Comments on: Europop 2008: THE FINAL

By: Tom

Tom — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 09:31:42 +0000

It’s a game of 90 minutes, which happens to be exactly how long you have to vote in this final.

By: Pete

Pete — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:35:50 +0000

Now Matt is back can I official trash his track? I mean it fizzes nicely in place, but it lacks DRIVE. If we compare this final to the one that took place on the football field last night, its more than clear who is playing like Spain.

By: Tom

Tom — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 13:55:48 +0000

An online soccer management game forum linked to it! But we couldn’t work out which thread. From the voting patterns they clearly were from either Switzerland or Italy, though whether that makes a difference I’m not at liberty to say.

You have until noon tomorrow to vote in this, by the way!

By: Matt DC

Matt DC — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 13:52:04 +0000

What the hell, 41 voters?! That’s double the amount of most ties here, certainly the crowd are out in numbers.

By: piratemoggy

piratemoggy — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 18:27:51 +0000

I don’t like the Italy track. I am going to call it slightly jazz, because that is my new phrase for things I irrationally dislike and also there’s something about the vocal stylings that reminds me of kind of overblown house track singing but without actually being an overblown house track (even in the admitedly-much-better last blowout bit) which is the only way to get away with that kind of thing, in my book.

So I voted for the Swiss. Even though they do sound a bit like one of those things that appears midway through a Guitar Hero game that no one’s ever heard of or cares about but has a fiendishly difficult chorus or something.

By: koganbot

koganbot — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 18:03:29 +0000

I voted for Switzerland, finally, ’cause I think more people will vote for Italy. (Of course, I voted for Italy over Greece in the quarters because I thought more people would vote for Greece.)

By: fernando

fernando — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 11:22:53 +0000

hurray for switzerland! it’s like the return of elkland

By: koganbot

koganbot — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 18:56:23 +0000

Yes, I am finding it harder and harder to think good thoughts about the Jonas Brothers. However, the Lovato kid has talent, if she can find people who won’t waste it for her. Bad news: “She is currently in Puerto Rico filming a new Disney Channel Original Movie titled Princess Protection Program with Selena Gomez and recording her debut CD in Miami, Florida. The Jonas Brothers have helped her to write 11 songs for the album.”

But no matter, this match is ace, and I still haven’t decided how to vote. The Swiss start strong and never stop, but are perplexed by Italians who run in gleeful circles for two and a half minutes and then switch into overdrive and become relentless.

By: jeff w

jeff w — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:55:54 +0000

Well, CAMP certainly cheered me up after a depressing wade through the Camp Rock OST.

But Italy has the edge for me, and would be worthy winners of the tournament based on their performances in the knock out stage.

By: Pete

Pete — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 10:16:50 +0000

I don’t think anyone feels like they are being bribed by the ones that got away. Here have one for free:
Electric Blanket’s - I Never Ate That Bird (They aren’t much to look at…)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Viffcm-sE2s

By: Ben

Ben — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 23:50:47 +0000

I prefer the Swiss song, but I am slightly concerned that the Swiss manager might have “bribed” the officials by offering a mixtape of those players that missed out. That’s providing an incentive right there, and I’m sure that must be against the Poptimist rules? Might the Italians suffer from a spot of match-fixing that they themselves would have been proud of?

By: Kat but logged out innit

Kat but logged out innit — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 15:55:47 +0000

Swiss vocalist sounds a LOT like the chap from the Maccabees. I quite like the tune!

By: koganbot

koganbot — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:32:31 +0000

Switzerland: I quite like the solid beat, “dance-oriented punk rock,” you might call it, Buzzcocks with muscle, recalling that rock was once a music that people danced to. Weakest aspect is that the keyb (or whatever) that provides melodic atmosphere gets in the way of the rhythmic bite. Ambivalent about the vocalist. Half-rueful voice makes one think of current, feckless Brit indie, but this fellow does have fire, albeit held in reserve, so has a hint of Kinks-Buzzcocks teeth to him. Not that he’s nearly as good as prime Davies-Shelley-Devoto.

Italy: Right on the border between funk and disco and black pop, but the delivery is very Italian, hard shiny syllables but w/ gospel roughness. So the style and singing are excellent and this builds to a strong finish as sparklers sparkle and bombs explode; rhythm is adequate but surprisingly not up to the pushy rock of the Swiss, and the melody itself never rises above generic, even if the genre is an interesting mixture.

From the looks of this match, reading the program, I’d have expected the Italians to romp, but as the actual contest gets underway, it seems very close.

By: Pete Baran

Pete Baran — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 13:27:43 +0000

Unfortunately Matt is away at Glastonbury, so the trash talking will be kept to a minimum.

This feels like a classic cup final, oodles of expectation but both teams a bit tired, not quite playing the best of the tournament. Both very cagey picks too, I am flattered that the Italians appear to be trying to dodge the notorious Swiss energy.

I think this will be closer than I thought it might be (bearing in mind I thought the Italians would house me out of the stadium).