Braxe!

[atommickbrane.livejournal.com]

Right, thanks to stevem78, I have been listening to that T3sticles (call them by their name) remix endlessly - perhaps to suffice the fact that my copy of the Upper Cuts has gone walkabouts - the Braxe mix of Heartbeat is also MUCH better than the original, in the "sugary isn't sugary enuff" way, so this is the post where I say:

TELL ME ABOUT MORE BRAXE & CO REMIXES PLEASE!

In return, I will tell you about my knowledge on a topic of YOUR CHOICE!

PS - I keep pronouncing the end syllable, ie "Brack-suh", but I'm pretty sure it's just "Bracks". Wot do YOU sa?

EXTRA TIME FOR TOGO

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

The match between Togo and the Czech Republic remains goalless after 90 minutes (i.e. only about 6 people have voted), so here is your bank holiday task!

1. Go to http://www.freakytrigger.co.uk/popworldcup
2. Download the Togo and Czech Republic tracks
3. Give each of them a mark out of 5 befitting its quality
4. Send marks to me at freakytrigger@gmail.com

What could be easier! Results, no matter how puny, on Tuesday (was going to be Monday but that's a bank holiday it turns out).

You could vote in France vs Japan while you're at it.

Does this help?

[byebyepride.livejournal.com]

Paul Morley throwdown on the rockism "debate". Only useful point as far as I can see = anti-rockism as laughing at the squares, or rather trying to make the kids who think they're cool feel like squares. But as always with Morley it all falls down when his emphasis on humour and polemic as a motor to saying something passionate about anything (Nick Drake AND Christina Aguilera are his examples) gets bogged down in X vs Y judgements. e.g. Springsteen vs. Beefheart has now flip-flopped surely -- Beefheart love is solid gold rockism and Springsteen is the chirpy pop act. But actually that doesn't get us very far with thinking about EITHER! My conclusion = anti-rockism is good as a levelling principle when used in support of something you are loving; but rubbish when used as an attack on something. Anti-rockism seems to work for Morley as an attack on a perceived consensus (and maybe works best when there is something to that perception), but when some form of broadly anti-rock (not the same as anti-rockism) has become the consensus (in realm of people who care about these things) surely it is time to USE OTHER WORDS PLEASE! Perhaps the mistake is about that perceived consensus: Morley sees himself as the loner going against conformism, but conformism is always in the eye of the beholder, and perhaps PM is really missing out on the fun out here in land of the (non)-conformists!

The History Of Pop Part 47 aka We were makin love by Wednesday

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Oops - She did it again - WON A NOW POLL that is. Britney topped Now 46, and deletion was averted by a respectable showing for Aaliyah after much lobbying. Less controversy on Now 47 I'm guessing, featuring comebacks for U2, Spices and All Saints, and debuts for David Gray, Nelly and leather-lunged Anastacia.

( Hey baby, you almost got me punched in a fight )

All this and DANE BOWERS too!

Self-Knowledge

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

With "poptimism" in the news at the moment (and with poptimists stuck on 99 members), I've decided to spruce up the front page, by including a playlist - ten things we think sum up where the thrill-powered global movement that is Poptimism is at right now!

Poptimism is...Daphne (but not Celeste)
Poptimism is...2 Unlimited - "No Limits"
Poptimism is...Bruce Springsteen - "Jungleland"
Poptimism is...Nelly Furtado - "Maneater"
Poptimism is...U-U-U-UTAH SAINTS!
Poptimism is...Britney and Madge sucking face and getting front page news, Xtina and Madge sucking face and getting ignored.
Poptimism is...DJ Daz (and his GURLS)
Poptimism is...Crazy in Love (still)
Poptimism is...Feeder - "Just A Day"
Poptimism is...Man 2 Man Meets Man Parrish - "Male Stripper"

(with thanks to the nominators - if you missed the poll, come back next week)