New Music Monday!

Earlier this year the newly re-formed Alcazar released 'We Keep On Rockin' which peaked at #4 in Sweden. The The new Alcazar continue to release music as a trio with their new track - Inhibitions. This one isn't as catchy as their last that's for sure. It's very different from any other single they've released in the past. It actually reminds me of Geri Halliwells "Look At Me." Anyone else see that connection? Although I'm not AMAZED with the new track I'm definitely looking forward to the album which should be released soon!

Alcazar - Inhibitions

Katherine McPhee is fighting hard not to become another fallen Idol. After her first album was released in 2007 she was quickly dropped by her record label. It might have been the end of McPheever until she hooked up with the legendary David Foster. The two have been working together on a second album and the first of their songs has finally been released. It's being used to promote a Japanese Airline and is called 'All I Need Is You.' I much prefer this song to the kind of stuff she did on her debut album. Her voice is perfectly suited for these kinds of ballads. If she plays her cards right she could end up with a successful singing career. Hooking up with David Foster was definitely a smart move!

Katherine McPhee - All I Need Is You

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PS. Same Difference are now in Sweden working with the same people that worked with artists like Ace of Base, Steps and Enrique Iglasias... OMG I CANT WAIT!

Another Rainbow Shows You Who You Are...

This summer cities across the globe will celebrate Pride with rallys, parades, parties, music and celebrations. I find it so strange that people can hate, discriminate, hurt and kill other human beings just because or who they love. Every race, every sexuality, every gender... everyone deserves to be treated fairly and equaly.

Below are some of my favorite songs that stand for all of these things. Have a great summer! Turn up your stereo! And Don't Stop The Pop!

Magnus Carlsson - Another Rainbow

Alcazar - Someday

Stephen Gately - New Beginning

Boyzone - No Matter What

Savage Garden - Affirmation

Regina Lund - Rainbow Star

Xandee - 1 Life

The Attic Feat. Therese - The Arrival

BWO - Save My Pride

Tina Cousins - Wonderful Life

Darren Hayes - Listen All You People

Kate Ryan - We All Belong

Cher - Love One Another

Nina & Kim - Bortom Tid Och Rum

Prozzak - Be As

You Weren't There... Distant Far Away...

You know... I don't post enough ballads on here. Although I post a lot of upbeat pop songs... I have a soft spot for a good ballad. Although if you're a regular reader I'm sure you've figured that out by now. My love for Westlife is no secret.

When Lene Marlin debuted in 1998 with her first single 'Unforgivable Sinner' the song became the biggest selling single in Nowegian music history when it stayed at #1 for 8 weeks. Lene Marlin then had an international hit back in '99/00 with - 'Sitting Down Here.'

When she released her second album in 2003 the first single didn't fare as well and most of you probably never even heard it. The song was called - You Weren't There. The song isn't groundbreaking or anything... but there's something about it that I love. When I listen to it I feel like there is a lot of emotion there... I find it a very sad song. What do you think?

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Lene Marlin - You Weren't There

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You Hide Behind Your Lies...

Ok so his career may be over... his last album tanked and his two singles weren't exactly smach hits. There was a time when Gareth Gates was one of the biggest stars in the uk and he had some decent songs!

Now I never did listen to his newest album (the 2 singles did nothing for me,) but I've just been going through some old mp3's and came across one of his old gems. 'Lies' is a great track that was on his second album - Go Your Own Way. The album was sorta cool actually. It had 19 tracks split onto 2 discs... one titled Day and one titled Night. 'Lies' was on the day album and was written by some of the best Swedish song writers around.

The song may be dated... but if you love old cheesy pop songs and you missed this one... it's a great one to add to your collection.

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Gareth Gates - Lies

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An interesting tidbit is that Gareth Gates holds a record for the loudest fans. They broke the record by screaming at 130 decibles at a concert in Sheffield! Now that's something to be proud of :)

Chemistry... Look What You Do To Me

So the other day I was in HMV and a song came over the sound system... and I suddenly found myself singing along. The next track came on and again I found myself bopping along to the beat.

I finally had to stop and ask what it was?! How could I have never heard of these songs before?

