new video wednesday: take that, damien rice, little man tate

slow week for new vids, but new stuff will be coming in over the next week. you have been warned!


take that - shine
[MUCH better than the 1st single! plus, i've always had a soft spot for mark, i love how gary probably has this no dancing clause, all he does is sit there plonking away on the piano.]


damien rice - rootless tree
[2nd video from the lovely '9' album. not my favorite track, but the live performance video is pretty cool]


little man tate - sexy in latin
[yet another band that i'm not sure can translate outside of the uk. the song is cute but i have a feeling the next similar sounding band will also have the same effect on me]

the good the bad and the queen - kingdom of doom (world premiere)

the good the bad and the queen - kingdom of doom
[the 2nd video from damon albarn's new project. i listened to the album and though my initial reaction is that it's alot of the same mood/song, but it's interesting enough for me to give it a longer listen. i definitely like this better than 'the herculean' (1st single)]

siobhan donaghy - don't give it up (world premiere)

siobhan donaghy - don't give it up
[shot in morocco, looks like siobhan is embracing her inner camp with full glee!]

dance bitch dance: chemical brothers

the chemical brothers -
electronic battle weapon 8

[there is no denying that the chemical brothers are one of the best dance acts ever. but with an extended break, one easily forgets just how phat these guys kicked it back in the day on the dancefloor.

well... they must have gotten the itch because the duo are back in a big bombastic way! releasing a double a-sided single called "electronic battle weapon (8 and 9)", i have latched onto #8 and am just crazy about it.

turn up your volume, play the whole 7 mins and when those drums kick in at 2'30" well... f**kin' apeshit is how i first turned it out!]

i'm in heaven: tracey thorn

tracey thorn - it's all true (album version)
[xolondon has been tipping the return of tracey thorn for a good month now. though it's been a bit frustrating listening to the 1st single off of tracey's myspace site, i finally got ahold of the maxi single just to blast the awesome full album version of the ewan pearson, darshan and sasse track. hopefully the rest of the album will be this dance fever-ish!]

you give me remix: justin timberlake

justin timberlake -
what goes around comes around (junkie xl small room remix)

[oh my gosh, this is just lover-ly! junkie xl does a wonderful job of reworking the tune into a dreamy trance pop anthem. totally makes you forget that the original sounds like "cry me a river" now]

new video wednesday - corinne bailey rae, kaiser chiefs

corinne bailey rae - i'd like to (weekend remix)
[4th single off of corinne's hugely successful debut album. nominated for three grammy's, i'm glad the label decided on something less twee to showcase her diverse talents]


kaiser chiefs - ruby
[the 1st single off their upcoming new album yours truly, angry mob, this doesn't have the instant impact of kaiser classics like "i predict a riot" or "oh my god", hopefully this is just a buffer for the good stuff]

retro wongie: fairground attraction

fairground attraction - the moon is mine / c'mon get happy (live in japan)
[feeling nostalgic for a second and thought i'd share with you one of my all time favorite songs from my all time favorite band, like EVER! in college, i kind of adopted their one and only proper release, a first of a million kisses as a personal blueprint. filled with romantic hope and dreams, the album still remains as a classic in my mind. if you've never heard of them, you should go and get the album, like, yesterday!]


eddi reader - kiteflyer's hill (live in japan 2002)
[the story behind this is that ex-fairground attraction singer eddi reader wrote this song with her ex-boyfriend (and ex-collaborator), mark e. nevin, in mind. the song speaks for itself and this performance just shows you how amazing eddi's voice is]

new video monday

robbie williams - she's madonna
[ok, i wasn't won over the 1st time i heard this song on robbie's album, but now with the video (god, he looks ugly in a dress), i think this pet shop boys produced song actually works...hm...am i getting soft these days?]


