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Welcome to Week 19! We continue with bracket L2, featuring songs that have won one match and lost another match. The losers here are unfortunately out of the tournament!
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 19 is 11:59 PM, March 5th AM time.
You can read the descriptions of why these songs were nominated in the rules thread.
Match L2.9:
Dressy Bessy - "California"
Ten Years After - "I'd Love to Change the World"
Match L2.10:
No Doubt - "New"
Lupe Fiasco - "Hip-Hop Saved My Life"
Match L2.11:
The White Stripes - "The Big Three Killed My Baby"
Robert Randolph & The Family Band - "Going in the Right Direction"
Match L2.12:
Prince - "Crystal Ball"
Mark Joseph - "Lady Lady"
Match L2.9:
Dressy Bessy - "California"
Ten Years After - "I'd Love to Change the World"
While I'm a devout fan of Alvin Lee's amazing guitar skills, the lyrics of I'd Love to Change the World are at once pesimistic and poorly written, while the wide-eyed sunshine of California is far too infectious for me not to choose it.
Match L2.10:
No Doubt - "New"
Lupe Fiasco - "Hip-Hop Saved My Life"
Neither of these songs do much for me, but the choice between New Wave-tinged alt rock and "life-saving" hip hop is clear to me, especially when the overrated Fiasco is in the hip hop corner.
Match L2.11:
The White Stripes - "The Big Three Killed My Baby"
Robert Randolph & The Family Band - "Going in the Right Direction"
While I really should be advocating The White Stripes in the wake of their break-up, I've just fallen in love with the sound of The Family Band. Jesus, Robert Randolph can sure play a mean pedal steel guitar.
Match L2.12:
Prince - "Crystal Ball"
Mark Joseph - "Lady Lady"
Oh god, it's a bit unfair to put Prince's overhyped, overadvertised and overblown epic against a nice little song by Mark Joseph, but there really is no contest for me. Just imagine what Sign o' the Times was originally planned to be - think of how good it already is, and then add stuff like this. Wow.
Match L2.9:
Dressy Bessy - "California"
Ten Years After - "I'd Love to Change the World"
TYA is one of the best songs in the game, and while California is nice.. it's not even close.
Match L2.10:
No Doubt - "New"
Lupe Fiasco - "Hip-Hop Saved My Life"
"Hip-Hop.." is turning into one of my favorite hip-hop songs.
Match L2.11:
The White Stripes - "The Big Three Killed My Baby"
Robert Randolph & The Family Band - "Going in the Right Direction"
My comments are becoming very short, but that's mainly because I've already said everything I wanna say about these songs. Randolph's verses are great and I'm holding a slight grudge against the Whites for kicking out Old and Wise.
Match L2.12:
Prince - "Crystal Ball"
Mark Joseph - "Lady Lady"
I really want to vote for Prince, because I know that it's the better song, but right now I'm just preferring Joseph.
Match L2.9:
Dressy Bessy - "California"
Ten Years After - "I'd Love to Change the World"
I'll go with the rather enjoyable, if dated, classic rock track over the semi-generic Dressy Bessy.
WINNER: Ten Years After
Match L2.10:
No Doubt - "New"
Lupe Fiasco - "Hip-Hop Saved My Life"
Not one of my favorite No Doubt tracks, so Lupe sort of wins by default, even if he bludgeons you with obviousness.
WINNER: Lupe Fiasco
Match L2.11:
The White Stripes - "The Big Three Killed My Baby"
Robert Randolph & The Family Band - "Going in the Right Direction"
A tough one, as the Stripes are fun here, but "Going in the Right Direction" is exciting stuff.
WINNER: Robert Randolph & co.
Match L2.12:
Prince - "Crystal Ball"
Mark Joseph - "Lady Lady"
Not even close -- genius even when not fully focused destroys mediocrity every time.
WINNER: Prince
Match L2.9:
Winner - Dressy Bessy - "California"
Ten Years After - "I'd Love to Change the World"
I choose Dressy Bessy because I found the other song very weak. It's the kind of 70's rock I don't like.
Match L2.10:
Winner - No Doubt - "New"
Lupe Fiasco - "Hip-Hop Saved My Life"
More the time pass, more I love "New" and the other one is just...just....a thing !
Match L2.11:
Winner - The White Stripes - "The Big Three Killed My Baby"
Robert Randolph & The Family Band - "Going in the Right Direction"
Hard choice here, my second and third best songs of the wee.
I choose White Stripes because I so love the voice of Jack. But the other one is a really good song.
Match L2.12:
Winner - Prince - "Crystal Ball"
Mark Joseph - "Lady Lady"
No comment. Easy choice.
Match L2.9:
Dressy Bessy - "California"
Ten Years After - "I'd Love to Change the World" WINNER
Great TYA song rules this one. My question is- are the lyrics any worse than those of "California"?
Match L2.10:
No Doubt - "New"
Lupe Fiasco - "Hip-Hop Saved My Life" WINNER
Not a huge fan of either song, but Lupe has more going on.
Match L2.11:
The White Stripes - "The Big Three Killed My Baby" WINNER
Robert Randolph & The Family Band - "Going in the Right Direction"
Not close for me- Big Three rocks with more feeling.
Match L2.12:
Prince - "Crystal Ball" WINNER
Mark Joseph - "Lady Lady"
Prince has a mini-epic on his hands, Joseph doesn't do much for me.
Thanks!
Same ballot as sonofsamiam
Match L2.9:
Dressy Bessy - "California"
Ten Years After - "I'd Love to Change the World"
I actually like the lyrics of TYA, it's got that whole disaffected youth thing going on.
WINNER: Ten Years After
Match L2.10:
No Doubt - "New"
Lupe Fiasco - "Hip-Hop Saved My Life"
My nominee against a song I find middling by a band I find middling.
WINNER: Lupe Fiasco
Match L2.11:
The White Stripes - "The Big Three Killed My Baby"
Robert Randolph & The Family Band - "Going in the Right Direction"
"Going in the Right Direction" is probably the most exciting song in the competition.
WINNER: Robert Randolph & co.
Match L2.12:
Prince - "Crystal Ball"
Mark Joseph - "Lady Lady"
"Crystal Ball" is to songs what Smile is to albums. That should say where it belongs.
Winners:
Ten Years After - "I'd Love to Change the World"
I'm not a big fan of twee pop and surfer rock, and Dressy Bessy didn't manage to convince me otherwise. My vote goes to Ten Years After's decent slice of classic rock.
Lupe Fiasco - "Hip-Hop Saved My Life"
Although "New" has its catchy moments, "Hip-Hop Saved My Life" keeps things together a little bit better (just about).
The White Stripes - "The Big Three Killed My Baby"
What I like most about The White Stripes is their ability to elicit raw emotion, and they do it best when they are having fun at the same time - like on "The Big Three Killed My Baby"
Mark Joseph - "Lady Lady"
Great as Prince is, a mediocre Prince song that stretches over 10 minutes is tiresome. "Lady Lady" has enough pleasing hooks to get my vote.
PS: Sorry to be so dim, but I thought this might be a good opportunity to ask for someone to please explain 1) how to bold something when you are posting, and 2) how to add an image to a post.
1) Just put the text between (b) and (/b) but with square brackets.
2. (img)http://www.website.com/image.jpg(/img) will do the trick. Again, square brackets.
Finally, in case you want to link to something: (url="www.website.com/page"]text(url). Page can also be a file, i.e. spreadsheet.xls.
Thanks, Stephan. You are 
Sorry about the ridiculously fucking cheesy image - I'm just trying out my new skills. Next (and hopefully final) question: how do you get an image to appear next to your name in the Author box when you're posting?
There's a bar called "Avatar URL" for that, just above the subject line when you make a new post.
