TEARS IN THE TYPING POLL: ILM Artist Poll #114 - BROADCAST (Results Thread)

this was my #1, I love the drums and echoey bell effects

What a gorgeous song, so deeply melancholy. Broadcast weren't really a "groove" band, but that one is an exception; the beat seems to nod to both James Brown's "Cold Sweat" and the outro to "Strawberry Fields Forever."

Finding the video for the next one yielded a quote I just had to share.

https://i.imgur.com/ImDMvjv.jpg

9. Black Cat
From Tender Buttons, 2005
Trish Keenan directed version of Black Cat on Youtube*
437 Points, 17 Votes, 3 First Place Votes

* "A little backstory for fans of this song... Trish, who I was friends with for many years, used to come to my house during the day when I was out at work to write songs. My cat, Corky, is very shy, and at first he would just poke his head round the door of the room where she was sitting, and then run away. As the day went on, curiosity would overcome him and he would finally try and make friends with her. Hence, the lyrics of the chorus. We filmed some of the vid at my house and I appear in the vid for about 2 seconds. What a thrill and an honour for me and Corky xxx" - ellenmeilee on youtube

My #1, I find the abrasive vertiginous synth and guitar so unsettling, the vocal so serene and detached, every second a pure thrill. And somehow their most “pop” moment.

Man Is Not a Bird my #4 and yes I want to listen to the beat forever like I want to listen to Corporeal forever. I admire their concision, each track as long as it needs to be & no indulgence or fat; but fuck I would have liked them to knock out one or two hypnotic 20 minute epics in the studio.

i don't know if it's still the case, but i remember appreciating that the Black Cat bar/club in Washington DC had Tender Buttons on their jukebox.

Other thoughts - I find Colour Me In nearer disturbing or uncomfortable than mawkish - like a few of their other tracks you look at it one way, it's sweet, you walk round and squint and there's something unsettling. The passivity/greyness until the addressee starts on or colludes in colouring, the slippery way it both seems a love-metaphor and a monologue by a sketchbook page or abstract idea or as-yet-unlistened-to album… the voice holds it together perfectly, never feels an either/or to me. Also, I hate everything that sounds a bit like circus music and yet I love this (and lunch hour pops) so I don't know how the hell they managed that.

Until Then was my Number 1 pick. So strange and pretty. I actually thought Corporeal would take this poll. I've been off all along I think. Papercuts also very high in my poll. Great stuff. Bring on more surprises I guess!

XXXXXXP - I love that YT comment on the Black Cat video

Yeah, my assumptions were off too - I thought Michael a Grammar was surely top 5 - maybe their clearest pop moment & how can anyone resist "come on - your father was a teddy boy'? So no clue here but enjoying everything.

I just love picturing her sitting there writing songs and this black cat nervously approaching her, and her making up this song to sing to it.

https://i.imgur.com/gJCRyMM.jpg

8. Tears In The Typing Pool
From Tender Buttons, 2005
Fan-made video by Wonder Muddle on YouTube
445 Points, 19 Votes, 1 First Place Vote

Love stereolab but not sure anything they’ve done is as resonant as something like tears in the typing pool for me - mind how you go (Ross), Jun 21, 2018

josh az (2011nostalgia) at 12:34 3 Jun 22
Top 20 gonna be nothing but straight up classics
Tears in the Typing Pool top 3 let’s gooooo

absolutely love black cat, and the youtube story makes it even better

voted for 'tears' in my ranked section too

During this 2-3 month obsession I've been playing a lot of Broadcast in the house, & Tears… is the one track that's got a 'who's this?' from each of my stepkids as they've caught it. Seems to have special power over the non- or not-yet-fans.

The Mellotron is gorgeous

https://i.imgur.com/aSDUZB7.jpg

7. Before We Begin
From Haha Sound, 2003
Fan-made video by Narcissus Weeps on YouTube
466 Points, 20 Votes

Dear Warp, please release Broadcast's 'Before We Begin' as a single. Actually it's too late now it would've been a perfect September release and I have a video idea in my head and everything. Dammit. - stevem (blueski), Nov 3, 2003

This is the most amazing song and I regret not making it my number one.

It all has happened, is happening and will happen.

damn missed so much of the rollout - had to make Black Cat my #1, I've probably played it more than anything else

I blame this thread for my insomnia last night. I woke up with the synth line from "Goodbye Girls" playing over and over in my mind. Was up for hours!!!

