League 3 (Jun 2025)

• [DELETED] +3
• shea nowicki +1
• Edward James +1 — Bullseye
• fionmul +1 — I wanted to submit this hell yeah
• Regina Scime +1 — Hmmm
• judd.baker +1 — Absolutely inspired choice
• Claire +1 — the good doctor cooked with this one (and unfortunately scooped another member of this league who will remain anonymous)
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Boo hoo, I am gainfully employed

• Joseph Harvey +1 — This really sounds like Fionacore to me. Lyrical specificity, nice vocals and perfect vibe match.
• Edward James +1 — Not sure what to say, just like it
• SamRobertsND +1 — Peter: “this is a Fiona vibe” Sammy: knew it was gold when the playlist line dropped
• shea nowicki +1 — Okay yes SLAY. A really good choice.
• judd.baker +1 — Perfect submission, no notes
• ared56 +1
• fionmul +1 — Fi the soft and sad girl: Well done. I see the Lizzy lookalike competition ensuing and this is very nice ✨💖✨ I am not sure I adore the lyrics or it’ll become a lifelong favorite but it has elements of great relatability and specificity. These I value as this player may know. Unironically, Lizzy could cover this and I would listen to that a lot. This unfortunately was one I liked less the more I listened. Also the title should be “strangers to lovers to enemies” instead. 5th.
• Claire 0 — there are many directions one could go with a Fionacore pick but I went with this one for its combo of powerhouse vocals, theater girlie vibes, and emotional, concrete, vivid lyricism (a hallmark of Miss Mulholland’s own songwriting)

fionmul: An Irish lass in full flight

• Joseph Harvey +1 — Yeah this is pretty much it
• SamRobertsND +1 — Peter: I think Fiona submitted this one Sammy: Boudicca Fiona rides into battle, her Celts riddling Josephus Titus and Juddus Vitus with darts and decimating their legion.
• shea nowicki +1 — LOVE. V Fionacore
• Regina Scime +1
• judd.baker +1 — Good inclusion, I liked this more than I expected to and I’m glad this playlist included something Celtic
• Sam Ary +1
• ared56 +1
• Edward James 0 — Irish tourism marketing song. You can almost hear them salivating at the thought of another plane full of loaded Boston tourists. Would kill at an ND pre-game reception.
• Claire 0 — I like this reading of the theme, tapping into Fi’s Irish heritage, but didn’t make top 3 for me
• fionmul 0 — Fi the Mulholland lass: I am glad I went this route because nobody else did! And I am pretty sure I first heard it when my brother Johnny sent it to me and thought I’d like it so it suits this round 💚

• Edward James +1 — A 2021 Bleachers song is so completely out there it is inspired. This person knows you can take the girl out of 2013 but you can’t take the 2013 out of the girl. My choice for #1 (other than my own pick 😎).
• Joseph Harvey +1 — Claire will enjoy this. Smells like a Judd pick
• fionmul +1 — This was fun
• ared56 +1
• shea nowicki +1 — YES! Bleachers are always the vibe
• Regina Scime +1
• Claire +1 — Great read. I considered submitting a bleachers song myself. But this wasn’t actually one I was super familiar with, and I really enjoyed it. Jack Antonoff just knows how to write a pop song. And Bleachers is a band I always feel like I should get more into—their music combines a lot of the things I love most, esp energetic guitar driven pop and well executed brass/sax. This was an immediate add to one of my own playlists
• SamRobertsND -1 — Another place where I look pretty dumb if I whiff this one, but this song is garbage, and I don't think Claire would like it. More like a song she would make fun of while drinking a beer (having cracked it open and said "let's goooo").

fionmul: Timeless story, timeless music. Zimmer is a GOAT.

• Edward James +2 — This is probably the most perfect read of the category. Brad said last night that I dreamed a dream would be the best choice. I think it would tie this one, but not surpass it. I don’t think there is any song that better captures the biblical sense of longing and unanswered deliverance. Everything about this movie is a miracle, and nothing like it will probably ever be made again. I can’t listen to this without being deeply and viscerally moved.
• Joseph Harvey +1 — Absolutely incredible. Perfect submission.
• ared56 +1
• Sam Ary +1 — goated
• judd.baker +1 — My read of this category was heavily informed by the title being a Psalm, and in that vein, I think this submission is perfect.
• Regina Scime +1
• fionmul 0 — I just found that there is a solemnity to the way the title of the round is phrased. I respect alternative takes but feel my own is valid as well.
• SamRobertsND 0 — A great choice.
• Claire 0 — It’s an epic song. Didn’t make the podium for me, though, I think in part because it’s almost too literal? As in, it’s a literal plea to God in the context of a biblical story whereas I feel like what I was looking for was something more poetic and/or figurative. But I recognize that these are not necessarily the only criteria one could judge by
• shea nowicki -1 — I 1000% know I'm in the minority on this-- it fits the category in every possible way on paper, but just didn't quite get me lamenting. Maybe just because I'm not listening in the context of the movie itself? Maybe because the beat isn't the sound I'd gravitate toward during personal moments of lamenting? I don't really know

fionmul: 😌

• judd.baker +1 — love some Glen Campbell. I had not heard this song before
• Edward James +1 — For those who know the Sammy deep lore, I feel like this would be his preferred state to have existed in in the summer of 2022. Wandering the countryside in the state of deep existential depression. Quintessential male experience. An old country song is a great submission, but I think this specific one is what elevates it from a genre pick to a more inspired Targeted pick.
• Joseph Harvey +1 — This was a stunner - I could picture this cutting to Sammy's heart. Lyrics are mysterious and open to interpretation which I like.
• Claire +1 — I’d never heard this song before and I loved it. Struck me as quite Sammy coded musically but especially lyrically. Really beautiful, this is one I think I’ll return to
• shea nowicki +1
• SamRobertsND +1 — Like a Komodo dragon stalking its prey, this one caught up to me. I'm more familiar with Glenn Campbell's 70s stuff, and on the first pass, I thought "nice try, Sammy stereotype!" In my pride, I wanted to prove resistant to its charms. And yet, as I listened to the playlist several times over, I found myself spending more and more time on this number. The lyrics are fantastic ("you're moving on the back roads by the rivers of my memory" - that is really great stuff). This country pop sound just seizes me on a pre-rational level, but the beat is also just so enchanting. Something you happened upon here, intentionally or unintentionally, is that I LOVE songs with a quick, driving beat (e.g. Mick Fleetwood pounding that bass drum is what makes so many Fleetwood Mac songs work for me). The bass guitar and accompanying picking here are too much too deny. It may be a stereotype, but dang if it didn't claw its way tooth and nail up the pack and onto the podium. Bronze!! 🥉
• fionmul 0 — Dr. Sammy, gentle forever on the St. Joseph River of our mind

Edward James: Sunday Morning 102.3 baby

• Sam Ary +3
• Regina Scime +1
• Joseph Harvey +1 — Regina coded submission. Wasn't sold at the beginning, but man does it get going. Could foresee some strong Sammy appreciation for this.
• Claire +1 — At first one might think Sammy would be super into this sort of song as a bit. In fact, we’ve probably all seen him do some sort of effusive gospel/preacher bit before. So that initial read is not entirely wrong. But like an ogre, Sammy has layers, and there’s a deeper layer that is really sensitive and receptive to spiritual realities and that I think is really moved by this sort of music and lyrics. Really great read of the theme by whoever submitted this
• SamRobertsND +1 — I think this is Eddie, so I'll address him. This artist was a smart pick (Patrick, you did NOT have to go so hard on that, holy crap .... sing it, Brother Star!!! [Eddie gets this and that's all that matters]). It works as Gospel but also stands on its own as solid R&B. I was researching early 1900s fair music one time (part of inquiry into carousel design, obv) and was surprised by how much was popular hymns; white people eventually lost a taste for religious themes in every day music, but black people haven't, and they're the realest for it. Most importantly, however, this song made me think of listening to 102.3FM and going to the Linden Grill with Eddie. Consequently, it made me think of how much I deeply resonate with him on so many personality quirks/interests, how sorry I am not to have known him earlier in my time here, and how much I love and will miss him. When things get difficult, we can trust that we "will triumph over the Enemy, because God said yes you can." Gold!! 🏅
• fionmul 0 — Perhaps a secret Sami genre I didn’t know about, can’t wait to see what he thinks.
• judd.baker -1 — To paraphrase Joseph Harvey during the Claire round: if this is a part of Sammy’s musical landscape, it’s a part I’m unfamiliar with

fionmul: Unknown bop from some undeniable one hit wonders.

• shea nowicki +2 — This is perfect.
• SamRobertsND +1 — Would've had me with the pip organ intro but the clown breakdown completely sold it. Like if Danny Elfman wrote a pop song.
• Joseph Harvey +1 — A little annoying but marginally kind of interesting at least
• Claire +1 — I actually thought of submitting a different Buggles song. This album is so quirky and fun
• Regina Scime +1 — Also LOVED this!!
• fionmul 0 — 😎🎸🔥🎹🫧🧼🧹🫧🧼🧹
• judd.baker 0 — I enjoyed this, but I do think the gulf between this and Radio Star is massive.

judd.baker: Too obvious? I think not

• Regina Scime +2
• SamRobertsND +1 — An amazing choice, almost picked it myself. Chicago brass is never beaten.
• Joseph Harvey +1
• shea nowicki +1
• fionmul 0 — ugh yes. Not enough votes 🤌🏼
• Edward James 0 — This is a summer chilling song, but not one that screams grilling to me
• Claire 0 — Love Chicago. Had the distinct privilege of hearing them play this very song live at ND last year. Somehow though even though the events described are spot on, musically it wasn’t giving grilling as much as I was looking for

• Edward James +1 — I have already forgotten everything about this song since I listened to it 20 min ago, but I remember thinking it was a winner
• Regina Scime +1
• Claire +1 — I like this pick bc it just intuitively feels like something she’d really dig even though it’s not exactly like any of the artists we’d typically associate with Fiona
• ared56 +1
• fionmul +1 — Fi the groovy, chill girl: I have heard this! But it is in the sweet spot that I will allow because I have not heard it many times if more than once, it isn’t obvious, and it is probably not on any of my playlists (until now). It is groovy and poppy but unique. Pop is an important facet of my taste. This is a good “Falling in Love” vibe too. This song probably pinpoints most accurately what I have been loving and bopping around to in the car lately. 🥈silver.
• SamRobertsND 0 — Peter: “this is just really unmemorable” Sammy: couldn’t have said it better, I think Fiona would agree
• shea nowicki 0 — V good.

Joseph Harvey: It was good enough for Johnny Cash to cover

• SamRobertsND +1 — Peter: "The lyrics tell a compelling story with pathos. The rhythm is very interesting. The transition to the chorus is smooth. Fits the category really well." I've loved this song for a while. It's such a strange circumstance; makes you think about how your life can be ruined in an instant. Very well done, Joseph.
• fionmul +1 — at first i thought the person killed their brother. i love the storytelling of this song and the ending smacking of Christian Hope the best to ever do it, absolute legend, whoever submitted this has brilliant taste 💯
• Claire +1 — I was struck by the way this song gets into the interior life of the killer himself. Also of course “these are difficult times.” I feel like it isn’t just a gimmick though, it adds to the melancholy and (dare I say) psychological disjointedness that the song is trying to capture. Love the instrumentation too. Gordon gets my vote
• Regina Scime +1 — Iconic
• Sam Ary +1
• judd.baker 0 — Truly stacked round, almost voted for this but I liked a few other songs more. But this is excellent. Props for the inclusion of an unintentional homicide in this round
• Edward James 0 — I love this song and this version has an absolutely killer saxophone part, but others just beat it for me.

