Blog: Homo Eclectic

I've been meaning to post this since Popjustice did their 27 April tips, but what with Camera Obscura and Lily getting in the way, this kinda slipped down the posting ladder. So, here we are - better late than never. Your chance to listen to the tracks recommended by PJ's friends and foes: Alexa Chung, host, Popworld: Ordinary Boys Vs Lady Sovereign - '9 To 5' "It's not a combination I'd expect to like and probably for that reason it's really taken me [...]

In 2004, the undisputed queen of blogsphere had to be Annie. With her northern europe electro house single Heartbeat , I think it’s fair to say she had the boys and girls quivering at their knees (and sticking her on the top of more than one ‘best of 2004’ lists.) With the exception of DJ Kicks , it’s been fairly quiet from Annie for the past couple of years – I’ve regularity been trawling the usual haunts trying to get my hands on copies of her supposed new Richard X collaborations, without much avail. [...]

Reminding me in equal part of The Specials , Imani Coppola , and Miss Dynamite the folks in the blogsphere are currently making the right noises to suggest that Lily Allen is going to be generating some serious hype this summer. I’ve had a listen to a few of the demo tracks circulating, and I’m very impressed with what I’ve heard so far. With a wit not dissimilar to Mike Skinner, her tracks are full of wry observations (her PR calls is social commentary ) and the ska—pop sounds are making a very [...]

Oh, this is just fab! It’s all Marlene Dietrich with 1920’s trombones and a slow Kurt Weil ian feel – it’s Goldfrapp’s cover of the Ordinary Boys’ Boys will be boys. MP3: Goldfrapp – Boys will be boys

EZArchive seems to be having a hissy fit and isn’t working – if you are not able to download files, come back later when hopefully normal service shall be resumed.

It’s the 2nd of May and the jury is still out as to whether we will get any sun today. I’ve been up since 5:30 a.m. having had to trudge myself all the way up to north-east england for a god forsaken job. I can only thank my lucky stars that I had Camera Obscura’s new album Let’s Get Out Of This Country to hand. At times heart broken, and at times jubilant, LGOTC is a little treasure. With country licks ( I think Dory Previn sample a snippet of [...]

I was very pleased to see that James from Green Pea-ness had recently discovered the joys of Alexis Strum. Bad Haircut was definitely one of my most played tunes of last year, and she really isn’t getting the recognition she deserves (is this the curse of Popjustice?). So, rather than give you what you can easily get off Itunes, I thought I’d share some rare Alexis tracks off the sadly never released debut album. Before she was a modern balladeer, Alexis was an electropop chick with a contract with Warner. Her first single [...]

I was very pleased to see that James from Green Pea-ness had recently discovered the joys of Alexis Strum. Bad Haircut was definitely one of my most played tunes of last year, and she really isn’t getting the recognition she deserves (is this the curse of Popjustice?). So, rather than give you what you can easily get off Itunes, I thought I’d share some rare Alexis tracks off the sadly never released debut album. Before she was a modern balladeer, Alexis was an electropop chick with a contract with Warner. Her first single [...]

Reminding me in equal part of The Specials , Imani Coppola , and Miss Dynamite the folks in the blogsphere are currently making the right noises to suggest that Lilly Allen is going to be generating some serious hype this summer. I’ve had a listen to a few of the demo tracks circulating, and I’m very impressed with what I’ve heard so far. With a wit not dissimilar to Mike Skinner, her tracks are full of wry observations (her PR calls is social commentary ) and the ska—pop sounds are making a very [...]

One of my favourite tracks of 2004 was Everything is Everything by Phoenix, so I'm really excited to get hold of a promo copy of their forthcoming album It's Never Been Like That. Sonically, in a similar vein to Alphabet, INBLT has the sun-drenched MOR feel that made Alphabet so successful. That said, like Alphabet, INBLT suffers from the same problems–it is unfortunately a mixed bag. There are a couple of tracks that me going back and hitting the repeat button (Consolation Prizes , Long Distance Call and Rally – the latter being the [...]

On the theme of British electropop bands fronted by men (ok, just the PSB so far) that we seem to have started here at Homoeclectic, I recently came across the myspace page of Lee from the now sadly defunct band 2wo Third3 . I remember one of my favourite tracks of 1994 being I want the world – 1994 was the year that I came out to my parents and really became aware of the gay media. 2wo Third3 were heavily promoted within the gay press (the name 2wo Third3 was [...]

This video has been blogged more times than I can count - but I love the song so much, I've decided to give it a little more exposure for the 2 people who have been living under a rock in the past 6 months. I love the slightly awkward nature of it all, the dependence on just the keyboard and the hand claps (we love handclaps) and the fact that it's far superior to the Saul Williams original. [...]

And the PSB leaks keep coming. Integral and I’m with stupid have made it round the net. For PSB fans stumbling across this blog – here’s a Homoeclectic exclusive – we’ve got hold of a copy of PSB’s The Sodom and Gommorah Show . As mentioned yesterday, the bits of the album I've heard so far really feel like a return to form for the boys. Whilst I liked Miracles - it was not really the PSB do guitars that I had hoped [...]

A couple of day’s ago, Popjustice posted its’ PJ Tips April 2006 and to my surprise one of the contributors suggested Paris Hilton’s Screwed . Erm – hello!? It’s only like 2 years old! For those of you who missed it, you can download it below. It really is a wonderful bit of Euro-pop that wouldn’t be out of place at G-A-Y (not that I’ve been since I was 12) complete with processed voice, echo – all that’s missing are handclaps and a [...]

Just what the world needs, one more MP3 blog. But, really, can you have too much of good music? And as a self confessed music addict, whilst I may be late to the party, you can be sure I’ll bring some goodies along the way. If I trace my love of music back, the soundtrack of childhood had to be disco. My parents were didn’t agree on much, but parties were the one thing they could throw. Whilst I wasn’t terribly interested in the usual things little boys are interested (e.g. little girls) – I was fascinated [...]