I'll try and come up with something at least interesting and hopefully entertaining. 

Since I can’t share the videos, I just want to share my thoughts (ie, the first couple of paragraphs of my review). Ignore them and move on, if you just want to see the choices that actually will be voted on. (And I will attempt to come back with my own pair of nominees as soon as I can.)

[EDIT to add Bandcamp links, in case anyone is interested]

https://asiandeathcrustacean.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow - https://asiandeathcrustacean.bandcamp.com/

https://octoberxart.bandcamp.com/album/olkhon-official-cd-digipack" rel="nofollow - https://octoberxart.bandcamp.com/album/olkhon-official-cd-digipack

—-//—-

Last year I reviewed “Sada”, the second collaboration between the Spanish jazz fusion and RIO guitarist Ángel Ontalva and members of Russian psychedelic space-prog rockers Vespero. I made the comment that I have enjoyed several of their releases, but somehow missed their first collaboration. Needless to say, after thoroughly enjoying “Sada”, I did indeed go back to sample the delights of “Carta Marina” (2018). One of the tracks on that album I enjoyed the most was “Sea Orm”, so it probably comes as no surprise that when I saw that this third collaboration between Ángel Ontalva and members of Vespero was made under the name Seaorm, my interest was piqued even more than it might have been otherwise. The reason for this is presumably because Seaorm includes only two members of Vespero, and I hope it is also because this trio will continue to make further releases under this name - because Olkhon is a fabulous album!

I’m somewhat indebted to Asian Death Crustacean, too, as their 2020 release Baikal led me to read more about this great lake, so that I recognised the names Olkhon, Lusud-Khan, Angara and Shaman Rock. That recognition and knowledge, along with the cover art, the name the trio had given to themselves, and the musicians that made up that trio, all added up to a whole heap of excitement and anticipation for an album I’d not yet heard a single note from. I was aware that I already had such high expectations, I might well be disappointed. Of course, you will have gathered already that this was far from the case.

If we consider Lake Baikal to be an inland sea, then Lusud-Khan is the Sea Orm that inhabits it. An orm is a serpent or dragon, and Lusud-Khan is the mysterious such monster that is said to inhabit Baikal. It provides an eerie, almost primeval, opening to “Olkhon”, and fluid, watery notes that are reminiscent of “Sea Orm” from “Carta Marina”, before moving into an almost post-rock groove with eastern notes reminiscent of Asian Death Crustacean’s “Baikal” - which came as a complete surprise to me. Now there’s absolutely no way Asian Death Crustacean could have had any way of knowing what Seaorm would sound like, and I am quite sure the members of Seaorm have no knowledge of Asian Death Crustacean. So what this says to me, is that both bands have done a terrific job of giving a sonic description of Baikal. Even though they are completely unrelated releases, and probably unknown to each other, I can’t help but think of “Baikal” and “Olkhon” as being yin and yang, and (respectively) physical and spiritual descriptions of the lake, the land, and the people of the Baikal region.

Cool idea, I'll have to think about my choices.

Shadowyzard wrote: Also I was dismayed by the results of the two. Chiara's awesome song was barely above the bottom, wheres Netta's nasty song was the winner of the year. Don't get me wrong, I found it fun but it didn't deserve to be on top methinks.

The ESC is a freak show, it has nothing to do with music for quite some time now.

Kashmir is a Danish band that has existed since 1991. They have been inactive for some years now, but I think they are working on a reunion. Centered around the guitarist, singer and songwriter Kasper Eistrup, they took their name from the Led Zeppelin song (in the beginning they were actually called Nirvana (!) - that was before Kurt Coban and co. were known anywhere outside Seattle).

Their earliest music sounds like a mix between Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Frank Zappa, and in particular their first album Travelogue (1994) was overplayed at my boarding school, to a degree that I got nausea. I'm still not much of a fan of it, but they grew a lot musically with Cruzential from 1996 which is more eclectic and which I still enjoy listening to.

But from around 1999 their music became more vulnerable with inspiration from both Pink Floyd, Radiohead and Jeff Buckley, as can be heard on the brilliant The Good Life (1999).

The first song is the cold one. It is called "The Cynic", and it appears on the 2005 album No Balance Palace which was produced by Tony Visconti. David Bowie sings lead vocals in the second verse (he's on Progarchives, I know, but here he is just a "featured artist", so I hope it's OK. Otherwise I will choose another song).