• Edward James +2 — I hope this wins, despite the fact the win would have…should have…been mine. Congrats to the person who beat me to it (Claire?). To me this is the essence of a peak live performance. It is elevated by the setting itself (i.e. it has elements that simply can’t be replicated elsewhere), you can tell the performer is Feeling It™ in a unique way that brings them to the peak of their performing ability, and you get a blend of a unique take on the song without losing the core that makes is so good. Also, ending with a dual clarinet solo is inspired.
• fionmul +1 — This was good. If this is Claire this was an excellent pick and you’re a most worthy adversary.
• Joseph Harvey +1 — This is it. Incredible audience participation at the beginning. This is a great song beautifully and passionately performed, just a blast. Aside from my own, this is the show I’d most want to be at.
• judd.baker +1 — This is excellent. Fantastic vocals, phenomenal horn section, and the crowd work is legendary. 10/10
• SamRobertsND 0 — I generally like Vulfpeck, and the last two minutes were pretty good, but the front two minutes really annoyed me. Usually a capital offense, but there is an even worse offender here.

shea nowicki: "Of all the classes that stand face to face with the bourgeoisie today, the proletariat alone is a really revolutionary class." -Karl Marx, Communist Manifesto

• ared56 +1
• fionmul +1 — See: the song can be both pleasant and on theme
• Regina Scime +1
• judd.baker +1 — This was my favorite song of the round. The lyrics are pretty overt but they are spot-on without being affiliated with any particular political moment which I think gets at the spirit of the round. Also just such a beautiful song wow
• Claire +1 — Tracy is the goat send tweet
• shea nowicki 0 — tbh, the Helder Camara quote "when I feed the poor, they call me a saint, but when I ask why the poor are hungry, they call me a communist" lives rent free in my brain and that's why I submitted this song
• SamRobertsND 0 — I couldn't tell if this was a man or a woman I was really sure that it was a man but then I googled it
• Edward James 0 — This was great, I’ve never heard it! Beat slightly by others.
• Joseph Harvey 0 — What’s with that *whisper* thing
• Sam Ary -1 — Too many big words in the Marx quote my brain doesn’t know what to do

• ared56 +1
• Edward James +1 — I love to hate this song, in the same way I hate to love it. It’s perfect, sadly.
• judd.baker +1 — Kid Rock invented grilling
• Claire +1 — This gets an upvote from me because it unlocked a long lost memory of the coach of my middle school club soccer team singing along to this while grilling for a team party
• fionmul 0 — yes.
• SamRobertsND 0 — Cookout vs grilling distinction is to be observed.
• Joseph Harvey 0 — This is just Walmart brand Sweet Home Alabama
• Regina Scime 0 — Fun fact I grew up near Kid Rock’s house

Regina Scime: we love a good umlaut

• SamRobertsND +1 — Peter: “wait actually this is the Regina submission” A beautiful song and Fiona is a choral pro as well; I like the take on the category.
• Claire +1 — A unique read of the category bc this is outside of the typical “fionacore” but seems like something she’d def enjoy. I feel like it’s only fair to reward the creativity with a upvote
• Sam Ary +1
• fionmul +1 — Fi the freshman Music Major: Brahms 🤌🏼 I love this text and this is v prit. True Fionacore™️ choral music is usually a capella however. The chord at 0:13 and 2:47 YUM. I think this is a lovely setting of this text, word and song fittingly interwoven. Which ofc you know matters 😉 This also brought to mind for me the “you are dark but comely” line from Song of Songs. Night is dark but comely. Overall I would say “I love this song” which is in fact the theme. I liked many of these but I loved few. 🥇First Prize! (probably second after my own blue ribbon-worthy submission. Perhaps an a capella setting would surpass even my own.)
• Edward James 0 — Fiona do be loving this stuff
• judd.baker 0 — Something choral had to be here for sure but this just doesn’t hit as hard as some others on this playlist

Sam Ary: Original by Otis Redding. Need some of this R-E-S-P-E-C-T fr…

• Regina Scime +3 — Love Otis Redding (R&B/soul musicians owe a lot to him), but this was the only cover that 100% was better than the original. Everything else was ok, but Aretha SINGS this.
• SamRobertsND +1 — I mentioned in my comment on Joseph’s that making a good song better is no small accomplishment. Aretha does not simply match Redding’s original but far surpasses, such that people nowadays firstly associate this with her rather than him (Johnny Cash did something similar with Hurt). An obvious vote.
• judd.baker +1 — This almost doesn’t read to me as a cover, which I know is ridiculous because it is a cover, but just goes to show how thoroughly Aretha owns the song. For this reason I feel compelled to upvote
• fionmul 0 — Obvi so good. Ultimately didn’t have enough votes and I liked the takes that picked a cover I didn’t know yet. Like vs the song being known better as the cover. But damn if I had 4-5 votes.
• Claire 0 — goated song but I feel like what I’m looking for in this round is a cover that innovates on the track that we all know and love…despite the fact that this is a cover, this is the version that became famous
• Edward James 0 — Sorry, but I just don’t feel good of voting a song where the original is not even known at all. I feel like this falls into that category, like “torn” by Natalie Imbruglia
• ared56 -1 — Downvoted because it’s just her song now. Similar to Midnight Train to Georgia for Gladys or I Will Always Love You by Whitney. While it fits the technical terms of the category, it seemed too easy. Letter of the law, not spirit etc

Claire: a masterclass in reinventing for a new genre while honoring the original

• ared56 +1
• SamRobertsND +1 — This one was screaming for a rock cover, and AAF nailed it. Played around with the details yet the song is still recognizable. It’s a classic banger in its own right, not much more to say.
• judd.baker +1 — This is such a fantastic cover, same notes as the T-Pain track; it’s doing something really unique, is very confident in how different it is from the original but as you said, still honors the original as well.
• Edward James +1 — It’s the GOAT. Simple as
• Sam Ary +1
• fionmul 0 — Hell yeah. This is so good. Ultimately I think it is similarly good to the original so it got beat. But this was an excellent pick and I hope it gets other people’s votes.
• Joseph Harvey -1 — Alas, the genre conversion does not work. Grating. I’d so much rather hear the original.

Edward James: I humbly request you listen closely. One of the greatest murder mysteries ever written, and want to hear peoples’ conclusions

• judd.baker +1 — It almost feels too predictable to upvote this but I cannot resist. This is a work of art. Bob Dylan is a master of the 8 minute epic, and that’s a style that is especially well suited to songs about taking life.
• ared56 +1
• shea nowicki +1
• Sam Ary +1
• SamRobertsND 0 — Peter: "I liked it as a song. I would say it's good, not great. It does involve people dying, but that's just one of many elements. I like the withheld elements." Cool song, I hadn't heard of it before. So Rosemary kills Big Jim out of jealousy? Who got shot? I'm assuming that the Jack of Hearts is the other gang member who is helping to keep things lively at the cabaret so that his partners can steal the money (Big Jim must've seen his face on a wanted poster). A good submission.
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Can I get the tiniest hint of variation over eight minutes please
• fionmul 0 — this was really good. ofc.
• Claire 0 — I definitely don’t have a strong take on whodunit but my one take is that the line saying the Jack of hearts is an actor is probably more significant than I realize. Great song. I don’t however have enough votes for every great song on this list.

• Edward James +1 — I don’t really like this song. I was going to skip over it. But then I remembered that my own proclivities and prejudices must be burned away like so much chaff so I may enter full into my role “in persona Claire” And then I knew it was a good choice.
• SamRobertsND +1 — Of the many things I'm going to miss when in the novitiate, making fun of Joseph and his isms will be chief among them. Room temperature water, an absurdly loud toothbrush, waxing his car... I could go on. However, I must give that water-slurping SOB credit where it's due. I think this is a Josephcore and Clairecore point of intersection. Have a vote, Joseph, as a treat.
• fionmul +1 — I like
• Regina Scime +1
• judd.baker 0 — A valiant effort from Joseph, and genuinely not a bad shout, but to quote Band CAMINO, “close but no cigarette”
• Claire 0 — A very respectable read. Likely would have been my fourth vote. I listen to much more than just hardcore/emo/pop punk music but nonetheless it’s a core part of my music taste. Holding Absence is one of those bands that is extremely adjacent to bands that I’m super into, and I definitely have put songs of theirs on playlists, but for whatever reason I’ve just never gotten super super into them. But this is a great song that I’d definitely listen to again

• fionmul +1 — I am torn because this feels like a meme but it is really good for this round. Mama Mulholland liked it.
• ared56 +1
• SamRobertsND +1 — Wow, check out the legendary fridge pull *reveals promotional Spider-Man Green Goblin flavored Pepsi* They're not Three Doors Down, but Creed is my Kryptonite
• Sam Ary +1 — 1 time for Creed
• Edward James 0 — This is a great choice, and one that I figured someone would make lol. I know this might be hypocritical, but I’ve just heard Sammy play this so much over the last three months that I can’t vote for it.
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Can’t take this seriously as a cry from the depths with that singing
• judd.baker 0 — This song just goes so hard. Beat out slightly by a few others in terms of lyrical content/matching of the theme, but credit must be given

Joseph Harvey: Any Sufjan hate will be met with swift and exacting retribution.

• shea nowicki +1 — Sufjan never misses. Slow, contemplative, pained.... this has it all. Very slay pick.
• Sam Ary +1
• Claire +1 — At this point I feel like a broken record but Sufjan really is just a master songwriter and this is one of his best. In the midst of grief and utter desolation and self destruction he still can’t escape the specter of the cross.
• judd.baker +1 — This whole album is very crying out from the depths, and this is an excellent pick from it.
• fionmul 0 — Come at me then; I actually do not like his voice here and do not like the song.
• Edward James 0 — I like this a lot, but again it seems to be a bit of a sad story song more so than a despair song to me.
• SamRobertsND 0 — Meh

Edward James: I do it for my daddy and I do it for Dale

• fionmul +2 — I really liked this take: the nihilistic American teen cries out, esp. considering the real life of the artist.
• shea nowicki +1 — Surprised me, but I really really liked the American teenage angst of this pick.
• Claire +1 — Ethel Cain I was not familiar with your game. I keep coming back to listen to this song. I think the ambient vibe/instrumentation/sonic landscape do a really excellent job of capturing the desperation we hear about lyrically. I really want to listen to the whole album now
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Vocals were drowned out by reverb so I can’t tell what she was saying
• SamRobertsND 0 — I liked this one well enough.

