Now this is a bit confusing, so please bear with me. Way back in January I wrote a post announcing Amanda Lear's comeback album and even provided a tentative tracklist. The good news is that "Brief Encounters" has finally been released. Albeit only in Italy. Now, here's where things get a little complicated. The album will be released in France on the 23rd of November (and subsequently in the rest of the world) as "Brand New Love Affair" - with a completely different tracklisting! The albums also have distinctly different themes. The Italian release is a double CD comprised of an acoustic disc and a dance/remix disc, while the French version is a disco concept album. I haven't heard "Brand New Love Affair" in full yet but it appears that most of the best tracks have ended up on that album. However, that's not to say that the Italian version is a write off. "Brief Encounters" is a great listen and contains several Lear-tastic pop gems. If this is the reject album (so to speak) - the real deal should be amazing!
You know it's November when Dannii releases her annual batch of X Factor cash-in albums. This time around the Queen of Clubs is unveiling deluxe editions of her stunning debut "Love & Kisses" as well as her 1993 #52 UK smash hit "Get Into You". However, the real gem is "The 95 Sessions" - possibly Dannii's most exciting fan release ever! I don't usually have a lot of nice things to say about Nafensays but I think he's done a great job on this. I just hope it doesn't sell out on iTunes like "The Early Years" because Dannii's lost 1995 album is the holy grail of pop music as far as I'm concerned!
" is the second single by American pop/country singer-songwriter Jessie James from her self-titled debut album, Jessie James
. Released on August 25, 2009, the song has so far received positive reviews.Source URL: https://popmusicrecords.blogspot.com/2009/10/
Listening to "3 Words" is only slightly more painful and humiliating than being punched in the face by a talentless media whore in a public toilet after being called a "jigaboo". Seriously, urban pop music hasn't sunk to these depraved depths since Damon Dash single-handedly destroyed Victoria Beckham's music career by convincing her to go street. I can't think of anything positive to say about "3 Words" - well, apart from the fact that it probably sets a new world record for the most copious use of autotune on a single recording. The racist from Girls Aloud proves once and for all that she is a delusional idiot suffering from a stunning lack of vocal ability and charisma. Cheryl has crafted what is possibly the worst album of all time (and that includes Cameron Daddo's country album) and I found the process of reviewing it to be a cruel and unusual punishment. Anyway, here are my brief thoughts on 2009's biggest turd:
, released on 7 September 2009. The song has peaked at #9 on the UK Singles Chart and is the band's fourth top 10 single on that chart.Source URL: https://popmusicrecords.blogspot.com/2009/10/
Say what you like about Lady GaGa and her publicity whoring ways but it's impossible to deny the impact her success has had on the music scene. Since attaining the fame little over a year ago, the stunning beauty has turned electro-pop into a highly sought after commodity - opening the door for a whole new wave of dance divas. While some are happy to imitate (see Cascada's line for line remake of "Just Dance" otherwise known as "Evacuate The Dancefloor"), others (Eva Simons for example) have managed to put their own spin on the GaGa sound. The two ladies featured in this post definitely fall into the latter category. Ke$ha has been on my radar since actually making a Flo Rida song sound good. While her vocal on "Round Round" helped raise her profile, the 22 year old (in GaGa years?) looks set to hit the big time courtesy of the insanely catchy "Tik Tok". Ke$ha's anthem and video clip explore very similar territory to "Just Dance" and the track boasts some of the best/most dubious lyrics since "Poker Face" but it still sounds fresh and relatively original. "Tik Tok" is a winner largely due to Ke$ha's larger than life personality, the chunky beats and its universal theme. Who doesn't like alcohol and dancing? Given the quality of the songs on her Myspace, I'd say Ke$ha is here to stay. At least until the dance-pop revival runs out of steam or she stops sucking Diddy's cock.
The next beneficiary of Lady GaGa's success is the slightly demented Lolene. I love this crazy bitch but I seriously doubt she would currently be signed to Capitol Records if the fame monster hadn't paved the way first. In the past Lolene would have simply been too risqué for the masses but now her super sleazy image is a selling point. While the shy and retiring English diva shares some common ground with Lady GaGa, I don't think "Sexy People" will trouble "Bad Romance" on the charts. Lolene is quick to point out that this is just preview and not her official debut single but the video (below) is getting a lot of attention for all the wrong reasons. I love the fact that the film clip takes place inside Lolene's vagina and features a couple of drag queens who accidentally left their wigs and dresses at home but I seem to be in the minority. The song itself is a pretty standard dance anthem. It's catchy enough but lacks the bite of Ke$ha's hit. "Sexy People" is apparently not indicative of the rest of her album, which raises the question of why she bothered releasing it in the first place. Anyway, I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt. Anyone who calls their blog Lolene's Disco Vagina is alright by me!