kelis feat cee lo - lil' star
[by far one of my fave songs of kelis' last album. hopefully this retro soul tune will re-introduce everyone to just how talented and diverse she can be]


the feeling - rose
[4th single by the awesome feeling and this time they go for stadium balladry. i love them already so there's no need to convince me of anything]


the view - same jeans
[the lead singer looks like he's 16 (ok, maybe he is)! but these guys totally reminds me of the bands of the late 80's that my brother used to listen to, no wonder the buzz is mad in the uk]


mr hudson and the library - too late, too late
[would you consider this a nu-ska movement brewing? i'm game if the world is!]

hear good music: young galaxy

my favorite canadian label arts and crafts recently signed the west coast formed, montreal based duo young galaxy (aka Stephen Ramsay and Catherine McCandless). gaining buzz by touring with the dears last fall, the duo is putting the finishing touches of their dreamy psychedelic pop debut due for release in spring. until then, check out two awesome songs from their showcase performance a few months back.


young galaxy - outside the city


young galaxy - come and see
[LOVE this song! can't wait to get ahold of it]

check out some tracks from their tour EP swing your heartache
young galaxy - the sun's coming up and my planes going down
young galaxy - swing your heartache
young galaxy - the golden coin

new video wednesday: allejandro sanz feat shakira, badly drawn boy, jamie t, husky rescue, wintersleep, ErickE

it's an eclectic video mix today but with enough gems to entertain you for a good 10 minutes!


alejandro sanz feat shakira - Te Lo Agradezco Pero No
[thanks to kevipod for the heads up, spanish cutie alejandro sanz reunites with his 'la tortura' partner shakira in a much more adult contemporary collaboration. his scratchy voice (and crap video) irritates me, but one look at his smile and all is forgiven... sigh, there he does it again...]


badly drawn boy - journey from a to b
[though BDB hasn't released an album as amazing as his debut the hour of the bewilderbeast, i'm still constantly curious as to what this talent has to offer each time. this is damon gough's 3rd single off his latest born in the uk]


jamie t - calm down dearest
[at only 21, this uk singer/rapper/songwriter made a name for himself on the london underground scene by passing on his mixtapes to anyone who'd listen. obviously his ploy worked cause he not only got signed to virgin records, but playlisted by influential dj's zane lowe and jo whiley on their radio shows. this is his 3rd single which i didn't really get at first, but now after a few listens i'm kind of won over. btw, the boy is CUTE!!!!]


husky rescue - nightless night
[marco nyberg and his finnish posse release yet another single off their left of center album ghost is not real. to put them under electronica is not really fair as the group also delve into country and rockabilly. like i said, left of center, but always in a good way]


wintersleep - jaws of life
[(thanks to the sxsw 2006 site for the mp3) though the album was released all the way back in late 2005, it looks like buzz for the halifax indie quartet are slowly making it stateside. based on this wonderful song alone, i'm hoping some label will make it happen!]

and finally one for the beatheads:

erickE - the beat is rockin
[crap video, but has potential to be the next fedde le grand on the dancefloor]

freebies: pitchfork launches new webpage forkcast

hipster music site pitchfork has officially launched their free mp3 download friendly site forkcast. featuring legal mp3's submitted by artists and their labels, the two day old site already features downloads for ted leo and the pharmacists, rjd2, peter bjorn & john and even samuel l jackson.

besides my blog, i think you have another place to get daily goodies!

you can call this news: trl rumored to be on the verge of cancellation

[taken from my pop culture blog, wongie's world]
according to new york daily news, the daily music video countdown show (and one of THE stops for publicity tours) ratings are so low that cancellation is imminent. this is a shame because where else can i watch trashy pop videos (and world premieres) in less than 10 minutes (ok, i fast forward)? bummer...

sophie ellis bextor - catch you (world premiere)

sophie ellis bextor - catch you (digital dog club mix)
[as tipped on popjustice, the more i listen to this song, the more i like it! i've also passed on one of many remixes out at the moment. hopefully better remixers will get in on the best pop song of january!]

live wongie: the good the bad and the queen

there's something really nice about damon albarn's (blur/the gorillaz) latest side project the good the bad and the queen.

