Welcome, once again to the next round of Musical Madness (played mostly in March). We're down to eight bands or artists with some of the biggest names already knocked out. Three #8 seeds are still in it, but only one #1 seed remains. The Strokes, Alicia Keys, Kanye West, Rihanna, Gorillaz, Kings of Leon, MGMT, Interpol, and many others have all been sent home early, but there are plenty of big names still left.

You have until 8pm ET on March 31st to vote in this round. Want to make sure your favorite makes the Final 4? Tell your friends, rally the troops, and tell everyone you know to vote.

Only one vote per person please. Duplicate votes will be voided.

Quizzes by Quibblo.com

Thanks to some additional publicity from fans of Ingrid Michaelson and Band of Horses, Round 4 was an incredible success with over twice as many votes as the previous rounds. Many thanks to those of you who voted; especially to the ones who took the time to comment on their picks. Thankfully for me, I didn't have any impossible decisions to make this round because there were no ties. Without further ado, here are the results as decided by you:

Avenged Sevenfold vs. LCD Soundsystem
Drew, a huge fan of metal and one of the few to have voted in every round, mentioned he felt A7X may be coming to the end of their run in this tournament. However, his vote, combined with many others, was enough to sneak A7X past LCD Soundsystem with 56% of the vote. The last hope for fans of electronic music is now gone. Metal fans, your hopes remain in-tact, but the field only gets harder from this point on.
WINNER: Avenged Sevenfold

Audioslave vs. The Black Keys
Although Audioslave has crushed each of the opponents they have faced thus far, their road ends here. Perhaps if Audioslave had allowed their music to be used in oh...27 more commercials, they would be on par with The Black Keys in terms of familiarity, but having already disbanded, it's not surprising The Black Keys, with their seemingly endless supply of television spots, were able to keep pressing forward in this tournament.
WINNER: The Black Keys

Band of Horses vs. The Decemberists
The Decemberists took a huge early lead, but a single post on http://www.odetoboh.net/ set their hopes to rest. As soon as Band of Horses fans were made aware their favorite music was in danger of falling to The Decemberists, they rallied the troops and settled the score. The result was Band of Horses taking 60% of the overall vote and moving on to the Euphonious Eight.
WINNER: Band of Horses

The Postal Service vs. Mumford & Sons
The Postal Service has been one of the great stories of this tournament so far. With only one album, released back in 2003, The Postal Service's music stands the test of time and not only earned a spot in the tournament, but managed to take out the immensely popular Vampire Weekend and the even more popular Strokes. However, after making waves in both the US and the UK, Mumford & Sons are the type of band no one wants to see on their schedule in this tournament. With 60% of the vote, Mumford & Sons moves on to face Band of Horses.
WINNER: Mumford & Sons

Ingrid Michaelson vs. Sara Bareilles
Even friends fight sometimes. Although Sara Bareilles apparently earned the "metal vote," there were some, like Susan, that didn't want to choose between these two artists since they are both phenomenal musicians and songwriters. Like all tournaments, however, some one has to lose and in this case, that person is Sara Bareilles. Ingrid fans, you did it. Now don't let this victory go to your head. Keep those votes coming for the next round.
WINNER: Ingrid Michaelson

Lady Gaga vs. Alexi Murdoch
As big a fan I am of Alexi Murdoch's music, I have a feeling (as do many others) that this contest was really more a choice between Lady Gaga and Not Lady Gaga. With 53% of the vote going to Lady Gaga, pop music's newest queen moves on. This was easily the closest contest of the round. Lady Gaga moves on to face Ingrid Michaelson to determine the winner of the "Solo Artist" region. Should be an interesting match.
WINNER: Lady Gaga

Arcade Fire vs. Franz Ferdinand
This was a lot closer than I thought it would be. The bands match up well, but there is a glaring difference between the two in terms of both publicity and critical acclaim. Arcade Fire, indie darling gone international sensation, eventually pulled off the win with only 57% of the vote. Does this spell trouble for them in the rounds ahead? Only time will tell.
WINNER: Arcade Fire

Kings of Leon vs. The Killers
Bobby pointed out that Kings of Leon should definitely have more votes, and would if this tournament were better known to European fans. While I agree with him on both counts, Kings of Leon's latest album was a disappointment to many and may have been a deciding factor for fans that were on the fence when deciding the outcome of this contest. In the end, The Killers managed to sneak by with 56% of the vote.
WINNER: The Killers

Many thanks to everyone, once again, for voting. With only eight bands left, the decisions may be getting harder, but the results get more interesting. Round 5, "The Euphonious Eight" will be posted on Monday.

