Marina & The Diamonds - Radioactive

I have been a fan since those famous words of "Hollywood" "Oh my gosh you look like Catherine Zeta, no no more like Shakira, actually my name's Marina"classic and the rest of first album "The Family Jewels" was basically nothing short of incredible.. So Marina & The Diamonds are defo one of my fave bands out there. "Radioactive" is a return to form as is "Fear and Loathing" which sees Marina slowly transforming to the non ego "Electra Heart" which is also the name of the new album, and "Radioactive" is a video based around "Electra Heart" coming to form.


Confused? Well don't be, the song itself is just so damn good that the rest of it does not even matter! I can hear this becoming a mega summer anthem with remixes comng out our ears! It is a change in direction for the band and seems a dead cert for number 1!


I love it, digitally "Radioactive" is released 3rd October with the album "Electra Heart" to follow.

Nicola Roberts - Lucky Day

I literally L.O.V.E. this song, I have not stopped listening to it on YouTube since they released it last week. It is pure genius! Nicola Roberts looks like she is about to carve a highly successful solo career away from Girls Aloud. I am patiently awaiting "Cinderella's Eyes" to be released, but for now I will just keep watching the video to "Lucky Day" and listening to "Beat of My Drum" on my Ipod.
 What's also great about this song is, it was produced by my favourite band - Dragonette, who as everyone knows are my all time faves and I bang on about them all the time and you can hear their trademark sound on this single.


The video to "Lucky Day" is also pretty epic, neon sperm, a strange dress, trainers that light up! NEW YORK the list goes on and on. Everything about this single is EPIC. Nothing else to say on it, you look for yourself, but be prepared to be blown away!


I have been waiting for a new song/sound that I can get really excited about and "Lucky Day" has provided this for me, I am literally typing at the speed of light whilst blasting "Lucky Day" full volume out of my speakers on my laptop and trying to sing along (badly) at the top of my voice whilst I replay the video for the 11th time in a row!!


I need this song, but I will wait until 18thSeptember when it is released! Boo.

Maroon 5 feat Christina Aguilera - Moves Like Jagger

Maroon 5 has always been a band that has released some decent songs and some not so decent, they are non-offensive, and as for Christina Aguilera, we all know I love her! I wish her last album, "Bionic" was bigger and she did more video's from it as there are some great songs on that album.
Adam Levine and Christina worked on the smash hit reality TV show "The Voice" and out of this the collaboration was created and the song "Moves Like Jagger" which is basically an anthem.

I think this will be a huge hit here in the UK - the video shows the love of Jagger and the love of the UK/States. It is a kind of vintage video and I love it! People will always love seeing Adam Levine topless and then there are the hardcore Xtina fans out there (me included) that will come out in their droves to support this damn fine tune.

Maroon 5 have had 4 albums and their most successful of course is "Songs About Jane" which included "She Will Be Loved & This Love" whereas Christina has also had 4 albums and I cannot list all the success she has had as we all know it, "Dirrty, Beautiful, Fighter.." the list goes on basically but "Stripped" is one of the greatest albums ever created.

"Moves Like Jagger" is released on 14th August and I predict big things for it. BUY IT.

Will Young - Jealousy

Will Young is one of those reality stars that actually, when you think about it, should really not be associated with reality TV anymore because, lets face it, he is super talented and has made a wave in the music industry since he won Pop Idol in 2002. Proving critics wrong with number one singles & albums not only does Will writes, but he acts and sings, he has had some fantastic hits since he won Pop Idol all those years ago. My favourites are "Fridays Child, Who Am I, Leave Right Now & All Time Love" and now he is back with "Jealousy" easily a contender to become one of my favourite Will Young Songs.


Upbeat and very in-keeping with current trends but sticking to that classic sound of Will Young, he is back on form and the video is great! He dons spandex and acts all gymnasticy and leaves you wondering if he ever got what he wanted! The good thing it seems with Will, is that it is about the music an not how many number one singles he has had! Unlike so many other winners from the reality music shows who vanish into obscurity after just a few releases Will has managed to carve a successful career that is all about his music.


Anyways I love "Jealousy" and cannot get enough of it, check the video out below. Fifth album (I cannot believe it is his fifth!) "Echoes" is released 22nd August 2011, with single "Jealousy" being released the day before, I predict this will become a huge comeback for Will Young.

