Sam Ary

• SamRobertsND +1
• Peter Seeley +1 — This was quite enjoyable. Turns out, pop can be quite fun
• fionmul +1 — Ugh a bop ofc. I can’t explain but this is also millennial core to me.
• Edward James +1 — Wow I forgot this is a whole song. This is probably the one I enjoyed the most. Very evocative of that specific early online era.
• Claire +1 — Thought about submitting this one. It really feels like a relic of a bygone era
• Regina Scime 0 — Enjoyed experiencing the source of the meme
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Europeans will start two world wars and then produce this

• fionmul +1 — Yeah this is bad
• Joseph Harvey +1 — Degenerate filth. Lord have mercy on me, a sinner
• Claire +1 — Yeah I can’t imagine him not grimacing at this
• shea nowicki +1
• Regina Scime +1
• Edward James 0 — I don’t like submissions that rely entirely on content alone. Needs to be deeper than that.
• SamRobertsND 0 — Unmemorable
• judd.baker -1 — I think this is just crass without getting anything special about what makes a song “a song Joseph would hate.”

• ared56 +1
• Claire +1 — I wish I were brave enough to submit this absolute masterpiece
• judd.baker +1 — Asked why he did not approve of the use of the n-word, The Poet once said: “A Hispanic guy said it to me once, and I didn’t like that.”
• Peter Seeley 0 — Earthy lad, that Afroman
• Edward James 0 — Absolutely insane move to submit this. Bonkers, raving mad. Can't downvote simply because of that audacity, even though it deserves it. I haven't heard this all the way through since high school when it was played in a van full of high school guys and I intend to never hear it fully again. The chorus is so insanely good though and I like to listen to that part from time to time.
• SamRobertsND -1
• fionmul -1
• Joseph Harvey -1 — Too explicit for me to consider
• shea nowicki -1
• Regina Scime -1 — I wish I had never read those lyrics

Sam Ary: 😎🔥😎🔥

• SamRobertsND +1
• Peter Seeley 0 — If it makes you happy joe, ok
• Claire 0 — I like the different genre choice but this wasn’t quite hype enough to do it for me
• Edward James 0 — Eh
• ared56 -1
• Joseph Harvey -1
• judd.baker -1 — Least resonant on the list for me.

• ared56 +1
• Peter Seeley +1 — Johnny what have you done :(
• shea nowicki +1
• Edward James 0 — Why he do that

Sam Ary: RIP Glen Hansard

• fionmul +2 — AWW
• Claire +1 — RIP. This one’s a classic for a reason
• Edward James 0 — Went triple platinum at every millennial high school talent show.
• Regina Scime 0 — This was sad
• judd.baker -1 — See above: the song may be about falling in love but this just isn’t what falling in love *sounds* like to me.

• SamRobertsND +3
• Edward James +2 — I feel bad for saying "Danger Zone" is too cliche and then voting for this, but the bit chooses you, and I 100% would commit to the bit and feel compelled to speed if listening to this
• Peter Seeley 0 — Admiral Perry made a mistake
• Claire 0 — The instrumentals got me excited but the lyrics for the most part were annoying, sorry
• judd.baker 0 — I know it’s like, literally part of the movie title but I don’t know if I’m really going all that fast to this
• fionmul -1 — Makes me want to throw myself out of a moving car

• Regina Scime +1
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Dang what a voice! Not quite as thoughtful (or thoughtful sounding) as the Glen Campbell, so that one gets the nod.

• ared56 +1
• Claire +1 — Another inspired pull
• Regina Scime +1
• Peter Seeley +1
• judd.baker +1 — Particularly lovely
• shea nowicki +1
• fionmul 0 — This was a similar vibe to my submission but a less iconic song. It felt a bit like they could have cut a minute and a half from the middle and been better for it
• Edward James 0 — Absolute bop. In the neck and neck race between this, "A Love of Your Own", and "What You Won't Do for Love" for soulful 70s style, I have to say this one falls slightly behind. Boz Scaggs sounds black and his music is deeply influenced for sure, but his melodies are pure 70s white guy yacht rock.
• Brad Stalcup 0 — Eh, disco is a multiracial reality.

• fionmul 0 — Idk if this is late career enough but maybe I’m just ignorant? It’s a classic but I feel like their stuff was all released so close together anyway But some others impressed me more with their creativity
• SamRobertsND -1
• shea nowicki -1
• Edward James -1 — Don’t play cute with us
• Claire -1 — Late in the active career of the band, yes, but it doesn’t have that “late in life” vibe that I’m looking for
• judd.baker -1 — The peak of a band’s (already famously short) career cannot possibly count as late career.

