A parade, or a marathon?! (A Grand Parade reviews)

[Lunkhead]

An on-time entry from Pork Producer Jr has been added to the fight. I somehow missed that one in the initial update. My bad!

[HeuristicsInc]

For purposes of finding lyrics in 3 pages, is there a way to instead have phpBB show all the posts on one page?

[fluffy]

Okay it's been a few days since my last batch of reviews, because I got busy with album release preparation and a few other things. I am a busy bee. But I'll try to get through a bunch more reviews, because, well, y'know.

The John Benjamin Band: I feel like the vocals could be a bit louder in the mix on this, and maybe a bit less overproduced? I kind of feel like the reverb gets in the way. Some fun little production things though, like the little chiptune stabs and percussive rises.

DuToVa: I'm digging the chill 90s stoner rock sound. Getting some heavy Seven Mary Three vibes here. Well, 90s Seven Mary Three. I have no idea what their music is like these days. Vocals could be a bit louder. I love the sloppiness of the double tracking, which really works in this song's vibe's favor.

plusdot: This is like if Frank Zappa and King Missile worked together on an epic song about the apocalypse. Maybe some Dead Kennedys meets B-52s in there too? I feel like I'm just naming random bands that I like instead of reviewing this song. Anyway I'd dig an entire concept album that culminates in this as the penultimate track (the last one would be about the world after it's ended and how peaceful everything is).

Somewhere Off the Left Coast: This has a modern pop-rock vibe at first, but then it gets kind of cluttered and chaotic. The back-and-forth between the vibes just feels kind of jarring here, and the bassline has this feel like it's disconnected from the music. It's like everything's just noodling and sitting there. Sorry, I just don't care for this.

See-Man-Ski: Oh wow that intro, oh wow the rest of the song. Is this McDonald's? Because I'm lovin' it™. The rockabilly drums that start around halfway in don't quite fit how the song felt to me up to that point but it still works, I think you were just going somewhere different than I was expecting, and that's not a bad thing by any means. For some reason this makes me feel like the music video would be directed by Wes Anderson for reasons I can't explain.

Sugar Johnson: If there is a single sound that I would call "classic Song Fight!" I think this would be it. My toes can't help but tap at it. Song structure is a bit repetitive but that's fine, it just brings more attention to the lyrics, which I find almost painfully relatable.

Berkeley Social Scene: This is one of the BSS songs where I kind of feel like the vocals need to open up a bunch more, rather than having a lot of force trying to push a giant wad of pudding through a very narrow tube. I know that doesn't make any sense, and I do not apologize. Anyway that sure is a song about Song Fight!.

Vom Vorton: I, too, want to dismantle the legacy of the British empire. That's what this song is about, right? I love the electropop fusion sound you've got going here.

Chthonic Black: Is this going to be a 5-minute ambient noise piece? This is going to be a 5-minute ambient noise piece, isn't it. ... Oh, I see, it's actually a thrash metal song, with an unnecessary ambient noise intro. ... Yeah I don't like this, sorry. It just reminds me of the one time I was dragged to a metal show by a well-meaning friend and I didn't have any earplugs and my ears rang for three days afterward and I cried thinking I'd gone deaf for something I didn't even enjoy.

Future Boy: I love the minimal rhodes-and-singing thing you've got going on lately, and of course I 100% agree with the politics here.

One Future of Music: Okay so this is actually some AI bullshit that took about 15 seconds of effort, most of which was coming up with the band name. It is incredibly bland mainstream-sounding garbage that I worry is what everything is going to sound like within the next few years, and everyone will love it and it will be the death of creativity in music. And this isn't just me insulting someone at random based on speculation, I know this for a fact because I am the one who generated and submitted it. Fuck this garbage entirely, and fuck anyone who uses it unironically.

bgm: It's almost like this song is commentary on the previous one, by some amazing coincidence of my playlist shuffle. And I love it. Great vibe overall.

Josh Woodward: This is a good solid pop track. I feel like the vocals are a bit over-processed in terms of tuning though. I'd love to hear this with a bit more of a naturalistic vocal treatment (i.e. less algorithmic vocal tuning). I know you're capable of singing. Or is this actually you keeping uncannily-perfect pitch when you sing? In that case, props to you. Anyway, good production as always, and it's catchy AF.

Ross Durand: I could totally hear this as a fully-produced country ballad, with a string section accompaniment, and it'd win a Country Music award. I'm sorely tempted to try making a remix of this along those lines. I'm gonna make a note of this for later.

Cloverdance: This song has a lot of potential that's unrealized due to its rigid repetitive nature.

James Owens: Musically I like this, but production-wise? Dial back the reverb, dude. I also don't care for the fake brass backing band.

Lunkhead: This makes me think of early Beatles, combined with The Monkees or the Partridge Family or any of those other fake sitcom family bands of the 60s and 70s. I like it and I think you should explore this sound further.

And I think that's another good stopping point for me. Maybe more later today, but probably not, as it's only 9 AM and I'm already having a pain flareup.

[fluffy]

For purposes of finding lyrics in 3 pages, is there a way to instead have phpBB show all the posts on one page?

