Tip Top Pop

Traffic (not Tiesto)

2007-09-20T08:50:00.000-04:00

Just a heads up...another post is coming later this weekend about some new stuff I found myself from somewhere in Europe that I haven't been tipped off to (i'm thinking Krezip right now!). This semester has just been so busy! But I just wanted to post a new song that Paul from MySpace sent me...you might know Marie Digby from her white-girl cover of "Umbrella" as used on MTV's The Hills. While the "discovered on the Internet" back story is as fake as Sandi Thom's, give her a chance. Out of all places, this isn't one where i'd be prejudiced against someone signed on a major label. And hey, would you rather have this or Chris Crocker as a popular pop-related viral video?

This song is called "Traffic", and it's a nicely melodic, acoustic track. It actually reminds me of a lot of stuff from the Marit Larsen album.

Marie' Digby - Traffic (Original Song)

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Flashing lights come from everywhere

2007-09-11T17:16:00.000-04:00

This is another post about something that i've been tipped off to, this time by David from Jive Records. I didn't know there were new Justin Timberlake "LoveStoned" remixes out! It's been one of my favorite songs from the FutureSex/LoveSounds album, and now it's even better with a dance remix by Kaskade, who also did a great remix of the Pussycat Dolls' "Don't Cha" a few years back.

LoveStoned (I Think She Knows) [Kaskade Remix]

More remixes are available on the remix EP on iTunes (the US store at least), including one by VMA nominees/Kanye West nemesis Justice, a trancey mix by Tiesto, and a shortened radio version that still includes the awesome interlude.

I have to admit, I never used to be a huge fan of Justin until recently (this year or so...I think it was the Emmy winning "Dick in a Box" that put me over the top), and he's definitely doing his thing.

At least he's not joining and then quitting Hell's Kitchen like Lee Ryan. Can you imagine Justin participating in a reality show with a chef who looks like he's never bathed a day in his life, and not even being paid the most money out of the contestants to do it, receiving less than half the fee of someone who lost Britain's Next Top Model and briefly dated a not-American football player (although Abigail Clancy being an ex-member of Genie Queen is possibly worth that money...they were frickin' sweet)? Both stars in their respective boy bands, but the outcomes are very different. Two paths diverged in a yellow wood...apologies to Robert Frost.

Speaking of, the second J.C. Chasez album is most likely never coming out (bummer). Anyway, enjoy the JT. Give it a chance even if you're sick of him by now.

Like an apple from the tree

2007-09-10T11:53:00.000-04:00

As you may know if you still read this blog, i'm staunchly against the deification of young acts who write and produce their own music. When that happens, you get "artists" like Soulja Boy with the #1 song in the United States and most likely one day going international. He wrote, produced, and even choreographed his own song! But it still sucks. Give me Girls Aloud any day. Thankfully, young artists who make their own quality music while still possessing that pop appeal are out there.

Jessie from Cornerstone Promotion turned me onto A Fine Frenzy, which is basically one girl named Allison Sudol. Her music is more laid back, organic, and piano-based, but the beauty of pop music is that so many different sounds can fit into it. The album dropped in the States in July, but this needs an international release and I think it could do well.

"You Picked Me" is very Kate Nash without the mockney accent. It's jaunty and reminds me of "We Get On", one of my favorite songs from the Nash album. There are some fun metaphors with the good melody.

She's got that VH1 support so i'm thinking something could happen. She's touring with Brandi Carlile (who should get AFF a Grey's Anatomy placement too!):

9/11 Los Angeles, CA House of Blues

9/12 Los Angeles, CA House of Blues

9/13 San Diego, CA House of Blues

9/14 Phoenix, AZ The Marquee

9/15 Tucson, AZ Rialto Theatre

9/19 Austin, TX Texas Union Ballroom

9/20 TBD

9/21 Houston, TX Meridian

9/22 New Orleans, LA House of Blues

9/24 Birmingham, AL Workplay SoundStage

9/25 TBD

9/26 TBD

9/28 Washington, DC 9:30 Club

9/29 Baltimore, MD Rams Head Live!

10/1 TBD

10/3 New York, NY Fillmore (Irving Plaza)

10/4 New York, NY Fillmore (Irving Plaza)

10/5 Boston, MA Orpheum

10/7 Burlington, VT Higher Ground

10/9 Toronto ONT Phoenix Concert Theatre

10/10 Cleveland, OH House of Blues

10/11 Chicago, IL House of Blues

10/13 Indianapolis, IN Vogue Theatre

10/14 Detroit, MI St. Andrews

10/16 St. Louis, MO Pageant

10/17 Milwaukee, WI Eagles Club

10/18 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue

10/20 TBD

10/23 Boise, ID Big Easy

10/24 Spokane, WA Big Easy

10/25 TBD
10/27 Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom

For a peek at AFF live, here's a performance of "Almost Lover", exclusive to the internet.

I've got three demo samplers to give away, featuring alternate versions of songs and one different track! It's open to everyone worldwide. All you have to answer is three questions (and you're allowed to use Google, just don't tell me :P).

1. Who won "monster single of the year" at last night's VMAs? (And no, it wasn't Britney's hot mess)
2. Jamelia has a cheapie greatest hits compilation coming out after being dropped from Parlophone. What was her last single release?
3. Who produced the new Sugababes single "About You Now"?

First three who email me the right answers (link on sidebar) win! Good luck!

I'll leave you with the whimsical music video for first single "Rangers", which is also included on the CD samplers!

----------------
Now playing: September - Cry For You (Granite & Phunk Club Mix)
via FoxyTunes

Disclaimer: I am completely open to submissions from publicists, managers, etc., but i'll post only what I genuinely like on the site, and this definitely qualifies.

She put a bump in your zip

2007-08-28T21:48:00.000-04:00

This past year has been a bountiful one for pop comebacks. Pink reclaims her position in the United States as radio's best bad-ass pop/rock chick (while never usurping it internationally), and Scooch (?!?) of all acts return with a top 5 single in the UK. Rosie Ribbons (whose real last name I can't find, because I refuse to believe anybody would genuinely have that surname) is possibly shaping up to be another comeback story. I'm happy she's giving it another try after disappearing off the face of the earth for awhile. First, let's go to the beginning of the first stage of her pop career.

In Late 2002, fresh off the very first Idol program in Britain (which you can thank or curse for its various spawn), the Australian-born Rosie released her first single, the attitude-r&b/poppy "Blink". It was known for being punchy, but more so for featuring the word "pissing" (as in "pissing me off") in the chorus, which radio stations hilariously found inappropriate (what is this? America?) and therefore limited its airplay somewhat.

Blink (Rishi Rich "Urban Rose" Remix) - This mix was initially sent out as a promo without identification, and was actually played on urban radio stations before they found out it was by some white girl from a reality show. It features new vocals! Still, it's essentially the same song, though the sound is more smoothed out and chilled with a hip-hop beat, and it's a good song in it' own right. (Sorry for the snippets of other songs at the beginning and end - it's from a mixed compilation)

Now she's made it to the final 24 of the new season of Australian Idol! There might be an issue of unfairness there because of her prior record deal and Idol history, but I personally don't see a big problem with it. First off, her run on Pop Idol and her brief (so far) recording career was based in the UK, so all but a few Australians would be not familiar with her, unless they are overseas pop obsessives like myself. Plus, she wasn't even that successful! She had a pair of top 20 singles when almost every fledgling pop act in the early '00s could manage to sneak in there, and she made an exit in 6th place on Idol after her infamous performance of "The Winner Takes It All". (I actually don't think it's that bad until she gets near the end. She's no ABBA, of course.) I saw a preview of her Australian Idol audition on YouTube, and I don't think she sang "Colours", the cheesy-but-sweet original song she wrote herself that sailed her through her first audition with the Pop Idol judges. Pete Waterman loved it!

Rosie actually got to release two singles, which is one more than the girl who beat her by a couple of places on Pop Idol, Zoe Birkett. She also served as the opening act for tours by Blue and Liberty X. Then before her album Misbehaving dropped, her label Telstar folded, which also impacted Mis-Teeq and Victoria Beckham among others. But unlike Posh, she didn't marry a huge rest-of-the-world football star, so she eventually settled back in Australia, while her debut album quietly leaked onto the internet. Here are some highlights:

Trusted - This features loud guitars, but it's more Britney "Stronger"-esque than Kelly Clarkson. If Paris Hilton insisted on making another album (please, no) and still hadn't made up with Nicole Richie, this ode to an ex-friend would be a great choice to use, though they'd have to reduce the vocal range.

No Space to Rent - I hear some Arabic influence in this (masked by electronics), I don't know why. It's a kiss-off song along the lines of "Blink". The chorus has some double entendres. ;)

Even Angels - This slows it down a bit. It's a bit like an S Club 7 ballad, but slightly more soul-based. An orchestra also comes into play, and I don't really care if it's real or canned because it fits perfectly. And then the end sounds sort of Delta Goodrem-ish.

This is the video for her second (and final, so far) single, the recycled Jessica Simpson song "A Little Bit". I don't know whether I like her version better or not. Rosie's version lacks the annoying bits where Jessica would sing a line and then speak the end of it, which always bugged me. But does anyone know who the rappers are?

I honestly think part of the reason Rosie wasn't more successful is because of her absolutely tragic styling. Her makeup and clothing are especially bad in this video. I know they were promoting her as "edgy" and everything (especially with the promo pics for this single - "Oooh! She's smoking a cigarette while standing under a 'no smoking' sign! Look, she's exiting the men's bathroom!), but the low-riding pants with something that looks like a pink jock strap going across her stomach is inexcusable.

Anyway, now that Rosie is rising again to semi-prominence, how about releasing more than the first 20 seconds of her cover of Dee-Lite's "Groove is in The Heart"? However, I wouldn't suggest a re-release of Misbehaving because it sounds kinda dated by now. But if you don't mind that, I definitely recommend the whole album if you can get a hold of it.

More tracks from Rosie's album are available on AcerBen's blog, including "Colours", intended third single "Good Thing" (awesome, catchy with '80s influences...some of the synths sound like slower freestyle, a la "What You Don't Know" by Expose), and "Heaven" (Not a Bryan Adams cover, a pretty mid-tempo with nice horns, came up when my iPod was on shuffle today and inspired this post), along with the Rishi Rich urban remix of "Blink" that features new, alternate vocals from the original version, and which I actually own on a Pure R&B compilation. He is also the founder of the Rosie Ribbons fan site (there's pretty much just one...so far...if you see one, you've found it).

Next post will be on another female singer who is completely different.

Amazingness

2007-08-07T21:47:00.000-04:00

Kate Nash covers one of two good songs off the last Beyonce album. How about a Sugababes remake of "Upgrade U" next?

On a not so amazing note, somebody was nice enough to sign up for the update mailing list, but my dumb ass deleted them by accident when trying to approve them to put it on it. So please sign up again!

Mailing list

2007-08-06T12:15:00.000-04:00

I've added a mailing list to the site so you can find out automatically whenever this blog is updated. I know I suck with updating pretty often, but this is pretty nifty, I think.

She gets the top bunk, i'm sleeping on the floor

2007-08-05T15:19:00.000-04:00

Last year, one of my favorite songs was "Girl Next Door" by Saving Jane. It had a great melody, great vocals, and lyrics that were relatable to a lot of people (yes, including myself). Lead singer Marti Dodson wasn't model-pretty, but in her own way her looks were striking, perfect for pop stardom. The single was so good that the band were picked up by a major label for a re-release of their latest album featuring that song. MTV even used it as a theme song for several of their dumb, completely non-music related reality shows! However, things didn't work out and they decided to go back to the indie route for their new album One Girl Revolution, which isn't really an "indie-sounding" album, although who knows what the hell that means anymore? Anyway, the album drops this Tuesday.

Loser - I love this. It has the tongue in cheek quality of an upbeat "punky" Avril Lavigne without the brattiness and nasal vocals. It's somewhat "Since U Been Gone"-esque with the woman being happy to be free of her idiotic ex. There are some great lyrics: "You'll be glad to know I sold your ring for extra cash." Heh.

Better Day - Very upbeat and catchy pop-rock. For some reason it reminds me of some of Billy Mann's production, like "With You" by Jessica Simpson. It doesn't really sound the same but has the same sunny vibe.

Let Me Down Easy - This track is a bit more melancholy. I like the mix of guitars, pianos, and even some electronic effects. It's really a song that could work in any form...in the hands of another artist it could be an r&b pop number and be equally good. In this song you can hear one of the male members of the band actually sing, and he and Marti do a bit of back-and-forth response singing to each other at the end.

Ohio - A bit more "pure pop" and not as heavy on the guitars (although there are some orchestral effects on this mid-tempo), this song is about leaving to follow your dream and missing your family and friends back home. Corny but sweet. Surprisingly, there aren't that many pop songs about this subject, though it's a running theme in country music (Sugarland's "Baby Girl", Carrie Underwood's "Don't Forget To Remember Me"). Not surprisingly, the band hails from Ohio. :P It shows some vulnerability...she even apologizes to her parents for getting tattoos but still stands her ground.

Writing on the Wall - This is one of those "ballads with a beat" that I love. The lyrics are about a relationship falling apart due to her boyfriend's alcoholism, and it's emotional without sounding preachy or self-pitying.

The album also features the lead single and title track manifesto against the shallow, looks, sex, and stupidity-centered expectations of female pop stars (available to listen to at their MySpace). It's fine, but when it comes to these proto-feminist anthems Pink did it better with "Stupid Girls".

One love for the sweet temptations everytime we touch

2007-07-20T03:00:00.001-04:00

Update: all new links for every song. Evil Share blows.

Hey hey you you!

I was in Punta Cana for the last week. It was beautiful and fun. I also listened to my iPod a lot, so I rediscovered some songs I had overlooked slightly. Without the distraction of internet that was hugely overpriced, I concentrated on it somewhat. This is pretty sad, but I got the inspiration and outlined this next post in a notebook.

Cascada are well known for being responsible for last year's totally catchy pop-dance single "Everytime We Touch". I loved that song and its follow-up "Miracle", but pretty much put the album aside. Having been in an environment where this was one of the genres played constantly, i've come to the conclusion that Cascada are the equivalent of reggaeton music. Both utilize virtually the same beat on almost every song, and they are best in small doses. However, for some reason I still had the album, and on a 3-hour bus trip each way to visit the city of Santo Domingo I listed to it for the first time since it came out. The point still holds true that it becomes incredibly repetitive, but there are some highlights I skipped before.

"Another You" is a sweet pop ballad, that does not feature that infamous beat. This is the best of the handful of ballads on the album. Natalie (the actual singer part of Cascada) sounds very pretty, but at some point she goes for some Mariah-esque whistle notes and comes pretty close to pulling them off.

"Can't Stop the Rain" does feature that beat, but it has a very nice melody and is definitely a highlight off the album. It has the potential to be a classic pop song if it was recycled and tweaked a bit. A key change would be perfect.

"Truly Madly Deeply" - Unlike in the U.S., Cascada actually managed a follow-up hit single in the U.K. with their Savage Garden cover. This is not the version that hit over there. The original album version is a ballad that is pretty similar to the original but works; but as opposed to attempting to show any diversity in sound, it was remixed to sound like the stereotypical Cascada track for single release.

Everytime We Touch (Remix featuring The Dons) - I randomly found this on FrostWire. It's some kind of hip-hop remix, basically the ballad version with a bit of a beat behind it and a rapper. It's obviously not real hip-hop by any stretch of the imagination, but still works, which is a nice segue into the next act i'm talking about in this post.

Blue, ah, many people know about them and remember them fondly or not. I liked them at the time, but in retrospect I think they were awesome. I'd put them far higher on my list on all-time favorite boy bands than I would have six months ago. For one thing, from a shallow perspective, Derek Zoolander would have loved them. Most of the groups had one or two hot members and others that weren't ('N Sync, anyone?). Blue's batting average was about even with 98 Degrees, although they didn't look like they spent as much time at the gym. Nick Lachey and co. were basically the same flavor of eye candy, a pretty good flavor, but it can get a bit boring. Blue took the path of the Spice Girls in offering some variety looks-wise. Even the token "ugly one" wasn't all that unattractive, just not as ridiculously good looking as the other members. I think I may have been getting a bit of a sun stroke that caused me to ponder "Too Close" being more than a crappy cover version, but an example of the pathos of teenage sexuality with a 17-year-old Lee Ryan singing about having a hard-on.

Still, I had tons of time to kill on the beach and elsewhere so I listened to their full albums, which I hadn't done in years except for their so-called greatest hits. Turns out they had some pretty good album tracks. The Guilty album in particular is underrated to me, and I didn't really pay attention to it at the time because I was otherwise occupied musically. On it, they dropped many of their hip-hop pretenses, which were sometimes hilariously awful. Then again, this album does include "Bubblin'", which is probably one of the worst songs in their discography (and made even worse by doing a version with French boy band Link'Up), but even the best pop albums often include a dud or two. Here is a pair of tracks from their last two albums that might not be what some would think Blue would sound like.

"Right Here Waiting" is a track from the One Love album, and is pretty much an anomaly for them, but it's a welcome one. It's more dance-y and could even be called cheesy, but I like it. It has some garage-sounding influences. It was co-written by Rob Davis, who co-wrote "Can't Get You Out of My Head", so even if you absolutely despised Blue I think it's worth one listen.

"When Summer's Gone" is from Guilty and is a Stargate track that's been hidden but I feel is one of the best of both the group and the producers. All of the members also have writing credits on this one, and i'm usually very skeptical of that being a case of pure vanity credits (Like every single member of S Club 7 actually had meaningful effort in writing "Don't Stop Movin'". Yeah, right.) Either way, it's very good, though some of the lyrics are iffy ("she had a love for art/painted pictures in the dark") and make me believe the band actually did help write it. I'd describe it as a ballad with a beat, basically. For me, it sounds a bit like a bridge from the pure pop Stargate did for them, Atomic Kitten, et. al. to the more somewhat chilled r&b-pop they've recently done for Ne-Yo, Beyonce, and Elliott Yamin. If they added that acoustic guitar they're so fond of these days, it might work now.

Speaking of Blue, this is a random hilarious performance of theirs I found. It starts with a Rocky intro that is actually a bit expensive looking, but then goes into a lipsynched performance of "All Rise", which isn't all that strange, although they're singing into in-ring announcer mics. When the breakdown comes is when it gets weird. The choreography seems to have been done by George Foreman, because it consists as boxing, but then goes into faux jumping rope and crunches. I'm friggin' serious, they do several situps on stage, nicely predicting my post about pop star exercise videos several years in advance. After that, "Curtain Falls" starts very awkwardly out of the blue (no pun intended), which is also nondescript until Simon's rap part comes up and the track doesn't play it (though you can hear him yelling it in the background), although the adlibs on the top of the rap are heard. It finishes off with the classic boy band move of singing the last few lines acapella, to prove that "we can really SING, damn it!" It tickles me that the Smash Hits Awards were deemed worthy of a production of that size no matter how it actually turned out, and makes me mourn those shows.

Another album I listened to was Lillix's Inside the Hollow. In 2003 they released their debut album Falling Uphill, which was your typical Matrix-and-Linda-Perry post-Avril pop/rock with some highlights but mainly boringness. After replacing a drummer, they put out the new CD last year in Japan and their native Canada only. For awhile I was obsessed with the single, "Sweet Temptation (Hollow)", but now i've dug into the album more. There's basically two categories to the songs: electro pop-rock like the Killers before they sucked and similar to "Sweet Temptation", and acoustic indie-pop a la the new Mandy Moore album.

In the first category:

"Got Off Easy" is catchy as hell. Rachel Stevens with more attitude.

"Poor Little Girl" is clearly about other pop stars lyrically, and is also great.

The second category features:

"Little Things", which has multiple hooks.

"Turpentine" is almost folk-y, with interesting lyrics, and still has a good melody.

Unfortunately, the album won't be having any single releases, since their drummer and bassist left and have been replaced again, modifying their previous all-girl band status.

Bad news: I'm going on vacation again, this time to Orlando. It'll only be for the weekend though. I'll be back soon!

Jessica Folcker

2007-07-05T14:45:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone! I apologize for not posting for awhile. I've been taking a bit of a sabbatical from this blog to get my own life in order and come up with a schedule that allows me to take care of both my online life and my real one. However, there is tons of new music that has been coming out that is awesome, plus older stuff i've been getting into.

Jessica Folcker is a Swedish singer, who has been around since 1998. After doing a bunch of backup singing, her early work was done with Max Martin and Denniz Pop. Until now, her piece de resistance has been "To Be Able To Love", off her second album Dino. In an attempt to break the American market, she changed her last name to "Folker" and released this song as a single. Unfortunately, despite being featured in the classic Lance Bass movie vehicle On the Line, it found little success. However, it became a dance club smash in the form of a remix by Jonathan Peters.

To Be Able to Love (Jonathan Peters Club Mix) - Catchy and uplifting. If she wanted to, her voice would allow her to be a dance diva.

A few years later, she featured on a collaboration with the Bomfunk MC's, a cover of the Frida (former member of ABBA) song "I Know There's Something Going On"

Something Going On - Jessica does the chorus bits only, with the Bomfunk MC's rapping the verses. It's a nice rock/dance/rap hybrid update.

This year, Jessica's third English-language album (fourth total, including a CD in Swedish), Skin Close, was released on an indie label. She jumps on the electro-pop train for most of this one, although there's also a duet with world music legend Youssou N'dour. A lot of the album was done with Kleerup, currently known for his kick-ass collaboration with Robyn, "With Every Heartbeat".

Hot Night - This is my favorite song off the set. The verse melody at the beginning reminds me of the chorus of S Club 8's "Sundown". This song sounds like it could actually belong in the '80s. The guitar and piano effects sound a bit retro-esque.

Snowflakes - This is the first single off the album. It's in a similar vein. This is so catchy. I love September's album In Orbit, and this reminds me of that album a bit. There's an acoustic/jazzy ending that I think could make a great alternate version of this song if extended.

Always Something - I could swear this is a lost track from Rachel Stevens' Come and Get It. It sounds a bit more modern than the '80s electro influences in other places. It's a bit more laid back.

Spell I'm Under (Part II) - This has some sweet strings in it. It's more retro and disco-esque than the more guitar-influenced version of "Spell I'm Under" also on the album.

Random Jessica trivia: she has entered Melodifestivalen (which selects the Swedish entry for the Eurovision Song Contest) twice in 2005 and 2006, but did not win either time.

Keep staying tuned for more posts and some giveaways, I promise!

I'll bring you flowers

2007-05-06T13:51:00.000-04:00

The history of UK one hit wonders around the turn of the millenium interests me. One advantage of the death of the CD single in the States is that even the potentially floppiest pop acts got album releases, because nobody knew if they would sell otherwise. However, in the U.K it would be hit or miss whether a favorite would get an album out.

I don't know how I missed this song the first time around. During the garage/2-step dance music boom in 2000 or so, a female duo (made up of Lea and Cat - not Deeley) named Sweet Female Attitude released a single called "Flowers", which is catchy as hell. It peaked at #2 in the U.K. The Sunship remix is the one almost everyone knows and is relatively easy to find. Here is an alternate version from the album In Person (seemingly only released in Germany, and on U.S. iTunes):

Flowers (C&J Mix): This might have been the original version, produced by Cutfather and Joe, who produced breezy urban-inspired pop beats for Five, Ace of Base, and others around the late '90s. It's cute, though it might not have been as successful in this form.

From what I can read up about them, they were promoted as a "real" alternative to the skinny, glam popstars. However, that seems to work for only one single unfortunately (and the obsession with the female symbol couldn't have helped), though choosing the song "8 Days a Week" as a follow-up probably wasn't the best idea. It's not bad, but there are far better tracks on the album. In this case, the pop version is superior to the garage one that got the single release. It peaked somewhere in the 50s, and that was it for them.

"Don't Tell Me" got a promo vinyl release with a ton of garage remixes, but the album version was also done by Cutfather and Joe, though it sounds slightly more 2-step-ish than their other productions.

"Ready for Love" is a song I first heard on Pandora (BTW, help save independent internet radio that plays this type of stuff!), that led me to discover this group. It's breezy and smiley probaably would have been a hit back then. I highly recommend this. Most of the songs were written by Mike Powell, including this and "Flowers".

"Nothing to Lose" is in the same vein, except a bit more '60s inspired, I think.

"A Rose" is very Destiny's Child-like urban pop, sounding like a better Darkchild production even though it isn't. They could have ended the chorus a little better, but the rest of it works very well. It's another one of those Romeo and Juliet stories about people saying the guy isn't right for her, even though he treats her well.

Hot off the press!

2007-04-12T22:53:00.000-04:00

New Kelly Clarkson, called "Never Again". Just a radio rip, but it'll do for now.

