West End Girls – Little Black Dress (Watch)
Tribute bands like A*Teens and West End Girls always have the problem of what to do once they’ve covered all the best/their favourite songs by the artist they are a tribute to. Luckily for the West End Girls, they had impressed the Pet Shop Boys so much that they suggested the girls cover a song they’d written for the short-lived PSBs musical, Closer to Heaven. It’s cooler, more serious electro compared to their versions of the PSB hits, but it works well for them and results in a really unique sound. I don’t know when their new album, supposedly titled Shoplifters, will be released, but the fact this one now has a video suggests the wait can’t be too long.
85% Poptastic!
Miss Li – I Heard of a Girl (Listen)
I only got into Miss Li last year, but ever since I first heard one of her songs (it was Oh Boy, in fact), I absolutely loved her. Now she’s about to release a new album, Dancing the Whole Way Home (out 1st April), and has posted the first single from it on her MySpace. It’s a little less frenetic than much of her past work, but still bears Miss Li’s unique style, and is a very lovely pop song. I’m definitely going to get her new album, and I really hope I will get to see her live at some point because I think she’d be utterly incredible.
94% Poptastic!
Swingfly – Touch and Go (Watch)
He’s soon to release his brilliant Singing That Melody in the UK, but in Sweden Swingfly is already onto his next single, and rather brilliantly the lyrics continue the same story. There’s a terrible twist – you know that number the girl he fancied sang to him approximately 100 times? It was wrong!!! Thank goodness for MySpace and Facebook, which reconnect them! Now no-one can say they aren’t useful. I’ve listened to this so many times today it feels like I’ve known it for months, rather than hours. I suppose it helps that it’s similar to his (and Teddybears’) past work, but it’s one of the catchiest choruses I’ve heard in ages. Great work, Mr Fly!
97% Poptastic!
Jenny Wilson – The Wooden Chair (Watch)
Also back with the first single from her new album is quirky singer song-writer Jenny Wilson. When this song came on my mp3 player today I thought it was Kelis at first, which is quite a strange comparison if you know who Jenny is, but the similarity was uncanny. It’s a really interesting, atmospheric song, and the video’s a perfect match for it. It never fails to amaze me what a wide variety of top quality pop music Sweden can produce. This is so different to September and Darin, but still ace in its own way. I think it will be very well-received by those who liked her last album, despite the different style.
77% Poptastic!
What’s Up ft. Vendela Palmgren – Här är jag (Watch)
If this song sounds a bit familiar, it’s because you’re a secret fan of Camp Rock! Don’t worry, I also quite liked it when I eventually caved in to watch it. Still hate the Jo Bros, though. For the rest of you, this is a Swedish cover of one of the Camp Rock songs. I recognised Vendela from her unreleased cover of Holiday by Venke Knutson, and her participation in Lilla MF, but What’s Up were new to me. After years of having no boybands at all, Sweden now has 2, although I’m not confident What’s Up will ever be as popular as EMD. Then again, EMD only have 2 good songs and 1 cute member, so they’re in with a chance of catching up in terms of quality, if not in the popularity stakes.
45% Poptastic!