Well, we're down to 16 and there are some VERY tough decisions. Don't forget to comment on what you thought were the easiest and toughest decisions for this round after you've voted. Those bands receiving justification in the comments might just be more likely to be pushed through in case of a tie.

You have until the end of the day on March 27th to vote for this round. Thanks to everyone who has voted so far! Don't forget, one vote per person.

If you're having trouble making a decision, here are some helpful links (most are different from my original links if you want to hear more by these artists):

Avenged Sevenfold vs. LCD Soundsystem

Audioslave vs. The Black Keys

Band of Horses vs. The Decemberists

The Postal Service vs. Mumford & Sons

Ingrid Michaelson vs. Sara Bareilles

Lady Gaga vs. Alexi Murdoch

Arcade Fire vs. Franz Ferdinand

Kings of Leon vs. The Killers

Quizzes by Quibblo.com

With more votes than any round so far, there were a lot of close contests and surprise winners. Many thanks to everyone who took the time to vote. The more people we have voting, the better this tournament will become so tell your friends.

Here are the results of Round 3:

Avenged Sevenfold vs. Wolfmother
With a second album that rivals their stunning debut, I figured Wolfmother had this one locked up, but the metal fans are coming out of the woodwork for this tournament and Avenged Sevenfold keeps chugging on. Take Drew's advice: listen to "Nightmare" and maybe you'll see why they've made it this far.
Winner: Avenged Sevenfold

LCD Soundsystem vs. The Darkness
In one of the closest contests of Round 3, James Murphy's LCD Soundsystem narrowly escaped elimination, keeping the last hopes of electronic fans alive. Had The Darkness announced their reunion just a tad earlier, things might have been different.
Winner: LCD Soundsystem

Priestess vs. Audioslave
Audioslave may have disbanded, but that doesn't mean their music can't live on. With nearly 70% of the vote, Audioslave takes this contest easily.
Winner: Audioslave

The Raconteurs vs. The Black Keys
The contest Megan described as the hardest decision of the round ended in a tie. Unfortunately, I have to agree with her. The Raconteurs and The Black Keys are both extremely talented, but like Megan, I think I have to give this one to The Black Keys.
Winner: The Black Keys

Local Natives vs. Band of Horses
The little 16 seed that could, Local Natives, made waves by beating out Broken Bells to get into the tournament and then handling #1 seed Elbow easily. Sadly, Band of Horses was too much for them to handle and their story ends here...this year.
Winner: Band of Horses

The Decemberists vs. Paper Route
Give Paper Route a few more years and I wouldn't be surprised if they win this thing. For the time being, however, The Decemberists are the far bigger name, which was reflected in voting.
Winner: The Decemberists

The Postal Service vs. The Strokes
For me, this was by far the most surprising outcome of the tournament. The Strokes just released a new album which has earned them headlining spots at festivals like Bonnaroo, but that doesn't matter for fans of The Postal Service's 2003 debut, which is still their only album as of yet.
Winner: The Postal Service

Bloc Party vs. Mumford & Sons
Mumford & Sons is one of very few artists to have been certified platinum in both the US and the UK. Over 75% of the people who voted probably own their debut.
Winner: Mumford & Sons

Alicia Keys vs. Ingrid Michaelson
Another #1 seed bites the dust. Ingrid Michaelson fans gave the talented singer/songwriter over 60% of the vote.
Winner: Ingrid Michaelson

Sara Bareilles vs. Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse has been in the news more than Sara Bareilles recently, but not for musical reasons. Winehouse managed only 27% of the vote. Bareilles moves on to face Ingrid Michaelson, an artist she has played many shows with in the past, including a recent performance at The White House.
Winner: Sara Bareilles

Kanye West vs. Lady Gaga
Kanye West earned my pick for the best album of last year, which is saying a lot if you're familiar with my typical musical tastes. However, even his greatest achievements weren't enough to knock over the juggernaut that is Lady Gaga. With over 70% of the vote, Gaga moves on easily.
Winner: Lady Gaga

Alexi Murdoch vs. Jonsi
There weren't enough Sigur Ros fans to keep Jonsi moving forward. Alexi Murdoch whispers his way into Round 4.
Winner: Alexi Murdoch

Gorillaz vs. Arcade Fire
Arcade Fire just won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, and rightfully so. That was all they needed to defeat #1 seed Gorillaz. Only one #1 seed remains.
Winner: Arcade Fire

Hard-Fi vs. Franz Ferdinand
Hard-Fi recently announced a few big shows in the UK, but they remain relatively unknown in the US. Franz Ferdinand, a much bigger band in the US, received nearly 80% of the vote.
Winner: Franz Ferdinand

Keave vs. Kings of Leon
A relatively close contest compared to many this round, but Kings of Leon managed to hold on long enough for a victory.
Winner: Kings of Leon

The Killers vs. Interpol
The Killers ran away with this one early. Despite a slight comeback for Interpol in the last day of voting, The Killers move on easily.
Winner: The Killers

Round 4 will be posted shortly

Moving right along, it's time for Round 3. If you are unfamiliar with any of the artists, please refer to the Round 2 post to find a link for each of them. Thanks to everyone who has voted so far. The more people who vote, the better the results will be so tell your friends.

