In Case You Haven't Heard Part II

Promises promises. I know I promised a more POP-focused post following my rock-themed update back on September 9th, but life happened. Apologies.  Now the tunes I wanted to mention here are even more outdated but that's OK.  There are still some quality tunes here worth talkin' about. In this post we cover new stuff from X-Factor winners, Little Mix, UK dreamboat Ben Montague, pop cutie-patootie MIKA, Canadian popstar Esthero, plus a couple more. Enjoy!

How this little JAM slipped by me I'll never understand, especially considering how invested I was in season 8 of the ORIGINAL X-Factor.  Little Mix (formerly known as Rhythmix) are a four-piece girl group comprising members Perrie Edwards, Jesy Nelson, Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Jade Thirwall and have the distinction of being the FIRST group to ever win it all on The X-Factor.  While they took their sweet-ass time to release any new tunes, first single "Wings" proves that these girls are well worth the wait.

Following the release of the girls' first #1 single, a decent enough POP cover of Damien Rice's tear jerker of a singer/songwriter ballad "Cannonball," they unleashed a proper up-tempo dance/pop tune on Great Britain in the form, of the TMS-produced hit "Wings," which went on to become the girls' second consecutive #1 hit single. You go girls!  The single was released on August 26th, backed by a tight remix package, featuring dance floor makeovers by The Alias and Sunship.  As nice as the remixes were, the song really shines brightest in it's original form.  It's a forceful little stomper of a pop tune, chock-full of plenty of soul and punchy attitude.  

Upon first listen, you could swear Little Mix has been singing together for years, rather than being the prime example of "manufactured" pop, a group made up of four solo singers plucked from the X-Factor reject pile by mentor/judge Tulisa Contostavlos.  The girls prove themselves and THEN some in their first official single, taken from their forthcoming debut album, DNA, which is scheduled to drop November 19th via Syco/will.i.am.   Here's hoping they do well enough in their native land to warrant a trip over here to the States.  If Cher Lloyd could do it successfully, I see no reason why these girls can't!

Download "Wings" on UK iTunes and check out the colorful and fun video ABOVE.

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MIKA Set to Drop New Album, 'The Origin of Love' September 16th; Pharrell Williams-Assisted 'Celebrate' Out September 9th

Whether he's singing about big girls being beautiful, lollipops or Grace Kelly, there's just something about singer/songwriter MIKA's music that makes you happy. With all that's going on in the world, I think it's about time for some MIKA-induced happiness which makes the announcement about his forthcoming new album, The Origin Of Love, all the more exciting. The Origin Of Love, MIKA's third album will be released September 16th via Island Records. Preceding the album's release will be the first official single, "Celebrate," featuring American singer/songwriter/producer (and N*E*R*D member) Pharrell Williams, due September 9th.

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Hot Video Alert: MIKA - Elle Me Dit

I love MIKA. I have since he released his first album, Life In Cartoon Motion, back in 2007 and the fact that his brand of infectious, feel good pop has yet to catch on here in America is an absolute travesty. MIKA's latest single, "Elle Me Dit," was released in France July 11th on iTunes via Barclay/Casablanca Records. Co-produced by MIKA and his frequent collaborator, Canadian producer Greg Wells (Katy Perry, Adele), "Elle Me Dit," (meaning "She Tells Me" in English) is an up-tempo, giddy good time, along the very same lines as previous MIKA singles, "Grace Kelly," "Love Today," and "We Are Golden." As of now, the single has only been released in France, Belgium, Canada, Slovakia and Switzerland, becoming a #1 hit in Belgium and peaking at #3 in France. Check out the adorable and fun video clip for "Elle Me Dit" below and look for well known French actress Fanny Ardant, who appears throughout as a kooky matriarch of some sort.

Reflecting back on MIKA's entire discography, I can't think of a single...well, single that HASN'T been up tempo and fun. MIKA first grabbed the world's attention with his single "Relax, Take It Easy," a song which was released twice in the UK. Upon it's first release back in 2006 the song became MIKA's first French #1, debuting in the UK at an unfortunate #78. When the song was re-released the following year it charted in the #18 spot on the UK Singles chart. MIKA's follow up single, "Grace Kelly" (one of my favs) became his first UK #1, peaking in France at a measly #82. His debut album, Life In Cartoon Motion, managed to spit out 6 singles (7 if you count the "Relax" re-release) which is pretty impressive for a debut album especially when you consider that four of those six singles were top 10 hits in the UK ("Grace Kelly" = #1; "Love Today" = #6; "Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)" = #9; "Happy Ending" = #7).

MIKA followed up his debut album with The Boy Who Knew Too Much in 2009. Not nearly as successful as it's predecessor, the album only spawned one top 5 UK hit, the album's first single, "We Are Golden," which peaked at #4 on the UK chart. Follow up singles "Blame It On The Girls" and "Rain" didn't even crack the top 50, although "Rain" was a top 5 hit in France. While MIKA's album's have sold modestly well for an import artist (his debut peaked at #29 on the Billboard 200, while his follow up peaked at #19) his singles have performed poorly. I keep hoping America will figure out what they've been missing with MIKA but I'm starting to lose hope.  With MIKA's new single only available in French speaking countries, and given that the talented 27 year old British/Lebanese singer/songwriter has said in interviews that the album will feature a number of French language tracks, I'm nervous that MIKA is focusing his efforts on Europe and bypassing America.  With his new album, The Origin Of Love, scheduled to come out sometime next year, I'm hoping he releases an English language single just to balance things out.  While he has done well in France with past releases, his international success isn't anything to brush off and his potential for superstardom is still huge in my opinion.  I'm still kicking myself for not seeing him live in Boston when I had the chance.  Now I fear that I've missed my opportunity altogether.  Check out the "Elle Me Dit" video below and download the single on Canadian iTunes HERE.

 Check out MIKA on the web: 

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

MIKA Kicks Ass

As soon as I heard MIKA's new song "Kick Ass" was produced by RedOne I had mixed feelings. RedOne is no doubt a VERY talented producer.  The problem is that everybody under the sun has worked with him. Over saturation!  MIKA is just such a unique talent, I'd hate for his new song to sound overly commercial.  That being said, the song really doesn't lose much of that originality.  Sure, the production sounds a bit...done...but it's really all about MIKA as a voice and as a performer and he sounds AMAZING as always.

MIKA

Kick Ass - Out April 16th

"Kick Ass" comes from the soundtrack to a new movie of the same name, out in theaters April 16th.  The movie's plot sees a quiet high school boy and avid comic book reader named Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) try to become a superhero without any powers to speak of.  MIKA's music video is interspersed with scenes from the movie, which I have to say, looks quite entertaining.  "Kick Ass" is out in the UK on May 3rd but you can pre-order it on iTunes HERE.  The three track EP features, in addition to "Kick Ass" (MIKA vs. RedOne) MIKA's "I See You" and a live version of his previous single "Blame It On The Girls."  Good stuff here. I wish MIKA had more success on this side of the pond. He's really quite talented.

Check out MIKA on the web:

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

Check out KICK ASS on the web:

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

New MIKA Single Out February 15th, Remixes by Starsmith, Wolfgang Gartner & More

As I mentioned before, UK singer MIKA will be releasing his next single, "Blame It On The Girls" on February 15th. As previously mentioned, the video for the single was directed by Nez Khammal (you can watch it HERE) and MIKA performed the track live on the UK version of So You Think You Can Dance at the end of January (see the performance HERE). Produced by Greg Wells, the song has been remixed by Wolfgang Gartner, Paul Woolford, Starsmith, Alalal and Anoraak. You can check out the mixes on the music player on MIKA's official website.

In other MIKA news, make sure you check out the new Boyzone single, "Gave It All Away," which was one of the last tracks recorded by the late Stephen Gately. MIKA penned the beautiful track last year. The video is an touching tribute to the talented Gately who passed away this past fall.

Check out MIKA on the web:
Official Site//MySpace//Facebook//Twitter

MIKA to Release "Blame It On The Girls" in February

MIKA's next single in the UK is the incredibly catchy "Blame It On The Girls," a song that has already gone #1 in Japan. The single didn't do any damage on the charts here in the States (pity), where it was released as a follow up to "We Are Golden." Given it's successful run in Japan, it makes sense that it's being released as the third single in the UK (following "Rain"). Due out on February 15th, the song was produced by Greg Wells and is about "a wealthy, handsome boy who has everything yet pretends to be miserable." How deep of you MIKA.

The single's video was directed by Nez Khammal (check it out HERE). UK audiences can tune on Saturday, the 30th of January to watch MIKA perform live on the UK debut of "So You Think You Can Dance," on BBC 1. Remixes and b-sides are sure to follow shortly. Watch this space for more details on the single.

Check out MIKA on the web:
Official Site//MySpace//Facebook//Twitter

Dancing In The "Rain"

One of my favorite singers MIKA releases the second UK single off of The Boy Who Knew Too Much on November 22nd. Due to be released in both digital and physical CD formats, there are some nice bonus tracks and remixes in this little package. I'm particularly excited to hear his cover of Lady Gaga's modern dance classic, "Poker Face."

Here are the track listings for all of the available formats:

CD Single -
1. Rain
2. Poker Face (From Radio 1 Live Lounge)
3. Rain (Seamus Haji Remix)

iTunes EP -
1. Rain
2. Rain (Benny Benassi Remix) (iTunes Exclusive!)
3. Rain (Seamus Haji Remix)
4. Rain (Acoustic Version)

All other digital retailers -
1. Rain
2. Rain (Seamus Haji Remix)
3. Rain (Magistrates Remix)
4. Rain (Acoustic)

No word at the moment whether any of these goodies will be released here in the States...but you could always order the import single! Buy the album now on iTunes!

Check out MIKA on the web:
Official Site//MySpace//Facebook//Twitter

Loads of New Album & Single Artwork!

Massive album artwork update here. Per usual, most of the artwork came from Coverlandia and Covermania. Enjoy!

As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm looking forward to reviewing the debut album, Pretty Mess, from dance music artist, Erika Jayne. Her album is due out August 11th (this Tuesday) and features her #1 dance hits "Rollercoaster," "Stars" and "Give You Everything." Jayne recorded the album with veteran producers Peter Rafelson and Eric Kupper. Can't wait for this one!

Wow. This song makes me really excited about the new Whitney Houston album. "I Look To You" is absolutely gorgeous but this up-tempo jam, produced by Swizz Beats, is HOT. Whitney looks great in the sleeve artwork as well. Nice to see a return to form for Ms. Houston. "Million Dollar Bill" is supposedly going to be released simultaneously with first single, "I Look To You," most likely to appease multiple formats.

Patrick Wolf is quite the performer. I had the good fortune of seeing him open for Amy Winehouse at what used to be Avalon. Such a good show. I enjoyed his last album The Magic Position, and should probably check out some of his new material. This is the album artwork from his most recent album, The Bachelor. Not particularly new, since the album was released in June. The first two singles off of the album are "Hard Times" and "Vulture." Also, of particular interest to me...the title song...it features an appearance from English folk musician Eliza Carthy. I reviewed Carthy's CD, Angels & Cigarettes for the Indiana Daily Student back when I was in college. Oh the joys of receiving free music. Of course, most of the CDs I wanted to review I had to pay for. Oh well!

Also not particularly new is the single artwork for the third UK single from The Killers' last album, Day & Age. The artwork for "The World We Live In" (which was released in May) continues in the tradition set by previous singles, featuring a mosaic portrait of one of the band members...this time of bass guitarist Ronnie Vannucci Jr. First single, "Human" featured keyboardist David Keuning, "Spaceman" featured the hotness that is lead singer Brandon Flowers and "A Dustland Fairytale" features guitarist Mark Stoermer.

The new artwork for the second Paloma Faith single has been unveiled. Lovely. Just as classy and elegant as the "Stone Cold Sober" artwork, and album artwork for her forthcoming debut Do You Want The Truth or Something Beautiful? - out September 21st. "New York" comes out in the UK on September 13th - the video has already been shot. I haven't heard this song yet but I can't wait! Paloma's album is one of my most anticipated albums of the year and one of my "artists to watch." Additionally, you can expect remixes from Tom Middleton, Cutmore and Starsmith. [EDIT] - I LOVE THIS SONG. The video is stunning as well. Wow. Powerhouse.

"Party In The U.S.A." is the first single off of a new Walmart-exclusive Miley Cyrus EP, The Time Of Our Lives. Apparently it's going to be released in conjunction with the unveiling of Miley's new clothing line. The track was officially released to radio stations on July 29th. I'm not the biggest Miley fan, but she does look more mature in this artwork. She's growing up, alright.

The new Mika album, entitled The Boy Who Knew Too Much, has me really excited. Not only is Mika super cute, but he's super talented. I hope he supports this new album here in the states. It's due out September 22nd in the U.S. (September 21 in the UK) and is lead by first single "We Are Golden." I still need to buy his first album, Life In Cartoon Motion." The album artwork was designed by Mika's sister, who works under the name DaWack. Good stuff!

