March Madness 2026

[stip]

I've been away for a while, both due to a very challenging year at work and a desire to spend less time online while the world is so awful. But March Madness needs to happen!

This year we will organize around drummers. There will be four brackets

Dave K Bracket
Dave A Bracket
Jack Bracket
Matt Bracket

Winner of each bracket is our semi-finals.

I know the brackets are of differing size. We'll run each one separately. No winner byes this year, unless the individual bracket alignment requires it. Similarly, I'll go as deep into the obscure tracks that never advance as the math needs.

I'll post the songs on Friday or Saturday for review. Voting will start on Monday, and take as long as it takes. This is a late start this year so I figure we'll be done in June...

It is nice to be back. I have missed you.

[wease]

Digging the format

[Buby]

Sweet!
I’m always unreasonably angry by round two

[96583UP]

very clever format!

i'm into this

[Jaeti]

Hi, Stip, been wondering about you. Glad to see you pop up.

[liebzz]

The distraction we all need is back!

[Anders]

Look forward to it.

[blueviper]

Sounds fun, thanks Stip!

[GreenMosquito1996]

I need this. Thank you Stip !

[stip]

Okay - sharing bracket info for fact checking and feedback

Dave K Bracket
Once
Even Flow
Alive
Why Go
Black
Jeremy
Oceans
Porch
Garden
Deep
Release
Brother
Wash
Footsteps
Yellow Ledbetter
Hold On



I could not include just a girl, let me sleep, or master slave if someone wanted to make an argument for their inclusion over other songs on this list. I know he is not on Footsteps, but it is an important song from his era so I included it over those other two

[stip]

Dave A Bracket

Go
Animal
Daughter
Glorified G
Dissident
WMA
Blood
Rearview Mirror
Rats
Elderly Woman
Leash
Indifference
Last Exit
SPTBC
Not For You
Tremor Christ
NothingMan
Whipping
Corduroy
Bugs
Satan's bed
Better Man
Aye Davanita
Immortality
Dirty Frank
Alone
Breath
State of Love and Trust
Hard to Imagine
Angel
Crazy Mary
Sonic Reducer



I don't think I am missing any essential tracks from this era. No Pry To or Stupid Mop (since that was Jack)

[stip]

Jack Bracket

Sometimes
hail hail
who you are
in my tree
smile
off he goes
habit
red mosquito
lukin
present tense
mankind
I'm open
around the bend
brain of j
faithfull
no way
given to fly
wishlist
pilate
do the evolution
MFC
lowlight
in hiding
Push Me/Pull Me
All Those Yesterdays
I Got Shit
Long Road
Black Red Yellow
Dead Man
Leatherman
U
Happy When I'm Crying


This started to get tougher. There were not nearly enough songs to bump us up to a 64 song bracket, so I had to exclude:

Red Dot
Olympic platinum
don't gimme no lip
gremmie out of control
whale song
stupid mop

I could see one of these songs replacing U

[stip]

Matt Bracket

breakerfall
god's dice
evacuation
light years
NAIS
Thin Air
Insignificance
Of the Girl
Grievance
Rival
Sleight of Hand
Soon Forget
Parting Ways
can't keep
save you
LBC
Cropduster
Ghost
I Am Mine
Thumbing My Way
You Are
Get Right
Green Disease
Help Help
Bushleaguer
1/2 Full
Arc
All or None
Life Wasted
WWS
Comatose
Severed Hand
Marker in the Sand
Parachutes
Unemployable
Big Wave
Gone
Wasted Reprise
Army Reserve
Come Back
Inside Job
Gonna See My Friend
Got Some
The Fixer
Johnny Guitar
Just Breathe
Amongst the Waves
Unthought Known
Supersoic
Speed of Sound
Force of Nature
The End
Getaway
Mind Your Manners
My Father's Son
Sirens
Lightning Bolt
Infaillible
Pendulum
Swallowed Whole
Let the Records Play
Sleeping By Myself
Yellow Moon
Future Days
Who Ever Said
Superblood Wolfmoon
Dance of the Clairvoyants
Quick Escape
Alright
Seven oClock
Never Destination
Take the Long Way
Buckle Up
Comes Then Goes
Retrograde
River Cross
Scared of Fear
React Respond
Wreckage
Dark Matter
Won't Tell
Upper Hand
Waiting for Stevie
Running
Something Special
Got to Give
Setting Sun
in the moonlight
Last Kiss
last soldier
strangest tribe
drifting
don’t believe in xmas
someday at xmas
love reign
santa god
santa cruz
turning mist
better things
education
undone
down
fatal
sweet lew
Get it back
ole
man of the hour
again today
Can't Deny Me


This one is massive. I was just trying to get close to 128 (way to much for a 64 song bracket). I made it to 109, so there will be some randomized byes. But space to add more as well...

[Buby]

There were not nearly enough songs to bump us up to a 64 song bracket, so I had to exclude:whale song
I could see one of these songs replacing U

Whale Song is as Jack Irons as it gets.

[LoathedVermin72]

U is way better than Whale Song, don't replace it

[wease]

U is way better than Whale Song, don't replace it

Yes

[B]

I made you a forum, stip. Better post in it while the board's working.

[96583UP]

There were not nearly enough songs to bump us up to a 64 song bracket, so I had to exclude:whale song
I could see one of these songs replacing U

Whale Song is as Jack Irons as it gets.

100%

the man literally sings on it

i sleep in a racing car

do you?

[Matters]

I vote for a play-in game between U and Whale Song.
———
We all know the easiest way to get to 128 Matt songs but for that I’ll let someone else have the last word.

[daft twat]

I would choose Dave A down the line, but no way Jack doesn’t win on this board.