcelona
This is Swedish, contrary to the name. Being Swedish it is, of course, absolutely fabulous. The "na na na na" chants are very summery. Much like the Pipettes and the Puppini Sisters it has a certain retro sound but also has a very contemporary sound at the same time. I've just came from Barcelona-ish (Catalonia) as well so it's sort of kind of appropriate, except I went to not came from Barcelona, but meh!
Watch the brilliant, squee-tastic video here.

Venga Boys - We're Going To Ibiza
Because I went. And this is just an amazing song. Yes it's silly and yes it's trashy, so colour me trashy. Remember when records as wonderful and fun as this could get to number one?
Watch the video here.

And here are the zips for you. I think some of songs may be in both file. But, I'm an idiot, deal with it...

Part 1
Part 2

--Also, I wrote this before I went to Catalonia, hence why there's no Natalia or RBD--

Questions Of The Week...

2006-08-09T12:15:00.000+01:00

What the fuck is Fergie's 'London Bridge' about?
How come everytime he comes around her London London Bridge wanna go down? I just don't get it. When I heard her debut solo single was called 'London Bridge' I figured it would be in the vein of 'LDN' or The Smith's 'Panic', or would sample nursery rhyme "London bridge is falling down".

But I can't figure out the imagery? Is she thinking of Tower Bridge, implying that her lady part is like a bascule? Even then, surely the idea, or imagery, would suggest that you'd want your 'London Bridge' to go up? This is all very confusing.

Maybe her lady part is sinking an inch every 8 years. Maybe her male friend is Saxon Kind Ethelred (I'm not one to judge)?

More to the point: What the fuck does the song have to do with London?
Other than the dancing guards, the phone boxes at the beginning and the -duh- Tower Bridge at the end, there doesn't appear to be much London-ish, or even English in the video, and it's certainly not in the song. I don't even think the video was filmed in London. That river they're speedboating in isn't the Thames is it? Where's the sewage spray?

Whatever, clearly, Fergie is an idiot.

Is Jamelia's song supposed to sound like all her other songs with guitars thrown in?
Because it does.

'Something About You' is basically a rocked up 'Thank You' with guitars isn't it? I'm all for artists sticking with what they know works for them (it stops things like this happening) but that's not quite the point is it?

Jamelia's turning into a black solo female Westlife from Birmingham. Weirdly, that image does work, because often, when I think of Jamelia's material, I think of stools.

What the fuck is up with 'Sexy/Back'?
Much like Fergie's 'London Bridge', 'Sexy/Back' doesn't appear to be about anything? Does Justin like it up the bum? Does Justin like doing up the bum? Does he have a back fetish? These are, of course, all literal interpretations (and wishful thinking).

The randomness of the song remains though. The song contains only one verse and a chorus that's repeated three times. The rest of the song consists of Justin and Timbaland repeating the same line over and over. All of this over a bassline that sounds like 'Popcorn' being attacked by 'Like I Love You'. All this being said, I do love the song.

I've tried to interpret the lyrics, but I think it's a pointless excercise as this is clearly a song that has no meaning and makes no sense, much like Russian t.A.T.u songs. Maybe in some far off land 'Sexy/Back' does make sense. That's nice for them. In the meanwhile I think we should all dance.

Plus, he looks very hot in the video. He also looks hot in the video for equally weird 'Featuring Timbaland' song, 'Promiscuous' by Nelly Furtado, which is a little less successful in its Timba-randomness and ends up as a messy dirge.

Has Robbie Williams crossed the line between 'zany and innovative' and 'drugged up has-been' one too many times?
A lot has happened since I last wrote anything. All of ^ this ^ for a start. But also, Official Laughing Stock of the British Media has emerged from in between the legs of a beautiful woman long enough to record and release a new 'song' (though, judging by the quality, he wasn't up for air for very long).

In words of Maximo Park's Paul Smith: "write a review? well how objective can I be?", But, I'll try. I'll give 'Rudebox' one thing, I do actually quite like the bridge. But all in all it adds to another of Robbie's lost lives. 'Radio' was, plainly, a pile of shite trying to jump on the 80s revival bandwagon. 'Trippin'' tried desperately and failed tragically to be 'What You Waiting For?'.
Here 'Rudebox' seems to have stolen a half arsed bleepy beat that Robbie found whilst rooting around in Richard X's bins, thrown in the token 'generic rapper call outs and hand claps' and decided to rap over it.

If Eminem were dead, he'd be spinning in his grave to hear this white-man rap, which namechecks TKMaxx, Durex and Adidas and could've been written by a dyslexic four year old. The video, which I'm not going to YouTube link, because I don't want to, may have stood a good chance of being cool in 2003, if Robbie were Nelly. Unfortunately, it's 2006 and he's not (someone ought to tell him).

Once again, in an attempt to keep up with pop music and appear cool and innovative, Robbie falls flat of his pug face, and embarrasses himself and anyoen whose ever bought a record of his.

Oh my Lordi.

2006-08-05T15:56:00.000+01:00

As people may well know, Lordi happen to be the winners of this year's Eurovision Song Contest.

They look like this.

They are famous enough for fans to kick up a fuss when they were pictured in a Finnish magazine without their Halloween costume disguise as well.

And we all know that they have the ability to be quite amusing... in Hard Rock Hallelujah with their reinventions of words to make them "RAWK!" and now in one of the funniest songs i've ever heard.

Prepare Your Ears For The Joy That is "The Devil Is A Loser!"

Thank you Lordi for being so unintentionally (?) hilarious.

(And yes, I realise this is quick becoming a "mp3 and youtube link" blog but meh. It entertains you readers. And it's not like I actually have any writing talent in the first place. FREE MP3s PEOPLE!)

Here They Go Again...

2006-08-04T04:14:00.000+01:00

They just can't stop.

(oh, and incase you don't know or hadn't guessed. This is Ok Go, but this time the song playing is called "Here It Goes Again")

Woop!

2006-07-29T12:26:00.000+01:00

See you next week.

I'll try to hunt for some Spanish Pop.

A holiday treat for you

Crushed.

2006-07-28T16:20:00.000+01:00

I thought i'd give our wonderful readers a little pop treat. Me and Pop Boy don't post mp3s very often and you, lovely people, tune into our blog merely for our writings. And we thank you.

Attached is a new* track by Annie called "Crush". I'm not quite sure if this the single version of this song or a remix or what, but it's good!

Enjoy!
And The BPI can fuck off because it's available for free download from Annie's MySpace. I'm just saving people time.

*I don't know if it's new. It might be an old b-side or something. But it's not from the old album, and I reckon that's "new" enough.

Pop Boy Does Sugababes v3.0: The Movie

2006-07-27T12:59:00.000+01:00

Yes, Dougie is that sad...

Scissor and LEAK Soup.

2006-07-23T17:41:00.000+01:00

It seems "I Don't Feel Like Dancing" has leaked then. At "the place where everything leaks."

Very 70's, quite Elton (don't despair because it's also...) quite ELO (Yay! I mean, Xanadu! People!) and The Nolans (one of them's a Loose Woman!) It even has laser noises! The irony of the track is that it does make you want to dance muchly! I'm just gleeful that they're alive. And that the album is only what... 2 months away now. Just come on!

The fact that this song is impressive is really quite reassuring as another leaked track which has came into my possession (The Killers "When We Were Young" ... Brandon Flowers' attempt at being Bruce Springsteen. Complete with dodgy tache.) is a bit meh indeed.

Don't Believe The Hype.

2006-07-16T18:00:00.000+01:00

Well, it seems that pop is not dead. Far from it... the good old 90s pop that we knew and loved is gone but now we have brand spanking new, credible pop that we can enjoy. Pop music is even being bigged up in music magazines and being liked by those evil arsey music snobs that normally turn their nose up at anything that they don't class as proper music.

I will now talk about two of the acts that are apparantely destined for big things and are capturing the hearts of the nation. Sort of.

BELIEVE THE HYPE: The Pipettes

The Pipettes are the faux 60's girl group that it's almost impossible to hate. They're so cutesy that it hurts. But not only that, but they produce some decent tunes an'all... namely Pull Shapes and Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me. Summer flavoured tunes that just make you want bop around your house in retro clothing, quite literally pulling shapes. It's impossible to feel glum whilst listening to the joyful, uptempo beats of The Pipettes. Listening just feels like eating the World's sweetest polka-dot lollipop. Guaranteed fun, Summery listening.

The Pipettes album "We Are The Pipettes" is released tomorrow (Monday 17th July) Click here to order from Amazon.

DON'T BELIEVE THE HYPE: Lily Allen

Well, y'know. She's alright! (Still!) Smile is number one, and is a great tune. But after hearing a few more of Lily's songs, I'm unsure over whether she deserves the praise she's getting. They're nice enough tunes, but I don't really see what the fuss is about. They're summery alright, in a more laid back way, which doesn't get explored very far, leaving the style of each track a bit samey. I still think she's good, but I don't see why even all those Blunts at the NME are practically wetting themselves with excitement over her.

But! If you agree with Pop Boy or just really like Lily Allen and really couldn't give a fuck about my opinion of her, here to order her album "Alright, Still" which is also released tomorrow.

[OK, I promise not to mention Lily Allen and her amazingness again for a while, promise. But. If you head over to LilyAllenMusic.com and pop your email in the box at the top then you can download for free a totally legitimate and legal 9 minute teaser featuring snippets of all the album tracks mashed together. As you imagine, 'tis fucking brill! Sorry, I'll leave alone now - PB]

Sugababes v3.0 Live!

2006-07-15T11:45:00.000+01:00

Freak Like Me/Round Round/It Ain't Easy/Acoustic Medley: Shape, Stronger/I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor/Ugly/Run For Cover/Too Lost In You/Obsession/Overload/Red Dress/Hole In the Head/Push The Button

I *think* that's the setlist. That's definitely all the songs they sung in a vague order (as in, the ones they sung first are right, the ones at the end are right, it's just the middle is a bit random). Anyway, that's all irrelevant really, because what really matters is that I saw the Sugababes live yesterday in a big field in the centre of Shrewsbury, Shropshire. That's right, the Sugababes came to Shropshire!

What's perhaps even more important is I made a sign. When I made it I thought there'd be quite a few signs thre, but there weren't so I was the only one with one. Which meant everyone looked at me. When it came to them doing 'Red Dress' I was waving my banner like a mad thing. I was hoping Amelle or Heidi would come over to our side, because they are lovely and are likely to wave and giggle at the sign. However, we got Keisha, who spent the whole song ignoring the sign, then, because she's Keisha, sneered at me in the last chorus in a "you made a sign? how sad are you? loser!" way. And I'd like to think that getting a sneer from Keisha is much better than getting a giggle from Heidi. I feel like Siobhan Donaughey.

Going back the Sugababes and their actual setlist, there was a slight problem regarding Amelle's newness as it could've meant that her input in the Mutya songs from the 'Angels' and 'Three' era would've sounded weird. Although it was slightly noticeable (as in it sounded 'different') it didn't really sound better or worse and the girl really did a good job filling Mutya's boots (and what boots to fill!). The only song that just didn't sound right at all was 'Too Lost In You' which I don't think will ever work without Mutya's voice singing Mutya's bits, it also didn't help that Amelle stumbled with the lyrics a bit. Keisha of course, gave her a sneer.

Another noticeable thing about the setlist was that they did both 'Run For Cover' and 'Overload' from the Keisha, Mutya, Siobhan era. I said before the gig that any attempt of 'Overload' from Sugababes v3.0 would be sacriligous, you just wouldn't would you? But they did, and they pulled it off rather well all things considered, though, ace as the song's are, I'd still rather they hadn't. I wouldn't go as far as to say Heidi and Amelle ruined them, but it just wasn't the same. It felt dirty and wrong.

Also, if you glance at the setlist you'll notice that they performed the 'official' twentieth greatest song of 2006 so far their cover of Arctic Monkeys' 'I Bet You Look Good On the Dancefloor', which continues to eclipse the original on every listen. The surprise was ruined slightly by the fact that we heard the band practice the intro whilst we were queuing up. In Tuesday's mega-post I wrote, "If they don't perform this song I'm going to storm onto stage and beat Keisha myself". So Keisha was saved a beating. This time.

I was shocked that they 'forgot' to perform their last single 'Follow Me Home', though, considering it's chart position (32, their lowest so far) it's possible to understand just why they chose to forget it, in a hope we would, which, judging by it's chart position, most of us already had anyway. And although it would've been nice to have had it, they had more than enough ballads already, and I'd rather dance like a loon than sway.

All in all, to cut a long story short, they were ace. Amelle is beautiful in the flesh. As is Heidi, but we knew that already. And Keisha sneered at me, so she is brilliant. The girls done good.

Let's Party Like It's 1979.

2006-07-12T17:01:00.000+01:00

They don't make stuff like this anymore. No sir!

Sugababes fan.

New York, London, Paris, Munich, everybody talk about... POP MUZIK!

Pop Boy's Belated Best of 2006 So Far List...

2006-07-11T11:00:00.000+01:00

In all the excitement of Muse and Lily Allen simultaneously taking over the charts making us all proud to be British, (and the World Cup) we've only gone and forgotten to make any posts! Silly us! Anyway, I've got a big'un for you now, it's my top 60(?) songs (singles and album tracks) of 2006 so far now that we have officially reached the half way point.

01 - Muse – Supermassive Blackhole
Borrowing every page from Goldfrapp's book, giving it a manly, rugged edge, replacing the satin chic of Frapp. It has been a great year for music, just look at the list below, but this was number one by a long shot. You just can't go wrong with a bit of electro-goth-rock-pop and people dressed in weird owl costumes.

02 - Lily Allen – LDN
I've lauded this as the song of 2006 for a long while but then Muse came along and ruined that. That's not to take away from Lil Lily's homage to the big smoke. Though it is scathing, it can't help but fill you with a certain amount of pride. And, on a superficial level (when you ignore the lyrics) the breezy "Sun is in the sky" refrain and tinny jauntiness of the song make it adorable and totally, overwhelmingly endearing.

03 - Rihanna - SOS (Rescue Me)
I'm glad that this list isn't full of Americans, because Americans are crap. And although 'SOS' is very much an American sound, Rihanna herself is from Barabados, which makes it OK to love her. Everyone knows about this song I think, and the fact it has a 'Tainted Love' sample bouncing underneath it, which only adds to the aceness, as Rihanna's nods to the brilliance of pop music. It's been a bad year for vapid R&B music (which is a good year for the rest of us) but Rihanna has here made a song which calls Blige et al. to step up their game and embrace the brilliance of pop.

04 - The Pipettes – It Hurts To See You Dance So Well
Pure pop. Indie scenesters will claim the Pipettes as their own as they release 7" singles and started off doing small gigs, but the sound is irrefutably pop. It's also irrefutably brilliant. The Pipettes, Rihanna and Muse have all proven that to be brilliant in 2006, you have to use pop music.

05 - Lily Allen – Smile
The current number one. And nothing makes me more smug than this. I know I'm not the only one who thought Lily was brilliant and probably wasn't the first to say it, or even the loudest, but that doesn't take away from the fact that I'm very happy that the new era of pop is upon us and it's so clever and original it's making dull indie bands look cliche. And whatsmore, it's British, with an undeniably British sound.

06 - Miranda Lambert - I Wanna Die
OK, this is American. And it's from 2005. But technically, it hasn't been released over here yet, which means it could still be a single of 2006 (here's hoping). Anyway, it's just too ace to ignore. In the same way that Lily Allen and Pipettes have created an entirely British sound, Miranda Lambert has a country-pop single that's a slice of pure Americana. Plus she proves that just because you're American doesn't mean you have to make crappy music.

07 - The Kooks – She Moves In Her Own Way
Continuing the theme of "to be brilliant in 2006 you have to be a bit pop" we have the Kooks, who teeter so dangerously between being indie and being pop that at any they could fall off the tightrope and either become as crap as Babyshambles or as brilliant as V. OK, they are unlikely to become V, but they are a boy band. There are four of them, they all seem to have an 'image', you can dance to their songs and lead singer Luke Pritchard is total fangirl fodder with a celebrity ex-girlfriend (Katie Melua). Seriously, 'Oooh La' or 'You Don't Love Me' will be released with them dancing in the rain on a beach in full boyband-ness.

08 - Orson - No Tomorrow
Both Orson and The Feeling have obvious influences in dull-80s-rock (Hall & Oates and the like), despite sounding totally different. Unfortunately, combining pop with crappy music doesn't always work and The Feeling and Orson are both a bit rubbish. But, Orson did pull it off for a bit with this piece of genius. Next time though, they should copy better 80s people, like Blondie or Duran Duran.

09 - Nelly Furtado – All Good Things
The final song on Nelly's career-defining album 'Loose', which I reviewed in my last proper post. Written by Chris Martin, but lacking his 'stamp', and instead smacks of Nelly. The song uses Nelly's folksy song and meanders, wandering around aimlessly.

10 - The Kooks – Niave
The Kooks must be good (haterz) if they are in my top ten twice, eh? (even if ti did happen entirely by accident). I think 'Niave' was the song that won a lot of people for them and really opened people's eyes to their aceness. And obvious to see why this (a song about the confusion of young love - I think) succeeded where 'Sofa Song' (about missing Katie Melua - a feeling not many of us have I'm sure) and 'Eddie's Gun' (about failing to get an erection) both failed.

11 -Nerina Pallot – Everybody’s Gone To War
I did used to really love this song. Then I went off it a bit. Then I loved it again. Then I bought the album and felt robbed. Then I loved it again. When I first wrote about this someone said Nerina is actually British, from Jersey. That made me go off her as she's obviously whored away her British identity by singing in an American accent, producing an American sounding song. But anyway, this is a pop-song (no matter where it's from) that goes all political. And political-pop is often disasterous (as Band Aid proves). However Nerina found the correct balance, making a song that does have a political message, but is more importantly a great pop song.

12 - The Kooks – Crazy
Gnarls Barkley's 'Crazy' is almost definitely the greatest selling song of 2006, infact, it's the greatest selling single of the 21st Century bar Band Aid isn't it? But, to be honest, it's a bit crap isn't it. It's good but not really good enough for the mass-jizzing it got. However, the Kooks added their own touch to it (as did Nelly Furtado and Terri Walker) and have unlocked much of the magic to it that was missing on the original and subsequent covers. The focus in the Kooks version is much more the lyrics, which are hidden beneath Ceelo's vocals on the original, and Luke's squirming his way through the song makes the song uncomfortable and a little bit more 'crazy'.

13 - Panic! At The Disco - Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Off Her Clothes
I wrote about my love of emo-pop band Panic! a bit before they hit the big time with 'I Write Sins Not Tragedies' and their album 'A Fever You Can't Sweat Out' which of course, makes me the fucking dog's bollocks. This is definitely the best song in the emo-arsenal with tortured cries of "dance to this beat" and "let's get these teen heart's beating... faster and faster". Quite simply, in 2006, emo is cool. All that are scared or doubtful just get left behind. And with titles like that, how can they not be the coolest thing ever?

14 - Cat Power – The Greatest
Despite being released as a single in 2005 (I think), I omitted this from my list for the first quarter in April because I thought it was ages old. But it's actually from a 2006 album of the same name. This song was performed on Jools Holland a few weeks ago and my Dad informed me that it was proper old-fashioned-blues. I didn't even know I liked proper old-fashioned-blues. But I guess I do. Most of the songs in my list so far have been energetic, but the appeal of this song is perhaps how drained it is. One imagines Miss Power just collapsing from exhaustion after finishing this song.

