Greetings again from a dormant blog

A couple of things I was supposed to get round to...

• my Eurovision review
• my Bratislava holiday diary

...will eventually be posted on here, although there aren't enough hours in the day just now, so bear with me, they will be posted eventually, and definitely before the end of June...!

Eurovision 2010: those semi-final results

Courtesy of www.eurovision.tv

First Semi-Final (27 May)
01. Belgium (167 points)
02. Greece (133)
03. Iceland (123)
04. Portugal (89)
05. Serbia (79)
06. Albania (76)
07. Russia (74)
08. Bosnia & Herzegovina (59)
09. Belarus (59)
10. Moldova (52)
11. Finland (49)
12. Malta (45)
13. Poland (44)
14. Estonia (39)
15. FYR Macedonia (37)
16. Slovakia (24)
17. Latvia (11)

Second Semi-Final (25 May)
01. Turkey (118 points)
02. Azerbaijan (113)
03. Georgia (106)
04. Romania (104)
05. Denmark (101)
06. Armenia (83)
07. Ukraine (77)
08. Israel (71)
09. Ireland (67)
10. Cyprus (67)
11. Sweden (62)
12. Lithuania (44)
13. Croatia (33)
14. The Netherlands (29)
15. Bulgaria (19)
16. Slovenia (6)
17. Switzerland (2)

Slovenia beat Switzerland?????

Eurovision: no time to write about it....

I was too busy reading all the post-mortems last night and haven't been around today (or tonight for that matter) and, well I won't be around during the day tomorrow, so basically what I'm trying to say is that I won't have time to post my Eurovision thoughts here until later in the weekend.

So I'll keep it brief: I'd be quite happy if any of the following songs won - Cyprus, Belgium, Turkey, Iceland, Romania, Germany or Denmark.

I'd be seriously annoyed if any of the following songs won - Armenia or Azerbaijan.

Everything else is a bit meh.

It all begins twenty-four hours from now. Who will win? Your guess is as good (or bad) as mine. But if the contest is to be "modernised" then the viewers of Europe should choose a catchy, contemporary hit record.

Go Germany Go!!!

If things had been different: my last word on the subject.

Rebound on Sommarkrysset

Sweden's hottest new boyband - well, ok, boy-duo then - appeared on TV4's "Sommarkrysset" this weekend. So here is the link if you want to gratuitously drool at Eddie (!) or Rabih (if he floats your particular boat) or just sing along with their current hit single "Hurricane", whatever...

http://www.tv4play.se/noje_och_humor/nojesklipp?videoId=1.1649219

The EuropeCrazy Holiday Hit List: Bratislava 2010

Otherwise known as...the "spent too much time watching MTV Germany in my hotel room" playlist...!

The fact remains, I know as much about Slovakian music now as I did before I went away = nothing. I switched on the radio and it was full of those well-known Slovak artists like Cheryl Cole, Taio Cruz, Train, Beyonce, Lady Gaga...you get the picture. Didn't buy any CDs whilst I was away either, as I was unable to find a record shop within walking distance :(

So here is a list of songs which will remind me of my Bratislava trip. None of them from Slovakia.

Satellite - Lena Meyer-Landrut: Germany is clearly very proud of its Eurovision entry this year, judging by the amount of radio and TV airplay. By the end of the week it had become "our song" for this holiday, and even faithful travelling companion couldn't shake it off.

Alors On Danse - Stromae: the other anthem of our trip - think Louise Attaque meets the Guru Josh Project (!). It's conquering Europe right now, and you will surrender.

Der Himmel Soll Warten - Sido feat. Adel Tawil: The words "featuring Adel Tawil" will always be good enough for me. I really like this guy's voice, and this was prominent on MTV this week thanks to rapper Sido's "MTV Unplugged" show.

Gebt Uns Ruhig Die Schuld - Der Fantastischen Vier: a completely daft and bonkers video to go with a song which, again, got a bit stuck in my brain.

Wavin' Flag - K'naan: this one is clearly cashing in on World Cup mania and getting massive airplay. However, I noticed that this is just K'naan on his own - unlike the version targeted at the British market. Why do they feel the need to have "featuring Will.i.am" on everything? Does this man never take a day off?

Pop Goes The World - The Gossip: this one grew on me over the week. Funky and quite commercial.

Fur Immer - Unheilig: You could maybe describe this as 'Rammstein-lite' (which isn't a bad thing) and I liked this song after just one hearing. More uptempo than their debut hit, the brooding "Geboren Um Zu Leben".

Blog break time once again

Firstly, I can only apologise for the lack of posts/updates on this blog over recent weeks, as a certain other blog of mine continues to demand most of my attention and will continue to do so in the coming weeks and months.

This means that EuropeCrazy won't be updated as frequently as it once was, however I'll try to update it whenever I can. I had thought about putting this blog on hold for a while, however I realised that I would miss it if I did that :)

Anyway this blog is taking a break for a week as I am due to go on my spring-break holiday to Bratislava tomorrow.

I say "due" although there is now a very real prospect of cancellation due to the volcanic ash cloud which continues to cause major disruption - several British airports are closed today and further closures are expected tomorrow. Feeling really, really p****d off about this now.

If we do get away, this blog will return next Sunday. So it's maybe goodbye for now, or maybe not.... :(

This week's playlist: you make me wanna listen to music again

OK so it's been a while since I did a playlist on here, so here goes...

Music Again/Whataya Want From Me/For Your Entertainment - Adam Lambert: still got these on repeat, and I still can't believe that "FYE" only made it to no.39 in our top 40 :(

4 O'Clock/Red Rock/Bloody Breakfast - Salem Al Fakir: and you won't be surprised to know that "Ignore This" is still my most played album of the year, and that's not likely to change.

Keep On Walking (God Morgen Norge version 05.05.10) - Salem Al Fakir: a wonderful, different, low-key version of what is already a classic song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNRux8J11_M

Brooklyn Sun (God Morgen Norge version 05.05.10) - Salem Al Fakir: probably one of the best live versions of this song ever - heartbreakingly beautiful. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQwEone_FS8

Umbrella Beach - Owl City: very catchy follow-up to the ubiquitous "Fireflies" which I still like a lot. I'll need to discover some of his other music.

Yes Man - Bjorn Johan Muri: Norway's real Eurovision hit from 2010, and I'm still not fed up with this song.

Hurricane - Rebound: a.k.a. Idol 2009's Eddie Razaz and Rabih Jaber. This has been a big hit in Sweden. Although I didn't really like it to begin with, it has now grown on me.

Love Is A Hurricane - Boyzone: there seems to be a hurricane theme developing here :) Obvious, middle-of-the-road pop it may be, but it's a Gregg Alexander song, which is always well worth celebrating.

Vända Med Vinden - Timoteij & Alexander Rybak: from the girls' rather good debut album, this is a Swedish language version of young Mr Rybak's "Roll With The Wind" and ticks all the folk-pop boxes.

Playing With Fire - Paula Seling & Ovi: one of the few songs from this year's Eurovision that I'm listening to. Subtle it most definitely ain't, but you will remember it after one hearing.

Two weeks from tonight...

It will all be over.

To borrow/paraphrase from that one-time potential Eurovision entrant Morrissey, "has Eurovision changed or have I changed?"

Well, I think the answer is that Eurovision has changed. A few days ago I had my annual reminder that I haven't totally enjoyed a Eurovision Song Contest since 2003: coincidentally the final contest which worked on the relegation-rule and only took place on one night rather than three. Add some brilliant staging and....well of course you had me at "Renars Kaupers co-presenting"....anyway tonight I thought I'd feature some of my favourite things about Eurovision 2003...

1. Iceland.

Aww...Birgitta Haukdal. She's so sweet. "Open Your Heart" was such a lovely way to start off one of my favourite contests:




2. Estonia.

"Eighties Coming Back" - as un-Eurovision as you'll get, but one of my favourite entries of the last 10 years by Claire's Birthday, a.k.a. Ruffus:



3. Norway.

"I'm Not Afraid To Move On", although it did pretty well, still remains for me one of the most underrated entries by this year's host nation:



4. Royaume-Uni.

Here's what you get when you send untried competitors to Europe's biggest light-entertainment event, with the combined double-whammy of the Iraq war and not being able to hear your backing track = comedy gold, and arguably our most legendary Eurovision result ever:



5. The interval act.

All others pale into insignificance - step forward Latvia's finest, Brainstorm, with the great "A Day Before Tomorrow" and the previous year's winner Marie N with the very nice "I Feel Good" (after a recap of the full contest in reverse order)



Since that time, the landscape of the contest has changed, in particular that post-Ruslana/Paparizou effect: all drums and dancing girls. Happily, with the change in rules last year and the reintroduction of the jury-vote, the result was a very popular victory for Norway's Alexander Rybak. "Fairytale" was (is) a pretty worthy and memorable winner, and you can't really say that for some of the winners which preceded it over the last few years.

