More on this - one of the greatest records of all time - when I can get out of my SHOUTING-ABOUT-THE-HOUSE-BECAUSE-IT'S-SO-GOOD phase and speak properly about it.
PS: This time tomorrow that change should be ready. So the GA album review will probably go alongside that. More tomorrow...
Wednesday, November 14, 2007 HAI OMGZ!11! NEW VAN SHE!!1!
THIS IS EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD (song and clip) AND HAS BEEN FRONT RUNNER FOR MY SINGLE OF THE YEAR NOW FOR ABOUT A WEEK.
It's called Cat & The Eye, and is not Nu-Rave, even if the clip would suggest otherwise.
I spoke to Nicky from Van She on Saturday night and he told me the album is expected to drop around February. Finally, my near two-year-wait for it is almost over... I am more excited about this than I am Madonna next year to be honest with you. I've just been waiting so bloody long...
PS: A(nother) change is coming. Hopefully over the weekend I can reveal more...
Monday, November 12, 2007 The weekend in pictures.
Full report from the Sneaky Sound System and Patrick Wolf (THANK YOU JESS!) gigs later in the week. Until then, here are three select photo's from the aforementioned nights under a mirrorball which should keep you going.
I am completely in love with Miss Connie from Sneaky Sound System. Isn't she just one of the most staggering pop stars in the history of music? My love for this woman runs incredibly deep, so I'm quite excited by the news that work is sending me off to see her and the Sound System crew put on a nice, pretty live show this Saturday night at the god-awful Festival Hall in Melbourne. Even the venue cannot bring down my high! What I'm even more excited about is seeing Van She - one of my most loved Australian groups of all time - play as the Sneaky's support on the night, making this my fourth time seeing them do their thang. Viva la Van She!
The picture to your left is photographic evidence of the best dress at last weeks ARIA awards, worn by Miss Connie. It is also photographic evidence of the best performance of the night.
I'm sure most of you will take my word for it, but you should still watch it for yourself.
Magic. When I grow up, I want to be just like Miss Connie.
Speaking of live shows, this coming Thursday night I'm off to see Robyn AGAIN in Melbourne. She just cannot get enough of us sexual (guffaw!) Aussies it seems! For those keen, she is playing at Roxanne, which is behindBillboard Nightclub in the CBD. I'm very excited, as Roxanne is a slightly bigger venue than the incredibly intimate feel we had the other month for her gig at the tiny Miss Libertines. Will have a full report on that next week.
Stop whatever it is you're doing right now (unless the only thing you are doing right now is reading this post, in which case I'd advise you actually keep doing it.) There is a new remix of a Sugababes song which I think you should download. Remember the cheesy Ultrabeat remix of the underrated and completely ace Easy from last year? Well, Ultrabeat have managed to top that effort with a completely popperific version of About You Now. It's cheesy, it's loud, it's probably going to be seriously offensive to most of you - but I love it. I was driving down the highway last night at an ungodly hour, alone in my car and on the road, with the windows down and this turned up ridiculously loud. It made me very happy. Now you can maybe be as happy as I!
Just quickly, because I cannot be bothered reviewing them just yet; New albums from Young Divas, Celine Dion, DanniiMinogue, Freemasons and Seal are all EXCELLENT. Am about to listen to the new Duran Duran and Leona Lewis long players before bed and am very excited about both.
And finally, if you're in or around the Geelong area tomorrow night, tune into 94.7 The Pulse from 8pm till 10pm for my radio show Inside Splinters. On the musical menu tomorrow; Young Divas, Trash Fashion, Bloc Party, Kylie Minogue, Sneaky Sound System, Robyn, M.I.A, Daft Punk, DanniiMinogue, Justice, The Toxic Avenger, Bertine Zetlitz, Cut Copy, and many more. Hopefully I won't fuck up too much...
Anyways, I'm on a mini-break until Tuesday so, unless something incredibly dramatic happens and I desperately need to blog about it - I won't be back till then. (Apologies for the long break in between posts of late - I've been so busy with uni and family stuff - it's been a bit crazy down at the residence of Adem. Back to norm next week, I promise. Kthxbye.)
