Votes due by Tuesday, June 14th at 8 pm EST.
Mr Roboto
Whelp, this is my first time posting on Living the Dream. I’ve had my shiny new MBA degree for 25 hours and this is my first “responsibility” now that I’m back in the “real world”…so I have one goal for this post: don’t screw up. Grooveshark link is here.
#1 Mr. Roboto (Styx) vs. #16 Title and Registration (Death Cab for Cutie) I have recently learned from wikipedia that Mr. Roboto is a story about Robert Orin Charles Kilroy, a rock and roll performer who was placed in a futuristic prison for “rock and roll misfits” by the anti-rock-and-roll group the Majority for Musical Morality and its founder Dr. Everett Righteous. Who knew!? Our robot friend faces off against a survivor of the play-in round, Death Cab’s only remaining song in the tournament.
#8 The Ballad of Speck and Pebble (Delicate Steve) vs. #9 Time (Hootie and the Blowfish) Chuck Klosterman had the following to say about Delicate Steve: “Like a hydro-electric Mothra rising from the ashes of an African village burned to the ground by post-rock minotaurs.” It turns out he wrote this without knowing anything about the band or even hearing any of their music, but damn it still makes me want to give it a listen. Then we have poor, poor Darius Rucker, who will forever be known as Hootie, despite it really being the nickname of one of his friends from college. How will the Ballad of Speck and Pebble fair? Only Time will tell….(sorry).
Outkast
#4 SpottieOttieDopaliscious (Outkast) vs. #13 Young Adult Friction (Pains of Being Pure at Heart) André 3000 + Wall-E above = A.W.E.S.O.M.-O 4000??…enough said.
#5 Always Love (Nada Surf) vs. #12 White Knuckles (OK Go) OK Go makes some of the most simple, but endlessly entertaining music videos that you can find on the internet, but do they have the musical chops to stand up without the help of clever visual distraction? Two tournament newcomers face off for glory.
Living the Dream 
Mr. Roboto (Styx) = 6
vs. Title and Registration (Death Cab for Cutie) = 6
The Ballad of Speck and Pebble (Delicate Steve) = 5.5
vs. Time (Hootie and the Blowfish) = 8
SpottieOttieDopaliscious (Outkast) = 6.5
vs. Young Adult Friction (Pains of Being Pure at Heart) =5.5
Always Love (Nada Surf) = 6
vs. White Knuckles (OK Go) =4
Wow, never thought a Hootie song would be my highest ranked in a round, but there you have it.
Scores again for me, my brother Brendan, and his girlfriend Caitlin:
Mr. Roboto (Styx) 5/7.1/2.5
Title and Registration (Death Cab for Cutie) 7.5/10/10
B: Mr. Roboto is a novelty song. I do like it. I think I like thinking about it than actually listening to it. (a few bars into title and registration): 10. Back when Benny was chubby and unhappy. You find me a song that talks about breaking up with someone better than that.
C: If I heard Mr. Roboto come on at a party I’d say oh cool, but I wouldn’t sit there listening to it by myself. Listening to that song made me dislike it more.
M: these two love Death Cab- their song is the reason they stuck around to vote twice. They went to the concert last weekend. Brendan kept shushing me and Caitlin for talking during the song. I liked Mr. Roboto but the DEath Cab song has grown on me. I’m not usually a fan, but I like this one (though not as much as these two).
The Ballad of Speck and Pebble (Delicate Steve) 6/3.75/ 4
Time (Hootie and the Blowfish) 8/6.5/7.75
B: Ballad of Speck and Pebble is slow to get started. This song is catchy but lacks real substance. Not listening to it again so it gets less than 5 but not terrible so more than 2.5 so I’ll split the difference. In Hootie songs, I think I like Hold Her Hand better.
C: Like Meghan said, it’s happy and upbeat. I guess I would say I’m curious to hear their other songs. I fucking love Time. I love it when the drums kick in. This is a perfect example of a song that has a beginning, middle, and an end.
M: The beat makes me happy and bouncy in my chair. There’s no real lyrics though so it’s tough for me to love it. Cracked Rear View was my first cd and I also love this song.
SpottieOttieDopaliscious (Outkast) 4/7.1/7
Young Adult Friction (Pains of Being Pure at Heart) 4.5/2/4.5
C: The Outkast song reminds me of a Flashback by Fat Freddy’s Drop. I liked it though. For Young Adult Friction: I like this kind of alternative, different sounding music.
