POP BOYS: the wanted - lose my mind

the wanted - lose my mind
[i've been secretly guilty pleasuring after boyband the wanted only cause they have serious songwriters crafting some kick ass pop music for the lads. call it pop with a strand of indie band lite (kings of leon in this case) and you'll hear why i'm enamored with them (thought still not sure why it takes 5 guys to sing 1 song). if you want to see their live performance on x-factor, click on this link here]

WONGIE POP (COUNTRY) SONG OF THE WEEK: the band perry - if i die young

the band perry - if i die young
[first thing that i have to say about the perry family is that the brothers REALLY need to do something about their hair... like now... cause they kind of scare me. BUT thankfully their song is what drew me to the trio in the first place. a country folk ballad with a goth twist, the song is made all the better with the soft sweet voice of lead gal kimberly. good pop country music here!]

WONGIE CRAZY VIDEO OF THE WEEK: klaxons - twin flames (explicit video)

klaxons - twin flames
[NOTE: this is not for people under 18 and also don't watch this at work (unless it's one of those cool places where nudity and crazy videos are celebrated). directed by saam farahmand, this oily orgy influenced body romp turns into a sick human centipede horror video that is weirdly hot. you have been warned, now press play!]

NEW WHITE LIES!: white lies - bigger than us

white lies - bigger than us
[the lead single off their upcoming 2nd album 'ritual', "bigger than us" marks a fuller, more grandiose, sound by the white lies. not quite sure if i'm feeling it as much as the songs from their debut, but i like these guys enough to give them a chance.]

LIVE WONGIE: adele - rolling in the deep (live @ paul de leeuw show)

adele - rolling in the deep (live @ paul de leeuw show)
[check out the full interview and a wonderful live world premiere of adele's "rolling in the deep". sadly paul's interview kind of sucks and he gives the girl a nice bike as compensation.]

POP GAL: pixie lott - can't make this over

pixie lott - can't make this over
[what a wonderfully catchy mid tempo pop song, only made better in my eyes cause it's co-written by the awesome daniel bedingfield. really good stuff here!]

POP GAL: cheryl cole - the flood

cheryl cole - the flood
[looks like sophie muller is very happy with her work with cheryl cause she directs the x-factor sweetheart in yet another repetitive visual mood piece that totally works for both the artist and the song. great 2nd single!]

THE SOUND OF BAD: black eyed peas - the time (dirty bit)

black eyed peas - the time (dirty bit)
[what is this shizz? are you kidding me guys?]

WONGIE SONG OF THE WEEK: shad - rose garden

shad - rose garden
[canada rap is in the house! taken from his 3rd album 'TSOL', shad has been a bit of a hometown hero back in canuck land and is getting some props with his totally catchy lovely retro track. like a breeze of fresh air, may i present to you 'rose garden'!]

INDIE DANCE BITCH DANCE: sander kleinenberg feat jamie cullum - remember when

sander kleinenberg feat jamie cullum - remember when
[taken from his upcoming album '5K', sander has gotten the vocal talents of jazzster jamie cullum and come up with a cool sophisticated dance track for the masses. good stuff here!]

WONGIE SONG OF THE WEEK: jamie woon - night air

james woon - night air
[we featured this track as our song of the week almost a month ago, but now we get the official video for this haunting chilled out song. still sounds awesome four weeks later and if you haven't discovered it by now, go ahead and fall in love with this tune!]

LIVE WONGIE: rihanna - medley (love the way you lie (pt2) / what's my name / only girl in the world) (live @ AMA)

rihanna - medley (love the way you lie (pt2) / what's my name / only girl in the world) (live @ AMA)
[this is further proving that riri is learning to become a 'great' live performer (and a damn sexy one to boot!). though i can't help giggle when she sings the line 'love the way you lie' in her lowest register. but that's just my silliness kicking in. thanks to mr world premiere for the vid!]

LIVE WONGIE: olly murs - thinking of me (live @ x-factor)

olly murs - thinking of me (live @ x-factor)
[oh olly murs! a cheesy favorite of last years' x-factor gets to return to his alma mater and show that he's doing just fine as a purveyor of spreadable cheese. not anything wrong with that, in fact this track is actually a catchy number that will probably go to #1 (or at least get played ALOT in the coming year). nice performance too!]

oh and check out the photo he swore he'd take if his last song went to #1. wonder what he'll do this time around?

NEW VIDEO!: my chemical romance - sing

my chemical romance - sing
[as usual MCR offer up a very easy on the ears anthem while not substituting their musical integrity. this is by far their most commercial track, but thats not a problem here.]

