Imagine writing (501 reviews)

Discuss upcoming, current, and previous song fights.
User avatar
Albatross
KING OF THE FORUMS
KING OF THE FORUMS
Posts: 845
Joined: Wed Jan 12, 2005 12:51 am
Instruments: Bass, drums, guitar, hand farts
Recording Method: Firewire 1814, Sonar X1
Submitting as: Albatross, Primitive Screwheads
Location: UT

Imagine writing (501 reviews)

Post by Albatross »

Actually, a few of you may already have.
User avatar
Æpplês&vØdkã
Push Comes to Shove
Posts: 410
Joined: Thu Jul 27, 2006 1:59 pm
Instruments: Drums, bass, synths, guitar, whatever else is around.
Recording Method: Tascam dp006, Shure SM-58, FL studio
Submitting as: Phlebia
Location: Near Atlanta
Contact:

Post by Æpplês&vØdkã »

oh, octothorpe.
Lord of Oats
Ice Cream Man
Posts: 1194
Joined: Sun Aug 26, 2007 2:35 pm
Location: Gainesville, Florida

Post by Lord of Oats »

Praise the Lord. I was getting a little tired of listening to the Octothorpe track on loop.
"81 songs and 569 posts in 4 months. You don't mess around when it comes to messing around." - fluffy
User avatar
Spud
Hot for Teacher
Posts: 4770
Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2004 10:25 am
Instruments: Bass, Keyboards, eHorn
Submitting as: Octothorpe
Location: Seattle
Contact:

Post by Spud »

Lord of Oats wrote:Praise the Lord. I was getting a little tired of listening to the Octothorpe track on loop.
You and me, buddy.
"I only listen to good music. And Octothorpe." - Marcus Kellis
Song Fight! The Rockening
melvin
Push Comes to Shove
Posts: 409
Joined: Mon Sep 12, 2005 7:32 pm

Post by melvin »

I've never commented on fight art before, but this fight has perhaps the ugliest art I've ever seen in my life. Makes Piss Christ look like a refreshing mint julep.
hi!
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

Post by glennny »

Everyone, I'd like to apologize for the awful Zipline track aptly titled "Zipline Sucks".

I'd also like to particularly apologize to the Fightmaster for our petty band dramas.

I'm beyond angry with Martyr for submitting this track. The song just wasn't there. The finished edits sound like crap and I think bring down the value of our previous entries.

Martyr betrayed my trust in submitting this track. Zipline is over. At least with me as the guitarist. I hope to work with the Prisoner soon and on a continuous basis.

I encourage many scathing comments about the poor quality of the track. The guitar is pretty horrible too to be sure. It never should have been submitted. So I'm sorry for wasting your time, your bandwidth, etc.
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
wages
Panama
Posts: 987
Joined: Sun Sep 25, 2005 3:16 pm
Instruments: Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Recording Method: Zoom h4n, Audacity
Submitting as: Wages
Location: The place that never tasted so good
Contact:

Post by wages »

One quick review....

<b>Zipline (Sucks)</b> I don't know about the guitar sucking, but the vocals and drums need some work! I think I understand why you didn't want the song submitted, it just wasn't ready yet. I think the guitar rocked in the first half of the song, but something was definitely not right in the second half. I think perhaps you should have kept the same or nearly same guitar tone throughout (the first one) with no effects changes. Otherwise, the drums were sometimes out by a beat or two, and the vocals were often out of key. However, all of you are capable..it's just a tough song to get recorded in such a short period of time. I'd like to hear a finalized version with the above addressed. 6/10. Perhaps 8 or 9 of out 10 if improved.
Wages - Hoglen & Wages - The Affirmative Mention - Gawking Urethras - The EAF - and more
User avatar
jack
Hot for Teacher
Posts: 3820
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 10:41 am
Recording Method: ProTools, Logic, Garageband
Submitting as: brody, Jack Shite, Johnny in the Corner, Bloody Hams, lots more
Location: santa cruz, ca.

Post by jack »

virtual band break-ups on the forum! oh, the drama! :)

rule one: never apologize.
Hi!
User avatar
Spud
Hot for Teacher
Posts: 4770
Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2004 10:25 am
Instruments: Bass, Keyboards, eHorn
Submitting as: Octothorpe
Location: Seattle
Contact:

Post by Spud »

glennny wrote:I'm beyond angry with Martyr for submitting this track.
To be fair to your partner, I went back and checked his email, and he, in fact, asked us not to post it. He did send it though, so there was either a mixed message or some confusion there.