I walked up to the counter to some scary looking punk/emo guy and asked him what was playing. In the most unhappy look you can imagine he says... "Donna Summer." He obviously wasn't a fan ;-) I was too embarassed to buy the album at that point. I mean DONNA SUMMER?

I never would have thought that I'd be posting about Donna Summer... but she has just released her first new studio album in the last 17 years! If you are a fan of pop music there are some fantastic songs on this album. I've only listened to half of it so far, but I had to post these two gems for you.

I think 'The Science Of Love' is officially one of my favorite songs of this year. It sounds NOTHING like Donna Summer.

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Donna Summer - Fame (The Game)

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Donna Summer - The Science Of Love

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For those of you that are too young to know who Donna Summer even is... check this out:
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Donna Summer - The Eternity Megamix

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I Don't Wanna Hurt Anymore...

IM BACK!

A huge apology for my sudden dissapearance. I just spent the last 2 weeks in Calgary for work and had no access to internet while I was away. I'm back though so spread the word and we'll get right back to the POP!

On Dec. 22nd 2001 Uk pop group Steps were performing their final stop on their 'Gold: Greatest Hits Tour.' Moments before the band were to hit the stage, band members Ian and Claire presented the other 3 with letters from their lawyers stating that they were leaving the group.

In an instant the Uk's biggest pop band were finished and the announcement was made public on Dec. 26th, 2001. While the other 3 members of the band felt betrayed by Ian and Claire, it was made worse when they found out that Ian and Claire were going going to release music as a duo from this point forward known as "H & Claire."

Their debut single received a lot of promotion, mostly off the back of the Steps split, there was a lot of interest to see what the duo would do. But Steps fans were divided over the duo's work. Many fans felt betrayed by the duo and refused to support them. The single debuted at #3 int he charts and the pair were also announced as presenters for SM:tv in the Uk, this gave them a built in audience to promote their music to.

By late 2002 the Uk chart scene began to change and move away from happy go lucky pop music. Their next singles charted at #8 and #10 but the final straw was when their album entered the chart at #53 and then fell off the following week.

Suddenly the band simply dissapeared. To this day there has never been an official announcement regarding the duo. There are rumours that although they are no longer recording together, they are still under a legal contract to WEA records, which means if Claire were to ever release solo material, she would be bound to release with WEA Records.

In a way I'm glad that H & Claire failed as a duo. It serves them right for the way they ended the band. At the same time I think the band split at the right time, they were on the top of their game and never had to stay together and watch people turn on the band.

As for H and Claire their solo music was mediocre at best... the album was fairly bland and probably isn't even remembered by many out there. That being said the band did produce one song that never really received the recognition it deserved.

'All Out Of Love' is a song that I can't get enough of 6 years after it's original release! It starts off slowly... builds up as it goes along... has a great dancey beat, a fantastic live dance routine and the video version even had a breakdown in the middle!

Another song to remember was Another You Another Me which was penned by Benny & Bjorn of Abba.

H & Claire - All Out Of Love

H & Claire - DJ

H & Claire - Another You, Another Me

Check out the fantastic dance routine to this song below!?
Does anyone else love this routine as much as I do?!

YDKP Will return on June 2nd!

Like A Flower Leaning Toward The Sun...

WOW! 4 months ago I was lucky enough to see one of the biggest acts of all time re-unite when I flew to L.A to see the Spice Girls on their reunion show. Last night I got the chance to see Mel C on her solo Canadian tour. It's so odd that only 4 months ago she played to 15'000 screaming fans, doing dance routines and wearing a dress... when last night she rocked out to an audience of about 200 people at a local night club.

Mel C is a born entertainer, she performed last night as if she were in front of 15'000 fans. But even more important was that it was clear she was having a lot of fun. She played a great show with songs from all 4 of her albums with a 5 piece band. While she sang almost every track from her new album (which was just released in Canada) she also sang most of her biggest hits, including the dance remix of 'I Turn To You' which will go down in history as one of the best remixes of all time. She proved last night that she can sing a fun pop song, jam to a rock song or bare her soul in a touching ballad. If you ever get the chance to see her perform it's a show you won't forget.

