Lawson cover Lady Gaga's Marry The Night!

You'll be hearing a lot about Lawson in the coming months. They're one of the UK's most excited up and coming boy bands, pushing a more mature brand of rock-pop - they play all their instruments too.

But don't be mistaken in calling them 'just another McFly/Busted', their tracks speak of a far greater level of musicality, and even on this Lady Gaga cover version, their talent speaks for itself.

Now, I'm not much of a fan of the original, but this cover sounds brilliant - throwing some elegant little bluesy guitar licks in and the husky vocals of lead singer Andy Brown into the mix, it transforms the track from disco stormer into gentle campfire classic.

The band are fresh from supporting the likes of Avril Lavigne, The Wanted and Will Young, taking to LA to finish off recording for their debut album, and judging by tracks like Red Sky - which we featured on the blog last month - we should be in for a treat upon its completion.

The band are also set to play a number of live dates early next year:

JANUARY 2012
Mon 16TH             BRIGHTON THE HAUNT
Tues 17TH             BRISTOL FLEECE  
Wed 18TH             LONDON ISLINGTON O2 ACADEMY 2 
Thurs 19TH            BIRMINGHAM RAINBOW
Fri 20TH                MANCHESTER SOUND CONTROL
Sat 21ST                GLASGOW KING TUTS 

Lady Gaga - Born This Way: The Remix

For a remix album, Lady Gaga's re-envisioned version of Born This Way does a remarkable job of standing on its own two feet. Part of this is down to the fact the majority of the mixes contained here are cut-down radio edits, sticking to the original formats of the songs in the vast majority of cases. But it's also down to the fact a good half of the mixes come from established bands rather than your usual club remixers.

Highlights include the apocalyptically evil sounding Hurts mix of Judas which sounds like Depeche Mode getting their hands on the track - it's a shame the album didn't come out a few weeks earlier, this version would have been perfect for Halloween, as would Goldfrapp's take on the single.

Again, the overtones of 80s synthpop is strong - in this instance the track's vocals are tortuously tweaked out of all proportion; slowed down and lowered into a bassy masculine drawl. It's properly scary and while it's debatable whether this take is wholly good or not, it makes for a fascinating exercise in just how far you can push a track.

The 80s influences continue in the Twin Shadow mix of Born This Way, making it sound even more like vintage Madonna than it already did, by way of a neat little guitar riff and plenty of slap bass. With the pop sensibilities satisfied, the Sultan & Ned Shepard mix of Edge of Glory mashes the track with the Sweet Child of Mine hook - it's, as you'd expect, amazing.

For the most part, the album positions itself in a dirty, low-slung pit of excess and dark glamour. Whether it's the full throttle, relentless Foster The People mix or the sinister Eastern refrains of The Horrors version of Bloody Mary, Lady Gaga has never sounded as mysteriously cult-ish as this.

While the ace Wild Beasts mix of The Edge of Glory provides a brief down-tempo respite, it's not long before the album launches itself back into the party (albeit a grimly decadent party) with the bonkers Guena LG mix of Schiebe - it's like something the Pet Shop Boys would have come up with in the mid 90s.

Perhaps the best thing about the record though is the way it ruthlessly cuts away the fatty excesses of Americana that bloated the original LP so badly - in this form, Born This Way feels leaner, meaner, sharper.

Born This Way: The Remix is available to download on iTunes now.

Lady Gaga to give Marry The Night single release

In another case of a popstar going for a baffling single choice, Lady Gaga has announced that Marry The Night will be the next single to be taken from her Born This Way album.

Personally, I'd have much preferred the brilliant Hair or Schiebe. Marry The Night is in many ways just an Edge Of Glory pt. 2 - an extension of the same amped up American Springsteen pop throwback Gaga seems head over heels in love with at the moment.

