Chart Championship Week 1 RESULTS

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

As before, check back later (say 1.30?) for revelations. Eagle-eyed viewers may notice that I've made adjustments to the scoring (middle place=draw; unsubmitted tracks count as lowest placings in this reckoning, because otherwise the 6th place track is losing a point purely because somebody else did not submit). Over to Martin!

"01 Neko Case - "Set Out Running": I'm not sure, but I think this is Neko Case. I love it - powerfully and beautifully sung old-fashioned country music. Why do I not own ANY of her albums? I'll remedy this. 1st Place - WIN: skillextric gets his tactics spot on for decisive victory.

02: 3LW - "More Than Friends (That's Right)": Lovely teen pop-R&B music of the younger end of the market - very cute, very catchy and danceable, if a touch derivative of all sorts of other people. Terrific. I think it's 3LW. 4th Place - WIN: Youthful line-up comes good for byebyepride.

03: Yummy Bingham - "You Ain't Ready": I like this too - bright and crunchy-electro R&B sounds. I feel like I ought to know who it is, but I don't. 3rd Place - WIN: jeff_worrell records crisp win.

04: Yma Sumac - "Malambo No.1": Immensely annoying to the point of unlistenability: music that should be behind a "they're jungle fresh" jingle with some woman singing in an operatic voice and screeching, plus another growling voice, probably from the same person. Appalling. 10th Place - LOSE: crushing defeat means early-season pressure for lockedintheatti.

05: Carlinhos Brown - "Quixabeira": Sadly there was an album tag of some sort left on this one, so I know it's by Brazilian singer Carlinhos Brown - I wouldn't have known otherwise, and I wasn't familiar with him. The music sounds too busy most of the time for his sweetly gentle voice, but both parts are likeable. 6th Place - DRAW: honours even for blue_russian.

06: Dykehouse - "Chainsmoking": From someone who doesn't know me very well, I suspect - indie, not the worst I've heard by a long way, but still not remotely to my tastes. 9th Place - LOSE: piratemoggy's tactics not quite gelling.

07: ESG - "Dance": Almost a Motowny opening, then vaguely funky and weakly sung indie. They have a very good bassist, but I'm not terribly taken with anything else here. 7th Place - LOSE: flair players can't do the job for lisa_go_blind.

08: Claude Ely - "Aint No Grave That Can Hold My Body Down": Old-fashioned-sounding country gospel yelling (I know the original of the song by the very great Rosetta Tharpe, from 1947). It's more than fine with me, quite rousing, though nothing terribly special - it's hard to follow such a great singer and guitarist. 5th Place - WIN: epicharmus grinds out a narrow result.

09: SHE - "Superstar": Big modern euro (or maybe eurovision) rocking. I can't even identify the language (except the odd line in English, obviously), far less the act. It's okay, but it does nothing for me. 8th Place - LOSE: poor start to the campaign for poptasticuk.

10: Taylor Swift - "Should've Said No": Country again, female voice, leaning a little too much to AOR but otherwise very good indeed. Is it Taylor Swift? I reviewed a single by her recently for Stylus, and it's very like her. 2nd Place - WIN: caretaker manager steers anthonyeaston's side to a win.

Chart years

[mippy.livejournal.com]

Yesterday DP and I watched an old edition of The Chart Show, as it was something to do after I baked some cookies. I think it was around summer '96 - Three Lions, England's Irie and Killing Me Softly in the Top Ten. We concluded that 1996 wasn't a vintage year for the pop charts. But was it the worst? I'd posit 1999, although I don't know whether this was just my mood at the time...everyone seemed to give up before the Minnellium came along and changed us all, too many post-Spice manufactured acts, lots of dull Travis-a-likes. Everybody's Free to Wear fecking Sunscreen. The big acts imploding or putting out 'will this do?' albums. Am I being uncharitable to the late 90s? What was the Worst Year in Pop?

The Friday Canon: Shock, Aching & Watered-Down

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Last week the Narner girls garnered many a ticky from You The Voters! But how will they fare up against the rest of Mike, Matt and Pete's output? You get 12 ticks across this selection of singles taken from Stock Aitken Waterman Gold. Use them wisely!

[Poll #943127]

Last week's Bananarama-ding-dong:

1. Venus
2. Robert De Niro's Waiting
3. Love In The First Degree / Mr Sleaze
4. Cruel Summer
5. Really Saying Something [w/ Fun Boy Three]
6. Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye
7. I Heard A Rumour
8. I Want You Back
9. Shy Boy
10. Nathan Jones

LoP Update

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Week One: Titles and players revealed for the Chart Championship

Week Two: Still not heard from infov0re and anthonyeaston. I don't have an email address to bother Infovore from, sadly.

I have everybody else's MP3s (including strange_powers and xyzzz), but though I have inhibitorylinks' in my slsk queue I dont know if I will actually be able to get it - will have another go tonight and will email non-players I think might have it.

Week Three!: Next week's players are bengraham in the Pop Prem and jeff_worrell in the Chart Champ - send an intro blurb, including 5 likes, to leagueofpop@gmail.com please!

Avoiding Awfulness

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

"And I don't think she remotely cuts it compared to the Lorettas and Tammys and Dollys she's harking back to, much less the modern-day MOR Deanas and Martinas and Joe Dees and Jamies and LeAnns and Lee Anns and Natalies. But I think she's got talent and I'll guess that she never does the totally sappy dreck that some of my current loves are quite capable of unleashing."

This quite of Frank K's (about Neko Case, but the subject isn't really the important thing) touches on something quite important and related to that Fluxblog post we were discussing yesterday, i.e.

How important is it to you that the artists you love don't produce dreadful stuff along with the amazing stuff?

And do you think the risk of dreadfulness in some cases stops being something you have to endure and becomes a deeper part of why you like something?

(I think these ideas are kind of related to the 'NPR' idea that Frank writes about in his book, maybe, but if you haven't come across that idea don't let it stop you discussing this) (EDIT: I meant "PBS"! - though NPR and PBS are kind of similar things, no?)