JUDGE POP vs THE PIPETTES

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

In the first of a rub new POPTIMISTS SERIES, Mega-City Pop's toughest JUDGE needs YOUR help to decide what sentence to pass on today's hot new "talents". First up are 'girl group' The Pipettes, who seem to divide Poptimists opinion, requiring arbitration from the unbending arm of THE LAW.

[Poll #759407]

So erm basically the poll is 'do you think the Pipettes are a good thing or a bad thing' and the comments box is where you suggest WHY.

Comments

[blue-russian.livejournal.com]

The honest truth is that I thought they were rubbish when just listening to songs (and after viewing an early video - "Dirty Mind" I expect). As noted above, a good girl vocal group needs to have actual singers. Substitution of new Welsh blonde means there is now one actual singer and two shouty ones.

However, after watching "Pull Shapes" video, I am a convert. They are FUN and fun is GOOD. Production values have improved, although there are some suspicious choices. Now, is it fair for me to change my mind based on having seen the video?

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

i'm not sure i liked the video - so cheesy! could've been a lot better, song is...OK.

interesting tho that 'your kisses are waste on me' video was shot at a gig (or they did a gig for purposes of making a video) given the apparently bad rep live!

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

i mean they seem pretty confident in their ability to perform live, it seems. is it all a front?

has anyone in the press/media slated them live yet?

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

A few appalled poptimists ≠ a "bad rep live" in general, and the more typical reaction is to turn my basic criticism around, e.g.:

"In an era when pop is over-produced into a lifeless perfection it is the slightly out-of-time dance moves and vocal imperfections that make them so perfect – plus they look great and incredibly sexy, in a classic way rather than an air-brushed lad-mag parody of womanhood."

The same review calls them "ironic". Grrr.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Ooh linky?

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

imperfections make perfect! ha ha. 'i'm not perfect but i'm perfect for you'. i think it is their slightly out of time dance moves and vocal imperfections that make them so average. i do think they are sexy though, in the way the review says - though this isn't/shouldn't be relevant to judgement of them as artistes (but often is for both men and women in pop or indieland).

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

See the frustrating thing is that SOMETIMES, imperfections ARE good! New Paris Hilton single a case in point. But it is not something you should do deliberately and draw attention to, imperfections should poke through the surface because you can't help them. The Pipettes flaunt theirs, their entire thing is "look we can't sing isn't that cute!" rather than Paris or Britney going "what does it matter if I can sing or not shut up and listen to my song".

I Blame The Slits

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Well I don't really blame the Slits, or the Raincoats, I blame rub writing about them. But I think there's a huge enormous gap between "We are working hard to find an individual kind of perfection and the journey is going to be thrilling" and "Take and celebrate our imperfections and find a cosiness in them".