ILM Artist Poll No. 74 · STEREOLAB · Voting Thread (Exp. Date 03/28/16)

http://i.imgur.com/6bjUXcP.jpg

Alternate Pun Title: Refractions in the Plastic Polls
Songs: Top 20. Ranked. Remixes and collaborations allowed. Non-optional.
Normal Scoring: 1:40, 2:36, 3:33, 4:30, 5:28, 6:26, 7:25, 8:24, 9:23, 10:22, 11:21, 12:20, 13:19, 14:18, 15:17, 16:16, 17:15, 18:14, 19:13, 20:12
Albums: Top 5. Ranked. Remixes and collaborations allowed. Optional.
Ballots: stereolabp✧✧✧@gm✧✧✧.c✧✧
Exp. Date 03/28/2016

Error found: stereolabpoll (at) gmail.com

Discography
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereolab_discography
Rateyourmusic: https://rateyourmusic.com/artist/stereolab
Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/artist/388-Stereolab
UHF fan site: http://www.koly.com/stereolab

Other links:
The complete guide to Stereolab by Fact: http://www.factmag.com/2016/02/17/stereolab-guide-best-albums-songs/
Mark Prindle's Stereolab record reviews: http://www.markprindle.com/stereolab.htm
Artist Profile at Pitchfork: http://pitchfork.com/artists/3945-stereolab/
Stereolab the essential guide by Matthew Perpetua: http://www.buzzfeed.com/perpetua/stereolab-the-essential-guide

one of my favorite bands (and yet there is so much left for me to discover from them), I might just vote for the entirety of Jenny Ondiolone EP.

stopped keeping up with this band after the 90s (with the exception of 'margerine eclipse' and a few tracks i heard around). got a bit of listening to do

You wont find it on spotify but the tour 7" of Solar Throw Away/Jump Drive Shout Out is one of my favorite things they did in their late years:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0Y2s-7Qny4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biJW68Bh7-o

I just had a week of listening to nothing but Stereolab, so the timing is perfect. Can't wait for this.

Hooray!

Another error found. Should say:
Albums: Top 5. Ranked. EPs and compilations allowed. Optional.

…and please do vote for lots of EPs. Many of them are at least as good as the albums.

This should be a fun poll - apart from about half a dozen songs I couldn't begin to guess what'll show up in the countdown. Such a sprawling and rich discography.

Okay, I think this will be the first artist poll I actually vote in. (Now watch me faff and fail to vote in time.)

YAAAAAASSS

Now this will be a hard one to whittle to down to twenty. Could probably construct a couple of different satisfactory ballots from the contents of Refried Ectoplasm/Aluminum Tunes alone!

First band I OD'd on when I started downloading a dozen years ago--went from not knowing anything by them to owning everything (or close) within a month or two. So I have lots of favourites, but coming to them that way, songs do tend to blur together. I'll submit an unranked ballot, if that's okay.

Yes, unranked ballots can be done, just specify in the email if its unranked.

:D :D :D

Can my top 20 be every individual minute from "Jenny Ondioline"?

And then "John Cage Bubblegum" and "Ping Pong"?

perfect poll for spring

Yahoo!

Wish this were happening a month later so I could just listen to Stereolab all day instead of cramming for exams. Regardless, I would like to ask everyone to please consider voting for "Brigitte," in case it gets swept under the rug as an EP track:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnT1itcw_og

ok, this is going to be a tough one, I like pretty much all of their songs, very excited though

stereolab good cram jams iirc

One tricky thing about this is that a lot of their best stuff is on EPs and singles. My favorites EPs:

Laminations
Fluorescences
Captain Easychord

so this has sent me down the path of digging up some nice live videos. Hope no one minds me posting these here because wow...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNKJtdDBqhg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67wWZvnWDC4

So 90s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rrl_C_ynEs4

my favorite song is Everybody's Weird Except Me, which I know won't place. My second favorite:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0ZMkv8D-9w

Can my top 20 be every individual minute from "Jenny Ondioline"?

y

which minute is yr #1?

