Monday 14 March 2011

Belarus 2011 – Anastasia Vinnikova - I Love Belarus


Belarus had to bin their original effort because of a rules technicality. Boo!

But they've sent this instead. Yay!

Videos from YouTube. Underlying © lays with the owners of the clips.

Friday 11 March 2011

Ukraine 2011 - Maxim Novitskiy - True Love Can Free You

There are some things in Eurovisionland that you just peg down cultural differences that folks from other countries will never really understand. Sometimes it's a time signature or a vocal style or arrangement. But more often than not it relates to their outfit.

That's what we thought when we first saw Maxim Noviskiy. OK, so we think his Cossack Michael Jackson schtick is pretty weird, but to the locals in Ukraine, his dressing up like plasticised member of Laibach must seem completely normal. But then we saw the looks on the faces of the jury members as he stomped around the stage, and they thing he's fecking mental as well.

The song itself starts at around 2:55, but it's almost worth ploughing through the preamble just to see how unhinged Ukrainian telly can be!

Videos from YouTube. Underlying © lays with the owners of the clips.

Albania 2011 - Goldi Halili - Ne Krahet E Tua


Watch the video by clicking here.
Back in January when I first saw this I didn't really give it a second thought. Sung by a willowy lass with a thin voice nervously tugging at her frock like a teenager struggling to keep her bath towel up, I felt like I was intruding on the young girl skipping about and singing to herself in her bedroom.

But three months on, and with a lot of musical water under the bridge, it makes a lot more sense. In fact I'd rather this were the official Albanian entry - in the right hands this song could have a chorus to make the boys swoon.

Videos from YouTube. Underlying © lays with the owners of the clips.

Wednesday 9 March 2011

Russia 2009 - Alex Sparrow - Angel Be

It's not the first time this year's Russian boy has had a stab at entering Eurovision. Last year he had a reasonable pop with an oddity called The New Kalinka - which updated the popular Russian folks song and somehow made it kinda worse. But it was in 2009, and under the name of Alex Sparrow that he gave a performance that will forever go down in National Final history.

His over-mannered pop pomp may be a bit cloying at first, but stick with it, because witnessing the whole thins makes what happens in the final ten seconds all the more entertaining. I hope he attempts that again in Dusseldorf!

Videos from YouTube. Underlying © lays with the owners of the clips.

Portugal 2011 - Henrique Feist - Quase a voar

Portugal is a bit like the land time forgot in Eurovision terms. Not for them the perky pop punk and techno tunes that have been littering the national finals of late. Instead they prefer to go for songs of a more timeless nature - and indeed this particular example could have come from any Eurovision years since colour TV came into play. It meanders a bit at the end, but whatever it is that Henrique is telling us, you certainly believe it! Best use of a flat cap this year, too!

Videos from YouTube. Underlying © lays with the owners of the clips.

Tuesday 8 March 2011

Austria 2011 - Freddy Sahin-Scholl - Butterfly


Click these words to hear this dazzling song - but put away the glasswear first.
Before that handsome Corsican lad popped up for the French there was one vocal performance that stood head and shoulders above all others this year (and I don't mean Jamala) - and if anything it was even more astounding. There's no proper video for this, but you won't be quite expecting what you hear in the clip if you base your preconceptions on the picture above. I wouldn't necessarily say it's good, but it's amazing all the same.

Videos from YouTube. Underlying © lays with the owners of the clips.

Portugal 2011 - Sete Saias - Embalo Do Coração

When it boils down to it, this is what Eurovision is all about - regional frocks, wonky folk instruments and some gorgeous squawking in a regional dialect. Yes, one of them does appear to be playing a couple of pine cones! This is what the people want!

Videos from YouTube. Underlying © lays with the owners of the clips.

Sweden 2011 - Sara Varga - Spring För Livet


I wasn't all that taken with this delicate little ditty the first couple of times that I heard it. But it's quietly got under my skin and now I reckon it's a right smasher. The understated fragility of Anna's voice recalls Carla Bruni at her best (only without the star shagging tendencies), and her economy of expression makes you hang on her every syllable. It's a thoroughly nice song, to be sure.

Videos from YouTube. Underlying © lays with the owners of the clips.

