#Brightongal: Tyler Ward & Alex G - Euphoria
J - Alex G is a name I’m familiar with, but I couldn’t tell ya where from. I know that I subconsciously have a positive association with her name though so that’s good! I actually really liked this! The synths are very pretty and both of their voices come together pretty well to create an overall pleasant experience that I enjoyed a lot, good stuff Jess!
N - This honestly gave me like.. preteen/highschooler sitcom theme song vibes? Almost like Victorious on Nickelodeon? NGL his voice did more than hers for me. It is the first song of the round, so I’m not sure where my thoughts are on it this early, but I will say it’s not a jawdrop wow or an absolute hate for me.
#Buttercup13: Disturbed - The Sound Of Silence
J - YESSSSSSS. I LOVE DISTURBED. They were the last band I got to see in concert before the pandemic hit and it holds a special place in my heart, as does this band in general. I have to agree with Noah about liking this version much more than the original. As much as Paul Simon is an absolute deity in the music industry, there’s just something about David Draiman’s voice, he has an INSANE range. The first 3 verses are so soft, so inviting, and then his famous growl kicks in and the song transcends to a different plane entirely. This is still an EXPERIENCE all these years later. You’ve bounced back VERY nicely after last round!
N - Cierra, Cierra, Cierra. I told you throughout the week the one thing that slays about you is your taste in music… and for the seventh week in a row I can say this SERVES! I can’t lie, I played it on repeat before getting to our next song. I love this version so much more than the original? It just feels so… cozy!?
#JayElVeeIsBack: The Jimi Hendrix Experience - All Along The Watchtower
J - Obviously, this is iconic. I’m both sad and a little relieved you didn’t submit Hurt because as much as I love that song I don’t know if I’m ready to have my insides ripped apart again by the rawness of that track. But yeah, there’s not much to say about this. This is just obviously a classic, it’s one of the most iconic rock hits ever for damn good reason. Jimi makes this song his own, his guitar skills are unmatched and he adds a lot to this track.
N - Whew, okay. Haven’t heard this song in a while but this was nice. I always think of roadtrips on long interstate drives with this song with the sunroof down, and given the winter weather I’m having here in West Virginia, this definitely did help warm up a bit. I like it, but let’s see how everyone else has done.
#Booyahhayoob: Chris Daughtry - Bring Me to Life
J - Before I even hit play, I’m a little intimidated because “Daughtry doing an Evanescence cover” is a TERRIFYING image. But hey, if he was able to make that fuckin Lewis Capaldi song sound great then maybe he can do this too. Hitting play now… …WHY WAS THE BEST PART OF THE SONG REMOVED? This feels BLASPHEMOUS. The entire appeal of this song is the juxtaposition of the “WAKE ME UP” parts with Amy Lee’s god tier voice. This just makes me sad. Sure Chris sounds great as he always does but… This made me sad. And not in the good way. Not in the ways you’d expect to be sad from listening to Evanescence.
N - Gah, Andy… I love love love the Evanescence version. But growing up, Chris has always had a mark in my music collections…. Personally, I wish this were the original version and not covered by him.. I don’t know, it just doesn’t give the same exciting energy. It feels like it’s the same song, just… on low volume and not as energetic with me.
#Mrkkkkyle: Morisette - Secret Love Song
J - I am not familiar with this song but I do enjoy Little Mix so that’s a plus already! This girl has a great voice! This is the kind of cover that makes me want to check out the original though tbh. I like it but there’s just better this week, good submission though!
N - Her voice is pretty damn good.. But I can’t say I connected with the song enough for a repeat or a chart topper from me this week, Kyle. I think if other songs this week weren’t already pretty high up there, you’d do well, but it seems you got outshined this week for me to be thoroughly impressed by this one.
#Bigbrotherlover7: Twenty One Pilots - Don’t Look Back In Anger
J - This is actually my favorite Oasis song! I’m coming into this with high expectations. Does this live up to the original? No, but I can’t be mad at it. Twenty One Pilots are a couple of pretty talented guys, and even though I’ve only recently actually come around on them and FINALLY get their appeal after years of trying, I can tell why people love them so much. I did have to listen to this one a couple times because it’s pretty good!
N - I’ve never heard the Oasis version, and I’m also not “judging a book by its cover” with the song title before listening to it, so as I gave it a listen… I dig it. Is it my favorite this week? No… but it’s a Spotify Save for me this week. Thanks for introducing me to this one, Bryce!
