Nur Ein XII Round One "After You"

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Re: Nur Ein XII - Round One

Post by WendyWisemanFisher »

Can anbody post comments on all of the songs or is that restricted to just the judges? 'Cause I'd like to, but I don't want to step on toes.
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Re: Nur Ein XII - Round One

Post by Manhattan Glutton »

Yes. In fact, it's encouraged. In years past, people had a lot more time...
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Re: Nur Ein XII - Round One

Post by WendyWisemanFisher »

In that case, here are my comments - after the third listen-through:

73 Keep it Beautiful:

Love the chill bossa and the subtle filters on the vocs. The guitar sparkles. Dig the way the countermelody seems no natural. Beautiful vocal harmonies on this. The end could have been slightly tidier, but overall this is a song that evokes hazy summer days and reminiscing.

Balance Lost:

The spoken word here is really powerful. I like the drums in this; they add a lot. The intro is, to me, a touch chaotic, and I think we could either use a different instrument for the ocarina/flute riff or omit the riff entirely. The vocals are appealing.

Berkeley Social Scene:

(Hello there, neighbor.) Gah, this is great. My toes tap. My head sways. The melodies are super strong and hooks abound. The octave harmonies are hard to do, and while they make sense from a songwriting/texture perspective, in this case I think the tuning could have been refined somewhat. One of my favorites of the round.

Boffo Yux Dudes:

Compelling, dark lyrics and solid vocal delivery. The countermelody in the electric instrument doesn’t work for me. If I were going to change it, I’d choose a different sound font and include more space between phrases. Worth listening to multiple times for the emotional journey.

Cavedwellers:

Gorgeous glamorous guitar sounds. Beautiful mellow, clear, sonorous vocals. I really like the mix on this - it’s shiny and transparent. I love the pause between “and there’s nothing left to do... after you.” That’s the type of musical surprise that I enjoy. Poetic lyrics. The doubled vocs in the bridge/counter melody could have been a touch more in synch. Once you separate into main melody + countermelody it’s all good. This is thoughtfully crafted yet vocally adventurous.

Glenn Case:

Oooh, great voice - clean and well-articulated, with great intonation. Love the stompy, catchy feel of this. Nice harmonies. Relatable lyrics. I like how the lyrics of your countermelody inform the lyrics of the main melody. I like the way you change up the instrumentation from section-to-section. Impressive. I am impressed. *nods head*

Inflatable Vegetables:

Super spy noir! The words, instrumentation, vocal delivery, and production all have great prosody. Evocative. Creative and appealing. I love the drum riff that sounds like a machine gun. The whole song has essence of crazed villainy; I’m into it, and I like the sense of wildness in the vocals.

Jerkatorium:

Immediately hit me with a lump in the throat, in, like, the first ten seconds. Great vocal harmonies and instrumentation. So tight, so synched, so clean. Great sparkling production - ear candy. I like how the guitar solo keeps the air of melancholy. And the arrangement overall is well built.

Lichen Throat:

I like your use of motif here, and the words tell a nice story. The chimes add a romantic touch. I’d be really interested in hearing what came out of you vocally if you transposed this up a fifth, sang louder, and placed the sound more forward in your face. You definitely have an unmistakeable sound.

Lucky Witch and the Righteous Ghost:

I like how you created a spooky atmosphere. I feel like the vocs are a little soft/back in the mix, but I think the wet reverb works thematically. Sinks me into a reverie. To me, more of an effective, atmospheric soundscape than a structured song.

Merisan:

What is this feeling deep inside? Is it... envy? =P Erin, these vocs are on point. Such beautiful diction, control, technique, and intonation. Consonants ftw. Elegant AF. The male background vocs are pleasing - husky and resonant - but I wonder if they would have been less murky in the chord structure had they been sung up an octave. Love the way the arrangement develops and the instrumentation choices.

Micah Sommersmith:

Well, I’m a sucker for humor, heavy backbeats, and fugues, so I’m a fan of this. Way to bust out the theory chops. Great panache and delivery. If you had more time and were planning to share this with a wider audience, I’d say tighten this up in terms of pitch and synching. As a rough sketch of a fun idea, this definitely gets the point across.