With its twinkly synths and machine-like beats, it seems a little formulaic from the woman that's continually portrayed as the saviour of pop. Whereas something like Schiebe feels genuinely innovative, Marry The Night just feels like she's treading water.

In other news, Gaga is releasing a  USB edition of Born This Way. I bought a USB edition of Kylie's X album a few years ago and they are pretty nifty little things, certainly a worthy little nic-nac to add to anyone's music collection. You can order your copy from Gaga's official store here.

Lady Gaga - You & I (Metronomy Remix)

Another week, another Lady Gaga remix by a trendy indie band. This time, it's those immensely talented guys from Metronomy who take the star's new single into eerie quasi-religious territory with ominous, brooding synths.

Chopped-up vocals and hissing, mechanical beats add to the overall unsettling feel of the mix; the whole thing feels like it's been conjured up in the basement of a Victorian steamworks.

As the track creeps past its mid-point, there's something of an early 80s epic OMD instrumental to it all too, twinkling, burbling little streams of electronic bleeps cascading across the moody backdrop.

While not as instantly appealing as the Wild Beasts mix, it certainly makes for another interesting variation on the song.

Lady Gaga - You & I (Wild Beasts Remix)

There's something reminiscent of epic 90s dance anthems in the blissed out expansiveness of Wild Beasts' moody take on Lady Gaga's You & I.

Coming from such an unlikely pairing, and getting to grips with one of the worst songs from the star's Born This Way album, there was major potential for the group to improve on the original.

And in a way, this does. The tranquil piano riffs and shimmering synths kind of float on a sea of ambient beauty, and while I'm not usually a fan of mixes that only use a little of the original vocal, this does so with just the right level of sensitivity.

The mix is certainly by no means amazing, but it without a doubt breathes new life into a song that really should never have been chosen as a single.

So, while I wait for the brilliant Scheiße or Hair to get released, this mix will have to serve as a diversion - a half-decent one too.

Listen to The Saturdays All Fired Up & Ladykiller previews

Don't you just love it when Amazon/iTunes post those 30 seconds of preview of new songs ages before they're released? What this means is that we get to hear The Saturdays' frankly amazing new single All Fired Up, which gives its name to their upcoming winter tour.

Following in the more dancey tradition of Notorious, but stepping the drama and pace up another few notches, All Fired Up is a relentless onslaught of trance madness and My God does it sound good.

The lightning-quick repition of the chorus 'All Fired Up! I feel alive!' is hyper-catchy, channelling the song's energy and power on a non-stop track straight to your heart, delivering with it a massive shot of adrenaline. It's like the first time you ever drink Red Bull - but a hundred times better than that.

If this doesn't get you up on your feet dancing like it's your last night on Earth then I don't know what will. What's more, the track was written by Space Cowboy (he's done stuff for Lady Gaga!), Brian Higgins and Miranda Cooper (Xenomania - need no introduction!) and MNEK.

Meanwhile, Ladykiller looks set to continue the tradition of absolutely brilliant Sats b-sides. Their last effort Not That Kinda Girl stands as one of their best to date, so I have high hopes for the full length version of Ladykiller when it comes out.

Indeed, by this point in the Saturdays career you could quite easily put together a compilation of all their b-sides and it'd still be better than a good deal of other pop albums out there.

All Fired Up is released on the 2nd September.

Parade - Bringing the noise @ Westfield and GAY

This week sees the release of Parade's brilliant second single Perfume and to celebrate, the band took to the stage at GAY dressed as school-girls. And if that wasn't enough, they rocked up at Westfield the next day to sign copies of their new CD as well as perform again.

With brightly coloured banners trailing down from the upper levels of the shopping centre, the band delighted fans with a six-song set including Chris Brown cover Yeah X3, Louder, Perfume, Ticking On It, Rokstar and an acapella version of Lady Gaga's Born This Way.

Shoppers definitely liked what they heard, taking a break from lightening their wallets to crowd the balconies overlooking the stage while the girls performed - rapturous bouts of applause greeting every track.

