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Talk about... pop music!

Started by hummingofevil, January 07, 2019, 05:55:53 PM

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hummingofevil

I've been listening to 8:30 by Weather Report whilst watching Sky News on subtitles. I did listen to some Azelia Banks on shuffle before though and totally confused. I thought she was some bad-girl-of-rapping type but most of it is very nice US House bangers.

Sebastian Cobb

Quote from: gilbertharding on January 15, 2019, 09:40:23 PM
Lot of talk about Charli XCX. I think she's great and all, but my first exposure to her was a few years ago when I saw her Glastonbury set on telly, so perhaps I have a wrong impression. Cracking songs though, and blimey she's... um... nice.

I always feel she's a bit of a Marina Diamandis clone.

Ballad of Ballard Berkley

Quote from: purlieu on January 10, 2019, 08:02:22 PM
I do get why people don't like the whole 'writers room' approach to songwriting - it flies totally in the face of authenticity in music - but for me, if it comes up with bloody good songs, then I don't particularly care.

Me neither, and I don't think most people really care either. By and large, the only people who moan about this stuff are small-minded adolescent rock fans and adults who've never grown out of that boring 'real music' mindset.

The passing of time plays quite a big part too. The Monkees are an obvious example: reviled by the 'serious rock press' in their day but 50 years on no one gives a shit that they didn't play on their first two albums or that their biggest hits were written by jobbing professional songwriters, they just hear I'm a Believer on the radio and think: banger.

And has anyone of sound mind ever moaned about Motown greats such as the Temptations, Four Tops, the Supremes and the Vandellas not writing their own songs? No. It doesn't matter, the music those people created together was incredible.

Anyway, sorry, that's a bit of a derailment. This thread is about the modern pop sounds.

purlieu

Quote from: Sebastian Cobb on January 15, 2019, 10:42:02 PM
I always feel she's a bit of a Marina Diamandis clone.
Her music's really different, though. I've seen this comparison before, and it confuses me. Possibly by going down more of a pop-rock route with Sucker she treaded close to Electra Heart territory, but her music otherwise is generally slightly strangely produced - and often moody - electronic stuff with a bit of a hip-hop in the mix. Marina's other two albums are much closer to, say, '80s Kate Bush or something.

Some stuff which really doesn't sound like Marina:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZWmwHjFRPI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqEIiwnJXUI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPRy1B4t5YA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfAqtFuGjWM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qyUb4OU_P8

purlieu

Quote from: hummingofevil on January 12, 2019, 02:46:16 PM
Note to all that 1975 aside everything discussed so far has been female. Can men do pop anymore?

Troye Sivan.
Lucky Strike: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QsYn0j-7JQ
Bloom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41PTANtZFW0
Dance to This: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhxhNIQBKJI

Quote from: BlodwynPig on January 14, 2019, 10:17:32 PM
After hearing the track on OITNB I got their album and its one of the only recent pop albums without a duff track

MUNA - I Know a Place
This is nice, I shall investigate more.

On the subject of 'proper bands' doing pop rather than the singer + producer approach, here's some Chvrches:
We Sink: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxvhprV3-Sc
Bow Down: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4Nr54uDiek
Never Say Die: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifr3O33UpWs
Lungs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOGMrnfrNM0
Empty Threat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNHxwSp-6Og
Forever: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsdDzsJZKz8


I've seen Pale Waves described as 'Taylor Swift meets The Cure', which probably sums them up quite well. There's definitely an '80s goth-pop vibe but also an earnest '10s pop feeling too. The album's a bit too samey to warrant 14 tracks, but it's promising with a lot of really memorable songs.
Eighteen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yk9v1zyGXYg
New Year's Eve: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7I9uietTqkU
Red: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tzXWrTk8pA


London Grammar. Moving slightly into dream-pop & trip-hop territory, but given how bloody successful they are they fit a pop thread well enough. Their debut has yet to grab me, but their second album is beautiful.
Non Believer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DC7sHxzRQAA
Big Picture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbUMKenn5l8
Hell to the Liars: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msD08Pxy9fY

Dannyhood91

When it comes to chart pop music, I used to sneer down my nose it as largely inferior to all the underground alt stuff I like but that's probably due to youthful contrarianism and being exposed to the very limited playlist on Galaxy/Capital at work and listening to that on a loop would still drive me mad tbh.

Yeah a lot of it is bland shit but I don't pay attention to it and I do have a degree of respect for the sensibilities of pop music. I'd say Bruno Mars makes some good pop tunes same for Beyoncé and Timberlake. People forget that Bowie, Blur and Pulp etc have all made massive pop hits that are generally loved.