Strangely though, the collective consciousness this year dictates that ballads are in - I'm not a ballad fan though, and most of them aren't very good. This year it has been decreed that Azerbaijan have it in the bag with "Drip Drop". Of course we thought the same this year with Melodifestivalen, that Peter Joback had it in the bag too, and then we all realised that "Hollow" wasn't much cop after all. Maybe Europe's viewers and juries will surprise us all and feel the same way about "Drip Drop", two weeks from tonight. But then again, it's Eurovision - and recent years have shown that the "pre-determined" victory is usually....determined, and the quality of the songs is irrelevant when voting time comes around.

Back to 2003. There are still so many songs from that year which I still play, and still have a very high regard for. Unlike recent years, where I've struggled to find any more than 2 or 3 songs which I would play long after the contest is over.

Fast-forward to 2010: of course my feelings about this year's Swedish entry, and how it was chosen, have been well documented elsewhere, and I'm over it now. With the passing of time however, I realised that it was probably better that my favourite song didn't win: but there were other songs in MF which, again with the passing of time, I would have felt very happy with as the Swedish entry - dare I say "Manboy" or "Kom" - rather than a boring, unmemorable ballad.

So who will win Eurovision? If not Azerbaijan? At this point I wouldn't write Germany or Romania off...but what do I know? I've only been watching the flippin' thing for almost 40 years and I still can't figure it out :))))

Two weeks from tonight it will all be over, and we will know where Eurovision is heading - both geographically, and also musically. The countdown is on...

Swedish Stereo!

Damian has a new blog called Swedish Stereo - find it at http://swedishstereo.blogspot.com - where he promises regular updates about one of my most favourite things - Swedish pop!

Good luck with the new blog Damian :))

Existential angst and the return of the Euro-hit

As Europe boards the "Alors On Danse" bandwagon (is it just me or does this song make anyone think of Raphael gone ravey??) it's nice to see this article on the Guardian's website today, where the writer makes the connection between dance music and melancholy lyrics... http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2010/may/06/most-depressing-euro-pop-anthem

EDIT 14.05.2010: I played "Alors On Danse" to faithful travelling companion tonight who immediately pointed out to me that it sounded like one of his fave French bands Louise Attaque :))

On a more positive note, it's good to see the return of the Euro-hit. For the past couple of years there hasn't really been a big song which has broken out of one European country and spread across the continent over the late spring and summer months, topping the charts everywhere along the way: the only recent one I can particularly think of being Milow's "Ayo Technology", cruelly overlooked in the UK (quelle surprise...) Latterly Europe's summer hits were more likely to emerge from Lady GaGa, Black Eyed Peas, Katy Perry and Jason Mraz than from any European act. However, the cross-continent success of the Stromae song, along with the very popular "Stereo Love" (which is now on the Radio 1 A-list playlist - will it be a hit here I wonder?) prove one thing: The Euro-hit is back. Hooray!!

The Gothenburg Diaries Part 3: Saturday 27th March 2010

How do you follow last night? By spending the day on cloud nine, floating over Gothenburg in a bubble of happiness....And even though the rain has finally come to Gothenburg, do you know what? It doesn't matter. Even in the rain, the city still looks very special.

After breakfast, we head out for a walk and later end up back in Nordstan, where once again they're taking to the catwalk to the same old Melodifestivalen soundtrack! Faithful travelling companion has suddenly developed an interest in fashion? Or just some of the young ladies modelling the clothes....

Today was all about relaxing and strolling around, and it wasn't long till we were stopping for lunch - breaking my beef ban so that we could be reunited with köttbullar once again - that's meatballs to you and me :) Accompanied, as ever, by boiled potatoes and lingonberry sauce. Accompanied by - wait for it - melon and mint flavoured Swedish cider. Yum!

The rain had cleared by early afternoon, so after lunch it was time to retrace our steps again to a part of the city which we'd first discovered last year. The Haga quarter of Gothenburg is reasonably easy to reach by foot from the city centre, and is always well worth a visit. It's packed with little speciality shops and cafes, and perfect to pass an hour or two - stopping off for coffee of course! Faithful travelling companion makes the observation that there is no-one over 25 years old in any of the cafes in Haga. Today, he's right. We're both feeling very old :P

We spend some more time exploring the city on foot before heading back to the hotel to get some packing done and get ready for going out tonight. On our way back, I spotted this sign near Trädgårdsföreningen. And yes, I know it means 'exit' and nothing to do with breaking wind :)))

Saturday night in Gothenburg is reasonably lively. I just wish I could rewind 24 hours though, so that I was going to see Salem at the Konserthuset again! We have dinner at a nice little Italian restaurant in a back street (I can't remember the name of it, but it's near Kyrkogatan) and manage to miss out on '"Earth Hour" which was being eagerly promoted during our Swedish trip. After pizza and wine, we head back up to Avenyn, where the restaurants and bars are packed. Being creatures of habit, we're back at the bar at Lilla London, which has a reasonably relaxed atmosphere, Jason Mraz and Jack Johnson on the jukebox, and I end the night with a Kopparbergs pear cider whilst faithful travelling companion has a Swedish beer.

On our way back to the hotel, I have mixed emotions - extreme happiness because it's been such a wonderful weekend, but also some sadness that it will probably be my last Swedish trip for a while. Until the next one of course, whenever that will be!

I'm not going to bother writing too much Sunday, as this mainly involved travelling home, but on the way to the airport I spotted this roadsign, which made me chuckle (and before you ask, yes I know it means speed-bumps!!)

But I can't finish without mentioning two notable things about Gothenburg City Airport: 1) It's a neat little airport, but as hardcore coffee lovers, both faithful travelling companion and myself agree that it now holds the title for selling the worst cup of coffee we've ever tasted; and 2) we like the gift shop though - it's very good, the prices are reasonable, and I couldn't resist buying another moose to add to my collection. Moose-naming can be pretty stressful of course, so this time my mum made the decision for me - she named him.....Salem !! Still I suppose they have a lot in common as they're both Swedish, cute and loveable :))

Now I'd better start saving up my kronor for my return to Gbg, sometime in the future....

The Gothenburg Diaries Part 2: Friday 26th March 2010

Friday 26th March 2010: Salem Day. The day that I had waited for, for so long, finally arrived, bringing with it an surprisingly relaxed feeling over breakfast. Being a rather classy establishment, coffee was accompanied by Goteborgs-Posten, which I scoured from cover to cover to see if there were any features about Salem, or tonight's concert. I had to make do with a very small preview paragraph, with the paper choosing to focus on Moto Boy's Stadsteatern show tomorrow.

After breakfast it was my first ever visit to an internet point, Sidewalk Express, which was right next to the hotel. It was great fun blogging, tweeting and checking my emails, as well as catching up with all the latest news about Salem. It was the best 20 kr I've ever spent, because there was one very important email, which would result in the opportunity to meet Salem once again!

In that instant I went from totally relaxed and calm to ....well, a manic wreck!! My heart felt as if it was bursting out of my body! Faithful travelling companion had gone for a walk whilst I was surfing...and came back to find me hyperventilating :)

In the meantime, retail therapy was on the agenda. Despite the generally mild weather outside (which was a very nice surprise, as I had been expecting the big freeze) it was time to go indoors, to Nordstan - Scandinavia's biggest shopping mall, situated right across from the hotel. This being our third trip to Gothenburg, we're no strangers to Nordstan, but I still manage to get lost every time I go in there. This from someone who could navigate most shopping malls with my eyes closed :)

There's always something going on in Nordstan, and this weekend it was a catwalk fashion show, with many of the centre's retailers showing off their spring collections. Of even more interest to me was the soundtrack - loads of Melodifestivalen stuff (Eric Saade, Hanna Lindblad, Getty Domein, Alcazar, Ola) as well as tunes by Darin, BWO, Lady GaGa and that "Stereo Love" with its distinctive accordion-type hookline.

We head to Rocks, a record store in the basement of Nordstan, and I'm delighted to see "Ignore This" having its own prominent bright green display near the entrance. "Astronaut" and "This Is Who I Am" are also displayed on the shelves, for those new/recent Salem fans just getting into his music. I love going into Swedish record shops, you get everything from top 40 and indie to the cheesiest schlager/dansband all sitting side by side :)

Ahlens City still has its CD section too, and again it's just lovely to see Salem's face staring out from the top 20 display - the album sits at no.2 in the chart at the end of March, behind the Melodifestivalen compilation. Sadly this year there is no MF DVD, just a karaoke one which really doesn't interest me at all.

After shopping and lunch, a little exploring in and around Avenyn, where the canal was still frozen over....

...even though the canal in another part of town wasn't!

