Having spent a lot of time staring at the ceiling, sweating, this week – and not in a good way – it was something of a relief to even feel like listening to music and going through the dreaded e-mail backlog. Lot of cackle on the wires about two “hotly-tipped” female artists – Adele and Duffy and I’m compelled to air my tuppence worth. Adele emits a formless, shapeless style to me. Apparently a graduate of the dreaded Brit-School, it’s like Michelle McManus goes lite Jazz. I spelled it that way purposely. Jeez, at least Kate Nash has a whiff of Kirsty MacColl about her however... And Duffy – well this “Mercy” thing is fine if you like pastiche. “Rockferry” was better in my opinion in its MacAlmont and Butler sort of swooping pop way but really – this is saving the beleaguered music business? Well if y’all say so. There’s something very calculated and maybe even cynical about both of these artists swift rise to “popularity”.
It’s not their fault, they’re doing a job. They’ll jump through hoops for their respective imprint but the way all this appears to work makes any kind of longevity unlikely. I keep hoping that Mari Wilson would just come back and be done with it. The concept of being groomed to be a pop star or whatever must surely cause advance precipitation of the dry boke followed by the full on heave. At least Duffy didn't go to class to come up with her Bonnie Tyler goes Dusty faux beat. Give "The Brits" their own TV Station where the sheep can subscribe and be kept up to speed and maybe free up some other areas for acts with no such tacit connections to the sad mafia that seem to have a grip on the what passes for entertainment industry. Did you see poor old Ozzy on that awards shit the other night? He deserves better than that surely.
I think it’s maybe time to wrap up (warm) and go outside. I must be recuperating because this shit is winding me up.