under-exposed

Chungking, 'Stay Up Forever' Stay Up Forever

Chungkings new single is available to download from Itunes this week. Strangely you cant see the video on youtube, and i dont know how to take it from myspace to show you, so heres the link.

Here you can watch an older song they sung.



Chungking are not quite my favourite band- ive got enough of those allready- but every review I've heard from them has failed to mention that they are good and deserve to be heard. Okay to be fair lots of people have said this. But it bears repeating. Maybe thats their problem that they are too bland to be considered a favourite band, but there's a few good songs hiding on their album.

kisses replaced with tears

Bat For Lashes, 'What's a Girl To Do?' Fur & Gold

A lovely haunting song, not my favourite on the album, but favourites shouldn't be singles I guess... unless they re-release 'Prescilla' then I take it back. I love me some Siobhan, but its amazing how this album can sound like a more adult version of Ghosts and still be equally hot pop.

consider appetites wet...

M.I.A, 'Jimmy'

sneaky peak...

baby we can make it number 1

This year the UK Singles charts have had a fantastic run of pop songs in the number one spot.

"A Moment Like This"Leona Lewis
"Grace Kelly"Mika
"Ruby" Kaiser Chiefs
"Shine"Take That
"Walk This Way" Sugababes vs. Girls Aloud
"I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" The Proclaimers featuring Brian Potter and Andy Pipkin
"Give It to Me" Timbaland featuring Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake
"Beautiful Liar"Beyoncé featuring Shakira
"Baby's Coming Back / Transylvania" McFly
"Umbrella" Rihanna featuring Jay-Z
"The Way I Are" Timbaland featuring Keri Hilson and D.O.E.

Lets add one more to this list to make it truly represent the best pop this year...(no not that awful Nash woman) go to itunes and download 'With Every Heartbeat'... its by Kleerup and its by Robyn, its dance and its pop it deserves to be number one, either this week on digital download, or next week on physical release.

(genetics)

Will.I.Am, 'I Got it from my mama'

Do we really need Will-i-am to go solo? this track would be just the same with Fergie on the chorus? instead of this Gwen sound-a-like, if it is Gwen ill hastily edit this post... its an OK summer track but not as big sounding as id like.

absolutly everybody might like this?

Vanessa Amorosi, 'Kiss Your Mama'

This lady you may remeber when she was younger cos she sung at the sydney olympics? since then her song 'Absolutly Everybody' became a mainstay at my local gay disco, and finally -like 7 years later- heres another good song from her. Maybe i should check out whats she did inbetween?

If it pays the Rent!

Today it has come to our attention that Hyperbole fave -Siobhan Donaghy- has landed herself a part in a musical, Rent to be exact. What this means for the best album this year who knows? will there be a third single? will there be another album. How long has this project been planned for. Is it a good sign or a bad omen?

The heavens have spoken but what does it portend?

Friday Review: M.I.A - Kala

M.I.A, KalaThis album is out early in Japan, and it just goes to show how this girl is potentially the first universally recognised underground popstar. Well shes possibly about to get overblown to ginormous proportions once you all hear this album. In one week its become one of my favourites of this year.

We open with 'Bamboo Banga' a world sweeping intro telling us that "M.I.A is coming back with power power." and this is far from pop-hyperbole. The next track 'Bird Flu' for me is generic M.I.A in all her genre defying ways.

"A protocol to be a Rocawear model? It didn't really drop that way my legs hit the
hurdle. A protocol to be a rocker on a label? It didn't really drop that way our
beats were too evil "

'Boyz' is now the most infectious song I've ever heard, until that is you pass onto new -Timbaland produced- single 'Jimmy'. It's like a Bollywood Abba, or M.I.A meets Madonna's 'Hung Up', except its better and refers to a genocide tour in Darfur. I can so see Earth Mother Madge trying to ape this politically conscious sound.

'Hussel' is a huge sounding track, and leads into the middle of the album, with some more of that world sound unique to M.I.A, ('Mango Pickle Downriver' is a slice of life narrative but isn't great for repeated listens? and '$20' is the sheer noisiest thing here) Things get amazing again at 'World Town' "Hands up Guns out, represent that world town" but I love this mainly cos it seeps into the mellow 'The Turn'. 'World Town' also borrows the gun reload sample that makes a triumphant return on outstanding track 'Paper Planes' which is along with 'Jimmy' an outstanding track.

