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Homer J. Fong IS The Walrus - Grand Reveal!
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Ok then, let's kick this off.
A reminder of Category #4:Deleted User wrote: »4. "This is the new ****, Stand up and admit"
As we reach the end of the 2010's it's appropriate to sit back and reflect on the decade that was. Were there any defining songs of the past ten years for you? Let me know! Give me a song released from January 1 2010 to the present day.
So what have the past 10 years done for you? We're about to find out...
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Once again, it's a fairly "niche" submission that ends up as our middle score tonight. But it's a big improvement from the last round for Jameslon Barspell, who gets 9 points and 9th place for In This Moment - Roots
Pre-listening notes:
Well this was confusing! I went looking for a song called In This Moment by The Roots and was wondering why I couldn’t find it….apparently In This Moment is a band? Can’t say I’ve ever heard of it. Having a look at their Wiki page, I feel I’m gonna be dragged well out of my comfort zone here.
Listening notes:
Looks a bit like a metal Lady Gaga, doesn’t she? Kind of a poppy intro at first, but doesn't take long to turn sinister. I'm not into music that's too screamy but this one is balancing it out with some more melodic vocals too. The talky bit in the middle.....actually kinda works. They often don't! Interesting submission
Verdict:
I honestly wasn't sure what to make of this at first. I didn’t hate it anyway, so that’s a good start. There’s a lot going on and I might need some more time to get my head around it., but would I stick this on a playlist? Yeah feck it sure, why not?0 -
Yollins Roseverse insists this tune was re-issued in 2013. I'm not sure myself if it counts as a re-issue (it entered the charts after appearing in a TV ad) but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. 10th place and 8 points for Slade - Everyday
Pre-listening notes:
“Re-issued in 2013” Lol, no getting past spo…I mean, Yollins is there? :pac: Strictly speaking I’m not sure this counts as a re-issue but I'm feeling generous so I'll let it stand (plus you have to credit to someone who can find a way to introduce Slade even when they are not at all relevant - I look forward to Merry Xmas Everybody as done in the style of both Chopin and Faithless for Sully's Walrus! :pac: )
Listening notes:
This starts of very nicely, nice gentle piano intro and some very nice vocals. Definitely an “older” sounding song (2013, you say?
) but that’s not a bad thing. It loses me a bit at the “And it won't even show And no-one will know….” bit. The vocals sound a bit more strained on that bit and it jars a little, compared to the nice smooth vocals in the verses.
Verdict:
Keeping up the pattern of at least one song that loses me at the chorus, although in this case you could argue that the “Every day…” bit (the nice bits) are actually the chorus! A song of two halves, but the less good half is growing on me a little on repeated listens so overall I'm fairly happy with this. Aside it from it having the most tenuous of links to the category, of course! :P0 -
Following the Slade entry in the first round, I was wondering how Yollins Roseverse would squeeze a 90s song, let alone a 2010s song in. Fair play!
I'd like to just submit all Slade songs in a future walrus to confuse the judge
(though I don't really know many) 0 -
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After the previous two rounds Rosparkle is "holding on for dear life", but tonight they escape the bottom two with a credible 8th place and 10 points for Sia - Chandelier
Pre-listening notes:
Like a lot of people, I first heard of Sia through the song “Breathe Me” being used for the final scenes of Six Feet Under (find me a TV show with a better ending). That’s a pretty spectacular song, with a very delicate yet powerful vocal that I found much nicer than the excessive belting she does on her more recent, poppier stuff. But there is no doubt that she’s talented.
Listening notes:
You know how I’ve mentioned songs in each round with some nice verses that lose me at the chorus? This song has the opposite effect on me. The verses on this are quite bland and sound like they could have come off of any Rihanna album filler track, but then the chorus arrives and it’s a monster. This is actually a really sad song, and the way her voice cracks in the line “tears as they dry” helps add some emotional heft. Overall there's more I admire in this song than I dislike. Over 2 billion Youtube hits can't be wrong! (Yes, I'm sure it's very easy to find a counter-example but let's leave that for another time).
