OOH LA LA! FRANCE WIN THRILLER

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Japan 2 France 3

"It should have been the final", said one pundit, and the low attendance aside this match would have been a fitting showcase for the Pop World Cup - two sides attacking with gusto and style, both looking for a win. Japan took first blood in an even game, only to be pegged back by France, who took the lead shortly before half time. An equaliser was not long in coming and the game looked set for extra time before a jinking French run pulled the Japanese defence out of position and sent atommickbrane's plucky she-men into raptures.


Allez allez

For Japan and their boss manager cis, this result will be a bitter disappointment, tempered only slightly by the warm regard and sportsmanship these two highly rated young managers displayed before and during the match. Japan were tipped as potential winners and with the field wide open it was felt this could be their year. France meanwhile find themselves approaching a semi-final against Portugal as favourites to go on and win the tournament.

Final Score

Japan - 38 points (average 3.4)
France - 41 points (average 3.7)

Semi-Finals (Monday and Tuesday next week)

Iran vs Czech Republic
Portugal vs France

Top 40 Singles Of 2006 Poll #4: April

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

Sugababes 'Red Dress' came top in the March poll which seems like a good thing even though it's a track from a 2005 album and was re-recorded with the rub new one. No time to muse on that much further though as it's time for the next lot - will it be an April shower of sh1te? judging by the list below, not quite - some real corkers here: [Poll #739256]

When Britain refused to listen

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

'Not heard it' is one of the more common comments read when the Top 40 polls are posted. Which is perhaps the most unsatisfying answer that can be given. Lots of people can say they've heard every single in the Top 40, provided they'd listened to JK & Joel that particular week. Although they may not necessarily remember all of them the next day...

But, if you 'haven't heard it', bloody why not?! I personally stopped listening to the Top 40 countdown in full around the same time as I started University - some ten years ago now. As you grow up it seems life gets more and more in the way, preventing you from having the same ease of control you may have previously enjoyed when it comes to making choices as a young viewer or listener. So far so obvious, and it seems this is the real reason why the Poptimists electorate are often at a loss to decide whether a recent Top 40 hit is good or bad based on how it sounds. There are other factors too such as the nature in which media has changed since then - dedicated music video channels, t'internet (esp. portals/filters/resources such as youtube and itunes) and downloading facilities...all things intended to make the pursuit of hearing music easier. But, it's not really working that well is it? At least, not for 'people old enough to know better' who seem to be ageing faster than the technology is progressing, and that's pretty terrifyingly fast. It's all too much. But, really, aren't these just excuses? Is this sort of reasoning good enough? Should we take it as a given that the charts are reasonably constant in terms of quality (regardless of the ebb and flow of sales figures)? Should a Poptimist be putting more effort in? It's not meant to be a chore after all.

I'm interested in any serious views people may have about the whole thing, so the question(s) be as follows:

What is your current attitude to pop (however you define it) and new music? Are you keen to hear as much of it as you can or do you prefer to revel in nostalgia (or perhaps some healthy balance of both)? Where do you turn to, specifically, now to find out about new music anyway? If you DO know every song in the top 40 any given week does this just make you a Chart Geek rather than a Pop Lover now? Do you even care about music or are you just one of those disgusting poll-fetishists I've heard about?

EH?

Poptimist Podcast Plea

[jauntyalan.livejournal.com]

As suggested by tehNipXoR (below). If anyone did a "here are the hot new poptimist sounds" i would totally get this. it is easier for me to listen to a podcast than radio. in fact i DO listen to more podcasts than radio.

i reckon something like 40-60 seconds of songs banged together (i think they call it "mixed"???) inexpertly would more than satisdy me - perhaps with a "DJ voice over of the info" if you must (tho computer generated speaking would be fine) and we could put the info in the RSS feed proper anyway (which i know on my iPod you can read while listening)

I think FT could afford to publish the mp3 files and RSS feed needed.

***update***
sod it, if there are other people out there who would at least listen to a poptimist podcast, i am hereby volunteering to put it together. Given a load of mp3s from various sources it would take me mere mins to join em together and update an RSS feed on FT. This could be great - given an audience who wants it :-(