The second is the warm one. "The Push" is from Zitilites (City Lights, 2003).

I'll use this to promote once more my love for electronic avantgarde music. I have a tendency to distinguish two major approaches there, namely "busy" and "meditative". Of course much is somewhere in between, however I'd like to give you one rather pure example of each.

This one of the Langham Research Centre is pretty busy, and as many busy things much fun (starts at 0:19):

 

On the meditative side, I'd really like to feature genius French composer Eliane Radigue, but pretty much all of her stuff is very long, and the meditative approach perhaps requires that. This one is 9 minutes (sorry, I've picked the other one rather short), it's actually a "trailer" of a 3 CD work, but works pretty well on its own. 

The first one, Chiara, worked for me, the second did not, so I hope this one will work for others here.  It's the Netta "Toy" Eurovision Final, per YT.  Hopefully it's the right one.  You also made twp later posts that also didn't work for me, but I don't know the titles or artists.

Video removed, as Shadowyzard said it's a very abbreviated one, not the full piece.

It's the country limitations of YT, apparently, as I can't view this one, either.  How long is the full song?  That might help in finding it or a closer approximation.  I will take the other video out of my post to you after this, as it's not the correct one.  

Two amazing vocalists that contrast yet enhance each other.

It's heavy rock/blues of Powerhouse Brittany Howard.....

Alabama Shakes - "You Ain't Alone"

.....Vs. Avant-World-Jazz of Dynamic Jane Siberry......

Arcane - "My Mother is Not the White Dove"

Michael Penn "No Myth."  What if he were Romeo in black jeans? 

paired with Owain Phyfe's "Hearts Ease," from Shakespeare himself, from the play, Romeo and Juliet.  

And now for something completely different...

...well, as is the case for everything put up here, so far.

Nice poll idea! And the teaming up of two pieces is or can be a kind of a challenge. The saying "apples and oranges" comes by quite frequently on these forums, but for me it is always possible to compare apples with oranges as long as we find the common denominator to base the comparison on (taste, form, vitamins, colour, throwability, hammer-resistance...).

Hildur Guðnadóttir would probably never have imagined to be teamed up with Iannis Xenakis, one day, but here we go... The common denominator is the solo/main instrument: the cello. The contrast is in the playing (or the treatment/mistreatment) of the instrument: rage vs. appeasement...

The first piece by Iannis Xenakis is called Kottos and I quote from the CD-booklet: Kottos "is the name of the three-hundred-armed giant that Zeus fought and vanquished, an "allusion to all the rage and virtuosity required to perform this piece." For the playing of this piece Xenakis recommended to "abstain from 'beautiful' sounds." It's maybe a bit long to some because of this, so don't hesitate to skip to the next one if this one offends you...

The second piece is by Hildur Guðnadóttir, which, after the violence of Xenakis, brings us a much more ethereal approach of the instrument.

Iannis Xenakis - Kottos (1977, from the CD Iannis Xenakis - Chamber Music 1955-1990 - Disques Montaigne/WDR):

Hildur Guðnadóttir - Elevation (2009, from the album Without Sinking - Deutsche Grammophon):

Logan:  Mica Levi “Lipstick to Void:”  Begins with some of what I think of as “deep space,” sounds, along with male sound of vocals or breathing at regular intervals.  Some slidy, high sounds come along and shimmery (lipstick?) sounds commence, gradually increasing in intensity, then fall back.  Different slidy sounds emerge, almost like tape recordings played very quickly and some jibbery jaggedy string effects join in.  Low, low bass strings and a footstep or staff (cane) enters, providing another regular cadence.  The strings become almost screechy before the piece abruptly ends.  The music at times sounded almost like a horror film soundtrack to my ears.  Mono “Disney Town”  Another piece that feels dark, initially, it has much more obvious structure to it, with reedy keys and percussion that is more conventional.  A breathy female vocal adds to the moody sensuousness of the piece.  It does also seem to complement the other choice, it’s very cinematic feeling, though very different. 

Shadowyzard:  Chiara “What If We”  Lovely, obviously trained voice, as you said, with a positive message, backed with soft orchestra.  A crowd-pleasing sort of adult contemporary song, if there is such a category anymore.  Flawless performance.  Netta “Toy”  Very modern sort of rap/hip-hop-ish song (if that’s what you call this style that pretty much everyone does these days) with a Latin rhythm.  Definitely fits the opposite yin/yang theme, even though neither are “my” kind of music, I prefer the first to this one, as lyrically it’s pretty much one note.  I’d be a bit scared of her, lol. 

