Anoop - After I give you props on your outfit last week - you pull out this monstrosity of a jacket? I'm hurt. Good to see his playful side back again but definitely not his best. C+
Megan - When I heard the words Megan and Bob Marley together I wanted to scream. Can someone please tell this girl she doesn't have to "dance" to every song she sings. It's OK...in fact it's preferable to just stand there. It's also preferable to hit actual notes but I don't want to ask for too much. D
Danny - One of the few times I haven't really enjoyed Danny's vocals. I liked the song choice but he hit quite a few sour notes. It amazes me that sometimes the judges pretend not to hear these things. B-
Allison- I liked the beginning better than the end but all in all another great performance. She's proving to be one of the most consistent in the competition. B+
Scott - Raise your hand if you were surprised Scott sang Billy Joel....that's right.. no one. Scott is starting to remind me of the musician in the piano lounge on my senior cruise. He played the same mix of Elton John and Billy Joel every night. The only difference was the cruise guy was actually enjoyable. C
Matt - Just the type of song I've wanted Matt to sing. I didn't think he was that bad and I'm pissed that the judges seem set on sending him home. B
Lil - Oh my...Celine? Interesting song choice when there are about 1000 better ones available. To me Lil sounded like she was pushing her voice to the very edge throughout the whole song and I was just cringing waiting for her voice to crack. She got through it but I still think she needs to step it up if she wants to make it much further. B
Adam - We get it. Adam can sing and hit ridiculous notes. I really didn't like the arrangement of the song (thought it took away some of the funkiness) but I am glad to see he's once again ditched the eyeliner and the emo-kid hair. B+
**TV Crossover Moment - The actor who plays Marco on Privileged in Adam's cheering section...could he be his boyfriend???
Kris - It's about time my baby got the show closing pimp spot! By FAR the best performance of the night and I don't say that just because I want to have his children. The arrangement was fantastic, vocals were spot on and he did it all while looking the hottest he has all season. A!
Who should go home? Hopefully America will get it right and send Megan Joy on her way. I could see an unfair bouncing of Matt but hopefully that won't happen.
Friday Night Lights has been renewed for not one but TWO seasons!! This is honestly the best news I've heard in 2009 as FNL is my favorite show on TV today. That may seem strange seeing that it has yet to make an appearance on GSATW (that will change soon) but honestly nothing I could ever write would do this show justice. Chronicling the small town lives of the denizens of Dillon Texas, FNL strikes the perfect balance between drama and comedy, ensemble performance and individual character portrayal, heartbreak and triumph. The writing is realistic (we'll just forget about that "I Know What You Did Last Summer" anomaly in season 2) and I challenge you to find better actors than Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton. After every episode I'm just in awe that yet again it was that good.
If you watch any television at all and you don't watch Friday Night Lights you're doing yourself a serious disservice. Lucky for you all of the episodes are available online here. Start at the beginning and don't stop until you're caught up. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll thank us later.
Note: We don't talk a lot about non-reality television on this site, because... let's be honest... reality TV is ridiculous and makes for some pretty hilarious and prone-to-critique situations. But we watch a lot of other things. The name of this blog is from "30 Rock." Between Audra and I, we watch things as disparate as "24" and "One Tree Hill." Now, I can't speak for my counterpart, but if I had to pick the greatest drama I've ever seen, it would be "The Wire." I couldn't possibly do that show justice through a short blurb, but one of the things that drew me in so completely was the intricate and beautifully written character development. I cared about each of those characters, and with VERY few exceptions, every character was both flawed and had redeeming qualities. I'm not sure I have ever felt a more visceral reaction to a movie, television show, or novel as when Omar, by all accounts a violent and terrifying drug dealer/thief, was killed. I felt like I was losing a friend. Long story short, this is how "Friday Night Lights" makes me feel. Is it as good as "The Wire?" No... but it's also restricted by network TV and the stupid shit NBC probably makes them write about to attempt to boost ratings. The relationships are genuinely human, not theatrical or uber-dramatic. So many of the characters are flawed, yet work towards something good. I'm not ashamed to admit that basically every single episode this season has had a tear-producing moment (usually involving Coach Eric Taylor), and anyone who is keeping themselves from watching this show because "it's about football" is missing out on the best entertainment currently on television. I'm so excited that NBC has decided to extend the show for 2 more years, and even if they continue to show it exclusively on DirecTV in the Fall before showing it on NBC in the Spring, I won't complain. As long as the town of Dillon remains, I'll be happy. "Clear Eyes?".... not likely.... -Matt
Last time we left the bracket at We Listen For You, we'd commented on the Sweet 16 participants (both positively and negatively). They're down to the Final Four, so we'll spend a little time wondering how we got here, and go on to predict who the readers will eventually deem the National Champion of Indie Music (or at least of an arbitrary reader poll). On to snobby remarks:
The Sweet 16
Arcade Fire (79.1%) over Cat Power - Arcade Fire is not currently relevant. I'm going to keep saying it until it's no longer true. Ball's in your court, Canada.
Fleet Foxes (65.8%) over Andrew Bird - Completely understandable, although I will say... after spending some additional time with Noble Beast, I feel like this could've been a pretty competitive match-up. Still, this results is defensible.
The National (63.4%) over Franz Ferdinand - I support
Sufjan Stevens (60%) over Girl Talk - I kind of support
Animal Collective (58.9%) over Spoon - I understand, but it stings
Of Montreal (57.3%) over Beirut - WHAT?!?!?! This makes less than 0% to me. Granted, I have an anti-Of Montreal bias. I do. But are we really saying that the band with the Outback Steakhouse commercial jingle is better than Beirut? I hope that's not the case.
TV on the Radio (56.4%) over MGMT - The last result combined with how close this result is makes me wonder what the readers enjoy about music. They're a really confusing group.
The Decemberists (50%) over Feist - I'm not exactly sure how this result ends in a win for The Decemberists, but I'm glad that it did.
The Elite 8
Fleet Foxes (60.3%) over Of Montreal - Thank God that Of Montreal is finally out of the tournament... three rounds too late.
Animal Collective (55.1%) over The National - The National made a respectable run, but Animal Collective has too much firepower right now.