Looking forward to voting in this one. Looking forward to the new listening and re-listening even more...

one week is . . . not much time

I have a special love for this one, which pretty much puts new Stereolab up against neu Stereolab. I like part 2 better, but kind of feel like the presence of part 1 improves it. I'm not sure if they have any other tracks that do this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIcLO6UpBts

see also my best-ever thread: fake Stereolab song titles

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lSychSVOSaI

I considered that one week is not enough time. Do everything possible to send your ballots in the following week, I have no problem prolonging the deadline a few more days.

speaking of, Moka can you check your Stereolab inbox for me? i need a favor.

well...there goes my John Doe kick.

throwing support out for "whisper pitch"

Crest and French Disko are my 1 & 2 (in some order), looking forward to sussing out the other 18.

flappy bird's #1/#2 are certainly on my shortlist. The florid arrangement on the studio version of "Pop Quiz" (and much of that EP really) brings me close to tears. But I suspect I'll need to go unranked myself.

Slight change of plans boy-os. I've talked to B and we're slightly off schedule so you have roughly another week to submit ballots. April 3 is your new deadline and i've received 3 ballots so far. Keep em comin.

which minute is yr #1?

Jenny Ondioline - POO minute

Turns out this band is the best soundtrack ever for working on your taxes.

Sometimes I just think they're the best band.

Looking forward to this.

They might just be the band that encapsulate in their influences and references all my favorite genres. They're the band that best answer the "what sort of music do you like?" for me.

Also they might be one of the most consistent bands ever when it comes to aesthetics. Not only in their artwork - which is a perfect fit for the music - but in their sonical palette and design.

I've always wanted an excuse to really get into this band. I probably won't listen enough by the deadline but I'll be following along.

WE ARE HERE TO DISRUPT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApRRujIfjHc

so much good stuff on that collection

Yeah, that compilation is insane. It's going to be hard not to vote for all four songs from the Fluorescences EP for a start.

some of my fave early jamz for consideration:

The Seeming And The Meaning
Lo Fi
We're Not Adult Oriented
Transona 5

Well I love MAQ and ETK, but it would be hard for me to choose except something obvious like Ping Pong or French Disko. Wish I had time to listen to more and submit a poll.

What's so bad about obviousness?

Yeah - We're Not Adult Orientated is a jam. Moka is right about them being all your favourite bands (if this is what you kinda meant, kinda) cos that song is Stereolab at their VU best.

A great youtube playlist I found last year, compiling 50 stereolab b-side/rarities/etc that didn't make it to any of the Switched On comps:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfAJhijz8HAIHjzvBru1JJXVfu36x85IE

I have 16 tracks so far and haven't even made it to ETK.
am I missing out on the Fluorescences EP?

At least half of Fluorescences will be on my ballot too, so I'd say yes.

YES, listen to Fluorescences. Title track is one of the most gorgeous melancholy things:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TMoy6DNTO4

You could do worse than listen to the whole Oscillons from the Anti-Sun compilation, mentioned above, too (which opens with this track).

Favorite chorus

I'm okay, feeling good / Why do I swim in blood?
La la la la la, la la la la la

Yes, it is the absolute best. Heavy Denim and Low Fi (speaking of VU worship) very key as well.

Random mid-period highlights that haven't been mentioned yet and their suggested uses:

-Puncture in the Radax Permutation, the Mary showcase on Cobra, for pensive contemplation
-The Super It, my pick of the uncollected tracks, for skipping rope
-Escape Pod (From the World of Medical Observations), for highway driving (also a worthy entrant in a hypothetical track name poll)

Man, I am so excited that this poll has finally come along!

Also: are a lot of inexhaustible Stereolab tracks, but Miss Modular is the one that gets a little better every time I hear it. Those plugging-in noises!

Having only started dipping into Stereolab in the last year I don't know them anywhere near well enough to vote in this poll but I'm really really looking forward to the results. Also, they have the best song titles EVER.

Guessing that the song titles are working titles for the instrumentals, and the lyrics get applied without alteration.

Except for "Noise of Carpet' which got renamed 'Broken face' for the US single.

Thanks for the playlist, Michael F Gill. I haven't heard most of these before.

I was obsessed with Stereolab in the late 90s and I still prob don't know them well enough to vote! I might draw up a list for my own musing and then maybe send it if I don't feel it's too shamefully 90s-centric

(and album-centric; had a few of the EPs but nothing super-rare, though I did pick up the comps - basically every single track on Refried Ectoplasm is all-time for me so it will be hard not to let that have half my ballot)

(Pointless anecdote since there is talk of the Fluorescences EP here and the Tortoise thread has also been revived lately)

When John Peel did the rundown for the 1996 Festive Fifty he played Tortoise's "Djed" and most of the way through its 21 minutes accidentally also played the start of "Fluorescences", which was in the next place, and I was convinced for a while that part of Djed was a separate unannounced Fluorescences remix which I could not track down anywhere

all 4 tracks of the EP are great, have a soft spot for "Soop Groove #1" though maybe as much for the title (+ bonus points for Russian lyrics) as the music

Yep, I remember him doing that. Particularly when he announced that he'd never played "DJed" ever before.

would very much like to rep for this track, one of my favorites featuring Mary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jX9lKbf9zKg

I was obsessed with Stereolab in the late 90s and I still prob don't know them well enough to vote!

lol, starting to feel this way a bit myself. I know early to mid, and then very late, but mid to mid-late is pretty much missing.

