Nur Ein VII Round Six "Cold Comfort"

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Re: Nur Ein VII: Round Six

Post by frankie big face »

This is highly unexpected. I knew I had a chance but I did not consider myself a favorite.

Plus, I really thought the WSA was a shoe-in. My all-time favorite song by them for sure.

Okay! I leave for Cincinnati on Sunday morning so this will be an early submission. But school's out so I have lots of time to devote to the song. Thanks judges! NUR EIN!!!!!!!
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Re: Nur Ein VII: Round Six

Post by roymond »

Round 6 is hell time for a judge. These were five insanely awesome songs, all in their own way. Den, your vocals are magnificent. WSA brought an extended form with brilliant instrumentals. Jefff and the pulsating weird girl story brings back both painful and funny memories (was the sex as good?). Frankie gets maked on the meach. Ross...is killer. I've listened dozens of times on headphones, speakers and in a nice quiet Nissan rental with an awesome stereo (thanks, Avis). These all stand up.
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Re: Nur Ein VII: Round Six

Post by Niveous »

It was such a strong round. Everyone did a phenomenal job.

DJRD had one of her best vocal performances but stumbled because of the percussion and I wasn't big on the toy boats. ADD did a solid song. I think the song just got outclassed in the field. WSA did a great job. It took a while to realize that Sunshine City is a tongue twister which may have been a detriment; the raw wheat tongue twister was unnecessary; and the third twister was somewhat buried in the mix. Musically, WSA was on another level in comparison to everyone else. I may not have been the biggest fan of the lyric especially the tongue twister, the song was solid overall, especially FBF's clean crisp performance. Ross handled the challenge masterfully. Knocked it out of the park.

Not one bad song in the bunch, making for one of the best round 6's the Nur Ein has ever had.
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Re: Nur Ein VII: Round Six

Post by Billy's Little Trip »

I will say, from the first Nur Ein I ever heard here at the mighty Song Fight up to this day, the level of performance, writing and recording has increased ten fold. That's including past Nur Ein'ers that entered this year as well as the final two.

With that said, I'd like to back off my disgruntled rant at the beginning of Nur Ein this year. I said "Nur Ein is no longer about the music, it's about the game". If this was true, the music quality wouldn't have become what it is now. I still stand behind my feelings about the game, but it's equally about the music. After watching the judging this year, I'd go so far as saying it was more about the music.
Kudos to a great judging panel! ;)
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Re: Nur Ein VII: Round Six

Post by Jefff »

Guess it's time to wash the smell off.
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Re: Nur Ein VII: Round Six

Post by nyjm »

I'm going to join my fellow judges in remarking that this was a fantastic round. Heck, this has been a fantastic competition.

Thank you, everyone for bringing such great music into the world. It's honestly been a pleasure and an honor to be part of this. (And a not little humbling; I'm not sure that I'd be confident about entering in the future.)

Reviews in alphabetical order for a change:

ADD
+++ slick and catchy +++
/// i really wish you would post lyrics ///
--- doesn't grab me in any way ---

DJ Ranger Den
/// at first, I did an eye roll about the "tongue twister" line ///
+++ and then I realized that it's really quite witty; without the context of this challenge, i would have immediately applauded, so *applause* +++
+++ sultry feminist rapping +++
+++ sly way to include the challenge +++
--- everyone has beat the dead horse of the percussion; it makes me want to remix this and see what happens with a different groove ---

Frankie Big Face
+++ concept +++
+++ full and successful integration of the challenge +++
+++ melody; i'm going to be singing this to myself for days +++
/// i can envision a fuller production, but nothing that would significantly improve this song ///

Ross Durand
+++ outlaw country swagger +++
+++ god, I love that distorted slide guit +++
+++ chorus +++
--- the tongue twister bridge is thematically linked, but i feel its still somewhat incidental ---

The Worldly Self-Assurance
/// at first, I dinged you because it seems that you've written a song called "Sunshine City"; then Niveous pointed out that is a tongue twister as well *faceplam* ///
+++ tongue twisters in the round (and in the chorus!) +++
+++ solo guitar tone +++
--- the verse melody drags ---
--- weak vox ---
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Re: Nur Ein VII: Round Six

Post by RangerDenni »

nyjm wrote: DJ Ranger Den....
...percussion; it makes me want to remix this and see what happens with a different groove
Have at!! Welcome to it :)

So... flat out losing after working one's ass off in an emotionally draining contest that you were a surprise survivor in is a bit of a blow. Particularly when it's hard to keep cool in persnickety environments without being completely emo and that too, is part of my challenge.

However, losing to the selection of musicians from this round and competing with others of such high caliber not just from this round, but from the bulk of this contest makes me feel confident about so much of what I've been avoiding. Nur Ein is hell, but I'll be back again. and I'm already writing this week's title. You folks get in my head and drive me up a wall, and are some of the most amazing people I've ever known. Always pushing me to be better.

{add: perhaps next time I will beat the dead horse in sync with the bass, and then it needs not be repeatedly beaten. ;)}
Maybe being a loser isn't so much... I did learn to program drums. Sorta. I'm going to make myself do it again even though the thought makes me want to hurl right now.
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Re: Nur Ein VII: Round Six

Post by nyjm »

RangerDenni wrote:Have at!! Welcome to it.
Sweet. Send the files along, then, if you would. I have no idea how to strip stuff out of an already-produced track...

