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
Showing posts with label March Music Madness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label March Music Madness. Show all posts
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
March Music Madness - "Analysis" of the Poll Results
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
The Elite 8
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).
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]
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).
Labels:
March Music Madness
Saturday, March 28, 2009
March Music Madness - Elite Eight
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.
(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.
Labels:
Elite Eight,
March Music Madness
Friday, March 27, 2009
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.
(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.
Labels:
March Music Madness,
Sweet 16
Thursday, March 26, 2009
March Music Madness - Sweet 16, Pt. 1
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.
(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.
Labels:
March Music Madness,
Sweet 16
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
March Music Madness - First Weekend Wrap-Up, Pt. 2
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%)
Buzzer-beaters (Less than 55%)
2nd Round Match-ups
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.
Labels:
March Music Madness
Monday, March 23, 2009
March Music Madness - First Weekend Wrap-Up, Pt. 1
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!
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!
Labels:
March Music Madness
Sunday, March 22, 2009
March Music Madness, Round 2 - Wilco Region
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.
(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.
Labels:
March Music Madness,
Second Round,
Wilco Region
March Music Madness, Round 2 - LCD Soundsystem Region
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.
(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.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
March Music Madness, Round 2 - Flaming Lips Region
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.
(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.
March Music Madness, Round 2 - Radiohead Region
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.
(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.
Labels:
March Music Madness,
Radiohead Region,
Second Round
Friday, March 20, 2009
March Music Madness, Round 1 -Wilco Region
Okay... this is the last time I'm linking to the bracket. We're completing the first round match-ups in the Wilco regional. If you have any opinion on who should win in the next round, let me know. And now, on to the picks...
(1) TV On The Radio vs. (16) Late of the Pier
Winner: (1) TV On The Radio
When UConn beat Chattanooga yesterday by the modest score of 103-47, I couldn't help but think of this "match-up." That's assuming that anyone (ever) would consider Late of the Pier on a level capable of competing with TVOTR. That's not even a knock against Late of the Pier, who make completely likable dance music. But really, TVOTR are on another level right now. Dear Science, has taken the sounds and ideas they've cultivated with Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes and Return To Cookie Mountain, polished them up with slicker production, and made them more accessible and immediate. The result? A consensus Album of the Year for 2008, and a demolition in the First Round of the tourney.
(5) Bon Iver vs. (12) Crystal Castles
Winner: (5) Bon Iver
I could be wrong, but I think this represents a match-up of the most disparate sounds between two bands in the entire tournament (so far, at least). Crystal Castles eponymous debut album is an electronic orgy of samples, original beats, and 8-bit video game sounds. And it's good. And they've made approximately 1912413 remixes in the past couple of years. Still, Bon Iver's current ascent, from For Emma, Forever Ago to Blood Bank EP to his contributions to the excellent Dark Was The Night compilation, into the forefront of independent music is too impressive to deny. I can think of (and have experienced) more situations in which I'd randomly decide to listen to Bon Iver. For that reason, in addition to many others, Bon Iver gets the nod. Count it.
(3) MGMT vs. (14) The Mae Shi
Winner: (14) The Mae Shi
I mean, I guess MGMT is okay. Their music is generally pretty entertaining. They sound kind of like Muse, and Muse is okay. Or they sound like other British proggy bands, and that's okay too. But Oracular Spectacular came out a couple of years ago. Am I missing something? Are they really one of the 12 most relevant bands in music today? Is that even possible? The Mae Shi, on the other hand, have put out a number of records and have slowly developed a sound that is spastic, but controlled enough for the casual listener to stay interested. And they put out an album last year (HLLLYH). And they obviously love abbrevs... winners in my book!
(7) Antony and the Johnsons vs. (10) The Sea and Cake
Winner: (7) Antony and the Johnsons
Everyone should listen to The Sea and Cake. They're really good. 2007's Everybody and 2008's Car Alarm were both consistently enjoyable, and against another top seed (like MGMT, for example), they'd definitely win. But... as we see so often in the real tournament, sometimes you just get unlucky. For The Sea and Cake, Antony and the Johnsons are like a brick wall of unluckiness. Between his incredible 2009 album The Crying Light and his contributions to 2008 critic and fan favorite Hercules & Love Affair (as well as his other past albums, like I Am A Bird Now), Antony Hegarty is on quite a roll. The orchestral compositions, rich lyrics, and unmistakable vocal quiver of Antony is a force to be reckoned with... a really, really pretty force. Like Leia. (Did she have the force too? She did, I'm almost positive).