Mel C - Carolyna (Radio Mix)

Mel C - Better Alone (Pop Mix)

Mel C - Yeh Yeh Yeh

Quand tu l'as tu l'as

Kate Ryan's new single is really fun and the more I listen to it the more I like it. I've never been a huge fan of her stuff. I mean it's good, and I listen to her songs but besides Je T'Adore the rest of her songs just don't really stand out for me. I think Ella Elle L'a may be my second favorite song of hers now... plus her poptastic video for it helps. She's definitely channeling some Scooch in the vid!

The song is a cover or an 80's French hit and you can actually check out Alizee doing her version on French television acouple years ago.

Kate Ryan - Ella Elle L'a

In other news... I'm Mr. technology lately as I recently bought Tivo; which I never would have thought that I would need... and now that I have it... I don't know how I ever lived without it.

Also, I got to take part in a marketing survery recently where I got to test out a new accessory for my iPod. I got to test out Energizer's 'Energi To Go' kit which basically allows you to charge your iPod no matter where you are with a simple device that is powered with 2 double A batteries. So yesterday I was on the bus, watching video clips on my iTouch when sure enough the batteries died. I plugged the Energi To Go right on to my iPod and went right back to watching the videos. By the time I was finished not only did the ipod not die... but it ended up being fully recharged even while I was using it to watch video. Since I spend about 3 hours a day on a bus for my commute this little device has officially become my new life saver.

So there is my product placement for today... Tivo is my new best friend... and if you do any kind of travelling with your iPod... you should check out the Energi To Go kit.

Tell Me When The Morning Comes

Jarvis Church

I don't post songs from Canadian artists too often but I have posted about a Canadian band 'Prozzak' that had some big hits back in 2000. Well the 2 guys of 'Prozzak' come from a Canadian band called 'The Philosopher Kings' who peaked in the mid-90's are released an album as recently as 2006. The lead singer of the Philosopher Kings is Jarvis Church who has achieved some success in Canada as a solo artist and as a producer.

Anyways, I was listening to David Jordans album recently and his voice and style reminded me of Jarvis Church. His name may not sound familiar to you but he's worked with fellow Canadians Esthero and Nelly Furtado. So I dug through some of my old Mp3's and found a gem of a song - Who Will Be Your Man. It was probably the poppiest thing on his album which was released back in 2002. The song is catchy and he has a great voice. This may not be your typical cheesy pop song, but is definitely worth a listen to.

Meanwhile David Jordan is set to release his new single - Move On in the Uk which is a fantastic choice after the amazing 'Sun Goes Down.'

Jarvis Church - Who Will Be Your Man

David Jordan - Move On

Here In This Place I Never Thought We'd Be Today...

So now that everyone has had some time to reflect on Melodifestivalen I think It's a good time to bring this topic back up.

Why did the public turn on Carola and Andreas, two of the biggest singers in all of Sweden?

I think more than anything it was the publics way of pulling both artists back down to earth. I mean Carola had won Melodifestivalen in 2006, and Andreas had placed 3rd and 2nd place in the last two years. They each received massive amounts of publicity and success over the last two years because the public voted and supported each of them.

When the two of them decided to join forces for Melodifestivalen 2008, anyone would admit that they seemed like a sure fire winner. I think that's where the problem lies. What makes the competition so great is that anyone can enter and anyone can potentially win. When two of the biggest stars in Sweden join forces simply to take home first place it's almost like the public doesn't have a say anymore.

When they didn't make it directly into the finals and instead only qualified for the second chance round, the Swedish media had a field day! It didn't matter that they were beat by two fantastic tracks that deserved their spot in the final... suddenly people got excited that they could tear down the two singers. It was no longer a competition for best song... it was about ensuring that they didn't make it into the finals.

When they performed in the Second Chance round against Nordman they really stepped up their game. No other artist in the competition changed their routine like Johnsson and Haagkvist did. But for the first time in Melodifestivalen history... while Carola and Andreas were performing their competition were receiving an immense number of votes before they had even started to perform. Never has another artist received such a high influx of votes while the other act was performing. People weren't voting for Nordman at this point... they were simply voting against Carola and Andreas.

Once Nordman beat Carola and Andreas in the first round they never received the same number of votes again. What is even more unfair is that in all, Carola and Andreas received over 200'000 votes at the Second Chance round. Meanwhile Sibel received just over 100'000 votes and yet she qualified to the finale.