Melanie C - Think About It

Taken from her forthcoming album "The Sea" Melanie C is back with her eagerly awaited new single "Think About It" which sees Mel back at her best. Not since her debut album "Northern Star" have I been really excited about Melanie C and we won't go into the whole "I Want Candy" part of her career. Lets face it, she was the most talented vocally of the Spice Girls and was always going to be around longer in the music industry side of things. Most probably had money on Geri but not me, "Northern Star" is still one of my all tie favourite albums and showcases Mel at a stage where she showed how versatile she is. "Going Down" is my favourite Melanie C song, followed very closely by "Never Be The Same Again" which is incredible and featured y favourite TLC member and late Lisa Left Eye Lopez.


Now Melanie is showing her pop fun side, and I love it! I think it has a real different vibe something she has not really done before and fits in well with the likes of Kelly Clarkson and dare I say it, Avril Lavigne. Although Melanie C is showcases something more mature and more advanced perhaps here with, "Think About it" her previous single "Rock Me" has only just caught my attention, largely due to "Think About It" but I also love "Rock Me" and I for one cannot wait to order the new album "The Sea" when it is released on 4t September with single "Think About It" released the same day.

Martin Solveig feat Dragonette - Big In Japan

The amazing album cover to "Smash"

So most of you will already be fully aware I am obsessed by Dragonette, and they seemed to have met a great music maker in Martin Solveig proving only too well with "Hello" from earlier this year (actually I first heard it in June 2010, but hey who is being pedantic?). Well on Martin' newest album "Smash" he has worked quite a lot with Dragonette ("Don't Stop, Boys & Girls, Hello & Big In Japan") which pleases me oh so much, as I need constant amounts of Dragonette on my Ipod.


"Big In Japan" goes on the same route as "Hello" but with a much harder impact, I love it, I can imagine a huge dance related video in a flash mob styled look, colourful and epic. I hope he decides to release this as I really love it, I repeated it 10 times in a row earlier as I need it to be played. Even as I type I have it on full volume loving the "S.T.A.R. That's what you are, coz ur big in Japan" you just need to here it.


Please invest in both these artists as I think they are really talented, and their music literally makes me wanna go freaking mad on the dancefloor, "Hello" always gets a good reaction in the clubs too.

The song is NOT 8 mins long tho.. sadly.

Selena Gomez & The Scene - Who Says

I really like "Who Says" by Selena Gomez & The Scene, I think it is another empowering song, and at the moment that seems to be the 'in' thing. So this fits quite well with the others currently around (Lady Gaga and Skylar Grey both have done 'love who you are' type songs recently) and although this is not my usual type of music I have now downloaded the new album "When The Sun Goes Down" which is out now and so far seems a good little album really especially the song "Whiplash."


I only really just heard "Who Says" purely because it does not seem to have had much airplay here in the UK, which is quite normal for acts like Selena, however this one is better, and listening to the new album sounds like she has matured from her last work.

I like that she is young, pretty but not in a naughty school girl way and that she is a good role model to younger girls. She has the Latino look that I think she is really beautiful. The video is good too - I like that it is not too obvious and takes a different direction in the 'love who you are' fight.   


What do you think of "Who Says" by Selena Gomez & The Scene?

Calvin Harris - Feel So Close

Calvin Harris has been about a few years now, and single handily makes all his music sound AMAZING. This guy is a super producer, with the world wanting to work with him it seems that Calvin could now just sit back and work with all the others that want a piece of his music making Midas-touch Esq records. But NO, he keeps going with his own successful music career, most recently he released the foot stomping club romping record "Bounce" featuring legend Kelis which hit number 2 against some strong competition.


Now Calvin releases second single "Feel So Close" from the as yet confirmed third album, "Feel So Close" is released 21st August 2011 and is another foot stomping dance rampage that makes me just want to get up and go crazy!


"Feel So Close" has one of my favourite videos of the year, a particular highlight of mine is the lassoing cowboy, and its ensemble tale based around different dance genres. It makes me want to dance, what else can I say really? It's just a tune through and through.

Leona Lewis - Collide

Leona Lewis is back, my favourite X-Factor contestant ever, she has become an artist now in her own right and Collide proves that Leona is not a one trick pony, Collide is a faster paced song compared to "Happy and Better In Time" but keeps the same dark pop lyrics in the same vain as "Bleeding Love" with lyrics such as "Crash in to me & at full speed" - in the same way that "you cut me open" are dark images in a pop world. I have been a massive fan of Leona since day one, when that shy girl went for her audition I knew she was a winner. I always remember when she was in the final and Gary Barlow told Simon Cowell that he "has a big responsibility with Leona" and he was right, Simon has invested a lot of time and money in Leona who has gone on to become a huge international success and a worthy ambassador of British talent.
I think the good thing about Leona is that you can give her anything to sing and she sings it. One of my favourite tracks of Leona is "I Got You" and although it did not do as well here we forget that it came from a hugely successful album campaign with "Echo" and that she released it 6 months after the album! With "Collide" she has gone for a "Love Takes Over, Only Girl In the World" type sound, that gets in your head, as does the productions behind it. Collide was written by Autumn Rowe and produced by Sandy Vee, the team behind Rihanna' "Only Girl In The World & S&M" as well as Alexis Jordan ("Good Girl") & Katy Perry' ("Firework") to name but a few of their pop masterpieces, so all in all a good combination to make a hit I feel.

