Every now and again you hear a song and think they get me. That's how I felt the first time I heard "I Am Not A Robot" by Marina & The Diamonds. It perfectly sums up how I've been feeling lately - overwhelmed and suffocated. As much as I loved the song, I had a sneaking suspicion that Marina might be a bit too cool for me. I don't read NME, can't fit into skinny jeans and would rather listen to La Toya than La Roux. As it turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong. Marina's music is quirky but it's still pop and positively oozes beautiful melodies. When she surprisingly agreed to an interview, I thought I should dig a bit further and stumbled across her blog. The more I read, the more I loved her. Marina is so raw, funny and uncompromisingly honest. This post is one of the best commentaries on the music machine that I've ever read. So what do you ask such a maverick? Read on to find out.
1. Hearing "I Am Not A Robot" for the first time was like being tea-bagged by Jesus. I felt like I had been touched by greatness. Did you realise it was special when you wrote it?
Yes. Because I was cringing as I wrote it as I was having to be really uncomfortably honest. Yuck/yikes.
2. I guess the lyrics are open to interpretation. What's it all about?
About pushing yourself too hard and as a result getting miserable/unproductive and not achieving anything in the end. About not being good enough. About trying to be good enough. About (cringe) an endless battle against yourself and the inherent self loathing that lies within all of us (it happens to all of us at some point in our lives - no point trying to deny it and going all hippy "self lurve" etc etc).
Robyn also has a song out about robots at the moment but it's a bit shit in comparison.
I love that song. It's weird there are 3 songs out at the moment about robots. It wasn't intentional. I wrote the song a long while ago. How embarassing.
3. The video is startling. Was it fun to make? Every tranny in Sydney will be after that sequined lipstick!
It was one of the best days that I've had in the past 5 years. Dreams turning into reality. The black oil giltter took 40 minutes to strip/scrape off. My skin was in rashes after the shoot.
4. I love reading your blog because you're so scathing. Are there any celebrities that you actually approve of?
Oh yes. Plenty. I am just a cynic and see badness in everything. I'm sure people have plenty of criticisms about me or WILL HAVE.
I think I open my mouth as I feel disappointed with most people or feel like I am on my own/can't find people who think along same lines as me. General perception of world = we all seem to be prioritizing the wrong things. No family values, style over substance reigns supreme in everything, etc etc. See? am nothing but a cynic. Maybe if I changed my ways I would not be disappointed with self/life.
5. Do you get sick of the comparisons with Kate Bush? I guess it's better than being compared to someone vile like Kate Nash. Who are you biggest influences?
Kate Bush is a most flattering comparison so will not say anything. I didn't really listen to music until 19 so my knowledge is limited. Sometimes I state Kate Bush as an influence just to please people as I know that is what they want to hear. In reality I love the Distillers, Patti Smith, PJ Harvey, Daniel Johnston and vintage No Doubt.
6. Yourlive coverof "What You Waiting For" is brilliant. Can you please stick it on your next single as a B-side?
Oh ok.
7. The continued success of Girls Aloud is a sure sign that the apocalyspe is nigh. True or false?
Hmm. False.
8. Who are the Diamonds? I've read that they're not a band but your fans.
The Diamonds are the fans. I wanted/always wanted this to be a collective experience. I am a solo artist so it can't really be a band I'm referring to.
9. What do you make of music blogs and their role in the greater music machine? You've received a lot of online loving.
Their role = picking up on music 8 years before the masses and spreading the good stuff. I like blogs. Fact.
Marina's EP "The Crown Jewels" is out now in the UK. It features the amazing "I Am Not A Robot" (below) and is available to download from iTunes. There's no news about an Australian release as yet. Source URL: https://popmusicrecords.blogspot.com/2009/06/ Visit pop music records for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection
"Man in the Mirror" was the fourth consecutive number-one single from Michael Jackson's Bad album. It is one of Jackson's most critically acclaimed songs and it was nominated for Record of the Year at the Grammy Awards. Following Jackson's death on June 25, 2009, the song re-entered the UK Singles Chart at #11.
I've been excited about Shakira's new album for months and if the lead single is any indication, it's going to be well and truly worth the wait. "La Loba" (the Spanish version of her comeback song "She Wolf") leaked yesterday and I've been listening to it non-stop ever since. In one fell swoop, the Colombian diva has kicked all the pretenders to the curb with her quirky pop genius. While Madonna desperately jumps on the latest bandwagon and Kylie happily treads water by working with the likes of Xenomania, Shakira continues to take huge risks. "La Loba" is a genuinely odd track that juxtaposes lush disco beats with sleek electronic bleeps. It should be a complete disaster but in a dazzling slight of hand, Shakira makes it work.