• Joseph Harvey 0 — Not accidental, this is literally the villain
• Peter Seeley 0 — I too sympathize with the octopus lady, but the evilness is much intended.
• Brad Stalcup 0 — Not really accidentally evil. Just actually evil. Does she believe she's doing good? It doesn't seem so.
• Regina Scime 0 — Literally purposefully evil
• fionmul -1 — bro...
• Claire -1 — Here too, secretly evil =/= accidentally evil. And in this case while a character in the story isn’t aware of the evil, it’s extremely clear to the audience

• SamRobertsND 0 — Hipster reject slop pile
• fionmul 0 — Are the whales in the room with us?
• ared56 -1
• judd.baker -1 — Awesome song. Perhaps the most inexplicable ML submission of all time. Whatever OP was going for has filtered me completely
• Edward James -1 — No? This gets my downvote because I can’t even place the basic idea of why this was chosen. At least for the “Noah and the whale” song I can tell it’s because of the band name even though that the bad reason
• Peter Seeley -1
• Claire -1 — Maybe I’m totally missing something but I’m not seeing how this is whale related
• Joseph Harvey -1 — Sadly, there are no whales in this song Also, egregious bridge
• Regina Scime -1 — Didn’t see the connection
• Brad Stalcup -1 — No clue what this has to do with whales.

• fionmul +1 — This is cool and I think I see a bit of the vision but would love you to explain! My read was that in a deep sense, Therese is “not like other girls” in the sense that she sort of discovered the simplicity of the way of merciful love. She “dresses differently” you could almost say.
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Musically, this is absolutely exquisite. Not seeing any Therese connection
• Claire 0 — I mean she did wear taffeta?
• Brad Stalcup 0 — I regret that I only have one downvote to give this round.
• judd.baker 0 — Really enjoyed the song, really wanted to get it, but I don’t get it.
• Regina Scime -1

• judd.baker +1 — Apparently the popular interpretation of Sheacore is “agonizingly nostalgic”
• fionmul 0 — Not hitting me as a Shea vibe enough for a vote, but I like the voice and instrumental. I think I will check this guy out!
• Joseph Harvey 0 — I enjoyed this!
• Claire 0 — This was pleasant
• shea nowicki 0 — I really enjoyed this, most especially the softness of the sound and slight country twang! Adding to my playlists immediately!
• Peter Seeley 0 — Mmagurpyh mmmfllyh phma hmmm???🤬🤬🤬🤬
• Edward James 0 — Idk on this one. Not doubting it necessarily, literally IDK

• Regina Scime +2
• Peter Seeley +1 — The goods.
• Brad Stalcup +1 — Another O Brother song, eh? (Mine played during the credits, I believe). A great movie to meditate on death. But this song speaks: death is not something someone else can do for you; you've got to go through it yourself (and hopefully in right relationship with the Lord). And for that reason I find it really appropriate.
• Joseph Harvey +1 — Just a little on the nose, but this is so good
• fionmul +1
• judd.baker 0 — This is a great song but I don’t feel compelled to upvote submissions that are this overtly about death
• Claire 0 — This works so perfectly in the movie scene but I feel like that’s largely because it fits the movie’s particular genre and tone and it’s hard for me to see it working in a more general way. Memento mori for sure but I don’t feel like the song screams “soundtrack for death” outside the context of the movie
• Edward James 0 — Good for a movie scene (like the movie scene it's from) but I read this theme as songs I would die to, and this doesn't seem very comforting lol

• Regina Scime +3
• Edward James 0 — The only part that's indecipherable is the title and that's on purpose
• Peter Seeley 0 — I listened to this backwards and I got a message from Satan: "song longer hell. Real Alex dead. buy bitcoin".
• Brad Stalcup 0 — There's a great scene in the simpsons that makes fun of this, and they change it to "In the garden of eden, baby" So I guess what I'm trying to say is that simpsons did it. But this song is very intelligible. And it's also very long.
• Claire 0 — It’s a banger but the lyrics that aren’t purposely gibberish are pretty intelligible (yes I know that the gibberish comes from a mishearing of actual words but in the song it’s meant to be gibberish)
• fionmul -1 — You know how we feel about long songs around here. And I can understand it too well.
• Joseph Harvey -1 — Imagine my abject horror getting 8 minutes into this thinking “surely this horror show must be about to wrap” when I see that I am HALFWAY THROUGH
• Spicey Riche -1 — Infuriatingly decipherable
• judd.baker -1 — Basically inexplicable submission. Is there something I’m missing? 17 long minutes and the one part that has lyrics is extremely decipherable.