Nick Soma:

This song immediately hooks me. I wish the vocs were a touch louder in the mix. I’m very reminded of Take On Me. Love how the arrangement hangs together and I like the details you throw in here and there. Sometimes I feel like the chord progression has desynched between one instrument and another, but I could be wrong. A song that I want to play at night with the windows down - makes me feel rebellious.

Paco Del Stinko:

A character song sung with panache. Love the different vocal types that you switch between. Nice call and response section. Funny and happy-making. I dig the spare section at 1:37; great contrast and anticipation there. Nice solid ending.

Pigfarmer Jr:

Great guitar melody in the intro. I like the waltz time. You really locked in the tuning on those octave harmonies in the vocals. Poignant words. I like the concreteness of the language and the specific examples of scenarios. A tear jerker.

ROTR:

A toe-tapper. The call and response in the vocs during the chorus is super catchy. Those guitars are beasts - really cool. I want to dance to this. Epic.

Skub:

My favorite of the round. I just. Um. *flails* This is fantastic. That bassline. Those vocals. The overall groove of the song. Just very yes.

Strangelove:

Haunting intro. Great chill groove. I like it when you put more reverb on the vocs when the countermelody and the main melody are singing together. And that choir pad is striking; restrained with good use of motif.

Wendy Wiseman Fisher:

This is my song, so I’ll refrain from commenting.

Zed Dead Baby:

Haha. I love the wry humor of this. Great catchy chorus. Really invokes the conventions of country music well. The words tell a vivid story. Relatable. Likeable. The guitar melody seems a little loud in my right ear - is that just me? That slow section is hilarious, and leads well to the train of choruses that see us off.
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Re: Nur Ein XII - Round One

Post by Chumpy »

73 Keep it Beautiful - This song puts me in my happy place. The counter melody reminds me of Elliott Smith.

Balance Lost - I like the spoken word bits, interesting lyrics, spoken convincingly. Not sure the song itself really hangs together though, it seems like the different elements don't really jell.

BSS - I like a lot of things about this song, but I'm irritated by the games played with the title. Yeah, it happens to have both "ocean of blood" and "after you" in the chorus, but at the expense of having a coherent title and/or lyrical message. It's round one, this probably won't cost you.

Boffo Yux Dudes - The "go fuck myself" lyric gets my attention, and you I lose it again not long after. I think this song would benefit from more melodic diversity.

Cavedwellers - When the slide guitar comes in it sounds weirdly high pitched. To my ears it sounds more like a metal whisk against those strings than glass slide. Glenny's vocals are my favorite part of the song, the melody there is great. The problem with counter melody is that the the lyrics can clash, and they clash here. I hear "scary and dangerous" next to "rotary phone" and I do a weird double take.

Glenn Case - Way to make me feel like a chump for not having a counter-counter-melody. Another song that puts me into my happy place. The ending where all three voices come together is a spine tingler.

Inflatable Vegetables - That farty horn patch is not doing it for me and sounds bad, especially when put up against the most excellent tone of the springy electric spy guitar. This song has some strong dramatic tension, and is the most theatrical of any of the songs.

Jerkatorium - Ryan has been listening to a lot of Jordan Seavers lately.

Lichen Throat - Lichen Throat has got an ear for odd and intriguing melodies, this one is no different. I like the chiming wedding bells, and the cycle-of-life nature of the story. Work on those pitches.

Lucky Witch & the Righteous Ghost - The balance is all off kilter, but other folks have covered this. Lucky Witch's backing vocals on "after you" are delightfully spooky. I appreciate the trippy dreamlike feel of the song.

Merisan - I like everything about this song, except the dude. Keep the creepy dude away from the mic.

Micah Sommersmith - I thought Micah was trolling with that Glenn Gould fugue video. Four voices, four melodies, check, color me impressed. You win on the numbers and on the technical, which would have been a lot more impressive if not for a few pitchy bits.

Nick Soma - Yeah, 80s rock like the Psych Furs! I couldn't tell you were ill, but this song is sick. Love the way you sing "cloud nine". One of my favorites this time.

Paco del Stinko - The falsetto cracks me up! Another fun, funny Paco tune. Did I hear another counter-counter-melody? Sigh, one-upped AGAIN, although that's my favorite part. This song feels like it would fit in a musical theater number.

Pigfarmer Jr. - The high/low voices in the chorus sound great, and are my favorite part. The counter melody isn't great, some questionable pitches there, and it sounds somewhat forced.

