Welcome to the start of yet another week of fun and frolics at thezapping - your one stop magazine shop for everything beautiful in life. That includes me ~ and of course the lovely DazPizzaExpress returned from his relaxing weeks holiday today and said he didn't get me a gift because the airport shops were shut?!! MMMmmkay... Should just let you know that I am very happy with the results of the X Factor on Saturday night even if I didn't watch it. But very disappointed that Robin Hood has crap viewing figures... Anyhoo, got some tough life decisions to make this week and its very difficult to decide what to do. Not gonna say anything til the decision has been made, but watch this space.... And much love to regular readers Mama and Papa Zapping who have both been under the weather lately, but starting to feel much better. Hurrah....
THE ONE WHERE THE ZAPPING SPUNKS A LOT OF MONEY ON A MONDAY:
.
Well, all of a sudden, it has started to feel like the countdown to christmas. Not only did I watch a certain Christmas themed movie late on Sunday night (see below), but i have all my christmas gifts for Darren mapped out in my head and ready to order. Plus, it seemed like today, the music world kicked off the Christmas record buying season with a number of stellar releases that made me spunk all my pocket money (see i download, but also i buy!) on the following choices...
.
I feel that McFly and The Ordinary Boys suffer from the same problem, although at opposite ends of the spectrum. Essentially, McFly want to be a credible indie type band. They play their own instruments, they write great catchy songs, yet they will always be a "boyband". And for me there is nothing wrong with that. Yet, they keep churning out modern rock covers - I Predict A Riot and Mr Brightside to name two. I think there song writing skills are vastly underrated - Star Girl took a while but soon was zooming around in my head like nobodys business. (A Little disappointed by the two album tracks as b-sides so have posted what i think SHOULD have been the additional songs...) Conversely, The Ordinary Boys are an arguably credible type indie band. And taken as such, their new album, Everything You Ever Wanted In Ten Easy Steps is pretty rubbish. But lets look at it another way - cos as much as I love those cheeky scamps McFly, i love those natty dressers known as Preston and Co. So i put it to you that taken as a pop album, EYEWITES works incredibly well. Its funny, its catchy, for pop its slightly cutting edge and works with up and coming stars like Lady Sovereign... indeed all round if 5ive came back with an album like this it would be a huge smash. Sadly though, i feel that both acts time may have passed and we are stuck with ever diminishing chart positions :( BOO!
Girls Aloud also release their new single Something Kinda Ooh today which is nice of them. Thanks to the blogging world, it seems kind of old now, but has all the hallmarks of a traditional Girls Aloud smash - electro whammy guitars, pulsing chorus and shouty lyrics. You'll either love it or not, but as a track from the up coming greatest hits, it works incredibly well as it encapsulates everything Girls Aloud is about (unlike the rather dull tracks from Sugababes and All Saints... ooo controversial ;) ). I look forward mainly to the bonus disc of their hits collection and will revisit that sometime next week...
.
Finally, a couple of tracks that are meant to be appealing to a more grown up market. The Magic Numbers Take A Chance is currently my favourite song. I just love it - such a great tune. Artistically, it's not a million miles away from what they have done before, but its so summery cool and envokes memories of how great they are live, that its hard not to love. And a plethora of additional tracks that come with it make it an absolute winner in my book. And a quick shout out to The Story, whose debut album I bought earlier in the year, but wasn't overly impressed with. However, new single Journey's End is almost a Living In A Box comeback single - all layered vocals, swoony midtempo ballad, strings and guitars. If they don't have a hit with this, someone needs to snap it up for a boyband pronto...
.
LINK: Buy McFly - Star Girl
MP3: The Story - Journeys End (pacific ave or billiam so need to live lounge this!)
.
THE TIME WHEN IT WAS 1996 ALL OVER AGAIN:
.
