Headlines – 15.08.10

Making headlines in pop music this week…

Britney and Glee fans are putting her team of photoshop mignons out of work with this onslaught of BritBrit Glee posters. But my lovely Gleeks, let’s be honest here for a minute.

Although we’re excited to have an episode dedicated to Ms Spears’ iconic pop tunes, the real reason why anybody’s tuning in is to see the family of rodents living in BritBrit‘s raggedy old weave make their television debut. The Britney/Brittany episode will air on 28 September. Get your TiVo ready.

Lady Gaga won’t reveal which producers she has worked with on her upcoming album in fear that it would compromise the originality of her sound. “As soon as I tell, everyone starts working with them,” she explains to i-D magazine. “All I can say is nobody knows who they are. They’re all new.” Smart move. The last thing Mother Monster needs now is for another RedOne to whore her sound out.

British pop demi-god Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Armin Van Buuren‘s new single ‘Not Giving Up On Love’ will be out in Australia on Friday. Given that Universal Music Australia barely shrugged at Sophie’s last single ‘Bittersweet’, one is practically giddy with delight to find that we’re sharing this release with our friends in the UK.

The oracle that is, Auspop, reports that an independent dance music label – Xelon Entertainment – is overseeing this release, already industriously servicing it to local radio. Sophie announced on Twitter yesterday that she will be touring the UK in December, making it her first solo tour since 2003.

M.I.A. finally has a video to show for her new single: ‘XXXO’. Director Hype Williams (the man behind Beyonce‘s ‘Video Phone’ and Christina Aguilera‘s ‘Not Myself Tonight’ videos) has fulfilled the brief by stylising internet motifs, made popular in the Maya album art, with kitsch Middle Eastern designs. Think: gif animations with Arabic calligraphy and roses.

Katy Perry slammed her record label for trying to stop her from releasing a track with “cock” in the lyrics. The pop singer, who’s no stranger to making conservative folks blush, said Capitol Records was concerned about the genitalia reference in her forthcoming album track: ‘Peacock’. Please. Who’s afraid of a little cock? Need we remind them that this is the same woman who made them a fortune with a song glamourising faux-lesbianism?

American electro pop artist Mike Posner will drop his debut album 31 Minutes To Take Off here on Friday. His breakthrough single ‘Cooler Than Me’ has yet to make an impact in Australia but our friends in the States can already look forward to his next single, ‘Please Don’t Go’.

Serial hit producers – Benny Blanco, Greg Kurstin and The Smeezingtons (the guys behind Sugababes‘ ‘Get Sexy’) – have been enlisted. Will the Aussies lap this up?

Katy Perry ‘Teenage Dream’ Music Video Notes:

This video could’ve been based on Katy’s youth group trips back when she still just a Christian pop singer. You know, before she penned a homo-suggestive song that turned her fortune around?

I’ve always said that Katy Perry‘s ubiquity choked up any genuine interest I had in her music but after hearing ‘Teenage Dream’, one might’ve had a change of heart.

The song caught me off guard with her unexpectedly tender falsettos and its uncluttered retro-pop production. With the exception of ‘Hot N Cold’, this is possibly the only Katy Perry song I am proud to enjoy.

Director Yoann Lemoine (whose CV includes Moby‘s ‘Mistake’ music video and “Lights” – an intriguing arty clip for Vogue Italia) renders ‘Teenage Dream’ in a white-wash haze that has been so trendy with today’s indie-chic photo shoots.

Here are three highlights behind the haze:

1) Road trip

It’s a simple concept but how much does this make you want to round up the gang and go for a road trip? Problem is, I don’t have a cool junkyard car, ya’ll will just have to climb in the back of what looks like a 90s tax accountant’s Honda.

2) Motel rendezvous

Once again, a flashback to the old youth group trips. Hey, a boy can dream, right?

3) Katy watching from the lockers

Who is this girl? Surely it can’t be that lavender-follicled lass shooting whipped cream in ‘California Gurls’. There’s something so endearingly demure about her appearance in this scene, it’s threatening my focus on the hunky boxer.

Footnote:

The ‘Teenage Dream’ video was a personal affair for Katy. She got to cast all her mates and have it filmed in her home town of Santa Barbara. Sweet.

Chart Feed – 09.08.10

Local hip hop group Bliss n Eso has dislodged Eminem to claim a #1 album this week. According to the oracle that is Auspop, their latest album Running On Air sold over 13,000 copies last week to secure the top spot. The guys have come a long way since their 2004 debut, which features charming tracks like ‘Vagina Ice’ and ‘Pigs In The Porn Trough’. Kudos all around, regardless.

