2024 Album Showdown Results: Closing Out Tier 5

This round represents the last of the Tier 5 showdowns!  Many interesting scenarios are developing as we move into Tier 6 for the next few weeks.  Very interesting, indeed.

Polyphia - Remember That You Will Die VS. Black Country, New Road - Ants From Up There

Polyphia - Remember that You Will Die

This showdown really gave reason to pause.  All the odd dissonances that go into both the music and the concept of Black Country, New Road are compelling.  In a direct comparison, however, Polyphia's playful energy gives it the edge.

Subsignal - A Poetry of Rain VS. Glass Beach - Plastic Death

Subsignal - A Poetry of Rain

From a conceptual standpoint, one could argue that Subsignal and Glass Beach share more common ground than not through a clear connection to the progressive rock paradigm.  Glass Beach takes Radiohead's aesthetic and pushes it into fusion realms, while Subsignal leans into a more classic take on neo-prog.  In the end, however, A Poetry of Rain has several emotionally charged moments that elevates it above its more brooding competitor.

Marnie Stern - The Comeback Kid VS. Disasterpeace - Rise of the Obsidian Interstellar

Disasterpeace - Rise of the Obsidian Interstellar

Two quirky albums, to be sure. The Comeback Kid has been on my mind since January.  Her tunes are fun and her guitar playing is wicked, but the post-punk vocal approach doesn't always stick the landing.  I immediately connected with the 8-bit soundscape of Rise of the Obsidian Interstellar, however, and its efficient compositional structures hold up well under close scrutiny.

The Yoshida Brothers - Hishou VS. Dewa Alit & Gamelan Salukat - Chasing the Phantom

Dewa Alit & Gamelan Salukat - Chasing the Phantom

Tough one, for sure, if for no other reason than the obvious stylistic crash.  As torchbearers for traditional shamisen in a contemporary context, The Yoshida Brothers are clearly the artists to watch, but the tuning system that Dewa Alit is using on Chasing the Phantom is just plain wicked.

Viewer’s Choice Results

Van Halen - A Different Kind of Truth  VS. Black Country, New Road - Ants From Up There

Van Halen - A Different Kind of Truth

Slift - Ilion  VS. Glass Beach - Plastic Death

Slift - Ilion

Marnie Stern - The Comeback Kid VS. Disasterpeace - Rise of the Obsidian Interstellar

Disasterpeace - Rise of the Obsidian Interstellar

The Yoshida Brothers - Hishou VS. Dewa Alit & Gamelan Saludat - Chasing the Phantom

Dewa Alit & Gamelan Salukat - Chasing the Phantom

2024 Album Showdown Results: Tier 5, Round 5

In the big scheme of things, the new entries in Tier 5 could be getting the short end of the stick.  They get a quick introduction during vacations, then are subjected to showdowns against albums that were under consideration months ago and now have the benefit of the familiarity borne of hindsight.  This scenario could cause very good albums to potentially be tossed aside due to little more than lack of exposure.  

Never fear - there is a redundancy in place.  Selected albums that were introduced in Tier 5 and eliminated will show up to fill in blanks in sudden death rounds at the end of the Fall and, in some cases, even in the following Spring.  That happened this year with Floating Points' Elaenia resulting in its inclusion in the mid-year top 12

Foxygen - Hang VS.The Lemon Twigs - A Dream Is All We Know

The Lemon Twigs - A Dream Is All We Know

This is, at least on paper, a pretty fair comparison. Foxygen and The Lemon Twigs are sort of made of the same reverently nostalgic power pop "stuff," although the pool of references steer in different directions.  Ultimately, I am a bigger fan of the Beach Boys than David Bowie, so that predilection lands this decision in the Lemon Twigs camp.

Billy Woods & Kenny Segal - Maps VS. The Skatalites - Hi-Bop Ska

The Skatalites - Hi-Bop Ska

Despite significant critical acclaim, I have had a difficult time connecting with Maps.  Hi-Bop Ska, on the other hand, has quickly emerged as a regular family listen.  

Toehider - I Have Little to No Memory Of These Memories VS. All Traps On Earth - Drops of Light

Toehider - I Have Little To No Memory Of These Memories

Both of these albums are jarringly diverse, with similar stream-of-consciousness compositional approaches and stylistic diversions.  In this case, its the concept album that wins out.  I Have Little To No Memory Of These Memories justifies its disorienting stylistic twists and turns with its conceptual examination on the nature of memory.  

Mandy, Indiana - I’ve Seen a Way VS. Cloakroom - Dissolution Wave

Cloakroom - Dissolution Wave

Virtually every time I have pressed play on I've Seen a Way, I start out really connecting with its neo-industrial approach.  The album's back half, however, is littered with a few grating experiments that give me pause.  Dissolution Wave, conversely, has quickly grown on me as it reminds me what I really loved about first discovering the overwhelming beauty of essential shoegaze.  