Ok, so i also spent money today on all 5 members of my favourite band from 1992 - 1996: Take That. After a storming live comeback earlier this year, Take That couldn't be hotter and chose to release their live dvd on the same day as ex-bandmate Robbie Williams "experimental" album Rudebox. The DVD is a great reminder of why TT were one of the greatest boybands ever - they had control over their career, had great songs, were amazing live and had a real chemistry with each other and all of that is still evident today. Rudebox is the perfect example of why Robbie wouldn't fit in with the reformed Take That. Certainly not as bad as I expected, its a vanity project that works from the glorious PSB collaborations to the incessently catchy Lily Allen collab Bongo Bong. It's hip hop, its synth, it's tongue in cheek, it's about 5 tracks too long and yet it still works. Phew...
.
LINK: Buy Take That Live DVD
.
THE SOUL (DIVAS) TRAIN:
.
Ooo, that XO, getting me all reminiscy over the r'n'b singers of the early 90s. One of the ones he mentions - Karyn White - is one of my fave singers of all time. She released 3 albums, filled with great dance tracks and heartbreaking ballads, Superwoman is one of my all time faves, but i thought she was at a creative peak on her Reid and Babyface produced third album Make Him Do Right where she had sparkling pop songs like Simple Pleasures, meaty r'n'b tracks like Hungah and Weakness and vocally impressive ballads like Can I Stay With You. Tragically, the public had lost interest and Karyn gave up singing to spend time with her family. However, she ended up producing some great tunes that stand the test of time and that Janet Jackson (for example) should be churning out right now. Similarly, Pebbles sophomore album Always was winning my heart with the still catchy to this day Giving You The Benefit and the dreamy ballad Love Makes Things Happen. Sigh. Those were the days...
.
Bonus MP3: Sheena Easton - What Comes Naturally (surely worthy of a 2007 update??)
.
THE ONE WHERE LOVE, ACTUALLY IS ALL AROUND:
Last night, i kicked off my festive movie a little too early with my favourite film of all time - Love, Actually. There are many many reasons why i love this film. People may argue it's not realistic. It's a romanticised version of England. Too many coincidences. A little cloying. I don't care. I love it in spite of and indeed, because of all those reasons. It just warms my heart everytime I watch and reels me in emotionally. So i won't hear a bad word said against it ;) It's the only film that makes me want to watch it all over again as soon as its finished. If i am not emotional by 44 minutes when Keira Knightly realises from watching the wedding video that her husbands best friend is in love with her then I am a cold cold fish. Here are some of my sob moments that get me every time:
Last night, i kicked off my festive movie a little too early with my favourite film of all time - Love, Actually. There are many many reasons why i love this film. People may argue it's not realistic. It's a romanticised version of England. Too many coincidences. A little cloying. I don't care. I love it in spite of and indeed, because of all those reasons. It just warms my heart everytime I watch and reels me in emotionally. So i won't hear a bad word said against it ;) It's the only film that makes me want to watch it all over again as soon as its finished. If i am not emotional by 44 minutes when Keira Knightly realises from watching the wedding video that her husbands best friend is in love with her then I am a cold cold fish. Here are some of my sob moments that get me every time:.
~ when emma thompson opens her christmas gift expecting a necklace and getting a Joni Mitchell cd, and realises her husband is cheating on her. The cad. She goes into the bedroom for a cry and then comes out to be strong for her family. Heart is cracking all up the middle.
~ when the hot french stud wants to say so much to the girl in his office who he nearly copped off with but she has to support her brother who is ill, so he just says merry christmas and she cries after he has left. heart now splitting in two.
~ when andrew lincoln knocks on keira knightlys door and tells her via flash cards that "because its christmas - and you tell the truth at christmas - i want to tell you without hope or agenda that my foolish heart will love you til the day i die" and he walks off and she gives him a little peck, and he says to himself. Ok enough. enogh now. heart broken completely and me sobbing wreck on floor.