A lot of people are describing the song as a massive departure but to a certain extent "La Loba" picks up where "Timor" left off. However, unlike Shakira's curiously upbeat anti-war anthem, "La Loba" doesn't hint at disco. It is disco. The song is so authentic I can almost see the mirror balls and smell the poppers! Part of me wishes she left out the electronic elements altogether but they do add another layer to the track. I'm not sure who produced "La Loba" but they deserve a lot of credit. The swirling strings are sublime and that killer bassline is an almost animalistic call to the dancefloor. This is so good, I almost don't want to hear the English version. Check out Shakira's stunning comeback below:
"Work" is the second single by R&B/pop singer Ciara, from her third studio album, Fantasy Ride. The song was co-written by Ciara, Marcella Aracia and Missy Elliott, who is also featured on the single.
Michael Jackson was the Peter Pan of pop, the man who refused to grow old. It seems completely unfair that something as unremarkable as a heart attack should put an end to a magnificent career that survived scandal after scandal relatively intact. Unlike the majority of increasingly macabre media reports currently flooding the internet, I refuse to focus on the tragic side of Michael's life. The King of Pop clearly had his demons but he achieved more by the time he was 10 than most of us will accomplish in a lifetime. Instead, I'd like to pay tribute to an amazing artist by writing about my brief stint as one of his many devoted disciples. My love for Michael's music might have waned over the years but he never lost my admiration.
In the mid-80s my family finally got around to buying a VCR and one of the first videos we owned was "Thriller". I have no idea who chose it but I'm guessing it was my older sister. The clip was frightening stuff for a 5 year old and I had nightmares for a week. However, as I got older, it became one of my favourites and I watched that battered VHS compulsively. "Thriller" got me hooked on Michael and by the time "Bad" was released in 1987, I was already a loyal fan. More than twenty years have passed but I still remember purchasing the cassette with my pocket money and literally playing it until the tape broke. I listened to the album today and it isn't quite the masterpiece I remember. While "Bad" doesn't match the brilliance of "Off The Wall" or "Thriller", it's so intricately connected with my childhood memories that I find it hard to be objective. There's a bit of filler but time has been very kind to "Man In The Mirror", "Smooth Criminal" and "The Way You Make Me Feel".
I discovered Stock Aitken Waterman in the late 80s and my musical taste evolved radically (many would say in the wrong direction). By the time "Dangerous" was released in 1991, I had already lost interest in Michael. That's not to say I gave up on him entirely. Once you've caught the Havenhurst bug, there's no going back. Instead, I increasingly focused my attention on his fabulous siblings. My undying love for La Toya is pretty well known but I keep my admiration for Rebbie, Jackie, Jermaine, Marlon and Randy on the downlow. I'm starting to ramble now but I just don't know how to end this post without sounding completely trite or overly dramatic. I guess I just want to thank Michael for being the soundtrack to so many happy childhood memories. My deepest condolences to his family and army of faithful fans.Source URL: https://popmusicrecords.blogspot.com/2009/06/ Visit pop music records for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection
"Hush Hush" is a song by the Pussycat Dolls, included on the first edition of their second studio album, Doll Domination (2008). Originally a slow ballad, the song was remade into an uptempo, disco-inspired dance song sampling parts of Gloria Gaynor's 1978 hit "I Will Survive". This dance version, "Hush Hush; Hush Hush" was later released as a single from a reworked version of the Doll's second album, Doll Domination 2.0.
"You Are Not Alone" is the second single from Michael Jackson's album HIStory - Past, Present and Future, Book I, released in August 1995. The R&B ballad was officially written by R. Kelly, and Jackson's interest in the song is in response to difficult times in his personal life, most notably the highly publicized allegations of child sexual abuse and his recent marriage to Lisa Marie Presley. The song holds a Guinness World Record as the first song in the 37 year history of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 to debut at number one. The song went on to receive Grammy and American Music Award nominations.
Sometimes I get a bit carried away with the modern music scene and forget the whole reason I started this blog - to celebrate the glittering underbelly of pop. Two songs that screams POP TRASH in capital letters are Britt Ekland's stunning disco flop "Do It To Me (Once More With Feeling)" and its fabulous B-side "Private Party". From the hilarious cover to the cheap and tawdry lyrics, these sublime anthems represent everything I love about music. They're camp, utterly irreverent and come with a nude foldout poster! Britt's pop career might have only lasted for the one single but she sure did go out in a blaze of glory.
Until recently I had no idea that Britt ever dabbled in music. Like most people, I only knew her as a Bond girl and general media whore. I should have guessed that the Swedish bombshell would have been sucked into the disco craze like every other starlet with a shred of notoriety in the 1970s. And as far as novelty disco anthems go, "Do It To Me (Once More With Feeling)" is surprisingly accomplished. The production - courtesy of Joel Diamond - is vibrant and the chorus is seriously catchy. I love the spoken breakdown in French towards the end and the classy lyrics are an endless source of joy. Admittedly, Britt can barely speak English let alone carry a tune but her vocal incompetence just makes the proceedings even more fabulous. Listen to this hot mess here.