• Regina Scime +1
• Edward James +1 — I think this is the most inspired pick (other than my own of course 😎). I can hear Sammy giggling and saying “awesome” after nearly every single line of this song. Not only does it paint a vivid picture in specific language I know he would be tickled by, it also has just an absolutely incredible rhythm to it. In another world, I can imagine Sammy romancing his long lost South African love interest to this. Alas, a future, which like the train itself, has already departed the station.
• Joseph Harvey +1 — Absolutely banging submission. Captivating throughout its runtime, beautiful spoken word delivery and excellent musicianship. I was hoping for an African submission from someone, as that's an essential niche in the Sammy musical matrix, and this did not disappoint.
• Claire +1 — I feel like this is the sort of niche song that Sammy could really get into, bc it’s both musically interesting and also expresses a concrete, particular, cultural/historical moment
• SamRobertsND +1 — Pardon my french, but any lesser words would be unjust: this f**king blew me away. This is a perfect work of performance art. The growing percussion is brimming with dread, evoking the terror of the coal train. The lyrics drip out of the music. The extended/freeform brass section leads into palpably emotional singing, more crying out than anything else. The thundering finale is...how do you even describe it? Fury? Grief? Remembrance? Perhaps all three. As I said in another comment, I love songs that tell a story. Here, the song itself IS the story, or rather it's the whole performance rather than the lyrics alone. That might not make full sense, but it's hard to put into words what I think this accomplishes on emotional and sensual levels. I would've been entertained by a random African song but not mesmerized as I have been here. This pick was a masterstroke, edged out only by a deeper cut. Silver!! 🥈
• fionmul 0 — Any song that says “hinterland” I can appreciate. And that was some sexily elite trumpet playing dayum (in one of the 12 songs that happened in those 10 min) I just know Sami will eat this up.
• shea nowicki -1 — Listening to this while driving is tough.

• SamRobertsND +1 — I wanted to hate this but I really liked it. Really reminds me of Elton John esp around 2 minute mark for reasons I can't fully articulate. Liked it better than the hit so maybe it deserves 2? For Joseph, no.
• fionmul +1 — This is lowkey hit material
• judd.baker +1 — Loved this so much more than I expected to. I’m not super familiar with Dream Theater and I question its conformity to the theme, but for surprising me with a really enjoyable submission I shall upvote.
• Regina Scime +1 — Loved the 80’s vibes
• Claire 0 — I respect this read of the theme but it’s not how I personally read it. I had listened to dream theater but had no idea they had a single hit lol. Incredible sax tho

• SamRobertsND +1 — Very clever idea! This is pretty.
• fionmul +1 — 🤌🏼🤌🏼🤌🏼 have to respect the creativity (also is Mary a biblical one hit wonder for the Magnificat? Jk) the song length was reparation for your past sins and I accept your penance.
• ared56 +1
• Claire +1 — Pachelbel’s Spotify page. Enough said
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Left zero impression but it was ok red
• shea nowicki 0 — What is his more famous one? I'm ignorant and need to be educated

SamRobertsND: I’m not crying there’s something my eye

• fionmul +1 — 😭🥹🥰🙏🏼
• ared56 +1
• Regina Scime +1 — I have to, he’s the best
• shea nowicki +1
• Edward James 0 — Fun choice and fun to hear (I’m realizing I don’t think I’ve ever heard JPII speak until now).
• judd.baker 0 — Creative read of the category and honestly I love JPII’s voice. I had heard this exact Pater Noster before, something about his sweet, grandfatherly, Polish-accented Latin feels like a definitive version of this chant in my imagination. (Not enough upvotes tho)
• Claire 0 — Papa 🥲🥲

• Regina Scime +2 — He’s the king of live music, I swear
• judd.baker +1 — I can’t believe I didn’t think of this. Utterly spectacular submission. This song, and this performance, just balls on every conceivable level. Transcendent.
• shea nowicki +1
• Sam Ary +1
• SamRobertsND 0 — Doctor, it's an epidemic! Another case of songs that people like but the live version is just a better version of it without being iconic! Call the CDC!
• fionmul 0 — 😌 🚫💁🏻‍♀️🚫😭
• Edward James -1 — It might surprise some of you to learn I am a long time Bob Marley hater. Might be the republicanism that lives dormant in the deepest darkest catacombs of my being. Every time I hear him my first thought is “Get a job”

• SamRobertsND +1 — I didn't begin the song thinking I'd love it, but it captured me by the end. The anger and frustration is palpable. Seething resentment for the play-acting rich college student--very well done.
• Edward James +1 — I want to give this +2 because it’s such an incredible, near perfect song. However, it doesn’t jive as well with Sammy’s description. +1
• Joseph Harvey +1 — Bangs, more so than it has any right to
• Regina Scime 0 — Didn’t quite feel like an anthem
• Claire 0 — excellent song but not maximally fitting for theme (sorry Judd)

• shea nowicki +1
• Joseph Harvey +1 — This is what this is about. Captures that “screw you dad” pubescent energy essential to the revolutionary spirit
• Sam Ary +1
• SamRobertsND 0 — Better picks for this category on American Idiot that the titular song.
• Edward James 0 — Anti-American does not a communist anthem make
• fionmul 0 — figured maybe Joseph would like it and not too many would hate it
• Claire 0 — I dearly love this song but it is not the most on theme song from this album (Jesus of Suburbia is more fitting and I strongly considered submitting but decided it was too long and this audience wouldn’t have the attention span for it)

fionmul: American Summer 🍉🇺🇸🍔

• [DELETED] +2
• shea nowicki +1
• fionmul 0 — I just love this song man 🤘🏼
• SamRobertsND 0 — Cookout vs grilling distinction is to be observed, even for this banger (my sister and her husband Jesse walked into their reception to this so it holds a special place in my heart).
• Edward James 0 — Yes but not a standout imo
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Played this with my band at college!
• Claire 0 — Truly excellent song. It might be the most beautiful song I’ve ever been serenaded with at karaoke. Just wasn’t top 3 for the theme for me

• fionmul +1 — yep yep yep
• ared56 +1
• Edward James +1 — The year: 2003. Your cousin is returning from his second deployment to Afghanistan and your aunt is holding a barbecue to welcome him home. His 18 year old girlfriend Kathy is pregnant but neither of them knows it yet. As you put down your carton of Bug Juice™(the fluorescent blue one), you see your aunt’s third husband, Daryl, smoking a cigarette as he places a few more dogs on the grill, silhouetted by a gentle sunset. All is right in the world.
• Sam Ary +1
• judd.baker 0 — If I had a nickel for every song on this playlist about getting someone to cheat on their spouse, I would have two nickels
• Claire 0 — Narrowly missed my top 3. Uncle Kracker is unquestionably grillcore but I felt like lyrically other songs of his would have been a better fit. Respect the submission though
• [DELETED] -1

• ared56 +1
• SamRobertsND +1 — I hate this song with a burning passion but cannot vote against it. Consummate grilling vibe.
• Edward James +1 — Inspired choice. One of few that could bridge between every interpretation of “summer grilling”. Impeccable
• Sam Ary +1
• fionmul 0 — Mulholland core fr but doesn’t remind me of grilling
• shea nowicki 0 — Stellar song, slightly beat by other options
• Joseph Harvey -1 — I do not like this song. The narrator of the song sounds like a loser. Also obnoxious “wah wah” sounds

• fionmul +1 — I resisted the country urge because I know this crowd but thank you for doing this. I changed my last vote to this at the last second because the country vibes that important to me. And Kenny was a significant artist for me growing up 🥹
• Joseph Harvey +1 — Pretty fun
• Claire +1 — I’m not always a big country music girlie but this captures the vibe perfectly for me. I can so vividly imagine grilling somewhere in the south, sun beating down, cracking open a cold one, sitting on the tailgate…bliss
• Sam Ary +1
• SamRobertsND 0 — I love Kenny, one of the better bro country voices. But there were better choices from his repertoire (When the Sun Goes Down especially)
• shea nowicki -1 — it's a me problem... just not a Kenny Chesney girlie sadly

• Sam Ary +2 — Been listening to this cover for over a decade now, don’t know how I didn’t think of this myself. This would get all 3 of my votes if Alien Ant Farm’s Smooth Criminal wasn’t also on this playlist.
• fionmul +1 — Slay. > original
• SamRobertsND 0 — Joseph, I know you’ve been watching a lot of Law and Order recently, so you’re familiar with the concept of “fruit of the rotten tree,” and so when covering one of the worst songs in modern memory… Just kidding. It almost got my vote, as it turned a piece of garbage into something somewhat listenable (although only the faintest melodic traces of the original remain, so is it really still a cover?). This gets my fourth vote, as it’s easier to make a bad song good (especially when you basically reengineer the whole thing) than making a good song even better, which my final selections did.
• judd.baker 0 — This is silly but I still loved it
• Claire 0 — sorry Joseph but I do not agree that this is the best punk goes pop track
• Edward James 0 — I really really loved this. Enjoyed it and thought it was an incredibly fun interpretation. But interpretation was not the category, it was superior covers. And despite the fact that I love to hate the original, I do think it’s much better than this.

Regina Scime: Originally by The Beatles… this orchestration engenders an existential cry to the universe better than the original

• Joseph Harvey +2 — Ok, what the heck!! This was insanely good and contributes a ton to the song!
• fionmul +1 — This was so cool woah. I was ready to hate it cuz Cody Fry but I LOVE it. Why am I like gonna cry?!
• Claire +1 — My first listen of this song was on the south shore line and it didn’t quite hit, felt a little melodramatic. Second listen was in terminal 3 of ORD and this time I really dug the way he works more texture and narrative into the original material with the choral and orchestral arrangements. I feel like the (successful imo) creative reworking merits a vote
• shea nowicki +1
• judd.baker 0 — I wanted to like this but just couldn’t really get into it. It’s not bad, it’s definitely different from the original in compelling ways and the production value is high, but it almost seems like it’s trying too hard
• SamRobertsND -1 — This is a good example of confusing the sum of parts for a whole. The original Eleanor Rigby is one of the Beatles’ masterpieces. It is economical in runtime and minimal in production, yet it is dripping with mystery, packing a huge punch with little and in little time. This overly-long and over-produced imitation replaces any mystery with boring bombast. A good cover is a metamorphosis of one creature into another of equal or greater beauty. Like the Star Wars sequels, this is a puppeteered corpse dressed in new clothes, relying on brash restatements of the original’s accoutrements while losing the soul to which those elements were subordinated and given purpose.
• Edward James -1 — I actually really liked the instrumental opening here, very beautiful and Star Wars esque. But then it takes a nosedive imo. One time I saw a Beatles Christmas musical at an evangelical mega church. The music, performance, technical chops were all amazing and it was very fun. Despite almost everyone in the performance being a better vocalist than the individual Beatles, I would still not consider them better or even comparable. I feel the same way hearing this song. It has all the beauty and none of the artistic merit. Really just taking this as a moment to expound on why I often find beautiful vocals to be of only middling importance in music. Overall, the song was fine.