~ what may be the scenes two cheesiest yet emotionally involving scenes run concurrently and get me all giddy with joy - the little boy running through the airport to say goodbye to his girlfriend, and Colin Firth trying to propose in Portuguese are both just lovely. Face it, I'm an old softie at heart...
.
.
QUICK BITZ:
.
QUICK BITZ:
.
~ There are two new blogs I really like. Well this first one doesn't have anything on it yet, but it made me smile because I thought it was called Frat Broccoli (it's not) and its yet another topless blogger (see what you've started Pinkie!). Next up is Electroqueer which is full of music-y goodness and recommendations galore :)
.
~ thanks to Arjan for bringing Andy Love to my attention - he's sort of a Jake Shears/Andy Bell for the noughties and i'm quite taken with him already. Expect more on him in an upcoming I Should Be So Lucky feature...
.
~ Jealousy continues! Another blogger meets The Feeling. First, D'Luv now Kulpop. I feel so left out and unloved... they had better be waiting for me at the door on Nov 1st...
.
.
Coming soon - oh so very much. My top 20 boybands of all time! My top 20 girl bands of all time! My top 20 pop groups of all time! My top ten female singers! Idina Menzel! Books! Fashion! A review of Beauty And The Beast Musical! Lois and Clark (why DO i love that show?)! More holiday diaries! Abba! Maybe some scooch... a 7 to watch in 2007 update! A feature called They Could Be So Lucky! And probably more!! Good lord i'm feeling creative this week :)
.
Disclaimer: This site is dedicated to getting quality pop music back into the charts. Any songs posted here are to encourage people to go out and buy the music from an online source or high street store. That's what the links are there for. If any artist or management want a link removed, please email me and i will do it straight away. We love the guys featured here and want them to succeed!
7 Comments:
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I love your description of Love, Actually, and you are so right about it. I normally need happy endings in my movies, but I love that movie. On the non-sad end, the scene with Colin (the character, not the actor) in the American bar always makes me laugh, because, sadly, that's almost exactly how it is--if you've got an accent from anywhere in the UK or Ireland, you'll (generic "you") get girls swooning all over you...I'd say more than half of the girls I know are like that. I'm sure there's an interesting sociological experiment in there somewhere--why some accents are perceived as sexy and others undesirable.
Interesting point about McFly--I have a feeling this new album, from the bits we've heard of it (I'm thinking of the medley and that demo you posted, which I'm still hoping shows up on the album in some form), has the potential to be evaluated years down the road as truly "classic," which I think would really please the boys (especially Danny). They really are great songwriters. I've never heard the Ordinary Boys beyond the song of theirs you posted a bit back, but I may have to go buy a couple of their songs...the fact that their album is abbreviated "EYEWITES" is reason enough to do so! ;)
-I WILL email you back asap tomorrow...
-I think Girls Aloud deserve a no.1. However i think a dance track will steal them of such success this week. I predict it might just move up the following week however...
-Despite the shocking revelation of the above confession i have not been smoking pot.
-I hope your getting all rough and dirty with your husband.
-Sigh. I want a husband.
-I've been to paradise..but never been to me.
-Oh im ranting.
-Goodnight
I like GA's song but I think it's nothing compared to Sugababes 'Easy' I don't get why so many people are not liking this great song.
D'Luv - i am not even going to lower myself (much to your disappointment i should imagine ;) )
Rose - Hello! WElcome! I am hoping for a high McFly chart entry this sunday but we will have to see...
Mr Dust - you have started a trend for naked bloggers across the globe. I can guarantee i will not be going topless on this blog. I am trying to attract readers not scare them off ;) And you will find a husband one day. Mine was 4 years off when i was your age. And yes GA should be number one but won't :( You are not a whore. I've also been to paradise - when were you there? God I'm ranting. Good morning to you.
And by the way, where are McFly on the UK iTunes? I didn't expect to see them charting already, but I don't even see "Star Girl" available to buy, which seems odd...