Chris Sorbello's Dangerzone - Preview

A couple of weeks ago I posted an exclusive first look at Chris Sorbello's "Dangerzone" video. Unfortunately, it was a little bit too exclusive and her record company asked me to take it down. Whoops! Since then I've actually seen the finished product but that doesn't make me any less excited about being given the green light to share this preview. "So Lonely" will always hold a special place in my heart but "Dangerzone" takes things to a whole new level. It's that rarest of breeds - a local film clip that actually stands toe to toe with the international big guns. I'm not sure how much it cost but Chris' glamorous spectacle looks expensive, which is half the battle won. I love the comic book panels, control room theme and fabulous styling. More than anything, I'm excited that "Dangerzone" is finally going to be unleashed on unsuspecting pop fans. I still remember the first time I heard the song way back in 2008 and it still rocks my world. As soon as I know more about the release date, remix package and promotion schedule - I'll let you know. In the meantime, whet your appetite with the incredibly hot teaser (below). How amazing does the new production sound?

Worst Duet Of All Time?

Someone recently asked me what I'd nominate as the worst duet of all time. It took a while for my brain to compute the long list of possibilities but I eventually settled on this jaw dropping disasterpiece. For those of you too young or too stoned to remember the mid-90s, Merril Bainbridge was briefly the golden girl of Australian pop. Her double platinum debut album spawned a couple of massive hits and she surprised just about everyone by repeating her success in America, where "Mouth" went on to become an unlikely top 5 hit. Merril looked set for big things but sadly it wasn't to be. Her second album peaked outside the top 50 and she never bothered the upper reaches of the charts ever again. You can blame changing tastes and the patchy nature of "Between The Days" (an album that I still love, by the way) but I think the real culprit is the unlucky diva's abysmal duet with Shaggy.

A rancid cover of Sonny & Cher's seminal classic, "I Got U Babe" is the musical equivalent of being raped with a chainsaw. It's inhumane and unbearably painful. There's nothing wrong with an odd couple but unlike Seiko and Donnie Wahlberg - this is NOT the right combination. These two have no chemistry whatsoever and their voices are a match made in Cheryl Cole's recording studio (ie. hell). Merril's soft, little girl voice is all but trampled by Shaggy's Jamaican twang - rendering the song utterly ridiculous. And yet, as bad as it is, I'm still glad to have this stunning #62 smash in my collection (above). I love car crash pop and I wish Merril would come out of hiding. She's a great songwriter and the world is ready for "The Garden Part 2"!

So tell me, what duet makes you want to pierce your eardrums with a rusty knitting needle? I can think of a few other contenders....

Catching Up With Sarah McLeod

About a month ago I posted Sarah McLeod's new single "Double R". I still think it's one of the best Australian pop songs of 2010 and can't wait to hear her half a decade in the making sophomore album when it drops next month. Sarah is currently on the promo trail to pimp and kindly took some time out to talk about her new electro sound, those pesky Rihanna comparisons and the Australian pop scene. Note to self - asking someone how they feel about their last flop is not the best icebreaker. It was said with love!

Sarah, it's been a year since our last chat. What have you been up to?
I've been living in New York, recording and producing music with a selection of different producers and musicians. It was great fun.

I loved "Tell Your Story Walking" but it didn't really take off the way you would have probably liked....
No, I love it when no one buys my records.

You've re-invented yourself again on "Double R". The sound is slightly darker and dirtier. Who or what inspired the track?
This song is about what a risky manouver it is getting intertwined in other peoples lives.

It's hard to avoid the comparisons with Rihanna - who also had a song called "Russian Roulette" and an album called "Rated R". Are you a fan? I remember you saying you liked "Breakin' Dishes".
Ha, yeah I am a fan but I didn’t know about the "Russian Roulette" thing till it was too late. My song is actually a few years old, and her one totally sucks.

Your sophomore album has been so long in the making. Are you constantly adding new tracks or does it have the same tracklisting as the one you talked about last year?
I wrote "Double R" in 2009 but all the rest are new. I have been adding and morphing the tracklisting for years.

I still want to know if "White Horse" made the cut!
Hate to break it to ya.....

Boo! Will there be songs on it for the fans who loved "Beauty Was A Tiger" or is it exclusively electro?
Well if it's guitars you're looking for you’ve come to the wrong place, but I've got some pretty rockin' tunes on there with some huge dirty synths. There's one song in particular called "Love And Honour" that is just ferocious .

How hard is it for pop acts to break in this country if you're not from Idol or a soap?
You have to work very hard to be in this business, there are no short cuts and it's not easy. You have to be good live. If you're good live you’ve got a chance of longevity.

