Freitag, 22. Feb 2008, 9:24
Okay, I've stolen some ideas from a number of different sources, and the upshot is this: I'm celebrating my indifference towards professional basketball my running my own tournament here on Last.
I set up iTunes to give me 64 random songs off of my main playlist (albeit with more access to outsider music than usual - I wanted the contest to be interesting). These will be divided into 32 musical face offs. Losers go away and the winners advance until "there can only be one." For added suspense, I will post the results every Friday between now and March 28th, at which time one song will reign supreme.
Who will triumph? XTC goes into the contest with the deck stacked - four songs in the running. But there are solid songs from other favorites and a couple of dark horses that are the only songs in my collection from particular artists. Got an inside track on the workings of my mind? Call your bookie now!
One odd thing with this first tournament: no Joe Jackson! I've got virtually everything he's done - so much that he always pops up, even randomly outstripping Stan Ridgway, my favorite artist (the difference is made up during non-random listening). But JJ didn't make the random drawing this time. Must be because he's busy on tour right now.
Round One:
Who Is It? (Live) - Talking Heads
vs,
Electric Blue - Icehouse
Winner: Icehouse
Comments: Spirited effort by the Heads, but no match for electropowerpop.
In The Rapids - Genesis
vs,
Jump Town -Harry James & His Orchestra
Winner: Harry James
Comments: A transitional storytelling piece out of context is no match for swing.
I Think I Started A Trend - Brad Sucks
vs,
Love Is A Rodeo - Golden Earring
Winner: Golden Earring
Comments: Believe it or not, the Earring was a sentimental favorite. Sort of.
Hidden Track - Fay Lovsky
vs,
You Had to Be There - Stillwater
Winner: Fay
Comments: The Dutch songstress over the neo-Frampton in a surprise upset.
14 Hour Technicolor Dream - The Syn
vs,
Moods For Moderns - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
Winner: Costello
Comments: 2nd String Brit Psychedelia v. vintage Costello = no contest.
Put A Lid On It -Squirrel Nut Zippers
vs,
Moonwatch - Mike Oldfield
Winner: The Zippers
Comments: Another no contest: a hot novelty band trounces MO from his wanking period.
Millionaire Blues - Dire Straits
vs,
Rael 2 - The Who
Winner: The Who
Comments: The battle of the throwaway tracks. Don't expect The Who to advance after this.
King of Bohemia -Richard Thompson
vs,
Earn Enough For Us - XTC
Winner: XTC
Comments: This one broke my heart, especially after seeing RT - but I've spent too much time living this XTC track.
Robin Loves Me - Queen Anne's Lace
vs,
Didn't Matter Anyway - Hatfield & The North
Winner: Hatfield
Comments: Richard Sinclair carries the day.
One More Dub - The Clash
vs,
This Is Always - Harry James & His Orchestra
Winner: Harry James
Comments: Still Harry after all these years.
Thieves In The Temple - Prince
vs,
One Of The Millions - XTC
Winner: Prince
Comments: A hard choice because this was a battle of two 2nd tier songs for each artist - Prince for the win because I got tired of Colin's whining.
Your Love Is King - Sade
vs,
Cornflake Girl - Tori Amos
Winner: Y Kant Tori Lose
Comments: I only have this one Tori track, and it trounces a mid-level Sade track.
I Can't Reach You - Petra Haden
vs,
Crystal Palace - Stan Ridgway
Winner: Petra
Comments: Acappella Pete Townshend wins over one of Ridgway's weaker songs.
These Are Days - 10,000 Maniacs
vs,
Button Up Your Overcoat - Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band
Winner: Merchant's band
Comments: The wrong Bonzo track ran against the Maniacs.
Feel Like - Al Stewart
vs,
Call Me (Theme from American Gigolo) - Blondie
Winner: Debbie and Friends
Comments: My favorite Blondie track mops up with Stewart's second string cut.
Centro - Blood Ruby
vs,
Rebel Music (3 O'Clock Roadblock) - Spearhead
Winner: The dream poppers top the rappers
Comments: Probably the oddest matchup on today's board.
Greenman - XTC
vs,
Did You Make a Song With Otis - The Dandy Warhols
Winner: XTC
Comments: The Dandies' throwaway is no match for one of XTC's best tracks.
Pink Orange Red - Cocteau Twins
vs,
Let It Slide - Alabama 3
Winner: Woke up this morning to a win
Comments: Will there be a dream pop matchup in a later round? No.
Midnight Rambler - The Rolling Stones
vs,
Hush - Deep Purple
Winner: The Purps
Comments: My favorite DP wins handily over a hot Stones track.
I'll Do Anything But Break Dance For Ya, Darling - Daniel Johnston
vs,
Susie Before Sunrise - Stan Ridgway
Winner: Stan the Man
Comments: One of Ridgway's better tracks crushes an outsider's novelty track.
Rhayader Goes To Town - Camel
vs,
Kanonen-Song (Cannon Song) - Kurt Weill
Winner: Camel
Comments: Might seem like blasphemy, but that was the mood I was in.
Boom, Like That -Mark Knopfler
vs,
Blood Of Eden - Peter Gabriel
Winner: Knopfler
Comments: Sarcasm over introspection. Could've gone the other way easily.
Lose Your Heart - Bob Welch
vs,
Cry, Cry, Cry - Roxy Music
Winner: Roxy
Comments: Another one of those sad mismatches.
Arms Aloft - Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros
vs,
Tangerine - Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
Winner: TJB
Comments: It's February - maybe I'm citrus starved.
The Opening Curtain - Spoons
vs,
Sell Sell Sell - David Gray
Winner: Run away with the Spoons
Comments: A strong Spoons song takes down the midlist offering from Gray.
That Lady (Part 1 & 2) - The Isley Brothers
vs,
Cool Water - Joy Askew
Winner: The Isleys
Comments: Soul vs. soulful. Don't make me make this choice again.
Love For Sale - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
vs,
Typical Situation - Dave Matthews Band
Winner: Elvis
Comments: Hot EC trounces a so-so DMB track.
Crawdaddy Simone - The Syndicats
vs,
Jaws Of Murmur - Jandek
Winner: Janky
Comments: The other outsider advances! And he might do well with this fairly civil track…
Opening Medley - The Chieftains
vs,
All You Pretty Girls - XTC
Winner: XTC
Comments: Please tell me this won't turn into an XTC vs. XTC contest.
Cold - Annie Lennox
vs,
Young Offender - New Order
Winner: Lennox
Comments: Annie's words were better.
Memories - including: Kennebec Chatter, The Fair, Dancehall Days and Others - The People's Victory Orchestra and Chorus
vs,
How Does It Feel To Feel - The Creation
Winner: Creationism
Comments: Alas, the long-awaited matchup between TPVO&C and Jandek is not to be…
Parallels - Yes
vs,
Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear - Randy Newman
Winner: Yes
Comments: The novelty song had a tough time against the prog band's peak.
Next Friday: The first round of survivors face off for a slot in the Sweet Sixteen!
Next Round: Round Two