Last week, we saw our first teams fall out of contention. This week will also end hopes and dreams. Please remember when voting to vote for the song, not the artist. And DO NOT VOTE STRATEGICALLY!!!!! You should vote for the song you like more, not the song by the artist that isn’t going to be a threat to your team. Now that I got that out of the way, let me go ahead and show you this week’s competitors:

Tom Waits (Top of the Hill) vs. Nine Inch Nails (Dead Souls)
Radiohead (Street Spirit (Fade Out)) vs. Bob Marley (No Woman, No Cry)
Michael Jackson (Rock With You) vs. Wilco (On and On and On)
New Order (True Faith) vs. Coldplay (Everything’s Not Lost)
Marvin Gaye (Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)) vs. The Doors (Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar))
Brian Eno (Baby’s On Fire) vs. Vampire Weekend (Run)
The Rolling Stones (Jumpin’ Jack Flash) vs. Neil Young (Old Man)
Prince (Raspberry Beret) vs. Elvis Costello (Oliver’s Army)
Beck (Hotwax) vs. Pearl Jam (Corduroy)
The Beach Boys (Wouldn’t It Be Nice) vs. The Byrds (I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better)
Black Sabbath (The Wizzard) vs. Siouxsie and the Banshees (Cities in Dust)
Kraftwerk (Europa Endlos (Europe Endless)) vs. Depeche Mode (The Great Outdoors!)
Steely Dan (Doctor Wu) vs. Boards of Canada (Julie and Candy)
The Cure (Play For Today) vs. Eurythmics (Love is a Stranger)
Chuck Berry (Memphis, Tennessee) vs. Arctic Monkeys (Cornerstone)
Jimi Hendrix (Crosstown Traffic) vs. Van Morrison (Fair Play)

Like always, correct any mistakes I may have. Good luck to all teams this week.

First half votes

Pass
Bob Marley (No Woman, No Cry)
Michael Jackson (Rock With You)
New Order (True Faith)
Marvin Gaye (Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler))
Vampire Weekend (Run)
The Rolling Stones (Jumpin’ Jack Flash)
Prince (Raspberry Beret) Two of my favorite songs this week face off.

Nine Inch Nails (Dead Souls)
Bob Marley (No Woman, No Cry)
Michael Jackson (Rock With You)
New Order (True Faith)
Marvin Gaye (Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler))
Vampire Weekend (Run)
Neil Young (Old Man)
Elvis Costello (Oliver’s Army)
Pearl Jam (Corduroy)
The Beach Boys (Wouldn’t It Be Nice)
Black Sabbath (The Wizzard)
Kraftwerk (Europa Endlos (Europe Endless))
Steely Dan (Doctor Wu)
The Cure (Play For Today)
Chuck Berry (Memphis, Tennessee)
Van Morrison (Fair Play)

Tom Waits (Top of the Hill) vs. Nine Inch Nails (Dead Souls)
Radiohead (Street Spirit (Fade Out)) vs. Bob Marley (No Woman, No Cry)
Michael Jackson (Rock With You) vs. Wilco (On and On and On)
New Order (True Faith) vs. Coldplay (Everything’s Not Lost) (very close class)
Marvin Gaye (Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)) vs. The Doors (Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar)) : I still don't find Marvin Gaye's music that great, he has a wonderful voice but that's all for me. Still, I strongly dislike Alabama Song.
Brian Eno (Baby’s On Fire) vs. Vampire Weekend (Run) : very close call too
The Rolling Stones (Jumpin’ Jack Flash) vs. Neil Young (Old Man) : tie
Prince (Raspberry Beret) vs. Elvis Costello (Oliver’s Army)
The Beach Boys (Wouldn’t It Be Nice) vs. The Byrds (I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better)
Black Sabbath (The Wizzard) vs. Siouxsie and the Banshees (Cities in Dust) : favorite match-up of the week
Steely Dan (Doctor Wu) vs. Boards of Canada (Julie and Candy)
The Cure (Play For Today) vs. Eurythmics (Love is a Stranger)

Not sure I will have time to listen to the songs in the remaining match-ups.

