Update

Apologies for the lack of posties- I'm back in the UK with the Island Monkeys and the first computer ever made.Seriously,even your old Amstrad ones with the tape decks were quicker.Anyway,I hope to remedy this within the next week or so by means of a new computer,but if not,I'll be back in good old Deutschland on January 3rd with a semi-reliable internet connection.In the meantime,you could always have a looky at the best song I've heard in the last week- Allein Allein by Polarkreis 18.Youtube linking is out of the question for this biblical relic,but I'm sure you can find it yourself if you really want to :)

Top 50- 27: I'll drop my guns and bring a bouquet

BWO- Lay Your Love On Me

If only there was room for such fabulousness on Deutsche Bahn trains.My trips to Flensburg would be far more enjoyable.Sod the Hung Up thing,this song is infinitely better than anything that old witch could create (bar her 80s stuff of course,that was rather fab).Also brings back very happy memories of dancing at the Scala at the Eurovision party in April.Best night of the year,definitely :)

Top 50- 28: One day you will be mine and that's the way I feel

Aleksei Vorobyov- New Russian Kalinka

No wait,a man that hot deserves 2 pictures.



Note the scarves in both of them.I'm a big fan of men in scarves.

Mmmmmmm....As well as being the fittest man alive (yes,it's official),Lyosha is a great pop singer.The original message of the New Russian Kalinka that we liked so much- ie,give Russian music a chance- has been lost in the new version (the New New Russian Kalinka?) and it just isn't as good when it's about a girl.Doesn't make much sense.I still think the original would have been great at ESC- bet Europe's grandmas would have loved him being the nice wholesome Russian boy that he is (I know my nan would have anyway),every other woman in Europe would have loved him,the gayers would have loved him...Oh! And NRK is a million times better than Believe of course.

Top 50- 29: I'm asking you to change my life

Tiziano Ferro- Indietro

Alla mia età is Tiziano's best album to date I think.I've only listened to the whole thing once (on youtube that is)- mother bought me the CD in Italy and I haven't been back to Britain to be able to listen to it yet- but I liked pretty much all of the songs from the first listen,which can't be said about the other albums of his I have.I'm picking Indietro because it's kind of anthemic I think.At least,the chorus is anyway.I'm really not loving the English version with Kelly Rowland,something about it just doesn't sound right.But it's still good to hear Tiziano singing in English (and Kelly doing her Italian bit at the end!),and there's some nice lines in it,such as "I thought I was cursed, destined to be lonely,a circle in a world of squares where nobody knows me" Love it.

Top 50- 30: Aching to get you alone and tell you you're still the only one

Charlotte Perrelli- Black and Blue

I feel like I'm in the minority when I say I love the Hero album.With the exception of Holy Man,which is just annoying,I think every song is great.Admittedly I shouldn't really say that about Appreciate- I'm lucky if I get to the end of the first chorus without crying like a baby- but I really think it's one of the best albums of the year.Black and Blue is my favourite because I do love a big ballad,and they don't come much bigger.I adore the lyrics in particular...yeah,that's all I'll say.

Top 50- 31: Pride's the cure

BWO- Bells of Freedom

Back in September it was decided that if Queer Idol ever becomes a real programme,it will be presented by Paul from Fizzy Pop,and the ITV2 spinoff show by me.I'm sure you'll agree that's a great idea :) Now I might have an aversion to schlager,but I do love BWO- particularly their most schlagertastic Melodifestivalen stuff.Also really loving Rhythm Divine at the minute,but that's old so I couldn't count it.As well as the song itself being great,I love the fact it's this year's Europride song.Straight as I may be,anything to do with gay pride makes me all warm and fuzzy.

Top 50- 32: And you speak without saying anything

Giusy Ferreri- Novembre

If ever I had a style icon,it would be Giusy Ferreri.She looks goddamn fabulous in the Novembre video.Anyway.I'm not a big fan of the whole Amy Winehouse thing,but somehow it kind of works in Italian,because (well in my case anyway),I expect either big ballads or sub-standard pop songs from Italian singers.I like everything else of Giusy's that I've heard so far too,some of which may or may not be coming up later in the chart.