15 - Nelly Furtado – Afraid
Another stomper and 'must-get-a-single-release' song from 'Loose'. The chorus sticks in my mind until forever no matter how much I try to shake it out. And it's ace. This song features a rap from Timbaland and is one of the more Timbaland influenced songs on 'Loose'. I put an mp3 of this song on my last post, so if you haven't heard it, help yourself.

16 - Lily Allen – Knock ‘Em Out
The Lily Allen charm offensive works again. Being a 'regular' on the *cough* 'booming' Telford club scene the story Lily tells is one that I find very easy to relate to. Whether it's straight women (who are usually middle aged and/or blind) chatting me up or seedy guys chatting up my girl friends, there's that horrendously awkward moment when you don't quite know how to react to a proposition. It needed celebrating.

17 - Similou – All This Love
How cool are we? I'm sure a lot of people have been listening to this the end of last year when it was released in Sweden. I think it was posted on Into The Groove. Then it pops up nine months later on Radio 1. And I figured, even though I loved it in 2005, I can rekindle my love for this song again. Obviously it wasn't made in 2006, but it has sound that is not quite of this time. It sounds like it's from the mid-80s but then also sounds just a bit like it's from the future, the next direction of the 80s phase music's been going through for years now, perhaps? Which ever time it's from, there's nothing wrong with a bit of Swedish dance pop.

18 - Nelly Furtado - Maneater
There've already been two songs in the chart for Nelly Furtado so far, so I'm running out things to say, her album is called 'Loose', it's ace, buy it. It makes no sense that 'Maneater' is all the way down at number 18, but I suppose that's just how close the top twenty is, as on any any other day this might be number 6, or number 10 or even number 2 (like I said, Muse is way out in front). 'Maneater' was number one, successfully knocking Gnarls Barkley off the top and becoming the first of three top-notch pop number ones ('Hips Don't Lie' and 'Smile').

19 - The Pipettes – Pull Shapes
Here the Pipettes drown themselves in strings and turn 50s retro-pop and create an infectious, charming pop song that seems timeless in so much as it could belong to any time but also that it is lost in any time. It's so infectious that as I write this I can't help but nod my head and tap my feet. I'd be clapping my hands tooif that didn't mean I had to type with my elbows.

20 - Sugababes - I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor
I'm going to see the Sugababes on Friday, in Shrewsbury. If they don't perform this song I'm going to storm onto stage and beat Keisha myself. This song is the ultimate, a B-side to 'Red Dress' that mixes indie's new toys with pop's only surviving warriors of the recent culling. Indie done the pop way.

OK, I've given write ups for 20 songs now. There are 60 songs. If I did a write up for all of them it'd go on for far too long, you'd get bored and I'd run out of things to say. So just scan your beady eyes up and down thsi list...

21 - The Pipettes – Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me
22 - The Rogue Traders – Voodoo Child
23 - Madonna – Sorry
24 - Infernal – From Paris To Berlin
25 - Men, Women & Children – Dance In My Blood
26 - Black Eyed Peas – Pump it
27 - The Fratellis – Creeping Up The Back Stairs
28 - Pink Nasty – Burn
29 - Performance - Surrender
30 - Dirty Pretty Things – Bang Bang You’re Dead

31 - Nelly Furtado – No Hay Igual
32 - Sugababes – Red Dress
33 - The Modern - Discotheque Francais
34 - Feist - Mushaboom
35 - Lorraine – I Feel It
36 - Morrissey – You Have Killed Me
37 - Paolo Nutini – Last Request
38 - Arctic Monkeys – Fake Tales Of San Francisco
39 - Pink – Cuz I Can
40 - Robots In Disguise – DJs Got A Gun

41 - Pet Shop Boys – I’m With Stupid
42 - The Modern - Industry
43 - Panic! At The Disco – But it’s Better If You Do
44 - Oakenfold – Faster Kill Pussycat
45 - Pussycat Dolls – Buttons
46 - The Pipettes – Judy
47 - The Modern - Suburban Culture
48 - Madonna – Get Together
49 - Pink – Centrefold
50 - West End Girls – It’s A Sin

51 - Paris Hilton – Stars Are Blind
52 - Fall Out Boy – Dance, Dance
53 - Nylon – Losing A Friend
54 - Panic! At The Disco – Time To Dance
55 - Pink – U & Ur Hand
56 - Loo & Placido – Horny As A Dandy
57 - Men, Women & Children – Lightning Strikes Twice In New York
58 - Pet Shop Boys – Minimal
59 - Frank Popp Ensemble – The Catwalk
60 - Mystery Jets – The Boy Who Ran Away

That was fun wasn't it? As always, if you want to congratualte me on my brilliance or shout abuse at me, there's the comment box in which to do it.

RE: The Charts

2006-07-10T20:26:00.000+01:00

Lily Allen is number one on the singles chart. Muse is top of the album chart.

It's happened. Life is good.

Small edit by Indie Girl: Me and Pop Boy were discussing last night how happy we were that the British public have listened to us when it comes to music. Now you should do as we say and NOT evict Nikki from Big Brother!

Nelly Furtado - Loose Review

2006-06-25T11:13:00.000+01:00

Nelly's first album, 'Whoa Nelly' was standard fare, not bad but by no means brilliant. Her second album 'Folklore', which contained the superb 'Try', was a vast improvement and showed real promise. Can 'Loose', the third album, live up to all the promise?

I don't know anyone who doesn't love 'Maneater', the first single, with it's crazy retarded beats and skittish rhythm, a lovechild born out of the creative juices of both Nelly and Timbaland, hip-hop producer, makes one of the most danceable, get-up-off-your-seats-now songs for a long while. 'Maneater' as been a long time coming. Much like Rihanna's stomper 'SOS' it combines the powers of pop, dance and hip-hop, also throwing in a little bit of folk. The resultant sound so sweet that Willy Wonka would want the sugar-free version.

And the rest of the album follows suit. Timbaland crops up all over the album, making an appearance, no more so than on the next single, 'Promiscuous'. Unfortunately, 'Promiscuous' lands just short of it's potential and is probably the worst song on the album, making the disjointedness just sound messy. However, on songs like opener 'Afraid' and 'Glow' Timbaland's influence is stamped heavily on Nelly. Timbaland is able to give Ms Furtado not only guidance, but also some kind of direction that her work has previously been lacking.

Timbaland's influence, however, has not meant that Nelly has neglected her latinfolk roots. 'No Hay Igual' is the result of taking Timbaland's beats to rural Portugal, it makes 'Folklore's latin moments like 'Forca' look like child's play. It even manages to tower above 'Maneater' and become easily the second best song of the album (the first best is yet to come). When I listen to 'No Hay Igual' I'm reminded not of summer but more specifically of that musty nearly-September warm dusk feeling. If this isn't a single then Nelly is a stupid doofus!

'Try', it must be said, remains Nelly's greatest moment for me, despite everything 'Loose' brings to the table. 'Loose' contains three major ballads each of which is probably worthy of a single release. 'Te Busque', much like 'No Hay Igual', is drenched in latin influence but this time the sound is much more longing and aching. Weirdly, and perhaps intentionally, the introduction sounds like 'Shape Of My Heart' by Craig David and Sting. 'In God's Hands', thankfully, doesn't sound anything like Craig David or Sting and comes the closest as possible to replicating 'Try''s sound. It achieves in part, and does such a good job of replicating it that it does actually sound like Nelly is just singing different lyrics over the same song, only it doesn't work quite as well this time. Step forward Chris Martin. Chris Martin and Nelly Furtado are apparently celeb chums now and Chris waves his magic 'chillingly poignant and beautiful and brilliant slow song' wand and creates 'All Good Things' for Nelly, which neatly bookends the album (if you ignore all of the bonuses). Timbaland's beats do feature but the panpipes and acoustics dominate, as does the brilliant whistling. I can not sing this song's praises enough, seriously. It is the song of the album. Buy the album, download the album, steal the album, do whatever, you need to hear this song. It's nearly six minutes long so it'll need to be shortened when (not if) it gets a single release.

'Say It Right' and 'Showtime' are what can only be described as 'mid-tempo'. Much like 'Promiscuous', there's nothing wrong with them per se, but they just don't work as well as they could. To be honest,these song let the album down and in doing so remind us that Nelly has a lot of potential left in here, as great as 80% of her album is. It's not perfect, we're not dealing with the album of the year, that's 'We Are The Pipettes', this can be a close second though.

'Say It Right' isn't helped by the fact that it's sandwiched between 'Te Busque' and the album's out-and-out, unashamed pop stomper, 'Do It' which might just be better than 'Maneater', I haven't decided for certain, I'll keep you posted. 'Wait For You' is another stomper which has an element about it that's consistent throughout the album: This is Nelly Furtado, and no-one else has ever, or will ever, sound quite like this.

And that sounds like as good a point as any to end the review, don't you think? 'Loose' is at times ambitious, mixing latin-folk influences and a contemporary hip-hop 'crunk' sound, throwing in a Chris Martin ballad, but builds strongly on the foundations laid down in the first two albums. I dare say if anyone other than Ms Furtado were at the helm of this ship, the ship may sink with over-occupancy or speed off too fast into an iceberg. But Nelly is no ordinary popstar, she ash a unique sound, distinctive voice, new-found direction and, perhaps most importantly, she keeps a firm grasp on her work and has a control others can just envy. As a result this cruise ship maneuvers like a fishing boat on a lake and the only ice is in the alcohol.

-----

Here, as a little treat, as I don't normally do this, and also a taster to make you go out and buy the album, are two of the best songs as well as Nelly's cover of Gnarls Barkley's 'Crazy'. Enjoy! And remember, if you have something to say about my review, the two tracks below or Nelly in general, drop me a comment.

Afraid
No Hay Igual
Crazy

NEW Album Of The Year

2006-06-22T19:26:00.000+01:00

Stop whatever it is that you're doing. Stop looking at porn. Stop downloading your pathetic mediocre music. Stop msnning with your loser friends. Your life is about to be changed for the better.

I have got together all of my Pipettes mp3s and have found out that they make up the whole album, then a bit more. And by golly, it's fantastic. It is, and you'll have to excuse the rather disgusting metaphor, quite literally, a musical wet dream. In fact, I'm convinced they've made the album just for me. Now here's the serious review a bit...

'We Are The Pipettes' has it all. The retro 50s-esque barber-shop vibe that just jumps on the biggest indie bandwagon of the last year (or kicked it off, I don't remember) is prominent throughout and leaves The Pipettes dripping in what is a heady mixture of cool, vintage and probably a bit of sweat.

I don't think lead single 'Dirty Mind' and 'One Night Stand' are supposed to be hilarious but maybe it's delivery, maybe it's the lyrics, maybe it's cliche, maybe it's the women dressed as 50s housewives singing lyrics so in-your-face and feminist that they make the Spice Girls and Shampoo look like blushing violets in comparison. Whatever it is, these songs seem to be intended to make music a little bit more fun and tongue seems to firmly lodged in cheek throughout. Put down the guitars, stop crying and fucking dance, and all that.

Songs like 'ABC' and 'Uniform', despite 'ABC's brilliant lyric "He knows about ABC 123, But he don't care about XTC!", have a vaguely school-boy-esque overtone that is either paedophilic or just tongue in cheek that no-one cares about thirtysomething nurses on a hen night copping off with school boys (there is something of a group of thirtysomething nurses about the Pipettes is there not?). 'Judy' also mentions being at school. Pop Mum's name is Judy and I keep singing this song to her and telling her she turns the boys' heads but the girls all wish she was dead. She doesn't get it. She will, in time. And I'd only just got over greeting her with 'Hey Jude' as well. Bless her.

The Pipettes, however, are blatently NOT still at school because (I've seen pictures of them) of there rather worldly view of the world and the view of school life is (due to the retro tinges) nostalgic and rather rose-tinted. Also, the Pipettes don't once mention ASBOs or how much they love Gerard Way, so it's been a while since they were at school. The school vibe can't help but bring to mind The Orchids. If you've never heard of the Orchids before, give them a google, download a few songs and you'll see that basically the Pipettes are bordering on plagarism. But teenagers don't just flirt, (apparently) and that's why songs like 'Sex' and 'I Love You' exist.

I know I've said this about Rihanna and The Kooks and Lily Allen, but I can easily see THIS being the soundtrack to the summer. Songs like 'Pull Shapes', the latest single, and 'Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me' make me want to break out the hose and have a water fight and spray lots of stinky boys (you've got a dirty mind!). The Pipettes advantage I feel is that where Luke Kook sings in a silly accent, Lily Allen borrows a ska/hip-hop sound and Rihanna verges on R&B with tinges of reggae and calypso, The Pipettes sound could only ever be British, and could only ever be now. 'We Are The Pipettes' has an underlying moral message: basically, girls should dance lots and ALL boys are smelly. This is what I've been telling my friends for years...

In a world where gay men tell women what to wear, Coleen McLoughlin is an icon, the whiffs of Girl Power linger on the new generation of university students, Craig and Rosie in Coronation Street are the new Romeo & Juliet and teenage pregnancies are at an all-time high, this is what passes for feminism. And I love it.

July? Not Looking Bad...

2006-06-18T14:53:00.000+01:00

I thought I had to post something because Pop Boy's large amount of free time is giving him time to write quite a bit for the blog and managing to make me look crap and lazy without even realising. It's only because I have school, readers. I have actual proper work to do.

And partly because I really don't know what to write about... I have been feeling disgruntled at music journalism in general after reading the pretentious over-wordy toss that seems to be printed nowadays so i'm going to pride myself in... not doing that basically. Anyway, on with the music stuff.

It's come to my attention whilst looking up things that're being released in July, there's quite a few "not bad" things! Here is a list of the three I can be bothered to write about.

Muse - Black Holes And Revelations

Yes, Pop Boy has already written a little bit about Muse, but why shouldn't we write about Muse even more? Due to some not-exactly legal measures, I have came across the entire album and it is currently residing on my iPod. I highly recommend a buy even if you're not a Muse fan. I have never been a Muse fan but this new album has taken a slightly new direction (though it is not the complete turnaround that the hype suggests) The first three tracks, Take A Bow, Starlight and the "everyone knows it's fantastic" Supermassive Black Hole are pure gold in their own special little ways. Take A Bow is stunning and chilling, Starlight is eerily lovestruck pop, and everyone knows that Supermassive Black Hole is just bloody good. This album is released on the 3rd of July.
Pre-Order "Black Holes and Revelations on Amazon
Look At Muse's MySpace Page!

Robots In Disguise - Get RiD

Mad screamy electro-punk to pop-kissed frenchness. Robots in Disguise are really the only band who can do this as well as they do. Offbeat duo Sue Denim and Dee Plume offering pop goodness like pogo-inducing anthem "Turn It Up" and then leading onto silly punkdisco track "DJ's Got A Gun." Much more upbeat than their last album, which is not bad nor good, merely showing a different style of the Robots, the first album being very good also. Get RiD is released on the 3rd of July.
Pre-Order "Get RiD" at HMV.co.uk
The Robots have one of those MySpace thingys an'all!

Performance - Short Sharp Shock EP
"I don't know what the cover looks like. I don't think it's been decided on yet."
I've heard Performance described as hilarious, yes... perhaps they are. I think the problem with Performance is that they try far too hard to be serious when they look like a parody of a "PROPA ELECTRO REVOLUTION, YEAH!" They are obviously trying to be arty and get across a message, but I advise you to buy this in the mindset of "I want something silly and wonderfully 80's to dance like a mentaler to" because I find it's the best way to appreciate Performance. Also look up their best track "Surrender" on iTunes.
Finding a link for a place to buy Performance material is almost impossible, but here's their bloody MySpace.

I also recommend the debut album by The Automatic which is out tomorrow (Monday 19th) and called "Not Accepted Anywhere." Yes, I got it in the same way I got the Muse one. My bad.

Still Sounding Like The Male Goldfrapp...

2006-06-17T10:45:00.000+01:00

I've managed to get hold of two more tracks of Muse's upcoming album 'Black Holes And Revelations' as I was hoping that 'Supermassive Black Hole' wasn't some crazy anomaly of aceness. Fortunately, it doesn't sound like it is.

'City Of Delusion' sounds a lot like typical Muse, heavy guitars, saluting drums and desperate, aching Matt Bellamy vocals, but's there's something about it. Maybe it is the smokescreen of 'Supermassive...', or maybe it's the violins. Maybe it's the trumpets that it the heavy Muse song curious, vaguely latin undertones. Or maybe it's the electro-fuzz bit in the middle that echoes around for the remainder of the song, as if Goldfrapp are in the bed-sit next door and Matt and Alison have erupted into a huge battle playing very loudly with the speakers against the wall.

'Knights Of Cydonia' is a rather epic affair at 6 minutes in length. Now Muse are not only borrowing from Goldfrapp but also Rachel Stevens in making a song with a drum/synth mix-up so regularly frenzied that it sounds like Muse are on horseback. Horses are so 2005. But Muse are being so retro. The drum synth bit starts off and goes on for 2 mintues on it's own, only occassionally interrupted by choral, tuneful screams. There's an unexpected acapella bit under which the synths still pulsate, joined soon by the spaztic guitars, which quickly dominate before the synths beat them down again. 'Knights Of Cydonia' goes from choral horsey song, to rock-apella, to guitar wielding glam-rock, to new-emo-pop, to Muse of old and back again, darting in between the styles with the same vaguely congruent axis from which to spin in every direction, jerking around moodly in smeared mascara and eye liner.

If that hasn't got you excited, I don't know what will.

Pop Boy Needs You

2006-06-12T14:30:00.000+01:00

At the end of July, Pop Boy is travelling to the dance music capital of the world, Ibiza. As the Venga Boys sung, "Whoa, we're going to Ibiza". But, being a Pop Boy means that I don't really know dance music. I know dance pop, but I don't know strictly dance music. This means that when I get to Ibiza I won't know what is cool and what is crap, what I should the floor with glow sticks and fluorescent body paint for, and what I should stand against the wall for. And it could create an embarrassing situation. So, the point is, I need you beautiful people to tell me what I'll be dancing to. Point me in the right direction to this summer's biggest and bestest dance choons.

Also, the sun is shining. This is good. But Pop Boy has nothing new and summery to dance to. This is bad. So, what are the bestest summer songs of this summer (this isn't just dance songs). Are you in a band that have recorded the song of the summer? Well, no-one can enjoy it if you don't whisk it over to me and let me write about it can they?

Send anything (even, or especially, abuse) to email address which is in the sidebar somewhere.

Blunt Of The Week/Month/Year

2006-06-12T14:23:00.000+01:00

It was inevitable. Really. I'm sure you've seen it coming. But the worst thing that could possibly have happened, has happened. A female Blunt has unleashed herself, with a song that may actually be worse than 'You're Beautiful' and possibly even worse than 'Goodbye My Lover' (I know, it's quite an achievement).

Step forward, Sandi Thom...

I touched on the whole punk rocker thing in my last post, which was supposed to be about Muse but ended up a venomous tirade (as is always the way). But I won't mention the ludricousness of the lyrics much. This time I'll do more of a character assassination.

First of all, she's spelt her name wrong hasn't she, the twonk? Sandi with an I? Does the girl know nothing about the power of the Y? I just don't believe her parents would give anyone the name Sandi with an I (unless they were punishing her for the crap music they thought she'd go on to make) which indicates to me that she's changed it deliberately in order to be 'cool'. Which makes her a cunt.

Her surname can't be helped really, but it is a bit cunty. Afterall, the person I can think of that spells Tom like that is Mr Yorke of Radiohead. And Radiohead are the biggest blunts in the whole world. I got round to thinking, maybe Sandi came to be such a bad musician becasue she wanted to inflicted pain on the world after suffering with such a crappy name for so long.