Yet another triumph for homegrown talent: Washington made a remarkable debut at #3 on our album charts, selling over 7900 copies in its first week. Her singles ‘How To Tame Lions’ and ‘Rich Kid’ have been selling like hot cakes – who says that, really? – and topping the physical charts. I’m expecting for her signature nanna glasses to start trending with fans. Washington‘s merch bitch, are you reading this?

Other major label-aligned indie acts making a splash here this week include: Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs debuting at #6 (reigning supreme at #1 in the UK) and Avenged Sevenfold‘s Nightmare coming in at #9 (reigning supreme at #1 in the US).

Sir Tom Jones‘ new album of devotional gospel songs aren’t making memaws moist in the taint like his records usually do. Praise & Blame debuted at #32 in Australia this week and I take it that it’s all down hill from here unless he spruiks it on The Circle or Mornings With Kerri-Anne with a few top buttons undone. Failing that, he should tastefully whore out the album with every subscription of The Daily Bread.

Our favourite whipped cream-lactating pop star Katy Perry has the highest charting new single in Australia this week. ‘Teenage Dream’ debuts at #4, virtually repeating the success of its predecessor ‘California Gurls’ which was #1 here less than two months ago.

Melburnian Mastercard holders will be privvy to an exclusive Kitty performance this Thursday when she rocks the Plaza Ballroom for her only show here this year. The Teenage Dream album doesn’t drop until the end of August.

What kind of faggotry is this? Lady Gaga‘s ‘Dance In The Dark’ debuts at #43 in Australia this week. Someone sound the alarm and wake the army of gays for we have much work to do. Most Australians don’t give a shit that we’ve been double rainbowing to this song for over 10 months now. They feed off our enthusiasm, so go gush to your fag hags and personal trainer.

Ne-Yo nabs another UK #1 with ‘Beautiful Monster’ this week. The prolific singer/songwriter has teamed up with Stargate (the Norwegian production duo behind his last chart-topper ‘Closer’) for yet another uptempo-piece. Across the Atlantic, US fans will get the R&B single ‘Champagne Life’. Both singles will precede the release of his Libra Scale album, out in October.

A weekly glance at the US Billboard Hot 100 never ceases to bring an unintentional chuckle. The song titles tickling my funny bone and testing my gag reflex this week are:
‘Sex Room’ by Ludacris and Trey Songz (#89), ‘Hold You (Hold Yuh)’ by Gyptian (#90), ‘Pretty Good At Drinking Beer’ by Billy Currington (#45), and ‘Teach Me How To Dougie’ by Cali Swag District (#37). I wish I could say they were novelty singles but these guys are for real.

Holy Aphrodite! Kylie‘s ‘All The Lovers’ have gone #1 on the US dance/club charts this week. You know it’s too good to be true but one secretly wishes that an army of gays took to the streets to re-enact the video this week when the same-sex marriage ban was overturned. ‘All The Lovers’ is Kylie‘s first US dance chart topper since ‘Slow’, back in 2003.

Feed Limmy Top 20 Most Played:

#1 Robyn – Hang With Me (Single Version)
#2 Robyn – Love Kills*
#3 Robyn – Indestructible (Acoustic)*
#4 Robyn – U Should Know Better (feat. Snoop Dogg)*
#5 Kelis – Brave
#6 davidlim – Into You
#7 The Bird & The Bee – Lifespan of A Fly
#8 Girls Can’t Catch – You’re The Kinda Man
#9 Robyn – Criminal Intent*
#10 davidlim – Symptoms
#11 Natasha Bedingfield – Touch
#12 Kelly Rowland – Commander
#13 Casey Donovan – Big, Beautiful & Sexy*
#14 Freemasons – Believer (feat. Wynter Gordon)*
#15 Christina Aguilera – I Am
#16 LeToya – Don’t Need U
#17 Scissor Sisters – Any Which Way
#18 Katy Perry – Teenage Dream*
#19 Kelis – Scream
#20 Robyn – In My Eyes*
* = Added to playlist this week.

Leak Report – 25.07.10

The Leak Report gives you nosy fans a run down of tracks/demos that have leaked during the week. Hit or miss? Let the snap rating system be your guide.

Ace of Base – All For You

It’s hard not to give Ace of Base a second glance after reading AdemWithAnE‘s tweet/review. The deal-sealing ‘Fade To Grey’/’One Word’ French spoken parts Adem gushed about in ‘All For You’ pretty much absolved every ounce of hesitation and aversion I’ve held against the new AOB. Give it a go and if this isn’t giving you that good feeling in the taint, imagine Infernal covering it.

