Come one, come all to the unacclaimed songs game! As with previous bracket-style games, the voting will take place on weekly intervals. We'll start with 8 songs per week for the first round, although this may change in the future.

Please listen to the songs before making your choice, and provide comments (however brief) to form the basis of your pick.

The deadline for Week 1 is 11:59 PM, October 2nd AM time.

You can read the descriptions of why these songs were nominated on the rules thread.

Week 1

Match 1:

The Fiery Furnaces- "Here Comes the Summer"
The Shirelles- "Baby It's You"

Match 2:

Lindsey Buckingham- "Trouble"
Lal Waterson & Oliver Knight- "Flight of the Pelican"

Match 3:

Luke Kelly- "Scorn Not His Simplicity"
Super Furry Animals- "Happiness Is a Worn Pun"

Match 4:

Faces- "Ooh La La"
Jars of Clay- "Liquid"

Ah crap, why does my one song have to come up against a song by a band I really like? I'll probably end up loving the SFA song and feel compelled to vote for it.

match 1 - "baby it's you"

"two fat feet" is my favorite ff song, but even that wouldn't stand a chance against a bacharach/david classic done by the shirelles. great early film from john sayles, too. i also like smith's take on this song.

match 2 - "trouble"

the guitar lick in the chorus!!! solid competition though.

match 3 - "scorn not his simplicity"

decent sfa track but "scorn not" is just beautiful

match 4 - "ooh la la"

this isn't acclaimed?! i always just assumed it was a classic. first time i've heard jars of clay. not really my thing...

Match 1:
Here Comes The Summer
-The intro sealed the deal for me, and I'm not really into the Shirelles.

Match 2:
Trouble
-This match was much closer, but a Buckingham's post-Fleetwood takes it.

Match 3:
Happiness is a Worn Pun
-Both of the songs were weak, but the SFA get my vote.

Match 4:
Can I pass? if not, then Ohh la la.
-Both of the songs were just awful to me, but if I have to vote for one, then I'll vote for faces.

Match 1:

The Shirelles- "Baby It's You"

A middling interpretation of a very well-written song, but anything beats the FF's dreadful guitar tone.

Match 2:

Lal Waterson & Oliver Knight- "Flight of the Pelican"

I like "Trouble" a lot, but I can't get past its dated production.

Match 3:

Luke Kelly- "Scorn Not His Simplicity"

I thought the SFA song grating but the Kelly song thoughtful.

Match 4:

Faces- "Ooh La La"

Ah! Now that Faces track is a good song. The good news for Jars of Clay is that I was expecting a much, much worse song.

The Fiery Furnaces- "Here Comes the Summer"
Lindsey Buckingham- "Trouble"
Super Furry Animals- "Happiness Is a Worn Pun"
Faces- "Ooh La La"

Match 1: Baby It's You

Both have nice catchy pop tunes, but The Shirelles sound so much more organically emotional there's no comparison.

Match 2: Flight Of The Pelican

Trouble is a nice catchy 80s-ey song, but there's no comparison to the vocal beauty and the echoey folk guitar in Flight of the Pelican. I need to hear more by these artists.

Match 3: Scorn Not His Simplicity

With this one I found the vocals a little annoying, and I found it a little too similar to other Celtic folky stuff, but Worn Pun didn't really affect me at all. It's positive qualities kind of drowned in the noise.

Match 4: Liquid

Ooh La La is * way* too schmaltzy. Liquid on the other hand makes me wonder how I never discovered Jars of Clay in the 90s.

Best of week: Flight of the Pelican

Match 1:

The Fiery Furnaces- Here Comes the Summer
The Shirelles- Baby It's You

Both songs in Match 1 merit strong considerations. Here Comes the Summer is the best song by the Fiery Furnaces that I've heard to date. Baby It's You is excellent (even if I prefer the Smith version). I pick Here Comes the Summer because I want to encourage participants to nominate songs I haven't heard before so that I can expand my listening range.

Match 2:

Lindsey Buckingham- "Trouble"
Lal Waterson & Oliver Knight- "Flight of the Pelican"
I really liked both songs again. Trouble sounded as if it would fit right in as a solid track on a Fleetwood Mac album. But, I thoroughly enjoyed "Flight of the Pelican" and hadn't heard anything that I remembered from Waterson, so again I pick the song (Flight of the Pelican) that stretches my listening range a bit more.

Match 3:

Luke Kelly- "Scorn Not His Simplicity"
Super Furry Animals- "Happiness Is a Worn Pun"
Not much of a contest here for me. I didn't really think that much of Luke Kelly's song, and Happiness is a Worn Pun completely exceeded my expectations.


Match 4:

Faces- "Ooh La La"
Jars of Clay- "Liquid"
I enjoyed both songs, but for me Ooh La La clearly outshines "Liquid." Perhaps after a few more listenings, I could grow more fond of "Liquid" - but right now the nod goes to Ooh La La.

Seeing as I have never heard any of these songs, I'll go by a listen-to-each-once-and-choose method.

Match 1: Shirelles, "Baby It's You" I will always go with a good 60s girl group song over a good power-pop song.

Match 2: Lal Waterson & Oliver Knight, "Flight of the Pelican." This song sounds almost like a proto-Joanna Newsom song, in the way it is sung and the rhyming structure. Buckingham...well, once is assumed more control of Fleetwood Mac after Rumours, things started getting bad.

Match 3: Luke Kelly, "Scorn Not His Simplicity." A very nice little folk song. I can't tell if SFA is supposed to be a southern rock-pop song or...something else entirely.

Match 4: refuse to vote, both songs are terrible. Christian rock vs. a song that I actually have heard on a million commercials? Come on.

The quality here is amazing.

Match 1:
The Fiery Furnaces- "Here Comes the Summer"
The Shirelles- "Baby It's You"

Two great songs, but "Here Comes the Summer" is really something else. And the fact that it's only my fourth-favorite song out of these 8 says something about the quality.

Match 2:
Lindsey Buckingham- "Trouble"
Lal Waterson & Oliver Knight- "Flight of the Pelican"

"Flight of the Pelican" is probably my second-favorite discovery of this week, and the third-best song out of these eight. Powerful stuff.

Match 3:
Luke Kelly- "Scorn Not His Simplicity"
Super Furry Animals- "Happiness Is a Worn Pun"

A spectacular song from Luke Kelly easily beats an okay song by SFU, I really really dig "Scorn Not His Simplicity". I tend to love these Irish folk songs, and this is no exception--and what a performance.

Match 4:
Faces- "Ooh La La"
Jars of Clay- "Liquid"

Easy match for me, since "Ooh La La" is one of my own favorites and is in my top 500. Liquid is okay, but not my cup 'a tea.

So far the matches have worked out great for me, the best four songs were all in different brackets.

Damn, I really got no time for that, but simply I cannot resist, the idea is too good to let it pass:

Match 1: The Shirelles “Baby It’s You”: the concept is the same, to create a simple but great pop song. But the mastery of Bacharach-David got no rival in The Fiery Furnaces (although their song is good), the song-writing wins here (IMHO).

Match 2: Lindsey Buckingham “Trouble”: both songs create interesting atmospheres in different ways, the dreamy harmonies and the weird percussion arrangements of Buckingham’s could justify my vote.

Match 3: Super Furry Animals “Happiness Is a Worm Pun”: yes, it’s a 70s rock bastardization (glam-southern-rock?) but it’s irresistible.

Match 4: The Faces “Ooh La La”: charming in his direct and almost amateurish sound (especially Ron Wood guitar). The other one was perfectly executed but lacked that charm.

Matchup 1:
First matchup and this is already a hard decision. I'll go with "Here Comes the Summer", because I really digged the overall production and the song had a couple of great hooks, both of which is also true for "Baby It's You", but how do you objectively describe a subjective decision? I like the original more than the Beatles version, which was the only one I'd heard before. In my opinion the organ solo fit quite neatly into the song, too. The Fiery Furnaces were just kind of more interesting to my ears.

Matchup 2:
This matchup makes it very easy for me to stick to my original nomination. I chose "Flight of the Pelican" for a reason. It's one my all-time favorite songs. "Trouble" is a listenable song, but nothing special, even though I quite like a lot of similarly styled adult contemporary music. Weakest song so far.

Matchup 3:
"Scorn Not His Simplicity" is a great song, which I only knew from Sinéad O'Connor's rendition. Luke Kelly does a great job, even though Sinéad's voice fits the song much better. Anyway it's a shame Kelly died that young. I can't play the Super-Furry-Animals-video, though. So unless somebody can provide another link to that song (I couldn't find it anywhere else), I won't be able to vote on this matchup.

Matchup 4:
I liked "Ooh La La" a lot. Nice acoustic guitar sound, which gives the song a great athmosphere. For Jars of Clay I got the second "This video contains content from Sony Music Entertainment. It is not available in your country." Annoys the hell out of me.

Links that work for me on those two videos (the original links don't work for me either):

Jars of Clay - Liquid
Super Furry Animals - Happiness is a Worn Pun

Match 1: Fiery Furnaces-Here comes the summer

Surprisingly straightforward track by Fiery Furnaces. Not many twists and turns here and therefore not their most spectacular composition, but the Shirelles don't really turn me on.


Match 2: Lal Waterson & Oliver Knight-Flight of the pelican

Easily the best song out of these eight. Lal is a member of the Waterson family, an institution in British Folk.
And Lindsey Buckingham? Erm, there is a reason for it why this one isn't considered acclaimed.


Match 3: Luke Kelly-Scorn not his simplicity

Another Folk institution, albeit a rather obscure one. I must say however, that without the fascinating visuals of the live recording Scorn Not His Simplicity sounds less impressive. In any case, it wins over Super Furry Animals. Happiness Is A Worn Pun is a good enough tune, but it's clear why they decided this as a B-side.


