The RPG Duelling League
Social Forums => General Chat => Topic started by: metroid composite on August 26, 2016, 04:34:51 AM
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So...every week I listen to lots and lots of music at work (forcing myself to listen to only music that has a music video or lyric video that came out this week). I pick out the six best, or six that stand out the most to me, and then run it past anyone who wants to comment in the DL (usually Alex and Grefter, sometimes Gate--anyone who wants to comment on music is welcome). These comments are an important filter step, since at work I don't watch the videos, and only half listen to the words, so sometimes I've been listening to a hilariously inappropriate video >_>. Collectively we pick out one song/video, which gets emailed to my family, and posted on the DL with a brief writeup:
http://www.rpgdl.com/KSotW/index.php
(People have been saying for ages that I should make a new topic for this, rather than using the 2.5-year-old planning topic so here it is).
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Anyway, this week's finalists--anyone who wants to: listen to all six, and comment on which ones you feel I should pick/not pick:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiUibQxWgik
Jidenna
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y95B-dZ32uQ
Pentatonix
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giKRecwNJxM
Johnathan Young ft Malinda Kathleen Reese
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJ_GIRTTRaA
Bambino
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ud6p20uxmOk
Santigold
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zzx0d3pZbdA
Sammus
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This is Alex on Laggy's account (can't remember my password, and the email reminder feature seems to be broken..?) These threads are cool and people should hop in and do them, music is fun!
Jidenna - High quality rap at a deliberate pacing, together with a very nice video. Topical and thoughtful in a way I like. It's not too complex musically, but the lyrics have a lot to dig in to - overall I quite like it. I especially admire that the video, while amazing, is not at all necessary, you can get the context from the lyrics and the overall style of the song itself expressing a duality/clash with white and black american culture.
Pentatonix - Sweet but short cheerpop. This appears to be a tribute to another artist I'm unfamiliar with... not really sure what's going on. It feels like it's over before it begins though, barely 2:15 of music much of which is repeated bars. I don't dislike it, but there's not enough substance for me to recommend it.
Johnathan Young ft Malinda Kathleen Reese - By the numbers cover of a song I imagine most people are familiar with - not that this is necessarily a bad thing, the song's very popular and penetrative for good reason. The original was already fairly heavy and close to metal though, so not a lot sounds different here, mostly just a guitar doing some stutter step micro now and then. So the focal point of this version is the vocals, and they're pretty good! JY delivers a strong performance (and a bit of humor in the video), MKR sounds a little more stock metal vocalist and sometimes gets overpowered by the music but delivers what the song needs. I am listening to this week on Laggy's media PC setup rather than headphones though so I'm not even sure on the overpowering. Anyway this is good and if it was original it would be song of the week and possibly year in a heartbeat... but it isn't original. So how much credit do I really give for a cover that is strong, but mostly via sticking to the strength of the original and just putting in some nice vocals? Tune in to the end of the review to find out, although right away I will say I wouldn't put it over Jidenna.
Bambino - Average Kpop, cleanly produced, but nothing special and the video is fairly sexualized fluff so I'm not going to devote too much more thought to it on the "would you link this to MC's parents" clause.
Santigold - Ear wormy and a bit trippy, I wound up enjoying this quite a bit. Most of my perception of depth to it comes from the video though; without that it's not as amazing and more just plainly enjoyable.
Sammus - Gwwaaaaahhhh that backing and composition, I cannot get enough of it. Really, really strong rap, well produced, well conceptualized, well delivered. Sammus's rhymes and delivery are super on point in a way that is impossible not to directly appreciate. Her voice and tone are much harsher than Jidenna's, but listening side by side it's hard to argue against her skill. The appreciation for the messaging is here as well. BUT SERIOUSLY THOUGH CHECK OUT THESE MINOR KEYS WHAT
Strong week for rap/hop stuff, Jidenna, Santigold and Sammus are all very good and similar to each other in some ways but all going in totally different directions. I enjoyed Sammus the least in the moment yet think it is the best song to have heard overall... really could not argue against any of those three winning though, they are very close, and then there is also the Phantom of the Opera cover, which is on par with them as a blast to listen to even if I am not going to give it full song of the week rating points. And the other two songs exist or whatever, Pent would be good with more length/development/substance and Bambino would be good if its progression wasn't booty to wet t-shirt to bikini.
Sammus > Jidenna > Santigold > JY and MKR > Pentatonix > Bambino
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The song I liked the most just passively listening to it was Bambino (and not by a small margin, actually). The video does border on the skeevy side, though.
And I'll take an excuse to link Sammus. Never linked her before, even though I've been a fan for quite a while (she got her start rapping over mixes of metroid music. Seems she's branching out to non-metroid rap now, but she's doing that really well too; never picked her, so yeah).
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Ha oops, forgot to post these when I got home. Well...four hours late posting these; oh well, Grefter's probably just getting home from work anyway.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3_DQgYSS2E
박진영X효연X민X조권 ft JYP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLxmoaewFVs
Twilight Force
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WryJZHAQku8
H.Y.U.K.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X03fLkFHzVM
Teegan and Sara
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aICdfAWVXI4
Kygo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXiSVQZLje8
Ariana Grande ft Nikki Minaj
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JYP - S'aight. A bit too minimal and repetitive for me to get heavily into without a translation of the lyrics. Not bad but not really exciting, such are the perils of rap.
Twilight Force - Extremely bright metal, to the point where it feels like Christmas music in some parts. The sound quality is not great on my headphones; some people are arguing about it in the comments saying things like "if you play it on the sound setup it deserves..." but I can't give much sympathy to that. Good crowd shots in the last minute, they really need to sell that final climax and do... an adequate job at it. I'd have liked still more blast there but it's fine.
HYUK - Funny, and a nice jam. Stays pretty much the same all the way through, with a radio vibe. There's only so far a song about drinking can take me though.
Tegan and Sara - Couldn't get into this one emotionally. I know that's downright heretical, but so it goes.
Kygo - Pretty much the same as the T&S but with a bit of a party beat thrown in. To me, right now, that's a negative.
Ariana Grande - Has "wrist icicle, ride dick bicycle" as lyrics. If that's not an obstacle then... pretty good song? The production and composition are good and... yeah. Not a lot else to say.
Nothing here really gives me the groove this week. Could be because my emotions are currently way out of whack due to trip and return and then binging on my own music for a while. Dunno. They're all about the same on big points. Genre bias says Twilight Force but... they're just so low on the little points...
HYUK > Ariana Grande > Twilight Force > JYP > Tegan and Sara > Kygo
but this whole batch is apathy for me so don't take that too seriously if other people have actual preferences among them
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I missed this yesterday in a WoW haze, so you got me early in the morning between moments when I am going to go back to bed so take mood with a grain of salt.
JYP - Does not much for me. Feels like a version of DJ Snake - Turn Down for What with none of the class or fun.
Twilight Force - is a song called Powerwind by Twilight Force who appear to be a bunch of LotR cis players. I thought this would easily be it.
HYUK - but his happened and is miles ahead as my pick. It is a cool throw back 70s guitar rock track with a cool video to match. It is Zenny as fuck. The video has a sequence of the singer's head screaming and the only thing coming out of his mouth is his own screaming head. The Zenniest.
Tegan and Sara - I love this album, but yeah White Knuckles isn't the strongest track. There is a reason it is always when BWU comes on that I post about it.
Kygo - different instrumentation and delivery for a song that still uses standard party delivery. Breaks into the Piano chorus 50 seconds in (after 9 second branding intro).
Ariana Grande - Rhymed Body with Body and said "you are giving me Temptation" then I turned it off. That is some garbage writing right there.
HYUK is my pick but I could totally see Twilight Force because holy shit if that isn't the Metroidest metal it can get it sure is the most Elboy.
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For what its worth I seem to be largely in-step with Gref/Alex this week. Hyuk spent most of the week in the top couple spots. The Tegan and Sara song barely limped in at 6th (edging out an amateur cover of the Chainsmokers). Biggest disagreement I guess would be Kygo, which spent a bunch of time at 1st/2nd range for me, and got trashed by everyone else.
EDIT: oh, no fucking wonder this random group I hadn't heard of (HYUK) was both really great music and a surprisingly humorous video. It's NORAZO (or I think maybe just one of the members from NORAZO).
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This weeks finalists include songs about gay people, pokemon, and sia. (And yet more covers of Rise--but apparently the previous one I linked was not viewable in certain parts of Canada, so it's probably fine to include another one).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjfjxTxQ02w
Kurt Hugo Schneider & Kina Grannis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKzQYQ5ddno
Johnathan Young
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5tZrNKICmw
Monarchy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxfpCEImUOI
Zap Me Strobe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKSRyLdjsPA
Sia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U85U3dPuiR4
Superfruit, Mary Lambert, Brian Justin Crum, Mario Jose
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KHS & KG - Gimmick song but a very enjoyable one, the creative stuff using the bike works really well, and the vocals are very clean and satisfying. Concept fitting the lyrics is nice too. It brings a smile to my face, and there isn't much anything bad I could point out about it.
Jonathan Young - Another superfun cover with great production! One knock on this one is Jonathan's voice gets muddy on some sounds, making it hard to make out what the lyrics are supposed to be. Like in the first verse it comes out "We oooah the roooad getting oooaaa..." Also I have some qualms about whether this cover will resonate with people who haven't heard/have no attachment to the original... eh, it probably will though, it's a very straightforward and upbeat song. Actually a lot like Rise now that I'm thinking about it. Strong stuff, combined with the Phantom of the Opera cover has now put this guy on my radar.
Monarchy - At first I was just going to say I liked the song but it was okay. Then 1:55 starts up the distortions and the like turns into love. It's still a fairly simple song but this is exactly how to appeal to me by playing with sound and beats. Super super fun and engaging to listen to.
Zap Me Strobe - Break at 1:12. Grefterisms aside though, this is another great track up my alley, except it's too short. It's using the progressive form but only really kicks into gear around 2:10 and then ends 30 seconds later. This could easily be a full 7+ minute piece with another couple of variations, or at least 4 minutes if it went back to some falling action for an ending. The current stopping point is really arbitrary and doesn't sit well on the ears. But, aside from that and wanting more, the sound they have is nice.
Sia - Well. That certainly happened. Uh. Yeah, really great project, excellent production, fantastic video and aesthetics. Video is required on this one, it's 110% compelling, especially the start and end drones. The actual song in the middle... not so much. I found the song confusing, the lyrics fell back on repetition a little too much for me and I just didn't get a message out of it that matched what the video was doing. Or what it was supposed to be doing.
According to the comments, this is supposed to be a tribute to "the Orlando Offers" which... that means the Pulse shootings, right? (Not sure what that has to do with "offers" but two people are saying it...) Yeah, that didn't come through at all without being told about it. The video's only hints in that direction are the rainbow face paint at the start and end, and the one nightclub shot near the end (which definitely does evoke Pulse, but could be taken as a single reference rather than the whole song). And the musical/lyrical side addresses it... not at all, there is a 0% chance I'd guess this was about gay people or shootings if I was randomly hearing it on the radio. It is possible, nay likely, that there are codes going on here that I am not aware of. But, well, I'm not aware of them so I can't judge them...
ANYWAY, the video is spectacular, the song is great but seems to be a completely different message than the video, and the intended message is apparently different from both. So it's very weird, and I think the "song" part is the weakest of the package. But the whole package remains compelling. I'd love to hear Kaitlyn's take on this song, I feel like there's a ton I'm not getting!
Superfruit - Yep it sure is a Rise cover. The best one, though. Personal preference perhaps, but this is 100% my favorite version of the song to date. Clean piano + clean passionate voices that come together very well. Not 100% on board with the ending, but even with that this is now my preferred version of the song, great stuff.
Overall - wowwwww. Last week I struggled to like anything more than "ok I guess" but this week's batch I cannot stop gushing about. 6/6 fantastic hits for me, I'd be happy with any of these winning any week POSSIBLY excepting Zap Me Strobe on length issues (but not quality!). Sia is by far the deepest and probably the "objectively correct" pick, a slam dunk, yet actually the weakest in raw personal enjoyment? Weird. Y'know, I'm actually going to try two scales this time and see how it comes out.
Artistic Merit:
Sia >>> KHS & KG > Jonathan Young > Monarchy > Zap Me Strobe > Superfruit
Personal Enjoyment:
Monarchy > Jonathan Young > Superfruit > Zap Me Strobe > KHS & KG > Sia
Final: Monarchy (5) >= Jonathan Young (5) > Sia (7) >= KHS & KG (7) > Superfruit (9) >= Zap me Strobe (9)
Yeah I guess that seems about right. Great week.
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Quick and dirty from me. I don't necessarilly agree with Alex on much this week in terms of what I enjoyed and I think of my bottom few tracks as much weaker than he does, but so it goes!
Sia I think is an easy win for me. Its a good solid track to me, it does stuff I like.
Zap Me Strobe is my number two. I don't mind a party track being short if it isn't doing much new with it. You would just loop it for length in that case. I think this works really well.
Monarchy is a solid third for me. I was expecting to like it more, but it is no where close to Living Without You and I preferred the stuff of their first album I grabbed. Its pretty good though!
Kurt Hugo Schneider & Kina Grannis is gimmicky and put together okay. The kick drum being the wheel being dropped and looped kind of shatters the illusion the video is going for. You literally can't do the recording as shown without the use of an effects pedal because of it so it kinda kills the charm of the video as a video. So how is it without the gimmick? Eh, its an okay song with makeshift instruments made to mimic conventional studio sounds in a studio environment. Einsturzende Neubauten live this is not.
Jonathon Young spoke nothing to me. I like Pokemon. I know the song. I also didn't care much for it.
Superfruit. Its a good Rise cover, but yeah okay, it took until the Olympics was over but I am okay with not hearing this so much any more.
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Hmmm...ok
Zap Me Strobe is a track that...I wasn't initially going to take into round 2 (but I was actually low on round 2 songs). Wasn't initially going to make it into my top 6...until at some point I felt like looping it for a while and ignoring the other songs (automatic temporary jump to 1st). Ended probably 3rd or 2nd or so after the dust settled. It's catchy, but there's not a whole lot I can write about. 2nd from Grefter, 5th/6th from Alex. 10 ish overall.
Sia...was usually middle of the pack, but slipped a bit at the end, did dip as low as...6th or 7th for me. Pretty sure it finished above Monarchy though, probably ended up 4th or 5th. So like...3rd from Alex, 1st from Grefter, 5th from me. 9 ish overall.
........The video is about the Pulse Night Club shootings, complete with a shooter (they're a little bit subtle about it though). Aaaaaas for Alex wanting to hear my take on the song and whether it has a secret coded gay language...um...I haven't noticed any in particular. I actually think the song was already written when they made the video. Kinda like Superfruit took Rise and made it about gay people. Speaking of which.......
Superfruit was all over the place, but did end up arbitrarily at the top for me (my top spot was pretty flexible and regularly changing, but it happened to be there when I left for the night). 1st from me, 5th/6th from Alex, unenthusiastic response from Grefter. Probably about 11 ish
Jonathan Young was decently high for me, think it ended 2nd or 3rd. 1st or 2nd for Alex. Didn't do much for Grefter (5th-6th). 9.5 ish overall.
KHS was 3rd/4th for Alex, similar for me, looks like about 4th for Grefter. 11 ish overall
Monarchy pretty sure was 6th for me, and the big decision was whether it was 6th or 7th (with another song making top 6). Looks like 1st/2nd for Alex, 2nd for Grefter. Overall 9.5 ish.
Um, well we don't have much consensus here. I think it's fair to rule out the 11s (KHS, Superfruit). I think it's fine to eliminate songs that didn't get a strong response from anyone (Zap Me Strobe...solid reviews from everyone, no 1st place). That still leaves us with Sia, Johnathan Young, or Monarchy.
Welllll....I know what my ordering for those would be. Johnathan Young > Sia > Monarchy. I know what Grefter's ordering of these would be. Sia > Monarchy > Jonathan Young. Alex's ordering looks like probably... Monarchy >= Jonathan Young > Sia. Uhh...well that's pretty much a tie.
Yeah, I dunno, I'm going to go play some videogames and make this decision later.
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Kinda like Superfruit took Rise and made it about gay people.
Yeah see, I completely missed that. Thanks!
Top 3 looks good, yeah. Maybe just go with whatever is best writeup fodder?
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I think I go Sia just because it's more mainstream, actually.
We pick a good amount of indie/foreign stuff, which is cool. But there's psychological advantages to picking artists people know, with songs they'll be hearing on the radio a few weeks from now and can go "oh yeah, I know that song. That song had the video about the Pulse shootings." (The psychology is basically that people are egocentric in terms of their own knowledge, and tend to get more excited when it's bands they've heard of--like, I guarantee I'd get a positive response from a few family members if I picked Britney Spears).
For all that, if the indie group has a better song, of course we pick it. Tiebreaking towards mainstream is fine, though.
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Pretty strong week overall I think. Pretty standout songs from several bands that haven't been picked yet (Duran Duran, Ninja Sex Party, Dua Lipa etc)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAJTe-6fVaY
Trace Adkins
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_QLQHkj1XU
Epica
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvLz5kCVIss
ninja sex party
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_2alcE_1XY
duran duran
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nydxbGhgv8
dua lipa
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbvGvTvn4ww
sandra N
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Disclaimer - I have had a shit week and am just generally pretty down on life.
Trace Adkins - pass.
Epica - This could be the intro to Sonic and the Black Knight 2.
ninja sex party - it is NSP. My biggest problem with this is that it is 9 minutes long. At 30 minutes I could watch Kubg Fury which is similar but with more jokes and just more space to work with because it isn't a musical.
duran duran - I think this is my pick. It isn't doing heaps but it knows what it is doing and does it well.
dua lipa - I like this a bit. It's okay but needs to repeat less or longer verses. Her neck is intense. She is beautiful but it is impressive she can accessorize like that. Enjoyable.
sandra N - I didn't place Romanian. I started off thinking this might be my pick but started dropping off at the end. It is pretty but doesn't do much with it. Could be language gap, not sure.
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Trace Adkins - Appears well made. However, genre and subject matter bias prevent me from enjoying this much. It would take a herculean effort and a very weak pack to make me endorse a song celebrating televangelism and lipstick inflaming male desire and etc. Fortunately this is not a weak pack, so I don't need to concentrate on this further.
Epica - Hm. Metal is traditionally a genre dominated by male vocals and male narrative voices. Even though female metal vocalists are not that uncommon, and acts like Babymetal exist, most of them still tend to fall into a Nightwishy sort of Female Metal Vocal vibe, where the overall structure is still norse-male-fantasy dominated. This doesn't do that, it genuinely feels different in tone, and that's pretty cool! Aside from that, though, it's a fairly standard metal track, if you put the Sabaton vocalists (or whoever) in here and darkened the tone a little I'd say it was competent but nothing to write home about. But "aside from the noteworthy thing it's not noteworthy" is not much of a criticism, is it, huh.
Ninja Sex Party - By 1:30 I was already feeling done with this, and it didn't get better. All for sex positivity, but none of the jokes or entertainment factor lands with me.
Duran Duran - Exists. What Grefter said. This aesthetic doesn't speak to me as much, but clearly DD has mastered it.
Dua Lipa - Also demonstrates impressive mastery of what the song is doing! Great framing and camera work in the video, great timing, great micro-tones along with the macro tone, I feel inept to describe it but this clicks really well. Probably my pick.
Sandra N - Beautiful sound, and really nice drums, bass and bass drums. But as Grefter said, doesn't really build or go places with it beyond what it has in the opening.
Yeah pretty strong week, albeit with some things that fail on my specific ears.
Dua Lipa > Duran Duran > Sandra N > Epica > Trace Adkins > NSP
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Not surprised to see the country song getting trashed (it was towards the bottom for me too).
Pretty surprised that NSP got trashed as it was towards the top for me. (Admittedly, I thought it was eyeroll worthy the first few listens, but the music is surprisingly catchy and technical, the lines are corny but memorable "let's tear all of our clothes off like two pants-hating wolverines" and it didn't cross the line for me into creepy/offensive like NSP sometimes does).
Not surprised to see Dua Lipa towards the top--I initially really liked it, but just found that it didn't hold up as well on repeat listens (started out 2nd or 3rd, drifted down towards 6th as I repeated the tracks).
Duran Duran and Kiesza are two artists I've wanted to link for a long time, and all three of us had them 1st or 2nd so....
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This was one of those weeks where I wanted to have 12 finalists, but had to narrow it down to 6. I never really know if weeks like these are really strong or just a lot of pretty good songs with no standouts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKcw35_saLY
T.I.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6GX5U42-mI
Myrath
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cmhca-ROWwQ
Infinite
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sY3rIlrTTh8
Fifth Harmony
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pBjopDymts
The Piano Guys
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn599R0ZBwg
Lady Gaga
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T.I. - Continually relevant messaging. The chorus is the highlight, very catchy and somewhat redeems the whole song, but... outside of it the rap is slurred and not particularly inspiring. The speech at the end is cool, if there was more of that sort of thing throughout the song I'd be more on board. But as is, my dominant thought is "This has been done better, it wouldn't be hard to just look at past weeks and find a much better quality BLM song."
Myrath - Metal with a more pop bent, reminds me a lot of the Muse songs I listened to in super emo college days. That's not a terrible thing, it's effective, if a bit overdramatic. Feels more like a production piece to showcase "the Myrath style" rather than an individual song with messaging or special touches... that's not bad either, I just struggle to find things to say about it.
Infinite - Ooh, good contrast to what I was just talking about with Myrath, this has a *lot* of special touches, samples and bits cut in and edges tweaked just so on the production. I like it a lot. Just the right amount of melodrama to get emotional involvement, then goes full on songland. Really satisfying to me on all levels. The ending could be a bit stronger but ehn.
Fifth Harmony - So the interesting thing here is that this isn't Kpop, and yet it totally is Kpop. It's all right, just clearly losing the head to head with Infinite here. More slick and mass markety, good beat, not much of particular interest to me beyond the nice beat.
The Piano Guys - Cheerstuff, fairly generic, good music, meh lyrics. My parents would love it, but this kind of direct and simple approach is not my bag emotionally, so I didn't get much out of it.
Lady Gaga - Gaga is a name where I have really high expectations, and this song is more on the "just okay" side to me. It's okay. I can't say anything bad about it specifically. Youtube autoplay queued up Sia - The Greatest after it though, and that made me click it and realize I'd so much rather be listening to that or one of Gaga's older famous tunes.
Everything here is okay and has some good parts, mostly my personal taste making any of them stand out from each other. That said, the rank for my taste is clear, Infinite blows out the rest.
Infinite > Myrath > T.I. > Fifth Harmony > Lady Gaga > Piano Guys
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T.I. - I kinda want to knee jerk to picking this because "Hands up, can't breath" manages to be such a strong chorus because everything is fucked. I dug this a chunk regardless of that, but it was also because of the subject matter and how much more and more important I think this message needs to be smashed home. Running into people running their mouths about Charlotte has been infuriating. As if this shit was happening in a vacuum in North Carolina of all fucking places.
Myrath - I think that is the second worst idea for how to get a Tattoo I have ever seen. Easilly the worst outside of a Jackass bit. It is like a weird mix of Infamous, Nightwatch, Nightwish and sex tattoos.
Infinite - Is this that sexy K-Pop vampire band? The film clip is fun but makes literally 0 sense with the tone of the music.
Fifth Harmony - I love the saxaphone so much. I am equally disappointed by the chorus.
The Piano Guys - Open with drums and a cello again. Once again let down by not leaning into the concept. The song is an okay do of Train/Maroon 5/Bruno Mars up beat song. It is very much a song by middle age people writing a family friendly song for middle age people. The audience at 2:30 is literally the audience. I ain't saying it is Bourgie as fuck, but it sure is middle class as fuck.
Like literally no one cheating on their long time partners or talking about how feelings hurt to feel. 0/10 needs more melodrama and angst.
Lady Gaga - Like this! This is more like it. Those pants don't look comfortable. Like every single pair of pants in this. I really dig the too close to the mic so it distorts at 1:45. I don't like all the camera flashes. Sadly I kind of have to hold Gaga up to the same standards I do all the other pop song lyrics. This really goes nowhere. The verse around the first 50 seconds to 1:05 is pretty good and then it is just... chorus and bridge? Mixing in "Somewhere in all the confusion" I like probably unreasonably for how small it is, but.... I need another strong verse in here, preferably another one as well. She is perfectly capable of it.
Would I prefer to hear the piano solo for this one compared to the actual track? I dunno! This one is no completely over produced like normal. It is also still pretty well produced and is just kind of a dance track so....
So yeah I will go with T.I. I would honestly have trouble picking with of Myrath, Infinite or Fifth Harmony I would put second though.
It might jsut be that its late, but I don't feel much this week. I am really into some other stuff at the moment. Like a bunch of rap has been on play (from Danny Brown to Public Enemy and KRS One to nerdy things like Adam Warrock) Sia - The Greatest came on autoplay after the Gaga track and it just felt so much better. Bertie Blackman and Florence have been on heavy rotation. It has been a broad music week for me so some of my taste might be poisoned.
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Hmm...ok, let's see.
I had T.I. as "the message is good, don't know how to rank this musically (mostly just locked it in around the middle of the pack). 3.5 from me, 1 from Grefter, 3 from Alex, 7.5?
Fifth Harmony and Piano Guys were my 1/2. Alex/Grefter are critical of the piano guys, but Fifth Harmony does reasonably with both of them. 4th, tied for second with two others (3rd). 8 total.
Alex has Infinite on top...actually that was pretty consistently high for me too. Probably around 3.5 from me, 1 from Alex, 3 from Grefter. Another 7.5.
Myrath does better than I anticipated; I think it was around 5th or 6th for me, 2nd from Alex, 3rd from Grefter. (11ish).
Lady Gaga...yeah, that was around 5th/6th for me, 5th for Alex, 5th or 6th from Grefter. Yeah ok no (16ish)
So...it's between T.I., Fifth Harmony, and Infinite. Going to re-listen to them. It's entirely possible I like Fifth Harmony partially because it's a girl power anthem (which might mean I pick it anyway).
EDIT: well, Infinite didn't hold up well for me in the 3-way head to head rewatch. I've narrowed it down to Fifth Harmony and T.I. And...there's a few things that make me think T.I. might be the more logical choice. Last Week's Duran Duran is much closer in style to Fifth Harmony than T.I., so it's the variety pick. Apparently I've picked Fifth Harmony before (at the suggestion of my nephew) whereas I like T.I. and have never picked him, and often stylistically he's gangster rap or rapping about getting women which...I'll appreciate him musically in those songs, but wouldn't pick him. T.I.'s piece is super memorable. I'm hesitating though as I do enjoy Fifth Harmony more....
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This weeks finalists are brought to you by the letter M for METALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzoGtRxo_JE
Sonata Arctica
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqYzI8vMG_0
Hammerfall
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tdKl-gTpZg
Metallica
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9xSfuA8DWk
331Erock
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfEACp-ShlM
MOTi & Maurice West
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgR0r94J8EM
The Agonist
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Sonata Arctica - Cheesy positive-metal. I am down with that, but found the song a bit boring on the musical side. Lots of chords that feel like they're held too long and sections where not much is happening. It is probably because they want more focus on the lyrics, but this ends up somewhat countermessage, because it makes the song feel like it drags and is the opposite of lively.
Hammerfall - Plus points for the minor/major key transitions. Minus points for the 300 ripoffs in the video (seriously you couldn't be any more creative with your costuming?) Overall pretty average "sure is metal in here!" kinda dealio.
Metallica - Wow, putting these guys head to head with other metal brings their strengths into sharp relief. I can see the reasons they're so famous and successful much clearer than I did before. Despite having "less" of everything at first glance, less volume, less distortion, less singing, fewer instruments, everything they do is so spot on and fantastically placed and produced to draw the listener's attention. It's like reading a professional author vs a college essay, there's so much more skill and evocation in their performance. THAT ALL SAID... I didn't get much out of this song on a personal level. It is much more of a technical song than an emotive song to me, yet metal is a genre where the emotive component could be called king. So... good but not necessarily a slam dunk.
331Erock - Good mashup. Well done on a technical side, and I did get a lot of new meaning out of the lyrics in the metal context. Fits them better than the original backing, I think. It's a bit cheesy and a simple concept, but so very listenable. This is what metal can do to a song, I want to grab Eminem and tell him to listen to this and think about it for his next production.
MOTi & Maurice West - Bass status: dropped. I liked it but am not sure anyone else would. The harder/better/faster/stronger part did not really need to be there, I would've liked something more original or at least less recognizable to avoid the "oh hey it's THAT song" mental interruption.
The Agonist - Very interesting attempt to jam a few subgenres together. I was very on board until 2:25, when the screaming stopped sounding good and went to uglyville. 0:40 screaming is great, if she'd kept it like that it'd be a fantastic song. But as is, the later portions are a dealbreaker for me - and I feel like my tastes are much friendlier to death/scream metal than most people's, so.
Four straight metal, one metal/rap mashup and one deep bass housestep, my oh my what a week. Hm, so for me... I liked parts of Agonist so it won't be last, but clearly not in the running for a win. Sonata Arctica, Hammerfall and MOTi all fall in the valley of averageness. So the top two are Metallica's technical chops vs 331Erock's "take an already good rap and infuse emotive metal style" deal. Yeah, the more I think about it, the solider I get on just enjoying 331Erock more. It could be knocked for being a cover, but the way he took it I think works with the original more than relies on it.
331Erock > Metallica > MOTi > The Agonist > Hammerfall > Sonata Arctica
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It is Metallica for me. If their last album was a throwback to ... And Justice For All (but way more mechanical and not as interesting because 50-60'year olds mimicking their 20 year old selves isn't super great) then this one is them closer to Black album. Black Album is a much better place for Metallica to be going back to.
For me then I guess it is Sonata Arctica, Hammerfall, 1336rocks (it is good but I think the production shows as a fan thing and carries more on the strength of the original song structure). The Agonist and Moti were okay but didn't scratch the itch.
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Hmm...for me (purely audio for the most part). 331Erock was the clear and obvious winner. After that the ordering was really murky...I think it was Sonata Arctica/The Agonist/Hammerfall as the next three? Metallica was...pretty consistently 6th for me I think?
Pretty sure this leaves us with 331Erock. Like...1st from me, 1st from Alex, 3-4th from Grefter. (5 total)
Metallica is like...1, 2, 6 (9 total)
I'd be pretty ok with The Agonist, but it's like 4th, 5th-6th, and whatever I gave it so like maybe 3rd (12 total)
MOTi was a bit weird to place (as the only non metal song in the group) but didn't finish super high for me; 3rd from alex, like 5th-6th from grefter. (so like...13 total)
Sonata Arctica was like 2nd from me, 2nd-3rd from Grefter, 6th from Alex. (so like...11 total)
Hammerfall is going to be like...11 total or something.
Well...but there's reasonable arguments that 1sts should be weighted higher than 6ths. But that still points me at 331Erock with two 1sts (and Metallica is still the runner up).
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From 5/6 metal songs in the top six one week to zero the next. Some unusual and interesting sounds this week. Genuinely unsure of what Gref/Alex are likely to like.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THjFuxbagR4
Movning (모브닝)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXsu0dUXwEQ
Louis The Child
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91_4Ib0frb8
KHS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jTtU9VNALs
Monsta X
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAPBzsCidow
Dan Sultan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLOyUQxIsj8
Justice
-
Haven't listened yet, but money is on Justice.
-
Movning - Silly man, silly song. As usual for songs that feature heavy distortion, I loved it but give no guarantees anyone else will. They have the standard K-male vocals down pretty well and then some nice sound design on top making it unique and memorable. This is like... solid A- to A territory for me, very good but missing one more aspect to really put it over the top. The lyrics did not come together well for me, even with subtitles; some substance to back the atmosphere would've been great. But this is still easily in "could win a week" territory nonetheless.
Louis the Child - Good percussion, cool sounds. Doesn't quite come together to a package for me though. The synth is imo the weakest part but comes in with the most dominant role and sweeps the percussion and vocals under the floor. I'm left tonally unsure (and not in a good way) whether this is a muse, an empowerment anthem or an ode to drug use.
KHS - Ultrasaccharine love song, competently produced, not really my style, doesn't stand out.
Monsta X - While not technically metal, this is pretty close in mood, and I had a lot of fun with it! It's bombastic, self indulgent and hypermasculine (for korean masculinity anyway), but embraces all those concepts and produces to match them. The video's also really good. It really gets the Rocky vibe going and makes for a good contrast with Rise from the last few months. As always I am a sucker for big bombastic stuff pulled off well.
Dan Sultan - On first glance I was going to totally pan this, but it does do a number of subtle things well. There's some cool fusion going on in the background, the beat is strong, instrumentals are great, especially the strings in the final verse. Very good technical stuff. Unfortunately it's still a country rock style manhead singing cliches about himself.
Justice - I... is this whole song an extended series of dick jokes? ... Yes. Yes it is. Ok, well, that aside, the high pitched vocals were kinda boring, it took until around the halfway point for the interesting things I expected from Justice to start happening. But then they did happen... but then it went back to the vocals for the rest of the song. Ehn. Yeah. The vocal sections just don't do it for me. The jokes are cute but not too effective in terms of sustaining a song I'm engaged in listening to.
Yeah, feels like a very personal taste determined week. Some stuff I really like (the top two), some stuff I really don't (KHS).
Monsta X > Movning > Justice > Dan Sultan > Louis the Child > KHS
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Movning (모브닝) - I don't think the distortion is that challenging, it is just at chorus and is just wall of sound on the bass line stuff. That's all stuff Pop has touched on in the last couple of decades.
Louis The Child - This is the same thing as Yellow Flicker Beat was but doesn't deliver as well. It is way less of an anthem to fight and more of a "One day I will run this" song. Missed opportunity of "I'm gonna run this empire -pire" being "Empire. Pyre." Also disappointing that one of the key complains posited at the start of the song is that the paycheck is late again. That isn't a problem with the city and the building. That is your employer being predatory and failing to uphold the social contract that is the idea behind Capitalism working from a functionalist approach. You don't want to run that empire. You want to eliminate it.
KHS - Any dislike I have for this is mostly a mood thing probably. I picked up the new Danny Brown album this week. A very stock piano ballad is pushing against a specific frame of mind. Like usual for these though it is being held up against Tom Waits and Crystal Gayle's duet album. It comes up wanting. The music is technically well done, clean and clear. We don't need me talking more about clean and clear vocals though. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q__ZeOh8wi8 this is specifically what it is competing for in my head though (Crystal Gayle singing is just as well done as this one, but recording style is different so is produced in a way I like more because I am a grumpy old school recording luddite. That and I like the constant his of the snare in the background played with brushes.
Monsta X Dream - Monstax. That isn't how you train for boxing. THat is just going to fuck your knuckles up. I was going to say a whole lot more about the film clip, trying to find words. Then a guy got knighted with a claymore in the middle of a boxing ring by a guy with dudes in all black and teddy bear heads on. It sure is a lot of mixed imagery. I don't have much to say about the song. Its okay?
Is the doctor around 3:06 sagging and wearing a pair of boxers that say "The Bitch" around the waist or is that like... a belt? Or part of the pants? What?
Dan Sultan - Film clip and song are throwbacks to Peter Gabriel - Sledge Hammer (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g93mz_eZ5N4). This one isn't about Dan Sultan's dick though so it has a bit less of the charm of Sledge hammer. It also covers a bit less ground and will break your brain a lot less though, so that might be a good thing.
Justice - Yeah my pick is Justice, easilly and by miles. Justice are just so damned good. The film clip is a fun piece. The song is great. I was trying to put together a thought on how they are an example of just how well you can put together a track with so little going on, then just as I got to counting how many instruments it is they show it. 2 keyboard synthesizers, some maracas or spoons/something, a guitar and the vocals. You end up with a track that covers so much space with that. So good.
Justice by massive mile, then Movning, Dan Sultan, Louis the Child, KHS and Monstax.
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Alright let's see...
My comfortable #1 off of audio at work was Monsta X. Also #1 from Alex. roughly last from Grefter. 8ish overall.
Justice looks like 1st by a lot from Grefter, 3rd from Alex, and 6th from me. (10ish overall)
Movning is...2nd from me, 2nd from Alex, 2nd from Grefter (2nd overall)
And screw everything else. (Nothing else got higher than 3rd from anyone)
Seems pretty clearly between Monsta X, and Movning. So...do I pick the one that everyone likes, but doesn't evoke as strong a reaction, or do I pick the one that two of us liked more but one hated?
Hmm...if there's anything I've learned from Mark Rosewater's recent writing, it's go for the higher controvercy concept. Better to have something that some people love and some people hate than something that everyone thinks is pretty solid.
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Hmm...pretty undecided myself this week. I think most of these spent some time at #1 or close. Certainly going to need help deciding this one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EY22JySZ91Q
Regina Spektor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dyojUNrPeg
kaskade x deadmau5
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6l2TJ-PMcTQ
Becky G
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTo6Qt5I_fE
Le Shuuk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=323wCp6ZTaE
Sirenia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnLEXHE51l4
Khalil Fong
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Regina Spektor - I think this is probably my pick? She is always a bit weird and this one is definitely the most passionate this week. It isn't a strong song from her but it is interesting and keeps moving.
kaskade x deadmau5 - doesn't feel like it does much? Is just kind of there.
Becky G - way too cutesy for me. Just no reaction at all.
Le Shuuk - sometimes I might talk about liking the instruments and be sad that it doesn't do anything much with the bass, but this is just kinda party track and bit much going on for me.
Sirenia - is the other obvious taking piece from me. I don't think that there is tons here though. It is long and doesn't really cover much ground musically or lyrically. I dig a melodramatic song about time being fleeting not coming from teenagers or early 20s, but I think it is too much if the same thing. Bottom right Skeleton is just chilling though. We could hang out. Also don't get the camera change to zoom in on his eye and then pan out to just too right skeleton?
Khalil Fong - he is very pretty. Track is very mid 2000s pop. Unfortunately I don't like mid 2000s pop. Things like Sexy Back were when I was hard into indie rock wondering why pop still existed.
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Regina Spektor - Nice, haunting tune, and a great video. Lots of talent on display here. The lyrics are pretty unrelentingly negative, though, to the point they took away from the enjoyment for me. Also not a ton of development, the song just stays in one groove and does two verses and is done. But it's a very good groove indeed.
Kaskade x Deadmau5 - Weird track. It's like an atmospheric trance piece.... but then it has two big party style drops. Both parts are well done unto themselves, but I'm not sure they taste great together. Video's also kinda gorey, not incredibly so but I might tiebreak that against it.
Becky G - Catchy, and I like the bass parts. Doesn't catch my mind very much on any other front. S'all right. Video's pretty bootylicious.
Le Shuuk - Typical party style track, has the requisite one cool unique sound and stock concert footage video. Exceedingly average.
Sirenia - Gothic metal executed mostly very well. Love the female singer, not in love with the growl parts so much. Fortunately they're fairly restrained. The lyrics are seriously dreadful, bordering on so bad it's good self-parody. CAN'T YOU SEE THAT TIME BECOMES OUR FOE??? I was skeptical after the first couple minutes, but then the latter half brings in some nice instrumental solos and a new chorus that brings the vocals together and even makes the growl sound okay. Not sure it's sticking with me, but it pinged as pretty good.
Khalil Fong - I like the production and execution on this, I really want to love it, but it just doesn't go anywhere. It's full of wonderful setpieces and a nice sound, and I kept waiting and waiting for something to bring it together and give a sense of purpose and... a sweet solo and dropout happened instead. Which is cool but just exacerbates the issues instead of solving them. Great sound but no fury and not signifying anything. Really not sure how I feel overall!
Pretty tight grouping this week. Fairly sure that Becky G and Le Shuuk are on the bottom, but the other four I keep going around and around on. Kaskade is probably in fourth but I keep having flashes of "shouldn't this be higher, it was pretty neat and at least memorable..." The other three, well... Technical/Creative/Emotive rankings: Regina 3/1/2 Sirenia 2/3/1 Khalil 1/2/3
Buut I want to give extra credit to Regina for creative, less credit to Regina for emotive, and extra credit to Sirenia for technical. ... and shouldn't Kaskade be higher??? Geez.
Sirenia >= Regina Spektor > Kaskade > Khalil Fong > Becky G > Le Shuuk
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Hmm...well sounds like me and alex are kind of on the same page of "uhhh...not sure what to pick." But it looks like all three of us put similar stuff at/near the top (Regina Spektor, Sirenia. I think they're all 1s and 2s, maybe a 3 in there from me). Which I think pushes me towards Regina. (She did happen to finish #1 for me, so two #1s. Also, bonus tiebreak for not being a lyric video).
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Hmm...higher than average number of instrumental pieces this week. This weeks finalists:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xO6AWFHVps
Lindsey Stirling
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1CjEKtlfS8
Nick Jonas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBBXR_imVKA
Mike Williams
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tW0G9XWaj0
Ninja Sex Party
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22aafk_gbko
Martin Garrix & Julian Jordan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BS74kXPRyoc
Night Riots
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Lindsey Stirling - It's good. Video better than the music, but not by much. Hard to quantify... the composition isn't spectacular, but Stirling's execution is, and it's meant to be somewhat repetitive anyway, so.
Nick Jonas - Couldn't get into this one at all. Not much going on at any point, autotune used for evil, just no personal appeal.
Mike Williams - Strangely muted vocals. Generic party track with one cool synth sound.
Ninja Sex Party - Cute. Very cute. I liked it. All in the lyrics though.
Martin Garrix & Julian Jordan - Good synth vibes, good atmosphere building. Much to my tastes. Nothing flashy, but smart in where it puts the transitions.
Night Riots - Wow. I want to hear Grefter's comments on this. Sounds like a classic from the 80s or 70s that I'd hear on the radio. Good delivery, good guitar solo at the end, nice drums all the way through. The percussion and lyrics keep me attached - admittedly some completely personal bias at work there with the plays on Christian references.
I'm sick and frazzled so maybe a bit out of it, but yeah, nice stuff this week. Lindsey is a hard bar to clear, I was debating pretty hard between her and Martin Garrix/JJ, but then Night Riots hit my buttons like a falling steamroller. Think they still get second anyway, it's close though, but Lindsey didn't stick in my mind enough to recall the main line once I finished the other tracks, so ehn.
Night Riots > Martin Garrix & Julian Jordan > Lindsey Stirling > Ninja Sex Party > Mike Williams > Nick Jonas
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Well, haven't heard from Grefter yet.
But lately my policy has been that getting #1 from two people is enough, and tiebreakers only come up if all three of us have different #1s. So...Night Riots it is.
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Night Riots is probably the right pick.
The song itself hmmmm I don't think it really pulls too strongly from 70s or 80s stuff (it is actually kind of close to INXS from the 90s? But INXS were also formed in the late 70s and were active in the 80s). But that is just talking song structure. The instrument choice and how paired back, especially mixed with the look the lead singer is going for is veeeeeeery Jim Morrison. The part where they super impose him dancing with himself, one in body paint and one in a jacket, had me going not sure if he is chanelling Alice Cooper or Jim Morrison.
It is a good look and they are pretty solid. I would hope for a bit more growth in the song writing, but it could also just be the single because that is a super radio friendly single. The album tracks might be stronger.
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Wellll...I think this is a very strong week with a lot of songs competing for the top spot. It's an open question as to whether Gref/Alex will agree with me, though--some stuff in here that might just be my personal taste. Anyway, finalists:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFDzhKdrN9M
Little Mix
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtvBErXZ1Hc
Diablus in Musica
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=papuvlVeZg8
Clean Bandit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhKD5n-Uebg
Ibranovski & Carta
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hq1WhjpKonE
Nicole Sabouné
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYN14UfO-Uc
Macklemore
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Little Mix - Move. On. I like song about broken people. I like break up songs. I like them because of angst, melodrama and ennui. This is mostly just toxic obsession. It works imehen Gotye does it because his character clearly the bad party in it and you get the counterpoint. Here it is just revelling in it. It isn't an "I will survive", it is "I will survive btw your dickis tiny."
Diablus in Musica - Alis volat propriis is a Latin phrase used as the motto of U.S. state of Oregon.[1]
This is pretty great speed metal and then gets all symphonic. I would play this over a progression raid kill video. It's good.
Clean Bandit - Suffers horribly for invoking Shawn Mullins schlocky 90s overplayed poor mans 10 Pence None the Richer "Lullaby". Love the vocals, dig the tune. Love it all except for the lyrics whichirrrationally tanks it completely.
Ibranovski & Carta - Constantly crescendoing. Breaks into a nice bass tone at 1 minute that is way too clean and has like nothing else going on. Does a similar thing a minute later into a soft melody. Repeats.
Goes fast. Goes nowhere.
Nicole Sabouné - Did someone discover Velvet Underground? Well John Cale I guess. John Cale is a good thing to discover. It could be a bit more discordant (Alexchan. Someone has hooked you up with Velvet Underground from when Otter and I were both super binging on it 10 years ago yeah? you shoudl if youhaven't).
In contrast to the above, meanders around and goes like nowhere, which is exactly what it should do. I am torn between this and Diabulus in Musica so far. Also Broken Song About Broken People, so I am leaning this way. That bridge of spoken word outcries is kind of what is probably going to tip it over the edge.
Macklemore - Did I say this last time Macklemore did a song about the state of mental health therapy in America? I think I did.
I don't have remotely close to enough distance to say much about this. It speaks to stuff I have been saying about treatment for ages. It speaks to something I want to shout out about constantly.
I also have no idea if the song is any good. I don't even know if it is my pick even with all of that said. I guess I think it is a message that needs saying, but I don't know if I want to hear it in music? I think music is a powerful way to send a message, but massive over prescriptions of meds that you prescribe in amounts way stronger than almost anywhere else on the planet, all for economic gain is maybe a message I don't want to be sent through music.
That said I am not sure how else I want it sent other than bluntly screamed at people until they fucking fix it.
So um Nicole Sabouné > Macklemore (I guess) > Diablus in Musica > Clean Bandit >Ibranovski & Carta > Little Mix
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Little Mix - Eeyeah, this kind of breakup song is not really my thing. There is an angle about where it's about broken people, because the singer is clearly NOT over her ex if she's still obsessing over him like this, but... this doesn't really go that far imo, it just comes off as spiteful more than anything. Not a pleasant theme. Not much going on for the musical side either, just a pretty stock guitar anthem. It is stock because it works, but that's it.
Diabvlvs in Mvsica - Good solid metal to rock out to. Above average composition imo, good instruments and clear writing. Songwriting, that is. Lyrics and vocals, not so much. The delivery's pretty flat and emotionless. If this was billed as Vocaloid singing, I'd believe it and say it was just average for vocaloid tuning, so for human singers it's disappointing. So, track comes out to average on the whole.
Clean Bandit - There are some unfortunate implications here with the juxaposition of apparently sincere mother-son love and strip club pole dancing. Was that the intention? I'm not sure. Anyway, I dug neither the lyrics nor the male vocals. I can see liking them but I just don't and am spending way too long trying to come up with justifications to make it sound like I am being objective and polite.
Ibranovski & Carta - This on the other hand is extremely my jam. It's restrained, there isn't a unique sound to rely on, all the elements here are stock stuff, but the execution and arrangement are just superb. Great use of dynamics and ranges, just the right level of presence to actively take a headspace position but not be distracting. Amazingly put together, I could listen to this for hours and pick it apart and hear something new every time. Uh... that said, I dunno about picking this for the column, because it's pretty far on the technical appreciation "you have to know and like this kind of music already to get why this is particularly good" angle. Grefter's clinical pan over it points that way. On the other hand, it's up here in a strong week, so I have to assume MC liked it...
anyway here's the Tiesto track this is referencing so folks can compare: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXTgtFnY0Lw
The main line from Traffic is cut down and dynamic'd into a neat four minute package, instead of just being a somewhat plodding (for Tiesto) trance driver.
Nicole Sabouné - "in memory of Virginia Woolfe" oh dear what have I gotten into here. It should have said "in memory of White Wolf's World of Darkness" though. Also that is not a good way to drown yourself. Love the dissonance and the atmosphere. Lyrics are pretty incomprehensible, which fits. The spoken word stuff is cool, I think it sort of outlives its welcome but also maybe not because being dissatisfied with that is what they're going for? Ahh, it's so brutally good, almost unfair to aim this at me. This is the sort of broken song I can get behind and say yeah I empathize with this entire dimension, not completely, but good enough.
Macklemore - This one's a little too on the nose for me. Again, there's very little to say on the musical side. Macklemore does sneak in some really nice delivery on his parts, but he's still more speaking or doing beat poetry than singing or rapping. So... the lyrics. I started wanting to say "a good message" but actually I'm not sure that's true, except inasmuch as any mainstream messaging about addiction and social problems is good by raising awareness. Which is good! But.