Back to the hotel to get ready for the big night! Needless to say I'm buzzing with excitement about the concert - and I'm listening to Salem's interview on Sveriges Radio Goteborg, in between all the plays of "Keep On Walking" on the various Swedish radio stations, and me playing all Salem's songs on my phone!

Last year we went to a Greek/Turkish restaurant for dinner before going to Salem's concert - we planned to do the same this year, however the restaurant had shut down :( however we managed to find a busy little Greek taverna for food and wine before heading off to Avenyn, and that long walk all the way up to Gotaplatsen, and the Konserthuset which was the venue for tonight's concert by Salem Al Fakir and the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra.

I won't go into detail here, as my full review at http://planetsalem.blogspot.com/2010/03/my-review-salem-al-fakir-gothenburg.html says it all: however, to summarise it in two words - utterly fantastic.

And yes, after the show I did get the opportunity to meet Salem again: he may be a massive star in Sweden now, but fame has not changed him one bit. He is still polite, warm, friendly and modest; and he had so many nice things to say about the work I do on Planet Salem, (my Salem fansite). I hope I can meet him again some day soon....

We head back to the hotel. I'm walking on air....it doesn't get any better than this.

Eddie's out!

I just found out this afternoon, whilst browsing the web during my afternoon tea break at work, that Eddie Razaz, one of the most beautiful men in Sweden, has come out. He announced in an interview to QX magazine that he is gay.

9 hours later....*still blubbing into my straight-woman hankies: obviously I was too much in love with him to notice that the batteries in my gaydar needed replacing*

Straight-woman-blubbing aside, I'm very happy for him so let's celebrate a "beautiful day" with one of Eddie's Idol performances from last year's competition....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwBTLR8Mo9I

The EuropeCrazy Eurovision 2010 Preview - Part 4

Finally...

Slovenia: "NARODNOZABAVNI ROCK" - ANSAMBEL ZLINDRA & KALAMARI: another trip into the Eurovisional timewarp. Terrifying blend of Soviet-era rock and folksy, em, folk. Unfortunately Slovenia doesn’t seem to get the same points-swapping as its ex-Yugo neighbours and this just sounds like them sticking two fingers up and, I guess, doing what they want and not caring about the result?

Ireland: "IT’S FOR YOU" - NIAMH KAVANAGH: I suppose I should say nice things about this as it’s written by the same fan-group responsible for "Someday", but unfortunately it’s not as schlager-tastic as that, rather it’s another "You Raise Me Up"-variation. She is a good singer though and will deliver a faultless performance on the night. But will it be enough?

Bulgaria: "ANGEL SI TI" - MIRO: There is something very appealing about this....it’s got the 90s euphoric-dance vibe right, it’s got a little bit of the ‘Tornero’ about it too, and he looks very nice in the video. It reminds me of "Tokyo" by Danny Saucedo, which can only be a good thing. And it makes me think of Nek, for some reason, as well. Anyway it’s the kind of Europop I like to see at ESC.

Cyprus: "LIFE LOOKS BETTER IN SPRING" - JON LILYGREEN & THE ISLANDERS: Now this is very very nice indeed. A very pleasant contemporary acoustic-flavoured mid tempo ballad,with performed by an appealing young man from....Wales! Not very Cypriot then, but this year I think they can be very proud of their entry and it will hopefully get more votes than the usual 12 points from Greece ;)
　
Croatia: "LAKO JE SVE" - FEMINNEM: this would be the same Feminnem who represented B-H, right? I have a problem with big Balkan ballads, as they are usually all drama and no significant hooks for me. This is probably no different, but it’s quite strong and contemporary enough to pick up votes from all corners of Europe. In with a big chance.

Georgia: "SHINE" - SOPHO NIZHARADZE: Another pretty brunette with a mediocre, contemporary ballad. That’s the best I can say really: there’s nothing too wrong with it, but it washes over me and I wouldn’t really bother if I never heard it again. It also faces some tough competition in this semi-final.

Turkey: "WE COULD BE THE SAME" - maNga: whilst I wait for my unfulfilled dream of Tarkan representing Turkey, I’ll settle for the country’s biggest rock band doing their duty. This is maybe not my favourite Turkish ESC entry (the ska-tastic "For Real" by Athena from 2004 continues to hold that honour) but again it’s different from the usual and that’s enough to get my attention.

And finally, the "Big 4" who, along with host nation Norway, qualify directly to the final:

France: "ALLEZ OLA OLE" - Jessy Matador: Oh flippin’ eck, it sounds like one of those Magic System songs which always get in the French charts during the summer :) Anyway it’s catchy and it got me tapping the old feet. However it will probably alienate the traditional ESC voters and won’t repeat the Patricia Kaas result of last year. Or I could be totally wrong - maybe the voters might want a party-song among all those mid-tempo ballads this year?

Germany: "SATELLITE" - LENA: Almost 3 million views on YouTube: it’s looking good for the young winner of the talent show to find this year’s German entrant. Incredibly contemporary by ESC standards, it sits very well within the current fashion for quirky female singers, however whether this will translate to the traditionalists is another thing. Her voice is an acquired taste, to say the least. But I can’t get the song out of my head...

Spain: "ALGO PEQUENITO" - DANIEL DIGES: First things first: he’s quite easy on the eye, and he has lovely curly hair (which is usually a deal-breaker for me) but I’m not letting this cloud my judgement. Because for some reason this carousel-style soundtrack still annoys me. It’s extremely theatrical, which could either work very well or be over-staged and totally kill its chances. Who knows?

Norway: "MY HEART IS YOURS" - DIDRIK SOLLI-TANGEN: All together..."you raise me uuuuuup...." Co-written by that well-known native of Oslo, Fredrik Kempe (!). This is one of this year’s big hitters and a very strong (and not entirely unattractive) contender to defend Norway’s honour, even if (IMHO) I’d rather have seen A1 or Alexander Stenerud, or Bjorn Johan Muri for that matter, doing the honours. It’s a poor draw position, but I think he will do his country proud on the night.

United Kingdom: "THAT SOUNDS GOOD TO ME" - JOSH DUBOVIE: um, no, it doesn’t actually. How do I begin to imagine all the happy faces I’d like to see? Well don’t worry Josh, because you won’t see them, they’ll all be too busy squirming and wondering why one of the world’s most influential musical nations (well maybe not at the moment, but we were once) gleefully f***s it up again when it comes to Eurovision. Poor Josh: another lamb to the ESC slaughter. Being the Millwall of Eurovision (no-one likes us, etc etc) we’ll be back in the bottom half of the scoreboard without any question. No one likes us....but I just wish somebody cared enough to give us an entry to be proud of, for once!

The return of Sommarkrysset

You know summer is on the way when our favourite Swedish outdoor TV-spectaculars are back on screen.

According to Aftonbladet today, TV4's "Sommarkrysset" will return on Saturday 15th May and the first show has an unmissable Swedish pop line-up: Eric Saade, Orup, Linda Bengtzing and Velvet! And if that's not enough....EMD will present the show!

The following artists will also appear in this summer's series:

Eric Gadd
Timoteij
Shout Out Louds
Linda Pritchard
Lazee & Apollo Drive
Petter
Weeping Willows

More info when I get it!

The EuropeCrazy Eurovision 2010 Preview - Part 3

I'd hoped to finish this off this weekend but as usual the best laid plans....

Tonight I'm having a first-listen to the first 10 songs in Semi-Final 2. Which in my opinion is a much stronger semi-final and it will be more difficult to qualify from this one, I think...

Lithuania: "EASTERN EUROPEAN FUNK" - INCULTO: so Lithuania have astutely realised that they probably won’t have any chance of winning ESC anytime soon, so they’re just going to have some fun. And why not? This has novelty value and puts a much-needed smile on the face of this year’s contest. It’s not quite up there with my all-time favourite Lithuanian entry ("U Got Style", 2001 if you’re interested) but it’s good fun.
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Armenia: "APRICOT STONE" - EVA RIVAS: The lyrics can only be described as pretty bonkers, but it ticks all the ethnic-boxes seemingly required of a Eurovision entry of recent years....it’s got a little of the Shakira vibe about it and of course Armenia is one of those countries which will always be an automatic final qualifier. This might do well.

Israel: "MILIM" - HAREL SKAAT: This might give Israel its best result in many years, as it’s quite an old-fashioned jury-pleasing big orchestral ballad...he is a very good singer and capable of greatness (and he’s also very easy on the eye) but I feel this song could have benefitted from a more definite hook and memorable chorus.

Denmark: "IN A MOMENT LIKE THIS" - CHANEE & N’EVERGREEN: For me, this is one of the biggest songs in this year’s contest and I can see the Danes getting their best result in years. Written by that well-known native of Copenhagen, Thomas G:son :))) They may be a bizarrely-named duo, but this song is very instant and memorable, which is after all what the Eurovision Song Contest is about. A back to the 80s blend of "Simply The Best" and "Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now", and one of the few songs I remembered after just one hearing.

