Stooshe - Love Me (Feat. Travie McCoy)

I'm really struggling to like Stooshe - and that's a rarity for me, because usually I adore girlbands. The thing is, Love Me/Fuck Me (whatever you want to call it, depending on your appetite for naughtiness), just doesn't feel strong enough for a proper 'let's break into the mainstream' single.

Yes, it might be doing the rounds on Radio 1 with a nice boost from ubiquito-man Travie MccCoy on board as your standard rent-a-rapper feature role, but beyond all that, Love Me feels at best, only perfunctory.

The hook's decent, in it's own right, but put alongside similar teen-bopper R&B/Pop types like Dionne Bromfield, Stooshe's brand just feels too insubstantial and airy to make any lasting mark. The girls' attitude's might be charming - filtered through some cheery comic ad-libs, but as those funky guitar lines trail out, you're left with no voracious need to immediately listen to the track again; to really, really buy into the group.

Love Me is released on the 5th March.

Parade debut new track 'Throw It Up In The Air'

Those Parade girls certainly don't hang about - it's only been three months since the release of their debut album and already they're pumping out new material, and going by the sound of ace new song Throw It Up In The Air, there's a lot to get excited about!

Building on the street-smart PopR&B combo of their album, Throw It Up In The Air steps the Parade sound up to a bigger, more anthemic level via airy, glacial synths and an absolute killer of a chorus (seriously, how good are those 'oooooohhh' bits?!)

It's safe to say we're hooked, and we reckon the song will be netting them a whole new raft of fans as they perform it alongside old favourites like Louder and Perfume as they support The Wanted on their current arena tour.

One to watch... Leigh Learmont

In the stormy, ever-changing waters of the music industry, it's fair to say that girl-band Wonderland were culled before their time. With a Top 10 album under their belt and numerous TV appearances, the decision to let the band go by their record label seemed very hasty, putting a short, sharp end to what seemed the promising beginnings of a bright new pop hope.

The industry is littered with the remains of dissolved groups and the varying successes of their members. Just ask S Club 7. In terms of Wonderland, it seems more prevalent than ever to keep tabs on what the five girls get up to - after all, it's easy to forget that this wasn't just a band putting out music, it was five people, five careers. In this increasingly corporate world, it's important to remember the human element.

One member of the group in particular has already shown she's keen not to rest on her laurels. The super-gorgeous Leigh Learmont has already signed up with Assets modelling agency, putting out a breathtakingly stunning shoot of racy pics - talk about taking phwoar to whole new levels...

She's also apparently in talks with Irish TV Channel TG4. The popstar-turned-TV-star is a path oft-trodden, but one that quite often results in refreshing success stories. The re-invigorating career change we all contemplate at times, so to speak.

Speaking to Irish paper the Herald, Leigh said "I'm having some me time at the moment," and going by how hectic and stressful the Wonderland split must have been, we don't blame her.

In their prime, Wonderland were nominated as Best Band and Breakthrough Artist at the Glamour Women of the Year and BT Digital Music Awards respectively. Who knows, in a few years' time, Leigh might just be nabbing some high profile awards of her own. Definitely one to keep an eye on.

Fanfair cover Labrinth's Let The Sun Shine

As the summer months fall away and winter begins to creep in, it's fair to say we'd all like a bit more sun in our lives. Good job that up and coming girl group Fanfair have done a rather nice cover of Labrinth's Let The Sun Shine then!

Nice acoustic guitar and great vocal harmonies - just what we like!

The girls also recently debuted preview clips of three of their own songs:

Miracle (The best of the three, guitar driven electro-pop, co-written by Ina Wroldsen)
As I Am (Sultry, mid-tempo R&B ballad type, quite Pussycat Dolls-esque)
Take Me Away (Cheery, tropical sounding track, think La Isla Bonita for the 21st century)

Fanfair are definitely ones to watch!

COMPETITION - Meet Fanfair + win two tickets to London Irish vs. Wasps

You may have seen my post earlier this week about hot new girlband Fanfair - well, we've got a brilliant competition for you where you can win two tickets to go and see London Irish play Wasps at the Madejski Stadium in Reading on the 3rd April. Not only that, but the winner will then get to go and meet Fainfair in the corporate box after the game! You can't say fairer than that!

If you'd like to enter the competition, please send an email to totallyvivid@gmail.com with 'Fainfair Competition' in the subject line.

Good luck!

You can find Fanfair on Twitter here or check out their website.

Introducing... Fanfair

I have to say, I'm intrigued by new girl-band Fanfair. Going to university in Reading, I get a copy of the highly informative Reading Post through my door every Friday and for the past couple of weeks they've been running adverts featuring Fanfair, in association with their partnership with local rugby team London Irish.

What Fanfair represent is a fascinating way of hopefully breaking into the pop scene. By performing at London Irish home games as well as being promoted on the rugby team's website and TV channel, they have instant exposure to thousands of potential fans. Not bad going for Jessica, Roberta, Anara and Aimee; who make up the group.

So, with a ready-made promotional avenue and model-like looks (just check out the photos on their website), what does their music sound like? Their debut track The Vaccine is a throbbing electro number, perfect for the stadium environment they are being launched straight into. Remember Hilary Duff's Depeche Mode-sampling Reach Out? Well Fanfair's The Vaccine is like that but with about ten times more oomph. The whole track is suitably fun and frisky, featuring the rather amazing line 'We're loving daily fixes of your intravenous kisses boy'. There's also a cheery cover of The Boys Are Back In Town on their site too, again, just the sort of thing to get you in the mood for an afternoon of rugby.

There's a nice little interview with the band on Bracknell News and it also serves to remind you that these girls are playing to the likes of 60,000 people per game. If you're looking to get your band out there, then that's certainly one way to do it. Managed by former Syco employee Dan Parker, it sounds like they've got a good pair of hands behind the steering wheel too.

I'm looking forward to hearing more from Fanfair as, let's be honest, the more girl-bands in the world, the better. And as a local, I feel like I owe it to them too.

You can find out more on Fanfair's website here.

Soundgirl - I'm The Fool

I'm The Fool is a relentless, full on energy rush. The debut single from new British girlband trio Soundgirl, it's a feisty, catchy-as-hell pop track with a razor sharp urban edge. There's something of an early Sugababes to the band, they carry that same effortless attitude and swagger. But Soundgirl's sound is distinctly 'now'. Touching on some of the sounds being pushed across the Atlantic by the best in American Hip-Hop and R&B, the mechanical beats and auto-tuned male backing vocals mark I'm The Fool out from the crowd. It's the super-cool kid at school that everyone wanted to know.

Fresh from supporting Pixie Lott on tour, Soundgirl front up that same accessibility that made Miss Lott such a hit. The infectious-ness of tracks like Boys And Girls, it's all present in I'm The Fool too. And you'd expect that too, coming from such songwriting royalty as Miranda Cooper, the woman behind some of the best pop tracks of the last ten years. Kylie's Giving You Up... The Sugababes Red Dress... pretty much the entirety of Girls Aloud's back catalogue... When it comes to pop music, you can't get much better than that. Cooper is the hottest ticket in town when it comes to songwriting and he stamp is all over I'm The Fool, it's one of those songs that make sure you won't forget them; radio-perfect melodies and vocals, but with a real credibility and staying power. Soundgirl represent something new and exciting, and if this is the start, we can't wait to hear what they do next.

I'm The Fool is released 18th April.