• Peter Seeley +1
• SamRobertsND +1
• fionmul 0 — This was okay but some others felt more clever to me
• Edward James 0 — Sorry Yusuf Islam, not gonna cut it
• Joseph Harvey 0 — The read is not clear for me
• judd.baker 0 — Maybe I got completely filtered by this. I’m just not sure there’s really enough to go on here
• Regina Scime 0 — Not sure if this is the one that’s been submitted before, but yes
• Claire -1 — Maybe this is a me problem but this song just has too much of a woo woo new agey “spiritual discovery” vibe to work as an Augustine song for me

Sam Ary: So catchy

• shea nowicki +1
• Regina Scime +1 — Love this vibe!!
• judd.baker +1 — I will always upvote Brazilian music
• SamRobertsND 0 — "So catchy" Really?
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Bing bom bin bin bing bong bong
• Edward James 0 — Sorry, found this very boring
• Claire 0 — This was pleasant but didn’t wow me enough to garner a vote
• Brad Stalcup 0 — Meh. Nothing special.

• Joseph Harvey +1 — Phenomenal song and captures this well. Makes the nostalgia seem depressing
• Brad Stalcup +1 — Wow, did not expect BFS. Tremendous pull. This song is definitely depressing.
• Peter Seeley 0 — Is this sad? Sometimes dreams have to die.
• SamRobertsND 0 — I love Bowling For Soup
• fionmul 0 — I liked this take but doesn’t seem sad enough
• Edward James 0 — If you made this song today with the same "age gap" between it's release and 1985, it would be about 2007. Inspired pick, just so very narrowly beat by Hey Ya for me.
• Claire 0 — I’ve loved this song for decades and tbh I’ve never actually found it super sad. I feel like it’s okay to be a little too fond of the movies and music of your youth. But I almost want to give it a vote just for the massive serotonin hit I got when it came on
• Spicey Riche 0 — Sad song until I think about teenagers not thinking their mom is cool. That’s not sad, that’s right and just.
• judd.baker -1 — Up-tempo is not the same thing as sounding happy and this song actually sounds somewhat tortured

• Peter Seeley +1
• Brad Stalcup +1 — Good read of the title. Definitely something he should have played at the wedding and not the wedding reception.
• Claire +1 — I see what you did there. I’ll reward the clever read
• Joseph Harvey 0 — This was a much needed breather. Thanks.
• Edward James 0 — Cute but not in the way that gets a vote
• Regina Scime -1 — I love you Sam, but no
• SamRobertsND -1 — Failure to read the Zeitgeist and Mainchat is evident here.
• judd.baker -1

• Peter Seeley +1
• Regina Scime +1 — Really loved this song🥰
• Edward James 0 — I really liked this one throughout, but by the end of the playlist had forgotten it entirely.
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Not quite
• Brad Stalcup 0 — Not the ending you were hoping for, but the guy is okay with the girl walking away, and this plays.
• SamRobertsND -1

Sam Ary: 🫡

• Claire +1 — The punk genre is where the sub-2-minute song was really mastered
• Joseph Harvey 0 — I know this is what people think my music taste sounds like, but I hate this quite a bit
• fionmul 0 — I see what you did here If I downvote I look like a nazi supporter Tempting but I relent
• Peter Seeley 0 — This needs an Animaniacs inspired music video
• Edward James 0 — Sorry Judd, you should know this is not a safe space for libbing out And if this is Fiona, as the emoji might indicate, you should know it too
• judd.baker 0 — So true
• Brad Stalcup -1 — Least subtle song of all time. Don't get me wrong I'm not a fan of Nazi Punks, but I'm really glad this song was only a minute long.
• shea nowicki -1

Sam Ary: Do yourself a favor and listen to this with your finest set of headphones 🎧

• Edward James +1 — This was my favorite of the mass pieces
• Claire +1 — Of all the choral submissions, this was the coolest imo
• Regina Scime +1 — spot on guess for choral music! Often paired with Pizzetti’s Mass (iykyk). Hints of the chant, which I LOVE!🥉
• fionmul 0 — This is far too long for a kyrie imo And the content didn’t convince me it was worth it I also hate the soprano line 6th minute was the best part Regina may have a different take from mine but im guessing it won’t make her podium
• SamRobertsND 0 — Low energy Jeb posting mass arrangements she's undoubtedly heard
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Beautiful. I don’t know this kind of thing well enough to know if it will hit home
• Spicey Riche 0 — Sammy
• Brad Stalcup 0 — Pretty sure Regina would love this. Feels a little on the nose though.

