Better use lube (In the Tank reviews)

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Re: Better use lube (In the Tank reviews)

Post by Smalltown Mike »

Hey, Hip Cola: I thought I told you to end it at "in the fucking tank." You dare disobey me?
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Re: Better use lube (In the Tank reviews)

Post by melvin »

Ross wrote:Melvin - have spent way too much time on this - is this about a particular person? I don’t get it - seriously Say it or don’t. Why give it up for this person you hate? yes yes ya’ll for a hipocrit?
If you were closely following the peripheral US election drama during the week this track was written, you (and other reviewers) might have found it easier to guess that this song is about Gwen Ifill. I think the backing vocals are "giving it up" for the idea of fighting hypocrisy in order to protect the Republic, but I admit that my hip hop syntax could be off.

Good fight everyone, and thanks to the few who reviewed.
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Re: Better use lube (In the Tank reviews)

Post by roymond »

melvin wrote:If you were closely following the peripheral US election drama during the week this track was written, you (and other reviewers) might have found it easier to guess that this song is about Gwen Ifill.
I didn't know there was going to be home work.

Very nice fight!
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Re: Better use lube (In the Tank reviews)

Post by glennny »

Andrew Reist- I love it! Drums and guitars are excellent. Verse melody is a bit dull, but nice hook for a chorus. Deserves a vote! Sweet solo tone and playing!

Boltoph- Great guitar stuff in the intro! Nice Boltoph signature heavy breathing intro. I didn”t expect that beat to emerge, I like it. You have such a great voice man! Vote!

The Chadderrandom- Not a vote.

Chumlords- Metal! I enjoy this. Just short of a vote. The shtick vocals hold it back.

Cornhuskers- Not a vote. Not a vote. Not a vote.

Emergency Pizza party- I like the girls, not a fan of the dudes. Short of a vote, but enjoyable.

Ford’s Theater Disaster- The mix is weird. Frankly I’m bored. Not really bad, just not grabbing me.

The Hand Formula- Not a vote.

The Hipcola- Everlong drums. Some really cool playing going on here. Cool riff! Freaking Rocks. Chorus falls a bit short. Sounding very Offspring at points. Huge male chorus is cool. This gets a vote!

Jan Krueger- I love the backing vocals. Not a bad song. I hate the drum sound. This is just short of a vote.

Jeff & Candy- Nice guitar solo. The rest is rather ho-hum. No vote but nice listen.

Leaf62- Nice production, nice playing. Silly little song however. I just can’t vote for it. Love the guitar playing.

Max The Cat- “the Dow is Down” !!!!! This is great. Get’s a vote! I laughed, I nearly cried.

MC Eric B- not a vote

Melvin- I bet you think I hate this. I LOVE THIS! I downloaded this immediately when this was posted and have been listening to this repeatedly. Not my genre, but the music is interesting, the chorus is very hooky, it’s just awesome. Are the strings sampled? From where? Big freaking vote!

NASA- Back to Back Melvin, now with Frisbee and me. I love this song. Some of the best Frisbee singing I’ve ever heard. The lead guitar was absolutely a blast to lay down. I like this song particularly for it’s slight departure from “our sound”. I wish it was longer, but I couldn’t think of what to add. Awesome Melvin production as to be expected. Vote.

PiGPEN- Interesting intro, then peters out in to tedium and desperately searches for a melody or hook. Your vocals remind me of Can. Listen to much Can?

Plankton- nv

Proffesor Obscure- Quirky backing track. I wish you weren’t talking over it.

R. Mosquito- The mix makes this hard to listen to. Jud jud jud jud!

Ross Durand- RD at his best! This is fantastic. You’re very good at this genre! Big smiley vote!

Some guy Called Noel- I enjoy this, just short of a vote. I like your voice!

Steve Durand- Who’s on banjo? This is delightful! Yeah this gets a vote!

Sven Mullet- Freaking cool! Vote getter! Tasty metal! Nice vocals!

Testtests- not a vote

TNK08- Not a song, not a vote

Todd Mchatton- Wonderful! That groove is delicious and weird! Vocals are outstanding! Guitars are fantastic! Vote!

Tollbooth jamboree- Lots of cool things going on, enjoyable. Short of a vote however. Were it purely instrumental without the moaning, I’d like it more.

Tone Tripper- Drums are freaking Cool! The song doesn’t quite do it for me. Short of a vote.

Weakest Suit- Sounds improvised. Impressive if so. Not really special enough to want to keep. Short of a vote I’m afraid.

We’re Skrood- You sound young with a recent multitrack purchase. Not a vote.
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Re: Better use lube (In the Tank reviews)

Post by nyjm »

glennny wrote:Ford’s Theater Disaster- The mix is weird.
Care to expand? I thought I followed pretty a conventional mixing paradigm.