Arcade Fire (54.4%) over The Decemberists - [mouth agape]
Sufjan Stevens (50%) over TV on the Radio - [smashing head against desk]
So the We Listen For You Final Four includes: Fleet Foxes, Animal Collective, Arcade Fire, and Sufjan Stevens. Two bands that deserve to be there, and two bands that deserve to be there in 2006. The final match-ups pit Fleet Foxes vs Animal Collective and Arcade Fire vs. Sufjan Stevens. Based on past votes, our prediction is a National Championship of Animal Collective vs. Arcade Fire, with Arcade Fire winning. Yes, I realize that this makes no sense whatsoever, but neither have a lot of the votes. Hopefully people will come to their sense and make Animal Collective the winner (GO HERE TO VOTE!), but I highly doubt it.
The tournament ends this weekend. Thanks for following along (if you can still take it)!
PS: Our Final Four includes: Lil' Wayne, Beirut, The Decemberists, and TV on the Radio. Not necessarily better by any stretch, but it's interesting how different the two brackets look (again, this could be due to changing match-ups to mirror their NCAA Tournament counterparts).
Today, we provide all of the Elite Eight match-ups and end with the Final Four! Comments about each competition will be really short in anticipation of in depth analysis for both the Final Four and the National Championship. Tomorrow, we'll breakdown the current results from the We Listen For You reader poll (similar to earlier this week) and we'll predict the winner of their tournament. Without further ado...
(1) Animal Collective vs. (2) Lil' Wayne Winner: (2) Lil' Wayne The only 1 vs. 2 match-up in the four regions... it shows just how competitive both of these artists are. One of the hip-hop artists was going to make it into the Final Four, and since I can't put Kanye ahead of The Decemberists, I'm vaulting Lil' Wayne past Animal Collective. And although Animal Collective is one of the hottest bands on the indie scene right now, Lil' Wayne is the hottest act period. I don't even feel that bad about this decision.
(4) Beirut vs. (11) M.I.A. Winner: (4) Beirut M.I.A.'s Cinderella run comes to an end, as Beirut advances to the Final Four. Maybe it's just me, but if you don't have an accordion and/or mellophone prominently featured in your music, it's hard for me to take you seriously. So it's just me then... cool.
(1) Kanye West vs. (4) The Decemberists Winner: (4) The Decemberists After spending three rounds talking about how forward-thinking and consistent Kanye has been throughout his musical career, he gets taken down by a band that, for all intents and purposes, is very retro-thinking. Unless I'm not getting the "man swallowed by whale plots revenge against those who have wronged him" headlines in my RSS.
(1) TV on the Radio vs. (7) Antony and the Johnsons Winner: (1) TV on the Radio I've made no qualms about labeling TVOTR as the prohibitive favorites for me in this tournament, and as excellent as Antony's The Crying Light is, it just can't compete with the raw energy of Dear Science. TVOTR is looking like Louisville right now, and that's a bad sign for their competition.
Well, it would seem that Duke had Mexican food and half a bottle of exlax before shitting all over the bed last night. It's always fun to see a team you follow the whole season get to the point, in a win-or-go-home game, where they aren't even trying anymore. Hopefully Henderson comes back so we can see more 1-for-14 shooting nights. At least Memphis lost so I have no chance of winning my bracket. Instead, I'm going to focus all of my remaining "March madness" energy on this tournament (and, of course, rooting against UConn and UNC).
(1) Kanye West vs. (13) The Cool Kids Winner: (1) Kanye West I hate seeing The Cool Kids go down to another hip-hop artist. Although this was a challenging decision, when two artists have similarly impressive current outputs, you have to look at the history. And The Cool Kids are just... kids. Kanye is on his fourth album, and while he's certainly not universally loved, his music AND his personality have sparked discussion, and his contributions to the current climate in rap are far-reaching and notable. Some have trouble getting past Kanye's public persona: he's conceited and whiny and obviously trying to be a trend-setter (which is horribly uncool). But I'd maintain that, while those things are definitely important in how one approaches an artist's music, it shouldn't be the primary metric for judgment. So hate on Kanye (honestly, he deserves it), but don't hate on his music. He's created catchy hooks and infectious beats for four albums while developing a strong lyrical voice (both natural and Auto-tuned).
(2) Yeah Yeah Yeahs vs. (6) The Decemberists Winner: (6) The Decemberists I knew it'd come to this. Yeah Yeah Yeah's It's Blitz! is sooo good, but so is The Decemberists' Hazards of Love. And they've both come out at almost the exact same time. I'm not the best decision-maker in the world, so when something like this comes across my plate, I just make a quick gut-decision and move on. When I looked at the two names, I stayed on The Decemberists longer... so I picked them. Maybe it's because they've been making records for longer and I've developed an appreciation of their sound. Maybe I subconciously love Victorian-style tales of mariners and ships gone astray. Maybe I think Colin Meloy is a trip to watch live (he is) and I can't imagine a goofier guy going crazier on stage. There are so many things about Yeah Yeah Yeahs that make me want them to advance, but as so often happens, personal feelings trump objectivity. I suck at real criticism.
(1) TV on the Radio vs. (5) Bon Iver Winner: (1) TV on the Radio Almost positively the most difficult decision to make. And I just realized that at this point, it really isn't about how good a band is... it's the visceral reaction that musician's work elicits. Which makes this decision even harder. Because if it was about musicality, TVOTR is a no-brainer; as much as I like Bon Iver, he's not doing anything that secial with his guitar. But For Emma, Forever Ago and his most recent release, Blood Bank, stir-up raw emotion. I'm not sure what production method he uses, but Justin Vernon (whose voice is actually eerily similar to Tunde Adebimpe's, of TVOTR) has a way of sounding like he's in more than one place. While he probably just recorded the lyrics twice, it has a sort of ominous, all-encompassing effect. You feel surrounded by his accentuated punches of quick crescendo and decrescendo. His voice is truly an instrument, and "Woods" just may be the new "Hide and Seek." But despite all that, TVOTR is better. Significantly better.
(7) Antony and the Johnsons vs. (11) Joanna Newsom Winner: (7) Antony and the Johnsons Given that Antony just released The Crying Light and Ms. Newsom, although in the process of recording an album, hasn't put anything out recently, this was a fairly easy decision. Going back and listening to Newsom's progression as a vocalist is striking: her earliest albums are almost unlistenable because of her sound... almost like a scared child. Her deftness at the harp hasn't dropped off at all, but she's developed a warmer, deeper, and MUCH smoother voice, to the point where you have to question whether you're even listening to the same woman from The Milk-Eyed Mender to her most recent EP with the Ys Street Band (note: awesome name). But Antony's voice is his greatest strength, and he surrounds it with beautiful arrangements that generally stay out of the way. I'm not sure he can compete with the density of Newsom's lyrical indulgences, but Antony's songwriting abilities are impressive and will be dissected in more depth in the next round. For now, he advances on the strength and consistency of his current output.
