(1) Madhuvan - 02/15/2025 vs. (9) Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo - 02/13/2025

I know Madhuvan will win this round, but shout out to my favorite Half-Step so far. This one is so good! Apparently I’m in the minority, but that’s okay. To me this Half-Step is so well played as a total journey vs the Madhuvan peak at the end of darkness.

Also sending my love to Bobby on this one. Thanks for creating such an incredible catalog of music that stands the test of time, and for recognizing these gifted musicians along the way. NFA!

my two favorites of the year and for me they stand out from the rest (even EMG 2/8 my third favorite) i am sure madhuvan will win but as fabulous as it is half step is more special for me. goosebumps every time (no pun intended)

I honestly like the Half Step better, but I knew it wouldn’t make it too far. Happy it’s getting the love! I find myself gravitating towards more efficient jams, but this Madhuvan is special.

This Half-Step was my first Half-Step, and I'm so glad it was good enough to make the bracket. It's OK that it loses to this Madhuvan (all 793 other songs from 2025 are gonna lose to this Madhuvan too).

Poor half step.

I dedicate my Madhuvan vote to Chloe Weir, Joan Baez, Deepak, the Great Beyond Pod, Jive Goose, and Sydney Sweeney.

My vote is sponsored by Ben Baruch and Lawrence

Loving Post-Rock GR Half-Step, but MadGRuvan is my JOTY!

Thoroughly enjoyed paying my respects to this 1/2 step today. Layers a gorgeous New Wave vibe onto the bliss structure. New Wave is an under-appreciated element of Connecticut Indie Groove

I know Madhuvan is a strong candidate for JOYTY but Half Step is one of my favorite dead songs and this is a fun cover and loved the blissful jam. Sorry not sorry but it got my vote.

Going Madhuvan here (my no. 2 overall). But pour one out for this marvelous Half Step. I think it's a sweet-16-worthy jam (I had it at no. 14 overall), so I'm bummed it's getting knocked out here. But I'm glad it made it this far. One of the best, and most interesting, bliss jams of the year.

I think the gr madhuvan is a bit overrated, it’s very good, but my 4th favorite madhuvan of the year. However there’s not enough to this half step for it to move on here so the year of madhuvan rolls on

JOTY vs a solid Dead cover. Sorry Bobby, I gotta pass on half-step!

GR MAD is copy of Raleigh. I appreciate the 60 votes so far that didn't fall for this copycat version of yet another Madhuvan

I wanted so badly to vote for this Half-Step, and I would have against a handful of very high seeds in this tourney, but there is just no way I can here. Not against the GR Madhuvan. The Half-Step is without question one of my favorite jams of the year - a style of improv that I absolutely love. More of this gorgeous egalitarian style exploration this year please. But this Madhuvan is a beast. The turn at ~16:30 alone is worth the price of admission. I'll write more about this monster in later rounds. Farewell you radiant Half-Step. You will forever be in (some of) our hearts.

Pretty incredible Half Step!!! I enjoy it a lot more than the Fox 2024... but i just can't vote for it over this Madhuvan.

I adore this Half-Step. Just adore it! And I want more post-rock jamming in the future. Goose is an indie band as much as they're a jamband and this is a shining example of where these genre labels align harmoniously in a way that only Goose can make happen

But GR Madh is my #2 overall and it's going to easily steamroll just about anything remaining in this competition. All hail the King Madh of 2025

This half step is so good, but it is running into the a buzz saw in this gnarly Madh.

I cried a little when placing my vote for Madhuvan. It's awesome and my #7 overall, but bidding farewell to this half-step (my #10 overall) just crushes my soul a little bit. Madhuvan just goes harder and what makes it special just narrowly edges out the gorgeous bliss that is the last 8 or so minutes of the half-step.

Would take Half Step over just about anything in this bracket, but not the the MaddestHuvan.

I really wish half step didn’t have to face this monster so early on in the process. As much as I’d love to vote half step here I just can’t justify it. This two guitar evil monster is just too good. I imagine it will carry on easily until it hits MKE EMG.

i was floored this half step got past the first round, its ok but pretty typical for spaces theyve gone to before and i wouldnt be shocked if the result here speaks to that.

this madhuvan doesnt get a whole lot of listens here bc i dont enjoy the middle portion much but its an adventuresome effort that has plenty of nice pockets in it. Not as good as the Hungersite that lost to this 1/2 Step but it should sail.

Great Madhuvan, but its gonna have a real problem when it squares up against the 2/8 EMG in the Elite 8!

It’s a shame such a unique and beautiful Half-Step had to face off against one of my favorite Goose jams ever. I’ll have more words to come about this Madhuvan when it matters most

Round 2: let the incredibly difficult choices begin! I think I'm the most vocal member of the GR Half-Step fan club but I think it should fall fairly easily to the improv masterpiece that is the GR Madh.

A incredible Madhuvan but not my JOTY and not my favorite Madhuvan of the year. It’s a fucking beast… but I’m voting my heart for the Half Step

I have this Madhuvan advancing in my bracket, but damnit the more I listen to this 1/2 Step, the more I become convinced of its absolute perfection. Voting for the upset here

I love the Explosions in the Sky vibes of the half step but that’s not enough to defeat this monster Madhuvan which is my JOTY. No attendance bias, I was at both shows.

Battle of the two-guitar jams!

However, one very evil winner here is the JOTY

Saw on a WTED post this voting will be on 1/25. Y’all this half step grows on me every listen but this GR Mad will not be denied.

I haven’t been able to stop listening to this Half Step since February. Madhuvan is exactly what you expect it to be - dark, tension, and Rick shredding. Half Step broke the mold. It’s not just fast notes. It’s storytelling. It’s pure bliss. It’s a journey. Madhuvan hits you in the face. Half Step hits you in the soul. What a beauty.

HALF-STEP for the W

HALF. STEP.