(2) Sufjan Stevens vs. (15) Mother Mother
Winner: (2) Sufjan Stevens
This is a weird pairing, because neither artist has released a new, proper album since 2007. So it would be dishonest to say that either band's music makes them currently relevant. Mother Mother's Touch Up is... interesting, to say the least. But Sufjan Stevens is indie music. When he does anything, people take note. Although a large number of people are involved, Stevens is more-or-less the figurehead of his label Asthmatic Kitty. And he's already 1/25th completed with his goal of writing an album (loosely) based on every state (Greetings from Michigan: The Great Lakes State and Illinois)! So yeah... Sufjan Stevens just has the pedigree to outrun Mother Mother. End of story.
(6) Dan Deacon vs. (11) Joanna Newsom
Winner: (11) Joanna Newsom
This isn't a rational pick, and I understand that. Dan Deacon just released a new album (Bromst) and although I haven't had a chance to hear it, I'm sure it's similar to his last album, Spiderman of the Rings. Which means it's good. Crazy and trippy and schizophrenic and spastic. And good. Joanna Newsom hasn't released new material since 2007, but my love for her is like my love for Kelly Clarkson... unconditional. Her voice, off-putting to some (or many), is like a Siren to me, and I could listen to her phenomenal Ys at any time. Her winning this match-up is so wrong, it's right.
(4) Girl Talk vs (13) HEALTH
Winner: (4) Girl Talk
I feel like I'm on the outside of an inside joke with HEALTH. They're obviously good, but I'm not entirely sure why. Like, if you asked me "Matt, do you like that band HEALTH?" I'd say "Yeah!" But I wouldn't be able to follow it up with a good reason. But Girl Talk? I can tell you why I like Girl Talk, but it would take too long. Here's an idea, check this out. It's not really fair, I guess... you're comparing one band to an almost seamless amalgamation of dozens of bands, expertly spliced into sequences that elicit novel emotions that the original pieces, in isolation, could never bring out. I'll link to a song, but you should really just download the whole thing for yourself (at whatever price you want to pay).
(8) Man Man vs (9) Blitzen Trapper
Winner: (9) Blitzen Trapper
This was a really hard decision, and fitting of an 8/9 match-up. Man Man is definitely less accessible than Blitzen Trapper, but their unique sound are what sets them apart from more traditional bands playing similar types of music. Rabbit Habits is a really good album, but when it comes down to what I'd be more likely to play on any given day, the win has to go to Blitzen Trapper. Both Furr and Wild Mountain Nation draw heavily from the classic rock sounds of the 70s without sounding completely dependent on those motifs. Extremely tight competition... one of those "it's a shame one team had to lose" situations. But, as the Magic Numbers would agree, those the brokes.
... and thus concludes the First Round! Stay tuned Saturday and Sunday as we narrow the remaining 32 bands to the Sweet 16. Again, if you have any input, speak now or forever hold your peace. Have a great Friday evening... GSATW, out!
(1) TV On The Radio vs. (16) Late of the Pier
Winner: (1) TV On The Radio
When UConn beat Chattanooga yesterday by the modest score of 103-47, I couldn't help but think of this "match-up." That's assuming that anyone (ever) would consider Late of the Pier on a level capable of competing with TVOTR. That's not even a knock against Late of the Pier, who make completely likable dance music. But really, TVOTR are on another level right now. Dear Science, has taken the sounds and ideas they've cultivated with Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes and Return To Cookie Mountain, polished them up with slicker production, and made them more accessible and immediate. The result? A consensus Album of the Year for 2008, and a demolition in the First Round of the tourney.
(5) Bon Iver vs. (12) Crystal Castles
Winner: (5) Bon Iver
I could be wrong, but I think this represents a match-up of the most disparate sounds between two bands in the entire tournament (so far, at least). Crystal Castles eponymous debut album is an electronic orgy of samples, original beats, and 8-bit video game sounds. And it's good. And they've made approximately 1912413 remixes in the past couple of years. Still, Bon Iver's current ascent, from For Emma, Forever Ago to Blood Bank EP to his contributions to the excellent Dark Was The Night compilation, into the forefront of independent music is too impressive to deny. I can think of (and have experienced) more situations in which I'd randomly decide to listen to Bon Iver. For that reason, in addition to many others, Bon Iver gets the nod. Count it.
(3) MGMT vs. (14) The Mae Shi
Winner: (14) The Mae Shi
I mean, I guess MGMT is okay. Their music is generally pretty entertaining. They sound kind of like Muse, and Muse is okay. Or they sound like other British proggy bands, and that's okay too. But Oracular Spectacular came out a couple of years ago. Am I missing something? Are they really one of the 12 most relevant bands in music today? Is that even possible? The Mae Shi, on the other hand, have put out a number of records and have slowly developed a sound that is spastic, but controlled enough for the casual listener to stay interested. And they put out an album last year (HLLLYH). And they obviously love abbrevs... winners in my book!
