R&P: Let's decide -- What are the best songs of 2009 (Round 1 - Part 11)?
The First Annual Rock & Pop Best Song Competition (2009 Edition).
MATCH UP 1 "Elephants" by Them Crooked Vultures http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWGWm22b5jc They say not to write the word "riff" in a music review -- but how else would you describe this? VERSUS "New Moon Rising" by Wolfmother http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7xgXdJ05IY Get it? because the guy from Zeppelin is in the other band, and these guys totally wish they were Zep.... (you get it.)
MATCH UP 2 "Heartswarm" by Swan Lake http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-QraQFdpXU Is it still a supergroup if you've never heard of the three guys' other bands? VERSUS "So Far Around the Bend" by The National http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5clBfEEiSw folk-indie or indie-folk?
MATCH UP 3 "Psychopathy Red" by Slayer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ub2RGIWw5cM how about a blues riff or scale every once in a while? VERSUS "Hydra" by Bigelf http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-e2TbixwsxM I hope this live track sounds something like the album version... I really have no idea.
MATCH UP 4 "Sorrow's Army" by Graham Coxon http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0c-oNirk4zA Graham Coxon is useless on the battlefield VERSUS "Don't Let Me Stop You" by Kelly Clarkson http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNZv7Hm2GyI I think they've perfected the Kelly Clarkson song formula...
MATCH UP 5 "The Royal We" by Silversun Pickups http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvCiyGz4mO8 In 20 years -- the singer from Silversun Pickups will be dating Jessica Simpson VERSUS "Apollo and the Buffalo and Anna Anna Anna Oh" by Sunset Rubdown http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgx-29ilLnQ There's been a lot of Joy Division-inspired songs over the 00's... here's another
You, the community here at Yahoo! Answers, nominated 350+ songs, your favorites of the year, to face-off in head-to-head battles, tournament style, to determine the best songs of this calendar year.
I ask that you listen to all of the songs... don't vote on name alone. Listen to them, weigh them, and then choose with reason, which song is the better of the two in the given match ups. Star it, and try to get as many voters to this thing as you can. All comments are meant in good humor. If you have any trouble with any links, or any of them are broken -- let me know, and I'll fix them ASAP. Thanks. So, THE QUESTION: which songs do you subjectively prefer of each these match ups (even if it's only the lesser of two evils in your eyes)?
Anonymous2010-02-04T09:50:17Z
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I was just telling my wife about these last night. I'm really enjoying getting exposed to all this stuff I never would have heard otherwise. I've said thanks and stuff Radio, but seriously I really appreciate the time and effort you've put into this. Very cool idea, and I'm sure that I'm not the only one who really feel like they're benefiting from it. So, thanks a lot man.
Alright... Them Crooked Vultures vs. Wolfmother: I liked the TCV song. I hadn't heard them yet and they were pretty much what I imagined (which is a good thing, but not totally my cup of tea). It was a cool song and there was some really cool stuff about it, but it lost me a couple of times. I think it would have been a pretty amazing 3 - 3 1/2 minute tune. I did like it though. The Wolfmother tune is totally good. I think I may have to grab that record. I have the first record, but I couldn't totally get into it. It's weird, this song sounds like what they were doing with a splash of the Vines fused in. I'm pretty into it Wolfmother - New Moon Rising
Swan Lake v. The National Swan Lake is a band that I've heard a handfull of songs by, and I like and all them but there is something holding me back from being a believer. The jury just won't reach a decision. This song feels about the same as the others. I like it, but I don't know. There's something that is just keeping me from being enthusiastic. It's funny that these two bands got matched up because you could just take the words Swan Lake out and replaced them with The National and it would totally apply. This song is kind of doing it for me though. I really need to grab Dark Was The Night. I'm liking this song a lot. The National - So Far Around the Bend
Slayer v. Bigelf The Slayer tune was pretty cool. I can dig it. I'm kind of into this Bigelf tune. Especially when you add the handicap of studio cut versus a camcorder mic in the audience. Cool song. I'll take it. Bigelf - Hydra
Graham Coxon v. Kelly Clarkson So, I'm listening to the Graham Coxon tune and I'm finding myself really glad that it's a part of this. I heard a couple solo tunes of his and I wasn't really into it and just kind of gave up. Figuring that Blur was just greater than the sum of it's parts. I like this song a lot. Very cool. I'll have to give him another look. I can't imagine Kelly Clarkson winning here, but we'll have to see. Ah, so pop song 38-B got published. Have you noticed with a lot of pop songs, and this is going to sound really, really snooty but I've reconciled it and I'll sleep ok tonight, but you get a song like this one and it sounds so exactly like so many other songs that you feel like you've heard it 100 times already even though it's the first time you're listening to it. Makes my skin crawl a little. Graham Coxon - Sorrow's Army
The Silversun Pickps v. Sunset Rubdown I've been meaning to check out the SP. I liked it well enough. I would have taken it over many other songs, but it's just matched up against a better tune. Apollo... is a very good tune from a very good record. Sunset Rubdown - Apollo and the Buffalo and Anna Anna Anna Oh!