Almost two weeks ago I threw together a dance classics edition of my weekly radio show, Inside Splinters. It's a regular thing I've incorporated into the show and happens on the last Friday of every month. The following podcast is a recording of the show from the 26th of October which - hilariously - was the last Friday of that month, and spawned the very first visit into the Inside Splinters time machine.
Pretty much every single one of these songs is a personal favourite; some of them haven't aged well but that's besides the point. They were great at the time, and the memories are still there. Anyways, this recording also includes a live telephone conversation between myself and the delightful Paul from The Zapping, which is worth the download alone really.
Eartha Kitt - Where Is My Man 2000 Danube Dance - Unique Club 69 - Let Me Be Your Underwear (Slicker Nicker Disco Mix) The Shamen - LSI (Love Sex Intelligence) DeLacy - That Look Olive - You're Not Alone Moby - Move (Kid Paul Remix) Rollo Goes Mystic - Love Love Love (Here I Come) The Movement - Jump Deuce - Call It Love (JX Kissy Kissy Remix) Felix - Don't You Want Me '95 (Candy Girls Remix) E-zee Possee - Everything Starts With An E '96 Haddaway - Life The Source - Sanctuary Of Love Urban Cookie Collective - Feels Like Heaven Urban Cookie Collective - High On A Happy Vibe M People - One Night In Heaven Duke - So In Love With You (Full Intention Remix) DaHool - Meet Her At The Love Parade (Nalin & Kane Remix) Infinity - Dirty Love Morris Minor & The Majors - Stutter Rap Ruth Campbell - This Is It
Sorry for the absence this week, I've been feverishly busy putting together a mammoth assignment for my New Communications class at Uni on music piracy. My brain is incredibly drained but my essay completely kicks arse (fuck it, I've worked my butt off on this one so I reckon tooting my own horn is completely justified,) so now I can concentrate on faffing about on here, planning the upcoming shows and taking a well earned 3 WEEKS OFF BEFORE EXAMS.
First of all, RSS FEED. I finally have that all sorted out so you can now add it to whatever it is you add it to: http://www.imalwaysright.co.uk/rss.xml
Very good.
On another note, I'll put up the Inside Splinters Dance Classics Edition MP3 up on Monday. My uploading schedule seems to be going in this direction so I figured I'll just keep it going that way. After each show on Friday, 10 days later it'll be up on here. Make sense? No, not for me either.
I've been watching Private Practice during my time away from the hollows of study. I'm no Grey's Anatomy fan (never watched it, never will,) but this is GREAT. My imaginary boyfriend Chris Lowell stars in it (pictured) along with Judging Amy and a few other interesting people. But now I'm disappointed, simply because I've watched all five episodes that are available of the show and now have no interest in watching anything else. Ho hum.
Did any of you (fellow Australians) see The Librarian's which started tonight on the ABC? Absolute hoot, I love it. There's nothing more entertaining than uncomfortable and completely offensive comedy. Filling the shoes of Summer Heights High is quite a task, but this is certainly shaping up to be one of the best Aussie shows this year...
The new Divinyls single, Don't Wanna Do This, is a triumph and DOES NOT SUCK. Thank Christ for that. I'll be playing it this Friday on the show so if you're around Geelong/Melbourne, tune into 94.7 for a listen. Speaking of, that promised Divinyls mega-post is on its way.
The delightful Glenn from Stale Popcorn appeared on my radio show Inside Splinters 2 weeks ago, and I have finally gotten off my arse and uploaded the effort. I think you'll find it is hilarious, random, and great. Please note: Heidi Sugababe cops a bit of a beating during some of the talk breaks - this doesn't actually reflect my thoughts on her (I love the woman.) She just happened to be the easy target on the night.
This gone Friday I hosted the Dance Classics Edition of Inside Splinters, which I actually think was my best show yet. Well, it was the one I enjoyed most... That's coming online tomorrow. But back to Glenn...
