I seem to be nothing but busy lately. I have no time for anything. I even had to stop watching a pivotal episode of the Gilmore Girls the other day at 16 minutes and I haven't gotten round to finishing it off yet. I owe about 100 people emails and myspace messages. I need to text lots of my friends. The Spooks Curse isn't getting read anytime soon. My novel is lying unloved in a notebook. (Darren is lying very loved in our bed snoozing however). Luckily, I am now a whizz at knocking this blog up in 30 minutes or less and it's the one thing I enjoy that i am making time for. However, my resolution this week is to catch up on all my lapsed correspondence and text all my friends. And do some work on my novel. And buy a car. And learn how to bend time so that i can do all these things ;) However, as you will see, I certainly did have time to watch the first kiss of JohnPaul (not the pope) and Craig, smooching it up big styl-ee in Hollyoaks yesterday. Rar! And Darren and I settled down tonight to watch the rather lovely Saw III, which although I saw at the cinema last year, for some reason i thought i would put myslef through it again. I swear I nearly threw up during the brain operation. How vile. On with the post...
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THE OLD NEW FEELING:
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Keane are the old new feeling. Which is a bit of a confusing concept really so let me clarify somewhat. Keane started off as an amazing band with amazingly brilliant anthemic catchy piano-pop such as Somewhere Only We Know, Bend and Break and my fave track of theirs, Everybody's Changing (that still sounds fresh and wonderful today). Then they broke my heart by releasing their somewhat poo second album. However, it was lucky that The Feeling had debuted by then. The Feeling started off as a quite good covers band in a swiss ski resort. Everyone and his mom know claims to have seen them there, but frankly unless it was bloody woodstock, I seriously doubt it. From time to time The Feeling let us know how good they were as a covers band by throwing in things like Video Killed The Radio Star into their sets. Then Dan and the boys broke skiiers everywheres hearts and went pro and turned out a glorious album of pop tunes that just let their magnificence wash over you. So I didn't need Keane anymore. And suddenly Keane became good - as a covers band. They had already proved their worth by doing simply sublime versions of With or Without You and The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore. Since the release of the second poo album, they have managed to entertain me with their versions of Enjoy The Silence, Dirrtylicious and more recently Sanctuary. All reminding me of the glory of Hopes and Fears. So maybe Keane should pack up to Switzerland, where there is probably a vacancy at some ski lodge for a decent band to do some covers... they should start off with Fill My Little World and stay away from the booze...
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DOWNLOAD: the keane covers zip
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THE BEST BOYBAND ALBUM THIS YEAR:
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I don't think a boyband album has been released yet this year has it? We were most lucky last year in getting glorious sets from Take That and McFly. HurRAR! And i am sure we will be looking forward to stomping albums this summer from Pacific Avenue, Avenue, Eton Road, Billiam and Digital :) But in the meantime, I finally came across the Nylon album - the icelandic girlband that everyone was convinced was Irish for a while. They're not. And they haven't really damaged our charts unfortunately - which is a shame because Losing A Friend was quite lovely, and they rocked Birmingham Pride last year with Sweet Dreams despite the fact that it was quite heavily raining. Listening to the entire album got me thinking that although they do it very well, they have chosen tracks that would work better for boys. Which is quite a rare thing - it's hard to imagine Westlife covering Sound Of The Underground or McFly doing Freak Like Me. V could have possibly pulled off Coffee if given the chance. Even back in the late 80s, most of Jason Donovan's albums sound like they could be Kylie tracks but not the other way round. The Nylon album is jam packed with tracks that would be ideal for the boyband in my forthcoming novel... Losing A Friend is a westlife esque ballad that would be very swoony sung in sexy suits sitting on stools; Summer's Gonna Come Again was originally a Supersister track but again would work as a nice dreamy midtempo ballad with the boys all looking forlorn on a beach at sunset; You're Not Alone ups the tempo somewhat and for balls to the wall funk, I can forsee some funky dance routines in tank tops to tracks like Sweet Dreams (which Switch22 have proved works well for boys!) and Only You (given a decent remix). It's not that Nylon do it badly - not at all, i really like the album. It just fits better for the boys. Like me ;)
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LINK: Purchase Nylon Music
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THE TOP FIVE SINGERS THEZAPPING LOVES (MALE AND FEMALE):
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#4 ~ Darren Hayes: I couldn't possibly write more eloquently than Electroqueer and Dan already have about the magnificent Darren. Let's just say it's a known fact that I'm partial to a bit of Darren whether it be Hayes or Pants. But from his time in Savage Garden (where - correct me if i'm wrong - he seemed to be the George Michael of this wham set up) to his two solo albums, I've found immense depth in Darren's work. Even in what seem throwaway pop ditties like I Want You and the magnificent Affirmation, there are thought provoking lyrics and creative musical arrangements. He also knew how to write some amazing ballads such as Truly Madly Deeply and the gorgeous I Knew I Loved You. Solo, Darren wasn't afraid to take risks with his music (or sadly his hair - that long hair look in Insatiable was replaced by shorter foxier hair in Strange Relationship) and his last album - The Tension and The Spark featured some great electropop mixed with the stunning career highlight, Unloveable. I can't wait to see what delights this talented fella brings next.
Best track: Unloveable
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#4 ~ Whitney: I already wrote a lot about Whitney Houston when i talked about her glorious I'm Your Baby Tonight album. I think that album and The Bodyguard represented Whitney at her pinnacle for me, and I can't remember loving two albums in succession more. And as she diverted into films, I even really appreciated the pure pop tracks she kept churning out alongside classic ballads, that put her neck and neck with Mariah in my middle america preferred singer lovefest. Indeed, her "comeback" album My Love is Your Love showed you could embrace new sounds and styles without diverting too much from what made you a huge success. Sadly in recent years, Whitney's personal life has overshadowed her professional career but songs like Same Script Different Cast and On My Own prove that she can still knock out a classic with the best of them.
Best track: Miracle
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QUICK BITZ/BLOG WATCH:
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~ This is adorable
~ the fabulosity that is modern previews the pilots for next season. all a bit meh to be honest. I'm all about Primeval on Saturday on Itv..
~ ooo Jessica Poptastic has Lucas Gabreel from HSM singing on the fox and the hound 2 soundtrack. Sigh. I just got the dvd - i hope it doesn't ruin my love for the original :)
~ I'm pretty sure it's a blogger's birthday tomorrow. I won't say who in case they don't want you to know but HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
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Coming tomorrow ~ number 3 on my boy and girl singers list (if anyone guesses number three male you get a prize!! I don't think I've EVER mentioned him on this blog - it's my VERY secret shame!); Duncan James and the crimes against music punishment; maybe some fashion stuff or maybe something else, i haven't decided yet :)
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Cheers,
KulPop
PPG - who did you think would be in my top three?
And I think I have an idea who's birthday you're referring to ;)
Robpop--I thought of DSTP when I saw the post on Popjustice...didn't you write about them last summer, in your Ibiza-centered post?
I know how to make pasta now. Can u believe it? In the great scheme of things making your own pasta isnt as huge as finding the genome but its more impressive...something else less impressive than making your own pasta. and its not that difficult either.
Currently catching up on all the blogs. Big Brother (WOAH!) and all that i missed on Ugly Beefburger!
Whooo, so I *had* to comment just because you mentionned Lucas Grabeel. Yes, I'm an HSM freak, and Lucas is always overlooked by everyone.
Hehe, just wanted to say hi and that you rock! ^^