Nur Ein IV Round Five "Spider to the Fly"

There can be only one.
frankie big face
Ice Cream Man
Posts: 1941
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 12:26 pm
Instruments: Vocals, Bass, Guitar, Saxophone, Flute, Keyboard, Violin, Other Stuff
Recording Method: Logic, UAD Apollo Twin, aging iMac
Submitting as: frankie big face
Location: Lancaster, PA
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein IV: Round Five

Post by frankie big face »

I agree that my ending is too long. I seem to recall shortening it in Logic and then I had a crash and I think I forgot to fix it post-crash. At any rate, here's a more reasonable version, with 17 fewer seconds of the ending.

http://www.frankiebigface.com/music/sttf.mp3
User avatar
Niveous
Beat It
Posts: 7177
Joined: Mon Sep 27, 2004 6:45 am
Instruments: vocals, songwriting, guitar
Submitting as: Lucky Witch and the Righteous Ghost
Pronouns: He/him
Location: Staten Island, NY
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein IV: Round Five

Post by Niveous »

Deliberation is nearing a close. I predict that we may have results and new title up by the afternoon.
"I'd like to see 1984 redubbed with this in the soundtrack."- Furrypedro.
NUR EIN!
X-Tokyo
Lucky Witch and the Righteous Ghost
User avatar
furrypedro
Ice Cream Man
Posts: 1265
Joined: Mon Nov 07, 2005 12:06 pm
Instruments: Guitar, programming
Recording Method: Cubase, Reason
Submitting as: Balance Lost
Location: Kyoto
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein IV: Round Five

Post by furrypedro »

...and in the meantime an exhibition track.

Spider To The Fly by Balance Lost
User avatar
ken
Hot for Teacher
Posts: 3871
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 6:10 pm
Instruments: Guitar, bass, drums, keys
Recording Method: MOTU 828x, Cubase 10
Submitting as: Ken's Super Duper Band 'n Stuff
Pronouns: he/him
Location: oakland, ca
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein IV: Round Five

Post by ken »

Oh wow. I think I would have been surprised by the results no matter what, but I was surprised to see who got cut. I'm sorry to see you folks go, but there can be only one! Nur Ein!

Congrats to Andrew Reist for a much deserved win. Way to bring your A game every round!

Ken
Ken's Super Duper Band 'n Stuff - Berkeley Social Scene - Tiny Robots - Seamus Collective - Semolina Pilchards - Cutie Pies - Explino! - Bravo Bros. - 2 from 14 - and more!

i would just like to remind everyone that Ken eats kittens - blue lang
User avatar
glennny
Jump
Posts: 2196
Joined: Sat Mar 04, 2006 2:39 am
Instruments: Guitar, Bass, Mandolin, Dobro, Banjo, E-Bow, Glock
Recording Method: Garageband
Submitting as: Berkeley Social Scene
Location: Castro Valley, California

Re: Nur Ein IV: Round Five

Post by glennny »

...and in the meantime an exhibition track.

Spider To The Fly by Balance Lost
HOT DAMN! That's AWESOME FP!
Phillipso, Older Brothers, Semolina Pilchards, Zipline , Thank Glennny for the Frisbee, The Odoriferous Valley, The Worldly Self Assurance, Berkeley Social Scene, Very Gentle Knives, Daddy Bop Swing Set, GUNS, The Kraken Lives, Cavedwellers
User avatar
furrypedro
Ice Cream Man
Posts: 1265
Joined: Mon Nov 07, 2005 12:06 pm
Instruments: Guitar, programming
Recording Method: Cubase, Reason
Submitting as: Balance Lost
Location: Kyoto
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein IV: Round Five

Post by furrypedro »

glennny wrote:
...and in the meantime an exhibition track.

