Today, I am writing you from my prison of the last few days; I am laid out in my home after throwing my back out on Wednesday. It goes without saying, that right now, I am not a happy camper. However, that will not stop me from bringing you the 5SF I promised you this week. See how nice I am? Alright, let’s get to it!
Zac Brown Band – Jolene
I’ve written many times before that I am not that big of a country music fan, but I am a sucker for great music; whether it is country or not. Before the Grammy’s, I had heard of Zac Brown Band, but I hadn’t heard any of their music. After seeing them perform live on the Grammy’s, and after getting chills by their amazing performance, I decided it was time to check these boys out; and I am glad that I did. While most of their songs are a bit too blue-grass twinged for me, this song instantly stood out and has since taken me completely over. I cannot get enough of this evocative song, filled to the brim with emotive lyrics and sweet sincerity in the vocals. Add to that the truly moving fiddle, and the wonderful arrangement, and you have an amazing song, and Jolene is just that; a truly amazing song. While I may not love it all, I can definitely say that Jolene has definitely made me a fan of the Zac Brown Band.
The Courteeners – You Overdid It Doll
I first heard this one on BBC Radio 1, and it is yet another reminder of why BBC Radio 1 is such a great place to hear great music I probably wouldn’t have heard anywhere else. This Mancunian band has taken me by storm for the past few weeks with this insanely catchy song. While the Courteeners share similarities with other great British bands like White Lies and Kaiser Chiefs, these guys are certainly contributing their own welcome addition to the British alternative pop-rock scene with this great new single. I found it funny, that after they played this that first time I heard it on BBC Radio 1, that people were texting in asking if it was called “You Own a Denim Dog”, because that is what it sounds like he is singing in the chorus. I love misheard lyrics, and that one is actually pretty spot on!
Neon Trees – Animal
Speaking of insanely catchy songs, after seeing the cute video for this song (and clapping along at the appropriate sections), I immediately made a note to go and download this great track. Lead singer Tyler Green has a similar tonal quality to his voice as Rufus Wainwright, which I find surprisingly refreshing, as this is definitely more upbeat and energetic than most of Wainwright’s (also amazing) work. Overall, this is a perfect song to get ready for the warmer months, and is a welcome early addition to my soundtrack for spring. This is also one of those songs that really grabs you initially, but doesn’t stop there; it continually digs in and only grows on you more and more with each listen.
Surfer Blood – Swim
My friend Jason deserves all of the credit for this one, because he is the one that turned me on to this track. While I was a bit off-put by the strange band name, I was brought fully on board when I heard this delightful multi-layered track. I like the way they remind me of groups from my high school days, like Nada Surf, only to shift gears halfway into the song, and become super current with a sound similar to the amazing Vampire Weekend. I love the blend of East Coast pop-punk, and the West Coast surfer rock. Overall, this is a great find, and one that I predict will be big on the indie circuit in 2010. Thanks for the heads up on this great song, Jason!
The Temper Trap – Sweet Disposition
I heard this while watching (500) Days of Summer a couple of weeks ago, and while I wasn’t blown away by the movie, I did love this song, and made a note to download it after the movie was over. I will say about the film (and all films/tv shows/etc for that matter), that I absolutely love when a director (or music editor? well, whoever picks the songs, anyway) knows how to incorporate the perfect backing music for a scene; and in this case, they totally hit the nail on the head. This song beautifully framed the scenes it was used in, and obviously, captivated my attention enough for me to download it after seeing the movie. I almost hate to say it but this song would be a perfect commercial song, because of how well it flows as background music; but with that being said, that doesn’t in any way speak to the quality of this song. It is a great song that I am glad to have stumbled upon; even if it was just playing in the background.
Well, as I sit here, waiting for the muscle relaxers to kick in, I hope that you have enjoyed another (semi-regular) 5SF. Please, as always, let me know what you thought of this week’s selections, and also make sure to make your own!! Stay tuned for the next installment of the 5SF, coming soon to a Friday near you!!!
I’ll admit I wasn’t a fan of Amerie at first. I initially found 1 Thing slightly off-putting because of the intensity, and the way she basically screamed the song at you. Well, a few years later, I heard the brilliant Take Control (which was on her last record, that apparently, wasn’t released in the US), which gave me new respect for Amerie; which translated into me even beginning to enjoy the (actually quite amazing) 1 Thing. Naturally, when I noticed that Amerie had released her new album In Love and War earlier this month (and especially after hearing this banging lead single) I had to check it out. There are several great tracks on it, and I have been playing this one in particular on repeat. Amerie’s music has a feel to it that lets you know it’s her right off the bat, and songs like this make me want to get out of my seat and dance around. The layered big band instruments and booming bass make this a track that is just begging to fill dance floors. The energy in this track is high, and with this new single, Amerie has come back to the States stronger than ever. 
