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The Music Court’s March Madness Is Back!

17 Feb

Last year, The Music Court celebrated the College Basketball March Madness tournament by forming its own unique March Madness-themed poll that had nothing to do with college basketball. Instead, we set 16 albums against each other (all released in 1967) in a battle of superiority. How did it work?

I did my research and (in completely and obviously biased fashion) picked what I thought were the top 16 albums of 1967. Feel free to search March Madness in the search bar for a glimpse at how last year’s competition progressed. It worked like a region in the March Madness poll. The 1-seed faced the 16-seed and so on. Readers (you) voted on your favorite album each round and the match-ups naturally became more difficult as the competition progressed. At the end of the competition, expectedly, the #1 seed, Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band took home the top Music Court prize and the title of “Best Album of 1967.”

The poll idea was mainly an experiment. In order for something like this to work, I need help from all of you. The response was good enough to keep this March Madness poll annual. And, as you can see by the picture above, we are traveling back in time one year (from 1967) and reproducing the idea. The Beatles may have taken the title of best album of 1967, but what artist released the best album in 1966. Was it still the Beatles with Revolver?

Starting a little under a month from now, I will post up the initial match-ups and urge you to vote. I hope that we can produce an equally awesome performance and I am looking forward to getting the show on the road. I compiled the list today, and, although we are not starting with the first match-up right now, I do have something related to share with you all. Oh, if you are confused about all of this March Madness mumbo-jumbo and need a good description, do not worry, I will provide one in the first poll post soon.

When I was compiling the list of albums earlier today, I initially listed 19 albums. I needed to get the number down to an even 16, and after some inner deliberation, trimmed the fat, so to speak. The 17-19 best albums of 1966 may have just missed our list, but they are still excellent albums that deserve recognition. If you have been reading the Obscure Classic Rock section, you can appreciate how difficult it was to succeed in music during the mid-60s because of the high level of talent and competition. Sitting at #17 are The Fugs and their self-titled second release.

This folk/psychedelic act named after Norman Mailer’s euphemism for a certain four-letter word that begins with F in “The Naked and the Dead”, featured Beat/Hippie crossovers Ed Sanders and Ken Weaver, and Beat poet Tuli Kupferberg. The songs certainly reflected the burgeoning 60s hippie counterculture, and their satirical protest songs are humorous, poignant and original. This particular album has my favorite Fugs song, “Kill for Peace,” a clear contradiction and Kupferberg composition. It is a ditty that inspired future artists like Country Joe.

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The Three We Expected – The X Factor – NOW Who Will Win

16 Dec

The sun has set on Marcus Canty and the X Factor top three have been revealed. Competing for the $5 million prize is the smooth Chris Rene, the powerful Melanie Amaro, and the granular Josh Krajcik. The question now, obviously, is who is going to win? We have been asking this question at the Music Court since L.A. Reid clearly corrupted short-lived crooner Phillip Lomax’s chances of making it out of the top 16 by making him sing a mawkish, corny version of “I’m a Believer” while surrounded by the superfluous X Factor dance crew. I mean, come on, even the other judges called Reid out on this clear attempt at making his job of eliminating one of his team members easier.

Anyway, so, yes we have been watching this over-the-top spectacle for weeks now and we are down to the top three. I like how this show has eliminated contestants. Some of the judges may be mugwumps (looking at you Paula and Nicole), but the eliminations have followed mostly followed script and we are down to the top three that, based on all of the performances, should be the top three. And while there have been some surprises along the way, I am not surprised by the contestants in the finale. Marcus looked fully content when he was told he would be going home last night by way of an awkward, tall hug from the Welsh “host with the height” Steve Jones.

In what will most likely be an epic finale of the X Factor, three judges will have a chance at crowning their contestants with the final prize. But who will it be? We have explored the possibilities endlessly on this blog (it’s good television, what can I say!) – Check out some of the posts here, here, and here (which features a post from October where I say the best in their respective categories are Chris Rene, Drew, Josh Krajcik, and the Stereo Hogzz). Well, I was right on two of them. I do have Chris Rene winning in that post and I have him winning still. But, like I have said numerous times, I also can see Josh or Melanie winning the competition.

