We can reach our destination, but we’re still a ways away.

First off, results:

#14 Soundgarden, Black Hole Sun - 13 votes
defeats
#19 Fugazi, Waiting Room - 8 votes

Analysis:
"Fugazi - Mostly because Chris Cornell inflicted Audioslave upon us. And, because the first 30 seconds of The Argument are transcendent." - Rud

#11 Talking Heads, Life During Wartime - 14 votes
defeats
#22 Verve, Bittersweet Symphony - 7 votes

Analysis:
"Bittersweet Symphony. This provided the backing for one of my favorite summers ever -- may I always be 14." - Jay-Zee [14?! Shudder. - Ms. L]

"Talking Heads--I was honestly unaware that anyone other than my dad liked the Verve." - SRF

#23 Sonic Youth, Teen Age Riot -11 votes
defeats
#10 Sex Pistols, God Save the Queen - 8 votes
(2 abstentions)

Analysis:
"Don't pass the cheese. I know that every so-called punk has to like the Pistols at some point, and then is supposed to be disenchanted, but isn't that the point?" - Bunoich

#15 Joe Jackson, Is She Really Going Out With Him? - 11 votes
defeats
#18 Echo & the Bunnymen, The Killing Moon - 9 votes
(1 abstention)

Analysis:
"The Killing Moon. In "Freaks and Geeks," Seth Rogan calls the JJ song "new wave crap." He can't be with us today, so I'll be his proxy." - Jay-Zee

"Actually Jan, Ken bags on "I'm the Man" in that episode. JJ's got much better songs, but I'll vote for this one." - Cranky Unlce Greg, smacking down a whippersnapper.

#16 The Stooges, Search and Destroy - 15 votes
defeats
#17 The Slits, Typical Girls - 3 votes
(2 abstentions)

Analysis:
"I really respect Iggy's desire to get the fuck out of Ann Arbor." - Canadian Dave

#9 Elvis Costello, Radio, Radio - 17 votes
vs.
#24 Let's Active, Every Word Means No - 2 votes
(1 abstention)

Analysis:
"Actually, Let's Active. Although it's a losing proposition, I'd think." - Rud

"See post title." - AH

#12 David Bowie, Sound and Vision - 15 votes
defeats
#21 The Sugarcubes, Birthday - 3 votes
(1 abstention)

Analysis:
"The Sugarcubes vs David Bowie - You know, I like both artists... so how is it that I don't care here? Abstain." - MMC

#13 Elliott Smith, Miss Misery - 10 votes
defeats
#20 Mazzy Star, Fade Into You - 9 votes
(1 abstention)

Analysis:
"You know, until every movie decided to use it as background music, I always had this vision that it would make perfect backing music for a scene in a movie. Then I was disappointed when I realized that everyone else had the exact same idea." - CDB


Here are the next 8 matchups. Voting for this round will end at 9:00pm CST Wednesday. Comment or email me. We'll post and tally the results then.

From the Midwest Regional, at The Hacienda, Manchester, U.K.

#14 Camper Van Beethoven, Take the Skinheads Bowling (iTunes)
vs.
#19 The Church, Under the Milky Way (iTunes)
Bowling for Columbine vs. Donnie Darko?

#11 Duran Duran, Girls on Film (video NSFW)
vs.
#22 Magnetic Fields, 100,000 Fireflies (iTunes)
An early, incredibly famous song up against an early, incredibly obscure song.

#10 Nirvana, Lithium (video)
vs.
#23 Everything But the Girl, Missing (video)
I'm so ugly, that's okay 'cause YOU CANNOT HAVE THE MANGO!

#15 Tom Tom Club, Genius of Love (video)
vs.
#18 Guided By Voices, I Am A Scientist (iTunes)
"We went insane when we took cocaine" or "I am a lost soul, I shoot myself with rock and roll"?

From the Great Plains Regional, at the 40 Watt Club, Athens, GA

#16 XTC, Senses Working Overtime (video)
vs.
#17 Siouxsie and the Banshees, Cities in Dust (video)
Pick your British import: pop or goth?

#9 Talking Heads, Once in a Lifetime (video)
vs.
#24 Mudhoney, Touch Me I'm Sick (iTunes)
Will the Talking Heads have an easier competition against these early grungers than they did against The Verve?

#12 R.E.M., Driver 8 (video (MTV, clip))
vs.
#21 Erasure, A Little Respect (video)
Early R.E.M. (from the band's least-favorite album) goes up against a hit from Erasure's breakthrough.

#13 Kraftwerk, The Robots (video)
vs.
#20 Elastica, Connection (video)
Everyone has stolen a little bit from Kraftwerk; Elastica was successfully sued for stealing heavily from Wire's Three Girl Rhumba (an 8 seed in the Midwest region) in this song.