Do I have it in me? I believe it is in there

"Hey Mr DJ, put your knickers on"..?

Time for a selection of the "newer" choons that have caught my ear again, dear chums!

Before we go there however, it's worth noting that we're currently in the midst of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year - traditionally celebrated by "raising a noise" and blowing a horn. There are a few "horns" in this video featuring Tel Aviv's finest and house fave Uriel Yekutiel that I wouldn't mind blowing...

Dana International - Saida Sultana (featuring Uriel Ukutiel and friends) [ARISA]

Shanah Tovah!

Onwards and upwards... Let's start with the "big releases" [since their reunion and forthcoming album is all over the news, it's inevitable] from ABBA, shall we?

ABBA - I Still Have Faith In You

ABBA - Don't Shut Me Down

The portent for the album is very promising, indeed - of these two "teasers", however, I prefer the second of the pair...

By complete contrast, here's the latest from everyone's favourite spunky Croatian pluckers - doing battle with Bon Jovi and winning:

2CELLOS - Livin' On A Prayer

Speaking about "winning battles"... We haven't heard much from [another house fave here at Dolores Delargo Towers] Señorita Monica Naranjo in a while, but here she is, paying tribute to smashing a song originally recorded by none other than Kim Wilde...

Monica Naranjo - ¡Hoy No! (Never Trust a Stranger)

The next video is included here not because I particularly like the song, the music nor the singer's voice, but merely because of the excessive amount of ripe flesh Mr Mendes likes to show off - and who are we to argue? Watch it with the sound down, and it's rather good...

Shawn Mendes, Tainy - Summer Of Love

[The review in the Guardian made me hoot, as well: "In the UK, it has only been a summer of love if your passion is lateral flow tests or overpaying for a holiday cottage in Cornwall – but clearly, Shawn’s had a better couple of months. Here he boasts about drinking tequila, staying in bed all day and shagging so much it “felt like we were 18” again, which, given he’s still only 23, isn’t actually that impressive."]

As highlighted recently by Mr Device, I do like the new one by "Our Sophie" and her hubby's band The Feeling (from the soundtrack to the forthcoming Everybody’s Talking About Jamie film):

Sophie Ellis-Bextor And The Feeling - While We're Still Young

And finally... "Little Miss Weekend-without-an E" and his latest banger!

The Weeknd - Take My Breath

As usual, let me know what you think, dear reader.

For we saw his star in the east

It's almost New Year, and it seems there's a new delivery for Uriel Yekutiel, amongst the madness that usually passes for an advert for Tel Aviv gay nightspot Arisa...

ARISA - Fifth anniversary party

Nice ball play, however.

Pop-tart-tastic-ness

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...

Madonna - Ghosttown

"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:

Will Young - Like a River

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!

Daphne & Celeste - And I Alone

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!

Therese - Missing Disco

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:

The HardKiss ft. Kazaky - Strange Moves

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!

Bright Light Bright Light & Ana Matronic - Good Luck

Another familiar artist with a new choon out is the complete oddball Garek - with a sleazy'n'kinky video, to boot:

Garek - My Animal

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...

Out of the Blue - Lady Marmalade

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:

Róisín Murphy - Exploitation

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:

ARISA feat. Sarit Hadad

As ever, enjoy! And let me know what you think...

Get used to it

Just because...

Featuring the eternal house fave here at Dolores Delargo Towers, Tel Aviv's premier drag superstar Uriel Yekutiel, here's another fantabulosa video promo for local club night Arisa - featuring a song by someone called Margalit "Harris" (I got that name courtesy of Google Translate, so it is likely to be inaccurate; there is indeed no information on an artiste of this name "out there") [2019 UPDATE: her surname is Tzan'ani]. The message of the song is basically "This is not Europe, it's Israel, it's the Middle East, it's a mess - get used to it."

Enjoy!

ARISA - אריסה עם מרגלית צנעני [This is not Europe]

Needless to say, I love it.

Camp? Moi..?

The old, old story

A very difficult morning. I have had to force myself up and out of bed, and back to the joys of work...

To brighten the situation up, here's the fantabulosa house fave here at Dolores Delargo Towers Uriel Yekutiel, entering into a bitch-fight dance competition with another drag wannabee over a hunky stud (the old, old story...)!

If this doesn't cheer you up, nothing will!

ARISA - Omer Adam - Tel Aviv Pride 2013

The whole shebang is to advertise the opening gambit for the international Gay Pride season - Tel Aviv Pride on 7th June 2013.

The music is by Israeli pop sensation Omer Adam.