No, and I'd worry about what it'd do to forum performance if anyone could just unfurl an entire ginormous thread at any time. Every thread has its own RSS feed though (here is the one for A Grand Parade's lyrics thread) and you could try using that to generate your own thing programmatically. No idea if it's possible to scrape older posts that way though (i'm not finding anything immediately).

[vowlvom]

Vom Vorton: I, too, want to dismantle the legacy of the British empire. That's what this song is about, right? I love the electropop fusion sound you've got going here.

Yeah, pretty much! Thanks for writing reviews and saying nice things!

[GlennCase]

It has been a while
I will do haiku reviews
My first impressions

Abjure!:
Pleasant harmonies
Not that much profanity
Mildly suggestive

Abominominous:
Bring the rock, good sir
Is there a bass in this song?
...And Justice For All

Add:
Great as expected
Grand fucking parade, indeed!
And I salute you

Agony Sauce:
It is me and Mo
A fun bass part to perform
Most of this is Mo

All The Robots:
Fun arrangement here
Improved once the bass kicked in
Good lyric structure

Another Future of Music:
This is A.I. right?
On the one hand it sounds pro
But also empty

Balance Lost:
Wasn't sure at first
But this did win me over
Yes, I like this one

Basket Robbers:
Dusted off this name
I got political here
So did some of you

Berkeley Social Scene:
Not one of your best
But there's a lot to choose from
Hook is not too bad

bgm:
I like the guitar
And I smiled while I listened
Which is a good sign

Bjam:
The sparse sound works fine
So nice to see your name here!
You still sound quite nice

Brian F:
Vocals a bit sharp
I like the energy though
I didn't skip it

Cannonade Streete:
With the drum machine
I was expecting Strong Bad
You are not Strong Bad

Caravan Ray:
I like the hook here
Mental As Anything vibe
I say, "Oi! Oi! Oi!"

Carol Cleveland Sings:
This is how it's done
Engaging and super fun
Wish it was longer

The Chebuctones:
Yes, this is decent
The vocal fits okay here
With the arrangement

Chthonic Black:
Yep, this is a song.
Was the extended intro
Necessary here?

Chumpy vs. Lichen Throat:
Well, I don't hate it
Some interesting lyrics
Decent melodies

Cloverdance:
Fine for what it is
Melody doesn't change much
And that gets boring

Cybronica & Estaphonia:
Not a fan of this
I do not like the chorus
I frowned as it played

Dead Ambassadors:
Fun guitar lines here
Vocal rhythm off-kilter
The hook's the best part

The Def Author:
Beat was fun to make
Mixed the vocals too loud here
I like it, mostly

Dr. Spectacular's Power Circus:
It has a big sound
Guitar and vocal matching
Was a nice touch there

The Dutch Widows:
Vocals almost good
It takes liberties with pitch
Rough on ending notes

DuToVa:
I mean this is fine
But it is mostly just there
Nothing jumping out

Entropic Pincushion:
I see what you did
Just because you can do this
Does not mean you should

Explino!:
I knew them when they
Were called Exploding Rhino
Yeah, it's me and Ken

Falcon Artist:
This does not stand out
In a fight with so many
Other song choices

Frankie Big Face:
I am glad you're here
Bringing that Frankie goodness
And of course it's good

The Frontalittle Squad:
Back on our bullshit
Brother Machine sample here
Blue Lang at the end

Future Boy:
Clean keys and vocals
I do like the concept here
Better than the song

gareth:
Nice octave vocals
Quietest entry thus far
Some fun chord choices

Giraffes for Wings:
Some clever lyrics
But that is pretty much it
Nothing else stands out

Glenn Case:
You can thank Rachael
For the opening note here
It was her concept

Glennny:
Fun guitarmonies
Nothing offending my ear
I'd say it's not bad

heine:
Sensing Lou Reed vibes
Some lyrics fit awkwardly
It ends abruptly

The Hell Yeahs:
It's Phil and Heather
Bringing that big energy
Yeah, I'm here grinning

Henrietta20:
Wait just one minute
Is this THE Henrietta?
Probably. It's great

Heuristics Inc.:
Four minutes long but
Mp3 says it's seven
Feels like seven though

Hoblit:
Nice to see you here
Moon Shine is still my favorite
But this is decent

Hostess Mostess:
Gorgeous melody
Great playing and great singing
You're the gold standard

Hot Pink Halo:
Vocals rough in spots
But I like the energy
Decent chorus too

Inflatable Vegetables:
Mix is kinda flat
Drums are buried for starters
Song itself is fine

James Owens:
Melody is fine
Lyrics don't do much for me
Fine for what it is

Jerkatorium:
Solid song structure
Some good lyrics in the song
Needs more energy

Jim Tyrrell:
Verses are okay
But love those chorus changes
Nice, laid back vibe too

The John Benjamin Band:
Did you mix this up
With your entry by Abjure!?
This one has curses

Josh Woodward:
Production is clean
Lyrics sound overpronounced
Decent song structure

King Arthur:
I like the structure
In and out in three minutes
And hits all the marks

<3:
Reminded me of
Bob Rivers - The Chimney Song
Not my cup of tea

Lockheed Symphony:
Look out, Drew Carey
The big wheel is on the fritz
Who was this made for?

