POP TRUMPS: Week 10

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

The rules are here but it couldn't be simpler. 10 is the highest, 0 is the lowest, if you really don't know then go for 5. Giving reasons for your scores in the comments is encouraged!

Our first posthumous pop trump contestant! This chap is probably one of the most respected musicians evar, but is/was he a good popstar?


( I tick the line )

Kanye ratings:
- Singing voice/musical ability: 6
- Consistency: 6
- H0TTness: 4
- Dancing Skillz/Visual: 6
- Chart success: 7
- Extra-curricular activity: 6
- Party Animal Rating: 5
- Eccentricity: 5
- Legacy: 7
- Best track: Gold Digger

STACKS SO FAT RUBBERBANDS CAN'T HOLD IT

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Time for three of my favourite hip-hop joints this year. I'm really feeling all of these crew-driven bangers, where loads of rappers just pile into the track, do their thing, and pile out. Triumphalist horns which make the whole thing seem unstoppable are a stellar recent trend, so here's '5000 Ones' by DJ Drama ft. TI, Nelly, Diddy, Yung Joc, Willie The Kid, Young Jeezy and Twista: the first and last are the best.

And here's 'Dey Know' by Shawty Lo (not the original, the remix with Ludacris, Young Jeezy, Plies and Lil' Wayne, who is as SPECTACULAR as ever) (not a proper video). Like R Kells - I believe I can FLIZZAH!

There's also a NY Remix of 'Dey Know' with Maino, Lil' Kim and Busta Rhymes; Maino and Busta both kind of suck but Kim swags so fucking hard on it, you HAVE to hear her, definitely up there with Weezy F. "Whatcha talkin' 'bout, I'm that GIZZURL! I shit diamonds, and piss PLIZZEARLS!"

Something completely different: the never-not-good Pitbull crunking out over the top of, apparently, 'Destination Calabria', which I never paid attention to at the time, but this is pneumatic and kinetic and great for bouncing around to while getting ready to go out. Called, simply and aptly enough, 'The Anthem'.

EURO FRENZY!!!

[bengraham.livejournal.com]

Afternoon, pop-pickers.

It has been drawn to my attention by a former acquaintance (and thus Facebook friend) who now runs Europe's most successful Eurovsion website (ESCToday.com) that there is an event which may well be of interest to you Poptimist-types.

It's on Friday 25th April at the Scala and tickets cost a mere 10 of your English pounds in advance. Several acts are confirmed, including the 2008 entrants from Ukraine and Iceland, with more to be announced. Full details of the party can be found here.

Guttingly (is that a word?), I can't attend.

Oh smiling damned villain. Oh smiling. Damned. Villain.

[anatol-merklich.livejournal.com]

OK this is a pretty random post; I just put on An Discovery made last year and was bleeewn away yet again. Mona Mur apparently debuted on record in 1982, with a single where she collaborated with some Neubauten guys and was awarded NME Single of the Week for her troubles. Then an album or two produced by all-time major boss man Dieter Meier (I still regret a bit not going to Kassel for the standing event as I vaguely planned), before in abt 1990 recording an album with the Warsaw Symphonic Orchestra –––-- whence "The Man on the Satellite".

"The Man on the Satellite". It is a baffling and wondrous thing. The narrative starts out fairly cohesively (and possibly even somehow nostalgic for oldsters starved of culturally-critical poptext), but then it goes on into a mode where almost every line or two delivers a "wtf" moment, while certainly keeping to the theme. "Practicing the salvation of America"? "Not dead enough to please me like in Egypt"? "Teach me as the Jews teach their sons-in-law"? The word "striking" is overused, but consider me struck.

This wouldn't amount to everything, of course, if the orchestral arrangement and playing wasn't so (cliches ahoy yes yes) fucking sumptuous and gorgeous etc, coupled with a ridiculously OTM vocal performance. Daaaamn.

Oh a link? I'll just direct you to the myspace page and urge you to click on "The Man on the Satellite". You may not necessarily want to listen to all the other songs there, but "Jeszcze Polska" is the 1982 NME SOTW if you're feeling historically inclined.

Someone will probably feel this is the archetype of badly pretentious eurogoth cabaret nonsense rubbish. I feel it is a unique and precious piece of work. I suspect we may both be right.

(It is also one of the reasons I was a bit miffed at not being drawn in the "Religion" group in Round One of the *koffkoff*Pop Open*koff*. (The other one was "The Garden of Eden" by Anthony Adverse.))