judd.baker

• Regina Scime +2
• Claire +1 — This was cool. Enjoyed the guitar solo
• shea nowicki +1
• Peter Seeley 0 — Love me some African music. With that said, a slightly lethargic pick from that exuberant continent. Still, would have been my fifth vote.
• fionmul 0 — Again not enough votes and this didn’t stick out quite enough
• Edward James 0 — I liked this a lot but it just didn't seem to be something I'd call out as exceptional. Great easy listening.

judd.baker: Embarrassment of riches here, really struggled to find something positively vile. So I trusted my gut that if I like a song Joseph will probably dislike

• SamRobertsND +1
• ared56 +1
• Claire +1 — Yeah I think this works
• Edward James 0 — I recognize this album cover, I remember liking the song or two, but this was not good lol. Narrowly loses to a few others on the list.
• fionmul 0 — A mild offense
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Is it even worthy of my hatred

• ared56 +1
• SamRobertsND +1
• Edward James +1 — Not gonna lie this is a gimmicky pick and it totally got me. Used to watch this with my family in the mid 2000s and you caught me at the perfect moment to capitalize on that nostalgia.
• Claire +1 — Okay this is clever and fun
• Regina Scime +1 — Iconic
• fionmul 0 — Not into it
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Couldn’t focus

judd.baker: I can’t say how popular this song actually was at the time, but to me this captures a specific subset of Millennialcore that was really important to me anyway.

• Peter Seeley +1
• Regina Scime +1
• fionmul 0 — Idk if I’ve ever heard this tbh. It’s p mid
• Joseph Harvey 0 — I’m probably wrong, but this doesn’t hit me over the head as extremely millennial like some others
• Edward James 0 — I like this one, and it’s an uncommon pick. But the move here was forgotten hits I think.

• ared56 +1
• Regina Scime +1
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Another one where the vibe is just off
• Claire 0 — Love this song but I’m looking for existential angst in this round more so than relationship angst
• shea nowicki -1

• shea nowicki +1
• Joseph Harvey 0 — There are some big city prosecutors who need to listen to this song
• fionmul -1
• Regina Scime -1
• Edward James -1 — I have no idea what was said in any part of this song

• Joseph Harvey +2 — Magical
• SamRobertsND +1
• ared56 +1
• Edward James +1 — I have to reward this. First, it's a banger. Second, I like the identification of the small moments as where love is really found. Reminds me of John 1:39 "Come," he replied, "and you will see." So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon." Why note it was 4 in the afternoon other than because it's a moment so vividly remembered as a the moment your very life was altered by a single encounter? It's so utterly human.
• Claire +1 — Hell yeah slaughter beach dog. The way I read this song it’s kind of dream/trance like but I enjoy that as a take on what falling in love feels like
• shea nowicki +1

judd.baker: It’s always sounded vaguely to me like a song about a woman discerning the religious life (she used to run around and carry on, before she realized everything here on Earth disappears, and she’s left with only the eternal things)

• ared56 +1
• Claire 0 — Feels more like “unintentionally about the Christian life” than “unintentionally about Jesus.” Nitpicky? Perhaps. I see what you’re doing here but doesn’t make podium for me
• Joseph Harvey 0 — There’s like one line that works
• SamRobertsND -1

• fionmul +2 — We need to start making more specific playlists “it’s 1985 and you’re about to get a DUI and a speeding ticket”
• Claire +1 — This worked for me
• Sam Ary +1
• Peter Seeley 0 — Mid
• Edward James 0 — I actually really enjoyed this but don't see the speeding angle
• Joseph Harvey 0 — The kind of song that makes me question whether I even like music
• SamRobertsND -1 — blasphemous

• fionmul +2 — There are several Dylan songs that would have worked. Perhaps this is the perfect one? Love it
• SamRobertsND +1
• Claire +1 — His voice in this annoys me and yet it feels fitting for the porch sit
• Sam Ary +1
• shea nowicki +1
• Regina Scime +1
• Joseph Harvey 0 — I still don’t get how anyone can tolerate this voice

• fionmul +2 — A bop
• Sam Ary +1
• Edward James 0 — This is not a bad pick I just didn't like it as much.
• Joseph Harvey 0 — This is a premium Belize-era Judd submission. The kind of submission that makes me go to the artist profile to double check
• Claire 0 — I like this pull genre wise but the song itself felt aggressively meh
• Brad Stalcup 0 — Love the raggae pull, but there's a rich tradition of lots of white guys doing it.

judd.baker: The Magic Whip is my personal favorite pick for a great late career entry in a band’s lifetime. Blur hadn’t put out an album since 2003 (hadn’t put out a good one since 1998), had broken up for several years prior to the tour that preceded this album, and never had any intentions of actually producing this one. They were set to play at a music festival in Japan that got mysteriously cancelled and the band were stranded for days in Hong Kong; they made this album on a lark while stranded, and it ended up being a surprise late career masterpiece.