Lucky Witch and the Righteous Ghost:
Couple of flubbed notes
It sounds like it was played live
Nice energy, though

Lunkhead:
Some slick production
I enjoy this one a lot
You've done quite well here

Madame Breathehard:
A promising start
More of a sketch than a song
But it could be worse

MC Frontalot w/ Baddd Spellah:
Nice to see you here
Solid rapping as always
This is very short

McHaggis:
I do like the song
Vocals buried in the mix
Which is a pity

Melvin:
Like the sentiment
Lyrics fall flat for my taste
Mostly solid though

mico saudad:
Vocals sound muddy
Singing and playing are fine
I like this okay

miscellaneous owl:
Immediate smile
Liked this a lot from the start
And that did not change

Miss Fancy Pants:
Shaky performance
A decent composition
Vocals are straining

Moody Vermin:
Moody's an apt word
And atmospheric also
Solo is tasty

Motley Cyrus:
I was skeptical
Liked this better than I thought
The lyrics do help

Mr. B and Mr. C:
All over the place
The buzz tones are abrasive
No real melody

mzmo:
Quite good melody
I like the guitar, of course
Sounds like a demo

Nodal Nim:
Trim off the silence
It's mostly repetitive
Was glad for the switch

One Future of Music:
A.I. submission
And it might be the future
I kinda hope not

Paco del Stinko:
Love the opening
Good energy overall
Mix sounds flat to me

The Pannacotta Army:
On my first listen
Wondered if vocals would start
Yeah, this is pleasant

Pigfarmer Jr:
And this may just be
The best one I've heard from you
You are improving

plusdot:
Attitude to spare
Death, Famine, War, Pestilence
And a groovy tune

Pork Producer Jr:
Vivid visuals
And I believe the singer
I'll give it that much

Pringle Can:
This sounds like it is
Held together with duct tape
And could fall apart

Prob Trull:
A lot of handclaps
Harmonies are mostly good
Yeah, I don't hate it

Rachael Layne:
I played the music
Rach wrote most of the lyrics
Went with a sparse sound

R. Meowsquito and the Tiny Ujns:
Okay, I did laugh
Cats do win the internet
It's clever and fun

R. Mosquito:
Wish dot com Tom Waits
But that was likely the plan
That's what it sounds like

RoneAI:
This starts abruptly
Can't sing? Use a computer!
Structure isn't bad

Ross Durand:
Acoustic and voice
Can work with a good story
It's not compelling

The Seamus Collective:
Some effort was made
I like the concept better
Than the sound itself

See-Man-Ski:
It's decent enough
I'm on the fence with this song
Leaning to "Not bad"

Sell Crazy:
A little sloppy
But I don't mind overall
This is still decent

Shark Tornado:
I played bass on this
But was not in this project
In two thousand three

ShoehornTC:
This is pretty good
[Theme From] The Monkees does fit
Over the verses

Sober:
You have come so far
This is very, very good
Blue would be impressed

Somewhere Off the Left Coast:
It is mostly good
Don't love the vocal effect
That may just be me

sonofsupercar:
Found some Blue drum loops
Played bass, asked Dennis and Mo
Thrilled to help with this

Spy Vs. Pie:
I like good dad jokes
Points for creativity
But I did still groan

Stacking Theory:
It's Stacking Theory?
Yeah, more like Stacking Vocals
Don't hate or love this

Starfinger:
Right amount of weird
Which is a Starfinger thing
Trademark is pending

Sugar Johnson:
Clean sounding guitar
Not a fan of the vocals
Some lyrics shoehorned

Swampy Nethers:
I do like the song
But feels like a loose tie-in
To the song title

T.C. Elliott:
Performance is loose
I was fairly skeptical
This won me over

Thanks for the Frisbee:
Vocals lean towards flat
There's potential overall
Some good dynamics

Tiny Robots:
Erin's voice is smooth
And you sound great together
Solid song as well

Vom Vorton:
Some songs make me smile
From the start to the finish
This is one of those

The Worldly Self-Assurance:
So I kept thinking
"Would be cool if they did this"
And then you did that

WreckdoM:
It's slightly unhinged
I anticipated that
Not disappointed

Yaks of the Industry:
Everything is here
Nothing to complain about
What more could you want?

Well, that was a lot!
Further feedback on request
I may need a nap

[mo]

I’m impressed but also are you sure you’re feeling all right

[Lunkhead]

A late song from Chumpy has been added to the fight.

[Caravan Ray]

Caravan Ray:

Mental As Anything vibe

Ha! That’s an unexpected comparison. But one I’ll happily take. Thank you!

[micosaudad]

mico saudad:
In 6/8. A well written song. I really like this one! But at least a bass is missing.

You get insane props for such thorough reviews of everyone! Bravo to you!
Bass is definitely missing.
There's some 5/8 hopefully stealthily mixed in.