Totally forgot about Petite Meller, whose album was released about two years ago, but she hasn't had a sniff of the charts as far as I'm aware.  'Baby Love' and 'Lil' Love' are ace and skill, especially the former.  Wouldn't watch the videos at work in case your boss puts on some kind of register though.

purlieu

Quote from: An Actual Propeller on January 16, 2019, 03:27:14 PM
Totally forgot about Petite Meller, whose album was released about two years ago, but she hasn't had a sniff of the charts as far as I'm aware.
'Baby Love' reached number 30.

Most of the stuff being discussed in this thread seems to be similarly on the outlying reaches of pop, rather than the actual full-on mainstream stuff (this thread lacks the likes of Calvin Harris, Ed Sheeran, Jess Glynne, Anne-Marie, and whatever-the-fuck else sells by the bucketload these days - looking at 2018's biggest UK singles chart, it seems the collaborative approach continues to be really popular... and I've not even heard of half of this stuff, but from experiencing radio in shops, I don't think I like much of it).

There are lots of similarly chart-missing singers who've put out some wonderful stuff. Sky Ferreira's Everything is Embarrassing is bloody incredible - although I've not heard anything else from her that I particularly enjoy - that didn't chart at all in the UK.

Rina Sawayama's debut full length is coming out this year, and despite no chart presence at all, she's had a lot of critical hype. Judging by Cherry and Valentine, it should be worth keeping an eye on.

hummingofevil

TBF I've been pointed in direction of albums by Rachel Stevens, Cheryl and Charlie XCX has been touring the world with Taylor Swift so there is some cracking stuff from pretty mainstream acts. Also they might be a bit niche here but TWICE have sold 3 million records.

I do get your general point though. So challenge accepted and this is pretty decent. Dua Lipa with Calvin Harris. It's basically some nice US House mind:

https://youtu.be/DkeiKbqa02g

BlodwynPig

Jessie Ware is where it's at

Here latest release

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9K5d1jtZ9hc

the synth stringy sweeps remind me of this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZlxX3sx2nY

purlieu

Ah that's nice. There's been a lot of '90s dance sounds in pop recently (that Dua Lipa and Silk City track that was huge last year), but this probably sounds the most authentic of those I've heard. I wasn't too taken by Ware's last album (particularly in comparison to her first two), so this is promising.


hummingofevil

I've just realised that Jess Glynn and Jessie Ware are different people. Overtime is absolute belter. Love it. Jess Glynn's voice annoys me. The deeper I go here the more the real difference is subtlety in the female pop singing voice. Too American sounding or classy and I'm not a fan so much.

Wikipedia has amused me with suggestion that sophisti-pop is an actual genre.

BlodwynPig

Quote from: hummingofevil on January 17, 2019, 02:14:01 PM
I've just realised that Jess Glynn and Jessie Ware are different people. Overtime is absolute belter. Love it. Jess Glynn's voice annoys me. The deeper I go here the more the real difference is subtlety in the female pop singing voice. Too American sounding or classy and I'm not a fan so much.

Wikipedia has amused me with suggestion that sophisti-pop is an actual genre.

I only know Glynn from those appalling comic relief BA safety announcements.

Norton Canes

The infuriating thing about discovering tracks for my Solstice mixes is that so many of them deserve to do massively well in the charts but don't get anywhere. I guess the days when weird, off-beat stuff found its way into the top 40 are long gone.

All these from last year should've been number one hits:


Empress Of - Trust Me Baby
Django Django feat. Self Esteem - Surface To Air
AURORA - Queendom
Elohim - F**k Your Money
TT - I've Been Fine
BABii - Phantom
Léonie Pernet - Butterfly
Tirzah - Do You Know


[Disclaimer - not sure if all these were released/promoted as 'singles']

purlieu

Quote from: Norton Canes on January 17, 2019, 04:24:35 PM
Léonie Pernet - Butterfly
Fucking hell this is brilliant. Going to have to give her album a listen.


'Sweet by Psycho' by Ava Max seems to be one of those 'came out of nowhere' hits that's been at number 1 in the UK for three weeks now - actually quite like it. Bit daft and camp with a catchy chorus and some good synths. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXBHCQYxwr0

hummingofevil

Quote from: purlieu on January 17, 2019, 07:08:29 PM
Fucking hell this is brilliant. Going to have to give her album a listen.


