A sheep, a werewolf and a walrus walk into a bar.

(01-12-2021, 11:58 PM)jp liz v1 Wrote: [ -> ]

(01-12-2021, 11:42 PM)Homer J. Fong Wrote: [ -> ]So who does that leave in our Top and Bottom Three for Round 2?

SpoilerShow Content

cdeb
Declan A Walsh
jp liz v1
Sawduck
ShaneU
the purple tin

I fear bottom

Never done one of these before, but feck me they're tense!

Bracing myself here, as this one might be controversial:

In 16th place and scoring 2 points:

Britney Spears - Baby One More Time



Submitted by:


Have I listened to the artist before? Yes

Have I listened to the song before? Yes

Comments:
I know this song is almost universally admired and held up as a pop classic but I’m just gonna say it – I don’t get the hype. In particular I really don't like Britney’s vocals. Nothing personal against the woman (and I’m glad she generally seems to be in a better place mental-health wise these days) but I can’t understand how someone with such a weak voice became such a successful popstar. I believe this song was originally offered to TLC, and I can definitely imagine liking it a lot more if it was T-Boz’s sultry growl singing the verses and Chilli singing the chorus. But Britney’s voice here is just annoying and brings the whole song down. Sorry.

(02-12-2021, 12:03 AM)Homer J. Fong Wrote: [ -> ]I don’t get the hype

...it's just because she's dressed as a schoolgirl in the video

(29-11-2021, 11:48 PM)Homer J. Fong Wrote: [ -> ]Blur are quite hit and miss for me and I generally prefer their slower, broodier songs;

Anyway, as I was saying.....

In 2nd place and scoring 16 points:

Blur - Tender



Submitted by:


Have I listened to the artist before? Yes

Have I listened to the song before? Yes

Comments:
In Round 1 I said Blur were hit-and-miss for me...well here’s the hit! This is a beautiful song, definitely one of my favourites by them. Excellent choice.

Bottom Top Baby Get In

And now a very appropriate song title for a wooden spoon!

In 17th place and scoring 1 point:

Pitbull feat. Kesha - Timber



Submitted by:


Have I listened to the artist before? Yes

Have I listened to the song before? Yes

Comments:
Credit where it’s due, the chorus of this song is very catchy. For the first 37 seconds or so, I'm nodding my head going "this is alright actually"....unfortunately it's at this point that Pitbull opens his damn mouth and starts honking (I won’t call it rapping, as it’s an insult to actual talented rappers). Maybe if Kesha did the whole song, or if a less shít rapper did the verses, this would place higher. But alas, as things stand, "it’s going down" to the bottom of the pile.

Woot!

(02-12-2021, 12:22 AM)Homer J. Fong Wrote: [ -> ]Pitbull opens his damn mouth and starts honking (I won’t call it rapping, as it’s an insult to actual talented rappers). Maybe if Kesha did the whole song, or if a less shít rapper did the verses, this would place higher. But alas, as things stand, "it’s going down" to the bottom of the pile.

That's poetry

I like Timber, fun fact Rihanna was to do Kesha's part originally

Which means our winner tonight is....

In 1st place and scoring 17 points:

Alanis Morissette - You Oughta Know



Submitted by:


Have I listened to the artist before? Yes

Have I listened to the song before? Yes

Comments:
When running a Walrus you always want to give top marks to a song you’ve never heard before that blew you away. On the other hand, when a song you know inside-out is this damn good, it’s impossible not to reward it appropriately! I like Alanis in general, though it’s fair to say she was never able to top Jagged Little Pill ("Hands Clean" is the only post-JLP song by her I’d listen to regularly). But if you’re gonna be known primarily for one album, then this is a hell of a one to have! And this song is arguably the highlight of a very stacked album. I love the vitriol of the lyrics in this song, so much venom coming from someone so young. The sarcasm in "I'm sure she'd make an excellent mother", the bitterness in "are you thinking of me when you fúck her?" and my personal favourite: "every time I scratch my nails down someone else’s back I hope you feel it”. An excellent choice and a very well-deserved first place!