[fluffy]

Entropic Pincushion:
I see what you did
Just because you can do this
Does not mean you should

<3:
Reminded me of
Bob Rivers - The Chimney Song
Not my cup of tea

Pringle Can:
This sounds like it is
Held together with duct tape
And could fall apart

The stars misalign
Seems you always hate my stuff
But I'm fine with that

[Lunkhead]

A late song from Glenn and Rachael has been added to the site.

The prophecy is fulfilled. 100 songs! Achievement unlocked! We did it! Yay everybody!

[Niveous]

We are 1/10th of the way to 1K. Let's keep Grand Parade open until we reach our goals!*

(*this statement is pure insanity.)

[mo]

does this mean the apocalypse is coming faster or slower, I can't recall

[Lunkhead]

There was some joking on the Slack about turning this into a ransomware type attack, like "Your web site will be frozen until you give us 1000 songs!"

[melvin]

Wow! It’s been a while since I participated in song fight, and I can’t believe how good all of these entries are. Has everyone gotten better at music, did everyone bring their A game for this special round, or has my ear changed? No matter, I greatly enjoyed listening to everything and writing down what I thought.

Abjure!
Cute and well-executed.

Abominominous
Heavy and awesome! Interplay between guitar chords and riffs and vocal phrasing and melody is continually interesting and cool. I like this a lot.

Add
Well-crafted and intelligent but the message isn’t for me.

Agony Sauce
Sophisticated production and performance with smart lyrics.

All The Robots
Sung by a sad robot! This made me smile. Well done.

Another Future of Music
Great band name. I was praying for a big chorus and I got it. You probably could have made the song twice as long by essentially repeating everything again, but you didn’t. Nice.

Balanced Lost
Beautiful production and writing. Bittersweet tune that has me standing in a parking lot on a gray day with a strand of hair blowing across my forehead, and I don’t even have hair. You always paint a portrait. Nice work.

Basket Robbers
This is grimy. Not the genre, but the dirty, filthy, gritty stuff. That descending bit in the middle sounds awesome. Good stuff.

BSS
What a ride! It opens with 3 seconds of pure hair metal, then a rather snarky verse, which I guess still sounds like it has leather pants on, but then the chorus kicks in and delivers such a sweet sugar rush! Love the backing vocals in the chorus. Love the solo section! Very nice tune.

bmg
Very polished. Not a bad thing about this, but I did get a little bored.

Bjam
You have a nice voice. The title could have been a little more elegantly jammed into the lyrics, but that is true of several songs in this fight.

Brian F
This kicks ass! Straightforward, rocking, not a beat too long. Love the weird backing noises?

Cannonade Streete
I like the main riff and overall vibe of this. Stay this chill for the rest of your life if you can.

Caravan Ray
I love this track! Ray, I feel like we were in fights together every week for years, and this stands out as by far my fave track from you. It’s catchy but it also has a timeless quality that’s hard to articulate. It’s beautiful. And I’m not sure exactly what you intended by the lyrics, but they give me joy.

The Chebuctones
This is hilarious and sad at the same time. I actually don’t know whether to laugh or cry. I lean towards cry. This is modern folk music done well and I appreciate it.

Chtonic Black
I enjoy the cinematic epicness of this. It gives me over-the-top visuals and I was actually kind of scared during the intro.

Chumpy vs. Lichen Throat
When I was a kid in the 80s, my family rented a cottage near the beach once and I found a cassette under the couch and it had this song on it. This track is a childhood summertime false memory.

Cloverdance
Solid dad rock. Not bad but not terribly inspiring to me.

Cybronica & Estaphonia
Singing like this is automatically arresting. Beautiful. Both the switch to a minor key and the acapella at the end were unexpected and nice.

Dead Ambassadors
Band name made me lol. The sentiments here are punk, but I wish the word choices and delivery were angrier.

The Def Author
Funny and slick. Great flow. Hey, 3 Feet High and Rising had a huge impact on me too! I was my neighbourhood's token white rapper in 1989. This track is great. (Side note: Did you also like 3rd Bass? I recently found out that the lead singer from Blood, Sweat and Tears, sampled in Sons of 3rd Bass, was my neighbour).

Dr. Spectacular’s Power Circus
Holy cow! This is extremely tight. Hilarious lyrics, ha! This is seriously fun to listen to and very impressive in terms of writing, performance and production. Well done. I bet you could make a killing writing and recording TV theme songs.

Dutch Windows
I love your band name. Cool mood - dark and light at the same time. Like a shaft of light coming through a crevice up above. I like this.

DuToVa
This sounds awesome, but I am distracted by feeling like I’ve heard this song before on 90s alt rock radio. Don’t know the name of the tune, but it is sadly pulling me out of the experience.

Entropic Pincushion
This is almost gave me a seizure.

Explino!
This is great! Explino! I hear references to multiple decades of rock, cool harmonic tension, great production. Nice track.

Falcon Artist
This has some nice moments. Keep working on developing your skills.

Frankie Big Face
Wow, this is gorgeous. Great voice, great melodies. I don’t even understand how you’re doing a lot of this. It’s not 1-4-5 or whatever, haha. The phrasing of the solo is really cool. Engaging listen. Would listen again.

The Frontalittle Squad
Torpedo my diet, lol. Left turn at Albuquerque, lol. Niveous, my man. Reliable truck, lol. One of you guys knows how to flow like Eminem - nice. This made me smile. I want to watch the cartoon now.

Future Boy
Love the electric piano out of the gate. I had to Google your political slogan, and Wikipedia said The Free Palestine Movement was founded by a guy who says Jews are "dregs of European garbage" and "human pieces of filth." I did not know that!

gareth
Some delicate beauty here. Bring up your vocals in the mix so we can enjoy them more!

Giraffes for Wings
LOLOLOL!! I detect a deep and unfortunate cynicism, but that line about the gasket is bloody hilarious, and I think there’s a love letter in there somewhere too. This is a satisfying track.

Glenn Case
This track is classy af. Wow. I feel like I need to quickly develop a taste for cocktails so I can have one right now. My mom drinks Manhattans. A lot of them. She’d love this song. I’m being silly. This is a really nice tune. By the time we’re coming out of the bridge I am really feeling it. Great tune.

heine
Some amusing horror aspects here. I struggle to say much else.

The Hell Yeahs
Hell yeah! This track is a ball of fury. A tightly-wound ball of cute but ferocious punk rock fury. A hundred strong and we’re not afraid! Nice work.

Henrietta20
Tons of charm in these vocals. The talking under the singing that comes together in unison for the chorus is super neat and a beautiful touch. I enjoyed this a lot.

Heuristics Inc.
I struggled with this one. If there was something for me in the lyrics, I couldn’t get though the tonal and harmonic harshness to find it.

Hoblit
Summery smiles. Nice tones and great vibes here, although I was waiting for a big chorus hook that never came.

Hostess Mostess
Good Lord this is moving me. Very nice chords, melodies and lyrics and a beautiful vocal performance. This has tons of feel. I almost cried. Bravo!

Hot Pink Halo
This is head-bopping and also pretty hard-rocking. I love it! Great bass line. I think this is the first song that I’ve had to immediately listen to a second time.

Inflatable Vegetables
Some cool guitar spazzing here. Main riff was not quite to my taste and vocals could benefit from greater sonic clarity and perhaps a little more energy?

James Owens
Those synth pads in the chorus sound triumphant. Production would benefit from more definition / less reverb.

Jerkatorium
Like the energy. Very well-played and arranged. Feels great when the solo kicks in. Good song. It’s quite catchy when your vocal goes up an octave - I feel like you could use that strategically earlier in the song and maybe also in some backing vocals to increase the overall sugar factor. My two cents.

Jim Tyrrell
Sophisticated chords, bittersweet feelings, mature singer/songwriter vibes. Very well put together.

The Jon Benjamin Band
Love the way this drives. Keeps driving and doesn’t get boring. Love the guitar sounds. Nice tune.

Josh Woodward
Mazda 6 seconds in, you’re really going to have to screw up for me to not like this track. Hm, I didn’t quite get the chorus payoff I was hoping for, but I still appreciate many things about this, including the lyrics, the chillwave vibe, and every time you hit that high note.

King Arthur
I enjoy these lead guitar licks. Sounds like you’ve had a good life. Godspeed, King.

<3
Scary kid’s show energy. I find this unpleasant to listen to, I’m afraid.

Lockheed Symphony
Awesome band name. There’s something subversive about this. It’s not very musical, but I couldn't’ stop listening - I had to see what was going to happen. Chatter amongst sentient fighter jets, perhaps?

Lucky Witch and the Righteous Ghost
Really like what’s happening in the “When I die… when I die…” section, but then it feels like the title is awkwardly shoehorned in. Just needs slightly more elegant lyrics/phrasing to make that part work. Overall, this is pretty messy, but I say bless this mess.

Lunkhead
This is some slick songcraft. Very nice build to the payoff. Backing vocals are on point. I’m nodding along for the whole three minutes. Enjoyable listen. Well done.

Madame Breathehard
This pulled me in right away. Seems to be telling me a story with only percussion and ambient environmental sounds. Isn’t the brain amazing? Wow, so sad she died.

MC Frontalot w/ Baddd Spellah
This beat is so punchy! I hate being compared to other artists, so I am loathe to do it to others, but dang the opening vocals reminded me of Korn. Bew! Bass slide. Nice little jam.

McHaggis
This sounds very warm and organic. Such a solid groove, too. I like it. The muted electric guitar parts are sweet. Great track. I feel like y’all would be fun to sit around and strum with.

Melvin
I haven’t made many songs in recent times, and I wasn’t sure if this was going to be worthy of a 10-year return to Songfight. I guess you all will judge. I hope you like it!

mico saudad
Really nice. Very warm. I like your singing. I was recently on Google trying to ascertain just how rare popular songs in six/eight are. Pretty rare. I love this swing.

miscellaneous owl
Haha! Second best opening line of the fight so far (goes to show just how stiff the competition really is). Guitar might be trampling the vocals a bit, but the way it built up is very cool, and the more it goes on, the more it seems like a cool choice.

Miss Fancy Pants
I’m into the falsetto harmonies. Appreciate how compact this is. It’s like a pleasing little decorative thing. Good work.