Oh man oh man oh man... Sweet 16, baby! GSATW is totally amped up for the real NCAA tournament action tonight. Hopefully those Blue Devils can pull out the win against Villanova. It's eerie how similar our March Music Madness parallels the actual tournament: with the exception of a few teams, the majority of the Sweet 16 were expected to be here. We have four match-ups today and four tomorrow to determine the Elite 8, and by Monday morning... the Final 4 will be set. And remember, our brackets are a little different from the actual bracket because of differences in seeding. Now, on to our picks.
(1) Animal Collective vs. (4) Franz Ferdinand Winner: (1) Animal Collective As much as I enjoy Frazn Ferdinand, I think even they would feel lucky to be in the Round of 16. Animal Collective, on the other hand, is the UNC of this tournament. Wildly heralded at the beginning of the year as having the best product, they've both followed through with impressive form. But because of that, there's a lot of hatred pointed towards both groups. I hate that UNC gets a ridiculous amount of media coverage (to the point where Ty Lawson's big toe was the most important story of the first rounds of the tourney). Animal Collective has garnered massive (and deserved) amounts of praise for Merriweather Post Pavilion, but the talk leading up to the album's release generated more buzz for AC than many bands ever receive . I hate that UNC was speculated to go undefeated (HA... they didn't!) and run the table through March, and I can imagine that others feel similarly about MPP being dubbed the Album of the Year in January. But more than anything, I hate Tyler Hansborough's stupid ugly face... so at least you can't complain about Animal Collective for that. Oh wait...
(2) Lil' Wayne vs. (6) The National Winner: (2) Lil' Wayne I'm not sure what else I can possibly say about Lil' Wayne that hasn't been said already. Except that I'm worried that 2007-2008 is as good as it'll ever get. When Da Drought 3 mixtape was released, and I heard it for the first time, I was shocked. It was furious and fast and meticulous and thoughful and FUNNY. I can't remember the last time I wanted to hear every word and understand how every syllable fit with the one next to it, but that's how a mixtape made me feel. A mixtape. So when Tha Carter III finally came out, I was a little worried. By that time, "Lollipop" had already gone through the cycle of "don't like it/this is catchy/man, they're still playing this?/I'm going to kill someone if I hear that song again," and I was worried that too much of the album would be an experiment with the auto-tuner. But after just one listen, it was easy to forgive Wayne's indulgences... because really, those indulgences are what make him so unique. Outside of a select few (Outkast, Ghostface Killah, Kanye, and a couple others), rappers don't go outside the box. There's a tried-and-true formula, and what separates you from the next guy is your ability to turn a phrase (or the ability of a producer to make a beat). The tracks on Tha Carter III run the gamut: from asinine to heartfelt, from straight swagger to playful. It may be a little long, and yes, some of the fat should've been trimmed, but what you get is something better. No, it's not perfect, but nothing you'll hear is quite like it. And as Dwayne Carter dabbles in guitars and collaborations with T-Pain, it seems less and less likely that we'll every get anything like that from him again.
(1) Fleet Foxes vs. (4) Beirut Winner: (4) Beirut One of the hardest decisions I've had to make in a while. So that should tell you the level of responsibility I have at the moment. As Charlie said to Dennis before besting him in a dance competition on It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, "The cream always rises to the top. And you're about to see the white hot cream of an 8th grade boy." And while that quote may be disturbing on a number of levels (whether you get the reference or not), what we should take away from it is that, by the Sweet 16, the level of talent is no longer diluted. I enjoy listening to Fleet Foxes... their sound is airy and light, and their harmonies are tight. But I love listening to Beirut. I've already dedicated multiple posts to them, so I'm having trouble thinking of something novel to say. So I won't. Yet...
(7) M. Ward vs. (11) M.I.A. Winner: (11) M.I.A. How did we get here? I'm starting to question some of my earlier decisions, because I'm not sure either M. Ward or M.I.A. are Elite 8-worthy in my eyes. But for the same reasons that she's skated past her first two opponents, M.I.A. gets the nod again. We've talked repeatedly about the uniqueness of her sound, and her recent commercial successes with "Paper Planes" and "O Saya," the Academy Award nominated song from Slumdog Millionaire. But we haven't really talked about her use of music as a vehicle for politics, which, whether you agree with them or not, is something that very few musicians have the guts to do. It's even rarer for a politically charged album like Kala to be as critically accepted musically as it is. And so with all of her world-beating success, everyone is looking to get a piece of Ms. Arulpragasam. It'll be interesting to see what turns her career takes now that she has a son.
Matt Giraud - And to think he almost didn't make it through to the Top 12 - thank goodness for the wildcard! Matt has just the right voice and tone to pull off Marvin Gaye and it all made for a fantastic performance.
Kris Allen - Don't really know that the guitar brought much to the performance but you all should know by now Kris Allen can do no wrong by me. He's adorable, has a great voice and even does a good arrangement of a classic song.
Scott MacIntyre - So I didn't get a chance to write about this last week but I will now. One of the judges commented on how they wanted Scott to get up from the piano. But honestly....what else is he supposed to do?? They obviously can't have him wandering around blindly (literally) on stage, he can't bring his seeing-eye brother up there thus it's time for him to go.
Megan Joy (no longer Corkrey) - I am really tired of her ruining perfectly good songs with her singing/talking/screeching /warbling. She had a couple of good moments in the middle of the song but overall it left me feeling like she'd just scratched her nails down a chalkboard for a minute and a half.
Anoop Desai - Another good vocal from Anoop-Dog but honestly it kind of bored me out of my mind. Time to bring back the Bobby Brown swagger and pelvic thrusts. Fashion note - loved the layering - shirt, tie, long sleeve striped shirt, sweater and Members Only style jacket - wow!
Michael Sarver - I wanted this to be good...I really did - but it just wasn't. There were far too many bum notes and it was boring. Time for Michael to pack his bags and go home.
Lil Rounds - Not to pull a Paula but she looked fantastic! I expected her to kill Motown week but like last week I was still a little underwhelmed. There were several notes (particularly in the lower register) that were a bit off. Lil really needs a big showing next week or she could find herself as the Mandisa of Season 8.
Adam Lambert - For finally giving me a performance that didn't make me want to stab a fork in my eye I'm not even going to touch the styling. (Don't make me regret that Lambert.) I think for the first time I was able to appreciate just how good a singer Adam is without being distracted by the theatrics and histrionics. If he keeps this up he might actually win a vote from me.
