Consumption and Real Estate
R&P: Let’s decide — What are the best songs of 2009 (Round 1 – Part 15)?
Question : R&P: Let’s decide — What are the best songs of 2009 (Round 1 – Part 15)?
The First Annual Rock & Pop Best Song Competition (2009 Edition).
Part 15 of the first round. More to come, and you don’t have to have voted in previous parts to get started here.
Guest Commentary by R&P’s own David.
MATCH UP 1
Phoenix – “Lisztomania”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BJDNw7o6so
Though active since the late 1990s, French alternative band Phoenix did not become international superstars until 2009. This colorful, energetic single helped them achieve the feat. It shares its title with a 1975 musical starring Roger Daltrey as Hungarian composer Franz Liszt (and, of course, featuring Ringo Starr as the Pope).
VERSUS
Wilco – “Bull Black Nova”
“Would you be interested in going to a Wilco concert with me?”
“Definitely! I love Wilco”
“So I guess we WILCO to the show together!”
“…not anymore”
Boisterous French synth pop not for you? Perhaps this sinister song from Chicago’s enduring and influential Wilco is. Found on their well-received self-titled album, the song’s lyrics are told from the perspective of a man who has murdered his significant other.
MATCH UP 2
Kid Cudi – “Pursuit of Happiness (Nightmare)” [feat. MGMT and Ratatat]
Kanye West’s quirky, stylish protégé collaborates with indie dance duos MGMT and Ratatat on this song from his debut album. Cudi has been praised by critics as representing “a promising new phase in the genre’s evolution.” (Entertainment Weekly)
VERSUS
Mos Def – “Life in Marvelous Times”
The lead single from The Ecstatic, celebrated by critics and fans as a return to form for the hip hop icon and actor after the disappointing sales and poor reviews which befell his last album. The rousing song is a survey of his life and career and society at large.
MATCH UP 3
Porcupine Tree – “I Drive the Hearse”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bj2pWB2S_Jk
The fourteenth and final part of a 55-minute song cycle by the English progressive metal band, the aim of which is to “humanize the detached media reportage” (Steven Wilson) of violent crimes and disasters.
VERSUS
Wavves – “So Bored”
Hailed as the catchiest cut from the lo-fi/noise pop/surf band’s sophmore album. Lead singer Nathan Williams made headlines when he, high on ecstasy and Valium, fought his drummer and crudely insulted the crowd at the Barcelona Primavera Sound Festival. Their European tour was subsequently canceled.
MATCH UP 4
Backstreet Boys – “Shattered”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI_DVkCysFA
The penultimate song from the teen pop sensations-turned-adult contemporary stalwarts’ most recent album, This Is Us.
VERSUS
Diddy & Dirty Money – “Love Come Down”
His own music has never seemed to be the entrepreneur and fashion designer’s top priority. This single’s failure to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 perhaps suggests he should try harder.
MATCH UP 5
Three Days Grace – “Break”
Blame Canada. The lead single from the Canadian band’s third album. Bassist Brad Walst explained the song’s theme is “breaking away from bad influences.” In case you couldn’t tell from the mega-earnest, angsty chorus.
VERSUS
Thousand Foot Krutch – “Fire It Up”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOJee120Po8
Blame Canada, again. Here’s a mouthful: Canadian Christian nü-metal. This is the third single from their fifth album, Welcome to the Masquerade. As featured in the trailer for one of the year’s worst films, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.
You, the community here at Yahoo! Answers, nominated 350+ songs, your favorites of the year, to face-off in head-to-head battles, tournament style, to determine the best songs of this calendar year.
I ask that you listen to all of the songs… don’t vote on name alone. Listen to them, weigh them, and then choose with reason, which song is the better of the two in the given match ups.
Star it, and try to get as many voters to this thing as you can.
All comments are meant to be in good humor.
If you have any trouble with any links, or any of them are broken — let me know, and I’ll fix them ASAP. Thanks.
So, THE QUESTION: which songs do you subjectively prefer of each these match ups (even if it’s only the lesser of two evils in your eyes)?
phoenix active adult communities
Best answer:
Answer by David
Genius commentary!
“Lisztomania”
“Life in Marvelous Times”
“So Bored”
“Shattered”
“Break”
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#4 written by Mr. Bernstein 1 year ago
I liked Phoenix “Lisztomania” (I remember watching the movie with the same title starring the Who in the 80′s) the most of that group songs you listed. As far as Phoenix, to me, the song “1901″is wrapped in a little tighter package and comes across better
The noise/lo fi rock appeals to me so I liked the Wavvves song “Bored.” On that album I actuallly liked “No Hope Kids” a little better.
The Kid Cudi song I had never heard before and it was really interesting. I am not saying I am sold on the song as it is mostly not my style, but maybe I need to grow some musically to like it. The song featured some nice elements. I really liked the Brian May sounding guitar.
Have a nice day!
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#5 written by simone 1 year ago
Phoenix – “Lisztomania”
I’d like to vote for Wilco since I’m a fan but the Phoenix song is better. Wilco seem to be trying to do something interesting in “Bull Black Nova” but it just doesn’t come together and work for me. “Lisztomania” is catchy, light and fun.Kid Cudi – “Pursuit of Happiness (Nightmare)” [feat. MGMT and Ratatat]
I feel like I’m voting more for the MGMT than the Kid Cudi in this track. I did enjoy seeing “Crippled Jimmy” from Degrassi in his new role as record label groomed, and more importantly paired and photographed with Rhianna, “Rapper Drake.”Wavves – “So Bored”
“I Drive the Hearse” is nice but I’m not sure if I mean that as a compliment or a criticism. I love the Wavves song.Diddy & Dirty Money – “Love Come Down”
I hate them both but this one had the lyric “show ‘em how to move in a room full of roaches.” Win.Thousand Foot Krutch – “Fire It Up”
Both were mundane swill. -
#7 written by Prof Anger (pro... tools?) 1 year ago
Yeah Radio.