Sharebee offers links to Rapidshare, Megaupload, ZShare, and Badongo, so you should be fine in being able to download.
TRACKLISTING Rogue Traders - Candy Coloured Lights Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip - Thou Shalt Always Kill The Hives - Giddy Up Kelis - Young, Fresh & New Soho Dolls - Prince Harry Hilary Duff - Dignity Groove Armada & Mutya - Song 4 Mutya (Kissy Sellout Mix) Moulinex - Break Chops Justice - D.A.N.C.E. (Stuart Price Remix) Motiv8 - Break The Chain Sugababes - Easy (Ultrabeat Mix) Olivia Newton-John & ELO - Xanadu Rogue Traders - What You're On Annie Lennox & 8 Million other women - Sing (Moto Blanco Mix) Girls Aloud - Call The Shots (Tony Lamezma Mix) Bloody Beetroots - I Love The Bloody Beetroots Operaor Please - Just A Song About Ping Pong (Kissy Sellout Mix) Boys Noize - & Down The Hives - You Got It All Wrong Divinyls - Siren Song The Royal We - Al The Rage Rogue Traders - Throw Your Arms Around Me Sugababes - Surprise (Goodbye) JoJo - Beautiful Girls
Wednesday, October 24, 2007 Better late than never.
So I completely forgot to upload the Inside Splinters radio show from two weeks ago. I KNOW. Anyways, here it is, at 96kbps and coming in at 83mb in size. Please note that I was suffering from serious dental issues and could not be fucked talking much through this show.
There's a bare minimum of conversation between myself and the microphone due to the teething pain, and there are also some serious audio level problems because I was forced to do the show in the studio I've never actually used before. Just my luck it happens to be the fiddliest of all the studios at the station, and is the one everyone tries to avoid at all costs. However, the set list is killer.
Anyways, last week's show with special guest Glenn will be online by Friday.
Tracklisting... GIRLS ALOUD - Call The Shots BRITNEY SPEARS - Heaven On Earth NEW YOUNG PONY CLUB - Fan KYLIE MINOGUE - 2 Hearts LADYHAWKE - Paris Is Burning FRANZ FERDINAND FT. GIRLS ALOUD - Sound & Vision SUGABABES - About You Now (Spencer & Hill Mix) Feist - 1234 (Vanshe Tech Mix) Rogue Traders - Don't You Wanna Feel (Ash vs Denny Mix) Dragonette - The Boys Roisin Murphy - You Know Me Better Velvet - Chemistry September - Cry For You Sugababes - Surprise (Goodbye) Sara Bareilles - Love Song Tori Amos - Big Wheel Vitalic - La Rock 01 (Live) Michael Sembello vs Bloody Beetroots - Maniac Simian Mobile Disco - Wooden Cut Copy - Hearts On Fire Red Riders - Slide In Next To Me (Mailer Daemon Mix) Mdinight Juggernauts - Road To Recovery Pip Branson Corp. - Gutter Times (Teenager Mix) Darren Hayes - Setting Sun Madonna vs Stardust - Music Holiday JX - You Belong To Me Dannii Minogue vs Jason Nevins - Touch Me Like That
Tuesday, October 23, 2007 Lights on, Surprisingly someone home
The long-awaited Britney Spears album Blackout hits Australian stores this Saturday, the 27th of October, and it is well worth the $19.95 - $31.00 you will spend on it (depending on where you shop.) Don't let the packaging put you off. As a matter of fact, It's not as terrible as some would have you believe.
She's gotten a LOT of flack for the albums artwork but, in all honesty, when has she actually delivered the goods in that department? Not a single one of her covers have actually been any good.. in fact, this is probably the best one yet, and that is saying something. Are you telling me people actually think the covers for ...Baby One More Time, Oops!... I Did It Again, Britney or In The Zone are better than this one? I'd urge them all to get themselves to their nearest optometrist ASAP if that's the case.