On a slightly different tack, I think it would be cool to create a kind of Sampler / Best Of for this year's competition as a way to highlight the kick-ass entries. It'd be really great to get liner notes from the artists, too. I could make a bandcamp album for it with a .PDF download and all that jazz. What does everyone think?
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Re: Nur Ein VII: Round Six

Post by RangerDenni »

nyjm wrote:
RangerDenni wrote:Have at!! Welcome to it.
Sweet. Send the files along, then, if you would. I have no idea how to strip stuff out of an already-produced track...
I shall send you instructions then, later today, on how to acquire the wavs. :)
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Re: Nur Ein VII: Round Six

Post by RangerDenni »

Jefff wrote:Guess it's time to wash the smell off.
maybe ... the smell is what makes us hot.
Eau de Ein.

NUR LIEBE!
"Really interesting how the point you’re making slowly emerges like Martin Sheen from the mud in Apocalypse Now..." ~j$
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Re: Nur Ein VII: Round Six

Post by roymond »

nyjm wrote:On a slightly different tack, I think it would be cool to create a kind of Sampler / Best Of for this year's competition as a way to highlight the kick-ass entries.
Like a public playlist feature on the jukebox? hmmm....
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Re: Nur Ein VII: Round Six

Post by Lunkhead »

Well, if everybody had posted their songs on somesongs.org, that would be possible, using somesongs.org's playlist feature. :P
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Re: Nur Ein VII: Round Six

Post by frankie big face »

Anyone heard from Ross? Does he know he's still in this thing? ;)
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Re: Nur Ein VII: Round Six

Post by Ross »

Yeah, I'm still here.

Just been tryin to figure out what to say. i'm a bit stymied. This is amazing.

I hope Frankie and I can offer up a worthy final round for how great this Ein has been.

Oh, and school is NOT out for me yet, and I added teaching a summer school online course for a local university last Monday.

Good news? i am not travelling, so I get Sunday.

Nur Ein!!!!!!!
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Re: Nur Ein VII: Round Six

Post by roymond »

Reviews for the two finalists (others will follow):

FBF - Turning the challenge into an integral component of the plot is your usual application of over-the-top enthusiasm to reach the deepest depths of meaning and impact. And you’ve made a fine job of it. Gutsy GnG was all that was necessary to pull it off, but surely your fancy Logic setup has a high-pass filter? A bit boomy there in the guitar. Vocals are spot on, if a tad safe. But the lyrics are driving this train and production be damned! It’s quirky, original and tragically funny (yes, even comically odd).

Ross – Four vignettes for Clint Eastwood to direct. Your stories each fit within four lines, neatly folded. They stack like caskets in a pile to be buried come the next chorus. Mrs. Mary, her story is twisted, but it gets her to the same place (well, her cold comfort comes from the mighty Mississippi). Your vocal performance is the most franticly tongue twisted, the leads throughout support the plots (or...they're just so damn nice who cares anyway?), and your production is punchy and convincing. There’s really nothing I can criticize here (OK, except a nitpick about the sudden fade at the end of "Just hope I don't die happy I ain't livin' no more"...I would have overlapped with the coming chorus, perhaps panned out of the way instead of a fade). Bravo.
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Re: Nur Ein VII: Round Six

Post by Thanks For The Frisbee »

hey ross and FBF, honestly i thought that we ( WSA) were going to face either one of you based on this round because i thought our song was really good and yours each were great too. i could not believe the complaints about the vocals??? thats probly because im IN the band and the other dudes are like brothers that give me noogies sometimes and i love every little thing that they do :) you guys both bring the brains and the funk every time i hear a track from you. personally im envious of both of you for being lone wolves and making it this far in this ramped up compitition. i love NUR EIN because it pushes everyone to the highest level. you guys are at that level now.

this entire compitition has been a huge lift to me and i want to say thank you to all the participants Judges and commenters for making it so fun and lively. there has been a lot of great music that i am going to be listening to for a long time.
so THANKS!!

may the best song win ROSS and FBF.
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Re: Nur Ein VII: Round Six

Post by melvin »

Hey guys - I thought I posted yesterday but I guess I never hit 'submit'.
Suffice to say, I am disappointed not to go to the finals, but there could not be two more talented and consistent competitors than Ross and Frankie.
Congrats fellas! Can't wait to hear you bring your proverbial A games!
hi!
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Re: Nur Ein VII: Round Six

Post by BoffoYux »

RangerDenni wrote: I shall send you instructions then, later today, on how to acquire the wavs. :)
'Acquire the waves' is my Katrina and the Beach Boys cover band.
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Re: Nur Ein VII: Round Six

Post by Billy's Little Trip »

BoffoYux wrote:
RangerDenni wrote: I shall send you instructions then, later today, on how to acquire the wavs. :)
'Acquire the waves' is my Katrina and the Beach Boys cover band.
I approve of this project. Your first hit single, "walking on California girls" :P
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Re: Nur Ein VII: Round Six

Post by BoffoYux »

Billy's Little Trip wrote:
BoffoYux wrote:
RangerDenni wrote: I shall send you instructions then, later today, on how to acquire the wavs. :)
'Acquire the waves' is my Katrina and the Beach Boys cover band.
I approve of this project. Your first hit single, "walking on California girls" :P
The 'B' side is 'Going Down to Liverpool (w/ the little old lady from Pasadena)
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Re: Nur Ein VII: Round Six

Post by RangerDenni »

BoffoYux wrote:
Billy's Little Trip wrote:
BoffoYux wrote:
'Acquire the waves' is my Katrina and the Beach Boys cover band.
I approve of this project. Your first hit single, "walking on California girls" :P
The 'B' side is 'Going Down to Liverpool (w/ the little old lady from Pasadena)
#mirth
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