Band of the year for me.
I'm not sure how your logic is for saying "if it sounds like Elton John, it must be shit" works out -- I'm thinking Benny and the Jets, Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting, Rocket Man etc. -- but it's true, they do sound like Elton.
And that's a good thing.
When I finally buy some new CDs -- probably in the new year -- they're top of my list.
TUNES, Matt. TUNES. I keep telling you it's all about TUNES! And they've got 'em by the shedload. "Mary" is a solid gold radio 2 classic, it rocks. That new "You're Disgusting" tune is fantastic -- forget shit like ESG, this is the punkfunk you want! In any event, Twist is into The Sisters, so that's game over for you Matt, sorry mate.
Franz Ferdinanc I don't quite buy into. Nice graphics, good performance at the MTV awards, but that middle eight on WIpe Me Out or whatever it is just grates on me. They can come back when they cover:
a) Gang of 4's Armalite Rifle
b) Pete Shelley's HomoSapien
c) World Domination doing Funky Town
I'm a Robbie Williams fan too, partly due to the influence of the boy and my wife, but partly cos he's, y'know, good pop. And I loved that swing thing he did. It's all about how it sounds on the telly.