Band battle rages on

The second semiannual battle of the bands to benefit Nuçi's Space has widened to include more than just bars and restaurants. The rules are simple: all bandmates must work at the business represented, all songs must be covers, and existing bands cannot enter.

Beyond that, anything goes, and the first two rounds, which took place in December, were full of chaos and ingenuity as 11 bands were whittled to six by official judges and crowd response.

This year's finalists hail from The Globe, Espresso Royale Café, Partner Software, the Caledonia Lounge, 40 Watt Club and the University of Georgia Music Business Program, playing songs from across the spectrum in styles that may render them unrecognizable at first listen.

With the help of sponsors, all of the money collected at the door goes to Nuçi's Space, which for a decade has benefited Athens' working-class musicians with affordable practice space and no-nonsense assistance regarding physical and mental health.

Here's a look at the bands involved in Wednesday's finals, where they're from and what they play.

► Suck to Blow Ratio, The Globe

"It was a great competition," said Dave Spivey, regarding the band's Dec. 7 performance. "It was a diverse showing, and our group's set was in itself pretty diverse. We didn't stick with one band or theme," he said, noting their knack for shifting between slinky and ambient, covering Radiohead fully arranged and '80s movie soundtracks by blowing into a collection of PBR bottles. "Practicing brought us all a bit closer. It was really nice to work with Thayer (Sarrano, local psychedelic folkster). She's new here, and we all enjoyed getting to know her." The beer bottle choir was a crowd favorite on the opening night.

► Ciao Y'all, Espresso Royale Café

All eleven employees from Espresso Royale Café were present and dressed in black - even the members hitherto unaffiliated with the stage were singing and shaking tambourines, stomping time in their boots, and throwing candy to the Dec. 7 audience. In the days leading up to the competition, customers were privy to baristas singing behind the counter, harmonizing with the squealing steam of cinnamon lattes and dancing down the narrow runway behind the pastry counter. Sam Paulsen, manager and relentless guitarist, formerly of We Versus The Shark celebrity, was in a good mood after the contest. "The other bands were good, technically proficient, and sounded like what they wanted to sound like, but we had the most fun, and brought the most creativity to our set."

Boasting a repertoire that included an a capella version of Beyonce's "Single Ladies," The Arcade Fire's "Wake Up," complete with cello, Rod Stewart's "Rhythm of My Heart," and a take on "Billie Jean" that had mo

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