People. The fightmasters do not read the submission emails. We PROCESS them. If you have something to tell us, do not include it in your submission email.

SPUD
Last edited by Spud on Mon Dec 10, 2007 6:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"I only listen to good music. And Octothorpe." - Marcus Kellis
Song Fight! The Rockening
User avatar
roymond
Beat It
Posts: 5188
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 3:42 pm
Instruments: Guitars, Bass, Vocals, Logic
Recording Method: Logic X, MacBookPro, Focusrite Scarlett 2i2
Submitting as: roymond, Dangerous Croutons, Intentionally Left Bank, Moody Vermin
Pronouns: he/him
Location: brooklyn
Contact:

Post by roymond »

Max - what's great is it's so believable. What's sad is I live in 503. And 501 is truly alive and well. Even with occasional visuals, since it's through the windows, not the walls.
roymond.com | songfights | covers
"Any more chromaticism and you'll have to change your last name to Wagner!" - Frankie Big Face
Lord of Oats
Ice Cream Man
Posts: 1194
Joined: Sun Aug 26, 2007 2:35 pm
Location: Gainesville, Florida

Post by Lord of Oats »

Something doesn't seem right, here. Why on Earth would someone submit an entry with instructions stating that the file should not be accepted?

Dear Fightmaster,

Please don't accept the attached file. It's garbage. I know I formatted this like a submission, but it's just an illusion. I swear. No, seriously. I'm just fucking with you guys. Thanks a lot for taking the time to read this. Just remember, whatever you do, do not post the enclosed song.

Love,
Martyr
"81 songs and 569 posts in 4 months. You don't mess around when it comes to messing around." - fluffy
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:

Post by Reist »

glennny wrote:Zipline is over.
Whoa. That sucks, dude ... RIP Zipline, and good luck in future endeavours.
User avatar
fluffy
Eruption
Posts: 11028
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 10:56 am
Instruments: sometimes
Recording Method: Logic Pro X
Submitting as: Sockpuppet
Pronouns: she/they
Location: Seattle-ish
Contact:

Post by fluffy »

Wow, this week's entries are actually generally good enough that I felt like reviewing them. It's been a while.


ab/7a: I am a big fan of structured noise pieces, but this one sounds a bit too random and antagonistic, like you just took a few samples and chopped them and looped them before feeding them through a gigantic effects chain. There's some good ideas in it but it falls a bit flat. I'd suggest removing the reverb and turning down the gain a bit.

Adam Adamant: The instrumental introduction is pretty good (I am of course a big fan of minimal chippy music) but the vocals are way too sloppy, like you're straining to push out a certain voice. Is there some sort of weird processing going on there? I think this would work better if you were to try finding a more natural vocal range.

Blues Manufacturing: I've listened to your last several entries and this still sounds like a one-note joke. When are you going to run out of blues standards? Hopefully you'll lose the vocal distortion first. I suggest doing a shot of whiskey before you sing.

Chonny: This sounds a lot like a really old Song Fight entry by someone else. I'm trying to remember which one it is. The vocals and the muddy mix are very familiar. Try cutting the bass on your vocals a little bit, and bringing them up in the mix.

David Lost: This sounds kind of like REM covering a U2 song written by Loyalty Day. Not necessarily a bad thing. This song doesn't really grab me for anything in particular but it's at least fairly solid and inoffensive. It does kind of make me think of a karaoke performance though.

Flvxxvm Florvm: Are you imitating Klownhole covering Blues Manufacturing Facility? You pull it off I guess. Definitely bring your mix down, less distortion, less fakey-sounding drums if you're going to do this style (they need to be sloppy in the same way as the rest of the song).

Jach S: This is another song which makes me flash back to old lo-fi Song Fight entries of yore (like Chonny). I think what I said for Chonny applies here too - cut the bass to reduce the muddiness, bring up the vocals in the mix, and then you'll have something more pleasant to listen to. The double-tracked vocals are okay but they're pitched just barely off enough that it sounds irritating.

Jeff Travis Henderson: This is like Frankie Big Face doing ambient disco-pop. An interesting take, and I really like the resulting sound. Nice use of the stereo soundstage, great rhythms, good chord progression, decent melody, nice instrumentation. I'd really like to hear this with some harmonization on the vocals though. Definitely a song I'd like to hear again.