And I am happy to confirm that all her other songs - especially Ironic, but also Hand in my Pocket, You Learn, and Reasons to Drink - are all shite enough to qualify her for this category

Wow, this was a very high level round, lots of great songs.
So very happy with 4th.
Homer, the easiest way to describe post metal is: post rock on steroids. The guitars are on the max and vocals occasionally would be distorted. I would argue though that the song I submitted is more of atmospheric post rock in the range of early Sigur Ros, Explosions in the Sky or even certain Mogwai phases. Glad you liked it

(02-12-2021, 12:31 AM)Cdeb Wrote: [ -> ]And I am happy to confirm that all her other songs - especially Ironic, but also Hand in my Pocket, You Learn, and Reasons to Drink - are all shite enough to qualify her for this category

I love that whole album

So here's our table after Round 2:



Aris, Liz and Necro currently in a three-way tie for the lead, with Kol just a point behind.
Declan is in the spoon position but it's still very early days.

Next up is the PRIDE category and I'll hopefully be revealing those results on Friday night. 

What on earth would I have chosen for the PRIDE category? There are far too many wonderful artists and songs to choose from, so I'm going to be very indulgent and post lots of songs that would have done well with me, in no particular order:

Sylvester - You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)


Years & Years - Shine


The xx - Crystalised


TORRES - Sprinter


Perfume Genius - Queen


Hercules and Love Affair- Blind


Bright Light Bright Light feat Jake Shears - Celebration


Indigo Girls - Closer To Fine


Sub Radio - King of my Heart


Shura - Touch


TR/ST - Rescue, Mister


Kelela - LMK


I'm gonna stop now because I could keep going on and on....

It doesn't actually fit your category as it's LGBTQ+ subject matter, rather than artist, but this song is just out this week (well, a live version is) and is pretty remarkable. Frank Turner is always a very honest and direct songwriter, and here he's singing about reconnecting with his estranged father after she's transitioned. Thought I'd share it here

My father is called Miranda these days
She's a proud transgender woman
And my resentment has started to fade
Because it was never about who she was
Just the way that he behaved
And now my father is Miranda and we're ok

Reveal kicking off tonight around 9pm. This doesn't get any easier, another very tough round to rank.
All I'll say for now is

(03-12-2021, 12:21 AM)E.N. Wrote: [ -> ]It doesn't actually fit your category as it's LGBTQ+ subject matter, rather than artist, but this song is just out this week (well, a live version is) and is pretty remarkable. Frank Turner is always a very honest and direct songwriter, and here he's singing about reconnecting with his estranged father after she's transitioned. Thought I'd share it here

My father is called Miranda these days
She's a proud transgender woman
And my resentment has started to fade
Because it was never about who she was
Just the way that he behaved
And now my father is Miranda and we're ok

Great song, had a listen to a few more of his off the back of that and I'm really liking what I've heard so far...

I see he's playing The Academy in April... guess I know what my next purchase on Ticketmaster will probably be...

Ok, everyone get ready to celebrate PRIDE!

In 14th place and scoring 4 points:

Rina Sawayama feat. Elton John - Chosen Family



Submitted by:

Have I listened to the artist before? Yes

Have I listened to the song before? No

Comments:
I heard good things about Rina Sawayama but when I tried listening to some of her songs they didn’t really grab me at all. I will say her voice is very good here, actually reminds me of Lady Gaga a little. I also appreciate the lyrical sentiment behind the song but not so much a fan of the production; the overall package comes off as a little bit cheesy.

In 13th place and scoring 5 points:

Rufus Wainwright - April Fools



Submitted by:

Have I listened to the artist before? Yes

Have I listened to the song before? No

Comments:
I’d heard one or two songs by this guy before but didn’t really like his voice so didn’t investigate further (I prefer his sister Martha). The song itself is actually quite decent, I like the melody and the “you will believe in love” refrain. Some of the other lyrics are a bit odd though, like with the fish and the hammer – I don’t know if this is some classics/mythology reference that I’m not getting? And his voice still grates a bit. So a bit of a mixed bag, this one.

In 12th place and scoring 6 points:

Adam Lambert - Whataya Want From Me



Submitted by:

Have I listened to the artist before? Yes

Have I listened to the song before? Yes

Comments:
I can recall seeing Adam Lambert on American Idol. There’s no doubt he’s a gifted vocalist but he’s a bit too theatrical and loud for my liking. This is a pretty good song though, a nice slice of radio-friendly pop that still has a bit of bite and substance to it. Not a bad pick, but others in this round managed to rise up the list on repeated listens. Whereas this one didn’t really reveal anything new upon repeated listens and unfortunately got overtaken as a result.

