A kung fu fighter in a disco

This is currently a marginal non-tick for me. At first I thought he'd pulled it off but on subsequent listens it proved a bit of a grind - also I don't really like the way Kanye comes across in it, arrogant but with no flash or flair really to back himself up.

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I quite like his voice - there's a mournful tone to it I wasn't expecting. Needs a stronger chorus but I like the new-wavey touches, like a less obnoxious Killers crossed with Busted. If I was in a generous mood I'd tick this actually.

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fugitivemotel.livejournal.com

About six months ago I met a girl called Jessica and she asked me to go and see Elliot Minor with her, because of that damn song. I never forgave her. Arghhh.

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Darren Hayes on the other hand has a really crap voice - quavery and breathy and bad delivery of overdetermined lyrics. Clean production and an OK song can't save it.

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Eve - far and away the leader this week, it's like a caffeinated version of the Kelly R/Eve track (which is itself magnificent) with added tinges of Stefani - clearly Eve has learnt as much from Gwen as vice versa. Love the go-go beat, Swizzy's on fine form, really infectiously catchy, and Eve sounds like she's having a ball - "Pop them bottles, yeah drink that up man, got you feelin' crazy - well that was the plan!" Great fun to dance to obv esp "get low, get low then pick up, pick up". The follow-up is brilliant too - I'm really amped for the album...

Kanye - when I first heard this I was actually repulsed, but I keep coming back to it, ostensibly to see just how much I hate it...watching the video it works much better, the sample doesn't seem quite so intrusive. Ehhhh I dunno, it's so far from Kanye's best but there's clearly SOMETHING there which appeals to me despite myself. I'll be generous and give it a tick for the line "you can be my black Kate Moss tonight".

Mario and Richard Hawley - both have great voices but the songs are pleasant but very unremarkable. Mario is slightly better, but neither merit a tick.

Darren - oh god, I have to review his DOUBLE album. There is good stuff on it but why must he try so hard? If you're going for ecstatic joy it might be an idea to put a chord change or two in there rather than relying on blustery over-emotional vocals.

David Guetta and Axwell - I'm going to stop ticking this bosh now, on the basis that I'll never actually care about hearing it again.

Elliott Minor - die.

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The David Guetta is nasty - rough rhythm, rough vocals. The Axwell has a good tune though I wish it made more of it, the beat isn't all that - enough to earn a tick tho.

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West is nob but even he can't balls up the best song on Discovery.

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Agree on the Mario - it's almost there, hook just needs to be a bit stronger.

Hawley's voice is OK, yes, nice touches of Merle Haggard - but the song is such awful complacent armchair pop - ohh tinkly crescendoes, how "beautiful" - that he sounds unbearable on it. I'd like him on something nastier.

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Erm he can by SLOWING IT RIGHT DOWN!

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It's Daft Punk ballsing Kanye up more like!

I keep seeing people (Brits, never Americans) dissing Kanye for being "a nob", "arrogant", etc - I don't understand why this is so important? Or indeed how it makes him different to 90% of pop stars?

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I don't think yr reading me right Lex - Kanye's arrogance needles me cos it's quite matter-of-fact, drably presented, he's got a big ego but it's a really efficient, boringly businesslike one on this track at least, I'm happy with my pop stars to have towering egos but I expect a bit of fire and craziness in there, not this "oh come on girl I can't wait all night you know" tone, it sounds like he's NAGGING her, it's how I expect premiership footballers chat ppl up!

The same matter of fact tone works really well when he's doing storytelling or slyly working his way to punchlines (eg on Gold Digger), so it's a case of a good tool not being right for this particular job.

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katstevens.livejournal.com

Kanye = never really rated this DP song but it's growing on me. Kanye seems a bit superfluous but I wouldn't mind hearing this again. Marginal TICK

Elliott = sounds a bit like the Foo Fighters, botherd. NO TICK

Darren = not a bad video but his voice is still a bit rub. Hmm, this isn't as good as that Similou song from a while back and it doesn't really go anywhere. Marginal NO TICK.

Guetta = electrobosh-by-numbers. It's a bit darker but the chorus hook isn't as good and the verse a tiring retread of the Egg thing from last year. NO TICK

Axwell - the original of this is a pretty good oldskool rave-up, I can't find the Max'c remix on youtube but there is a great random tech-house (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoWuQLuOYH4&mode=related&search=) remix and a electrotrancey (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Aj_iNAxHVc&mode=related&search=) Tocadisco mix which are perfectly serviceable. TICK

Eve - blimey this is very good! It makes a change from all the minimal RnB we've been having recently. Techno noises are back! Hooray this is an excellent tune. :) TICK

Mario - soppy handclap slow jam. Supersmooth voice and JEBUS I am so bored already. I want to listen to Eve again. NO TICK

Hawley - arrrgh it's Geordie Racer! Actually this is an interesting video but the song is too twee for me - remember dudes I was never that into Pulp. NO TICK.

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Or indeed how it makes him different to 90% of pop stars?

You're right, its no different. It's just when I first became aware of him he seemed quite interesting and then recently I've seen a couple of interviews with him acting like a stereotypical arogant cock. I should have learnt by now.

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What is the vocal sample in the Eve song - "Shake your tambourine go and..." ??? - find yourself a muscleman?

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katstevens.livejournal.com

Agree with you on Eve - its brilliant! Noisy, catchy and full of energy. A pleasant surprise.

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Am I right in thinking that DP initially refused to clear the sample because they thought the first version was rub and made him go back and do it again?

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ha I actually find his matter-of-fact arrogance a quite interesting take on the usual braggadocio - but it bothers me that it's becoming a meme, a default dismissal of Kanye, based on what he's like in interviews of all things. who on earth cares what people are like in interviews? And these same people will lap up what Lily Allen does...

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Well I think it's cos he presented himself as a bit 'conscious' and I guess the people who like conscious don't like arrogant? But this is projection on my part really, who knows why folk like Kanye West, I just want another song by him I like as much as Gold Digger thx.

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"stereotypical" of what? hip-hop? Arrogant public personae are totally essential to hip-hop though, I love all the bragging and boasting that goes on and I wouldn't call any of the protagonists nobs because of it. I do think Kanye is very interesting, while also being v arrogant, because of his preppier background, and the way he engages with Big Issues - he's very flaky about them, the way he wrestles with his sense of morality (about Christianity, blood diamonds &c &c) is really compelling.

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Get yourself a whistle!

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This is why I don't like him Lex - his "wrestling" is just beating himself up a bit then doing it anyway AFAICT, not v interesting for this listener, I expect a track with him "wrestling" over buying Peruvian asparagus in Waitrose before long.

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There is totally another syllable after what you're saying is "whistle"!

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Stereotypical of the way most successful musicians act when they are interviewed. Like everything is beneath them. Now you are right that this is part and parcel of the game but I do find it a turn off. Perhaps i am just a bloody hippy.

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and! the tambourine-shaking and whistle-getting is a never-ending cycle!

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