Sunday, June 30, 2013
Top 20 Singles: Week Of July 1, 2013
1. Babel-Mumford & Sons (New #1)
2. Sick Of It-Skillet
3. I Want Crazy-Hunter Hayes
4. Demons-Imagine Dragons
5. Mirrors-Justin Timberlake
6. Ghost-Darling Parade
7. Dance With Me Tonight-Olly Murs
8. Can't Hold Us-Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
9. See You Again-Carrie Underwood
10. Summer Paradise-Simple Plan (Featuring MKTO)
11. Beautiful-P.O.D.
12. The One That Got Away-The Civil Wars
13. Misery Loves My Company-Three Days Grace
14. Whisper-The Dear Hunter
15. That's My Jam-Relient K (Featuring Owl City)
16. Recovery-Frank Turner
17. We Fall Apart-We As Humans
18. Bourbon In Kentucky-Dierks Bentley
19. Brave-Sara Bareilles
20. Leader Of The Broken Hearts-Papa Roach
Biggest Mover: Summer Paradise (Up 4)
Highest Debut: That's My Jam (#15)
Next Five In: Bleed Out by Blue October, Mission Bells by Matt Nathanson, What If by Five For Fighting, There's No Going Back by Sick Puppies, How She Rolls by Chase Rice
Mumford & Sons takes over the top spot this week, and Babel now has a relatively clear path at the top for the moment. Skillet and Hunter Hayes both drop a spot but stick around the Top 3. Meanwhile, Imagine Dragons and Darling Parade both get closer to the top this week, moving up through the Top 10. Summer Paradise makes the week's biggest jump and moves up into the Top 10 as well. Further down the list, The Civil Wars look strong and moves close to the Top 10. And this week's debuts include That's My Jam and Bourbon In Kentucky, which debut at #15 and #18, respectively.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
The Essential David Crowder Band: The Sweet 16
So the list of essential Crowder songs has been determined. So what is the ultimate Crowder song? Let's find out, as we delve into the Sweet 16:
#1 No One Like You (Live) VS #5 Like A Lion
Like A Lion in its DCB form is excellent (The Newsboys version...meh, not so much). It's a solid worship song, and it's got excellent lyrical depth. No One Like You, though, is flat-out fun. It may not be quite as deep lyrically, but it is solid musically, and it's the most fun you can have at a Crowder concert.
No One Like You (Live) advances
#2 Foreverandever, Etc. (Live) VS #3 I Saw The Light (Live)
This one is incredibly tough. These songs are so close in quality, and they're both such different styles. This live version of Foreverandever is elevated by the 80's infusion in the middle of the song. But I Saw The Light is excellent live too. And, when comparing songs this close, it's important to look at the originals as well. And, in this case, I Saw The Light has just a slight edge, which is what will carry it through.
I Saw The Light advances
#1 We Are Loved VS #5 A Beautiful Collision
This is probably the perfect match-up for the upset. We Are Loved is a terrific song. But A Beautiful Collision is just a solid song, musically and lyrically. It's a hair better, but it's better nonetheless.
A Beautiful Collision advances
#2 Church Music-Dance! VS #11 We Won't Be Quiet
This one isn't all that close. Ted Nugent can't save it this time around. Church Music is a ton of fun, and you will want to do exactly what the title dictates...dance!
Church Music-Dance! advances
#1 How He Loves VS #4 SMS (Shine)
Two really, really good songs. But it's not as close as it might seem by the seeds. How He Loves is just on a different level. It's yet to face any real competition.
How He Loves advances
#2 O Praise Him (All This For A King) VS #3 Here Is Our King
Wow. This one is insanely difficult. These two songs are literally on the exact same level for me. I'd like to advance both of them. How to decide? I don't even know. Best I can do is flip a coin. And the coin says...
Here Is Our King advances
#1 All Creatures #2 VS #4 Stars
Not too tough here. Stars is solid. Stars does not compare to All Creatures.
All Creatures #2 advances
#2 Never Let Go VS #3 Come And Listen
Close, but not as close as some other 2v3 match-ups. Never Let Go is just a solidly better song.
Never Let Go advances
So we are down to 8. The updated bracket is here. Four more go next time.
#1 No One Like You (Live) VS #5 Like A Lion
Like A Lion in its DCB form is excellent (The Newsboys version...meh, not so much). It's a solid worship song, and it's got excellent lyrical depth. No One Like You, though, is flat-out fun. It may not be quite as deep lyrically, but it is solid musically, and it's the most fun you can have at a Crowder concert.
No One Like You (Live) advances
#2 Foreverandever, Etc. (Live) VS #3 I Saw The Light (Live)
This one is incredibly tough. These songs are so close in quality, and they're both such different styles. This live version of Foreverandever is elevated by the 80's infusion in the middle of the song. But I Saw The Light is excellent live too. And, when comparing songs this close, it's important to look at the originals as well. And, in this case, I Saw The Light has just a slight edge, which is what will carry it through.
I Saw The Light advances
#1 We Are Loved VS #5 A Beautiful Collision
This is probably the perfect match-up for the upset. We Are Loved is a terrific song. But A Beautiful Collision is just a solid song, musically and lyrically. It's a hair better, but it's better nonetheless.