• Sam Ary +1
• fionmul 0 — Unbelievably mid in a way that leads me to believe this was Judd?
• Edward James 0 — I feel like if Damon is still pumping out hits with Gorillaz, he should be able to do better than this with Blur
• Claire 0 — Pleasant enough but didn’t make top 4 for me

• SamRobertsND +1
• Sam Ary +1
• fionmul 0 — I read the lyrics and still not understanding this as evil
• Claire 0 — I’m not sure I’m getting the evil vibes
• Brad Stalcup 0 — This song is great, but I really don't see how it's acciedentally evil. Just another delusional gambler.
• Regina Scime -1 — There were many others I wanted to downvote but this one was just so far out from right field

• Spicey Riche +4
• SamRobertsND +1 — Finally a song actually about whales, the ostensible theme of the round. Misadventures of Flapjack-esque 1870s nautical scurvy-ridden diseased sailor energy. Masterpiece of a story.
• ared56 +1
• shea nowicki +1
• Sam Ary +1
• fionmul 0 — The voice sounded like a joke but there was potential here overall fs
• Edward James 0 — This reminds me of No Country For Old Men. The whale representing chance - you can do everything you think you should and pursue it with singlemindedness, but chance might have other things in mind. And I don't mean the coin flip thing Judd, I mean the car accident at the end.
• Peter Seeley 0 — 3 minute of this would be great. 5 minutes tolerable. 8 minutes is cruel and unusual
• Claire 0 — This one is only incidentally about whales
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Stereotypical and harmful depiction of whales. Educate yourself

• ared56 +1
• Edward James +1 — Classic bindle archetype I also forgot that all the early old crow medicine show albums are bangers
• Peter Seeley +1 — Very enjoyable
• Joseph Harvey +1 — This feels spiritually bindle
• shea nowicki +1
• Regina Scime +1
• fionmul 0 — the aesthetic is definitely there but lyrically, others were stronger to me

• SamRobertsND +1
• Claire +1 — Holy moly this is a pull
• fionmul 0 — This is more Augustine to me than Thérèse but I like the song; it’s groovy
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Not translating
• Brad Stalcup 0 — Don't get how this is Therese. Fun song tho.
• judd.baker 0 — “For some time I had been accustomed to offer myself as a plaything to the Child Jesus. I told Him not to treat me like an expensive toy which children look at but dare not touch. I was a cheap little ball which He could fling on the ground or kick or pierce or leave neglected in a corner or even press to His Heart if it gave Him pleasure.”

• ared56 +1
• shea nowicki +1 — This one had me dancing all the way through... it feels like the opening song of a really good, feel-good movie. Adding to all my playlists!!
• Regina Scime +1
• fionmul 0 — This is cool but it isn't strong enough in this batch
• Edward James 0 — Absolute Juddslop (positive)

• SamRobertsND +1
• Joseph Harvey +1 — This is a great “welcome back to Music League” song and I can picture it playing in space.
• Claire +1 — Of the three ELO submissions this one struck me the most—it has this futuristic, frenetic energy without necessarily being explicitly about space travel, and I feel like if I were an astronaut this would be a great hype song
• shea nowicki +1
• Brad Stalcup +1 — Excellent, enjoyable, and cosmic pick.
• Regina Scime +1
• Spicey Riche +1 — I’m
• fionmul 0 — Unspecial to me

• ared56 +1
• Joseph Harvey +1 — Theme didn’t say anything about “songs you ought to die to”
• Sam Ary +1
• Spicey Riche +1
• Edward James +1 — I know it's fun and trendy to point out the individualistic read of this song, but that's not the only read of it imo. I do think there's a very real sense in it of the pride of feeling you've done what you could and you did it in a way you can look back on without shame, etc. I think this is a fine choice.
• Peter Seeley 0 — I wanted to give this a vote just to make Brad mad.
• Brad Stalcup 0 — Songs NOT to die to. The song is undeniably a bop though.
• Claire 0 — Brad ragebait? This could for sure work as a death song, but like, for a villain or mafia boss?
• fionmul 0 — Second downvote would be here

• ared56 +1
• SamRobertsND +1
• Edward James +1 — Mmmmm that's good millennial slop. No idea what they're talking about but I love it.
• Brad Stalcup +1 — I was tapping my foot while listening to this song. Couldn't understand a word.
• Claire +1 — Supremely unintelligible. Well done
• fionmul 0 — Yeah idk what they’re saying and Spotify didn’t have lyrics which is honestly a good strat
• Sam Ary 0 — Decipherable.