No, I haven't heard the album (because basically I'd rather chew on barbed wire) but I don't need to to know that it's a big pile of shite. Looking at the song titles it seems that the general patronisingly-nostalgic theme of 'Punk Rocker' is continued. For example, a song called 'When Horsepower Meant What It Said' is just the most cunty title I've ever seen, and I dare say she's trying to compete with the songtitles of Panic! At The Disco, in which case she has failed.

The title 'What If I'm Right' is just too smug and faux-forward thinking. In fact, the whole thing is faux-forward thinking. It likes to pretend that it likes to be forward thinking and being different and original ("she was signed after sell-out webcam concerts from her basement") but has no desire to actually change anything because, in truth, she's run by a group of middle aged men who remember the 1970s first time around who've made themselves very rich through abusing the system that they get Sandi to sing against. And the record itself is bought by these exact same people, the people who dressed in punks in the 70s then wore suits in the 80s and drank Coca Cola and ate McDonalds and made the world into a business.

Basically, the point I'm trying to make is that Sandi Thom is pretty much a musical prostitute. Pimped out by middle-aged men who are feigning an interest in her as they dress her as a harlot that will sell for big money before being sold onto the same middle aged men in mid-life crisis desperate for some bubbly young thing to have so that they can look young and cool and not as old as they are.

So all rise and throw rotten fruit at Sandi Thom, harlot of the airways, blunt of the week.

The Prestigious 'SOS'/'LDN' Song Of The Month Award

2006-06-06T10:25:00.000+01:00

To be honest, and I don't mean to sound like a broken record here, as I'm aware Indie Girl and I do complain a lot, but really, I think I'd pack it all in were it not for just one song...

Weirdly (this is a sentence I never EVER thought I'd say...) I absolutely adore the new Muse single, 'Super Massive Black Hole'. It's amazing, and of course, we all know I'm not prone to hyperbole (no no, not at all) but this could be 'IT'. This song eclipses every other Song of the Month of 2006, 'LDN', 'Niave', 'Maneater', 'Sorry', 'SOS', 'Everybody's Gone To War' and 'No Tomorrow' (yes five months and seven songs. And?) just when it didn't seem possible. It sounds like nothing else I've heard this year, except for, of course, Goldfrapp. Muse have basically made a male-Goldfrapp song and I'm plesantly surprised that a group with stuff drudgey tendencies have managed to pull such a glittery, fabulous, danceable song out of the bag. And whisperings over on PopJustice suggests that a lot of the new album follows int he sameNow let's all sit back and watch Goldfrapp get the knee-up to the meteoric success they've had coming for a while as they are portrayed as the pioneers of the new wave of electro-pop-glam-slut-rock sound. And of course, as Indie Girl and I have always been fans of the 'Frapp, we'll look even more cool than we already do. Or something.

I got to thinking, Rihanna was a huge success with 'SOS', a pop song, that was eaten up by your typical r&b fans. The Kooks new one could basically be a V song, and the band are beginning to sound increasingly like a boyband (expect a slow ballad 'acoustic' version of 'You Don't Love Me' with a video on a beach and waterfalls, in black and white, sometime soon). Now Muse are going pop too and it means only one thing: Pop IS going to take over the world this year. I did tell you. I'd give a link to the archives but quite honestly, I can't be bothered to find it and I doubt you're arsed enough to click it so let's just say I was right and leave it at that eh?

If you look underneath the depressing state of affairs regarding Gnarls Barkley's 'legendary' stint at number one and Sandi Thom's fake, "I-hate-technology-but-visit-my-website", messed up cultural references (Punk rockers never wore flowers in their hair, you cunt, they were a rebellion against that kind of namby-pamby stuff - or something. To be honest, I don't know I great deal about punks, or claim to be a great fan, as they were the sort of people who spear-headed the idea that music could be cool just because someone said they were rather than being cool for being good. And for everything they stood for, and against, punk-rockers (and their fashionista tendencies) have created a world full of commercialism and materialism. And it's the kind of people who were punks in the 70s that buy albums by Tunstall, Blunt and the like*. I digress...) if you look beneath all this, there's finally a bright burning sun on the horizon, a light at the end of the tunnel, we only have to wait a while and the age of pretentious indie drudgery will be over and pop will rise like a phoenix and burn all you motherfuckers down. I would like this usurping to reach it's climax as Jo Whiley and Edith Bowman are lynched, beaten and replaced by Lily Allen and Annie.

What was the point again? Oh yes, Muse! Muse! Rar! They are ace!

Also, I'm keeping an eye on Paolo Mutini. He's sounding pretty cool and vaguely summery at the moment but I'm getting Blunt-ish vibes from him. If he even dares try it, I'll break his legs. Or something.

*Feel free to comment and complain that I've got punks and what they stood/stand for totally wrong. Like I said, I don't know the details, and don't particularly care, what I wrote is just my little view in hindsight.

HUZZAH!

2006-06-05T19:49:00.000+01:00

I don't think anymore needs to be said. ROLL ON SEPTEMBER!

Feel free to comment/leaves cheers of jubilation right here.

The Big MySpace End of May IndieSearch!

2006-05-30T04:42:00.000+01:00

And the word (and general concept of) "IndieSearch" is copyright on Indie Girl, 2006.

I decided that with so much of the more talked about music of the moment not exciting me, I thought i'd go on a search for some exciting new fodder via the second most useful internet tool of the moment, MySpace. And despite me hating it in general for hooking me in and making me feel unpopular due to lack of comments... you can't deny that MySpace is one of the best ways of finding new bands just now. I mean, if you live in a big city, unlike me, you can go to gigs and find new bands. Indie Girl will now compile a list of three advantages of MySpace over random gig-going.

Number 1: As I said, if you don't live in a big city then it's hard to get to these gigs frequently without doing a lot of travel planning, and no-one likes travel planning, do they?
Number 2: Ok, this reason is better. It's free! Meaning you can find good music for nothing and not having to pay a gig fee for a band that is potentially crap. And! Some bands offer free mp3s of some of their tracks, if not all of them so you can pick up free mp3s and not feel guilty at all! (unless, like myself you couldn't give a flying fuck about not paying for an odd track here and there because if you like enough tracks you'll buy the album and you hate the greedy bastard music industry anyway.) And even if the bands don't offer free mp3s of their tracks, there are some very handy free internet recording programmes which you can get. (I recommend Recordpad's 14 day free trial, which you can uninstall and then download over and over again so it's always free! Hoorah!)
And finally Number 3: With MySpace, there is the advantage of being able to get away from horrible noise. If you click onto a band page and they turn out to be horrible noise, there is the option of clicking of the page or simply clicking back to escape the ear rape and never have to experience it ever again. At a gig this is harder, sure you could leave.., but it's hard pushing through a crowd of sweaty drunk people that're stupid enough to enjoy the awfulness. And you don't want to waste your entrance fee...

So that's all well and fair, but you might ask... "where do you start with looking for good bands on MySpace? What with all the dozens of shit bands that must have pages on there, I could be trawling around for hours checking for anything half decent!"

Well, well... take in my instructions! Firstly, you have to find yourself a big list of band names. What I did was found the list of bands playing at the Nottingham "Dot To Dot" festival posted on a messageboard that I go on then what I did is searched every single one I hadn't heard previously on MySpace to see if they had a page and see what the band was like. Out of the ones that I liked, here is my Top 4 (don't ask) "found on MySpace bands!" (probably subject to change, it's just out of the ones I liked that either had mp3s or I recorded before getting bored)

In at 4: Metronomy

This all instrumental outfit hail from Brighton and don't specifically have a genre from the four tracks i've heard. Somewhat electro, somewhat mellow and somewhat RAWK! but definately good from what I can tell. These guys lose points however for me having to record the songs. Fair enough, i'm stealing but other nice bands just gave me the mp3s.
Metronomy on MySpace

In at 3: Computerman

Ok firstly, I liked the name and their MySpace page was pretty cool without taking forever to load. They offer three of their four songs for free download and they ain't half bad. Great Lakes is quite downbeat without being too shit and Coldplay-esque. Neon is electro rock but also swishy and dreamlike at the same time. No Recover is similar with rock with computer effect undertones. Annoyingly, their best track is the one that is not available for download. "Watch More Television" (a b-side to their single "No More Broken Hearts") is catchy angsty indiepop that makes you bop. Sort of.
Computerman on MySpace

In at 2: The Hellset Orchestra

The one track that this band offer for free download is completely ace. "Come Into The Lab" is half orchestral fabulousness and half the soundtrack to a kitschy vampire video game from the 80's. It also scores points for reminding me of the cartoon "Dr Zitbag's Transylvania Pet Shop" for no apparant reason. If anyone else remembers this cartoon, please comment! It was great!
The Hellset Orhestra on MySpace

And FINALLY... at 1! Klaxons

Klaxons are brilliant! "Atlantis To Interzone" is their latest single and I challenge anyone who is a fan of this sort of music not to like it. The sirens combined with throbbing drum beats and awesome guitar riffs make this song an essential. Go on! It's free! As are all other three songs on Klaxons' MySpace.
Klaxons on MySpace

Please comment with anything you may want to say about this blog in general or my IndieSearch OR if anyone remembers "Dr Zitbag's Transylvania Pet Shop" then speak up!

Confusion!

2006-05-27T11:08:00.000+01:00

Indie Girl watching Popworld?
Pop Boy jizzing over indie bands like Men, Women & Children?
Indie Girl writing about Eurovision?
Pop Boy going to see Little Man Tate and The Cribs live?

It all seems a bit jumbled doesn't it?

Yes, I did go see Little Man Tate and The Cribs live. And they were ace. But you see, Little Man Tate, are extremely cool and really rather poppish and skitty. And the Cribs sing 'Hey! Scenesters!' which makes them OK in my books.

But last night I put everything in balance. I went to a pop concert. But not just any pop concert. THE pop concert. Of the millenium (maybe). I went to see Girls Aloud in the Chemistry tour. And I bought wristbands. And badges. And a t-shirt.

Ovbviously the show was ace. They did a cover of 'I Predict A Riot' and in that one foul swoop were able to make one of the biggest bands of last year look totally irrelevant. Then, in what must be one of the most 'aware' things they've ever done, they did a musical medley of 'Fame'/'What A Feeling'/'Footloose'. That was ace. Except the people of Birmingham are all losers and no-one danced so I felt like a fool doing it alone. I was even restrained through 'Love Machine', which killed me.

Anyway, point is, Pop Boy is on study leave now and never ever has to go to school ever again (except for exams) and has a lot time of his hands with which to write about pop. And also, Pop Boy is back in love with pop music. I bought the Pet Shop Boys' new album too, so expect a review some time in the coming week.

"Indie Girl and Pop Boy of TV's Popworld..."

2006-05-20T17:50:00.000+01:00

Do you reckon this is a believable line of future journalism?

I got thinking last night about the presenting of Popworld. Alex and Alexa, eh? They're not particularly fantastic, are they? As much as I thoroughly miss Simon and Miquita, there's pretty much no chance of them ever coming back.

I then began to reflect on the fact that we'll have to put up with Alex and Alexa all the time for the next good while. I started to think, "God, me and Pop Boy could do a better job than these two idiots with their 'ultra-cool' dance and their indie try-hard ways."

Of course, Alexa isn't actually that bad, it's Alex Zane that irritates me most anyway but for the point of this poll.

Please show us your opinion on this handy poll!

Please remember that if our attitude to the show was anything like our attitude to this blog then every so often either one of us just might not bother turning up.... but seeing as it's the responsibility of presenting TV's best music show, we would probably try and have a less half-arsed attitude.

Please vote and comments on your vote are very welcome and always read!

Back! And Talking About Eurovision...

2006-05-20T01:05:00.000+01:00

Hi there. I'd like to write a small piece (long enough to explain myself but short enough so I don't bore you.) as to why i've not been posting. Well, it's all down to lack of inspiration. For the past little while, I feel that music hasn't been interesting me as much due to lack of good stuff out there. I've been bored and clueless over what to write about and I just felt that there was no point in posting any old crap to fill your Indie Girl and Pop Boy (well, he's been posting actually) needs.

But! I will try to keep up to speed and write about any pop/indie goodness that I find to try and save us all in these slightly bleak times.

So! I will now talk about a small list of songs that should've made it through the Eurovision semi final but didn't because Europe seem to have absolutely no taste in choosing good pop music whatsoever meaning that these three rather good songs were unfairly discarded from the competition.

Anzej Dezan - Mr. Nobody

I'm very annoyed Anzej didn't make it through the semi-final. His song was the first song I had actually liked on the night. Fair enough, I don't really have a clue what he's saying at all but I was totally won over by the electro effects going on on the chorus. Oh, and he seemed rather lovely and cute when Paddy O'Connell interviewed him. Poor Anzej.

Kate Ryan - Je T'Adore

Like a europop Rachel Stevens song sung by Tanya Turner herself, I loved this song the minute I heard it. Pop perfection complete with leg swing, this was one of the favourites to win the entire thing before the Eastern block lost their good taste in music. She also wins points for saying that swedish entrant Carola and greek entrant Anna Vissi "must be at least 45, perhaps even 50!" on the BBC Three coverage. Hehe.

Silvia Night - Congratulations

A crazy swearing nutbox of a media characature that the competition will be duller without. Silvia Night is played by an actress and sung a tongue-in-cheek arrogant song that sounds a tad Britney-esque. She even went to the effort of not shouting "i'll fucking win!" as part of the lyrics like she normally does and yet, it seems the entire continent lost their sense of humour and voted the charming bitch out. Bye bye Silvia. I'll miss you on Saturday.

Men, Women & Children Review

2006-05-10T13:05:00.000+01:00

I told you about Men, Women & Children a while back now (at the end of March). Then Zane Lowe jumped on the bandwagon. And now, they've released their eponymous debut album. But, is it any cop? Does it give me a reason to look smug until October? Let's find out...

The album kicks off in explosive style with the call of "I got a message! I think the moon is calling!" from 'Dance In My Blood' in a song with mixes the killer cool sound of the Killers with the anthemic vibes of the Arctic Monkeys ("we don't need a reason...") and the flare of Maximo Park. And the Panic! At The Disco emo-pop elements aren't concealing themselves very well. Plus, it's more of a dancefloor filler than 'Bet You look Good..' and 'Mr Brightside', give it time I promise you. Not bad for just one song, eh?

Tinny sounding 'Lightning Strikes Twice Of New York' sounds like Men, Women & Children are tiny mice trapped in a box in your brain scratching their way free with guitars. And the only way you can let them out is through dancing. And even if you do, this song will probably stay in your head anyway.

'Photosynthesis (We're Losing O2)' is, unfortunately, not about plants but in actual fact about living on the edge of life and not being afraid of getting hurt. Or possibly being in love with someone who's a bit nasty, though I'm sure the lyric "Come on let's hit it hard/Let's leave a mark" is supposed to be an inspiring thing.

Men, Women & Children go for the Best Song Title Award with a song called 'Who Found Mister Fabulous?'. I'm trying to find some meaning in this song, but it seems to be just a load of random sentences strung together, though I'm grasping it's about trying to find a different part to yourself, or something. Mid-way through there's a whistle-a-thon that sounds like Mr Fabulous was found in the Notting Hill Carnival.

'Messy' is a lot calmer, by which I mean it's flitting in one direction as opposed to flapping around like a fish. Which is unusual as it's about the sex. Perhaps the mellower sound hints that Men, Women & Children like it slow, and funky. Kinky sado-masochistic lyrics that Christina Aguilera would be proud of are found throughout. "We don't care if we get dirty/We ain't here for cleanliness".

Don't get intimidated by titles like 'At Night We Like To Fight'. Men, Women & Children are a bunch of softies really. They just like to mosh with a girl and bruise her up a bit before they take her from, and I don't think we should be worried. There's an odd trumpety bit at the end, which sounds like it's taken from an old film, just as the protagonists make the nasty. An anthem about moshing, surely invented for that sole purpose. In that case...

'Monkey Monkee Man' is, once again, about sex. This time they sing "Cause it's time to swing our sticks... Give me your right hand/Keep your left hand free... If we came form snails/Then let me see your trail" and the lyrics really speak for themselves. It's all very primitive. Neanderthal rock has never sounded so sophisticated as electro bleeps whizz and pop all across the place.

'Time For The Future (Bang Bang)' seems to be the first profound track on the album, one the first not written by the penis, though they do still get extended telescope references in there. Frontman, TJ Penzone sings of a girl from a future where "no-one believes in usless masquerades" so even it is about girls, it's sort of profound. In a way. Well, you've got to work with what's there.

I have a feeling 'The Name Of The Train Is The Hurricane' is about sex too with the chorus of "The Train leaves at dawn/Get off or get on" accompanied with rattlesnake analogies. Don't let the barrage of sexual references put you off though. All the time the record leaves you dancing like a robot from 1984. And despite it's lack of subtlety it comes out sexy rather than smutty. It shouldn't make you too uncomfortable. Honest.

We pick back up from the unadulterated smut-fest with '!Celebracion!' is more about lust than sex. Another fabuolous electro-indie-pop bonanza, but this time, with violins and strings and falsetto vocals. The nearest these guys could get to a ballad I feel.

'Sell Your Money' is the song that Math geeks make love to, and it's the most snarling song yet. The guitars, Penzone's vocals and keyboards all ache and moan throughout this song. The sexiness is much more subtle lyrically but has a moody, unforgiving, growling snarl that more than makes up for it.

'Sell Your Money' plays with numeracy, 'Photosynthesis' and 'Monkee Monkey Men' play with biology, so now it's time for a literacy lesson in 'Vowels'. I love anagrams in songs, and the chorus of "A E, I O U Nothing!" is just as fabulous, amazing and brilliant as you'd think it would be. A high pitched, fast paced, bitter end to an absolutely non-stop album that leaves me trying to ctach my breathe.

Basically, take the best band of 2004, the best album of 2005 and two of the best bands of 2006, put them all into a blender and extract the rubbishey bits (the Monkeys' hype, Panic! At The Disco's Fall Out Boy connections, La Park's melodrama, Brandon's pink jacket), add a big dollop of sex and you get this album. A must-have for all emo-kids, scenesters, indie boys and girls and popsters.

Allow me to be just a little smug...

The Prestigious 'No Tomorrow'/'SOS' Song of the Month Award

2006-05-08T18:58:00.000+01:00

There was no point mentioning my favourite song of April as March's winner 'SOS' was still straddling the charts and my internal jukebox for much of the month. It didn't help, of course, that everything was a bit April-showers. Dull. Track of the month would've been, if I'd've been threatened at gun point to chose or die, The Kooks' 'Niave' (I know them! - except I don't - but I sort of do - I'll explain later).

In contrast, there are two main contenders in May, which is still only 8 days young, which together promise a sunny summer, a shake-up of the political world and a generally refreshed look on life. The first of these songs has been around for a good while on an album first released early last year ('Fires'), Nerina Pallot's 'Everybody's Gone To War'. As beautiful in sentiment as it is brilliant in chick-with-guitar-ness. Not the whining rockstar rant you'd expect when pop meets politics, as afterall, when negativity meets negativity, negativity always wins. Furthermore, the whole Band Aid debacle proved just how horrible it can be when pop and politics collide.
Yes, the song is laden with references to the US' occupation of Iraq but rather than evangelically pointing the finger at Bush & Blair and casting them to gates of hell for being what is essentially unlawful killers (ho-hum, this is no politics blog), Pallot merely raises a knowing eyebrow and quips in a side breath "should you really be doing that?". It's like we're back on the playground. The boys are off playing war and all little Nerina wants to do is play with dolls and play happy families and live in a world full of love, kindness and thoughtfulness. This song is the result.
Also, though I really shouldn't concentrate on the politics involved here (as let's face it, we'd all much rather be in some dank, smoke-infested, drug-trafficing, hooching nightclub dancing until 3am with homosexuals and maybe even kissing them!!!), but let's look at the facts... Pallot's song hits the radio and a week later Labour back-benchers and the British media are all calling for Tony Blair to stand down. And, Bono's Africans are, tragically, still hungry, but we're all aware of it.
Now, that my friends, is PopJustice.

