This week’s title sequence is not from any World Cup programme, but it is a classic…
I was going to go straight into a rundown of the scores from last week, but given what happened I think some commentary as an introduction is essential.
Unlike week one, a number of these ties were right in doubt till the final few hours, albeit there was no late mad rush to the polls that swung things really dramatically. The lead in three of the contests – ACR v Arab Strap, Lambchop v Martha & The Muffins and Supergrass v Wire changed hands quite a few times; in the case of the last named, the scores were level some 24 hours out from close of play. Indeed, at 7.45 pm, it was still neck-and-neck when the final vote of the day – just one of five submitted on the Friday, came in courtesy of our old friend Jacques the Kipper who I know had no idea just how close things were proving to be. His call for the Artschool Veterans proved decisive..
Gemma Ray 15 The Lightning Seeds 31
The Woodentops 18 The Go-Betweens (2) 26
Mission of Burma 4 The Smiths 41
A Certain Ratio 18 Arab Strap 24
Supergrass 22 Wire (2) 23
Queens of the Stone Age 8 The Fall 36
Elvis Costello & The Attractions 20 Half Man Half Biscuit 27
Prefab Sprout (2) 28 The Blue Aeroplanes 16
Beach House 16 British Sea Power 33
Magazine 32 Prince 13
Lambchop 25 Martha & The Muffins 19
Everything But The Girl 32 The Libertines 12
Kanye West 12 SBTRKT 19
Talking Heads 28 Massive Attack 19
The Twilight Sad 12 Pavement 32
The Orwells 10 Pete Wylie 32
As expected, there were relatively easy passages for some of the big names. In the week that Mark E Smith shuffled off this mortal coil, it seemed fitting that his band took their place in the last 64 – it should be noted that The Fall were already comfortably ahead when the sad news came through and I don’t think any of the votes subsequently cast were out of sympathy.
I think it’s fair to say that each of Elvis Costello & The Attractions, Prince and Massive Attack would have, pre-tournament, hoped and possibly expected to have advanced to the latter stages only to get really tough assignments.
Moving now onto the third part of Round 1; I think its fair to say that the TV companies were spoiled for choice with a few of the really big crowd-pleasing names having to face off, but in the end the featured match really is something of a no-brainer.
Deadline is Friday 2 February, midnight UK time. As ever, please don’t feel you have to vote in all 16 instances.
The Wondermints v The Jesus and Mary Chain
Another Way (from Mind If We Make Love To You, 2002) v Reverence (from Honey’s Dead, 1992)
Joe Strummer v Julian Cope
Sleepwalk (from Earthquake Weather, 1989) v Try Try Try (from 20 Mothers, 1995)
The Pipettes v Lloyd Cole & The Commotions
Pull Shapes (from We Are The Pipettes, 2006) v Forest Fire (from Rattlesnakes, 1984)
The Jam v T.Rex
Happy Together (from The Gift, 1982) v All Alone (from Futuristic Dragon, 1976)
Billy Bragg v The Faces
St Swithin’s Day (from Brewing Up With Billy Bragg, 1984) v Miss Judy’s Farm (from A Nod’s As Good As A Wink To A Blind Horse, 1971)
The Housemartins v Gene
The People Who Grinned Themselves To Death (from same, 1987) v Cast Out In The Seventies (b-side,1997)
Foil v Emiliana Torrini
Let It Go Black (single, 1996) v Life Saver (from Fisherman’s Woman, 2005)
The Jayhawks v The Farmer’s Boys/The Higsons
All The Right Reasons (from Rainy Day Music, 2003) v It Goes Waap!! by The Higsons (single, 1981)
R.E.M. v Radiohead
USA v UK. Stipe v Yorke; Buck v Greenwood; And the toss of the coin and roll of the dice hasn’t made it any easier:-
Perfect Circle (from Murmur, 1983)
No Surprises (from OK Computer, 1997)
Elbow v The Skids
The Birds (from Build A Rocket Boys!, 2011) v Masquerade (from Days In Eurpoa, 1980)
Underworld v Ride
Beautiful Burnout (from Oblivion With Bell, 2007) v Like A Daydream (from the Play EP, 1990)
Carter USM v Dwight Yoakam
Re-educating Rita (b-side, 1990) v Two Doors Down (from This Time, 1993)
Pulp v Tindersticks
Pink Glove (from His ‘n’ Hers, 1994) v Kathleen (single, 1994)
The The v Simple Minds
Armageddon Days Are Here (Again) (from Mind Bomb, 1989) v Someone, Somewhere In Summertime (from New Gold Dream, 1982)
The Velvet Underground v The National
I’m Waiting For The Man (from The Velvet Underground & Nico, 1967) v Slow Show (from Boxer, 2007)
Friends Again v XTC (2)
Honey At The Core (single, 1983) v I’d Like That (from Apple Venus Vol 1, 1999)
The final part of Round 1 will be unveiled next Saturday, by which time everyone should just about have their breath back from the above matches. Don’t worry, you’ll be hyperventilating again soon, with arguably the best two ties of the lot still to be revealed.
