Votes are due by 8 pm EST on Friday, July 15. Tonight we continue to test our new seeding system. Last time, our 1 seed, Home, was a 13 seed that averaged 8.12 points from 35 voters,
#1 Home (Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros)
while our 7 seed began as a 2 seed but only averaged 5.9 from 31 voters. If Tall Trees hadn’t been facing Metro Station in the Round of 256, we might have a very different set of songs tonight. So far, though, the new seeding system seems to be working out nicely. We’ll see how it works out tonight. Here are the songs. Votes are due by 8 pm EST on Friday, July 15. And now a bit about the match-ups.
A favorite with voters in the Round of 256, “Home” was also was voted number 15 on the Australian Triple J Hottest 100, 2009 countdown, the largest music poll in the world, according to Wikipedia. It faces “Songbird,” which is from the Rumours album, which is Fleetwood Mac’s most successful release with sales of over 40 million copies worldwide.
#1 Home (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes) v. #8 Songbird (Fleetwood Mac)
“A Boy Named Sue” was released in 1969, and although it was penned by popular children’s author Shel Silverstein, it was promptly censored, due to the “Son of a Bitch” line.
#5 All Shook Up (Elvis Presley)
In 1957, “All Shook Up” knocked off a Perry Como song for the top spot on the Billboard Top 100 Chart. Can Elvis shake things up enough to knock Johnny Cash’s song out of the next round of the PCT?
#4 A Boy Named Sue (Johnny Cash) v. #5 All Shook Up (Elvis Presley)
“Fisherman’s Blues” was a big hit on Billboard’s Modern Rock chart in 1989. “Tall Trees” is by a folk orchestra from Chapel Hill, which has grown from being one guy’s bedroom recording project to being a full symphonic band that sometimes has a dozen members.
#2 Fisherman’s Blues (The Waterboys) v. #7 Tall Trees (Lost in the Trees)
“Let Me Go” is from Cake’s 1998 album, Prolonging the Magic. “Incident on 57th Street” is from Bruce Springsteen’s second album, the 1973 The Wild, The Innocent, and The E Street Shuffle, which is an awesome album title.
#3 Let Me Go (Cake) v. #6 Incident on 57th Street (Bruce Springsteen)
And the handy, dandy pasteable:
#1 Home (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes) v. #8 Songbird (Fleetwood Mac)
#4 A Boy Named Sue (Johnny Cash) v. #5 All Shook Up (Elvis Presley)
#2 Fisherman’s Blues (The Waterboys) v. #7 Tall Trees (Lost in the Trees)
#3 Let Me Go (Cake) v. #6 Incident on 57th Street (Bruce Springsteen)
Living the Dream 
#1 Home (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes) v. #8 Songbird (Fleetwood Mac) 7.5/10
Home is pretty fun and I enjoy it. But I think Songbird is exquisitely beautiful. I love Christine McVie’s voice and I think the lyrics are so wonderful. I won’t be mad either way, but tonight Songbird was perfect.
#4 A Boy Named Sue (Johnny Cash) v. #5 All Shook Up (Elvis Presley) 8/5
I don’t always dig Johnny Cash (when I’m sober) but this song is fun and sometimes I really like it. If I’d been alive in the 1950s, I would NOT have been like my Granny’s scandalous cousin who tossed her bra at Elvis.
#2 Fisherman’s Blues (The Waterboys) v. #7 Tall Trees (Lost in the Trees) 4/3.5
#3 Let Me Go (Cake) v. #6 Incident on 57th Street (Bruce Springsteen) 6/5
#1 Home (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes)-8
#8 Songbird (Fleetwood Mac)-6
Home is just a great song. Unfortunately, it now reminds me of my ex. So it will kind of suck if I have to listen to it every round.
#4 A Boy Named Sue (Johnny Cash)-8.5
#5 All Shook Up (Elvis Presley)-6
#2 Fisherman’s Blues (The Waterboys)-7
#7 Tall Trees (Lost in the Trees)-9
So I was sure I had heard Tall Trees before, and it turns out that, sure enough, one of my good friends from high school played with them and may or may not be on this track. That combined with the fact thats it’s a really good song puts them over the top. Fisherman’s Blues could grow on me if keeps going.