M: I always skip this Outkast song when it comes up on my ipod, and that’s likely to continue. I like the name but the song isn’t special. Young Adult Friction started off good but I’m really disappointed by the voice. It gets clearer at some parts. I definitely prefer the music to the lyrics, though.
B: I like the name Young Adult Friction. I can’t fucking hear a word they’re saying. I’m not going to listen to it again. His voice sounded like a faint fart you thought you heard…
Always Love (Nada Surf) 5/8/7.5
White Knuckles (OK Go) 4/4.75/6.75
B: Oh, I like Nada Surf. I saw OK Go at Notre Dame. White Knuckles sounds like a Prince song. I like Prince, but it sounds like a Prince song.
C: (Nada Surf):I know this song! I like this song a lot.
M: didn’t get into either of these.
B:are there any more songs to listen to? no? shit.
I think I might have found two more voters 🙂
Mr. Roboto 7/Title and Registration 10
Ballad of Speck & Pebble 7/Time 8
Spottie… 7/Young Adult Friction 7
Always Love 6/6
Mr. Roboto (Styx) 6.5
Title and Registration (Death Cab for Cutie) 8
I love Styx and Mr. Roboto is always good for a fun time, but I can’t say it’s actually a great song. Title and Registration has gorgeous instrumentation. I wish wish wish Ben Gibbard would just drop “singer” from the “singer/songwriter” efforts and get someone with a more dynamic voice to sing what he writes. At best, his vocals sort of sit on top of the instrumentals, but a really good singer could interact with them.
The Ballad of Speck and Pebble (Delicate Steve) 7.5
Time (Hootie and the Blowfish) 1.8
The story of Chuck Klosterman’s bio of Delicate Steve (which, amongst other things, describes him as sounding like My Bloody Valentine but “without the guitars”) was one of the best NPR stories I’ve heard in a long time. It’s hilarious and a fascinating look at the relationship between media and public relations. And that song ain’t bad. I hadn’t heard Hootie in years, and figured my anticipatory dread might just be prejudice colored by awkward memories of adolescence, but then the song played and it turns out that no, it was entirely justified.
SpottieOttieDopaliscious (Outkast) 2.7
Young Adult Friction (Pains of Being Pure at Heart) 6.2
I like Outkast but not their smooth funk stuff like this. I generally find this sort of music creepy, though I do like the addition of trumpets. Pains of Being Pure at Heart have not, as a rule, captured my interest but this is a solid pop song and it could grow on me. It should continue on.
Always Love (Nada Surf) 5
White Knuckles (OK Go) 5.5
These songs are fairly indistinguishable.
Mr. Roboto (Styx) = 7
vs. Title and Registration (Death Cab for Cutie) = 7.5
The Ballad of Speck and Pebble (Delicate Steve) = 6.0
vs. Time (Hootie and the Blowfish) = 1.5
SpottieOttieDopaliscious (Outkast) = 2.5 [Horns are nice but it was long, didn’t go anywhere.]
vs. Young Adult Friction (Pains of Being Pure at Heart) =9 [disclosure: I nominated this, but I would have given outcast higher had I liked anything about it other than the horns. Overall, i thought it was a bit below average (3). As for this, One review of this record said it reminded her of riding her bike to her boyfriend’s house in the summer. This song reminds me of riding bicylces in brooklyn in the summer. It’s a summery song. Of course, I’m guessing Catholic Nick will counter my score here 😉 ]
Always Love (Nada Surf) = 6
vs. White Knuckles (OK Go) = 6
Mr Roboto: 10
Title and Registration: 7
Hate to 10 my own song…but my definition of a 10 is a song I can listen to any time, any where and still love it. Mr Roboto never fails to pump me up. Title and Registration is starting to grow on me since the play in.
Speck and Pebble: 4.5
Time: 8.5
Perhaps it’s nostalgia, but Hootie was really on the mark tonight.
Spottie: 2
Young Adult Friction: 6
Outkast is pretty hit or miss for me. This one’s a big miss. Digging YAF though.
Always Love: 7.5
White Knuckles: 8
Heard of Nada Surf plenty, but never actually listened to. Great stuff. Will be checking out more. Any more suggestions from whoever submitted this one?
