New Music - Westlife on X-Factor

From L to R: Shane Filan, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily and Nicky Byrne.

Yes, I love Westlife. I have followed the boys for many years, and they are definitely a band some consider a guilty pleasure - I have no guilt whatsoever. I have all their CDs, and the DVDs. If they toured the US, I would be there in a minute. In fact, I have contemplated a trip to the UK to go see them. They are four Irish boys who went from typical boyband to a mature pop act that have stuck together since 1998, with only the fifth member, Brian McFadden, having left. In 2005, Mark came out in an interview, and his fellow bandmates have been unwavering in their support, both of him and his long-term relationship with Kevin McDaid.




They had taken a year off following 10 solid years of recording and touring, and just released the single What About Now in the UK this weekend. The song was written by Ben Moody, David Hodges and Josh Hartzler [the first 2 members of Evanescence and the third married to former lead singer Amy Lee]. It was previously covered by the band Daughtry, led by singer Chris Daughtry of American Idol fame. This clip is from a morning show they performed the song on.



The new CD, Where We Are, is to be released on November 30 in the UK, although I am still unsure of the release here in the US. They made their first public appearance on the UK show X-Factor, a British talent show with Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh as judges. Cowell signed Westlife to their original contract, and they have been managed by Walsh for the duration of their career. Suffice it to say I am excited about the new music! Between now and then, I plan on revisiting some of their early videos. To find out more about Westlife, you can visit their official website here.

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Soundtrack Welcomes New Followers & News

This week Soundtrack to my Day has two more followers, and I would like to welcome them. I truly appreciate it when people go out of their way to make sure they are aware of the posts here.



James Johnson joined up recently. If I follow the links properly, James is an aspiring Christian rocker. To find out more about James and his music, click here. However, I didn't find a picture of him, but here is a link to his profile.



Thankfully, the same cannot be said for Mauro Paim, a handsome Brazilian Gaucho, a pampas cowboy. OK, as far as I can figure, a pampas cowboy is a cowboy who works on the grasslands of Brazil, but I [and the internet] could be wrong. If so, perhaps Mauro will let us know. Mauro has the blog Realizações em/Actualizations in Porto Alegre, or Observing Reality And Its Impact On People, From Porto Alegre RS, Brazil. You can check out his blog here. He offers different views on a variety of subjects, from political to literary.

In other news, SIRPAUL has just released a new collection of mixes for his latest music here. He also sent a message that he might have a new look. Can't wait to see it! Christopher Dallman is getting ready to release a new EP, his first in a couple of years. And Westlife is going to release a new CD at the end of November, though there is rumoured to be a single release in the next 2 weeks. And Eric & the Adams are in the studio recording new music for a release by the end of the year.

So, as always, I am grateful for all who stop by and read, comment, or just look at the pictures.

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Weekend Fun - Westlife & Donna Summer

Nicky Byrne, Mark Feehily, Kian Egan and Shane Filan

I will admit it up front, I love Westlife. I have all their CDs and DVDs. They are coming off a year of vacation time, gearing up for the release of their next CD November 30th of this year. Those Irish boys are yummy, and I can't get enough. Unless, of course, it is singing with Donna Summer, doing No More Tears (Enough Is Enough).



Westlife started out as five Irish boys, Mark, Kian and Shane, boyhood friends from Sligo, and Nicky and Brian McFadden from Dublin. McFadden left the group in 2004 to work on a solo career, leaving the group with four members. Westlife has released 8 studio albums, six with original material and two with covers, and have had 14 #1 singles in the UK, tied for 3rd behind Elvis and the Beatles. In 2005, Mark Feehily came out as gay, and was instantly embraced by the the other boys and the fans. Performing live, they have set sales records throughout the UK, and I was tempted to fly to Ireland in 2008 to see them at Croke Park, but instead purchased the DVD of the show. I am a total Westlife geek/freak.

As we get closer to the release of the new CD, I will post some older stuff to get myself ready. I am hopeless. You can find more information on Westlife by going to their official website here.

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New Music - V Factory - Love Struck

It is only too funny that not long ago, I posted about Boyzone and their video Better, with out member Stephen Gately videoed in a romantic situation with another man. Needless to say, a bit late to the party and with a bit less grace, an American boyband have stepped up to the plate with a gay of their own. The band is V Factory, and the gay is Nathaniel Flatt. The band has released their first song, a hip-hop/pop song with a bit more teeth than either N SYNC or Backstreet Boys could muster, but not that much more.



It is really just a pop tune worthy of a club diva, with a thin veneer of hoodies and Beat It dance moves to add more of a street feel. However, like much boyband material, it is a great dance tune, and should do well in the clubs.



Speaking of thin covers, unlike the Brit boybands, the video shows Nathaniel dancing with chicks, not so much other guys. But unlike previous American incarnations, they are giving this gay boy the ability to be out and talk to plenty of outlets about his sexuality and not wait until after the band has broken up.


Mark Feehily and boyfriend Kevin McDaid

Don't get me wrong, boybands are a guilty pleasure for me. I love Backstreet Boys - Squeee! A new CD is coming in the fall - and Westlife - who had me seriously considering flying to Ireland to see them in concert last year, and I have CDs and DVDs of the Irish lads performing. To the best of my knowledge, Backstreet doesn't have the prerequisite gay on payroll, but Westlife has Mark Feehily, an out gay man who doesn't mind chatting about his boyfriend while on stage.



Hey, any step forward is good, and Nathaniel says his bandmates have no problem with his sexuality, and neither do the executives handling the band. It is a non-issue, at least at this point. I haven't heard any of their music other than this video, so time will tell if V Factory has the talent and charisma to make a go of it. You can check them out at their website.


Nathaniel Flatt of V Factory

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