Paper Thin Walls

[koganbot]

I plumped for Paper Thin Walls over on my own journal but not yet here. So, it reviews tracks rather than albums, it streams and lets you download everything it reviews, it has me and Chuck and Sterling and Whiney and (potentially in the future) a whole slew of other ilXors as well as Mikael Wood and Tom Mallon, it pays me money, and here's my Jena Kraus review of which I am very proud, w/ a comments thread that features Jena herself describing in heart-tugging detail the death of her dog due to her stepdad's neglect. As Fefe Dobson would say, the man... is... UNFORGIVEN!

PARIS by PARIS HILTON, track by track: album of the year!

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

In a shock move, people at the Other Place are being mean about this album. But it should be right up the Poptimist alley!

'Turn It Up' - a typical Scott Storch crunk'n'b banger which starts off with Paris yelping "yah! that's hott!" over minimal bleeps and beats, before it turns into this incredible super-polished Britney-fronting-Pussycat Dolls thing, breathy yelps and whispers for the verses and elegant lift-off synths for the chorus
'Fightin' Over Me' - even more minimal, plinky-plonky synths and not much else as Paris sets Fat Joe and Jadakiss at each other's throats for the honour of, it turns out, being rejected by her. "All those boys, all those silly boys," she rolls her eyes, before inexplicably giggling "Welcome to Paris!" - pronounced the French way
'Stars Are Blind' - you know this already. Gorgeous, yearning, boundlessly hopeful
'I Want You' - even more plastic fantastic, underpinned by a massive horn sample which careers along like an unstoppable force over some sterling chord changes
'Jealousy' - the one about Nicole Richie which I talked about yesterday
'Heartbeat' - absolutely gorgeous ballad which drifts along on a cloud of dreamy, very 80s synths before bursting into a chorus which is, again, really, genuinely moving in its hopefulness and yearning. It reminds me of a cross between Annie's 'Heartbeat' and 'Time After Time', it's that good
'Nothing In This World' - comes on like 'Since U Been Gone', having got the angst out of its system and able to breathe for the first time, donning its zip-up boots and heading down to the local disco for some whirlwind romance. If this means stealing another girl's man then so be it - Paris makes the line "I can do what she can do so much better!" sound like the most innocently optimistic thing ever. She doesn't mean to be mean! (Also, this album is the first I've heard which ties both strands of current teenpop - guitar-based confessional Lohan/Lavigne/Clarkson/Simpson Jr teenrock, and hott beatz'n'braggadocio r&b - together again - a really important accomplishment)
'Screwed' - an absolute stormer, much better than the remix which got leaked last year. The tune is just unstoppable, the 4/4 kick under the chorus awe-inspiring, and the lyrics excellent - in the first verse it's all about "the same old story: boy meets girl and she falls much harder than him", in the second "boy falls under the spell of a woman from hell". Somewhere in there she would like intimacy over getting screwed but until then she'll merrily dance the night away. I have lobbied for this to be the next single!
'Not Leaving Without You' - more amazing pop goodness; starts with thrumming disco synth and twanging country guitar before it explodes into an irresistible prime-80s-Madonna chorus of "We can dance! We can dance! We can dance!", a TICK-TOCK TICk-TOCK moment (surely now mandatory for all female popstrels) and a stomping, whirling conclusion PLUS RAP - "I wanna know what you dream about! I wanna know what you're thinkin' now! And when the lights go down and you come around, let me see what it's all about!"
'Turn You On' - back to the Storch crunk'n'b for a tongue-firmly-entrenched-in-the-bubblegum-lodged-in-Paris's-cheek tease of a song. "I'm sexy and you know it - clap your hands!" she orders before declaring "tonight I'll be your liquid dream" (nice, Paris, nice) and "Girls and boys are looking at me! I can't blame, I'm so sexy!" This is what I envisaged Paris's pop career to be like and she has not let me down
'Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?' - initially I just thought this was funny, shoved on to the end of the album at Paris's insistence even though everyone else involved is slightly embarrassed, and backing away from her like everyone tries to pretend the drunk girl doing horrid karaoke isn't in their group of friends, oh no, we don't know her at all. But I think I like it properly now! I never thought I'd hear a version of this hitherto appalling song which made it not only tolerable but good

So, overall: POP ALBUM OF THE YEAR! Hurrah!

The Historiography Of Pop Part 5 aka You Know The Drill By Now

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

With some of yesterday's fites still finely balanced, onto the second half of round 2 - more songs to whittle down. Some real blockbusters here - two of the songs most closely associated with 00s poptimism going head to head, a battle between Richard X and Xenomania, and a Britpop era clash are three of the juicier highlights.

As ever, just tick the one you like best in each pair.

( Round 2 Part 2 - GO! )

This poll will stay open until Monday (as will yesterday's).

Since Jeff W is away I propose a PET SHOP BOYS CANON for later this afternoon.

Best Rap Album In The World... Ever!

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Can you remember the world without Eminem? Without Fiddy? Without Madonna singing about her pilates classes? Then feast your eyes on the poll fodder below, taken from The Best Rap Album In The World... Ever!, released way back in 1996. Wot no Dre?

[Poll #798623]

Look, it's Friday. I NEED POLL ACTION.

Canonical

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Ladies and gentlemen, the Pet Shop Boys canon.



Thirteen picks please.

( Tickerally )

Give those men a knighthood.