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 
Wondermints
Joe Strummer
Lloyd Cole
Billy Bragg
Housemartins
The Jam
Emiliana Torrini
REM
Simple Minds
Ride
Velvet Underground
XTC
…and can’t wait for next week to see who OMD and the Trashcan Sinatras come up against. Too bad about Martha and the Muffins….no more CanCon.
The Jesus and Mary Chain
Joe Strummer
Lloyd Cole & The Commotions
The Jam
Billy Bragg
Gene
R.E.M.
The Skids
Tindersticks
Simple Minds
The Velvet Underground
XTC
Some very tough choices here. Missssspellingkfdf of Mr Yoakam implying maybe that he’s something of the underdog in that tie?
Oops! Thanks for the heads up Nic. Sorted!!
Wondermints
Joe Strummer
Lloyd Cole
The Jam
Billy Bragg
Housemartins
Emiliana T.
Higsons
Radiohead
Elbow
Ride
Carter USM
Pulp
Simple Minds
Velvets
XTC!
OK based on the songs alone here we go
JAMC
Cope
Pipettes
Trex
Bragg
Gene
Foil
Jayhawks
Radiohead
Elbow
Ride
Carter
Pulp
Simple Minds
The Velvet Underground
XTC.
TB
Julian cope
Lloyd cole
jam
billy bragg
housemartins
REM (that one was a final surely?)
elbow
pulp
VU
XTC
Phew, a few hard choices again in this round …:
– JAMC
– Joe Strummer (yes, I know it should be songs only, but I simply can’t vote against Joe, can I? Wonder what I’d had done if The Clash would have come up instead of Julian Cope!)
– Lloyd Cole
– Jam
– Billy Bragg
– Housemartins
– Foil
– Jayhawks
– REM (now, this was a hard one indeed, ‘cos I dislike both combos intensely! REM win, but only by of a penalty kick they got because of a wrong decision by the referee in the very last second of the game!)
– Skids
– Ride
– Carter USM
– Pulp
– The The (albeit both songs were no good imho …)
– Velvet Underground
– Friends Again
JAMC.
Strummer (tough game, both sides wearing heavy boots and kicking lumps out of each other)
Lloyd Cole
The Jam
Billy Bragg
Gene
Emeliana Torrini
THe Kayhawks
REM (6 nil although Stipe was well offside for at least 2 of them).
Skids
Underworld
Carter- by a whisker, not too fussed about this game.
Pulp
The The
The VU
XTC
Wondermints
Julian Cope
Lloyd Cole (wonder if they will regret playing their star striker in an early round)
The Jam
Billy Bragg
Housemartins (result would have gone the other way if about the band
Foil (last on match of the day)
Farmers Boys
Radiohead (streaky win based on fact one of few of their songs i really like)
Elbow
Ride
Carter (dark horse for a 1/4 final place)
Pulp (weak song but saved by the fact thati have never really got the tindersticks)
Simple Minds (tie of the round but the SM song means they get it in extra time)
National
Friends again
Doing this properly this time and going to listen to every song
Some clear cut matches here, although one or two where the ‘role’ of the dice has had a strong bearing.
