poptimists | The Pop World Cup: GROUP B

freakytigger.livejournal.com posting in

Sitcom themes! Moustaches! Last-minute substitutions! Knights of the Round Table! The POP WORLD CUP enters its second week and its second group. England, Paraguay, Sweden and Trinidad & Tobago in competition for the two round-of-16 places.

You can find all PWC entries here. If you can't download or are having trouble let me know either in the comments box or at freakytrigger@gmail.com.

So here are the four Group B contenders, with exclusive team talks from their managers.

England

Gene Serene - "The Hours". Under-pressure manager

zenith said this: "This plucky, precocious young striker has come off the subs bench at the eleventh hour to make her first appearance for the nation at this level. Previously a cocky goal-scorer known for hedonistic excess and electronic artfulness on and off the pitch, 'The Hours' sees Serene displaying what more old-fashioned commentators might call a new-found maturity and range as a player. She keeps up a steady pace, and really puts her heart into the game. This is a song about passing the time and of course passing is what it's all about Tom. Silky skills."

Paraguay

Alberto Vasquez y Joan Sebastian - "Serenata". Cultured boss

anthonyeaston told us: "I don't know much about this at all. The guy might be Dominican, or from Paraguay. The woman definitely is. Its talky, low key, sort of jazzy, like the Spanish language ballads i really find calming, it has memories of Brazil, in how Joan Sebastian sounds a bit like Astrid Gilberto, and in the future, in how she sounds like the twin in Ha Ash. The talky bit is nice, and even though it could be a sitcom theme, that doesn't really matter. Listening to it, there is something seductive in its ease, and its pleasure.

I am afraid, that because it is so low key, it isn't the death metal, or the exotica, or the euro pop extravaganza, it will do poorly. There is a place for well defined, underplayed yet horribly effective, almost nostalgic finesse. In football, in pop and in life. This is it. Also, I found a streaming audio/radio broadcast of evangelical lutheran praise music, straight from the Chaco Plain. Thank God, I couldn't make an MP3 of that."

Sweden

Bodies Without Organs - "Gone". Gaffer

the_roofdog let on that: "There's a Swede at the head of the England football team when it should be the Bolton Wanderers manager, and now there's a Boltonian at the head of the Swedish Poptimists team when it should be someone who knows about... yes, well. My tactics for this opening round are simple - come out fighting with a big-hitter, which is why I present for your listening pleasure a song which came fifth in the second semi-final of 'A Song For Sweden' in 2005. Lead singer Martin is exactly two weeks older than me and doesn't smoke, fact fans, whilst the mustachioed mastermind behind the whole thing Alexander is nearly twice my age and likes "cigarettes at parties, and a pipe at home". The other one looks a bit like Kate Bush, but I can't work out what she does. This track draws heavily on its Swedish pop heritage and will have you humming it all day, if you're a jaunty person who's just been dumped, perhaps. http://www.bwo.ru/"

Trinidad And Tobago

Sir Lancelot - "Pan American Way". Wily manager

jel_bugle had this to say: "I can't describe how excited everyone back home is about this world cup, it's just crazy, I think we already have the victory party planned, and let me tell you it will be amazing. I sent scouts out all over the world with a mission to find the best possible team, now I know we have alot of young and exciting talent over here and that's what people would be expecting from us, but in the first round we need experience. Riding into town came Sir Lancelot, a dependable fellow, with a laidback manner but a will of steel. A solid defence is the best form of attack against the fancy dans of England and Sweden."

So how will matches be decided? HERE'S HOW.

You have 20 points to divide between the four teams, based on how much you enjoyed their tracks and on any other criteria you like.

No team can be given less than 1 point, no team can be given more than 10. If you fail to mark a team they will automatically get 5 points.

If that leaves a points total other than 20, or if you simply can't add up to 20, then the FIPA authorities will add or deduct points according to a highly complex system which can be explained in the pub by request.

Your votes should be in the following format:

"England - 5. Paraguay - 5. Sweden - 5. Trinidad&Tobago - 5."

With the "5"s replaced by the points you allot to each team.

You can submit votes in one of two ways. In the poll below, or by email to freakytrigger@gmail.com if you can't vote in LJ polls. Any votes in the comments box will be disqualified. Voting closes at midnight GMT on Monday

The top two tracks, decided on total points, will go through to the next round. In the event of a tie the votes from the first 10 ballots received will be used to determine positions.

[Poll #659651]

Tomorrow I'll post some indication of the initial results.

Let the kidology begin!