Pop Pop Pop round-up!

Love love love this video of The FireMan Of My Dreams by Elouise. Really, something like this shoulda been done on its release in March but better late than never (my bad!). However, there are plans afoot to put the entire Stardust EP onto Itunes /Amazon (finally). Included, for the first time, The Fireman of My Dreams, which was previously only available via the physical cd. Elouise is also planning to release her second installment to the Stardust set of releases, Stardust Melodies, in November. Don't take my word for it, read her interview with Paul of MyFizzyPop. All of course produced by Steve Anderson....which neatly links to...

I cannot stress how fucking amazing Kylie's Live Lounge session was earlier this evening. Yes, bloody amazing. I love it when Kylie sings in that particular register. I also love it when Cliff Masterson plucks his strings. Quite stunning. I think this has to be the direction that Kylie explores on album number 12. I realize album no.11 is still doing well. Indeed, the sales of Get Out Of My Way look like its going to enter hot on downloads alone. But, as she covered Hurts Wonderful Life a little thought gently eased into my head. The performance really took me back to Impossible Princess. I loved it. Well done everyone involved. Bubbles all round!

This is Dyno. Are my new Favourite Swedish band. Big statement I know. But I really can't get enough. They've just revealed more music via their facebook. I am currently struggling to understand why this band arnt huge. Maybe it just isn't their time. Right. Now. Their particular lucky star is simply busy getting its hair did. Is all. I am sure they will explode throughout the galaxy of stars, popdust and disco dreams eventually. I know for I have foreseen it. Seriously though, really do check them out. They're brilliant.

Talking of brilliant: Chris Sorbello. I love the video artwork that this pop princess is currently spinning out for us pop whores. Dangerzone sounds like it could be something from the Clea album Identity Crisis at its most electronic moments (Believe me, this is a major compliment in my books for I've always believed that that Clea album was way before its time). Please show your love! This girl totally deserves it. Cannot wait for the album! She needs to do some UK dates here. And not the kind of shows that Raen apparently did a few years ago (wherever did they go?).

This isn't news. But how fucking epic is the track Remember Walkin' In The Sand!!! Fucking epic methinks. Its drenched with melodrama. You can totally feel the emotion of the lyrics. Its only 2 minutes or so. Can you believe that? And yet, the short sweet song manages to jam-pack it all with story, narrative and polemic. All in one way-over-the-top-yet-heart-break-central theme-song. Amazing.

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GIRLBANDS: THE NEW ARRIVALS

Welcome to the party: The Ultra Girls, The Stunners, Beach Girls 5, The Scarlettes and A Girl Named Alice. Ever since Popshow at Madam Jojo's (a show that featured two of the aforementioned acts) I have wanted to write-up something around girlbands. Thing is, the delightful Jessica of http://tmbpop.blogspot.com/ has pretty much covered similar ground in her recent post so go there to read her brilliant insights on up and coming girlbands.

Part of my reasons for writing this article is my longstanding love for girlbands, something which I examined in the three-month-long exploration of the genre a few years back and which of course resulted in the branching off of a spin-off blog to Dontstopthepop called SaturdayNightDivas, exploring over 100 girlbands. Underlying this article is a creeping feeling that girlbands don't seem to be working out in recent years, especially looking at the UK market. Despite hot music; Despite the brilliant videos and fab styling, the mud ain't sticking. Look at Mini Viva! Look at Girls Can't Catch! Look at the uneasy future of Girls Aloud and The Sirens. Is the genre resting only on the shoulders of The Saturdays? This cannot be! What is going on? It doesn't make any sense. So, here's my take on my five favourite girlbands coming up... it's up to you girls now to take up the baton...

Beach Girls5: USA


From the embers of the girlband Soccx come Beach Girls 5. They've actually been around for some time but have been kept in a holding pattern for ages. They've released a few things already but have only now started to drop amazing tracks like Scratch and are turning major heads. Scratch channels the best of Europop and I can just see the girls, despite coming from the States, wooping top scores at next year's Eurovision Song Contest. What I love about Beach Girls5 is that they're presenting a panel of pop brilliance that doesn't see them suddenly coming out as five girls that didn't quite make the Pussycat Doll auditions. What I am trying to say is that the USA doesn't really do girlbands all that well. What they excel at is providing girlbands with top tunes and put them in slinky suspenders. All fine and (randy) dandy. However, as such, the recent glut of American girlbands tend to be a bit oversexualized and are made to look like nothing but objects. It's not about fun. Beach Girls5 are a million miles away from Pussycat Dolls/Danity Kane. It's about the music. And this I love.

