FAN Idol IX: Thread 2: Round 46: Finale Winner Revealed!!!

[suave]

Sorry for the wait. My picks will be in in a few.

[Deleted]

Still getting picks in. I think it's a credit to this Season's contestants but we're finally getting a few repeat artists and it's getting dealt with.

Now, we're at 5 out of 6 quartets of songs.

Amazing picks so far for Round 37 .

I think we can reveal Round 38's theme now. Round 37: The Return to the Island of Misfit Genres will play out, we'll have our Elimination Sing-Off, and, with the Save being invoked, we will be down to just five contestants.

Round 38 is going to be a bit esoteric, a bit up to interpretation. In my view, it plays off Rounds 36 and 37 and will demand a bit of creativity from our talented contestants. What does it mean to be a FAN Idol? Close your eyes and think about it for a moment. What would it be like?

Round 38 is (Spoilered for Size)...

SPOILER: Click to show

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(From the comic book Death: The High Cost of Living by Neil Gaiman and Chris Bachalo; when Death is human for a day)

A Day in the Life Of

Pick 4 Songs, one per scene, that would be appropriate for 4 of the following 8 scenes that reflect what a FAN Idol can be expected to do each and every day:

1. Oh no, you've overslept! Hanging out with wadefan22 and J last night was crazy! Who knew they were so popular in Hong Kong? Must be the costumes. Anyway, that was a heck of a plane ride and you're tired as hell. You can't sleep in, however. Got to get up and meet your band mates in the FAN studio and work on your next album. What song do you play to wake-up, get your blood running, and start the day with?

2. You and your band mates have been toiling in the recording studio all day. You've laid down a few vocals, a couple of chords but it just isn't coming out for you today. You need some inspiration, you need to listen to some music to get your creative juices going. What song do you listen to for inspiration so you can get your creative juices going?

3. Ok, now you're pumped! It's like every track you put down, every note you play, is magic. In fact, this might be the album that gives you your first real breakthrough hit! You've stumbled onto something special here. So, what song will represent your new signature, breakthrough sound?

4. Now that was a studio session! Next up, you and your band are about to leave for a gig that may make or break you. The thing is, that gig is in a town three hours away. Oh and look! There's a lot of traffic. Still, a road trip is a road trip and you know just the thing to play on your way to the gig. What song do you play to start out your road trip on the good foot?

5. You're in an up and coming local band and you have a small but hardcore fan base. You've finished your set at a seedy dive bar, your fans are drunk and shouting your band's name, and you go out to give them a second encore to really send them home happy.What do you play to send your loyal fans home happy?

6. Oh man, that was some concert! You had the crowd eating out of the palm of your hand and everything was aces. Your guitars sounded great, the bass shook the stage, you got a ton of numbers from some attractive fans. You're feeling great and you and your band mates decide to go to a club and dance your asses off. So, what's the first song that plays on the dance floor that really gets you to throw down and dance?

7. Hell yeah, that was fun! You leave the club and you end up in some karaoke bar. You've eaten some bad sushi, drank a little bit too much, and everyone is loud and obnoxious. And look, they want you on the stage to sing karaoke! Nope, you can't say no, you are a potential FAN Idol after all! So, what karaoke song do you sing?

8. It's the wee hours of the morning. You've come home tired as hell but you had such a fun, productive day! It's time to get in bed (giggle). Still, you want to listen to that last song, that final night cap before you hit the hay. So, before you fall asleep, what is that last song you listen to to sum up the great day you had?

[pegasuswarrior]

Brilliant. I bow to the direction this game has taken the last four rounds or so in a row. Brilliant.

[Deleted]

Aug 20, 2014 22:37:34 GMT -5 pegasuswarrior said:

Brilliant. I bow to the direction this game has taken the last four rounds or so in a row. Brilliant.

There've been a lot of great competitors this Season and they've come together to create some brilliant rounds. However, when we're down to this number of contestants, who've sent in, what, close to fifty songs each and have survived this long without dropping out, we can get creative and take risks.

This level of play requires me to put in a lot of thought into coming up with Rounds to do justice to the players that are still here .

You guys are making me desperate to come up with things to challenge you with and help you pick amazing music, so I'm having a blast right now.

[Deleted]

Alright, songs are in for Round 37: Return to the Island of Misfit Genres.

Ok, at this point, I have to fulfill my obligations as Host, per the contract I signed with the Freakin' Awesome Network.

That would include an image to introduce the post. Like so:



That's from the Amoeba Music store, evidently the World's Largest independent Music Store. Dunno if that's true. We have Country represented with Cash, New Wave with Blondie, and a bunch of punk bands (even got the Misfits for Knailsic and, for metal, we have Sepultura for Gus).

