M.R. Poulopoulos (spell that five times fast), one half of favored acoustic duo Palatypus and a stellar singer/songwriter to boot, has released his solo album Greenhorn for digital download via his BandCamp page. For more information on the album -- including track listing, liner notes and plans for a CD release party (!!) -- check out his blog here.

The album was engineered by John Rice, who also plays slide guitar on the album. Keep an ear out for guest vocals from Matt Durfee (the other half of Palatypus and a great solo artist in his own right as well) on the song "Rescue Me" and vocals from Courtney Blackwell throughout the album.

I have always been ridiculously impressed by the members of Palatypus, separate or together, and an initial listen to Greenhorn does not disappoint. Check back for a full review of the album soon, but in the meantime, head on over to the BandCamp to stream songs or download the album (plus a free bonus track) for $10.

With voting limited to comments, there were significantly fewer votes this round, but each of the 4 bands or artists still saw multiple votes cast in their direction. Here's how the voting finished up.

Band of Horses - 15
Ingrid Michaelson - 4
The Black Keys - 2
The Killers - 2

So there you have it. The winner of the 2011 tournament for Best Band or Artist of the Last Decade goes to Band of Horses. Clearly Mat Brooke and Ben Bridwell have some exceptionally dedicated fans. Thanks again to everyone who took the time to vote. I hope some of you discovered some new music you enjoyed as a result of this tournament.

COMING UP!
Keep an eye on this blog for frequent music related updates. Occasionally I'll play host to other tournaments, comment on current music news, review new albums, or perhaps post an artist interview every once in a while. Cecelia Martinez and Tom Caprood are contributors as well so look out for their updates from time to time too.

ATTENTION MUSICIANS:
Are you in a band and looking for some free publicity? I will review ANY album, EP, or single you have released or plan to release. I guarantee all reviews to be honest so if you're concerned about what I might say, I will submit my review back to you before it is posted on this site or published in any papers. Even the worst recordings typically have positive attributes and I will do my best to focus on those.

Contact me at JLoudonRecording@gmail.com for more details

In tournaments such as these, there's a semi-final before the final contest, but by this point, everyone has already decided who they would like to win in this particular tournament. With no clear favorite, The Black Keys, Band of Horses, Ingrid Michaelson and The Killers all have a legitimate chance at becoming "The Best Band or Artist of the Last Decade."

Voting in this round will be similar to the first round in that all votes must be submitted in the comments. Feel free to justify your choice or tell everyone why a particular band/artist doesn't deserve the title. All votes must be submitted by 10pm EST on April 4th. The winner will be crowned April 5th.

Here are your choices (all clips show them playing live):

The Black Keys

Band of Horses

Ingrid Michaelson

The Killers

One vote per person. I will play tie-breaker if there is a need.

And......GO

Well, there were a few people who tried to sneak through and vote multiple times, but by my calculations, even their continued efforts to move their favorite band or artist through was not enough to sway the final outcome. Here are the results:

Avenged Sevenfold vs. The Black Keys
For a while, it seemed as if nothing could derail Avenged Sevenfold on their journey to the finals. As the last remaining #1 seed, Avenged Sevenfold fought off numerous younger competitors, but another veteran band, #2 seed The Black Keys, made easy work of Avenged Sevenfold and took 2/3 of the vote.
WINNER: The Black Keys

Band of Horses vs. Mumford & Sons
Band of Horses jumped out to a commanding lead early on thanks to odetoboh.net once again rallying their forces together for a common goal. Mumford & Sons, however, proved to be stiff competition. With adjustments for repeated votes, the total was even closer, but Band of Horses took the competition with approximately 55% of the vote.
WINNER: Band of Horses

Ingrid Michaelson vs. Lady Gaga
Ingrid Michaelson certainly has some dedicated fans. That, or there are enough people out there who dislike Lady Gaga to sway the vote. Regardless of the reasons behind the outcome, Ingrid Michaelson moves on to the Final 4.
WINNER: Ingrid Michaelson

Arcade Fire vs. The Killers
This was truly an epic competition. The Killers' music is more familiar to many listeners, which made them an early favorite, but Arcade Fire's recent accolades and a loyal core of fans kept things interesting until the bitter end. There were a few people trying to vote more than once in this race, but the end result is the same. With approximately 52% of the vote, The Killers take it. My personal pick to win it is out of the competition.
WINNER: The Killers