Saturday, January 22, 2011

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

14 comments:

  1. Here's the list of pick-ranks and people from those 57:

    1 Anne LaGrand
    2 Anne LaGrand
    3 Anne LaGrand
    4 Anne LaGrand
    5 Anne LaGrand
    6 Anne LaGrand
    7 Anne LaGrand
    8 Anne LaGrand
    9 Anne LaGrand
    10 Anne LaGrand
    1 Joe LaGrand
    2 Joe LaGrand
    3 Joe LaGrand
    7 Joe LaGrand
    8 Joe LaGrand
    1 Sarah Byker James
    2 Sarah Byker James
    3 Sarah Byker James
    4 Sarah Byker James
    5 Sarah Byker James
    7 Sarah Byker James
    8 Sarah Byker James
    1 Eric Arnoy
    2 Eric Arnoy
    3 Eric Arnoy
    5 Eric Arnoy
    6 Eric Arnoy
    7 Eric Arnoy
    9 Eric Arnoy
    1 Joel Dodson
    2 Joel Dodson
    3 Joel Dodson
    4 Joel Dodson
    9 Joel Dodson
    1 Karl Voskuil
    2 Karl Voskuil
    3 Karl Voskuil
    5 Karl Voskuil
    6 Karl Voskuil
    8 Karl Voskuil
    9 Karl Voskuil
    1 Bruce James
    2 Bruce James
    3 Bruce James
    4 Bruce James
    5 Bruce James
    7 Bruce James
    8 Bruce James
    9 Bruce James
    1 Eric Smith
    2 Eric Smith
    3 Eric Smith
    5 Eric Smith
    6 Eric Smith
    10 Eric Smith
    1 Andrew Zwart
    2 Andrew Zwart
    3 Andrew Zwart
    10 Andrew Zwart
    1 Andy Wilson
    2 Andy Wilson
    3 Andy Wilson
    6 Andy Wilson
    8 Andy Wilson
    1 Brian Lavery
    2 Brian Lavery
    3 Brian Lavery
    6 Brian Lavery
    10 Brian Lavery
    1 Dwight Schenk
    2 Dwight Schenk
    3 Dwight Schenk
    4 Dwight Schenk
    6 Dwight Schenk
    9 Dwight Schenk
    1 Steve De Ruiter
    2 Steve De Ruiter
    3 Steve De Ruiter
    5 Steve De Ruiter
    1 Jeff Zwart
    2 Jeff Zwart
    3 Jeff Zwart
    4 Jeff Zwart
    5 Jeff Zwart
    6 Jeff Zwart
    7 Jeff Zwart
    10 Jeff Zwart
    1 Brad Allen
    2 Brad Allen
    3 Brad Allen
    5 Brad Allen
    8 Brad Allen
    9 Brad Allen
    3 Brooke
    2 Brooke
    1 Brooke
    1 MVB
    2 MVB
    3 MVB
    4 MVB
    10 MVB

    ReplyDelete
  2. And finally, here's the summary of "how many of each person's picks got picked". Before I dump the data, some awards are in order:

    Lowest Common Denominator Award: Anne
    "I'm A Loner, Dottie. A Rebel." Award: Brooke
    Most Improved Conformer From Last Year Award: MVB

    10 Anne LaGrand
    8 Jeff Zwart
    8 Bruce James
    7 Sarah Byker James
    7 Karl Voskuil
    7 Eric Arnoy
    6 Eric Smith
    6 Dwight Schenk
    6 Brad Allen
    5 MVB
    5 Joel Dodson
    5 Joe LaGrand
    5 Brian Lavery
    5 Andy Wilson
    4 Steve De Ruiter
    4 Andrew Zwart
    3 Brooke

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh, and last thing: The way that you can help find errors is by looking at your picks that you thought were going to make the top-64 because 1) You voted for them pretty high up your list, and 2) Other people voted for that same band or album pretty high up on their lists.

    For any given pick, I can check its ranking and make sure it makes sense (and I didn't, say, typo one of the votes for the album/band).

    ReplyDelete
  4. thanks for all the awesome info karl...wanna dryhump?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Karl,

    Does it make sense to take the tying ten albums for the last seven spots and put in the ones of people who have fewer picks in the 64?

    When you decide this, if you send me the final list, I will create the brackets and give out the first assignments.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Please include the s on my last name when you heckle me!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Ah yes, an S. Oops. Andrew's possessive "Arnoy's" threw me off. Wasn't he an English teacher once?

    ReplyDelete
  8. For your information, I forgot Arnoys had an 's'. Believe me, I know my possessives.

    ReplyDelete
  9. A couple corrections came in. Nominees are the same, but seeding order is different.

    Identifying Brendan Canning as BSS bumps it up to #75 -- not far enough.

    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 Vampire Weekend Vampire Weekend 14.63
    33 Low Drums and Guns 14.55
    34 This Will Destroy You This Will Destroy You 14.00
    35 The Chemical Brothers Further 14.00
    36 Stars In Our Bedroom After the War 14.00
    37 Mountains Choral 14.00
    38 Lady Gaga The Fame Monster 14.00
    39 Kathleen Edwards Asking for Flowers 14.00
    40 Jay Dee Donuts 14.00
    41 Frightened Rabbit Midnight Organ Fight 14.00
    42 Do Make Say Think You, You're a History in Rust 14.00
    43 Cains and Abels Call Me Up 14.00
    44 The Walkmen You & Me 13.50
    45 Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! 13.30
    46 Dirty Projectors Rise Above 13.27
    47 Dirty Projectors Bitte Ocra 13.27
    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

    ReplyDelete
  10. Updated counts:

    10 Anne LaGrand
    8 Jeff Zwart
    8 Bruce Byker James
    7 Sarah Byker James
    7 Karl Voskuil
    7 Eric Arnoys
    6 Eric Smith
    6 Dwight Schenk
    6 Brad Allen
    5 Joel Dodson
    5 Joe LaGrand
    5 Brian Lavery
    5 Andy Wilson
    4 Steve De Ruiter
    4 MVB
    4 Andrew Zwart
    3 Brooke

    ReplyDelete
  11. >Does it make sense to take the tying ten albums for the last seven spots and put in the ones of people who have fewer picks in the 64?

    Hm. Interesting. I'll stick with the automated stuff, and leave the manual stuff to the MDM overlord. Really, I think what you're suggesting is to tweak the algorithm so that it weights individual picks more than popular picks -- that way you'd get a more even contributor distribution. But on the other hand, some people will inevitably nominate popular albums, and so constraining it to an even contributor distribution would really change the nominees: You would actually be rewarded for choosing distinctive albums rather than popular albums, since if you picked a popular album it would be "wasting" your vote on something that was already selected.

    Hm. Of course, you're suggesting using it as just a tie-break, not a ranking algorithm. But the same critique applies on a smaller scale: It's vulnerable to gaming.

    It might also be vulnerable to bribery.

    Anyway, here are the next couple dozen:

    58 immortal technique 3rd world 12.00
    59 Regina Spektor Begin to Hope 12.00
    60 Nina Nastasia & Jim White You Follow Me 12.00
    61 Mumford & Sons Sigh No More 12.00
    62 Mum Go Smear the Poison Ivy 12.00
    63 Mono You Are There 12.00
    64 Midlake Trials of VanOccupanther 12.00
    65 Jarvis Cocker Jarvis 12.00
    66 Jakalope Things that Go Jump In the Night 12.00
    67 Ferraby Lionheart Jack of Hearts 12.00
    68 The Black Keys Brothers 11.19
    69 Peter Bjorn and John Writer's Block 11.17
    70 The Roots How I Got Over 11.00
    71 Samamidon All is Well 11.00
    72 M.I.A Arular 11.00
    73 JJ JJ No 2 11.00
    74 DJ/rupture Uproot 11.00
    75 Axl n' Roses Chinese Democracy 11.00
    76 Brendan Canning Something for all of us 10.19
    77 the tiger passion bouncing light into crowds 10.00
    78 Tim Hecker Harmony in Ultraviolet 10.00
    79 Tegan and Sara The Con 10.00
    80 Spoon Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga 10.00
    81 Psalters The Divine Liturgy of the Wretched Exiles 10.00
    82 Kaki King Until We Felt Red 10.00
    83 Bobby Plant Band of Joy 10.00
    84 Atlas Sound Logos 10.00
    85 The Black Keys Attack & Release 9.31
    86 Broken Social Scene Forgiveness Rock Record 9.25
    87 beyonce knowles i am sasha fierce 9.00
    88 The Welcome Wagon Welcome to the Welcome Wagon 9.00
    89 The Heavy The House That Dirt Built 9.00
    90 Raveonettes Lust Lust Lust 9.00
    91 Patrick Watson Wooden Arms 9.00
    92 Lambchop OH (Ohio) 9.00
    93 Justin Timberlake FutureSex/Love Sounds 9.00
    94 Heartless Bastards All This Time 9.00
    95 David Gilmour On an Island 9.00
    96 Peter Bjorn and John Living Thing 8.35

    ReplyDelete
  12. Heh. Thanks for making the change, Karl!

    Andrew, would it help if I spelled it Arnoijs? Or what if I told you my name was French?

    ReplyDelete
  13. Karl, I prefer the term Joel gave me--dungeonmaster--over overlord. Please keep that in mind.

    Eric, you do seem French. I'll try to keep that in mind.

    So, I'm going to go ahead and use my method as a tie-break. I think everyone entered their picks without trying to play the system, and no one's offered me any bribes--yet.

    Besides, you're all a bunch of socialists, and this is the most socialistic thing to do.

    If I don't hear any major objections, I will post the first round assignments later tonight or tomorrow morning.

    ReplyDelete