Pete Burns, the Ultimate Queer Diva

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Colin Christian

Dolls again! Even more vicious ones!


Colin Christian was born in London in 1964 and several experiences lead him to sculpting. He gets familiar with latex and, influenced by erotism and sadism, he works with that fabric in order to express his creativity through the portraits of young girls. He then moves to the US and initiates new project with his wife Sas Christian, a painter as well. In the 2000s, Colin Christian tackles a new matter: silicone. His themes: good & evil, sci-fi, H.P. Lovecraft or Asia.


The site he shares with his wife: here. His MySpace : here.

Waiting for Skins...

I think it's not exagerated to say that "Skins" is almost a real phenomenon. A british show preceded by such a buzz doesn't land on our TVs everyday. This 2007 show broadcast on E4 (Channel 4's premium TV) seriously rejuvenated TV in the UK.

The pitch? Some typecast UK characters from Bristol: the saddist player, the addict party-boy infatuated with his teacher, the blonde gay twink who tap dances, the eating-disorder always high girl, the still-virgin geek, the flute-playing nerdy black girl, the Pakistanese girls-obsessed teenager... They're all in the most improbable situations that are not to be taken on the first degree. "Skins" is not necessarily the most suitable show for young viewers.

One of the "Skins" key recipe is probably its impeccable production: shot like a feature movie with Hollywood budgets, "Skins" is a lab of ideas for the MTV generation, only better!

Uncut series 1 trailer - Extended version


The first season was released on DVD in the UK in mid-2007 while season 2 is already on the air since February 2007 and should be available on DVD on the following days. We can't wait to witness the next adventures of our favorites British teenage heroes!



Uncut series 2 trailer


More on the official site, or on their MySpace.

Seal

Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel, born 1963 in London, is very popular and has a collection of international hits. Everyone probably has the incredible "Crazy" (in 1991 with production by Trevor Horn) in head or the sublime "Kiss From A Rose" (on the "Batman Forever" soundtrack in 1998). I recently discovered the whole carreer of this artist who, in five albums, totally defines British soul at its best. I might add I was not really seduced by Seal's "comeback" with Love's Divine or Get It Together, which I found too slow...

"Don't Cry" (1996 - from the album "Seal 2")

"Human Beings" (1998 - from the album "Human Beings")

"Waiting For You" (2004 - from the album "Seal IV")

In November 2007, System, his latest album, was released. Produced by Stuart Price (do I need to remind you that Price, a.k.a Thin White Duke, Jacques Lu Cont, Paper Faces or Man With Guitar, was the creator of many of Madonna's "Confessions" era singles?), this new installment can confuse because it introduces us to a very dance/electro-oriented Seal. But those are his first loves, because Killer and Crazy were closer to this sound than the later (successful nonetheless) romantic power ballads he produced since.

"The Right Life" (2007 - from the album "System")

I can even say that once the surprise of the first few notes is passed, I totally dig it!
The beat is here, but the emotion still is too. With well produced dancefloor anthems, flying ballads with electro flavors or even a matrimonial duet with wife Heidi Klum, Seal scores! Can't wait to see all that live on stage.

Olivia!

Olivia Newton-John is not a well known icon in France. If the French audiences remembered her name, it's only from "Grease" (1978)...

"Hopelessly Devoted To You" (1978)


However, as far as I'm concerned, I remember very well "Physical"!
An interesting beat, a ridicule video that tries to be funny, a perfect hair and Olivia's smile were the key to its success. Fellow Aussie Kylie Minogue paid a tribute with a cover, 20 years later, during the "On A Night Like This Tour" (2001).

Physical (1981 - Olivia)


Physical (2001 - Kylie)


Olivia was born in Cambridge, England in 1948. She left for Australia with her parents 6 years later. Her carreer started in the 1970s with some minor hits that only charted in Australia and in the UK. She was a contestant to the Eurovision and had a nice success with "I Honestly Love You". With "Grease", she's a huge hit!

Then Came "Xanadu"! This cinematic UFO, with Gene Kelly, Olivia Newton-John, Cliff Richards and the neo-pop band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) will totally flop. The songs and the roller-skating apparently didn't seduce the audience then. The movie will get some recognition later, mostly due to its first degree kitsch dimension and its effecient tunes.

A musical is even created on Broadway in 2007, it will get rave reviews from the press and the public. Here are two songs from the movie.