ROTR - Keep the rock commin', I love it. Baby bater, heh There is probably a counter melody here, but I didn't get it right away. Like j$ is fond of saying "if you have to explain it..."

Skub - All the great stuff from last time is here. Bass, drums, impeccable vocals (omg amazing falsetto), but melodically this doesn't feel as hooky and strong as the last one. The counter melody with the falsetto is stonking great, maybe the best one in the contest.

strangelove - My ears don't like the melisma on "call" in the first verse. It's not crisp, and I first mistook it for a warbly pitch. Also something about the word "imbued" just bugs me. The counter melody is really pretty, but I do not like the choir synth lead that follows, it's too loud in the mix which emphasizes it's cheesiness.

Wendy Wiseman Fisher - Very pretty technical singing and harmonizing, great a cappella sounds here. Not gonna lie though, the burgers and hair line is a awkward.

Zed Dead Baby - Dig the line "my heart's a lonely prairie", the meta not as much. I like the funny crying bits in this song a lot, like "you just gotta get up there and sing your heart out". The harmonized BVs right after that section are so, so, good. You nailed the sound here.
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Re: Nur Ein XII - Round One

Post by Spintown »

Jerkatorium - This was just beautiful. This song came in around 4 minutes, and you left me wanting more. At the start the music was sad & hopeful at the same time & your vocals perfect. You could feel when the chorus was coming & at that point I was thinking to myself, “Don’t fuck this up.” You didn’t, and at the time of me writing this you’ve got my favorite song of the round. Now I’m only halfway done with my reviews so I’m not sure if you’ll stay at the top, but nice fucking job. Not sure about the “humming” & “coming” lines in the chorus...but I’m complaining. I’m struggling to find something bad to say.

Merisan - I can see you winning again with this song. Dark & lovely, and THANK YOU for thinking outside the box with the title.

Zed Dead Baby - Probably a song a lot of people can relate to, even the listeners who aren’t musicians. I mean who hasn’t had to give a speech or presentation after someone who just killed it? Nice job of storytelling, and it’s actually a really catchy barroom song that could easily get a lot of people singing during the chorus.

Inflatable Vegetables - I felt like I was in this song. Any complaints I might have would be nit picking when you take that into consideration. Very well done.

Glenn Case - Great use of the counter melody. Incredibly sweet & moving song. If one of the judges breaks down & cries during their reviews...you’re probably to blame.

Glenn Case (Fingers Crossed) - Your song more than any other that round grows on me with repeat listens. Had I had longer before posting rankings you could have climbed a few spots.

Skub - You got me. I thought this was going in a different direction completely. I loved the attitude at the beginning. I even had a bit of a snarl on my face. Then you switched gears completely. You set a great picture, the music was funky, and your vocals were very impressive. I told someone else this topic was uninspired, but you just proved the topic wasn’t the problem...it was the execution. *tips hat*

Pigfarmer Jr - This is the first direction I thought of when I heard this challenge. You did it well. Only thing I disliked was how long it took to get to the line “I am a better man after you”. I know you used the previous 2 lines with the counter melody later on, but they seem to stall the song when people already get where you’re going. Get on with it. Overall...well done.

Cavedwellers - The music in this was beautiful. Metaphors & similes often take me out of a song if overused. I don’t think you went that far, but the line “obsolescence like a rotary phone” is just awkward in an otherwise lovely song. Well done with the vocals btw.

ROTL - “A stain on the blue dress of life”... Worst line of the contest so far. Aside from the 2nd half of that verse I enjoyed the song. Singable, flowed well, and solid all around. Too bad the thing that stuck out the most was that line.

73 Keep It Beautiful - Ok, most people are going 1 of 2 ways. 1. You made the world so much better when I found you. 2. You made the world so much worse. With so many people taking this approach it makes it hard to stand out, and I think you’re middle of the road this round. Very relaxing music though. Lowered my blood pressure a bit I’m sure.

Berkeley Social Scene - There is nothing wrong with this song...aside from the fact there’s so many other songs that went in the same direction. Not really your fault, but it doesn’t stand out. As for actual constructive feedback, the vocals were pretty good, but a little more emotion could have been put into the bit right before the guitar solo. Nice work with the counter melodies.

Lucky Witch & The Righteous Ghost - The music was a little more pleasing to the ear this time around, and the lyrics were again top notch. Not sure you’ll climb much in my rankings though, mostly because too many people went down the same road as you this time around.

