I won't even wish for snow

I thought about making this special last a little longer, and I might return to Christmas songs at some point, but this is the last poppy song that I feel sure about the quality of that I've thought of at the moment (I have two songs I might package together in the very near future), so for now, this will be the end of the special...and, as mentioned at the beginning, it's a return to Magnus Carlsson. Robpop (when not making insanely long and insanely good posts about girl bands) is scarily good at making predictions, so today's song probably won't surprise anyone who has read the comments. At any rate, it comes from Magnus Carlsson's first solo album, En Ny Jul, released under just the name "Magnus" back in 2001. It, like yesterday's song, is a cover of a very well-known Christmas song and, though I'm not going to claim that it tops the original, it's at least serviceable.

All I Want For Christmas Is You--off the top of my head, I can't think of as many covers of this song as I can for "Last Christmas," maybe because Mariah Carey's version is just so great that it's difficult to top. The differences here aren't limited to male vocals instead of female; it's not quite as vocally over the top (not that Mariah's version really includes a lot of showboating). Really, this song is just about fun, especially in this cover version. It's not quite as danceable as the average Alcazar song, but it's still uptempo and smile-worthy. In essence, cheesy but definitely enjoyable.

To buy Magnus Carlsson's debut album, En ny jul, go here (physical).

Besides the latest installment of Don't Stop The Pop's girl bands megapost, here are some other excellent sites to visit:

Even though my Christmas special is sort of ending, The Zapping and The Hotstuff Files both have Christmas countdowns going on, with daily Christmas pop music for you, and are both wonderful, funny sites even when we're not in the midst of the holiday season.

If you read this blog, definitely check out Digital Technique. After some redesigns, this top-class (great format, always informational but not intimidating, and, most importantly, great music!) pop-oriented music blog has settled in to its new home on Blogger and continues to post great music--Bellefire, Rachel Stevens, Mania, Moonbaby, Frank, and now some of the Blue boys. Sigh...I love it!

Ben Adams, formerly of A1 and now of a really-should-be-huge solo career, now has his revamped official site operational! While we wait for new music, I'll take what I can get. Oh, and his MySpace site still has "Red Lady" up for download--it's not at all like "Sorry," but it's still very good.
Edit: in further proof that Ben has not fallen off the face of the planet (though the songs on his MySpace are updated pretty frequently), there's an actual real interview with him here...there's no information about when his album, It's Brutal Out There, will be released (it has to be released!), though apparently he will soon be selling personalized birthday songs on his MySpace...

Next up: I hope you all don't overdose on Magnus, because he'll be returning for another winter holiday. For now, though, maybe a Mexican singer will be up next.

If you kiss me now, I know you'll fool me again

Do you know what album arrived in the mail today, more than a week before I was expecting it? A New Chapter! My feelings are a bit all over the place about it before even listening to it, but I won't be writing about it until the Christmas special is over at the earliest.

Today's song, like yesterday's, comes from a compilation album--this time, a holiday album put together by Rosie O'Donnell. Many of the songs on the album feature a famous singer and her; however, there are some that don't include her, and this is one of them. It's also a song most people have probably heard covered dozens of times (though this version of the song was the first version I ever heard of it): Wham's "Last Christmas." However, before you run away at the thought of another "Last Christmas" cover, let me point out one more thing: Darren Hayes is singing it.

Last Christmas--I think a lot of people might even have heard this particular cover already, but it's so good that it's worth sharing anyhow. In fact, I like it so much that, despite my leeriness of covers, I haven't even bothered to seek out the original in its entirety yet. That does limit by ability to compare and contrast, and to know how much Darren himself brings to the song, but I have a feeling it's a good deal. I know this is an overused word, but there's the tiniest bit of something ethereal about it--it just has this slightly floating feeling, both in instrumentation (though occasionally a certain type of electronic beep occurs that does pin it back down) and in Darren's singing. It's a bit like "Like It Or Not" with more energy and a tad more cuteness, or maybe a slightly more mysterious version of "Miss You."

To buy A Rosie Christmas, go here (physical) or here (digital; only valid for U.S. residents).

Next up: possibly something horribly stereotypical.