Amoeba has a cool youtube channel where they talk to musicians, actors, artists, etc. and have them highlight stuff they'd like to buy.

Then, I think it'd be swell if I posted some images related to a couple of genres, like Shaq conducting the Boston Pops for Classical:


and how about some new wave and punk buttons to go with my Death From Above 1979 avatar:



I'd then put all you creative players in wacky situations based mostly on your usernames and what I discern to be your on-line behavior (however far off the mark that is). Probably eating something, since that comes up a lot.

I really don't feel like it because, well, I can't top the songs. Nah, I'm not going to try. Credit where credit is due, if you really wanted to become the FAN Idol for Season IX and join the ranks of Widow's Peak, Pegasus Warrior, Anonymous GM, Square, Z-A Sandbaggin' Son of a b!%h, you f***ing showed it with these songs. Bravo...

London Calling- the Clash (Punk)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vHvzybkqfo

Tijuana Gift Shop- Charles Mingus (Jazz)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvJqjbZQVrM

Through Being Cool- Devo (New Wave)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKrgXiH6jNk

Two Doors Down- Dolly Parton (Country)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=oodPqrjwNQc

Through the Fire and the Flames- Dragonforce (Metal)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=15JCb6P60Vw

Get Thee Behind Me Satan- Ella Fitzgerald (Jazz)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VipNWSdQaYw

Midlife Crisis- Faith No More (Metal)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoQIuDEHVng

The Champ- Ghostface Killah (Hip-Hop)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=51whq-v54YQ

Trashville- Hank Williams III (Country)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVtCVNIZ99k

Like Real People Do- Hozier (Country/Folk)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrleydRwWms

Down in the Tube Station At Midnight- The Jam (Punk)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SGxul6Xnh4

I’m In- The Kinleys (Country)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=c536DAV4xHo

Moonlight Sonata (Mvt. 1)- Ludwig Van Beethoven (Classical)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT7_IZPHHb0

Chase the Devil- Max Romeo (Reggae)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpIAc9by5iU

The Great Gate of Kiev- Modest Muggorsky (Classical)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Itdm46ZVLfA

Bobby James- N.E.R.D (R & B)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=R__IrkajBes

O.P.P.- Naughty by Nature (Hip Hop)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFTBG1sae0M

When In Rome- The Promise (New Wave)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwGeMYBGffs

Diablo Rojo- Rodrigo y Gabriela (Latin)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PT9hvyDvKHA

Hong Kong Garden- Siouxsie and the Banshees (New Wave)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0wTIwfRJtI

Dead Memories- Slipknot (Metal)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9IixYR_p-4

Pressure Drop- Toots & The Maytals (Reggae)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRSwjhYmAY4

Instiutionalized- Suicidal Tendencies (Punk)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoF_a0-7xVQ

Give Me One Reason- Tracy Chapman (Blues)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ut3HupUY75M

Sugarlight- X (Punk)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlnTjVDQ-s8

Eh, let's add an image to round it out. Like, Muddy Waters being cool:

[Gus Richlen: Ruffian]

Oh man. My picks look a lot worse now that I see what I'm up against.

[Deleted]

Aug 21, 2014 12:06:11 GMT -5 Gus Richlen: Ruffian said:

Oh man. My picks look a lot worse now that I see what I'm up against.

Don't sell yourself short. You picked great music for the round too.

[RadcapRadsley]

On the first song the title is reversed Bobby James is the song not the artist.

[pegasuswarrior]

Aug 21, 2014 12:06:11 GMT -5 Gus Richlen: Ruffian said:

Oh man. My picks look a lot worse now that I see what I'm up against.

Doubt it. I don't see a weak link in the bunch. That's a hot set of songs right there. Don't sell yourself short. I know what I picked, and let's just say much respect for what I'm up against. In my opinion, any of us should be feeling the same way with that list.

[MrBRulzOK]

I'm a little over half-way listening through the tracks right now and there are quite a few songs on here that have surprised me. And so far there's been no song that I outright hated listening to. Not to mention a few surprises that I enjoyed that I didn't expect to.

And one song that showed up which makes me wonder why it never showed up before now.

[RadcapRadsley]

Aug 21, 2014 18:55:43 GMT -5 MrBRulzOK said:

I'm a little over half-way listening through the tracks right now and there are quite a few songs on here that have surprised me. And so far there's been no song that I outright hated listening to. Not to mention a few surprises that I enjoyed that I didn't expect to.