Danny Gokey - Another great performance - it is really going to be tough once we get down to these top 4-5 guys. They are all capable of delivering consistently solid performances and they all bring a little something different to the table. Let's just hope America doesn't ruin it for us.
Allison Iraheta - Just when I thought this was going to be a boy's only club little Allison turns it out! The producers definitely helped her out by putting her in the pimp spot this week - hopefully it will work and our little ingenue will live to see another day.
Prediction -- Should be and hopefully will be our favorite roughneck Michael Sarver.
Because you know you're interested, and because we occasionally run out of/come up with dumb ideas (ex. "Lil' Wayne Lyric of the Day")... we present "What We're Listening To." Basically, every week (probably Wednesday), Audra and I will put together a list of 10 or so songs that we've really been enjoying. These aren't necessarily great songs (see below) but nevertheless, they're the ones we can't get out of our head and/or always hear on the radio (but don't change the channel). Take a listen!
Neko Case: People Got a Lot of Nerve First heard this as an acoustic version and immediately fell in love with it (see lyric: "I'm a man man man man-eater... but you're still surprised when I eat ya"). I'm still a bigger fan of her's when she's playing with New Pornographers, but this track off her new album Middle Cyclone is pretty fantastic.
The Love Language: Lalita Gotta give credit where credit is due: not sure where my brother heard about these guys, but I like them. They're from North Carolina, but more importantly... they sound like they're from North Carolina.
Phoenix: Lisztomania The opening track off of Phoenix's forthcoming Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, which we can all agree is an awful name for an album, is a high-tempo introduction for those unfamiliar with the band's sound. Very representative of their past work, "Lisztomania" serves as a smooth transition into their new work.
The-Dream: Rockin' That Shit ATL represent! Before doing (extremely minimal) research about The-Dream, I had no idea he grew up in Bankhead and went to Grove Park Elementary. That's crazy. But not as crazy-good (see what I did there?) as this single off his new album Love vs. Money. Did you know that he wrote Rihanna's "Umbrella?"
Dirty Projectors and David Byrne: Knotty Pine This is on the Red Hot compilation Dark Was The Night (I'm not going to stop talking about it), and it's one of the few original songs on an album of mostly covers. David Byrne wrote they lyrics, Dirty Projectors wrote the music, and all of us get to listen. Nice arrangement we all have.
Soulja Boy: Turn My Swag On Yes, some may say Soulja Boy is single-handedly responsible for the demise of rap in the past 2 years, and I would be hard pressed to disagree with them. But the child can still produce a catchy hook that I want to listen to in the car with my windows down.
Lily Allen: Fuck You If Lily Allen isn't the cutest little thing ever! Seriously, this song is hilarious on so many levels it makes me giddy just thinking about it. I also love the fact that she lets her British accent come through... so many British musicians sound like they have American accents when they sing. Although I have a feeling I know what she'd say to that...
Passion Pit: Sleepyhead I heard this song for the first time yesterday on an XM radio station. Apparently it's been out for a while, but it definitely got me pumped up when I heard it. Don't stop listening right away... the beginning has some weird cuts and samples, but the rest of the song is a combo of trippy, trance-ish, freak-out mania. Admit it: you're interested.
LMFAO: I'm In Miami Bitch First heard this song on the Hip Hop Decathalon episode of America's Best Dance Crew and it kind of reminded me of the early 90s sounds of Tone Loc and 2 Live Crew. This is totally something I would have put on my Spring Break mix back in high school but, since I'm an "adult" now, a blog post will have to suffice.
For as long as I can remember, there have been 2 basic principles of (successful) advertising: physical humor and good-looking people. So what the hell is going on with all these damn kids?? Two companies that advertised heavily during the NCAA tournament this past weekend were Microsoft and Chevrolet. And wouldn't you know it? They had cute little kids peddling their products.
Jesus Microsoft... where should I start? Maybe we'll begin with how dumb you think I am, because you're obviously insulting my (albeit average) intelligence with this commercial. You really want me to believe that a 4.5 year-old did all that without anyone's help? And speaking of help, where are the parents? Even if I believed for a second that this kid was smart enough to edit her photos on a computer (I don't), why is she sending an email to her parents? Are they really gone that often?? I don't even see a grandparent or a babysitter in the picture! Nope... just a small child climbing up and down a chair, surrounded by sharp table edges and a computer power-cord cable. Way to promote hands-off, let-the-computer-do-all-the-work parenting. And clearly, Microsoft could care less about perpetuating the stereotype of Asian kids being smart at science and technology. Can white kids use Microsoft? What about black kids? God forbid a Native American or Hispanic child can get on a computer commercial! And, maybe this is crossing the line... but she doesn't even seem that smart. Clearly, the producers walked her through every step, because she couldn't even remember words like "connector cable" or "USB port." What is she talking about when she says "thingy" and "this" and "there?" The point of a commercial is to sell something, right? A little bit of detail goes a long way, Kylie. Get your shit together. Same goes for you, Microsoft. You've got a $300 million advertising budget and this is what comes out. Simply astounding.
No wonder American car companies are in the toilet... Howie Long and a spoiled brat of a kid are supposed to make me want to buy your car? Not the best marketing strategy. And let's be honest, the way Maggie is talking, she wouldn't be caught dead in a Chevy. If I had to guess, this girl won't settle for anything less than a BMW. Anyone who talks back to an adult like that has never been disciplined. Ever. Howie compliments her right off the bat, calling her a "smart little girl," and what does she do? Fires right back, hands on her hips, about how she's a big girl. Sorry Maggie, but you're a little girl. A little, spoiled, bratty girl that'll probably walk all over people your whole life until one day, you come to the sudden realization that you have no friends and your family is tired of making excuses for your failures. You're already on the fast track to failure by jumping in bed with Chevy. Hey, it's not like I want to be right about this...
Today, we're breaking down the results from the actual voting public in the We Listen For You tournament. In the spirit of democracy, we'll be exercising our right to dissent and criticize the decisions of the populace. Although some of their decisions are defensible, one absolutely egregious offense stands out. See below.
1st Round Match-ups Landslides (Greater than 80%)
Fleet Foxes (87.5%) over Shearwater - I just don't think many people have heard Shearwater, especially Rooks, which is a shame. Fleet Foxes deserved the win, but Shearwater deserves a listen.
Sufjan Stevens (86.8%) over Mother Mother
Andrew Bird (86.4%) over Thao Nguyen
The Arcade Fire (83.7%) over The Walkmen - Really? This seems kind of incredible to me. The only way you could defend this decision is if you were basing it off of past records. But right now, I'd say The Walkmen definitely best The Arcade Fire
MGMT (82.8%) over The Mae Shi - People like MGMT....