Edward James: T Pain is a renaissance man of the highest order

• ared56 +1
• SamRobertsND +1 — This is a great cover that succeeds in doing something different than the original while still remaining very recognizable. T-Pain’s depth is on full display, and he kills the cover. Glad to see him doing such excellent work all these years later.
• judd.baker +1 — This is it. THIS is a great cover. At first I didn’t think it was doing something all that different but it gets real good fast. Funky, doing something very distinct, interesting all the way through. I enjoyed.
• Claire +1 — I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this. Upvote for surprise, good deployment of organ, and genuinely cool vocals
• fionmul 0 — This was chaotic for me. I like the original better.
• Joseph Harvey 0 — When your production budget is $5
• shea nowicki -1

• Joseph Harvey +1 — Gorgeous. Rare Sammy + Joseph musical solidarity moment
• fionmul +1 — 10/10, hope this wins, begrudgingly
• Regina Scime +1 — I have to vote for Ray Charles
• Sam Ary +1
• SamRobertsND 0 — Peter: "Good song, not my favorite. The action of the killing is secondary to the romance. I wish there was something from the killer's perspective." Incredible production, dripping with flair. Ray and Willie is a wild combination. This would be an informed Cowboy Summer submission for Songs Sammy Would Love. However, I'm not sure I like it enough to take a vote from my other favorites on here. I'd disagree with Peter that the identity of the killers is a critical component of the song. Sometimes an enigmatic killing force works very well. as I think it does here. But I like other songs better.
• Edward James 0 — Banger, and the Ray Charles collab is amazing. But just got beaten by others for the theme, imo.
• Claire -1 — This just felt kinda corny to me and didn’t quite hit, sorry

• SamRobertsND +1 — Peter: "I don't normally like that musical style but this was done really well, I liked it. It fits the theme well, told from the killer's perspective and yet there's real pathos there still. It almost feels like the killer believes his own excuses." I love the Killers' sound, how could a Hillsdale alumnus not. I agree with everything Peter said, and the fact that it was based on a real murder makes it all the more poignant.
• shea nowicki +1
• Edward James +1 — This is one of my favorite songs ever. That driving bass line is heavenly. The five song stretch from this song to “All These Things That I’ve Done” (and on their debut album nonetheless) is one of the greatest five song stretches in music history. Which makes it all the more astounding that I never knew it was about a murder mystery. Perfect submission, well done.
• fionmul 0 — memorable, but if this was claire i love you forever

• Edward James +1 — I like this song a lot and I think Claire will too. However to me (Eddie, not me as Claire) it just seems to be a knockoff of “Good 4 U” without enough stylistic difference
• SamRobertsND +1 — Fiona? I think this gets the girlpop Claire, so it gets a vote. I liked it as well.
• shea nowicki +1 — Wow this song is a BOP.
• judd.baker +1 — This is the stuff
• fionmul 0 — Hmmm idk but I think not
• Claire 0 — I predicted (correctly) that the submissions weren’t going to get at this facet of my music taste. I love some good girly pop, especially the kind that’s a little bit angsty and best played while driving with the windows down and aggressively dancing/finger pointing.
• Joseph Harvey -1 — This is a pretty mid and irritating pop song without much to recommend it. Use of profanity is tired and adds nothing

shea nowicki: Sammy, I thought you might appreciate knowing that this is the only round so far where I had to create an actual playlist to weigh my options. A whole discernment experience...and Caamp, in the end, prevailed

• fionmul +2 — I think this is a great Caamp selection, a glimmering example of choosing from your own favorites. The lyrics are really great. You can so easily read it in a spiritual lens, perhaps it was intended. Reading the words and pondering Sts Peter and Paul and the homily the priest gave on Peter today, I could hear Peter (perhaps Sammy too) singing this as he staggers forward with fear and trembling. And lastly this is an example of Caamp singing more gently and in such a way that the uniqueness of his voice is very fitting and raw and lovely even. The ending provides a hopeful mood.
• ared56 +1
• judd.baker 0 — I am not aware of Sammy’s thoughts on Caamp, so I could be way off here, but it just doesn’t strike me as his style
• Edward James 0 — To be completely honest, I don’t peg Sammy as a big fan of this style. I’m sure the content itself will resonate though.
• Joseph Harvey 0 — If Caamp didn't give away this submitter, 'discernment' in the comment sure did. I think Sammy would like but not love. It's a little slow for me to my own enjoyment, withholding upvote
• SamRobertsND 0 — Aw, so sweet! Your discernment paid off, this is a great number. This is a perfect marriage of lyrics and sound imo. This is the sort of song I would listen to when I'm feeling really pensive and need to be by myself, walking up to Grotto at 11pm or something. It's also the sort of music my sister loves, so it is endearing to me on that level as well. Assuming the vocals don't annoy me (these don't haha), I will never not like this sort of acoustic music. Thank you for your thoughtfulness and this lovely addition to the repertoire. You nailed it!

• SamRobertsND +1 — Probably the most famous of the live performances on here, and for good reason. I won't punish going with an obvious choice, especially this one. As the submitter already knows probably, this was the culmination of more than a decade of trying to get into Folsom and perform after the initial recording. Usually, a live performance's power needs visuals to be most keenly felt, but all you need is that prisoner cheering after "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash." A live album for the ages.
• Joseph Harvey +1 — Pretty classic, hard to argue!
• shea nowicki +1
• fionmul 0 — Iconic
• Edward James 0 — A classic, and it rocks, but doesn’t stand out of the pack for me
• judd.baker 0 — This is definitely canonical and deserves to be here but I liked a few other submissions more. Excellent song and legendary performance tho

Joseph Harvey: burn it all to the ground

• ared56 +1
• Sam Ary +1
• shea nowicki 0 — Yep, that hit
• SamRobertsND 0 — "A bit much" - Larry David
• Edward James 0 — As a RATM purist, I actually think there are like 5 other songs from them that would fit the category better. However, it’s a banger
• Claire 0 — idk this was too overtly about Bush/Gore for me, and while there is plenty one can criticize about them this response feels more like an angsty teenage rebellion than a true proletariat call to action

• SamRobertsND +1 — Harry McClintock is one of the great masters; if you like American folk, you better be thanking him, as he is at the head of that tradition in its modern form. This song perfectly captures the theme, portraying the fantastic, anarchic dreamland of the American hobo, whose modern successors are the schizophrenic drifters at OLR who will get into heaven long before any of us. You get my last upvote.
• Joseph Harvey +1 — Hits the nail on the head. Also pokes fun at the socialist utopian fantasy as being just that
• judd.baker +1 — Also inspired choice. I love reading this as a sort of ironic communist anthem. Great submission
• Edward James 0 — I LOVE this song, but don’t feel it gets the category fit well enough to earn a vote. Watch “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” if you haven’t
• fionmul 0 — I think we need more votes since there are this many songs now… I liked this
• Claire -1 — Maybe this is way off (but I wouldn’t be the first person in this group to give a way of interpretation)…I read this as a satire on the absurdity of a communist utopia. Hard to pick a downvote this round but it must be done

• SamRobertsND +1 — Luckily you picked the only Lynyrd song that works for grilling; just slow paced enough.
• judd.baker +1 — I’m trying to decide if it being a 7 minute song detracts from or adds to the grilling vibes and I think it is a plus
• fionmul 0 — It has to be a bit more hype imo or like upbeat
• Edward James 0 — Again, so good. But too melancholic. I think there’s a subtle distinction between “sunset grilling over an empty yard” and “summer grilling for friends” and I interpreted the latter as the way to go for this category.
• Joseph Harvey 0 — 😴
• Claire 0 — I guess you could listen to this while grilling some dogs to eat your feelings after the love of your life leaves you but idk if that’s the vibe

shea nowicki: when I first heard this song was convinced it was Lizzy

• Joseph Harvey +1 — Five seconds in, you understood the assignment. Lizzy may need to file a lawsuit. Bonus points for arguable “accidentally about Jesus.” I really like this, listened twice in a row. This could have done numbers in Songs Joseph Would Love.
• Edward James +1 — I liked this one a lot! Seems very Fiona, in an intuitive sense
• SamRobertsND 0 — Peter: “good. I think Fiona would like it” Sammy: I think this is too much in the Lizzy uncanny valley
• Claire 0 — Lizzy clone but that’s fionacore ig
• judd.baker 0 — Good read of the category I think, though a bit more forgettable than others
• fionmul 0 — Fi the wanderer/wonderer: This is a really pretty Lizzy lookalike and even some of the instrumentation reminds me of her recent album. For me it is not interesting all the way through in the way I wanted and the lyrics are meh. Just narrowly missed the podium. But you win the Lizzy lookalike contest. In fairness to my taste however, if this were a Lizzy song it would probably not be one of my favorites. upper middle of the pack. 🪐

Edward James: SB Idol Contender

• Regina Scime +1
• judd.baker +1 — Maybe my favorite of this round, I really enjoyed this
• Joseph Harvey 0 — This nails the vocal chops part of the Fiona music taste equation. The vibe doesn’t feel like an exact match though.
• SamRobertsND 0 — Peter: “this sounds more like something Regina would like” Sammy: nice and I think Fiona would like it but there are better options.
• Claire 0 — I rock with this but I am out of votes alas
• fionmul 0 — Fi the showstopper: Perhaps I am too hard to nail down because the vocals are objectively good and it would be quite impressive to hear live. But I am not partial to the voice/this just is not my vibe. 3rd-to-last pl.

shea nowicki: Original by Tom Petty

• fionmul +1 — I really love this cover, ofc super Fionacore. I do think it is way better than the original and fresh and different. It was also on my CO playlist alongside To The Mountains 😭 Also Jesus vibes; you belong in freedom, in the garden!
• ared56 +1
• Joseph Harvey 0 — This was better than the other one
• SamRobertsND 0 — If you’re going for Tom, you better be pretty darn remarkable. I liked this cover, the singers are beautiful, but I don’t think it surpasses the original in any way.
• judd.baker 0 — I am not a Tom Petty fan so take this with a grain of salt but this is 100% a better cover than the original
• Claire 0 — This was lovely but didn’t feel suuuper innovative or impressive. It was however the wildflowers cover I enjoyed more, mainly bc of the harmonies
• Edward James 0 — This was good! I’ve never been super into tom petty’s more whimsical music and these takes are good interpretations. Liked the other one more tho

judd.baker: Original by Elliot Smith (not to be confused with Gotye)

• Claire +1 — Genuinely enjoyed this one. I think the slower tempo especially gives it a different vibe from the OG but in a cool way
• Edward James +1 — Hadn’t heard the original but listened to it and this and I liked this more. Simple as
• shea nowicki +1
• SamRobertsND 0 — I like Seth Avett at certain times, at others I find him entirely unremarkable. This was one of those latter times. Both songs were equally unmemorable for me (rip Elliot Smith).
• fionmul -1 — This was mid or sub mid for me. Strings helped. Also was a short song so thanks. Listened to the original and also didn’t like it. This is a touch better. I think I just dislike them both.

fionmul: (the Beatles)

• Joseph Harvey +1 — This works
• shea nowicki +1
• fionmul 0 — I just think this is so cool. I love that he heard the original and was like “Imma cover dat.”
• SamRobertsND 0 — Come Together is one of the Beatles hits that never did it for me. These songs seem more of less the same to me in terms of quality.
• judd.baker 0 — Not convinced it’s better than the original but MJ’s vocals eat on this track. The “mojo filter / spinal cracker” breakdown at the end cracked me up
• Claire 0 — he might be the best to ever do it but this cover wasn’t impressive to me. I expect more from the king
• Edward James 0 — This is a great cover and shows MJ has a deep love for this song, but there’s no way it beats the original, and that’s the category 😎