Spider To The Fly by Balance Lost
HOT DAMN! That's AWESOME FP!
Haha, of course it's awesome. I've been listening to the Wrens all month :D and Nur Ein IV obviously (cough)
I think this should probably be in "currently digging"?
User avatar
Lunkhead
You're No Good
Posts: 8107
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 12:14 pm
Instruments: many
Recording Method: cubase/mac/tascam4x4
Submitting as: Berkeley Social Scene, Merisan, Tiny Robots
Pronouns: he/him
Location: Berkeley, CA
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein IV: Round Five

Post by Lunkhead »

Congrats to Reist! Condolences to Ross, Swilington, and WreckdoM. I'm surprised and relieved to have made it to the semi-finals. We really got in by the skin of our teeth this time more than I care to divulge. See you in the next round, NUR EIN!
frankie big face
Ice Cream Man
Posts: 1941
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 12:26 pm
Instruments: Vocals, Bass, Guitar, Saxophone, Flute, Keyboard, Violin, Other Stuff
Recording Method: Logic, UAD Apollo Twin, aging iMac
Submitting as: frankie big face
Location: Lancaster, PA
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein IV: Round Five

Post by frankie big face »

Good job Reist! You kicked our butts.

Niveous, how about that next title?
User avatar
furrypedro
Ice Cream Man
Posts: 1265
Joined: Mon Nov 07, 2005 12:06 pm
Instruments: Guitar, programming
Recording Method: Cubase, Reason
Submitting as: Balance Lost
Location: Kyoto
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein IV: Round Five

Post by furrypedro »

we're quibbling over it, give us a moment.

out of interest, what would you like the title to be?
frankie big face
Ice Cream Man
Posts: 1941
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 12:26 pm
Instruments: Vocals, Bass, Guitar, Saxophone, Flute, Keyboard, Violin, Other Stuff
Recording Method: Logic, UAD Apollo Twin, aging iMac
Submitting as: frankie big face
Location: Lancaster, PA
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein IV: Round Five

Post by frankie big face »

fürrypedro wrote:we're quibbling over it, give us a moment.

out of interest, what would you like the title to be?
Running Shoes
User avatar
jb
Hot for Teacher
Posts: 4159
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 10:12 am
Instruments: Guitar, Cello, Keys, Uke, Vox, Perc
Recording Method: Logic X
Submitting as: The John Benjamin Band
Pronouns: he/him
Location: WASHINGTON, DC
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein IV: Round Five

Post by jb »

Frank, I dig your song, but I have to say this is your best mix in a long time.
blippity blop ya don’t stop heyyyyyyyyy
frankie big face
Ice Cream Man
Posts: 1941
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 12:26 pm
Instruments: Vocals, Bass, Guitar, Saxophone, Flute, Keyboard, Violin, Other Stuff
Recording Method: Logic, UAD Apollo Twin, aging iMac
Submitting as: frankie big face
Location: Lancaster, PA
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein IV: Round Five

Post by frankie big face »

jb wrote:Frank, I dig your song, but I have to say this is your best mix in a long time.
Thanks. I think I'm starting to get the hang of this computer stuff.
melvin
Push Comes to Shove
Posts: 409
Joined: Mon Sep 12, 2005 7:32 pm

Re: Nur Ein IV: Round Five

Post by melvin »

Now that the list of contenders has been whittled down a bit, some reviews:

Andrew Reist: I’ve been hearing a lot of an Our Lady Peace influence in your stuff lately—especially the octave-jumping falsetto thing. It’s cool, and you do it well. I’m still blown away by how much you’ve progressed as a musician, although I guess it’s literally been years now since I first heard your music. Anyway, this track is great. Love the drum fills, enjoyably crunchy guitar riffs, interesting timing, and probably the best vocal arrangement I’ve ever heard from you. Even the bass part stands out as smooth, clever, and melodic. Very well done. You’re bringing so much more confidence and passion to your vocal performances now, and it makes all the difference. The last section (“you can forget about tomorrow”) kicks total ass. Whether you win this NE or not, you deserve some kind of award in my book.