Sam Ary: Meet me at the diner at 8 tonight? We can split a meat pie ;)

• fionmul +1 — Yeah I like the retro ones. Almost went this route myself.
• SamRobertsND 0 — Would ghost this person at the diner
• Edward James 0 — Sorry for the treatise (that’s a lie. I’m not sorry.) this song to me makes me think of the faux 1950s/60s diners that seek to freeze forever in resin a specific time period in America so that they can hoover up the vast surplus wealth of the boomers. The 50s and 60s diner might be iconic, but the diner is a living breathing institution. When I hear this, it just makes me think of cashing in on real American culture.
• Peter Seeley -1 — Fits the genre. I just think it exemplifies the worst of the genre.

Sam Ary: For your holy hour playlists

• Peter Seeley +2 — "I messed up ag-ay-ay-an" killed me
• Regina Scime +2 — Ok first of all, this sounds like something Sam would make for fun. Second, I need to listen to this whenever I’m feeling discouraged hahahahah
• shea nowicki +2 — Egregious. You nailed it.
• Claire +1 — “How did this not hurt Joseph?” “This has to be satire” -Fiona
• Brad Stalcup +1 — Would Joseph hate it? Yes. Would everyone else hate it? Yes. Would God himself hate it? I'm leaning towards yes.
• Spicey Riche +1
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Hating this song would feel mean. Also can’t hate anything with this much ambient guitar
• fionmul 0 — “This is going to wreck my Spotify algorithm for the rest of the year” - Claire
• judd.baker 0 — Something about this song itself actually feels inspired. For being a genuinely creative song with (probably intentionally?) imperfect vocals, however, it’s not really an inspired choice for this round. Joseph would probably dislike the vocals, sure, but that feels too obvious to me.
• ared56 -1 — I refuse to believe that anyone listens to this earnestly or for comedic value.

• Peter Seeley +2 — Yes.
• Brad Stalcup +1 — Giving this one an upvote for thinking outside the box. It doesn't quite capture "we're so back," but I dig it.
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Another train themed jazz tune. Will it soar to the heights of Masakela?
• SamRobertsND 0 — Lol this is cute
• fionmul 0 — Not the vibe my guy
• Regina Scime -1

• Corey +1 — Timeless.
• Claire +1 — Thought about submitting this one. American Idol in the aughts was such a beautiful cultural moment
• fionmul 0 — This needed to be here; thank you. My vote got stolen from this song by things that were a bit less obvious/flat. Honestly, playlist order effects my voting a lot more than I would have thought.
• Joseph Harvey 0 — One bad day does not an “it’s so over” make. With that said this is an extremely well written song which I never realized before, so thank you
• SamRobertsND 0 — What is this, 2006? Get this American Idol shit out of here
• Edward James 0 — I’m sorry, but this song will never be anything but funny to me. I was giggling throughout. You can even ask Alex.
• Brad Stalcup 0 — I can't help but think of American Idol when I hear this song.
• judd.baker -1 — My criteria for this round is that to be truly a song about failure and despair, there’s gotta be no silver lining. This song has too much residual hope, as though too far along in the stages of grief. A little too upbeat, therapeutic, forward-looking

• SamRobertsND +1 — I'm glad you went for it
• Regina Scime +1 — I felt like a lot of the songs weren’t super funny. This is so outlandish, so it stood out to me
• Claire +1 — I think it’s the nonchalance of the delivery that really sells this one
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Uh
• fionmul 0 — but good job with boldness ig? $17 is a good deal tho good for this guy Almost voted for it too
• Edward James 0 — This gets serious props for being inappropriate, but not explicit. It actually had me chuckling, especially the specific singing and presentation style. Ended up being slightly edged out by others.
• Peter Seeley -1 — How can you make a song with such a premise so boring?
• Brad Stalcup -1 — I wish I had detachable ears for this song.
• shea nowicki -1
• judd.baker -1 — This has to be punished

• Spicey Riche +2
• ared56 +1
• Claire +1 — It’s a fun innovative use of sax in a different genre than you’d expect. Sorry chat, it’s a yes from me
• shea nowicki +1
• Joseph Harvey 0 — This song features a saxophone part
• Edward James 0 — Absolute banger in every way, and I’m tempted to vote for it simply because Sammy hated on it in the chat. Probably my next vote if I had one more to give.
• Brad Stalcup 0 — Licensed to make me ill.
• judd.baker 0 — Do not let the haters sway you, brave soldier, this sax part is terrific
• SamRobertsND -1 — Shitty and annoying
• fionmul -1 — Noo
• Peter Seeley -1 — Obnoxious. This makes me want to cull the local simian population.
• Corey -1 — I really, really didn't want to do this, but I had to put it somewhere. If it's any consolation, this was one of my favorite songs in middle school.