Lord of Oats: I kind of figured this would be rap based on the lead-in. So far you're not really rocking my ass, though, and I'm not a fan of self-aggrandizing songs which aren't doing it ironically. At least it starts to get ridiculous later on, but it still misses the mark and doesn't really sound like it's supposed to be a joke. Chorus line needs a better vocal treatment.

Max the Cat: Willie Nelson overhearing the noisy sex freaks next door! I like the contrast between the musical mood and the subject matter. "Reality porno through the wall" actually made me laugh. This kind of song is what Song Fight is about.

MC Eric B: Unlike a few others I've reviewed so far, you need to actually boost the bass on your vocals a bit. The backing track is a bit boring, and the words... do you ever write a song which isn't about Song Fight?

Meatknob: This is definitely the wrong kind of track to use fake drums on. Boost the vocals if you want them to be comprehensible, but I get the feeling you're not going for that anyway. I definitely appreciate this song, though.

Melvin: I'd like to hear you do this song without sing.ing.one.syl.la.ble.on.ev.er.y.beat in the verses. That said, I like this song, and it sounds pretty good aside from a couple of hinky chords in the chorus which sound a bit clashy (though they actually end up working pretty well).

Mexican Chimpanzees: .

Mime: You need to work on your vocal recording if you're going to do something so vocal-heavy. Back away from the microphone, and enunciate your words. Don't have such a thin and boring backing track. Many of your lines are definitely of the "gottacramasmanysyllablesinasIcan" variety, and those are bad and should be rewritten. Your lyrics generally remind me of those late-80s raps which are start out like "My name is Bob and I'm here to say" and go quickly downhill from there, and this one could definitely stand to be at least a minute shorter.

Northside Hindus: Okay, I liked that. It helps that it was no longer than necessary.

Octothorpe: Well, even though none of my recorded parts were used in the end, this is a pretty fun song, and I'm glad to have been a part of it even if I ended up being excluded in the end. (Did you at least save the recordings I was on though? Those were some awesome guitar solos, and losing them makes me sad.) Also congratulations on finally getting a nice clean recording setup. Now just work on that drummer. ;)

Paco del Stinko: It's like Frank Zappa and The Who having a party in my brain! And The Doors are invited too! Hey what are the Beach Boys doing here? Okay! This is too many songs smooshed together like so many crumb cakes. I liked the first third. Second half really suffers from drums which sound like a real person spazzing out on a fake kit. If you can get some variation in the trigger velocities it might sound better.

Pillar of Paprika: Yet another one which sounds like classic Song Fight, in this case The Idiot Kings. I like the weirdly dissonant multitracked vocals. Mix feels a bit flat, but that could just be in comparison to the other tracks which tend to be over-gainy and ear-flattening. There's definitely some good musical ideas in here, and the song as a whole is pretty good. It just needs better EQing.

Plain Songs for Doves & Tigers: It's like Marcus Kellis' schtick without the charm. Well, okay, there's still some charm. Just not Marcus Kellis levels of it. However, this is the sort of thing that Song Fight is about.

Ross Durand: Oh man this totally needs some fiddle in it. And Brick Pig on vocals (though your vocals are pretty good too, though a bit pitchy in places). Harmonies which come in at 1:05 are nice, but need to be mixed a bit higher instead of hiding in the background. Also, I think The Proclaimers would have something to say about your lyrics. Still, a nice song all around.

Roymond: before this started I wondered if this was going to be Surreal Roymond, Creepy Roymond, or Melodic Roymond, and you went and did a Surreally Creepy Melodic Roymond song just to change things up a bit. Roymond does country? I'm really digging this in any case. A bit of sloppiness at 2:05 which feels out of place, since the vocals are pretty tight through most of the song. Great song though. Vote contender?

Senza Valore: The vocal treatment is pretty distracting (what with all the reverbs and delays and flangers and such), and to really pull that sound off you need to not be so pitchy. Of course I am totally gay for your instrumentation and percussion. I really want to hear this with a dry vocal track panned dead center.

The Special Relatives: I am positive I have heard this song before with different lyrics. Not a fan of it, sorry.

Steve Durand: You've got this sound down pat. Either run with it, or try something completely different. There's some pretty good surprises in the chord progression here. Bass solos never come out quite right, and should usually be done with a keyboard or tuned percussion instrument instead. The rhythm guitar needs to be mixed a bit lower and not so hard to the right.

Thanks for the Frisbee: Holy crap, how long have you been sounding like this? You're way better than I remember you sounding last time I heard one of your songs. I love the sparse arrangement at the beginning. Changing between the two sounds with the same instrumentation keeps this very listenable. I very much like it.