The first time I heard this song was a little over a month ago, and initially, while I did like it, I wasn’t blown away by it. However, after several subsequent listens, it has grown on me, and I have been enjoying this guilty pleasure more and more with each spin. This is one of those songs that would fit perfectly on US pop radio, but because it is a UK artist, the chances of that happening are ever so slim. However, I read that Alexandra (who won X-Factor last year, the year after Leona Lewis; one Brit who famously did make it to the top of the US pop charts) is actively working with several big names in the US music industry, in order to get her more exposure on this side of the pond. Only time will tell, but having Flo-Rida in the song certainly bodes well for her potentially topping charts in the states at some point in the near future (not that Flo-Rida is in any way a draw to this song for me whatsoever).
Alright, ladies and gents, here is the first single from American Idol runner up, Adam Lambert’s debut album of the same name (which is out next Tuesday). While I do admit that I was skeptical at first (seems to be a theme today) of this track, I realized that for me, it was in large part due to the hype surrounding Adam’s impending debut. I was a major fan of him on the show, mainly, because love him or hate him, there is absolutely no denying that this guy has some major singing talent. However, the pressure that winning or coming in second on AI puts on that contestant’s first release after the show is staggering; and given history, unfortunately equally disappointing. There have been very few American Idol alums that have truly delivered for me, and as such, I was nervous about what Adam would do with his debut. After giving this track enough of a chance to allow the stink of over-hype to wear off, I will say that I am definitely more optimistic about Adam’s debut album; the track is a real grower, and really highlights his insane singing voice. We’ll have to see if the rest of the album delivers, but for now, I’m definitely more excited to see what he has in store for us on Tuesday.
I’ll admit, I don’t really like posting “big hits”; especially if they are in the top of the iTunes/Billboard charts. I enjoy focusing these 5SFs on stuff that people may not have heard before, or stuff that you might miss because its brilliance was (or would probably go on to be) vastly overlooked. There are notable exceptions (ahem, Lady GaGa’s Bad Romance last week), but for the most part, posting what’s burning up the charts (and the radio) isn’t the central point of these 5SFs. This may seem like a tangent, but I felt like I needed to clarify, because this is another notable exception; a song that I discovered because it was the top of the iTunes singles chart. I have heard of Lady Antebellum, but never really heard any of their music; mostly because I am not what I would consider a huge fan of country music. However, after seeing this song soar to the top of the singles chart, I had to least give it a listen, and least hear what it was about this track that made so many people want to buy it. After watching the video (ahem… the lead male singer is HOT), I instantly heard why it would jump to the top of that singles chart; this song is incredibly beautiful, the lyrics are eloquent, and the arrangement is masterfully crafted. I love the sweet and tender elements of this song, and I am glad that I gave it a listen; especially because of the fact that it’s unlikely I would have heard it otherwise. Sometimes, you find something at the top of the charts that you haven’t heard, and sometimes, it turns out to be wonderful; this is definitely one of those times.
I found out about this collaboration from my friend Gregor, when he posted a video for the song on 
It’s time for some well placed gushing ladies and gents! This song is completely, utterly, and fantastically amazing. This is the new single from Will’s upcoming release, The Hits, and it is definitely one of his best songs ever; how fitting that it would be recorded for his first greatest hits compilation. Will nearly took the top spot in 
I was torn about posting a Lady GaGa song this week (since by now, everyone and their mother is sure to have heard it), but given the video’s release this week, and how good this track is, I couldn’t ignore it. When I started talking about her, it didn’t seem like many people cared, but slowly, everyone seemed to come into the Haus of GaGa. A little over a year later, and she is a bona fide pop sensation that seems to somehow be picking up even MORE steam. As I hinted at above, this week, the internet has been all a flutter because of the release of her 
It should come as no surprise to my regular readers of the 5SF that I love British pop music, and after hearing this song in BBC Radio 1, I was reminded of just why I love it so much. This song is incredibly catchy, and the chorus will be stuck in your head for hours after hearing it. I only heard of JLS a few weeks ago; apparently, I missed out on their first single, Beat Again, when it was released a few months back. However, with the release of this new single (which is an official UK number one!) that coincided with the release of their self-titled debut last week, it seems that I couldn’t ignore them any longer. While the jury is still out on the rest of the album, this song is getting constant play on my ipod. This song reminds me A LOT of the great pop ballad-type anthems made popular by the Backstreet Boys back in their hay-day (I’m thinking of perhaps their biggest song, I Want It That Way). JLS may have come in second on last year’s X-Factor, but by the sound of things, they are doing quite well for themselves post-X-factor in 2009. 
This has been a good year for finding rock bands from the UK (Band of Skulls, Glasvegas and, White Lies to name a few). When I first heard this song, I thought it was Snow Patrol, because the lead singer’s vocals in this song have a very similar sound to the lead singer of Snow Patrol. To my surprise, it was actually Biffy Clyro (who’s lead singer is Scottish), who I have heard of, but I had actually never heard anything by before. My interest was peaked, because I have had some experience with Biffy Clyro, because the lead singer is a part of a side project called Marmaduke Duke; whom I posted about in a 
To say that I was excited for the release of the new album by The Swell Season would be quite an understatement. However, and somewhat unfortunately, the hype must have gotten to me, because I have had a difficult time really getting into it since it was released a few weeks ago. That being said, this song was an instant stand out, mostly because of the beautiful arrangement, and the intricacy with which they weave the melody throughout the chorus. The gentle guitar picking, and the beautiful deep bass, all overlain with the distorted keyboard, comes together to create something truly gorgeous. Add to that the sweet and sensitive vocals of Glen Handsard, and what’s not to love? Nothing, I tell you. This is definitely one of the best tracks off their new album; and perhaps shining some attention on it this week will motivate me to keep trying to get into the rest of Strict Joy (which is good, but I think I hyped it up so high that there was no way I wouldn’t be let down at least a little). 
Holy mother of drum & bass, Batman!! Seriously, if you are a fan of drum & bass, this may be your new anthem. The track is immensely beautiful in its execution. I haven’t followed drum & bass since I was in high school, so I was quite surprised when I heard a drum & bass song on the radio; although it was BBC Radio 1, which kind of makes sense (they play a lot of stuff that “mainstream radio” wouldn’t touch). Since hearing it, I have been clamoring to get this track so I could feature it on a 5SF; this song is HUGE. I especially love the elegant melody, beautiful vocal, sharp snare, and full bass; you really need to do yourself a favor and listen to it with a really good set of speakers, because the bass really commands the true grandness of this song. I had personally never heard of Chase & Status before hearing this, but I am all ears now; especially if they keep making music this brilliant.
I heard some buzz about these guys, and after noticing they were fellow beard enthusiasts, I looked (and listened) a little more at what they had to offer. After hearing this track, I have to say that I am glad that I gave their music a listen. This song is an excellent example of how simplicity and beauty in the arrangement, coupled with strong imagery and beautiful vocals can make for truly amazing music. I especially love the sincerity of the line that is the namesake of the song, Three words that became hard to say/I and love and you, and the way in which the singer delivers it. If for no other reason than that line, I LOVE this song; sometimes, an attention to detail is all it takes for me to fall head over heels with something, and that has certainly happened in this case. 
What can I say; I’m a sucker for a beautiful man with a beautiful voice. I have posted a few songs from Matt Alber’s debut, Monarch, in the past, and just this week, I stumbled back onto his album, and I couldn’t resist posting about him again. The tonal quality of his voice literally makes me weak in the knees, and the delicate way in which he weaves in and out of those harmonies is magical. I have my hopes that there will be a new album from Matt very soon. As I said in the past, his debut was kind of a conflict for me, because there are some AMAZING songs on it, but there are more than a couple filler tracks that really drug it down. That being said, when you go back and listen to the stand out numbers, those tracks show a level of talent and an beacon of extremely great promise from this out gay artist. When he nails it, he does so beautifully and effortlessly; and boy does he nail it with this song. 
Here’s another blast from the not-so-distant past; Melee’s amazing debut album, Devils and Angels made my top ten of 2007, 
This is the song that almost got away. You may recall, that quite some time ago, I had a revival of 90’s songs that I loved back in the day, and I never managed to rediscover all of them due to how much time had passed, and the fading of distant memories. I remember loving this song imensely when I was in high school, and I could vaguely remember that there was a pin up girl on the cover, but I could never remember the name or any of the words of the song. That drove me crazy. I had all but given up finding this elusive track, when this past week, James and I were out to dinner, and it started playing in the restaurant. I couldn’t believe it! Suddenly, it all came rushing back, and I downloaded this great song as soon as I got home. I couldn’t resist posting this today, because re-finding this song was just too perfect not to share. I just love how random life can be sometimes!
I know that I was gushing about how Lose Control was the best song on the new album by the Saturdays, and while it is AMAZING, I think I might have been wrong. THIS is the best song their new album. It is amazing. It evokes the same feeling of another amazing track, No Air, and has me breathless after each listen. I still cannot get over how amazing their sophomore album is; it is even better that their debut (which was stellar, btw). The Saturdays have made some brilliant pop, and this is sitting pretty atop the rest right now; this song is epic, and totally beautiful. I am PRAYING that they release this as a single, because there is no way that it wouldn’t be number one. Seriously, this song is EPIC. BRILLIANT. AMAZING. LOTS OF WORDS IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. This record is amazing, and I can’t seem to say it enough.
WARNING: This song says fuck in it like 65 times; you have been warned. I opted not to go for the radio-friendly version, because I love the tenacity with which she screams fuck in each threatening line of the chorus. This song is a total guilty pleasure, one that uses an arrangement that borrows heavily from Soft Cell’s Tainted Love; but it is almost as if she borrowed the arrangement from Rihanna’s SOS, which borrowed its arrangement from Soft Cell. Interesting. The result is a great back beat with a fierce song about fucking up a bitch who comes after your man. Don’t fuck with Kaci; she’ll cut a bitch!
GUILTY PLEASURE ALERT: I resisted the shit out of this song. No way was I going to concede and like someone who thought it was cute to spell her name with a dollar sign in it. However, far too many of you suggested this song to me to ignore it any longer; and what better time to post it during Pride weekend. This song is a true banger, and I am sure that it will be loved by gay boys all over; including this one. Yes ladies and gents, I give in. I love this ghetto fabulous track by Miss Kesha… I’m sorry, I mean Ke$ha. Ugh, I still don’t like that, though. Also, what the hell is up with the line, Now, the dudes are lining up cause they hear we got swagger/But we kick em to the curb unless they look like Mick Jagger? Someone needs to let this little cutie know that she can do better than guys that look like tired old Mick. I’m just saying; Ke$ha, don’t sell yourself short, doll.
LOOK! IT’S THE GAYEST VERSION OF JUST DANCE SINCE JUST DANCE! Seriously, I tried really hard not to like this complete rip on Lady GaGa’s amazing first single, Just Dance, but I just couldn’t resist. Cascada has danced her way into my heart again, and I just can’t resist any longer. Yes, this song is pretty much a spot on remake of Just Dance; it follows the exact same formula that Lady GaGa perfected with Just Dance. However, isn’t imitation the sincerest form of flattery? If that’s the case, Cascada LOVES her some Lady GaGa, and she made this little homage so we could all get out on the floor and keep the dance party going. I have been playing this one for a few months now, probably way more often than I should, and I thought it was perfect for a Pride 5SF, so here it is. You win again, Cascada! Gays rejoice! Dance music for the masses!!
Oh how much I love Lisa Scott-Lee; let me count the ways… a song consisting of nothing but hyper sexual double entendres, the fact that she was in the amazing pop super group Steps, and 
I have been known to gush incessantly about some songs, but I try my best to reserve that for those that I am totally and utterly blow away by. Well, ladies and gents, this is one of those songs, and I am going to nothing short of tell everyone I know about this one. This song is immensely beautiful, and the arrangement is perfect. It is so good that I have to admit that I was actually kind of surprised by it. While I really liked their last album, this towers so high over anything they have done so far, that there really is no way that it wouldn’t take a fan even more diehard than myself by surprise. Don’t get me wrong, this is not a dig in any way to their previous work; they have some brilliant and amazing stuff out there already, but this song hits like the ultimate crescendo. Jared Leto’s voice soars alongside the building riffs and sends chills up my spine when he hits those high notes and sustains them so pitch perfectly. This takes everything they have done before and perfects it. I can’t heap enough praise on this track, and I cannot wait until their new album comes out; because if it is anything like this, it is going to be utterly brilliant. Simply put: AMAZING. 