• Joseph Harvey +2 — YES!! This is music people! Incredible vocal performance, interesting writing, great musicianship all round. That prechorus guitar part is so perfect. Lyrically on point. I need to listen to Jeff Buckley more.
• Regina Scime +1
• fionmul +1
• Edward James 0 — This was beautiful! But again I'm biased against songs that are about loss.
• Claire 0 — It’s a great song but feels like kind of stereotypical pull for this category. Maybe that’s me being too harsh. Idk
• Brad Stalcup 0 — Lo'er, you should've come o'er

Sam Ary: 🍌

• fionmul +2 — Lowkey Flannery O’Connor vibes. But then again maybe that’s too generous. Reads like a children’s book that would be read at a public school.
• Claire +1 — Yep this is for sure a story
• Edward James 0 — This was fun, and it made me realize "Biggest Ball of Twin in Minnesota" by Weird Al is a style parody of this song. But didn't stand out above others.
• Joseph Harvey 0 — This is not a very compelling or interesting story at the end of the day, basically nothing happens
• Brad Stalcup 0 — Surprisingly morbid song of the heroism of a truck driver. Didn't much care for it musically but loved the story telling.
• Spicey Riche 0 — What was this?
• judd.baker 0 — Musically I quite enjoyed this, and the narrative is interesting, and the line in the middle about the protagonist calling upon “the only man who could save him now” is great, as is “God, make this a dream!” All that said, it’s still just too much. There is no cathartic ending to this story, it’s just bleak and sad without a real payoff. It feels like the song can’t quite decide whether it’s supposed to be funny or sad and instead of threading the needle between those two, it doesn’t really fully succeed at either. It starts well and ends up frustrating.
• Peter Seeley -1 — Ghastly little story. Music is alright. I was expecting something more tropical. Down vote for not living up to such an enticing title and for obnoxious ending.

Sam Ary: 🤔

• Corey +1 — DON'T STOP TALKING TO ME I HAVEN'T BEEN LISTENING
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Very exciting seeing post hardcore in ML. This is really cool but I don’t think this is as on the money for Corey as others here. What an insane voice though
• Edward James 0 — I have a feeling this might actually be Corey’s submission. From his extensive Hangar Dialogues™ with Joseph (available as a three CD set wherever fine media is sold) I know he likes this kind of thing. This is one where personal preference leads me to place this just outside the winner’s circle.
• Peter Seeley 0 — Joe? Is this you?
• judd.baker 0 — we were missing a true blue emo track. Thank you for delivering
• Brad Stalcup -1 — A whiny outlier on this list. Would Corey like it? Maybe, but I don't think so.
• Spicey Riche -1 — I don’t know what this is, but probably no one would love it.

Sam Ary: Starting off with a classic

• Edward James +1 — I was right away biased against this, because to me, road trip kickoff needs to be energetic. But I will say that as I listened, I could very easily picture a solo road trip, one meant to clear the mind and reflect, starting off with something like this. It expanded the category for me, and for that it gets a vote.
• shea nowicki +1
• Joseph Harvey 0 — This is good for the last third of a road trip as the light starts to go golden, this is in no way hype enough for a kickoff
• fionmul 0 — So good but I voted for only one eagle song and thought the other was better
• SamRobertsND 0 — Great song, but there’s a better Eagles pick here.
• Peter Seeley 0 — Good middle of the road trip song
• judd.baker 0 — This is just too low key to be a trip opener. Also being The Eagles is an automatic -10 starting point that has to be overcome somehow (see elsewhere)
• ared56 -1
• Claire -1 — Love the song but of the two eagles songs it’s the one that feels less apt for this round

• fionmul +1
• Brad Stalcup +1 — on the nose.
• Regina Scime +1 — No brainer
• shea nowicki +1
• Edward James 0 — I listened to this while driving through winding hills in West Virginia. Beautiful, and I am grateful for it, but didn’t connect theme wise.
• Joseph Harvey 0 — This was very pretty

Sam Ary: I hate this song so much but it’s literally the epitome of this round’s prompt.