I will not tire you with more analysis – click on the here hyperlinks for more of that – but I do want to pose the question of who will win again. So keep voting (DO NOT VOTE FOR EMPTY SPOT – had to put that in because we can’t have less than four choices) in the poll below and let’s see who you all think. To help you vote I am going to post my favorite performance from each of the three contestants still in the show.

Chris Rene:

Melanie Amaro

Josh Krajcik

ULTIMATE PREDICTION

1.) Chris Rene

2.) Josh Krajcik

3.) Melanie Amaro

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Who Do You Think Will Win The X Factor – Poll Results – The Crow Elimination

12 Dec

So where are we now...

 

Here are the results in no particular order (X Factor joke – funny, ha?). Around a week ago I put up a poll on the blog asking the question: Who Will Ultimately Win the X Factor? You can vote in the continuing poll here. We have the results. And they are telling.

UPDATE (12/15) – We are back to a tie. Josh Krajcik and Chris Rene have five votes. Melanie is in third with three votes. Both Marcus Canty and Rachel Crow (ELIMINATED) received zero votes. Look for a post tomorrow on the top three. The voting is tight and I believe this is telling of the entire competition. It also demonstrates why last week’s over-the-top emotional roller coaster is/was unnecessary.

Last week, as you should know by now if you follow the show with any diligence, Rachel Crow, the vibrant and jocular teenager with the spirit of an actress and a mature voice, was ousted from the show. She was up against Marcus Canty, the blissful – almost intoxicated – faithful R&B singer with solid chops. It is safe to say that most thought Canty was on his way out. He had been in the bottom two of vote getters (which comes down to a sing-off and a final judges vote) for straight weeks. This was Rachel Crow’s first appearance in the bottom two. It came down to the maudlin and (I’m going Yiddush) schmaltzy hip/hop artist/judge Nicole Scherzinger, who, while being unequivocally hot, is starting to really get on my nerves. She sent it into deadlock. It would come down to America’s votes. The lowest vote getter was Crow and in response she collapsed on the stage crying. Nicole was actually booed on stage when host Steve Jones asked for her opinion. She too looked sickly.

The whole ordeal seemed fake to me. It smelt like a soap opera. Crow, a budding actress, played the part of the grief-stricken contestant exceptionally well. But perhaps this is just the cynic in me. She was eliminated though and Marcus remains for another week. The question really is, does this matter at all. The simple answer is no.

Yes, it made good television and ratings are essential, but, this following week will almost inevitably see the end of Canty’s run and, like the Music Court voting suggests, the remaining three will be Rene, Amaro, and Krajcik. Who will win? I stand by my prediction from the beginning. It will be Chris Rene. Can I see Amaro or Krajcik taking home the $5 million prize, though? The answer to that is a strong yes. Anyway you look at it, the X Factor has some tricks up its sleeves, so continue watching this gaudy singing competition, because, even if you are not a fan of the singers, the drama is titillating/

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Catchiest Song Poll Response – “Rich Girl” by Hall and Oates

12 Oct

Pouting before it was cool

Have you not voted in the poll “What is the Catchiest Song Ever” yet? Click here to cast your vote!

I was not surprised to see that the winner of the poll was that exceptionally catchy song “Other.” No, other is not a song, just an option. There are so many catchy songs out there and everyone has a different musical palatte. The list that I provided did have some masterpieces of catchy theater, so some of the songs did receive votes. Among the top vote getters was “Rich Girl” by Hall and Oates, which gets my vote for catchiest song ever. Why? Because you’re a rich girl, and you’ve gone too far, cause’ you know it don’t matter anyway. You can rely on the old man’s money, you can rely on the old man’s money. Over and over and over again! AHHHHH get it out of my head!