Top 50- 33: I pray that you're missing me the way I'm missing you

Marie Picasso- Out of My Hands

Marie's album was released last year,but it was near the end of December,and as I discovered it this year,it still counts :) It's a very good album actually,not a hint of schlager and with varied,super tunes from the 80s-tastic Romeo to the amazing power ballad that is Miracle,and this somewhere in the middle.Again,I like the lyrics to Out of My Hands,and it's a good song to sing to.If you feel like singing.I think I said it before- if only our Big Brother contestants were so talented...

Top 50- 34: One night you'll see,I'll escape from fate

Paolo Meneguzzi- Era Stupendo

There's been a right proper Italian renaissance going on in this blogger's life this year.Maybe Paolo started it.It was a shame Era Stupendo didn't get through the semis- it was my early favourite in the competition,and I still think it's a great Eurovision song,and maybe would have even won a few years ago before ethnic started to be the in thing and you had to have a silly over-the-top performance.But whatever.To be honest,Paolo's vocal wasn't quite up to it on the night,and that worked against him.But it's a brilliant song all the same.

Top 50- 35: How can I move on when I'm still in love with you?

The Script- The Man Who Can't Be Moved

I still can't quite believe that The Script are Irish.Not because Ireland doesn't produce good bands,but...actually,no,I can't think of another Irish band I particularly like.But anyway,We Cry was a good song,but this one is even better.The concept appeals to me,and I like the chorus especially.

Top 50- 36: Every day on earth...*

Dima Koldun- Kazhdiy Den Na Zemlye

Dima K hasn't been as brilliant this year as he has been in the last few years.Maybe it's because he's all busy with this rock opera thing he's doing.But a few months ago,Kazdhiy Den Na Zemlye was my song of the moment.Nowhere near the greatness of Ya Dlya Tebya or Nikagda or V Ritme Tansa (where that lovely lovely picture comes from),but it's OK.As middle of the road music goes.

*Quite literally the only (half) line I know

Top 50- 37: You think I'm strong and know the way

Ich+Ich- Stark

Ich+Ich were introduced to me by another of my acquaintances here in Kiel.Having heard his usual taste in music,I wasn't expecting too much from them,but I was very pleasantly surprised.If you don't know- Ich+Ich are Annette Humpe and Adel Tawil (who did the Prison Break theme Ich Glaub an Dich with Azad).He has a very lovely voice indeed,as does Annette on the occasions she sings.Stark is a nice chillout song I think,although the lyrics are pretty sad (general theme being stuck in a rut and not knowing what to do with your life by the looks of things).The duo's latest single comes later on in my chart...

Oh dear oh dear :(

My fears are confirmed- the Litesound/Dakota duet is awful.



I mean,it's OK,it's hardly Do You Believe and would be completely out of place at Eurovision.Dimitry's voice is great as ever,but the song would sound a million times better if they,erm,ditched Dakota maybe? Just my suggestion.Anyway,they made it through to the final somehow,so someone must have liked it.

I didn't even know the semi final was tonight,what sort of Belarussian music fan am I?!

Anyway,these peeps are also in the final...

Petr Elfimov- Eyes that never lie (ugh)
Domenika- This is my day (it's certainly not my day)
Gunesh- Fantastic Girl (do we really have to be subjected to Miss "I'm so quirky" Gunesh every year?)
Veter v Golove- Or-or-and (if you just listen and don't watch,it's bearable.Just about)

Methinks it won't be necessary to start planning your trip to Minsk in May 2010 just yet.Seriously Belarus,you have Dima,you have Ruslan,you even have Dima's brother!They can't be the only good singers you have,surely?Sort it out!

Top 50- 38: Who looked inside my head and built you from my dream?

Farin Urlaub Racing Team- Atem

Another song that my favourite Flensburger sent me.Farin Urlaub is one third of Die Ärzte,and the Racing Team is his other project,who've apparantly got 2 albums out.I didn't know that.I only have 2 of their songs- but this is much nicer than the other one.I like how it takes over a minute for the bass and the drums to start,and I especially love the instrumental from 2.13 onwards.That's all I can really say.It feels weird writing about rock just after listening to Annie :)

Top 50- 39: Life's too long for you to get it wrong

Annie- I Know Your Girlfriend Hates Me

A bit of saccharin pop never hurt anyone,and methinks there should be lots more of it about.If I didn't like the lyrics to this song so much,I'd probably find it really annoying.But they're good lyrics,so it's all alright :) There's a lot to be said for putting ring-a-ding-a-ding-a-ding-ding-ding in a song to improve it too.I like it,it's probably my second favourite song feature of the year- after BiS's clappy bits in Katya.

