Get A Review

[starfinger]

Hey so Starfinger, that "try my product" part in the chorus...is that inspired by that infomercial? You know, the dude that says he will help you learn how to use a PC mouse?

yes!! it's the Video Professor.

-craig

[WesDavis]

YES! I knew it. That guy really wants you to please try his product. I'm so glad you made a reference to him.

[Egg]

This post is sort of unrelated to a discussion of the fight or reviews. Sorry?

Hey Egg

Hey! I've been a little busy, and switching between computers and equipment can often put a damper on even the most scraggly of producers (read: Mogosagatai and egg). And Drew's been busy on a pretty big project and I guess life in New Orleans still requires him to laisse les bons temps roulez or somesuch. I'm looking forward to rejoining you all for at least a little bit soon. Also, I missed being quoted in Ray's signature. Also, hi, Paco! Hi anybody who says hi after I post this.

[xan]

Billys Little Trip
Unxpected intro. I like the direction this is going. Can't help feeling the vocal style doesn't quite work - maybe turn down the reverb a little - they dominate the song a little for my money. Like it the more I listen, particularly the breakdown around 2.20.

Caravan Ray
Catchy, nice sound. Like the hand claps. Vocals are good and fit well. Reminds me inexorably of Tripod! Nothing I don't like about this song.
Possible vote.

Civil Offense
Wow. Shivers. I didn't get this to begin with but I really like it. It feels like it's building for some insane solo, or for breaking into the song proper, but it just creshendoes and then... then.... pulls back. Brilliant, unexpected. Not my cup of tea per se, but as a whole its good.
Possible vote.

Cranial Biffida.
Not really a fan of this kind of music. But, it's well done and effective. Very dark and gravely. Production is good - but for my money a tad on the long side.

Doctor Worm
Really like this one. Catchy tune with a nice chorus. Introduction grabs my interest and nicely gives way to the main song. Like the lyrics - simple but effective. Mid solo (2.40ish) starts sounding a little out of place - feels a bit uncompftable in the song, wrong tone perhaps, but ends well. Drums a little bassey - deliberate? Makes me think of the Offspring a bit... Fallout Boy? The kind of song I love to play racing games to, fast and energetic.
Strong contender - possible vote.

Eidolon
A grower. Empty, eerie kind of sound took me a few listens to appreciate. Lyrics work well, vocals fit the piece. Drums sound a little shonky at times, as they are quite on thier own in places. Perfect ending.

Emergency Pizza Party
Deliberatly geeky male vocals irritate me somewhat. Female singing is good. Lyrics are... interesting - making me chuckle in places. Catchy tune with good production. Not my kind of music but not a bad tune.

Flvxxvm Florvm
Very rough - reminds me of the White Stripes a bit. It's a kind of notepad jotting of a song. Drums sound too synth, guitar _too_ over the top. Doesn't pull it off for me.

Gawking Urethras
I like this song. Has a nice vibe. Prefer the verses to the Chorus though - the transitions feel a little off-putting. Like the vocals a lot. Reminds me of the Cure, just like on alt.end. Excellent. Well put together, not too cluttered, but the symbols are bit too prominant on my speakers (Creative 5.1 crap). Nice guitar work - a lot going on but doesn't dominate.
Very good effort, I really like this. Possible vote.

Jim of Seattle
Wow. This is quite a song. I don't know what to say. Brilliantly put together. Too long, but then this isn't a normal song. The ending is good.
Possible vote.

Klownhole
Not quite. The sound is too basey and the vocals don't quite avoid irritating me. Like it best from 1.50 to the end, seems more driving from then, has a real sence of direction. More like this bit please!

Leaf 62
Too heavy for me. Really liked the intro and breakdown! Well performed with clean guitar playing (not the sound!).
Possible vote despite not being my style.

LML
Not feeling this song. Vocals seem just a smidge off. Nearly excellent but just occasionally misses it - some of the intonations throw me (something we didn't get right last week). "UUUUN-der-stand", "3ayem"(rushed), some are excellent "just a bunch of noise". Harmonica is nice but the drums are too harsh and the bass is too clangy. I think I'm being hyper critical for some reason. This should have me going "wow" but isn't quite - I think it's cos it's almost REALLY REALLY good so the little things are amplified.

The Mad Vulgarian
That bass is making my desk shake. Nice sparse tune, vocals go well with the accompniment. Lyrics are good, avoids cliches well. Not my cup of tea, but a solid song.

MC Eric B
You really need to get some female chorus vocals. You do the verses ok, but the choruses just wreck the vibe. At the very least, don't use the same effecte for the chorus as for the verses. Lyrics are a bit obvious, but work most of the time. Backing fits ok.