Tom Waits (Top of the Hill) vs. Nine Inch Nails (Dead Souls) The Waits song reminds me of Dylan's later years.
Radiohead (Street Spirit (Fade Out)) vs. Bob Marley (No Woman, No Cry) The Radiohead song is one of their, dare I say it, Underrated( ) songs off of The Bends, but they're facing Bob Marley's best song.
Michael Jackson (Rock With You) vs. Wilco (On and On and On) That piano line is beautifully haunting.
New Order (True Faith) vs. Coldplay (Everything’s Not Lost) I don't liek Coldplay. At all.
Marvin Gaye (Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)) vs. The Doors (Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar)) Whickey Bar may be (no, it is) the weakest song on that Debut.
Brian Eno (Baby’s On Fire) vs. Vampire Weekend (Run) Love the guitar solos!
The Rolling Stones (Jumpin’ Jack Flash) vs. Neil Young (Old Man) Hardest choice of the week.
Prince (Raspberry Beret) vs. Elvis Costello (Oliver’s Army) Another toughie.
Beck (Hotwax) vs. Pearl Jam (Corduroy)
The Beach Boys (Wouldn’t It Be Nice) vs. The Byrds (I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better) The Beach Boys always win the battle of harmonies.
Black Sabbath (The Wizzard) vs. Siouxsie and the Banshees (Cities in Dust) Black Sabbath? Harmonica? WHAT??
Kraftwerk (Europa Endlos (Europe Endless)) vs. Depeche Mode (The Great Outdoors!) Kraftwerk still makes me want to pull my hair out.
Steely Dan (Doctor Wu) vs. Boards of Canada (Julie and Candy)The Boards of Canada aren;t even from Canada! False advertising!
The Cure (Play For Today) vs. Eurythmics (Love is a Stranger) I love the Cure's distinctive guitar sound.
Chuck Berry (Memphis, Tennessee) vs. Arctic Monkeys (Cornerstone)
Jimi Hendrix (Crosstown Traffic) vs. Van Morrison (Fair Play) I'm not the only soul accused of hit and run.

Part 1:

Tom Waits (Top of the Hill) vs. Nine Inch Nails (Dead Souls) 0-2
--- Waits' song annoys me. NIN's song is good, nice surprise to hear this cover from Joy Division for the first time.

Radiohead (Street Spirit (Fade Out)) vs. Bob Marley (No Woman, No Cry) 5-5 : no winner
--- The score says it all, both songs are brilliant.

Michael Jackson (Rock With You) vs. Wilco (On and On and On) 0-4
--- "Rock with you" is nice to dance to, but has no further added value for me. By picking "On and On and On" I take the risk of losing this matchup, but I just have to submit this song in the world cup. For me, it's a beautiful funeral song: At its release in 2007 it reminded me of my father who had died shortly before and now that my mother passed away two months ago, the song is back on top of my playlist again.

New Order (True Faith) vs. Coldplay (Everything’s Not Lost) 4-1
--- Great song from Coldplay, but no chance against the 1987 dance classic.

Nine Inch Nails (Dead Souls)--- One of those remakes that take on it's own identity, Trent captured the essence of this song and made it his own...
Radiohead (Street Spirit (Fade Out)) --- Sorry Bob!!!
Wilco (On and On and On)
New Order (True Faith) --- Nice Coldplay pick...
Marvin Gaye (Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler))
Vampire Weekend (Run)
The Rolling Stones (Jumpin’ Jack Flash)
Prince (Raspberry Beret) --- Really hate going against Elvis, but this is a slice of pure pop perfection...
Pearl Jam (Corduroy)
The Beach Boys (Wouldn’t It Be Nice)
Siouxsie and the Banshees (Cities in Dust)
Depeche Mode (The Great Outdoors!) --- This song would not make my personal top 50 DM songs, but still destroys anything Kraftwerk had done...
Steely Dan (Doctor Wu)
The Cure (Play For Today)--- Really liked Eurythmics song, I had not heard it for awhile and added it to my iTunes library...
Arctic Monkeys (Cornerstone)
Jimi Hendrix (Crosstown Traffic)

Part I:

Tom Waits (Top of the Hill) beats Nine Inch Nails (Dead Souls) - A surprise winner for me. I really enjoyed "Top of the Hill."

Bob Marley (No Woman, No Cry) beats Radiohead (Street Spirit (Fade Out)) - I like Marley, but he would not usually beat Radiohead. But this just happens to be one of my, if not my absolute, least favorite Radiohead songs. It doesn't sound too different fom Kansas to me. It's basically "Dust in the Wind" to my ears.

Michael Jackson (Rock With You) beats Wilco (On and On and On) - The Wilco song was pretty, but Tweedy's voice always gets in the way of my really enjoying their music. "Rock With You' is a slinky groove, so it edges the Wilco song.

New Order (True Faith) beats Coldplay (Everything’s Not Lost) - Not my favorite by either artist, but the COldplay track a lot less so.

Marvin Gaye (Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)) beats The Doors (Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar)) - Gaye's finest song ever easily manhandles Morrison.

Brian Eno (Baby’s On Fire) beats Vampire Weekend (Run) - Great sound on "Run," but not much of a song. Eno therefore pips the matchup.

The Rolling Stones (Jumpin’ Jack Flash) beats Neil Young (Old Man) - Tough call. Something more vital in JJF.

Prince (Raspberry Beret) beats Elvis Costello (Oliver’s Army) - Another tough one, two insanely catchy tunes. Raspberry Beret is one step more complete,

Beck (Hotwax) beats Pearl Jam (Corduroy) - I'm feeling very nervous. "Corduroy" is a very good mainstream rock song. One of PJ's best. But it can't touch my entry... possibly Beck's greatest song. Funky, funny, and fun. Sterling nonsense lyrics. Hits over and over my sonic and musical sweet spot.

With the second round coming up, I'm trying to decide how to handle ties that may occur. Obviously, there ar no penatly kicks, so how should I decide who advances in a tie?
I was considering using cumulative goal difference.

pass
Radiohead (Street Spirit (Fade Out))
Wilco (On and On and On)
New Order (True Faith)
Marvin Gaye (Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler))
Brian Eno (Baby’s On Fire)
The Rolling Stones (Jumpin’ Jack Flash)
Elvis Costello (Oliver’s Army)
Beck (Hotwax)
The Byrds (I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better)
Black Sabbath (The Wizard)
pass
Steely Dan (Doctor Wu)
pass
Chuck Berry (Memphis, Tennessee)
Jimi Hendrix (Crosstown Traffic)

Thanks!

Part 2:

Marvin Gaye (Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)) vs. The Doors (Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar)) 2-1
--- It's sad but true, Marvin deserves to win this matchup and I just have to vote against my own team here.

Brian Eno (Baby’s On Fire) vs. Vampire Weekend (Run) 0-1
--- No special songs, but Run wins with small difference.

The Rolling Stones (Jumpin’ Jack Flash) vs. Neil Young (Old Man) 3-3 : no winner
--- Two outstanding songs shake hands and leave with a draw.

Prince (Raspberry Beret) vs. Elvis Costello (Oliver’s Army) 0-2
--- The angry young man gets my attention, whereas Prince does not get me going with this song.

I'm glad at least one person liked Top Of The Hill. I really like Waits' later idiosyncratic bluesy stuff, but I know most people don't get into it.

I like the idea of just leaving the vote open until somebody breaks it, but if you need an immediate tiebreak, here's an idea I've been experimenting with in Moderate:

Everybody gets X number of points for the entire game, and they choose how many points to bid in the tiebreak. If the artist they choose loses, they get the points back, but if the artist they choose wins, they don't. That way the winner is the artist whose fans are most invested in the outcome.

Second half votes

Pearl Jam (Corduroy) Not one of my favorite Beck tunes on "Odelay."
The Beach Boys (Wouldn’t It Be Nice) Either of these songs would have won any other matchup in the bottom half this week.
Pass
Pass (Not much of a difference).
Boards of Canada (Julie and Candy) Close matchup
Eurythmics (Love is a Stranger) I've now voted for Eurythmics twice. Sometimes the draw is everything.
Arctic Monkeys (Cornerstone)
Jimi Hendrix (Crosstown Traffic) The Morrison track grew on me, but not quite enough.

They're more fatigued but they don't have to play with fewer players. Maybe in the tiebreaker round you have the option of using songs you've already played?

It'd give them an even bigger advantage if you forced bands with fewer hits to stretch their libraries thinner.

If the manager will pick another song for the artist, it'll be interesting to be a song not still in the complete lineup (i.e., counting all the songs that would play until the final), cause those are like the main players, and you're picking a substitute then.

First few votes:

Nine Inch Nails (Dead Souls): 7
Tom Waits (Top of the Hill): 6

Trent acquits himself surprisingly well with the Joy Division cover. "Top of the Hill" was an interesting experiment from Tom Waits that tells me that he has a lot of tricks up his sleeve, but ultimately, it isn't something I think I'd return to all that much.

Radiohead (Street Spirit (Fade Out)): 8
Bob Marley (No Woman, No Cry): 0

Radiohead's track is drenched in beauty, while "No Woman, No Cry" is a song I wish I'd never heard.

Michael Jackson (Rock With You): 8
Wilco (On and On and On): 6

"Rock with You" is a sublime slice of disco cheese. "On and On and On" is a step up from other Wilco songs I've heard, but Jeff Tweedy's voice doesn't do his band any favors in my book.

New Order (True Faith): 8
Coldplay (Everything’s Not Lost): 2

I don't think there's a single Coldplay song I'd choose over my least favorite New Order song. "True Faith" is far from my least favorite New Order song, though, so it secures an easy win here over the pseudo-emotional platitudes Coldplay are so adept at wafting through the speakers.

We seem to have a variety of opinions on the matter, most involving songs. I'm gonna go back to my albums ideas for a minute. What do you think about that?

Part 3:

Beck (Hotwax) vs. Pearl Jam (Corduroy) 0-2
--- Odelay has better songs to offer, Hotwax loses against one of the stronger Pearl Jam songs.

The Beach Boys (Wouldn’t It Be Nice) vs. The Byrds (I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better) 2-1
--- Slight advantage for Wilson and Co. Both are great songs, but both artists have better songs on their albums (Pet Sounds and Mr. Tambourine Man respectively).

Black Sabbath (The Wizzard) vs. Siouxsie and the Banshees (Cities in Dust) 0-1
--- I prefer this original heavy metal from Black Sabbath over all the metal crap that's been released over the last decades, but still no chance against our post-post-punk song from the divine Siouxsie.

Kraftwerk (Europa Endlos (Europe Endless)) vs. Depeche Mode (The Great Outdoors!) 1-1 : no winner
--- Just when I thought this was going to be an easy win for Kraftwerk, I was happily surprised by the instrumental B-side from Depeche Mode. Both songs are equally great.

L - Tom Waits (Top of the Hill) - the beauty of and pleasure from Wait's vocal expressions eludes me
W - Nine Inch Nails (Dead Souls)

L - Radiohead (Street Spirit (Fade Out)) vs.
W - Bob Marley (No Woman, No Cry)

W - Michael Jackson (Rock With You) vs.
L - Wilco (On and On and On) - pretty close competition for my vote

W - New Order (True Faith) vs.
L - Coldplay (Everything’s Not Lost)

W - Marvin Gaye (Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)) vs.
L - The Doors (Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar))

W - Brian Eno (Baby’s On Fire)- The beginning of the song didn't win me over, but after the 1:50 mark or so, this song rocks
L - Vampire Weekend (Run)

W - The Rolling Stones (Jumpin’ Jack Flash) vs.
L - Neil Young (Old Man) - tough choice

L - Prince (Raspberry Beret) vs.
W - Elvis Costello (Oliver’s Army)

L - Beck (Hotwax) vs.
W - Pearl Jam (Corduroy)

W - The Beach Boys (Wouldn’t It Be Nice) vs.
L - The Byrds (I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better) - another tough choice

W - Black Sabbath (The Wizzard) vs.
L - Siouxsie and the Banshees (Cities in Dust) - nice track by Siouxsie, but not enough to beat a solid rocker from Sabbath for me

W - Kraftwerk (Europa Endlos (Europe Endless)) vs.
L - Depeche Mode (The Great Outdoors!)- a surprise outcome for me.

W - Steely Dan (Doctor Wu) vs.
L - Boards of Canada (Julie and Candy)

L - The Cure (Play For Today) vs.
W - Eurythmics (Love is a Stranger) - very close call

L - Chuck Berry (Memphis, Tennessee) vs.
W - Arctic Monkeys (Cornerstone)

W - Jimi Hendrix (Crosstown Traffic) vs.
L - Van Morrison (Fair Play) - nice song by Van, but Jimi still wins this for me

The Byrds (I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better) beats The Beach Boys (Wouldn’t It Be Nice) - Two of my favorite tracks by the respective artists. But when I listened again the Byrds track jumped out for me. I like the proto-power pop structure of the song better. And while less intricate, the Byrds' harmonies sound nicer to me.

Siouxsie and the Banshees (Cities in Dust) beats Black Sabbath (The Wizzard) - Despite some real enjoyment of their sound, I never seem to get to vote for Siouxsie and the Banshees. Happily, now I can, because they're up against the insufferable Sabbath. To be fair, the Wizard was a marginally more tolerable.

Kraftwerk (Europa Endlos (Europe Endless)) beats Depeche Mode (The Great Outdoors!) - With Kraftwerk, I often feel like the sound and the tools are there to make compelling music, but the execution fails. Maybe this is just because they're progentiors of a sound that would flourish and expand after them. By contrast, I only enjoy Depeche Mode in their lusher moments, when they are not drawing from Kraftwerk. Ambivalence about both bands aside, "Europe Endless" beats "The Great Outdoors!" by at least 2 lengths.

Steely Dan (Doctor Wu) beats Boards of Canada (Julie and Candy) - Forgive me, but I still prefer Minutemen's cover of Doctor Wu. Anyway, song after song, Steely Dan write insanely catchy choruses, and here is no exception. I've been impressed with BOC, thus far. This song was not up to the level of "Roygbiv," but a really enveloping sound. Just not as impressive as "Doctor Wu."

Eurythmics (Love is a Stranger) beats The Cure (Play For Today) - Fuck yeah! Hadn't heard "Love Is a Stranger" (or seen its video) in a long, long time. That put a spring in my step! Sorry Robert Smith, you aren't half the diva that Annie Lennox is.

Arctic Monkeys (Cornerstone) beats Chuck Berry (Memphis, Tennessee) - A bit disappointing from both artists. "Cornerstone" picked up enough by the end of the song to take the match.

Jimi Hendrix (Crosstown Traffic) beats Van Morrison (Fair Play) - "Crosstown Traffic" is one of my sentimental favorites of Jimi's, although I admit it is a bit messy and less impressive on repeat listenings than other of his classics. On "Fair Play," Van Morrison provides a sterling example of his most prominent characteristic as an artist: the extraordinary ability to sully a beautiful song with his singing.

Listy, go ahead and add Tom Traubert's Blues as my third round pick. I'm obviously losing this one.

2nd set of votes:

Marvin Gaye (Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)): 7
The Doors (Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar)): 6

Most matchups of Marvin Gaye and The Doors would see me give the nod to the latter, but "Alabama Song" is my least favorite song on The Doors, while "Inner City Blues" is a highlight on What's Going On.

Brian Eno (Baby’s On Fire): 8
Vampire Weekend (Run): 7

I need to get Here Come the Warm Jets in a hurry! I had no idea how wild it would be. "Run" is a good Vampire Weekend song, and probably my favorite that I've heard, but it can't match the other-worldly sounds of "Baby's on Fire".

The Rolling Stones (Jumpin’ Jack Flash): 6
Neil Young (Old Man): 4

Neither of these songs is really my cup of tea, but the brazen Stones track takes it.

Prince (Raspberry Beret): 10
Elvis Costello (Oliver’s Army): 8

I was very, very impressed by "Oliver's Army", and will be looking for Armed Forces on the back of this listen. "Raspberry Beret", though, is as colorful as rainbow sherbet.

Last votes:

Pearl Jam (Corduroy): 4
Beck (Hotwax): 4

Both of these artists were huge in the 90s, and these songs embody why I didn't get on board. They're not bad, but I don't like them as much as other songs by these artists.

The Beach Boys (Wouldn’t It Be Nice): 8
The Byrds (I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better): 5

It took me a while to warm to the Beach Boys brand of happy/sad, but I have come to enjoy a number of their songs, including "Wouldn't It Be Nice". "I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better", meanwhile, didn't leave much of an impression either way.

Siouxsie and the Banshees (Cities in Dust): 10
Black Sabbath (The Wizard): 4

Siouxsie and her able band covered so many disparate topics in their songs, and the fate of the victims of the famous Vesuvius eruption is brought to vivid life in "Cities in Dust", which arguably stands as their best post-84 song. "The Wizard", meanwhile, was laborious and a bit of a drag. I much preferred "War Pigs".

Kraftwerk (Europa Endlos (Europe Endless)): 10
Depeche Mode (The Great Outdoors!): 7

Until 1977, Kraftwerk were a pioneering band without a real favorite song in my book. But Trans Europe Express changed that, and "Europe Endless" is the biggest reason why. That high minor key synth "da-daa-da-DADA-da-da-daa-DADA" gives me chills just about every time I hear it. "The Great Outdoors!" is another good pick of the crop of early Depeche Mode instrumentals, but it is in over its head against such a titan.

Boards of Canada (Julie and Candy): 6
Steely Dan (Doctor Wu): 4

Both of these songs are a step down from the previous entries by the same artists. Boards of Canada sneak by a completely lackluster Steely Dan track. I know Steely Dan get huge love from some AM regulars, but I haven't heard anything even close to remarkable from them yet, although "Reelin' in the Years" is pretty close. Perhaps when a track from Aja comes along?

The Cure (Play For Today): 10
Eurythmics (Love is a Stranger): 10

Yes, I'm voting against my own pick. I knew this matchup would be a nightmare for me, as both of these artists are among a fivesome that fall just below Prince for me, and these two threaten Prince's position more than anybody else. This is a solid matchup, as both songs are the secondary singles off of monster albums with highly acclaimed super-singles. Both sit comfortably within my personal top 1000, but "Play for Today" has a slight edge, and thus gets my traitorous vote.

Arctic Monkeys (Cornerstone): 7
Chuck Berry (Memphis, Tennessee): 5

Perhaps it is the particular recording from the Youtube clip, but the Chuck Berry song sounds pretty limp by his standards, while "Cornerstone" is surprisingly tuneful. If the manager of Chuck Berry can provide a better clip, I might be tempted to change my vote, though.

Jimi Hendrix (Crosstown Traffic): 7
Van Morrison (Fair Play): 6

Van Morrison is one of the biggest surprises of this World Cup for me. Although 6s and 7s may not seem all that noteworthy, I was anticipating giving him 2s, 3s and 4s. He sure has some pretty songs. That said, Hendrix still earns my vote with the short-but-stacked "Crosstown Traffic".

Tom Waits (Top of the Hill) vs. Nine Inch Nails (Dead Souls) [I prefer the idiosyncrasy of the Tom Waits song, but I like Dead Souls too. The latter has a great start. Then at 0:58 into the song it becomes clear to me why most women and gay men I know would run away from this forum. But if only these friends of mine would learn some patience, because as a whole it’s a fascinating song.]
Radiohead (Street Spirit (Fade Out)) vs. Bob Marley (No Woman, No Cry) [Almost too close to call for me.]
Michael Jackson (Rock With You) vs. Wilco (On and On and On)
New Order (True Faith) vs. Coldplay (Everything’s Not Lost)
Marvin Gaye (Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)) vs. The Doors (Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar))
Brian Eno (Baby’s On Fire) vs. Vampire Weekend (Run)
The Rolling Stones (Jumpin’ Jack Flash) vs. Neil Young (Old Man)
Prince (Raspberry Beret) vs. Elvis Costello (Oliver’s Army)
Beck (Hotwax) vs. Pearl Jam (Corduroy)
The Beach Boys (Wouldn’t It Be Nice) vs. The Byrds (I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better)
Black Sabbath (The Wizzard) vs. Siouxsie and the Banshees (Cities in Dust)
Kraftwerk (Europa Endlos (Europe Endless)) vs. Depeche Mode (The Great Outdoors!)
Steely Dan (Doctor Wu) vs. Boards of Canada (Julie and Candy)
The Cure (Play For Today) vs. Eurythmics (Love is a Stranger)
Chuck Berry (Memphis, Tennessee) vs. Arctic Monkeys (Cornerstone)
Jimi Hendrix (Crosstown Traffic) vs. Van Morrison (Fair Play)

Top Of The Hill +++ beats Dead Souls ++
Street Spirit ++ beats No Woman No Cry ++
Rock With You ++ beats On and On and On +
True Faith = beats Everything's Not Lost -
Inner City Blues ++ beats Alabama Song -


The Doors song is amusing and kind of funny, but not really that good a song. More like a good novelty.

Baby's On Fire + beats Run =
Old Man + beats Jumpin Jack Flash +
Oliver's Army ++ beats Raspberry Beret +

Thank you for playing a song I could honestly vote for my own pick over. There are at least a dozen Prince songs I couldn't have.

Hotwax++ beats Corduroy +
Wouldn't It Be Nice ++ beats I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better +
Cities In Dust = beats The Wizzard -

Michael Jackson
Marvin Gaye
Siouxsie and The Banshees
Depeche Mode - but I really love Europe Endless too and I am happy for Kraftwerk to win

Other than those it's really close or I can't access the youtube links this week from my ipad.

Tom Waits (Top of the Hill) vs. Nine Inch Nails (Dead Souls): 2-0
Radiohead (Street Spirit (Fade Out)) vs. Bob Marley (No Woman, No Cry): 0-4
Michael Jackson (Rock With You) vs. Wilco (On and On and On): 1-1, 2-4 in penalties)
New Order (True Faith) vs. Coldplay (Everything’s Not Lost): 1-2
Marvin Gaye (Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)) vs. The Doors (Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar)) 1-1, Marvin scores in overtime.
Brian Eno (Baby’s On Fire) vs. Vampire Weekend (Run): 2-2, Fripp heads one in during overtime.
The Rolling Stones (Jumpin’ Jack Flash) vs. Neil Young (Old Man): 3-2
Prince (Raspberry Beret) vs. Elvis Costello (Oliver’s Army): 3-2
Beck (Hotwax) vs. Pearl Jam (Corduroy): 0-1
The Beach Boys (Wouldn’t It Be Nice) vs. The Byrds (I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better): 3-1
Black Sabbath (The Wizzard) vs. Siouxsie and the Banshees (Cities in Dust): 1-1, 3-5 in penalties
Kraftwerk (Europa Endlos (Europe Endless)) vs. Depeche Mode (The Great Outdoors!): 2-1
Steely Dan (Doctor Wu) vs. Boards of Canada (Julie and Candy): 2-0
The Cure (Play For Today) vs. Eurythmics (Love is a Stranger): 2-2, 7-6 in penalties (had to think for a long time).
Chuck Berry (Memphis, Tennessee) vs. Arctic Monkeys (Cornerstone): 1-0
Jimi Hendrix (Crosstown Traffic) vs. Van Morrison (Fair Play): 0-2

Radiohead (Street Spirit (Fade Out)) vs. Bob Marley (No Woman, No Cry)

I had a hard time with this one until I read Schwah's comparison of "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" with Kansas. Suddenly the song is ruined for me a little bit because I knew what he meant instantly - and that's not a good thing.

Michael Jackson (Rock With You) vs. Wilco (On and On and On)

Wilco leaves a little to be desired here.

Marvin Gaye (Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)) vs. The Doors (Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar))

I do enjoy "Alabama Song", but not on the same level as What's Going On's second best track.

The Rolling Stones (Jumpin’ Jack Flash) vs. Neil Young (Old Man)

I don't understand how this is difficult for anyone because "Jumpin' Jack Flash" is one of the Stones' best singles.

Prince (Raspberry Beret) vs. Elvis Costello (Oliver’s Army)

"Raspberry Beret" is fun and all but Elvis' tune has a lot of great moments, especially lyrically.

Chuck Berry (Memphis, Tennessee) vs. Arctic Monkeys (Cornerstone)

I'm not a fan of how the Monkeys changed their sound on Humbug.

More to follow later.

Part 4:

Steely Dan (Doctor Wu) vs. Boards of Canada (Julie and Candy) 0-0 : no winner
The Cure (Play For Today) vs. Eurythmics (Love is a Stranger) 1-2
Chuck Berry (Memphis, Tennessee) vs. Arctic Monkeys (Cornerstone) 1-0
Jimi Hendrix (Crosstown Traffic) vs. Van Morrison (Fair Play) 0-1

Tom Waits (Top of the Hill) vs. Nine Inch Nails (Dead Souls)
Radiohead (Street Spirit (Fade Out)) vs. Bob Marley (No Woman, No Cry)
Michael Jackson (Rock With You) vs. Wilco (On and On and On)
New Order (True Faith) vs. Coldplay (Everything’s Not Lost)
Marvin Gaye (Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)) vs. The Doors (Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar))
Brian Eno (Baby’s On Fire) vs. Vampire Weekend (Run)
The Rolling Stones (Jumpin’ Jack Flash) vs. Neil Young (Old Man)
Prince (Raspberry Beret) vs. Elvis Costello (Oliver’s Army)
Beck (Hotwax) vs. Pearl Jam (Corduroy)
The Beach Boys (Wouldn’t It Be Nice) vs. The Byrds (I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better)
Black Sabbath (The Wizzard) vs. Siouxsie and the Banshees (Cities in Dust)
Kraftwerk (Europa Endlos (Europe Endless)) vs. Depeche Mode (The Great Outdoors!)
Steely Dan (Doctor Wu) vs. Boards of Canada (Julie and Candy)
The Cure (Play For Today) vs. Eurythmics (Love is a Stranger)
Chuck Berry (Memphis, Tennessee) vs. Arctic Monkeys (Cornerstone)
Jimi Hendrix (Crosstown Traffic) vs. Van Morrison (Fair Play)

I'm disapointed with the weak turnout this weak. Hopefully the advancement weeks will draw in more voters.
Also, for anybody planning to vote tomorrow, please note the polls will close roughly 3 hours early.

Tom Waits (Top of the Hill) vs. Nine Inch Nails (Dead Souls) - tie
Radiohead (Street Spirit (Fade Out)) vs. Bob Marley (No Woman, No Cry)
Michael Jackson (Rock With You) vs. Wilco (On and On and On): I see the point about Tweedy's voice many are saying here, but for me it only applies to this song, cause generally his vocals are one of the things that I most like about Wilco.
New Order (True Faith) vs. Coldplay (Everything’s Not Lost) - My favorite Coldplay track since the first time I heard it.
Marvin Gaye (Inner City Blues (Make Me .Wanna Holler)) vs. The Doors (Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar))
Brian Eno (Baby’s On Fire) vs. Vampire Weekend (Run) - For me the center of their second album, and as good as many on their debut.
The Rolling Stones (Jumpin’ Jack Flash) vs. Neil Young (Old Man) - Difficult choice, but I stick with this rocker.
Prince (Raspberry Beret) vs. Elvis Costello (Oliver’s Army) - tie: Both perfect songs from some of my favorite artists. Any could win depending on the day of my voting.
Beck (Hotwax) vs. Pearl Jam (Corduroy): My favorite Beck song together with Lord Only Knows, almost nothing could beat it this week.
The Beach Boys (Wouldn’t It Be Nice) vs. The Byrds (I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better) - tie: Wow, this Byrds track impressed me, never had heard it before! The only thing I didn't like was to hear how Stone Roses' She Bangs the Drums' central guitar line is similar to the one here. It's a pitty it's come against Wouldn't It Be Nice, probably it would beat almost any other Pet Sounds track. Even if today Woudn't... doesn't have the same effect on me as it used to, I remember how it blew my mind the first times I listened to it.
Kraftwerk (Europa Endlos (Europe Endless)) vs. Depeche Mode (The Great Outdoors!): Europa Endlos would be a very good track if it wasn't so repetitive.
Chuck Berry (Memphis, Tennessee) vs. Arctic Monkeys (Cornerstone) - Awesome Monkeys song.

Voting is closed for the week.
I'm extremely crunched for time today, so expect results and standings tomorrow.

I managed to bang out the results. No comments, though. Standing tomorrow.

Nine Inch Nails (Dead Souls) def Tom Waits (Top of the Hill) 8-4
Bob Marley (No Woman, No Cry) def Radiohead (Street Spirit (Fade Out)) 8-7
Michael Jackson (Rock With You) def Wilco (On and On and On) 10-7
New Order (True Faith) def Coldplay (Everything’s Not Lost) 11-4
Marvin Gaye (Inner City Blues) def The Doors (Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar)) 15-2
Brian Eno (Baby’s On Fire) def Vampire Weekend (Run) 9-6
The Rolling Stones (Jumpin’ Jack Flash) def Neil Young (Old Man) 10-4
Elvis Costello (Oliver’s Army) def Prince (Raspberry Beret) 8-7
Pearl Jam (Corduroy) def Beck (Hotwax) 9-5
The Beach Boys (Wouldn’t It Be Nice) def The Byrds (I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better) 12-2
Siouxsie and the Banshees (Cities in Dust) def Black Sabbath (The Wizzard) 9-5
Kraftwerk (Europa Endlos (Europe Endless)) def Depeche Mode (The Great Outdoors!) 8-3
Steely Dan (Doctor Wu) def Boards of Canada (Julie and Candy) 8-4
Eurythmics (Everythings’ Not Lost) def The Cure (Play For Today) 7-5
Chuck Berry (Memphis, Tennessee) draws Arctic Monkeys (Cornerstone) 7-7
Jimi Hendrix (Crosstown Traffic) def Van Morrison (Fair Play) 8-4

Here are the standings through the first four weeks.Teams in bold will advance. Teams crossed out have been eliminated.

Pool A.1
Team	Record (W-L-D	Points	Goal Dif	Goals Scored
U2	2-0-0	6	26	33
The Beatles	1-1-0	3	2	23
The Clash	1-1-0	3	-17	12
James Brown	0-2-0	0	-11	16

Pool A.2
Team	Record (W-L-D	Points	Goal Dif	Goals Scored
The Rolling Stones	2-0-0	6	16	27
R.E.M.	1-1-0	3	6	25
The Kinks	1-1-0	3	-9	18
Neil Young	0-2-0	0	-13	12

Pool A.3
Team	Record (W-L-D	Points	Goal Dif	Goals Scored
Marvin Gaye	2-0-0	6	27	33
Bob Dylan	2-0-0	6	20	32
Nirvana	0-2-0	0	-23	10
The Doors	0-2-0	0	-24	8

