Vote closes Sunday, January 30th at 11 PM board time.

Anyone can vote, but in order to vote you MUST have heard both albums.

Division 1:

Guy Clark - Old No. 1 vs
Tears For Fears - Songs From The Big Chair

Division 2:

Benga - Diary of an Afro Warrior vs
Kyuss - Welcome To Sky Valley

Division 3:

Wilco - Summerteeth vs
Jorge Ben - Samba Esquema Novo

Division 4:

Art Ensemble of Chicago - Les Stances a Sophie vs
Laika - Sounds of the Satellites

And of course, Miranda Lambert vs Cassandra Wilson is tied and still open from last week.

Samba Esquema Novo

Everyone seems to think that Summerteeth is going to win this whole game, but I nominated Samba Esquema Novo so I obviously feel that it should be defeated right away. Samba Esquema Novo is an amazing debut by Jorge Ben, filled with bossa nova rhythms and killer choruses. I knew a couple of songs before I heard the album but after just one or two listens I didn't know which ones I had heard, it feels like one hit after another.

Songs From The Big Chair
Diary Of An Afro Warrior
Samba Esquema Novo
Les Stances a Sophie

bye-bye-a-laika

Wilco - Summerteeth

I don't think I had to tell anyone this. Possibly my favorite album of the 90s. Song after great song. More consistent than The Soft Bulletin and Deserter's Songs, two albums in the same category that get more hype. Maybe the best combination of pop melody, dark lyrics, and inspired arrangements I've heard.

Summerteeth is also as good or better than YHF, despite the 540 spot lead on am. I always hope that this album will get a boost eventually, God knows it deserves.

Despite the bumpy start by two of Wilco's biggest detractors, I'm still hopeful it goes all the way.

ps: even nj likes this one. but SEN fuels more soulphins

I listened to SEN, and it's a pretty awesome album. But I have 9 years of history with Summerteeth, and broke up with my first serious girlfriend to it. It's a huge part of my life, and was one of the first albums I got into outside of the mainstream.

that's why you're still in love with her. somehow.
records are one coughing gob of perpetual achemakers.. they last much longer than your heart spelling cockdrive a trizillion times backwards

Well fortunately, there were others I broke up with to it, so now it's just my go-to record.

???... hmm, no problem, i'm cool with obsessive symbolic self-flagellation.. but Summerteeth is much more than that. it has mellotrons!

God I love mellotrons. For the record, my favorite song of all time is "Strawberry Fields Forever"...so when I heard Summerteeth it was like having 16 orgasms at the same time.

Okay, back on track...voting.

I'm also taking Gene Clarke over Tears for Fears...sorry NJ...I can't stand this album.

Division 1: Tears For Fears

This was a close vote, as I liked both albums. I don't usually like this style of synth pop, but it had some very good songs.

Division 3: Jorge Ben

Another very close vote. I've always liked Summerteeth but found it weaker than YHF and Being There. I hope people who've known Summerteeth for a long time will approach the vote with an open mind.

Division 4: Laika

This is the sort of discovery that justifies the entire tournament, for me. Though Les Stances a Sophie is also very good.

Can't find Diary of an Afro Warrior to listen to.

Regular spot.

you, Sir, are welcome

So much for Summerteeth winning the whole tournament :-(. I probably jinxed it with my hyperactive fanaticism.

I dunno about Being There. I think there's a lot of filler on Being There (Red Eyed and Blue, Someone Else's Song, Was I in Your Dreams?) Summerteeth has a few filler songs, but they work in favor of the themes of the album. I also think Being There is substantially a lyrically weaker album.

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot has gotten to be an album to me that I consider akin to a hardcore Nirvana fan who likes In Utero more than Nevermind, or a hardcore Beach Boy fan who prefers SMiLE to Pet Sounds; I downplay it a bit because I'm tired of seeing it touted as the only great thing Wilco ever did.

I'd rather see Wilco get the album praise of an LCD Soundsystem, or The National (despite those artists lower album ranking) where each album is recognized as an important part of the artists discography, rather than see them painted out as a second tier band that accidentally made a top 5 album of the decade.

Division 1:
Guy Clark - Old No. 1 vs
Tears For Fears - Songs From The Big Chair

"Old No. 1" is one of my own picks, but "Songs from the Big Chair" is also one of my favorite albums, so it hurts a little bit to vote against it. "Old No. 1" is definitely the better album though, each and every song a classic.

