Two new contenders step up

Week 2 winner

Week 2: For the second week in a row, the popular vote has collectively thumbed its nose at our celebrity judge's pick -- while Chris Walla went for "I'll Roll With You" from Eli Reed, you chose "Hallelujah the Hills" by Hallelujah the Hills as this week's winner. Congratulations to everyone in the band -- Ryan, David, Matthew, Joseph, Eric and Brian -- on becoming our second finalists for the $5000 Song Search grand prize!

The two songs competing in Week 3 occupy different ends of the sonic scale: One's driven and precise, filled with programmed beats and crisp guitars; the other is quiet and indistinct, conjuring less of a melody than a mood. You've got until 11:59 p.m. EST on Sunday to vote for your favorite of the two, but John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats will check in on Friday with his pick.

Week 3: The Main Drag vs. the Mammoth

"A Jagged Gorgeous Winter," the Main Drag

The Main Drag is the collaboration of Boston-area musician/producer/music writer Adam Arrigo and members of the Blanks. Arrigo says, "Most everything I put into my recordings comes from organic material that I've recorded, morphed and chopped up in my computer. It sounds like I should be making avant-garde electonica, but my first love has always been pop music." Our go-to blogger, Blair from Music for Robots, says, "Love the piston-like drums and chorus-singalong vocals, plus the horns! So very good -- makes me want to party (no, not joking either -- this could really be the most fun song on here)."

"Tenochitlan," the Mammoth

Alan Howard and Jason Small, currently living in Washington DC but soon to be based in Brooklyn, are the duo behind the Mammoth. Salon's own Thomas Bartlett calls the song a combination of "lo-fi, folky acoustic guitar, a stiff but compelling drum part that sounds like a jazz student practicing playing across phrases, some tortured, Radiohead vocals and a rising tide of Dirty-Three style electric guitars and violins. It doesn't quite fit together, or at least doesn't seem to at first, but as the song builds and each element sticks doggedly to its guns it all grows together into something strange and effective."

Vote here:

Who did you vote for and why? And does either song top the previous weeks' winners?