MC Localhost
Similar comments. I much prefer your tune - like the bass, its good. Lyrics and vocals are tighter. You get away with the chorus vocals just.

Medmonk
Like the gentle guitar sound throughout. I think I see what you are aiming for but not quite achieving. The growling kills it for me. I have to stop playing it now before my housemate puts a hammer through my computer :/.

Melvin
Nice and light (should that be "lite"?). Bright and airy. Catchy with nice harmonies. Well put together and performed. I like the driving rythm. Ending was a bit weak I thought.
Possible vote.

Paco del Stinko
Overall good. Love the jibbers at 1.00 and 2.00. Nicely recorded - the performance feeling comes across. Drums a smidge trebley?

R Mosquito
Fun song! The vocals are interesting. Harpsicord is an intersting touch. Slightly out of place perhaps... maybe not. All hangs together very well. Good.

Ross Durand
Haha. Made me think of Wierd Al from the off and then I heard the lyrics. The vocal tone gets to me after a while.

Spinlock
What can I say. MADNESS! .

Starfinger
Not a fan. Vocals remind me of Brad Sucks somehow. "sha ba baaa ba"'s are a nice touch, but don't save it. Well put together.

Steve Durand
Love the guitar work on this one. The main chorus vibe is a bit bland but I love the real instruments. Sounds loverly. Verses (lyrically / vocally / tunewise) are ace. Drums are just right.

Tenacious Geek
Thought this song needed a bit more pezaz. Some get up and go. It's just a little too laid back, though that fits the lyrics. I'm on a drum downer today it seems and that snare is too harsh for the smooth sound I think. Other than that, a good song, nicely sung, performed and recorded. A proper ending would have rounded it off better.

Wes Davis
I like the syncopated guitar rythm. The vocals are a smidge burried, hard to hear. I think I would have liked the song to go somewhere and maybe build a little. Like the final "get a life" line in the chorus, it leaves me thinking of folksey type things. Very nice. The ending is just about right, withthe diverging vocals. Nice.
Possible vote.

Your Money Wasted
Yes, yes, yes. Fast, bright, energetic. Syncopation! Catchy tune. I can't sit still to this one. Vocals are spot on. Guitars are nice and just that tiny bit squeeky. Solo just when it was needed. Good chord progression doesn't do exactly what you'd expect. Spot on. I love this. MORE!
Probable vote!

Zinkline
Mix needs work. Vocals sound like you are leaning into/away from the mic and a bit prominant. Drums a bit tinny and the guitar is too quiet - hard to hear the tune. Not bad at all just needs work.

Overall excellent work. Nothing that made me really shudder.

I'm torn between Dr Worm and Your Money Wasted. Will listen more this week and then decide!

Well done everyone! .

[medmonk]

Ok you got us!
As we said in the PREfight discussion, it was all written and recorded in a day, while we both (Ad and Dav) had hangovers, and I (Dav) had concussion from a head injury (from the previous night of course).
It obviously isnt a serious song, but we are workin on hopefully 'better' stuff.
Sorry if we offended anyones ears lol
Thanks for the cool reviews, made me laugh alot,
Dav

EDIT - the post was meant to be lighthearted, not an excuse, hence lol??? :S

Oh god this sounds like something I would've made when I was 16 or 17.

correct!
we both 18 the other month, though.

[Rabid Garfunkel]

This is not SongApology, nor is it SongExcuses... this is SongFight.

[Leaf]

Nothing personal, though, Leaf. You're a far more talented guitarist than I am.

I"m flattered by your comment. I used to spend hours playing a part until I thought it sounded good enough.The guitar parts for this took an hour, so my speed of output is improving.

You don't know me, so how can it actually be personal? I play tons of different styles depending on my mood, although I gravitate towards heavy stuff because I find it cathartic. What is interesting is when someone knocks out an SF song in a style that is foreign to others, and everyone likes it anyway. Maybe one day I'll do that with a metal song...who knows.

I'm the type of musician who practices a lot and analyzes the shit out of stuff, which is more my talent than "guitar playing".
As far as a comparision to you... well... I think that's going a bit too far. Who knows how old you are, how long you've played, if you've studied? My preference is to view anyone's developement, as if we are on the same path, but in differerent locations on that path. Comparisons are not relevant... making the journey is.

Even still, I appreciate the remark, mostly because it validates something I've been working hard at for the past year or so... and who doesn't appreciate a little validation every now and then eh? So thanks.

Of course, the whole POINT though is how you hear the SONG compared to others... it's songfight, not talentfight or who practicedguitarthemostfight. *EDIT: just read Rabid's post...hmmm. Are we on the same page??? why...yes we are. It's page 4.