Verdict:
I wasn’t crazy about this song when I first heard it, and the verses/bridge still feel undercooked to me. But the powerful chorus and the sense of sadness and desperation in the lyrics elevate it into a fine song overall.0 -
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Ba ba ba ba ba ba, ba ba ba ba ba, ba ba ba ba ba!!!! Harmony Cullran is our 11th place finisher in this round with 7 points for The Vaselines - High Tide, Low Tide
Pre-listening notes:
My only familiarity with The Vaselines was from hearing some covers that Nirvana did on the Incesticide album. So this is a fairly old-school band, I wonder if they still have an old-school sound?
Listening notes:
Yup, old-school is right. You could have told me this came out in the late ‘80’s/early ‘90’s and I’d have believed you. Nice breezy tune, though also kinda forgettable.
Verdict:
It's a pretty upbeat, feelgood tune (musically anyway - lyrics have a bit of uneasiness in them) but ultimately it's a bit of a throwaway tune if I'm honest. Certainly not horrified by the thought of hearing it again but it’s not a classic that’s gonna stick in my head. Doesn't make me reach for either the replay button or the skip button. Its’ grand, like. Not much more to say about it.0 -
Despite making me feel old, Aleshark gets their best score to date with 11 points and 7th place for Billie Eilish - You Should See Me in a Crown
Pre-listening notes:
Ah yes, this is the singer all of the young kids are into these days. I listened to her album and found it fairly hit-and-miss, some nice tracks but a lot of it just felt like background music. I think this was one of the better ones. Definitely potential there anyway.
Listening notes:
Ominous sounding intro. Production is very nice. Vocals are fairly non-descript but I think that’s part of her “aesthetic”. From what I’ve read she’s less of a solo artist and more of a double act with her brother, who handles the majority of the songwriting and composition. In any case this runs along quite nicely, it’s got more bite to it than a lot of music that’s in the charts anyway. I like the “watch me make‘em bow one by one by one”, that’s a good hook. You could write her off as being forced weirdness that’s designed to appeal to teenagers trying to be cool but there’s still some good stuff in here.
Verdict:
Yeah I get the appeal of this one. It’s very well composed and produced. And actually has a memorable chorus, unlike some of the other stuff on the album that just passed me by. I think "Bury a Friend" is probably a better song overall but this is still a pretty cool tune.
See, I'm still down with the kids.... :cool:0 -
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Hayesshine matches their Round 3 score, getting 6 points and 12th place for Gerry Cinammon - War TV
Pre-listening notes:
I’ve heard of this chap, I gather he’s quite a big deal? Haven’t listened to him yet though.
Listening notes:
Well it’s pretty much impossible to dislike the Scottish accent isn’t it? So he’s got that going for him anyway. First line is a bit cringe "There’s a war on TV, in a town called the world" but at least he’s not being overly-earnest and does try to inject a bit of humour into what is a serious topic to write out. "With your arse in the air and your head in the sand" is a funny line. Simple enough tune that goes along pleasantly enough, no big production values or gimmicks or anything like that.
Verdict:
Not really my thing but grand for what it is. Certainly see the appeal for that singer-songwriter type. Wouldn't be in a mad rush to listen to more by him but wouldn't say never either.0 -
Another player getting their highest score to date is Mediphira, who wins 6th place and 12 points for machineheart - Altar
Pre-listening notes:
So at first I thought this was a band called Altar, with a song called machineheart, and I wondered was I about to enter death metal terrirtory. Not quite, as it turns out – machineheart is the band and they’re described as indie pop. So that sounds more like my kind of thing, let’s find out.
Listening notes:
Solid intro. Very nice voice. We’re off to a good start anyway. Bit slow moving but we’ve arrived at the chorus now and it’s decent. Brass at three minutes is a nice touch. Drags on a bit at the end but overall this is definitely quite a good submission.
Verdict:
Very nice tune but it's a bit long - could perhaps do with a minute or so shaved off. But still I liked this and would listen again, and would also check out their other stuff.0 -
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Deleted User wrote: »Another player getting their highest score to date is Mediphira, who wins 6th place and 12 points for machineheart - Altar
Pre-listening notes:
So at first I thought this was a band called Altar, with a song called machineheart, and I wondered was I about to enter death metal terrirtory. Not quite, as it turns out – machineheart is the band and they’re described as indie pop. So that sounds more like my kind of thing, let’s find out.
Listening notes:
Solid intro. Very nice voice. We’re off to a good start anyway. Bit slow moving but we’ve arrived at the chorus now and it’s decent. Brass at three minutes is a nice touch. Drags on a bit at the end but overall this is definitely quite a good submission.