Division 3:
Wilco - Summerteeth vs
Jorge Ben - Samba Esquema Novo

While I enjoy "Summerteeth" quite a bit, about as much as "Being There" and YHF, "Samba Esquema Novo" is really something else. And I will be going to Brazil in 2 weeks, so this gets me in the mood perfectly.

Division 4:
Art Ensemble of Chicago - Les Stances a Sophie vs
Laika - Sounds of the Satellites

Two rare but excellent albums, but while "Les Stances A Sophie" has the fantastic "Theme de Yoyo", which is indubitably the best song on the two albums, it can't match the overall quality of the "Sounds of the Satellites".

I will try to listen to the other two soon.

Division 1: Guy Clark
Division 2: Benga
Division 3: Tie. Both very fine albums, impossible to vote one over the other.
Division 4: Art Ensemble Of Chicago

Songs from the Big Chair
Diary of an Afro Warrior
Summerteeth
Les Stances a Sophie

Division 2:

Benga - Diary of an Afro Warrior vs
Kyuss - Welcome To Sky Valley

Will most of my favorite discoveries of the tournament be facing my picks ? The first album I have listened when the brackets were revealed has been Labradford which have been a striking experience, and now here comes Benga which will probably strongly change the way I imagine dubstep.
At the end of the first listen, I though I had to vote for it, but then I've given another listen to Welcome to Sky Valley and realized there is no way I could not stick with my pick : the intense chorus of Gardenia, the intro of Supa Scoop and Mighty Scoop (one of my favorite intro ever), the drums of Demon Cleaner... there really are too much things I love in this album, which seems to be the prelude of Songs for the Deaf, my 2nd favorite album of all time...
But still, if Benga makes it to round 2, it would be a very deserved victory !

I only got to hear four of the songs from Benga's album, but I enjoyed them a lot more than Kyuss's album, so if the vote turns out to be close I'll try to hear the rest of Benga's and vote for it.

BillAdama: I just noticed that I put up a promo version with some annoying synth voice at the beginning of every song. If you want the proper version, let me know.

Division 2:
Benga - Diary of an Afro Warrior vs
Kyuss - Welcome To Sky Valley

Easy win for Benga here. Very enjoyable dubstep whereas I'm not the biggest fan of Queens of the Stone Age let alone Kyuss.

Division 1:
Guy Clark - Old No. 1 vs
WINNER Tears For Fears - Songs From The Big Chair

Division 2: PASS
Benga - Diary of an Afro Warrior vs
Kyuss - Welcome To Sky Valley

Division 3:
Wilco - Summerteeth vs
WINNER Jorge Ben - Samba Esquema Novo

Division 4:
Art Ensemble of Chicago - Les Stances a Sophie vs
WINNER Laika - Sounds of the Satellites

Divisions 1 and 4 : easy choices
Divison 3 : a lot more difficult. I love the two albums. But the Brazilian music always remind me so cute and pleasant memories. I can not vote against Jorge Ben.
Division 2 : I don't know none of the two albums, and I have no time sorry.

My favorite bracket so far, as none of the picks were mine and I ended up downloading a number of excellent albums.

Division 1:
Guy Clark - Old No. 1 WINNER
vs Tears For Fears - Songs From The Big Chair
I think Songs From The Big Chair has aged well; however, the problem is I've just never really liked Tears For Fears and nothing on this album comes close to "Mad World." On the other hand, Guy Clark was a nice addition to my limited country collection, and continues to improve with repeat listens.

Division 2:
Benga - Diary of an Afro Warrior WINNER
vs Kyuss - Welcome To Sky Valley
I really enjoyed the Kyuss album, but it comes up just short of the surprisingly good Benga disc.

Division 3:
Wilco - Summerteeth WINNER
vs Jorge Ben - Samba Esquema Novo
By no means would I be sad if Jorge Ben took this matchup- such a quality effort from him- but while Summerteeth has it's lows, it's highs are (for me) higher than those of Samba Esquema Novo, hence my (very close) vote.

Division 4:
Art Ensemble of Chicago - Les Stances a Sophie vs
Laika - Sounds of the Satellites WINNER
I'll refer to Stephan's spot-on comment above regarding this matchup. Both excellent, but Laika more consistent and able to prevail, even over the particularly strong "Theme de Yoyo."

Thanks!

Division 1:

Tears For Fears - Songs From The Big Chair wins over
Guy Clark - Old No. 1

Tear for Fears had some excellent songs on the Big Chair album, including; Everybody Wants to Rule the World, Shout, I Believe, and Head Over Heels.

I am not much of a country fan, so this is no surprise. Clark is a reasonable performer and composer, but since the I find the genre generally uninspiring, he didn't have much of a chance. I prefer Charlie Daniels, Marshall Tucker and other southern rock performers over most "country" performers.

Unfortunately i was at college a lot this last week and i won't be able to participate of the whole round, only this division cause i'm attached to both records.

Division 3:

Wilco - Summerteeth vs
Jorge Ben - Samba Esquema Novo

I love both albums very much. The reason why i picked the former over Ben is because i'm Brazilian and Samba Esquema Novo is like our Rubber Soul over here. There's not a brazilian list of the greatest albums ever that doesn't include this one or JB's masterpiece A Tabua da Esmeralda. This is an underrated albums game and to me the album is not underrated at all since it is a classic, groundbreaking effort from my country. Maybe if it was his very underrated over here Africa Brasil, we could argue, since brazilians also overlook the record a lot. But it is one of his best and most known works that is very very influential over singer/songwriters over here. So it goes to Summerteeth a truly underrated album everywhere and after Yankee was released its destiny is more than sealed: it will remain underrated. It was tough, i really like a lot both records. Any of them could've been winners in previous rounds and i hope i'm not cheating my country.

There are only two Brazilian lists with Samba Esquema Novo included at AM. If you know any others please let me know!

It's true, I cannot Believe it! And these are the two most well-known that i thinking of when i wrote that.

There was one from MTV Brazil made in the early 00s, it was included inside the top 20 if i can remember well. Album Lists are something pretty rare here in Brazil. They're only made from times to times, but i'll sure search them. This album is a landmark over here, especially for the inclusion of Mas Que Nada (basically Brazil's most famous song after Garota de Ipanema)

Division 1:

Guy Clark - Old No. 1 WINSvs
Tears For Fears - Songs From The Big Chair

I like country, and I like 80s synthpop, so this one of my harder choice in the tournament. But the Guy Clark album seemed a bit more substantial to me, whereas with Tears for Fears I've always sort of preferred The Hurting.

Division 2:

Benga - Diary of an Afro Warrior vs
Kyuss - Welcome To Sky Valley WINS

I'm OK with dubstep, but not as something that I want to listen to for an hour at a time. Kyuss, on the other hand, was a pleasant surprise. I wasn't the biggest fan of Queens of the Stone Age, but I enjoyed the lengthy instrumental jams here.

Sadly I was not able to listen to Les Stances a Sophie entirely yet, but I'm not sure I would have been able to chose anyway. Sounds of the Satellite is great, Theme de Yoyo too, that is indeed the kind of albums which make those polls that much rewarding.

Division 3:

Wilco - Summerteeth WINS vs
Jorge Ben - Samba Esquema Novo

Another tough choice. Both albums were new to me. I liked them both equally on first listen, but Summerteeth grew on me more the second time around.

Wilco - Summerteeth over Jorge Ben - Samba Esquema Novo

Summerteeth was one of my most anticipated first listens of the tournament, and it delivered with a set of songs arguably just as strong as Yankee Hotel Foxtrot's.

I like Les Stances of Sophie (well, "Theme De Yoyo" really), but I was unable to hear the Laika album, so I can't vote for it.

Summerteeth wins over Samba Esquema Novo

Samba Esquema Novo was nice, but Summerteeth is a top 20 album of all time for me. It really was no contest.

Results:

Guy Clark - Old No. 1 5 TIED WITH
Tears For Fears - Songs From The Big Chair 5

Next vote wins

Benga - Diary of an Afro Warrior 4 def
Kyuss - Welcome To Sky Valley 2

Wilco - Summerteeth 7 def
Jorge Ben - Samba Esquema Novo 5

Laika - Sounds of the Satellites 4 def
Art Ensemble of Chicago - Les Stances a Sophie 3

Been away all week,so couldn't hear most of the stuff,but:
Tears For Fears - Songs From The Big Chair - WINNER
Well,I was always going to pick it since it was my choice(and someone else's I think). Guy Clark was pretty good,but Songs From The Big Chair stands the test of time as one of the pop masterpieces of the 80s,up with Lexicon of Love and Dare! The guitar solo at the end of 'Everybody Wants To Rule The World' FTW...

And Tears For Fears wins.