And one song that showed up which makes me wonder why it never showed up before now.

Having just finished listening to all the songs earlier in the day I concur with your assesment. This is one of the stronger rounds. I only disliked 1 song and would rate 2 others as average. The other 22 songs I would rate as B+ or higher.

[suave]

Like any good musician, I'm promoting my ego fueled side project. Vote and comment, kiddies.

officialfan.proboards.com/thread/506742/fan-plays-ncaa-choose-school

[Deleted]

Four sets of judge's rankings are in for Round 37: Return to the Island of Misfit Genres.

[MrBRulzOK]

Gotta say that I think this may be one of the fastest turn-around times we've had for a round in awhile. Only two days has passed, and we're already at four ballots.

[Allison Reynolds]

Why couldn't you have done these themes when I played last year, King Tyger.

(Peeking in the games section I haven't seen in months and surprised this is still going strong for a year long, almost. I must have missed seeing/hearing some interesting songs or vids huh.)

[Deleted]

(Eh, who needs to play chords when you are in a punk band)

And here are the results for Round 37: The Return to the Island of Misfit Genres:


This Round challenged the Six remaining would-be Idols to select songs from ten musical genres that, more often than not, get overlooked during the course of a given FAN Idol Season. While a FAN Idol game may run a hip-hop or country category, or have opposing genres such as metal and classical musical (though, certainly, those two genres overlap) show up in a double round, I wanted to go, proverbially, "balls to the wall" and see what our contestants would choose given such musical flexibility (and attendant limitations).

At this point, with six contestants left, every elimination is a major one. The Sing-Off that is to come will be very emotional and one that will change the course of this game in, perhaps, a way that has not yet occurred. The categories from this point will become more and more complicated, with new concepts to test a contestant's creativity, as well as the return of some of the more iconic FAN Idol challenges.

All that is in the future, however. We have to finish Round 37 first. In order to keep this Round balanced, the top three scoring songs for each contestant will count for their Round total.

The winner of Round 37, with 435 silky smooth points, is a contestant that shows that, when you throwdown like he does, you can't really lose...

SPOILER: Click to show

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suave!!! Congratulations on winning Round 37!!! suave showed that no really dies with the Pharrell Williams side project N.E.R.D and their Bobby James (93 pts, 1st), dug down really deep and found something golden with the Irishman Hozier and his Like Real People Do (92 pts, 2nd), and planned his dramatic victory with the incendiary guitars featured in the epic Through the Fire and the Flames by speed metal alchemists Dragonforce (82 pts, 5th)!!! Fantastic!

suave also selected the multi-hatted synth-swing of the eccentric Devo and their New Wave hit Through Being Cool (63 pts, 12th)!!!

Not far behind, in second place with 410 incendiary points, is a contestant who's know to light up some strings at the Casa de Cultura...

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Pegasus Warrior!!! who kept his contract with the Devil intact with Mexican acoustic phenoms Rodrigo y Gabriela and their Diabolo Rojo (88 pts, 4th), made us smile with the cheesy New-Orderish The Promise by synth Wavers When in Rome (90 pts, T-3rd), and the twin magic of philly born The Kinleys and the cut straight to the truth lyrics of their I'm In (61 pts, 14th)!!!

Pegasus Warrior also selected the reggae stylings of ska and rocksteady blue printers Toots and the Maytals and their Pressure drop (51 pts, 18th) and the hip-hop staple O.P.P (and if you aren't down with other people's posses', I have two words for you...) by Naughty by Nature (45 pts, 20th)!!!

Taking bronze with a head banging 355 points, is a contestant who strapped on his 12 inch heels, sprayed his hair, and got that spiked best out of his closet...

SPOILER: Click to show

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Orangeutang!!! who burned some dark images into our collective memories with self-styled metal metal band Slipknot and their Dead Memories (58 pts, 16th), gave us plenty of reasons to do a 180 and consider him as a favorite with the bluesy Give Me One Reason by Tracy Chapman (73 pts, 9th), and made us contemplate the night with the timeless Moonlight Sonata (Mvt.1) by the classical music demi-God Ludwig Van Beethoven (59 pts, 15th)!!!

Orangeutang also should be committed for throwing at us thrash band Suicidal Tendencies raucous Institutionalized (54 pts, T-17th)!!!

SPOILER: Click to show

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Cher Horowitz.
Gus Richlen, Inuyasha Mark.
Knailsic Loves to Boogie.

Please Step forward.

You three are the lowest scorers for Round 37: Return to the Island of Misfit Genres. One of you will safely advance to Round 38: A Day in the Life Of... while the other two will face one another in the Elimination Sing-Off. With the Save being evoked earlier, only one contestant will advance from that Sing-off.

Round 37 challenged the Contestants to select from a wide variety of musical genres and to do so without a safety net. Some contestants had enough of an advantage from the preceding Round's scores to be fairly safe but the bottom four was anybody's guess. We've reached the point that anyone could be FAN Idol and losing any of you three is a big but necessarily blow for the Season.

Thankfully, we can save one contestant now and, in consolation, the Sing-Off may prove to be an amazing match-up.

With 335 pts, just five points ahead of the contestant in 5th place, is a contestant that may yet end up as FAN royalty...

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Gus Richlen, Inuyasha Mark!!! Congratulations on advancing forward! Gus scored well with the majesty of The Great Gate of Kiev by one of "The Five" of Romantic Russian Classical Music, Modest Mussorgsky (76 pts, 7th), gave a warning to all those dirty backstabbers in Nashville with professional outlaw Hank Williams III and Trashville (54 pts, T-17th), and sang us the brutal tale of life by the River in Punk Rock Godfathers The Clash and their London Calling (67 pts, 11th)!!!

Gus also selected impossible to categorize Metal innovators Faith No More and their Midlife Crisis (28 pts, 23rd)!!!

That means that the Sing-off will be between:

Cher Horowitz!!! who took 5th place and earned 330 points, swallowing light bulbs with punk mainstays X and their Sugar Light (77 points, 6th), raising some strange fruit in New Wave goth act Siouxsie and the Banshee's Hong Kong Garden (62 pts, 13th), and fought off the Devil with an angel's voice, selecting the incomparable Ella Fitzgerald's Get Thee Behind Me Satan (90 pts, T-3rd)!!!
Cher also selected Two Doors Down by Country darling and proprietor of Dollywood, Dolly Parton (41 pts, 21st)!!!

and

Knailsic Loves to Boogie!!! who brought home a total of 301 points and landing in 6th place with the evocative Tijuana Gift Shop by the Angry Man of Jazz, hard-hitting Charles Mingus (68 pts, 10th), scared us with the violent tale of young punks blaring and brawling on the London Tube with The Jam's Down in the Tube Station At Midnight (75 pts, 8th), and strutted around in his iron shirt to the tune of Max Romeo's Chase the Devil (46 pts, 19th)!!!
Knailsic also selected Wu-Tang Clan Member's Ghostface Killah and his boastful, swaggering The Champ (32 pts, 22nd)!!!

Good luck, you two!!! This will be among the most important Sing-Offs of the Season and a glimpse for whats to come as we get closer and closer to the Finale!!!

Judges' Rankings:

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1. Suave- 168+267= 435 pts
Through Being Cool- Devo (New Wave)
CK-10, FW-25, LM-23, MB-4, RR-1= 63 (12th)
Bobby James- N.E.R.D (R & B)
CK-15, FW-16, LM-22, MB-15, RR-25= 93 (1st)
Like Real People Do- Hozier (Country/Folk)
CK-21, FW-22, LM-19, MB-9, RR-21= 92 (2nd)
Through the Fire and the Flames- Dragonforce (Metal)
CK-13, FW-9, LM-20, MB- 25, RR-15= 82 (5th)

2. Pegasus Warrior- 171+239= 410 pts
Pressure Drop- Toots & The Maytals (Reggae)
CK-9, FW-19, LM-14, MB-1, RR-8= 51 (18th)
Diablo Rojo- Rodrigo y Gabriela (Latin)
CK-25, FW-15, LM-10, MB-24, RR-14= 88 (4th)
When In Rome- The Promise (New Wave)
CK-23, FW-7, LM-25, MB-17, RR-18= 90 (T-3rd)
O.P.P.- Naughty by Nature (Hip Hop)
CK-4, FW-17, LM-4, MB-10, RR-10= 45 (20th)
I’m In- The Kinleys (Country)
CK-19, FW-8, LM-15, MB-13, RR-6= 61 (14th)

3. Orangeutang- 165+190= 355 pts
Dead Memories- Slipknot (Metal)
CK-17, FW-12, LM-13, MB-12, RR-4= 58 (16th)
Institutionalized- Suicidal Tendencies (Punk)
CK-18, FW-1, LM-9, MB-2, RR-24= 54 (T-17th)
Give Me One Reason- Tracy Chapman (Blues)
CK-20, FW-20, LM-7, MB-23, RR-3= 73 (9th)
Moonlight Sonata (Mvt. 1)- Ludwig Van Beethoven (Classical)
CK-8, FW-3, LM-18, MB-21, RR-9= 59 (15th)

4. Gus Richlen, Inuyasha Mark- 138+197= 335 pts
The Great Gate of Kiev- Modest Muggorsky (Classical)
CK-12, FW-6, LM-21, MB- 20, RR-17=76 (7th)
Midlife Crisis- Faith No More (Metal)
CK-1, FW-11, LM-2, MB-3, RR-11= 28 (23rd)
Trashville- Hank Williams III (Country)
CK-16, FW-10, LM-5, MB- 16, RR-7= 54 (T-17th)
London Calling- the Clash (Punk)
CK-11, FW-21, LM-24, MB-6, RR-5= 67 (11th)

5. Cher Horowitz- 101 +229= 330 pts
Sugarlight- X (Punk)
CK-22, FW-24, LM-11, MB-18, RR-2= 77 (6th)
Hong Kong Garden- Siouxsie and the Banshees (New Wave)
CK-7, FW-14, LM-17, MB-11, RR-13= 62 (13th)
Two Doors Down- Dolly Parton (Country)
CK-5, FW-4, LM-12, MB- 8, RR-12= 41 (21st)
Get Thee Behind Me Satan- Ella Fitzgerald (Jazz)
CK-24, FW-18, LM-3, MB-22, RR-23= 90 (T-3rd)

6. Knailsic Loves to Boogie-112+189= 301 pts
Tijuana Gift Shop- Charles Mingus (Jazz)
CK-14, FW-5, LM-8, MB-19, RR-22=68 (10th)
Down in the Tube Station At Midnight- The Jam (Punk)
CK-6, FW-23, LM-16, MB-14, RR-16= 75 (8th)
Chase the Devil- Max Romeo (Reggae)
CK-3, FW-13, LM-6, MB-5, RR-19= 46 (19th)
Ghostface Killah- The Champ (Hip-Hop)
CK-2, FW-2, LM-1, MB-7, RR-20= 32 (22nd)

Rankings by Song:

SPOILER: Click to show

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1. Bobby James- N.E.R.D (R & B)
CK-15, FW-16, LM-22, MB-15, RR-25= 93

2. Like Real People Do- Hozier (Country/Folk)
CK-21, FW-22, LM-19, MB-9, RR-21= 92

T-3. Get Thee Behind Me Satan- Ella Fitzgerald (Jazz)
CK-24, FW-18, LM-3, MB-22, RR-23= 90

T-3. When In Rome- The Promise (New Wave)
CK-23, FW-7, LM-25, MB-17, RR-18= 90

4. Diablo Rojo- Rodrigo y Gabriela (Latin)
CK-25, FW-15, LM-10, MB-24, RR-14= 88

5. Through the Fire and the Flames- Dragonforce (Metal)
CK-13, FW-9, LM-20, MB- 25, RR-15= 82

6. Sugarlight- X (Punk)
CK-22, FW-24, LM-11, MB-18, RR-2= 77

7. The Great Gate of Kiev- Modest Muggorsky (Classical)
CK-12, FW-6, LM-21, MB- 20, RR-17=76

8. Down in the Tube Station At Midnight- The Jam (Punk)
CK-6, FW-23, LM-16, MB-14, RR-16= 75

9. Give Me One Reason- Tracy Chapman (Blues)
CK-20, FW-20, LM-7, MB-23, RR-3= 73

10. Tijuana Gift Shop- Charles Mingus (Jazz)
CK-14, FW-5, LM-8, MB-19, RR-22=68

11. London Calling- the Clash (Punk)
CK-11, FW-21, LM-24, MB-6, RR-5= 67

12. Through Being Cool- Devo (New Wave)
CK-10, FW-25, LM-23, MB-4, RR-1= 63

13. Hong Kong Garden- Siouxsie and the Banshees (New Wave)
CK-7, FW-14, LM-17, MB-11, RR-13= 62

14. I’m In- The Kinleys (Country)
CK-19, FW-8, LM-15, MB-13, RR-6= 61

15. Moonlight Sonata (Mvt. 1)- Ludwig Van Beethoven (Classical)
CK-8, FW-3, LM-18, MB-21, RR-9= 59

16. Dead Memories- Slipknot (Metal)
CK-17, FW-12, LM-13, MB-12, RR-4= 58

T-17. Trashville- Hank Williams III (Country)
CK-16, FW-10, LM-5, MB- 16, RR-7= 54

T-17. Institutionalized- Suicidal Tendencies (Punk)
CK-18, FW-1, LM-9, MB-2, RR-24= 54

18. Pressure Drop- Toots & The Maytals (Reggae)
CK-9, FW-19, LM-14, MB-1, RR-8= 51

19. Chase the Devil- Max Romeo (Reggae)
CK-3, FW-13, LM-6, MB-5, RR-19= 46

20. O.P.P.- Naughty by Nature (Hip Hop)
CK-4, FW-17, LM-4, MB-10, RR-10= 45

21. Two Doors Down- Dolly Parton (Country)
CK-5, FW-4, LM-12, MB- 8, RR-12= 41

22. Ghostface Killah- The Champ (Hip-Hop)
CK-2, FW-2, LM-1, MB-7, RR-20= 32

23. Midlife Crisis- Faith No More (Metal)
CK-1, FW-11, LM-2, MB-3, RR-11= 28

[Waffel113]

I WAS A JINX.

WHAT HAVE I DONE?!

[Deleted]

Aug 24, 2014 17:03:43 GMT -5 Waffel113 said:

I WAS A JINX.

WHAT HAVE I DONE?!

Too busy making breakfast, I suppose. Still, heck of a sing-off .

One Sing-off Contestant's song is in.

[King Boo]

Aug 24, 2014 17:03:43 GMT -5 Waffel113 said:

I WAS A JINX.

WHAT HAVE I DONE?!

Fairly certain I hate you.

[MrBRulzOK]

Quite the round, everyone.

Once again, my reasoning for my scores. I'll admit that I had some trouble ranking some of these. There are probably some typoes littered throughout, but I'll go back and fix those later.

Tier 1: The Highlights

Through the Fire and the Flames- Dragonforce (Metal) Hell yes. Now THIS is my kind of jam. Somebody out there is clearly trying to appeal to my tastes. And while I hate to be predictable and put this at my top spot, I just love this song. The frantic guitar, the great vocals, and the frenetic pace all just adds up to a great song in my opinion. Is it the best song I've ever heard? No, probably not. But this was the only song on the list that I popped for when I saw it. And I love me some good prog metal, as everyone has no doubt figured out by this point. Was there really any other spot I could put this at? An interesting trivia note: I did consider using a Dragonforce at some point during the game, but I never went through with it for whatever reason.

Diablo Rojo- Rodrigo y Gabriela (Latin) So only one person decided to choose Latin this round, but boy did they pick a great tune here. Honestly when I was looking at this song list I had no clue that a Latin song would place in a top three, but just goes to show you that any genre can produce quality music. Not that I think Latin music is bad, but it's never been a genre I've heard much from. But this is just a great musical exhibition. The awesome flamenco-style guitar, the rapid-fire bongo playing, and the crazy pace of it all. It just adds up to a muy bueno song. Definitely one of the highlights of the track list for me. And again, I love me a good instrumental.

Give Me One Reason- Tracy Chapman (Blues) Yet another song in the category of "Things I've heard before, but could never place until now." And another song that delivers in the vocal department. I also feel it builds really well from beginning to an end. While the lyrics aren't mindblowing, they work well enough for the song, I feel. Everything just works here, and it adds up to a great song. And it sounds more like a modern take of the blues genre, which is also neat. Those factors combined add up to a spot in the top three for me.

Tier 2: The Good Ones

Get Thee Behind Me Satan- Ella Fitzgerald (Jazz) The best song for me vocally of the entire round, I think. Good vocals are almost as impressive to me as good music. The story is pretty simple for this song as are the lyrics, but they work pretty well all things considered. A song doesn't always have to be needlessly complex or labyrinthine, after all. Sometimes all you need is some great singing, and some solid piano doesn't hurt either. That's what elevates this one as high as it is for me.

Moonlight Sonata (Mvt. 1)- Ludwig Van Beethoven (Classical) How does one rank a song like this? I mean I presume almost everybody has heard this before. That said, classic music is very pleasing to my ears. And this is no exception. I think I just like the haunting melody to this one. It sounds quite sad. You can almost feel that sadness yourself while listening to it. There's a reason this is such an iconic piece of music that's used as often as it is in various media.

The Great Gate of Kiev- Modest Muggorsky (Classical) Oh nice, Jerry Lawler's entrance music. I've always loved this song from what little I've heard of it, but this is the first time I think I've heard the full thing. Just an epic sounding tune. If I could make one complaint about it though it gets really quiet for some reason at one point. Almost to the point where it feels like the song just decided to end abruptly. But perhaps that's just my sound system at fault. Aside from that no complaints here. Interesting to note that both of the classic songs ranked in my top ten.

