I BLAME COCO UPDATE

From her website

10/10

I Blame Coco

I Blame Coco (dot coco dot coco dot com) is the daughter of Sting. She signed to Island Records around the same time as Tommy Sparks and VV Brown but save a few lo-fi reggae vibe-y tracks that have appeared on youtube, there's been little heard of her. I thought the project had perhaps been abandoned. That is, until XO's Middle Eight just found a clip of her new single 'Caesar' that's been popped on her myspace page.

Not only does is it suddenly make her sound like a pop star, but Robyn is featured on the chorus, and ooh isn't there something about that bassline that screams Teddybears. A quick google and yes it seems she's been working with Klas and Joakim Ahlund from Teddybears who made one of my favourite albums of the naughties. As XO says, it's also refreshing to hear a new female artist who, as much as I might love it, isn't bringing out a banging electro-pop ditty. I want something new for 2010 instead of a continuation. And if it's unpolished girls who hate wearing sequins, are a bit gruff and have some swagger about them - bring it on!

Consider my interest taken from not even worth a head-turn to manically excited (particularly thanks to this picture from her myspace).

Hollywood Infected Your Brain

Earlier in the year I thought Marina & The Diamonds had somehow been left after the Sound of 2009 poll. Secretly everyone was gently taking their time to make sure the Sound of 2010 poll had her at the top or at very least the top 5. In the ever confusing world of buzz singles, limited release, digital only, the video for her FIRST SINGLE PROPER (i.e. the first single on a major label) seems to have just hit the web.

 [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1VTcJfL7RE[/youtube]

Marina looks absolutely gorgeous but I'm hoping this isn't another case of 'loved by the critics (at first), written about to the point of boredom and then generally ignored by the public' a la Little Boots. The chorus of this is much poppier than anything else we've heard from Marina before and it includes these outstanding lines that will quite easily make Adrian explode:

'He said 'OH MY GOD, You look like Shakira
No, no you're Catherine Zeta
Actually my name's Marina'

It's like a 2010 answerback song to this that should be sent back in time ten (TEN!) years as a warning:

Britney Spears - Lucky
Uploaded by Annalise. - Videos of family and friends from around the world.

TWILIGHT NEW MOON REVIEW

Little Boots was quite good.

Whatever You Like

This gorgeous, breathy cover of TI's gently epic  'Whatever You Like' was featured on this week's 'controversial' US episode of Gossip Girl.



Sung by San Diego singer-songwriter Anya Marina, it's almost like a goofier version of something you might expect from Nouvelle Vague. She's also got a song on the new Twilight soundtrack. Zeitgeist her face off.

Wednesday Afternoon at the Movies

I might know a lot of random music trivia but ask me anything about film and I'm generally have a blank face. I'm a bit rubbish at going to the cinema and have never seen 'cold stone classics' like ET, The Godfather, Star Wars etc. This complete lack of knowledge was further compounded this week when The Times released their list of 100 Best Movies of the Noughties and I had seen precisely 25. It could be worse I guess.

I've been making a bit more of an effort in the last month taking in a few at the London Film Festival ('Cold Souls' - 4/10; 'Cracks' - 7/10; 'Kicks' 6/10; 'Capitalism a love affair' 6/10; 'Scouting Book for Boys' 8/10) and forcing myself to go and see the delightfully silly 'Julie & Julia', the weepy 'Up', the disappointing 'An Education, and the truly awful 'The Boys Are Back'. To add to this, after many years of wanting one, I've just bought myself a Cineworld Unlimited card. Next up, Jennifer's Body.

Anyway all this is leading up to me being delighted to find out that my very local independent cinema Rio, Dalston today showed my favourite film slightly inappropriately in their monthly golden oldies matinee slot. The film is 2004's (slightly romanticised) Cole Porter biopic 'De-Lovely'. I originally saw it in the cinema in Whitely's where I bawled my eyes out, and have since played the soundtrack endlessly - Sheryl Crow's 'Begin The Beguine', Vivien Green's 'Love For Sale' and Lara Fabian's contribution to the intense 'So In Love' are particularly special. Anyway I say inappropriately because I'm not sure a film with quite a substantial gay plot was the best thing to show the 70+. The actual 'gay action' is very tame - there are two kisses, but it was enough for the whole crowd to react in a shocked, loud jeering way. It was quite odd. The other noticeable moment was during John Barrowman's scene where the ladies behind me shouted really loudly 'THAT'S THAT BARRYMAN'. Amazing.

The film screening was absolutely full and free, even for me. Not only that but they provided everyone with free cakes and tea in the interval & it's all done without a sponsor - they just asked for donations at the end. I hardly see anyone who isn't 24 with a wonky fringe in Dalston but this is a great little get together for the older generation. Hurrah for the Rio.

So yes, see De-Lovely. Even if you don't really dig the film, you'll be introduced to Cole Porter's music and snork at the various pop star cameos. Mick Hucknall even gets to say a line.

This is my favourite scene. My tears started three minutes into the film today but this is the time when I absolutely cry so hard I could vomit. It's up there with Billie being sucked into the vortex.

**SPOILERS SPOILERS**

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBrQ9PChuh8[/youtube]