This round was incredibly hard to score. I wasn't exaggerating when I said this was one of the best rounds in any of my roulettes. I spent two evenings just rearranging the submissions in order of preference trying to figure out the scores, it was that difficult. Still have 6 rounds to go, plenty of time to catch up if you're not happy with where you stand now, but I enjoyed at least something in every batch, even the ones that scored low.
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jingle.boy: Damian Wilson
[8.0]1. Commune
2. Tapestries
3. Life on Mars
4. Please Don't Leave Me
5. Homegrown
I think it's important to note that someone can be a good singer while still disliking their voice. This is proof that Damian Wilson is a good singer - the man has talent. But I just don't enjoy the sound of his singing, it's too thin and reedy for my taste and especially on songs like Commune and Life on Mars there is this theatrical, almost musical-like performance that I find corny, and not in an endearing way. That said, I do like the melodic choices on Homegrown and Please Don't Leave Me 'till I Leave You - Homegrown has the best lyrics, and PDLM has a very pleasant oldies vibe to it. The layered vocals mask Damian's voice a little, which is probably why it's my favorite of the songs with singing. Tapestries is the star precisely because it has no singing. Lovely playing. This is a weird bunch and was hard to score, but it is what it is - there was some good music here, but largely, it's overshadowed by a singer whose voice I simply cannot stand. It was nice to see a different side of his music, though, and it was pleasantly varied, so it's not a complete wash. I initially scored this much, much lower, but other than the ugly voice, there is actually some surprisingly nice music in here.
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HOF: Sweet Billy Pilgrim
[8.2]1. Kalypso
2. Just Above Midtown
3. Chasing Horses
4. A Shelter of Reeds
This was definitely a grower, not a shower. I wasn't sure about this at first. Kalypso was a risky opener because at first listen it seems very plain, but repeat listens opened up the beauty to me, and I like the gentle crooning of Kalypso in the chorus. Just Above Midtown is a nice contrast. Nice and upbeat, just a pleasant tune with a great hook. The other two just kind of go in one ear and out the other - pleasant when I focus on them, Chasing Horses sounds like a lot of nice soft indie rock bands, and A Shelter of Reeds is a sleepy little number, but I just fail to remember them when they're done. So there are two hits here - I don't think I've ever even seen this artist mentioned on DTF, so that's pretty cool.
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Indiscipline: Stevie Wonder
[8.2]1. Contusion
2. Sir Duke
3. Master Blaster (Jammin')
4. They Won't Go When I Go
This did grow on me. Contusion sounds more like a Zappa piece than something I expected from Stevie Wonder, but it's fun. Sir Duke - I knew this song as soon as it started, but I never knew the name or the artist who performed it (shameful, I know, but I wouldn't have admitted it if Evermind didn't admit to not knowing who the Backstreet Boys are). Sir Duke is super fun, it's just damn good for the length of the song. Master Blaster took several plays to win me over, and has the best singing of the group. I would've loved to hear Michael Jackson do a cover of that. They Won't Go When I Go is a nice ballad, very dark. That synth adds a not-insignificant amount of creepiness. Nice variety to introduce me to Stevie Wonder beyond Cherie Amor, but if I'm being 100% honest - which I am - this didn't grip me nearly as much as I wanted it to. They don't really stay with me, although they're good songs and I enjoy listening to them.
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romdrums: Squarepusher
[8.4]1. Star Time 2
2. Hello Meow
3. 4001
I've heard about Squarepusher a lot but this is the first I've listened to them. There's a big video game soundtrack vibe to this music, especially Star Time 2 which reminds me a lot of Animal Crossing, and Hello Meow makes me think of Sonic the Hedgehog. I like the frantic activity in the rhythm section, while the melodies are easy to latch on to. There's an element of club music to these tracks, especially in 4001, that I think is super fun. I could totally see 4001 playing at a rave with those giant synth sounds. Each of these are interesting and fun tracks. It gets pretty crazy but always stays focused. Now this had some *fierce* competition this round, and admittedly it's not blowing me away, but it's still really cool stuff!
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Podaar: Vince Gill
[8.4]1. Take Your Memory With You
2. Liza Jane
3. One More Last Chance
4. These Days
5. If I Die
6. Guitar Singer
Last round: Frank Zappa - 8.3
Big country energy. Big 'my town' energy. I like it, I could play this at the jukebox at the local bars and finally wouldn't offend anyone. I dig the energy and speed of Liza Jane and Guitar Slinger. I'm shooting in the dark here but it seems like there's a big 90s vibe to most of these songs. I can hear it in the production, there's something peculiar about 90s music that sounds like this, It's uniquely identifiable, so I hope I'm right that they're from the 90s. Hell, I bet I've heard one of these songs in a movie somewhere. Anyway, these are good songs. I was sure from the first listen that I'd appreciate this, but it wasn't until I got a few listens in that I started to sink my teeth into them and really enjoy them. This is a side of country music I like. The slow songs with fiddles are almost a country stereotype, but it's the faster ones in this batch that I like the most, because I don't hear enough of that - that bar drinking party type of music. So it's not blowing my mind, but it's a refreshing, nice sound that I don't have much of in my library, and that's awesome.
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Sacul: Justice
[8.5]1. Genesis
2. D.A.N.C.E
3. Newjack
4. Phantom Pt. II
5. DVNO
Okay this is more like it. Really fun beats in this, not sure what kind of genre you'd call this but I like it. D.A.N.C.E is the only one I'm not totally sure about. It's super fun, but the vocals and lyrics are on the bad side of corny. But DVNO is a total jam, and Genesis has a great vibe. Newjack and Phantom aren't bad at all, but they don't command my attention like DVNO. I'm guessing I would really like this album since I've already heard 5 songs from it, and the rest are like this, it's probably a good time.
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kingshmegland: Joe Jackson
[8.6]1. I'm The Man
2. Is She Really Going Out With Him?
3. Steppin' Out
4. Be My Number Two
This is really fun stuff, Joe. I'm The Man is a great fun, confident rocker, and Steppin' Out has a massive 80s Toto vibe, the singing reeks of young Steve Lukather so this song is a home run for me. Be My Number Two is a great ballad, too, and the moment the sax comes in is powerful. Lots of power in that playing. Is She Really Going Out With Him? sounds the poppiest of the bunch to me, but it's the kind of pop I like. Kind of lighthearted and fun. I'm The Man and Steppin' Out are the stars of the pack, I love those songs and instantly put those on my playlist of favorite songs. Good tunes!
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Elite: Ulver
[8.6]1. All the Love
2. England
3. It Is Not Sound
4. Southern Gothic
5. Nowhere/Catastrophe
I knew someone was eventually gonna send Ulver, so this was a nice treat. All the Love is in the style of Ulver I know (what little I'm familiar with, based on past roulettes) - airy, distant, minimalist, but with some feels - I like that. It's interesting to see the electronic elements creep in with each track; England didn't surprise me much, but the last minute or so of This Is Not Sound threw me for a loop. That was some big Gentle Giant energy and I like it a lot. Southern Gothic stands out to me. I really like Ulver's singer and I think he does best on that song, and All the Love. This is some really cool music, man - but they have so many albums. Where to even start, when all of these come from different records? All the Love and EOS (another favorite) come from Shadows of the Sun, so perhaps I should start there. They seem like a very 'sleepy' band but this tells me there might be more to them.
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Puppies_On_Acid: Janelle Monáe
[8.6]1. Many Moons
2. Faster
3. Cold War
4. BaBopByeYa
This is really fun stuff. Many Moons is just a solid catchy number that really shows off her voice. It has a bit of Lady Gaga flair later in the song (just Googled: apparently this came out shortly before Lady Gaga was a thing, interesting) which I love. I really like this song. Faster is another fun one. Cold War slaps, and her voice shines in that one. Those three songs kick ass. BaBopByeYa though... numerous plays and I just can't remember anything about it even when I'm paying attention to it. Feels like it just goes on and on and on. Janelle seems quirky and really creative for a pop artist. I'm looking forward to checking out a record or two.
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Evermind: Enigma
[8.7]1. The Gate
2. Seven Lives
3. Gravity of Love
4. Endless Quest
5. Goodbye Milky Way
The beats on these songs are so good. Really nice and those airy, spacey synth pads are a match made in heaven. Seven Lives is totally Backstreet Boys-y, in a good way. Each song has a very pretty vibe to it. Goodbye Milky Way reminds me of IQ a lot. The only one that hasn't really stuck with me is Endless Quest; it sets a good mood, but it doesn't stay with me like the other tracks. Gravity of Love and Goodbye Milky Way are probably my favorites here because of the beautiful atmosphere they create. Really curious about this artist - very cool surprise, thank you!
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ariich: Submotion Orchestra
[8.8]1. Finest Hour
2. It's Not Me It's You
3. Hard to Stay
It's been a long time since I heard Kites, but I don't remember anything on that record hitting the way these songs do. There's more activity and emotion in this. And it's good - really good. Finest Hour is a perfect song, imo. Lovely groove, lovely voice. It's Not Me It's You is interesting. A friend of mine long ago introduced me to jungle music, a type of electronic music - this isn't quite that but the frantic beat reminds me of it. Didn't expect to hear that at all, and it's catchy. Hard to Stay has the same catchiness and groove, just slower. All of this impresses me a lot more than Kites did. Now I'm eager to revisit them soon. Good vibes.
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Stadler: Elvis Presley
[8.8]1. Suspicious Minds
2. She Thinks I Still Care
3. Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues
4. An American Trilogy (Live at the Honolulu International Center)
I admire the boldness of sending the King of Rock n' Roll in an ideally non-rock roulette. Good thing you sent blues. This man can sing. What a voice! Dude was hard on the eyes but easy on the ears. The rest of the band plays very well, too - the sound of the guitar is delightful - but man he steals the show. Of the studio tracks, Suspicious Minds is my favorite, but I like them all. The live track is remarkable, and I really like the lyrics. I did a bunch of reading on Elvis's life while listening to these and learned a lot. Thanks for sending me this.
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wolfking: Icehouse
[8.9]1. No Promises
2. Touch the Fire
3. Don't Believe Anymore
4. Can't Help Myself
It sounds like you doubled down on Hall & Oates's poppiness with this song, but that's not a bad thing at all. Touch the Fire is the highlight with a super strong hook - dare I say even stronger than the Hall & Oates songs. That is a perfect pop number. No Promises is really good too. Don't Believe Anymore and Can't Help myself are also good songs, but they don't grab me by the neck and make me hum the hook the way Touch the Fire does. The sudden fadeout in Can't Help myself always catches me by surprise, it feels like it should go on a bit longer before doing that. This is tasty pop music from a group I've never heard of before, thanks for showing me this.
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Big Hath: Jason Isbell
[9.1]1. Alabama Pines
2. Elephant
3. Cover Me Up
4. Last of My Kind
This guy's lyrics are fantastic, man. Great poetry in each song, the best lyrics of the round for sure. I love the vibe of Alabama Pines and pieces of the music remind me of Kings of Leon's current sound which is a huge positive to me. Elephant is a powerful and beautiful song. Cover Me Up hits me in the feels even harder, though. Last of My Kind is a lovely pensive little number. I really dig the measured emotion and how down to Earth all these songs are. Kind of surprised I've never heard of this guy before.
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Buddyhunter1: Revo (Bravely Default)
[9.2]1. That Person's Name Is
2. Wicked Battle
3. Wicked Flight
4. Serpent Eating The Ground
This is some of the best video game battle music I have ever heard. It really blows my mind how good this is. It's better than some of the Octopath Traveler boss battle music but is really similar in some ways, and the affinity for the lead violin reminds me of Motoi Sakuraba a lot - a huge plus. There's nothing bad about any of this, only epic, completely over the top symphonic rock. Reminds me of why I initially fell in love with power metal, honestly - this reminds me of Golden Sun's battle and boss battle themes, which directly led into me discovering some of my first power metal. I want to dock you points for being so brazenly metal, but... there's a lot more to this than that, the guitars and drums really aren't a focus at all for me here, the strings are doing all of the heavy lifting and are really fun to listen to. This was bravely delightful and never once got old or tiresome in the many times I replayed this. It would be nice if Bravely Default came to the Switch along with Bravely Default 2 when that comes out...