I'm not entirely sure what the message *is* here. It's presented more like "here's a thing that happened in this dude's life" and then a couple of talking points. "Drug addiction is bad" I guess is a message, sssssure? "Big pharma is, somehow, making doctors turn into drug dealers and burying us all in pills, don't trust your doctor when he says you should take something" is another message, but I dunno that I agree with it. The presentation seems confused (or at least, I was confused) about whether this is about general drug overprescription, or about doctors going full Breaking Bad and abusing their position to sell opiates. "AA/12 step is a beacon of hope leading out of addiction" is another message, and that one I am sure that I don't agree with. That would have been a dealbreaker for me regardless of anything else, although I was already firmly in the "didn't enjoy this" camp.
Quite the week. Some controversial stuff. I was super hype to keep gushing over Ibranovski & Carta, but then Nicole Saboune is super cheating. Those two wayyyyy above the others for my taste.
Nicole Saboune > Ibranovski & Carta >>> Diabvlvs in Mvsica > Clean Bandit > Little Mix > Macklemore
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Ahh for more Macklemore was much more specific about the kind of overmedication he was targetting, but that might be me reading into it too much.
Not a generic "drugs are bad mmkay" message and much more specific kinds of meds that are pushed strongly in the US much more than elsewhere. Specifically things like Oxycontin and things like it for pain medication, things that are gateways to Opiates and the like. Or the amount of proscription of Stimulants as an ADHD medications. Or how frequently Benzodiapines are used for mood stabilizing.
Not that these are drugs you should never use, but especially in pain meds, they are prescribed frequently and at really strong doses.
And you know my stance on industries that pedal addictive product and how toxic that becomes. Add in the hyper aggressive capitalism of the US and you have a very predatory recipe in play here. THAT is the message I was seeing and agreeing with.
Edit - You can and should trust your doctor. Your doctor can and should also listen to you if you specifically say you would like to try a different treatment method before jumping on to treatments that are recorded to such high rates of addiction. There IS other forms of treatment and unless it is so bad as to be life threatening, even if they are less immediately effective they can be better choices for you overall.
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Little Mix - didn't even finish the song. Just failed to hook me entirely. Buuuut I'm not a huge fan of breakup songs anyway.
Diablus in Musica - really strong start, hooked me from the first couple seconds. The vocals bounce between being good and...kinda distractingly warbly, if that makes any sense. Can't really understand the words either, though I'm not sure how much is in latin and how much is in english? Overall p.good.
Clean Bandit - I generally like Sean Paul so starting off with hearing him was a good note. Oddly I think the worst part of the song is when she's going into the song title, the "rockabye bAAAAAby" was kinda jarring. Overall good.
Ibranovski & Carta - inoffensive background music. Had trouble actually paying attention to it, but it's hardly bad.
Nicole Sabouné - okay? Droning instrumentals, vocals were decent but the whole package is kinda hazy and utterly focus destroying. Music is typically something I have going while I do something else, but this song was impossible to actually focus through and DO anything else. That's...probably a good thing for some folks, but 100% not remotely what I want out of music. It seems very good at what it does, but what it does is not something I enjoy.
Macklemore - Not a fan of macklemore in general, the...well, as Alex puts it "speaking or beat poetry to music" instead of actually singing or even really rapping is hard for me to get into sometimes. Some people manage it, some don't, macklemore doesn't. I don't think I've heard anything of his I like? The...message isn't something I really want to get into, tbh. Yes, addiction is bad, overprescription is bad, Big Pharma has problems(though, you know, my own livelyhood does come from it so I kinda feel like "well what the fuck do I say" when someone starts tearing into it as an evil industry, etc). The song...eh. Did nothing for me.
Clean Bandit > Diablus > I&C > Nicole Saboune > Macklemore > Little Mix
Kinda reminded why I don't check this more often since I always end up feeling like all that I do is shit all over stuff that other people like. >_<
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There are some unfortunate implications here with the juxaposition of apparently sincere mother-son love and strip club pole dancing. Was that the intention? I'm not sure.
Seems pretty clear to me--the mom has a shit life, but is shielding her kid from all of that, wants a better future for her kid. Continues to work the job she has, while trying to keep the kid sheltered. Or at least, this was the impression I got from the lyrics. The chorus is "she tells him your life, ain't gonna be nothing like my life, you're gonna grow and have a good life, I'm gonna do what I got to do." I hadn't actually watched the video at all before now, just heard the lyrics, but sure, stripper is a pretty shitty job that pays well enough to take care of a kid.
As for the pick...
Little Mix is getting beat up, but this isn't a surprise to me (wasn't above 5th or 6th on my list either; was just clearly better than the 7th place k-pop).
Macklemore...is something that was pretty low on my list too, but stood out for the content, so I decided I wasn't letting it drop out of the top 6. But...both Gate and Alex are also rating it pretty low, so that's out.
OK, so the ones that got #1 picks are like...
Diablus in Musica (1 from me, 2 from Gate, 3 from Alex, 3 from Grefter).
Nicole Sabouné (1 from gref, 1 from alex, 2 from me, 4 from gate)
Clean Bandit (1 from Gate, 3 from me, 4 from Alex, 4 from Grefter)
Well...these were definitely my top 3, and were kind-of all pretty close for me. (with Ibranovski & Carta threatening to unseat them as it kept moving up the more I listened to it).
Well...totals are Diablus in Musica (9), Nicole Sabouné (8), Clean Bandit (12). Excluding my numbers since the three of these were close and all of them spent time at #1 for me anyway...Diablus (8), Nicole (6), Clean Bandit (9). Yeah, this is pointing towards Nicole.
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This week's Finalists
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYJMq4pgDH4
Alexa Feser
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQbZ-tQycEY
Devilment
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ygv4T0bH2Sc
Lindsey Stirling
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kbryz0mxuMY
Epic Rap Battles of History
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AK4LmhMHU8o
Kurt Hugo Schnider ft VoicePlay
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgtIBmnYcrA
Boys24
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I only got through two on the way home before Youtube decided not to play anything because it wanted to buffer a chunk of a 3 minute ad before it would play and fuck that noise.
Devilment is cool and is good for if you want a haloweeny thing. Its like poor man's Rob Zombie, but does a good job. Hitchcock Blonde is a good concept and it delivers well
but I think Alexa Fester is my pick (probably even when I get to the whole lot) because it made me feel good. I miss hanging around with Germans.
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Alexa Feser - Good bass. Otherwise unremarkable feel-good healing-type song with string beats and solo piano climax. Eh.
Devilment - Definitely in the Halloween spirit. Lyrics are too obscured for my tastes, I couldn't make them out from a couple of listens and so I doubt column readers will either. Music itself establishes a nice groove and then has some high pitch contrast later on. Nice use of the Psycho stings. Ultimately though, the obscure lyrics are just too much for me, I came away feeling that I never quite "got it" or jived to whatever tone they were trying to establish.
Lindsey Stirling - Really this is more of a ZZ Ward song, the vocals, guitar and percussion firmly hold center stage throughout the entire song while Lindsey is wayyy in the background. The violin only really comes out to play for one solo, and even then it feels recorded over and not really in keeping with the rest of the song. Nothing intrinsically wrong with that though. The song proper is pretty formulaic in composition and delivery... although, I guess the violin does contribute some more complex lines at the end, so maybe I was giving it too little credit. Still firmly in the average camp to me though.
Epic Rap Battles of History - I did not like much about this. Bad actors, delivery not great, they included "grab her by the pussy" uncensored but couldn't get a better rhyme for it than "pushy"... no, just couldn't find much to like.
Kurt Hugo Schnider - I'm not familiar with the sources. Nice tech demo, plays around with the voices as advertised, final product is crisp and reasonably entertaining. Fairly short and medleyish, the transitions are all right but there's no overarching theme or anything so... it is what it is.
Boys24 - Kpop boys group, featuring abstraction, gratuitous english and a bit of back and forth over tones as the song moves along. Has a reasonable number of nice extra touches, though somewhat lacking in coherent feel. Nothing too special but not bad either.
Ehn. Weak week for my tastes. Partially the songs feel meh, partially I think my tastes are definitely not overlapping much with MC's here. Nothing really exceeds the "average for what it is" bracket of overall scoring, though only the rap battle really falls below. Boys24 takes it I guess, but relative to other weeks this is more like 3-3-3-4-4-6 than 1-2-3-4-5-6.
Boys24 > Devilment > LindZZ Stirling > Kurt Hugo Schnider > Alexa Feser > Not So Epic Rap Battles
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Alexa Feser > Devilment > Lindsey Stirling >Kurt Hugo Schnider ft VoicePlay >Boys24 >Epic Rap Battles of History
Kind of what you would expect I guess. Lindsay Stirling is Lindsay Stirling so I like it well enough, the Acapella track is is fine. Boys 24 speaks to me less than it did Alex (which isn't saying much I think). I agree on Epic Rap Battles of History. Their whole shtick is mostly in the concept and otherwise they are just kind of loud. Not great delivery, not great lines. When your thing is being loud and being over the top its kind of boring.
I like Alexa Feser a lot more than the rest. I have listened to the track a few times since that first. Its catchy for me and feels really good. I like that it is mostly just strings and drums with a bit of piano carrying a modern pop song.
Also her coat is fucking great.
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I actually liked the rap battles, but trashed by Alex/Grefter, so RIP that.
My close second was Boys24, also liked by Alex, not so much by Grefter.
Grefter's #1 was Alexa Feser which was like...6th for me, 5th for Alex.
Lindsey Stirling was like...third from everyone.
Devilment was like 4th or 5th from me, 2nd from Gref/Alex.
I think this points to Boys24 as the only one with a 1st that also got above 5th from anyone else. But Devilment is also an option. We're after halloween, though, and just did two weeks in a row that were vaguely under the metal umbrella. (Also, both me and Alex put Boys24 ahead of Devilment).
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Welp, a lot of the songs from this week were election related, but I didn't listen to them until after Tuesday. Fuck those songs. I think none of these artists are american. Pick between these!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdQQkcRmmsU
harts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VEZuvy0-cc
B.A.P.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2OFPvYxZuY
Mamamoo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEE6AO4SZ78
Regina Spektor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sE3z5Wjcw7E
momoland
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svhGUlB9V5U
louisa johnson
EDIT: ok, so Regina Spektor is American, but it's cool, she's an immigrant.
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I vote for Parkway Drive (https://youtu.be/0_hUI_fbKe8) because that's my coping strategy for now.
Nothing got a fair listen. Sorry.
I think Regina Spektor is my pick, but tons of that is historical bias. I do really like Mamamoo, but that is also common theme. Momoland is pretty goood to, would probably normally get some random words about it. Harts would do better in a week that wasn't fucking terrible.
That you pick lots of K-Pop in a time of coping and turmoil is both in character and interesting.
On the other side of the coin it is not interesting but in character that what I want is metal
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harts - S'all right. Could be rather politically interpreted, if that's a concern. Not a lot of progression or anything, song's mostly just repeating the one riff and a couple bars of soloing. DOesn't stand out or do much for me, but is nice to loop in background.
B.A.P. - Wow ok. With the length and the video, this is more of a short film than a song. The song side is pretty sweet though. Good tone, good energy, progression, delivery. Film narrative is pretty good too. It is fairly violent though. I'm not sure if bloody gangster gunfights are a good pick for the post-election mixup, or if 10 minutes is a good pick for the column in general. But this is a pretty good pick for me, I'm impressed.
Mamamoo - Glad to see a song from these ladies that isn't just them singing "Mamamoo" repeatedly. General pop in the first half, then a transition to a long, minimal soundscape sex metaphor. The video's visuals are nice, but also feel kind of required, as without them the soundscape alone does little for me. I guess I can't say it doesn't break the mold, but the pop part doesn't break the pop mold and the fruit and rose squeezing part, while original, doesn't land for me.
Regina Spektor - This is soft spoken, but it's still very political. Song side's neat, good dynamics, really nice piano and strings. I'd like to hear this without the vocals, maybe with one other instrument (there's a hint of percussion at the climax...) but the lyrics detract from the song to me. It is very artistic though. Mrgh.
momoland - Cheerpop gonna cheerpop. "Are you really a human? Tell me!" As it happens, no, I'm not and to me this is just meh.
Louisa Johnson - May not be American but I don't know about a bunch of grungy southern looking people singing about "Don't say I didn't warn you" and getting into fights with skinheads in the parking lot. Music's all right, above average even but there's just no way I'm liking this this week.
BAP pretty far in the lead for me specifically, but these are all fairly polarizing. Regina's probably the safe pick, I didn't love it but I can't put anything but BAP over it. (And I can *really* see people not liking BAP...)
BAP > Regina Spektor > harts > Mamamoo > momoland > Louisa Johnson
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harts - it's okay. Not super interesting, didn't get on my nerves. Kinda tuned it out halfway through butit makes alright background music.
BAP - ...10 minutes? the song overstayed it's welcome after about 6. It's not a bad song, just I could not maintain interest for the the period it was asking.
Mamamoo - pretty good. until the song stopped for the sex metaphor, anyway. but then the song picked back up for the end so hey good work. As usual, I'm not into things that only work in music video mode, if a song cannot work purely as audio than it is not a good song, imo. But it's good for most of it at least.
regina spektor - not a fan of this style of music in general once again. I'm sure it's a powerful song, but it mostly just annoyed me.
momoland - this exists. I got into a conversation on irc while it was playing and managed to nearly space it out entirely except for the beginning.
Louisa Johnson - this was pretty good. short and to the point, which I think is more of a plus than it normally would be right now, after sitting through BAP.
Not really much for detailed comments rn, just kinda "did I like it or no".
Mamamoo > Louisa Johnson > harts > momoland > BAP > regina spektor
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Well...BAP is looking likely (#1 from Alex, #1 from me, #5 from Gate)
Gate's #1 is Mamamoo; that's my #2, Alex's #4--so pretty similar overall.
Other #2s...Louisa Jonson for Gate was #6 from Alex, and in the middle of the pack for me.
Regina Spektor, was...#2 from Alex, but low from me and Gate.
harts was probably like...#3ish from everyone? momoland was probably 4th-5th range from everyone.
Yeah, it's between BAP and Mamamoo, but BAP has more #1s
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Alright, next week I will be on vacation, probably not listening to music. Which means that next week we will be picking...maybe a runner up from this week (or another recent week). But first we need to pick a song for this week. Finalists for this week
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6IAJOOmDMg
The Chainsmokers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGePool-Heg
Sirenia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BWF3JwG-rc
L2M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uopyt1uuUig
Diablus in Musica
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9u14-QBPzSE
Melanie Martinez
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFlSEmffrIs
Melinda Kathleen Reese
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The Chain Smokers - I want something called Setting Fires to be something different than this is. It is very protectionist about something, but I am still mad and depressed about things and stuff. I want a Bombtrack (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUaL1FnotRQ) instead.
Sirenia - I preferred this way better when it was Death Stars - All the Devil's Toys, because it was essentially the same riffs with a bigger range (vocal harmonies in the same range as the instruments is kind of boring?). It is fine, just a bit underwhelming.
L2M - I started listening to this and was going to make a joke about Ke$ha or Taylor Swift doing a Kids Bop album. It is actually just like literally that though so I won't criticise the fact that it is pretty soft on the songwriting. It um is ? A thing that exists that I am literally not and never have been the target market for? I dunno.
Diablus in Musica - I was pretty into this the first time I listened to it because at this point I had started watching the clips a bit (because well after the last one I kind of had to). I dig the film clip. I think it is ridiculous (they are playing like... in a movie theater? Or a super tiny venue stage). I could easilly be convinced that the light setup is literally exactly what they use at a concert, but I dig it. I really enjoy the highly edited quick cuts and jerky motion of the break downof the titular invisible dude. There isn't much to it, but it does a lot with the not much that it is.
Melanie Martinez - But then this came on and I worked out pretty quick it probably had to be my pick. I think I liked the last time she was on but struggled to grasp it? It seems like she might play to type really hard, but this one works as a video and song. It hits a lot of the right points between weird, creepy and fucked. Delivery is a bit like some other stuff? I can't place it. Lana Del Rey? Her singing is more breath heavy than hers. The heavy breath reminded me of that Korean song where there was a camping table on a raft or something that I thought was rad, but the start of the chorus at 54 seconds where she says "Pacify her. She's getting on my nerves" is delivered nearly pitch perfect for it. I would guess its another one of her tracks but I am sure it is something else I know from like the late 90s that just doesn't come to mind.
Anyway I love how desperate and frantic it is at times. It is so evocative. Broken songs about broken people etcetcetc. I also enjoy the story and theme of the film clip. Desperate pleas for love and affection from the boy/man someone else is with. You don't love her, stop lying with those words. Then ultimately he is distracted by the other woman's open offer of her body. Broken film clips for broken people.
Also I guess with the release of Suicide Squad and the positive response to Margot Robbie's portrayal of Harley Quinn gives us a bit of a revival of the Suicide Girl trend? I guess I am not one to complain.
Melinda Kathleen Reese - Well I don't like Disney stuff generally, so yeah a parody might speak to me in theory, but when you just do it delivered of Disney songwriting its meh. Also a concept that I think has way less legs to it than the clip does. I like it better in the much shorter Angus and Julia Stone - Hollywood (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5Er0-YQ2_Y).
They all would have been killed
In the sound of music,
They would have found out that
Pinocchio could never tell the truth.
She wouldn't made it to shore,
The little mermaid. He would have married a whore
From a wealthy family, after all he was royalty.
Cinderella would have scrubbed those floors
Till her hands grew old and tired,
And nobody would look her way,
That's the way it goes today.
More direct and punchier and less just doom and glooming and more just "normal people and relationships are good". You know, normal songs for normal people. That's what I say I always like right?
Melanie Martinez is the pick out of the 4 I am honestly comfortable really voting on (Melanie Martinez > Diabulus Musica > CHain Smokers > Sirenia), but I kind of abstain from L2M and Melinda Kathleen Reese in that if you have anything on them you want to say I think you should pick them to say it.
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The Chainsmokers - Video's better than the song. Fairly mellow for a track about fire, has a nice beat. Lyrics don't speak to me much. Ultimately a pleasant but forgettable listen, nothing really stood out to me.
Sirenia - Hmm. On the one hand I'm with Grefter in that this track is quite restrained. On the other hand, I felt the restraint actually helped the elegoth tone it was trying to set. It feels legitimately elegant rather than "metal with some sections forced into compliance". But it doesn't nail the sense of elegance either, or do much with it. Favorable to my biases but not perfect.
L2M - On this one, I am fully with Grefter. Wayyy too idealized and hitting too close to home to appeal to me. This sort of society is built on blood.
Diabulus in Musica - I don't get much connection between the video and the song, but they're both pretty good. Well composed and produced symphonic metal, doesn't do anything wrong, and the video at least does some memorable stuff (the song is much more... I wouldn't say generic exactly, but what I would expect to find on a CD from a big but not the biggest name metal band.) Not blowing my mind but a very solid 85/100 rating kinda deal? Certainly bops Sirenia by a full mental tier.
Melanie Martinez - Certainly evocative and memorable, though again, a lot of that comes from the video. Without it... I don't really like the vocals. No real reason, just gut reaction to her voice, doesn't work for me. The lyrics speak to me though the subject matter does not. Probably the best of her stuff that I've seen?
Melinda Kathleen Reese - I thought this was going to be about the real endings of the folktales the movies were based on. Instead, they just made up a bunch of stuff, and it's really crass and way too blunt. Very disappointing. The historical endings of TLM, B&B and Pocahontas are even more messed up than what this song presents, and the Aladdin section is just "nope don't wanna hear this right now, maybe in a few weeks."
Diabulus and Melanie Martinez are a clear top 2 for me. I think I prefer Diabulus but only by a slight margin, and both are good enough that we could just go this week/next week on em.
Diabulus in Musica > Melanie Martinez > Sirenia > The Chainsmokers > L2M > Melinda Kathleen Reese
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Well....Melinda Kathleen Reese was far and away my #1. I think it's musically quite strong, doing a lot of harmonies better than they are in the original Disney. But no real backup on that pick right now (Grefter Abstaining, Alex feeling like right now is the wrong political moment).
Melanie Martinez barely got into the top 6 for me. Surprised it's so high for Gref/Alex.
Making Diablus in Musica the pretty clear pick (everyone liked it).
I think there might be some argument to circling back to MKR next week, since it's a week where we'll probably be picking an old song anyway. Diablus is just a really safe pick this week though.
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Alright, I've been on vacation all week, so we are probably picking an old song. I had some songs that I'd listened to on Friday, but I forgot to email those to myself.
(Basically, seems like Metallica released every song from their new album in music video form on Friday, so like...all of those.)
https://www.youtube.com/user/MetallicaTV/videos
(Metallica's youtube page; a bunch of videos released on Thursday or Friday; most are solid).
Also, this was pretty good, probably my favourite thing I heard on Friday, but I'm not sure if everyone would prefer it to Metallica:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcyooOT2ORE&t=0s
Maggie Cheung
But yeah, probably picking an old song if there's one we skipped that you think we should return to.
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From Metallica just as I listen through to random stuff I guess...
Am I Savage? - Literally me every time I make a sick post on the internet. Its alright.
Here Comes Revenge - Yeah I like this a lot more. It is the same general wheelhouse as the rest of the album is sounding, but hammers home a consistent them a bit harder and the film clip gives of suuuuper strong You're Next vibes with the animals, which fits given You're Next was a Revenge flick.
Dream No More - I wasn't sure if it was generic badthings TM track or if we actually finally had another Cthulhu track from Metallica, but well damn, middle of the song it is right there. So that kind of tells us Lars was a big part of the album again since all the old Cthulhu tracks were from him. No idea why there is random booty in the film clip.
Also they still can't pronounce it right.
Friend's band has a new song coming here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhZfRGRPNQg), it is sick.
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I might edit in some thoughts later tonight but don't have anything for now. Nothing in previous couple of weeks really stands out in memory.
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Hmm...well nothing really stands out to me amongst the Metallica. went back and started listening to second places recently; some of them were kinda not doing it for me, this one was though.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22aafk_gbko
Martin Garrix & Julian Jordan
I think I'm deciding between that and MKR from last week. I do know what Alex/Grefter will pick (not disney) at the same time I never do Disney, so might be worth a shot. Think I just have to listen to these both alternating since I think they're both strong musically...
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Lot of big names this week; nothing that really stands out to me as a favourite, among the bunch, though--definitely want input this week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvW61K2s0tA
OK Go
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMsok5m5yD4
Tove Lo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giBppYq6GMI
KHS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WG3B2w6Flj4
The Doubleclicks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkaEpUBUQDw
Justice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpbQ4I3Eidg
Machine Gun Kelly
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OK Go - Video: "Good stuff, I wouldn't mind if this was the pick..." Music: "... but I also hope there's better stuff coming in the list, because this is acceptable but not impressive, the kind of song that I'll forget after a week."
Tove Lo - Ah, better stuff. I quite liked this. Nice smooth and sour mix of retro beats and anger. Youtube comments rip on it for being a blatant imitation of Florence and the Machine's Odyssey series, and they're not wrong... but I don't think that's a bad thing at all. Quite the opposite, really, and I even prefer this style to a lot of Florence.
KHS - These high pitched male vocals just aren't my style, they sound bad to me, and since the track focuses on them so heavily that's gonna be a dealbreaker. The instrumentals are nice, composition's ok, nothing really special, it's a cover specifically focused on the vocals and so yeah.
The Doubleclicks - Similar deal to KHS, cover song with very exposed vocals that don't quite do it for me. I like the vocals more than the ones in KHS, but the backing instrumentals less.
Justice - Good song, doesn't quite hit its potential IMO. The very end shows a different tone that I can point to and say "I wish the song did more of that and went different places instead of just staying in one groove throughout the main body." It's not bad but never really rises above a TV commercial song sort of level.
Machine Gun Kelly - I can't decide whether the rap/singing interplay works or doesn't. Sometimes I think it does, other times not. The chorus is pretty cute, I like it more than I thought I would, but the other parts of the song don't seem to know quite where to go? Ending didn't work for me.
Pretty close pack. Tove Lo wins the brawl for me, I didn't like the covers so they go to the bottom, and the other three... are hard to place. I could justify them in any order but let's go with this.
Tove Lo > OK Go > Justice > Machine Gun Kelly > The Doubleclicks > KHS
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My tastes this week are a bit trashy. I am highly amused by the fact that some of these made my top 6. Finalists:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liOpF1oHhu4
unleash the archers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5X7MXfLxEg
Children of the Smith
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BV5nuF5lFU8
Shaun Frank
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qk9AFipS0zg
Simple Plan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8uYGC5wy8k
Thunder
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6z5iuGwCbQ
Flo Rida
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Unleash the Archers - Good vocals, eh composition. Grungy amateur vibe. I dug the passion that came out at the end. Bad equalizing on the video, the promotion at the end is suddenly twice the volume of the song, but ehn. I liked it.
Blind Guardian - Children of the Smith is the song title. Inverse of the above, Blind Guardian are established artists with top tier production quality and squeaky clean execution, and bring passion to everything they do, even if it's a song for some janky looking game. They totally kill it here. In the good sense of kill, that is. Just stellar.
Shaun Frank - This was okay. I had trouble understanding the lyrics that weren't "let you get away" repeated 200 times, fortunately the latter fills most of the song. Had one good groove and stays there. Not much criticism I can level other than feeling generic and not what I'm into at the moment - Blind Guardian is just a hard act to follow.
Simple Plan - I'm not too much into Christmas Songs and this is trying its hardest to be one. The guitar is pretty cool, vocals kind of whatever. Ultimately forgettable to me because it rides so hard on the Christmas Spirit lyrics and jingling bells.
Thunder - A Trashy Kpop Song appears, command? Trashy in a good way though. It's fun, I liked the funk, though there isn't too much else special about it and the funk lost some of its appeal once I started concentrating on it. Slightly above average for Trashy Kpop.
Flo Rida - I like the synth line they've got going here, I like it quite a bit indeed. And then the trumpet solo kicks in and the second half mixes things up? Yes please. The lyrics/video didn't click with me nearly as well, their concept never quite seemed to gel with the tone the music was putting out. Felt like I'd prefer this as an instrumental. But it's not that big of a deal, guy's clearly having fun and putting his heart into it anyway.
Somewhat quick reviews today since the boards were down and family nonsense going on. Very feel-good slate, I liked most of these more than I thought I would from their beginnings. Blind Guardian is wayyyy too good for me, but Flo Rida, the Archers or even Thunder could win in a different slate.
Blind Guardian > Flo Rida > Unleash the Archers > Thunder > Shaun Frank > Simple Plan
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unleash the archers - This film clip is Vampire the Masquerade.
Blind Guardian - Children of the Smith - I dunno I don't feel it as much as Alex does, but I am sl not going to say no to anything about Dwarves. It wallows in Dwarf stuff a lot like things about them do, which kind of eh, I like Dwarves in fantasy stuff in part for the culture, but I like it when that's just a background and a setting, not when everyone is literally bonded to clan and culture etc. not that matter.
Shaun Frank - I like this but by 2 minutes on I was ready for it to be over. Not enough to maintain 4:21.
Simple Plan - I also wish it was Christmas everyday. I think everything in this song is pretty much everything life should be. Every day should be a gift to us all where we can just live free to do what we want and all we could need as an individual was provided and we could do what we will. Assuming Christmas was an allegory for a Communist Utopia and obviously Marx is Santa.
Thunder - Awkward kid tries to be cool and hit on girls gets shot in the head repeatedly, okay. Faux leather jacket with a skull and "The Front of Armament" on it is pretty great. I guess there is a song too.
Flo Rida - Message is skeevy as fuck.
Unleash the Archers > Blind Guardian > Shaun Frank > the rest whatever.
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So..there was new Lady Gaga and new Krewella this week...and somehow neither of them made it into the 6 finalists. Either a really strong week, or bad taste on my part...but hey, had to make room for Chinese Kraftwerk.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mmc8UWo0xL8
Teegan and Sarah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2rMmg-NtaU
Shtevil
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oxSjw83u5E
Pentatonix
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzywUT_wVUE
The Trews
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DA1utOW5P9s
大波浪樂隊 (Big wave band?)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfmXD90VWsg
Deep Purple
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Teegan and Sara - Yeah this one is off an album I have been listening to for half a year, of course it is my favourite. I legit think it is a solid track, not just that it is part of an album I like.
Shtevil - Not as good as the last time they came up. Still tastes like Diet Black Keys, but definitely tastes more diet this time. It is still decent enough to get a nod, but not sure how high up it will go.
Pentatonix - I just can't do Christmas music. This is Christmas music and is completely teflon.
The Trews - Kid Rock in 2016. Also not the target audience. Can't do it. See the comments for why.
大波浪樂隊 (Big wave band?) - Hooooo boy okay, this does put Teegan and Sara to pretty stiff competition. There is a lot to like here. I don't think it is quiiiiite Kraftwerk, pretty sure there is the right number of instruments as classic Kraftwerk, but the tones being used and stuff way cleaner than you would get on an old Moog Synth and stuff. Definitely solidly in that modern Chip Tune aesthetic though where you try and stick to the limitations of the old 8bit hardware but maybe cheat with better instruments and stuff. If this isn't Alex's Number 1 I will eat a can.
Deep Purple - Is this Deep Purple or Queensryche? I am not much of a fan of Deep Purple outside of the obvious big hit, but this is pretty good from a completely different direction. THis is less hard rock like Smoke on the Water is and a lot more modern prog rock. Huh.
Lets go this
Teegan and Sara > 大波浪樂隊 > Deep Purple > Shtevil > The Trews > Pentatonix.
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Tegan and Sara - Seems like just your typical cheery pop love song with a modern sounding electrobeat? Catchy but light and doesn't stand out. Kind of surprised, I expected more from T&S. The video is super cute, though.
Shtevil - I like it better than last week's christmas song! Has a classic rock kinda vibe, like the stuff my parents used to play on the car radio for weeks on end. Solo section is pretty good, although too short. Overall I could still take or leave it.
Pentatonix - Whoooooo. I flinched at seeing the P-name here, expecting to yet again type a sorrowful grinching about not liking Christmas Music and/or Pentatonix just blandly singing something when they could do better. Fortunately, I was wrong, this is awesome! Exactly the sort of exploration of their talents that I like to hear, lots of variation and harmonies and layering and sound effects and percussion, it's great. The lyrics still don't do much for me, but hey, it's a really fun listen.
The Trews - I almost just wrote "Nope" and moved on, but to elaborate a bit, yeah this is like the anti-me. Lyrics, message, theme, concept, vocals, all not my thing at all. Not much song behind them either. Poor timing too, not sure I'd want to associate with this messaging for the next year or decade or so. Not that there's anything wrong with supporting the troops, the troops are cool, but supporting the people who strongly identify with "Support the Troops" tends to line up with some vile stuff... which is already being posted in the video comments.
The Big Wave - This on the other hand is the posi-me. Very sharp, focused soundscape that makes me think about every note and sound element, while also transporting and refreshing me. Pretty sure other people are not going to get the same level of experience from it, but yeah, the static, the flow, the emotion... I get really into this style of music and this track is really well done and cool. Immediately spent the better part of an hour looping and listening to this. One of my favorites from the entire year of this thread.
Deep Purple - Also doing the throwback thing like Shtevil, but then goes deeper and does it better and runs off to do more of a Pink Floyd vibe. Really nice atmosphere, tells a story very well. I dig the vocal work too. It also makes the guitar lead and vocal lead flow together, which is something I feel like a lot of songs along these general lines neglect. Can't really point to any huge weaknesses, very enjoyable.
Wow, I have quite some opinions on this group here! One in the highest of heights for me, another in the lowest of lows, one I expected to dislike but loved, another I expected to like but fell flat. I'm riding on The Big Wave for sure, and I like Deep Purple over Pentatonix mostly because Pent's lyrics didn't do a lot, but all three of them are outstanding... I know I said that last week too, but these are even better.
The Big Wave > Deep Purple > Pentatonix >>>>>>>>> T&S > Shtevil >>>>>>> The Trews
Grefter has my number as usual.
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It is less like you are super predictable and more our tastes have some overlap and I know where that is.
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Hmmm...ok, so this is not clear cut.
My #1 was Shtevil, which was 4th from Grefter, 5th from Alex. (Total 10, this probably isn't happening).
My #2 was Teegan and Sarah (1st from Grefter, 4th from Alex, but below Alex's big gap). (Total 7)
Big Wave is Alex's #1, and #2 from Grefter, I'm not sure for me, but maybe 5th from me. (Total 8)
Pentatonix was probably 3rd or 4th from me, 3rd from Alex, 6th from Grefter (total 12.5)
Deep Purple was...3rd or 4th from me, 2nd from Alex, 3rd from Grefter (total 8.5)
(And Trews doesn't really register above 4th for anyone).
OK, so like...sounds like this is between Teegan and Sarah, Big Wave, and Deep Purple. Teegan and Sarah are numerically ahead, but also are the only one on the wrong side of Alex's >>>>>>, so take a point off for that and it's basically a tie.
Hmm...well, I will tiebreak against a lyric video in general, especially one that's just words on a screen with maybe the band logo, so bye Deep Purple.
So...teegan and sarah vs Big Wave.
Hmm...well this is basically experimental vs safe. Let's see...last week was pretty safe (children of the smith). Week before was pretty safe (Tove Lo). OK, experimental it is then.
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OK, so I'm thinking being three days before Christmas, and that we have good Christmas options, I'll just end up picking out Christmas music for this week.
So....right now I'm just listing the Christmas stuff, which I'll get out of the way now. I'll post the rest of the music later, which I'll be saving for the week after when I'll be on vacation (going to keep collecting that).
For now...the christmas options
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mj7Pr42rliI&t=0s
Pentatonix
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtgUbF3UupI
Matt Terry
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oxSjw83u5E
Pentatonix (from last week)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2rMmg-NtaU
Shtevil (from last week)
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Quick and dirty: Pentatonix last week > Shtevil > Matt Terry > Pentatonix this week.
Fairly tight grouping though. Covered the first two last time. Matt Terry is like those two intertwined, but lesser emotional appeal than Shtevil and lesser technicals than Pentatonix. Penta this week... well, O Come is a Lutheran staple hymn so I hear/sing this myself constantly. I like the backbeat, and the style is an interesting choice, but not one that I feel fits the lyrics. I don't get a sense of the faithful coming to Bethlehem and adoring anything, more like coming to a party and downing some shots. The visuals indicate they were trying for a Black Church style, but to my boring white bread senses, the most defining characteristic of that style is an underlying drive of heart and earnest devotion, and I don't hear much of that here.
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OK, this week's finalists (basically the non-christmas music from last week). Also, if these selections are weak, feel free to remind me of ones we missed before as this is a smaller selection vacation week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iys9IHmDJ1w
Bastille
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lKYdrL-AAw
Battle Beast
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVLK-sEk12M
Olly Murs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jdny3tVtmVc
Julian Jordan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__TvPr_Wtvc
Timmy Trumpet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNmRCGMFYrQ
Teegan and Sarah
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Bastille - Huh. Huuuh. Well, I like this a ton, but it's one of those cases where the video is essential and it's more like a short film that happens to be built around a song. Actually at its worst in the middle when it's just doing a standard major chord rock chorus, the middle minute or so fell flat with me, but everything else before and after? Fantastic. Atmospheric, attention capturing, great sound design and conceptual linkage.
Battle Beast - I guess we are far enough away now that we can do Trump protest songs. It's solid. Too politically on the nose to do better than "solid" with me. The music has a classic feel to it, but I'll never be able to hear it without the lyrics and theme overpowering everything.
Olly Murs - Too saccharine for me, and not a lot going on in the music, just yon standard romantic/nostalgic happysong. I liked the chorus coming in at the very end, but too little too late, it should *start* rather than end there.
Julian Jordan - For the first 1:30 I didn't even look at the video and predicted it would be concert shots when I did. It was. Pretty by-the-numbers track, not much to see here or say about it. Higher pitched than most, which is interesting but more likely to score negative points than positive.
Timmy Trumpet - See previous track. The vocals and running beats, especially in the back half, do make this one quite a bit better, but it's still stuck in the land of stock drops and structures, so like 7.5/10 rather than 5/10.
Tegan and Sara - See Olly Murs, though much improved. T&S is something I feel like I'm supposed to like, everyone else seems to, but their latest stuff just isn't doing anything for me. It's smooth and not unpleasant to listen to, but... no emotional resonance, nothing standing out. Just another pop piano song.
Pretty clear winner for me, Bastille is good enough that I don't feel much need to go digging in previous weeks, although there is still quite a lot of good stuff from the last couple months of this thread. The world of "song" is always fun though, thanks for doing this, as ever!
Bastille > Battle Beast > Timmy Trumpet > Tegan and Sara > Olly Murs > Julian Jordan
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I was expecting it to be between Tegan & Sara and Bastille, Battlebeast puts up some competition though because it is some decent Iron Maiden throwback stuff.
I think I like Tegan & Sara more than Bastille personally, but it is a track about regret, self reflection and not liking what you see. Broken songs about broken people. Bastille is really strong in the ways they were on Bad Blood. Clean production but really lush. Not overly busy but pretty dense tracks and super evocative lyrics and imagery in the videos. If you haven't seen Pompeii yet Alex you should really check that out.
So I guess Bastille > T&S > Battle Beast.
I think there is a bit more going on with Timmy Trumpet than Alex does, but he is just doing old hard dance stuff that was popular in Australia when he got his start so it isn't like a huge stretch.
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Been home sick; only have one new song to add (so recommend a song that was skippe dfrom a previous week probably). The one new song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMeyvg1M52k
Yelle
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No recommendations. Would pick this over previous weeks.
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Yelle - Pretty good, I liked it. Nothing too spectacular, but unusual instrumentation, good high/low contrast and a quirkpop vibe that feels like it's much more common in non-American music (or maybe that's just the french lyrics rolling well?) Seems fine as a pick. Nothing else from the last few weeks makes me want to unseat it. The Shtevil or some Tegan and Sara would be the contenders there? Yeah I like this better than those.
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Well, first real week in a while, and some pretty solid choices here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dK2tDK9grQ
Ed Sheeran
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwpj9_hrK_A
Tinashe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s638IMetB9I
Crazy ex girlfriend
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIgdid8dsC8
David Bowie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0q4Lsi4yhjY
Ravi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhGgb1E3HpQ
Epica
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My vote is David Bowie and you know why.
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Ed Sheeran - I liked the percussion intro, and then... that was the whole song. That and the unrelentingly crass lyrics. What a shame. There are roots of a great song in here, but instead it goes in directions I find quite unsatisfying.
Tinashe - Really reminds me of the Doom 2 soundtrack, of all things. Pretty minimalistic, I don't hate it, the rhythm and beats are nice and sharp. The last minute in particular suddenly takes a turn to awesomeland. But... being so minimalistic puts a lot of emphasis on the lyrics and video, if you have it up, and those are, uh, A Thing. I guess they're less bad than the previous song, but still getting me to knock off a few metaphorical points.
Crazy ex girlfriend - Ha'kay. Entertaining, I approve of TV shows going in this direction. Pretty reasonable quality, funny lyrics. Wears out after a single listen though - even on just the second pass I'm already done with it.
David Bowie - Still releasing songs from Dracula's moon base, I see. And... yep. I didn't necessarily like *all* his final album sing about my own death stuff, but I like this. Completely different level to the competition. It is in the most common Bowie atmosphere groove, but nothing wrong with that, it has its unique touches, and the execution is exquisite.
Ravi - Good rap, lower/darker toned (musically) and more direct than I would expect from K-rap. Not very complex though. Feels like an artist/genre filler song, fine when you want that kind of music, but nothing particularly outstanding about this specific track.
Epica - I went on an emotional metal binge last night, not sure if that is adjusting my perception of this up, down or not at all. Good song, really strong chorus. I think it's overall a little softer than I would like for the concept - 4:45 is okay but even there it feels a little held back until the solo at 5:15. Yeah, the back half is really good with that section and solo moving back into the final chorus. Sooooooooooo gooooood. If the front sections were on the same level I'd rate this top tier! But as is, I'm not quite sold until the final two minutes, which is just a bit too late for me to really get the groove on.
Good week, I loved most of these, and even the ones I didn't had some things to like about them. But yeah, the pick is not even close to close.
David Bowie >>> Epica > Ravi > Crazy ex > Tinashi > Ed Sheeran
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Hmmm...well, the question is whether I go against advice this week. "Two first places" dictates that I should pick Bowie. But...Epica was very solidly first for me, and Bowie was towards the lower half of the pack. Epica is also #2 for Alex (although...for different reasons--he finds the section at 4:45 one of the better parts of the song, I find it one of the weaker parts).
I also got the opportunity to talk to my family over the break, and it definitely reasserted how much they care about an interesting video. (Bowie's video is a video of a screen with lyrics. For obvious practical reasons of course. That said, it manages to be fairly compelling--although my attention wanes when it starts showing like...migratory birds on the screen instead of words >_>)
If my parents or my sisters were Bowie fans the choice would be Bowie...but they're not. Hmm...think I'm going Epica, actually.
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Well, I do definitely have a clear favourite this week; I probably could be talked into another song though. Finalists:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GoGcVs6pbU
Sia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNlbtjYrxzU
Choi ye_guen Band
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3k7r_U8b40
Battle Beast
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m37MbmblFpk
Shusei’s Project
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJYDix4FttA
CLC
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMVOwH2exHs
Xandria
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Sia - This is the weakest Sia has had I think? At least in recent memory. It is fine I just don't think it rates this week.
Choi ye_guen Band - This is probably my pick musically this week super easilly. Swing with the brass section stripped out? Yeah I can get behind it. Some of this is probably just mood based, but this is good.
Battle Beast - Not as good as King For A Day, but I don't think I have actually called out how rad the lead singer is. She is rad as fuck. Her jackets are always on point. The makeup is great. Like I probably should have done that rant sooner. Also this album feels a lot more England and more of a throwback than the stuff from earlier in this than they did. That is it feels like more of a Thatcher era throwback than it did before. I can dig it.
Shusei’s Project - Track from Laggy? It hits that sweet spot of stuff I associate him liking that isn't Jazz/hard dance techno fusion or someone throwing rocks at a wind chime. It is okay. Could be an anime opening or closing and it wouldn't stand out.
CLC - I don't think much of the song, but the shirts are fucking out of control. 'What is Adult?' Wow that is a lot to unpack.
Xandria - I love like... everything this does. It is camp as fuck and the costuming is all over the place. Everyone is having a great time and is all in on the delivery. That is absolutely everything I want in my melodramatic symphonic metal about fantasy things. Wizards of the Coast need to pay these guys for the rights for this to be the next plane they develop anything for in MTG.
Also since I typed up half of this last night and then got... distracted, this is a bit less timely, but friend of mine's band had their album come out today. Aversions Crown is probably wayyyy too heavy for our usual audience here, but even a day after release Xenocide (https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/xenocide/id1176320708) is currently rating #1 in Australian Metal charts on iTunes and still showing in overall charts, which is pretty hype. So happy for Aversions Crown and need to pedal their stuff wherever I can.
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Couldn't get to this earlier due to youtube crashing and depression, will do later tonight. Brief looks at everything seems good; curious what Kaitlyn's favorite is?
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Sia - Eh yeah, what Grefter said. It's ok but doesn't seem particularly inspired like her other recent works. Creepy little girl is creepy but I'm not really getting much from it.
Choi ye_guen Band - Good music. I dig it a lot. I feel like it's a benificiary of foreign language music syndrome and I would dig it less if I understood the lyrics. But I don't, so they sound cool.
Battle Beast - Video is kind of interesting, music not doing much for me though. The spoken word part is good! Takes a long time to get there though. Overall in the same vein as Xandria but not quite as good.
Shusei's Project - Pretty, very anime. Good violin and voice. I hear a lot of this kind of music though and this track doesn't really stick with me.
CLC - Came and went. Nothing bad about it, just another song that doesn't stand out much to me. Good fashion.
Xandria - Vocals could be a little louder, her voice is certainly good enough to support the focus. Great singing, lots of heart, fun video, some nice grunge guitar solo, yeah I'm on board with Grefter's summary. This is all I could ask for from fun symphonic metal.
So yeah Xandria stands out a lot, CYG Band is also good, the rest of the pack is pretty close to me. Probably depression getting in the way of emotional responses to some degree, but eh.
Xandria > CYG Band > ... the other four are all equal, I can't even process a ranking for them.
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So...the one I wanted to listen to and kept listening to on repeat when I was supposed to be listening to 6+ songs is Battle Beast. Not like there was a particularly objective reason for this, it just...was. We did just pick them recently, and also picked symphonic metal last week. Looks like it's not standing out for either Grefter or Alex, though.
So...Grefter and Alex's #1 choices are Xandria, and CYG band. I know I had CYG higher of the two (probably 2nd or 3rd) but I also didn't listen to them side by side much. Let me give them another listen.
...Alright, yeah, of those two it's definitely CYG of me. I recognize Xandria as technically proficient, I think the outfits are rad, but it just doesn't hook me that much for some reason.
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Well hmm...2NE1 is one of the three biggest K-pop bands...they broke up, and this is their breaking up song. Has a fair bit of relevance to me. But it's also competing with like...Japanese Chicken Yodelling...I dunno, this is hard.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yxmCqikFss
Lady Antebellum
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AWwn-QuDQM
Y'akoto
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEkLHC7l25w
2NE1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NeqyLBHkCQ
Lily Allen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UIEbtFB3lQ
Hasley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miomuSGoPzI
schmoyoho ft Takeo Ischi
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Lady Antebellum - Film clip opens and I thought they were doing a horror movie. It quickly turned into a Pop Country track. So I guess I was right, but just on a personal level.
"The way you move to the bass" in a pop country track. Which is to say bass line like someone punching pillows. Go away Pop Country, stop pretending to be EDM. You don't do nearly enough ecstasy to be house music.
Y'akoto - Okay this is very up my alley. It is simple. It is all right there on the page. ALso "Fool me twice, shame on me too" now that is a twist on a stock phrase that I love. It is simple, speaks volumes and is an idiom that I could try and stick to.
2NE1 - Okay noting that I have 0 emotional investment in this which should probably really be taken into account with this one. Its okay. The opening bars really had my brain expecting it to be a Jojo meme (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SptKWxA9o4).
Lily Allen - I like Lilly Allen's delivery usually. This is no exception, but its a nice cover and timing is obviously a big deal. So... its politically me. It is by an artist I like. I can see not picking it, but I think I probably have to give it my nod.
Hasley - So there was a Halsey song I hadn't heard in the Hottest 100 that I was really amazed by and I was hoping it was that. It turns out it is a Beiber cover (which context changes pretty completely), so... I went in hoping for this (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1pUqmaPsFA) and then it wasn't, which isn't fair, but eh, this isn't as good as other stuff.
schmoyoho ft Takeo Ischi - It is fun but I don't understand what is going on and why? I do like yodelling a lot though.
Okay after sitting for a while and letting it all just settle... I am too burned out this week on Trump to vote for even a good protest song. I just... can't right now. So the song that makes me feel good first.
Y'akoto > Lily > schmoyoho > 2NE1 > Hasley > Lady Antebellum
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Lady Antebellum - Genre bias in full effect here, I'm afraid. Pop country does very little for me at the best of times, and nothing here stands out to me. Except the opening and ending, which are not really part of the song, and made me hope it was going to do something special, which it didn't.
Y'akoto - I think the video for this is very nice, goes really well with the song! Song itself... eh, it's a little understated for my taste, doesn't quite click. I can see it being put together very well, just when a song is so minimal it has to hit very precirsely, and doesn't quite get the sweet spot for me. I can really see where Grefter is coming from, but at the same time, I am not there myself.
2NE1 - Hmmmm. Actually my thoughts on this are pretty much the exact same as the previous track, except swap "Grefter" with "Kaitlyn"... Really good video, good production, but so minimal that it aims for a very specific landing pad that I can see in the distance but do not own. The intro shot with the candles really stuck with me though.
Lily Allen - Good cover, good delivery. Audio is fine but obviously overwhelmed by the video and messaging. So the video... my first reaction after finishing it is a slight negative, I think it's not quite as good as it could be. Too much emphasis in the shots on calling out Trump specifically. More focus on the "Stop Racism" type of signs instead of the "Stop Trump" ones would have gone a long way for me. The man himself is already very memorably indicted by "Fags Hate Trump" and "This Pussy Grabs Back!"... and even if he is somehow summarily impeached, it is clear that the underlying issues are still going to be boiling, but this vid on it will lose some relevance. Will let this sit for a few and see how I feel.
Hasley - This was okay. Feels like I should like it a little more than I do... I guess there is a bit of tonal mismatch between the music and lyrics. The composition is very dark, but the lyrics are quite bright. If she's really not afraid or ashamed anymore, why doesn't the Inception bass let up? The instruments sound kind of compressed, like a TV commercial, compared to the vocals. That all sounds awfully negative but I still didn't dislike it...
schmoyoho - 11/10 perfection. Hilarious, dramatic, and also really well performed and nice to listen to. Every corner of this is polished to perfection. Totally lost it when the second verse delivered on the word they held back the first time. This is just the best possible incarnation of itself that it could be, and that's what I like to look for in these, so...