Animal Collective (81.9%) over Frightened Rabbit - Tough draw for Frightened Rabbit.
Buzzer-beaters (Less than 55%)
The Avett Brothers (50.7%) over Lil' Wayne - I'd like to write a dissertation about this result. First, no band with "Brothers" in their name has EVER been that good. Second, this is clearly anti-rap bias, because anyone with a brain and an appreciation for songwriting wouldn't think twice about moving Lil' Wayne into the next round. Which means approximately 49.3% of the public has a brain. Third, I realize that most of the bands these people listen to don't make any money, but being poor doesn't equate to being good. The fact that Mr. Carter was able to exercise creative freedom AND sell 3+ million (aka 3,000,000+, aka 3.0 x 10^6, aka "a shit ton") records is more impressive than the collective past, present and future of whatever it is that The Avett Brothers do. Completely reprehensible pick, and if I was running this tournament, I'd exercise my vetoing power and reverse this decision.
Joanna Newsom (50.8%) over Dan Deacon - THIS makes sense. That was a tough call, and the voting showed it.
Blitzen Trapper (50.8%) over Man Man
The Fiery Furnaces (51.5%) over The Mountain Goats - The Fiery Furnaces wouldn't be anywhere near my list of favorite bands, but I can see how they might be for a lot of people. Plus, The Mountain Goats tend to err on the side of emotional mess.
Cut Copy (51.5%) over Neko Case - I was really worried about this one, but the voters got it right. Neko Case has had her run.
The Decemberists (53.1%) over Sigur Ros - Much closer than I was expecting.
Beach House (53.1%) over Sun Kil Moon - Still don't have anything to say about either of these bands.
2nd Round Match-ups
The National (82%) over The Avett Brothers - So The Avett Brothers are better than Lil' Wayne, but The National beat them by SIXTY FOUR percentage points?!?! I will now light my computer on fire.
Sufjan Stevens (81%) over Joanna Newsom - Waaaayyyyy too convincing of a win for a guy with as little output over the past couple years as Sufjan. Plus, Joanna Newsom is way cuter. And did I mention she plays the harp? She plays the harp...
Beirut (75.2%) over The Fiery Furnaces - Hell yeah! Good-sounding-but-different music wins out over weird-sounding-and-different music. My ears thank you, voters!
Feist (73.6%) over Beach House - This makes sense, unless you remember that the only "new" record from Feist last year was a re-issue of the album she JUST released! Who does that? I mean, it makes sense to re-issue something from 10, 15, 30 years ago. Unless it's the best album of all time (it wasn't) and sold every copy, to the point where you couldn't find it in stores if you wanted to (you can)... why the re-issue? That's lame.
MGMT (71.4%) over Antony and the Johnsons - People REALLY like MGMT! To the point where it doesn't make any sense. At all.
Andrew Bird (69.2%) over M. Ward - People also seem to really like Andrew Bird. I'll allow it.
Fleet Foxes (68.8%) over Wolf Parade
Arcade Fire (67%) over Cut Copy - I guess the voters are of the "sad, depressed, dark colored clothing" variety instead of the "awesome, fun, bright colored clothing" variety. Different strokes for boring folks.
Girl Talk (66%) over Blitzen Trapper - Debatable. Not sure Girl Talk deserves a 2:1 victory, but I'd be willing to hear arguments from both sides.
Animal Collective (65.8%) over Bloc Party - Closer than expected. I didn't think Bloc Party's new album was that good... in fact, I think that Phoenix should've replaced Bloc Party in this competition. Their newest album is pretty great.
Spoon (60.2%) over Grizzly Bear - SHOCKING! Absolutely shocking. I definitely won't argue too much about this win because I love Spoon. But Grizzly Bear is riding a wave of internet buzz right now. Could this be backlash against all that press? Possibly. Or people could just really love Spoon. I know I do.
Of Montreal (56.1%) over M.I.A. - Why aren't people bored with Of Montreal yet? We get it... you're like the new glam-rockers. You like David Bowie. Blah blah blah. Whatever.
The Decemberists (55.7%) over Yeah Yeah Yeahs - This match-up is the reason why we reorganized the bracket to represent the actual NCAA pairings... The Decemberists shouldn't have to play the Yeah Yeah Yeahs in the second round. That's not fair to either team. I'm not surprised by this result, but I'm disappointed because I'm pretty sure the YYYs would've beat almost anyone else and advanced to the Sweet 16.
TV on the Radio (54.7%) over Bon Iver - This is ALSO disappointing! Bon Iver is an Elite 8 worthy artist that got paired against TV on the Radio. How're you supposed to take down that juggernaut? It's not fair... but the votes show that people had a hard time with this one. I would have also.
Franz Ferdinand (52.3%) over M83 - Two pretty different bands forcing people to essentially choose a style of music. Guitars > synthesizers, apparently.
Cat Power (50.9%) over Kanye West - I don't necessarily agree with this pick, but the fact that it was so close means people had trouble choosing. In the end, Kanye's douchebagginess probably prevented him from advancing. That might be good... he's got some legal issues to figure out.
Those of you looking for more Music Madness....yeah this probably isn't for you but if you're a fan of sequins, top hats and batucadas keep reading.
Denise and Maks - Woeful. I thought Kim Kardashian was bad but Denise makes her look like Ginger Rogers. America please put her (and me) out of her misery.
Chuck and Julianne - Good but not great. Their whole couple act is annoying.
Holly and Dmitry - She literally looked like a Barbie doll out there - immovable joints and all. Horrible.
Steve-o and Lacey - I really love Steve-o on this show! You can tell he is trying so hard and is really in pain. Even though he forgot a big chunk of the dance he gets a pass from me.
LT and Edyta - How are football players always so good on this show? Agility? Footwork?
Shawn and Mark - She's really good but still looks like a chipmunk to me. Not much else to say.
Gilles and Cheryl - OK last week I thought he was overrated but all I can say is wow. He was damn good. It also totally throws me off that he's French and not Latino - wtf? Oh also whoever thought pink and red didn't clash was wrong!
David Allen Grier (because the man can't be called by one name) and Kym - Really liked the Broadway feel to this routine. Props to Kym on the choreography.
Steve and Karina - Steve does the worm. Nuff said
Melissa and Tony - I love how they keep using creative patches of rhinestones to cover up her tramp stamp tattoo. It's clear that she's a trained dancer so it's pretty unfair but very nice performance. Also I don't know why it took me like 6 seasons to realize but Tony is hot...real talk.