A Beautiful Collision advances
#2 Church Music-Dance! VS #11 We Won't Be Quiet
This one isn't all that close. Ted Nugent can't save it this time around. Church Music is a ton of fun, and you will want to do exactly what the title dictates...dance!
Church Music-Dance! advances
#1 How He Loves VS #4 SMS (Shine)
Two really, really good songs. But it's not as close as it might seem by the seeds. How He Loves is just on a different level. It's yet to face any real competition.
How He Loves advances
#2 O Praise Him (All This For A King) VS #3 Here Is Our King
Wow. This one is insanely difficult. These two songs are literally on the exact same level for me. I'd like to advance both of them. How to decide? I don't even know. Best I can do is flip a coin. And the coin says...
Here Is Our King advances
#1 All Creatures #2 VS #4 Stars
Not too tough here. Stars is solid. Stars does not compare to All Creatures.
All Creatures #2 advances
#2 Never Let Go VS #3 Come And Listen
Close, but not as close as some other 2v3 match-ups. Never Let Go is just a solidly better song.
Never Let Go advances
So we are down to 8. The updated bracket is here. Four more go next time.
CD Review: Rise by Skillet
Concept albums are risky business. When a band creates a "concept album" there are plenty of ways it can fail. One of the biggest is the listener not "getting it." If you don't understand the story the album is telling, you may not understand the songs at all. Even if you do, the songs may not be able to stand on their own, and then you've got a disc full of sub-par songs that tell a story, but no one cares. Moreover, because you're telling a story with all these songs, seamless transition from song to song is a necessity. Like any great story, the concept album needs to have a great flow to it. Now, despite the risks, a successful album like this can become the highlight of a band's career.
Enter Skillet. This band has become one of the top acts in Christian music today, and one of the bigger names in mainstream rock music as well. After 2006's Comatose went gold, 2009's Awake made the biggest splash to date, going platinum while pumping out multiple successful singles. Now, 2013 rolls around, and Skillet comes along with their concept album, Rise. According to the band, the concept of this disc is teenager coming-of-age story, trying to figure out who he is a world filled with problems. This CD is the story of a battle from start to finish. Because of that, it only feels appropriate to take each song in and break it all down, piece by piece.
The opening track, Rise, is the perfect opening track for a disc like this. It sets the tone for what you're going to hear throughout. It's edgy, and it's definitely a radio-friendly rock song. And the end of the track is our first transitional element. It comes out of nowhere, but it's a haunting ending that perfectly explains the next song (And the lead single), Sick Of It. These two tracks work excellently back-to-back. Both tracks are up-tempo, hard rock songs that give the feel of the rush of adrenaline in the opening moments of a fight (Or any competitive moment, really).
The disc calms down just a bit on the next track, Good Day To Be Alive. It's a solid softer track, with a decent musical quality to back it up. It's not a standout track, but it's got a good message behind it and fits the mold of the concept. The operatic transitional element really makes Not Gonna Die Tonight pop, though. This is definitely one of the highlight tracks of the disc. It stands solidly on it's own, but it fits perfectly in the album, particularly in this spot. This song grabs you and doesn't let go from start to end, and the guitar solo is an excellent added element to this track.
When I first saw the title of the next track, Circus For A Psycho, I immediately thought "Insane Clown Posse." When I heard the opening 10 seconds, I thought I was about to hear a System Of A Down track. Neither of these things hold true, of course, but it speaks to the oddity of this song. It is above-average overall, but it's a bit off from normal Skillet standards. It almost seems like a song designed more to highlight the (admittedly excellent) guitar skills than the lyrics or even the music as a whole. This is one of those songs that works within the concept of the album but is thrown a bit out of whack otherwise. That thought process actually works well as a transition to American Noise. This track is on the same level as previous slower Skillet songs (The Older I Get comes to mind for me personally). It's not particularly great, but I wouldn't call it terrible. And this is one that is actually elevated by the concept of the album. The transition into this one, the idea that this teen is just exhausted from this "psycho circus" he's been in, needs to take a breath and regroup, and that this song could be a motivator...it works surprisingly well. Following this one, Madness In Me comes up next. This one is a solid song, but in the grand scheme of things, it's an admittedly forgettable track. It's another "fits well in the concept" type of song, and it does continue the story, but it doesn't do much more than that.
That brings us to the last half of the album. This whole second half of the disc kind of fits together. It is arguably the most overtly Christian material that Skillet has put out since Savior was a single. There is no hiding the meaning on this half of the disc. And it starts out right away with Salvation, which may be the standout track of the entire disc. Giving Jen the reigns and having the female lead through the vast majority of the song is a great change of pace, but the message here is what makes this track stand out so much. And it moves right into Fire And Fury, which actually feels like a bit of some old-school Skillet worship tracks.
Then there's My Religion. This is the track that is most likely to be controversial, in more ways than one. Let's get the obvious part out of the way: This one could easily be viewed by some Christians as a shot at Christianity. Don't be that person. This song is not a shot at Christianity as a whole or a shot at any particular section of Christianity. What this song is is a hit right to the root of what this religion is supposed to be. Debate the theology if you must, but it ultimately comes back to this: "You are my religion, my religion is You." That being said, the other controversy could come from the music itself. It's just so different from the usual Skillet sound, it's inevitably going to turn some people off. I find it to be a good balance, because it's such different song as a whole, it feels right that it is so stylistically different.