• Edward James +1 — 11 out of 10, perfect submission. Well done, going to assume this was Claire. Wish I had thought of it myself. “Time, truth, heart.” Indeed
• Joseph Harvey +1 — I don’t love the killers, but this is a convincing read
• fionmul 0 — I like the vision
• Brad Stalcup 0 — What a great song. "last call for sin"
• Claire 0 — Smells like Eddie. Incredible song. Narrowly missed my top 4

• Peter Seeley +2 — Thank you Judd.
• ared56 +1
• Edward James +1 — Trying to get lightning to strike twice with Hugh Masekela. Not happening like before, but in a field of weak competition, this stood out for sure.
• Regina Scime +1 — Easy upvote
• Brad Stalcup +1 — Loved this one. A fusion of so many good things. What a pleasure to listen to. One of my favorites so far in all of ML
• Sam Ary +1
• Spicey Riche +1
• SamRobertsND 0 — Shoulda gona for Stimela again
• Claire 0 — Stimela was such a revelation that a second song by the same artist doesn’t feel like an original enough pull. But this song is fun and very different
• judd.baker 0 — In the spirit of being lost in translation, I actually can’t find translated lyrics for this song, although Google Translate apparently does have Xhosa. Best I can figure out is that it’s a song celebrating how beautiful his wife/girlfriend is while also making fun of her for being a picky eater. (The lyric “bunny chow” is not a failed transcription of a Xhosa word, he’s really singing about bunny chow)

• Peter Seeley +3 — This fits the category to a tee and the lyrics are great.
• Regina Scime +2
• SamRobertsND +1 — Excellent pick, we need more S&G in Music League
• Claire +1 — Listening to the lyrics closely this go around, I was struck by this one. It’s more bleak than I think I’d realized previously
• Brad Stalcup +1 — I never knew the lyrics, but it definitely sounds triumphant until you read the lyrics. Good pull.
• shea nowicki +1
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Is this sad or stoic/dead inside
• ared56 0 —
• fionmul 0 — The guitar riff oddly reminds me of Deja Vu by Olivia Rodrigo lol The words are almost coming through too clearly for the happy song disguise to be effective but I’m so glad for a S&G submission
• Edward James 0 — To me this song sounds upbeat, but not happy. I have a lot of arbitrary conditions for this round, and you're gonna have to deal with them. I think the vibe here makes it clear it's not happy, truly.
• Spicey Riche 0 — Such a great song about a badass, but not happy enough for me.

• SamRobertsND +1
• Edward James +1 — This was great, and I’ve heard of this band a lot but never had heard them. Wouldn’t have known and it’s a good example of a very stereotypically white genre
• ared56 +1
• Claire +1 — This is a cool pull because it is doing a very specific type of millennialcore white person music
• Joseph Harvey 0 — I was not sold initially but ended up quite enjoying this. Rough around the edges but some cool ideas
• Brad Stalcup 0 — Definitely shocked to learn that this is a black singer. Alternative is a pretty white genre.

• Peter Seeley +2 — All I understood was "gramaphone" but that's ok. The accordions speak to my heart
• SamRobertsND +1 — I could see Richard being Jewish.
• Edward James +1 — Given that there was a french pop song played that the entire Storey Family had a choreographed dance to, this fits in a weird way for me.
• Spicey Riche +1 — Don’t know what this is, but I love it.
• Sam Ary +1
• Regina Scime 0 — question… why?
• Brad Stalcup 0 — I mean this song goes hard, but I don't think it's the best for a wedding reception.
• judd.baker 0 — I submitted this on the strength of the very danceable opening instrumental, but I committed a Music League cardinal sin by not listening to the song again before submitting and I forgot how long it is
• Claire -1 — Sorry I didn’t realize this round was “Songs Peter Seeley should have played at his wedding”

judd.baker: I can just imagine this playing after some comedy as you file out of the theater

• fionmul +1 — Yeah I see the vision
• ared56 +1
• Edward James +1 — The image was perfectly laid out.
• Regina Scime +1 — I think this is Sam… I really liked this for some reason haha
• Peter Seeley 0 — 4th place

• Joseph Harvey +1 — This got a big laugh from me both times I listened. Great musical comedy, nice work Judd
• SamRobertsND +1
• Regina Scime +1
• fionmul 0 — Trying to figure out what they’re trying to say here. Like that it should exist ig? I’m wishing we had the Dr Pepper song in here
• Edward James 0 — YES Loved this. Would probably get a vote if we still had 4.
• Brad Stalcup 0 — Minimum lyrics
• Peter Seeley -1 — Not bad , just less interesting than the other submissions. Though I did like whip crack at the beginning

judd.baker: This song is the backing track to my parent’s divorce in my musical imaginary, so it might not have the same effect on everybody, but something about the just-faintly-hopeful instrumentation and the sad lyrics really does it to me

