Best Song of 2000: Heat #1

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Here we go dudes!

You get TEN TICKS IN TOTAL over the three bits of the poll. But only the top five will go through to the next stage so choose wisely!

If you change your mind, you can edit your votes by clicking on 'Poll #12345' then 'Fill Out Poll'.

Ten ticks is the maximum but you may tick fewer if you find the list is uninspiring!

For your ticking pleasure, I've added the UK chart placing in brackets where applicable.

Explain your ticks (and your agonising decisions) in the comments!

[Poll #1411401]

Comments

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Hopefully we shouldn't need a 'don't like any' box here :)

[sbp.livejournal.com]

I needed one. Ticked Cat Power cos it's the only one bar All Saints I recognised. And I wasn't going to tick that....

[atommickbrane.livejournal.com]

FIRST VOTER WOOOOO

[atommickbrane.livejournal.com]

And yes! It was between Nelly and Low for the tick!

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Argh 8 definites and god I'm going to have to listen to most of the rest now to decide my final ticks!

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I'm on 6 definites, 4 for future listens/horse-trades.

[justfanoe.livejournal.com]

I chose my ten, but I will go back this weekend and listen to the ones I am unfamiliar with and re-tick if necessary.

WORST SONG ON LIST

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

WHYYYYYclef & Mary J. That acoustical guitar combined with Wyclef's wailing just drives me up the wall (bizarre seeing as acoustical guitar combined with C.David's wailing is brill & awesome).

[meserach.livejournal.com]

How long does this poll run for? It'd be nice to get a chance to give them all a proper listen...

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Until I put the next one up, which will probably be Tues or Wed next week.

Mandy Moore

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

"Candy" is so deserving of yr ticks! (Actually "In Your Pocket" was maybe even better) Sometimes it's the generic stuff that resonates most and this is totes true of "Candy"'s post-Britney moves.

Re: Mandy Moore

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

YES cosine this, and it's made even better b/c it was so obviously only called 'Candy' because she was called Mandy. And then she started dating ANDY Roddick!!

Stuff that charted which I only just heard now

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

- Wookie (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nggZE0A9nE): it's a bit dull.
- Sade (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9sX8IEQtGY): nice enough Neptunes beat that builds up nicely
- ATC (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPTucJRSBaE): euro-Steps with a bit of an emo feel. Good!
- Enrique (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8jv7xe-veg): awww he looks so young!
- Mandy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_e4e-eXWbbs): jebus how old is she meant to be? Most instructive of teenage girl fashions at the time. This really has NO VERSE but the chorus is good.

Re: Stuff that charted which I only just heard now

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Nothing had verses back then!

[theastronomymod.livejournal.com]

I was going to moan WHERE IS DO NOT LIKE ANY BUTTON?!?!?

but then remembered that I really liked that Q-Tip song. Phew.

God, I'm a curmudgeon.

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

Reserving my tenth tick for Amil or Badu. Had heard neither before now (actually probably had heard 'Booty' but couldn't remember it). Or I might just leave it there as ticking more than 6 was some effort.

Also never heard the Lil Kim before - ticked for cool beat and storytelling aspect.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

'Booty' is TERRIFIC but if there's going to be an albums poll too, it's def a stand-in for the entire Mama's Gun album - one of those albums where it's impossible to pick a favourite. 'Booty' is so real though. And FUNNY, Badu gets undeserved stick for being humourless but c'mon, - "Ya got sugar on your pitta but your nigga thinks I'm sweeter - but I don't want him! Ya know the whole encyclopaedia, but your nigga thinks I'm deeper - but I don't want him!"

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Of the lesser-known tracks, I def need to recommend Lil' Kim's 'Aunt Dot' if you haven't heard it - a terrific pulp fiction scenario in which Kim opens her door to find her little niece there with a note from the titular Aunt Dot, asking Kim to look after the kid while she hunts down some bitches who've been plotting against Kim, and also to take her to her first violin recital. Kim's response? "Bitches all up in my ass like a thong - if this was a show, y'all hoes would get gonged." And then Lil' Shanice has her rap! And it's amazing! "Fuck Barney and Lambchops - I don't love them hoes!" And then the entire thing worth the price of entry for LIL' KIM telling the child off for swearing: "You know what? I like you - little big person. Rule number one: no cursing. Anyway, what you know about that? You're too young for that! When I was your age, I woulda got hung for that."

It ends so abruptly - like, I'm sure Kim must have planned for at least a Part 2 and Part 3, but they've never materialised, so we've been left hanging for a decade with only one of the three plotters killed and the other two still out there...still: "When Aunt Dot comes, whoo! Oh brother! It's like five Bloody Marys one after another." Too damn right.

Not on youtube and only a clean version on Spotify, so here it is (http://www.sendspace.com/file/43i1az).

