[Skinny]

Really difficult decision, this one. 1993 has no albums I dislike, but also nothing I love as much as Darkside or Perils from the Sea. However, I am a massive fan of Today's Active Lifestyles, In Utero, and Doggystyle, whilst I also really like Transient Random-Noise Bursts, and have a lot of great memories attached to Black Sunday (even if I'd never choose to put it on anymore). 1993 might also have the best single of the whole lot ('Player's Ball'), but nothing else that particularly moves me. On top of Darkside and Perils, 2013 also has the wonderful Aljawal, which is a record everybody should check out. It's a record I've continued to play regularly since its release, and I'm ecstatic to see it picked here (almost makes up for leaving Apocalypse out 😉 ). Then the 2013 singles team is fantastic, two of the best songs of recent years in 'Open' and 'Hold On We're Going On', and two other excellent picks in 'Jubilee Street' and 'Just Exist'.

Overall, my vote goes to 2013. That Darkside-Perils-Aljawal triumvirate + those singles are just about enough against a very consistent album team + 'Player's Ball'. Very good matchup, though.
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2021 in full effect. Come drop me some recs. Y'all know what I like.

[Silver]

I do have to say, Skinny, I'm a bit confused as to how on one team someone using a single from an album you love instead of the whole album gives you desire to vote against them (95, Labcab), but then on another someone using an album and band you openly revile gets no mention (13, Modern Vampires). I appreciate the well thought out posts but they're a bit weird in relation to each other. 🤣

[Kiki]

If you don't vote for the music you like the best you may end up voting for music you don't like or what you don't think is the best. If you were to really think about it the could be making a list of everything here and deciding what you like and don't like. Although Silver is right, it can be an easy way to make sense of it

2013 has the best music here 😄 I'm voting that one

[eyezayzay]

Silver your lineup is on point. <3

[Skinny]

[Silver]

[Skinny]

[Saoirse]

Well at least I got Kacey in there somehow (as a mascot, but oh well)


Anyways, I am perhaps too biased here (I did technically put together that 2013 post) but to assess the teams based on honest enjoyment I would still go 2013. Random Transient Noise-Bursts is easily the favorite album across both teams, In Utero and Doggystyle are very good as well, and I do have plenty of nostalgia with Cypress Hill although when listening to the album it's a couple good singles and a whole lotta filler. I haven't heard Polvo yet though so will try to squeeze that in. There are couple tracks on the singles team that make my heart race (Tiger Trap <3, very good Outkast single) but otherwise it's merely nice and groovy but definitely not spectacular.


2013 though is quite gorgeous. Virgins is terrific, goes right up there with Tim Hecker's best work, Perils and Psychic are quite bewitching the more you listen to them, and Alajawl was quite a discovery thanks Loveless. Modern Vampires is probably the first VW record that I found rather pleasent and listenable, although there's still about 100+ better albums in a deep year like '13, but it's no surprise it's headlining here and I don't have a problem with it at all. The singles team is what makes this a no-brainer though. Open is just beautiful (and crushing), Just Exist is fantastic, one of the best little blunt heartbreakers of existentialism there is (def go check out Is Survived By as soon as possible), Jubilee Street is a beast and Hold On We're going Home, while perhaps not the most profound thing here, is certainly the sexiest. And this was probably the only chance Kyaru Pamyu Pamyu was going to make an appeareance in this tournament so she makes a nice zoinked-out sugar rush of an addition to cap off a brilliant singles team. Vote 2013!

[19loveless91]

Yeah this team is probably the closest to a group effort between me and Saoirse. I was deciding between a suicide team in case 1983 won vs 1995, which would mean more picks like Aljawal (i.e. fairly obscure but personal favourites), OR a sell out team, and this little group is indeed more of a compromise between both, with a bit of a Saoirse touch (especially Rhye's Open which, while always on my singles shortlist, wouldn't have made any of my teams).

[Mercury]

2013, if only for MVOTC alone. Y'all do realize that is one if the, oh, top 20 greatest albums ever made right?
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-Ryan

ONLY 4% of people can understand this chart! Come try!

My Fave Metal - you won't believe #5!!!