There's not a lot of tracks in this tournament about which I can say 'I have that on vinyl', but what do you know, match 1, track 1. Voting for it too, much as I liked Mexico's classic style.

It's not all 18-year-olds in the Football World Cup either - Cristiano Ronaldo is in it, he's from the 80s.

I found all of it baffling - didn't know there was this vitriol against Blink-182; I've always seen them as super fun wholesome boy band pop-punk. I'd only vaguely heard of Jenny Lewis and Rilo Kiley but cannot imagine what people hear in that utter beige set of non-songs with over precious singing.

#bestalbum2001

Both new to me

O97s: Nice! I'd happily file this w/ my copies of All Shook Down, Girlfriend and Hollywood Town Hall. Except this is from a decade later 😕
Knife: Juvenilia, obv. They'd get exponentially better with their next two (though then weirdly regressed again)

Voted: not yet

Read this first, then vote for TAKE OFF YOUR PANTS AND JACKET.

Or do it the other way around, whatever.

This was a great read!

#bestalbum2001

RK: new to me. If this was a recording for a music class in secondary school I'd think it was pretty cute. Not good, but hey. They're kids. The 36 second one was my favourite.
Blink-182: 100% rock 'n' roll fun, and by far the more mature band.

Voted: Take Off Your Pants and Jacket!

In fact, "The Moon" is the best track we've heard in this tournament so far. "Teenage Riot" mashed up w/ New Order's "Age of Consent", as covered by Destroyer, produced like early Radio Dept.

I don't really remember listening to this album in 2001, but I remember listening to "The Moon" on repeat.

In his defence, he was pretty much all the band members

#bestalbum2001

Microphones: had heard. There's too much going on here, but when it hits right, as on the fabulous "The Moon", my word it's good.
Elbow: used to own it (I liked Any Day Now 🤷). Quickest turnaround between buying and selling on ever. Get this shit outta here.

Voted: Microphones!

Haha, I ended up at the same incorrect archipelago as you I guess

www.maptap.gg April 17
99🎯 98🔥 79✨ 86🎓 59😐
Final score: 790

It’s a bit Fade to Grey-ish

Mercury Rev - Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp (The Chemical Brothers Remix) YouTube video by IX Remix Music Channel

The only Mercury Rev track you'll ever need (it's a 9.5/10, could only be improved if it had a little less Mercury Rev in it).

That was my favourite too (first time listen)

#bestalbum2001

Let's invite some more blocks. Both new to me.

BTS: early 90s Smashing Pavements alt rock but with an annoying Fl. Lips/M.Rev-type "psychedelic" tinge. A few good songs.
MR: 😬 Earlier this week we had Kermit singing, now it's his nephew! Hate everything about this.

Voted: AMotF

The new Tiga album, HotLife - out tomorrow but already here! The LP sleeve shows Tiga sitting on a wall dressed in garish fatigues, in front of what I assume is Montreal

Ecstasy surrounds me!

#bestalbum2001

Pulp: own it. Better than I remembered - some good songs, but bogged down by ornate arrangements and a general going-through-the-motions feel
LSF: new to me. Have to be in the mood for this but it sounds much more like they love life than the album making that claim

Voted: Go Forth

Not claiming that It or Freaks are my favourite Pulp albums, but I'll take "My Lighthouse" and "I Want You" over anything on We Love Life.

Post your favourite film from the year you turned 18

It's between this and Metropolitan:

No discourse yet about whether DrukQs is pronounced "drugs" or "drug use"?

#bestalbum2001

Had heard both before, but not often

Aphex: no originality points for saying this is all over the place but it has its moments.
Muse: whereas this... oof. Sounded awfully dated and just plain awful even then.

Voted: DrukQs!

Happy Birthday!

Ha!

I had to fly by VPN to Sweden to read the DM, but that seemed only right.

#bestalbum2001

Sparklehorse: what a strange, frustrating album. Some great songs, some unfinished demos, some sound like Tom Waits but with Kermit singing instead of Rowlf. The slow ones make me want to strangle him.

Pernice Bros: didn't know Teenage Fanclub had a side gig!

Voted: Pernice Bros!

Ah yes, Vivadixie...etc.

"Rainmaker" was a minor alt radio hit - I was disappointed the rest of the album didn't sound like it

Only a Brit by residence, but I'd heard one Sparklehorse album (1995-ish?) and I'd only seen the Pernice Brothers name.

Doesn't mean I wouldn't care about the matchup - some of my favourite things are very American!

That's what I do. I nominate ~50 albums I know and love; half of those get in. That means there's about 100* albums new to me in Round 1 to listen to. That's plenty!

*For 1989, it was about 70.

I have a friend who moved to the Canadian plains. Japan was a total fluke!

www.maptap.gg April 13
100🎯 99🎯 100🎯 98🎯 85🎓
Final score: 948

Wooo! I was actually worried 🙃