I reckon this will be another number one for Leona, who after criticism for releasing slower songs has gone away and thought about that and come back with a song that is not a million miles away from her previous offerings, but has evolved in a way that is refreshing. I can imagine the remixes of this song will be Ibiza anthems.

I love it and hope all the Leona fans get behind the campaign and support her once more, I for one am Happy to see her back, I love her voice so much and she is stunning.

Beyonce - Best Thing I Never Had

Welcome Beyonce to your first post! Which is strange as I am a massive fan of Beyonce, seen her live, love her albums and general all round fan, so when I first heard "Who Run The World (Girls)" I have to say I was not impressed, and as time has gone on I still don't like it, but the good thing about Beyonce is she releases an album with a song for everyone, she does ghetto, she does rap, she does R&B, dance, POP, Hip Hop the lot.. so "Best Thing I Never Had" falls into the "Halo/Irreplaceable" mould but it is amazing, the video reminds me of Leona Lewis' "Happy" only for the reason it is wedding themed I suppose.

Although Beyonce' newest album "4" is not my favourite of her albums, it's still worth a purchase and I have discovered a good chill out album and there are a few more singles on this record.


Beyonce is an icon, and will be around a long long time so she can release what she likes and it will be a hit, because she is the whole package, performance wise, Beyonce is one of a select few that can nail an almighty performance/show every time whilst singing 100% live.


I love this lady, she is a powerhouse and has worked with everyone in the music industry from Jay Z, Lady Gaga, Shakira, Sean Paul & Missy Elliot among many more . I think it was always inevitable that she was going to be the biggest entity from Destiny's Child. Long may Beyonce reign supreme.

Natalia Kills feat Will.I.Am - Free

Natalia Kills is someone I have been championing from day 1, I love her, as you can see from all my previous blog posts regarding this amazing talented lady who represents all things musical, fashionable, sexual and artistic to the bone!


For some strange reason her career has not kicked off to the start I had hoped with previous songs "Mirrors" and "Wonderland" which are epic darkpop styled art influenced musical masterpieces. However, with a little help from her friend, Will.I.Am she is releasing another fantastic creative video/single with "Free" which is one of my favourite tracks from Natalia. The video shows that Natalia is very much a story teller both lyrically and when it comes to the treatment and eventual screenplay of her video's, it also shows a different side, with "Mirrors" we had a dark art type menacing video in an underworld type style, with "Wonderland" we saw a new take on fairy tales with no happy ending and another creative direction all inspired by Natalia's own imagination. With "Free" we have a much more underlying theme and shows her at a new level more sexy and more about fashion and its many different genres. 

 Natalia Kills has a really cool vibe about her, and I am just waiting for everyone to cotton on to the fact that she is incredible and for them to go out and buy her records!! Today is pretty momentous, as Natalia Kills has trended on Twitter (worldwide) which is a huge milestone for Natalia and her team and I hope gives them yet another platform to promote her incredible videos/songs/all round superstar prowess.

As you can see from my previous 4 blogs here I am a little bit obsessed with this British born superstar, I randomly stumbled across a video fr her song "Zombie" whilst looking for songs to create a creepy playlist and "Zombie" fit s well next to Michael Jackson' "Thriller" and Rihanna' "Disturbia" so I instantly began my obsession. 

Skylar Grey - Invisible

Skylar Grey, to me is one of the most exciting artists around at the moment, so often those that write some of the best songs are overshadowed by the artists singing them, however for the likes of Grey & Lady Gaga there are a few that manage to hold on to a tune of their own and release as a credible solo single and even go on to build a whole album of genuinely brilliant music. Skylar Grey (real name Holly Brook Hafermann) has already built quite the name for herself at a young age, she wrote sections on all 3 versions of Eminem & Rihanna' massive hit "Love The Way You Lie" which scored massive international success, she also co-wrote Diddy Dirty Money's massive international hit "Coming Home." Skylar also features on Dr Dre' single "I Need a Doctor" also with Eminem.