The final two tracks on the disc, Hard To Find and What I Believe, are a good way to end out the disc. Neither song is going to be the highlight moment, but both songs are solid, and they continue to speak to that overtly Christian message. They close out this story in an excellent way. These two songs feel like a fitting end to this disc.
Overall, Rise hits the mark. there are a few minor missteps, but each song fits well into this concept. The vast majority of the songs hold their own outside of the disc, and some are elevated to greater levels in conjunction with the tracks around them. Much like other Skillet disc, not every song is a keeper, but a whole lot of it is. This is a solid disc, and certainly qualifies as one of Skillet's best efforts.
Rating: 9 out of 10
Monday, June 24, 2013
Lakeside Fantasy Baseball: Week 12 Power Rankings and Week 13 Preview
Going into the weekend, every one of the top five teams in record was
losing. Let's see how they did and how it affected the Power Rankings:
1. Accountants Do It In Numbers-Randy Blum (40 Points)
A big win puts Randy in a dominating first place, leading every single category in the Power Rankings. Even an absolutely massive 386 point day from Austin wasn't enough to keep Randy from winning this week, and the league is back to looking up at this team from below.
2. The Bryce Is Right-Andrew Blum (33.5 Points)
Andrew takes a tough loss this week, missing out on the win by less than four points. After eight straight wins, Andrew has now rolled off three straight losses. A fourth straight would put him third in the division, and would probably see him start slip down the rankings.
3. Zimmerman Telegraph-Shane Sandri (31 Points)
Of all the tough luck stories of the year, Shane's last week has to be the worst. After scrounging out a 1/2 point victory over Kyle and going into this week as the league's only two loss team, a scoring correction by MLB turned his win into a loss. Follow up with an actual loss on the week, and instead of 10-2, Shane is now 8-4. He still holds a two game lead in the division, but he, like Andrew, is on his longest losing streak of the season. Another loss might actually start to make him sweat.
4. Albuquerque Isotopes-Josh Blum (30 Points)
It hasn't always been pretty, but Josh has still managed to get the wins when he needed to. That was the case this week, as the battle with Scott came down to the final day of the week. The bats came alive on Sunday, and two less-than-stellar Verlander starts probably helped make the difference in this one. Still, Josh's team has been strong all season and continues to string together wins because of it.
5. A New Era-Austin Drake (25 Points)
Austin is the current "tough luck" team in the league. Consistently putting up top 5 scores, he keeps hitting good teams at the wrong time, and still sits under .500 because of that. Still, he's in the playoffs, and most of the teams behind him in the power rankings don't look nearly as strong. He clearly needs to be taken seriously despite the poor record.
6. LC Legend-Kyle Trondle (18 Points)
Speaking of teams that may need to be taken seriously, all of a sudden...here comes Kyle. A 1-8 start has not deterred him, and that previously mentioned scoring correction combined with an excellent week this week have put him on a 3 game win streak. No longer all alone in last, he suddenly looks like a playoff contender. He obviously needs to keep winning, but at least now he's proven he can do that.
7. The Fresh "Prince"-Scott Stepaniak (12.5 Points)
"I hate Fantasy Baseball." The words spoken multiple times over the past few weeks by Scott. It's pretty much all you need to know right now. He needs a win or two pretty quickly, or he's going to risk dropping to Division 2 next season.
8. No More Haren Addiction-Andy Ashbaugh (11 Points)
Andy picks up a much-needed win against a tough opponent this week. Now at 4-8, he sits tied with Scott in Division 1 and just a game out of the playoffs. He's another team that is going to need to pick up a good amount of wins to keep it up, but the potential is there.
9. ThE RoUnD MoUnD Of ReBoUnD-Ervin Demirasi (10.5 Points)
Ervin drops back to .500 after taking the loss this week, but his team continues to outperform expectations. He's going to be int he playoff race for the duration, and his spot may be determined on the final week.
10. How I Met Yu's Mother-Brian Rossen (9.5 Points)
Brian gets back on the winning side this week, but he will need to keep it up to revive his season. The next few weeks will tell us how Brian will do as the season rolls on.
Looking ahead to next week, we get some great match-ups that could give us some playoff separation. The match-up of the week pits #2 The Bryce Is Right (8-4) against #4 Albuquerque Isotopes (8-4). These teams have been going in different directions over the past three weeks, and if the trend continues, Josh will jump into a stronger position in Division 1.
#1 Accountants Do It In Numbers (9-3) goes up against #8 No More Haren Addiction (4-8) in an important game for Andy. #3 Zimmerman Telegraph (8-4) takes on #9 ThE RoUnD MoUnD Of ReBoUnD (6-6) in a match that Ervin will need to win or risk going right into the thick of a heated playoff race. Speaking of that playoff race, another big match-up occurs when #5 A New Era looks to pick up a win and keep #6 LC Legend (4-8) at bay. And finally, #7 The Fresh "Prince" (4-8) and #10 How I Met Yu's Mother (4-8) go against each other in an attempt to get out of last place.
Until next week, good luck to all!