ACTUALLY FUNNY: ke$ha - stephen

ke$ha - stephen
[i'm kind of indifferent about ke$ha so when i saw this video supposedly produced for her upcoming tour, i was surprised that i not only watched the whole thing to the end, but also had a smile throughout. so for those in the same ke$ha boat as i, here is a totally non-offensive video just for you.]

TV SPECIAL: BBC Children In Need performances (Cheryl Cole, Take That, JLS, Westlife, Alexandria Burke, Pixie Lott, Kylie Minogue, The Saturdays, Susan Boyle)

every year, the BBC organizes the Children in Need telethon featuring performances by all the pop favorites of the moment in the name of charity. donating almost 40 million pounds last year to childrens charities throughout the UK, the show pulled out all stops to try to top that number this year. we've collected most of the musical performances below, but check out the full schedule of the days events here.

cheryl cole - promise this
[SO much better than the X-Factor performance, plus her voice is on the ball. nice one Cheryl!]


take that - the flood / never forget
[oh my gosh, they did never forget together for the 1st time! OMG! OMG!]


JLS - love you more (children in need official single)
[this is definitely a contender of pop ballad of the year! throw in the fact that JLS have turned themselves into one of the biggest boy bands in the UK in just 2 short years really makes me dig them more and more.]


westlife - safe
[oh this song is so cheesy but i can't help but loving it!]


alexandra burke - start without you
[i actually really like this song, but i can't help feeling that this is the kind of 'caribbean' infused music that middle aged ladies boogie to feel down wit the 'ethnic'. personal issues, ignore me and watch alexandra entertain as always!]


pixie lott - turn it up
[not my favorite song of hers, but it's for charity!]


kylie minogue - better than today
[yeah... still a meh song]


the saturdays - higher
[bless... if there is one place that the saturdays are more mismatched as performers its probably during half time of a soccer game. oh well... its all for charity]


susan boyle - perfect day
[and what better way to end this random pop collection with good ol susan boyle. as usual her voice is impeccable. go forth and donate will ya?]

NEW KYLIE!: kylie minogue - better than today

kylie minogue - better than today
[not her best musical moment, but we love kylie in any way, shape or form, so there!]

NEW BRUNO MARS!: bruno mars - grenade

bruno mars - grenade
[the thing about bruno mars is that not only are his songs INSANELY catchy, but the guy sings like his life depends on it (and that is a great thing). 'grenade' doesn't have the happy go lucky feel of his #1 smash 'just the way you are', but boy is it a compelling dramatic number. i dig this A LOT!]

WONGIE VIDEO OF THE MONTH: arcade fire - the suburbs

arcade fire - the suburbs
[hopefully this spike jonze video is just a teaser of a full length short film, cause it's friggin awesome! i don't want to give anything away, just watch it and be compelled for more.]

WONGIE INDIE SONG OF THE WEEK: band of horses - dilly

band of horses - dilly
[what a lovely breezy roll down your window kind of song! throw in the five biker dancers and you pretty much have the most awesome song of the day!]

WONGIE SONG OF THE WEEK: plan b - love goes down

plan b - love goes down
[the defamation of strickland banks saga continues with this latest installment of love gone horribly wrong. even though this jumps back to before strickland goes to jail, this non-linear video saga is only made better by the amazing tracks taken off the album. oh and paul young makes a cameo in this!]

if you want to see how the story has unfolded in a linear timeline, check out she said, then prayin and finally with the video below:

plan b - the recluse

WONGIE GUILTY PLEASURE OF THE WEEK: westlife - safe

westlife - safe
[ok fine, i have a closeted soft spot for these boys. their choice of basically the same song over and over again. the cheesey kumbaiyah sentiments that they sing about so earnestly. the weird fact that they've gotten more attractive over time. these are all factors to why these boys will always be a guilty pleasure for me and millions of housewives/grannies all over the world.]

NEW VIDEO!: taio cruz feat kylie minogue - higher

taio cruz feat kylie minogue - higher
[i probably wouldn't have given this song too much notice were it not for kylie's involvement. as usual kylie looks AMAZING and the song is just your standard catchy dance pop song that is overwhelming the charts these days. oh did i mention kylie is in this vid?]

