If you've been all strung out, then you know exactly how I feel

We all know I love guitars, right? I mean, McFly, the Click Five, Jamie Meyer--I love a good pop-rock song and there are even some rock songs I like. That said, if there was ever a case for all songs being made as Europop and guitars being abandoned entirely, I think this is it.



(You don't actually have to watch the video, or even listen to more than a few seconds of the actual music--it's mainly just about hearing the gist of it.)

And you know what makes it worse? That version of "Dragostea din tei" (called "Sugar Tunes Numa Numa") was actually created by Dan Bălan, ex-O-Zone member and the guy who composed the original. If, for some reason, you should want to purchase it, it's available on iTunes.

While I'm embedding videos, a while ago the video for Australian singer Eran James's single "Touched By Love" debuted, but I couldn't post it as it wasn't actually on YouTube. Now it is. I really like this soul-influenced pop song--one of those feel-good sort of songs. It's been available on Australian iTunes for a while now, but I think technically it's not out yet (his official site says August 10 for this single and August 25 for the album, Ten Songs About Love). Anyhow, Eran James, "Touched By Love"--I don't even usually fall for songs like this, but I've been enjoying this one (albeit via MySpace) for months now. I think if I heard it on the radio often, that would fade away pretty quickly and it'll win no cool points, but sometimes songs you shouldn't or wouldn't usually like come along and catch your attention.

I made my mind up when I got that groove

New Venke Knutson song out!

And...

...I almost fell over...

...it's the same song as the new Nylon single!



"Holiday"--same song, released by both artists about the same time (Nylon's was first)...

...that just seems so strange to me, for some reason. Her new album will come out this summer, apparently.

While I'm reporting random music news, there's a new Jesse McCartney album due out October this year--wow, that was fast. Of course, apparently most people didn't notice the second album happened, which is sort of a shame, if for no other reason than "Daddy's Little Girl" and "Running Away."

What should we expect?

"I'm going for Prince chords, Michael [Jackson] melodies, and the bigness of Madonna--fun '80's stuff."

I'd take that with a whole saltshaker full of salt--just about any pop artist searching for credibility is going to namedrop those artists. Still, I'll be paying sort-of-attention. I don't necessarily expect an album full of great songs, but a really good song or two? A definite possibility.

Australian (soul?) singer Eran James (his debut album arrived at my home the same day Måns's album did; I ordered it after it was mentioned by Thnairg and I cannot believe he was fifteen when it was released--he sounds much older) must have his second album, Ten Songs About Love, coming out later this year; given that there's a video for "Halo" on YouTube, it must be the lead single, but I much prefer the upbeat "Touched By Love" (you can listen to it on his MySpace), already released on the Australian version of the Shrek 3 soundtrack but due to be on the album as well.

Second thoughts on you at night

Random thoughts late on a Monday night:

• My Internet connection is awful right now. It's been steadily deteriorating, but it's now it's practically to the point of unusuability--I don't dare (legally) download an album, for fear it stops midway through and lose my money (or have to go through the hassle of writing to the service). Also among the casualties is anything from LiveJournal, meaning I can't read CFB Goes Pop at the moment. My "real" e-mail has become just about useless, too...
  
• ...of course, having to refresh pages three times before they properly load somehow hasn't cut down on my blog reading. I'm rather loving this blog at the moment, which, along with featuring Take That's Beautiful World, the Feeling, Fountains of Wayne, his top 10 soundtracks (Quantum Leap reference! Star Trek reference!! [Can we tell what kind of house I grew up in? Just be glad I didn't dedicate a whole post to the fact that Xena was releasing a single]), and very good writing, has a problem with far too many CDs that I can imagine myself relating to all too easily in a few years. It's also got me considering buying something by Australian singer Eran James...
• ...and speaking of blogs, Nordic Noise has me strongly considering buying an Espen Lind album (or albums). I only know "When Susannah Cries" and his duet with Sissel, "Where The Lost Ones Go" (the former being what he's mainly known for, but I strongly recommend getting the latter, too--it's even available on US iTunes--as it's gorgeous; Sissel's voice just soars and Espen's is perfect), but I have a suspicion I'd really like--probably love--his work. Maybe Red and This Is Pop Music?
• Danish singer Bryan Rice's (original singer of "No Promises" and whose songs have been recycled a ridiculous number of times, as I ranted about at A Kind Of Love In for a while) new single "I Lied" is out now/Wednesday, depending on where you're shopping; if you liked his past style, you'll probably like this new one--ballad that's not quite "big" but getting there ("if you doubt what you did was right, you should know [crescendo into the chorus] that I liii-IIIiii-iied when I said I'm over and done with you"--despite that line, I think it's supposed to be about how broken up his after a break-up, or else it makes no sense), some high notes in the chorus. You can listen to what I'm guessing is about half of it on his MySpace; at first listen, not his best work, but good. His new album, Good News, is out this fall. Fact I still can't believe is true: the title track of his debut album Confessions was originally meant for Britney Spears. Of course, there are probably loads of songs you could say that about. I guess I can sort of see it.
• Songs I like, courtesy of Popjustice (or rather, the people over there): Christophe Willem's "Double Je" (technically the remix of it, but it's the version being marketed), a great poppy song with electro (I guess) influences. "Kiss The Bride," an English song, sounds good from the preview clip, too. I love the fact that he won France's version of Pop Idol--he would never have stood a chance of being any more than a joke here; in France, he wins and goes on to release an excellent pop song. Also good is Sofia Zida's "Disco Mamazida," Finnish dance-pop that should hook you in from the moment you hear that beat. "Money (Greedy Honey)" from her album is also worth a listen.
• Brilliant interview with Dan from the Feeling over at Chart Rigger--I completely blame the blog world for making me read Dan Gillespie (Sex) Sells every time I see his name, whether or not it actually says that, though.
  
• Dutch group XYP prove they have much better songs than "Body to Body" over at Don't Stop The Pop. "Blue Day" reminds me of something the Brady Bunch or Partridge Family would sing today if they had good pop producers, and that's a very good thing. It makes me want to crowd into a Little Miss Sunshine-esque van with my family and sway back and forth singing it.