My plan with this review is to look past the fact that Britney's an absolute troubled hot mess, and focus on the songs. I'd managed to avoid the majority of the leaks from this record, only having previously heard Radar and Heaven On Earth. Resisting the leaks was the best thing I could have done to enjoy this album to the full extent now that it's 'out there.'
It really is Britney Bitch, and opening track/current single Gimme More is still an absolute 4 minute powerhouse. Proof that people were able to look beyond the terrible MTV performance, this song is doing very well pretty much everywhere I look, and that pleases me. My favourite bit of this song? Aside from the explosive last 1 minute and 30 seconds, anytime during the chorus to replace the words "Gimme Moore' with "Demi Moore." Go on... try it.
Piece Of Me is a self-referencing stab at the Hollywood and gossip tabloids. It's all a bit LindsayRumours in more ways than one, but with more of a firm tongue-in-cheek feel rather than Blohan's "FEEL SORRY FOR ME I'M FAMOUS, LAWLZ" approach in her now infamous single. The production is excellent, high-synthed electro meets urban - just the kind of thing Britney SHOULD be doing on a new album. I don't really mind Radar, but there's something off about the vocals through the chorus; it's just too high. Stay away from Hot As Ice though, terrible chorus with a faux-Outkast feel to it. Impressively, those two songs are the only real dud moments on here. Usually, for me anyways, I've found that I am faced with more than half an album of Britney material that is just thoroughly rubbish. Not this time around though...
Break The Ice sees Brit announce "It's been a while, I know I shouldn't have kept you waiting, but I'm here now." Quite. The opening synths remind me of something from old Italo-disco King Fancy's back catalogue. Never a bad thing. The verses and chorus that follow absolutely deliver the goods... This is Britney's Promiscuous. The best song on the album has to be Heaven On Earth though, one of the earlier leaks I'd actually heard before. This is SUCH an adorable/cute electropop song that really needs to be a single. Breathy vocals, corker production, an amazing chorus, it really is near heavenly.
Get Naked (I Got A Plan) sees producer Danja (or Mini-Timbaland) recreate the ultimate in Timbaland homages. It is like putting Maneater, The Way I Are, Oh Timbaland and Wait A Minute into a blender, along with the 20 seconds of goodness to be found on Gwen's otherwise annoying Wind It Up. It's also the song Britney admits to being "crazy" in. Brilliant. Tracks like Freakshow, Toy Soldier (sadly, not a Martika cover) and Perfect Lover carry on this clever, modern urban sound through to the end of Blackout. Yes, so it might all sound like it's Timbaland production, but I still believe the majority of his production (past and present) is beyond excellent. I don't see anything wrong with making a record which sounds like this at all. Timb's sort of redefined the type of Urban a primarily pop artist can record, which I think is a very, very good thing.
Ooh Ooh Baby is an endearing nod to The Turtles' classic So Happy Together, whilst moody-near-ballad Why Should I Be Sad sounds suspiciously like it could be about a certain Mr. Federline, or at least intended to sound like it's about him anyway.
Across the board, this is a quality, quality record which fuses together the key elements of urban, pop, electro and dance music incredibly well. This - as an album - works, which is something I've always felt Britney's never been able to achieve. Great history of singles, yeah, but she has never been an albums artist. But Blackout really has changed all of that.
Lovers of the colour Orange and fierce pop-foursome Stefy are finally releasing Chelsea here in Australia, surely in what seems like 25 years after Popjustice talked about its brilliance.
The single, being released through Central Station Records on November the 24th, looks set to spawn a possible promotional visit... I'll keep you informed whenever I hear more about it.
I wonder if radio plan on touching it? It's heading to media in the form of a promotional CD sometime this month, so it should be interesting to see if (and who) actually gets behind this.
Can someone please explain to me why the new Young Divas single, a cover of Loverboy's Turn Me Loose, contains some dickhead RAPPING halfway through it? THERE IS NOTHING OVERTLY HOMOSEXUAL ABOUT RAPPING UNLESS IT IS DONE BY MISSY ELLIOTT YOU STUPID SLAGS, SO WHY IS THIS BEHAVIOUR CONSIDERED ACCEPTABLE FOR YOUR OTHERWISE BRILLIANTLY CAMP NEW SINGLE?
