As goes Molanphy, so goes the poll

[dennis_obell]

This week, the Village Voice released its annual Pazz and Jop poll of rock critics nationwide. I am back in the poll, after skipping it for two years in favor of the Idolator Pop Poll, which no longer exists (budget cuts, man; I'm just thankful Idolator itself, and my column there, still exist

Comments

Our New President Would Be Proud of You

[anonymous]

It seems being centrist is where's it's at these days, judging from recent executive office rhetoric. While being near the middle is always nice, it's even better when it's hip!

-je

[misterpardonme]

doing statistical analyses about music polls is like dancing about architecture.

[michaelpop]

I figured the lack of an Idolator poll this year was due to budget issues. Don't know what you got till it's gone! But yeah, long live Idolator! It's the only site I know of where you can engage in reasoned, articulate musical discourse.

So, really, TV on the Radio? If I got crit-pressured into getting their last couple of albums and wound up disappointed, is there anything about their latest that's going to change my feeling on them?

Making the case

[dennis_obell]

It does seem that Dear Science is the one that's converting even some of the former skeptics. It's also uniting the band's disparate fans: I know people who like either the first or the second album better than the other (I for one prefer Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes to the overpraised Cookie Mountain), but virtually everybody seems to like the current one.

I would also say that it's the most accessible TVOTR have been on any of the records. On the first single, "Golden Age," they kinda sound like Off the Wall-era Michael Jackson. On another track they sound like mid-'80s Cure.

But if you fundamentally aren't down with their basic equation (the murky sonics, the vocals that veer from bass to falsetto in a heartbeat), then I suppose this one won't convert you. I dunno, YMMV.

[damonbradl]

It's a testament to your writing style and general subject knowledge that even a piece that's meta two (conservatively) levels deep is still fascinating.