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March 25, 2007
Album Insanity: The year of the chalk
Chalk may also refer to predicting the expected result ("picking chalk") or that result occurring, especially in sports or in the NCAA Division 1 College Basketball Tournament when predicting most or all of the favored teams to win.
We'll open up voting for who joins the final four tomorrow (if you're that desirous to start today, you can do so in the comments). Notice how eerily similar this tournament is to the actual tournament. Four one seeds; two three seeds; two two seeds in the Elite Eight.
LOU REED BRACKET
For the top of the bracket.
1. Radiohead - Ok Computer
Overall Ranking: 1
[Pitchfork Rank 1]
Key songs: Paranoid Android, No Surprises
Year: 1997
Defeated 16. Rage Against the Machine S/T 4-0 Round One
Defeated 9. Mogwai - Young Team 33-1.
Defeated 5. Beck - Odelay 16-4
NCAA Team: Florida (1 seed)
Returning champ (read: Pitchfork champ) is one of the most recent picks might be more ingrained in one's mind than say, Nevermind. Prevailing favorite. Still people question whether they might have the stamina to repeat.
VS
3. Pixies – Bossanova
Overall Ranking: 9
[PF 28]
Key songs: Velouria, Allison
Year: 1990
Defeated 14 seed Boards of Canada - Music Has The Right To Children 4-0
Defeated 6 seed Yo La Tengo – I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One 22-12
Defeated 10 seed Sonic Youth- Goo
NCAA team: Georgetown (2 seed)
The best team to come out of a historic conference (Big East, rock) in awhile (at the time of the Surfer Rosa), but it's not the best team they've ever fielded.
LOU REED BRACKET
1. Neutral Milk Hotel – In an Aeroplane over the Sea
Overall Ranking: 4
[PF 4]
Key songs: In The Aeroplane Over The Sea, Two-headed Boy
Year: 1998
53%)
Defeated 16. Built to Spill – There’s Nothing Wrong With Love 4-0
Defeated 9. Beastie Boys - Check Your Head 18-12
Defeated 12. Daft Punk - Homework 11-8
NCAA Team: Ohio State (1 seed)
Because a perceived bias (abstract, somewhat abrasive singing, Big Ten) some though it might be the first to exit. But they have a grinder (Oden, Mangum) that pushes them through. Also, the band (team) will likely be disassembled next year.
VS
2. Pavement - Slanted and Enchanted
Overall Ranking: 5
[PF 5]
Key songs: Here, Conduit for Sale
Year: 1992
Defeated 15. Primal Scream – Screamadelica 4-0
Defeated 7. Cat Power – Moon Pix 22-7
Defeated 3. Portishead – Dummy 10-8
NCAA Team: Oregon (3 seed)
West Coast bias. And, of course, Oregon.
IAN CURTIS BRACKET
1. Public Enemy – Fear of a Black Planet
Overall Ranking: 3
[PF 17]
Year: 1990
Defeat 16. Olivia Tremor Control - Dusk At Cubist Castle 4-0
Defeated 8. Chemical Brothers - Dig Your Own Hole 28-5
Defeated 4. Belle and Sebastian – If You're Feeling Sinister 13-6
NCAA Team: Kansas (1 seed)
Best team from a great (at least, as the top, conference) was a trendy pick to go all of the way. Like Kansas' youth and poor foul shooting, PE's undeniable patrician and anti-Semitic tendencies are its Achilles' heels.
VS
2. My Bloody Valentine – Loveless
Overall Ranking: 6
[PF 2]
Year: 1991
Defeated 15. Silver Jews - American Water 4-0
Defeated 10. Lauryn Hill – Miseducation of Lauryn Hill 20-13
Defeated 6. Elliott Smith – XO 12-7
NCAA Team - UCLA (2 seed)
Their brand of play is not for everyone (distorted noise rock; tenacious D, offensive O) - you could, depending on the matchup (and, in this case voting public) could have been bounced immediately or take it to Hotlanta.
ERIC B BRACKET
1. Nirvana – Nevermind
Overall Ranking: 2
[PF 6
Key songs: Smells Like Teen Spirit, Lithium
Year: 1991
Defeated 16. Quasi – Field Studies 4-0
Defeated 8. Le Tigre – S/T 32-5
Defeated 4. Massive Attack - Blue Lines 20-0
NCAA team: UNC (1 seed)
The historical favorite, but people, because of their successful past, are sleeping a bit on them.
VS
3. Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream
Overall Ranking: 10
[PF 18]
Key songs: Today, Cherub Rock
Year: 1993
Defeated 14. A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory 2-0 (community vote was tied)
Defeated 11. Blur – Parklife 26-11
Defeated Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)13-6
NCAA team: Memphis (2 seed)
A good team and the best team from a weak conference (pop grunge (allow me some liberties) that shocked a sleeper favorite (Wu-Tang Clan) are expected to get easily bounced in the Elite 8
Posted by Keith O'Brien at March 25, 2007 11:02 AM
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Comments
Uh... you're Elite 8 match-ups are a littls off there.
KU vs. UCLA: correct
but...
UNC vs. G'town
UF vs. Oregon
Ohio St. vs. Memphis
I know those pairings don't match the AI ones exaclty, but nonetheless, I feel inclined to mention it.
Posted by: Randall Monty at March 25, 2007 10:21 PM
I know the matchups are wrong; it was supposed to show each album represented an Elite Eight team, regardless of matchup.
Posted by: Keith O'Brien at March 26, 2007 08:06 AM
Got it now.
Posted by: Randall Monty at March 26, 2007 08:41 AM