Top 50- 40: Everything you do seems to be in slow motion

Teitur- Start Wasting My Time

The Singer is an...interesting album.I don't really know what else to say about it.The songs don't move me like they do on Poetry and Aeroplanes,and there aren't as many easy-listening radio friendly songs on it as there are on Stay Under the Stars.And there doesn't seem to be a theme running throughout the album like on the previous two.So it stands out,but is still very good indeed.Lyrically brilliant as always,songs range from the sinister You Should Have Seen Us to the insanely upbeat Catherine the Waitress.And somewhere in the middle is Start Wasting My Time.I'm not sure why it's become one of my favourites from The Singer,but I do love the chorus (somehow it fits the theme of laziness really well I think) and the build up to it,the mad piano bit at the end,and the backing singers.It seems so long ago that I saw Teitur in Denmark that I can't remember if he did this song or not,but either way,I love the video in the link of him performing it in Berlin.

Top 50- 41: There's always someone out there who will care for you

Maria Haukaas Storeng- Hold On,Be Strong

This grew on me quite a lot just before we saw Maria at the Eurovision party at the Scala.Before that,I was just bitter about Zuma not winning.I'm surprised it did so well at Eurovision really,although any kind of victory for Norway makes me very happy indeed :) I thought in a world of pirates,glitz and ice skaters,it would be overlooked,but its simplicity really works I think.It's nice to see a song do well simply because it's a good song sung by a good singer.Despite my loathing of Melodifestivalen,I'm intrigued to hear Maria's duet with Sahlene (singer of one of my all time favourite ESC songs).With all the other big names in MF,I doubt they'll win or anything,but it will be interesting I think.

Top 50- 42: We shared our lives for a few days and weeks

Philipp Poisel- Wer Braucht Schon Worte

Philipp Poisel is easily my best musical discovery of the year,all thanks to my favourite Flensburger who got me all interested by sending me the brilliant Unanständig.At that time I was despairing of the German music scene,and needed something new and exciting.Mr P is it.Wo Fängt Dein Himmel An is undoubtedly one of the best albums of the year,and Philipp's sometimes Teitur-esque music and wonderful lyrics about all aspects of short-lived romances leaving their mark on you,please my ears very much indeed.I love all the songs on the album,with the major exception of one,but this one just stands out because of the lyrics- particularly the whole Baltic Sea reference :) Read about some other songs on the album here.

Top 50- 43: In case you didn't know,I really care for you

Kurt Nilsen- Rise to the Occasion

Sod the whole Guns n Roses thing,I'd been waiting to hear the whole of Rise to the Occasion for 2 whole years- the new single from Norway's best singer (and I feel I must add "in my opinion" to that sentence),is far more exciting than a probably boring album from some hasbeen rock band.I'll be honest,I'm not really into the whole country thing that Kurt's doing these days (although he did duet with Willie Nelson,which surely would have given him a few extra points in the Rye Experience household),I much prefer the good old grown-up pop days of A Part of Me,but Rise to the Occasion is lovely.Sad but lovely.The lyrics are wonderful,as you'd expect of Kurt.

Top 50- 44: Baby we've got to stop pretending

Zuma- Always Always

I've played this so much this year that it probably should be higher up the list,but hey,there's been so many great songs this year- competition is tough! ;) I was so annoyed Zuma didn't get to the MGP final- as annoyed as I was happy that Lene Alexandra didn't get through either.But of course Maria did a great job for Norway,and as great as Always Always is,I doubt it would have finished higher than Hold On,Be Strong.Anyway,great singer,great sound,just the right level of catchy...and who'd have thought a pop song mentioning sprouts and badgers would be so super?

