Maybe I just don't know how to love you

My Erasure knowledge is, as Paul and I have discussed a bit, not what it should be. It includes a LOT of love for one song ("A Little Respect") and a lot of enjoyment of the two albums I own, I Say I Say I Say and Light At The End Of The World. I know I'd enjoy more if I bought it, but somehow, it just hasn't happened yet.

Somehow, though, in the midst of these giant gaps of Erasure knowledge, I found room to love "Crazy," the lead single from Andy Bell's 2005 solo album--love it enough that I can't help feeling I should have found out long before now that Andy is working on a new solo album, produced by none other than Pascal Gabriel.

Let me just repeat that: Andy Bell and Pascal Gabriel. If Andy isn't going to work with Vince Clarke, I can't imagine a better combination.



The first available result from that collaboration is the album's lead single, "Running Out," co-written by Andy and Pascal. It's released under the name MiMó, as the album, due out in 2010, will be, and apparently a second single, "Will You Be There?", has just recently gone out to radios.

If "Running Out" is any indication, we're in for pretty much what I'd hope an Andy Bell album in 2010 would sound like: electronic pop that's got a hint of Sam Sparro (well, the best of Sam Sparro, so basically "Black & Gold") about it but still has time for some big swoony Andy vocals (the "and I think that I'm running out" is instantly recognizable as him, enough so that I at first thought the song just sampled Erasure when I didn't know who MiMó was).

The "Running Out" single package also comes complete with remixes from Fenech-Soler and VEGA that you electronic music fans may love, but I think I'll be sticking with the original version. I'm not sure if I love it quite as much as "Crazy," but I have high hopes for "Will You Be There?".

You can buy MiMó's single "Running Out" from iTunes if you live outside the U.S., but you can buy it from here (digital) regardless of where you live.

(I am admittedly very far out of the Erasure/Andy Bell loop, so if any of this is wrong, please correct me!)

No matter if I go left or right

Boy, have I missed the blogging world.

For someone whose previous out-of-the-U.S. experience had consisted of a few weeks in Costa Rica and a few trips to Canada (which barely counts, not because Canada's the same as the U.S. but because when I can get to it in about an hour--quicker than I can get to most other states besides Michigan--it's not exactly far away), the past half a year or so has been pretty amazing: four and a half months living in Sweden (cough--did I not mention that properly here?) and then following that up with random traveling around Europe itself, with the most time being spent in Germany, Croatia, and Slovenia. The post-Sweden stuff has been kind of shockingly music purchase-light, but the approximately 50 million CDs I bought in Sweden makes up for it. Toss in a quick jaunt to Orlando afterwards (it's where my older brother lives), and, along with the fact that in Europe I often wasn't sure where I would be in a few days, you've got the best I can offer as an explanation for disappearing for so long.

Anyway, as I mentioned below, I'm totally and completely out of the music loop--I haven't been able to follow anything that's been going on for more than the past month. What's fantastic? What's happening? All I know is that I'm freaking out and shouting "Oh my gosh, I love this song!" and turning up the volume every time Chris Brown's "Forever" comes on the radio and "We're so going to see this movie" every time the preview for the movie version of Mamma Mia comes on, though to be fair that's half just to drive everyone who doesn't want to see it crazy by reminding them that they will get dragged along. The best I can offer up at the moment is a perpetual pop classic which has absolutely nothing to do with anything but I adore and am going to take an excuse to post anyway (album available for purchase here [physical] or here [digital]).

Most importantly, though, I've missed everyone. Really. More cheesy amazing pop coming your way soon.

I should take it easy but I'm still gonna get around

WOAH at this album


and WOAH at this album.


They are both very good. In fact, so good and so layered that I'm really too immersed in them at the moment to engage in any other song at the level necessary to write about it. So, instead, some news:

Via the Cheiron Songwriter forum, clips of some songs from the new Enrique Iglesias album. I'm pretty excited for it, even if I'm not expecting to be knocked over by every song, and I like the first three songs particularly, as well as a couple later on. "Ring My Bell" sounded a lot better in the Tommy Hilfiger ad--hopefully the clip here was just poorly chosen.

If you're Swedish, you can buy the (live) acoustic ballad version of "Live Forever" that Magnus Carlsson performed recently on iTunes. His site also says that the countdown to the album has begun--did I miss the announcement of a release date?

Speaking of Swedish music, I really like the new Danny single, but why is it that the album Heart. Beats is so far only for sale on CDOn and Ginza, neither of which ships to the U.S.?

The Click Five are holding "listening parties" to preview the new album. I've not heard much of the entirely new songs yet, in full versions only "All I Need Is You" and "Mary Jane," which have been around forever. However, the "All I Need Is You" performance worries me.

Here's the version now, with Kyle singing.



Here's the version with the original lead singer, Eric.



This is why I shouldn't listen to live performances of not-yet-released songs--I'm going to always expect those Eric-sung high bits now; it has quite a different feel this way--it pops less. It's still good, but I don't know if it's good (note that I'm referring to what I imagine the studio versions would sound like). None of this is to say Kyle's voice won't work on songs (I hope it does, and I think it fits well with "Jenny"), but I wonder if maybe they should've scrapped some of the songs written when Eric was around...or maybe it's just my fault for "spoiling" them and now expecting them in a certain way. I'm having trouble explaining why the new version doesn't work as well for me, but it's less distinctive, less fun...I'm probably overthinking this way too much. And, knowing me, I'll love it once I get the album.

If you want to hear more, there's a Kyle-led performance of "Mary Jane" here and other assorted performances posted by this user, this user, and this user. Hopefully, there are some more fun upbeat tracks on the album--"Headlight Disco" (also watchable here, but you only get the beginning there) has an interesting title and, though it's difficult to judge anything at this quality, it sounds like it's got some nice synths (another written-while-Eric-was-around song, I think). I may be pinning most of my hopes on it.

I shouldn't doubt before I hear the album, but I'm so worried that they've gone "generic guitar band." Can a band crash from making probably my favorite album to making an album I don't even like that much? Hopefully not, but I'm fearing it.

(Shallowness: I like suits, but I'm fine with them not wearing them--did they have to switch to skinny jeans, though?)

Edit: I did some more catching up on video watching and they've stolen McFly's "doo-do-do-doo"'s for "Flipside" ;) Hopefully that's a good sign for the song! It sounds pretty good, too--all right, so my fears are being allayed somewhat. As long as there are at least some songs I like.

I love the title of this post (about Liberty X's breakup) over at Popjustice...

Next up: a Mexican or American group, or maybe something about the aforementioned albums.

I love Saturday

Announcements!

This album


is very impressive. Everyone should go buy it...or you could wait until I finally write about it, as I definitely want to do some raving, but, given me, who knows when that will be. It's like someone looked at my music tastes and said "how can we make an album that will fill all of these, but creatively?"

This album


is also very good, although probably not quite as good as the previous album; I haven't really had time to listen to it thoroughly yet.

This album


is also excellent. I am toying with doing a feature over at A Kind Of Love In that ties in with it, but I'll wait and see before confirming anything.

This album


finally arrived yesterday, but I haven't worked up the nerve to open it yet--in its pristine plastic packaging and cardboard case, it looks so "ooo, I'm a collector's item!" that I haven't been able to bring myself to open it, as much as I'd like to hear it. (Actually, it's got a black outer cover, but I presume the above cover is on the actual album.)

These albums






are probably also good, but I only got them today, so I can't say.

I know this album


is great, but I only just bought it today. Umm...better late than never?

However, none of these albums have the song I'll be featuring a little later today; that's from another album I just got.

Yes, I pretty much have no money right now. It's worth it.