Frankie Big Face: I think I’ve scored you winning just about every round so far this year, so I greet each of your tracks with high expectations. This track is another top contender, although I don’t think it’s as great as some of the stuff from previous rounds. In terms of my enjoyment of this track, Section A was good, Sections B and C were awesome, and Section D was just okay. As always, the melodic and harmonic construction of this piece is complex and pleasing, and your vocal performances are perhaps the best of any SongFighter I’ve heard, ever. Very good track, although not the best of the batch this round.

Ross Durand: The whole folksy/country/American heartland vibe just doesn’t work for me. That’s often my beef with your music, and there’s not much I can do about it. Your pickin’ and singin’ are always great, the storytellin’ is top-notch, and you almost always have a creative take on the challenge. I appreciate your work and feel nothing but respect and goodwill towards you and your music. Yet, I still have to give you a low-to-medium score because your style just doesn’t suit my taste. I wouldn’t pop your CD into my car stereo and, for me, that is the ultimate litmus test. Sorry!

Swillington: You’ve been the big surprise for me this year. You’re hard to pin down. Your tracks take some truly bizarre twists and turns. And yeah, your musical ambition exceeds your agility in spots. But damn, you come up with some catchy guitar bits, impassioned vocal passages, and an awkward simplicity to your lyrics that can be jarring, charming, and a bit disarming in the sense that I can’t tell if you’re being obtuse or ironic sometimes. Regardless, I get a kick out of the ambiguity and I’ve definitely enjoyed your work. As for the track currently under consideration, it contains some good ideas and seems to end rather quickly for a track that’s three-plus minutes in length. A good, if final, entry from the dark horse contender of 2009.

Tiny Robots: As someone who has often been accused of blandness and obviousness in his music, I feel qualified to complain that your entries have mostly been too bland and obvious to excite me very much. Everything is played with the utmost competence, produced with aplomb, and reflective of prodigious musical talent yet, at the same time, is just too squeaky-clean, predictable, and lacking grit to be very memorable. Again, I’m looking at the man in the mirror, and I know that you, like me, may very well be working from a place of great conviction and passion. But if that’s the case, I’m just not hearing it.

Todd McHatton: You’ve disappointed me a bit this year, to be honest. Your regular SongFight entries are usually top-drawer, but I’ve found your NE entries to be considerably less catchy and accessible in general. WTF? But no matter, because this round is definitely a return to form. Amazing track! Incredible melodies, crazy production, and super-sweet vocal arrangements. This is the T. McHatton we know and love. Layers of detail, with beautiful harmonics and texture changes popping out left and right. Great track.

Wreckdom: As is often the case with your entries, this track brings a mix of awesome percussion and guitar sounds with vocals that I find difficult to appreciate. It’s too bad. I love the purposeful, chin-down march of the instrumental track in Section A, and I like the roomy drum sound and raunchy feel of the instrumentation throughout the whole track, but I just can’t get with the vocal performance. It’s sounds more like big, foul dudes chanting than someone I can potentially relate to singing. Having said that, as with Ross Durand, I most certainly do appreciate the talent that goes into creating your work, even if the outcome doesn’t exactly suit my taste.
hi!
User avatar
Lunkhead
You're No Good
Posts: 8107
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 12:14 pm
Instruments: many
Recording Method: cubase/mac/tascam4x4
Submitting as: Berkeley Social Scene, Merisan, Tiny Robots
Pronouns: he/him
Location: Berkeley, CA
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein IV: Round Five

Post by Lunkhead »

I'm surprised to see "obvious" or "predictable" used to describe our Round Five song, to be honest. I felt like there were some abrupt and strange transitions, though they were designed to fit and support the lyrics. I'm also surprised to read this backhanded compliment, knowing the dirty secrets of how this song was actually recorded, performed, and mixed: "played with the utmost competence, produced with aplomb, and reflective of prodigious musical talent yet". :P I guess you were Judge 4, then...
User avatar
Reist
Hot for Teacher
Posts: 3066
Joined: Mon Jan 30, 2006 2:26 pm
Instruments: Drums, Guitar
Recording Method: Yamaha AW1600, Reaper
Submitting as: Therman
Location: Calgary
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein IV: Round Five

