Shakira in her pants

As single covers go, I'm giving this 9/10. Shakira looks great. Nice pants. But the wall could really have done with an undercoat - the old paintwork is showing through. Shoddy, shoddy, shoddy.



PS: I have just read this post on Marina and the Diamonds' blog and now I feel dirty for even glancing at the above picture with my shameful man-eyes, never mind disseminating it across the internet like a small-scale, bedroom publising Larry Flynt.

On the plus side, I was right about the DIY.

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New music: Mumford and Sons

This band definitely haven't been signed off the back of Fleet Foxes' phenomenal success. No way. Nuh-huh.

Mumford and Sons - Little Man Lion


Still, we can't complain. We'd been waiting for Fleet Foxes to pick up a banjolele and cover The Chieftans for ages.

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Madonna - not completely into Facebook

Do you get the impression that Madonna had to be cajoled into recording this trail to her new Facebook page?



In slightly more encouraging Queen Of Pop news, the track listing for the Celebration: Greatest Hits DVD has just been released, and it's something of a corker. 47 tracks, 27 of which have never been released before and (ooo-er) a new, extra-filthy version of Justify My Love.


1) Burning Up
2) Lucky Star
3) Borderline
4) Like A Virgin
5) Material Girl
6) Crazy For You
7) Into The Groove
8) Live To Tell
9) Papa Don’t Preach
10) True Blue
11) Open Your Heart
12) La Isla Bonita
13) Who’s That Girl
14) Like A Prayer
15) Express Yourself
16) Cherish
17) Vogue
18) Justify My Love
19) Erotica
20) Deeper and Deeper
21) Rain
22) I’ll Remember
23) Secret
24) Take A Bow
25) Bedtime Story
26) Human Nature
27) I Want You
28) You’ll See
29) Frozen
30) Ray Of Light
31) The Power Of Good-Bye
32) Beautiful Stranger
33) American Pie
34) Music
35) Don’t Tell Me
36) What It Feels Like For A Girl
37) Die Another Day
38) Hollywood
39) Love Profusion
40) Hung Up
41) Sorry
42) Get Together
43) Jump
44) 4 Minutes
45) Give It 2 Me
46) Miles Away
47) Celebration

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Who will buy my Friendly Fires?

I've just looked up Friendly Fires' UK chart history... but there isn't one. The general public, in its general wisdom, has completely avoided buying any of their singles to date. That's records like Paris, On Board and Jump In The Pool - which collectively piss fountains over Tinchy Stryder's stodgy, undercooked chips.

Their new single, Kiss Of Life, isn't quite as good as their previous efforts - which means it'll probably sell a bagriliion-zillion-manillion (10^2,000,002) copies.

If not, Ed Macfarlane has a healthy future teaching classes in how to dance like a beached fish.

Friendly Fires - Kiss Of Life

7/10

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Alexandra Burke's best bits

I'll be honest, when it was announced that Alexandra Imelda Cecelia Ewan Burke's album had been recorded with the likes of Akon, Flo-Rida and Pharrell Williams, my hopes were not high. There's something a bit Ali G about UK artists who come back from the States singing about how they "got game" and imploring the audience to shake "dem" booties.

Thankfully, Alexandra has taken the Estelle / Sugababes route of combining R&B edginess with good old-fashioned pop chops. Her debut single, Bad Boys, is actually very good indeed. Here are the three best bits:

1) Ooh-weh, ooh-wah


2) With the alphabet, she only sings the crooked letters


3) Woooooooooo (Bad Boys)


And that's not even the chorus!!

You can presumably hear the full thing over on Youtube (youtube). But why not try imagining what it sounds like based on the clips above before clicking on the link... You might be pleasantly surprised.

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Ian Brown goes for a walk

Ian "I used to be in the Stone Roses, apparently" Brown has been strolling around the streets of Manchester singing his new* single, Stellify. Along the way, he's picked up a brass band and some people waving flags. All he needs is an orange sash and he could go over to Ulster and have a big old scrap on the street. Awesome.

Ian Brown - Stellify


Anyway, it's pretty good isn't it? I've stomped my foot to it so hard that my left leg is a good inch shorter than the right. I now have to stand on a hill at all times.

Someone at Brown's record company was telling me last week that, despite his heritage, he hates guitar bands and mainly listens to soul and R&B. This makes absolute sense when you hear the album version of Stellify. It has an awesome drum and bass breakdown towards the end, which sounds like a Mancunian version of Jay-Z's Takeover, crossed with Sly & The Family Stone's I Want To Take You Higher. In other words: truly stunning.

* Okay, the single has been out on iTunes for about two weeks, but I forgot to mention it. At the same time, the physical release date is the bizarrely late 21st September, so I'm late and early at the same time.

PS: Stellify is a real word, and it means "to turn into a star". Awwwww.

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