ST21 Round 3 Challenge

Here we are at the halfway point of SpinTunes 21. Janus-faced, we marvel simultaneously at how far we've come and how far the road still stretches. So many lyrics we've melded with melodies, so much music still to be welded to words. In my backyard, the scarlet leaves on the trees signal the slow slide into autumn, while the scarlet tomatoes on the vine stubbornly say there's still some summer sweetness left to sing. But I digress. Or do I? Read on for your Round 3 challenge.

SpinTunes 21 Round 2 Album

We had a great time at Monday night's Listening Party, but if you missed it, never fear! The Round 2 album is available to stream or download on Bandcamp or embedded below, with adorable album artwork by the endlessly talented Matt Schubbe!

ST21.2 Listening Party and Deadline News

The Round 2 deadline has passed. Two qualifying artists failed to submit their songs by the deadline, and two previously eliminated contestants submitted shadow entries, making for an easy reinstatement decision. Welcome back to the tournament, Mandrake and Brain Weasels!

Hear all twenty-two competing entries (plus one judge's shadow!) for the first time at tonight's Listening Party hosted by Tommy G. We'll start at 10 pm EDT, on YouTube or embedded below.

ST21 Round 1 Results

The votes are in, and one contestants's vintage video game tribute captured the hearts of the judges. Your Round 1 winner is:

Glennny

Hanky Code takes second place, with GFS close behind in third. Read on for the full Round 1 results!

ST21.1 Reviews and Rankings - Cybronica

Here are your rankings from Cybronica:

1	iveg
2	Hanky Code
3	Cavedwellers
4	Ominous Ride
5	Jim Tyrrell
6	nightingale's fiddle
7	Brain Weasels
8	Hot Pink Halo
9	GFS
10	Pigfarmer Jr
11	Glennny
12	Siebass
13	The Pannacotta Army
14	chewmeupspitmeout
15	Temnere
16	Phlub
17	The Popped Hearts
18	The Dutch Widows
19	Mandrake
20	Frédéric Gagné
21	Sober
22	Tunes By LJ
23	Stacking Theory
24	Boffo Yux Dudes
25	Governing Dynamics
26	Jealous Brother
27	Jeff Walker
28	Braylee Pierce
29	Berkeley Social Scene
30	Eric Novak
31	West of Vine

Read on for their reviews!

ST21.1 Reviews and Rankings - EmKayDeeBee

Here are your rankings from EmKayDeeBee:

1	GFS
2	Glennny
3	The Pannacotta Army
4	Stacking Theory
5	iveg
6	Ominous Ride
7	Tunes By LJ
8	Governing Dynamics
9	Sober
10	Hot Pink Halo
11	Boffo Yux Dudes
12	Mandrake
13	Jealous Brother
14	Siebass
15	Cavedwellers
16	The Dutch Widows
17	Brain Weasels
18	Berkeley Social Scene
19	nightingale's fiddle
20	Jim Tyrrell
21	Pigfarmer Jr
22	chewmeupspitmeout
23	Phlub
24	Braylee Pierce
25	Temnere
26	Hanky Code
27	The Popped Hearts
28	Frédéric Gagné
29	Jeff Walker
30	West of Vine
31	Eric Novak

Read on for her reviews!

ST21.1 Reviews and Rankings - Evermind

Here are your rankings from Evermind:

1	Jealous Brother
2	Hanky Code
3	Stacking Theory
4	Phlub
5	Governing Dynamics
6	The Popped Hearts
7	Braylee Pierce
8	GFS
9	Glennny
10	Siebass
11	nightingale's fiddle
12	Mandrake
13	Tunes By LJ
14	Sober
15	Jim Tyrrell
16	Ominous Ride
17	Pigfarmer Jr
18	Eric Novak
19	Berkeley Social Scene
20	The Dutch Widows
21	Temnere
22	Boffo Yux Dudes
23	The Pannacotta Army
24	chewmeupspitmeout
25	Hot Pink Halo
26	Cavedwellers
27	Brain Weasels
28	Jeff Walker
29	iveg
30	West of Vine
31	Frédéric Gagné

Read on for Evermind's reviews!

ST21.1 Reviews and Rankings - Ironbark

Here are your rankings from SpinTunes 20 Champion Ironbark:

1	Sober
2	The Pannacotta Army
3	The Popped Hearts
4	The Dutch Widows
5	Tunes By LJ
6	nightingale's fiddle
7	Glennny
8	Phlub
9	GFS
10	Hanky Code
11	chewmeupspitmeout
12	Hot Pink Halo
13	Jim Tyrrell
14	Berkeley Social Scene
15	Governing Dynamics
16	Jealous Brother
17	Frédéric Gagné
18	Braylee Pierce
19	iveg
20	Temnere
21	Mandrake
22	Stacking Theory
23	Ominous Ride
24	Pigfarmer Jr
25	Jeff Walker
26	Cavedwellers
27	Siebass
28	Boffo Yux Dudes
29	Eric Novak
30	Brain Weasels
31	West of Vine

Read on for Ironbark's reviews!

ST21.1 Reviews and Rankings - Jon Porobil

Here are your rankings from Jon Porobil:

1	Jealous Brother
2	Hanky Code
3	Glennny
4	Tunes By LJ
5	Phlub
6	Sober
7	Siebass
8	Stacking Theory
9	The Pannacotta Army
10	Pigfarmer Jr
11	The Popped Hearts
12	Jim Tyrrell
13	Braylee Pierce
14	Ominous Ride
15	Cavedwellers
16	Jeff Walker
17	GFS
18	chewmeupspitmeout
19	iveg
20	Berkeley Social Scene
21	Boffo Yux Dudes
22	Governing Dynamics
23	The Dutch Widows
24	Hot Pink Halo
25	nightingale's fiddle
26	West of Vine
27	Brain Weasels
28	Eric Novak
29	Temnere
30	Mandrake
31	Frédéric Gagné

Read on for Jon's reviews!

ST21.1 Reviews - Micah Sommersmith

Thanks for a great Round 1, everyone! In addition to corralling the judges, tabulating the results, and updating the blog, I try to provide my own reviews of your entries whenever I can. Thanks for waiting the extra week for reviews; I know it has helped the judges manage the load.

I don’t have much to say about this challenge; I thought it was a nice wide-open one that allowed for a lot of interpretation; you all engaged with it in some way or another and it was fun to see the range of takes on it. I’ll remind you that since I’m not a judge, my reviews are unranked and I won’t do a whole lot of comparing this round’s entries to each other.

That said, read on for my reviews!

ST21 Round 2 Challenge

September: it's a time of changes. In the Northern Hemisphere, you may be seeing leaves begin to turn, and feel that first fall chill in the air. In the Southern Hemisphere, the days are getting longer and flowers are beginning to bloom. Wherever you are, change is key. So we're asking you to make some key changes too. Continue reading for your Round 2 challenge:

All-Request Listening Party Postponed

An announcement about the All-Request Listening Party originally scheduled for tonight at 10 pm: For personal reasons, our faithful Listening Party host Tommy G needs to postpone it by a week. The All-Request Listening Party will now be held on Monday September 18 at 10 pm EDT.

We hope you will join us on YouTube to listen to some of our favorite entries from throughout SpinTunes history. If you'd like to make a request, shoot me an email at SpinTunesContest@gmail.com and I'll make sure Tommy G gets it - bonus points if you remember the tournament and round it appeared in, or if you have the direct link to it on Bandcamp. (There's a lot of SpinTunes out there!)

SpinTunes 21 Round 1 Album

 If you missed last night's Listening Party, SpinTunes 21 Round 1 is now available to download or stream on Bandcamp or embedded below. As usual, our beloved graphic designer Matt Schubbe provides brand-new album artwork!

ST21.1 Listening Party and Deadline News

Congratulations to everyone who submitted entries to Round 1 of SpinTunes 21. We have 31 entries officially competing, as well as 3 shadow entries.

With 31 acts competing, the elimination schedule will be as follows, barring ties on the threshhold:

• Round 1: 9 acts eliminated, 22 move on
• Round 2: 9 acts eliminated, 13 move on
• Round 3: 9 acts eliminated, 4 move on
• Round 4: 3 acts eliminated, 1 Champion crowned!

You are welcome to submit a shadow entry anytime if you missed the deadline, have another song to submit, or didn't originally sign up for the contest; it will be played at the Listening Party if received in time, and all shadows are posted on the Bandcamp album along with the official entries.

Speaking of the Listening Party, that will be hosted by Tommy G tonight at 9 pm EDT on YouTube. Hear the songs for the first time and chat with the contestants. Join us at this YouTube link, or embedded below.

The 31 competing entries have been sent to the judges; their reviews and rankings will be posted on Sunday, September 17. In a change from past tournaments, the judges have an extra week for Round 1, to ensure that they have enough time to evaluate all entries in the largest round of the tournament.