As much as I adore "Do It To Me (Once More With Feeling)", the B-side is even better. "Private Party" is basically a four and half minute party invitation with some of the cutest lyrics in disco history. I particularly love it when Britt purrs "it's a private party and not everyone can come, you gotta know the in-crowd if you want to join the fun!" The song also benefits from a great brass section and more prominent backing vocalists. It's a shame this wasn't the A-side but (given the cover) they were obviously hoping sex would sell and this gem is more camp than sleazy. Listen to "Private Party" below:
Private Party
Unfortunately for Britt, the single was a massive flop and she never recorded another one. It's probably for the best. The world obviously wasn't ready for a 37 year old nude pop star!
You'd think ruining the Pet Shop Boys' career would have been enough for Xenomania but, if media reports are accurate, they are now looking to drag Kylie into their two man flop machine. Honestly, the thought of Brian and Miranda producing the majority of Kylie's next album makes my blood run cold. Isn't the hideousness of "Giving You Up" warning enough that Kylie shouldn't be allowed within 10 Kilometres of Xenomania? It's by far the worst single of her 20 year career - and she wants to make half the album with them? Someone please call Susan Powter because we need to STOP THE INSANITY!
I agree that Kylie's next offering needs a more cohesive sound. "X" is my second favourite Parlophone album after "Light Years" but it did suffer from too many cooks in the kitchen. Hiring one or two producers is a great idea but Xenomania isn't the answer. Kylie needs to push her boundaries and keep trying new things, while everything that Brian Higgins touches has that same boring old sound. I'll gladly put up with the occasional "Nu-Di-Ty" for the pristine pop of "The One", "In My Arms" and "2 Hearts". Xenomania is a spent force. Working with them would be two huge steps back. Artistic merit aside, it would also be commercial suicide. Their sound is so English. Exactly how many hits have the ugly trolls from Girls Aloud scored outside the UK? I think you'll find the answer is 0. Has poor Kylie finally given up on international chart success in order to score a few cheap hits in Britain?
If the Xenomania revelation wasn't bad enough, the same sources state that Kylie will work on the other half of the album with Nerina Pallot. Seriously, was Lisa Scott Lee busy? I'm lost for words. I quite liked the flop diva's last album (particularly her cover of "Confide In Me") but I sure as hell don't want Kylie to emulate her sound. Kylie has made such edgy choices in the past, working with the likes of Emiliana Torrini and Kish Mauve. Why is she bothering with this middle of the road has-been? While I run to church and pray that this is all a big hoax, check out Nerina's only "hit" (below). Can't you just imagine this as a Kylie anthem? No, me neither.
I was originally going to call this post "The Poor Man's Kylie" but I think that's a bigger compliment than Little Boots deserves. For even at her lowest ebb, Kylie has never put her name to anything as dull and lifeless as "Hands". In fact, Little Boots' debut is perhaps the most brightly polished turd in recent musical history. At first glance, the package is pretty hard to resist. Little Boots has an amazing image, her cover art exudes cool and the electro beats flow with surgical precision. All that's missing is a decent vocalist, some good songs and a little bit of heart. Don't be fooled by the pretty pictures and dazzling lights - "Hands" is all style and no substance.
Despite my general misgivings about the album, there are a couple of highlights. The Greg Kurstin produced lead single doesn't quite live up to the deafening hype but "New In Town" is still a catchy electro anthem with a punchy little chorus. Unfortunately, it sticks out like a boner on a nudist beach among all the other toothless tracks. "Remedy" is probably the best of the rest. With a bit of a polish it could probably pass for a Saturdays' B-Side. I'm also rather partial to "Hearts Collide", which simultaneously rips off Sophie Ellis Bexter's "Another Day" and Cut Copy's "Hearts On Fire". It's not very original but Richard Stannard knows his way around a chorus and this is one of the few tracks that has a discernible hook. The only other track I've bothered to keep on my Ipod is the embarrassing but fun "Tune Of My Heart". It's by far the worst song Pascal Gabriel has ever put his name to but a little more of this cheese would have at least dragged the album into 'so bad it's good' territory.