What a week. I'm glad to have finished on Chicken Attack, if that wasn't here I wouldn't know what to do. I guess Lily Allen takes second, but could def consider any arrangement of the middle four.
Schmoyoho > Lily Allen > Hasley >= 2NE1 >= Y'akoto > Lady Antebellum
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Well...I'm not sure about the ordering of the rest of them, but Lady Antebellum gets trashed. (I think 6th from all three of us. I picked it for 6th over Little Mix for a bit more genre variety, but I don't think Little Mix would have gone places either).
1st places are...
2NE1 from me. (4th from Alex, 4th from Grefter)
Chicken Attack (close 2nd from me, 3rd from Grefter)
Y'Akoto (5th from me, 5th from Alex)
Also worth mentioning is Lily Allen (2nd from Grefter and Alex, drifted down to 4th from me as Hasley just slowly climbed the ladder the more I listened to it).
Man...if I don't pick 2NE1, then this entire series will be run without picking them. But...on the other hand, it's pretty clear that Chicken Attack is the right pick for the week, and if I didn't pick it this week, I'd probably want to pick it next week anyway cause that's just a song that I really should share. I guess the thing to do is pick Chicken Attack this week, and then potentially circle back to 2NE1 next week depending on competition.
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None of these are super standing out to me; I am thinking about grabbing one from last week. We'll see what everyone else thinks though.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaHmnNeSXGM
Klang
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORu4jcidXno
Camille and Kennerly
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7e2TTqnRYvw
Chrome Molly
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-eqapU1wf8
Cascada
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsOdQKQduW0
Crazy Ex Girlfriend
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDGw_VRqzAk
Betsy
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Klang - Pretty nice, I am a sucker for a good beat with a clear melody attached and that's what we've got here. Simple and not spectacular but all around competent.
Camille and Kennerly - Neat idea let down by execution. There were quite a few times where I could hear notes from the original song get dropped, mistimed, or double hit with an adjacent string, and the lingering reverb messes with the chords, especially in the second half. It's impressive they did this well with it, harps are hard, but play mistakes in a cover are a dealbreaker for me.
Chrome Molly - Pretty average metal song, okay but nothing special. I like the instruments, especially the solos, but don't like the vocals as much. Lead singer's voice needs to be more prominent (over the guitar, rather than under it) and not have the "raspy old man in a garage" vibe.
Cascada - Synthpop, exists, doesn't stand out. Kind of bored me. Can't find much else to say.
Crazy Ex Girlfriend - Is okay. Disney musical style parody, but not very funny, and I don't watch the show so I don't get any of the drama. So... really just has the style gimmick going for it. Another in the "nice to listen to but wouldn't feature" pile.
Betsy - Existed, again didn't stand out or capture my interest.
Eh. Klang > Chrome Molly > Crazy Ex > Betsy > Cascada > Harptwins... but none of this is really great. Not a standout group.
Sounds like we're probably going back to 2NE1? That didn't make a huge impression on me either, but as a band breakup song, I lacked context for it - never really heard of them before. But clearly Kaitlyn's a big fan, and just seeing that intrigues me. So, yeah, I'd love a column talking about the group and maybe linking to some of their big hits as well?
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I mean, as far as jumping back to last week, there's also Lilly Allen as an option, which, does have a higher overall rating between the three of us (adds up to 8, 2NE1's aggregate adds up to 9). It is fair to say that 2NE1's song actually has a kinda weak video (mostly just old clips that don't match well with the song)--I hadn't really noticed that when listening to the audio.
Two weeks ago the notable snubs were Xandria and Battle Beast.
Three weeks ago the very obvious snub is random David Bowie (where...I basically broke with advice).
As far as linking to a bunch of 2NE1 videos...there's one that's just totally obvious, which I've probably linked you before: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7_lSP8Vc3o
But like...after that I get less sure what to link. The song that's probably my second favourite from them was one of CL's solo pieces, and I also recognize it's probably not objectively good, but really campy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LP4foN3Xs4
EDIT, ok, I lied, there's a third one I really liked in Hate You https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NB5jyYD2WEw
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Bowie would be good as well. Lily Allen... I don't even know anymore, suddenly I'm in ground zero for protestland and wanting to get away from that with music.
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Alright, this week's finalists. Honestly not sure what to pick here. Mixture of stuff with personal significance (a remix of Red Dead Redemtion...and I'm working on RDR2) and stuff that's just catchy music to me:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2PKGZCX3OE
J.None
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVpF-5sI_Uw
liltommy J
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtA44m2vOSU
Falconshield
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKJir0rJwyk
Forever Still
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVGIDmKOgOQ
Cross Gene
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zkkr-HhnwS8
M.I.A
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J.None - Before 2 minutes I was going to say this sounds nice, but has a bland video and just doesn't stand out to me. After 2 minutes it gets a lot better though! But... probably not better enough to change the overall evaluation from "sounds nice, but."
liltommyj - Yeah, this is quite well made! Not flawless, the middle sections struggle a bit and the whole production is very game remix, but still, solid A- at worst, a fun romp, and memorable just due to its nature. Toss in the personal significance and we have a very nice package, could totally pick this.
Falconshield - Hmmm, well this provides a nice contrast to liltommyj, if an unfavorable one? Even though the production is better on this, the video and narrative are much less memorable. The lyrics aren't going to make any sense to people who aren't familiar with all the gaming references, and honestly still seem weak to me even though I understand them all. It's just one reference after another, with not much actually holding them together, and then the song just abruptly ends and leaves me wondering what the point was. Even with all this, it's certainly far from terrible, but to me it was most memorable for establishing what liltommyj did right. Even though I haven't personally played a minute of RDR, I easily grasped what that song was about and was entertained, whereas this I can't praise much beyond "reasonable rapping skills."
Forever Still - At 0:26 and some later points in the song there's some harsh static burst, maybe that's just me? Aside from that, solid genre song, gets in, does its thing, gets out. Not particularly exciting, but catchy enough that I gave it a couple loops.
Cross Gene - Huuuh. Well. This is the exact opposite of the "pleasant but bland" selections; I found it very memorable, and interesting, but didn't enjoy it! There are several different components all going on in sequence: a rap part, a pop part, an instrumental interlude, several rather graphic "black" video sections and then a "white" section with a bunch of kpop boys in heaven...? The characters are all the band members, I guess? I didn't feel like any of these sections worked together particularly well, though. There were occasional individual moments that worked for me, but as a whole nothing seemed to come together. Left me kind of sad, since normally this sort of striking imagery would very much be my thing, but in this case I left feeling like it didn't do enough to offset or justify the squick factor.
M.I.A. - So I figured out the issue with some of these videos causing youtube to lock up and not display the video - apparently it's some adblocker interference code google's trying to run. It you have Adblock Plus for Firefox enabled and go to certain "trending" videos with forced ads in front, it breaks and displays a black screen, both there and on any further videos you click from that page. So... kind of a point against featuring something that might break for people, although it has nothing to do with the song itself. Unfortunate. ANYWAY! Once I got it working, it was... okay. Didn't like it quite as much as other M.I.A. pieces (Borders in particular). Part of that might be a growing general aversion to politics in fun song time. Part of it is the minimalism - this is too minimal for me, I wanted a bit more music. She is the Saddam though and that's cool.
Interesting week, strengths and weaknesses all around and I can see totally different hit/miss takes on these. Overall I'm on liltommyj here, it's good and fun, does a lot of things right and not much very wrong, and has the personal relevance factor going for it.
liltommyj > Forever Still > Cross Gene > J.None > Falconshield > MIA
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J.None - I can't tell if there is more than just audio mixing on the bass line or if it is actually has effects layered through, but I would rather hear it without even the different mixing of levels. A capella is always at its strongest as a group singing in harmonies together. Tooling with it in post production or just even in the live audio mix kind of is defeating the purpose of it? Like yeah its still difficult and takes a talent, but I just don't get the point of involving other people when at that point you could get yourself a synthisizer and work with like 2 other people at most to cover range you can't reach.
liltommy J - Song didn't do much for me. Reminded me that like everyone in the game has better facial hair than John Marsden.
Falconshield - Flow is alright, but rhymes are put together without any intent other than rhymes and reference, not tons of sense made other than vague feelings of call out or pump up lines.
Forever Still - This is alright. I don't know what there is to say about it, its just alright at what it is.
Cross Gene - Song I can't speak for, but the film clip appears to be full of pretty vampire boys being killed by other pretty vampire boys, they go to heaven and then come back to life as pretty zombie vampire boys or something.
M.I.A - I don't... really have tons to say about this either other than that M.I.A. is predictably good like always. In a week of stuff that to me at least is kind of just okayish, M.I.A. is going to pretty much always be on top of that. I should probably really remember what the long flowing cloth is calling out to, but it is just reminding me of Priscilla Queen of the Desert.
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Alright...well
My clear top two were Falconshield and Cross Gene, at least on a musical level.
Alex's top was RDR (liltommyj) with a second place from Forever Still
Grefter's top was M.I.A.
Well...bye forever J.None!
Ehh...ok. Well...Cross Gene has at least moderate interest from everyone. Probably not a great pick though, since I went with K-pop last week, and it's middle of the pack for most. Gref and Alex aren't too hot on Falconshield. Cross Gene and Falconshield were the catchiest to me, but I didn't feel strongly about them, so yeah, ok, don't mind ditching them.
M.I.A.: Alex feels pretty strongly about going non-political given that politics isn't a happy place right now. It started out high for me but really drifted towards the bottom of the pack.
So I guess it's down to RDR or metal with female vocalist. I mean, metal with female vocalist is a style we pick a lot, and this one doesn't stand out too much to any of us, so I guess it's RDR?
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Welp, some recent weeks were a bit dry. This week...Lady Gaga vs Beyonce vs Miranda Lambert vs other cool shit. Fiiiight
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fOxxRf_3XI
Miranda Lambert
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9iQ8lIfyEs
Lady Gaga
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijcqKYIskiI
Galavant
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZU1L9gdiR8
SBGB
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RD38JT8rypY
Beyonce
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EH5JvYcu4tY
331erock
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Miranda Lambert - Ah... what to say about this. This has never been my preferred aesthetic, and the current political climate makes it even less so - especially songs explicitly promoting a lifestyle like this. Doesn't appeal to me at all. Nonobjective genre bias? Maybe. But...
Lady Gaga - ... here, on the other hand, we have an aesthetic that still draws on country and yet is much more my speed. I'm not sure what I just listened to or watched, but I liked it. Gonna take a bit to process. There's a lot of gratuitous sex, violence and celebrities though and we all know that makes for the best in popular media?!?!
Galavant - I really enjoyed this right up til Grefter's trademark 1 minute break, when the main synth jarred me out of a nice groove. Mwargh. Yeah, I like every part of this except that synth. Nice aesthetic, cool vocals, hooked me good... it probably still would lose to others this week without the burpvomitsynth, but *wow* that sound kills it for me. Sad.
SBGB - This was okay. Nice calm clean piano/guitar/vocal. Pleasant to listen to, fairly nondescript overall.
Beyonce - The minute of spoken word ambience at the start got me hyped up! Actual song part was kind of a letdown though. Only relatively - Beyonce has a great voice and all - but eh, lyrics didn't go that deep for me and the piano comp barely exists. It's nice but I was hoping for more?
331erock - Nice cover, good guitar, enjoyed listening to it. The video lets this one down as a contender, though: it's boring, doesn't quite seem to sync to the music, and has black flashing that hurt my eyes.
Gaga wins me pretty easily here. No surprise by now, my love for complexity in featured songs puts her over Beyonce. I could see arguments for B though. Wish I could appreciate the Miranda Lambert genre more given how often it comes up in the Kaitlyn-meter, but as things stand it's pretty much DOA to me.
Lady Gaga > Beyonce > Galavant > SBGB > 331erock > Miranda Lambert
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Finalists this week. Next week I'll be at GDC, so we might potentially be picking two from this week, or a runner up from last week. (I'll also listen to some music on Friday, so will get some extra options for next week then).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFyUn_4uL5E
Ninja Sex Party
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHqy1JsVvIE
Taeyeon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlU60vGRVHc
Weird Al Yankovic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BN9wlMcdVc
AKMU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2ObHIfAsI4
Metronome
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBpv_pcUEIQ
Battle Beast
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Ninja Sex Party - Amusing. Could've gone for another verse. Not much else to say about it.
Taeyeon - Nice song, good instrumentation, nice video. Can't get much of a sense of what it's supposed to be about, but that's okay. Quite a me song.
Weird Al - It's Weird Al. Weird Al is good. I like Weird Al. Though... I usually prefer him peppier and jokier than this track. Sounds oddly low-fi for... oh. The description isn't a joke. This actually IS a track recorded in 1982 and unreleased until now. So that's pretty cool! Very early Weird Al, makes sense that it's not his best work, selection of this would be based on historical considerations.
AKMU - Very cute! Not terribly much of an impression musically. Language barrier hurting it some I suspect, and that means it's hurt even more by the presence of Taeyeon, which outdoes it in "cool song and I wish I knew what they were singing about!"
Metronome - Was okay. Video being covered by a huge advertisement the whole way through was a big turnoff for me - why even record a video if you're gonna cover it all up like that? Song's decent glitchrock, a bit open for me except on the solos. Nothing exceptional but a decent listen.
Battle Beast - Ooh. I like this a lot more than the previous Battle Beast, this track actually nails what they're going for with the band shots + narrative action shots and the general aesthetics line up better.
So Taeyeon vs Battle Beast for quality, very close between those two. And there's a side shot from Weird Al, which is not an extremely good track on its own to me, but has the unearthed vintage coolness factor. I think I *slightly* lean Taeyeon but wouldn't mind BB. Weird Al... I can't really call it a track of the week on its own, but might be good fodder for next week? Has a lot of writeup fodder at least.
Taeyeon >= Battle Beast > AKMU > Ninja Sex Party > Weird Al > Metronome
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Ninja Sex Party - Eh its just kinda there for me.
Taeyeon - This was alright, but didn't do tons for me? I dunno, just was there.
Weird Al Yankovic - This is probably my pick because a Taxman parody is enjoyable and I like old kitschy stuff like this, also it is super notable just for being an old unreleased Weird Al track. AKMU
AKMU - I don't really 100% follow what this is about, but it is probably cruising well on being pretty unoffensive and decently put together? I dig it. I am a sucker for kids having a good time though.
Metronome - This film clip fits the song really well, which is to say it is wayyyyyy too busy.
Battle Beast - Okay yeah this is my pick for the week for me personally. Yeah I dig Battle Beast at the best of times. Yeah there is budget post apocalypse characters having a Samurai sword fight with Machetes in raincoats. Whatever to all of that. Did you SEE that microphone? Holy shit you guys that mic is the greatest pieces of Metal paraphernalia I have seen in forever. Also you know usual statements about relentless drum line and cool shredlording.
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Yeah, Battle Beast was comfortably my #1, so that pick is obvious.
2-6 were murkier, but I suppose I should list them out so I can remember better for figuring out picks for next week
Think it was like 2-4 AKMU, NSP, Taeyeon in...some order. 5-6 Weird Al and Metronome
EDIT: oh yeah, songs listened to after the time cutoff...honestly not much grabbed me; this one was the only one I iked:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pR7ERUlh1yk
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For this week...had no real comments on what I should pick this week, so...
Seemed probably between Taeyeon from last week, and Beyonce from the week before. Taeyeon grabbed me more quickly on a re-listen.
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Interesting week, where Lindsey Stirling didn't make the final 6, but Imagine Dragons, Ladybaby, KHS and Meghan Trainor somehow did. Not what I would have predicted. Anyway, finalists:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMK_npDG12Q
Lorde
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5GwtmMFibY
The idol formerly known as ladybaby
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyL3YKK_1BI
Meghan Trainor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxgOyQ0OLzI
Stella Jang
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97X-MF8Bl2Q
KHS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wtfhZwyrcc
Imagine Dragons
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Lorde - Hm, didn't hook me at all until the piano started up, halfway into the song. And... still didn't capture my attention very much even after that. Can't say anything's particularly bad about this, but it just didn't stand out or interest me.
The Idol Formerly Known as Ladybaby - Also not the most attention-grabbing thing they've done. Seems like their male performer had visa issues and isn't with them, except as a small amount of backing. Ignore that and it's just generic Jpop. Not that that's such a bad thing, it's reasonably bouncy and cute, and the background screams add a touch of humor. Mm... not exciting, but it's all right.
Meghan Trainor - Nice instruments, couldn't get into the vocals as much. This is "almost there" tier for me, I wanted a sax solo or something a little more to bring it over the top.
Stella Jang - Minimalism's hard to dig into - it either works or it doesn't, based on a small set of elements. This... works for me! I like the tone, I like the color theme and its expression in the video, I like the choice to go to exactly that level of vocal harmony and keep it there, and I like the clicks contrasting with the vocals.
KHS & Monastery Swiftspear - Similar to the above track, but the open air mixing makes it feel more distant, and it goes on a little longer than I'd prefer. Small differences, but they drop it a fair bit to me. Thaaaat's minimalism!
Imagine Dragons - Oof. Good song. Good composition, good singing, good production. I like everything except the "I wanna stop" interruption. That was jarring on a first listen and I felt very negative about it... but on relisten I was okay with it.
Tough call here between Imagine Dragons and Stella Jang. Former's just solid all around, latter is minimalism I struggle to say much about beyond "it worked for me, I liked it!" Hmm... When I think about them in terms of "Would I want to send this to people as Song of the Week?" I come out feeling Stella Jang is on the weak side, I don't think I'd go back and listen to it much in the future, whereas Imagine Dragons I could see throwing on a long term playlist. So.
Imagine Dragons > Stella Jang > Meghan Trainor > KHS > Not Ladybaby > Lorde
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Stella is my pick. I can go into detail where it works and KHS doesn't. KHS has no build to it, the whole track is there from the first bar and then that is what you are getting for 3 and a half minutes. Stella Jang has the 3 or 4 vocal tracks run through a synth, a kick drum beat, a click and some shaken percussion. Each of those distinct elements is introduced one after the other in a minute and a half song. It covers so much more ground in half the time all while being way less busy. KHS you have four people singing and doing various kinds of percussion(3 each? The clap, the table taps and the cups?), even with the conceit of it being done through a single mic (again my knee jerk is separate tracks in a studio) it is a bunch more instruments all there right from the start. So if your metric is a factor of how minimalist it is, Stella Jang has half as many audio sources in half the time doing what I feel is a lot more.
All of this is of course talking purely musically and KHS as always has a performance element to it that I gloss over. There is an amazing amount of choreography to put it together and writing to get it working. I just don't think it makes for better music.
I am literally the complete opposite to Alex on Imagine Dragobs and Lorde. I love the Lorde track, to me it is a fun piece about obsession and/or desire. I dig Lorde's off beat delivery as always. She is just awesome to me. Imagine Dragons is like someone really wanted to make Rocky 4 a modern pop song or something. It is all drive and determination about ???? Also the boxing is weak sauce.
Otherwise pretty similar takes on the rest. I would be more confident putting Stella Jang forward as the best though and Lorde as my favourite.
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So...my easy top 3 were Imagine Dragons, Stella Jang, and Lorde.
Which makes Stella Jang seem like the obvious pick that everyone likes.
Technically, Imagine Dragons ended top of my list by a narrow margin so has two 1sts, but ehh...1st, 1st, 6th, or 1st, 2nd, 2nd >_>
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So...Stella Jang was actually a pretty big hit with my family. (Reports of at least three people liking it).
I don't think we have anything that will resonate in quite the same way this week. In fact, it's like half youtube cover artists, which tends to mean there were no really big releases this week. Decent covers though!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dmQ3QWpy1Q
Linkin Park
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLiWFUDJ95I&t=3s
Pentatonix
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kp5EgdY4rCs
Rebecca Black & KHS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpsZAaAToEY
Jonathan Young, Caleb Hyles & The Completionist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWzA_VGcOKw
331Erock
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AM7ro_nBCHI
Dreamcatcher
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Linkin Park - ... is this really Linkin Park? What. Uh. Not my style at all, slides right off.
Pentatonix - Not bad, but I prefer the original. That's the risk you take with doing a close cover of an extremely popular song, I guess. The sign stuff is, mm, not *lacking* in impact exactly, but a little on the nose for me and doesn't seem to add that much to what the song's understood to be about anyway.
Rebecca Black and KHS - This was pretty all right. By the numbers, but a decent song, nice video, made me feel something. Not much else to say.
Jonathan Young, Caleb Hyles & The Completionist - Amusing! This seems to outstay its welcome, I was good after 3 minutes, but I don't hear any unnecessary repetition so I guess that's just how long the original song is? I'm not familiar with the original (but maybe I should fix that; I keep hearing Hamilton hype from scattered corners...) The video also brings it down a bit, I'm not into the plain white background and plain black costuming, and that only adds to the feeling of being bored as it goes on. ... But not that bored, it's still pretty good to listen to.
331ERock - After watching the previous entry I clicked a link to Caleb Hyles' Megalovania. Then went to this, and was struck by how similar it is. Irrelevant, just a weird note. Not familiar with the original here either. This was a bit slow for me overall Two minutes of build with very little happening, and what does happen never pushes above "generic metal backing" except for the final solo. Didn't hate it, but not in top contention.
Dreamcatcher - Interesting. Very mixed bag. I like some of the stuff they went for, like the arms bit at 2:00, and some of the general sound and aesthetic. Other parts I don't like as much. Strikes a lot closer to Wpop than Kpop, and I'm not sure the style clash works for me. Close but not quite.
Yeah, this week is a bunch of "decent but not great." Nothing stands out overly much. Definitely defer to any stronger opinions Kaitlyn/Grefter/anyone else may have on these, especially regarding Jonathan/Caleb/Completionist vs Rebecca Black/KHS. Those are my top two but it's a tossup.
Rebecca Black & KHS >= Jonathan Young & co. > Dreamcatcher > 331ERock > Pentatonix > Linkin Park
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Hm, yeah, going to want to see Grefter's opinion on this as well.
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Linkin Park - Yeah that's Linkin Park with clean vocals. It is nice to hear them doing tracks where they let the Hahn just kind of take lead (I don't know if that is normal these days?), because Cure for the Itch was my favourite thing on Hybrid Theory. That said, I don't really follow them so not tons of attachment. It kind of comes of as a bit generic, they are keeping up with modern trends which is cool, but not much going on here that speaks to me.
Pentatonix - Okay so this is probably the strongest contender of the week, but it is also competing with itself. It is the strongest contender because it is Imagine which continues to be a great song in spite of Lennon's deteriorating legacy. It is still at heart at minimum a humanist anthem, but me being me I really focus on the No Countries and No Possessions because you know, Socialism. Part of the strong appeal of the original song is that it slowly builds into what it finally is, starting off really minimalist Piano + vocals with just Lennon's range, then adding in a really small drum fill to connect the dots in bass line of the Piano so that in the third chorus you can bring in the strings to fill out the body. It isn't like super minimalist one man and a Piano like it pretends to be, but it is a very good trick that it pulls on you. Pentatonix do a good job of putting it in their style and of course I appreciate the message (for all that it has the subtlety of a brick, but A Capella can't do subtle, that is like literally the thing you can't do with it. It is inherently a showy song delivery), but do I think the style fits the song? I dunno, it doesn't work for me, but I think some of that is just because it is Imagine and it is so iconic. Can you even do a "good" cover of it that isn't a straight riff on Lennon? Does the core song override all of that? I dunno yet!
Rebecca Black & KHS - I am happy Rebecca Black gets to keep doing stuff in music even if it is mostly just on the back of memes. She got to make her generic party track that Friday was supposed to be, so good for her. It doesn't do much for me. It is okay!
Jonathan Young, Caleb Hyles & The Completionist - I don't know much about Hamilton, wrong side of the world etc. SO far this is probably number 2 though? It is a pretty solid late 90s style rap/rock or Metal track. It is delivered well and is a genre I have a soft spot for.
331Erock - Its nice, but it is also guy that is good at guitar doing instrumental guitar. Kind of dime a dozen. IT is nice that in modern era these guys can get money on Youtube instead of just as guitar techs though.
Dreamcatcher - K-Pop by the way of Avril Lavigne. Its nice enough, is in the top 3 I think? My only real thing here is in response to If We Were a Song is I am a Song! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7sNwUgBa2M).
Mrf, I am not super invested in any of them, but for somethign I am not super invested in there is a bunch of stuff I kind of have opinions about and it is all really close?
Checking what Alex said to see, I am not helping much here since most of mine is just around the same as Alex's middle part.
So .... if I said
Jonathan Young, Caleb Hyles & The Completionist > Pentatonix > Dream Catcher > Rebeccas Black & KHS > Linkin Park > 331Erock I guess that would do?
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Hm, yeah, I think this just pushes me towards Johnathan Young (my #1, but I had a lot I could have written about Rebecca Black and it was reasonably high up for me as well; it's such a "turn lemons into lemonade story"). I was also hesitant to pick Johnathan Young with just me and Alex because I really liked it, mostly on the musical merit, but Alex pointed out that there's not much going on in the video, and I just listen to the audio when I'm at work.
That said, there's at least two history nerds in my family, so the content should be interesting to them.
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Whoops, looks like I never pressed post last night. Anyway...the lindsey stirling song this week is...a song I'm pretty sure was a finalist (not selected) before, but had a different music video. Anyway, finalists this week:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yvHqenLpUU
Lukas Graham
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aatr_2MstrI
Clean Bandit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWdovALEen0
KSHMR & Crossnaders
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIH2XQZcn9I
Lindsey Stirling
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mn244U2fRKQ
Taeyeon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pS2yL70g60
Bassjackers & Brooks
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Lukas Graham - Background music. Fairly minimal and does the same thing all the way through. Inoffensive, but my attention wanders.
All five others - After flailing at them a bit I have to give up and say they're all the same song to me, with slightly different instruments and levels of technical competence. KSHMR's video is pretty evocative and memorable, that and L-Dawg are prolly top 2. "No strong feelings" sums me up on this whole line of pop here.
KSHMR > Lindsey Stirling > Taeyeon > Bassjackers > Clean Bandit > Lukas Graham
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Mmm...yeah, KSHMR was a first for me as well, just based on music. I was worried that because it was a lyric video it wouldn't play out as well on the video end, but apparently Alex is calling the video a selling point--good enough for me!
(And yes, I expected Lukas Graham to review poorly. I thought about nixing him and including the 7th place pop instead...but then this week would have been 6 fluffy pop songs with female vocalists, instead of just 5. I'm not sure why songs of the same type seem to all launch in the same week--so far next week could be like 4-5 metal songs >_>).
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I meant to post for a couple of days, but don't have tons more inpt just a slight shuffling of prioritiy.
Lindsey Stirling > Bassjackers > Clean Bandit > Taeyeon > KSHMR > Lukas Graham
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As expected, a whole lot of metal this week. Also, nobody told me Ice-T has a metal band now....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2lRHjToqEY
Grave Digger
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDDH4qIMee0
Amy Lee
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2Ita9XJICY
Grand Magus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlk7o5T56iw
Body Count
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cie140M_Wjo
David Guetta feat Nicki Minaj & Lil Wayne
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lxz-r0-ktak
Seven Kingdoms
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GRAVE DIGGR - I can't get over the opening jam being At Doom's Gate with two notes swapped... not a negative or anything, songs work that way, just sticks in my brain, yknow! Anyway this is just a standard metal piece, solid but nothing special. Stays a bit flat in terms of dynamics and general happenings. Ehh I might've lied, the opening puts me in a mindset of "this is stock" and nothing breaks me out of that. Roughly equivalent to Taeyon or Bassjackers last week.
Amy Lee - Hm, well, I love the drums after they kick in around the halfway mark, there's really nice synergy with the drum/string/piano combos. The singing doesn't do much for me though, and the way the song is arranged makes the vocals the star of the show. Mixed bag.
Grand Magus - Aaaaaand it's another Doomlike opening, wow. This sounds very... empty? I like the composition, and the delivery of the vocals, but it really does sound like one guitar and a basic drum loop in a room somewhere. Needs better production to sell what it's going for to me - the vocal parts want a full symphonic metal deal, not minimalism.
Body Count - Yeaaaah ding ding ding winner. Both the best metal song this week and an amazing message song. If you want to be direct, this is how you do it in my book, not "on the nose" but "full face punch." May not be everyone's style, but it sure is mine.
David Guetta feat Nicki Minaj & Lil Wayne - I was digging this up until Lil Wayne's part, which ruins everything. Overly crass for no good reason, and a voice that doesn't match the rest of the piece. Other than that was, eh, fine.
Seven Kingdoms - Basically the same deal as Grand Magus, great vocals that want a better instrumental backing than the "just okay" one they have. Both the vocals and instruments are slightly above GM's (and GM's vocals impressed me!) but same issue of feeling like there should be at least one more line going at all times.
Well, this was a blowout to *me*, but I don't have much of a read on how contentious Body Double might be with column readers. It does seem like it might be hit or miss. But nothing else here really steps up as an amazing alternative...
Body Count >>> Seven Kingdoms > Grand Magus > GRAVE DIGGR > Amy Lee > DG&NM&LW
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Hmm...yep, Body Count was comfortably in first for me too; that's enough for me to pick it.
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Yeah you don't need me to tell you Body Count is my pick.
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This is an interesting set of finalists. Pretty sure Ed Sheeran songs are just better when you replace all of Ed Sheeran's lyrics with gibberish, and replace Ed Sheeran with Malinda Kathleen Reese. Actually, pretty sure this Baby Bash song would be better if it was redone by MKR too; but I'll admit the beat's alright.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3iqb_02xY8
Baby Bash
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sA7Ojgzzus
Louisa Johnson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLO5gdSqY7Y
Mary J Blige
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVUqLBRQom8
Taeyeon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lxfl8LRab_I
Dreamcatcher
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rte07sl3Vf4
Malinda Kathleen Reese
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Baby Bash - The beat is all right. Good summary. This is not the pick.
Louisa Johnson - Averageish. Most of it doesn't pull my attention though I did like the staccato part at the end.
Mary J Blige - Pretty all right. A bit on the "too long for how little it changes up" side for me, but that's a personal peeve. Kanye's a bit bland, but that's better than ruining a good thing. Brass is hot. Decent pick if nothing after it's better.
Taeyeon - Wow, just noticing Taeyeon's making the list very regularly. Not that there's a problem with that, they're great! This is, hm, okay but not my favorite from them... a bit below MJB I think, just standard clean kpop.
Dreamcatcher - Ah! Very nice. Great song and great video, very entertaining, hits the good points of kpop and krock and a bit of Nightwish-like fantasy narrative. Good jam.
MKR - Also good, definitely like the steps up in her production from past stuff I've watched. Not sure about the super glarey white light, but I'm not familiar with the original song so maybe that's just a thing? Not too many drop down hilarious lines in this one, but she works the delivery very well.
Nice and easy week to rank for me, clear placements, not much else to say.
Dreamcatcher > MKR > MJB > Taeyeon > Louisa Johnson > Baby Bash
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Taeyeon - Wow, just noticing Taeyeon's making the list very regularly. Not that there's a problem with that, they're great! This is, hm, okay but not my favorite from them... a bit below MJB I think, just standard clean kpop.
I mean, Taeyeon is the big star from Girl's Generation/SNSD, and I'm pretty sure this is her solo album, so yeah. Alex and I had the same #1 so going with that.
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So...the country one is a suggestion by my sister; it's kinda neat conceptually; all country artists coming together and doing sort of a country mashup. Not sure it's the best song this week, though.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2pAslx5az8
Country artists of then now and forever
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8lFeVfYw_s
Amine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfSL-6YExzk
Unleash the Archers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BT05GiMlY4g
Miso
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WXZCh3_2p0&t=0s
Grey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ITkmWEWjDk
KHS
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Have to keep it short because typing on my phone makes me want to break stuff.
Country stuff not for me but triangle support it if you have stuff to say and it is of interest.
Unleash the Archers is my favourite, but it is Grefter.mp3
Amine is probably the one I like second best. Good beat, good flow, fun video.
KHS there is a bunch of stuff there I could babble about and ultimately comes down on it is okay.
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Country - This is... pretty all right! Not sure I get the concept of the CG video, but it's entertaining enough. Definitely sure I don't get the last bit. Unless I'm missing something, it's not a mashup, it's just Country Roads but in the last minute IIIIIII WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOOOUUUUUU breaks down the door like the Kool-Aid man. Feels like a meme video, but this is apparently serious? Country's not really my jam, so a pure celebration of it doesn't hit much, but eh it's fine... depends on what else is around.
Amine - That certainly happened. Uh. Well, it's very funny... but a lot of the humor comes from the intro, which is 40% of the total video with no music going on. That's pushing the limit of non-song content for a song of the week column, to me... well, pushing but not past, I don't think. So eh. The song part is okay, would not be nearly as strong without the visuals and intro, though it does get some of its own lyrical licks in. The starting bathroom gag is sticking with me a bit because of the Survivor controversy last night. But as a full package, this is a good youtube experience?
Unleash the Archers - Grefter.mp3. Takes a long time to get where it's going. Actually a lot of parallels here to country music now that I'm thinking about it, which is funny. Other than the pacing being a bit slow I have nothing to knock here, good song, well done, evocative. This is gonna be a battle of the genre bias week huh.
Miso - Suuuuuuuper trashy but fun to listen to. I think I actually like the musical side of this the most of anything this week - it has a nice soundscape. Vaguely middle eastern vibe, which I've heard in some western house stuff but not really in kpop fusion before. The trashyness works against it here, if it had better lyrics/video/atmosphere it'd be my first pick.
Grey - Was okay, pretty stock, not as good as the rest here.
KHS - Neat! I like this kind of cover, lots of reinterpretation going on with both the lyrical and instrumental sides. Final product... isn't super awe inspiring though, just "it was okay" as Grefter said. Even with as much as they did, I still wished they had done more.
So in the end I'm seconding Grefter's comments, throwing in some appreciation for Miso and definite acknowledgement of genre preferences going on. If you have stuff to say about the country, go for it!
Unleash the Archers > Miso > Amine > Country > KHS > Grey
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Mmm...got sick, didn't pick a song.
If I'm going to pick against my sister's suggestion, I'd better have something pretty noteworthy to say about it. And...I kinda don't for Unleash the Archers. It is metal that is decent quality. (Also was not as high on my list as Gref/Alex). Miso is quite good, agreeing with Alex, but it's also something I don't have a whole lot to write about. It's just solid. KHS was very high on my list (possibly top) and would probably go over good with my sister (she likes Britney Spears) but at least Alex has it below the country pick.
So like...I feel like this is between Amine and Country. Amine I have plenty to say about (whiteface race-reversal. Also gender role reversal in a couple scenes). Like...there's reason to pick it, cause it does stand out. And also, I think all three of me, Alex and Grefter liked Amine more.
That said, it's not by a huge margin, and Country isn't getting dumpstered (usually when it gets in the top 6, it's last or close to last from everyone including me).
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Gods, the amount of dumb shit autocorrect does when I phone post that I totally miss is zany.
"Triangle support" = totally support if you have something to say with it.
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This week's finalists. Nothing stands out to me as across the board fantastic (a lot of "good music not sure about the video" going on this week), although I will note as someone who tinkered with my big sister's harp a lot (knocking on the wood, putting the pedals half-way to get in between notes) I am impressed by the technical aspect of the harp piece.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bfB-yiTxms
Kongos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTLaY_VWGLk
331Erock
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yZ8Bs1JM1A
schmoyoho
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTdsfJj4YlA
Berry Good
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UV-2E8kEqg
Camille and Kennerly
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Al-nuR1iAU
Rag 'n Bones Man
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Kongos - Hazy, intentionally so. I like the accordion and percussion a lot. Video's unexciting but works. Hm, yeah, I like this quite a bit. Kind of like country but without the smarmy edges I dislike.
331Erock - Also very nice. I wouldn't have known this wasn't the original version of the song without being told, it fits very well. Video does bother me after a while, though - I want horror movie frozen Sia to pounce on him or something. Does start to drag a bit by the end.
schmoyoho - Suuuuper cute, and a nice song! Disappointed by the part where it derails into making the cat a metaphor for a romantic relationship, though. Just keep the spotlight on the kitty.
Berry Good - Standard Kpop. Exists. I felt done with it after only a minute or so. Doesn't do anything really wrong, but we have more interesting kpop on the list just about every week.
METAL HARP TWINS - Wowww. My mother has a harp too, used to play it a fair bit though she's mostly stopped due to age and wrist problems. This is a little dry (I think I've felt that way about all their videos) and a little long, but technically super impressive. Solid listen.
Rag'n'Bone Man - Very artistic, nice singing, and the best video of the week. Doesn't grab me quite as much as it seems it should. Definitely a contender though.
Oof. Hard calls, very even field. I can eliminate schomoyoho and Berry Good from contention pretty easily, but the other four... I like them all. Let's see. Kongos and 331Erock are kind of similar, Harp Twins and Rag Man are kind of similar. I think I take Kongos over 331Erock. Harp Twins have great wow factor but meh presentation, Rag Man has great presentation but meh wow factor. Their strengths are comparable, their weaknesses... I think Rag Man's wow/music scores higher than Harp Twins' presentation. So Rag Man vs Kongos... Kongos wins. But earlier I felt Harp > Kongos eyeballing it. Hmm. What if I do them all head to head:
Kongos > 331
Kongos < Harp Twins
Kongos > Rag Man
331 < Harp Twins
331 < Rag Man
Rag Man > Harp Twins
331 0-3 and the others all 2-1. So 331 out. Okay, if I close my eyes and do raw "I personally liked it more" I get a list, probably put more weight on Kaitlyn/Grefter opinions for top 3 though.
Kongos > Harp Twins > Rag'n'Bone Man > 331Erock > schmoyoho > Berry Good
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Alex and I are fairly split; waiting for Grefter/or another third opinion.
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Mmm...well, it's Monday and no Grefter reply.
Kind of forget how mine were ranked, except that Berry Good and 331Erock were solidly on top. Expected 331Erock to take a dive when people actually watched the video from not having much of a video (I listen to the audio). Berry Good...yeah, I thought this might just be "inexplicable personal obsession" territory, but I can never be sure.
I don't really have particularly strong opinions on Kongos and Rag n Bones man; neither was all that high on my list, like...4th/5th? I forget. Now, if Grefter had backed Alex up on one of those, then yeah, that would probably become the pick.
So...that pretty much leaves Harp Twins as the one group that both Alex and I had in our top 3.
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Sorry my week/weekend was mostly final sprint of testing for project and then recovering from said testing. I have barely had time to do life.
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Strong week this week. Side note, I never really listened to the lyrics of Chocolate Rain--they're quite a bit smarter than I realized, a bunch of social commentary about racism.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJ_eVIZkjZE
Alestorm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfOU6asTDao
Agolo feat Angelique Kidjo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lr5DWf5L42k
Tay Zonday
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvLjXLjhRkA
Marco & Seba feat. INNA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7it_g_gAY4
DNCE ft Nicki Minaj
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9plTe80SosA
Kraftwerk
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Forum maintenance killed discussion last week; let's try this week. Finalsits
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtVFTuIZFYU
Fall Out Boy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtM_QZvCvBc
Jasmine Thompson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mx_g8eFQnkA
liltommyj
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a36tGbqMiLQ
Pristine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GsVTsuPyOg
T.I.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLDEHOuodQ0
Zac brown band
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Fall Out Boy - I don't remember Undertale going down quite like this. Not too far off though. Very neat video, song's... ehhh okay, kinda cool, I would not like it nearly as much without the video giving context and storyline but it does and now they're inseparable in my mind so. Mixed a bit low, and I felt the conclusion was weak. But still, a strong contender.
Jasmine Thompson - Not really in love with the singing, and since it's bare piano + voice, that means it's not much in the running. Lyrics have a resonant message though.
liltommyj - Well... I dig the style and would listen to it. I can't make out any of the lyrics/lines though, and the blood-spraying impalement scene in the middle of the video might be a bit much for general audiences. Probably too inaccessible to recommend, and I liked Fall Out Boy better anyway.
Pristine - This was okay. Nice guitar stuff, average singing. Goes down easy, doesn't stand out, as you probably know by now I prefer songs that stand out in some way for song of the week column.
T.I - Timely. Excellent lyrics, when I could make them out! Unfortunately I couldn't always make them out. That's really the only negative here though.
Zac Brown Band - Not a good matchup for me.
T.I vs Fall Out Boy for first place. Think I give it to T.I despite being hard to understand at times.
T.I > Fall Out Boy > liltommyj > Pristine > Jasmine Thompson > Zac Brown Band
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Huh, given a few weeks ago Alex was saying he preferred his songs happy non-political, I wouldn't have guessed T.I. for his top pick this week.
(I actually ended up going with a song about racism in the united states last week (chocolate rain) so there's that to consider too).
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Well, same reasoning as Body Count a few weeks back. I like "directly, overtly political" much more than "metaphorical lyrics played over a political video telling you how to interpret them." Some personal idiosyncracy there in how to motivate or appeal to me, I guess? And quality counts, I want crisp, smart lyrics in a rap, and TI delivers.
Repeating subjects is a concern, yeah, I was almost going to mention that before I noticed how many weeks back Body Count had been. But Fall Out Boy also plays on the racial angle, so for my top two there was no getting away from it. As always, though, it is Kaitlyn's song of the week, use editorial discretion as you please!
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Fall Out Boy - I dig this a lot more than Alex. I like the swerves in and out of styles and the highly produced bits that smash things together. I am also a sucker for bits referencing getting you to rewind just to hear something again. It is just posturing, but this is easily the strongest and most interesting Fal Out Boy have been to me for years.
Jasmine Thompson - possibly not the target audience? I don't miss my old friends, I am still in remote touch with most of them and feel I connect just as strongly with new ones as I did with old ones? Delivery is fine. It is mostly just fine.
liltommyj - eh it's alright.
Pristine - feels like something I should dig more. Guitar tones and everything is good old classic rock ones. Just kinda text book all over the place? Doesn't really do anything but be a pile of old school.
T.I.- it keeps happening. I don't think this is the strongest protest song but I am more than happy it exists because it needs to
Zac brown band - is this the country version of a hype track? Lots of reference to I toured and played local bar and drank while I played and the film clip listing off venues. I also don't like them so meh not a good judge.
Fall out boy > T.I. > some assortment of the rest > ZBB
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Hmm...yep, this is looking like fallout boy.
For what it's worth, my top was Pristine, which I was predicting would probably cruise through as it is funk and funk is grefterbait. Did not score high with either Grefter or Alex. Well, this is why I have people listen with fresh ears and try to hide my initial reactions.
T.I. was like 6th for me, and almost didn't make the finalists. Open to it, though! But both me and Grefter have Fall Out Boy higher, and Alex has it 2nd.
liltommyj and FoB were the two that had very harsh breakdowns. I think I had liltommyj mildly higher, but this is with no regard to the music video, which I didn't realize was quite good for FoB.
Jasmine Thompson and Zac Brown Band are...solid (around 3rd/4th for me) but it seems nobody is really going to bat for them, so they are not the pick.
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Pristine needed way more slap bass for a funk track that speaks to my core.
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This week was kinda brutal--songs that failed to make the top 6 include Krewella, Alestorm, one of the new PSY videos...anyway, stuff that did make the finalist cut:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHPVb-qMzsY
Halestorm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fs8RUFS18g0
Unleash the Archers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzcSYoJd1tU
Tinie Tempah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reEOKm5NSy0
Icon for Hire
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwJPPaEyqhI
Psy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYymmqpLnIY
Malinda Kathleen Reese
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Halestorm - Yeah I am not the target audience for this "whoo normal people life!" business in SO many ways. This one in particular doesn't seem to have a message of its own, just "hey various facets of life exist!" and that's a bit of a writing pet peeve for me. The musical side doesn't impress me much either.
Unleash the Archers - I appreciate the imagery here, they focus on a very Georgia O'Keefe mountain face, and then zoom over to a phallic outcropping on the right when the angry male vocals have a line. Fun metal song, pretty standard stuff musically, slightly above average.
Tinie Tempah - I... have no idea what I just listened to; even focusing on trying to understand the lyrics I can only catch maybe 25% of them. It is a very nice listen, though. The sounds are smooth and creamy and mix well to my ears. I would be disappointed if the lyrics turned out to be all sexual stuff, but I don't thiiiiink they are? Scores pretty high on overall personal enjoyment.
Icon for Hire - Similar to Tinie Tempah, this also feels like it's punching above the sum of its parts. I can see why these made it in a hard week. Difficult for me to pick apart, it just does everything pretty well and packs together nicely into a fun song. Like... the video is technically just concert and artist shots, and I'm usually unimpressed with those, but then it does some nice things with colors and smoke and edits firmly to the beat and tilts the camera a little and it's SO much better than the average.
PSY - Hm. Well. Obviously this is top notch for production value and composition. Psy's doing his thing. Again. Therein lies the problem - this feels really, really similar to Gangnam Style, and I have to assume everyone reading music columns is intimately familiar with Gangnam Style. On its own this is a great song, but it follows the same structure as Gangnam Style, talks about the same topics as Gangnam Style, uses several of the same visual gimmicks as Gangnam Style (and fewer gimmicks overall)... It's too much of a rehash for me. I didn't feel like I heard or saw much of anything new, except the sax. So it ranks pretty high on enjoyment, but low on originality.
MKR - Is good. Her usual deal, but spread out over multiple songs (lessening the potential for any of them to overstay their welcome) and more joke's and better production than I recall usually seeing. Not much else to say about it. In other weeks, this would be an easy winner, but this is a tough field...
Hooooof. Very tough field. MKR might be of particular note here. She shows up in the finalists a lot, but I don't recall if she's ever actually won, and I think this is her best entry yet. I'm putting her third, personally, BUT part of that is because I'm already familiar with her and thus her gimmick has lost its novelty appeal to me. So I think there's definitely an argument for moving her up or going back to this if we have a weak lineup in the near future.
Icon for Hire > Tinie Tempah > MKR > Unleash the Archers > PSY > Halestorm
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Halestorm - Doesn't feel like her usual shtick, I alt tabbed away and kinda even forgot it was Halestorm. Not much to say? Its pretty okay.
Unleash the Archers - This is my favourite for all the obvious reasons, but to list them off. Shreds. Metal. Matriarchs.
Tinie Tempah - I am with Alex that this and Icon for Hire and kind of competing. I think this is a better song (waayyyy better breaks) and better flow.
Icon for Hire - But I think I like this more because it is so much trashier with that beep boopy synth and just putting pretty stock guitar bit over the top of with a hype up song with super sing song chorus? Yeah this is carefully constructed to be an earworm as you listen to it, enjoy it a bunch in the moment and your brain just discards it immediately. It is the definition of disposable song. BUt yeah I like it for that. Turns out Andy Warhol was right.
Psy - This... is way weaker than I expect from Psy. Like it is cool enough as a song and all, but it really isn't quite the level of bombastic either as a song or as a video that he has set.
Malinda Kathleen Reese - Yeah I think we are solidly establishing that this just isn't my thing. Its fine? I guess.
Unleash the Archers > Icon for Hire > Tinie Tempah > Psy > Halestorm (this is fucking harsh on this song really) > MKR.
Edit - Actually credit where credit is due. I dig the outfits in Psy's film clip. Edit 2 - On the other hand, autoplay started up another Psy (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xvjnoagk6GU) track right after a relisten and FUCK YES this is gooooooooood shit.
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Edit 2 - On the other hand, autoplay started up another Psy (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xvjnoagk6GU) track right after a relisten and FUCK YES this is gooooooooood shit.
Huh, yeah, that was the other new PSY track this week, hovered around 8th for me. I mean, granted, I was evaluating these just listening to them, without looking at the video at all, which is not really the best way to evaluate PSY tracks hmm....
OK, sure, let's toss in the 7th/8th place options if that changes anyone's top picks:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16aIMatk9E8
Quintino & NERVO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xvjnoagk6GU
PSY
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Quintino & NERVO - Is okay, nothing outstanding, I liked it better than Halestorm but that's about it.
PSY (Luv It) - Yeah, I much prefer this to the other PSY. Fresh beats, good outfits, fun journey. Does it go to the top... maybe. It goes above MKR for me. Think it's still slightly below Icon/Tinie for me, but I could definitely buy it as a pick. A couple days time has made me a bit more bearish on MKR as well, probably move that under Unleash now.
Icon for Hire > Tinie Tempah >= PSY (Luv It) > Unleash the Archers > MKR > PSY (Fresh) > Quintino > Halestorm
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Only change for me is Psy #2 coming in at 2. It has a better video than Unleash the Archers, but I really like Unleash the Archers.
