Good day to you all :) hope you are all good this fine hump day. It's been quite a good week for finding new music, but i have also been catching up on reading, piano practice and tv (Lost, Desperate Housewives, Veronica Mars, Heroes, grey's Anatomy and Prison Break are all great this season!). Have heard from DazPants every night from the surprisingly not sunny climes of Gran Canaria. He is having a good time and I can't wait to go with him in November... Had some good news through the post today which I don't want to jinx yet but could be one of those life changing experiences :) Will let you know in due course. Will also be starting a new feature on this blog called 7 to watch in 2007 so check that out at the bottom of this post. Also hoping to line up some interviews with some Zapping faves in due course...But on with the long awaited up and coming solo boy singers (bearing in mind that i have already covered Simon Curtis, Gavin Mikhail and Justin Lang...)

THE LUCK, LOOK, VOICE AND SONGS:

Ah, feel quite excited to be putting Conor at the top of this illustrious list. I mentioned him a week or so ago as a sneak preview to this topic, and since then have been able to listen to more of his music and been delighted with what I hear. And clearly I'm not the only one as Conor has the honour of being the first person to record at the I Should Be So Lucky studios. The excellent Club 55 has already topped the Myspace Download charts and with such a great look, funky accessible tunes and the ability to pull of a swooning ballad (Who's Gonna Say It?), it's certainly hard not to root for Conor... Make sure you check out the anthemic Lose Control available now as a download (see link below). And if you like what you hear, be sure to rate Conor over at the I Should Be So Lucky homepage...Honestly, Conor reminds me of the heyday of Wham mixed with some funky Blue backbeats, seasoned with the sheer joy and exhilaration you get when hearing that great pop song on the radio a la the glory years of Steps, S Club and Girls Aloud. I'm gushing, i know, but in my quest to bring pure classic pop back to the charts, people like Conor give me hope...

Link: Conor's Myspace site
Link: Buy Conor's music
Link: I Should Be So Lucky

THE ECLECTIC FUTURE STAR:
It's hard to describe the music of Emo D, but it is certainly a thrill to listen to. He mixes a heady fusion of club beats, tribal sounds, hypnotic vocals and trippy choruses that insinuate their way into your head and before you know it, refuse to let go. His amazing debut album So, This Is...Me, much like Simon Curtis' stellar Alter Boy, peels back the outer shell of Emo and lets you see right into his soul. It makes for a rewarding listening experience and you are never bored as his unique take on pop, rock, r'n'b and anthemic ballads all fly at you, hooking you in. And because Emo puts so much of his personality into the music, it reflects on his unique ability to make a song commercially viable yet something slightly different to what everyone else is doing. And that is a gift in itself as worthwhile as being able to write or sing. A couraegous debut and one that deserves to do well, even if it won't appeal to everyone...
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Link: Emo Dagger's Myspace Site
Link: Purchase "So This Is ...Me"
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THE JADION FACTOR:
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Now you may very well be wondering who the heck Jadion is... well regular readers of this blog will already know of my excitement for new act Simon Curtis. Jadion is the producer who also co-wrote Simon's album Alter Boy (click here to read review). So not only has Jadion wowed with that, but he has done a great remix of Pussycat Dolls track Buttons and is also working with another upcoming singer called Fadyn. It all goes to show that Jadion isn't a one trick pony and actually has a great knack for picking and nurturing acts that deserve to be huge and to put a bit of life back into the charts... Fadyen used to be a model before moving into music and the modelling worlds loss is certainly our gain. Single Look In Your Eyes mixes cutting edge pop with a sharp as a razor club beat, set against an electronic backdrop. Us proves that club classics don't have to be more than four minutes to make an impact on the dancefloor, and Fayden has a strong vocal that fits with his style of music well - and that's half the battle. Finding a sound that you love and that fits your voice. Fayden has done that admirably. I look forward to a full length album...
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LINK: Fayden's official site
LINK: Jadion's myspace site
BUY: Purchase Fayden's music here
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MP3: Pussycat Dolls - Buttons Jadion Remix
MP3: Fayden - Us radio mix (sample)
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THE SMOOTH CROONER:
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I'm not usually a big fan of r'n'b unless its mixed with a healthy dose of pop (e.g. Liberty X; Blue). So I wasn't overly sure about Jared Lee when I came across his myspace site. But as I am sucker for anyone that plays piano, it's hard not to be drawn into the gorgeous first few lines of Why Do I Have To Choose ("as i play my piano") that evokes memories of Falling by Alicia Keys. The music is smooth and soulful and flows along as you get lost in Jared's soaring accomplished vocal. Again, music for me works best when it expresses a personal feeling and Jared has honed his craft well - i can see an album from him doing big business, while his looks may finally get the pop kids to accept his mature, yearning tunes into their canon. Check out Jared's song with Stix who have also produced great music with corinne bailey rae. Jared reminds me somewhat of Daniel Debourg - anyone remember him???
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Link: Jared Lee's Myspace site
MP3: Stix featuring Jared Lee - Let It Go
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THE SELF TAUGHT WONDER:
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Anyone who can teach themselves piano always has my admiration. I struggle enough after years of lessons, although now I do a mean Lonely Goatherd which always gets the party started. Or something. So big kudos to Gabe Lopez who not only taught himself piano at an early age, but then went on to learn guitar and bass as well. His keen knowledge of musical composition shines through on a solid collection of songs on his debut album This Is About You, released by an independent label. The effortless strummings of Sunday Summertime deserves to be heard driving with the top down and singing that insanely catchy chorus out loud, while Red Queen brings to mind the best works of Shery Crow and adds a deep bass beat to dance it up a little. How this guy hasn't been snatched up by the majors yet is beyond me - though clearly other people recognise his talent: He wrote the epic Turn It On for Jim Verraros and worked on debut album of Japanese popstar Triniti. Plus - check his myspace site for better photos of that all important pop star aspect - great hair! Don't you think its all just a little bit queer - best dance refrain ever (possibly!)
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LINK: Gabe Lopez myspace site
BUY: Gabe Lopez - This Is About You
MP3: Gabe Lopez - Red Queen
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THE BLUE EYED BOY:

Or as Cordelia Chase once said on seminal series Buffy - "my eyes are brown Helen Keller", which struck me as a little insensitive - just like when Sharon Osbourne told that girl who uses a wheelchair in X Factor to do a wheelie when she escaped elimination. But i digress... Jordan Johnson just sounds like he should be a blue-eyed boy. He has that great all american look that you can just imagine sitting on the front of teen beat and smash hits if such magazines still existed. His myspace page says he sounds like Click 5 and Maroon 5, yet his sound is a little more funky than either of those. Jordan avoids cliched lyrics that can often befall singers like him and has an acerbic wit and slight vindictive streak running through songs like the glorious pop pounder The Same Thing - be sure to also check out Jordans celebrity gossip blog for some of that acerbic wit in malevolent action :)
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LINK: Jordan Johnson's myspace site
BUY: Jordan Johnson - On My Own
MP3: Jordan Johnson - The Same Thing
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THE BEAT OF HIS OWN DRUM GUY:
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Well, we get to the final candidate today in boys that we think have a future in the world of pop and Sanderson may be 7th on this list that doesn't mean that he has any less right to be in the top ten of the charts than any of the others. Not only does he have incredible pop star hair, but he rocks a shirt and tie like no one else and those are important factors in pop if you don't want to end up looking like westlife. Or Ronan Keating. Rejecting the greased up oil look of boybands, Sanderson has followed his heart and makes music that he wants to - and it's pretty good. Bafflingly, he is unsigned - a bit of a noggin scratcher when you hear songs like Untouchable, a song that mixes smooth vocals, a thumping beat and a sing a long Eminem-esque chorus as well as great lyrical wordplay in the verses: "lets get freaky, sneaky, back up on me cheeky, wanna wrap myself around you, wanna kiss you til it hurts..." I Don't Care is equally accomplished - the "screw you" chorus rolls off his tongue and he uses an ascending bass track to give the song a slight menacing quality that fits well with the lyrics. Add to all this the fact that I'm pretty sure he's working with the mighty Ben Adams, this is a guy that has gotta go far...
LINK: Sanderson's myspace page
MP3: Sanderson - I Don't Care
MP3: Sanderson - Untouchable
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THE 7 TO WATCH IN 2007:
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It seems fitting that in a post that explores the possibilities of boy singers bringing some fun, quality, beats, looks and dance to the charts that this regular feature starts - basically, I've chosen (in order) the top 7 acts to look out for in 2007. I'll be keeping a close eye on their progress and let you know what's going on with them - new songs, new photoshoots, new news, etc...So ladies and gentlemen, without further delay, I present The Zapping 7 To Watch In 2007...

7 - Jeremy (myspace) - talented singer songwriter with gorgeous layered melodies and motivational lyrics

6 - Gavin Mikhail (myspace) - amazing piano playing singer with multilayered vocals
5 - Switch 22 (myspace) - the superheroes of pop, definitely here to save our charts :)
4 - Conor (myspace) - see first guy on todays post :) Great, fun songs...
3 - Pacific Avenue (myspace) - bringing boybands back - and not before time...
2 - Justin Lanning (myspace) - thoughtful, provocative tunes from great LA lad
1 - Simon Curtis (myspace) - just the most exciting musical find i've discovered in ages...
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Stay tuned for further developments!

QUICK BITZ:

- talking of Jeremy, check out a whole host of new pics from productions he has been in on his myspace site (link above)... i particularly like the one called That Kiss...;)

- I'm really starting to like Panic! At The Disco ~ not only does Brandon have great hair on the front cover of this week's NME, but they have contributed a track to the 3-D release of great movie The Nightmare Before Christmas. It's pretty good too - totally fits in with the ambience of the film. Check it out at l'il Henry's site...

- Mr Samuel Hotstufffile not only is still extolling the virtues of Sandi Thom in what I can only hope is a non ironic manner (considering Ruthiepoos and I are off to see her next week), but also has vid captures from Jamelia's epic new single Beware Of The Dog. Bravo that man...

- Zeon continues to be one of the major sources for rare and obscure covers. Check out Camera Obscura doing a rather lovely version of Abba's Supertrooper...

- Discopop Directory is back from holidays and has a rather natty girls aloud post. I'll admit to being rather excited about the one true voice song they demo'd. Does that make me a bad person?!

- in more Pacific Avenue news, make sure you check out the photodiary of the photographer who is working with them. He has done some utterly amazing shots...

- i was meant to see this today, but for various reasons didn't :( Mourn with me people...

- we are loving exciting new blog by Marteen. Go check it out and let him know I sent you :)

Coming soon: More boy singers who really didn't fall under the pop mould; the perfect Debz Gibz Christmas single; a fashion/music special; updates on our 7 to watch in 2007; and lots more...

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!