• fionmul 0 — Not gonna do it for me but I didn’t dislike
• Edward James 0 — Extremely Judd coded. Again, I see the vision, but this seems like a song that would have to be dripping in subjective meaning/association. I liked it a lot though!
• Brad Stalcup 0 — kinda had a hard time deciphering the meaning of this one. Tear-jerkery was sorely hindered as a result.
• Claire 0 — As the token diy/emo enjoyer in this chat I feel like I ought to vote for this, and to be clear I do enjoy this song, but it just didn’t get me nearly as much as many other emo songs I wish I could have submitted (but which would not have been well received)
• Peter Seeley -1 — The lyrics were too mumbly too understand

• Edward James +1 — I really enjoyed this one. Reminds me a bit of so are the songs that I remember Regina liking in earlier leagues.
• shea nowicki +1
• Regina Scime +1 — LOVE! Immediately adding to my morning playlist:) I’m a sucker for a background choir with a gospel feel🥈
• fionmul 0 — Reminds me of our Saturday seratonin playlist, Regina Adjacent to “say it’s alright” and sort of a 90s romcom opener Got beat but this is in my top 5
• SamRobertsND 0 — Best of the Motown bits
• Joseph Harvey 0 — In all honesty this deserves a vote but there aren’t enough. Regina would bop for sure
• Spicey Riche 0 — Joseph
• Brad Stalcup 0 — Great vocals, upbeat, catchy. I think Regina would dig this. Love the random elevator music break halfway through.
• Claire -1 — It was hard to pick a downvote this round bc none of the songs this round struck me as ones she’d dislike. This one just didn’t leave much of an impression on me, positive or negative

• Brad Stalcup +1 — thematically and stylistically on point
• Sam Ary +1
• SamRobertsND 0 — Cute! But absolutely not.
• fionmul 0 — Nah
• Peter Seeley 0 — Mmmmm.
• Edward James 0 — Guys…I don’t think they’re talking about food

judd.baker: This song inspired this category

• Brad Stalcup +1 — I can just imagine Joseph listening to this song and verbally reacting to basically every stanza. Well picked.
• Regina Scime +1 — “Not in my good Catholic Hangar”
• shea nowicki +1
• Joseph Harvey 0 — 🥈Blahhh. Hate the message but musically it’s basically ok. Not something that makes me want to crawl out of my skin. This doesn’t deserve second but there’s not much truly heinous on here I’m afraid
• fionmul 0 — “I could see Joseph furrowing his brow at this but I don’t think it would actually hurt him” - Claire
• Edward James 0 — Content over musicality. Meh
• Claire 0 — “Sonically this sounds like Bruce Springsteen mixed with Bob Dylan” -Fiona

• fionmul +1 — Can’t not I….if only the boys really were back in town 😔
• Peter Seeley +1 — Irish music at its finest.
• shea nowicki +1
• Brad Stalcup +1
• Regina Scime +1
• Sam Ary +1
• SamRobertsND 0 — Dad rock
• Claire 0 — again, obviously a good fit but too obvious
• Joseph Harvey -1 — We all thought about it. Curious to learn who took the low hanging fruit

• Joseph Harvey +1 — Apparently this song is controversial which makes me like it much more
• Peter Seeley +1 — Classic for a reason.
• SamRobertsND +1 — Have to counteract the Eddie Yankee downvote
• Edward James +1 — That’s right. It is so over for you. And there will be no we’re so back. The glorious Union forever. I feel about the Confederacy the way my friend Casey once put it “I am only nonviolent because the Lord Himself commands it of me.” I’m reading a book about reconstruction right now so I’m extra amped up on Union supremacy.
• Brad Stalcup +1 — Bold pick. Helps us to keep in mind that alhtough things might be going terribly for us, our families, and what we hold dear, it could all be a part of some greater plan for goodness.
• fionmul 0 — “The Band” is quite iconic. Idk if I knew that was a band but I know I’ve heard this. This is awesome and I wish I had a ton more votes.

• fionmul 0 — This isn’t funny at all Judd
• SamRobertsND 0 — Normal song? Worse offenders tho
• Peter Seeley 0 — Not really funny.
• Brad Stalcup 0 — I think I just don't get this one.
• Claire 0 — I get that op is going for something that’s “funny” but not a novelty song, but it just isn’t funny enough to me to really pull off that read, sorry
• Joseph Harvey -1 — This is not even slightly funny
• Edward James -1 — Not a chance, Judd

• shea nowicki +1
• Sam Ary +1
• SamRobertsND 0 — Who names their kid mullato
• fionmul 0 — Sophisticated
• Peter Seeley 0 — Chill as frick. Wish I had more upvotes to give.
• Joseph Harvey 0 — 😴 underwhelming musicianship, recording quality, writing.
• Edward James 0 — I really love this, but it just missed a vote. In a packed field, it wins the cool factor, but not the musical factor.
• Brad Stalcup 0 — Had high hopes for this one, but it just didn't blow me away (sorry Eddie if you're reading this). I think I liked the piano part more, tbh.
• Spicey Riche 0 — Pianist is trying to hard