In Minnesota the kids are stayin' inside

Jesse McCartney (whose new album I really will write about at some point) is probably best known for his debut single, the poppy, cheesy, ultimately good (even if the sentiment feels contrived) "Beautiful Soul." Before his solo career, he was a member of really young boy band Dream Street (who I don't remember hearing anything about at the time). After that, he was on the short-lived TV series Summerland (which also starred a pre-High School Musical Zac Efron, looking--like Jesse--very young). He seems (or at least, used to seem) like he has some close ties to Disney, or maybe Disney just believed he was popular among their target audience, because he's been involved in a lot of Disney projects. Today's song is from one of them; it comes from Radio Disney Jingle Jams.

One Way Or Another--I really can't believe this isn't a cover. I tried searching for lyrics to find the "original," but I can't find any other song that goes like this; I just can't believe a song this good was hidden away on a little-heard holiday album (it's made me wonder if the whole album is this good). Don't get me wrong--I'm not saying mainstream radio would latch onto it; it's complete teen-pop, which doesn't seem to be very popular on radio nowadays. However, I could see this song (maybe with some alterations, and maybe sung by someone else) at the very least being on a major holiday album. At first, "One Way Or Another" doesn't even sound like a Christmas song--maybe it's just because of who Jesse is, but from the moment the song starts, there's a bleach-blonde California feel to it. It never really loses that feel, but turns into something a little more Christmas-y in the chorus--like a bleach-blonde in a winter coat. Standing in picturesque snow. Anyhow, it's cute and catchy. Jesse's not using any of the rock affectations so present on Right Where You Want Me--this is definitely first album Jesse.

(This song also makes me think of that commercial with the triplets--three college-age guys, maybe?--heading home for Christmas; though it wasn't used for that commercial, the general sentiment would have fit in. What song was actually used for that, "I'll Be Home For Christmas"?)

To buy Radio Disney Jingle Jams, go here (physical).

Next up: maybe another former member of a group gone solo artist.

I got her earrings, chocolate, spa gift certificate

I really do adore the Click Five; they may be my favorite American band of the moment (I only say "may" because I might be forgetting someone, but right now I can't think of anyone who comes close). They never fail to make infectiously catchy music, proving that guitars, when used properly, can work with pop music perfectly. In an ideal world, they would be dominating the U.S. charts right now; I suppose the only positive side to their success here being on a relatively minor scale (their top-quality album, Greetings From Imrie House, entered the charts at #15 and "Just The Girl" reached #11) is that it hasn't resulted in bunches of inferior knockoffs (though I might still prefer that to the situation at the moment). For Christmas last year, they released two songs. One, an acoustic version of "Silent Night," isn't a version I'm particularlarly fond of (I love the Click Five when they're doing their upbeat, knock-you-off-your-feet catchy songs, filled with little effects and everything, and the song was sort of the opposite of that). However, the other, an original song, is definitely worth owning.

My Girlfriend (Forgot Me This Christmas)--the opening is a bit abrasive, but don't be turned off by that; this may not be the Click Five's best song ever (though some of its best moments could rival those of other songs), but it is still great and definitely fun. With handclaps and those swirly synths (I presume that's what they are?), this is a song sure to make you smile...and if the music alone wasn't enough for that, the lyrics are sure to be. Lead singer Eric goes through all the presents he's received this year, before saying "I got everything I wanted on my list/except for one thing that she missed" (and here insert a hint of a pout but underlain by joyful handclaps): "ooo, j-just a kiss!" (yes! this song even has stuttering in it! how much better can you get?). If all this talk of how he "spent all day by the phone/'Silent Night' on the radio" is, even with the happiness of the music, too much for you, don't worry--there's still hope! In one of the cutest lines in any song, two-thirds in Eric explains, "I lost my Christmas cheer/But that's OK, we've still got New Year's" (and it's followed up with a handclap-filled music break!). With the handclaps and "oooh"'s, and even the melody to a certain degree, there are definitely similarities to McFly. However, the Click Five's use of synth, though never near close enough to make them electro, distinguishes them from their cross-Atlantic former touring partners.

To buy the Click Five's song "My Girlfriend (Forgot Me This Christmas)," go here (digital; only valid for US residents).

