Ready, Aim, Review! (I Am a Target reviews)

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Spud
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Ready, Aim, Review! (I Am a Target reviews)

Post by Spud »

Don't hold back now.
"I only listen to good music. And Octothorpe." - Marcus Kellis
Song Fight! The Rockening
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Re: Ready, Aim, Review! (I Am a Target reviews)

Post by JonPorobil »

Well, holy crap.

I kind of thought that Spud would hold out for Signboy to upload his art, which was better than mine: http://www.jon-eric.com/Images/Signboy
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Re: Ready, Aim, Review! (I Am a Target reviews)

Post by deetak »

here are the first few, going in alphabetical order

chthxchthxchthx - Vocals are clear and melody is catchy. I don't mind it being short, but it seems like it had enough energy built up to go on longer, especially since the "I AM A TARGET!!!" part feels like it would lead into a kind of thrashy part like in the intro or the part just before the "i am a target" yell

dutova - feels epic, in a way, maybe some more texture/instrumentation could work later on?

deetak - was a quick one but I wish the guitar was brighter and less muffled sounding, that might have made the rhythm clearer

Hindsdale Patent - pretty nice production, vocal performance

Howl Down the Chimney - I think the delivery could vary a little, I dunno, it feels like the same level throughout until the "found a cryptic message on my answering machine". The answering machine part is bizzare, great. Atmosphere of the loop is interesting

Jake Lions Band - The first minute is cool but I start to lose interest after it. The end after that middle part is also more interesting musically but piano could fit better into the mix

Johnny Cashpoint - enjoyable song, i think the synth or organ is a good addition to the arrangement because sometimes it feels a little thin, although the atmosphere/feel and attitude of vocal is nice
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Re: Ready, Aim, Review! (I Am a Target reviews)

Post by stateshirt »

If anyone is interested, i created a music video for my entry. Oh yes, and it's even in lovely HD!

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Re: Ready, Aim, Review! (I Am a Target reviews)

Post by johnsonic »

Excited to review this... Stateshirt is standout for me right now. And before the HD.

Bruce Lee on the history channel...
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Re: Ready, Aim, Review! (I Am a Target reviews)

Post by 2dogs »

Great job State Shirt. Good sound and the composition was A1. 5 stars for initiative with the video. Great production.
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Re: Ready, Aim, Review! (I Am a Target reviews)

Post by melvin »

stateshirt wrote:If anyone is interested, i created a music video for my entry.
Brilliant!
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Re: Ready, Aim, Review! (I Am a Target reviews)

Post by northernwriter »

Well here is my two cents worth...
Over all I have to say that I am impressed with everyone's efforts. These are all first impressions, ask me again next week about them and I may have something totally different to say.

chthxchthxchthx:
Overall Impression:Reminds me of my garage band days, although that term seems to have a a different meaning than when I actually had one. It is definitely a head banger.
Personal Mixing Preferences: I would have brought up the bass guitar a little and taking a little of the verb out of the snare.

Deetak:
Overall Impression: Unable to understand the lyrics. Pretty nice vocal harmonies though.
Personal Mixing Preferences: Guitar sounds a little muddy. I would have spread the vocals out maybe by panning some.

DoToVa:
Overall Impression: Nice overall sound. A couple of little pitchy vocal notes. Unfortunately the song seems like a long intro to a song.
Personal Mixing I really like the recording mix.

The Hinsdale Patent:
Overall Impression: An interesting listen. I liked the way you brought the synth in and out it added a nice element.
Personal Mixing Love the drums. Overall I liked the way it was mixed. The vocals sit nicely in the mix.

Howl Down The Chimney:
Overall Impression: Spooky. Overtones of paranoia. Seems like you might want to contact Alex Jones and do a soundtrack for one of his films?
Personal Mixing Preferences: I liked the mix.

Jake Lions Band:
Overall Impression: Frenetic. Discordant. A long intro? No I guess there are no lyrics. Just about when I thought the song was getting boring it took a little twist, unfortunately I am not sure if I liked the changes
Personal Mixing Preferences: Bass solo part should have done some eq stuff, maybe taken the volume down some and worked on the obvious clipping.

