HE IS THE LAW

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

By popular demand, JUDGE POP is back from a lengthy patrol in the Cursed Earth, back to fight MUSIC CRIME on the mean streets of MEGA CITY POP. This week his legal scrutiny falls on PATRICK WOLF, who has risen to #1 on the Poptimists Listening Charts - but is he any good? The Judge's word is law - can you help guide him?

[Poll #956326]

Comments

[skyecaptain.livejournal.com]

Haven't heard Patrick Wolf in a long time, but when a friend of mine interviewed Patrick Wolf in 2004, I threw in a question about his animal trinkets. He likes making necklaces out of them. (Is his shtick still that he's a werewolf or something?)

He defended himself as "pop," too: "Pop music means popular music, right? When I make my communication with music, I would prefer it to reach as many people as possible. The things I write about are not fleeting relationships or everyday lust/romance/in the club/I love you songs. I much prefer the messages and emotions to resound in a huge number of people than just a few hidden underground scenes. I definitely consider myself a pop musician, but the difference between me and, say, someone like Christina Aguilera, is that I don't make the music to be popular. I make the music and then if it becomes popular, then that is the most amazing and challenging bonus."

[ms-bracken.livejournal.com]

I just don't think I can listen to him and like him after that last sentence. It reminds me of Ocean Colour Scene / Hurricane #1 / HEAVY STEREO saying we just do what we do and if anyone else likes it well that's a bonus. Which I know is not really what he's saying, but the words are similar enough to make me do a little sick in my mouth

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

They're similar enough that I immediately assumed he was teasing the interviewer!

I wonder if anyone actually did say it back in the day - see also "There's always been a dance element to our music".

[ms-bracken.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure I read it in an NME interview in the mid nineties, said perfectly straight-faced, possibly by The Bluetones. Re : "dance element", I also remember very vividly that the latter said "Our new album is influenced just as much by the Wu-Tang Clan as it is by Bob Dylan". Turned out that was a lie.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Yes on BOTH counts! Jaysis the Bluetones.