So what is the point of all this? I don't know that there is one. I'm sort of proud of the message that was sent by sending the duo out of the competition. It sends a message that it doesn't matter who you are, just because you're a big name, doesn't mean you'll win it all. Was it fair? I don't think so. At the end of the day the song was fantastic although I still would have voted for Charlotte. Finally, I can't help but feel bad for Carola. The media were seriously cruel to her while I was in Stockholm with her photos splashed across the front page of newspapers every day.

Will Carola ever do anything with the song contest again? Only time will tell... but perhaps the public simply need a break for awhile. I for one would love to see her surprise us all by taking some time off and then proving everyone wrong by re-entering with a fantastic song... perhaps a power ballad?!

'One Love' continues to be one of my favorite songs this year and the more I listen to their song 'Lucky Star,' which was meant to promote the duo in the lead up to the competition, the more I like it as well.

Johnsson & Haggkvist - One Love

Johnsson & Haggkvist - Lucky Star

Johnsson & Haggkvist - One Love (SoundFactory Radio Edit)

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This Is The Last Glance... Now We're Through

Recently I've fallen in love again with one of the best pop bands since 'Steps' took their final bow back in Dec. 2001.

The band is 'Six' and they were formed via the Irish 'Popstars.' After writing about Room2012 the other day I dug up my old Six album and have fallen in love with them all over again. I remember the day I received their album in the mail directly from Ireland. There was a big rainbow on the cover and all I could think was... this is going to be an AMAZING album. Boy was I right!

When the final 6 members were announced back in 2002 the band included 'Nadine Coyle' who is currently a member of 'Girls Aloud.' At the time Nadine had auditioned her way onto the show and ended up being chosen for the band. That was until she finally admitted that she had lied throughout the show and that she was only 16 years old when she auditioned for the band (Contestants were required to be 18 years of age.) As a result she was disqualified and replaced. Obviously she isn't upset because she went on to become a member of one of the best selling british girl bands of all time.

So in February 2002 after months of hype and build up the debut single was finally released. 'Whole Lot Of Lovin' stormed up the Irish charts and to this day remains the biggest and fastest selling Irish single of all time. The single was eventually released in New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Iceland and Sweden where it reached top 5 in all markets.

When their second single 'Let Me Be The One' hit number one in July 2002 the band looked to be on the verge of a the big time. The band toured with Westlife, released a top 10 album and were told that they would be launched in the Uk. The band were keen to break away from the "Irish Popstars" label and break into the Uk market based soley on their music.

As Louis prepared to launch the band in the Uk rumours began to surface that the London record label was pushing to have the band change their name. Apparently the name 'Six' was not very original. Not only was the record label unhappy with the bands name... they weren't convinced that 'Whole Lot Of Lovin' should be the first Uk single as it sounded "too Steps-Like."

A date was finally set for their the Uk release of 'Whole Lot Of Lovin' but that day came and went without a word. Their website went dormant and the band was mysteriously never heard from ever again.

At the end of the day you have to remember that Six were only the second Popstars act to from from the United Kingdom. When the band were launched the only other act around was Hear'Say who at the time were the biggest act England had seen in some time and there were no 'failed' popstars acts at the time.

When the band was launched they were told by their management and their record labels that they were a surefire hit, the songs sounded great and they were going to be rich. When you're 18 years old and you have people around you telling you that you're going to be massive and all your dreams are coming true you have no reason to believe that things could go horribly wrong.

What happened? Where did Six go? Who is to blame for their downfall?

The answer comes down to one man - Simon Cowell who at the time was the head of the BMG Uk. When the time came to finally release their music in the Uk Simon Cowell pulled the plug on the project when he decided that the band were noth worth the financial risk and that they would not be successful in England. Although the band were still being managed by Louis Walsh, the group was under contract to BMG Uk who still owned the rights to release music from the band if they chose to. The problem was, although Simon Cowell had no intention of releasing music from Six in the Uk... he did not release them from their contract which meant they couldn't sign with another label.

So for one year back in 2002 the world was at their fee and Six were on top of the world. If you missed all that was Six you can download some ace tracks below.