With slick dance routines, killer vocals and some lovely piano from band member Bianca, the day resounded with the professionalism and fun we've come to expect from the band.

With Perfume already surging into the iTunes top 50, the track looks set to follow in the footsteps of Louder and become another smash hit for the girls.

Perfume is out now and can be downloaded from Amazon here.

(Video) Lady Gaga - The Edge Of Glory

I think, like most people, I'm rather confused by Lady Gaga's current release schedule. Her new single (can we really call it 'new'?) has been out for yonks now, since before the album came out even. It's charted highly already, yet now, weeks later, Gaga puts out a video for it.

What will this do? Sell a few more copies? Maybe a lot more? Probably. But the feeling is that this is more about Gaga doing what's made a career out of, making an 'artistic statement'.

Perhaps it's surprising then that The Edge Of Glory is incredibly straightforward in comparison to her last two videos. In a way it's refreshing, a return to the feel of the Pokerface/Just Dance videos, where Gaga looks relatively normal, and just larks about a bit, dancing around a small set.

In this case, it's a grimy night-time street scene - and it all looks very retro; those house fronts/fire escapes that seemed all the rage in music videos back in the 80s and early 90s. Literally everyone seemed to be busting a move off them.

Personally, I quite like the video. Gaga looks good in it, and the lighting and tone is all rather nice. It suits the song. But what takes away from this video the most though is that you can watch the first minute of it, and in that minute, pretty much see all there is to see here. There is no development, nothing happens later on. And for someone of such grand visions as Gaga, it seems quite surprising.

And to be quite honest, I'm still loving Judas. Now there's a music video and a half.

Who run the world? Beyonce, that's who

A show-stopping TV performance is hard to pull off. Just ask any popstar worth their salt. It takes time, dedication, commitment, ingenuity, money... the list goes on and on.

These days, it's so often a case of us having seen it all before, that it takes a lot to wow us. CGI movies in the cinema, incredible technology at our fingertips, and the likes of Lady Gaga pushing forward the boundaries of what is considered the norm for pop music. So when it comes to making the most of that all-important TV performance slot you've been given, you sure as hell had best work it to its best.

Take Beyonce's latest single, Run The World (Girls) - both critical and commercial success for it has been pretty mixed here in the UK. Personally, while being as divided as the next person when I first heard it, it came to grow immensely on me. But there's a magic to making a song click with people, and a performance like the one Beyonce delivered at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards is one such moment.

For starters, when your big moment in the spotlight comes attached with a two minute prelude stuffed full with some of the biggest names in the world, you know you're on to something special. Hell, this makes the X Factor intros look like small potatoes. Here, everyone's lining up to sing Beyonce's praises... Lady Gaga, Bono, Actual Michelle Obama! It is testament to Beyonce's all-encompassing appeal and mega-success that these celebs are so forthcoming with their kind words. 'High persuasion can build a nation,' sings Beyonce in the track's chorus, but Beyonce's own personal nation is already there, towering above everyone else. She doesn't need to persuade anyone, they're already converted - all this in regards to Beyonce, the persona of course; the jury's still out on the song...

So what does she go and do? Pull out a breathtaking routine featuring what seems like hundreds of dancers and a hi-tech graphic wall that turns her into some kind of video-game character. The genius on display here is palpable. Beyonce kicks butt, quite literally; sending her dancers sprawling onto the floor after decimating them with a red pole. Beyond amazing.

This is Beyonce's nation - her world, her dreams; made real for all of us. I don't know about you, but I want in.

New releases round-up - 23rd May 2011

Lady Gaga - Born This Way

The third (or is that second??) album from the global chart-topper. We've all seen the risque reaction-baiting videos and heard her anthems for self-acceptance, now get hold of a whole album of the stuff with Lady Gaga's long awaited Born This Way. And yes, if you purchase this, you too can become a strange person/bike hybrid.