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Hm, kay, Unleash the Archers was a #1 for me as well, so with two #1s it's that.
Icon For Hire was a little all over the map; originally had it very high on the list, but sunk on repeat listenings, squeezed in at 6th for me.
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So...it should be noted the DNCE song has another music video (that got posted the week that the forums weren't working). So...if we want to pick that song, we have two videos to choose from (I don't watch the videos, but I suspect the older video might be better because dogs).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWn7PYm-W90
Lindsey Stirling
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJhIxqz3_N0
Boy Pierce
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzZWXrlDj-A
DNCE
(dog version): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7it_g_gAY4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aL_mTKWwRto
hitchiker x taeyong
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqdYHnulCms
In This Moment
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNRokMpmyCo
Lacuna Coil
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This week's theme is "I listened to Lindsey Stirling first and everything else got a quick "is this better than Lindsey Stirling" test"
L-shizzle the Stirizzle - A staple. Good song, good video. Sasuga Stirling. Only qualms are the super high pitch vocal breaking my immersion, and that it's a little bare and we're all (hopefully) familiar with LS as a known quantity. But she hasn't actually been featured since... Sept. 2015?! Okay then, remove that qualm.
Boy Pierce - This is good too, more of an artist demo than a song of the week though. Would be fine in a weaker week, but this week I dismissed it early as "no video and not as good as LS."
DNCE - Good song. Nicki's rap is okay, not quite as good as Boy Pierce's. The dog video is WAY better, it also adds some nice pun meanings to the lyrics. 2mainstream4me though and not as good as LS.
hitchiker x taeyong - "Ah, Taeyeon, here's the week's dose of kpop, I wonder if this will be more on the cute and sweet side or - oh. TaeYONG. Glory to the hypnotoad." Uhhh this was cool and I really like it, however I think I like it way more than most people would, and even I am not sure I would put it above LS.
In This Moment - Ok, this actually does challenge LS for me. Similar in quality and build, different take on the tone. Good music, good video, very resonant.
Lacuna Coil - Also good. Not quite as good on the music as I'd like to keep up with the video though. Bit below In This Moment on the close comparison, and not as good as LS.
This list owns, I liked every single thing, and everything except maybe taeyong is something easily above my "happy if this wins a week" quality threshold. Even taeyong, *I* would be happy with, but probably wouldn't recommend. Anyway, ITM appealed to me a bit more than LS, but I would expect Lindsey to clean up with the consensus. All very close, easy defer if Gref/Kaitlyn/others have some strong opinions.
In This Moment > Lindsey Stirling > Lacuna Coil > hitchiker x taeyong > Boy Pierce > DNCE
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L-Steez - I dig this more than some of the other recent stuff. It feels less base line for her stuff and trying something new again. I did the same as Alex, this was a bench mark.
Boy Pierce - Well it isn't a demo because it is his track for live shows. But yeah I have been hitting Danny Brown this week, so the shifting beat and timing is nothing in the face of that. Danny Brown tracks are way more fucked up than this with better flow.
DNCE - don't dig this as much. Dog version I went in hoping for Gabe. That was not Gabe. Would vote for a Gabe track one day.
hitchiker x taeyong - okay on a single listen only I think I might dig this even more than Alex did. Like, it is hot garbage, but the emphasis is on the hot. It is like a bunch of synths in a washing machine and I love it.
In This Moment - Alexchan. It is okay. The music is fine, but you can say you dig it because it is Bloodborne by way of Resodent Evil 7 (or any of the tropes they quote).
Lacuna Coil - 90s as fuck. I think I might throw it and Super a bone just because it is Aiel as shit. A Lacuna coil called You Love Me Because I Hate You? That is Aiel.txt right there
Lacuna Coil >= Hitchhiker x taeyong => LiStir > in this Moment > Boy Pierce > Dnce
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Lindsey Stirling actually barely made the top 6 for me this week. Could have been picked if she did well with gref/alex, but no firsts from either. Funny story, we've picked Lindsey Stirling a lot, but haven't picked her for over a year. Might have just had a really strong album.
High picks for me were like In This Moment, DNCE, and hitchhiker x taeyoeng, with maybe Boy Pierce squeezing into the top 3 at then end on repeat listens. DNCE and boy pierce are getting killed by gref/alex, so those are out. Nobody has hitchhiker x taeyeong first. This looks like In This Moment?
Lacuna Coil...was decent on a pure audio listen, but lower middle of the pack. It's a piece I recognize is probably better with the video. I should probably actually watch Lacuna Coil's video head to head with ITM.
EDIT: ok, watched both...yeah, Lacuna Coil probably had more impact on me with the full video, but mmm...might be pushing the threshold of stuff I want to share with family (graphic scenes of dead bodies, a man chaining the female protagonist down and strangling her, plenty of blood).
-
Hmm...well this feels like slightly different genres than where the final 6 usually are; let's see how this goes--finalists:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdsWDpnR0BQ
ZZ Ward
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9-4xHVc7uk
Robin Schulz
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMDfR_PJ7ss
Got7
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQcp3UWQOmM
CHON
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDMdSc1K7sU
Coasts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9P4kjROkn8I
Lindsey Stirling
-
Turboing the reviews a bit because I already spent a lot of time doing up music stuff this week and my brain is overloaded.
ZZ Ward - Existed. Was fine. Didn't make much of an impression on me.
Robin Schulz - Song's in the above average tier. Video's certainly interesting. Hit the wrong notes to appeal to me. Still a fairly strong contender.
Got7 - Good pun game and production. Liked it. Not super thrilling or standout but appealed more to me than Robin Schulz.
CHON - I was going to say this was a great song with a very cute dog until the dog peed (barely offscreen) on one of the guys. Dunno why they thought that was a good idea to have in the video. Aside from that one part though, it's really good.
Coasts - Bit too melodramatic for me. You're a creeper dude, she doesn't owe you a relationship.
Lindsey Stirling - A good song. Different composition from her usual, some parts I like better than typical LS style, others not. But overall I liked Lost Girls quite a bit more, so that makes it difficult to place this too highly.
THankfully easy rank.
CHON > Got7 > Robin Schulz > Lindsey Stirling > ZZ Ward > Coasts
-
Inclined to wait for Grefter on this one (Alex and I are somewhat split).
-
I didn't really watch the videos because I am doing it so late and multi tasking.
CHON > Lindsey Stirling > Robin Schulz >Got7 > ZZ Ward > Coasts
I did watch Robin Schulz while I was finalising the listing and that would probably bump it up above the rest WITHOUT having watched them, but that's not really fair on Lindsey Stirling who is the competition (CHON is better either way). Video clearly speaks to me more than Alex because broken relationships and What Can Change the Nature of a Man (7. Regret).
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Alright, let me briefly make a comment on the following. I can see the criticisms of one of these songs "it doesn't differ enough from Pirates of the Caribbean", but I will just note, having put pirates on my playlist before, the actual OST of Pirates of the Caribbean has like...long stretches of no music, or just flat "tension" sounds. Just making a cover that's listenable requires significant re-arrangement.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sK8eQWgGkKk
Scooter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th4Czv1j3F8
Alestorm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsc01-0V_QU
Mary Lambert
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSA96NrNb3A
331erock
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ophOW8ckMpc
Take That
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThLEuFaAU3c
Metallica
-
Scooter - So Eminem sent a track 20 years back in time huh. This is simple and owns it. I like it, but it's not super awe inspiring or anything.
Alestorm - Musically not much to it, but lyrics are Way more amusing to me than they should be. Not sure general audiences will feel the same, but hey, if it made MC's finals list...
Mary Lambert - Another in the simple and decent category. Was okay.
331erock - Yeah, I did look up some Pirates soundtrack stuff a while back and had the exact experience MC described, it wasn't listenable. So this is pretty cool, good arrangement! Not sure Pirates benefits from going to this instrumentation though. Ends up around the same as the rest... this'll be hard.
Take That - Ok, found the winner. Song's a bit more my speed, and the video's amazing. Great stuff.
Metallica - Also good, but takes 1:30 to even start up and the payoff is not as great as I'd like for the time investment.
Take That is a clear leader for me, the rest are all around the same range, no terribly strong opinions. They're all good.
Take That > Alestorm > Scooter > Mary Lambert > 331erock > Metallica
-
I think I am way harsher this week than Alex is.
Scooter - I think of something very different when I read Bora! Bora! Bora! because of Pluto. Party track that eh. Okay.
Alestorm - I am tempted to vote for this just because I want to see you try and write a post about it. I swear way too much, so of course I dig a cussing chorus.
Mary Lambert - A) Everyone in this film clip is my fucking hero. B) Musically it is pretty straight modern post Taylor Swift/Miley Cirus pop. It cribs from pop country and faces more on the pop side of things. The film clip aesthetic is great and everyone's stage names are great. The aesthetic doesn't really mesh with the clip though. I want it in something camp 80s style like Far Cry Blood Dragon ish or more like the intro to http://neoscum.libsyn.com/kannabis-jak]Neoscum (http://) (bias being I am literally listening to Neoscum right before I started doing this).
331erock - Clearly the inferior pirate rock this week. I also tend not to like Disney songs and yes this is still a very Disney song.
Take That - Hey Adult Contemporary! It is Okay! Adult Contemporary is the definition of It is Okay! I don't understand why everything is a horror film. You guys aren't Michael Jackson and he did this with Thriller, not ABC.
Metallica - This is a very Metallica Metallica song. Long riff heavy rolling guitar intro that goes on a bit too long into a solo. I was going to make a comparison to One and then kind of dismiss it as not really going to be as big a thing One (since One is a Johnny Got His Gun style story of someone wishing they would die but are physically incapable of doing it and can't communicate). Checking the lyrics to be sure? I guess you could frame it as a sequel when death does come? But there is a lot less substance to it. It is solid like everything on Hardwired... but not REALLY noteworthy in their catalogue other than Metallica sounding like themselves again 20 some years later.
I dig Kirk Hammet's White Zombie guitar too.
Alestorm > Metallica > Scooter > Mary Lambert > Take That > 331erock
-
So yeah, 331Erock and Alestorm were back and forth for my #1.
Funny story, but Alestorm wasn't actually that high this week (4th or 5th) until Trump pulled out of Paris. Then I couldn't stop listening to it.
-
I thought this week was going to go by with just crickets (no likes or replies on twitter, no replies to my email) but then I got this:
"Considering its words, this song has a very lively and lilting tune.
-Mom"
-
Ah, forgot to post these last night, my bad
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnTXW3AdcWM
Rae Morris
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxSiQG5AnA8
Caleb Hyles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qv8tbvZkk1Y
Tay Zonday
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhPOwcvhGSA
FTisland
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKSWXzAnVe0
Mandey Harvey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxN1STgQXW8
Captain SKA
-
Rae Morris - Pretty good! All typical artsong stuff, but the arrangement clicks for me more than most of its type.
Caleb Hyles - I am a fan of these folks and saw this as soon as it went up. Good cover, strong work. They bring a constant energy to it, which fits the source, but might come off as flat to people who don't know it (the singing might be a bit hard to understand too.) That's the only complaints I have here.
Tay Zonday - Didn't click as well for me as his other stuff. The super weird vibe he's going for here is really hit or miss, for me it's a miss. A slightly different arrangement might be a hit but I couldn't say why other than gut reaction.
FTisland - 2 minutes in I was bored, almost clicked through the rest of it and wrote it off as a maudlin piano thing, then the band finally kicked in. Back half definitely redeems it and pays off the intro... not completely but ends up above average.
Mandy Harvey - Hm well. Torn on this. The song in a vacuum is nothing to write home about. The context is cool, and supporting deaf musicians and diverse talents in the arts is great! ... But on the other hand the corporate context is a little less cool. Like... this is literally a clickbait clip that asks to be shared on social media and flashes big facebook and twitter symbols right after she finishes. Maybe that only bothers me, idk.
Captain SKA - Mmm. I like that it's direct in the messaging here, but it could be more clear about what exactly she's lying about. I'm not sure if this is about anything in particular, even though I thought I've been catching the news on the election. So, eh.
This is just going on personal reaction and not considering political contexts; if you want to feature Mandy Harvey or Captain SKA that's very understandable!
Rae Morris > Caleb Hyles > FTisland > Mandy Harvey > Captain SKA > Tay Zonday
-
Grefter?
-
Fell down an MMO hole.
Mandy Harvey > Rae Morris > Tay Zonday > Caleb Hyles > FTisland > Captain SKA.
General thoughts, Mandy Harvey is a style I would listen to without the context. Idol shows does hurt it, but I obviously have a soft spot for people coping with an impairment. One Punch Man opening song is good. Captain asks would rather much higher before the election (even though hung parliament is better result than I expected). Tay Zonday is pretty musically weak, but I dig the theme and the one man band thing.
-
Hmm...ok, so my top spot alternated between Caleb Hyles and Tay Zonday.
Rae Morris is 1st from Alex, 2nd from Grefter, probably around 4th or 5th from me? Don't really remember. (total 7 or 8)
Mandy Harvey is 1st from Grefter, 4th from Alex, fluctuated a bunch for me (as high as 1st, probably finished 3rd) (total 8)
Tay Zonday was 6th from Alex, so that's probably out (1st or 2nd from me, 3rd from Grefter) (total 10-11)
Caleb Hyles was 1st or 2nd from me, 2nd from Alex, 4th from Grefter. (total 7-8)
Hmm...with just Alex responding it was looking like Caleb Hyles (which was like...2nd from both of us). Adding in Grefter...looks closer to a three-way tie.
I think I lean Mandy Harvey of the three just because I think my family will like it.
-
Think this is probably an above average week, at least from my perspective; some of these might not be to Gref/Alex's taste (there is a country song...)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dw8B1q1tKgs
Little Mix
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeM8NkLwhdU
MØ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8FAJXPBdOg
Acapella Science
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUendT_dGks
nigahiga
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Moeux7r2izg
Tune-up (튠업)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZKXkD6EgBk
Selena Gomez
-
Little Mix - Overall feeling was "this existed" except for Stormzy's segment. Just didn't make much impression.
M0 - Liked it better than Little Mix, was interesting sometimes. Still got the "1 minute after the song ended, I couldn't remember anything about it" beat though.
Acapella Science - Cool idea, I approve of science songs. I don't care for the source track though, so this being a straight cover musically wound up working against it. (Or, science lyrics without overt humor weren't enough to save it, whichever way you want to look at it.)
nigahiga - Turns out I'm actually fine with country when it isn't slathered in glorification of rural white evangelical luddite american south culture. So this was nice and refreshing! Not socks-blowing, pretty basic musically and relies on the lyrics for content, but hey I liked the content so... pretty good. The wub parody section was particularly nice. Guy's got a good voice.
Tune-Up - ... This is even better though. Blend of styles that all mesh together well and feel like a single song? I am there. Ending's a little weak but yeah this was a fun ride.
Selena Gomez - And back to not making much impression. This one I can remember, but barely existed in the first place.
Yeah, the M0/Selena Gomez/Little Mix pack is definitely a style that clicks better with MC than me, though I didn't dislike anything.
Tune-Up > nigahiga > M0 > Selena Gomez > Acapella Science > Little Mix
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We must get our shovels, and dig the Grefters out of the MMO holes! For the glory of Communism!
-
Or not. Well, acapella science was my #1, but niahiga was my #2, so going with that. (Quick, pick the country song while Grefter's not looking!)
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Hmmm...nothing is super standing out to me this week, a bunch of songs that I like, but don't jump out to me. Let's see if something stands out to Gref/Alex (or anyone else that wants to comment, of course). I am also considering grabbing a song from last week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyaI4-5849w
DJ Khaled ft Rihanna
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWMiBj0yDJg
Cellar Darling
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65mEt_RvQDs&t=0s
In This Moment
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CaK2ITJUy0
Papa Roach
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHZbeJ__1NE
Diamante
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0I7g2A-ivn8
Malinda Kathleen Reese
-
DJ Khaled/Rihanna - Decent, doesn't stand out, yeah. Has some nice parts, doesn't really assemble them, just lets things ride.
Cellar Darling - This reenactment of the Alamo has a lot more lesbians than I remembered. Feels kinda trashy and doesn't progress much in music or visuals... but also has a rich sound and a tone that is super fanservice to me. Relaxing. Had a decently fun time with it. Probably my pick.
In This Moment - This remake of Roots has Kunta Kinte being a lot edgier than I remembered. Also a good sound, though the lyrics are overdoing it a bit. Even though I liked it, I felt done with it after a couple of minutes.
Papa Roach - Eh. I was like "this is a cool intro, but when does the song start? okay a series of intro hype riffs? ... wait, is this really all there is to the song?"
Diamante - Was okay. Didn't stand out.
Mystic Knight Rayearth - Was okay. Didn't stand out. The youtube comment reinterpreting it as a horror movie theme is on point, though. I liked the later sections but the first three minutes are just too slow and bare to do much for me.
Cellar Darling gets a thumbs up from me, the rest eh exist.
Cellar Darling > DJ Khaled > In This Moment > Diamante > MKR > Papa Roach
-
Hmmmm...yeah, Alex is only really liking Cellar Darling, which is a song that kind-of just existed for me. No real consensus between us, think I'm going back to last week.
-
This feels like probably an objectively strong week, but at the same time there's nothing that super stands out from the pack for me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pX_YIjSCJA
jang jin yang x ba bo ret
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkTzIEMlc38
Tarja
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTzu4Thi8gw
Lucy Camp
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6c8X_s1h9Y
Nothing More
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kh-A6z7M0zc
Taemin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EYxs28HaaQ
Dzeko ft. Brynn Elliott
-
Jang Jin Young - As predicted, this is not standout to me, but decent. High quality vocals. Not much else to say on it.
Tharja - Hits my guilty pleasure personal preferences well. Takes a long time to get where it's going, I wished for a big chorus earlier, but the payoff does arrive in time. Good stuff, good music good singing achieves the tone it's looking for etc.
Lucy Camp - Also quite good. "Relentless" is the adjective that comes to mind. Basically a rap, but strong stuff.
Nothing More - Strong chorus, not much else notable. Good, but this week's strong so it's going slightly under the rest of the pack for me.
Taemin - Fun video, lots of spectacle. Stereotypical epic jpop but not in a bad way.
Dzeko - 1:10 drop. Standard stuff, not really my fave.
MC's overview spot on as usual. This is all fine and mostly comes down to personal preferences in tone/genre/style, though I think there is more defined split between my top and bottom 3.
Tarja > Taemin > Lucy Camp > Jang Jin Young > Nothing More > Dzeko
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Well, Alex and I have the same top 3, but reverse ordering on them (I'm Lucy Camp > Taemin > Tarja).
Which is like 3+1 vs 2+2 vs 1+3 three way tie.
Watched the videos to see if this adjusts my opinion on any of them...I think Tarja is still third. Maybe Taemin moves up, cause it does have a really strong video.
Hmm...not sure.
EDIT: well, posted a poll on a random GameFAQs forum, Taemin won by a lot. Going with that then.
-
I was going to say I would try and get to it this weekend, but you got it covered. Traveling back home for a wedding this weekend and to see family thrown me out of whack.
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It's a vacation week. This means I had fewer days at work listening to music...but also means that there was almost no American music released this week (a Katy Perry Nicki Minaj track, that's about the only one I cared about, although not quite enough to make the top 6). So...there might still be top quality stuff in the top 6, but the lower end will probably be pretty low.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7be8Ib653I
hyolyn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGQSmW8X1H0
up10tion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u05HbfkoFQI
ye banished privateers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZ8dAEQHgPk
Edguy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qe49ScaA92c
Fredde Le Grande vs Ian Carey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8kGYosDhPE
Favourite
-
hyolyn - Exists. I kinda tuned out fast, standard pretty girls dancing song.
up10tion - Exists. I kinda tuned out fast, standard pretty boys dancing song. I did like the vocals, which is a point for it over hyolyn.
ye banished privateers - Huh, cool stuff. I respect what they're going for, though it's not my cup of tea so I can't comment very well on it.
Edguy - http://kawaiikochan.moe/image/162595700361 Was fine. Relies a lot on the lyrics and video, they're good though.
Fredde Le Grande vs Ian Carey - Party track, drop at 1:04. Somewhat better than the average party track? Not something I'm gonna remember a week from now though.
Favourite - Whew, the title and beginning had me worried but this quickly pulled into doing interesting stuff. Cool video, takes some risks with the production, fairly unique style, I'm in. Good stuff.
Yeah, not a tremendously strong week. Easy to rank though. Clear winner and runner up, and the other four struggle to pass a basic "will I remember anything about this track 1-2 weeks down the line?" Edguy comes the closest.
Favourite > ye banished privateers > Edguy > up10tion > hyolyn > Fredde
-
Hmm, instead of pulling from a previous week, I may pull from ahead of the time window for this week and pick the new Kesha song. Song is easily worth picking, has tons to write about, and if I wait till next week, it'll be all over the radio by then.
-
Forgot to post after I listened while doing stuff so the short is I like ye Banished Privateers most because I like sea shanties. Favorite does some good stuff with it's synth chords and edguy is funny in how nonsense it is and fight for second/third.
-
Welp, glad Grefter is around again, cause there's a bunch of metalcore stuff this week I want opinions on this week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OrLroFa0AI
Macklemore
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LOe8yHjVLA
Rings of Saturn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jP6Lljh9E0
In Motive
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fa1fniEneyU
Kiesza
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5_tnpdnNz4
Jennifer Lopez
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yy-SiZSlmhI
Stray from the Path
-
Macklemore - I dig it, but that's probably projection of remembering my grandparents.
Rings of Saturn - its eh, its fine. The internet is in love with these guys and they are just kind of okay I think. I am biased because they get compared with Aversions Crown a bit and I am obviously biased in favour of AC, but I do think AC have stepped further out in their album from this year than Rings of Saturn have with this track. There is something to be said to staying true to the genre that you made yourself in, Rings of Saturn is pretty pure grindcore/metalcore from top to bottom, but I am in to metal for more than just that genre and I am a huge fan of some of the more post production and stuff that blew up in break down heavy music a few years ago. Overall not sure how much is my own biases and how much of it is anything else though.
In Motive - 's alright. It is squeaky clean as fuck, which as you will see in my ratings isn't really reaching particularly high this week.
Kiesza - This is also pretty clean. Its nice just kinda chill background stuff that I wouldn't turn off, but I wouldn't really actively seek out.
Jennifer Lopez - Is Jennifer Lopez. I still just don't understand. Its fine, just I never understood the appeal. This isn't "I am not the target audience so can't comment" and more "I literally don't understand this is just completely alien to me".
Stray from the Path - This is my pick. Of course this was my pick, this was always going to be my pick. Yes it is super aggressive. Yes what it preaches can be counter productive. Yes Nazi Punks Fuck Off is still the most relevant anthem in the history of modern music. It was right when the Dead Kennedy's sang it 35 years ago, it is true to this day.
-
Quickie due to busy weekend.
Macklemore - Video's very inspiring, song a little less so, it's okay though.
Rings of Saturn - I enjoyed this, but not sure how it'd go over with general audiences. Then again apparently the internet loves this band? Anyway, it didn't seem very out-of-groove for the genre. I liked some of the more melodic influences later in the song though.
In Motive - What Grefter said.
Kiesza - What Grefter said.
J Lo - I see the appeal (it's sex, so no wonder Grefter doesn't) but it still doesn't do much for it.
Stray From the Path - Is good. What Grefter said.
Nothing wowed me but mostly was solid.
Rings of Saturn > Stray From the Path > Macklemore > Kiersza > In Motive > J Lo
-
I should have disclaimered that Rings of Saturn thing with fans of Metalcore on the internet love it. Wider audiences don't really care about the genre outside of things like Parkway Drive and Bring Me the Horizon.
-
Top for me was Rings of Saturn with In Motive and Macklemore being also pretty high.
Which...
punching Nazis gets #1 from the Communist, #2 from Alex, somewhere around 4-6 from me. (overall 7 or so).
Rings of Saturn gets #1 from me and Alex, guessing about 3rd from Grefter. (Overall 5 or so)
Macklemore gets a bunch of 2s and 3s (overall 7 or 8).
I mean, I think Macklemore would probably hit it best with my family just because of the grandma imagery. On the other hand, the last...probably three weeks have been quite well-received, so I think it's fine to throw a curve ball.
-
Oh and for what it's worth...Cradle of Filth comes up periodically on my subscriptions, but usually just doesn't really hook me. *shrug*
-
One would hope, because Cradle of Filth have always been hot garbage.
-
Welp, this was one of those ridiculous weeks where there were just 20+ songs that I was considering for the top 6. (Casualties include PSY, Kid Rock, Superfruit, Lindsey Stirling, Rag'n'bone man, melodysheep, Arcade Fire...). Anyway, top 6:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXyA4MXKIKo
Kesha
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aW3qy32xL1w
Voice Play ft Rachel Potter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lk2-bgwA0Ro
Arch Enemy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtncFEwWX24
Pyrmds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNnCFlpBqeo
Royal Blood
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-x0dIRcMF-8
Frost Tears
-
Kesha - Was okay. Nice groove.
VoicePlay feat. Rachel Potter - Solid, enjoyable, well performed.
Arch Enemy - But Miku told me the world was hers! Cheesy metal, weird combos, I liked it.
PYRMDS - Bit less my speed. Nice but I wouldn't seek it out.
Royal Blood - Not sure I got this one. Nice guitar, otherwise not much impression.
Frost Tears - Also good. Weird switch to the solo section but dug it. Nice vocals.
Mostly all close, nothing in particular blowing me away.
Frost Tears > VoicePlay > Arch Enemy > Kesha > Royal Blood > PYRMDS
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Finalists this week:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HyTVCnzrXQ
Blasterjaxx
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSKX0YwiZ-U
Exit Eden
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRfSEEtzxug
Kobra and the Lotus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHpRHexM2pQ
The Doubleclicks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYeFSbKOTOg
Sofi Tukker
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPRy1B4t5YA
Charlie XCX
-
BlasterJaxx. The break is at where you expect, but is also the kind of party track you know I like. Instruments/vocals that you don't normally hear in western pop music (the chanting here) and clearly synthesizers for your bass and rhythm lines. Slow enough BPM that you could hard dance or shuffle to it. So yeah I rate it higher than it probably deserves
Exit Eden - hey having four singers up front instead of using back up/session singers or just layering recordings of your lead singer is cool for female vocalist Lead symphonic metal when all your instrumentalists are male. I mean it probably makes touring a nightmare (8 or 9 people?) and it is very much like K-Pop or a pop super group (not meant derisively).
Song is pretty good too.
Kinda and Lotus - Hey yeah like that! That was what I meant. Very 90s pop side of Nu metal in its ballads. I prefer Exit Eden though this hits some nostalgia buttons.
Also ayyyyylmao light me up erry day
The Doubleclicks - hmmmmm this might be the pick, but there is too much to talk about that isn't why I like it. I know the tune is from somewhere else, but I can't place it. My brain was saying Red Solo Cup, which if it was this would be Cleveland Steaming all over it because fuck that song and a take on it for a new generation would have been smart.
But at heart this is all essentially, in spite of not droning, a way of saying me too thanks/same/came here to say THIS.
Also is there an homage version of Bartender please Estrogen in there?
Sofi Tukker - Okay this is better than Blasterjaxx, a bit cleaner synth tones, way dirtier and trashy lyrics. Exactly what I like. I am torn, this rates really high. It is pretty much exactly what you expect, dances less, but is way better ear worm.
This also absolutely is played after you put on a pair sunglasses while indoors.
Charlie XCX - I think in another week this would have rated higher and that isn't just because I am playing Dream Daddy. It is a a fun dumbish track, but I don't think goes too high on the list this week.
The Doubleclicks > Sofi Tukker > Blasterjaxx > Exit Eden > Charlie XCX > Kobra and the Lotus
-
Blasterjaxx - Good stuff, very multipurpose, agree w/grefter on instruments/chanting being great.
Exit Eden - Good singing, good music. Feels like it's lacking a little bit of a grab, and the lyrics don't quite match the tone I expected. Minor quibbles though. Stuck with me well.
Kobra and the Lotus - Similar to Exit Eden, less musically impressive but more cohesive.
The Doubleclicks - This is one of those hit or miss, trying to be "relatable," identify with it or don't songs and I don't. I see how it could be top place if I did. But I don't and there isn't much draw in the music. Ignore my vote on this one if your read on the column audience is that it'll be relatable to them, though.
Sofi Tukker - This completely bounced off me without making an impression. 30 seconds after listening, trying to think of things to type, I can barely remember it except it said fuck a lot.
Charli XCX - Good chorus, good video, not much else to it. Dream Daddy's relevance gives it a decent showing this week, but yeah there's better.
*checks Grefter's ranking* Huh. Usually we're more in agreement than this. Interesting selections this week!
Blasterjaxx > Exit Eden > Kobra and the Lotus > Charli XCX > The Doubleclicks > Sofi Tukker
-
There really isn't a big gap in how much I like all of them
-
Yeah, I've been delaying making the final pick here, as there isn't much of a gap in how much I like all of them either.
Might just go with Doubleclicks for writeup bait.
-
Hmm...so I definitely have one that I eventually started favouring above others, but it only really stuck out after 10+ listens, so I'm curious if Gref/Alex will agree or not.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=we-VfNnbzzY
Shania Twain
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xx1RSj4biO4
Kesha
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqL4mGcSblY
Charli Taft
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jaaDUfLH4o
Johnathan Young ft Malinda Kathleen Reese
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyglnLD2joM
Pentatonix
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMHVfCyElW0
Rameses B
-
Shania Twain - Simple, bouncy. The video distracted me a bit, couldn't help but notice the racial profile, but I don't know enough about Twain to say what it means.
Kesha - Hits the same notes as Shania Twain for me, but I preferred Twain.
Charli Taft - I liked this! Nice and melodic singing, good synths, fun times.
Johnathan Young ft Malinda Kathleen Reese - More Phantom from these two. Heard it before, but it's still good. Very Yamanevania feel.
Pentatonix - Good cello. Otherwise didn't do a ton for me, Pentatonix kinda hits that known quantity groove for me.
Rameses B - I haven't watched Rick and Morty, so mostly just taking the musical angle on this one, which is eh, generic psytrance. I listen to those "3 hour relaxing psytrance" mix style things on youtube, this wouldn't stand out in one of them.
Neat selection! Top 3/bottom 3 is the notable divide for me.
Charli Taft > JY & MKR > Shania Twain > Kesha > Rameses B > Pentatonix
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Yeah, Charli Taft was my top as well, but it took me a while to realize it. Guess I don't need to wait for Grefter on this one, since Alex and I agree on #1.
What's interesting is that this is a K-Pop label that normally only has Asian stars singing in Korean (which had me confused). Turns out she's a producer at SMTown, and composed/produced a bunch of their songs behind the scenes.
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There was actually a Cradle of Filth song in contention for the top 6 this week cause they added Gregorian chanting. (Didn't make it though--think it's a fairly strong top 6).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DojqyA3Ma2k
9 Muses
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0DjcsK_-HY
Lorde
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmmG1jw7lyI
Roses & Revolutions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajY4ATBRKO4
Caleb Hyles and RichaadEb
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMf0mjsIk-A
Sunset Neon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBkHHoOIIn8
Portugal. The Man
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9 Muses - Trashy, but entertaining. I am a sucker for good use of distortion + whispery vocals.
Lorde - Was okay, didn't find it too memorable compared to the rest.
Roses & Revolutions - Decent, doesn't establish its groove enough for me to get into it.
Caleb Hyles and RichaadEb - Better than the original! Hard to fairly evaluate this... I like it though, especially the heavier chorus bits.
Sunset Neon - Simple, effective. I feel dumb not having much else to say. Was good.
Portugal The Man - Dunno if I'm burnt out (likely) or this group just doesn't play to me, yet another one that washes over me and doesn't leave much impression, other than the video being interesting.
Prolly more my taste not syncing with MC's here. I didn't dislike any of this, but also wasn't too into anything.
9 Muses > Caleb Hyles and Richaaad > Sunset Neon > Portugal The Man > Roses & Rev > Lorde
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On vacation this week, so probably picking a song we skipped from a previous week, but here's a few of the songs I listened to on Friday:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sd5dcjXzuGk
Kesha
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csYjk5m4_PY
Starcadian
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyM8pMH2OF0
Lights
-
Kesha - Ehn. Didn't like it as much as the Kesha a couple weeks ago, which I didn't like as much as Shania Twain, etc.
Starcadian - More my groove. Doesn't bowl me over, but a pleasant experience.
Lights - Good beats, liked this.
Lights > Starcadian > Kesha
Plenty of goodies in past weeks as well.
-
Mmm...think I'm still tired from pulling an all-nighter; not actually sure if the finalists this week are good or not.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LX2kpeyp80
Miley Cyrus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Enu3Oy6_L-I
Exit Eden
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zx5acxwdnlk
Blood on the Dance Floor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBuAiQQGyQE
sonamoo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6LAzgZi8N8
Pristin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jr1758cmM5I
The Doubleclicks
-
Miley Cyrus - Was okay. Didn't really stand out to me.
Exit Eden - I like me some Gaga and I like me some Exit Eden. This is a pretty straightforward "put our sound into this song" cover though. I might still prefer the original... but then again this is probably scoring high anyway.
Blood on the Dance Floor - This is a miss for me. Laughed at some of the lines, but yeah.
sonamoo - Decent, standard stuff, doesn't stand out much.
Pristin - Also in the standard enjoyable Kpop range. I liked it better than the sonamoo.
The Doubleclicks - Great cat, extremely cute. I wish to pet it. There was also a song but it kind of barely existed.
Eh. Lots of "okay but doesn't stand out" here.
Exit Eden > Miley Cyrus > Pristin > sonamoo > Doubleclicks > (.Y.)
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OK, well, this week should probably be won by "the song that broke the PSY record", cause that's a thing. There's a bunch of good music this week though; worth getting opinions on it if next week is slow (which it might be; holiday weekend in America generally means less American music).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsKIAO11q1Y
Martin Garrix
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yraHHCcr6sg
Austin Mahone
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqUPGa15Oto
Unleash the Archers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpZ9N032M6Q
Hailey Rose
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tmd-ClpJxA
Taylor Swift
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfk7YZJtmeo
Amaranthe
-
Okay so 4/5 I was going to say "There is Unleash the Archers with a film clip you know exactly why I like it and there is somet other stuff"
Then I watched Taylor Swift and I wanted to talk some shit.
Then there was Amaranthe and now I have to like talk about all the tracks I guess.
Martin Garrix - even doing a clean intro to a party track still writes a party track. It is fine.
Austin Mahone - This is fine, but I could just listen to the Modjo original which has a disco beat. I guess good job at reviving a great 17 year old song, but eh?
Unleash the Archers - I like everything they do it seems. A film clip focusing especially on them actually playing the instruments? You know I am in for a good time. Absolutely in love with that bass and the guitarist playing it. Very very good.
Hailey Rose - This is actually pretty solid. The film clip feels like an early 90s indie rock thing but then the song is just a pretty good party track. Its better than fine but we have some Things This Week.
Taylor Swift - Okay you have heard me rag on Taylor Swift for repeating stuff way way too much in a song. She can take a good half a chorus and then just like repeats it again to make a full one. This is probably that problem peaking. There is just so very little to actually make up the lyrical content of the song. It is more a presentation or a statement than a song. Worst of all, it isn't nearly as good as previous songs that functioned as statements. Like... compare this to Blank Space? This is so much flatter and just has so much less going on.
There is also a bit of a thing of someone that gets a reeeeealllly creepy white supremacist following putting out a song of "Look at What You Made Me Do" in current political discourse, but that is me being overly sensitive. I am pretty whatever even before that.
Amaranthe - I... don't know what the fuck with this song actually. Like Amaranthe are usually pretty good but when pitted against Unleash the Archers I would sort of go with Unleash the Archers being better at a similar kind of deal, since they tend to be a bit better technically and are of a style of metal that tends to just got a bit better, it is that weird space between melodic and speed metal that I really dig. Amaranthe are more a straight Nu Metal throwback. Straight poppy metal with Drop D guitars and growling. But then the chorus? That is a fucking dance beat. Like out of nowhere a danceable house beat. It is kind of garbage? But it is kind of awesome? I don't know how to think of it. I really fucking dig the novelty of it. Like I don't know if I would go throw it on like I would with Unleash the Archers, but while it is on I am having way more fun.
So lets go with novelty.
Amaranthe > Unleash the Archers > Hailey Rose >>>>>>> Austin Mahone > Taylor Swift > Martin Garrix.
My write up doesn't do Hailey Rose track justice, I think it is quite good.
-
Martin Garrix - 1:15, a little later than usual. Seems pretty formulaic. Not really into the harsh buzz on the break sections. Cool strings though.
Austin Mahone - Nice singing! Minimal but not bad. Not sure it really carries enough for a title, but it gives me a positive impression of the artist, so.
Unleash the Archers - Strong solos, strong vocals, really gets the classic metal feel going. Obviously benefits from being a long song in a genre I like, but yeah, is good.
Hailey Rose - Wow, great atmosphere, synth vibes right up my alley, lyrics that I actually like (rare!)... I dig everything about this, it comes together very well. Makes for good listening outside of a party context, for me.
Taylor Swift - This is also a lot better than I expected. Seems like she's trying for the same sphere as Lady Gaga? The chorus doesn't quite hit my brain, I like the "bad dreams" hits much more than "what you made me do"... actually I like every other part of the song more than the chorus. Not bad, certainly in the zone where I could take it as a winner other weeks. But I'm getting ninja'd by Grefter who points out the same thing with the chorus/lyrical beats feeling lackluster.
Amaranthe - Also very nice. Left me wanting more, in a mostly good way. Great blend of metal and dance-ish stuff, good energy, gets my head bobbing. I do like my head to bob for longer in such a good groove, so I think it comes in a bit below Unleash, but yeah.
Some nice stuff here for sure, top three are really close and I could take all of the top four easily as winners. I don't know anything about the white supremacist stuff though...
Hailey Rose > Unleash the Archers > Amaranthe > Taylor Swift > AUstin Mahone > Martin Garrix
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Hmm...not that much line up between me and Gref/Alex. (The song I had above Taylor Swift was Martin Garrix, which was dead last for both of them). Between Amaranthe, Hailey Rose, and Unleash, I think I started with Hailey Rose as the highest of the three and ended with Amaranthe as the highest of the three?
I'm thinking Taylor Swift is still the correct pick though; song is actually fairly catchy.
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Oh, forgot to email myself the finalists this week; going by memory...and managed to dig up them all, whew. Not a super strong week, though, so we might be going with a previous week?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_GcbZlDnns
Dreamcatcher
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AD6VAZFHWLY
Exit Eden
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFc9PZrroOk
Perfume
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGRv8ZBLuW0
EXO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tj08Ni3tklw
Beck
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GO8VVJ_j7T0
Eluveitie
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Dreamcatcher - I liked the synth, would listen again. Pretty typical fare though.
Exit Eden - Good cover. Better than I expected. Yeah just... good all around. I could take this.
Perfume - Cutesy. Much like Dreamcatcher, I liked it but am unsure it would stand out enough.
EXO - Amusing video, eh song.
Beck - Had some very strange moments with this where I couldn't tell if it was a song or an advertisement... even when I wasn't watching the video, which amplifies that feeling.
Eluveitie - I wish this was 2-3x as long, but it greatly appeals to me nonetheless.
Not the strongest of weeks, but I'm not unhappy with the top two. Comparable to the metal from last week, which is probably the consideration?
Eluveitei > Exit Eden > Perfume > Dreamcatcher > EXO > Beck
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Comparable to the metal from last week, which is probably the consideration?
Yeah, probably. (The metal songs were 3/1 and 1/3 from Gref/Alex last week, I think I slightly preferred Amaranthe of those two. That said, Hailey Rose I think also scored moderately high with everyone so also potentially an option?)
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Hmm...there was a clear frontrunner for me this week. Not sure if it's a song that Gref/Alex will like as much as I do, though; we'll see.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zy6vBxqlapw
Kelly Clarkson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfY83cOukuc
T-Pain and KHS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dL5ELSufDM
DJ Earworm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAsN4lSa7O0
Blake Shelton
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2N4tXf3Ensw
Beast in Black
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3QYhciTkOk
331Erock
-
Kelly Clarkson - Video's way better than the song, which was kinda repetitive for me.
T-Pain and KHS - Great singing, definitely impressed. It's an exhibition mashup, though, so the lyrics leave a bit to be desired.
DJ Earworm - Better mashup, less impressive singing.
Blake Shelton - Well produced, earwormy.
Beast in Black - An earwormy love song, similar to the Blake Shelton. Guitar solo kicks it up.
331ERock - Not bad. I've heard sooooooo many takes of this song though, mostly in a metal-ish style, that this doesn't stand out much.
Well, the metal stands out to me, but that's fairly predictable... 2-4 here are all quite close.
Beast in Black > T-Pain/KHS > Blake Shelton > DJ Earworm > 331ERock > Kelly Clarkson
-
Pretty much agree with Alex barring dropping country down in the dirt.
Beast in Black > T-Pain/KHS > DJ Earworm > 331ERock > Kelly Clarkson > Blake Shelton
Not much more to add. T-Pain singing clean is fine. Would rather it just be an acoustic T-Pain sung track? Not sure where it is a mash-up, but presumably watching his series on mixing that it is part of answers that?
Beast in Black - Blind and Frozen is just an okay metal track in a week that doesn't speak to me though so *shrug*
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Well, sometimes when I like a metal song, Grefter says it's not up to his standards. Looks like we're completely unanimous on Beast in Black though! (Which was a rock solid #1 for me all week).
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Kind of a brutal week where there were too many songs that really wanted to be top 6. Casualties included Bjork, Sia, Avicii, Shakira, Imagine Dragons, Carly Rae Jespen and various interesting K-pop entries. Anyway, the top 6 to choose from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIbj45hPpWc
Metalite
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YAAyUFL1GQ
Fall Out Boy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UnTrK_6SOc
KHS and Natasha Beddingfield
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5E6RTDA7oc
Gary Numan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBTBc2OA9fw
Dropgun
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m5zEM2T5Fg
Justice
-
Metalite - Good descriptive name, this is metal but light and peppy. Not quite in tune with some of the rhymes but that's the only bad thing I can say about it. Strong and catchy.
Fall Out Boy - Also strong, also catchy, good video. I dig it.
KHS and Natasha Beddingfield - The vocals get a bit overwhelmed by the strings and piano here. It's fine but not going too far against strong competition.
Gary Numan - Another good song. More to my tonal preferences, but lacking a bit of the memorable oomph of Metalite/FOB.
Dropgun - Can't stand that style of vocals, so this is a miss for me.
Justice - Nice song, good beats. Uh, the video is extremely NSFW though. Quite good, but, yeah.
Yeah, strong week. Gary Numan at 3rd feels too low, and yet! I'll give it to the plushies I guess.
Fall Out Boy > Metalite > Gary Numan > Justice > KHS/Natasha > Dropgun
-
Hm, welp, Alex and I share an #1, might as well go with that.
(We disagree pretty significantly on #2 and #3 too, which were like Natasha Beddingfield and Dropgun for me; we both had Justice around 4th though!)
-
Might be good to get Grefter's opinions on last week's songs, as I've been home sick for most of this week, so we're probably going to grab something from last week (or earlier).
-
Gary Numan would be my pick of last week, I am super stoked to see him still putting stuff out riding that dark 80s synth trend that we ran into last couple of years. I was hoping it would blow up way more, but if it got more people looking at Gary Numan then I am stoked. Did you know he is a rock star and he has his pilot's license?
Fall Oit Bou is second, the clip reminds me way too much of a Snow Patrol track that even sounds similar and I like more.
Metalite and Justice are both the kind of things I like but kind la ehhhh not feeling today. Metalite is dance mixed with Metal again but I like how much rougher it was last time and twice kills the novelty some. Justice is my jam usually and live versions of EDM tracks are great, but I just think it isn't a strong Justice track.
KHS stuff I just clearly approach wrong and I think it is entorely a labeling / presentation thing. They are covers that have been recomposed with a different instrumental line, which is cool. Calling it a mashup and it being distributed through the composer/producers channel just feels oblique. Not wrong, just a completely different framing than normal.
Dropgun, found meh.
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Surprisingly enough I think I've cobbled together a decent set of finalists this week. Just grabbed the artists I recognized and threw them in the usual blender, which admitedly means a lot less indie/metal/korean music, but eh, I think there's some strong options in this group of finalists regardless
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yYV9-KoSUM
Macklemore ft Kesha
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOQZNHueNQQ
Yelle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks3ZVcZ5rv0
Fergie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvbYf4eyGFI
Fergie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04UjShXZbD0
Melanie Martinez
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2OkwxFYAX4
Kawehi
-
Okay yeah that is goi g to be Kawehi for my pick. No question at all.
-
Too much frazzle to do a big review right now, but seconding Kawehi.
-
Hmm...not sure about the finalists for this week. A lot of them are outside of my comfort zone. Some soft rock stuff I would normally pass over for being too soft. Some german hard rock I would normally pass over for being too hard. Body Count managing to cover subject matter that makes me uncomfortable. (Mixed in with a couple fairly standard/safe metal options).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUAKjRTVE_g
Sara Bareilles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFi7nyv9hlY
Sleeping Romance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haS8Mo_vKkM
8kids
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NJYWgb6dQM
HAIM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67A1RjzFLQQ
Power Quest
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuag9wcGYI0
Body Count
-
Sara Bareilles - I got into this when the piano kicked in, and then it kept steadily improving. Wish it was longer and got to the good parts faster, but a strong contender.
Sleeping Romance - Decent metal. I can't find much unique to say about it but I liked it, just has a good sound and high quality across the board.
8kids - Hm, not bad, I like the enthusiasm but overall sound left me wanting a bit more. I don't think it's "too hard" for a winner, it sounds a lot harder than it actually is just because it's in German and German sounds harsh. But that may be because I can understand the lyrics, and it's already behind the first two, so eh, regardless.
HAIM - This on the other hand is "too soft" and doesn't impress me, yeah.
Power Quest - Similar feel to 8kids. Scores lower in "enthusiasm" (really, crowd shots where the crowd is just standing there barely nodding their heads?) but higher in "music" aaand I was about ready to write it off there but then the halfway point kicks in with some great solos. Instrumentals definitely the high point. Still behind Sleeping Romance overall though.
Body Count - This is definitely the most interesting from a lyric/message perspective, the most important to hear and the one that will stick with me out of this week, and the musical angle isn't terrible. Musical angle also isn't overwhelmingly awesome though, and the message is on the controversial and easily misunderstood side. With the Vegas shooting currently dominating news coverage, it doesn't seem like a great time to pick this. Fortunately Sara B and Sleeping Romance are a solid top two for me anyway.
Feeling Sara B a little more right now, it's a genre we don't do as much here, and Sleeping Romance is more "generically good" without any standout hooks for me.
Sara B > Sleeping Romance > Body Count > Power Quest > 8kids > HAIM
-
Sara Bareilles - 3:51 is good enough for me. Much longer and I think it would start to get in its own way. Pretty goddamned strong on first pass though
Sleeping Romance - I am pretty sure I have heard some variant of this song a few hundred times now. It is pretty stock metal trailing after nu metal, still using really heavy riffs but you can actually like have meoldies and stuff again. It is a good version of that stock sound.
I fucking LOVE that dress the lead singer is in.
8kids - Oh hey pop punk or hardcore is still around? FUck yes. They sound somewhere between Art Brut (who are amaaaaazing) and a thing that I associate with hardcore/emo before it was emo stuff, but I can only think of In Flames tracks that do it. Vocal harmonies a rough screeched note from sone singer. I like this a lot and am not really using positive adjectives as much as it feels like I should. This is going straight onto a shared playlist.
HAIM - I am with Alex in this not really feeling like the week for this, but I like it a bit more (but I also do like bubblegum pop more than Alex). I really dig the distorted heavy tone on the rhythm guitar, the plodding dancable bass guitar and the wah wah sounding lead guitar. It is super early 70s last 60s feeling. But uh yeah it is the first week of october in 2017 so bubblegum pop is not going to get a vote from me. Probably a group to watch though!
Power Quest - Okay with Alex's post I was kinda hoping this was another hardcore track, but it is a cheesey power metal thing, which makes sense, he did just talk about energy. You know I like this kind of thing, it is cheesey, it is dumb positivity, we have dudes with ridiculous metal hair cuts. This is totally my kind of thing. But it is like so hopeful and positive. That isn't what I want from my music this week. It IS how I want to feel and the message I want to send, but music is what I want to hear, not what i want to project. So it is way way way too happy for me and 8kids rates higher. The key change at the end is dumb and great.
