Who's sitting P&J out this year?

[koganbot]

Dave over on Tumblr:

I like voting in it — stayed on board for the Jackin’ Pop year (voted in both polls) and have thought about staying on this year, since for better or worse it’s the only huge critics poll. Glenn McDonald is still doing stats, which alone kind of makes me want to participate. Just wondering if anyone is staging a parallel poll or “vote for Hinder” style shenanigans.

I'm voting (also voted in '06, when they fired Chuck and Xgau and, not incidentally, shut the door on me, too). The poll obviously doesn't mean what it once did: it's not going to reveal many surprises, since these days polls and wrapups and sum-ups are all over the Internet weeks and months prior. Also doesn't have the brains on call it once had. But it's the only place where ballots and writers show up in bulk, and it can provide an excuse for mass taking-of-stock all over the Web, not just at the Village Voice site. I remember some exciting ILM back-and-forth back in the day. Better some chance for a mass taking-of-stock than zero chance of a mass taking-of-stock, and there's no good reason for me not to be part of it.

Given that Pazz & Jop has little news value anymore, maybe the Voice will opt for intelligence, deciding that that will draw the reader. I wouldn't bet on it, or trust them to know it when they see it, but I can hope. Not that I'm likely to notice if they do: I haven't been reading their or most people's year-end talk for years. But I'll surely look at a lot of ballots. Looking at ballots is how Trevor Link found me last year, and therefore how I found him.

Mid year I'd have guessed that the Korean track most likely to garner multiple votes would be Sistar's "Alone." This was before "Gangnam Style." Don't know if anything other than "Gangnam Style" will exceed "I Am The Best"'s seven votes last year.

Speaking of Dave, a.k.a. DJ Bedbugs, this is the first year a friend of mine is a serious candidate for my albums ballot.* But he's also someone whose lists I'm checking for overlooked music. It would be ironic if something he recommends knocks him off my ballot. Am listening right now to the Dave-recommended Rebirth, by Jimmy Cliff; has a couple corkers ("One More" and "Bang"), but I don't know if there'll be enough to carry it through.

Currently on the bubble: Serebro, Miss A, DJ Bedbugs, Orange Caramel, Jewelry, Taylor Swift, After School.

*Iirc. Maybe I voted for a friend or two in years past and have forgotten.

Comments

Re: Chuck Pazzing And Jopping

[skyecaptain.livejournal.com]

I think it will likely be "Gangnam Style" or "Call Me Maybe." Frank Ocean will split votes between "Thinkin Bout You" and "Pyramids." Grimes will probably split votes between "Genesis" and "Oblivion" (would have pegged "Genesis," which got a lot of indie/alternative/college airplay this year, but Pfork just voted "Oblivion" #1). Kendrick Lamar will probably place top ten for (if I had to guess) "Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe" (which will get lots of votes from people voting for album tracks from their fave albums). Miguel's "Adorn" will do well, and I would guess that Usher's "Climax" might do OK.

Re: Chuck Pazzing And Jopping

[koganbot]

will probably place top ten for (if I had to guess) "Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe"

'Cause it's the Lamar that sounds most like it was produced by Grimes?

Re: Chuck Pazzing And Jopping

[skyecaptain.livejournal.com]

I've never actually heard it! Haven't listened to Kendrick Lamar yet. I think most of my positive discoveries are fairly spontaneous (i.e. I listen to things my friends listen to because it's in my frame of reference from hanging around friends, not because I'm thinking "I must learn to like what my friends like," though that might be some part of it) but my ignorances are often deliberate reactions to stuff that other people are talking about in ways that put me off. I do quite like the Grimes album in a "bubbling under my top twenty" sort of way, though.

Re: Chuck Pazzing And Jopping

[koganbot]

I recommend Lamar, though I haven't heard the album yet. He employs sound filtering that sounds accidentally (I assume) similar to indie (think he's trying to evoke dope and alcohol haze, not indie distance; also think he's ambivalent about the moral value of livin' the haze). Here are a couple of good ones:

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Re: Chuck Pazzing And Jopping

[(Anonymous)]

Think another big single could be that boring Gotye hit I can never remember the name of. And wouldn't be shocked if singles by Alabama Shakes and Mumford & Sons (both of whose tepid albums should also do real well with more trad daily paper hack types) place in the Top 10.

By the way, Frank, here's a long review of the Mumford & Sons album I wrote for Spin, in case you never saw it:

http://www.spin.com/reviews/mumford-and-sons-babel-gentlemen-of-the-roadglassnote

And while I'm at it, an even longer review of the new Ke$ha album:

http://www.spin.com/reviews/kesha-warrior-rca

Re: Chuck Pazzing And Jopping

[koganbot]

Any guesses as to how Sleigh Bells'll do? I'm not tuned in enough to know, but it seems as if this year's album, which is better (or at least not worse) than their first, has been getting a lot less attention. Was surprised how many had a tepid response to "Demons" on the Jukebox (though the Jukebox are a small, always shifting, not typical sample).

Re: Chuck Pazzing And Jopping

[skyecaptain.livejournal.com]

Sleigh Bells will probably be in the top 40, but no songs or album making any waves. Figures that when they click with me everyone else has moved on to the next thing -- but I'm not seeing them show up in year-ends, and I don't think they speak to the "silent minority" of people who will probably vote for the new Dylan and Springsteen (and maybe Leonard Cohen) albums into the top 20-30. Forgot that Gotye will likely get counted from last year's votes and do pretty well, probably top twenty in singles.

Re: Chuck Pazzing And Jopping

[(Anonymous)]

Didn't read this (and doubt the headline is true), but somebody just linked to this on my facebook feed.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mikebarthel/sleigh-bells-made-the-most-underrated-album-of-201

Re: Chuck Pazzing And Jopping

[skyecaptain.livejournal.com]

Good essay from dickmalone but the headline is misleading. Mostly just talks about the album's narrative and returning to it throughout the year.