Verdict:
Very nice tune but it's a bit long - could perhaps do with a minute or so shaved off. But still I liked this and would listen again, and would also check out their other stuff.
Never heard of these, I’d listen to more0 -
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Standard mixes are not enough for Spencerpop; "Give me the Extended Mix or GIVE ME DEATH!" they say*. In this case I'll give them 5 points and 13th place for Camel Phat feat. Jem Cooke - Rabbit Hole (Extended Mix)
*they didn't actually say this, but I imagine they would if asked!
Pre-listening notes:
Nope. I got nothing.
Listening notes:
The section from 0:30 to 1:00 is a bit annoying, the repetitive “DUH DUH, DUH” sounds are quite jarring. Could they not have cut that down? It improves a bit when the vocals start, feels more like a proper song now than just noise….even with the vocals it takes about 3:40 until it really takes off. There's some really nice bits in here, quite a trippy song. At a club with the right visuals (and right substances) I can imagine being more into this.
Verdict:
I listened to the original (non-extended) mix afterwards and it was so much quicker in getting to the meat and bones of the song. I think the extended mix is just a bit too much. And the “DUH DUH…DUH” bleeps are still a bit annoying. But overall I don’t hate this, I just wouldn’t be in a rush to listen the full extended mix.0 -
Helraham Jamesorty gives me a song whose title pretty much describes me at any given point of time - The Staves - Tired as Fúck wins 5th place and 13 points.
Pre-listening notes:
Yet another case of “I’ve heard of them, but haven’t listened”. Actually are they Irish? *googles* No, but they are a female trio, so I had that much right. Didn’t realise they were sisters though.
Listening notes:
Intriguing opening, some nice humming to bring us in. What kind of genre is this, it’s like a mix between folk rock and....blues, almost? Moving along pretty nicely, I can certainly relate to being “tired as fúck”. Vocals are cool, some nice harmonies throughout. Yeah, I like this.
Verdict:
Very nice submission. Would definitely listen to this again.0 -
Deleted User wrote: »Standard mixes are not enough for Spencerpop; "Give me the Extended Mix or GIVE ME DEATH!" they say*. In this case I'll give them 5 points and 13th place for Camel Phat feat. Jem Cooke - Rabbit Hole (Extended Mix)
*they didn't actually say this, but I imagine they would if asked!
Pre-listening notes:
Nope. I got nothing.
Listening notes:
The section from 0:30 to 1:00 is a bit annoying, the repetitive “DUH DUH, DUH” sounds are quite jarring. Could they not have cut that down? It improves a bit when the vocals start, feels more like a proper song now than just noise….even with the vocals it takes about 3:40 until it really takes off. There's some really nice bits in here, quite a trippy song. At a club with the right visuals (and right substances) I can imagine being more into this.
Verdict:
I listened to the original (non-extended) mix afterwards and it was so much quicker in getting to the meat and bones of the song. I think the extended mix is just a bit too much. And the “DUH DUH…DUH” bleeps are still a bit annoying. But overall I don’t hate this, I just wouldn’t be in a rush to listen the full extended mix.
Tune, like the vocals and the beat is brilliant0 -
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An up-and-coming young buck from Detroit and a little known lady from Barbados up now. Yompson Hamoondancer gets 14th place and 4 points for Eminem feat. Rihanna - Love The Way You Lie
Pre-listening notes:
Eminem? Meh. I like Stan and Lose Yourself, they show that he can clearly write some good tunes when he feels like it. So much of his stuff is just really puerile and nasty though. Rihanna is one of the luckiest people in the music world, her team of songwriters, stylists and publicists have made her a far bigger popstar than she deserves with what is, quite frankly, a fairly unpleasant voice. I’m not full of optimism.
Listening notes:
Rihanna’s nasal warbling kicks us off, hopefully she’ll be confined to the chorus and won’t pop up to bother us in the verses as well. Eminem does his part fairly well I guess, some of the lyrics are quite powerful (although “Now you get to watch her leave out the window, Guess that's why they call it window pane” is a bit cringe). Putting aside my dislike of her voice, Rihanna is someone who sadly has experienced domestic violence so I imagine she is the right person to sing on this track in that regard. Still find her very hard to listen to though.