Pool A.4
Team	Record (W-L-D	Points	Goal Dif	Goals Scored
Stevie Wonder	2-0-0	6	17	31
The Velvet Underground	1-1-0	3	13	29
David Bowie	1-1-0	3	0	22
Public Enemy	0-2-0	0	-30	7

Pool A.5
Team	Record (W-L-D	Points	Goal Dif	Goals Scored
The Beach Boys	2-0-0	6	17	27
Led Zeppelin	1-1-0	3	0	22
The Byrds	1-1-0	3	-7	15
Pink Floyd	0-2-0	0	-10	17

Pool A.6
Team	Record (W-L-D	Points	Goal Dif	Goals Scored
Jimi Hendrix	2-0-0	6	11	22
Radiohead	1-1-0	3	3	20
Bob Marley	1-1-0	3	-6	15
Van Morrison	0-2-0	0	-8	13

Pool A.7
Team	Record (W-L-D	Points	Goal Dif	Goals Scored
Elvis Costello	2-0-0	6	16	26
Prince	1-1-0	3	14	25
Aretha Franklin	1-1-0	3	-14	13
Elvis Presley	0-2-0	0	-16	12

Pool A.8
Team	Record (W-L-D	Points	Goal Dif	Goals Scored
The Smiths	2-0-0	6	15	29
Bruce Springsteen	1-1-0	3	20	32
The Who	1-1-0	3	-8	18
Talking Heads	0-2-0	0	-27	9

Pool B.1
Team	Record (W-L-D	Points	Goal Dif	Goals Scored
Wilco	1-1-0	3	3	20
Fela Kuti	1-1-0	3	2	22
LCD Soundsystem	1-1-0	3	-1	19
Michael Jackson	1-1-0	3	-4	18

Pool B.2
Team	Record (W-L-D	Points	Goal Dif	Goals Scored
Kanye West	2-0-0	6	15	27
Brian Eno	1-1-0	3	-2	17
Beastie Boys	1-1-0	3	-9	15
Vampire Weekend	0-2-0	0	-4	10

Pool B.3
Team	Record (W-L-D	Points	Goal Dif	Goals Scored
Johnny Cash	2-0-0	6	17	28
Black Sabbath	1-1-0	3	1	20
Souixsie and the Banshees	1-1-0	3	-6	14
Jay-Z	0-2-0	0	-12	15

Pool B.4
Team	Record (W-L-D	Points	Goal Dif	Goals Scored
Steely Dan	2-0-0	6	11	20
Beck	1-1-0	3	3	19
Pearl Jam	1-1-0	3	-3	16
Boards of Canada	0-2-0	0	-11	9

Pool B.5
Team	Record (W-L-D	Points	Goal Dif	Goals Scored
Arcade Fire	2-0-0	6	20	32
Eurythmics	2-0-0	6	4	19
Sly and the Family Stone	0-2-0	0	-8	16
The Cure	0-2-0	0	-16	9

Pool B.6
Team	Record (W-L-D	Points	Goal Dif	Goals Scored
Otis Redding	2-0-0	6	12	25
Queen	1-1-0	3	-2	19
Chuck Berry	0-1-1	1	-4	16
Arctic Monkeys	0-1-1	1	-6	14

Pool B.7
Team	Record (W-L-D	Points	Goal Dif	Goals Scored
Blur	2-0-0	6	15	27
Tom Waits	1-1-0	3	0	17
Nine Inch Nails	1-1-0	3	-5	15
Replacements	0-2-0	0	-10	14

m

Moonbeam

Aug 1, 2011 - 1:55AM

Quote Reply

Re: AM World Cup: Week 4 of the Pool Round

I'm amazed that Eurythmics have advanced!

a

Andre

Aug 1, 2011 - 10:10AM

Quote Reply

Re: "A" Pool Standings

Listyguy, something went wrong there with the table for group B.8

And I think, despite the interesting B-sides, Depeche Mode are also out after the group phase.

Moonbeam, Eurythmics (and perhaps also Fela Kuti) might become this tournament's surprise team.

n

Nassim

Aug 1, 2011 - 10:56AM

Quote Reply

Re: "A" Pool Standings

Pool B.8
Team	Record (W-L-D	Points	Goal Dif	Goals Scored
New Order	2-0-0	6	21	27
Kraftwerk	1-0-1	4	5	19
Coldplay	0-1-1	1	-7	15
Depeche Mode	0-2-0	0	-19	5

Let's try to solve that...

Listyguy, if you still can edit, add a <*/table> at the end of your post.

Unfortunately, I can no longer edit the post. I will do that for next time, however.
And yes, Depeche Mode is out.
Moonbeam's Eurythmics are definately a surprise (considering they beat out the Cure and Sly for the spot).

Here's how the pool's standings should look:

Pool B.8
Team	Record (W-L-D	Points	Goal Dif	Goals Scored
New Order	2-0-0	6	21	27
Kraftwerk	1-0-1	4	5	19
Coldplay	0-1-1	1	-7	15
Depeche Mode	0-2-0	0	-19	5