WE HEART JESSIE J: jessie j - price tag (live @ later with jools holland) / do it like a dude / who you are (live @ yoyo)

just what is jessie j about? she's a cheeky lass with a kooky image that can also do silly antics if you dare her. she's a successful songwriter that helped pen the annoyingly catchy 'party in the USA'. but what i'm most attracted to is the voice, a soaring, rip roaring confident instrument that waxes poetic on surprisingly wide themes. jessie j energy is like an explosion with stuff going on everywhere and yet, i have come to heart her in a very short period of time. check out 3 examples of her genius below:


jessie j - price tag (live @ later with jools holland)
[how's this for a first ever tv performance? filled with confidence and kinetic swagger, jessie j gets an official thumbs up and proves herself one of the most exciting voices of 2010!]


jessie j - do it like a dude
[first official single is a hot mess. and that's a good thing!]


jessie j - who you are (live @ yo yo)
[this is an amazingly odd performance. she's almost scared of this song and feels like she needs to prove something to herself. after a false start, jessie struggles through and shows off an unpolished, filled with vulnerability and fear, performance that you don't really get to see from a big label newbie these days. it's weirdly incredible and is totally unjustified cause bitch is F**KING AMAZING!]

WONGIE SONG OF THE MONTH: adele - someone like you (live @ later with jools holland)

adele - someone like you (live @ later with jools holland)
[after premiering the song 'rolling in the deep' on monday, adele went on later with jools holland and premiered what she calls her favorite track off her upcoming album '21'. with just a piano and her exquisite voice, the performance is simply goosebumpingly AMAZING! love love LOVE this!]

LIVE WONGIE: rihanna - whats my name (live @ late night with david letterman)

rihanna - whats my name (live @ late night with david letterman)
[i'm sorry, but i'm kind of fixated with the polka dotted shorts that kind of look like bridget jones' granny panties. fashion... don't get it...]

NEW VIDEO!: lykke li - get some

lykke li - get some
[lykke li is getting her primal on and it's a great thing! can't wait to hear the rest of this album!]

WONGIE WEIRD VIDEO OF THE WEEK: bernard sumner, hot chip & hot city - didn't know what love was

bernard sumner, hot chip & hot city - didn't know what love was (converse music project)
[part of an ongoing music collaboration project that converse has commissioned, their latest one includes bernard sumner (new order/joy division), hot chip and dj's hot city. the result is a hot mess with a crazy video to boot. i'm weirdly transfixed.]

WONGIE POP SONG OF THE WEEK: one republic - good life

one republic - good life
[not quite sure how being in the beautiful countryside represents the good life (or the lyrics of the song really), but this is a darn catchy number!]

POP GAL: keri hilson - pretty girl rock

keri hilson - pretty girl rock
[the lyrics are kind of silly (since it's practically a beyond boast about the beauty of our gal keri), but i'm hoping there is some tongue in cheek here cause the cute video is a pretty darn compelling look at beautiful images of women throughout the ages (though i wish she went all out gaga at the end). bubblegum.]

HOT SOUNDTRACK: burlesque - 3 songs (cher / christina aguilera)

let the gay explosion begin! everyone i know that has seen Burlesque can't decide if it's the most entertaining movie of the year or completely gleefully horrible (like showgirls bad!). the fact that it's a bit of both makes this probably THE movie to check out then!


cher - welcome to burlesque


christina aguilera - something's got a hold


christina aguilera - i'm a good girl

WONGIE SONG OF THE WEEK: gorillaz feat daley - doncamatic

gorillaz feat daley - doncamatic
[yaaay, our song of the week gets a video!]

WONGIE INDIE POP SONG OF THE WEEK: men - off our backs

men - off our backs
[gosh, this song has been around since springtime and only now does JD samson (ex-le tigre) release a hot sweaty bouncy fun video for it! sweeeeet!]

WONGIE INDIE SONG OF THE WEEK: sleigh bells - riot rhythm

sleigh bells - riot rhythm
[it's almost unfair every time sleigh bells release a video cause their album has pretty much been a part of my swagger soundtrack all year, so they are almost guaranteed a 'song of the week' title. but thank goodness they are finally commissioning music videos (and cool random ones to boot!). turn this one up yo!]

WONGIE VIDEO OF THE WEEK: kraak & smaak feat sebastian and dj git hyper - dynamite

kraak & smaak feat sebastian and dj git hyper - dynamite
[cool silly dance song that is genius-ly all over the place. and the video directed by superelectric / henk loorbach is a stop motion cornucopia of awesome to match it all!]

WONGIE'S MUSIC WORLD Top 10 links this week

if you're curious to what the most clicked on links are on wongie's music world this week are, please go over to my sister site, wongie's playlist to see the top 10 items you guys are into. i'm pretty surprised myself!

