La Prohibida-ONE WAY INTERRAIL-AMAAAAAZING (The album is out now!)

Okay, so I was actually writing a big low-down of recent Spanish pop releases. Thought it would be the right thing to do seeing as previous weeks have all been Swedish related. Well, it wasn't just Spanish pop. Just a simple pop round-up with the content consisting of mostly Spanish acts. Then I started to write about the amazing La Prohibida and One Way Interrail but as its glorious beats started to massage themselves into my cortex I thought La Prohibida deserved her own posting.

For ages, I've adored La Prohibida but finally she's releasing mainstream pop that deserves a DSTP posting. One Way Interrail is everything I'm waiting the likes of Ladyhawke, La Roux and Little Boots produce one day. Do you remember when Kylie became a space pursor and flew to the moon in Light Years. This traces similar iconography: Kubrick, Star Trek, Barbarella and so forth. I love it. Indeed her entire album sounds like a tribute to those sci-fi giants. Imagine an album of Kylie's Light Years title track. But sung in Spanish. As such, its absolutely fabulous. La Prohibida for World President! Now! Failing that, she has to come and do some shows in the UK!!! Myspace

ANDERMAY'S VERY SPECIAL GIFT FOR DSTP READERS-DESAPARECIENDO (The Fading Shadows RMX)

Andermay-Pure Decadent Fabulousness-Exclusive Mix of Despareciendo Download

A few years ago I waxed lyrical about the brilliant Spanish pop band that was Andermay. Anders of the band has since very kindly allowed Dstp this gift to its readers. This was a mix he did of Andermay's album track "Despareciendo". To my best knowledge this version hasn't been released until now. Anders remix traces a bit of William Orbit and The Beloved. Very cool. Just as a reminder, Andermay are a key force in the Spanish music industry at the moment. They wrote David Bustamente's song "Mas de Mil Noches" and Beth's Eurovision entry "Dime" (A song that has been covered throughout the world). With the first pop album (you have to have this CD) under their belt, they then released their recent brilliant comeback album which was a slight change in sound and direction.

However they've kept their pop fans happy by comissioning a number of ultra poppy remixes & the remix on offer today is one of those. I hope the 3rd album is a mixture between the second and first albums. They have some great pop anthems to their name with my favourite, "Entre Tu Y Yo" being just one of them. Each Andermay song is a revelation. You do not need to understand Spanish to love their pop and access their message. They take you on a journey into love, passion and hurt.

Anders is an amazing song writer with pop running deep into his veins. His melodies are always ferociously pop heavy. Take his latest project! Again, another one that has got to the national finals of Spains Eurovision competition his new girlband (ooh the kudos points!)! Calling themselves Ell*as, Anders wrote a wonderfully simple yet addictive pop song for the girls. I absolutely love them. The fact that they are cute as buttons helps a lot.

Check out Ell*as first single here
Official Andermay Site
Buy Andermay (Amazon)

RAUL Loca/Facil De Amar

Snippet of both Loca & Facil De Amar here: Zshare
Buy the album here: ElCorteIngles

I'd been meaning to write an article on Raúl since Don't Stop the Pop begun but oddly I've never got round to it so now seems to be the perfect time. Why? Because I didn't know what to write about after Jonah Hedqvist. I've been in a bit of a predicament-before deciding on Raúl, I had no idea what to follow the Swedish legend. I mean how to do you top Jonah? All my favourite acts are still recording their albums so everything else is just on the verge of becoming something. Robyn, Caracola, Pay-TV and the sublime Miss Match and et al are all just about to do something. But not quite yet though. I couldn't write an article with a "watch this space". That wouldn't be right. So as you can see Jonah was a bit of a tough act to follow. Who on earth could ever appear after the DontStopthePop legend?

Its not like its a weak week for pop music at the moment. You have Booty Luv, September and BwO all appearing left, right and centre. I thought of writing something about those releases but you know what? Other blogs do that and much better than I could ever think of! I love PosterGirls sublime review of Septembers new release for example.