Now Skylar Grey is releasing her own material from the album said to also be called "Invisible" later this year. I basically love the single "Invisible". It represents how so many people feel and the lyrics hit home just how bad some people become when they are ignored, or made to feel like they don't belong. In a way this song sits perfectly alongside Christina Aguilera' "Beautiful" and Lady Gaga' "Born This Way" because it fights the good fight, that people should not be made to feel bad about themselves and that we all have a part to play & we are all special in our own way. Skylar has teamed up with Brit music producer AlexDaKid who is also one of the most exciting and talented producers out there at the moment, helping make "Invisible" a unique and beautiful song/masterpiece.


I love Skylar and have been very excited about her album for a long time, I love her voice and style, she has a real presence and I feel she is going to be huge in the coming months & years and become another firm favourite artist of mine.
 I can't write enough about how much respect I have for a talent like Skylar - she is incredible and you should all check her out now for yourselves!

Gina G - Next 2 U

In a bout of recent nostalgic posts, what should come on my shuffle but the very first CD single I ever bought, by Gina G - it was "I Belong To You", and also had "Ohh Ahh...Just A Little Bit" the 1996 smash hit that was also the UK Eurovision song contest entrant. So began a classic re-introduction of Gina's collection and downloading another classic "FRESH" which just reminds me of a really cool summer whilst at school.

It was a huge surprise (but a pleasant one) to find Gina G on twitter! I began following and discovered she has been going strong all these years, and currently has a new single: "Next 2 U" which is still in keeping of her disco classic formula which wins every time, Gina has a huge twitter following and even responds to her tweets as I was fortunate enough to find out! Gina seems like a really lovely person and I love her music so she is a winner to me.

"Next 2 U" was written  by Gina G, Billy Pace, Duane Morrison songwriter for Madison Avenue’s UK #1 hit “Don’t Call Me Baby” and John Collins and it really shows as it is really catchy and proves Gina G is back with disco beats that make you wanna dance, just like its predecessors.

"Next 2 U" is out now and available on I-Tunes so you should go forth and purchase it like I have.

More information can be found on Gina G' website:- GinaG

Kid Kasio - Over & Over

If you are a fan of 80s synth electropop (who isn't?) - or The Hurts you may well be in luck as Kid Kasio fits perfectly into this genre. Kid's music is epic 80s pop and I love it! Over & Over is so far my favourite and has a great video to it too - filmed in an abandoned theme park, it gives off an eerie retro pop vibe.


I have been fortunate enough to be sent 4 of Kid Kasio' tracks, 'Living My Life, Not For Turning, Over & Over and The Reason' all very catchy pop songs of yestertime, all reminding me of growing up in the 80s a kind of revisit to a time forgotten, but keeping it modern in a naughties type style.


I believe Kid Kasio to be a very talented individual with fantastic style and a sound that needs to be heard. Also I love love love the Kid Kasio website - its like a retro vintage shop where looking through it you discover things yo remember from back in the day, which I love a bit of nostalgia.


Keep an eye out for Kid Kasio, as I get a feeling we will be seeing a lot more of him in the future!

Robyn - Call Your Girlfriend

I have loved Robyn since Every Heartbeat featuring Kleerup, but my all time favourite song by Robyn is Dancing On My Own, which is a fantastic piece of music, in the may years of her career Robyn has released some dance tunes that in time will be known as true classics.


Robyn is back with Call Your Girlfriend and what a comeback, last year she released 2 albums Body Talk pt1 & Body Talk pt2, both amazing albums, and if you have never bought a Robyn album then you must! Call You Girlfriend is just another part of a winning formula, every time Robyn releases she has a new take on her sound and evolves her lyrics sounding more mature each time, and we all know part of life is about evolution.


This song has been on a constant loop on Mi-Pod because it is just a big grande soft dance ballad that makes me wanna fist pump the air at each chorus.


Robyn is also huge worldwide now, which is great, she is a real individual in a music industry consumed by how people look, or act and she breaks the 'normal' mould of popstars, Robyn is super talented and a great performer live.

The single is out now and taking from the third installment of the Body Talk series of albums - the newest album being called simply Body Talk which is also available now.

Nicola Roberts - Beat of My Drum

I am fully aware I am a little late with Nicola Roberts solo career but I love this song so much so I have to blog about it! Basically my computer died and come back to life again and during this time I was unable to blog, devastation don't come close... Anyway - we all know who Nicola Roberts is, the Girls Aloud dainty doll has gone solo with the epic Beat of My Drum and soon to be released album Cinderella's Eyes which has a scheduled release of October 2011.