"Magic" (1980)


"Xanadu" (1980)


In the end of the 1980s, Olivia Newton-John sings "The Rumour", an energy-driven hit written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin also in the back-singers.

"The Rumour" (1988)

Sugababes Vs. Girls Aloud

Great Britain has always have a long girls bands tradition, Bananarama had paved the way to legions of young more or less excited English ladies with average producers from the early '80s. In the '90s, the world is taken over by the Spice Girls hurricane, they stayed on top of the sales for years with efficient yet formated hits and some over the top flair and attitude. In the 2000s, with new standards - the music supply is expandable, a pseudo underground movement has risen -, and new formats - the reality-tv bubble and the multimedia oomph -, a new generation of girls bands has arrived with at least as much (maybe even more) appeal...

Sugababes - Easy (2006)

From 1998 on, 3 schoolyard girlfriends get together and become the very successful trio the Sugababes. Being very quiet in France, in the UK, they're the bomb and have a long string of #1s. Keisha Buchana, Siobhan Donaghy (who left in 2001), Muty Buena (left the band in 2005) were the original Sugababes, Heidi Range and Amelle Berrabah replaced subsequently the departed members.

Girls Aloud - Jump (2003)

Cheryl Cole, Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh are the lucky winners of 2002's "Popstars: The Rivals". I first hear about them with "Jump", the punchy Pointer Sisters's cover (1984) which is on the "Love Actually" soundtrack.

Sugababes - Push The Button (2005)

The Sugababes don't simply enjoy a public success, they gain the profession's recognition by winning several BRIT Awards.

Girls Aloud - Call The Shots (2007)

The new Girls Aloud single, pretty cool! The latest LP is awesome and has it all: energetic, upbeat, and very catchy too.

Sugababes - About You Now (2007)

The latest Sugababes single with now only one original member remaining. A hit with a little less commercial appeal, yet an interesting song with a glamorous video in tight little yellow dresses.

Girls Aloud - Biology (2005)
"Biology" is to my opinion one of the best Girls Aloud tracks, with a colorful, sexxxxy et hyper dynamique video.

Sugababes Vs. Girls Aloud - Walk This Way (2007)

The confrontation of the 2 bands occurs in 2007 with the pretty successful cover of the Aerosmith (1975) / Run DMC (1986) produced by Dallas Austin.

Further reading:
Girls Aloud (official site)
Sugababes (official site)

Booty Luv Saga

Who are Nadia Shepherd & Cherise Roberts? They're two young British soul singers who were produced by dance record label Hed Kandi with the band Booty Luv. They were propelled to the top of the charts in 2006 with the massive hit "Boogie 2nite", a punchy cover or the already very groovy hit by Tweet.

Boogie 2nite


For the second single, the duet meets with the same success with "Shine", a Luther Vandross cover.

Shine


For the third single, Booty Luv tries "Don't Mess With My Man" by Lucy Pearl.

Don't Mess With My Man


A 4th single will be produced, then came the album...

Some Kinda Rush

Dragonette + New Young Pony Club

Electro flavored new-rock has never been this much in the spotlight. It's a pleasure to see the rising of all new very promising bands.

Dragonette first, is a Canada-born but London-based band that I randomly discovered through an online listening. I was probably attracted by this odd band name and their flashy '80s cover arts. Of course, they can be found on MySpace too.

The two singles are pure hits that sadly went totally unnoticed in France...

Here are the videos to "I Get Around" (released in April 2007 in the UK) and "Take It Like A Man" (in July). The album "Galore" was released in September. The charismatick lead singer, Martina Sorbara, is a Canadian politician's daughter, which could be awckward considering the fact that Dragonette is a very gay-friendly band that regularly performs for community events such as the London Gay Pride in 2007. Yay!





New Young Pony Club (NYPC) has more of a rock sound. This new generation of new wave -- new new wave? -- is remarkably noticed for the efficiency of its sound that brings a very enjoyable sense of fun and madness to some already proven musical roots. Their MySpace : here.

The singer, Tahita Bulmer, is the lead of a London-based band that was born in 2005. Their first LP, "Fantastic Playroom", released in July 2007, is doing really good on both sides of the Atlantic and the band already solds out all the venues of its tour.

The singles "Get Lucky" and "Ice Cream" were re-released in 2007 because their original release in 2006 was not a commercial success - yet.