Nick Soma - Your vocals get a little lost in the mix. Some of the lyrics seem lazy or pointless. I mean “Felt like drunk” is only acceptable if you collabed with Yoda. There’s a number of other lines that just seem to give pointless information not important to anything. Unless that unnamed Spanish guy is making an appearance in an upcoming sequel to this song...drop him.

Strangelove - Failed to tell a story that could hold my interest. Music was very chill, but became boring after awhile when nothing else about the song stood out to grab the listener's attention.

Paco Del Stinko - This didn’t really grab me at all. Music was more enjoyable than some others, but the topic & lyrics were uninspired.

Boffo Yux Dudes - Not sure why you decided to do this at such a slow tempo. I mean if this is supposed to be funny stop trying to simultaneously bore me with the music. I almost feel like you should have went straight & just made a song about being the bigger man without the attempt at humor if you’re going to use this music.

Wendy Wiseman Fisher - Vocals were again pretty, but lyrically you don’t really paint much of a picture. Not exactly a happy song… Some of the lyrics felt like they came out of Speak & Spell...just an awkward delivery.

Balance Lost - I actually found the music interesting. Other than that I’ll be completely honest. I didn’t get it.

Micah Sommersmith - Ok...you’re a hated guy...but why? You left out the interesting part. If you’re only going to be a minute long...at least give me something interesting.

Lichen Throat - The vocals sounded like you might have bored yourself. Overall there were too many things competing for my attention (in a bad way) for me to focus on the lyrics.
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Re: Nur Ein XII - Round One

Post by HeuristicsInc »

73 - bossa nova? I really enjoy this. Lyrically, excellent, we’ve all been there to some extent, i think. Lovely vocals too. Nothing bad about this!
Balance - really interesting sound. Reminds me of some prog rock 70’s stuff except for the spoken word bits. Lyrically, i feel a little lost, but it’s kind of poetic.
Bss - oh, nice chorus. Like the vocals. This one didn’t grab me on first listen, but the second much more. Cool sound on the outro.
Byd - i like the turnaround on the “after you” sentiment. Music seems a little simple and isn’t grabbing me.
Cave - nice bass sound. Rotary phone, heh. I do like the interplay of the bass and guitar. Also the interplay of the two vocal lines.
Glenn - i’m sure you thought i was strange, indeed! I like those lines with the two vocal parts. I feel like i want the music to change a little to go along with the vocal variations, but this is solid.
Iveg - i like the noir feel. Music is very cool, vocals leaving me a little cold but the lyrics are excellent. “If you turn and talk to me, you destroy our fantasy” is a great line.
Jerk - oh now that chorus is nice. And the burbly sounds back there are pretty awesome. I didn’t pick up this one till the chorus but now i’m in. for some reason this feels like classic songfight sounds, like when i first joined (uh, 2003?) and i’m not sure i can explain why.
Lichen - some of the vocal phrasings seem kind of awkward. I want to like it because it’s a sweet lyric, but i’m not getting into it.
Lucky - the vocals could be bigger in the mix… those chimes are drowning them out on my monitors. Nice wistful quality, and the backing vox are very pretty in there. The ghost of you line is very good.i do like that outro a lot.
Merisan - this is really pretty. The crowd of phantoms line doesn’t sit well (similarly for the trench coat one, which i really do like as a line but not how it’s phrased, or something)… but the male vocals in the back are very nice. Also, the guitar. Great chorus.
Micah - love the interplay of the different vocal parts. Short and sweet. fun.
Nick - very nice intro sounds. Synths and whatnot. Great vocals. Second verse doesn’t flow as well as the first. But i love this. Very “every little thing she does is magic” in the lyrics but updated. Who needs telephones?!
Paco - that’s a cool chorus. I like the different voices you do, it’s a strength. Good rhymes too.another situation we’ve been in, i’m sure.
Pig - “i am a different man” is where this one gets good. This is charming.
Rotr - thanks for posting about your abbreviation expansion. I’m not sure it’s true, but it helps to know what you’re going for. Good chorus. “Baby batter”? Good solo section.
Skub - oh yes the music on the intro. Wow, what a great falsetto. I can’t do that. Both. stop. Dead. excellent. This is the awesome.
Strange - great musical backing. I like the use of big words here - paradigm, inconclusive, etc. cool choral sounds there, what are those? Good synths.
Wendy - ooh pretty. I love the vocals. I do.
Ben - wow, don’t hear a lot of straight up country here. This is really well done. That chorus is really singable. The crying sounds make it too. Very fun.
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Re: Nur Ein XII - Round One