Verdict:
Not really my genre but I can appreciate the work that went into this, and admire that it deals with a very serious in a manner that’s both cutting and respectful. Originally I thought this would be bottom of my list but overall it’s a actually probably better song than I had given it credit for. Still not something I’d listen to out of choice, mind you!0 -
[Deleted User] wrote: »An up-and-coming young buck from Detroit and a little known lady from Barbados up now. Yompson Hamoondancer gets 14th place and 4 points for Eminem feat. Rihanna - Love The Way You Lie
Pre-listening notes:
Eminem? Meh. I like Stan and Lose Yourself, they show that he can clearly write some good tunes when he feels like it. So much of his stuff is just really puerile and nasty though. Rihanna is one of the luckiest people in the music world, her team of songwriters, stylists and publicists have made her a far bigger popstar than she deserves with what is, quite frankly, a fairly unpleasant voice. I’m not full of optimism.
Listening notes:
Rihanna’s nasal warbling kicks us off, hopefully she’ll be confined to the chorus and won’t pop up to bother us in the verses as well. Eminem does his part fairly well I guess, some of the lyrics are quite powerful (although “Now you get to watch her leave out the window, Guess that's why they call it window pane” is a bit cringe). Putting aside my dislike of her voice, Rihanna is someone who sadly has experienced domestic violence so I imagine she is the right person to sing on this track in that regard. Still find her very hard to listen to though.
Verdict:
Not really my genre but I can appreciate the work that went into this, and admire that it deals with a very serious in a manner that’s both cutting and respectful. Originally I thought this would be bottom of my list but overall it’s a actually probably better song than I had given it credit for. Still not something I’d listen to out of choice, mind you!
I like this alright but If you are going to pick an eminem song featuring a pop diva, the only one is Walk on Water, IMO of course0 -
Sometimes Walrus brings about an internal conflict, when presented with an entry where the head says "oh gosh, really? You couldn't possibly give this such a high score" but the heart just says "FÚCKIN' CHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!!"
The heart won out this time - Lolliclarke crashes into 4th place and bags 14 points for Icona Pop feat. Charli XCX - I Love It
Pre-listening notes:
Heh, someone definitely got the “you’re from the 70’s but I’m a 90’s bitch” reference from the previous round’s title! This song is on my running playlist so I’m well familiar.
Listening notes:
Immediately sucks you in, this tune. The vocals are more shouty than singing but they fit in well with the overall atmosphere of the song. The lyrics are silly but hilarious “I threw your shít into a bag and pushed it down the stairs, I crashed my car into the bridge, I don’t care, I love it!” I mean this is just joyfully silly, dance-around-and-go-mad pop. And there’ll always be a place for that kind of music among all the more serious/downbeat stuff.
Verdict:
I wouldn’t say this is the kind of thing I’m usually into and my inner music snob is rolling his eyes at the high score it’s gonna get, but fúck it – I DON’T CARE, I LOVE IT! 0 -
[Deleted User] wrote: »Sometimes Walrus brings about an internal conflict, when presented with an entry where the head says "oh gosh, really? You couldn't possibly give this such a high score" but the heart just says "FÚCKIN' CHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!!"
The heart won out this time - Lolliclarke crashes into 4th place and bags 14 points for Icona Pop feat. Charli XCX - I Love It
Pre-listening notes:
Heh, someone definitely got the “you’re from the 70’s but I’m a 90’s bitch” reference from the previous round’s title! This song is on my running playlist so I’m well familiar.
Listening notes:
Immediately sucks you in, this tune. The vocals are more shouty than singing but they fit in well with the overall atmosphere of the song. The lyrics are silly but hilarious “I threw your shít into a bag and pushed it down the stairs, I crashed my car into the bridge, I don’t care, I love it!” I mean this is just joyfully silly, dance-around-and-go-mad pop. And there’ll always be a place for that kind of music among all the more serious/downbeat stuff.
Verdict:
I wouldn’t say this is the kind of thing I’m usually into and my inner music snob is rolling his eyes at the high score it’s gonna get, but fúck it – I DON’T CARE, I LOVE IT!
Damn, you pretty much handed that to us and only one person was smart enough to pick it!0 -
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Oh, no! Disaster for Divorce Referendum Countess Bathrobinson Bailecoffin as they turn in the opposite direction and simply run off the course.
