Modern Qualifier 4: AWAY CYCLIC SWEATY ROBOT

The title track of Stella Chronopoulou’s 2022 LP on Sub Pop, which draws inspiration from Greek folk (and other things). A Steve M nomination.
The epic opener to 2003’s LP Pshychic on V2 Records – the Japanese rockers’ 5th LP. Nominated by mondosalvo.
An early single from the Australian banger-monger which can also be found on his 2007 debut Guns Babes Lemonade. An anonymous nomination! (EDIT: No longer anonymous! It’s commenter Smoothbrain!)
A standout from the Norwegian Idol graduate’s 2006 LP, Pretty Scary Silver Fairy. Nominated by actualeesimpson.

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Qualifier M4: AWAY/CYCLIC/SWEATY/ROBOT

ΣTELLA – “Up And Away” (YouTube)

BUFFALO DAUGHTER – “Cyclic” (YouTube)

MUSCLES – “Sweaty” (YouTube)

MARGARET BERGER – “Robot Song” (YouTube)

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Modern Qualifier 5: SHOES GOTH SUN HIPPIE

Modern Qualifier 3 – CLUB HOURS NAUGHTY PEDRO

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Tom

10 May 2023 13:31

Really enjoyed all four of these, I was shocked!! to discover how few shazams “Robot Song” had cos its nominator talked about it so much at the time, I assumed it had been at least an Ashlee-sized success. Would have got my vote here too but Buffalo Daughter just press too many of my buttons – it’s a psych wig-out yet somehow also a pop banger and a club track?? Yes please! Is the rest of their stuff as good?

mondosalvo

10 May 2023 13:42

Reply to Tom

“Cyclic” is kind of atypical, but tbh they’re a band who do a million different things after the 90s, so if you’re up for adventure then strap in.

actualee simpson

10 May 2023 13:47

Obviously stumping for Margaret Berger but Buffalo Daughter was one of the GBs that jumped right out when I listened to the noms playlist.

Baltimore Jacks

10 May 2023 16:00

The Robot Song YouTube link didn’t work for me in the US. It also was greyed out on Spotify. But this link worked: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTSAQmlMopM&pp=ygUaTWFyZ2FyZXQgYmVyZ2VyIHJvYm90IHNvbmc%3D. I’m glad I heard it! Though I voted “Up and Away.”

actualee simpson

10 May 2023 17:23

Reply to Baltimore Jacks

I also have a link for it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkB4jH5cQKo
I don’t know WHAT the deal is with this specific song in the US, it is almost impossible to find a HQ version of it anywhere.

Tom

10 May 2023 16:11

Yeah it reminded me of a previous surprise fave nomination by baggy/crusty obscuros THE MOONFLOWERS. I am fairly certain no dogs on strings were present at the making of the Buffalo Daughter record.

qosephine

11 May 2023 10:01

Reply to Tom

Yes more Moonflowers!

sclv

10 May 2023 17:34

robot song is great! the working youtube link I found for it in the states has the text “Robot Song (2007) The Third Single from her album “Pretty Scary silver Fairy”. The Single was released as a Promo Including 2 Official Remixes. The Single is Unavailable on Most Streaming Platforms these days, Too Good of a track to not be shared.” Indeed.

admin

10 May 2023 17:52

Delighted to discover that, despite all the new site shenanigans, this archive post of FT and Lollards of Pop episode from 2007 featuring my request of Robot Song still works a treat 🙂

Edward Still

10 May 2023 18:31

This may be one of the greatest “discovery” groups we’ve ever had. All 4 fantastic, all worthy of GB noms, all 4 need digesting again before I commit to a vote.

Cumbrian

10 May 2023 19:08

Jumping on the Buffalo Daughter bandwagon elsewhere in the comments. Proper good – 4 or 5 amazing tracks are going to have to come along to shift it out of my GB nominations I think.

j_e_l

10 May 2023 21:56

I liked the ‘Robot Song’, but wondered if it’s coz of the subject? No, it was really good. It reminded me in a weird way of ‘Robot Trouble’ by Barcelona. World Cup of Robots would be good, but predictably Kraftwerk would win.

Edward Still

10 May 2023 22:09

Reply to j_e_l

I think with Daft Punk it could be a France v Germany final

Arron Wright

10 May 2023 22:32

Reply to Edward Still

“Brain the size of a planet and the Wombles made Pollhalla before I did?

I’d probably lose to Metal Mickey in a qualifier anyway.”

j_e_l

12 May 2023 10:37

Reply to Arron Wright

I would strongly campaign against Metal Mickey as it’s just trying to woo the robot vote without actually being about robots or by robots. I guess in reality the Drake AI thing would win World Cup of Robots now

Last edited 1 year ago by j_e_l

Jeff Worrell

11 May 2023 00:36

Good group. Spotify has been suggesting Buffalo D a lot to me lately as I think their albums have been getting the reissue treatment. I’ve been intrigued by what I heard but this epic track seals the deal. Love Margaret B too but I know it well.

SmoothBrain

11 May 2023 05:54

‘Sweaty’ is my nomination. I have an unreasonable love for Guns Babes and Lemonade, its parent album, and I think Sweaty encapsulates the polyphonic pingers-at-a-festival everyone-is-my-bro vibe of that album.

qosephine

11 May 2023 10:01

The Buffalo Daughter track is so mesmerising and bonkers that I accidentally placed a click and collect order twice while listening to it.

Dan Bright-Amaya

11 May 2023 15:01

Good to see that 10+ minutes is still the favoured song length in the post-bird era. Anyway, Cyclic is awesome and stands out even in a strong group. Good work nominators.

vinnycrackers

11 May 2023 18:23

Back when I used to go to shows on nothing more than a whim, Buffalo Daughter was one of my favorite surprises.

Leo Breebaart

12 May 2023 09:41

Heh. One difference between participating in polls here vs on the birb site is that over there it felt much more acceptable to just throw out a quick “Oh wow, that Buffalo Daughter track is amazeballs, GB fershure!” tweet — whereas the permanence of the comments here low-key pressures me into feeling I need to come up with something a tad more insightful and worthy of that permanence. But spontaneous throwaway tweeting is a heck of a lot easier than meaningful commentary!
Anyway. How about that Buffalo Daughter track, eh?! GB fershure!

Kit

12 May 2023 20:40

shout-out to Muscles for being the only act I have ever personally seen graduate from teenage message board troll to charting / internationally touring musician under the same login name* **

*one of them ***
** he then fell out with his record label via myspace rants. live by the post, die by the post.
*** he started his posting career named for a Scottish major-label-indie band, before discovering keyborads

jonathanb

13 May 2023 10:42

I think the mid-’00s marked a quiet revolution where the base Oz music sound ceased to be pub rock and turned into big-tune indie dance: all emerging around this time were Cut Copy, The Presets, Van She, maybe Sneaky Sound System, even Bag Raiders’ enduring one-off “Shooting Star.” Muscles was the sloppy, lovable lunk of this set: big lumbering tunes that sounded endearing even when they should have been obnoxious.

Steve Mannion

13 May 2023 11:49

Nice to see ‘Up And Away’ with a fighting chance here. It’s mostly about that chord change on the third bar of the chorus elevating it substantially, up and away from my usual dislike of such repetition. The album it’s from brings more Khruangbin-esque simple but sultry delights.

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Modern Qualifier 4: AWAY CYCLIC SWEATY ROBOT

Qualifier M4: AWAY/CYCLIC/SWEATY/ROBOT

Modern Qualifier 5: SHOES GOTH SUN HIPPIE

Modern Qualifier 3 – CLUB HOURS NAUGHTY PEDRO

The Discourse