To round of the album you have this Timbaland track thats good but happily fades in comparison to this album...

wake me up

Maroon 5, 'Wake Up Call'

Another great song from the band you hate to love?... Actually i just quite like to like them...I'm not sure if this is all ver radio back home but it should be becuase its much better than their last album. More naked Adam would be good in future.

Convuluted yes...

Digital, (RIP Sampler)

Our favourite potentially huge new boyband are no more. We heard this from -a refurbished- electroqueer, who heard it from the zapping, who is whispering about where to get an album sampler download...

So if u wanna hear the male girls aloud, a cover of a blur song, and some lyrics i once described as cuttingly metrosexual... click away.

On the verge of release

Darren Hayes, 'On the Verge Of Something Wonderful'

Electroqueer, have a two part interview with Darren Hayes about his imminent release. Time for me to reintroduce you to the video... let the excitment commense.

Pre-Saturday Review: Insomniatic

Aly & Aj, Insomniatic


Releasing this sister-act in the UK would encourage me to give their album more plays than it already has... but increasingly the songs have sold them to me.

First Single 'Potential Breakup Song' has a double chorus and aggressive verses so its perfect, like early Britney - or current Britney cos who knows what that sounds like- but these guys have their own hair, i think.

I don't see why they don't release all tracks simultaneously in all regions now, its a bit of a mystery. International broadcasts are available now via youtube et al, so worldwide promotion needn't mean penciling in a three month tour of Europe. Just sending this song to The Box would guarantee it gets aired 6 times an hour surely?

Would radio 1 touch it? maybe not, but who listens to radio anymore?

So one track in and were already rooting for these girls to be big pop players and ranting about why pop doesn't succeed these days... job done there are a few dodgy tracks... 'Division' an ode to graduation -with the aid of long division?- grates on me, but then theres my favourite tracks 'Like Woah' and 'Like It Or Leave It' which channel some Sugababes with a long talky -MC lyte- chorus. The later half of the album drags a little but most of the album sits firmly in the pop-rock mould a la Kelly Clarkson, but its much better vocally than say Avril, and altogether much more enjoyable than much of pops recent output.

Pre-Saturday Review: M.I.A / Kala

M.I.A, Kala

This album is out early in Japan, and it just goes to show how this girl is potentially the first universally recognised underground popstar. I was a bit apprehensive about this album, i only like odd moments from Arular. M.I.A has stated this album is the more feminine accompaniment to her last album and for me that works so much better...

Here i do like the aggressive overlaid tracks they feel urgent and unrepentant that u will sit up and listen if not necessarily dance.

My favourite track is 'The Turn' its a much more mellow track than i was expecting and follows brilliantly from the epic sound of 'World Town'. However, it looks like the Timbaland tracks will be providing the singles promotion and that's no bad thing really, 'Boys' was a great lead-in and if his latest muse: Madonna comes up with anything as leftfield as second single 'Jimmy' then she's got another hit album this winter.

just like osaka

Tokio Hotel, 'Ready Set Go'




I tried to give this band a chance but it works so much better with the video.

i like boys

Dragonette, 'Boys'



A band soon to be relegated to pop history have released a cover, here it is... for download... get it while its hot.

Retro Tuesday: Girl Thing

Girl Thing, 'Last One Standing'



This is still a great popsong.
"no matter how many times u here this u wanna here it some more".
Its bitterly ironic the way they say 'this is our year, so have no fear were gonna stay, ya know, were gonna take it all the way'' and they didn't, just like when Cleopatra sing 'fresh new talents here and we know, were never gonna go'.
Looking at it with mature eyes, its incredible what a Spice Girls rip off it was... though I'm not quite sure what Jodie's hat symbolises each has some sort of identity thing going on. And the to be continued at the end oh it hurts...
Here's Anika? from the band with her new single...



Kiana, King Of the Dancefloor





There some dodgy clothes and dancing and -dare i say it- faces being shown in this clip but the song is quite euro-bouncey.

Hot Summer

Monrose, 'Hot Summer'

With a video the financiers for Girls Aloud would be proud of here are Monrose. This song has got me to work through the haze of humidity in Osaka everyday for three weeks. I used to have the 6minute edition but now u can enjoy the more palatable single edit. But if u can get the long one cos its much more grande and infectious and perfect for a summer workout. come on lets get physical.