I had a bit of a twitter/facebook snafu yesterday when I proclaimed my love for this song; when I accidentally said I liked Robin Williams’ Bodies. Well, let’s clear that up; THIS is the Bodies that I am heaping my praise on (well, I wouldn’t mind heaping some praise on Robbie Williams’ (not Robin Williams) actual body, but that is topic for another time and another place). Overall, whenever Robbie releases a new single, I always want to like it, and sometimes I do, but when I first heard Bodies, I didn’t. I think it was the hard distortion sound that accompanies the beat that turned me off at first. However, I have heard it a few times, and now I see how wrong I was; this song is beautiful and I actually love the hard distortion completely now! I realize now that I didn’t give it the chance that it so rightly deserves. This song is catchy, the arrangement is excellent, and Robbie’s voice is as beautiful as ever. 
Some of you probably wonder why in the hell I would be posting a Spanish song, but trust me, this song took me by much more surprise than you could possibly have for me featuring it. I have had a love hate relationship with Nelly Furtado; mostly, I LOVE all of her older stuff that I felt was more “her style”, and I practically HATE everything she did with Timbaland. I remember when Promiscuous came out, and I really liked it at first. However, that quickly turned to disdain, because with each subsequent single, I felt the Nelly I instantly fell in love with back in 2001 with I’m Like a Bird was completely gone. That troubled me, and as such, I kind of started ignoring her. It wasn’t until I saw the video (
Even though I am a fan of American Idol, I can’t say that there are many of those kids that I avidly kept following after they left the show. Katharine McPhee is one of the notable exceptions. After delivering an amazing, if not totally ignored (
Clea were a band that came together after the girls met each other during the auditioning process for Pop Stars: The Rivals. While they didn’t win, they managed to release some pretty great pop music together. Clea had some issues with getting an album out, but when they finally did, it was filled with cheesy pop that has been a guilty pleasure of mine for years. This is my favorite song from the album Trinity, and even though Clea are long gone from the music scene, I still absolutely love this song. It is dance-tastic, and is just the type of cheesy British pop that I can’t get enough of right now. 
Rachel was in a fantastically cheesy-but-brilliant pop band called S Club 7 (who I completely and utterly adore!), and after the band broke up (*sad face*), she went out on her own, and released some pretty great solo stuff. Anyone who has been following this blog for a while now knows that I am a sucker for a great cover song, and this one is nothing short of fantastic (even though it isn’t on any of her albums!). Surprisingly, they actually played this on So You Think You Can Dance (last year I think) during a disco routine, and at the time, I was reminded of how much I love Rachel, and miss her contributions to pop music. My recent resurgence of interest in early 00s pop music wouldn’t be complete without a little love for Rachel and the rest of the S Club crew. 
As is the case with many British pop bands, the formula of releasing cover songs is pretty much a standard, and V are no exception to the rule (this is a cover of The Jackson 5’s hit of the same name). However, even though it is a cover, it is cheesy boy-band pop at its BEST (which is probably why that formula is followed so predictably). Around the time the US was pining over The Backstreet Boys and N*SYNC, the UK had a slew of boy bands popping up left, right, and center. V was one of the bands that managed to have a few hits, only to disappear into near obscurity overnight. It’s interesting to me, that right now, there is 
Many of you probably know Emma better by her stage name, Baby Spice; a name that she was given to her when she was in the Spice Girls. However, a lot of you might not know that every one of the Spice Girls kept working on music once the band broke up (a lot of it is brilliant!), and Emma’s second solo album is one of the best of the bunch; there isn’t a bad song on it. Emma was on the early end of the currently growing trend to harness a throwback sound; and in her case, as exhibited by the theme of this album, it was the swanky sound of pop music from the 60s. She had moderate attention in the states with her hit Free Me, which was remixed and made some waves on the dance scene, but Maybe was always my favorite from the album. Hearing this again made me realize just how much I love that whole album, and I’m glad to feature it today as one of my all time favorite British pop songs. 
Arguably one of the biggest of the songs featured on today’s 5SF, this massive song by pop super group Steps pretty much embodies the uber cheesy heart of British pop of the early 00s. Steps were insanely huge when they were making music, and caused quite a stink with their fans when they disbanded; mostly because they had reassured everyone they wouldn’t when the rumors of a break up started flying. Because I didn’t find out about Steps until after they disbanded, I was shielded from any bad feelings about them, which is good, because I truly love some Steps. They are like a cheesy ABBA disco tribute band gone completely over the edge with bubble gum pop goodness. This is my favorite song by Steps, and it really is a shame that they didn’t continue on, because they made some really great pop music together. I’ve always thought this song was the perfect song for a Friday, because it’s all about getting ready for the weekend, so I thought it really worked for today. 