#Tryphena: Klaus Nomi - Lightning Strikes
J - I kinda regret dragging my feet this round because there is NOTHING I can say about this that would ever top “Motley Crue version of Wizard Of Oz.” I see what you’re going for here and I respect it, but I’m not sure this is for me.
N - Tanya, Tanya, I always always get.. Not nervous.. But like, a headscratching feeling with your choices every week. Your discography is so… different and unique to this competition, and I just always feel like I don’t connect with it. I can’t lie, the music video was more distracting than the song itself. I felt like I was in a Motley Crue version of the Wizard of Oz? This just didn’t connect with me… I’m sorry!
#Lukesaur: Madonna - Fever
J - I like Madonna and have so much respect for what this woman has done for the pop industry. That said, I’m not sure if this is one of her higher tier songs. She’s capable of so much better than this. Idk, I just didn’t really feel this one, sorry Luke.
N - Alright Luke! Unbeknownst to many, I just don’t… click with Madonna too well? I don’t know what it is, I know, huge pop diva singer OMG how could I not… but something just… lulls me in the not good way? I think I listened to 4 Minutes a bit too much growing up because of my mom’s 5-song workout playlist on loop..but I just don’t vibe with Madonna…it’s a toughie for me.
#BrianGonzalez: Kirsten Collins, Blake Rose, Kurt Hugo Schneider - Dusk Till Dawn
J - I love the original Dusk Till Dawn, and seeing Noah’s comments got me pretty excited for this! First off, that instrumental is GORGEOUS. Stripping down to a piano and a kick drum gives this a classier feel, and that fits the mood of the lyrics. Both of their voices are great, and it’s so nice to hear a song I love performed by people who AREN’T problematic!
N - OKAY BRIAN!? I’m a fan of Dusk Til Dawn.. but these three slayed this cover in my opinion. You’re DEFINITELY not seeing the bottom 3 from me this week, that’s for sure. I’ll also admit, I re-listened to this after I was done judging for this round, it slayed that hard. THIS is good.
TV THEMES: #Brightongal: The Dandy Warhols - We Used To Be Friends (theme of Veronica mars)
J - I’m gonna start this round by saying I don’t watch much TV so I have no context for just about any of these songs and how well they fit the show! ANYWAY… This should work for me a lot more than it does, I like his lower tones but his falsetto could use some work. And that record scratch noise or whatever it is gets grating after a while. This isn’t terrible but I don’t know where it’s gonna go as of right now.
N - So I remember hearing this song from somewhere, despite never watching Veronica Mars, but I’m just… not with it. Like… I don’t see myself singing along, I don’t jam to it… It just doesn’t vibe with me, I’m sorry Jess.
Update: I remember where I heard this before. It’s the squeak of my apartment complex elevator every time I go downstairs. And no, I wish I were joking. Honest to god, I got on the elevator today for work, and the squeak got this song stuck in my head because of your submission.
#Buttercup13: The Rembrandts - I’ll Be There For You (theme of FRIENDS)
J - I CALLED THIS ONE BEING SENT IN! I love this song. I mean, who doesn’t? I have literally never seen an episode of Friends in my life but I do know every word of this song. This is just an unrelenting BOP.
N - This was the Auto Pick I think everyone was racing for, even Julian and I said before the round, we definitely expect this classic to be played.. And low and behold, you did that Cierra. My ONLY critiques I have are that it is that obvious pick, and early in the season I said “give me wow, give me unexpected”, and the fact that I can’t avoid it getting stuck in my head tonight. Ugh, you did that. All in all, it's everyone's favorite, and obviously nowhere near bottom tonight.
#JayElVeeIsBack: The Golden Girls Theme Song “Thank You For Being A Friend”
J - I love this song so much. I think the appeal here is pretty baseline, it just makes me happy. I don’t really want to do a deep dive into this one and try to analyze it, I just want to say thank you ladies, may all of you rest easy.
N - Ahh, god bless. I see this pick as a tribute to our fallen queen, because I’ve found myself saying “thank you for being a friend” to so many lately. I have actually never watched a full episode of Golden Girls, but I can see me honoring so many friends with this song if I had to LOL.
#Booyahhayoob: Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Theme
J - Well there goes that despair your other song made me feel! Listening to it again, some elements actually aged really weirdly. That guitar or keytar or whatever is extremely dated, but Will Smith is just such a fun presence to where I can overlook that! This is a lot of fun and always puts me in a really good mood!