Jan Krueger:
Overall Impression: Seems like the vocalist is singing out of his range. The song is rather one dimensional, but nice harmonies.
Personal Mixing Preferences: The mix is better through head phones than my mains. I like the mix overall.

Johnny Cashpoint:
Overall Impression: Where is Mary Poppins? I don't say that negatively. It just has the feel of a animated movie soundtrack. Or maybe Winnie the Pooh in drag?
Personal Mixing Preferences: Nice mix. Maybe might have brought the synth in the end down a little so it might have sat in the mix better?

Medavox:
Overall Impression: The back ground vocals seemed out of tune a little.
Personal Mixing Preferences:

Metropological:
Overall Impression: I kept envisioning the mountains of Japan. Are we trying to say that Japan or the orient in general is the intended target?
Personal Mixing Preferences:

Old Man Grumpus:
Overall Impression: I liked the flute. A nice listen.
Personal Mixing Preferences: The vocals could have been brought to the front a little more, maybe a little more presence.

Paco del Stinko:
Overall Impression: It all seemed rather ho hum. Not a bad song really just pretty straight forward and nto really arranged well.
Personal Mixing Preferences: I like the mix. Seems to have a lot of compression on it. Sort of takes some of the life out of this song.

Pathetic Wannabees:
Overall Impression: Some how I thought of Dr. Demento.
Personal Mixing Preferences:

State Shirt:
Overall Impression: A good song. Well arranged. This song kept my interest all the way through. I liked the repetition of the "Life's hard enough as it is.... "
Personal Mixing Preferences: I liked the mix.

Todd McHatton:
Overall Impression: Liked the backup vocals. Not a bad song.
Personal Mixing Preferences: I liked the mix here too.

The Weakest Suit:
Overall Impression: Some missed opportunities with the arrangement. Seemed to be a little one dimensional. If that is what you were going for you achieved your goal.
Personal Mixing Preferences: Too much compression?
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Re: Ready, Aim, Review! (I Am a Target reviews)

Post by womanonpiano »

There are those who take music seriously enough to offer technical reviews and to offer support for methods to improve sound and vocal qualities.Then there are people like me. I know what I like. So here goes.

chthxchthxchthx:
Angry, disgruntled musicians? In my mind's eye I see a lot of head banging kinda stuff. I recall my slam dancing days. I spent 3 days in bed on muscle relaxers. This music brings back sweet memories of that 72 hour fog. :)

Deetak:
Reminiscent of acid lyrics. Not my particular style, but there is an audience for your music!

DoToVa:
I liked this. Of course - I have become predictable. I like music only because it reminds me of other music I like and this reminds me of something British in the sixties.

The Hinsdale Patent:
I like the drums. The Woodstock gang would have given it a big thumbs up.

Howl Down The Chimney:
(Twilight Zone theme) Then there was a man who thought he was a target...

Jake Lions Band:
Where are the words? Some music needs words. Freebird needed words and the music was killer. Wipeout... No words needed. Okay... some words were needed - just to remind us that the song's title was "Wipeout."

Jan Krueger:
I still like the vocalist, but this is not my favorite this week.

Johnny Cashpoint:
Could be a soundtrack. I always look for ways to sell music.

JustUsToo:
Good lyrics. Vocals could have been better but I liked the anger aspect.

Medavox:
Is it supposed to be a bubble off key? If so, then it's good.

Metropological:
I never read a lot into the lyrics. Okay. That's a lie. I'm all about lyrics. Asia as a target... got it.

Old Man Grumpus:
Marshall Tucker had a flute. The flute is good.

Paco del Stinko:
I liked the music. The lyrics were good. Something I could understand and perhaps remember.

Pathetic Wannabees:
I could see Oscar the Grouch singing this from his own garbage can.

State Shirt:
I am not as impressed with the song as others on this board. But I am not basing this on technical difficulty. Sometimes I just like a song, or I don't.

Todd McHatton:
It is a good song. I listened to the entire song.

The Weakest Suit:
Not my particular style. But then there is an audience for all types of music.
A special place in hell is reserved for musicians and singers who are neither but think they are both. EJW
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Re: Ready, Aim, Review! (I Am a Target reviews)

Post by inevitableguy »

I don't have time for full reviews this time around, but I have to say that State Shirt totally brought the house down this week. I can't even bring myself to vote for anyone else.
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Re: Ready, Aim, Review! (I Am a Target reviews)

Post by melvin »

inevitableguy wrote:I don't have time for full reviews this time around, but I have to say that State Shirt totally brought the house down this week. I can't even bring myself to vote for anyone else.
Seriously. I keep going back to this track. It's amazing. "Life's hard enough as it is, you don't want to cry anymore. You're going to have an exciting life now." Wow.
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Re: Ready, Aim, Review! (I Am a Target reviews)

Post by Paco Del Stinko »

chthXchthXchthX - I like the punk assault of this. A little stiff at the get go, but it gets going nicely. Don't know if you're siding with or mocking the old straight-edge stance, doesn't matter. Good fun.

deetak - Another delight from you. I like how it stats but it goes up another level when the backing oh-oh-ohs start their thing. Gentle and a dark at the same time, it changes around without feeling like it's wandering. I like the ending, it could've sounded abandoned, but didn't.

DuToVa - This is a little loose, but I like where it goes. Nice melodies and structure, the high up chorus is a nice release when it arrives. The near-heroic piano voicings work better than they perhaps should, good work. Again, a little sloppy, but worthy of a re-do if hat's your thing.

the Hinsdale Patent - I very much enjoy the guitar pattern and rhythm of this. The melody as well, for that matter. Gotta compare, unfortunately, and this reminds me a bit of the Monks of Doom both musically at times and the vocal timbre as well. Could use either a slightly more mobile bass line or a kick up in that area somehow. Good end section that could be exploited even more.

Howl Down the Chimney feat. Krazee Jarmin - From out of Sputnik's storage chamber comes this moody bit of weirdness. (weirdness in a good way, of course) The voice is a bit loud, but the paranoia lyrics make up for it, and the narrative is pretty cool. Must be Jast on the phone, quick! Hang up! Changes where it needs to to keep this fresh. I like this a lot and appreciate the peeking out of the windows perspective.

Jake Lions Band - The echoey stuff is good, but the drums kind of fall off a cliff, don't they? It starts to gel, but the drums distract a bit. A good soundtrack for a van driving on Mars, and some nice sounds/tones, but I have no idea how it connects to the title. I like the end until the plinky bits come in.

Jan Krueger - Off the phone to the sates I see. This sounds like it's going to be all sappy, but turns into one of your better songs, I think. It has your distinctive melodies and wonderful backing vocals, complete with occasional warble. I think this may have been one of your rush jobs, and sometimes that works for you (or me, etc. Well, maybe you!) But this could benefit from a backing tracks re-working although the vocals are so strong you might not need them at all. Great ending as well.

Johnny Cashpoint
- I hate to say this at any time of the year, but this made me think of Christmas music when it first started. Yikes! Cross-dressing Santa, perhaps? Regardless, I like the tune and its easy-going manner, the organ making the sale final. The slightly warped bridge is a great fit as well. Nice chord voicings on the uke as well, and the chorus is just sweet enough. Glad you're submitting tunes, always a delight.

Just Us Too - The vocals sound both a little labored and at the same time like you're smiling. I dunno how you did that, but there ya go. The Steppenwolf guitar leads are great, and make the song, really. The verses could vary some more, either in their delivery or the musical accompaniment, as they start to feel a little poopy. I mean, it's a laid-back tune with a good vibe, but easy to get distracted midway.

Medavox - Son of Ian Drury on the vocals. I picture the narrator sitting alone in his room, under a single bulb, under pointed roof on the third floor of his parents house. The losing it vocals are the best part and could've been used more than once, I think. Good ideas, just not executed as well as might've been.