In 11th place and scoring 7 points:

Judas Priest - Blood Red Skies



Submitted by:

Have I listened to the artist before? No

Have I listened to the song before? No

Comments:
I have heard of Judas Priest but never listened to them as metal isn’t generally my field. This song was good, a little bit long maybe but it didn’t get boring or repetitive. Unlucky not to score a little higher.

In 10th place and scoring 8 points:

Judas Priest - The Rage



Submitted by:


Have I listened to the artist before? Yes, in this round!

Have I listened to the song before? No

Comments:

RAWWWWK!!! \m/>_<\m/ I quite enjoyed this, prefer this slightly to Blood Red Skies, not just because it’s shorter(!) but the central riff running through the song (which sounds oddly familiar) made it stand out a little more. Might check out some more Judas Priest, metal/hard-rock isn’t generally my thing but I enjoyed hearing them in this round.

In 9th place and scoring 9 points:

Jónsi - Grow Till Tall



Submitted by:


Have I listened to the artist before? Yes

Have I listened to the song before? No

Comments:

I do like a bit of Sigur Rós from time to time but usually in small-ish doses. Musically they’re usually gorgeous but Jónsi’s trembling falsetto, technically impressive though it may be, is not always the easiest voice listen to. And it’s the same with this song – very moving and stirring melody (and, as is often the case with Sigur Rós, it’s the thrilling crescendo that’s the high point of the song) but the vocal makes it a little difficult to love. Still a good shout overall, though.

In 8th place and scoring 10 points:

Bronski Beat - Smalltown Boy



Submitted by:


Have I listened to the artist before? Yes

Have I listened to the song before? Yes

Comments:

This song was before my time but I gather it was quite a big deal, as it was one of the first songs commercially successful songs that was explicitly about LGBT-issues. For that it definitely deserves recognition. As for the song itself, I do enjoy it - I’m not a huge fan of his voice but at the same time I do think it fits the mood of the song quite well, conveying the sense of vulnerability and melancholy. Sometimes a song holds a special place in your heart due to the timing of it –if I was a young gay man when this was in the charts, maybe it would be more special to me. But even without having lived through those years, I still appreciate this song.

In 7th place and scoring 11 points:

Bimini - God Save This Queen


Submitted by:


Have I listened to the artist before? No

Have I listened to the song before? No

Comments:

So I’ve never really gotten into RuPaul’s Drag Race (although I have seen a few episodes of the Dutch version, at a date’s house; he needed to put the subtitles on for me!) Anyway it was grand, quite watchable. But because I hadn't seen the show I don’t know anything about Bimini so wasn’t sure what to expect here. And even after repeated listens I'm still uncovering all the layers of this! I guess you could call it a novelty song but that feels like a disservice because even though it’s a bit silly and light-hearted, it's also very witty and does mix in some nice messages of empowerment while dealing with serious issues as well. I went back and forth a little on judging this but ultimately decided that yes, I do actually really like this. A very interesting submission, thank you.

In 6th place and scoring 12 points:



MUNA - Stayaway

Submitted by:


Have I listened to the artist before? No

Have I listened to the song before? No

Comments:

Never heard of this band before. At first, I wasn’t too sure about this one, as I think the vocoder effect is slightly overdone. But on repeated listens this really won me over. "No-one ever told me leaving was the easy part, I gotta stay away" is such a great pop hook that it's almost hard to believe nobody wrote it before. Would definitely be interested in hearing more by them.

In 5th place and scoring 13 points:

George Michael - Outside



Submitted by:



Have I listened to the artist before? Yes

Have I listened to the song before? Yes

Comments:

I never really paid all that much attention to George Michael before he died but it's a shame that his personal issues often overshadowed his music career, and of course extremely sad that he passed away relatively young. However I do remember reading some very positive things that came out after his death, how he did a lot of charity work and donations in his life that he kept secret because he wasn't doing it for the publicity but out of genuine philanthropy. So that was nice. Anyway I really like this song, and the tongue-in-cheek video. A bop, a banger, a CHOOON!

Have to say, of the acts I've heard of I wouldn't have known a good few qualified for this round!

Not sure if that's a good thing or not. On the one hand I don't care, good music is good music whoever makes it, but on the other hand I wonder if I should pay more attention

(03-12-2021, 10:27 PM)Homer J. Fong Wrote: [ -> ]Jónsí’s trembling falsetto, technically impressive though it may be, is not always the easiest voice listen to

And now a very appropriate song for the mood of the nation after the latest restrictions announcement!