Top 50- 45: Got one desire,and that is to go straight to your heart

Sergey Lazarev- Flyer

Better than Believe,better than Believe,better than Believe...I think that's all there is to say about this song really.Poor Sergey though,if there was ever a Russian pop star perfect for Britain,it's him.And he tried.But performing at kids' discos isn't really the stuff pop dreams are made of.OK,so he did a few club nights too,but it all amounted to nothing really.The album was never released here and...well,let's not mention Girlfriend.Although it has been played at least 4 times on British radio,so that's something :)

Top 50- 46: Turn the unthinkable to reality

Dima Bilan- Believe

Ugh.I still have a love-hate thing with this song.But whatever,Russia won ESC and that's the main thing.Of course it was all to do with political voting.Everyone knows the ex Soviet Union countries are so scared of Russia that they know they must vote for them at Eurovision to maintain peaceful relations.One vote for anyone other than Russia and Mr Putin will cut off the oil and gas supply to your whole country- be warned! Oh,and of course any western countries that may have given Russia points obviously did so because all the Russian and Eastern European immigrants were hurriedly phoning up,also trying to keep Mr P happy.Ooh,maybe that's why there's a lot of immigration- it's all a big Eastern European conspiracy to make Russia win Eurovision.Wow...Because western Europeans cannot possibly like Russian music.Don't be absurd.And Dima isn't one of Russia's biggest stars who's worked hard to become recognisable and successful to millions of voters outside of Russia.No no no,it's political voting.The people in Western Europe who send crap songs to ESC every year said so.So it must be true.

Top 50- 47: Stick to the beat

US5- Round and Round

US5 should sue Sergey Lazarev.He's so nicked loads of ideas for the Lazerboy video from this one.If only he'd nicked the rapping in a bad Cockney accent part too,that would have been amazing...Anyway.I like this song.Everyone likes a good old fashioned boyband,and what with Chelsi going all emo on our asses this year with the awful Mladshaya Sestryonka,a gap needs filling.So to speak.Round and Round is good old happy,cheesy boy-pop that I haven't really seen since Jetzt Anders(!).Jay is fit as in this video,despite his Dick van Dyke rap-lite...thing and his wearing a top that looks like it has "Bitch Boy" written on it.There's also a good deal of vocoder action going on,which is always a plus.

Top 50- 48: A love like ours...Spanish Spanish Spanish...

Jonatan Cerrada- Un Amor

Ah,any excuse to roll out the picture of JC sans pantalon.This is quite a special entry to the Top 50,as I've only heard the song in its entirety once.And that was in a French basement being performed live by the (sexy) man himself.Read about that fabulous eveninghere.I ain't a great fan of Spanish music,despite my foreign-language-music obsession starting with Gloria Estefan's Corazon Prohibido back in...whenever it was- 1998 or something.But all of JC's Spanish stuff that I've heard is great- especially Baila,which was played mmm,quite a lot at our house in Guildford last year.When and if it will ever be properly released is just one of those big questions up there with "what came first,the chicken or the egg" / "why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the tube" / "how does Kirkorov get his hair so big" etc etc.But we live in hope that there will be an answer soon :)

Top 50- 49: Loneliness is a crowded room

Alan Connor- Dance Away

Whereas some songs can remind you of amazing nights out,holidays,birthday parties,whatever...some songs can also remind you explicitly of pretty mundane moments too.This is one of those.Whenever I hear it,I remember the first time I heard it- sometime in spring on GU2 coming from Keira's room in Guildford while I was sitting on my bed looking for...stuff on youtube.This year (specifically springtime in Guildford) has been the best of my life,and anything that makes me remember any kind of related event has to be good in my book :)

Top 50- 50: Just remember faith and love is all you need

Litesound- Do You Believe

This song isn't number 50 because I like it the least.But I first heard it last year,in the interim period between finishing my top 10 and the end of the year.So it shouldn't really count.But I adore it,so I've included it anyway :) Litesound are like the Belarussian BWO (as I'm sure you've thought to yourself before :) ),they always seem to be in Eurofest but fail every time.Their previous efforts weren't too great to be honest,but Do You Believe is pure brilliance.With its (semi?) Christian hopeful lyrics,the anthemic chorus and Dimitry's wonderful Alex-from-the-Calling voice,I just don't get why it wasn't a hit.But the band are already known outside of Belarus- having toured in China,America and Russia,and having won an Italian song festival.They've just released their debut album too- Going to Hollywood,which,from what I've heard from it,is pretty good.Maybe they don't need Eurovision.But I'd love to see them in it.

Good news...

The WYM Top 50 songs of 2008 is now finished.Oh yes.It might not come as a surprise that most of the 50 are Russian and Eastern European songs,but there's also a fair bit of Scandinavian,a bit of German and *shock* even a few British songs too.It all starts tomorrow.When I get back from wherever I decide I'm going...