After you have voted, please leave a comment in the comments section discussing which contests you had the hardest time deciding on and feel free to comment on the bands you're surprised have made it this far in the tournament.

Quizzes by Quibblo.com

Don't forget to comment on which contests you thought were the easiest and hardest to make a decision for!

With 18 total responses, this round saw twice the votes of round 1. Unfortunately for me, there were numerous ties so I had some tough decisions to make. Here are the results:

Avenged Sevenfold vs. Them Crooked Vultures
I was really hoping this wouldn't turn out to be a tie, but it was. The supergroup known as Them Crooked Vultures could prove to be a powerful force that's here to stay if their rumored second album comes out at the end of the year as expected. Until then, however, I have to give it to the higher seed.
Winner: Avenged Sevenfold

Arctic Monkeys vs. Wolfmother
It was a close race, but Wolfmother's tough to beat even with an almost entirely new lineup of musicians.
Winner: Wolfmother

LCD Soundsystem vs. Calvin Harris
Surprisingly one-sided, James Murphy's LCD Soundsystem takes this contest easily. After his shows at MSG, however, LCD Soundsystem will apparently be no more.
Winner: LCD Soundsystem

The Darkness vs. Justice
Apparently rumors of The Darkness reuniting were enough to catapult them over Justice.
Winner: The Darkness

Deadmau5 vs. Priestess
Another tie! I love Deadmau5, but with Calvin Harris and Justice already out of the tournament, it seems as though Priestess has the better shot at continuing on past this round.
Winner: Priestess

Audioslave vs. Airbourne
Although Audioslave has split up, the collective fanbase of Rage Against the Machine and Soundgarden was enough to give Audioslave the majority.
Winner: Audioslave

The Sword vs. The Raconteurs
With almost 70% of the vote, Jack White's only remaining horse in the tournament moves on.
Winner: The Raconteurs

The Black Keys vs. Band of Skulls
I'm shocked this came out as a tie, but despite the media over-saturation, The Black Keys are, in my opinion, the frontrunner for this region.
Winner: The Black Keys

Elbow vs. Local Natives
60% voted for Local Natives. A 16 seed knocks the first 1 seed out of the tournament.
Winner: Local Natives

Band of Horses vs. Beach House
With over 70% of the vote, Band of Horses are the clear winners of this match.
Winner: Band of Horses

The Decemberists vs. Fleet Foxes
Rough matchup for Fleet Foxes. They may have been able to take a lot of the bands in this region, but not The Decemberists.
Winner: The Decemberists

The National vs. Paper Route
Another difficult tie. While I love The National, I see an immense potential for Paper Route moving forward. They have a rough matchup against The Decemberists in the next round, but I urge all of you to give them a listen before making any hasty decisions.
Winner: Paper Route

The Postal Service vs. Vampire Weekend
60% of voters are hoping The Postal Service eventually releases a second album.
Winner: The Postal Service

The Strokes vs. Florence & the Machine
The Strokes have a new album coming out this week which is the only thing that could have made Florence & the Machine old news. With 70% of the vote, however, The Strokes won easily.
Winner: The Strokes

Bloc Party vs. Angus & Julia Stone
It's hard to get used to Julia's voice which may be part of the reason Bloc Party took 78% of the vote. One of the most one-sided matches in this round.
Winner: Bloc Party

The Shins vs. Mumford & Sons
Unfortunately for me, this turned out to be a tie. Two of my favorite bands in this region going head to head in an early round is tough to pick, but I am rarely as impressed by a band's debut as I was with Mumford & Sons'. Let's see how they do against Bloc Party.
Winner: Mumford & Sons

Alicia Keys vs. James Vincent McMorrow
Alicia Keys has significantly more time in the spotlight which was enough to rocket her to victory in this round.
Winner: Alicia Keys

Ingrid Michaelson vs. Rihanna
Rihanna had the early lead, but Ingrid Michaelson pulled through in the end and lived to do battle with Alicia Keys in the next round.
Winner: Ingrid Michaelson