Monday 7 March 2011

France 2011 - Amaury Vassili - Sognu


Oh my, France are in the contest! A pretty boy opera singer silking out a powerful yet tender belter - the mums are going to go all weak at the knees. Quick, call the bookies - can you still get 66/1 on it?

Videos from YouTube. Underlying © lays with the owners of the clips.

Sunday 6 March 2011

Portugal 2011 - Wanda Stuart - Chegar à Tua Voz

Portuguese finals are mainly populated by large women singing mournful ballads about losing their fisherman love at sea, or seedy middle-aged men at pianos rasping out slightly bawdy pimba songs. So it was a nice surprise that this year's selection show was one of the best of the season, with a right old range of decent songs and astounding weirdness.

This song fits into the latter category. How can go go wrong with an old bird with blue hair and quite frightening breasts belting out her song while flanked by backing singers in medieval garb? I never want to find out what this actually means - I think in this case it's better not knowing.

Videos from YouTube. Underlying © lays with the owners of the clips.

Russia 2010 - Buranovskie Babushki - Long Long Birch Bark And How To Make Ayshon From It


Russia have just announced that they're sending a handsome young chap called Alexey Vorovyov to Dusseldorf (although they're probably going to anglicise his name to Alex Sparrow, just for us foreigners). He's a nice enough fellow, and I'm sure he'll do very well, but they certainly missed a trick that could have won them a second title in three years.

For a couple of weeks prior to Alex's selection, rumours abounded that the man upstairs in Moscow favoured the candidacy of the fantastic grans of Buranovskie Babushki, who won the hearts of many a fan worldwide when they squeaked a close second in last year's Russian final.

It's not one of this year's possibilities, but it bears another look as it's genuinely one of the most beautiful things you will ever see...

Videos from YouTube. Underlying © lays with the owners of the clips.

Sweden 2011 - The Playtones - The King


There was a cracking neo-rockabilly tune in the Norwegian final with The Lucky Bullets' Fire Down Below, so I guess the Swedes thought they'd be neighbourly and have a go too. Unfortunately The Playtones aren't quite in the same league as The Bullets. It all starts off quite well, but turns into little more than schlager in quiffs by the time it gets to the chorus. Is it the law that all Swedish songs have to sound like this?

Videos from YouTube. Underlying © lays with the owners of the clips.

Saturday 5 March 2011

Portugal 2011 - Homens da Luta - Luta é Alegria


Click here to see this thing of beauty.

I love it when a national in joke gets to Eurovision. They always storm their home finals and then make the rest of Europe go "Huh?" when they get on the big stage. We suspect that this one has something to do with the Carnation Revolution in 1974, but that might be reading too much into it. What it is though is strange, regional and terribly enjoyable.

It won the Portuguese final in a strange fashion, coming from miles behind on the back of a massive televote, and it's really going to attract the silly little booboys in Dusseldorf. But if it pisses them off it's doing something right by me!

Videos from YouTube. Underlying © lays with the owners of the clips.

Friday 4 March 2011

Serbia 2011 - Briz - Ring Ring Ring



The Serbian final practically slipped under the radar during last Saturday's barrage of selection competitions. So we dang nearly missed this strange little curio that was part of a three-song final, with all the tunes written by different members of the same family. There was a stock ballad, the glow pop winner, and this unlikely sixties pastiche.


They look like The Byrds, play with a Ringo Starr beat and suddenly turn into the Beach Boys half way through - all the while still feeling like an old time Yugo get down. Actually, I'm not even sure that it's a pastiche. They could well be playing it straight!


Videos from YouTube. Underlying © lays with the owners of the clips.

Macedonia 2011 - Skipi & Tajzi – Ostavi Politika I Pojacaj Ton

Belligerent Macedonian hip-hop. That's three terms I never thought I'd use in the same sentence - especially in a Eurovision context. They've even got a posse - although I'm not entirely sure that they were fully briefed on what they were supposed to do before they went on.

This one also features some of the most intricate arm dancing you'll have seen for quite some time.

Videos from YouTube. Underlying © lays with the owners of the clips.

Sweden 2011 - Lasse Stefanz - En Blick Och Nånting Händer

There's something tremendously heartwarming about this superannuated danseband as they creak their way through this sweet-natured old-school tune. Indeed, some aged are some of them that they look as though they might be killed by their own guitars.