In 4th place and scoring 14 points:

R.E.M. - Shiny Happy People



Submitted by:



Have I listened to the artist before? Yes

Have I listened to the song before? Yes

Comments:

R.E.M. might seem like a "safe" choice on the face of it, but this was actually a risky enough song to submit given that it tends to split opinion; a lot of people really hate this song (even Michael Stipe himself is not a fan!) but I’ve always really enjoyed it. I actually thought this song was a satirical take about American reliance on pharmaceuticals (Prozac, Valium etc.) but apparently it’s actually about the Chinese propaganda following Tiananmen Square! Whatever the lyrical background, it’s a great tune and I was very happy to see it here.

(03-12-2021, 09:54 PM)Rachel Stevens on a Pogo Stick Wrote: [ -> ][quote="E.N." pid="32672" dateline="1638487266"]
Great song, had a listen to a few more of his off the back of that and I'm really liking what I've heard so far...

I see he's playing The Academy in April... guess I know what my next purchase on Ticketmaster will probably be...

Nice!

He's cracking live, seen him a few times. I'll see you there if you do go!

Check out Father's Day if you haven't. Very interesting to listen to the lyrics of that and Miranda together

(03-12-2021, 10:44 PM)Homer J. Fong Wrote: [ -> ]In 6th place and scoring 12 points:



MUNA - Stayaway

Submitted by:

SpoilerShow Content

Rachel Stevens on a Pogo Stick

Have I listened to the artist before? No

Have I listened to the song before? No

Comments:

Never heard of this band before. At first, I wasn’t too sure about this one, as I think the vocoder effect is slightly overdone. But on repeated listens this really won me over. "No-one ever told me leaving was the easy part, I gotta stay away" is such a great pop hook that it's almost hard to believe nobody wrote it before. Would definitely be interested in hearing more by them.

Knew I had definitely gone for MUNA for this round, but couldn't remember which song of theirs I had opted for, they've quite a few that I'm a big fan of.

I had previously submitted I Know A Place for one of the Walruses that disappeared off the face of the Earth never to see a reveal, and since the opportunity may never present itself to use it again, here it is (think of it as a B-Side to my entry for the round )

So a quick wine break while we look at who is in our top three and bottom three for this round:

(03-12-2021, 11:00 PM)Homer J. Fong Wrote: [ -> ]And now a very appropriate song for the mood of the nation after the latest restrictions announcement!

In 4th place and scoring 14 points:

R.E.M. - Shiny Happy People

I'm in the camp of loving REM but not this song. I don't mind it, but it's the worst song on possibly their best album. That said, I love this version...

The nerves of the playoffs again - I think I preferred being first out of the hat!

(03-12-2021, 11:04 PM)E.N. Wrote: [ -> ]

(03-12-2021, 11:00 PM)Homer J. Fong Wrote: [ -> ]And now a very appropriate song for the mood of the nation after the latest restrictions announcement!

In 4th place and scoring 14 points:

R.E.M. - Shiny Happy People

I'm in the camp of loving REM but not this song. I don't mind it, but it's the worst song on possibly their best album. That said, I love this version...

There are very few things that can't be improved with Muppets! 

Pretty sure I've read they (REM) hated it.

Not that I hate it, just wouldn't be anyway near up there in their best songs. Lots of people do love it though

In 15th place and scoring 3 points:

The B-52's - Dance This Mess Around



Submitted by:



Have I listened to the artist before? Yes

Have I listened to the song before? No

Comments:

I mainly know two songs by the B-52’s, one of which I love (Rock Lobster) and one that I absolutely despise (Love Shack). This one is certainly more bearable than the latter, and I do like that there is more Kate Pierson than Fred Schneider here, but the song just kinda plods along for the first couple of minutes, doesn’t really go anywhere exciting. And even when Fred arrives it doesn’t feel like it gets as dramatic or “zany” as it should. Kinda feels like a song that only reaches third gear and hints at, but never does, go beyond that.

In 3rd place and scoring 15 points:

Labi Siffre - I Got The...



Submitted by:

Have I listened to the artist before? No (but actually Yes)

Have I listened to the song before? No

Comments:

Well this was interesting! The name didn’t ring a bell (never realised it’s the guy who did Something Inside So Strong) and the song didn’t ring any bells either...until it hits the halfway mark (actually more like 1/3) and a certain riff that would later be notably sampled on a somewhat better known song makes an appearance! Very different to anything else submitted in this round, has a very nice soulful and funky feel to it. Very cool song, really enjoyed hearing this.