Tijuana Gift Shop- Charles Mingus (Jazz) I've said it before and I'll say it again: I love instrumentals. I think that alot of times in these games they get overlooked because of the lack of lyrics. But me personally, I think a strong instrumental will easily beat out an average or mediocre song with lyrics involved. And this is just some smooth, energetic jazz. All the instruments mesh really well, I think, and it has a great flow. Although I will admit the title is kind of weird, but then again most instrumental songs have strange titles. And considering this song was from the fifties it holds up really well. That's impressive in it's own right.

Sugarlight- X (Punk) This one is probably carried alot by the music more than anything else. I don't know, I just like the sound of it for whatever reason. The lyrics, I'll admit, are a bit weaker, but the way they are delivered is pretty solid. Again, Punk is a genre I didn't expect to really appeal to me, but this one is pretty nice. And again, that solo in the middle is just great stuff. It's a bit on the short side, admittedly, but what is there definitely works.

When In Rome- The Promise (New Wave) Definitely the stronger of the New Wave songs here. The singing here is quite good, and the music has a great sound to it, including all the New-wavey stuff. Another song I don't really have to much say about, I admit, but this is just one that makes me smile listening to it. Probably one of the biggest surprises of the round for me.

Trashville- Hank Williams III (Country) Hoo boy, this song sounds like somebody was bitter. I don't know much about country either, but I can tell this was probably one written out of spite. Something tells me this song was a little bit controversial at the time. Aside from that, I like the execution of it. It's mainly the music that carries this one, especially the guitar solo in the middle as well as the violin's, or fiddle perhaps in this context. If more country songs had this sort of bite to them maybe I'd have more interest in the genre then I do.

N.E.R.D- Bobby James (R & B) I've never listened to much R & B, I'll admit. And to be honest this song really didn't impress that much until the very end. Nothing about it was outright bad. I thought the story it was telling was fine and the lyrics were pretty good. I did like some of the beats through out it, but that ending pushed this one up in my rankings. It came out of nowhere, and I'll admit at first I thought the video was just two minutes longer than it should've been. Although I have no idea what that... child's voice was trying to say at the start.

Last round I'll admit I made a mistake by not taking lyrics into as much account in my score so I'm trying to remedy that this round. On another note, I'm glad "Assed out" isn't that prevalent as slang these days. That just sounds dumb.

Down in the Tube Station At Midnight- The Jam (Punk) Of all the songs this round, I think one tells the best story in it's song. And the music also helps. Basically about a man on his way home to have dinner with his wife being mugged a drunk, and presumably dying in a subway (or tube, I suppose) station alone. Definitely a depressing little tale. The thing that holds this back is probably the actual singing, which is not that impressive really. It's fine in the context of the song, and the voice is distinctive enough, but it just feels a little subdued. Otherwise this one would probably be higher.

Tier 3: The Decent Stuff.

I’m In- The Kinleys (Country) Originally I had this song ranked alot higher, but then I took a look at the lyrics. And I dunno, they just rubbed me the wrong way. Way too repetitive and even a little lazy at times. Which is a shame because the song itself has a pretty nice sound to it, and the singing is pretty good as well. But the best music and instrumentals in the world don't do much good when the lyrics are sub-par. So that unfortunately drags this one down for me.

Dead Memories- Slipknot (Metal) There were three metal songs this round: one topped my list, one hit near the bottom, and the third just sort of fell in the middle. I don't hate this song, but I also don't think it's that great. It's perfectly fine, I suppose, but there's nothing here that really impresses me. It's just a competent song. That said, there is some good stuff here, I suppose. I do like the music to a degree. The singing though, eh, just doesn't do much for me. Again, not terrible, but just solid and nothing more.

Hong Kong Garden- Siouxsie and the Banshees (New Wave) This is just a weird, weird song. Which I guess sums up alot of New Wave stuff since it has that really weird, almost alien sound to it. At least judging from the songs on this list. The use of a xylophone is also an interesting choice. It definitely gives the song an Oriental sound, which considering the title was likely intentional. The music is pretty solid though, that said. It has a pretty good rhythm to it. The singing is... okay, I suppose, and the lyrics are a little odd, but all in all it's an interesting song. That's for certain.

O.P.P.- Naughty by Nature (Hip Hop) I'm not an expert on hip-hop by any means, but this is pretty solid. The lyrics are pretty good here, which as I understand is what carries most rap style songs, and the beat definitely gets you jumping. It's a perfectly fine song, but I honestly don't have much else to say about it. It's just a solid hip-hop song that's pretty well-executed. Oh, and mixing in part of The Jackson's ABC is a nice touch.

Like Real People Do- Hozier (Country/Folk) What a creepy song. I had to listen to this one twice to really get what's it going for. It definitely tells an interesting story, I suppose, even if it does meander around alot. It also has a very calm tone to it, almost eerily, which definitely contrasts the lyrics. And in this case it works, I think. The music itself, it has it's moments. It's definitely a slower paced song, but I don't necessarily have a problem with those. Not the best song on the list, but far from the worst.

Two Doors Down- Dolly Parton (Country) Originally I had this song ranked much lower then it was. But after giving it a second listen I softened up a little on my stance towards it. I do like the story it tells about a depressed woman deciding to join some wild party down the hall, and then ending up shacking up with some guy, presumably. It's a simple story, but I think it's told fairly well. However, the music itself, while having a nice beat and uplifting sound to it, is a little repetitive for my liking.

The Champ- Ghostface Killah (Hip-Hop) Well it's definitely a rap song, and the use of Rocky voice clips is a unique addition. The problem though is the lyrics, which is the meat of most rap songs. Some of them just sound nonsensical at times. And I'm not a big fan of pop culture references being littered throughout my music, which this one definitely has. But that aside I have to admit it has a really good beat and rhythm. And the rapping itself is well-executed from what little knowledge I have of that genre. But really the song doesn't really have a story: it's just about a guy bragging about how good he is at boxing, at least I presume. Probably makes a great UFC entrance, but as a song... eh, I'm just not a big fan. Still, far from the worst song this round, and there's a reason it's pretty recognizable.

London Calling- the Clash (Punk) This one started out pretty promising. But the thing that pushed it down for me was probably the repetitiveness of the music. Again, I didn't hate this song, but when I finished listening to do it I had no desire to listen to it again afterward. I consider that a pretty big factor when it comes to ranking these. Ideally my top five are all songs I could listen to multiple times and still enjoy them to some degree. And while this song had it's highlights --- I thought the guitar work was pretty solid at times and the voice is fairly distinctive --- at the end it didn't stand out much from the pack. And so it fell here.

Tier 4: The Stuff I'll Probably Never Listen to Again.

Chase the Devil- Max Romeo (Reggae) If there's one genre of all these here, reggae is probably the one I understand the appeal of the least. I like to consider myself open-minded, but this song just drones on and on for me. It's repetitive and there's nothing here that really impresses me. I guess the singing is pretty good and there are some interesting instruments utilized, but again, the lyrics are just the same thing over and over again. It gets monotonous at times. I feel like if I listened to this song for too long I might go insane. But that said, it's a freaking masterpiece compared to the other reggae song in this group. I'm sorry, this genre just does nothing for me.

Through Being Cool- Devo (New Wave) Ah yes, Devo. While I don't hate this song, it's Devo. There's not much else I can really say. It has that distinctive Devo sound, but that style just does nothing with me: the one note singing, the repetitive music, and everything else just adds up to an okay song. The lyrics themselves do a decent job of telling a story, I suppose, but even that's surpassed by alot of other songs on this list. That said, I do like any song that finds a way to add both ninnies and twits to the lyrics.

Midlife Crisis- Faith No More (Metal) Ah yes, this song. I'll be blunt: I'm not a fan of this one at all. While there's nothing here that's outright terrible --- although I'm not a big fan of the singing for whatever reason in this one --- it just left me feeling empty at the end. I didn't like it yet I didn't hate it. I just listened to the whole thing and afterward just moved on with my life. It left no impact on me whatsoever. Honestly, one of the more forgettable songs of the round, at least to me. And at times it just sounds like a mess with everything mashing up together. Maybe it's just me.

Institutionalized- Suicidal Tendencies (Punk) Well I like the story this song is telling, but that's about the only thing that stands out about it. Originally this was my choice for my bottom tier song, but after giving it a second listen I've changed my stance on it. There are things I like about it, like how the lyrics speed up to an almost manic pace during the chorus. It really works for this sort of song, I suppose. But other than that... there were just so many better songs here. And so this one landed where it did.

Pressure Drop- Toots & The Maytals (Reggae) Again, I didn't hate any song on this track-list. But some of these... this song in particular is just the same thing over and over and over again. The lyrics are almost literally the same thing over and over again. I'm no music elitist, but this is just... not a good song. It just drones on and on. I do like the singing, I suppose, but that's nowhere near enough to carry this song. I mean seriously, what is with this these lyrics? I know I've said alot of songs have been repetitive this round, but this one takes the gold medal in the category. It's a shame because otherwise I do like parts of this song, but it just comes off as noise to me. Maybe I'm just not a reggae guy.