#181 The Best Album of 2000, Round 3, Match #110: Neko Case & Her Boyfriends vs. Deltron 3030
Hey folks-
Today’s Best Album of 2000 match is:
#14 Neko Case & Her Boyfriends, FURNACE ROOM LULLABY
Listen on Spotify or YouTube
vs.
#19 Deltron 3030, DELTRON 3030
Listen on Spotify or YouTube
To vote, follow this link to the Google Form. You will need a Google login to vote. If you can’t or won’t have one, let me know ASAP (either through this newsletter, my email (kentmbeeson@hey.com) or on the Best Album Brackets Bluesky account) and I’ll see what I can do.
Today we have a Designated Cheerleader for DELTRON 3030 and it’s from @smarka.bsky.social. Take it away!
This album felt like it was made specifically for 18 year old me in 2000. Del was one of my favorite rappers, and Automator was on a roll producing left field concept albums (Dr. Octagon, Handsome Boys Modeling School, even Bombay the Hard Way if you wanna dig deeper). Hearing that Automator was enlisting Del for a sci fi concept album in the vein of, if not an exact follow up to, Dr. Octagon had me READY.
I don't remember the first time I listened to it exactly, but I do remember the second or third. It leaked before its official release and I downloaded it and burned a copy--I still bought a copy on release day. I was on a road trip to see, of all things, the pre-Fergie Black Eyed Peas. They played at a small all ages club in Indianapolis. I was a freshman at Indiana University. My buddy who went to Ball State drove down to pick me and a couple other dudes up to go to the show, and we listened to the burned copy of Deltron that I had. I remember getting chills as the strings build on the title track. This was MY SHIT. (BEP were alright and put on a decent show back when they were Native Tongues wannabes).
I still like the record and listen to it from time to time. It being a sci fi concept album probably made it more well known than it would be if it was just a straight up collab between Del, Automator, and Kid Koala, but that frame doesn't overwhelm the album. The rhymes are good, the beats are good, and the songs are good. Del's a great storytelling rapper (check "Corner Story" on Future Development if you aren't familiar with that one). Automator's a producer who can sample anything and everything and make a good beat. "3030", "Positive Contact", and "Memory Loss" are probably my favorite tracks, but there really isn't a bad one. The skits don't bug me.
This one deserves a listen and your vote. DO IT.
Thank you, @smarka.bsky.social!
As always, click here to see the current results for the entire tournament, and click here to see the current results for the prediction bracket contest.
Thanks for all your votes as we head closer to the end of the tournament!
Kent