The Ultra Girls: UK


The hottest new girlband in the UK are The Ultra Girls. They are the girlband that are gonna knock The Saturdays into next week. Or rather into yesterday. I saw the girls at Popshow recently and was absolutely blown away by the choreography, energy and vocals. I'll get onto the music later. As you might have guessed from my Beach Girls5 section, I have a slight issue with girlbands who've taken the Pussycat approach to pop. I come from the school of Spice Girls, tracksuit bottoms, boobtubes, buffalo shoes and high kicks. This is my girlband training and education. The bottom line is about having a laugh. Their message isn't about simperingly appealing to a man as the epicentre of a woman's universe, instead targeting the fun-loving woman and her best mates. This is what Wannabe, I Know Where It's At & Right Now were all about – debuts by Britains strongest girlbands ever: Spice Girls, All Saints and Atomic Kitten respectively. This is where The Ultra Girls took me with their performance: Girls Will Be Girls has instant girlpower anthem stamped all over it. It is turbo pop at its finest, strongest and most potent. Watching Lucy, Laura, Lauren and Amy performing it at Popshow I was transported right back to 1997 when pop was above all about having a good time with friends. Behind the music is Kylie's MD Steve Anderson who wrote the title track to Atomic Kitten's amazing album Feels So Good, so clearly a man who knows what will work and what won't. The Ultra Girls are the Spice Girls for 2010.

A Girl Called Alice: UK



I also saw this group at popshow. The styling really took me back to the confused multiplicity of the outfits worn by the Spice Girls when they first launched, long before Top Of The Pops magazine gave them those nicknames. A Girl Named Alice have a great look: everyday girl basically mixed-in with a pinch of jumble-sale, but not overdone. I like it. They are accessible, approachable and slightly messy. They look like a laugh (the above image actually reminds me of the very photo that used to feature on the Spice Girls' Club Members' card). Beyond this they've emerged as the natural rivals to The Ultra Girls who absolutely owned the stage on Monday night's Popshow. Seeing as they shared the very same stage, people will naturally start to compare and contrast the two girl groups. Sadly. The thing about A Girl Called Alice is, though they were tight with choreography, vocals and styling, the music kinda refused to convey the energy of what the group are about. You see, like The Ultra Girls I think A Girl Called Alice are also trying to capture that energy of the Spice Girls and Atomic Kitten. And, they actually did. But when I return to their music on their fabulous website, I am left feeling that their music needs to reflect more of what I saw on stage. They need to bubblepop it up a tad more. I am not saying they need to go down a Same Difference route. Quite the contrary. These girls are powerful contenders to both The Ultra Girls and established queens of girlgroups Girls Aloud & The Saturdays but here's the rub, they totally need to up the ante with the music. The music sounded more Americanized than I think they need to be (or should be). When an American girlband, Beach Girls5, sound more European than a British group do, then more recording is required.

The Scarlettes: UK



Not to be confused with another girlband of the same name that's doing the rounds at the moment. The Scarlettes have been in a holding pattern for effing ages. They first appeared on DSTP in 2008! Let me repeat. 2008! That's an amazing amount of time to be "out there" but not releasing a shred of material. Saying that, the music they've recorded so far is absolutely mind-blowingly lush. I just seriously hope they haven't missed the boat. Talk about a delayed arrival. So what do we know about the band? The Scarlettes have gone and created something of a monster sound. The album sounds like they've emerged as the songbirds of a neon disco darkroom where wonderfully sticky sexual meetings are undertaken by yummy bodies underscored with dirty baselines & lashings of lube. If you like the new Scissor Sisters album you will love Scarlettes. They've enrolled the likes of Nerina Pallot & Andy Chatterley (responsible for 'Aphrodite' & 'Better Than Today' on the new Kylie Album), Mathias Wollo & Busbee, Anders Kallmark (Ou Est Le Swimming Pool), Joey Negro, and Marcus J Knight (Ali Love) for their new album. Very exciting and rather amazing. But please, please arrive already!