• SamRobertsND +1 — Better Eddiecore
• Regina Scime +1 — love the vibe!
• Edward James +1 — "I'm yearning for a man I rejected." Women, amirite? This is one of the most beautiful songs I can recall hearing in a long time.
• Sam Ary +1
• Joseph Harvey 0 — OK this was pretty decent! I don’t know how “yearning” this is as much as “I still like you” though. There are some head scratchers too. Why did you say you didn’t love him? This seems like a self created problem
• Brad Stalcup 0 — Musically very interesting and fun. Lyrically lacking, and way too much reverb.
• Claire -1 — This has such an upbeat vibe musically that it doesn’t really feel yearn-y enough. Maybe that contrast is intentional and meant to be deep, but it didn’t work for me

• ared56 +1 — The blues brother version is better
• Brad Stalcup +1 — What even is a hoochie coocher? I think that's a term made up for this song.
• Peter Seeley 0 — Classic song, but not a particularly narrative song.
• Edward James 0 — Should have submitted the Blues Brothers version
• fionmul 0 — He says he’s going to tell a story and then he kinda doesn’t

• Peter Seeley +2 — This song single handedly justifies the existence of the Portuguese language. Also, totally something Corey would love.
• SamRobertsND +1
• Brad Stalcup +1 — Funky Fresh. I can see a 1990s Corey strolling around town in some medium sized brazilian city with a Sony Walkman listening to this
• Spicey Riche +1 — This isn’t English, but it seems pretty Corey.
• Claire +1 — This merits an upvote purely on the merits of these lyrics: “É hora de salvar a pélvis Soltá-la, libertá-la Agitá-la como o elvis Grande guerreiro e mártir Da nação do rock'n'roll”
• Regina Scime +1
• Corey 0 — Exceptional, appeals to my Brazilian side.
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Of the two submissions in this style, this is slightly worse
• Edward James 0 — Recognizing the spiritual connection between Japanese jazz fusion and Brazilian jazz funk notes that this submitter knows what they’re talking about. Sadly, I only have four votes to give. A common theme for this round.
• ared56 -1

• Corey +1
• Claire +1
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Absolutely a 10/10 road trip song, but only once things have simmered down nicely, preferably during sunset or after nightfall. This is for the part of the roadtrip where half the passengers in the back are sleeping and a quiet conversation is taking place between the driver and copilot
• Edward James 0 — Absolute banger, but not one I would use for kickoff. This is a cruising into the sunset song.
• fionmul 0 — This is a little bit more middle of the road trip for me, but this is a classic for me and an ex of mine (in a fond way)
• Brad Stalcup 0 — This is 100% Eddie, only because I know of the personal connection you have to this song. This song has a sort of nostalgic feeling to it, as if it's more about the place that's being left than the place you're going. Doesn't quite have the pep or the build needed for a good kickoff song.
• SamRobertsND 0 — A superb song, one of the best country music songs ever written. The violin breaks my heart every time I listen to it. George is a singer whose voice stayed so consistent yet also changed in beautiful ways as he changed, and I hope that everyone here, young or old, longtime fans or newcomers, encounters the true joy that is George Strait. Too slow for theme, didn't vote.
• Peter Seeley 0 — Good for third or fourth hour of driving.

• SamRobertsND +2
• Sam Ary +1
• Edward James 0 — Don’t see how this is Memento Mori, but amazing song
• fionmul 0 — Not really seeing this being on theme ?
• Joseph Harvey 0 — This was a great song, but theme connection is not the strongest. The implications are there though
• Brad Stalcup -1 — This was a fun and catchy song, but I'm not sure what it has to do with memento mori.
• Claire -1 — Respectfully, being haunted by the ghost of Hank Williams just isn’t the same as confronting your mortality imo
• shea nowicki -1

judd.baker: courtesy of Radio 105.7, Metro Atlanta’s millennial alternative radio station (2010-2014, is now a reggaeton station)

• fionmul 0 — I’m unaware of muse
• SamRobertsND 0 — I like my Muse song better
• Brad Stalcup 0 — What? A second Muse song?! You people think too highly of Millennials' music tastes.
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Another great muse song, but not iconic enough or famous enough to really typify the era. I used to not listen to this one because they say F, guess my standards went down the drain
• Regina Scime 0 — Do I detect a hint of superstition??
• Claire 0 — Not at all complaining about two Muse picks. So good. The other one just hit more