Lorenzo:  I LOVED the Dream Syndicate!  But haven’t heard these, so very intrigued before I even get started.  Steve Wynn “Carolyn”  Americana-styled band sound, a bit upbeat with Steve Wynn’s very pointed vocals and poppy/catchy chorus. String section break in the middle. Surprised this wasn’t a bigger hit at the time.  Second by Steve Wynn “Strange New World”  Much rockier in feel (more like the Dream Syndicate), this time, as you said a more punk-ish attitude.  Still a well-crafted song, he’s got a real feel for that.  These definitely are two sides to Steve Wynn’s coin.  Well done!

I prophesy disaster: Kula Shaker “Grateful When You’re Dead / Jerry Was There”  More rocky than I was expecting from the photo.  Straight ahead with a driving beat, solid band and convincing vocals.  Lots of interesting breaks with the return to the basic song, provided by choral accents and driving lead guitar.  It drifts off into a pseudo-psychedelic ramble, which is also well done, even if the lyrics seem a bit sarcastic, love the guitar work here.  Red Hot Chili Peppers “Sir Psycho Sexy,”  This one I know, but when we are voting on the two here.  This is truly very different than the other choice, that sort of funky rock rap thang that RHCP pretty much invented.  

The Anders:  Kashmir “The Cynic”  Has a definite pop appeal from the get-go, with shimmery vocals, a catchy chorus and washes of guitar underpinning it all.  Definitely a cold feel to the music, it is somewhat detached, emotionally.  Second from Kashmir “The Push”  This one begins with an organ (or concertina), a simple voice and guitar strumming, certainly very warm, I prefer it much to the first offering, even in it’s simplicity. 

Lewian:  Langham Research Center  “Algebra of the Sky”  Some spacy sounds here, with what sounds like astronaut/computer voice recordings and blippity blips.  Really interesting to watch the guys at work.  Some screechy sounds from time to time and wavy swirls.  A creaky door opening sound and scurches.  Ends with an arcing sound.  Eliane Radigue “Adnos I-III”  The feeling at the beginning is very ominous to me, we’ll see what happens as it progresses.  The feeling shifts as the waaaaa waaaa waaaa sound ends and it turns shimmery with occasional deep bell sounds way way way underneath.  There is not much shift from this for the duration, but it is an excellent meditative piece and certainly polar opposite of the first one. 

Snicolette wrote: The Anders:  Kashmir “The Cynic”  Has a definite pop appeal from the get-go, with shimmery vocals, a catchy chorus and washes of guitar underpinning it all.  Definitely a cold feel to the music, it is somewhat detached, emotionally.  Second from Kashmir “The Push”  This one begins with an organ (or concertina), a simple voice and guitar strumming, certainly very warm, I prefer it much to the first offering, even in it’s simplicity.

I believe it is a harmonium in "The Push". I think you can hear the sound of the pedals.

Mike:  Alabama Shakes “You Ain’t Alone”  Slow blues-type tune with one powerful woman vocalist.  Standard blues/rock ensemble backing her in a laid-back, yet dynamic live performance.  They would certainly go down well at any blues festival.  Arcane  “My Mother is Not the White Dove”  A much more ethereal piece, with violins and Jane Siberry’s very artistic vocals.  Flute and watery guitars provide the support, with fluttery horns as the song progresses.  This feels almost like a companion piece to some of “Astral Weeks,” to me. 

Dmitry Lisenko is impressive. The track is from his solo album, which features his acoustic bass guitar playing. He is also bassist for his wife's death metal band. I almost used a track from that band, but wanted the contrast of two different solo performances. (I had also put together a story in my head of Prometheus bringing fire to humankind, resulting in the human race burning itself into nothingness, so ending in nihil strength.)  Though I am not knowledgeable on death growls, Dmitry's wife Mara is quite impressive at it.

Well, that was completely different from the solo Lisenko piece, lol.  

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-zzvl_w6Fx7ZnWiKUAxfZjiV-qC5IrFZ" rel="nofollow - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-zzvl_w6Fx7ZnWiKUAxfZjiV-qC5IrFZ

@Özgür: I am unable to find a US playable video of Netta "Toy" from the Eurovision final.