Also w/ my bad memory I'm likely to be very easily swayed by things people are repping for, especially as sometimes the song titles didn't stick b/c they weren't strongly related to the lyrics.

Moka, quick question about where you draw the line on "collaborations"... does this apply only to Uilab, or are spin-offs like Turn On fair game?

The three switched on comps pretty much have all the eps/bsides so listening to those could keep you up to date if you don't want to spend too much time going through everything.

Moka, quick question about where you draw the line on "collaborations"... does this apply only to Uilab, or are spin-offs like Turn On fair game?

― Sushi and the Banchan (Spectrist), miércoles 23 de marzo de 2016 17:47 (18 seconds ago)

There's so many Stereolab material! I'm not restricting anything, if you want to even vote for solo projects or spin-offs it's allowed, although there's a risk that you'll be the sole votes of those unless you lobby for them. I'd recommend focusing on Stereolab only but you can vote for whatever Stereolab related material you want to.

I think this is the first time w these artist polls that I find the catalog to overwhelming to rate - there's just too much good stuff and so much of it runs together

and even there, I'm only interested up through Dots and Loops

A great youtube playlist I found last year, compiling 50 stereolab b-side/rarities/etc that didn't make it to any of the Switched On comps:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfAJhijz8HAIHjzvBru1JJXVfu36x85IE

― Michael F Gill, Tuesday, March 22, 2016 9:29 PM (Yesterday)

Thanks for this link, lots of fun little oddities here.

The First Of The Microbe Hunters seems to be unavailable in the UK - were the tracks collected anywhere else?

5 ballots so far, too early to tell but the top 20 is looking interesting. I'll be going mountain hiking tomorrow and I'll be back until Saturday night... there's no internet up there. I'll send confirmation emails until then. Keep em coming.

if you want to even vote for solo projects or spin-offs it's allowed

Ok, thank you for clarifying. I know there's PLENTY to choose from the proper catalog, but in a way that Turn On album seems like canon to me. A track like "Ru Tenone" (Youtube link, hope this formatting works) with Laetitia doing bababa vocals over Tim, Andy and Sean circa D&L is basically the 'Lab as I know and love them.

yeah I might have to throw a vote to that Uilab "St. Elmo's Fire"

Hmmm, yeah, I love that Turn On album and the Uilab EP so I am def. tempted to vote for at least a couple of tracks outside Stereolab proper.

Was def. considering RU Tenone, which I can justify to myself as a collab, and the similar-era Mouse On Mars tracks with Laetitia on vocals, which I can't really but are p great

Ru Tenone is an excellent song I have absolutely no problem if you want to vote for it.

ilm
are shaped by some things
well beyond our
acknowledgment

it doesnt
call for
fp Withdrawal

Ru Tenone is an excellent song I have absolutely no problem if you want to vote for it.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka)

There's also a Monade song I'm going to vote for (and a different Turn On song).

Mulling over 'Simple Headphone Mind' too.

Yeah, I think that will make my ballot.

BAN
HATE AND VIOLENCE
FOR
OUR CONVENIENCE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYjNUPx5q_M

I can't find the song that does the fader dropout trick!
anyone?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oH8WN-Dd3zw

one of the best. Dots and Loops is so stacked.

ugh doing this properly is gonna be so much work

this is due end of day monday right?

The deadline was extended into April iirc. I can't remember exactly what day.

okay april 3rd it looks like

great

Fader dropout trick, would that be their version of "One note samba" ?

Or maybe Nihilist Assault Group?

Watching the Ghost Town vid for the first time in years, I realised alot of it was shot around the City of London financial district. I had assumed it was set in Coventry for years, as that's what the song is about. Guess they were cruising in the engine room of Britain's industrial decline.

oops, posted on wrong thread!

I think you want next door.

Xpost Timing!

Wonder why they chopped off the best section of "New Orthophony" for MAQ. Am in two minds about voting for a track whose 'standard' version is basically the disembodied coda of something greater.