Post by Reist »

ken wrote:Congrats to Andrew Reist for a much deserved win. Way to bring your A game every round!
Lunkhead wrote:Congrats to Reist!
frankie big face wrote:Good job Reist! You kicked our butts.
melvin wrote:nice stuff
:shock:

Haha, I'm really surprised ... but thanks a lot guys. I was honestly expecting to be eliminated this round - the other songs were all really strong. No complaints though - I don't win at SF enough to whine when I finally bag a victory, right? :)

But yeah, thanks to the judges, and great job to the other contestants. Sorry to see you go Ross, Swilington and WreckdoM.
User avatar
Ross
Jump
Posts: 2739
Joined: Sun Feb 27, 2005 3:27 pm
Instruments: Guitar, Vox, Bass, Tuned glasses, etc...
Recording Method: Logic on a Macbook.
Submitting as: Ross Durand
Location: Orange CA
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein IV: Round Five

Post by Ross »

Congrats to the final four - it has been a fun ride!

Thanks Niveous, thanks judges and I look forward to hearing the last two rounds.
"I don't like this song, but at least it's good." - veGetar Ianra Ge
http://www.rossdurandmusic.com
User avatar
swilington
Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love
Posts: 35
Joined: Wed Sep 27, 2006 3:32 am
Instruments: nothing really
Submitting as: Swilington
Location: Bay Area, California
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein IV: Round Five

Post by swilington »

Congratulations to those advancing! I can finally sleep now. I want to take a moment to thank everyone for their support and for the opportunity to make music. Ross and Wreckdom, I really enjoyed your entries for this round. If there ever was a round to be voted out and not feel bad it is this one. Plus, to get to the end and get voted out would suck. I feel so proud to have made it this far. I really thought we would be out after a couple of rounds. I think now, looking back, we did not songfight the other contestants, we songfought ourselves. The enemy was in us. Nur Ein is over for me now, but it will always be there, the rest of my days. But be that as it may, those of us who didn’t make it have an obligation to build again. To teach to others what we know, and to try with what's left of our lives to find a goodness and a meaning to this life.

I thank you and my brother thanks you.
swilington, framed!, lack of sleep,
melvin
Push Comes to Shove
Posts: 409
Joined: Mon Sep 12, 2005 7:32 pm

Re: Nur Ein IV: Round Five

Post by melvin »

Lunkhead wrote:I'm surprised to see "obvious" or "predictable" used to describe our Round Five song, to be honest. I felt like there were some abrupt and strange transitions, though they were designed to fit and support the lyrics. I'm also surprised to read this backhanded compliment, knowing the dirty secrets of how this song was actually recorded, performed, and mixed: "played with the utmost competence, produced with aplomb, and reflective of prodigious musical talent yet". :P I guess you were Judge 4, then...
Actually, what I wrote is kind of a blanket review of the contest to date. And it hurt me to say negative things about you guys because I like your work in general and know you're good people. But I've got to be honest. While everything you've submitted has been "good", none of it has made me say, "Wow, that rocks hard!" or "Geez, that's incredibly beautiful!" or "Man, those guys are so clever!" or even "There's something about this that I just really love." Everything's been kind of, well, middle-of-the-road good. Which is better than most, but not the best in a competition this fierce.
hi!
Todd McHatton
Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love
Posts: 30
Joined: Thu Oct 30, 2008 10:00 pm
Submitting as: Todd McHatton, Grass Stained
Location: Ojai, CA
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein IV: Round Five

Post by Todd McHatton »

swilington wrote:Congratulations to those advancing! I can finally sleep now. I want to take a moment to thank everyone for their support and for the opportunity to make music. Ross and Wreckdom, I really enjoyed your entries for this round. If there ever was a round to be voted out and not feel bad it is this one. Plus, to get to the end and get voted out would suck. I feel so proud to have made it this far. I really thought we would be out after a couple of rounds. I think now, looking back, we did not songfight the other contestants, we songfought ourselves. The enemy was in us. Nur Ein is over for me now, but it will always be there, the rest of my days. But be that as it may, those of us who didn’t make it have an obligation to build again. To teach to others what we know, and to try with what's left of our lives to find a goodness and a meaning to this life.

