Chez Wombat

Utopia, beautifully filmed, wonderfully acted and actually a hell of a lot to say about society (prophetic in some senses x). Utterly criminal this only had two seasons and then a shitty American remake.

Does anyone actually like Mrs Brown's Boys though? x (I know it gets huge ratings somehow, but I'm convincing myself we are better than this x) I do have a soft spot for Miranda, it's not dated the best, but it was fun for what it was. I think my ultimate answer is Gogglebox, I like people reacting to TV if they're actually funny or insightful (like Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe series), but irritating people reacting with shouting and braindead takes is not my idea of entertaining.

Aww, that's a big loss at the end, still not a bad showing. I guess Win Butler's actions did (understandably) put people off this time. I sadly feel that's the end of them as a group, but I can't be dishonest. Arcade Fire's music is so beautifully composed and Funeral is one of my all time favourite albums.

12; David Bowie - Life On Mars 10; Junior Senior - Move Your Feet 08; Radiohead - Paranoid Android 07; Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out 06; Otis Redding - (Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay 05; Dua Lipa - Physical 04; New Order - Blue Monday [1988] (Original would be 12 easy x) 03; Bronski Beat - Smalltown Boy 02; ABBA - Gimme, Gimme, Gimme (A Man After Midnight) 01; Girls Aloud - Call The Shots

All great, but going to go for Sophie.

Girls Aloud, it's won enough of these x

a fair few of my votes starting to show up, Keane are childhood favourites for me, and while they definitely reached their limit, their first album is wonderful and was great seeing them at Glastonbury. CHVRCHES are one of the best modern synthpop groups that have proved very consistent over the years, and Massive Attack, Prodigy and Nirvana are obviously 90s essentials, all had some of my favourite listens when I did my album bucket list.

2015 Florence & The Machine - What Kind of Man CHVRCHES - Leave a Trace Tame Impala - New Person, Same Old Mistakes

30; Bombay Bicycle Club - Luna 29; Coldplay – Midnight 28; Duke Dumont (feat. Jax Jones) - I Got U 27; Taylor Swift - Out of The Woods 26; Lilly Wood and The Prick - Prayer In C (Robin Schulz Remix) 25; HAIM - If I Could Change Your Mind 24; Saint Motel - My Type 23; Faul & Wad vs. Pnau - Changes 22; Klingande - Jubel 21; Ella Henderson - Ghost 20; Sigma - Nobody To Love 19; Katy B - Crying For No Reason 18; Lana Del Rey - West Coast 17; Watermat - Bullit 16; Magician (feat. Years & Years) – Sunlight 15; Ten Walls - Walking With Elephants 14; Tove Lo - Habits (Stay High) (Original / Hippie Sabotage Remix) 13; Vance Joy - Riptide 12; Taylor Swift - Shake It Off 11; Kasabian - Eez-Eh 10; Kiesza - Hideaway 09; Beyoncé (feat. Jay-Z) - Drunk in Love 08; Charli XCX - Boom Clap 07; Clean Bandit (feat. Jess Glynne) - Rather Be 06; George Ezra - Budapest 05; Sia - Chandelier 04; Zhu – Faded 03; Taylor Swift - Blank Space 02; Lorde - Yellow Flicker Beat 01; Miami Horror (feat. Cleopold) - Colours in the Sky

Belated congrats to Blacksquare! Great to see both a first time winner and finally another one I voted for after King of the Slugs all the way back in January, and a few other good songs from my votes in the top 10, shame Bronzil wasn't there though as that was a massive highlight. I don't recall seeing the 2023 EOY before so that's cool, I think that's a new peak for me which is what I'm aiming for, albeit only just which shows how erratic my success can be here. Gonna do have to do a bit of work to get back into the top 30 here, but I'm hopeful my entry this month can at least do a bit better (I thought I may have to holiday confirm but thank you for taking my schedule into account xx)

This was absolutely horrifying news in the first place, but the fact it turned into legitimite means for racist riots from the actions of one psychopathic individual where race didn't even come into it is unthinkable. I'm glad at least the counter protests outnumbered them, not the least in Walthamstow near where I grew up.

Only lost Gorillaz and Foo Fighters since I last checked so not bad going, both largely based on their 2000s work but they do still come up with a good recent gem every now and then.

Ah shoot, I knew there was something I forgot to do before I left :cry: I remembered BJSC and intended to do this too, but by the time this thread came up, I was completely consumed with packing/Olympiics to remember, and I had very limited internet away. So sorry </3 But I am absolutely thrilled with 3rd/2nd pre-deduction, thank you all so much :wub: I indeed still wasn't over Breathe flopping in BJSC and this seemed a good fit for the other side of the EP. This one's more menacing in tone than the other one, but they both work incredibly well as an unsettling, harrowing insight into the psyche of a victim of sexual and domestic abuse combined with a subtle yet gradually building acid house soundscape adding to the intensity. Can certainly say that's a good bit of justice done x (and I think I'd much prefer distant 3rd to being one point away from winning, less blood boiling x) Congrats on the second win, Nate and great job hosting, song sounded decent from the play just now. I promise I will be a good voter next time, though for the best it's not passing down directly to me to host :kink:

Sometimes... got some points from me, I used to find it a bit bland but it's actually a really heartfelt song, especially given Bono's personal reasons for writing it. Shame to see my top pointer out, Beautiful Day is them at their most anthemic.

2014 Coldplay - Midnight Saint Motel - My Type Vance Joy - Riptide Other years to follow when I'm back from my holiday x

I see we have chosen mid x Can't say I feel that strongly about either, but Alicia is better.

Tugenhadt is certainly the least awful (maybe cos he's avoided scandals unlike the others) so if guess that'd be my pick (after null-vote x) It will be Badenoch though as she gets the media headlines and flames the culture wars, yay x Braverman would've been the absolute worst case though small mercies.

So sorry I couldn't make it, All Too Well (Taylor's Version) is my clear highlight there with only a handful of others I'm quite fond of and several I'm yet to hear. Hope you all enjoyed Wild God anyway and many thanks for hosting another great set of sessions B-)

Both Fencing finals were great to watch, shame it wasn't given coverage on BBC, especially Hong Kong coming from a 7-1 deficit against France to win!

No matter what he meant or he thought he meant, it's very scary rhetoric, Hitler said similar things in the lead-up to the 1933 election. I don't think it can be understated that US democracy is seriously under threat if he wins, he's got the supreme court on his side (one can only hope Biden's last act actually does something to reform that). It stuns me that there are actually still people on the fence...

It is totally up to the host how they do the rate to be fair. I do enjoy commentaries but appreciate they can be time consuming. I do always try to discuss the tracks I enjoy and read the thread to see others' views, and that's why I think it's good the rates happen at all to allow this discussion. Anyway, Vertigo should be top 10, the peak of U2 silliness and epicness.

Whitney now, c’mon Faithless!

One of the most spectacular and ambitious opening ceremonies in a while in the end, the torch looked absolutely amazing and Celine, much as I'm not the biggest fan, sounded excellent. I didn't expect them to reunite, but I thought at least one Daft Punk song would be used in the montage, hopes dashed </3

Certainly an interesting experiment of a ceremony here with the countries broken up and the setting, a shame the weather wasn't kind to them. I do miss the stadium visuals, but did really like the Revolutonary sequence and Gojira's performance.

The Liberty X cover is completely faceless and bland, no way does Faithless deserve to go before it.