As for the rest of "Hands", it's incredibly bland and disappointing. "Mathematics" is typically pointless. It's just a string of meaningless words set to an anonymous beat. There's no emotion or intelligence behind it. The same goes for the achingly pretentious "Ghosts" and the incredibly dreary "No Brakes". Things then go from bad to worse on "Symmetry". The track begins promisingly but ultimately reveals itself to be a rather feeble Depeche Mode knock off, while "Meddle" and "Click" are both songs in search of a chorus and melody. I really wanted to like "Earthquake" because it so desperately tries to imitate Kylie but the lyrics are abstract to the point of being ridiculous. However, as dire as those lyrics are, they have nothing on the hideous title track. I honestly didn't know whether to laugh or cry when Little Boots earnestly mused "she went up to the heavens about quarter past eleven" before singing some rubbish about putting her broken heart back together with sticky tape. Honestly, it makes Lady GaGa's legendary"bluffin' with my muffin" rhyme sound like Shakespeare! These are the empty shells of great pop songs. The production is uniformly excellent the album has no guts and more unforgivably, no soul.
So what the hell went wrong? The album features the who's who of hot producers from Greg Kurstin to RedOne. Ultimately, the blame has to lie with Little Boots. She clearly needs to run not walk to the Cathy Dennis school of songwriting to learn the importance of a decent chorus. A better solution would be leaving songwriting duties in more capable hands because it's clearly not her forte. A bigger obstacle for Little Boots, and one that's much harder to overcome, is her voice. I'm a firm believer that you don't need a huge set of pipes to be a good pop star but Little Boots makes Annie sound like Maria Callas. She basically talks her way through songs in an increasingly grating monotone. I think this is indicative of a bigger issue - her total and utter lack of charisma and personality. Little Boots is a blank sheet. Any of these songs could have appeared on any number of pop albums and probably would have sounded a lot better for it. She's not as fun as Kylie, as edgy as Lady GaGa or as clever as Robyn. What exactly is Little Boots' contribution to pop music?
"Fire Burning" is a dance pop reggae-influenced song and lead single from pop musician Sean Kingston's second studio album, Tomorrow. The song first debuted at #29 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, making it Kingston's highest debut on the chart. Since then it has entered the top ten peaking at #8 so far.
"I Gotta Feeling" is a song by the Black Eyed Peas and their second official single from their most recent album, The E.N.D.. The song first debuted on May 21, 2009, and charted at number two behind "Boom Boom Pow" on the week of June 27 on both the Canadian and U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
The Pop Panel has undergone a bit of makeover this week. Instead of the usual selection of hyped hits and future flops, I thought it would be fun to focus exclusively on the local music scene for a change. Australian pop music is on fire at the moment with the likes of Jessica Mauboy, The Veronicas, Sneaky Sound System, Cut Copy, The Presets and Empire Of The Sun taking off internationally. Then there's the next wave of talent (Dash & Will, Chris Sorbello, Liena and Zoe Badwi) just waiting in the wings for their turn to shine. This week's song selection represents both the established names and future stars. Given the Australian theme, I gave the usual whores the week off and asked a bunch of local bloggers to take over the reigns. The new line-up is comprised of:
In addition to those hos, I've also asked my friend Peter Wilson to serve as a guest judge. As you may remember, Peter is (to my knowledge at least) Australia's only Hi-NRG male pop star with a career extending back to the early 90s. More recently, he moved into production and struck the jackpot by collaborating with Amanda Lear on her big comeback album. Before getting stuck into voting, I asked him about that experience and an exciting project he's working on with a certain alumni of the Stock Aitken Waterman hit factory!
Hey Peter!The last time we spokeyou talked about working with disco legend Amanda Lear on her hugely anticipated comeback album. Can we have an update please? It's called "Brief Encounters" and comes out in October. The album has received so much attention from her fans and I've had great feedback. I ended up doing three tracks - "Brand New Love Affair", "C'est La Vie" and a cover of "Always On My Mind", which I love so much. Amanda even talked about me on Italian TV saying she's worked with Australian disco singer Peter Wilson! LOL. Amanda fans are gonna love the album!
Is it true that you have a new solo track coming out? Hmmm... I HAVE recorded one but it's not a priority for me. So, I imagine it will turn up on the next "Mad About The Boy" compilation on Klone. I didn't write or produce it. So yeah, I'm much more excited about my producing with (business partner) Chris.
You also wrote and produced a duet for Hi-NRG divas Evelyn Thomas and Carol Jiani. How was that experience? We did 7 songs with Carol Jiani and "Are You Man Enough" was one of them. I suggested the duet idea to Carol and she liked it. Evelyn Thomas was open to it and before you know it, it was recorded and the single came out in Germany in March. The song was originally written for Sinitta and was to be on her upcoming Greatest Hits. But timing was difficult as Sinitta was very busy and only ended up recording 2 new songs, which were done in the UK with my old producers PMG. But Carol and Evelyn made it their own. I think Carol is even doing a solo version soon too.
I believe you're currently working with Haywoode - one of my favourite SAW divas. Tell us what you guys are working on! Haywoode's great! We've just done "Getting Closer 2009", which is very Lady Gaga meets Daft Punk I guess you could say. We've co-written a track called "Kiss Me Good", which is awesome and I wrote a song for her called "If You Give Love". I would imagine a release some time this year. Everyone please support Sid Haywoode cos she's so lovely!!
This SAW classic was covered by Kylie in 1987
Ok, here are the results from least to most popular. Let me know what you think of the outcome!
Aaron: Sounds a little like a Halloween remix of Duffy's "Mercy". I'm not quite taken by it but it's pretty enough. Sarah's got a fantastic voice but the track just isn't doing it for me. Fairly middle-of-the-road stuff. Great background music. 3/5 Adem: A Bad Seeds-esque release from Blasko, and easily one of her best. Stunning video too. 4.5/5 Damian: Gosh there's some variety here this week!? What starts off as some strange Conway Twitty-esque country affair suddenly turns into a hauntingly beautiful ballad, layered with Sarah's divine smoky vocals. 3.5/5 Guy: The clip sums up my impression of Sarah Blasko. It’s trying to be ethereal and profound, but you just know it was filmed at Sovereign Hill. I don’t actually mind the song – it’s got a nice Emiliana Torini feel to it. But Blasko manages to make it pretentious and annoying. 2/5 Mike: Congratulations, Missy Higgins. You are no longer the most tiresome bitch on the Australian music scene. 0/5 Peter: The 60s pop/soul sound is spreading isn’t it? Though it’s spreading like anal warts on this. This track is just depressing and boring. I just want to force feed Sarah some Prozac and slap some happiness into her. Even a good production can’t save a turkey like this. Vomit. 1.5/5 Total: 14.5/30
Aaron: Whilst I much prefer "Yippio-Ay" and I think that should have got the complete live video treatment - this is decent. Hooky, pretty impressive but not a patch on "This Boy's In Love". Killer wolf call. 3.5/5 Adem: Odd single choice. But really, by now there's not all that much LEFT to release from "Apocalypso", is there? 4/5 Damian: The Presets almost go 'Prodigy' on what must surely be the final single from their 'Apocalypso' set. Chaotic, industrial electro that makes me want to go have a Bex and a nice lie down. 2/5 Guy: Just makes me think of a bad night out in a club where someone would spill a breezer on me and I’d want to go home. 2/5 Mike: The "Apocalypso" well is now officially drier than a nun's cunt. 2/5 Peter: I don't like this track so much. I have the album and it’s nothing close to "This Boy’s In Love", which is brilliant. This is just really beats, a groove and some random shouting. The sounds they use are great but this one doesn't do it for me. 2.5/5 Total: 16/30
Aaron: Well, a straight ahead, sunny, pop track that'll definitely do well on radio - Nice enough! 2.5/5 Adem: Terrible. Voice as thin as rice paper and not in the fun way Victoria Beckham's is. To add insult to injury, this song is used in those sickening Sunrise promos. Sally Singleton + Breakfast Television = Instant Heartburn. 1/5 Damian: Not entirely original, but the track's what good pOp should be - fun, uptempo and bright as a button! So bright Channel 7's Sunrise team felt compelled to use it in promotion for their unseatable morning show! 3/5 Guy: Trying to be Kate Nash, and isn’t quite successful. But on the Kate Alexa scale of wanna-be popstar daughters of advertising/entertainment heavies, I think she doesn’t do too badly at all. 2.5/5 Mike: Poor Sally comes across as a mental hospital escapee in the video but the song is exceedingly cute in a Lenka-lite kind of way. 3.5/5 Peter: I like the Motown soul vibe a lot of new pop is tapping into. This track's just like that, really catchy and well written too. Her voice is quite good, not sure about the Missy Higgins style accent on some words, but overall a great song, good to see good pop coming from Australia, from anywhere really! 4/5 Total: 16.5/30
Brecik - Joan Jett (Video below)
Brecik pays tribute to lesbian icon Joan in his poptastic debut.
Aaron: Killer high-tempo electro/pop/rock that actually works quite well. I like the jumpy, fist-in-the-air bits. This song reminds me a lot of James Leon, in a really good way of course! 4/5 Adem: Oh dear. 1/5 Damian: Brecik's strongest offering to date, delightfully electro and most worthy of some chart love. For something to really float your pOp boat, check out their awesome cover version of Shakespear's Sister's 'Run Silent' on their official Myspace. 3/5 Guy: Who is this? I appreciate the jaunty chorus and trashy stage dancers but the production’s just a little Aus Idol. I am however (genuinely) impressed that they included footage of him rocking out in a Mazda (not a rent-o BMW, a la Natalie Bassingthwaighte). 2/5 Mike: I wonder if Brecik would settle for a guy that looks like a butch lesbian from a distance? But I digress. "Joan Jett" is big, dumb fun and I wholeheartedly approve. 3.5/5 Peter: I really wanted to like this so much. I mean I don't hate it but it's just not amazing. It reminds me of a lot of 90s pop and can almost hear a 90s style Motiv8 mix of it. But yeah, not grabbing me. 3/5 Total: 16.5/30 Daniel Merriweather - Red (Video)
Already a top 5 hit for Daniel in the UK.