Match 4: Jar Of Clay-Liquid

The weakest match of this week.
Although The Faces are seminal '70s Classic Rock, Ooh La La just ain't no Maggie May or Stay With Me. My sympathy goes to Jar Of Clay, no problem with their christian overtones. I'm not very religious myself but If I can get a massive kick out of black gospel groups like the Staple Singers or Swan Silvertones why the hell aren't white boys allowed to sing the Gospel?

My votes, with winners in bold.

Match 1:

The Fiery Furnaces- "Here Comes the Summer": What a great first song to start off this game! It's all the validation I need for starting this game, as this is quite a gem! The insistent chords and lovely female vocals are quite moving.

The Shirelles- "Baby It's You": Quite a nice slab of early 60s soul here! Ultimately, though, it doesn't have the immediate emotional tug that "Here Comes the Summer" has for me.

Match 2:

Lindsey Buckingham- "Trouble": I like this breezy slice of pop. It's slightly twisted, but beautiful. I haven't really heard any solo material from the members of Fleetwood Mac outside of Stevie Nicks, so this was a nice revelation.

Lal Waterson & Oliver Knight- "Flight of the Pelican": I know absolutely nothing about this- when it was released or who either of the artists are. Nevertheless, it's quite haunting. It's tough to vote against either of these songs, but this one is sticking with me maybe a smidge more.

Match 3:

Luke Kelly- "Scorn Not His Simplicity": This song appears to be about a boy born with mental difficulties. It's a touching notion, but the vocal delivery doesn't really seem to gel with that sentiment. Still, a worthy nomination!

Super Furry Animals- "Happiness Is a Worn Pun": For some reason, "Centerfold" by J. Geils Band came into my head when listening to this! I love the Sasquatch bit and this song indeed rocks pretty hard, but my favorite parts are the strings that come in. I just wish there were more!

Match 4:

Faces- "Ooh La La": The only song this week that sounds vaguely familiar, it's nice, but not a song I can see myself returning to much.

Jars of Clay- "Liquid": I've long been disappointed by the Christian music scene, because it always seems that more effort is put into the lyrics than the music, but this song seems to find a nice balance, and thus gets the win.

Week 1

Match 1:
The Fiery Furnaces- "Here Comes the Summer"
Nothing against the Shirelles- I love that song as well (though I grew up with The Beatles' version). I think "Here Coes The Summer" just sounds awesome - as others have noted, it's a relatively straightforward song for the FF... and I'm a big fan of that distorted guitar tone!

Match 2:

Lal Waterson & Oliver Knight- "Flight of the Pelican"
A close match, but ultimately I found this song more compelling than "Trouble".

Match 3:

Luke Kelly- "Scorn Not His Simplicity"
I'm torn here. I had never heard the Luke Kelly song and was captivated by everything in this performance. Though I'm a big SFA fan, I had to ask myself which I would rather hear again and "Scorn Not..." was the clear winner.

Match 4:

Faces- "Ooh La La"
I used to love this song but actually have trouble enjoying it at all since it's incorporation into the overblown Blue Cross commercials. However, I liked virtually nothing about the Jars of Clay song, so an easy choice.

Match 1
The Shirelles - Baby It's You: Two brilliant songs, but in reality the Fiery Furnaces were never going to win my vote over one of my all time favourite songs. Now Burt Bacharach knew how to write a tune from the heart.

Match 2
Lal Waterson & Oliver Knight - Flight of the Pelican: Linsey Buckingham at his worst is an American pretender to Jeff Lynne. While Trouble is nowhere near his worst, there is just nothing special about it. Never heard any Lal Waterson & Oliver Knight before. A bit like Joni Mitchell with a baroque twist - it works.

Match 3
Luke Perry - Scorn Not His Simplicity: Only Just. A couple of days getting that hook stuck in my head, and SFA would probably have done it. I'll give Luke Kelly's wistful recording the benefit of the doubt for now though.

Match 4
Faces - Ooh La La: Incredible song. Almost Weller-like in its ironic hopefulness, but still typically Faces. Up against a very good song, but an easy winner.

Match 1:

The Fiery Furnaces- "Here Comes the Summer"

It's so nice to hear such great comments about my pick! FYI, some consider this song as part of a 3-part suite, beginning with the song "Single Again" and ending with "Evergreen". Listen to them together and they flow real nicely.

Even if this wasn't my special choice, the Shirelles song wasn't very engaging. I have to confess the Beatles version has been on my iTunes for years now and I'm more familiar with that.

Match 2:

Lal Waterson & Oliver Knight- "Flight of the Pelican"

At first the Buckingham song seemed like one of those hidden unobtrusive pop gems that serve a solid quality song from a solo artist. But a test of a songs endurance is if it intrigues you hours, days, or weeks after listening to it. I can't remember how Trouble sounds without clicking the link, but Flight of the Pelican is very different and beautiful although it ends abruptly.

Match 3:

Luke Kelly- "Scorn Not His Simplicity"

Wow, what a find. Although as a previous commenter said, the power of the song is amplified if the first time you hear it is from that YouTube performance clip. Everyone is just so mild-mannered and polite with their Irish accents hanging around... you totally don't expect such instrumentation or powerful vocal performance. I listened to the original recording on Rhapsody and it's still an incredible song. And I think that Irish character of the voice is what seperates this from a lot of 70s AM radio fare you might see on those record collection infomercials at 2 in the morning. The SFA song really sounded like an afterthought to me.


Match 4:

Faces- "Ooh La La"

My college roommate played this song on his computer a lot and I never knew the name of it. Not bad, but nothing spectacular.

I tried to listen to Jars of Clay objectively and it didn't sound like what I think Christian rock sounds like... it actually sounded like Jon Secada to me.

Match 1 - Shirelles - "Baby It's You"

Not the best Bacharach/David song, and there is something to be said for that number by the Fiery Furnaces. For me though, it comes down to the voices. I have never much cared for Eleanor Friedberger's voice, whereas Shirley Jones had a sweet, only slightly flirty voice.

Match 2 - Lai Waterson & Oliver Knight - Flight of the Pelican

A nice, elegant languid number, with a slight build. I enjoyed it. The Buckingham song had some good points, but it could have been shorter by a minute. I began to have flagging interst.

Match 3 - SFA - Happiness Is A Worn Pun

Wow. I didn't think my entry would get so many negative reactions. "Scorn Not..." may be a bad matchup for this SFA track. That Luke Kelly song is raw, heartfelt, and roughly beautiful (but was it bad that I kept thinking of Ron Burgundy when I heard the background flute?). SFA's song is nonsense lyrics and all rock n roll drive. I definitely think "Happiness..." is the better song and I will be disappointed if/when it goes out in the first round, but certainly would not be disappointed to have it go out to the nice "Scorn Not His Simplicity."

Match 4 - The Faces - "Ooh La La"

Liked some parts of Liquid. I enjoy when any mainstream rock actually bothers to use harmonies. But the chants just reminded me of Enigma (which I didn't enjoy the first time out), and the lead singer's voice lacks the power that I want in a rock singer. By contrast, the Face's number is a fun one, and I always will give points to fun.

1. The Shirelles ~ Baby It's You -- One of those underrated early 60's tunes I never would have had a chance to listen to. I kind of like it. Just wasn't feeling the Fiery Furnaces tune.

2. Lindsay Buckingham ~ Trouble -- One of those songs I kinda liked but not really yet everytime you hear it you enjoy it but would never intentionally want to hear it kind of songs...

3. SFA ~ Happiness Is A Warm Pun -- Big fan of everything Super Furry Animals have ever done. This wouldn't make my top 10 list from them, but it is still good...

4. Faces ~ Ooh La La -- It's OK. Jars of Clay, not bad. I guess if I had to make a choice I would listen to Ooh La La...

Match 1
The Fiery Furnaces "Here Comes the Summer"
A great pop rock song with a rather experimental edge. This is a great find. As for The Shirelle's song, well, I definitely prefer The Beatles version.

Match 2
Lindsey Buckingham "Trouble"
Neither of these songs left that much of an impression on me, but I like "Trouble" a tad bit more.

Match 3
Super Furry Animals "Happiness is a Warm Pun"
I liked both of these songs a lot, but overall I guess I'm more open to poppy alternative rock than Irish folk singers. So sue me.

Match 4
Faces "Ooh La La"
I don't really dig the singing on the Face's song, but after I got over that, I realized that it's really a great song. As for "Liquid", neither Christian Rock or poorly done Post-Grunge are really my thing.

The Fiery Furnaces- "Here Comes the Summer"
The Shirelles- "Baby It's You"
"Baby It's You" bubbled under my top 20 songs of 1961 and I don't think I will ever consider "Here Comes the Summer" for my top 20 of it's year. But at the same time "Summer" feels like the great pick out of these two. Weird. Are the 00s really that much better?

Lindsey Buckingham- "Trouble"
Lal Waterson & Oliver Knight- "Flight of the Pelican"
Being a big fan of Fleetwood Mac, I have wondered why "Trouble" don't hit me more. It surely has a good groove but don't fully click with me. "Flight of the Pelican" on the other hand, was a lovely new discovery. If this game continues on this level it will be amazing!

Luke Kelly- "Scorn Not His Simplicity"
Super Furry Animals- "Happiness Is a Worn Pun"
What a voice! What a passion! It's like a well of great folk songs has just been opened! The SFA song is definitely OK, but not even close.

Faces- "Ooh La La"
Jars of Clay- "Liquid"
I don't think I've heard "Ooh La La" before. Nothing that's related to Faces has interested me a lot, so I've never dug into their catalog. But "Ooh La La" was surprisingly good, while "Liquid" left me indifferent.

I doubt my song (Van Halen) will advance.

With my other pick (Bellrays) I have no idea how it will do. I can picture it losing immediately, or getting pretty far in. That's what's great about this game. It's the only one we've ever run where nobody has any idea what's going to happen.

What about my picks? I adore them, but i have no idea how some people are going to react. I picked a Joanna Newsom song and a Tori Amos B-Side (only because i knew that the competition needed more songs by women). I'm hoping i see better negative comments than lazy Kate Bush rip-off or Californian pixie who writes about elfs and fairytales while playing a lazy harp. Just be constructive and we will accept it and respect it! At least that's what i'm trying to do with other people choices.

I mus say that there are plenty of good tracks by women on the competition. Nice to see the Fiery Furnaces song, that Liz Phair demo, the No Doubt track, Deerhoof, Siouxsie and even Brazilian Girls and Nina Simone,Carly Simon's Why (very nice!) and Lisa Germano's Puppet was a big surprise to me, had no expectation and totally grabbed me by listen #2. There are my picks So i don't have what to complain about

The reward is not finding out who's going to win but the fact that in this age of being inundated with music left and right, we have a few selected gems from people with very discerning and respected music tastes. This is a great kind of filter to find truly unique and personal music!

The Fiery Furnaces - Here Comes the Summer def. The Shirelles - "Baby It's You"

The Fiery Furnaces are definitely on the short list of bands I need to check out, so I was excited to see them in the game. "Here Comes the Summer" wasn't as experimental as I heard this band was, but nevertheless grabbed me on second listen with its relaxing melody and strong opening riff.

"Baby It's You" was better than I expected it to be, given my total ignorance for the early-60s girl group genre outside of "Be My Baby." I don't think this song will ever be a personal favorite, but it's definitely above-average.


Lal Waterson & Oliver Knight - "Flight of the Pelican" def. Lindsey Buckingham - "Trouble"

"Flight of the Pelican" has a really creepy atmosphere. I'm split on the vocal--her voice actually sort of reminds me of Nico--but this is a really smooth, emotive performance.

"Trouble" was a surprise given my complete apathy for Fleetwood Mac. It definitely suffered from typical 80s production, but had a strong melody and some cool guitar parts.

Super Furry Animals - "Happiness is a Worn Pun" def. Luke Kelly - "Scorn Not His Simplicity"

"Happiness is a Worn Pun"--aside from having an awesome title--happens to be the B-side to one of my personal favorites, "Juxtaposed With U." I hadn't heard it before, but enjoyed it as a more straight-up rock song than I'm used to from SFA. I really didn't find much to like about "Scorn Not His Simplicity"--I just don't enjoy that type of music.

Faces - "Ooh La La" def. Jars of Clay - "Liquid"

I admit I picked "Ooh La La" in part because I thought it would do well in this contest--though it is one of my favorite songs that fit the criteria. This song stunned me from the first time I heard it--particularly for the great dual-guitar interplay and the memorable line in the chorus. I can't believe it isn't more acclaimed or more played on classic rock radio.

I've been looking for a while for some good Christian music, and while "Liquid" is definitely superior to the rock music played at my church, it obviously doesn't stand up to my personal choice in this competition.

The Fiery Furnaces- "Here Comes the Summer"

My favourite song of the round - great intro and hooks. The Shirelles don't do much for me outside their top ranked song...

Match 2:
Lindsey Buckingham- "Trouble"

Two strong songs - Flight Of The Pelican definitely grew on me on repeated listens,but I prefer the polished pop of Trouble

Match 3:
Super Furry Animals- "Happiness Is a Worn Pun"

Easy choice - not one of my favourites from SFA,but it's strong enough to beat a song that is not my cup of tea at all

Match 4:
Faces- "Ooh La La"

So glad to re-discover this Faces classic,remember hearing it growing up but hadn't heard it in years. Liquid is OK,but was never in the running.

Match 1:
The Shirelles - Baby It's You /
I don't really like the sound and the chorus of 'Here Comes the Summer'. 'Baby it's You on the other hand is alright. Although I do not like the 'shalalala'-parts.

Match 2:
Lal Waterson & Oliver Knight - Flight of the Pelican /
'Trouble' is a bit too eighties and soft-rock-y to my taste. It's definitely not bad and reminds me of 'Rumours' quite a bit. 'Flight of the Pelican' is
great and probably my favorite song of this week. Just beautiful.

Match 3:
Luke Kelly - Scorn Not His Simplicity /
It's not just the title that I don't like a lot about 'Happiness Is a Worn Pun'. The only part of the song that I think is good is the title repeating part. Although 'Scorn Not His Simplicity' is maybe a bit too folky and overdone (the flute...), the song is nice enough and the lyrics are fine.

Match 4:
Faces - Ooh La La /
'Ooh La La' doesn't seem very special, but it sounds quite good. Maybe even better every time I hear it. And then 'Liquid'... Well, that's probably my least favorite song of this week. The monk choir wasn't a really good idea. I could accept the rest of the song, if the singer had a better voice.

