Girls Aloud

[Ciarán]

They're the best pop group around at the moment, and I'm hugely excited about the new album which is "slated" for release on November 19th. I think they're deserving of their own thread here. At least I hope they are. Here's the video for the new single which is out on September 3rd...

'Sexy! No No No'

It's the brashest thing they've done yet, harking back a little to 'Wake Me Up' and 'Something Kinda Ooooh'.

Their new album (rumoured to be called 'Yes Yes Yes' but the tiltle is still to be announced) apparently contains no cover versions, and this is good news because Girls Aloud's cover versions have been ropey and boring almost without fail. I haven't looked forward to a new album's release so eagerly since...well probably since 'Chemistry' in 2005.

My top five Girls Aloud singles are...

Biology
The Show
Love Machine
No Good Advice
Life Got Cold

Any other fans of Girls Aloud in here?

[wherearethespoons]

Is this a joke thread?

[Ciarán]

No, it's not fucking ironies.

Ah, I forgot 'Cecil Parkinson' was a banned word.

[Hank_Kingsley]

Yes I like Girls Aloud for more than just their sex. I especially like 'The Show', it has a great synth hook. Do you know who produced that one?

EDIT: that queerin ciaran tag is making me laugh though...

[Fry]

Biology

Some god awful miming there.

[Ciarán]

Yes I like Girls Aloud for more than just their sex. I especially like 'The Show', it has a great synth hook. Do you know who produced that one?

Produced by Xenomania. Xenomania is Brian Higgins and ex-KLF sessioneer Nick Coler and various songwriters including Miranda Cooper. Like a S/A/W for the noughties only much better.

[Hank_Kingsley]

Oooh. Interesting, i'll have to see what else they've done gone.

[Angst in my Pants]

Is this a joke thread?

I hope not, as I'm about to post that I have much love for The Aloud.  I wouldn't have thought so either, as I recall Ciarán kicked off the "Verbwhores' Top 1000 Singles" thread with Biology.

You're right that their covers have been ropey, but I do love that boot of their version of Girls on Film mashed with the Duran Duran original.

I agree with your top choices, but must add "Wake Me Up" too.  And "Something kinda oooh!".  Oh shit, I really do love them.

"Jump" can fuck right off, though.  _{Well, it's okay...}

[Ciarán]

Oooh. Interesting, i'll have to see what else they've done gone.

There's a fairly comprehensive discography over at Wikipedia...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenomania_discography

What that page doesn't mention is that Brian Higgins was also involved in Motiv 8 who, apart from their own brilliant singles 'Rockin For Myself' and 'Break The Chain', remixed/produced Pulp, St Etienne, Crush, Gina G, Clock and many others.

[Angst in my Pants]

Produced by Xenomania. Xenomania is Brian Higgins and ex-KLF sessioneer Nick Coler and various songwriters including Miranda Cooper. Like a S/A/W for the noughties only much better.

As much as it's grown on me, every time I listen to "Walk this Way" I wish Higgins had been given it.

[Hank_Kingsley]

Eeek, they produced 'Believe'. That's a horrible, horrible song.

[Ciarán]

You're right that their covers have been ropey, but I do love that boot of their version of Girls on Film mashed with the Duran Duran original.

Does their cover of 'Girls On Film' actually sample the camera noises off the original anyway? It sounds like it.

I agree with your top choices, but must add "Wake Me Up" too.  And "Something kinda oooh!". 

Yes, what's great about them is that mix of geetars and synths, it's difficult to get that kind of mix right.

[Ciarán]

Eeek, they produced 'Believe'. That's a horrible, horrible song.

I "belie-ee-ve" (arf arf!) that it was Higgins who suggested the novelty computery vocal effect which that song became famous for. 

[Angst in my Pants]

I'm not sure - they're slower and lower-pitched on the Duran Duran version, but then I guess (stating the obvious as I realise it) if they've sped up the sample it'd make it higher pitched.

Have you got the boot?  It's a simple "Duran's in one ear, Girls in the other" mix, but quite delightful.  I can upload it if ye fancy.

[Ciarán]

Have you got the boot?  It's a simple "Duran's in one ear, Girls in the other" mix, but quite delightful.  I can upload it if ye fancy.

Ooh thanks! No, I haven't heard it, I'd love to.

[Angst in my Pants]

Then you shall!  One moment please, sir.

[Hank_Kingsley]

Do you listen to much, or indeed any, new (90s onwards...) synthpop Ciaran? It's predominantly the domain of goths now but there's some cracking tunes that have been made...

[Catalogue Trousers]

What are they doing now? Bloody shampoo commercials! Bloody bloody bloody bloody!

[Angst in my Pants]

Girls Aloud vs Duran Duran - Girls on Film (Whitelabel Duet)

[Ciarán]

Do you listen to much, or indeed any, new (90s onwards...) synthpop Ciaran? It's predominantly the domain of goths now but there's some cracking tunes that have been made...

