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.

Comments

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

think the language in 9 is asian (maybe cantonese?)

i dimly recognise 6 -- from the "indie-funk" era of the au pairs etc (but yes, very nothing-much singer): i love the moment when the drummer goes round the toms; the song already has almost no rhythmic tension and he REMOVES EVERY LAST BIT THAT *IS* THERE hurrah

vaguely wondered if 4 is yma sumac (who i've never heard)

[martinskidmore.livejournal.com]

I think I have heard her once before, and I think I had the same kind of reaction!

[piratemoggy.livejournal.com]

Track six (which I'll own up to now since am off to three hours of seminars) is akshully one bloke in his bedroom on his own, so is drum machine not drummer. :)

I think I have a slightly different perception of the track than most people would cus I have the album it's on and it's like a massive explosion of glee/hate in context. And I am a lamer for a bit of shoegaze-plonk. :D Don't think was ever actually very released, though. I dunno. I found it on Epitonic many moons ago.

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

sorry actually i meant 7 when i said 6, re drumming -- haha that's ESG, i remember when they were the COOLEST THING EVAH (=black new york grrrls doing "white manchester" funk!) -- my friend rob who died had their debut EP and we were all terribly excited!

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

in fact half the jazz insects wanted to *BE* ESG! rob was pur bassplayer and this is a VERY ROB bass line!

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Magnificent Lexian pwnage from Skidmo there.

[dickmalone.livejournal.com]

It was released as a single, a dance single anyway. One of my favorite songs from that year, sorry to see it do so poorly. Maybe you're right and it is its placement in the album.

[piratemoggy.livejournal.com]

Ah, I thought it might have been an EP or something. 'Midrange' is one of my favourite albums. :)