Viewer’s Choice

Foxygen - Hang VS.The Lemon Twigs - A Dream Is All We Know

The Lemon Twigs - A Dream Is All We Know

Billy Woods & Kenny Segal - Maps VS. The Skatalites - Hi-Bop Ska

The Skatalites - Hi-Bop Ska

88Kasyo Junrei - ◯△☐  VS. All Traps On Earth - Drops of Light

88Kasyo Junrei - ◯△☐

Mandy, Indiana - I’ve Seen a Way VS. Cloakroom - Dissolution Wave

Mandy, Indiana - I’ve Seen a Way

2024 Album Showdown Results: A BIG Tier 5 Rundown

There is an annual complication with the onset of Tier 5 - it always aligns with the beginning of school and, most prominently, the onset of marching band.  Getting all that up and running in my professional life takes a lot of personal bandwidth.  Make no mistake: the nearly compulsive practice of creating a personal soundtrack for this huge shift in my attention never wavers.  The practice of documenting it, however, sometimes takes a back seat.  As a result, I owe my viewership several weeks of showdown results - nearly all of Tier 5, in fact!

This particular post will catch us up with the results of all the missed showdowns, both from the prime list and the Viewer’s Choice brackets.  So that this posting doesn’t become more daunting than it already is, however, I will be presenting a streamlined version with no commentary or album links.  Apologies. I will commit myself to returning to my regular "content-rich" format for the rest of Tier 5 next week.    

Maria BC - Spike Fields VS. Rafael Toral - Spectral Evolution

Maria BA - Spike Fields

Caroline Rose - The Art of Forgetting VS. St. Vincent - All Born Screaming

St. Vincent - All Born Screaming

Young Fathers -  Heavy Heavy VS. Peter Gabriel - I/o (Bright Side Mix)

Peter Gabriel -  i/o Bright Side Mix

Bill Rieflin - Birth of a Giant VS. H Hawkline - Milk for Flowers

Bill Rieflin - Birth of a Giant

Oki - Tonkori in the Moonlight VS. Mdou Moctar - Funeral for Justice

Mdou Moctar - Funeral for Justice

Bully - Lucky for You VS. The Beths - Expert in a Dying Field

The Beths - Expert in a Dying Field

Nick Hakim - Cometa VS. George Clanton - Oo Rap I Yah

Nick Hakim - Cometa

Anteloper - Pink Dolphins VS. Knower - Knower Forever

Knower - Knower Forever

Altin Gun - Ask VS. Glass Beams - Mahal

Altin Gun - Ask

Low - Things We Lost In The Fire VS. somesuprises - Persieds

Low - Things We Lost In The Fire

Birth - Born VS. Bill Fisher - How to Think Like a Millionaire

Birth - Born

Ora the Molecule - Human Safari VS. Cate le Bon - Pompeii

Ora the Molecule - Human Safari

The Night Terrors - Pavor Nocuturnus VS. Death’s Dynamic Shroud - Keys to the Gate 

Death’s Dynamic Shroud - Keys to the Gate

Autechre - LP5 VS. Jlin - Akoma

Autechre - LP5

Ison - Inner-space VS. The Decemberists - As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again

The Decemberists - As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again

Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois, and Roger Eno - Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks VS. Kofi Flexxx - Flowers in the Dark

Kofi Flexxx - Flowers in the Dark

Viewer’s Choice Results

A point about Tier 5 for our newer participants.  Tier 5 is generated from all of the new music attached to Summer vacation and the albums that were “eliminated” back in January from Tier 1.  This one gets particularly interesting because in many cases, it starts with showdowns that diverge from the prime bracket, which leads to even more divergences as the Fall goes on.

Maria BC - Spike Fields VS. Rafael Toral - Spectral Evolution

Maria BA - Spike Fields

Caroline Rose - The Art of Forgetting VS. St. Vincent - All Born Screaming

Caroline Rose - The Art of Forgetting

K. Frimpong w/Vis-a-Vis - K Frimpong w/Vis-a-Vis VS. Peter Gabriel - I/o (Bright Side Mix)

Peter Gabriel -  i/o Bright Side Mix

Bill Rieflin - Birth of a Giant VS. H Hawkline - Milk for Flowers

Bill Rieflin - Birth of a Giant

Boygenius - The Record VS. Mdou Moctar - Funeral for Justice

Boygenius - The Record

Bully - Lucky for You VS. The Beths - Expert in a Dying Field

The Beths - Expert in a Dying Field

Naoki Sato- Godzilla Minus One OST VS. George Clanton - Oo Rap I Yah

Naoki Sato - Godzilla Minus One OST

Anteloper - Pink Dolphins VS. Knower - Knower Forever

Knower - Knower Forever

Altin Gun - Ask VS. Glass Beams - Mahal

Glass Beams - Mahal

Low - Things We Lost In The Fire VS. somesuprises - Persieds

somesuprises - Persieds

Birth - Born VS. Bill Fisher - How to Think Like a Millionaire

Bill Fisher - How to Think Like a Millionaire

Ora the Molecule - Human Safari VS. Cate le Bon - Pompeii

Ora the Molecule - Human Safari

The Night Terrors - Pavor Nocuturnus VS. Death’s Dynamic Shroud - Keys to the Gate 

Death’s Dynamic Shroud - Keys to the Gate

Autechre - LP5 VS. Jlin - Akoma

Jlin - Akoma

Kebu - Urban Dreams VS. The Decemberists - As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again

The Decemberists -As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again

Madlib - Sound Ancestors VS. Kofi Flexxx - Flowers in the Dark

Madlib - Sound Ancestors

And (for research purposes) the 2024 Dr. Spin Radio playlist, which contains examples from ALL the artists listed above.