Moderately Acclaimed Albums 7 - Round 1.10

[Brad]

Welcome to another round of Moderately Acclaimed Albums 7!

Vote for your favorite album in each match-up.
Remember, anyone can vote as long as the voter has heard both albums.

Good-spirited comments are encouraged, but not absolutely necessary.
Deadline = May 31st at 10am EST.

Match-ups:
1. LFO - Frequencies vs. Van Halen - 1984
2. The Pentangle - Basket of Light vs. Miossec - Boire
3. Aphex Twin - 26 Mixes for Cash vs. First Aid Kit - Stay Gold
4. DakhaBrakha - Light vs. Arzachel - Arzachel

Yes We Have No Bananas!

[Bang Jan]

26 Mixes for Cash

Arzachel | Arzachel
The Pentangle | Basket of Light
DakhaBrakha | Light
Miossec | Boire
Van Halen | 1984
First Aid Kit | Stay Gold
LFO | Frequencies
Aphex Twin | 26 Mixes for Cash

[Honorio]

1. LFO - Frequencies (1991) vs. Van Halen - 1984 (1984)


2. The Pentangle - Basket of Light (1969) vs. Miossec - Boire (1995)


3. Aphex Twin - 26 Mixes for Cash (2003) vs. First Aid Kit - Stay Gold (2014)


4. DakhaBrakha - Light (2010) vs. Arzachel - Arzachel (1969)

Favourite song from every album:
Love Is the Message | Hot for Teacher | Light Flight | Non non non non (je ne suis plus saoul) | Raising the Titanic (Big Drum Mix) | My Silver Lining | Kolyskova | Garden of Earthly Delights

Favourite song of the week: Raising the Titanic (Big Drum Mix)

[bonnielaurel]

1. LFO - Frequencies vs. Van Halen - 1984
2. The Pentangle - Basket of Light vs. Miossec - Boire
3. Aphex Twin - 26 Mixes for Cash vs. First Aid Kit - Stay Gold
4. DakhaBrakha - Light vs. Arzachel - Arzachel

Song of the week: Pentangle - Once I Had a Sweetheart

[DaveC]

1. LFO - Frequencies vs. Van Halen - 1984
2. The Pentangle - Basket of Light vs. Miossec - Boire
3. Aphex Twin - 26 Mixes for Cash vs. First Aid Kit - Stay Gold
4. DakhaBrakha - Light vs. Arzachel - Arzachel

[whuntva]

Frequencies
Stay Gold

[DocBrown]

LFO - Frequencies
The Pentangle - Basket of Light
First Aid Kit - Stay Gold
DakhaBrakha - Light

[Jirin]

Van Halen 74-67
Miossec 89-86
Arzachel 91-68

Stay Gold gets 93, no access to 28 Mixes For Cash.

Arzachel is a great discovery. Very unique and the story to it of just making a rock album hanging out in a studio one day is cool.

[Bang Jan]

no access to 28 Mixes For Cash.

26 Mixes for Cash

[Jirin]

That 26 mixes for cash link won't let me play CD1 because 'It has content from Victor Entertainment not available in my country'.

[Bang Jan]

Here's another link.

[Jirin]

Thanks! Now that I've heard bot I'll go ahead and vote First Aid Kit.

[luney6]

LFO - Frequencies vs. Van Halen - 1984

Might as well be a tie, really.

[spiritualized]

1. LFO - Frequencies vs. Van Halen - 1984
And about time too ! Some acid techno to wet our appetite is never a bad thing. And when it faces one of the pillars of hair hard rock, it cannot not win.

2. The Pentangle - Basket of Light vs. Miossec - Boire

Basket of Light is one of my favourite records ever, and I didn't even nominate it. Never been a huge fan of folk music - but the singer's voice is enchanting and the musical arrangements are simply revolutionary for their time. Folk music would never be the same in my eyes after this record and it is probably the reason why I have difficulties to listen to raspy voices with a single acoustic guitar. The Pentangle took folk music to a different level- oh, and it has one of the best ever version of "the Cuckoo", period. It pains me to ditch Miossec for The Pentangle, but they are miles apart.

3. Aphex Twin - 26 Mixes for Cash vs.First Aid Kit - Stay Gold
Tough matchup, I'll go against the grain so AFX wins it for sheer originality. Richard James is a loon but he knows how to draw some emotional reaction from the listener. FAK is good, but ultimately a bit boring and usual. In the "female-fronted-sisters-acoustic-guitar-folk" genre, I much prefer the Staves - there is a menacing tone which doesn't really exist in the all-too-nice Swedish Sisters. No point really, as they will sail away to the next stage without impediment

4. DakhaBrakha - Light vs. Arzachel - Arzachel
Discovery of the week - I love the eclectism of "Light" vs the psychedelic noise of Arzachel. Too trippy for my taste, though.

[Brad]

My picks:
1. LFO - Frequencies vs. Van Halen - 1984
Yes, I don't feel quite right about this...
2. The Pentangle - Basket of Light vs. Miossec - Boire
Seems like everyone has a different fave off Basket Of Light - I think their version of "Sally..." is excellent.
3. Aphex Twin - 26 Mixes for Cash vs. First Aid Kit - Stay Gold
4. DakhaBrakha - Light vs. Arzachel - Arzachel

Thanks!

[Brad]

22 hours left to vote!

[jamieW]

Van Halen - 1984
The Pentangle - Basket of Light
Aphex Twin - 26 Mixes for Cash
DakhaBrakha - Light

After reading spiritualized's comment about acid techno vs. hair metal, I was going to make a similar comment as Brad. To be honest, I was never that big into either genre, so any of the other six albums would've won that matchup for me. (Especially DakhaBrakha and Arzachel, two unfamiliar albums that turned out to be my two favorites of the week.)

[Kingoftonga]

Winners in red. Holiday weekend means I only had time to listen to three matchups. I liked DakhaBrakha a lot but didn't get a chance to listen to the competition.

1. LFO - Frequencies vs. Van Halen - 1984
2. The Pentangle - Basket of Light vs. Miossec - Boire
3. Aphex Twin - 26 Mixes for Cash vs. First Aid Kit - Stay Gold

[Nassim]

It's already a lost cause but :
2. Miossec - Boire, one of the best French rock albums of the 90s.

[acroamor]

Didn't have time to listen to the first two match-ups, but:
3. Aphex Twin - 26 Mixes for Cash vs. First Aid Kit - Stay Gold
4. DakhaBrakha - Light vs. Arzachel - Arzachel

And it'd probably be the appropriate time to share the Stay Gold poster that's adorned my wall for the past year or so:

Stay Gold.JPG

[spiritualized]

It's already a lost cause but :
2. Miossec - Boire, one of the best French rock albums of the 90s.

Having listened to it yesterday for the first time, I must say it will be added to my favourites - great record indeed. Shame it faced an even greater record

[Brad]

14 voters this week:
acroamor
Bang Jan
bonnielaurel
Brad
DaveC
DocBrown
Honorio
jamieW
Jirin
Kingoftonga
luney6
Nassim
spiritualized
whuntva

Winners:
1. Van Halen - 1984 over LFO - Frequencies 8-4
2. The Pentangle - Basket of Light over Miossec - Boire 9-2
3. First Aid Kit - Stay Gold over Aphex Twin - 26 Mixes for Cash 9-3
4. DakhaBrakha - Light vs. Arzachel - Arzachel ***TIE! 5-5! Next Vote Wins!***

We have a tie!
DakhaBrakha - Light vs. Arzachel - Arzachel ***TIE! 5-5! Next Vote Wins!***

Round 1.11 up in a little while!

[Kingoftonga]

Finally got a chance to listen to the last album. It's a worthy tie. I liked both albums but DakhaBrakha won me over a bit more, and Arzachel lost me with the longer songs at the end.

DakhaBrakha - Light vs. Arzachel - Arzachel

[Brad]

Thanks King!

[babydoll]

Thanks King!

I thought people who already voted couldn't vote for a tiebreaker.

[Bang Jan]

King didn't vote on the last match-up initially.

[babydoll]

King didn't vote on the last match-up initially.

I guess I misread this:

Sorry luney6, I suppose I should have posted that only those who haven't voted previously are eligible for sudden death voting.

Thanks for the future reference.