Thomas Jeffersons: Ugh, another song about Song Fight. Musically it's okay if a bit standard and "easy." Lose the bits where you have the vocals come in over themselves. There is no place for that in a song which is supposed to sound live.

Wages: I love experimental stuff like this, as you probably well know. It needs a bit more variation though... I get very tired of it about a minute in (though it could also be the rest of the fight talking). At the halfway point I'm getting ready to skip it. It needs to either be shorter or more interesting.

The Weakest Suit: Clever use of the title, and this song could be pretty good but god damn do you really have to make every other word "fuck?" Muddy and clippy mix also makes it difficult to listen to.

Zipline Sucks: My understanding is that you wanted to retract this song, yes? I don't know, this sounds pretty okay. It's more listenable than the other Zipline I've listened to anyway. Too much mic abuse though (I guess that's sort of a Zipline signature sound though). It kind of sounds like you guys think this is funny and are laughing at your own joke though (especially with the mic breath). So maybe it's all for the best how things turned out. If this were just the instrumental stuff it'd be a fun Song Fight-style instrumental track though. Actually this reminds me a LOT of the same song that Chonny's entry reminds me of too. If only I could remember which song it is. I'm sure it'll come to me a few minutes after I post this.
User avatar
fluffy
Eruption
Posts: 11028
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 10:56 am
Instruments: sometimes
Recording Method: Logic Pro X
Submitting as: Sockpuppet
Pronouns: she/they
Location: Seattle-ish
Contact:

Post by fluffy »

Early Hoblit stuff. That's what Chonny and Zipline are making me think of. Some specific Hoblit song, too (but damn does he have a lot of songs), but I guess generally the classic Hoblit sound.
User avatar
Spud
Hot for Teacher
Posts: 4770
Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2004 10:25 am
Instruments: Bass, Keyboards, eHorn
Submitting as: Octothorpe
Location: Seattle
Contact:

Post by Spud »

fluffy: your stuff is preserved. It wasn't working with the spare lyrics which, as you know, came later. I can get you the tracks if you like.
"I only listen to good music. And Octothorpe." - Marcus Kellis
Song Fight! The Rockening
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:

Post by Ross »

fluffy wrote: Ross Durand: Oh man this totally needs some fiddle in it. And Brick Pig on vocals (though your vocals are pretty good too, though a bit pitchy in places). Harmonies which come in at 1:05 are nice, but need to be mixed a bit higher instead of hiding in the background. Also, I think The Proclaimers would have something to say about your lyrics. Still, a nice song all around.
My main three regrets here are: (a) no fiddle/mandolin, (b) the harmonies are not a female singer (c) pitchiness on first verse (I think it gets better after that).
"I don't like this song, but at least it's good." - veGetar Ianra Ge
http://www.rossdurandmusic.com
loopio
A New Player
Posts: 8
Joined: Sun Dec 02, 2007 10:56 pm
Contact:

ThankS FluFFY

Post by loopio »

Wow,

This forum is a real insperational. The feedback I got from "fluffy" all though not perfect really makes me want to write another toon for the next songfight. I just have to say that this forum has really brought back back my passion for music. I listened to the songs for awhile, but I never commited to making a song for it until last week. Just writing based off title is absolutely awesome. I really liked some of the submissions, and some others were.......DOH! The bottom line though is that you guys have made a incredible outlet for people like me that hide in the closet with music. Hell, if I sound like a mix of REM and U2 with those other guys (Loyalty Day) no clue? I don't even know... Shit thats good with me!!!

Thanks! I will try to do better on the next round..

Loopio
Mime
A New Player
Posts: 20
Joined: Thu Nov 01, 2007 11:50 pm

Post by Mime »

fluffy wrote:Mime: You need to work on your vocal recording if you're going to do something so vocal-heavy. Back away from the microphone, and enunciate your words. Don't have such a thin and boring backing track. Many of your lines are definitely of the "gottacramasmanysyllablesinasIcan" variety, and those are bad and should be rewritten. Your lyrics generally remind me of those late-80s raps which are start out like "My name is Bob and I'm here to say" and go quickly downhill from there, and this one could definitely stand to be at least a minute shorter.
All makes sense. Thanks for the review fluffy. I think the main problem is lately I just haven't been having the time to get the delivery the way I want. A lot of the "gottacramasmanysyllablesinasIcan" (and bad emphasis / jumbled structure) is just me being unrehearsed. As for the vocal, I was moving and forgot to pack my better mic, so that might be part of it. Thanks for the help man. I hope I've at least been improving even if I still suck. Hah.
This lips were trained to tango so don't deny my chance to dance with the stars.
User avatar
roymond
Beat It
Posts: 5188
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 3:42 pm
Instruments: Guitars, Bass, Vocals, Logic
Recording Method: Logic X, MacBookPro, Focusrite Scarlett 2i2
Submitting as: roymond, Dangerous Croutons, Intentionally Left Bank, Moody Vermin
Pronouns: he/him
Location: brooklyn
Contact:

Post by roymond »

fluffy wrote:Roymond: before this started I wondered if this was going to be Surreal Roymond, Creepy Roymond, or Melodic Roymond, and you went and did a Surreally Creepy Melodic Roymond song just to change things up a bit. Roymond does country? I'm really digging this in any case. A bit of sloppiness at 2:05 which feels out of place, since the vocals are pretty tight through most of the song. Great song though. Vote contender?
Thanks, Fluffy. I don't know how to classify my own stuff, so I guess this works. Is it really creepy? I was going for gospel. Maybe they're the same. There are a few sloppy spots that made it through the last minute production. I will try and remix this in the near future (but that never seems to happen).
roymond.com | songfights | covers
"Any more chromaticism and you'll have to change your last name to Wagner!" - Frankie Big Face
jimtyrrell
Mr. Beast
Posts: 2263
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 12:43 pm
Instruments: Guitar/bass/keys
Recording Method: Various. Mostly Garageband these days, actually.
Submitting as: Jim Tyrrell
Location: New Hampshire
Contact:

Post by jimtyrrell »

Reviews. It's been a while.

AB/7A – Well, you’re off to a bad start with me, but that’s because I put a high priority on lyrical content. So at least there’s no trite lyrics or off-key vocals to contend with here, but the lack of words leaves this song a step behind right at the gate. Musically, it’s challenging to buy into, but by the end I’m digging it well enough.

Adam Adamant – Not bad. I feel like the song is held back by its low fidelity. Structurally, it’s all there; I like the end verse especially. But yeah, this would benefit from some instrumentation that was a little less dime-store.

Blues Manufacturing Facility – Great opening. Sounds like a Tarantino soundtrack. The vocals take over as soon as they come in. The guitar solo is straight-up pentatonic. For the most part, the mix has a nice depth to it; I’d like this song a bit more if the vocals sounded like they were part of that space and not laid overtop of it.

Chonny – The overall mix is too quiet. I gotta back up and start again. Wow, neat. Sounds pretty ‘60s. Some of the lyrics jag on the ear a bit, but there’s some good unexpected imagery offered here, and that goes a long way with me.

David Lost – The start of the song is dangerously predictable. But the first verse is delivered sincerely enough to keep me on board. Those drums are too loud, I think. Nice tasteful lead guitar work. The repeating chorus at the end doesn’t vary enough to justify the length. Nice fadeout though.

Flvxxvm Florvm – The whole thing is pushed too high; the distortion keeps me from getting into this one. And that’s the ONLY thing, because this is otherwise pretty awesome. Catchy, well-built, and just long enough. The ending was somewhat anti-climactic.

Jach S – Like the David Lost song, this one starts with a few establishing bars that leave me hoping the song is going to get more interesting. The vocal style fits nicely. Mazzy Star kind of stuff. Can’t understand the words though. Bring ‘em up, and push those guitars back a bit. And—hey what happened? The song is over?

Jeff Travis Henderson – For the first minute I’m all like “man this needs drums”. Then they come in and everything is right in the world. Easily the most interesting arrangement yet. By the end I’m pretty sure this is the lead candidate for my vote. But man, some funky ‘60s style drums with tambourines and stuff throughout would have sealed the deal for sure.

Lord of Oats – An interesting case, this. On its own, out there in the big cold world, this song would get squashed hard without anyone hardly noticing it was ever there. But in the context of this fight, and in the greater context of SF, this song is priceless. Some of these lyrics are pretty good in a Sugar Hill Gang kind of way. Some are painfully rudimentary. Which might or might not be the point, I guess.

Max the Cat – Ooh, gorgeous guitar there. Peculiar subject matter for a song of this style. But I can see it working well to keep the crowd’s attention in a coffee house. I’d consider covering this if I could fingerpick that well.

