JOANNA NEWSOM SONG TOURNAMENT 4 (2014)
It’s that time again! I find myself in a similar position to last year, when the Joanna Newsom Song Tournament started with little or no new material. This means that the only things likely to differentiate the result from the previous one would be a change (fall off) in MilkyMoon readership, and any changing tastes as a result of ‘growers’ or over-familiarity.
However, I am determined to make the JNST an annual event, regardless of the frequency of her releases, so here goes!
A few introductory remarks:
A. Is this a good time to be launching a new JNST, given that there is virtually no new material, but that a new album is hopefully just around the corner? In one respect, no, of course it isn’t. But on the other hand, perhaps it is ideal, at least for the launch, because it will allow us time to concentrate on the lesser known or less successful songs at an early stage, and hopefully introduce the new songs along with those which placed highly in previous JNSTs at the later stage.
B. As with last year, we’ll have a Phase One, in which the songs that have performed less well in previous years will be whittled down to a smaller number to progress to the Final Phase.
C. In Phase Two, the qualifying songs from Phase One will be joined by the better performing songs, PLUS any new releases that emerge between now and the time Phase Two starts.
D. Songs included: At present, these are the same as in 2013, with one addition at this stage. That addition is the untitled New Americana-Style Piano Song that LawnsOfDawns reported back on 31.3.14. It appears that he has had exclusive access to it, so I don’t expect there will be many other votes for it in this year’s JNST, but LawnsOfDawns is, after all, the originator of the idea for a JNST, and the completist in me demands that I include it. This means that there are 123 “runners and riders” declared at the moment.
E. I’d like to have the Final consisting of 12 songs, and a Second Division of the same size. I’d therefore like 72 songs in the Second Phase, and so I intend to exempt the previous top 60, and have the remaining 63 songs compete for 12 more places. However, if we get a new album between now & then, I will either reduce the number of places from 12 and allow the new songs to take up the slack (if there are only about 5, say, new songs [newson gs?] on the album – and not forgetting that “Diver’s Wife” and “Look & Despair” and possibly a couple of others are already included in the 60), OR increase the 72 songs in Phase Two to 84.
F. I would like to offer some assistance to regular MilkyMooners who might not be familiar with some or all of the non-canonical songs. If you’ve been a member for a while, and are interested enough in the JNST to have voted before, or at least made some postings on here in the past (or can otherwise make a good case) please send me a PM and I’ll try to help.
G. Shortly after posting this, a new item came to light - a comedy interview with Mike O'Brien as part of the Saturday Night Live contributor's series for Above Average Networks. Interviews wouldn't normally be included, and it seemed to be unscripted (at least on Joanna's part), but it gets a place on the strength of two tiny musical fragments. I've slotted it in as number (Q)118, renumbered the six songs that follow it on my list, and added it to the draw (thereby unfortunately spoiling the symmetry as one group now has 4 songs).
RULES
1. The tournament is intended to find (in a fun way) the best-loved Joanna Newsom song (whether she appears as a solo artist or as a part – no matter how small – of a collaboration, and including songs that she did not write herself). It is driven by the votes of readers of this MilkyMoon site. The tournament is thus between the songs and not between the people who are involved in it as voters.
2. Each SONG that Joanna has performed is one entry. This means that songs that have been recorded more than once count as a single entrant, and voters are asked to consider their personal favourite version when casting their votes. As well as the songs on Joanna's three official albums, her two early self-released EPs, and her handful of official singles, the tournament is also open to any song (or other scripted or lyrical piece, poem, etc) that she has ever performed, either solo or in collaboration with another artist or a group, so long as it is known to exist by the tournament organiser. (This, by default, is me, but it doesn't mean I have to have heard the song, but just that I have to know it has been performed; it can include songs only performed "live" as well as officially released songs). Where the same song is known by more than one title, it is still only entered once, and will be known by the most official title, or (if none, or more than one) by the title chosen by the organiser; all versions can however be considered by the voters. (eg: if you want to vote for En Gallop!, you can do so by selecting "En Gallop").