Elephants - Them Crooked Vultures I have the TCV album and even though this wouldn't be one of my favourite tracks from it, it's still a great song in my opinion. Even though I'm not a fan of Wolfmother, that song was fairly good. Still, Elephants wins easily.
So Far Around The Bend - The National I hadn't heard either song before but liked both of them a lot. It's a tough choice but I think I'll go with So Far Around The Bend as it sounds more upbeat which I just seem to be in the mood for today.
Hydra - Bigelf I liked both of these songs too and it's another tough choice. I actually just got into Slayer about a month ago when I bought Reign In Blood. However, I just about preferred Hydra. I thought the vocals were very good and the second half of the song was great.
Sorrow's Army - Graham Coxon Very easy choice for me. I really liked the first track. I haven't heard much of Coxon's solo stuff but that would be my favourite that I've heard. As for Kelly Clarkson, it's simply not the kind of music that I'm into to be honest.
Apollo and the Buffalo and Anna Anna Anna Oh - Sunset Rubdown Again, I enjoyed both songs a lot. I'll choose the Sunset Rubdown track though as I preferred the vocals on that song.
I second what the good Professor has said, Radio Waves this could very well be the single most epic thing that has ever been presented in R&P. I have to admit that my head has been stuck up my own **** for awhile now and even music seems to matter little to me, so if I haven't taken the time to weigh in it was simply because I was overwhelmed by the dazzling array of music and couldn't take the time to do your efforts justice. I remain a fan of yours and hope you will always consider me a very strange yet, slightly intriguing friend ....
the memories of a choreographed dance disappears as the rain hits the window with hint of turbulence in the air...
on to the task at hand...
"Elephants" by Them Crooked Vultures is certainly the better of the two in my ever more humble opinion
my goodness this next match up was one of particularly high quality, I will give it to the National if only for the line " get high through an apple" and these lines:
Ill run through a thousand parties Ive run through a million bars Nobody knows where you are livin Nobody knows where you are
SIGH
Match up 3... I subjectively prefer nither
Sorrow's Army" by Graham Coxon not something I would play for listening pleasure but on to the next round ole Graham goes
The next one was another great match up which to my ears, Sunset Rubdown wins if the concept of reincarnation be true.. I'd wish to return as the dirt under Spencer Krug's toes
1. When the Vultures put out their album a lot of people here hyped it and I heard some tracks I liked. That wasn't one of them. The other song is okay musically. The vocalist has been done to death. New Moon Rising.
2. The other guy was pissing me off. So Far Around The Bend.
3. Slayer has never really been accused of selling out. But they make the same music they did 20 years ago. I almost wish they had 'sold out'. Can you imagine the Slayer version of The Black Album? It would totally rule. This other song sounds like it could be cool. I listened to one of their other studio tracks and they sound like Sabbath. Still that's a Slayer song I can get down with. Psychopathy Red.
4. I like this acoustic song. I listened to it twice. The video is hilarious, no idea what it's about. I do know runnning through streams is a good way to mess up your feet. This other one is not Kelly's best. Nothing that grabs you the way Miss Independent did. Sorrow's Army.
5. This is a song I actually have, I bought this album! One of about three from 2009. I think either Fonzie T of The Professor was repping them and I liked the tracks he played. I like them. Nothing special but nothing to dislike. The Royal We.
Them Crooked Vultures vs. Wolfmother I like "Elephants" better than the last TCV song we heard, but I still don't see the big fuss about this band, aside from their pedigree. The end got a little better, but overall, I am pretty neutral about this song. "New Moon Rising" was just a little more interesting.
Swan Lake vs. The National I don't usually go for stuff like this, but "Heartswarm" is actually pretty nice in it's simplicity, despite some unpleasant vocals at times (only a couple times, though). I actually preferred "So Far Around the Bend", though. It was nicer, and I liked the spaciousness of it.
Slayer vs. Bigelf (note: I listened to the studio version on last.fm: http://www.last.fm/music/Bigelf/_/Hydra?autostart ) This is my first listen to Slayer's new album, and well, It's Slayer. It's not like they've evolved a whole lot over their career, but their music is a little less cheesy than most in the thrash metal genre. This one was really short, though. "Hydra" was interesting, more so than the Slayer song, but maybe not quite as much to my taste as "Psychopathy Red". I do like the electronics, though. Actually never mind what I was saying earlier, this is actually pretty cool. Perhaps some would call it pretentious, but the same goes for much of the music I like. I'll go for "Hydra".
Graham Coxon vs. Kelley Clarkson "Sorrow's Army". This one may have been rigged.
Silversun Pickups vs. Sunset Rubdown I remember hearing one Silversun Pickups song before, and I believe my reaction to it was "not too bad", and it'a bout the same here. Maybe I wouldn't buy their album, but it's more enjoyable than a lot of the stuff out there. I think I may like "Apollo and the Buffalo and Anna Anna Anna Oh" better, though, despite the remarkably silly name.