Six - Let Me Be The One

Six - This Is It

*Hopefully I'm not the only one worried about this happening to Same Difference? Their single has been delayed for a second time and looks like it won't be released until the summer.

Show Me A Mountain i Can't Climb

YES! So I woke up this morning... opened my mailbox to find a signed copy of Charlotte Perrelli's new album - Hero.

I've given it a quick listen to and here are my initial thoughts. First of all this is the first time I've ever really listened to a lot of her material. I know Take Me To Your Heaven of coarse... and I've heard the odd single here and there, but I've never listened to one of her albums before.

My first thought is that I really like her voice. She really is a versatile singer and really can sing anything. Like Sanna's album I would describe this as an international sounding album. It is not an album full of Schlager songs unfortunately... but there is something on here for everyone and it's going to appeal to a broad audience! You have 'Hero' and 'Bullet' for the schlager fans. There's a wide variety of ballads and then you get some mid-tempo treats like 'Not Alone' 'Addicted' and 'Slowly.'

Is it the must have pop album of the year? Not even close, but it's a nice album, easy to listen to... but not overly catchy. Besides 'Hero' and 'Bullet' you won't have these songs running through your head 24/7. All I can say is thank god for Fredrik Kempe who wrote half the songs on the album. This man is a pop genius and I cannot wait to hear his new group that PPG mentioned on her blog while back.

If you haven't heard Bullet you are missing out! It's going to be her next single and is FANTASTIC! Really hard hitting and the perfect follow up to 'Hero.' A ton of blogs have already posted it so instead you can check out this one which is also a bright spot on the album.

Charlotte Perrelli - Show Me A Mountain

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Just Like The Sun In Heaven... We Will Be Glorious!

So I've been super busy lately and not posting as often as I'd like to... I have a stack of songs that I wanna post so please bear with me and I'll get to them eventually.

I know Melodifestivalen JUST ended and Eurovision isn't even over yet... but that hasn't stopped me from speculating over who will enter Melodifestivalen next year!

There are new artists that enter every year, acts that are looking to expand their fan base by entering the competition and then there are the established acts that return to the competition after a few years away.

Who will enter in 2009?! I have a wish list going already and one of those artists is Shirley Clamp. She has turned her back on schlager but I think that by next year the timing will be right and it would be the perfect time for her to launch a new album.

Of the 4 albums Shirley has released, the first two are fantastic pop albums that any pop fan would be proud to own; songs like Att Alska Dig and Lever Minna Drommar are timeless!

If songs sung in Swedish aren't your thing... she has a track from her debut album called 'Champions' that is worth a download. The song was Sweden's official soccer world cup song in 2004. Can I just say that I love the fact that the world cup song in Sweden is a really gay pop song... sigh... only in Sweden.
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Shirley Clamp - Champions

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Who do you want to see back in the competition next year?!

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I'm Trying To Be Cool But You're Making Me Hot

TrueBliss, Bardot, Velvet Empire, Sugar Jones, No Angels, Girls Aloud, Hear'Say, Bro'Sis, Monrose...Room 2012?

What do these bands have in common?

They were all formed by various versions of the television show 'Popstars.' The show began back in 1999 in New Zealand with the creation of girl group - TrueBliss. The show concept was then sold internationally and over the next 5 years the airwaves and charts were inundated with 'Popstars' acts. Eventually the shows popularity waned and the show was dropped in every country except for one. Almost 10 years after its debut the show is still creating new bands and is still successful. That country is Germany! Although it was also announced last year that the 'Popstars' show will return to France this year as well.

The latest band to come from Germanys 'Popstars' are Room2012. The show started last summer and were announced the winners in December 2007. Room2012 are the 6th band to win the German competition but are also the first band to win that did NOT have their debut single or album go to number 1 in the charts. In fact their second single bombed when it peaked at #52 last month.

So what does this mean for the future of the show? I have to admit that I was sort of shocked to hear that the format was still being used... I guess those Germans really do love their popstars! But the lack of success for Room2012 has me asking the question... how important are record sales to shows like this?

Look at American Idol which is on it's 7th season in the US. For the first time in it's run the show is starting to show it's age. The show is still a powerhouse in the ratings... but thsoe ratings have started to dip this year. Of the 6 previous winners how many of those winners have truly had any real success? The list is extremely short. I would argue that the only true success has come from Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood. Of coarse I'm not including some of the other finalists that have had a lot of success such as Clay Aiken, Chris Daughtry and Kellie Pickler.