So why is this song so damn catchy. First, let’s explore what the song is about. Easy, right? A rich girl who’se gone to far but it doesn’t matter anyway. Stop! According to Daryl Hall, the song is actually about an ex-boyfriend of his girlfriend at the time. The guy’s father was rich and he acted strange and Hall thought that this person could do whatever he wanted because his dad would get him out of anything. He can relay on the old man’s money. But, he’s a rich guy didn’t sound good, so Hall changed the sex of our wealthy individual and, well, people have been singing about the rich girl ever since.

The song has some immediate things going for it. First off, it’s only a little under 2:30 in length. Catchy songs should be short. The point of a song like this is to barge into your mind, lay eggs, and leave quickly. Then, after it is gone, the eggs hatch and a million tiny memories of the song get stuck up there and you are forced to think about Daryl Hall singing about the rich girl all day. Not a very pleasant or accurate description, but this is how it seems to happen to me.

The song begins with the chorus over an east-to-follow staccato piano rhythm. In 20 seconds Hall has repeated the chorus twice and has implanted the lyric into the listener. Following the introductory chorus is an exceptionally simple guitar riff that leads into what can I guess be considered the bridge (there is really no verse in this song and perhaps that even adds to its catchiness). The bridge portion is marked by vocal harmonies and longer phrasing. Hall’s voice is exactly the “catchy” kind, according to the study of catchy songs that I mentioned in the poll article. According to the article, a male vocalist with a higher, passionate voice attracts listeners. Hall has that voice. It fits the mold perfectly. The sing-songy classic keeps up the pace until it ends. But does it really end? Or are you humming it to yourself at your desk right now? Yeah, that’s what I thought.

What is the Catchiest Song Ever?

7 Oct

Get it out of my head!

Have you ever asked a friend to hit you over the head with a hammer so the particular song that has been stuck in your head for the last week can finally be removed? By way of concussion, naturally. Then your friend laughs and goes no, I know a better way, and he/she starts to sing another catchy song thereby getting that song stuck in your head for the next week. Electric Light Orchestra describes the phenomenon I am speaking of in the title of their hit song “Can’t Get you Out of My Head.” Seriously, right now I am listening to “Band on the Run” and that incredible guitar riff will now be stuck in my head for the rest of my Friday. Perhaps the Beatles were really talking about getting a song stuck out of their heads when they wrote about Maxwell’s silver hammer.

Some songs are damn catchy and when you listen to them they stick to you like a bug trap. But what makes a song catchy? Recently, York University music scientists released a study that investigated the psychological catchiness of the most glue-like songs. They found that higher male voices that emit vocal energy, phrase length and pitch complexity all contribute to a song’s ultimate catchiness. Using their findings, the scientists released their top 10 list of most catchy songs ever. Here is what it looks like:

  1. “We are the Champions”, Queen (1977)
  2. “Y.M.C.A”, The Village People (1978)
  3. “Fat Lip”, Sum 41 (2001)
  4. “The Final Countdown”, Europe (1986)
  5. “Monster”, The Automatic (2006)
  6. “Ruby”, The Kaiser Chiefs (2007)
  7. “I’m Always Here”, Jimi Jamison (1996)
  8. “Brown Eyed Girl”, Van Morrison (1967)
  9. “Teenage Dirtbag”, Wheatus (2000)
  10. “Livin’ on a Prayer”, Bon Jovi (1986)

It’s the final countdown, da da da da, da da da da da, da da da da da, da da da da da da da, doo doo doo – wait – sorry – I forgot I was posting.

What do you think of this list? Is “We are the Champions” the most catchy song ever. It is a burst of vocal, tribal energy and, yeah, it’s exceptionally catchy. But what about the other songs? Hmm…I think I can think of better ones. So I want to investigate. It’s poll time. I need all of you this time. Let’s figure this out. Is “We are the Champions” the most catchy song ever, or is there another song that has you? I am going to include my list of top catchy songs in the poll below and feel free to choose other and vote for another song if you disagree.

I refuse to RickRoll you. I was thinking about it, but then I decided to do something even more cruel. I’m going to post all of the songs for your listening pleasure. Happy voting!

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