October RIP

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

What happened on Poptimists last month?

Context and Anticontext - I get theoretical
Facebook - the terrible truth
Why Music Sucks
Sugababes, Gnash, etc in a "year in pop" commentaganza
Lex gets enthusiastic
Pulp revisited
Why Aly and AJ don't sell (and is radio the problem?)
Black and white unite not fight! (and dubdobdee talks centre and periphery)
Duet suet
Soundeylikeys
Albums
and Britney! Britney!!
BRITNEY!!!

MOST VITAL YET OVERLOOKED THREAD OF THE MONTH: This one.

Wow, we've been busy.

Here's the monthly poll, too.

[Poll #1080950]

Comments

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I knew I shd have appended a (not counting Britney) to the poll!

Blackout: my 2 cents

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

...well, I'm happy to buck the trend.

But the Britney alBUM is v. good (bought it last night). Thoughts:

1. As awesomewells said on ILM it feels, especially in the first half, like 'The Best Album of 2004', picking up from where Annie and Rachel Stevens and Bertine Zetlitz left off.

2. But that feeling only lasts until 'Get Naked (I Has A Plan)'. It remains to be seen whether repeat listens will retain the WOAH factor, but I think there is some serious enevelop-pushing going on here. And, after that, if anything the record shifts UP a gear. Contrary to some comments I've read, I don't think there's any filler at all in the second half. Tracks 6-11 are probably the strongest segment of the album. (Only 'Piece of Me' in the first half matches these.)

3. Ha! The Neptunes' track at the end rips off the chords and melody line from Stereolab's "The Flower Called Nowhere". I remember about 5 years ago seeing a documentary about The Neptunes (made for a Dutch TV channel) in which Pharrell was banging on about how great that song was. Nice to see he's finally found a way of incorporating it into one of his productions! :)

Re: Blackout: my 2 cents

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Yeah I think my early impressions were of second-half filler but that was completely wrong - it's pretty much all great.

Re: Blackout: my 2 cents

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

u&k: dubstepforums on 'freakout'! (http://dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=31252) divided roughly in half between "ugh, crossover" and "big up britney, crazy bitch!"

(dissensus, less interestingly, have also noted it.)

I kind of agree - the 'Freakout' thru 'Hot As Ice' section is really amazingly enevlope-pushing, but I'd throw 'Piece Of Me' (obv) (omg the PENNY WHISTLE ENDING) and 'Radar' (those vocals!) in there as well - 'Ooh Ooh Baby' is great but maybe the most Rachel Stevens of all, 'Perfect Lover' is the only one I can never remember and 'Why Should I Be Sad?' is great but no 'Everytime'.

What on EARTH is going to be the next single? I mean...I have heard rumour that it'll be 'Piece Of Me' but I can't imagine that on the radio at all.

Re: Blackout: my 2 cents

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

The sticker on my copy said: "Includes 'GIMME MORE'" and then in smaller writing underneath that "'Piece of Me' and 'Radar'". So possible clues there.

Re: Blackout: my 2 cents

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

'Radar' doesn't seem like a great choice...'Hot As Ice' must be a single! And 'Toy Soldier'.

The only disappointment re: Blackout is that "eat it, lick it, snort it, fuck it" remains merely a phrase that Britney shouted in a COURTROOM rather than a chorus of a song.

Re: Blackout: my 2 cents

[zenith.livejournal.com]

WTF! Full story pls.

Re: Blackout: my 2 cents

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

When asked by reporters how she was doing, Britney responded by saying, “Eat it, lick it, snort it, fuck it!” (http://www.2snaps.tv/9812171)

Re: Blackout: my 2 cents

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Radar??? I can see that less than Piece Of Me which at least is a monster video opportunity.

"Heaven And Earth" sounds single-ish to me.

Re: Blackout: my 2 cents

[datura800.livejournal.com]

'Toy Soldier' simply MUST be a single. It's soooooooooooooooooooooooooo good.

Get Naked (I Has A Meme)

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

HOORAY everyone must call it by its name :) :)

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

I feel I should give a mention to Che'nelle as well - was it only last week that I thought that song was the best thing since sliced bread? The Britney monolith has stampeded over everything.

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

aw tom you forgot my ultramix 95 wrap up post

i listened to the Britney album last night. actually thought it was kinda meh until 'get naked' at which point it really took off and stayed great more or less until the end. i'd put it in my top 20.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Sorry Steve! I actually skimmed over the ones which didn't get many comments (which includes most of the MP3 link ones for whatever reason) but feel free to pimp it here.

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

fair dos. most of the comments on that post were Pliny & Histor impressiosn anyway - and they weren't even AROUND in 1995 baaaah.

[piratemoggy.livejournal.com]

Possibly I should've waited until the last 22% of Britney downloaded or I picked up my copy of Roisin Murphy before filling out the poll. On the other hand, 'One Track Lover' is actually amazing for being comedy, roughly in my vocal range, sung by Matt Perry (who I think is hott) and also, rap somewhat aside, a bloody great hair metal song. Even if it is now literally hundreds of years old.

[piratemoggy.livejournal.com]

As corrected in poll, after 1x mug of coffee I realised the best thing I've heard was Battles, which to be honest is not likely to be topped by either Roisin or Britney unless they turn out to have something as monstrous as 'Atlas' or the aforementioned 'Leyendecker' up their sleeves. Which they may well, of course.

Why I Didn't Vote For Britney

[koganbot]

I'd already heard most of it in September. (Pretty much everything except "Freakshow!" and "Toy Soldiers" and "Piece Of Me.")

And Cassie's "Turn The Lights Off" is even better than "Piece Of Me."

Ashley Tisdale

[koganbot]

I'd heard it all last February, but there's stuff on the Ashley Tisdale album (which is just making its way to British ears, and many American) really really good.