Beat of My Drum is produced by Diplo & Dimitri Tikovoi and was written by Nicola herself, showing she has the talent! I have always liked Nicola, she has a self doubt about her that makes her a normal person in a world that can eat you up and spit you out, and she remains grounded and reminds me of people I know in reality which sometimes, people just want someone they can relate to. I recently watched the making of the video for Beat of My Drum, and she says how weird it is filming a video with all these eyes on you, and that is how I feel I would react, I am massively camera shy and I imagine it to be a totally surreal experience.

I fell in Love with Nicola when she performed Shout on Popstar's the Rivals, which at the time I feel, was when she shone through with her voice, and then to become a member of Girls Aloud and have the success she has had it was inevitable that she would go on and experience a taste for the solo life. What I love most, is that while Cheryl Cole and Nadine Coyle have tried to go down the big American produced tripe, Nicola has kept it real and kept it British!


Beat of My Drum is out now, and the sound she has opted for is a funky pop feature, it reminds me of a Justice vs Simian  track - We Are Your Friends, which trust me, is a massive compliment. According to Wikipedia as well, Dragonette lend a hand on the production of the forthcoming album, and as most of you know by now I am obsessed by Dragonette, so this pleases me HUGELY.

Team Nicola / Ginge.

Introducing - Chasing Pluto

Chasing Pluto recently took time to answer a few questions I had for them in an interview styled format, albeit a non conventional slightly old skool way due to technical 'difficulities' my end. However, Chasing Pluto are an exciting band who hail from London, they are Jamal and Corinne, an electro pop funk sensation that I hope and pray become bigger and bigger over the coming years. I believe they write genuinely good music that I want to own as part of my collection and thanks to the wonders of the world wide web, I now do. Below is the video for single Hold On, followed by my interview with the band. I Hope you enjoy their music as much as I do.

Witin the interview Chasing Pluto answered the questions I personally wanted to ask, I love thinking about where people get their inspirations, I want to know what making music video's are like and I want to know who they would like to work with in the future. Jamal would like to feature his Mum on a track while Corinne opts for Tinie Tempah, I personally do not see a problem with the 4 of them getting on one epic track? Read also how their tacks were inspired by Kate Nash, furthermore, their highlights so far.

Some of the reasons I am liking Chasing Pluto can be found on their soundcloud:- 

http://soundcloud.com/chasingpluto

  

1) What 1 song do you wish you had written and produced and why?

C: Wow that's such a hard question! There are too many. I think I have to go back to my classical roots with this one and say the Schindler's List theme by John Williams, its not a pop song but scoring for an orchestra or group of instruments would be such a personal challenge.

J: Unchained Melody by the Righteous Brothers, because I love it.

2) If you could feature anyone on a Chasing Pluto track who would it be and why?

C: I think a lot of our tracks lend themselves well to rappers, although they are loads out there I like right now I would love to get Tinie Tempah on a track.

J: My mum because I love her.

3) What inspires you to write the songs you write? I Won't Fall In Love is my favourite song of yours and I relate to the words! Voices & I Won't Settle are highlights on soundcloud for me also.

C: As cliche as it sounds life is enough inspiration for me, I think the best thing about writing songs is making something productive/positive come out of the worst situation. Its like therapy.

J: In general for me: alcohol and insecurity. Although specifically speaking, well "I won't fall in love" is pretty self explanatory. "Voices" is about suicide, and "I Won't Settle" was inspired by Kate Nash.

4) What has been the highlight so far of being in Chasing Pluto?

C: I'm a bit of a cheeseball so in all honesty all of it! Its been amazing finding somebody (Jamal) that I can bounce off of/work with in the way that we do. But of course, its been great seeing that people share and enjoy what we do, so getting all of our good feedback from bloggers and journalists as well. 

J: No one thing in particular, we're still chasing. although i agree with what Corinne just said... completely.

5) Who are you loving at the moment in the music industry?

C: I've got a lot of respect for all those artists that are making moves on their own and creating their own hype which is making the labels have to take notice.

J: This MC called "Terminator".. check out his F64 on SBTV

6) What are your guilty pleasures in your musical collection?

C: Mr President Coco Jambo (although I do find the woman's vocal on it mildly annoying)

J: Straight Up Now Tell Me - Paula Abdul

7) I have decided to review 'Hold On' for the blog, as there is a video for it, and I wanted to know, what was it like making a music video & how long did it take? Did you have much input to it and who filmed it for you? Basically I am fascinated with music video 'treatment' etc. So tell me all please..

The video was directed by Yasha Malekzad of Jacuzzi films and we shot it in a day.  We did have some input on the day although Yasha is a great director so already had loads of ideas before we had even got on set.

8) Do you have any gigs in the pipeline? If so where and when?