#3 Let Me Go (Cake)-7
#6 Incident on 57th Street (Bruce Springsteen)-3
I used to like Cake more than a 7, but this just didn’t really hit home for me. I’ve never understood what people love about Springsteen, though. I was giving it a 4 at three minutes and then looked to see that there were still four minutes left. I guess the lyrics are good, but there is nothing the least bit memorable about the music and you can’t get away with a 7 minute song without a hook or a melody.
Home (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes) 9.5
Songbird (Fleetwood Mac) 6
I liked Songbird, but I’m going for happy this morning and that is definitely Home. If anyone needs any extra happy, check out Home on Letterman: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qb9jY8yAxgs (I don’t know how to do the fancy link thing…) 🙂
A Boy Named Sue (Johnny Cash) 9
All Shook Up (Elvis Presley) 8
Curse the new seeding! Elvis is mine but I absolutely loved A Boy Named Sue last round and that stays true for this round. I blame Adrock’s tournament integrity. Apparently it’s contagious.
Fisherman’s Blues (The Waterboys) 6.5
Tall Trees (Lost in the Trees) 6
Let Me Go (Cake) 7
Incident on 57th Street (Bruce Springsteen) 6
#1 Home (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes) 7 Catchy…for now
v. #8 Songbird (Fleetwood Mac) 2 I thought this got eliminated already. If not, I think it’s probably doomed.
#4 A Boy Named Sue (Johnny Cash) 10
v. #5 All Shook Up (Elvis Presley) 6
#2 Fisherman’s Blues (The Waterboys) 7
v. #7 Tall Trees (Lost in the Trees) 5
#3 Let Me Go (Cake) 5
v. #6 Incident on 57th Street (Bruce Springsteen) 7
Gold Dust Woman got eliminated, but Songbird beat Slum Village last round. I’m going to agree with that second statement though- much respect to Christie McVie, but this can’t quite compete with a bunch of hippies that found themselves a trumpet and a tambourine.
Actually, these guys are far from hippies. Far be it for me to criticize artists from reinventing themselves as Bowie is one of my favorites, but one of the criticisms Pitchfork launched against Edward Sharpe record when they gave it a 4.1
“Just as you’d feel a little funny if some hippie ideals were being espoused to sell you fancy Kool-Aid, you’d feel a little funny if a jerk-punker– and I hesitate to say failed, but, yeah, failed jerk-punker– reemerged a couple of years on as some kind of robe-donning, beard-rocking guru sort, wouldn’t you? Well, get ready: Ima Robot lead singer Alex Ebert has reeimagined himself in the image of messiah-type Edward Sharpe.”
Full review below (which notes that Home is the exception on the album)
http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/13852-up-from-below/
Home (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes): 9.5
Songbird (Fleetwood Mac): 6
A Boy Named Sue (Johnny Cash): 8
All Shook Up (Elvis Presley): 7
Tall Trees is my own nomination, but must give credit where it’s due. Great pick whoever chose Fisherman’s Blues!
Fisherman’s Blues (The Waterboys): 10
Tall Trees (Lost in the Trees): 10
Let Me Go (Cake): 7
Incident on 57th Street (Bruce Springsteen): 5.5
#1 Home (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes) 7.8
#8 Songbird (Fleetwood Mac) 5.6
“Home” is my nomination, and it’s so lovely…but Grant’s podcast prophecy about its longevity is tugging at my brain. To win a tournament, you have to really like listening to a song 9 times in a row. Still better than Songbird, but this Division looks like it’s got some serious fighters.
#4 A Boy Named Sue (Johnny Cash) 7.6
#5 All Shook Up (Elvis Presley) 4.9
Shel Silverstein on The Johnny Cash Show. “I write a lot of children’s books…sorta weird children’s books, but, you know, it’s good.”