Switzerland: "IL PLEUT DE L’OR" - MICHAEL VON DER HEIDE: Something seriously wrong here - I like a Swiss entry two years in a row! They couldn’t be more different either. Last year some indie-rock, this year a good old Europop stomper. This was one of my early favourites, of the few songs that I had actually heard. Don’t be put off by the big ears, just enjoy the music.

Sweden: "THIS IS MY LIFE" - ANNA BERGENDAHL: In this year’s Swedish final, there was an uplifting song with an incredibly memorable chorus, performed with bucketloads of charm and charisma by a hugely talented singer/songwriter. Which could have gone a long long way at Eurovision if its success with the international juries at Melodifestivalen was anything to go by.
That song was not "This Is My Life" by Anna Bergendahl. The only positive thing I can say about this song is that it’s a good cure for insomnia. Sweden may have wanted its own version of Yohanna’s "Is It True" which did so well last year - but this falls way short and I am still of the view that this will disappear in Oslo and may struggle to even make it out of the semi-final.

Azerbaijan: "DRIP DROP" - SAFURA: if all the rumours are to be believed, this is the chosen one this year - and in recent years the chosen ones have gone on to win, so... Unfortunately I was comatose by the end of it. Sooo boring! She sings "I wanna run away from myself"...I know how she felt. By the end I wanted to run away too. Is this the one that was co-written by that well-known native of Baku, Anders Bagge? Not one of his better moments.
　
Ukraine: "SWEET PEOPLE" - ALYOSHA: Oh Ukraine, what have you done? This is so boring that I was even longing for the return of the "Anti-Crisis Girl"!! Another one which belongs in the Eurovision Non-Song Contest. Come back Verka, or Ani Lorak....we miss you!

Netherlands: "IK BEN VERLIEFD (SHA-LA-LIE)" - SIENEKE: Or as it is known at EuropeCrazy HQ, "let’s do the time warp again". There is nothing remotely 2010 about this - from its writer Pierre "Father Abraham" Kartner to its cheesy singer. It will either surprise or bomb, and I couldn’t possibly predict which one.

Romania: "PLAYING WITH FIRE" - PAULA SELING & OVI: ignore this at your peril. It’s a thumping anthemic pop song which stuck in my brain from first hearing - and I can see it doing very, very well at this year’s contest, I’ve just got this strange, spooky feeling that Romania is looking at a top 5 place!

More to follow!

The EuropeCrazy Eurovision 2010 Preview - Part 2

Bear in mind that these are all reviewed on first listen (apart from Iceland, which I had already heard a couple of times)

Malta: "MY DREAM" - THEA GARRETT: Old-fashioned ballad which is not too far away from an Idol-winner’s song. I know that Malta has a big ESC-fan-contingent, however it is not the most memorable Maltese entry I’ve ever heard and although it’s not the worst, it has the feel of a toilet break about it :(

Albania: "IT’S ALL ABOUT YOU" - JULIANA PASHA: The backing track has a touch of the "Womanizer"/"For Your Entertainment" about it, which can only be a good thing :) however the end result is a little bit of a let-down on first listen. It could be a grower though and might just qualify...

Greece: "OPA" - GIORGOS ALKAIOS & FRIENDS: They look like a boyband who’ve seen better days and all they’ve got to look forward to is the cabaret circuit. It’s all very formulaic and Greece-by-numbers, but it’s a potential crowd pleaser. And they are Greece, so they are absolute qualifiers - they only have to turn up! They need to shout the "Opa" but louder though, as it lacks a real hook.

Portugal: "HA DIAS ASSIM" - FILIPA AZEVEDO: She warbles this power ballad like a Portuguese version of Leona Lewis, however there’s not much of a song in here and it will struggle to qualify. It certainly has none of the pretty charm of last year’s Portuguese entry.

Macedonia: "JAS JA IMAM SILATA" - GJOKO TANESKI, BILLY ZVER & PEJCIN: More Balkan rock, however I didn’t like this as much as the Bosnian song and again I think this could struggle despite the good old ‘Balkan bloc vote’. The rap section in the middle was ok though, but rap is notoriously looked upon unfavourably at ESC :(

Belarus: "BUTTERFLIES" - 3+2: Now this puzzles me. They are obviously going for the well-dressed Il Divo vote, only without the opera. I think this is aiming fair and square for the jury vote this year and may do well for that reason, although it’s pretty boring and old-fashioned and light years away from "Work Your Magic" - one of the best songs never to have won ESC!!

Iceland: "JE NE SAIS QUOI" - HERA BJORK: one of the more traditionally appealing ESC songs this year. She’s a good singer and the song has a good dance beat - and that all-important key change!! I’d like to see it doing well (as I keep my fingers crossed for Iceland every year), but the whole volcano-situation may have a negative effect on the voting???

This weekend...

If all goes to plan I'll publish the rest of the Gothenburg Diaries and also parts 2,3 and 4 of that ESC preview.

(I haven't been able to devote as much time as I'd like to this blog of late - particularly the music side - and I can't really see that changing over the next couple of weeks....so after this weekend I'm probably going to put the blog on hold for a week or two as I have a few other things going on)

Tonight we're gonna party like it's 1982

Thanks again to Popjustice for bringing Dekade to my attention: formerly known as NiteVisions, they are none other than the sons of Andy and Roger Taylor from Duran Duran. Which is a good enough reason to get excited. And on the evidence of "Haunt You" on their MySpace, they're sounding good....

www.myspace.com/dekade

Some bad news about BWO :(

According to this Aftonbladet article, BWO are splitting for an indefinite period for the band members to focus on solo careers. I'm quite sad about this, although on the plus side there will be new material very soon from Alexander Bard's new project Gravitonas, and Martin Rolinski promises a new solo album so I guess it's not all bad!

The EuropeCrazy Eurovision 2010 Preview - Part 1

I'm planning to do this in 4 parts, although the next part probably won't appear on here until the weekend. So here is what I think of the first 10 songs in Semi-Final 1.

Moldova: "RUN AWAY" - SUNSTROKE PROJECT & OLIA TIRA: I’m never too thrilled about Moldova at ESC and don’t usually bother with their entries. This is a slice of 90s dance nostalgia, a genre which usually excites me greatly but this doesn’t really do it for me either. Still at least it’s an uptempo start and may grow on me with more listens.

Russia: "LOST AND FORGOTTEN" - PETER NALITCH BAND: Lord have mercy! This is probably one of the more unusual songs in this year’s contest and is therefore worthy of our attention for that reason alone. Well, that and Mr Nalitch’s bewitching brown eyes. Shallow? Moi? I remember reading on another website that this was a joke entry. Draw your own conclusions!

Estonia: "SIREN" - MALCOLM LINCOLN: A country which continues to confound and delight me. The country that brought one of my all-time favourite ESC songs ("Eighties Coming Back") and most recently the mesmerising "Randajad", now treats us to a totally credible indie delight which doesn’t really do it on first hearing, but listen another couple of times and you may possibly love it. As I think I love it a little bit now. As an ESC entry it will probably bomb, but three cheers for them for a daring and different choice.

Slovakia - "HOREHRONIE" - KRISTINA: I know zilch about Slovakian music so couldn’t possibly comment if this is a good example of it or not. What it is another example of is the thumping-drums-and-dance-routines trend which has, for me, dragged the contest down in recent years. Highly derivative, what with the costume change and she even gets lifted in the air, Paparizou-style. However this does have some charm which many of those other drums-and-dancing songs have not.

Finland - "TYOLKI ELLAA" - KUUNKUISKAAJAT: Well of course they should have sent Osmo Ikonen, so I hated this immediately. Still the one thing you can’t accuse the Finns of it predictability. This is completely bonkers, dancing-drunk-at-a-wedding music and I can’t even begin to predict where it will end up. However, a good time had by all.

Latvia - "WHAT FOR" - AISHA: At first I thought this was a tribute song to the French Popstars winners, but it’s a whole lot more philosophical than that. "Only Mr God knows why!" is the conclusion reached by Ms. Aisha. I think this could do quite well, although I said the same about "Hello From Mars". I’ve already come to the conclusion that this year, accordions are the new fiddles. A long way from the glory days of Brainstorm, but it seems to have stuck in my brain after one listen.

Serbia - "OVO JE BALKAN" - MILAN STANKOVIC: from a country which I can’t really stand at Eurovision, purely because of the dreary Zeljko-type songs and one of my most hated winners "Molitva" comes a nice cheerful little foot tapper from, let’s just say, one of the more visually interesting performers (!) With a haircut last seen on the Mike Flowers Pops.

Bosnia & Herzegovina: "THUNDER AND LIGHTNING" - VUKASIN BRAJIC: Inevitably this isn’t remotely as wonderful as last year’s Bosnian song "Bistra Voda" by Regina - however well done to them again for trying something different away from the usual dreary Balkan-ballads. This is a rock song sung in English by a guy who looks a little bit like Calogero (!) I think this could grow on me after a few listens but I’m not sure how it will go with the voters.