made up of ex-members of the clash (paul simonon), verve (simon tong) and afrobeat drummer tony allen, the danger mouse produced album features strong, emotional (and adult) compositions that are miles away from the cheekiness of his other acts. as part of the album launch, the band recorded a live performance of the album in it's entirety for myspace. lucky for you, i've got some highlights of the concert here:


the good the bad and the queen - herculean (live at electric proms)
[the band's 1st single, moody and nicely atmospheric]


the good the bad and the queen - kingdom of doom (live at electric proms)
[really like this one, especially the ending]


the good the bad and the queen - 80's life (live at electric proms)
[love the doo wap 50's style of this song. can't wait to hear what it sounds like on the album]

hype wongie: be ugly in 07

as part of an 07 campaign for the hit tv series ugly betty, jason mraz has penned the theme song for the be ugly project that promotes positive female identity amoung young girls.

rewriting his song 'plain jane' as 'the beauty in ugly', the cute track is also the official ugly betty promo song of the season:

check out the extended promo clip here

obligatory cute pic of jason:

jason mraz - the beauty in ugly

my chemical romance - famous last words (world premiere)

my chemical romance - famous last words (thanks to chris picks)
[pretty standard rock song until the bridge kicks into anthem mode! awesome!]

hype wongie: let the jennifer hudson hype train continue

[from my pop culture blog wongie's world]
if there's one thing that about dreamgirls that i still get goosebumps about, it's the fact that jennifer hudson is truly one of the most amazing discoveries in awhile. with her golden globe nomination and imminent oscar nod in a few weeks, i still go a little loopy when i hear this young lady sing. here are some interviews she's been doing of late:

but not before you watch this girl sing.

jennifer hudson - i am changing (live on david letterman)


jennifer hudson on david letterman


jennifer hudson on the view

listen to this: siobhan donaghy

new material from the ex-sugababes singer siobhan donaghy was leaked out legally by her label earlier last month. the two tracks nicely established a new sound for the redhead that falls in between deep forest and kate bush. hopefully the album 'ghosts' will be just as interesting as what i've heard so far. don't believe me, check them out yourself.

siobhan donaghy - ghost
siobhan donaghy - don't give it up (stream only)

jennifer lopez - que hiciste (world premiere)

jennifer lopez - que hiciste (remix)
[1st single off the upcoming spanish album Como Ama Una Mujer, this video, directed by michael haussmann (madonna, shakira, justin), is actually a pretty good return for jlo. apparently written from a dream that husband marc anthony had about singer rocio durcal, this earthy track might just fix her tanished image... we shall see]

kylie showgirl homecoming dvd out now!

there's something really touching about watching kylie minogue's homecoming concert in sydney. after overcoming a serious bout with breast cancer and a year of recuperation, kylie decided to return to the stage by fulfilling the aussie leg of her world tour (followed by two sold out shows in the uk last week). dramatic and wonderfully emotional, the kylie phenomenom has now elevated her into an almost mythical status (and that's just the way i like it).

so fawn along with me, it's ok, everyone is doing it.

kylie - better the devil you know (live)
kylie - come into my world (live)
kylie - white diamond (live)[new song written by the scissor sisters]

buy the dvd here

indie new video thursday: kate nash, the gossip, bloc party, hadouken! pleasure feat brett anderson, duke special

kate nash - caroline's a victim
[she looks like a 60's retro pop act, but for her 1st single, the much buzzed about 19 year old kate nash gets a makeover as her sweet folk renderings gets a rave-punk remix (i actually like this version better). check out her original sound via an xfm acoustic performance recently (thanks to the daily growl). the good news is that everything has been tampered with, here's a lovely fan video of her cute song merry happy posted on her myspace site]

kate nash - merry happy (fan video)


the gossip - jealous girl
[beth ditto and posse are back with a new video! still one of the best voices that i discovered last year, can't wait to see what they're going to do next]


bloc party - i still remember
[updated 1/11: bloc party's US release is a more conventional alternative song than 'the prayer'. i actually like this one more!]


