MTV’s fifth-annual Musical March Madness tipped off on Monday (March 17), with 64 bands beginning a mythic quest for total tournament supremacy … and one very toned trophy.
Who will take home the title? Ultimately, it’ll be up to you: Vote now for your favorites in all first-round matchups at MMM.MTV.com, and make sure to check back on Monday, March 24 at noon E.T. when the tournament moves on to round two.
Note Now In All #MMM First-Round Matchups!
Of course, this year’s #MMM is already proving to be an unpredictable affair; after all, we let fans pick all the bands in the field of 64, which has infused the tournament with some much-needed new blood (and, of course, Tokio Hotel, who brought a dog to this year’s bracket.) So to help you make sense of all the craziness, we’re breaking down the action, region by region.
We’ve already taken a look at the bands battling it out in the Midwest and West, and today, we’re turning our attention to the East, home of plenty of indie rock acts, blog bands and, yes, Tokio Hotel, who, if history is any indicator, are probably going to win it all. But as a matter of mere formality, let’s dive deeper into all the matchups in the East!
The #1 seed in the East went to Vampire Weekend, #MMM vets who claimed their second chart-topping album last year (and displayed an alarming amount of Steve Buscemi knowledge in the process). They’re pitted against #16 Palaye Royale, who you probably have never heard of … because they’re the first unsigned band to every make the tournament.
And while they’re newcomers to #MMM, Palaye Royale aren’t shying away from the spotlight; in fact, they’re blasting VW in their first-round matchup, and right now, look like locks to advance to round two, where they’d take on either #8 the 1975 or #9 Coldplay, two British bands currently locked in a back-and-forth battle that’s too close to call.
The rest of the East’s top half features matchups between #5 Arctic Monkeys and #12 the Vamps (currently, it’s AM in the lead) and #4 Bastille and #13 Electric Century, which seems like it’s destined to come down to the wire: Mikey Way’s band may be new, but they’re giving Bastille everything they can handle in the first round … make sure you keep your eyes on this one.
The East’s #2 seed is Lorde, and though she had no problem dominating the chats in 2013, she’s having plenty of difficulty getting past #15 Phantogram in round one; the winner will get either #7 Tegan and Sara or #10 Bring Me The Horizon in round two, and though BMTH entered the tournament as many folks’ sleeper pick, they’re currently trailing the Quinn sisters by a sizeable amount.
Meanwhile, #3 Arcade Fire look to hold serve against #14 Bayside, though the winner of this is largely arbitrary; they’ll draw #11 Tokio Hotel (currently eviscerating #6 Korn) in round two, and likely lose by double digits. Can anyone stop the Germans from their march to the title? Probably not; and we’d like to apologize in advance for that fact.
Of course, as history has shown, there are no sure things in #MMM, and there’s plenty of time for the totals to change. If your favorite band is up big, you’ve got to keep them in the lead … or, if they’re losing, well, you’ve got your work cut out for you. Voting in the first-round continues until Monday, March 24 at noon E.T. … so hit the polls! Championship dreams hang in the balance!
MTV’s Musical March Madness tournament is underway! Vote in all first-round matchups now at MMM.MTV.com, and spread the word on Twitter using the hashtag #MMM
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