Poland: "LEGENDA" - MARCIN MROZINSKI: This song is a bit bizarre - the lyrics suggest it could be the theme tune for some kind of medieval fairytale. As the ‘fairytale’ them is sooooo 2009, I can’t really see this making it out of the semi-final. A bit too over-dramatic for my tastes.

Belgium: "ME AND MY GUITAR" - TOM DICE: I was a bit sad this year that we were denied Flemish-speaking Belgium’s ‘Eurosong’ contest which is always one of my favourites. It was shelved this year in favour of an internal selection - and oh look, here’s another young male singer with, appropriately a guitar. This is a different and daring choice for Belgium, even if it’s too subtle to qualify. This is nice, Mr Dice. But please lose the hat :)

Check back here at the weekend for the next part of my review.

Album Review: "Restless Soul" - Tingsek

From what seems like an endless line of creative Swedish musical geniuses comes Malmo’s very own Magnus Tingsek, with his fourth album "Restless Soul", which he tells us on the sleeve notes was made in a 25m² room in Malmo, and should be played loud. Sometimes you wonder what they are putting in the water in Sweden, to create so many talented singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalists. He writes, sings and plays bass, drums, guitar, piano, percussion...the list goes on.

One other thing I noticed on the sleevenotes was a heartfelt comment by Tingsek: "I make music for one reason only: I love it and simply can’t live this life without it". I think that speaks volumes about this man’s passion for music - and I could identify with that as a listener too.

To describe Tingsek’s music? Well, the best description for me would be "acoustic soul". "Good Vs Bad" which is by far the best track on the album, was also released as a single and just missed out on my 2009-50 chart because I discovered it too late. Had I heard it earlier, it would probably have made my top 10 songs of last year. (I didn’t expect any new material from him so soon after 2008’s "Too Many Feelings At The Same Time" so that was my main reason for not checking if he had any new material coming out.) Tingsek has his very own sound but brings in some other influences from time to time. "Stimulation Overload" with its chord progressions completely reminds me of Sinclair, one of my favourite French artists (although is not really indicative of Sinclair’s predominantly soul/funk style - but, well....still reminds me of him anyway, I’m finding it hard to describe!)

"Six Years" is very indicative of the Tingsek template - choppy guitars and minimal keyboards - and features Pauline on guest vocals. I was unfamiliar with her work prior to Melodifestivalen 2010, where she competed with "Sucker For Love" which has totally grown on me since then even though she didn’t reach the final. Anyway this works very well.

The other guest artist on the album, Slakah The Beatchild, adds an extra dimension particularly on "Leave It All Behind". Another track worth recommending is "Stick To You" which is very danceable and has that Daft Punk "Harder, Better, Faster Stronger" feel to it, only in Tingsek style of course.

There are also delicious string flourishes which often add a special touch. My only criticism of this album is that melody is often sacrificed for exquisite musical arrangements. Tingsek’s passion for his music is unquestionable, but a bit more work on the melodic side wouldn’t have gone amiss. What can’t be denied however is that Magnus Tingsek has a very distinctive sound and a creative spark which will ensure that he will be around for a long time to come.

The Gothenburg Diaries Part 1: Thursday 25th March 2010

Finally getting round to posting about my recent trip over to Sweden. The main reason for my trip was the very same as one year ago - to see Salem Al Fakir in concert!

The biggest worry for me before travelling this year was the weather - just two weeks before, it had been very cold and snowy in Sweden, with temperatures down to -18° at one point. Would our clothes be warm enough? Our fears were unfounded however as the freezing cold had disappeared and was replaced by a mild climate instead, although not as bright and sunny as on our previous trip last April.




Once again Gothenburg City Airport - which I fondly refer to as "Sweden's fastest growing portacabin" was our destination and it's only a 20 minute journey on the airport bus into the city, where the journey terminates at the Nils Ericson Terminalen (bus station)

I had tried to book a hotel on Kungsportsavenyn this time, so that we would be in close proximity to the Konserthuset (venue for Friday night's concert) but this was pretty impossible as these were way over budget....Gothenburg hotels are quite pricey, so you need to be prepared to fork out the extra kronor no matter which one you choose. In the end we chose the First Hotel G (which I quickly nicknamed the "G"), situated in the middle of the city's public transport interchange.

So you step off the airport bus and you are right at the hotel, which you enter via an escalator. After checking in you then cross a bridge/walkway - to the left is the bus station....





...and to the right is the Central Station!



...and there are also a number of shops and eating places, making it feel like a little shopping mall. It's one of the more surreal hotel settings we've ever stayed in! But despite being surrounded by all the transport and the shops, the 'G' is designed in such a way that it's almost eerily quiet and there are no problems with noise over the weekend. It's also a stylish hotel and a very good base for exploring Gothenburg.

After checking in and unpacking, we headed back out into the city centre to check out some old haunts. Where my 'Salem-weekend' last year may have been a bit rushed as it was only a two night break, we had an extra night this time so it was going to be a more relaxed trip. We had also decided to keep the sightseeing and exploring to a minimum. (Maybe one day we'll get over during the summer months - in which case we'll revisit Liseberg and Slottskogen and take the boat trip again, all of which we did on our first Gothenburg trip a few years ago).

Inevitably we ended up on Avenyn - the "Avenue", where it all happens. Where the beautiful, young, rich people hang out ;) oh well ....

After checking out a few dinner options, we retraced our steps back to our first night last year and had dinner at Lilla London (Valand) - a famous Avenyn landmark. Goats cheese and then pasta...yum.

After dinner we headed off down Avenyn and had a walk around some old haunts before heading to the Östra Larmgatan area to round off our evening with a beer. One reassuring fact about Sweden: the words "cheap drink" don't exist. A beer or cider is now five quid!!

One other reassuring fact about Gothenburg - it still feels a very safe city to walk around at night. And it wasn't too cold either - didn't need the hat or scarf!

Part 2 of my review will be published on Saturday 24th April.

Parodifestivalen :)

This made me laugh tonight :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZQ3wYqJ_ng

By the way my Eurovision songs review is coming very soon, I'm working on it at the moment but it's taking some time due to the 342 songs we now have to enjoy/endure over two semi finals and a final. Expect part one in the next couple of days. Or so.

One singer, one song...

You know I'm just a bit depressed about musical matters just now...and the other day I was thinking about how musical careers of some longevity are often reduced to one or two songs repeated ad infinitum on the increasingly unimaginative radio playlists in this country. Take David Bowie for instance. When was the last time you heard "Life On Mars" or "Starman" or "Jean Genie" on the radio? David Bowie's career as an innovative musical icon has, for the purposes of radio airplay, been reduced to two songs - "Let's Dance" and "Modern Love" - neither of which I'd number among his classics.

Anyway what all this is leading to is a fabulous post written by Kippers at the always-wonderful blog named Too Much Apple Pie. I think this post totally articulates my feelings much better than I ever could, about the ubiquity of certain songs on radio playlists...you have to read this, because it matters. http://toomuchapplepie.blogspot.com/2010/04/three-of-kind-103.html

The Square-Eyed Couch Potato: March-April 2010

Surprised that I can actually cobble something together, considering I hardly watch any telly these days, particularly since the arrival of this fab new computer at EuropeCrazy HQ :)

But that actually means I can watch more Swedish telly instead, buffering-permitting. Such as "Let's Dance" on TV4, which ended a couple of weeks ago, on the same weekend that I was over in Gothenburg.

After the departure of Willy "John Sergeant of Swedish dance" Bjorkman, it was left to Mattias Andreasson and Claudia Galli to fight it out for this year's title....and it was Mattias who danced away with the trophy! Congratulations to Mattias - he did very well! His Michael Jackson-style show dance to "Beat It" was the icing on the cake. The following day, all the Swedish papers seemed to concentrate more on runner-up Claudia who, it appeared, didn't take defeat all too well and was very upset. Here are Mattias and Cecilia celebrating their win. (Photo courtesy of http://www.tv4.se/)

Of course the lovely Mattias is one-third of Swedish boyband sensations E.M.D. who turned up on the first in the new series of "Så Ska det Låta" on SVT. This very popular music quiz gives various Swedish singers and other celebrities the chance to show off their lyrics knowledge and of course it gives them the opportunity to burst into spontaneous song! Anyway week 1 saw E.M.D. compete against Cookies N' Beans. You can watch the show at SVT's website, it will remain available until 4th July 2010: http://svtplay.se/v/1934194/sa_ska_det_lata/del_1_av_12?cb,a1364145,1,f,-1/pb,a1364142,1,f,-1/pl,v,,1958314/sb,p102967,1,f,-1


Don't forget you can also watch the subsequent shows in the series at SVT Play. (http://www.svtplay.se/)

The next show on 16th May is a Norway vs Sweden contest - with none other than Alexander Rybak and Maria Haukaas Storeng competing against Shirley Clamp and Robert Gustafsson.