'Sweet by Psycho' by Ava Max seems to be one of those 'came out of nowhere' hits that's been at number 1 in the UK for three weeks now - actually quite like it. Bit daft and camp with a catchy chorus and some good synths. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXBHCQYxwr0

I forgot about this gem for the Francophiles amongst us. Dont go digging much further mind as it seems a bit of a fluke and her other stuff is a bit dull.

Mai Lan - Les Huitres

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vq2tWM_kssY

hummingofevil

I really want to like this slightly more than I do.

https://youtu.be/cGlFxkWgI84

The concept is awesome (and totally links with what PC Music are up to) but the production is just a bit to predictable. Shame. Their live live shows look ace mind.

I'm not even sure if she's pop but after years of loving Tightrope I've finally listened to TheArchAndroid in full. Wow. What a record. Annoyingly im less convinced by her recent stuff though; too Trap.

hummingofevil

I mentioned this previously but I'll post a link of Hannah Diamond. I absolutely love it. Just so nice to have on in house.

https://youtu.be/um0SzCIG2vA

https://youtu.be/_5Jc9b4Eqhw

https://youtu.be/vmgp7MHzmBM

Her singing reminds me DMX Krex.

https://youtu.be/Q-mu7RSvN_Y

lazarou

Quote from: hummingofevil on January 11, 2019, 04:45:28 PM
It's hard not to feel very old but spent the day trying to work out what the vibe is with k-pop bands. The boys all seem to be taking their template from The Backstreet Boys and nothing particularly interesting but there is loads of subtle differences in the girl bands. TWICE appear to most closely match the type of thing I like as it's more fun and this video is freaking me out a bit. Is there any computer magic here or are the cuts so clean because their military training is such that every performance is exactly the same.

https://youtu.be/iLCnGK9kCdU

BLACKPINK are not bad but a bit too urban/US sounding for me with their Trap cymbals going on.

https://youtu.be/cxNIewNXpcg

Sorry for the late reply, but as the (semi-)resident Kpop fan on here I thought I'd stick my oar in and offer some fairly recent recommendations for anyone in any way curious.

A very big part of the reason I love it so much is that's it's one of the few avenues left where music can be shamelessly capital-P Pop on a massive scale, bright and brash and often just plain silly. So let's go with some of that.

Yubin - Thank You So Much - tremendous disco synthpop from a former member of Wonder Girls. Featuring lashings of neon and random sci-fi nonsense.

Sunmi - Siren - another former Wonder Girl and the best thing going in K-Pop right now for my money. Love her style, love her music, just hits all the right buttons for me.

Flavor - Milkshake - minor-key cutesy featuring a quest for milkshake that ends in a cow getting beaten unconscious.

Fromis_9 - Love Bomb - breakout single from last year's bright new hopefuls featuring human minesweeper and a member batting hand grenades with a giant match.

Red Velvet - #Cookie Jar - technically J-Pop as it's a Japanese release from a Korean group, but it's a banger so it's going in. For their more serious side see the older but still incredible Peek A Boo.


hummingofevil

Thanks for these.

What's the CaB consensus on this? Ive got tickets to see her in summer and not sure if I can cope.

https://youtu.be/QryoOF5jEbc

Is it pop? Musically, it's garbage but as art...

hummingofevil

#82
https://youtu.be/4m1EFMoRFvY

You all know it. But I bought awesome Denon earphones about 3 years ago on NoSleep's recommendation. My god!!! The synths. I know some people hate this but fuck the fuck off please. It's incredible. Fun game is to follow one of the other dancers. Magic.

hummingofevil

Actually I'm starting to think that a big part of my love of this pop music lark is fact I've got my Denons. The kicks on Estelle's American Boy are so good.



BlodwynPig

I see a lot of articles having "Notes" at the end of them...often "in jokes" or attempts at meta humour. Why is this occurring?

hummingofevil

Quote from: BlodwynPig on January 24, 2019, 11:57:19 PM
I see a lot of articles having "Notes" at the end of them...often "in jokes" or attempts at meta humour. Why is this occurring?

Could it be a similar thing to how every online recipe blog now has to have a 1000 word essay about shite-all before giving ingredients and method?

BlodwynPig

"Where to watch THE BIG EVENT"...

2 hours later and 64 pages of shit text

"Watch THE BIG EVENT ON SKY PREMIER PACKAGE...ONLY 60 QUID A DAY"

Camp Tramp

Quote from: BlodwynPig on January 17, 2019, 02:17:54 PM
I only know Glynn from those appalling comic relief BA safety announcements.

...and those dreadful Airline adverts.