Sorry about the lack of proper post yesterday folks. I am sure you were all devastated :) Still had a pretty good day - started blogging my archive of holiday diaries (entry number two is now up and here) and darren's parents came to visit. Took them to the indoor markets nearby and was purchasing a long stick of delicious looking freshly baked french bread. Yummy. Was mortified and speechless, when clueless check out chick FOLDED the stick in half and jammed it into some grotty plastic bag! What is wrong with people???
Then on the evening had a great night out with friends at The Village. Yes thats them above, sitting on our sexy new leather corner sofa! Bernice, Dazzle, Ruthie, harona, craig and mark. If i knew how to set the timer my sexy ass would have been in the picture too! I can't really remember much about the night due to copious amounts of schmirnoff ice, but i do know that i laughed a lot, danced a lot and realised that the words to what i thought was Sweet Valentine are in fact Sweet Caroline. Oh the shame. Oh well, on with the post...
THE TIME TO LAY MY CARDS ON THE TABLE:
Well it's about this time every year that I reveal my feelings about the final 12 on the x-factor - and this year more than ever I think the talent was a bit thin on the ground. I deal with it by each category...
Sharon Osbourne and the over 25s... Sharon managed to choose all the wrong people this year. It's inexplicable that she got rid of Jonathan and the woman who has worked in the factory for 30 years but now has confidence (she is so applying for deputy supervisor of the shoe department when she gets back...) and put through the ugly hospital porter and the bo bice clone with the dreadful voice. Boo you Sharon - you had some real gems and you let them go.
Louis Walsh and the groups... No one is more qualified to handle the groups that evil Louis Walsh. After all, he has catapulted Boyzone, Westlife and Girls Aloud into places where no one dreamed they would go. And I think Louis had a strong bunch to choose from. He predictably put through the BoysIIMen clone group 4Sure who are so boring I nearly nodded off when they came on the screen. I am delighted he put through the bastard child of G4 and the puppini sisters - Unconventional. They have great harmonies and a different sound that i think would do really well. I was sad that DollyBirds or whatever they were called didn't go through. Sure they were crap but no more so than atomic kitten and they were an awful lot of fun. Or maybe just awful, but whatever - i really liked them. Boo Louis! However he did put through the right set of brothers - the Macdonald bros are so much better than Journey South. They are great looking lads and have some lovely harmonies. Which then left us with Avenue and Eton Road. I actually really liked both boybands and really want this series to produce a top notch boy band act cos its what the UK needs at the moment... Of course it was all over the paper that Avenue already had a management deal and so were disqualified from the show. I felt really bad for them and think they had been manipulated somewhat. So that meant Eton Road are through, which I am happy with - although the one lad (above) needs to put on some weight or they will have to rename the band Eton Very Little Today Actually. Guffaw...
Simon Cowell and the under 25s... I think Simon made some ok choices with what he had to work with. Leonna and Nikita were pretty much no-brainers, but I am not happy that Ashley got through. He really irritates me for some reason. Grrr. So it came down to my fave two in the category again. Likeable cheeky chappy Ray and the adorable but incredibly young and fragile Shaun. Of course I'm happy that Ray(above) got through, but i'm not too proud to say I wept like a baby when Shaun got sent home and told his equally adorable parents. Sniffle.
So overall, I could care less about Sharon's category, I am rooting for Ray in the under 25s and would like The Macdonald Bros, Unconventional and Eton Road to do well for Louis. Check out the bitch factor for much wittier write ups than this. And to make it an XFactor/Reality tv special check out this feature below...
THE SOMETHING FOR THE WEEKEND WHERE ARE THEY NOW X FACTOR SPESH:
Matt Johnson was part of doomed boyband One True Voice from Popstars: The Rivals that also spawned the epic Girls Aloud. Apparently he is now lead vocalist with a band called State Warning and enjoys spending time with his girlfriend. Now I was all prepared to be sarcastic about State Warning, but actually I really like the track posted below. Its one of those "i'm credible now, me" type rocky pop tracks, but its actually not half bad. It kind of reminds me of Staring Into Space by BBMAK. Shame on my lack of faith!