(7) Antony and the Johnsons vs. (10) The Sea and Cake
Winner: (7) Antony and the Johnsons
Everyone should listen to The Sea and Cake. They're really good. 2007's Everybody and 2008's Car Alarm were both consistently enjoyable, and against another top seed (like MGMT, for example), they'd definitely win. But... as we see so often in the real tournament, sometimes you just get unlucky. For The Sea and Cake, Antony and the Johnsons are like a brick wall of unluckiness. Between his incredible 2009 album The Crying Light and his contributions to 2008 critic and fan favorite Hercules & Love Affair (as well as his other past albums, like I Am A Bird Now), Antony Hegarty is on quite a roll. The orchestral compositions, rich lyrics, and unmistakable vocal quiver of Antony is a force to be reckoned with... a really, really pretty force. Like Leia. (Did she have the force too? She did, I'm almost positive).
(2) Sufjan Stevens vs. (15) Mother Mother
Winner: (2) Sufjan Stevens
This is a weird pairing, because neither artist has released a new, proper album since 2007. So it would be dishonest to say that either band's music makes them currently relevant. Mother Mother's Touch Up is... interesting, to say the least. But Sufjan Stevens is indie music. When he does anything, people take note. Although a large number of people are involved, Stevens is more-or-less the figurehead of his label Asthmatic Kitty. And he's already 1/25th completed with his goal of writing an album (loosely) based on every state (Greetings from Michigan: The Great Lakes State and Illinois)! So yeah... Sufjan Stevens just has the pedigree to outrun Mother Mother. End of story.
(6) Dan Deacon vs. (11) Joanna Newsom
Winner: (11) Joanna Newsom
This isn't a rational pick, and I understand that. Dan Deacon just released a new album (Bromst) and although I haven't had a chance to hear it, I'm sure it's similar to his last album, Spiderman of the Rings. Which means it's good. Crazy and trippy and schizophrenic and spastic. And good. Joanna Newsom hasn't released new material since 2007, but my love for her is like my love for Kelly Clarkson... unconditional. Her voice, off-putting to some (or many), is like a Siren to me, and I could listen to her phenomenal Ys at any time. Her winning this match-up is so wrong, it's right.
(4) Girl Talk vs (13) HEALTH
Winner: (4) Girl Talk
I feel like I'm on the outside of an inside joke with HEALTH. They're obviously good, but I'm not entirely sure why. Like, if you asked me "Matt, do you like that band HEALTH?" I'd say "Yeah!" But I wouldn't be able to follow it up with a good reason. But Girl Talk? I can tell you why I like Girl Talk, but it would take too long. Here's an idea, check this out. It's not really fair, I guess... you're comparing one band to an almost seamless amalgamation of dozens of bands, expertly spliced into sequences that elicit novel emotions that the original pieces, in isolation, could never bring out. I'll link to a song, but you should really just download the whole thing for yourself (at whatever price you want to pay).
(8) Man Man vs (9) Blitzen Trapper
Winner: (9) Blitzen Trapper
This was a really hard decision, and fitting of an 8/9 match-up. Man Man is definitely less accessible than Blitzen Trapper, but their unique sound are what sets them apart from more traditional bands playing similar types of music. Rabbit Habits is a really good album, but when it comes down to what I'd be more likely to play on any given day, the win has to go to Blitzen Trapper. Both Furr and Wild Mountain Nation draw heavily from the classic rock sounds of the 70s without sounding completely dependent on those motifs. Extremely tight competition... one of those "it's a shame one team had to lose" situations. But, as the Magic Numbers would agree, those the brokes.
... and thus concludes the First Round! Stay tuned Saturday and Sunday as we narrow the remaining 32 bands to the Sweet 16. Again, if you have any input, speak now or forever hold your peace. Have a great Friday evening... GSATW, out!
Labels:
March Music Madness,
Wilco Region
March Music Madness, Round 1 - LCD Soundsystem Region
Come on... seriously. You HAVE to have the bracket by now! Without further ado, the LCD Soundsystem region. Cowbell not included.
