Elaeanor
Metal/ Instrumental (+1) / From a NA/Europen
Metallica "Master of Puppets"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVR4bkyMykA
So I've never really listened to Metallica. They seem technically really sound, but they just don't do anything for me. There's a reason metal had a +1.

Total Score: 2

Adam
Non English (+1) - NA/Eur
meWithoutYou - Rainbow Signs (Hebrew)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDlBZei_axA
This seems like something I'd have to be I a particular mood to really like. It's hard to find words here because the song is so inert and sterile from my perspective. It's technically fine. It's like it's trying to be something but ends up sounding like a an indie song with a production crew of accounts and marketing execs. Like a if a movie with a a blockbuster budget was trying to capture the magic of a small low budget film trying to put the superficial pieces together but without the artistic vission or soul. Anyway, tldr - meh?

Total Score: 3

JM3
Non English (+1) / South American (+1)
Ivan y Gianni - Aguila Aguile
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vh2hEvlz4A
Another song that seems technically fine but doesn't do much for me. This one though feels less more like an indie folk song that is just kind of boring. Maybe it'd be better if I understood the lyrics, but even without understanding them they seemed rather repetitive, so probably not.

Total score: 5

Walrein
Asian (+2) / Non-English (+1)
Love Live Sunshine - Strawberry Trapper
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFFtAISWlCc
All Japanese for Asian. So Anime sounding piece, which isn't my favorite style. This is a bit cliche to really stand out.

Total Score: 7

Crimson Fox
60-79 (+1) - Instrumental/Metal (+1)
Genesis - "Wot Gorilla?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wootFX07sX0

I actually didn't have anything written up for this. I don't really know what to write; this is an OK instrumental, nothing spectacular, but good.

Total points: 7

Zac
Don't Call it a Comeback (+2) / Male Vocals
A Tribe Called Quest - We The People
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAoqWu6wmfI
Serious mixed emotions about this. ATCQ is one of my favorite groups, and I have listened to their first three albums a ton. I have heard this once before and I wasn't very keen on it. The vocals just don't seem to be up to the very high bar they set earlier. The music is good but again not at the level they were originally at. I don't know the story behind this album but I suspect it was something they wanted to do before Fife died ( ). I'll listen to it a few more times and see if it grows on me. The reason this category gets +2 is because not a lot of bands get back together, and when they do it is really hard to recapture their original magic. Gonna watch the live version from SNL (so one time there was a Beaties and Tribe show in DC that I didn't go to. I think that was their last tour, too. **** Me.) So just watched the SNL one and I now I feel so sad all over again.

Total points: 8

UD
Male Lead Vocals, From a North American, European
Alexei Igudesman and Hyung-ki Joo - Mozart Will Survive
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RS1-...=RD9DDYn9GGU9w
Well that was... interesting. "Using classical music is for free" - truth.

This scores highish because I really appreciate their performance art approach and dedication. I looked at a piece of another thing from the same concert and it also showed a lot of work and care around the presentation. Clever also usually scores some points with me.

Total score: 7

Xander
Male Vocals / NA / Euopean
DAVID GATES AND BREAD - EVERYTHING I OWN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4dXrV4FtjE
First Impression: Pleasant enough, competently done, it's pretty clean but not as cheesy as a lot of these softer arrangements from the 70's / early 80's. (Like it's way better than what I recall of Air Supply, but I am not going back and listening to any of their stuff for comparison because why the hell would I do that to myself?) Anyway, surprisingly solid.

Total: 8 points

TChaz
African (+2) - 2000+
Magasco - Sokoto
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsVVSfmLWsY
First impression is that the music reminds me a lot of Hot Hot Hot (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhZba-P7R18).

This is a pretty fun song the first time, seems to get a bit repetitive on further listens. I kind of take that back, not sure where that came from in my second impression.

Total points: 12

Karma Dope
Metal Instrumental (+1) / Non English Vocals (+1)
Breed 77 - El Rio
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38uToM_teoU
This isn't bad. It doesn't feel terribly original but it seems well done. So After a couple more listens this song feels really honest and not manufactured if that makes sense. Good production values meat distilled emotion.

Total Score: 14 points