Welcome to the second set of match-ups in the Round of 128. Our plan is to present a new set of songs every night from Sunday through Wednesday. Wednesday’s match-ups will be open for voting through Friday night. That gives you (and us) the weekend off. It also means that for most of the week, there will be two sets of match-ups open for voting. If you haven’t voted for Day 1, please do so before 8pm, Tuesday.
Without further ado, click here for tonight’s songs, and vote by commenting below before 8pm, Wednesday.
Sunday (Les Friction) vs. Grown Simba (J. Cole)
I Don’t Wanna Know (Dr. John) vs. Tightrope (Janelle Monae)
A Real Hero (College, feat. Electric Youth) vs. Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City (Bobby Bland)
Little Talks (Of Monsters and Men) vs. God’s Bathroom (Atmosphere)
Living the Dream 
Sunday (Les Friction) vs. Grown Simba (J. Cole)-6.5/5.7
I Don’t Wanna Know (Dr. John) vs. Tightrope (Janelle Monae): 4.5/4.5
A Real Hero (College, feat. Electric Youth) vs. Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City (Bobby Bland)-7.5/6.5 I liked this matchup
Little Talks (Of Monsters and Men) vs. God’s Bathroom (Atmosphere)-6/4.5
Sunday (Les Friction):4
Grown Simba (J. Cole):2
I Don’t Wanna Know (Dr. John):3
Tightrope (Janelle Monae):4
A Real Hero (College, feat. Electric Youth):5
Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City (Bobby Bland):2
Little Talks (Of Monsters and Men):5
God’s Bathroom (Atmosphere):3
Sunday (Les Friction) – 8.7
Grown Simba (J. Cole) – 2
I Don’t Wanna Know (Dr. John) – 5.7
Tightrope (Janelle Monae) – 6.8
A Real Hero (College, feat. Electric Youth – 6.3
Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City (Bobby Bland) – 6.8
Little Talks (Of Monsters and Men) – 7.1
God’s Bathroom (Atmosphere) – 6.4
Sunday (Les Friction) vs. Grown Simba (J. Cole) 4/7
I Don’t Wanna Know (Dr. John) vs. Tightrope (Janelle Monae) 6.5/10
I think Janelle Monae is so stinkin’ talented and cool but she loses some control at the top of her range and it really bothers me. That’s not so evident on this song, which is earwormy as shit (and the video is top notch) but it makes the rest of this album not as good as it could be. Anyway, she’s really young, so hopefully she’ll either master her voice or recognize her (few) limitations and work within them, because she’s really got nowhere to go but up.
A Real Hero (College, feat. Electric Youth) vs. Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City (Bobby Bland) 6/5
Little Talks (Of Monsters and Men) vs. God’s Bathroom (Atmosphere) 10/7.5
I don’t know if I’ll always give “Little Talks” a 10, but it’s is super catchy and basically perfectly mixed, so tonight it’s a 10. Seattle has this sister city/country relationship with Iceland, and I know that helped bring Of Monsters and Men to US attention, which also warms my heart a little. Atmosphere is also much beloved by Seattle, but even though they’ve been floating in my awareness since the early 2000s, I’ve never gotten super into them. Still, I always like what I hear, and feel like I should check them out more.
Sunday (Les Friction): 2.0 (new-age rock-opera showtune? Just…..ugh.)
Grown Simba (J. Cole): 6.9 (never heard this, but it’s a palet cleanser.)
I Don’t Wanna Know (Dr. John): 7
Tightrope (Janelle Monae, feat. Big Boi): 8.2 (oh goddamn. I forgot this track. It’s really about the dancing though…)
A Real Hero (College, feat. Electric Youth): 10
Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City (Bobby Bland): 7 (Very happy this isn’t the Whitesnake version b/c this is really great.)
Little Talks (Of Monsters and Men): 7.1 (Vocalists/Horns remind me of Edward Sharpe et al. There’s some XX in the back-and-forth banter but it… I don’t know about the chorus (and the “heys”). This will almost definitely advance so we’ll see if it gets better or worse with more plays.)