Panning: drums mostly centered (crashes panned a bit wider for space), bass dead center, one guitar full right, one full left, main vox in the middle; okay, the 75% left echo vox is a little weird.

Levels: drums punched, bass carries the tune with the low end EQ-ed off to avoid muddiness, main vox just present enough, compressed and slightly reverbed (GlaceVerb preset).

The whole mix is compressed with Kristal's built-in effect and then reverbed ever-so-slightly with a GlaceVerb full-mix preset.
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Re: Better use lube (In the Tank reviews)

Post by The Weakest Suit »

glennny wrote:Weakest Suit- Sounds improvised. Impressive if so. Not really special enough to want to keep. Short of a vote I’m afraid.
not exactly improvised, but written and recorded in an hour and a half on the date the title was given (oct 1) to count at my 50th song in the 50/90 challenge. i had about 90 minutes between getting home from work and going out to dinner with friends to knock something out that afternoon.
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Re: Better use lube (In the Tank reviews)

Post by Ross »

melvin wrote:
Ross wrote:Melvin - have spent way too much time on this - is this about a particular person? I don’t get it - seriously Say it or don’t. Why give it up for this person you hate? yes yes ya’ll for a hipocrit?
If you were closely following the peripheral US election drama during the week this track was written, you (and other reviewers) might have found it easier to guess that this song is about Gwen Ifill. I think the backing vocals are "giving it up" for the idea of fighting hypocrisy in order to protect the Republic, but I admit that my hip hop syntax could be off.
Peripheral?

That had crossed my mind, but didn't jibe with thew way I was hearing some of the lyrics (like the description of Biden) - which must have been from her point of view. I also think I may not agree with your take on her, which may have been a barrier to my understanding - thanks for clarifying.
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Re: Better use lube (In the Tank reviews)

Post by melvin »

Ross wrote:Peripheral?
To the truly dramatic issues at stake in the election, yes, I think the Ifill controversy is peripheral. Still, even if it's more a matter of optics than substance, I don't think it's good practice to have a moderator who's publishing a book on inauguration day entitled, "Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama."
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Re: Better use lube (In the Tank reviews)

Post by glennny »

This is what good music is all about. You have me singing viewpoints I totally disagree with, but damn I love the song. It's best when I don't listen to lyrics.
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Re: Better use lube (In the Tank reviews)

Post by melvin »

glennny wrote:This is what good music is all about. You have me singing viewpoints I totally disagree with, but damn I love the song. It's best when I don't listen to lyrics.
Thanks Glenn! That's a pretty big compliment. But regarding viewpoints you disagree with, would you really be okay if a debate moderator was publishing a book called, "McCain: American Hero" on inauguration day?!
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Re: Better use lube (In the Tank reviews)

Post by Spud »

I have not heard anyone on either side dispute that fact that McCain is an American Hero.
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Re: Better use lube (In the Tank reviews)

Post by Leaf »

You guys have way too much time wasting energy. Go cover my "in the tank" and then post it here. That's time well spent, you'll love it. Please, I implore you, don't do it note for note, that would be disrespectful.



Way to go Hipcola. Way to go CHAMPION!! You fucking rule you bastard child of S.C.A.B. and S.H.A.C.... that's right. you know what I'm talking about. P.S. I love you.




so, like, as penance for losing, and not providing adequate feedback, I suggest listening to all the hipcola's tracks 3 times in a row, once on headphones, once on speakers, and then in your car. Love it, as I love walks on the beach and wind in my hair.
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Re: Better use lube (In the Tank reviews)

Post by roymond »

Spud wrote:I have not heard anyone on either side dispute that fact that McCain is an American Hero.
Nor that Obama's nomination is a breakthrough in American politics.
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Re: Better use lube (In the Tank reviews)

Post by melvin »

roymond wrote:
Spud wrote:I have not heard anyone on either side dispute that fact that McCain is an American Hero.
Nor that Obama's nomination is a breakthrough in American politics.
Nor that Ifill's personal wealth will be affected by the outcome of the election.
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Re: Better use lube (In the Tank reviews)

Post by Ross »

melvin wrote:
roymond wrote:
Spud wrote:I have not heard anyone on either side dispute that fact that McCain is an American Hero.
Nor that Obama's nomination is a breakthrough in American politics.
Nor that Ifill's personal wealth will be affected by the outcome of the election.
I agree that there was concern going in about her ability to be impartial - but it seemed that her actual moderation was fairly impartial. Shouldn't your beef be with the commission that decided to have her moderate?
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Re: Better use lube (In the Tank reviews)

Post by Spud »

All of our personal wealth will be affected by the outcome of the election.
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Re: Better use lube (In the Tank reviews)

Post by Denyer »

i bet on mccain :[
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Re: Better use lube (In the Tank reviews)

Post by Leaf »

Your reviewing style is wicked.
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Re: Better use lube (In the Tank reviews)

Post by glennny »

nyjm:
Care to expand? I thought I followed pretty a conventional mixing paradigm.
Yeah, sorry about the short review.

