New pop out at the moment & questions about it

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For the first time in MONTHS I had the opportunity to veg out and watch television. Flicking through the music channels, I was overcome by the amount of mental stuff there is being released into the mainstream already. I know a lot of these have already been discussed but I really haven't had the time to watch TV and I gave up on the radio a long time ago. Some things I just want to remark upon:

Cheeky Girls: Cheeky Girls (Touch My Bum)
Now, I've never been a fan of cheesy pop music but I've gotta say that this is a work of pure genius. I'm not even being ironic. I'd heard people talk about how awful this song is but never heard it till I saw the video the other day. What gets me is the people slagging this record off are the same ones who are dancing about to Britney, Kylie and S Club. I don't get it. Is it because the Cheeky Girls seem like a piss take of all that stuff? Because that's almost what it is - it's so blatantly err... CHEEKY that it stops being camp or ironic or whatever label people give things like Steps et al. It's a hilarious song and the way the girls take themselves so seriously in interviews adds to the fun. I am glad that this record exists, even though I would never buy or even really want to listen to it.

T-A-T-U - (forget the song title)
Well if the Cheeky Girls had my jaw dropping in amazement, this had me pinching myself in disbelief. Don't know anything about this act but whoever's idea it was to have two nubile schoolgirls getting off with each other in the rain to an admittedly pedestrian backing track needs a slap on the back. What is the deal with this? How come it gets shown on the Box when they won't even let Eminem say "with a can of gas and a pack of matches" on their channel? Though I reckon there couldn't be anything cooler than this video, has there been any kind of uproar from distressed mothers about this one?

Electric Six: High Voltage
Excellent tune which I originally heard on the Soulwax mix CD. I'd assumed that it was an old song that had been bootlegged with something (i don't have a tracklisting for 2many DJs). I really like it and the video seems to compliment it completely. But who are electric six? someone told me they were a collaboration of some famous bands who i forget. The way they sing the words "High Voltage" reminds me of Captain Beefheart for some odd reason.

Audiobullys: We Don't Care
This is ace too. At first I thought it was trying too hard to be like the Streets (which it kindof is, but in a nice way). The video, for those who haven't seen it, is of a small boy with a skinhead strutting about then going into a pub, perving up a middle-aged woman and then starting on someone. Also I like the vocodered bit in the track that samples a tune from the Teen Wolf soundtrack. Can someone tell me what the name of that tune is?

Audioslave: something or other
This is bullshit. No-one should care about these old tossers anymore. The remainders of RATM sound so weak without Zach De La Rocha and Chris Cornell's voice just makes me want to stick on Black Hole Sun instead of this uninspiring drivel. Nice fireworks though.

Anyway, those were just a few thoughts. If anyone can answer me the questions here it would be appreciated. Comments or whatever. Just trying to fathom this influx of weird stuff.

dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 8 January 2003 18:07 (twenty-three years ago)

...whoever's idea it was to have two nubile schoolgirls getting off with each other in the rain to an admittedly pedestrian backing track needs a slap on the back.

You can slap a Russian mafia guy on the back if you like, but do it at your own risk.

hstencil, Wednesday, 8 January 2003 18:10 (twenty-three years ago)

i connect Cheeky Girls to "Birdie Song" and the like more than S Club or Britney. nothing wrong with novelty songs, i like novelty songs as a rule, but this just happens to be a bad one.

zebedee, Wednesday, 8 January 2003 18:16 (twenty-three years ago)

How come it gets shown on the Box when they won't even let Eminem say "with a can of gas and a pack of matches" on their channel?

Because sex is better than violence?

Siegbran (eofor), Wednesday, 8 January 2003 18:17 (twenty-three years ago)

I've still not heard the Cheeky Girls!

The reasons for an influx of mental stuff are:

i) We're living through the decadent closing phase of a commercial golden age of pop so companies are throwing everything and anything through the door before it closes.
ii) It's January so we get all the stuff which wants a high chart placing in the easiest bit of the year.

Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 8 January 2003 18:19 (twenty-three years ago)

heheh - I'm hoping it's the opening of a new door rather than the closing of an old one.

dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 8 January 2003 18:22 (twenty-three years ago)

We're living through the decadent closing phase of a commercial golden age of pop so companies are throwing everything and anything through the door before it closes.

The majors are losing money hand over fist, all their old artists fail to meet their sales targets, so the rec execs are desparately seeking for new hit products. Lots of new artists are signed and promoted ATM.

Siegbran (eofor), Wednesday, 8 January 2003 18:23 (twenty-three years ago)

I quite like the TATU single. Funny accents do interesting things to singing style -- the way there's virtually no attack and it hits on these final d sounds is well sculpted and just slightly off enough even though the production itself is awful dull.

Sterling Clover (s_clover), Wednesday, 8 January 2003 18:28 (twenty-three years ago)

this is a work of pure genius. I'm not even being ironic...
...even though I would never buy or even really want to listen to it.

doesnt that mean you ARE being ironic? either that or seriously deluded

stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 8 January 2003 19:35 (twenty-three years ago)

the only reason the Cheeky Girls are where they are is because somebody thought 'oh thats so silly, it hasnt been done for a while - it will get lots of people talking, even if its just about how silly they are, that'll do - etc.'

stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 8 January 2003 19:37 (twenty-three years ago)

doesnt that mean you ARE being ironic? either that or seriously deluded

No, it's just not my type of thing at all. I appreciate it because it's VERY funny and a very good idea but musically it does not appeal to me. I don't think this is being ironic. I don't think it's so bad it's good. Actually I think that it's making light of things that are so bad they're supposed to be good. Is this an irony of an irony of an irony? Or is that one irony too far?

dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 8 January 2003 19:46 (twenty-three years ago)

i dont see how its funny or a very good idea myself - i think you give it too much credit in saying it makes of light of things that are so bad they're supposed to be good - its not THAT clever! the fact that the Cheeky Girls lost out in Popstars: The Rivals only to turn up on Model Behaviour a week later shows they're just a classic case of people who just want to be famous and dont care how, and there's nothing i can feel about that but disdain myself

its absolutely equivalent culutrally to 'The Birdie Song' basically - is THAT a work of genius too?

stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 8 January 2003 20:21 (twenty-three years ago)

yes.

dog latin (dog latin), Thursday, 9 January 2003 18:16 (twenty-three years ago)

Doesn't that Audioslave thing sound like Gomez go metal?

Graham (graham), Friday, 10 January 2003 00:14 (twenty-three years ago)

sounds better than the Cheeky Girls (he says, in a deadly serious manner)

stevem (blueski), Friday, 10 January 2003 00:17 (twenty-three years ago)

But thems are local girlz done good. Don't knock em, they're trying their best.

Graham (graham), Friday, 10 January 2003 00:37 (twenty-three years ago)

I finally heard the Cheeky Girls record and it's pretty good, very enjoyable, loads better than the Birdie Song obviously (completely different beat, duh - "equivalent culturally" i.e. it is a novelty hit like Cornershop or the Electric Six). It's the accents that do it though, irresistible. How come nobody's making the obvious Miss Kittin comparison?

Tom (Groke), Friday, 10 January 2003 00:43 (twenty-three years ago)


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