God’s Bathroom (Atmosphere): 6.0
Sunday (Les Friction) 3
. Grown Simba (J. Cole) 5
I Don’t Wanna Know (Dr. John) 7
vs. Tightrope (Janelle Monae) 5
A Real Hero (College, feat. Electric Youth) 6
vs. Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City (Bobby Bland) 8
Little Talks (Of Monsters and Men) 4
vs. God’s Bathroom (Atmosphere) 5
Sunday (Les Friction) vs. Grown Simba (J. Cole) 7.5 – 2
I Don’t Wanna Know (Dr. John) vs. Tightrope (Janelle Monae) 5.5 – 7
A Real Hero (College, feat. Electric Youth) vs. Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City (Bobby Bland) 3 – 6 : COLLEGE!
Little Talks (Of Monsters and Men) vs. God’s Bathroom (Atmosphere) 7 – 2.5
Sunday (Les Friction) vs.
– The uplifting swell with the chorus lost me. [2]
Grown Simba (J. Cole)
– I hate to admit it, but I just don’t have the focus to listen to much straight-rap. It just demands too much of my focus. [4]
I Don’t Wanna Know (Dr. John) vs. [8.5]
Tightrope (Janelle Monae) [8.4]
– This was a real battle. I like all things New Orleans and Dr. John is no exception. But this woman is such a young talent and I especially dig this song. I think Dr. John’s the one with staying power though.
A Real Hero (College, feat. Electric Youth) vs. [6]
– This song grew on me. I was close to turning it off, but by 2 minutes, I was kinda into it.
Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City (Bobby Bland) [5.5]
Little Talks (Of Monsters and Men) vs. [8.5]
God’s Bathroom (Atmosphere) [5]
4- Sunday (Les Friction) vs.
2- Grown Simba (J. Cole)
Neither of these songs really did it for me. I understand the concept behind the Les Friction album, I’m just not sure I get into it enough to care. As for J. Cole, I’m pretty sure I’ve heard half those rhymes done and done far better.
6- I Don’t Wanna Know (Dr. John) vs.
8- Tightrope (Janelle Monae)
I like listening to Dr. John, but I rarely LOVE listening to Dr. John. Couple that with the fact that I saw Janelle Monae at an unannounced appearance last time I was in New Orleans and she gets the voodoo bump over the good Doctor.
5- A Real Hero (College, feat. Electric Youth) vs.
6- Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City (Bobby Bland)
Neither song really blew me away but I enjoyed both.
7- Little Talks (Of Monsters and Men) vs.
9- God’s Bathroom (Atmosphere)
I’ve heard that Of Monsters and Men song so many times that it’s just a pale whisper of what I’m sure it could be in smaller doses or how much I liked it when it came out. Perhaps obvious to some by my score, Atmosphere is one of my nominations and I don’t do fractions. It’s not a 10, but it’s damn fine. I love this one through and through, it builds nicely and then tapers back down. To me, the symmetry is such an interesting way to build a hip hop track. I’d actually be really interested in why some folks rated this one so low (or even remotely close to J. Cole for that matter). Probably a casualty of the matchup here, but hopefully enjoyable for some folks.
Sunday (Les Friction) – 4
Grown Simba (J. Cole) – 7.6
I Don’t Wanna Know (Dr. John) – 7.5 enjoy his voice in the chorus
Tightrope (Janelle Monae) – 8.8 yeaaah thanks G for posting the video too
A Real Hero (College, feat. Electric Youth) – 6.8
Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City (Bobby Bland) – 6.7
Little Talks (Of Monsters and Men) – 9 never heard before but i’m digging it
God’s Bathroom (Atmosphere) – 9.2 i like atmosphere a lot; hip hop gets a tough time in these tournaments. (anybody else noticing a problem with this grooveshark link? every 20 seconds it is freezing. maybe it’s just my internet. found a youtube version, hope it’s the same…)
Sunday (Les Friction) vs. Grown Simba (J. Cole) = 5 to 9
I have to say I really appreciate the Les Friction orchestration/ music, but the lyrics were too over the top for me.
Full disclosure J. Cole is my pick. First off, good bass is required for this track, crappy ipod headphones or taptop speakers will result in a sonic experience that misses the point. I like that this is real deal stuff coupled with real lyrical skills – no Rick Ross fantasy world nonsense.
Btw, this video is def worth one watch – the vibe of this sums the whole thing up/ where he’s coming from, etc etc:
I Don’t Wanna Know (Dr. John) vs. Tightrope (Janelle Monae) = 3 to 8
Nice.
A Real Hero (College, feat. Electric Youth) vs. Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City (Bobby Bland) = 6.5 to 7
What song samples this Bobby Bland tune? I know it, but can’t place it. Is it used in one of the Detroit Chrysler commercials?
