The new series of Skins

Season Three of Skins, in my humble opinion, gotten off to a terrible start. There's only one character I find remotely interesting and that's the doormat twin. Katie? or Emily. One of them. The only good bits were the shoutouts to the past two seasons, until that chav guy went and burnt Sid's locker. And also, the adverts with Lamb and the Lion.

I'm in the hope of improvement.

Lykke Li is adorable.

And this proves it.

That website is generally worth checking out for some really good acoustic performances, but the Lykke Li one I favour considerably. Perfect revision distraction.

Skinny teenagers whining about dying?

Two years ago I went to see The Maccabees at Roadmender in Northampton with some friends, and as usual there were support acts (seeing as y'know, it was a gig). One of the support acts was polka performing Jack Penate, who pretty much went on to outdo The Maccabees saleswise ... although soundwise is another story. Before Penate's act were what appeared to be three bored late-teenage boys who went under the guise of Fear of Flying, who were alright I suppose although nothing particularly special. Then Fear of Flying disbanded and six months later, three bored teenagers became three miserable bastards. They were called White Lies. 

Not that being miserable necessarily makes you bad (although with Glasvegas it sure helps), but it doesn't exactly make you a brilliant band to seek out and listen to. But Unfinished Business, their first single, is somewhat blissful. It's like a Sunday morning service being raped by Interpol. And it's not downhill from there - pretty anthemic follow-up single Death made my Top 20 songs of last year with good reason. It's a masterpiece. 

Alas I had high expectations for their album ... expectations which haven't been met. I wasn't exactly sure when it was out (this Monday just so you know) so I'm glad it's being streamed on their MySpace - but it's a very half-and-half album. The two leading singles are undoubtedly two of the strongest, while leading single To Lose My Life is quite weak in my opinion. Harry McVeigh's voice matches the dark lyrical content, but unfortunately is too loud for any of these songs to be particularly haunting. Tracks such as "Fifty on Our Foreheads" are very snoozeworthy. And why isn't the synths guy listed as being an official band member? He seems to be the one doing the majority of the work, there's no way this album would be half as good without his glossy 80s sounds.

But enough with the negatives, To Lose My Life is probably a dead cert for a Mercury nomination and could be fairly deserving based on what other albums our homegrown churn out this year. As well as the singles, album closer "The Price of Love" would sound as spinechilling in an arena as it would at a small Camden venue and is by far the best song on this album. "Farewell to the Fairground" is also a strong track, a leftover from their days as Fear of Flying. There's more good songs than there are bad.

In just under a month I'll be seeing them on the NME Awards Tour and following Florence'll be difficult - but Friendly Fires following them? Either impossible, or a well-needed cheer up. 

Mesmerised

An early contender for song of the year?

Equally mesmerising ... it's Su--Elise singing! - ironically on Mis'teeq's worst song (1:58-2:05)

Now there's a contrast in videos like you wouldn't believe ...

Some albums I'm excited about ...

Yeah, lots of albums getting released this year. Because it's like a normal year and albums get released all the time so that shouldn't be much of a surprise. But yeah, I decided to narrow it down to three albums which I'm more excited for than most.

The first of these comes from Yeah Yeah Yeahs, pretty much one of the best bands ever in existence offering up their third LP to follow up 2006's Show Your Bones. Despite giving fans like you and I an EP offering mid-2007, it's been a loooooong wait. The band have promised something completely different to all their previous work, but "DOES IT SOUND LIKE THE YEAH YEAH YEAHS??? YOU BET YOU'RE SWEET ASS IT DOES." I'm certain they won't disappoint.

Royksopp are next on my list, releasing new album Junior on March 23 four years after their last album - although hopefully it will sound more Melody AM than the fairly lacklustre The Understanding. It was a good album, but songs like Remind Me are what got me into this band and y'know, I'm very excited to hear the third album.

And newbie of the bunch Florence and the Machine should be due to release an album this year too. Produced by James Ford who's produced Klaxons and stuff, Florence Welch is secured in the spotlight for this year (Dog Days Are Over is being used in an ITV2 advert for God's sake) - and so she should with her machine of a voice, quirky lyrics and all-round appeal. I adore her, and I'd adore an album this year.

Also worth mentioning ... Metric, Animal Collective, Silversun Pickups, Tubelord, Sonic Youth and there's probably more

What's a babe without sugar?

Picture the scenario. 

You're a North London teenager doing some singing with your best mate when you meet some other girl at a party who can sing pretty good too. So you form a band and at the age of 16 you've released your first single and it's gone Top 10. Thrilled right? Except one leaves after a bit and your success has kinda died and your record label has given up on you. Resolution? Get some hot blonde and a Gary Numan sample, and your music's taking over dancefloors everywhere. A few successful albums later, and you decide it's too much and you leave. 

So then you're replaced by someone new and the band kinda goes to shit and stops releasing good singles. Because that's what's happened with the most succesful girl group of the 21st Century - of course I'm talking about the Sugababes.

Don't get me wrong, I used to fucking love them. They've released some brilliant pop music over the past nine years that most pop acts would kill to release, and they've been amazingly succesful. Up to now. Latest single No Can Do has completely flopped charting at #83, their lowest ever, and a review of their latest album reads that they've gone from "an out there, edgy pop band to being as predictable as Atomic Kitten".

And it's true, they've completely lost their edge. Compare No Can Do to their irresistable first #1 Freak Like Me and you'll see the difference. The electro-rape of that as a comeback song compared to their new stuff shows that while all three members are still incredibly young, their newer stuff already sounds a bit dated.  Compared to Sugababes circa 2003 with songs such as Stronger and Too Lost in You, they just don't have that kinda alternative girl band feel to them anymore. 

And they change members so often they may as well have a Gap Year Placement programme. The Mutya years were the greatest. Will we be saying bye to the Sugababes soon? I hope not, I hope they reinvent themselves for their next album and come up with something which blows the world away and shows up Girls Aloud for the crap they are. Unfortunately, I'm not holding my breath.

Here's their slippery slope ....

Overload

Freak Like Me

Too Lost In You

Red Dress

No Can Do