I “10” my own songs. Doesn’t seem to help them, though. 🙂
Mr. Roboto (Styx) = 7 Soundtrack to a futuristic dancercize routine. Robotic Jane Fonda, I’m yours.
vs. Title and Registration (Death Cab for Cutie) = 5 the brief xylophone appearance elevates this song from typical whiny emo drivel (4) to typical whiny emo drivel with xylophone (5)
The Ballad of Speck and Pebble (Delicate Steve) =5
vs. Time (Hootie and the Blowfish) = 4 This is a pretty subdued offering from one of the progenitors of constipation rock (characterized by vocals that sound as if they’re delivered from the seat of a toilet after a six day dry spell).
SpottieOttieDopaliscious (Outkast) = 6 Man, southern accents are hard to beat.
vs. Young Adult Friction (Pains of Being Pure at Heart) = 7 This is a fun song, kind of like a Yo La Tengo cover of early Blondie.
Always Love (Nada Surf) = 4
vs. White Knuckles (OK Go) = 9 Maybe this song doesn’t deserve a nine, but my friend from college is their guitarist, so this shit is personal. Plus, the lead singer does a pretty decent Prince impression, and that’s not the easiest thing to pull off.
Mr. Roboto (Styx) = 7 Soundtrack to a futuristic dancercize routine. Robotic Jane Fonda, I’m yours.
vs. Title and Registration (Death Cab for Cutie) = 5 the brief xylophone appearance elevates this song from typical whiny emo drivel (4) to typical whiny emo drivel with xylophone (5)
The Ballad of Speck and Pebble (Delicate Steve) =5
vs. Time (Hootie and the Blowfish) = 4 This is a pretty subdued offering from one of the progenitors of constipation rock (characterized by vocals that sound as if they’re delivered from the seat of a toilet after a six day dry spell).
SpottieOttieDopaliscious (Outkast) = 6 Man, southern accents are hard to beat.
vs. Young Adult Friction (Pains of Being Pure at Heart) = 7 This is a fun song, kind of like a Yo La Tengo cover of early Blondie.
Always Love (Nada Surf) = 4
vs. White Knuckles (OK Go ) = 9 Maybe this song doesn’t deserve a nine, but my friend from college is their guitarist, so this shit is personal. Plus, the lead singer does a pretty decent Prince impression, and that’s not the easiest thing to pull off.
Sorry for the double post- must have clicked twice. Feel free to count my scores a second time though.
Mr. Roboto (Styx) = 5.4
vs. Title and Registration (Death Cab for Cutie) = 7
Styx’ futuristic-sounded ballad was a touch too long. I kept vacillating between a 5 and a 6 and had it ended 40 seconds sooner, would have stuck with the 6. Not my favorite Death Cab song (or album), but I think this is the best song on Plans.
The Ballad of Speck and Pebble (Delicate Steve) [my sole entry in the tournament]=9
vs. Time (Hootie and the Blowfish) = 3.7
It’s my song and so I’m biased, but I really like the bouncy, happy, perhaps even rollicking, beat that opens the The Ballad of Speck and Pebble. I can see that it’s lack of lyrics might be off-putting to people who like singing. How it can lose to Hootie and the Blowfish would be beyond me, though. Hootie is the epitome of bland and generic. I think this is a great head-to-head match-up.
SpottieOttieDopaliscious (Outkast) = 2.5
vs. Young Adult Friction (Pains of Being Pure at Heart) =4.1
blah
Always Love (Nada Surf) = 4.8
vs. White Knuckles (OK Go) = 5.6
mr roboto – 2
title & registration – 6
the ballad of speck & pebble – 5.5
time – 3
spottieottiedopaliscious – 4
young adult friction – 6.5
always love – 5.5
white knuckles – 7
Mr. Roboto 7
Title & Registration 4
Mr. Roboto is a love story about robots and also Japan. Seriously though…what is this song? Is it a real song? Is it a joke song? Am I missing Dennis DeYoung’s message? Styx did a rock opera about the future? This nomination has spawned at least 8 minutes of amused research into the “Kilroy Was Here” album and various uses of “Mr. Roboto” in pop culture. Death Cab gave me no amusement- hard act to follow, sorry Benny.