I’m glad for this first one because I’ve heard about Phoenix, but I hadn’t knowingly heard a note (after listening I guess I had but I didn’t know it was them I was hearing). I liked them. Basically what I expected, in a good way. I’ll have to hit my buddy who has the record up to put it on one of these days when we’re hanging out. I love that Wilco tune (and that part from Funny People). I’m going to go with that one. I don’t think I see it as the number 1 song of the year anymore (as I did when I nominated it), but it’s certainly one of the best in my book.
Wilco – Bull Black NovaWell, I am kind of into this Kid Cudi track. I really appreciate the feel that’s been created here. Very dark and dreamy. A really pleasant surprise here. I like the Mos Def track a lot too. I can see how this is a nice throwback track at least to the more Black on Both Sides style. As much as I want to throw Mos the vote and I would definitely be more likely to go buy his record (I plan to), I think I’m going to have to go with Kid Cudi here. Maybe I’m riding the wave of being pleasantly caught off guard and my expectations with Mos work as a bit of a handicap (I expect good songs from him and he delivered for sure, but there is a real advantage to getting something cool when you weren’t expecting anything). At any rate…
Kid Cudi – Pursuit of Happiness (Nightmare)There are definitely things to like about this PT tune, but I’m not sure how much I like it. It just didn’t move me. That’s the tough handicap when you’re clocking in at 6:43 is there needs to be more there to keep me going. I kept thinking “this is pretty, this is nice” but it never really grabbed my attention.
This Wavves record has actually been on my list of things to pick up for some time. Very cool tune. I’ll take it.
Wavves – So BoredBefore I start. Back Street Boys? Really? Weird. Anyhoo.
In a word. Pass (though I listened to the whole thing). I didn’t like it the first time around and I like it even less now.
Well, as much as I didn’t like this one either this one isn’t a tough decision. I am about to say 4 words that I honestly cannot believe I’m about to say. I vote for Diddy. (my soul just sunk a bit)
Diddy & Dirty Money – Love Come DownMan, me and Canada were getting along so well between A.C. Newman, Property Virgins, and Psych (shot in Vancouver). I guess this is a good reminder that nobody’s, and in this case no country perfect.
Thousand Foot Clutch wasn’t something I’m into, but it was definitely better than the Three Days Grace song.
Thousand Foot Clutch – Fire It Up -
#11 written by Howling Glory 1 year ago
Sorry I missed your past couple. I was in southern California, then didn’t get around to doing them when I got back.
Phoenix vs. Wilco
I think that I like “Lisztomania” batter than the other Phoenix song. It wasn’t really my thing, but it also wasn’t bad. I like this Wilco one better, too, but still not as much as “Lisztomania”.Kid Cudi vs. Mos Def
I did appreciate the collaborative input in “Pursuit of Happiness (Nightmare)”, but that ends up being the demise of the song, too: I would rather see what those two could come up with without Kid Cudi. Still, I liked it better than the other one.Porcupine Tree vs. Wavves
Porcupine Tree always had (to me) a fair bit of potential, but didn’t always live up to it. for instance, this song is nice in it’s subtlety, but t kind of doesn’t go anywhere, aside from the guitar solo. I wish there was a bit more of a crescendo to it, or something to “raise the stakes” a bit. On the other hand, “So Bored” was kind of irritating. I’ll take “I Drive the Hearse”Backstreet Boys vs. Diddy & Dirty Money
First off, did I miss something? How come I never heard about this new Backstreet Boys album? I mean this really isn’t working. The butt of so many of my jokes through Jr. high and into high school now wants me to start taking them seriously? Could they at least change the band name? I was hoping this would at least be worth a chuckle, and it really wasn’t. Damnit, this other song is going to make me pick the Backstreet Boys anyway, isn’t it? Damn. “Shattered”Three Days Grace vs Thousand Foot Krutch
So it would seem that the intro (before the drum kicks in) is the best thing about “Break”. Man I love how these guys use subtlety–like a sledge hammer. I remember Three Days Grace sounding at least a little better than this…Oh, yeah, and the classic “metal cube with fans” music video. I think Thousand Foot Krutch may be a little more annoying, though. Yes. They Are. Three Days Grace wins. To Canada’s credit, they also spawned such awesome music as Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Strapping Young Lad, Gorguts, and Buried Inside, though. - Comment Feed for this Post
1. Bull Black Nova.
2. First song is boring. Mos Def is a shell of his former self, but without fail that happens to every rapper.
Life In Marvelous Times.
3. The bit in the middle saved the Porcupine Tree song. The other one was too too.
I Drive The Hearse.
4. Too soon, too soon! I’ve only recently come to grips with the early 2000s, they don’t need to come back yet. This other dummy hasn’t has his name attached to anything worth a damn since the mid 90s. Sounds like wind chimes for chrissake.
Shattered.
5. Nothing is really wrong with either of these songs, they’re fine for what they are. But I’ve heard them both before years ago. The second one was better to me.
Fire It Up.