We're reworking our band set up at the moment and will be out gigging in the summer.  Keep checking our website www.chasingpluto.com for updates, in fact facebook, twitter, soundcloud - all /chasingpluto

9)  There are not many singing male and female duo' currently dominating the chart, but I see you both have the potential to change that, would you ever consider reality TV to get ahead?

C: I guess it depends in what capacity.  If you're asking would we audition for X Factor? Then I personally wouldn't because we're trying to be recognised as writers getting our own music out there.  If you're saying would we use TV as an outlet full stop then I would depending on the situation.

J: I'd like to think that the music would be enough, but who knows :-//

10) Where do you see yourselves in 5 years time (a bit of a job interview question sorry).

C: I do hate predicting the future because I think life is going to pan out how it will and how it should but I would like to think that our music could reach out to as many people as possible by that time and that we're recognised and respected for what we do. Until then we just keep on keeping on.
J: I just want lots of people to enjoy the music, and to be in a situation where it puts enough food on the table to keep us and our loved ones from hunger.

I want to take this opportunity to thank Corinne and Jamal aka Chasing Pluto for taking time to answer my questions and wish them all the luck and thanks for being so lovely on twitter.

Mipod.

Soundgirl - Don't Know Why

I first featured Soundgirl HERE back in March and I basically loved them then, and they released I'm The Fool as a free download, it has since been played a substantial amount of times on my I-pod. Now they are back with 'Don't Know Why', which uses a classic sample reminiscent of the reformed Sugababes on 'Freak Like Me' which relaunched them as the new edgy pop band of the early naughties. Now Soundgirl will recreate the excitement of mixing old and new to create a sound for the summer with 'Don't Know Why'.


I love the video and I love that these girls have been doing exams recently, it all seems so normal - just doing my GCSE'S then flying to Barbados to film a music video.. how lucky for these 3 teenagers. They are slightly cooler than the current heap of girl bands we have out there so I think that will make them stand out a bit more.

The group are based in London and are Olivia, Izzy and Nicole - ages between 16 & 17 and are incredible, release dates are uncertain at the moment but be sure to keep an eye out for them being all over the music world soon!

Let me know what you think as always..

Swedish House Mafia - Save The World

Possibly the best video featuring dogs I have ever seen, the Swedish House Mafia bring us 'Save The World' the same act that features on Tinie Tempah's epic 'Miami To Ibiza' which I featured here the video for 'Save The World' is amazing! If you are a dog person, and you like superheroes - you will LOVE THIS VIDEO. The song is also incredible and will be a dance hit all over the world!

Watch - I LOVE IT oh so much. WOOF.

The Greatest Hits of Ms Dannii Minogue

I was gutted to hear that Dannii Minogue is not returning to the X-Factor, yes I was a critic when I first heard she was going to be the judge, however over the years she has become some what of a role model to girls, fashion and relationships. She mentored the amazing Stacey Solomon in 2009 and the winner of 2010 Matt Cardle as well as 2007' Leon Jackson. She seems a genuinely nice & warm person and will leave a gaping hole in the X-Factor, which I will probably not be watching especially if the new line up rumours are true! I liked the judges line up, except for Louis, and now it seems pointless, I am a firm believer if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

Anyway Dannii has had a long career musically and out of dedication to her - my 5 favourite songs below I think, are Dannii' greatest hits some of which should have been bigger than her sister Miss Kylie Minogue. Basically it is the Neon Night era that I am obsessed with and focusing on.


My favourite song of Dannii' are:-
1)'You Wont Forget About Me' not sure why, it is just the one I always seemed to prefer...





2) 'I Begin To Wonder' - I remember hearing this and thinking - WOW, she looked amazing in the video and I think it really was the first time I paid a lot of attention to a Dannii Minogue song! Could not find a decent video but you get the gist.





3) 'Put The Needle On It' - I got into this about 6 months after I was released, but loved it! When it comes on to my shuffle I get so excited haha its sexy too.





4) 'Don't Wanna Lose This Groove (sample of Madonna Into The Groove)' - love the sample here, I could not stop listening to this back in the day.





5) 'Riva feat Dannii Minogue - Who Do You Love Now' - this song is a classic dance track and when on my holidays at this time was on everywhere!

Wonderland - Starlight

When I first heard Not A Love Song I thought I heard and saw something enough to blog about them and although perhaps not a strong first single, people were quick to point out the song was not great, but I loved it and still sing it in my head.. anyway the amazing second single & video 'Starlight' has been released! I love it, and 'Starlight' can potentially be HUGE.

