PCT 2: Round of 32, Day 3 Results

Posted on October 12, 2012 by g-mo

Tristen celebrating her Sweet Sixteen spot

In contrast to earlier rounds, four very clear winners emerged early and didn’t slip as the hours went on. Leading the charge was “Sir Duke,” who puts a pounding on “Mama’s Eyes.” Stevie Wonder claims a spot in the Sweet Sixteen with a score of 110.9-81.8. This song seems to wax and wane with voter respect- from a 7.93 field-leading average in the first round down to a 6.70 in the second, it bounces back to a 7.39 here.

“Baby Drugs” will thus have its work cut out for it, although for now it can rest another week on the laurels of the win over “All Eyes On You”- 99.7-92 here. By the way, Tristen’s last name is Gaspaderek and she is from Lansing, Illinois.

The rest of the winners all netted scores over 100, and next round will herald a battle of the late 00’s. “1901” comes out on top of “September” 107.15-98.5, while “Australia” has a clean defeat of Prince’s “I Wanna Be Your Lover” 105.3-91.9. Both songs get +7 averages, and this Sweet Sixteen match should be a good one.

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HCS (IV, 1): The Dark West

Posted on October 10, 2012 by g-mo

“There is a road, no simple highway, between the dawn and the dark of night. And if you go, no one may follow, that path is for your steps alone”

-Jerry Garcia                        

I- Nebraska

We called him Potter. This was funny to me but maybe to no one else. There was another Potter a year before, but he had stayed in Oregon and was doing some combination of literary adventuring and musical entrepreneurship. This Potter was Potter because he sort of looked like Harry Potter to some people. I didn’t think he did at all. Anyways, Falcon was friends with his older sister from her undergraduate at American, and he’d been down for a month or so.

I heard a rumor that Potter was taking a Greyhound back to Lincoln, so I approached him on a whim one afternoon. “Potter, you’re taking a bus home? Because I’ll give you a ride if you split gas with me, if you want.”

The night before I left, we had the traditional farewell dinner, a speech, and the accolades. They hung a Hands On USA sweatshirt on the wall of heroes. I thought about how I knew every single name, had worked with every single one, and was one of the last that could say so. Mine was much more Continue reading →

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PCT II: Round of 32, Day 2 Results

Posted on October 10, 2012 by Janos Marton

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes have made the Sweet 16. Next stop, Quarterfinals, unless John Prine has something to say about it.

I had to update this post repeatedly, as events on the ground kept shifting.  Man on Fire overcame a week Tuesday to post glitzy Wednesday numbers.  John Prine and the Great Lake Swimmers likewise pulled away as the hour grew late.  Johnny Cash blew a sizable lead, but held on in the end.

Pulling on a Line (Great Lake Swimmers) def. Sequestered in Memphis (Hold Steady),  92.7-84.1.

Get Rhythm (Johnny Cash) def. Cry to Me (Solomon Burke), 97.5-96.3.

Man on Fire (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes) def. Tickle Me Pink (Johnny Flynn), 97.9-76.6.

Long Monday (John Prine) def.  Heaven (Walkmen), 82-80.3 .

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PCT 2: The First Four Sweet Sixteen Qualifiers Are…

Posted on October 10, 2012 by g-mo

28-3 in the playoffs- Queen does not mess around

This first day had no shortage of lead changes, and one match was even decided by less than a point- this is what it’s all about! 19 voters put in their opinions, which is a marked improvement from how the Round of 32 ended so hopefully we can keep voting and recruiting in the name of democratic music preferences.

High score and new dark horse of the tournament looks to be “Stubborn Love” by The Lumineers- it racks up 138.15 points against “Pink Moon”‘s 122. Further, this is the third consecutive round that it has bested its previous average- grabs a 7.27 here.

If there’s a match that looks to be exciting, it will be the next one for Stubborn Love. Queen wins its match over The Killers- “Killer Queen” over “All These Things I’ve Done” 132.2-128.35. However, Killer Queen’s average continues to slip and is down to a 6.96. Queen’s overall record in music tournament history is 28-3 though, so no matter what the next match should be pretty epic.

Closest win of the day goes to “Head Full Of Doubt/Road Full Of Promise” which squeaks by “New Direction” 116.35-116.05. Aiko was in position to cast a deciding vote but it doesn’t look like she put a Black Lips score down, so the Avett Brothers survive.

Finally in another close one, Janelle Monae puts up a fight but ultimately succumbs to “Little Talks” by a score of 134.75-129.

Great, competitive match-ups all around to get things started. Excited to see who our other 12 survivors will be later this week!

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PCT 2: Round of 32, Day 3

Posted on October 9, 2012 by g-mo

Not gonna lie- pretty amazing record cover

The third of our four groups for this week starts off at a pretty heavy clip, then just as quickly settles into some mood tunes that have been winning our votes these last few months. Playlist is here and votes are due by midnight on Thursday, October 11th.

Matchup 1: 1901 (Phoenix) vs. September (Earth, Wind, & Fire)

Waters nominated 1901 and is probably too busy celebrating the release of Midnight Spin’s newest video to throw us a defense. Similarly, Chelby’s nomination of September comes without words. My filler is that (a) 1901 is a great song for spontaneous dance offs, and (b) 2012 marks the third consecutive year I’ve regrettably forgotten to acknowledge the 21st night of September.

Matchup 2: I Wanna Be Your Lover (Prince) vs. Australia (The Shins)

Emmy nominated IWBYL, and I know she holds it in high regard- this was the song that got Prince Rogers Nelson onto the Minneapolis airwaves. Janos says about Australia: “A last minute addition to the 2010 Liberia Music Tournament, “Australia” has dazzled me ever since with its endless ebullience. Hard to feel down when this song is grooving.  I finally got to see the Shins live, strung out at the tail end of a festival.  This was the song that got my dehydrated body off of the grass, pumping my fists into the air.”

Matchup 3: Baby Drugs (Tristen) vs. All Eyes On You (St. Lucia)

Another Nos-nominated survivor; on “Baby Drugs”: “fun fact- the result of a Grooveshark recommendation.” Those music genome project people are onto something.

MarkB says this about “All Eyes On You”: I was intro’d to this song via a review that one of my team wrote. I’d never heard of St Lucia before I read it (http://www.mtvhive.com/2011/07/22/song-st-lucia-all-eyes-on-you/ ) and then played the track. I’ve loved it ever since. That image of the 80s smoke-ridden dancefloor and disco ball lights in a school hall has stuck with me and every time I hear it, that image is conjured up. It’s longing, upbeat yet hazy and a little bit moody-magical. The key for me was getting this song through the first rounds – it’s a grower; I hope it grows on you too.

Matchup 4: Mama’s Eyes (Justin Townes Earle) vs. Sir Duke (Stevie Wonder)

Ryan M nominated Mama’s Eyes, but no comment on this one. Of the two Earles that entered the tournament, it ends up being the younger to advance the farthest. On Sir Duke (from Salem): Before the tournament, I heard a guy on the 34th street 2/3 platform playing a version of this on steel drums.  It was awesome. It inspired me to nominate this song, which is obviously one Stevie Wonder’s best.

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PCT II: Round of 32, Day 2

Posted on October 8, 2012 by Janos Marton

Solomon Burke…in a corner?

Here’s to the most unnecessary holiday of the year!  I hope many of you got to kick it instead of heading into work today.   To celebrate, take in these fines tunes on Grooveshark (except Man on Fire), and vote by commenting below before 8pm (EST) on Wednesday.   The winners of these battles will make it to the fabled Sweet 16.  We invited all song nominators to reflect on their songs, which is why you’ll see some tributes below.

Sequestered in Memphis (Hold Steady) vs. Pulling on a Line (Great Lake Swimmers) Alex and Candace nominated these songs, respectively.    The Swimmers outperformed the Hold Steady in each of the first two rounds, so they come in the favorites.

Cry to Me (Solomon Burke) vs. Get Rhythm (Johnny Cash)

Got the blues? Rock and Roll got you. Get Rhythm makes me smile. Every time. You can find the original release with its bouncing boomchicka on the B-side of Cash’s first #1 hit: I Walk The Line. I’ll fight anyone who says there’s a better 1-2 punch.  Listen to later releases with that sweet slide guitar and harmonica and listen to Cash swing it. He’s having a great time. It’s a go to at karaoke because it is fun. You could say that Cash was country, but this is one of the best rock and roll songs of all time.  – James

Cry to Me was left off of the Dirty Dancing Soundtrack but Patrick Swayze’s track was not….that put Mr. Burke in the corner and NO ONE puts Solomon Burke in the corner.  – Elizabeth.

Man on Fire (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes) vs. Tickle Me Pink (Johnny Flynn)

Anyone else love Wes Anderson montages?  I had recently rewatched a couple of Wes flicks in preparation for Moonrise Kingdom when I first saw the Man on Fire video.   It’s beauty  and simplicity took me away, and seems like it could fit in such a film.   The song itself builds momentum perfectly, like a soft Pixies song.   If you’re not dancing with the band by the end of the song, your feet are at least tapping under your desk.  – Janos

Margot nominated Tickle Me Pink, which knocked off Neil Young last round.

Long Monday (John Prine) vs.  Heaven (Walkmen)

Ryan McCostlin nominated Long Monday, which famously (sort of) won its last matchup by .15 points.    Ryan Quinnelly nominated Heaven.  So I guess both nominators are named Ryan.  Heaven won its last matchup by 1.3.

For your posting ease:

Sequestered in Memphis (Hold Steady) vs. Pulling on a Line (Great Lake Swimmers)

Cry to Me (Solomon Burke) vs. Get Rhythm (Johnny Cash)

Man on Fire (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes) vs. Tickle Me Pink (Johnny Flynn)

Long Monday (John Prine) vs.  Heaven (Walkmen)

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End It, Don’t Mend: The War on Drugs Stops Now

Posted on October 8, 2012 by Janos Marton

The War on Drugs should have ended a long time ago, and everyone knows this.   It rips apart communities, sends millions of non-violent teenagers through the criminal justice system, and dumps the rest of us with an enormous prison tab.

In his new film, The House I Live In, Eugene Jarecki asks why so little has changed forty years after Richard Nixon’s fateful announcement to “go on the offensive.”   The documentary weaves masterfully from the personal to the historical.   Most poignantly, Jarecki takes traditionally unsympathetic characters in this narrative- prison wardens and sheriffs, and shows that they get it too.   The only people who show no depth of understanding whatsoever are the politicians.

Where do we stand in 2012?   Fortunately, the tide in America’s savage domestic war is on the verge of breaking.

This past March, Pat Robertson called for the legalization of marijuana.  In arguing that marijuana should be treated like alcohol, Robertson conceded, “this war on drugs just hasn’t succeeded.”
A month later conservative icon George Will said enough is enough in an April column that declared the War on Drugs an expensive failure.
“We’re warehousing addicted people every day in state prisons in New Jersey, giving them no treatment,” lamented right-wing heartthrob Governor Chris Christie, making a moral and economic case for ending the War on Drugs.
On the libertarian end of the spectrum, Ron Paul has long trumpeted his opposition to the War on Drugs, and Libertarian Party candidate Governor Gary Johnson has made it practically his only issue.

While President Obama has generally followed the bipartisan approach to rigid enforcement, comments from inside the administration give reason for hope.   When I asked Eugene Jarecki what he made of then-Senator Obama’s forceful comments against the War on Drugs in 2004, in contrast to his current record, Jarecki spoke of a highly encouraging conversation he had with Obama officials during the 2008 transition.   Jarecki readily acknowledged the shortcoming of the administration in this area, and while he believes that the President’s people have their hearts in the right place, they are facing a wall of Congressional opposition.    Jarecki’s film details the enormous economic impact of the prison industrial complex on rural communities across the country.   Similar realities caused even President Bush to get rebuffed when he tried to shut down unneccesary military bases towards the end of his administration.

If reasonable people (and even unreasonable people!) can agree that the War on Drugs has failed by every metric imaginable, and needs to end yesterday, where do we go from here?  Despite Ron Paul, and despite Gary Johnson, the War on Drugs is as invisible as ever in the debate between President Obama and Mitt Romney.   This is an issue that has to be spearheaded at the local level.   Colorado and Washington are on the verge of legalizing small amounts of marijuana.   Support for Amendment 64 in Colorado stands at a staggering 51-40% in the latest poll.

As a New Yorker, I will do everything I can to make this a critical issue in 2013, when we will elect a new mayor and dozens of other local offices.   There is cause for hope; all of the major contenders have criticized “stop and frisk”, an ugly policing tactic made possible by current drug laws.  Now is the time to ask them to take the extra step.  If local governments can lead, we can ask President Obama to join us and end the War on Drugs during his second term.   As John and Yoko once said, the war is over when you want it to be.

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HCS: Part IV, Cover Page

Posted on October 8, 2012 by g-mo

Part IV

November 15th, 2006 — December 27th, 2006

 I am no prophet—and here’s no great matter;
I have seen the moment of my greatness flicker,
And I have seen the eternal Footman hold my coat, and snicker,
And in short, I was afraid.

-T.S. Eliot, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”

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128 songs down to 32- Day 1 of Round 3!

Posted on October 7, 2012 by g-mo

The Lumineers keeping their head up

All of the songs still alive have defeated two songs in our music tournament- one more stop to the Sweet 16. More critically, every day of songs will have 8 contenders, one of whom will win a spot in the Final Four. This is the spot to start getting your friends voting- the playlists have been vetted twice for solidness. We start things off with this playlist, and votes are due by Tuesday at midnight EST (11 CST, 10 MST, 9 PST), with results to be posted Wednesday morning (so no excuses, Pacific and Mountain Standard Time voters.) Let’s do this.

Match 1: Head Full Of Doubt/Road Full Of Promise by The Avett Brothers vs. New Direction (Black Lips)

New Direction nominator Orce says: message received but i don’t really have an explanation. i just really like the song. the cadence, her voice, the guitar… it was introduced to me by Janos who got it from Grooveshark auto-suggest, I think.

Match 2: Tightrope (Janelle Monae) vs. Little Talks (Of Monsters And Men)

Tightrope nominator Elizabeth says: Good Music makes you feel something.  It seems like such a simple statment but I never really thought about it until someone else said it. That was years ago and I pay more attention to that these days because it turns out that this is true for songs I like the best. Tightrope makes me feel like under no circumstance can I stay still when it is played. I have to dance when it comes on-it’s that simple.

Little Talks nominator (me) says: Icelandic Air is all over this- prominently featured in their July magazine. The video for this one is amazing (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghb6eDopW8I) and separately, this song is just good for the soul. The duet- I feel as though this song is a dialogue across time and spaces. “Though the truth may vary, this ship will carry our bodies safe to shore”- I mean, buy me a ticket, cause I’m going to the big bright moon darling.

Match 3: Pink Moon (Nick Drake) vs. Stubborn Love (The Lumineers)

Pink Moon nominator Joe says: Pink Moon represents fragility.  Nobody really knows what the lyrics represent, is it about death, a harvest; is it a foreshadowing of an unfortunate event?  Nick never said.  Here is what we do know.  The entire album was recorded in two nights in two 30-minute sessions.  He was an underrated guitarist, and loved strange time signatures, and rhythms. Sadly he suffered from depression and ultimately died after an overdose of antidepressant medication.  I’ve always been drawn to a story of a tortured artist; I guess I’m hoping that person finds peace.  Nick Drake might not be your slice of pie, but for me he’s the right blend of musicianship, and emotion.

Stubborn Love nominator Tracz says: I love the way the title of this song plays throughout all the verses – anyone who made it through their early twenties had to have a “stubborn love” relationship, and you can hear the back and forth and justifications and refusal to give up as the song progresses.  It has pop-appeal but with more real life reference.  Plus the fiddle keeps the song moving, with just the right touch of whiny angst underscoring that “it’s better to feel pain than nothing at all, the opposite of love’s indifference.” Boom.

Match 4: Killer Queen (Queen) vs. All These Things I’ve Done (The Killers)

Nominator Salem says: I nominated this song before I had seen the now famous Nike commercial (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONuQ_CeY2mU ), although the commercial is awesome.  I like the live version of the song because of the energy level, although admittedly the quality is not as good as the studio original.

“Killer Queen” nominator Michelle says: I don’t need 100 words. Because it’s awesome. That’s three words.

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PCT 2, R64: Day 8 Results

Posted on October 7, 2012 by g-mo

Another contender emerges

Much like the Tim Tebow Broncos run, Hanson has gone to “cute and amusing” to “wait, really advancing through the playoffs?” “Thinkin’ Bout Something” shocks David Grey’s “Babylon” 100.95-97.1. With an average of 7.2, gotta do some hard thinking about the comeback kids.

The Lumineers are doing some great things in this tourney, but they lose 50% of their ammo today. “Classy Girls” loses on a late votes swing to “Little Bit of Everything,” 92.25-89.2.

In the battle of classic rock, a true contender emerged- high score goes to “Just Like Heaven,” which comes out on top of “Magic Carpet Ride” 107.45-100. On top of that, it averages a 7.675, which is the third highest average of all songs for the entire Round of 64. Show me, show me how you do that trick, boys!

Kate Nash needs to step up her game next round- while “Foundations” defeats “Shine Blockas” 87.7-81, these were the two lowest scores of the entire group.

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