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Bolsters: CHVRCHES
[9.3]1. The Mother We Share
2. Gun
3. Graffiti
4. Wonderland
5. Never Say Die
This is such a blast. The singer here really stands out compared to other synthwave artists. I don't know what it is, but I just love the way she sounds and how perfectly she works with those beats and synths, and she has power behind it, like in Graffiti. This music is one of my very favorite kinds to smoke to (before I gave it up). This is one of the strongest submissions of the round. A lot of synthwave I've heard sounds similar, but the ones that stand out have the best singers and the best hooks, and I think this is definitely up with the best. I'm in love with her voice. I think the first three are the strongest, but all of them rock.
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Train of Naught: The Weeknd
[9.4]1. In Your Eyes
2. Blinding Lights
3. Hardest To Love
4. Heartless
5. After Hours
This was love at first listen. This is so fun. Each song has a unique vibe, and the melodies and beats complement each other
so damn well. Hardest to Love in particular stands out, but they're all home runs. I love his singing and how well the beats and vocals and synths complement each other... It's a recipe for chill but engaging music - which I can't, but this kind of music seriously makes me want to learn how. I mean, After Hours does take a couple minutes to really get going, but that's a nitpick - when it gets going, it gets SO good. It finds a groovy pocket and just stays right in there, and they're always fire. Outstanding!
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Shadow Ninja 2.0: CHVRCHES
[9.4]1. The Mother We Share
2. Lies
3. Clearest Blue
4. Leave a Trace
Hoo boy this is good. So, yeah, I wrote Bolsters' writeup first, but the same thing applies to this batch of CHVRCHES songs, too. You both sent the same song (The Mother We Share) but you have 2 unique picks that have become my favorites of all 9: Clearest Blue and Leave a Trace, which are f^&*ing HOT. Those songs are AMAZING. I loved all 9 songs from this artist, but those two are the highest of highs. Her voice is soooo good, and the music is high energy, danceable, catchy, and dynamic. Please inject this directly into my veins.
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1. Bolsters: 9.2 / 9.3 [18.5]
2. Big Hath: 8.8 / 9.1 [17.9]
3. Pup: 9.2 / 8.6 [17.8]
4. Buddy: 8.5 / 9.2 [17.7]
4. ariich: 8.9 / 8.8 [17.7]
6. wolfking: 8.7 / 8.9 [17.6]
6. Shadow: 8.2 / 9.4 [17.6]
6. Elite: 9.0 / 8.6 [17.6]
9. Train: 8.1 / 9.4 [17.5]
10. Indi: 9.1 / 8.2 [17.3]
10. Evermind: 8.6 / 8.7 [17.3]
12. Stadler: 8.2 / 8.8 [17.0]
13. romdrums: 8.4 / 8.4 [16.8]
14. Podaar: 8.3 / 8.4 [16.7]
15. king: 7.9 / 8.6 [16.5]
16. Sacul: 7.8 / 8.5 [16.3]
17. HOF: 7.9 / 8.2 [16.1]
18. jingle: 8.0 / 8.0 [16.0]
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Banned from future rounds:
Return to Forever
Caravan Palace
Mos Def
múm
The Midnight
Kip Winger/Winger
Hiroyuki Sawano
Sublime
Amethystium
Steve Earle
Sarah McLachlan
Hall & Oates
Frank Zappa
Federation of the Disco Pimp
Nicolas Jaar
Tower of Power
Jean-Luc Ponty
CHVRCHES
Jason Isbell
Janelle Monáe
Revo
Submotion Orchestra
Icehouse
Ulver
The Weeknd
Stevie Wonder
Enigma
Elvis Presley
Squarepusher
Vince Gill
Joe Jackson
Justice
Sweet Billy Pilgrim
Damian Wilson
and literally anybody else from Threshold please I beg you