Anyway, I found Raúl and cursed myself for not thinking about him sooner! Still, better late than never! But alas trouble stirred once again. His new LP suffers from one thing-too many good songs! I spoke to his record company. They didn't mind as long as it was one. So then became an epic difficulty of wondering on earth was I going top pick? I couldn't sleep at night! It was a predicament of biblical proportions! I loved two tracks in particular! The jazz poptastic song Loca and the beautiful classical song Facil De Amar! Which one!

Loca is a onslaught of poppy catchiness that refers to Chicago, All That Jazz and er yeh, the swinging 1930s-40s! It takes you right there-the smoky rooms of 1940's Barcelona.

Facil De Amar refers to Mozart, Robyn's Dream On and Led Zeppelin. In many ways it reflects his entire album (his 6th by the way!). It also could be on the next Linda Bengtzing album . Yes, its perhaps the first ever Spanish Swedish Schlager pop song. It could have been Spains Eurovision entry. And would have won. Its that catchy! Whereas Loca takes you to the 20th century, Facil De Amar is all over the place. First your at the Tudor court of Queen Elizabeth and then your Cher gig when she was pumping out her wonderful rock anthems on ships with yummy sailors riding huge weapons. And then with the chorus Raul takes you to anABBA concert.

Decisions, Decisions!

So you know what? I couldn't decide. Snippets of both songs have been molded together. I am sorry. I couldn't make the decision. I wimped out. They are just too good. I am tragical! Sorry kids!

Who is Raul!? Oh nothing but a Spanish icon! A pop legend too. It is only fitting that after Jonah must come Raul! Every song he has ever released whether it be his hit single Baila:



or something like this or his failed Eurovision entry I Love You Mi Vida:

(Won by boyband D-Nash in the end!)

Raul has always put on a rather good show! If your into your Helena Paparizou's you'll really like his earlier work. Its his new album that reveals a sound that transcends his earlier Europop sound, a bit more adult(y) and has thus sent his sales into the stratosphere. There are rumours that the well-produced album, entitled Una Vida (a tribute to G-Nash perhaps?), is being translated and re-recorded into English which is quite unusual for Spanish acts these days. Especially considering Raul can depend on his huge South American audience...perhaps latinpop is back but this time just don't mention Ricky Martin or Paulina Rubio and whatever you do - keep that term "spanglish" back on the beach of 1999!

Official Site

A really good site to buy Spanish Acts like Raul

LOKITA Lokita

In a very strange somewhat telepathic coincidence, todays selection was also recommended by one our fab readers! I'd originally planned to feature the fierce "girlgroup" Lokita as the initial act in "Catchy-Week" but they got bumped down the list after acts like Edurne upstaged them. Thursday was their day to appear on DontStopthePop and oddly Jose Viruete (one of this site's readers) recommended the band at three pm today! Talk about reading minds! Check out this amazing performance of their song on Youtube. How cute is the bewildering alliance of J-Pop and Spanish pop music!!!! Unique indeed!

Lokita are symbolic of how great, colourful and variable the pop scene of Spain is at the moment. They consist of two girls and a boy who looks amazing in his stilettos and beautiful eye-liner. You just wouldnt see a band of the likes of Lokita on British TV. Mika or Jake Shears is as "eclectic/transgressive" as pop gets in the UK. In Spain, its not the case. Putting aside the brilliant Jonny and his corset the group recall the poptastic days of Dana International, Bananarama and Me&My. In other words-I love LOKITA! They are wonderfully gay, pop and know the power that is often lost in the genre of bubblegum pop.

Lokita DontStopthepop looks forward to your album and is a firm fan of everything you will ever produce! You embody everything that I adore about Spain! Gracias!

Buy Disco Estrella here!