Lil Kim and Derek - I had really high expectations for a samba from LK and I must say I was left a little disappointed. It just seemed like she was overthinking it.
Ty and Chelsie - This guy is really growing on me and Chelsie is awesome. They should have enough votes to stick around.
A lot happened this weekend, so in an effort to bring everyone up to speed... a summary of sorts:
Results from the First Weekend (It's A Bit Complicated) Because our results differ from the We Listen For You reader results, here's how we'll break this down. Our picks will come first, and the WLFY results will be parentheses. Here's where it gets really complicated... if a band has advanced to the Sweet 16, they'll have an asterisk (*) next to their name. Unnecessarily confusing? Likely. Make sense? Probably not. Here they are anyway.
Radiohead Region Animal Collective* (Animal Collective*) Deerhunter (Bloc Party) Grizzly Bear (Grizzly Bear) Spoon (Spoon*) Lil' Wayne* (The Avett Brothers) The National* (The National*) Franz Ferdinand* (Franz Ferdinand*) M83 (M83)
Flaming Lips Region Fleet Foxes* (Fleet Foxes*) Wolf Parade (Wolf Parade) Andrew Bird (Andrew Bird*) M. Ward* (M. Ward) Of Montreal (Of Montreal*) M.I.A.* (M.I.A.) Beirut* (Beirut*) The Mountain Goats (The Fiery Furnaces)
LCD Soundsystem Region Kanye West* (Kanye West) No Age (Cat Power*) The Walkmen (Arcade Fire*) Cut Copy (Cut Copy) Yeah Yeah Yeahs* (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) The Decemberists* (The Decemberists*) The Cool Kids* (Feist*) Beach House (Beach House)
Wilco Region TV on the Radio* (TV on the Radio*) Bon Iver* (Bon Iver) The Mae Shi (MGMT*) Antony and the Johnsons* (Antony and the Johnsons) Sufjan Stevens (Sufjan Stevens*) Joanna Newsom* (Joanna Newsom) Girl Talk (Girl Talk*) Blitzen Trapper (Blitzen Trapper)
The Sweet 16 (You Could Have It So Much Better) A simple listing of who will be competing in the Sweet 16 (Duke not included). Again, our picks come first, with WLFY reader picks in parentheses. Radiohead Region Animal Collective (Animal Collective) Lil' Wayne (Spoon) The National (The National) Franz Ferdinand (Franz Ferdinand)
Flaming Lips Region Fleet Foxes (Fleet Foxes) M. Ward (Andrew Bird) M.I.A. (Of Montreal) Beirut (Beirut)
LCD Soundsystem Region Kanye West (Cat Power) Yeah Yeah Yeahs (Arcade Fire) The Decemberists (The Decemberists) The Cool Kids (Feist)
Wilco Region TV on the Radio (TV on the Radio) Bon Iver (MGMT) Antony and the Johnsons (Sufjan Stevens) Joanna Newsom (Girl Talk)
Note: Just as a reminder, we reorganized the brackets from WLFY so that they mimic the actual NCAA brackets. This resulted in different Second Round match-ups, but it'll still be fun to debate winners!
In general unless someone has wronged me or is playing on a team opposing Duke I don't like seeing people in pain. That's why it was so hard to the Road Block on tonight's episode of TAR. Seeing Mel schlep those buckets of water in the scorching Indian sun as he grunted and sweat made me so sad. But in true reality TV fashion all was redeemed when he of course was the only one to ACTUALLY READ THE CLUE and then beat everyone!! I'm glad to see that common sense still tops brawn on this show. Also Mel and Mike are quickly climbing up to the top of my favorite teams list. In opposite news...
Dear Jaime and Cara,
Maybe if you weren't so mean to your taxi drivers they wouldn't leave you places. They may not speak English but I'm pretty sure mocking comes across in any language.
And so ends the best sports weekend of the year... luckily, we got the added bonus of having an entire music tournament to talk about! If you haven't already done so, make sure you VOTE in the We Listen For You tournament. Our match-ups will look different because 1) we're giving you OUR picks and 2) we've altered the seedings so that they mimic the actual NCAA tournament seedings (something that the bracket-maker WLFY used wouldn't allow them to do). Because of that, the two brackets will look very different, but we didn't think it would be fair for a #1 seed to have to play a #5 seed in the second round (as opposed to the winner of the #8/#9 match-up). At the end of the tourney, we'll do a little comparison, admit our mistakes (or not) and explain why our picks are infinitely better than the general public's (which they probably aren't). The final bands making the Sweet 16:
(1) TV on the Radio vs. (9) Blitzen Trapper Winner: (1) TV on the Radio We rarely get comments at GSATW. Probably because people know that everything we say is right. However, when we moved TV on the Radio into the second round, someone mentioned that we made a mistake... that "you certainly know exactly what you're going to get" with TV on the Radio. I'm bad at understanding sarcasm through the interweb, so I'm assuming that "what you're going to get" is a fucking badass record and not some off-hand comment about them being predictable. It's a shame that "production quality" is synonymous with terms like "commercial" and "slick..." basically a death sentence for an indie rock album. Just because something sounds good doesn't mean that a band has sacrificed their musical integrity! Maybe it means they put more time and money (which they've earned putting out great albums and touring their asses off) into their work because they want better output. Dear Science, then, is not predictable and bland... it's a testament to what you can produce when you pour everything (talent, originality, effort, and yes... money) you have into something. Blitzen Trapper, while technically sound and incredibly fun to listen to, is outclassed at basically every turn. TVOTR in a landslide.
(4) Girl Talk vs. (5) Bon Iver Winner: (5) Bon Iver Girl Talk is the stage name of Gregg Gillis. I feel like I have a lot in common with Gregg. Gregg is from Pittsburgh. I have a friend named Greg from Pittsburgh. Gregg is/was a biomedical engineering. I majored in biomedical engineering. Gregg would leave work, fly from Pittsburgh to Miami, play a club show, fly back to Pittsburgh, and go to work the next morning. I leave work, sit on my couch, have a couple beers, play Wii MarioKart, then go to bed at 11. Tomato, tomahto. The point is, I like Girl Talk a lot, and I really respect the amount of effort it takes to sample and sequence all of the songs he puts together. But at the end of the day, Gillis cuts and pastes. Is that incredibly condescending and a gross oversimplification of what a Girl Talk album is? Absolutely. But I can't help it. Bon Iver is just the most recent beneficiary of my mash-up bias. Plus... For Emma, Forever Ago blew me away when I heard it, and his Blood Bank EP does nothing but whet my appetite for another full-length LP. This is what it'll feel like when my beloved Devils go down. Sad times.
