//////////////shawty got poll poll poll poll poll poll poll (part I: 2008 TRAX)\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

i've been meaning to listen to alphabeat for a while now. "fascination" is a fine, fine song

Gang Gang Dance I like. I really like the drums in the first half - lots of nice triplets and the percussion track interacts with the other strange elements really well. It brings to mind the Cassie track a little bit for that reason, the busyness of it. I'm most enjoying the laid-back dance tunes here. Not my usual sort of thing, so this poll is great news for me

It's only just struck me, but has anyone ever noticed the similarity between 'White Winter Hymnal' and certain passages of the Habanera from Carmen? (Check out this from about 1.23-ish in)

this has to have been said before, but alphabeat remind me of a more upbeat new pornographers. "fascination" in particular is reminiscent of "the bleeding heart show", though the former is much better imo

They're weirdo kids TV presenter types that's for sure. About as sexy as Steps.

Didn't know both 'Fascination' nor 'Until we bleed' before this thread, but love them both dearly already. Especially Fascination sounds like Katrina & The Waves warped into 2008 somehow. Nice!

26 - Ida Maria - Oh My God
116 points, 9 votes, 1 #1 vote
66 in P&J, 79 in p4k

Well, #26 has broken the careometer, hasn't it?

it's a pretty great song

I rated "Oh My God" high on my ballot, having only just heard it for the first time a day or two before, thanks to the nomination thread. It remains headsticky and sharp, a great example of milking a ton of energy out of a limited premise and very few lyrics. The drummer deserves bonus credit here, although clearly the center of this thing is Ms. Maria, whose Nico von Bjork style is a kind of guaranteed win. Good song.

I quite liked it too

The other stuff of hers I've checked out doesn't crackle as well, but "Oh My God" does set the bar kind of high...

Sorry to be negging everything in this thread, but "Fascination" is completely killed by it's flat, lifeless production. The tune and performance are fine, but sonically, it just seems....there. Something like that really needs to jump out of the speakers to be effective.

Yeah, the rest of the album is decent at best, but this song is a force of nature. xp

25 - Erykah Badu - The Healer
117 points, 9 votes, 1 #1 vote
110 in P&J

;_; why didn't I vote

..."Fascination" is completely killed by it's flat, lifeless production...Something like that really needs to jump out of the speakers to be effective.

Have you only ever heard it via Youtube? Because it sounds amazing in my car.

Rev - Huh - I think it's pretty punchy but I guess I sorta see what you mean. I could maybe live with the piano being a little louder, and the drums sometimes. But lots of things jump out of the speakers to me, mainly in the vocals! "WOAH OH WUH UH OH!"

And goddamn, the way the chorus roars back in after the whole "the word is on your lips" section - that right there is all I really ask of music from the Beatles to ABBA to this here. Flutters my heart, it does.

The problem with that Ida Maria song is there's so little to it and her shtick is so limited that it goes from Oh My God (this is great!) to Oh My God (STFU) within about three minutes.

I first heard it on mp3. xps

I'm not sure it's something I would go for even if I didn't think the production was poor. A bit white-bread for my tastes. (n/sfj)

I guess my problem with the production is that it sounds like everything is crammed into the mids, with no high or low end or space between instruments.

"it sounds like everything is crammed into the mids, with no high or low end or space between instruments."

not that it should change your dislike, but I think this is not only true but very deliberate.

"Fascination" feels like one of those songs which at first sound great, but pretty soon you forget about them. A lot of instant, ear-grabbing hooks, but it kinda lacks the sort of melodic and sonic sensibilities that make an evergreen pop song. A fun piece of fluff nevertheless.

24 - Beyonce - Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)
120.5 points, 12 votes
3 in P&J, 23 in p4k

Single Ladies will still be played years from now in chick-flick ads and at weddings to introduce the bouquet toss
-dmr

So Single Ladies is one of those singles that suddenly makes sense as being amazing aaages after it gets released I think.
―I know, right?

wooooo erykah badu

Wow, 24? I thought for sure this would rank higher. Top 12 at least.

hey musically once you stop for today can you post the results so far in list form?

single ladies is pretty divisive on ilm

I found Alphabeat till I heard fascination on the radio earlier for the first time in forever and it just clicked why it was so fun. So i'm happy it placed. xpost.

was the healer actually a single? because for an album track, i think that 24 doesn't seem too bad.