Metropological - This is a lovely instrumental with an almost oriental feel to it. Majestic without sounding grandiose. How it connects to the title, I don't know. I would've titled this something like "Mist Over Mongolia" or something along that line if I had written this without a title. Nicely done, and well balanced, even if the ending feels incomplete.

Montana Fudge - Ah, you tricked me. I thought this was going to be a nice, dark, haunted mood piece. But I know it's the same guys that submitted something last week that was silly as well. Poop is funny, to a point, but this doesn't wear well on repeated listens which is fine, right? Hey, every song doesn't have to be about saving the world, but even funny songs have staying power if done right. Try harder, guys. Now go take a shower.

Old Man Grumpus - The Sahara themes here are very nice, as are the non-rock, if you will, instruments. I like the chorus, and it sounds familiar to me, but only like it's been in this same song, and that I've heard this song before. Anyway, the song almost lurches as times, it could move a little more freely I think and gain coolness, if anything. Perhaps this could be rectified with the addition of strings or backing vocals, as there is room for a little something else in the production.

Paco del Stinko - A real quickie for me, I did this all in a day. Note: I accidentally recorded the drums without overhead mics. Fuzz-box lead, not OD or distortion.

Pathetic Wannabees - On a Pathetic album this might be a filler track, although there are some great lyrics in here. The casual vibe is wonderful and the piped-in sounding backing tracks are quite appropriate in this setting. Makes me want to walk outside, with a smile on my face. Too bad it's raining out. BUT, you guys always bring the sun.

State Shirt - The clear winner this week, it's such a strong track all around. I could try and pick out flaws, because that's what we often do, but I'd be hard pressed to find one. Inevitable comparisons would be to Radiohead and U2, I suppose, but not as copies but rather influences. The serious mood brings the samples along with it, as they could certainly be used in a humorous context as well, if wanted. The higher, soaring vocals at the end mail this home and complete this in a fine manner.

Todd McHatton
- Pleasant and cruising in the Mystery Machine with a gang of happy 'toon characters, Peter Max ribbons of color ribboning out and away. The chimes are nice but the almost quiet guitar is so silky smooth you are nearly unaware of its flowing motion. This song should place high in the fight, but will probably lose to Stateshirt. Anyway, liked it in NUR EIN, and it's improved with its short age. Well balanced experience.

The Weakest Suit - I like the hazy Jesus and Mary Chain swirl of this. Mid-western vocals over the mock feedback swirl work well here. I like the minimal percussion as well, fitting here even if done out of necessity more than design: a nice tension underlying a relatively mellow tune. Maybe not as strong or varying, melodically, than some of your other tunes, the different approach is fresh and fun. Kind of whimper for an end, though.
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Re: Ready, Aim, Review! (I Am a Target reviews)

Post by boltoph »

the Hinsdale Patent: This is a killer track. Anyone who can blend rhythm changes, melodic changes, and work "have a smoothie" into a dark, mysterious, moog-laden outro, and still have it sound fantastic and still retain that darkness and depth, is the clear winner in my opinion. You got my vote and I was pretty darn psyched to see the win! My only gripe is that I thought the outro should have been double the length that it was, and repeated that smoothie chant about 10 more times. Nice.
This song made me want to quit my job and move to a remote island. The routine, the autopilot-work-day is killing me. There's got to be so much more to life then just the mundane. Much more. This song carries a huge moral or philosophical undertone to it and I loved that about it.
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Re: Ready, Aim, Review! (I Am a Target reviews)

Post by deetak »

Thanks for the comments.
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Re: Ready, Aim, Review! (I Am a Target reviews)

Post by jast »

Thanks for the comments.
Paco Del Stinko wrote:This sounds like it's going to be all sappy
I will never, ever do that. Also, all generalizations are wrong.

By the way, did anyone notice the plethora of time signatures I used? ;)
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Re: Ready, Aim, Review! (I Am a Target reviews)

Post by Paco Del Stinko »

Jast wrote:I will never, ever do that.
Glad to hear it. I may, though :wink: Make no mistake, please, I am a fan of your music.
Bringin' the stink since 2006.
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