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After nearly two months of valiant fighting, we've arrived at this final showdown of the CHIRP Battle of the Bands 2016. In the Last Four, Chicago DIY darlings Ego and Lil Tits went the way of beloved venues from Wally's Word to Animal Kingdom, falling to the twin assaults of indie power poppers The Kickback and hard-charging surf punk Swimsuit Addition. Now, those two will face off for the right to call themselves CHIRP's favorite band for 2016.
Voting for the final round closes on Thursday, May 19 at 6 p.m. There can be only one!
Finalist One: The Kickback
Final Round Song: "Sting's Teacher Years"
Finish this phrase: "Play Like A _______________ Today": Bookish dude who's really good at Metroid.
Finalist Two: Swimsuit Addition
Final Round Song: "Tiara"
Finish this phrase: "Play Like A _______________ Today": Heavily armed riot grrl.
Well, we've arrived. From 32 bands, the field of the second-annual CHIRP Battle of the Bands has been winnowed to The Last Four. Let's see who they are and how they got here:
Ladies and gentlemen, we have four possible winners on our hands. You know what to do. Voting for the Last Four closes on Saturday, April 30 at 6 p.m. Let's get cookin'.
Wilco Regional Champion: The Kickback
Fourth Round Song: "Rob Our House"
Previous Championships: Once voted "Most Likely to Cover Fountains of Wayne"
Kanye Regional Champion: Lil Tits
Fourth Round Song: "Peaking"
Previous Championships: Beat a Pavement cover band at flip cup once.
Chance Regional Champion: Ego
Fourth Round Song: Again: pick one
Previous Championships: Given Dell Horoscopes' Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015.
Mavis Region Champion: Swimsuit Addition
Fourth Round Song: "Plug Us In"
Previous Championships: Won the Illinois State Fair's screaming contest, non-microphone division.
Congratulations are in order for Flesh Panthers. Those scuzz-rock fiends are the only band to from last year's third round to make the trip again this year. They're joined by seven newcomers from across Chicago's music scene, including a boatload of fellow DIY firebrands (Lil Tits, Ego, Swimsuit Addition), some radio-ready power-poppers (The Kickback), a cerebral hip-hop assassin (Psalm One), and Chicago's greatest living soul singer (Mavis Staples).
Only half of these would-be titans can become this year's Last Four. Which ones, you ask? Well, that's all up to you. Voting for Round Three closes on Sunday, April 17 at 6 p.m. You know what to do; now do it.
#5 Seed: The Kickback
Third Round Song: "White Lodge"
Sport Figure We Think of When We Hear Their Music: The mighty South Dakota Coyotes.
#6 Seed: Psalm One
Third Round Song: "Voyeuristic"
Sport Figure We Think of When We Hear Their Music: Florence Griffith Joyner. Get it, because she can flow? FloJo? I'll see myself out.
#8 Seed: Lil Tits
Third Round Song: "Were Werm"
Sport Figure We Think of When We Hear Their Music: Ronda Rousey, but less good-natured.
#6 Seed: Flesh Panthers
Third Round Song: "Elevator Girls"
Sport Figure We Think of When We Hear Their Music: The living embodiment of the crowd at Disco Demolition Night.
#5 Seed: Ego
Third Round Song: pick one.
Sport Figure We Think of When We Hear Their Music: That squirrely kid in the jean shorts who hangs out at the one neighborhood basketball court in your hometown that still has a chainlink net.
#3 Seed: Tortoise
Third Round Song: "Prepare Your Coffin"
Sport Figure We Think of When We Hear Their Music: Fellow esoteric oldster Phil Jackson.
#1 Seed: Mavis Staples
Third Round Song: "You Are Not Alone"
Sport Figure We Think of When We Hear Their Music: Fellow Chicago institution Ernie Banks.
#6 Seed: Swimsuit Addition
Third Round Song: "I Turn To Art"
Sport Figure We Think of When We Hear Their Music: A murderous gang of Baseball Furies from The Warriors.
There will be no repeat champion in the 2016 CHIRP Battle of the Bands. In Round One's biggest upset, last year's winner Modern Vices fell in a shocker to electronic esoterica masters Bitchin Bajas. The surprise fall of the defending champs wasn't the only unexpected result; industry titans Kanye West and Wilco also bowed out early, taken down decisively by DIY stalwarts Lil Tits and Meat Wave, respectively. There were close matches, too; in the round's narrowest margin, Twin Peaks beat out ShowYouSuck by just four votes.
Who will emerge from the sawmill of democracy that is Round Two? There's only one way to find out. Voting for Round Two closes on Wednesday, April 6 at 6 p.m. Now, get out there and help us crown a new champion.
#8 Seed: Meat Wave
Second Round Song: "Delusion Moon"
How They Won Last Round: Rallied an army of DIY kids to hassle dad rock statesmen Wilco.
#5 Seed: The Kickback
Second Round Song: "Scorched Earth Brouhaha"
How They Won Last Round: Yanked the football away at the last second from nu-emo standardbearer Into It. Over It.
Welcome to the part two of the opening round of the 2016 CHIRP Battle of the Bands. Click here to see part one, and read an explanation about the project and methodology. Voting for Round One closes at 6pm on Sunday, March 27, so make like Mayor Daley and vote early and often.
#1 Seed: Chance the Rapper
First Round Song: "Sunday Candy"
Why They're Here: The transcendent 2015 Donnie Trumpet collaboration Surf
#8 Seed: In Tall Buildings
First Round Song: "Flare Gun"
Why They're Here: The literary (and lovely) indie pop of 2015's Driver