"Glee" has ended for now on E4/Channel 4 and what a nice place to end at! (Sectionals). I've really enjoyed this show but the only bit of it I don't enjoy is - wait for it - the songs. You probably think I'm a bit strange to say that, but I know I'm a bit strange so that's nothing new :)

Briefly back to Swedish telly now - "Jakten på Julia" which is the search to find a female lead to play opposite Mans Zelmerlow in the "Romeo & Juliet" musical which launches at the beginning of 2011 in Stockholm. This TV show has, according to the Swedish tabloids, been a ratings flop.

Of course this TV format has been very popular over recent years in the UK, helping to find a Maria (Sound of Music), a Joseph (Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat), a Nancy (Oliver!) and now they're searching for a Dorothy for the Wizard of Oz. You may be surprised to know I'm not watching "Over The Rainbow" (BBC-1) although usually catch the last few minutes whilst waiting to watch "Who Dares Wins" (my fave TV gameshow at the moment, probably because I find the lists very easy to complete!) anyway I've switched off the latest Lloyd-Webber venture, because a) it's all so stale now, b) I can't stand "The Wizard of Oz", and c) I'd rather have another all-male talent show. Although if they did, I doubt if they would ever find another Lee Mead.....;)

Retro Saturday: Ashley & Jackson

"I can make more than you steal in a day"

From 1990, truly the golden era of indie-dance-pop which for a long long time was my natural musical habitat :) Got a bit of airplay on night-time Radio 1, and this came from the archives of the late and much-lamented Chart Show which played a lot of music which I really liked at that time - Stone Roses, House of Love, Inspiral Carpets, World of Twist, Ride (the list is endless).

I've been looking for this one for a while, so I'm glad that I finally found it. Enjoy the jazzy-indie-funk vibe of "Solid Gold" at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoMCN6QHxrs

Retro Saturday: Win

Another one of those great lost songs from the 1980s!

Win was a Scottish band whom big things were expected from - but like many other bands, they failed to achieve the success they deserved despite a high level of local radio support and the song, "You've Got The Power" being featured in a TV commercial for McEwan's Lager. If you're in the mood for a relatively obscure 80s pop gem, find it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqkePGfRFuE

Retro Saturday: Malcolm McLaren

The man who gave the world the Sex Pistols died this week. McLaren was an innovator with a unique and unpredictable personality: the world will probably never see his like again, more's the pity. After helping to kick-start the much-needed punk revolution, he then introduced the British public to early hip hop.

Many other bloggers have posted videos of the punk and hip-hop stuff, so I'll move on to yet another concept he was involved in, back in the early 90s - "The Ghosts of Oxford Street". I particularly loved a song called "Magic's Back", with vocals from Alison Limerick who was later to become a very popular dance diva. This song combined a sweeping classical feel with irresistible dance beats, and still sounds very fresh today. Do you believe in magic? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTw2ohPE2gQ

Rest in peace.

Album Review: "Ignore This" - Salem Al Fakir

This review has been republished from my other blog, Planet Salem. The review was originally published there on 22.03.2010 but I wanted to share it here too :) - Enjoy!

Almost a year to the day since Salem Al Fakir released his second album, the criminally underrated "Astronaut", here comes album no. 3, delivered in remarkably quick time - but given Salem’s continually prolific and creative musical nature then this isn’t such a surprise after all.

When you make the commitment to becoming a Salem Al Fakir fan, you sign up for a journey which is full of surprises at every twist and turn, and you leave any preconceptions behind. So we arrive at the latest stop on the journey, "Ignore This" Of course Salem’s music is completely unclassifiable but if you were to compare his three albums so far, you might say that "This Is Who I Am" was the soulful, 70s-influenced one, "Astronaut" was the rockier, 80s one, and "Ignore This"? The electronic one, and despite the fact that he doesn’t listen to current/recent music, it’s possibly his most contemporary collection yet.

But that’s only scratching the surface - the thirteen tracks on this CD are as diverse as ever in their musical arrangements. I’d say it was an album with one foot in the past and one foot in the future, as I feel that one of Salem’s many strengths is the way that he uses influences from the past to craft his music into something genuinely original, that you haven’t heard before.

In its musical layout "Ignore This" takes us back to "This Is Who I Am": it begins with a short instrumental track, and there are two other instrumental interludes along the way.

Here is my track-by-track review.

Track 1: "The Song I Never Wrote"
An electronic, chilled-out, spacey introduction to the album, and in a similar style to "Begin" which heralded the arrival of "This Is Who I Am", three years ago. There’s not really much else I can say about this, it’s short and sweet!

Track 2: "4 O’Clock"
"Get on up on your feet to the love store/Hey bubbles, wanna smell the candy?"

Salem is particularly gifted when it comes to producing strong melodic songs and this is one of the best on the album. It’s commercial and radio-friendly, with an anthemic ‘here we go again’ chorus, an irresistible, almost calypso-styled rhythm. The feel of the song reminded me a little of "New Song" by Howard Jones (if you are old enough to remember that!).

If you thought the lyrics on "Astronaut" were a significant improvement on his debut, then one of the most significant aspects of "Ignore This" is Salem’s development as a lyricist, and his ability to tell a story through his songs. "4 O’Clock" clearly demonstrates the more playful side of Salem, and it’s a very good way to kick off the album.

Track 3: "Virgin Mary"
"Didn’t wanna be around when it all fell down/So lucky I got out in time"

Already a firm favourite with fans and bloggers, this is perhaps one of Salem’s most accessible songs in a long time. Very personal lyrics about love-gone-wrong set to catchy, insistent keyboard beats. The first time I heard this, the keyboard-riff sounded very familiar and then it struck me - it’s like a speeded up "This Is Who I Am" (and thanks also to my friend Fredrik for also pointing this out). Extremely catchy, high energy song, and one of the best on the album.
Possible future single?

Track 4: "Red Rock"
"Heroes, low life grinders/Everyone’s invited"

This is the song where Salem has gone all Kanye West on us (!) with vocoded vocals throughout (so I’m glad when I got the lyrics so I could see what he was singing). This wasn’t originally one of my favourite songs when I heard the album at first, but it has really grown on me and I think it’s one of the most musically ambitious songs - and when the pulsating beats erupt into that big symphonic chorus (courtesy of Salem’s big brother Ayman, guesting on French horn) it becomes pretty fabulous. But then I also love that moment at about 2:45 into the song when it all subsides and begins to wind down too!

Track 5: "Keep On Walking"
"I was aiming for the sky/Ended up flat on the ground/But once again the sun is rising..."

The first song that Salem wrote for the album, and which came out of a very dark time for him. But it is also extremely hopeful and uplifting too, in a way that seems to come naturally to him. It’s full of heart and soul, and everything about this song just completely grabs your emotions and doesn’t let go. And that, for me is probably what Salem Al Fakir is all about: his natural ability to reach out and connect with people.

Musically, it is Salem at his absolute best: piano, strings, synths and just overflowing with emotion. And what a fabulous singer he is, he can convey so many different emotions within his songs. No wonder everyone loves him now - it’s no surprise ;))

Of course, in an ideal world, he would have won Melodifestivalen, but for me he will always be 2010’s true winner, as he has emerged from the contest with his credibility intact and a whole new audience who completely love his music. Job done.

Track 6: "This Is For"
"I wanna ask questions till your ear falls off"

Perhaps musically and lyrically the toughest song on the album: words that taunt and torture from beginning to end. Initially I was shocked and surprised by the vengeful tone of the lyrics, but they seem to fit with the urgency of the music and the vocoded chorus which gives way to an instrumental fadeout. It may be uncharacteristic for Salem, but it works. The result is insistent and irresistible, (if initially slightly disturbing!) Someone must have really annoyed him....!.

Track 7: "Part Of It"
"Skewed faces and scary eyes/I dare you to take a step outside"

This is a song full of contrasts. Dark lyrical themes mixed with an almost hymn-like chorus, with backing vocals provided by Sami Al Fakir and Linn Segolson. This is maybe not as instant as some of the other songs on the album, but it is proof of Salem’s effortless ability to produce any musical style - in this case a magnificent choral piece.

Track 8: "Brooklyn Sun"
"I would trade away the stars and moon/if you came, came, came back soon, my darker days would all be done"

For me, this is the best track on the album (apart from the now-classic "Keep On Walking" of course) and possibly one of the loveliest songs that I’ve ever had the good fortune to hear.

"Brooklyn Sun" is a moving and beautiful song, with simple instrumentation, which still manages after all this time to send a shiver up my spine and puts a lump in my throat. Heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time, with a sense of longing that most songwriters would do anything for....