1. Accountants Do It In Numbers-Randy Blum (40 Points)
A big win puts Randy in a dominating first place, leading every single category in the Power Rankings. Even an absolutely massive 386 point day from Austin wasn't enough to keep Randy from winning this week, and the league is back to looking up at this team from below.
2. The Bryce Is Right-Andrew Blum (33.5 Points)
Andrew takes a tough loss this week, missing out on the win by less than four points. After eight straight wins, Andrew has now rolled off three straight losses. A fourth straight would put him third in the division, and would probably see him start slip down the rankings.
3. Zimmerman Telegraph-Shane Sandri (31 Points)
Of all the tough luck stories of the year, Shane's last week has to be the worst. After scrounging out a 1/2 point victory over Kyle and going into this week as the league's only two loss team, a scoring correction by MLB turned his win into a loss. Follow up with an actual loss on the week, and instead of 10-2, Shane is now 8-4. He still holds a two game lead in the division, but he, like Andrew, is on his longest losing streak of the season. Another loss might actually start to make him sweat.
4. Albuquerque Isotopes-Josh Blum (30 Points)
It hasn't always been pretty, but Josh has still managed to get the wins when he needed to. That was the case this week, as the battle with Scott came down to the final day of the week. The bats came alive on Sunday, and two less-than-stellar Verlander starts probably helped make the difference in this one. Still, Josh's team has been strong all season and continues to string together wins because of it.
5. A New Era-Austin Drake (25 Points)
Austin is the current "tough luck" team in the league. Consistently putting up top 5 scores, he keeps hitting good teams at the wrong time, and still sits under .500 because of that. Still, he's in the playoffs, and most of the teams behind him in the power rankings don't look nearly as strong. He clearly needs to be taken seriously despite the poor record.
6. LC Legend-Kyle Trondle (18 Points)
Speaking of teams that may need to be taken seriously, all of a sudden...here comes Kyle. A 1-8 start has not deterred him, and that previously mentioned scoring correction combined with an excellent week this week have put him on a 3 game win streak. No longer all alone in last, he suddenly looks like a playoff contender. He obviously needs to keep winning, but at least now he's proven he can do that.
7. The Fresh "Prince"-Scott Stepaniak (12.5 Points)
"I hate Fantasy Baseball." The words spoken multiple times over the past few weeks by Scott. It's pretty much all you need to know right now. He needs a win or two pretty quickly, or he's going to risk dropping to Division 2 next season.
8. No More Haren Addiction-Andy Ashbaugh (11 Points)
Andy picks up a much-needed win against a tough opponent this week. Now at 4-8, he sits tied with Scott in Division 1 and just a game out of the playoffs. He's another team that is going to need to pick up a good amount of wins to keep it up, but the potential is there.
9. ThE RoUnD MoUnD Of ReBoUnD-Ervin Demirasi (10.5 Points)
Ervin drops back to .500 after taking the loss this week, but his team continues to outperform expectations. He's going to be int he playoff race for the duration, and his spot may be determined on the final week.
10. How I Met Yu's Mother-Brian Rossen (9.5 Points)
Brian gets back on the winning side this week, but he will need to keep it up to revive his season. The next few weeks will tell us how Brian will do as the season rolls on.
Looking ahead to next week, we get some great match-ups that could give us some playoff separation. The match-up of the week pits #2 The Bryce Is Right (8-4) against #4 Albuquerque Isotopes (8-4). These teams have been going in different directions over the past three weeks, and if the trend continues, Josh will jump into a stronger position in Division 1.
#1 Accountants Do It In Numbers (9-3) goes up against #8 No More Haren Addiction (4-8) in an important game for Andy. #3 Zimmerman Telegraph (8-4) takes on #9 ThE RoUnD MoUnD Of ReBoUnD (6-6) in a match that Ervin will need to win or risk going right into the thick of a heated playoff race. Speaking of that playoff race, another big match-up occurs when #5 A New Era looks to pick up a win and keep #6 LC Legend (4-8) at bay. And finally, #7 The Fresh "Prince" (4-8) and #10 How I Met Yu's Mother (4-8) go against each other in an attempt to get out of last place.
Until next week, good luck to all!
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Top 20 Singles: Week of June 24, 2013
1. Sick Of It-Skillet (2 Weeks At #1)
2. I Want Crazy-Hunter Hayes
3. Babel-Mumford & Sons
4. Mirrors-Justin Timberlake
5. Demons-Imagine Dragons
6. Can't Hold Us-Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
7. Ghost-Darling Parade
8. Dance With Me Tonight-Olly Murs
9. See You Again-Carrie Underwood
10. Beautiful-P.O.D.
11. Whisper-The Dear Hunter
12. Recovery-Frank Turner
13. Brave-Sara Bareilles
14. Summer Paradise-Simple Plan (Featuring MKTO)
15. The One That Got Away-The Civil Wars
16. Misery Loves My Company-Three Days Grace
17. Leader Of The Broken Hearts-Papa Roach
18. We Fall Apart-We As Humans
19. Still Into You-Paramore
20. Radioactive-Imagine Dragons
Biggest Mover: Dance With Me Tonight and Summer Paradise (Both Up 4)
Highest Debut: The One That Got Away (#15)
Next Five In: That's My Jam by Relient K (featuring Owl City), Bourbon In Kenctucky by Dierks Bentley, Mission Bells by Matt Nathanson, What If by Five For Fighting, How She Rolls by Chase Rice
Skillet holds on to the top spot this week, holding off growing competition, as Hunter Hayes moves up to #2 and Mumford & Sons moves up to #3. Meanwhile, Ghost moves up into the Top 10 this week, and it's followed closely by Dance With Me Tonight, with the hot start continuing this week. Simple Plan also moves up four spots this week, and it looks like they'll have a pretty solid run up the charts. Finally, The Civil Wars and Three Days Grace both debut this week, at #15 and #16, respectively. Both songs seem to have solid potential for runs up the chart.