I cannot even begin to explain how angry this has made me. Listening to the song; all was going well until that annoying man, who makes absolutely no sense with that jibber-jabber of his, pipes in with that bloody rap. Is this their way of trying to develop more street cred? THERE BETTER NOT BE ANY ADDITIONAL "FEATURING'S" ON THE NEW ALBUM UNLESS THEY ARE OF AN OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN VARIETY.
It is obvious that the blame lies with the Hillsong Church.
Here is a possible sample conversation that never happened (BUT LET'S JUST PRETEND IT DID) between the Young Divas just before the recording of Turn Me Loose:
MAGILLA GORILLAPAULINI: You know what, I reckon we should make a song that even Maya Jupiter would like!
LAVINA'S SISTER: Yeah! Let's make something kind of gay, but completely not so our families can actually listen to our music, rather than just pretend they do.
JESSICA: I r...
PAULINI: We didn't ask for your opinion Siobhan.
JESSICA: My name's not...
LAVINA'S SISTER: For god's sake Siobhan, shut up.
CAKE DEROOGE: Fuck I feel like sucking on some pussy, but I'll just have to settle for eating this lamb on the spit instead. Any of you cunts want some?
PAULINI: Sorry Cake, I don't speak in your Ballarat native tongue, I can't understand what the fuck you're saying. OH-EM-GEE, I HAVE AN IDEA! I will call the priest at our church Lavina's Sister, he'll know what to do.
*PHONE RINGS*
REV. FRED NILE: Hello Paulini!
PAULINI: Father, can you tell us what we can do to up our street cred, making us look more like a straight-persons band, but somehow still convince those dirty, sinning poofs to buy our new single?
REV. FRED NILE: You will need to employ a man of Urban variety to rap on your next single. Make sure it's still a cover and still a disco romp so those awful people who practice faggotry put their sinful money into your pockets. I don't condone you marketing your product at the Devil's Children, but at least they'll be buying your CD's instead of buying lubricant to rape children with.
PAULINI: Thanks father, you're the best!
*PHONE CLICKS*
PAULINI: We're gonna get someone to rap on the song! That will be so awesome and not at all desperate in any way, shape or form.
LAVINA'S SISTER: Woo! Girl Power! Let's just get some random guy from the train station, I'm pretty sure Levi from Idol Season 1 still chromes around Flinders Street.
PAULINI: LAWLZ, AWESOME!
CAKE DEROOGE: Oh bloody hell. My cunt's bleeding, shit guys, I reckon I got my period! Oh man, this timing SUCKS, we've got that bloody interview with Tracy Grimshaw tonight too. I was really looking forward to her...
JESSICA: Can I just...
PAULINI: Seriously Mutya, you were not employed to speak!
CAKE DEROOGE: Mutt? Where?
Can someone please edit the rap version of "Turn Me Loose" and make me an Urban-less version of it, ASAP? Kthx.
They can easily reverse my horror by recording a cover of this IMMEDIATELY...
In addition to that, as the amazing Will from Fop said several months back, they should also get onto recording this for the new album...
I am not apologising for the outburst, even though I probably should.
Amelle & The SupremesSugababes on the red carpet at this weekend's Fashion Rocks '07 extravaganza. That is some passionate hair and foxy outfit from Goddess Amelle; love, love, love her. Even with her Kingdom Hearts bling, she's still heavenly.
I think it's fairly official she is now my favourite girl group member of all time. Bold statement to make, but it's been banging about in my head for the last 6 months. Yes, even though Girls Aloud hold my self-appointed title as favourite GROUP of all time, Amelle just continuously delivers the goods and manages to surpass both Sarah & Nicola in the greatness levels.
I would really, really like one of those Amelle Barbie dolls now.
Here are the girls performing "Lady Marmalade" at this Fashion Rocks thing with difaPati Labelle. Whitney Houston introduces them in TRUE difffa style, which is almost as magical to watch as Amelle rubbing her arse up against LaBelle's.
There is now an abundance of news relating to Madonna's future which has been 100% confirmed by all necessary parties. In the space of a week it was announced Madge "could be" releasing her new album in March next year (thanks Liz,) and that the Queen of Pop would absolutely be leaving her long-time record company Warner, for a $120 Million Dollar deal with Live Nation. The new '08 album and another Greatest Hits package will see Madonna fullfill her contractual duties with Warner's by the end of 2009.
Here's a few quotes taken from places here and there, from people working alongside the woman AND the woman herself, about the whole Live Nation shebang...
"I think it marks the beginning of a new era in how record companies function, but I wouldn't call it the beginning of the end. For the last year or two it's become much more crystallized that everyone in the business has to explore new ways of being profitable. The combination of Radiohead (giving away their album for free download) and Madonna these last few weeks is a big shift.' - Liz Rosenberg [Publicist]
I particularly found this next quote interesting, especially the firm stance Warner make on who owns her previous recordings...
"We congratulate Madonna on her future plans. She is one of the most remarkable artists of our time. We are excited to issue her upcoming album next year. We are also honored to own her catalog of recordings from the past 25 years, as well as to manage her library of songs for an extended period of time. From all of us at Warner Music Group, we thank Madonna for a valued and enduring partnership." - Warner Music
and finally, from the woman herself...
"My time with Warner Bros. Records has been great. I appreciate their hard work and value the many relationships I have developed over the years with the label in the U.S. and around the world. I have an album coming out with them next year and I'm excited about it. We still have work to do together." - Madonna.
What will the future hold? All of a sudden I'm incredibly excited about the years to come Madonna wise. Any initial fears or worries I seemed to have had about the new album have vanished into thin air with the news of this Live Nation deal. I think it's a very smart move - some would say a very brave one - but she definitely knows what she's doing.
I'm looking at it - like I'm sure she is - as a completely fresh start. People have been complaining that she's not a risk taker anymore, but you can't say it doesn't take balls (which we are all aware she proudly owns more than a pair of,) no matter how much money is involved, to leave a company you've had a strong relationship with for 25 years to leap into something completely new. Everyone involved (Madonna's managers Guy & Angela, in particular,) are so genuinely enthusiastic about the switch which excites me. I undoubtedly think the Live Nation move is a very good thing.
* Nice picture, eh? Credit and thanks toMadonnaliciousfor not only the pic, but the quotes as well.
Saturday, October 20, 2007 Love's An Electric Storm
The new Delta Goodrem album, imaginatively titled Delta, is as marvelous as I had hoped it would be.
Nothing excites me more than hearing an act I admire and enjoy listening to grow as an artist, reaching new heights as every record is released. Three albums in, Delta continues to impress, and even wow me.
Next single and album opener Believe Again is an epic way to kick things off. Delta herself has said the song was heavily inspired by Madonna's Frozen - one of her favourite songs of all time from one of her favourite artists of all time. I'll come back to Madonna a bit later on... Believe Again actually starts off with Delt's sounding a lot like Celine Dion; her pronunciation of words and vocal whisps in the first minute are strikingly similar in fact. As the song builds, slowly making its way to the first chorus, it suddenly all rips into an eruption of piano and violin strings. The chorus and verses that follow are magical, and the middle 8 is revolutionary. One of the best songs of her career, up there with the awe-inspiring Electric Storm from 2004's Mistaken Identity album.
Current single In This Life follows, still managing to strike a chord with me. When I first heard this single, I was not convinced at all and was worried as to where the new material would take Goodrem. I think about 8 listens of the single soon changed my mind, and it is now one of my favourite songs of the year.
Mistaken Identity offcut Possessionless finally sees the light of day on this new album, a track which Delta told the Herald Sun Newspaper she had written whilst undergoing chemotherapy. The track is incredibly moving, with an infectious chorus; it's easy to see why Delta wouldn't let this song go. More depression hits in the form of God Laughs, a song which - in great detail - sees Delta tell the story of her parents divorce. Whilst Pink's Family Portrait documented the feelings a child may endure amidst a parental divorce, Goodrem's God Laughs is an anthem for the adult having to go through the ordeal. "We're all walking on quicksand/and when we think we understand, god laughs."