Sam Ary: Lyrics got this man locked up for life

• SamRobertsND +1 — Peter: "Good song. Definitely about murder. That it was based on a real story adds some pathos. I don't usually like this style and I liked this." Glad to see the hip hop representation, we need more of it. This one stole a vote! Doesn't get more authentic than the murderer himself singing. YNW Clan will persevere without Melly.
• ared56 +1
• Edward James +1 — This represents something we would be missing if it was not present in this round. Just like Stackerlee is “folk” music in the sense it portrays day-to-day situations of real people in contemporary language, this is the same for the modern time. Great choice and read.
• judd.baker 0 — This very nearly got my vote. Good read. Just not as much of a vibe
• fionmul 0 — type of music i listened to as a junior in high school, unfortunately. in some ways the realest of the submissions, but this contained cuss words that make me cringe
• Claire 0 — Unquestionably a killing song content wise. Artistically/musically, though, I didn’t enjoy it as much as others on this list
• Joseph Harvey -1 — Uh no

judd.baker: The Decemberists were made for this round

• ared56 +1
• shea nowicki +1
• Edward James +1 — I really loved this, just about gratuitous violence without any background context. Really imbues the vibe of the theme imo. The “culling” terminology makes it very mysterious. Love it.
• Claire +1 — Like this take on the theme a lot, and I feel like the instrumentation really adds to the eerie/ironic vibe of the song. I didn’t have a single criterion for judging this round but I think the ones that I voted for all struck me as doing something particularly artistically interesting (in addition to being about killing of course)
• SamRobertsND 0 — Peter: "Good instrumentals, catchy. Not really sure what it is about." I liked it on a basic level but got distracted in a way that I didn't listening to other contenders on here. Lyrics too ambiguous/figurative for me to compete with the more literal competitors on here.
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Cool
• fionmul -1 — this was lyrically disturbing (albeit on theme) and i just in general didn’t like it
• Regina Scime -1 — Are you okay

shea nowicki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wayne_Gacy

• judd.baker +1 — Hard song to listen to. But it absolutely deserves a vote.
• Joseph Harvey +1 — Absolute masterpiece. The closing line is haunting
• Claire +1 — Would deserve an upvote based purely on the song’s merits. Sufjan in his troubadour element, somehow telling a gruesome and devastating story with compelling beauty. But that aside, I think I’d upvote anyway purely on principle as a way of taking a stand after last league’s Sufjan hate
• SamRobertsND 0 — Peter: "Musically good, definitely about killing someone." An utterly amazing song. As I said in chat, I had this in mind for a Flannery O'Connor round. Monster as mirror. Gut wrenching and convicting. It devastates me every time I listen to it.
• fionmul 0 — i liked this. not to be the stereotype of myself, but i would love Lizzy to cover it
• Edward James 0 — Bold move to write a song like this, have to respect it. But for the round, I am partial to songs actually about killing.
• ared56 -1

SamRobertsND: Anonymous inmate recorded in 1947-48.

• judd.baker +1 — Moving. Excellent
• Regina Scime +1
• SamRobertsND 0 — Peter: "Very haunting and raw, unpolished. I like it." I love that it's an anonymous inmate. Wrongfully imprisoned man? Petty criminal? Hardened murderer? We'll never know. The reverberation of the jail and the background noises of inmates adds a lot.
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Haunting
• fionmul 0 — i thought this was a great song, just not enough votes!
• Edward James 0 — I’ve heard a lot of versions of this song, and this is one of the best for sure. If you don’t know, Alan Lomax traveled the country for years finding folk and blues artists and recording them. Probably one of the greatest contributions to popularizing American music, as it led directly to the folk/blues revival in the 60s which influence mainstream music till today. It nearly misses my vote only because I’m well familiar with it, and I feel like others deserve more recognition for an interesting read of the theme.
• Claire 0 — Really cool. If I had another vote to give to it I could.

• shea nowicki +1 — I love this song!
• Regina Scime +1
• Edward James 0 — This strikes me as very generic
• SamRobertsND 0 — Discount Train
• Joseph Harvey 0 — I do not enjoy this at all, but I feel like Claire might. Mentions Chicago so I’m guessing Eddie submission
• fionmul 0 — Ehh
• Claire 0 — This is exactly the sort of song I’d play while driving to Lake Michigan in the summer. It’s a very specific vibe that I’m not feeling all the time, but it fits that niche perfectly.

• ared56 +1
• judd.baker +1 — I quite like this, I almost submitted Clairo
• Edward James 0 — “Nothing Happens” is a fitting album title as nothing happens in this song
• SamRobertsND 0 — More of an Eddie song than anything else. I think Claire would like this song, not love it.
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Didn’t leave any impression. Nothing Happens, indeed. This song is aptly named
• fionmul 0 — This is cute; on the verge of boring though (so the answer is almost)
• Claire 0 — This is a song I’d play while driving to the Pacific Ocean (distinct vibe from driving to Lake Michigan). I like what I’ve heard of wallows and I really like Clairo, though I hadn’t heard this one before. Again, it fills a very specific niche for me and doesn’t feel like it’s quite the sort of music I’d listen to regularly but I did enjoy

• Joseph Harvey +1 — Great choice Sammy. This is beautiful and poetic
• Claire +1 — Just devastating. This song breaks my heart every time I listen to it. Assuming this is a Sammy pick. Well played
• judd.baker +1 — Lyrically this is perfect, I think this is a bullseye for the theme. It’s not just sad, it’s devastated
• fionmul 0 — Almost there for me, maybe a 5th or 4th vote. I listened and heard mainly a story but wanted to hear him cry out more explicitly.
• Edward James 0 — Fantastic song, but I agree with Fiona again here that this is more a story and not a cry from the depths, which is what I was looking for
• SamRobertsND 0 — My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
• Regina Scime -1

Sam Ary: Long live the Queen

• Regina Scime +2 — Only the cultured know why this piece is so sad
• fionmul 0 — Stop don’t make me cry. ILY Princess Di.
• Edward James 0 — I feel like this is actually more of a hopeful song. It fits in terms of how it sounds, but when you look at the words, I don’t think if fits the category.
• SamRobertsND 0 — The other classical piece on here was better.
• Claire 0 — This song is so beautiful. And it’s definitely mournful, but to me it feels mournful in a way that’s more hopeful and restful? Respect the read of the theme but it’s just not what I was looking for

Joseph Harvey: I’m hoping this constitutes a somewhat rare intersection on Sammy’s and my musical Venn diagram

• Edward James +1 — On my listen through, I had this firmly in the middle of the pack. But in writing my comments on each song, I’ve realized that there are certain elements of this which I think will move it up in estimation when compared against the other others. This is a field with a lot of deeper songs, and one like this that is fun, witty, and outlandish, while still being serious and incredibly catchy is worth a vote.
• ared56 +1
• fionmul 0 — Country-singing, bareback-riding Air Force brat? Be still my heart! I enjoyed reading his bio. The research I am doing on each of these songs feels fitting for Sammy’s category. BRB gonna set my pomodoro method timer.
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Demon horses are just cool
• Claire 0 — Didn’t have a vote for this but I really liked it as a read of the theme bc it plays into the classic Sammy Wild West bit and yet it’s not just a generic cowboy song, it’s a mythical narrative
• SamRobertsND 0 — Montesquieu once said England is a republic hiding under a monarchy, and this is a Sting song hiding under a country western song, as you know full well, Joseph. Just for once, however, I won't tease you, as you did really well here. I love some of Chris LeDoux's other songs, so you picked the right artist out of the country haystack. I've said several times that for these "Songs X would love" rounds, you should really look for intersection of interests rather than a random pick, and the former clearly led you in the right direction here (I hate a ton of country music, so that's a dangerous guessing game). This is a deeply Sammy-coded song: ballad about deadly man and beast in the Western wilderness, Cormac McCarthy would be proud. I think we agree on more music than you'd think (I half expected some Aquariumcore), but this is definitely the closest point of intersection, only beat out by a few others that really did it for me. You can hang up your spurs and hat with pride. Runner Up!!

• judd.baker +1 — Excellent choice. I loved this and I feel that Sammy will too
• ared56 +1
• Edward James 0 — A deep cut city pop song was something I considered as well, but I think would be too cliché coming from me. I really liked this one in particular, and I think Sammy as well would appreciate the vocal performance. I think this one is also a winner, but just beaten out in a field of absolutely fantastic submission.
• fionmul 0 — The very beginning had me like “am I being rickrolled” I’d throw down at the club in Tokyo to this/do drunk Romaji karaoke of it
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Slightly more vintage J pop seems like the right vibe here vs. the more modern other submissioon
• Claire 0 — Important element of Sammycore: a funky beat. And for all his love of America we mustn’t neglect his deep appreciation for Japanese culture. Then again…are not the Japanese the cowboys of the east?
• SamRobertsND 0 — I really thought I was going to be the only Japanese submission this round, but Nature finds a way. I think this is Claire? Such acumen befits her, and indeed, I do like me some City Pop. Thanks to her, we got a family tree of Japanese pop in this playlist (both entries are downstream from the Kayōkyoku genre & Haruomi Hosono in particular, I think). As they did with baseball, the Japanese took readily to American jazz & funk, creating this cool sound that dominated their musicscape, especially in the early 80s. This is probably going to be one of the more unjust and hypocritical no votes, especially from others' perspective. I like this song and am impressed by how on the same wavelength you were as me, but in the big world of Jpop, I like the more Yellow Magic Orchestra evolutionary strand of my song much more (this is definitely Eddie’s strand tho), & other strong entries won out. Forgive the electoral slight here and know that you still nailed it in the main, senpai.

• Joseph Harvey +1 — Unintentionally about Jesus. …or is it?
• judd.baker +1 — This was excellent. I think the essence of this category is to find a band for whom having just one hit was almost a quirk of fate, and behind that one hit is a collection of other songs wherein that band was simply doing what they did, and well. This song is just more fun New Wave-y goodness. Def enjoyed.
• Regina Scime +1 — I didn’t know who The Proclaimers were, but I could tell what their hit was as soon as they started singing haha. Loved this!!
• SamRobertsND 0 — They are like Philip Phillips, just do the same thing different ways. As an anonymous person once said, this is 501 Miles. Not bad just the same thing, not much to see here.
• Claire 0 — 500 miles in a different font. Not sure if that’s a pro or a con. But clearly they’re a one hit wonder for a reason ig
• fionmul -1 — So their hit is 100% annoying and this is medium/high annoying congrats

judd.baker: Adam Schlesinger is the Andy Warhol of pop music. He is a master at crafting songs that manage to be ironic and earnest at the same time, simple and straightforward yet beautiful in their straightforwardness. It’s no wonder that when Tom Hanks wanted to make a movie about the very concept of the one hit wonder, he got Adam Schlesinger to write the fictional “one hit” in question. (That Thing You Do!, for those keeping score at home.) Stacy’s Mom is unassailable for its lyrical creativity and pop ingenuity, but look even a little bit below the surface and you’ll find a career filled with clever, insightful, delightfully sugary pop goodness. Trust me, this Fountain is deep.