MC Eric B – Hmm. Pretty much what I said about the Lord Of Oats song, except this one is definitely more directly SF-related. You’ve been around for a while, MC Eric B. Are you in it to be in it, or are you in it to win it? ‘Cause this one’s got unrealized potential. And while I’m not a big fan of the white-guy nerdcore delivery style in general, you’ve got some writing skills. One of these days you’re gonna bring it hard. But this one, I dunno, it just feels like an exercise that satisfies basic SF nerdcore criteria.

Meatknob – Nice drum sound. And I see where you’re going with this one, but something about it is keeping me from being able to take it seriously. I suspect your intent is humorous to some degree, but in the end, it just sounds like you’re… what’s the term… taking the piss. (Help me out, someone from across the pond: am I using that correctly?)

Melvin – Very well-recorded, but predictable and makes little effort to escape. Holy cow you’ve got a pretty good voice though. There’s too much about this that reminds me of Coldplay. Maybe it’s just me. But I’ll let you in on what may or may not be a secret; every time I write a song, I’m basically writing an homage to an existing song or artist. But I’m not able to escape my musical limitations enough to come as close as this.

The Mexican Chimpanzees – Okay, you don’t win. And this could TOTALLY have been done without the Tenacious D reference weighing it down. But it was funny and not too long. Thanks guys. (NOTE: It was funny ONCE.)

Mime – Very quiet. Did you record the vocals with your hand over the mic? “Until – the very – end” is the point at which your flow loses me. Once you get to the “onlyrationalthingtodo” bit I can’t go on. Sorry.

Northside Hindus – Here’s the thing about this song. I hope you get to see this. I haven’t met you guys (guys?) before, so I’m hoping that you check out the reviews page anyway. The recording quality on this is – okay, I’m not even gonna bother. I just wanted to try and waste forty-four seconds of YOUR time. At least it was short.

Octothorpe – There’s a lot about this song that’s out of sync.

Paco del Stinko – Holy crap, this is how to do the ‘weird SF entry’ right here. The only thing this song was missing was an ending with more, I don’t know, resolution, I guess. But man. Nice work.

Pillar of Paprika – Those spacey stings are awesome. Kudos for an interesting and unpredictable vocal line. And that bed of guitars around 3:10 is a wonderful surprise. Ends abruptly, but well. A keeper.

Plain Songs for Doves & Tigers – I kept thinking ‘what else does this need’ and here at the end I think it needs nothing else. It could be built up, I suppose, into a White Album-esque piece with full instrumentation. But it’s just not necessary. Especially given the band name, right? Now here’s something interesting: this song, when released into the wide world, stands a pretty good chance of holding its own. The story is absurd, for sure. But it’s interesting enough, and the music it’s set to is believable enough, to make me want to hear an album’s worth.

Ross Durand – The vocals get better as this one goes along. I like the story told here. Nothing flashy here, but a good competent genre piece. The development and resolution of the story pushes this one into the keeper category.

Roymond – Wow. This calls up visions of Violent Femmes. I’d love to hear bass and drums under this. But it might be more than necessary. What’s done here is well-balanced. And those vocals are spot-on. I wanna sing back-up if you do this at a SFLive show. Keeper, and vote contender.

Senza Valore – Pitchiness in the vocals is holding this one back. Everything production-wise is pretty solid. Nice atmosphere.

The Special Relatives – Were all the instruments recorded at once, or are they multitracked? Because it’s a very convincing ‘band’ sound. Aww, this one’s too short.

Steve Durand – Here comes the sun, doo doo—sorry. Man, this is like the third song in here that sounds like it was written in the ‘60s. That’s not a bad thing, necessarily. I’m old enough to dig it. Ooh, that bass solo is nice, especially with the strings coming in.

Thanks for the Frisbee – You can probably cut that guitar intro right off of there and not lose anything. This would rock with a drummer. As it is, it’s a catchy piece. Great ending verse.

The Thomas Jeffersons – Thirty seconds in and it sounds like I’m at a basement party. And I’m waiting for Jim Morrison to take the mic. And then some dude comes up and starts doing a beat/blues delivery of MC Eric B lyrics? Too many layers of Songfight-reference wake me up from what was only a dream. I think. …Actually, this swings. I want more of this.

Wages – That guitar is way up front, obscuring everything behind it. I assume you’re saying something back there, but I can’t make it out. The song succeeds at being kind of creepy, if that’s what you were going for.

