As the People’s Choice Tournament draws to a close, I continue to be surprised by how much I am enjoying some of these songs. Thank you to every person who nominated a song.
I love you guys and your music!
I think it is fair to say that each nominator spent some time making thoughtful and sometimes deeply personal nominations to share with an internet full of (sometimes heavy-hammered) strangers. But you guys came for the music. Here ya go!
The songs are here. And the votes are due by 8 pm EST on Saturday, August 27.
We've already crowned them Division Champs. Will Mumford & Sons get more bling tonight?
First up, we have 1 seed, Little Lion Man. Rolling Stone has said that this song is “as great a breakup ballad as ever was written.” And the People have found it to be one of the greatest songs in this tournament so far – it carries a tournament average of 7.845 points per voter. Mumford & Sons face Jackie Wilson’s 8 seed, Higher and Higher. Higher and Higher was first recorded as a ballad, until Jackie’s producers suggested that he jump along with the percussion – and this very un-ballad-like song has a tournament average of 7.3 points, down from an impressive 8.0 points per voter from the Round of 256.
Or will Jackie Wilson dance his way into our hearts?
And our second match-up pits 4 seed, Home and 5 seed, The Dog Days are Over. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, a band named after the characters in a novel that the frontman Alex Ebert was writing, is a band that seems to channel some sort of folksy, hippie paradise with Home. The 4 seed averaged 8.12 points per voter in the Round of 256, and their average score never dropped far below that – their tournament average is 7.69 points per voter. Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine, has told Stephen Colbert that she was discovered when she was drunkenly singing in the restroom in a London club. The Dog Days Are Overhas kept up a 7.66 tournament average, so it is fair to say that the People are in the debt of Florence’s bartender.
Will Florence stay another round? Or will we send her packing?
Here is the handy, dandy pastable.
(1) Little Lion Man (Mumford & Sons) v. (8) Higher & Higher (Jackie Wilson)
(4) Home (Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes) v. (5) The Dog Days Are Over (Florence and the Machine)
Living the Dream 
Sweet. An early post while I’m still at work. I feel ahead of the curve!
(1) Little Lion Man (Mumford & Sons) 8
(8) Higher & Higher (Jackie Wilson) 9.2
Your love lifts me higher…yup.
(4) Home (Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes) 8.8
(5) Dog Days Are Over (Florence and the Machine) 9.3
FML. That damn third verse, just stop talking. Here’s a better story about defenestration: one time a guy defenestrated himself during a party my senior year of college. He thought he was on the ground level on our back basement stairs and climbed out to get out of a line leaving the party, and instead fell 12 feet or so and landed on the hood of my conversion van face first. There was a dent, but he was ok in the end so I guess all is well that ends well? Was anyone else there for that that votes? Benji was. The headline literally said “Freshman defenestrates self at Chi Gam party.” It was the first of many, many very terrible headlines in The Dartmouth concerning my place of residence. For more fun, google “sex festival organizers nix Chi Gam booth”- my finest hour as MarkO’s Programming Chair successor.
Anyways- versus Florence’s damn awesome fake ending at 4:00 or so, I gotta go Flo. I think I’ve voted against my nominations more often than for them. Sorry songs.
probably the only time that an entire college campus knew the meaning of the word “defenestration”. didn’t they actually use the term self-defenestration?
1) Little Lion Man (Mumford & Sons) v. = 8.5
(8) Higher & Higher (Jackie Wilson) = 9.2
(4) Home (Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes) = 7.5
v. (5) The Dog Days Are Over (Florence and the Machine) = 8.5
(1) Little Lion Man (Mumford & Sons) v. (8) Higher & Higher (Jackie Wilson): 10/9.99
These songs don’t seem to be wearing on me. There is a minor difference between the two, even if one is classic and the other is not. However, right now, I love one more than the other.