WONGIE COVER OF THE WEEK: laura marling - blues run the game (jackson c frank cover)

laura marling - blues run the game (jackson c frank cover)
[produced by jack white at his third man records studio, laura does a heartfelt solemn cover of the troubled jackson c frank's folk classic "blues run the game". simple and gorgeous, i could lose myself in this for awhile.]

like what you hear? check out the original version below:

jackson c frank - blues run the game

WONGIE ANTHEM OF THE WEEK: frank turner - i still believe (live @ reading) / (video version)

frank turner - i still believe (live @ reading)
["after all, who'd have thought, it was rock and roll?" simple and brilliant lyrics by folk troubadour with punk edges, frank turner. discover how wonderful this guy is by just pressing play... nuff said really!]


frank turner - i still believe (video version)
[just as fun and catchy, i do find myself leaning more towards franks' live performance for it's simplistic urgency!]

WONGIE INDIE SONG(S) OF THE MONTH: the vaccines - wreckin' bar (ra ra ra) / blow it up

the vaccines - wreckin' bar (ra ra ra)(live @ later with jools holland)
[how long does it take to fall in love with a new band, in the case of buzz act the vaccines, just 1 mins 24 seconds! mixing in post punk with retro rockabilly sensibilities, there is something pretty interesting here to admire. i'm in!]

want more? check out the studio versions of wreckin' bar and also the just as wonderful "blow it up":

the vaccines - wreckin bar (ra ra ra) (video after the click)


the vaccines - blow it up

WONGIE DISCOVERY: jenny and johnny - big wave

jenny and johnny - big wave
[aka indie darlings jenny lewis and johnathan rice, these two talented singer/songwriters found a kindred love of catchy, melodic, fun songs and decided to merge their talents as 'jenny and johnny'. though the album has been out since late summer, i've only just gotten around to discovering their new incarnation and i have to say, their album 'i'm having fun now' is definitely addictive!]

WONGIE INDIE SONG OF THE WEEK: crystal castles feat robert smith - not in love

crystal castles feat robert smith - not in love
[though crystal castles recorded their own cover version of this platinum blonde 80's punk track, their biggest coup was to re-record the song with new vocals by the cure legend robert smith. trust me, it's a better track in the process! brilliant!]

WONGIE SONG OF THE WEEK: adele - rolling in the deep

adele - rolling in the deep (studio footage)
[going a bit bluesy to launch her long anticipated return, adele hooked up with megaproducers rick rubin (jay z, red hot chili peppers) and paul epworth (cee-lo, florence and the machine) to create her upcoming album '21'. finding inspiration through soul and country music, adele will leak out 2 more tracks next week for her eager audiences to hear. for now this catchy foot stompin ditty will have to do!]

WONGIE SONG OF THE WEEK: katy b feat ms dynamite - lights on

katy b feat ms dynamite - lights on
[aw yeah!!! the 2nd single for katy b is a definite UK funky jam that begs to be blasted loud. throw in ms dynamite into the mix and we have the bestest song you can find for sunday! enjoy!]

check out the duo as they performed at this years notting hill festival!

POP GAL: rihanna feat drake - what's my name

rihanna feat drake - what's my name
[holy shizz, this song is already #1 on the billboard hot 100 after just 3 weeks! it sure is darn catchy! though can anyone explain the weird facial hair of drake these days?]

WONGIE SONG OF THE MONTH: ellie goulding - your song (elton john cover) (john lewis xmas theme ad)

ellie goulding - your song (elton john cover) (john lewis xmas theme ad)
[how awesome that UK dept. store john lewis decided to use ellie's cover of the classic elton track for their christmas ad campaign. not only is it a big push for the singer, but this new take, produced by mumford and sons' ben lovett is just simply amazing! forget the x-factor xmas #1, lets make this gorgeous take the UK's #1 instead!]

here is the ad that ellie's song is used for:

GLEE HIGHLIGHTS: glee - forget you (aka f**k you)

holly holiday (gwyneth paltrow) - forget you (cee-lo green cover)
[check out this ew premiere of gwyneth covering cee-lo green's smash hit 'f**k you'. of course lea michele is back to her snarky ways this ep... can this shows character development be more predictable these days?]

GLEE HIGHLIGHTS: glee - teenage dream

glee (darren criss aka blaine) - teenage dream (katy perry cover)
[is it wrong of me to want to watch this over and over and over and over again? a brilliant moment in an otherwise meh episode.]

AUDIO LEAK: michael jackson - breaking news

michael jackson - breaking news
[kind of for curiosity purposes only... i don't want to be disrespectful of those passed, but hopefully the other posthumous tracks will be better than this.]

LIVE WONGIE: MTV europe music awards 2010 - the performances (rihanna / kings of leon / shakira feat dizzee rascal / katy perry)

rihanna - only girl (in the world)


kings of leon - radioactive


shakira feat dizzee rascal - loca
shakira - waka waka


katy perry - firework