Modern Poll Day 5 Playlists
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— 16 May 2023 Tom

It’s playlist time as we approach the halfway point of the qualifiers. Before the poll started I got people to vote on what tracks should be Bracket Balancers. And then put some of the top scoring ones in the same group, obviously. That’s our headliner but there’s plenty more happening too…

Modern Qualifier 16 – BREEZEBLOCKS CHANGE DAKOTA VICARIOUS
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— 15 May 2023 Tom

Going some distance outside the People’s Pop comfort zone with this headline group but that’s a good thing… right?

  1. Second single from the Leeds indie-rockers’ 2012 debut An Awesome Wave. Nominated by Ed S in memory of his Dad, Clive Still.
  2. First single from the alternative metal band’s 2000 LP White Pony and their biggest US hit. A Bracket Balancer.
  3. Lead single from the Welsh rockers’ 5th LP Language. Sex. Violence. Other? and their only UK No.1. Nominated by Kate.
  4. Lead single from the prog-metal veterans’ 2006 LP 10,000 Days. Nominated by horizontalhold.
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Latest comments (of 16)

Tom   19 months ago

It was a tie between Stereophonics and Deftones for 2nd so for the first time the Bracket Balancer rule is invoked and Deftones lose out for being one.

Hunter Felt   19 months ago

Cannot believe I'm voting for Stereophonics, but hey it's the best song in the bunch. Fair is fair.

ajjr82   19 months ago

That Alt-J voice sounds like a parody of early-10s indie, just awful. Deftones, on the other hand, is probably the single best song from the sludgepit of late-90s/early-00s nu-metal and post, […]

RobertK   19 months ago

I don't think I've ever heard Alt-J before but I wasn't expecting them to sound so much like Devendra Banhart.

Modern Qualifier 17 – HEY UBU DRUNK CRUSH
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— 15 May 2023 Tom
  1. Remix of a track from the Nottingham band’s 2013 debut LP, If You Wait. Nominated by Tom H.
  2. Breakout track from the Australian art-rocker’s 2017 LP Everything Is Forgotten. Nominated by Jo.
  3. Single from 2016’s Teens Of Denial, their first all-new studio LP for Matador. Nominated by Neal D.
  4. A single from 2012 and the Brooklyn band’s sole LP Manifest! Nominated by machotrouts.
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Latest comments (of 12)

Tom   19 months ago

Also a tie for 2nd! London Grammar takes it over Car Seat Headrest on the "unpolled artist" tie-break clause (harsh on CSH I admit as their sole qualifier appearance in the 2020 poll dooms them here!)

Tom H   19 months ago

I didn't think London Grammar had been polled before. I love Hannah Reid's voice, and this mix is special, somehow turning the melancholy into something a lot more uplifting!

Baltimore Jacks   19 months ago

Friends are good. I think that's universally understood, vote totals here notwithstanding.

I miss the bees   19 months ago

I'd argue London Grammar is an even worse name than Car Seat Headrest ("rock'n'roll isn't about education, let alone selective education FFS" - some angry rock critic somewhere). I ended up voting […]

Modern Qualifier 18 – CURATED by Colinmcarlson
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— 15 May 2023 Tom

This is today’s only Curated Group, from Twitter’s colinmcarlson. I don’t think there’s a specific theme, more a vibe, but I could be wrong!

  1. A single from 2007’s self-titled LP.
  2. Track from the Odd Future member’s 2013 full debut LP Doris.
  3. A standout from the hip-hop trio’s 2010 mixtape Sit Down, Man
  4. From the BROCKHAMPTON member’s 2nd LP, American Boyfriend: A Suburban Love Story
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Latest comments (of 9)

Matt   19 months ago

I'm trying not to vote for the one I know, because it's an excellent group with no bad choices, but I haven't listened to Liars for ages and have very much enjoyed being reacquainted with it.

jonathanb   19 months ago

I was going to nominate Earl's "EARL" for the Four Letter Words poll; it'd be nice to say propriety interceded, but actually I just forgot on the day. I still enjoy his post-"Free Earl" stuff, like […]

sclv   19 months ago

Solid group. Liars goes on my Golden Beat shortlist, but gotta vote for one of the hip-hop tracks on general balance grounds. Das Racist takes it over Earl for purely tactical reasons.

Ed Still   19 months ago

Kevin's beautiful song deserves a lot here, and certainly more than bottom place (though admittedly in a high quality group)

Modern Qualifier 19 – NASTY DONE BALLOON REAPPROPRIATE
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— 15 May 2023 Tom
  1. 2019 Soca track which I am delighted to inform you is on the DARKSEID RIDDIM. Nominated by Joseph K
  2. From the brand-new 2023 LP With A Hammer. Nominated by garrymck
  3. An ILM favourite from 2019’s Pieces Of The Puzzle. A Bracket Balancer.
  4. From 2022’s Topical Dancer, the debut LP by the Belgian art-pop-dance duo. Nominated by Steve M.
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Latest comments (of 7)

Jeff Worrell   19 months ago

It’s a good job “Balloon” is a bracket balancer or I’d be calling for a stewards’ enquiry into the results so far. I’d rank these in the complete opposite order. Yaeji tracks too often leave me […]

ajjr82   19 months ago

I like the Yaeji song, it has that cold distant electroclash vocals, but over a much warmer indietronic track. It's a nice contrast.

wmterhaar   19 months ago

Problem Child crushes the competition here. Vote for it!

rabbitfun   19 months ago

BALLOON is being DONE NASTY, let me REAPPROPRIATE - it's personal. releasing the thread now... floating, floating, everybody floating!

Modern Qualifier 20 – PARTY HEAD RECORD SHAVE
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— 15 May 2023 Tom
  1. 2022 debut single from Sutton Coldfield’s finest, big on TikTok. Nominated by Machotrouts.
  2. From the legendary actor-singer’s 2019 covers LP Open Your Eyes. Nominated by Daniel W.
  3. Hard to work out when this Irish rebel song was first recorded or even when the Fighting Men’s version is from but it seemed to fit well here. Nominated by bartlebooth45.
  4. From the cabaret country singer’s self-released On My Knees – early 00s I believe. Nominated by Tamara B.
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Latest comments (of 22)

qosephine   19 months ago

Quite right - none of these picks are mine, but for one or two of my nominations I *may* have taken the attitude that I can make the pop poll voters listen to any silly songs that I like...

Lady Elevator   19 months ago

I originally misread this and was deeply disappointed that Hasselhoff wasn't the one asking if we wanted to make love to a sad old man. I wondered if I'd missed that lyric in Head On...

koganbot   19 months ago

Have a friend who recounted when a teacher of hers back in college said, "I am now going to ruin Emily Dickinson for you," and commenced singing "Because I could not stop for Death – He kindly […]

RobertK   19 months ago

I admire people for getting a little silly with their picks, especially as it's all for a good cause, but I think I might have to vote "absent" on this group. Hopefully a family of asylum seekers in […]

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