This appears to be new album artwork from Swedish singer Erik Hassle, though I'm not sure what this is...album? Single? I was under the impression that THIS was the album artwork. Can anyone confirm? Perhaps this artwork is for the album's UK debut? Regardless...this looks pretty cool.

This was Hassle's first Swedish single, "Hurtful." I love the stencil-like fonts here, as well as the black and white photo with the pink lettering. Simple and clean.

"Don't Bring Flowers" is Erik Hassle's UK debut single and has been described as a "synthy acoustic number." Very cool. I'm looking forward to hearing this album in full! The Swedes really do know how to do pop music right. The official video was filmed in LA and has yet to be released but in the meantime - check out this unofficial video.

"The Journey" is the first single off of the new Dolores O'Riordan album, No Baggage, released on August 24th globally and August 25th in the U.S. Released to U.S. radio on July 13th, the single is expected to be released in Europe on August 10th. I've always loved O'Riordan's vocals - ever since she was a member of The Cranberries. The Morgan Page remix of "Ordinary Day," from O'Riordan's debut solo album is hot so I'm hoping for some new remixes from this album. We shall see I guess. The artwork has O'Riordan looking VERY pop. I love it! What do you think?
Voted for by the fans, this is the official artwork for "Gold Digger" by The Dolly Rockers. Due out on August 30th, this group is already one of my summer favorites. I've watched the video probably 1000 times and love the Bimbo Jones remix. First single "Je Suis Une Dolly" is also one of my favorite songs of the summer. The girls are recording their debut album, due out at the end of the year.

This is the third single from the new Daniel Merriweather CD, Love & War. "Impossible," due to be released on August 17th is the follow up to his last single "Red." Daniel is looking better than ever here...well...maybe not as hot as he did on the cover for "Red," but still...who am I to complain? I'm still hoping he takes a stab at the U.S. market with this new album. I'd love to see him do a live club show here.

New Album Art Tuesday!

While some might think that album art today as nothing more than iPod-sized squares, 100 pixels by 100 pixels each (which Hard-Fi alluded to with their last album artwork campaign) - for me, album (and single) sleeve artwork is one of the reasons why I still buy physical CDs. Here are some favorites that have come out over the past couple of weeks.

Frankmusik - Complete Me (Out Now)

While the album may have leaked before it's official release date, that's not going to stop me from purchasing it. Singles, "3 Little Words," "Better Off As Two," and "Confusion Girl" are good indicators as to what the whole album sounds like. Solid.

Madonna - "Celebration" (Single Out Now)

Unlike seemingly everyone else, I'm NOT all over this track. Sure, I downloaded it the day it was released on iTunes, but I haven't listened to it more than twice. Perhaps that's the problem! I think it's a grower.

Sugababes - "Get Sexy" (Single Out 8/30/2009)

I found this song addictive from the beginning. I love it! Sure, there are dumb lyrics (the entire Right Said Fred bit) but the beat is hot. The video is hot. The girls are hot...and the cover art is fittingly HOT. As if this wasn't a given...I cannot wait for this new album!

Mika - "We Are Golden" (Single Out 9/6/2009)

Mika. Love him. This is the first single and title track off of his new album, and while I haven't listened to it in it's original form quite yet, I'm sure I'm going to love it. There are already remixes by Don Diablo, Mirwais and Calvin Harris that have surfaced. Good stuff indeed!

Beverley Knight - 100% (Album Out 9/14/2009)

As I talked about before... first single "Beautiful Night" = HOT. Video for first single = HOT. Album artwork...well, have a look for yourself! I think it looks pretty damned hot! I love the red lettering up against her black jacket.

Mr. Hudson - Straight No Chaser (Out 10/5/2009)

Not gonna lie. I don't know who Mr. Hudson is...errr...I didn't until I posted the album artwork. The artwork just appeals to me. Apparently, Mr. Hudson is a British band (Ben Gunther Hudson [guitar & vocals], Joy Joseph, Rob Barron, Raphael Mann, Wilkie Wilkinson) signed to Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music label and Mercury Records. Straight No Chaser is the bands attempt at making a "mainstream record," and is a follow up to 2007's A Tale Of Two Cities. I'm game. Consider me listening!

Blake Lewis - Heartbreak On Vinyl (Out 10/6/2009)

OK. My love for Blake Lewis is documented. Love the look of the artwork. Love the colors and the post. Like a sunset! I'm counting down the months until this album is released!

Artwork via Coverlandia & Covermania