My copy of Vanessa's #1 smash hit
Bow down to Australia's new Queen of Pop! Tonight Vanessa Amorosi is celebrating the first #1 hit of her decade long career. It's hard to believe that modern classics like "Absolutely Everybody" and "Have A Look" stalled outside the top 5, so this is long overdue. The achievement is all the more impressive when you consider Vanessa's competition. "This Is Who I Am" had to outsell new releases from Britney and Robbie Williams - making it a rare triumph for good taste and talent! I'm so happy for Ness Ness. She's gone from strength to strength since staging her comeback and this cements her spot in the upper echelon of Australian pop. I've already written about my love for "This Is Who I Am" but I still can't get enough of it. There's just something ruthlessly catchy and uplifting about this tune. The lyrics are a raised middle finger to her haters (Ness don't care if she's fat or if you think her clothes are bad), Machopsycho's production steals every trick in Max Martin's book and she looks all kinds of sexy on the single cover! Shame about the tragic video (below) though. At least the scene where she's flying on a cloud is good for comedy value and I guess it's not her fault if CGI hasn't quite made its way to Australia. Anyway, congratulations Vanessa. You've come a long way from dancing around Liverpool Plaza!
. The song peaked at #13 on the UK Singles Chart and #2 on the U.S. Modern Rock Tracks chart.Source URL: https://popmusicrecords.blogspot.com/2009/10/
As you can probably tell from some of my previous posts, I'm slightly obsessed with Shakira. "Laundry Service" remains one of my favourite albums of all time and I seem to be the only person who genuinely liked "Oral Fixation Vol. 2" - even though it failed to live up to the genius of Volume 1 (the sublime Spanish version). I was expecting huge things from her third English language album and Shakira delivers. Kind of. Don't get me wrong - I LOVE "She Wolf". It's one of the best pop albums you will hear all year (definitely in my top 5 for 2009 thus far) and it contains a handful of songs that rank right up there with "Día Especial", "Fool", "Las de la Intuición", "Underneath Your Clothes", "Te Dejo Madrid" and "Don't Bother" as Shakira classics. However, there is one major blight on this otherwise gorgeous set of pop tunes - the involvement of The Neptunes. 
Men In This Town - A+
Source URL: https://popmusicrecords.blogspot.com/2009/10/
" is the first single by American singer-songwriter John Mayer from his fourth studio album, Battle Studies
. Released in October 2009, it is Mayer's first studio recorded single release since "Say" in 2007.Source URL: https://popmusicrecords.blogspot.com/2009/10/
Whenever I'm feeling down, I play some La Toya and the world instantly feels a bit brighter. This week I've been pumping Toy Toy's 1986 triumph "Imagination". The album was a massive flop (even by the Pope of Pop's low standards) but I love it to bits - particularly the calypso-tastic "On A Night Like This" and the dubiously titled "Boys Got Somethin' Girls Ain't Got". In a strange coincidence, my friend and regular Pop Trash contributor Magical Froggy has just put the finishing touches to a stunning video for the album's most infamous track. "Baby Sister" is notorious among Toy Soldiers and Janatics as La Toya's musical swipe at her much less talented sister Janet. While not as bitter as Jermaine's fuck you note to Michael (1991's "Word To The Badd"), the song still packs a punch. The line "you used to love me til you met my baby sister" takes on a whole new meaning when you consider the song was released in the same year that "Control" turned Janet into a superstar and I wouldn't be surprised if the lyrics about man stealing and back stabbing were also based on fact given Manita Ho's uncontrollable vagina! However, "Baby Sister" is more than just a novelty 
One of the 2009's best pop songs has just been released in Australia and no one seems to have noticed. Medina's "You And I" is currently riding a tidal wave of internet hype and clubplay but the song is yet to properly cross over. I'd like to think it's only a matter of time but Scandipop doesn't have a great track record in this country - just ask Robyn! Speaking of that Swedish troll, "You And I" is the first Scandinavian pop tune to give me goosebumps since "Be Mine" way back in 2005. Everything about this icy dance anthem reeks of quality. The production (courtesy of The Providers) is clinically precise, the lyrics perfectly capture the rollercoaster ride of a bitter break up and the chorus is catchy to the point of being ridiculous. Interestingly, "You And I" was first released in Denmark last year under the title "Kun For Mig" and went on to spend 6 weeks at #1. The original Danish version is amazing and I hope it's included as a B-side if EMI Australia decide to release a physical single. It might also be wise to stop pushing the Deadmau5 remix (regardless of its brilliance) and go with the far more commercial UK radio edit that's used in the unfortunate video clip (below). I say unfortunate because poor Medina suffers from a bad case of Lady GaGa face and dressing her up like a Russian prostitute doesn't really help her cause! That said, the song is absolutely irresistible and deserves to be huge. I can't wait to hear more from the pride of Denmark.
