Hot Video Alert: Nerina Pallot - Put Your Hands Up

While I've heard of Nerina Pallot, most recently as a songwriter for artists like Diana Vickers, Joe McElderry and Kylie Minogue - I've only recently discovered her as a SINGER. Sad, considering she's has three albums out, the most recent being 2009's The Graduate. Pallot also had success with her 2006 single, "Everybody's Gone To War" as well as the Ivor Novello-nominated song "Sophia." Where the hell have I been?! Nerina Pallot is not only an Ivor Novello nominee but also a BRIT Award-nominee singer/songwriter from the UK, who's getting ready to release her fourth album, Year Of The Wolf on Geffen Records May 30th. Preceding the release of the album will be the AMAZING first single, "Put Your Hands Up," due out May 23rd. The album was produced with Britpop guitar legend, Bernard Butler and from the looks of it, could be one of her best.

"[The album] runs the gamut of Nerina’s love of euphoric pop songs with big heart-bursting choruses like lead single Put Your Hands Up - ramped up to even more joyous heights by Butler’s stomping widescreen production - to the meditative folk-soul of Grace, bridging the gap between pop and art with effortless grace."

Nerina Pallot is AMAZING. I don't understand where the hell I've been all this time? Check out the absolutely stunning video, which was done all in one shot. Nerina looks absolutely fabulous in her white dress, leggings and long dark hair. There's fun choreography, violins, London Taxi's and even a double-decker bus. As most videos shot in London do, this one really makes me wish I lived there. 24 hours after having been released, the video got 68,000 views, just before being flagged by YouTube for inappropriate content and blocked. WTF? There's not a single thing that's inappropriate in this video, unless I'm missing something?  Check out the video below and download "Put Your Hands Up" on May 23rd.  U.S. fans you can download her back catalog on iTunes HERE.

Check out Nerina Pallot on the web:

Official Site//MySpace//Facebook//Twitter//YouTube

Make A Scene: Sophie Ellis-Bextor to Release New Single + New Album June 6th!

No news is good news I guess, at least when it comes to word on UK singer/songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor.  It seems like I'd been waiting an eternity for solid, reliable word on exactly WHEN Ellis-Bextor would be releasing her 4th studio album. Sure, there were snippets of news and random interviews, but nothing official from her label - that is, until last week when we were hit with a SOPHIE ELLIS-BEXTOR bomb! New single AND new album, all in a little over a month! AMAZING!

Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Starlight by PurplePR

Ellis-Bextor will release her new single, the Richard X-produced "Starlight," on June 6th, followed by her new album - Make A Scene on the same day! Give me a moment. I NEED A MOMENT! You see, I've been following Sophie Ellis-Bextor since my first trip to London. My first stop once I landed, was a Borders. In that borders, I picked up three albums: Dannii Minogue's Neon Nights, Celine Dion's All The Way...A Decade of Song and Sophie Ellis-Bextor's Read My Lips. Sophie wasn't entirely new to me, as I had been obsessing over Ellis-Bextor's "Murder On The Dancefloor" video throughout college as well as the videos for "Take Me Home," "Get Over You," and "Music Gets The Best of Me." Almost instantly I fell in love with her super model looks, that sexy posh accent, not to mention the disco-pop vibe of her music.

Ellis-Bextor's sophomore album, Shoot From The Hip came out just after I graduated college and I remember stopping in the Virgin Megastore on Michigan Avenue to pick it up. That Virgin ALWAYS had a great selection of import singles and albums, so I knew it was the place to go. 2007 saw the release of Ellis-Bextor's third album, Trip The Light Fantastic. By this point I was living in Boston and ordered the album online from CD WOW. While I love each of her albums, when it comes down to it, they have all paled in comparison to the original. Read My Lips was consistently good with virtually NO filler. While Read My Lips will always be my favorite Ellis-Bextor album, from what I've heard of Make A Scene, I think I might have a 2nd favorite.

"Starlight" deserves to be a hit.  Co-penned by Sophie along with Hannah Robinson and Richard X, "Starlight" takes her trademark electro-pop sound and puts it on ice.  It's chilled and light - the perfect Springtime dance anthem!  Co-writing many of the album's tracks, Sophie teamed up with a team of talented writers and producers, including Freemasons, Greg Kurstin, Calvin Harris, Cathy Dennis, Metronomy, Richard X and Armin Van Buuren.

So far, three singles have been released off the album and two of them were produced by UK electronica outfit, Freemasons.  "Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer)" was released in June of 2009 where it peaked at #13 on the UK Singles chart.  The follow up to "Heartbreak" was also a Freemasons-produced number called "Bittersweet," released nearly a year later.  That single only managed to peak at #25 on the UK charts.  Sophie's third single, "Not Giving Up On Love," was technically Dutch trance producer/DJ Armin van Buuren's single but the song appears on both Make A Scene and van Buuren's Mirage album.  The single peaked at #165 on the UK Singles chart.  While none of the singles have really sparkled on the UK charts, they are doing amazingly well in Eastern Europe.  "Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer)" went all the way to #2 on the Russian Singles charts, while "Bittersweet" hit #3 over in Poland.  Third single, "Not Giving Up On Love" peaked at #3 in Russia and #1 in Poland.  Here's hoping "Starlight" makes more of an impression on the UK charts.

Sophie will be touring the UK this summer, joining Erasure and Bryan Ferry so if you're lucky enough to live over there across the pond, please go!  I, meanwhile, must go pre-order my import version of Make A Scene and live vicariously through all of you lucky Brits. *SIGH* Listen to "Starlight" up above and catch the video for "Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer)" below. (via MuuMuse)

Check out Sophie Ellis-Bextor on the web:
Official Site//MySpace//Facebook//Youtube//Twitter

Ones to Watch in 2011: Oh My!

Oh My! - I love these girls! Oh My! (AKA Alex & Jade) is a promising new girl band from the UK that I just had to share with you. The duo are actually old school friends, who, like SO MANY before them, decided to start a band together. The name "Oh My!" comes from the song "Oops (Oh My)" by American R&B artist, Tweet featuring Missy Elliott. The song came out back in 2002 (almost 10 years ago!), where it was a Top 5 hit in the UK and a top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in America.

Oh My! - Run This Town [Reset Remix] by PurplePR

Recently signed to 679 Artists/WMG - home to the likes of Plan B, Little Boots and Marina and The Diamonds, the girls are reportedly working on their debut album with UK singer/rapper Example.  I wasn't able to find a whole lot about them online (their website seems to just be a place holder for the time being) but I was captivated by their sound and HAD to do a post.  Popjustice recently spoke with Example, who confirmed that he was working with the girls in the studio and that there was "no date on single or album yet."  Well, by the looks of this short video teaser for first release, "Run This Town," progress appears to have been made.  Popjustice posted a little blurb about the girls sent straight over from 679 Artists...

"Oh My! have already caught the attention of the inescapable electronic-rave-monster Example, after they bumped into him at their recording studio. He was so charmed that insisted on writing a track for Alex and Jade, which has since turned into many tracks. Coming soon on 679..."

I like the sound of this and you will too.  It's a funky, punky little pop anthem with a great beat and full of personality.  Check out "Run This Town" HERE and download a copy for yourself and make sure you listen to the fun Reset Remix up top!  Take a peak at the video clip below as well for a sense of who these girls are.  I have a feeling I'm about to be smitten by these girls.  Let me prepare myself. 

Check out Oh My! on the web:

Official Site//Facebook//Twitter//YouTube