Little Talks (Of Monsters and Men) vs. God’s Bathroom (Atmosphere) = 5.5 to 6
Agree that the sound system makes a world of difference on these songs. Both the J.Cole and A Real Hero require lots of bass otherwise they can be underwhelming and flat.
Sunday (Les Friction) – 2
ick, too theatrical
Grown Simba (J. Cole) – 4
nothing impressive, but at least i can tune it out
I Don’t Wanna Know (Dr. John) – 5
Tightrope (Janelle Monae) – 7
that was fun
A Real Hero (College, feat. Electric Youth) – 4.5
sleepy
Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City (Bobby Bland) – 6
less sleepy, more soul
Little Talks (Of Monsters and Men) – 7
i always thought these guys sound like a jv edward sharpe & magnetic zeroes. good but not great.
God’s Bathroom (Atmosphere) – 4
couldn’t get into it right now
Sunday (Les Friction): 5
Grown Simba (J. Cole): 5.7
I Don’t Wanna Know (Dr. John): 6
Tightrope (Janelle Monae): 9
Wow, Monae is a tour de force. We’ll see how Big Boi’s bridge holds up against stiffer competition, but glancing around this bracket, it looks like she’s in good shape.
A Real Hero (College, feat. Electric Youth): 5.5
Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City (Bobby Bland): 5.8
Little Talks (Of Monsters and Men): 8
God’s Bathroom (Atmosphere): 5
I agree with Natalie 100% on the Edward Sharpe and Magnetic Zeroes call- I actually looked up from my work to see if this was actually them. And that’s largely a good thing.
Sunday (Les Friction) vs. Grown Simba (J. Cole) 7.0 to 4.0
I Don’t Wanna Know (Dr. John) vs. Tightrope (Janelle Monae) 9.0 to 7.0
A Real Hero (College, feat. Electric Youth) vs. Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City (Bobby Bland) 5.0 to 8.0
Little Talks (Of Monsters and Men) vs. God’s Bathroom (Atmosphere) 6.0 to 3.0
Sunday (Les Friction) vs. Grown Simba (J. Cole) 8.0 to 3.5
I Don’t Wanna Know (Dr. John) vs. Tightrope (Janelle Monae) 7.5 to 6.0
A Real Hero (College, feat. Electric Youth) vs. Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City (Bobby Bland) 4.5 to 7.0
Little Talks (Of Monsters and Men) vs. God’s Bathroom (Atmosphere) 6.0 to 3.5
Joe/ Cristin/ Megan- Commentary by Joe
Les Friction (Sunday) 5, 6, 7
J. Cole (Grown Simba) 7, 6.5, 6
The Les Friction cat has great pipes, but it’s too bombastic for me. I love the J.Cole beat, and his rhymes.
Dr. John (I Don’t Wanna Know) 6, 5.6, 7
Janelle Monae (Tightrope) 7, 5, 6
Tightrope has a great combination of sounding modern, yet celebrating elements of funk, and stax elements.
College feat Electric Youth (A Real Hero) 6.5, 7.5, 7
Bobby Bland (Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City) 9, 6.1, 5
Bobby Bland is awesome. That is all.
Of Monsters and Men (Little Talks) 3, 9, 8
Atmosphere (God’s Bathroom Floor) 5, 5.5, 5
Little Talks is just a song I don’t understand.
Sunday (Les Friction): 3
Grown Simba (J. Cole): 3
I wasn’t feeling either song. This might be a cop out, but neither really spoke to me. There was way too much over production going on in Sunday and I’m normally a fan of over the top orchestration. I have never been a J. Cole fan. Grown Simba is a typical hip-hop song, which I can usually stand behind, but this time it’s just another mediocre song.
I Don’t Wanna Know (Dr. John): 7
Tightrope (Janelle Monae): 6.5
I eat, sleep and live hip-hop, but sometimes a verse can take away from a song. And that’s exactly what Big Boi AKA Daddy Fat Sacks did to this song. I was going to give Tightrope a much higher score if it weren’t for an unnecessary verse. There has to be a version sans Big Boi, it was good otherwise. On the other hand Dr. John is generally consistent and makes solid music with that soothing voice.
A Real Hero (College, feat. Electric Youth): 5
Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City (Bobby Bland): 10
Bobby “Blue” Bland is one of my favorite soul singers of all time. This man was made to sing songs of heartbreak and betrayal. I may be a bit biased because this is my pick, but damn I can feel that pain in his raspy voice. There’s nothing better than a depressing song sung to an upbeat tempo.
Little Talks (Of Monsters and Men): 5
God’s Bathroom (Atmosphere): 9
For those that remember from the the last tournament I love Atmosphere and even though this isn’t my pick I always have to pull for Slug and Ant. It’s a damn shame this is up against Of Monsters and Men because I actually like Little Talks.
Sunday (Les Friction): 6
Grown Simba (J. Cole): 5
Quite enjoyed Sunday despite the crazy production glossiness – I think this is called ‘adult contemporary’? I think I just got old. J Cole ain’t my thing and, even despite that, it feels pretty average within its genre to me?
I Don’t Wanna Know (Dr. John): 5
Tightrope (Janelle Monae): 7
A Real Hero (College, feat. Electric Youth): 4
Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City (Bobby Bland): 5
Little Talks (Of Monsters and Men): 8.5
God’s Bathroom (Atmosphere): 4
OMAM’s ‘Your Bones’ was my third pick for this tourney – I really like both vocalists’ voices. I think this track will go a fair old way
Sunday (Les Friction) – 6
Grown Simba (J. Cole) – 4
I Don’t Wanna Know (Dr. John) – 6.5
Tightrope (Janelle Monae) – 8
A Real Hero (College, feat. Electric Youth) – 6
Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City (Bobby Bland) -7
Little Talks (Of Monsters and Men) – 8
God’s Bathroom (Atmosphere) – 5
Sunday (Les Friction): 5.5
Grown Simba (J. Cole): 5
I Don’t Wanna Know (Dr. John): 6
Tightrope (Janelle Monae): 8
A Real Hero (College, feat. Electric Youth): 8
Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City (Bobby Bland): 7
Watched DRIVE again and it didn’t hold up. But it has some stellar moments. And the soundtrack still rocks. Here’s a great synopsis: http://anongallery.org/img/4/6/drive-do-you-like-stuff.jpg
Little Talks (Of Monsters and Men): 8.5
God’s Bathroom (Atmosphere): 5
Little Talks has been on my Top 10 Recent Jams rotation. I love that song. Cool video too. Not sure if I agree with the JV Edward Sharp comments. I see the comparison, but they also have the weird Icelandic-Sigur-Ros-are-you-just-banging-instruments feel.
4-Sunday (Les Friction)
6-Grown Simba (J. Cole)
I have never heard of either of these artists. This Les Friction song reminded me of some TV sports promo, like the olympics or Superbowl Sunday. High production value. Just not my cup of tea. The J. Cole tune pretty catchy. The problem with hip-hop these days is that it all rehashes themes and sounds that have already been done. J.Cole=Jay-Z+Kanye West+P.Diddy^(Fiddy). I dig it, but probably not enough to think that either if these will advance. I also hate the overuse of the N-word. It does nothing to advance the prose.
5-I Don’t Wanna Know (Dr. John)
7.25-Tightrope (Janelle Monae)
Classic Dr. John. Mid-90’s, straight forward production. Smooth, bluesy edict. Nothing special though. He has better tunes. Janelle Monae is one of the better acts in the Bad Boy stable currently. This tune has some classic dungeon family sensibilities. If anyone likes this tune, they should go back and check early OutKast albums, horns and all.
7-A Real Hero (College, feat. Electric Youth)
8.75-Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City (Bobby Bland)
I heard this first track and instantly thought of AIR. Funny to look it up and find that this act, namely the lead artist David Grellier is also French. I suppose the art of simple, emotive, downtempo been perfected by the Frogs. A really good track. The 2nd tune, HOLY SHIZZ!!! This is GREAT! Whoever made this recommendation…thanks. Damn. This dude is like the soul version of Joe Cocker, with a side of Issac Hayes. I may have to learn the jam and karaoke it soon.
7-Little Talks (Of Monsters and Men)
7.8-God’s Bathroom (Atmosphere)
Of Monsters and Men, when I first heard this song, I loved it. Now its blah. I still think it is a great tune. It could go a few rounds in this tourney. I suppose it will come down to how others feel about it after many repeat listens. This Atmosphere tune brings me back. Rhymesayers is one of the greatest all-time indie hip-hop labels. This song was a great one when I first listened to it in high school. I never was the biggest fan of Slugs angry lyric delivery. Nor do I think his writing has the greatest insight or style. Blueprint or MF Doom would have been the better pick from that label.