POPTIMISM NEWS!

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

(format swiped with thanks from worldofagwu)

ITEM! It is Poptimism tomorrow night - cakes! pop! dancing! Guest DJs this month are Meggean and Ally C - if you don't know them then come along and meet them! The regulars will also be playing some wonderful tunes, and we'll all get the chance to see how the new murals are coming along.

ITEM! There is a new Poptimism MUXTAPE up at http://poptimism.muxtape.com/ - you might only hear one or two of these tomorrow night but who knows which tracks here might become FUTURE CLASSICS??

ITEM! Next month carsmilesteve and barnetape are in CHICAGO when it's Poptimism time (June 7th) so I have been left in charge and intend to do something a bit SPECIAL involving anyone who wants to playing a (very) short set. More details on this orgafun nonsense next week.

Meanwhile, see you tomorrow (I hope!)

Wonky Pop

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

http://music.guardian.co.uk/pop/story/0,,2277201,00.html

Guardian piece on the "Wonky Pop" tour (Alphabeat and some other people) making an assortment of points:

- Grass-roots pop is coming back
- A desire for pop stars to be individual eccentrics rather than production line stars
- Pop marketed to adults not kids
- Buyers and fans who grew up on Busted and who like performers writing their own material.
- An increased UK openness to European pop*

I get the impression the bulk of the community here are into this kind of thing, with some notable dissenters (of whom I might well be one). So what do we think - are thinks really looking up for pop?

*if you yourself are feeling open to European pop, go and VOTE in Europop 2008: France v Holland and Italy v Romania [/hype]

VIDEO CLUB: Ne-Yo, Martina Topley-Bird, Nelly & Fergie Ferg

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

We haven't had one of these for a while!

We all know Ne-Yo is amazing, right? Here he is, femme fatale fixation still firmly in place, with a NEW SINGLE hurrah - less lyrical oddities this time round but love the 4/4 beat (but more banging than 'Because Of You') and almost Balearic guitar. Great video, too.

The likes of Róisín Murphy and Alison Goldfrapp tend to find favour round here, but what of that other leading lady of trip-hop, Martina Topley-Bird? I've always been easily seduced by her voice - her new album The Blue God is v good indeed, and the best moment is the lead single 'Carnies'. (NB: her new single 'Poison' has a Van She remix which will be of interest certain elements of this community.)

And last - we have touched upon the Nelly & Fergie single before, but the video has only just appeared and it's TERRIFIC, totally crunk. Fergie really works it during her rap, and Nelly is clearly v keen to show us just how much he's buffed up. According to the year in pop polls only seven of us like this - I am charitably going to assume this is because you have not heard it, rather than because you have terrible taste.

J-Pop renaissance

[mackromackro.livejournal.com]

I curse the weak-ass dollar for one major development in pop music that I literally can't afford to catch up on these days: J-Pop. It's always been more diverse than the stereotypes suggested in the 90s. However, there are so many diamonds flying through the sky going unnoticed this decade, especially RIGHT NOW. I walk inside the Kinokuniya Books store near where I work once a week to see what's hot, what's not, etc.

Of all artists, Namie Amuro pretty much wins the crown this spring, with her triple single release 60s 70s 80s.

Single #33 for Namie and apparently her best selling single in 8 years, it's a triple single Vidal Sassoon ad campaign all rolled into one. Each single represents/resembles a song and style from the respective decade:
"New Look" <-- The Supremes "Baby Love"
"Rock Steady" <-- Aretha Franklin "Rock Steady"
"What A Feeling" <-- Irene Cara "What A Feeling"

That said, the songs don't really sound like they come the respective decades at all. They would have failed THAT round of the Pop Open in other words... maybe. This is what makes this release intriguing. The flavors are there, but without sounding retrospective at all.

Here's a good YouTube encapsulation of the entire single, as performed on TV in Japan:
60s70s80s live on TV, with English subtitles. (Curse bans on no embedding!) (Wait, was that really "LOL" in the lyrics?)

..and before this gets taken down by the /-\v3x label!... Watch while you can.