I grew up on soft rock radio so Peabo Bryson was as big as the Beatles in my eyes. RIP to a legend youtu.be/Vt9yRFWvY8s?...

Vote LWB people

Some days I listen to just enough to refresh my memory. Some days it’s an album I know intimately and listen for the love of the game. Other days I get 90 seconds into each song and automatically vote for the other album because I couldn’t get into *anything* and my time is worth *something*. LOL

I voted. But I only voted after actually re-listening to both in their entirety (yes this means that often I already know who I am voting for, and listen for fun, or have NO idea who one is, and listen to only those that I am unfamiliar with. Sue me).

This match currently has 124 votes. The lowest vote total for a match in the 2001 tournament so far is 154 (Aaliyah vs Hope Sandoval). Please beat this total. Thank you.

"Our follow-up? All the same songs, performed live. It's one of the best live albums ever. That's it. Enjoy."

it is so fun to see my artwork as the avatar today

I love it when an artist drops an album and is like, "Nope. We're not gonna top this. Gonna walk away as legends."

both new to me, both good to me, going with Firewater on the strength of the DC (Jon Solomon reference always a plus)

Like... I am on my third spin of this today and it just keeps getting better. I think this one's a keeper.

Here's the funny thing about this tournament: Some days you look at a match of 2 albums you know nothing about and you just can't be arsed about it and think maybe you just blow it off today, but then you do listen and both albums are good but one is Life Without Buildings and just fucking amazing.

I once again agree with you that one of these has an annoying voice; I once again disagree with you which one it is!

Neither of these are really my thing, but it amused me deeply that Life Without Buildings sounds like half a post punk band and has half a Talking Heads title for a name. I'll give it to Firewater for the grooves and to avoid the pacman, but I almost wish the bands had traded singers.

And if a polarizing noise album can nearly upset an indie darling, this gives me hope about a certain fan favorite tango album this week. 🤔

The Best Album of 2001 Round 1 Match #52 #35 Life Without Buildings, ANY OTHER CITY VS. #94 Firewater, PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY Go here to vote: forms.gle/xsr4QsKEPa4e...

I hadn’t heard/heard of either one and I like them both very much! So much so I’m not sure yet who I will vote for.

FIREWATER exactly as I recalled - too much water, not enough fire. Voted LWB

Life Without Buildings is wonderful. No idea why it wasn't already in heavy rotation for me. Firewater is fine, B/B+.

#bestalbum2001 Match 52 Two interesting albums today. Life Without Buildings: One of the best finds of the tournament so far. The songs are really memorable, and I didn't mind the vocals at all. Firewater: Decent enough rock. I enjoyed the world beat touches, but felt it ran out of steam. ✅ LWB

RE: that rule you had mentioned - Life Without Buildings is another band named after a work of art (in this case a Japan b-side).

I thought these were both new to me, but I discovered I'd Shazaam-ed LWB before. Like the jerky off-kilter of "Juno" and the softer (dare I say Hope Sandoval-esque) "Sorrow."

It was later used in a Chicago theatrical production of The Scarlet Letter. Not sure that disproves your and @nanette.bsky.social’s points about it, but at least complicates them?

I'm afraid that the album doesn't resonante as much with me as it does with you, but I will say that "Sorrow" is just lovely. I think I could just put that on repeat and remain in a state of Zen-like peace

LIFE WITHOUT BUILDINGS is totally new to me! Sounded late 80s, VERY Altered Images, I liked it!

LWB was a delight. Firewater was good, but more than once I caught myself thinking it was Gogol Bordello.

can't believe I didn't think of this one during the convo lol

Ok so it's not only the guys then

No clue; I've never heard more than one Ryan Adams song without tapping out, even back then. I do think the electorate would've liked the earlier albums more, but it's weird to see all these people being like "he sounds scuzzy, rough, etc" like that isn't the point?

The last song is a song Ryan Adams should’ve recorded

This Life Without Buildings record is such a treasure and a capsule of everything that we odd sorts had pre-9/11. It's both an acquired taste and a record that's far greater than the sum of its parts.

When the algorithm first played LWB's "The Leanover" for me it wormed its way into my head but I couldn't remember the title or band name and trying to Google snippets of those lyrics proved difficult

Not sure “sounds too British” is a way to distinguish between these two singers tbh

I listened to the Firewater during nomination, and I thought it was alright but didn't get a whole lot out of it because I really don't like the vocals. It's like if the guys from Snash Mouth or Mighty Mighty Bosstones took all the bark out their voices, end result is kinda smug & scuzzy

It's 2001, so here's a Flash video for Firewater's 'Get Out of My Head':

She seemed like the "anti-Lightning Bolt" to me this morning. I would use the term "aurally pleasurable" for Enya for sure Lives in a castle. Keeps to herself. Has 12 cats. Makes astonishingly beautiful music. I'll be interested in your opinion when you get to WATERMARK as part of '88 listening

three total RYM comments for Psychopharmacology, very inspiring

I'm not usually a big fan of Schmuck Rock, but Firewater isn't too bad! LWB already had my vote for bracket reasons, and I'm about two minutes from finding out what all the hubbub is about...

For what it's worth, Life Without Buildings has sent me listening to both Parquet Courts' Wide Awake! and Bloc Party's Silent Alarm, and while they are perhaps more the Luna version of those (post-dating them) sounds, that's some pretty great company to be in.

Don't give them that, they don't deserve it

I’m in the ‘it’s Indie!’ camp, Lars Ulrich would approve

Imagining the Drake meme where somebody says "this is metal" and he dismisses it disgustedly and then somebody says "this is NOLA sludge metal" and he smiles & points the finger (much like Nirvana's Bleach, also metal)

I have a lot of fondness for easy listening! I only know like two Enya songs but she seems alright. Lives in a castle, can't beat that

It is a true blessing that The Leanover got big on TikTok for a bit

I was thinking about this earlier this morning, you could make a case that twee starts with Syd Barrett's strain of pop-psych (I was listening to Candy and a Currant Bun) but I'd go with these girls and guy from Olympia, WA.

this Life Without Buildings album is QUITE a discovery. *almost* emo. will probably be listening to this one a lot.

I enjoyed both of these, but LwB feels light and effortless and life-giving while Firewater you can *feel* trying and it grinds down over time. @nanette.bsky.social pegging Firewater as Smashmouth-y is hilarious and better than my "Stereo MCs do Austin Powers music but kinda cool if sweaty?" take.

#bestalbum2001 both new to me LWB: extremely easy listening as it sounds like other things I like, from Altered Images to X Ray Spex to Pylon. My fave new discovery! Firewater: started OK, but halfway through the songs dried up and was left with a sad man complaining to me. Voted: Any Other City!

The Firewater album was a fun find, but I still have to go with Life Without Buildings

Every time I saw Lightning Bolt yesterday, the nerd in me kept remembering this D&D video from the era! m.youtube.com/watch?v=j_ek...