#2 Fisherman’s Blues (The Waterboys) 10
#7 Tall Trees (Lost in the Trees) 7
Crashing headlong into the heartland/ like a cannon in the rain- wow. Second 10 in a row for the Waterboys, this one hasn’t lost any steam for me yet. I just went back through the comments to make sure the nominator revealed himself and he did, so I can speak openly- Quinnelly, sincere thanks for another hit that’ll be in my rotation for time to come. Tall Trees is great and innovative, I heart the strings, but Fisherman’s Blues is on a whole other level for me.
#3 Let Me Go (Cake) 5.5
#6 Incident on 57th Street (Bruce Springsteen) 8
If you give Incident the patience it needs and the acknowledgment of everything that’s going on instrumentally, it’ll rock your world in amazing ways. Unfortunately it’s longer than 5 minutes so we’ll just see how this goes.
Home (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes): 8.6
Songbird (Fleetwood Mac): 1
Home is nice, still prefer other remixes. Songbird was really rough. I felt like I got roofied.
A Boy Named Sue (Johnny Cash): 7.9
All Shook Up (Elvis Presley): 6.5
Love uncle Shelby! Elvis delivers, but not enough.
Fisherman’s Blues (The Waterboys): 6.8
Tall Trees (Lost in the Trees): 6.9
I liked the Waterboys, but not too much. Tall Trees had some really nice moments, but overall its not fantastic.
Let Me Go (Cake): 10
Incident on 57th Street (Bruce Springsteen): 1
Let Me Go is a phenomenal song on many levels. From a deep, driving bass-line, to poignant lyrics, to that haunting, solitary horn, I really enjoy that song. Bruce does nothing for me.
I gave Songbird and Incident on 57th Street both a relisten. Adjust Songbird to a 2. The piano is ok. Still not feeling the vocals at all, or the plodding pacing. Still kinda feel like I just got slipped some rufinol.
Incident has a handful of redeeming qualities. Bruce’s mumbliness DOES evoke Bob Dylan. That repetetive synthesizer thing (and an organ?) and whole “Puertorican wail’ section around 1:45-2:05 felt like nails on a chalkboard to me. All in all, the song just doesn’t hang together well, lacks harmony, and I’d only like to adjust it up to a 1.75.
I really tried with both these songs to see what it was people are so enamored about with them. Unfortunately, can’t get into them.
Home (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes): 9.5
Songbird (Fleetwood Mac): 8
Songbird really is a lovely, lovely song. But it can’t beat the awesomeness that is Home – I saw Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes last weekend and they just were so good and fun and this song makes my heart happy and hopeful.
A Boy Named Sue (Johnny Cash): 6.5
All Shook Up (Elvis Presley): 6
Boy Named Sue is fun and funny – and I love Johnny Cash. I’d be happy with either winning this one – but I don’t think either song has what it takes to make it too much further in the tournament.
Fisherman’s Blues (The Waterboys): 9
Tall Trees (Lost in the Trees): 5.5
I like Tall Trees, but I really love Fisherman’s Blues – and will listen to that song all the time. Tall Trees is good, but I am not that interested in hearing it more.
Let Me Go (Cake): 6.5
Incident on 57th Street (Bruce Springsteen): 7.5
This is going to be a tough one for The Boss to win.
Home (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes) 9
Songbird (Fleetwood Mac) 4
A Boy Named Sue (Johnny Cash) 7
All Shook Up (Elvis Presley) 6
Fisherman’s Blues (The Waterboys) 8
Tall Trees (Lost in the Trees) 6
Let Me Go (Cake) 8
Incident on 57th Street (Bruce Springsteen) 6
#1 Home (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes) 4
#8 Songbird (Fleetwood Mac)
The magnetic zeros were obviously not properly polarized for me tonight. Alas, the brief high of energy I had from the last round was completely obliterated by Songbird. Gorgeous song, wrong place, wrong time.
#4 A Boy Named Sue (Johnny Cash) 9.5
#5 All Shook Up (Elvis Presley) 8.8
This sucks. Love both these songs. Alas, Johnny just a little more edge to perk me up in the midst of this terrible day. I will get yelled at for this, I promise.