Body Count - I am dumb. I saw Body Count on here and my brain didn't register who it was until the song started and I was like OH THAT BODY COUNT. Yeah this is angry enough. Ice-T of course still showing that you don't need to have super fast delivery or even the best flow ever for a good rap song. Super technical stuff is amazing, but you can also just be pretty good with the right message and it is way more than the sum of its parts.
And now I am torn because like... every other week of the year this would have been it without question. This week it is angry enough and a message I want. I dig this so much. I just dunno.
fuuuuuuck this is actually really hard because 8kids is really good, but I am being reminded just how much I fucking love the stuff that Body Count have done this year. Autoplay gave me a cover of Slayer - Raining Blood which is killer and then it brought back up No Lives Matter. Holy fuck that rolled me way harder than it did back when it came out.
Body Count = 8kids > Sara Bareilles > Power Quest > Haim
Huh on reflection it is generally a strong week for me as well.
-
Well, 8kids and Sarah B were hovering around the top for me, so I guess this makes Sarah B the clear pick (1st and 3rd compared to 2nd and 5th). Body Count started out high for me, but kept slipping down the list on repeat listens.
I am amused that Grefter did a full rating with greater than signs...but seems to have only listed 5 songs forgetting that Sleeping Romance exists (sounds about right >_>).
-
I was in a hurry, I bought both a SNES classic and a switch on Thursday, so I was kinda keen.
It would just sit above HAIM.
-
Um, yeah, this week was kind of rough deciding what to keep for the finalists. RIP Tarja, barely didn't make the top 6. (Then again, kind of her fault for doing a Christmas song in early October).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RQDPwODja4
Tove Lo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNVur6CDJ8w
Metalite
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1IBXE2G6zw
Lin-Manuel Miranda
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LunHybOKIjU
Eminem
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3AVtQkEHaE
Amine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11S5tcT2Tm0
Lindsey Stirling
(Bonus Clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZWTtfo2bVA )
-
Tove Lo - What. It's probably the pick. But. What.
Metalite - This is wayyy on the perky end, like a season 2 anime opening, not really nightmarish. Not bad but not Tove Lo.
Lin-Manuel Miranda - Not bad but not Tove Lo. Wish there were more rap and vocal parts.
Eminem - This is a good watch but I dunno about picking it for song of the week. Bonus clip is great.
Amine - Much nicer than I was expecting. Not in the same realm as Tove Lo though.
Lindsey Stirling - OK this is is in the same realm as Tove Lo. Good stuff.
Lindsey vs Tove Lo. Lindsey is better at music and overall production. Tove Lo is better at delivering a memorable experience that makes me want to link it at people. Eminem is also there, but only borderline rankable on the same scale. Would probably advocate for it if there weren't two strong more musical choices though.
Tove Lo > Lindsey > Eminem > Amine > Metalite > LMM
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Tove Lo - Sort of dirty Daft Punk at times. Love the film clip. Yeah this is probably the pick, not because of shock value or anything, just because it is legitimately great.
Metalite - Yeah Anime opening is pretty accurate. Also the song starts with "Trapped in this nightmare, I'm screaming your name hoping someone can hear." so that makes
Metalite - This is wayyy on the perky end
Funny without the context that the track is pretty much a modern power ballad. Its okay.
Lin-Manuel Miranda & Artists for Puerto Rico - Obviously I am all behind this. Also it is a bit sad that Lin-Manuel Miranda getting a second big pop thing in the US was a national tragedy after the first was a Beiber feature. I dig a track hitting charts with Reggaeton airhorn in 2017. Most of the guest verses are pretty good. The list of "Artists for Puerto Rico" is pretty damned impressive. Includes John Leguizamo which goes pretty good.
Eminem - I wish there was uncensored versions floating around cause every segment that that has a giant silence just kills his flow. Also I love that you can tell when he gets into a flow because he gets so much more animated and his delivery gets much closer to how his tracks end up on albums.
Again, obviously huge on the message here, but the edits really throw it out when I am just thinking of it as a music piece. dirty version when
Aminé - Yeah in a different week without Tove Lo and 2 politically strong songs this would rate way higher.
Lindsey Stirling - This is probably the strongest dancable track you have linked from her for a while, which pushes it up a bit more into the kind of thing really enjoy in her tracks more. Back to the violin parts and the synth stuff working really complimentary together. Strong plucking sections go a long way too.... So same as Aminé unfortunatley, I would be talking way more sugar in a week without politics and Muppet sex.
Tove Lo is my pick. I think Lin-Manuel Miranda & Artists for Puerto Rico is second pick.
Everything but Metalite is really really closely packed together though. Really strong week and not feeling quite so out of nowhere as last weeks.
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Huh, ok, Tove Lo was kind of just solid for me; 5th or 6th probably. Solid music. Still more noteworthy than Tarja christmas music which was roughly the cutoff to get into top 6 (link to Tarja Christmas music since I keep mentioning it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spJlqZIHK24 ). I guess I didn't consider muppet sex all that shocking or much of a novelty? Decent music though. (1, 1, 6 at worst, at any rate).
Metalite was a pretty consistent #1 for me, but that comes from listening to only the audio and not looking at the video at all; not surprised it's getting lower ratings given that it's literally the only one here that's a lyric video. (5, 6 1 for a total around 12)
Lin Manuel Miranda -- somewhere around 2nd-4th for me. 2nd from Grefter, 6th from Alex, not going to get there. (10+ish)
Lindsey Stirling -- Might be my #2 or #3, #2 from Alex, somewhere in the 3rd-5th range from grefter (2, 2, 4, so like 8ish)
Eminem -- Pretty high for me, #2 or #3, #3 from Alex, 3rd-5th range from grefter (9ish total). I would also mention the bonus clip, but I think it needs the context of the reference material, since everything is out of order.
Aminé isn't happening, and I knew this when I made the list, but damn, Aminé is really good. This is the second time when Aminé's had a track that we might have picked but the rest of the week was just so strong.
I mean, Eminem, Tove Lo, and Lindsey are all around similar totals (8 or close to 8). Tove Lo is the only one with 1sts, though, and that counts for more. I just need to figure out how to write about it....
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If it helps, it isn't really muppet fucking that is what I dig. Some of it is the abandoning a boring normal job and just going out on a party road trip with this stranger with this kind of anxious self conscious personality type you see in muppets (like... not because of a stereotype, just that is a good way to teach a third party,fish out of water etc). The break in the middle showing just how flimsy that kind of relationship is going to be.
Also we get a definition of Lady Wood.
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Hmm...I have some thoughts on this week, but I want to see Gref/Alex reactions first. Finalists:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GhY7qXGx-0
Andra Day
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AR764HY82Cs
Pink
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUANYeMaw6Y
Alli Fitz
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YY3NdmhYBjk
Riton, MNEK, The House Gospel Choir
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvtAR-y3JsM
Amberian Dawn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGYIpwovVsc
JBJ
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Andra Day - It's getting harder to find new things to say about this type of song. Another strong example. Good singing, good message, doesn't stray far from its refrain but doesn't want to either.
Pink - Generally pleasant, and the video's got some nice dancing.
Alli Fitz - Another good generally catchy song. Got me following it and bouncing.
Riton, MNEK, The House Gospel Choir - Third in the similar line of bouncy flavored poptunes. I am ultra bad at talking about these. Still like Alli Fitz the best of the three.
Amberian Dawn - Brightgoth churchmetal with great vocals? I can't even pretend this isn't my easy winner. Not to just rubberstamp metal yet again, but yeah, both vocal and instrumentals are a cut above the usual, video's a nice touch, everything about this is stuff I like.
JBJ - Eh, generic malekpoprap. Fine, but doesn't stand out in this pack.
Pretty close pack. Everything here is around 75-80% overall range, nothing REALLY great (Amberian Dawn ticking personal buttons notwithstanding) but nothing really eh to me either. Like, I'd be perfectly happy with Pink taking it.
Amberian Dawn > Alli Fitz > Andra Day > Pink > Riton&co > JBJ
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Amberian Dawn > Pink > Alli Fitz > Andra Day > Riton&co > JBJ
Only thing I really disagree with Alex on is Pink, but that is because it plays into stronger personal biases because it is right there on the label about it being songs about broken people doing interpersonal relationships.
It did make me think of Florence + THe Machine - What Kind of Man though, so when I listened to that straight afterwards and it still completely obliterated my emotions it sort of bumped Pink down a bit because it doesn't hold a candle to it.
I dig Amberian Dawn a fair bit more than everything else.
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Hmm...so Amberian Dawn is probably going to be the overall highest ranked of the lot between the three of us. (1,1,3 or so)
What I was thinking going into the finals, though, is that I don't pick African American artists very often, and a number of times when I have recently it was very specifically themed (singing about Black Lives Matter, for example). A worthwhile message to be sure, but I feel like I should have more variety than that. (I remember criticism of Hollywood when they would have lots and lots of movies about slavery, and otherwise avoid casting black actors). This is a week where I went in with I believe three African American finalists, in a range of subjet matter and musical styles. Might be worth picking one of them.
And...Alli Fitz is not far off of Amberian Dawn (all three of us had her decently high). I also have a decent amount to say about her as a youtuber who mostly vlogs. Kind of tempted to go with her.
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Sadly the halloween themed songs I didn't really feel were good enough. (331erock did a cover of Tales from the Crypt. It was...solid). I'm not really sure what to pick out of these finalists, though; finding them hard to compare.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuqJ7SuDTkc
Winterplay
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_XoKJP1XK4
Evanescence
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8nafVgHtZ8
Exit Eden
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-4Q0eh9urs
Lee Brice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4n0BJhoMBU
Black Violin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQ0mxQXmLsk
Camilla Cabello
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Winterplay - Very cute, very chill. Not too sure how to evaluate this, mood's in an odd place lately, but I dig it.
Evanescence - Slow burn, almost lost me for the first few minutes. Back half's good though. Evanescence is a name almost everyone knows, though, so is it good enough to overcome the inevitable comparisons... maybe. I wish it did more interesting stuff more quickly, but it's not bad.
Exit Eden - Not familiar with the original, but quite liked this. Didn't even know it was a cover until reading description. Good sound, good vocals, and I love the dip a minor key(?) where you think it's going to do the up thing but then it does the down thing instead. Can't speak to how good of a cover it is, but very effective in EE's style.
Lee Brice - This is fine and catchy, but doesn't register to me as much more than typical country with a solid line, so kind of doomed against this competition.
Black Violin - Quite good, definitely made me smile. Sound quality isn't great though and it's very short, and also a cover. Definitely makes me want to look into these guys, makes me think "I probably can't justify this on top, but I wish I could"
Camilla Cabello - Hmm. Also very good. I liked the sketch around the song more than the down-to-music bits, but unlike some similar videos in the past I think they intertwine well enough here.
Gosh. Yeah I agree, this is a hard group. They're all good, I can legit take anything except Lee Brice here and make a case on it (and a country fan could maybe do that too?) Just gonna type on gut. Take these as weak if anyone has stronger opinions.
Exit Eden >= Camilla Cabello >= Black Violin >= Winterplay > Evanescence > Lee Brice
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Depeche mode is way more minimal than Exit Eden which is incredibly busy and has a ton going on, but yeah that works for me.
You should totally check out Depeche Mode though Alex.
-
hm, Evanescence was top for me, but I would just hit play and get to work, so I didn't really notice the weak bits, only the strong bits.
Of the four that Alex has pretty high, next highest for me was Camilla Cabello.
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While I'm at it, some of the songs that didn't make the top 6, cause the field was ridiculously wide this week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTBjMo0AYFA
Kobra and the Lotus (In some ways the best metal this week, although didn't hold up as well on repeat listens. Really this missed the top 6 purely because it was a lyric video and I was looking for reasons to drop songs out of the top 6. Granted, Winterplay is also a lyric video, but Winterplay is fucking ART)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5Sh_FqL27M
331erock (only halloween themed one--decided it was a little weaker than the other metal)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNM8baP4jSw
Malinda Kathleen Reese (I liked it, could probably have squeezed it in at 6th, but I also had a pretty good sense that Gref/Alex aren't as into MKR, and aren't as into Disney, so it felt like a wasted slot when I could easily list six songs that were really worth considering. Granted, you could argue that the country song is also a wasted slot with Gref/Alex, but it's pretty rare for a country song to catch me, whereas MKR is pretty consistently in the "pretty good, but not the pick this week" range for me).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fD4ZUuSZmoQ
Crazy Ex Girlfriend (As a Christian I was initially a little insulted by this, until it got to the part about the holy spirit. At that point it was too over the top not to laugh. "Off to lunch with Casper". Did consider this one. In the end I went by musical merit and it was a little short).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RkSy6ElNIY
Lindsey Stirling (more christmas music. It's not even Halloween yet FFS. I did consider it since nutcracker is not as strongly linked to Christmas. But weirdly I actually liked Black Violin better this week. First time that's happened between these two artists and I've been subbed to Black Violin for a while).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjtYtBGrP6Y
Pentatonix (more chirstmas music; this one I just immediately filed away as "not picking this in October FFS")
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There's a new Taylor Swift song...and it's not in the top 6. >_> Finalists this week
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7imYeuAfkg
Gary Clark Jr
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2Kh_XMIDPU
Superfruit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT7fCPERhks
Caleb Hyles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q55xfEhC6xQ
Alexia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75hpize2Hck
Through Fire
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOFAHZayGEU
Jared Haley
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Gary Clark Jr. - Great song, decent cover. Not really a lot "new" here other than the video, which was a little violent and didn't add much for me. Decent benchmark entry, though I'll probably lean towards an original song over such a straight cover.
Superfruit - Funny, catchy, not much else to say. Gets in and does its thing.
Caleb Hyles - Not gonna lie, I would just about autopick the original King Dice if it had been up here at Cuphead's release. I... actually prefer the original to this (fired it up to compare and wound up looping it for 10 minutes), but it's close and this is still gonna be a top contender.
Alexia - Basically rap? Good delivery, wish I understood the lyrics.
Through Fire - Is that the Wolfenstein symbol on the drum? Hmm, looks like no, but close. Pretty standard metal song, again not bad, but I feel like we get so much great metal flowing through here (and overperforming due to my genre preferences) that this doesn't stand out in comparison.
Jared Haley - Wasn't my thing.
Hmmm. A lot here that is just okay but not standing out to me. Hard to comment on.
Caleb Hyles > Superfruit > Gary Clark Jr. > Alexia > Through Fire > Jared Haley
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Hmm...well...huh, wasn't thinking of this week being a slow week, but sometimes it's hard to tell when I'm just listening to 12 or so songs on repeat.
I could go run the original king dice from cuphead, but it doesn't come with much of a video (just two sprites playing their idle animations).
I could grab something from last week potentially?
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Yeah, last week's crop was very strong to me, that'd work.
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Yeah, last week's crop was very strong to me, that'd work.
I started doing a writeup for Exit Eden, and somehow ended up picking Winterplay instead >_>
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I've had a rough week, and my emotions totally swing how much I like music. "All this music sucks" (some of it is probably good; although I'll admit Luke Bryan is mostly here cause it's a country song with a pro-gay message). Finalists:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZcWVsDSqpE
Beast in Black
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7V0oxWp04tI
Yiruma
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOGw8W9zWe8
MKR
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRtYyQQOW5Y
Tay Zonday
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liqktLC7xR0
Luke Bryan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvqB6JsRbsc
Super Junior
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Beast in Black - Ham and cheese. Feels like the ham is hit or miss here, I liked some of the cadence but not all of it. Does have some nice retro groove though... ehhh. This is okay but we can probably do better.
Yiruma - This exists. VN background music. Simple, but I dig it.
MKR - Yeah, I've also noticed MKR riding the kong line in these ranks and wanted to put her higher. Is this the one? Mmmmmmaybe. I love the first part where it's just her soloing, but then I don't like the middle part where the tiny hipster clap beat comes in, but then I go back to liking the last part when it upgrades to full chorus and actual drum hits. Lots of emotion here though, you can tell she loves the piece even without the speech at the end. In the lead so far!
Tay Zonday - Oh look it's SlayerS_Zonday to snatch the title. This is just the right kind of catchy for me. Guy knows the right sounds to work with his voice and aesthetic, and has a lot of passion in his message as well.
Luke Bryan - Yeah, good central message. A little narrow for me to full override for it, and not a lot going on in the musical end, but didn't mind hearing it.
Super Junior - These guys were big names a while back, yeah? Nice to see them still kickin it. Part of me wants to knock on it for being Generic Capital Letters Kpop but... it's what they do and it's so well done I enjoyed it a lot anyway.
Rough week for me too (sympathies, hugs, <3s) so this may be wonky. IDK. Seems like a solid set, anyhow - I enjoyed all six. Zonday/SJ is a tossup for me, and MKR's not too far behind them (but ain't that always the way... she should've timewarped into the previous week)
Tay Zonday > Super Junior > MKR > Yiruma > Beast in Black > Luke Bryan
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Tay Zonday is probably my pick s well. The delivery was bugging me for a bit before I realized it sounded like a folk song delivery. That basic song structure that you could sing while working and pass down and memorize easily. That really fits what he's doing with the message so yeah. I am down.
Close second is Yiruma but that is just because it is Aeris' theme with no horn section.
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Top for me was Yiruma.
Super Junior is still the biggest outright K-pop group in Korea, yeah. I have a friend who's mom always wants him to dress better, and constantly tells him what Super Junior was wearing. There are other groups that chart higher on music sometimes, but are like...focused on lyrics and stuff and not maximum cheese boybands/girlbands. (Also PSY, of course for someone who's way biger internationally than locally).
Anyway, I'm down with the Tay Zonday pick with two 1sts and pretty high for me too.
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Finalist for this week. Some pretty safe options like metal and stuff like petatonix collabing with a k-pop artist I like, but also some more unusual artistic and or less common genre stuff.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qGFFTD8h9M
Vandroya
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aik4-Zty1Q
Macklemore
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4FApt6z55c
Kimbra
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arJ5h2TY3I4
Superfruit ft Amber
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cYrwNCYQXk
Steve Akoi, feat. ILoveMakonnen & Bok Nero
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_dSwkjbXqA
Crazy Ex Girlfriend
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Vandroya - Standard metal fare. The main line is very similar to Last Remote, Touhou 11's extra stage theme and one of ZUN's best tracks overall, so that's mostly what I hear. That and drums. The drums are kinda eh and really far up front compared to the vocals. It's okay but not great.
Macklemore - Not really my cup of tea, minimalism with lyrics that don't make an impression at all. I like the last bit where Donna Missal starts shouting, the rest just passed through my head.
Kimbra - Wow! Great soundscape, aesthetics, I don't hear much quite like this. Reminds me of weirder JRPG soundtracks. Easy front runner.
Superfruit - Nice catchy pop, I like the instruments. I feel like this would do better if I wasn't listening to it right on the heels of Kimbra. But I am, so it's hard to say much but "that was okay but not in Kimbra's league."
Steve Aoki & co - Standard rap fare. Didn't mind it, but didn't particularly stand out.
Crazy Ex Girlfriend - Is what it says on the tin. Well produced, catchy, very mass market, pleasant.
Well, Kimbra wins big for me here, and the other five are close.
Kimbra >> Steve Aoki > Superfruit > Crazy Ex > Vandroya > Macklemore
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I had a bad afternoon/night so far, it is colouring all of this.
Vandroya - is alright
Macklemore - studio sessions with really minimalist everything and then you run macklemore through auto-tune. fucking why.
Kimbra - probably best
Superfruit - they should probably lean into the fame Pentatonix gives them a bit more. On the other hand, without the gimmick its a bit less exciting. This is also apparently their comedy act pairing? alright.
Steve Aoki & co - I like it less than Alex. It being credited to the producer when there is 2 full choruses with the featuring artists is meh.
Crazy Ex Girlfriend - I dislike this, but I am not the target audience. I also cannot imagine telling you to send this to your mum. You can, you obviously have a better read on how that goes down, but I am not going to tell you to do it.
Kimbra by a big margin > Vandroya > Superfruit = Steve Aoki > Macklemore > Crazy Ex Girlfriend.
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Didn't get to do the normal Thursday filtering cause of the holidays, which means this is one of those unfiltered weeks; some of these will be bad; I know there's some good stuff in here though.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHWAZNkqwN4
bjork - B-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCOjLpM2fqE
Juncoco X Advanced - B-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r18XfeGkIEM
LambC - B-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qA_-WuWOIvU
Almanac - B-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkrIb8WdCeM
Baby Bash - B--
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kz3MEd1Jr0Q
steve akoi x lauren jauregui - B-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQ_0QLL2gqI
hailee steinfeld - B--
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9aFnvR_F4k
schmoyoho - A-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH4E_t3m3xM
selena gomez - B-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVGeb3tCwKs
kaaze - B-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbjFi7eqDdU
Cam - A-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCZ_gISsO2w
Rae Morris - B-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ho7SeRXQqa4
voiceplay - B- (christmas)
-
Casual scattershot listening, I like Bjork more than anything else I hit.
-
yeah bjork for me
-
Well, this week feels all around close to me. Like...yes, obviously OK Go is here, except it's an advertisement for paper :/. Yes, Pentatonix is just doing Christmas music again, but they've basically recomposed 70% of the song, added a new chorus...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IumYMCllMsM
Machine Gun Kelly, X Ambassadors & Bebe Rexha
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgmxMuW6Fsc
OK Go
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTlv5_Bs8aw
Bulletproof Boyscouts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8ng07VhTnE
Kriss Kross Amsterdam ft. Jorge Blanco
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqItlHUSN-4
Pentatonix
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RltQgUOEbEI
The doubleclicks
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MGKXA&BR - Interesting mashup of stuff. I like the early raps more than the later choruses. Overall decent, though not standout.
OK Go - Love this. If this is "just an ad for paper" they can advertise paper to me every day. Good groove, good crunchy guitars, good vocals, good video. Top contender.
Bulletproof Boyscouts - Another top contender, very polished presentation. Got a couple of repeats from me, since it's not quite penetrating current depression; it's good though.
Kriss Kross Amsterdam - Quality entertainment. Similar to Bulletproof Boyscouts, just not as much up my alley.
Pentatonix - Is what it is. Quality entertainment, just etc etc. Keep this in mind for a week or two in the future - it's been December for only 30 minutes (and still won't be December in Pacific time when I post this!) so Christmas Music is still a bit of a minus for me. But it is well made and a good candidate for when that is a plus.
The Doubleclicks - Braced to cringe or be unmoved, instead burst out laughing. Winner.
Yeah, fairly close pack.
The Doubleclicks > OK Go > Bulletproof Boyscouts > Kriss Kross > Pentatonix > MGKXA&BR
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Well you know it is going to be Doubleclicks for me, so the rest of it is probably where the crunchy parts are. I listened to them without the music video but will rewatch OK Go specifically because it will depend entirely on the video
Machine Gun Kelly, X Ambassadors & Bebe Rexha - I dig Machine Gun Kelly, but this is kinda eh. I want it angrier and more in your face.
OK Go - alright I didn't pick it without the video, but this is totally musically quoting Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer. It is interesting seeing them not doing a big elaborate real time video, but still very much doing practical effects. Soooo... Its neat. But I would rather listen to Peter Gabriel sing about his dick. I would rather watch Peter Gabriel do a surreal dreamscape with clay scupltures in stop motion. I would also rather not watch something about Paper industry, even if the paper all got recyled or whatever, that is an industry we could drastically be reducing in the west.
Bulletproof Boyscouts - I dig the intro sound but mostly it just faded into the background.
Kriss Kross Amsterdam ft. Jorge Blanco - THe most fun part is the intro before the music. Now if the song was a depressing break up song I might care more.
Pentatonix - I still hate Christmas music, so I just tag out on this.
The doubleclicks - is my fave
So that said. If you have stuff to say about the video for OK Go, they are alllllllllways doing something cool. If you want Christmas music because it is December, yeah sure, totally go for Pentatonix. They are probably the best Christmas music you will get this year.
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Huh. Have to admit the doubleclicks was fairly middle of the pack for me (although the pack was all very close and fluctuated a lot). That said, I'm not going to say no when both Grefter and Alex are telling me to pick a social justice song about LGBT issues.
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Spoiler warning: I probably always am going to pick a social justice song about LGBT issues.
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So...#1/#2 were fairly steady for me this week, but there are several songs I feel like "yeah, I could see arguments for that one too." Finalists
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQEpYjTj6Fw
Deuce
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKkzbbLYPuI
Lindsey Stirling
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttKn1eGKTew
Schmoyoho
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4hUCheQYxI
Kraftwerk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BC19fhyTG_M
EXO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=US2NES5_pq0
MØKA
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Deuce - I wanted this to go hard on the chorus, but it goes for soothing and droning instead. Ehh.
Lindsey Stirling - Is good. Very Elsa look and tone, probably deliberate?
Schmoyoho - Didn't work for me. I haven't watched this movie and am not into these particular memes, so couldn't find a lot of interest.
Kraftwerk - Shamelessly up my alley, could loop for hours. Might in fact do just that. Not as complex as some of their stuff, but everything is precise and well placed.
EXO - Hmm, I want to say this is above average for kpop boy groups, but it does fall into that general sound. Solid 7/10 "I like it but it doesn't knock my socks off" material.
MOKA - Nice piano jam on this. Mmmm I came out wanting it to have done one more section of development on the chorus? Similar to EXO, fine but not a mega hit for me.
Easy top two of Lindsey Stirling and Kraftwerk for me, biggest question is which of those I put on top. Feeling the violin right now, I think.
Lindsey Stirling > Kraftwerk > EXO > MOKA > Deuce (> Schomoyoho but I assume that one's funnier if you know the film/memes)
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Kraftwerk >>>> Lindsey Stirling > Moka > Exo > Schmoyoho > Deuce
Kraftwerk were something I have loved for over a decade now and they keep showing that you need significantly less to your music to make great music than people actually do.
Lindsey is fine. Probably the highest I will rate christmas music all season. Moka is next best. Exo is fine. Schmoyoho is kinda meh even for them. They could have done something fun there but they jammed it straight into Songify the News template. Deuce is about 1/3 as much song as it should ahve been. They have a good hook and then build into... restarting the same hook over and over.
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Hmmm...having trouble narrowing this down to 6, so I think I'll do 7 finalists this week.
So...this first one I got into in part because there's a music theory video (music theory video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_cmfYwacCc ) explaining the chord structure to go along with it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pT_pKYl34F0
Andrew Huang
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fd7M_5xW0SI
Sia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bt56X7_TIc
Tax the heat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hurWzo01FpM
Orphaned Land
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZFdm_joovo
Nemesea
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YD8mZmGSDNc
Caleb Hyles and Johnathan Young
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Na7VFFnqWVI
Lindsey Stirling
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Andrew Huang - Maybe not technically Christmas music but hits a lot of the same notes to me. The theory vid and glitch stuff are cool, and the song's a fun romp. Not sure it stands out that much without the explanations though.
Sia - Similar to above, a fun Christmas music-ish romp, doesn't stand out as particularly good/bad.
Tax the Heat - Huuh. Kinda retro sound, like, 80s? That's what the Youtube comments say, anyhow. Strong song, well executed. Leaves me wanting a little more but not dissatisfied with what's here. Top contender.
Orphaned Land - Wins. Great song, great production, incredible blend of elements in both the music and the video. Immediately opened up the band's wikipedia page and started listening to all the rest of their stuff.
Nemesea - More very good metal. Also top contender (or would be). Really nice vocals.
Caleb Hyles and Johnathan Young - Fantastic cover, production seems a new step up from their usual and their usual was already very good. The only thing holding this back is that I've never much cared for the original song. Even so, this is a compelling argument to change my mind.
Lindsey Stirling - This is, eh, fine, but not in the ballpark of last week's Lindsey Stirling. Clearly going for a different theme... but then we get to the video, and it heavily features/promotes The Salvation Army. Which... while they certainly do a lot of good work, as the video demonstrates, they also do a lot of not-good work (extremely anti-LGBT, among other things, Google them) and I'm not terribly inclined to get behind promoting them. Not in this day and age, and certainly not when we have stuff like Orphaned Land right here.
Super strong week. Top four are all things I would not just like, but actively want to win and am sad we won't get all of them featured.
Orphaned Land > CH&JY > Nemesea > Tax the Heat > Andrew Huang > Sia > Lindsey Stirling
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Andrew Huang - If discussion chord progressions is a good post I would say go with that, but I mostly abstain.
Sia - Its a Christmas song.
Tax the heat - Hey it is like a new version of Queens of the Stone Age
Orphaned Land - Social commentary track of the week and the Symphonic metal! Its like all my jams! Probably my pick. This week those big soaring choruses do a ton for me.
Nemesea - This is pretty fun and would probably rate more if we weren't soooooo far in to the symphonic side with Orphaned Land.
Caleb Hyles and Johnathan Young - Making it metal doesn't save Disney song structure from my distaste for it. Then I googled the artists. Huh, that was more on point than I expected it to be. It is fine for what it is, I just have 0 interesting in Disney's who thing musically.
Lindsey Stirling - Going to abstain on Christmas music and a Salvation Army ad.
Orphaned Land > Nemesea > Tax the Heat > Caleb Hayes & Jonathon Young
To me, I probably could abstain on the Caleb Hayes & Jonathon Young bit as well because I guess its technically a Christmas song? but whatever.
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Yeah, so listening to these without the video, Orphaned Land was 7th for me, but I had a feeling it might be worth considering for the pick. Both Alex and Grefter picking it top, and not strong consensus on other music (other than a distaste of christmas music)...sure, I'll pick it.
(also the Caleb Hyles and Johnathan Young story is totally not christmas; biblical references, sure, but like...600 years earlier. I believe it is a cover of a Disney song, though, so I shouldn't be surprised Grefter doesn't like it).
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Pretty strong week this week. So...a few things different this week; I may want to pick Christmas music this week (although I'll be pretty loose with my definition of Christmas). I'll also be on vacation next week, so non-christmas music next week. (Oh also, since it's likely to get mentioned--the DJ Earworm 2017 mashup came out a week or two ago and seriously underwhelmed me this year). Anyway, finalists:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKD23O5Wp34
Inja x Pete Cannon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=he6e-ySOdRs
Galactic Empire
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OumAw7yfk7U
The Babe Rainbow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1o0RDWbEz4
Camille and Kennerly
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyqHAO9sL4M
Boy Pierce
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OBqr8IJnu0
KHS & Sam Tsui
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Inja X Pete Cannon - Nice, but not very christmasy or standout.
Galactic Empire - So it looks like Disney's sticking to a "release a Star Wars movie around Christmas" schedule... does this mean Star Wars music qualifies as Christmas music now? Anyway, I like the track, but I really don't like how they interrupt it in the middle for a long voiced joke. I'll be a bit picky and say that's a dealbreaker for seriously considering this.
The Babe Rainbow - Trippy and chill. Goes over the Inja, but still falls into that "didn't mind it but didn't super impress" zone.
Camille and Kennerly - Quite good, a bit understated but I got into it. Fits the loose seasonal theme, and I've been looking for Harp Twins to put out something great for a while.
Boy Pierce - Very entertaining. Reminded me of what a good movie (and good Christmas movie!) Home Alone is. The one thing that makes me shy from it is dropping "pissed his pants" as one of the opening lines, that isn't a very feel good Christmasy start.
KHS and Sam Tsui - Nothing to do with Christmas specifically, but very well made and entertaining to watch and listen to. Does exactly what it wants to do and does it very well, I was enticed to watch the behind the scenes vid as well.
Without considering seasonal relevance:
KHS > Harp Twins > Boy Pierce > Babe Rainbow > Galactic Empire > Inja
Seasonal relevance:
Lindsey Stirling - Carol of the Bells > Pentatonix > Harp Twins > Caleb Hyles & Johnathan Young > (stuff)
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Stuff I listened to on Friday (after the cutoff):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXkszF8Kq0Q
Beast in Black
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So...there just wasn't much music period that came out between this wednesday and the previous thursday; lots of musicians on holiday. Here's the six songs that sort-of stood out, but we may want to use an earlier song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_yeLQFJVZ0
Parry Gripp
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPRVP68rYiQ
Kooma ft Veela
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1icPJAhI2TA
Yang Da Il
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTbBjkruulQ
Silk and Stones
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJ8ja_war38
KHS ft Voiceplay
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQGRg8XBnB4
Momoland
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Parry Gripp - 1 minute of cuteness! What is there to say.
Kooma ft Veela - This is good. I found it very aesthetically pleasing. Nice to listen to, good mix of high and low tones and rhythm, and that "little bit creepy" flavor I adore.
Yang Da Il - Nice but not really my cup of tea.
Silk and Stones - Doesn't make much impression, typical party track stuff.
KHS ft Voiceplay - Good vocals, Hogwarts professors on their off hours look. Averageish.
Momoland - Infomercial? Infomercial. This is where we're at for kpop aesthetic, huh. Well, it's cute idols being cute.
Yeah nothing here stands out much. Kooma a cut above the rest to me. Could also go back to anything good from previous weeks; I wound up spending an entire day looping the Deliver Us cover after all.
Kooma >> Momoland > KHS Voiceplay > Yang Da Il > Parry Gripp > Silk and Stones
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Hmmm....I don't have a clear standout winner in my mind this week. Stronger week than last week though.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20sOM7AlU3Y
Mamamoo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EX3tQWswj0
佐々木恵梨
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gA-NDZb29I4
Justin Timberlake
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sy3ERg7OCWo
Stray Kids
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaNLvjCkYDE
Madonna
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfhU_Ky-vAQ
We Sell The Dead
-
Mamamoo - Is a song. Would say more but...
Eri Sasaki - ... this is like the Mamamoo but better. Maximum chill.
Justin Timberlake - Huh. Pretty neat. Not like what I expected. Probably wins?
Stray Kids - Sure is Kpop!
Madonna - Reverse of JT, who I expected disappointment from, I expected something wild from Madonna but this was pretty tame.
We Sell The Dead - Good beats. Pretty classic formula but it is one I can dig.
Kinda busy so short takes. Good week, strong top 3.
Justin Timberlake > We Sell The Dead > Eri Sasaki > Stray Kids > Mamamoo > Madonna
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Hmm...some decent ones this week, but nothing I'm super attached to. Finalists:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wH-by1ydBTM
Fall out Boy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjxugyZCfuw
The Greatest Showman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaBwZhcQEJU
Diamante
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mgfe5tIwOj0
Dua Lipa
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iJ292hvGdg
Jang WooYoung
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eACohWVwTOc
The Chainsmokers
-
Fall out Boy - This feels pretty right at the moment. Also Fall Out Boy got good and I don't know when.
The Greatest Showman - This is a feel good song about being happy within yourself and showing the world who you are. THis is not what I feel right at the moment.
Diamante - They have come up before? Its cool, but not not better than Fall Out Boy
Dua Lipa - This feels teflon and I don't really dig it, but its better than the last one on here.
Jang WooYoung - I dig the acoustic stuff, it feels suuuuper polished even for acoustic though, but that is what I would expect from a member (a few?) from 2pm. Its probably #2.
The Chainsmokers - I am so completely done with the Chainsmokers
Fall out Boy > Jang WooYoung > Diamante > The Greatest Showman > Dua Lipa > The Chainsmokers
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Fall Out Boy - Was all right. Kinda bounced on me.
The Greatest Showman - Kinda what Grefter said, except I felt that way about FOB too.
Diamante - This is more my speed at the moment. Doesn't extremely stand out, but a nice listen.
Dua Lipa - Similar to the Diamante but less memorable. Teflon sounds about right.
Jang WooYoung - Wanted to dig this more than I did. It is polished.
The Chainsmokers - HmmmMMm. I liked the beginning of this, then it went major key and got kinda boring, then I liked it again. IDK who these people are or what Gref's beef with em is. It doesn't wow me but... I liked it best I think?
Nothing I am overly attached to here either. They're all in a very similar range for me.
Chainsmokers > Diamante > Jang WooYoung > Fall Out Boy > Dua Lipa > Greatest Showman
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Oh yeah if you haven't written this week yet, I have a bit of a request if you don't mind.
The lead singer from The Cranberries died this week unexpectedly and they had a really killer acoustic album this year and would kind of like to share Dreams (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuWQA8MMnGU) off it as a shout out for it.
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OK, well
Yang Woo Young: me 1, Grefter 3, Alex 2
The Greatest Showman: me 2, GrefAlex 4/6
The Chainsmokers: Alex 1, Gref 2, I forget where I was on them but probably decent like 3 or 4 or something
Fall out Boy: Gref 1, Alex 2, something like 3 or 4 from me
Diamante: 2, 3, something like 3 or 4 from me
Dua Lipa: low from everyone.
This really could go to any of Fall out Boy, Chainsmokers, or Yang Woo Young. Guess I'll default to Yang as that ended up on top for me.
I will also mention Grefter's request, although it's not a music video, so I won't make it the selection.
-
A mention was all I wanted! Much appreciated.
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So...one of the reasons I skipped over Fall Out Boy last week, is that I already had listened forward to their song from this week and thought it was better. On the other hand, this whole week is probably higher quality than last week so...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJzaYLc4pPY
NF
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3vbvF8bQfI
Fall Out Boy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yJej85hpFM
SWYZII
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAqnXcqNCx4
kreayshawn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lj6Y6JCu-l4
Zedd, Maren Morris, Grey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW_SW-EwVRI
The Wombats
(Also honourable mention to Falconshield (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xALC9xMpUMQ), very solid musically, probably ahead of a few of these on musical merit, but I don't think a lyric video about League of Legends is winning with this competition).
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NF - Pretty good, liked it more than I expected from an initial reaction of "discount eminem". I dig the backing and cadence enough to take it as a winner.
Fall Out Boy - Very artsy! Seems like a message about the ICE/sanctuary cities stuff? Perhaps that is just me reading into it since it is so relevant where I live. Anyway yeah, strong track, well done in all respects, top contender.
SWYZII - Ooh. Another great one. Good mix of traditional/modern stuff. I keep wanting it to go just a liiiittle bit further... but that's something I do a lot so it's probably great anyway.
kreayshawn - Can't listen to this, too personal, abstaining.
Zedd, Maren Morris, Grey - Pretty average song-like song. Nothing bad to say about it, but others this week are strong so "average" isn't going to do well.
The Wombats - Song is only okay, but this is worth a look just for the video.
Falconshield - Exactly as MC said, this is pretty good musically, I like it a lot, but I also can't ignore the nipple spikes. Hm.
Strong week, tough pack. Could take anything.
Fall Out Boy > SWYZII > Falconshield > NF > Wombats > Z/MM/G
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Not gonna lie, I picked up the Fall Out Boy album this week and have been listening to it all week so yeah I am totally okay with that being the pick.
It isn’t the first time I have picked up an album or a band because of this topic, but it has definitely been the first time I have done a complete 180 of my opinion over the years. I am pretty sure you had some stuff off their last album that I was borderline on? But yeah the whole album is good and they have come a long way from yet another emo band in an over saturated genre I didn’t care for. Also massive respect for their work ethic (though that was there even when I didn’t like their stuff).
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Finalists
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ll04Zzw5UM
Lady Gaga
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQUuqbzQVsY
Liam Payne, Rita Ora
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eTq2WiAbBI
oceans of slumber
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMAhCxh88Tk
331Erock
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OL4LNg-iyY4
pink
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJqc7NR1mTM
follow the cipher
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Listening and following these on my way home from work. Going to edit in a post then, but warning, my opinions this week are garbage and show my taste in music is actually trash.
Lady Gaga - I am going to keep up this message that the moment she puts out an acoustic/piano album I will buy it. This is pretty schlocky feel good stuff, but that fits the subject matter perfectly. This is pretty easily the best thing this week, but there is more to come.
Liam Payne, Rita Ora - Yeah I don't like this, the beat they are singing over just feels like it is trying to push in over the top of the singing which feels completely incongruent with the beat which feels like The Beat Is Technotronic (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9lFqxGGCXQ)
oceans of slumber - So when are we starting up that oWoD campaign with alexchan? Because this sounds exactly like what we have on in the background constantly. Or mood music back for when you were working on a White Wolf IP. Also not gonna lie a huuuuuuuge part of me wants to pick this for the week because of how fucking amazing that hair is. I don't give 2 shits if it isn't real that looks amazing and the whole get up is great. It is a kind of metal I don't really drift towards but its a pretty good representative for its subgenre.
331Erock - Okay I learned something today. I was going to originally say that this is a good cover of the track from Full Throttle, but that it sounds just like a knock off version of something else. Then googling to try and jog my memory for what it was, I find out that the OST for Full Throttle is licensed music from an 80s hard rock/punk band. So... it is less a knock off of anything other than just representative of the genre it is from and is a good cover.
Okay I still don't know what to do with that, but that is cool. The Gone Jackals is the band for reference and they might be worth a retrospective look.
pink - So this is a track about overcoming from an artist I have tons of respect for both as a person and an artist. It is deeply emotional and she is pretty damn good on this and it isn't even out of character for her to do a big ballad on ablums.
I don't know why I don't really dig Pink. She is really good and keeps that torch for more of a poet/singer alive better than anyone else and she does it with a pop twist. She just doesn't speak to me quite as strongly as some of the other things like this. I would guess it is that I like the performative nature of things like The Long Blondes or even Amy Winehouse, but... sometimes those Winehouse tracks are performative and like the closest thing that I like is Hole - Letter to God and that straight down the line open and honest. Maybe it is I need some layer of allegory or abstraction? I dunno.
follow the cipher - And this is why I am garbage. This is my favourite thing this week. It is almost entirely on how fucking wonky and bad that synth tone sounds. Then it is over the top of standard breakdown metal with blasting kick drums and oh my fucking gods I love it. Like the song is like a pretty okay example of the style. It is entirely that synth tone that elevates it in noteworthiness for me (though to be fair it is a genre I do listen to regularly).
follow the cipher > oceans of slumber > Lady Gaga (YOU SHOULD REALLY PICK GAGA) > Pink > 331Erock >>>>>>> Liam Payn, Rita Ora
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Lady Gaga - Eh. This is fine, but didn't connect with or wow me that much. Don't really see where the hype is at.
Liam Payne, Rita Ora - Same as Grefter, the fusion doesn't quite mesh for me.
oceans of slumber - Might be on the long side for a pick, but for myself, I dig this. I like songs that have progression and development, narrative if you will, and this delivers a strong thoughtful listen. Probably coming back to this group for today's general listening.
331Erock - Nostalgia hit for sure. I feel like this style of music benefits from being louder and fuller, while 331's style is more "bare" with a fair amount of dead air.
pink - Very similar to the Lady Gaga. My feelings are the reverse of Grefter's, this one hit my feelings more, where Gaga didn't. I don't know that I could even explain why, really - I don't think either of them are particularly allegorical or do much out of the ordinary.
follow the cypher - Haaa. What Grefter said. I certainly get the feel of intentionally wallowing in a cheesy beat. Fun ride!
Pretty strong selection here.
Oceans of slumber > follow the cypher > pink > 331Erock > Lady Gaga > Liam Payne, Rita Ora
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Whoops, fell asleep at like 9pm. Finalists this week (seems like a solid week):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZINt47r270
Julian Calor ft. Maggie Szabo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYVmmWNskjs
Auri
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iPn8dAk-sw
Tax the Heat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWAW1rz1stM
Dropgun
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8ONsRbOuos
PRhyme
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyQjVtIGQg8
Jonathan Young & Jason Paige
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Julian Calor ft. Maggie Szabo - A very songlike song. Ended just as I was starting to feel into it, but it's not that short so idk what that says. Overall... medium strength?
Auri - Slow burn, love the percussion. I could see getting bored by it, but for me the end was worth the wait. Reasonable high contender.
Tax the Heat - This one got me nodding my head and wondering what Grefter will say about it. Feels like I am not quite cultured enough to grasp the influences, but this is a smooth blend that stuck in my mind after listening. Video's a bit hard to watch.
Dropgun - Mmmmm crunchy. Video's a hilarious mismatch for me but that's fine, the music carries itself. I liked the last section the best and wish it was a bit longer. Nothing obviously socks-knocking, but plays to my tastes well.
PRhyme - This kinda bounced on me. The high pitched... bubble pop thingy? made it hard to concentrate on the lyrics.
Jonathan Young & Jason Paige - Aaaaaannnnnnd we have a winner. The first rep alone would be strong, but then it goes the extra mile and... yeah.
Good week. Jonathan Young saves me from breaking an otherwise very sticky 3-way tie of strong contenders.
Jonathan Young & Jason Paige > Dropgun >= Auri >= Tax the Heat > Julian Calor > PRhyme
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Auri > Dropgun > Tax the Heat > P Rhyme > Jonathon YOung > Jonathon Young & Jason Paige > Julian Calor Ft Maggi Szabo.
Tuomas Holopainen is the songwriter for Nigthwish and it shows in this track. I still really love Nightwish, so that's pretty much it. It was really just going to beween them and Tax the Heat going in.
Dropgun was the only thing that would really contend I thoguth when I listened to it, but P Rhyme gets way better on the back half, but Dropgun has a stronger start.
Pokemon theme song apparently doesn't have much nostalgia for me. Like I know the words and all, but eh.
-
Mmmm...ok, let's see.
Johnathan Young and Jason Paige started out at the top for me, but didn't hold up as well to repeat listens. Pretty cool that Jason Paige is the original vocalist for the pokemon theme song, though. So...my initial impression was 1st, slid to 3rd or 4th, 1st from Alex, 5th from Grefter.
Auri reminds me a lot of Nightwish's Islander; started like 7th for me moved up to 3rd or 4th, not surprised it's top for Grefter since he likes Islander. In Alex's big three way tie.
PRhyme was consistently super high to me; hovered around 2nd to 1st most of the time; finished 1st now that I think about it. Did not resonate with Alex at all, though, which is good information. (I'll admit I really like high pitched stuff).
Tax the Heat was lowish for me; squeezed in at 6th. This isn't necessarily disqualifying as these are all songs I like. 2nd for Grefter, in Alex's big three way tie--still not the pick cause we all have Auri higher.
Julian Calor ft Maggi Szabo has a 5th and a 6th-- out
Dropgun - Spent a lot of time around 1st or 2nd for me (I know it ended 2nd to PRhyme), 2nd for Grefter, in Alex's big three way tie.
Hmm...this is looking like Auri or Dropgun. Should probably relisten to both.
EDIT: wow, while musically Dropgun's song is super strong, the video is pretty weak. Bad and lazy animation. Also: looting ancient artifacts? I mean, dropgun makes a lot of techno, so I assumed the music was some level of cultural appropriation, which doesn't bother me per se, but it would be a lot better if it showed the mushroom dude doing Hindu rituals instead of stealing Hindu artifacts.
EDIT2: And yeah, Auri's music video is actually quite good. Pretty sure in a vacuum I consider Dropgun's audio better, but this isn't a vacuum.
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Finalists this week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGXXYmiEXIE
tsukemen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8og27P0TUx0
Ali Brutofski
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqZfJRu-_zY
garnidelia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgT4CPv_CCE
suzy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiL_lSkAddk
Parry Gripp
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bhi4dCJi_2I
Kess Ross x John Gibbons
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tsukemen - I've been watching the Olympics all this week and this is the sort of music they play 24/7... which makes this not stand out to me. High production quality though.
Ali Brutofski - #Ohno. This got stuck in my head in a good way. Good lyrics, good tune, strong contender. Not sure how I feel about the sudden ending but that's the only quibble.
garnidelia - Japanese as heck, very much in the vein of the vocaloid stuff I listen to w/tonfa & co., very recognizable blend of synth stuff into a brighter string+vocal break. Enjoyable, and unusual for MC's lists! Torn between "this is closer to one of my tastes that doesn't get a lot of MC rep" and "because I listen to a lot of similar stuff, I know some very similar songs to this that I like better."
Suzy - Kpop gonna Kpop. Not a bad time, but after the two above, the minimal style of this one doesn't click for me this week.
Parry Grip - While accurate to my life and entertaining, I felt done with this as a song at 1:20.
Kess Ross x John Gibbons - This was okay, but not as good as others.
Pretty strong week. Easy rank, top two really hit the spot for me.
Ali Brutofski > garnidelia > tsukemen > suzy > kess ross x john gibbons > Parry Grip
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Oh dear, no reply yet from Grefter.
(Alex and I have a pretty significantly different take on this week's songs so a third opinion would be good).
-
Sorry struggling with my head lately.
tsukemen > garnidelia > suzy > Ali Brutofski > kess ross x john gibbons > Parry Grip
It is JRPG credits music week for me apparently.
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Well, ended up choosing before Grefter replied, but chose the song he has marked as #1 anyway, so...worked out?
As for this week..wait, muse isn't dead? I thought they disappeared forever after like...Knights of Cydonia. Anyway, finalists:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQ_3S-IQm38
Muse
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdDZdpw8siw
paloma faith
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SW7axUZ6oPs
Terra Lightfoot
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHjuEF4Q3qU
Cast of Zombies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_hxc1aJ0Io
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvXkYUxKVrE
Diamante
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You clearly don't need me any more.