The Pierces - Glorious

The third in a series of absolutely stunning singles, the Alabama sisters (with a little help from Coldplay's Guy Berryman) are back with their joyous new track Glorious. Expect breathtaking Abba-esque vocal harmonies mixed with soulful country-tinged pop. And all this with a good dose of lurid 70s psychadelica.

The Saturdays - Notorious

The UK's hottest girl group are back and they've got their sights firmly set on the top spot with this infectious club anthem. Vocodered boasts of being a 'gangster on the dancefloor' back up a sizzling bassline that seems ready-made to knock back shots to.

Starlings - Sirens

One of our favourite new bands at the moment, Starlings represent a chic, streamlined return to the heights of the 80s New Wave sound. Anthemic choruses and glossy synth rushes inject new single Sirens with a real punch that serves as a fitting introduction to this brilliant Sheffield outfit.

New releases round-up - 16th May 2011

Lady Gaga - The Edge of Glory

Gaga returns to the more straight-laced pop of her early days with The Edge of Glory, in the process adding in an inspired saxophone solo and a real 80s rock ballad vibe. This marks the third on air/on sale release from Gaga's forthcoming Born This Way album.

Download

Take That - Love Love

The Take That boys prove that you can never have enough Love around with this big, bold stand-alone single that shares more than a little in common with previous track Kidz (what happened to Happy Now?! We love that track!) - Love Love is the 'official' song of the new X Men movie, so expect to hear it slapped on in the film's end credits and soundtracking the trailers...

Download

Friendly Fires - Pala

Already being touted as one of the best albums of the year, Friendly Fires return bigger, better and even dancier than before. With track names like Live Those Days Tonight and Hawaiian Air, expect Pala to swiftly become the soundtrack to your summer.

Download

Hugh Laurie - Let Them Talk

The vastly talented House and Blackadder actor turns his hand to classy blues for his debut album. Now, actors going and 'doing music' doesn't always bode well, but Hugh has received rave reviews for Let Them Talk as well as dazzling on The Graham Norton Show and Later With Jools Holland. And if Jools likes you then you're on to a winner...

Download

Nicola Roberts and Lady Gaga - A force to be reckoned with

Has there ever been a more amazing duo? Nicola Roberts and Lady Gaga represent individually two of the most incredible people to exist in the world of pop right now, so put them together and the sheer levels of pure-awesome go practically off the scale.

Nicola excitedly tweeted this picture of her and Gaga today after filming her MTV interview with her yesterday, adding the cute message of 'It was amazing! I ♥ her x'

Adorable. Now all we need is for the two of them to recreate the Telephone video.

Britney Spears - Till The World Ends (Culture Shock Bhangra Remix)

You thought you'd heard it all with the amazing Bollywood mix of Lady Gaga's Born This Way, and then last week we had the release of the Femme Fatale Ke$ha and Nicki Minaj loveathon version of Till The World Ends.

But now we have the Bhangra mix of Britney's latest single. Yes. You read that right. It's just SO out there. I'm not sure I like it quite as much as the Gaga mix but if you're a fan of immense synth basslines, this if definitely for you. I really like how it completely mixes up the beat too. Definitely enough to keep us dancing till the world ends at any rate, not that we had grown tired of the original version either.

Cher Lloyd to get 'In The Zone' with Britney Spears?

A spokesperson from Cher's record label has let on to some rather exciting goings on regarding the singer's debut album. Artists like Rihanna and Lady Gaga have been asked to participate in collaborations, but personally I'm most excited about Cher potentially turning her swag on with Britney Spears.

Reports in The Sun say rapper Busta Rhymes is already set to feature on one of the tracks already.

Cher's album is out on the 12th September and can already be pre-ordered from HMV.

Let's not forget that Cher covered Britney's epic ballad Everytime on the X Factor live shows last year...