Mighty snap.

Robyn – Hang With Me (Single Version)

After months of mellowing out to the acoustic version of ‘Hang With Me’, Robyn has finally dropped the dancier version and announced that it’ll be the lead single off Body Talk Pt. 2. I’ve been psyching myself up for a shock to the system but the single version of ‘Hang With Me’ has been unexpectedly easy to adjust to. Body Talk Pt. 2 is due 6 September in the UK, a day after ‘Hang With Me’ comes out.

Mighty snap.

Katy Perry – Peacock

Everyone’s favourite whipped cream lactating pop star premiered a remix of her new album track ‘Peacock’ this week. Question: when Katy Perry demands, “I wanna see your peacock, pea, pea, pea…” – what the devil could she be asking to see? I know I wouldn’t be rolling over for anything less than five inches. Kitty’s Teenage Dream album drops next month – check out the neo-Michaelangelo type cover here.

Bounce snap.

Dragonette – Our Summer

The Canadian duo was giving this baby away for free this week. ‘Our Summer’ is one of three new tracks they’ve recorded for their remix EP – Mixin’ To Thrill (cleverly titled, non?) – due 3 August. Much as I’ve enjoyed bumpin’ to ‘Boys & Girls’, what I’m looking for here are hopefully remixes to some of my favourite album tracks like: ‘Okay Delore’ and ‘Stupid Grin’.

Bounce snap.

Jay Sean feat. Nicki Minaj – 2012

Director Roland Emmerich could’ve done with this in the closing sequence of the 2012 movie. Lyrics like – “we’re gonna party like it’s the end of the world, we’re gonna party like it’s 2012!” – would’ve been a perfect wrap for that joke of a film, but we know that’s not the way fate had intended it to be. Fate probably saw something like Jay Sean and producer walking out of the theatres laughing so hard at that how bad that movie was and decided to write a feel-good song to capture the unexpected joy 2012 brought.

Mighty snap.

Snap legend:
Mighty snap = this is a hit.
Bounce snap = instantly likeable.
Lightbulb snap = you will need a moment to get into this.
Nonchalant snap = need I say more?
No snap = please cease and decease.

Leak Report: 18.07.10

The Leak Report gives you nosy fans a run down of tracks/demos that have leaked during the week. Hit or miss? Let the snap rating system be your guide.

Katy Perry – Teenage Dream

Kids on the interwebs started tweeting and blogging like their speakers just caught fire after hearing Katy Perry‘s “amazing” new single: ‘Teenage Dream’. In any case, Kitty’s record company shut it down as soon as they caught a whiff of the leak. So, if that scratchy dictaphone recording on YouTube isn’t getting you off, just wait for a proper HQ leak closer to the release date.

Verdict withheld.

Kim Wilde – Lights Down Low

Get out the hair spray and styling mousse, Kim Wilde is back to rock the party! In what fans are calling “the comeback of the year”, ‘Lights Down Low’ sounds like an 80s pop star vamping with Bananarama‘s current electro pop producers. This track is kicking off what will be Kim’s first studio album since 2006.

I know what you’re thinking. Surely, it can’t had only been four years since the world was privvy to new Kim recordings. If you thought Kim was left behind in the 90s along with slap bands, think again. According to Wikipedia, “since 2008, Kim Wilde had an alternative career as a gardener.” From ‘Kids of America’ to portulacas, Auntie Kim has done it all.

No snap.

Sheryl Crow – Sign Your Name (feat. Justin Timberlake)

Motown soul fits Sheryl Crow like that vintage leather jacket does to your grandpapi. ‘Sign Your Name’ doesn’t feel like a cynically match made duet set up by record companies. Just think of it as JT coming in to sing back up after shooting a game of pool with his mates at the pub.

Bounce snap.

Kat DeLuna – Everybody Dance (feat. Elephant Man)

Kat Emperatriz DeLuna and RedOne are keeping hands in the air with yet another uptempo pop number. There’s still no word on when DeLuna’s supposed to drop this banger of an album, Inside Out.

Lightbulb snap.

Wynter Gordon – No Forcing Love

Wynter‘s road to mainstream acknowledgment has taken longer than I had expected, and these bullshit tracks that leak along the way aren’t helping the cause. Since catching our ear with ‘Surveillance’, Wynter has trekked down a urban/dance path with questionable results. Her David Guetta-produced single ‘Dirty Talk’ may have gone #1 on the US Dance charts but I know she’s capable of better. Check out: ‘Insomnia’, and  her electro pop covers of ‘Lady’ and ‘Nothing Compares 2U’.

