The Overtones in Germany...

It is vair vair sunny out ergo I cannot spend too much time on this blog. I will take a brief pause to congratulate myself on the use of the word "ergo". It is such a short and small word, yet makes one sound quite fancy, like I am wearing a cravat indoors while it is sunny out (I am, in honour of today's post). I will also take a brief moment to note that even though it is sunny outside and I'm rushing it is not because i am off to get a tan. No sirree bob. It is because I can take advantage of Mr Sun drying my laundry today on the line. I remain a sun grinch unfortunately, preferring a chilly autumn and a snowy winter. Anyway, enough waffle, there is some overtonesing to be done and I have dallied enough. Sally forth!

THE OVERTONES DO EUROPE:

*whispers* It is almost as exhausting being an Overtones fan as it is being one of the Overtones. I mean, do those poor boys ever rest? Not content with conquering England and adding a plethora of songs to their already excellent Good Ol' Fashioned Love album, they now have Europe and Australia in their sights. And for some reason (perhaps the fact that they are one of the most charming, addictive propositions in pop in recent years) I feel compelled to keep up with every new song, every new piece of cover art and trying to find out what Mark got those amazing stripey trousers from. Above you will no doubt see the splendiferous new cover art for the German release of GOFL where they have dispersed (ooo another good word, dispersed) with the lovely all dapper lads together look of the UK Platinum edition release and gone for an equally lovely but different "Overtones as Ken Dolls in their own individual packaging" look. It's magnif. Each Overtones doll looks incredibly life like and all come with their own range of waistcoats, ties, pocket squares, bowties and re-stylable hair (mike doll only). *SCREAM* :D It's like the days of NKOTB all over again. THRILLYBOTS. Anyway, not only is there some tremendulent posing action going on with the cover, but there are some German tv commercials to promote the album that absolutely personify everything that people love about The Overtones...

The clip you can see above is one of a series, but this is the most group-centric of the lot. It contains everything an Overtones fan could want ~ the boys all looking sharp as a whistle (when was a whistle ever sharp, what on earth does that mean?!), Lachie throwing shape with a very prominent and assertive finger click, a Timmy-Tie_straightening moment, a pleasing Mark close up and general larking about in a 5 Go On A Secret But Slightly Inept Mission type comedy (actually the whole 34 seconds could be the promo for an Overtones comedy caper movie. I shall submit my script forthwith). Endearingly charming. My fave of the other promos has to be the Mark and Mike one, particularly where Mark re-enacts the "ssshhh" moment of the opening credits from Pretty Little Liars. Amarze. Anyway, what you get with the German edition of the album is the UK Platinum edition (a whopping 18 tracks - review here) plus the charity album recording of Forget You (review here) and We Can Work It Out, which was an iTunes exclusive track to the first release of GOFL (which is called Gambling Man in Germany). In case you've forgotten it (if so, what the frig is wrong with you? It's ace! :D), I'll just remind you that it is a big band pop production number with some deliriously brilliant "ba bom"s deep rocking the backing track from Lachie. There;s a real live organic feel to the track and of course the harmonies melt together like butter on hot toast. What's NOT on the German edition (and something I only discovered this week and you can buy here) is the dance remix by Kat Krazy of Second Last Chance. Rather brilliantly, it manages to underscore the boys vocals with a rather Stock Aitken Waterman inspired pop dance beat (with some Wouldn't Change A Thing 'down da down" twiddling of Timmy's vocals thrown in for good measure) without losing any of the original joie de vivre of the song. It may even enhance it. I can't help but feel i'd love to see the boys perform a dance routine to this :P

(I'm sure I'll be revisiting The Overtones when the Australian album comes out ONE WEEK BEFORE MY BIRTHDAY on April 27th - so if anyone wants to get me a copy, feel free! - with two new tracks on, including Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap and Wild One. Naughty! Until then, follow The Overtones on twitter, keep reading The Toners website and join me in pondering why I Need A Dollar hasn't been committed to vinyl yet. As it were. That is all. As you were)

Top 21 songs of the week:

21 ~ fun, Some Nights (NE)
20 ~ Chantal Claret, Pop Pop Bang Bang (NE)
19 ~ Marina & The Diamonds, Primadonna (NE)/ (ACOUSTIC VIDEO)
18 ~ Little Jackie, 31 Flavours
17 ~ Eric Saade, Love is Calling
16 ~ Alphabeat, Vacation (NE)
15 ~ Olly Murs, Oh My Goodness
14 ~ fun, We Are Young
13 ~ William Young, Losing Myself
12 ~ Gravitonas, Call Your Name
11 ~ Simon Curtis, Starlight
10 ~ Madonna, Give Me All Ur Luvin'
09 ~ JLS, Proud
08 ~ Marie Serneholt, Salt n Pepper
07 ~ Carly Rae Jepsen, Call Me Maybe
06 ~ Nicki Minaj, Starships
05 ~ Stooshe, Love Me
04 ~ Smash, Let Me Be Your Star
03 ~ Madonna, Girl Gone Wild
02 ~ Darin, Nobody Knows
01 ~ Danny, Amazing (2 weeks)

TOMORROW ~ THE VOICE UK WRITE UP!!