There has been another shockingly long gap between my posts showcasing the "newer music" that has caught my ear. For that, I apologise (as if anyone is champing at the bit - I wish I had that many fans...)
Enough of the bullshit, on with the show.
Fist up, inevitably, are a couple of stalwarts. Madonna's Ghosttown is a remarkably beautiful song - her voice hasn't sounded better in years, in my opinion. The video, too, is excellent. She is the renowned mistress of promotion. So why was this not a smash hit? It never even reached inside the Top 100 in the UK...
"Our Willy" - Will Young - is another brilliant artist who has never really managed to recapture the brief, heady days of his initial success, despite releasing several utterly fabulous singles in recent years. He is a trillion times better than such current world-beating dross as Sam Smith or Ed Sheeran! I was chuffed to bits when his latest album 85 Percent [read a fab interview in The Guardian with Will about the album] overtook both those whiners to hit the top of the charts a couple of weeks ago - and from it, this:
Speaking of comebacks, whoever thought these two would ever dare show their faces again? All "grown up" now, the former-irritating-yoof-chanters Daphne And Celeste have made a surprise return (in a collaboration with a hipster art-pop weirdo by the name of Max Tundra) - and it is surprisingly good!
A discovery of the faboo Henry (again) at Barbarella's Galaxy (he who scours the underbelly of (mainly) European pop, so you don't have to), here's a lady by the name of Therese and her ever-so-camp Missing Disco. Love this!
Our favourite houseboys Kazaky are in demand (not only by my lustful groin), it seems - they've teamed up with top Ukrainian band The Hardkiss on this rather magnificent number:
Speaking of team-ups, house fave Welsh wannabee-pop-sensation Bright Light Bright Light has as a very special guest on his new single... none other than the diva-goddess herself, Miss Ana Matronic!
Another familiar artist with a new choon out is the complete oddball Garek - with a sleazy'n'kinky video, to boot:
Those sexy harmonising gay students from Oxford Out of the Blue have released another saucy promo for one of their fundraising efforts (remember Hips Don't Lie last year?). [To donate to their cause, Helen & Douglas House hospice, visit their website]. This time around, they've decided to wiggle their tushes to Lady Marmalade. "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?" Yes please...
Another underrated fave artist here at Dolores Delargo Towers is the lovely Miss Róisín Murphy (she of the original extraordinary dressing-up ideas that gradually, bit-by-bit, were subsumed - like Grace Jones' before her - by the Mother Monster GaGa who claimed them as her own invention). After her brief experimentation with the wonders of Italian torch songs, she's back in her own little world again, we're pleased to say:
And finally...Thank Heavens! Uriel Yekutiel is back - continuing his sterling work in adding a load of much-needed camp to the benighted Middle East, he's popped up in yet another promo for Tel Aviv nightspot ARISA, "performing" Sarit Hadad's Circus:
As ever, enjoy! And let me know what you think...
It's been way too long indeed!
ReplyDeleteLet's get cracking: I have no idea who Daphne And Celeste are, and judging by that song I feel no need to investigate further. I do like Miss Ana Matronic but sadly that song did not do much for me. In the case of Garek it was the exact opposite - I like the song but it should have gone to someone else.
I love Kazaky and I was listening a bit to "Strange Moves" a while ago. I still prefer them on their own though...I have no words for Out Of The Blue (especially since I was watching Moulin Rouge only yesterday on Blu-Ray).
As for Therese, Roisin and Will Young, you already know I love those tracks. I just received the Rosin CD, looking forward to playing it. I listened to the new Will Young album yesterday, it's quite good (although not as good as "Echoes"). Well deserved number one!
As for "Ghosttown", it is obviously my favorite of the bunch. It is worth noting though that pretty much no established artists manage a Top 100 entry any more, except possibly with the intro single. None of the songs from the Will Young album, the Roisin one, the upcoming Mika album etc have entered the UK top 100. The last album from Take That was a huge hit and they actually managed a #1 with the first single, but none of the other singles cracked the Top 100. I think that with the lack of physical formats people that like these artists just buy the albums and that's that.
Finally, I was watching the fabulous Arisa video this weekend! Love the video, love the song, love the hot guys!
An excellent selection as always. Until next time...
I am amazed you don't remember such classics as Ooh! Stick You! or U.G.L.Y.... Then again, some things are probably best forgotten.
DeleteJx
PS Glad you enjoyed (of sorts) the musical mish-mash!
PPS I agree, the age of the Singles Chart having any meaning whatsoever have long gone - the air of desperation, with such pointless scoring such as radio airplay or YouTube views being counted these days, is palpable... I recall with fondness an era when in order to even get to Number 1 an artist needed to sell a quarter of a million copies (full price!). Nowadays, sales of 10k or less is all it takes, as most people are listening to it free on Spotify anyhow. Jx
DeleteFinally caught up with this.
ReplyDeleteLove the entry from 'Barbarella's Galaxy' but couldn't help but think that Kylie would do it rather well.
Kazaky are always fab.
As is Ana Matronic
Garek is rather lovely disappointed not to see his animal though.
"Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?" Yes please..." indeed. How fab was that.
Miss Ricin what an unusual name
how could you follow the truly wonderful Uriel Yekutiel and his lovely boys.
A fab selection.
Thank you for keeping me up to date with what the modern world.
Glad you enjoyed it, dear - thus endeth the lesson for today :-)
DeleteJx
PS "Miss Ricin", indeed...