(1) Kanye West vs. (16) The Henry Clay People
Winner: (1) Kanye West
Kanye west is egotistical, selfish, brash, and probably about 64% schizo. But he's one of the very few people in hip-hop that's taking chances with sound and style, and 808s and Heartbreak is a prime example. He traded the tried-and-true sample-heavy style of College Dropout, Late Registration, and Graduation for Police's synthesizer (and 808). And (ugh...) the T-Pain vocoder. But if you can get past the pomp and circumstance, there's a good album there, and since I've never heard of The Henry Clay People, Kanye wins by default.
(5) Cat Power vs (12) No Age
Winner: (12) No Age
Cat Power is getting lazy. Yes, Chan Marshall... I'm talking about you. You have one of the best female voices going right now, and you just lay down Jukebox, a relatively uninspired collection of covers?? Come on, you're better than that. No Age, on the other hand, released the superb Nouns last year, and although I realize it may not appeal to as many people as Cat Power, it's a more relevant album than anything she's put out recently. And it rocks! This one is pretty close... I'm thinking maybe a +8, but 5 of those points probably came at the end of the game as Cat Power was fouling. No Age just knows how to make free throws.
(3) Arcade Fire vs. (14) The Walkmen
Winner: (14) The Walkmen
Wake up Arcade Fire! You can't just coast on the success of your past! Make some music already! After putting out the essential Funeral and solid follow-up Neon Bible, the band has been relatively quiet. If I was more informed, I'd probably know if they were planning on releasing something this year (I hope so)... but I'm not. The Walkmen own one of my all-time favorite pump up songs, "The Rat," and their recent You & Me, saw a return to form after a couple album missteps. We have two bands going in opposite directions. Hopefully Arcade Fire can right the ship this year, but in this tournament, they're getting bounced earlier. Drive home safely!
(7) Neko Case vs. (10) Cut Copy
Winner: (10) Cut Copy
My review of Cut Copy's In Living Colours was [cough] Big Brothered! [cough] and taken down from our site, but let me summarize it for you in a sentence: They're fucking awesome. Seriously, if you can't get down to some Cut Copy, there's very little hope for you. Picking just one song for their victory is probably the hardest thing I'm going to do today. I like Neko Case, but I like her Canadian indie supergroup New Pornographers even more. So, in conclusion... Cut Copy and New Pornagraphers > Neko Case.
(2) Yeah Yeah Yeahs vs. (15) Foals
Winner: (2) Yeah Yeah Yeahs
IT'S BLITZ!!!!!! That's the way I feel every time I listen to the new album by Karen O's Yeah Yeah Yeahs. I'll be devoting an entire column to a review, but literally every song on It's Blitz! is fantastic. It really is like a blitzkrieg of awesomeness... even when the songs aren't smacking you in the face, they're shockingly pretty (ex. "Skeletons"). In fact, the songs on this album are so diverse that I'm giving you two of them. I don't know who Foals are, and honestly, I don't even care. This is a beat-down... similar to Duke over Binghamton last night!
(6) The Decemberists vs. (11) Sigur Ros
Winner: (6) The Decemberists
Really? The Decemberists with a #6 seed? You're basically saying that they're not one of the top 20 bands in this tournament, and that can't possibly be true. Colin Meloy and company are the madrigals of indie-rock, cranking out hyper-literate songs that actually tell stories and build themes... what a novel concept (PUN)! Sigur Ros might possibly be my favorite music to study to, but their lack of intelligible lyrics (seriously... at one point, they used a "made up language"... I wish I was joking) keeps the ball solidly in The Decemberists' court (see what I did there? That's what the kids call a metaphor).
(4) Feist vs. (13) The Cool Kids
Winner: (13) The Cool Kids
I like Leslie Feist. I like her a lot. I like her style, I love her voice, and I'm a fan of the band from which Feist started her solo career (Broken Social Scene... check 'em out!). But she's resting on her laurels... and I don't like it! Her 2007 album The Reminder was phenomenal, but she's been riding that high for too long, even releasing a Deluxe version of that album (instead of releasing new music). I'm on the record for really liking The Cool Kids, and I think their approach to hip-hop is by no means original, but by all means refreshing. Gun to my head, I'd probably say I'm more excited for the next Cool Kids album than the next Feist album, and that's why they pull out the win.
(8) Sun Kil Moon vs (9) Beach House
Winner: (9) Beach House
I don't care about either of these bands, so I flipped a coin and Beach House won. Whatever. Dumb pairing.
That's it for the LCD Soundsytem region. Check back in the afternoon for the final Round of 64 results: the Wilco region. There were a lot more upsets in this round... hopefully that bodes well for some exciting basketball today (I'm pretty sure that's a scientifically sound correlation).