I'm listening to a few of these records after not hearing them for years. I reckon I've unfairly neglected MAQ for a while. My favourite song on that was always L'Enfer Des Forms and tonight it still sounds like their best, excellent up-beat pop tune.

Just moved that one up my own list! MAQ might be their most monotonous LP but there's a long stretch of relatively unheralded tracks through the middle of the record where they pair the motorik with the bubblegum as successfully as anywhere IMHO.

Voted.

I forgot about the deadline ... so I'm glad to hear it was extended.

I brought some early 'Lab along for roadtrip music once and my wife was ready to kill me after just a few minutes of overdriven organ. Fortunately sound doesn't travel too well in our house.

grounds for divorce imo :)

my first date with my long time partner was a Stereolab show so they're very special to both of us

ima try to do a list but this is soooo hard to narrow down to 20

8 ballots so far, already counted. If you did not receive a confirmation email from me then I didn't receive your ballot.

Voted. Can't wait for the results.

Is it fair to assume that comps count in the albums poll? And that albums too can be unranked?

Yes. And I don't know. I'd rather keep the 5 albums ranked. At 33.4 per album I'd round each album unranked to 33 points.

I have my 20, I will send it in tomorrow.

Thanks to this poll I've revisited Sound-Dust and I'm impressed. It is becoming one of my favorite Stereolab releases.

sound-dust is my #1 album, super underrated

otm Sound-Dust is amazing.

Also I want to point out this video I shared on another thread:

Which Stereolab songs can you play at an average dance party?

Mary Hansen doing a silly weird interview with a puppet and then a video of people trying to dance awkwardly to Yper Sound

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XmGrmRhQsI

Here's an early fave from The Groop Played Space-Age Bachelor Pad Music. I love how the vocal's subdued utopianism gives way to the soaring lead guitar triplets at the end. Better things ahead, it seems to say!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9ZGngNv9Ds

"best song titles" side poll would be a 100-place tie for first

I basically worked everything down to a top 30, and Sound-Dust placed 3, albeit all just outside my top 20.

eatandoph, "U.H.F.-MFP" JUST missed the cut on my list, pushed off by "I Feel the Air (Of Another Planet)." I haven't submitted yet, so I might reconsider. You're so right - it totally sounds like a brighter future on the horizon.

Anyone else voting for "Laisser-Faire" from the Low-Fi EP? Probably my favorite of their early drone-pop songs, plus super-prophetic lyrics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7yu6JezvRM

About 15-16 years ago I had a playlist of all my favorite stereolab songs, wish I could find it now so I could participate in this poll.

"I can feel it more and more, within ten years we'll have a war"

Pretty sure laissez-faire was a term I hadn't encountered before Stereolab. I still tend to think of them when people say it.

Will send ballot ASAP thx for extension

lol, this is going to be hard. 4 songs into Switched On and I'm still totally blown away by this record/compilation.

what time does the poll close?

nm... just scrolled up.

Can a mod change the exp. Date to 04/03/16

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfeHpYssVUk

this is going to be high on my list. the RPG harpsichord intro alone is top 10.

Still leaning towards the "every minute of 'Jenny Ondioline' as a separate vote" option

^ Same, but with "Refractions in the Plastic Pulse" instead of "Jenny Ondioline."

I hope the lack of mentions doesn't mean people are overlooking '91-'92 singles like "Doubt" and "Harmonium/Farfisa". Rest assured you won't be alone if you do vote for them. :) "Mellotron" from the first LP is almost the same song as the latter two, but that just means it's also awesome.

I find the first "Switched On" record sublime, I'd put it in my all-time top 20 without thinking. I say this despite the fact that the rest of their catalog sounds way better than that record, and I'm more interested in their loungey sound than their Neu!-plus-farfisa grooves.

Neu!-plus-farfisa FTW!

"Harmonium" is the shit.

My number one is from the first Switched On.

I'm finding the "simpler" sounds of their early EPs/singles sound way fresher than the post-rock/sophisto-era.

Can't really say I fully enjoy the Sound-Dust era but it is kind of fun to butt my head against; I really don't know what they're going for half the time, especially those byzantine b-sides.

On the other hand I am an untrustworthy Stereolab fan in that I don't even like "Jenny Ondioline."

I don't even like "Jenny Ondioline."

you are wrong

Anamorphose is just so lovely. love those horn parts.

Anamorphose is sublime. Maybe their peak.

But back to their initial impact, their very first song they released is so fantastic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=em2N3rXx0Sc

11 BALLOTS so far 100 TRACKS voted for. 12 ALBUMS/EPS voted for. Still waiting for someone to dare nom 'Microbe Hunters'.

