2 New Brilliant pop CDs

[EricMontreal22]

I've been in a pretty poppy mood lately--these two discs have become two of the best albums I've bought in at least the past year though--I have to admit I was a bit slow to catch on to both partly because of all the "indie" press they were getting for such pop releases but... They were right.

The first is Irish singer Roisin Murphy's solo album Overpowered. Roisin and her husband used to make up the oh-so-cool (and often pretty good) dance, electronic, *weird* group Moloko (who had one massive UK hit with the disco tastic Sing it Back which sounded nothing like the much weirder stuff they normally did). They recently seperated but as you can see by the cover art Roisin isn't giving up any of that too cool for school image...

Anyway the album is actually pretty amazing--some done on her own some with acts liek Groove Armada and the ubuiquitous Calvin Harris (who produced the recent cover by Kylie of Roxy Music's Love is the Drug). It's one of those rare electronic based dance albums that actually has a lot of slower tunes, really odd but sometimes brilliant lyrics and a lot of surprises.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlFjf1pWk2c is the lead single's video, Overpowered. And the followup, Let me Know http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_vCOOW_BsE

The other CD came out last Spring to a lot of hype in the UK anyway but their singles have, oddly been something of a flop there. Dragonette are actually a Canadian band (the main singer is married to the main guitarist and songwriter, Dan Kurtz), who moved to London because they thought that pop music was taken more seriously there than it is in N America. But oddly I think lately they've had more success in Canada (partly due to some mild controversy because the lead singer, the gorgeous Martina's father is a conservative cabinet minister in Ontario who loves to speak out against her sexy, self assured image and "meaningless" music).

They're the kinda act that my friends who obssessive listen to stff like Kylie like--and my friends who would never listen to such manufactured pop music also like. Anyway the album is filler free and *really* strong. I'm seeing them live in a few weeks at a small bar here so I hope they live up to the album, live.

This is the 70s porntastic (think Boogie Nights tongue 'n cheek) video for their current single Take it Like a Man http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eub6OkEG3I0 and for their first single I Get Around http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQwJOVOtZpY

ANyway both are pretty great, instant pop albums (and the kinda albums that in a perfect world would outsell Britney Spears by a boatload but oh well, it's kinda fun to like lesser known acts...)

E