You got my attention, I'm craving some more

I had plans to write about Australian Idol Season 2 runner-up Anthony Callea today. However, as excited as I am about him, those plans have to go out the window. Why? Let’s start with Stormbreaker—not so much the movie (though, having now checked out the book after hearing Paul’s recommendation, I may soon start looking forward to that, too), but the soundtrack. Do you know who will be on it?

• Matt Willis (according to here, “Hey Kid” will be in the movie and Alex Pettyfer, the movie’s star, will have a brief cameo in the music video)
• Rooster (working on the soundtrack, according to here)

There are many reasons why I should not be excited by this. On the Matt front, in addition to his dodgy facial hair, I am very worried that I will not adore his whole album. Also, I don’t know if he is hoping to launch himself in the US with his attachment to Stormbreaker (maybe “Hey Kid” will just be in the UK version of the credits?), but if he is: does the UK enjoy attaching its best pop artists to movies likely to flop (or at least not do too well in the US)? Cases in point:

• Will Young: 101 Dalmations II
• Busted: Thunderbirds
• McFly: Just My Luck
• Click Five: Sky High, The Shaggy Dog (OK, not British nor managed by the same people as Matt, but they have a similar style to McFly, and they deserve better work than second-class Disney movies and failing/ed MTV shows about young models)

And, in terms of Rooster, why should I be excited about a band who started off with a great first single and then declined from there (full disclosure: I haven’t heard new single “Home” yet, so maybe they’ve shaken off that trend for their new album, and I did like album track “Platinum Blind”)?

But I cannot help it. After not being able to stand the thirty second clip of “Up All Night,” I have fallen in love with the full version, and bringing together Matt Willis and Rooster for the same movie must be an indication of the other artists on the soundtrack and a recipe for success, right? Don’t answer that.

The other reason we are not looking at Anthony Callea today: I saw this video for the first time.

How absolutely amazing and sweet is that? I want to keep watching it again and again, and would, if not for how awfully sad Will looks when they start criticizing him and his jumper…but that just makes him even more endearing! I love it when you find confirmation that the good pop you like is made by a genuinely good person. In honor of this video, then, and at risk of turning into a Will Young fan blog, let’s have a Will Young song.

Who Am I--OK, yes, everyone in the UK has heard this song and seen the video for it, so I guess this is for non-UK readers (and even most of those have probably heard "Who Am I"). This was the third single off Will's third album. It's a simple song, a ballad, but the delicate and gorgeous music perfectly matches the lyrics. This may not be the first song you want to listen to when you are having a great day, but it has more emotion by the time it gets to the chorus than any of those over-the-top shouty ballads Idol winners seem required to release as their first single.

Buy Will Young's third album, Keep On, here (physical) or here (digital).

In breaking news (for me): I heard a recent demo/song by Jim Verraros; it’s a duet with someone named Jamie O’Brien, and it seems to be relatively recent—definitely more recent than Rollercoaster. I’m glad to see Jim sticking with the whole dirty club music direction, but…hmm…I’m not so sure about the song. Maybe remixes will give it some energy and my opinion of it will change. What do you all think?

Sweat--Jim Verraros and Jamie O'Brien

(Song originally found here; also available on Jamie’s MySpace)

Next up: yes, I'm aware of the irony of promising no pop-rock today and then spending the first half of my post discussing Matt Willis and Rooster. Tomorrow, we really will get to Anthony Callea.