The Ballad Of Speck & Pebble 4.8
Time 2
Damn it Hootie, feel like I’m sitting in the back seat of my parents’ station wagon on my way to a swim meet. I’d love to see 8 Hootie songs go up against 8 Gin Blossoms songs in a battle of the most overwhelmingly average songs of the 1990s…[ugh this is still going?] Speck & Pebble, who are they? Birds? Are they birds? Are they birds that are friends and one is a big bird and one is a small bird and they have adventures together and are friends forever? In the same way I am trying not to base my score for OK Go below on the video, I am trying to not base my Delicate Steve score on that amazing article that everyone should read.
Spottieottiedopaliscious 3
Young Adult Friction 7.3
Totally digging this song. Also, “The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart” might be the best band name ever. Thanks for nominating this, Grant. As for OutKast, I just don’t really like the song. I did however google spottieottiedopaliscious. It means “really fine” and I will try hard to use it at some point this week to describe someone that I feel deserves to be called spottieottiedopaliscious.
Always Love 6
White Knuckles 6.5
I watched the video after I listened to the song. It has a lot of dogs.
Mr. Roboto – 4.5
Title and Registration – 7
The Ballad of Speck and Pebble – 4
Time – 7
Spottieottiedopaliscious – 7
Young Adult Friction – 5
Always Love – 7
White Knuckles – 4.5
Mr. Roboto (Styx) = 6
vs. Title and Registration (Death Cab for Cutie) = 6.5
I went in to Mr. Roboto really planning on hating it, but came out feeling pretty good about it. It’s pretty clever and some of the weirdness reminds me of what Queen did when they decided to be strange, particularly towards the end and those falsetto notes. I could have done without the outro from 4:25 on though and so I think I took a point or two off because of that.
I do love Death Cab, although I don’t think this is song is even in the top half of their catalogue. I guess I am biased towards Plans. There is just not enough going on here for me to really rate it high, but Ben Gibbard is awesome and I love that this band can continually to change themselves and still sound like everyone’s expectations of Death Cab. Their new album, which kicks ass btw, is a perfect example of this.
The Ballad of Speck and Pebble (Delicate Steve) = 2
vs. Time (Hootie and the Blowfish) = 6
I don’t really know what to think of the Delicate Steve song because it doesn’t do anything for me at all. And I am boosting Hootie a little bit because even though they are the world’s most famous Bar Band (honestly, don’t say they have any more talent than that), they put on a hell of a show that I saw once at the Rockville, MD memorial day festival thing. I don’t remember it exactly, but I think there were 3 encores, probably 6-7 cover songs and it ended in fireworks. Time is a pretty sweet song too considering the rest of what they have contributed to the musical world.
SpottieOttieDopaliscious (Outkast) = 9.5
vs. Young Adult Friction (Pains of Being Pure at Heart) =5
Ok so this is my first high grade of the tournament and I’m feeling pretty good about it. Given I have heard this Outkast track a bunch, I still think it’s just plain awesome. And I think people are voting it down because they see that it is an Outkast song and are thinking they’ll get a Hey Ya, Way you Move or So fresh So Clean. But Outkast is incredible because they can throw down ballads like this that just ooze sex/poetry. I think Andre’s verse at 2:45 is one of my favorite ever in Hip-hop (can you call it that?) because he manages to cover so much in so few words. And then Big Boi’s at 4:25?!?! This is the song that solidified my love of Outkast for me. I still remember listening to the last 4 minutes of this song again and again as a 16 year old wondering if I’d ever be cool enough to say “Now go on and marinate on that for a minute…”
Young Adult Friction is endearing but it sounds weird after the Outkast epic. I am also not crazy about the female voice in the chorus and have a pet-peeve when vocals are pulled into the back of the music like that (see: Pavement). The bridge and the kick drum are pretty cool though.
Always Love (Nada Surf) = 6
vs. White Knuckles (OK Go) =7.5
Never heard of Nada Surf but I really like them. I also can tell that if I had heard Nada Surf when I was 14, I would have really really liked them. I really like the vocals. And OK GO is just plain sweet.
Mr. Roboto – 3
Title and Registration – 7
I don’t really like Mr. Roboto in situations where there’s alcohol. Apparently I don’t like it sober either.
The Ballad of Speck and Pebble – 3.5 (I wanted something more)
Time – 5
Spottieottiedopaliscious – 2.5
Young Adult Friction – 7
I agree with someone else’s sentiment about outkast being a hit or a miss. Never heard Young Adult Friction and enjoyed it.