It's particularly noteworthy for two lovely moments. The first the minimalist dance routine that the singer chap affords to the choruses, the second the slightly unsuccessful kettle drum pay off at the end. Quite lovely.

Videos from YouTube. Underlying © lays with the owners of the clips.

Thursday 3 March 2011

Finland 2011 - Stala & So - Pamela


This hapless slab of Finnish glam is most notable for the fact that the bloke hoarsely barking out the words and gradually losing his voice as he goes along has actually won Eurovision before. Can you guess who he is? It's the drummer from Lordi! Don't recognise him? I think he's done something new with his hair...

Videos from YouTube. Underlying © lays with the owners of the clips.

Sweden 2011 - Christian Walz - Like Suicide


This little oddity has to go down as possessing the most ill-advised lyric of the year. So what you're saying then mate is that spending time with the love of your life feels like violently killing yourself? Not sure how she'll take that, to be honest.

And of the song wasn't odd enough, just look at the way he twitches his way around all them cellos on stage. And what the heck is he wearing? A bit of a strange one all round.

Videos from YouTube. Underlying © lays with the owners of the clips.

Macedonia 2011 - Vodolija - Ne Vrakaj Se


Another perennial of the Macedonian qualifier is the fine and understated Risto Apostolov and his Vodolija project, who've gradually been getting more poppy with each new year. This time round you could close your eyes and swear that it's the seminal 80s indie rockers The Chameleons - except that it's in Macedonian and has girls in it. A cracking little groove on this one, to be sure.

Videos from YouTube. Underlying © lays with the owners of the clips.

Wednesday 2 March 2011

Sweden 2001 - The Moniker - Oh My God!

If you'd drawn me a diagram of this song and told me that I'd enjoy it I'd probably have said that you were a fool. An early 1970s oompah pop pastiche squawked out by an over-mannered bald chap in a garish jacket? Nein danke! I mean, it's not even the only song in the Swedish process called Oh My God! But despite the unlikely ingredients you find yourself warming to the curious chap.

And what a walk!

Videos from YouTube. Underlying © lays with the owners of the clips.

Israel 2011 - Michael & Shimrit Greylsummer - Tu Du Du

Now here's a delightful yet nicely off-kilter entrant in the Israeli final. So sweet and laid back, you scarcely notice it at first. But as the song goes on it slowly gets under your skin, and by the time it rather abruptly ends you'll be wanting to hear it all over again. Too understated to do terribly well? I hope not!

Videos from YouTube. Underlying © lays with the owners of the clips.

Macedonia 2011 - Martin Srbinovski - Ram Tam Tam

The Macedonians got half the job right. It's true they chose something a bit noisier than the norm to send to Germany, but they wimped out of picking a song that not only had crunchy guitars, but a singalong chorus and some regional instruments in unusual configurations, all pumped out with bags of infectious enthusiasm. I fancy this would have been a sure fire semi-final qualifier, but sadly we'll never know. Damn shame.

Videos from YouTube. Underlying © lays with the owners of the clips.

Tuesday 1 March 2011

Sweden 2011 - Swingfly - Me And My Drum


Eric Saade might be the bookies favourite, and Sanna Nielsen is most certainly the fan boy's rave, but there's something about this glorious little explosion of unabashed hip pop fun that makes it stand out from the more calculating schlager tunes. I reckon this could the Melodifestivalen outsider to keep a sneaky eye on.

Videos from YouTube. Underlying © lays with the owners of the clips.

Norway 2011 - Susperia - Nothing Remains

One of these days one of these Norse black metal bands is going to make it through to Eurovision proper, and it's a danged shame that Susperia didn't quite make it, cos they were flippin' intense! They should just go the whole hog and send Varg Vikernes - there's none more Norwegian than him, after all!

Videos from YouTube. Underlying © lays with the owners of the clips.

Moldova 2011 - Doinita Gherman - Viata


My favourite shouty folk punk mentalist go overlooked in Moldova - AGAIN! How can they keep ignoring the unstoppable force that is Doinita? The whole of Europe will go bonkers for her happy-go-lucky insanity. Mind you, I'd imagine a whole gig could be a tiring affair! You'd die of exhaustion by the time the encores came around!

Hup Hup Cha Sha!

Videos from YouTube. Underlying © lays with the owners of the clips.