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| Band: | Viva Voce | Mates of State |
| Album: | "The Heat Can Melt Your Brain" | "All Day" |
| Record Label: | Minty Fresh | Polyvinyl Records Co. |
| Grade: | B | B+ |
| Sounds like: | Floating in space | Happy love songs |
| Best Song: | "Alive With Pleasure" | "Goods [All in Your Head]" |
| Worst Song: | "High Highs" | "Starman" (David Bowie cover) |
| Who They Are: | Kevin and Anita Robinson, a husband-and-wife team from Oregon. | Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel, a former teacher and cancer researcher who got married and started a band. |
| Why They Rock: | Anita Robinson's voice is simply great, and it totally kicks her husband's butt. | Mates of State are so fun that they can't just be listened to - they have to be sung along to and danced to. They're so energetic about being in love. |
| Why They Suck: | The album is a mixed bag - some songs are great, while others just go on and on. | Who really cares this much about love? After a while, the topic becomes redundant. |
| The Verdict: | "The Heat Can Melt Your Brain" shows Viva Voce's potential to be an awesome band, but their songs need to be more consistent. | Mates of State may have a one-track mind, but their one-track mind sounds great. |
Winner: It was a close race, but Mates of State win. Viva Voce may be a more complex band than Mates of State, but their latest album is too inconsistent to pull them ahead of the Mates.