OK the vocals are hot and distorted. That bass is extremely muddy sounding. Some guitars are bright and nice sounding, others are buried. I guess I think the riffs are kinda cool, but the timbres of the instruments annoy me. I have to listen hard to distinguish the notes in the mud. The vocals are OK, nice voice I mean, though they really need a melody, and they're mixed too hot.

This of course is all just my opinion. Perhaps this was all stylistic choices and you succeeded in achieving the sound you were going for. It just doesn't work for me.
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Re: Better use lube (In the Tank reviews)

Post by glennny »

Ross:
I agree that there was concern going in about her ability to be impartial - but it seemed that her actual moderation was fairly impartial. Shouldn't your beef be with the commission that decided to have her moderate?
I totally agree Ross.
I have not heard anyone on either side dispute that fact that McCain is an American Hero.
OK he's brave. In my book he's NOT a hero. He's a terrible pilot. He crashed 3 planes in his career. One of which got him captured. He's supposed to be a hero because he denied the offer to be let out of the prison given the clout of his father? Seems like a political opportunist to me.

Let's not forget the USS Forestal. They use it as a training video in the navy, to show what is the worst thing to do. Lt. Commander John McCain's most famous crash, causing 134 dead, 161 injured, and 72 million (1967) dollars of damage.

He's a disgrace as a military man.

However, that said, I like him. I think he's a very good politician. He's a good moderate republican. If he wasn't dead wrong on the (illegal) wars, he'd attract a lot more of us from the left.
Thanks Glen! That's a pretty big compliment. But regarding viewpoints you disagree with, would you really be okay if a debate moderator was publishing a book called, "McCain: American Hero" on inauguration day?!
Yes I would be OK with that, as long as the moderator was impartial like Ross said.

The one thing that bothers me is no one has read the book yet. Can we judge the book by its title?

Is it a breakthrough? Yes. Should it be? No. You live in the Bay area you think racism is long over, but this election has shown a light on just how far we have to go.

BTW congrats Hip Cola! Awesome song!!!
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Re: Better use lube (In the Tank reviews)

Post by thehipcola »

Thanks Glennny! And thanks to anyone else who voted for moi, and to the (relatively) few who did reviews of this huge fight. All the listening and typing is very much appreciated ova hea.
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Re: Better use lube (In the Tank reviews)

Post by ElaineDiMasi »

These posts got my vote:

Jeff Robertson and the N-C'ers - Liked it because it's so firm-sounding. Lyrics and structure all hit me right.

Leaf 62 - I didn't expect to like this at first hit but it grew on me. Something about the delivery, "armor penetration in the tank"! Charisma vote from me, plus, my guitarist thought it was great.

Ford's Theater Disaster - The structure, the color changes, the beat, the overall sound got my attention. The lyrics didn't stand out for me, and you don't put your vocals up front and clear, but I like a little grit and everything else was totally working for me.

Jan Krueger - Congratulations on singing such silly, brainy lyrics and getting away with it! I stayed in, long enough to hear the surprisingly cool extra vocal stuff from 2:20 to the end.

Max the Cat - Hahaha! Very groovy. Your bank-tank story worked better than anyone else's because of the huge, comic-book-superhero steps the story verses took. You got ten times further than anyone else who did that story, in half the time. Bravo!

Melvin - I was supposed to be able to escape from this one (like, he can't be serious?) but the voice and delivery drew me in. I probably like long words, too. You're clearly about something even if I'd have to work to get it. I liked the transitions from spoken stuff to sung chorus, they always felt good, but eventually I wanted more from those instrumented sections. They started to sound bland. I wanted them to get bigger.

Todd McHatton - another good beat, and I liked all the section changes and the arrangements. The stacked vocals sound good; the phrasing sounds good and moves things forward.

The posts that didn't get my vote were in two catgories, (1) it didn't sound good, or (2) it did. If it didn't sound good (i.e. Wookie noises from Tollbooth Jamboree) then I didn't vote for it because it didn't sound good.

If it did sound good, voice nice, execution fine, musical (i.e. Ross Durand) then either the story or the music was not unusual enough to make the cut for me. Personal preferences in play - I'll forgive a rock song with buried mediocre lyrics much more easily than a folk song with wonderful clear ordinary lyrics.
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