THE MASSIVE "INTERNATIONAL POP ACTS THAT I LOVE" UPDATE!

That was a mouthful. Thats because the present post is pretty big. Like a juicy cucumber that makes the salad ever so yum yum. I like cucumbers I do. These acts are all new. Groundbreaking in their own individual ways and have got me dancing when I seriously should be studying for my thesis. Damnations! Most are all pretty new on the scene which makes them all the more fascinating. They are not merely myspace discoveries but explosions, revolutions and autopoietic wonderments of musical exuberance. Some of this last sentence I don't quite understand but I do think the following acts are brilliant and I bloody love 'em. So on the with show!

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First lets go to Toronto! Holly Dodson sounds like a intergalactic pop princess from a planet that discovered Pierre et Gilles books and beautiful melodies by the likes of The Carpenters, Kate Bush and Giorgio Moroder. If you miss Siobhan Donaghy then you might like Holly Dodson. She sprinkles elements of Kylie, Scissor Sisters and subtle soft disco flakes over her music (see Masquerade for example). She is simply sumptuous. At times, she sounds lot like Cathy Dennis in the vocals. Her pop is rich and she, for me, is probably a key act to look out for come 2009. The song The Carousel is a perfect hybrid of electro, simple pianos and dreamy lyrics such as the confessional "On a red horse I was an arabesque worthy of St.Agnes on a lonely night". Its out there but its good out there. Its pop like no pop I've popped before. Country: Canada

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Now to our first, of many, Swedish act! Friday Bridge list their key influences as "Edward Elgar and the Minogue sisters". This already ticks all the right boxes for me. "Eyes Without A Face" throbs and recalls the best electro moments of Human League without ever being too clunky. If you go to their myspace, please please please check out their song "It Girl". Its pure pop brilliance. The music is very unusual electropop. Slightly sliced with deranged Pet Shop Boys, Italo Disco, Tortuga and of course ABBA. Theres also a shy-like classical feel to their excellent sounds. And, they are excellent. You can hear Stock Aitken Waterman all over the song "It Girl" and as Sonia once said, its "great!". There is also something a bit royal about them. Perhaps thats the St.Etienne touch that graces some of their finest moments. Their album is one of the finest Cds of the year. Truly sparkles. Country: Sweden

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Noonie Bao makes the kind of music that I want to marry. She's a subtler form of Margaret Berger. Although saying that, Noonie is perhaps more of an organic electronic artist than the aforementioned Berger of Norway. There are rumours that Tori Amos is currently working with Kylie. Whether this happens or not, the music by Noonie is the type of material I'd imagine you'd get if you merged the discography of Kylie with the works of Tori (see Give Me Time for example). At the moment all the tracks are demo's but she is signed to a label and they do plan to release the debut album next year. I will be the first to pre-order the cd. I can't wait! Very highly recommended. A total different class of pop and example of another Swedish singer raising the standard of music. Country: Sweden

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Fibes, Oh Fibes! What a great name no? I've loved this band for some time now and I thought its time I included them on the blog. On Wikipedia it states Fibes, Oh Fibes are a rock band but that couldn't be further from the truth. Check out their new track Silly Lover on their myspace. Its a tasty tribute to everything fab about the 1980s and mixed-in with a feel of a Guy Chambers classic. If you can, play the track "Can't Be So". I love it. Its so damn happy it makes me wanna clap my hands, sing to the ceiling and wake up the neighbours! How can they be so damn good? This is electropop-rock at its finest. There is certainly no other band like Fibes, Oh Fibes. Then theres the wonderfully constructed song "Get Up" which makes me smile for some reason. Its nothing but pure joy. I highly highly recommend this band. Country: Sweden

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I was recommended the artist that is Lenka the other day and I've been playing her tracks non-stop ever since. With her album produced by Stuart Brawley you know the songs are going to be unexpected. The Show is a true contender of the most upbeat track of the year. It makes me all fuzzy inside. Her delivery is very very similar to the wonderful and criminally forgotten debut album from Goldie Hawn. So, naturally I am pretty won over. Even through gray skies you can sort of see oneself dancing in the rain to her material. She is so uplifting. Country: Australia

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I love Eliza Doolittle too. She was last seen supporting supporting Sam Sparro a couple of months ago but I think her music is far better than Sam and perhaps the two acts jar a tad. If anyone mentions Amy Winehouse I'll slap em! Doolittles sounds are indeed a bit boppoppy but they are more northern soul than faux-Motown that we've scene corrode the radio waves recently (thanks Duffy). Back to Eliza. When you hear "Washing My Hands In The Rain" you know this girl is very different to the Amy clones. Her pop is very experimental and for this she must be bookmarked as a face of 2009. She's released one EP which I highly recommend & although unsigned I am sure this will change very soon. Country: UK

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Another recommendation and this time American! Bitter:Sweet are Shana and Kiran and have recently had one of their tracks featured in the soundtrack to the NBC T.V series Lipstick Jungle. As you can hear on their myspace they are a mixture of pop chic mixed in with groovy 1960's addictive bop loops. Incredibly rich in references and decades, Bitter:Sweet really should have been the act that the James Bond people selected for their latest offering. Bitter:Sweet butter up the lister and wrap the ears with candy sonic droplets consisting of stardust, mystique, sunshine and poptastic glory. Both their albums are well worth checking out. Country: USA

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Any act that records a song called First Day Mullet deserves a lot of attention. Pony Pony Run Run hail from France and throw drums with synths in a glorious Daft Punk way. What do you get if you cross The Killers (with Stuart Price) with The Daggers. Perhaps this band. Their sound is consists of hard pop-polymers of discodust which has me spiraling into a haze of mirrorball delight. If you liked Kish Muave but wanted a bit more madness to the finished electroRock product try Pony Pony Run Run. Country: France

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Now for a traditional slice of pop that harks back to the Jive days of Britney, Max Martin and Backstreet Boys. Chris Trousdale is not to out of date though. Hell no! The hooks are surprisingly fresh and unique. Check out "Play It Like That" for example. It bounces out of the earphones with ease, buoyancy and clarity. This kind of pop mixed with rnb is rarely done with success and rather rare these days. Especially when rnb acts tend to be dropping such beats for electro synths. Trousdale instead plays it another way and for this he's being pretty revolutionary. I love the guitar on thelush "When You Dance With Me". Its like the twin brother of Ain't it Funny. In other words it takes me back to when Mi Chico Latino was no.1, J:Lo was all over the charts and Kylie performing Please Stay for the Prince. This is a good thing. There's just certain something incredibly traditional in the way Chris does his pop. And for this reason alone he must be celebrated. Country: USA

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Charlie has released some really good pop music and its time I paid tribute to her discography. She's released two Cds already and she's really taking off in Japan where its reached the no.1 position (and not the funny charts-she's gone to no.1 on their Itunes too). She is huge in Japan. Seriously. She's all over the charts, t.v and sells out tours over there. With the likes of MC Lyte featuring on her latest release you'd think she might have some success in the US or her native UK but that hasnt happened yet. Perhaps 2009 will be hers. Her new album Charlie 2 is a great mixture of rnb, dance, silky sweet ballads and simple strong pop tracks. Key songs for me are Again, Show Me What You Want, Too Much Of A Good Thing, Perfect Sky and Heat Of The Night. No electro. Just good old fashion pop. Nice! Country: UK

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