Thanks! 
WINNER
Great TYA song rules this one. My question is- are the lyrics any worse than those of "California"?
You mean like My Humps or Yeah by Usher or Soldier Boy or anything by Katy Perry or anything that's written so poorly it need autotune to distract people from figuring out the lyrics?
Yeah there's far worse and that includes indie rock. Like Pavement singing about getting a haircut? Oops! I said SINGING!!!! Pavement doesn't sing but they're weak emotionless vocal aren't nearly as ear shattering as fellow Elephant 6 bandmates Neutral Milk Hotel. Yoko Ono sounds like Aretha Franklin compared to them and she sounds like Pavarotti compared to Tom Waits. Simplicity in lyrics isn't so much of a bad thing compared to musicians that are tone deaf. Cocteau Twins make up their own words and they're influenced can be seen in so many bands like MBV, Sigur Ros, Goldfrapp even the new PJ Harvey.
Match L2.9 Winner: Dressy Bessy, "California" - "California" is quirkier, more fun.
Match L2.10 Winner: No Doubt, "New" - Tough call. Just felt like the production on the Lupe Fiasco track was a little underwhelmong and the theme a little tired. e is a talented MC, and the song gets by a lot on his charisma and flow. But "New" was more solid.
Match L2.11: The White Stripes, "The Big Three Killed My Baby" - One of my faves by them. Like the Randolph song, but not nearly as much as Jack & Meg's.
Match L2.12: Prince, "Crystal Ball" - Still thik it's a bloated mess, but clearly touched with that Prince inspiration. I here none of that in the Joseph song.
Great TYA song rules this one. My question is- are the lyrics any worse than those of "California"?
You mean like My Humps or Yeah by Usher or Soldier Boy or anything by Katy Perry or anything that's written so poorly it need autotune to distract people from figuring out the lyrics?
You kind of helped make my point though, while simutaneously trashing my favorite band
(btw, Pavement aren't E6)
Brad... I'm not going to laugh this one off:
Yeah there's far worse and that includes indie rock. Like Pavement singing about getting a haircut? Oops! I said SINGING!!!! Pavement doesn't sing but they're weak emotionless vocal aren't nearly as ear shattering as fellow Elephant 6 bandmates Neutral Milk Hotel. Yoko Ono sounds like Aretha Franklin compared to them and she sounds like Pavarotti compared to Tom Waits. Simplicity in lyrics isn't so much of a bad thing compared to musicians that are tone deaf. Cocteau Twins make up their own words and they're influenced can be seen in so many bands like MBV, Sigur Ros, Goldfrapp even the new PJ Harvey.
Tim, I really appreciate your focus on quality of vocals. I agree with you that certain singers' vocal sins are too often overlooked or, worse, lionized. And I also agree with you about Jeff Magnum's voice, which, for me, singlehandedly devalued an otherwise lovely album in "In the Aeroplane..."
All that said, you and I have very different ideas about what makes for quality vocals. This was exposed on our Exile in Guyville v. whitechocolatespaceegg battle. We have also disagreed about Bette Midler on "The Rose." I also just noticed that your #1 song in the most recent song poll was one of my least favorite acclaimed songs of all time, Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit."
For two people who both value quality of vocals so much to disagree so often about what constitutes quality vocals is interesting, and further reinforces the subjective nature of this enterprise.
Which brings me to Pavement. I understand where the "emotionless" slacker thing comes from... and Malkmus often plays into it. But that's kinda the point... he's playing. But, furthermore, Malkmus' vocals are so one-note. He wails, he moans, he purposely veers off key (just like his guitar solos!) when he deems it appropriate. Hell, he can even be romantic on occasion. I think his vocals are interesting. If he is too often affectless, I suppose I prefer to see that as him exhibiting a level of control to make the rest of the music stand out. (Whereas Grace Slick's delivery, for me, is usually so over the top as to be monumentally distracting.)
I certainly respect your opinion on Malkmus' vocals however. I do think you were entirely off base and unfair about one thing... to dismiss "Cut Your Hair" as "singing about getting a haircut" is, forgive me, willful blindness. To me, there's an entire story in just the opening line: "Darling don't you go and cut your hair./Do you think it's gonna make him change?" I always wanted to know: who the "darling" he's singing to, who's "him," what's the singer's relationship to both of them? The funny part, though, is the story gets completely dropped, and the rest of the song is impressionist, sarcastic hits about indie rock taking over from hair metal, Pavement becoming the "special new band," the downward spiral/firing of "second drummer" Gary Young. And, yeah, I'm still not sure what the lyrics are exactly. But I know that I like them. (And all of this ignores the delightful "woo hoos.")
Ten Years After - "I'd Love to Change the World" over Dressy Bessy - "California"
Easy call for me here. I like "I'd Love to Change the World" so much that I forgot it wasn't my nominee. I don't think the lyrics are as bad as most of you are saying. If you take everything literally, they're pretty rough, but I view a song more as mocking hippie culture, particularly in the chorus (I'd love to change the world, but I don't know what to do). Even if I'm wrong, the guitar solo kicks ass, so...
No Doubt - "New"over Lupe Fiasco - "Hip-Hop Saved My Life"
Lupe's song is just too generic. No Doubt has better songs but this one sounds cool enough to pull out a win here.
Robert Randolph & The Family Band - "Going in the Right Direction"over The White Stripes - "The Big Three Killed My Baby"
"Going in the Right Direction" is just a fun song. Fun is something that White Stripes song could use a little more of.
Prince - "Crystal Ball" over Mark Joseph - "Lady Lady"
Prince has the misfortune of meeting "la resistance" in the last round, so it's only fair he gets a mismatch here.
Match L2.9:
Dressy Bessy - "California": It's a pretty gloomy day here so far, so this offers a nice contrast! It's a good song, if not a favorite.
Ten Years After - "I'd Love to Change the World": While the guitar work is impressive, the song itself doesn't do much for me.
Match L2.10:
No Doubt - "New": This has long been one of my favorite No Doubt songs. It's the first song of theirs I actually liked, too, so it gets bonus points.
Lupe Fiasco - "Hip-Hop Saved My Life": As far as 00s hip hop goes, this is pretty good. But it can't compete with new wave.
Match L2.11:
The White Stripes - "The Big Three Killed My Baby": For another week, it just misses out for me. I can't think of another song that has had such close matches.
Robert Randolph & The Family Band - "Going in the Right Direction": This burst of fun earns a narrow victory. It's become my 2nd favorite Robert Randolph song through this poll!
Match L2.12:
Prince - "Crystal Ball": A permanent entry in my top 10 songs ever.
Mark Joseph - "Lady Lady": Not in my top 2000. Not bad, though.
There are currently 2 ties. The next vote will determine the winners!
Big Three Killed My Baby.
I'll try to listen to the other three matchups, but wanted to make sure if that's a tie I got the break in.
Edit:
Ten Years After:
Musically better, but speaking politically, shouldn't it be "Tax the rich, feed the poor, till there are no poor no more?" I mean, if you care more about spiting the rich than feeding the poor, you're not really conscientious. You're just pissed.
Lupe Fiasco:
Above average rap song vs weak song on a good album.
Prince:
Inconsistent but sporatically great song vs technically proficient but lyrically flaky pop song.
Voting for this week is now over.
Your winners for Week 19:
Dressy Bessy - "California": 4
Ten Years After - "I'd Love to Change the World": 7
No Doubt - "New": 5
Lupe Fiasco - "Hip-Hop Saved My Life": 6
The White Stripes - "The Big Three Killed My Baby": 6
Robert Randolph & The Family Band - "Going in the Right Direction": 5
Prince - "Crystal Ball": 9
Mark Joseph - "Lady Lady": 2