This is going up about 40 minutes early- I’m heading out, and may not have internet until tomorrow due to an unforseen Time Warner problem.  Votes will be eligible till 8pm, and official scores will go up in the morning.

The voter base kind of limped home this round- what started as 15-20 regular voters dropped to about 12.  Hopefully taking the next couple days off will rejuvanate folks.  The story here, as we close out the Round of 256, is #6 No Woman No Cry (Bob Marley), which boosted its first round average in taking out a dogged #11 Karma Police (Radiohead),  109-100.  No one gave No Woman No Cry lower than a 6.75, and even that was a tie score. 

#2 Wavin’ Flag (K’Naan) easily dispatched of the #15 Love Shack (B-52s),  117-85. John Lennon said it was when he heard the B-52s on the radio for the first time that he knew the pop world was ready for Yoko Ono’s music. Hm…. B-52s are the 196th artists to bounce.

#3 I Will Survive (Gloria Gaynor) def. #14 And She Was (Talking Heads),  108-94.  I have to apologize to Bee Gees fans, it turns out Stayin’ Alive is still around, leaving us with two disco songs in the Round of 128.

And good golly, miss molly, the Talking Heads have been eliminated from the tournament!  Both the Burning Down the House and Psycho Killer losses were more surprising than this one, but to go 0-3 is brutal.  (That happened to Ray Charles as well)  The Heads have been one of my favorite bands for years, and they were major contenders in my personal music tournaments during 2006 and 2007.   It will be sad to see them go, casualty #197.

#7 Sultans of Swing (Dire Straits) def.. #10 Where It’s At (Beck), 104-100.  Beck is the 198th artist to be eliminated.