I thank you and my brother thanks you.
YES! Swillington Rules!!!
frankie big face
Ice Cream Man
Posts: 1941
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 12:26 pm
Instruments: Vocals, Bass, Guitar, Saxophone, Flute, Keyboard, Violin, Other Stuff
Recording Method: Logic, UAD Apollo Twin, aging iMac
Submitting as: frankie big face
Location: Lancaster, PA
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein IV: Round Five

Post by frankie big face »

melvin wrote:Frankie Big Face: I think I’ve scored you winning just about every round so far this year, so I greet each of your tracks with high expectations. This track is another top contender, although I don’t think it’s as great as some of the stuff from previous rounds. In terms of my enjoyment of this track, Section A was good, Sections B and C were awesome, and Section D was just okay. As always, the melodic and harmonic construction of this piece is complex and pleasing, and your vocal performances are perhaps the best of any SongFighter I’ve heard, ever. Very good track, although not the best of the batch this round.
Spot on review, melvin. I agree with all of it and really appreciate the compliment about my vocal performances. Now that the round is over, I can totally admit that, as of Monday morning, I had nothing and actually contemplated throwing in the towel! I was able to piece the small ideas I did have into this track, tweak the lyrics of each section so they had at least some connection to one another and practice that 7/8 section for five or ten minutes on each of the instruments I had to play. Voila...instant through-composed track. Probably the hardest song I've had to construct (as opposed to write) in a long time.
User avatar
glennny
Jump
Posts: 2196
Joined: Sat Mar 04, 2006 2:39 am
Instruments: Guitar, Bass, Mandolin, Dobro, Banjo, E-Bow, Glock
Recording Method: Garageband
Submitting as: Berkeley Social Scene
Location: Castro Valley, California

Re: Nur Ein IV: Round Five

Post by glennny »

What a great fight! I liked all of the songs. I loved most of them.

So my top 3 were very very very close. I had a hard time ordering them. But I think Tiny Robots, Reist, and Todd really nailed the challenge and had awesome cohesive songs as well.

Andrew Reist- What self respecting Genesis fan would have so many questions about what Through Composed was? It struck me strange that you didn’t understand the challenge initially. But it sounds like it clicked and you ran with it, and you hit it out of the park. Hot damn this is a fun ride! The live drums are one of the main reasons you sit atop my list. It’s also nice to hear you do a little shredding on your axe! The music is fantastic! The vocals are really good. The only little thing I’d change would be to cut the little scat singing in the 2nd section. This song develops well and it’s amazing that it clocks in as short as it does, I feel like I went a lot farther. Excellent job!

Todd McHatton
- This is delightful! That vibration lick riff thing is soooooooo cool! I actually think the weakest part of this song is the 1st 10 seconds, it sounds a little awkward to me, but it just gets awesome after that! The big lush vocals are amazing! This reminds me of old ELO , like the Roy Wood years.

Tiny Robots- This song is a grower. It’s very rich. It requires several listens to appreciate it fully. Initially it passed over me as pleasant. Then I started really listening to the chord changes, They’re very clever and nice. The vocal melody is wonderful and variant as well. I wish it didn’t sound so Sundays at points, but it’s cool. The Guitar solos! Damn yer good! I thought the lyrics were very very good too! Erins voice is to die for! So I was wondering why the drums were soooo far back and lacking in their Mahru Boom and Thak that I expect. Of course going to the Social Scene in Berkeley last night I got to hear from Ken that those are fake drums, which makes it all make sense now. There’s some mix issues I have as well. While Erin has an exquisite voice, she’s WAY up front in the mix. I really wanted to hear more bass and drums. Especially drums, but live Ken drums! This song has the best ending of all the songs in the fight! You guys really captured the title well! I wouldn’t call Tiny Robots bland, but I would never accuse them of being visceral either. You dance in the land of pretty pop and release. Where as Wreckdom is all about tension tension tension tension. Tension is more satisfying when there’s release and release means more when there’s tension. Anyway, this song was awesome!