#2 Fisherman’s Blues (The Waterboys) 5.3
#7 Tall Trees (Lost in the Trees) 6.8
Cool riff in Tall Trees. Liked it more than I expected.
#3 Let Me Go (Cake) 2
#6 Incident on 57th Street (Bruce Springsteen) 6
If I hear the words “Let Me Go” again, I’m jumping off my balcony. Don’t love Bruce, but such an improvement over Cake. Lucky there are not further songs – IE is flipping out again with the reply box, and its making me crazy. Lucikly no music will have to suffer for it.
I can’t tell if IE is Internet Explorer or the initials of the imaginary friend that keeps you and all young lawyers quasi-sane through the first few years
Whoops Songbird is a 3
makes me sad that you called it a gorgeous song and then only gave it a 3!
I’m with Mark!
#1 Home (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes) v. #8 Songbird (Fleetwood Mac) 4.0 to 8.0 I would stay away from home with this group magnetized or not. Love Mick and the gang. Can really do no wrong.
#4 A Boy Named Sue (Johnny Cash) v. #5 All Shook Up (Elvis Presley) 6.5 to 7.0 Not an Elvis fan (except for LMT and Fools) but Boy Named Sue is only cute the first time around.
#2 Fisherman’s Blues (The Waterboys) v. #7 Tall Trees (Lost in the Trees) 6.5 to 6.0 Liked both of these better the first time around. Narrow win for the Blues.
#3 Let Me Go (Cake) v. #6 Incident on 57th Street (Bruce Springsteen) 6.5 to 5.0 Not real thrilled with Let Me Go but don’t like The Boss and I’m not giving him a cakewalk thru this and the next round. As a famous spouse once said, “Springsteen is a blue collar Dylan” and no where as good with a tune or a lyric.
#1 Home (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes) v. #8 Songbird (Fleetwood Mac) 4.0 to 8.5
#4 A Boy Named Sue (Johnny Cash) v. #5 All Shook Up (Elvis Presley) 7.0 to 9.0
#2 Fisherman’s Blues (The Waterboys) v. #7 Tall Trees (Lost in the Trees) 6.0 to 4.0
#3 Let Me Go (Cake) v. #6 Incident on 57th Street (Bruce Springsteen) 7.0 to 5.0
#1 Home (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes)-5.5
#8 Songbird (Fleetwood Mac)-10
I don’t understand how people can actively hate Songbird…I think it’s so beautiful. Simple too, but all the better (and more beautiful) for it. Its simplicity and haunting melody, for me, perfectly capture the fragility of relationships: “and I wish you all the love in the world…but most of all I wish it for myself…and I love you I love you I love you like never before”. Home seems to have some serious momentum here but I really don’t think it’s as powerful a song and I really wish the spoken part at 3:10 wasn’t there. I think it makes it swing towards gimmicky which is a huge shame.
#4 A Boy Named Sue (Johnny Cash)-1
#5 All Shook Up (Elvis Presley)-5
I really don’t connect with Sue in any way I’m afraid. A 1 because I would actively avoid it.
#2 Fisherman’s Blues (The Waterboys)-5.5
#7 Tall Trees (Lost in the Trees)-6.5
Massive fan of strings…enjoyed Tall Trees – complicated and interesting.
#3 Let Me Go (Cake)-7
#6 Incident on 57th Street (Bruce Springsteen)-6
Sometimes we all need a little Cake in our lives…they make me smile.
Thanks for helping me get Songbird onto the wall of 10s. I don’t know if we’re enough to save it, but I’m glad that someone else seems to love Christine McVie like I do.
You’re welcome! (I think) you have excellent taste 🙂
I think it’s the most understated (and underrated) song on Rumours…I really hope people give it more of a chance.
Home 8
Songbird 6
Boy Named Sue 7.5
All Shook Up 6.5
Fisherman’s Blues 5.5
Tall Trees 4.5
Let Me Go 6
Incident on 57th Street 7
Home 7
Songbird 7.5
I overplayed Home at one point. It doesn’t quite have the staying power for me I want it to. Songbird is timeless, but nothing too special for me.
Boy Named Sue 4
All Shook Up 6.5
Fisherman’s Blues 5
Tall Trees 6.5
Let Me Go 8.5 hit the spot today
Incident on 57th Street 5
Home (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes) 8.8
Songbird (Fleetwood Mac) 7
A Boy Named Sue (Johnny Cash) 6
All Shook Up (Elvis Presley) 5.8
I feel like the repeatability of both of these is limited for me and that their scores will just drop each round…
Fisherman’s Blues (The Waterboys) 5
Tall Trees (Lost in the Trees) 7.8
The instrumentals on Tall Trees are excellent and completely grab my attention. Snazzy a little sinister. I still am not sold on the vocals, but I still want to hear the song again. I had to listened to Fisherman’s Blues again which is usually not a good sign because it didn’t get my attention the first time… It’s okay but I feel like there’s nothing that stands out about it to me.
Let Me Go (Cake) 8.5
Incident on 57th Street (Bruce Springsteen) 6
For some reason Cake just sounded really good to me tonight. Like, really good.
Home (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes) 8
Songbird (Fleetwood Mac) 7.8
A Boy Named Sue (Johnny Cash) 7
All Shook Up (Elvis Presley) 6
Fisherman’s Blues (The Waterboys) 8
Tall Trees (Lost in the Trees) 9
Let Me Go (Cake) 2
Incident on 57th Street (Bruce Springsteen) 7
Home (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes) 4
Songbird (Fleetwood Mac) 8.5
A Boy Named Sue (Johnny Cash) 4.5
All Shook Up (Elvis Presley) 5.5
Fisherman’s Blues (The Waterboys) 5
Tall Trees (Lost in the Trees) 4
Let Me Go (Cake) 6
Incident on 57th Street (Bruce Springsteen) 3.5
#1 Home (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes) [7.5]
#8 Songbird (Fleetwood Mac) [7]
#4 A Boy Named Sue (Johnny Cash) [6.5]
#5 All Shook Up (Elvis Presley) [6]
#2 Fisherman’s Blues (The Waterboys) [5]
#7 Tall Trees (Lost in the Trees) [4]
#3 Let Me Go (Cake) [3]
#6 Incident on 57th Street (Bruce Springsteen) [7.5]
#1 Home (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes) 8
#8 Songbird (Fleetwood Mac) 6
#4 A Boy Named Sue (Johnny Cash) 8
#5 All Shook Up (Elvis Presley) 7
#2 Fisherman’s Blues (The Waterboys) 9
#7 Tall Trees (Lost in the Trees) 7
#3 Let Me Go (Cake) 6
#6 Incident on 57th Street (Bruce Springsteen) 7
Building character is hard.