Post by BenKrieger »

oh y'all hate meta, eh? Round Two lyrics submitted.
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Re: Nur Ein XII - Round One

Post by glennny »

After You-

73 Keep it Beautiful- There’s a song by Beulah called “What Will You Do When Your Suntan Fades?”. When you mentioned you were working on trumpet, this song came to mind. Then when I heard it, it’s the same vibe and nearly the same tempo. I was sure the trumpet was going to come in. Check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YS8MpuEJ5e0 So that’s probably my favorite Beulah song. Anyway, your song is quite good. Nice counter melodies. Excellent playing and mix etc.

Balance Lost- I love the through composed nature of this song. I couldn’t get away with the speech commentary you do. It sounds great. Everybody knows all good narration has a British accent. The instrumentation is clever and beautiful and very original. I love all of the counter melodies. If it reminds me of anything it’s Sleepwalking, just a similar twee vibe to it. Very cool song! Love it!

BSS- I came in to the session with a 5/4 take five kinda thing. Sam and Ken weren’t feeling it. Half of the chords survived, and we changed to 6/8. I love how dynamic we got on this song. There’s a nice build of energy to this song. The guitar was a 2nd take. It’s a very solo-able kind of pattern. I think Sam did a great job on the vocals. I provided the counter melody vocals, and then the dueling guitar counter melodies. Ken’s drums are perfect and rockin!

Boffo Yux Dudes- I like this. There’s not much of a chorus lift, but it’s a cool groove. Might be a little too repetitive melodically, but I think less so than last week.

Cavedwellers- I’m so happy Truth was able to sing this time. He wrote most of this. I wrote the counter melody and sing the counter melody. He’s doing drums, bass, and electric rhythm guitars. I took on acoustic guitars and solos and leads. I’m rather pleased with the result. The bass line is my favorite part.

Glenn Case- Lovely melodies, lovely singing! This conjures up Beatles, which is just about the highest song-writing compliment there is. With that in mind, I think the drums are too much. Which is weird for me to say, I almost always want more drums. I think these vocals and melodies are strong enough to be in the “Here There and Everywhere” category, and those drums are super minimal. This is awesome! Great song!

Inflatable Vegetables- Dig the spy guitar. I think maybe the title is driven home a bit much. I think the vocals are a bit too high in the mix as well.

Jerkatorium- I like this a lot. I like the drum sound a lot. What software has those drums? The melody is pretty and I like the counter melody. I wish the vocals got progressively more passionate as the song progressed. It’d be nice to hear you really belt out by the end. There’s a similar vibe to Tegan and Sara’s “Back in Your Head”, but Sara really belts out the chorus. I think a vocal dynamic shift in the chorus would make this stronger. That’s nit-picking, this is great! Good job! Pretty cool guitar solo, but I find it to be a bit over effected. I’m a humbucker tube amp kinda guy though.

Lichen Throat-
Sounds like you’re recording in a closet, trying not to be heard. There’s some deliciously weird sounds here. Normally I hate fake guitar, but the way you treated it is rather interesting. Vocals sound very unsure, distractingly so, sounds like you need some more takes.

LW/RG- I want drums so badly. Your vocals are buried, tough to hear them. The instruments sound loud and crisp, but it sounds like you’re doing vocals in the next room. Great lyrics! I had to read them, couldn’t really hear them.

Merisan- Awesome! Is the percussion just guitar and shaker? Wow! So perfect! Erin’s vocals are amazing! I love the motion in the bass line too. I think the counter melody would have been stronger in a different voice rather than the guitar, but there’s plenty of counter melody all over the song. Gorgeous!

Micah Sommersmith- This is cute. It’s also pretty funny. Great approach to the challenge. You really embrace the challenges. I’m wondering if maybe too much?

Nick Soma- I like your sick voice a lot. This is one of my favorites. Somebody said Psych Furs. I agree. Cool noises along the way. I hope this one goes in your live set.