Saturday, June 22, 2013
The Essential David Crowder Band: Round 2, Part 4
The final four songs make the list today. Let's check out the Acoustic Region:
#1 All Creatures #2 VS #9 I Am A Seed
I Am A Seed is a ton of fun. And I would love to see it make The Essential list. But it's not going to, because it goes against a tremendous #1 seed here. All Creatures is just too good.
All Creatures #2 advances
#2 Never Let Go VS #7 Sometimes
This one is pretty tough. Both songs are solid, and they have a similar vibe. Ultimately, I'm going to go with Never Let Go, though. It's a slow burn type of build that really makes the difference here, and gives this song a very poignant vibe.
Never Let Go advances
#3 Come And Listen VS #11 Be Lifted Or Hope Rising
This one is easier than the first two. Be Lifted Or Hope Rising is awesome because of the two different musical stylings in one song, but Come And Listen is a more solid song all around.
Come And Listen advances
#4 Stars VS #5 All Around Me
Wow. This strikes me as the most difficult match-up I've had to call thus far. Stars is an incredible song (And, quite frankly, an incredibly underrated song from Crowder's career). All Around Me is such an awesome cover, and such a different style from Flyleaf's already excellent original version of the song. And I want to put it through. But the difference in this one will be exactly that fact: All Around Me is a cover. Stars is a DCB original. While that's not a make-or-break issue, we're talking about a very fine line between these two songs. And in that case, it's enough to make a difference.
Stars advances
So, there you have it. We now have my essential Crowder tracks. So what has made the list, and what is still fighting for the right to be named the best of the best? Well, here's what the bracket looks like going into the Sweet 16. And here's the list of the 16 that made the cut:
1. No One Like You (Live)
2. Like A Lion
3. I Saw The Light (Live)
4. Foreverandever, Etc. (Live)
5. We Are Loved
6. A Beautiful Collision
7. We Won't Be Quiet
8. Church Music-Dance!
9. How He Loves
10. SMS (Shine)
11. Here Is Our King
12. O Praise Him (All This For A King)
13. All Creatures #2
14. Stars
15. Come And Listen
16. Never Let Go
Overall, that's a pretty solid list. I'm disappointed I couldn't fit every single song that I wanted to on the list, but, well, that would be about a four-disc set, so I guess we'll go with this!
#1 All Creatures #2 VS #9 I Am A Seed
I Am A Seed is a ton of fun. And I would love to see it make The Essential list. But it's not going to, because it goes against a tremendous #1 seed here. All Creatures is just too good.
All Creatures #2 advances
#2 Never Let Go VS #7 Sometimes
This one is pretty tough. Both songs are solid, and they have a similar vibe. Ultimately, I'm going to go with Never Let Go, though. It's a slow burn type of build that really makes the difference here, and gives this song a very poignant vibe.
Never Let Go advances
#3 Come And Listen VS #11 Be Lifted Or Hope Rising
This one is easier than the first two. Be Lifted Or Hope Rising is awesome because of the two different musical stylings in one song, but Come And Listen is a more solid song all around.
Come And Listen advances
#4 Stars VS #5 All Around Me
Wow. This strikes me as the most difficult match-up I've had to call thus far. Stars is an incredible song (And, quite frankly, an incredibly underrated song from Crowder's career). All Around Me is such an awesome cover, and such a different style from Flyleaf's already excellent original version of the song. And I want to put it through. But the difference in this one will be exactly that fact: All Around Me is a cover. Stars is a DCB original. While that's not a make-or-break issue, we're talking about a very fine line between these two songs. And in that case, it's enough to make a difference.
Stars advances
So, there you have it. We now have my essential Crowder tracks. So what has made the list, and what is still fighting for the right to be named the best of the best? Well, here's what the bracket looks like going into the Sweet 16. And here's the list of the 16 that made the cut:
1. No One Like You (Live)
2. Like A Lion
3. I Saw The Light (Live)
4. Foreverandever, Etc. (Live)
5. We Are Loved
6. A Beautiful Collision
7. We Won't Be Quiet
8. Church Music-Dance!
9. How He Loves
10. SMS (Shine)
11. Here Is Our King
12. O Praise Him (All This For A King)
13. All Creatures #2
14. Stars
15. Come And Listen
16. Never Let Go
Overall, that's a pretty solid list. I'm disappointed I couldn't fit every single song that I wanted to on the list, but, well, that would be about a four-disc set, so I guess we'll go with this!
Thursday, June 20, 2013
The Essential David Crowder Band: Round 2, Part 3
Here we go. It's time for the Worship Team Region.
#1 How He Loves VS #8 After All (Holy)
After All is a really great song. It's easily one of the best tracks from the final CD. But it's not much of a contest in comparison to How He Loves. This is one of those worship songs that just lasts and will still be around in solid rotation 10 years from now.
How He Loves advances
#2 O Praise Him (All This For A King) VS #7 Let Me Feel You Shine
This is another one that just isn't all that close. Despite both tracks being excellent, and despite Let Me Feel You Shine being a great lead single for the final disc, it doesn't hold a candle to what is arguably the definitive song of Crowder's career.
O Praise Him (All This For A King) advances
#3 Here Is Our King VS #6 Fall On Your Knees
So many good songs are in this region. It's hard to watch these ones fall. Ultimately, though, the goal is to find "the essential" Crowder songs. And, as great as Fall on Your Knees is, I can't see an essential Crowder list that doesn't include Here Is Our King. It just doesn't happen.
Here Is Our King advances
#4 SMS (Shine) VS #12 O, For A Thousand Tongues To Sing
Shine is perhaps one of the more underrated songs of Crowder's career. O, For A Thousand Tongues To Sing is a great show of DCB's ability to take an old hymn, update, and make it great. So what's the difference? Ultimately, the video done for Shine took it to a whole different level. It's a big advantage that helps push it forward in the tournament.
SMS (Shine) advances
So no upsets this time around. Perhaps there will be some in the Part 4, the Acoustic Region. Either way, four more songs have made it to the list. We will get the final four next time. For now, here is the updated bracket.
#1 How He Loves VS #8 After All (Holy)
After All is a really great song. It's easily one of the best tracks from the final CD. But it's not much of a contest in comparison to How He Loves. This is one of those worship songs that just lasts and will still be around in solid rotation 10 years from now.
How He Loves advances
#2 O Praise Him (All This For A King) VS #7 Let Me Feel You Shine
This is another one that just isn't all that close. Despite both tracks being excellent, and despite Let Me Feel You Shine being a great lead single for the final disc, it doesn't hold a candle to what is arguably the definitive song of Crowder's career.
O Praise Him (All This For A King) advances
#3 Here Is Our King VS #6 Fall On Your Knees
So many good songs are in this region. It's hard to watch these ones fall. Ultimately, though, the goal is to find "the essential" Crowder songs. And, as great as Fall on Your Knees is, I can't see an essential Crowder list that doesn't include Here Is Our King. It just doesn't happen.
Here Is Our King advances
#4 SMS (Shine) VS #12 O, For A Thousand Tongues To Sing
Shine is perhaps one of the more underrated songs of Crowder's career. O, For A Thousand Tongues To Sing is a great show of DCB's ability to take an old hymn, update, and make it great. So what's the difference? Ultimately, the video done for Shine took it to a whole different level. It's a big advantage that helps push it forward in the tournament.
SMS (Shine) advances
So no upsets this time around. Perhaps there will be some in the Part 4, the Acoustic Region. Either way, four more songs have made it to the list. We will get the final four next time. For now, here is the updated bracket.
Monday, June 17, 2013
The Essential David Crowder Band: Round 2, Part 2
Four songs have made the list of "the essentials." It's time to see the next four. Here comes the Grab Bag Region:
#1 We Are Loved VS #9 Do Not Move
This one is actually pretty tough. Both songs are solid, and they're not exactly as far apart in quality as the seeding might suggest. It's close, but ultimately I'm going to go with the high seed. It's just a bit better, and I feel better with it on my essentials list than I do with Do Not Move.
We Are Loved advances
#2 Church Music-Dance! VS #7 Oh, Great Love Of God
This one is not nearly as close as the first match-up. Oh, Great Love Of God is a solid song, don't get me wrong. But Church Music is way too much fun. It represents some of the best Crowder has to offer, and it advances easily.
Church Music-Dance! advances
#3 Can You Feel It? VS #11 We Won't Be Quiet
This one is another tough one. Can You Feel It? is a great song, and it's got some solid qualities all around. We Won't Be Quiet is equally solid, and there is the Ted Nugent factor. Ultimately, the difference here will be in the lyrics. Can You Feel It? is a solid song, but We Won't Be Quiet has a better feel as a worship song overall. That's why it's going to pull off the biggest upset of the tournament to date.
We Won't Be Quiet advances
#4 Come Find Me VS #5 A Beautiful Collision
As you might expect, a 4v5 match-up is going to be a close one. Both songs have great qualities that have put them into the high seeds to begin with. The difference here is going to be in the music itself. Come Find Me has some fun moments, but A Beautiful Collision is better representative of Crowder's entire career. That is the necessary edge in this one.
A Beautiful Collision advances
So four more songs advance, including one big upset. Will we see any more surprises? We'll have to wait until next time, when we hit the Worship Team Region. Here's the current bracket.
#1 We Are Loved VS #9 Do Not Move
This one is actually pretty tough. Both songs are solid, and they're not exactly as far apart in quality as the seeding might suggest. It's close, but ultimately I'm going to go with the high seed. It's just a bit better, and I feel better with it on my essentials list than I do with Do Not Move.