Delta's most UK-sounding pop moment comes in the force of the FIERCE You Will Only Break My Heart. FIERCE vocals, FIERCE chorus, FIERCE verses - third single choice thank you! Ace music journalist Cameron Adams wrote in the Herald Sun that he thought it was "reggae beats over Sugababes-style pop." On the money with that comment Mr. Adams.
There are two tracks on Delta which the singer did not have a hand in co-writing, The Guardian and Woman. Whilst they are both absolutely brilliant, you can almost tell just by listening that these aren't Delta originals. The Guardian tries to reach the heights of Goodrem's classic Not Me, Not I, but doesn't quite make it. There is a phenomenal key change though which still makes this a spellbinding song. Woman's absolutely great, but I wouldn't have been upset if it had been used as a b-side instead or as an iTunes bonus track. Especially seeing as the actual iTunes bonus track for this album is the second best song out of this new batch. I'll come back to that (and the Madonna thing) later on though.
Bare Hands is the closest you'll get to Delta doing electropop. At least on this record. This subtle, techno-ballad is also another throwback to Madonna's Frozen and, in places, The Power Of Goodbye. Just as you think things couldn't get any better, the middle 8 storms in and sends the song to new levels. Complete brilliance. I Can't Break It To My Heart, another ballad, sounds like the kind of thing Reba might throw her vocals into; a lush blend of big-chorus pop meshed with a tinge of country. Angels In The Room, another strong, powerful ballad, is a musical thank you to Delta's fans, and is another fine moment.
Channeling Human League in places, Brave Face is a stunning tale of the love shared between Delt's and her main man, Brian McFadden, who is quite a dish these days indeed.One Day is a staggering mid-tempo piece in which Goodrem announces "One day I will learn to like myself/one day I'll make the perfect wife, and I'll change my name just for him."
Frustratingly, iTunes have an exclusive track available for download as part of the new Delta album that is not on the physical CD release. The track is Right Here In My Heart, and is the second best song on here. What was she THINKING not adding this to the proper album release? This is an absolute MONSTER of a track. An uplifting and intoxicating chorus, fused with chemical verses - I cannot believe such beauty has been relegated to being an iTunes bonus download. People buying the physical release will have no idea what they're missing! I'm buying a physical copy (I collect Delta discs,) but have happily forked out the $1.69 for this masterpiece. Australian residents, you should do the same. International folk - search through those illegal places and you shall find.
Finally, I'll close by going back to the Delta/Madonna reference. I like the fact that a singer with a voice as big as Delta's will cite Madonna as a favourite artist. It's rare - the girls in Australia with big voices (read that as "the girls on Australian Idol over the years with big voices") always claim they love the Whitney's, the Mariah's, the Christina's... These girls (the Australian Idol types, not the big-voiced divas) never seem to find it 'cool' to admire Madonna, maybe because her voice is not exactly strong in comparison to the aforementioned ladies, or maybe because of Madge's overt sexuality. Not surprisingly, most of these girls - as popstars - are as fucking exciting as a crusty plank of wood. So it's definitely nice - for me anyway - to see Delta can appreciate that there's more to being a popstar than just having a strong voice. Being a Madonna fan myself, I guess if she can see and commend the path Madonna has taken musically, it says a lot to me about the kind of artist Goodrem is. And that's why I believe this woman will continue to have a prosperous future in music. This album is a fine testament to that; here's a strong, growing young woman with a multitude of great songs and three powerful albums, with a keen eye (and ear) for really good, classy pop music. Her reverent love for the genre shows in her own music, and I can only admire the woman more for that.
So this is a section of text that will be published next fortnight in my Inside Splinters column for Forte Magazine. It's about the death of Smash Hits Magazine in Australia. I wanted to post it here because I felt an online presence detailing the Oz edition's death was necessary, as there is nothing (other than Wikipedia) which documents this news.