(4) Home (Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes) v. (5) The Dog Days Are Over (Florence and the Machine): 6/8
After reading Guillermo’s post, I thought-Damn, I love when that song fake-ends every time I’m working out or in the car. Then I think, she just told me to run fast (for a number of reasons). It hasn’t gotten old in these past few months. Great job F.a.t.M.
(1) Little Lion Man (Mumford & Sons) [8.5]
(8) Higher & Higher (Jackie Wilson) [8]
(4) Home (Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes) [8.75]
(5) The Dog Days Are Over (Florence and the Machine [9]
I AM LAYING THE HAMMER DOWN ON THESE
1) Little Lion Man (Mumford & Sons) = 8.5
(8) Higher & Higher (Jackie Wilson) = 7
(4) Home (Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes) = 7
(5) The Dog Days Are Over (Florence and the Machine) = 9
Two great videos here as well.
(1) Little Lion Man (Mumford & Sons) 7
(8) Higher & Higher (Jackie Wilson) 10. i could defenestrate myself to this song every day.
for the record, the defenestrator party was one of the best* parties ever at said fraternity if for no other reason than it ended with a hanover police officer getting peed on from the 3rd floor, 2 fire alarms, 3 good samaritans, 2 fights, the flight of the defenestrator and zero arrests.
*or worst depending on your pov
(4) Home (Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes) – 5.5 “alabama arkansas something something blah blah blah”… pass.
(5) The Dog Days Are Over (Florence and the Machine) i like this song more every time i hear it even if it takes a while to warm up – 7
Little Lion Man (Mumford & Sons) v. (8) Higher & Higher (Jackie Wilson) 8/4
Home (Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes) v. (5) The Dog Days Are Over (Florence and the Machine) 4/10
It’s only been 2 days so my scores and opinions haven’t changed very much. I still think Home is overrated and can’t get in to Higher and Higher. I still love Dog Days and Little Lion Man is friday music.
1) Little Lion Man (Mumford & Sons) v. =3
(8) Higher & Higher (Jackie Wilson) = 7
(4) Home (Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes) = 5
v. (5) The Dog Days Are Over (Florence and the Machine) = 7
Has anyone pointed out yet that if Jade, the female lead in Home, loved Alexander the way she loves her ma and pa it would be seriously disturbing? Shouldn’t this go without saying? Well maybe not in Alabama and Arkansas…
(1) Little Lion Man (Mumford & Sons) 9.5
(8) Higher & Higher (Jackie Wilson) 4.5
In light of a friend of mine announcing at a bar on Tuesday that he’s getting divorced from his wife of less than 2 years who he had been with for a decade (and the amusing possiblity of him saying he fucked up.. .which ain’t gonna happen), Little Lion Man was damn near perfect. I just can’t not think of Ghostbusters II with Higher & Higher, and its will not stop dragging the song down – because that movie was just crap… plain and simple.
(4) Home (Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes) 6.3
(5) The Dog Days Are Over (Florence and the Machine) 7.1
I had trouble with both of these songs for 3 rounds… and they’ve finally won me over. Was completely into Home (somewhere in the 8s i think) and the conversational piece sent me sideways and it lost steam. Flo just keeps rising, and it doesn’t hurt that the song itself just takes off over time and the charged chorus at the end is probably the best part of the song, at least energy wise. Really fun matchup.
(1) Little Lion Man (Mumford & Sons) v. (8) Higher & Higher (Jackie Wilson) 9.5 to 6.5
LLM just sits well and I want to listen again. H & H has become tiresome as many oldies do.
(4) Home (Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes) v. (5) The Dog Days Are Over (Florence and the Machine) 4.0 to 7.0
Can’t say that either of these is a grabber but Dog Days makes the better effort. Home makes me think Marc Broussard which is a much better Home and makes this one fail by comparison.
