Pop Premiership Week 6 RESULTS

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Courtesy of jel_bugle! Just a reminder: if you're in the PP, you need to be sourcing a track for braisedbywolves. If you're in the Chart Championship, you need to be finding something for lockedintheatti. Find out more about them here.

And now, over to Jel!

"I thought this was a good set of songs, and it was hard to place them,
especially the ones in the middle! Anyway, thanks!

01. Haysi Fantayzee - "John Wayne Is Big Leggy": This is a bit silly, I like it. Are they Japanese? It sounds like a cross between Big & Rich and Bananarma. I reckon the guy was probably in a garage rock band when he was younger, he sounds a bit like the singer from Polysics. Nice instrumental breakdown toward the end, riding over the plains, yee-haw. 3rd Place - WIN - bengraham back to winning ways.

02. The Gentle People - "Mr Whiskey": Cheesy French pop. I've always thought French is a hard language to sing in. Nice faux accordion or maybe it's a real one, I'm always hearing accordions in songs. I liked it when they briefly bashed on cups. 6th Place - DRAW - low-intensity match for dubdobdee ends with honours even.

03. Behorkestrar Bakija Bacik from Vranje – “Pobjednicki Cocek”: We're in the dessert, I can see cacti! This is like the music that Enid listens to in Ghost World (sorry about the out-of-date cultural reference). I would have liked it more if they has wigged out a little more but kept the rhythm going, toot your horns like you just don't care. 8th Place - LOSE - lack of flair proves hauntedballroom's undoing.

04. LuxEterna - "Last Flash": Always start a metal song with the sound of something breaking! These dudes are definitely from the Norse lands, are they signed to Nuclear Blast records? I bet they look moody in their album pictures. I can't tell if this is a modern recording or something a little older, the click click bass would suggest modernity. I like this one, the singer gets a lot of time off. 4th Place - WIN - fans rejoice as katstevens records overdue first win.

05. The Sounds - "Song With A Mission": It's the Sounds! They are from Sweden! I have this album, I think this means you get a draw dude. (Editor's note: No, 7th is a lose.) 7th Place - LOSE - over-familiar tactics spell trouble for zenith.

06. Nick Didkovsky - "Plague": Jazz Metal!! I think this is probably the only jazz metal band; it's not terrible or anything, just not really my thing. 9th Place - LOSE - xyzzzz_'s side fails to gel.

07. Ashlee Simpson - "Coming Back For More": Teen pop, sounds a bit like Lindsay Lohan et al. I like this, actually is it Ashlee Simpson? Anyway, in the video she is hanging out with her pals at the mall, and then intermittently we see her rocking out on the stage with a backing band of hoary old rockers, then at the end some preppy guy gets dumped. The world is a beautiful place. It's a bit like an American Puffy Ami-Yumi, if such a cultural re-exchange could be possible. 2nd Place - WIN - alexmacpherson raises his game to romp home.

08. The Bags - "Cavemen Rejoice": The bass player has a mustache! Is it Manowar? I have their greatest hits album, they look kinda like cavemen on the cover. There's a bit where the band break it down, and the singer doesn't ab-lib. Rock school 101, when you break it down the singer ad-libs, he should be saying "ah yeah, cavemen!!" "hunting in packs" "skin 'em alive" and stuff like that. I did this myself and the song was better. Still not bad! 5th Place - WIN - strange_powers sneaks a narrow win to remain unbeaten.

09. PJ Harvey - "Down By The Water": It's Auf Der Mar! Does that mean another draw? This is a bit ponderous. In a way it reminds me of Belly, I feel like listening to them now, "my Gepetto, lalala"…. 10th Place - LOSE - no fluidity in fugitivemotel's play: a third straight defeat.

10. Utada - "Kremlin Dusk": Yay!! Female fronted euro goth metal! It's gonna soar, you just know it. I like the baroque/mandolin/harpsichord thing. I bet she wears a Basque, gothic cross and purple velvet dress, and that the main guitarist is bald and wears a long black leather coat. I like this a lot and I would buy the album, probably. 1st Place - WIN - big win sends inhibitorylinks top.

11. Lightning Bolt - "Riff Wraiths": Oh, kinda nu-metal. It's a bit of a dirge without any of the fun elements of metal – melody, silly lyrics, obvious guitar solos, fist raising power. Earnest kids who shoulda stayed in their garage. 11th Place - LOSE. - braisedbywolves should have stayed at home.

Comments

My winners and whiners:

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Some good stuff here - it worked well as a 'mix' too, which they don't always.

Knew the Hayzi, which would have been in a winning position but could only have got a draw. Also knew the PJ Harvey - can't stand it though, 11th place for that.

So the winners would have been: Ashlee (excellent), The Sounds (endearing power-pop), the fiddlers at Track 3 (slow but haunting), and then probably Lux Eterna and the Bags with the Gentle People getting a draw. On another day Lightning Bolt might have got the draw but I know the style too well now, I think. The Jazz Metal was interesting but I dunno if it works as well as actua metal, and the Utada is not my cup of goth, though not actually bad.

Re: My winners and whiners:

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Surprised you hadn't heard the Ashlee! Though not sure if it was ever a single. Have you heard 'Tony The Beat' by the Sounds? I have the album but haven't listened to it yet, because TTB (and accompanying Rex the Dog mix) is one of those songs which is kind of perfect, but in that sort of way when you DON'T want to investigate the band any further, because surely they can only disappoint.

I love love love love that Peej song but it was a brave choice, I would have assumed most Poptimists knew it already.

Re: My winners and whiners:

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

No, despite reading lots about her I didn't like "La La" much and just never got around to it! Obviously on this evidence I was mistaken.

I have heard TTB and the Rex Mix - she has quite an idiosyncratic voice! Bit indie for you I'd have thought.

I really liked the first PJ Harvey album - I thought it had character and good hooks, ever since then I think she's been mostly awful (though actually I'm not sure I've even HEARD her last couple of records).

Re: My winners and whiners:

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

It's taken me a year but I fully agree with Frank K on the genius of Ashlee's I Am Me now - I think Tim F described it as Celebrity Skin-era Hole meets tATu. Search 'Boyfriend', 'Dancing Alone' and 'I Am Me', destroy 'L.O.V.E.', cast into the ninth circle of hell the Missy Elliott remix of 'L.O.V.E.'

Yeah The Sounds are indie but not even I can argue with a chorus that massive. I think I might even prefer the original to the Rex mix :o

Speaking of indie - I love Dry but def preferred Peej when she went theatrical and cabaret - her 1995-98 period is completely untouchable for me. Her last album was OK, I never listen to it but it's interesting enough that I'd bother checking out what she does next.

Re: My winners and whiners:

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I think I prefer the original to the Rex mix too - as Jeff says it's a bit predictable. It's a good kind of predictavble but the original has enough stoopid euphoria that it doesn't need much tweaking.

Re: My winners and whiners:

[koganbot]

I'm glad you're coming around on I Am Me (I love the chorus to "L.O.V.E." but agree with you on the direness of the Missy remix). Still prefer Autobiography, however. "Love Me For Me" is one of the funniest songs ever.

Re: My winners and whiners:

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

I don't really like awkwardness, gaucheness in my dance music, I like confidence and machinic groove, which is why I like pretty minimal house over choppy indie dance. Ashlee is very gauche at times but this is a mega positive when she's being confessional, and not suited to the dancefloor at all.

Re: My winners and whiners:

[koganbot]

Have you heard Taana Gardner's "Heartbeat"? I think that that's dance-floor gaucherie (or half gaucherie) that you would love - the beats are total funk and power while the singer is brilliantly tentative at working her way around them. She's not clumsily tentative, however, and that's why I think you'll love it.

I think that some of Ashlee's gaucheness isn't due to Ashlee but John; she's not gauche at all on "Burnin' Up," on which she gives one of my favorite performances by her ever but it's on a second-level track.

Re: My winners and whiners:

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

I haven't heard that, no...

I'm sure there are examples of gaucheness on the dancefloor that I love - you're right, clumsiness might be a better way of describing what turns me off.

Re: My winners and whiners:

[koganbot]

I wouldn't call the Sounds indie, at least not on this track. They're new wave, and I could imagine Roxette doing "Song With A Mission."

Re: My winners and whiners:

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

It's less to do with their sound than their, er...position? aesthetic? the kind of people/mindset they appeal to? Like LCD Soundsystem aren't indie sonically but still indie.

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

I much prefer "Song with a Mission" to "Tony the Beat" (although the latter is good). And the Dog mix of TTB is kinda deathly predictable, no?

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Rex is all about the joys of autopilot though!

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

I've just listened to SWAM and I really really dislike it compared to TTB :(

This is why I didn't listen to the album, I suspected it.