Muse - Punk Zombies would probably get a bit more hype/love from me, but there is bigger movers and shakers this week.
paloma faith - This is one of the bigger movers and shakers. I nearly thought this was going to be the pick on just the strength of the bass line. It is still pretty damn high in contention because I am really feeling a disco beat at the moment.
Terra Lightfoot - This is the one I feel compelled to say the most about though. It hits a style I was way more into a few years ago, it is really classic rock stuff with that twangy rock guitar tone on a fuzzy amp. It suits her singing really well and just in general it is a solid track in a genre and style I like. Like this is probably the one this week I should like best, buuuuut I am seriously biased to the funky bass right now.
Cast of Zombies - Literally an auto tuned Disney song in a thing about cheer leading. I was nearly interested in this band named Cast of Zombies, that would have been a pretty rand band name. but it is the cast of show Zombies. So I will just have to abstain.
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend - An ironic Disney song is still a Disney song. So abstaining again, but... note that the problem with Disney songs is not specifically the problem with them.
Diamante - Yeeeee now we are back on to that good good. Man that puts me in a rough spot because if I want to be angry this is also the business and lets be real, this week has had a lot of things we have Had Enough of. So that is tempting. I think if I hadn't had a decent night I would easily have picked that.
So... I have 3 tracks I honestly put super close together, Muse, then 2 tracks I am tapping out on.
I think I will go with my orthodox picks on this one.
Terra Lightfoot >= Diamante >= Paloma Faith > Muse > faux Disney > Disney
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Muse - Is this... a Michael Jackson reference? The dancing is a lot like Thriller and the lyrics are kind of like that and Smooth Criminal. Maybe I'm just strange and seeing connections that aren't there, I dunno, it's dominating my thoughts on this song though. It's just okay on a "liking it" scale but intellectually makes me interested to check out what this album is doing.
paloma faith - Kinda the opposite, this one sticks in my head although the messaging/lyrics/video didn't interest me much. Good song, very catchy.
Terra Lightfoot - Gref covered this one pretty well, it's good, just a genre/style that doesn't fit my tastes as much.
Cast of Zombies - is it me or is the volume on this way lower than the other songs? Anyway... what Grefter said.
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend - Also what Grefter said. In context I'm sure it's ironic and funny, but listened standalone it comes off depressing and creepy (and not in the good ways I like).
diamante - Also also also what Grefter said. Angrysong. I am angry about stuff, but I'd like to be happy about disco so...
As ever, feel free to hard override if you've got things to say about songs from the sides of MCtaste that don't tend to get Gref/me involved!
paloma faith > Muse > diamante > Terra Lightfoot > Zombies > Crazy Ex
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And this time it's me that's crazy late.
Mmm...Muse and and Diamante were fighting for top two for me I think? And I don't remember the rest.
Muse is 2nd and 4th from Gref/Alex. Diamante is 3rd, and in Grefter's big three way tie.
Terra Lightfoot is at the top of Gref's three way tie, 4th for Alex, reasonably high for me (3rdish).
Paloma Faith is 1st for Alex, in Gref's die, maybe 4th for me.
I think this puts Diamante probably in a mild lead overall? (Also a point in its favour is that we've had a lot of soft songs recently, so eh, mixing things up).
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Shit, forgot to send my list home when I left work. Really strong week, though, let's see how much of it I can remember without links.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hF6Wds75rjg
CLC
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGRzz0oqgUE
Janelle Monáe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-O1JG10GMOY
PKCZ & Snoop Dogg & Yultron
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kdXsfn0-7c
Jeff Swingle, Laura Intravia, John Robert Matz
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhEa1s42jbg&t=0s
Antonia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvDyFY8WLQM
Epica
(Nailed it. Also solid stuff from Harp Twins and Parry Gripp this week, but yeah, this is the top 6 I settled on).
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CLC - Solid kpop production. I'd watch this show. Doesn't stick in my head or go outside of conventions, but a good listen.
Janelle Monae - Like a chiller version of the CLC? I like the second half's progression.
PKCZ & Snoop Dogg & Yultron - This, I liked the beginning. But then... eh? Not a lot to grab on to.
Jeff Swingle, Laura Intravia, John Robert Matz - Wins. Something something personal bias and love for this game and song, but fortunately it's not even a question because the musical production here is amazing. Great instruments, great singing, solid lyrics, wow wow wow.
Antonia - Another in the vein of CLC/Janelle Monae. I got really into it when they started the true tango part... but then it backed off and went back to minimal party synthbeats again.
Epica - Over the last week I've been reading a litcrit analysis blog doing a long, in-depth look at RWBY, so that's where my head's at seeing this. Video's a big positive factor, music goes along with it. Not sure how much I would be into the music without the visuals (or at least having seen them once to create mental context.) Maybe overcorrecting though.
Yeah this is a strong week. #1 and #6 are clear, FFT knocked my socks off and Snoop Dogg didn't resonate. Janelle Monae > CLC > Antonia I think, that threepack are pretty similar. Epica is good, about on the same level as those, where do I stick it in hmm... second? That's giving a fair bit of credit for the video, but it IS a nicely animated video up against pelvic thrusting.
FFT > Epica > Janelle Monae > CLC > Antonia > Snoop&co
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I will do this today, just been on a short holiday for a wedding so been busy doing stuff with fam.
-
Hmm...nothing from Grefter yet. Think I'm going to go ahead and pick, though; it's Tuesday, new songs will be posted in two days >_>.
(Alex and I are equally biased towards FFT so that works).
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I probably would have picked FFT anyway.
-
So...the melodysheep one raises a question of where we draw the line for "this is a piece of music" -- it samples a bunch of documentary sound bytes, and as a result feels like a documentary. But at the same time the main creative input that wasn't sampling existing material was musical.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuAH21DkJow
Pink
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olDCH0WvYuo
Boy Pierce
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9dCZ8fL0e4
Lisa Stansfield
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6hWbnigyxg
melodysheep
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cINJwaAn4Y
The Piano Guys
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37lXjnflt9M
Years and Years
-
Pink - Eh, was okay, kinda bounced. Doing this thread has expanded my musical horizons and definitely helped me recognize there's a lot more to "pop" than I thought! But this is the kinda thing that originally made me go "I can't really get into pop music."
Boy Pierce - I didn't watch this show often, just enough to recognize the Urkel stuff everyone does, so I don't have a lot to say here either. Rap's competent, seems well produced.
Lisa Stansfield - Eat the rich. Still doesn't hit me *much*, but *some*. Seems like a good concept and all.
melodysheep - 10 minutes haha doing the others first. ... oh ok. Yeah, so I have no trouble accepting this as music, this is one of the genres I really love. You can find a ton of great longform electronica stuff on youtube. Even among those, this stands out. The "musical" side is so well choreographed with the concepts and vocals. Tons of effort in all the soundscape here. Also dropping some sick science. There is a no-commentary version if you want, but why, this is fantastic. Easily my pick.
Piano Guys - A Good Song. Strong Music. I Enjoyed. Made Me Smile. No, seriously, good stuff. It is exactly what it says on the tin.
Years and Years - I liked the video/story/first half of everything going on! The "main act" of the song it gets into later, bit less, still fine but if I stick to just considering that it's kinda eh. Good hustle overall.
melodysheep lives up to the hype, and is absolutely great music. Love love love.
melodysheep >>> Piano Guys > Years and Years > Lisa Stansfield > Boy Pierce > Pink
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I am just a negative fuck today and don't feel any of them, so all of my opinions are bad and not really useful. These rating aren't even based on personal preference for the tracks, just kind of an order on what I think is most deserving and most interesting.
Pink > Years and Years > Piano Guys > Lisa Stansfield > melodysheep > Boy Pierce
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Hmm...
Well, Pink was topish for me. Melodysheep was high too, although I wasn't sure quite where to put it.
From Gref/Alex these are 1/6 and 5/1 respectively so...uhh
Pianoguys I was off and on as to whether to even include it (considered including the new Meghan Trainor instead, but was dissatisfied with that piece). 2/3 from Gref/Alex, but like 6th from me.
All of us semi-liked Years and Years, like 2/3/3 between the three of us. Using the "add numbers together" method it probably rates highest between us, but I'd prefer to pick something that gets 1st from someone and 6th from someone else than something that gets 3rd from everyone; a mixture of strong opinions is better than "yeah, we agree it's alright."
Grefter has passion for nothing, Alex really has passion for Melodysheep, yeah, going for that I guess.
EDIT, first version of melody sheep got DMCA'd; there's a new version; listening through that one to see how I feel about it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBikbn5XJhg
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This is an interesting week--not sure how good these necessarily are, but there's a lot of songs with interesting style or genre tweaks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ph54wQG8ynk
Camila Cabello
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbsAFGPo-CQ
Rick Astley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1e4nRzHoaE
Follow the Cipher
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mU9v8-MVemQ
Paddy and the Rats
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUFsXzeYeGQ
Ocean China
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BF1yRsft8uI
The Big Wave Band 大波浪樂隊
(Honourable mention to the Heartstone expansion ad, which was legit like...7th or 8th and ahead of Petatonix for me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtIbKXd5fWo )
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Still listening to last week's melodysheep off and on; Stephen Hawking's passing picked up some added emotional value on it. Let's see what we've got here.
Camila Cabello - Already seeing what MC means. This would not normally appeal to me very much, but has some nice percussion and stuff going on towards the end. Still not a winner for me, but I appreciate the effort.
Rick Astley - Despite mentioning several different animals, I think this song is ultimately about bears. Rick Astley has embraced his memetic status, and it's great, because he still has an amazing voice. I have no idea how to rank this but it is worth hearing and may win out.
Follow the Cipher - Mmm. Metal. Composition's fine, pretty neat actually, but the mixing is not doing it for me here. I'd like these vocals to be crisp, front and center, but they aren't. They sound muddled in with the guitars, it's hard to hear the lyrics, and no particular element gets showcased. An unusual take, but not one that works for me. The Rick Astley track is a very good comparison, it does the exact sort of "showcase the voice" that I wanted this to do.
Paddy and the Rats - This sandwiches FtC nicely, demonstrating how to backseat vocals on purpose to showcase instruments. Emphasizing the drums and fiddle makes the song really fit the tavern shanty vibe they're going for. Great stuff.
Ocean China - I found this one interesting, but inaccessible. Didn't really understand it, came away feeling confused. It is clearly building on genre stuff that I don't know about, but I couldn't find a handle to get interested. Maybe Grefter will know more?
Big Wave Band - Annnnnd slightly creepy politically subversive east-west electronic music with heavy chiptune effects, tweaked abnormal sounds and earworm vocal bits? OH LOOK IT'S ALEXBAIT
Hearthstone: Innistrad Witchwood - Not bad, but I wanted them to keep the beat flowing.
Very cool assortment of stuff here.
Big Wave Band > Rick Astley > Paddy and the Rats > Hearthstone > Follow the Cipher > Camila Cabello > Ocean China
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Yeah I dig all of the tracks this week. They all do something I am pretty into, so I guess you are playing to audience.
Camila Cabello - Probably my number 2. Its my kind of song in general. I think it is a bit less non-standard than the others, but it is also in that stripped back electronic song about making fun bad decisions that I like.
Rick Astley - Its pretty good. I have no idea what movie it is for. The Full Monty 2?
Follow the Cipher - I love the synth, its otherwise pretty stock. It is kind of like Amaranthe - Maximize without nearly as good a dance beat, but it is still pretty fun.
Paddy and the Rats - This is probably my pick. It is like Drop Kick Murphys were fully embracing pop punk. Its got dudes in cravats play fiddles and piano accordion. This is all I want in life.
Ocean China - It is pretty good, but its getting late and I am losing what few words I have left, but its good!
The Big Wave Band 大波浪樂隊 - This is like that artsy dregs of what would get play in the mid 90s when Euro house stuff was playing and there was stuff getting play that was chill ambient style stuff and not really poppy.
Paddy and the Rats > Camila Cabello > The Big Wave Band 大波浪樂隊 > Rick Astley> Ocean China > Follow the Cipher
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Looks like it's between Paddy and the Rats and The Big Wave Band. Both pretty high for me.
Well, we've actually picked The Big Wave before. (It was that kraftwerk-esque band a couple years back). Sadly the previous Big Wave Band video seems to be taken down. But anyhow, I will tiebreak to the band we haven't chosen before.
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I think this is a strong week, but at least a couple of these artists Grefter has disliked in the past, so we'll see.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69Vil66srSU
Dreamcatcher
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-D03wFc-yDk
Killah Queen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gCVQD5UzHU
曾軼可 (Zeng Yike)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aQykuIaJVI
Lin Manuel Miranda & Ben Platt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dx9mF1KJr0s
Kelly Clarkson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNKU4hSz3SU
Matty B
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Dreamcatcher - Starts slow but gets really good. Very much my jam, lots of ups and downs and violin slams. Great video too. Very memorable, will be hard to top this.
Killah Queen - Well... good social justice message rap. High school German came in clutch and let me understand most of it. I definitely enjoyed it... but I'm not sure how much people with zero German would get out of it, and also, the video is EXTREMELY NSFW. The ranking will reflect my personal appreciation for it, but uh, probably don't pick this.
Zeng Yike - Another cool atmosphere song. Would be a strong consideration in other pools, but here it's outclassed by Dreamcatcher.
Lin Manuel Miranda & Ben Platt - Is what it says on the tin. They have good voices. Doesn't speak to me, but this is the safe mainstream pick.
Kelly Clarkson - Also not really up my alley. Probably outdone by LMM in its category though.
Marry B - Cute, but a little bit repetitive, and a little bit uncomfortable if I attempt to think about it beyond surface cute. Is he gonna take turns dating all those sisters? Dude she's like twelve. What.
Yeah, strong week. Sharp 3/3 split between "crazy stuff that appeals to Alex" and "ultra mainstream that probably appeals to people who actually fit into society." The latter is still well done and not bad, just isn't ever speaking to me like the top 3. Killah Queen is probably a DQ for the column, but was a fun listen.
Dreamcatcher > Killah Queen > Zeng Yike > LMM & BP > Matty B > Kelly Clarkson
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Dreamcatcher - Steamed Alexchans But It Is K-Pop
Killah Queen - I vaguely remember her coming up last time? It think I remember talking about it being weird me not voting for German woman rapping. This is really damn good, like first two tracks is all killer no filler.
曾軼可 (Zeng Yike) - Grefter Songs But It Is K-Pop. I don't know if this works quite as well as Dreamcatcher does because it is kind of rejecting the self destruction instead of just being about wallowing in it, but its pretty good. Dreamcatcher is also just a better put together complete package.
I fucking love the costuming though.
Lin Manuel Miranda & Ben Platt - So this is a mash-up apparently? I am really out of the pop culture bubble that these come from. It sounds like some Disney ass tunes to me, but hey more power to people doing songs for social progress. I kinda don't see how it ties in to the march specifically, but whatever its cool that its there.
Kelly Clarkson - On first listen "Eh this is Kelly Clarkson, I wonder if she wrote it or someone else did. It sounds like pushing really hard on vocal stuff like she isn't really famous for". To wikipedia! "I Don't Think About You" is written by Sean & Andre Davidson of the production duo The Monarch, singer Jessica Ashley (professionally known as Harlœ), and Vanderbilt pianist Michael Pollack. ... Prior to finishing the track, Clarkson had asked Harlœ to pen it like a Whitney-esque ballad to showcase her range, which led to an arrangement emphasizing on her vocals.
Yep okay, so there is nothing wrong with either of those things, but part of the appeal to me of your Adelle/Florence/Lorde stuff is exactly how personal it is. Also I really am not a fan of ballads that push vocals and oversinging. It just ain't me.
Matty B - Hey puberty is being really kind to him and he seems to be doing pretty well for himself. Also it is weird how less sexual this is compared to the stuff when he wasn't a teenager yet was. Also still heeeeeeeeellllllllllllll no is this going to be in my wheel house. I am happy for him, but this also ain't me.
You made this week really easy for me.
Dreamcatcher > Killah Queen > 曾軼可 (Zeng Yike) > Lin Manuel Miranda & Ben Platt > Kelly Clarkson > Matty B
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Dreamcatcher huh? I almost didn't include that one in my top 6, but I was like 'well, it's different'. With a double first place, from Alex/Grefter, though, sure, guess that's the pick.
Notable 7th/8th place runner up was a KHS 10 years of k-pop retrospective:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OebEd8XzpR8
It's ok, trip down memory lane to be sure. But I didn't feel it held together as well as some of the other options as a coherent song.
-
Never underestimate our taste in dissonant sounds and appreciation for horror throwbacks.
-
Dreamcatcher also got strong positive response when I linked it to IRC friends, for what that's worth (which is nothing but >_>)
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Seems like a strong week, but also a lot of stuff outside my comfort zone. Stuff that I didn't really think of as "my genre" kind of drifted to the top.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkpwPKZb_Zo
Sigrid
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rd6VmVJqLn0
Parry Gripp
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFIMXTqsQCw
Awolnation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O02MnrL_wrc
Louisa
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6HhDFskbXs
melodysheep
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZla1ttZHaw
Lil Dicky
(Also bonus pretty good Songify the News, which is funnier than the other humor entries this week, but weaker musically: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaUPiTDbNvQ )
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Sigrid - Nice message, and certainly a unique take. Sad to say it didn't do much work for me though. There is a part where a light drum+backing comes in and that kind of undercuts the idea for me, like, why have that section instead of just the raw vocal 100%? And... well. There's a big ol watermark on the account name and in the corner of every frame of the video. This hot take on "letting artists be raw" brought to you by VEVO, McDonalds, Facebook and Coca-Cola, yknow? I'm sad because I want to like it more but eh.
Parry Gripp - Makes ears happy. Is fun. Not a lot else to say.
Awolnation - And this one I don't know what to say. Good. Sticks in my mind.
Louisa - This is really well made, I think. There's a lingering feel like I should think this is "trashy," but tbh I think that's societal racism talking. I wonder if this is one of the ones MC thought was not her genre, because I think just under the surface it resembles a lot of the Kpop we see in this thread. Good stuff.
melodysheep - Well. If we hadn't just recently picked that History of the Universe one, I'd slam this in a heartbeat. But this is very similar to that, and much more compressed in scope. So I dunno.
Lil Dicky - Okay, yeah, good humor, I was interested and went back to rewatch the parts I was distracted during, that's a good sign. Not much going on musically but it is funny and memorable.
Songify the News - As described. I found Lil Dicky funnier, mostly because thinking about the news makes me want to cry, set things on fire, or both.
Hard rank here. Not so hot on Sigrid and Songify the News, but the rest are all around the same level and melodysheep can go anywhere. Just gonna write an order on enjoyment.
Lil Dicky > Awolnation > Louisa > Parry Grip > melodysheep > Sigrid > Songify the News
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I wonder if this is one of the ones MC thought was not her genre, because I think just under the surface it resembles a lot of the Kpop we see in this thread. Good stuff.
Nah, I was referring more to stuff like Sigrid when I was saying stuff that's a little outside of my usual genre. Louisa is just high production value pop.
(Waiting for Grefter)
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Well, nothing from Grefter; Awolnation was #1 for me and #2 for Alex, so I'll go with that.
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Hmm...not blown away by anything this week; couple decent pieces, but would also be open to running something from last week
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=km2iPhTT3wc
Capital Cities
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6gmyWhhmCE
Sam Martin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Juv_z6Y8w90
Last
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rW9r_1ys2ec
Oh My Girl
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-la3YmKjxLc
Veil of Obscurity
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNH7X46gMjQ
The Boyz
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Capital Cities - Just didn't hold my interest, wandered off to listen to Holst's Mars.
Sam Martin - Just didn't hold my interest, wandered off to listen to Yoko Taro and Takahisa Taura's GDC panel on Nier Automata. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKbH9i5axxU)
Last - Fun eurorock listen. Didn't blow me away, seems kinda stock formula, but did make me bob my head a bit.
Oh My Girl - Super cute! Also super lewd. >_> A bit repetitive but not bad as far as horny kpop goes.
Veil of Obscurity - Has a good guitar solo. Pretty good quality overall... ooh, some nice piano stuff in the second half too. This is good, yeah.
The Boyz - So very kpop. Some instruments I like better than Oh My Girl, but I think I preferred the coherence of bananathirst.
Veil of Obscurity's the only one that bats above "average" for me here. It's fine, though, and nothing really stands out more from the last couple of weeks.
Veil of Obscurity > Last > Oh My Girl > The Boyz > Sam Martin > Capital Cities
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Huh, I don't have much to add this week, I pretty much just agree with Alex's set.
Don't have nay particular insight either.
Veil of Obscurity > Last > Oh My Girl > The Boyz > Sam Martin > Capital Cities looks good.
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Whoops, forgot to send these to myself last night. Finalists this week:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J75enyWdbBM
David Guetta and Sia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NO3k6kqbKGs
Amine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kY8z51pNAbc
Paloma Faith
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNf8dH_NnRU
Le Butcherettes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4ZxtbzE8YY
KHS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoOowYfxHYs
Head Swing Dolls
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David Guetta and Sia - 10/10 video. Could rec on that alone. Song's okay, not a ton to say about it. Good when I'm listening to it but not very memorable a minute or two after finishing.
Amine - Actually did the Shaft anime head tilt at this. What. The language makes it hard to recommend, but I felt I had been exposed to something fresh that I did not understand. It was not unpleasant to listen to.
Paloma Faith - This is mostly the lead singing very loudly and I wasn't really into her voice. Could talk around it but that's what it comes down to in my brain. Sorry!
Le Butcherettes - Every 20 seconds this song does something different and interesting, which makes it hard to sum up but I liked all the things it did! Low key very good, I could listen to this over and over and keep finding stuff and I love that. The youtube comments are full of people going "what even is this" and I love that too.
KHS - Some of these gimmick takes don't work well for me, some do. This is one that does! Good matches of everything, accents and adds to the song's themes, vocals are smooth, nothing bad to say.
Head Swing Dolls - This is the new Naruto OP right? It's good. ... okay jokes aside it really is quite good. Very direct genre piece but nails the sound better than most.
Very weird week, in a good way. Also quietly very strong. Nothing directly mindblowing but they're all good, and 5/6 over my mental "would feature this" line.
Le Butcherettes > Head Swing Dolls > KHS > Amine > David Guetta and Sia > Paloma Faith
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against one of the strongest and most diverse weeks I can think of.
David Guetta and Sia - Yeah I dig this and can totally see it being the pick based on the video. I think it sounds like I like it a bit more than Alex, but it is also up against the rest of this week so RIP probably.
Amine - Pretty sure we really dug Amine last time they came up. I also have no idea where I will rank this as of doing write ups.
Paloma Faith - This sounds and feels like a damn good Amy Winehouse impression. It isn't perfect, but it right in my wheelhouse, I really dig this. But it also makes me miss Amy. Again though if it is low it isn't because "Shitty Amy Winehouse impression", it is because goddamn this week.
Le Butcherettes - YESSSSSSSSSS THIS IS MY SHIT. This is like an amalgamation of a 90s alt rock shit that I love. Hole/Melissa auf Der Maur style stuff which I have rambled on about liking so much for many years now. This is proooooobably my pick? I did some googling to check history and stuff of the band. The first sentence is "Le Butcherettes is a Mexican garage punk band formed in 2007 in Guadalajara by Teri Gender Bender." The only words in that sentence which are not pure gold are: is, a, formed and in.
KHS - This doesn't land with me. Like normal, it is pretty cool thing he is doing! Its just like... hey a cool thing in a week with a bunch of stuff that has an emotional connection.
Head Swing Dolls - I am running out of words. This is good, in a similar wheelhouse as Le Butcherettes, but I like it slightly less. It would probably be an easy 1 fairly often though. That fucking horn section.
Le Butcherettes > Head Swing Dolls > Amine > Paloma Faith > David Guetta and Sia > KHS.
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Solid mix of stuff this week. Some electronic pieces that are not formulaic "drop at 1:20" stuff. Some metal. Eurovision makes an appearance.
Finalists:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6aRQ8-N8Sg
KHS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWBBBYO0JcY
Zibbz
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HflRpkESgeQ
Drunken Tiger
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EVycKoJY4I
PBH & Jack Shizzle x Afishal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=807SBw3EQL4
Bali Bandits
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9s-UeGOuYy4
Visions of Atlantis
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KHS - See below
Zibbz - KHS and this piece are a great study in how this kind of music can be turned to appeal to me. KHS doesn't grab me at all, doesn't seem to stand out from its archetype. Enjoyable to listen to if one likes that style of music, but that's all I get out of it. Zibbz on the other hand feels like the same style of piece, but fresh and exciting. It invokes the clap beat thing and the country anthem thing but does them in its own memorable way and kept me interested. I'm stumbling over how to describe any of that, but KHS is probably at the bottom of the pack for me while Zibbz is a #1 contender.
Drunken Tiger - The rap flows well, and I like the high woodwind-ish synths this has going on. Good stuff.
PBH & Jack Shizzle x Afishal - Eh this is just house music. (The best house music though.) No seriously though, this is a thing to listen to (and watch) if you want to understand this type of music and why it appeals to people. With news of Avicii's death coming in today I am admittedly biased towards this...
Bali Bandits - Another good electronic track, just not in the same tier as the previous to me. More in the KHS style of "fine but doesn't stand out in archetype"
Visions of Atlantis - And here's one in a genre I like, yet the track doesn't really click for me. Zigs where it should zag, goes for a light major where it should stay a dark minor. Found myself tabbing away from it, which is not a great sign. It's fine though, I hear the production value and maybe am being too harsh but... ehn.
Nice week, three strong contenders. I go back and forth on the top two, putting the house first here just because Avicii is on the brain.
PBH/Jack Shizzle/Afishal > Zibbz > Drunken Tiger > Visions of Atlantis > Bali Bandits > KHS
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And the week after linking house music, we have a whole bunch of finalists that are in a similar genre. (Plus Anne-Marie who strikes home with me cause I am indeed nostalgic for Britney Spears and N*Sync -- might not resonate as well with Grefter/Alex).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAzdJCPdkJ4
Yoonmirae
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tvLIhEaEKo
Anne-Marie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XehlywgmwQ0
Dante Klein & Jantine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h208HbsyTzs
Alesso x Rudy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sIaUu2igUY
EXO-CBX
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayzAJ9yjnX8
Banx & Ranx + Ella Eyre
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Yoonmirae - Hits that "it's okay" zone, listenable but didn't stand out much to me.
Anne-Marie - Direct nostalgia attack. As predicted, this does not resonate with me, I never listened to these songs, but I could see a different universe with another set of songs that would. Would be a good pick if MC has good things to say about it?
Dante Klein & Jantine - Another in the okay zone.
Alesso x Rudy - Ooh. Simple but really nice, demonstrates what it's doing to the listener with piano and drums -> synths. Immediately made me look up more by both artists. High pick. Had to pull myself away from a third listen to finish out the list.
EXO-CBX - WARNING WARNING A JPOP BOY BAND IS FAST APPROACHING, DO THE BEST YOU HAVE EVER DONE. Pretty solid, doesn't do anything crazy but above average quality.
Banx & Ranx + Ella Eyre - Above the "it's okay" zone, not really at the EXO-CBX zone.
One clear standout for me, one okay, three I'm lukewarm on, and Anne-Marie which I might just abstain on. If our opinions are split here, might also be worth looking back, the last two weeks had a lot of strong runners-up.
Alesso x Rudy > EXO-CBX > Banx & Ranx & EE > Yoonmirae > Dante Klein & Jantine
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Not much thought, but figured I should make sure to post.
Dante Klein & Jantine > Alesso x Rudy > EXO-CBX > Banx & Ranx & EE Yoonmirae > Anne-Marie
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Well, #1 and #2 for me were Anne-Marie and Banx&Ranx, neither of which do particularly well with Grefter/Alex.
Alesso x Rudy is 1 and 2 from Gref/Alex, and then there isn't a whole lot of consensus on anything else; guess I'll go with that.
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Pretty strong music this week; a number of Avicii tributes, although only one of them in the top 6. Also a bunch of good country (also only one in the top 6, although I will give credit for "Space Cowboy" being a good name).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTjLJcXGUpQ
Sam Tsui
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qd4VPX3_9CA
Amber Liu
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usINrFR48rc
LCMDF
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QdHI0if_xk
The Night Flight Orchestra
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MNKUPR6btY
Dierks Bentley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2ys-AimNbE
Hamilton
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Sam Tsui - This is what it is. It is okay, but mostly made me get sidetracked and go listen to Avicii greatest hits.
Amber Liu - Didn't land with me at all. Partially this is due to very bad current headspace after some stuff went down with my family yesterday. Partially the themes never resonate well with me due to history of the same. So it goes.
LCMDF - Catchy and closer to mood. Profanity a slight downside, I think. Doesn't blow me away but I did loop it once.
The Night Flight Orchestra - Does blow me away. Sold less than a minute in. GG EZ.
Dierks Bentley - Not feeling the opening speech that much, but I do like the song once it started. These lyrics and the video's accompanying imagery are uh, quite interesting, and super suggestive of traditional southern masculinity using country music as an outlet to express more complicated gender and sexuality issues. Maybe it's unintentional, maybe it's just me reading in and making that up. Looking up the artist and his other works... a #1 single titled "It's Different For Girls," you don't say, HMMMM, perhaps I am not just making it up? Interesting. Anyway, quality stuff, this is indeed Good Country.
Hamilton - I should probably go see Hamilton sometime huh? Decent song, though I wish it'd stayed in the more unsettling earlier tones. The later parts feel kind of paint by numbers musical stuff, although the lyrics stay on point and clash with that. Really in general the music doesn't live up to the excellent lyrics for me. I get that it is going for clash but without having actually seen Hamilton I don't fully get the impact.
Super easy rank for me. The first three had me iffy but the latter three are all great.
Night Flight Orchestra > Dierks Bentley > Hamilton > Pick your favorite Avicii classic > LCMDF > Sam Tsui > Amber Liu
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So this is going to be trying to replicate my thoughts for the individual song as I was going through them in real time.
Sam Tsui - This is kind of okay, I could see picking it as an Avicci tribute, that would make sense, but its just kind of there.
Amber Liu - Ehhhh not seeing Alex on this one, it is pretty light and gentle but I am digging it. I could use something pretty soft at the moment, probably going to be rated up there pretty okay.
LCMDF - This also not bad. It is a standard delivery but I can't pin what it sounds like, so I probably won't mention it (except now I want to replicate my thought processes). Will have to probably relisten to it and Amber Liu to pick between them.
The Night Flight Orchestra - lol nvm i see what alex is talking about.
Dierks Bentley - The intro fade out to the story bits are effective and hits the right notes that it wants to. But its 2018, not 2002? I thought we were done with hitting those beats in country songs. THe real shame is that the jamming as the outro is pretty good! Shame the rest of it is just Nashville sound country.
Hamilton - It is neat and all, which you would expect from Hamilton. It is also incredibly polished and studio feeling? Maybe it is that good live, maybe it is just an acoustic thing from recording in a studio that makes it feel slightly off? I just speaks to me a bit less.
Night Flight Orchestra > Amber Liu > LCMDF > Sam Tsui > Hamilton > Dierks Bentley
Night Flight Orchestra is like exactly my jam. I love a ton of the 70s/80s aesthetic, but I also grew up mainlining Queen's Greatest Hits in my early teens. It is just a ton of fun. It is easy easy easy win for me though.
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So...my top two were Hamilton and LCMDF, but double first place on Night Flight? OK sure, we'll go with that.
EDIT: 7th 8th place stuff cause it stands out enough to feel worth mentioning.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHAi_-DOy40
In This Moment decided that Billy Idol wasn't goth enough.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kw0ih4jPOBo
Aforementioned "Space Cowboy" song. (It is actually just a normal country song, sung unironically trying to put "space cowboy" into as many normal mundane sentences as possible).
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYOjWnS4cMY
Childish Gambino
Not sure if this will make it to Kaitlyn's tastes, but has been getting a lot of buzz and discussion lately (and imo rightfully so).
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Yeah, I pretty much reserved a spot for Childish Gambino because of all the buzz he was getting. Might have missed it if not for all the buzz since I only listen to the audio (although the audio was doing ok). There's even like Lengthy analysis (https://www.buzzfeed.com/kevinsmith/childish-gambino-hidden-meaning-this-is-america?utm_term=.eh8g2lVJD#.nqmRJzXdm) out there about him.
Strong week overall, though--Jess Glynn, Babymetal, Lake Street Drive, and Florence + the Machine all have new tracks and they didn't make my finalist mostly because they were squeezed out by all the strong rap (just a ton of strong rap this week).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdeCZMVjpts
Epica
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRxrr7gJJcU
Cardinale
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eppa0RXRU-I
Nicki Minaj
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYOjWnS4cMY&t=0s
Childish Gambino
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6hXSSo1pYY
DBT Remix (ft. Queenie, Stush, Shystie, Lady Leshurr & Little Simz)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-R19oA1m8w
Justice
-
Epica - Good stuff. Lyrics + vocals carry pretty well, I'm down with robotic love legions.
Cardinale - Well sung but outclassed by most everything else here.
Nicki Minaj - Also good, complex, would probably win if Childish Gambino wasn't here.
Childish Gambino - I posted ahead of time asking for this one, what do you think >_> My mother broke down crying today watching and listening to this and having an epiphany that racism in America isn't over.
DBT Remix - More good rap, good music backing this one too. A bit overly complex for me, felt like most of it went over my head, but I'm having to think pretty hard about whether that puts it over Nicki Minaj.
Justice - Justice is cheat, their style appeals to me too much! >_>
Yeah really strong week. There's almost a pull away from wanting to pick Childish Gambino because everyone everywhere is doing so and so much is being said about it already. That's kind of a lie though, it's not "almost," I haven't felt this strongly about a popular song in years. 2nd-4th place are all extremely close in very different styles and could go in any direction, if that's relevant next week (Nicki Minaj would still win most weeks for me easily)
Childish Gambino >>> Justice > DBT Remix > Nicki Minaj > Epica > Cardinale
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Okay I had read Alex's list before going through them and expected ti have to shuffle things around a bit but.... huh. Some of the reasoning is slightly different (like I just have a soft spot that kind of delivery that Lady Leshurr has)
Childish Gambino > Justice > DBT Remix > Nicki Minaj > Epica > Cardinale
I would probably rate Babymetal and Florence higher, but that is both personal tastes and even if they were there I would be saying to talk about This Is America because like did you just read what Alex posted? Specifically on the topic of Babymetal, it is a cool track to get and their first one since the tragic death of one of the band members earlier in the year. The film clip makes me look forward to this Live Action adaptation of the Dark Souls Anime that doesn't exist.
Florence is Florence. You know why and what her music does to me by now.
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More than the usual number of middle aged artists, and small children this week. Also, Ladybaby is back, but with a different screamer vocalist (the white guy with the huge beard had his visa run out). Finalists:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFxjwBfFIiY
Dreamcatcher
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_F1x0cKoVE
Ladybaby
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjA7nAHOAww
LSD (Labrinth, Sia Diplo)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5OyKUPPoj0
An Chi Hwan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5e1__8OVKrM
Lykke Li
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tj7sWJTXs8g
刺猬樂隊 (The Hedgehog Band)
(Also, a bunch of electronic music that barely missed the top 6 for me this week, so I'll throw in Orbital as a bonus track https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CC5aX8OzOI )
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Dreamcatcher - Kpop x fantasy metal? I am down. High quality stuff.
Ladybaby - Mm, so they dropped the comedy angle entirely and became a straightforward metal act. This is good. I dug the metal parts a lot, but didn't like the more poppy anime chorus.
LSD - Also good stuff. Takes a bit to get going, I wasn't suuuper into it until Labrinth comes in, but the back half is buttery smooth.
An Chi Hwan - Not even sure what to say about this one. I liked it. Good vocals, good tune, fits together well. Not super standout but not bad at all.
Lykke Li - Music's okay. Lyrics and imagery, eh not my style.
The Hedgehog Band - Kind of between the previous two. Starts okay, gets progressively better as it goes on, doesn't reach "ooh, this is really nice" until it's nearly over though.
Orbital - This is one of those pieces that is in my style, but doesn't rise too far above average for me and I can't tell if I'm under or overrating it.
Strong week. Some of these, especially Lykke Li, are pretty blatant about the whole "utopia is a stereotypical romantic relationship with kids and happy domestic life!" thing, which, well, is very not me and I'm never going to be unbiased on. There's plenty here to like, though. Just gonna go with my gut preferences.
Dreamcatcher > Ladybaby > An Chi Hwan > LSD > Orbital > Hedgehog Band > Lykke Li
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Dreamcatcher - Sounds like anime opening. It’s fine but don’t feel it.
Ladybaby - this is like Babymetal on the same beats as Doki Doki Morning before it felt like they had found their own unique voice and it was mostly just Happy Hardcore but Metal instead of hard dance. But Doki Doki Morning is still a fun track so ehhhhh this relates higher than is probably fair on other tracks.
LSD (Labrinth, Sia Diplo) - a chillwave track that is just about how music is so central to life with a good use of Sia? Yeahhhhh this is probably the pick.
An Chi Hwan - Persona 5 with less funk and more Lounge? I couldn’t pick between this and LSD - Audio without really thinking about it. This is smooth as fuck.
Lykke Li - some seriously Tegan And Sara ass song right here. Solid in its third place so far, but hey I guess that being like early Babymetal isn’t such a big help.
刺猬樂隊 (The Hedgehog Band) - dammit mc I was trying to do this fast before boarding a flight. Uuuuugh this might need to wait until after the flight to listen to stuff again. I think this is better than An Chi Hwan and LSD. It is the freestyle that pushes it over.
Orbital - it is like Kraftwerk with none of the restrictions they impose on themselves. It is cool but not really rating this week.
刺猬樂隊 > An Chi Hwan = LSD > Lykke Li > Ladybaby > Orbital > Dreamcatcher
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So...this is one of those weeks where I had 18 different songs vying for the top 6. Gotta admit, I wasn't expecting Backstreet Boys to make the cut with this much competition buuuut, I guess Backstreet's Back alright?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SuMbFuKDf8
Backstreet Boys
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRwpBVlvCKI
Tsukemen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvDJ-ZdHiSg
Black Eyed Peas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jg2VqUTNjsw
Amorphis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xCWONO2tRs
Tigirlily
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q2j5ApzSqs
Christina Aguillera ft Demi Lovato
And...bonus songs that didn't make the top 6. Stoneman Douglass High: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAyErRT-Iw8 -- they are...pretty damn good for a high school band, but just not as strong musically. Also...obligatory Grefterbait--Body Count singing about broken people https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJDS5kVLM9E (pretty sure I don't want to send this one to my mom).
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Backstreet Boys - Was unsure about this at the beginning but the beat kicked in and then it was great. Formula, but excellently produced. Backstreet is back, all right, I'm bullish on this.
Tsukemen - ... nevermind, this is winning. Extremely hot violin+piano composition. I would actually go out to a concert to see this. Had to tear myself away from it to get to the rest.
Black Eyed Peas - Strong art. Video's a good watch. Needed a bit more energy or more going on musically to pull me, though. It's probably intentional for a song about waking up and raising alarms to be so low energy, but ehn, I just got tired after the first two minutes.
Amorphis - Good metal, solid all around, great vocals. The LFT Knight with Item of the week's entries.
Tigirlily - Good band name. Amusing song, good lyrics, but probably falls to the bottom just by how good this week is musically.
Christina Aguillera ft Demi Lovato - Good song, good message. Starts a bit stronger than it finishes but never below average.
Stoneman Douglass High - As described, good but pretty simple.
Body Count - Yeah... not one for the parents but a strong entry on the personal scale.
Strong week for sure. Clear winner for my tastes but any of these are fine.
Tsukemen > (Body Count) > Amorphis > Backstreet Boys > CA ft DL > Black Eyed Peas > Tigirlily > (Stoneman Douglass High)
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Well, no grefter yet, but me and alex share #1 (tsukemen) that's probably the pick anyway.
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You didn’t need me to rate it high to make that decision anyway yeah. Only realistic competition is Bodycount because of politics in the last week and me wanting to soapbox.
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Well, nothing super stands out to me this week. Finalists:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_60Jfwsylb8
schmoyoho
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KONFiIei4I
Sick Individuals
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4-aNP2mlZM
KHS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taanowedKoY
Halestorm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JnfIa84TnU
Clean Bandit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moZI7CT29KU
M.O x lotto boyzz x mr eazi
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schmoyoho - Pretty good, funny, somewhat timely (doesn't really have anything to do with Solo per se though). Bit too long, doesn't bowl me over. It's fine.
Sick Individuals - Eh. There was a good part in the middle, otherwise pretty forgettable to me.
KHS - Eh. Production quality is good, song just didn't make an impression.
Halestorm - Pretty good. A little uncomfortable, but I guess that is the idea.
Clean Bandit - Now we're talking. Kinda like a mixture of the previous three but with the better parts of each.
M.O x lotto boyzz x mr eazi - Existed.
Yeah not a ton to talk about here. Last two weeks had several I'd put over all of these (Amorphis, Backstreet Boys, An Chi Hwan)
Clean Bandit > schmoyoho > sick individuals > Halestorm > M.o & more > KHS
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Yeah not a ton to talk about here. Last two weeks had several I'd put over all of these (Amorphis, Backstreet Boys, An Chi Hwan)
I mean, yeah, I'm down to pick a strong song from a previous week or two, since we did just have two strong weeks in a row.
Probably also Ladybaby, Dreamcatcher, and Christina Aguilera are options.
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Schmoyoho - prequel memes are pretty dead and Sand ones were run into the ground before Prequel memes were even a thing. I will pass on this.
Sick Individuals - this is a solid “okay” in that trashy synth tones dance track genre I like. There is a lot of that this week and it is probably the strongest musically for it.
KHS - These singers don’t need that auto tune.
Halestorm - I have aaaabsolutely been where what this song is about. This is 20s Grefter and Zenny.wav and it is a kind of rock that I like. So this is massively inflated for me.
Clean Bandit - the other trashy synth song of note. It is an awful lot to just talk about masturbating. Demi Lovato also got way more auto tune going on over her than I would want. Rides more on the film clip than the music compared to Sick Individuals.
M.O x lotto boyzz x mr eazi - there is way too much going on here. It is an incredibly busy song. Stuff using that trap sound to make not a trap song sometimes seem to miss that the odd sound need to be given more space to work.
Halestorm > sick individuals > Clean Bandit > KHS > schmoyoho > M.o & more
I would be super down to revisit An Chi Hwan.
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As Scott Pilgrim once said "I'm in Lesbians with you". Finalists
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=592KTCoUuUg
Kesha
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YynKelHGhNc
Hayley Kiyoko
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDgqo6fcliY
Babymetal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tN_8CwE8ULI
Meghan Trainor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwX-nrsi2eI
snh48
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExJmET8boVw
Rita Ora
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Kesha - Solidly song-like song. Has a good groove but doesn't excite me.
Hayley Kiyoko - Song's okay, video's great. Leans on the video pretty hard, the spoken sections break up the music a lot without it. I don't mind that so much, though.
Babymetal - SUPER ANIME. I spent the first minute awaiting the drop but then it wasn't metal... my own expectations getting me there. Production values are stellar. But again lacks that elusive excitement factor.
Meghan Trainor = Kinda disturbing lyrics, really good beat.
snh48 - SUPER ANIME #2. This has a good contrast between the growl and the female vocals. Lots of driving energy too. This has the excitement factor for me.
Rita Ora - Delightfully trashy.
Intangibles high this week. First four on the list are all fine but I was closing out of them almost before they finished. Last two held my listening attention.
snh48 > Rita Ora > Hayley Kiyoko > Babymetal > Meghan Trainor > Kesha
-
Mmm...could still use Grefter to tiebreak.
-
Kesha - I like this better than the last single. It is a fairly stripped back song for a pop song, but it still very pop. The real star here is the lyrics though. Kesha is the humanist pop star we needed? It doesn't matter what happens after we die, it matters what good we do now for everyone. That's my jam, especially in 20XX this dark future we live in.
Hayley Kiyoko - Messy people, presenting about queer relationships, eh you would peg it as my kind of thing but something doesn't click. It might be that I don't want a pop song like that after Kesha? That just means that Kesha goes higher on the list though, so that's fine.
Babymetal - I am biased here, I have been listening to this for 2 years now since Metal Resistence came out and I like it a fair bit. On the one hand, yeah Alex hit the nail on the head with how anime it is, but do you know what else it is? It is really similar in song structure to God Gave Rock and Roll To You (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cEdqWZi13I) which is an incredibly formative song because of the Bill and Ted association. Also this is an amazingly well produced live track. Both from just like the quality of the performance and the quality of the video production. They are just bang on with polish and execution
Meghan Trainor - This takes too long to get to the funk tones that nearly made me nearly dismiss this as completely losing her main style, but they get there with guitar tones eventually. There really isn't much use of her vocally though. The vocal style was kinda what I was there for? So shrug.
snh48 - Being proto Babymetal in a week with Babymetal in a live track where they dunk all over you is not great.
Rita Ora - So I talk about how Hayley Kiyoko is a bit too pop compared to Kesha for me and then this comes on and it is pop with no rough edges left on it and yeeaahhhhh I still like this more. Should I be worried about how commercialised specifically women are in this wave of stuff? Could I talk about how some of this stuff doesn't get further than making out? Probably not with that rap verse. Definitely not with Tove Lo - bitches playing immediately after on the autoplay which has "Let me be your guide when you eat my pussy out" in the first verse. THis is all pretty fun.
Babymetal > Kesha > Rita Ora > snh48 > Meghan Trainor > Hayley Kiyoko.
Feel free to drop Babymetal a place or two in working stuff out if you don't want my amazingly strong bias. I love the band and that track is like bringing back Nico & Vinz - Am I Wrong or 풋풋 - Freshman Song again some time. Songs I still really dig from way back when this started up.
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OK, so between the three of us I still need to do tiebreaking.
#1 for me was Hayley Kiyoko. 4th and 6th respectively from Gref/Alex, so that doesn't seem like the pick.
#1 for Alex is snh48. 4th from Gref. Not sure where I put it, but probably around 3rd?
#1 for Grefter is Babymetal. 4th from Alex. Been a week, not actually sure where I had this; I think it floated upwards the more I listened?
Alternatie #1 from Grefter as he says he might be overrating Babymetal is Kesha. 6th from Alex. I also forget where this one was for me, but maybe around 4th.
Rita Ora is highish (2nd/3rd from Gref/Alex, I want to say it was ok from me too).
Meghan Trainor is like 5th, 5th, and I don't think I had it super high either.
So...this seems pretty clearly between Rita Ora, Babymetal, and snh48. Guess I relisten to those three.
EDIT: well, tiebreak towards the mainstream (plus the English entries tend to resonate better with my family).
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Well...all-star lineup this week. But on the other hand, nothing was super standing out from the crowd to me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRDMInkkw7U
tove lo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqyUzTEXeic
Kimura Dai × Sakakibara
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQi0ORxEyRA
Lily Allen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIGaRwEkZPk
Evanescence
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQn6TsbYrH8
Big Shaq
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9rdDeWzvsU
Lindsey Stirling
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I don't think I really have tons to say this week that isn't kind of self evident? Like can see a world where there is not much generally standing out because everything this week is really good.
For me though, I fucking looooooooooooove Tove Lo. So bitches is easily the top track for me this week. That said, man I really like Big Shaq. It is a bit of a retread of the same joke, but I don't think that matters.
Also Lindsey Stirling touring with Evanesence is like some very very specific Grefter eras to target, but two things I dig a whole ton. That would be an absolute killer night of music and if they both do live shows on the same tier as their music clips the costuming would amazing all damned night.
Tove Lo >> Big Shaq > Evanescense = Lindsey Stirling > Lily Alen > Kimura Dai x Sakakibara
None of this is a slam on any track, Kimura Dai × Sakakibara could easily top the week we went back to An Chi Hwan. This is all absolutely a testament to how much I love that Tove Lo album and this mix with guest vocal doesn't hurt that track at all.
Also The Last of Us 2 is showing us that Lesbians are mainstream now.
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tove lo - Quite interesting, very memorable. Might be a bit much for MC's family? Ehh... it's still really good though.
Kimura Dai × Sakakibara - Good solid piano. Hits my listening tastes. Not a ton to say about it, it's just nice. Safe pick for winner if I don't find anything else stellar.
Lily Allen - Similar to the rest of the pack and does less than tove lo, so it's a pass for me.
Evanescence - Technically also Lindsey Stirling, she gets two in this week, ho ho ho. This is stellar though. Does a lot musically. Five minutes and still felt like it was just getting good, not in a "wasn't good before" way but in a "I want 20 more minutes" way.
Big Shaq - This man is a good rapper. Weird but romantic style. There's a lot going on here that I am sure I didn't understand and that's good.