"Before We Begin" a perfect song, though they do have at least ten perfect songs.

Tears in the Typing Pool is surely the #1 broadcast song title. (and top 10 of all time)

https://i.imgur.com/5Xnv90p.jpg

6. The Book Lovers
From The Book Lovers EP, 1996, Compiled on Work And Non Work, 1997.
Fan-made video by Karl Taul on YouTube
506 Points, 21 Votes, 1 First Place Vote

The Book Lovers is still the one for me. I just realised it's almost exactly 20 years since I first heard it on the John Peel show. Incredible song - Kitchen Person, Dec 7, 2016

8. Tears In The Typing Pool
From Tender Buttons, 2005

If I'm counting right, this will be the highest-rated Tender Buttons track. (Pretty sure everything else has already placed besides "Minus 3".) Interesting that 7 other tracks placed higher though TB was the top-rated overall album.

I'd assumed that Tender Buttons would be my favourite Broadcast album until I realised just how few of its tracks I'd actually placed on my ballot.

Haha Sound is the album that I always underrate for some reason, right up until the moment that I actually re-listen to it.

I’m gonna call “Come On Let’s Go” for #1

Any predictions for the top five?

my #3 and my #2, in succession. i couldn't in good faith pick besides my #1 as my #1, but if i knew that "before we begin" wouldn't get a top vote, i would've thrown it one. completely magical song.

so the salt will spill again
throw it over your shoulder

Well I’ve not seen “Pendulum”, “Echo’s Answer”or “Unchanging Window” yet. Or “ Ominous Cloud”. So those are my guesses.

That salt line is my favourite too

This next one is going to be difficult to post, let's see if there are any errors in the bb code.

https://i.imgur.com/zHhK1F6.jpg

5. Unchanging Window / Chord Simple
Unchanging Window from The Noise Made By People, 2000
Unchanging Window / Chord Simple from Extended Play Two, 2000
Audio for Unchanging Window / Chord Simple on Youtube
Fan-made video for Unchanging Window by Wonder Muddle on YouTube
526 Points, 18 Votes, 3 First Place Votes
(331 Points, 11 Votes, 2 First Place Votes for EP version)
(195 Points, 7 Votes, 1 First Place Vote for TNMBP version)

The version of "Unchanging Window (Chord Simple)" from EP2 is probably my favourite Broadcast track ever. - Ross, Dec 6, 2016

nice, it all worked!

Damn, I'm way too busy at work to follow this beautiful thread. Just catching up and every single song so far is too low.

I was the number one vote for The Book Lovers. One of the best songs of all time.

I'm guessing Echo's Answer at one with Come On Let's Go in second place.

my #1. glad to see the EP version got more votes because that outro elevates the song to a completely different level.

"The Book Lovers" wouldn't have been too out of place on a Cardigans album

The version of "Unchanging Window (Chord Simple)" from EP2 is probably my favourite Broadcast track ever. - Ross, Dec 6, 2016

It's happy hour on Friday which means I'm having some beers in the typing pool.

Sorry this is my first thread comment.

Welcome to the thread, Chris

https://i.imgur.com/QDa4LxK.jpg

4. Pendulum
From Pendulum Ep, 2003 and Haha Sound, 2003
Fan-made video by Sergio Bga on YouTube
563 Points, 19 Votes

for the love of god, listen to "Pendulum" from the last album if you don't know it already. That is the song that made me a cultish Broadcast worshipper, and has the HUGE CLATTERY DRUMS missing from Tender Buttons. Yes, all of them. On just the one song. - telephone thing, Dec 12, 2005

Unchanging Window is good, but I'm surprised it is so well loved

It's unlikely, but I've got my fingers crossed for "Ominous Cloud" at #1...

beers in the typing pool

Same, cheers!

(cheers in the typing pool)

Number three coming up, and it's my #1 vote.

https://i.imgur.com/F9MO3Su.jpg

3. Ominous Cloud
From Haha Sound, 2003
Fan-made video by cp jr on YouTube
576 Points, 21 Votes, 1 First Place Vote

This became my favourite Broadcast track sometime last autumn, since when I've regularly walked around Bloomsbury with it on headphones. Just that quiet longing, that sense of the heaviness of places, it's like nothing else.

I listen to this song like I watch Roy Andersson films, I don't know if it's a healthy obsession, but it's one that seems tailor-made for me.