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Q: Hoku were the dudes off the Legally Blonde soundtrack weren't they?

[skyecaptain.livejournal.com]

Hoku's not a dude! She's the daughter of Hawaiian singer Don Ho.

[martinskidmore.livejournal.com]

I could only find three I wanted to tick, which seemed depressing. I wondered if I had stopped listening to very much new music around then, and then I realised what was going on then. Most of you won't want to know - old ILXers may remember my talking about sex life matters there: that was what was distracting me that year. The same will be true for 2001, I imagine.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

For the benefit of newcomers, one of the tracks Martin ticked was "Big Pimpin'"

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

My last tick, which is still up for grabs, was between Craig David, Wookie and *NSync - gave it to Wookie b/c I prefer the imminent 'Fill Me In' to '7 Days'.

FWIW I think the stone-cold no-excuses-for-not-ticking classics are 'Big Pimpin' and 'Country Grammar' here.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

OH SHIT somehow I didn't see Oxide & Neutrino. Last tick not up for grabs any more, sorry Wookie! Unless I decide 'Bombs Over Baghdad' can do without me - it's a fab song but the Outkast crit-consensus this decade made me bored with them, and tbh I don't go back to them nearly as much as Jay-Z or Nelly.

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Argh first slip up that probably only I noticed - 'Bathwater' got to #17 in the UK in 2004 as a double-A with 'It's My Life'. NEVER MIND.

[bengraham.livejournal.com]

I've only ticked 9, and even that was a push. I suspect that this will be the weakest heat for 2000 - none of my 10 favourite songs of that year appear here at all.

Of the 9 songs that I ticked, the only ones I genuinely like a lot are Oxide & Neutrino, All Saints and Jay Z.

[skyecaptain.livejournal.com]

Final tick is between Lil' Kim, Sade, and Oxide/Neutrino -- think I'll stick with Kim for the storytelling, though I'd go with Sade for smooveness and Oxide/Neutrino for feeling most 2000-y. Still a bunch of these I haven't heard but don't have time to listen to them all.

Promotion from America

[skyecaptain.livejournal.com]

If y'all haven't heard Hoku's "Another Dumb Blonde," it's THEE teenybopper American pick from this year, including all the heavyweights. Esp. recommended for anyone who likes the Louise song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfgIs9ge5kk

Re: Promotion from America

[skyecaptain.livejournal.com]

Er, this HEAT, obvs., not the whole year.

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Poor old Samantha Mumba, Body II Body really didn't stand a chance, did it?

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

'Gotta Tell You' is properly awesome though (coming up later IIRC). Remember thinking 'Body II Body' was blah at the time, don't remember it at all now.

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

Wookie being hard done by here. First time I heard the intro was a definite 'woah this is new' moment. Love the bass. I remember it being performed on FLAVA (late Friday night C4 show devoted to urban dance musics m'lud - wish something like that was on now). As good as 'Sincere' and any of the other smoother/soulful 2 Step hits.

Country Grammar's projected tick not yet endangered

[koganbot]

Your dutiful correspondent takes on the first group (other than the songs that he actually remembers):

Cat Power "Satisfaction": Soporific but not necessarily in a bad way, though I suppose she can be held responsible for some of the decade's future soporism (unless we should blame Mazzy Star or the Cowboy Junkies).

Louise "2 Faced": Oh yes, I've heard this, good jingly piffle, though not nearly as good as ATC's all-time monumentally great jingly piffle THAT NO ONE IS TICKING BUT ME. But anyway, 2-faced people are so shallow. What's more, they lack depth! And perhaps some of them have four breasts but only one set of kidneys (we're talking about siamese twins here, folks).

Amil "4 Da Fam": I don't remember this even though I own it! Sorry, but I'm bitter that they never chose the great poisonous sing-songy see-I-gon'-tell-your-girlfriend-that-you-been-doin'-more-than-flirtin' song but made this "everybody gets a guest shot so drown out Amil" blah blah blah a single instead. Is not so bad, actually, since the instruments are simultaneously uplifting and ominous, like a million hip-hop tracks to come.

Amon "4 Ton Mantis": I originally read this as "4 Ton Martini." Where does a 4 ton martini sit? Anywhere it wants to. I like this jittery cut and paste. Will probably require more listens than I have time for to judge it fairly, though.

The Clientele "6 A.M. Morningside": A melody that'd be perfect for a little '60s folk-rock stroll in the park is, instead, sung sadly in a disconsolate echo chamber.

David Holmes "69 Police": Psychedelic organ w/ quirkiness sprinkled on top.

Craig David "7 Days": Early '60s r&b smoothed and chopped. Has got something, but the early '60s had more.