Sara Bareilles vs. Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift is the better songwriter, but Sara Bareilles is the better performer. Since this came out as a tie, I'm going to tip the hat to Sara and see how she does in the next round.
Winner: Sara Bareilles

Amy Winehouse vs. Bon Iver
Amy Winehouse hasn't released anything in a while, but then again, neither has Bon Iver.
Winner: Amy Winehouse

Kanye West vs. Aloe Blacc
83% wanted Kanye to move on. I can't possibly argue with that.
Winner: Kanye West

Justin Timberlake vs. Lady Gaga
Another tough tie. Although Lady Gaga's latest single, "Born This Way," is disappointing, I've gotta give her credit for being the Madonna of the 21st century.
Winner: Lady Gaga

Tristen vs. Alexi Murdoch
It was a close race, but fans of Alexi Murdoch pulled through in the end.
Winner: Alexi Murdoch

Cee Lo Green vs. Jonsi
Another very close race, but perhaps there are enough Sigur Ros fans familiar with Jonsi's work to keep him alive.
Winner: Jonsi

Gorillaz vs. Foster the People
Foster the People is the newest band in the tournament, but their catchy beats weren't enough to beat out Damon Albarn and company.
Winner: Gorillaz

Arcade Fire vs. Kaiser Chiefs
Kaiser Chiefs are incredibly catchy, but even at an 8 seed, Arcade Fire is the band to beat in this region.
Winner: Arcade Fire

TV On the Radio vs. Hard-Fi
I'm actually surprised at the support for Hard-Fi. Often compared to The Clash, Hard-Fi is working on their 3rd album currently, but it won't be out in time to have an impact on the rest of this tournament.
Winner: Hard-Fi

Franz Ferdinand vs. Gnarls Barkley
Over 70% took Franz Ferdinand. Cee-Lo Green is officially knocked out of the tournament.
Winner: Franz Ferdinand

Keane vs. Editors
With Keane handling Editors easily, it looks like Interpol is the last remaining hope for Joy Division fans.
Winner: Keane

Kings of Leon vs. MGMT
A solid victory for the boys from Nashville, TN.
Winner: Kings of Leon

The Killers vs. The Bravery
Although they have been around a similar amount of time, The Killers significantly more popular worldwide and that helped them to victory here.
Winner: The Killers

Interpol vs. Empire of the Sun
Empire of the Sun is often compared to MGMT And if MGMT couldn't even make the next round, how is Empire of the Sun expected to?
Winner: Interpol

Thanks once again to everyone who voted in Round 1. The field of 68 has been reduced to 64 and this is where the voting gets really important. The newest bands have had their play in, but now it's time for them to take on the bands and artists that have been around longer and have thus had more time to justify themselves as one of the decade's best.

This round no longer requires you leave each of your picks in the comments section, but please leave a comment with your thoughts on the match ups, which you thought were the hardest to choose, and which you thought were the most one-sided.

To place your votes, scroll down and you will find a handy survey utility. Everyone will only be allowed to vote once. For your reference, I have included links for each of the bands and artists listed. If you're unfamiliar with any of them, please click on their name and you will be directed to a YouTube video for one of their songs.

Avenged Sevenfold vs. Them Crooked Vultures

Arctic Monkeys vs. Wolfmother

LCD Soundsystem vs. Calvin Harris

The Darkness vs. Justice

Deadmau5 vs. Priestess

Audioslave vs. Airbourne

The Sword vs. The Raconteurs

The Black Keys vs. Band of Skulls

Elbow vs. Local Natives

Band of Horses vs. Beach House

The Decemberists vs. Fleet Foxes

The National vs. Paper Route

The Postal Service vs. Vampire Weekend

The Strokes vs. Florence & the Machine

Bloc Party vs. Angus & Julia Stone

The Shins vs. Mumford & Sons

Alicia Keys vs. James Vincent McMorrow

Ingrid Michaelson vs. Rihanna

Sara Bareilles vs. Taylor Swift

Amy Winehouse vs. Bon Iver

Kanye West vs. Aloe Blacc

Justin Timberlake vs. Lady Gaga

Tristen vs. Alexi Murdoch

Cee Lo Green vs. Jonsi

Gorillaz vs. Foster the People

Arcade Fire vs. Kaiser Chiefs

TV On the Radio vs. Hard-Fi

Franz Ferdinand vs. Gnarls Barkley

Keane vs. Editors

Kings of Leon vs. MGMT

The Killers vs. The Bravery

Interpol vs. Empire of the Sun

Quizzes by Quibblo.com

Thanks once again to everyone for voting. We're working on getting a better voting system for Round 2 so be patient and it'll be up very soon, but in the meantime, let's take a look at the results of Round 1.