I'm suspecting a JOS win at this point, which would be amusing! I kinda wondered if people would be offended by my lyrics... I mean, that's indicative of the style I did.. but so far, no dice. C'mon people!!! Let's get offended. (clearly too many people around here have a sense of humour and dont' take themselves seriously enough...)

[Egg]

(clearly too many people around here have a sense of humour and dont' take themselves seriously enough...)

I take myself way too seriously! LAY OFF OR I WILL EAT YOUR SONGS.

[Your Money Wasted]

To everyone who's reviewed thus far, thank you. To those who plan on reviewing in the future, thank you. I'll get my review in when I get a minute, which might not be for a few days

Edit: can I be a good guitarist too?

[WesDavis]

You don't know me, so how can it actually be personal?

I suppose you've got a point! I should've realized that you actually have a sense of humor when I read your review of my song in the first place, but man I was totally sleepy as all hell. But yeah, dude, as far as guitar goes, I've finally started working on my own technique(for years I've just been a strictly rhythm player, with no guidance), and I'm hoping that it's paying off. The two leads I put in these last two songs are honestly my first attempts at lead guitar on a recording since I started teaching myself about a month or so ago, so hopefully they don't sound bad, but I think I did an alright job on them.

[Leaf]

To everyone who's reviewed thus far, thank you. To those who plan on reviewing in the future, thank you. I'll get my review in when I get a minute, which might not be for a few days

Edit: can I be a good guitarist too?

No. Life has passed you by.

[WesDavis]

To everyone who's reviewed thus far, thank you. To those who plan on reviewing in the future, thank you. I'll get my review in when I get a minute, which might not be for a few days

Edit: can I be a good guitarist too?

No. Life has passed you by.

Yeah man you can only be a good guitarist if you started when you were five, like the rest of us.

[LML]

LML
Not feeling this song. Vocals seem just a smidge off. Nearly excellent but just occasionally misses it - some of the intonations throw me (something we didn't get right last week). "UUUUN-der-stand", "3ayem"(rushed), some are excellent "just a bunch of noise". Harmonica is nice but the drums are too harsh and the bass is too clangy. I think I'm being hyper critical for some reason. This should have me going "wow" but isn't quite - I think it's cos it's almost REALLY REALLY good so the little things are amplified.

Well some of the problems with my singing is the fact that I've got the most obnoxiously thick texan accent that makes singing simple words a twang-a-thon for me. BUT that's an excuse, and as I've come to learn in songfight! excuses will get you punched in the face. A lot of people have been praising my singing in this song, which in my opinion isn't very deserved because well I didn't do as good as I could've, after I've given it about 89 listens. I'm my harshest critic, so don't feel bad about saying what I feel is a very justified opinion. My singing was off. I was just so hyped on this song when I first made it that I entered it without going "hey, maybe I should re-record these vocals." And about the bass thing, it's not a bass. It's an acoustic guitar that I lowered the pitch of because I'm sneaky like that. And oh sigh. Those drums. Thanks for the reviews though, I think I'm making improvements. Atleast nobody's saying "oh god you suck so bad my ears are bleeding!"

[Lunkhead]

I'm not in this fight, but here are reviews for the songs that I really liked:

Doctor Worm
Yay! Welcome back. This song is awesome. I'm not totally into the guitar tone and the mix, but that's minor. This rocks. Good lyrics, and cool little bass licks in there, and of course great drumming. Some harmony vox would put this way over the top, and maybe a stronger or clearer in the mix guitar solo.

Leaf62
This song is heavy and really entertaining. I might not listen to it a million times, but it's definitely one of the better songs in the fight. Some funny lyrics, and I like the backup vox emphasizing certain lines. Good playing on everything, too, of course.

LML
I'm really digging this song. I wish it were longer, but as it is it's short and sweet. The melody really hooked me, and the singing is mostly pretty charismatic, though sometimes it borders a bit on whiny. I liked the general feeling of it and the instrumentation a lot.

The Mad Vulgarian
Jim Tyrrell totally pwns every other nerdcore rapper in this fight, out of nowhere. Awesome! Please, people (and MC Eric B in particular), check out this song, listen to how Jim varies the delivery of the lines in the verses, not always using the exact same phrasing and pitch for every single line over and over. Also the backup vox coming in for emphasis. That, plus the tasty tasty rhymes, makes this much more listenable than most of the "poop" nerdcore on SongFight!

MC Localhost
This is the other decent nerdcore song in the fight. Your beat is cool, I like the drum programming at some points. You could use some backup vox in the chorus, like make it a big singalong moment. The way you stumble and sound a little hesitant over your rhymes in your verses is actually kinda charming for some reason. The ending could've been shorter.

