A New Decade In Pop: Week #21

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Tons of new stuff this week, including a new #1 from B.O.B.

[Poll #1568872]

Comments

pot the red then screw back...

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

Shaquille O'Neal

[koganbot]

Re: Shaquille O'Neal

[mcarratala.livejournal.com]

Christ, I'm pretty sure I reviewed a Shaq album once. Dear god.

[koganbot]

B.o.B ft. Bruno Mars "Nothing On You": Sweet all through, even the sleazy double entendre. TICK.

Leeds United Team & Supporters "Leeds Leeds Leeds (Marching On Together)": Why would people want to sing along with something that has no lilt or rhythm? Is this a rule, that British football songs have to be clumsy? NO TICK.

Muse "Neutron Star Collision (Love Is For Ever)": Have casually heard a whole bunch by these guys, even own an album, without ever concentrating enough to figure out, e.g., if they're serious or not. I have a vague sense that they're self-knowing in their strained extravagance. This time there's no payoff from the strain, unfortunately. NO TICK.

Pretty Reckless "Make Me Wanna Die": Ke$ha + Garbage = Taylor.* TICK.

Sean Kingston & Justin Bieber "Eenie Meenie": As the Bieb-kid's only defender here, I gotta say that not only is this mediocre, it's mean. NO TICK.

Squad "Three Lions 2010": Not nearly as bad as that Leeds thing; still, fundamentally graceless. NO TICK.

Ellie Goulding "Guns and Horses": Tonstant Weader fwowed up. BORDERLINE NONTICK.

Glee Cast "Jessie's Girl": Karaoke. NO TICK.

Ke$ha "Your Love Is My Drug": Her dullest and most obvious song, this doesn't sound so much like singing as like her pushing her way through her vocal chords, gamely inserting sparks. Feels like work. But she does create the spark eventually, stumbling amusedly through love and drugs at about 2:05, enough for a BORDERLINE TICK.

Katie Melua "The Flood": I think the idea is that behind her formality and restraint there's a flood of passion. She has the pipes for the swelling bits, fortunately, even if the rest is unnecessarily held in check. BORDERLINE TICK.

Damien Marley ft. Nas "As We Enter": Rolls and flows. TICK.

*Garbage the band, that is, and my formula's not really correct, given that Momsen is hunkering down into the sort of toughness that both Ke$ha and Shirley poke holes through, but I just couldn't resist reffing this and this.

[koganbot]

[koganbot]

One of these guys (#45) lived in my residential college at university. Was a pro bowl safety, even if he can't rap for shit.

Don't remember if I ever met him.