The Stunners (US)



They've got a name as cheesy as hell but The Stunners are extremely fabulous. Founded by Vitamin C, they are Tinashe Kachingwe, Hayley Kiyoko, Lauren Hudson, Allie Gonino and Marisol Esparza. Their debut album is set to be released in the first quarter of 2011, preceded by their first single, a new version of "Dancin' Around the Truth" from their EP. They had a few issues after they lost the bandmember Kelsey but have dusted themselves down and were the opening act for Justin Bieber's My World Tour for the first twenty dates. Following the end of their run on the My World Tour, they resumed production of their debut album, which is to include production from The Cataracs, Toby Gad, The Writing Camp, Dave Broome, and Mike McHenry.

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NO, YOU HANG UP!

Shayne
Ward

THOMAS HOLM - NITTEN

This.is.adorable. This is the kinda song I've long been waiting Robbie Williams release.

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Hej Matematik - love them!

You like Hurts? You like Aqua? You like a bit of Danish in your ears? You'll like Hej Matematik (which consists of Soren Rasted of the aforementioned Aqua). I've been a fan since 2008 but my love for the duo enlarged and expanded greatly with the release of their sophomore album Alt Går Op I 6. With the massive success of their "twin-band", Hurts, here in the UK I am sure their record company are doing their best to convince the Danish studs to record English versions of their glorious songs with haste! For me its all about the big and very odd track Party I Provinsen which comes with a promo video straight out of some weird Royal Bank of Scotland internal CCTV capture. Highly recommended.

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Alexis Jordan Happiness

I can't get over the video for this. Its so early 2000's! Its straight out of the Mandy Moore/Dream/Christina Aguilera/Stacie Orrico school of videos. Beautiful bold simple colours and an amazing yet simple/heartfelt storyline. Yes, Alexis and this video is easily to brush away but actually we rarely see pop like these days. And I love it. The Deadmau5 inspired track seriously lifts me on a day today. Easily emerges as one of songs of the year. The rest of the album is incredibly worth having too. Thanks Stargate....

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"WE'RE ALL THE SAME-STARDUST AND STUFF!" ROBYN RETURNS WITH BODY TALK PART 2

Forgive me for writing this review so late, but I've held out on listening to the album until bought it in the stores. I not heard a single whisper of the album before today. I am such a Pollyanna when it comes to Robyn.

Part One was such a let down. Even the delectable hit Dancing On My Own wasn't a patch on Robyn's previous efforts. Only Fembots aroused my popstastic urges. This shits all over such doubts. Thank you so much Robin Miriam Carlsson.

Its often said that popstars, if they're gonna be huge, they need a gimmick. We saw this put to musical form in the movie staring Natalie Wood Gypsy. And, Robyn's gimmick is putting her vocals to groundbreaking and beautiful electronic pop songs. It's Robyn's natural skill. She doesn't really need the smokes & mirrors that her electrosister Lady Gaga requires. In Body Talk Part Two, DontStopthePop is relieved to see Robyn return to form. She wobbled on its earlier installment. Indeed, the guy at Rough Trade told me that they'd sold out of Body Talk 2 not because of some mad rush to buy the album but because of the weak sales of Body Talk 1 resulted in him putting very few orders for this confluent sister release. So, copies vanished from record stores on the day of release. It's expected to chart this week. High. And rightfully so.