Weird Al's Gaga Saga... 'Perform This Way'

I've always had a soft spot for Weird Al Yankovic. Ever since I watched the World of Warcraft version of his track Amnish Paradise, I've been a fan of his quirky parodies - aided by Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles' constant playing of them on his breakfast show. It's fair to say Weird Al is a Bit Of A Legend.

And how he's done a parody of Lady Gaga's anthemic Born This Way. Say hello to Perform This Way...

The only trouble is, after recording the song, Al sent it to Gaga's management for approval. By law, he doesn't even have to, he just does so out of sheer nicety. What a gentleman.

The answer he got back? A firm 'no'. They did not approve. So Al blogged about the whole business and uploaded the song on YouTube so that while it might not recieve an official release on his next album, at least it would be heard.

But the best bit about this whole story? Not long after the parody was uploaded on YouTube, Weird Al provided a new update to the whole dizzy chain of events, it went as follows:

"Apparently the fact that she didn’t approve it was news to Lady Gaga herself! Gaga’s manager has now admitted that he never forwarded my parody to Gaga – she had no idea at all. Even though we assumed that Gaga herself was the one making the decision (because, well, that’s what we were TOLD), he apparently made the decision completely on his own."

This really does make me rejoice, but also turns my stomach a little too. It's nice as it means Gaga has been a darling and there's a happy ending to the whole story, but it doesn't quite erase the highly unsavoury taste in my mouth resulting from her manager saying 'no' to the track withot consulting Gaga. Very shady!

Going back to the parody itself, with the YouTube video's Doctor Who-title-sequence-esque pulsating colours and Al's inspired and immensely funny lyrics stamped over the top, karoake machine style; the whole thing is as suitably 'weird' as his name suggests. In other words, brilliant.

The production is rather endearing too, all euro-techno synths and bleepy effects. As always with Al's parodies, the lyrics lie at the heart of the hilarity - My personal favourite from Perform This Way? 'I strap prime rib to my feet / cover myself with raw meat.'

Amazing.

Suck It And See... not very much as it turns out

When it comes to making a big statement, would it be possible to top Lady Gaga in a week where she appears on the cover of NME magazine in a see-through cat-suit with zips covering her naughty bits?

While perhaps not hitting quite those levels of shock-o-rama, the new Arctic Monkeys album is sure to court controversy - nor because of what's on it (as their debut did because of it featured a man smoking), but because of what's not on it.

It's completely blank. Apart from the rather modestly printed album title, that is.

It reminds me almost of one of those taster-strips you get in DIY stores to help you choose a paint colour for your room. It's that ever so off-white creamy tone.

Of course, the Arctic Monkeys aren't the first band to do something like this. Anyone remember Hard-Fi's 2007 album Once Upon A Time In The West? They went more for the road-sign feel, and personally I prefer their take on 'No Cover Art.' - at least they're big and BOLD about it in this case. And there's proper colour too! That lovely vibrant yellow!

(Speaking of Hard-Fi, they're playing at the Hoxton Bar & Grill on the 12th May - a 'warm up gig' for their forthcoming third album, they describe it as)

Suck It And See is released on June 6th and you can pre-order it here.

Unzip This Way... Gaga is NME's cover star

Lady Gaga on the cover of NME. Not the most obvious star for them to go with, perhaps, but with a photoshoot like this, it'll be certain to stand out on the magazine shelves. Now, I'm not usually the biggest fan of Lady Gaga's outfits, but some are simply so bonkers they transcend into amazingness. Take meat dress or Kermit suit; completely and utterly impractical, but they get the nation talking. And the see-through zipped catsuit she dons for the NME cover looks set to do the same.

Definitely not something you'd want to wear with the weather as hot as it is at the moment, but Gaga certainly seems to be 'enjoying' herself in regards to the artfully placed zips...