Paco Del Stinko- I started crying with laughter when the female character entered. This is hilarious. Phenomenal playing, fun catchy song. It’s zany, but I don’t shy away from zany. I love all the voices, the interplay is awesome/ you’re a pro. Super fun!

Pigfarmer Jr.- How do you follow Paco? This is nice, quite the mood change. Somebody put piano man in my head, now that’s all I hear. This is solid. Again more lyrically focused. I’m a different animal, but I respect the word smith.

ROTR- This is too many chords for the Ramones. I’m not sure about the counter melody, but disregarding the challenge, I really dig this song. Nice to have the rock. Super catchy chorus, I love the descending riff at the end of it. I wonder if Paco and Lunkhead listen to this and want to take a solo as much as I do. Cool solo by the way!

Skub- Hard to review this while dancing. This is fucking awesome! I think I like the verse more than the chorus, especially the falsetto. Chorus is great, don’t get me wrong. Come on, what have you been recording for the last decade? I want more! Bravo!

Strangelove- I agree with the mix criticism. I want the keyboard stuff louder. The New Order bass is cool. Cool song. Sounds a bit more rushed than the last one. I dig it.

Wendy Wiseman Fisher- Have you heard Dirty Projectors? Have you heard Charming Hostess? Have you heard Patricia Leavitt sing on the League of Crafty Guitarists albums? This is very cool stuff. It reminds me of a lot of female avant-garde vocalist I enjoy. This is pretty and fun! Nice!

Zed Dead Baby- Ben, you’re often my hero. You’ve got more guts than any of us. This is sloppy as Hell, and still very compelling. This is the perfect song to end the fight on, or to end the evening on. I love it.

Great fight everyone!
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Re: Nur Ein XII - Round One

Post by noma »

Thank you all for your praise of the song, especially Psych Furs related :) and... it puzzles me, but it seems that you guys dig my voice when totally messed up.

I have been doing very scientific experiments concerning my voice lately. Here comes some advice:

1.) Whenever warming up, first have a beer. Do this every. Single. Time.
2.) Try to get really high before recording. Great ideas will be your reward. Good if you need your vocals to sound lunatic.
3.) Have coffee. Lots of it. I tend to keep a plush squirrel near me and try to feel what the squirrel feels. Having accomplished task no 2.) makes this easier.
4.) Having become a squirrel, try writing a song. Don't wake up the neighbors.
5.) More beer.
6.) Try strolling around, do things normal people do. Sing old jazz standards while peeing into garbage cans. All of this is great practice.
7.) You need your voice to sound melancholy? Have a bottle of red wine and chocolate; don't forget the chocolate. Remind yourself that after recording your vocals, you are officially allowed to get stoned and go to sleep, if you wish to do that. You could also head off to Mc Donald's and reward yourself with junk food.

Also, I opened a Daily Roll Call thread on the Psychedelic Furs :)
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Re: Nur Ein XII - Round One

Post by Niveous »

Well, i did a thing.

Finally competed in a Nur Ein. Brookes & I are still a very new band (less than a year old) and it looks like we still have a few kinks to get out when it comes to DIY recording and that wasn't gonna fly against such a very very strong field. But we appreciate all that we got from competing including a new song ("After You") that has been killing in live performances.

So, now I get to walk off into the sunset until next year (except for the whole running the contest thing :P)
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Re: Nur Ein XII - Round One

Post by WendyWisemanFisher »

Have you heard Dirty Projectors? Have you heard Charming Hostess? Have you heard Patricia Leavitt sing on the League of Crafty Guitarists albums? - Glennny
I hadn't, but my coffee and I sure have now! This is great stuff. Thank you for telling me about them.
Because Zombie Requiem, that's why.
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BoffoYux
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Re: Nur Ein XII - Round One

Post by BoffoYux »

Looks like BYD is out in Round 1 yet again.

Thanks for the great feedback and reviews. Very constructive.

Damn, this NE has a lot of talent! Looking forward to the new rounds, and congrats to Skub on a great song.
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Märk
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Re: Nur Ein XII - Round One

Post by Märk »

Skub:
You should be famous. That bass is badass. The chorus is perfect, if not a bit Weezer-ish. Not my favorite genre, but clearly deserving of the top spot.

Merisan:
Pretty vocals. I like the chord changes. Not much else to say, great job.

