RPS

No. I didn't say that about blink-182-. In fact, my quote stated: "It's all mass-marketed pop music, folks." You simply infered everything else, so that's really not my problem. Everyone else was making fun of the Jonas Brothers and I felt compelled to remind everyone that there really isn't much difference between the Jonas Brothers and blink-182-. Apparently people love blink-182- to admit that, but whatever. It's fine if you love blink-182- too death, they think are the bees knees, think they are the greatest band ever, whatever. As I said earlier, its not a bad thing, its just a fact. Everyone needs to stop getting their panties in a twist...

I love blink-182- probably than everyone else who has posted in the thread. Seen them four times in concert and saw +44 twice. Doesn't change the fact they are mass marketed pop music. That isn't a slight against blink-182, just the honest truth. When people write things like: It just proves how ridiclous you are trying to make the argument. I never stated that record labels attempted to change blink-182-. I just stated they are a mass marketed and produced rock band. It's not my fault if you think mass-marketing and pop music are bad words, but they really aren't. I didn't mean to compare blink-182- and Jonas Brother's sound, because they are slightly different. But the fact still stands that blink-182- was playing for the exact same kids that the Jonas Brothers are playing to right now, except maybe a year or two older and Jonas Brothers orientated a bit more towards females.

I love how people hate on the Jonas Brothers when they are just a younger version of blink-182-. It's all mass-marketed pop music, folks.

I had no idea the new Junior Boys had leaked until I came into this thread. Downloaded and it's amazing. Better than the good Is This Goodbye? and probably on the same level of the amazing Last Exit. Junior Boys are a band who is incapable of releasing bad songs. I wasn't a huge fan of them at first, but they have grown on me the last few months.

Emerge by Fischerspooner. They only had a few good songs, but this one is probably the best songs of this decade.

The Prodigy and Dizzee Rascal is both the greatest and most confusing pairing in a while. I've heard great buzz about The Whitest Boy Alive, so I am downloading them as we speak.

Stepping Out - Lo-Fi-Fnk (quirky pop) Focker - Late of the Pier - (spazzy dance rock) Crime Wave - Crystal Castles (game boy hip hop) Hearts on Fire - Cut Copy (indie new wave) Emerge - Fischerspooner (epic robotic party monster) No You Girls - Franz Ferdinand (indie Studio 54) I Need A Man - Grace Jones (queen of disco) Where Do You Go - Jamie Lidell (motown dance party)

Whoever though Pierce Bronson should sing needs to seriously be fired. Worst casting decision... ever.

I'm sure this was a joke, but you are aware Tom Cruise has only won 3 and they were all deserved and for great movies. Not really a bias...