3. The organiser will draw the songs into a series of Groups, to be posted in this thread. MilkyMoon users are then invited to vote for their favourite song (or songs - see instructions posted at the time of the draw) in each Group, within a specified time limit. At the expiry of that time period, the votes will be counted up, and the most popular song in each group will progress to the next round, whereupon the process described in paragraph 3 will be repeated. The following provisions will also apply:
a) The draw will include an element of 'seeding', based on the song's performance in previous JNSTs, or in previous rounds of this JNST, to try to ensure that the most popular songs do not clash at earlier stages of the tournament.
b) If voters are asked to cast more than one vote per group, these can be ordered according to instructions posted at the time of each specific draw - for example, if two songs are to be chosen, these may be allocated 2 points for a first choice, and 1 point for a second choice. If your vote is ambiguous, I'll do my best to resolve it privately, but if this proves impossible I'll have to make a sensible decision on how to treat it.
c) If a voter is unable to choose between more than one song, their vote(s) will be regarded as shared equally between the songs involved, unless he or she makes it clear that they do not like any of the songs in a particular group, in which case no vote will be counted for that voter for that group.
d) The organiser will endeavour to make the draws as neutral as possible, for example by scrambling the order of groups and the order in which songs are presented within each group.
e) Depending on the exact number of songs entered in the initial draw, it is possible that wild-card places in a subsequent round may be allocated to the "best losers" (however defined) from the previous round, with the proviso that no song can receive two such wild-cards during the course of the same tournament.
4. The final stage may follow the same pattern, or may be constituted as a series of "head to head" pairings on a round-robin basis involving 12 songs. An element in ordering the songs in the Final may be a brought forward 'bonus score' derived from voting in earlier rounds, but this will form only a minor part of the total weighting. (The final stages will decide the positions of the songs which reach that stage, and the lower positions will be determined by analysis of the results of the earlier rounds, possibly with a subsidiary vote for some of the positions).
For those that aren't interested in the mechanics - don't worry: all I invite you to do is to do is cast your votes for each group in the period stated. Please only post them in this thread, and if you change your mind (within the time limit) please do so by making a NEW post, and not by editing your initial one, as I could miss this if I've done an intermediate count and look only for later postings. The key things to remember are:
Don't rush your Qualifying Round votes ... take your time to consider, seek out, and listen again to these less familiar songs: PM me if you’re a regular LacticLunarian who would like some help in doing so.
ALL versions of a song count towards a single entry. For example, if you're asked to consider Cosmia, cast your vote on the basis of the version you like the best, whether it's one of the officially released versions on Ys or the Colleen EP, or one of any number of unreleased, bootlegged, unofficial, live, YouTube etc versions.
Please try to vote before the deadline that I state. I won't close a round before that date / time, but as soon as the deadline has elapsed, I am liable to close it at any time. I will, however, include votes cast between the announced deadline and the actual close of the round. All times / dates referred to are based on UK time (that's BST - British Summer Time, which is one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time - ie GMT+1).
Where an asterisk * appears after a song title, it indicates that the song has already received one wild-card / repechage passage (best runner-up), and cannot do so again.
Collaborations are indicated in square brackets, [...], and are abbreviated as follows:
BC = Bill Callaghan (also known as Smog, qv)
DB = Devendra Banhart
E = Espers
GS = Golden Shoulders
HS = Hard Skin
KB = Kervin Barker
LI = The Lonely Island
LM = Lili De La Mora
M = The Muppets
MB = The Moore Brothers
MOB = Mike O'Brien
NC = Nervous Cop
P = The Pleased
PG = Philip Glass
RF = Ryan Francesconi
RH = Roy Harper
RP = Robin Pecknold
S = Smog (also known as Bill Callaghan, qv)
SN = Stacy Nuner
TF = Tim Fain
TG = Thao & The Get Down Stay Down (Thao is Thao Nguyen)
V = Vetiver
VB = Vashti Bunyan
WW = Weird War
JN = Joanna Newsom, including Joanna Newsom & The Ys Street Band - not shown unless her name appears as part of the credited artists.
ENTRIES
Below is a list of songs to be included in the tournament, in approximate chronological order of release - or where no official release is available - of (earliest known) performance date. (The actual song tournament, however, is not about individual recordings, but about the songs - so although En Gallop!, for instance, is listed under Walnut Whales, you will be encouraged to vote in accordance with whichever version you like the best, be it the early Walnut Whales version, the professional Milk-Eyed Mender one, or any of the live bootlegs you may have heard. Entries without numbers and in italics are included for reference only: I've excluded compilations which do not add to the sum total of JN songs.
Songs preceded by an “F” average in the top sixty in previous JNSTs, and so progress straight through to the final stages of JNST4. Those preceded by a “Q” will contest the qualifying stages of JNST4.