Jesus & Mary Chain
Joe Strummer (since I picked all the tracks, I knew everyone was a game-winner)
Lloyd Cole – though he may have played his strongest side here
The Jam
The Housemartins
Emiliana Torrini
The Jayhawks
R.E.M. from my favourite era of the band
Skids
Underworld
Carter USM
Tindersticks
The The – a scrappy game, as both sides can do better, and with The The just getting through, I believe better will come
The Velvet Underground who have strength in depth
Friends Again
Some interesting bands have fallen by the wayside here, and given a better draw, could have been contenders.
here we go…….
JAMC
Julian Cope
Pipettes
The Jam
Billy Bragg
Housemartins
Foil
Higsons
Radiohead
Skids
Underworld
Carter
Pulp
The The
Velvet Underground
XTC
Toughest draws yet.
After careful consideration…
JAMC (I do like the Wondermints a lot, but tough competition)
Julian Cope
Lloyd Cole
T-Rex (not sure I’ll be able to show my face round these parts again now: I love The Jam, but I preferred that T-Rex song)
Billy Bragg
The Housemartins
Emeliana Torrini
The Jayhawks
BLOODY HELL. Normally REM would walk it, but against No Surprises? Radiohead.
Elbow
Ride
Carter
Pulp
The The
Velvets (dammit!)
XTC
Partly based on the songs and partly based on my own prejudices
Wondermints – some negative feedback for the East Kilbride boys
Cope – sorry Joe your team mates were missing in action and the Arch Druid played a blinder
Lloyd Cole -not heartbroken on this occasion
T Rex – a bitter pill to have to swallow
Billy Bragg – despite Rod’s alleged”football prowess”
Housemartins -Hull back in the top fliight
Emiliana – another case of Iceland punching above their weight
Jayhawks -easy win over the Tractor Boys
REM -despite a strop by Stipe
Skids – fired up by walking out to Into the Valley
Underworld v Ride boring 0-0 draw
Dwight – putting that Ralph Coates sweep over to good use
Tindersticks – for covering Townes
Simple Minds – winning despite starting brilliantly then fading badly
Velvets -experience counting
XTC – just
JAMC (no contest, and Reverence is one of my fave Mary Chain tunes)
Julian Cope
Lloyd Cole
Jam
Faces (after a long penalty shoot-out, 20 pens a piece, the winning kick going in off the post)
Housemartins (another shootout, only a failed Rabona show-off kick seperating the two)
R.E.M. (let’s face it, you never expected me to vote any other way, did you?)
Elbow (the song wins it)
Ride
Carter USM
Pulp
The The (wanted to vote for Simple Minds, but it came down to the songs again and Armageddon Days is better)
Velvets
XTC
The Jesus & Mary Chain
Julian Cope
Lloyd Cole & The Commotions
The Jam
Billy Bragg
The Housemartins
Foil
The Higsons
Radiohead (due to the scenes from House in mental institution – loved this song ever since)
The Skids
Underworld (Never forgiven Ride for pulling out of Kent Uni gig when I was there)
Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine
Pulp
Simple Minds
The Velvet Underground
Friends Again
oops missed one
Ride over Underworld
Wondermints (pleased as punch this wasn’t a shutout)
Julian Cope (brutal)
Lloyd Cole and the Commotions (much closer than you would think)
The Jam
Billy Bragg
The Housemartins
Emiliana Torrini
The Jayhawks (another close one)
R.E.M.
The Skids
Ride
Dwight Yoakam (brutal)
Tindersticks
Simple Minds (brutal)
Velvet Underground
Friends Again (going against XTC will haunt me forevermore)
Saving listening to these later, ensuring a Sunday night smile. Love this series.
So, so hard in places! But here goes…
JAMC (by a light year)
Julian Cope (no doubt about that one either)
LC & the Commotions
The Jam (but only just)
The Faces
Gene
Emiliana Torrini (go, Emiliana, go!)
F Boys/Higsons
Radiohead
The Skids
Underworld
Carter USM
Tindersticks
Simple Minds (which felt terribly disloyal but based on song choice alone!)
The National (didn’t like it but I never NEVER need to hear ‘Waiting For The Man’ again….)