Will you be doing gigs to promote the album?
The gigs are starting in October, stand back!

Finally, I'm a closet Living End fan. Would you ever work with Chris Cheney again?
I love Chris’ voice. I would work with him again if the project was right.

"Double R" is available to download from iTunes. There are currently no plans for a video, so check out the track below.

Get Outta My Way - Video Review

Once again, sorry for the delay between posts. Usually I'm just too drunk to type over the weekend but my computer crashed and I've been without the net since Friday. I guess that's what happens when you put 200+ Gigs of music on a shitty laptop! Anyway, I'll try to make up for it by being prolific this week. And the first cab off the rank is Kylie's "Get Outta My Way" video clip. To be honest, I'm not quite sure what to think. The teaser clip looked amazing but the finished product lacks something. Like a point. Don't get me wrong - I love the pretty lights, like most of the costumes and appreciate Kylie's stunning homage to Olivia Newton-John but I can't help but feel that such a cute, throwaway (in the best sense of the word) pop song needed something a little more fun and a lot less stylised. You know, I'm thinking Kylie working the dancefloor of her local RSL club on senior citizens' night. Picture her grinding on some toothless grandpa while her bored Spanish toy boy trawls for trade on Grindr. Let's keep it realistic, people! Sadly, that masterpiece will never eventuate so we're stuck with this. Here is my scene by scene commentary:

0:00 - 0:25 mins Pretty lights, gays on chairs and a lump of mutton dressed as lamb on the dancefloor. So far, so good.

0:25 - 0:50 mins Scary. Kylie's face hasn't looked this tight since "Red Blooded Woman". Happily, the choreography kicks in and I want a pair of Minogue senior's glowing gloves.

0:50 - 1:25 mins Min spins around on giant glowing Etch-A-Sketch. Amazing!

1:25 - 2:00 mins The America's Got Talent 'chair dance' routine. For once Madonna actually did do this first on her Blonde Ambition tour - consider it revenge for stealing the cover of "American Life" from Kylie's Che Guevara poster! The highlight of this segment is the beautiful gold corset and flattering hairstyle. Kylie looks almost as sexy as Dannii without make-up when she walks out of the shower in the morning, translucent with the glow of motherhood.

2:00 - 2:10 mins I'm not feeling that red monstrosity at all.

2:10 - 2:30 mins My favourite part of the clip! The impossible princess standing on a pontoon is a clear nod to Olivia Newton-John's heavenly "Twist Of Fate" video. When are these two legends going to join forces and record a completely age inappropriate duet?

2:30 - 2:50 mins A futuristic Mayan tranny being offered for sacrifice? No?

2:50 - 3:05 mins Nice editing.

3:05 - 3:30 mins Dance routine on pontoon + water splash = bonus points.

3:30 - 3:40 mins Can someone make me a Gif of the last 5 seconds? I want Kylie twirling around on that twinkly dancefloor as my new avatar on a certain fan forum that I'm supposed to be banned from!

Yeah, so it's ok. But I still think my idea is better!

7.5/10

Kylie - Change Your Mind

Why is Kylie standing next to a giant white dildo in this photo? You just know Dannii would straddle that fucker as soon as look at it. But I digress. The topic of today's post is old probably news to most of you. Earlier this week "Change Your Mind" found its way online (probably via Elle's outbox), becoming the first official leak from the "Aphrodite" sessions. Kylie's dreamy jam received a rather cool response from fans but I love it. Produced by Deadmau5, "Change Your Mind" is the kind of soft and lovely electronic embrace that the elderly Minogue does better than anyone. Admittedly, it takes a couple of listens to get into and sounds decidedly unfinished but the bare bones of a great pop song are there. The lyrics (apparently written by Jake Shears) are really quite odd - walking the fine line between romance and realism. Take this little gem: "Don't worry about me, I'm right where I belong. I'm better off all by myself but you might prove me wrong." Pretty! And then there's that fabulous sample of Deadmau5's own "Brazil". Unfortunately, Alexis Jordan got there first - sampling the track to stunning effect on "Happiness", which I posted back in June. That could be why "Change Your Mind" remains unfinished but I hope it eventually finds its way on to a Deadmau5 compilation because the track has so much potential. Check out a hot fan edit below. This is my song of the week!

