[Mikal]

Portugal's Festival da Canção is on again is provisionally scheduled for March 9.

As for Spain. We have good news and stupid news. Good news is we have a National Final on March 1. The stupid news? Selecting the ten entrants - 5 from fan voting and 5 from a TVE panel - you have to register ON MYSPACE BY FEBRARY 10! YES, THEY ARE USING MYSPACE TO PICK A SONG?!?!?!

Seriously Spain, has you lost your mind? And then limiting voting from the 15th-20th, then announcing the finalist and THEN having ten days to get them to Madrid or wherever with rehersal time, recording time, staging and have a show? How flippin' slapdash. Innovative, but moronic.

[Darth KcTotal]

Morena - Vodka

This is the winner of the Malta Song For Europe and will represent Malta in the Eurovision.

[Mikal]

Selection Weekend

Still annoyed by Norway. Although they did send "Sillycone Valley" only to second chance. Why they are projecting a battle between a ****** ballad called "Eastern Wind" and an even shittier ballad called "Hold On Be Strong" makes me cry.

Malta's songs killed my Winamp but Poland and Romania gave me hope for a good song to win - in Poland it's "The Devil" by Kasia Nova, for Romania it's between "C'est la vie" by Yanna...doing a Lubi Lubi in just three languages and "Shine" by four blokes doing a good Take That impersonation.

Eurovision Calendar

January 27 - February 2
1st - Slovenia - 1st Semifinal
2nd - Estonia - Eurolaul Final
2nd - Azerbaijan - National Final
2nd - Lithuania - National Final
2nd - Denmark - Dansk Melodi Grand Prix Final
2nd - Slovenia - 2nd Semifinal
2nd - Latvia - 1st Semifinal
2nd - Iceland - 3rd Semifinal

However, I will do some Bold Fearless Projections With Less Than Like a Ninth of The Songs on who's making the Finals tomorrow night, as the Draw For The Semis is later! We'll know who's in what Semi and where the Big4 + Serbia will be watching, making it easy to guess (besides, like, Turkey and Macedonia regardless) which ten move on.

I have heard nothing from the three Finals but with the Mikal household getting hi-speed internet finally (yay Quest coverage) I hope to sample the Finals before Saturday.

February 3-9
3rd - Slovenia - EMA Finals
3rd - Belgium - 2nd Quaterfinal
6th - Norway - Last Chance Round
8th - Hungary - National Final
8th - Finland - 1st Semifinal
9th - Norway - Melodi Grand Prix Final
9th - Moldova - National Final
9th - Sweden - 1st Semifinal
9th - Iceland - 4th Semifinal
9th - Latvia - 2nd Semifinal
9th - Romania - 1st Semifinal

February 10-16
10th - Belgium - 3rd Quaterfinal
15th - Finland - 2nd Semifinal
16th - Sweden - 2nd Semifinal
16th - Romania - 2nd Semifinal

February 17-23
17th - Belgium - 4th Quaterfinal
19th - Serbia - Semifinal
20nd - Serbia - Beovizijia Final
22nd - Finland - 3rd Semifinal
22nd - Croatia - Semifinal
23rd - Bulgaria - euroBGvision Final
23rd - Poland - Piosenka dla Europy Final
23rd - Macedonia FYR - SkopjeFest Final
23rd - Romania - Selecția Națională Final
23rd - Croatia - Dora Final
23rd - Iceland - Söngvakeppni Sjonvarpsins Final
23rd - Ireland - Eurosong Final
23rd - Ukraine - National Final
23rd - Sweden - 3rd Semifinal

February 24 - March 1
24th - Belgium - 1st Semifinal
25th - Israel - Song Presentation
26th - Israel - Kdam Eurovision Results
27th - Greece - National Final
29th - Finland - Last Chance Round
1st - United Kingdom - National Final
1st - Finland - Euroviisut Final
1st - Latvia - Eirodziesma Final
1st - Spain - Salvemos Eurovisión Final
1st - Georgia - National Final
1st - Sweden - 4th Semifinal

