Unacclaimed IV 32.1

[whuntva]

We are finally through the first round of elimination. Last year at this time, we were just wrapping up. But now we are only 2/3rds of the way through the enormous field of the widest open Unacclaimed field in history.

This week, the left half of the bracket will be played.

Here, votes are worth only one point. Pick the song from each pairing you want to see advance. Ties broken now by sudden-death overtime.

Due to the sheer volume of songs, only sixteen per week will be unveiled. The Round of 64 will last for four weeks.

Voting for this round ends 1/1 (New Year's Day) at 11:59 pm.

Mari Boine - Goaskinviellja / Eagle Brother vs. Cuts-Bunsen Burner

Wax Taylor-Our Dance vs. Amadou & Mariam-Je Pense a Toi

Cymande-The Message vs. Alfred Schnittke-Declaration of Love

The Rotary Connection - I Am the Black Gold of the Sun vs. Bill Fay - Time of the Last Persecution

Prince-Way Back Home vs. Jac Berrocal-Solaris

Devo-Beautiful World vs. Black City Lights-Offering

Mylène Farmer - Sans logique vs. Martika-Love...Thy Will be Done

Diana Ross-The Boss vs. Dukes of Stratosphear-Vanishing Girl

Will this week continue the trend of nail-biters and no clear winners (10+ points)? Vote on and find out.

[whuntva]

In bold are what I think are favorites to win it all. I'd say the first half this bracket is the "Group of Death", as it was last round.

Mari Boine - Goaskinviellja / Eagle Brother (NWY)
Amadou & Mariam-Je Pense a Toi (MLI)
Cymande-The Message (UK)
The Rotary Connection - I Am the Black Gold of the Sun (USA)
Jac Berrocal-Solaris (FRA)
Black City Lights-Offering (NZL)
Mylène Farmer - Sans logique (FRA)
Dukes of Stratosphear-Vanishing Girl (UK)

[Bang Jan]

Cuts-Bunsen Burner

Amadou & Mariam-Je Pense a Toi

Alfred Schnittke-Declaration of Love

Bill Fay - Time of the Last Persecution

Jac Berrocal-Solaris

Devo-Beautiful World

Mylène Farmer - Sans logique

Dukes of Stratosphear-Vanishing Girl

[jamieW]

Mari Boine - Goaskinviellja / Eagle Brother 8
Cuts-Bunsen Burner 10

Wax Taylor-Our Dance 7
Amadou & Mariam-Je Pense a Toi 9

Cymande-The Message 7
Alfred Schnittke-Declaration of Love 10

The Rotary Connection - I Am the Black Gold of the Sun 8
Bill Fay - Time of the Last Persecution 10

Prince-Way Back Home 7
Jac Berrocal-Solaris 9

Devo-Beautiful World 5
Black City Lights-Offering 7

Mylène Farmer - Sans logique 9
Martika-Love...Thy Will be Done 8

Diana Ross-The Boss 6
Dukes of Stratosphear-Vanishing Girl 6

[EmilienDelRey]

Cuts - Bunsen Burner
Amadou & Mariam - Je pense à toi
Cymande - The Message
The Rotary Connection - I Am the Black Gold of the Sun
Jac Berrocal - Solaris
Devo - Beautiful World
Martika - Love...Thy Will be Done
Dukes of Stratosphear - Vanishing Girl

[Romain]

Cuts-Bunsen Burner
Wax Taylor-Our Dance (the "oh, so bad these two songs confronte together" match !)
Cymande-The Message
Bill Fay-Time of the Last Persecution
Jac Berrocal-Solaris
Devo-Beautiful World
Martika-Love...Thy Will be Done (Moonbeam is going to have the brain boiling with this match )
Diana Ross-The Boss

Some of my big favorites for the final victory are in this group of 32.

[luney6]

Schnittke and Bill Fay

[sonofsamiam]

Mari Boine - Goaskinviellja / Eagle Brother
Cuts-Bunsen Burner

Wax Taylor-Our Dance
Amadou & Mariam-Je Pense a Toi

Cymande-The Message
Alfred Schnittke-Declaration of Love

The Rotary Connection - I Am the Black Gold of the Sun
Bill Fay - Time of the Last Persecution

I hate it when my nominees face off, these are my obvious top 2 this week. It's a top 30 vs a top 100 so ultimately not an overly hard choice but frustrating nonetheless.


Prince-Way Back Home
Jac Berrocal-Solaris

Devo-Beautiful World
Black City Lights-Offering

Mylène Farmer - Sans logique
Martika-Love...Thy Will be Done

Diana Ross-The Boss
Dukes of Stratosphear-Vanishing Girl

[prosecutorgodot]

Mari Boine - Goaskinviellja / Eagle Brother
Cuts - Bunsen Burner

Wax Taylor - Our Dance
Amadou & Mariam - Je Pense a Toi

Cymande - The Message
Alfred Schnittke - Declaration of Love
Difficult choice!

The Rotary Connection - I Am the Black Gold of the Sun
Bill Fay - Time of the Last Persecution

Prince - Way Back Home
Jac Berrocal - Solaris
Everyone seems to be smitten with the Prince song, but I think it's just alright.

Devo - Beautiful World
Black City Lights - Offering

Mylène Farmer - Sans logique
Martika - Love...Thy Will be Done

Diana Ross - The Boss
Dukes of Stratosphear - Vanishing Girl

My four guesses for winner: "Sans logique", "Declaration of Love", "Je Pense a Toi" and "Way Back Home"
My personal preferences: "Sans logique" and "Eagle Brother"

[DaveC]

Mari Boine - Goaskinviellja / Eagle Brother
Amadou & Mariam-Je Pense a Toi
Alfred Schnittke-Declaration of Love
Bill Fay - Time of the Last Persecution
Jac Berrocal-Solaris
Black City Lights-Offering
Martika-Love...Thy Will be Done
Dukes of Stratosphear-Vanishing Girl

[Krurze]

Mari Boine - Goaskinviellja / Eagle Brother
vs.
Cuts-Bunsen Burner

Wax Taylor-Our Dance
vs.
Amadou & Mariam-Je Pense a Toi

Cymande-The Message
vs.
Alfred Schnittke-Declaration of Love

The Rotary Connection - I Am the Black Gold of the Sun
vs.
Bill Fay - Time of the Last Persecution

Prince-Way Back Home
vs.
Jac Berrocal-Solaris

Devo-Beautiful World
vs.
Black City Lights-Offering

Mylène Farmer - Sans logique
vs.
Martika-Love...Thy Will be Done

Diana Ross-The Boss
vs.
Dukes of Stratosphear-Vanishing Girl

[Moonbeam]

Another great week! Not GOAT-level great like last week, but still very impressive.

Mari Boine - Goaskinviellja / Eagle Brother: 8
Cuts - Bunsen Burner: 7

Mari's visceral wails are too much for "Bunsen Burner".

Wax Taylor - Our Dance: 8
Amadou & Mariam - Je Pense a Toi: 8

I went into this thinking I would vote for Wax Taylor, as its haunted house thrills have been a big hit with me. But those strings and that relentless rhythm of "Je Pense a Toi" couldn't be denied.

Cymande - The Message: 8
Alfred Schnittke - Declaration of Love: 8

Very, very close and I battled until just now with my choice. But when in doubt, I'll take funk over just about anything else.

The Rotary Connection - I Am the Black Gold of the Sun: 8
Bill Fay - Time of the Last Persecution: 7

"I Am the Black Gold of the Sun" just keeps getting better and better! "Time of the Last Persecution" is also quite good, but this was a pretty easy choice. By the way, the youtube link in the OP goes to the first side of the album Time of the Last Persecution, not the song itself.

Prince - Way Back Home: 10
Jac Berrocal - Solaris: 7.5

"Solaris" is good, very good even, but it's no match for what I think of as Prince's swan song.

Devo - Beautiful World: 10
Black City Lights - Offering: 9

Last week's amazing set of songs leads to this excruciating matchup. "Offering" is probably my favorite discovery of this game, but Devo's anthem from what I feel is their best album gets the edge.

Mylène Farmer - Sans logique: 10
Martika - Love...Thy Will be Done: 9

Romain wasn't kidding. This is torture! Had the Prince version of "Love... Thy Will Be Done" been the nomination, I would have really pulled my hair out. But Mylène's beautiful torment is God-level good.

Diana Ross - The Boss: 8
Dukes of Stratosphear - Vanishing Girl: 5.5

No contest.

[whuntva]

Happy New Year!

Before I go to bed, this is the last chance to vote!

It seems so weird to be at this point in the competition at this part of the year, but that's the price I pay with a larger field.

There is a tie. So get voting!

[Henrik]

Mari Boine - Goaskinviellja / Eagle Brother
Amadou & Mariam-Je Pense a Toi
Cymande-The Message
The Rotary Connection - I Am the Black Gold of the Sun
Prince-Way Back Home
Devo-Beautiful World
Mylène Farmer - Sans logique
Diana Ross-The Boss

[Toni]

Mari Boine - Goaskinviellja / Eagle Brother vs. Cuts-Bunsen Burner

Wax Taylor-Our Dance vs. Amadou & Mariam-Je Pense a Toi

Cymande-The Message vs. Alfred Schnittke-Declaration of Love

The Rotary Connection - I Am the Black Gold of the Sun vs. Bill Fay - Time of the Last Persecution

Prince-Way Back Home vs. Jac Berrocal-Solaris

Devo-Beautiful World vs. Black City Lights-Offering

Mylène Farmer - Sans logique vs. Martika-Love...Thy Will be Done

Diana Ross-The Boss vs. Dukes of Stratosphear-Vanishing Girl

Happy new year to all AM'ers!

[Sweepstakes Ron]

Bunsen Burner (Mari Boine suddenly stopped doing it for me this week. I don't know why, I loved it so much before!)
Our Dance
The Message
I Am the Black Gold of the Sun
Way Back Home
Beautiful World
Sans logique
The Boss

[whuntva]

In the last hour of the poll, we have THREE TIES!!

One more vote would be greatly appreciated. Please and thank you!

[sonofsamiam]

In the last hour of the poll, we have THREE TIES

whuntva, are you sure? There were 13 voters (other than luney who voted for only 2, and neither looks like a tie).

[whuntva]

In the last hour of the poll, we have THREE TIES

whuntva, are you sure? There were 13 voters (other than luney who voted for only 2, and neither looks like a tie).

Give me a minute. I have...

Me
Bang Jan
JamieW
Emiliendelrey
Romain
Luney6 (only two matches)
Sonofsamiam
Prosecutorgodot
Krurze
Henrik
Moonbeam
Toni
Sweepstakes Ron

[whuntva]

Forgot DaveC. Thanks for calling this out!

But we still have time. So vote if you want!

[whuntva]

Polls are closed.

Mari Boine - Goaskinviellja / Eagle Brother 7
Cuts-Bunsen Burner 6

Mari Boine avoids a colossal upset by taking the last three ballots.

Wax Taylor-Our Dance 3
Amadou & Mariam-Je Pense a Toi 10

Just business as usual for the Malian duo. The winner of the next match may very well win it all.

Cymande-The Message 8
Alfred Schnittke-Declaration of Love 6

Morning line favorite Alfred Schnittke could not overcome the great force that was "The Message".

The Rotary Connection - I Am the Black Gold of the Sun 9
Bill Fay - Time of the Last Persecution 5

Rotary Connection held fast and could not be caught. Since the top half the week was always the "Group of Death", and the best songs in particular did advance, this next round will be two popcorn matches off the bat!

Prince-Way Back Home 6
Jac Berrocal-Solaris 7

A slugfest from start to finish. Prince almost closed the gap, but Jac hung in there. He's still the favorite for the bottom half IMO.

Devo-Beautiful World 7
Black City Lights-Offering 6

Back and forth, at one point tied at 4. But Devo took all but one of the last four votes to advance.

Mylène Farmer - Sans logique 9
Martika-Love...Thy Will be Done 4

I saved the preferred link this time. So Mylene is still cruising in spite of that.

Diana Ross-The Boss 6
Dukes of Stratosphear-Vanishing Girl 7

Diana trailed big early, then came roaring back, but by that point the damage had already been done.

[Romain]

3 of my 4 songs have lost this week.
Logical for Cuts and, of course, Wax Tailor, but the victory of Mylène against Martika surprised me a lot.

Moobeam, sad week for Prince !

[Moonbeam]

3 of my 4 songs have lost this week.
Logical for Cuts and, of course, Wax Tailor, but the victory of Mylène against Martika surprised me a lot.

Moobeam, sad week for Prince !

Yes indeed! I was pretty surprised that "Way Back Home" made it this far. And had Martika not been in the bracket of death, I could have voted her version of "Love... Thy Will Be Done" until the end! By the way, are you interested in the Prince poll I'm running? You are one of the ones I had in mind when I started this topic: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4611

[Romain]

I see this Moonbeam... the problem is... the time ! Not the band..the real time
I want to make this fine and, for that, I have to relisten all the songs.

But I want to play, yes !