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Fuckin' highlight of the year, hands down

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Yeah it was great! They were boring, and they played their old boring standbys!! What a bore!

shut up claude

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Live Act of the Year: Van der Graaf Generator

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where did you see them?


Express A Tone

Album
Gorillaz. Lacks a standout single, but uniformly strong. It's been quite a poor year for albums, I think. Goldfrapp's album in second place

Single
Dontcha Wish Your Girlfriend Was Hot Like Me/Number One
First time I heard Dontcha on the radio, I thought it was a lost Motown classic. Well, at least until the rap started. It's about as close to a perfect pop song as we've had in recent years. The rap mars it a bit, though, and prevents it from getting the sole title. Also, the second single is generic shite, so I suspect they're going down as one shot wonders. Also also, it looks to me like there are 4 too many pussycats. There's the cute hot one who looks great in the videos and sings beautifully, and there's the other four doing what exactly? Trampolining? Since when has that been a desired commodity in pop?

The Goldfrapp single is pop genius too, and comes with the year's best video. Since the main function of singles these days is to get played on music TV, we have to start taking this into account.

Honourable mention(s) to Gwen Stefani, the first album in a very long time to spawn 4 quality singles.

Artist Of The Year
Arcade Fire. Me and Bowie's tastes have diverged a bit in recent years, and when he's championed the likes of Placebo and Grandaddy, my reaction has been "Not bad, but..." (whereas when he championed Holly and Emm, it was "Not bad butts!"). But on Arcade Fire, we are in basic agreement.

Best Tour
U2. Duh.

Slan libh,

Dara


"Ireland is a great country to go to if you think you're drinking too much. Because it turns out you're not even close"

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've never 'eard of 'em. I don't think the Kaiser Chiefs are much older than I am.

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The first Motors album included a minor hit single with "Dancing The Night Away", a perfect blueprint for the great "Everyday I Love You Less And Less". The song structure and the production are so close to each other that I cannot believe in an accident considering a time gap of some 30 years inbetween them.

The other fairly big hit The Motors had was "Airport", a wonderful, slightly bombastic midtempo pop tune which I am sure you will have come across at some point. On a smaller scale it was their "I don't like Mondays" minus the deeper meaning.

And I want to believe that a light's shining through somehow

The single I remember more than any other, was 'Forget about you', which it seems wasn't the case for you EJ..

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The single I remember more than any other, was 'Forget about you', which it seems wasn't the case for you EJ..

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You are right, Pablo, "Forget About You" was quite a success, pretty much of a Motown tune I'd say. But just as "Airport" it is from the second album "Approved By The Motors" while I think it is the first album "Motors 1" which bears the Kaiser Chiefs resemblance most openly.

And I want to believe that a light's shining through somehow

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First time I heard Dontcha on the radio, I thought it was a lost Motown classic.

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*cough*

Multiply.....Multiply.....Multiply.......

Honestly, I had an argument with a (musically well-informed) friend of mine as to whether "Multiply" was a Lidell original or an Otis Redding cover. I was right, but the fact it can fool people so easily should tell you something about the lengths he went to to make it sound authentic.

Commence downloading.....now.

Hop fences, jump over benches
When you see me coming get the fuck out the entrance

marquis, this is mostly for you...

cage's hell's winter deserves some serious credit this year, even though it's been under the radar since it's september release. one of the best rap albums i've ever heard.

"I'll make you happy, baby
Just wait and see
For every kiss you give me
I'll give you three"

best album cover of the year Robbie Williams - Intensive Care

I love the symbolism in this album cover. not just good on one shoulder and bad on the other but the extremes supergood and super bad

Check out My Website The Silent View

where did you see them?

Leverkusen, Nov 5: http://www.vandergraafgenerator.co.uk/vdgg_leverkusen051105.htm
Rockpalast will broadcast this Jan 15.

/Carsten