Are these shows really about the best singers? Do the right contestants win these shows? And if the public is choosing the right winners why are they not more successful?

Check out a list of the best selling American Idol contestants Here.

I do know this... American Idol isn't going anywhere anytime soon. I believe the entire cast of Judges and Ryan Seacrest are under contract until 2010.

Check out the latest single from Room2012 below:

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Room2012 - Naughty But Nice

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Broken Hearts and Fading Dreams...It's Not So Easy As It Seems

Evan

I've spent a lot of time posting about artists who are immensely talented but for whatever reason never really saw the success that they deserve. Evan is one of these artists. His two albums are probably the most amazing albums I've ever owned. It's dissapointing that he never really had the success that he should have. His music is so unlike anything else around it's the kind of music that should be celebrated for breaking away from the same old typical sound that every other artist copies over and over.


The introduction on his website reads:
"Do you like your music tasteless and restrained? If so, don't read on... because Evan is the very opposite."


"Less is more? I don't agree. More is more" Evan suggests with a smile. And that is exactly what you get when you listen to his songs. His passionate songs, romantic lyrics and rythym make songs like Queens "Behemian Rhapsody" seem pale in comparison.


In 2003 Evan sent out a demo of his songs to record labels across Sweden. By chance someone had left his cd in the player and it was discovered by the head of music and programing at RIX FM. This lead to his being signed to 'Stockholm Records' and his debut single was released in July 2003. Besides a few small guitar parts, every intrument on his debut album was performed by Evan himself. Besides writing, singing, mising and recording his own music, he's also produced remixes for artists like BWO, Alcazar and Agneta Faltskog of ABBA.


In 2006 Evan made his debut in Melodifestivalen with his song 'Under Your Spell' which would become the first single from his second album. Although he didn't make it out of his semi-final, the esposure created a new fan base and kick started the promotion for his second album.


In 2007 Evan decided to focus on writing and producing for other acts and that decision led to his return to Melodifestivalen this year when his song 'When You Need Me' was chosen to compete in this years competition.



The first time I heard Therese Andersson sing 'When You Need Me' I immediately thought that it sounded like the kind of song Evan would sing. So I wasn't surprised to hear that he did in fact write the song. The song is typical of his style; grand and pompous music, filled with tragedy and romance that has really become his calling card. With his music the lines between genres are blurred and you get a musical experience that no other artist has the guts to release.


Earlier this month I had the chance to interview Evan and ask about his experience in Melodifestivalen this year:


Listening to your albums and other songs you've written and remixed, you have a very unique sound and style that comes across in the songs you write. How would you describe your sound? What is your inspiration?


"I want my music to be timeless and maybe a bit dramatic with a touch of both fairytale and reality. I guess my inspiration comes from everything that touches me in real life and I try to have my 'own' sound."


Your song 'When You Need Me' was selected to take part in Melodifestivalen this year and was sung beautifully by the amazing Therese Andersson. What was it like working with her? What did you think of her performance?


"I think her performance was great but even better in Kiruna than in Linkoping. She was really easy to work with both in the studio and 'live' and I hope we get to work together on more songs in the future."


You have participated in Melodifestivalen in the past with "Under Your Spell," did you feel less pressure this year since you didn't have to perform the song yourself? Do you prefer to be on stage or behind the scenes working with other artists?


Of coarse there was less not being an artist this time, no pressure at all actually because I felt that Thérèse was such a great artist, I was so relaxed, knowing she would make a great performance.
Even though it would have been better in an economical point of view to be an artist in the show, it felt really good to "only" be a writer and producer this time.


If you could write a song for any artist, who would you like to write for?

I have recently "discovered" the band Within Temptation from the Netherlands and I think they are playing the kind of music I am pretty interested in. A mixture of metal and symphonic stuff. I used to be a pretty soft music guy but now I feel I have found a harder side of myself that i want to discover more.

Melodifestivalen is obviously a great opportunity for a lot of exposure in Sweden. You've entered the competition twice now. Would you consider submitting songs in the future?

