In the second quarterfinal Gogol Bordello started strong, but Paul Steel finished big to win going away. The final tally: 73%-27%. Still, Gogol Bordello is better than the final score might indicate, and we congratulate them on a fine showing in the inaugural Tournament of Rock. Paul Steel moves on to the semis to face IAMX.

Up first in quarterfinal matchup #3 is Asobi Seksu, which thrashed The Dreaming in round 1. Their most recent CD, Hush, is one of the better discs we’ve heard this year, and comments from their previous match suggest that listeners are drawn to the intricacy of their new, leaner sound.

Listen: MySpace / Last.FM / Lala / eMusic

Their opponents, Canadian retro-rockers Black Mountain, are thoroughly steeped in the ’70s metal tradition of bands like Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple. In their best moments they infuse those influences with a contemporary Pacific Northwest indie ethic that strips the music of the kind of self-conscious pose that weighs down some other bands working the same genre.

Listen: MySpace / Last.FM / Lala / eMusic

Please lend these fine artists your ears by clicking on the “Listen” links below their pictures, then choose your favorite in the poll below. Your votes decide who moves on to the semifinals. Polls close at midnight on Thursday the 18th.

<br /> <a href=”http://answers.polldaddy.com/poll/1701247/” mce_href=”http://answers.polldaddy.com/poll/1701247/”>Who do you think is the best band in this round of the Tournament of Rock?</a><span style=”font-size:9px;” mce_style=”font-size:9px;”>(<a href=”http://www.polldaddy.com” mce_href=”http://www.polldaddy.com”>poll</a>)</span><br />

The current, updated bracket looks like this: