Welcome to Week 3!

Please listen to the songs before making your choice, and provide comments (however brief) to form the basis of your pick.

The deadline for Week 2 is 11:59 PM, October 16th AM time.

You can read the descriptions of why these songs were nominated in the rules thread.

Match 9:

The Who- "Eminence Front"
The Format- "The First Single (You Know Me)"

Match 10:

Dressy Bessy- "California"
Mando Diao- "Dance With Somebody"

Match 11:

Shudder to Think featuring Jeff Buckley- "I Want Someone Badly"
The Verlaines- "Death and the Maiden"

Match 12:

Nirvana- "Do Re Mi"
No Doubt- "New"

Vote: Eminence Front

This is The Who? When did they do any blues rock? The First Single is a good song with some nice harmonies, but the guitar part is kinda boring and the songwriting is kinda mid-90's flaky. You know, with all those angst-cliches like talking about 'What I've become' and such. Lyrics like that sound all personally tragic but they're too vague to actually mean anything.

Vote: California

I'm not a huge fan of either song. Both seem a little bit empty, but Dance With Somebody comes off as a little forced, whereas California is perfectly pleasant indie-pop.

Vote: Death And The Maiden

I like both these songs. Jeff Buckley's vocals are great in I Want Someone Badly, but it's not a song that deviates much from genre form. Death And The Maiden injects irreverent sarcasm into teenage dating stories with that cool Brit-punk feel.

Vote: Do Re Mi

Two more songs I like. Do Re Mi has all the qualities that made Nirvana great. The rawness, the melodies that feel like something is just a bit off and a bit disturbed. I think Return of Saturn is an underrated album, and it's a tragedy that it's poor sales turned No Doubt into the garbage dance-pop band they become. But, New's not my favorite song on the album. I prefer Simple Kind Of Life.

Match 9:
The Who- "Eminence Front"
The Format- "The First Single (You Know Me)"

Of course I have to vote for my own song, but The Format is a fun song too. Still, the awesomeness of Eminence Front way outclasses it.

Match 10:
Dressy Bessy- "California"
Mando Diao- "Dance With Somebody"

I'm really digging both songs, but Dance With Somebody is fairly infectious. Very, very close.

Match 11:
Shudder to Think featuring Jeff Buckley- "I Want Someone Badly"
The Verlaines- "Death and the Maiden"

"Death and the Maiden" is one of three songs this week I'd already heard, a record I think, and although it's pretty good I think it sags a bit around minute 3. There's a few Verlaines songs I prefer. Still, the beginning and the end make it better than the solid but somewhat boring "I Want Someone Badly"

Match 12:
Nirvana- "Do Re Mi"
No Doubt- "New"

I'm gonna have to completely disagree with BillAdama here; "Do Re Mi", to me, has all the qualities that make Nirvana annoying. The lyrics are awful, Cobain sounds awful, and the guitar.. well, I suppose that doesn't sound too bad. "New" is fun, which is enough to easily win this one.

Match 9:

The Who- "Eminence Front"
Fond rememberances of the days when this video was in very heavy rotation on MTV. Always liked the song, much more than the other stuff from the Who during the early-'80's (ie-"Athena"). The Format reminds me of something that should be playing on MTV now... as background music for latest "The Hills' permutation("It's a put on").

Match 10:

Dressy Bessy- "California"
This was close for me, but ultimately I enjoy the underproduced indie-pop of Dressy Bessy to the slickness of Mando Diao.

Match 11:

The Verlaines- "Death and the Maiden"
I frickin' love the Verlaines; even a fine Buckley vocal takes a back seat to Flying Nun's (and NZs) finest. Interestingly, the Stephen Malkmus cover recorded a few years ago (not nearly as good as the original, btw) features Verlaines singer/ lead guy Graeme Downes on bass (video available on the right side, if interested). I agree- not the best Verlaines song- but probably the most known, and certainly very representative of their overall sound in the early years.