Melvin
I like the somewhat different sound for you. The "Get a life" melody in the chorus sounds a little familiar, maybe something a little less simple there would've been good. Solid song, though.

RMosquito
You pull off the nerd indie rock emo etc. thing well here. I like the end of the chorus lyrics, particularly "jock bastards". This could use a thicker, chunkier set of guitars, for more of a Weezer-y type sound. Fun song, though.

WesDavis
This shows some promise. You need to expand your instrument collection and/or collab. You could really use bass and drums in this, for example. OK song.

Your Money Wasted
I'm not sure who to vote for, either you or Doctor Worm. The lyrics in this one crack me up, and the chorus is great, maybe the best use of the title in the fight, with the Doctor's a close second. Great energy, and I like the thick harmonies at the end.

I thought 75% of the other songs really sucked, and 25% of the other songs were OK but not really as good as the songs mentioned above.

PS JoS, I liked your idea, but 13-14 minutes? I couldn't even make it through half that before the novelty wore off.

[MC wreckshin]

That, plus the tasty tasty rhymes, makes this much more listenable than most of the "poop" nerdcore on SongFight!

our music is poop!

[xan]

LML
Not feeling this song. Vocals seem just a smidge off. Nearly excellent but just occasionally misses it - some of the intonations throw me (something we didn't get right last week). "UUUUN-der-stand", "3ayem"(rushed), some are excellent "just a bunch of noise". Harmonica is nice but the drums are too harsh and the bass is too clangy. I think I'm being hyper critical for some reason. This should have me going "wow" but isn't quite - I think it's cos it's almost REALLY REALLY good so the little things are amplified.

Well some of the problems with my singing is the fact that I've got the most obnoxiously thick texan accent that makes singing simple words a twang-a-thon for me. BUT that's an excuse, and as I've come to learn in songfight! excuses will get you punched in the face. A lot of people have been praising my singing in this song, which in my opinion isn't very deserved because well I didn't do as good as I could've, after I've given it about 89 listens. I'm my harshest critic, so don't feel bad about saying what I feel is a very justified opinion. My singing was off. I was just so hyped on this song when I first made it that I entered it without going "hey, maybe I should re-record these vocals." And about the bass thing, it's not a bass. It's an acoustic guitar that I lowered the pitch of because I'm sneaky like that. And oh sigh. Those drums. Thanks for the reviews though, I think I'm making improvements. Atleast nobody's saying "oh god you suck so bad my ears are bleeding!"

I didn't know what instrument was forming your "bass" so I just said bass . Very schneaky! Don't get me wrong though - I think it's a very good effort. Like I said, for some reason I went all hyper-critical when I heard this one. I'd love to hear this re-done from scratch cos I think it would be REALLY great.

Spinlock is here to get feedback too - so really glad you found my comments useful! Keep them coming - looking forwards to hearing more of your stuff.

[Jim of Seattle]

Oh, the Mad Vulgarian is Jim Tyrrell? How is it that people are supposed to know these things? Shit, Jim would you please stop being so talented?

[tenacious geek]

I just wanted to thank everyone for giving me a listen. I really am an audio geek and this song is nearly ten years old, which explains the sound.

My friend Ted had been telling me about songfight but I had never visited until now. He left a message telling me to enter GET A LIFE for obvious reasons. Trust me, it would have sounded different if I had recorded it last week and not in 1998! I guess I could have remixed it or something, but then It wouldn't have made it on time, as some may have wished

If anyone is interested in how the song came about, I shared the idea with a musician friend who did me the favor of playing all the parts into a Fostex multitracker that I was reviewing for a magazine. He handed me the machine and away he went (on tour or something much more important than my sonic experiment).

I didn't get a chance to make any changes short of editing - those are kinda obvious. I imported the tracks into my work station and did the vocals using a Shure SM-58. The song has sat all this time - I dig it out to show people I can do a little more than use a soldering iron. It's good for a laugh...

Two songs influenced this one - the intro on Todd Rundgren's "Couldn't I just tell you" and a Beatle song I can't recall at the moment. Had I played all the parts the influences would have been more obvious - for better or for worse.

Again, my thanks.

ec

[Steve Durand]

Tenacious Geek,

I guess I will be the first to point to you that entering a song that you wrote/recorded 9 years ago isn't exactly following the rules.

It's great that you want to participate but you should write a new song for the title.


Steve

[tenacious geek]

Well,

I apologize. My friend told me to submit and I did. Maybe there should be a checklist for newbies - that has to be checked in order to submit.

ec

[Steve Durand]

Take a look at the FAQ on the front page. It's over on the left hand side under the Songfight! logo.


Steve

[tenacious geek]

I'll keep all that in mind "next time," if the inspiration hits.