We Are Loved advances
#2 Church Music-Dance! VS #7 Oh, Great Love Of God
This one is not nearly as close as the first match-up. Oh, Great Love Of God is a solid song, don't get me wrong. But Church Music is way too much fun. It represents some of the best Crowder has to offer, and it advances easily.
Church Music-Dance! advances
#3 Can You Feel It? VS #11 We Won't Be Quiet
This one is another tough one. Can You Feel It? is a great song, and it's got some solid qualities all around. We Won't Be Quiet is equally solid, and there is the Ted Nugent factor. Ultimately, the difference here will be in the lyrics. Can You Feel It? is a solid song, but We Won't Be Quiet has a better feel as a worship song overall. That's why it's going to pull off the biggest upset of the tournament to date.
We Won't Be Quiet advances
#4 Come Find Me VS #5 A Beautiful Collision
As you might expect, a 4v5 match-up is going to be a close one. Both songs have great qualities that have put them into the high seeds to begin with. The difference here is going to be in the music itself. Come Find Me has some fun moments, but A Beautiful Collision is better representative of Crowder's entire career. That is the necessary edge in this one.
A Beautiful Collision advances
So four more songs advance, including one big upset. Will we see any more surprises? We'll have to wait until next time, when we hit the Worship Team Region. Here's the current bracket.
Lakeside Fantasy Baseball: Week 11 Power Rankings and Week 12 Preview
Some tough luck candidates in this week's power rankings. Let's see if anything changes on this week's power rankings:
1. Accountants Do It In Numbers-Randy Blum (38.5 Points)
After a couple of weeks off, Randy gets back to the top spot on the power rankings. At 8-3, he's now tied for first place in Division 1, and he's definitely the hotter of the two 8-3 teams right now. Some very important match-ups are coming, but Randy's looking good so far.
2. The Bryce Is Right-Andrew Blum (33.5 Points)
Two losses in a row drop Andrew out of his dominating position in Division 1 and down to #2 in the power rankings. He needs to pull it together soon, or he'll risk dropping even further.
3. Zimmerman Telegraph-Shane Sandri (31 Points)
It doesn't get much closer. Shane sits as the only 9-2 team in the league, but it's only by the slimmest of margins that he managed it. Two disappointing weeks in a row point-wise, it's time for Shane to step his game up, or he might actually have to deal with some competition in Division 2.
4. Albuquerque Isotopes-Josh Blum (29.5 Points)
Nearly doomed on Monday because of pitchers, it was savvy pitcher use at the end of the week (Getting the two extra starts on Sunday) that got Josh a hard-fought win this week. It was back-and-forth all week, but the W is the important part of this one, and it pulls Josh within a game of the division lead.
5. A New Era-Austin Drake (24.5 Points)
Austin gets a very important win this week, as it keeps him in the playoffs right now (And gives him a one game lead over the competition). He's going to have to keep it up to stay in the playoffs, but so far, it's working.
6. The Fresh "Prince"-Scott Stepaniak (18.5 Points)
Scott just can't catch a break. He makes the trade for Ryan Braun, so naturally Braun goes on the DL. He can't get his team going right now, and that puts him in danger of dropping out of the playoff race, but also out of Division 1 at season's end.
7. LC Legend-Kyle Trondle (14.5 Points)
Poor, poor Kyle. One out. One out was all that stood between him and victory this week. Instead, he ends up dropping to 2-9. He's proven numerous times that he is tough competition, but he just can't seem to get the victories going.
8. ThE RoUnD MoUnD Of ReBoUnD-Ervin Demirasi (10 Points)
At least this week, Ervin proves that he's not just all luck. He puts up the highest points of the week and gets above .500. He now looks to be in a solid position to get in the playoffs, and he might just be heating up now.
9. No More Haren Addiction-Andy Ashbaugh (10 Points)
Andy puts up the third-most points of the week, but he still takes the loss. At 3-8, Andy is in dire straits. He's going to need a big run quickly if he's going to make any playoff noise.
10. How I Met Yu's Mother-Brian Rossen (8.5 Points)
Brian also took a tough loss this week, despite putting up decent points. Like Andy, he looks like a team in desperate need of a winning streak, but it doesn't seem to be coming any time soon.
Looking forward to next week, we get some solid match-ups that will help determine playoff potential. The game of the week looks to be #1 Accountants Do It In Numbers (8-3) takes on #5 A New Era (5-6). Randy will look to stay in first place (And possibly even get there by himself, while Austin will look to solidify his playoff standing by getting back to .500.
Meanwhile, #2 The Bryce Is Right (8-3) will look to get on the right track in a tough match-up against the underperforming #9 No More Haren Addiction (3-8). #3 Zimmerman Telegraph (9-2) will look to be the first team to 10 wins against #10 How I Met Yu's Mother (3-8). #4 Albuquerque Isotopes (7-4) will take on #6 The Fresh "Prince" (4-7) in their final match-up of the regular season. And #7 LC Legend (2-9) takes on #8 The RoUnD MoUnD Of ReBoUnD (6-5) in a match that could have big implications for Ervin's playoff hopes.
Until next week, good luck to all!
1. Accountants Do It In Numbers-Randy Blum (38.5 Points)
After a couple of weeks off, Randy gets back to the top spot on the power rankings. At 8-3, he's now tied for first place in Division 1, and he's definitely the hotter of the two 8-3 teams right now. Some very important match-ups are coming, but Randy's looking good so far.