One significant change I’ve noted on "Ignore This" is that it’s also the first time that Salem has shared any songwriting credits - in the case of "Brooklyn Sun" it’s the appropriately Brooklyn-based American singer/songwriter Nate Campany (check him out at www.myspace.com/natecampany)

Track 9: "Don’t Wanna Talk About It"

Another musical interlude, this time in bonkers-techno mode. It stops and starts and then goes into hyperspace (!) I remember someone on Twitter comparing this to Mr Oizo: I understand where they’re coming from!

Track 10: "Bloody Breakfast"
"Make your own path or keep on living two steps behind"

Some telling lyrics which I would interpret as Salem’s take on the nature of fame, however this musically experimental song could probably be interpreted in many ways? This may be one of the most underrated tracks on the album, but became a firm favourite for me very quickly. The "ooooooooo" chorus is original and different, the musical arrangement won’t let you go, and it has some reassuringly warm moments though - "are you a saint or a sinner? Mm-hmm" is just
soooooo Salem :))))

Track 11: "Split My Personality"
"I’m disgusted with myself/can’t be trusted"

Another co-written song, this time with the very talented Linn Segolson, whom I previously wrote about on Planet Salem two years ago - http://planetsalem.blogspot.com/2008/02/new-linn-segolson-video-footage-on.html

Musically I’d describe this as probably the most contemporary/recent sounding track - you could imagine the backing track on a Coldplay or Killers album, but what as ever sets it apart is Salem’s unique, distinctive, touching voice, singing some regretful lyrics against the muscular

musical background. I think this will work very well in a live context.

Track 12: "Cowboys and Dinosaurs"

Final instrumental interlude, with a sweet, lullaby quality. Premiered at Salem's Berwaldhallen shows at the end of 2009.

Track 13: "I’m So Happy"
"I'm so happy cause you are gone"

We’ve known long enough about Salem’s natural melodic ability, but this time he’s thrown in a distinctive lyrical twist which initially shocked and surprised me. However, the result is one of the strongest tracks on the album, which turns into a massive singalong, and which will, for sure, be one of the biggest songs in Salem’s live concerts this year. I can’t get this song out of my head...!

So, does "Ignore This" live up to expectations? Yes - of course it does! It’s the album that Salem wanted and needed to make, on the next step of his musical journey. It’s adventurous, daring, different, and special....in other words, Salem Al Fakir.

"Ignore This"? Impossible to do so.

Album Review: "Now 75" - Various Artists

Firstly I just want to wish a happy three-quarter-century to one of our most favourite compilation albums!

Welcome to Now 75, which from its tracklisting could also be described as the flat-lining of the British singles chart. Although it could be said that the 'Now' series has never been an accurate reflection of the British music scene as a whole, however it has always been a pretty accurate measure of the British singles chart, and when the musical historians come to unearth the time capsule of British chart-pop then the 'Now' series would inevitably be there.

Looking at the tracklisting it becomes very apparent that on digging up the buried musical treasures of late 2009/early 2010 then we can expect those historians to be very depressed indeed. For much of Now 75 is cluttered up with the autotuned-to-death urban/grime/r'n'b which is polluting the charts to the exclusion of any decent music. Iyaz? Tinie Tempah? Chipmunk? Chiddy Bang? Young Money? Naughty Boy? Who are these people and what gives them the right to chart, just because their songs have been played to death on Galaxy and their videos are on heavy rotation on most of the music channels?

It's not all bad though: CD1 does have Lady GaGa's "Bad Romance" on it, which is that rare thing in these times - a memorable pop single which actually did well in the charts - but there is very little on CD1 that I would want to hear again, with a couple of exceptions - "On A Mission" by Gabriella Cilmi and "About A Girl" by the much-maligned Sugababes mk.25 (or thereabouts). CD1 also has a nod to X Factor/Team Cowell and its dreary hangers-on: Alexandra Burke, Joe McElderry and the hideous Jedward. How they were ever allowed to make a record is anyone's guess :( And as for "Everybody Hurts" by Helping Haiti: good cause, completely duff record.

There are a couple of rare gems on CD2 - I was very surprised that a simple little song like "Fireflies" by Owl City could get to no.1 in these miserable musical times, whilst I can only cheer that something genuinely different and original like Plan B's "Stay Too Long" - one of the best singles of 2010 and a cert for my 2010-50 chart at the end of the year - made it to the top 10 of the UK singles chart.

Another treat on the album is "Many of Horror" by Biffy Clyro - a very rare sighting of a "real band" among the grime-dross, over-hyped pop and overplayed tripe.

CD2 also features some of the over-hyped quirky females who have taken over the charts in recent times - Florence & The Machine, Marina & the Diamonds, Ellie & the Goulding - sorry I mean Ellie Goulding, whose "Starry Eyed" is probably the most bearable of all three.

Now 75 also features not one but two versions of "Don't Stop Believin'" - the Journey original and the nightmare that is the Glee Cast cover. Now don't get me wrong: I like "Glee" a lot, but the musical soundtrack is increasingly making me cringe and I reach for the fast-forward button whenever the songs come on.

CD2 is probably better than CD1, although it kicks off with what feels like the most-played song on the radio in recent years - "Empire State of Mind", this time in its Alicia Keys-version rather than with Jay-Z; we don't have to wait too long for Mr Z though, as he pops up shortly afterwards with Mr Hudson on "Young Forever".

All in all, "Now 75" is a very depressing compilation, although I will reiterate that it is a completely accurate reflection of the current music scene. The one positive thing to take from it is that there is good music around elsewhere: you just have to know where to look for it.

On the Rebound!

Remember Eddie Razaz??? Well...he's back!

Meet Rebound - a duo made up of Swedish Idol 2009 contestants Eddie Razaz and Rabih Jaber. Whether they will repeat the success of previous Idol contestants-turned-boyband E.M.D. remains to be seen.

There's a little clip of the boys singing their debut single "Hurricane" at http://www.reboundmusic.se/video, unfortunately it sounds as if it's been autotuned-to-death like too many other songs around at the moment, however I'm just glad to see Eddie - one of Sweden's most gorgeous men - back on the music scene!

That's enough holiday talk for one evening...

Regular readers of this blog should be aware that it also has a little travel remit going on. So...

1. There will be a review of our recent Gothenburg trip, and it will be posted on here over the weekend. (I know I promised loads of stuff for last weekend, but that's before I was hit by a post-viral fatigue thing which floored me for a couple of days...thankfully I'm on the mend again and planning lots of blogging over the coming weekend.)

2. Regular readers of this blog will be well aware by now that we usually head off on a short break at the beginning of May. Which is very soon, but we're not booked up to go anywhere yet. Tonight we looked at lots of options, ruled out most of them for various reasons and we now have a short-list, (which is very short indeed) so a decision will be made very soon, probably over the next week. Once we're booked I'll do the big announcement on here of course :)

Swedish charts update

When was the last time you looked at a singles chart and your favourite song was at no.1?

Welcome to this week's Swedish Radio Digilistan singles chart, where "Keep On Walking" by Salem Al Fakir remains at the top of the chart and is the top-selling single in Sweden for yet another week. And deservedly so: I'm not just saying it for obvious reasons, but the quality of this song is just breathtaking - the musical arrangement is completely magical.

As you would expect at this time of year, Melodifestivalen songs are dominating the chart although it's maybe not the usual landslide, with Pauline, Alcazar, Pain of Salvation, Pernilla Wahlgren, Neo and Jessica Andersson taking up position in the lower reaches of the chart rather than dominating the top 20.

There are obviously a lot of people needing a cure for insomnia, which can only account for MF winner "This Is My Life" by Anna Bergendahl being at no.2 with the growing possibility that she will top the chart next week. And before you ask, I'm not going down the sour-grapes road any more, I'm just judging songs on their own merit rather than in the context of a song competition - I'm well over that one now.

Eric Saade's "Manboy" is at no.3. I knew this would do very well after the contest and it has become a huge radio hit too. It will be interesting to see how his career develops from here - of course there is always lots of room in the Swedish pop market for yet another male solo singer.

If only the same could be said for the British pop scene at the moment - the 'next big thing'-obsessed media is only fixated on female singers, and the only male artists getting attention are those in the urban/'grime' genre - the domination of that style of music in the British charts is becoming completely intolerable in my view! I know this has nothing to do with the Swedish charts but I thought it was worthy of a rant anyway !!

Another one which has done very well is Timoteij's "Kom" - no. 4 this week and I'm not surprised, it's just soooo catchy.

The other major radio hits to come out of MF - Ola's "Unstoppable" and Darin's "You're Out Of My Life" are still holding on to their places in the top 10.

European crossover dance hit of the moment "Stereo Love" by Edward Maya & Vika Jigulina is also doing very well in the Swedish top 10. It's got a very distinctive hookline, but (of course) it will be ignored in the UK, that's pretty obvious. Would like to be wrong though!