Oh yes! Depends on what you want to call synthpop I suppose - it's a fairly broad term. If you mean Ladytron, Goldfrapp's 'Black Cherry', Madonna's 'Confessions On A Dancefloor', Pet Shop Boys' 'Fundamental', St Etienne's 'Tales From Turnpike House', Annie's 'Anniemal', Client's 'Heartland etc, then absolutely. That's my favourite kind of pop. Also in indieland there have been some decent synth-y releases this decade from the likes of Future Bible Heroes, Architecture In Helsinki, The Postal Service... But Xenomania have the biggest hits out of that lot - it's just they don't release under their own name. If I were to recommend one great Xenomania moment of synthpop to you, it would be Sugababes' 'Ace Reject' which was on their 'Taller In More Ways' album from 2005. If you haven't heard it, I'll upload it for you when I get the chance.

[Ciarán]

Cheers for that Angst, downloading it now. :-)

EDIT: This is great by the way!

[Hank_Kingsley]

Oh yes! Depends on what you want to call synthpop I suppose - it's a fairly broad term. If you mean Ladytron, Goldfrapp's 'Black Cherry', Madonna's 'Confessions On A Dancefloor', Pet Shop Boys' 'Fundamental', St Etienne's 'Tales From Turnpike House', Annie's 'Anniemal', Client's 'Heartland etc, then absolutely. That's my favourite kind of pop. Also in indieland there have been some decent synth-y releases this decade from the likes of Future Bible Heroes, Architecture In Helsinki, The Postal Service... But Xenomania have the biggest hits out of that lot - it's just they don't release under their own name. If I were to recommend one great Xenomania moment of synthpop to you, it would be Sugababes' 'Ace Reject' which was on their 'Taller In More Ways' album from 2005. If you haven't heard it, I'll upload it for you when I get the chance.

Ah, I getcha. Yes, 'Anniemal' was pretty grand, I like a fair few of those acts ( I don't think i'll ever be convinced by The Postal Service though).

I was referring more to some of the Depeche Mode-esque acts adopted by the goth contingent, such as Mesh/Wolfsheim/Apoptygma Berzerk etc. Some of it's rather good, though not quite as cool as your selection!

Girls Aloud sort of remind me of The Pointer Sisters during their 80s peak, nice uptempo production alongside perfectly disposable sorta pop vocals.

[non capisco]

I love the Xenomania ones. 'The Show' and 'Biology' are superb, they sound like the results of a bet as to how many hooks you can put into one song. Girls Aloud records with no Xenomania involvement all suck, though.

I posted this in the Bonzo Dog Band thread. Isn't the piano riff at the beginning of 'Biology' a sample from 'Piggy Bank Love'?

[Ciarán]

I was referring more to some of the Depeche Mode-esque acts adopted by the goth contingent, such as Mesh/Wolfsheim/Apoptygma Berzerk etc.

Well you might like Client then, they were snapped up by Andy Fletcher for his label (Toast). If you're into the darker, Depeche Mode-y end of things. Did you like the whole "electroclash" thing then? I thought Fischerspooner were better than people made them out to be. They did a nice cover of Wire's 'The 15th'.

Girls Aloud sort of remind me of The Pointer Sisters during their 80s peak, nice uptempo production alongside perfectly disposable sorta pop vocals.

I sort of see what you mean. Apart from GA's cover of 'Jump', I can imagine The Pointer Sisters doing 'Something Kinda Ooooh' actually.

[quadraspazzed]

Client are great.

[wherearethespoons]

Girls Aloud vs Duran Duran - Girls on Film (Whitelabel Duet)

That's pretty much no different.

[Hank_Kingsley]

Yep, I did like electroclash as it happens. Miss Kittin & The Hacker had a rather splendid album which I long lost to a girlfriend.
Bollocks, I forgot 'Jump' was a cover there. No wonder I thought they sounded alike...

Here's a Wolfsheim track for you (and anyone else who might want it..):
http://download.yousendit.com/6DADF3D76F8FDE19





(sorry to derail this thread!)

[Ciarán]

That's pretty much no different.

If you take your left earphone out, you get Girls Aloud's cover (more or less). If you do the opposite you get the original. Hours of fun guaranteed!

[Cack Hen]

Ladytron

Can't wait for their new album, I thought 2005's Witching Hour was amazing, everything sounded a little less like a pastiche of synthpop and a little more lush and atmospheric. I hope they keep going further in that direction, anyway.

[Ciarán]

...and Ladytron are a great pop group.

that seems to be the thing about great pop, you can have a favourite member. And my favourite member of Ladytron is Helen. Around the time of 'Light & Magic' she was the one who spent time in interviews emphasising her love of pop music. Daniel who tends to be Ladytron's spokesman is rather intellectual, a great pop theorist like Bob Stanley, but while he harps on aboiut why The Beatles went wrong by ditching their uniforms, Helen talked up her love of Tweet's brilliant 'Oops! (Oh My)' single. Out of all of Ladytron it woukld be Helen who'd be most likely to like Girls Aloud, I'd say. Her favourite Ladytron track is 'Evil' - a fine piece of pop if ever there was one.

And my favourite member of Girls Aloud is Nicola (and that wasn't me tagging to that effect by the way).