Funny I’ve got it as Mac>RFO>>Bradley>>Drizzle
I mean Rizzle is fine. We are down to the final four. But kind of surprised how much love it has gotten.
I feel the same way about Rizzle.
Gotta go with Bradley over Mac here, though.
Strictly Reserved for You and You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive are two of my favorite songs submitted to walruses so relatively happy with these results. Down with the Trumpets is a fun song but I agree it’s overperformance is becoming more and more shocking.
@pyatnitski I’m curious how Heartbeats would have done in this tournament, seeing as how it lost to the likely eventual winner. Maybe the best two walrus songs ever were submitted to the same category??
Well, as said at the time I probably think it’s a slightly better song than Charles Bradley, so, to me, it would have been the pick of the final four. That said I suspect it wouldn’t have made it this far in the competition. But I’m certainly not going to claim too much expertise on how you rabble might have voted.
I’ll leave both Semis till Monday morning. One’s very close, the other not so much.
2 Likes
Well, here it is, the final. Thanks to everyone who voted in this scientifically accurate process, I can’t wait to reveal the result to the world.
I’ll crown the winner Wednesday morning.
Final
Charles Bradley - Strictly Reserved For You
Vs
Rizzle Kicks - Down with the Trumpets
@Pauwl gave me and Strictly Reserved for You a win in a round about positive love songs. It beat Aphex Twin, Bob Dylan, Phoenix Rise and finally Fleetwood Mac to get here…
I know this is recent but it has that 70’s sound. Really cool. This is that kinda soul music I need to listen to more. This is a proper love song. Maybe this should win it all. Fuck it, this is a banger!.
@SwankyWilder and Down With the Trumpets showed @eyebooger why where he lives has the best music. It was recently judged better than Soul Fugue, Explosions in the Sky and Jack Rose.
Inebriated: Pretty sure I saw Rizzle Kicks on Never Mind the Buzzcocks. Don’t think I know anything else about them. Not normally a hip-hop person, but this is pretty solid. It’s like hip-hop melded with dance friendly pop. This could work. Last song I’m listening to tonight, so that could be the reason I’m bobbing my head. Or maybe the song is legit good. I’ll find out later this weekend.
Ebriated: Loving this. Best use of trumpets in hip-hop since US3’s “Cantaloop”. Catchy chorus, cool beat, fun lyrics. Stiff competition, but this could actually win this thing.
Final
- Charles Bradley - Strictly Reserved For You
- Rizzle Kicks - Down with the Trumpets
0
voters
1 Like
Me and Pyat - mano a mano. We all know how this ends 
3 Likes
Let’s hope so!
1 Like
While we wait for the voting let’s have a little light jazz with a suitable accompanying video.
3 Likes
It looks like he’s never played the thing before.
2 Likes
I suspect he’s not a musician but a male model paid to pose suggestively with the instrument for the delectation of his fans, while the actual sound is produced by a cheap 1980s synth.
3 Likes
Well well well look what we have here in the finals
4 Likes
Just for fun (don’t forget to vote in the actual final above):
A battle between the two songs unlucky enough to go up against our grand finalists in their respective categories.
Alternate Universe Final
The Knife - Heartbeats
Vs
El Cuarteto de Nos - Ya no sé qué hacer conmigo
@mjiggy got runner-up in @Pauwl’s positive love song category, losing to grand finalist Charles Bradley.
Awesome Boston! Electronic. I dig it. Weird vocals. I like that kinda thing. Hang Ten! I remember this group from the below video/song from the same album. I love stuff like this. I always have electronic stuff as entry contenders in walruses, but then I’ve always picked something else to appeal to the host. Well, you found the right host. Well done!
@miliboo got runner-up in @eyebooger’s local music round, losing to grand finalist Rizzle Kicks.
Inebriated: EL CUARTETO DE NOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSS. Holy shit, yes. Must be miliboo. I thought they were Argentine. Maybe I’m wrong, or he’s stretching the definition a bit. If this is even half as good as Punta Cana, this is winning. Okay, didn’t reach that benchmark. Still liking it well enough. This could grow on me. Anticipating good things on a re-listen. Now I’m gonna go listen to Punta Cana. OMG Punta Cana hits all of my buttons.
Ebriated: The reason I was so excited to hear this is because I heard Punta Cana on an Aerolineas Argentinas flight I took in February. It was on a “local stuff” station or something like that, so I figured they were from Argentina. Turns out the really are Uruguayan. Initial comparisons to Punta Cana were unfair. I shouldn’t be disappointed; nothing can top that. This is still great, just in a different way.