Always Love – 5
White Knuckles – 9
White Knuckles is my nomination, i love the energy. I have always liked some of Nada Surf’s stuff. Fortunately for me this is not one of of my favorites.
mr roboto – 6.5 – way longer than i thought, but i dig it
title/registration – 6 – totally didn’t like this the first time around but i’m feelin’ it now.
ballad of speck/pebble – 6 – chill without being boring, but no match for hootie
hootie – 9 – amazing and a classic. so the name hootie is his friend’s…why blowfish?
outkast – 3.5 – + .5 for including “cloudy piss.”
young adult friction – 5 –
nada surf – 7.5 – big fan!
okgo – 4 – kinda lost me by the end
Mr. Roboto: Nearly everything about this song should make me hate it. Cheesiness of lyrics, long intro, goofy modulated voices, story format… but, shit… it’s just as surprisingly and confoundingly lovable as WALL-E. (8.5)
Title and Reg: Meh. (5.5)
Ballad Speck: Nice, totally inoffensive and fun. Nothing special. (6)
Time: The song only feels cliché b/c the vocals and the song’s vibe itself have been endlessly copied by college rock bands and pseudo-DMB shitheads. It’s also not cool to like Hootie, but hell… (7)
Spottie: This is the musical equivalent of arriving sober to the end of an awesome party when the place smells like sweat and stale beer. It reminds you of something awesome, but… there’s nothing there. Outkast, you’re better than this 70s infused slam-poetry bullshit. (6)
Young Adult: For all the noises over these 4 minutes and 8 seconds… the end result was somehow less than the sum of its parts. (5)
Always Love: Eh… cringe-worthy a bit… but it’s alright. (6.5)
White Knuckles: I don’t know why, but I really like this. I didn’t on first listen. (7.5)
I can’t believe I missed one of my own songs (Swingin’ Udders) but in my defense I was a little preoccupied with the birth of my daughter 😀
Mr Roboto: 9.5
Title and Registration: 7
Speck and Pebble: 5
Time: 8.5
Spottie: 3
Young Adult Friction: 4
Always Love: 6
White Knuckles: 8
Congrats Marc!
Wooooo!!!
So we should expect her to vote any time now, right?
Mr. Roboto – 6.0 vs Title and Reg – 6.5
Speck and Pebble – 7.0 vs Time – 7.1
SpottieOttie – 4.0 vs Young Adult 5.5
Always Love – 7.0 vs White Knuckles – 4.0
Mr. Roboto – 6.0 vs Title and Reg – 6.5 – Own Styx but this version seemed more “talky”; dated; edge to T & R which was pleasant at best.
Speck & Pebble – 6.0 vs Time – 5.9 – Didn’t miss the lyrics for S & P; catchy, but not enough to boost the score or listen to again; I had enough Hooty years ago.
SpottieOttie – 4.0 vs Young Adult – 4.5 – Not much to choose from here and nothing that impressed.
Always Love – 6.5 vs White Knuckles – 5.0 – Again, not to much to chose from but Always Love was at least pleasant to listen to for a little while.
I’ll be quiet this time… long bachelor party weekend has left me far more exhausted than it should have… and made me miss a bracket with my own song in it. Shameful
#1 Mr. Roboto (Styx) 7.8
#16 Title and Registration (Death Cab for Cutie) 5
Damn, wanted to hate death cab again and failed.
#8 The Ballad of Speck and Pebble (Delicate Steve) 3.5
#9 Time (Hootie and the Blowfish) 1.5
#4 SpottieOttieDopaliscious (Outkast) 4
#13 Young Adult Friction (Pains of Being Pure at Heart) 4.5
#5 Always Love (Nada Surf) 6.1
#12 White Knuckles (OK Go) 7 – Really cool synth lines. Wonder how it’ll hold up, but really sweet tonight.
Mr. Roboto (Styx) – 6
vs. Title and Registration (Death Cab for Cutie) – 6.5
The Ballad of Speck and Pebble (Delicate Steve) – 6.5
vs. Time (Hootie and the Blowfish) – 7.5
SpottieOttieDopaliscious (Outkast) – 5
vs. Young Adult Friction (Pains of Being Pure at Heart) – 6.5
Always Love (Nada Surf) – 7.5
vs. White Knuckles (OK Go) – 7.5
*I’m in kind of a sappy mood so I think my scores reflect that.
