Last Wednesday, I complained about bands having their photograph taken against a plain white background. You can only get away with it if you are (a) in an asylum for the criminally insane or (b) in the Pet Shop Boys.
One of the bands I fingered as being guilty of this crime was Oh My! Within minutes of the blog post going live, the all-new girl band got in touch via Twitter to send me this exclusive, multi-coloured kaleidoscope of pop photography.
Incredible. Oh My! are hereby awarded a certificate of pop merit and a free 12-month subscription to the Paint Colour Journal.
In other news, here is the new video for the band's new single, Dirty Dancer. Extra points for avoiding the temptation to do "the lift".
Last week, I wrote a piece on the tidal wave of girl bands heading for the shores of planet pop. Towards the end, I mentioned a top secret project "that I can't tell you about [but] which is VERY EXCITING INDEED". That project was War Of Words, aka Abi And Lucy from Devon and Essex (above, left).
Abi went to the Brit School and Lucy nearly made it to the live finals of BBC One talent show / garish atrocity I'll Do Anything. But don't hold that against them, because they've teamed up with Ben La Roux (and Elly La Roux for some remixes) to make an incredible album of 90s-flavoured girlpop. It would be even more incredible if Emeli Sandé hadn't just pulled off exactly the same trick, but War Of Words say they love Emeli Sandé so that's all ok.
Popjustice HiFi is releasing the band's first two singles at exactly the same day - a move which is brave and bold and brilliant and bananas. The first one is called Panic, and it sounds like this.
OH MY GOODNESS, you must be thinking, THIS IS AMAZING AND I AM FULLY SATISFIED WITH MY DIET OF TWO GREAT POP SONGS IN THE SPACE OF ONE BLOG POST. But as soon as you remember to switch off your caps lock button, you will notice that there is a third great pop song waiting for you - and this one comes from Northern pop lasses Oh My! (above, right).
They're the ones I described last week as being a cross between Mini Viva's sophisticated pop and Bananarama's parental advisory barking at the moon. Their new single hit the internet yesterday - revealing itself to be a chick-flick inspired tale of teenage hedonism called Dirty Dancer. Here is it.
As luck would have it, I have written an entire article about the whole Oh My / War Of Words / resurgent girl band phenomenon. It contains interviews with both of the bands and their and a random quote about Atomic Kitten. You may read it on the website of the nation's largest public service broadcaster.
One final point - can whoever is in charge of these girl band promo shots please splash out for something more visually arresting than a plain white background? Plsthxbye.
As the various members of Soundgirl, Parade and Two Shoes will attest, it's been a tough 12 months for girl bands. For the first time in years, the boys are winning the big battle of chartpop - its JLS, One Direction, The Wanted and Take That against the poor old Saturdays -- and one of them can't put up a proper fight because she's all pregnant.
Nonetheless, record labels are busy trying to redress the gender balance by signing a raft of ladyband wannabes. Here are five of the best.
1) WOOWOOS
They are: Jessica, Nicky and Tasie
Average age: 19 and two-thirds
Evil svenagli figure: Jo Whiley's husband, Steve Morton
Working with: Cameron McVey (Sugababes) and John Fortis (Ellie Goulding)
For people who like: The first Sugababes album
Random Twitter quote: "I am watching The Day after Tomorrow and eating chocolate and peanut butter out of the jar" (Tasie Woowoo)
What's that name about?: It is in tribute to their friend's boat, which was called WooWoo, and definitely nothing to do with a lady's front bottom.
Do they have a single? They do, and they have called it Fizzy Lettuce
What the... why? According to Nicky: "Fizzy lettuce is 'off' / expired so we took that idea and applied it to idea of a person slowly expiring."
Working with: Geeneus (Katy B), Katy B (Katy B), Naughty Boy (Chipmunk)
For people who like: The fourth Sugababes album
Random band quote: "We have a habit of really needing to go to the toilet before we go on stage. It makes us perform better" (Holy Moly)
What's that name about?: It's an acronym for Ruff Diamondz
YouTube comment "saw them at wemberley with olly murs pixxie lott e.c.t They were alright, there outfits were chavvy but they look ok in the vid x"
(CuteNEasyNails)
Do they have a single? Got Me Burnin' came out two weeks ago and went nowhere
Evil svenagli figure: Jo Perry (a British songwriter, not the hairy guy out of Aerosmith)
Working with: Jo Perry (still not the Aerosmith dude)
For people who like: TLC, The Cookie Crew and profanity
Random YouTube comment: "What on earth have I just witnessed?"
(The Brendanio001)
What's that name about?: The girls say that "the word ‘stoosh’ means expensive, or it could mean stuck up, or it means to hide something or to be rude. Then an E is added to make the word ‘she’ at the end."
Do they have a single? Yes, and it is called Betty Woz Gone
What's the lyrical content like? It's funny you should ask. There's a lyric video below. Make sure your mum's not in the room.
Evil svenagli figure: Ravetacular pop gentleman Example
Example's amazing PR quote: "Two girls. Late teens. Both from up north. Gorgeous girl next door looks. One of them can do a backflip - like Mel C not like Aston." (Popjustice)
Working with: Dmitri (Nicola Roberts), The Saturdays (ie they are going on tour with The Saturdays)
Random Twitter comment "Today we have been to fashion shows! i want to see girls with boobs!!!!!! Some of the models we saw need a mcdoalds or noodles and hotdogs!" (Twitter)
Do they have a single? Oh My! are in between singles right now. Forthcoming chart smash Dirty Dancer can be heard on their mixtape. Meanwhile, here's an earlier effort called Kicking And Screaming.
So that's five - but there are more. Plenty more. And at least one that I can't tell you about which is VERY EXCITING INDEED. Will any of them trouble the Top 40? Who can tell... But let me know what you reckon in the comments or on twitter.