No snap.

Chicane – Middle Distance Runner (feat. Adam Young of Owl City)

This is Chicane making serene house music with the sleepy vocals of Owl City‘s Adam Young. It is just the kind of filler they need on the dance floor in the early AMs when I’m completely drunk and dancing rather indifferently.

Nonchalant snap.

Snap legend:
Mighty snap = this is a hit.
Bounce snap = instantly likeable.
Lightbulb snap = you will need a moment to get into this.
Nonchalant snap = need I say more?
No snap = please cease and decease.

Chart Feed – 21.06.10

That pesky Katy Perry claims her second Australian #1 single this week with ‘California Gurls’. She’s going around hyping it as the ‘Empire State of Mind’ for the West Coast. But sweetheart, ‘Empire State of Mind’ was about reaching for your dreams, ‘California Gurls’ is all “Daisy Dukes and sand in stilettos”. Go figure.

Fellow gays, we’re holding an emergency meeting. Kylie’s new single ‘All The Lovers’ has entered our charts at #14 this week and that’s hardly acceptable. The song’s admittedly not a Kylie classic but it could at least go bottom half of the Top 10, right? Ms Minogue has promised a homecoming promo visit for Aphrodite – this will be the first time she flies back to premiere an album in over 10 years. Meanwhile, ‘All The Lovers’ debuts at #4 in the UK this week.

Brian McFadden‘s ‘Chemical Rush’ fizzes in at #18 here this week. I wish Mr Goodrem all the best with flogging his album of dated Auto-Tune pop across the globe. Brace yourself America, you won’t know what hit you.

There must be more than a handful of Sarah McLachlan fans here in Australia. Shock! The Canadian songstress’s new album Laws of Illusion debuts at #12 here this week, outcharting her last studio album Afterglow – which only made #22 back in 2003. The only thing I remembered from that period was the brilliant videos she filmed for ‘Fallen’ and ‘Stupid’.

Robyn‘s ‘Dancing On My Own’ has debuted at #8 in the UK this week, making it only her fourth UK Top 10 hit ever. Meanwhile, the new album Body Talk Pt. 1 comes in at #47. Let’s hope the promo singles – ‘Fembot’, ‘Dancehall Queen’ and ‘None of Dem (feat. Royksopp)’ – all somehow find their way onto the mainstream or club charts because I’m pretty sure I read Robyn saying ‘Dancing On My Own’ is the only official single off Pt. 1.

Kelly Rowland has cracked the UK Top 20! High fives all around. ‘Commander’ leapt from #52 to #17 this week. Meanwhile, I’m in no mood to play games. Ms Kelly had better not scrapped ‘Shake Them Haters Off’ as her next single in favour of ‘Rose Coloured Glasses’ and ‘Grown Ass Woman’.

The curtain closes once all the hardcore Xtina fans leave with their copy of Bionic. That’s the only way you can make sense of Christina Aguilera‘s new album doing a death drop from #1 to #29 on the UK charts this week. You just know somebody’s getting fired if this album falls out of the Top 30 in just three weeks.

Jewel‘s new country album Sweet and Wild debuts at #11 in the US this week, selling over 31,000 copies. You know what? I’m not sure if I want to know about Jewel‘s music any more. That sentence looks more awful every time I read it back but the truth is, I thought I was strong enough to handle Country Music Jewel. Just… give me time.

Hanson is still kicking – much to my surprise. The brothers saw their new LP Shout It Out debut at #30 in the US this week. Meanwhile Clay Aitken‘s Tried & True album of covers failed to stick around, dropping from a #9 debut to #47 this week. He might have better luck launching this in Australia – we have a huge market for Nanna music. Just ask David Campbell and Human Nature.

Feed Limmy Top 20 Most Played:

#1 Madonna – Revolver (David Guetta One Love Remix)
#2 Girls Aloud – Real Life
#3 Robyn – None of Dem (feat. Royksopp)
#4 Kelly Rowland – Shake Them Haters
#5 Erika Heynatz – Bullet*
#6 Geri Halliwell – There’s Always Tomorrow
#7 Toni Collette & The Finish – Look Up
#8 Kelis – Home
#9 Robyn – Dancehall Queen
#10 Robyn – Fembot
#11 Robyn – Jag Vet En Dejlig Rosa
#12 Gwen Stefani – Cool
#13 Jennifer Lopez – What Is Love?
#14 Alexandra Burke – All Night Long
#15 Sugababes – Miss Everything (feat. Sean Kingston)
#16 Robyn – Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart (Radio 1 Live Lounge Cover)*
#17 Sarah Harding – Too Bad*
#18 Kelly Rowland – Grown Woman
#19 Che’Nelle – Feel Good
#20 Girlicious – Maniac
* = Added to playlist this week.