• fionmul 0 — Similar to how I feel about the Hell is a Teenage Girl one
• Edward James 0 — Don't really see the themes in this one. Seems to just be a normal breakup song.
• SamRobertsND 0 — Unlistenable
• Brad Stalcup 0 — "I'm better off without you" isn't really the vibe of this playlist.
• Joseph Harvey -1 — Doesn’t really fit and is annoying
• Regina Scime -1 — It’s not explicit to me that this is toxic femininity…
• Claire -1 — This was one of the more pleasant songs to listen to on this list but thematically didn’t hit for me
• shea nowicki -1

• Corey +2 — BUSHI BUSHI BUSHI
• SamRobertsND +1 — Tejano Japanese? Slap that into my DeWalt.
• Brad Stalcup +1 — A Japanese jazz band playing South American beats with synth? Definitely hearing you out here. Corey.
• shea nowicki +1
• Sam Ary +1
• fionmul 0 — Was ok. Mexico conquered Japan core or something.
• Edward James 0 — THIS IS JUST A NORMAL SONG

judd.baker: I hope you haven’t already heard this but I admit you probably have

• Brad Stalcup +1
• Corey +1
• Joseph Harvey +1 — This is really great! This is something Alex and I both enjoy if I had to guess
• Edward James 0 — Gotta dig deep for one that you know people haven’t heard
• fionmul 0 — Cool. Perhaps joseph or maybe Eddie. Fallujahcore voice
• Claire 0 — He must have heard of this. So good tho
• ared56 0 — I know this and enjoy it. A wonderful driving or grilling song. Well done. 8 (Claire)
• SamRobertsND -1 — The most painful downvote I've ever given, but Alex has told me he doesn't care for Stone Temple Pilots. Amazing song.

judd.baker: The villain often thinks he is the hero of his own story

• SamRobertsND 0 — This band is strangely obscure.
• Edward James 0 — This is the most Gen X slop song I have ever heard.
• ared56 -1
• Brad Stalcup -1 — Sorry, a little to schmaltzy for this category.

• Regina Scime +1
• ared56 +1
• Joseph Harvey +1
• fionmul 0 — Not from the 90s so I’m confused but it isn’t a terrible fit.
• SamRobertsND -1 — I like the absurdism of the pick but nothing else
• Claire -1 — I like the song well enough but downvote on grounds of anachronism
• Edward James -1 — This song came out in 2013
• shea nowicki -1 — Hahah, I love everything absolutely about this song, but gotta downvote it for the sake of historical accuracy (released 2013)
• Sam Ary -1

• Sam Ary +1
• Edward James 0 — Never been a huge fan of these guys. But they were on to something here with the idea of going back somewhere and knowing your a different person but the people there see you as someone you were before. I have been there, do not recommend. This album cover is also so heavily 2013-coded
• Joseph Harvey 0 — I enjoyed this much more than I expected from this artist. Has some early 2000s Radiohead vibes which I appreciate. However, the emotional atmosphere is too upbeat for this theme.
• Brad Stalcup 0 — I really enjoyed the song. Not sure
• fionmul -1 — Lyrically good but I dont like it that much otherwise 🙈 sorry but I have faith others will vote for you
• shea nowicki -1 — I love the Head and the Heart. I think this song was a bit too loud/chaotic for me for some reason? Not sure why, honestly... the lyrics are spot on! In the end, it's a me problem.

• ared56 +3 — Brad
• fionmul +1 — ☺️😉😗👩🏻‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏻💋😙😚😘🥰 Judson?
• Edward James +1 — Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes This one wins because not only is it the perfect girl crush song, but it is the only one that transports me into what I assume it actually feels like to be a girl with a crush
• Brad Stalcup +1
• shea nowicki +1
• Joseph Harvey 0 — (Judd)
• Claire 0 — Judd

judd.baker: This random track from a band I had never heard of before appeared in a Spotify recommended playlist a few years back, and quickly became my most listened to song of 2022. Lyrically excellent and musically a banger and the whole album it introduced me to is great as well.

• Joseph Harvey +2 — From the very first chord I knew this was pure Juddcore. Piano rock is a load bearing log in Judd’s musical Hangar. I could easily picture him singing this for karaoke, more so than any other here, so it gets the double upvote.
• Regina Scime +2 — I can hear Judd singing this!
• ared56 +1
• Claire +1 — This one also feels quite squarely Juddcore. Perhaps I’m truly wildly off but this feels like something that either Eddie would submit for Judd or that Judd would submit for himself. (And if it’s not, then whoever did submit this should know that that’s a compliment)
• shea nowicki +1 — Yes yes yes!!! Truly, CWK are always the move, I wish I'd thought of them myself
• fionmul 0 — Not my cup of tea but this is reminds me of the typa sh Judd does at karaoke
• Edward James 0 — I liked this a good amount (especially the very sneaky Bob Dylan homage). But others stood out more to me. Runner up.
• Brad Stalcup -1

