Hello dudes. I don't know where this habit of calling people "dude" and "matey" and "buddy" came from... sometimes i like it, other times i think it makes me sound like a complete twat. Oh well, what can you do? Anyway, sometimes (not to whine on about it) i feel like i will never be healthy! My stomach problems seem to be under control, but today i have a horrific sore throat, so I will be nipping down to our local Tesco Express (how common) in a minute to get some Soothers or something of that 'ilk'. Which reminds me, we need milk as well. Isn't the human mind amazing? Yes, i think so too. Wow, it's like we're having a conversation. Sort of. Anyhoo, i'm gonna shut up now, otherwise (much like Kanye West) i will be accused of bringing crazy back. Have a super start to your weekend folks...
.
THE CAREER ADVICE CLINIC:
.

Sometimes popstars and their managers make bad career choice. I mean really bad. Like Girls Aloud choosing that I Think We're Alone now monstrosity as their Christmas single. Or anything after the debut single from Shayne Ward. Luckily, I am here to hand out some sage advice on what singles people should be releasing next. You may see the words (MP3) in brackets after some songs. That means you can download them to sample them, but sshh, don't tell and be sure to buy the albums, cos people will probably and somewhat criminally ignore me and not release them as singles anyway....
.
~ Justin Timberlake has bought sexy back and showed us his love. And that's all very nice. Indeed some of us may have bought tickets to his UK tour, but we can't confirm that right now. Anyway, he should so go for What Goes Around as the third single from his latest opus. It's shows off another facet of Justin's music and should go down well with his evergrowing group of fans (radio edit mp3)...
~ Christina Aguilera disappointed me a little with Ain't No Other Man. I mean, it was ok. And Hurt, lush video aside, is nothing really new. But there are some gems struggling to get out of that overbloated Back To Basics collection. How about knocking us dead with a groovy video and some throwback beats with a remix of Candyman (mp3). We need fun Moulin Rouge Christina back for a while...
~ And while we're at it, how about Delta Goodrem releasing the soaring, spine tingling Together We Are One, followed by Flawed then linking in with Westlife's schedule to have a joint third release of All Out Of Love. Now that's synergy...
.

~ Ah, Jewel. Your 0304 album was an inspired work of funky genius. Sadly that Alice thing is no 0506. No one wants you to repeat yourself, but going back to the slightly tired formula of your first 4 albums may not have been the best move. How about releasing those remixes of One Too Many followed by the Indigo Girls-esque Satellite? No label anymore? oh well...
~ Deborah Gibson is an amazing writer of gorgeous love songs. There are a lot of demos floating around on her Memory Lane cds that would be perfect for some of today's popstars. However, I would be happy for Deb to release this not-available-anywhere-else gem of a song called If I Wanted To Tell You (MP3 LQ) or pass it onto one of todays pop poppets. Any suggestions?
~ And could Jessica Simpson stop being so mopey. Public Affair was the guilty pleasure of the summer, a sparkling little pop ditty that wore it's heart on it's sleeve. So enough of this i belong to me nonsense, leave the depressed crap to Nick and get us grooving again with Fired Up (MP3 DJ Boz2K remix)...
.

~ Now I actually think that Justin Lanning doesn't need any career advice. He has his own freaking billboard before he has an album out for chrissakes... but may I be as bold to suggest the gloriousness power pop strummings of Voices (mp3) as the first lead off single?
~ And if we have learnt anything from Paolo Nutini releasing the rockier Jenny Don't Be Hasty as a single after the ballad Last Request (and we have), it is that people love his rocky stuff live, but the charts want something a little more tame. So until we have caught up to his faster strummings, how about Rewind (mp3) as the next track???
~ I'm not overly fond of Shakira's second Oral Fixation, which is a bummer cos I loved Laundry Service. Still i've been aching for the gorgeous Illegal to be released as a single. Sadly the song looses a little of it's beauty in a radio remix (mp3) but it's still a million times better than Hips Don't Lie...
.

~ The Feeling are all geared up for the 4th single release from the best deut album by a group of 2006, but surely outsiders anthem Strange deserves to be a 5th single? And can we have some cover versions for the b-sides? Oh, you're putting Peter Gabriel's Don't Give Up on the flip of Love It When You Call? Toasty...
~ Now i think Panic At The Disco have exhausted their debut album and i have sort of let their singles pass me by. Don't get me wrong, i really like the album, but it seems to work best as a cohesive collection for me. Still, i may start processing singles from it and would start with this great acoustic version (mp3) of I Write Sins...
~ Finally, I've said before that The Ordinary Boys work much better when you take them as a pop band. With that in mind, they should release Chantelle ode I Luv You (mp3) next... Not only does it work great as pop single that owes a huge debt to Complicated by Avril, but it will sound divine when covered by McFly in their next Live Lounge. N'est pas?
.
THE WE GOT IT COVERED SPOT:
.

Covers are smashing aren't they? Although, i'm never sure how "ironic" they are when performed on Live Lounge. Like, 'oh we're too good to do this sort of crap normally, but we'll do it as a joke today'. Whatever their motives, i certainly enjoy these alternative insights into pop goodness. Take Keane for example - fresh from being boozed up, the tramp into Jo Whiley's studio and try and remind people they have a forgotten single out by covering not only Bootylicious and Dirrty. Genius! Now if only they would put as much energy into their self written songs, they might be relevant again...
.

And there are all sorts of JT covers floating round the 'net... Reinterpreting the songs nicely are James Eric (above) who totally reinvents SexyBack and Marit Bergman who has turned My Love into a stunning piano ballad. James also does a mean cover of Paul McCartney's This Never Happened To Me Before (insert Heather joke here) which i fell in love with earlier this year, when it featured in The Lakehouse. Now we just need Lucas Mire to cover What Goes Around ;)And just because I can, here is a cover of Tim Buckley's Sing A Song For You by those always hungry (for covers ;) ) Magic Numbers. Now if anyone has recent live lounge MP3s of Over and Over (Magic Numbers do Hot Chip), Maneater (Basement Jaxx do Nelly F) or Take Me Out (Guillemots do Franz) you can email them to me here and I will be grateful for quite an appropriate amount of time...;)
.
LINK: James Eric's official homepage
MP3: Keane - Dirrtylicious
MP3: Marit Bergman - My Love (thanks Zeon)
MP3: James Eric - SexyBack (thanks musicforants)
MP3: James Eric - This Never Happened
MP3: Magic Numbers - Sing A Song
.
QUICK BITZ:
.
~ Chartrigger is bringing news of Kylie back...
~ does this mean i am going to have to start liking Natasha Bedwettingfield, now she has a song co-written with lovely Adam Maroon 5??
~ all hail the genius of Nick as he just gets better and better. Last year when i was looking for the new maroon 5, i discovered The Feeling. Now Nick has found the new feeling. And i like it. A lot. Plus his review of the new meatloaf album is spot on...
~ He's bringing Pinkie back...
~ Another SexyBack cover over at Zeon's site. It's this quarters Crazy...
~ Check out what book Simon Curtis (one of my 7 in 07) is reading...
.
Coming soon: Something on Lois and Clark (eventually) and Gilmore Girls; When 90s come back - featuring tiffany! Wilson Phillips! Expose!; Books; more new myspace wannabe popstars; more lists of fave girl bands, pop bands, etc; and probably lots more distracting stuff....
SATURDAY: Switch22 interview. Next "me" post on Sunday :)
.
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!