*Next up something either Swedish or a pop princess from the Spanish province of Malaga!*

VEN POR MI-Edurne

For the second album the Spanish pop princess (who launched her career by performing amazing versions of Kylie's Its In Your Eyes) Edurne decided to team up the same people behind September and the result was the stunning Ilusion L.P from which Ven Por Mi is from. In fact, DSTP had long planned to do something on Edurne but perhaps something deep inside me told me to hold off and wait for the second album before featuring her. Gone are the days when the Operacion Triunfo star hooked up with the very cool La Oreja de Van Gogh and in is the stomping pop songs like Los ángeles también pecan, Ven Por Mi, Hoy voy a estallar and Si me dejas en paz. When I say catchy pop songs of Spain I mean it. Illusion is one of the best pop albums of the year. It was very difficult to actually pick one song....but one must and I went for the electropop ditty Ven Por Mi although I actually started writing this article in mind to use the brilliant album track Algo Cambio instead.

This sounds like Sarah Whatmore and Lucky Twice hooked up with the German/Dutch singer Amber and her hit Sexual (di la di). I love the guitar break in the middle 8. Its so eighties it hurts. I highly recommend all of Edurne's material but check out the second album if your in Spain or shopping on places like ElCorteIngles. You can forget those summer compilation albums for your Summer anthems-her Ilusion l.p has it all. Again, Edurne proves that dance can be amazing. If you really want a comparison imagine Margaret Berger, Robyn and Kylie all rolled into one: you'll get Edurne! In the video for this very song Edurne's car breaks down, she gets bored, meets weird people and turns into a queen in white. She then dances off and steals some jewelry after doing a dance-off that Dannii Minogue would be proud of!

Highly recommended!
ElcorteIngles
Edurne.com
(Where you can hear clips from the album)

José Galisteo-I Promised Myself-The Video!!!!

It would seem the likes of Magnus Carlsson and Andreas Lundstedt have a much cuter rival in the their midst as...and its a relief to know that he's Spanish and not Swedish. Its the wonderful Jose Galisteo. DontStopthePop featured the yumyum pop star all the way back in May and now the singer has finally launched himself properly. With the backing of Vale Music (the same company that launched LuckyTwice, Merche, Bea Bronchal & Natalia) Mr.Galisteo has finally released his first proper single which just happens to a poptastic cover of the Nick Kamen classic.


The video itself is simple, sweet and very much the sort of campness I've come to adore about Spain. I personally love Jose in January but that might just because I was born in this month. His September also reveals Jose as a excellent Harry Potter! Those socks! Anyway, click this link to see behind the scenes and a rather cute interview where the two boys outrageously flirt with each other and giggle about churros! Just check out the body language between them-they love each other!



His album features a collection of gay poptastic disco greats including Don't Leave Me This Way, Enola Gay, Big In Japan, Please Don't Go, and Relight My Fire. He's even covered PWL's classic song Together Forever and What Is Love by Haddaway!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GET THIS ALBUM NOW! Then there's Jose's very special song Running In The Family (originally by Level 42) w which suddenly evolves into a story about being gay and how his family loved him no matter what. In other words if you thought Måns Zelmerlöw, Darren Hayes, Simon Curtis and the aforementioned Swedish singers had it sealed as releasing the most poptastic pop album by a male singer this year Mr.Galisteo and his L.P Remember has just raised the bar and perhaps pipped them at the post!



Yes its covers but you can never beat the classics and/or his wonderful English accent. There's a certain warmth to the music and singing of Jose Galisteo that the polished and sheek pop albums put out by Swedish and Anglo-American male stars completely lacks. Not that I am saying these singers are bad or anything but my heart does a little flutter when Jose flitters his handkerchief to mirror the electric strings in the video for I Promise Myself. I think the video simply reminds us that pop can also be absolutely fun and Jose has done that with stunning effect whether it be him dressed up as a club queen, tennis player or dance partner to the Queen Marie Antoinette at the Palace of Versailles during the 1700's! Just wonderful!

Buy the Jose album Remember here