These are the ground rules: 16 teams, each represented by a musician or band who happens to be a supporter. You, our fair reader, vote on who advances. Use whatever criteria you wish: favorite team, favorite band, prettiest uniforms (looking at you Elton), etc. Ballot stuffing is not encouraged, but will be tolerated, because we’re just as corrupt as the real FA. Voting for the Round of 16 will close on Sunday, July 20.
Today's matchup is the derby game of this tournament. A titanic clash of Britpop giants who had an entertaining feud and managed to single handledly save rock and roll. Etc...etc...etc....
In the blue corner we have the boys from Manchester, Oasis, noted Citeh supporters.
In the other Blue corner we have Damon Albarn, Blur frontman and later involved in the Gorillaz, as well as a supposed Chelsea fan.
Oasis, founded by the Gallagher brothers, Liam and Noel, were the most commercially successful of the Britpop bands of the mid 90s. Cool Britannia, Tony Blair, New Labour, and all the rest... While they weren't the most innovative musicians, they did have a knack for songwriting and a catchy tune. When Definitely Maybe was released in 1994, it marked the start of a new era of guitar-influenced rock music, and their follow up, So Whats the Story Morning Glory, became a huge seller both in the UK and the US. Around this time Oasis provided forests worth of copy for the likes of NME and Q, as the brothers Gallagher feuded both with themselves and with Damon Albarn. Be Here Now, released in 1997, was the height of Oasis's powers. It featured ridiculous Beatles-rip off riffs and music videos, 10 minute songs with 3 minute sample intros (including Vietnam war reenactments), and proclamations of "bigger than Jesus" greatness from Liam. Its been pretty much all downhill from then on as their sound has more or less stagnated and the world has moved on. Way on. Noel especially is a noted City fan, and earlier this year he ripped his despotic owner for sacking SGE after a great (as in not fighting for relegation) season.
Albarn, on the other hand, was always more intellectual. Think art school. Blur could lay claim to being the more innovative of the Britpop bands, but they never achieved the same commercial success as the boys from Manchester. Pretty much everyone in the US can pick out a (one) Blur song, but there is no way in hell they could tell you who did it. The band pretty much petered out by the early oughties, and Albarn went on to achieve great success with the Gorillaz. Couldn't unearth any football-related punditry from Damon, so I can't tell you what his thoughts are on the 4-5-1.
I can't leave without some youtubage. Best Behind the Music Ever.
So, who's ego deserves a bit of massaging? The louts from up North or the vegetarian Chelsea supporter?
Posts
5 comments:
This sucks, too, many, commas,
I loathe Oasis, yet I despise Chelsea. Quite the quandry.
Yeah, I hate it when someone on a website can actually write "proper" English...
It just proves you're not in some basement somewhere.
As for the cup, I waited a couple of days, and I've now decided to vote purely on music, damn the consequences (I like the Roses, but there's no way they'd survive most of the competitors, so I feel more comfortable doing so). But Chelski against Oasis makes it tough, dammit...I guess Chelski survives for now...(ugh)
I see how you're playing it. Chelsea gets matched up against a heavyweight (well, sort of), while the Gooners face off against a spastic that couldn't fog a mirror. I'm on to you Arse-holes...
Anyway, I'd have to give this one to Albarn even if I wasn't a Chelsea homer. If it was just Oasis v. Blur, maybe the Gallaghers would win. Maybe. But by virtue of his work with Gorillaz, Albarn has managed to remain relevant long after Oasis descended into self-parody.
God dammit, Ian. Modern Life is Rubbish settled this debate 14 years ago, but you have to go and throw footballing allegiances into this?
I guess a Russian oil magnate is better than a torturing ex-Thai PM, and that's enough for me to not have a moral quandary picking Albarn and, in so doing, Chelski
Post a Comment