'Cause our poor boy believes in chance, he'll never get the modern dance.

I think we all know the drill by this point.

#19 My Bloody Valentine, Only Shallow – 9 votes
defeats
#14 Michael Penn, No Myth – 6 votes
(1 abstention)

Analysis:
“He is still more successful than Chris, but I should really speak well of the dead.” - CDB

#11 Minor Threat, Straight Edge – 10 votes
defeats
#22 Garbage, Queer –5 votes
(1 abstention)

Analysis:
“Minor Threat -- I'll vote for any song that allows my non-drinking, non-smoking, non-rebellious ass to claim it's punk.” – Canadian Dave

#10 The Ramones, Sheena is a Punk Rocker – 8 votes
defeats
#23 The La's, There She Goes – 7 votes
(1 iPod shuffle)

Analysis:
“The La's (There are other Ramones songs in the running, and "There She Goes" has got to be one of the most wondrous one hits ever.)” – AH

#15 Joy Division, Transmission – 10 votes
defeats
#18 Bauhaus, Bela Lugosi's Dead – 4 votes
(1 abstention, 1 iPod shuffle)

Analysis:
“15 vs 18: Oh man. The live music test would have to go to "Bela" (but mostly because I saw these songs both last year and Peter Murphy was hanging upside down... and I should stop now.) I'm still voting "Transmission." Unless I can count the live version of "Bela" from Press Eject... though if that counts there are enough stunning live versions of "Transmission" that that still pulls out ahead.” – MMC, streaming his consciousness.

#16 X Ray Spex, Oh Bondage, Up Yours! – 7 votes
defeats
#17 Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Rich – 6 votes
(2 abstention, 1 iPod shuffle)

Analysis:
“Oh Bondage, Up Yours! X Ray Spex invented raw and playful; the YYY's merely use it to good effect.” - JZ

#9 R.E.M., The One I Love – 13 votes
defeats
#24 New York Dolls, Personality Crisis – 2 votes
(1 abstention)

Analysis:
“R.E.M. (are any members of NY Dolls plausible candidates for the Missing Link?)” - SRF

#12 The Clash, White Man (in Hammersmith Palais) – 11 votes
defeats
#21 'Til Tuesday, Voices Carry – 4 votes
(1 abstention, 1 iPod shuffle)

Analysis:
“12 The Clash (And I was just saying yesterday how purty Aimee Mann was in that video.” – LLL
“(White Man) in Hammersmith Palais - And I was just disagreeing yesterday with Laura's assessment of Aimee Mann's purtiness.” - DC

#13 Grandmaster Flash, The Message – 11 votes
vs.
#20 Cocteau Twins, Lorelei – votes

Analysis:
“Cocteau Twins, but I'll back Melle Mel & co. against the odious Violent Femmes in the next round.” – Cranky Uncle Greg

Voting for this round will end at 9:00pm CST Wednesday. Comment or email me. We'll post and tally the results then (well, after Sopranos and Big Love).

From the Southeast Regional, at Max's Kansas City, New York City, NY

#14 Pere Ubu, The Modern Dance (iTunes)
vs.
#19 Franz Ferdinand, Take Me Out (video)
Teaching the kids about Alfred Jarry or the origins of WWI?

#11 The Pixies, Gigantic (video)
vs.
#22 Big Audio Dynamite, The Bottom Line (iTunes)
Battle of the second fiddles! This is one of Kim Deal's few lead vocals in the Pixies, B.A.D. was formed by Mick Jones after he was fired by The Clash.

#10 U2, Where the Streets Have No Name (video)
vs.
#23 Interpol, PDA (video)
Spy plane or multinational jackbooted thugs. Paranoid yet?

#15 Sinead O'Connor, Nothing Compares 2 U (video)
vs.
#18 Art of Noise, Beat Box (video)
Trevor Horn's band-as-corporation is up against the very independent Sinead.

From the West Regional, at First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN

#16 Squeeze, Pulling Mussels (From the Shell) (iTunes)
vs.
#17 Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians, Balloon Man (video)
Witty Beatle-inspired pop vs. witty Beatle-inspired pop. Squeeze co-frontman Glenn Tilbrook appears on the Hitchcock album this song comes from, while Egyptian Andy Metcalfe toured with Squeeze 'round the same time.

#9 Adam Ant, Goody Two Shoes (video)
vs.
#24 King Missile, Jesus Was Way Cool (video)
If you want to vote for "Detachable Penis" instead, I guess that's fine.

#21 X, Los Angeles (video)
vs.
#12 Ben Folds Five, Song For the Dumped (iTunes)
Sure it's anachronistic, but let's all just think of what Exene Cervanka and John Doe could've done with this Ben Folds song.

#13 Pet Shop Boys, What Have I Done To Deserve This? (video)
vs.
#20 Badly Drawn Boy, The Shining (iTunes)
Dusty Springfield vs. that really good song from the GAP holiday ads of 2001.