Mr. Roboto (Styx) = 6.5
vs. Title and Registration (Death Cab for Cutie) = 7
I wish I were listening to this with my Dad. I grew up listening to Styx with him. And he once referred to Death Cab as “that funeral sounding junk you like so much.” I wonder what he’d have to say about this match up and if it weren’t the middle of the night, I would call him to find out. Also, Mr. Roboto gets an extra point for the shriek at 4:06 that reminds me of the Nightman song from Always Sunny.
The Ballad of Speck and Pebble (Delicate Steve) = 6
vs. Time (Hootie and the Blowfish) = 3
I liked the Pebble song. And I do not like this Hootie song. Sorry Darius.
SpottieOttieDopaliscious (Outkast) = 3.5
vs. Young Adult Friction (Pains of Being Pure at Heart) = 8.5
Outkast is so weird. Sometimes I like it. Tonight I’m not feeling it as much. And it’s is too dang long. While I was travelling today, I listened to The Go-Gos a little. Pains of Being Pure at Heart remind me of them. Or almost like The Go-Gos meet The Cranberries. I like it. Thanks, whoever nominated this gem!
Always Love (Nada Surf) = 5
vs. White Knuckles (OK Go) = 8
I am pretty indifferent about the Nada Surf. I love OK Go. Especially White Knuckles (although to be fair, I usually watch the video while listening to the song).
Mr. Roboto (Styx) – 7
Title and Registration (Death Cab for Cutie) – 6.5
The Ballad of Speck and Pebble (Delicate Steve) = 4
Time (Hootie and the Blowfish) = 7.5
SpottieOttieDopaliscious (Outkast) = 4
Young Adult Friction (Pains of Being Pure at Heart) = 6.8
Always Love (Nada Surf) = 6.5
White Knuckles (OK Go) = 5.25
Mr. Roboto (Styx) – 8.2
vs. Title and Registration (Death Cab for Cutie) – 6.6
No apologies- Styx are crazy like foxes. My inability to get into Death Cab despite loving the Postal Service album has always baffled me.
The Ballad of Speck and Pebble (Delicate Steve) – 5
vs. Time (Hootie and the Blowfish) – 6.9
Thank you Danno, I incorrectly assumed Hootie=Darius Rucker all these years.
SpottieOttieDopaliscious (Outkast) – 7
vs. Young Adult Friction (Pains of Being Pure at Heart) – 6.8
Both solid.
Always Love (Nada Surf) – 6.5
vs. White Knuckles (OK Go) – 6.7
Mr. Roboto – 4 – Only this high because i like pretending to be a robot sometimes.
Title and Registration – 4.5 – Meh.
The Ballad of Speck – 7 I like the cadence of this song, the rhythm section in the sounds like it could be from Graceland.
Time – 3 – Hootie’s not my thing.
SpottieOttie – 10 – Yes, I nominated this, but ‘her neck was smellin’ sweeter than a plate of yams with extra syrrrup’ come on! Y’all are haters (except for Sam).
Young Adult Friction – 6 Decent song, voice leaves me kind of flat, this was clocking in at a 7, but the bridge gets a -1.
Always Love – 5 Not crazy about this one, but not terrible either.
White Knuckles – 7.5 – i like these kinds of dance tunes, there are better examples, but this one is fun.
Mr. Roboto (Styx) = 5
vs. Title and Registration (Death Cab for Cutie) = 10
I do like that you can sing roboto for free yogurt at yogato. but since i no longer can enjoy that dc treat now that i’m in SF, there are consequences pointwise. AND my love of 2010 sang a brilliant rendition of T&R for me on request when it was too quiet for me to use the facilities. advantage death cab. (but codes and keys suuuuuuuuuuucks)
SpottieOttieDopaliscious (Outkast) = 4
vs. Young Adult Friction (Pains of Being Pure at Heart) = 9
there are so many puns in YAF. i routinely celebrate this song.
Always Love (Nada Surf) = 6
vs. White Knuckles (OK Go) =9
dogs in the video. awesome.
Mr. Roboto (Styx) 4
Title and Registration (Death Cab for Cutie) 7
I’ve never known what to make of Mr Roboto…and I still don’t. Obviously ridiculous but I flit between ‘good’ ridiculous and ‘horrific’ ridiculous. I do think it’s completely weird that people are giving it 9+…really? I like Plans a lot, this track included – the most Postal Service-y of Death Cab’s collection I think.
