Eurovision 2009

For those of you who aren't familiar with it, Eurovision is an annual song contest where each European country (as well as Azerbaijan and Israel, which clearly aren't in Europe) that is a part of the European Broadcasting Unit has an act and song that they send to the song contest. The competition has been broadcast every year since its inauguration in Switzerland in 1956.

However, the countries cannot vote for themselves.
But rather, each country has to give points to countries they believe are the best. 12 points to the best, 10 points, 9 points, and so on. Though, rather than choosing which musical act they believe is the best, it's been proven that various countries will give the biggest points to their neighbours hoping that they'd receive high points in return.
This year, however, the process has been slightly changed. The winner will be chosen by the results of both the voting done by other European nations and also by judges (who will account for half of the total amount of points).

The contest will be held in Moscow, Russia this year because Russia won last year (they are held in the country that has won the previous year).
The four countries that automatically reach the final are Germany, Spain, France, and The United Kingdom. Spain has, historically, done the best out of the four, which isn't saying a lot since it doesn't do well compared to the rest. The semifinals are split off into two groups, and the big four vote in each of the semis.

This year, the predictors have Norway, Greece, Turkey, and Azerbaijan as early favourites. However, the only song that I think is good out of those four is Turkey's entry. My two favourites this year are Romania's entry, "Balkan girls," which will be performed by Elena Gheorghe, and Spain's entry, "La Noche Es Para Mi (the night is for me)," performed in a mix of English and Spanish by Soraya Arnelas. Both are fun, uptempo songs. And given Eurovision's history for having trashy, tacky music, "Balkan girls" will fit right in.

Eurovision Youtube channel: Click here
My predictions this year...winner:
Head: Turkey(It'll be interesting to see how the live performance on Eurovision will be like since, clearly, the one in this clip is being lip-synced, and lip-syncing is not allowed in the semis or finals) click here for music
Heart: Spain (I'm a huge fan of Soraya's, and I'd love it if Spain were to win. Plus, it's a fun song. Though, I fear they won't win because they don't have many neighbours like those in Eastern Europe do) click here for music video

Bandaids on Bullet Holes

After the demise of The Epoxies, one of the greatest New Wave bands, Roxy Epoxy decided to embark on a solo record that would go in a slightly different direction than what she did with The Epoxies. She started finishing several songs she had at different stages of completion. But upon doing so, she began working with various musicians on the record and, instead, decided to put together a new band. The new band's name is, aptly titled, Roxy Epoxy & The Rebound. And the album, Bandaids on Bullet Holes, which was released on March 10, is the result of this new endeavor.

Right off the bat, the album shows that it's much darker than anything Roxy Epoxy did with the Epoxies.
The album starts off a bit shaky,though, with "Walls." Although it starts off with amusing lyrics, it takes a drastic turn at 1:39 which changes the mood entirely. And, in my opinion, ruins the song by trying to be too Goth. Other less than stellar songs are "Dependence leads your fortune," "Fun," and "This Twist." The first is a combination of confusing lyrics and music that meanders about without any direction. The second and third songs have elementary-style lyrics and seem to just be filler on the album. Though, "Fun"'s lyrics are the stronger of the two. It gives us a look into the rigours of being in the music business, and she seems to question why she does it in the first place.

There are highlights on this album, though, and they're fairly strong songs. "The Spider and the leach" is a gritty song about a strange family. The Goth/New Wave-inspired track has one of the catchiest choruses on the album.
Another bright spot on the album which is in the same vein as "The Spider and the leach" is "Svengali," which is a tune about exactly what the title suggests, and it, too, has one of the catchiest choruses on the album. The spiraling sound on the guitar, the synthesizer, and the lyrics are what make the song one of the best on the album.
Another highlight, "Lola's Vision," is a track about being love-struck so badly that it seems that the world disappears and all that exists is the loved one. Like most of the album, it'll get you dancing from the start.

The strongest track on the album for my money, though, is "I Know I know." It's the best written song on the album, and it's the most radio friendly of any of the tracks on the album.
It's a New Wave/Indie-inspired track about love and if Roxy Epoxy & the Rebound were signed to a major label, I'm sure they'd get a top 10 hit off of the song.
It's that good.
The album closes with two punk tracks, "Unnamed," and "Watch me," both will get you dancing on the floor, particularly the former.

All in all, Roxy & The Rebound prove that the best music these days is not necessarily found on the biggest labels, or is shoved in your face 24/7.
But rather, you have to look for it.
Bandaids on Bullet Holes is a step forward and a natural progression in the genre that The Epoxies renewed interest in.
And although the music Roxy Epoxy performs on this record has slightly changed, it's still similar to what she did with the Epoxies.
It's safe to say that good New Wave music lives on with Roxy Epoxy & The Rebound. 4/5 stars