N - Now this is a story all about how, this round got flipped turned up side down. And I’d like to take a minute just sit right there, and tell yall Andy pulled this one out of thin air. I wasn’t expecting this song this week, believe it or not, but you did that. You played a classic, that everyone knows, and it slays. I know I wasn’t too connected to your first theme pick, but this MAY save you here.
#Mrkkkkyle: Jace Everett - Bad Things (theme of True Blood)
J - I don’t know what I was expecting, but it definitely was not this! I have also never seen True Blood so I have no context for this but yeah this absolutely sounds like a tv show intro theme. I feel like I’m not MEANT to find this as funny as I do but this actually made me laugh at just how wild it was? Which is funny because this is a fairly straightforward song but it was just so much of a left turn from any and all expectations that I had to laugh. I think I’m on the side of wanting to defend this though?
N - Okay I’ve never seen True Blood either, but this song definitely gives me theme song vibes. It gives me… AMC western show vibes, but I dig it. Can I see you personally singing it Kyle? Not at ALL, which honestly makes me laugh, but I do like it.
#Bigbrotherlover7: Drake and Josh Theme Song - I Found A Way
J - As someone who’s been following the Drake Bell drama, I didn’t particularly want to listen to this… But I did, and it’s not BAD? I’m separating the art from the artist here, and just looking at it objectively. There’s just something… off about this song. Could it be the mixing? I think it’s the mixing. The vocals are a bit too far back in the mix and all of the instruments are just in weird places, it doesn’t sound good at all.
N - On a personal note, whenever this song plays, I always imagine the stupid shit we do together in lieu of the Drake and Josh opening credit scenes, not sure if I ever told you that. But again, this is a classic pick I didn’t expect. The lyrics speak to me especially because.. Well.. we know who I am as a person. “You know that I told you I’ll always be picking you up when you’re down”.
#Tryphena: Frank Sinatra - Love & Marriage (theme of Married With Children)
J - I want to like this so badly, but there’s just something about Frank Sinatra that consistently bores me. His voice is so smooth, the production is fantastic, the music sounds great… So why is this doing nothing for me? I don’t know.
N - Again Tanya, your music choices are so unique to this group. I honestly can’t say I’ve seen Married with Children, but something about a Frank Sinatra theme song… it works? It’s not the BEST pick of the week in my opinion, but it’ll save you here.
#Lukesaur: Meisa Kuroki - Wired Life (theme of Blue Exorcist)
J - Oh hell yeah, some anime. I was kind of expecting this to go off a bit more than it did, I haven’t seen Blue Exorcist but the vibe I’ve gotten is that it’s a pretty action oriented show. This theme didn’t give me much of that which is pretty strange. With stuff like this I don’t particularly care whether or not I can understand it, I care more about how well it sets the tone and I just get the feeling that this isn’t the best showing of what this anime has to offer.
N - I’ve never even heard of Blue Exorcist… but this song… Luke.. it didn’t bite with me this week. I don’t know if anyone’s caught on.. But the songs I can’t understand/sing along with… I just don’t favor over those that I can. I like the instrumentals, but I just wish I had an idea.
#BrianGonzalez: The Who - Baba O’Riley (theme of CSI NY)
J - I don’t watch TV, but I am VERY familiar with this song since this is the type of stuff I grew up on! And yeah, this song is FANTASTIC. I’m surprised you went with this one and not the slightly more well known Won’t Get Fooled Again since it has the scream in it, but yeah this was the best pick out of the CSI themes. You BROUGHT IT this week Brian, good stuff!
N - I was WAITING FOR A CSI PICK. Brian! You SERVED BOTH THEMES THIS WEEK. The song speaks for itself “I don’t need to fight, to prove that I’m right, I don’t need to be forgiven.” Sir, ain’t no WAY you’re in the bottom this week, or overall.
Alright! Top and bottom spots fill out really easy this week because we have a non-submission and the same person took the top spot on 3 out of the 4 individual lists. It's obvious who's on the bottom but the top spot goes to...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
. Buttercup13!
As far as individual lists go, you topped 3 of them and got a close 2nd on the fourth. Yeah, you were FAR AND AWAY the top spot this round!
Now, this is where we would head into the face-off. However, both myself and Yswimmer96 have collectively agreed to remove Smuguy2012 from the competition. He's long gone and, from the look of things, won't be coming back anytime soon.
