Kicking off the final week of Round Threee of Montauk Madness is a showdown between two very different musical legends, Michael Jackson and Elvis Costello.
Jackson made his way here by defeating Belle & Sebastian with 86% of the vote and then easily winning the Motown Showdown with Stevie Wonder, 77-23. Costello bested Carly Rae Jepsen with 67% in Round One and John Mayer with 83% in Round Two. This will be his toughest competition yet. Continue reading
Paul Simon’s tenth solo studio album, You’re the One, was released in 2000 to general acclaim, especially coming off the disastrous Broadway run of The Capeman three years earlier.
I haven’t listened to this album much since the early 2000s, but perusing its track list now I’m reminded how good it is. ‘The Teacher’ is a song I’d forgotten about entirely, but it’s quite exotic and lovely. Continue reading
Every time I hear a Guster song, I like it. I own their five most recent studio albums (two earlier releases are out of print) and each of them is chock full of thoughtful, melodic pop.
Even the best acts release a bad song once in awhile, but these guys are remarkably consistent. They remind me of Ron Sexsmith in that way. You can always count on him (and them) to deliver, even if no particular song stands out head and shoulders above the rest. Solid, dependable. Like a well-made car.
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Closing out the week with the fifth Round Three matchup in Montauk Madness, we have the odd pairing of Taylor Swift vs. Simon & Garfunkel.
Swift defeated a couple of celebrated veterans to get here, dropping David Byrne with 88% of the vote in Round One and Tom Petty with 72% in Round Two. Simon & Garfunkel defeated Rufus Wainwright with 80% in Round One and Prince with 64% in Round Two. That’s an impressive batch of artists left in the wake of these two contenders. Continue reading
Ah, here we have my first truly difficult Round Three pick in Montauk Madness. R.E.M. vs. Bob Dylan. Two acts I’ve loved and obsessed over since the tenth grade.
R.E.M. got here by unanimously defeating Stew in Round One then winning a surprisingly tight contest against Rihanna with just 55% of the vote. Bob Dylan had an easier path, besting Miranda Lambert with 78% then Eminem with 89%. I’m still pissed the random sorting put Lambert in that position. Continue reading
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