Yet Another Year In Pop: 35

[piratemoggy.livejournal.com]

Hello, this is a bit late because I am an idiot and also I was busy resigning.

[Poll #1451695]

Comments

TELLYWATCH

[piratemoggy.livejournal.com]

I assume the Vandross is in connection with Strictly or something, y/y?

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Where did that quite good Nneka song come from? I mean, yes, Lagos apparently, but why is it in the charts? An advert? I know of no adverts, all I ever see is CBeebies.

"Holiday" is by some distance the best thing Calvin Harris has ever been involved in.

Not sure I've ever heard the Luther (again, why?) tho it has a good reputation.

[rechabite.livejournal.com]

Luther - love the artist but the song is nauseating - owes his posthumous return to X-Factor, as does the general and otherwise uncalled for Kings of Leon revival. Thanks a lot, Cowell.

The Dizzee is great and the Biffy Clyro typically turgid. Like the Nneka track a lot but the T.I./Blige thing is a little pointless; yes, we KNOW you're in jail, do your time and make more music when you come out and have something new to say.

Enough of the bonus tracks/extra EP/fuck the mugs who went out and bought the album at the time of its release scam please.

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

The Biffy track is redeemed by the proggy bit at the end. I'm feeling generous, so it (and T.I.) gets a tick.

ADMINWATCH

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

a) Heat 8 results go up later today
b) At some point I will do a round-up of the chart polls so far this year (i.e. who is winning on ticks/percentages).

Everyone please feel free to go back and tick any of the chart polls (http://community.livejournal.com/poptimists/tag/2009) for stuff you've heard/grown to love since your original ticks were dished out (even if it's just a 'don't like any'). To change your vote, click on 'poll #123456' then 'Fill Out Poll'.

TICK

[piratemoggy.livejournal.com]

That second verse!

[koganbot]

Dizzee Rascal "Holiday": This is unexpected in that I don't like the rapping much; what I do like is the high blitzkrieg keyboard, but it takes a long time to seize the song and my emotions, finally grips me three-quarters in, when Dizzee and the awful chorus shut up and the beat gets all pushy. BORDERLINE NONTICK.

Biffy Clyro "That Golden Rule": I'm opposite to Jeff on this: I like the hardcore propulsion and the melody layered on top, even though the singing is second rate. The math rock at the end saps the energy. BORDERLINE NONTICK.

Nneka "Heartbeat": Her voice is a weak scratch, the weakness making it more attention-getting, not less. There are techno speed rolls from the percussion. There are passages where, instead of surfing above the rolls, the voice or bits of instrumentation get isolated and then repeat a hard steady wham wham wham wham. I don't get this track overall, but I'm ticking for the repetitions, which make me beat my head into my fist. TICK.

T.I. f. Mary J. Blige "Remember Me": Blige's singing sounds harsh, which fits, since T.I.'s demand is based on insecurity and the whole song is grabbing at us. No quiet confidence here. TICK.

[koganbot]

I prefer the original, actually; it's softer and more varied, which makes the obsessive repetitions more rather than less jittery and disruptive.

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

i don't think i'm participating in these polls anymore (sorry)

but just to say i made a spotify playlist of the year's top 40 hits so far (missing only a few - who knew Pink's songs have all been taken off?!): http://open.spotify.com/user/stevem78/playlist/4dgkVKD2ZIBZoff2k6rVlR (will update weekly)

[koganbot]

(Actually, I don't mean that the repetitions themselves are jittery so much as that they make me jittery.)

Calvin cunting Harris

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

I literally can't think of a worse producer around right now. HOW IS THIS MAN SUCCESSFUL???? How has he become known for his production work when he is SO BAD AT IT????

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

I've no idea about Nneka either. It's nice! Prefer the original to the overguitared Chase & Status remix though.

Re: ADMINWATCH

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

Specifically, go back and tick Pitbull! Hard to believe this only has 8 ticks. If anything was this year's summer anthem, it was "Calle Ocho".

Re: ADMINWATCH

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

And 'Bonkers' only has 16 ticks! (http://www.livejournal.com/poll/?id=1405322) RECTIFY IMMEDIATELY, O POPTIMISTS

Re: Calvin cunting Harris

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

He's only the second worst after Stuart cocking Price, the people Calvin works with were normally pretty bad to start with, whereas Price can wreck the talented.