Jerkatorium:
Reminds me of the Buggles in parts (HUH-TA! In YOUR FACE, FOOTLOOSE) Nice vocals, pleasant to listen to, sounds like a song one might hear on the radio.

73 Keep it Beautiful:
Have you ever listened to Canadian pop-rock band Sloan? You should check them out. Also, Beatlesque. This is so 90s alternative it's not funny.

Paco del Stinko:
Ha! Vocals start out pretty pitchy, but who the fuck am I to talk? ;) You gain traction shortly after, and this rocks- great job.

ROTR:
Eh, what can I say? Haven't recorded anything in ages, but this one turned out pretty good I think? I made 6th place out of 20, so that's nothing to balk at!

Inflatable Vegetables:
Goth-y! Totally not my thing, but Sisters of Mercy would love this!

Zed Dead Baby:
Every time I read your band name, I think of Red Dead Redemption, then I listen to the song, and it's also a western-themed thing. Are you a cowboy? ;) I like the song, even though I *hate* country music.

BSS:
See my comment to 73 Keep it Beautiful, except even more. Everything is performed amazingly here guys. Problem is, it just sounds like too many other songs.

Glenn Case:
See my comment to 73 Keep it Beautiful and BSS, except not as much ;) I always like your tunes, even though love songs make me gag.

Nick Soma:
80s new wave. That bass is driving and perfect. I like your voice. Good job!

Balance Lost:
Like a crazy traveling band of Aussie folk singers... with big knoives. Great vocals. Crikey! That key change right at the end is nice.

Holy smokes, I forgot how hard it is to listen to 20 songs in a row and comment on them. Also, I just got a call from a prospective employer who wants me to come in for an interview. Yay!

strangelove:
Hmm, vocals are earnest but pitchy (I know, pot/kettle) and I don't like this genre of music.

Pigfarmer Jr:
I love your songs for some reason, you seem very honest and real. A couple lines are a bit awkward, but all in all, one of my personal favorites of the fight.

Cavedwellers:
Holy production values! See my comment to 73 Keep it Beautiful, BSS, and Glenn Case, except this sounds *exactly* like Sloan, not similar. Having said that, good job.

Wendy Wiseman Fisher:
Pretty voice. Sad girl-pop a la Lisa Loeb, et al ;) Nice song. You a trained vocalist? Hard to pull off a capella like that, but you nailed it!

Micah Sommersmith:
You clearly win the counter-melody challenge, by a long shot! Good job.

Boffo Yux Dudes:
Sorry, not loving this. The lyrics are kind of dumb.

Lucky Witch and the Righteous Ghost:
Shit... why did you get eliminated? This song is beautiful. The twinkly keys could have been a touch lower in the mix, but I love dreamy pop music sometimes.

Lichen Throat:
Hmmm. Vocals are off key and way too loud in the mix, it's jarring. Your choice of synth sounds is questionable. In a fight with this much talent, you gotta bring your A-game, and you didn't do that here, sorry.

Great fight people! Congrats to Skub (Puce? Hey buddy! Long time no see!) and I'll see y'all in the next fight! I already have my song mostly done, thanks to a burst of artistic energy and unemployment! (see above though, maybe not unemployed for long?)
* this is not a disclaimer
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Re: Nur Ein XII - Round One

Post by Chumpy »

glennny wrote:I like the drum sound a lot. What software has those drums?
Normally our drummer is Kyle, who Ryan likes a lot, because he plays straightforward rock beats, keeps his mouth shut, and mostly does what he's told. This time we thought we'd audition Nikki, who according to her profile plays "bouncy, rock-infused dance beats". She worked out great, although we had this problem where every time Ryan would turn his back Kyle would jump on the kit and just grin at us like an idiot, and we'd have to say "No Kyle, we're letting Nikki play on this song." and then he'd sheepishly slink off mumbling something about how he is Logic's default drummer. This happened like 4-5 times and was driving Ryan crazy. Drummers man, they're they worst.
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Re: Nur Ein XII - Round One

Post by iVeg »

Congrats, Skub!

Interesting to see the big spread in the judges scores. Wildly different. I think Balance Lost 20-3 and Zed Dead Baby 18-1 win the largest split award for this round.

Thanks to everyone who posted reviews. I find it almost overwhelmingly difficult, so hats off to you.