I was originally thinking of rolling out the top 50 tracks only but if ballots keep coming I might have to roll 60 even 70 songs. There's still some songs I have in my ballot that noone has voted for. I want to rep for them over here but that would be somewhat cheating.

I actually think microbe is better than batchelor pad and milky night.

Anyone else voting for "Laisser-Faire" from the Low-Fi EP?

Easy top ten pick for me. Sometimes I think the Low-Fi EP is the most perfectly realized thing they ever did.

^^^^

Welp... I'm in trouble. I've got 14 songs and I've only listened through '91-'93... and that includes ZERO tracks from Low Fi.

Keep going! Stay strong! Sentir la brûlure!

I'm trying to get my head around Sound-Dust cos I barely remember anything about it. It sounds fantastic!

When is due date again? I haven't really done any relistening so I might not be able to do this in time. I always suck at single-artist polls.

Ends this Sunday at midnight.

Quick question: We're Adult Orientated and it's Neu Wave live version count as the same song or different songs?

I hope to get a ballot in this weekend, Moka!

xp I would have thought they're different. I'm voting for the first version.

I hope to get a ballot in this weekend, Moka!

― Jenny Ondioleeene (Leee)

I kind of already know what your top vote will be and I agree with it.

xp I would have thought they're different. I'm voting for the first version.

― kraudive

Ok, I'm considering them as split votes.

Are all different versions going to be counted separately?

Will have to consider the merits of French Disko vs French Disco (in my head the K version is the best but I can't even remember the difference), whether I am just being whimsical voting for the "(Country)" version of Tone Burst, etc.

I kind of already know what your top vote will be and I agree with it.

Another fan of "Daisy Click Clack"!

French Disko and Disco count as one since they're practically the same song (they're actually different recordings one has a longer outro). Tone Burst and (country) are very different so they're considered separate songs.

But I'm open for suggestion on which songs count and don't as separate votes.

Can we not count Jenny O Part 1 and Exploding Head Movie with TRNBWA Jenny O please? The former are great, the latter is the most overrated thing in their catalogue.

I'm counting Ondioline (be it in edit version or full version) as one and Exploding Head Movie as a different song.

I'll send my ballot tonight!

Does "Kyberneticka Babicka" count as one song?

imo I'm not sure. I'm not massively familiar with it. I'm not up to that point of my Review Of All. The tracks were released on either side of a 7 inch and then again (as they often did) at either ends of the Fab Four Sutre comp. I guess they meant to keep them separate.

What do you think? I'm not even sure about what I said about We Are Adult Orientated.

What happens usually with these polls? There must be a similar precedent.

I'm not sure either. Part 2 is almost exactly like part 1, with a few more synth squelches. I kind of think of it as one long thing. I guess since the band intentionally separated it onto 2 sides of vinyl/opposite ends of an album, then we should consider it as two separate tracks. Will vote for part 1.

At any rate, it's by far my favorite track post-Sound Dust. It's like Glassworks-era Philip Glass played by a proper rock band.

xp If you listen to something like Pause off Transient Random Noise Bursts there's a coda that is clearly a different recording. It's nice but they intended it to be the same track, that's how it was put on the CD.

On a slightly different note I'm realising that I don't really rate J.O. We all know what they're going for and I know there're people on the thread that are gonna vote it number one, but I don't think it works. I don't think the riff does much, they did the Neu! drums better elsewhere as well. Of the three sections I think the second works best because of the vocal melody but.. it's not quite there. I'm not sure I can place it as one of their best 20.

J.Sam - I'm gonna listen to that next!

Still waiting for someone to dare nom 'Microbe Hunters'.

I actually think microbe is better than bachelor pad and milky night.

heyo

I say concatenate versions of the same basic track into the one entity. I'm not sure there are any instances with Stereolab where parts 1 and 2 (or whatever) are actual different compositions except for 'mellow' vs 'foamy' "SABPM". Plus (declaring an interest) I wouldn't want to see "Kyberneticka Babicka"'s already rather less-than-certain probability of placing undermined by vote-splitting. :)

xp Kyberneticka 1 is really great. I'm loving the second track Interlock as well. I pulled this disc out of a pile the other day and it had dust on it. It's shameful really.

yeah Nag! I don't really know either. It's gotta be each track on its own merits I guess. Let MOKA decide!

There should be a precedent but this band in particular has so many examples that could or not count. You can trust my judgment but I'd rather have you guys vote on what to do. So far this are the examples I've encountered from the ballots received:

French Disko/French Disco: counting them as the same song.