Yes, of course.


Next month Eurovision will take place and a lot of countries have resorted to sending songs that can best be described as a joke i.e. Dustin The Turkey from Ireland. Do you think the Eurovision Song Contest is still relevant in 2008? Are the right songs winning or has it become too political?

Let´s say I prefer to have Italy in the show rather than Turkey and "friends", but I find it pretty amusing hearing very different kind of music but i don´t think the quality always is top of the line, unfortunately. Maybe it will be a good final this time with two semifinals.

In only 5 years you've had a successful career singing, writing, producing and remixing. What would you like to achieve that you haven't yet?

My initial goal in my music career was to sell 5 million albums... so I guess I still have a long way to travel...Joke aside, I will work really hard to reach out with my music outside sweden for the next years to come.


Your albums continue to be two of my favorite albums of all time. What is your favorite song from the albums?

My favorite song if I had to pick only one is "Afterglow" which has a moment of magic. There are other songs that mean a lot to me but maybe are not among the "best" song.Like "Everything I´d ever do", "The way we used to make love" and "Farewell" which are among the first songs I wrote where I started to think that my music was maybe qualified for being on a record...of course a lot of people don´t agree with me on that point... ;-)

Finally, did you vote for Sanna or Charlotte?!

I vote for Charlotte.



A massive thank you to Evan for taking the time to answer my questions.
You can purchase both of Evan's albums Here.


Evan - Farewell
You MUST listen to this song entirely. It's simply amazing... it's like 3 songs in one and really explodes at the end!


Evan - Dance With Me


Evan - Turn The Lights Down Low


Therese Andersson - When You Need Me (SoundFactory Club Mix)

New Music Monday... On A Tuesday!

Hey Guys...

So I haven't done a new music monday post in awhile... but I've been sitting on some songs that aren't exactly worthy of their own post... so I'm just going to compile them all in one for y'all!

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Euroband

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Eurovision is less than a month away now and the artists are busy promoting their singles across Europe, doing interviews, releasing videos and performing for anyone who will listen.

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When I first heard Icelands entry I wasn't immediately sold on the song. It seemed too much like a generic dance track from the early 90's. But I've gone back and listened to it again and I'm LOVING this song. It's everything that's perfect about pop music. It's fun, cheesy and extremely polished. Euroband is made up of two Icelandic singers who truly love Eurovision and everything it stands for. Both singers have tried to enter Eurovision in the past as solo artists and this year they finally get their chance.
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Will the song win Eurovision? No... but it's definitely going to be a bright spot in the competition! I just listened to the song 5 more times since writing this and I love it even more now.
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Also if you haven't seen their HILARIOUS music video for this song you need to look it up on youtube right now!
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Euroband - This Is My Life





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Varsity

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I had hoped that US record labels had finally given up on creating new teenage boybands, but just when you thought it was safe 'Varsity' have hit the scene. Their record label has tried extremely hard to set themup for success. They've recorded songs from Timbaland and Ryan Tedder (Of OneRepublic). I find their songs to be too "safe" and a little boring. If you're going to make a new boyband at least try and give us something a little different. They're nowhere near as good as bands like Busted/McFly/Phixx/V. Also their outfits remind me of Steps if Steps were a boyband and trying to be cool. What's with all the matching bright colors? I'm sorry but these guys just don't do anything for me at all. The songs are extremely bland/boring/un-inspired/American.

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Varsity - Future Love
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Basshunter

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Jonas Altberg, AKA. Basshunter is a perfect example of the opportunities that have opened up for artists because of the internet. Jonas started to produce music from home back in 1999 and in 2004 he released his own album via his website.

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Before long he was receiving job offers from clubs across Europe and eventually won a record deal with Warner Music. His music is best described Eurodance and he's had considerable success throughout Europe. His big hit was of coarse "Boten Anna" which eventually became the english hit "Now You're Gone."
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Basshunter is currently trying to build on the international success by releasing a cover of 90's dance hit - Please Don't Go.
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Basshunter - Please Don't Go

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New Kids On The Block

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Does anyone really care that New Kids On The Block are back? I vaguely remember songs like Step by Step and Hang Tough, but I guess I'm too young to really appreciate their reunion? I think the problem with NKOTB is that their songs really aren't timeless and don't really mean anything today. I think the band realises this as well and this is why the band are really focusing on their new material which they say is the reason they're back together... the songs were simply too good to pass up.