• ared56 +1
• shea nowicki +1 — I really really liked this!!! Almost more than Stacey's mom oddly enough??
• SamRobertsND 0 — Utterly forgettable. There are far better Fountains of Wayne options.
• fionmul 0 — Almost did one of theirs too haha. Very unexpected and sweet sound but unmemorable. The one I had picked out was better alas (Sink to the Bottom)
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Generally a snoozefest but the chorus isn’t tooo bad?
• Claire 0 — This submission inspired me to listen to the entire album. Fountains of Wayne are so good. But I feel like there are better songs that could have been picked for the purposes of music league (sorry)

judd.baker: This may be the Avett Brothers best song and there is literally only the live version

• fionmul +1 — I love dese bruvs and had never heard this. Prime Mulhollandcore nostalgia.
• Claire +1 — It’s hard to describe exactly what about this song/performance/recording make it work so well, but you can just hear and feel that the band is in control of what’s happening musically, taking you with them through the sonic and emotional ebb and flow of the song. It’s not just a live recording of the band playing one of their songs, it’s a performance (a fine but important distinction imo).
• SamRobertsND 0 — Love the Avett Brothers. Like the John Mayer, this is nice but unmemorable for me. Almost stole a vote with that Thin Lizzy sample at the end though.
• Edward James 0 — This is great, but like the John Mayer one, I just don’t see what specifically separates this from a normal, good live performance

Regina Scime: absolute KINGS

• Edward James +1 — Similar to my earlier comment on Vulfpeck, this is a live track where you can feel the power and the uniqueness of the moment. It elevates it above and beyond what a studio recording can capture. It’s got that je ne sais quoi. Great selection.
• Joseph Harvey +1 — Really well done. Sells the song
• Sam Ary +1
• SamRobertsND 0 — This was great. Runner up for me.
• fionmul 0 — 👩🏻‍🍳💋🤌🏼
• judd.baker 0 — Feels criminal not to upvote this song because this is just immaculate. There were a few songs on this playlist that I simply enjoyed more, but this is honorable mention fs.
• Claire 0 — Billy I love you. You get an upvote in my heart 🤍
• ared56 -1

• shea nowicki +1 — Okay wow this went way harder than I anticipated
• SamRobertsND 0 — Imagining an army of Transformers Miatas and other cars marching in place and singing this song before a high maestro Joseph, high collared dracula cape around neck and hands busily turning knobs and dials on his synthesizer, conducting the mechanical orchestra.
• Edward James 0 — Fine
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Meh
• fionmul 0 — Feels Corey-core
• Regina Scime 0 — Felt more like a common anthem, but not quite communist enough for me
• Claire 0 — Maybe it’s bc I don’t know the context of the game but to me, while this was a song about the working class, this was not obviously a song about the working class being oppressed

• ared56 +1
• Regina Scime +1 — Communist , yes Anthem, not quite?
• Sam Ary +1
• SamRobertsND 0 — Nice but a third of the song was unnecessary intro. Endearing to some, but it annoyed me.
• judd.baker 0 — Submitting an actual 20th century leftist political song for this round has the same energy as Evanescence for the unintentionally Christian round
• Claire 0 — Obviously on theme but arguably too obviously on theme. Not an “alternative” anthem
• Joseph Harvey -1 — I never wanted to know what it would sound like if white people had invented rap, but now I do, unfortunately
• fionmul -1 — Okay I am sorry this was just purgative and arguably not a song

• Edward James +1 — I LOVE this read of the category, fits the description but also has an independent flair. Also Steely Dan is the GOAT
• SamRobertsND 0 — My father would have me go against the wall for not voting for this, but I just ran out of votes! I absolutely love the interpretation of the category; reflects deep reading.
• fionmul 0 — Pleasant; in the end I had to give it to Tracy but it was close. Needed more votes. This sounds like something Judd would cover (in a good way)
• Regina Scime 0 — Is this a song just about an affair…?
• judd.baker 0 — Banger and a great submission for this category but it is hard for me to hear the proposed alternative interpretation of the lyrics without still hearing the very overt actual meaning of the lyrics

Joseph Harvey: Also recommended for lawn mowing

• judd.baker +1 — I will go against the grain. This is a great song for this theme. Inspired choice
• [DELETED] +1
• Claire +1 — Midwest lawnmower God bless America core 🦅🇺🇸
• fionmul 0 — Sounds like I burned the burgers (maybe in a good way but just not enough votes sry JH)
• SamRobertsND -1 — “Tell me you’ve never grilled without telling me you’ve never grilled”
• Edward James -1 — I actually think this song is pretty good, but fundamentally wrong for the category imo

• fionmul +1 — hard to miss here 😉
• shea nowicki +1
• SamRobertsND 0 — A fun one but not right for this. Props for not posting the terrible Fallout Boy version at least.
• Edward James 0 — Too frantic. Grilling is a meditative, transcendent reality. That doesn’t mean it’s slow, but it’s also not hectic.
• Claire 0 — It’s giving “dad” but not “grilling” for me ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
• judd.baker -1 — I just hate this song so much

• Claire +1 — I like this one a lot because rather than picking something random just bc Fiona would like it, Sammy has correctly (imo) identified a point where Sammycore and Fionacore intersect. Lovely song too
• Edward James 0 — Reeks of Sammy submission
• fionmul 0 — Fi the country girl/resignedly unrequited lover: The album cover reminds me of the prodigal son hitting rock bottom. BUT THE LYRICS idk who put this but it’s a personal attack. Someone who knows something mayhaps. But in sum I liked the words a lot and it overall grew on me and grew onto the podium like a stubborn viney plant.🥉bronze

• Joseph Harvey +1 — I have a feeling Claire would like Chance. There’s some cool delivery in the verses, but I’m not sold on the coughing samples in the chorus. Still a cool pick
• judd.baker +1 — I think this is an enlightened read of the category
• Claire +1 — This was the submission that impressed me the most. You had no way of knowing that I listened to this song every night of my freshman year of college while playing pool. But this is exactly the sort of hip hop/rap music that I really really dig, and gets at a side of my music taste that isn’t always as obvious. I hope, as Eddie suggested in the chat, that Chance makes his comeback soon.
• Edward James 0 — Sadly I think this is a case of “amazing taste, poor execution”. Going with a Chance song is a good move, but I don’t think this is the right song for the theme.
• SamRobertsND 0 — Claire was adopted by Chicago
• fionmul -1 — If Claire loves this I must just really not know her
• Regina Scime -1

Edward James: I have been utterly transfixed by this song for over a decade now

• fionmul +1 — this was unique and pleasant. I like.
• Claire +1 — Great shout by Eddie (who didn’t know that Judd showed this to me a couple weeks ago after Eddie showed it to him). It’s a bit outside of my typical listening wheelhouse but the vocals are just amazing and it kind of surprises you with where it goes melodically/instrumentally. And I think that tracks with the uncertainty that’s being expressed lyrically. More generally I do feel like this is a song that does a neat job of embodying the conceptual/lyrical content in the energy and movement of the music itself.
• SamRobertsND 0 — A podium entry in "Songs that Brad Would Love." Ran out of votes for songs that I thought already covered the Claire spectrum of interests. This is probably the best song on the list, though.
• Joseph Harvey 0 — No idea if this will land or not
• judd.baker 0 — I know I spoiled the surprise but it’s so good I couldn’t help myself
• ared56 -1

fionmul: 🤘🏼

• Joseph Harvey +1 — Jonny Craig is a phenomenal singer but I think he has much stronger material. Claire will like this well enough but I can’t see it being a massive hit. Still, as I don’t enjoy most of the picks this round, it gets a vote.
• Edward James 0 — Attempted bilmuri stand in. A valiant effort, but no
• SamRobertsND 0 — It's possible that Claire submitted this song, although I'm 30-70 on that. I hope not, because it sucks. Monotonous and forgettable; I hope Claire has better taste.
• fionmul 0 — I understand the lookalike temptation now since I was looking at Camino/bilmuri vibes but I genuinely liked this and think Claire might too. Love? Remains to be seen. The vocals are really pretty to me.
• Claire 0 — Another good submission honoring this area of my taste by Joseph (or someone advised by Joseph). This song didn’t quite hit for me and it’s kind of hard to articulate exactly why. I really enjoy the vocals—I love a good run in songs of this genre. I think maybe the chorus just was musically/lyrically not quite at the level of energy I was hoping it would be? I certainly like it and there’s not really anything I actually dislike about it—on paper it’s a great pick—but for whatever reason it just didn’t have the sauce to make my top 3

• shea nowicki +1
• judd.baker 0 — I really liked this song. I’m not 100% positive where it falls on the Sammy “like-to-love” spectrum and I’m curious to hear his thoughts. But for me personally I thought this was great
• Edward James 0 — This is so smooth and buttery. Sammy loves a genre song with a good groove. I feel like this one will just get beaten out by others, though, although I must note that I personally really really loved it and want to check out more by this band
• fionmul 0 — This seems to be a Corey and Sami type intersection which is fun. This reminds me of like slow driving in the city at night with the windows down.
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Zero impression
• SamRobertsND 0 — When in doubt, go back to the well, Regina, and you drew up a bucket of groovy waters. I was talking with Claire about how I really love funk; idk how evident that is in most music I share or am known to like (I almost posted a song from Shinyribs, my current band obsession, which is country rock-funk fusion). This is a song I would listen to walking through Howard Park on a nice Sunday, or possibly while doing work at a coffee shop. I bet you could've gotten me with a niche classical piece as well. At this point in ML, i think it's safe to say we have pretty different tastes lol, but everyone has some overlap somewhere, and you eventually found it. A splendid submission.

SamRobertsND: Outer space horizons, symphony of synth, West German Woman cries into the long dark night.

• fionmul +1 — Would you believe me if I said I thought about submitting a Nena song?
• ared56 +1
• judd.baker +1 — Incredible work. I have heard zero other Nena songs besides 99 Luftballons, but this song (like The Redeemers track) suggests a career that was just filled with her doing other great things in her genre.
• Joseph Harvey -1 — Torment. That was 7 minutes I will never get back
• Claire -1 — I love Nena’s voice but song itself is forgettable imo. The long intro really detracts from the song too. Hard to pick a downvote bc there’s a reason none of these songs are popular…but I had to downvote one. Sorry Sammy

• Claire +1 — I genuinely enjoyed this song? And the one hit itself is an excellent shout. I absolutely didn’t know the name of the artist who sang the home song
• SamRobertsND 0 — Unappealing
• fionmul 0 — Dis alright, dated fs but not all too shabby
• Joseph Harvey 0 — In parts of this later on, there were occasional melody notes that were slightly interesting. Still blah overall
• judd.baker 0 — Beat out by other submissions but I’m going on record this is an excellent choice. I love this song and I think maybe I even enjoy it more than Home, which is the essence of a good also-ran by a one hit wonder.
• shea nowicki 0 — I do not really love this song. & truly learned a lot about why so many bands ARE 1 hit wonders while trying to pick a song this round lol

Edward James: My runner up for Superior Cover.

