NHC 2016 Summer Showdown (RESULTS)

[Smiling Politely]

We're ready to start the showdown with a total of 64 tracks and 23 participants! All the match ups have been randomised. Each round will last roughly three days, I will let you know as we go when each one will end. There will be rounds: 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 2a, 2b, 3, 4, 5, 6.

Enjoy the new tunes.

sending out mentions to everyone who submitted
@Smiling Politely @Shaunbadia @Mr Black @Negative Ned @Old painty-can Ned @noodlesoup @Squeaky Voiced Teen @Johnny Deformed @Apologist @tormented @kupomog @deadname @ThatsAPaddlin @The Spruce Moose @vintage pax @NoDeerForAMonth @box elder @silent disco @The Thompsons @LosTickaToeRest @BuyMyCereal @Matty @zach


Round 1A
Round closes on Monday, July 11 at 8pm (EDT)

1.
Troker - Principe Charro
Vs
Soap Kills – Enta Fen

2.
Deerhoof - The Devil and His Anarchic Surrealist Revue
Vs
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum – Angle of Repose

3.
The Cactus Channel ft. Chet Faker - Sleeping Alone
Vs
Porcupine Tree- Trains

4.
Vashti Bunyan – Come Wind Come Rain
Vs
Drowners - Cruel Ways

5.
Nightlife – Kenickie
Vs
Maxo Kream feat. Father - Cell Boomin

6.
Lime - Come and Get Your Love
vs
The Bronx - Strobe Life

7.
Lorelei - Mostly I Sleep
vs
The Dear Hunter- Progress

8.
Allo Darlin' - The Polaroid Song
Vs
Love - A House Is Not a Motel

[Bart's treehouse]

***CELL BOOMIN

***Also I'm p sure it's The Dear Hunter

[NoDeerForAMonth]

1.Troker - Principe Charro
Soap Kills – Enta Fen

2.Deerhoof - The Devil and His Anarchic Surrealist Revue
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum – Angle of Repose

3.The Cactus Channel ft. Chet Faker - Sleeping Alone
Porcupine Tree- Trains

4.Vashti Bunyan – Come Wind Come Rain
Drowners - Cruel Ways-----------------Best so far

5.Nightlife – Kenickie
Maxo Kream feat. Father - Cell Boomin

6.Lime - Come and Get Your Love
The Bronx - Strobe Life

7.Lorelei - Mostly I Sleep
The Dear Hunter- Progress

8.Allo Darlin' - The Polaroid Song
Love - A House Is Not a Motel

The two best songs were in round 8. Incredibly close.

[Mr. Teenie]

1. Troker - Principe Charro
2. Sleepytime Gorilla Museum – Angle of Repose (The other song definitely had an amazing music video tho)
3. Porcupine Tree- Trains
4. Drowners - Cruel Ways
5. Maxo Kream feat. Father - Cell Boomin
6. Lime - Come and Get Your Love
7. Lorelei - Mostly I Sleep
8. Allo Darlin' - The Polaroid Song

[jim]

1- Soap Kills
2- Deerhoof (but two interesting matchups)
3- Porcupine Tree (always been a fan of this song in particular)
4- Vashti Bunyan (really dug this)
5- Nightlife
6- Lime (decent synths, not a big fan of the vocals tho)
7- The Dear Hunter (got my attention immediately, have heard of them before but never really given them a listen before)
8- Love (both great, but this one is just too good)

[box elder]

ugh. i work 12 hour shifts every day this weekend including monday, so it's going to be tough to fit this in

[The Spruce Moose]

1.
Troker - Principe Charro
Vs
Soap Kills – Enta Fen

2.
Deerhoof - The Devil and His Anarchic Surrealist Revue
Vs
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum – Angle of Repose

3.
The Cactus Channel ft. Chet Faker - Sleeping Alone
Vs
Porcupine Tree- Trains

4.
Vashti Bunyan – Come Wind Come Rain
Vs
Drowners - Cruel Ways

5.
Nightlife – Kenickie
Vs
Maxo Kream feat. Father - Cell Boomin

6.
Lime - Come and Get Your Love
vs
The Bronx - Strobe Life

7.
Lorelei - Mostly I Sleep
vs
The Dear Hunter- Progress

8.
Allo Darlin' - The Polaroid Song
Vs
Love - A House Is Not a Motel

[Smiling Politely]

1. Soap Kills – Enta Fen
That Troker track was pretty cool, and I would definitely check out more from them. I did start to feel like the track went on a bit towards the end. Really loved Soap Kills. Her voice is absolutely lovely and the music itself had a really cool beat.

2. Sleepytime Gorilla Museum – Angle of Repose
I liked moments of The Devil and His Anarchic Surrealist Revue more than I liked the song as a cohesive whole. One of those things that just didn't fully do it for me I guess. Angle of Repose built up to a wonderfully chaotic climax, and I really enjoyed the vocals.

3. Porcupine Tree- Trains
Sleeping Alone didn't really keep my attention that well. I really like Porcupine Tree, although this is not the song I would have chosen.

4. Vashti Bunyan – Come Wind Come Rain
Drowners track was enjoyable enough but not really anything special. Come Wind Come Rain is so pretty and cute.

5. Maxo Kream feat. Father - Cell Boomin
Something about Kenickie made me feel really nostalgic even though I've never heard it before. I really enjoyed it. Cell Boomin' won out slightly; it had such a great beat.

6. Lime - Come and Get Your Love
Come and Get Your Love went on a bit too long for its own good, and the vocals could be a bit off putting at times. It had a really fun beat though, and I found myself dancing to it for sure. Strobe Life started out sounding like it was going to be a lot more interesting than it ended up actually being. The first few seconds were a bit deceiving. I didn't love or hate either. I preferred Lime.

7. The Dear Hunter- Progress
I enjoyed Progress more, but I would listen to more from Lorelei.

8. Love - A House Is Not a Motel
Both of these were pretty pleasant, but A House Is Not A Motel was just a cooler track that did a bit more for me.

[The Thompsons]

1. Troker- Principe Charro
2. Sleepytime Gorilla Museum- Angel Of Repose
3. Porcupine Tree- Trains
4. Drowners- Cruel Ways
5. Nightlife- Kenickie
6. The Bronx- Strobe Life
7. The Dear Hunter- Progress
8. Love-A House Is Not A Motel

[zach]

01. Soap Kills - Enta Fen
02. Deerhoof - The Devil and His Anarchic Surrealist Revue
03. The Cactus Channel ft. Chet Faker - Sleeping Alone
04. Vashti Bunyan - Come Wind Come Rain
05. Nightlife - Kenickie
06. Lime - Come and Get Your Love (not my favoruite lime song, but certainly my favourite of this round.)
07. Lorelei - Mostly I Sleep
08. Love - A House Is Not a Motel

[BuyMyCereal]

1. Troker - Principe Charro: I really dug Principe Charro. It was a very interesting song and I really dug the unique mix of instruments. As for Enta Fen... it was interesting. I did like it, but I'm going to have to give the edge to Principe Charro.

2. Sleepytime Gorilla Museum – Angle of Repose: Both of these songs were really good, but I liked Angle of Repose a little bit more. I will acknowledge how mind-blowing the music video is in the other song though.

3. Porcupine Trees - Trains: I loved both of these songs, but I'm going with Trains since it sounds more like my kind of song.

4. Vashti Bunyan – Come Wind Come Rain: Cruel Ways was decent, but I liked the simplicity of Come Wind Come Rain a lot more, so my vote goes to that.

5. Maxo Kream feat. Father - Cell Boomin: I wasn't sure what to think at first as I found Kenickie to be very catchy while Cell Boomin is more impressive on a technical level. I listened to these songs a second time just to make sure which one I thought was better and I decided that Cell Boomin is the better song.

6. The Bronx - Strobe Life: Come and Get Your Love is decent even though it does run on for a bit too long and this kind of music isn't quite my cup of tea, but Strobe Life is easily the better song for me.

7. Lorelei - Mostly I Sleep: Even though this is another case where both songs were great, I knew which one I was going to vote for right away. As amazing as Progress sounds, I'm going to go with Mostly I Sleep as I just loved the 90's feel of it more.

8. Love - A House Is Not A Motel: I did enjoy The Polaroid Song, but right when I got into A House Is Not A Motel, I knew that this song was going to get my vote. I might've heard a song or two by Love years ago and I know the name sounds familiar, but this song was new to me. This is the best song on here so far and it makes me want to go through some of Love's discography.

[Jims]

1. Troker - Principe Charro
2. Deerhoof - The Devil and His Anarchic Surrealist Revue
3. The Cactus Channel ft. Chet Faker - Sleeping Alone
4. Drowners - Cruel Ways
5. Nightlife – Kenickie
6. Lime - Come and Get Your Love
7. Lorelei - Mostly I Sleep
8. Love - A House Is Not a Motel

Kind of a heavy round.

[Shaunbadia]

1. Soap Kills – "Enta Fen"
2. Deerhoof - "The Devil and His Anarchic Surrealist Revue"
3. The Cactus Channel ft. Chet Faker - "Sleeping Alone"
4. Drowners - "Cruel Ways"
5. Maxo Kream feat. Father - "Cell Boomin"
6. Lime - "Come and Get Your Love"
7. The Dear Hunter- "Progress"
8. Love - "A House Is Not a Motel"

"Principe Charro" has kind of a fun, goofy charm to it to start off, though it takes a nose dive and turns into a grating mess around the 1:30 mark before resetting and then taking a weird turn with the record scratching. It's a bit out there in spots, but there's something there to like. I feel like it could have benefited from being shorter though. I found myself glancing at the time elapsed a few times during it. "Enta Fen" didn't exactly blow me away, but it was a lot smoother and more pleasant overall with the exception of the uh.... I think that was the sound of a dog barking a few times? A tad jarring, but okay.

That Deerhoof video was really fucking cool to the point where I had to click into a different tab to keep myself from getting to distracted from the actual song, which was also very good. Loved the vocals, musically it had a strong, if not a tad erratic, energy to it, and it was fun. Would for sure listen to this again (And I'm gonna go back just to watch the video properly because what I saw of it was a lovely visual treat). Didn't really care for Sleepytime Gorilla Museum. Vocally it was alright, I suppose, but there was just so little going on behind it that I couldn't bring myself to care and the music felt totally detached from the vocals. It was holding out hope because it felt like it was building to something more interesting on several occasions, but then it just sorta.... dicked around, I guess? Hardly the sort of thing that needs to be dragged out for 8 fucking minutes.

Ohhhhhh, now this Cactus Channel track is niiiiiice. It's funky, it's chill, it's gonna go into my list of liked videos for future reference. Solid stuff whoever submitted this. Porcupine Tree's "Trains" is another fine submission from a fine group that we've had in the showdown before and I'm sure it'll go far, but personally it just doesn't have me quite as engrossed as Cactus Channel's "Sleeping Alone" does. Currently it's looking like the journey ends here for it but I'm still gonna throw whoever submitted it a bone because it deserves some love.

"Come Wind Come Rain" was some dull as dishwater folk music. Felt like I was listening to a shit nursery rhyme. Drowners track was pretty good. Gonna toss that one into the "Listen to it again later" pile. Not the sort of thing I'd go out of my way for but y'know, if a certain downtrodden mood were to strike it'd come in handy.

"Nightlife" was annoying as fuck. Everything about it from start to finish. Seems like there's always one standout track in these showdowns that gives me a fucking headache, and this time Kenickie takes that spot good and early. Fun fact: Lauren Laverne, the lead singer/guitarist for this band, is actually a pretty funny comedian and a decent television presenter. Sad that she's so fucking awful here. "Cell Boomin'" wasn't anything special either, in fact, it was just a big ol' scoop of mediocrity. But y'know, when the opposition gives me a headache, it's gonna take a some truly spectacular misfire of a track to make me vote against it.

Ahh, some nice 80's synth music from Lime. That's a good cure for my sour mood. The ringing telephone noises popping up in the background here and there are something I could do without but that's a very minor gripe with an overall fun piece. A bigger gripe however is that it could have ended around the 5 minute mark but chose to drag things out for an additional 3 minutes. The Bronx was just... y'know, I had something a bit more bluntly aggressive to say about how much I disliked this that would probably have been fitting due to the pissed off nature of punk music anyway, but at this point I'm so exhausted making my way through this that my extreme annoyance has become a deathly numbness.

Lorelei... sure, why not? It was okay. Didn't really leave much of an impression on me one way or the other. It's the sort of thing I could contentedly listen to in the car, y'know? Like, I'd only half be paying attention to it while looking at the road ahead. The Dear Hunter's "Progress" was much more my thing. Super easy to space out to and just get lost in it. The whole concept of The Color Spectrum is one that I really dig and I'm super glad this got submitted.

"The Polaroid Song" is pleasant enough, but in the same vein as the Lorelei track, it's something that'd I'd be more likely to listen to in the car since it's only able to hold a little portion of my attention anyway. "A House is Not a Motel" was good. I dig the slower, more clam, but not without some strong, somewhat trippy drive of its own rock of the 60s/70s. Left much more of an impression on me than Allo Darlin' did, that's for sure.

Well, that was an ordeal that felt way longer to get through than it actually did. See ya'll next round!

[Smiling Politely]

Just under 24 hours left and I still need votes from the following: @Old painty-can Ned @noodlesoup @Squeaky Voiced Teen @Johnny Deformed @Apologist @tormented @kupomog @deadname @ThatsAPaddlin @vintage pax @box elder @silent disco @LosTickaToeRest @Matty

[The Goode Family]

1. Troker - Principe Charro vs. Soap Kills - Enta Fen

i don't have much scathing criticisms/deep insights on either of these, but this choice was still pretty obvious. "enta fen" isn't a difficult listen but the song doesn't have much pulse. the vocals are pretty solid but the beat's not interesting and it's too long, i feel like i wouldn't notice if this was just the same 20 seconds looped over and over. "principe charro" definitely isn't a flawless tune either but i liked it a fair bit. it's a well put-together tune, those instruments are put together with a fair bit of care and there's nothing ostensibly clashing here. i haven't heard much like this but i dig it, not too big on the record-scratching bits or how it stops and starts a couple times. it gets the vote.

2. Deerhoof - The Devil and His Anarchic Surrealist Revue vs. Sleepytime Gorilla Museum – Angle of Repose

another fairly easy choice. "angle of repose" isn't terrible but i got tired of it fairly easily. MUSICALLY it's fine and if you trimmed this i might've liked it, but its current 8-minute form seems content to just meander without much development. so yeah the attempted grandiosity kinda falls flat here, pretty sure i forgot this was playing on my first listen. enjoyed the deerhoof song a lot, i can definitely appreciate a song like this that was clearly made with diligence because i can easily see a version of this song that doesn't work, but every piece of this works great. ended up listening to this one a few times, some of them just to appreciate that music video.

3. The Cactus Channel ft. Chet Faker - Sleeping Alone vs. Porcupine Tree - Trains

both of these were pretty good songs, but i have to give it to porcupine tree. i'd like to give the edge to "sleeping alone" because it was pretty unique, but there's only so much mellow i can take yknow??? it's still a very nice song, good vocals and mostly good instrumentation. "trains" is, i think, better as a whole? it could be a tad shorter but there's not a lot to dislike (or comment on) here.

4. Vashti Bunyan – Come Wind Come Rain vs. Drowners - Cruel Ways

"come wind come rain"... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. sorry but this barely even registered as a song. it doesn't overstay its welcome, but i can't really praise this one too much. "cruel ways" was good though. didn't knock me out or anything, but there's energy here, it's catchy enough, and the lead guy knows how to deliver vocals. not sure if i'd ever look up anything more from this band but this song is fine. so yeah, it gets the point natch.

5. Nightlife - Kenickie vs. Maxo Kream feat. Father - Cell Boomin

eh... there's parts of "kenickie" i like. but those vocals are really not doing anything for me and the music behind them is just there. the best part of this song was the completely misguided FAIR USE spiel in the description. "cell boomin'" on the other hand was very entertaining. love that ebola line lol

6. Lime - Come and Get Your Love vs. The Bronx - Strobe Life

after the sleepytime gorilla museum song i was nervous going into "come and get your love" after seeing its run time, but it's a solid tune. catchy enough without being crushingly overlong, this could've ended sooner but i'm not necessarily angry it went on. i don't think anything about "strobe life" was that creative or interesting and it left no lasting impression on me.

7. Lorelei - Mostly I Sleep vs. The Dear Hunter - Progress

i liked lorelei but dear hunter is more musically interesting and i'm probably more likely to remember it down the line. i kind of feel like the lorelei song is imploding on itself? like it seems the mix is kind of swallowing the vocals, makes it a bit of a difficult listen. or maybe i'm finally going deaf, idk.

8. Allo Darlin' - The Polaroid Song vs. Love - A House Is Not a Motel

"the polaroid song" is a bouncy little tune that i don't have a lot to say about. the vocals/harmonies are nice and sound pretty chipper at times. can't hate a happy tune like it, but there's not really much here that would keep me coming back. also i wonder why the description of the video thinks it's so cool that the group have a song called "woody allen". it's not that cool! "a house is not a motel" was enjoyable though, thing is oozing in that 60s atmosphere. not a hard choice.

solid round, nothing here i'd characterize as awful, just a few forgettable tracks.

[Bart's treehouse]

1.Soap Kills – Enta Fen
2.Deerhoof - The Devil and His Anarchic Surrealist Revue
3.The Cactus Channel ft. Chet Faker - Sleeping Alone
4.Drowners - Cruel Ways
5.Maxo Kream feat. Father - Cell Boomin
6.Lime - Come and Get Your Love
7.Lorelei - Mostly I Sleep
8.Allo Darlin' - The Polaroid Song

[bias]

soap kills
deerhoof
porcupine tree
drowners
maxo kream
lime
the dear hunter
allo darlin'

[LosTickaToeRest]

1. Troker

[Love the high energy and sax action]

2. Deerhoof

[Tough call but I like the atmosphere of this song and the music video is awesome]

3. The Cactus Channel

[The brass makes this for me]

4. Vashti Bunyan

[Gosh this is just so cute and pleasant and I honestly love it]

5. Maxo Kream

[That beat]

6. Lime

[Super-cute synthpop and artwork like a weird Amiga game - what's not to love]

7. The Dear Hunter

[Love the synthiness and atmosphere]

8. Love

[I've been on a King Crimson bender and have actually been looking for more stuff just like this]

[pax]

troker
deerhoof
cactus channel
vashti bunyan
maxo cream
lime
lorelei
love

[Matty]

Damn strong first round.

1. Troker - Principe Charro

2. Sleepytime Gorilla Museum – Angle of Repose

3. The Cactus Channel ft. Chet Faker - Sleeping Alone

4. Drowners - Cruel Ways

5. Nightlife – Kenickie

6. Lime - Come and Get Your Love

7. The Dear Hunter- Progress

8. Love - A House Is Not a Motel

@LosTickaToeRest: One of my winter '16 picks, Pepe Deluxé, has some (amongst many) King Crimson vibes, especially in this opening track

[Traviud]

01. Soap Kills - Enta Fen
02. Deerhoof - The Devil and His Anarchic Surrealist Revue
03. Porcupine Tree- Trains (everyone needs to listen to In Absentia at least once)
04. Vashti Bunyan - Come Wind Come Rain
05. Nightlife - Kenickie (didn't care for either option, honestly)
06. Lime - Come and Get Your Love (best find of this round; I really like The Bronx but they lose out here)
07. The Dear Hunter- Progress
08. Love - A House Is Not a Motel (my favorite song of this round, Forever Changes is an amazing album)

[pilcrow]

1. Troker - Principe Charro
Troker's got some great improvisational stuff throughout the whole thing, and the unusual 5/4 beat is surprisingly groovy. Enta Fen has a neat vibe but it's a bit samey for the whole song. Nothing really builds up and makes it stand out.

2. Deerhoof - The Devil and His Anarchic Surrealist Revue
I'm not too big on Surrealist Revue, although the part where the heavy drums give way to some chill percussive guitar and drum effects is pretty cool (1:40 and again near the end). The constant rhythm changes on Angle of Repose are kinda neat but 8 minutes is a bit too much of it.

3. Porcupine Tree- Trains
Wow tough match. Love the small rolls on the drum instead of crisp hits on Sleeping Alone, as well as the build in the middle. Trains has a neat unconventional rhythm and all the tone changes work really well. Sad to see Sleeping Alone go but Trains wins by a hair, and props to both people who nominated this.

4. Vashti Bunyan – Come Wind Come Rain
Come Wind Come Rain is a nice simple ditty. Cruel Ways seems like kinda standard alt rock but I can't find much fault in it. Both good tracks but gonna go with the more unique one

5. Maxo Kream feat. Father - Cell Boomin
The piano behind Nightlife is nice, but that's pretty much all I can say about it. CELL BOOMIN is hilarious though so I gotta give it to that

6. Lime - Come and Get Your Love
Come and Get Your Love gets repetitive after a while for sure, but man it's just too fun for me to hate it. Strobe Life has some pretty intense drumming and a nice fade out ending but otherwise I don't care for it. However, apparently they've released three mariachi albums of all things so now I probably have to check that out.

7. The Deer Hunter- Progress
Lorelei is a neat tune and I've got nothing against it. Shame it had to go up aganist The Dear Hunter though. Gorgeous piece by itself and the whole concept of nine EPs with each one representing a color is really fascinating.

8. Allo Darlin' - The Polaroid Song
The Polaroid Song is just really pleasant all the way through - upbeat percussion, bright guitars, and nice harmonies all come together really well. A House is Not a Motel has a nice brisk pace and a solid mix of acoustic and electric guitars. The guitar solo at the end isn't too special though and ultimately I think it's what gives Polaroid the slight advantage here.

[kupomog]

Man, went back to work just in time..

Round 1A
1. Soap Kills – Enta Fen
2. Deerhoof - The Devil and His Anarchic Surrealist Revue (hard choice :/)
3. The Cactus Channel ft. Chet Faker - Sleeping Alone
4. Vashti Bunyan – Come Wind Come Rain
5. Nightlife – Kenickie
6. Lime - Come and Get Your Love (may be my fave this round)
7. The Dear Hunter- Progress
8. Allo Darlin' - The Polaroid Song

[Nwordpassforsale]

1. Soap Kills – Enta Fen
2. Deerhoof - The Devil and His Anarchic Surrealist Revue
3. The Cactus Channel ft. Chet Faker - Sleeping Alone
4. Drowners - Cruel Ways
5. Maxo Kream feat. Father - Cell Boomin
6. Lime - Come and Get Your Love
7. Lorelei - Mostly I Sleep
8. Allo Darlin' - The Polaroid Song

[box elder]

1.
Troker - Principe Charro
Vs
Soap Kills – Enta Fen

2.
Deerhoof - The Devil and His Anarchic Surrealist Revue
Vs
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum – Angle of Repose

3.
The Cactus Channel ft. Chet Faker - Sleeping Alone
Vs
Porcupine Tree- Trains

4.
Vashti Bunyan – Come Wind Come Rain
Vs
Drowners - Cruel Ways

5.
Nightlife – Kenickie
Vs
Maxo Kream feat. Father - Cell Boomin

6.
Lime - Come and Get Your Love
vs
The Bronx - Strobe Life

7.
Lorelei - Mostly I Sleep
vs
The Dear Hunter- Progress

8.
Allo Darlin' - The Polaroid Song
Vs
Love - A House Is Not a Motel

[Smiling Politely]

@pkkao so is that the polaroid song you are voting for in round 8?

[pilcrow]

Oh I just posted what I had first in case I missed the deadline. Will probably make up my mind soon but if you have to go ahead with the results then you can just discount my round 8 vote all done!

[scully apologist]

Troker - Principe Charro (So much fun! Already sent it to a couple of friends)
Deerhoof - The Devil and His Anarchic Surrealist Revue (Top song and I know its not relevant for this but I adore the video)
The Cactus Channel ft. Chet Faker - Sleeping Alone
Drowners - Cruel Ways (Both great tracks and so totally different. Decided to go with Drowners in the end but it could have gone either way. Come Wind, Come Rain is sweet but I'd probably be more to explore the Drowners further. Still a bit conflicted)
Kenickie - Nightlife
The Bronx - Strobe Life (Neither of these were massively my thing, The Bronx just about win it)
The Deer Hunter- Progress (Another tough one, two of the tracks I enjoyed most this round. In the end Progress has a bit more going on)
Love - A House Is Not a Motel (The Polaroid song is utterly fantastic but Love is Love.
Wanna write fuller reviews next time. Totally underestimated how long it would take to listen to them all.

[tyler]

1. troker: great revving intro, the drums barrel so fiercly through this, tight but effectively serpentining the clarion call of the lead horns, the song plows forward with a steadfast sense of urgency, a looping truncated key line in a perpetual nosedive, and pretty masterful snappy breaks in momentum that never quite pull the song off its tracks. the scratch-laden breakdown is a very cool shift too. just a really cool vibe and performance, and fuck that drum sound is so killer, especially the snare.
vs.
soap kills: pretty low rent drum machine and quirky but not captivating synth marks open the track on a bit of a listenable but tepid note, and i'm not much feeling the vocal at all, i'd even say they seem outright incongruent together. the eventually dollops of elegaic piano that eminate from the corners of the room do better establish the sense of space and darkness. the bridge is one of the better moments, kicking the walls down and assembling layers of percussive textures that swirl around and produce a proud subdued clatter. when the track slips back into its original mode it brings these slowly gathered tools together to greater effect, but i do wonder if the opening had to be so narrow for the juxtaposition to work at all. one of those great music tricks? eh, worked on me. the guitar at the end is a cool touch btw, nice call saving that for a little resolve at the end, again feeling like it's being played at a strategic whisper to entice your ears to perk up and catch every note. effective.

both with solid elements but the better overall track is TROKER

2. deerhoof: ah deerhoof, a fever dream. a sugar rush. a car crash. a fucking lightning bolt to the brain but it gives you superpowers of some shit. the point is deerhoof make really wild and elated batshit indie pop that feels like swimming in pixy stix Dust, whatever they call the shit in the stick? the blazing ascent of guitars and stuttering drums that open this instantly let you know what to feel and if you like the feeling, the calmer wandering moments giving way to intermittent bursts of gleeful clatter and noise, ricocheting off your brain like a caffeine-addled youth. me? i fucking love the child-like high of too much sugar, but even the softer moments hit hard, a gorgeous interlude of sparkling pianos and softer drumwork give the vocal a greater clarity to make a point of the melody and beauty at play here, but when it all comes crashing back into you like a technicolor tidal wave, the high feels even more definitive. raucous and playful and fucking fun as fuck. deerhoof make me curse because they bring out my inner Fun Dont Give A Shit Fuck The Pretension Let's Jam self, and it is nice to escape the need to so deeply analyze and instead just go "ooh, aah" at all the pretty colors".
vs.
sleepytime gorilla museum: actively antagonistic sludge of many flavors, a few of them palatable and a few just flavors i never got the hype for. it would be fair for me to retire to my Pleb Chair and concede that i just don't "get" this. i not only love but fervently defend the notion of eclecticism in music and honestly if you aren't experimenting in music i think you're wasting everyone's time and pandering, but i will say my ideal view of eclecticism is that of an artist trying different shades and colors and flavors with every new canvas, not necessarily gathering all of their prospective ideas and jettisoning them at the wall simultaneously and defending it in the name of artistic expression, not getting it perhaps being the goal, i'm not one of the chosen few. i have to wonder if someone who this erratically swerves off the given path this many times realizes they're eventually going to be going in circles. i'm not impressed by your jack-of-all-trades genre soup, if you can start a million conversations but can't finish one, you're basically saying nothing.

uh, DEERHOOF.

3. cactus channel ft. chet faker: hmm. i could probably chew on this for days without catching a semblance of flavor. i don't hate it, it's listenable, it's well arranged in an immaculate-to-the-point-of-soulless kind of way, its perhaps aggressive in it's modernity while asserting some hollow affectation of throwback, i'd wager literally any artist this influenced should take precedence over this. chet faker sounds like a slew of 2010s white guys with a hankering for cultural approriation but i would leap headfirst with fully disclosed white hypocrisy away from my ideals if he actually pulled it off, but for my money his lower register is only decent with some fair delivery and pauses, and the chorus hits dog whistle-levels that make me yearn for some fuckin james blake on the track. the best bit is the opening, stumbling through the door with a slovenly sway and effective sustained horns, like the theme song of a drunk dude who thinks he's the shit, even though nobody else in the place feels the same. probably fitting.
vs.
porcupine tree: instantly pleasant, there's a profound wistful rumination to the acoustics of steven wilson, and the builds always feel triumphant, walloping the strings with purpose and certainty, though not without the pregnant pauses that emphasize the sense of doubt. when the full body of the track is assembled, it's a solid etheral prog work that manages to soar and rock without trying too damn hard to impress or too damn hard to mean something. porcupine tree rarely feel too precious or pretentious, and i probably believe steven wilson more than any other prog artist on earth. i don't always know what he's saying, but i know he gives it all he's got. the interlude with the clapping is uhh a bit dorky especially with that..banjo?, but eh it gives the track a little bit of flavor and respite which is effective in it's own way, the guitars still resonate. this one is just largely up to feeling, and i feel it.

yeah, PORCUPINE TREE

4. vashti bunyan: man...hmm. i'd feel like a total prick to say anything negative about this, and there's not much to say negative anyway, but its such pure sweet light-hearted fluttery traditional folk that i'd feel like a rueful beast attempting to DECONSTRUCT it like it should be analyzed with some critical eye let alone by a wannabee like myself. the guitar plucking is very peppy and the string work kinda delicately scrapes against that nicely, the bass doin..y'know bass things. i'm just not a big fan of the vocal, i like a good absurd falsetto but the just-below cartoonish helium voice, the one that still feels human, sounds very much like a hymnal. it's not BAD but i can't really engage it legitimately, it's a sweet lilt but i'd fully expect to start a chain of dog howls if i played this aloud. sorry . not bad but not for me.
vs.
drowners: apathetic mid-tempo rock, i can catch a whiff of at least faint contempt for actually trying to have a unique personality, which doesn't bode well coupled with a pretty dead-eyed musical backbone and passable but derivative of more english music than i could rattle off vocal performance. it is listenable, but barring the pleasant albeit standard-issue chord strums in between the second chorus and bridge there's nearly nothing here. this is a low.

eesh uh, i guess VASHTI BUNYAN because it's actually something.

5.
kenicke: solid upbeat noisy jangly rocky thingy. the minimal piano-and-drums verses are pretty inspired and manage to keep the drums just abrasive enough to never sacrifice the roughness, even the pianos sounds not too compressed or anything, each hammered chord feels pretty tangible, and those choruses mmm yes, the soft/heavy dynamic is such a cheap technique at this juncture but i will never not fall for it. oh shit here it comes, the big explosive moment, the release after all that verse edging, and AHHHHHH fuck. every time. the swirling wave of noise that is the bridge is massive too, like being carried into the ocean by a massive wave, eventually showing mercy and receeding. this is super cool and full of personality, lotta SASS. makes me wanna jig in my bedroom but i don't have a bedroom.
vs.
maxo kream ft. father: ignoring entirely the themes of the track because they don't concern me and barring a few funny one-liners they aren't anything special, this works for me. solid lurching beat and appropriate flows from both maxo kream and father, i probably prefer vocal tone on the beat for juxtaposition, but both work. the drums are pretty basic and minimal, the bass is overdriven as expected, the single non-percussive element of the verse being a looped ringtone flutter is weird but it works. the best part here is the hook tho, solid delivery, great fried synth grounding the vocal. i'm probably already overthinking this though, and really anyone who trashes this kinda music probably is suffering of that. just shut up and vibe to it. it's vibey af. dissecting it only does it a diservice but also creates an insinuation that there was more beneath the surface, which uh probably not, but that doesn't have to be a sin. some things are what they are, some shit ain't trying to be the next classic or groundbreaking. fine with me, as long as it bangs.