In news that will only sadden those of us who treated the magazine as their bible through the 80's and early 90's, the Australian edition of Smash Hits Magazine seems to have closed its doors, for good. In fact, the final issue, which was due for release on the 9th of May this year, was cancelled and never saw the light of day.
The Australian leg of the magazine, whose first issue hit Aussie newsstands in November 1984, was given the chop by publisher Emap due to low readership. Just over a year ago, the United Kingdom publication of Smash Hits was also given the axe for the same reason. Smash Hits was, once upon a time, an iconic publishing figure both here in Oz and in the United Kingdom. When its UK office packed it all in, a country mourned. Journalists across the nation were throwing in their 2 cents on where it all went wrong, and music website Popjustice launched an online condolence book. To say it received media coverage would be an understatement. This was news in the United Kingdom.
Not surprisingly, the closure of the Australian edition barely gets a mention on the magazines Wikipedia page. Good luck finding a piece in any Australian publication that discusses the demise of the mag prior to this one. This news, something which should have been mentioned somewhere at the very least on an Internet news site, is nowhere to be found. Which explains why it took Inside Splinters five months, from an industry insider, to find out it had even happened.
Looking through an issue as recent as February this year is a telling way of noticing the magazine was nowhere near what it once was in brilliance. But that doesn't make the news any less upsetting. Many will argue that in a world of digital downloads, YouTube and music blogs, there is just no room for a publication like Smash Hits, especially in Australia. Teenagers do not read magazines. They look at pictures in the New Weekly, and they read gossip sites like Perez Hilton. Gone is the time when you were given an option to hear a new pop song by calling a 0055 number published in Smash Hits Magazine; these days you can download music illegally from private internet forums, Limewire, and torrent websites sometimes up to several months before their release date, in full quality and at absolutely no cost to your bank balance.
Smash Hits - both in the UK and Australia - began tumbling down a spiral of horror when it began changing its format. In the mid to late 90's, the magazine went from being a pop music publication, to one that celebrated general celebrity. In place of the razor-sharp journalism and hilarious interview techniques, came free pencil cases, posters of the cast of Beverly Hills 90210, and, in more recent years, sloppy writing.
Obviously, times had changed. Pop music had to share the spotlight with television, understandably, but was dumbing down the content all that necessary? An awe-inspiring question like "What colour is Thursday?" from a 1980's issue would soon be replaced with "What's your favourite colour?" in the late 90's and 2000's. How did they expect to live on? If that had been me as a young teen reading the most recent issues of the magazine, I would have felt like it was an offensively patronising read.
Not all is lost though. Music websites such as Popjustice, xolondon's Middle Eight, The Zapping, Don't Stop The Pop, Chart Rigger, Poster Girl and the like all carry the flame of clever, well written pop commentary into the digital age, albeit minus the 0055 numbers and the classy rip-out pin-up's.
I always dreamt of writing for Smash Hits one day. And whilst it died as a completely different type of Smash Hits to the one it used to be, I cannot help but mourn its demise.
The greatest Rock & Roll star in the history of music, Divinyls vocalist Chrissy Amphlett, will be playing (as apart of the newly reformed Divinyls) a live show at Melbourne's Forum Theatre on December the 15th of this year. Tickets go on sale October the 30th from Ticketek, and the band will be supported by The Church on the night.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Divinyls were (and, now that they have reformed, still are) the greatest Australian Rock & Roll band in the history of recorded sound. FACT.
Their first single in over 10 years, Don't Wanna Do This, hits radio next week, and was written by Amphlett and Rogue Traders drummer Cameron McGlinchey, who is also known as Mr. Natalie Bassingthwaighte. For anyone who buys a ticket to their December Melbourne show, you'll be pleased to know you'll receive a copy of the new single on the night of the concert, which you can pick up at the venue. A new album will follow in 2008, released through Universal Records.
To say I am fucking excited would be an absolute understatement. Oh my god. Mega Divinyls appreciation coming up over the next few weeks; some mp3's even...