(1) Little Lion Man (Mumford & Sons) v. (8) Higher & Higher (Jackie Wilson) 7.0 to 8.7
(4) Home (Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes) v. (5) The Dog Days Are Over (Florence and the Machine) 5.0 to 8.0
Me, Kelsey, Tim, Jen
(1) Little Lion Man (Mumford & Sons) v. (8) Higher & Higher (Jackie Wilson)
7.3 9.7 6 5 v. 7.9 8.5 7.5 8
(4) Home (Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes) v. (5) The Dog Days Are Over (Florence and the Machine)
8.1 9.7 9.5 8 v. 7.2 9.3 9.5 7.5
For this matchup we were joined by
Emma Cristina Andrea Lindsay Tamra
7 8.5 8.5 8.5 7.5 v. 8 9 8 9 8
After all that, Im pretty sure the second matchup was a tie.
Little Lion Man (Mumford & Sons) 9
Higher & Higher (Jackie Wilson) 5
Home (Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes) 7.5
The Dog Days Are Over (Florence and the Machine) 8
1) Little Lion Man (Mumford & Sons) v. = 8
(8) Higher & Higher (Jackie Wilson) = 4
(4) Home (Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes) = 9
v. (5) The Dog Days Are Over (Florence and the Machine) = 4.5
This one was kind of a no brainer for me. Two songs I like vs two songs that I’m seriously worn out on.
(1) Little Lion Man (Mumford & Sons) v. (8) Higher & Higher (Jackie Wilson) 9/7.75
LLM always makes me feel so contemplative and slightly melancholy in a way that I like. It is sort of satisfying, like pushing on a bruise. And while I love Jackie Wilson, when I’m feeling the way Little Lion Man makes me feel, being lifted higher and higher isn’t what I want at all.
(4) Home (Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes) v. (5) The Dog Days Are Over (Florence and the Machine) 9.8/10
I like the whistling and exuberance of the folks in Home. Listening to it makes me happy and it also makes me wish I were with my mom, because this is our new song to enjoy together (we like the Jorge and Alexa version better, to be fair).
I like the way the beginning of Dog Days is a bit soft and quiet, because the way the song builds makes it so nice and intense. I like the clapping, too. Long ago, I realized that I am a sucker for anything with a clap track, hence my large Beyonce collection. I think Dog Days is the best song I’ve met through this tournament, and therefore am no longer bitter that it defeated my favorite nomination way back in the Round of 256.
(1) Little Lion Man (Mumford & Sons) – 9.75
v. (8) Higher & Higher (Jackie Wilson) – 7
(4) Home (Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes) – 8.25
v. (5) The Dog Days Are Over (Florence and the Machine) – 6.25
Votes for me / my brother Matt:
Little Lion – 8.2 / 8.7
Higher – 7.5 / 8.2
Home – 9.2 / 8.9
Dog Days – 8 / 8.4
Little Lion Man (Mumford & Sons) – 7
Higher & Higher (Jackie Wilson) – 4
Home (Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes) – 8.5
The Dog Days Are Over (Florence and the Machine) – 5
(1) Little Lion Man (Mumford & Sons) – 8.8 — (Is this song about Tyrion?)
(8) Higher & Higher (Jackie Wilson) – 7.5
(4) Home (Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes) – 8.5
(5) The Dog Days Are Over (Florence and the Machine) – 7.8
(1) Little Lion Man (Mumford & Sons) – 7.8
(8) Higher & Higher (Jackie Wilson) – 8
(4) Home (Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes) – 8
(5) The Dog Days Are Over (Florence and the Machine) – 8.3
(1) Little Lion Man (Mumford & Sons) v. (8) Higher & Higher (Jackie Wilson)
9.5 / 5
(4) Home (Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes) v. (5) The Dog Days Are Over (Florence and the Machine)
8.5 / 7
being the quarter-finals, i wish i had some stronger opinions on these songs… oh well.
(1) Little Lion Man (Mumford & Sons) – 9
(8) Higher & Higher (Jackie Wilson) – 7
(4) Home (Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes) – 7.8
(5) The Dog Days Are Over (Florence and the Machine) – 8.2