Match 1:

The Fiery Furnaces- "Here Comes the Summer"

VERY tough call for me here, as I like both of the songs a lot, but the Furnaces 3rd best track, with a relatively straightforward approach, beats a very good Shirelles song. I love my Bacharach, but he wrote quite a few better -- the man was just getting started.

Match 2:

Lal Waterson & Oliver Knight- "Flight of the Pelican"

Lindsey Buckingham has always vaguely annoyed me as part of F-Mac, definitely my least favorite member, despite his obvious talents. "Trouble" is a good enough pop song, but the eerie "Flight of the Pelican" is the winner here, a weird-in-a-good-way song that's growing on me, and that certainly doesn't sound like anything circa 1996.


Match 3:

Luke Kelly- "Scorn Not His Simplicity"

I LOVE Super Furry Animals, definitely in my Top 20 artists of the last 20 years. That said, "Happiness Is a Worn Pun" is good straightahead SFA, but I prefer them in their more expansive mode.

I knew "Scorn Not His Simplicity" already through Sinead O'Connor's fine version. Luke Kelly's is excellent too, and wins on the strength of the song itself.

Match 4:

Faces- "Ooh La La"

An easy winner here ... "Ooh La La" is the only song in this group of 8 that's in my Top 2000. (Though both "Here Comes the Summer" and "Baby It's You" would be close.) Rod Stewart somehow goes into plaintive mode without sounding icky (oft a problem for him), while my personal association with the closing of Rushmore will always seal its place in my heart.

"Liquid" has an intro that hooks you in, but then it didn't go much of anywhere for me and I lost interest. I just wish more Christian rock would really GO FOR IT musically. There's such drama in the stories and obviously great passion in those who purvey it ... I wish this would translate into really really huge epics or something. Just my take, and maybe I just haven't found out what those epics are yet.

Sonofsiam... you said Here Comes the Summer was the Furnaces 3rd best track. What are the top 2?

Wow! Chief Inspector Blancheflower? Amazing that you picked that out. It's one of my faves but it seems too buried within the Blueberry Boat album and a little too weird for me to think it stands out with anybody else.

Off the top of my head...

1. Blueberry Boat
2. Here Comes the Summer
3. Chief Inspector Blancheflower
4. Benton Harbor Blues
5. Ex-Guru

And Jackson mentioned wanting to get into Fiery Furnaces... you have to listen to Blueberry Boat... it won't be as sweet or as direct as Here Comes the Summer but it's one of the most satisfying epic and eccentric listening experiences you'll ever have. It's like listening to every cool band's experimental and extensive closing track (i.e. The Who's "A Quick One, While He's Away", Zappa's "Brown Shoes Don't Make It", etc.) over and over again. That the album seems to keep a steady pace is amazing.

Now ends my semi-annual rant about Blueberry Boat! Back to your regularly scheduled programming.

Match 1:
The Fiery Furnaces - "Here Comes the Summer"

The Shirelles have a lot of really great songs, but "Baby It's You" isn't one of them, in my opinion. I think the haunting mood was done better by the Shangri-Las in "Remember (Walking in the Sand)".

The Fiery Furnaces is not a band I'm familiar with. I agree with some others that the intro was fascinating, though I felt like the song didn't quite deliver on its promise. The piano chords and "Remember" refrain got a little repetitive. Still, I give the nod to the new(er) kids on the block. At least I had some desire to listen to this song again.

Match 2:
Lal Waterson & Oliver Knight- "Flight of the Pelican"

While the Yo Yo Ma original was better (j/k), I like the sparse simplicity of "Flight of the Pelican". It reminds me of one of my favorite Bangles songs. No, you are not hallucinating. "Following" is a virtually unknown track by the fab fourettes, but if you like "Flight of the Pelican", you might want to check it out.

I never realized "Trouble" was Lindsay Buckingham. "Trouble" fades into the background of early 80s soft-rock to me, and doesn't really do anything to stand out. My favorite song by the Fleetwood Mac guitarist is "Go Insane" - I'd definitely vote for that one!


Match 3:
Luke Kelly - "Scorn not his Simplicity"

This is the most bizarre matchup of the day.

I guess "Happiness is a Worn Pun" is a song I could put on when I need to dance away the anger, but the song seemed unremarkable to me. I like the guitars, but that's about all. I know SFA gets much love here, but I haven't bought a ticket on that bandwagon.

I really liked "Scorn not his Simplicity", certainly my favorite of the songs I'd not heard before. I'm not sold on Luke Kelly's vocals in this one...I'd be interested to find other performances of this song. While the vocals are adequate, the music is very good.

Plus, I'm a sucker for the Irish. What can I say? :)

Match 4:
Jars of Clay - "Liquid"

As soon as I cranked up "Ooh La La", I remembered that Rod Stewart released a version of the song in the 90s. I like the jingle-jangle of it, and the piano, though Ronnie Wood's vocals are a little too Randy Newman-esque for me. I like Stewart's vocals better.

But hey, "Ooh La La" is up against my pick, "Liquid", so that's that.



Kudos to Moonbeam for setting this up! I'm enjoying listening to other people's picks, even when they don't strike a chord with me personally. And I agree with Bill that it's fun not having any idea who will win!

Match 1.
The Shirelles- "Baby It's You"

This was the thoughest match this first week for me. I find both songs realy nice, but lacking the edge that make them catch my attention. Both songs are just to anonumous for me. In a tight race like this i will often fall for the nice love song. So the decision goes to The Shirelles.

Match 2.
Lal Waterson & Oliver Knight- "Flight of the Pelican"

This was the best match this week. Both these songs is really enjoyable. However the decission is easy. "Flight of the pelican" is by far the best song this week. The way the accoustic and the electric gitarr is cooperating and complement each other, makes it a pure pleasure to listen to. I get so focused on the gitarr playing that i have trouble catching the vocal.
I am a little anoyed that i have not heared "Trouble" before. This song should have caught my attention a few years back. I still find it good and hate to vote against i, but there is just no way it can take on the pelican.

Match 3.
Luke Kelly- "Scorn Not His Simplicity"

Folk is always tricky. For me it very often becomes cliche. I often find it hard to keep the right mood and urgency without over playing these feelings. Luke Kelly knows how to walk the fine line and earnes my vote.
This was not one of SFAs finest.

Match 4.
Faces- "Ooh La La"

This is the weakest pairing of the week. Both these would lose out to any one of the other songs this week. I have heard them both more then 10 times this week, and still there is not one thing that makes me currious or interested enough to want to hear the songs again. "Ohh la la" gets the vote thanks to the accoustic gitarr.

Match 1
Analysis: I have never heard (or even heard of) the Fiery Furnaces before, but I quite enjoyed this song! As much as I love "Baby It's You," and think that it stands as one of the greatest compositions, the Shirelles' recording itself has been bested by covers to follow in the years, namely by the Beatles, and most notably, Smith.
Winner: The Fiery Furnaces, "Here Comes the Summer"

Match 2
Analysis: This was actually the closest race for me. I enjoyed both songs, but neither jumped out at me. "Trouble" has the initial hook, but after multiple listens, it seemed to lose its magic, whereas the more unique "Flight of the Pelican" tends to grow.
Winner: Lal Waterson & Oliver Knight, "Flight of the Pelican"

Match 3
Analysis: I am not familiar with Super Furry Animals, but this song certainly did not sell them for me. Even though I usually appreciate songs recording artists wrote themselves, Luke Kelly's "Scorn Not..." is a beautiful cover of a beautiful song, that I am being introduced for the first time. This is hands-down my favourite song from this round that I wasn't already familiar with. Could end up on my next all-time favourites list.
Winner: Luke Kelly, "Scorn Not His Simplicity" by 2 miles

Match 4
Analysis: I do love both songs, however, I actually like Rod Stewart's 1998 re-recording over the Faces' version with Ronnie Wood on lead vocals. This is my favourite Jars of Clay song, and I am glad you nominated it, Larry!
Winner: Jars of Clay, "Liquid"

Jackson,

I will also second Sixpence None the Richer.

I was very skeptical of getting into their music, mostly because of the aforementioned "Kiss Me" was a bit too sugary for me. CCM Magazine listed their eponymous 1997 album as one of the greatest Christian albums of all time (#19 on their list), and so I gave it a listen. Great stuff.

I have also found that Christian music with melodies and production that I actually enjoy is hard to come by.

Some of my favourites include:
Newsboys (from their '94 Going Public album to Thrive '02 and everything in between)
dc Talk (Jesus Freak is my favourite CCM album)
TobyMac (hip-hop soloist from dc Talk)
Jars of Clay (especially their eponymous debut album)
Audio Adrenaline (who seem to have that rocky edge a lot of Christian rock groups lack)
Chris Rice (singer/songwriter)
Michael W. Smith (not exactly the same style of music as the others listed, but enjoyable nonetheless).

Jars of Clay's "Liquid" will probably grow on you after multiple listens.

I’ll echo my friend Honorio’s first reaction : Damn, I got no time for that, but how can I resist such a good idea ?
I’ll only comment the songs I nominate.

Match 1:

The Fiery Furnaces- "Here Comes the Summer" (2005)

Very tough match : indie pop vs. Girls groups. I’ll go for the first one, for its freshness.

Match 2:

Lindsey Buckingham- "Trouble" (1981)

Again, a great contrast. Moonbeam, you’re great !! This is one of the greatest games this site has ever hosted !
Lindsey wins by a thin margin with this great FW song. I love the Spanish guitar chorus. Thanks to my man Greg.

Match 3:

Luke Kelly- "Scorn Not His Simplicity"

I’m a huge Dubliners fan. Beans, thank you for this great clip ! I see that a lot of people posted music from their own country or state and that’s great. And a lot of folk songs !! This song is just magnifique, sorry to use a French word. Great lyrics. You just can feel that the song is autobiographic : Songwriter Phil Coulter's first son was born with Down's syndrome (trisomy 21). Very moving. Now that i have kids, I really love those "parents" songs. You'll see what I'm talking about. The fiddle solo is just great, only Celtic folk musicians can make it sound like this.


Match 4:

Faces- "Ooh La La"
Nice acoustic jam. Rod Stewart was one of my teenage idols. Little did I know.

I'm happy that this game is doing so well! It really is exciting. In fact, I've purchased 3 of these songs through Itunes- we'll see if that extends to purchasing albums!

MAtch 1 :
1. The Shirelles- Baby It's You
2. The Fiery Furnaces- Here Comes the Summer
Les deux chansons sont pas mal, mais j'ai tout de même de loin une préférence pour ce classique des années 60. LA chanson des Fiery Furnaces est assez sympathique mais tout de même très lassante dès la deuxième écoute à mon sens.

Match 2:
1. Lal Waterson & Oliver Knight- "Flight of the Pelican"
2. Lindsey Buckingham- "Trouble"
Je n'avais jamais entendu parler, ni de l'un, ni de l'autre de ces artistes. La seconde m'a laissé de glace mais la première par contre est une belle découverte, avec un air extrêmement entêtant. Il donne l'impression que quelques fantômes rodent autour de nous.

Match 3:
1. Super Furry Animals- "Happiness Is a Worn Pun"
2. Luke Kelly- "Scorn Not His Simplicity"
Super Furry est, de très très loin, vainqueur dans cette manche pour moi grace à cette bonne balance entre le jeu de guitare et la voix. J'avoue n'avoir pas bien compris ce qu'il y avait à aimer dans la chanson de Luke Kelly, mais je n'y ai personnellement rien aimé.

Match 4:
1. Faces- "Ooh La La"
2. Jars of Clay- "Liquid"
Les Faces gagnent ce match par dépit. Je n'aime, ni l'une, ni l'autre.

Romain : nobody's gonna understand which song won and which song lost !!

I'll translate for you : he loves the kelly song

(no, that's a joke)...

Romain, si tu veux que je traduise ton post, je le ferai, promis sans te trahir (même si nos choix sont opposés sur les matches 1 et 3)

Match 1:

The Fiery Furnaces -"Here Comes the Summer"
This was easily the toughest matchup for me. I found my feet tapping along to the Fiery Furnaces track right from the start, and while the vocals are nowhere near as strong as on the Shirelles song, its over all catchiness wins the day.

Match 2:
Lindsey Buckingham - Trouble
I quite liked his vocal performance, and the guitar sounds in the chorus and towards the end were a delight. After reading so many positive comments about Flight of the Pelican all week, I have to say I was a little disappointed. It just seemed a little to slight. might be a grower, and if it wins through, I'll definitely try and give it more of a chance.

Match 3:
Luke Kelly - Scorn Not His Simplicity
I chose this song simply for Luke Kellys' stunning vocal delivery. I have to confess to not having the greatest knowledge of traditional Irish music, but I will always have time for this man, a true Irish legend who passed away well before his time.
The SFA song is fine, but doesn't stand a chance here.

Match 4:
The Faces - "Ooh La La"
Ronnie Woods' vocals are not the greatest, but I can't resists the jingly jangly sound.
As for Jars of Clay, I really wish I'd called it a day when I received the "This video contains content from Sony Music Entertainment. It is not available in your country." message. Never again.

Thanks Nicolas for providing the backgroud information on the Luke Kelly song. I just want to add that tragically Phil Coulters son died at the age of 4.

no problemo

i didn't see the positions

Sorry Romain

I just thought that what you wrote in French was interesting

Voting for Week 1 is now over.

And here are the results of week 1!

Match 1:

The Fiery Furnaces - "Here Comes the Summer": 17
The Shirelles - "Baby It's You": 11

This one went back and forth for awhile, and The Shirelles held an early lead, but The Fiery Furnaces managed to build a lead toward the end that The Shirelles couldn't quite close.

Match 2:

Lindsey Buckingham - "Trouble": 8
Lal Waterson & Oliver Knight - "Flight of the Pelican": 20

Lindsey Buckingham staked an early lead, but was quickly overwhelmed by "Flight of the Pelican", which flew on to a big win.

Match 3:

Luke Kelly - "Scorn Not His Simplicity": 17
Super Furry Animals - "Happiness Is a Worn Pun": 10

This one was also quite close, although Luke Kelly always maintained a lead. The gap closed to 10-9 at one point, but Luke Kelly dominated the remainder of the votes to clinch the win.

Match 4:

Faces - "Ooh La La": 22
Jars of Clay - "Liquid": 5

A blowout from the start, Faces scored the easiest victory of the week.

The winners advance to the Winners Bracket 1 (W1), while the losers can take heart in the fact that they are not out of the game yet, and move to Losers Bracket 1 (L1).

Up-to-date brackets are available here.