2. The Bryce Is Right-Andrew Blum (33.5 Points)
Two losses in a row drop Andrew out of his dominating position in Division 1 and down to #2 in the power rankings. He needs to pull it together soon, or he'll risk dropping even further.
3. Zimmerman Telegraph-Shane Sandri (31 Points)
It doesn't get much closer. Shane sits as the only 9-2 team in the league, but it's only by the slimmest of margins that he managed it. Two disappointing weeks in a row point-wise, it's time for Shane to step his game up, or he might actually have to deal with some competition in Division 2.
4. Albuquerque Isotopes-Josh Blum (29.5 Points)
Nearly doomed on Monday because of pitchers, it was savvy pitcher use at the end of the week (Getting the two extra starts on Sunday) that got Josh a hard-fought win this week. It was back-and-forth all week, but the W is the important part of this one, and it pulls Josh within a game of the division lead.
5. A New Era-Austin Drake (24.5 Points)
Austin gets a very important win this week, as it keeps him in the playoffs right now (And gives him a one game lead over the competition). He's going to have to keep it up to stay in the playoffs, but so far, it's working.
6. The Fresh "Prince"-Scott Stepaniak (18.5 Points)
Scott just can't catch a break. He makes the trade for Ryan Braun, so naturally Braun goes on the DL. He can't get his team going right now, and that puts him in danger of dropping out of the playoff race, but also out of Division 1 at season's end.
7. LC Legend-Kyle Trondle (14.5 Points)
Poor, poor Kyle. One out. One out was all that stood between him and victory this week. Instead, he ends up dropping to 2-9. He's proven numerous times that he is tough competition, but he just can't seem to get the victories going.
8. ThE RoUnD MoUnD Of ReBoUnD-Ervin Demirasi (10 Points)
At least this week, Ervin proves that he's not just all luck. He puts up the highest points of the week and gets above .500. He now looks to be in a solid position to get in the playoffs, and he might just be heating up now.
9. No More Haren Addiction-Andy Ashbaugh (10 Points)
Andy puts up the third-most points of the week, but he still takes the loss. At 3-8, Andy is in dire straits. He's going to need a big run quickly if he's going to make any playoff noise.
10. How I Met Yu's Mother-Brian Rossen (8.5 Points)
Brian also took a tough loss this week, despite putting up decent points. Like Andy, he looks like a team in desperate need of a winning streak, but it doesn't seem to be coming any time soon.
Looking forward to next week, we get some solid match-ups that will help determine playoff potential. The game of the week looks to be #1 Accountants Do It In Numbers (8-3) takes on #5 A New Era (5-6). Randy will look to stay in first place (And possibly even get there by himself, while Austin will look to solidify his playoff standing by getting back to .500.
Meanwhile, #2 The Bryce Is Right (8-3) will look to get on the right track in a tough match-up against the underperforming #9 No More Haren Addiction (3-8). #3 Zimmerman Telegraph (9-2) will look to be the first team to 10 wins against #10 How I Met Yu's Mother (3-8). #4 Albuquerque Isotopes (7-4) will take on #6 The Fresh "Prince" (4-7) in their final match-up of the regular season. And #7 LC Legend (2-9) takes on #8 The RoUnD MoUnD Of ReBoUnD (6-5) in a match that could have big implications for Ervin's playoff hopes.
Until next week, good luck to all!
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Top 20 Singles: Week Of June 17, 2013
1. Sick Of It-Skillet (New #1)
2. Mirrors-Justin Timberlake
3. I Want Crazy-Hunter Hayes
4. Can't Hold Us-Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
5. Babel-Mumford & Sons
6. Whisper-The Dear Hunter
7. Demons-Imagine Dragons
8. See You Again-Carrie Underwood
9. Recovery-Frank Turner
10. Ghost-Darling Parade
11. Beautiful-P.O.D.
12. Dance With Me Tonight-Olly Murs
13. Brave-Sara Bareilles
14. Leader Of The Broken Hearts-Papa Roach
15. Still Into You-Paramore
16. Radioactive-Imagine Dragons
17. Sing Loud-Alpha Rev
18. Summer Paradise-Simple Plan (Featuring MKTO)
19. Restore-Chris August
20. We Fall Apart-We As Humans
Biggest Mover: Demons and Ghost (Both Up 3)
Highest Debut: Dance With Me Tonight (#12)
Next Five In: The One That Got Away by The Civil Wars, Misery Loves My Company by Three Days Grace, Mission Bells by Matt Nathanson, What If by Five For Fighting, How She Rolls by Chase Rice
We get some shakeups in the Top 3 this week, with Skillet taking over the top spot with the first single off the new CD. That move drops Mirrors to #2, while Hunter Hayes moves up into the Top 3 this week as well. Babel moves up to #5 this week and looks poised to make a run at the top. However, there's definite competition coming all around, with Imagine Dragons and Darling Parade both moving up three spots yet again this week. And then there's Dance With Me Tonight, which makes a massive debut at #12 and certainly seems a likely candidate for that #1 spot in the coming weeks. Closing out this week's Top 20, we also get a debut from Simple Plan, coming in at #18 and looking like a song with some decent potential to rise up the ranks.
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