"March" Madness 2021 | Done!

[.indulgecountry]

Annabel Jones - “Spiritual Violence” (pheebs, #1) vs. Agnes Obel - “Broken Sleep” (nickd, #6)

Noname - “Rainforest” (BB, #1) vs. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - “Intrasport” (wamdjones, #6)

Backxwash - “Black Magic” (1^∞, #1) vs. Chung Ha f/ Guaynaa - “Demente (Spanish Version)” (Az Paynter, #6)

Laura Marling - “Held Down” (willapted33, #1) vs. KHAYAT - “Call For Love” (Leo, #6)

Channel Tres - “skate depot” (gotportugal, #1) vs. Chika - “U Should” (Zach, #6)

Haru Nemuri - “Bang” (Sambalada, #1) vs. CamelPhat f/ LOWES - “Easier (Sub Focus Remix)” (Trilogy, #6)

Jacob Collier f/ Mahalia & Ty Dolla $ign - “All I Need” (wrip, #1) vs. Midas Hutch f/ MAAD, Jengi, & Jael - “Hey Stranger” (Wavey, #6)

[rom]

Annabel Jones - “Spiritual Violence” (pheebs, #1) (7) vs. Agnes Obel - “Broken Sleep” (nickd, #6) (8)
broken sleep: this song has made me realize how badly we need more classical arrangements with vocals... wow this is so good

Noname - “Rainforest” (BB, #1) (8) vs. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - “Intrasport” (wamdjones, #6) (7)
rainforest: noname's ability to teeter on singing, speaking, and rapping is one of my favorite things
intrasport: time is going to treat king gizzard well, i guarantee you this. they're gonna be seen as frank zappa if he took himself a tad more seriously in the future

Backxwash - “Black Magic” (1^∞, #1) (8) vs. Chung Ha f/ Guaynaa - “Demente (Spanish Version)” (Az Paynter, #6) (5)
black magic: lmao ive been following backxwash for like at least 6 months on twitter and i entirely forgot she made music
demente: What's demente...

Laura Marling - “Held Down” (willapted33, #1) (8) vs. KHAYAT - “Call For Love” (Leo, #6) (3)
held down: this is 100% going to grow on me a lot, i could definitely see it being one of my favorites from march madness altogether
call for love: these are some cool ableton presets you have going on

Channel Tres - “skate depot” (gotportugal, #1) (8) vs. Chika - “U Should” (Zach, #6) (7)
skate depot: baritones with autotune... oh my lord i think i found my new musical sweet spot

Haru Nemuri - “Bang” (Sambalada, #1) (9) vs. CamelPhat f/ LOWES - “Easier (Sub Focus Remix)” (Trilogy, #6) (6)
bang: so im finding out that i need to check out harutosyura expeditiously what a JAM this is
easier: cant say im the biggest fan of how the vocals were like... noticeably sped up to stay on tempo. pretty good otherwise 0';p[9/oltrghefd sorry a bitch ass fly landed on my keyboard my house gettin infested rn fr

Jacob Collier f/ Mahalia & Ty Dolla $ign - “All I Need” (wrip, #1) (8) vs. Midas Hutch f/ MAAD, Jengi, & Jael - “Hey Stranger” (Wavey, #6) (7)
all i need: that drop at the 2 minute mark... damn that... damn...

[jamesflame]

Annabel Jones - “Spiritual Violence” (pheebs, #1) vs. Agnes Obel - “Broken Sleep” (nickd, #6)

Noname - “Rainforest” (BB, #1) vs. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - “Intrasport” (wamdjones, #6)

Backxwash - “Black Magic” (1^∞, #1) vs. Chung Ha f/ Guaynaa - “Demente (Spanish Version)” (Az Paynter, #6)

Laura Marling - “Held Down” (willapted33, #1) vs. KHAYAT - “Call For Love” (Leo, #6)

Channel Tres - “skate depot” (gotportugal, #1) vs. Chika - “U Should” (Zach, #6)

Haru Nemuri - “Bang” (Sambalada, #1) vs. CamelPhat f/ LOWES - “Easier (Sub Focus Remix)” (Trilogy, #6)

Jacob Collier f/ Mahalia & Ty Dolla $ign - “All I Need” (wrip, #1) vs. Midas Hutch f/ MAAD, Jengi, & Jael - “Hey Stranger” (Wavey, #6)

[nickd]

Annabel Jones - “Spiritual Violence” (pheebs, #1) vs. Agnes Obel - “Broken Sleep” (nickd, #6)

Noname - “Rainforest” (BB, #1) vs. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - “Intrasport” (wamdjones, #6)

Backxwash - “Black Magic” (1^∞, #1) vs. Chung Ha f/ Guaynaa - “Demente (Spanish Version)” (Az Paynter, #6)

Laura Marling - “Held Down” (willapted33, #1) vs. KHAYAT - “Call For Love” (Leo, #6)

Channel Tres - “skate depot” (gotportugal, #1) vs. Chika - “U Should” (Zach, #6)

Haru Nemuri - “Bang” (Sambalada, #1) vs. CamelPhat f/ LOWES - “Easier (Sub Focus Remix)” (Trilogy, #6)

Jacob Collier f/ Mahalia & Ty Dolla $ign - “All I Need” (wrip, #1) vs. Midas Hutch f/ MAAD, Jengi, & Jael - “Hey Stranger” (Wavey, #6)

[Deleted]

Annabel Jones - “Spiritual Violence” (pheebs, #1) vs. Agnes Obel - “Broken Sleep” (nickd, #6)

Noname - “Rainforest” (BB, #1) vs. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - “Intrasport” (wamdjones, #6)

fuck this matchup.

Backxwash - “Black Magic” (1^∞, #1) vs. Chung Ha f/ Guaynaa - “Demente (Spanish Version)” (Az Paynter, #6)

Laura Marling - “Held Down” (willapted33, #1) vs. KHAYAT - “Call For Love” (Leo, #6)

Channel Tres - “skate depot” (gotportugal, #1) vs. Chika - “U Should” (Zach, #6)

Haru Nemuri - “Bang” (Sambalada, #1) vs. CamelPhat f/ LOWES - “Easier (Sub Focus Remix)” (Trilogy, #6)

Jacob Collier f/ Mahalia & Ty Dolla $ign - “All I Need” (wrip, #1) vs. Midas Hutch f/ MAAD, Jengi, & Jael - “Hey Stranger” (Wavey, #6)

[Kanenrá:ke]

Well missed 3 rounds, including one with mine in it. Thanks for those who voted for my pick! I wish I wasn't against Arlo's song as that was such a great pick too haha

Annabel Jones - “Spiritual Violence” (pheebs, #1)

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - “Intrasport” (wamdjones, #6)

Backxwash - “Black Magic” (1^∞, #1)

KHAYAT - “Call For Love” (Leo, #6) - this was so fun to listen to!

Chika - “U Should” (Zach, #6)

Haru Nemuri - “Bang” (Sambalada, #1) - honestly didn't care for either sadly

Midas Hutch f/ MAAD, Jengi, & Jael - “Hey Stranger” (Wavey, #6) best match up, wish both could make it.

[fearlessarrow]

Annabel Jones - “Spiritual Violence” (pheebs, #1) vs. Agnes Obel - “Broken Sleep” (nickd, #6)
"Spiritual Violence" is really cool, it might be one of my favorite discoveries of the tournament so far. Nice blend of synths, guitars, and drums. "Broken Sleep" is also really cool, the instrumentation is beautiful. I wish these two weren't up against each other, but I did like "Spiritual Violence" more; it impressed more than "Broken Sleep" did.

Noname - “Rainforest” (BB, #1) vs. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - “Intrasport” (wamdjones, #6)
The beat is nice in "Rainforest" and Noname's rap is somehow comforting? I'd heard good things about King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard but I hadn't bothered to check them out. It's pretty good and I liked the psychedelic vibe, but I think I'm giving my vote to Noname here.

Backxwash - “Black Magic” (1^∞, #1) vs. Chung Ha f/ Guaynaa - “Demente (Spanish Version)” (Az Paynter, #6)
The rapping over electric guitars in "Black Magic" at certain points during the song isn't something you hear every day, at least for someone who isn't as immersed in the rap scene. It's not the type of music I'd listen to often but I did enjoy it. "Demente" isn't among my favorites on Querencia, but is me voting for Chung Ha a surprise? No. I like that she branched out in this direction.

Laura Marling - “Held Down” (willapted33, #1) vs. KHAYAT - “Call For Love” (Leo, #6)
I have tried getting into "Held Down" before but I didn't quite get it back then. I think I get it now (or at least more of the appeal). Maybe it's just that I'm listening in the right mood, but it was kind of like a warm blanket to my ears. The vocals on "Call For Love"... let's just say they were not it. The beat was fun though.

Channel Tres - “skate depot” (gotportugal, #1) vs. Chika - “U Should” (Zach, #6)
"skate depot" and "U Should" were both groovy but in very different ways; "skate depot" is more 'fun' while "U Should" is more chill. Both are good, but I vibed with "skate depot" more. Wouldn't mind seeing either move on though!

Haru Nemuri - “Bang” (Sambalada, #1) vs. CamelPhat f/ LOWES - “Easier (Sub Focus Remix)” (Trilogy, #6)
Um "Bang" slaps? This was a first listen but I had heard Haru Nemuri's name before. Have I been sleeping on her? I think so. "Easier" was a bop, but "Bang" was too strong of a competition.

Jacob Collier f/ Mahalia & Ty Dolla $ign - “All I Need” (wrip, #1) vs. Midas Hutch f/ MAAD, Jengi, & Jael - “Hey Stranger” (Wavey, #6)
"All I Need" is a JAM. Djesse Vol. 3 as a whole had some hits and misses, but "All I Need" is my favorite on that album. "Hey Stranger" is more upbeat than what I expected since Wavey seems to be the master of chill music, lol. It was a nice listen but I would be lying to myself if I said I didn't prefer "All I Need". Plus, "All I Need" is a song I considered sending myself actually.

[Beno]

Annabel Jones - “Spiritual Violence” (pheebs, #1) vs. Agnes Obel - “Broken Sleep” (nickd, #6)
both were good, tough choice

Noname - “Rainforest” (BB, #1) vs. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - “Intrasport” (wamdjones, #6)
ditto here, but had I sent "Rainforest" probably would've been one of my extras so I'll give it the nod here

Backxwash - “Black Magic” (1^∞, #1) vs. Chung Ha f/ Guaynaa - “Demente (Spanish Version)” (Az Paynter, #6)

Laura Marling - “Held Down” (willapted33, #1) vs. KHAYAT - “Call For Love” (Leo, #6)

Channel Tres - “skate depot” (gotportugal, #1) vs. Chika - “U Should” (Zach, #6)
This was tough, both were about equal in quality to me. I liked the vibes of U Should ever so slightly more so I'll give it my vote

Haru Nemuri - “Bang” (Sambalada, #1) vs. CamelPhat f/ LOWES - “Easier (Sub Focus Remix)” (Trilogy, #6)
Another close one, Bang just felt a bit more instant to me ig

Jacob Collier f/ Mahalia & Ty Dolla $ign - “All I Need” (wrip, #1) vs. Midas Hutch f/ MAAD, Jengi, & Jael - “Hey Stranger” (Wavey, #6)

[kimberly]

Annabel Jones - “Spiritual Violence” (pheebs, #1) vs. Agnes Obel - “Broken Sleep” (nickd, #6)
- I enjoyed both of these! I was feeling "Spiritual Violence" a tiny bit more.

Noname - “Rainforest” (BB, #1) vs. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - “Intrasport” (wamdjones, #6)
- "Rainforest" is literally perfect

Backxwash - “Black Magic” (1^∞, #1) vs. Chung Ha f/ Guaynaa - “Demente (Spanish Version)” (Az Paynter, #6)
- "Black Magic" is absolutely not my speed, but I do appreciate it! "Demente" was a cute bop.

Laura Marling - “Held Down” (willapted33, #1) vs. KHAYAT - “Call For Love” (Leo, #6)
- "Call For Love" was... interesting at the very least. I genuinely enjoyed "Held Down" from start to finish, though.

Channel Tres - “skate depot” (gotportugal, #1) vs. Chika - “U Should” (Zach, #6)

Haru Nemuri - “Bang” (Sambalada, #1) vs. CamelPhat f/ LOWES - “Easier (Sub Focus Remix)” (Trilogy, #6)

Jacob Collier f/ Mahalia & Ty Dolla $ign - “All I Need” (wrip, #1) vs. Midas Hutch f/ MAAD, Jengi, & Jael - “Hey Stranger” (Wavey, #6)
- Screw this matchup.

[peacebone]

Annabel Jones - “Spiritual Violence” (pheebs, #1) [6.9/10] vs. Agnes Obel - “Broken Sleep” (nickd, #6) [7.3/10]
Both pretty good songs, ultimately have to give my vote to the more interesting of the two.

Noname - “Rainforest” (BB, #1) [8.9/10] vs. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - “Intrasport” (wamdjones, #6) [6.8/10]
Oh hey, it's the other song I moved down my list because I knew it'd be picked. I've yet to hear a Noname song that's anything less than really good, but this is her best yet, her bars are as striking as always but it's the bossa nova beat that truly makes it for me. Meanwhile...I uh have never been particularly big on the Gizz, I of course do admire their ambition but with the noted exception of their stoner rock/metal-leaning stuff they've never quite landed with me [also I just realized that wheat basically wrote the exact same thing lmao]. Gotta hand it to them though, don't love this song but I do like how they went full-on on that early 90s house-influenced pop feel while throwing in some guitars to add in that off-kilter touch.

Backxwash - “Black Magic” (1^∞, #1) [7.3/10] vs. Chung Ha f/ Guaynaa - “Demente (Spanish Version)” (Az Paynter, #6) [4/10]
Don't think I've heard a Backxwash song until now, very Peggy-sounding but that's not much of a knock, beat goes pretty hard and she's no slouch on the mic either. Pair it against an insanely faceless Latin pop song (really, Chung Ha??) and this isn't particularly close.

Laura Marling - “Held Down” (willapted33, #1) [9/10] vs. KHAYAT - “Call For Love” (Leo, #6) [3.7/10]
Oh huh, guess it completely slipped my mind that Held Down was eligible for this - not that I would have picked it anyways even if it was among my favorite songs of last year. As for "Call for Love"...uhhhhh what even are these vocals. Sorry Leo, but this is the easiest vote I've made so far; heck, I can't foresee many easier choices than this happening throughout the tournament.

Channel Tres - “skate depot” (gotportugal, #1) [6.1/10] vs. Chika - “U Should” (Zach, #6) [6.7/10]
I appreciate the concept of "skate depot", and I'd probably enjoy it a bit more if I were merely letting it play in the background, but my interest in it waned as it kept going. "U Should", meanwhile, managed to sustain those mellow vibes throughout; nothing earth-shatteringly original, but it's getting my vote here.

Haru Nemuri - “Bang” (Sambalada, #1) [6.9/10] vs. CamelPhat f/ LOWES - “Easier (Sub Focus Remix)” (Trilogy, #6) [6.7/10]
Well, this is definitely a closer matchup than I had anticipated. Not the best thing I've heard from Haru Nemuri, wish the chorus could land with me a bit more, still a pretty fun listen though. Out of curiosity I gave the original "Easier" a listen, and it might have actually gotten my vote instead. Have to concur with what a bunch of others have said, this remix is still pretty nice as is but the sped-up vocals are a bit offputting.

Jacob Collier f/ Mahalia & Ty Dolla $ign - “All I Need” (wrip, #1) [7.6/10] vs. Midas Hutch f/ MAAD, Jengi, & Jael - “Hey Stranger” (Wavey, #6) [6.8/10]
I really like how "All I Need" starts off as your usual neo-soul song but slowly becomes an upbeat synthy bop, the key changes feel pretty natural too. "Hey Stranger" was a pretty groovy little bop too, just didn't grab my attention as much as "All I Need" did.

[Adrian C. 🍓]

Annabel Jones - “Spiritual Violence” (pheebs, #1) vs. Agnes Obel - “Broken Sleep” (nickd, #6)
- "Broken Sleep" was pretty interesting. I didn't love it at first, but it grew on me a little bit as the song went on. The instrumental is really nice. But "Spiritual Violence" had me hooked for the whole four minutes. What a great discovery! I enjoy this one a lot!

Noname - “Rainforest” (BB, #1) vs. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - “Intrasport” (wamdjones, #6)
- Oh fuck this matchup man. "Rainforest" is really good. I like the instrumentation here a lot and there's just something about her delivery that I feel is spot on. Great discovery! Meanwhile, "Intrasport" is a funky jam and the production here is flawless. It's one of those songs that just had me moving in my seat. I really love this one! I hate having to choose. :(

Backxwash - “Black Magic” (1^∞, #1) vs. Chung Ha f/ Guaynaa - “Demente (Spanish Version)” (Az Paynter, #6)
- When it comes to "Black Magic", I'm usually not into this kind of sound. But I did find this song to be very intriguing and it's hard for me to explain why. It's just not something that I normally hear, and that makes it feel unique, which is not a word that I can use to describe "Demente". It's catchy and all, but it just didn't catch my attention the way "Black Magic" did.

Laura Marling - “Held Down” (willapted33, #1) vs. KHAYAT - “Call For Love” (Leo, #6)
- There were some aspects of "Call For Love" that I enjoyed, and then others not so much. The beat is catchy, but the vocals in the chorus were not very good. "Held Down" was a thoroughly pleasant listen. I love the instrumental and she also has a nice voice.

Channel Tres - “skate depot” (gotportugal, #1) vs. Chika - “U Should” (Zach, #6)
- "skate depot" has a nice little groove to it, but I didn't find it to be all that exciting as a whole. "U Should" is more my thing with that really nice instrumental.

Haru Nemuri - “Bang” (Sambalada, #1) vs. CamelPhat f/ LOWES - “Easier (Sub Focus Remix)” (Trilogy, #6)
- Both of these songs were kind of just alright. Some parts of "Bang" were a little annoying, and then some parts of "Easier" were a little repetitive. But I think the production on "Easier" is good enough for the song to win my vote here.

Jacob Collier f/ Mahalia & Ty Dolla $ign - “All I Need” (wrip, #1) vs. Midas Hutch f/ MAAD, Jengi, & Jael - “Hey Stranger” (Wavey, #6)
- I did not find "All I Need" that interesting when the song started. It got interesting for me about a minute and a half in. That's when I felt like the song was really starting to pick up, and I found it enjoyable from that point on. "Hey Stranger" had me captivated pretty early on in the song, so I'm leaning towards that. But "All I Need" is still a solid tune. It just took a little bit to get there for me.


Favorite Discovery: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - "Intrasport"

Top 5:
1. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - "Intrasport"
2. Annabel Jones - "Spiritual Violence"
3. Laura Marling - "Held Down"
4. Noname - "Rainforest"
5. Midas Hutch f/ MAAD, Jengi, & Jael - "Hey Stranger"

[willapted33]

Annabel Jones - “Spiritual Violence” (pheebs, #1) {7.7} vs. Agnes Obel - “Broken Sleep” (nickd, #6) {8.4}
rough matchup, definitely enjoyed spiritual violence but broken sleep... just gorgeous

Noname - “Rainforest” (BB, #1) {8.8} vs. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - “Intrasport” (wamdjones, #6) {6.6}
noname brilliant as always, king gizzard a little underwhelming though

Backxwash - “Black Magic” (1^∞, #1) {7.1} vs. Chung Ha f/ Guaynaa - “Demente (Spanish Version)” (Az Paynter, #6) {5.8}

Laura Marling - “Held Down” (willapted33, #1) {9.5} vs. KHAYAT - “Call For Love” (Leo, #6) {3.5}

Channel Tres - “skate depot” (gotportugal, #1) {7.0} vs. Chika - “U Should” (Zach, #6) {7.6}
not the best thing i've heard from chika but still enjoyable, looking forward to what she does in the future

Haru Nemuri - “Bang” (Sambalada, #1) {7.8} vs. CamelPhat f/ LOWES - “Easier (Sub Focus Remix)” (Trilogy, #6) {6.8}

Jacob Collier f/ Mahalia & Ty Dolla $ign - “All I Need” (wrip, #1) {8.2} vs. Midas Hutch f/ MAAD, Jengi, & Jael - “Hey Stranger” (Wavey, #6) {7.7}
another strong matchup, slightly preferred all i need but both deserve to go through

[BlurryKyle]

Annabel Jones - “Spiritual Violence” (pheebs, #1) (3.5) vs. Agnes Obel - “Broken Sleep” (nickd, #6) (3.5)

Noname - “Rainforest” (BB, #1) (4) vs. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - “Intrasport” (wamdjones, #6) (4)

Backxwash - “Black Magic” (1^∞, #1) (3.5) vs. Chung Ha f/ Guaynaa - “Demente (Spanish Version)” (Az Paynter, #6) (2.5)

Laura Marling - “Held Down” (willapted33, #1) (4) vs. KHAYAT - “Call For Love” (Leo, #6) (2)

Channel Tres - “skate depot” (gotportugal, #1) (3.5) vs. Chika - “U Should” (Zach, #6) (3.5)

Haru Nemuri - “Bang” (Sambalada, #1) (3.5) vs. CamelPhat f/ LOWES - “Easier (Sub Focus Remix)” (Trilogy, #6) (3.5)

Jacob Collier f/ Mahalia & Ty Dolla $ign - “All I Need” (wrip, #1) (3.5) vs. Midas Hutch f/ MAAD, Jengi, & Jael - “Hey Stranger” (Wavey, #6) (3.5)

My rating scale:

5 - Masterpiece
4.5 - Excellent
4 - Great
3.5 - Good
3 - Decent
2.5 - Average
2 - Mediocre
1.5 - Bad
1 - Terrible
0.5 - Abysmal

[dremolus - solarpunk]

Annabel Jones - “Spiritual Violence” (pheebs, #1) vs. Agnes Obel - “Broken Sleep” (nickd, #6)

Noname - “Rainforest” (BB, #1) vs. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - “Intrasport” (wamdjones, #6)
Noname.

Backxwash - “Black Magic” (1^∞, #1) vs. Chung Ha f/ Guaynaa - “Demente (Spanish Version)” (Az Paynter, #6)
Chung Ha's song is really good but Black Magic is something else. Backxwash is a female rapper really worth following

Laura Marling - “Held Down” (willapted33, #1) vs. KHAYAT - “Call For Love” (Leo, #6)
Not one of my favorites from Laura's album but I didn't get much from Call for Love.

Channel Tres - “skate depot” (gotportugal, #1) vs. Chika - “U Should” (Zach, #6)

Haru Nemuri - “Bang” (Sambalada, #1) vs. CamelPhat f/ LOWES - “Easier (Sub Focus Remix)” (Trilogy, #6)
Easier is fine enough but...bang is one of the best songs of the year

Jacob Collier f/ Mahalia & Ty Dolla $ign - “All I Need” (wrip, #1) vs. Midas Hutch f/ MAAD, Jengi, & Jael - “Hey Stranger” (Wavey, #6)
I'm not a fan of Jacob Collier at all but this is one of the few times I think the experimentation really works

[𝕡𝕙𝕖𝕖𝕓𝕤]

Annabel Jones - “Spiritual Violence” (pheebs, #1) vs. Agnes Obel - “Broken Sleep” (nickd, #6)

Noname - “Rainforest” (BB, #1) vs. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - “Intrasport” (wamdjones, #6)

Backxwash - “Black Magic” (1^∞, #1) vs. Chung Ha f/ Guaynaa - “Demente (Spanish Version)” (Az Paynter, #6)

Laura Marling - “Held Down” (willapted33, #1) vs. KHAYAT - “Call For Love” (Leo, #6)

Channel Tres - “skate depot” (gotportugal, #1) vs. Chika - “U Should” (Zach, #6)

Haru Nemuri - “Bang” (Sambalada, #1) vs. CamelPhat f/ LOWES - “Easier (Sub Focus Remix)” (Trilogy, #6)

Jacob Collier f/ Mahalia & Ty Dolla $ign - “All I Need” (wrip, #1) vs. Midas Hutch f/ MAAD, Jengi, & Jael - “Hey Stranger” (Wavey, #6)

---

The Agnes Obel song was nice, but I love Annabel Jones. “Spiritual Violence” is one of her best (if not THE best) songs by her (sorry “Not Today” & “Asking For a Friend (Stripped)”). Noname was more memorable lyrically, so she won her match. Definitely plan on listening to more Backxwash, she sounds so wild on “Black Magic”, though Chung Ha was a nice listen. Laura Marling sound so beautiful on this song, Khayat less so. B I T T E R that I have to choose between Channel Tres & CHIKA. I picked “skate depot”, but just know it wasn’t easy (stream “once upon a time”). Haru Nemuri easily won her match; “bang” hits hard (although I’m considering adding Easier to my library). If you haven’t heard her song “Trust Nothing But Love”, you’re missing out one of the best songs of the past few years. “Hey Stranger” lost, but it’s because the competition was hard.

new library additions: Held Down, U Should, Black Magic, Hey Stranger

Edit: ok fr tho seeing the love for spiritual violence is sick, I’ve been trying to get my friends to listen for months and they won’t :’) thank u (I know that you HAD to listen, but still)

[walt91]

i'm short on time so no comments today

Annabel Jones - “Spiritual Violence” (pheebs, #1) vs. Agnes Obel - “Broken Sleep” (nickd, #6)

Noname - “Rainforest” (BB, #1) vs. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - “Intrasport” (wamdjones, #6)

Backxwash - “Black Magic” (1^∞, #1) vs. Chung Ha f/ Guaynaa - “Demente (Spanish Version)” (Az Paynter, #6)

Laura Marling - “Held Down” (willapted33, #1) vs. KHAYAT - “Call For Love” (Leo, #6)

Channel Tres - “skate depot” (gotportugal, #1) vs. Chika - “U Should” (Zach, #6)

Haru Nemuri - “Bang” (Sambalada, #1) vs. CamelPhat f/ LOWES - “Easier (Sub Focus Remix)” (Trilogy, #6)

Jacob Collier f/ Mahalia & Ty Dolla $ign - “All I Need” (wrip, #1) vs. Midas Hutch f/ MAAD, Jengi, & Jael - “Hey Stranger” (Wavey, #6)

[Sambalada]

Annabel Jones - “Spiritual Violence” (pheebs, #1) vs. Agnes Obel - “Broken Sleep” (nickd, #6)
- Both of these are good, damn.

Noname - “Rainforest” (BB, #1) vs. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - “Intrasport” (wamdjones, #6)

Backxwash - “Black Magic” (1^∞, #1) vs. Chung Ha f/ Guaynaa - “Demente (Spanish Version)” (Az Paynter, #6)

Laura Marling - “Held Down” (willapted33, #1) vs. KHAYAT - “Call For Love” (Leo, #6)
- CFW is not as bad as people said though lol

Channel Tres - “skate depot” (gotportugal, #1) vs. Chika - “U Should” (Zach, #6)

Haru Nemuri - “Bang” (Sambalada, #1) vs. CamelPhat f/ LOWES - “Easier (Sub Focus Remix)” (Trilogy, #6)

Jacob Collier f/ Mahalia & Ty Dolla $ign - “All I Need” (wrip, #1) vs. Midas Hutch f/ MAAD, Jengi, & Jael - “Hey Stranger” (Wavey, #6)

[Deleted]

Annabel Jones - “Spiritual Violence” (pheebs, #1) vs. Agnes Obel - “Broken Sleep” (nickd, #6)

Noname - “Rainforest” (BB, #1) vs. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - “Intrasport” (wamdjones, #6)

Backxwash - “Black Magic” (1^∞, #1) vs. Chung Ha f/ Guaynaa - “Demente (Spanish Version)” (Az Paynter, #6)

Laura Marling - “Held Down” (willapted33, #1) vs. KHAYAT - “Call For Love” (Leo, #6)

Channel Tres - “skate depot” (gotportugal, #1) vs. Chika - “U Should” (Zach, #6)

Haru Nemuri - “Bang” (Sambalada, #1) vs. CamelPhat f/ LOWES - “Easier (Sub Focus Remix)” (Trilogy, #6)

Jacob Collier f/ Mahalia & Ty Dolla $ign - “All I Need” (wrip, #1) vs. Midas Hutch f/ MAAD, Jengi, & Jael - “Hey Stranger” (Wavey, #6)

[Darkest Hour]

Annabel Jones - “Spiritual Violence” (pheebs, #1) vs. Agnes Obel - “Broken Sleep” (nickd, #6)
The Eastern-sounding instruments in Spiritual Violence are cute, but the vocals in Broken Sleep blend so well with instrumentals. Hallucinating.

Noname - “Rainforest” (BB, #1) vs. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - “Intrasport” (wamdjones, #6)
Some of Noname's lyrics I can't get behind but she is technically great still. The synths in Intrasport are a bit annoying after a while.

Backxwash - “Black Magic” (1^∞, #1) vs. Chung Ha f/ Guaynaa - “Demente (Spanish Version)” (Az Paynter, #6)
I just hoped the chorus of Black Magic is less repetitive. I was expecting worse for Demente (Spanish Version). Her Spanish is not bad but the air horns are quite cringy.

Laura Marling - “Held Down” (willapted33, #1) vs. KHAYAT - “Call For Love” (Leo, #6)
The new Laura Marling album is slightly a let-down but Held Down is good with good chorus. I think Call For Love would be slightly better if it was not sung in English because his English pronunciation sounds compromised.

Channel Tres - “skate depot” (gotportugal, #1) vs. Chika - “U Should” (Zach, #6)
I guess I can never get Channel Tres because of the vocals. U Should is solid.

Haru Nemuri - “Bang” (Sambalada, #1) vs. CamelPhat f/ LOWES - “Easier (Sub Focus Remix)” (Trilogy, #6)
Both songs with solid chorus/drop but a bit jarring verses. I think Bang has more interesting lyrics and less jarring verses.

Jacob Collier f/ Mahalia & Ty Dolla $ign - “All I Need” (wrip, #1) vs. Midas Hutch f/ MAAD, Jengi, & Jael - “Hey Stranger” (Wavey, #6)
I would like All I Need better if the syle changes don't sound so abrupt, but there are moments that I like, like the synths. Hey Stranger is solid but not as interesting as All I Need.

[macattack]

Last second submission, no comments due to time constraints. 


Annabel Jones - “Spiritual Violence” (pheebs, #1) vs. Agnes Obel - “Broken Sleep” (nickd, #6)

Noname - “Rainforest” (BB, #1) vs. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - “Intrasport” (wamdjones, #6)

Backxwash - “Black Magic” (1^∞, #1) vs. Chung Ha f/ Guaynaa - “Demente (Spanish Version)” (Az Paynter, #6)

Laura Marling - “Held Down” (willapted33, #1) vs. KHAYAT - “Call For Love” (Leo, #6)

Channel Tres - “skate depot” (gotportugal, #1) vs. Chika - “U Should” (Zach, #6)

Haru Nemuri - “Bang” (Sambalada, #1) vs. CamelPhat f/ LOWES - “Easier (Sub Focus Remix)” (Trilogy, #6)

Jacob Collier f/ Mahalia & Ty Dolla $ign - “All I Need” (wrip, #1) vs. Midas Hutch f/ MAAD, Jengi, & Jael - “Hey Stranger” (Wavey, #6)

[born]

Annabel Jones - “Spiritual Violence” (pheebs, #1) [8.5/10] vs. Agnes Obel - “Broken Sleep” (nickd, #6) [7.8/10]
Strong matchup. "Spiritual Violence" is probably my favorite discovery so far.

Noname - “Rainforest” (BB, #1) [6.5/10] vs. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - “Intrasport” (wamdjones, #6) [6.2/10]

Backxwash - “Black Magic” (1^∞, #1) [7/10] vs. Chung Ha f/ Guaynaa - “Demente (Spanish Version)” (Az Paynter, #6) [6.5/10]
I was tempted to vote for "Demente" for a second cause I wasn't feeling well and this song kinda made me forget and move but "Black Magic" is a tad stronger.

Laura Marling - “Held Down” (willapted33, #1) [9.2/10] vs. KHAYAT - “Call For Love” (Leo, #6) [5.8/10]
aaand we're back to not feeling well. "Held Down" is incredible. I intended for it to get stolen from my list but will is a lucky dude I thought we'd left "Call for Love" in 2020where it belongs

Channel Tres - “skate depot” (gotportugal, #1) [5.2/10] vs. Chika - “U Should” (Zach, #6) [6.6/10]

Haru Nemuri - “Bang” (Sambalada, #1) [7.6/10] vs. CamelPhat f/ LOWES - “Easier (Sub Focus Remix)” (Trilogy, #6) [7.3/10]
wayament... "Bang" had me a bit like "Easier", like most of Tril's picks, is a few of the songs from that genre that I don't find dated. +1 point!

Jacob Collier f/ Mahalia & Ty Dolla $ign - “All I Need” (wrip, #1) [5/10] vs. Midas Hutch f/ MAAD, Jengi, & Jael - “Hey Stranger” (Wavey, #6) [7.4/10]
wrip sorry bestie Now, regarding "Hey Stranger", as soon as that bassline hit my headphones I knew it would take my vote

[Az Paynter]

Pulse stays predictable...

Annabel Jones - “Spiritual Violence” (pheebs, #1) vs.
Agnes Obel - “Broken Sleep” (nickd, #6)

Noname - “Rainforest” (BB, #1) vs.
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - “Intrasport” (wamdjones, #6)

Backxwash - “Black Magic” (1^∞, #1) vs.
Chung Ha f/ Guaynaa - “Demente (Spanish Version)” (Az Paynter, #6)

Laura Marling - “Held Down” (willapted33, #1) vs.
KHAYAT - “Call For Love” (Leo, #6)

Channel Tres - “skate depot” (gotportugal, #1) vs.
Chika - “U Should” (Zach, #6)

Haru Nemuri - “Bang” (Sambalada, #1) vs.
CamelPhat f/ LOWES - “Easier (Sub Focus Remix)” (Trilogy, #6)

Jacob Collier f/ Mahalia & Ty Dolla $ign - “All I Need” (wrip, #1) vs.
Midas Hutch f/ MAAD, Jengi, & Jael - “Hey Stranger” (Wavey, #6)

[Az Paynter]

Preliminary Round #1: #1 Seeds vs. #6 Seeds – Set 4 Results

Annabel Jones - “Spiritual Violence” (pheebs, #1) (27) vs. Agnes Obel - “Broken Sleep” (nickd, #6) (17)

Noname - “Rainforest” (BB, #1) (28) vs. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - “Intrasport” (wamdjones, #6) (16)

Backxwash - “Black Magic” (1^∞, #1) (31) vs. Chung Ha f/ Guaynaa - “Demente (Spanish Version)” (Az Paynter, #6) (13)

Laura Marling - “Held Down” (willapted33, #1) (36) vs. KHAYAT - “Call For Love” (Leo, #6) (8)

Channel Tres - “skate depot” (gotportugal, #1) (15) vs. Chika - “U Should” (Zach, #6) (29)

Haru Nemuri - “Bang” (Sambalada, #1) (30) vs. CamelPhat f/ LOWES - “Easier (Sub Focus Remix)” (Trilogy, #6) (14)

Jacob Collier f/ Mahalia & Ty Dolla $ign - “All I Need” (wrip, #1) (24) vs. Midas Hutch f/ MAAD, Jengi, & Jael - “Hey Stranger” (Wavey, #6) (20)

---

SPOILER: Click to show

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[Az Paynter]

Preliminary Round #1: #1 Seeds vs. #6 Seeds – Set 5

Full Spotify playlist:


Spotify playlist for this set:

---

Ward Thomas f/ Cam - “Don't Be A Stranger” (Stranger, #1) vs. Michete - “Back Of The Truck” (pheebs, #6)

TV Priest - “This Island” (American Idiot, #1) vs. Miranda Lambert - “Champion” (Tay, #6)

SG Lewis f/ Nile Rodgers - “One More” (Juan Carlos, #1) vs. 100 gecs - “sympathy 4 the grinch” (1^∞, #6)

Chevelle - “Piistol Star (Gravity Heals)” (Lordeftones, #1) vs. Yazmin Lacey - “Morning Matters” (lyhom, #6)

Troye Sivan & Kacey Musgraves f/ Mark Ronson - “Easy” (GrinningLikeADevil, #1) vs. Phoebe Bridgers - “ICU” (willapted33, #6)

Black Country, New Road - “Opus” (rom, #1) vs. FLEUR! - “Muka Dua” (Sambalada, #6)

LP - “How Low Can You Go” (Au$tin, #1) vs. redveil - "Drown" (filthy, #6)

---

SPOILER: Click to show

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[walt91]

Apr 13, 2021 13:05:07 GMT -5 Az Paynter said:

Troye Sivan & Kacey Musgraves f/ Mark Ronson - “Easy” (GrinningLikeADevil, #1) vs. Phoebe Bridgers - “ICU” (willapted33, #6)

this matchup is homophobic 

[d3vin44]

Ward Thomas f/ Cam - “Don't Be A Stranger” (Stranger, #1) vs. Michete - “Back Of The Truck” (pheebs, #6)



TV Priest - “This Island” (American Idiot, #1) vs. Miranda Lambert - “Champion” (Tay, #6)



SG Lewis f/ Nile Rodgers - “One More” (Juan Carlos, #1) vs. 100 gecs - “sympathy 4 the grinch” (1^∞, #6)



Chevelle - “Piistol Star (Gravity Heals)” (Lordeftones, #1) vs. Yazmin Lacey - “Morning Matters” (lyhom, #6)



Troye Sivan & Kacey Musgraves f/ Mark Ronson - “Easy” (GrinningLikeADevil, #1) vs. Phoebe Bridgers - “ICU” (willapted33, #6)



Black Country, New Road - “Opus” (rom, #1) vs. FLEUR! - “Muka Dua” (Sambalada, #6)



LP - “How Low Can You Go” (Au$tin, #1) vs. redveil - "Drown" (filthy, #6)

[stallie]

Ward Thomas f/ Cam - “Don't Be A Stranger” (Stranger, #1) vs. Michete - “Back Of The Truck” (pheebs, #6)

TV Priest - “This Island” (American Idiot, #1) vs. Miranda Lambert - “Champion” (Tay, #6)

SG Lewis f/ Nile Rodgers - “One More” (Juan Carlos, #1) vs. 100 gecs - “sympathy 4 the grinch” (1^∞, #6)

Chevelle - “Piistol Star (Gravity Heals)” (Lordeftones, #1) vs. Yazmin Lacey - “Morning Matters” (lyhom, #6)

Troye Sivan & Kacey Musgraves f/ Mark Ronson - “Easy” (GrinningLikeADevil, #1) vs. Phoebe Bridgers - “ICU” (willapted33, #6)

Black Country, New Road - “Opus” (rom, #1) vs. FLEUR! - “Muka Dua” (Sambalada, #6)

LP - “How Low Can You Go” (Au$tin, #1) vs. redveil - "Drown" (filthy, #6)

[jtd Thee Stallion]

Ward Thomas f/ Cam - “Don't Be A Stranger” (Stranger, #1) vs. Michete - “Back Of The Truck” (pheebs, #6)

TV Priest - “This Island” (American Idiot, #1) vs. Miranda Lambert - “Champion” (Tay, #6)

SG Lewis f/ Nile Rodgers - “One More” (Juan Carlos, #1) vs. 100 gecs - “sympathy 4 the grinch” (1^∞, #6)

Chevelle - “Piistol Star (Gravity Heals)” (Lordeftones, #1) vs. Yazmin Lacey - “Morning Matters” (lyhom, #6)

Troye Sivan & Kacey Musgraves f/ Mark Ronson - “Easy” (GrinningLikeADevil, #1) vs. Phoebe Bridgers - “ICU” (willapted33, #6)

Black Country, New Road - “Opus” (rom, #1) vs. FLEUR! - “Muka Dua” (Sambalada, #6)

LP - “How Low Can You Go” (Au$tin, #1) vs. redveil - "Drown" (filthy, #6)

[wrip]

Ward Thomas f/ Cam - “Don't Be A Stranger” (Stranger, #1) vs. Michete - “Back Of The Truck” (pheebs, #6)
- Both artists sound so good in “Don’t Be A Stranger”, I think Ward and Cam really work well together on this track. I just really love the vibe of the song as well. “Back Of The Truck” is like so awesome hahaha. It’s kind of gay nightclub meets 100 gecs vibes which I love lol. I enjoy both songs for different reasons and I wish I could vote for both. I think I'd probably listen to "Stranger" more here so I'll give it my vote, but I definitely appreciate "Back Of The Truck".

TV Priest - “This Island” (American Idiot, #1) vs. Miranda Lambert - “Champion” (Tay, #6)
- “This Island” has really impressive guitarwork. I struggle a bit to enjoy vocals like these, but it’s pretty nice here. “Champion” has a really comforting sound to it, something I’ve noticed in quite a few Miranda songs. It’s pretty chill, which sometimes doesn’t work for me, but it definitely does here.

SG Lewis f/ Nile Rodgers - “One More” (Juan Carlos, #1) vs. 100 gecs - “sympathy 4 the grinch” (1^∞, #6)
- “One More” is fun, as expected from SG Lewis songs. It doesn’t exactly have the same charm as some of his other songs have had for me (i.e. Experience, Impact). Still, pretty enjoyable. “sympathy 4 the grinch” is so funny. 100 gecs are such a funny band, but like they also know how to make bangers. The breakdown in this song is really enjoyable.

Chevelle - “Piistol Star (Gravity Heals)” (Lordeftones, #1) vs. Yazmin Lacey - “Morning Matters” (lyhom, #6)
- Chevelle’s song here is dope, the heavy guitar is cool. “Morning Matters” is such a great discovery. From the horns that start the song, to just the smooth vibe throughout, it is quite enjoyable. I hear elements of songs from my favorite r&b artists here so this pretty easily gets my vote.