Moody Vermin
This has me grooving immediately. I felt a little disappointed when it didn’t open up into a big chorus. After building all that groovy tension, I need a release. Well done, but just not the payoff I was hoping for. Maybe the next track will give it to me.

Motley Cyrus
The whole town's on their iPhones at the mall, haha, ain’t it the truth. Fun little number.

Mr. B and Mr. C
Too dissonant/atonal to please me.

mzmo
Your paying is both agile and pretty. Every bit is adding something, and nothing is wasted. Impressive and a pleasure to listen to. Great track.

Nodal Nim
Warm words overwhelmed by sibilant strings. The mix is backwards and detracting from what could otherwise be a better track.

One Future of Music
Wow, amazing modern pop radio production and such an interesting choice to only make it a fragment of a song. Ah! I just connected it with your other entry. OK, this seems like it might be a case of ordering the beef two ways. You have great production chops, and flex them ably in more than one dish.

Paco del Stinko
Jonestown lyrics into flamenco solo made me lol. Sounding good, my man. You are a SongFight legend!

The Pannacotta Army
This sounds crisp. Chorus pushes the right buttons while still keeping things refined. Wonderful solo. I’d love to hear a real trumpet (?) player for the horn-like sound. Was surprised there was no last chorus, but I guess we can’t be having >4-minute songs in 2024. Really catchy, well-written, nicely-performed song. I appreciate this one a lot.

Pigfarmer Jr
I can honestly see this being performed in a barn, and I mean that in the best way. Nice, down-to-Earth music that conjures bales of hay, twinkle lights, kids, families, rays of late-day sun shining through crooked barnboard. Nice tune.

plusdot
I’ve done a bit of this talk-singing myself. I think it works here. The section in the middle with the synths is cool. Could have used a stronger melody over the very standard chorus chords. Decent track nonetheless, I liked it.

Pringle Can
Ah! Talk-singing, yes. It’s a way to say a bunch of words, but I feel like it needs to give way to melody at some point, or the tunelessness starts to grate. Hip hop notwithstanding. Having said that, the “HAHAHAHAs” were fantastic.

Prob Trull
Wow! After two tracks of talk-singing in a row, this is really scratching the itch for sung melody. And that guitar tone and playing is absolutely brilliant! Jeepers, I like this a lot. Man, this is one of the best songs of the fight, and I think only the second instant-replay for me so far. Beautiful work, fella(s)!

Rachael Layne
Pretty chords, lush tones. Vocal performance has a captivatingly vulnerable quality. Harmonies arrive at the perfect moment. Very nice track. I won’t give up!

R. Meowsquito and the Tiny Ujns
I can appreciate the novelty here, but I did not find it to be a very pleasurable listen.

R. Mosquito
The commitment to the vocal performance here is admirable, although it felt like more of a gimmick than something that is striving to be good, true or beautiful.

RoneAI
Rone! I’ve missed you, buddy. I am guessing at what’s going on here - you wrote the lyrics and asked an AI to create the music? More than anything, I am glad that you still have music as a creative outlet. I mean, that goes for all of us here. We are lucky, at least, in that we found something good to focus on. A safe and healthy way to take leave from time to time. Cheers to you and God bless you, Rone.

Ross Durand
Love the bittersweet imagery in the first few lines. I too will be watching the parade with my one good eye and a sippy cup. Confident, straightforward songwriting, singing and playing. This is like Levis jeans. Can’t say a bad thing about ‘em.

The Seamus Collective
OMG that’s a tuba! I honestly thought it was a fart. Go back and listen to the first two seconds. Total fart! And I played tuba as a kid. OK, now that that’s settled. Nice tune, and I was pretty amazed when the full horn section kicked in! Sounds great, then ends kind of abruptly. Makes me suspect that the horns aren’t real. But if they are, I’d vote for more horns.

See-Man-Ski
This review is not writing itself for some reason. Seems like a good song in every way, yet no particular element jumps out at me until that “...needed yoooooouuuuuu” falsetto with harmony near the end. Beautiful! Also the way it kind of breaks down after that. Strong finish.

Sell Crazy
Opening riff is trying to rip my head off, lol. Ok, this is only my second such comparison, but I hear Eddie Vedder here in the first few lines, and it’s good. There’s a lot more to your voice as the song progresses. Great chorus. Great song. Great job, Sell Crazy. The mix could use some tightening up, but the writing and performing are so good it barely matters.

Shark Tornado
Maybe not quite my taste, but a well-executed and worthy entry nonetheless.

Shoehorn TC
Kind of like above. Solid in every objective sense, but just not quite hitting my aesthetic preferences. I could be getting tired. Going to call it a night and maybe I will revisit this one.

Sober
Sweet picking! Wow. Great singing too. I tried to learn bluegrass for about a week once - it was really hard. This isn’t exactly bluegrass, but it has similar technical demands. This is really impressive. Great track.

Somewhere Off the Left Coast
Great mix of sonic elements here. Very cool. This has originality which, while perhaps overrated, is still a pretty rare and notable impression to encounter. Those synth sounds are so nice and warm. Really neat track. I like it.