Match 12:

Nirvana- "Do Re Mi"
Almost a draw, this one went into overtime... "Do Re Mi" is the one I would want to listen to again; can't say the same for the No Doubt track. Interesting views on "Do Re Mi" from the others- personally, I barely hear Nirvana in the song at all... certainly lacks the dynamic of the full band. Not sure I'm be sold on "Cobain Unplugged".

match 9: "eminence front" - one of my favorite who songs. brilliantly sampled, along with "run like hell", here

match 10: "dance with somebody" - could go either way. kind of love/hate the dressy bessy, which is basically how i feel about the state itself.

match 11: "death and the maiden" - nice pick. good movie, too.

match 12: "new" - don't care about either of these. i guess "new" was an easier listen

Match 9:
The Format's indiepop is melodic, pleasant, but in the end doesn't do so much for me. It's versus a very late period The Who, dabbling in '80s synths. That seems horrid on paper, but Eminence Front sounds much better than I expected actually, and wins. This doesn't obscure the fact they should've quit years earlier, right after Keith Moon had left the building.
The Who-Eminence Front wins.

Match 10:
What I wrote about The Format counts for Dressy Bessy as well. Mando Diao's Dance With Somebody, on the other hand is a solid track and gets my vote.
Mando Diao-Dance With Somebody wins.

Match 11:
Oh hell, the two best songs of this week have to compete against each other.
I'm very fond of Death And The Maiden, The Verlaines' best known song. Issued of course by Flying Nun, the rec. company that put New Zealand on the musical map in the mid-80s. If you like this, it's worth checking out other FN acts like The Chills, Tall Dwarfs, Headless Chickens, Fetus Productions, Able Tasmans or The Clean. You'll be in for a treat.
I'm even more in awe of Shudder To Think & Jeff Buckley, with their perfect neo-Soul pastiche. Extra points for Jeff who for once isn't overdoing his vocals and holds back here. That deserves a next round, though it's a very close call.
Shudder To Think/Jeff Buckley-I Want Someone badly wins.

Match 12:
If this band wasn't called Nirvana, I wonder if someone would've chosen Do Re Mi as the hidden gem that everyone really needs listening to. So, I opt for New, which is surprisingly good.
No Doubt-New wins.

Match 9:

The Who- "Eminence Front": Well, at least it's better than their big hits that I don't like. Probably the closest thing to a Who song that I would ever like.

The Format- "The First Single (You Know Me)": It's got a nice melody, even if the lead vocalist's voice annoys me a little. Nevertheless, it's an easy win here.

Match 10:

Dressy Bessy- "California": This generally isn't my kind of thing, but it feels like a nice ray of sunshine today. The vocals are lovely and a bit weird, which I like a lot!

Mando Diao- "Dance With Somebody": A nice Strokesy tune indeed! It would have won Match 9, but Dressy Bessy really impressed me!

Match 11:

Shudder to Think featuring Jeff Buckley- "I Want Someone Badly": I'm normally not big on Jeff Buckley, but I don't mind this soul throwback.

The Verlaines- "Death and the Maiden": This is a cool discovery- I don't now much Kiwi music, but I like this! I tend to prefer my post-punk a little less jangly, but this is quite good! The twisted carnival synths in the middle sold it for me. This may be the 4th song I buy as a result of this game!

Match 12:

Nirvana- "Do Re Mi": I like Nirvana's material principally because I think Kurt Cobain is a brilliant melodist, and I can hear that here. This sounds like it could have been something quite special if given the proper treatment. Another purchase? Perhaps!

No Doubt- "New": The first song I've known so far in the competition before listening, this was the first No Doubt song I liked! The new wave elements here and later on Return of Saturn are right up my alley.

Match 9:

The Who- "Eminence Front"
wins over
The Format- "The First Single (You Know Me)"
I love the Who. While I far prefer songs from earlier albums, Eminence Front rocks well enough. Townsend's vocals are fine, but I miss Keith Moon's "sloppy" drums.
The Format provide a well produced earnest song that ma grow on me with additional listenings - but it doesn't quite rock like The Who.


Match 10:
Mando Diao- "Dance With Somebody"
wins over
Dressy Bessy- "California"
The Mando Diao song is a blast on first listen. I am not sure if it will still be as impressive after I listen to it a few more times, but for now it gets the benefit of the doubt.
Dressy Bessy did not wow me but was pleasant, clever, unpretentious and was better than either song in Match 12 for me.


Match 11:

The Verlaines- "Death and the Maiden"
wins over
Shudder to Think featuring Jeff Buckley- "I Want Someone Badly"
Both of these songs deserve to go to the next round. I first heard the Verlaines last week and they may continue to grow on me.
Buckley's song features his wonderful vocals, but it doesn't stand out compared to Buckley's other songs, so I went with the less well known performer for this match.

Match 12:

No Doubt- "New"
wins over
Nirvana- "Do Re Mi"

The No Doubt song is not particularly exciting - but is listenable with a few pleasant transitions and easily wins this match for me.

The Nirvana song may be the worst of the competition so far. For many Nirvana songs, it's Grohl's drums that make the song work for me. No saving from the drums in this sparse production with very annoying vocals and rather non-descript guitar.

Match 9 :
1) The Format- "The First Single (You Know Me)"
2) The Who- "Eminence Front"
Plus un vote par dépit qu'autre chose. Un vote un peu fait à pile ou face. Les deux chansons ne sont ni mauvaises, ni très bonnes pour moi.

Match 10:
1) Mando Diao- "Dance With Somebody"
2) Dressy Bessy- "California"
Un match inverse au précédent, j'aime bien les deux chansons ce coup-là, mais Mando Diao gagne tout de même facilement. C'est typiquement le genre de rock indépendant qui me fait triper. J'aurais pu la proposer moi-même celle-ci.

Match 11:
1) The Verlaines- "Death and the Maiden"
2) Shudder to Think featuring Jeff Buckley- "I Want Someone Badly"
Là encore, deux bonnes chansons. J'ai hésité longtemps mais à la réécoute, tom Verlaine s'en sort un poil mieux. C'est tout de même dommage, l'autre aurait méritée mieux.

Match 12:
1) No Doubt- "New"
2) Nirvana- "Do Re Mi"
No doubt gagne haut la main façe à la non-chanson de Nirvana. Et ce n'est pourtant pas forcément le genre de pop-rock qui me plaît habituellement.

1. The Who ~ Eminence Front ~~~ I've always kinda liked this song.

2. Dressy Bessy ~ "California" ~~~ I didn't know either of these beforehand, wasn't overly impressed after listening.

3. The Verlaines ~ "Death and the Maiden" ~~~ Strange thing is I had heard this song before, completely forgot about it and after listening realized I like this song.

4. No Doubt ~ "New" ~~~ This has always been one of my favorite No Doubt songs. If they would have put out an album that sounded like this, that would have been a great album.

Match 9:

The Who - "Eminence Front"

The Format song is decently catchy and is a cut above most of the emo-tinged pop that ruled radio circa '06. But The Who are one of my favorite bands, and while "Eminence Front" is somewhat a departure from their usual sound, it still rocks pretty hard.

Match 10:

Mando Diao- "Dance With Somebody"

I nominated this, so there was always a slim chance I would vote against it. "Dressy Bessy" wasn't near good enough to overcome the infectiousness of Mando Diao.

Match 11:

Shudder to Think featuring Jeff Buckley- "I Want Someone Badly"

This was probably the best matchup of the week, and both songs would have won the next matchup handily. The Verlaines song was interesting, with a cool semi-jangly guitar sound and some nice melodies. But Jeff Buckley laid down a vocal on "I Want Someone Badly" like only he can, and the doo-wop harmonies in the background made it that much better.

Match 12:

Nirvana- "Do Re Mi"

Neither song was particularly impressive, but for whatever reason I don't like Gwen Stefani as a singer that much. (Oddly enough, the only song I really enjoy of hers is "Hollaback Girl", which probably drives some AMFers nuts.) While "Do Re Mi" is far from the best Nirvana's ever done, it had some potential and an interesting bridge.

Match 9 Winner - The Who, "Eminence Front"
"Eminence Front" provides a nice groove. I've discussed my problems with 70s Daltry before, and so Townshend's vocals are welcome, if occasionally shaky. Great work by Entwistle. But most of all the synths work in this number. "The First Single" is a nice pop number, but does not stand out for me. The harmonies are kinda nice. At first I thought they were simple, but enjoyed them more as I listened closer. But the Who's single is more striking.

Match 10 Winner - Mando Diao, "Dance With Somebody"
"California" is a a little too sugary for me. Fun (which I greatly appreciate), but no shadings beyond the sweet. Interesting note the singer hits on "this summer" in the middle of the chorus. "Dance With Somebody" is good, not quite great dance rock. Like the chorus quite a bit. Can see this really going over well at the club. It gets my nod.

Match 11 Winner - Shudder to Think, "I Want Someone Badly"

Wow. I don't know if anyone has voted against their own entry yet, but I just came very close. I had never heard the Verlaines before this, but I LOVED "Death and the Maiden." Brad, not surprised to see a fellow Pavement lover nominate this (and, yes, I listened to the Malkmus cover also). No flaws at all, just a sterling, stirring single. Learning about songs like this is what this competition is all about... but I'm voting for my entry anyhow. I adore the melody, and the genre aping, particularly in the background vocals. Even more than Buckley's vocals, that's why I picked it.

Match 12 Winner - No Doubt, "New"
I don't think that the rough demo suits Cobain. His falsetto does not appeal to me. I actually think he's often better with a degree of studio polish. But there are also moments of the compelling singer that comes out at times in this recording. As for "New," I'm an unabashed enjoyer of a lot of No Doubt's material. They are a positive, fun, consistent purveyor of ever so slightly skewed radio fare. "New" fits that mold. Not their best single, but enjoyable nonetheless.

Match 9
The Who, "Eminence Front" - The only song this week that I was previously familiar with, and what a great song this is! Little-known fact: Like all of the series in the "CSI" television franchise, recordings by the Who are used as the theme song ("Who Are You" for the original "CSI," "Won't Get Fooled Again" for the Miami edition, and "Baba O'Riley" for NY). Several years back, a London-based spin-off was being planned (but was later scrapped at the demands of then-actor/producer William Petersen), for which "Eminence Front" would have been the theme song.
The Format, "The First Single (You Know Me)" - This is quite an enjoyable number! Doesn't completely blow me away, but still a good listen, and could grow on me with multiple listens.
Winner: The Who, "Eminence Front", even though I would like to give an edge to artists I am not already familiar with.

Match 10
Dressy Bessy, "California" - What a wonderful listen! Has a sound reminiscent of '60s girls groups.
Mando Diao, "Dance with Somebody" - This song automatically starts on a high note for me, mostly because it is not a cover of a Whitney Houston song, as I feared.
Winner: Dressy Bessy, "California"

Match 11
Shudder to Think feat. Jeff Buckley, "I Want Someone Badly" - A nice jazzy/bluesy/soulful number that is hard to resist. Great vocal performance, and of course, great guitar (kinda wish it would be as prominent throughout the song as it is at the beginning)
The Verlaines, "Death and the Maiden" - Doesn't do much for me, perhaps I need to give it a few more spins.
Winner: Shudder to Think feat. Jeff Buckley, "I Want Someone Badly"

Match 12
Nirvana, "Do Re Mi" - Makes me sad to think what this song could have been had it been recorded in the studio, and how many great unfinished songs he had
No Doubt, "New" - Nice to see some other No Doubt fans on here Might not stand up to their best work, but still an enjoyable song.
Winner: No Doubt, "New"

Match 9

The Who - "Eminence Front" - Not my favorite Who song, a little monotonous, but interesting production.
The Format - "The First Single (You Know Me)" - I just found this pretty bland for my tastes.

Winner (I guess): The Who - "Eminence Front"


Match 10

Dressy Bessy - "California": I liked this, but that's about it.
Mando Diao - "Dance with Somebody": I liked this a little bit more than Dressy Bessy, but that's about it.

Winner (I guess): Mando Diao - "Dance with Somebody"


Match 11

Shudder to Think feat. Jeff Buckley - "I Want Someone Badly": This is the 2nd best song in this entire week, but unfortunately loses to the best song. Very nice soul pastiche, though this oddly sounds nothing like anything I've heard before by Shudder to Think. (Which is a good thing.) This may in fact be a bit to brief.
The Verlaines - "Death and the Maiden": Great track that I had not heard before! I really like The Chills, so will need to continue investigating '80s-era NZ stuff.

Winner (enthusiastically, yet barely): The Verlaines - "Death and the Maiden"


Match 12

Nirvana - "Do Re Mi": I hate to say it, but this just sort of bores me.
No Doubt - "New": Good song, though No Doubt is always just OK with me. The watered-down ska influence always annoys me, but this is strong enough to win this particular match-up.

Winner (I guess): No Doubt - "New"

I hope I'm not too late.

The Format - The First Single (You Know Me)
-This was my pick. I happen to think it is a very catch song. Eminence Front is one of my least favorite Who songs.

Mando Diao - Dance With Somebody
-California was too bland for me. I wondering if I would get tired of Dance With Somebody after multiple listens.

Shutter to Think - I Want Someone Badly
-The is the first time, surprisingly, that I have heard Jeff Buckley. He has a great voice. Death and the Maiden was dealt a tough first round match up. It could have advanced against some of these other songs.

Nirvana - Do Ri Me
-I didn't like either of these songs, but Kurt Cobain is a better singer than Gwen Stefani, so I guess that is my tiebreaker.

Match 9:
The Who- "Eminence Front"

Downloaded this a while back after seeing that several people considered it one of the Who's best songs. I was surprised,didn't expect it to be this good a track. While The First Single is pleasant enough,it doesn't do as much for me.

Match 10:
Dressy Bessy- "California"

Both fun,catchy numbers without being particularly great. Slightly prefer Dressy Bessy...

Match 11:
The Verlaines- "Death and the Maiden"

The best match of the round definitely. I'm surprised I'd never come across that Jeff Buckley-fronted track before,it was really great. I guess I'm a bit biased,the Verlaines are from just up the road but this really is a fantastic track,should be an anthem here but sadly it isn't. If you stopped 10 people on the street in NZ,probably 9 of them wouldn't have even heard of the Verlaines or any of those Flying Nun bands - a real shame.

Match 12:
No Doubt- "New"

Neither track really stood out,but I'd find myself listening to 'New' again more readily.

Match 9
The Who - Eminence Front: I found this song very of its time, but still impressive for a song by The Who post-Moon. That's why it gets my vote over The First Single, which is agreeable but not much more.

Match 10
Dressy Bessy - California: Both songs are great but I absolutely love California. Definitely my kind of music.

Match 11
Shudder to Think featuring Jeff Buckley - I Want Someone Badly: Again, each song is a brilliant listen. No contest here though - what a voice, as much as I like The Velaines' quirky take on post-punk.

Match 12
Nirvana - Do Re Mi: Certainly very different from the Nirvana I'm used to, but still basically the same sound. It had to get my vote; I'm not a big fan of Doubt or the song.

I am only able to listen to the songs through the computer speakers and they all seem pretty equal to me, so no votes from me this week.

The Who- "Eminence Front"
The Format- "The First Single (You Know Me)"

Didn't expect the song by the Who to be that impressive, it was and it wins my vote. The Format's track was good for what it achieves to be, a very accessible and catchy track. but i found it to be forgetable in comparison to the Who after a while and the production is derivative, huge turn off to me. But i understand its appeal and it's not a bad track.

Dressy Bessy- "California"
Mando Diao- "Dance With Somebody"

California wasn't able to play on my computer! WTF? But Dance with Somebody is incredibly catchy and well constructed, although i think the vocals of the lead singer are a little derivative of others, but it's not really a problem, nice song anyway.