Aaron: Adorable, string soaked ballad with great lyrics and a fantastic voice. The after-second-verse-beat took a little while to work for me, but I do like it! But what does he have against Red? 4/5 Adem: It's not terrible, but when he's got such a goldmine as "Impossible" on his album and he releases this; then I have to take issue. 2/5 Damian: Cannot speak highly enough about this single. Quite possibly the best and most startlingly beautiful, soulful, impeccable, heart-felt and stirring single of 2009. Now, would Australia please give the boy the support he so rightly deserves. 5/5 Guy: Not quite as dire as Ronan Keating but I still think this is Mothers’ Day stocking filler. The Mark Ronson connection means he’s sure to be played endlessly by Borders once they get sick of Duffy. 2.5/5 Mike: Daniel Merriweather can sit on my face any day of the week but this crap bores me to tears. I miss his bogan rap phase. 2.5/5 Peter: This sounds very English, especially when the chorus kicks in. I’d imagine straight women over 30 will cream over this, bringing on romantic delusions of grandeur. It’s not me, but not a bad track at all. Just not that different to a lot of tracks on radio. 3/5 Total: 19/30
The first single from the alternative pop Queen's latest album.
Aaron: Killer beat, really quirky track - but it actually works. I don't mind this one - Surprisingly! Chorus is surprisingly joyful. Bertie sounds great too! The bit towards the end is a bit off though. 4/5 Adem: LOVE Bertie, even if she does look a bit like Kelly Osbourne. Spikey verses, killer chorus; one of the best singles of the year. 5/5 Damian: She scared the crap out of me when I first saw the clip but the track's progressive, daring and a definite departure from her previous material. Sadly, commercial radio's on the whole probably not going to be daring enough to try their luck. 3/5 Guy: A cross between Kelly Osbourne and Diana Ah Naid with some Missy Elliot bass and an unexpected chorus. And dancers courtesy of Gina Riley’s Corallee Hollow dance company. Not my cup of tea, but I don’t mind it. 3/5 Mike: Bertie's new album is a triumph but this is probably the least accessible track on it. "Heart" is disjointed, confronting and slightly scary. It's also the most original thing you'll hear on radio this year. 4/5 Peter: Very different, that’s what I like about it. I really can’t compare it to anything, which is what I’d imagine Bertie would take as a compliment. Not sure it will be a worldwide smash but it’s good she’s doing something different. 3/5 Total: 22/30
The Sydney singer-songwriter’s follow-up to "Small Town Girl".
Aaron: I quite like this, an entirely pleasant enough track - I like the vocal, and I like the stripped back production - It's nice enough! 3.5/5 Adem: Face of Russell Brand, voice like Vanessa Carlton. Interesting for the first 40 seconds, suicidal therein after. I want nothing more than to take Bull deep into the woods with some hair-clippers and a shotgun. 2.5/5 Damian: Perhaps not quite as instant as his debut single but I'm a big fan of Andy's work. He's another who commercial radio criminally ignores. Kaleidoscopic pOp with an almost timeless flavour. 4/5 Guy: I really like this. Gets me tapping my feet, interesting production, although at one point gets a bit too close to Robin Thicke for my liking. But still good! 4/5 Mike: Andy sounds like a less trannytastic version of Anthony & The Johnsons. And I mean that as a huge compliment! 4/5 Peter: I really like this track, his voice is so unique and the song is awesome. He’s really doing his own thing and not following a formula dictated by radio. Though I can picture it getting a lot of airplay. Hope he does well. 4/5 Total: 22/30
SINGLE OF THE WEEK
Empire Of The Sun - Standing On The Shore
Nick & Luke continue on their ambient electro journey.
