A few more Idol leftovers today. We'll start off with Lee Harding, third place finisher on Australian Idol's third season. He is incredibly divisive--well, most people are on the anti-Lee side, so maybe divisive isn't the best description. I can't really say I'm a Lee fan, but I do like this song. As a warning, if you can't stand Busted, there's a very, very good chance you won't like today's song, since it, too, is pop-punk.Wasabi--Fluxblog featured this song a few months ago. It is complete mindless pop-punk--derivative, yes; nonsensical, yes; and a bit abrasive, but if you like that genre (or maybe if, like me, you can stand bits of it), it's pretty fun. It is also widely hated throughout Australia and, in fact, by most people who hear it. I don't want the Busted warning to make you think it sounds like Busted--though it, too, is pop-punk, it's different--so just because you like Busted, don't expect to like this. I'm pretty much loading this description with caveats and warnings, aren't I? So, "Wasabi"--fun and energetic if you like pop-punk. Maybe.
For a complete change of pace, you can listen to Amel Bent. She only made it to the semifinals of the second season of France's Nouvelle Star, but she's had a lot of commercial success since then. Her first single, "Ma Philosophie," spent weeks at #1, and her following two singles have both placed in the top ten.Ma Philosophie--I can never describe French music. I guess this is pop, but it's not like usual pop. It also has a lot of R&B influences. The song is sort of laid-back; it's not pounding or really insistent. It's pleasant enough.
To buy a physical copy of Lee Harding's first album, What's Wrong With This Picture, you can go here. To buy Amel Bent's first album, Un Jour D'Eté, go here for the physical version or here for for the digital version.
For another complete change in pace (and unrelated to Idol): Phixx! I noticed about a month ago that there was a request on the Popjustice boards for a video of Phixx's performance of "Hold On Me" on Top Of The Pops. I'm not a member of the PJ boards or of YouTube, so I thought I'd post a link here that I found to download lots of Phixx videos (you'll have to scroll down about a third of the way to get to the videos). In particular, here is the "Hold On Me" TOTP performance.
Hold On Me (TOTP)
Oh, Phixx--they really must win the prize for most shameless use of their bodies (by a boyband) to promote their songs. Luckily, they did have some good songs (even if I didn't love everything they did), and are totally worthy of having their own post some day.
Finally, I have to link to Tip Top Pop's most recent post about Clay Aiken; she does a great job of explaining Clay's appeal and provided some great songs that were supposed to be on the next album. Since my last post about Clay, I've found at that 1000 Days will be the lead single for the new album and that, though it will have a Mr. Mister cover, that cover is not "Kyrie." So close...
Next up: the last day of the Idol special will take us to a singer from a country on a continent I haven't yet featured.
lee harding amel bent phixx
2 comments:
ah i would fall into the camp that does not like lee thingy.... ew.
and phixx! How i had high hopes for them. for quite a few months they really had a hold on me (though i drew the line at being tied to a chair... well depends which one asked!! ;) ) and their iTunes only album wasn't all that bad :)
It is a complete shame that they couldn't have stuck around long enough to release "Voyeur" as a single...I can only imagine what the video for that would have been like ;) That dark electropop boyband sound they had going really was a good idea, and it fit their image so perfectly.
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