hadouken! - that boy that girl
[oh yes, the rave punk popjustice faves finally release a proper video for their internet hit. i liked it back in november, i still like it now (especially since new beats were added to this single release)]


pleasure feat brett anderson - back to you
[co-written with fred ball (aka pleasure), ex-suede singer brett anderson is going through a bit of a personal renaissance with his upcoming acoustic album and this electronically inclined tune. i dig!]


duke special - free wheel
[i gave a special heads up to duke special back in november and i'm really glad that more singles are being released from his debut album songs from the deep forest. this is one of my favorites with a beautiful animated video to boot!]

dance bitch dance: new young pony club / mason vs princess superstar / junior jack

new young pony club - ice cream
NYPC - hiding in the staircase (stream only)
[it's pretty interesting how tipping press gets hit with the same info at the same time. while checking out musicweek's tip sheet, the hipster blog my old kentucky blog also spread the love on this uk band. don't really care where i get the tip from, just as long as i pass it on to you my lovelies! if you wanna check out some remixes, mokb also has the remixes for you! finally, if you dig their 'i luv nypc' t-shirts, go get them here!]


mason vs princess superstar - perfect (exceeder)
[i don't know why dance videos have gone campy sexist these days, but the second i saw these girls bouncing on workout balls, well... (and i'm not even into women!). as with all legal mash ups of late, the original songs have been around for eons. but the idea that nyc-er princess superstar will get a top 10 hit this month is pretty juicy in itself!)

and finally a free mp3:
junior jack - dare me (stupid disco)
[the good ol folks at defected records are offering up a freebie for junior jack's rehash of two of his older hits. not that exciting but heck, it's free!]

gwen stefani feat akon - the sweet escape (world premiere)

gwen stefani feat akon - the sweet escape [thanks to kevipod]
[it's like madonna's 'true blue' for the new millenium! thanks to good ol ali for offerin up the vid!]

musical gifts for you

it's been a slow week in the music world (at least for me), so rather than wait until something amazing kicks me in the face, i'm gonna pass on some stuff that have made my blip this week. enjoy!

justin timberlake - what goes around (sebastien leger remix)
[the remixes of the third single are in and the best of the bunch is a pretty sexy electro remix by hot dutch/frenchie sebastien leger. you're life won't change, but then again, you should have used up all your life changing resolutions during the 1st of this month]

kelly rowland - you will win
[yeah, it's cheesy, but tell me you're not kind of curious what she sounds like without powerhouse beyonce by her side]

starless and bible black - hermione
[i have to admit that i've never heard this manchester band before, but the simple atmospheric melodies remind me of early cocteau twins. it also helps that lead singer helene gaultier switches into french every once in awhile]

songs of green pheasant - pink by white
[definitely the best of the bunch, songs of green pheasant is actually duncan sumpner, a 30 year old singer/songwriter who sent out a CDR back in 2002 to the fat cat label but with a dodgy email address. 2 years later, he was finally tracked down and was surprised to hear that they wanted to release that demo as a debut album as is. this song is from his latest EP aerial days which also features a lovely cover of "dear prudence".

awesome video! herman dune - i whish that i could see you soon

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check out this uber cute video for the swedish band herman dune. claiming to be "anti-folk", these guys are kinda dorky in the best way. just the way i like it. definitely a single of the week!

there's some leakage in the house: sophie ellis bextor

just a day into 2007 and popjustice have already gone all apeshit over the latest release of disco fashion maven sophie ellis bextor.

her 1st single "catch you" (due for release in feb) is not only produced by cathy dennis but the upcoming video was shot in venice by hot director sophie mueller (gwen stefani, beyonce and well... pretty much everyone on the planet).

though the hype from the uk means nada to me (i only know her from the spiller single), i do agree that the single (which i heard in demo version) is a nice piece of pop. maybe you'll think so too.

sophie ellis bextor - demo [alt link 1/2]

retro share:
spiller - groovejet (if this ain't love)