(Another Island teeming with strange beings...)
The Five Remaining Would-be FAN Idols awaited the results for
Round 27: The Island of Misfit Genres with bated breath. To past the time, the contestants decided to play an impromptu set that spanned the four musical genres that they were ask to represent with their picks. Anonymous GM fiddled around with a Moog synthesizer, sampling the quack-quack-quacking of her ducks Tegan and Sara, creating a bizarre soundscape that made one imagine the intricate music of the mathematically advanced planet Krypton, if Krypton was ruled by a race of advanced aquatic fowl. Roxie Daggers and Knalsic loves to Boogie collaborated on a few punk-tinged tracks, the former screaming her primal scream, reflecting her traumatic break from her pop music past as Roxie Sparkles, minstrel of the mini-mall, lips snarling as she spoke of a post-apocalyptic Orange Julius where dollars were liquidated to quench the thirst of the masses while Knalsic banged away on a readymade drum set composed of a broken foot locker, a xylophone with slightly bent keys, and the WWF Hardcore title with Al Snow's name mounted on its uneven face. Stinger4Christ held court, a sermon on his lips and a sweet note in his throat, speaking about Sting's advent, his rise to the top, how the Man Called Sting would vanquish his foes with righteous fury, inspiring people to paint their faces black and white and hum and shout, creating a sweet melody that filled the air, matching Stinger4Christ's stirring words against the NWO Sting and praising Sting's ability to turn the other cheek, even as Lex Luger stabbed him in the back. fw91 sat back and chilled as the others were frantically composing their music for the up-coming round, checking his saxophone reed, making sure that the saxphone's valves were oiled and working well. Playing his first song, "Glacier: Masked Ice", fw91 extemporized his chords instead of his melodies, in high jazz tradition, blending in the "Manteca" melody at times to really throw people off.
The Fabulous Five swung real hard, cats, until the Judges returned with their verdict, handing the Host the results on a notepad with an insignia on the bottom left hand corner that charted the family trees of various musical genres:
(A Rock one; they misspelled Patti Smith
)
KingOrangeTyger: Contestants, Round 27 tested your musical acumen by asking you to choose songs that represented a myriad of musical genres that are a bit left of center: Electronic Music, Jazz, Punk, and Gospel. An unpredictable Round, we were most pleased with your efforts. Round 28 will continue this musical gauntlet and one of you will receive a measure of assistance for that all important portion of our competition. However, we must concentrate on your efforts for the current Round.
Anonymous GM, please step forward. For this Round, you selected, as you often do, music that challenged the definitions of these musical genres. Selecting the "club-stomping" Over and Over by Hot Chip, the violent and irreverent A More Perfect Union by neo punk band Titus Andronicus, Billie Holiday's sacred and profane God Bless the Child, and Brian Eno and David Byrne's paean to man's survival in the face of encroaching technology, Strange Overtones, Anonymous GM bent the genres for this Round to fit her one of a kind style. But did it impress the Judges?
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Earning 58 points and landing her into 4th place, Anonymous GM certainly didn't play it safe but time will tell if she can use her ingenuity to fight her way back to the top.
fw91, you're up my friend. Round 27 presented the contestants with categories that may have led them to work out of their comfort zones. Were you among the contestants hard-pressed to deal with this Round's restrictions or did you find yourself sighing with relief as you chose your four songs? To fulfill the categories, you chose Rancid's eponymous tribute to punk/hardcore guitarist Brad Logan, the funk soul of that techno brother Fatboy Slim with his Rockafeller Skank, Nina Simone's commanding rendition of Feeling Good, and the soulful cheer of Joyful Joyful by the cast of Sister Act II. How did you fair with this eclectic assortment?
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Unfortunately fw91, you scored 53 points and found yourself in fifth place. However, I applaud your picks, the quality of which show just how competitive this Round was. Time to bring the thunder for next Round!
Stinger4Christ, we now come to you. Round 27 was specifically designed to see what our contestants could do when presented with categories that restricted them a fair bit while allowing them the ability to dig deep and play with some of the most intriguing musical genres available. You've found yourself near the top many times during this Season but how did you fare with these four categories? You selected the Guinness-fueled bombast of the Dropkick Murphys' Which Side Are You On?, the big band oomph of the legendary Maynard Ferguson's People, Hank William's turn at Gospel music with his plea for salvation from alcohol I Saw the Light, and The Postal Services haunting electronic plea to the city of Washington DC, The District Sleeps Alone Tonight. Presenting a veritable musical playground, how did the judges take to your selections?
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The judges placed you solidly in third place, giving you a total of 59 points!! Good job handling this demanding Round, picking several songs that surprised the judges, and showing just how versatile these genres can be.
Knalsic Loves to Boogie. Roxie Daggers. Please step forward. You were the top scorers for
Round 27: The Island of Misfit Genres. Presented with Electronic Music, Jazz, Punk, and Gospel, all improbable genres, you managed to find great success. One of you will receive the option of selecting an additional song for Round 28, which will challenge you with 4 equally difficult genres. Both of you showed your musical know-how and helped make this quite a special Round (along with your gifted competitors). Knalsic Loves to Boogie selected the Violent Femmes' adolescent anthem Blister in the Sun, electronic mavens Daft Punk's electronic-gangsta rap (so they say) hybrid Da Funk, the incomparable Jazz supergroup The Quintet's smooth Salt Peanuts, and Kirk Franklin's declaration of his resilient faith in a higher power with I Smile. Not to be outdone, Roxie Daggers brought to the Round the hellish urban rhythms of legendary punk godfathers the Stooges' Down on the Street, Benny Goodman's rendition of Sing, Sing, Sing (which he noted that "no one-nighter was complete without it"), Nine Inch Nails' industrial salvo against those who would control us Head Like A Hole, and the holy funk stylings of the Edwin Hawkins Singers version of the mid-18th century hymn turned gospel standard Oh Happy Day. Two amazing foursomes to be sure.
The winner of Round 27, earning 69 points and earning the ability to choose an extra song for Round 28, is...
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Roxie Daggers!!! Congratulations on winning this tough, tough Round! I marked out over these songs.
Nothing to feel bad about, Knalisc Loves to Boogie, as you earned 60 points for your efforts.
Good job, both of you and fantastic Round from each and everyone of you!
I thought this Round was amazing guys and I can't wait to see what you come up with for the Next Round!
Judge's Rankings:
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1. Roxie Daggers- 69
Punk: Down on the Street- The Stooges
J-5, O-4, P-4, SB-3, WP- 4= 20
Jazz: Sing, Sing, Sing- Benny Goodman
J-2, O-3, P-5, SB- 4, WP-1= 15
Electronic- Head Like a Hole- Nine Inch Nails
J-2, O-5, P-2, SB- 3, WP- 4= 15
Gospel: Oh Happy Day- The Edwin Hawkins Singers
J-5, O-2, P-5, SB- 2, WP- 5= 19
2. Knailsic loves to Boogie= 60
Punk: Blister in the Sun- Violent Femmes
J-3, O-2, P-5, SB-2, WP- 5= 17
Jazz: Salt Peanuts- The Quintet
J-4, O-4, P-2, SB- 2, WP-2= 14
Electro: Da Funk- Daft Punk
J-5, O-2, P-3, SB- 1, WP- 3= 14
Gospel: I Smile- Kirk Franklin
J-1, O-5, P-2, SB- 4, WP- 3= 15
3. Stinger4Christ- 59
Punk: Which Side Are You On?- Dropkick Murphys
J-1, O-3, P-1, SB-4, WP- 3= 12
Jazz: People- Maynard Ferguson
J- 1, O-1, P-4, SB- 1, WP- 3= 10
Electronic: The District Sleeps Alone Tonight- The Postal Service
J-4, O-1, P-5, SB- 5, WP- 5= 20
Gospel: I Saw the Light- Hank Williams
J-3, O-3, P-4, SB- 5, WP- 2= 17
4. The Anonymous GM= 58
Gospel- Strange Overtones- Brian Eno & David Byrne
J-4, O-4, P-3, SB-`1, WP- 1= 13
Jazz- God Bless the Child- Billie Holiday
J-3, O-5, P-3, SB-3, WP- 5= 19
Punk- A More Perfect Union- Titus Andronicus
J-4, O-5, P-2, SB-1, WP- 1= 13
Electronic- Hot Chip - Over and Over (Live on Later... with Jools Holland)
J-3, O-3, P-4, SB-2, WP- 1= 13
5. Fw91= 53
Punk- Brad Logan- Rancid
J-2, O-1, P-3, SB- 5, WP- 2= 13
Electronic- Rockafeller Skank- Fatboy Slim
J-1, O-4, P-1, SB-4, WP- 2= 12
Jazz- Feeling Good- Nina Simone
J-5, O-2, P-1, SB- 5, WP-4= 17
Gospel- Joyful Joyful- Cast of Sister Act II
J-2, O-1, P-1, SB-3, WP- 4= 11