INDIE EAR MADNESS: 2nd Round (South Region)

Sunday, March 23, 2008 | 1:47 PM

1 R.E.M. vs. 9 Saul Williams
Possibly jinxed by being on the most recent cover of SPIN magazine, R.E.M. loses a close one against the red-hot Saul Williams. R.E.M. is the first #1 seed to fall in this year's tournament.

(left: Saul Williams knocks off R.E.M., the first #1 seed to fall this year)

5 PJ Harvey vs. 4 Justice
PJ Harvey can rock many styles, but lately she's been favoring a more stripped down approach. Justice countered this with some heavy dance beats and a spirited remix of their hit "D.A.N.C.E." Once they got the crowd dancing, Harvey had a difficult time playing catch-up. Justice makes their first ever Sweet-16 appearance.

6 Kate Nash vs. 3 Spoon
Kate Nash is a rising name in certain indie-circles, but today, Spoon proved why they have been a name in certain indie-circles for many years. Britt Daniels wins MVP honors for the second straight match-up (although there are some small rumblings on the Spoon bench that he's taking a little too much control of the band).

7 The Black Keys vs. 15 Jay Reatard
Jay Reatard's magical upset run comes to an end. Dan and Pat's bottom-heavy blues attack was too much for the youngster and his band to contend with today.