Sonofsupercar
Wow, those drums sound legendary. This has a restless, relentless feel to it. I feel like I’m running through dark alleyways and underground nightclubs looking for the girl I’m trying to save while gangsters want me dead. High points for cinematic imagery.

Spy Vs. Pie
Simple little ditty that’s elevated by its amusing backing vocals.

Stacking Theory
This is awesome. I wish I made this. The desperation, the death, the hopelessness. Wow, it sounds like you are in real pain. But then you lifted your shattered spirit to orchestrate 16 layers of vocals anyway. Great performance, passion and fury.

Starfinger
I like a lot of the elements in this - the percussions, the synths, the vocal chopping/sampling. Ultimately not to my taste as a musical composition, however.

Sugar Johnson
Competent playing and singing, but I did not find this appealing in terms of words or melodies.

Swampy Nethers
Gross band name lol. I was liking this okay, then the vocals diverged into harmony, and I was pretty much hooked. It’s not every day that the boy-girl vocalists work out their relationship problems in the song. Good luck, you two! I hope you make it! Very cute song.

T.C. Elliott
As the token tambourinist in more than one band, this song grabbed me immediately. Solid track, but nothing here is taking my initial interest and developing it into either the sugar rush, the sentimentality, or the heartache that I crave.

Thanks for the Frisbee
Friz is my boi. Charming vocals as always, and I don’t know if I’ve ever heard you layer this much production on top. Wow, I was listening with incredible interest to see there this would go. Love the squiggly synths and the double time part. You remain a great songwriter - what an ending: Not a victim, just not enough.

Tiny Robots
Lovely tones right off the top. This sounds like an expensively-produced album from a time past. Very professional work. In my utopia, people who make music like this would be compensated just like any other professional.

Vom Vorton
This put a smile on my face right away. Sorry, I’m just remembering the bossa nova setting on my grandmother’s organ. Sounds amazing when British people say “fucking.” Sorry, this review sounds like I’m taking the piss, but I am really finding this charming and cool. My advice: end it as 2:14. Sorry, not trying to say it’s too long, just that you could leave us wanting more. Nice track!

The Worldly Self-Assurance
I didn’t think this track was going to work out. Pete (Balance Lost) sent around the acoustic guitar part. I added a vocal idea that stank. Ken (many bands) added drums. It sat like that for days and things were looking grim. Then Jeremy (Thanks For The Frisbee) came up with better verse and chorus vocals, which Pete and I also sang with more lyrics of our own, Glenny (BSS) added bass guitar, slide guitar, e-bow and distorted guitar, and I cut everything together, and of course added tambourine. I am really happy with the final result. And it was awesome to be reunited with The WSA!

WreckdoM
Geez these drums sounds wicked! Vocals are not my thing, though.

Yaks of the Industry
Well, this fight is ending on a high note! What is this?! As a child of the 80s, this is highly relatable. The harmonically strange bridge into the hyper-arpeggio is very nice, then you come back with that sweet guitar solo, then the whole thing wraps up and leaves me hanging, so I have to hit play again. Wonderful track! I am still in my prime. And I think you boys have a bright future in the industry.

[HeuristicsInc]

Here's my first set.

Why doesn’t itunes let you shuffle a list of songs? What a terrible app. Anyway. The Windows ones didn’t do it any better. Annoying app devs.

Abjure!: Uke and vocals are good but I feel like I miss some other instruments.

Abominominous: I like how some of the lines in the chorus get held out real long, nice effect. Pretty rockin, especially like the ending with the higher guitar taking front.

Add: I like the historical lyrics. Agree. Pretty catchy too.

Agony Sauce: Really like the guitar sound and drums. Is that a reference to Ferris? Yeah I think it is. Cool. Real clear who this is about haha. Vote.

All The Robots: I can dig this groove. This one is a lot of fun. Good line “don’t know why they’re parading” Vote.

Another Future of Music: Polished. Wait, is that all there is? I like it a lot but I wish it was longer. I guess I’ll vote for it anyway.

Balance Lost: I like some of these lyrics, like “it’s your party even if you’re not invited”. Very 80’s vibe here, but like XTC or something? Off the beaten path. Not sure I follow what happened though. Lyrics are pretty opaque to me.

Basket Robbers: I especially like the change around politics, I guess the bridge.

Berkeley Social Scene: If there’s any title where you can go meta, this is it. I like the little guitar flourishes that break up the sound from time to time.

bgm: I liked when the bass came in. Are you singing to all the robots? One really nice thing about this one is how you change the vocal delivery in different parts.

Bjam: These lyrics are super cute. I understand this one.

Brian F: I kinda like those things happening in the background for textures, although the mix of this makes it a little hard to make out what’s going on.

Cannonade Streete: Very quiet. I like the way the guitars work together especially the flange.

Caravan Ray: Wow your voice is so up close and personal. There’s a lot to like here. Good vocals and the surf solo is great. That bloopy bass too. That guitar at the end makes me think of the Jazz Butcher which is always a win in my book. Vote.

Carol Cleveland Sings: The twinkly stuff is cool. The change to the faster tempo works well. Good but short. Oh right I remember your voice.