• fionmul +1 — This and a silent film of Peter Seeley packing while also baking bread and dealing with a few barn animals running around the rectory
• Joseph Harvey +1 — Inspired choice. Actually some pretty cool melodies in this
• Claire +1 — Yeah this hits
• Laur +1

• ared56 +1
• Edward James +1 — Of all the songs, I think this one "gets" the feeling of a Flannery story best. The saccharine, commercialized, ever-present but unimposing sense of Christianity is captured perfectly by the "Plastic Jesus" image. Reminds me very deeply of "Wise Blood". Seems like a Judd pick. Despite my insistence upon theme, I think this one wins a vote for setting up the start of a Flannery story perfectly. The character is poised for some sort of shock, followed up by the kitschy plastic Jesus staring dead eyed into her soul at the end.
• shea nowicki +1 — Okay this is fun!!! A bop & I totally agree — Flannery coded!
• fionmul +1 — This was a great pick. Parker’s Back for the lighthearted.
• Claire +1 — Clearly the lyrics themselves are meant to be ironic from the perspective of the speaker, but I feel like the plastic Jesus motif is the sort of thing that you’d find in an O’Connor story that could end up later being the catalyst for some kind of spiritual experience. Even if keeping the plastic Jesus up there is more or less a joke, I think that still says something about the speaker’s awareness of their sin, and that conscience, however dulled or ignored it might be, could be where grace enters in. Am I reading into this too much? It’s possible
• Brad Stalcup 0 — This song had potential, but it seemed like Jesus and the Virgin Mary were just things to be ignored. I don't think God is ever one to be ignored (without consequence) in an FO'C story.
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Kind of cute I guess
• Regina Scime 0 — I'm not sure that this fits, but it's super cute!
• judd.baker 0 — Aside from getting the southern aesthetic right, the thing that makes this song thematically Flannery-coded to me is the image of the “plastic Jesus,” a kitschy, even ironic religious symbol that grins while the narrator is sinning in the backseat of the car. The image (blatant sin juxtaposed with kitschy religiosity) is ugly, honest, and secretly grace-filled. You don’t expect the real presence of Christ in the kitschy image, and yet He is really there.

• ared56 +1
• Regina Scime +1
• Corey +1
• Edward James +1 — This is one that I did not enjoy as much on the first listen, but came back to with much more love the second time around. Reminds me a lot of the cranberries. I really like the overall sound of this, there’s an earnestness to it that makes it sound very 90s in an achingly beautiful way. Seems like a Judd pull to me. Why people need to get it together and start making music like this again. 🥉
• fionmul 0 — Cool but then I got bored
• Brad Stalcup 0 — Sounds almost enough like fleetwood mac to get a vote.
• Claire 0 — hi Judd :) Would’ve voted for this if I had more. Female fronted indie rock is squarely Eddie core

• Regina Scime +4 — This was the only one that sounded like it could be a woman
• ared56 +1
• Claire +1 — Really cool song, I’d never heard it before but have already added to a playlist
• Laur +1
• fionmul 0 — I like.
• Brad Stalcup 0 — Whinecore has never done much for me.
• Joseph Harvey -1 — Falsetto != sounds like a girl
• Edward James -1 — Whitney was a choice I considered myself, but when I listened to my fave of theirs, I realized it was very clearly just a man singing really high. This is the least convincing of them, imo.
• Sam Ary -1

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

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)

• 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.

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

• 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").

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

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.

• 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.

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

• 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)

judd.baker: Love can make you weak

• fionmul +1 — sitting here looking forward to when I get to add this to a playlist about falling in love again :) I had never heard this; thanks for showing me. My fave this round I think.
• SamRobertsND 0 — I loved this song and am grateful that you introduced me to it. However, it feels like the singer is describing love as such or existing love, rather than the experience of falling in love with someone.
• Claire 0 — Love the song. But doesn’t specifically feel like it’s about an actual experience of falling in love so much as a higher order reflection on what falling in love is like. I respect this as an interpretation of the theme but it’s not how I read it
• Edward James 0 — Kind of forgettable for me. I feel this is a Judd pick, so I fear I betray him with this comment. But I cannot tell a lie
• Joseph Harvey -1 — This holds no appeal to me

judd.baker: For reasons I can’t fully explain, this song always gave me the impression of being about encountering the disfigured, haunting face of Christ in the poor (plus weird Southern vibes)

• Edward James +1 — This is phenomenal. It’s like a Flannery O’Connor story set to music. Fits the theme in that you really have to think outside the box to see the (then clearly) strong correlation, which is what I was hoping for this round.
• ared56 +1
• Claire 0 — I think I get where you’re trying to go with this one but it just doesn’t fully hit imo
• SamRobertsND 0 — Too explicitly religious in its grungled angels, discarded.
• Joseph Harvey 0 — My ears just tune out Alexcore, I’m not capable of receiving it
• fionmul -1 — Okay I am sorry I hated this voice so much. Liked the vibe but the voice was a no. Also this seems explicitly to intend a Christian theme. ...ok for real this reminds me of the youtube videos “___ but off key”
• Regina Scime -1