March 2-8
2nd - Belgium - 2nd Semifinal
6th - Germany - National Final
8th - Armenia - National Selection

March 9-15
9th - Russia - Final
9th - Belgium - Eurosong Final
9th - Portugal - Festival da Canção Final
9th - Sweden - Last Chance Knockoff
15th - Sweden - Melodifestivalen Final

Internal Selection - Artist Set
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Montenegro
Netherlands
Turkey

Waiting on Info...
France
San Marino

Ranking The Songs!

01 Albania - Olta Boka, "Zemrën e lamë peng"
02 Belarus - Ruslan Alekhno - "Hasta la Vista"
03 Switzerland - Paolo Meneguzzi, "Era Stupendo"
04 Czech Republic - Tereza Kerndlová, "Have Some Fun" Well...it's not rock. But it's not as interesting as "Mala Dama" from last year. To me, the Czechs see this as a modern contest with normal songs rather than some strange nonsense where weirdness and crappy ballads are rewarded and songs that could play in the US are typically ignored. Tereza's song is interesting in a plonky sense but is (a) too long by half a minute and (b) not memorable enough. Better than the schlager nonsense of Gisela but needs to get a good draw tomorrow.
05 Andorra - Gisela, "Casanova"
06 Malta - Morena, "Vodka" Like the Oompa-Loompa song below it, it's a song with about nine melodies, 45 seconds of me likey and sheer loss for how this won. It's like someone poured Smirnoff over a country rocker written for a crappy blonde and given to a screamer while mixing Russians and a German oompa band together. I might like this more with more listens (edit: and boy howdy I do) but right now I cannot seriously see this moving on even with the blatant appeal to the Easterners right in the title.
07 Cyprus - Evdokia Kadi, "Femme fatale"

And can someone explain how the helmet-blonde-headed Miss Michigan won Miss America? Over Wisconsin or California or Indiana or Washington?

[Mikal]

And mah Malta person what do you think of Vodka? I haven't seen the show yet (and it killed Winamp) so I wonder if any of the other songs would have had more appeal to me...

[ferpunk]

Albania and Switzerland has the best entries!

I want Sandra Oxenryd for Poland (even she is not polish but she deserved a better place in ESC 2006)

Gisela's song is not bad but since Europe didn't appreaciate Marian Van De Wal, Marta Rouré and Anonymous, it's the turn to Andorra to pass to the final for the first time.

Tereza's song is great but I don't know why but I prefer Iva Fruhlingová

[Mikal]

I love Iva's song ^_^ but I was totally pulling for Gipsy.cz. As for Sandra, while I lurved "Looking Through My Window" her Polish choice "Super Heroes" is just too sickengly sweet and schlager that I roll my eyes. And the Poles have several other better schlager songs (if forced, take Man Meadow's Viva La Musica) but all are bland compared to The Devil imo

I really don't want Albania to change from Albanian to English, just cut off the few seconds of music. And why the **** is Tereza and Paolo's songs BOTH 30 seconds too long? Did they forget it's a 3 minute contest?

[Miche]

LFR. Paolo Meneguzzi is such a disgrace to mankind.

[Mikal]

We have the draw for who's in what pot for song order!

Competing in the first semifinal
* Andorra
* Armenia
* Azerbaijan
* Belgium
* Bosnia & Herzegovina
* Estonia
* Finland
* Greece
* Ireland
* Israel
* Moldova
* Montenegro
* The Netherlands
* Norway
* Poland
* Romania
* Russia
* San Marino
* Slovenia

Yes yes, split bowls and such but Romania and Moldova get to be together.