15th place and 3 points for Dua Lipa - Be The One
Pre-listening notes:
I know that song New Rules, that’s about it. Clearly I’m not as up to date on these cool new artists as our submitter.
Listening notes:
Fairly standard pop intro. Decent voice, quite deep. It’s plodding along without much exciting happening though. Lyrics are kinda silly, “I see the moon when you’re looking at the sun” – well he shouldn’t be looking at the sun, that’s bad for your eyes! Nothing really remarkable about this, sounds like a million other songs that have been written before.
Verdict:
It’s not terrible but it all feels a bit perfunctory, like this song was specifically written to be an adequate filler song rather than a memorable hit. Actually has kind of a Eurovision feel to it, has that kind of Europop sound to it. But ultimately this isn’t doing enough for me to score it any higher or seek to play it again. She can definitely sing but hopefully has better songs in her arsenal than this.0 -
Kingolas ensures that they stay in the race for the title as they get 15 points and 3rd place for Overhead The Albatross - Big River Man
Pre-listening notes:
Another case of “I’ve heard the name but have never listened to them”. Didn’t realise they were Irish.
Listening notes:
Loud crashing drums to introduce us, not taking long to get going, mellowing out a little at around 50 seconds and the bass is kicking in, all nice thus far….if there are to be vocals I hope the voice is good, am enjoying the music and don’t want to mark down….wait maybe this is an instrumental? It’s rattling along nicely, some violins now help switch it up a bit…..mind started wandering, was a little bored but the strings and slower tempo at the 4:50-ish mark have brought me back in. Ok this is a really nice ending, we even get some choral “ohs” so it’s not entirely instrumental, they blend in nicely though! Some lovely ingredients in this, leaves you feeling a bit stuffed by the end though.
Verdict:
It’s good but quite long, loses me a little in the middle but the final two minutes or so are lovely. I think I’d get more out of it seeing it in a live setting rather than listening at home but am certainly willing to give it more time and check out the rest of their work.0 -
I fear Marshallazora Satanwest won't want to be my friend after this Walrus.
16th place and 2 points for Daft Punk - Derezzed
...hey, there's still the Joker round, right?
Note: I started listening to all the tracks on Spotify this time around, rather than Youtube, and the Spotify version is only 1:44 (I say "only"...) The longer version on Youtube is 4:11 so I listened to that afterwards as well to get the full picture.
Pre-listening notes:
Always been a bit “meh” about Daft Punk. Don’t see the big fuss. Will this be the one to convert me?
Listening notes:
Part 1 - Spotify
1:44 ? Jaysus, this is gonna be a quick one. Ok so it’s sounding suitably Daft Punky, sounds pretty much like they were doing in the ‘90’s…….actually maybe 1:44 is enough, amazingly it’s actually dragging on a bit.
Part 2 - Youtube
I’ve found the “extended” mix on Youtube. It’s a bit more interesting in a way I guess, there are more glitches and stuff if you like that thing. Nothing to make me rank it any higher than it already is though. Ultimately it just feels like background noise.
Verdict:
Meh. It wasn’t wholly unlistenable but I’m not pushed about ever hearing it again. Maybe if I'd seen Tron I'd appreciate it more but even the 1:44 version seemed like a bit of a slog.0 -
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It's a hugely impressive third consecutive Top Two finish for Marflutter - do they already have one hand on the (hypothetical) Walrus trophy? (Please note that there is no actual trophy, I cannot stress that enough!)
2nd place and 16 points for Cate Le Bon - Are You With Me Now
Pre-listening notes:
I saw Cate Le Bon as a support act at a concert, she was grand but I wasn’t in a mad rush to go check out her back catalogue or anything.
Listening notes:
Quite an unusual voice, she’s Welsh right? You can really hear the accent in certain parts. This is a very pretty song, background instrumentation jangles along nicely. But there’s an air of sadness to it too. Kind of an old-fashioned sound to it strangely, could almost be a lost recording from the Sixties! Nice video too, kinda makes me want a cigarette though.
Verdict:
This is a very nice tune. I’m surprised at how much I enjoyed this given I wasn’t really blown away by seeing her live (in fairness, it was only a support slot, quite early in the day and with a small crowd; maybe I’d have enjoyed her much more with a larger crowd in a more intimate venue). This makes me want to listen to the parent album. Very nicely done.0
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