• fionmul +1 — Hating this song? What sort of Grinch are you? I’m glad this album was included. I considered submitting Gale Song. You dont deserve the points for hating this but I must vote for it.
• Regina Scime +1
• Brad Stalcup 0 — This really captures the "stomp clap slop" part of the prompt.
• Joseph Harvey 0 — This is truly an awful song as you say. I feel that it was beat out by little talks which is even worse and more obnoxious. What people see in this band I fail to fathom. I played this one with my college band
• Claire 0 — It’s okay if not everyone agrees with my voting rationale, but stereotypical/predictable stomp clap bands just won’t wow me enough to claim an upvote
• SamRobertsND -1 — A genuinely awful song by a bad band. I know the subtitle might justify this pick, but I just can't do it, I'm sorry
• shea nowicki -1 — I love this song... but, hot take, I think it's more Gen Z than Millennial 😬😬😬 Released 2016

• ared56 +1
• SamRobertsND +1 — This song was awesome, and on a list like this, I’m handing out votes for songs I actually like.
• Regina Scime +1
• Brad Stalcup +1 — Really enjoyed this one musically. The drop was unexpected and had a huge payoff. The toxic feminity is an immature one, but toxic nonetheless.
• judd.baker +1 — I enjoyed this more than I expected
• fionmul 0 — The overall sound just isn’t right for this and other elements weren’t enough to strengthen it as a submission imo
• Joseph Harvey 0 — This is fitting in a vague way, but I want more specificity
• Edward James 0 — This is a good pick but it didn't stand out to me
• Claire 0 — This was lyrically on theme for sure but idk musically it just didn’t do it for me. Kinda felt like they recycled and stitched together old my chemical romance backing tracks

Sam Ary: Banger alert!!!

• ared56 +2
• Regina Scime +1 — Actually here for the high school vibes
• Joseph Harvey 0 — So ubiquitous that it’s hard to say this is hear me out
• Brad Stalcup 0 — A certain dormant part of me (my middle school persona) came to life in the first few seconds of this song. Shea
• Claire 0 — Truly a banger. Maybe I’m unfairly projecting my own opinions but I feel like enough people earnestly recognize it as such that it isn’t quite a “hear me out”
• fionmul -1
• Edward James -1 — THIS IS JUST A NORMAL SONG.  and also the most popular of the normal songs posted hence the downvote.
• Corey -1 — I hate to hit Cascada with the arrow like Boromir, but in this category it feels like bringing a PB&J to a potluck. It's welcome, but it's shockingly vanilla.

• fionmul +1 — BNL coded but not BNL so good to me Claire? Judd?
• Regina Scime +1
• judd.baker +1 — Enjoyed very much, and I think in a (maybe?) slightly niche way it’s a good Alexcore fit.
• ared56 +1 — Well done Joseph. 2
• SamRobertsND 0 — I liked this but just a touch too late for Alex, I think. Mid-2000s would've been safer.
• Edward James 0 — This was so good, but I feel like Alex is pop-punk adjacent. Would have been a ringer for Claire round
• Claire 0 — Love this song SO much. Not sure Alex would tho. But a little part of me is holding out hope that maybe this was a sneaky Alex submission
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Not an Alex vibe at all but I enjoyed!

Sam Ary: 💋

• Claire +1 — I can’t say this is my favorite musically but I think it suits the theme well
• Joseph Harvey +1
• Brad Stalcup +1 — A song about saudi women driving is honestly an amazing pick for this category. Well done.
• SamRobertsND 0 — See above on nail polish
• fionmul 0 — No
• Edward James -1 —  there are parts of this song that are so awkward and listless I was genuinely in awe
• Regina Scime -1

• judd.baker +1
• Edward James +1 — Heck yeah. Absolutely. This to me is such a road trip vibe. Also the 2nd Bob Dylan shoutout, props for that.
• SamRobertsND 0 — Brad?
• fionmul 0 — This was OK and then it got worse and I got annoyed by it

Sam Ary: "Well, here at last, dear friends, on the shores of the sea comes the end of our fellowship in Middle-earth. Go in peace! I will not say: do not weep; for not all tears are an evil." — Gandalf the OG

• fionmul +1 — 💘 I listened to this in an airport and it sent me 😭
• Edward James +1 — The Road goes ever on and on Down from the door where it began. Now far ahead the Road has gone, And I must follow, if I can, Pursuing it with weary feet, Until it joins some larger way, Where many paths and errands meet. And whither then? I cannot say.
• Joseph Harvey +1 — It's almost cheating, but also impossible not to vote for. I bet this is what Alex had Eddie submit. Eddie would be against submitting something this obvious on principle
• Brad Stalcup +1 — This is relying completely on presumed nostalgia from the LOTR films and I'm here for it.
• Regina Scime +1
• shea nowicki 0 — Wow wow wow. The quote coupled with the music got me. Amazing.
• Claire -1 — Perhaps controversial but this one gets the downvote for being extremely literally on theme. It’s still of course an amazing song and it fits the prompt perfectly. But in a round where I genuinely liked every song, I had to pick some criterion according to which to assign a downvote. Alas
• judd.baker -1 — Too easy I’m sorry

