New Pornographers vs. Girls

Man, I've gone back and forth on this one several times now. Seeing as both bands are working in the general category of guitar pop, it is one the more similar match ups in this first round. I had a pretty strong attraction to the New Pornographers at one point. I remember the album Mass Romantic was on pretty heavy rotation on my cassette boombox in the middle roofing years. I burned out on it pretty quickly though and haven't checked them out too much since.
"Challengers" is a very strong album with loads of hooks, and a good variety of songs owing to the number of singers and writers in the band. Everything is so clean, tidy, tight, and impeccably produced.
Girls approach to the classic 60's inspired pop song takes on a bit messier and looser form. I first gave this album a listen from the library in this past year, and was less than impressed. Perhaps I was mostly turned off by the lead off track "lust for life" and a couple others where the singer takes on a puposely annoying Adam Sandleresque voice. (I also sometimes like to take pride in disliking something that is so championed by all the wise music critics). But after giving the Girls "Album" several more spins its charms began to quickly reveal themselves. Second track "laura" is a clear stand out with its infectious chorus line. Also great is "Hellhole Ratrace," a very long and repetitive track that somehow works well by repeating the singer's simple aspirations over and over again.
In the end I choose Girls shambolic pop songs over the New Pornographers air-tight productions. I just hope the voice Girls singer keeps the goofy voice to a minimum the next time.
Girls win!

(8) Feist vs. (9) The Chemical Brothers

Before this week I had never listened to a Chemical Brothers album all the way through. I have heard a number of their songs over the years, but never fancied them enough to look into them all that carefully. I must say that the songs I heard of theirs before listening to their nominated album Further, always left me a bit confused. I could never really tell if they are trying to be a pop band or be an electronica band or be a pop electronica band or just trying to play good music period. After listening to their album Further, I am still confused as to what niche or genre if you will, they are trying to appeal to. A few songs were very accessible to me, I am some one who is admittedly not into a lot of electronica music, but other songs failed to resonate with me. Nevertheless, I enjoyed listening to the album and I plan to listen to it some more.

Feist on the other hand, has been an album we have owned for a number of years and I have listened to it countless times. In fact it very nearly made my own top ten list, but I did not end up including it. This is an album I love and I do not tire of it.

Two things stood out to me in my decision making process. 1. I was judging one album I had never heard before vs. one I have owned for quite some time. Ownership bias noted. 2. One fell in a genre of music I like vs. the other one in a genre I'm not so hot on. Inability to be a good music critic noted.

I wish I could have somehow put my biases aside but that proved impossible. Hence Feist moves on to the next round.

Leprechauns and Rambo

Like many of the match-ups in the MDM, it becomes hard to judge different styles. Comparing these two albums is like comparing apples to Radiohead (I, or someone else, may have used that joke in the last tournament, but if so I forgot, and besides, there are newbies here). In Rainbows isn’t a groundbreaking Radiohead album, but that is probably why I like it. Finally the jag-offs just sit and make some good music without everything being a nudge, nudge wink, wink see-what-I-did-there you weren’t expecting that were you moment. It’s just a really fantastic rock record. I still don't like Thom Yorke, but this is the least grating I've ever found his voice to be.

Explosions in the Sky are great. They seem fairly derivative of Mogwai, but I love Mogwai. (Side note – I’m going to see Mogwai in Chicago on April 30th if anyone wants to join me). I’m going to call this type of music ‘epic noise’ and EITS do epic noise very well. And, as previously stated, I love Friday Night Lights. And yet, I have trouble advancing this album. You know it will be loud. Then you know it will be quiet. And then at some point it will get loud again suddenly. The biggest question is whether the drums and guitar will come in together, or a few bars apart, and how staccato they will be. Mogwai, on the other hand, may have thrown a sample of an answering machine or some such shit in there, just to keep it real.

So I’m giving the nod to In Rainbows. My apologies to Karl.

LCD Soundsystem vs. Kings of Leon

This death match deserves to be brought from the shadows of the comments now that I am able to post (thanks for fishing that email out of my inbox, Andrew!). Consider this my new and improved review:

LCD Soundsystem "(S)ound of (S)ilver" vs. Kings of Leon "Only by the Night"

LCD Soundsystem has roots in New Jersey, but this misfortune is overcome by its label, DFA, which comes from "Death from Above." Kings of Leon come from Tennessee, which gave us Bob Corker, Lamar Alexander, and Shannon Doherty...but it also gave us Morgan Freeman and Justin Timberlake. Plus their album title is poor plagiarism of "By the things that light the night."

I suppose I should also discuss the music.

First up was LCD Soundsystem. The album started slowly (not necessarily a bad thing) as I wondered if it was solely instrumental. Track 2 was neither good nor bad, but it sent me to wikipedia to see if the band descended from Public Image Limited or White Stripes. Track 3...that was more like it...I could get into this...but I won't be singing along to "North American Scum."

LCD Soundsystem reminded me of several other bands--Human League, Cake, Joy Division. I liked it, but I couldn't help but think that it came from the 90s. Perhaps all new music should sound like the 90s.

There's not much I can say about Kings of Leon. They didn't make me think or feel anything, didn't remind me of anyone, and I had no urge to dance, sing along, or repeat any tracks. The music was earnest...but I don't think I'll keep it in my brand new Grooveshark playlist. The most damning thing about "Only by the things that buy the night" was its salesmanship for LCD Soundsystem. On the urging of everyone present, I skipped back to "Sounds of Silver" when it was done, and I immediately said, "Hey, I like this!" Brad and Vic can vouch for that (and Vic gets credit for the Joy Division comparison); they had stopped by in the middle of Kings of Leon, and I believe they now own a legit copy of LCD Soundsystem.

LCD Soundsystem moves on. If there were justice in this world, they would be joining the Weakerthans and Gorillaz. Alas, they did not swear enough.

(7) Gorillaz - Demon Days vs. (10) Kathleen Edwards - Asking for Flowers

The big negative with Asking for Flowers is that it is a little too country, not for me, but for everyone. That said, it seems like a silly thing for everyone to be picky about. I'm going to buck the trend and say a little bit o' country is fine, you should do the same.

Demon Days really pissed me off as apparently Grooveshark, changed their interface from the last Death Match, and I had a horrible time adding songs to my playlist, and then trying to figure out how to remove the hundreds I inadvertently added. Way too much work. Work on that next time Gorillaz. And a big thanks to Kathleen for solving this issue for me... by having zero songs uploaded.

I enjoyed Demon Days, i was actually looking forward to listening to it, as I had not listened to the whole album before. I'm only familiar with the songs that the regular folk would be. While listening this time, I recall thinking it was a little bit repetitive, although I also recall thinking that wasn't a fair assessment.

Asking for Flowers is not going to get a fair review here. First: I couldn't find the album online anywhere, and ended up listening to the songs (mostly live) from different sources. Second, I listened to the first half of the album yesterday, and the second half today.

That said, I have nothing to add about Demon Days. I'll repeat, its good, and probably quite good. But I do have some additional things to say about Asking for Flowers.
1. I'll make the Dough... nice, a hockey video. You're getting some points there
2. Sure as Shit... nice, you have shit in the title. You're getting some points there
3. Kathleen has tabs on her website. Not the clicky-website-navigation-type tabs, but the plucky-guitar-type tabs. Metallica would probably sue themselves.
4. While listening to the album, and reading about the artist at the same time, I learn she enjoys swearing. While I'm far too old to think that's cool... I do think that's pretty rad.

oh, a positive about Demon Days... Feel Good Inc. reminds me of White Clean and Neat by Robert Plant... really it does.
Fire Coming out of the Monkey's Head reminded me of Jacques Cousteau... anytime you channel Baxter its a good thing.

So who will I hand the rose to?? Well you should already know since I referenced a rose, and one of the albums is titled asking for flowers... I mean, c'mon she likes to swear!

Dirty Projectiles (12) over Portishead (5)

I'm going to start off this first round with a real hot carl of an upset.

I like Portishead. Portishead evokes memories for me of an old apartment in Chicago, friends's CD's mixed with friend's CD's, piled on top of a stereo in a kitchen with large checkered tiles. That's about where it's good for me, though. Trip hop and yazz, the color blue. Blue, blue, blue. "III" rocks the shiv in a different way, but it's also a toughy. I get pretty bored with Beth Gibbons's voice. It requires me to move out of the kitchen, and go some place else - I'm not sure where. I can't go with it.

Dirty Projectors are also pretty demanding, but just when you think this Dave Longstreth fellow is going to twee it up pretty rotten - you know, tie you down with a wet sweater in an apartment covered in cat piss while he croons - this album just kind of rocks in places. The Nico-reminiscent "Two Doves" is just beautiful. "Cannibal Resource" kicks it - kind of Bobby Conn-esque, for those Chicagoans out there. If you're unconvinced, consider the album cover. The homely, boring girl is channeling the hot, St. Vincent-looking girl. That says something about the direction of this album.

Warning: I will probably routinely pick albums that are in some sense representative of a 2005-2011 aesthetic - just because I love thinking about things like that. So, with that, and the other pretty weak reasons above, I'm going with the Dirty P's.

sTARs Vs AVETT BROs - Blah Blah Blah

YAY! NEW ALBUMs TO LIsTEN TO!
BOO! NEW ALBUMs TO NEVER LISTEN TO AGAIN.
The Avett Brothers album "I and Love and You" was the first one I tackled. I had a good feeling about this one. I played spider solitaire whilst listening. I probably fit in about 12 games over the course of the album. I won all 12. Hardly using any undos. Not bad. Just like the album that was playing in the background. The first few songs had my attention. I wrote some notes that went something like; good voice, songs that sound new and familiar, every song reminds me of waking up from a great sleep whilst camping, etc...
But after the first few songs, it just became... blah. I kept listening, but it was just washing over me like my mom's rants about how times aren't like they used to be. Of course they aren't! They're like they are now! Anyhoo... It was good background music, but everytime I focused on what was actually happening, I kind of cringed and wanted to go back to letting it blah over me.
The Stars album "In our bedroom after the war" was the second album I wrestled. I. Don't. Like. Blah Blah Blah. That's what I heard. The first song on this album that I enjoyed was "Window Bird" (Track 9). It also happened to be the last song I enjoyed. I've never paid this band any attention, mostly cause everything I've heard reminds me of a so-so high school band. I don't enjoy the quality of the guy's vocals, and their repititive use of boring patterns in their harmonies don't do a thing for my addiction to excitement. I read somewhere on the internet that they wanted this album to sound like a book. If that's the case, the book goes something like this: Once upon a time in some place on some week during a month in the years before now, nothing happened. The end.
So, both albums were blahtastic, but Stars got more blahs, so Avett Bros win!

Weakerthans Vs. Ferraby Lionheart

I don't think I am Canadian enough to fully appreciate these guys. From the little I read about them on the web, they seem like nice enough blokes (i.e., politically/ socially conscious, dedicated to truly independent music, etc.), but I just didn't enjoy their sound very much. The lead singer's voice must be an acquired taste, but by the the album's end the acquisition of this taste still largely eluded me. The lyrics here are literate and well-crafted, with some interesting Canadian references to boot, but they just didn't resonate with me personally. (Maybe it's because I'm from Detroit, and they're from Winnipeg?) And the spoken word piece in the middle of the album is simply uncalled for; it induced 'Nam-like flashbacks of earnest but painfully mediocre college poetry readings from the early '90s. I had a brief anxiety attack, but recovered enough to award the album an Eric Rating of: 2.4

(P.S. An Eric Rating is obtained by assigning every song on the album a ranking of 1-5 and then averaging these scores over the number of songs on the album. A little hokey? Yes. Number-generating and generally reflective of my overall opinion? Also yes.)

Now this album I truly enjoyed. Ferraby is a talented tune-smith who forges a sound both classic and oddly familiar while also sounding fresh and new. The first three songs on the album are just fantastic, and if we lived in a more just world, the poppy-jangle of "Harry and Bess" would have earned it some serious radio play. At times, his songs are reminiscent of fellow singer-songwriters Ron Sexsmith or perhaps Richard Hawley...Poignant, catchy, romantic (in the best sense of the word). I look forward to spending more time with this album and give it a solid: 4.1

Mr. Lionheart advances.

Fleet Foxes vs. Hot Chip

I gotta say I'm a little burned out on the Fleet Foxes...Totally solid album...love tiger mountain peasant song and oliver james in particular... I don't know what I'm gonna do...

Hot Chip is somewhat new to me...I truly enjoy the song Colours, as well as the title track, The Warning...moving forward with my life (as we must, huh?), I want to live in a new world, with a horizon that stretches just a little bit further...in other words, today, january 29, 2011, when I ask myself: "what do I want to listen to - Fleet Foxes, Fleet Foxes or Hot Chip, The Warning?"...the only answer I can come up with is Hot Chip, The Warning...Sorry

Cacophony or Caca&phony?

I first heard Mumford & Sons at Bonnaroo this past summer, and their song "Little Lion Man" sent the crowd into wild hippie dancing and cheers (due to both the song's catchiness & its dropping of the f-bomb, no doubt). Also, it was raining, and plastic ponchos abounded. I wondered why I hadn't listened to these guys and whether their album was any good, which sorta sums up my Bonnaroo experience. Well, also a hefty dose of ogling fried (crispy sun-baked) and fried (drugged-out) folks.

Anyway, I've been listening to Sigh No More the past few months, and it is catchy, earnest, over-the-top, raw. I suppose this captures why Mumford & Sons are both loved and hated. (Pitchfork's reviewer gave this album a 2.1/10, finding it caca & phony.) My theory (as someone unduly interested in reviews): Anything that can earn such a low rating might actually deserve a listen.

And I've listened again and again. There's a fair portion of juvenile heartache & rebellion going on here, but I'll cop to feeling those emotions now and again, and this pushes the right buttons when needed. Still, I suspect I won't be returning to this album frequently a year or ten from now. I also can't help comparing them to their cronies in the Brit folk revival scene (Laura Marling, Johnny Flynn) and finding I prefer the cronies.

But then there's Sigur Ros. Their songs are just more more full-bodied, more flavorful than Mumford's. I could chalk it up to a longer career, and maybe that's part of it, but the other part might be that they're just the more interesting band. I do think Sigur Ros might have stood to change up their act a bit more and been, well, less like Sigur Ros. Initially, they were a big surprise. Today they're unmistakable, nearly possible to reduce to parody or formula, and I like to be mistook, rattled. Like, could a song remain teeny-tiny now and again, instead always swelling to some HUGE CACOPHONY?

Whatever: Sigur Ros wins.

Crooked Saints vs. Jakalope

I'm not so crazy about being given the task of judging an album by several people who are here on the Death Match. Perhaps Andrew gave me this task to get back at me for the whole Arcade Fire thing. Luckily, it's not too hard of a decision.

I think one of the problems I have with Jackalope (besides having to try kind of hard to listen to them for free) is a lack of definition of what they want to be / are. Perhaps you could call this originality, but I find the clash between gothiness and bubblegum poppies to be frustrating and uninteresting. I'd like them more if they were more like Katy Perry or more like The Sisters of Mercy. This is meant as more of a confession than a dig, but they kind of remind me of this band I really liked around 1990, Mad at the World.

So, Crooked Saints wins.

XXXXXX

The XX's remind me of all the music I missed out on in the 80's. First off, I never listened to music in the 80's. Second off, the albums I remember owning in the 80's include the Joshua Tree, Born in the U.S.A., and going downhill from there: Huey Lewis and the News, Madonna, and Whitney Houston (the self-titled album, not even one of the good Whitney Houston albums). The XX has a Joy Division/Cure thing going on with more melody, and yet remind of Huey Lewis. Way cooler than I'll ever be.

I like Cains & Abels name, I've seen them listed on concert listings in Chicago, I recognize some of them from Calvin, but their just not doing it for me.

The exe's move on

M.I.A. "Kala" vs. Johnny Flynn "A Larum"

Well, it's a privilege and an honor to once again referee MIA in a music death match.

I have, though, matured since those brutal dark days. No longer do I think capacity for violence is the deciding factor. Instead I think that popularity should decide.

Johnny Flynn, we assume, is known and loved by everyone in England, which, as I was taught in middle school, is an extremely important country in history.

M.I.A., on the other hand--I really don't know where she's from, but it can't be from anywhere as important as London.

Therefore the world votes, and the world votes for Johnny Flynn.

Here we go

Here are the assignments for the first two divisions of round 1. Unfortunately, there are 17 of us, so someone is going to have to sit out each time. I volunteer to sit out on this round.

I've tried to make sure that no one has two of their picks going head to head, and I tried to make sure that no one got assigned their own album.

Do you all want me to keep score, or is that so 2010?

Finally, would it be too much to ask to try and make your picks by Saturday?


Happy listening...

Division 1

Eric Smith: (1) Weakerthans - Reunion Tour vs. (16) Ferraby Lionheart - Jack of Hearts
Sarah: (2) Sigur Ros - Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust vs. (15) Mumford & Sons Sigh No More
Karl: (3)Johnny Flynn - A Larum vs. (14) M.I.A. - Kala
Andy: (4) Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes vs. (13) Hot Chip - The Warning
Joel:(5) Portishead - III vs. (12) Dirty Projectors - Bitte Ocra
Anne:(6) Against Me! - New Wave vs. (11) The Walkmen - You & Me
Steve: (7) K'naan - Troubadour vs. (10) Jay Dee - Donuts
Dwight: (8) Avett Brothers - I and Love and You vs. (9) Stars - In Our Bedroom After the War

Division 2

Bruce: (1) Crooked Saints - Beatrice vs. (16) Jackalope - Things that go Jump In the Night
Brooke: (2) Arcade Fire - The Suburbs vs. (15) Nina Nastasia & Jim White - You Follow Me
Jeff: (3) Explosions in the Sky - All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone vs. (14) Radiohead - In Rainbows
Eric Arnoy(s): (4) LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver vs. (13) Kings of Leon - Only by the Night
Joe: (5) Girls - Album vs. (12) New Pornographers - Challengers
Brian: (6) The XX - XX vs. (11) Cains and Abels - Call me Up
Mark: (7) Gorillaz - Demon Days vs. (10) Kathleen Edwards - Asking for Flowers
Brad: (8) Feist - The Reminder vs. (9) The Chemical Brothers - Further

Last Year's Algo Works This Year

17 contributors, 64 picks, that means everyone should get at least their top 3. And last year's algorithm doesn't disappoint, so unless there are objections (or mistakes correcting spelling/capitalization to make sure I correctly combine votes for the same album/band), here are the top 64.

Actually it's 57 because the next 10 entries are all tied.

     1  Weakerthans     Reunion Tour    19.98
     2  Crooked Saints  Beatrice        19.45
     3  Yeah Yeah Yeahs It's Blitz      18.98
     4  Deerhunter      Microcastle/Weird Era Cont.     18.47
     5  Sigur Ros       Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust    18.27
     6  Arcade Fire     The Suburbs     18.08
     7  Animal Collective       Merriweather Post Pavilion      17.94
     8  M83     Saturdays = Youth       17.81
     9  Johnny Flynn    A Larum 17.81
    10  Explosions in the Sky   All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone 17.81
    11  TV on the Radio Dear Science    17.61
    12  The Walkmen     Lisbon  17.48
    13  Fleet Foxes     Fleet Foxes     16.87
    14  LCD Soundsystem Sound of Silver 16.53
    15  Kanye West      My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy       16.04
    16  Cat Power       The Greatest    16.04
    17  Portishead      Third   15.55
    18  Girls   Album   15.55
    19  Janelle Monae   The ArchAndroid 15.30
    20  Joanna Newsom   Have One On Me  15.06
    21  against me!     new wave        15.00
    22  The XX  XX      15.00
    23  The Dead Weather        Horehound       15.00
    24  Neko Case       Middle  15.00
    25  K'naan  Troubadour      15.00
    26  Gorillaz        Demon Days      15.00
    27  Good Luck       Into Lake Griffy        15.00
    28  Dwight  Natural Disasters       15.00
    29  Avett Brothers  I and Love and You      15.00
    30  Feist   The Reminder    14.81
    31  Sufjan Stevens  (Come on Feel the) Illinoise    14.79
    32  Dirty Projectors        Bitte Ocra      14.75
    33  Vampire Weekend Vampire Weekend 14.63
    34  Low     Drums and Guns  14.55
    35  This Will Destroy You   This Will Destroy You   14.00
    36  The Chemical Brothers   Further 14.00
    37  Stars   In Our Bedroom After the War    14.00
    38  Mountains       Choral  14.00
    39  Lady Gaga       The Fame Monster        14.00
    40  Kathleen Edwards        Asking for Flowers      14.00
    41  Jay Dee Donuts  14.00
    42  Frightened Rabbit       Midnight Organ Fight    14.00
    43  Do Make Say Think       You, You're a History in Rust   14.00
    44  Cains and Abels Call Me Up      14.00
    45  The Walkmen     You & Me        13.50
    46  Dirty Projectors        Rise Above      13.35
    47  Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds     Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!   13.30
    48  The New Pornographers   Challengers     13.07
    49  Tycho   Past is Prologue        13.00
    50  Neil Young      Living with War 13.00
    51  Kings of Leon   Only by the Night       13.00
    52  Hot Chip        The Warning     13.00
    53  Beach House     Teen Dream      13.00
    54  Deerhunter      Halcyon Digest  12.61
    55  Radiohead       In Rainbows     12.07
    56  M.I.A.  Kala    12.04
    57  Hercules and Love Affair        Hercules and Love Affair        12.04

Guaranteed to move on...

Good job Andrew, now I feel like crap.. seems I am even further out of the loop when it comes to music these days, seriously. first 4 picks are legit, then the rest are just filler. I have no idea what happened in the last 5 years...

Natural Disasters - Dwight
Beatrice - Crooked Saints
Only by the Night - Kings of Leon
The Reminder - Feist
Chinese Democracy - Axl n' Roses
Band of Joy - Bobby Plant
On an Island - David Gilmour
Move Along - All American Rejects
Ladies and Gentlemen - The Tamboureens
Dirty Projectors - Bitte Ocra

Plan on complete destruction of all highly rated picks in the early rounds... If the Tamboureens don't go far, the Weakerthans/Arcade Fire/whatever else all you individuals collectively listen to, aren't going far either.

Brooke's list

Here's another list. Brooke's in, and this is going to shake things up. Plus she listed it in dramatic order!

10. amadou and mariam - welcome to mali
9. best friends forever - romantic conflict adventure
8. ukamau y ke - para la raza
7. beyonce knowles - i am sasha fierce
6. the tiger passion - bouncing light into crowds
5. m.i.a - arular
4. immortal technique - 3rd world
3. janelle monae - the archandroid
2. kanye west - my beautiful dark twisted fantasy
1. against me! - new wave

Tantalize

Just to tantalize you: the current top 12.

Arcade Fire The Suburbs 67.51
Weakerthans Reunion Tour 62.30
Yeah Yeah Yeahs It's Blitz 61.03
Sigur Ros Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust 60.32
Animal Collective Merriweather Post Pavilion 59.99
TV on the Radio Dear Science 59.66
Fleet Foxes Fleet Foxes 58.92
Deerhunter Microcastle/Weird Era Cont. 56.50
The Walkmen Lisbon 55.51
M83 Saturdays = Youth 55.46
Johnny Flynn A Larum 55.46
Explosions in the Sky All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone 55.46

But honestly, I don't see why we don't just call The New Pornographers the winners and be done with it.

DON'T MISS A THING

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Anne LaGrand's picks

Weakerthans - Reunion Tour
Stars - In Our Bedroom After the War
Surfjan Stevens - (Come on Hear the) Illinoise
Low - Drums and Guns
Arcade Fire - Suburbs
Sigur Ros - the one with the naked bums on the cover
TV on the Radio - Dear Science
Radiohead - In Rainbows
Feist - The Reminder
Crooked Saints - Beatrice

Joe LaGrand's picks

1.  Good Luck-  Into Lake Griffy
2.  Animal Collective- Merriweather Post Pavilion
3.  Dirty Projectors- Rise Above
4.  Nina Nastasia & Jim White-  You Follow Me
5.  DJ/rupture- Uproot
6.  Tim Hecker-  Harmony in Ultraviolet
7.  Janelle Monae- The ArchAndroid
8.  Kanye West- My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
9.  Xiu Xiu- The Air Force
10. Year of No Light- Nord

Top Ten for Sarah

1. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz (2009)

2. Cat Power - The Greatest (2006)

3. Girls - Album (2009)

4. Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me (2010)

5. Johnny Flynn - A Larum (2008)

6. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (2007)

7. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! (2008)

8. Hercules and Love Affair - Hercules and Love Affair (2008)

9. Laura Veirs - July Flame (2010)

10. Panda Bear - Person Pitch (2007)

I would have loved to include The New Pornographers, TV on the Radio, MIA, Neko Case, and Bonnie "Prince" Billy here, but I'm following Andrew's suggestion, so I am leaving MDM 2010 picks behind. Let the games begin.

Eric Arnoy's picks

1. Gorillaz--Demon Days
2. TV on the Radio--Dear Science
3. Weakerthans--Reunion Tour
4. Regina Spektor--Begin to Hope
5. Arcade Fire--The Suburbs
6. Low--Drums and Guns
7. Radiohead--In Rainbows (especially if it's in the 10 mix)
8. Sam Phillips--Don't Do Anything
9. Sufjan Stevens--Illinois
10. ben and bruno--100 Grim Reapers

Joel Dodson's picks

I'm in. I was going to put a Nellie McKay album* on here, but I knew she wouldn't make it past round one:


1. M83 – Saturdays = Youth

2. Lady Gaga – The Fame Monster

3. Deerhunter – Microcastle/Weird Era Cont.

4. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs

5. The Roots – How I Got Over

6. Atlas Sound - Logos

7. Justin Timberlake – FutureSex/Love Sounds

8. The Knife – Silent Shout

9. Radiohead – In Rainbows

10. Belle & Sebastian – The Life Pursuit


* Best line from "Community" last night: "He's in his late thirties. He still uses the word 'album' and has a land line." Let's call this contest The Land Liners' Death Match?

Karl's in!

This was en-easified by the fact that these are the only ten albums I've bought in the last five years. What. I know. I shouldn't even be here. Yippee kay yay, Mother Hubbard.

1 Explosions in the Sky - All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone (2007)
2 This Will Destroy You - This Will Destroy You (2008)
3 The Walkmen - You & Me (2008)
4 Mono - You Are There (2006)
5 Sigur Ros - Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust (2008)
6 The New Pornographers - Challengers (2007)
7 The Black Keys - Attack & Release (2008)
8 Cat Power - The Greatest (2007)
9 Feist - The Reminder (2007)
10 Laura Marling - Alas, I Cannot Swim (2008)

Bruce James's picks

1. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
2. Mountains - Choral
3. Portishead - Third
4. Joanna Newsom - Have One on Me
5. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz
6. Kaki King - Until We Felt Red
7. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
8. M.I.A. - Kala
9. New Pornographers - Challengers
10. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky

Eric Smith's picks

1) Sound of Silver - LCD Soundsystem
2) Donuts - Jay Dee
3) The Warning - Hot Chip
4) Jarvis - Jarvis Cocker
5) Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
6) Kala - M.I.A.
7) The House That Dirt Built - The Heavy
8) Living Thing - Peter Bjorn and John
9) The Ecstatic - Mos Def
10) Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend

Andrew Z's picks

1. Deerhunter - Microcastle / Weird Era Cont (2008)

2. Do Make Say Think - You, You're a History in Rust (2007)

3. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Ocra (2009)

4. Midlake - Trials of VanOccupanther (2006)

5. Samamidon - All is Well (2008)

6. Brendan Canning - Something for all of us (2008)

7. Lambchop - OH (Ohio) (2008)

8. Constantines - Kensington Heights (2008)

9. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago (2008)

10. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion (2009)

Andy Wilson's picks

1. Johnny Flynn - A Larum
2. The Walkmen - Lisbon
3. Beach House - Teen Dream
4. Ferraby Lionheart - Jack of Hearts
5. Peter Bjorn and John - Writer's Block
6. Girls - Album
7. Raveonettes - Lust Lust Lust
8. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz
9. My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
10. Lykke Li - Youth Novels

Brian Lavery's picks

I'm not going to try to over-think this.

1. Avett Brothers--I and Love and You. still one of my favorite bands

2. Frightened Rabbit--Midnight Organ Fight--too whiny for my wife to listen to, just the right amount of whininess for me

3. Vampire Weekend--Vampire Weekend. i could just have easily put Contra in this spot

4. Mumford & Sons--Sigh No More. i know why others hate them, but it's perfect for me.

5. JJ--jj no 2. i'm also loving their free mix tape Kills

6. Hercules and Love Affair--Hercules and Love Affair. guaranteed to always put me in a good mood

7. Heartless Bastards--All This Time. the singer has one of my favorite voices, even though it sounds like she could kick my ass

8. Caribou--swim. wasn't on my radar until i saw them/him live. now i think this album is amazing. unfortunately, i think i lost about 30% of my hearing from the concert.

9. Erykah Badu--New amerykah part two: return of the ankh. no idea what that title means, but she's awesome

10. lcd soundsystem--sound of silver. really could have put any of his on here.

243. kanye west--my beautiful dark twisted fantasy. still in my top 250, but just a little over-rated.

honorable mentions off the top of my head
low anthem--oh my God, charlie darwin
tallest man on earth--shallow graves
tv on radio--dear science
animal collective--merriweather post
gaslight anthem--'59 sound
sufjan--age of adz
sleigh bells--sleigh bells

Dee-Wite;s picks

I'm in with my list.
You can all just copy/paste from me.

1. The Dead Weather - Horehound (2009)
2. Sigur Ros - With a Buzz in our Ears we Play Endlessly (2008)
3. Fleet Foxes (2008)
4. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009)
5. The Black Keys - Brothers (2010)
6. Portishead - Third (2008)
7. Patrick Watson - Wooden Arms (2009)
8. Plants & Animals - Parc Avenue (2008)
9. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs (2010)
10. Liam Finn - I'll be Lightning (2007)

i'm always so mad in march!
d

Stevie D's picks

1 Crooked Saints: Beatrice (Obviously)
2. Cains and Abels "Call Me Up"
3. Tycho: "Past is Prologue"
4. Mum: "Go Smear the Poison Ivy"
5. explosions in the sky "all of a sudden i miss everyone"
6. Psalters: "The Divine Liturgy of the Wretched Exiles"
7. The Welcome Wagon "Welcome to the Welcome Wagon"
8. The New Midwest "Commonwealth"
9. Oceanlab "Sirens of the Sea"
10. Above & Beyond "Tri-State"

Jeff Z's picks

I'd just like to say in advance, that many of your selections are wrong, and you all generally suck. That being said, I look forward to spending this time with all of you, pointing out why you're wrong, and just how wrong you are!


1. XX – The XX
2. Further – The Chemical Brothers
3. Lisbon – The Walkmen
4. Halcyon Digest – Deerhunter
5. Saturdays = Youth – M83
6. Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes
7. Dear Science – TV on the Radio
8. Feed the Animals – Girltalk
9. Contra – Vampire Weekend
10. The Suburbs – Arcade Fire

Brad Allen's picks

1. K'naan- Troubadour-2009
2. Kathleen Edwards- Asking for Flowers- 2008
3. Neil Young- Living with War- 2006
4. Jakalope- Things that Go Jump In the Night- 2010
5. Weakerthans- Reunion Tour- 2007
6. Tegan and Sara- The Con- 2007
7. Broken Social Scene- Forgiveness Rock Record- 2010
8. New Pornographers- Challengers- 2007
9. Arcade Fire- The Suburbs- 2010
10. Jim Bryson & The Weakerthans- The Falcon Lake Incident- 2010