Once upon a time (in the late 80s) in land far, far away (Australia) a fair maiden emerged to briefly turn the music scene upside down with her stunning lycra outfits and cheerful pop tunes. Of course, I'm talking about the legendary Collette. The cult icon is currently experiencing something of a revival after being featured on D Listed (I believe she'll also be making an appearance on The Isle Of Deserted Pop Stars in the not too distant future) and I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to write a little tribute to one of my favourite Australian pop stars of all time. Most people dismiss Collette as little more than a highly amusing footnote in local pop history but she deserves credit for producing two glorious albums and for carving out an enduring niche in popular culture. What would the 80s be without Collette's fluorescent lycra bike shorts?
Collette first came to prominence in the early 80s as a fashion model, becoming one of the faces of Dolly Magazine. Her wholesome good looks were enough to generate interest among the record labels and she eventually signed with CBS. Happily, nobody seems to have noticed her complete and utter lack of vocal ability and she promptly started work on her debut single! The interesting thing about Collette is the fact she was one of the few local divas to hitch her wagon to Kylie's Hi-NRG dance-pop sound. Only she took things to the next level by immersing herself in the emerging house movement - making her Australia's first Queen of clubs! I don't think anyone expected Collette to be a massive success but the response to "Ring My Bell" was instant. I still remember the first time I saw the ravishing beauty's trashtastic cover of Anita Ward's disco classic on Video Hits. Those tinny dance beats were irresistible and I was utterly mesmerised by Collette's amazing approach to fashion. The song leaped into the top 5 (a rare achievement for a local act at the time) and teenage girls across the nation started leaving the house in outfits that should never be seen outside a gymnasium! Check out the deservedly iconic video:
After "Raze The Roof", Collette swiftly re-emerged in 1990 with a "sophisticated" new image. Gone were the lycra outfits that made her a household name. Instead, Collette rocked a short haircut and wore even skimpier outfits than before. Personally, I think ditching the lycra was her downfall but I guess times were changing and she had to switch things up. That goes doubly for her music. Collette dumped the club beats in favour of an R'n'B sound (!) on her stunning comeback anthem "Who Do You Think You Are?" The song is an unintentionally hilarious Janet Jackson rip off but I love it to pieces. The production is a lot of fun and the almost spoken verses are... memorable. I love the chorus and the "street" video (below) is just too trashtastic for words. Unfortunately, the general public wasn't buying Collette's transformation and the song flopped at #56. In a slightly desperate attempt at re-claiming her "Ring My Bell" glory, the diva returned to dance music and covered another disco favourite. This time Collette revamped Diana's "Upside Down" but it performed even worse than her previous single, scraping into the charts at #91. It's a shame because I think the world needed and still needs a tacky Hi-NRG/acid house re-working of this gem. I still give it a spin every chance I get, particularly around disco enthusiasts who always get intensely annoyed for some reason! Check it out here.
Source URL: https://popmusicrecords.blogspot.com/2009/10/
My future husband Andy Bull - Robbed of ARIA glory!
So this year's ARIA nominations (Australia's equivalent to the Grammies) have just been announced and all the usual suspects are heavily represented. Seriously, if you're the overhyped product of a major record label, specialise in indie rock or are simply a pretentious singer-songwriter with an alternative haircut then chances are you're going home with a swag of awards. Don't get me wrong. I'm not going to argue with The Temper Trap, Empire Of The Sun or even Kate Miller-Heidke snagging a bunch of nominations but Sarah Blasko, Eskimo Joe and AC/DC? Bitch, please. Why not just nominate Missy Higgins for whatever vomit inducing "masterpiece" she's currently working on/squeezing out of her arsehole? I guess pop music will never be recognised in this country so I've decided to come up with my own nominees. I know some of my choices are not eligible (due to release dates) but here goes:
MY PICKS
AWARD FOR SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN POP TRASH