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A few songs have leaked onto the net including 'Click Click Click.' I have to say this one really grew on me. I'm really interested to see what the rest of the album will sound like. I've always had a soft spot for Joey McIntyre and I really like the way their voices sound together on this track. So time will tell if the new album stands up to all the hype they're trying to create around it.

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New Kids On The Block - Click Click Click

In My Darkest Hour You Surely Give Me The Power...

So I'm a little behind on this but I needed acouple days to really listen to Sannas album and give it a chance before I judged it.

My final verdict is that this is an extremely strong album (Which fits the title perfectly) and a great step towards becoming a star outside of Sweden. As much as I would love to see more schlager tunes from Sanna, when she sang Empty Room at Melodifestivalen this year, she really proved that she has what it takes to really be an international artist.

So this album is the first step in that direction. For an in depth review check out what PPG had to say on her blog. The album has ballads, songs with a hint of country and upbeat radio friendly tracks as well. This album could easily fit in on the music store shelves here in North America and 'Empty Room' could potantially be a hit here if she played her cards right. Do I think it'll ever happen here in North America? No... but there are a lot of doors that will be opened for her because of this album.

The shining star on the album is 'Nobody Without You' which I predict will be one of my top 10 songs of the entire year in 2008! Another track that I'm really happy with is 'Strong' which can best be described as a really nice song.

Sanna Nielsen - Strong

Erik + Mattias + Danny = E.M.D

Super boyband E.M.D's second single - Jennie Let Me Love You debuted in the top 10 this week in Sweden. If they boys play their cards right they could turn that into another #1 single over the next few weeks.

If you still don't know who E.M.D are they're a relatively new act made of up 3 swedish singers, two of them being ex-Idol contestants. Danny and Erik both had relatively successful solo careers before joining E.M.D. so you may wonder why they put their solo careers on hold to come together as E.M.D. Well let's be honest... these guys could stand on stage and read me the dictionary and I'd still buy their album. So I imagine the record companies saw dollar signs in their eyes when they realised they could put 3 good looking and popular singers together to form a band that would have an immediate fan base. Even if the band dind't work out the boys could easily return to their solo careers.

Thankfully they've released some decent music to go with their looks. Their debut single (A cover of the classic - All For Love) was a number 1 hit ... although it was a bit bland and really didn't add anything to the original. Things have changed with their new single though which is a great pop/rock track.

If you're a fan you can expect a full album from the boys on May 14th! If the song writers are any indication, this is going to be a HOT album! The best place to purchase that album would be Here.

E.M.D. - Jennie Let Me Love You

Also, check out this great performance below!

I've Been Sitting Watching Life Pass From The Sidelines...

"Sometimes the world tries to knock it out of you...

But I believe in music, the way that some people believe in fairy tales."

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If you are a fan of music that moves you... music that is epic, haunting, sweeping and dramatic; if you are a fan of movies that have the power to make you cry even if they are really sappy and maybe even far fetched... you need to see the movie 'August Rush.'

The movie was released recently on DVD and has basically been dismissed by film critics across the board. Despite the reviews I'm going to go out on a limb and say that this movie is probably one of my favorites this year. Sure the acting is superb and I'm not ashamed to say that I may have even cried a bit... ok I cried a lot!!

What really brings the whole movie together and makes it really special is the music. The music is filled with so much emotion. If you pay attention to the Oscars you may have noticed that one of the songs was nominated for "Best Original Song." This week the soundtrack has shot up the iTunes album chart into the top 5 overall! The song has been on the billboard top 100 albums chart for the last 14 weeks!

I rarely post this kind of thing... but I'd love to see what any of you think of the movie/music. Check out some amazing tracks from the soundtrack below. I had a hard time picking my favorites but there you are:

August Rush - August's Rhapsody

This song makes up the dramatic finale. This is the reason I bought the soundtrack... I cannot get enought of this track.

August Rush - This Time (Sung By Jonathan Rhys Meyers)

This haunting ballad is sung by the lead actor who you may recognize from various movies and TV shows.