Alternate Universe Final
- The Knife - Heartbeats
- El Cuarteto de Nos - Ya no sé qué hacer conmigo
0
voters
4 Likes
Gonna translate the El Cuarteto song:
I’ve been forced to go to mass,
I’ve played “Fur Elise” on the piano
I’ve learned to fake my smile,
I’ve walked on the edge.
I’ve moved my bed,
And did comedy and did drama
I was solid and I went out on a limb,
I’ve been a saint and I’ve had a bad reputation
I was ethical and I was erratic,
I was skeptical and I was a fanatic
I was apathetic, I was methodical, I was shameless and I was chaotic
I’ve read Arthur Conan Doyle,
I’ve moved from petrol to gasoline
I’ve read Breton and Moliere,
I’ve slept on a mattress and box spring
I’ve changed my hair color,
I’ve been against, I’ve been in favor
What gave me pleasure now gives me pain,
I’ve been to the other side of the counter
And I hear a voice that that correctly says:
“You’re always changing, don’t change any more”
I am always becoming more the same
I no longer know what to do with myself
I’ve drowned in a glass of water,
I’ve planted coffee in Nicaragua
I’ve tried my luck in the USA,
I’ve played russian roulette
I’ve believed in martians,
I’ve been an ovo-lacto vegitarian. Healthy!
I’ve stayed still, I’ve been a gypsy,
I’ve been cool and I’ve been up in arms
I did a course in mythology, but the gods laughed at me
I saved gold scraping by
and here I’m applying rhythmology
I’ve tried, I’ve smoked, I’ve drank, I’ve left, I’ve signed, I’ve traveled, I’ve paid
I’ve suffered, I’ve eluded, I’ve hurried, I’ve assumed, I’ve left, I’ve returned, I’ve faked, I’ve lied
And among all the falsehoods many of my lies have become the truth
I’ve made difficulties easy, and have complicated simplicities
And I hear a voice that that correctly says:
“You’re always changing, don’t change any more”
I am always becoming more the same
I no longer know what to do with myself
I’ve given myself a nip and tuck,
I’ve gotten a piercing,
I’ve been to see the dream team,
and I didn’t feel a thing
I’ve tatooed Che on a butt cheek,
above Mummy so it won’t leave
I’ve laughed and given a damn
about things and people that now scare me
I’ve fasted for dumb causes,
and I’ve gorged on chicken on a spit
I’ve been to the psychologist, I’ve been to a theologist, I’ve been to the astrologyst, I’ve been to the winemaker
I’ve been an alcoholic, I’ve groveled, I’ve been anonymous, and I’ve been on a diet
I’ve thrown rocks and spit at the place where I now work
My file says I stand out,
because of being good and causing trouble
And I hear a voice that correctly says:
“You’re always changing, don’t change any more”
I am always becoming more the same
I no longer know what to do with myself
5 Likes
Gotta say I think this bracket worked out pretty well. Both finalists are songs I enjoy and don’t expect I would have found on my own. Obviously I have my own favourites which were eliminated early on, but no qualms seeing these two fight it out at the end.
It also seems entirely appropriate that Goatnitski and Swanky were the submitters. Well predicted by Mjiggodamus. I am a little tempted to switch my vote lest Swanky win the thing, thereby breaking the universe, but given the state of things perhaps bringing on the inevitable end of all things is due.
6 Likes
So this Charles Bradley thing is basically an early 70s soul song that came out in 2013?
If any of you are just discovering you like this kind of music - a whole world out there awaits: Commodores, Spinners, Temptations, Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, Barry White, Al Green, Curtis Mayfield, Stevie Wonder, Earth Wind and Fire, O’Jays, Lou Rawls, Isley Brothers, Bill Withers, George Benson, Sam & Dave, Dionne Warwick, Kool & the Gang, many more.
It’s my favorite genre. The problem is it’s not super deep. There was a station in SF that played nothing but late 60s/early 70s soul/R&B. After a few months you’d heard every song many times. Although maybe you just need to dig deeper.
1 Like
I wonder how many people would have had either of these final songs in their top two had they ranked all the songs–I’m guessing none. But they’re definitely two of the broadest-appealing songs so they won out while all the polarizing songs got knocked off.
4 Likes
No Otis?
I said many more.
Yup, so you did.
Just seems a little strange way to lump probably the best singer of modern times in with the also rans but each to his own.
I was just going to vote for my song without listening to other one but that wouldn’t be very sporting…still like Heartbeats better but both are great. (Heartbeats is legit my favorite song that I’ve heard in the last ten years though so was always going to be difficult)
1 Like