Shudder to Think featuring Jeff Buckley- "I Want Someone Badly"
The Verlaines- "Death and the Maiden"

I like Jeff Buckley and his vocals are incredibly soulful, but even if the song doesn't stand in comparison to his other material - and i thought he oversang it in some parts -, it was above great. Too bad it had to face The Verlaines, loved the guitar and the drums, the vocalist kinda reminded me of Bowie (don't ask me why). This song is sure an early favorite to the next round! Also, this was the best match of the week, if not of the whole game so far.

No Doubt- "New"
Nirvana- "Do Re Mi"

The song is catchy, more of an easy-listening and doesn't sound dated, actually if it was released in this day and age it could achieve a better performance inside the charts than back in '98. The Nirvana track is not that great of a song compared to older material and even some of the tracks inside the boxset and Kurt's falsetto sounds like a Frank Black rip-off during those 5 minutes.

Match 9:

Winner: The Who- "Eminence Front": One of my faves in this game since Stephan posted it on the other thread.
The Format- "The First Single (You Know Me)": begins nice, but when the vocal appears it goes down a little bit.

Match 10:

Winner: Dressy Bessy- "California": Delicious pop song! Sunny sixties at its best.
Mando Diao- "Dance With Somebody": One of my least faves of the week.

Match 11:

Winner: Shudder to Think featuring Jeff Buckley- "I Want Someone Badly": Woooow, I didn't know Buckey sang this good! Need to look for Grace ASAP.
The Verlaines- "Death and the Maiden": Another incredible unacclaimed track. The vocal is Costello-esque, what alone would be enough for me to like the song. Anyway, only Eminence Front would be a tough call against Shudder to Think this week.

Match 12:

Winner: No Doubt- "New": Didn't like much, but better Nirvana's track.
Nirvana- "Do Re Mi": Only that descendant monochromatic scalle lines every now and than would be sufficient for me to put this last in any match. What doesn't mean I hated it. It's just that all these songs are amazingly good!!!

Didn't think my song stood a chance but it actually might and I would be a fool if I didn't vote this round.

I enjoy both the first songs. "Eminence Front" has a great groove thanks to the amazing keyboard playing.
I'm leaning towards "The First Single" Even though the vocals remind me of the Offspring the melodies and chorus are very bouncy and tender with a sweetness behind the lyrics

Winner: "the First Single"

"I Want Someone Badly" is suprisingly soulful and sounds inspired by early 60s r&B
I'm going to pick "Death and the Maiden" for the drums and the thick accents and it has more of a classic punky vibe.

Winner:"Death and the Maiden"

"Do Re Mi" isn't as good as their Unplugged MTV stuff. Sounds like their craft was beginning to flourish but much to singer songwritery for a band. Doesn't sound like the other members are even playing.
I remember "New." Brings back some good memories but it wasn't my favorite single they've done. The chorus isn't as weak as Stefani's "Whatcha Waiting For" and it has it's moments so I'll give them the victory

Winner: New


Always loved the Mando Dio. Any band that gets heavy rotation on a lengdary show like the Rodney on the Roq show is a winner in my mind but I can't vote against myself. But if I were to lose this round this infectious dance number would make me a good loser.

I chose Dressy Bessy because they use the same band members and are in the same label as Neutral Milk Hotel, their polar opposites and I just don't get why they are the most acclaimed artist on Elephant 6 and one of the most acclaimed of the 90s when a perfectly fine, sugary, bouncy, fun and lovable group like Dressy Bessy is just treated like a novelty version of the Breeders. They deserve better than that. They play and sing much better than NMH even though that's not saying much but I'm glad one or two people enjoyed the song. Thanks guys.

Winner:California

We have a tie! The deadline has technically passed, but the next vote will determine the winner of the tied bracket.

sorry. If California it's only 4:10 and I started writing half an hour ago. Didn't realize I was 6 minutes too late.