I've been forgetting to do this for days, but finally: thank you so much to The Eye-pod for linking to me! I love that site and Will's taste in music. If you're not already a reader (why not?), go over for an excellent post with some songs by Matt Willis (who just won I'm A Celebrity... in a year in which the top three were all pop singers--good for him! Hopefully it means the sales of his great new album will pick up) and Dannii Minogue.

Next up: possibly the song I predicted for today, or a former reality TV contestant.

It's Christmas in a week and a day

Today marks the beginning of the Christmas special. For anyone who doesn't celebrate Christmas or doesn't like Christmas music, here are two facts that hopefully will allay your fears somewhat (or at least make the special easier to get through): 1.) it probably won't last more than a week, and 2.) I'm going to try to keep to good poppy songs that stand up on their own merits. Today's song may break that rule a little bit, but if you can't get away with complete cheese at Christmas, when can you? (I realize that's a dangerous principle to follow that's led to the release of countless novelty songs...)

Magnus Carlsson has been a member of two relatively popular music groups. He was the lead singer for Swedish boy band Barbados, went solo for long enough to release a Christmas album, then joined already existing group Alcazar. With Alcazar on a "break" but Magnus very unlikely to return to it, he's embarked on a solo career again. He competed in this year's Melodifestivalen and will be in it again this coming year. He released his self-titled non-holiday debut album earlier this year but surprisingly also decided to release a holiday at the end of last month.

Wrap Myself In Paper--the album's lead single; it was #7 in the charts last I checked. It doesn't really have anything on what I've heard from Magnus Carlsson, but it is sort of fun in an incredibly cheesy way. The first 30 seconds are more of an intro than anything, and don't really represent the song, which is happy and poppy (and maybe sort of assembly line). Much as in what I've heard of "Lev Livet," there's a lot of female backing vocals used. It's got a bit of a retro feel to it, too.

To buy Magnus Carlsson's second holiday album, Spår I Snön, go here (physical).

Next up: we'll return to Magnus and a different album at the end of the special. For now, though, we might go to someone else who also used to be a member of a band but is now solo.

Put them hot jeans on

Thank goodness for Darin. Really. Both of his previous albums, The Anthem and Darin, were great, and consistently so, and he hasn't disappointed with new album, Break The News. The generally tossed-around phrase to describe his music seems to be "one-man boy band," but, while that's often used to signify songs in the vein of Westlife or Nick Lachey, here it should reflect a closer similarity to a (on this album, slightly more electronic) 'N Sync, at least in attitude and predilection for up-tempo, danceable songs. The fact that he's able to release each album so quickly after the former one astounds me, and really proves the lack of necessity of the cross-country song-swapping that so often goes on in the world of pop; to my knowledge, none of Darin's songs have been covers. If Darin was to launch himself internationally, I still think one of the songs from his previous albums might work best as lead single (I would love to hear "Step Up" on the radios here, and it would probably have a better chance than "Money For Nothing," though success would still be extremely iffy), but as a whole, I think I like this album even more than Darin.

Saturday Night--those searching for Darin's next party anthem need look no further than this (though there's some other contenders on the album, too). It's poppy but with a hint of electro-rock; there's even a guitar break, but Darin talks over it, preventing it from getting boring. Incidentally, this completes my set of paired weekend songs (the Click Five and McFly both have a song called "Friday Night," and now McFly and Darin both have a song called "Saturday Night," though that's one of my least favorite McFly songs from their debut album). With a song like this, who wouldn't want to go out with Darin on Saturday night?

Everything But The Girl--with a title like that, you know this could be really awful or really excellent; luckily, it's the latter. This is how to do big (though not genre-busting; for that, listen to Gregory Lemarchal's "Je suis en vie" or "Je t'ecris") pop ballads (and it's much better than Darin's previous ballad with "girl" in the title, "Who's That Girl"). The lyrics may be cheesy at parts, but the chorus more than makes up for that; by the time Darin is saying "I have everything but the girl," with perfect build and emotion, you're hooked. There are strings, but they aren't overwhelming, instead being present just enough to give the song a tiny bit more melody and drama.

