Getting Gomez-merised.

Now, for some of you, my little brother included, I believe that if I said the word 'Gomez' to you you would instantly think of a football player. If you have read this blog at all or probably gathered anything from the first sentence of this post my first thought upon hearing the word 'Gomez' is to reply 'Selena'. 
Selena is one of the seemingly endless Disney Channel princesses of which Miley Cyrus is the High-Queen. Each one follows the same format. Begin on a Disney Channel Children's TV show titled something like 'Aww Chucks, My Brother's An Alien', then try and break free of the Disney mould, go out with a bad-boy popstar and then release a single that is ridiculously catchy. Now as someone who has spent the last year listening to Ernie.K.Doe and weird house music mixes of Sister Sledge, Gomez has dropped of the radar a bit for me, until I came home. My local radio station absolutely love her. Every time I get in the car they are blaring out her latest single, 'Come And Get It'. (There is the provocative, 'let's break the Disney mould', title I was looking for). The first time I heard it, about 3 weeks ago, I turned straight over. By the 12th time Lincs FM decided to play it whilst I was in the car it had grown ridiculously on me. As someone who appreciates when a song is brilliant within it's genre 'Come And Get It' is, in my opinion, one of the best pop songs released this year. It's got so many good bits. A ridiculously catchy chorus, a ballad-esque bridge that you can scream along to in your car, Indian sounding bits reminding you of the other 'I shouldn't love it but I do' pop song of the last decade, Jai-Ho and a brilliant sing along bit that we can all understand the 'eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh' bit of the chorus. 
I know I shouldn't love it, but I do. Selena, you may have gone out with Bieber but I can forgive you if every pop song you write is as good as this/provides a vowel sound chorus to sing along with. 

Why the London Olympics were the Best Ever.

I have just found a video that shows why the London Olympics were so good. It isn't the Opening Ceremony, or the closing one. It isn't a great sporting moment or a javelin snapping or something like that. It is Bananarama performing at the beach volleyball. Bananarama singing Venus, on Horse Guard's Parade. You wouldn't have got that a Beijing.

Just What I Always Wanted (A Billy Bookcase.)

So a rather unlikely setting prompted this music blog post. Ikea. Yes I know, probably not the epicentre of new music but certainly power house of old pop. I think Ikea have realised that their main audience of couples starting up new homes are looking for something cuddlier than quite literally an acid house so have concocted a clever playlist of 80s and 90s pop. It gives their shoppers a sense of security amongst the oddly titled, in our language, 'Billy' bookcases and 'Lakma' lamps. 
Lacking on this trip was any sound of ABBA but I don't know if I am just stereotyping. The one song that really stuck out for me on last Sunday's trip was this banger-'Just What I Always Wanted' by Mari Wilson. I have found myself singing it since Sunday and it is already climbing its way up my most listened to playlist. It's just a hilariously brilliant pop song, if a little repetitive. I must also mention Mari's incredible hair. Anyone who can rock that beehive is good in my book. So there you go, if you do one thing today, listen to this. It will brighten up your day and if not, make you feel like you are in Ikea, go get that hot dog and refill your drink far too many times. 

The 'Power Pose'

I love a song in which there are many chances to stand in the 'power pose' you know the one, Beyonce does it all the time, generally just after being shot out of a cannon or through a trapdoor in the floor, that kind of thing that happens to everyone all the time. 

Here is Beyonce demonstrating the 'Power Pose',
gold leggings and leotard are optional. 

You can imagine my joy then when last night at 1.01am I found this incredible, extended, orchestral version of 'The Look of Love' by ABC. I bloody love this song, and I have now found my new favourite version. Everything is great about it. The bongo solo, the string accompaniement, there is a point where they make about 30 seconds out of that woman saying 'goodbye' in her deadpan and a door slamming. Anyway here is the song, I urge you to stick in a power pose where you feel appropriate. 

Bonnie Tyler. I Need A Zero.

When I opened my laptop this morning and was greeted with the words "Bonnie Tyler to represent UK at Eurovision Song Contest" my heart jumped. For the first time I had high hopes as I clicked on the YouTube link. Total Eclipse of the Heart and Holding Out for a Hero played on my mind, finally an 80s pop star who could deliver a big up-tempo song and beat Estonia and all the other Eastern block countries into submission. This is what Eurovision had been waiting for, I thought. A singer who sounds like they are one coughing fit away from a total eclipse of the heart. Someone with hair so big the wind machines will fail to move it. You can imagine my disappointment then when I started listening to the song. It's a ballad. And not only a ballad but the slowest one I have ever heard. Couple that with the video of Bonnie looking like she is desperate for the loo in a completely white lounge and then on the beach and it makes for a sorry state. 

Is there still time to add some synth drums? A few explosion sound effects. I did like that she was doing her bit for physical music sales and HMV by wearing a CD around her neck for half of the video though. 

Of course this morning's announcement prompted a Twitter storm. With Bonnie's hits providing puns galore such as "I Need A Zero" and 'Picking Bonnie Tyler for Eurovision was a mistake. Every now and then she falls apart". 

Surprisingly the video on You Tube has surprisingly good comments from all of the die hard Eurovision supporters from countries like Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (me neither). But we won't win. We're the United Kingdom. If we won there would be national outcry. We love losing at Eurovision, it gives us something to complain about, and lets face it we don't have the run up to the Olympics or the Jubilee to moan about so we need something.
All that said I still love you Bonnie, you and your massive hair. 

The Brits 2013

It seems pointless writing a blog on this year's Brit Awards when I didn't even watch the whole thing (my favourite bit was Taylor Swift's 'look at me with the small dress under the big dress bit, not predictable AT ALL) but i had to make this clear, it fell flat on its face this year. Here are my reasons:

1. Nobody likes Emeli Sande.

Admittedly that probably isn't true given that she won the awards for album of the year and British female but come on, admit it. You are sick of her.
Opening ceremony. "Oh that's cute, Sande singing Abide With Me, nice day out for her".
Closing Ceremony. "Really, again? Never mind I'm sure I'll live, her stylist won't though for that green crepe paper dress".
Sports Personality Of The Year, "Are we sure Sande hasn't got a contract with the IOC? Has she been sleeping with Jacques Rogge?"
Brit Awards. "Right, that's it I'm doing shots of toilet duck".
She has a habit of popping up everywhere which would be okay if her songs didn't make me want to drink bleach. Anyway. Attack on Sande over. I'm sure she is a very nice person really.

2. Adele

After last year's debacle over her acceptance speech I expected Adele to ride in on James Cordon's back, shout "Fuck the suits" and wander off again, but nothing. She didn't even go. yes, she is in L.A for the Oscars but let's not forget. It was THAT performance at the Brits that really made her the star she is today. That said, I still love her.

3. The award for 'Global Success'

They may as well have just named this the 'One Direction haven't won anything else and they deserve an award' award. Even if you don't like One Direction you have to admit they did deserve an award at the Brits on Wednesday night. They are the biggest band in the world right now and are currently number one in 54 countries. Any award they were given would have been deserved but it did feel like they had made it up for them. Like when Adele was the first person to win critic's choice.

4. Taylor Swift's Performance

After watching it back I actually quite liked the whole effect but for me there was one problem. She didn't sing 'We Are Never (ever ever ever ever ever) Getting Back Together' in front of a giant picture of Harry Styles' face. I think that's enough said about that. She also didn't get her sound-alike goat up on stage to sing with her. (If you don't know what I am on about, here you go). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpfQSqfpuac,

5. The snub of One Pound Fish Man.

THE END.