D.A.D. "A Kiss Between The Legs": I'm positive that Chuck made sure I heard this, but I can't remember it, and it's not the slimy Warrant-style update that I'd hoped.

(In the meantime I've been listening through to the second set and I'm not gonna write them up 'cause life is short after all, but the 'Net only streams a barely audible live "Aunt Dot" so far, but on the basis of that fragment I'd think that a good version might be worth tick from me if I ever hear it.)

Re: Country Grammar's projected tick not yet endangered

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

mp3 of 'Aunt Dot' upthread!

[chuckeddy.livejournal.com]

The Hoku song I love isn't this one, but "How Do I Feel (The Burrito Song)."

The Oxide and Neutrino song I love isn't this one (which I still need to check out apparently), but "Devil's Nightmare," from the Tomb Raider soundtrack.

The D.A.D. song Frank remembers liking is "Sleeping the Day Away," from the late '80s. Which is much better, admittedly, but I voted for their ode to cunnilingus above anyway.

I'm also the only vote so far for the Goo Goo Dolls' Replacements/Bon Jovi hybrid, which is the only Goo Goo Dolls song I've ever liked (at least since their late '80s I guess debut album on an indie metal label, but I haven't heard that for decades almost and I don't remember it being all that great anyway.)

Came real close to opting for likeably pretty wimps the Clientele (still have that 7-inch), but chickened out and jumped on the bandwagon for clear consensus choice "Big Pimpin'" instead.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

'Devil's Nightmare' is also off their 2001 album Execute, I also prefer it to 'Bound 4 Da Reload' (but might prefer 'Remy On Da Floor' (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INMhZzDqy8c) to either) and I shall be nominating it for the 2001 rounds.

[skyecaptain.livejournal.com]

Has anyone noted yet how unconscionable it is that ATC is doing so poorly? IT'S THE "LA LA LA LA-LA!" SONG!!!!!!

[skyecaptain.livejournal.com]

I thought ATC came from Europe? Was it an American thing? If so, retract my former Hoku endorsement and put everything toward THIS SONG.

'Breathe & Stop'

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

I had somehow never heard this track before, checked it out as it seemed to be doing well. IT'S AWESOME, THANKS Y'ALL. Not changing votes based on one listen but if I'd heard it earlier it would likely have made my 10.

Re: 'Breathe & Stop'

[piratemoggy.livejournal.com]

WHAT. How can you not have heard Breath and Stop before Lex? 0_0 Even my metal friend John has a copy of that on his computer.

spotified!

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

http://open.spotify.com/user/afarrell/playlist/1J7fSK5Eu6zssy4TxEuvVb

(based heavily on meserach's original playlist!)

Missing but found on Youtube NB I bear no responsibility for the results of actually watching any of these:

The Clientele - 6 A.M. Morningside (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxtdvCiafF0)
D.A.D - A Kiss Between The Legs (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhRQz7VYcsw)
Billy Bragg & Wilco - All You Fascists (presence of Wilco not confirmed)
Hoku - Another Dumb Blonde (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evoD1hcR82g)
Samantha Mumba - Body II Body (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zs-tGgmHfJs)
A*Teens - Bouncing Off the Ceiling (Upside Down) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvxSFpzLYdg)
M-Dubs ft. Lady Saw - Bump N' Grind (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86Grvr2zAzM)
Mandy Moore - Candy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_e4e-eXWbbs)
Tori Amos - Carnival (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uv3Kf8LOp4)

(Sorry Low ft Spring Heel Jack, the internet doesn't think you exist. Well, that's not really true, Youtube has another song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vmi9EqF5nE) off the same EP. A brave try, Youtube)
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pDRIJC31tU) ()

Re: spotified!

[koganbot]

Definitely agree with Tom and Dave that "Candy" and "Around The World" deserve the Grand Piffle Vote (as opposed to "Bouncing Off The Ceiling (Upside Down)" and "Another Dumb Blonde," and as Chuck points out there's a better Hoku song coming along in a week or so anywat, when we get to the H's):

Of these tracks, the ones I hadn't remembered or heard were:

Tori Amos "Carnival": WTF? This is from that covers alb, right? And is from Mission Impossible 2, which I've seen, and the original version was in Black Orpheus, right?, which I've also seen, but damned if I remember Tori's version. Is surprisingly good for an aural Sominex take on this classic, but that's relative to aural Sominex.

M-Dubs f. Lady Saw "Bump N Grind": Liking this (liking it more than the Wookie, which I'm listening to right now, which is easy listening chopped-and-medicine-balled, fine with me in principle, but I don't like the basic song and singing) - bass depth charges heard through ear plugs while a sample adroitly yammers make this a potential tick.

Samantha Mumba "Body II Body": A good mixture of deep funk, sway along teeniness, and dark echoes. A definite contender.