(11) Joanna Newsom vs. (14) The Mae Shi Winner: (11) Joanna Newsom I need to write less. People are going to get bored, and this seems like a good time to exercise brevity. Joanna Newsom squeaked by in the first round on, let's face it, her past success. That's not to say she didn't deserve the win over Dan Deacon, but it still felt a little wrong. Luckily for her, I have very little invested in The Mae Shi. They're solid, and definitely a lot of fun, but they're prone to their indulgences (disclaimer: so is Joanna Newsom... see: Ys). But just one question... who else, in the realm of indie music, uses a harp as their central instrument? I'll give you a hint: it's not The Mae Shi. Seeing Newsom live is incredible... not only is she physically beautiful (sorry, I'm not sorry), but watching her hands deftly move up and down her harp while listening to her delicate vocal quiver is an experience you won't forget. I promise.
(2) Sufjan Stevens vs. (7) Antony and the Johnsons Winner: (7) Antony and the Johnsons Sufjan got through the first round on reputation alone. Period. I have to assume that he's writing new music, and if his contribution to Dark Was The Night is any indication, he's playing around with some new ideas. But I have to reiterate... Illinois came out in 2005. Avalanche (essentially all of his extra tracks from the Illinois recording sessions) and his Songs For Christmas box-set came out in 2006. And that's been it. Two years, no new proper album. Antony and the Johnsons, on the other hand, just released The Crying Light, an early favorite to be included in end-of-the-year Top 10 lists and a commendable progression from I Am A Bird Now. Antony Hegarty revels in the silence, and his voice alone should be considered an instrument on any song. Carefully chosen orchestral swells accent only the most important moments of The Crying Light, and whereas I Am A Bird Now allowed Antony to occasionally fall back on a number of guest artists, this album finds him on his own, comfortable with his sound. It's definitely an accomplishment... something Sufjan hasn't experienced for a minute.
Time to figure out who will be dancing with the Blue Devils in the Sweet 16! Today, the LCD Soundsystem and Wilco regions.
(1) Kanye West vs. (9) Beach House Winner: (1) Kanye West I watched "Role Models" last night, and good God I forgot how funny Jane Lynch is in that movie. In honor of her performance, this represents the "You Can't Bullshit and Bullshitter" match-up of the Second Round. As in, anyone who thinks Beach House can match up with Kanye is in all-out BS mode. Musically, Beach House likely draws the slight edge, but as a package, Kanye will roll through this round. We've already mentioned the change in style for 808s and Heartbreak, but we also have to consider Kanye's past, going as far back as a producer for Jay-Z's seminal album, The Blueprint. Even before getting behind the mic, West excelled at making beats and hooks, and being around one of the greatest rappers ever definitely contributed to his ability to successfully transition from soundboard to studio. Maybe I just don't have the patience for Beach House's critically-acclaimed Devotion, but when push comes to shove, I'd rather hear Kanye's auto-tuned conflict of bravado-meets-lonliness than Beach House's slow-burner.
(12) No Age vs. (13) The Cool Kids Winner: (13) The Cool Kids I really want The Cool Kids to get big. If the Beastie Boys were able to infiltrate pop culture and earn critical praise, then there's no reason why Mikey Rocks and Chuck Inglish should be unknown (the same could be said of Wale, who should've been included in this bracket simply because of the buzz he's generating right now). Will their style of late 80s/early 90s hip-hop fly in an era of "ring-tone rappers"? Can rappers be successful if they don't create songs simply for the purpose of starting a dance? Is the auto-tuner destined to stay, or will we see an eventual revolt against the electronic and a return to pure voices creating original raps? Will those raps, out of necessity, be about drugs and guns and gratuitous sex, or can they be funny... ironic... intelligent? Who knows, but I nominate The Cool Kids to be ambassadors for ushering in a cleansing of the hip-hop landscape and a movement towards a world that exists sans Soulja Boy. It's time.
(6) The Decemberists vs. (14) The Walkmen Winner: (6) The Decemberists Of all the albums I'm excited about coming out this year, The Decemberists' Hazards of Love has to rank near the very top. I have yet to be disappointed by any of their records, and each new volume provides a two-pronged experience... music and lyrics. I can go multiple listens without truly hearing what Colin Meloy is saying, and then all of a sudden it becomes apparent that I've been ignoring a tightly written story... usually one that would be equally at home in an AP English class as on my car stereo. Is there really an audience for a song entitled "Valerie Plame" (yes, that Valerie Plame)? Maybe not, but The Decemberists have never really cared about making contemporary albums. In fact, many of their early albums lean... maritime. Yeah, maritime. As in, boats, seas, knots, etc. But they're incredibly entertaining (and not as cringe-inducing as one would think upon hearing the term "concept album"). As long as they continue to create musically and lyrically hefty albums, they'll continue to advance.
(2) Yeah Yeah Yeahs vs. (10) Cut Copy Winner: (2) Yeah Yeah Yeahs This match-up hurts my heart. Every time I hear Cut Copy, I feel happy. Synths and drum kits and loops and wandering bass lines and whatnot... it's glorious dance music. "Out There On The Ice," "So Haunted," and "Hearts On Fire" were absolutely 3 of my favorite 20 songs from 2008. If you haven't heard them, DO IT NOW!! But It's Blitz!, the new Yeah Yeah Yeahs album, is sooooo good, I'm having trouble thinking of objective things to say about it. Karen O's voice is, for the most part, more restrained on this album than in the past... which makes her yelps and yips that much more goosebump-inducing when they do occur. This is looking like a serious contender for the overall title. Don't sleep on the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
Time to analyze the bottom half of the bracket. The Flaming Lips region had a number of solid first round match-ups, and the second rounders are just as good, if not better.
(1) Fleet Foxes vs. (8) The Mountain Goats Winner: (1) Fleet Foxes Simply... The Mountain Goats have no mo'. John Darnielle and co. continue to make solid record after solid record, but honestly, a lot of it sounds the same. That's not to say that their output, most recently Heretic Pride, isn't worth listening to. It definitely is, and they have a pretty impressive track record. But you have to be in the right mood to listen to albums about child abuse (The Sunset Tree) and failed relationships (Get Lonely). Fleet Foxes burst on the scene this year with their Sun Giant EP clearing the way for Fleet Foxes to completely dominate the landscape. With an ethereal sound, Fleet Foxes offer deftly layered vocal arrangements on top of the expansive, open sound of their Pacific Northwest brethren. "Americana" might be an inaccurate description of the sound, but it sounds distinctly "American," and without question, it will be playing at some point on any extended road trip I have in the near-to-distant future.