L'Shana Tova

I am reminded that today it is Rosh Hashanah, aka Jewish New Year.

What better way to send our greetings to our Jewish chums than with one of Israel's finest performers (and eternal house favourite here at Dolores Delargo Towers), Mr Uriel Yekutiel?

On this Tacky Music Monday, let us ease ourselves into the awfulness that is another week in work by rehearsing some faboo dance moves with Uri:

Uriel Yekutiel - TYP (The Young Professionals) - D.I.S.C.O Dance Class Part 1 of 3

Uriel Yekutiel - TYP (The Young Professionals) - D.I.S.C.O Dance Class Part 2 of 3

Uriel Yekutiel - TYP (The Young Professionals) - D.I.S.C.O Dance Class Part 3 of 3

Fantabulosa - I expect to see you move-perfect by the end of the day!

Uriel Yekutiel official website

Freilichin Purim

I am a little late in wishing my Jewish friends out there festive greetings on the celebration of their Purim holiday last week.

To make up for this, who better to spread the love than our favourite Israeli drag queen, the fantabulosa Uriel Yekutiel and the gorgeous Eliad Cohen in this fantastic video (in which they are joined by a "woman" who looks remarkably like Dana International)?

ARISA - Stalos and Oren Chen - God

Shalom!

The great musical round-up 2011

OK, It's that time of year when all thoughts turn to trying to remember what music "rocked our boats" during the last twelve months.

To that end, here are (in no particular order) the Dolores Delargo Towers Top Twenty Songs of 2011!

Let us open with the very cool Eastman ft Neve - Greedy Eyes, from July:

Eastman featuring Neve - Greedy Eyes

Even cooler, Jessica 6 - White Horse, from March:

Jessica 6 - White Horse

Herr Styler - Snow in Paris was toast of the town here at the Towers in January:

Herr Styler - Snow In Paris

The beautiful Sound of Arrows - Nova, first featured here in April:

Sound of Arrows - Nova

A very welcome return for a gay pioneer, Darren Hayes - Black Out The Sun (here in its remixed form), from September:



Speaking of gay, gay, gay - the anthem that never was, Sir Ari Gold featuring LaBelle's Sarah Dash - Sparkle, featured here in September:

Sir Ari featuring Sarah Dash - Sparkle

Duran Duran - Girl Panic was a fantabulosa return to form for a long-standing favourite group in November:

Duran Duran - Girl Panic!

Continuing the theme of "welcome returns", Mari Wilson - O.I.C, released earlier in the year, was a discovery here in December:

Mari Wilson - O.I.C.

Not something I am proud of, but I still love Selena Gomez - Love You Like A Love Song, from September:

Selena Gomez & The Scene - Love You Like A Love Song

The sleaze-tastic Traci Lords - Last Drag, from November:

Traci Lords - Last Drag

A song that was shockingly ignored by everyone, Beth Ditto - I Wrote the Book, from February:

Beth Ditto - I Wrote the Book

For once my taste and that of the great unwashed collided, as Example - Changed the Way You Kiss Me became the big chart-topper of the summer, featured here first in March:

Example - Changed the Way You Kiss Me

A chart could not really be a chart without at least one from the UK's "great white hope": Adele - Rolling in the Deep, as featured here way back in January:

Adele - Rolling in the Deep

One of my fave discoveries of the year, The Young Professionals ft Uriel Yekutiel - D.I.S.C.O, from July:

The Young Professionals - D.I.S.C.O

The magnificent Will Young - Jealousy, returned to our arms in style in August:

Will Young - Jealousy

A song (and an artist) that is indeed very popular round here, Eric Saade - Popular, who wuz robbed at Eurovision in May:

Eric Saade - Popular

Speaking of "we wuz robbed", our own Euro-contender Blue - I Can, was first revealed here in March:

Blue - I Can

A close contender, and thus in the Top Three, is Martin Solveig ft Dragonette - Hello, featured here in January:

Martin Solveig and Dragonette - Hello

Snapping at the heels of the top slot is the anthem of our last holiday in Spain: Luciana - I'm Still Hot, which I first played on our return in February but seems to have been around for the whole year (including the infamous Betty White version):

Luciana - I'm Still Hot

And finally, there has to be a winner, and so at Number 1 is (of course) the irresistible Sak Noel - Loca People, which first featured here in September, and has been buzzing round our eardrums ever since:

Sak Noel - Loca People

There will be plenty of omissions, and songs that have completely slipped the memory no doubt, but that is the nature of any Top Twenty.

However, as always, enjoy!!

Spin that disc...

Once more, it's time for a little update on the newer music I have discovered recently, and once more it's a little trek around the world...

