Hey folks!

The fifteenth week of the Best Album of 2001 is over! All the higher seeds won. The only thing close to drama we had was THE TYRANNY OF DISTANCE just fending off DRUKQS by 9 votes, and THE GLOW PT. 2, after being down by a lot against ANCIENT MELODIES OF THE FUTURE, got to within 15. That’s not that close I suppose, but this was one of those matches where the momentum clearly shifted, and more time might have delivered a different result.

THE BEST ALBUM OF 2001 PREDICTION BRACKET TOP 20

Here’s Week #2 of the Prediction Bracket Top 20!

The Revenge of Flimsy Steve takes the top spot for a second week in a row, while The Blooper Hint moves up 2 to #2, and Dead Leaves and a Dirty Bracket moves up 2 from #5 to #3. Our biggest movers this week are the trio of sctttnnnt, 2001: A Bracket Odyssey, and Whiskey Tango Hotel November?, all moving up four notches to #11. We also have a couple big droppers, as Alpha Delta Kilo falls from #8 to #15, and the appropriately-named How to Disappear Completely from the Bracket top 10 disappears from the Top Ten by falling 12 notches from #2 all the way down to #14. We’re sending our love down the well.

We have seven debuts in the Top 20: New Problems (with the bracket), Drink Milk, and Clarence Carter's Strokin’, all at #15; I'm Bookish and Indie Rock Coded AND I VOTE at #19; and we have three brackets debuting at #20, Take it or leave it; it's hard to explain and Life's Not a Bitch, Life is a Beautiful Bracket, You Only Call Her a Bitch Because Your Prediction Skills Can't Hack It and Alone, Predicting. Welcome!

Gaining seven debuts means we lost some brackets. Say goodbye, for now, to Bravo Romeo Alfa Charlie Kilo Echo Tango (last week #15), The Ruler's Bracket (lw #15), We Could Have Had The Crack (lw #15), here you go create another bracket, you wanted to (lw #15), Daaaaaan (lw #11), and Tyranny of Something (lw #11). Hope to see you again soon!

LAST WEEK’S RESULTS

On Monday, #25 Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, THE TYRANNY OF DISTANCE defeated #40 Aphex Twin, DRUKQS, 110-101-1. (212 total votes, +9)

On Tuesday, #9 Spoon, GIRLS CAN TELL defeated #56 Spiritualized, LET IT COME DOWN, 125-72. (197 total votes, +53)

On Wednesday, #24 The Coup, PARTY MUSIC defeated #41 Sparklehorse, IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE, 95-56. (151 total votes, +39)

On Thursday, #4 Daft Punk, DISCOVERY defeated #61 Pulp, WE LOVE LIFE, 138-69-1. (208 votes, +69)

On Friday, #29 Built to Spill, ANCIENT MELODIES OF THE FUTURE defeated #36 The Microphones, THE GLOW PT. 2, 89-74-2. (165 votes, +15)

NEXT WEEK’S MATCHES

Monday, June 29th: #13 Rilo Kiley, TAKE OFFS AND LANDINGS vs. #77 The Knife, THE KNIFE.

Tuesday, June 30th: #20 Bob Dylan, "LOVE AND THEFT” vs. #45 Basement Jaxx, ROOTY.

Wednesday, July 1st: #5 Björk, VESPERTINE vs. #69 Air, 10 000 HZ LEGEND.

Thursday, July 2nd: #28 Andrew W.K., I GET WET vs. #37 Röyksopp, MELODY A.M..

Friday, July 3rd: #12 Fugazi, THE ARGUMENT vs. #53 Lucinda Williams, ESSENCE.

We currently have a Designated Cheerleaders for "LOVE AND THEFT”, ROOTY, VESPERTINE, I GET WET, MELODY A.M., THE ARGUMENT, ESSENCE and that’s it. (That’s it? That’s over half! Great job, everyone!) If you’d like to write one for one of the other albums, which are TAKE OFFS AND LANDINGS, THE KNIFE, and 10 000 HZ LEGEND (or even another for one of those other seven), send it to kentmbeeson@hey.com. Thanks!

Best,

Kent