Not too many great surprises in the second round of voting. All of the top-seeds remain, and only three double-digit teams are still alive, including #15-seeded Chutes Too Narrow. But now it’s time to separate the pretenders from the contenders.
Much like the NCAA’s Sweet Sixteen, in order to win in the third round of our tournament, your team needs a star. So, for this round of voting, we’ve included a focus on one track from each album. It might not be the “best” or most popular song on the album, but it’s oftentimes the player the team will go in crunch time. Use that single track as your deciding factor, or, if you like, make your choice based on more judicious, holistic criteria.
Click on the song title to hear the track, then click on “vs.” to vote in each match-up.
DJ Shadow Region:
(1) “Idioteque” from Kid A by Radiohead
vs.
(4) “IZZO (H.O.V.A.)” from The Blueprint by Jay-Z
(3) “Viðrar vel til loftárása” from Agaetis byrjun by Sigur Ros
vs.
(15) “So Says I” from Chutes Too Narrow by The Shins
Nirvana Region:
(1) “Someone Great” from Sound of Silver by LCD Soundsystem
vs.
(4) “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot by Wilco
(6) “Apollo Kids” from Supreme Clientele by Ghostface Killah
vs.
(2) “Wake Up” from Funeral by Arcade Fire
Neutral Milk Hotel Region:
(1) “BOB” from Stankonia by Outkast
vs.
(5) “Obstacle 1” from Turn on the Bright Lights by Interpol
(11) “Funny Little Frog” from The Life Pursuit by Belle & Sebastian
vs.
(10) “Us Ones In Between” from Shut Up, I am Dreaming by Sunset Rubdown
Pavement Region:
(1) “Fell in Love with a Girl” from White Blood Cells by the White Stripes
vs.
(5) “Almost Crimes” from You Forgot it in People by Broken Social Scene
(3) “3rd Planet” from Moon and Antarctica by Modest Mouse
vs.
(2) “Jesus Walks” from The College Dropout by Kanye West