Yeah Kathryn! Best intern ever! (seriously, I think everybody should make a point of making part of your summer intern’s job responsibilities to vote in the music tournament on Friday afternoons)
#1 Home (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes) – 8
#8 Songbird (Fleetwood Mac) – 5.8
#4 A Boy Named Sue (Johnny Cash) – 5.5
#5 All Shook Up (Elvis Presley) – 6.1
#2 Fisherman’s Blues (The Waterboys) – 7
#7 Tall Trees (Lost in the Trees) – 7.9
#3 Let Me Go (Cake) – 8
#6 Incident on 57th Street (Bruce Springsteen) – 6
Home (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes) = 7.5
v. Songbird (Fleetwood Mac) =6.5
A Boy Named Sue (Johnny Cash) = 8.5
v. All Shook Up (Elvis Presley) = 8
Fisherman’s Blues (The Waterboys) = 6
v. Tall Trees (Lost in the Trees) = 4
I felt like he was going to break out into Phantom of the Opera the whole time…
Let Me Go (Cake)= 7.5
v. Incident on 57th Street (Bruce Springsteen)= 5.5
#1 Home (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes) – 9.5 – still not sick of it
v. #8 Songbird (Fleetwood Mac) – 3.3 – i’ve concluded i really do not like fleetwood mac
#4 A Boy Named Sue (Johnny Cash) – 4 –
v. #5 All Shook Up (Elvis Presley) – 6 –
#2 Fisherman’s Blues (The Waterboys) – 5 –
v. #7 Tall Trees (Lost in the Trees) – 7.5 –
#3 Let Me Go (Cake) – 7.5 –
v. #6 Incident on 57th Street (Bruce Springsteen) – 4.5 –
#1 Home (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes) 9
#8 Songbird (Fleetwood Mac) 5
#4 A Boy Named Sue (Johnny Cash) 8.5
#5 All Shook Up (Elvis Presley) 6.5
#2 Fisherman’s Blues (The Waterboys) 6.3
#7 Tall Trees (Lost in the Trees) 6
#3 Let Me Go (Cake) 6
#6 Incident on 57th Street (Bruce Springsteen) 5.9
Home (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes):7
Songbird (Fleetwood Mac):2
I read in this comment section that the singer from es and the mz’s was the same dude from Ima Robot? no way! They get a an extra point for that, but it;s an easy win as fleetwood mac give me a terrible headache.
A Boy Named Sue (Johnny Cash): 6
All Shook Up (Elvis Presley): 6.5
not a favorite song by either artist. i wouldn’t choose to listen to either of these tunes despite choosing to listen to both artists regularly. hard vote. ill give the extra nod to elvis since i do remember getting stoned at like 13 chasing a neighborhood girl down the street screaming “I’m all shook up–a–whooo-hoo” over and over again. I think she was terrified. I was so high!
Fisherman’s Blues (The Waterboys): 10
Tall Trees (Lost in the Trees): 6.7
Fisherman’s Blues gets an automatic ten because, well, it is awesome and i picked it! nuff said. Of course I hate that I liked its rival enough that i have to give it more than zero points. Also a good song song, but not awesome. Go Waterboys!
Let Me Go (Cake): 5.8
Incident on 57th Street (Bruce Springsteen): 6.2
#1 Home (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes) v. – 7
#8 Songbird (Fleetwood Mac) – 6 –
#4 A Boy Named Sue (Johnny Cash) v. – 8.5
#5 All Shook Up (Elvis Presley) – 8
Tough matchup, I love boy named Sue, I’m also on a bit of an Elvis kick and All Shook Up has such a good back beat. Slight nod of the head to Boy Named Sue.
#2 Fisherman’s Blues (The Waterboys) – 6.5
#7 Tall Trees (Lost in the Trees) – 7.9
#3 Let Me Go (Cake) – 5.5
#6 Incident on 57th Street (Bruce Springsteen) 8.8 – Those romantic young boys…
#1 Home (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes) – 7
#8 Songbird (Fleetwood Mac) – 6.5 (maybe I’m just used to Eva Cassidy’s version)
#4 A Boy Named Sue (Johnny Cash) – 7.5
#5 All Shook Up (Elvis Presley) – 8
#2 Fisherman’s Blues (The Waterboys) – 6.5
#7 Tall Trees (Lost in the Trees) – 8.75
Oooh!
#3 Let Me Go (Cake) – 7
#6 Incident on 57th Street (Bruce Springsteen) – 6.5
Eva Cassidy’s version is A BILLION TIMES BETTER, yes.
Home 8
Songbird 2
Boy 8
All shook 5
Fisherman 5
Tall trees 8
Let me go 8
57th 2
#1 Home (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes) – 9.5
v. #8 Songbird (Fleetwood Mac) – 7
#4 A Boy Named Sue (Johnny Cash) – 6
v. #5 All Shook Up (Elvis Presley) – 7
#2 Fisherman’s Blues (The Waterboys) – 4.5
v. #7 Tall Trees (Lost in the Trees) – 6
#3 Let Me Go (Cake) – 5
v. #6 Incident on 57th Street (Bruce Springsteen) – 5