Chart Feed – 07.06.10

German singer Lena has become the first Eurovision winner to crack our Aussie charts in 23 years! Thanks to Eurovison expert, Liam Clark, for pointing that out. Lena’s single ‘Satellite’ came crashing in at #37 this week, leaving the door wide open for a possible album release in Australia. Her debut LP, My Cassette Player, features a track written by Ellie Goulding and covers of Adele and Jason Mraz album tracks.

Sound Museum host Petro played a part in the Alexandra Burke sales bump here. During her promo stopover last week, Petro bought two copies of her ‘Bad Boys’ single and look what happened? It came bolting back up the physical singles chart at #45 this week. Don’t miss the Sound Museum’s exclusive interview with Alexandra Burke on 8 June, 10pm on JOY 94.9.

There must’ve been a big ass clearance sale somewhere because we’re seeing truckloads of chart re-entries on our physical singles chart this week. We’ve seen a return to the Top 50 for the likes of Cascada, Katy Perry, Gossip, Hilltop Hoods, The Presets and Gabriella Cilmi. Good to know there are folks out there still buying CD singles. If you come across one, give them a hug for me.

Enrique’s saucy new single ‘I Like It’ debuted at #32 on our Aussie singles chart this week. Elsewhere, the brand new N.E.R.D and Nelly Furtado track ‘Hot ‘N’ Fun’ jumps up to #52.

I feel nothing for them because while N.E.R.D is making a chart leap here, the gorgeous Cheryl Cole‘s ‘Fight For This Love’ continues to elude our Top 50. ‘Fight For This Love’ is reportedly sitting at #45 on Australia’s iTunes chart this week. Justice, please.

Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalist Olivia Archbold has brought Kate Winslet back to the UK charts. I didn’t even know Kate Winslet was ever there in the first place. The Academy Award-winning actress released ‘What If’ in 2001 as part of the Christmas Carol: The Movie soundtrack and it charted as high as #6 in the UK. This week, after Olivia’s rendition on BGT, Kate’s version was bumped up to #76.

David Guetta’s gang bang of a single ‘Gettin’ Over You’ – featuring LMFAO, Chris Willis and Fergie – has raced up to #1 position on the UK charts this week. Believe it or not, this is Guetta’s third UK chart topper – the first two being the forerunning One Love singles ‘When Love Takes Over’ and ‘Sexy Bitch’, both lighting up the charts around this time last year.

Jack Johnson scores his third consecutive UK #1 album this week with To The Sea. The boyfriend is threatening to drag me to a Jack Johnson concert if he tours this year. Oh Lord. To be fair, I think I still owe him one for Beyonce.

Pop Idol patriarch Will Young‘s ‘Leave Right Now’ has finally cracked America, albeit over six years too late. The song debuted at #81 this week, reportedly selling over 50,000 copies so far since his American Idol performance two weeks ago.

Maybe I’m misreading his nonchalant expressions but Will really couldn’t care less about cracking the States, could he? The Leave Right Now EP – America, you can thank Simon Cowell later – will showcase eight of his most popular singles.

Feed Limmy Top 20 Most Played:

#1 Kylie Minogue – All The Lovers
#2 Christina Aguilera – All I Need
#3 Jennifer Lopez – What Is Love?
#4 Christina Aguilera – Birds of Prey*
#5 Kelis – Home
#6 Shontelle – Impossible
#7 Christina Aguilera – Lift Me Up
#8 Christina Aguilera – Woohoo
#9 Beyonce – Irreplaceable
#10 Janelle Monae – Cold War
#11 Kelis – Brave
#12 Christina Aguilera – Prima donna
#13 Girlicious – Maniac
#14 Christina Aguilera – Not Myself Tonight
#15 Christina Aguilera – Vanity
#16 Kelly Rowland – Bad Habit
#17 Alanis Morissette – Torch
#18 Lady Gaga – Alejandro
#19 Charice – In Love So Deep
#20 davidlim – Sitting In The Dark
* = Added to playlist this week.