Opening the whole shebang is the brand new single from Israeli geniuses The Young Professionals (whose fantabulosa version of D.I.S.C.O. I featured back in July) - the superb 20 Seconds, its video once again featuring the marvellous gender-bending Uriel Yekutiel:

The Young Professionals - 20 Seconds

A constant source of inspiration to all bloggers everywhere, the lovely Thombeau over at form is void has been on a bit of an Etienne Daho kick recently, which inspired me to seek out a little more of the French musical genius than I already knew.

And so it came to pass that I discovered this catchy little number that the great man released just recently in France. Featuring a lady by the unlikely name of Calypso Valois, here's the rather fabulous Amoureux Solitaires!

Etienne Daho and Calypso Valois - Amoureux Solitaires

Travelling North, here's a rather good new Swedish artiste - Emmon, with her Siouxsie-esque new single Slottet. [It means "castle" apparently]:

Emmon - Slottet

Back to Blighty. I have really tried to persevere with the new Erasure song When I start to (Break it all Down), but it has not yet hooked me in. It just doesn't sound Erasure-ish enough! Thank heavens for Steve Smart & Westfunk...

Erasure - When I Start To (Break It All Down) [Steve Smart & WestFunk Remix]

And to finish we're off to Spain! [Not literally, more's the pity...] with one of that country's top DJs Sak Noel with his bizarrely catchy Loca People (What the Fuck):

Sak Noel - Loca People

Enjoy!

Smash hits...

This week, let's open my selection of recent tracks that have tickled my fancy with a bit of a comeback! Described in QX magazine as "sounding like Daft Punk after being molested by Devo" (although I think it sounds more like Yazz after being molested by Cerrone myself), here is the very overdue and very welcome return of The Supermen Lovers (of Starlight fame, way back in 2001 - scary!), with a track from their new EP The Foundation Disco...

The Supermen Lovers - Keep The Funk Alive

In complete contrast, here's a new band with a sound that is a bit reminiscent of the B-52s or maybe early Blondie. It's The Handcuffs:

The Handcuffs - Can't Get the Girl (Without the Good Stuff, Baby)

Whether the world needed it or not, this year's answer to Aqua has probably arrived in the shape of the improbably-named Ze!, with a paean to her hair... Silly, but fun:

ZE! - Haircut

With her trademark brand of smut and filth (and we love her for it, of course!), here is the latest from the fierce Amanda Lepore, who implores us to Turn Me Over... Oh puh-lease!

Amanda Lepore - Turn Me Over

Saving the very best till last - I adore this collaboration between Israeli demi-drag darling Uriel Yekutiel and the incredibly hunky Eliad Cohen, featuring vocals by popular Moroccan Jewish singer Zehava Ben. Apparently a promotion for a Tel Aviv club night called Arisa, this is the fantabulosa Telephone d'Amour...

Zehava Ben - Le Téléphone d'Amour

Enjoy!

Popalicious

Once again it's time for a cosmopolitan selection of recent(ish) music that I think is worth blogging about...

Let's start off in Neath in South Wales (a very good place to start - especially if you are seeing it in the rear view mirror!), with Bright Light, Bright Light and the magnificent Disco Moment. I love this, it's 'arf tidy!

Bright Light Bright Light - Disco Moment

Off to South Africa we go next, for a most wonderful video for the new single by Locnville, Stars Above You - hypnotic stuff. Oh, and they're twins, and they're gorgeous - what's not to like?

Locnville - Stars Are Above You

The Young Professionals hail from Israel, and are fronted by out-gay local superstar Ivri Lider. This is their first single - their interpretation of Ottowan's D.I.S.C.O., in their own special way, supported by Israeli demi-drag goddess Uriel Yekutiel - and it's rather superb...

The Young Professionals - D.I.S.C.O

Just before Pride it was Canada Day which was celebrated in Trafalgar Square, and in a nod to our biggest Dominion, here are a couple of new discoveries from Toronto. First, the rather fabby Austra with a remix of their new single Spellwork:

Austra - Spellwork (the MNDR Nighttime Remix)

...and here's the Bowie-wannabee Diamond Rings with Something Else:

Diamond Rings - Something Else

To finish, we go from the slightly-serious to the downright kitsch. This is nothing new (in fact it hails from 1998!), but it's new to Dolores Delargo Towers. Thanks once again to the lovely Henry over at Barbarella's Galaxy - here, with a blatantly tacky rip-off of Boogie Oogie Oogie, is Pure Sugar with Delicious. How gay can you get?!

Pure Sugar - Delicious

Enjoy!