Aaron: Never really loved these guys. This almost works, I'm not so keen on the vocal but otherwise OK. Almost. I think. 2/5 Adem: Weird guys playing dress-up make yet another killer pop tune. What's with the Power Rangers inspired video clip though? 5/5 Damian: While perhaps not as instant as their previous singles, Luke and Nick prove once again that they're some of the cleverest pOp purveyors on the planet right now. The whole 'Empire Of The Sun' project is world class and something we can be very, very proud of. 4/5 Guy: I didn’t know Empire of the Sun were Australian until I noticed all that kelp on the beach. I quite liked "We Are the People", but this seems to adhere to the pointless third single rule (Madonna's "Get Together" excepted). 3/5 Mike: Utterly sublime. This is a four and half minute trip through the looking glass of electropop. The video makes me want to jump on the next flight to Perth! Exquisite. 5/5 Peter: This is weird, but not bad weird. It’s like U2 meets 80s new wave pop with a modern electro twist. I can see radio eating this up and it deserves to do well. I hope it doesn't get stuck in my head! 3.5/5 Total: 22.5/30
"Crazier" is the title of a song written and performed by Taylor Swift for the Hannah Montana: The Movie soundtrack. The song became Swift's ninth top 20 hit on the Hot 100. Swift performed it as herself in the film, as one of the acts during the fundraiser that Miley and the Stewart family organized to save their town.
Last week's post covered Barbra's early 70s transformation into a contemporary pop artist with albums like "Stoney End" and "Barbra Joan Streisand". While those gems certainly got the ball rolling, Babs' evolution into a modern pop diva was in full swing by the mid-70s. This is one of my favourite periods in Streisand's long and fabulous career. She started taking bigger creative risks (some paid off, others didn't) and explored a plethora of different musical genres. The results were mixed but never boring. This is definitely an era that newcomers should consider checking out - if only for her stunning Bob Marley cover! Reggae Barbra, anyone?
I finished off the last installment by examining 1974's "The Way We Were" (not to be confused with the film soundtrack). Barbra reverted to a more traditional mix of standards and power ballads on that album and scored herself a massive #1 hit. It would have been easy to repeat herself on the follow up but Babs was determined to be down with the kids. Encouraged by her then boyfriend (and producer) Jon Peters, the great diva embarked on what would be her most eclectic album yet. "Butterfly" is a gorgeous little oddity. I love everything about it from the witty cover art to the downright bizarre song selection. After four years of writing this blog, I'm ecstatic to finally have a reason to write about this underrated trash classic.
"Butterfly" probably qualifies as a covers album given that 9 of the 10 tracks have previously been released by other artists but I don't think that term even existed in the mid-70s. A fascinating part of researching this post has been discovering the extent to which songs were recycled back then. Barbra had thrown in a couple of unusual choices on previous albums but "Butterfly" is a veritable treasure trove of bizarre covers. The most infamous cut is probably her fabulous destruction of Bob Marley's "Guava Jelly" but my favourite has to be Babsi's haunting version of David Bowie's "Life On Mars". I love the simple production and think it holds up well against the original. Unfortunately, David wasn't as enthusiastic, describing it as "atrocious" and "awful". I'm surprised Babs didn't have him whacked! Other highlights incude the three R'n'B numbers (Bill Withers' "Grandma's Hands", Paul Anka's "Jubilation" and Ray Charles' "Crying Time") and Barbra's lovely interpretation of "I Won't Last A Day Without You" - made famous, of course, by The Carpenters. "Butterfly" doesn't get a lot of love from the Streisand faithful but I can't recommend it highly enough.
Her next project couldn't be more different to "Butterfly". Barbra packed away her flares to star in "Funny Lady", the tragically titled sequel to "Funny Girl". It's no secret that Babs was contractually obliged to make the film and you can tell that her heart wasn't really in it. In fact, I'm surprised "Funny Lady" turned out as well as it did given the strange cast (who really wants to hear James Caan sing?) and the uninspiring tunes. There's no doubting the genius of Kander & Ebb (Cabaret, Chicago etc) but this has to be the most underwhelming score of their illustrious career. As far as I'm concerned, there's only one brilliant song and that's the bittersweet "How Lucky Can You Get". Having said all that, "Funny Lady" was a box office hit and scored 5 Academy Award nominations. So what the hell do I know?
It's funny how time can change your opinion of an album. I always thought 1975's "Lazy Afternoon" was only good for two things - the hilarious cover photo and Barbra's first foray into disco. However, earlier this week I listened to the album (in full) for the first time in years and was really surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I still think "Lazy Afternoon" is wildly uneven and lacks direction but it contains some real gems. "Widescreen" is totally epic, while "My Father's Song" makes me teary every time I hear it. However, my favourite track is still Barbra's disco debut. "Shake Me, Wake Me" is glorious cover of an earlier hit by The Four Tops but it seems to have been largely forgotten by disco fans. A 12" single was released but I've never heard the extended version. I imagine it's pure disco heaven! "Lazy Afternoon" is also notable for the self-penned "By The Way" and the gorgeous "I Never Had It So Good". Unfortunately, the rest of the album is languid to the point of being stillborn.