Try not to pick more than 5 (kind of defeats the purpose) and try to give some sort of explanation as to why... 5. M.I.A – Arular (2005) M.I.A. is the one of the few artists these days who is doing something new and original. It's a bold statement, but this decade has been about reinventing the wheel and updating genres. Not that there is a problem with that - the White Stripes have a great career out of inventing and rebranding classic rock. There have been some artists who have been bold to be original and think outside the box. Artists like TV On the Radio and M.I.A. have defined this decade as an area of new-sounds and experimentation. On Arular, M.I.A. combines so many varying elements of music from so many areas of the world it becomes like a tour of the Globe. And it doesn't seem to be some sort of gimmick for M.I.A. M.I.A. is here to represent the new face of the global community. A girl from Sri Lanka, moved to London, making music for the Western Hemisphere by combining elements from the Middle East, Africa and the West. Sunshowers is the best song on the album. Over an infectious beat and hand clap, M.I.A. raps without a care, dropping controversial lines like "You wanna win a war?/Like p.L.O I don't surrendo" and "He got Colgate on his teeth/And Reebok classics on his feet/At a factory he does Nike/And then he helps the family". It doesn't get much better than this. 4. Blur – Think Tank (2003) In 2003, I had no idea who Blur was. I knew Song 2 and that was about it. I downloaded Think Tank on a whim and I instantly fell in love. I know it is a somewhat divisive record, but to me it's perfect. From the opening sounds of Ambulance, you can tell you are in for a treat. Having now listened to earlier Blur records, you would think that a record without Graham Coxon would fail. He was such a driving force behind their earlier records. But on Think Tank, it's Damon Albarn's show. Just look at his later work in Gorillaz and the Good, The Bad, The Queen to see that the guy was the one dominating what this record was going to sound like. And never before has Damon Albarn's vocals been so on. Good Song is a great example; he may not be the best technical singer, but over the electronic sounds, Damon Albarn's voice sounds at peace and beautiful. 3. Antony and the Johnsons – I Am A Bird Now (2005) On the opener to I Am A Bird Now, Antony doesn’t hold back. In 4 minutes and twenty seconds, he lets the audience into all of his anguish, heartbreak and fears. The experience is unsettling, beautiful and shocking all at the same time. The song still gives me goosebumps; how can someone emote and express such complex feelings all at once? Some singers can barely pull off anguish – Antony is able to express so much more in so many different ways in just one song. The next song sees Antony sing “My Lady Story/is one of annihilation/ My Lady Story/is one of best amputation.” Antony seems to on-purpose subdue his powerful voice to let the powerful words emerge. On Today For I Am A Boy, Antony switches between gender so easily that you come to realise that they are just words and have no real meaning. Deep in Antony, both masculine and feminine reside and he yearns to manifest his feminine side. The guest appearance of Boy George on You Are My Sister is a career highlight and one of the best on the album. However, it is Fistful of Love that is Antony’s real shining moment. Although this song can be misconstrued as a song of lost-love, I tend to see it as a celebration of sadomasochism and fisting and yet it still the most lovely and touching songs (that still makes me cry to this day). Outside of M.I.A’s Arular, there was nothing in 2005 that came even close to matching how ground breaking and exhilerating I Am A Bird Now. 2. M.I.A – Kala (2007) Ever since 2007 I have touted Justice’s † as the best album of the year. It was earlier this year when I realised I had made an error. I had just gone to a concert and see M.I.A in concert and my outlook on 2007 changed. Hands down Kala is the best album of the year. Vicious, noisy and provocative are just some of the adjectives I’d use to describe Kala. From the opener, Bamboo Banga, M.I.A presents a sound scape radically different than anyone recording today. Mixing elements of electronica, hip hop and world music, M.I.A is something radically different. Although she has a large fan-base in North America, it doesn’t dictate her sound. M.I.A. reaches far-out, to Africa, the Middle East and Asia, borrowing from all of their respected music traditions to create a breath-taking sophomore album. The lyrics and M.I.A’s delivery are spot on here. With lyrics such as “M.I.A. coming back with power-power” delivered with such restrained and almost robotic anger, M.I.A name drops country after country to show her credentials. On Bird Flu, M.I.A. mixes the unsettling sounds of birds and screeches with a menacing and overwhelming drum line beat. On the most well-known track, Paper Planes, M.I.A. gives a nod to past dissenters in music history, sampling the Clash and showing her teeth. Not afraid to get her hands dirty, M.I.A. speaks out against the injustices in Immigration, a source too close to home. For all of these reasons (and many more), M.I.A’s Kala was the best album of the year. 1. Hercules & Love Affair - S/T (2008) People have written Hercules and Love Affair off as simply "genre-revivalism". I'm not sure if they got the memo, but Hercules and Love Affair aren't reviving disco (it never really died), but they are reinventing the genre. Taking inspiration from music movements (elements of house, and disco being the most obvious), fabled heroes (Hercules) and it's three distinct singer (including Antony), this can't be simply labelled revivalism. The tracks are just too good to be written off like that. On the opener, Time Will, Antony sings with subdued passion over one of the most inspired instrumentals of the year. When he sings "I cannot change you but I will" it all clicks. Hercules Theme is bar none one of the best songs of this decade. The horn section, the androgynous vocals, that amazing drum beat. It is simply amazing. On Blind, Andy Butler creates the most dance-worthy riffs of this century and in a genius move, combines it with the powerful vocals of Antony. The chorus chimes in with an inspired horn section and than it all is TOO perfect. All of these people have come together and all of their talents have culminated in best single of the year. Some would be worried that the rest of the album couldn't match up, but the last three songs are just as good as the first three songs. From top to bottom, not a single song fails to deliver and each is just as important as the one before it.

Well she was nominated for Best Actress in The Reader, so don't get greed man I'd be happy with a win for either Rourke and/or Ledger. Since I think The Wrestler and The Dark Knight are pretty much the only films I've seen on this list. Oh, and In Bruges as well. Which is really bizarre because it's an awesome film, but I thought it was out ages ago, and to think it's Academy Award worthy is hilariously awesome. Whoops, I am having a retarded day today. I thought she was nominated for Best Actress for Revolutionary Road (probably because she got nominated in the Golden Globes and I took that for granted...), which was the movie she deserved the nomination for. I should learn to read better.

Here are my thoughts (and than predictions). Too much is being made out of Benjamin Button's multiple nods. It got nominated for a lot of lower level technical awards, but didn't necessarily sweep the big awards. When you actually look at the major awards, Milk received just as many nominations (5) in the exact same categories, Frost/Nixon received a lot of nominations in the major categories (4), and lots of movies received 3 nominations in the major categories. That's not to say that the minor technical awards aren't just as important, but in terms of the public perception Benjamin Button didn't really dominate the awards. I am happy with all the movies - nothing really too awful nominated. Milk was fantastic, Slumdog was inspiring and the rest of the movies were really good as well. My three favorite movies of the year - Milk, Slumdog and WALL-E - all faired pretty well so I'm happy. BEST PICTURE: In my opinion, the Academy dropped the ball by not nominating WALL-E. I know they have the best Animated Feature, but c'mon. The movie was seen by many as the best picture of the year. With that said, very predictable nominations with the exception of the surprise of Milk. Not that it wasn't a good movie (I think it's the best of the bunch), but I wasn't sure it'd click with the Academy. My money is on a win for either Milk or Slumdog. The Reader and Frost don't stand a chance, in my opinion, even though they are great movies. BEST DIRECTOR: Danny Boyle deserves and will probably win. I think he'll probably end up losing for Slumdog and make up for it here. BEST ACTOR: There was lots of momentum for Langella that seems to have died down a bit. To me it's between Rouke (long shot) and Pitt (the most likely). I'll go with Pitt. BEST ACTRESS: Perhaps the most competitive category in the entire Oscars. Three great actresses who all have a chance at winning in Winslet, Hathaway and Streep. Winslet is on fire so far this year, Hathaway has all the buzz, but Streep is big with the Academy. If I had my way, Hathaway would win and I think that's what might happen. BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Do we even need to go over this? Ledger. BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: No Winslet nom? She was AMAZING in the Reader. Tough category because there isn't really a clear cut favorite with the Academy or a lot of buzz. I'll say Tomei because I thought she was great in the Wrestler. BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Any movie other than WALL-E to win, in my opinion, is ridiclous. BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: I have a feeling it'll be Slumdog.

Pop has always been a genre. Tin Pan Alley pop has been around pretty much since the inception of recording and radio. In musical theory, there is popular music (music that is popular) and pop music (a genre of music short for Tin Pan Alley pop.) Just thought I'd chime in...

I've been absolutely addicted to the new Antony and the Johnsons. If you are a fan of his, pick it up. Really good.

Rock and roll/rock is incredibly boring Very few of the bands I listen to and have grown up these days play straight up rock and roll. I will admit that a lot of subsequent genres and bands have been influenced by rock and roll, but to be honest, I just don't find it that interesting anymore. R&B, funk, electronica, hip-hop, new wave, disco and pop are all more interesting to me than rock and roll.

15 Step is the most amazing song Radiohead has ever done, in my opinion. It's something completely different sounding than anything they've ever done. And than the rest of the album sounds nothing like it and no where close to how amazing the song is.

The Beatles kinda suck. I think it's a matter of my parents not listening to the Beatles and raising me with a variety of music (everything from Bueno Vista Social Club to Bob Marley to Kraftwerk). I just have NEVER gotten the appeal of the Beatles, outside of Hey Jude which is a pretty good song. I have downloaded all of their albums and tried to find some redeeming qualities and never have. I just think they are really uninteresting. Radiohead are a half decent band who are ruined by the hype I do think Radiohead are better than the Beatles, but that a lot of their stuff gets ruined by sheer hype alone. Some of their CDs are just plain awful as well (Amnensiac and Hail to the Thief). Kid A is their best album and pretty damn good, OK Computer has a lot of great moments and In Rainbows is very listenable. If they weren't hyped over the moon, I'd probably enjoy them a lot more. Disco is one of the most underrated genres ever The "Disco Sucks" backlash in the late seventies was semi-successful, but as time has proven, disco has proven to be VERY influencial in the long-run. And not just in the obvious places of the recent electronica movements lately, but lots of genres owe their success to disco. Hip-hop (especially early hip-hop) owes a lot of their sounds to disco. As well, all dance genres nowaday owe a lot of it's success to disco music and how it paved the way for dance music to be acceptable. Oh, and along with this, the Bee Gee are HORRENDOUSLY overlooked by critics, probably because of their association with disco. The Bee Gees released some of the best pop songs ever.

Already had heard of Boredoms (very cool and interesting), Holy Fuck (saw them open for M.I.A - definitely a band you need to see live), The Knife (I'm a fan), Mogwai (meh), Grizzly Bear (I'm starting to like them). Checked out Fuck Buttons (I like), Glass Candy (amazing, love it), Chromatics (great stuff so far), and gonna check out some more of the recommendations... I have some questions on some of the band listed. I'm too lazy to find anything about HEALTH but I feel like I might like them. Can someone give me a brief description of their sound, best songs and any other stuff that's important... I heard one song by Boards of Canada and was bored. What's their best album? I know someone recommended Music Has The Right To Children, is that the consensus on their best album?

Not sure where you are from and whether or not they have yard sales/flea markets/antique shops, or whatever. But if you want something cheap, go to places that sell second hand goods at cheap prices and pick one up. I got a record player for 4$, works like a charm and has lasted me five years.

You Can't Stop The Beat from Hairspray Angry Inch & Wicked Little Town from Hedwig and the Angry Inch No Place Like London from Sweeney Todd Seasons of Love from Rent I have some others, but those are my main favorites.

Air are an amazing band. I'm a bigger fan of Moon Safari, but really any of their work is top notch and a severely overlooked band in North America (like most of their French counter-parts). Radiohead are one of the bands that everyone and their mother has an opinion on their best album. I'm of the belief that their top 3 albums are Kid A, OK Computer and In Rainbows, so any inclusion of OK Computer is fine by me. Paranoid Android is one of those epic songs that gives me goosebumps to this day. Great list so far, CSAMH.

Their follow-up absolutely blew chunks, but Fever To Tell is amazing. It's one of my top 10 of 2003. I, like you, wasn't exposed to the Maps overkill, being from Canada. Even in my opinion, Maps is one of my least favorite songs on the album so even if it was overkilled, that'd be fine. The first three songs on this album are perfect "get drunk/fucked up and dance to music".

I'm looking for some good experimental (preferably, but not limited to, electronica music). I'm open to all sorts, but really looking for some crazy ass electronica stuff. I'm a big fan of Matmos & The Soft Pink Truth, Battles, Aphex Twin and Gang Gang Dance (who all are close to the pop side of things) and am looking to similar type bands or bands doing the same kind of thing.

Not such a big fan of Kings of Leon, but I don't think the amazingness of Dummy can be understated. It's one of those albums that just sounds epic and classic. From the first few seconds, you can tell that it's totally different than anything that was going on in 1993 and that it helped to show the potential of electronic.

Really anything by Antony and the Johnsons, but that goes without saying. I am not a big fan of Sigur Ros, but there songs are just epic and have this ability to have this emotional affect. It's amazing.