(1) Kanye West vs. (16) The Henry Clay People
Winner: (1) Kanye West
Kanye west is egotistical, selfish, brash, and probably about 64% schizo. But he's one of the very few people in hip-hop that's taking chances with sound and style, and 808s and Heartbreak is a prime example. He traded the tried-and-true sample-heavy style of College Dropout, Late Registration, and Graduation for Police's synthesizer (and 808). And (ugh...) the T-Pain vocoder. But if you can get past the pomp and circumstance, there's a good album there, and since I've never heard of The Henry Clay People, Kanye wins by default.
(5) Cat Power vs (12) No Age
Winner: (12) No Age
Cat Power is getting lazy. Yes, Chan Marshall... I'm talking about you. You have one of the best female voices going right now, and you just lay down Jukebox, a relatively uninspired collection of covers?? Come on, you're better than that. No Age, on the other hand, released the superb Nouns last year, and although I realize it may not appeal to as many people as Cat Power, it's a more relevant album than anything she's put out recently. And it rocks! This one is pretty close... I'm thinking maybe a +8, but 5 of those points probably came at the end of the game as Cat Power was fouling. No Age just knows how to make free throws.
(3) Arcade Fire vs. (14) The Walkmen
Winner: (14) The Walkmen
Wake up Arcade Fire! You can't just coast on the success of your past! Make some music already! After putting out the essential Funeral and solid follow-up Neon Bible, the band has been relatively quiet. If I was more informed, I'd probably know if they were planning on releasing something this year (I hope so)... but I'm not. The Walkmen own one of my all-time favorite pump up songs, "The Rat," and their recent You & Me, saw a return to form after a couple album missteps. We have two bands going in opposite directions. Hopefully Arcade Fire can right the ship this year, but in this tournament, they're getting bounced earlier. Drive home safely!
(7) Neko Case vs. (10) Cut Copy
Winner: (10) Cut Copy
My review of Cut Copy's In Living Colours was [cough] Big Brothered! [cough] and taken down from our site, but let me summarize it for you in a sentence: They're fucking awesome. Seriously, if you can't get down to some Cut Copy, there's very little hope for you. Picking just one song for their victory is probably the hardest thing I'm going to do today. I like Neko Case, but I like her Canadian indie supergroup New Pornographers even more. So, in conclusion... Cut Copy and New Pornagraphers > Neko Case.
(2) Yeah Yeah Yeahs vs. (15) Foals
Winner: (2) Yeah Yeah Yeahs
IT'S BLITZ!!!!!! That's the way I feel every time I listen to the new album by Karen O's Yeah Yeah Yeahs. I'll be devoting an entire column to a review, but literally every song on It's Blitz! is fantastic. It really is like a blitzkrieg of awesomeness... even when the songs aren't smacking you in the face, they're shockingly pretty (ex. "Skeletons"). In fact, the songs on this album are so diverse that I'm giving you two of them. I don't know who Foals are, and honestly, I don't even care. This is a beat-down... similar to Duke over Binghamton last night!
(6) The Decemberists vs. (11) Sigur Ros
Winner: (6) The Decemberists
Really? The Decemberists with a #6 seed? You're basically saying that they're not one of the top 20 bands in this tournament, and that can't possibly be true. Colin Meloy and company are the madrigals of indie-rock, cranking out hyper-literate songs that actually tell stories and build themes... what a novel concept (PUN)! Sigur Ros might possibly be my favorite music to study to, but their lack of intelligible lyrics (seriously... at one point, they used a "made up language"... I wish I was joking) keeps the ball solidly in The Decemberists' court (see what I did there? That's what the kids call a metaphor).
(4) Feist vs. (13) The Cool Kids
Winner: (13) The Cool Kids
I like Leslie Feist. I like her a lot. I like her style, I love her voice, and I'm a fan of the band from which Feist started her solo career (Broken Social Scene... check 'em out!). But she's resting on her laurels... and I don't like it! Her 2007 album The Reminder was phenomenal, but she's been riding that high for too long, even releasing a Deluxe version of that album (instead of releasing new music). I'm on the record for really liking The Cool Kids, and I think their approach to hip-hop is by no means original, but by all means refreshing. Gun to my head, I'd probably say I'm more excited for the next Cool Kids album than the next Feist album, and that's why they pull out the win.
(8) Sun Kil Moon vs (9) Beach House
Winner: (9) Beach House
I don't care about either of these bands, so I flipped a coin and Beach House won. Whatever. Dumb pairing.
That's it for the LCD Soundsytem region. Check back in the afternoon for the final Round of 64 results: the Wilco region. There were a lot more upsets in this round... hopefully that bodes well for some exciting basketball today (I'm pretty sure that's a scientifically sound correlation).
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