Unacclaimed III QUARTERFINALS

[whuntva]

Here's where the real fun starts!


Interesting to note that four of the songs that made it this far are from women. That's probably a record.

Voting rules have changed. Now, each vote is worth only one point per song. And it's win-or-go-home; no runners-up.

I think I'll do BleuPanda's approach to tiebreakers, that is move them to a separate topic.

This round ends on Christmas Day (25 December) at 11:59 pm UTC.

Sufjan Stevens-Djohariah vs. Shiina Ringo-Souretsu ("Funeral")

Janelle Monae-Many Moons vs. Natalia Lafourcade & Kevin Johansen - La Fugitiva

Nicholas Jaar-With Just One Glance You vs. Seatbelts/Yoko Kanno-Tank!

Bjork-Verandi vs. Can-Mother Sky


Happy voting!

[jamieW]

Shiina Ringo-Souretsu ("Funeral")
Natalia Lafourcade & Kevin Johansen - La Fugitiva
Nicolas Jaar-With Just One Glance You
Bjork-Verandi

[phil]

6 great and 2 very good songs left...

Sufjan Stevens-Djohariah vs. Shiina Ringo-Souretsu ("Funeral”)

The songs on All Delighted People have never got the attention they deserve. As an album (or so called ‘EP’), the songs are not as cohesive as we’d expect from Sufjan Stevens. Which I suspect is part of the reason it was released as an EP rather than an album. But there are many great songs on there. This one (Djohariah) and The Owl and the Tanager are both favourites of mine.

Janelle Monae-Many Moons vs. Natalia Lafourcade & Kevin Johansen - La Fugitiva

Hard choice. Both excellent songs - I’ve purchased them both during the competition. This competition brings out unusual match ups that you wouldn’t typically listen to one after the other, and I’ve particularly noticed that this week (this match being a good example). Came in thinking I was going to vote for Many Moons, but decided on La Fugitiva; Not quite as immediate, but keeps on getting better with every listen.

Nicholas Jaar-With Just One Glance You vs. Seatbelts/Yoko Kanno-Tank!

Two jazz (or at least jazz-influenced) tracks - but otherwise very much a contrast. Tank! is fantastic - and the much more lively track. But I can’t go past the smooth sounds offered by Nicolas Jaar. He certainly knows how to create atmosphere and demonstrates it brilliantly here in this fusion of jazz and electronic music. He distributed as a free download.

Bjork-Verandi vs. Can-Mother Sky

These are my least two favourite left (but both are still enjoyable). I’m going to vote for Bjork, but this song still feels like it comes up short vs. other work she’s done (including other b-sides).


Edit: Interesting that four of these songs are from week 4. (Both songs from the two week 4 groups are in the quarterfinals). This also means that there are three songs that were only 2nd in the group stage through to the QFs, and at least one will be in the semis.

[Romain]

I'm semi-happy with these quaterfinalists.

Sufjan Stevens-Djohariah
Natalia Lafourcade & Kevin Johansen - La Fugitiva
Seatbelts/Yoko Kanno-Tank!
Bjork-Verandi

[Bang Jan]

Shiina Ringo-Souretsu ("Funeral")

Janelle Monae-Many Moons

Seatbelts/Yoko Kanno-Tank!

Can-Mother Sky

[luney6]

Sufjan Stevens-Djohariah 

Natalia Lafourcade & Kevin Johansen - La Fugitiva 

Seatbelts/Yoko Kanno-Tank!

Can-Mother Sky - My favorite in the competition at this point.

[bonnielaurel]

Sufjan Stevens-Djohariah vs. Shiina Ringo-Souretsu ("Funeral”)
Janelle Monae-Many Moons vs. Natalia Lafourcade & Kevin Johansen - La Fugitiva
Nicholas Jaar-With Just One Glance You vs. Seatbelts/Yoko Kanno-Tank!
Bjork-Verandi vs. Can-Mother Sky

[Honorio]

Interesting to note that four of the songs that made it this far are from women.

Actually 5 since Seatbelts are led by composer and instrumentalist Yoko Kanno. Even 6 because the Nicolas Jaar track feature lead vocals by Scout Larue Willis.
In fact all my votes goes to four talented and sophisticated ladies, two from Japan (Shiina Ringo and Yoko Kanno), one from Mexico (Natalia Lafourcade) and one from Iceland (Björk Guðmundsdóttir). I hope we can have an all-female final four.




Sufjan Stevens - Djohariah (2010) vs. Shiina Ringo - Sōretsu (2003)
Janelle Monáe - Many Moons (2007) vs. Natalia Lafourcade & Kevin Johansen - La fugitiva (2012)
Nicolas Jaar - With Just One Glance You (2012) vs. Seatbelts - Tank! (1998)
Björk - Verandi (2001) vs. Can - Mother Sky (1970)

[Henry]

Janelle Monae-Many Moons

[BleuPanda]

Souretsu
Many Moons
Tank!
Verandi

[Jeff]

Shiina Ringo - Souretsu ("Funeral")

Janelle Monae - Many Moons

Nicolas Jaar - With Just One Glance You

Bjork - Verandi
This one's for Arthur.

[sonofsamiam]

Sufjan Stevens - Djohariah (7) vs. Shiina Ringo - Sōretsu (1)

Janelle Monae - Many Moons (3) vs. Natalia Lafourcade & Kevin Johansen - La Fugitiva (6)

Nicholas Jaar - With Just One Glance You (8) vs. Seatbelts/Yoko Kanno - Tank! (5)

Bjork - Verandi (4) vs. Can - Mother Sky (2)

[antonius]

Sufjan Stevens-Djohariah
Natalia Lafourcade & Kevin Johansen - La Fugitiva
Seatbelts/Yoko Kanno-Tank!
Can-Mother Sky

[whuntva]

(6) Shiina Ringo-Soretsu def. (8) Sufjan Stevens-Djohariah

"Djohariah" just sounds like four or five songs at once vying for attention. Very surprised it made it this far.

(4) Natalia Lafourcade & Kevin Johansen - La Fugitiva def. (5) Janelle Monae-Many Moons

Very close, but I think I get a little more out of "La Fugitiva".

(1) Seatbelts-Tank! def. (7) Nicholas Jaar-With Just One Glance You

The more I listen to "Tank!", the more it becomes my top choice.

I'd be okay with any of the Top 6 taking it.

(2) Can-Mother Sky def. (3) Bjork-Verandi

Bjork seemed like a hands-down finalist. But hearing her against "Mother Sky" weakened her immensely.

[DaveC]

Sufjan Stevens-Djohariah vs. Shiina Ringo-Souretsu ("Funeral")

Janelle Monae-Many Moons vs. Natalia Lafourcade & Kevin Johansen - La Fugitiva

Nicolas Jaar-With Just One Glance You vs.Seatbelts/Yoko Kanno-Tank!

Bjork-Verandi vs. Can-Mother Sky

[sonofsamiam]

Just an aside, as I neglected to note this, but I found it (pleasantly) shocking -- neither The Doors nor Joy Division made it this far! I figured that based on familiarity with those songs (and the fact that both are pretty good on their own) would have made them shoo-ins for the Semis at least. Good on you, AM.

[Chilton]

Sufjan Stevens - Djohariah (5) vs. Shiina Ringo - Souretsu ("Funeral") (1)

Janelle Monae - Many Moons (7) vs. Natalia Lafourcade & Kevin Johansen - La Fugitiva (2)

Nicholas Jaar - With Just One Glance You (4) vs. Seatbelts/Yoko Kanno - Tank! (3)

Bjork - Verandi (6) vs. Can - Mother Sky (8)

[Maschine_Man]

Shiina Ringo - Souretsu ("Funeral")
Janelle Monae - Many Moons
Nicholas Jaar - With Just One Glance You
Bjork - Verandi

[Moonbeam]

Shiina Ringo - Souretsu ("Funeral")

Pretty amazing song. Easily one of my favorite discoveries of the game.

Janelle Monae - Many Moons

I really, really love Janelle. The fact that "Many Moons" is pretty clearly her best song, IMO, is a testament to how mind-blowing it is. One of the best songs ever, by anyone.

Nicholas Jaar - With Just One Glance You

Another nice discovery. I don't get the appeal of "Tank!".

Can - Mother Sky

Björk has a lot of amazing B-sides. I find "Verandi" to be merely good, and that isn't enough to outdo one of Can's best.

[whuntva]

Merry Christmas to those who celebrate!

Have a good day even if you don't.

I almost hate to inconvenience your holidays, but I am putting up a last call regardless. Nonetheless, I understand the low turnout this week.

And as of Moonbeam's vote, Janelle and Natalie are tied!

[Henrik]

And as of Moonbeam's vote, Janelle and Natalie are tied!

I might be wrong, but I count 9-8 in favor of Natalie. Also please add my vote for her song.

[Honorio]

You're right, Henrik. With your vote Natalia and Janelle are separated only by two votes. And the last two brackets are also only separated by two votes...

[whuntva]

Oh, I see.

I didn't count JamieW.

Sorry!

[Sweepstakes Ron]

Souretsu
Many Moons
With Just One Glance You
Verandi

[whuntva]

Heyoo!!

Onto the next round. The poll is closed. In sharp contrast to the last two rounds, these games were all very close!


Sufjan Stevens-Djohariah: 5
Shiina Ringo-Soretsu (Funeral): 12

Janelle Monae-Many Moons: 9
Natalia Lafourcade and Kevin Johansen-La Fugitiva: 10

I think Henrik was the swing vote here ultimately. The favorite on paper has gone down, but this went down to the wire!

Nicholas Jaar-With Just One Glance You: 8
Seatbelts-Tank!: 9

Low turnout. Jaar came close but couldn't quite close it.

Bjork-Verandi: 10
Can-Mother Sky: 7

Can again almost made it entertaining, but Bjork could not be topped!

So yes, an all-female final is coming right up! The past two Unacclaimed installments have had two female-fronted acts each get to the semis, but this is our first all-female setting. The ladies killed it from the very start!