Love Kills

A lot of blogs have underscored this song as the key track of the record and I understand why. And, its not. Kylie was doing this sort of song some years ago (see Kylie's Like a drug-I swear, the girl is a trendsetter. I knew it when I was dancing to Enjoy Yourself as a 7 year old back in the day.). Anyway, back to Robyn! The lyrics are overwrought, overclever and its way too self-knowing. Its smarmy git of a song. Its hot and it fucking knows it. This is not to say I don't see its amazeness but I hate its cocky attitude. 1/5

Hang With Me

Mouthwatering. I was very defensive of this cover. I hated the fact she'd gone and totally changed Paola's amazing original. But, over time I've fallen so hard for this record. Its an instant get-up-and-dance song. If Kylie has her "Kylie Moments", Hang With Me, is a Robyn resurrection. The lyrics lay over each other like enthralling pillars of pop pleasure. Absolutely adorable. 5/5

In My Eyes

This is so warm. This is a merger of Robyn's work with Christian Falk (Remember & Dream On) and her number one single With Every Heartbeat. It's a beautiful way to initiate the album. File under fucking and totally uplifting. Essential play on a downcast depressing day like a rainy Tuesday. 5/5

Include Me Out

"Come on, all you trannies click your heels for me"/"All hail to the mamas who hold it down".
Very amazing lyrics there m ethinks. The communal feel good track pretty much sets the tone for the album. Whereas one might say Katy Perry has set album on narratives about falling love (and why not) Robyn is looking at how humans relate to each other, issues of loneliness and society. Include Me Out is a perfect construction of music with crunchy pop & pulsating rhythms. 5/5

Criminal Intent

This is so shit it hurts. Robyn returns to her Konichiwa Bitches material but I'm sorry but this terrible. 0/5

We Dance To The Beat

At first this seemed like bits of this track was missing. It appears to be a dub. An extended house track with the verses horrifically ripped out. But on repeated plays, it penetrates the brain and emerges as one of the tracks of the year. I found myself bathing in its minimal bliss. 5/5

U Should Know Better (featuring Snoop Dogg)

"The whole industry knows not to f*** with me". Too right. I love this record by now as you've guessed. This song seals the deal though. The peformers make you feel a part of the party on U Should Know Better. They make you feel like you're having tons of fun. That you're part of the fun. Honestly. When Snoop Dogg works with Katy Perry it just seems a tad forced. Fun, with Katy? I just can't hear it. Not quite convincing. Robyn and Snoop? Oh yes. You just gotta listen to this. 5/5

Indestructible – Acoustic Version

And then this piece comes along to blow everything apart into pop smithereens. You just know that this is going to be on part three and will monumental. Monumental. In its acoustic form, Indestructible, has radiantly manacled itself to my heart. I am willingly entranced and entrapped. This epic song is submerged with strings which consequently paints one of my favourite pieces of orchestration of the year. Think Brahms mixed in with Mozart & Billie Holiday. Just dreamy 5/5

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Body Talk 2 is drenched in glorious clubpop-heavy beats. To steal a line from Dance To The Beat "its loud and its proud". This installment is clubbier and yet more soulful than her previous efforts. It pivots between faster strobe lights and delicate moments where you feel she's telling you her most deeper secrets of heartbreak. This is arguably the best Pet Shop Boys record that they've never released. This has solidly rooted itself as one of the finest collections of music of 2010.

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CAMILLE PAGLIA FINALLY UNDERSTANDS LADY GAGA

In one of today's British sunday newspapers, the critical thinker and theorist wrote lyrically and in-depth about Lady GaGa. And seemed to be demolishing the performer. Arguably, Paglia pretty much destroyed the singer. Paglia states:

"Gaga's fans are marooned in a global technocracy of fancy gadgets but emotional poverty. Borderlines have been blurred between public and private: reality TV shows multiply, cell phone conversations blare everywhere; secrets are heedlessly blabbed on Facebook and Twitter. Hence, Gaga gratuitously natters on about her vagina…"

But I'll go one step further than Camille Paglia does. Putting aside the fact Paglia is a well-known fan of Madonna the article is actually pretty airtight but to me is concludes no real revelations. Her piece arrives at thoughts that is not shocking or new. Lady GaGa is a product of a Swedish autotune pop factory. I find her music shockingly soulless, sometimes atrocious but on many occasions wonderfully catchy (and thankfully for her label, catching, much like herpes). Her lyrics are incredibly and beautifully throw-away. Beyond this, Paglia states Lady GaGa is sexless and superficial. So? Within this, Camille's social essay seems to be that she's taken aback by a world that has adopted Lady GaGa as a queen of deconstruction. Deconstructing everything she consumes and is thus HI-ART. This is her critical critique.