Frankie Big Face- I think I’d lose a music debate with you, but none the less your song strikes me as more of a suite than a through composed piece. It sure is through composed, but it seems only technically so. Your fast section was about my favorite part of this fight. The ending is what shot you down to the 2nd tier for me. Even though it could’ve been shorter I think it was the weakest part of the composition. I LOVE the intro part. Your chords are just gorgeous! A rethought ending would take this to the #1 spot. I’m glad you survived; I’d hate to lose you to one bad movement.

Swilington- How many sections? 7 ? I think 4 of them are genius! The opening is among the best. Brooks’ voice is killer. There’s some seriously good indie rock happening on this track. Unfortunately the competition is high and little mistakes are very costly. My biggest problem with this track was the drums. Not so much that they were fake drums, more that they weren’t changing with the rest of the music they way they should. Sometimes groove was lost. Also, I don’t feel the composition as a whole flowed nicely or logically. I was left feeling very random. Also, the ending felt like a stop rather than an ending. I heavily suggest submitting some Nein songs!

Ross Durand-
I LOVE this song! However a perfect score on a not so difficult song places you down here on my list. I feel you really played it safe, way too safe. This is a short song and all that really changes are the chords on the acoustic guitar. I just can’t rate you as high as the others while they worried about bass lines and drum beats. The lyrics are excellent. I was hoping there’d be more Nur Ein everybody ties and everybody advances like last year. I hate to see you go. Nice little song, just not ambitious enough, as opposed to Swilington which was a little too ambitious. Good stuff though! I heavily suggest submitting some Nein songs!

Wreckdom- I like this song. I don’t love it. I think the band sounds good and there’s a lot of tension built up nicely. The screaming was more annoying than funny, although I admit it made me laugh the 1st time I heard it. I’m a little shocked by this entry your last few have been so huge and tasty. I think it comes down to vocal melodies. When you have just a little more pop melody to your huge wicked Southern Kick Ass rock assult you guys just rule. Great run guys! I heavily suggest submitting some Nein songs!
Phillipso, Older Brothers, Semolina Pilchards, Zipline , Thank Glennny for the Frisbee, The Odoriferous Valley, The Worldly Self Assurance, Berkeley Social Scene, Very Gentle Knives, Daddy Bop Swing Set, GUNS, The Kraken Lives, Cavedwellers
User avatar
Reist
Hot for Teacher
Posts: 3066
Joined: Mon Jan 30, 2006 2:26 pm
Instruments: Drums, Guitar
Recording Method: Yamaha AW1600, Reaper
Submitting as: Therman
Location: Calgary
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein IV: Round Five

Post by Reist »

Ross wrote:are you still getting mastering assistance?
Nope, it was all me. I'm almost too picky to let other people touch my mixes (just ask big crouton :P )
glennny wrote:What self respecting Genesis fan would have so many questions about what Through Composed was?
I hate to say it, but I haven't listened to genesis in at least 6 months now. I've learned a lot from prog, but I struggle to listen to that stuff now. Maybe I OD'd on it. But yeah, the Through Composition challenge was great for inspiration, since I've gotten so used to my abacab format that I almost forgot how to bust out weird structures.
glennny wrote:It’s also nice to hear you do a little shredding on your axe!
Haha, nice to hear you liked it. I was inspired to have a guitar solo by one of your comments on another of my Nur Ein songs ... can't remember which one it was though. But yeah - good to know you appreciated it.
Post Reply