XTC
Phew…
Wondermints
Joe Strummer
Lloyd Cole & the Commotions
(The Jam v T.Rex tie is cruelty of the highest order…..) T.Rex
Billy Bragg
Housemartins
Emiliana Torrini
The Jayhawks
REM
The Skids
Ride
(Carter v Dwight – no score after extra time, i.e. I played ’em both twice)
Tindersticks
The The
The Velvet Underground
XTC
Jesus and Mary Chain
Joe Strummer (Tie of the round for me)
Lloyd Cole (Taking the competition seriously and not underestimating the minnows from the lower leagues)
The Jam
Billy Bragg
The Housemartins
Emiliana Torrini (0-0 after 22 penalties – won on the flip of a coin)
Higsons (second of tie in a row that sees a smaller team in the next round)
REM (Radiohead in fine form but Stipe has the game of his life in goal)
The Skids
Underworld (Although I fear that in resting some of their big hitters we’ll see an upset)
Dwight Yoakim
Pulp (Never in doubt – with a kind draw they could get to the semi finals at least)
Simple Minds
Velvet Underground
Friends Again
The Jesus and Mary Chain
Julian Cope
Lloyd Cole and The Commotions
The Jam
The Faces
Gene
Foil
The Higsons
Radiohead
The Skids
Ride
Carter USM
Tindersticks
Simple Minds
The Velvet Underground
XTC
Pretty easy this week I thought…
The Wondermints
Julian Cope
Lloyd Cole and the Commotions
T-Rex
Billy Bragg
Gene
Foil
The Higsons
Radiohead
The Skids
Underworld
Dwight Yoakam
Tindersticks
The The
The Velvet Underground
XTC
Coward…..not waiting till the 11th hour!!!!
JaMC,
Joe Strummer,
Lloyd Cole,
The Jam,
B Bragg (who my son says sings like he works in a garage, a comment of which I think BB would approve),
Gene,
E Torrini,
Jayhawks,
REM (not as close as expected),
Skids,
Ride,
Dwight Yoakam,
Pulp (close),
The The,
Velvets,
XTC.
Listening to Perfect Circle threw up the line “11 shadows, way out of place,”which reminded me of my team trying to catch the Premier League leaders in the cup this afternoon.
Toughest round so far for me……
Wondermints
Joe Strummer
Lloyd Cole
The Jam (strong track v weak Bolan .Marc should have put up more of a fight)
Billy Bragg
Housemartins
Emiliana Torrini
Jayhawks
REM
skids
Ride
Dwight Yoakam
Pulp
The The
Velvet Underground
Friends Again
JAMC
Julian Cope
Lloyd Cole
The Jam
Billy Bragg
Housemartins
Foil
Higsons
Radiohead
Elbow
Ride
Carter
Pulp
Simple Minds
Velvets
XTC
A very busy weekend, so had to catch up with the songs in small batches – sticking to the “play ’em both, which do I most want to hear again straight after” rule:
Jesus And Mary Chain
Julian Cope
Lloyd Cole (would have beaten most tracks this week)
Jam (earlier T Rex track could have won out against this one)
Faces (just wasn’t in the mood for Billy when I listened)
Housemartins
Foil
Higsons
R.E.M. (much as I like early Radiohead, early R.E.M. will always triumph)
Skids
Ride (possibly the trickiest call this week)
Carter USM
Pulp
Simple Minds (at least two The The songs would have made this more difficult)
Velvet Underground
Friends Again (once again there are XTC songs that could have won out).
The Jesus and Mary Chain
Julian Cope
Lloyd Cole & The Commotions
T.Rex
Billy Bragg
The Housemartins
Emiliana Torrini
The Farmer’s Boys/The Higsons
Radiohead
The Skids
Underworld
Carter USM
Tindersticks
The The
The Velvet Underground
XTC (2)
All the best
JAMC
Joe Strummer
Pipettes
T.Rex
Faces (difficult one this – they were my two favourite tracks from the 32)
Housemartins
Emiliana Torrini
Higsons
Radiohead
Skids
Ride
Carter USM
Tindersticks
The The
Velvet Underground
XTC
Ooh, some tricky choices here.