The Ballad of Speck and Pebble (Delicate Steve) 4
Time (Hootie and the Blowfish) 6
Liked Hootie more than I thought I would…Speck and Pebble not so much.
SpottieOttieDopaliscious (Outkast) 3
Young Adult Friction (Pains of Being Pure at Heart) 7
I’m not an Outkast worshipper – not into this at all. YAF sounds so young, fresh, new and little bit bouncy. The sun is shining in my face as we speak…I think this is making me enjoy this a lot right now.
Always Love (Nada Surf) 8.5
White Knuckles (OK Go) 5
Nada Surf – YES! I am so completely into this track right now. Like OK Go a lot but not in comparison.
Mr Roboto: 3
Title: 5
Ballad: 6
Time: 7
Spot: 3
Friction: 2.5
Always: 2.5
White: 4
Mr. Roboto (Styx) – 7
Title and Registration (Death Cab for Cutie) – 7.5
Mr. Roboto is one of those songs for me that I just never think of playing, but everytime it comes on I have a great time listening to it. And Title and Registration also provides a great time – and make me feel nostalgic for driving aimlessly through New England with my best friend in college. So it gets the extra .5 – but either one can go on, and I’ll be okay with it.
The Ballad of Speck and Pebble (Delicate Steve) = 4
Time (Hootie and the Blowfish) = 6
Speck/Pebble is catchy, but then just gets…meh. As for Time, how do I still know so many words to this song??? I haven’t heard it in a super long time. Its still not great – but what can I say? I’m not proud of it, I liked it.
SpottieOttieDopaliscious (Outkast) = 3.5
Young Adult Friction (Pains of Being Pure at Heart) = 5
I like a lot of Outkast’s stuff – just not this one. It didn’t bring anything to the table for me. I really wanted to like YAF – such great song/band name! – but that being said, it was only just better than average.
Always Love (Nada Surf) = 5
White Knuckles (OK Go) = 6.5
Always Love was enjoyable, but not very exciting… And I have an odd love for Ok Go – that I tend to forget about until I hear one of their songs (or see one of their videos).
Mr. Roboto (Styx) = 7
vs. Title and Registration (Death Cab for Cutie) = 6
mr. roboto is definitely a good song. yet another 80’s hit taking me back to frat house parties
The Ballad of Speck and Pebble (Delicate Steve) = 4
vs. Time (Hootie and the Blowfish) = 7
Ballad, Sorry steve…that was too delicate for me.
Time, Love this entire album. Total pop record, which for those of you that know me is, well, not a good thing, but it features hit after hit after hit after…you get the point.
SpottieOttieDopaliscious (Outkast) = 3
vs. Young Adult Friction (Pains of Being Pure at Heart) = 3
Spottie – this song’s never been good except after a fattie
Young Adult Friction, liked the percussion line here, but the band is seriously missing a lead singer.
Always Love (Nada Surf) = 5
vs. White Knuckles (OK Go) = 6.5
Always, wants to be fun and upbeat, but it only achieves a toe that thought about tapping.
White Knuckles got my attention.
7 for a pop song!? you feeling ok zach?
#1 Mr. Roboto (Styx): hahaha…I don’t think I’ve ever listened to this song this closely. How can a song be this ridiculous? “The problem’s plain to see, too much technology…” Bonus points for being hilarious. 7.
#16 Title and Registration (Death Cab for Cutie) : Hmm. Death Cab, there are songs of yours that I like. This is not one of them. 4.
#8 The Ballad of Speck and Pebble (Delicate Steve) 7.
#9 Time (Hootie and the Blowfish): 6.5
#4 SpottieOttieDopaliscious (Outkast) I know it’s not supposed to be Hey Ya or the like, but it’s also nowhere near as infectious as Hey Ya and the like. 6.
#13 Young Adult Friction (Pains of Being Pure at Heart): On the long side, but…7.
#5 Always Love (Nada Surf): 7.5
#12 White Knuckles (OK Go): Got more annoying as it went on. 4.
Mr. Roboto (Styx) – 6.1
Title and Registration (Death Cab for Cutie) – 6.3
The Ballad of Speck and Pebble (Delicate Steve) = 6.9
Time (Hootie and the Blowfish) = 5
SpottieOttieDopaliscious (Outkast) = 6
Young Adult Friction (Pains of Being Pure at Heart) = 8
Always Love (Nada Surf) = 9
White Knuckles (OK Go) = 6.9