March Music Madness - Sweet 16, Pt. 2

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.