• Brad Stalcup +1 — yes. girlpop at its k-finest.
• judd.baker +1 — This rocked. I’m guessing this is Corey.
• fionmul 0 — 💔 Not enough downvotes Brad?
• ared56 0 — Eddie
• Edward James 0 — Yeah, this kind of thing doesn’t really do it for me. The more modern J-pop it just odd.
• Claire 0 — Eddie
• Joseph Harvey -1 — The only song here that was positively irritating to listen to. (Eddie)

Sam Ary: If Judd doesn’t like it I hope one of yall do bc this is just nuts

• fionmul +1 — I love this; I think Judd would too but it may be outside of his typical rotation
• Regina Scime +1 — I LOVE ALEJANDRO😭😭😭
• shea nowicki +1 — I LOVED THIS. Such a vibe
• Joseph Harvey 0 — This was lovely, but a little too Midwest emo for Judd
• Claire 0 — This is so cool. I honestly don’t have a great read on whether he’d love it though I think at the very least he will find it quite impressive
• Edward James 0 — No from me
• judd.baker 0 — I liked this but again not quite my style. I actually think the degree to which I like indie music is sort of overstated. I like alternative, which is a species of indie I suppose, but the really pared down singer songwriter-y SoundCloud indie sound isn’t quite my cup of tea. This is musically impressive though, just not particularly interesting to me.

Sam Ary: On repeat.

• Corey +1 — I feel like this doesn't work on a surface level, but I have so many memories of urgently wishing it would when trying to get kids to clean up, so in a meta way, it does.
• Claire +1 — I’m here for the brief song on repeat as you descend into a productive fugue state
• Brad Stalcup +1
• fionmul -1 — No. At least do a remix
• Joseph Harvey -1 — Ha
• shea nowicki -1 — I loved the reference, I think I would be unable to emotionally handle moving to this song... it would grate on me like 1 listen in. Big sad : (
• Regina Scime -1
• Laur -1

• Edward James +1 — This song combines the best of all worlds - Southern vibe fit, theme (although weaker than the others), and narrative. I am actually kind of mad, because I was trying to find a Springsteen song to use, but the vast majority of them are about a different kind of Americana and just miss the boat for O'Connor connection. The opening scene with the dead dog in the ditch could 100% be out of one of her stories. Belief in the face of the mundane and the tragic is a theme she explores too. I think theme fit is a bit weaker than others, otherwise this would be a +2. Incredible pull.
• fionmul +1 — I almost submitted bruce. This is a great pick!
• Brad Stalcup 0 — I can't pick this one simply because it's a song of despair and cynicism. Despite the darkness and ugliness of Flannery's stories, there's always a glimmer of light. Bruce Springsteen seems to imply that people are delusional and that's why they have a reason to believe.
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Decent enough lyrics at times but I just don’t like Springsteen. The vibe I get from him is a non musician who somehow ended up having a music career
• shea nowicki 0 — I like this. I don’t know why this song feels like 5 years long to me… but a good pick. Especially the opening lines resonated.

• Laur +1
• Edward James +1 — I really, really love this song, it reminds me of the one other band Camino song that I know. Which is a good thing, because I also love that one. It’s been topical recently to ask the question whether or not men truly urine, and the song should put that to rest. 4️⃣
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Too modern
• fionmul 0 — I like this ofc I’m just not thinking it’s an Eddie vibe
• shea nowicki -1 — I don't know why this didn't strike me as very Eddie (maybe I'm totally off the mark) but I LOVE the Band Camino. & this is one of my fave of their new songs! But... was really considering an Eddie aesthetic when voting, hence the downvote in the end :(
• Claire -1 — Those who know me know how much I love this band, but I’m not sure I see Eddie vibing with this song in particular. I’d be happy to be proven wrong tho
• judd.baker -1 — Great song but I’m not convinced it is sufficiently Eddiecore

Sam Ary: God Bless Tiny Tim

• Laur +2
• fionmul +1 — A perfect read of the category. Did he voice the animated Snow White? Probably. Deserves a triple vote probs but I had too many others I liked.
• Brad Stalcup +1 — Upvote for most on point.
• Corey +1 — Dangerously iconic for this style, it must be said.
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Too falsetto-y to be female
• judd.baker 0 — Almost eked a vote. Great pull
• Edward James 0 — A good one, and I could see it working, but still sounds too much just like falsetto.
• Regina Scime 0 — Valid submission for the category, but I was deeply uncomfortable listening to this
• shea nowicki 0 — Hahahahaha, such a good submission.
• Claire 0 — Honorable mention. Does still kind of sound like a dude singing in falsetto but he has such a funky unique timbre

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

• 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: 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

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

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

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

• 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

• 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)

