Time for the final leg of the voting before the elimination round starts. I'll give the 2601-2800 thread the last three hours before I finalize the results.

I will also throw out a reminder that the Wildcard round will go on just as long as this one does.

The current placing is:
1. Beck - Midnite Vultures
2. TV On The Radio - Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes
3. Modest Mouse - The Moon And Antarctica
4. The Cure - Seventeen Seconds
5. Beach Boys - Sunflower
6. Pulp - This Is Hardcore
7. Johnny Cash - American III
8. Yo La Tengo - I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One
9. PJ Harvey - White Chalk
10. The Kinks - Face To Face

I'm surprised Yo La Tengo isn't doing better. Maybe all it's fans are boycotting the poll in protest of it not having been added in when it would have won by the new point structure. Schwah and Sean Pak were it's 1st place votes in the 501-600 votes and neither of them have voted in the wild card yet.

There's still lots of time for shakeups. 1-5 are all really tight, and all but the Kinks are in long striking distance.

2801-3000 is a way better block than I thought. More of my favorites than I've seen in weeks. My ballot:

1. Miranda Lambert - Crazy Ex Girlfriend (Top 200)
2. Jimi Hendrix - Cry Of Love (Top 200)
3. Neil Young - Time Fades Away (Top 200)
4. Steve Earle - Transcendental Blues (Top 400)
5. Flaming Lips - Transmissions From The Satellite Heart (Top 400)
6. The Thermals - The Body, The Blood, The Machine (5)
7. Bob Dylan - Infidels (3)
8. The Decemberists - Her Majesty (1)

1. They Might Be Giants - Flood
2. Babes In Toyland - Fontanelle
3. Cat Stevens - Catch Bull at Four
4. The Coral - Magic & Medicine
5. Ocean Colour Scene - Moseley Shoals
6. El-P - I'll Sleep When You're Dead
7. Hothouse Flowers - People
8. Marillion - Script for a Jester's Tear
9. Secret Machines - Now Here Is Nowhere
10. Kings of Convenience - Quiet is the New Loud

11. Cee-Lo - Cee-Lo Green Is the Soul Machine
12. Travis - The Invisible Band
13. Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - ACME

1.The Stray Cats- Built for speed
2.The Flaming lips- Transmissions from the satellite heart
3.System of a Down- System of a Down
4. The Hives- Tyrannosaurus Hives

only four, but they are all rather good

1) The Hives - Tyrannosaurus Hives
2) System of a Down - System of a Down
3) Slipknot - Slipknot
4) Supergrass - Supergrass
5) Grandaddy - Under The Western Freeway
6) The Thermals - The Body, The Blood, The Machine
7) The Blues Brothers - The Blues Brothers
8) Secret Machines - Now Here Is Nowhere
9) Faith No More - King For A Day, Fool For A Lifetime
10) Propellerheads - Decksanddrumsandrockandroll

Great number one, their previous albums might be overrated but this one, by far the more efficient, is a bit underrated.
And Slipknot is totally overlooked by the "serious" press while their first album was a very good one.

This is probably the best grouping since 2000.

1. Bill Evans - Conversations with Myself
2. The Decemberists - Her Majesty
3. Lupe Fiasco - Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor
4. Run D.M.C - King of Rock
5. Vince Guaraldi - Charlie Brown Christmas
6. Cibo Matto - Viva! La Woman
7. Joh Coltrane - At the Village Vanguard
8. Wilson Pickett - The Exciting Wilson Pickett
9. Bill Withers - Still Bill
10. Pat Metheny - Offramp

1. Jellyfish- Bellybutton
2. Kings of Convenience- Quiet is the New Loud
3. Decemberists- Her Majesty
4. Cibo Matto- Viva La Woman
5. System of a Down- System of a Down
6. Black Box Recorder- The Facts of Life
7. Phil Ochs- Pleasures of the Harbor
8. Cat Stevens- Catch Bull at Four
9. Grandaddy- Under the Western Freeway
10. Sweet- Desolation Blvd.

I agree that this is a really strong group. Super ae is in my all-time Top 30, and is one of the best albums of the last 20 years, IMO.

Aside from that, lots of great jazz in this group.

1. Boredoms - Super ae
2. Nina Simone - Wild Is the Wind
3. Vince Guaraldi - A Charlie Brown Christmas
4. Bill Evans - Conversations with Myself
5. Alice Coltrane - Universal Consciousness
6. The Flaming Lips - Transmissions from the Satellite Heart
7. Archie Shepp - The Magic of Juju
8. Bark Psychosis - Hex
9. Miles Davis - Filles de Kilimanjaro
10. They Might Be Giants - Flood
11. Brigitte Fontaine - Comme a la Radio
12. Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong - Ella and Louis Again
13. Sam Rivers - Streams
14. Earth, Wind & Fire - All 'n' All
15. Rosanne Cash - Interiors
16. Prince Paul - A Prince Among Thieves
17. Super Furry Animals - Guerrilla
18. Cibo Matto - Viva! La Woman
19. Baaba Maal - Lam Toro
20. Bill Withers - Still Bill
21. Manuel Göttsching - E2-E4
22. Comus - First Utterance
23. Gilberto Gil - Expresso 2222
24. John Coltrane - Live at the Village Vanguard Again!
25. Run-D.M.C. - King of Rock
26. Elvis Presley - How Great Thou Art
27. Rahsaan Roland Kirk - Now Please Don't You Cry, Beautiful Edith
28. Butthole Surfers - Psychic…Powerless…Another Man's Sac
29. Grandaddy - Under the Western Freeway
30. Jellyfish - Bellybutton
31. Elton John - Elton John
32. Supergrass - Supergrass
33. Low - Trust

1. Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians, FEGMANIA!
2. The Flaming Lips, TRANSMISSIONS FROM THE SATELLITE HEART
3. Ani DiFranco, LIVING IN CLIP
4. DAVID JOHANSEN
5. Phil Ochs, PLEASURES OF THE HARBOR
6. LITTLE RICHARD, VOL. 2
7. John Fahey, BLIND JOE DEATH
8. CARDINAL
9. Neil Young, TIME FADES AWAY
10. The Sweet, DESOLATION BOULEVARD

01. Super AE. Boredoms
02. Nail. Scraping Foetus Off The Wheel
03. New Moon Daughter. Cassandra Wilson
04. Comme à la Radio. Brigitte Fontaine
05. Guerrilla. Super Furry Animals
06. First Utterance. Comus
07. Cardinal. Cardinal
08. Novus Magnificat. Constance Demby
09. The Third Reich'N'Roll. The Residents
10. Universal Consciousness. Alice Coltrane
11. Nuits De La Fondation Maeght Vol. 1. Albert Ayler
12. Viva! La Woman. Cibo Matto
13. Sunrise In Different Dimensions. Sun Ra Arkestra
14. Wild Is The Wind. Nina Simone
15. The Magic Of Ju-Ju. Archie Shepp
16. Hex. Bark Psychosis
17. Julie Is Her Name. Julie London
18. Frigid Stars LP. Codeine
19. Venice. Fennesz
20. Dynamic Duo. Jimmy Smith & Wes Montgomery

1. Hood - Cold House
2. Faith No More - King for a Day, Fool for a Lifetime
3. Cocteau Twins - Head Over Heels
4. Mogwai - Mr. Beast
5. Supergrass - Supergrass
6. The Coral - Magic & Medicine
7. Björk - Volta
8. Kings of Convenience - Quiet Is the New Loud
9. Propellerheads - Decksanddrumsandrockandroll
10. Arab Strap - Philophobia

1.Steve Earle – Transcendental Blues
2.Vince Guaraldi – A Charlie Brown Christmas
3.Whiskeytown – Stranger's Alamanc
4.Miranda Lambert – Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
5.Huun-Huur-Tu – The Orphan's Lament
6.Rod Stewart – A Night on the Town
7.Elvis Presley – How Great Thou Art
8.Eagles – s/t
9.Wanda Jackson – s/t
10.Phil Ochs – Pleasures of the Harbor

11.Rosanne Cash – Interiors
12.John Cale - Hobosapiens
13.Randy Newman – Trouble in Paradise
14.Julie London – Julie Is Her Name
15.Steely Dan – Two Against Nature
16.Megadeth – Rust in Peace
17.Hound Dog Taylor & The Houserockers – Beware of the Dog
18.The Time – What Time Is It?
19.The Verve – A Storm in Heaven
20.Tom Waits – Blood Money
21.Neil Young – Comes a Time
22.Jill Scott – Beautifull Human: Words and Sounds, Vol. 2
23.Dave Edmunds – Tracks on Wax 4
24.Kid Creole & the Coconuts – Wise Guy/Tropical Gangsters
25.Richard Thompson – Hand of Kindness
26.Charlie Musselwhite's Southside Band – Stand Back!
27.The Cables – What Kind of World
28.Balfa Brothers – Play Traditional Cajun Music
29.Supertramp – Even in the Quietest Moments
30.Maria Muldaur – s/t

1) They Might Be Giants FLOOD
2) Jellyfish BELLYBUTTON
3) Bread BABY I’M-A WANT YOU
4) The Eagles THE EAGLES
5) Elton John ELTON JOHN
6) Little Richard LITTLE RICHARD VOLUME 2
7) Vince Guaraldi CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS
8) Rosanne Cash INTERIORS
9) Morphine YES
10) John Legend GET LIFTED

11) Lupe Fiasco FOOD AND LIQUOR
12) Decemberists HER MAJESTY

Stuff is so tight near the top it's tough to do a hints post.

There's currently a 4 way tie for 8th place and no single album way ahead. Nonetheless, here are the hints:

Album whose most famous song is likely followed by a call to poison control: 55
East European Historians: 46
Quirky metal band: 43
Warmer of our hearts: 42
Album with repetitive song titles: 40
Others: 39, 37, 33, 33, 33, 33, 31

Upon reflection, unless people seriously object I'm going to go with separating albums into 'divisions' based on release date. I like the idea because it guarantees the final eight will be spread all throughout rock history.

Sure, it's going to make one or two of the conferences a little lopsided, but hey. If the Yankees and Patriots can deal with losing playoff spots to inferior teams because they're in strong divisions, 1998 albums can deal with tough early round matchups.

BillAdama, what is the fianl number of albums that will have qualified after voting on the current block of albums is over?

1. Nina Simone – Wild Is the Wind
2. Kings of Convenience – Quiet Is the New Loud
3. Bill Withers – Still Bill
4. Wilson Pickett – The Exciting Wilson Pickett
5. Earth, Wind & Fire – All ‘n All
6. Bill Evans – Conversations with Myself
7. Brigitte Fontaine & Art Ensemble of Chicago – Comme à la radio
8. Bob Marley & The Wailers – Survival
9. Dead Can Dance – Aion
10. Elton John – Elton John

1. The Blues Brothers: The Blues Brothers, 1980
2. Neil Young: Comes a Time, 1978
3. Marillion: Script for a Jester's Tear, 1983
4. Wilson Pickett: The Exciting Wilson Pickett, 1966
5. Neil Young: Time Fades Away, 1973
6. Super Furry Animals: Guerilla, 1999
7. Otis Redding: Pain in My Heart, 1964
8. Low: Trust, 2002
9. Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong: Ella and Louis Again, 1956
10. Neil Young: Mirror Ball, 1995

1. Miossec - Boire
2. Brigitte Fontaine - Comme a la Radio
3. Arab Strap - Philophobia
4. Propellerheads - Decksanddrumsandrockandroll
5. The Pastels - Up for a Bit with The Pastels
6. The Chameleons - Strange Times
7. Marillion - Script for a Jester's Tear
8. Slade - Slayed?
9. The Hives - Tyrannosaurus Hives
10. Third Eye Foundation - You Guys Kill Me

If anyone's still planning on voting, since nobody has in a few days I'm deciding to end both this and the wild card vote tonight at about 9 eastern time, so I don't have to do the work building the draw in the middle of the work week.

If no other votes are cast in the wildcard the winners will be Midnite Vultures, Desperate Youth Bloodthirsty Babes, and The Moon And Antarctica.

1. Butthole Surfers - Psychic...Powerless...
2. The Flaming Lips - Transmissions From the Satellite Heart
3. Fugazi - Steady Diet of Nothing
4. The Hives - Tyrannosaurus Hives
5. The Thermals - The Body, The Blood, The Machine

And, the results of the final votes:

1. Flaming Lips - Transmissions From The Satellite Heart (72/5/0)
2. The Hives - Tyrannosaurus Hives (53/4/1)
3. Kings Of Convenience - Quiet is The New Loud (48/4/0)
4. They Might Be Giants - Flood (46/3/2)
5. Bill Evans - Conversations With Myself (43/3/1)
6. System Of A Down - System Of A Down (43/3/0)
7. Vince Guaraldi - Charlie Brown Christmas (42/3/0)
8. Boredoms - Super AE (40/2/0)
9. Bridgette Fontaine - Comme a la Radio (39/3/0)
10. The Decemberists - Her Majesty (39/4/0)
-
Jellyfish - Bellybutton (37/2/1)
Nina Simone - Wild Is The Wind (37/2/1)
Wilson Pickett - The Exciting Wilson Pickett (34/3/0)
Miranda Lambert - Crazy Ex Girlfriend (33/2/1)
Neil Young - Time Fades Away (33/3/0)
Steve Earle - Transcedental Blues (33/2/1)

And, the wildcard results:
1. Beck - Midnite Vultures (67/5 1 2)
2. TV On The Radio - Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes (61/3 3 2)
3. Modest Mouse - The Moon And Antarctica (58/2 4 2)
--
The Cure - Seventeen Seconds (57/4 1 2)
Beach Boys - Sunflower (51/2 3 2)
Pulp - This Is Hardcore (44/2 2 2)
Johnny Cash - American III (34/0 2 4)
Yo La Tengo - I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One (34/1 2 2)
PJ Harvey - White Chalk (29/1 2 1)
The Kinks - Face To Face (5/0 0 1)

And that's a wrap for the qualifying.

That's a quite eclectic top 10! However, those short straws for Nina Simone and The Cure really saddens me.

Not that it would have affected the final outcome for this round, but I just picked up Black Box Recorder's THE FACTS OF LIFE yesterday and if I had owned it before it definitely would have made my top ten. A classic pretty-on-the-outside-evil-on-the-inside album, and a worthy companion piece to the Pulp album of your choice in its dissection of British societal and sexual mores.

Hey, if I had heard Comme a la Radio before the vote ended, it would have gotten a way better seed than 16.

And if I had heard Os Mutantes before it's round it would have qualified, etc.

I love that Kings of Convenience made it in. I wasn't expecting that at all.