* Germany (voting rights, will not participate)
* Spain (voting rights, will not participate)

Andorra gets a bit of luck with Spain here, Romania has more luck with them in however. Russia is basically in (although I suspect Azerbaijan isn't sharing their points). Both debutants are here and history suggests only one is making it. I called Georgia last year and I suspect that even if San Marino sent a Russian song it's the Azeri making it this time.

This is a more Western-friendly group, however, and could send 5 or 6 to the Finals easy.

Nine Voted In: Russia, Romania, Armenia, Greece, Finland, Ireland, Azerbaijan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Andorra
Just Missed Three: Slovenia, Moldova, San Marino
Jury Votes In...: Israel

As for Semi 2
* Albania
* Belarus
* Bulgaria
* Croatia
* Cyprus
* Czech Republic
* Denmark
* FYR Macedonia
* Georgia
* Hungary
* Iceland
* Latvia
* Lithuania
* Malta
* Portugal
* Sweden
* Switzerland
* Turkey
* Ukraine

Didchanotice that 6 of the 7 known and mostly heard songs are here? We can sorta gage this one even with 13 songs missing.

* France (voting rights, will not participate)
* Serbia (voting rights, will not participate)
* United Kingdom (voting rights, will not participate)

Anyways, with the hosts here, things for Macedonia and Croatia just got easier while the UK and France will help Turkey, Malta and possibly Switzerland. 3 Nordic states together should help the strongest of the three make it with two 12s. I suspect Georgia will have some goodwill left from last year, as will Hungary, to get in over Bulgaria and Belarus (which is sad cuz I like the Belorussian song). The Czechs will get zero help and Portugal needs some luck for both are without natural allies or traditional voter.

Voted In Nine: Turkey (duh), Sweden (also a duh) Macedonia, Ukraine, Georgia, Hungary, Malta, Albania, Croatia
Just Missed It 3: Belarus, Lithuania, Iceland
Jury Selection: Switzerland. At least one song in the sense of it will make it and I think it's gonna be by jury vote.

So I see the final 25 as of right now being the following:
Andorra
Albania
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Croatia
Finland
France
FYR Macedonia
Germany
Georgia
Greece
Hungary
Ireland
Israel
Malta
Romania
Russia
Serbia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
UK
Ukraine

As a heads up, when all 43 songs are finally in I shall be running a Eurovision 2008 game to pick the best song of the lot!

Rounds 1-4 Each semi is split into two small Quaterfinals (will be drawn later) with 9 or 10 songs each. Top 4 votegetters to Semis, 5th and 6th to Second Chance Round
Round 5 - Second Chance Semi 1 will have 4 songs battle for 2 slots, Semi 2 have 4 songs fight for last slot.
Round 6-7 - Semifinals Quaterfinalists and the Big4 + Serbia compete in two groups of 12 (Semi 1 having Germany and Spain and 2 Second chancers, Semi 2 having UK, France, Serbia and 1 Semi Chancer). Top 6 advance to Finals
Round 8-16 - Finals! Top 12 now switch to vote-offs. And going by points, 12 start and 2 eliminated til we have 8 then single cast offs til the Final 2, then back to a Vote For The Winner.

^_^

[Darth KcTotal]

Originally posted by Mikal

And mah Malta person what do you think of Vodka? I haven't seen the show yet (and it killed Winamp) so I wonder if any of the other songs would have had more appeal to me...

I actually voted for Vodka (a grower!!), but the songs which finished second and third(both by the same singer), are both favourites of mine.

But Vodka is a fun song, so who cares!



02. Claudia Faniello - Caravaggio (I actually love this!!)



03. Claudia Faniello - Sunrise (Beautiful Ballad)

[Mikal]

LOL, if I didn't know better I'd say you were a Schlagerboy (but they're from Birmingham UK, but they lurves the Malta)

Have checked out the German final and really, all 5 songs are rather good. Personal choice would be Cinema Bizarre or Carolin Fortenbacher, although No Angels (Mike's dream has become real!) or Marquess (apparently Spanish is this year's Goofy Song Number or White Suits or Kettle Drums) would be fine.