WALNUT WHALES (2002)
F 001. Erin
F 002. Cassiopeia
F 003. Peach, Plum, Pear
F 004. Clam Crab Cockle Cowrie
F 005. Flying A Kite
F 006. The Fray
F 007. En Gallop! [later re-recorded as “En Gallop”]
F 008. The Book Of Right-On
NEVER COMPLETE (Apr 2002) – The Please
All six songs included on this release were included on “One Piece From The Middle” (by which time the band had added a ‘d’ to its name) and, since this is a somewhat easier place to find them, they appear under that heading (as numbers 021, 013, 016, 020, 018 & 014 respectively) rather than here.
ONE PIECE FROM THE MIDDLE (Aug 2002) – The Pleased
Q 009. One Horse
Q 010. Swift Nude
Q 011. If You Can Afford It
Q 012. Untitled
Q 013. No Style
Q 014. Another Disaster
Q 015. Let Go
Q 016. The Conversation
Q 017. Intermission [later reissued as I The Province]
Q 018. About Me
Q 019. I'm Already Gone [later reissued as Already Gone]
Q 020. Orange Peter
Q 021. Secret
Q 022. R.U. In
Q 023. Exit [later reissued as Orderly Manor]
LET MY BURDEN BE (Oct 2002) – Golden Shoulders
F 024. Do You Know Who You Are?
Q 025. Bring Me Down
Q 026. The Honey, The Power, The Light
F 027. Sympathy
YARN AND GLUE (Nov 2003)
F 028. Sprout and the Bean
F 029. This Side Of The Blue
F 030. Yarn And Glue
F 031. What We Have Known
F 032. Bridges And Balloons
DON’T MAKE THINGS (Nov 2003) – The Pleased
Already Gone [renamed and re-recorded version of #019, I’m Already Gone]
Q 033. We Are the Doctor
No Style [previously released as #013]
If You Can Afford It [previously released as #011]
Q 034. Wake Up Instead
Q 035. Never Come Home
I The Province [renamed and re-recorded version of #017, Intermission]
About Me [previously released as #018]
One Horse [previously released as #009]
Another Disaster [previously released as #014]
Q 036. Oh Canada
Q 037. Don't Make Things
Orange Peter [previously released as #020]
Orderly Manor [renamed and re-recorded version of #023, Exit]
NRVSCP (Nov 2003) – Nervous Cop
Q 038. Setting the Bushes on Fire
Q 039. Rice Precipitation
Q 040. Nonrum Nonproblem
Q 041. Get Wolf Boy and Get in Context
Q 042. Ill Pearls
Q 043. Franks vs Frank
Q 044. Colorchains of Inner Space
Q 045. Nuflesh, Old Thirst
Q 046. Pow Strikes Pow Implosion
Q 047. Hawk Feeds You to Feed Itself
THE MILK-EYED MENDER (Mar 2004)
Bridges And Balloons
Sprout and the Bean
The Book of Right-On
F 048. Sadie
F 049. Inflammatory Writ
This Side of the Blue
"En Gallop" [new version of 007, En Gallop!]
Cassiopeia
Peach, Plum, Pear
F 050. Swansea
F 051. Three Little Babes
Clam Crab Cockle Cowrie
VETIVER (May 2004) – Vetiver
Q 052. Amerilie
Unreleased (2004) – Vetiver, Joanna Newson, Andy Cabic, Devendra Banhart
Q 053. Amour Fou
Unreleased Demo (Oct 2004) – The Pleased
Q 054. Hear Me Marching
Unreleased (Nov 2004)
F 055. Man’s Road
SPROUT AND THE BEAN (Nov 2004)
Sprout And The Bean
What We Have Known
Unreleased (Dec 2004) – Joanna Newsom, Smog & Weird War
F 056. Ring The Living Bell
Unreleased (Jan 2005)
Q 057. Angel
F 058. Little Wing
A RIVER AIN’T TOO MUCH TO LOVE (May 2005) - Smog
F 059. Rock Bottom Riser
LOOKAFTERING (Oct 2005) – Vashti Bunyan
Q 060. Against The Sky
F 061. If I Were
Unreleased (Sep 2006) - Smog
F 062. Our Anniversary
Unreleased (Nov 2006)
F 063. Ca’ The Yowes To The Knowes
YS (Nov 2006)
F 064. Emily
F 065. Monkey & Bear
F 066. Sawdust & Diamonds
F 067. Only Skin [previously circulated as Be A Woman]
F 068. Cosmia
COLLEEN (Apr 2007) – Joanna Newsom & The Ys Street Band
F 069. Colleen
Clam, Crab, Cockle, Cowrie
Cosmia
WOKE ON A WHALEHEART (Apr 2007) - Bill Callaghan
Q 070. The Wheel
Unreleased (Apr 2007) – Bill Callaghan
Q 071. Sycamore
Q 072. River Guard
ELEVEN CONTINENTS (Jul 2007) – RF & Lili De La Mora
Q 073. Through The Trees
Q 074. Eleven Continents
Q 075. Lifetime
Unreleased (Jan 2008) – Kevin Barker, Joanna Newsom
Q 076. Same Old Man
INCREDIBAD (Feb 2009) – The Lonely Island
Q 077. Ras Trent
APTOS (Mar 2009) – The Moore Brothers
Q 078. Good Heart, Money And Rain
GET REASONABLE (May 2009) – Golden Shoulders
Q 079. Mountain
YOU & ME (Jan 2010) – Kevin Barker
Q 080. Little Picture Of You
But Joanna is not credited on the album ... did she guest on a live or unreleased version??