Orson are from Hollywood. Rhianna is from Barbados. Pallot is American. What on earth has happened to this Brit-pop revival we were all promised at the end of last year? Will Young is busy released mildly inspiring but conversely dull-as-brain-rot ballads, Girls Aloud are off conquering foreign lands (Australia) and are preparing for the most arse-kicking tour the world has ever seen (!!!) after having released two ballads in a row. The Arctic Monkeys little fairground ride has ended and after queuing for four hours for a cheap thrill that's over in thrity seconds everyone's left thinking, "is that it?" The 'New & Improved Recipe' of the Sugababes don't taste quite as sweet as they used too. Maximo Park, Frapp, Lady Ellis-Bextor (come back soon!!) and M.I.A. are all A.W.O.L. (though in M.I.A.'s case it's actually M.I.A. (missing in action)). I digress.
You know what we really need? A vivacious, charismatic, bubbly, talented, young British singer/songwriter/urban poet/popstrel who will make the sunshine this summer even if we've all got sunstroke and are a bit sick of it. Enter Lily Allen and her debut single 'LDN'.

It's sort of appropriate to talk about 'LDN' after 'Everybody's Gone To War'. Pallot and Allen are clearly kindred spirits, both brought down by the stark humanness of the real world, but intelligent (or sheltered) to ignore it all, look at a pair of chaffinches fly across the sky, smile, whistle a happy tune and think of other things. 'LDN' begins with Lily embracing the beauty of London by bike and she precedes to paint a picture for us of what she sees. Listening closely to the lyrics ("when you look with your eyes/everything looks nice/but when you look twice/you can see it's all lies") it's clear that the London Lily Allen sees is not the London we're supposed to see.
However, you could be mistaken for thinking this song was a joyous celebration of the brilliantness of life with the ska-pop melody and sunny chorus refrain of "sun is in the sky oh why oh why would I wanna be anywhere else?", that is, in a word, ace. You'll forgive me for my simplicity and unoriginality I hope as I sit here giggling at a verse half-rapped half-sung about an O.A.P. getting mugged that rhymes "Tesco" with "al fresco" that sounds so summery I'm starting to apply lotion. (*wink*)
Weirdly, Allen's summery spin on events has made me only more excited about moving to London for uni in September and embracing a "do I give a fuck?" anonimity. That could be me getting mugged. They could be my crackwhores. Isn't life just so fucking brilliant when you learn to ignore it?

Rihanna - A Girl Like Me Review

2006-05-01T11:00:00.000+01:00

'SOS (Rescue Me)' with it's combination of retro-electro pop 'Tainted Love' sample, urban cool, Bahama-infused reggae-pop style and superb dance credentials is undoubtedley the song of the year criss-crossing genres and so stubbornly refusing to be pigeon holed it's almost offensive. It promised that 'A Girl Like Me' would be a sensational album.

Second track 'Kisses Don't Lie' is no let down, equally impressive, again mixing the guitars and drums of pop-rock with the beat and jaunt of reggae-pop. On the faster tracks Rihanna, who is no Mariah Carey (thank god) or Anastacia, can handle the song and the pace. On slower songs like, for example, rumoured second single, 'Unfaithful', Rihanna's voice starts to sound weak. It's not that she has a bad voice, just not one strong enough to handle it. At times 'Unfaithful', which was written by Ne-Yo, requires a roar and the best Rihanna can manage is a purr. But don't let that take away from 'Unfaithful' which is superb, touching, unique song about infidelity. At times the weakness in her voice almost helps.

The album's second proper ballad, 'Final Goodbye' is a lot more understated than 'Unfaithful', though it is more romantic than traumatic. It is all quite morbid though. Rihanna sings "it's you that I live for/For you I would die" and then "I'll rest in peace, for the final goodbye". Rihanna's coming over like a Shakespearean protagonist. Much like 'Unfaithul', it's heart breaking.

'We Ride' and 'Dem Haters' are much more grounded, clearly belonging to Rihanna's familiar r&b-pop and reggae-pop roots. Both songs are mid-tempo, there is a beat there, but it just doesn't mule-kick you like 'SOS' does. But don't consider them dull, 'We Ride' is merely subtle and understated. Like much of the album, I think the sun has to be shining and you have to be on a beach with a ice-cold drink in hand to fully 'get' this song. On 'Dem Haters', which features Dwane Husbands, Rihanna's Bahamas roots come rushing like a good piece of surf and that unmistakable reggae bounce is present. It will have you swayying.

The reggae tones are continued on 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love', which at first I thought/hoped would be a cover, and refreshingly honest 'Selfish Girl'. They smolder, they burn, they bounce, they're cool, but there's the constant feeling that a beach and an ice-cold beverage may be required to truly appreciate it all. Bring on the summer!

On 'Break It Off' Rihanna collaborates with the King Of the Carribean, Sean Paul, and affirms her position as the Queen. 'Break It Off' has to be one of the higlights, though it is seems to be more of a Sean Paul featuring Rihanna track than the other way around. This should most definitely be a single. Clubland would love Rihanna's sultry vocals, Sean (A) Paul's raps, the flitting melody and the overall Carribean-cool meets New York-hip hop sound. Stunning, if you like that kind of thing. And lots of people do.

The album is bookended (bar the bonus tracks) with three ballads, the brilliantly named 'P.S. (I'm Still Not Over You)', title track 'A Girl Like Me' and 'A Million Miles Away' all of which seem within Rihanna's grasps and vocal depth. 'P.S.' is simultaneously hopeful and hopeless, wanting an old flame back and yo-yoing between her own feelings and the brutality of reality. 'A Girl Like Me' is, unfortunately for Rihanna, not an Emma Bunton cover but is instead an r&b ballad of longing, yet again yo-yoing Rihanna between hope and reality as it closes with the fairytale refrain of "Mirror mirror on the wall". I'm beginning to feel a bit sorry for Rihanna, the only songs in which she's not longing, infatuated, tragic, cheating, being cheated or generally being unjustly treated are 'Break It Off', 'We Ride' and 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love'. No wonder there's five ballads on here, the sun may be shining but in the Bahamas but for Rihanna it ain't half grim. No more so than on 'A Million Miles Away' where Rihanna has obviously lost a connection with her love. Poor mite.

'A Girl Like Me' contains previous singles 'If It's Lovin' That You Want', that just IS summer and the crunking, reggaeton, marmite-effect 'Pon De Replay'. I say Marmite-effect as you either love it or hate it. Personally, I think it's chuffing amazing.

'A Girl Like Me' is an album full of tragedy and heartache but at no point becomes 'tragic' (excluding maybe 'Unfaithful') as the tragedy is instead beaten down by the shining hope on the horizon, fading like the setting summer sun, but still ever present in the warm evening air. Come August this will be sensational but right now, on May day as I look out at the dreariness, I can't help but feel a little jealous of the summer vibes.

Leela James Review

2006-04-28T14:40:00.000+01:00

Leela James - A Change Is Gonna Come

I wrote about Leela James a while back and got moderately squee-ish about her. I didn't know she even had an album out, until I found it in HMV. So there we go. So how does Leela James translate on an album? Firstly, you can almost guarantee Joss Stone comparisons will be made, if only because Leela sounds just like a moderately more soulful Joss. But, what makes Leela so good is that she's reminiscent of 'Soul Sessions' Joss; soulful, gifted and funky as opposed to 'Mind, Body & Soul' Joss; hyped, overrated and whiney.

'Music' is a bouncing, laid-back spit at American music and particularly the perfunctory stylised attitude to music but also a celebration of the good times. She is horrified by music becoming more of a status symbol than a passion or a talent. Sees America's hip-hop culture dominate in a world and a genre that was pioneered by Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan and Marvin Gaye. Consider this Leela's mission statement as the rest of the album is a modern soul homage spattered with nostlagic nods to the greats. Leela seems to want to gap the bridge between soul music and hip-hop. Leela sums up Indie Girl and Pop Boy's feelings perfectly when she sings "where'd the music go?/It's all about the video/We don't sang no mo'/Where's the music gone?". Ironically of course, this is the kind of song that would normally have us reaching for the keyboards for another rant and pleaing for the return of the Scissor Sisters. But she's actually making a lot of sense to me.

Stand out track and lead single (I believe) 'Good Life' is a celebration of life and Saturday nights and "getting your booty on the dancefloor". Live of course it would clearly have loads of improv and would go on for about an hour an a half. This is a rather fitting follower to 'Music'. One mopes, one tells you to get off your ass and stop moping. Oh! It's only one of those bloody schizophrenic pop records! Oh! This is getting good.

It only gets better with 'Ghetto', the Wyclef Jean written track, which contains the simultaneously brilliant and random refrain of "One Mississippi, Two Mississippi, Rock!" and seems to be your typical 'he ain't yo' man, he's my man, I grew up in the ghetto and I'm gonna beat you up' kind of record. You know the type. Oh, you don't?

Then Leela lets herself down. After three songs of relatively original subject matter, she gives us standard soul-pop fare. 'Mistreating Me' is your standard-fare feminist, 'I'm beaten down by men but now I realise I don't need them' r&b song. And it is very good. It's one of those ones that builds up in layers, refrains, choruses and strings that just sound like red wine being spilt on a tear stained pillow. In fairness, though the subject matter is standard-fare, this song is far from average.

Leela then does nothing to extinguish the Joss similarities with 'When You Love Somebody' which sounds like it was plucked straight from 'Soul Sessions'. The voice is particularly uncanny. The song sounds just identical. Even the angsty struggle of blind, betrayed trust is identical to that of 'Dirty Man'. Like I said, it sounds like it was plucked straight from 'Soul Sessions'. And this is no bad thing, in my books anyway.

The Kanye tracks 'It's Alright' and 'Didn't I' lack the joie de vivre and samples of and 'Gold Digger''Touch The Sky' but they can still hold there own on the album and bookend the aceness (as they come at the end). They do sound weird. As they are truly modern Kanye West songs sung by a singer and on an album who sound like they belong to another decade with jostling guitars and nods to the 1970s throughout. These are the sort of songs Joss should've tried to have had for 'Mind, Body & Soul'. In fact, the whole of 'Change Is Gonna Come' sounds like a bundle of Joss' wasted opportunities. Which is a shame as the songs are wasted, destined to remain practically unheard forever and Joss' talents are similarly wasted, consigned to second-rate material that makes her sound like a whiney cunt with a blocked nose.

Leela does have her weaker moments, 'Rain' and 'My Joy' for example, in which Leela's slips into the realms of mediocrity and switches from 'vaguely interesting' to 'snooze button'. Then there's 'Soul Food' which is about having sex and eating and which in one foul swoop moves Leela from the totally sublime to the totally ridiculous. Basically, if Delia Smith ever wrote a song about herself, this would be it. "I'm sweet like sweet potato pie/Like collard greens with yams on the side". It is good, really, providing you don't pay too much attention to the lyrics. It does have to be heard to be believed though. Especially the feeder-fetish-tastic refrain "feed me feed me feed me" at the end. Not Raphael Saadiq's finest moment, it has to be said

Another one of the weaker moments I'm still not quite over is Leela's take on No Doubt's 'Don't Speak'. Anybody who knows even the slightest little bit about Pop Boy will know that I want to be Gwen Stefani when I grow up and am the biggest Gwen fan in the world. At first, the idea of 'Don't Speak' done soul style was intriguing, to say the least. Now I need therapy, and a good head-bash with a hairbrush in front of the mirror to the original. Now I know just how the White Stripes' fans feel. Sorry about that.

'Change Is Gonna Come' is laden with soul-pop gems and contemporary R&B jewels like 'Music', 'Ghetto', 'Good Life' and 'It's Alright' all the way to 'When You Love Somebody', 'Mistreating Me' and the cover of the Sam Cooke classic and title track 'A Change Is Gonna Come' that ought to have Joss Stone shaking in her thong toed sandals. Production from Commissioner Gordon (and although I don't claim to be well-informed on this genre this is supposed to be a very good thing, he did things (albums) with Lauryn Hill and everything) and writing credits from Kanye West, Raphal Saadiq and Wyclef Jean prove that someone must be taking Leela seriously. And this woman does deserve to be taken seriously as she's got a great set of lungs on her. Let's just not EVER mention the No Doubt cover ever ever again, OK?

(Exciting) News

2006-04-27T21:40:00.000+01:00

Reviews to come of Rihanna, Leela James and Maximo Park albums. I promise.

And! Less than a month until I see Girls Aloud! Woot!

Blasting On Pop Boy's Stereo This Week

2006-04-23T21:22:00.001+01:00

It has quite a few balst from the past this week. This is, however, due to the fact that all the new songs out there are a pile of chaff (yes - I'm talking to you Dannii Minogue and LL Fucking-Cool Pissing-J).

Infernal - From Paris To Berlin
All the cool people out there will have already heard this about a year ago I'm sure (but as you'll see, being old doesn't blasting from my stereo). Unfortunately, British radio and record companies are too busy spunking over Gnarls Barkley and James Blunt to think about looking just over the North Sea where they've really got it going on and try to import some pop tuneage. Which is why Infernal's appearance on The Box shocked me as the song's demographic is loctaed within the song title. They've slipped through the net. Don't hang up your big sunglasses and candy canes just yet pop kids, Infernal is here, which means of course, with get hyperbole, that the pop revolution is upon us. Give us six months and we'll be sick of the latest Marie Serneholt single as it sits atop of the charts for the seventeenth consectutive week. Well, we can dream. But yes, Infernal are here! Bring on the bunting (or Bunton, or both)! Woop!

Sugababes - Gotta Be You
I bought the Amelle version of the 'babes album last week and it's been getting pretty generous rotation. All in all it's a pile of meh, if I'm honest. The singles so far were kind of the obvious choices and there isn't much left to choose for the fourth single, but this one has been re-done by Amelle which suggests it could be next (though I'm plumping for 'Follow Me Home'). Anyway this song 'Gotta Be You' was, on first listen, standard reject Ciara fodder. Then after a few spins, the light bulb was switched on and I got it. This happened about the time I was getting ready to go out, so maybe that helps. The chorus is now lodged firmly in my head like a stubborn mule that refuses to move. And! Ciara has done a(n inferior) version of this song which shouldn't be too hard to track down if you know that muzic matters and all that.

Chris Brown - Gimmie That
Speaking of seemingly meh-ish Ciara fodder... here's Chris Brown. I'm just going to ignore that 'Yo (Excuse Me Miss)' ever existed because quite frankly it is awful, and I'm sure Chris Brown must know that. I'd go as far as to say it makes 'You're Beautiful' sound like 'Like A Virgin'. It's that bad! But! 'Gimmie That' hints at a return to form promised by ghetto-fabulous 'Run It'. And that is 'hip'-music-that's-more-likely-to-get-played-at-Telford's-hottest-night-spots-than-Girls-Aloud- so-will-do-for-a-bit-and-you-can-dance-to-it music. It's quite a niche genre but when done well it's very very good. Addicive as fuck as well. The bastards!

Bjork - Army Of Me
Bjork's 'Debut' is never far from my stereo but this is from 'Post', which is equally impressive. I tried to get the DJ at the indie place I went to on Friday night to play some Bjork or Kate Bush but he rather conveniently "couldn't find it". He was actually just scared of just how much I would've rip up that dancefloor if it had got played. So anyway, when I got home on Saturday morning this was the very first song I blasted, whilst sticking two fingers up at the DJ. If I were a DJ, this would be in my setlist EVERY night. Infact, some nights it might be this, 'Big Time Sensuality' and La Bush's 'Wuthering Heights' on a constant repeat for three hours. And you'd fucking love it.

Pipettes - Because It's Not Love
Have I god-worshipped the Pipettes yet? I should have because I was there at the very beginning, and I will still be when they become global-indie-mega-stars. Which they will, if there's any justice in the world. Brilliant retro style girlband pop (is it pop, you can dress in polka dot dresses play guitars and hang around the indie crowds all you like, this is pop) expected of maybe The Orchids or The Shangri-Las. Speaking of the Shangri-Las, I may be over analysing this but is the "I don't to go walking in the sand everyday" some kind of reference? Who cares, really, let's just dance, dance, and move a little closer. Seriously, I love this, the mixture of pure pop AND pure indie is just deadly. I'm a sucker for it every time. Play on Pipettes.

Blasting On Indie Girl's Tiny White Earphones This Week...

2006-04-20T20:00:00.000+01:00

Yes, we're not dead despite me feeling it a bit, due to illness. But I will bring a a small list and little description of the songs that I am currently in love with.

Chicks On Speed - We Don't Play Guitars
Silly, shouty song with funny lyrics and a killer bassline. Yes, Chicks On Speed really deliver with a nonsense song all about the fact that "THEY DON'T PLAY GUITARS!!!" Definately check it out. Their best song from what i've heard. The best part is definately when the long high pitched lengthening of "guitars!" turns into a lush, mad theremin-like electro mess. Adore it.

Queens Of The Stone Age - No-one Knows
Ok, i've heard this song about a million times and before it never really had any impact on me. Recently, i've been listening to it a lot more and listening to the slightly dirty yet tortured vocals and the hard, fast bullet-like drumming and slowly beginning to love the song.

White Rose Movement - Girls At The Back
This is another electro-rock band that are way too fashionable for their own good (and if they saw me they'd be ashamed to have me as a fan) but I can't help but like this tune. It's quite similar to a lot of offerings of late but I reckon that this band have a slight edge over the rest of the market. I've heard them compared to The Bravery but don't let that turn you off, as they're really nothing like The Bravery at all. This band are actually good.

Beck - Loser
I love the white-trash country start to this song that leads into clever lyric after clever lyric spilling out of Beck's mouth. My personal favourites being "with the re-run shows and the cocaine nose-job" and "he hung himself with a guitar string". It's slightly morbid but it's really THE song to listen to when you just couldn't give a fuck about anything.

And now for the inevitable MySpace links:
Visit Chicks On Speed on MySpace
Visit Queens Of The Stone Age on MySpace
Visit White Rose Movement on MySpace
Visit Beck on his irritating website because he doesn't have a pissing MySpace! (as far as I know)

I Said I Didn't Want To Become Another mp3 Blog

2006-04-11T11:46:00.000+01:00

Here it is, once again for you to download.

Sarka Vankova - Lasku Davej

But of course, if after sampling this little nugget of aceness you decide that you really like Sarka, you will go and buy the album (Verim Nahodam) from someone reputable like this and you won't go and download all of her songs from elsewhere because that's naughty and Pop Boy will get a slap on the wrist.

Actually, I found a radio blog on a Sarka fansite where you can listen to the whole album. So that's pretty snazzy. Infact, the 'official' site even has lyrics if you fancy singing along in Czech, and who wouldn't?

(apologies if you don't like/can't use .m4a format)

Also: There's a comment box, don't know if you've noticed, for you give me your opinion of Sarka. Or anything else for that matter. Or just call me a cunt. Whatever, as long as you make a comment.

"Emo? That You Can Dance To? Don't Talk Nonsense, Girl!" you say...

2006-04-11T03:29:00.000+01:00

Oh, but tis true!