Match 9: The Format- "The First Single (You Know Me)" - i disagree that the production is derivative, it is accessible, but this is no Nickelback.

Match 10: Dressy Bessy- "California" - i loved the chorus of this song. it's so fun and really has this sweet californian feel that i really like. the other track is too generic for its own sake.

Match 11: The Verlaines- "Death and the Maiden" - not a fan of Buckley (any of the two) and "Death" was a nice surprise, definitely checking out their material.

Match 12: No Doubt- "New" - a very underrated track from their Saturn album. i dig most of their stuff and this song blows nirvana's, like someone said before: i can't feel the other band members during most of the song.

I wasn't going to participate on this one, cause i didn't have time to let the songs grow on me, but since you needed a tie-breaker i came in and participated. the comments could have been better, but you needed a tie-breaker and i needed to go fast. i'll participate more effectively this time around.

And here are your results!

Match 9:

The Who - "Eminence Front": 15
The Format - "The First Single (You Know Me)": 5

The Who raced out to an early lead that was never seriously threatened.

Match 6:

Dressy Bessy - "California": 10
Mando Diao - "Dance With Somebody": 9

Mando Diao staked an early lead and looked like a sure bet to advance, but "California" took 6 of the last 7 votes to force a tie, and the momentum carried over as they won the tiebreaker. Epic battle!

Match 7:

Shudder to Think featuring Jeff Buckley - "I Want Someone Badly": 7
The Verlaines - "Death and the Maiden": 13

The Verlaines jumped out to a 4-0 lead, but Shudder to Think and Buckley kept it within reach. They weren't able to close the gap, though.

Match 8:

Nirvana - "Do Re Mi": 5
No Doubt - "New": 15

A 90s battle that would have normally gone to Nirvana easily went the other way rather easily, as "New" ties for the biggest win of the week!

The winners advance to the Winners Bracket 1 (W1), while the losers can take heart in the fact that they are not out of the game yet, and move to Losers Bracket 1 (L1).

Up-to-date brackets are available here.

Match 9:

The Who- "Eminence Front"

This is pretty close because The Format was a pleasant song and most of The Who post-1978 is sad to listen to given that everything from My Generation to even Who Are You is some of my favorite music ever. But Eminence Front contains some of those epic Who elements, and a few days after these song sink in, The Format doesn't have staying power.

Match 10:

Mando Diao- "Dance With Somebody"

Dressy Bessy had the same effect as the Format... solid song but nothing memorable. Mando Diao wasn't that gripping but in was more unique to my ears. Nothing too spectacular for this matchup.

Match 11:


The Verlaines- "Death and the Maiden"

The Verlaines--best discovery of the week. The little choppy synth breakdown came out of nowhere and was a catchy surprise (and fun to watch)

Jeff Buckley's vocal talents weren't fully utilized with that song, IMO

Match 12:

Nirvana- "Do Re Mi"

I'm not a Nirvana fanatic to the point where a demo recording would really win me over, but that voice still shines... and the competition was not very strong. Although, I'd rather listen to Gwen Stefani than Black Eyed Peas or K$sha or whatever female pop artist is making waves nowadays with little vocal talent and a AutoTune.

Oh no! too late!

I'm never late for poll deadlines!

I'm late but it doesn't matter : all mychampiosn made it !!


1. The Who : Eminence front
I had never heard 80’s material from the Who. The production is great, but Daltrey’s voice was fading I guess. Good song anyway.

2. Dressy Bessy : California
A pleasant pop song. Dance with Somebody is good too but a little too slick.

3. The Verlaines “Death and the Maiden”
Good surprise to hear Buckley singing a song that sounds like Otis Redding, but I really prefer the Verlaines, both the song with its great chord progression in the verses and fantastic organ break, not to mention the delicious garage sound

4. No doubt “New”
Maybe it was the headache (two many different wines yesterday night) but the Nirvana demo didn’t make it for me. So by default I’ll vote for No Doubt

Good point Henry

So that is why the vocals sounded so unfamiliar...