However, she IS credited on two other tracks –
Q 081. You & Me
Q 082. Mountain & Bear
HAVE ONE ON ME (Feb 2010)
F 083. Easy
F 084. Have One On Me
F 085. ’81
F 086. Good Intentions Paving Company
F 087. No Provenance
F 088. Baby Birch
F 089. On A Good Day
F 090. You and Me, Bess
F 091. In California
F 092. Jackrabbits
F 093. Go Long
F 094. Occident
F 095. Soft As Chalk
F 096. Esme
F 097. Autumn
F 098. Ribbon Bows [previously circulated as Barbara or Heart To Task]
F 099. Kingfisher
F 100. Does Not Suffice (In California, Refrain)
Unreleased (Aug 2010) – Robin Pecknold, Joanna Newsom
Q 101. Picture
THE FAMILY JAMS (Apr 2011, recorded Jun 2004?) – Devendra Banhart, Joanna Newsom, Vetiver
Q 102. Dreams [only in the ‘Director’s Cut, not in the released version of this film]
Q 103. Shame featured twice in the movie, first as a 7 second clip where Joanna performs with Devendra Banhart, Vetiver, Stacy Nuner and Joan Brinkworth and then a full version where her co-performers are Devendra Banhart, Vetiver, Zach Cowie, Colm O'Ciosoig and Georgeson
Q 104. Roots
Q 105. Untitled Harp Music (previously circulated as Prepared Harp. Improv.), Cosmia Proper [instrumental], and other released songs also appear
Unreleased (2011)
Q 106. This Is Just To Say
WHAT WE HAVE KNOWN (Jul 2011)
What We Have Known
Unreleased (Nov 2011) – Roy Harper, Joanna Newsom
F 107. Another Day
THE MUPPETS ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK (Nov 2011) – The Muppets Entire Cast
Q 108. The Muppet Show Theme
Q 109. Life’s A Happy Song Finale
Unreleased PORTLANDIA (Feb 2012)
F 110. Tom Bombadil
HARPFELT CONNECTIONS (Mar 2012, recorded 1999?)
F 111. Instrumental 1999
Unreleased (June 2012) – Philip Glass, Joanna Newsom, Tim Fain
Q 112. France
Q 113. The Orchard
Q 114. The French Lieutenant Dreams {Joanna Newsom, Tim Fain}
F 115. The Diver’s Wife [aka Diver] {Joanna Newsom}
Unreleased (Oct 2012)
F 116. Look And Despair
WE THE COMMON (Feb 2013) – Thao & The Get Down Stay Down
F 117. Kindness Be Conceived
ABOVE AVERAGE [video] (Feb 2013) - Mike O'Brien & Joanna Newsom
Q 118. Seven Minutes In Heaven
Unreleased (Mar 2013)
F 119. The North Star Grassman And The Ravens
WHY DO BIRDS SUDDENLY APPEAR (Mar 2013, though dated 2012) – Hard Skin feat. Joanna Newsom
F 120. The Man Who Ran The Town
THE WACK ALBUM (Jun 2013) – The Lonely Island
Q 121. We Are A Crowd
Unreleased Jul 2013)
F 122. new harp song ["Hay and a clean stall"]
F 123. new piano song ["...space of half a day"]
Unreleased (Mar 2014)
Q 124. new Americana-style piano song
The Qualifying Round draw will be posted shortly.