Ok, so 'Not A Love Song' should perhaps not have been the first single, but at least the band appear to be going down a different avenue to the mainstream girl bands out there releasing slightly over produced pop songs that are great at the time but fade away fast, I am hoping Wonderland' style and catchy songs have a longer lasting effect.

The band are Jodi, Sharon,Corrina, Leigh & Kasey and were formed in Ireland in 2008, and have so far made music that is both non offensive and has a chilled summer vibe and 'Starlight' has a really catchy chorus. I could imagine these girls at festivals doing really cool sets especially an acoustic set.

Anyway, Wonderland' self titled debut album & the single 'Starlight' are released 6th June 2011 and I wish them lots of succes.

LectroLips - Voyeur

"A person who enjoys seeing the pain or distress of others" this is the definition of the word Voyeur and Voyeur is the name of an amazing song by LectroLips and it brings me no pain or distress. Instead it makes me wanna get up and basically living room boogie. Which I would if I was not writing notes constantly on all the songs that Ant and Leo have made, they are genius.

I see these guys as something pretty special, I think the big music industry is ready for a new wave of electro funk and I reckon this is the next phase. More and more people are popping out the woodwork with really well polished music that deserves a sitting in the charts. Musically LectroLips are really creative, their music is so much better than a lot of stuff currently out there, it's a fresh approach to the 80's bringing back some retro pop funk. They write and produce everything and have had their work featured on many different shows and adverts. Go over to their Soundcloud now and download some free tracks, free great music - you can't really go wrong there.

Whilst the majority of the music I do listen to tends to be mainstream, I am finding more and more acts like this and I stay interested a lot longer due to the fact that they are not over played on the radio, however, it would be good for others to discover these acts via the medium of radio and TV.

Check out Voyeur below or go to LectroLips soundcloud page HERE and download their music.

Voyeur by LectroLips

Fan Death - Veronica's Veil, Cannibal & Reunited

When I typed 'Fan Death' into a google search it came back with "Fan Death is an urban legend prevailing in South Korea in which an electric fan left running overnight in a closed room can caue the death of those inside."

However, Fan Death the band are a duo who are currently based in Vancouver, CA, comprising of Dhandi and Marta produce electro pop disco funk, something over the past few years I am getting into more and more. When you look there are a lot of duo's out there and some of my favourites at the moment include:- Van Go Lion, Lectro Lips and Chasing Pluto who I have found via twitter, a world of musical greatness and all of which you should check out or keep an eye out for blog posts soon. I am basically loving the electro sound, I think the first people to get me into electro music are Dragonette, whom I love.

The video's are arty, original, fresh and fun Cannibal is an upbeat disco powerhouse with a very creepy video, but also very watchable, while Veronica's Veil is an artistic and creative - and Reunited is a funny video featuring some pretty good dance routines and funny 'cameo's'. Check out the videos below.

Fan Death's LP 'Womb Of Death' is already out and well worth a listen, and for more information on Fan Death please click HERE

Carrie Mac - Till I See You Again

Carrie Mac' new single 'Till I See You Again' is pretty damn good. I really like it - she is one of a long line of Brit's that pose domination on the charts, she is young, fresh and stylish. The song itself is non offensive to the ears and borders on pop/country with a really catchy chorus, so catchy in-fact that, I could not sleep last night and realised the reason why was because I had this song in my head humming the chorus over and over again! So I blame Carrie for my lack of sleep the night before I started a new job, lucky I like the song :-) 


Anyhow - check out the video below for the single 'Till I See you Again' which is out now. For further information on Carrie check out her website HERE .

Nicki Minaj - Super Bass

At the moment, there are so many good acts out there, each have their own unique style and great music, right now though, I think the leader in uniqueness is the one and only Nicki Minaj. Although not lighting the charts with number one hit songs her style is interesting, her voice incredible (both musically and when she just talks - love her accent) and her album is pretty amazing! So with 'Super Bass' we see a different side of Nicki, previous songs 'Right Thru Me, Moment For Life feat Drake, & Check On It feat Will.I.Am' are good songs and show her versatility as an artist.



Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday



Nicki Minaj seems to be the most sought after artist there is at the moment,having also worked with Christina Aguilera, Usher, Jay Sean, David Guetta, Rihanna, Trey Songz, Britney Spears, Eminem and Kanye West to name but a few, my favourite so far being the duet between Minaj and Christina on the totally underrated track 'WooHoo' from Christina' 'Bionic' album see my previous post on this HERE. 'Super Bass, Your Love and I'm The Best' are so far my to favourite songs to come from the 'Pink Friday LP', which is well worth a purchase.