The Weakest Suit – This would be a fun time to mention that I’m listening and reviewing at work. Haha, thanks for getting me fired, dude. Actually, I sit pretty far from the boss, so no worries. But the guy next to me is coming to find out what’s up. Anyway, the song: I can barely hear the drums. As usual, the guitar sounds too up-front. And was the length of the ending intentional? Maybe I missed some quiet stuff going on there, but frankly, the fact that my speakers aren’t turned up is YOUR fault. :)

Zipline Sucks – Not going to go into great depth here, given the problems surrounding this one. Suffice it to say there’s evidence of good songwriting and good performance here, and if this band did more of it I’d listen.
User avatar
Paco Del Stinko
Hot for Teacher
Posts: 3542
Joined: Fri Apr 07, 2006 11:20 am
Instruments: Basic rock, at a basic level.
Recording Method: Roland 2480
Submitting as: Paco del Stinko
Location: Massachusetts. God save the Commonwealth!

Post by Paco Del Stinko »

AB/7A - I like the struggling to get going feel of this but would have liked it to actually have gotten going. Well, I guess it does right before it ends. Good sounds, and not that it has to be all verse, chorus, verse or anything, but the lack of structure makes it feel tossed off.

Adam Adamant - Good layering and sound textures, I like the rubbery tickling the nape of your neck lines especially. Your vocal delivery is reminding me of Ian Dury here a litle bit. Good casual coolness.

Blues Manufacturing Facility - Slowed down drums again or the worst ride cymbal ever. It's scruffy but holds together. Nice creepy vocal in the middle for a while. The leads work better in the second half. I am glad to hear you guys/you relaxing a bit and not being nervously jokey.

Chonny - Wobbly, but a bit charming. I like the feel of this and enjoy the near mushy chorus even though I maybe shouldn't. I'd like another verse and/or to have this tightened and spiffed up all around with some nice, heady backing vocals.

David Lost - I respect the patient tempo of this, but hoped it might've elevated itself higher somehow. Maybe some simple vocal layers or a stronger percussive device doubling up the feel for a bit. The repeated line starts to get in your head a bit, but isn't as majestic as it wants to be.

Flvxxvm Florvm - You should take the Blues Mfg. Facility under your wing and make them your slave band. This one is a little staticy but still nice and swampy. This could be rocked out for 20 minutes live and is a good teaser for wanting to boogie. The ending feels like it comes too soon but probably doesn't, despite my 20 minute comments. Good vocal delivery that doesn't stray to deep into Goofyland.

Jach S - The leads are the right idea but too rushed. I understand time constraints, but this whole thing feels like a demo. However, it's a nice Cracker-esque at times song with potential to grab you with a head in the clouds meets hooky sound. I'd like to hear this when it's grown up because I like where it wants to go.

Jeff Travis Henderson - Good disco turn there. Do not tell me that I don't smell ABBA, as their smell has a permalodge in my schnoz. I like this a lot for other reasons as well like arrangement, differing vocal patterns, instrument layers are not overdone. Yet, the entire song lacks a certain dynamic to make it shine like, say, an ABBA song. Good song though, and I admire your talents in this and others of yours. gush gush

Lord of Oats - This is nice and spiffy and that's good work, but this might kick ass as a double timed punk-rap song. Thrash beat with spewed vocals. Nice clean recording and balanced arrangement as is. Good work, but would be more fun if scary.

Max the Cat - Excellent and tastefully done. The guitar patterns are wonderful and warm up the already smooth vocal. I like the more timelessness of the early verses over the current event ones but they are all well written. I like that I have to process the 'reality porno' line each time I hear it. Conceptually, not all pervy, although a little bit pervy.

MC Eric B - Well, I think you've gone this route before and think this is kind of an auto-pilot one from you. The humor is warm enough but not enough to upgrade it strongly. I do enjoy your music, but this one isn't one of your best.

Meatknob - The parts with the backing voices works best as this just wanders in and kind of just hangs around. Points for any liveness, but the overdubs seem to help it most. Good atmosphere potential but not persued strongly.

Melvin - Nice and simple works best, huh? Not in any way is that an insult. I like the live sound here on drums and vocal. This has a nice contemporary sound, structurally and melody-wise that I respect but don't always dig into. Again, the simplicity here is what gives this song its grace.

The Mexican Chimpanzees - I was smiling at the idea and some of the delivery. I would spell Trey with an 'a'.

Mime - The music sounds like a bad porno soundtrack I heard in the 80's that had the same AM radio sound. I believe it was a Cagney and Lacey takeoff. The vocals are muddy besides being stiff and that takes a lot away from whatever good lines you may have. Gimme some piz-azzze, man!