Panic! At The Disco have truly invaded. Converting very non-emo poptacular types like our very own Pop Boy into fans and encouraging emo kids that you can do things when music is playing other than stand around, sulk and bob your head.

They've truly made people doubt their musical allegiances by making emo music that is actually good. Pop fans are thinking "oh no, I can't possibly like this. It's emo. I thought all emo was meant to be absolute drivel, like that insufferable, living pile of toss Hawthorne Heights." And the emo fans are thinking "Oh, another emo band! But wait, something a bit different... should I like this? I'm actually tapping my foot along to music. That's like dancing. What's wrong with me?!?"

But even though people are so quick to categorise this band as emo, they're not really. Well, they are... but they're far better. They can make you dance like a madperson around your bedroom (case and point: yours truly) and they can make you pop your body along to tortured disco beats.

And here, friends... is my list of favourite songs from their fantastic album A Fever You Can't Sweat Out (cover pictured above) in order. Order of preference. You lucky, lucky people.

1. "There's a Good Reason These Tables Are Numbered Honey, You Just Haven't Thought Of It Yet": Three words people, 'I'M A DIVA!'
2. "Build God, Then We'll Talk": The cascading "favourite things" bit at the end being my personal highlight.
3. "I Constantly Thank God For Esteban": Despite the 'strike up the band' bit reminding me of Balamory, i'm immediately won over by the haunting 'we sure are in for a show tonight!"
4. "The Only Difference Between Suicide and Martyrdom is Press Coverage: A quirky, catchy possible next single for Panic! The electro-ish bit at the end shouting "swear to shake it up" is absolutely brilliant.
5. "Lying Is The Best Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off": To me, it sounds like an american high school anthem. Talking about all the sham relationships that take place. Brendon's voice at the start is alluring and sexy yet bitter as well.
6. "Nails For Breakfast, Tacks For Snacks": Pretty much on par with Time To Dance, but this one just wins it for it's ace title and electro verses.
7. "Time To Dance": Thumping dance beats and fast paced vocals make this addictive.
8. "I Write Sins Not Tragedies: This is the original track that got me into this band... now with a absurdly high number of plays on iTunes.
9. "London Beckoned Songs About Money Written By Machines: The jaunty little bridge is this song places it higher than the others in the list.
10: "Camisado": Just doesn't interest me as the rest of the songs is more relaxed and the first verse is slightly melancholic. Sort of.
11. "But It's Better If We Do": Chosen last only because it was the only one left and has the least plays out of the lot on my iTunes. It has a great lead into "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" though.

I left out the introduction and intermission tracks as they don't really count.

So basically yes, the point of this exercise is to try and get all you people who dismissed Panic! for being emo to give them a chance. Go on! Even Pop Boy likes them!

Pop Boy's 25 Best Songs He's Heard In 2006 So Far

2006-04-08T12:09:00.000+01:00

Time for a (fortnightly) post. And this one's a bigg'un.

Everyone's doing a list of the best songs of the first quarter of the year, so why can't I? I can't promise all of these songs are from 2006 (in fact, I know some of them aren't), but I've only heard them this year, so that makes them 2006 songs. Unlike everyone else though, I'm going to give a explanation.

1, Rihanna - SOS (Rescue Me)
A 'Tainted Love' sample is used on a song that would probably still top this chart without it, but with that added in there, this is such a clear winner it's almost insulting. Can't wait for the album.

2, Sugababes - I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor
What happens when you combine the greatest indie band of moment, the greatest indie song of the moment and the (second) greatest pop girl group in the world? This. It's just wonderful. This and Rihanna haven't stopped playing on iTunes since I first heard them. 2006 will be immortalised by this song.

3, Madonna - Sorry
The best song on a 2005 album, but a 2006 single. My 18th birthday number one. The soundtrack to my being able to drink legally and many drunken nights out which will forever by remembered by those who were there by "I've heard it all before" sung in a west country accent.

4, Lene - Scream
Offa Lene's fabulous 2003 album 'Play With Me' which I was sent a few weeks ago by a very nice boy who's in China and it cost him a pound or something. The album has been fighting with 'Touch' and 'Fever You Can't Sweat Out' for almost constant rotation on my stereo. 'Scream' itself is probably one of the greatest pop songs I think I've ever heard - and I've heard more than a couple.

5, Performance - Surrender
Indie Girl first told us about this. A cross between The Modern, Maximo Park and a robot from 1984 and sounding just as good aurally as they do on paper. I haven't heard anything else by this lot, but god knows I want to. Anyone with information would be a great help. This song is aching, euphoric and hint at a vague revolution with a refrain of "stop me if it starts to hurt you". This truly is a robot from 1984, but I'm talking some kind of Orwellian beast that refuses to dance indie pop.

6, The Modern - Discotheque Francais
Your favourite band of 2006, you just don't know it yet. I saw The Modern live and they were the aces, they played to about a dozen of people in a room above a pub and I was the only one who knew the words to the songs or even seemed to care about The Modern. They've only released about six or seven songs, and haven't even done an album yet, yet already they have more songs in this chart (or truth) than anyone else. If that's not promising, I don't know what is. 'Discotheque Francais' is the story of falling out of love and try to rekindle the flame at a disco in France. Or something. I don't care, I'll just dance the night away.

7, Frank Popp Ensemble - The Catwalk
In the very first post I made in 2006, I declared that Frank Popp Ensemble's eponymous album would be the album of 2006. Jumping the gun perhaps it could be argued, but three months later it still remains unchallenged for it's throne. This song epitomises the fabulousness of the catwalk divas and flash bulbs. And pout!

8, Amerie - Love's Off The Chain [Mr K Edit]
I'm unsure where this came from. It's not on 'Touch'. Even the origin of the mp3 is a mysery to me. One thing I do know is that the "you can't say you don't love me, you don't me"s are just magic, hypnotising me and making me feel so much better, reminding just how brilliant music can be. It's the 1 thing that's got me trippin'.

9, Feist - Mushaboom
This song is on an advert (though I don't know what for), from an album from a few years ago, 'Let It Die' which I could really do with getting, though unofficially I had most of it. Feist is versatile and a collaboration whore, appearing on Kings Of Convenience and Broken Social Scene albums, on top of the Canadians dabblings in French. That doesn't take away from this (English) solo effort being just twee enough to be lovely before it reaches levels of embarrassment. Like eating strawberry ice cream in your garden in June when it's sunny. Lovely is the word. Just lovely.

10, Orson - No Tomorrow
The song it's uncool to like, but everyone does anyway. Drawing on old man rock as their influences, Orson pulled it out of the bag with this song about debauchery, excess and living for the moment that throws away rock star mightiness and instead conveys humble modesty that make sit all the more charming. And let's not forget that chorus that just needs to be sung at the top of your voice... All together now "When I'm dancing with you!!!..."

11, Pink Nasty - Burn
An Usher song!?! Who'd've thought an Usher song could be this great? Seriously. Taking away Usher's ugly swollen face and hip-pop/R&B 'groove' and replacing it with a guitar and a sweet female vocal brings out the truly painful and agonising lyrics of submission. Heart-breaking. Downloaded from Gorilla Vs Bear, I doubt it's still there, infact I'm certain it won't be, but check the site otu anyway as it's a haven for top-notch indie tunes.

12, Miranda Lambert - I Wanna Die
If I was a pop star, this would be my debut single. A beat that takes over and makes you sway your hips even if you don't want to. Country twinges throughout, brilliant lyrics again ("If you're the death of me/I wanna die"). Sounding more American than Bruce Springsteen and Kelly Clarkson singing 'Star Spangled Banner' to John Wayne. It's almost insulting that we absorb all that r&b and hip-hop crap from America and never hear a peep out of the great American pop songs like this (see also, Beu Sisters). Courtesy of Pop Text. Taken from the album 'Kerosene' which I'm SO going to get.

13, Sia - Breathe Me
A relative oldie, taken from her 2004 album 'Colour The Small One'. Upon first listen you know this song shoudl soundtrack something on TV, soemthing poignant, to push you over the edge into a pit of tearful televisually induced oblivion. Then I found out it was played during the finale of Six Feet Under. Sia should huge. She's not. This is one of the world's great injustices. The voice of Zero 7's 'Destiny' and 'Somersault' takes it to a new level. If you don't feel like weeping by the end of the song then you have a heart of stone.

14, The Modern - Industry
Speaking of great injustices. How this never got to number one I'll never know (especially after all the copies of the single I bought). This was the anthem for the youth of 2006, but they were too busy getting themsleves knocked up, pretending to be emo or taking drugs to notice. Fools. A homage to the legendary Hollywood catsing couch or the industrial revolution or the miner's strikes. Or all three. Isambard Kingdom Brunel would be proud.

15, Panic! At The Disco - Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Off Her Clothes
When I'm not listening to The Modern and want to pretend to be emo, this is what I listen to. And I don't care if you don't like my emo music because you just don't understand me and my individualism. You'll never understand me and all that. No, seriously, the whole album 'Fever You Can't Sweat Out' is brilliant. This song is particularly euphoric and danceable with screams of "testosterone girls and harlequin boys!" just popping up in my head every now and then.

16, Frank Popp Ensemble - Goo Goo Muck
When the youth aren't being emo or getting knocked up or taking drugs or listening to The Modern, they turn into a bunch of teenage goo goo mucks. Another brilliant anthem to how brilliant it is to be young, "the city's a jungle and I'm a beast". Please buy this album. You won't regret it. Thank me later.

17, The Modern - Suburban Culture
The song that couldn't be fitting for my life if I'd've written it myself. Humming a distant European tune and all that. I've already made two entries for The Modern so I'm running out of things to say. Except when I saw them live Emma looked down at me at one point in the set and stared into my eyes. It was love I think.

18, Sarka Vankova - Lasku Davej
The fruit of my Czech pop labours, and the only memorable track from the her album, 'Věřím Náhodám'. Quintessential euro-pop that I did upload on request for you to all dance to. If you missed out last time I might be nice enough to do it again if you ask nicely. Anyway, quintessential euro pop that is ace and that I can't understand but can dance to.

19, Sia - Sweet Potato
Another song from 'Colour The Small One' about the sweetness of two people with an intuitive idea of what makes each happy ("He brushes thoroughly/He knows she likes fresh breath") and basically makes me just go "aww". On top of the beautiful sentiment, the music is lovely and jangly and beautiful too. It has a weird bit in the middle that I wouldn't strictly call a middle 8 (as it seems longer than 8 bars) where Sia goes a bit psycho.

20, Pink - Centrefold
A bonus track from 'I'm Not Dead' that has actually turned out to be my favourite song from the whole album. Weirdly, Pink seems to be praising the centrefold, a stunningly gorgeous lady, which contradicts her point from 'Stupid Girls' a bit. Unless I'm not getting it. But who cares, pop contradictions are always the best. It's a lot more high energy and feisty than a lot of the new stuff, which is probably why I like it so much.

21, Panic! At The Disco - Time To Dance
The first Panic! song I ever heard and the one that made me fall in love with the emo troubadours setting the standard for amazing energetic emo call to arms. The lyrics are ace and probably do make some kind of point, but I don't know what it is. Screams of "I say shotgun, you say wedding" and "Give me envy, give me malice, baby, give me a break" show that Panic! At the Disco are in nature as they are in name. Unbelieveably danceable.

22, Nelly Furtado - Maneater
Everyone's favourite Portuguese Canadian is back. We've just to make sure she doesn't release the awful 'Promiscuous Girl' as her debut single otherwise 'Loose' is doomed before the bird can even grow it's wings. This song could make 'Loose' huge. It could make any album huge. I'm trying to think of a worthy adjective and all that pops to mind (other than of course, brilliant) is 'krunking'. That'll do. 'Maneater' is krunking y'all.

23, Pink - U & Ur Hand
The best actual album track from 'I'm Not Dead'. This is why I like Pink, the album should've been filled with songs like this, feminist, boisterous, angry and biting. Who couldn't love the line "Keep your drink just give me the money"? Pink's voice sounds great on it. Dare I say this one could be one of Pink's best ever songs!?!?

24, The Modern - Modern Love
This is the B-Side of 'Industry' and a cover of David Bowie. Do see what they've done with their choice of cover? Modern Love, because they are THE Modern. Bands who put out great B-Sides (Girls Aloud, Sugababes) always please me, as it shows that they put a lot of effort in and have a large repetoire of great songs, they didn't just the first eleven for an album. the Modern haven't made an album yet. They'd better otherwise I'll kick all their new-new-romantic electro-indie-pop asses.

25, Rihanna - Unfaithful
It's through pure coincidence this is at number 25, it wasn't done deliberately so that Rihanna would book end the chart, though it is quite nice don't you think? Written by Neyo ('So Sick', writer of 'Let Me Love You') taken from the forthcoming album 'A Girl Like Me'. Heart-breaking. Unlike the usual unashamed "I'm right you're wrong" pop tune, this one seems to show genuine remorse. You see, Rihanna is unfaithful, but hates the fact that she's hurting someone she loves as he knows. It's killing her boyfriend and as she poignantly and beautifully sings "I might as put a gun to his head" and "I don't wanna be/A murderer". Stop me, I'm tearful. Stunning.

So there we have it. Weirdly I missed out Girls Aloud, whose 2006 efforts have been 'Whole Lotta History' and 'Crazy Fool' which in fairness were ace, but were missed off. Sorry about that. Honourable mentions also go to Mystery Jets - The Boy Who Ran Away,. BWO - Temple Of Love and Dima Bilan - Never Let Go.

Until next time...

Dancing With Ghosts

2006-03-31T18:11:00.000+01:00

To copy a post I made months back in which I hoped things would perk up in March, the world of music is going through a dark patch, and annoyingly it's still not shifting. The shroud of Blunt, as I'm going to name it, has taken over the album charts for Mother's Day. A quick glance at the album charts is just plain offensive to people who give a flying fuck about music. How have albums been handed to Journey South (a duo so unoriginal they name themselves after directions) and Andy Abraham (a man so rubbish that he used to collect it) when the mighty (classic) 'Misbehaving' by Rosie Ribbons remains unreleased I ask you!?!!? Russel Watson? Jack Johnson? Beverley Knight's 'greatest' 'hits'? Seriously, why the fuck should people keep making good music if people insist on buying rubbish like this. It almost makes me wish we were all still raving about Arctic Monkeys...

The Modern seemed our one slavation. They make it into the top 20 and 'they' (the Blunt buyers) have to go and sabotage it. Speaking of which, does anyone want a Modern single? I've got loads...

The world of indie, usually the last resort for guilty pleasures, isn't pulling out any gems. Only We Are Scientists, The Kooks and Lorraine are giving us anything remotely squee-able. Meanwhile The Raconteurs and Dirty Pretty Things trade off past glories.

Depressing really, as I started the year talking about Frank Popp Ensemble, and it all started to look up...

But! All is not lost! Two records in just as many months have taken me well and truly by storm, shaking by ass to frequencies off the scale. These records are Orson 'No Tomorrow', which is the perfect blend of pop-cool, indie-scream-along-ability and both indie and pop-danceability, and Rihanna's 'SOS (Rescue Me)' which is trying so hard and so destined to fail it's no wonder we're in such a sorry state. I mean using a 'Tainted Love' sample on a hip-pop songtress is a masterstroke. And it sounds SOOO good. It makes me wanted to burst with excitement.

Plus, rubbishness of the current gives you an excuse to hit the sales and buy some stuff from a few years back. I'm currently spinning N*E*R*D - In Search Of, Amerie - Touch and the brilliant Lene - Play With Me (which features 'Scream', officially one of the greatest pop songs ever written). You can play what you like, but that's my poison.

Also: if your life is lacking indie-pop fantasticness/proof that people are trying, check out Men, Women & Children (I recommend 'Dance In My Blood') and Paper Faces (I recommend 'Disco Boy').

Go to it!

We're Not Dead But Music Seems To Be...

2006-03-30T21:35:00.000+01:00

Well, what's going on in the music world? Nowt! Meaning that I have almost nothing to write about.

No upcoming albums I want, no festivals I want to go to... and I don't have one gig coming up either.What is wrong with the music climate?!?

This time two years ago I was buying the Scissor Sisters album for the first time and finally stepping into the mad world of music obsession. Speaking of Scissor Sisters, where are they hiding exactly? My favourite band are nowhere to be seen. Does anyone else miss having them around as much as I do?

Have you seen these five?

They stay in New York most of the time and to some up in a few words, FA-BU-LOUS. And Indie Girl and Pop Boy are willing to offer one... er... Creme Egg

to anyone with anyone with any release information or anyone who can tell us where the hell they are and when they're coming back! I'm dying here! It's been over two years since the debut was released!

*clears throat* Er, anyway... Thank you for reading. Please direct any information you do have to our email address ( indiegirlandpopboy@googlemail.com ) or the comments box. Merci.

We're Not Dead

2006-03-25T12:28:00.000+01:00

Though you could easily be mistaken for thinking so. And what a coincidence that it ties in brilliantly with the title of Pink's new album...

From the very first listen to lead single 'Stupid Girls' it was obvious Pink had returned to form. After a rather slated album 'Try This' (that I actually really liked), Pink's sound is much more reminiscent of her 'Mizzundastood' era work. 'Stupid Girls' is less the blonde-haired hellraiser of 'Try This' but the pink-haired 'loser' dyke-girl from school who hated everyone that we met in 'Mizzundastood' and even 'Can't Take Me Home'.

The rest of the album follows suit with Pink making not only a top pop album but also a cracking social commentary on 'Dear Mr President', in which we sings for the injustices and inequalities in the world ("what kind of father would take his own daughter's rights away?/what kind of father would hate his own daughter if she were gay?"), and 'I Got Money Now', which seems the resolution to 'Don't Let Me Get Me', where Pink decides that success is rewarded with money and punished by complacency and loneliness ("you don't have to like me anymore, I got money now"). And judging by Britney's downward spiral, she may have a point.

Although these songs, as well as the achingly painful 'Nobody Knows' are rather downbeat, subdued and sombre, don't be mistaken for thinking Pink has turned over a new leaf. On stormers 'Cuz I Can', 'U & Ur Hand' and 'Leave Me Alone (I'm Lonely)' Pink roars with joie de vivre and girl power that would make Scary Spice proud. Equally, title track 'I'm Not Dead' and 'Runaway' begin gentle and soft and fragile but end growling, spitting and biting loudly.

Essentially Pink is still just poor little Alicia Moore, a teenage girl trapped in her own securities. 'The One That Got Away', 'Who Knew' and 'Conversations...' are yet more ballads intent on grabbing at young girls like herself, heartbroken, confused, misfits, and teaching them and crying with them ("I know you/I've been you... Everything will work out fine") . With these tracks Pink is essentially saying that there's nothing wrong with being Janis Ian.

Which leaves me with one of my favourite songs offa the album (behind 'Stupid Girls' and 'Cuz I Can') rock-ballad 'Long Way To Happy', which would've made a much better album title if you ask me. Simply it's a quintessential girls-with-guitars song, racking up as one of best of the last few years of Ashlee Simpson, Avril, Skye Sweetham, Marion Raven, Kelly Clarkson et al, need I go on? This track pushes each of those comparitive wallflowers down several rungs of the ladder, leaving Pink at the top, where she belongs.

Best Tracks: 'Stupid Girls', 'Cuz I Can', 'Long Way To Happy', 'U & Ur Hand'

[EDIT:- Also, bonus tracks 'Centrefold' and 'Fingers' are brilliant and probably should've been main tracks. But what can you do?]

A Message For Indie Girl

2006-03-18T21:32:00.000+01:00

Happy Birthday!