In the accompanying interview, Lady Gaga targets those calling her manufactured, saying they can 'fuck off'. Quite right too. In the comments section below NME's online feature about the cover, as you might expect, there's already a heap of knee-jerk criticism of her comments from die-hard 'indie' boys. It's a rather dispiriting experience glancing through their closed-minded views on pop but it highlights yet again how controversial Lady Gaga is as a popular figure. Major props to NME for putting her on the cover anyway, it's a brilliant photoshoot and a fitting tribute to one of the most iconic stars of our generation.

Beyonce - Girls (Who Run The World)

In the immediate aftermath of Lady Gaga premiering Judas, everything else seems a little overshadowed - but the wheels of pop music must keep moving ever onward, and so today we have the demo version of Beyonce's new single Girls (Who Run The World). Sampling Major Lazer's Pon De Floor, details about the song and photos from its accompanying video have slowly leaked out over the past weaks, gradually raising excitement levels to breaking point.

I have to say though, on first listen to the demo, I'm not convinced. The song just doesn't gel with me. "That love we can devour" bit is very nice though. Beyonce is at her best when she strikes that perfect balance between fierce and incredibly sexy and this bit is bang on the money. The song then launches into the frantic, chanty chorus - but you can't help but feel it falls short in comparison to the likes of Single Ladies.

Also, with the Major Lazer sample, the best bit of the song isn't even used! Anyone who has been out clubbing in the past year or so will have heard the Major Lazer track played to death, and they will instantly be able to recognise the iconic hook, but it's not here! I hear it is absent only in this demo version however and the proper single release will see the hook restored. Phew!

The thing is, Beyonce has always been a pro in crafting tracks that sneak up on you sideways. For Girls (Who Run The World) is not a straight pop track - but regardless, it remains great for radio, great for clubs. Beyonce covers all bases, and as proved by her Glastonbury headline slot, commands immense credibility. Her I Am Sasha Fierce phase catapulted her into fully fledged dance diva superstar and Girls represents the next step in that progression.

This demo version is tantalisingly incomplete - in this format it disappoints, but the touches of greatness are definitely in here somewhere, shining seams of gold buried just below the surface. Fingers crossed that the final version is every inch the pop stormer we might expect from a Beyonce lead single.


Girls (Who Run the World) - Beyoncé by HDMI44

Duran Duran - Pokerface (Live at Coachelle)

Girls On Film mixed into a cover of Lady Gaga's Pokerface? It could only be Duran Duran. Performing at Coachella festival, the band treated the crowd to precisely that.

I like how they work in chants of 'DURAN DURAN! We are the band that are designed to make you party!' in too. That's part of the charm of live gigs isn't it, you never know when a band is going to pull out a special cover like this. I'm going to Duran Duran's O2 gig on the 28th May and I can't wait! Let the summer begin.

Bike This Way... The new Lady Gaga album cover

Let's just stop for a minute and analyse the new Lady Gaga album cover.

Lady Gaga as a bike. That's the gist of it. Well, all of it really. Against a completely black background, there she is, all silver and chrome. What is this saying about her? Is she a machine, an actual 'bike', or does it all represent some far more complicated metaphor that is impossible to decipher. Only Gaga knows.

And then there's the font, equally dramatic and chrome-like. I guess what strikes me most is how far removed stylistically this is from the single cover of the same name. The font is completely different, and for me, it takes away so much in momentum. I guess the fierce, black and white quality remains, but beyond that, all that stands is the fact that... Lady Gaga is a bike. It's quite hard to get over.

If you are a bike, do you still rejoice and love yourself today because you were born as a two wheeled, gasoline drinking machine? I'm not sure. I guess it has its merits - It's faster than walking at any rate; definitely a handy attribute to have if you're going to be touring the world regularly playing all your new songs. But how do you hold a microphone if you have no hands and your arms are attached to a wheel?

And the last thing that strikes me is how retro the whole thing looks. It's like a mash-up between Metallica's Ride The Lightning and Meat Loaf's Bat Out Of Hell: