It’s basketball time, but if you’re having trouble making a bracket (or just don’t care about college basketball), how about using artists to guide you through this year’s tournament? Check out all our coverage here.
So here’s the deal. We assigned an artist to each of the schools who made this year’s tournament and then pit them head to head against each other. Will we pick the real winner this way? Probably not. But will we discover artists along the way? You bet!
One of the things about doing brackets by artists is that although there are a lot of schools coming from places like North Carolina and Texas, there are a lot of artists coming from places like New York and Los Angeles, and not a lot of schools making the tournament from there. And not too many highly seeded schools. So do I think LIU Brooklyn or Cal State Fullerton are going to make it far in the basketball tournament? Maybe not. But they do make it pretty far here in the East Division.
Check out the West, Midwest, and South Divisions too!
Round of 64
Will Sheridan (Villanova, 1) vs. The Rizzos (LIU Brooklyn, 16)/SnowPanda (Radford, 16)
The Rizzos get the call here over SnowPanda because as good as SnowPanda’s beats are, nothing beats a good Brooklyn indie rock band. But a big upset here as Villanova’s Will Sheridan gets knocked off in the first round as his mid-’00s hip-hop sound can’t topple The Rizzos.
Winner: The Rizzos
Every Time I Die (Virginia Tech, 8) vs. St. Paul & The Broken Bones (Alabama, 9)
The funky R&B beats of St. Paul & the Broken Bones gets the nod over the glammed up metal of Every Time I Die.
Winner: St. Paul & The Broken Bones
Will Pan (West Virginia, 5) vs. Silver Tongues (Murray State, 12)
Slow and haunting, Silver Tongues sounds like they’re making music on a quiet night in the woods. But it’s no match for Will Pan’s R&B influenced Taiwanese pop. Though he made his name in Asia, he’s West Virginia born.
Winner: Will Pan
Pink Nasty (Wichita State, 4) vs. Michael Cerveris (Marshall, 13)
The sweet sounds of Pink Nasty managed to hold off the mournful Americana sounds of Michael Cerveris here.
Winner: Pink Nasty
Blaise DeAngelo (Florida, 6) vs. Josh Bowen (St. Bonaventure, 11)/Ella Vos (UCLA, 11)
Although many of the schools in this year’s tournament are in the Midwest, the number of artists competing to represent the few coastal schools was tough. That said, Josh Bowen’s country put up a good fight repping one of the least competitive areas, but LA’s Ella Vos prevails. She’s also the pick over OWSLA boss Blaise DeAngelo, who is a huge contributor to his label productions but doesn’t have much solo work to his name.
Winner: Ella Vos
Josh Abbott Band (Texas Tech, 3) vs. The Last Bandoleros (Stephen F. Austin, 14)
This Texas showdown is another upset with the more well known Josh Abbott Band being knocked off by the loud honky tonk sound of The Last Bandoleros.
Winner: The Last Bandoleros
Ashley McBryde (Arkansas, 7) vs. Lily & Madeleine (Butler, 10)
A close matchup that sees Ashley McBryde’s country roots music edging out the sweet harmonies of folk duo and sisters Lily & Madeline.
Winner: Ashley McBryde
HOOPS (Purdue, 2) vs. Banks (Cal State Fullerton, 15)
Another upset, with the Orange County-born pop singer Banks beating out the sunny productions of Hoops (who kind of sound like they’re from California too anyways).
Winner: Banks
Round of 32
The Rizzos (LIU Brooklyn, 16) vs. St. Paul & The Broken Bones (Alabama, 9)
Alabama’s St. Paul & The Broken Bones’ southern-influenced sound continues its run, beating the garage rock of The Rizzos.
Winner: St. Paul & The Broken Bones
Will Pan (West Virginia, 5) vs. Pink Nasty (Wichita State, 4)
In a close matchup, the soaring vocals of Pink Nasty beat out Will Pan’s seductive voice. Also of note, this probably is the most realistic basketball matchup of this round…
Winner: Pink Nasty
Ella Vos (UCLA, 11) vs. The Last Bandoleros (Stephen F. Austin, 14)
Vos’ more varied sound is the winner here over The Last Bandoleros’ tried and true fast-paced country jam.
Winner: Ella Vos
Ashley McBryde (Arkansas, 7) vs. Banks (Cal State Fullerton, 15)
Banks manages to survive stiff competition, her slick productions just beating out the soaring McBryde’s voice.
Winner: Banks
Round of 16
St. Paul & The Broken Bones (Alabama, 9) vs. Pink Nasty (Wichita State, 4)
St. Paul & The Broken Bones’ rampage through the bracket continues with a win over a softer section of the East.
Winner: St. Paul & The Broken Bones
Ella Vos (UCLA, 11) vs. Banks (Cal State Fullerton, 15)
In the L.A. vs. Orange County showdown, L.A. takes it with the up-and-comer Ella Vos showing her chops against the more established Banks.
Winner: Ella Vos
Round of 8
St. Paul & The Broken Bones (Alabama, 9) vs. Ella Vos (UCLA, 11)
And the winner out of the East is Alabama’s own St. Paul & The Broken Bones, whose nuanced and stirring sound evokes strong emotions and wins out over California’s Ella Vos. Although I do feel a bit bad about elevating Alabama when they clearly win enough in football…
Winner: St. Paul & The Broken Bones
St. Paul & The Broken Bones advances to the last four! Check back for other divisions and the final matchups.
Don’t agree with my picks? Let me know who you’ve got on Twitter!