To buy Darin's third album, Break The News, go here (physical) or here (digital). It is definitely worth it, as it's filled with great pop songs.

By the way, my CD came with a sticker boasting that Break The News contained "the hits 'Perfect,' 'Desire,' and 'Everything But The Girl'" (ah, confidence; they all should be hits, though). I'm a bit surprised to see that, as I presume those must be the future singles, but "Desire" is a good song, so hopefully it will do well.

Next up: the beginning of a Christmas special. It probably won't last more than a week, and they'll all (as it's currently planned) be pop songs, often ones I find myself listening to in the middle of summer. First up will be a Swedish singer who's been a member of two groups but is now solo.

(By the way, I've had the thirty second iTunes preview for "Stranded," one of Anthony Callea's new songs, stuck in my head all day, and having thirty seconds replaying in your head when you don't know the rest of the song is apparently pretty frustrating! I may also have a zip file labeled "A New Chapter" sitting on my desktop right now, taunting me and daring me to open it...)

Doin' my own thing, don't believe the hype

Apologies in advance if this post seems random or rushed at any point; as if waiting for Anthony Callea's newest album to arrive in the mail (a week and a half, if I'm lucky) wasn't bad enough, news of the Gareth Gates concert ("gig" might be a better word) showcasing some of the songs from his new album is just starting to hit the web. I'll probably sum up some of the information at the bottom, but for now: Ultra. Ultra (named after a Depeche Mode album) are a boy band most popular in the late 1990's, but they've recently released their second album (which you can buy here; it features some songs by former member and Fame Academy contestant Alistair Griffin). They're probably most famous for their singles "Say You Do" and "Say It Once." Their voices (though it often sounds like--maybe is--one voice) are pretty distinctive; there's sort of a laid-back feel to them, as well as a quality that I can't really describe. These songs today are B-sides from the "Say You Do" and "The Right Time" singles.

Stereotype--a mildly edgy up-tempo (maybe mid-tempo) song. It's not ear-catching enough to be a single, but there's a good chance you'll have "stereo-stereo-stereo-stereotype" stuck in your head at least for a little bit.

Whatever--taking the tempo down, we have a sweet ballad, but it's a ballad in the "you could clap your hands to this" vein--not quite as bouncey as Shayne Ward's version of "No Promises," but not really slow-paced. And really, you just can't go wrong with "ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo"'s. The bridge is just adorable, too: "don't you see/you gotta have a lover like me" (but what really matters is how they sing it).

To buy the single for "The Right Time," which has "Stereotype" as a B-side, go here (physical); to buy the single for "Say You Do," which has "Whatever" as a B-side, go here (physical).

(Credit for this picture goes to the lovely Moliudaima; thank you!)

As for the Gareth concert, none of this information comes directly from me; it's all second or third hand, and all credit for it goes to here. Here's a couple of notes:

• The performance was being filmed for the upcoming (late December) documentary about Gareth, so at least bits of his new music should be in it.
• He performed eight songs (repeating two of them in an encore), all new ("new" as in not yet on an album; apparently at least one of them was written back in 2003). Three of them were slow ballads, but the rest were mid- to up-tempo pop-rock.
• The album may be out "early next year" (as per recent responses, very vague).
  
• He thanked one of the co-writers of James Blunt's "Your Beautiful." Does this mean...?
• Simon Fuller was there, which, since Gareth is still managed by 19, does make sense, but I'm hoping that's a sign that he has their full support and not just that Simon wanted to make sure that nothing bad got filmed for the documentary.
• As you can see in the picture, it may not be at its peak as it was in, say, 2003, but at least he's making an attempt: Gareth is doing popstar hair! All is (almost) right with the world--surely it's a step in the right direction?

Anyhow, I cannot wait to hear his music, as I think he's a brilliant popstar (though I want him to release it at the proper time) and I love his music--I calculated once that I could run this blog for a month on good Gareth songs alone (I'm not going to do so, though; don't worry!). I'm worried, but hopeful. One more piece of good news: apparently the absolutely awful title of the documentary (and I mean awful--the worst possible title, really, unless it's just because I didn't grow up with the UK music scene that I don't think the possible pun is that great an idea) is not set in stone.