@ Mark - I wasn't thinking Sisters of Mercy, but I can see the similarities.
@ BYD - Sorry to see you guys leave in Round 1 again. Thank you so much for doing the Listening Parties.
@ Niveous - glad to hear "After You" is doing well live. Best wishes to you and Brookes.
@ Noma - The line "Never ever saw your face" is where you sound the most Psych Furs to me. It's a combination of the low voice, accent, esp on "face". Thanks for the scientific vocal advice.
@ Glenny - points noted. I'm glad BSS did the song in 6/8. I really love your intro for the Cavedwellers song.
@ Heuristics (Bill?) and Spintown. Thank you for your reviews!
@ Chumpy - I didn't like the horn patch either, but I was trying for Bond + [a certain singer] and those were the only horn patches I had. Thanks for "theatrical"

Ok. Trying reviews.

Lichen Throat - I like your bell pad and guitar, but together they seem to fight each other. Your vocals are deep, dark and rich. Sometimes I struggle to find the melody. I love the story in your lyrics.
Lucky Witch & the Righteous Ghost - The male vocals remind of "Imagine"-era Lennon, in a good way. The female BGVs are great - i really like the harmonies you chose. The lyrics are emotionally powerful. For me, the instruments are the parts that aren't working. It's not just the balance. The guitar part feels like the same strum pattern, The keys are mostly the same super-high slightly-arpeggiated chimes, You're both basically playing chords. Maybe try trading, so only one person is playing chords, and the other person is doing melodic fills, or doing something rhythmic, like a shaker or tambourine.
BYD - The story feels sad, hurt, angry, and a bit crass. It makes the joke of a gentleman telling a lady "after you" feel more hollow than ironic. You have 2 melodies going on constantly - the vocal and the keyboard. It feels like your keyboard has the stronger melody, so it distracted me from your lyrics & vocals. Maybe try simplifying the keyboard melody so it strengthens and accentuates the vox melody.

[Sorry - that used up all my free time for today.]

Robot drummer drama - do you ever tell them to play one beat, only to find that they've switched to their default song/ beat for the next section?
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Re: Nur Ein XII - Round One

Post by HeuristicsInc »

iVeg wrote:I think Balance Lost 20-3 and Zed Dead Baby 18-1 win the largest split award for this round.
Not sure why for BL, for for ZDB country is a bold choice and probably leads to some genre preference issues. I fully expected a big split on that one :)
iVeg wrote: @ Heuristics (Bill?) and Spintown. Thank you for your reviews!
yes, that's me.

i was surprised a bit at the eliminations... but there were an awful lot of good songs there. a tough competition, indeed.
-bill
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Re: Nur Ein XII - Round One

Post by furrypedro »

HeuristicsInc wrote:
iVeg wrote:I think Balance Lost 20-3 and Zed Dead Baby 18-1 win the largest split award for this round.
Not sure why for BL, for for ZDB country is a bold choice and probably leads to some genre preference issues. I fully expected a big split on that one :)
I am intrigued by the splits as well. I'm hoping in my case the low scores are a subtle encouragement to fulfill my potential instead of phoning it in :oops:

All the feedback from judges and my fellow einers is highly appreciated. And congrats to Adam!
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Re: Nur Ein XII - Round One

Post by Lunkhead »

Congrats to Adam. This feels eerily reminiscent of Nur Ein II ten years ago, only, minus Frank. :)
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Re: Nur Ein XII - Round One

Post by Jerkatorium »

Congratulations Skub. That is an awesome song.




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Re: Nur Ein XII - Round One

Post by HeuristicsInc »

furrypedro wrote:I'm hoping in my case the low scores are a subtle encouragement to fulfill my potential instead of phoning it in :oops:
that was my intention with round 0. i thought your round 1 song was much improved, it seemed like you put more into it.
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Re: Nur Ein XII - Round One

Post by furrypedro »

HeuristicsInc wrote:
furrypedro wrote:I'm hoping in my case the low scores are a subtle encouragement to fulfill my potential instead of phoning it in :oops:
that was my intention with round 0. i thought your round 1 song was much improved, it seemed like you put more into it.
-bill
You called it. I was absolutely just dicking around there. But if you can't dick around in round 0 of Nur Ein when can you? :)
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Re: Nur Ein XII - Round One

Post by Lunkhead »

Jerkatorium wrote:We are all doomed.
Look at it this way, at least we get one round now where we don't have to compete against him. :P
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