The Bomb Squad has taken the next step in its quest to perform on national television during the 31st Annual American Music Awards, which will be broadcast live November 16 on ABC. The group advanced to the final round of competition in the New Music Award category when New Jersey-based Mere withdrew due to personal reasons. We are disappointed to learn that Mere had to drop out of the competition,’ said Dick Clark, AMA creator and executive producer. ‘While it is unfortunate, it does open up the door for another talented band, The Bomb Squad, to take full advantage of this opportunity.’ Other finalists include Elcodrive and relax to paris. The next round of competition is slated for October 23 at the CMJ Music Marathon in New York City. Fans are encouraged to vote for their favorite band at www.newmusicaward.com. Total online votes will count as one vote, which will be combined with the scores of a panel of judges present at the final round of competition.