Lindsey Stirling - Also good but not as good as her with Evanescence.
Pretty much in agreement with Grefter. All of these are fine, Eva is just a bit more my style.
Evanescence > Big Shaq = tove lo > Kimura Dai > Lindsey Stirling > Lily Allen
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Think I had Lindsey Stirling on top but barely; didn't do too well with Gref/Alex.
Gref has Tove Lo on top by a lot. Alex has it tied for 2. That's probably the pick.
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So...as the number of artists I've been following has slowly crept up, I've kept the number of songs I'm reviewing under control by just always skipping lyric videos. Decided to make exceptions for Paul McCartney making a very Beatles-esque track. He's got some serious competition this week though (and is also a dirty old man).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXzG_6E1lAs
Diamante
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hirlhNcVa4
A Sound of Thunder
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BP9YzJ2E9Cw&t=30s
Jared Halley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZlkETpeQRg
Kobra and the Lotus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eta1BEM04Y
Minseo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeJLrtFY7Ds
Paul McCartney
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Diamante - Good solid song. 8.5/10 would listen to again but doesn't remain in my mind too well.
A Sound of Thunder - Good song, good video. Deceptive length, the song is only about half of the 8 minute video. But that's okay. One of the reasons I love metal is that metal groups produce stuff like this. Easy to see the passion and effort. Song itself, eh, pretty standard stuff, not bad, not super outstanding, but clear and has a good flow to the lyrics.
Jared Halley - Great acapella work. Is exactly what it says. Competing with Sound of Thunder on effort and artistry, losing out only narrowly because it's a cover.
Kobra and the Lotus - Another solid song, similar to Diamante and Sound of Thunder, around on par with the former and a bit behind the latter for me.
Minseo - Now for something completely different? Captures the feel it's going for well. Not experienced enough with this genre to say a ton, this feels like it's not as advanced as Parov Stelar stuff but that's all I really know so... I dunno. Enjoyed it though.
Paul McCartney - Is fine. Solid standard clap song about white people wanting to have sex. Wouldn't give it much of a second look if not for the artist name, honestly.
General high level this week. Minseo off doing its own thing, and then the rest are pretty similar.
A Sound of Thunder > Minseo > Diamante >= Kobra and the Lotus > Jared Halley > Paul McCartney
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I just like a different kind of metal a tiny bit more, that is all this means. Alex is pretty on point.
Kobra and the Lotus > Minseo > Diamante > Paul McCartney > A Sound of Thunder > Jared Haley
I could probably babble a bit about Paul McCartney and how much this sounds like a song from 10 years ago mainstream folk my rock but I need to hit Post.
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Top two for me were Minseo and A Sound of Thunder.
Seems like the one that everyone agrees on is Minseo.
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Mmm...well, my computer was busted all of thursday, which is normally when I narrow down the options, so I was not able to narrow this down to 6, unfortunately. Here was the 12 or so I was planning to narrow down to 6, some of these will be kinda low quality.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kIrRooQwuk
Florence + the machine - B-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRgTMs_bGuI
Red Velvet - B-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dp__OsEyWec
Backayrd Babies - B-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xmr6iscmd1g
Powerwolf - B-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oO-b8GzMkc
Kimbra x Dawn - B--
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ri4rRUBUam4
L2M - B-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kT8cX2-_7pQ
NSP - B-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2X2LdJAIpU
Day6 - B-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txWmd7QKFe8
momoland - B--
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVtMiXEg2CI
The Night Flight Orchestra - B-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6H8pDUykox0
The Knocks - B-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWQd_D-kBYo&t=0s
Rob Lundgren - B-
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Florence + the machine >>>> The Knocks => The Night Flight Orchestra > momoland > Kimbra x Dawn > Powerwolf > Rob Lundgren
Obviously Florence biases me massively. So I was going to do top 6 of my own and order them, but eh I got 7 so thats fine.
Lots of stock metal with the numbers filed off. The Knocks is probably the most unique of the week? I dig the shades, but I am also super into Night Flight Orchestra and will probably buy the album. momoland and Kimbra x Dawn both feel like I should have more to say but eh don't really have words.
-
Florence + The Machine.
(I don't really have the attention span to do 12 but I listened to this and it was very good.)
-
I didn't think Alex was going to reply that quick, so I edited in a bunch of things over the top of just saying Florence + the Machine because well of course that was my pick.
-
Whoops forgot to post these last night.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aYnucDJ7Jw
Dillon Francis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phhC-IOMmpk
Elza
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SPUHGRXQUY
Jupiter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXtgc9tyavw
Halestorm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quJN-hmLAZs
Yellow Claw & Sofia Reyes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mnn_3RrlE8
Golden Child
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Jupiter > Elza > Dillon Francis > Halestorm > Yellow Claw & Sofia Reyes > Golden Child
Part of me wants to say to pick Dillon Francis so I see you try and explain Fortnite to your family.
Elza is pretty fun in the same way all that kind of rap has been. I like taking back Catch me outside. Haltestorm, Yellow Claw & Sofia Reyes and Golden Child all feel a bit more flat.
Jupiter though? After the weird 15 seconds of nothing (is there a different regional thing of putting your cross promotion up front in videos or something?) there is nothing bad I have to say about it. I love all the fashion in here. I love Japan doing speedy hair metal stuff. I love that the entire film clip is Sierra/Castlevania as fuck. Its just all around top of the week for me in every way. It is like what if Dragonforce was good and also filled with Draculas.
-
Dillon Francis - Good beat. Not really my vibe, though.
Elza - Same vein as Dillon Francis but nicer on my ears.
Jupiter - Easy top. Falls a bit flatter later on but yeah.
Halestorm - Feels pretty stock/formulaic, went back to Jupiter.
Yellow Claw & Sofia Reyes - Was digging but loses its energy at a break around 1:50
Golden Child - Exemplifies this set, it's all "pleasant but eh." Could hear this in a TV commercial. Fine but nothing that stands out that I want to highlight.
As Grefter said, pretty easy set.
Jupiter > Elza > Yellow Claw/Sofia Reyes > Golden Child > Halestorm > Dillon Francis
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Hmm...interesting. Jupiter was 5th or 6th for me. (Dillon Francis was #1 by a mile, although I was expecting this would be my own personal taste thing, kind of like how I love Marisa Stole the Precious Thing). Jupiter did stand out as different, though; should probably listen to the double 1st.
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Well, I have a definite favourite this week, but there's also some definite grefterbait here, so we'll probably have a spread of opinions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctxgzPGIXCo
Riton, Kah-Lo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNH5YWpy3kk
Christine and the Queens
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FJlxMPE5b0
Omnium Gatherum
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoTkmBB4yow
Korpiklaani
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQnk-h-LCpQ
Charlie Puth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufR_EumnGX0
Kristen Collins
-
Riton, Kah-Lo - Catchy, in that okayish zone.
Christine and the Queens - Catchier, very soothing vocals. This is in the range where I'd vote for the music, but the video takes a very uncomfortably rapey swerve. That is... well clearly intentional but ruined my enjoyment anyway so... idk.
Omnium Gatherum - Also in the smooth and soothing category. For me, anyway. Not a huge standout but not bad.
Korpiklaani - Extremely Finland. Dig it.
Charlie Puth - I kept waiting for it to get to the "Are you okay, are you okay Eddie?" part.
Kristen Collins - Hmmmmmm. Wins. Liked it a lot. Good song. Good singing. Stuck in my mind much more than these others. Listened to the original and prefer this version too.
Mid-upper week. Top 4 all in the good winner range for me.
Kristen Collins > Korpiklaani > Omnium Gatherum > Christine and the Queens > Riton/Kah-Lo > Charlie Puth
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Korpiklaani > Christine and the Queens > Omnium Gatherum > Riton, Kah-Lo > Charlie Puth
Riton, Kah-Lo - This is a kind of rap I have already said I dig in the past and yeah this I like a bit more than Alex it seems, I think it is better than Okayish, but it isn't like auto top or anything.
Christine and the Queens - This is fucking sick. Like it is a mix of stuff that I can't quite put my finger on (probably because I type this up as I listen to another song). First part felt like Daft Punk but then it flowed into something else with the rhythm line and I was trying to pick that, then I lost it and tried to pick what the vocals reminded me of. It doesn't really matter though, I really dig it.
Omnium Gatherum - This is also exactly a kind of metal I like down to the growly rough vocals and the kind of thing it is. It is like Amon Amarth but less good, but I reeeeaallly love Amon Amarth.
Korpiklaani - But this is also what I am expecting is the Grefter bait. Korpiklaani are constisently in my top picks and this is no different. This one is especially mellow for them. Like this isn't even metal drumming like is my usual Melodic stuff is actually metal. If it wasn't an electric bass and a kit drum I could easilly just call this folk stuff to be honest. But whatever it is still my shit.
Charlie Puth - I liked the first 5 seconds and then everything but the lead guitar riff was happening. I hoped it was gonna be some cool fast rock at first and then it was oh nevermind. It is some polished snooze pop in the year where that is not even a thing any more because everything got replaced with sad pop.
Kristen Collins - I like this a bit less than Alex. There is some stuff to it, but its just less Grefter.
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Hmmm...ok, so my #1 by far by faaaaar was Riton and Kah-Lo. Which is...fifth from Gref/Alex.
Korplikaani is something like #1, #2, and #2, so that would be the safe pick.
And advice has been fairly successful recently (much to my surprise my mom liked Jupiter).
But on the other hand, I reeeeealy liked Kah-Lo. So...how much do I disregard good advice with a good recent track record?
Hmm...another question--how are we doing on variety? Last week was metal (Jupiter). Week before was Florence vs The Machine (also kind-of metal range like Korplikaani). I don't think I have picked any music from sub-Saharan Africa yet. On the other hand I haven't picked Korplikaani yet, and I'm not even sure if I've picked a single song in Finnish. Hmmm.....
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The week in which multiple metal bands decide to cover their own metal songs, except acoustic and fluffy.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cav9lT-UmW0
Sabaton
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgWIeWQoyuI
Architects
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHLHSlExFis
Ariana Grande
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5UM2rOyqr4
Mamamoo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQSbIzfcURs
Robin Thicke
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dh-ULbQmmF8
Ciara
(Also, bonus Macklemore, which did not much for me musically, but did get some buzz about the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dq4-nAaYbXA )
-
Sabaton - Cute idea, but doesn't really work for me as a standalone. The lyrics are written with metal in mind and sound repetitive in this form.
Architects - Works much better as a cover, the piano brings out some new emotiveness. Kinda standard emotive piano song territory, doesn't stand out, but avoids any feeling of "coverness"
Ariana Grande - Compelling, at least on a first listen. Might grate after a few plays but certainly draws my attention. I don't really know what to say about it!
Mamamoo - Decent stuff. Pretty much what I think of when I see Mamamoo.
Robin Thicke - The good parts of this are the classical clips.
Ciara - I like the percussion... doesn't quite hit the right beat for me though. I keep hearing Macklemore's Thrift Store instead.
Macklemore - Not really my thing. Started off okay but then ehh.
Top three well above the rest for me.
Ariana Grande > Mamamoo > Architects > Sabaton > Ciara > Robin Thicke > Macklemore
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Well, interesting week. Muse is back. Good humor music. Oddly catchy German music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SV3dFVosfeQ
Amber Liu
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azAEHCQgcUI
Muse
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdH7aFjDzjI
Bebe Rexha
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOfAh4d1DC0
Black Mirrors
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXs1kwhJvdU
Rews
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DOVXEFfKpA
Thomas Anders
-
Amber Liu - Good humor, catchy tune. I'm a fan.
Muse - Very similar to the Amber Liu. Better music, worse lyrics/humor.
Bebe Rexha - Feels like I've heard this song before. I'm a beast, I'm a lover, I'm a something, I'm a mother... It was okay.
Black Mirrors - Nice kinda country-metal thing here? A bit repetitive but I liked the guitar enough to put it high anyway.
Rews - Was okay. Good guitar. I'm taking Black Mirrors if I want guitar though.
Thomas Anders - Very Euro. Nice but unimpressive.
A fairly close pack, but straightforward.
Amber Liu > Black Mirrors > Rews > Muse > Bebe Rexha > Thomas Anders
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Will need to post these tomorrow; forgot to send myself the song list tonight, and the artists are obscure enough that I don't remember all of them. (I think it's a strong week though).
-
OK, sorry for delay
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWbKbGx4Uwk
Rews
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Kla1As3wHU
Daveed diggs & Rafael Casal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sx0XeEmKbv4
Boatti
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOwW1ncE9gA
Villain
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcZOk8vAIRA
Valshe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7y8-lXjGAw
Bibio
-
Rews - Good stuff, easy listening mood piece. Not much "out of the ordinary" but a good groove.
Daveed diggs & Rafael Casal - Similar to Rews in the "easy listening rap" groove. It's fine.
Boatti - Also good and more up my alley. I want the extended mix of this.
Villain - Not bad, more music to it than DD&RC.
Valshe - Good japanese style stuff, another style I hear a lot of casually. Enjoyed but not really standout enough musically to be a rank consideration for me.
Bibio - ... oh. Well. I'm surprised to see this here, but I'm 100% behind it. This ambient stuff is the genre I've been gravitating towards lately for streaming and general concentration and imagination. Although short, this is very well crafted, meshes with the video well, and hits my brainwaves.
Bibio > Boatti > Villain > Valshe > Rews > DD&RC
Wow yeah, strong week. Short comments because I have Evo and La Mulana 2 to get back to, but good stuff. Very close pack, DD&RC is still in the range I would expect to be my 2nd or 3rd place most weeks.
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Hmm...no super personal favourites for me this week, although maybe Aphex Twin and Le Butcherettes will bait Grefter out of hiding.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ov8ONoINfSM
Paloma Faith
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0uEnxMCxUE
Beyond The Black
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnmmT-8MwY0
Le Butcherettes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKHF_ntGBZs
Caleb Hyles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiHSVQy9xN8
Red Velvet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqayDnQ2wmw&t=0s
Aphex Twin
-
Paloma Faith - Was okay, but didn't really resonate with me. I don't know the proper musical term but it sounds intentionally lo-fi? Not sure why they made that choice.
Beyond the Black - Standard metal song, enjoyed but doesn't stand out.
Le Butcherettes - Definitely scores all the artistic points, very interesting listen and watch. Enjoyment, a bit less so, compared to the first time we had them up here. There's a few really strong points and then a lot of auditory filler, for me? But a strong contender.
Caleb Hyles - Rare case where I'd actually listened to this myself ahead of its appearance on the list! Good vocal work. I don't have a strong attachment to the original though and I feel like that plays a big part in the intended enjoyment/angle.
Red Velvet - This... actually did a really good job at cheering me up. What is this crazy world where cheerpop actually works as intended on me? A lot lighter on the backing than other similar tracks too. Pretty nice!
Aphex Twin - But this entire listening session has been colored by anticipation for Aphex Twin and it does not disappoint. Like the whole creative process and brainwaves in a track here. Once again this may not be for everyone but it is certainly for me. There is a 3 act structure of buildup/collapse/rebuild and tons of rhythm and percussion and mmmmm just mmmm.
Solid top three for me.
Aphex Twin >>> Red Velvet > Le Butcherettes > Caleb Hyles > Beyond the Black > Paloma Faith
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Aphex Twin > Le Butcherettes >>> Paloma Faith > Red Velvet >>>> Beyond The Black > Caleb Hyles
It was Le Butcherettes in a walk until Aphex Twin, but that is some seriously Aphex Twiny ass Aphex Twin. He melts my brain still.
Le Butcherettes is really freaking damn good though. Red Velvet is notable for how weird it all is.
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Will most likely review these with Alex at DLC, buuut posting these here anyway. EDIT: oh, neither Alex nor Grefter are at DLC. Well...normal plan then I guess?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XX__eLsb88k
Lethal Bizzle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjcRBs5q9VE
Kiesza
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXI8MGskrN0
Elle King
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cydhfda6rXI
Omnium Gatherum
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-Mc1SSZWm0
Crush
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xF-n3aSkd8o
Caleb Hyles
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Elle King > Lethal Bizzle > Omnium Gatherum > Kiesza > Crush > Caleb Hyles
I love how loud all the clothes in that clip are. The top 4 all have a lot going for them though, but Elle King is a mix of loud and strong and distinct character and sound that I want. Lethal Bizzle is all running on outrage and Lady Leshurr feature, but that is two strong things. Kiesza gets lots of points for being kind of weird and a dance version of Phantom of the Opera is a cool idea, but it doesn't completely nail it in some way that would have elevated it, but not sure what it needed to tip it over (probably just a better audience than me for it). Omnium Gatherum shreds and is a cool track that is emblematic of a kind of metal I like.
Crush is pretty damn good too and is solid, just didn't do heaps for me.
Caleb Hyles I guess shows that it isn't just Disney stuff I am not a super fan of that kind of cover, but *shrug*
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDsayJSPK0M
Basick
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9o34ooePv-E
Michael Schenker Fest
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXxDNaSzRwg
Perfume
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGQqqCn_Cpw
Sindey Samson & Gwise
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeKoCLVXKNo
David Guetta
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoWK4rV3INY
Yelle
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Basick - Good backing for what it is, not at all bad to listen to, but as with most rap the emphasis is on the lyrics and going to be lost on people who don't understand the language. I know a little bit of Korean, but the median person following the column probably knows zero, so that's a really high barrier.
Michael Schenker Fest - Maintains medium radio style energy throughout, didn't mind having it on, but didn't call me back.
Perfume - Reasonably pickable. Video does a good job selling me on it, fairly high personal appeal.
Sindey Samson & Gwise - Break at exactly 1 minute, nice. Extremely house. Good beat to it. Uh what else can I say... I do think it's a notable cut above the "average" break-at-1m-house-mix that shows up on these weeklies. Would not be a bad winner at all.
David Guetta - Barely remembered this after it finished. Others this week are better.
Yelle - Loved the early parts and vocals, but cooled on the later parts that just seemed to keep going and merge into general electro/house.
Pretty average field, nothing really sticks out to me.
SS&G > Perfume > Yelle > MSF > Basick > David Guetta
-
Huh, yeah, I also thought Sindey Samson & Gwise was a cut above the average generic house track. I'm not sure if I can articulate why, though.
-
I was weirded out by the Zedd one, cause I think we've already done a cover of this song (by KHS I think?) but the music video for the original song wasn't out yet. So I was listening to it like "I know this song...wait, no, this is different." (Overall strong week though).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLFZthp7cv8
Keith Urban
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfXvjxbRhZk
Zedd, Elley Duhé
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkNOzyyTPjk
French Montana
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAiPeSsqD-4
Northward
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dH23G6ioZo
Dead Posey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-Whm1Q_egk
Andra Day
-
Keith Urban - Country House, huh. Okay. I can groove with that. Not the flashiest, but nice.
Zedd, Elley Duhé - Uhh. Uhhhhhhh. That sure is a video. The song, eh, more kinda whatever to me.
French Montana - Good groove to this one.
Northward - Would put this in a Doom level. This week's theme seems to be strong groove beats.
Dead Posey - The theme continues. This was good and left me wanting more.
Andra Day - Is Hamilton. Low energy song in a high energy pack though. Oof.
Hard pack for me to rank, they all (well, 5/6) share roughly the same strengths to me. I think Northward and Zedd are a little under the top three, but those three I could put in any order, pick your fave. Nominal top to French Montana because supporting Africa is cool.
French Montana >= Dead Posey >= Keith Urban > Northward > Zedd > Andra Day
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Pretty solid week this week too. I have to admit, that's not the song I expected to be covered by the Berlin Symphony Orchestra.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0UWT0dFSQE
Muse
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kg1BljLu9YY
LSD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0EyfBlqc1s
Alex Christensen & The Berlin Orchestra
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6omREbNT9D0
The Vintage Caravan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=840vcVzth-0
Burning Witches
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kL8i5GwlvIg
Visions of Atlantis
-
Muse - Strongth. Muse is another one of those mainstream bands I actually recognize and know a little about, and I like em. This track in particular gets a great mood of pulsing otherworldly yearning, exactly what they're going for, with rocking instrumentals and a retro groove that feels restrained in a good way. Speaks to me a lot. Yeah I like this one, as you can tell from the gushing instead of "okay, not bad, kinda formulaic."
LSD - Fun video on this one, well made. Okay, not bad, not formulaic really, but not in the same league as Muse to me though, and that's the challenge with this week.
Alex Christensen & The Berlin Orchestra - This on the other hand! This is in the same league as the Muse. Same thing I always say when covers come up here, have a reason to be a cover, add to the original. This definitely does. Great fresh take on a great song, applies the orchestra well. The video is almost a letdown because it made me want to watch it, actively tab over to see, but it was 10% atmosphere shots and 90% dry production footage and that ratio needs to be reversed. But that just makes it a slight second place to Muse... so far.
The Vintage Caravan - Okay, not bad, kinda formulaic for a while. Gets really nice around 3 minutes when the "solo" hits, I love that part and in a weaker week I might be putting this 1st or 2nd.
Burning Witches - Okay, not bad, but definitely formulaic metal. Feels a little threadbare on production value, like it's aiming for something bigger than it can support well.
Vision of Atlantis - Good atmosphere, just doesn't sweep me off my feet. The drop I was waiting for all song doesn't happen until nearly 4 minutes in out of 5, and then it cuts back out and is over.
Top two way ahead of the rest for me here.
Muse > AC & Berlin Orchestra >> Vintage Caravan > Vision of Atlantis > Burning Witches > LSD
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Andra Day > Northward > Dead Posey > French Montana > Zedd > Keith Urban
I can spill a ton of ink about Keith Urban about his history and rise to fame and all about how he is carefully crafted career to never be to my tastes.
Zedd track was kind of okay but nothing earth shartenning, so I thought by track three I might be suggesting French Montana purely on the strength of a catchy tune and a great video. Northward and Dead posey are both revival types of track in genres I like with Northward being super poppy hair mentally hard rock, like it is reaching back to that period before it was all super glam, but you are still righting a power ballad. There is probably an essay in me about the overlap of pop metal and pop country and how I enjoy the first and absolutely loathe the latter. Dead Posey is another 70s rock revival sounding group and do a killer job at it. A few years ago when I was right in that groove I would have been all about this for s few weeks.
But Andra Day was bang right in the place I am at these days. Big strong vocals and dysfunctional relationships. I didn’t catch that it was Hamilton related until near the end. Good clean singing and super well constructed track. It makes sense that it has a strong narrative carrying it through if it is from a musical. Regardless it totally works as a stand-alone track and for me personally is high and above the best related thing to drop out of it in isolation.
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Fuck. How did I miss there was another page. Goddammit.
-
>_> I didn't want to say anything, but...yeah, there was another page.
In other news, I don't know why eminem is so much lower volume than the other finalists this week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jol1da3hjxg
Black Violin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBdahVPD_K0
Jake Owen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuuU4ksIETg
Lee Jungpyo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWYlWvtEyio
Paul McCartney
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bvLphVWHpo
Nicki Minaj
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvSItvjFE1c
Eminem
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Black Violin - Exuberant and fun. Not a lot else to say. Liked it.
Jake Owen - There's like 200 people in that crowd and maybe two are nonwhite. That's a pretty good summary of the song as well. It's bouncy enough though.
Lee Jungpyo - Pretty but ultimately didn't do a ton for me beyond background.
Paul McCartney - Well... the name makes it hard to live up to. Not sure what I expected. This is pretty formulaic though? Eh.
Nicki Minaj - This does a really good job of catching my interest musically. It's rap, kinda, but doesn't really sound like it? Very brain tingly. The lyrics might be a little much for general audiences though.
eminem - Yeah rap mood this week for sure. Good stuff.
Nothing too eloquent to say here. eminem slightly edges nicki minaj for me, sidestepping the question of "do I actually first place vote for MC to send her family a song about proper cunnilingus technique?"
eminem > Nicki Minaj > Black Violin > Jake Owen > Lee Jungpyo > Paul McCartney
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eminem > Nicki Minaj > Black Violin > Lee Jungpyo > Jake Owen > Paul McCartney
Black Violin - Its good.
Jake Owen - It is me and country.
Lee Jungpyo - Very pretty.
Paul McCartney - It is me and Paul McCartney.
Nicki Minaj - Yeah we know Nicki Minaj is one of the hardest working consistent artist in the last 10 or so years.
eminem - It is eminem, this is all apretty known quantity and his technique is unassailable at this point.
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And here Jake Owen was my comfortable #1; found it catchy. Not surprised to see the country song get slammed though. So...I had a few others ahead of Eminem. Not Nicki Minaj (which...actually was 7th for me, but I decided there was an extremely generic dance song that I could drop). But yesI did have Black Violin ahead of eminem.
I'm going to go with the old rule of "better to pick stuff that gets #1 from some people than the song that gets #1 from nobody" though.
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I think strong week this week? But also kind of a weird week, where I had trouble nailing own a favourite.
https://twitter.com/VioletteVoid/status/1042542734832164864
Sarah Blasko
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZCU3GBA0C8
Kitten Girls
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rocRHgXfDBw
Megaherz
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sesI9b_N92E
WJSN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxT5bGVPmWM
Two Year Vacation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6tNlYI3MdY
Justice
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Sarah Blasko - Wrong link?
Kitten Girls - It's cute girl kpop. Bouncy and fun, nothing really out of the ordinary for the style.
Megaherz - Kinda lite-metal? At first I thought it sounded empty, then it grew on me, and it does fit the lyrics ("nicht genug" = "not enough"). Also props for a very well-shot concert video, usually I don't like those but this one was quite good. Yeah this grew on me after first listen, certainly in the range where it could top.
WJSN - Ooh, this was really nice, lovely music, drew me in as I waited for the song to start - and then it ended, and what I thought was an extended intro was actually the entire piece. Hm. Hrm. Well. It was good. The comments also seem divided on whether this is a standalone song/video or just a preview for a longer MV coming soon. I dunno.
Two Year Vacation - Good radiolike song. Pretty standard stuff again. Catchy, stayed with me after listening.
Justice - Aaaaaaand easy winner for me.
Strong week, yeah. Some unusual stuff here. Not sure if Sarah Blasko's link is wrong or the song is buried somewhere in that Contrapoints video.
Justice > Megaherz > WJSN > Two Year Vacation > Kitten Girls > (Sarah Blasko?)
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Sarah Blasko - I am assuming it is this (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FR5cyznYfk) track because it came out this week. I am incredibly biased here because Sarah Blasko is just one of the most consistently good performers from Aus for over a decade now. Every album is good from front to back. The highs aren't as high as some contemporaries, but she is always a well above average performer and is absolutely in my wheel house. She is probably easily in my top 10.
Kitten Girls - Yeah pretty on the money with this one, I don't have much to say about it.
Megaherz - It is that same sort of Rammsteiny Deathstars sound that I like. It rates pretty good, but I don' t think it is better than Deathstars is. So it probably means it isn't really in competition with Justice and Sarah Blasko which are the favourites of the week.
WJSN - Hits that same kind of feeling as like Dead Boy's Poem by Nightwish, but feels slow and when you are slow compared to Prog Metal then you are pretty meandering. Feels way longer than the 2 and a bit minutes it is... It is pretty, but doesn't really have much for me to cling on to.
Two Year Vacation - Eh this ain't really me. I like pop music, but this just isn't the kind of pop I dig.
Justice - Okay the video clip carries this pretty far. It is solid Justice track but isn't quite as strong as some of their great classic. Like there isn't as strong a wall of sound of one strong clear tone with that infinitely danceable beat like say D.A.N.C.E. has. It is still a good track.
Sarah Blasko > Justice > Megaherz > WJSN > Two Year Vacation > Kitten Girls.
Same as Alex mostly but Sara Blasko is one of my personal favs, so eh .
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Yeah, my bad, this is the right link for Sarah Blasko
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FR5cyznYfk
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And the reward for the most interesting choice of instruments this week goes to...Too Many Zooz. Interesting week overall I think.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4Cxrk98ZBc
Jared Halley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pp8hIRUIg8g
Chuck Roberts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FigVEysGjE
Kid Ink
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7sOZ_TFUXg
Within Temptation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7Bc3pLyij0
Marshmallow ft Bastille
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xV7nHX2RLjQ
Too Many Zooz
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Jared Halley - Is what it says on the tin. Pretty good, well produced, sounds nice. No surprises here, only "negative" being that it is a cover medley and I might go for something that is also good and original over it.... okay scratch that, the later sections do have some surprises with vocal tricks to get the grunge in there. Strong contender. The end is the best part by far.
Chuck Roberts - Peak edutainment. I could go on with this for two or three times the length and not be unsatisfied. Very strong contender, I love things that are like "hey this is what this type of music is and why it's cool"
Kid Ink - Ooh. Unusual sort of track where the music is really compelling and the rap over top is more of the complement. Interesting to hear the same sort of sounds popping up here as in some of the Kpop stuff we see. Probably falls a bit behind because this week is so strong and the rap/lyrics didn't impress me much, but loved the soundscape.
Within Temptation - Is good metal. Not a lot to say, not because it is low quality, just fairly Standard Metal Stuff. Loud drums and guitars and lyrics about defiant resistance.
Marshmallow - Standard happy life anthem stuff. I did like the voice, but not really my cup of tea stylistically and this is a really strong week.
Too Many Zooz - Wow, incredibly creative. Making this sound good instead of annoying is crazy impressive.
Very strong week! In the end TMZ is the one I would link people and say "You gotta listen to this!" so that's my top vote, but I'd happily take any of the top four, WT is not bad either and Marshmallow is Not My Thing but may be for others.
Too Many Zooz > Chuck Roberts > Kid Ink > Jared Halley > Within Temptation > Marshmallow
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Too Many Zooz > Marshmallow ft. Bastille > Chuck Roberts > Within Temptation > Kid Ink > Jared Halley
I like Marshmallow with Bastille almost purely on the strength of Bastille. The film clip is direct and manipulative, but that's what you do with Bastille. Chuck Roberts is good and it feels great to hear some pure house again. Within Temptation is a pretty standard Within Temptation track, but the video looks like a Mortal Kombat movie sequel. Kid Ink just kinda is, I am less enamored with it than Alexchan, it just feels like a rap over trap to me? Jared Halley is fine for people into it, I just am so very not into A Capella medleys at the best of time and this is not my kind of tribute.
Too Many Zooz is probably too unique as a modern thing to overlook though. I prefer Marshmallow and Bastille, but eh, its good and fun and more people could get some non-conventional instrumentation into their life.
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Within Temptation - Is good metal. Not a lot to say, not because it is low quality, just fairly Standard Metal Stuff. Loud drums and guitars and lyrics about defiant resistance.
Hmm, if this was from a brand new band, do you think it would actually be considered metal?
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I think genre labels are broad and descriptive rather than prescriptive, so yes
-
With those guitars and drums mixed that way? Yeah definitely. Metal tends to have the snare way more forward in the mix than other genres if you get those firework pops of a snare coming through strongly that is one of the triggers where I will talk about “metal sounding drums”. Same with the bass line as well. Those two together tend to make the backbone of a song for me. Whatever you do up in the upper register is going to just flavour what the bass and percussion setup.
They are even keeping with the zeitgeist surprisingly well for a band celebrating their 20th anniversary. Like check out some Bring Me the Horizon or someone like that. More melodic stuff, production tricks in the mix and especially synth work is pretty common at the moment in the right subgenres.
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Lot more instrumental pieces this week than usual. This week's finalists:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2eKImKZviw
Muse
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRCA_Fo0rWA
Beck
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNyQpe80TRA&t=0s
Nita Strauss
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXIg9swoQZ8
Nam Hye Seung, Park Sang Hee
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UD2EzioLovo
Parry Gripp
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sRywPoYrkk
Synapson
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Muse - Good one to kick off October with. Song is typical good Muse stuff, I like them a lot, didn't grip me IMMENSELY like some of their stuff does but this does have a very amusing video.
Beck - Nice flute and vocals. Kinda in the same line as Muse but I like the Muse a bit more?
Nita Strauss - Good. Refreshing. Contains fire.
Nam Hye Seung, Park Sang Hee - Strong stuff, drags on a bit though.
Parry Gripp - This was cute but also it's like 50 seconds and two bars long.
Synapson - Pretty haunting, in a good way.
Cool week. Not a lot to say.
Nita Strauss > Muse > Beck > Mr. Sunshine > Synapson > Parry Gripp
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Hmm...between Muse and Nita Strauss I think I lean towards Muse. Something bugs me a little about the Nita Strauss video now that I'm watching it closer, and it's that it's really full of camera cuts; often the notes that you're hearing are not actually the notes that she's playing. Which...ehh...they could still have the fire and stuff, I just like it when the fingers match up with the notes.
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I actually don't have a good feel for how strong this week is. Lots of big names, but they all feel kinda close to me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjEngEpiJKo
melodysheep
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Th_j7RUu2vM
Pentatonix
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mA7WUDZpKzo
D-Sharp
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uGVZoqJjn4
Lady Gaga
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUJGwSy0pRI
Sigala, Ella Eyre, Meghan Trainor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZNb8A48USo
Halestorm
-
Melodysheep - Nice strong science mix, good music, good sound. Wish it was longer. But even at 2min it doesn't feel incomplete, just makes me want to replay it.
Pentatonix - It is Pentatonix. They are good. You know what you are getting. Their musical stuff is above par from what I am used to from them, so this is a very reasonable consideration. Only thing holding it back for me is that... I just am not a huge fan of the original song? And it is technically a Halloween+Christmas song but the emphasis is more on the Christmas side and it's still first half of October.
D-Sharp - Wow this works really well. Getting some points for novelty although on a scan I think this is this artist's usual Thing and I just haven't heard them before? This works really, really well though.
Lady Gaga - Not really my thing compared to the first three.
Sigala, Ella Eyre, Meghan Trainor - Fine but not rockin my socks.
Halestorm - Good solid track, could win a weaker week for me but here I think it's hovering 3-4
So yeah first three listed knocked my socks off. Think I'm going with D-Sharp on the "wow you gotta listen to this!" factor, novelty or not it's real good. If it was December I'd up Pentatonix more but right now it feels out of season. Even with that though the top three are really close for me.
D-Sharp > Melodysheep > Pentatonix > Halestorm > Lady Gaga > Sigala &co
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melodysheep - Feynman quotes are still great. I don't think 2018 deserves him. I am also hoping he never did anything sketch that will ruin his legacy. Works pretty well.
Pentatonix - Pentatonix doing musical songs is like so not me. They are good and incredibly proficient, but this is directly outside my wheelhouse.
D-Sharp - Alex is pretty spot on here. This is killer and works amazingly well.
Lady Gaga - I have said if she did an accoustic piano album before it would be like my favourite thing. This is absolutely not that since it is for a thing, so it doesn't really have her belting out at full range and bleeding her heart out on a piano solo, but you know what? I have said it before and will stick by it. This is pretty basic Movie Soundtrack Single work and it is really good and her work on it is great. There isn't much behind the song but it is still a great example of what it is and song writing is like the backbone of her career.
Sigala, Ella Eyre, Meghan Trainor - I don't think this really is a super good use of any of the people here, its just verse chorus verse between all three of them and then for some reason French Montana gets a Featuring on it and is the best part of the track?
Halestorm - Halestorm doing some very Alice Cooper stuff. I dig this a lot. The top 4 is all pretty strong and like in a different week with less diverse top end this would probably just as easily be number 1 as it is number 4.
I don't think it is a week with a massive high, but it is a good chunk of just solid tracks
Lady Gaga > D-Sharp > Melodysheep > Halestorm > Sigala &co > Pentatonix
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Think I was like...Lady Gaga > melodysheep > Sigala etc
Was kind of expecting melodysheep to be the pick, but not #1 from anyone (2, 2, 3)
D-Sharp was barely in the top 6 for me (ended up putting it in mostly cause I didn't think we needed two metal songs that seemed good but unlikely to win), but that apparently played really well with Gref/Alex. Seems like it's partially for the novelty? I guess I've been subscribed to D-sharp for a while but maybe he was just outside of top 6 a bunch so this isn't the first D-sharp song I've heard. (1, 2, 6)
Lady Gaga looks like is (1, 1, 5)
OK I should give D-sharp another listen...mmm...still solid, but not really standing out to me.
Guess I'm deciding between Lady Gaga and Melodysheep. My general rule for situations like this is that the one with more #1s should win, but mmm...Melodysheep is very distinctive.
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Finalists this week; surprisingly mainstream bunch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-v1b9waHWY
Charli XCX & Troye Sivan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZczZKHwWUFY
Lukas Graham
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4tBlQ5yTwY
Fromis 9
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2h48ULJoUEY
Matty B
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wogS2WPp-0g
Olly Murs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4J-0cnpQeLc
Andrew Hwang
Also bonus--it seems to be going viral, and the opening is pretty good, but I dunno--there's a long gap of silence in the middle which really breaks up the flow listening to pure audio https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDFBTdToRmw Little Big
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Charli XCX & Troye Sivan - Nice beat to this. References got a little old after the first minute or so, but eh, reasonable.
Lukas Graham - Nice mood, nice music. Mind slips away from how to describe this but I liked it a fair bit. Vocals I'm a bit torn on but I hear the passion. Would be a fine feature.
Fromis 9 - Sure is Standard Kpop. Does a good job of keeping the energy up, I found myself nodding along to it and enjoying it more than the formula would suggest. Did I like it more than Lukas Graham... hm, not quite, but not far off, certainly in the upper echelons of Standard Kpop.
Matty B - Similar to others in this pack, but not as much going on musically as Charli XCX and not as much going on vocally as Lukas Graham.
Olly Murs - Hm... this had me waiting for more comedy, didn't quite land. Fine groove, but everything this week has that.
Andrew Hwang - Musically creative but that's about it. The opening and ending make me expect more of a narrative than there is, I dunno.
Little Big - I didn't mind the middle part, you have to watch the video once but it's clearly meant that people do that anyway, and after the first time it's a nice mental break. That said, it's... pretty good but not over "pretty good" for me? Middle of the pack.
Fairly close pack, several of these feel similar to each other. Lukas Graham emoting and well produced kpop take the top spots.
Lukas Graham > Fromis 9 > Charli XCX & Troye Sivan >= Little Big > Andrew Hwang > Matty B > Olly Murs
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Hmm...no clear consensus between me and alex; still hoping for Grefter to reply.
-
Charli XCX & Troye Sivan - Is a late 2010s ass pop song about 1999 with 1999 imagery on it. Doesn't work for me. Would have been interesting with either shittier autotune or none at all. Not sure what to do with the beat though. You could turn it into trashy eurobeat or something, but maybe not.
Lukas Graham - This made me want to listen to Murder By Death so badly. I get the vibe he is going for, but it is way to clean and way too just straight. Like he only really uses his range at the end. None of it works for me, but I am definitely going back to Murder By Death since it has been ages.
Fromis 9 - The skirts and dresses in this are amaaaaaaazing. I love all of the colour going on here. It is a bubblegum pop song that is just like hey pretty good but I wouldn't really know what is going on in it compared to another one except that is absolutely about orgasms.
Matty B - Matty B will never be for me I swear. He is definitely growin up! He definitely still doesn't feel like he should be rapping the content he does. His flow here is weak as well.
Olly Murs - I like this way more than Alex did. it is mostly just pretty stock pop though. Barely uses your Snoop bit though. That is a lot of money for not a lot.
Andrew Hwang - It is an alright version of this kind of thing? It probably would help to know who it is about. As is I would rather listen to a Gabe remix. RIP that best of boys.
Fromis 9 > Olly Murs > Andrew Hwang > Charli xCX and Troye Sivan > Lukas Graham> Matty B
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If I already like a song, it's rare for me to seriously consider a remake, but I actually do like this Bohemian Rhapsody cover.... Anyway, finalists:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZARzv21m14
Lee Hi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCGcS1JpVZI
Sirenia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rR8jc6EPQM
Lindsey Stirling
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKad-BrAl4g
Ateez
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUvLe9Gucfc
Golden Child
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdKVqctO84A
Kesha
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Lee Hi - What it says on the tin. Great song, good cover. Doesn't really bring a lot new to the table for me, though, and my general thought on covers is "would I listen to this over/in addition to the original, or does it make me want to just click through to the original?" So... this is sort of a baseline placement.
Sirenia - Good throbbing metal stuff. Full sound, strong aesthetic. Wears out its welcome a little bit on the final stretch, but still a strong contender.
Lindsey Stirling - Is Lindsey Stirling. Solid as usual, nothing terribly out of the ordinary, has its couple of strong bars and sticks to repeating them and doing variations.
Ateez - Is Kpop boyband. Getting that middle eastern vibe in, I like that.
Golden Child - Has good dance moves.
Kesha - Has The Notorious RBG.
Hard week to rank. Nothing really stands out, lots of solid genre pieces. I... wow, I really have nothing. Nothing to the top, nothing to the bottom. It's all fine. Shrug. So... personal random preferences, I guess? Notorious RBG hype.
Kesha >= Sirenia >= Ateez >= Lee Hi >= Lindsey Stirling >= Golden Child but this is like the softest of soft ranks.
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Kesha > Sirenia > Lee Hi > Lindsey Stirling > Ateez > Golden Child
I dig the new sound of Kesha a lot, but I like a strong vocal over an acoustic string lead when it isn't countryish a lot of the time. If it wasn't for a movie about Women's rights in the states I would swear it was about more recent gender discussions and I would expect the album or Radio version without the movie adverts in there would work as such. That is kinda what I want to feel this week.
Other notables is Sirenia is good in ways you expect me to like melodic metal stuff.
Lee Hi is a pretty decent Bohemian Rhapsody covers. It hits that sweet spot of doing its own thing so you don't go "well why don't I just listen to the original" (ie not like Weezer doing Toto) and stands up well enough on its own to be like "hey yeah this is neat" while being faithful still (ie, not like Weezer doing Toto).
I think its kinda weaker side of Lindsey Stirling's latest stuff, but it is really good. I honestly just spent more time enjoying the drone shots in the video and being kind of amazed at the budget of her videos and the work she puts in to do it all. She is still one of the hardest working musicians to be pushing Youtube as her primary engagement network. Also holy shit that must have been a super brutal shoot with that costuming. I assume just off camera is like a mountain of blankets to wrap her in between shots.
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So...we have a request this week from my nephew (Rammstein's new group Emigrate). Doesn't mean we have to pick it, but if we're at all on the fence I'm going to lean towards picking it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6hNReAAe2U
Emigrate
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-p4B6PIRrI
The Black Eyed Peas ft CL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uHt2LrCSWg
Sigrid
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3egpRvRc5Ds
Sick Individuals
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVKrSzu6oD4
Amberian Dawn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9FbiMtfpAI
Too Many Zooz
(Also bonus doubleclicks, which appealed to my sense of humor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AghGMDxZYUM )
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Quick scanning over/under then...
Too Many Zooz > Amberian Dawn > Emigrate > rest. I liked TMZ a lot, that's the one that stands out of this pack to me. AD and Emigrate are both kind of soft metal? They're fine, but the thing I liked about Rammstein was their hardness, so kinda feeling a lack of that in Emigrate.
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Either Double Clicks or Too Many Zooz for me.
Looks like pretty right from Alexchan there for top three.
Too Many Zooz > Amberian Dawn > Emigrate > Sigrid > Sick Individuals > Emigrate > The Black Eyed Peas ft CL
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OK, so around 3rd? Yeah, I think that's high enough to pick a request.
(We also just picked Too Many Zooz a month ago, I imagine we'll be picking them a lot).
-
Hmm...nothing super stands out to me this week, and I'm not sure if any of it is really gref/alex bait either; we'll see.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9g-6y1yWlPA
zaz
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlznpxNGFGQ
Clean Bandit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQ8QpMEyLN8
Crazy Ex Girlfriend
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sl2UHmhp4io
Kura
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAKsZ26SabQ
Twice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8C97vYXlVc0
Dreamnote
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zaz - Pretty vocals and piano, strings and such come in later. Feels like a template I've heard many times. It's okay.
Clean Bandit - Neat beat. Very radio song ish. It's okay.
Crazy Ex GF - Was funny. It's okay.
Kura - Decent house and a good Halloween video. Notch or so above okay.
Twice - Perhaps not the best of takes on consent, but the song did its job at entertaining and holding attention. Reasonable.
Dreamnote - Felt like a letdown after Twice which means Twice is probably better than I thought!
This pool exists. Eh. Kura definitely earns some bonus points for the video.
Kura > Twice > Crazy XGF > zaz > Dreamnote > Clean Bandit
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zaz > Kura > Clean Bandit > Dreamnote > Crazy XGF > Twice
Honestly kinda comes down to, do I want to hear a piano ballad in French or do I want to hear some trap. French and Piano ballads are pretty good right now.
Edit - It also occurs to me that I should have made sure to pass on this new Washington track this week since she is a good local artist from back home.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mexPH0Pw9P0
Might be worth considering for next week if you don't mind giving it a spin and it competes.
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Alright, so thiiiis week, I'm about to go on an almost 2 week vacation. This means that I did not have time to quality filter these down to 6, unfortunately. (I'll include my first impression ratings but they usually don't have much correlation on the final pick these days). It also means that we'll need a second pick from next Thursday, either from this week, or a song we skipped over from earlier weeks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5kM5wAwRug
Backstreet Boys - B-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ll1DrlZgqk
Kelsea Ballerini - A-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8f5RgwY8CI
Muse - B-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mexPH0Pw9P0
Washington - B--
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8muGWOjNoSo
Muse - B
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=It8JCNyFW38
D-Crunch - B-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b73BI9eUkjM
Jennie - B--
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZRvAeUdO0o
Masta ace & marco polo - B-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjpoSONoReo
hyo & 3lau - B-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeOSgsJJ12M
warkings - B-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSye8OO5TkM
Hosier - B--
-
Washington > Masta ace & marco > second Muse > HYO & 3LAU 'Punk Right Now' > Warkings
is probably my pick.
Washington I am obviously super biased for.
-
Muse - Algorithms > Muse - Blockades > Washington > Masta Ace and Marko > Hyo & 3Lau > Kelsea Ballerini
Those are the ones that stood out to me. This recent Muse stuff is obviously very my style, liked Washington as well.
-
Well, looks like Washington is closest to consensus for this week's pick (1st/3rd). Probably a muse for the vacation week? Although Gref/Alex seem to disagree on which muse is better. Either that or go back and pick Too Many Zooz which I skipped over in order to pick the song my nephew requested.
-
possibly too late for it but i would link all three and call it "too many Muse"
-
possibly too late for it but i would link all three and call it "too many Muse"
Uhh...yeah, that doesn't get me any closer to picking.
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No new music again from me this week (can't stream music this week at work as we need the bandwidth for other stuff).
So...if you want to request a song we skipped over, or have a request that came out in the two weeks I haven't been able to stream music, now would be the time.
Otherwise, I picked a Muse song last week (Blockades) so I'd probably pick Too Many Zoos this week.
-
Two other friends in random non-DL places independently mentioned Too Many Zooz to me this week, so I can definitely get behind that.
-
I have no objections to Too Many Zooz and haven't gotten into any new releases in the last 2 weeks (though Camp Cope I linked in Discord if you want some cool Australian stuff is absolutely my jam this week in "Things I Should Have Got Into Years Ago And Their 2018 Album Is Great").
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Think it's a strong week, but I also tried to do some catching up, so this is probably more than 1 week worth of music represented. (This is also a week where I do have a definite favourite, but could be a week we pick more than once from so...).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4itm0SRxAro
Ninja Sex Party
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWJUPY-2EIM
Red Velvet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrMGGMNTKa8
Within Temptation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4waVZXKE0GU
Beast in Black
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvnnGm9Bk00
DJ Earworm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRfmrE0ToTo
Anne Marie & James Arthur
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Ninja Sex Party - Didn't do much for me. These tracks are supposed to earworm, it didn't, not much else to say.
Red Velvet - Standard Kpop fare, nothing too out of the ordinary but I liked the vocals and a few of the touches here and there. Not bad.
Within Temptation - The static effects in this destroy my headphones, wow. Anyway it is yon metal protest song. Continually relevant, good soundscape. Nothing too out of the ordinary here either.
Beast in Black - Ah - now this stands out. Immediately grabs me with the guitar, keeps the energy high and doesn't let go. Makes me want to sing along with it.
DJ Earworm - These mashups are always cool conceptually! I couldn't pick too much out of this one though.
Anne Marie & James Arthur - Good vocals, pleasant to listen to.
Beast in Black definitely stands out to me. The rest all kind of in an average to above average cloud.
Beast in Black > Anne Marie & James Arthur > Red Velvet > Within Temptation > DJ Earworm > Ninja Sex Party
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Hmm...well last week Alex and I agreed on #1. I don't have a clear top choice this time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knPiDlKNf1w
Shenseea
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IKo2aOE5RY
Kiesza
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kJdWJXxF3Y
Arch Enemy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSDczcfQAo4
Laura Pausini
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_0-7JgPYGE
smooth mcgroove
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yns5LTJEpvw
trax
-
Shensea - Is a song that exists. Plus points for kink positivity. Minus points for autotune that gets overwhelming at points, giving it a sort of soulless manufactured feel to me. Pleasant enough to listen to, but it'd be hard for me to vote this over decent competition.
Kiesza - Good contrast to Sensea, plenty of soul here! Made me laugh, even got some Christmas spirit up in there. Nothing mindblowing musically, but I can certainly see this winning.
Arch Enemy - Hmmm. Very vocally focused on the contrast between the clean and growl sections. Didn't quiiiite click for me but I see roughly what's going on and it's a good listen. About on the same level as Kiesza.
Laura Pausini - Pleasant in the moment but forgettable. Not much to say on this one.
smooth mcgroove - Likely winner, knocks it out of the park for me. Vocals, tone and the background+clapping come together perfectly with Smooth's style and explode into a lot more than his game covers. Clean, clear and direct.
trax - "Ok, smooth's way out in front, that was great, easy win unless this trax song does something spectacular." *listens* "... ah, heck, it did. Now I have to think." Very crunchy 3 part blend, drop delayed to 2 minutes and after the guitar is pretty great. Way above the standard kpop I went in expecting to hear, and definitely a standout for the week.
Interesting week. Sorts out easily to three pairs of two: Smooth/trax on top, then Kiesza/Arch Enemy, and Shensea/Laura Pausini. The order of each pair is a tossup. I'll leave em in that order for now I guess.
smooth mcgroove > trax > Kiesza > Arch Enemy > Shensea > Laura Pausini
-
Ugh meant to get around to typing this up earlier but just cut to the chase since it is late.
Archenemy wins in a walk to me, but I have zero complaints or issues with the TraxX song. It hits all the right beats. I am just in an Archenemy mood.
-
Alright, well let's see, I think Shensea and Laura Pausini were on top for me, but not by tons and not registering with Alex or grefter so alright, good feedback, not picking those.
Looks like it's between smooth mcgroove (alex's #1), Arch Enemy (Grefter's #1) or trax (#2 for gref/alex).
Also worth noting last three weeks have been muse, too many zooz, and Beast in Black, so...two metal-ish songs, so that's probably going to be a strike against Arch Enemy. But ok, re-listening now.
EDIT: ok, Smooth Mcgroove actually stood out comforatbly ahead of the other two on a re-listen, so I guess I'm going with that.
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So...I was originally thinking we would do a Christmas song this week (and go back and pick out some of the ones I skipped over).
Buuut then the week started out with Myrath and Justice and I was like "ok, maybe too much competition for that." I think the Red Velvet might be a repeat, except this is the English version.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2rKORvyOcM
Myrath
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8NHebm4nTY
Justice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NFBXxwOwvg
Pentatonix
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lesEoC6h4pI
Icon for Hire
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjqFa7dpSqY
Red Velvet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oY8tZQsXbrA
Smooth McGroove
-
Myrath - Killer style and production, as always. Lacks the overflowing emotiveness of some of their other stuff, this one is a little more "stuff happens" than any particular theme, but production is so high it's a strong contender anyway.
Justice - Wowww. What a love letter to marching band. Really conveys the love of music it can instill in people. And oh yeah, track's a banger. Easy top tier.
Pentatonix - It is Pentatonix singing about Christmas, as they do.
Icon for Hire - Music's not bad but lyrics were rough for me, just doesn't hit my head's way of dealing with these issues.
Red Velvet - Still good.
Smooth McGroove - Decent cover, but it's hard to go back to these after the last few Smooth vocals.
Justice wayyyy ahead of everything else here. Christmas is a consideration, but this Pentatonix doesn't do as much for me as the out of season ones we saw around, what was it, early November?
Justice > Myrath > Red Velvet > Smooth McGroove > Icon for Hire > Pentatonix
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I've been back to work for two days, have a few songs I guess, including some year end mashups. This might be a low quality week where we just pick from a previous week though; I only have 5 songs, and I haven't done my usual filtering pass.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTuR-e6aLRo
Seventeen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HolKYIFg-DA
Sam Tsui
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YVwtb8pZZY
Robin Skouteris
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L15ZZX9n56M
Chung Ha
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZVV0LZ3rYU
Enrique Iglesias
-
Seventeen - Doesn't evoke any emotion.
Sam Tsui - Doesn't evoke any emotion, except for throwing in a lot of "God's plan" which... is not really positive, but doesn't matter because this is up against a similar mashup compilation that I liked a lot more.
Robin Skouteris - As above, I liked this a lot more than the previous two! It is 13 minutes long but does seem to maintain consistent quality throughout, it sounds good no matter where I click.
Chung Ha - Decent. Hard call over/under the super long mashup, but if 13 minutes is too long this is good.
Enrique Iglesias - Is fine, kinda similar to Chung Ha in where it hits me but not quite as hard. A little hard to reconcile the vocals with the instruments.
Yeah none of these are super impressive, a previous week would be fine too. (I know this is SUPER late, oops!) 13 minutes is a bit long, IIRC something was said about an upper limit of less than that, but not taking that into account for ranking.
Robin Skouteris > Chung Ha > Enrique Iglesias > Seventeen > Sam Tsui
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I swear, the musicians are not back from vacation yet or something, because I barely got to 6 songs this week. And nothing super high profile (Some country and kpop and youtube electric guitar covers). Aaaaaaaand Pinkfong. I kid you not, Pinkfong is on the Billboard top 40 in America AND on the Billboard top 20 in the UK. I guess it went viral? Honestly not too far from some overly cutesy Touhou memes I like, but I'm not expecting Gref/Alex to like it >_>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsiPBiKLJsA
Randy Houser
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUJ3Pq74H4c
Red Velvet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqszm7AnX-4
ikon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnRpdEbnyw0
Greyish
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0ZONrzvjYA
331Erock
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SgMN0V9d9o
Pinkfong
-
Randy Houser - Sure is a country song. I am not qualified to evaluate this well, it seems pretty standard stuff?
Red Velvet - Sure is a female kpop song.
ikon - Sure is a male kpop song. It's okay.
Greyish - Sure is a loligoth kpop song.
331Erock - Not familiar with the original but this seems fine? Metalish, simple, emphasis on technique and the tech is good.
Pinkfong - Pinkfong.
It's probably the pick. Liberate tuteme ex inferis. I'm a little torn between the top two and will take the excuse to not put it at the top but as you say it's pretty popular... otherwise this is basically Personal Genre Preference: The List as none of the other four rise above "it was that kinda song."
331Erock > Pinkfong > Greyish > Red Velvet > ikon > Randy Houser
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OK, the musicians are alive and making music. I found them. Decent batch of finalists this week:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SefkaPqyidc
Amaranthe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsAc1G4yop4
boypierce
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOZhFf_Jc9g
Monarchy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l56plK0uReo
Born of Osiris
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT14mlv92t4
Delain
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4nZjrXc1BQ
Favourite
-
Amaranthe - I'm still in a dream, snake eater. Good stuff, high production value, well composed, great voices, good lyrics blah blah top contender.
Boy Pierce - Was ambivalent at first, warmed up considerably as more lines came in. Very effective structure. Surprisingly very good.
Monarchy - Good but bounced off of me somewhat. Feels like it should be heavier than it is.
Born of Osiris - This on the other hand is a bit too heavy too fast for me. I get the mood, but there are three good metal tracks this week and this lacks the polish of Amaranthe or Delain.
Delain - See Amaranthe. It does feel like a checklist of genre tropes and standard lines, but they're effective for a reason, you know what you're going to hear immediately and it delivers.
Favourite - Kpop comin in hot. Standard genre entry, not bad, nothing that really stands out to me.
So the big question here is Amaranthe vs Delain. I think I side Delain, it's close, I'm a sucker for a narrative I can tease out. BUT ALL THAT IS A TRICK because actually my favorite is Boy Pierce. It's very, very effective with its simple structure and build, it surprises and makes me feel things. Strong week though. I look forward to seeing Kaitlyn and Grefter's thoughts on Monarchy because I really am not sure what I'm supposed to be feeling on that one.
Boy Pierce > Delain > Amaranthe > Monarchy > Born of Osiris > Favourite
-
Seems like a strong week in theory; more than one artist who have been repeat picks in the past. This week's options:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yv5_CXdv1lc
LSD (lil Wayne remix)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMZqT96O8aE
Grey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZzhUPe-Bck
Battle Beast
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EANtOg0S1Jw
Le Butcherettes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=om80Y_V3fhw
Crazy Ex Girlfriend
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWHayNNgu7Y
Amine
-
Battle Beast > Amine > LSD/lil wayne > Crazy Ex Girlfriend > Le Butcherettes > Grey
Not in a great state for writeups. Battle Beast wayyy out in front for me though.
-
Hmm...alright, LSD was slightly out in front for me, but I didn't have a strong preference. Alex having a really strong preference for Battle Beast I'll go with that.
-
Hmmm....seems like a weaker set than last week at first glance, but let's see what other people think. Finalists this week:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kO8fTk6oKQg
Dua Lipa
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ai3LrJ2MPSs
Lord of the Lost
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHpEwCrBh1g
Merk & Kremont
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQ84-ZNHagY
Sadie Stanley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhD4tNqQiN4
Wolfpack & eastblock bitches
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZffRfIkKpqA
Rob lundgren
-
Dua Lipa - I had to check who did writing on this because this really sounds/feels like a Sia copy. It looks like it isn't and it is its own beast, but checking the 6 names associated with writing it (one of which is Dua Lipa so thumbs up), but I did see Thomas Holkenborg, which is cool. That is Junkie XL. Junkie XL tracks fucken bounce. The track is pretty clean and cool which is up my ally. I have noooooo idea how this is a Battle Angel Alita track though
Lord of the Lost - Remember that stuff I say about Rammstein all the time? That applies here. It doesn’t quite have the same lyricalimpact that excites me like Death Stars does, but if I want clean vocals from a strong baritone sung over some groans synth and and guitar, this delivers it well. I like this an unfair amount.
Merk & Kremont - This on the other hand is incredibly slight. There is not heaps to this. That doesn’t mean bad just kinda eh. Some of the verses feel like some Nicki Minaj flow before she really picks up tempo and Nicki is a good thing to remind me of, but that is about all it does. It rolls into a meandering chorus of nothing.
Sadie Stanley - Usual Disney disclaimer of I am just not the audience for it. I have no idea what to even do with this. It is like... a 90s pop song? With one of the worst endings I have heard this year, the song just hard cuts off.’ Okay
Wolfpack & eastblock bitches - we are doing hard dance again but with trap synths instead of eurobeat and house tones? I am probably heavily bossing this to my youth, but I prefer it with eurobeat/house style over trap, and that is as someone that never shuts up about dirty trap beats being great. I dunno. I wanted to go in o. This dance track only being 3 minutes long, but there is definitely versions of Operation Blade that I known I like that are 1 second longer than this. So that is overlookinngbyhet obviously there is versions that play our longer thsbrre
Rob lundgren - I dunno it is late and I am tired and just gave hmethisnno time of day
lord of the Lost > Dua Lippa > Wolfpack and Wastbkock Bitches is my top 3
-
Dua Lipa - Reasonable bounce to it. Very very movie aesthetic.
Lord of the Lost - This was just okay until the crunch around 2:45 and then yeah I am sold. Crunches like a good breakfast cereal.
Merk and Kremont - Video was amusing but I'm not sure about the TTS in a song like this. Hm. I dunno. Wasn't bad.
Sadie Stanley - So I was talking with some friends about the Kim Possible movie the other day, and one of them commented "Yeah but the reason people liked that show is that they had a crush on Kim." It's... uncomfortably true, and maybe just proximity of that conversation but I'm seeing a lot of that in this song. "Call me, beep me, I can do anything" are lines with obvious double meaning and it feels jarring when combined with the nu-disneyness of the rest of the song and toplevel meanings. It is a bouncy song on its own, but difficult to separate from context.
Wolfpack and Eastblock Bitches - Pretty standard stuff except for whatever that western trill thing is called. Mixes in well though.
Rob Lundgren - is what it says on the tin. Goes on a bit long, gets a bit bare for me.
So really this is Lord of the Lost > other five, and I see Grefter putting that in front as well.
Lord and Lost > Merk and Kremont > Wolfpack and Eastblock > Dua and Lipa > Sadie and Kim > Rob and Mr. Mister
-
Huh, alright, Lord of the Lost was the one I had on top too; wasn't expecting a 3 way unanimous, but this definitely seems worth picking now.
-
Bunch of artists this week I recognize are good, most of which have not yet been picked for one reason or another.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_un9PYsE1_g
king gizzard & the lizard wizard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmWWqogr_r8
21 savage
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BG6en2WyAsw
Eluveitie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ac5xyk03ZQ8
Metric
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3nb_r18ug0
Within Temptation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUQI-o02JYU
asap rocky
-
king gizzard & the lizard wizard - I can't name the song that the groove is from but I recognize it, it's very memorable. A good, soothing listen, although may overstay its welcome a bit. Just gets blown out by the rest of this pack being super strong.
21 savage - Well 21 Savage is in current events news, so I'm looking at this right away. Takes a while (almost 3 minutes) to get to the good stuff but is quite good once it gets there. Sort of a response to This Is America, huh. Yeah it will be hard not to pick this unless something else here is super outstanding.
Eluveitie - Okay, yes, very good. Sufficient faceblasting and a very nice blend of death/scream and melodic/folk metalstuffs. You'd think this would be a common thing but I haven't heard it much and they pull it off very well.
Metric - Also quite good, I like the high/low contrast. Also surprise Mae Borowski cameo.
Within Temptation - Is fine. A bit slow, I guess that is the idea, but doesn't strike me as much as Eluveitie.
ASAP Rocky - Wow, neat. Definitely the most interesting of the week musically, if not the most directly enjoyable. Though... it's not far down on that metric either, for me, once I listen to the whole thing. Hrrrm. Hrm.
Wow, strong week. Really strong. Started off expecting to just rubber stamp 21 Savage, and then challengers from multiple completely different directions appear. Music exists in context, though, and 21 Savage is subtly very good... I wrestled with putting Eluveitie over it, then Metric, and finally I will succumb to personal appeal and actually do it for ASAP Rocky. But really all of these are great. Top 4 are all in that "should win and would autoslam a weaker pack" range.
ASAP Rocky > 21 Savage > Eluveitie > Metric > gizzard lizard wizard > Within Temptation
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Hmm...alright, the one that ended up on top for me was actually king gizzard & the lizard wizard. I didn't like it that much on first listen and it slowly moved up when I had songs on repeat, though, so probably not a good pick.
I'm not sure I fully get ASAP Rocky. It's interesting, and different, but I'm not sure I can explain what's going on musically in a writeup (other than explaining that the video is cool). Think I have an easier time explaining 21 Savage, so I'll go with that I guess.
EDIT: oh wait, 21 savage is the guy who is being deported (From the US to the UK) and is currently being held in an ICE detention center. Yeah...that's an extra topical reason to pick him.
-
Forgot these last night
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTwoiWQyRnI
Parry Gripp
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OfOkiVFmhM&t=0s
Taemin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRBrINkXSkk
Mira Calix
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rek1h4LiPS8
Eearz, ScHoolboy Q, 2 Chainz, Mike WiLL Made-It
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pq_mbTSR-a0
Dreamcatcher
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUHC9tYz8ik
Billie Eilish
-
Parry Gripp's not my personal jam, but wow, the other five are all S rank. Mira Calix was going to be an easy win for me, if perhaps a hard justify to Semitheoretical Columnreading Grandmother. Then Billie Eilish appears with an earful of yes please. And Dreamcatcher and Taemin both strike hard, and Eearz and friends are also very strong and only not higher because I think we've picked a lot of similar stuff lately... wow I like it all. What a week.
Billie Eilish > Mira Calix > Dreamcatcher > Eearz & co. > Taemin > Parry Gripp
-
I'm not 100% sure what the band name/song name is for LNoL. If we pick that, will need to figure that out >_>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8qWbowzwZU
Beast in Black
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7C3dUJDAV8
LNoL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNoBBaxfkqE
Piroshka
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ygiz-CPVrcM
Little Mix
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdVjVtpr55M
Pentatonix
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P42UH44Sx1c
Joe Stone
-
Beast in Black - Good clean metal. Bit too bright for the "hell" feeling but sure.
LNOL - Yeah pick this. I don't know how to even begin to approach it. Pretty piano and makes you think.
Piroshka - Most of the good here for me is in the video. Song, eh.
Little Mix - I took a break after listening to 5/6 last night and when I came back today I couldn't remember this one at all, so meh. Also the video's NSFMC'sfamily.
Pentatonix - Is what it says on the tin. Not really my favorite version, I prefer ones that go for the spirit of the lyrics more, but is fine.
Joe Stone - Most of the good here is in the video as well, but the song is bouncy and played well.
LNOL way out in front for me. Joe Stone a pleasant surprise.
LNOL > Beast in Black = Joe Stone > Pentatonix > Piroshka > Little Mix
-
Strooooooooong week. At least a couple that would normally be snap picks I think.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0x7a_MlD4A
Lord of the Lost
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDUPSNdmFew
Dave
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuouqKN7kLo
Sara Bareilles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ao3XJ-UDdzI
Clean Bandit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69QRcBmxG58
OK Go
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6dO_o5PmI0
Park Yu Chun
-
Lord of the Lost - Nice punchy replayable anthem. Solid all around.
Dave - Double layer cake of smooth goodness. The backing and the vocals don't seem to have much to do with each other at a glance, they each go in their own direction and then meet up in a couple of places, and yet it works.
Sara Bareilles - I put this on, lost interest halfway through, realized I'd blanked out on it, went back and restarted it to have a proper listen... and forgot about it halfway through again. Then skipped around in it trying hard to focus and actively listen and still couldn't. So that's my review, it doesn't sound bad but can't hold my brain's attention.
Clean Bandit - This is fine. Last minute or so was the strongest to me, wish it did more of that.
OK Go - Oh. Okay. Yes, this.
Park Yu Chun - Is fine, above average for sure.
Yeah strong week. Pretty clear sort into 2 great, 2 good, 2 eh for me. I could go either way on the middle two.
OK Go > Dave > Park Yu Chun >= Lord of the Lost > Clean Bandit > Sara Bareilles
-
Hmmm...ok, I had Dave waaaay ahead of the pack, just as a really strong piece musically. OK Go...was maybe 5th or 6th for me without the video (obviously I expect it to be better with video; video is kind-of what they do). But hmm...1st and 2nd is ahead of 1st and 5th. It is worth noting I think I do find this piece stronger when I'm just listening to the music and not watching the video.
-
Well...obviously I ended up skipping OK Go last week, so there's going to be an argument for taking it this week over this week's options. (Atypical week. Two different bands from Northern Africa, and a K-pop band singing in spanish).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1U4gkcp_40
In Flames
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hzssKb9940
Battle Beast
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWSbC7vPf6E
Myrath
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNcgx832uMM
Super Junior
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tF-vHUTMWYY
Stoned Jesus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfIqXLGuGCI
Nathalie Saba
-
In Flames - Clean, good, a little basic. Didn't stick with me that much. Loses clean to last week's OK Go, as an easy bar.
Battle Beast - Pretty much the same, loses to OK Go.
Myrath - Better than first two. Hangs with OK Go. Doesn't have the wow factor of previous Myraths, but, mm.
Super Junior - Iiinteresting. Very poppy.
Stoned Jesus - Huh. This was a trip! Probably enjoyed this the most of the songs this week, although it is quite lengthy and takes a few minutes to really get going.
Nathalie Saba - Very nice mix on the vocals/instruments here. Goes down smooth.
OK Go hovers around 1st-2nd place here. I think I like it over Nathalie Saba but not Stoned Jesus. But then, there are arguments against Stoned Jesus on length, and OK Go was only 5th for MC so... Shrug, all of these are pretty good actually. Easy rank but a fairly close pack.
Stoned Jesus > Nathalie Saba > Myrath > Super Junior > In Flames > Battle Beast
-
I...also liked stoned jesus, and could not really figure out why I liked it, but sure, let's go with that.
-
Jonas Brothers vs Fleshgod Apocalypse aaaand go! (In all seriousness, I saw more than one person reccommend Jonas Brothers on twitter, so...multiple reccommendation song. On the other hand, I'm about to leave for two weeks, so I'll be picking songs we skipped for the next week or two).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sx4GjTUiD6M
Bakermat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bU54MDtzrVU
Cellar Darling
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xmq3iyW02b8
Fleshgod Apocalypse
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVswnCN-yu4
Parry Gripp
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXmX0qg7Ej8
4Carat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnAmeh0-E-U
Jonas Brothers
-
Personal preference: Cellar Darling > Bakermat > Fleshgod Apocalypse > 4Carat > Jonas Brothers > Parry Gripp
However I feel very unqualified judging these due to very wide personal taste genre gaps. Jonas Brothers probably the best pick.
Probably best picks for general audiences: Jonas Brothers > Cellar Darling > Bakermat > 4Carat > I don't know, what reactions have you gotten on scream metal vs memesongs?
-
Well, I'll grab Jonas Brothers for this week, and look into what to rerun next week.
Oh also, I did do a bit of music listening on friday, and flagged Mamamoo as maybe worth considering:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cp56JdkmE9s
mamamoo
-
So...Rammstein released a video called Deutschland, so that's probably the standard by which everything else will be judged this week. (Some other good stuff though).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeQM1c-XCDc
Rammstein
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2znhSSRVxfM
Rage of Light
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_7hmZM5Q-I
Naia Izumi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hJ8lLNWrM4
Mustard, Migos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5x93pXSmRM
Sigrid
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRmSf9VqrUA
Marshmello ft Chvrches
-
Rammstein - A pretty big deal and deservedly so, have seen people talking about this song/video all over the place. Top quality, has the vocals and precision the group's known for, it's a slam dunk for me.
Rage of Light - Standard quality stuff. Not bad, but not a ton going on for me, and doesn't hang with Rammstein.
Naia Izumi - Chill, good groove, overall quality. A pleasure to listen to. Can't quite name why but easily taking this over the other "easy on the ears" tracks.
Mustard,Migos - Standard stuff, not bad but doesn't stand out.
Sigrid - Easy on the ears and knows itself. Not a ton going on, it has like two good phrases, but delivers them and ends without overstaying its welcome.
Marshmello/Chvrches - Song is another easy to listen to piece, however I had to tab away because the flashing in the video gave me immediate headache/nausea. This is very rare so probably just an individual reaction, but eh. Musical side is fine but doesn't stand out.
Yeah, the other stuff is fine but this week is Rammstein.
Rammstein > Naia Izumi > Rage of Light > Sigrid > Mustard,Migos > Marshmello/Chvrches
-
Somewhat of a feminist/activist trend this week. (Also a week with like...no metal, which is a bit of anomaly)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S24-y0Ij3Y
Blackpink
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_JbZvHc92U
Jonas Brothers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1oHtDA1vWE
Little Big Town
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlmaJ-yU46U
Romero Santos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DM8Tm9ycGz4
Marina
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeD6zk6dx94
Danny Worsnop
-
Blackpink - Feels like it needs one more backing layer, just didn't hold me as is.
Jonas Brothers - Had to doublecheck some parts of this to make sure it wasn't Kpop boy band. Nah it's just slurred english. That's a neutral statement though. It's all right.
Little Big Town - Night in the Woods ruined this for me because it's the same progression as Die Anywhere Else. Not much opinion on it otherwise, not really my thing.
Romeo Santos/Aventura - Whoo, can get behind this. Great video but I liked the song before I looked at it. Minimal but not bare, emotional but not melodramatic, mmm.
Marina - The previous track but way less smooth.
Danny Worsnop - Exists, reasonable listen.
This is basically Aventura > rest for me, weak opinions on order.
Romeo/Aventura > Jonas Brothers > Danny Worsnop > Blackpink > Little Big Town > Marina
-
So...Grefter, I know it's hard to get you to comment every week, but you really should provide input on the fashion styles of MiniG, cause I have no idea how good this is, but I can recognize that it is weird.
Meanwhile, I think Harris & Ford are setting new levels of trashy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Mc_OM5oNA8
Aurora
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKlVYJTSzuU
Gloryhammer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsGO-uN1cow
Harris & Ford
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXvqq4s44mU
Midnight
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vugtx2aPtgg
MiniG
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mt2zvsvkKKo
Offset
-
Aurora - Pretty, but intensely depressing to listen to.
Gloryhammer - Popcorn metal, fun, fairly basic - feels like it's gotten all it has to get around 2 minutes.
Harris&Ford - I love everything about this except for the main vocals. Might take it anyway. We'll see.
Midnight - Decent.
MiniG - Also decent. Most of the interest is tied up in the video here.
Offset - Another "decent song, video increases interest and it's weird" entry.
Mmm. Hard, all of these are pretty close. Aurora is really unpleasant for me to listen to emotionally, but that is clearly a personal reaction and the actual song is good stuff. Aurora probably "should" win if MC and Grefter are into it. I will put Harris & Ford on top anyway though, it's cute, original, fun, pretty good except for those vocals. No strong opinions on the rest really.
Harris&Ford > Aurora > Gloryhammer > Midnight > MiniG > Offset
-
Aurora - The song is pretty and alright. I am a bit sketch on use of a "Cree proverb" and tribal inspired fashion in a European artist's video, but hey the song is nice.
Gloryhammer - This is the weakest I have heard Gloryhammer. I prefer all of their second album (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXl5x1edtRk), because if you like how camp and popcorn this is, that album is everything this has turned up higher. This song doesn't even seem to talk about how he is the Hero of Dundee.
Also for reference, that guy in furs playing the bass is The Hollywood Hootsman, the King of California.
Harris & Ford - It is some seriously big shoes to fill if you are going to be a trashy eurodance track that is going to reference Rock Me Amadeus, one of the greatest trashy Eurodance tracks from the 90s. This song that is barely over 3 minutes 30 seconds feels like it wants to be 3 different songsand the drop doesn't even have any teeth. Supremely disappointed because the 30 seconds where it is pushing the hard dance bass and leaning hard into the squelchy synth I am all there for it. I just want a 12 minute set of that, not 30 seconds.
Midnight - Is this K-Pop doing trap music? The instruments definitely does, as does some of the aesthetic but it still has as many rough edges shaved off as they can. Overall it feels weird as fuck, but I am very here for weird music. I uh don't quite know where it sits right after listening to it, but I suspect this might be a darkhorse for me for the week.
Offset - Hahhaha nope, okay we actually got a video that weirds me out more, so RIP to that I guess. The track itself isn't that far out, but the film clip itself has me confused. I am just not really sure why most of it? That said it works super well for the song, its a pretty basic beat over a short looping piano samples, so a bare bones not much going on video that is just sort of showing off for a standard hype track works. It is a well put together hype track and yeah if you are going to do a song about how people will do anything for clout and how you are great, then having Cardi B on for a guest verse is pretty spot on.
I don't think it is my kind of thing but it is a spot on example of the kind of song it is? So that gets it further than my personal tastes for it goes.
MiniG - Okay so we are doing a numetal rediscovery? Because this is better than most numetal ever was. The majority of the fashion is pretty period appropriate. Baggy pants, hoodies and all that are pretty spot on for a numetal band. Thankfully they have avoided basketball shorts and oversized singlets that Rap Metal bands tended to have. I really dig the song and the whole aesthetic. It is basic rap lines over an aggressive Drop D bass line (I hope to gods it is Drop D otherwise I am both losing my ear for it and they have completely missed the inspirations). I also dig the way most of the outfits are leaning way more into the bondage kink side of stuff, you are taking a musical style that was related but not really there and mixing it up with Marylin Manson and all the bits and pieces that filtered through to mainstream/survived early 90s goth culture in the way so many of the outfits are PVC and plastic. That is dope and obviously plays with the big draw which is the tilt at your Slipknot and similar bands with similar ideas on the masks.
The bedazzled gasmasks are all pretty rad. The gold studded one with the chains and the one with the big long streamer beard on a bouquet that makes them look like Cthulhu by way of the creepiest new Doctor Who bit (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EpreukySEQ) (looking at some other material . Probably the best ones are the bits where they have her singing through the hole with no filter though, the pink lipstick is a damn good pick.
I dig the track and I have spent a lot of time talking about the fashion, but I really do need to talk more about the song itself. The choruses are solid numetal mindlessly aggressive crunchy tracks with angry shouting out the chorus. Works well the upper range of a female lead vocalist the just as well as it ever did with like... say something related in alt rock like Guano Apes. What this does do that I like that Numetal never could have? The autotuned verses. I like that it isn't super good autotun, its sharp cuts on all the sounds and the whiny tones that mash up perfectly conflicting with the plonky synth tunes. Yeah I am super into this.
MiniG > Offset > Harris&Ford > Midnight > Aurora > Gloryhammer
Edit - They apparently put out a different version of the music video that appears to have been either a proof of concept or made up of establishing shots or something for the actual video. It is a case where the enforced minimalism I think contributes to an even stronger version of the aesthetic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBGHt4gIELY
Well worth a watch I think.
Edit 2 - Actually it is probably just made up of shots they did for press kits and shit, just throw on your kit and dick around on a set for half a day or whatever.
-
Hmm...so all three of me alex and Grefter picked very different tracks.
I didn't feel too strongly about which one was on top, so...let's pick between Grefter's and Alex's top pick I think? Neither one was super high for me (I had like...Offset, Midnight, and Gloryhammer as my top 3, something like that?) But I do think I lean MiniG slightly over Harris&Ford.
-
Grefter sold me on minig, yeah. Cool stuff.
-
Environmentalism, and rap country this week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvuN_WvF1to
Lil Dicky
(Also has a clean version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2SMvfGe72U )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpN6b0_BmvI
Pristine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HR4kB8a0peQ
Valshe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OLNQiYbGLQ
Tyga
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1KeTPpgaBI
Mayan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUcisIlT7sM
Lil Nas X
-
Lil Dicky - Ehhh, I am normally in favor of long songs, but this is a little too vanilla to justify 7 minutes to me. I hoped the clean version meant without the long intro but no dice.
Pristine - Has a very classic rock radio vibe, pretty fine.
Valshe - Huuuh. This is like a lot of the vocaloid stuff I was listening to a couple years back. Well made. In the lead for me despite the short runtime.
Tyga - Sure is booty rap!
Mayan - Really like the vocals here.
Lil Nas X - Pretty cool, I much prefer this to the Tyga. Mixes the styles better.
Woof. Hard week, I like all of my top 4 here. Was thinking I'd be taking Valshe but Mayan is preeeettty sweet. So is Lil Nas X TBH.
Mayan >= Valshe >= Lil Nas X > Pristine > Lil Dicky > Tyga
-
Lil Dicky - I am not super huge into Lil Dicky. My brothers like it so I listen to it a bit when we are doing shared music stuff while gaming, but eh. I appreciate the sentiment but the track is a long whole lot of nothing for me.
Pristine - Yeah classic rock is spot on for this. I was huge into rock revival stuff like 8 years ago so it still hits me pretty decent. Rates high from me for that
Valshe - upbeat synth track with metal guitar tones that could completely be from Initial D? Sure, I dig that stuff. its like somewhere between dance and metal.
Tyga - Yeah there isn't much country to this other than like the instruments? Its some booty rap.
Mayan - Yeah this is some metal I can kind of get behind. Its not amazing but I am also way less into this week than Ranran.
Lil Nas X - This... also doesn't have much actual country to it? Even Billy Ray's verses are pretty straight rap feature spots from a singer rather than a rapper. Does it more so than the last one but eh? I dunno, I probably shouldn't complain since I tend not to like Country either? I dunno.
Pristine > Valshe > Mayan > Lil Nas X > Tyga > Lil Dicky
-
Hmm, ok, well, lil dicky and the country rap were the ones that stuck out the most to me, but both rated low with grefter/alex. Let's see then...
Valshe just ends up feeling kind of ok. Also just did a chinese track last week, so might want to mix it up.
Mayan...oh, the video is some guy going and becoming a domestic terrorist. I really like short 5 second burst of this song (the vocal bridge between the verse and the chorus) but it's kinda just ok elsewhere.
Pristine it is then I guess?
-
Taylor Swift and Rammstein this week, among others.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-wWekVszTw
Margaret
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1b-sOuO-a4U
Klingande & Joe Killington
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuXNumBwDOM
Taylor Swift
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0NfI2NeDHI
Rammstein
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkp4Z5_8lHA
Kylie Cantrall
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W775nQuxOwY
Lauv
-
Margaret - Cute gimmick with the video. Song is, eh, average.
Klingande - This is at its best when the harmonica is just slam jamming whatever it feels like. There is Rammstein coming up though.
Taylor Swift - The snake at the start jumpscared me really badly. Why would you do that? It's totally unfair because it has nothing to do with the actual song part, but ugh, ruined my mood for all of these.
Rammstein - Mmmmmm dark creamy Rammstein. We did just do Deutschland. But this is very good.
Kylie Cantrall - Easy on the ears. Not bad.
Lauv - Nice. Good. Yes. Mm. I like it.
Rammstein is the clear "winner" but we did just feature them a bit ago. Lauv pretty easy second for me. That stupid snake killed my nerves and motivation.
Rammstein > Lauv > Kylie Cantrall > Klingande > Margaret > Taylor Swift
-
I wasn't really feeling Rammstein or Taylor Swift, despite them being the obvious frontliners.
Was feeling Lauv and Kylie Cantrall, and those are Alex's #2 and #3. So...between us I think Kylie was #1 from me, #3 from Alex, and Lauv was #2 from Alex, and #2 or #3 from me. Guess I go for the #1/#3 split rather than the #2/#2 split.
-
Oops forgot to post last night
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCS0bC62PjE
Triplo max
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzZXrZVGpuQ
Beyond the black
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=korjBuMPzmI
Navid
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfCuarZqJzM
Sza, the weekend, travis scott
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AufydOsiD6M
Hatsune Miku
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_lyOT72Gaw
Andrew Huang
-
Triplo Max - Decent enough. Good low beats.
Beyond the Black - Good chorus, not much else to it.
Navid - Cheerful song, cute dog. Lots of "serviceable genre entry" this week.
Sza etc - Comes together nicely, I liked this.
Hatsune Miku - Wild Miku appears, eh. Well made, bouncy, I don't think we've ever had Miku in the list before. Hm.
Andrew Huang - The most memorable of the week, rather haunting. Did not expect but... I'll take it.
Interesting assortment, a lot of contrast.
Andrew Huang > Hatsune Miku > Sza++ > Triplo Max > Navid > Beyond the Black
-
Best new Aviici song in a long time...and I don't even think it's my top pick this week
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsxRofxC1sY
Callejon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fYSn4V2XkY
Kylie Minogue
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDbh4AEowOU
KHS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDRPCMUYzLc
MiniG
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McJgc3Nb46I
Avicii
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDjiQPe-LK8
A-jax
-
Callejon - Metal/rap stuff, hits hard, decent. Couldn't make out much of the lyrics but neither will the audience. Good delivery.
Kylie Minogue - Ehh. Has pop catchiness going for it but that's about all, I was writing stuff moving into the KHS and KHS is like this but better.
KHS - See above, I could've listened to this for another two minutes and been fine. This pops way more than its genre usually does to me. Shameless messaging appeal of course, but hey, it works.
MiniG - Like the Callejon but better! Ear happy, good delivery, production, all that.
Avicii - Hm yeah, nice instruments, I liked the finish but overall a little on the unexciting side for Avicii. Which is still fine, but there's at least three I like better here.
A-Jax - Best video of the week for sure. I wish there was a bit more guitar but might still be taking this anyway, it goes big.
Rough pick, I like all of the top 4! A-Jax, MiniG and Callejon are all competing on sort of the same wavelength and in that order. The question is whether to put KHS first. Mmm. I'll tiebreak on spectacle.
A-Jax >= KHS > MiniG > Callejon > Avicii > Kylie Minogue
-
Hmm...well, turns out I got baited by K-pop reuploads again. A-Jax is from 2012.
-
Whoops, forgot to email myself last night. Finalists
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPWfU7zAmOY
Hey Violet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPC9VID6M9s
DJ Khaled
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TV5QzZgMEzk
MKR
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbHFfKCBfns
DJ Khaled
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQ6J7aLRPuk
Oomloud
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OwVaewDtS8
Martin Garrix
-
Hey Violet - Catchy and sweet, hits my buttons nicely. One of those single note songs but I dig it more than usual.
DJ Khaled - Sounds nice, but also feels more like an extended intro than a full standalone song. With another DJ Khaled in the pack this week I doubt I'm picking this one.
MKR - Very neat idea, really into some of the parts. But there are a lot of parts, and they don't quite mesh together for me as I would prefer. I actually like MKR's glue lyrics about demons and trees the least, if we took those out and kept it as a mashup of the other artists I might prefer that.
DJ Khaled - Good and soulful, hits the spot for me much more than the other DJ Khaled.
Oomloud - Good beats, pretty standard. Nothing too special but not bad.
Martin Garrix - Cute, funny, nice sound. Again nothing that stands out too too much, solid midtier.
Difficult pack to rank, these are all pretty close together in "pretty decent" territory. MKR in particular is tough to place because I love the idea and all the other artists except MKR's part. I'll go pretty high with it though. But these are all very close, the only thing I'm really sold on is which DJ Khaled I prefer.
DJ Khaled (Weather the Storm) > MKR > Oomloud > Martin Garrix > Hey Violet > DJ Khaled (Higher)
-
Hmm...didn't love the DJ Khaled on a re-listen, but did quite like MKR, so I guess I'll go with that.
-
Seems like a fairly strong week. There isn't an obvious winner to me, but all six of these seem like fairly strong candidates.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vHDnFU2Yko
The Doubleclicks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ04gPb4LlY
Todrickhall
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uGvX3q9zfY
Bones UK
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pat2c33sbog
Rammstein
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Bm6eaIPNts
Machine Gun Kelly
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEWAGrgr-UY
Alli Fitz
-
The Doubleclicks - Funny but a little gross, didn't capture me much.
Todrickhall - Fabulous. Good beat, earworms pretty well, and then the video and style are pretty big bonus points. Strong contender. Only concern would be the Grandma Test with some of the explicit lyrics at the start, but I'll leave that to MC's judgment.
Bones UK - Oh, also fabulous. Hooks me immediately, great sound, great vocals. Why is it so short! I could go for four or five minutes of this. Respect having an end though. Tough call.
Rammstein - Colonialism is bad mmkay. It is Rammstein, not their best, but still pretty good.
Machine Gun Kelly - I like the chill beat, the delivery is what I assume he's named for, overall cool. Not too standout in this pack.
Alli Fitz - Also good. A lot of similar grooves this week, fairly minimal but high impact styles.
Some weeks are very different and hard to rank because of that. This one is fairly similar and so ranks a bit easier for me.
Todrickhall > Bones UK > Alli Fitz > Rammstein > MG Kelly > The Doubleclicks
-
Todrick Hall wasn't my #1 choice (fairly high up) but also was a recommendation I saw on twitter, so it seems like it might be going around. Probably the pick then if Alex likes it too.
-
Hmmm...some big names this week. Nothing super weird or quirky, but some decent music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnlJw9H0xAM
NF
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOD0vHKHvAU
bones uk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l198tCym1K0
Moonlight Haze
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NpklKcfI5o
Pentatonix
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxxy-kaeO-o
Sofi tukker & bomba estereo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86SbimNf19c
abigail x ivoriandroll
-
NF - Ooh, wondered if this would show up. Hits hard, spits hard. Me likey. Good work with the backing. Heard this get a lot of air on friends and streams lately, so there is buzz favor too. Strong contender.
bones uk - Also nice on the ears. Strong energy. The sort of song that I like a lot while listening to it, but have a bit of trouble remembering afterwards.
Moonlight Haze - Tries to do a whole lot of things. Doesn't quite click for me as well as the others.
Pentatonix - Standard PTX, well sung, has some nice stuff with the cello work.
Sofi tukker & bomba estereo - Another bomb pick. Good groove, just the right tempo and pacing to keep things moving.
abigail x ivoriandroll - Yet another strong one in the same vein... yikes this week.
Uhhhh strong pack, and very similar. Sometimes this leads to a clear ordering for me, this week not so much, they're all good. Lessee. Moonlight Haze and Pentatonix go down compared to the other four. Head to head kneejerks... NF beats bones, NF beats abigail, NF... maybe ties with Sofi tukker. Abigail beats bones maybe? Sofi beats abigail? bones... beats sofi. Hm. Hrm. NF first, let's say sofi higher overall because it's the one close to NF. That gives me...
NF > Sofi tukker > bones uk > abigail x ivoriandroll > Pentatonix > Moonlight Haze
-
Well, strong overall week this week. Some more typical quality music options, but also The Doubleclicks singing about pronouns, and Madonna inciting the gay communist revolution.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Uagw4zser8
Madonna
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yt9Ma1W_0wI
Majestica
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwnh1d9i5s4
Labrinth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nduyrsNZfg
Hallocene
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIgfZeAv7rA
Phil Fuldner
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Hb30PE1xgo
The Doubleclicks
-
Madonna - Huh. Wow. Madonna, huh. Definitely a winner on artistic merit and memorability, and enjoyment for me. Might be a little abrasive on the musical level though. Lots of silence, and that climax... hrm. Hm.
Majestica - Standard power metal stuff, done well.
Labrinth - Promising start, kinda underwhelmed by what it turned into after the intro.
Hallocene - Eh. "Typical quality music options" sounds about right here. Basically this is "do you like this bare voice" and I'm just okay with it.
Phil Fuldner - More quality, quite short. Reasonable, not much to say here.
The Doubleclicks - Good song, not too listenable for me because of the on-the-nose qualities, but a lot of people need this and they do it cutely and nicely.
Hm. Strong week, lots of variety, lots of + and - on all of these. Nothing else here knocks Madonna away from top spot for me, but no really strong opinions. Doubleclicks in particular is 4th for me but might be a good pick if MC has first place feelings on it.
Madonna > Majestica > Phil Fuldner > The Doubleclicks > Labrinth > Hallocene
-
Alright this week's picks. Some interesting choices--there's two different videos for Ciara's new song (both good in different ways)--I think the audio is mostly the same. Some Trot, which is actually a Korean-exclusive genre (dates back to the 40s, there's not a lot of trot produced today, but it tends to have novelty value). Taylor Swift's song has had some amount of controversy in terms of her trying to take the spotlight at pride, but also co-produced by Todrick Hall (of Nails Hair Hips Heels fame). Also Scooter is making music again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUPYYqkrMX0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I97Eujjlwc
Ciara
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnGHESypBuU
Little Mix
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqB-Rh4ycFM
Tae Jin A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dkk9gvTmCXY
Taylor Swift
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eINgmy4dUOA
Scooter x Harris & Ford
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-lkv7YakGQ
Pink
-
Ciara - Good beat, a bit on the minimal side for me. I like the mommy+son video more than the lab.
Little Mix - Similar to Ciara (and Pink, later) with a bit more to it.
Tae Jin A - This is the trot huh? Interesting stuff. Reminds me a lot of latin/mexican/SA music, and I see a lot of that in the comments as well.
Taylor Swift - Definitely memorable, mostly for lyrics though. On the one hand I can see the controversy, on the other hand isn't it good that things like this are existing? Hrm.
Scooter - Solid in its genre.
Pink - Didn't much grab me.
Hrm. Nothing here really stands out to me. Taylor Swift and Tae Jin A top two, take whichever you like of them?
Tae Jin A >= Taylor Swift > Little Mix > Scooter > Ciara > Pink
-
Well, we share the same #1, so that makes this week easy.
-
More Madonna doing Madonna things. Also, I'm going to be on vacation for a while, which means we'll want to pick a second one from this week (or a recent week) next thursday.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJ09pSuA9hw
Lindsey Stirling
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5n9emOr7SQ
Ed Sheeran
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deV_DmHKwjc
Chung Ha
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDyGvBvLMyw
Breathe Carolina x Asketa & Natan Chaim
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9h-vd8QiLLw
Adam Lambert
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zv-sdTOw5cs
Madonna
-
Lindsey Stirling - i t s g o o d. Above average for LS.
Ed Sheeran - Cool video, nice song. A lot of the same appeal as LS this week though.
Chung Ha - Kpop, doesn't stand out too much to me.
Breathe Carolina - Existed.
Adam Lambert - Very funky, good singing
Madonna - Couldn't watch this past 2:45 or so, paged through the rest. Seems good.
So yeah, for me it's Lindsey Stirling and Madonna out of these two. Maybe Doubleclicks from a couple weeks ago if you need another option?
Lindsey Stirling > Madonna > Ed Sheeran > Adam Lambert > Breathe Carolina > Chung Ha
-
Kind-of disorganized this week, first week back. Didn't realize it was Thursday. Music in no particular order.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-DlF1H9Vro
Turilli / Lione
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I02VtSDmF18
Stella Jang
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jiAYt32TyE
Forever Still
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IiNWI4oIWU
E Sens
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-3rxh8kZHE
Freya Ridings
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_dqiyxZO_Y
Uhsn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2RtLx5C1bw
MKTO
-
Turilli/Lione - Turilli never bad. Doesn't leave me with a particular impression beyond "that was nice musics" but perhaps that is enough.
Stella Jang - Nice, a bit on the minimal end even for me though.
Forever Still - Metalicious.
E Sens - Good K-rap, I wanna know the lyrics.
Freya Ridings - Stuck with me for a while, puts it pretty high for this pack.
Uhsn - So cute I had to see a dentist.
MKTO - Funny, surprisingly catchy.
Hm. No really strong feelings here. Nothing really jumped out as a lead. A lot of "fine genre entry that doesn't stand out." Just freestyling the rank.
E Sens > Freya Ridings > MKTO > Turilli/Lione > Uhsn > Stella Jang > Forever Still
-
Kind of a weird week; I started out with like...four Bones UK songs, and spent most of the time deciding that very few of them make the top 6.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7U6AoZ27yE
Blanco Brown
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3SDsBKVn2I
bones uk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Bx7CFiWfU0
Epic Rap Battles of History
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8e1h31hVGSw
Ezra Furman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIw_e2B0AbE
Avril Lavigne
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ub_5dt7wVU
Haddaway
-
Blanco Brown - Mmmmm. This I like. Very vibrant. Much joy of dance. Comes together very well.
bones uk - Yeeeeees. Memorable, braintingly music. Turn up that distortion. I'm not well versed enough to describe it further but yes.
Epic Rap Battles of History - Not to my taste at all, I'm afraid.
Ezra Furman - Just okay. Most interesting part is the distortion, but it's up against bones uk doing that better so...
Avril Lavigne - Very song song. Memorable, solid, not particularly exciting but not bad.
Haddaway - Is what it says on the tin. Makes me want to listen to the original more though.
Clear top two, strong stuff, could go for either of them. Good times. Will give edge to bones uk I guess but dang that's close.
bones uk > Blanco Brown > Avril Lavigne > Ezra Furman > Haddaway > Epic Rap Battles
-
Hmm...nothing super grabbing me this week, but definitely some genres that don't normally make it to my top 6 either, so might be stuff Alex or grefter likes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfzCjp6e2T8
London Elektricity
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z26czvItS5g
Hyo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91fL1yk_WC0
Girls in the Park
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZ_Vm7yiN20
Cole Swindell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzkKzZmRZk8
The Chainsmokers, illenium
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVc_p_VoEA0
Tropical Fuck Storm
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London Elektricity - Gets my heart pounding real nice. Yes, this is the goods in D&B. Not too often we get this almost narrative mixing and heroic vocals, and the juxtaposition with the video is super creamy.
Hyo - More of a standard drop format, vocals don't sync too well with the super low beat. Alright but nothing standout.
Girls in the Park - "Hm, this has a really nice first 30 seconds" "- first 40 seconds-" "-50 seconds-" "Ok it's just good" Does eventually fall back on some repetition in the last minute, but quietly good stuff, strong contender.
Cole Swindell - No one looks that good after a night of camping. NO ONE. That aside, standard country stuff, not a lot to draw me in and I felt done with it after 2 min or so.
The Chainsmokers, ILLENIUM - Really nice mixing and atmosphere, pretty good! Missing juuust a bit to bring it over the top against the others this week for me but not bad at all.
Tropical Fuck Storm - asdsdgsdkfjg what is this doing showing up here making things all hard??? Best technical side, very memorable, super strong vocals *and* precise backing and then it keeps going with distortion and a solo and????
Super strong top 3 for me, I could go with any of them, and keep the others in the bag for slower weeks. Wow. Chainsmokers are not far behind either.
Tropical Fuck Storm > London Elektricity > Girls in the Park > The Chainsmokers > Hyo > Cole Swindell
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Hmm...well, London Elektricity was a fair bit ahead of Tropical Fuck Storm for me, so...might go with that.
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:thumbsup: