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MODERN Poll Day 1
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— 10 May 2023 Tom

The CURATORFEST polls are still running but we’re going to put those aside now as we get into the Qualifiers for the MODERN half of the two Charity Crusher polls.

I’ll be running 5 qualifiers a day, and at the top of the page you’ll always see the daily Spotify and YouTube playlists. Here’s Day 1, which proves its modern credentials by having two songs about loving robots – and that’s just the ones which can declare their mechanical passion.

Curatorfest Qualifier 13! CURATED by David B
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— 8 May 2023 Tom

Our final CURATORFEST Qualifier* comes from David B, and it’s a collection of four songs loosely linked by being personal favourites but also by a connection to his recently published memoir, Don’t Mention The Night. Songwriters Kevin Coyne and Nick Drake feature prominently in the book, and the group also features tracks by Gallery 47 and White And Torch

*there will be plenty more Curated Groups in both the Ancient and Modern polls!

RESULTS: Nick Drake romps home and is joined by Kevin Coyne in the ANCIENT poll Round 1.

[ays_poll id=44]

Latest comments (of 9)

David Belbin   20 months ago

Thanks to everyone who voted on my curated group. Nick was a sure thing in this context. He's on the cover of both Uncut and Mojo this month, which isn't a coincidence, as Richard Morton Jack's […]

ajjr82   20 months ago

I surprised myself by quite enjoying the Gallery 47 song, usually newer stuff that so directly mirrors 90s indie kind of gets my back up.

stabilimentum   20 months ago

Fantastic group! I feel Nick Drake shouldn't need the help, so I'm voting for Gallery 47.

RobertK   20 months ago

After a few decades of Elliott Smith, Stuart Murdoch, the Clientele, Neil Halstead, and now artists like Phoebe Bridgers, it's pretty hard to hear Nick Drake's voice as novel anymore. I do quite […]

Curatorfest Qualifier 12! CURATED by thedesertpope
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— 8 May 2023 Tom

The penultimate CURATORFEST group is from Twitter’s @thedesertpope with four unthemed artists – so far as I know. City pop from Kaoru Akimoto, New Wave pop from the Waitresses, modern dancepop from Confidence Man and indiepop from 2021 Golden Beat Winners Ginger Root! FUN FACT: This is the only one of the 13 curated groups in this preliminary round to have an even split of Ancient (20th Century) and Modern (21st Century) tracks.

RESULTS: The Waitresses’ place in ANCIENT Round 1 was never under threat. They’re joined by Kaoru Akimoto, who pulled ahead of Confidence Man in the closing hours.

[ays_poll id=43]

Latest comments (of 9)

Son of Mecha Mummy   20 months ago

Okay, finally checking in and voting myself with less than twelve hours to go. Like I said on Twitter if anyone hadn't seen it, the *actual* secret theme here is that each artist is an artist I've […]

koganbot   20 months ago

I see I'm the second sucker in the comments section.

koganbot   20 months ago

Torn between Confidence Man (from the electroclash section of the bosh bin) and Ginger Root: when I first moved to Colorado someone had left a 1940s teengirl mag in the apt I rented, and I read […]

RobertK   20 months ago

I think I found the group with the curator whose tastes are the furthest from my own. (Not a reflection of quality). And indeed, the one I even picked was at this writing in last place.

Curatorfest Qualifier 11! CURATED by Jamie R
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— 8 May 2023 Tom

Jamie R gives us a selection which he wasn’t going to make curated until he realised the tracks tell a story. Happy or sad? You be the judge. Owen Pallett, Me’shell NdegeoCello, Bobby Short and Umberto Tozzi are your narrators.

RESULTS: Another two tracks heading for ANCIENT Round 1 here. Me’Shell NdegeoCello dominated the group, but Umberto Tozzi managed to reel in his rivals to take second by a single vote.

[ays_poll id=42]

Latest comments (of 11)

ajjr82   20 months ago

The backing vocals on the Me'Shell song are delightfully petty and mean.

koganbot   20 months ago

We have not polled Me'Shell (unless as playing bass where a band or another performer is the name on the marquee). Tom has provided an extraordinary spreadsheet of what we've polled, which is up-to […]

j_e_l   20 months ago

Gloria is a great song, and even on a new site, even with a new beginning, even with the Twitter-refuseniks, outrage continues

RobertK   20 months ago

Surely we've polled Me'Shell before, no?

Curatorfest Qualifier 10! CURATED by groovypanda
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— 8 May 2023 Tom

Twitter’s own Groovypanda presents us with a lovely group which feels linked less by theme and more by… vibe. Golden Beat miners get ready – tracks here from Fragile, Love And Money, Marti Caine and the Quintus Project.

I’m actually sure that this should have been in the ANCIENT poll anyway – I was misled by the reissue date on the Quintus Project. In any case RESULTS: Marti Caine and her tiger progress, and so do the Quintus folks.

[ays_poll id=41]

Latest comments (of 7)

Son of Mecha Mummy   20 months ago

Extremely good group. I've pretty much exclusively voted for songs in fourth place and that continued with Fragile, who are the first addition to my Golden Beat longlist. Marti Caine was my second, […]

Cumbrian   20 months ago

This is an excellent group that hasn't yet cracked 100 votes. Hopefully, people will get around to it, as there's lots to like here I think. Marti Caine was a real surprise - I vaguely remember her […]

healingandy   20 months ago

With Strange Kind Of Love, more is more, so in a Balearic spirit I can recommend this extended mix: https://open.spotify.com/track/6kvyePudesC51MFJRcbz7j?si […]

stabilimentum   20 months ago

Each track better than the one before! Had to vote for Marti Caine because I saw Quintus was winning. (Unsure if the ranked option order is intended or not, but its great!)

Curatorfest Qualifier 9! CURATED by Andy R
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— 8 May 2023 Tom

This group is from Andy R and it’s one where either there’s no theme or – just as possible – I don’t know the theme. But who needs a theme when you have bangers from Mission Of Burma, REM, Aimee Mann and the Real McCoy slugging it out?

RESULTS: Mission of Burma and the Real McCoy dodge the hives to land in the ANCIENT poll.

[ays_poll id=40]

Latest comments (of 12)

komodomymanor   20 months ago

Real McCoy is a straight GB nomination, great track in a good group.

mitya   20 months ago

Academy Fight Song is one of those songs I'm generally going to vote for regardless of the competition, but all the comments about Real McCoy prompted me to listen (since I didn't recognise the name […]

David Belbin   20 months ago

I love REM's cover of Academy Fight Song and they do a good job on Crazy too, but for me this is an easy vote for one of my favourite singer/songwriters over my favourite group. 'Lost in Space', […]

Ben Wainless   20 months ago

I remain unconvinced that the two (current) leaders in Q1 would have been the same on Twitter. I remain thankful too :)

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