It’s snowing again! Lord luv a duck. In a rather startling turn of events, I managed to negotiate walking along the snowy/icy streets on the way to and from work today with nary a slip or slide in sight. Got all the way back to the apartment block when the concierge said he had a parcel waiting for me in his office, so I said i would go and get it later. I turned back round to walk thru the door I had been about to walk thru and walked right into the glass as it had shut. I was not happy. Still, it’s the weekend now and I should be all happy – i get to go car shopping, i’m off out tonight with Darren and my folks for my mom’s birthday (we are off to see sing-a-long-a-sound of music. My mom can’t help singing along at musicals which is highly inappropriate, so this will be ideal ;) ) and the usual weekend stuff of devouring the papers, shopping and getting my high intake of starbucks. DazProzzy and I are both quite tired mentally from our super new jobs, so we are going to take it easy this weekend. Just a bit of lovin and cinema and tidying the apartment (that £7.80 an hour cleaning service leaflet posted through the door is looking so enticing right now). Cos we are regular party animals let me tell you!! Sigh ~ New York seems so long ago now!! Am going to be motivated this weekend and get some stuff done, as well as catch up on all my magazines and book reading/writing!! I need some me time too you leeches ;) Hehe just kidding – you are all part of my extended world. Hugs, etc. Right, am waffling so on with la blogge...
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THE GREATEST LOVE STORY EVER TOLD:
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Remember 1997? It was fine wasn’t it? I was busy “summering” in the Hamptons (ie, working at camp in Rochester), discovering music didn’t always have to be chart music and love love loving Claire Danes and Leonardo DiCaprio in William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. And bugger me with a banana, if it isn’t ten years old this year! R&J was one of those films that seemed to have everything going for it – a classic story, buzzworthy cast, an amazing director (in Baz ‘Moulin Rouge’ Luhrman) and an utterly amazing soundtrack. It’s the soundtrack I want to talk about today – it completely ruled my world that summer and finally got me to stop playing Tragic Kingdom and er, Pieces of Me. I Would Die 4 U by Garbage led nicely into an obsession with their second album out in 1998. I just loved the melancholy feel of the song, with it’s thrashing guitars and still melodic chorus. And it was possibly my first knowledge that great music other than Abba, Roxette or Ace of Base was coming out of Sweden when the Cardigans unleashed Lovefool – which is possibly one of the most perfect pop tunes on a soundtrack ever. And it still isn’t tiresome, unlike the equally loved but ultimately overused Kiss Me by Sixpence None The Richer. Even tracks by bands i wasn’t so fond of, like Radiohead, seemed to fit perfectly and float gently round my ears. The tenth anniversary soundtrack collects all these songs again and adds little gems like Everybody’s Free To Wear Sunscreen (sounds horrible i know but is actually quite a poignant 2007 version) and Quindon Tarvers version of the hard to get right When Doves Cry (which he does an outstanding job on!) So dig out the film, then pop on the soundtrack and immerse yourself in a little bit of Hollywood done right...
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LINK: Romeo and Juliet myspace site
LINK: Romeo and Juliet slideshow
STREAM: the entire album thanks to Nicole @ sideways media!!
STREAM: Everybody's Free To Wear Sunscreen 2007
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THE RETURN TO OZ...:
. Or even the Live Lounge – that bastion of acoustic jams with bands doing songs by other bands. It’s suffered a bit of a backlash recently, though god knows why as I love it just the same as ever. This week has been a little bit marv for Live Lounge fans as Jo Wiley has been whoring her wares to all Brit nominees resulting in some rather pleasant cover versions for us all to enjoy. Before I get into that howev., lets look at current media darling Mika (he tried to be like Grace Kelly) who recently covered Shakira’s Hips Don’t Lie (i feel dirty writing that it was Shakira’s song when it was really a quick knock off) and showing a modicum of taste also covered newbies The View and their catchy/dirty hit Same Jeans. Mika injects both with his already trademark showmanship and makes them sound like they were indeed written for him. No point in doing a carbon copy (yes Matt Willis and All These Things I’ve Done, I’m talking to you...) is there? Marv...
. Now onto the Brit nominees performing ~ Corinne Bailey Rae who charmed me last year with the delightful Put Your Records On and then bored me with everything else, has enchanted me once again with her cover of the overcovered Sexy/Back. Now it may be the element of surprise that had me, because of all people i wasn’t expecting CBR to bring sexy back. Shudder. We also had the ignored by me for possibly too long now James Morrison looking surprisingly foxy above doing a stunning acoustic Blur cover of Out of Time – which just shows a) how good the Blur song is – i sort of forgot and b) perhaps there is room in my life for James and Paolo.
. Another band i’ve rather criminally ignored is the always-catchy-when-i-randomly-hear-them Fratellis who did the almost impossible task of making the White Stripes accessible to me by covering their tune Hotel Yorba. As I’ve never heard this song before, I can’t say whether its brillo or not, but it’s certainly a perky little ditty as performed by the telli-tubbies here... And god bless indie-boyband The Kooks for not only providing a brilliant album of music but coming on Live Lounge again and topping their amazing cover of Crazy with an amazing cover of Roxanne by the Police. Just click, enjoy and let the goodness wash over you like foamburst shower gel. Incandescent!
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BONUS MP3: Amy Winehouse - Valerie (Zutons cover)
BONUS MP3: Klaxons - My Love (JT Cover)
BONUS MP3: The View - Rewind (Paolo Nutini Cover)
LINK: Jo Wiley’s live lounge site
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THE MUSICALS REVUE – EXITLUDE:
. I’ve been dying to use the word Exitlude in a blog since about October 2006 and this seemed the most appropriate time to do it! Huzzah (soon to be stolen as a word by Pinkie! I’m watching you!!) It seemed appropriate because today I am writing about a musical that hasn’t even come out yet, and when it does seems to be somewhat of a trial run for something bigger. Yes indeed possums, we’ve had Kylie musicals, Abba, Queen, talk of take That, Boney m are in on the act, Billy Joel has done it, Rod Stewart has had a pop and now in all her 80s pop princess (hold my hand) glory, it’s Deb(bie)orah Gibson’s turn to be “immortalised”. Be delighted or afraid (delete as applicable) as Electric Youth the Musical is coming to Florida. Now of course the timing of it is that it opens just 2 days after i return from Florida, which happens to me all the fricking time. Not to worry though, because although the show has Deborah’s blessing she is not actually performing in it (that would be weird methinks) and it is only for a one week “workshop”... Still, it would be cool to see and i would love to hear the new show tune versions of Deborah’s early tunes (mainly from Out Of The Blue with a smattering of hits from Electric Youth too...) You can read more about it at the official musical website or at a blog that the writer has done at Orlando Sentinel. Go see it – it’s bound to be Electric! Groan...
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THEZAPPING TOP FIVE MALE AND FEMALE SINGERS:
. #1 ~ William of Young: I’m sure none of you guessed this young chappy as my number one stud. What a shock. You are probably on the floor now hyperventilating and gasping for air. I would come and give you the (French) kiss of life, but clearly we are separated by IP addresses and oceans and stuff. Anyway, Mr Young’s brand of jazzed up chilled out elegant pop has had me enchanted and delighted ever since he won Pop Idol in it’s very first year. Who knew that he would go on to be such a huge star and even successfully break into acting? (Booo get back to your day job mister) While his first album was split into two types of song (those he was forced to do including the excreable Long & Winding Road by Mr Cowell and those where he clearly asserted his ass out a little more), he really grew lyrically and musically on the second album providing simple yet devastatingly effective ballads like Leave Right Now and brilliantly funky jams like my fave Your Game (the gospel version is outstanding). His third album kicked off with his catchiest single to date – Switch it On – and while having some great slower grooves, it was the faster stuff that got me loving it the most, especially the glorious Ain’t Such A Bad Place To Be. So hopefully William will get his acting bug out the way and return at Christmas with a new album... unless he gets the part of Fiyero in Wicked. THAT i would be happy with!
Best track: Your Game
. #1 ~ Deborah Gibson: I’m sure none of you guessed this young lassie as my number one ho. What a shock. You are probably doubled over breathing into a brown paper bag, gasping for sweet life into your lungs. I would come and give the kiss of life (francais styl-ee) but clearly we are separated by mammoth expanses of water, plus there is bird flu so it would probably be unhygienic. N’est pas. I’m not really going to write much about La Gibz because i did a whole retrospective on her recently and i’m running out of stuff to say. Suffice to say, i like her music – quite a lot. And if you fancy celebrating her twenty years in the industry (since Only In My Dreams was first released) get your ass to new York the weekend of 9th March to see her in a plethora of performances. It’s Electric!
Best track: Until You’re All Mine
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SATURDAY UPDATE:

~ hello dudes, took the parents to see the singalongasoundofmusic last night - well they saw most of it and I froze my ass off. It took them 2 hours and 20 minutes to battle thru the traffic to get there and I kept running outside to see if they were coming... Luckily they arrived for my mom's fave song (My Favourite Things) and absolutely adored the opportunity to sing a long at the top of their voices :) Hurrah! At the intermission, while my pa and I were at the bar, I pointed out some male nuns to my dad, who then a few minutes later went "ooo there's one on your right" I quietly had to point out that the nun in question was indeed all woman - if a little bit manly! And cue years more therapy when mother dearest shouted at "I wanted to be a nun until i discovered cock" I nearly choked on my minstrels.....

Be back tomorrow for 11 in 07 update - lots of new tracks from the guys for you :) Also head over to the spinoff blog for 48 hours of mp3s i think you'll like! Be fast, they won't be there long! AND!! Finalement ~ 5 days of NYC starts on holiday diaries tomorrow!!