Tone Burst/Tone Burst (Country): counting them as a different songs.

We're Not Adult Oriented/We're Not Adult Oriented(neu wave live): counting them as different songs.

Jenny Ondioline/Exploding Head Movie: counting them as different songs.

Au Grand Jour (A2)/Au Grand Jour (B2): counting them as different songs.

Other than those I don't know if they have other songs in their immense catalogue that are the same song with different titles. Do you agree with the way it's being organized so far?

Regarding Kyberneticka I don't know what to do.

I could count them as the same song but if a ballot contains a vote for pt1 and another for pt2 I might have to nulify the lowest vote so you don't end up giving it twice the number of points.

I don't know if I made myself clear on that one.

The 2nd Au Grand Jour has a ' mark after Jour: Au Grand Jour'

Yes! I was just marking them as such to avoid myself confusion when counting them, I'll correct when rolling results.

Yeah, I think it's sensible to count Kyberneticka as one song. I can't imagine anyone voting for both parts, anyway. Thanks, Moka.

kraudive, I'm with you on Jenny Ondioline. Definitely overrated among their early motorik pop tracks.

>:|

lol sorry. I still like the song, just not one of my faves

Alrighty, my "Kyberneticka Babicka" vote will marked "pt 1" unless I notice an avalanche of love for "pt 2" specifically in coming days. Feels a bit like selecting the best side of Metal Machine Music tbh. :)

I prefer Neu Wave Live over the other WNAO, but it's still the same song - just rawer and faster. I don't think it's worth splitting votes over.

Kyberneticka should count as one - it's two halves of the same song which don't differ much.

I wouldn't split votes over Au Grand Jour either.

My 2c.

I agree with the above

Hmm...I voted for both Au Grande Jour's (with the 'slow' version ahead of the other).
seems kind of like a Wave of Mutilation UK Surf thing, meaning I would count it as 2 different songs.
But if it's one, let me know, I have #21 ready to go!

better than the other iron man

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaS55is2USI

^no doubt. I came very close to voting for that one.

Spent last night listening to the first few albums. Switched On and Peng! still sound fresh & nearly perfect to me all these years down the road. Song for song, minute for minute, that's my favorite Stereolab. Gonna have a hard time not giving over a third of my ballot straight out the gate.

I wasn't 100% convinced by Transient Random-Noise Bursts in 1993, and again, not much has changed. Makes sense this came out the same year as Rid of Me, but the sharpened textures and "rock" aggression don't suit The Groop anywhere near so well as PJ Harvey. "Our Trinitone Blast" and "I'm Going Out of My Way" are probably my favorite tracks here.

Mars Audiac Quintet has been the biggest surprise so far. I think I underrated it due to "massive pile of sudden Stereolab" fatigue, but unlike TRNBWA, it plays to the band's strengths, delivering heaps of the cozy blanket narco-fuzz at which they once excelled. Though it's a bit overgenerous and underdeveloped, more consistent than remarkable from moment to moment, a few tracks do stand out, especially the two singles, "International Coloring Contest" and the wonderfully hypnotic "Outer Accelerator". And the bass sounds great!

Refried Ectoplasm and Emperor Tomato Ketchup once seemed the band's peak. They still do, though I'm looking forward to the next few, especially Cobra and Phases and Microbe Hunters, which I found quite disappointingly dull at the time.

Outer Accelerator is a total jam

my problem with MAQ is how some of the key songs really ressemble each other (Three-Dee Melody, Anamorphose and Outer Accelerator).

Ok, Au grand jour and We're not adult oriented will count as a single song so please don't split votes inside your ballots or the highest ranked will be the one counting.

16 ballots so far. 128 tracks voted for. Rank #60 has just scored 40+ points so if the votes keep coming we can start rollout from #60 onwards.

thanks for letting me update my ballot!

Other than those I don't know if they have other songs in their immense catalogue that are the same song with different titles.

"Contact" and "Difficult Fourth Title"

Personally I would count all these examples as the same song, but I wouldn't argue too strenuously about it.

Heavenly Van Halen/Pinball is another.

my problem with MAQ is how some of the key songs really ressemble each other (Three-Dee Melody, Anamorphose and Outer Accelerator).

wish they'd made a few more

Just took a flight from Phoenix to Austin and listened to the Stereolab catalog on shuffle the whole way. I don't know if a poll can do them justice,v they have way too many great songs. Maybe we just need to go track by track, Eagles style.