You can play the lottery now. Can't you? Good luck with that!

I haven't got you a present. What could possibly top the Franz arse-raping Gwen?

P.S. - Hang on viewers, we'll make some really interesting posts soon. I promise.

HRNK!! Brilliant Cover Version Alert

2006-03-12T20:22:00.000+01:00

I don't normally do this as I find it all a bit lazy, but then, something this brilliant doesn't happen all the time.

You need to head over to Gorilla Vs Bear, scroll down a bit and download Pink Nasty's cover of Usher's 'Burn'. She's done it all acoustic indie style, and she doesn't trill-and-frill all over and oversing it. And, by gosh, it's actually a really good song.

The Invasion Of Chico

2006-03-12T16:24:00.000+01:00

Well, I guess the British public must be taking life "too serious" because they sure as hell must be delerious to be wasting hard-earned money on "It's Chico Time." It would be bad enough if he was a normal artist but why do so many people fall for all that X Factor bollocks? It's not as if out of two whole series they've produced one decent artist.

Steve Brookstein, Shayne (Spell it normally, Twat!) and now this... thing. At least with Pop Idol people had the sense to see that will was good and Michelle was just a big pile of cack.

And of course, he's heading for number one for a second week whereas the Sugababes "Red Dress" (complete with as! ace! as! "I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor" cover) is only going for five. Madonna lurks at six while Pussycat Dolls sleep their way up the charts to number 2. The only good thing I can really see is that The Modern are getting a top 20 hit as they look to chart at no. 13.

The album chart looks similarly bleak with only Arctic Monkeys and KT Tunstall being the albums making any impression on me at all. And Blunt's still in the top 10. Grr!

Contact Me and Pop Boy

2006-03-08T18:03:00.000+01:00

The genius development is technology, readers. You can now contact me and Pop Boy. Wow.

Have you get any queries or questions? Or general musings about anything at all to do with this blog?

Well, you can now send any enquiries or direct your abuse to me and Pop Boy's "official" email (well, google mail... it's far classier than Hotmail and Yahoo y'know! You have to get invites and everything!)

And thanks to the wonderous invention of youtube, every so often we will be bringing you an "Indie Girl and Pop Boy's spiffing video showcase!" Just in case there's any amazing videos you haven't seen because MTV doesn't play music anymore and EMAP is rubbish.

Send what you like here: indiegirlandpopboy@googlemail.com

Just click if you have a built in email system (eg: outlook express) or if you're a simpleton like myself and only have internet provided mail... well, er... just remember the address or something.

Comments are also very welcome and appreciated and I do read them so keep them coming.

Dancing Ok Go!

2006-03-06T03:09:00.000+01:00

Saw his a while ago and, Ach! I bow to their choreographer. The dancing is blowing my mind. Watch them go!

Oh, and the song ain't bad either. Though it probably wouldn't sound as good without the visual accompanyments. (the two in jackets are even a bit fit if you like that type... )

(oh yeah, this song is called "A Million Ways" and is available on their latest album.)

Blasting On Pop Boy's (New) Stereo This Week...

2006-03-03T16:30:00.000+01:00

Panic! At The Disco - Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off
Oh! yes. Pop Boy has drifted to the dark side and has delved into the damp, dingy world of emo. But really, when it sounds this good, can you blame me? I literally can not stop listening to their album, 'A Fever You Can't Sweat Out', which is faultless, blurring the difference between Goldfrapp, Girls Aloud and Greenday (no really). It's electro-pop with falsetto vocals, uber-clever lyrics and smashing guitars and whatsmore, you can dance like a fucking loon to it. This particular song, with it's brilliant title is somewhat of a call to arms, a mission statement if you will ("Let's get these teen hearts beating, faster and faster") that is unforgiving. With screams of "Dance to this beat", you have to be made of strong stuff not to.

Sarka Vankova - Lasku Davej
The first mention of Czech Pop. In Prague, there were no music shops, well there were but it was all native folk music. Then, we stumbled into Bontonland on Wenceslas Square and were transported to an alternative universe. A bounty of euro-pop. I picked up this girl, Alcazar (!!!), tATu's first album in Russian, a compilation of local pop and Martina Balogova. Listening to the radio in taxis etc it seemed the Czechs like glam rock, but then, so do some British taxi drivers. Worringly, Hilary Duff seemed popular in Bontonland. Martina and Sarka were both on Czech Pop Idol and I'd researched it prior to going (geek). I might give Martina (who looks and sounds like a Czech Anastacia) a mention at some point, as she's got some good tunes.
All the Czech stuff is OK, what you'd expect from a backward former-communist Eastern European country. Then this gem, Sarka's first single, jumped out at me. I tried to translate it but all I got was that "Lasku" means "Hug" or "Carress", as for what Davej means, I'm clueless.
The song itself has a throbbing skit pop melody underneath it all, a beat that makes it very easy to dance to, a electro style synth build up and the traditional euro-pop accapella bit for the middle eight, not to mention vocals that sound like they've been pulled long ways through vocoders. I have no idea what it means, but boy is it easy to dance to.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY POP BOY!

2006-03-02T00:12:00.000+01:00

18 today! Who've of thought it? He doesn't look a day over 17 years 11 months. Hope you've had a good one.

(and ok, yes it says the post is on Thursday but the time on my computer it's half 11 on Wednesday and it's still his birthday.. so meh, Blogger!)

And as a present (unless you hate it) Here is Franz's cover of Gwen's "What You Waiting For?" (bizarrely with Alex throwing in a bit of Billy Idol's "White Wedding" at the end. But whatever.) It's from Jo Whiley's show back in December. I can't actually believe I made it until March without hearing of it.

It's mainly for Pop Boy... but you lovely readers can have it an'all!

Blasting On Indie Girl's Stereo This Week...

2006-03-01T23:23:00.000+01:00

Yes, we're here! Pop Boy is just very busy turning 18 at the moment, please leave a message after the beep.

No, no... of course not. I'm just here to spread the wisdom of Indie Girl and share with you what I happen the think is the aces this week. (And truth be told, I wouldn't know about three of these songs if it wasn't for The Mighty Boosh website. So thank you guys...)

Warning: Message may contain emo.

The Modern - Discotheque Francais/Industry
Yes, I know Pop Boy has already been raving about them already but it has taken me this long to discover the disco-dancing electro wonder that is The Modern. Both songs so 80s it really does hurt. He sounds like Simon Le Bon, she sounds like Kylie. All you have to do is close your eyes, imagine it's 1988 and you're listening to this is your funkay bedroom on MTV back when it played music. It's magical stuff and it's so incredably dancable. Visit The Modern On MySpace

Robots In Disguise - Turn It Up
Looking for punky music for a bit of edge but still oozing with all theat electro goodness? Then look no further than The Robots. I found these two via TMB... (Dee of RiD even goes out with Noel Fielding, which pisses me off but I can't really hold a grudge against a small punky yet arty lass who can scream "I am Siouxsie Sioux's granddaughter!!!" in the middle of a street.) and this track is just aceness really. I can't describe further. Quirky aceness. Visit Robots In Disguise On MySpace

Trash Money - Monkey/Lucky
Another find from TMB site. Summery yet sinister guitarband on these two tracks. Especially Lucky... yet because i'm silly my favourite is 'Monkey' simply for the "Monkey see, monkey do... monkey see,monkey dooo!" But definately relaxing in a weird sort of way.
Visit Trash Money On MySpace

Fall Out Boy - Dance, Dance
Yes, I know! It's emo and it's the second Fall Out Boy single i've liked in a row! It's scaring me too... but Dance, Dance just makes you want to... dance! Or throw yourself about a bit... that sort of counts as dancing but it has energy and I like to think it's just a bit of fun listening to them. I'm not turning emo... god forbid. I mean, emo girl doesn't have the same ring to it anyway. And Pop Boy would probably disown me.
Visit Fall Out Boy on MySpace

Born Under A Good Sign

2006-02-23T21:52:00.000+01:00

The question on everybody's lips is "what will be number one on Pop Boy's birthday?" (no, really, it is). And it's next Wednesday so whatever is at number one this Sunday will be my 18th birthday number one.

Just to see what it's got to compete with:

1^st March 1988 – Kylie – I Should Be So Lucky
1989 (1)– Simple Minds – Belfast Minds
1990 (2) – Sinead O’Connor – Nothing Compares 2 U
1991 (3) – Bart Simpson – The Bartman
1992 (4) – Shakespear’s Sister – Stay
1993 (5) – 2 Unlimited – No Limits
1994 (6) – Mariah Carey – Without You
1995 (7) – Celine Dion – Think Twice
1996 (8) – Babylon Zoo – Spaceman
1997 (9) – No Doubt – Don’t Speak
1998 (10) – Cornershop – Brimful of Asha
1999 (11) – Britney Spears – Baby One More Time
2000 (12) – All Saints – Pure Shores
2001 (13) – Atomic Kitten – Whole Again
2002 (14) – Westlife – World Of Our Own
2003 (15) – t.A.T.u. – All The Things She Said
2004 (16) – Peter Andre – Mysterious Girl
2005 (17) – Nelly & Tim McGraw – Over & Over

Fair enough, last year,1989 and 2002 were anomalies, but generally, they're all classics. My birth heralded Kylie's first number one. My ninth birthday saw Gwen get her first number one. My eleventh birthday saw Britney riding high as a global superstar. My fifteenth birthday was met with Russian lesbians. All in all, not too shabby at all.

But what will be number one on my 18th birthday?...
(and yes, this is a purely self-indulgent post, but it's important to me, so put up and shut up)

The Darkness – Is It Just Me?
IG: Is there anyone who gives a fucking hoohah about The Darkness anymore? No? Thought so. It still means they are awful for polluting or airwaves and Justin Hawkins. The video for this song is even worse than the actual song (“no! It’s not possible! It’s just not!”) Oh, but yes it is. The video (certificate 15, not suitable for young children as it WILL cause the worst nightmares EVA. Contains disturbing scenes and “mild peril” [what is that anyway?]) Yes, Justin marrying himself (I reckon he’s just carrying out some kind of life-long dream he’s had) shagging himself, him and the bald bassist in a dress and yes, Justin’s hair is worse. Can you believe that could actually happen?

Oh, I’m meant to talk about the song? It’s the Darkness for fuck’s sake! Of course it’s shit.

PB: The James Blunt of 2003 and proof that the Brit Awards have fuck all to do with musical quality. Yes, The Darkness have selfishly released their latest ear-rape to coincide with my birthday. The fuckers. It makes me think though, when 'One Way Ticket' was released I scoffed that "they couldn't get much worse than this", and yet, they've surpassed themselves. Sort of.
The video sees Justin Hawkins marrying himself and then shagging himself. Now, is it just me or does the thought of one Justin Hawkins having sex make you want the cough up the lining of your stomach? But two Justin Hawkins' having sex? With each other? It's enough to put me off food for life.
I realise that poking fun at The Darkness isn't particularly original, but it's just so easy.

Corinne Bailey Rae – Put Your Records On
PB: Corinne's sumptuous voice is like a warm cup of cocoa on these cold winter nights. Though Indie Girl argues this is a summer song, I just think it's Corinne's vocal (bright, exuberant and sunny) that adds the "we need more ice" hot quality to this song. Undeniably beautiful. Though I have heard through the grapevine that the album is a bit of a disappointment, which is gutting as it's surely down to bad songs wasting Corinne's vocals. Perhaps one of those three little brids was an albatross? If this was number one on my birthday it can only be a good thing (afterall having a debut number one on my birthday did Kylie and Britney no harm). Though Leeds born Corinne couldn't be further away from Britney.

IG: You can’t really be mean to Corinne, can you? It just feels mean, like kicking a puppy or something. Fair enough, she may be a little dull but she’s still an enjoyable relaxing listen. Though, judging by this song… she has released what is clearly an Summer record right on the end of Winter. Not really the best time, I just sat listening to this and felt completely out of place in freezing cold

Scotland

. Perhaps buy this, and then keep it until July and then sit in your garden with some ace shades on, lie back in the grass and enjoy. Be quick though, it’ll start raining soon! This is

Britain

Madonna – Sorry
IG: Je suis desolee… yadda yadda yadda. YES! It’s the aceness that is Madge! I loved “Sorry” as soon as I nicked it off MuzicMatters. Roller disco fun! (I actually want to go to one, preferably with Pop Boy and a row of willing roller disco-ers and re-create the video) Despite the video being a basic continuation of Hung Up, the song shows that Madonna truly is BACK and here to stay and dance around in leotards and shit. Truly one the best “stompers” from Confessions. Oh, and the next single is “Jump” by the way. I look forward to the video and brilliant dance routine accompanying.

PB: Kylie achieved it. Britney achieved it. Gwen achieved it. Mariah achieved it. Even bloody Jenny Frost achieved it. But Madonna has never been number one on March 1st. Surely a pop injustice of the grandest scale? She missed narrowly with 'Frozen' in 1997 but was a week late. Close but no goulash I'm afraid.
Surely, this wrong can be righted this year. I can't see how Madge can't be number one this week, with 'Sorry' a glittering, throbbing, roller disco diety which takes the brilliance of 'Hung Up' and the infamous ABBA sample, shakes it around, strangles it with a pair of toned yoga thighs and beats it with a big glittery stick. Worse still it's gone in the morning and won't return 'Hung Up's' calls (there's an irony somewhere). By far the best song from 'Confessions On A Dancefloor'. This may just be brilliant enough to still be number one come my 19th birthday. I'll be honest, it's unlikely, but it'd be deserved.

Michael Jackson - Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough/Thriller
PB: The first(??) of MJ's re-releases. Following the success of a similar Elvis stunt last year (and also, I suspect, an attempt win people over after the.. ummm... let's say... shady year or so he's had). With all those complications, it was easy to see that Michael has gone a bit cuckoo and is a couple of hampers sort of a picnic (let alone sandwiches). It was also easy to dismiss im as a total fool. But these songs truly remind us just how brilliant he was at his most inventive/poptastic/genius. I challenge anyone, perhaps even Gavin Arvizo, not to dance to 'Don't Stop' or to want to do the zombie dance to 'Thriller'. It's humanly impossible. Definitely the gem in the 'King Of Pop's crown.

IG: Both classics, but I completely agree with the principles of this release. Basically, it’s a re-release/cash-in. Which all those mad Jacko fans will buy. Perhaps he needs a new gold statue or summat… anyway. Thriller is an amazing classic track and I still dance around to it comically on Halloween. And seeing the video when I was six led to me refusing to watch it for the following seven years, but that’s not the point.
Don’t buy. We’ve just got rid of those bloody Elvis re-releases, we don’t need re-releases hitting the number one spot every week again.

Best: Both - Madonna
Worst: Both -The Darkness

I Can't Decide Whether I Love It Or Hate It...

2006-02-19T17:56:00.000+01:00

Either way, it's fairly high-larious for a Rufus Wainwright fanatic like myself (or basically one who has ever heard and remembers the original version.) I never thought i'd live to see the day where you can dance to one of his songs in a club, but no! Here is an amateur remix, done by some random off the Rufus forums of "The One You Love"

http://media.putfile.com/The-One-You-Love-Wazari-Trance-Mix

Fair enough, I normally hate dance music but for some reason... I just don't totally hate it. Ugh, should I?

What do you readers think of it? Hilarious? Terrible? Brilliant? What?!?

2006-02-18T21:30:00.000+01:00

I'm listening to Sugababes' take of 'Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor'. In full. There's a tear in my eye. This is brilliant.

THIS is the best of British music.

Pop Boy Does The Modern

2006-02-18T21:03:00.000+01:00

The Modern, in case you didn't know, are the biggest band of 2006 and they will take your mama, dadda and your unborn children out all night and show them what it's all about. And I was fortunate enough to see them live last night at Wolverhampton's Little Civic along with a couple of dozen other people.

As you'd expect, they were the fucking aces. And as there weren't many people, I got right to the front and could practically smell the whiff of genius that was pouring out of Nathan and Chi. They played 'my' song 'Discotheque Francais' which made me chuffed as cheese. In 'Discotheque...' they've created a sound and a lyric so in tune with my life that it's scary. Even more freakishly 'Suburban Culture' is similarly appropriate (especially with my recent Eastern European bloc-ness). This can of course mean one of two things. Either The Modern are actually the result of me stepping into a time machine and coming out talented or The Modern deserve to take over the world. And I ain't got no flux-capacitor.

Emma is of course the new Debbie Harry, the new Geri Halliwell, the new Marilyn Monroe and not to mention the young Pat Butcher all rolled into one big bundle of pure smelted sex and charisma that seems to have been poured into the 'mould' of electro-band front woman-ness. The unfortunate result of such unparalelled aceness is that Emma really has broken the mould. She trashed, sluttified and danced her way through 'Tokyo Girls' (for which she donned some mega cute bunny ears) pouted with her cherry red lips and toyyed with her platinum blonde ringlets. Maybe I just have a thing for blondes?

Obviously, 'Industry', the new single sneaked into the set (Can anyone say single of the year?). It was, as somewhat expected, fucking mind-blowing, with Emma's moaning of "I wanna, I wanna" being particularly hypnotising.

Their first single 'Jane Falls Down' kicked off the set (though I don't know why I've mentioned it last(ish)). 'Jane' was painful and euphoric in equal parts. Emma's microphone was duffed up and the sound was all over the place, but we won't blame her, because, quite simply, it wasn't her fault at all.

They also played two songs I don't know, 'Seven Oceans' and another whose name escapes me. Both were brilliant though and make me very excited about the as-yet-unnamed album.

Apparently after the show the band came out and signed posters and talked to people. I'll admit I'm jealous secretly but I'm going to pretend that I've grown up now (I'm 18 in two weeks!) and that all this fanboy-ness is above me (though I'm convincing no-one). My fandom far exceeds this anyway, as I bought a t-shirt. Unfortunately they only had girl's sizes so I sort of have a The Modern belly top. As if I wasn't gay enough already... etc.

Plus, if I'd've met Emma, I cna't guarantee I wouldn't have combusted.

Indie Girl does Goldfrapp (Yes, again!)

2006-02-18T01:21:00.000+01:00

"Thanks for not staying in and watching the Brits!"

Well, we weren't missing much Alison.Y'know how it is... it really wasn't difficult to tear myself away from Blunt winning Best Pop Act.

Last night, instead of staying in and watching the frankly dismal Brit Awards, me and a friend went out to see the Frapp. Again, yes. And it was still rocking.

Highlights:

The disco lights. Yes again but they once again were fabulous! And they encouraged Alison to start...
The stomping and marching! Alison knows how to bust a bloody move. Swinging her head round as well. She's taught me entire new methods of dance.
The best songs from Felt Mountain being played. Utopia was great despite the fact that the sound fucked up and Lovely Head was elegant and suave. Partially gald they didn't play Deer Stop due to the unappreciate, drunken crowd.
The stompers. Ooh yeah. Ride A White Horse, Ooh La La and Strict Machine. got eveyone dancing, apart from the ones right up on the top circle who quite frankly were to afraid of falling off.
The fact that I could see! Hurrah! *hallelujahs all around* It isn't easy being small.
Two words. Electric. violin.
Alison! She was ever so cheery and happy! And she said Scots crowds were the best... so meh!