Very nice to see that Sweden has boarded the Adam Lambert bandwagon - "Whataya Want From Me" is getting lots of airplay and is one of the highest climbers this week, sitting at no. 14 and is surely set to climb higher.

New Mylene Farmer live DVD on the way!

Found out today that a new live DVD of my all-time favourite French singer will be released on 12th April. The title is pretty self-explanatory - yes of course it was recorded at her Stade de France shows which took place last September.

Although I'm not such a big fan of her more recent material I always love to watch her concert DVDs which are truly a spectacle....I'm sure this will be no different, if the teaser clip on YouTube is anything to go by: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJWepgGI0mY

Anyone know what's happened to Poster Girl?

Been thinking about her quite a lot lately...just wondered if anyone knows what's happened to one of my most favourite bloggers?

If you are reading this PPG....please get in touch and let us know that you're ok :)

Retro Saturday: Adolphson & Falk

So while we're on the subject of long-forgotten 1980s Swedish pop, let's get to something completely wonderful - "Ifrån" by Adolphson & Falk. This is a fab slice of Swedish-language electro-pop which I still love as much today as I did all those years ago.

No video for this one but you may just love the song so much that it won't really matter....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wuwVi_QwnE

Retro Saturday: Hansson De Wolfe United

Something Swedish and obscure and rather funky in a late 70s/early 80s style....I remember Hansson De Wolfe United from back in the day, although I had forgotten about them again for a long long time. Recently my interest has been reawoken though. "En Tidig Morgon" is probably my favourite track of theirs but as I couldn't find it on YouTube I thought I'd throw in a bit of "Existens Maximum" instead: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMUEJh5PhdY&feature=related

Retro Saturday: Richard Marx

Again, I'm going "against type" tonight but "Hazard" was always a pretty special song back in the day so I thought I'd have a wallow again tonight! Some very interesting, and different lyrics, I think. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdmHHoI9beM

Retro Saturday: Joshua Kadison

Awwww...bit of mid-90s slush to kick us off tonight :)))

I'm not really into this kind of swaying ballad but this one always reminds me of holidaying in Belgium, so for that fact alone it will always merit a mention on EuropeCrazy :)

And I always have a soft spot for men with 'big hair' :O

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gre4DZuA6k4

This week's playlist: Now count to twenty and here we go again

Hello y'all....


4 O'Clock/Keep On Walking/Virgin Mary/Red Rock/Bloody Breakfast/This Is For - Salem Al Fakir: it's only April, but "Ignore This" is the album of the year. And nothing will change that very obvious fact.

Manboy - Eric Saade: this is what a weekend in Sweden does to you :)

You're Out Of My Life - Darin: ditto.

Unstoppable - Ola: one of the major 'radio hits' to come out of this year's Melodifestivalen, and rewarded this week with top spot in the Sverige Topplistan singles chart.

Kom - Timoteij: ditto. Dangerously catchy tune. Faithful travelling companion is obsessed with them....:))))

I'm Not Mad - Alex Gardner: is this going to be one in yet another long line of great lost blogland hits???

On A Mission - Gabriella Cilmi: at least this one did make the charts. Will need to check her album out.

Memories - David Guetta feat Kid Cudi: I heard this on holiday and didn't know who or what it was. Now I do, so it's a regular fixture on the old iPod.

Starry Eyed - Ellie Goulding: this is a strange one. I like it sometimes but other times it annoys me...yet it all seemed to make sense when I heard it on P3 whilst in Gothenburg!

Respect - Adeva: something from "back in the day" which for some strange reason I've got into all over again.

This weekend....the revival of my abandoned blog ;)

Fingers crossed that this blog finally gets back on track this weekend!!

So you can expect some chart updates, an album review or two, some Swedish telly stuff, a write-up of my Gothenburg trip and maybe even the return of Retro Saturday.

You can tell that I don't really have more exciting things to do this weekend but I think last weekend was exciting enough to last me a long long time :))))

The EuropeCrazy Holiday Hit List: Gothenburg, March 2010

Hej.....

I'm back from Sweden, from a rather fabulous weekend which included an updated contender for the best night of my life :)

Review of the concert to follow tomorrow at Planet Salem, once I gather all my thoughts and emotions together in a reasonable, logical place :)

Review of the rest of the trip to follow on here at some point soon, likewise :))

But in time-honoured tradition, here is my list of the songs which reminded me of my travels....

Keep On Walking - Salem Al Fakir: if this weekend was all-Salem, all-the-time, then thanks to the combination of Rix FM, Mix Megapol and P3, they ensured that I was never more than half an hour away from the theme song of my weekend....!

Manboy - Eric Saade: this went from being ever so slightly irritating around the time of MF, to being one of those songs which had us dancing around the hotel room. Even MF-hating faithful travelling companion was singing it by the end of the weekend :)

Kom - Timoteij: talking of whom, he's singing this non-stop too! I know it's probably wrong, but I like it too and I'm not ashamed to say it!!

Bad Romance - Lady GaGa: my other theme song of the weekend...I totally love this song and can't get enough of it!

You're Out Of My Life - Darin: one of the other major radio hits to come out of this year's MF.

Unstoppable - Ola: ditto. All over the radio, and I still like it :) Unfortunately I also heard a completely inappropriate remix of it at one point. I usually like these Swedish radio station remixes but that one didn't work for me :(

Whataya Want From Me - Adam Lambert: thankfully Sweden is really getting into him now - it's still to happen over here, but when it does it will be massive....

Walking In Memphis - Calle Kristiansson: a few months on from Idol and this is still getting lots of airplay. There's a remix of this too, and it's quite good.

Higher - Erik Gronwall: still getting airplay too.

All The Right Moves - OneRepublic: this seems to be doing pretty well, which is more than can be said for here in the UK when it was mainly ignored.

I'm Alive - Star Pilots: some good quality dance music, which you'd expect from them by now.

One more thing.....even though I had the radio on all the time, I only heard a certain Melodifestivalen 2010 winning song twice. Hmmm....

Break time!

For the three people in the world who don't know yet, I'm off to Sweden tomorrow to go and see Salem Al Fakir in concert in Gothenburg on Friday - I'm hoping to update Planet Salem whilst I'm over there, but this here blog should be back either late on Sunday night or definitely at some point on Monday.

See you all soon.

Peter the Duck!!!!!

Awwwwwwwww........ :)))

This probably won't make any sense if you don't watch "Harry Hill's TV Burp", but I just thought the winner of "The K Factor - So You Think You Can Knit" deserved his own celebratory post on here.

Photo courtesy of the Croydon Guardian, where you can find more info about the wingless-one...

http://www.croydonguardian.co.uk/news/5075400.Peter_the_Duck_wins_K_Factor_for_Croydon/

This week's playlist: But once again the sun is rising....

Keep On Walking/Brooklyn Sun/Virgin Mary/This Is For/Bloody Breakfast/I'm So Happy/Red Rock/4 O'Clock/Split My Personality - Salem Al Fakir: you didn't think I would "Ignore This", did you???? :))) New album. Pretty fabulous too. And I'm going over to Sweden to see him in concert next week. Excited doesn't even begin to describe how I'm feeling.

Unstoppable (The Return of Natalie) - Ola: officially my second-favourite song in Melodifestivalen 2010. And this song is taking on an ever so contagious role....

Down - Jay Sean: it's not exactly topical, but I find myself listening to this more and more.

A Place To Stay - Jenny Silver: maybe not quite right for Melodifestivalen, but getting more irresistibly hypnotic as the weeks go on...

Sucker For Love - Pauline: a particular favourite at EuropeCrazy HQ over the last 2 weeks. If Amy Winehouse was to compete in MF it may just sound something like this! It should have gone to the final.

My Destiny - Velvet: been listening to Rix FM and they've been playing this a lot. Effortless Euro-dance-pop. My kind of thing.

You're Out Of My Life - Darin: this is actually taking on a post-MF life for me, even though it's not usually what I like, as I prefer him more uptempo - but the whole 'I'm wounded and it hurts' thing seems to have the desired emotional effect this week.

Bad Romance - Lady GaGa: I had a little technological breakthrough this week: every time one of my calendar-reminders goes off on my phone, it plays this song. GaGa, ooh la la indeed. Decided this is probably one of the best pop songs of our time.

Ambitions - Donkeyboy: It's recently been a massive hit in Sweden for this great Norwegian combo. What a brilliant song - I never get tired of it, and don't think I ever will.

On A Mission - Gabriella Cilmi: still liking this, although had to have a break for a while as I overplayed it. Pretty great though. Looking forward to her album.

Yes Man - Bjorn Johan Muri: "My Heart Is Yours" may have triumphed in Norway's MGP this year but this has been the real commercial success. Very nice pop song it is too.