• Edward James +2 — A testament to the genre. The line “it’s nothing, it’s nothing” captures more understanding of the male romantic experience than entire artist discographies
• Claire 0 — This was a cool song but not maximally sad
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Gross title
• SamRobertsND 0 — Forgettable
• fionmul -1 — ew

• Joseph Harvey +1 — Not a good song but title gets it
• Claire 0 — My honorable mention. Great song. I thought about doing a smiths/Morrissey song but was worried you guys would all be lame smiths haters
• fionmul 0 — mid
• SamRobertsND 0 — Meh
• Edward James 0 — Eh

judd.baker: Putting all my chips on 80s/90s new wave.

• Claire +1 — This feels like a Joseph vibe and also I loooooove midnight oil, whoever submitted this is my goat
• ared56 +1
• Edward James +1 — I see exactly what you’re doing, and you clearly did too. I am not sure if this is an artist specific Joseph love, or a genre specific love. However, given the paucity of other options, I give it one vote.
• Sam Ary +1
• SamRobertsND 0 — I wanted to vote for this but I have a distinct memory of Joseph not like Talking Heads or other new wave bands. Or that he’s indifferent to most of them except for the Police for whatever strange reason. So no vote.
• fionmul 0 — this is cool

• fionmul 0 — "riding a horse" "a really old pickup truck like back in like the 80s"
• Edward James 0 — This is superb cruisin’ music, but it is not speeding music
• SamRobertsND 0 — Jeff Lynne is one of the masters but this song doesn’t fit the theme
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Lovely song, poor fit
• Claire 0 — Love ELO but this just wasn’t giving speeding ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
• ared56 -1

judd.baker: Dos baddies, dos idiomas, un temazo

• Sam Ary +1
• SamRobertsND +1 — Somewhere Peter’s students are booping to this while not doing his homework.
• Claire +1 — Not clear that this is femme fatale energy but the caption merits an upvote
• Edward James 0 — I love Ana Tijoux, but sorry Judd, lightning isn’t striking twice
• fionmul -1 — There are far better Spanish songs you could have chosen for this round, Judson. And for this reason I downvote to call you higher.

judd.baker: Deeply nostalgic song on one of the greatest albums of all time

• SamRobertsND +1 — I’m a sucker for AF, dark carnival core, the theme music for immortal slutty men (Thranduil, Howl, Jareth, etc). Incredible beat.
• fionmul 0 — really good but alas few votes
• Edward James 0 — This song is deeply Eddie coded, and despite the fact I do not like arcade fire, I actually really liked this song. Sadly they’re modern Canadians, and I just can’t encourage that sort of behavior.
• Joseph Harvey -1 — While I share the urbanist ideology of this song, it left no lasting impression on me
• [DELETED] -1
• Regina Scime -1

• fionmul +1 — I almost put this!! Yes.
• Joseph Harvey +1 — I would enjoy singing this but it probably wouldn’t win
• Regina Scime +1
• shea nowicki +1

judd.baker: Moonlight creeping round the corners of our lawn

• ared56 +2
• fionmul +1 — Love a Counting Crows moment. Ok wow liked this a lot.
• Edward James +1 — Banger
• Regina Scime +1

judd.baker: just look up the words

• Edward James +2 — She gets it
• Joseph Harvey +2 — Phenomenal
• fionmul +1 — these lyrics… too many good lines to quote tbh
• shea nowicki +1
• SamRobertsND +1
• Regina Scime +1

judd.baker: I’m told there have been popes from here

• Joseph Harvey +2 — Incredible song and bang on for theme and current moment
• shea nowicki +1
• fionmul 0 — edward? i totally thought this was gonna be the one you hear a lot on reels i’m dumb for that
• Edward James 0 — I feel dirty not voting for this, but I have to be true to my heart for this round and others compelled me more at this particular moment

judd.baker: soundtrack to my parents divorce

• shea nowicki +2
• Joseph Harvey +1 — Nice!
• ared56 +1

judd.baker: Ghost of hot girl summers past

• Joseph Harvey +1 — Love the atmosphere
• SamRobertsND +1
• Edward James +1 — Find me the ethereal melancholy hot girl summer girl RIGHT NOW
• fionmul 0 — I....i

judd.baker: It’s literally the apocalypse

• Edward James +2
• ared56 +1

judd.baker: Lost in your mind when you’re trying to make a big decision, and sometimes you need someone else to help pull you out of that place

• ared56 +2
• shea nowicki +1 — love the head and the heart-- exact who I want to counsel me in my decision making!!!
• fionmul 0 — Eh