Troye Sivan & Kacey Musgraves f/ Mark Ronson - “Easy” (GrinningLikeADevil, #1) vs. Phoebe Bridgers - “ICU” (willapted33, #6)
- I was already obsessed with the original “Easy”, so this remix won me over pretty easily. Honestly, Mark’s production gives it such a euphoric feeling. I honestly hate this matchup because I love both artists and songs. “ICU” is a beautiful song on an even more beautiful album I guess I'd say it’s on the lower half of the album for me though (but that’s mainly cause I love so many songs lol) so I’ll give my vote to Troye.

Black Country, New Road - “Opus” (rom, #1) vs. FLEUR! - “Muka Dua” (Sambalada, #6)
- “Opus” has some really cool things going on throughout the song, the buildup is pretty solid. It’s not exactly something I see myself listening to casually, but pretty chill. Woah, “Muka Dua” is really fun! I like that it feels like a blend between country and like alt rock, definitely makes this really fun to listen to.

LP - “How Low Can You Go” (Au$tin, #1) vs. redveil - "Drown" (filthy, #6)
- “How Low Can You Go” is solid. It sort of reminds me of a song that Zella Day would make. Also, the instrumental especially is very groovy. redveil sounds really nice on “Drown”. It kind of sounds like it would fit on “Flower Boy” so it definitely has me hooked.

[wheatsquares33]

Ward Thomas f/ Cam - “Don't Be A Stranger” (Stranger, #1) (strong 6 to light 7) vs. Michete - “Back Of The Truck” (pheebs, #6) (decent to strong 2)
Don't Be a Stranger is a fine enough country pop song, nice vocal harmonies, nothing I haven't heard before but I enjoy it enough. Back of the Truck is--hmm. I mean, it's not good, I don't like this at all. I guess there's something to be said about the boldness of a song like this as like an obnoxious, sexual piece of err hyperpop, and if you get something out of that sure, I get it. I don't want to say I respect the artistry, but...I get it. Personally I just think it's kind of annoying and I'm fine never hearing it again

TV Priest - “This Island” (American Idiot, #1) (decent to strong 7) vs. Miranda Lambert - “Champion” (Tay, #6) (decent to strong 6)
I actually caught this TV Priest song on Spotify earlier this week and kind of dug it, and I'm happy to say that I enjoy it more the second time around. The vocals do take some getting used to (again, not a big fan of this style of vocal performance), but the instrumental has so much energy to it and the chorus soars, very solid piece of post-punk. Champion is a fine enough country pop song, nice laidback acoustic vibe, nothing I haven't heard before but I enjoy it enough.

SG Lewis f/ Nile Rodgers - “One More” (Juan Carlos, #1) (light to decent 7) vs. 100 gecs - “sympathy 4 the grinch” (1^∞, #6) (strong 6 to light 7)
I quite like everything I've heard from SG Lewis in the last madness or two, and this is no exception. Pretty catchy dance-pop tune, not sure if it'll hold up in the long-run since every other song I've heard by them is enjoyable in the moment but not something I actively return to, but it's a decent song. Mixed feelings on this gecs track. On one hand, I like 100 gecs most at their most punked up, so there are definitely parts here that appealed to me sonically, chorus is good. But then also...this is kinda just stupid. I never want to think about Christmas music, sleigh bells are never a welcome choice to a musical palette, and the post-chorus is kinda annoying too. But I just...never wanna hear Christmas music, even as a parody/joke version of a Christmas song.

Chevelle - “Piistol Star (Gravity Heals)” (Lordeftones, #1) (strong 6 to light 7) vs. Yazmin Lacey - “Morning Matters” (lyhom, #6) (decent to strong 6)
Wasn't super impressed with Piistol Star at first, I mean this opening riff is literally just ripped from a Tool song. But it did end up growing on me, this has to be one of the most exciting guitar performance Chevelle have ever composed, I give the song a 7 mostly for that, the rest of it doesn't really come together for me honestly. But song easily has the best title of the set, idk what it means but it sounds dope. Morning Matters was...fine, listenable, pretty. Don't have much to say about it. 

Troye Sivan & Kacey Musgraves f/ Mark Ronson - “Easy” (GrinningLikeADevil, #1) (strong 6 to light 7) vs. Phoebe Bridgers - “ICU” (willapted33, #6) (decent to strong 6)
Gotta love a weirdass combination of musicians on one track (this is no Sting/Steve Aoki/Shaed, but...) They actually pulled together a pretty decent pop song together here though, like the dreamy production and the chorus is a winner. Troye and Kacey both give some good vocal performances here as well. I swear I've heard this song before, no idea where though I swear I've never seen these 3 musicians in the same sentence before. Punisher seems to be the only album that's close to getting entirely pillaged as Folklore, and I am equally "just fine" with it. There are exactly 2 Punisher songs I actively like, one of them took a full year for me to grow to like and the other is I Know the End, and this is definitely not I Know the End. So uh yeah it's fine, w/e.

Black Country, New Road - “Opus” (rom, #1) (decent to strong 6) vs. FLEUR! - “Muka Dua” (Sambalada, #6) (decent to strong 6)
Can't say I was thrilled when I saw an 8 minute long BCNR song in this playlist, but it was a pretty decent listen. I really like the brassy instrumentation here, very energetic. Uhh the rest of the song did not do too much for me, I just find these guys to be way too long-winded. Muka Dua was a pretty okay pop tune, I like the vintage tone on the guitars and the really charismatic vocals. It's pretty catchy. Idk, this is kinda comparing apples and oranges and I'm not really too hot on either, but I'm betting on Opus to win and I did slightly prefer Muka Dua, so I give it to Fleur.

LP - “How Low Can You Go” (Au$tin, #1) (light to decent 6) vs. redveil - "Drown" (filthy, #6) (decent to strong 6)
LP's voice is very uhh distinct and one that really only works well against certain instrumental palettes, and I can't really say that this is one of them. I liked Lost on You from like...5 years ago (holy fuck that long ago...) and have enjoyed a few other songs from her since then too, but I've been waiting for this one to click with me for a month or two and it's just...not. It's a little too lowtempo, way too brief, needs a little more oomph in some way or another. Drown is fine, has some catchy vocal melodies, I liked it enough, don't have much to say on it.

Best discoveries: One More