http://www.youtube.com/p/B9897D8625FB9D4D
Sylvia Night – Congratulations
Having now had some time to think over Thursday’s tragic loss, I have a few theories of why it happened. Firstly, Iceland, like Belgium, is very far away from most countries in Europe. If you look at the list of entrants this year, 20 out of 37 would definitely be classified as Eastern Europe. I’m not suggesting political voting exactly, but that it is obvious that countries close together, especially with many having been part of the same country in the past and with loads of immigration between them, would have the same taste in music. That’s not political, it’s just voting for what you know. Similarly, I’m sure more people in Scandinavia and Benelux (a name for Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg that I have always liked) wanted the Belgian and Icelandic songs to win than people in Armenia, for example, where the music scene is completely different. Another reason Sylvia in particular didn’t make it, I think was because she was just too much fun. A semi-serious act with an amusing outfit or dance routine would probably have more chance than something which was an all-out comedy routine, which so OTT it certainly wouldn’t appeal to your typical Albanian granny. As for Belgium, I still don’t know why apart from its non-Easternness it didn’t get through, because it still is the perfect 21st century Eurovision entry.
Abba interview with Noel Edmonds
There is one person in this video having a comeback at the moment and it’s not ABBA. ABBA don’t need to come back, because they haven’t gone away and certainly aren’t expected to, even though they’ve not recorded any new material in almost 25 years. While other bands from their era and much later are doing comeback tours and even brand new material, ABBA don’t have to because other people will do it for them – the Mamma Mia stage show is being made into a film, their songs are regularly placed at the top of “best ever” charts, and the fab four don’t have to do a moment’s promotion to earn it. That’s because their songs speak for themselves. I still occasionally discover brilliant ABBA songs I’d never even heard of and the consistency of quality in their music is unbeatable.
Robyn – Show Me Love
Keeping on the Swedish tip, here is the song that made me love the girl who has become one of my all-time favourite singers. I had no idea when this came out and I was singing along to it on TOTP that 8 years later she would release one of the most important and best-loved (by not just me but an endless number of music critics and pop fans) albums of the year. Clearly the 9-year-old me had excellent taste, as this song still sounds as good today as it did then.
Dima Bilan – Never Let You Go
Now I promise you this really is the last Eurovision related video, but I couldn’t not post the only hope left for a great Eurovision winner this year. There hasn’t been a Eurovision winner I’ve been really against in all the time I’ve watched it, but if Bosnia gets it this year like I’m quite worried they will, then the tradition will be broken and I shall be very sad. So let’s get Dima to the top!
Head Automatica – Graduation Day
Now for something completely different! Head Automatica are the group behind Beating Heart Baby aka the best rock song of all time ever, but their other songs, although better than your average rockin’ rubbish, are nothing in comparison. However, they’re now back with a brand new single from the brand new album so I decided to give them another chance. So I start listening and it’s not very exciting, and then I realise – there are no synthesisers!! The whole point of Head Automatica is to be an electro-poptastic side-project from the singer’s serious rock band Glassjaw, so what is the point of them sounding just like every other American teen-rock band at the moment? There isn’t one, and I’m very cross about it!
5. Shakira – Hips Don’t Lie
=3. Rihanna – S.O.S
=3. Kate Ryan – Je t’adore
2. Infernal – From Paris To Berlin
1. Pipettes – Pullshapes
I am very, very pleased with this song being no.1 this week, because it’s just so acetastic and it’s ages until it’s released so there’s lots of time for them to win over the whole Internet to be their fans and hopefully get their highest chart position yet and another good one for their absolutely amazing album. Since this song is so new there’s not yet a video, so instead I’ve posted their first video ever, for the song Dirty Mind, although I do take offence at the misspelling of Dirrrty.