Download here.

I'm not sure what I think. Her last album was so awesome, but I think this time she's so intent on being a 'serious' rock star that she's ignored melody and that kind of thing. The last album was full of hooks, but this song doesn't really have any in my opinions. Hell, these days a lot of 'real' rock bands put out better pop songs than this.

The instrumentation in the first pre-chorus has potential. I think that's why I prefer the Dave Aude remix. It brings out those elements in the song.

Where's Max Martin and Dr. Luke? Where's Ben Moody? Sorry, but David Kahne and Mike Watt aren't doing anything for me. There's nothing wrong with being a pop star, and Kelly is amazing at that. Who knows, maybe she'll pull a Pink and eventually return to her poppier rock most-recent roots. I hope so.

Maybe it'll grow on me.

Not here for your entertainment

2007-04-06T18:23:00.000-04:00

Or maybe yes.

Enjoy this video from Pink's upcoming live DVD. If you weren't able to see her on the Justin tour, this is another option. I'm estatic that "U + Ur Hand" has become a surprise smash in the U.S.

Work it!

2007-03-12T17:49:00.000-04:00

Sorry, no music today. I'm waiting on some more import singles at the moment. This is just a post about pop musings/attempted humor, inspired by this exercise DVD featuring the female members of Liberty X. Celebrity workout videos seem to be rampant in the UK (as opposed to America, where most people releasing them actually seem to be professionals), but they tend to run more towards the soap star side of the spectrum than pop stars. This needs to be rectified. Here are my ideas.

The Steps Workout
That flab is Better Best Forgotten with this exercise DVD!
Steps recognize that they have been referred to as glorified aerobics instructors. They take this criticism to heart by showing you the famous high-energy dance routines for their singles for cardio!
Bonus Kickboxing Segment: Blast away those calories while punching H as he proceeds to incessantly say "ooh ooh".
Packaged with the Lisa-Scott Lee Electric Slimming Belt. It claims to effortlessly burn away belly fat through electricity. It fails, much like her solo career. That's how you know it's an Official Scott-Lee ® product!

Cardio Striptease with the Pussycat Dolls
Don't cha wish your workout videos were hot like this?
The other three whose names you don't know lead you in these hot routines that justify their presence in the group! Nicole does all the talking, while Melody is absent for most of the tape and pops up near the end.
We will be having a second season of our reality show soon, so work out so you can become the next anonymous Doll!

Madonna's Extreme Yoga
Increase your flexibility to pose yourself in ungodly positions, so one day you, too, can be a living pop legend.

Sugababes: The Circuit
Keep your metabolism up by alternating between different cardio and light weight exercises. A different member pops up every minute to keep you entertained and focused for each new exercise. Special guest appearances from Siobhan Donaghy and Mutya Buena. In fact, Mutya is actually included on most of the DVD except for the very end, yet Amelle is on the cover anyway.

Natasha Bedingfield's Pregancy Workout
Appropriate for both pre- and post-natal women!
When you're thinking about having someone's babies, you need to prepare your body for it, especially if they actually will be springing up like daisies.
Warmup and cooldown consist of dancing with animated boomboxes.

Extremely lame, I know. I was just inspired.

Awesome acoustic

2007-03-08T19:44:00.000-05:00

Today at college they had a free line dancing thing. I did most of it because I was between classes. No "5, 6, 7, 8" (though I would've laughed my ass off if there was), but there was a line dance to "Men in Black".

As for this particular post, i'm a big fan of acoustic performances, because they put a new spin on songs. I'm a big collector of them for songs I already like.

Christina Aguilera / Come On Over Baby - Live recording, but sounds very good. Christina often enjoys reinventing her songs, especially the ones off her first album that she felt "weren't her" or something like that. This reinterpretation, which makes it into a slower mid-tempo ballad, actually works, and isn't a travesty (unlike certain reworkings of "Baby One More Time" I remember from Britney tours).

Busted / Thunderbirds are Go. - I normally hate this song because it's from a crappy movie and took up a double a-side when "3AM" deserved to be released by itself. (Especially since it turned out to be their last single ever). James sounds extremely nasal on this, but otherwsie I prefer this version because you can hear more of the melody.

Sugababes / Run for Cover - This is from Sugababes version 1 (the one with Siobhan Donaghy), and is striking. The vocal harmonies are so amazing.

Sugababes / Red Dress - A double dose of the babes, this one featuring the current lineup. It proves that the song itself can stand on its own even without the Xenomania production.

Liberty X / Thinking It Over - The original version had a garage sound; very popular in the UK at the turn of the millennium, but which could sound a bit dated now. This version is acoustic guitar based and works very well. (Ignore the file name; iTunes had it mislabeled when I bought it. I changed the id3 tags to be accurate).

Emma Bunton / We're Not Gonna Sleep Tonight - This song was an undeserved flop single off her debut solo album (though the only other form i've ever heard this is in an Almighty remix). Stronger than expected vocals, and pretty catchy.

Ryan Cabrera / On the Way Down - Good pop rock from 2004, from Joe Simpson's male protege. (He dated Ashlee for awhile, after meeting her on the set of the video to this song.)

Pink / Trouble - She basically made this a completely different song from its original version. By the way, I highly recommend going to see her live, either opening for Justin or on her own.

Avril Lavigne / Nobody's Home - Her new album is coming up soon, with pop-punk tracks that sound even more immature than her first CD (except for more cursing!). Probably because slower, more 'mature' tracks like this flopped. But this is a great song regardless.

Stacie Orrico / Stuck - Her new (and mostly boring) album Beautiful Awakening was pulled back from U.S. release, although some stray copies were found in stores. She's left the failing Virgin Records out of her own volition. I fear we won't get any more mainstream pop gems like this anymore. It takes the guitar part of the original into the forefront but still stays upbeat.

Mandy Moore / I Wanna Be With You - Back when she was pure pop. I still like her, but now she's all trying to be "legitimate" and working with indie artists for her new album coming out this year. Which is cool, but this might be one of my favorite soundtrack singles ever. More songs like this need to come out. Breezy and light and sweet.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor / Live It Up - Another person with a new album out this year. This acoustic version was a bonus track of her first album. I like the acoustic drums and percussion.

The Pipettes / Judy - The song doesn't lose any early '60s girl group era boppiness in this form. It's very amusing.

Delta Goodrem / Lost Without You - Featuring just her and her piano.

M2M / Don't Say You Love Me - The first Pokemon soundtrack was full of great pop, believe it or not. This was the single from it, featuring Marit Larsen and Marion Raven, with their own guitars.

Oh look, they're covering Louise on American Idol right now. Just kidding, I know her version is a cover too.

Yes, i'm still alive

2007-02-22T17:03:00.000-05:00

I'm surprised anybody is still coming here to be honest. I know I haven't updated in a long time. Honestly, I have a lot of other things to do and i'm not sure I can keep up with this. I still LOVE pop music, though. I don't think i'd ever be able to bear deleting it, but I can't in good faith promise to update regularly. I think i'm going to try for once a week as my goal. If anybody actually shows up still, I love you. If you don't, that's fine too.

Anyway, i'll get back to themed posts or later, but this is just random stuff.

Girls Aloud - I Think We're Alone Now (Flip and Fill Remix): From one of those Clubland-type compilations. It's your typical Flip and Fill remix, and I think they did another mix of another version of this cover once that sounds similar. Still, it's ok and high energy and puts a different spin than the other mixes. I'm normally not a fan of releasing two covers in a row, but when one is all Rogue Traders-like in the single edit and the other is a collaboration with Sugababes, I approve.

Lady Sovereign ft. Missy Elliott - Love Me or Hate Me (Jason Nevins Electro-Retro Mix): it's the remix version of the remix. it keeps elements of the original while making it a bit different

Jordan Pruitt - No Ordinary Girl: She's one of those teenage chicks that is identified with Disney (she has a song on the "Jump In" soundtrack), though not actually signed by them or well-known from a High School Musical type phenomenon. Her debut album just came out and sounds better than Ashley Tisdale's and Vanessa Hudgens' combined. This has some good Latin-tinged guitar over a pop beat. The lyrics to this song and a lot of the album are very teenager-y, but I like it. She isn't selling that well so far, but I think she could be the new Britney, especially since the old one is going insane.

I'm seeing Justin Timberlake and Pink in concert this weekend! Now that's something to get me to post more often!

BTW, the picture on the layout isn't me. I just got it for free from this site. I don't know who the girl is.

The Return

2007-01-07T00:47:00.000-05:00

Aargh, Internet Explorer crashed and ate my post, and it's really late. So here are the live songs I was going to post from the lovely Kylie Minogue, who is making a return from her break due to fighting breast cancer with her tour and upcoming album. If you come here, you probably know she rocks. Another time i'll probably do a bigger post, not with background because most people know that, but more of my "history" with getting to know her music that was going to go here. Anyway, check these songs out because she's genuinely good live, and not just in the production spectacle sense.

What Do I Have to Do (Live) - From 1998's Intimate and Live, a must-have 2-CD set of a concert tour. Less well known than "I Should Be So Lucky" gone torch ballad from that tour, but still good. Nearly 9 years old, but this version sounds like fresh pop rock.

Should I Stay or Should I Go (Live) - She manages to pull off this Clash cover from the same set.

Better the Devil You Know (Swing Version Live) - My own rip from the Live in Sydney DVD, this is a sweet big band makeover of the classic, which I am ashamed to admit I first heard through the Steps cover version.

Spinning Around (Live) - This is from the Body Language tour, basically sounds like the original studio recording but extended. It fits because it was her "comeback" single after several underperforming (albeit amazing) albums, and Paula Abdul co-wrote it, and American Idol is coming back on soon. Why can't she write the coronation songs?

Kids (featuring Bono) (Live) - These next two songs are from her new double CD Showgirl Homecoming Live, which shows her triumphant return continuing the Showgirl tour she was doing before she was diagnosed. Even the U2 frontman loves her, to suprise her to take the Robbie Williams part of this duet. Most likely because the real Robbie is busy cross dressing on youtube.

Burning Up / Vogue (Live) - A medley of one of my favorite album tracks from Fever and Madonna's great track, being ironic since Kylie has been referred to as the "Australian Madonna", though I feel she's her own individual pop star in several ways. Don't ask me to say which one I think is better, because I honestly can't decide.

White Diamond (Live) - If this was on a hip-hop mixtape, here's how DJ Clue would introduce it: NU KYLIE! WHITE DIAMOND! WRITTEN BY SCISSOR SISTERS! MISS MINOGUE! IT'S HOT! Thankfully, it's not on a mixtape, so we can hear it in all its glory without annoying yelling all over it. It sounds very Scissor-esque, but better than most of what i've heard from them in my opinion. It doesn't quite sound like "I Believe in You" (the other song they did for Kylie) either, but it's great. I believe this could be a hit as is, released as the live version. The vocals are on point and so is the music.

To finish it out, here's another example of why the Christmas episode of Top of the Pops is one of the best things in the universe, and why even the BBC couldn't bear not to bring it back after cancelling the proper show. This is Kylie's energetic and live 2004 medley of some of her hits.

Understand I'm troubled

2007-01-02T18:29:00.000-05:00

First off, happy new year! Hopefully pop music continues to kick ass in '07.

Now for the actual post. Bad Candy were a rocky pop group from the Netherlands. Their MySpace profile states that they play their own instruments. I'm not sure when exactly they formed, but their first single was released in 2003 or so, the catchy "Not My Father" (click here for the video), which featured a fifth member that later left the group after their follow-up of the No Secrets/Ruby Blue cover "That's What Girls Do". Natalie (who is actually from Scotland) was then recruited as the new lead singer, although Janneke, Stefanie, and Chantal also share lead vocals in addition to their instrumental duties. A great full-length album and several singles (including "Spin Around", a song from the amazing Josie and the Pussycats soundtrack) followed, but they split late last year, shortly after the album release.

More More More - More dance-y than most of their other tracks; very Europop. This was a single, but i'm not sure how successful it was.

Girls Just Want to Have Fun - Yet more pop recycling, this time of Cyndi Lauper. This was a top 10 hit for them, seemingly their biggest hit. This is strangely on American iTunes and has recieved horrible reviews, but I think they put a fun pop-rock '60s-ish spin on it. (Also check out the b-side "Girlfriend", also on the album, a fun number in a similar style)

Bloodtype R - Another one of those "rebel" songs that you get from Ashlee Simpson and the like. It was written by Andreas Carrlson, who has worked with Britney, Backstreet, and Westlife among others; and Paul Stanley from KISS, who did "Angel to You (Devil to Me)" for Click Five, so it's like the best of both worlds. You can hear the influence of that song in this, with the handclaps in the background and all, but it's faster.

When I Made Love to Him - This is a little more midtempo, but still upbeat. Kind of think McFly as girls, except better than Faders and Love Bites combined. Bad Candy actually had their own Nickelodeon show in Europe (at least judging by the DVDs offered on Amazon), which makes it funny that this song is about cheating on your boyfriend but thinking of him during the sex. It's a sunny, younger companion to "I Heard Love is Blind" by Amy Winehouse, except that Bad Candy/their writers express regret.

Worlds Apart - Written by The Veronicas, which puts it in the esteemed line of great pop songs such as "All About Us" by TATU and Kate DeAraugo's "Faded". It's one of the few ballads on the album, and the big power ballad with some strong vocals near the end.

Stupid - One of the more rock-influenced tracks, which is slightly slower paced and a bit "harder". Probably one of the most American of the songs here. It's a bit sub-Kelly Clarkson, but sub-Kelly still makes for good songs. Bad Candy in general were pretty derivative, but their material stands up to "real" pop music, moreso than Hannah Montana, Emma Roberts (of Unfabulous), and maybe even Hilary Duff.

I highly recommend the entire album. It's available at the usual sources, as well as Amazon.com. Their MySpace page seems to be pretty active with posters for a defunct band. I only found out about this group a few weeks ago, and I wish they were still around.

Post-holiday hangover

2006-12-26T14:28:00.000-05:00

Yes, Christmas has already passed, but I think this perfectly showcases the holiday party where everyone has had far too much spiked eggnog to drink.

This performance is a disaster in every sense of the word, but that makes it strangely endearing.

Like Halloween

2006-12-20T14:17:00.000-05:00

Huge Christmas post coming up later (apoligies to all non-Christians). I just wanted to post this freshly leaked yet old promo from Girls Aloud (shown here in an vintage pic).

"You Freak Me Out" was on the soundtrack of the Freaky Friday remake starring Lindsay Lohan, at least in the UK. As is usual for GA's soundtrack contributions, it wasn't on the U.S. version. I'm not sure who produced the song, but it's more straight forward pop-rock than most of their material. It later was also put on the re-release of their debut album Sound of the Underground.

This promo CD features the song itself, an interview, and an audio Q&A session (not sure what the different between those two is). This is especially cool for American fans like me that have barely heard them speak in the past, but it's cool for everybody. ;)

You Freak Me Out promo CD (sorry for the RapidShare)

(link courtesy of crazieynsf)

Don't call me babe cause i'm your little girl

2006-12-18T20:34:00.000-05:00

I don't know a lot about Sam Obernik. All you need to know is that she's from Ireland, was on two dance music smashes, and had a kick-ass album unfortunately shelved in 2003. Fortunately, it happened to be on U.S. iTunes, so I have it here for you! Her vocals and sound are really unique; she just didn't fit into the pop climate of the time. Being somewhat older than other pop stars (and a divorced mother) couldn't have helped. Ironically, I think Sam would have done better today, when left-field pop-ish stuff like Gnarls Barkley has been successful. She's more poppy than that, though. Somebody who played backup guitar for Britney Spears (speaking of, anyone want in for a gift of underwear this Christmas?) certainly has the credentials! After the single "Mr. Butterfly" flopped, reaching 50-something in the UK singles charts, her album was officially shelved. Now she's in a band called Barefoot, not to be confused with the Creepy Dad Simpson (of Jessica and Ashlee fame) boy band with instruments project Barefoot. (Yes, very confusing. Neither managed to snare the domain name "barefoot.com", which believe it or not, belongs to a technology company as opposed to an adult website.)

It Just Won't Do - The '02 dance smash with friend Tim Deluxe that rose her to prominence and inspired Warner to give her a lucrative multi-album contract *sigh*. Even though this isn't representative of her solo material, it still has that quirkiness in lyrics, instrumentation, and vocals.

Now I present the album, Stellify! (Is that a real word? I'm not sure. No matter.)

Full album download

1. Here Come the Girls - A mid-tempo with some ambient-type string touches. It evokes spring, as does a lot of the album and it's cover art.

2. Mr. Butterfly - The single, using the semi-formula of acoustic guitars with electronic pop backing. Sam's voice is a bit unusual, which could be a reason for the song's general lack of success. With a few tweaks, it could have been done by another pop star and had greater success. For some reason, Billie Piper circa Walk of Life comes to mind.

The music video is pretty inventive:

3. Single - I guess if there was a song representative of her sound (which there really isn't), this would be it. Another mid-tempo number, with some sweet harmonies from her own backing vocals in the chorus. Like most songs on the album, it has a good melody.

4. Little Mistakes - This is more of a ballad. It features strings and a sitar. Somebody needs to snap this up for one of those chill-out compilations by Ministry of Sound or Ultra. (I like those...)

5. Solid State - One of her favorites off the album, it's an acoustic ballad with some electronic effects, which blossoms into an orchestral ballad that has flutes and electric guitars. One of my favorite elements of this album is the varied instrumentation, which was unique for pop in the early '00s.

6. Sweetness - Probably one of the most "typical" songs on the album. It's an acoustic guitar-driven mid-tempo a bit reminiscent of Hepburn, Madasun, etc. but with her own twist and lyrical wordplay on it.

7. Things That Make You Scared - Another favorite of mine; this one is more beat-driven and another one that could be made 'mainstream' with few changes, though it's fine the way it is. It continues the mid-tempo pace of a lot of the album. it's almost "alternative r&b", in a good way.

8. Sunshine - "Does your sun shine on the moonlight". Slower and acoustic, though it briefly speeds up for hand-clap percussion during the bridge before KT Tunstall brought box percussion to the mainstream music world.

9. Not Enough - One of the poppiest songs on the album (again) and a great one. Another "beat" song; the CD is evenly split between those and the more guitar-influenced ones.

10. Just Won't Do - Yes, it's the previously posted dance smash; except completely reinvented in an acoustic style with guitar and drums. Pretty cool.

11. Nobody and You - Clearly the "big ballad" of the album, and the most generic-sounding thing on here. However, the lyrics are obviously very personal and about her failed relationship.

12. Miss America - A Broadway-esque ballad with sarcastic lyrics about the media's obsession with appearance. It's probably intentional that it actually sounds like the kind of song that would be sung at a beauty pageant.

Suitcase - B-side of the "Mr. Butterfly" single. An acoustic track, far more straightforward than the ones the ones that made the album. Pretty.

Stand Back - Going back to her commercial beginnings, Sam featured on this Stevie Nicks cover by dance producer Linus Loves. Her vocal stylings make it more than a cheap dance cover of previous hit songs. It has more traditional house/dance production than the original "It Just Won't Do".

Mr. Butterfly (M-Factor Vocal Mix) - It was on the single of the same name. Unlike the original version, the remixes were hits in clubs. The actual production is good, but this mix is an example of one of my biggest pet peeves - a "vocal mix" that leaves hardly any of the vocals in. Just call it a dub, damn it!! Obviously you can't get a great feel of her strong tunes (prevalent throughout the album) from this, but still, enjoy.

Random musing: Why exactly are they making another Rocky movie? Is Sylvester Stallone kidding?! To top it all off, the rumored Natasha Bedingfield song "Still Here" isn't even on the soundtrack!

A holiday gift for you

2006-12-17T13:01:00.000-05:00

Not technically pop, but a pop star nonetheless. I'm fully converted.

Better quality straight from NBC, as opposed to a crappy recording off someone's TV!

The opening skit also featured a romantic ode to Santa by his three girlfriends, which sarcasm and sound reminded me of an American Pipettes. The Pipettes should do a Christmas song for real...I love them. What song do you guys think they should do?

Dance around the coffee table

2006-12-15T15:44:00.000-05:00

Hi!! I'm not dead, just floating.

If there's anybody still visiting this thing, i'm sorry for neglecting it for the past several months. I've been busy as hell with school work and dealing with these comments and slacked off as an idiot. If you happen to come across this, tell people to come back! I promise to start updating regularly again.

This is another one of those remix posts. Promo-only, radio length, of current or future pop hits. Enjoy it for your holiday parties!

Nick Lachey / I Can't Hate You Anymore (Jason Nevins Remix Edit) - Yet another reflection on his divorce; not as big a hit as his first, but I actually like this better. This is another macro Nevins dance/rock mix, but still good.

RBD / Tu Amor (Chico Latino Mix Radio Edit) - These soap stars from Mexico are huge in the Latin pop world. After smash albums in Spanish and Portugese (!!), they're trying to break into the English-language market, after already selling out arenas in Los Angeles, New York, and my Miami. This debut single has been a minor hit, though a bigger one here. The original is kind of dated-sounding, but it makes sense given that it's both a Diane Warren-penned composition and a Jon B. cover. This version makes it more upbeat and happier-sounding. Fun fact: although you can't hear it from this song, there are also girls in this group!

Nelly Furtado / Maneater (Richard Vission Solmatic Edit) - One of the best songs of '06, and this leaves in elements from the original while still changing it up. The morons leave out the chorus in this mix; otherwise it'd be perfect. Still, you can't go wrong with this mix of the UK #1 and unfortunate U.S. flop. (Thankfully, "Say It Right" has gone top 10 in the Billboard Hot 100 this week, so not all is lost. Hopefully a Europe release is also forthcoming.

Justin Timberlake / My Love (Paul Oakenfold Remix Edit) - Another great song and smash hit; one of the best versions i've heard, which I originally came across listening to ipartyradio.com. It doesn't manage to improve on the original, but that's virtually impossible. After tons of radio overplay, it's a nice new spin on the tune, and as a bonus for some, T.I.'s rap has been cut out.

Kim Wilde / You Came (Groovenut Remix) - An '80s song I hadn't heard until this year in a Pandora radio set. Typical boppy amazing pop from that time, from an artist I didn't know outside of her cover of "You Keep Me Hanging On" and "Kids in America" (and that was mostly from the No Secrets version...). Wilde herself remade the song in a more current, Kelly Clarkson-esque style along with other hits as well as new tracks, this year. Both versions are great. Ironically, this dance remix harkens back to the original version more, though I believe it uses the new vocals.

There will be at least one more post this weekend, which will remain a surprise. (And yes, it will come! LOL). For now, I'll just say it's involving a female artist.

I need a little edge with my electropop

2006-10-16T13:12:00.000-04:00

picture courtesy of Adem at I'm Always Right, who was lucky enough to see them in concert!

Rogue Traders were originally an Australian dance act, featuring the DJ skills of James Ash, who continues to write songs for the group. Like many dance acts, they had one hit single (a remix of the INXS track "One of My Kind") and a flop album. Ash decided to makeover the band, and combine those dance and electro influences with rock and pop. They auditioned for a lead singer, and Natalie Bassingthwaighte won out. The group, which had filled out to be a full-fledged band from its two-guy roots, was initially apprehensive about hiring a woman that had the soap opera roots seemingly required of almost every Australian female pop star (in her case Neighbours). As a result, for the single cover and music video for the lead song off their second album, Here Come the Drums, Natalie's likeness was obscured, so the song would sell on its own merit as opposed to the existing fame of their lead singer. "Voodoo Child" was a smash #1 hit in Australia in 2005 and later a top 3 hit in the UK. After that, there was no stopping them, releasing several more singles and the extremely successful album; and touring both with Kelly Clarkson and as a headlining act. Natalie initially continued acting on Neighbours, but left the show to devote her attention to the group. So far, they're continuting to take over the UK and according to the MySpace homepage, plan to strike the U.S. this winter. I'm really excited. :)

Watching You (Dirty South Vocal Mix) - Third Australian single, second UK single. It samples "My Sharona", but you can't really hear it from this remix. This sounds more electro than the original. Like a lot of their songs, it pumps you up. Check out this rockin' performance of the album version from the MTV Australian Music Video Awards, which seem far cooler than the past several years of American VMAs. It even features Aborginal-looking inspired drummers (get it? Here come the drums!)

Way To Go! (TV Rock Remix) - One Australian dance act remixed by another Australian dance act. It was the second Australian single, but was skipped in the UK. I understand because it's my least favorite of their singles. It's still good, though. Like "Watching You", this has spoken/'rapped' verses with sung choruses, but it doesn't sound at all stupid or wannabe "ghetto". Once you get the cadence down and can listen to the lyrics, they're pretty satirical. This mix is more typical dance fare, but it's pretty cool.