Them Crooked Vultures vs. The Dead Weather
Both of these groups are technically "supergroups," and while Jack White's murderous ways being caught on film was enough to sway some voters, it wasn't enough to overtake the power trio of Josh Homme, Dave Grohl and John Paul Jones. When a member of Led Zeppelin gets caught up in a new project, people typically take notice.
Winner: Them Crooked Vultures

Local Natives vs. Broken Bells
To be honest, when these two groups matched up, I thought Broken Bells would take it easily, but the votes kept coming in for Local Natives. The Shins are still in it though so James Mercer's voice still has a horse in this race.
Winner: Local Natives

Janelle Monae vs. James Vincent McMorrow
Although Janelle Monae seemed to be the neo-soul movement's greatest hope in this tournament, she was rather handily defeated by the soft, whispered tones of singer/songwriter James Vincent McMorrow. As they are two very different styles of artists, perhaps this victory for Mr. McMorrow provides some foreshadowing as to the voting trends for this tournament? Janelle Monae fans, tell your friends to vote in Round 2.
Winner: James Vincent McMorrow

Beady Eye vs. Foster the People
For a band that has only released an EP thus far, it's extremely impressive to see Foster the People moving on against I Can't Believe it's Not Oasis. Luke's comment about the tribute haircut easily takes the award for most hilarious justification of a vote for Round 1. Who's gonna take over the throne for Round 2?
Winner: Foster the People

The field is set and now it's time to get your votes in. Many thanks to those of you who gave me suggestions for groups or artists that may have been overlooked. From now until March 16th, leave your votes in the comments below for the "First Four" at the top of the bracket. If you're unfamiliar with any of the selections, just click on their name below to be linked to a YouTube video I feel captures what they're all about. Every band or solo artist represented in this tournament deserves their nomination so I highly recommend listening to anyone you haven't heard before. Winners will go on to play in the field of 64 for which voting commences on March 17th.

The Dead Weather
vs.
Them Crooked Vultures

Local Natives
vs.
Broken Bells

Janelle Monae
vs.
James Vincent McMorrow

Beady Eye
vs.
Foster the People

We’re all familiar with March Madness. It seems nearly everyone these days is filling out a bracket for an office pool, on-line competition, or friendly wager. Although it can be an incredibly exciting time of year for us sports fans, we have very little influence, if any, over the outcome of the game. Sure, we can travel to any of the cities playing host to the games and scream our heads off for our favorite team, but in the end, we’re still just one person in a sea of influences.

As Americans, we’re extremely passionate about our sports, but we’re also passionate about music. The vast majority of us all have specific teams we cheer for just as everyone has different tastes in music. Sure, some of us might like the same bands or solo artists, but there will almost always be some group that two people don’t see eye to eye on. Lock ten people in a room and tell them to pick the best band of the last ten years and the only way you’ll get a unanimous decision is if less than ten people come out of that room. So what if there were a tournament to decide this for us?

This Sunday, “Selection Sunday,” The Beat will unveil a field of 68 bands or solo artists whose debut album was released within the last ten years. That means that any band with a debut album released before 2001 is not eligible for this tournament. Sorry Beatles fans. Unlike the NCAA Tournament, however, you have a much bigger say in this tournament’s outcome. Do you have a favorite band or solo artist you’d like to see compete? Submit your picks in the comments below and they will be heavily considered for the final field of 68. The highest seeds will be given to the bands that have been around the longest.

Your input doesn’t stop there! Once the field is set, the winner of each contest will be selected entirely by votes. Everyone gets one vote for each matchup. Jeff Loudon, of The Beat, will act as a tie breaker, but will have no say in the outcome of the tournament otherwise. Only votes submitted in the comments below will be counted. The Beat will provide brief commentary for each game once the votes are counted, announce the winner and then open up voting for the next round.

Here is the schedule:

First Four – March 14-16 Voting closes at 8pm ET March 16^th

Second Round – March 17-20 Voting closes at 8pm ET March 20^th

Third Round – March 21-24 Voting closes at 8pm ET March 24^th

Sweet 16 – March 25-27 Voting closes at 8pm ET March 27^th

Elite 8 – March 28-30 Voting closes at 8pm ET March 30^th

Final 4 – April 1-4 Voting closes at 8pm ET April 4^th

The championship will be determined based on voting in the Final 4. Winner of the tournament will be announced April 5th.

There you have it. You have until Sunday to submit your suggestions for the tournament. The field will be set no later than 12am ET Monday.