But as pop fan I've always felt that this was never what Lady GaGa was about. She's no more deconstructive than that wonderful failed British popgroup Girl Thing. And as such, maybe Paglia has lost the point. She prefers to compare GaGa to other performers. This is dangerous territory. So, you like Tina Turner. Blast out Proud Mary and turn off Bad Romance. Its clear Bad Romance is utter shit next to something like Proud Mary. It will always be. But that's not a fact that is all-earth-shattering is it? Is it? To Camille it kinda is. I find this incredibly funny. Indeed, anyone listening to Alejendro will have heard Fernando by ABBA, Ace Of Base and Madonna when she still made good records. Lady Paglia's essay is built on one fact: that ultimately Lady GaGa is a bit shit & vacuous. But is that news? No, not really. If you want revolutionary electronic pop Camille, buy Robyn's Body Talk (especially Part Two). I know Lady GaGa will be tracing every single outline of Robyn's latest in an attempt to try and imitate the Swedish popstars' record before she releases her follow-up to her debut album.....

GaGa's relations with all things Scandi is well entrenched. Indeed, the Paglia piece on Lady GaGa seems to be saying she's a popstar who has simply imported a key important European narrative and made it her own: the epic story written by Hans Christian Andersons The Emperor's New Clothes. To me I've always know this about Lady GaGa and this is why she is brilliant. Camille's article is supposed to be shocking. It isn't. It just underscores what I've always felt about the performer. She's not about sex. She's not about great music. She doesn't have a great voice. Yes Yes. It might not even be about the show (though, I'm sure members of the Haus of GaGa would argue she is a groundbreaking performative artist). And, the masses of ticket sales may prove that point. Paglia states she's simply a scripted and calculated "gangly marionette". Like this a bad thing? Paglia! GaGa isn't even this! Darling, this credits Gaga with far too much. She's simply a modern example of an individual caught in their own very re-writing, and re-living, of the Danish fairy tale of The Emperor's New Clothes. Nothing more and never anything less.

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Only Two Nights Left Till Stardust!!!! WOOH!

So, it's been a mental couple of poptastic weeks: flying to Spain, over the Swiss alps for weddings (very Julie Andrews), Germany and Austrian lakes. In-between all this, planning for the Stardust show at the Tabernacle on Saturday night (get ya tickets here). I can confirm that yes, Elouise will be performing her new single which will be released later in 2011. So, not only will it be the premiere of new EP tracks but the night she reveals her new single that has been kept under wraps till now....She'll also be doing an amazing version of One Night Only. A version that has never been done before....come!

SORAYA ALBUM AND DETAILS!!! DREAMER...coming out...at the end of THIS month

Soraya is totally totally back! As confirmed on this site, the album includes the collaboration with Donna Summer (called You've Got The Music). Below is the tracklisting.

• 01 Dreamer
  
• 02 Failing Me (Runaway)
  
• 03 Give You U.
  
• 04 Ticking All The Boxes
  
• 05 I Got You
  
• 06 You’ve Got The Music
  
• 07 Electric Girl
  
• 08 Twilight
  
• 09 Live Your Dreams
  
• 10 In My Blood
  
• 11 Close To Me

We should be hearing the new single (the title track) very soon. This album is the first she's done outside of her deal with Vale/Universal (she's now with Sony). I am incredibly excited. It also includes work with Bedük, Roger Sanchez, Wally Lopez and Juan Megan. I might just book a flight to Madrid to be first in line at El Corte Ingles for the album. I've done it before....

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LE KID presents....We should go home together-the video

I very much love the new song by Le Kid. But the video seals the deal. It includes girls dancing with life-jackets (tho, they spend way too much time on screen), the boys in the band in glorious pink one-set suits, a boat and Swedish seamen all over the place (tho, not enough screen time for the men methinks) and a merboy. Yes, a MERBOY! This leaves me to feel all pop videos require a merboy.

And, as such are consequently lacking some member of mer-community. Please, video directors of the world submit a mer-person in the treatment for your pop videos. They really are a must. Talk to Princess Ariel, she'll sort you out with all the right contacts. The video, like the song, is 100% fabulous pop-candy and sets up the album in incredibly steed. Thank you Le Kid. It was worth the wait.

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