March Music Madness - The Final Four

And so here we are... the Final Four. Possibly one of the most exciting weekends in all of sports, and I'll be missing most (if not all) of the action due to studying. Grad students really are the worst. But fear not. Before we essentially shut the blog down for a week (save for a couple of random posts), we have to finish up the March Music Madness competition, and I think the national semifinalists speak for themselves. Some of the best talent out there rose to the top, and although there's no Animal Collective or Grizzly Bear (which could possibly be a mistake), the bands left standing all have a strong case for being there. Let's do some quick analysis of the Final Four match-ups before the epic Championship throw-down on Sunday!

(2) Lil' Wayne vs. (4) Beirut
Winner: (2) Lil' Wayne
I probably love Beirut and Zach Condon more than a heterosexual male should, but I submit the following:
Tha Carter III vs. Any of Beirut's albums
Billboard's 2008 Top-Selling Albums
I understand the case for "rap isn't music, and what Beirut is doing is music!" I really do. I'm the same guy who never listened to rap until 2006 (unless it was played while I was awkwardly dancing* with a girl at a school dance). But you have to listen to this album. Is it misogynistic? Yes, at times. Is it filled with vulgarities? It has a Parental Warning Label, doesn't it? But this is poetry. This is comedy. This is extravagant, boisterous entertainment delivered by a man who may very well be losing his mind. And if a basic aversion to rap and hip-hop keeps you from hearing Tha Carter III (I mean... really hearing it), then you've let a seminal album slip through your fingers. Rarely does an album's popularity match its quality (and if you don't believe me, read the rest of the Billboard article). This one does.


(1) TV on the Radio vs. (4) The Decemberists
Winner: (1) TV on the Radio
By calling TV on the Radio this tournament's Louisville, I had a feeling I'd either be jinxing Louisville or TVOTR. But since I already knew who'd be advancing to the final in this tournmanet, Louisville had to fall (and they did). Admittedly, this is a tough match-up for the Brooklynites. The Decemberists have great length (discography-wise) and a rabid fan base. Colin Meloy's hyperliterate lyrics weave intricate stories that lend themselves to multiple listens... always a bonus. In fact, I entertained the thought of moving The Decemberists into the final, but to be honest... I was a little underwhelmed by Hazards of Love. Of course it's good (it's a Decemberists album, after all), but if it had blown me away, I think they had the potential to jump TVOTR (by the thinnest of margins). However, by putting out a merely good album, they lack the momentum to pass the behemoth that is... TV on the Radio. Dear Science is a treasure, and I feel a little sissy for saying that. This is a "tell your kids about it" type of album. I envision myself pulling out Dear Science 20 years from now, in middle-age, and still being blown away. In those 20 years, maybe 25 albums will be in the same league, and maybe 5 bands will have been as consistently as impressive as TVOTR. Maybe. Criticism is prone to hype and "Greatest of All Time" debates (see our last post if you don't believe me), but when something or someone elicits such an indelible visceral response, signs and blinking lights should go off. And so TVOTR is Las Vegas, and The Decemberists are Reno. And that's all right.


* Standing in a corner, avoiding eye-contact