I'd have thought that Single Ladies was a dead cert for the top ten, if not the top five. Not, like, three places above Alphabeat.

single ladies is pretty divisive on ilm

Right. The home of contrarianism.

ah idk about that - i mean the haters say that's it's just a retread of b'day tracks and it can be certainly read as that, because it basically is. the rest of us, i think, thing that's a b'day track as a massive pop single

yeesh - the rest of us, i think, thing that it's a b'day track as a massive pop single

I rated "Oh My God" high on my ballot, having only just heard it for the first time a day or two before, thanks to the nomination thread. It remains headsticky and sharp, a great example of milking a ton of energy out of a limited premise and very few lyrics. The drummer deserves bonus credit here, although clearly the center of this thing is Ms. Maria, whose Nico von Bjork style is a kind of guaranteed win. Good song.

― Doctor Casino, Wednesday, February 4, 2009 9:55 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark

Okay, I like 'Oh my God', but Nico von Bjork?! What kind of comparison is that? Is it even related to this song?

Forgive me, I'm just trying to find a way to convey the various indie-cool affectations she's cramming into her vocal style - she totally runs the map from the "birth of the flattened cool" to scrunched-up pixie with odd enunciation. There are probably much clearer and more contemporary references but I don't really keep up with the music of today.

oh, I forgot to add my 2c about Single Ladies.

i have heard "get me bodied"
i have listened to "get me bodied" many times
"get me bodied is one of my favorite songs
"single ladies," you are no "get me bodied"

it grew on me and all but still, i am annoyed that get me bodied was saved for the kitchen cleanout singles blitz during the waning days of the b'day promo and wasn't given a proper release.

oh well.

23 - Vampire Weekend - A-Punk
121 points, 11 votes
40 in P&J

Hopefully "Oxford Comma" ranked too, because "A-Punk" shouldn't be the only representation Vampire Weekend gets.

Forgive me, I'm just trying to find a way to convey the various indie-cool affectations she's cramming into her vocal style - she totally runs the map from the "birth of the flattened cool" to scrunched-up pixie with odd enunciation. There are probably much clearer and more contemporary references but I don't really keep up with the music of today.

― Doctor Casino, Wednesday, February 4, 2009 11:15 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark

No worries! I couldn't name contemporary references to this myself. It's just that I'm heavily into Nico and can't find a single trace Nico might have left in this song. But I could be entirely deaf to it, I must admit.

The deep, husky parts on some (not all) of the verses - some of the repetitions of "pin a smile," "for-tress" etc. I'm not good enough at describing voices (nor a fan enough of Nico!) to really do this justice, though.

Listening to "Kids" now, heard it before but this is the first time I'm paying attention. It's good but maybe playing its cards a little too forcefully in the case of that main keyboard hook. Everything else is really beautifully put-together, though - especially that wonderful, wonderful Super Nintendo solo in the middle there. I much prefer the sound of "Time To Pretend" (which I assume we'll be getting to in due time) but this sort of Faint-esque digression seems like a reasonable thing for this band to do and they equip themselves well. Love the rampaging "Blue Monday" drums that come crashing back in later on. This is pretty okay!

I wasn't too convinced by "Fascination" before, but damn, I wish I had bought the album when it was a fiver.

22 - T.I. Feat. Rihanna - Live Your Life
123.5 points, 10 votes
13 in P&J, 40 in p4k

"Live Your Life" with Rihanna is New/Numan Pop awesome.
-Marcello Carlin

it's all a bit rich considering that the man doling out life lessons is about to serve a year in jail, but it's quite affecting regardless.

last one for tonight:

21 - Air France - Collapsing At Your Doorstep
135 points, 13 votes, 1 #1 vote
117 in P&J, 8 in p4k

wow, gang gang dance apart (and...surely 'first communion' and 'princes' should place higher?), 30-26, 23 and 21 are some bullshit. was feeling so happy and enthused about the list til then.

'single ladies' is the kind of song that only someone who doesn't care enough about beyoncé to follow her career, or enough about r&b to follow the genre, could vote for. nonetheless i would much rather be that sort of person than the sort of person who gives a shit about the dreary greyness of deerhunter or fleet foxezzz, or who can not only bear but enjoy alphabeat.

spent the day hanging out w/t.i. and his gorgeous smile <3 so now is not the time to grump about numa numa for me

I'm kind of surprised you don't like Air France.