Believer - Kicks off the album in style. Similar to some of their other tracks, but not a clone. And the riffs are brand-new! ;) Out of many tracks on the album, this is single-worthy. Honestly, the only songs I wouldn't release are "Casting Aside" (because James sings that one and a large segment of the public would be stupid enough to be confused), "White Lightning" (it annoys me to be honest...I could see it kicking ass in concert, but on CD it hurts my ears), and "Change the Channel" (because it's a 30 second interlude).

We're Coming Home [Live at Adelaide Skyshow] - 4th Australian single. Not quite as successful as their others, probably due to the fact that the album had sold so well already. It's actually one of my favorite songs of theirs. It still has the electro-rock sound, but is even more driving and propulsive, and might actually be one of the greater possibilites of success in the U.S. This b-side live version stays true to the album version while actually being live. Natalie's live vocals are impressive, which is somewhat of a surprise given my recent dissapointments viewing live performances of some others.

Voodoo Child (12 inch mix) - The big hit single, just extended. It's a dance-rock single and a pop single all at once. It samples an Elvis Costello song I don't recognize. In some places, Rogue Traders have been criticized for being unoriginal, but who can fault being able to put your own spin on a track like this?

World Go Round - This song brings down the speed a little bit. It's more mid-tempo than a lot of their other songs, but still bears the signature hallmarks of their sound: guitars and beats.

We're Coming Home (James Ash Remix) - Just because I love this song so and imported the single, here's another electro influenced rework. James is lucky because he gets to reinvent these songs in several ways; he helps to craft the original album version's sound, and then works on a completely different-sounding remix for each single.

In Love Again - The piece de resistance of their catalog, a lovely electropop number that could be compared to the ballad-type songs on Rachel Stevens' Come and Get It. Except it's better, and I love that friggin' album (sorry Kirkland!). It's etheral and opens up slowly, before becoming slightly faster. Pure '80s inspired, and a departure from their general sound. It's the first Rogue Traders song I heard and the song that got me into them in the first place. Due to fan response, the record label decided to put it out as the 5th and final single from the album, before their next CD comes out next year. Unfortunately, they're planning to make it a download only track, which means that although remixes have been commisioned, only Australian residents will be able to buy them.

This amazing performance puts a different spin on it, with an acoustic beginning and great live singing.

Note on mp3s: Unfortunately zshare is screwing it up at the moment, so i'm back to rapidshare for now (at least it has those nifty multi-upload features). Sorry for the inconvenience. i'll try to find another free file host soon.

I've been a waitress, a mail girl

2006-10-04T17:28:00.000-04:00

I know you all have been waiting with baited breath for this post. It's the whole unreleased Melissa Lefton album.

I hear you asking, who is Melissa Lefton? If you own the soundtrack to the Oscar-winning, Lance Bass starring movie On The Line, you may recognize a track called "My Hit Song". The single poked fun at the stereotypical pop/product industry, yet sounded just as poppy as said product. The other songs on the album are similar in that they had lyrical bite wrapped in sweet, fun packaging and a slightly Britney-esque voice. In the ultimate form of irony, Melissa was signed to Jive Records, the label responsible for many of the biggest examples of what she was satirizing.

Unfortunately, as you can see from my scan of the advance CD, the self-titled album was scheduled for release on September 11, 2001; for obvious reasons, the release was cancelled. This was the second time something like this happened to Melissa, who was already in her 20s; several years earlier she had been in a band that was signed to a major label, who also were dropped shortly before their debut entered stores. I cannot find any news whatsoever about where she is or what she's doing now; maybe she got discouraged at her failed attempts and left the music business. I hope not, because she had something to say and great hooks to say it with; as well as a hilarious electronic press kit serving as a Behind the Music spoof that chronicled her dehabilitating addiction to orange juice and seems to have fallen into the Internet ether.

Melissa Lefton - Self-Titled (Full Album Download)

Tracklisting:

1. My Hit Song - The aformentioned single, whose title was sadly, not prophetic. It was co-written with a pre-Avril Matrix. It doesn't really have that pop-rock sound, though. The video features Melissa seducing a record label head, and performing in a toy store with two people dressed in animal costumes and doing choreographed dance routines.

2. ...Now I Got Punk Rock Fever - I think this song might have been a bit prophetic. It's about teenagers turning away from pop music, thinking it's just for kids, and going for something more "edgy" because it's what they think its cool. Teen pop started to slip in status at about 2001, when this album was meant to come out. The lyrics are about the expectations that expect teenagers to be rebellious and sweet simultaneously, and the music alternates between hard guitars and screaming and sweet vocals and instrumentation that is a pastiche on the cheesiest of early '00s teen pop while sounding like it could fit right in.

3. Radio Rainbow - One of my favorite songs off the album. Upbeat pop with some acoustic guitars. While it sounds happy, the lyrics are more sinister. Either it's about an unpopular girl getting run out of a party with insults, or being drugged and raped (very Veronica Mars, no?). Throughout the song the latter becomes more clear. Great melody, although it's a bit unsettling with "lips moving in a rhythmic fashion" and "my drink tasted strange".

4. Ozone - Electropop before it made a comeback, plus that one fun instrument in the chorus I recognize from some older songs. There are sound effects including whistling and a Michael Jackson "hee-hee". It talks about social issues in the verses. The chorus completely ignores what the verses say. Fans of really obvious Auto-Tune (as in Cher's "Believe") will love this. I like it a lot too. You can take it as a simple dance-pop song or as something else, which is what's cool about her songs.

5. Last Summer - Breezy; very summer-y as the song says. Acoustic pop with drums. It's probably the most "normal" song on the album lyrically, about a guy and a relationship. While many of the songs on the album deserve to be heard by many more people, this is the one I see most likely to be recycled since it's not at all sarcastic. And I can't resist a song that actually says "doo-doo-doo".

6. Sugar Daddy - The title makes the subject obvious. She's disgusted by him, yet says she loves him and will stick around for the cash. "It won't be long until you die...for me" indeed. It's more quirky-sounding pop, with a lot of pianos. Kind of reminds me of Persephone's Bees. There's also some talky bits!

7. Bionic Man - Slightly r&b influenced beat in the verses, like a lot of pop at the time. The chorus has a superhero theme-type orchestral background added, which fits with the lyrics. And I think there's some French in the bridge. It's one of the happier songs.

8. Sunnyvile - Upbeat little tune about cults. Her vocals almost sound like she's one of those brainwashed Movementarians trying to convince you to join her in following the Leader (na na na na na na na, Lea-der!). Even a fake choir appears midway through.

9. I Love Life - The only other song of hers to get any sort of commercial release, on the Princess Diaries soundtrack. It's boppy and comes off as completely light and happy, but it has an undertone of an average suburban family that might not actually completely love their life, after all. Also, there's hot product placement (let's take another trip to Disneyland)! It can be read in both ways.

10. Who Shot Jennifer? - The beginning is airy pop, the chorus becomes more beat-driven. It's another one of my favorites. I actually think that nobody shot Jennifer and that the singer doesn't really care. Jennifer's life basically became taken over by the TV (which is why she's dead), and it's a pretty decent societal critique of media overload. Who would've thought you'd find that on a pop album? There are tons of vocal overdubs and instrumental loops that overtake the song, possibly to reflect that.

11. I Know You Want Me (How Can I Blame You?) - Another song with guitar influences with the pop beats. It's funny how in the past several years, several pop songs have used this basic conceit of "I'm sooo much hotter than everyone else, and all guys worship me" (examples: Pussycat Dolls' "Don't Cha", 90% of Paris Hilton's catalog) without any of the obvious sarcasm. I wouldn't be shocked if this was another Matrix song, though my copy doesn't have writing credits (Melissa co-wrote all of them, though).

Ahh, record label politics ruin a fantastic album and an artist with potential once again. However, I must admit that even if Jive had had the balls to give this album a full release, it probably wouldn't have gotten the fair shake and attention it deserved. While not very experimental in its sounds for the most part, the words go beyond the typical teen pop norms, while still maintaining a sense of humor.

Bonus track: He Blinded Me With Science - A pronoun-modified cover of the Thomas Dolby track from the '80s, coming from the Jimmy Neutron soundtrack. It stays true to the original (including the "SCIENCE!" yells) while giving it a modern (at least circa 2000) feel. The soundtrack also features a decent Kim Wilde cover by No Secrets and several songs by Aaron Carter, all of whom were signed to Jive.

Foolish with my hands held high

2006-09-29T22:11:00.000-04:00

Ugh, I haven't posted in forever. Sorry about that. I had to decompress after Clay Aiken's #2 debut on the album charts (no jokes please). Rest assured that I still remember this blog exists! I'm trying to be better about it. On a better note, I found the Melissa Lefton album where I left it, so expect a post about that really soon!

This is for Pop Poster Girl especially, but everyone really. Tyler James kind off appeared on the British music scene out of nowhere in 2004. Although he had been kicking around the pop industry writing songs for others, he only decided to step into the spotlight himself later on due to the usual record label politics. First single "Why Do I Do" was a minor hit, and he released a handful of other singles. The marginal success of those led his label to withdraw plans for a release of his album The Unlikely Lad (named such because he lived in an hard-luck area of London where the boys were well-known to be mostly screw-ups, and nobody expected anything of him...at least that's what I remember from his official bio, which is now down since he was dropped), eventually solely recieving a digital download release in 2005. I really don't know why things didn't work out with him: talented in both singing and songwriting, attractive, seemed to have good personality and stage presence. At one point he was called the "British Justin Timberlake", but unfortunately it was not to be. I can't find any info about what he's doing now; only a MySpace profile for a guy from Nashville who also happens to be named Tyler James, although the American Tyler James' music isn't nearly as good.

Foolish (Bimbo Jones Remix) - "Foolish" was his most successful song, peaking in the top 20. In another example of pop's recycling bin, it was previously recorded by Gareth Gates on his second album. After that died, Tyler reclaimed his own song to put out as a single. Normally I don't care whether or not an artist writes a song, but in this case I think Tyler's version is best. It's fun and uptempo, and this rare, promo-only remix makes it even more so.
Bonus: Justin Guarini - "Foolish" In 2002, first season American Idol runner-up Justin Guarini seemed to have a pretty bright future ahead of him. This song was rumored to be scheduled as his first single, and was leaked by a survey on a website. The response was pretty bad by a lot of fans, so the song was scrapped entirely, and this low quality rip is the only version known to exist. Ironically, it's better than 99% of what actually made his debut album. The arrangement is pretty similar to both Tyler's and Gareth's versions, but the low bitrate makes it more of a curiousity than anything.

Your Woman - Tyler's 3rd single was a cover of the White Town song from the late '90s. It loses a bit of its creepiness by not having a wierd female-ish disembodied voice singing it, but I prefer this version because of the beat and less annoying vocals. It adds yet another level to have a guy with an obvious male voice saying "I could never be your woman". Despite some measure of promotion, it was a flop.

Dead Or Alive - One of my favorite album tracks, featuring one of the album's running lyrical themes. Namely: I'm a man that screwed up, but the girl is no longer willing to put up with my shit. It's a kind of mid-tempo with a guitar/electronic mixed backing. highly recommended

Best For Me - A jazz inspired song, kind of breezy like some of the better songs on the first disc of Back to Basics, featuring fellow British chanteuse Amy Winehouse. She's actually putting out a second album soon, and I love her first CD Frank (available on iTunes, not to be confused with the recent ill-fated Xenomania project). They were friends before fame (however loosely fame is construed), and their soulful vocals go well together. It's probably one of the happiest songs on the album.

One Place Left to Go - Haunting, almost psychadelic-sounding ballad that builds, with some great falsetto. I think it's one of the best songs about friends becoming lovers that i've heard. Epic is probably too strong a word, but it tries to come off as that and almost succeeds.

Why Do I Do (Grant Nelson Vocal Remix) - Another dance remix, this time of his first single. It's more on the soulful tip than the "Foolish" remix. I think it goes well with the feeling of the song, though it removes the piano elements at the forefront of the original. Here's the video for the original version:

Nothing - B-side to his final single "Your Woman", which has some reggae and electronic influences. An earlier single included an acoustic version of the song, but I guess he decided it was so nice, he needed to use it twice! This version has horns. It sounds pretty personal: "nobody owes me nothing at all".

My Time (Acoustic Version) - As far as I know, no other versions of this song exist. It was a b-side to "Why Do I Do". He does the whole song in falsetto, and while he has a good one (better than JT's and a lot of others'), it's a bit much. For me, it kind of distracts from the song, though it has potential. Since it was put on record on acoustic version, I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't completely finished. If you're a fan of that, and like energetic acoustic numbers, this is for you.

Temptation - Another b-side to "Your Woman", but I find it single-worthy. It's a total stomper, with the piano trademark, and the very beginning also has that one sound effect/instrument that starts Hard-Fi's "Cash Machine". It's amazing, and sometimes I think the a-side should have been switched, which might have saved his career. There's also quite a bit of nifty harmonizing with himself, and a brief breakdown midway through, which is a hallmark of many great pop songs. highly recommended

Foolish (Acoustic Version) - To finish it off, yet another b-side, and yet another version of this song. It might seem like a throwaway, but in general i'm a fan of acoustic versions, and this one is especially good. The song is still great in a slower form, and it shows a different side. It's kind of like how a Radio 1 broadcast with Jo Whiley sounds...I wonder what cover song he would have chosen. ;)

Dear UK Charts: You Suck.

2006-09-18T19:48:00.000-04:00

Just kidding. But this girl deserves to have the #1 single this week. I have no clue how she could barely scrape the top 10. (Maybe it was the cameo appearance of furries in the video that turned off buyers?) A lot of people have probably heard Jamelia's new album Walk With Me by now, even though it doesn't drop for another month or two. Hopefully this isn't a repeat Rachel Stevens situation (No. 10 placing, extremely advanced leak, album bombing). Jamelia has more media buzz; i've even seen her on the cover of UK Cosmopolitan imported into Waldenbooks.

Window Shopping - Hot uptempo tune. For some reason it kind of reminds me of Mis-Teeq, although a bit more pop. Maybe it's the great sound effects?

No More - Very waltz-sounding midtempo. I actually think the harpsichord backing gets overbearing and a bit annoying at times, but it's very unique for a song in 2006.

Got It So Good - One of the uplifting r&b pop tracks that have been coming out of the UK for the past year or so. I'd compare it to Maria Lawson's "Sleepwalking" and Simon Webbe's "No Worries", because although it doesn't actually have a sample effect like those do, it has a similar vibe. I love this kind of song, and this is no exception.

La La Love - This is probably the song on the album that sounds the most like "Something About You", with the rocky influences. The pre-chorus that goes in the chorus is great.

I'm not posting "Beware of the Dog" because a) you've probably already heard it, and b) I want the Brits among here to buy it so she doesn't flop.

Still looking for the Melissa Lefton CD...seems as if i've misplaced it, huge packrat that I am. I'll post whenever I find it. I'm going to keep up this blog, I swear, although sometimes it looks like i'm neglecting it. Also coming soon (whichever definition that is): another batch of pop remixes and Tyler James.

A note to leave on: LaToya Jackson's unreleased album Startin' Over, featuring the hilarious, bad lyric filled single "Just Wanna Dance". Cheesy dance pop with bad vocals and some half-assed melodies. Sure, it sucks, but it can't be any worse than her sister's 20 Y.O. Not that it's ending up on my iPod or anything, but I could see someone out there genuinely enjoying this, and I deal with enough shit for my own music taste without throwing stones. "C'est La Vie" isn't bad in a utterly dated way.

I've never even watched this show

2006-09-13T22:14:00.000-04:00

Good song. Does anyone know what it is? Something about it makes me think it's real and not written specifically to shill for TV.

short reflection on 9/11

2006-09-11T12:43:00.000-04:00

No matter where you're reading from, I just wanted to say this:

Songs like the ones I post are especially catharic on a day like today. I don't know how I was able to get by for awhile right after September 11th, 2001 without pop music. Maybe it's like sticking your head in the sand, but for me it makes me feel alive at a time when those responsible want the polar opposite. Honestly, while I don't like to bring politics into this blog, sometimes I need that kind of escape from what I keep up on. A good song can bring hope, however frivolous it seems. Not to be flip, but it makes it seem like terrorists "can't hold us down", in the immortal words of Christina Aguilera.

At the time, Enrique Iglesias' "Hero" was adopted as an anthem of sorts, although the song itself has absolutely nothing to do with the firefighters, police officers, and others that risked their lives to help others. It's just a testament to how any simple love song can be take on a new meaning depending on the circumstances.

Hero (Metro Mix) - While I think there's a time for reflection, there's also an opportunity to dream and soar. Not that this is a happy ocassion by any means, but (this is especially directed towards to the Americans, but for everybody) we've got to keep on living. Sorry for being corny, but this uptempo dance-ish remix makes the song 100x better, and I prefer it to the original ballad, especially when said ballad is juxtaposed with news clips.

I don't want to make another mistake like you

2006-09-11T12:17:00.000-04:00

Stephanie McIntosh is on Neighbours, the Australian soap opera (also popular in the UK) that helped launch the pop careers of Kylie Minogue, Natalie Imbruglia, and Delta Goodrem. She has her own reality show chronicling the creation of her album like Ashlee Simpson. She kind of sounds like Hilary Duff, but better. She's even related to Kylie's 80s sometimes-duet partner Jason Donovan. And she just came out with a damn good pop album named Tightrope. The first single, the watered-down Clarksonesque "Mistake" (better in its remixed form) is a hit in her homeland, but it's nowhere near the best song. Here are some of my favorites.

Tightrope - The second single from the album, an electro-pop influenced song with the rocking chorus common in both this album and pop today, but it sounds different from the rest of the tracks. It serves the Autobiography role, in that it's both the title of the album and the theme song to her show. Hopefully she doesn't get caught lipsynching while attempting to perform it on TV. ;)

Wishing and Hoping - An uptempo take on the Dusty Springfield classic, given a makeover for 2006. Some could consider this version sacreligious, but I really like it.

You Don't Love Me - The strings are a nice touch to the formula, with a really catchy chorus.

God Only Knows - Not a Beach Boys cover, and very good. It's one of the more attitude-filled songs, and it's under three minutes long!

So Do I Say Sorry First - Probably the fastest-paced song on the album. This must be a single at some point. It's a bigger stormer than anything the Duff has recorded, and any emo-pop band would want the instrumental for themselves.

The Night of My Life and Untitled bonus track - Both sweet, acoustic ballads that show off the pretty voice that might not be in evidence on some other parts of the album. I'm mainly posting them because the album itself contains a few minutes of silence in between both, and edited them both because I can't be wasting precious hard drive space on my iPod for blank noise. The untitled track is airy and slightly faster, and I kind of think it sounds almost reminicent of being in a field of flowers or something wierd like that.

I highly reccommend the entire album. Other good tracks include "Overcome", "Sink Like a Stone", and upcoming 3rd single "You Should Have Lied", but it's really all good, especially if you enjoy the songs I posted.

Wow. I suck.

2006-09-10T23:12:00.000-04:00

So Ernesto was basically nothing. A tropical storm that did nothing but cancel classes for two days, thank God. The power didn't go out and i'm fine, it's just me getting into my school and crap. I do still plan to keep up this blog though, believe it or not. Sometimes my updates get a bit sporadic and please forgive me for that. People still visit every once in awhile and that makes me happy.

anonymous, i'm not all that familiar with 911 except hearing a track or two of theirs on imported compilations, and that one of their members is participating in the same Totally Boyband disaster as Bradley from S Club 7 and formerly Lee of Steps, the latter of whom was fired from the group for being "useless", like they didn't know that going in judging from his contribution or lack thereof to Steps (he's not even hot anymore). I can't make any guarantees, and I don't formally take requests for the most part, but if someone asks about something in the comments i'll see what I can do.

Tomorrow i'll be posting some tracks from the new Stephanie McIntosh album, so look out for that. It's really cool. Jamelia is all over the pop blogosphere at the moment, with good reason, and i'll post some of her songs too. I'm also going to post the entire Melissa Lefton album in the next few days.

For now, here's a track that didn't make it onto Nelly Furtado's Loose album.

I Am - It's a great song but doesn't really fit the rest of the album, as it doesn't seem to have been produced by Timbaland. More poppy than most of what did make it.

And you know I couldn't resist posting the full stream of Clay Aiken's album A Thousand Different Ways. Some of the arrangements have been changed up. You might hate it, you might love it, but what the hell.

Ernesto: die, kplzthanx

2006-08-28T21:13:00.000-04:00

Well...

If i'm not around for the next few days, it's because this damn hurricane knocked the power out.

While i'm gone, listen to the new Lillix album, which is amazing. It's already been released in Japan and will be released in Canada tomorrow, but the U.S. release has been postponed until next year because their former label Maverick has folded. I liked Falling Uphill, but this is way better. Adding a new drummer and Killers' producer works wonders, and the hooks are stronger.

Also, stream the debut album from Paula DeAnda, a 16 year old singer doing the really poppy r&b thing. Stargate worked on a lot of the album, and they did the one good song on the new Beyonce CD, so you know it can't suck! If you doubt her pop cred due to her wannabe "urban" persona, check out the Raven-Symone cover "Overloved".

Flashback

2006-08-27T00:10:00.000-04:00

Britney Spears on the cover of the May 2001 issue of Glamour (sorry for the crappy quality scans, I just found this issue under a pile of old magazines):

It's really interesting to read, given what's happened since (hint: she was dating Justin, and many people still thought she was a virgin). Damn, she almost seems like a completely different person now...

I'm a Slave 4 U (Thunderpuss Radio Mix) - released several months after this article was published.

Bonus: Jessica Simpson shilling for haircare products!

Not the Way It Should Be - Rare Irresistible era ('01) track. I'm not sure if it's a b-side or what.

Grab some duct tape and silverware

2006-08-23T20:33:00.000-04:00

Yaay!! I'm finally ready for another megapost!!

After the Spice Girls and S Club 7, and shortly before Pop Idol and its hugely successful decendants, Simon Fuller signed a solo female. Amy Studt was a pop singer with a little attitude. She could be somewhat considered to be the British answer to Avril Lavigne, with semi-bratty lyrics in her rock-pop. Her debut single "Just a Little Girl" was released in 2002, the same time as Avril's debut, meaning that they were probably both in gestation during the same period and Amy was therefore not a copy. However, she mysteriously dissapeared for a year before releasing her biggest hit single (and only top 10) "Misfit", and the album False Smiles. Despite several single releases, the album never took off, so it was decided that there would be a re-release. The single pushing the new version of the album was a cover of Sheryl Crow's "All I Wanna Do", featuring Crow herself on backing vocals. It was a horrible choice, and after its relative flop in early 2004, that seemed to be it for Amy; although her official site is still under construction to this day, which hints that she may not have been dropped, at least from Fuller's 19 management.

Ladder in My Tights - If you only download one Studt song, this has to be the one. Pure genius, co-written by ex-Alicia's Attic member Karen Poole (who has also worked with Rachel Stevens and others). It encompasses the best of Amy's sound: the verses are more pop synthesizer-based, which turns into an anthemic guitar chorus, all with cheeky lyrics. Any song that features both a masked profanity and an interpolation of KC and the Sunshine Band in the same hook is an amazing triumph in my eyes. Why this was never a single will forever be one of pop's mysteries. *Extremely highly reccomended* by me.

Under the Thumb - A single off the album, kind of reggae/ska inspired, mixed in with her own sound. It kind of reminds me of "Underneath It All" by No Doubt, except angrier.

Queen A - Like I said in my last post, I was unable to get a hold of the CD single of "Misfit". Reader Simon Underwood decided to help me out, and I appreciate him greatly!! This is a really cool b-side, with electronic-inspired elements. Interestingly, it has the same basic lyrical theme of the a-side, that of stuck-up bitches in high school that look down upon girls that aren't just like them.

Put Your Faith in Me - Another b-side on the "Misfit" single, also thanks to Simon Underwood. It's a really sweet and pretty ballad, but a bit of an anomaly among her other songs.

Kick Me - B-side to the "Just A Little Girl" single, where it seems as if she (and her record label) were still exploring and deciding upon a sound. It's alternately dancey and ballad-y, and different from most of the rest of her stuff.

Rose - Beautiful and ethereal. Basically a ballad, but with a unique arrangement, including Irish-inspired background flutes.

Superior Mind - Another standout album track. The lyrics are pretty good; the chorus is pretty catchy.

False Smiles - The album title track, oddly relegated to b-side status. In my opinion, that's not because of song quality - it would have fit into the CD perfectly.

Just a Little Girl - A minor radio hit in New York, although Amy never managed to have a formal American release. It's a very interesting mix of slow piano verses and rock chorus that separates it from the typical Avril clones, but that unusualness is also probably why it didn't catch on.

Forget It All - A b-side to "All I Wanna Do"; a really pretty mid-tempo. Her vocals are almost operatic in this one. It's one of those songs where the title is never actually mentioned in the chorus.

You're Like the Breeze - The second b-side to "All I Wanna Do", co-written by Amy and Karen Poole. Like many of her songs, it was helmed by Norwegian pop producers Murlyn, who have done a lot of good stuff (Samantha Mumba seems to come to mind, though i'm not completely sure on that). This is another song I strongly recommend - definitely album worthy, although judging by its release date it was likely recorded too late to make the cut.

To top it all off, here's the video for "All I Wanna Do", with a cute waitress motif. Despite probably ruining her music career, I honestly don't think it's that bad.

50th post!

2006-08-19T23:13:00.000-04:00

Hey guys!! Sorry I haven't posted in awhile, i've been busy preparing for college classes (new semester begins next week, woot), being sick with a horrible stomach virus, and all that jazz.

To the anonymous commenter in the last post - I don't really have a set schedule for updating. I try to update every few days, but as you see, it doesn't always happen. Sometimes when I have a lot and am really inspired, I can post two days in a row, then it might be a little more than a week. I have some stress issues so I don't really put a set schedule on it. Part is me being lazy, and part is me trying to do/find the very best. When I post I usually want it to be all comprehensive and shit, so I usually don't want to do it until i've found all kinds of obscure b-sides and remixes and write a tiny bit about each. (I've been planning to do an Amy Studt post forever, but some prick on Amazon.co.uk never sent me the "Misfit" CD single I ordered, so that's been on the back burner.) That perfectionism causes problems with it. This blog is basically a hobby and not even one of the big pop blogs, and I kind of like it that way, even though I extremely appreciate everyone who has linked and commented from the bottom of my heart, because it makes me feel good. (Also, *kisses* to any Americans who voted on the So You Think You Can Dance. My favorite, Benji, won!!! I like to think it was a reader of Tip Top Pop that put him over the top.)

My other fantasy boyfriend Clay Aiken is putting out a new single. It's a cover of "Without You", previously done by Harry Nillson and Mariah. Not sure it would be my first choice, but he sounds amazing on it, despite the song being on the adult contemporary side of things. Nowadays that's where a lot of pop goes in the U.S., though. This version was produced by John Fields, who did some work on Backstreet Boys' Never Gone and Mandy Moore's Coverage.

On the what's-next tip, in a few days you can expect a blowout post on early '00s pop singer Melissa Lefton. I bought the unreleased advance CD online and you'll get the whole thing, plus some extras. Again, I want it to be all perfect and everything, but I promise it'll be up soon.

So I don't feel totally pathetic at the moment, I'll leave you with something off the Snakes on a Plane soundtrack, one of many albums i've bought and am planning to buy over the past month (By the way, the Christina Aguilera album is stellar, and i'm happy I waited. I even think it warrants both discs!) and featuring remixes of many emo pop/punk bands. I know absolutely nothing about the Hush Sound except that there's apparently both a male and a female singer, and that Pete Wentz pimped their album by spoofing his infamous nude pics, covering his bits with the CD case. I think it's really good. The piano elements are nice.

Wine Red (Tommie Sunshine's Brooklyn Fire Retouch)

Paris Hilton in Good Song Shocker!

2006-08-12T13:00:00.000-04:00

I can't believe i'm wasting my 50th post on this skank, but here goes. Everybody knows "Stars are Blind" by now, which wasn't nearly as horrible as I was expecting. Anyway, the album Paris has leaked, and most of it is horrible. Her over Scott Storch hip hop tracks is hilariously bad, the one ballad is extremely ill-advised, and the less said about her cover of "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy", the better. But probably because the girl is so damn rich that she can afford decent producers and songwriters, she even managed to get a few better than decent tracks out of it.

Nothing in this World - Written and produced by Dr. Luke, but not another in the procession of "Since U Been Gone" clones. It's more electronic/dance influenced. Apparently this is going to be the next single. It has the typical lyrical content of this album (i.e. Paris Hilton is really sexy), but it's tolerable with the hook.

Screwed - Different from the remixes that were out a few years back, it's great dance/rock. It has a great melody and was co-written by pop impresario Kara DioGuiardi. The title has obvious implications, but the song really has nothing to do with the sex tape unless you read into it a lot. It just makes me want to hear Hailey Duff's version more.

I Want You - This is all right; I don't really like it that much, though it's grown on me. It's mainly notable for sampling Frankie Valli's "Grease", and was produced by the same guy that did Rihanna's "SOS", so he's very adept at using samples. Pure cheese. There are some decent belted vocals at the end that I swear aren't actually her.

If this post saves one person from buying her album and putting more money into her useless coffers, I did my job. (Lest you think it's solely my bias, listen to the whole album here.)

I'll always be here for you

2006-08-08T11:45:00.000-04:00

After British girl group All Saints broke up, the sister half of the group decided to form a duo. Nicole and Natalie Appleton gave themselves the creative name of Appleton. They became more known for their tabloid exploits than their music. The thing is, their music was pretty good. Their album, Everything's Eventual, had some similarities to the All Saints sound, though it incorporated more rock elements. After some initial success with their first singles, the whole thing went down south. A reunion of All Saints is rumored to be happening later this year.

Don't Worry - Probably their most known hit, which peaked at #5 in the U.K. and was a surprisingly big success in Canada as well, partly due to the fact that both sisters were born there. It's a pretty, atmospheric ballad and probably my favorite song of theirs.

Fantasy (Tom Mandolini Vocal Mix) - The debut single with the highest peak (#2). I can't stand the lyrics that are basically about how hot they are and how all the guys want them (which played into their image at the time), but it has a pretty good melody. I like this dance version a lot more.

Sugarman - Mid-tempo rock/pop number that isn't nearly as dumb as the title suggests.

Open to Suggestion - In the same vein, but with a few more electronic flourishes. One of their better b-sides, though most of them are very good.

Let It All Hang Out - This is a bit wierd. It has some so-called rapping and interesting samples, and is FAR more different from the rest of their material, but it's still worth some listens. The mediocre sound quality is due to it being from a cassette single (I don't think they even make those anymore).

I'm Your Angel - Sweet ballad. Not a cover of R. "Piss on You" Kelly and Celine Dion. Their airy, light vocals work really well on this.

Everything Eventually (Sander Kleinenberg's Remix) - This song didn't deserve to flop anywhere near as hard as it did. The original is a real breezy song, perfect for spring or summer. This adds a new twist while keeping the same vibe.

P.S. If you watch So You Think You Can Dance and love your hapless blogger, please vote for Benji this week. He's talented, funny, cute, and dances to Dannii Minogue songs. How can you go wrong? ;)
P.P.S. I'm still managing to hold out on downloading Back to Basics. I'm surprised at my willpower.

Me + this guy = pariah

2006-08-03T18:30:00.000-04:00

This is Clay Aiken. This is his hot new look. And this is what was intended for his new album, A Thousand Different Ways, out on September 19th that I am totally pumped for and buying. In 2005 he went on tour (because he's a touring whore, and frankly he sounds even better live than in the studio), where he previewed several new songs that were meant for his sophomore mainstream album. Clay fans kick ass at getting almost CD quality recordings via smuggled equipment into concerts, so that's what's here.

Back For More - A great midtempo pop number, laden with lyrical irony and a possible wish about being all over the radio. Probably not with this project, but i've seen wierder things happen. This was probably booted off the album when RCA decided to do a theme of love songs, and opening with the line "not too crazy 'bout love songs" might not fit. It's still a shame, because from what i've seen (this tour went nowhere near Florida...) this really got the audiences pumped up. The beginning guitar and piano are reminicent of "The Reason" by Hoobastank. It's catchy as hell, and I hope it doesn't end up on Taylor Hicks' album or something, because I could see it as a hit for almost anyone.

Tears Run Dry - It's a mid-tempo ballad similar to a lot of the material on his first album, Measure of a Man, but I was all over that shit. Nick Lachey sort of ripped off this song for "What's Left of Me"...not really, because I doubt he ever heard it, but they sound very similar, and with the new form of the album including four original tracks, it likely doesn't make sense for one to sound very much like a recent hit.

Just You - Another ballad, a little slower. There's some unusual vocal change-ups and shifts in the melody that most singers wouldn't be able to handle, but I don't like it as much as the other new tracks he sang. He probably didn't either, because it was the least-performed out of them.

1000 Days - This one did make the album! Some of the lyrics are a bit wierd in this midtempo track, but that can be quite common in pop songs. I didn't love it at first, but it gets stuck in your head after a few listens. Maybe i'm biased and trying to look for it, but I genuinely got that earworm from the hook.

His official site has more info on the new album. I'm not completely in love with the concept, but he'll sing his ass off on it. Maybe "they" don't write pop songs for male singers anymore (suck it, Clive Davis), or maybe they just didn't look hard enough. Ah well. I'm a big fan of innovative pop, but there comes other times when I just like a sweet ballad or mid-tempo sung by an amazing voice. Clay can bring that. I'm also doubting international prospects, but Ronan Keating and Westlife somehow continue to move units in the UK, so if given the right promotion, who knows, since he can outsing any of them. Vocals aren't everything, but they can bring up average material to another level for me. It's kind of different and going against the current tide, and the best and most successful music right now is that which seems to be going in different directions than what you'd expect "pop" to sound like. Now the "in" thing is to be "edgy", which is great, but a steady diet of edge can rip up a stomach when not countered. I'm not expecting everyone or even anyone who reads this blog to like or even tolerate Clay, but allow me to indulge myself every once in awhile. *g*

Bonus: Invisible (Julian Marsh Mix) - An attempt at a dance remix of the big hit single from the first album, also released in England by Irish boy band D-side. It makes it slightly more uptempo and extends it a bit, though this guy couldn't do much without the acapella. It's been accused of being a stalker song, and I guess that could be true, but it's pure hooky pop of the likes that hasn't been successful in America for several years until recently, so a song like this doing as well as it did in 2003 is a huge accomplishment.

On another note, Christina Aguilera's Back to Basics has leaked. I fully intend on buying it, so i'm being a wierd freak and not downloading it because I want to listen to it in full for the first time that day. All i've heard are the single and some crappy quality radio rips, although today I was sent a radio survey online featuring clips of "Hurt" and "Oh Mother". Next single? Not sure what I think, though i'd probably go for the latter. Apparently "Candy Man" is coming before those, though. She's another one whose voice I can listen to virtually anything sing. The general consensus seems to be that it would have been better to cut the album down from its double disc status, but i'm greedy and love every little bit of music that's coming. It took long enough!

Not even Austin Powers could top it

2006-08-01T10:19:00.000-04:00

Again, I know i've been neglecting this blog for a bit, and I feel horrible about it. I got my wisdom teeth (all four of them!) removed last week, and it took me out of commission for awhile. I'm still a bit sore.

Anyway, back to the music, which will be forthcoming regularly!! This is a pretty small post, but more will be coming later. Because of a certain diety that's been bugging Jessica over at POPtastic , she's not going to be posting anything from the UK for awhile. Therefore, I will be carrying the torch for a bit.

This group would probably prefer not to be posted here, because they seemed to believe that they were hardcore rappers, which they weren't by any stretch of the imagination. The first thing you would have noticed about Blazin' Squad is that there were ten members (whose names I won't bother to list; eight rappers, one singer, and another that was supposedly a DJ but whose actual purpose was to cut into the other members' share of the royalties. Their music was far more pop-rap than actual hip-hop. It makes sense, since they all had really preppy real names and went to private school, so they were pretty much fake and therefore despised by many for most of their existence.

I'm basically posting about this because i've become mildly obsessed with the 2003 single "Flip Reverse". I ignored it at the time because I had heard their debut single the year before, a cover of Bone Thugs and Harmony's "Crossroads"...even though i'm not a hip-hop fanatic, there are some classics in any genre that shouldn't be touched, and their remake was horrible. It went to #1 on the British singles charts, so go figure. They released more singles and two albums and went on their merry way, until about a month or so ago when I came across the song. This is proof that even the crappiest groups can pull a decent song out of their asses every once in awhile.

Flip Reverse - This is the jam! If you were into Blue's more uptempo numbers, this is right up your alley, except with more rapping. It has a great Asian-inspired beat, with some mouth-instrument-playing (heh) that manages to not be annoying. The singer is serviceable, while some of the members have decent flow and others, not so much. Judged as a boy band (which they truly were), they were superior rappers to the likes of BSB's AJ McLean in "Get Down" and about as good as Five in that department. This second single from their sophomore album peaked at #2 in the British singles charts.
However, "flip reversing it" is possibly the dumbest euphenism for sex I have ever heard. In this hilarious interview on the comedy/talk show with-a-twist Never Mind the Buzzcocks, former member Kenzie (the one that used to have the 2-2-1 spikes in his hair like Gareth Gates; which I remember because I had a brief infatuation with Gareth in 2002 that caused me to import his debut album) claims that the song could also be about changing anything in your life to do something different. He barely beats out Jadyn Maria in the battle of delusional family-friendly rationalizations for lyrics.
Because i've been playing out this song over the past month, i've been looking at a bunch of stuff on YouTube, like a CD:UK performance that seems to be one of the only times they did the song live. It's interesting just to wonder how the hell they managed to fit so many people on one stage, and they manage to mostly live up to the studio version with some nice touches, like a bit of extra singing ad-libs. I also found a visual interpretation of the lyrics, which reaches its peak when a photo of Michael Jackson's mugshot accompanies the phrase "freaky-deaky shhh--" (censored, of course, for their young fans).

Here 4 One - Less poppy, but still good. Even more so than "Flip Reverse", it's far better when you ignore the fact that a bunch of British teenagers made it, since in some parts they try to sound 'hard'. It was the last single they put out, also from the same album.

Both of their albums are available on American iTunes, but all of their other singles sucked. A streamlined lineup is planning to make a comeback later this year, but I doubt they'll be successful. Three of the members went on to form Friday Hill, a more 'traditional' pop group, whose songs can also be downloaded on there.

Crazy good

2006-07-22T00:06:00.000-04:00

So i'm watching ABC's ripoff reality show The One, which is basically Fame Academy for Americans. One of the judges is Kara DioGuardi, songwriter and producer known for her work with Ashlee Simpson, Lindsay Lohan, and Kelly Clarkson among others. However, her high point is probably doing most of the audible vocals for Hilary Duff's "Come Clean". Anyway, as I watch the show, this girl comes on. She's young, pretty, strong-voiced and idolizes Mariah Carey. When they show her name, I realize that i've seen her before.

Jadyn Maria was best known for doing an Herbal Essences commercial in 2004, singing the extremely catchy pop jingle "Rock Your Senses". She even had a tie-in guest appearance on Amanda Bynes' WB sitcom What I Like About You (theme song is the '80s cover by Lillix) I tried with all my might to find that song in its entirety, but it didn't seem to exist. Then I forgot about her, until she showed up on this show. Google and Limewire, voila, and I find some info! Apparently, she was signed for awhile and was intended to be a contemporary Christian artist. She recorded several tracks in the vein of Stacie Orrico for an album, Choices, scheduled for release in fall of '04 with Sparrow Records. However, once she got spotted by an ad agency that spring, the marketing campaign was put on hold, with her possibly being signed to Virgin Records to do a more mainstream project.

Unfortunately, she got caught in label limbo (I assume), no album was ever released, and she was dropped, hence her appearance on the reality show. She was the first contestant to be eliminated after singing that cursed competition song, "You Keep Me Hangin' On". I hope she keeps plugging at it, because I love the songs of hers i've managed to get, which appear to be from an album sampler of some sort. It's all positive pop, with no overt references to Christianity or God, at least in these particular songs, so don't be shy.

Rock You Senseless - This is the 'real' version of the song used in the ad, without dumb lyrics about shampoo. It's uptempo pure pop with some guitars, like some of Britney's more attitude-filled songs. There was some minor controversy involving her fans (who she gained during some minor CCM gigs and collaborations prior to this) worrying about the lyrics (including "I got a fast car/let's go for a ride") and their possible sexual implications, but Jadyn wrote to them to insist that the songwriter told her it wasn't about that, and that it was just about treating a guy right after another girl hurt him. Um...I don't really believe that, but if that rationalization got her to record the song, i'm all for it! This song was never intended to be on her album, and was given away as a free download. I highly recommend it!

Choices - Described by her official bio as "funky pop", and I think that's sort of fitting. It has kind of a laid back beat that's cool to listen to, and a good message that teens actually have to think about what they do sometimes. I'm definitely not a stickler for clean lyrics and don't have a problem with profanity, but when you can wrap a worthy message around a catchy melody and a good beat, i'm all for it.

Love Don't Love - This song is like a freshly scrubbed Gwen Stefani (with No Doubt). I almost hear a little bit of Lily Allen (heavily censored, of course) in the reggae-lite production, although this was recorded several years before Lily posted her songs on MySpace and was everywhere in the UK and in blogworld. It's a song about abstinence and not having sex until you're ready/married, and while there are many overly sappy and generally horrible songs regarding that subject matter, this is one of the nicer ones. It's more talking straight about how a guy shouldn't force you into doing it if you don't want to. (Lily would say the same thing, except with far more profanity, though just as blunt.)

This is an e-card featuring several videos (including the TV ad and behind-the-scenes clips) and clips of songs that have never leaked in full.

Nothing's gonna stop me anyway

2006-07-16T23:54:00.000-04:00

Cheyenne Kimball is 15 years old. She plays guitar (which is hammered over your head with each promo shot) and co-writes all of her songs with people like Billy Mann (Pink's "God Is a DJ" and "Stupid Girls", Jessica Simpson's "With You", Backstreet Boys' "Poster Girl", and others), Chantal Kreviazuk and Raine Maida (Kelly Clarkson's "Walk Away" and "Where Is Your Heart"), and Kara DioGuiardi (pick a female teen pop-rock album out of the hat, although she may be best known for being 90% of the lead vocals of Hilary Duff's "Come Clean"). She first came to be semi-known by winning the NBC competition America's Most Talented Kid a few years ago, which was enough to get her signed to Epic Records and get her a current reality show with MTV, where she is apparently really annoying, but I can't judge because I haven't watched a second of it.

With a pedigree like this, you'd expect a huge hit like Ashlee Simpson's debut pre-SNL, right? Not so much. It's not even reaching Ashley Parker Angel levels of success. The single, "Hangin' On", hasn't exactly caught on with radio, and first-day predictions have the album selling 30,000 copies in its first week, far below expectations. I was one of those people. It's a pretty solid CD, especially for the sale price I got it at. Warning: her voice can get very annoying and grating at times. I think this could at least partly be because her age, but it can get a bit hard to listen to a lot of her songs in a sitting. But in smaller doses, and separated from the overhype surrounding her so called "credibility", it's pretty sweet.

Wonderful (Acoustic Version) - This is a bonus track on the version of the album I bought from Target. It features pop singer Josh Hodge and is a nice ballad. It's listed as an acoustic version, but I honestly don't hear much that's acoustic about it...it sounds fully produced to me.
Too Good For You - The other bonus track that is more uptempo and driving. It's definitely regular-album-worthy in my eyes
Drift Away - A bonus track on the iTunes version of the album that I managed to acquire through other means. It starts out slow and acoustic-like and then settles into more of a beat, with the guitars almost country like.

Mr. Beautiful - Anybody know if this is the same song called "Mr. Beautiful" slated to be the b-side to the new Frank (who often to tout the fact that they play instruments as well, despite that their first video shows no instruments or, come to think of it, purpose for the three members that aren't the lead singer - at least the useless Pussycat Dolls members dance around, but I digress.) single "I'm Not Shy"? Interestingly, this is the only song on the album (other than the bonus tracks) that has no lyrics listed in the booklet. It's an anthemic Chantal/Raine/Cheyenne number. This would be one of the more unusual examples of song swapping i'd have heard of, but it's impossible to rule out completely. ;)
Hello Goodbye - Catchy, speedy kiddie pop punk to the extreme, like before Avril Lavigne got all serious on us and married the guy from Sum 41. (Congtratulations!) As a bonus, it's under three minutes long.
Breaking Your Heart (Acoustic) - Somewhat unusually, this version is piano- as opposed to guitar based. It's pretty catchy and good, in my opinion.

Dannii Minogue Gets Some American Exposure

2006-07-13T11:58:00.000-04:00

Her name is spelled wrong, but whatever. And yes, that is former CD:UK host Cat Deeley serving as the emcee for Fox and 19 Entertainment's less-successful dance spinoff of American Idol. What makes it even stranger/great is that the dude is Mormon, and he's getting all freaky to Dannii. She might be considered the "lesser" Minogue sister, but I don't see Kylie songs on So You Think You Can Dance! (I do love Kylie a lot, though, and she is my favorite, but it's nice for once that the "other one" gets some shine, however minor and brief.)

Put the Needle On It (Jason Nevins Remix) - This version of the song is better than the original. I just wanted an excuse to post it. It sounds a bit like a vinyl rip, but it's still good.

Some more Dannii:

You Won't Forget About Me (Afterlife Remix) - A good chillout remix. Most of Dannii's recent material is uptempo, so this mix is a nice change ocassionally.
Who Do You Love Now (Monoboy Remix Edit) - A nice dance song by Riva (whoever that is, they seem to do some remixing for LeAnn Rimes and others) featuring Dannii.
Come And Get It (Late Night Radio Version) - This is actually J.C.A. featuring Dannii, the former who did the original "I Begin to Wonder" before she covered it. This song has remained un-released except for a minor release in Germany, and a different remix as a bonus track on the Neon Nights album.
Don't Wanna Lose This Groove - An official mash-up of her own "Don't Wanna Lose This Feeling" with Madonna's "Into The Groove", that is better and more successful than the original. Sort of a follow-up of the Dead Or Alive remix of "I Begin to Wonder", which put that song on top of the instrumental of "You Spin Me Round".
Does Your Mother Know - Thanks to robpop, I now know this is not either a cover of the ABBA classic or actually recorded by Dannii herself. It was a demo recorded for consideration for her Neon Nights album that didn't make the cut. I'll leave it up because it sounds nice enough.

Other stuff coming very soon, including Cheyenne and Appleton. Oh, and I still can't get into "SexyBack", no matter how much I try. And while i'm editing this, another contestant on that show danced to "Some Girls" and basically had a seizure to music, but still escaped the cut. The power of Rachel Stevens.

I'm high on life!

2006-07-06T22:55:00.000-04:00

Former American Idol finalist Christina Christian was from the first season that Kelly Clarkson won, placing sixth. She did that largely on the strength of one great performance ("Ain't No Sunshine"), and looking strikingly beautiful (to the point where Simon Cowell admitted a crush and often made innapropriately suggestive remarks), because most of the time she sounded like a goat, to be honest, although I kind of have to support her for being a semi-local girl. Infamously, she was not present for her elimination because she had been hospitalized for exhaustion.

She was signed by 19 Entertainment after being eliminated, and worked on an album for several years that was left in limbo, with nothing released other than a track on the American Idol Christmas album, before she finally parted ways from their record label. She is still signed with them to write songs for other artists, however. The last I had heard of her, she had finished her college degree, got married, and had a baby; she had decided to put music on the back burner, which makes sense given that the vast majority of singers from American Idol that release material flop hard.

But that wasn't the end! Like every aspiring artist, she just signed up for MySpace. Her profile features four brand new songs. Her voice has vastly improved on these songs, and since I assume she's working independently it isn't Pro-Tools trickery. I doubt this will see any success for that reason, but "Now That You're Gone" is a great mid-tempo guitar pop song with a beat, my favorite of heer songs. "High On Life" is basically poppy world music. "Everytime the Phone Rings" and "Dear Angels" are catchy acoustic ballads, especially the former.

Sorry, I don't have any mp3s of those songs, because I have no idea how to rip files from MySpace. However, here's most of her musical output to this moment:

Forever and Ever - Christina performed this song on an American Idol 3 results show. It's a Latin-tinged pop song that is a bit derivative, but nice. It's like one of the filler tracks on Rachel Stevens' debut album, but if it was on Funky Dory it would have been single-worthy. I think Christina might have co-written this song; either way, it has dropped into the ether with no trace other than this abbreviated live performance, at least until some other Idol contestant somewhere in the world gets a hold of it, which is a shame.

Boy, you keep me up all night

2006-07-05T21:19:00.000-04:00

Coming back with a bang! Got some rest, checked out my fave websites, the whole bit. Now for some pop!

R-Angels (so named because some fans told them that they were their angels! Aww. Not sure if I believe that, but it sounds sweet.) were one of the many groups launched on the cusp of the millennium, attempting to become the American equavilent of the Spice Girls. Dorothy, Gina, Vonnie, and Lian (l-to-r) were Motown Records' entry into the game in 2000. Their first single, "I Need to Know" (not a Marc Anthony cover ;) ), was on the soundtrack to the animated movie Stuart Little. However, it didn't catch on; and after one little-promoted (and far superior) follow-up, "Left to Right", Motown cut their losses and dropped the whole project. Their album, Where's the Party, did not recieve a formal release; I only managed to acquire it through Columbia House or another music club that happened to have some copies laying around and let you pick it as one of your selections, as opposed to turning the material into pulp. (I wish they'd do that with more albums...*sobs for Fefe Dobson's Sunday Love*) The group split shortly after. Lian and Dorothy were close friends and both auditioned for the second season of Popstars in America, the latter winning a spot in the equally ill-fated group Scene 23 (more on them someday). I don't know what's happened to any of them since that. The album is a mixed bag...some songs (especially their attempts at "sexy" "r&b") were hilariously bad, and their voices weren't that great, but some is quality pop that seems to have completely dissapeared.

Left To Right - This song is cute and catchy, no matter how hard it flopped. If i'm not mistaken, it didn't even have a music video. It was co-written by Jorgen Elofsson, who worked with Max Martin in the Cherion days, but by then had struck out on his own. There's a brief rap portion in it too, by one of the girls, but it's more what you got from boy bands than any actual hip-hop. If this had been the first single, maybe things would have turned out differently for them.

Not the Girl I Used 2 Be - Written by Full Force (with the help of a sample), the production team who first came to prominence back in the '80s with Lisa Lisa and classic freestyle pop songs like "I Wonder If I Take You Home" and "All Cried Out". They later did some songs for Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC. It's a pop song with attitude; I think it might even have a chance of being a hit today...at least in the UK. :)

You Belong To My Heart - Another example of classic millenium Swedish pop. Such a pretty mid-tempo song with a great melody. It's a bright and cheery song that will probably lift your mood. This was definitely my favorite of theirs, then and now.

Home Work - Okay, this is total cheese, and possibly a hint at their target audience: "Boy you did your homework well/Reading my heart like a book". The school analogy permeates throughout the whole thing (which makes it all the more ironic when one part in the chorus is grammatically incorrect). Like the last song, this was written and produced by Jorden Aberg and Paul Rein, more Swedes. Only they could get away with writing something like this.

Always You - Nice and boppy. It sounds like early Mandy Moore, which she now disowns. This is the best of several songs on the album that were written by the producers and creators of the group, Vaughn Stewart and John Mortera.

I Need To Know (Hex Hector Remix) - Another Stewart/Mortera production. This is nowhere near the best song on the album, so I can only assume that they chose this song as the lead single because they'd get more royalties off it, instead of having to pay different producers to do more than half the album. The music video was also very low-budget; something involving a slumber party. Some of the melody is simple, and almost nursery rhyme like. I don't have a problem with that, but when there are several bonafide pop gems on this album, it almost seems like a crime that they put this out. This radio-length dance remix is way better than the original version, partly because the original's production seems a bit tinny.

I'll be back...soon.

2006-06-30T17:27:00.000-04:00

Hey!! I'm back from vacation, but i'm still pretty beat and have to check up on things, so I won't be updating for a few more days, I think. Just some news tidbits:

- THANK YOU for everyone that commented on posts while I was away, both old and new. I promise i'll try to put back up any songs previously posted that have gone down...again, eventually. ;)

- If you have noticed lately, it appears that while I was gone, YouTube decided that I had gotten too many copyright violations (ironically, the last was the very first video I uploaded), so my account (splitchick59) was deleted. I've got a new one now, and i'll try to start putting back up what was lost (the Vanilla video was taken off the site *sob*) sometime in the next few weeks. If some older links/embedded videos don't work, i'm sorry.

- I had a couple of minor pop sightings while on vacation. Our first hotel gave free copies of USA Today to guests, which is where I found out (in a tiny blurb) that Top Of The Pops has been canceled, which is totally bullshit. It made me slightly depressed when I first read it...where will the pop acts go to promote their stuff now?!? There's Popworld and that's basically it. Yes, TOTP2 is continuing, but it's mostly older performances with the ocassional new song, but who actually thinks the rare modern performances will be pop?? The other music shows BBC have wouldn't touch them. Thankfully, CD:UK appears to be coming back, but on the lesser-watched Channel Five, which will put it on about the same level with its just-launched U.S. equavilent, which is solely on one satellite provider. I have cable, so I can't watch it...boo.
Also, I was bored in the supermarket and leafed through tabloids, where I saw one with a column talking about how the lovely Nadine Coyle of Girls Aloud is dating Jesse Metcalfe from Desperate Housewives (which I don't watch), and another had ex-Atomic Kitten singer Natasha Hamilton (where's that solo career, man?!?) in what looks like French kissing Prince William on the cover. I don't really care, but it just made me chuckle. Combine that with McFly getting the most publicity they ever have in the States (which is a short sub-minute segment on the E! Channel) for writing a song that is ostenibly about having sex with Lindsay Lohan, although the video is homoerotic enough to fool me...c'mon, naked dudes literally in a closet?)

- Also, Popjustice got new boards (yes, again) while I was away, and I had to sign up again. If you were on the last ones, you'd have to, too, I guess. I hope they'll stay up this time, though. When I left for vacation the site was completely dead, and I was like "great, so pop is dying EVERYWHERE"? But it's not. At least not totally.

- The new Jessica Simpson single, "A Public Affair" is amazing. Justin Timberlake's "SexyBack" (from the 12-second clip I heard, at least) blows chunks, but it will probably be the bigger hit because he's Justin. In my opinion, he's pretty much overrated, with "Cry Me A River" being the only thing he's ever done that's lived up to the hype, except his appearance on Saturday Night Live. ("I'm Ashton Kutcher, and i'm AWESOME!" and Omletteville were classics.)

Bananarama redux + Vacation!

2006-06-17T14:51:00.000-04:00

First off, i'm going to be gone for awhile; for like a week and a half. The family (including me, lol) is going on a road trip, tomorrow morning. Virginia, the Carolinas, i've never gone. Anyway, I won't be able to access a computer or anything, so I won't be able to update this blog.

The least I could do before I leave is reupload, yet again, those new Bananarama tracks that seem to keep skipping that some people asked for very nicely.

Live In the Sun - Dancey b-side to Look on the Floor single. It sounds better listening to it again, than I thought I did the first time I heard it.
Rules of Attraction - from the Drama album, just released in the U.S.! Thankfully I didn't spend too much on the import. The backing music to it is cool, sounds very Richard X although it's not a production of his.

And something I didn't post the last time around:
Look on the Floor (Hypnotic Tango) [Radio Edit] - I guess this sounds slightly different from the album version? It's one second longer and might have a very faintly more prominent beat. Whatever, it's a great song either way.

I hope they work this time...

See ya!

This is random, but my name's not Lady Sov

2006-06-15T20:01:00.000-04:00

Just posting to post, I guess. I don't have anything prepared, but enjoy what's here because it rules. This has even less of a theme than my last hodgepodge post, just some (mostly recent) stuff I found that I thought was cool. Now for the music!! :)

Rescue Me From the Toxic - Britney Spears vs. Rihanna. I'm a fan of mash-ups. Sometimes they turn out amazingly cool, sometimes they don't. This one doesn't stand up to the best i've heard, but it combines two of the best pop songs of the past few years, so how can you really go wrong?!

X (Demo Version) - Liberty X. I think this is the third single from their third album, the pop group that never gives up and never seems to get dropped no matter how little they sell. I still like them, though. This version is different from both the one on the album and the single edit, and I think it's better than both. It has the horns of a Rich Harrison production, so it has that pop/r&b/almost big band combination. It features different lyrics, too, so it's almost like a new song!

Maneater (DJ Cruze Funkfinder Remix) - Nelly Furtado. I've never heard of this guy, but it seems like he might be German. Either way, this is an AMAZING club mix, and not crappy like the slow hip-hop remix featuring Lil Wayne and some idiots in the background yelling "Yup!" like they're Dem Franchise Boyz or something.)

Chelsea - Stefy. Now this song was a surprise. A catchy electropop band signed to the same record label as Creed?!? Believe it or not, it's true. This debut single was just released this week, and is on the soundtrack to upcoming teen flick John Tucker Must Die, which looks hilarious from the preview. The lyrics of this song are funny too! Check out more great songs on their MySpace.

That's What Love Can Do (Club Mix) - Boy Krazy. Now for some retro. Possibly the one Stock/Aitken/Waterman song that was a bigger hit in America than in the UK, in the early '90s (thought to be past their prime) nonetheless. This is an extended version of the original, a mid-tempo cheesy pop number that I think stands up to the best of Rick Astley and early Kylie. An ill-fated UK trio called Toutes le Filles covered this song in '99, which is how I first heard of it.

I Can't Hate You Anymore - Nick Lachey. If you have this song and "What's Left of Me", there's no need to buy his new album, because all the songs sound the same. This has a good hook, but inexplicably, Jive Records seems to be going with "Resolution" as the follow-up single. Obviously, this song is about his divorce.

A.M. to P.M. (Hex Hector Mix) - Christina Milian. She got dropped from Def Jam recently, after her latest album sold almost nothing and she reportedly rejected "SOS" when presented to her before Rihanna. This is from back when she used to be pop while the American music scene was all urban all the time, and they refused to release her first CD in the States. (Ironically, now that the U.S. is more open to pop music than any time since the glorious teen pop era, Christina starts trying to be hardcore r&b and pretending she's a 'gangsta'. I like "Say I", but i'd buy that so much more from someone like Keyshia Cole. Milian's just too 'cute' for me to buy it.) I actually have a promo pack for this song, featuring a radio single, a 2001 (I think) calendar, and stored in a flimsy clear plastic suitcase with her logo on it.

Back very soon (and I mean it)!

P.S. I'm not going to post that new Beyonce song "Deja Vu" because a) I might get sued, and b) It's not that good. Of course, it's no doubt going to be the most successful and most overhyped song of the summer. Christina Aguilera's "Ain't No Other Man" is far better, but I don't think that matters when radio will play a recording of Bee farting the alphabet.

Sofia Loell

2006-06-13T22:51:00.000-04:00

Sofia Loell is someone I had never heard of until about a month ago. I think I was looking at something on iTunes when she was recommended to me, and I loved the clips. Amazon.com has her album (which appears to be her only American release, at least) for $5.95, but in limited quantities. Right Up Your Face was released in 2002 by Curb Records, and sank without a trace...as a pop fan, I had absolutely no recollection of her whatsoever. Last year she released a single in Scandinavia called "Unfreeze Me", but from what i've heard, it isn't as good as this album. This year she released another European single called "War of Life", which I haven't heard and am therefore assuming isn't a modified Billie Piper cover. :P

She's Swedish! That pretty much means she has to make good pop as a rule, I guess. This is slightly more "roots-based" pop in the sense that they are mostly based on actual instruments, and at times both the music and vocals sound slightly Irish in character. She wrote all the songs on the album, most by hersle.f Her English lyrics are a bit awkward some of the time (as in the "hit" spotlighted by the album cover sticker, "Right Up Your Face"), but I think she has a good way around a melody. If you're into the Corrs' poppier moments, you'd probably like this CD, but if you don't, it's still good. Most songs are relentlessly happy-sounding, even when the lyrics aren't.

Utopia - Apparently this was a single somewhere, because I saw a single cover. It starts out slow, and then speeds up to chug along on an upbeat pop-rock track. The horn effects are great. There is only one ballad on the album, and this isn't it.
Lover Undercover - On an album of upbeat songs, this is one of the most boppy ones of all. It's quirky, and I like quirk!
Will You Move On (Heaven's Not Enough) - An even more fast-paced track, like an Avril Lavigne (who debuted around the same time) with a sweeter vocal sound. The lyrics are completely worthy of any of the current 'independent' pop/rock chicks, saying that although the guy in question is nice, she needs to be alone to find herself.
Somebody Else - This has bells in it! It's like really good 1998 Eurovision. I don't know a lot of Eurovision songs, but it gives me the vibe that i've heard about. This also has a great melody, and like many songs on this album it especially hearkens back to Abba somewhat, combined with the guitar sound.
Right Up Your Face - The only U.S. single to promote the album, i'm assuming. This is the best song to get a peek of her unusual wordplay, telling a guy to go away, "right up your face". Hmm. The song itself is pretty catchy, and more of a "typical" Michelle Branch-esque sound, but the words (and a lack of payola $$$) probably killed it.

On another note, why the hell does Nick Lachey have a VH1 Behind the Music show?! I remember when they only did those for either legends, or infamous disasters like Milli Vanilli ("Blame It On the Rain" kicked ass). The 98 Degrees stuff is interesting, though; about how they went from r&b to pop music when the former wasn't selling. It got us "The Hardest Thing", so it wasn't that bad.

I'm not sure what the hell is up with the Bananarama songs, because it seems as if every time I rip them they're skipping and crap. I'll try to get them up again, ok?

We're Running Out Of Time

2006-06-09T10:50:00.000-04:00

LeAnn Rimes' new album, Whatever We Wanna, dropped in Europe this week. (That's a dumb title, but in a year seeing future releases such as Janet Jackson's 20 Years Old, Beyonce's B-Day, and now Justin Timberlake's Future Sex Love Sound, it doesn't sound quite so bad in comparison). Of course, the album leaks after I already ordered it from Amazon.co.uk. I recieved the shipment yesterday, and i'm not completely sure if it was worth $20, but there are some good songs on it. It's a pop album aimed at the European market (and therefore won't be getting a U.S. release, especially as she is still promoting her last country album This Woman, which just sent a #1 single to country radio this week.). However, it's more of an adult contemporary sound. The vibe reminds me a lot of Delta Goodrem, right down to the duet with Brian McFadden!

And It Feels Like (Hi-Tack Remix) - This was the first UK single from the album, which charted somewhere in the 20s this week. (The rest of Europe got "Strong" instead.) It's a pretty good song, and although this remix hasn't recieved the best reaction from some corners, I like it.
Headphones - This is one of the more upbeat songs on the album, with an almost subdued electro-pop influence. One of the songs LeAnn co-wrote, it has some wierd lyrics, but it has a good melody.
Save Myself - With a slightly different arrangement, this could fit perfectly on one of her country CDs, which makes sense as most of this album was produced by Dann Huff, known for working on those albums and with many other country artists, including Carrie Underwood. As it is, it's the kind of mid-tempo pop/rock number you'd expect from someone like Michelle Branch, or Avril Lavigne when she isn't trying to be angry on purpose.
Destructive - Now this one is angry. I love the lyrics, and this is another song she co-wrote (she did most, including one song that also has a writing credit from her husband, dancer Dean Shermet). Some of the vocals in her lower register can get annoying, but it's a convincing pop song with electric guitars, with some electronic backing...think Girls Aloud's "Wake Me Up". Not quite that good, but I still love it.
Break Me Down - This song is more representative of the rest of the album. It's a nice ballad that would fit on AC radio, and I think it's the best of that kind on the CD. It might be considered boring to some, but i'm into this kind of thing to a degree. It's where the Delta elements come in full force.

I can't fake it anymore...

2006-06-03T16:42:00.000-04:00

First things first: I forget who requested this, but someone anonymous in the comments said that the mp3 file of Bananarama's "Live in the Sun" that I uploaded a while back keeps skipping. I'm sorry; here you go!!

Alrighty then! :)

Jennifer Love Hewitt. Best known as an actress, first in the '90s TV show Party of Five and teen movies like the kick-ass Can't Hardly Wait, and now in the hit CBS show The Ghost Whisperer, she has also had a less-successful singing career. I wouldn't rank her voice among the best by any means, but it's usually pleasant to listen to, and at times she exhibits more vocal range and power than I expected. Amazingly, she has managed to release four albums. The first, 1992's Love Songs, is from when she was a little kid and was released only in Japan. Two non-descript mid-'90s U.S. albums on Atlantic Records followed in order to capitalize off her television fame, notable mostly for her covering a Bread song and failing to create a dance craze with "Let's Go Bang". I don't have those albums, so we'll move past them.

Between those albums and her last, she released what I believe was possibly her biggest hit, "How Do I Deal" off the I Still Know What You Did Last Summer soundtrack in early 1990, the movie which she also starred in. Her music career took the back burner again until 2002, when she signed to teen pop incubators Jive Records (ironically when the boom had passed), hooked up with singer-songwriter Meredith Brooks of "Bitch" fame, and released the album BareNaked, which was either a symbol of Love pouring her heart out in song (she co-wrote six songs and wrote one by herself) or a crass marketing attempt for people to buy it in hopes that there would be a nude poster inside. (There wasn't.) Either way, the album flopped, like her others, and she returned to focusing on her acting. She was probably one of the better actress-to-singer crossovers, not that that says much; i'd definitely rather have a new CD of hers instead of one by Paris Hilton.

How Do I Deal - Can you believe this song isn't on U.S. iTunes? Most likely due to label issues, this song hasn't shown up on any of her albums, and the CD single is long out of print. It's kind of like post-Lillith Fair female singer-songwriter meets teen pop, with both acoustic guitars and electric ones. It's catchy. Sorry for the abrupt cutoff, but the only place I got it from is a mixed MTV compilation (that surprisingly also includes an extended version of "5, 6, 7, 8" by Steps!).
Can I Go Now - The second and final single off BareNaked, that did even worse than the first. Like several songs off the album, it has a mild wanna-be reggae backing beat underneath the pop rock, but I think it works here best.
First Time - Another mid-tempo, sounds a bit like Michelle Branch, who was popular around that time. The "doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo"s near the end add a fun touch.
Stronger - The song written solely by Jennifer is way better than I was expecting. It still has the same basic formula as most of the other tracks, but with more of a gospel influence to go with the uplifting lyrics about someone getting out of a bad relationship.
Barenaked - Title track, first single, and minor hit. Not too fast, but not too slow. Some energy is added by the flourishes of organs and horns, especially in the chorus.
Just Try - Japan only bonus track time! I think this song was good enough to make the worldwide release, especially over the pointless remake of Janis Joplin's rendition of "Me and Bobby McGee" included on the American release. Yes, it's yet another mid-tempo (hmm...maybe varying the styles would have helped, but while the ballads are okay, most of the semi-up-tempo songs - which aren't really that much faster than these - are somewhat subpar.), but it's more flirty, floaty, and airy. It resembles something Mandy Moore would have recorded around that same period.

Random pop remixes

2006-05-30T01:31:00.000-04:00

Soul patrol, whoo hooo! Just kidding. Anyway, Taylor Hicks won American Idol, and will be around to spaz all over the American pop scene, or whatever's left of it. I'll keep you posted. A great new blog from a Canadian, Poptastic has the studio version of his first single, "Do I Make You Proud", which isn't great but at least isn't Katharine McPhee's "My Destiny". There's a lot of great stuff on that page...on the AI tip, there's a cheesy Almighty cover of the booted contestant theme "Bad Day", as sung by Belle Lawrence. It has generally recieved a bad response from many corners, but i'm a freak that likes it.

I also promised i'd update on the latest regarding McFly. In their album's debut week in the U.S., it reached the lofty height of #25 on the Billboard Heatseekers album chart, which is for albums by new artists that have never charted on the main chart. So they basically went in at #225, or possibly lower. Oof.

In terms of general chart news, apparently Gnarls Barkley are deleting their single "Crazy" from production, and also removing it from download, because it has topped the U.K. charts for an astonishing nine weeks. Two things: 1) Am I the only one who doesn't 'get' them? Judging from only that song, it's not bad, but I don't see what's so superlatively amazing about it, where people who don't already have it are STILL buying it. 2) Is this bizarro chart universe or something? One song hogs the UK chart for months, while in the U.S. songs are changing hands again and again, which is how I personally like it. After two weeks of Rihanna's genius-yet-unoriginal "SOS" on the top spot, this past week it's been "Ridin'" by Chamillionaire, one of the few rappers that doesn't sound like utter shit when singing his own choruses.

Anyway, now for the songs. There are some specific artists i'm planning on featuring soon, but I haven't receieved some stuff, and i'm kind of anal about being comprehensive. =) I just wanted to post some stuff. The subject is self-explanitory: dance remixes of pop songs. They play a huge part in my neverending iPod workout playlist, but they're still cool to listen to even sitting down. I like remixes that put new spins on songs. The extended remix is possibly anthetical to the typical aesthetic of the perfect three and a half minute pop song, but in many cases I enjoy the beats and how the producers play with the vocals. Most of the time, i'm not much of a fan of dubs, though - they take too much of the melody out for my tastes. Enjoy!!

Oh, and the songs I didn't write a blurb on are just as good as the ones I did. It's past 2 a.m., please forgive me. ;)

Kelly Clarkson - The Trouble With Love Is (Bermudez and Bertoldo Deliquent Cupid Radio Mix) - The music is pretty uplifting for a song with such melancholy lyrics, but the contrast just makes it seem even greater in my eyes. This song deserved to be a far bigger hit than it was in any form.
Bonus: The Trouble With Love Is (Live Independent Tour 2004 Philadelphia) - I was so excited for my show anyway, but when she was performing this song and went from the slower original to this remix, I was elated. Kelly herself probably liked the mix somewhat if she did that, and it reminded me of the great late '90s craze of ballad-to-uptempo versions of diva songs (ex: Toni Braxton's "Unbreak My Heart", Deborah Cox's "Nobody's Supposed to Be Here".) They should do that more often now, in my opinion.
Marie Serenholt - That's The Way My Heart Goes (The Attic Club Mix)
Samantha Mumba - Baby Come On Over (ATFC Chilled Vintage Vocal) - I used to love this girl so much, and I still think she was great. Her debut single "Gotta Tell You" was one of the few from British or Irish (she's the latter) pop stars that broke through in America, peaking in the top 5. This song was the U.S. follow-up that wasn't nearly as successful, and a later single in the UK. Despite consistently high chart placings and decent album sales, her second album was never released, aside from one single. I will never understand that.
Kate DeAraugo - Faded (Reactor Mix) - Second single from the third winner of Australian Idol. The original sounds like an especially good Kelly Clarkson ripoff in the guitar-pop style. This makes it cheesier and more dance-poppy.
Destiny's Child - Independent Women Part I (Maurice's Radio Mix)
Girls Aloud - The Show (Bang Bang Klub Vocal)- Good use of guitars, more of a rock-influenced dance mix, which i've been getting into lately.
Kaci Brown - Unbelieveable (Chris Cox Radio Mix) - She's a new singer that plays the piano and is 17 years old, yet is rumored to be dating Backstreet Boys' AJ McLean after serving as one of their opening acts last year. I prefer her songs like this, as opposed to the hip hop influenced tracks, such as "Instigator" and that song that mentions Dora the Explorer, that sound like a bad parody at times.
S Club 7 - You're My Number One (Almighty Mix) - Pure cheese, but I fricking love it.
NERD - Rock Star (Jason Nevins Remix) - This is a few years old (like some of these tracks), but I just discovered it after going to the movies several times and being bombarded with clips and previews of Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (speaking of: it's one thing when Vin Diesel doesn't do the sequel, but when Paul Walker isn't willing to show up, you should just quit.). I have absolutely no interest in seeing it, but this song (pun intended) completely rocks. It actually makes me able to listen to Pharrell sing without wanting to gouge out my eardrums.
Rob Thomas - Lonely No More (Jason Nevins Radio Mix) - Another of the rock-influenced mixes Jason Nevins has recently been known for.
Deja Vu ft. Tasmin - Measure of a Man (Transsensual Mix) - Sorry, but I had to post this. Y'all might know of my affection for Clay Aiken, and might know of his new haircut as shown on the American Idol 5 finale. I like it, I must admit (although whoever posted on LiveJournal that it makes him look like Matt Willis - it really doesn't. But if it means that there'll be a song on his new album - out this fall! - that is as good as "Up All Night", i'll take it.) . Not as if I have any cred anyway. :) This is the title track of his album that was covered as the b-side to Pop Idol 2 runner-ups Sam and Mark's #1 Beatles cover "With a Little Help of My Friends". Interestingly, their career only lasted for one more single before they were dropped and went to TV presenting. Obviously, it's been given the cheesy 'trance' cover treatment (check the name of the mix). In the U.S., Deja Vu and Tasmin (whoever they are) are best known, if you could call it that, for their version of Celine Dion's infamous Titanic smash "My Heart Will Go On".
Jessica Simpson - With You (Mike Rizzo Radio Mix)

I don't do sex, but I do do second base

2006-05-23T19:42:00.000-04:00

First off, head on over to Don't Stop The Pop
to download a version of "DNA" by Mania that does *not* explode after several listens. Thank you!

...please come back, okay?...

This post is by request of sorts. I was planning to save this artist for later, but some of my lovely commenters forced my hand. ;) I present Moonbaby!

Moonbaby was another Xenomania project, being the stage name of Miranda Cooper, a long-running writer with the team. Seriously, look at the credits for their hits up to this day, and she's on them.

Her solo career lasted for one single in 2000, "Here We Go", which missed the top 75 of the UK charts. The song was later recycled for Lene's (of Aqua) solo album Play With Me, and later by Girls Aloud on What Will the Neighbours Say?. As a result, her album was never released, and there was only a promo CD with four tracks.

Thanks to Frisbee (who doesn't have a blog or else i'd link it), i've acquired all these songs, as well as the songs on her only single!

Here We Go - I get how this could have been considered too 'wierd' to be a successful single, especially by an unknown act, when Xenomania were primarily known for remixes as opposed to original songwriting work. It's a fun song, if you're on here you probably know it in some form. If you don't, check it out.
Deadlines and Diets - Another track later used by Girls Aloud, a laid-back midtempo ballad. This is different than that arrangement (unlike the almost identical instrumental used in all three versions of "Here We Go"), because it's almost five minutes long. Honestly, I find Moonbaby/Miranda's voice to be a bit weak (though I tolerate that when the songs are great, like here), and I far prefer GA's version of this because I think Nadine Coyle's stronger vocals work better with the song. Of course, it's all a matter of opinion, so download it and see what you think.
I'm Thru With Love - '60s-inspired track, done several years before the release of Emma Bunton's Free Me album. There are some bossa nova influences in it.
Moonbaby - Nothing better than having your own theme song! It's bumping dance pop with a great beat, which makes me wonder what could have been.

Kitsch Bitch Kool - The freaking AMAZING b-side to "Here We Go". It's a frantic, uptempo poptacular ride that is also on the longer side. In my opinion, this should have been the single...maybe London Records wouldn't have dropped her, but then again, that label was ill-fated anyway. This was the song that was requested in the comments, and now you all can hear it!!
Here We Go [Capoeira Twins Golightly Mix] - It's a sort of breakbeat take on the song, and the remix on the single. It's not exactly a pumping dance mix. I'd compare it most to "Overload" by the Sugababes.

Back in another few days with more musings and songs.

Looking for a place to go: MANIA!

2006-05-14T22:34:00.000-04:00

Mania was a duo made up of two of the co-writers of the infamously genius Xenomania team, whose writing credits include such tracks as "Sound of the Underground", "Round Round", and "No Good Advice". They struck out on their own (well, together) in 2004, and were another group I didn't take notice of during their brief career. I'll have them explain themselves, in the official bio from their official site that now only exists in Google caches:

It began in a kitchen. Or, more accurately, outside a kitchen. "I heard Niara before I met her," says Giselle, "she was sat at the kitchen table and I was walking past the door. She's got a big mouth and a big laugh..." That was the start of Mania. Two girls, Niara and Giselle, with completely diverse backgrounds: the former loud and lairy, the latter contained and considered (comparably so, anyway) Niara: from a football-team-sized family, from inner city London, who left school at 15. Giselle: an only child from the suburbs, who qualified as a masseur before travelling the world. The former black, the latter white. Both with bags of attitude. Mania met a few years ago at Xenomania, under the artistic direction of Brian Higgins, the creative house/home of a team of songwriters which have produced some of the most addictive chart tracks on the radio. Niara Scarlett, had hung around with Xenomania for three years contributing to Girls Aloud's 'Sound Of The Underground' and Sugababes 'Hole In The Head', 'Round Round' and 'In The Middle'. Giselle Sommerville was concentrating on writing her own songs but was stuck in a girl band. She’d known Higgins from way back and began collaborating with Xenomania two years ago while at music college in Brighton. "I wrote with Niara one day and I knew instantly that she was into the same stuff that I was into", says Giselle. "We wrote some good tunes together. That's how we met, we struck a chord." "Both of us knew we'd have a career in writing…" continues Giselle, before Niara, as usual, butts in. "I knew that I had a wicked voice and that I HAD to be a singer," she says, in typically balls-out fashion. "We weren't sure we wanted to be in a group, we both wanted to be solo artists, but her voice and my voice together, you can't really lose, you know what I mean?" They realised they had certain things in common so they started to write together to fill time. Though from very different backgrounds, the pair came together over a shared love of black music like Erika Badu, Jill Scott, India and The Chimes. Though they both had other influences, it was always powerful, soulful singers that inspired them and focused their efforts. "We had co-written so many wicked songs that most artists just could not sing, so that's where this project came from," continues Niara. "Some songs are just too wicked, too massive!" Mania do home-grown pop with panache, ranging from left field lullabies to frisky fucked-up funk. "We're gonna blow people's socks off, you know what I mean, 'cos I'm blown away myself," says Niara of Mania's live sound which is enhanced by a four-piece band. Rewind to Sussex in the early nineties and Giselle was busy listening to The Cure and Guns 'n' Roses until she was taken to a Soul II Soul concert in Brighton. From then on it was about buying vinyl in Rough Trade or Camden market and blagging into the Ministry of Sound on a Saturday night. "I'll never forget India performing 'I can't get no sleep' in that big room. She made me want to sing. I played that record over and over again." She moved to Shepherd’s Bush, trained as a beauty therapist, did a sports massage course and then pushed off to India. After travelling she bumped into Brian again and the rest you know. Meanwhile Niara was in Kentish Town, surrounded by "about ten brothers and five sisters that I know of, but I know there's more out there. My dad's Jamaican," she says by way of explanation." As a kid her mother would play Marvin Gaye, Lover's Rock and Bob Marley while her brothers would be blasting swingbeat and New Jack Soul. Niara had yet to become obsessed with Mary J Blige and En Vogue. Her first gig, was with hardcore heroes Ratpack and, in a ten year song-writing and performing career that’s encompassed soul, house, jungle and pop, she’s worked and written with MJ Cole, Cinematic Orchestra, Roots Manuva and countless others. She was put in touch with Brian, joined his team of writers and, finally, met Giselle. "Our music crosses quite a few genres." starts Giselle "It's just good music," interrupts Niara. "Whether you like it or not our songs are going to come back into your head. That's what's been missing for a long time. There's been so much shit – you get a beautiful girl with a lovely smile, but actually she can't sing, she doesn't write and the fucking music is shit." "This band just gives me goosebumps," she says, "I get so excited. I’m like, 'hold me back!'"

Niara and Giselle's recording career unfortunately only existed until one single, the funky "Looking For a Place" and the b-side "If You Need a Good Girl" (not a Backstreet Boys semi-remake). Its unjustly low chart placing meant the end of Mania, and the scheduled album Do You Know Your Daughter's On the Roof? was never released. A sampler with six tracks was made and sent to promo-only hell. I acquired what I thought was this sampler on eBay, but was a completely different one with only snippets of five songs. I finally managed to get the songs by paying 20 bucks to a Russian website of dubious legality, which appeared to be the only place in the universe that had it. Fortunately, it seems as they haven't fucked with my bank account yet. So now I present it to you, the (mostly) complete discography of Mania!!

Looking For a Place (Sampler)
1. Looking for a Place
2. Close
3. Money In My Pocket
4. L.O.V.
5. Baby When You Go
6. I'm Not Shy

All of these are produced and written by Xenomania. "Close" is more of a ballad, but it's more like a "Deadlines and Diets" type ballad as opposed to a typical one. My favorite is by far "Money in My Pocket".

Bonus:

D.N.A - This is only available through a free download WMA file as a promo. The link is to the site. Not bad, right? Well, now that i'm trying to share it with you guys, I can't. I'm sorry for doing another segment of "blogger begs for tech help", but this file is truly evil. Unfortunate, because the song is damn good, with that kind of strumming guitar work throughout like a slower, stripped-down "Grafitti My Soul".
It'll give you the license fine, but there's a limited number of plays and the license doesn't allow you to burn it to a CD, which I normally do to get some of these songs to you. I never got around to putting it on my iPod, and I can't with the format, but you're also not allowed to transfer the song to any device. I've tried to do some shit with Winamp that used to work but no longer does. Tunetribe costs money and the free trial only lasts 30 seconds, so i'm not going to use it (or go to some porn/warez site to find a code, no thanks), but if you already own it maybe you can do it?? So you can download and listen for who knows how many times (I'm down to my last :( ), and if you're bored, possibly find a way to crack it. You guys came through the last time I had a computer problem, so i'm hoping you can find a solution here too (while jamming out to the other songs, maybe?) I'm doing this for y'all! ;)

If You Need a Good Girl

Looking for a Place (Wez'er'nate Main Mix)
Looking for a Place (McSleazy Remix) - The former remix made it to the single, while the latter was rejected by their record label, RCA. I think the McSleazy remix might actually be better. It's a bit more poppy while the Wez'er'nate mix has a slight r&b edge.

Mania as a duo split awhile back, but they're still doing things. Giselle still seems to be writing for artists under the Xenomania umbrella, while Niara's credits stop a few years ago, and she was last seen doing a hip-hop track. Several of their songs, including "Money in My Pocket" and "I'm Not Shy", have been covered by aspiring girl band Frank (band in the instrument playing sense), who have their own TV show and will be an opening act on Girls Aloud's Chemistry Tour.

If there is any interest, i've also uploaded several Mania videos (their only music video "Looking for a Place", the making of that video, and a clip of a CD:UK performance - sang live!) to YouTube.

Oh, and here is a McFly in the U.S. update: Just My Luck made $5 million in its debut weekend, being Lindsay Lohan's lowest opening ever. Won't sell too many albums. There was actually quite a bit of the group in the movie (which I saw today and was cute), which is a nice change from the American edits of movies that seem to remove any references to British pop stars (watch the Region 1 DVD of Love, Actually sometime. They actually dub over the Girls Aloud remake of "Jump" with the Pointer Sisters original during Hugh Grant's big dance scene, and it doesn't work because it was obviously shot to the fastest-paced cover. I'm surprised they left the subplot about Billy Mack fighting for the Christmas #1 vs. Blue intact and didn't try to change it to 98 Degrees or something.) and this would be a genius marketing tactic if it was part of a multi-pronged promotional scheme, but it's the only thing they're doing.

Back in another few days, probably. Features coming up include more unreleased albums/samplers and recycled songs, the latter being those passed around to various pop stars in hopes that one of them has a hit with them, such as the aformentioned Mania/Frank situation, and more imported shit that's maxing out my credit card!

So. Not from Back to the Future.

2006-05-09T22:17:00.000-04:00

How about that McFly? Like I mentioned, their American debut album, Just My Luck, dropped yesterday. They've been tooling around the UK since 2004, grabbing #1 singles and Brit Awards and breaking records. I didn't really notice them when they first came out, but now I like Tom Fletcher, Danny Jones, Dougie Poynter and Harry Judd and their pop-rock stylings. They were part of the same management as Busted, and initially marketed as a mini-Busted, although their '60s inspired sound on some tracks was a bit different. However, one of the lead singers Tom has co-written many songs for Busted, and James Bourne has returned the favor. Just My Luck is basically a compilation of both their albums, their debut Room on the 3rd Floor, and last year's more mature and slightly more modern Wonderland, plus one new song.

Universal/Island is obviously (ha ha - great song by them) banking on the Lindsay Lohan movie of the same name (released to theaters this Friday in the U.S. and July in the U.K.) to do the work to sell this album. I've seen virtually no promotion other than the ads for that flick, which barely show McFly in them anyway. Their lead single is "I've Got You", but i've heard it nowhere other than in the piped in movie theater sattelite radio network when I saw Mission Impossible 3 this weekend. (Seriously, I liked it, and i'm not generally a fan of action movies OR Tom Cruise. There are several moments where his character looks like an ass, and i'm not sure if that wasn't on purpose...) The video appears to be a live performance one, which in my opinion looks a bit lazy for an introduction to a new act. It appears to be the same as the original British cut, except with intercut scenes of the movie in it.

Hell, in the very brief thank-yous, the second group of people the group thanks (right after their managers) is the entire cast and crew of...do I even have to mention which movie? None of the big-box store circulars even mentioned the album, and it wasn't on sale when I got it at K-Mart. I also don't think it's a very good omen that the only copy in stock (I sincerely doubt it was because McFly are so popular in Miami that they sold out already, but my local K-Mart is especially crappy in stocking music) had a broken case, which I didn't notice til I took it home. I'd like to see them make it, but I think their label are making some blunders. If they have a shot, they need to come here, slog it out, and do shitloads of radio gigs to get played.

Just My Luck - The one new track. Who knows if it was written specifically for the movie, although I wouldn't be shocked if it was. It's an upbeat number and the lyrics fit.
Five Colours In Her Hair (U.S. Version) - I'm somewhat surprised they kept the British pronunciation in the title. This is a completely new recording, which they made sound more pop-punk and emo-lite as opposed to the more jangly pop of the original. It could be sacreligious to somebody who is used to the original, but I quite like it. Then again, i'm into those kind of bands.

Room on the 3rd Floor - Good song that was released as a single in the UK and reached #5. It's a ballad that's sweet but not really corny. It's sort of acoustic in style. For some reason, this isn't even on the American album!

Also, this is unrelated, but vote for Elliott on American Idol tonight if you can. 1-866-IDOLS-03, 1-866-IDOLS-07, of if you've got product placed Cingular cell phones, text "vote" to 5703. Hilarilously, when you call the numbers, the underdog himself thanks you for voting for him. If you don't live in the U.S., completely disregard this part :)

never stop till I got you

2006-05-05T20:50:00.000-04:00

I'm an idiot. I've been completely neglecting this blog lately. I've been doing a bunch of personal stuff, but this isn't the blog for that. Except that I will mention that I got straight A's this semester, which says that pop music is great for studying, even more than classical. :P Also, I managed to name check Girls Aloud in an environmental studies project (guess which song!), so it was good all around.

Another thing i've been doing is discovering defunct singers and groups that I didn't really pay attention to the first time around. From 2003 to 2004, I was kind of slacking on my British pop, so now i'm catching up, and i'll post about it in the next few posts.

Today's installment is about V. Comprised of Aaron Buckingham, Antony Brant, Kevin McDaid, Leon Pisani, and Mark Harle and formed in 2002 while making the UK pop scene in 2004, they were an all-singing, all-dancing boy band that appeared at a time when the UK music scene was less ready for a pure boy band with little pretentions of credibility. Ironically, they were managed and signed by the same people as Busted and McFly (the latter of whom are releasing their debut U.S. album next Tuesday, which is 99% sure to flop as i've seen absolutely no promotion outside of that Lindsay Lohan movie) and pimped out as the opening act on all their respective tours to the point where an interview by Danny of McFly was a selling point for one format of their first single, when it was their fusion of guitars with the boy band style of harmonies and pop hooks that helped do them in.

At first, they seemed to have potential to be successful. Debut single "Blood, Sweat, and Tears" (not a tribute to '60s/'70s classic rock band) charted at #6, and the double A-side followup featuring Xenomania track "Hip To Hip" and Jackson 5 cover "Can You Feel It" (the song Madonna stole the bassline for "Sorry" from) did one better, at #5. (The "Can You Feel It" video is hilarious and on YouTube, with one as a hot-ass milkman.) However, the ballad that was supposed to take them to new heights, "You Stood Up", missed the top 10 despite TV promotional appearances featuring the boys singing underneath rain effects, the album of the same name bombed, and that was it for them. It's mostly unknown what has happened to most of the members, except that Kevin is dating Mark from Westlife, Mark is starting some sort of band, and Aaron is apparently doing some pantomime shows in England.

I'm kind of sad that I didn't discover them while they were around. From what I gather, all the members seemed to have lively and distinct personalities, unlike most boy bands these days (check out Aaron's PopJustice column). They could sing, were attractive, and had some great songs. Just goes to show you that it doesn't always work, even with the coattails of successful bands to ride on top of that.
Now for the songs!!

Hip to Hip
Fools
Angel

The three Xenomania tracks on the album, and they all kick ass. While they're not quite masterpieces on the level of "Love Machine" or "Hole in the Head", among others, I think they're certainly worthy. "Fools" especially is brilliant, and was co-written by all the members of the group. I'd love to see them write more songs for male acts, although I see several reasons why it doesn't happen more often. It seems as if female pop artists can get away with being slightly more quirky and still be commercially viable, while if some guys try it, it might not have the same effect. Judging from this unofficial site of their productions, V is the only all-male act they have written original material for.

Walk On - A track by StarGate, who also did the original version of "Blood, Sweat and Tears" and several other songs on the album, as well as many other artists. This is a cool song that's basically about how girls shouldn't tease and lead a guy on if they've already got a man.
Chills in the Evening (featuring Tom and Danny) - This features one half of McFly, and sounds like one of their songs, as it was written by Tom Fletcher (same one that sings on the track) and James Bourne, formerly of Busted and now of Son of Dork. it's surprisingly haunting.

Hip to Hip (Tony Lamezma Pop Mix) - I spent a shitload of money importing a CD promo with these two dance remixes, which were never commercially released. This one is perfectly described by the name; it's a giddy, pop-dance tour de force.
Hip To Hip (Gravitas Saturday Night Mix) - This remix is more clubby, and removes the comedy rap portion, if you're not a fan of white dudes attempting to spit rhymes.

Just For You - This is a hidden track on the album, only accessible by rewinding from the first track backwards. This makes it absolutely impossible to listen to via computer. However, after endless searching, I managed to find some tricks that let me burn a copy of the album and access the song, which I then had to snip from the first song off the album proper AND silence. It's a cute, sweet acoustic ballad. Sample lyrics: "i'm gonna take her to the flicks/gonna buy her some Pick 'n' Mix". A funny part occurs near the end when one of the members' cellphone rings, and he tells the caller that he's recording a hidden track for the album, which is the best in-joke reference to making a pop album since Miss Lohan herself said that talking between songs is rad.

Blood, Sweat and Tears (Almighty Mix) - Cheesy yet great remix production from the good folks at Almighty (who are another "what happened to" story - when was the last time they were commissioned for remixes by an outside act, as opposed to doing covers of existing hits of variable quality?). This was used as instore music in Abercrombie and Fitch sometime in 2004, which is one of the many musical reasons I would love to work there if they didn't pay minimum wage and I wasn't too fat to get hired by them.

If That's The Way It Goes - B-side to their first single. It's nice, but I see why it didn't make the album (however, why a mysterious unknown song that was supposedly their obscurity-saving equavilent of Atomic Kitten's "Whole Again" wasn't, I don't know). I'd still say to check it out.

Boyband Medley (Live) - They knew their history of the groups that came before them. This acoustic medley features "Pray" by Take That, "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)" by the Backstreet Boys, "Keep On Movin'" by Five, and closes with "Relight My Fire", also by Take That. There are some nice harmonies on this one.
Hip To Hip (Acoustic Version) - Also on the acoustic tip, it works surprisingly well.

Hip To Hip/Can You Feel It (Tom Elmhirst Remix) - Cool mash-up of sorts of both songs on the single. It basically takes the beat of "Can You Feel It" and alternates lyrics between the two songs.

Indestructible - This was the b-side to the single "You Stood Up". Unfortunately, the title did not reflect the group itself, that split soon after. They made an attempt at doing a "goodbye gig" in mid 2005, but it never materialized. To keep the dream alive, you can always play this interactive game that is Dance Dance Revolution for the computer, where you use your keyboard's arrows to hit the right marks, set to V songs. One day I might do a feature on promotional Flash pop games.

Given that their band name is impossible to Google (possibly not the smartest move), I would be remiss not to link their official website, which should remain online for a few more months. After that, it's all about archive.org.

Stuff I bought in Orlando

2006-04-24T14:07:00.000-04:00

So i'm back from my road trip, where I spent tons of money at the Downtown Disney Virgin Megastore. That place rocks!! Here is the result of my 70-something dollars spent:

Bananarama - Drama $17.99
I heard great things about this electro pop album, and when I saw the import for this price (the same as Virgin's regular overpriced CDs), I absolutely had to get it. I might regret this if it ever gets a U.S. release, but I doubt it'll come out domestically (unfortunately), and even if it does it's not like Kmart will have it for 10 bucks in the first week. BTW, There's only two members nowadays.
Frequency
Rules of Attraction

Lindsay Lohan - Confessions of a Broken Heart (Daughter To Father) $5.99
I bought this single solely for the Dave Aude remix, which I had previously only been able to acquire through a rip of a crappy mp3 stream. It was totally worth it, even though i'm not a fan of Lohan's music career in general. As a bonus, I got the overly dramatic video (directed by her) on the enhanced CD portion!
Confessions of a Broken Heart (Dave Aude Remix)

Various Artists - Help: A Day In The Life $17.99
I thought this was an import, so I got it right away, although it turns out iTunes has it for $11.99. No matter. This is more 'indie rock' type than most of my usual listening, but not that much. It's a charity album with newly-recorded tracks from all the artists.
Hard-Fi - Help Me Please
Mylo - Mars Needs Women

Big Brovaz - OK $0.25
Seriously. The clearance price listed was $1.99, but I was never gonna tell them! This is a pretty good song from the 'cleaner' equavilent of the So Solid Crew, more UK urban-rap-pop. I love Kardinal Beats as remixers, who do a lot of what I would call "hip-pop" influenced mixes of various tracks. Maybe one day i'll do a special of their mixes...they've done loads.
OK (Kardinal Beats Vocal Remix)

Bananarama - Look On The Floor (Hypnotic Tango) $5.99
The title track is on the Drama album, and is great. One time I actually heard it on local radio during the dance specialty show, and I lost my shit! (They also played a new Dannii Minogue song once. Reminds me - i've gotta go cop Neon Nights one of these days, but i've already spent too much on music this month. :P) I bought the single for the b-side. Unfortunately, it's not that good. I'm into tons of dance and trance stuff, but in my opinion this track doesn't seem to have much of a hook.
Live In The Sun

Various Artists - The Relaxing Album $9.99
This is a pretty good 2-CD chill out set from the UK. The title is self explanitory, although for some reason they stuck "Children" by Robert Miles on there. The back mentions that quite a few of the selections come from English TV commercials.
DJ Sammy & Yanou Featuring Do - Heaven (Candlelight Mix) - When I first heard this version years ago, I thought it was pointless. I mean, "Heaven" was already a ballad when Bryan Adams. However, this one works. Unfortunately, it turned out to be the bigger hit on American radio, and it sparked a rash of ballad versions of dance songs that get all the airplay (D.H.T. i'm looking at you).
Deep Dish with Everything But the Girl - The Future of the Future - Two great dance acts, what more can you say? Deep Dish are responsible for some hot club tracks like "Say Hello" and "Flashdance" (not a cover of Irene Cara's "What a Feeling"...well, not really), and while Everything But the Girl have done a variety of styles of music, in the U.S. they are best known for great Todd Terry remix of "Missing". In all honesty, I haven't had the chance to listen to this yet, but I just wanted to post it for you guys.

Sorry I was so damn late with this...these past few weeks it's been all about finals. I'm seeing Fall Out Boy and All American Rejects on Wednesday (not really pop, so I won't post anything else about it here unless people want to know about it!) and my last exam is on Friday. After that i'll be free! I've got another post ready for today, actually. Coming up soon.

Jo O'Meara Tribute

2006-04-24T11:45:00.000-04:00

She's qutting the music industry. :( Official statement:

As we said, we have some news... as you all know, the official site was hardly ever a reliable source - so this is the nearest thing to an official word you'll get, so on behalf of Jo, we're gonna release this statement for her.
Sorry to have to be the ones to break this to you - but Jo will no longer be releasing anymore singles, albums... no nothing. We're not going to speak out of term about anything that what has gone on, as we were told in confidence and basically she has been let down by a LOT of people, whom she put the trust of her career into.
Before the rumours start - Jo was NOT dropped by Sanctuary, she left them as she was no longer happy with them, and was unhappy in what she was doing... for now she's just gonna take some time out and work out what she wants to do, and she's happy doing that right now - so at the end of the day, thats all that matters - and as a result, the weekend at Thorpe Park was the last public appearance she is going to make.
Now we just have to look on the positive side, Jo's happy and she's healthy - and as long as she is that, then thats all that counts. At least we can still appreciate the music that she bought to us over the past 7 years that shes been a part of our lives.
One thing that we were told - and which we will share is that Jo realises that she will upset a lot of people by quitting, but she appreciates ALL the support she has received from every single one of you over the years.
As for this site, I have been running it and supporting Jo for years and I can promise you I am going no where! It wasn't just Jo's voice and talent we all admired, it was Jo herself and her amazing, fun and friendly personality. So she may not be singing anymore but she will still be around out there, which is all that matters to me - so this site and the forums will remain permanently open! Totally Jo are doing the same too, you can't get rid of us that easily! I will continue to update as, like Jo said to us herself... "it's not like I'm dead!" - which is true... and there is means of staying in contact with her, which we will do and if anything interesting crops up we will of course, share it.
Thanks for all the support - not only for Jo, but of course for the forums and fansites... we all hope you'll stick around.
~ So from all your fans here Jo, and around the world - thank you for everything... and we all wish you the best of luck in whatever you decide to do. We will without a doubt miss you and your voice loads, but we will ALWAYS be here! ~

She was always my favorite member of S Club 7. As kick-ass as Rachel Stevens' last album was, Jo was by far the best singer and most talented in the group. Hell, their only American hit "Never Had a Dream Come True" was basically a solo single for her! (Their appearance on TRL was funny, because she was the only one who did anything). She had several health problems with her back, etc., which didn't allow her to fully capitalize on her S Club fame, so she only released her first, ballad-heavy solo album last year. This isn't completely unexpected, as the album and single didn't sell. However, she was on an independent record label that was slightly more forgiven, and Jo appeared to be having somewhat of a resurgence due to being a contestant on the TV show Just the Two Of Us, which featured professional British singers (also including Natasha Hamilton of Atomic Kitten) paired with non-singing celebrities of various types and forced to sing. Unfortunately, I guess it was time.

I'm posting some songs of hers as a dedication of sorts.

Relentless (Blue Collar Extended Mix) - Before she decided to retire from the business, the title track from her album Relentless was on several release schedules in the UK, and it apparently got far enough for there to be a promo-only remix made. This one is good.
Let's Love (Metro Mix) - A remix of one of the handful of uptempo/midtempo songs on her album. It's pretty nice.
What Hurts the Most - Her first and only solo single was originally a country song by Mark Wills, and having it covered yet again by Rascal Flatts and becoming a U.S. smash was probably a blow. I think it works in both genres, but the lead singer of Rascal Flatts' voice can get annoying at times, so I prefer her version.
S Club 7 - Never Had a Dream Come True (Mike Rizzo Dance Mix) - Like I said, it's practically a solo song for her anyway. This remix brings out the bittersweet aspect of the song; sounding happy despite the sad lyrics.
The First Time - Another ballad; b-side to "What Hurts The Most" co-written by Ronan Keating and the Metro team (same as the remixers of "Let's Love"; they also did "Believe" by Cher but this sounds nothing like it at all).

The Holy Grail

2006-04-20T21:23:00.000-04:00

...of crap.

something I found at Beall's Outlet for $3 (region-free, no less!). Top 40 Hits (DVD): A bunch of music videos from the late '90s and early '00s, mostly from UK acts. It has some people i've heard of (Spice Girls, Kelis, Shaggy), some people i'd never heard of (Sean Macguire, Imaani, Dana Dawson - the last two songs are good), the mighty Scooch and what i've just discovered is the mighty Louise, and the holy grail of Popjustice crappy videos: "No Way No Way" by Vanilla. Honestly, when reading about them, I didn't believe that they were AS bad as described. Surely they were just another bunch of nondescript attempts at marketing a new Spice Girls, who sucked but were no better or worse than any other cynical clones that came out during that period.

But no. They were that bad. They couldn't sing for a hill of beans, they weren't cute, and the music video makes Girls Aloud's look like million dollar masterpieces in comparison. I watched this in the car DVD player on the trip home because I just couldn't wait. I was giddy with watching the trashy swimsuits, the ripping off of the Muppet Show's "ma na ma na" for the chorus, everything. Apparently they were a bet between two A&R heads that they could take the most untalented, unattractive group ever and get a #1 hit out of them. Luckily, that didn't happen. From what I gather, they released one more single, one of original members quit, and now they are apparently using their "stardom" to pitch for a liberal political campaign in England. "No pay, no way" is their slogan for increasing the minimum wage. Don't get fresh with them!

Of course, this means I finally figured out how to convert my DVDs! I use Videora iPod Converter to make them mp4s and upload them. Before I managed to understand that, I uploaded a huge .vob file of this video, although I have no clue why anyone would want to see this up close and keep it for posterity. Maybe you want to make a compilation of the worst music videos of all time, who knows?

Download link (195 MB - no longer works)

Tomorrow, a huge post about all the music I bought on my trip to Orlando, with lots of actual good songs to cleanse your ears. As for the visuals, I can't help you there.

Interview with Clea!

2006-04-18T18:33:00.000-04:00

Here it is! I'm back and I got the response from Nigel, which is really cool. Since Don'tStopThePop did a Clea album review and linked over here, I felt that I shouldn't procrastinate!

1. How would you describe the sound of your upcoming album, Trinity?
AIMEE: Its a cool mixture of every great sound that makes up pop! Its got a little bit of r'n'b, rock, and dance all put into the one album.

2. What are your favourite songs on the new album?
LYNSEY: We all love 'the lie' which is on of the original songs off the first album.
EMMA: And we love another up beat song called 'Playing the wrong game'.

3. What albums are you listening to at the moment?
AIMEE: I'm listening to Corrine bailey Rae, Ne-Yo, Chris Brown, and a bit of the Sugababes too!

4. Emma, Lynsey, and Aimee: what is your favourite song of all time?.
AIMEE Its got to be 'When Doves Cry' by Prince.. or 'Kiss'!

5. What was it like filming your latest music video, "Lucky Like That"? It looked really fun.
EMMA: It was great fun. We loved getting the chance to be 4 different characters with four different looks in this video as we've never done that before!
LYNSEY: And the Clea car I was very excited about.

6. I know "We Don't Have to Take Our Clothes Off" was released in several European countries. Are there any more plans to release your new music
worldwide?
LYNSEY: Yes definitely, if we get the chance to bring our music out worldwide that is definitely the plan. it been great releasing in Europe so far and we look
forward to travelling more!

7. Tell one fact about yourself most people wouldn't know about you!
AIMEE: I am allergic to garlic, it keeps me awake all night if I eat it!

8. How is it being signed to an independent record label? Do you feel more freedom and support than being on a major label?
LYNSEY: Being with an independent label has given us a really close relationship with a record label that you wouldn't normally get. Usually your just another band on their books, but this gives us a chance to have a say in what we do and a lot more freedom too.

9. These days, the pop music scene in the UK hasn't been as successful as it used to be; great songs, including yours, struggle to get high chart positions. Do you think your new single "Lucky Like That" can do well in a climate that seems to be hostile to that type of music?
EMMA: Its true. pop music is a very hard business in the UK at the moment and a lot of great music gets missed. We want to bring some fun back into the charts!
LYNSEY: Lucky Like That is out little baby and we really hope its the one that will break us into the charts, given the right promotion and exposure we need!

10. What would you say to critics that say that your current sound is too bubblegum or dated?
EMMA: We have tried the whole mature pop cool thing in the beginning and it wasn't working for us. We're three young girls who enjoy pop music and that's naturally the direction we chose to go in.
LYNSEY: Like fashion, styles go around in one big loop and we think its time pop came back around. It may not be to everyone’s taste but nobody can cater to everyone!

11. How many tracks off the Identity Crisis album have been re-recorded on your new CD, other than "Download It" and "The Lie"?
AIMEE: All together we have included 5 songs off the original album. There is 'Stuck in the Middle', 'Pretty Little Bad Girls', and 'Butterflies and Rainbows.

12. "We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off" had a bunch of hot guys in the video wearing nothing. If each of you had to pick any male celebrity to serve you hand and foot (in the nude!), who would it be?
AIMEE: Ohh how special does that sound! It would be Wentworth Miller from Prison Break! he is too hot.

13. What's the best part of being in Clea?
AIMEE: Working with my girlies Emma and Lynsey. there great girls to work with and have become like sisters to me.

14. You girls are really talented! How do you feel about miming/lip synching in live TV appearances or PAs?
LYNSEY: Its one of those things that in a lot of cases you have to do. Especially if you have a full on routine or if they don't have the right equipment for live vocals. Were not against it because we do it ourselves at some gigs, but we would prefer to sing live when we have the opportunity to.

15. On PopWorld.com recently, Aimee said that Emma was the only member in the group without a boyfriend. (As a fellow single girl, I'm with you!) Has that status changed?
EMMA: No I’m still a single gal and loving it!

16. Your last single was done with dance act/remixers Da Playaz and had a lot of alternate versions. Are you planning to release dance remixes for "Lucky Like That" or future singles, and what do you think of remixes of your songs in general?
AIMEE: They are wicked if we don’t mind saying so ourselves! ha-ha. there will be an enhanced single that includes four awesome dance mixes by different dj's including Uniting Nations.

17. What location in the world have you not yet visited that you'd like to go to?
AIMEE: I would love to visit the far east or Australia. They are such different cultures over there and it would be an amazing experience.

18. This comes from robpop, who loves you guys - Why aren't you releasing "Kick Back Relax" or "Don't Go"?
LYNSEY: We loved both of those tracks so much. We couldn't get the sample cleared that was used in Don't Go which was a real shame. As for Kick back Relax, we had some trouble getting it cleared with the writer of the song. Lots of politics as usual!

19. Finally, do your best advertisement for my UK readers to inspire them to buy your new single!
EMMA: Lucky Like That is such a fun pop'tastic record that is bound to get you on the dance floor this summer! Its a feel good track that should appeal to everyone and have you singing away. So make us lucky like that by buying our single and getting us our first Top 10!xx

Major thanks to Nigel and the girls!!

CLEA!

2006-04-11T18:20:00.000-04:00

Okay, you guys got me. I'll let out the
surprise right now: I'm going to be doing an interview with British girl group Clea!!

If you have any questions for Lynsey, Aimee, and Emma, just leave a comment on this post or email me from the link on the blog! Depending on how many I get, i'll pick some or all of them to send over via email. I'm going to be leaving to Tampa for the weekend on Thursday afternoon, so you've got until tomorrow (Wednesday) at midnight EST to send them in!

Picture: behind the scenes of "Lucky Like That" music video (thanks to Nigel from the Clea team)

Coming soon...

2006-04-10T19:30:00.000-04:00

This is wierd.

2006-04-09T00:12:00.000-04:00

This is an African commercial for a local brand of condoms. I've never actually seen a TV ad for comdoms in the U.S., though I think they'd be a good idea. I busted a gut laughing because of the soundtrack. "One Love"? Seriously? I know Blue were huge in Italy, but were they at all popular in African nations, or was this a joke by the marketing department? That song has absolutely nothing to do with condoms, except for the fact that Lee Ryan sure as hell better be using them.

Anyway, here's my favorite song from the new Pink album. I don't feel guilty posting it because US iTunes are being dumbasses and only allowing you to download the full album instead of individual tracks. I suggest you buy it. I can deal with Rascal Flatts outselling her, but "Collection of Overplayed Songs that Have Been Out For Months" 21 and the Disney TV movie High School Musical? No way!! (Honestly, i've been starting to think that America needs a seperate compilation album chart like there is in the U.K.) This song is Max Martin, but a variation on the new sound, and more electro pop.

'Cuz I Can

Okay, I can't find a lyric snippet to use.

2006-04-07T11:55:00.000-04:00

As a rule, I'm not a fan of J-pop. I don't think it sucks or anything, it's just that I have no clue about it other than Utada's English album, and don't know what's the good in any genre is. I guarantee i'll never post it again. However, through Livejournal I discovered this girl Koda Kumi. From my research, she released a club single or two in the United States without success early in her career. Actually, they weren't very successful in Japan either...her career got saved when one of her songs got on the Final Fantasy video game soundtrack, therefore making her the toast of Japanese fans as well as American anime devotees, who flock to the occassional U.S. conventions she performs at. On livejournal they talked about her and how she apparently ripped off an American song, much like the Korean singer whose songwriters are being sued by Britney Spears' for copying "Do Something" for one of her singles. Links to YouTube videos turn into more YouTube videos, and here we are. These songs are pretty good, although they have the required one snippet of English words and the rest of the song in Japanese. One thing I can say is that they mostly keep their songs poppy.

Selfish - This is good. I wouldn't call it rock/pop...it's more like an uptempo dance/pop song using guitars (or guitar sound effects). It's all attitude-y.
Butterfly - Not the Mariah Carey song of the same name; this one is a fluttering upbeat (almost frantic), bubblegum extravaganza. I can see this song in a musical or something.
D.D.D. (feat. Soulhead) - This song was compared to the Moulin Rouge remake of "Lady Marmalade", and I can see that, because it's another song with attitude, a rap break, and a racy video. This song was released last December, during a promotional gimmick that had Koma Kudi releasing twelve limited edition singles back-to-back for 12 straight weeks. (I knew Asian acts were prolific, but damn!) They all did well, and now she is releasing her second (!) greatest hits collection featuring the dozen songs, I guess for those who didn't want to waste their money.
Shake It - This is the song that I first heard, and I honestly don't like it that much. It supposedly rips off a 3LW song titled "Is You Feeling Me" ("what could they expect, they already made the title in Engrish" - someone at LJ). It's more of a hip hop/r&b wannabe thing, and the music video features hilarious, slutty dance moves as part of an ill-advised belly dancer theme.

Music videos featuring varying degrees of sluttiness over at YouTube. Some aren't any worse than your average Christina Aguilera or modern Jessica Simpson video, butsome make you wonder how the hell they got on air, as they are basically BET Uncut material (however, no nudity, blurred or otherwise, which I am personally thankful for, though you might not be) except with more hyper audio accompianment and superior production values.

DVD rippers

2006-04-03T20:06:00.000-04:00

I got my first comment spam today! If that wasn't enough proof that people are actually reading =) Heh.

No songs today, rats. Anyway, I wanted to give a shoutout to Kimiko, who managed to find and upload a great-quality copy of the Mynt remix of Kelly Clarkson's "Behind These Hazel Eyes" that I was begging for awhile back. If it's not a CD rip, it sounds damn close. Here it is for anyone else who wants it! Thanks!

Which leads me to another request, if anyone could help me with i'd be extremely thankful. Do any of my esteemed readers know of free software that can rip DVD video? I have one that does audio, but i've got some cool stuff on DVD (like old school TRL performances) that i'd like to upload on YouTube for you all, but I can't find anything that would work. A 5-minute limit on the trial/shareware on DVD would be great. It's okay if it has a little watermark on the side, but it can't have huge logos all over the screen. I know this is a lot to ask, but i'm at a loss right now. (Either this or PayPal me the money to buy a full version of something :P) THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

Funny random shuffle on iPod: Pink, "Dear Diary"; Blue, "Guilty"; Green Day, "Give Me Novacaine". Colorful!

dum de-dum de dum dum dum! (or however it goes)

2006-04-02T22:20:00.000-04:00

This post is about Marie Serenholt. She used to be in the A*Teens, a Swedish group who started out doing a bunch of ABBA covers but then branched out in doing their own great pop songs. They broke up a few years ago, and Marie is stepping out on her own, with her debut solo album, Enjoy The Ride. This is very much a throwback to the teenpop of the end of the last decade, and ocassionally it's too cheesy even for me. It definitely sounds dated (in the best way, but still), and would probably find little success outside of Scandinavia these days, although i've heard rumblings of a UK release.

The album was released in her native Sweden last month, and is short (only 10 tracks), but with some gems. Lead single "That's The Way My Heart Goes" is almost pre-Britney Britney, if you could call it that. The music video that makes her out to be a fembot Jessica Simpson clone freaks me out, but the song itself is nice. That one's been posted elsewhere, so here are some of my favorite album tracks.

Enjoy The Ride - The title track, great sort-of-breezy song that combines some slight guitar work with the pure pop. She doesn't have the best or strongest voice, but her wistful vocals work for this song and some others.
I Love Making Love in The Morning- Described as the "happiest song ever" on the Popjustice boards, it's upbeat and '60s inspired, much like Emma Bunton's last album.
The Boy I Used To Know - My favorite song on the CD! It's bubblegum stomping joy. I don't know how to describe it, but if you were only going to download one of her songs, i'd recommend this one.
Calling All Detectives - Slower, more mid-tempo track with some "rhythmic talking" (I refuse to call it rapping) and an interesting spin on the cheating boyfriend theme, including a CSI shoutout.
Can't Be Loved - The beginning almost sounds like a semi-jazzy/big band song, until it gives way to another stormer.

Next time, who knows? I think i've got another performer from a far-flung location next, but i'd like to keep it a surprise :)

You could be the hottest, you could be the finest...

2006-03-30T15:06:00.000-05:00

I'm back! First off, thanks for all the comments! I really appreciate it. Also, I got a shout out by Dirrty Pop, the kick ass pop blog that i've been reading forever. She can't stand Clay Aiken but that's okay, LOL. Now for another singer who was also on a reality show!

Javine was in the play The Lion King, just like recent eliminated American Idol finalist Lisa Tucker. After that, she entered Popstars: The Rivals, the 2002 series that spawned Girls Aloud, and a boy band I can't remember. She just barely missed making it into Girls Aloud, which from what I gather was somewhat of a shock at the time (I guess along the lines of Tamyra Gray booted from the first season of American Idol). However, she quickly got back up on her feet and released her own album.

Surrender shows that, if not success wise, at least music-wise Javine was probably happier outside of Girls Aloud. It's a standard r&b-tinged pop album. Although it was released in 2003 and I *acquired* it almost a year ago, I never got around to listening to it until today on my iPod...bad me. =) There are some great tracks on it. Unfortunately, after initial success, the album flopped, and she got dropped. She managed to get another record deal after entering the European Eurovision Song Contest, but she placed third to last and the single didn't sell very well in the UK. She is gearing up to release a cover of Shanice's "I Love Your Smile" soon, and was caught drunk driving. Judging from her album, she has potential and I hope she gets everything together.

Real Things - Hugely successful first single, peaking at #4 in England. I can't believe I didn't listen to it beforehand, because this is hot. It has some hip hop flavor but still with a pop sensibility. Honestly, if this song was released by a well known singer in the U.S., I think it could be a hit here in the states. (Rihanna, cover this song stat! You've already gone incredibly genius pop with "S.O.S." and made it a radio smash.)
Best of My Love - This was a single, but not as successful. I think this might be my favorite song of hers; it combines, pop, hip-hop, and Arabian-sounding flavors.
Surrender (Your Love) - This song sounds like it samples something, but i'm not sure what. It's one of those cool, fun songs with an old-school soul sample in it, although the talky bits in the beginning might not be necessary. Granted, they're probably the only thing that would tell you the artist of this song is British.
All About Us - A sweet, sappy ballad about how having money doesn't compare to being in love, which appears to be a theme of several of her songs. I could see an Idol show winner singing it as their coronation song.
Don't Walk Away (Soda Club Edit) - Pumping cheesy dance/trance remix of her cover of '90s one-hit-wonder girl group Jade. Both the album version and Bad Boy Remix (why it has that name i'm not sure, because there is absolutely no sign of Puff Daddy/P.Diddy/Diddy in it) are somewhat lackluster, but this version rocks.
Touch My Fire - Her Eurovision single from last year. It's a huge pop/dance/Bollywood Arabian extravaganza that deserved far better than it got.

To top it all off, here's a performance of the B-52's "Love Shack" she did on the finale of Popstars with the future members of Girls Aloud. You will notice that she is really really tall and towers over virtually everyone.

NEWS FLASH + Beu Sisters

2006-03-24T20:36:00.001-05:00

1. I'm back home earlier than expected...but i've got a test on Monday.
2. Clay Aiken's brand new album is being released in the U.S. on June 20th. International release? Hopefully. (I like him, okay? But i'll save the huge OTT gushing and songs until it gets closer to that date.)
3. To celebrate, here are some songs from a group of 4 sisters that opened for Clay and Kelly Clarkson on the 2004 Independent Tour, the Beu Sisters.

I Was Only (Seventeen) [Pop Edit] - Their first (and I believe only) single off their debut album. It's more uptempo than the regular version, with sweet harmonies.
What Do You Do In The Summer (When It's Raining) - Promo-only radio single from a second album that seems to have never materialized. It's a fun, shiny, and total boppy '60s-inspired track!
You Make Me Feel Like A Star (Lizzie Mix) - Virtually the same as the version on the album Decisions, except Disney-fied to change certain lyrics (i.e. "I may not be a centerfold") to be appropriate for the Lizzie McGuire movie soundtrack it was on. Uptempo.

What's coming next? I have no idea. Oh, and I switched to z-share on the suggestion of a lovely anonymous visitor. I got 5 comments on my last entry (the 6th was my response, LOL), which makes me feel so great! Thank you guys.

Max Martin Extravaganza Finale: Post-Kelly (2005-06)

2006-03-17T13:59:00.000-05:00

This is the final installment of the Max Martin tribute i've been doing here. Sorry I haven't posted anything in a few days, but i've been really busy with assignments and preparing for my spring break trip to Orlando (don't get too jealous - i'm just visiting my dad). I won't be able to access a computer for pretty much all of next week, so I would've felt guilty if I didn't finish this off.

Anyway...Max (and Luke) hit paydirt again, with Kelly Clarkson. As he is wont to do, Max Martin ran with it and began writing and producing similar-sounding songs for a variety of artists, including the obvious mashup of "Since U Been Gone" and "Shape of My Heart" for the Backstreet Boys' "Just Want You To Know". (Hell, both songs even got a dance remix by Jason Nevins.). So far, none of them have reached the same heights of "Since U Been Gone", but I think they're good regardless. here are some slightly less known tracks.

Marion Raven was one half of Norwegian pop duo M2M, probably best known for the song "Don't Say You Love Me" off the Pokemon soundtrack (shut up...the first CD was good). Now she's also rocking out, with an album that has been doing well in Scandinavia and Asia, with a possible North American release forthcoming. (I'll believe it when I see it...) And we all know who teen pop stars go to nowadays when they want a bit of musical bite with their melodies...she recorded half of her debut solo album with Max Martin and Rami. Her voice is far stronger and mature than before.

Break You - The first single, all good and angry, complete with "Since U Been Gone" ripoff breaking stuff video.
Here I Am - Second single.
End of Me - Third single.
Little By Little
In Spite of Me
Six Feet Under

Next up, another American Idol alumni, fourth season runner-up Bo Bice. In an obvious attempt to replicate the success of Kelly's tracks, Max Martin and Dr. Luke were hired for a couple of tracks on his first album. On the show, his style was more like '70s southern rock than this, and i'm not completely sure if it fits him too well, but the melodies are still good.

U Make Me Better - Because the reason "Since U Been Gone" was so huge was because of its incorrect spelling! :P
Lie... It's Alright

Finally, I bring you to Australian pop duo The Veronicas, made up of Lisa and Jess, two twin sisters. One is dating Ryan Cabrera but i'm not sure which. They also employed Max and Luke for a handful on their debut album, The Secret Life of the Veronicas. Success in their native country has been massive, but unfortunately they haven't been doing nearly as well in America so far.

4Ever - Their debut single, platinum in Australia, and very Kelly-esque, with some harmonies.
4Ever (Claude Le Gauche Radio Edit) - The first single. The original is more obviously influenced by the Kelly songs (anthemic chorus following slower verse, huge guitars), but this is another one of those rock-inflected dance remixes I completely love.
Everything I'm Not - Rumored second single in the U.S. (Still hasn't been decided between this and "When It all Falls Apart.") Slightly slower paced and more melancholy than "4Ever".

So what's in the future for 2006? Well, Max Martin and Dr. Luke are involved in several upcoming projects at the moment, including Pink's comeback album I'm Not Dead in April (tracks including future single "U and Your Hand"...I love them, but I wish they'd quit the "u" crap; it doesn't work for anyone except Prince), several tracks on Kelis' new CD Kelis Was Here, and the first album from former O-Town member Ashley Parker Angel, with several songs, including "I'm Better" and lead single "Let U Go" (WMA streaming links for both tracks).

Enjoy!!!

Max Martin Extravaganza Part VIII: Kelly Clarkson (2004)

2006-03-13T20:00:00.000-05:00

We're almost to the end of the Max Martin special, but not before detailing his resurgence. By 2004, the typical teen pop sound was out. Pop music was majorly impacted by either r&b or rock influences. The latter came about largely through Avril Lavigne, and then you would get nearly every young female singer trying for a similar sound.

Kelly Clarkson wanted to rock. As the winner of the first season of American Idol, she had to deal with the stigma of being considered a non-versatile, uncool singer, whose career would fade and be limited to cheesy ballads. Although I like those cheesy ballads, that's not what happened. Her debut album was very successful in the U.S., not so much elsewhere. When it came time for her sophomore effort, her label reached out to Max Martin.

By this time, Max was making the rock/teen pop fusion in earnest. He had a new collaborator, Lukask "Dr. Luke" Gottwald, and they would write and produce the songs. One of the last songs submitted for Kelly's album was "Since U Been Gone". The original arrangement was more poppy, but Kelly herself insisted on adding more guitars. Max and Luke were pleasantly surprised, and they went on with creating what would become one of the biggest singles of 2005. They also collaborated with Kelly to co-write "Behind These Hazel Eyes", another hit single off the album. Originally, the lyrics were completely different, but were rewritten shortly before the album's American release in November 2004 (BTW, i've posted the first, U.S. cover, back when she had brown hair...I wish she'd go back to that. She's beautiful, but I think the blonde makes her look washed out.) when her boyfriend dumped her for his ex-girlfriend. With these songs, Kelly managed to finally become huge all over the world!

Since U Been Gone (Rock Da Radio) - Kick-ass dance remix by Jason Nevins. This mix incorporates the guitar riffs of the original into it, unlike the regular Nevins mix that uses more synths.
Since U Been Gone (VH1 Acoustic) - Gives a totally new spin on the song, but I think it works. This is a live, laid back performance that has a lot of feeling, and also some vocal changeups.
Since U Been Gone (Unreal Booty Babes Remix) - Not completely sure of the origin of this, but sounds a lot like Benny Benassi ("Satisfaction" of Wendy's commercial fame). I think this remix was rejected by Kelly's label, and then a group called the "Booty Babes" re-recorded it as a cover that has actually done quite well in Scandinavia.
Since U Been Gone (Select Mix) - Basically an extended version of the original. The more the better, right? :P
Behind These Hazel Eyes (Ultimix) - This remix was done by Joe Bermudez and Josh Harris. This is probably what the album version would have sounded like had it been recorded five or six years ago. It has a more pop, beat-oriented production that makes it sound like a really good early Britney track. Click here to see a new version of the music video edited to a short version of this remix (.mov file).
Behind These Hazel Eyes (Wolf Radio Mix) - In my opinion, this is the best of all the dance remixes to this song. I believe it's unofficial, but it's great. It reminds me of early-mid '90s dance music like Real McCoy, which always made me giddy.
Behind These Hazel Eyes (Dane-E Remix) - Total German/Euro remix along the lines of Cascada. I love that, so this is good. It's basically along the same lines as "Everytime We Touch" - first verse, huge chorus, the pumping reprise of beats doing the same thing. I don't know how to describe it, but if you've heard that song you'll see the similarities. It sounds like it was ripped from vinyl; i'm sorry.
Behind These Hazel Eyes (Ruff Draft Remix) - I guess this is supposed to be a hip-hop remix? I don't know, I like it. There aren't any actual rappers in it, though there's a dude occassionally yelling between the verse and chorus, but it's not distracting. The beats work.

P.S. If anybody knows where I can get a high quality (not radio rip) copy of the Mynt Remix of BTHE I would love you forever, and then share on the blog!

My next post will finish the whole shebang, with all the 2005 output and a look into the future. Enjoy!

Max Martin Extravaganza Part VII: Nick Carter (2002)

2006-03-11T21:48:00.000-05:00

2002 was an unusual year. Both of the big American boy bands, the Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC, decided to part ways. Or "take a break", whatever. Either way, their best known members went on to make attempts at solo careers. Justin Timberlake and Nick Carter released their solo albums on the same label (Jive Records) within a month of each other. We all know what happened to Justin: Neptunes, Timbaland, superstardom, and exposing Janet Jackson's boob. Nick's solo career was far less successful, which is probably why BSB got back together while several other *NSYNC members are still hanging onto the slim chance that Justin deigns to have a reunion.

I think Nick's album, Now or Never, was underrated. It's not a masterpiece by any means, but it was bashed by many sources when it was a decent pop-rock album with some unique elements (such as a guest appearance by dancehall star Mr. Vegas.) It was also the beginning of Max Martin's new, more rock-influenced sound, which he would later perfect with Kelly Clarkson. The catchy melodies of his former teen pop sound were combined with loud, harder guitars as opposed/in addition to the synthesized beats. He did three tracks on the album; maybe if there were more, it could've done better. Who knows?

I Got You - Third and final single off the CD, only released overseas. It's not as rocky as the other tracks, it's slightly more ballad-y, but it's more of a driving rock ballad along the lines of Bryan Adams (whom Nick was clearly influenced by in his solo endeavors) as opposed to the pure teen ballads of earlier.
Blow Your Mind - "Since U Been Gone" prototype. Not quite as good, but it's an early example. It has the blow out rock chorus customary of the Max Martin songs today.
I Just Wanna Take You Home - Slightly slower, but still upbeat. Would probably be the "Behind These Hazel Eyes" to "Blow Your Mind"'s SUBG.

OK, things will be finished up soon. Max Martin did pretty much nothing in 2003 to speak of, so i'm going to skip right to '04 and '05, with Kelly and her direct descendants, including The Veronicas, Marion Raven, and Bo Bice.

Max Martin Extravaganza Part VI: Britney (2001)

2006-03-09T15:21:00.000-05:00

OMG OMG Don't Stop The Pop gave me a shoutout on their front page *fangirly shriek* Here's what they said: "This is one of the BEST popblogs out there. I wish I'd found it earlier!!!" I love that site. Anyway...just getting into the mindset of a teenybopper in the early '00s before I watch people get eliminated on American Idol tonight. (Kellie Pickler annoys me greatly, but i'm not delusional enough to think she's going tonight.)

At the end of 2000, Max Martin closed Cherion, and started another studio called Maratone. 2001 was a quiet year for them, with only a handful of tracks on Britney's half-self-titled third album. This is around the stage when teen pop was rapidly becoming unpopular in the United States, and Britney ran to the Neptunes and other hip-hop producers to "cool" up her image. Honestly, the Max Martin tracks on Britney are not the best work of either ("Bombastic Love"? Come on.) so I can't completely blame her.

Overprotected - Third single off the album, and by far the best one Max did on it.
Overprotected (Darkchild remix) - The American single version, remixed by hip-hop producer Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins. However, even that didn't make it successful.
I'm Not A Girl (Not Yet A Woman) [Spanish Fly Remix Radio Edit] - Okay, i'll put it out there right here. I liked Crossroads. I saw it in the theaters twice (although the second was in a dollar store theater where there was nothing else good on) and bought the DVD. This song was co-written by Dido, and had cheesy lyrics, but as a young teenage girl, I could relate to it. If there is such a thing as songs with "Britney's best vocals", this would probably be one. This is a nice dance remix of it.

2002 is up next. It was another slow year, with the exception of Backstreet Boys' Nick Carter's underrated flop of a solo album. Don't worry, we're just gearing up for what we all know is coming...

Max Martin Extravaganza: Oops! (2000)

2006-03-07T15:16:00.000-05:00

More Britney, from her huge second album, which had the highest first week sales (1.3 million) for a female artist. It's very similar to her first (and the lead singles were almost the same), but I consider it somewhat more solid. Songs like "What U See is What U Get" are relegated to filler here, when they no doubt would've been singles had they been on her debut. (Just turn it off after track 11 and pretend "Dear Diary" doesn't exist.)

Oops! I Did It Again (Music Breakdown Mix) - The version played on the radio, without that dumbass Titanic ripoff "acting" in the middle.
Lucky (Junior Vasquez Almost Lucky Club Mix) - Dance remix of the second single. People always made fun of this song and video because she was whining about celebrity life, basically, but I always liked it.
Can't Make You Love Me - Good album track.

Max Martin Extravaganza Part V: No Strings Attached (2000)

2006-03-07T15:06:00.000-05:00

Sorry for not posting in a few days, I had some stuff to do, I guess. I got a kick ass new flat screen monitor!! The better to see music videos with...Anyway, I didn't think I was going to be able, but since I finished by class assignments quicker than I thought I would, back to the pop!!

2000 was even bigger. *NSYNC surged past the Backstreet Boys to become the most successful boy band of the year. Their album sold 2.4 million copies in one week, and with the state of today's record industry, that record will probably never be broken. While they were extremely huge in the United States, they never reached the same heights overseas. The success they had was largely based on the smash hit single "Bye Bye Bye". While produced by the Cherion team, Max Martin actually did not have a direct involvement in that song, which was written by Rami. However, he did co-write and -produce the second single, "It's Gonna Be Me", which was, believe it or not, *NSYNC's only #1 single. It's a great song that had a slew of remixes. My favorite was done by Maurice Joshua, who is best known for remixing almost every Destiny's Child/Beyonce song in existence. It was the b-side to the American single, and I love the uplifting breakdown.

It's Gonna Be Me (Maurice Joshua Mix)

Max Martin Extravaganza: Celine Dion (1999)

2006-03-03T19:52:00.000-05:00

Before the year 1999 came to a close, Celine Dion released her greatest hits album. Actually, it was half greatest hits and half brand new tracks. By far the best one was the first single (and biggest hit) from the collection, "That's The Way It Is". Max Martin expanded beyond teen pop stars to work with Celine. It has an inspiring sound and inspiring lyrics that fit her perfectly and make me deliriously happy whenever I hear it.

That's The Way It Is (Metro Club Mix) - Even more upbeat! One of Celine's best remixes.

Max Martin Extravaganza: Britney Spears (1999)

2006-03-03T19:14:00.000-05:00

What is there left to be said about Britney Spears? At times, her controversy has often overshadowed her talent. Often, it has been said that there is barely any talent there in the first place. Max Martin was sometimes criticized in connection for allowing her career to exist. That part is probably true. If the folks at Jive Records had never come across "...Baby One More Time", and TLC hadn't rejected it, Britney would be in backwoods Louisiana today, with a redneck husband that is still better than Kevin Federline.

Whatever my personal opinion of Britney, her image, and her actions; it is an undisputed fact that she served as a vessel for some of the best pop songs of the past ten years. It could be said that she lent relatively little to the songs, but to me it doesn't matter. I know the first time I heard her debut single on the radio, it was refreshing from what was out at the time, and that it would be huge. The boy bands were striking it big, but Britney was the first to represent the female side. Yes, Christina Aguilera has the best voice and best musicality, but even when she came out, she seemed somewhat above the simple pleasures of a pure cheesy pop track. Today she almost disavows her great #1 hit "Genie in a Bottle". I doubt we would ever hear Britney dissing her early singles. And I appreciate her deeply for it, even if she is now a shell of her former self.

Baby One More Time (Boy Wonder Radio Mix) - Her first single is iconic, but this is a spin on the icon. It's a fun dance remix that came on some import copies of her first album.
(You Drive Me) Crazy (Jazzy Jim's Hip-Hop Mix) - The original version was a decent song, but the production wasn't all there. Make it pump, tweak the second verse, and add a "STOP!" and you get Britney's third hit single. The "Stop Remix" is the version on her Greatest Hits CD. This version retains the "STOP!" (ha ha, I love that), but adds a bit more funkiness. It was the b-side to the American single for her ballad "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart".
Born To Make You Happy (Bonus Remix) - This song was blasted by many critics for what was said to be the anti-feminist message of the lyrics: "I don't know how to live without your love/I was born to make you happy" In all honesty, I just don't take pop music that seriously. Besides, dependence is a common lyrical theme in teen pop from both male and female acts alike. It was released as a single in Europe. This version sounds almost like a different song, with Britney singing it differently, and a peppy guitar background as opposed to the almost haunting electronic pop background of the original.

OK, so sometime this weekend i'll put up the 2000 songs. It's pretty much more BSB, Britney, and *NSYNC - and more success for Max Martin. He won the ASCAP award for Songwriter of the Year twice, meaning that his songs were played on radio more than anyone else's. Enjoy!

Max Martin Extravaganza Part IV: Millennium (1999)

2006-03-03T18:59:00.000-05:00

Sorry for not posting for a few days! I've been busy for a few days searching for certain songs I swear I had, plus other stuff. But I guess i'll just bite the bullet and continue. 1999 was a huge year for Max Martin. *NSYNC kept riding the success of their debut, and he was instrumental in the astonishing success of a young singer named Britney Spears (more on her next post). It was also the year the Backstreet Boys took it to another level. Their second U.S. album (and third international CD), Millennium, dropped in '99, and shattered the record for the highest first week sales of any album. It was well deserved, IMO.

I Want It That Way (Morales Club Mix) - One of the classic pop singles of all time, and just as good seven years after it was released. It's a catchy song in any form, as this remix proves. David Morales is best known for doing lots of amazing remixes for Mariah Carey. Unlike his work with Mariah, BSB didn't record their vocals, but he worked extremely well with the original acapella. Jack D. Elliot did a good remix too, which is available on the soundtrack to the teen flick Drive Me Crazy. I believe this mix only appeared on an extremely rare import CD single, which I don't actually own
Show Me The Meaning of Being Lonely (Jason Nevins Mix) - The original is a touching, quality ballad with amazing production, strings, and vocals. The music video is a tribute to Max Martin's collaborator and close friend, Denniz PoP, who unfortunately died of cancer in 1998. I chose this version because it's rarer. It's not a dance remix, but slightly more upbeat with more beats. I swear I remember hearing it on the radio once in early 2000, on Power 96 before they became all rap all the time.

I used to have this extended-type remix of "It's Gotta Be You", a cool album track, but I lost it and can't find it anywhere, unfortunately...if I manage to acquire it again one day i'll upload it for you guys. Please forgive me. :(

Max Martin Extravaganza: Five (1998)

2006-02-28T20:00:00.000-05:00

Before Simon Cowell was known for being a bastard on American Idol, he was an A&R talent scout for BMG in England. After becoming bored with promoting singles from professional wrestlers, he wanted to find a male Spice Girls and successors to British boy band Take That. Auditions were held for an "edgy" boy band, and they got down to the finals when five contestants met and decided to go in as a group. Hence the formation of "5ive", as they were often dumbly called: Scott, Sean, Rich, Abs (stupid name, but because his name was also Richard), and J. The edgier aspects came from the fact that they incorporated rapping into many of their songs. At the time, I thought they sucked at rapping, but in retrospect they weren't so bad. Compared to Kevin Federline's "Popozao" and D4L's "Laffy Taffy", J and Abs are Biggie and Tupac. Also, their lyrics often had sexual innuendo and overt references beyond that in typical boy bands, and unlike most, they were not prevented from having girlfriends publicly.
In the U.S., they had one hit (still better than most British acts), the top 10 "When the Lights Go Out", and managed to score platinum with their debut album. Personally, I had always preferred their far less successful (#53 on Billboard Hot 100, thanks to wikipedia) follow-up, "It's The Things You Do". It was a catchy as hell Max Martin track that only got a single release in the United States.

It's The Things You Do (Video Version) - This is a radio edit that features a second sung verse, as opposed to the raps in the original. It's somewhat rare, and I actually have it on a cassette single!
It's The Things You Do (Sean and Dave's Excellent Extended Mix) - This is pretty rare too, it's from the maxi-single, although I have it on a Club Mix compilation somewhere. It's basically a longer version of the album version, which features the hilarious rap parts. I remember that my local radio station (Y100.7) would use the instrumental as a music bed for the DJs to talk over, several years after it was released. I would keep thinking the song would come on, but eventually realized and stopped being dissapointed when it continued to loop the very beginning endlessly.

As a bonus, here is the music video for the Max Martin track "Until The Time Is Through", a sweet ballad that was released in Europe.

Tomorrow we're moving forward to 1999, possibly the greatest year for Max Martin and teen pop in general ever, with some of the greatest pop songs of all time (IMHO) being released. Britney Spears debuts, BSB take it to a new level, and ballad queen Celine Dion (!!!), up next.

Max Martin Extravaganza Part III: *NSYNC (1998)

2006-02-28T19:50:00.000-05:00

Finally, it's time for 1998. This was the year that I truly got into music and became obsessed. Now for the pop!

After seeing the success of the Backstreet Boys, creepy man Lou Pearlman decided to form another boy band, *NSYNC. J.C., Justin, Joey, Chris, and Lance also got their start in Europe, and gained their success specifically in Germany, first. '98 was decided to be the year they would come back to their native country, and they also struck it big.

I Want You Back - Their first American single. Many people said this sounded like a slowed-down "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)", and I definitely saw it, especially as a huge BSB fan that thought *NSYNC were total copies. Either way, it's more good ol' derivativeness, but it works.
Tearin' Up My Heart (Dance Remix) - Second single. At one point I had two labeled remixes, but now I only have one, with no idea who did it. It goes with the dance-a-lot video, huh? :P

Later (after I watch American Idol, heh), five bad boys with the power to rock you (or so they claimed), with the help of the dudes behind the Spice Girls.

Max Martin Extravaganza: Backstreet's Back! (1997)

2006-02-26T13:08:00.000-05:00

As the Backstreet Boys came back to their native America and finally gained success, they released their second album in Europe and Canada, the aptly titled Backstreet's Back. In my opinion, it was a total step up from their first album. Their first two CDs were combined to make the American debut, but I think they left out some Max Martin gems that are some of the best songs off both albums.

10,000 Promises - The first Cherion ballad I've posted here, and it's a great one. Max can be versatile when he wants to be :P
That's The Way I Like It - Okay, IMO this is one of the greatest songs in their entire back catalog. I will never understand why it was left off the American album. It's a kick-ass upbeat track. The very first time I heard it, I was attending my first concert ever, where they performed it. I could barely catch any lyrics and had no idea what the song was, but I absolutely loved it. Then I got the import of the second album and I was hooked.

Now for some songs that actually did make it onto the American tracklisting:

As Long As You Love Me (Soul Solution Radio Edit) - Their second U.S. single off the album, often accused of being a wierd, messed-up song for the lyrics of not caring who someone is (a serial killer?). Everyone knows it, so I put this poppy dance mix up instead, which I got from an exclusive Sears promo CD during their Millennium promotion.
Everybody (Backstreet's Back) [Radio Edit] - This is the song that got me into BSB, and modern teen pop in the first place. (It wasn't because they were cute, because it was the first video I saw, and they were dressed like monsters!) This is the radio edit that features a bridge by Nick, as opposed to the extended version that appears on all later U.S. pressings of the album ("Everybody" was only added on later)
Everybody (Backstreet's Back) [Matty's Radio Mix] - A good poppy r&b type mix from the maxi-single. I think they might have performed this remix on an awards show once.

All right, that's it for today. Either tomorrow or Tuesday (depending on my work load...i've got a theater appreciation exam on Tues.), i'll post up the best Max Martin songs of 1998. It's creepy Svengali day, featuring another group made by Lou Pearlman, and the moment when Simon Cowell began reaching for world domination. Wanna take a guess? Hint: They're both boy bands...

Max Martin Extravaganza: Solid HarmoniE (1997)

2006-02-26T11:56:00.000-05:00

This next group is more unknown than the acts i've featured so far. Solid HarmoniE was a girl group, somewhat like the Spice Girls but not really. They were made up of three British members: Melissa, Mariama, and Beki; and an American member: Elisa. Despite that, they were part of the whole late '90s Orlando teen pop scene, and associated with the likes of Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC, probably due to having several songs produced and written by Max Martin. They had mild success in Europe, but pretty much failed in the U.S. Melissa (the lead singer) left the group for an unsuccessful solo career. Mariama briefly joined British pop/r&b group the Honeyz, and the other two recruited a new member (whose name I can't remember) to record a second album, which never came to fruition despite there being clips floating around on the Internet.

I'll Be There For You/I Want You To Want Me (Medley) - The two songs are virtually the same...so what? This was on a sampler disc that came with a BSB video I bought.
I'll Be There For You (Matthias Radio Mix) - They only released one single in the states, "I'll Be There For You". This is the disco-ish b-side remix.
To Love Once Again - Their album was the very first one I imported online (I bought the BSB CDs through the mail) in early '99, through CDNOW (remember them?). It's pretty uneven...the Max Martin tracks (along with "I Wanna Love You", written by one of Max's main collaborators Kristian Lundin) were pretty much the only stellar songs on it.

Max Martin Extravaganza Part II: Robyn - Do You Know (What It Takes) (1997)

2006-02-26T11:29:00.000-05:00

Welcome to 1997! This post is focusing on Robyn, the Swedish singer that had a few hits in the U.S. in the late '90s. Before she became a bloggers' favorite last year with her independently released self-titled album, she was working with Max Martin and Denniz PoP, doing some great pop songs. As far as I know, she was one of the first artists to be involved in co-writing their songs with them.

Her first single, and probably her best is "Do You Know (What It Takes)". I've posted both the original and a hot boppy r&b/pop remix from the CD single.

Do You Know (What It Takes) [LP Version]
Do You Know (What It Takes) [Dee's Full Mix Edit]

She also did another great single with the Cherion team called "Show Me Love". Since I have so much to post today, i'll put it up one time when I have nothing else. :P

Next up: Meet girl group Solid HarmoniE, and become re-aquainted with the Backstreet Boys and their follow-up effort.

Intermission - new Natasha Bedingfield clip

2006-02-25T20:09:00.000-05:00

Forgive me for interrupting the Max Martin tribute for some more recent pop from one of my favorite artists, Natasha Bedingfield. I'm not sure if this is for a new album or a possible re-release of Unwritten in the U.S. Either way, enjoy. The music is good, but I think it'll take some time to grow on me.

Tricky Angel (Clip)

Max Martin Extravaganza Part I: Backstreet Boys (1996)

2006-02-25T14:34:00.000-05:00

Max Martin was the king of the teen pop sound in the late '90s and early 2000s. His music style has evolved from beat-tastic bubblegum to the current rock-influenced music he produces. Believe it or not, that's actually a return to his roots, given that he started in a heavy metal band. He began producing in around 1994, but it was the following year when things really started getting going, with the debut single (and following album) from the Backstreet Boys.

These are tracks from my very own import copy of their first self-titled album release in Europe. I begged my mom to order this for me sometime in 1998 when I was an obsessed fan. Only several tracks are Max Martin songs, but for the most part they're clearly the best ones. This is also the start of his collaboration with Denniz PoP, whom he wrote and produced several of the greatest pop songs of the 1990s with.

We've Got It Goin' On - Their first single, released in 1995. It was a flop in the US but a hit in Europe, which got their career going over there. It's pretty cheesy and definitely not one of my favorite songs of either BSB or Max, but I think it's a good introduction to both.
Quit Playin' Games (With My Heart ) - This is the original version, released in '96. It has both verses sung by Brian Littrell, as opposed to the American edit on the U.S. debut that features Nick Carter's vocals as well. (Probably because Nick still hadn't completed puberty at the time of the first recording ;)
I Wanna Be With You - In my view, this is one of the best songs on this album. It wasn't chosen for the American album, and I have no clue why. I think it was in the live-action Casper movie with Christina Ricci or something.

And since it happened to be a Holland import, it included some great remixes for the Dutch:
We've Got It Goin' On (Marcus Radio Mix) - It has similar sounds to the original, but I think I might like it better.
I Wanna Be With You (Amadin's Club Mix)

Tomorrow we move on to 1997, the breakthrough year for Max Martin. BSB finally broke through in the USA, we were introduced to a kick-ass Swedish singer by the name of Robyn, and more!

P.S. You can comment if you want, you know :)

Welcome to Tip Top Pop + new Sugababes tracks

2006-02-24T21:02:00.000-05:00

Hey, this is my blog, dedicated to pop music! In a few days i'm going to be starting a chronological retrospective of the best of Max Martin, Swedish producer and songwriter extraordinare. Be warned (or excited) that while some of his biggest smashes will be covered, i'll also include lesser-known tracks, remixes, and alternate versions for the most well-known ones...because if you're reading this, you probably have the good taste to have the original versions already. :)

Anyway, let's kick this off nice with some new songs by the Sugababes. As you may know, founding member Mutya was recently replaced with another girl, Amelle. At first I didn't like her, but her voice is really growing on me. As a result, they decided to do a re-release of their most recent album, Taller in More Ways. It's actually quite the ripoff, including only one new song (it's great, though) and three re-recorded tracks, including their new kick-ass Xenomania single "Red Dress". (Apparently Mutya hated that song, which all of a sudden makes me extremely happy she left .) So i'll post them all here, along with a live track!

Gotta Be You (Amelle Mix) - Sugababes gone crunk.
Follow Me Home (Amelle Mix) - I think this song is about Mutya's new baby, which makes it wierd that this was one of the few songs rerecorded.
Red Dress (Radio Edit) - The new single. It took me awhile to get used to how Amelle says "cooler" but now I like it almost as much as the original.
Now You're Gone - Great ballad.
Ugly (live with Amelle) - Self explanitory.

They also have a great cover of Arctic Monkeys' "I Bet You Look Good On the Dancefloor", but that's on a million other blogs so I won't upload it. ;) But here's the performance from the NME Awards on YouTube! Okay, now I think Amelle rocks.

Next post starts the Max Martin extravaganza. Not sure what i'll start with, but it'll probably be some early Backstreet Boys.

On a final note, listen to the Chris Cox radio edit of Kelly Clarkson's new single, "Walk Away". (Scroll down.) It's somewhat rock influenced combined with the dance mix. Full remixes (and the video) should be out in a few weeks.