KingB's Top 20 - 10/01/10

[Milliways]

****KingB's Top 20 - Week 2, Week Ending 10th January 2010****

1 (1) Whitman - 'Light It Up'
2 (NE) Parasite - 'Tensies'
3 (2) Cascada - 'Fever'
4 (NE) Howl - 'Misdemeanours'
5 (6) The Micragirls - 'Summer's Gone'
6 (7) Switchboard Spectacular - 'Like I Need You'
7 (NE) Pat Bol - 'Bonbons'
8 (NE) Lostprophets - 'Where We Belong'
9 (4) Blood On The Dancefloor - 'Sexting'
10 (3) Devendra Banhart - '16th & Valencia Roxy Music'

11 (NE) The Saturdays - 'Ego'
12 (NE) La Maison Tellier - 'Suite Royale'
13 (10) The Submarines - 'Submarine Symphonika'
14 (NE) Sandra Laratta - 'Better Than Beautiful'
15 (9) The Soft Pack - 'Answer To Yourself'
16 (NE) Exit4 - 'Cast Away'
17 (NE) Yeasayer - 'Ambling Alp'
18 (NE) Story Of The Year - 'I'm Alive'
19 (8) Rick Arena - 'Millionen Frauen Lieben Mich
20 (5) Topmodelz - 'Two Princes'

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PAST CHARTS:

03/01/10

[Earl Purple]

It's Thorney's fault: if he hadn't told me to download Ambling Alp when I did, I'd have got it within the last couple of weeks and would probably have charted it, given the lack of competition...

Whitman and Soft Pack have been among my "promoted" tracks.

[Milliways]

COMMENTARY:

Whitman's fist-pumping, sing-along indie-rock showstopper held off the challenge of a fast-paced blend of techno and rock welcoming in the new decade from East Anglian Adam Scanlon's project Parasite to hold on at #1 for a second week.

Howl's second highest new entry at #4 may remind you of the likes of Milburn and White Light Parade, but they are actually Norwegian. The song just behind it is also from Scandinavia, specifically Finland. The Micragirls' 'Summer's Gone' is the kind of indie-pop that Steve Lamacq used to play in the late 90s, with the sort of alluring vocals that could only come from that part of the world.

The other two new entries in the top 10: Pat Bol's song is pop, jolly and jaunty with a sound that is immediately recognisable as French (if the title doesn't give it away). Lostprophets is a rock anthem for the new year, and I'm sure a real crowd-pleaser.

[Earl Purple]

Pat Bol wasn't on my playlist but La Maison Tellier was and scraped into my chart (and is also in French)

[Milliways]

None of my three highest new entries were on your playlist

[frag]

Ooh, I found a playlist when youtube-searching for Whitman!

It definitely sounds like I'll like Howl from your description. Listening to Whitman now though, sounds like it's missing some instruments. Maybe because it's a live version. Gets better after 1:50 when most of the instruments become audible, so I reckon it's probably a good song in the studio. This is why I try to avoid live versions.

I found Howl here, listening now. It's decent, and I'll add it to my playlist, but I find it a bit shouty on first listen.

[Milliways]

Yeah, the live video of 'Light It Up' isn't a very good quality recording. The studio version isn't on Youtube, but you can hear it on their Myspace page.

[Earl Purple]

Liver versions are best heard live, i.e. you should actually be there. I wish artists would therefore put studio recordings onto youtube, even if they are just miming over them. For the GRMBITC campaign, I thought it wasn't such a bad thing kicking it off with a live recording because the emphasis is that the bands we promote also perform live and as well as buying their music, you might also want to attend their gigs.

[Earl Purple]

"Tensies" is what Parasite think the name of this decade is. I would promote it in my GRMBITC group but can't find a link to it anywhere.