The closest I found is this comparison video of her semi-final and grand-final performances.

Snicolette wrote: suitkees:  Iannis Xenakis “Kottos”   Grangs and burps, angry bees begin the piece, I quite enjoy the drony bits.  More swoops and deep swirls and hard attack with bow, the bees are not very happy, I tell you.  I like that they have the actual music accompanying the piece in the video, fun to watch along with it.  This would be excellent as a film score for a bomber attack, so far).  Back to rapidity about 4 minutes in, with some swoop sounds interspersed.  Lots of dynamics from highs to lows, then back to rapid bowing, sometimes on multiple strings. Ends with some slippy-slidies on the strings.  My old dog, Beau, would not have approved of this piece, however, I find it rather fascinating. Hildur Guðnadóttir “Elevation”  At under a minute, I already love this piece.  Deep, tranquil bowing, rising and falling in intensity throughout, no need to rush or display fireworks.  Lovely.

Nice reading your assessment (as always!). I think "fascinating" or "intriguing" are indeed the words for this Xenakis piece. My cat seems to like it, but she has a very eclectic taste regarding music. She likes Pink Floyd, Yes, Hawkwind, Eisler, Saga.... That is, when I asked her if she liked Xenakis she said "meow", and when I asked "you don't like it?" she said "meow" too... (it is all a matter of interpretation...). Anyway, she didn't seem to appreciate Xenakis less than Guðnadóttir, so that's a good thing...

Two songs with one of my favorite vocalists - Michael Kiske, two bands. Place Vendome is a melodic hard & heavy band, a catchy heavy metal song and a song obviously from Helloween but it's the acoustic ballad Longing. 

Logan (alternate pairing):  Gilbert O’Sullivan “Alone Again Naturally”  I remember this one well from when it was a hit in the US.  Kind of a wry self-deprecating song, most of us probably can relate!  B 52’s “Love Shack”  And I also know this one.  I actually love the dissonant harmonies of the women singers in this band, they were very amusing and also that is very hard to sing like that.  Lots of fun

Cristi:  Place Vendome “Streets of Fire”  The piece begins with some very pretty piano, then full-on onslaught of a very rocking band.  Has a feeling of grandness in the music.  Very competent male rock vocalist sings a song of fighting for survival in a war-like setting.  Helloween “Longing” Acoustic guitar strumming and mournful lyrics are sung by another powerful vocalist.  Nice, strings provide a bolster and interest to the piece.  I think this is my favourite that I’ve heard from you, Cristi and they are both very different from each other.  Well done! 

This is all I could find and he did say that it wasn't the full one he'd entered.  But here it is, at least you can get an idea, I think, if nothing else will work for you.  I had to resort only to this one, for my own summation.

But I love the melodic west coast style rock that is country and folk influenced  and the more trad things so....two songs about different ways of looking at love and  stylistically different. Two of my favorite songs....

Michael Kiske sings in both songs. 

Heh Logan...I 'm getting too old..I even forgot your were the OP on this one. 

Well...as I said they are different in style for me and two ways to approach love and relationships.

I hope they fit the bill.

dr wu23:  The Byrds “Everybody’s Been Burned”  I have not heard this in ages.  What a great song, country/folk with a little bit of the psych/blues feel to it, very wistful.  Superb vocal, an understated mid-section lead and soft, sweet production, like they used to do.  A dreamy, sort of smoky reflective piece.  James Gang “Tend My Garden”  Swelling organ starts the piece and strummed, washy guitars.  An invitation song, another I haven’t heard in a really, really long time.  Piano lead in the middle of the tune, and sustained guitar lead.  Great juxtaposition between the two pieces.  

Some comments on the first songs.

"Lipstick to the Void": It's like a mix between experimental electronic music and post-1945 avant-garde music. Towards the end it gets a sort of eastern flavour. I like it a lot. Contender. "Disney Town": The intro doesn't sound worlds apart from the previous track, but after that it turns into a more regular song with jazz/rock instrumentation. I'm not entirely sure how to categorize it, but that is meant as a compliment. Parts of it remind me of Portishead. Fine song, but I think I liked the first one better.

I used to watch Eurovision back in the day, but I became increasingly frustrated about the direction it has taken. I think it has very little to do with music anymore, and to be honest, the "Toy" winner was probably the final nail in the coffin for my part. I get that it was written as a MeToo anthem which is of course a positive thing, but sadly I find it too hysterical. It was especially frustrating for me since in the previous year, the contest was won by this song which I genuinely love: http://youtube.com/watch?v=JHt63PDc6Qc" rel="nofollow - http://youtube.com/watch?v=JHt63PDc6Qc

As for "What If We", I'd say it's a fine composition, and she sings it very well. The musical arrangement is a bit too pompous for my taste. I often prefer a more dry sound.

"Carolyn" sounds quite americana to me. The chorus makes me think of "Carrie Ann" by the Hollies. It's a bit difficult for me to judge music like this, because it a bit far away from what I normally listen to. But I do like the folk elements, as well as the string arrangement. "Strange New World" is more rocky and much more me. It has a quite punky attitude and sound. Raw and unpolihed. Vocally he reminds me a bit of Michael Stipe. Should be a contender.

"Grateful When You're Dead". More rock. I've heard of this band of couse, but I don't think I have ever heard their music before. Raw vocal performance, a lot of "spade" (electric guitar), and a slightly funky beat. Not something I listen to very often, but I like it. After 3 minutes, the song suddenly changes character. We get a slower tempo with bongos as the main rhythm instruments to a Pink Floyd'ish keyboard backdrop. Nice guitar work here too, which reminds me of Gilmour (f.e. the slide notes). It then builds up in intensity, and the song ends. "Sir Psycho Sexy": I already knew this one because back in the day I copied that album to a cassette tape which I still have. I'm not kidding. To be honest, RHCP doesn't ressonate as well with me today as it did back in the 90's. Also, the lyrics make me rather uncomfortable. But one can not deny we are speaking of one of the defining albums of the 1990's.

"Algebra of the Sky": This one puts a smile on my face. The music is obviously dead serious, but serious music can have humor too. It is also fun to watch them turn the knobs and use their "instruments". Very mucy up my alley, and a strong contender. "Adnos I-III" is quite a different beast. Begins with an uncanny drone sound that suddenly ends abruptly, and a new one begins. It is rich in overtones. There are also some very off-key bell-like sounds, as well as some high-pitched "noise" in the background. I guess it would work well as backdrop music for an art installation. Very gripping, and another obvious contender.

And now for the second batch of songs.

"You Ain't Alone": She sounds quite a lot like Janis Joplin, but her voice seems a bit deeper. It's a similar sort of blues/soul/rock, but I think she is overdoing her vocal phrasings. She clearly has a good voice, but it's a style that Janis simply did better, and I also think she had better song material to work with. I like the sound of the band though. "My Mother is Not the White Dove" is more laid back. I like the very dry sound of the acoustic instruments (harp, strings, trumpet). The vocals are more down-to-earth. I'm not so keen on the whistle (flute?) which makes me think of new age. But overall I like it, and it appeals much more to me than the previous song.

"No Myth": Very 80's sounding recording, especially with the gated drums. Fine melody and vocals, I think I might have heard it before by the way. Not something I would normally listen to, but I do like it. "Hearts Ease" is an acoustic folk ballad. Contains harp, lute (?), flute, cello, and a viola? (I think it sounds too deep to be a violin). Or do they go all in with viola da gamba and things like that? I like it a lot.

"Prometheus": Acoustic bass guitar is not an instrument one encounters very often. Normally, that type of instrumental showing off does very little for me, but I of course acknowlege his technical skills. But I can't help notice that he tends to get a bit out of tempo, especially at the points where he is doing something difficult on the bass. "Nihil Strength": Very weird intro. Then enter a sort of industrial metal song for electronic instruments instead of the more traditional guitar, bass and drums. The music is clearly interesting, and many aspects fascinate me. I have some difficulties appreciating growl singing though, and consequently I like the instrumental parts best, espeically the one that comes after 2 minutes. I like this track much better than "Prometheus".

1.  Just about as far apart from one another as you can get, at least for me.  Dmitry Lisenko “Prometheus”  Just fantastic acoustic bass playing here, with finger-snaps punctuating the piece.  Amazing how much he gets out of four strings (and utilizing the body as well), it almost sounds like more than one person playing.  John Renbourn has that same effect as a soloist, but in a very different way.  Quite enjoyed that one.  Author & Punisher “Nihil Strength”  Sonic blast with lots of distortion and growly vocals.  Siren-like sounds to a definitely punishing, relentless beat, with an abrupt ending.  Certainly a yang to Dmitry’s more yin style.  Radically unalike, to my ear.

Thank you to Logan for the vote. Much appreciated. 'Alt rock' is just a term the music industry has invented to sell something as a bit exclusive. In my world it is just rock, and I don't think Kashmir would call themselves alternative anything. But what do I know...

Here are my comments on the last batch of songs.

"Kottos". I am familiar with some work by Iannis Xenakis, but I hadn't heard this piece before. It is actually quite humorous with it's many glissandi, off-key notes and so on, but also rather uncanny - the part after 3:00 reminded me of an alarm siren. There's a hint at the absurdism that for instance Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen was also known for. But there is also a lot of beauty and poetry in it. Strong contender. "Elevation" is more like some experimental electronic music, just played with acoustic instruments. Basically a sonic landscape painting. Like the previous piece it uses glissando notes. It is also very minimalistic. Another strong contender.

"Place Vendome". Melodic heavy metal. Fine track overall, but the singing style is not so much my taste. Musically I think I would have liked it better with a bit more variation, for instance some more breaks and silent passages. "Longing" is an acoustic ballad, it later becomes more bombastic, especially with the production. Again, not so much my taste, but I acknowledge its qualities.

"Everybody's Been Burned": I am familiar with some Byrds songs of course, but not this one. Very low-key track, and as such I'd say it's a bit unusual for its time. Interesting unrhythmic guitar solo. I like it a lot, and it should be a contender. "Tend My Garden": I only knew James Gang by name, so I had no idea what to expect. Early 70's sound. A bit middle of the road to my ears, but I like the organ, as well as the piano part from circa 3:00. The composition doesn't quite do it for me.

Got some - very pleasant - time this afternoon to listen to all the submissions and to comment on them, so here it goes:

Logan: Mica Levi - Lipstick to Void: I didn't like the film Under the Skin... That is, I quite liked the first 2/3 of it, but then it got ridiculous and grotesque for me (it is not the kind of cinema I prefer...). But this track is very intriguing; it creates a haunting athmosphere in its minimalism. Mono's Disney Town is indeed a nice contrast: they match quite well. This track comes as a kind of relief after the anguish. Nice listen!

Shadowyzard: You said "I'm again coming up with the first thing that came to my mind." Please, next time think twice  No seriously, for me the Eurovision Song Contest is more or less the rubbish bin of what Europe has to offer in music: lack of creativity, formulaic songs, but often an excellent execution of them (a showcase of singing talents where the music is just so-so). Every once in a while a song really stands out, but this is not the case with these two, imho. I find them uninspiring, unoriginal, but the performances are great.

nick_h_nz: Never heard of Asian Death Crustacean, but this comes as a good surprise. I listend to your bandcamp link, don't know which track you would want to put forward but I could't help listen to all of the Baikal album. Very good! I first stumbled upon Baikal V, and then I wanted to hear the rest of the album...! And I actually have the same remarks for Seaorm's Olkhon album; very pleasant discovery too! They're maybe not that much yin and yang to me, but they do team up quite well together. Thanks!

jamesbaldwin: Steve Wynn, yes, a great catchy song with Carolyn, and you're right: the arrangements are wonderfully effective. There is a similar compactness in the songwriting of Strange New World, but this one has the rough edges instead of the polished approach of the first song. Great playing and arrangements on both tracks. The contrast is clear, the quality too! It's more straight forward but I like these very much.

I prophesy disaster: Two great bands that I don't listen to, actually. I very much like this track by Kula Shaker; it rocks and then gets into a more psychedelic stance. Wonderful. Both this one and RHCP's Sir Psycho Sexy are very 90s sounding, but the latter remains stylistically in the 90s (apart from the mellotron(-like) finale) where Kula Shaker pours a 70s flavour over their track. Maybe not very contrasting but an interesting pair (of which I prefer Kula Shaker).

The Anders: With Kashmir we continue a bit in 90s style indie-rock (although both tracks are of the noughties). The first track, The Cynic is the rocker, rather straight forward but quite captivating. It does indeed contrast with the tenderness of The Push, a beautiful song but which somehow keeps the signature of the band. Interesting match and great encounter with this band (don't remember having heard them before...).

Lewian: Ah ah ah... Here we go again   Can you explain why this fascinates us? I like the ping-pong nervousness of The Langham Research Centre (I actually never explored their work...) and it contrasts well with Eliane Radigue's prepare-for-a-moon-landing meditation of Adnos. Great choices!

TCat: Alabama Shakes deliver us a kind of back-to-basics blues rock song, and yes what a voice to deliver it. Soul and emotion -great! But Arcane's My Mother is not the White Dove steals the show here for me. What a beautiful song! Great arrangements and production (a nice profound bass sound...) and the singing is wonderful too. Very different from the first, but both transfer emotion in a powerful way. Arcane is for me the highlight, though.

Snicolette: Interesting match of singer-songwriters. Michael Penn, the more modern pop-rock one while Owain Phyfe goes back in time with a more troubadour-like style. I actually don't know if Penn's song did something here in Europe, but listening to it it should have been a hit. Catchy song, great arrangements and playing... what's not to like? I also love the troubadour style of Phyfe. Never heard of him, but this one makes us time travel. Beautiful.

mathman: Interesting match of solo artists! Wonderful playing by Dmitry Lisenko, impressive to watch and a really good song just coming out of a bass guitar. Author & Punisher is intriguing. I don't like the growling, but musically it is to me very interesting: a kind of minimalist industrial tinge that appeals to me. Intriguing but I'm not sure if I also really like it, but it is good enough to want to explore more of him, just to find out.

suitkees: Crap! They just don't know how to play a cello and in the other one they're just caressing it...

Cristi: Ah, Place Vendôme really sounds good. It's rather straight forward hard rock to my ears, but it works for me - great singing and playing, well written song. Although not surprising it is very solid and captivating. Nicely paired up with Helloween's ballad Longing: a beautifully orchestrated song. Don't know from when this one is, but to me it's up to Helloweens' best.

dr_wu23: Great choices! Love this song by The Byrds: beautiful melody and playing and very romantic. Haven't heard this one since a long time and it is maybe one of their songs that I like most. Never listened much to the James Gang, but I also love this song, a typical late 60s early 70s song - I mean typical of what I like from that period: just great rock with nice organ playing in it. Nice to hear again, because it's not necesarilly something I turn back to often, nowadays.

Now scratching my head to decide which ones to vote for...

My votes:

Lipstick to Void & Disney Town

Honorable mentions include "Strange New World", "Hearts Ease" and "Everybody's Been Burned".

In the end I think I am not that much of a fan of voting for duos, because in many cases I like one song much better than the other.

 In this one, I didn't necessarily vote for what I liked, more how I felt the poster juxtaposed two pieces next to one another.  So I hear you on that, in particular, this time if I didn't vote "for" a duo, it had much less to do with what I enjoyed.  I did like one or the other of everyones, though, so that's why I decided to base my voting the way I did.

Plus, everything pretty much that Owain Phyfe recorded is available on YT, should you care to further explore him. 

-Tcats-You Aint Alone  and Mother Is Not... I like the Alabama Shakes....many of the new alt blues rock bands who are fun to listen to ...Mother Was...... not something I would get hooked on but still very interesting

-snicolette-No Myth and Hearts Ease.....I used to have that Penn lp...liked it..don't recall where it went after all this time..

the Hearts Ease trad ballad was beautiful..I like those old folk things , early lute songs, and madrigal type things... etc...

Don't worry, I got the joke about ctrl alt delete :)

Quite a lot of the music I listen to is often categorized as alternative or indie, but it's just not words I use very often.

I do still have that Medicine Show LP!  We do have a lot of the same musical taste, I'm always intrigued to see what you bring forth.  Glad you enjoyed "Heart's Ease."  As mentioned above, Owain's work is easily found if you want to listen to more.  

Streets of Fire is the title song of Place Vendome's 2009 album.

Longing is on Helloween's 1993 album, the controversial Chameleon. I like that album, but metalheads often dislike it. 

1) No Myth & Hearts Ease : angelic music

2) Grateful When You're Dead / Jerry... & Sir Psycho Sexy: very good elaborate and rhythmic music

3) You Ain't Alone & My Mother is Not the White Dove: heartland music, great performances

Honorable mention:

4) The Cynic & The Push: until the end competing for the bronze medal

Special mentions:

* Special mention by the critics for the noise avant-garde: 

** Special mention by critics for contemporary cultured music:

*** Special mention by critics for music that explores the boundaries of instrumental technique:

****Special mention by critics for music relaxes and lulls you into a state of receptive emptiness:

But every pair of songs was good.

my  choices for now

A few comments for a starter:

Logan: I love both of these, as you could maybe imagine. Lipstick to Void has some proper quality, it's not just functional. The Mono one is even better. Of course as a Broadcast fan I was going to like this. I was thinking about buying the album, but unfortunately it doesn't all reach this standard.

Shadowyzard: I was actually tempted to vote for this pair because although I'm not the biggest fan of the music, I like your approach to this. In the past I occasionally listened to the Grand Prix Eurovision and thinking about what's best and why just can make it fun. In fact I must say I don't agree with you. I don't have problems with the first song, but I think the singer's voice is not quite up to it, and also I'd have thought there are three instances of this kind of thing in every competition. The second one, well, I can see how to easily criticise this and in fact I don't like the song much, but the vocal performance is outstanding, and it has some more originality. 

suitkees: Well, yeah, I'm not disappointed. Although I've got to say the major contrast for me is that I couldn't get into the Xennakis one at all, whereas Elevation is stunning. Let's see whether that's enough for a vote, but Yin and Yang for sure...

Not sure whether I'll find the time to comment on them all, but some others that I love are My Mother is not the White Dove, Heart's Ease, and the Prometheus/Nihil Strength combination... not sure yet whether I'd say I like them, but they work very nicely together and for sure they kept me interested. And Kashmir is also still in the race.

It's Sunday morning, the sun is shining, the cat is flying in the garden chasing birds (don't worry, she's flying too low to catch them...), the coffee is... well finished while listening to the playlist. Thanks George for this and thanks also for the wonderful surprise: the mashup mix between The Monkees and Iron Maiden.

I'll have to listen to all this again, because even Author & Punisher's growling starts to grow on me... damned...

Now, I have to get rid of this... Out of the 12 options I could vote for there are 10 contenders. So, what to do? My votes are thus a bit arbitrary and I tried to make it reflect the eclecticism of the music put up here:

- You Ain't Alone & My Mother is Not the White Dove: With Alabama Shakes we're maybe a bit too much in an imitation game, but it is highly effective. It is especially Jane Siberry's/Arcane's track that is the highlight of everything put up here. And both convey in a very different way a powerful emotion.

- No Myth & Hearts Ease: quality singer/songwriter pop-rock (very effective) vs. singer/songwriter troubadour travels (I listened to Owain phyfe's album today; quite nice, but Heart's Ease is maybe the best song on it...)

- Wouldn't think this after a first listen, but Prometheus & Nihil Strength is an intriguing couple: The playing skills of the first vs. the inventiveness of the second. Maybe they're not the best of this competition, but they are both fascinating (maybe some day I will start to like growling...).

Have been hesitating between many others... My hard-rocking me popped up this week-end, so I could have chosen Place Vendôme and Helloween. I really loved the Kula Shaker song, beautiful homage to Jerry Garcia/The Grateful Dead. I had to disqualify Lewian because he hacked my musical brain (by lack of real reason... )... and so forth, and so forth... It was a great pleasure listening to all suggestions!

I must vote for Lipstick to Void & Disney Town, this looks as if it was put together just in order to grab my vote, and of course it'll do so.

For votes no. 2 and 3 it's between four others.

Kashmir is pretty good, didn't know them and like the first song a lot. The Push is OK but nothing all too special.

Would've said the same thing about No Myth at first listen, but this has a nice Beatles-like feel and is pretty catchy, so makes a great duo with the wonderful Heart's Ease.

Prometheus and Nihil Strength is the one that does most to widen my horizon. These require me to be in the mood, but ultimately I appreciate their boldness.

And then there's my Dutch-French friend suitkees (I hope you don't take exception to the "Dutch-French" ), actually I see what Xennakis is doing there and it has something, and Elevation is exactly up my alley, so...

Kashmir is maybe a little bit behind but still it seems I need four votes...  

Ultimately I must vote for the mathman, and between Nicky and suitkees I go for the two melodic songs on the mood of the day, tomorrow I could have voted differently.

Lipstick to Void & Disney Town

The Cynic & The Push

Everybody's Been Burned & Tend My Garden