• SamRobertsND +1 — I loved this! The brass is amazing. I like Weird Al songs as humor/bits, but this shows just what a talented singer he really is.
• ared56 +1
• judd.baker +1 — This is fabulous. Had not heard this song before
• fionmul 0 — The way it says George Fest just makes me think of George Spohrer which is fitting
• Claire 0 — This was super cool. It’s a genuinely good cover and I like that it’s doing something very different than what I typically except from Weird Al, but doing it effectively
• Joseph Harvey -1 — Weird Al is a little annoying to me, and although this is by no means bad, something had to get the downvote
• Sam Ary -1

• Joseph Harvey +1 — Dang, this was surprisingly great
• fionmul 0 — ah yes the 9/11-induced vocals maybe grilling alone sorta thing?
• SamRobertsND 0 — Very close; my fourth vote.
• Edward James 0 — I love this interpretation, which is very much legit. However, this is a bit too melancholic for me. Another choice from the “fallujah-core” corpus would have done better imo
• judd.baker 0 — Sus cookout
• Claire 0 — Banger but didn’t quite hit for this theme alas
• Regina Scime -1

ared56: Original: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

• Edward James +1 — I think wildflowers sounds like it should be bluegrassy, so this is a great read. The guys voice kind of annoys me but I liked the song and the interpretation.
• fionmul 0 — Ok this is also super sweet. I liked this a lot but like the WJs better.
• SamRobertsND 0 — While Peter and I listened intently at least to the first cover, we ended up getting distracted and talking through the duration of this one, which says something about its quality I think. Not as good as the first cover, which didn’t succeed in reaching the heights of the original.
• judd.baker 0 — Weaker of the two Tom Petty covers here imo
• Claire -1 — This is a perfectly fine cover but didn’t wow me…and because it is my second favorite cover of this song in this round, it receives my downvote

fionmul: top tier taking-of-life bop

• SamRobertsND 0 — Peter: "A great song about an angry young man shooting people. But I cannot dissociate with the 2006 Ventura County Fair piglet races, for which it was used as a pump-up song." A masterpiece of production. It's ubiquitous use is well deserved but has also perhaps contributed to the softening of it. I think of it in the same category as Beat It, more of a sports pump up number than a murder song.
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Amazing song but poor fit for this round. The murder is almost incidental to the song
• fionmul 0 — i wish i had submitted cranes of potter 😭
• Edward James 0 — This doesn’t fit the theme vibe for me, even though it is technically correct
• Claire 0 — Listening to this song in this particular context, it was kind of giving “song playing over a movie montage of violence/killing, giving the scene a somewhat ironic tone”. As the song went on though I felt like it lost the energy and the fun and kinda dragged. It’s a true classic but just didn’t strike me enough to get a vote in this difficult round

• Joseph Harvey +1 — WHAT!? That was insane. Incredibly progressive, the build in the second half is totally out of nowhere and awesome. Love the screams. I think connection to the theme could be slightly stronger, but the song is interesting enough to win my vote anyways and I’ll contend it’s still a valid read on the theme. I know people will take issue however.
• ared56 +1
• fionmul 0 — The lyrics evaded me but by the end I think I saw the desperation there. Just didn’t like it that much.
• Edward James 0 — I really liked this song. I totally get why phoebe is so popular but it’s just not my thing, until this song. However, I really don’t see this as desperation/lamentation. It seems vaguely hopeful to me, more about starting over and fearing the next steps than a cry from the very bottom.
• shea nowicki 0 — Phoebe just hits a really vulnerable deep part of my heart!!!
• Claire 0 — When I first saw this song I thought “OH MY GOODNESS THIS IS PERFECT FOR THE THEME.” After all, it does have the most excellent “cry” of any of the submissions. But after listening through the playlist a couple times I felt like this song wasn’t quite capturing grief or despair so much as existential malaise and perhaps apocalyptic chaos. Slightly different vibe. A fantastic song nonetheless
• judd.baker 0 — This was phenomenal. Musically my favorite submission here
• SamRobertsND -1 — It's a no from me, dawg. I really liked the change in instrumentation toward the end, though. The gasping noises at the end were weird, but I liked the coughing noises in Cocoa Butter Kisses, so go figure.
• Sam Ary -1

judd.baker: To the Operator, a psalm of Jim

• Edward James +1 — This is exactly the kind of thing I wanted from this category. We lost Jim Croce Way too soon my best old ex friend Ray is one of the best lines ever. This do be how it is, any capture in perfect poetry.
• SamRobertsND +1 — I really liked this choice! Thought it was out of pocket in the best way.
• fionmul 0 — Cute idea but not it for me
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Eh
• Sam Ary 0 — Great song
• ared56 -1
• Claire -1 — Again, I guess it’s just not desperate enough for me? Yes, Jim, your heart is broken and I’m very sorry. I love the song but it doesn’t get a vote

• fionmul +1 — Seems well known enough to be a sus submission, esp in the lakes region. But as Judd would say, “good shout” nonetheless. And as a hoe for history who needed to know even more than I already do, this sent me to Google and Wikipedia and YouTube. Just as Dr. Roberts would have wanted. (no distress signal?? Legend indeed)
• shea nowicki +1
• judd.baker 0 — There’s zero chance Sammy hasn’t heard this song before, but it does seem like an excellent clocking of his tastes, so I will choose to remain neutral
• Edward James 0 — Since I have to assume this was submitted without knowing for sure if he knows the song, I have to note it’s a really really great choice. But I also know how deeply familiar he is with it already.
• SamRobertsND 0 — You played the game, Sam; I respect it. This forced me to listen to the song more closely than I normally do, and I found more to like about it than I had before (there's some very cool synth that I hadn't noticed before). You also did well in that I really do love Gordon Lightfoot, especially his later work from the 90s; there's some Prine-level songwriting in there I'd argue. As the Chris LeDoux entry gets right, I love a song that tells a story that is also an existential trip, and this one does it better than almost any ("Does anyone know where the love of God when the waves turn the minutes to hours"; like, who comes up with that???). A fantastic entry from a man with an even more fantastic first name.
• Regina Scime -1 — Downvoting only because I feel like Sammy knows this song
• Joseph Harvey -1 — The archetypal 'Songs Mike Whitman Would Love,' and pretty close to the mark for Sammy, but downvoting because everyone who has seen a Great Lake knows this song

Sam Ary: One of the best live performances

• Claire +1 — I almost submitted this song. It’s a beautiful song in itself and I think John Mayer really shines as a musician in a live setting. If I remember correctly, the lore about this song is that he never released a studio version because he said it would just never measure up to the way the song sounds and feels live. I think he’s probably right.
• SamRobertsND 0 — I liked this, but it was just a little unmemorable because it's not really my taste. Reminds me of the theme song to an early 2000s CW show.
• fionmul 0 — I loved this, esp the vocals at the end and I am not sure I had heard this song before. I also considered John.
• Edward James 0 — Despite my priors, I actually really like John Mayer. This was great, but I don’t see how it’s particularly spectacular beyond his usual stuff.
• Joseph Harvey 0 — I mean this is cool but Neon is on this album and that’s a way more impressive live performance to me. That’s an insane song on guitar, and the fact he sings while playing at that level is incredible. That song would have gotten my vote
• judd.baker 0 — This was really great, although a little too long for a recorded listening
• shea nowicki -1 — I liked this song, but had downvote something I'm sorry : ( didn't feel the energy of a live performance for whatever reason

shea nowicki: An important moment in musical history.

• SamRobertsND +1 — Have to combat the Joseph downvote, really deserves a 3 point dump. One of the greatest guitarists to ever do it.
• ared56 +1
• Sam Ary +1
• Edward James 0 — I love this and I love including an instrumental track, but others spoke to me more, I’m familiar with this already, and therefore it got pushed lower.
• Joseph Harvey 0 — It is to my shame, but I really don’t get the hype with Jimi Hendrix. I know I must be wrong but this just doesn’t do it
• fionmul -1 — Could be historic but I just don’t care for the sound of this. And no words so immediately low rank for me. Sorry.
• judd.baker -1 — I feel like I am being compelled under pain of mortal cringe to like this song (Jimi Hendrix performing the national anthem at Woodstock?? Bro LFG!!!) but I just don’t. I acknowledge the historical significance without question, and it is definitely a grandiose performance. It would probably rock my world live, but this just does not translate well at all to a recorded listening experience imo.
• Claire -1 — With all due respect to Jimi’s musical genius I felt like this recording just doesn’t capture the energy of the performance itself. Maybe a video would have? But the purely auditory medium just didn’t do it for me

• SamRobertsND +1 — What an amazing pick for this category; it would have slipped my mind. Captures both a negative and positive aspect. Gotta love it and reward it.
• Claire +1 — It’s just such an excellent song. And lends itself to being interpreted in a variety of ways, one of which is to fit this theme
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Connection to theme is a little tenuous, but it is pretty classic
• fionmul 0 — Feels on-theme and maybe creative?
• judd.baker 0 — The connection is there but it’s tenuous
• shea nowicki -1 — I'm v sad to downvote such a bop & want to be convinced more that this is "communist anthem"! Though I'm open to being corrected, first listen reads to me like an exploration of the suffering/real life challenges experienced by many and how love might serve as a response/motivator through those things
• ared56 -1
• Edward James -1 — I’m gonna make a bold (educated) guess here. This is a Joseph submission, chosen because he resents the category and wanted to subvert it with something not radical in the way Sammy intended it. And therefore, -1

• shea nowicki +1
• SamRobertsND +1 — I stand by my discount Train comment from the last round, but I really liked the lyrics on this one.
• fionmul 0 — This was a great idea but I do not like the execution, a bit too corny/Christian rock for me. Neither up nor down. Perhaps a 5th place vibe.
• Claire 0 — Maybe this is my emo phase talking (still in that phase, never left) but this seems…too hopeful? Yes we all desire to be loved and that’s painful sometimes. But I wasn’t getting desperation from this one
• Edward James -1 — This is where I take a stance alongside Fiona. This is more a song about a sad situation, not specifically a cry of despair. It also ends up a vaguely hopeful note. There were a couple songs I felt this way about, but this was the one that I enjoyed the least, therefore it gets the down vote.
• Joseph Harvey -1 — I do not like this band
• judd.baker -1 — This left the least impression on me of the pack, I think. It is a little bit too generically emotional/sad and not really “out of the depths,” imo.

Regina Scime: I don’t care if you think it’s too long, listen to the whole thing

• Edward James 0 — I really enjoyed this and it’s great for the theme but I just don’t feel like it’s what I wanted. I would rather give my votes elsewhere, but want to be clear it was a great addition.
• Joseph Harvey 0 — I liked the bit where they said “my son”
• shea nowicki 0 — My MDiv classmate said "OMG THE ERIC WHITACRE, best song on there" when I showed her the playlist. I felt like whoever posted this should know
• Claire 0 — I did listen to the whole thing, a few times, and it’s really beautiful. What a lovely setting of this text. I do really think though that scale plays an essential role in an artwork’s ability to make an aesthetic impact, and I do feel like ultimately the length does detract from the impact in this particular case. Maybe this is just me trying to justify my poor attention span…but I do believe this to be true philosophically
• judd.baker 0 — I understand the idea behind submitting a massive sweeping choral piece, especially one that is literally about David, but I think you gotta know your audience and your context. I have to listen to these songs in the form of a Spotify playlist. When your song alone takes up almost 30% of the listening, that’s a massive debt of good will that the song has to make up for.
• fionmul -1 — It is too long and I refuse. I am so sorry but there has to be a line. It feels wrong to downvote in a sense due to the text but I feel quite strongly about this. This is like a family praying a 15 decade rosary as the add-on to their blessing before meals. Too much is too much.

ared56: Did he know there was a full version? We will find out.

• Regina Scime +1 — I have to give this an upvote cause it was so random and so funny
• judd.baker +1 — This was definitely chosen with love. Also the childish gambino feature lmao
• Edward James 0 — I do think this is a great submission because knowing there’s a full version of this is certainly not a guarantee. Sammy’s love of taking the bit too far is perfectly outlined here. However, in a very dense field, the fact this is a “known”, even if the shorter version, makes it move down a bit
• fionmul 0 — Uhhh definitely aware I’m missing the context of this, assuming Sammy knows and will probably appreciate but won’t be votin for it.
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Ok I enjoyed this more than I ought to have. Right up Sammy's alley but mildly disqualified because he's for sure heard this
• Sam Ary -1
• Claire -1 — It’s a fun song but as a pick for this round it conflates Hangarcore more generally with Sammycore (there is a distinction)
• SamRobertsND -1 — I think I knew there was a longer version but hadn't sought it out before. This made me chuckle, but I must use this opportunity to make a very hard yet important point: I just don't like 30 Rock as much as some people in here do or would like me to! I've been peer pressured into loving it when I find it ok. Very clever show, just don't find myself returning to it (Tina Fey is a good writer but she is the most irritating actor ever and unfortunately is the main character). You might've gotten away with, and possibly even snagged an upvote for, the Law & Order theme or the Curb Your Enthusiasm theme, but a downvote had to go somewhere, and you'll be the Kenneth punching bag. And yes, Alex, any single one of those other songs would've been better. You played yourself, foo!

Joseph Harvey: I’m prepared to be buried in downvotes, but this is one of the most formative recordings of my musical journey. This very performance opened my eyes to the value of screaming, as it’s used very intentionally to convey the emotion of the song. Haunting performance by one of the all time greats.

• Claire +1 — This was an awesome submission. As a known concert enjoyer I really was looking for songs this round where I can feel the energy of the crowd and the way the musicians interact with and build on that. The energy was so evident from this recording and I wanted to be in that crowd. Plus it’s just a cool song. Doesn’t deserve to be buried in downvotes—far from it
• fionmul 0 — “Opened my eyes to the value of screaming” - my toddler after his first tantrum. I love you but it was boring.
• Edward James 0 — Sorry Joseph
• judd.baker 0 — Didn’t have enough upvotes in what was really a fabulous round, but I have to say that I enjoyed this a ton. Devin Townsend is not in my general wheelhouse but I agree that the screaming adds a ton to this performance, and just in general this is a really fun recording. This rocks
• SamRobertsND -1 — Torment. That was 8 minutes I will never get back
• Regina Scime -1

• Sam Ary +1
• Edward James 0 — This song would be a dead ringer, no contest, for “Songs Joseph would hate.”
• SamRobertsND 0 — Peter: “good song, not for Fiona” Sammy: Alex I love you but expected better
• Joseph Harvey -1 — Fionacore as imagined in the mind of Alex
• Claire -1 — I submitted Steve miller band first 😤 (it’s not obviously something Fiona would dislike but I just don’t have a strong intuition that she’d like it either and I have to downvote something)
• fionmul -1 — Fi the… square dancer? Steve Miller Band is Mulholland core but I have never heard this; this is… different. I apologize but I don’t really like this enough although I agree with the spirit of it. A valiant effort but alas, bottom slot. I would rank the Lizzy submission above this, sadly.

Sam Ary: Girly

• shea nowicki +1 — I know Fiona's heard this one... but it's so GOOD. Lizzy has to lock in the vote, always.
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Depending on who you are, this entry should probably disqualify you as this is a known Fiona favorite. As such, I am withholding my vote. On the other hand, if you didn’t know that, this is the most perfect possible submission.
• Edward James 0 — I like to believe Sam submitted this without knowing Fiona’s obsession. If so, he should win. But sadly that cannot be assumed.
• Claire 0 — Love it but I just don’t feel like I can vote for Lizzy bc I read the theme as songs you’d share with Fiona that you don’t think she’s heard
• judd.baker 0 — This is submitting Sting for the Joseph round unless this submission is from Fiona herself
• fionmul 0 — Fi the Colorado-dwelling Lizzy-Lover: Narrowly escaped a downvote but I sorta hope others do… obviously I love this song. This was a very good pick within the Lizzy canon. It was the lead track of my playlist I made when I became a missionary out in CO. A lazy pick in most ways but I think the others will punish you sufficiently. 2nd to last in my ranking on principle. I leave you to the wolves.
• SamRobertsND -1 — Cheating
• Regina Scime -1
• ared56 -1

• SamRobertsND +1 — Claire pretends to be an edgy Californian, as indicated by her general musical taste and gratuitous use of the word f**k. This pretense to rise above the Norbertine/TAC CaliCatholic stereotype is a source of pride. However, one cannot hide the swing dancer within. This wonderful song is an admonition to her, her Mufasa in the clouds reminding her who she is.
• ared56 +1
• Joseph Harvey 0 — If this is part of Claire’s musical landscape, it’s a part I’m unfamiliar with
• fionmul 0 — I like this but it doesn’t make me think of Claire but what do I know. Gives Cajun/Louisiana/Princess and the Frog in the best way and I liked the vocals and ensemble
• Edward James -1 — I get the idea but this just didn’t hit for me in theme or in a general sense
• shea nowicki -1 — I love the California vibe!!! I'm just not sure I associate the sound of this song w Claire. I think a West Coast sound is a lil mellower. These might be famous last words.
• judd.baker -1 — I could not confidently declare that Claire wouldn’t love this song. But it does seem the least resonant to me
• Claire -1 — At first this song was giving band playing in the New Orleans area of Disneyland (respectfully). Certainly pleasant but wasn’t all that exciting for me. I will say that the instrumental breaks hit more for me, esp the trumpet. There was no song that I truly disliked in this round but I had to downvote something and this one just didn’t really get me going

• fionmul 0 — Pobrecito Alex
• Joseph Harvey 0 — This deserves a downvote for theme violation but there is an even worse offender here
• Claire 0 — This would be a cool deep cut if the theme were what Alex thought it was. Respect
• judd.baker -1 — I know this submission was made under an honest misunderstanding but this song also simply sucks
• Regina Scime -1

Edward James: Carly Rae should be our pop music muse, a role cruelly denied her.

• Joseph Harvey +1 — This wasn’t terrible. Certainly wasn’t good, but listenable
• fionmul 0 — I forget she is a one hit wonder because I listen to some of her other stuff hehe but in that vein I don't like this as much as some others of hers. I almost downvoted ngl.
• Claire 0 — Carly is far from a one hit wonder in my heart but she is a totally valid read of the theme wrt the general public. Fun song of hers that I lowkey forgot existed
• SamRobertsND -1 — Not a one hit wonder.
• ared56 -1
• shea nowicki -1 — I don't think Carly Rae Jepsen is a 1 hit wonder in the super technical sense, since Good Time and I Really Like You also charted (just not as high). But, I hear you that her other songs aren't as well known... CMM remains the classic. Downvoting bc I have to downvote something, I sorry : (

• fionmul +1 — Actually probs hella accurate
• Edward James 0 — No Italians, we’ve made this clear
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Don’t care enough to translate
• Claire 0 — Too on theme. This is a strong round and my chosen criterion for judgment is leaning into the “alternative.” It needs to be something that’s not overtly a communist anthem but that captures the spirit
• SamRobertsND -1 — Bella ciao is the best of the communist folk songs and remains a hot button thing in Italy today, but it is, as I said, a communist folk song. I was look for something more incidental and not directly communist here.
• [DELETED] -1
• Regina Scime -1
• judd.baker -1 — Literally a communist anthem tho (at least in part)

• Regina Scime +1
• SamRobertsND 0 — I like the interpretation, but it got beat out by others. Might’ve voted for it were it not for the vocals.
• Edward James 0 — I loved this, and in a perfect world it would be rewarded with an upvote. However, we live on this side of paradise, and it was beaten out by others.
• fionmul -1 — not it fo me at all
• ared56 -1
• Claire -1 — This is a cool song but for better or worse I can’t vote for a song this round that doesn’t feel distinctively American
• Sam Ary -1

SamRobertsND: Original by King Harvest

• fionmul 0 — Ok this is cool! Unsure if I quite like it better though, than its original or than some other of these songs.
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Where’s the bass?? Doesn’t add anything to the original for me
• Claire 0 — This one felt like it went on about a minute too long. But I appreciate the way it figures out which sounds and techniques work to rework this song in a completely different genre
• Edward James 0 — The only parts of this song that really got me grooving were the parts where they use the backup vocals from the OG. It’s a fun interpretation but can’t hold a candle to the original imo.
• judd.baker -1 — This is simply not better than the original. The chorus sounds mostly the same and the verses are mildly worse
• Sam Ary -1 — Not for me sorry the OG is better imo
• Regina Scime -1 — How dare you posit this as better than King Harvest. Who raised you?

Regina Scime: Agnus Dei

• Joseph Harvey +1 — Sounds like it could be a pure pop Sleep Token cut off of This Place Will Become Your Tomb! I like the implication that this song is about murder
• fionmul +1 — i can’t wait to live to this asap
• Claire 0 — Badlands was such an iconic era. This is a banger. But I was getting more girlboss rather than killing vibes
• SamRobertsND -1 — Peter: "Is this song about killing someone? Enjoyable song, fun beat, but it's not clear enough for me. I would ding it for use of liturgical Latin without proper context." I really like this song musically. I'd definitely listen to it night driving, I'm a sucker for these electronic beats. But the lyrics aren't clear or trenchant enough for me.
• judd.baker -1 — I really enjoyed this, more than I thought I would, but the taking of life connection is more tenuous than a lot of others on this playlist
• shea nowicki -1 — Love this song... not sure I see an explicit murder theme. Gotta think about it more
• Edward James -1 — Not about killing???
• Sam Ary -1

• judd.baker 0 — I liked this much less than the other Japanese track personally. But far be it for me to say Sammy wouldn’t like it
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Too modern. Vintage-flavored J pop was the move as mentioned elsewhere
• Claire 0 — Good shout to whoever else also went with Japanese music. A cool song but I am out of votes alas
• SamRobertsND 0 — I discovered this band via a collaboration w/ CHVRCHES, and they've become one of my favorites (they're not really known outside Japan). I thought of doing a Yellow Magic Orchestra song, as the electronica that they pioneered in late 70s Japan is and begat some of the best music ever made. This is the granddaughter of that sound, layering more recent JPop on a techno foundation. As much as I agree with Eddie about production/sound not being everything, sometimes production/sound is the whole point, as it is here (song is about a hardware store & its Aladdin-themed cleaning products lol). Claire got the Japan factor, but Nippon EDM is really my favorite in that musicscape. I used to listen to this type of stuff more in high school and college, and in digging into the depths of my interests for this round, I remembered how much I love this genre and am excited to return to it. If you liked this, I recommend their songs Onyankopon, Melos, and Zeami (most of you probably hate it tho lol).
• Edward James -1 — Sadly, I think this one misses the mark. Not sure if this is Japanese or Korean, but the thought was right in including something like it. However, the specific type of international fusion Sammy likes is not the kind of dance influenced type that this represents.
• fionmul -1 — Sounds like a song that plays in the club abroad as you realize you've been roofied. On the real tho it bored me but then got cooler. I think in the end it came as a jarring finish to the playlist and I had to downvote something sry.
• ared56 -1

• SamRobertsND 0 — Sammy and Peter: “Joseph”
• Claire 0 — Joseph knows I enjoy this song. Perhaps Fiona does too? But I’m not 100% sure
• fionmul 0 — Fi the occasional angsty girl: Hi Joseph 👋🏼 As you know I am not in my metal era when I am not teaching (lol). The lyrics are a very “Fi as she leaves SB” vibe but the sound does not convey what I feel as well as the words do. I like the melodies and the vocals are impressive. This was middle-of-the-pack in my ranking but creeped up to 4th!! I appreciate that you know of and honor this quadrant of my taste; for this I tip my hat to you. 🎩
• Edward James -1 — Mormon-core
• shea nowicki -1
• judd.baker -1 — meh
• Sam Ary -1