That would be a fun project. I'm having a small problem with the... I wouldn't call it a limited timbral palette, but there's a similarity, a self-imposed narrowness that makes a lot of previously unheard songs run together for me. I can listen for hours with pleasure, but particular tracks or song titles might not stand out.

Au grand jour and We're not adult oriented will count as a single song

assume moka meant that a vote for either of the two versions of "au grand jour" will count as a vote for "au grand jour", and that the same goes for the two versions of "we're not adult orientated". not that "au grand jour" and "we're not adult orientated" will be treated as the same song. cuz yeah, that would be ridiculous.

I'm having a small problem with the... I wouldn't call it a limited timbral palette, but there's a similarity, a self-imposed narrowness that makes a lot of previously unheard songs run together for me. I can listen for hours with pleasure, but particular tracks or song titles might not stand out.

it is

ok then, sorry for the misunderstanding if it is like this.

the years have opened my ears up quite a bit. dots and loops is sublime front to back, cobra and phases group nearly matches it. "prisoner of mars", "rainbo conversation" and "the emergency kisses" are current stealth favorites. wish the first 2 and 1/2 minutes of "caleidoscopic gaze" were a standalone track. might vote for my imaginary radio edit anyway.

this is definitely an issue for me when it comes to the post-ketchup albums. tons of wonderful tracks, but the hooks become so subtle that it is hard to identify standout favourites

Ha! I'd say this is more true of the pre-ETK material, and least true of all of, say, Cobra and Phases (their best album, for the record) which couldn't be more sprawling and diverse, although the 'sameness' came back a bit in the Chemical Chords era. Depends what we mean by "self-imposed narrowness", though. I'm with Van Horn Street: they'd reached an artistic dead end with MAQ, as pleasurable as much of that record is, and it's the way Tim was able to break out of that rut that sealed the groop's greatness.

I get that post-ETK 'lab can be a lot harder to engage with, but I think the reasons are different.

Yes, sorry Alex your ballot is fine I meant the faster versions in the same album of those tracks will count as the same songs WNAO and WNAO live and Au Grand Jour A2 and B2

Underrated font of phraselets:

What could we do without you?
The strange setting of our story
Everything remains to be done
Incredible things are happening in the world
And evermore, it seems, they walked

In you there are the sun, the moon and also stars
Would you just smile back at me?
See the importance of the world without without importance
We can live apart in the end
Je n'écris pas

I wander and I slip
Les villes vues d'avion sont semblables
Papa, maman, mes frères et moi
Into outer space with Lucia Pamela
Like water when it burns

Je fais l'amour a distance…
Sensation delicieuse et intense
Une idee qui peut jouer des tours
Like a body that would vacate to its own light
Un moment de vacance, rien aprés interdit

New ways of laughing
Baby, you are a joy
Paradise is scarce in this light
The wine drunk and the freedom proclaimed, oh, are dubious and laughable
Lonely walker, humanoid

Quand il se devoile, l'eblouissement de la flamme, au corps nu
Je vis dans la mesure où j'accepte des compromis terribles
The plants in my garden flourish, seed and perish
My bones and my blood, too, need somebody
Le morceau de beurre qui rend la vie si délicieuse

TIL that Mouse on Mars contributed to "Dots and Loops" which means it makes even more sense why it is my favorite Stereolab

20 ballots so far! Last weekend to vote!

"The Groop Play Chord X" might just encapsulate every emotion I feel about this band. The two main emotions are joy and frustration.

im randomizing my whole collection while playing Dark Souls to see if i find any gems.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1T4Lrg2Nx8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNyCK9Xb1SI

those vibes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-ypdFhOcNU

i'm a huge fan of jazzy stereolab. cobra is my favorite album of theirs. and this is classic, of course:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEyZSbmVoxM

thanks for the youtubes; never heard of those songs before

preferences -> show images -> stfu

i love the droney stuff

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIcD8KIV-1I

the moog at 1:30 so good

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smioSKTbp6w

this is kind of jazz has a big band shoegaze sound w really nice keyboard noise break

Nice to see some love for Cobra and Phases.... Apart from perhaps "it's a bit long" the standard criticisms never made much sense to me.

This track from Not Music popped up on my phone the other night, so good

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaaOuwtEMSw

xps oh, that wasn't aimed at you brimmie

and at any rate i need to chill and simply revel in ppls' lab love

I wonder what the earlier vs later split will be on this poll, should make for a fun rollout.
I'm team Neu!-plus-farfisa, though I do like Sound-dust.