Northside Hindus - Ooo! I thought I was going to Japan or someplace for a second.

Octothorpe - Perfect for my Octo-glut this week. It may not be good to some, but it's good fun. Hopefully this is a warm up for more to come.

Paco del Stinko - Pros: tube amp. Cons: vocals, drum machine. The king is Kaiserstrasse in Frankfurt, a long, long time ago.

Pillar of Paprika - I like the mood of this, it has a good underground club feel to it. A moody and cliquey one perhaps, but cool enough. Could afford to be even more reverby which is rare advice, I think. Too much click in the rhythm track program at times.

Plain Songs for Doves & Tigers - This is excellent. I thought it was going to be a goofy joke but I enjoy all the elements of this. Wonderful little trip and all that is needed is here. I may very well vote for this.

Ross Durand - Good job. Right from the start you see where it might go, and you stay with it right to the end. I enjoy a good traditional if done well and this fits in with the ones that I like. Patient and organic performance and sound. Top shelf.

Roymond - It sounds like timeless tribal musics with western folkishness stirred in. Soaring with a hint of scariness. The guitar work is very good but the vocal work is sending this home, I believe. I'm almost craving a flurry of drums for the last section. but still rocks.

Senza Valore - Heady. The vocal melodies are a bit saggy performance-wise but are near hooky. I'd like this to pop out of the fog and let me regain my footing for a bit with a different change or feel for a while.

The Special Relatives - I like the song despite it being a slop-fest of a recording. One vocal, cutting through, might have made its 'I want more' length really grab you.

Steve Durand - I like the music, especially the bass solo section all dark like that, but I think the melody is a little under-cooked, overall. The lyrics are a little corny, but I think I would like them in a way different delivery or arrangement. Chorus is kind of sticking, though.

Thanks for the Frisbee - What? An electric guitar? That's almost as rare as your song with drums. I like the cloud hopping rhythm and the chorus is very nice. I like your voice undoubled here as well, with the multi-voice accompaniment, and then the switcheroos. Warm and loving, with a touch of sadness.

The Thomas Jeffersons - I'm a sucker for rhythms and progressions like this, and the vocals just hang on enough to pass, but could be a heap more hepcat to send this over the top. Good idea a lttle under-delivered.

Wages - Well, this was probably a better concept than end result. I like the idea of a creepy killer but where is he? Hiding behind that distorted guitar? Sounds like a real late at night recording session with the 'ol headphones on jobby.

The Weakest Suit - I like the trippy pushing paper part and appreciate the FU sentiment, to a degree, but it doesn't come off as angry as it says it is. The gear-switching parts make it somewhat interesting.

Zipline Sucks - The mix may be insane, but somewhere between the Police and Rush lies this scruffy mutation. It wanders a bit but soars at times as well. Good playing and instrument sounds too.
Bringin' the stink since 2006.
User avatar
roymond
Beat It
Posts: 5188
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 3:42 pm
Instruments: Guitars, Bass, Vocals, Logic
Recording Method: Logic X, MacBookPro, Focusrite Scarlett 2i2
Submitting as: roymond, Dangerous Croutons, Intentionally Left Bank, Moody Vermin
Pronouns: he/him
Location: brooklyn
Contact:

Post by roymond »

jimtyrrell wrote:Roymond – Wow. This calls up visions of Violent Femmes. I’d love to hear bass and drums under this. But it might be more than necessary. What’s done here is well-balanced. And those vocals are spot-on. I wanna sing back-up if you do this at a SFLive show. Keeper, and vote contender.
Paco Del Stinko wrote:Roymond - It sounds like timeless tribal musics with western folkishness stirred in. Soaring with a hint of scariness. The guitar work is very good but the vocal work is sending this home, I believe. I'm almost craving a flurry of drums for the last section. but still rocks.
Did you mean "sending this home" or "bringing this home"?

I hope I'm deserving of praise for my vocals, since I've worked the most on them yet still feel totally uncomfortable staring at a mic. I've tried to keep vocals up in the mix in order to not ignore them, and make myself try harder. And I know my voice can be ... irritating. So, thanks a lot for the feedback.

Also, I owe Hostess for inspiring the harmonies. I love his dom 9 vocal harmonies on Hit By A Train.
roymond.com | songfights | covers
"Any more chromaticism and you'll have to change your last name to Wagner!" - Frankie Big Face
Post Reply