Lowlights:

Hot Chip. Warning: rant... Words cannot describe how completely terrible this band actually are. Ok, at first they were hilariously bad but after about half an hour of it I could've thrown them from the upper circle. They were on for far too long, they played he same long song about twelve times. They were shit. They held up the 'Frapp. They were shit. I used to like some electroclash and they've made me hate it with all my being, and did I mention that they were shit?
Tour t-shirts? £16? I'm poor, for fuck's sake! I practically had to save up for the bloody ticket.
Two hours I had to wait. At least. It was ages before they came on during which I had to pay £1.50 for a glass of water and listen to Hot Chip. If that's not Hell, i'm not sure what is.
They played a lot of album tracks at the start, alienating some of the crowd at the very start. Though they seemed fairly alienated until they played Ooh La La. Amateur Frappers. Pfft.
Did I mention how terrible Hot Chip were???!!11!1!! I can't believe some people were actually buying their album at the merch stall... of course I can't believe anyone might have a diffrent opinion to my own and that everyone must agree because I knows best.

And that is my sum-up of the enigma that is Goldfrapp. Go and see them live. It's very cool. Just make sure the support act are good and/or not Hot Chip.

I Bet This'll Sound Good On The Dancefloor...

2006-02-15T22:47:00.000+01:00

The Sugababes have only went and recorded the best cover of '06 so far (and probably for the whole year. In a year when James Blunt is Best Pop Act, Pop Boy and I are starting to lose all of our hope.)

And I say it's the best cover after hearing only 30 seconds courtesy of the wonderful Popjustice (we are the Iceland to their Harvey Nichols) I am positive that it is absolutely fantastic and I am afraid listening to the whole song may affect my health, it'll be so amazing.

It's pissed off a few snobby indie morons as well (aka: NME readers who actually think it's good... oh, see Blunt of the Week. Again.) Hoo-rah!

Though me and Pop Boy still reckon Girls Aloud should've done this cover. Can you imagine?!? Can you?!? They could always cover Mardy Bum. I may implode with the sheer aceness of it all.

(oh, and finding it strange that i'm not moaning about the Brits? It'll come later. Just you wait. I can't find the words...)

I suppose you lot think it's the most fantastic thing ever ever (just for today of course, or until the Aloud cover Mardy Bum) Let us know!

Valentine's? Love? Pffft.

2006-02-15T01:49:00.000+01:00

It’s the Valentine season and people across the world are snuggling up to various sickeningly slushy love songs like ‘Too Lost In You’ and ‘Lovin’ You’ and they’re all very happy. But what do those of us who are single and (extremely) bitter and cynical do? Well, for a start we could listen to these alternative love songs and be glad you’re not involved with weirdos like these…

PB:
Just Like A Pill
First off, a modern classic and one of the highlights of Pink’s career. A romantic love song with a love filled with pills, pain and morphine. Various interpretations can be drawn, and none of them are particularly pretty. The most obvious two are that this is an ode to a drug riddled relationship or ‘the man’ is beating Pink to within an inch of her life. Either way, I wouldn’t rush to put this one a mixtape for a loved one. Happy Valentine’s Baby! Where’s the drugs?

Tainted Love
There’s something ironic about scary looking seedy men like Marc Almond and Marilyn Manson singing about abusive, frightening relationships. This song, much like ‘Just Like A Pill’, is one of undeniable passion and unconditional love despite the abuse you’ve suffered, and, in this case, the STDs you’ve picked up. I’m sure there’s supposed to be some kind of sentiment in there somewhere. The ultimate alternative love song. Originally sung soul-style by Marc Bolan’s wife, Gloria Jones, then made famous by Soft Cell in the 80s before being covered by ‘goth’ Marilyn Manson in what must be the definitive version.

Where The Wild Roses Grow
One of Kylie’s darker moments for sure. Aching strings that begin to pull at the heart strings from the start document this alternative love story. Bells toll throughout turning it into more of a funeral procession than a love song. But it there is still love between the ‘characters’ Elisa Day and Nick Cave despite the dark morbidness of the song. I still don’t think I’d be glad to receive a similar sentiment from a Valentine though. Cleverly uses the image of a rose, both romantic and deathly to create an undying passion which must die and merge the two images together.
Warning to all beautiful virgins: If a man calls you Wild Rose and promises to show you where the Wild Roses grow – GET OUT OF THERE!!

IG:
In My Arms
For you to cry about the fact you’ve never had a love. Not even a young man with a drug addiction who then hangs himself with a belt. Yes, this is Rufus Wainwright’s tale of being extremely unlucky in love. Firstly he finds the young man, desperately wanting to get off the drugs, Rufus takes him away and they sleep together but then the young man wanders back into the dark world of drugs and ends up hanging himself with a belt due to his severe addiction, leaving Rufus distraught and pining to care for the man again. Just be glad you’ve never suffered heartache like this. (unless you have of course, in which case you’re just really, really unlucky. And also could you contact me and tell me of your heartfelt tale, as it could get me top marks on my next creative writing exam)

I Write Sins Not Tragedies
This is the latest offering from the new hottest act on the usually dismal emo scene. ‘I Write Sins Not Tragedies’ tells the tale of a young man. He’s incredibly excited, he’s all ready for his wedding to his sweetheart and looking forward to spending the rest of his life with her. But as he’s pacing the corridors of the church beforehand he overhears the mandatory bitchy bridesmaid commenting on the wedding. “Yes,” she says… “the wedding may be beautiful, but the bride is a whore.” The young man then throws open the door in heartache exclaiming that people should just keep their mouths shut. I guess the lesson of this is, all bridemaids are bitchy, but also that weddings are sometimes not all as perfect as they may seem.

All The Things She Said
Surely your relationship can never be as scorned upon as Julia and Lena’s?!? Judging by the video, they could only have been in a convent to prevent that bad a reaction. As the rest of the world seemed to find it hot (namely straight men and America) and the girls were a worldwide hit. Mind you, we must get back to the point of the song. Some people feel their relationships can never just carry on because people just won’t accept them and I’m going to be serious here. A lot of gay relationships are still hated by those God-bothering Christians who like to think the bible is real. If they hated this, would’ve liked to have seen their reactions if it was a male on male relationship. Apparantely gayness is fine now, as long as it’s two Russian schoolgirls.
But that was not that point of the song…. Err… relationships can make you feel worse than being single… I think.

So to sum up, don't be going adding these to any of your love compilations... they really just don't say "I love you."

Blunt Of The Week: Top 5!!! (11!!eleven!!1)

2006-02-10T14:33:00.000+01:00

Well, I couldn't actually just decide on one considering the amount of utter Bluntiness circulating at the moment!

Here! Is the first Blunt of the Week Top 5! (ooh! I bet you're excited.)

Of course, I'll be counting down to build anticipation. you may want to put this on in the back ground as you read.
http://s36.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=0D825KB1XJNOO25EE35ARKJDX3

Innnn at 5.....
The NME!
Change the fucking record, Mr McNicholas. We know that Britain seem to adore the Arctic Monkeys. I like them myself, but when your magazine basically becomes a list of what each individual member of that band had for their tea or summat like that, you need to find something else to talk about. We've already had "The Many Odours of Pete Doherty" around four times.

Basically... isn't it known that when the NME sit wanking in their pants over a band, it completely ruins them for everyone else. Well, apart from all those folks that think the NME is actually good. Mind you, i'm one of those idiots that gets really pissed off with The NME, yet continues to flounder away a couple of quid on it every so often.

Innnn at 4.....
Arctic Monkeys!
Yes, one chart they're not topping. Well, y'know. Arctic Monkeys have the potential to be a great band, or maybe they did. I don't know. Somehow a band go on in my estimations when:

1. The NME sit salivating at their piss-stained desks typing up the tiniest bit of crap about the band. (see number 5 in the First ever! Blunt Of The Week Top 5.)
2. Everyone and their mother (and grandmother, and dad probably. Trying to get in with the kids and all of that) likes them.

You can't blame a band for being popular so their entry into the Blunt of the week is for two reasons. Number 1 being that last week they announced their UK tour, it is a smaller venue tour and there are hardly any fucking dates. Of course, the presale tickets went faster than the "Wonka Bars" and that was that. Half of them ended up on eBay with people with more money than sense bidding up to £300 for them. This especially being stupid, as the general sale of the tickets was on the Thursday of that week for £14 each but whatever you want to do, the simply idiotic Great British Public. But of course, getting tickets easily was not to be. Tickets went on sale at 6pm, I went onto Ticketmaster (also shit, by the way) at 6pm on the dot and it told me that all the tickets were gone. I then went onto loads of other ticket sites (all ticketmaster companies, and therefore equally shit) told me the same thing. I went to try GigsAndTours but it had fucking crashed and then tried phoning and the line was engaged. 6.05pm, all the tickets are gone. And as far as I know, they're not planning to adding extra dates. Cunts.

And also, they were home and played a gig at the Sheffield Octagon last week. They were met with a sea of heckles asking for their silly yet fantastic cover of Girls Aloud's "Love Machine" Alex proceeded to tell the entire crowd to fuck off and said that they couldn't even remember how to play it. Er, way to respect the fans Alex. Meh, if it all falls apart, I can reserve them a space in the dumper, right next to Lisa Scott Lee. They can entertain Darius in there with a rocking cover of "Electric."

Innnn at 3.....
Harry Potter!
Well, Daniel Radcliffe really but that's all he's known for. And this is for being an NME reading, crap indieworshipping, whiny little cunt. This week he's been claiming he was the first ever Arctic Monkeys fan. Oh, really? What about Alex Turner's mam then?

I tell you, when all those Hollywood producers realise the boy can't act, he will be the next Conor McNicholas. Or at least one of those pretentious wankers that won't give a look-in to anything pop, and then write about it, and then charge us £1.95 to read it.

Innnn at 2.....
The Grammys!
For being in America (notoriously rather shit for mainstream music) and being better than the shit-pile the smug record companies like to call the Brits. Fair enough, the nominations and winners may be just as bad but at least the performances are fucking ace. I mean, A. C. E. I mean... well... http://www.youtube.com/?v=ee3wFhr-AUc

And innnn at 1.....
James "this whole thing is named after him anyway" Blunt!
Yes, well. He had to be top. Didn't he? But he's been making the news this week anyway. Apparantely, the USA has fallen under the evil terror that is Blunt. Yes, he seems to be invading the world faster than the Nazis back in '39. I think the only good he seems to have done is piss off Robbie. Read about Blunt's only decent achievement (ever) here: http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,4-2006060489,00.html

Do you agree with the "first! ever! Blunt of the Week Top 5?" Let us know now!

It's Very Quiet Here Isn't It?

2006-02-06T18:45:00.000+01:00

...And for that, we apologise. But it seems like one of the first times since ever that neither Girls Aloud nor Rachel Stevens have had top-pop songs to promote. And although I'm sitting with baited breath for the return of Nelly Furtado (like properly, on the radio and all that) and for Pink's ace new single 'Stupid Girls' to take over the world with that video that pokes fun at Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Condelleeza Rice and (for shame) Gwen, it seems the world of pop is on somewhat of a stand still....

And save raving about The Artic Monkeys, mourning the death of Smash Hits (which may I say (with my 'Pop' Boy credentials under threat here) I've never ever bought, not once) or moaning about the Brit Awards (it really is such a waste of breath - just boycott them) there's nothing much to talk that's even remotely exciting is there? Is there?

The charts themselves are just as tired, perfunctory and boring as this post [hmmm...]. That 'Biggie' tribute song (featuring everyone other than the man himself it would seem) that seems to have been on radio since just about before Biggie died is number one and the top ten consists of two re-releases (or one re-release and a re-issue - meh), an monotonous (but also sort-of ace) dance song sampling an age-old Michael Jackson and Paul Cartney song, two songs that should've really packed there bags and left home just after Christmas and a tired release from the ex-lead singer of the world's (apparently) biggest girl-band. It's not all grim though, there is Will Young, Chris Brown (who makes me feel quite old) and Arctic Monkeys providing a little burst of promise of just how great Lucky 6 could be.

The Arctic Monkeys are straddling the album charts like it's Grand National ace horse. They'd just better make sure that they don't fall off at the jumps. Afterall, the rest of the competition are, to be fair, knackered old race horses that really should call it a day as they've been around for a good while (Blunt*, Kaiser Chiefs, Hard-Fi, Editors, Kelly Clarkson). Jose Gonzalez has been around for a bit, I've had his album for yonks, but I'll let you losers off, this time. And don't get me started on lame donkey Richard Ashcroft (the soon to return Blunt Of The Week 'awards' await you Dick) whose insurgence must surely soon be beaten down by the civility of better things (which is, let's face it, anything).

And then there's Chico who is, quite simply, a fucking cock.

Cheer up though, it'll be March soon (Pop Boy and Indie Girl's birthdays are in March!!) and we'll crawl out of this cloudy February spell. Plus The Modern are about to take over the world ("if there's any justice in the world...") and Scissor Sisters make their comeback soon. Don't they? DON'T THEY!?!?

Indie Girl and Pop Boy say:

2006-02-04T15:34:00.000+01:00

Look at the crappy logo! Look at it! And take in it's message!

Yes fair enough, me and Pop Boy are actually boycotting it without even realising. Pop Boy will be pissing it up in Prague on the 16th whilst me and Alison Goldfrapp (no nominations? Are you out of your minds?) will be sticking two fingers up at the fucking Brits commitee at the Usher Hall.

But we urge you, the person who may not be pre-occupied on that night to join us! Join us in our campaign! Tell the Brits committee where they can stick their award!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Indie Girl's list of suggestions of better things to do than watch the Brits:

Read a book!
Go to the pictures!
Go down the pub!
Sit around on internet forums complaining about how fucking crap the Brit Awards are!
Watch Eastenders or summat else. Just avoid ITV, and then have a nice bath.

Will you be watching the Brits? Tell us now!

Blasting On Indie Girl's Stereo This Week...

2006-02-03T00:41:00.000+01:00

That's right, I'm not dead! Yes, firstly I would like to apologise for my lack of effort for this blog. I have had a half-arsed attitude to everything for the last month or so but hey, that was January. And everybody knows that January is as depressing as shit.

So I will give a little sum up of what i've been listening to recently to heighten your curiousity and buy them (or y'know, get them offa Soulseek if you don't totally trust my judgement)

Panic! At the Disco - I Write Sins Not Tragedies
Apart from having an extremely ace name.. I really, really, really love this song. I really do. I should hate it, but it's the first bit of "emo" lark i've loved and it's ever so fabulous. I mean, even the video is gothic campery. The lead singer leaping around looking like Johnny Depp playing Willy Wonka and telling the bride that she's a whore wearing a truly fantastic hat. Others have called Panic! a cross between Fall Out Boy (who I find to be excruiating bar their cover of "Love Will Tear Us Apart") and the Killers (who are aceness in pink blazers) and it's not really the only similarities. Well, Panic! were actually discovered by Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz and signed to his label, and they are also from Las Vegas and have a lead singer called Brendon (which isn't a million miles away from a certain Mr Flowers) Coincedence, yes? I like to think not.

Watch the video: http://www.mtv2.com/#videoPremiere/1521279

Arctic Monkeys - A Certain Romance
Yep boys, i'm believing the hype. Well, not really. I think it's been blown out of proportion by that NME crowd but anyway... that's another story. But however, I do think this is probably the best track on the album. I mean, it has actually has heart and feeling and is a great way to sum up the album and round it off. the whole album talks about going out to indie discos and getting in trouble with the law. this song tells us that perhaps Alex yearns for more than that, but he cannot do anything. Great song from a massively overhyped album (I only enjoy half the tracks) and probably worth the visit to see live. Though there was no bloody chance of me getting tickets and am yet to hear if Pop Boy had any success. I may just have to linger around listening to the album for yet another night.

The Rakes - 22 Grand Job
Watch the video and learn the dance! Hours of fun! And a nice indie alternative at the moment to a band who I mentioned above.

Charlotte Hatherley - Bastardo
This was out around a year ago and only just started listening again. I love it. I love it. I love it. It's a camp little ditty with a kitschy little comic book video and cute comedy lyrics ("and in the morning when I woke, there was no Antonio, just some money that he'd left for the memory of me") and I always sing along with the backing singers... they get the best lines... Get the song, or even better... watch the video........ here: http://www.xfm.co.uk/Article.asp?id=68516&spid

EDIT: Late Add-on
Protocol - Where's The Pleasure In You?
This song is bloody brilliant. Fair enough, it does sound dangerously like The Bravery but not completely the same. Thank god. They have a better edge and a looping catchy melody and lyrics and I love it already. Hey, I go through whims so i'll probably hate it tomorrow but revel in it today. Great new electro indie rock! (is it just me, or are all the genres getting more and more complicated?)

What do you readers think of my taste in music?

Q.B.O.Y. Is Just So Fly

2006-01-29T15:07:00.000+01:00

Or so he says.

Thanks to Arjan Writes I've downloaded songs from Q-Boy's website. Q-Boy is truly unique. A gay hip hop artist. Openly unashamedley gay and yet openly unashamedley urban. And his songs are actually quite good.

Q-Boy has managed to create music to which "you leave ignorance at the door". His raps pastiche bubblepop gay culture and homophobic hip-hop culture together ("like Madonna's teeth you gotta fill in the gap!") and mashes together the dichotomies and fuses them into what is far from the middle ground.

In 'Q.B.O.Y.' he spits "being gay and urban is never a crime" and criticises both the homophobic hip-hop world and the anti-hip-hop gay world claiming that the prejudice and negativity of one scene is caused by the other. And, I have to admit he makes sense. He's a gay man in the hip-hop nation. Both communities want to be accepted but are unable to accept one another. The gays won't touch him because he's hip-hop and the hip-hop types won't touch him because he's gay. It's all about opening your mind, man.

His voice is unusual, as he raps in an English accent which occaissionally has an American twang to it. But he's much more English sounding than the likes of Kano or Roll Deep. He is set to release 'A Deal With God' an anti-bullying single that uses a sample of Kate Bush's 'Running Up That Hill'. Kate Bush + Gay Hip-hop = Potentially the most brilliant thing ever!

I'd love Q-Boy to be huge, but as I've only just discovered his 2003 EP 'Even The Women Like Him' that made about as much impact as a burp I doubt he'll ever be able to overcome his prejudices.

Pop Boy Writes...

2006-01-25T21:33:00.000+01:00

Dear Mr Louis Walsh,

Having heard the brilliance of the Arctic Monkeys covering Girls Aloud's modern classic 'Love Machine' I have decided that you should get the girls to repay the favour and do a version of 'Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor'. Not only is it the polite thing to do, it would also have the potential to be the song of the year, uniting the hidden (often unrecognised) wonder of modern British pop music (more specifically Girls Aloud) and the genius of the modern indie music scene. Even if they only perform it once, I don't care, as long as I get to hear it.

Yours Sincerely,

Greg 'Pop Boy' Cotton

P.S. You were a proper cunt on X-Factor

P.P.S. 'Wild Horses' should be the next Girls Aloud single. Maybe 'Bet You Look Good' could be the B-Side?

More New Things

2006-01-24T20:37:00.000+01:00

We are living in a material and I am a material Pop Boy. That's why I've been listening to these ace songs about the brilliance of material goods. And then some others.

Pay TV - I Want More Stuff
I only recently found this demo from Pay TV, our ambitiously shallow super-pop friends, on Catchy Tunes Of Sweden. It's, as they might say, off the hook. There appears to be some time kind of 80s Pac-Man/Space Invaders battle going on in the background as there are lots of cool whizzes, beeps and bleeps, which everyone should know, is like, THE most important component of any truly brilliant song.

I don't know who it was that made the rule that women can't and shan't be bought but I'm sure these girls would like to talk to them. Some might say that the sentiments of this song send feminism several decades back but I have to disagree. Pay TV are by no means 'giving in' to men. Sure, they're kept women, but hey, why the fuck shouldn't they be? It's not that they can't get a job of their own, they just don't want them. Spending other people's money is much more fun. The girls aren't ashamed to give you their requests, nay, demands. And if you can't afford them, then you should move onto cheap slag Jennifer Lopez, because you are a loser. And poor. And boring. Duh!

Also, Pay TV have an ace blog y'all should click onto.

The Pipettes - It Hurts To See You Dance So Well
The Pipettes are ace! And if it wasn't for a couple of other people, I might as bold to say that they will probably be my favourite act of 2006. This song is diddy, lasting just 1:06. But hey, what it lacks in quantity, it more than makes up for in quality. This song will make even the most moody indie boy or girl dance. Never before has jealously and bitterness sounded so darn jaunty.

Pipettes are producing 'indie' music so pop that the boundary between what is pop and what is indie is becoming more and more frayed. What will this all mean? Will indie music be forced to become underground and, well, indie(pendent) again? Will Eurovision be seen as more important than the fucking Brit Awards? Will people stop making good pop and get just as contrived as the schmindie bands of recent years? So many questions, so little time. Only the aceness of the Pipettes can decide.

Baxendale I Built This City
Edward O had this on Enthusiastic But Mediocre v2.0 a while back as one of his favourite singles of 2005. (Yes, it's from last year, how very unprogressive of me etc. ) But I can see why it was rated so highly. What I can't understand is how it managed to allude me for so long.

A kicking electro beat and a guitar lick that may or may not be deliberately intended to make me think of Pink Floyd's 'Another Brick In The Wall'. Falsetto vocals about high rises. Brilliant practically spoken English vocals. I assume this city is sort of metaphoric for the amount of devotion etc put into a relationship but I'm happy to dance along and believe that a man has actually made a city, with his bare hands. It should perhaps be a rule that all men should make cities for their partners and then buy them thigns to put in it. Why? Because Pay TV deserve it.

I dare you to listen and not have the chorus in your head all day. Go on, I dares you.

Nelly Furtado - Maneater
Nelly's new single 'I Am' has leaked, and that's a cracker, but it's nothing in comparison to this stomper. Nelly's back and better than ever for sure. This pisses all over 'Try', 'Powerless' and the like, and the last album was a good one! One problem I've always found with Ms Furtado is that I get constantly frustrated and can't help thinking she's missing something, her previous stuff has been great and you can tell there's a lot of talent and star quality there. But it's never seemed like she's been fulfilling her full potential. Until now. 'Maneater' is a writhing, sweaty, energetic pop song born to make you dance like a flydog from 1994.

If this is anything to go by, then the new album 'Loose' expected later this year is going to be wicked!

Words Don't Come Easily Like...

2006-01-24T20:20:00.000+01:00

Sorry!

We haven't updated in ages. Feel free to kick our asses! In our defence, Pop Boy has had revision to do for his A-Levels (temporarily sidelining his Pop Superhero-ness for his career int he 'real' world - tsk! etc)

As for Indie Girl, she is poorly sicked and has spent most of the last week in bed feeling like shit. So I suppose we can excuse her from being her usual brilliant, indie self.

Thems be our alibis and we're sticking to them!

Let us assure you that had we have done single reviews we would have loved the following:

Arctic Monkeys - When The Sun Goes Down
Beyonce Ft Slim Thug - Check On It
Cat Power - Greatest [7” only]
Hi Tack - Say Say Say
Sunshine Underground - Commercial Breakdown
Tina Dico - Warm Sand
Will Young - All Time Love

Pop Mother always taught me that if I've got nothing nice to say, not to say anything at all, which is we didn't mention any of following releases from last week...

Belle & Sebastian - Funny Little Frog
Cheeky Girls - I’m Too Sexy
Mattafix - To & Fro
Notorious BIG - Nasty Girl
Son Of Dork - Eddie’s Song

New Things

2006-01-15T18:54:00.000+01:00

Lots of people like to make predictions about who will be big by the end of the year. I'd like to claim Joss Stone, Go! Team and KT Tunstall whom I was into months before any of you other suckers as my previous predictions. This isn't so much my predictions of whom will be or even could be big, this is a list of new pop acts that are really very good and deserve to be, but probably won't be, huge.

Leela James
I found a link to Leela James' site on a German music site whilst looking for information on Frank Popp. The streaming of her album sounds very good, like a maturer version of 'Soul Sessions'-era Joss Stone. Her best song 'Music' is a beautiful and soulful organ-led beg for mercy in a world where music is generic and it "ain't about tha song no mo'/s'all about the video". Half scathing-half begging Leela balances heartache and ecstasy perfectly, serving each and every song up with a loving spoonful of soul and undeniable vibrance. Her album 'A Change Is Gonna Come' was apparently released in June, which indicates that it's highly unlikely she's going to be big, but that makes her no less of a great find. And I can't be the only one impressed by Leela, as her album features production appearances from big names Kanye West, Raphael Saadiq, Wyclef Jean and Comissioner Gordon.

West End Girls
Living in the shadows of both the Pet Shop Boys (well, duh) and the A*Teens (a great pop band originally formed as a tribute band of another even greater band) every pop blog seems to have mentioned this duo, so I thought it was about time I jumped on the band wagon. Now, only being born in 1988, you'll excuse me for not being the biggest Pet Shop Boys fan in the world, simply because they were before my time. Then add to that the fact that I don't 'get' Neil Tennant's voice and where I'm able to appreciate the genius of the Pet Shop Boys', I'm not a huge fan. Which is why this band is perfect. 1980s genius repackaged for the 2006 audience. West End Girls' 'Domino Dancing' is brilliant from start to finish, pure perfection. Plus, PSB were like the people who invented the whole new-wave electro thing and that's all the fashion nowadays, so surely a band so heavily influenced on the pioneers of a genre are sure to dominate it. And when they sound this good, why wouldn't they?

New Releases 9th January 2006

2006-01-13T01:27:00.000+01:00

Sunblock - I'll Be Ready
IG: A summer dance anthem at the wrong time of year to sum up.

I think this could be real smash in July with some real airplay and everyone getting in the summer mood but thinking about people running in slo-mo along a beach is almost unthinkable in January.

The track itself it’s a bit predictable in that it’s pretty much the same all the way through, it’s very much like it’s predecessors in that it does have a market in the (chavvy) clubs but I don’t think it will have that much impact at this time of year.

PB: How ace is this? I’m probably the only one besides a group of aging chavs who appreciate the brilliance/awfulness of this. I hope I’m not, but I probably am. And let’s face it, it’s been a long time coming (a dance record sampling the Baywatch theme) and it was never going to make the charts quiver with fear, but, then that was never the intention. In my personal opinion they should’ve probably waited until the summer to release this, but then the charts are going on their post-Christmas slim line diet (which I suspect they’ll give up on next week looking at the releases) and I suppose any new music at all – even if it does use a tired 80s sample – is a good thing.

Richard Ashcroft - Break The Night With Colour
IG: The return of Richard Ashcroft. Slightly yawn enducing. This is kind of like, if Athlete were a solo artist… or perhaps really if The Verve were a solo artist.
I find this track quite nice in general but I get bored easily listening to it.. I expected something more gritty like Ashcroft’s previous work (ie: Bittersweet Symphony) but this is more like drivel for the “ooh guitars on it? I’ll take five” market. Better than Blunt though, slightly better than Blunt.

PB: The lead singer of the Verve makes his comeback in the quietest, most shittest period for singles (January) in an attempt, surely, to debut higher than he normally would or should. The single itself is typical Ashcroft, a slow drudging indie ‘anthem’ that thinks it’s more emotive than it is. With faux-inspirational lyrics this song clearly wishes it was ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’ and Richard Ashcroft appears to be grasping at straws to replicate the success of that song and justify his undeserved status as indie-subgod.

Jose Gonzalez - Heartbeats
IG: A song that still sends shivers down my spine whenever I hear it. Such a simple track yet so affecting and wonderful to listen to. His voice haunts along to the subtle guitar playing in the background.

Oh, how I wish I hadn’t had to find out about this from a bloody advert! (a good advert at that though). Though I did feel a slight smugness when I was listening to everyone phone into Jo Whiley asking what that beautiful song was and she replied that it was Heartbeats. I had seen Pop Boy listening to this ages ago on msn and I’m sure he sent me it. How I regret not listening sooner.

It’s also a great cover of this track originally by The Knife and I can’t decide which I love more.

PB: Known by the meek and lowly as ‘that song off the Bravia adverts’. Known by me as the highlight of Acousti-Swede Jose Gonzalez’ all-in-all quite meh-ish album ‘Veneer’ and a cover of calypso-pop Swedes The Knife who at the very least, can be described as ‘kooky’. But on it’s own, regardless of the album, or the fact that’s it a cover, this song is wonderful. A subtle, gentle, beautiful and chillingly tingly story of… well, I’m not quite sure what. Is it a partner having an affair? Having an affair? Having a one-night fling? I don’t know, but the song has the aura of a dangerous sexual liaison. And now, it’s helped flog some TVs too.

Elvis - Heartbreak Hotel
IG: He’s still re-releasing, eh?

Well, it’s still a true classic and I would have more time for Elvis if I hadn’t been to Vegas and seen dozens of rubbish look-alikes trying to sing on the streets but anyway…

It’s such a simple but wonderfully thought-out tune and I guess that this must be nearing the end of Elvis’s re-releases so that’s a good thing. Now, all we have to look forward to is Michael Jackson releasing an old hit every week. Er, yay.

PB: Is Elvis still releasing all of his singles? Did this actually appear on the actual release schedule or just the one I looked at? So many questions, so much indifference, so little time. Anyway, let’s go on and talk about Elvis. ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ was Elvis’ first ever release and to be honest, I can’t really understand the hype. Perhaps that’s because hindsight is such a beautiful thing and I live in a world of Girls Aloud, Spice Girls and Arctic Monkeys and therefore general expectations are much higher than they were fifty years ago.

Best & Worst?
IG: Best - Jose, Worst - Richard Ashcroft
PB: Best - Jose, Worst - Richard Ashcroft

Brit Awards Nominees

2006-01-11T15:59:00.000+01:00

The awards for the best of Britain's worst and most boring were announced yesterday. Well, they're not all boring and bad but there is a painful lack of M.I.A. (best British breakthrough), Maximo Park (best British album), McFly (best pop), Goldfrapp (best pop act, best rock act) and Girls Aloud (best single for 'Biology' or 'Wake Me Up', best pop). Infact, Girls Aloud's omission from the best Pop Act category is really quite offensive (Westlife? James Blunt? Katie Melua?).

Anyway I've taken the liberty of writing in each category who I think WILL win and who I think SHOULD.

BRITISH MALE SOLO ARTIST
Antony & The Johnsons
Ian Brown
James Blunt
Robbie Williams (Will - PB)
Will Young (Should - PB)
(infact why they don't just re-name this the Robbie Williams Award for Predictablity I don't know)

BRITISH FEMALE SOLO ARTIST
Charlotte Church
Kate Bush (Should - PB)
Katie Melua
KT Tunstall (Will - PB)
Natasha Bedingfield

BRITISH GROUP
Coldplay
Franz Ferdinand
Gorillaz (Should - PB)
Hard-Fi
Kaiser Chiefs (Will - PB)

MASTERCARD BRITISH ALBUM
Coldplay - X&Y (Tie - PB)
Gorillaz - Demon Days
James Blunt - Back To Bedlam
Kaiser Chiefs - Employment (Tie - PB)
Kate Bush - Aerial (Should - PB)
(I can't decide. Kaisers will be this year's Darkness, but it wouldn't be the Brits if Coldplay didn't win)

BRITISH SINGLE
Coldplay - Speed Of Sound
James Blunt - You're Beautiful (Will - PB)
Shayne Ward - That's My Goal
Sugababes - Push The Button
Tony Christie/Peter Kay - (Is This The Way To) Amarillo (Should - PB)

BRITISH BREAKTHROUGH ACT
Arctic Monkeys (Should - PB)
James Blunt
Kaiser Chiefs (Will - PB)
KT Tunstall
The Magic Numbers

BRITISH URBAN ACT
Craig David
Dizzee Rascal
Kano (Should - PB)
Lemar
Ms Dynamite
(I don't know who will win but it makes a mockery of the British urban 'scene')

BRITISH ROCK ACT
Franz Ferdinand (Should - PB)
Hard-Fi
Kaiser Chiefs (Will - PB)
Kasabian (who've done/released what this year?)
Oasis

BRITISH LIVE ACT
Coldplay
Franz Ferdinand (Tie - Should - PB)
Kaiser Chiefs (Tie - Should - PB)
KT Tunstall (Tie - Should - PB)
Oasis
(All three of those that I've seen were the shit live. But as for who will win it, I couldn't call it actually)

POP ACT
James Blunt
Katie Melua
Kelly Clarkson (Will - PB)
Madonna
Westlife
Bonus 'Fun' Nominees:
McFly
Sugababes
Girls Aloud (Should - PB)

INTERNATIONAL MALE SOLO ARTIST
Beck
Bruce Springsteen
Jack Johnson
John Legend
Kanye West (Should & Will - PB)
(This is quite a strong category but Kanye should walk it)

INTERNATIONAL FEMALE SOLO ARTIST
Bjork
Kelly Clarkson
Madonna (Should & Will - PB)
Mariah Carey
Missy Elliott

INTERNATIONAL GROUP
The Arcade Fire
The Black Eyed Peas
Green Day (Will - PB)
U2
The White Stripes (Should - PB)

INTERNATIONAL ALBUM
The Arcade Fire - Funeral
Green Day - American Idiot (Tie for both - PB)
Kanye West - Late Registration (Tie for both - PB)
Madonna - Confessions On A Dancefloor
U2 - How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb

INTERNATIONAL BREAKTHROUGH ACT
The Arcade Fire
Daniel Powter
Jack Johnson
John Legend (Should -PB)
The Pussycat Dolls
(as for who will win, I couldn't call it but I suggest we just burn them all)

Pop Boy's Album Of 2006

2006-01-05T21:20:00.000+01:00

Yes I realise that five days in this is quite a claim. But believe me, this is good enough to steal it already. Let's hope this is a sign of things to come. It's The Frank Popp Ensemble. Frank Popp is a lovely German man who constructs brilliant pop songs that are little homages to the 1960s and early 70s but also manage to sound slightly like they come the 25th Century. If there's any justice in the world, this album will be meteoric, but in a world where Shayne Ward and Westlife are successful, that's highly unlikely. 'Love Is On Our Side' and 'Hips Teens Don't Wear Blue Jeans' (the ones I knew) both had me swinging my hips and tapping my feet like a crazy mad thing. Hurrah! Popp is alive and well in 2006!

Love Is On Our Side
The lead single (this time) and opening track sets the general tone. A trumpet-laden pop fest that would make even the most cold-hearted person dance like a robot from 1984. Well, actually they'd probably dance like they used to in the old days when the girls wore frilly polka dot skirts and the boys wore tight t-shirts and drove cadillacs. Dance like a teddy boy from 1954.

Mullet King
Brilliant title, even brillianter track. Another hip-swinging judderer. The lyrics talk about a "cold hearted lover" and it seems to be a song about ditching a dodgy boyfriend (with a mullet) which wouldn't strike me as being quite as merry as it appears here but really, she could be singing about anything and I'd dance just as hard.

You've Been Gone Too Long
This song opens will what I'm sure is a sample. You'll know what I mean on first listen, but I can't put my finger on it. I'm sure it's not taken from the original version of this song by Ann Sexton. Any help would be much appreciated. Lyrically this song is quite saddish, with singer Sam Leigh-Brown singing of moving on after neglect from a lover, but once again, she doesn't seem tremendously bothered.

Breakaway
This one is a bit darker and slower, with trumpets being replaced (only in parts) by violins. Here you can kind of understand Sam's anguish as the song does seem to want to be sad, but there is still a wonderful beat to dance along to in a slow click fingers shuffle. Or something. This whole mood should be everyone's new year's resolution: when you're happy - dance, when you're mad - dance, when you're in love - dance, when you're sad - dance a little slower but still dance.

Psychedelic Girl
We meet a male vocalist for the first time here who stands carelessly above the strutting piano and guitars. This is about meeting a girl, hitting it off with her, smoking a bit together, driving across town with her then asking her for her name. This blatent disregard for manners is what we like when it comes to pop music. This is surely a soundtrack to the sixties hippy culture forty years too late. Frank Popp really is from another time.

Touch & Go
Just when you felt a bit 'chilled' and 'relaxed' from the 'atmosphere' of 'Psychedelic Girl', 'Touch & Go' comes over to you and makes you dance again, even if you don't want to. The melody is hidden underneath the drums and general motown-ness of it all, but is quite woderful when you find it. The lyrics really do make no sense at all here, not that it matters.

Hip Teens Don't Wear Blue Jeans
The song that attracted me to these guys when it was posted on Into The Groove. Once again, the soundtrack to a forgotten time, but this time with all the sentiment of Regina George in Frank Popp's cliq-riddled fashionista society. And hey let's face it, when it sounds this good how can you not want to 'join their gang'? Easily one of the highlights of a sensational album. Also, apparently this was also the theme to a Coke advert, but that passed me by.

Hurry Up!
OK, this is crazy. Mainly instrumental spare a few bits with men talking. It has hand claps! Could hand claps be the horses of 2006? Tune in to find out! etc. Here, it almost seems as if the trumpets and kazoos (??) are the ones providing the vocals as their loops see them argue with one another. The title is strangely apt, as there is a sense of urgency of the whole thing with is .

Goo Goo Muck
"When the sun goes down and the moon goes up I turn into a teenage goo goo muck". It's like they've taken my life and turned it into a song. Even more ridiculous, highlarious and brilliant than 'Hips Teens'. A song about going man hunting at night. "You'd better duck when I show up, the goo goo muck!". Just fabulous.

The Thing Demands
'Goo Goo Muck' ends with the sounds of Scooby Doo monsters, which cross over into 'The Thing Demands'. Then the song trudges along like a zombie that does seem to want to take your brain, by hypnotising you. One of the worst tracks it must be said (although the competition it's up against is superb). I just don't think I 'get' 'it'.

The Catwalk
Move over Girls Aloud's 'Models', this is now the song for the catwalk divas. Fantastically strutting and commanding with brilliant lyrics and a turned-up-nose attitude. If you don't dance to this song,it will punch you in the face. Listen out for the weird "your rabbit's dead, boo hoo, shame shame, quack quack" bit, and the trumpet solo. This song knows it's better than you. Like a likeable 'Don't Cha' that's not trying to break up your relationship, just telling you it could at the click of a beautifully manicured finger. And you know it.

Enough
The final track, slighty more irratic and juddery than the previous eleven. As we all know, there can be no pop album with a female vocalist that doesn't have a 'girl power' song, and this is Frank Popp's ("She said 'enough is enough, I'm on the up and up'"). Despite being one of the more 'inspiring' and hopefully songs it strangely sounds one of the most sombre.

This is the pop album of 2006. Well it might not be in the long run but it is so far and it'll take a while for it to be beaten. Buy it and it'll make those dull January and February skies go away and it'll make you feel your most sunniest.

Ironically this is the most refreshing pop album I've heard in long time and yet 'Catwalk' is from a 1999 EP of the same name and 'Hip Teens' dates back to 2001 making this not exactly a debut, more of a definitive collection of his most essential most funkay (with an 'a') work so far.

Do You Think That Me and Pop Boy Would Make Good Presenters of Channel 4's Popworld?
	Yes! Because both of your are of course, Gods.
	Yes... but only because I hate Alex and Alexa.
	Fuck you! Bring back Simon and Miquita! They own you!
	No! I hate you! Alex and Alexa are preferable to you, you Blunts!
	What the Dickens is Popworld?

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