Does anyone actually like "Classical Barbra"? I seriously hate to think how many gays are using the album to prop up uneven furniture. Just take my word for it and avoid this opera-lite debacle at all costs! As unfortunate as Barbra's classical detour was, I still admire her for trying something different. Happily, her next musical project was a completely different affair. I'm referring to her multi-platinum selling "A Star Is Born" soundtrack. While the film has its merits, Judy Garland's version is better and I usually find myself fast forwarding between the musical numbers - which are uniformly excellent. I love that they set out to make a rock musical and somewhat surprisingly, Barbra thrives in the genre.
There really isn't a bad song to be heard on "A Star Is Born", perhaps with the exception of Kris Kristofferson's "Hellacious Acres". However, I can forgive that because he was so fucking hot. The soundtrack will always be best remembered for "Evergreen" (below), which earned Babs a Grammy and an Academy Award for Best Song. I worship that gem as much as the next Streisand diehard but I actually prefer the tracks she performs with The Oreos (her backing singers in the film). "Queen Bee" is a funktastic jam of epic proportions, while "Everything" has to be heard to be believed. This camp ballad has some of the classiest lyrics ever committed to record. My favourite line is "I'd cure the cold and the traffic jam. If there were floods, I'd give a dam"! For a completely different side to Barbra check out the rockin' medley "With One More Look At You/Watch Closely Now". Phew! That's all for now. Check in for more Babs next week.
It's been three long months since the high priestess of pop last graced Pop Trash Addicts and I'm starting to have serious withdrawals. People always think I'm being ironic when I write about La Toya but I honestly can't imagine life without her fabulous flops. Over the past few years I've paid tribute to most of them with one glaring exception - Toy Toy's stunning 1987 duet with Japanese "superstar" Jed. Say what you like about the thinking man's Jackson but you have to admit it takes a special talent to sing out of tune in two languages simultaneously! "Yes, I'm Ready" isn't La Toya's finest moment but it definitely ranks as one of the funniest.
"Yes, I'm Ready" was unleashed on the unsuspecting Japanese public in early 1987, not long after Toy's infamous duet with Cerrone. You think she would have learnt her lesson after that (admittedly fabulous) debacle but I'm pretty sure the Duchess of dance was just happy to be working. There's not a lot I can tell you about La Toya's foxy duet partner - Jed appears to have been a complete nobody. In fact, as far as I can tell, "Yes, I'm Ready" was his first and last recording. The poor guy obviously decided to quit while he was ahead! If anybody has any information on this international man of mystery, please get in touch.
As for the song, it's a surprisingly faithful cover of Barbra Mason's classic 60s pop hit - only with the occasional verse sung in Japanese! Toy Toy's pronunciation apparently leaves a lot to be desired but she gets through it with her dignity somewhat intact. As for Jed, I'm guessing he's not a native speaker either. The result is one hell of an amusing trainwreck. However, it's not all bad. I love the toygasmic chorus and the minimal production allows you to hear La Toya's beautiful voice in all its exquisite glory. If you think you can cope with this much fabulousness check out the magic of "Yes, I'm Ready" below (you might have to press the button twice):
Yes, I'm Ready
In another toytastic development, fans have created a petition to get "Startin' Over" released. The album has been gathering dust for almost 7 years, so I think Dannii has a better chance of scoring a worldwide smash hit than Toy's opus has of seeing the inside of a record store. Life as a Toy Soldier is never easy!Source URL: https://popmusicrecords.blogspot.com/2009/06/ Visit pop music records for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection
"You Belong with Me" is the third single by American country artist Taylor Swift from her second album, Fearless. The song is Swift's eighth Top 10 country hit. The song was originally released as a digital single, peaking at #12 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
"Crack a Bottle" is a hip hop song by Eminem, Dr. Dre and 50 Cent for Eminem's album Relapse. On February 12, 2009, the song broke the first week digital sales record with 418,000 downloads. The song is Eminem's second number one song in the U.S. and the first since 2002.
Every now and again you hear a song and think they get me. That's how I felt the first time I heard "I Am Not A Robot" by Marina & The Diamonds. It perfectly sums up how I've been feeling lately - overwhelmed and suffocated. As much as I loved the song, I had a sneaking suspicion that Marina might be a bit too cool for me. I don't read NME, can't fit into skinny jeans and would rather listen to La Toya than La Roux. As it turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong. Marina's music is quirky but it's still pop and positively oozes beautiful melodies. When she surprisingly agreed to an interview, I thought I should dig a bit further and stumbled across her blog. The more I read, the more I loved her. Marina is so raw, funny and uncompromisingly honest. This post is one of the best commentaries on the music machine that I've ever read. So what do you ask such a maverick? Read on to find out.
" is the second single by R&B/pop singer 
. The song was co-written by Ciara, Marcella Aracia and 
. The song is Swift's eighth Top 10 country hit. The song was originally released as a digital single, peaking at #12 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