Sam Ary: iykyk

• Regina Scime +3 — I had to😘
• [DELETED] +3
• ared56 +1
• SamRobertsND 0 — Motown has entered the chat! Sandlotcore, Squint just went for it. Although back in the day a first kiss after a good date wasn’t too strange, it still feels like we’re well in established relationship territory. But lyrically and tonally, this might be my personal favorite song on the list.
• fionmul 0 — Well-chosen. And given a place of honor, last song in the last playlist. Still struggling with that falling vs. realizing distinction and tbh just ran out of votes
• Claire 0 — This one comes close for me but misses the top 3 bc it’s arguably not explicitly enough about “falling” either (idk about you but in my mind the “falling” typically occurs, at least in large part, prior to the point at which I would actually kiss the person in question…)
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Music like this rarely feels heartfelt like, say the Lizzy on here
• Edward James 0 — Great song but didn’t compel me as much as others. It does get the “when you know you know” vibe right

Sam Ary: To whoever submitted Yellow by Coldplay so that I couldn’t — we have beef now

• Edward James +1 — I came in expecting to pass this one over - but wow is it right on theme. Especially BECAUSE you would expect to pass it over, and then you think about it and it’s right on target. For being truly unintentional (to me), it earns a vote.
• Claire +1 — Perfect pick. Both because the song itself is perfect and because I can’t believe I didn’t realize until now just how perfectly it captures the Christian experience. I can’t believe this wasn’t already on my personal “songs about Jesus” playlist
• ared56 +1
• Regina Scime +1
• fionmul 0 — Wait I am sad there's no Yellow now. A bit too hard for me for this theme but I see you and respect you.
• SamRobertsND -1 — Ah, you were successfully duped by the members of Evanescence into thinking that they aren't a Christian band. This song is most intentionally about Jesus.

Sam Ary: Boohoo

• Joseph Harvey +3 — Nothing else here made me feel the slightest thing. This produced tears
• Regina Scime +2
• judd.baker +1 — Absolutely no notes. Went with the obvious choice and you will be rewarded for it
• Claire +1 — No boy has ever been sadder than Sufjan. Impossible not to upvote
• fionmul 0 — 😿
• Edward James 0 — A GOAT, one of the best to ever do it. But even though Sufjan is certified Sad Boi™, this song is not the one I would choose and I’m going to be honest I can’t articulate why.
• ared56 -1
• [DELETED] -1
• SamRobertsND -1 — Sufjan rose from rags to riches by embodying the emotivism and sensitivity that women narcissistically wish men had. However a fruit with a banjo does not sad boy summer make.

Sam Ary: Title and song go pretty hard 😮‍💨

• Regina Scime +2
• Claire +1 — This song is so fun
• Joseph Harvey 0 — This is the kind of metal I find painful to listen to and not in a good way
• fionmul 0 — song went hard fs
• SamRobertsND 0 — Wow, the title and song go pretty hard😮‍💨?? It’s almost as if that was the point or something! Good but would’ve been better for the speeding category.
• Edward James 0 — Thought about this for the speeding category

Sam Ary: 🎧

• Claire 0 — This scratches my indie pop brain
• SamRobertsND 0 — Idk this doesn’t resonate with anything I know about his tastes
• judd.baker 0 — I’m curious to hear the canonical judgment on this one because I’m just not seeing it
• Edward James 0 — Meh
• fionmul 0 — i had to go listen to Judy You Hung the Moon after this to remind myself of their song that I actually like

Sam Ary: Unparalleled speeding

• [DELETED] +3
• Joseph Harvey +2 — Road tested, Miata approved. Great soundtrack to breaking the law
• Edward James +1 — Hell yeah (2)
• SamRobertsND +1 — The archetype for this category. If you’re a Millennial, you better be voting for this, as it was probably responsible for your conception.
• ared56 +1
• Claire +1 — 10/10 would speed to this
• fionmul 0 — "that's racecar" "another monster truck" "that's definitely a monster truck"
• Regina Scime 0 — I liked this, but not enough upvotes:(

• judd.baker +2 — This was so good
• fionmul 0 — The vibe was close but lyrics weren't it for me (googling led to more confusion)
• Edward James 0 — Not fatale
• ared56 0 —
• Joseph Harvey 0 — Too goofy to be fatale
• SamRobertsND -1 — Reminds me of the shit that gets blasted into my ears by the gym speakers.
• Regina Scime -1

• Joseph Harvey +2 — Blew me away!
• Claire +1 — Sondheim supremacy
• SamRobertsND 0 — Meh
• Edward James 0 — Very good, but didn’t fit the theme for me personally
• ared56 -1