both good, but i'm goin with KENICKE

6. lime: i love excess, i love cheese, and i love a catchy dance tune. check, check, aaaand check! rippling synths soar like bottle rockets across the sky around a great vocal performance that holds the song tight for eight erupting minutes of jig-worthy synth magic, an array of colors and Phone Sound Effects keeping the workout video vibes alive and frisky throughout. the main synth interplay that opens that track is irresistable and makes me wanna hit the dance floor, and rip shit up. the vocal is tops, a raspier male vocal perspective giving way to a jubilant Edith Bunker response, eventually coming together and reiterating their feelings, now directly, you can feel them getting closer, embracing. pattering bongos, vocally synths, and ambient pads endlessly swirling, the barrage of solos and arpeggios in the end sound terrific. never loses its sense of passion. dated sounds abound but for my money the bubble you enter when engaged with a neat little forgotten bauble that represents an era you never experienced is a special brand of nostalgia, contrived by a mind that wants what it cant have, and settles for the next best thing. i wanna live in the 80s probably.
vs.
the bronx: were i a teenager this would be your lucky day. as it stands this constipated strain is a depressing half-step away from the sheer awe-inspiring intensity of the true hardcore warriors like converge and another couple away from the more creative post-hardcore artists who more effortedly add a bit of character or melody or POWER to their music. methinks this doth protest too much, i hear you but i don't feel you buddy. scream all you want, i'm sure it feels good and i'm sure the kids listened back in 2003. maybe turn up your vocal on the chorus tho? it's not impossible to be aggressive and beautiful, but all this hootin' and hollerin' and bashing and crashing without much grace feels like a first day at the therapist. how do you really feel, guys

point goes to LIME

7. lorelai: seems every showdown i hit that upsetting wall that is "song i dig but have nothing to say about". interplay of rather lo-fi drums and folksy jangling acoustics is nice, the vocal is of a style i always love, the ruminative warm whispers, implying more than outright stating emotion vocally speaking, allowing one to infer and to self-insert to let the feeling resonate on a personal level, and one that feels less affected, not trying to reach every ear on earth, just content to express one's self, everything else is secondary. the whole lo-fi feel is very appealing, the track is pretty typical but catchy and lovely. thumbs up, a solid standard affair in it's corner, nothing wrong with that at all.
vs.
the dear hunter: i remember you. this time though, not bad. totally pleasant ambient piece, some sorta BoC-esque faint bloops climbing in the background, always love when an airy piece of music is offset with some heavier texture, and the revving bass thundering in each measure does the trick. i don't love the vocal and it feels outright incongruous with the rest of the proceedings but the filter does make it more ignorable happily, left to focus on the roaming synthscape. a very different but pleasant offering from dear hunter, i'd even check this album out after this, hard to resist the sensation of floating just off a beautiful landscape, peering into the endless sky and over your shoulder at god's architecture, feeling free and limitless. ambience always gets me caught up in visions of nature, if its doing the job right.

tough match, gonna go with DEAR HUNTER.

8. allo darlin': another nice jangly indie pop tune, my wordbank is running on empty for descriptions of the stuff. i do like the sputtering flutes and chirpy guitars, it's very peppy. nice flute solo too, you want easy points from kaos, add some flute. this track is very summery and carefree, makes me nostalgic, like alot of good indie music that embodies faded but warmly remembered past times. very hooky and inviting, little else to say. makes me feel Good.
vs.
love: i've heard much about love and always been curious about their work, forever changes especially gets its fair share of praise in the category of big mid-60s rock records, perhaps this could be called psychedelic, or "acid rock" or what have you. the starkly spread-out production of alot of 60s music is something that used to perturb me as it kept a fuller sound from blossoming in my mind but now i feel like its quite intriguing, sort of asks you to put the pieces together. the song itself is a confident acoustic stomper with some great drum fills and well-paced electric guitar fervor to light up the track when it fits and keep it from feeling inert, although the solo borders on swallowing the entire song by the end. this one's curious, i feel like it would take me much longer to find in it what so many already have. i'll keep coming back though. maybe i'll finally hear the record.

hmm gonna go with LOVE

[Smiling Politely]

Round is over. Results shortly, followed by round 1B.