Next up: I'm not really sure--maybe a female singer.

All by the glimpse of an eye

The artists competing in Melodifestivalen (Sweden's contest to decide who will represent them at Eurovision) were announced today (you can see who they are, what song they'll be singing, and the final they're in here--scroll down; it's not the top message--and read a little more about some people tipped to do well here; the wilcards haven't been announced yet, though). I'm really excited to get to follow Melodifestivalen and Eurovision this year, and there are a lot of artists to be excited about in the line-up. Today's post was inspired by seeing the name of this artist on the list (though presumably Therese, who is "featuring" in their song, will be doing the singing); it's earlier than I planned to write about them, as I just got their album yesterday, and I wasn't even sure if I should write about them at all (lots of excellent blogs have already done so), but they're too good to not mention.

Swedish duo the Attic, made up of Michael Feiner and Eric Amarillo, have been working together for several years, but, until recently, mainly on the songs of other artists (in fact, I posted one of their other songs earlier this year without even realizing it: their remix of Darin's "Who's That Girl," which I love so much more than the original); their debut album, The One, just came out this month. The One is full of dance-pop (or house/pop, as their description says) that is just entrancing. Their songs aren't just '80's-sampling gimmicks, nor are they really in-your-face dancefloor anthems, instead being classy but catchy, fun, always danceable, and practically hypnotizing. One of the songs on it may even win the award for my favorite title of the year: "Catch Me When I Fall For You." Choosing just a few songs to post was really difficult, and it's an album I definitely recommend picking up. I'm sure I'll end up reviewing it in the future, too, because (and I may be premature in saying this, only having listened to it for a day) it is one of the year's must-own albums.

In Your Eyes--a single that's still probably my favorite song by the Attic, even after listening to the whole album. This is going to sound crazy (and please don't be turned off by this), but I think it's the sexiest song I've heard this year (and sweetest, too)--it doesn't actually sound like it's trying to be, but that effortlessness makes it absolutely captivating. By the time we get two-thirds in and are hitting the high-pitched "wooo"'s, you're completely sucked in; it's danceable, mesmerizing, swirling, engrossing--everything you could want in this type of song.

The One--I ultimately chose this song because it's one of the catchier non-single songs on the album, and so might transfer better to the out-of-context, you-only-have-thirty-seconds-to-get-my-attention world. However, songs like "Minute After Minute," with its breathy, building, intimate-yet-distant gorgeousness, must absolutely be heard.

To buy the Attic's debut album, The One, go here (physical) or here (digital).

Next up: maybe a boy band.

The silver screen and Seventeen

(Picture credit to Tammin Online; thanks!)

Tammin Sursok, like so many other female Australian singers, first became famous through her work on a soap opera (in this case, Home And Away). In 2004, she released her debut single, "Pointless Relationship," and followed it up with two more singles (one of which was later covered by High School Musical star Vanessa Anne Hudgens) and an album, Whatever Will Be. There were rumors that Tammin would release a single in the UK, but nothing has yet materialized. Though she's writing songs for her next album, her focus seems to be on acting at the moment; she moved to L.A. and has been doing the casting call circuit (she had a role in the JoJo-starring mermaid movie Aquamarine). I do really hope she releases another album, as her sweet voice and smooth pop songs added up to a great first album.

Pointless Relationship--this song doesn't have quite as much of the happiness that infuses some of Tammin's other songs (though they aren't always about happy subjects). It also doesn't even (shock!) have the title somewhere in the lyrics. It's such a good song, though--catchy, and somehow a bit rocky but not too much, sounding meaningful and not trite. Marion Raven (ex-M2M) was one of the co-writers of it.

Better To Be Lonely--despite lyrics about refusing to be coupled up with someone--actually, probably because of them--this song has more happiness about it. It's sort of like Natasha Bedingfield's "Single" in subject, though definitely not sound; Natasha's song is more R&B-influenced and tries to be edgier. Tammin sings so sweetly, and she does say that after "one look I'm giving out my number," but there's still something empowering about this song.

To buy Tammin's debut album Whatever Will Be (and I really recommend it), go here (physical).

Next up: maybe another plea for people to buy a certain album, or a singer from Sweden.