Mary Chain
Saint Julian (sorry Saint Joe…)
Pipettes – blame Phonogram (the comic)
the Jam
St. william
Housemartins (oh, this one was tough)
Dont care
Don’t care (oh, if only Lloyd was drawn against one of these)
Radiohead (painful)
Not fussed
Ride
Carter
Pulp
the The
Velvets
Ouch
Just so I’m straight…this is SONG versus SONG, correct? Not artist v artist. Hmmm. In song v song I’m going with…
JAMC
Julian Cope
Pipettes (I can hear the crowd now…)
The Jam
Faces
Housemartins
Foil
Jayhawks
REM (once songs for any album past Document or Green show up…REM is out)
Skids
Ride
Carter USM
Pulp
The The
Velvets
XTC
Gimme a C, a bouncy C…
jeff
wondermints
Joe Strummer
Lloyd Cole & C
The Jam
The Faces
The Housemartins
Radiohead
The Skids
Carter USM
Pulp
Simple Minds
The Velvet Underground
Friends Again
SC
JAMC
Julian Cope
Lloyd Cole
The Jam
Bragg
Gene
Foil
The Higsons
REM….on penalties
The Skids
Ride
Carter
Pulp
The The
VU
Friends Again
Hey JC, my picks are-:
The Wondermints
Julian Cope
The Pipettes
The Jam
The Faces
The Housemartins
Emiliana Torrini
The Higson
Radiohead
The Skids
Ride
Carter USM
Simple Minds
The National
XTC
Cheers Jim
Sorry, how could i have missed out Pulp.
Jim
The Jesus & Mary Chain
Joe Strummer
Lloyd Cole & The Commotions
T. Rex
Billy Bragg
The Housemartins
Emiliana Torrini
The Farmer’s Boys/The Higsons
Radiohead
Elbow
Underworld
Carter USM
Pulp
The The
The Velvet Underground
XTC
Good lord, there are some “all-Premiership” ties here, aren’t there. Here goes.
The Jesus & Mary Chain
Joe Strummer
Lloyd Cole & The Commotions
The Jam
Billy Bragg
Gene
Emiliana Torrini
The Farmer’s Boys/The Higsons
Radiohead
The Skids
Ride
Carter USM
Pulp
The The
The Velvet Underground
XTC
JAMC
Cope
Cole
Jam
Bragg
Gene
Foil
Draw
REM
Skids
U’world
Carter
‘Sticks
Thex2
National
Friends
Cheers
Malky Tucker
JAMC
Joe Strummer
Lloyd Cole
T. Rex
Billy Bragg
Housemartins
Emiliana Torrini
Jayhawks
Radiohead
Elbow
Underworld
Carter USM
Pulp
The The
Velvet Underground
XTC
The Wondermints
Julian Cope
The Pipettes
The Jam
Billy Bragg
The Housemartins
Emiliana Torrini
The Jayhawks
REM
Elbow
Underworld
Dwight Yoakam
Pulp
The The
Velvet Underground
XTC
Here we go again.
JAMC
Joe Strummer – total gubbing, love Sleepwalk just wish it had been better produced
Lloyd Cole and the Commotions
The Jam
Billy Bragg
Housemartins
Foil
Jayhawks
Radiohead
Skids
Underworld
Pulp
The The
Velvets
Friends Again
The Jesus & Mary Chain
Julian Cope
Lloyd Cole & The Commotions
The Jam
The Faces
The Housemartins
Emiliana Torrini
The Higsons
R.E.M.
Elbow
Underworld
Dwight Yoakam
Tindersticks
Simple Minds
National
Friends Again
Some very tough ties there, particularly R.E.M. v Radiohead. Video-Assisted Referee required for that one…
JAMC
Julian Cope
The Pipettes
The Jam
Billy Bragg
The Housemartins
Foil
The Jayhawks
R.E.M.
The Skids
Ride
Carter USM
Pulp
Simple Minds
The Velvet Underground
Friends Again
Looking forward to Round 3…
…or Part 4 of Round 1, even…