She has a lot of comparisons to Lil Kim - I personally do not see it, but each to their own, Lil Kim has had a great career so I do not see that it is a negative, but I do not think their music is similar at all.

'Super Bass' is out now, a great video and I think Nicki' best shot at the top 10 in the UK. Buy it now or give the deluxe edition of 'Pink Friday' a go! You might be surprised at how many different styles are on this album. 


9/10 - for the song, video and album!

Alexandra Stan - Mr Saxobeat

Right, I am guilty - but I love this!! I normally hear these types of songs and think, yea it's OK but I won't download, well I did with this one and cannot stop listening - it is great and bad all at the same time, sounding very European, but a sound that is being made massive at the moment by the likes of Lady GaGa and Jennifer Lopez. I very much doubt I will be buying an album by Alexandra Stan in the near future, but I see this being slightly massive in the Summer.


Anyway I will keep this short and sweet, I love it! Mr Saxobeat by Alexandra Stan is available now to those that want to dance.

Alice Gold - Runaway Love

Alice Gold is another up and coming act, I really like her voice, been listening to 'Runaway Love' a few weeks now, and cannot put my finger on who she reminds me of, but either way no comparisons may help her here. I like this song a lot, it's got a real retro feel to it that also somehow remains perfectly current.


Alice is set to begin a full campaign when launching the debut album 'Seven Rainbows' whch is set for release 4th July 2011. I am looking forward to the album and to see what else Alice can do, she is obviously very talented. The single 'Orbiter' is also a bit of a corker to be fair.

The UK, at the moment is banging out really talented performers especially young female diva' types and I think Alice fits in perfectly into the current market! 'Runaway Love' has already been A-Listed by BBC Radio 2 and she has had a great reception from 'Q' and is touring the fesitval circuit this year.

Check out more news on releases and other video' by Alice Gold HERE

Her Majesty & The Wolves - Goodbye, Goodnight

Ex-Pussycat Doll Kimberly Wyatt has teamed up with Jupiter Rising member Spencer Nezey to become a new group Her Majesty & The Wolves - first single from the groups debut album is called Stars In Your Eyes, a dance track filled with groove ability, second single, Goodbye, Goodnight is not as instantaneously a hit but after a few listens I find myself liking it, so here it is...


Details on the album and the promo campaign seem a bit random - as in there is no real plans it would seem? It would appear a 2011 release date still stands, at the moment.

Their sound is said to draw influences from people such as 'Florence & The Machine, Empire of the Sun and Ladyhawke' and they provide us with uptempo disco/party'esq quality songs. I think of the two, Stars in your eyes is my favourite.


Anyway, here is the video for Goodbye, Goodnight & Stars In Your Eyes Let me know what you think.

Brooke Fraser - Something In The Water

I am a bit of a fan of Brooke Fraser, no I am more than 'a bit' I really like her, I was introduced to Brooke' music a few months ago by Dan Wooton' column the showbiz columnist for The News Of The World and ever since her third album 'Flags' has been on non-stop repeat. Brooke originates from New Zealand and has reached number one with 'Something In The Water' in her native New Zealand and top 10 in many other countries. She has been to the UK but so far needs to get more recognition.

Brooke is very exciting, her album is full of folky-indie-pop  lovely songs, her voice has twinges of Dido and this song reminds me of our very own Eliza Doolittle' 'Pack Up'. Anyway, I am a massive fan and really hope her sound catches on in the UK. If you like this song, investigate further and you may find others you like, personal highlights from the album 'Flags' are:- 'Betty, Coachella, Flags & Who Are We Fooling?'

My suggestion, is buying the album and having a listen - or check out Brooke' website BrookeFraser

Bat For Lashes - Daniel

Ok, So I know this is old, however, it is AMAZING, it randomly came on during a shuffle fest yesterday and I thought, yea this song is blog worthy! It did not do amazingly in the charts or anything but has a massive underdog feel to it where it should have been.. yet here is another talent wasted on our charts,though second album 'Two Suns' did make top 10! 

Anyhow Bat For Lashes has been ploughing away slowly chipping off hot album after the other and definitely my top song of theirs is Daniel. The song, despite being released in 2009 has become a song on my I-Pod that is consistently brilliant, I never turn it off, never skip, it is basically timeless and if you have never heard it, I suggest you buy it on I-Tunes now, or at last give it a go, people are always too scared to listen to something new, or say 'never heard of em' well, now is a time to listen, people get overshadowed in the music industry because they are not releasing big over produced material. This song is a perfect example of an amazingly brilliant tune that should have been epic.  

Currently it looks like Bat For Lashes is working on a third album, I CANNOT WAIT.