Still with One True Voice, we move onto Jamie Shaw. Now much as we like Shaun just kicked off the X Factor, we liked little Jamie cos he seemed so vulnerable and sweet. After what was probably the crushing end of OTV, Jamie released the perfectly pleasant driving power pop anthem Different to a largely indifferent public. However, it got him a support slot on US5's us tour and a forthcoming single - an unneccesary cover of My Sharona that will make the kiddies think he has sampled Girls Aloud. I can't help but like it though cos I am musically cheap :)
4Tune (dreadful name) were live finalists on last years X Factor but obviously didn't win. I quite liked them, but for some reason they didn't connect with the public. They are busy touring nightclubs round the country and putting together their first album which seems to be plugging the "gap" left by Blue with smooth r'n'b/pop ballads and uptempo slick grooves. I'm not sure it has the personality to break huge, but they are four likeable and hard working lads, and i'm all for male covers of Don't Cha...
MP3: 4Tune - Don't Cha
One of this years act not to get through was 4th Ba5e (another dreadful name) and in my quest to find a boyband that will actually be succesful in the UK, I once again whored out my principles and actually really liked them. I mean, obviously it's not enough to be nice looking lads with good harmonies - they need to find a sound that sets them out from the other perfectly pleasant boybands out there to lead the renaissance. When Doves Cry on their myspace site is quite good tho...
With the least street popstar name ever, David Sneddon was always going to have a bit of a hard time. I really rate him as a writer and he seems to be doing quite well following the cathy dennis model of career. However, on his myspace site, he does say that he is busy writing acoustic pop/indie flavoured songs (whatever that means) for his second album, and as I liked his first so much I will probably give it a whirl. I wonder if Ella (who i would do if she were a fella) thinks Stop Living The Lie was as evil as You're Beautiful???
MP3: The Sham - Goodbye Baby (acoustic)
Finally, G4 are coming back! Their third album Act Three will be out in November. I know a lot of you won't particularly care, but i do have a huge soft spot for G4. I saw them busking in London with DazPlanet way before the X Factor and they left such an impression, that i remembered them as soon as they walked on stage to audition for Si,Lou and Shazbats. They do seem to be more of an album act than a singles act, but they seem to constantly sell well and have sell out tours so middle england seems to still be loving their charms...
Finally, G4 are coming back! Their third album Act Three will be out in November. I know a lot of you won't particularly care, but i do have a huge soft spot for G4. I saw them busking in London with DazPlanet way before the X Factor and they left such an impression, that i remembered them as soon as they walked on stage to audition for Si,Lou and Shazbats. They do seem to be more of an album act than a singles act, but they seem to constantly sell well and have sell out tours so middle england seems to still be loving their charms...
HOT LINKS:
Sigh - someone is messing up perfectly good tracks with weird remixes. First up is some dreadful remix of When You Were Young by The Killers that totally destroys the energy of the song and then the growing on me slowly progress of new Sugababes single Easy is stunted by a crappy dance mix. And who knew Easy was written by Orson? Go figure! Thanks XO for the pic...
Can anyone remember a time before the hotstufffiles premiered? Its just not worth thinking about is it? Check out their love for The Veronicas which is totally understandable...
I may be a little bit in love with and a little bit in awe of Zeon's blog this very day. Not only has he done a very comprehensive post on my favourite episode ever from my favourite tv show ever, but he has some great Kelly Clarkson stuff up, a new Pink/Indigo girls collab to rival Dear Mr President and i am excited by the other stuff he is planning too. Well done that man!
Coming soon: My thoughts on Robin Hood! Some stuff about my quest to find quality new pop bands! Where are they now boyband spesh! And lots of other stuff too. Have a great sunday everyone. Kisses!
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They can't sing!!
The day boybands truly make a comeback, I will be a very, very happy person :) Still, I suppose if they form, split up, and then launch a bunch of solo careers, that could work, too.
PG - yay! I knew you would enjoy the post. Check out tomorrows post for some boybandy goodness :)
i have woken really early and am now grumpy!
Hey Pablo, does Sharon Osbourne have her own TV show over there, too? I saw a YouTube clip of Upper Street performing (read: lip-synching) on it, but had no idea she has a talk show. She had one here, too, but it was unceremoniously canceled after about 3 months a few years back.
yes Shazbats Osbourne does have her own rather successful teatime chat show and quite nice it is too!