Jenny Ondioline fans, need your help here:
Jenny Ondioline - POO minute

ballot sent!

before we start next week. I forgot how to link to youtubes with link only. Don't want the video to appear below each number.

I believe you paste the shortened youtu.be link, like so:

https://youtu.be/EagoIrGggGw?list=PLAhwneLBOOaeX4sEsAXHYhZsrtnPO9W5_

Ballot sent!

Last day to vote everyone! I've received many ballots today so I'll be busy doing the numbers but keep em coming!

Also please add your ilm username when you send your ballot?

Also I've sent confirmation emails to everyone who has sent a ballot so far. So if you didn't get any please let me know.

Also note to unranked ballots I don't want decimals in the poll so unranked ballots points are being rounded to 22 (should actually be 22.6 per song). Hope this is not a problem!

voted!

Is there time for me to resubmit a ranked ballot?

damn... if you wish to but it's going to be a headache for me hahaha. Send it to me and if I get the time I'll change the results! I just received like 12 ballots so it's going to take me a while.

Just sent the exactly the same tracks as before, but ranked. Do with it what you will. :)

Thank you! As I explained to you in the email that extra .6 points per track doesn't really affect final results at this point. There's been I think 30+ ballots received so far so iIt takes more to go up and down in the ranking of the top 60.

Yep. Got the email. Losing 12 points in total though is equivalent to chopping #20 off a ballot. As I said, I'll not lose any sleep if it's too late. :)

Changed it, Nag!

172 tracks so far. 33 Ballots. I already did a check and double check (heh).

All votes are there but it seems I lost 3 points somewhere... there's supposed to be a total of 14,790 points so far and I have 14,787. I'll do a final check on the songs in the countdown only (it might be a top 60 or a top 50, still unsure) see if those 3 points are somewhere in there.

Changing the unranked to ranked was easier than I thought so if anyone else wants to change their ballots to ranked before I start the rollout send me an email. Thanks!

This was the first time I've done a completely unranked ballot for any poll. If I'd had to rank my tracks I would have been working on it for another week. Wish I could have thrown in 20 more.

will send a ballot in the next few minutes, hope it's not too late :x

Nope you still got about 20 hours.

o. i may listen some more then.

Wish I could have thrown in 20 more.

yeah, could have happily done a top 50 here

xxxxxp: Thanks for the extra faffing around Moka! Much appreciated.

Doing a hasty relisten to FFS (heh), I'd forgotten how much I liked this!

I have my 20, but just doing one last listen to arrange into a proper ranking.

Ok, everyone, I'm going to sleep. In about 8/9 hours I'll announce the thread is closed. you have until then to submit a ballot so I can start organizing the results, it's looking good so far. I've decided it will be a top 60 since we have 176 tracks voted for so far - is this the artist poll with the most tracks voted? and that's not even the full stereolab discography which is quite probably over 350+ tracks...

sent!

beach boys poll I ran had 164, dunno what other artists could come close. off the top of my head, maybe prince?

after thinking it over - surely gbv or the fall was in the 200s

Just in under the wire!

SENT!

Just checked, there were 217 tracks voted for on the Fall ballot.

(Epics poll had 1014 tracks, muahahaha.)

Ok guys you got another hour to send ballots and we close voting. If you haven't received confirmation emails let me know!

Oops I mean not-epics. xp

Ok! Poll voting is now closed. If you need a few more minutes let me know I'll be recounting.

ba ba dum bum, ba ba dum bum

Arse. I've been away and missed this. I will frantically cobble together something and send it to you.

Don't worry! I'm still working on it so you're good.

Just pieced together a very MAQ-heavy top ten and sent it to you, thanks

In the meanwhile let's see if this works without embedding:

https://youtu.be/dUaMqg7IZ04

it does!

Last call. Gates closing.

And it begins:

LM Artist Poll No. 74 · STEREOLAB · Results Thread

http://i.imgur.com/sKjkkhx.jpg
10. The Groop Played Space Age Batchelor Pad Music 6 votes, 183 points. 0 first place votes.
Year of Release:1993

http://i.imgur.com/oFPyrZo.jpg
09. Switched On Stereolab Vol. 1 7 votes, 231 points. 1 first place vote. Year of Release: 1992

pssssst... wrong thread for results posts?

wrong thread!

fuck hahaha

Switched on was by far their best album. Ehy does nobody else get this? There are no clunkers on that album. Everything is still fresh and tasty. And hypnotic like hell. They never came close to it.