From Flensburg to Garmisch and back again,we sing our song

It's not vey often RH listens to music loudly,and when she does it's usually Katy Perry (God help me),so imagine my surprise (and horror) when I heard this eminating from her room just now...

Belarussian national final news

So the semi-finalists for the Belarussian selection have been announced.Probably about 6 months ago,but hey,I've been away :)

Good news- Litesound are back
Bad news- It's a duet with Dakota (I assume the Dakota from FZ7),who's also got a solo entry too.Nothing against Dakota,but I HATE DUETS!

More bad news- Gunesh is back
Even more bad news- So are The Champions. Although the song is called Shake it,Europe, so it might not be all bad.

Good news- Pincode aren't back

Haven't heard of any of the others,but the Alex Patlis band will be in it (ex lead singer of Noviy Jerusalem)- this is a song of his that I quite like,called Snegapad.What was I saying about duets...?



There's also your typical rock guy- Pyotr Elfimov

There's a big old fashioned ballad (this is the actual ESC song)

And that's all I can find for now.An exciting lineup,I'm sure you'll agree :/

Aim high Russia!

So it seems Russia are ditching the jury in the national final next year and is going for the 100% audience vote route.Very wise.I'm not a fan of the jury thing.So being the hosts and reigning champions,they'll be pulling out all the stops for Moscow 09 then?Not according to the Perviy Kanal- "We will not attempt to win Eurovision second year in a row, this idea is absurd".Cool!

WYM is back with a bang!*

It's been a crazy old two and a half weeks of visits to Flensburg and Denmark and...parliament.Yes peeps,I spent Monday afternoon at Schleswig-Holstein's parliament along with 200 German and Danish politicians,mayors,ministers,journalists...As a collective that is,not 200 of each,it isn't that big :)

So why am I back so soon? Well,as is always the case,when I stopped writing,I found a whole load of cool musical things that interested me.

- I found a renewed,stronger love for this song Isn't he going to be in ESC next year? With the rest of the group,I just can't picture it myself :/ I'm sure it'll be lovely...
- The video to Lonely appeared.Seriously,if you haven't already,watch it,Dima's looking hot.Although he so nicked the "I'm on top of a building,what shall I do?" scene from Ya Dlya Tebya.
- The Russian Music Awards happened.Hosted by none other than Gruppa Bilaz- Dima and Sergey,how goddamn fabulous? Had a pretty cool intro,which then fizzled out into some girlband singing an even more sedate than usual version of Na Beregu Neba.Gruppa Bilaz were great though- look.Is it just me,or does Sergey sing Believe better than Dima even when he's rolling around and thrusting on the floor?
- OMG- FABRIKA ZVEZD IS BACK!!!111 Well.It isn't,it's Fabrika Zirok for a start,and it's the Ukrainian version.And I think it's finished now.I'm particularly loving Vadim Olejnik though.Here he is singing one of the best songs of the year and looking a bit like Aleksei Vorobyov.By the way,can any Ukrainians or Russians out there tell me if the series is finished now,and if so,who won?And does Vadim always sing with Dantes?Spasiba!

However,the most exciting thing that I've discovered (actually I'm 6 months late,but still...I reckon I'm quite possibly one of the first people in native-English blogland to post about it) is that...drumroll...

Jakob Sveistrup has made a comeback!

No sarcasm,I am actually quite excited about this.I loved Talking To You and I loved Jakob's lovely brand of 1990s-HeartFM-wind down zone music.I loved his Eurovision jacket too.So much so,I have my own :)



Complete with stripe on the back :)



Ahem,yes....

I have both of his albums too,which I paid an extortionate amount for on CDWow a few years ago.I'm not sure if the new one is actually out yet- haven't read too much about it yet to be honest,just the odd thing on youtube.But I didn't see it in Esbjerg when I was there.And Tønder,well...let's just not mention Tønder.

Anyway,imagine my surprise when I discovered he'd gone all rock...



That's Hvem er Venner,and I love it.A lot.

It's OK though,there's still 1990s-HeartFM-wind down zone type songs on the album too...



Can't wait to hear more,might even nip back over the border and see if I can find this album in the near future...

Anyway,stay tuned for the arrival sometime this week of the WYM Top 50 songs of 2008.Oooh...


*or small fizzling sound would be more accurate