Sky Ferreira - Covers, Ke$ha & Horse Shampoo

Sky Ferreira is electro-pop's current 'it' girl. Discovered on Myspace by Swedish super-producers Bloodshy & Avant, the American teenager has subsequently turned the music world upside down with her sexy image and edgy pop tunes. I have to admit I wasn't convinced until I heard her cover of Stevie Nick's "Stand Back" and realised that she isn't just another pretty girl with a synthesizer. Sky has the looks, attitude and - most importantly - talent to match the hype. Her major label debut "One" has just been released in the UK and it's absolutely brilliant. Make sure you check out the demented WAWA remix, which sounds like something Whigfield released in 1998. I'm obsessed! Anyway, I was lucky enough to have a brief chat with Sky about record label interference, the lingering 'Lolita' controversy and that glorious mane of hair. Here's what she had to say:

Hey Sky, can you please give us a re-cap of how you were ‘discovered’ for all the fans that are just jumping on board now?
Myspace. The internet. Sending a message to Bloodshy & Avant and having them sign me.

Are you the last of the Myspace sensations? The site seems to be losing a bit of relevance...
I don't know, am I?!? Maybe Myspace will have a re-boot soon.

“One” is an amazing track. What’s it all about?
Being ignored, neglected, rejected. My life story!

What was it like working with Bloodshy & Avant? They have worked with so many massive stars – was it a little intimidating?
Working with other writers and producers is ALWAYS intimidating.

Why are you going with a different song in America ? “One” sounds like a hit to me.
Nobody believes in it yet... not even the UK iTunes charts, apparently. They'll realize eventually! I think "One" is going to be a song that will be around for a really long time whether it's a 'hit' or not. Not trying to beat on my own drum, but it's a really special song!

Speaking of “Obsession”, you seemed a little annoyed about it being released as a single in an interview I saw recently. Is that right or was I smoking too much pot?
We were both smoking too much pot! Just kidding! Um, yeah. I was a bit annoyed. I love it but I always want to try to be innovative and stuff......

How different is working with someone like Ryan Tedder than Bloodshy & Avant?
They both are equally as amazing in different ways. They grew up on different music/cultures and make different music.

Tell me about “ 17” . I love that song. Is it autobiographical? Did you deliberately try to push buttons with the video clip? To me it just looks like a typical night out! Not really! I wanted the bedroom scene to be pretty more than 'raunchy'. I made out with boys... hasn't everyone? Doesn't mean I was doing it to Petey! It totally is a typical night out for a lot of teenagers. That's why it's so funny that people think I was trying to be "bad ass". I was really poking fun at it. But yes. I did that stuff.

What do you make of the comparisons with Ke$ha. Do you like her music/image?
We're nothing alike but blonde. Kesha didn't invent denim shorts. Also I'm not a fan of glitter.

Do you ever worry about the label toning down your image for the mainstream? Will amazing songs like “Sex Rules” and “Fucked From Above” make your album?
Yes. Everyone wants to keep it G rated or corny sexy. I'm not a gimmick. I write about things I 'shouldn't write about because I'm so young' - blah blah blah. Even when they don't let me do things, I always find a way of releasing my work and ideas no matter what. Without label money etc etc etc.

Who else have you worked with on the album?
Greg Kurstin, Dallas Austin, Colin Munroe/Cory Enemy, Paul Epworth,and I even did a song which was produced by my side band on the record.

I love your covers of “Stand Back” and “Animal”. Can you please stick them on a future single as a B-side?
If Stevie Nicks and Miike Snow let me! Sure, why not.

Last but definitely not least, how you maintain your lustrous locks? Your hair is stunning!
HUNNI. MANE 'N TAIL. Yes... I'm serious!

The Return Of CC Martini!

I almost died last night when I was trawling through the top 200 on iTunes and stumbled across a familiar name. Brace yourselves, bitches - my homegirl CC Martini finally has a hit! If you've been following the blog from the beginning, you'll know that the undisputed Queen of pip pop is a huge favourite of mine. In fact, between 2007 and 2009, she was the poster girl of Pop Trash Addicts. I featured her stunning singles, reviewed her amazing album, interviewed her several times and memorably passed out in the toilets of a Kings Cross nightclub after hitting the town with her! Unfortunately, Australia wasn't ready for CC's pop genius and she fled to LA for a fresh start. Since then she's been busy working on new material but has generally been pretty quiet. That is until the producers of a new television show called Hellcats made the incredibly wise decision to feature her seminal smash "Double Dutch" in their promos (below). As a result, CC's catchy cheerleading anthem is sitting pretty in the iTunes top 100 more than 2 years after it was first released. It's about time too. The song is still catchy as fuck and the educational lyrics about using cum as moisturiser are even more important today given global warming and the state of the ozone layer! Fingers crossed that Shock Records get behind the track and give it a push. CC needs the cash to fund her next masterpiece! Seriously though, what's next? "Bionic" shooting to #1 and going quadruple platinum?