(4) Beirut vs. (5) Wolf Parade Winner: (4) Beirut This was probably the easiest pick of the Round of 32 so far. I applaud what Wolf Parade are doing, but I have to reiterate how impressed I've been with Zach Condon and his bandmates in Beirut. They have managed to create a diverse discography that draws from a number of international sounds. It feels like I should be listening to Beirut on a gramophone, and their music has an overwhelming sense of antiquity, seemingly from a completely different time and place. And yet, it fits perfectly into our current musical landscape (especially if that landscape is "coffee shop"). For their most recent album, Beirut left the Eastern European influences at home and traveled south to Oaxaca, Mexico. As a result, March of the Zapotec sounds distinct from each of its predecssors. Probably the most exciting thing about Beirut is that Condon is only 23. How many more terrific albums are we in store for??
(3) Andrew Bird vs. (11) M.I.A. Winner: (11) M.I.A. I just changed my winner from Andrew Bird to M.I.A., and the reason is simple. Who else sounds like M.I.A.? Maybe Santogold a little bit, and Lil' Mama might be leaning in her direction, but both of those artists developed that sound after M.I.A. hit the scene. I've had quite a few discussions with people, most notably my brother, about whether M.I.A. is as good as everyone says she is. I was skeptical at first, but I'm coming around. That's not to say I can listen to either Arular or Kala all the way through, but both albums offer something that very few artists can these days: listenable experimental music. As opposed to The Fiery Furnaces, who lost in the first round of the tournament, M.I.A. (and producer Diplo) experiment with rhythm, sample, vocal inflection, sound, and probably a dozen other things over the course of an album. The success of those efforts are varied, but the resulting product is never boring. Andrew bird has a unique voice, but can easily be dropped into a genre. Try doing that with M.I.A. and you'll be left scratching your head.
(2) Of Montreal vs. (7) M. Ward Winner: (7) M. Ward This is really just an excuse to get Of Montreal out of the tournament. But let's sing a few praises for M. Ward, folksy guitar balladeer extraordinaire. From Transfiguration of Vincent to Transistor Radio to Post-War, M. Ward had about a 3 year streak of just top-notch output. He transitions seamlessly from honky-tonk romps to quiet, solitary love songs, and his seeming loud whisper of a voice fits both styles perfectly. Why his newest album, Hold Time, seems to be a drop in quality is hard to explain. Maybe he's more focused on side project She & Him. Maybe he's relying too much on a formula for his sound, not taking chances on different styles (although I'm not sure which direction he would go if he wanted to). Regardless, he's more enjoyable to listen to than Of Montreal. Contrary to the music elitist mindset, sometimes a guy with an acoustic guitar can be a good thing.
After a relatively predictable first round, can some lower seeds pull off upsets in the Round of 32? We'll be looking at the Radiohead and Flaming Lips regions today, and the LCD Soundsystem and Wilco regions tomorrow. Let's get into the match-ups:
(1) Animal Collective vs. (9) M83 Winner: (1) Animal Collective Animal Collective is pretty far from aesthetically accessible. Although Merriweather Post Pavilion is undoubtedly their most immediate album, it still requires patience from the listener, as many of the songs develop and subtly change over repetitive loops and themes. M83's Saturdays = Youth would probably appeal to most people on some level. Weird/creepy soliloquies mid-song notwithstanding, the music is "pretty" in a very universal sense, and it sounds like it could be a soundtrack to a movie. If this were an actual tournament match-up, Animal Collective would be harder for the other team to figure out because they have a lot of different schemes and can play a number of different styles. M83 is easier to prepare for because you know what you're going to see, and although they're very good, their predictability is their Achilles heal.
(5) Deerhunter vs. (4) Franz Ferdinand Winner: (4) Franz Ferdinand I went back on forth on this match-up for a good 15 minutes, trying to decide which band was more deserving of advancing. Then I realized they were up against Animal Collective and figured it was time to just pick a band so I could put someone out of their misery. Franz Ferdinand got the nod because their recent release Tonight will put them in the running for Comeback Band of the Year. After their eponymous debut album rocketed them from clubs to stadiums, they quickly released You Could Have It So Much Better. "Sophomore slump" would probably have been too harsh, but it was still a drop when compared to the fire-hot Franz Ferdinand. It's been 3 years since YCHISMB, and the time has allowed Franz Ferdinand to focus on songwriting. There are no "Take Me Out"s on Tonight, but the album feels complete and cohesive. Although Deerhunter's Microcastle/Weird Era Cont. double album was excellent, I've got a soft spot for those Glaswegians. Besides, Animal Collective is waiting...
(3) Grizzly Bear vs (6) The National Winner: (6) The National I understand that Grizzly Bear is quite possibly the most blogged about band on the internets right now, and Veckatimest, their upcoming album, somehow manages to live up to all of the hype and early praise it's receiving. Those two things combined should project Grizzly Bear into the next round, and if this match-up happened 10 times, Grizzly Bear probably wins 7-8 of them. But today, Boxer is playing in the house as we're cleaning, and I can't help but think about how amazing that album was, from start to finish. And lest we forget, Aaron and Bryce Dessner (from The National) were primarily responsible for the Red Hot Organization's indie-rock All-Star compliation Dark Was The Night. Not only are The National a phenomenal band, but they care about battling HIV/AIDS. That's the kind of heart that pushes a team to an upset.
(2) Lil' Wayne vs. (7) Spoon Winner: (2) Lil' Wayne "What's Lil' Wayne up to today?" You could ask that question on a daily basis and legitimately get a different answer almost every time. Is he dropping another mixtape? What's all this about how he's making a rock album? Which new Top 20 song is he a part of? Didn't I see Katie Couric giving him the googly-eyes a month or so before the Grammy's? Tha Carter III was unquestionably one of the best albums of 2008 by any metric you care to use. The critics fawned over it, hailing Weezy as the best in the game right now (a claim he routinely makes himself). His album sold over 3 million copies, going triple platinum at a time when album sales are down. Put simply... when the predominantly white indie blogosphere can admit that a rapper has made one of the best albums of the year (and maybe the decade), something special is happening. I've got love for Spoon, but against Lil' Wayne... this year... it's not even close.
