Another Year In Pop: 22

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Rihanna's still at number one, and the Ting Tings have had three new entries in as many weeks, blimey!

[Poll #1197899]

Comments

[koganbot]

Ack! My second consecutive DON'T LIKE ANY, though with several on the border line, both the Ting Tings and Weller ripe for reevaluation if I ever decide that the any-goodness-at-all that resides somewhere other than the lead vocals merits a tick.

Chris Brown "Forever": This is beautiful at the start and I'm captivated by the way the melody circles around the beat. (The phrase "The melody circles around the beat" is probably meaningless. In any event, I don't know what I'm trying to say.) But his voice is not reaching me much beyond being a part of the "texture," and song and texture are unexpectedly lacking in fizz and character. TICK NEVER, NOT FOREVER.

Paul Weller "Have You Made Up Your Mind": This is pub-rock reggae, its clumsy force reminding me of Graham Parker & The Rumour in its clumsy force. And this isn't a bad song, but the voice isn't finding itself, either. MADE UP MY MIND NOT TO TICK.

Mint Royale "Singin' In The Rain": Regular backbeat, moods in the foreground, but two different moods at once, as if we're tuned to two different moody radio stations. Anyway, this can't decide if it's to be forceful or dreamy, but even if you took away one you wouldn't get the other. RAINING, NOT TICKING.

The Ting Tings "Shut Up And Let Me Go": My ambivalence continues: Great great dance rhythm from early '80s NYC. So the question here is whether I can stomach the vocals. Yes, I've admitted she's got something, but her silliness is too placid and coy to commit to its own pleasure. This is a prime indie pop sin, so I may be underrating this owing to my distaste for its social commitments. Maybe in a month I'll reevaluate all Ting Tings and decide then whether to tick 'em. SHUT UP AND LET ME AVOID TICKING.

Go Audio "Made Up Stories": Emo goes guitar wave. This is laughable and pitiful but not terrible. But not tickable either. TICKLESS STORIES.

Vampire Weekend "Oxford Comma": Cutesy and blippy; speeds up in the middle and that's irritating too. Clever. Distant. Irritating. I don't get it. TICKLESS COMA.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

The UK charts are kind of shit at the moment, yeah.

HOPE springs eternal in the 40-75 recesses, though, with Kat DeLuna, Flo Rida and Jesse McCartney poised to join us imminently...

There's something really boy-bandy about the chorus melody on 'Forever'; I love the rounds of "forever, forever, forever" especially, though they're not quite as blissful as the "forever"s on Mariah's 'OOC'. Also, 'forever' is a really hard word to type.

Also in the top 100

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Have you heard Fergie's Sex & The City theme song, Labels Or Love (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQUqeV7vC7c)? She actually uses the SATC theme in it. It's kind of awful.

Re: Also in the top 100

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Ha I wouldn't have recognised the SATC theme tune. Only heard it once and haven't really decided what I think, amused that it charted lower than the (boring) India.Arie track from the SATC soundtrack.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

There is a Europop match ending soon you've not voted in BTW (ignore me if this is intentional!) You might prefer those choices! Or not.

[koganbot]

I definitely intend to vote but got rather distracted last week (as you know). When's the deadline?

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Yes I can imagine!

The deadline is pretty much now, or in the next hour or so - it's a shortened deadline due to late arrival of tracks.

[koganbot]

I'd better get cracking then. I have strange feelings about a group that calls itself "Love Of Lesbians." A third of the way into Fifth Galaxy Orchestra's "A Russian Spy In Shanghai" I decided it was an unpretentious update. Then I decided it was very pretentious. I also don't think this'll make a difference as to how I evaluate it.

[koganbot]

Freaky Trigger won't load.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

It's loading for me, but agonisingly slowly.

[koganbot]

Yeah, I finally got it loaded and got my votes in. I hope they were in time.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

If you can vote, it's on time: we have to close the polls manually I believe.

[jauntyalan.livejournal.com]

;_;

wish i knew why this was. WP2.5, here we go

[koganbot]

By the way, I'm reading the comments now. That Alyson woman has been consistently ace. I'm glad France made it through.

[lockedintheatti.livejournal.com]

Yes, it was good to see her go through, now that I'm out I can admit that on every occasion I would have voted for my oponent if I hadn't been manager.

[koganbot]

Well, you drew strong competition, esp. your first two matches, and managed to pull ties against them all. 3rei sud est was extremely unlucky to run against Italy's strongest entry (and still managed more votes). That was my second-favorite match of the group round, after Austria vs. Croatia.