Did alter the calendar since apparently Denmark picks this weekend...getting the songs from Lithuania, the Danes and Estonia right now. Azerbaijan can pick whatever they want to sing so it's almost as useful as Montenegro. Also, Ukraine moved theirs to Feb. 23, meaning there are NINE GODDAMN FINALS that day.

OH, and mah co-fave for Romania - "Shine" - is now apparently being sung by Swedes who redid the song. Band name? Biondo. We'll reserve judgment until I hear it but Yanna's "C'est La Vie" and i forget who's "Mas conmigo" (see, Spanish in Romania!) or Inma's "Yeke Yeke" are still pretty damn good for choices.

[Mikal]

Selection Weekend

Jesus, this weekend blew chunks. The one time I'd approve schlager stompers and I get a ****** ballad, a ****** midtempo, a ******...something and a drollish single. They make Cyprus seem smart!

Ireland's Eurosong will feature a Slovene song that was selected for Romania (who's top song in selection was a Swedish veddy gay song "Dr. Frankenstein') as well as a singing turkey puppet. Any questions?

In other news, Latvia had a semi and the top song was 'Wolves Of The Sea" by...er...Pirates Of the Sea. which should win all, for we need a chance for comedy hats. also, mesa likes Georgia's selection yet again.

Finally, San Marino is rumored to be inviting the winner of the San Remo Fesitval newcommers contest to represent them.

Eurovision Calendar

February 4-9
6th - Norway - Last Chance Round
8th - Hungary - National Final
8th - Finland - 1st Semifinal
9th - Norway - Melodi Grand Prix Final
9th - Moldova - National Final
9th - Sweden - 1st Semifinal
9th - Iceland - 4th Semifinal
9th - Latvia - 2nd Semifinal
9th - Romania - 1st Semifinal

Most of my faves for Romania are competing next weekend so I don't have a horse there. Norway's final is iffy considering it's dueling ballads. Hoping for Lystgass and Sillycone Valley to win the SecondChanceRound. Haven't heard Hungary (cuz it's barely leaking) or Moldova yet.

February 10-16
10th - Belgium - 3rd Quaterfinal
15th - Turkey - Presentation of Song
15th - Finland - 2nd Semifinal
16th - Sweden - 2nd Semifinal
16th - Romania - 2nd Semifinal

February 17-23
17th - Belgium - 4th Quaterfinal
19th - Serbia - Semifinal
20nd - Serbia - Beovizijia Final
22nd - Finland - 3rd Semifinal
22nd - Croatia - Semifinal
23rd - Bulgaria - euroBGvision Final
23rd - Poland - Piosenka dla Europy Final
23rd - Macedonia FYR - SkopjeFest Final
23rd - Romania - Selecția Națională Final
23rd - Croatia - Dora Final
23rd - Iceland - Söngvakeppni Sjonvarpsins Final
23rd - Ireland - Eurosong Final
23rd - Ukraine - National Final
23rd - Sweden - 3rd Semifinal

February 24 - March 1
24th - Belgium - 1st Semifinal
25th - Israel - Song Presentation
26th - Israel - Kdam Eurovision Results
27th - Greece - National Final
29th - Finland - Last Chance Round
1st - United Kingdom - National Final
1st - Finland - Euroviisut Final
1st - Latvia - Eirodziesma Final
1st - Spain - Salvemos Eurovisión Final
1st - Georgia - National Final
1st - Sweden - 4th Semifinal

March 2-8
2nd - Belgium - 2nd Semifinal
6th - Germany - National Final
7th - Netherlands - Presentation of Entry
8th - Armenia - National Selection

March 9-15
9th - Russia - Final
9th - Belgium - Eurosong Final
9th - Portugal - Festival da Canção Final
9th - Sweden - Last Chance Knockoff
15th - Sweden - Melodifestivalen Final

Internal Selection - Artist Set
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Montenegro

Waiting on Info...
France
San Marino

Ranking The Songs!

01 Albania - Olta Boka, "Zemrën e lamë peng"
02 Belarus - Ruslan Alekhno - "Hasta la Vista"
03 Switzerland - Paolo Meneguzzi, "Era Stupendo"
04 Malta - Morena, "Vodka"
05 Czech Republic - Tereza Kerndlová, "Have Some Fun"
06 Slovenia - Rebeka Dremelj - Vrag naj vzame It's a weird pop/rock hybrid in Slovene but, unlike the other three choices this weekend, i don't want to kill myself. The more I play it, though, the more I like it.
07 Andorra - Gisela, "Casanova"
08 Cyprus - Evdokia Kadi, "Femme fatale"
09 Estonia - Kreisiraadio, "Leto svet" Taking the mantle from Lithuania '06 or Ukraine '07 with some weird ass ****. i think I like it but it's a rather **** song.
10 Denmark - Simon Matthew, "All Night Long' Dull, boring, zero impression. Hello, there was damn schlager!!!! And rock!!!!
11 Lithuania - Jeronimas Milius - Nomads in the night And we now have a worst song. Seriously, by a mile. Such a bland, stupid, and LONG ballad with bad English pronunciation. Not that there was much to pick...but why not Mini Me's "Yes"? It was at least hot.
*12 Azerbaijan - Elnur Huseynov f. Samir Javadzadeh, "Day After Day" Now, this is not confirmed yet but it's expected to be announced as the selection. Which puzzles me, since i just saw it on YouTube and what I saw was two extremely ****** singers rape some music while wearing angel wings. I can't explain the song cuz seriously I did not understand it. Sure, call them the New Turkey with the diaspora vote but like anyone else is voting for it. Elnur is the only confirmation but if this is the song, they should be rightly punished with a last place finish. Apparently they learned nothing from rivals Armenia or Georgia on how to properly debut.

Off to sample Greece and disapprove of Belgium for a second week

[Tightrope]

Remember that song you mentioned in my blog the other day? What artist was it again, and do you have an MP3 of that song?

[Mikal]

it's No Angels' "disappear" and you can find it over on this Eurovision Blog under Germany.

[Tightrope]

OK. Thanks

[Mikal]

Update cuz Azerbaijan is expected to announce that the horrendous "day By Day" by some song rapers to Belgrade! Yay them

[~A*D*O*R*A~]

The selection process sounds more bizarre each year

[ferpunk]

Originally posted by Mikal

Update cuz Azerbaijan is expected to announce that the horrendous "day By Day" by some song rapers to Belgrade! Yay them

Mikal!!!! Well I heard the studio version of Azerbaijan and improve a lot! Is not bad... Estonia has the worst song until today.

About Slovenia, the chorus is so catchy... very catchy.
My Top 5:

01: Paolo Meneguzzi "Era Stupendo" [Switzerland]
02: Olta Boka "Zemrën Lamë Peng" [Albania]
03: Morena "Vodka" [Malta]
04: Rebeka Dremejl "Vrag Naj Vzame" [Slovenia]
05: Tereza Kerndlová "Have Some Fun" [Czech Republic]

[Mikal]

If maybe the screaming angel idiot was not involved with the song "Day after Day" might suck less. But it is still aggravating and I expect it to be more like the strangeness in Baku over in Belgrade.

So, if Estonia had the worst song until today, what is now the worst song? And whurrs the love for Belarus? Or are we switching picks this year.

[Mikal]

Originally posted by ~A*D*O*R*A~

The selection process sounds more bizarre each year

ADORA, you're back!!! And yes, it gets stranger and stranger this year! Apparently it's gonna be either comedy songs or Spanish songs for the annoying commonality this year.

[Tightrope]

How bad can Estonia's song be? I mean they had Vanilla Ninja there if I recall in the past