The Chebuctones: Renovicted is a good word. I hope you’re not trying to pitch a tent in Florida. Yeah, I know it’s up north.

Chthonic Black: Wow the music didn’t really follow what I thought it would from the owls and whatnot. I like the Hear Ye, not enough of that in modern music. I’m not sure if I’m meant to take this seriously? It definitely is what it is and it is not boring.

Chumpy: Wait I heard the lichen one first and this one has the same words? Same issue I point out there. The solo is missing here though.

Chumpy vs. Lichen Throat: The solo is what I like best. I am not sure from the lyrics what drove you to stay away? It went from describing everything to “no more” and I don’t know why.

Cloverdance: The second vocal I feel like it needs more presence. Although maybe I won’t see him around. The guitar motif is cool.

Cybronica & Estaphonia: Now this is different. I can appreciate this even if it’s not really my thing. Nice voice and synth pads.

Dead Ambassadors: The chunky thing there is good. Also Marketing 101. I’d like to hear more things going on in the chorus.

[fluffy]

Here's my first set.

Why doesn’t itunes let you shuffle a list of songs? What a terrible app. Anyway. The Windows ones didn’t do it any better. Annoying app devs.

It used to but it's gotten really awful. What I ended up doing was stupid, but I created a smart playlist set to match only things from A Grand Parade and to limit to 100GB with order set to "random," and then dragged the contents of the smart playlist into a new non-smart playlist.

I think it's time for A NEW PLAYER??!

[Ross]

The Seamus Collective
OMG that’s a tuba! I honestly thought it was a fart. Go back and listen to the first two seconds. Total fart! And I played tuba as a kid. OK, now that that’s settled. Nice tune, and I was pretty amazed when the full horn section kicked in! Sounds great, then ends kind of abruptly. Makes me suspect that the horns aren’t real. But if they are, I’d vote for more horns.

Hey, I played trumpet and french Horn on this - they're real. Ken or Brian can tell you more, but I think someone suggested the tuba and trombone might be synth. However, the brass recurrence at the end is cut-and-paste from the middle part, so if the last three recurrences sounded same-ey, that's why. Thanks for the nice comments! and on my solo song too, I am happy it seemed like you "got it."

[HeuristicsInc]

I think it's time for A NEW PLAYER??!

Oh yes

[Caravan Ray]

Ok

So - if this was Nur Ein and I was a judge - this is how I would rank them (from my favourite to least favourite):

Add
Vom Vorton
Future Boy
Frankie Big Face
Motley Cyrus
Abominomimominous
bgm
Sober
Thanks for the Frisbee
Bjam
miscellaneous owl
Berkley Social Scene
Balance Lost
Seamus Collective
McHaggis
R Mosquito
Basket Robbers
Hell Yeahs
Explino!
Starfinger
Moody Vermin
Hostess Mostess
Sugar Johnson
John Benjamin Band
plusdot
Brian F
Mr B and Mr C
Yaks of the Industry
Hoblit
Swampy Nethers
James Owens
Henrietta20
Sell Crazy
son of supercar
Ross Durand
Chumpy vs Licen Throat
WreckdoM
Heuristics Inc
Cloverdance
Glen Case
The Pannacotta Army
Shark Tornado
See-Man-Ski
Paco del Stinko
Chumpy
Tiny Robots
King Arthur
Glenny
Cannonade Streete
Pork Producer Jr
Glen and Rachael
Worldly Self Assurance
Jerkatorium
The Chebuctones
TC Eliot
Agony Sauce
Dr Spectacular's Power Circus
Dead Ambassadors
Giraffes for Wings
Lockheed Symphony
Inflatable Vegetables
Somewhere off the Left Coast
Stacking Theory
Pringle Can
Shoehorn TC
Lunkhead
Jim Tyrell
Rachael Layne
Lucky Witch
Pig Farmer Jr
Melvin
Def Author
mico saudad
Spy vs Pie
mzmo
Nodal Nim
Carol Cleveland Sings
Frontalittle Squad
Josh Woodward
Chthonic Black
Entropic Pincushion
Mademe Breathhard
MC Frontalot w BadSpellah
Falcon Artist
DuToVa
Hot Pink Halo
One Future of Music
Prob Trull
Dutch Widows
R Mosquito and tiny Ujns
Miss Fancy Pants
<3
heine
gareth
Al the Robots
Cybronica & Estaphonia
Abjure
Another Future of Music
Rone Ai

[Caravan Ray]

Caravan Ray
I’m not sure exactly what you intended by the lyrics, but they give me joy.

I started writing this when I read about a politician in the USA. An elderly gentleman with a migrant wife who is running for President - apparently Communists are giving him a hard time. Anyway - I wanted to write an uplifting song for his supporters - so I sang some place keeper lyrics - intending to write an actual song later - but then I realised I had forgotten how my recording software worked - And I never got around to writing actual lyrics.

I tell this story because this is the great thing about Songfight. To play the game - you write a song. It may not be a great song at the time - but it is a start. There are so many times I have revisited Songfight entries which are half-arsed ideas about something - but become actual songs later. My favourite example is my recording of "We've Got the Technology" which I have on Spotify etc. I am very proud of that song. Its original incarnation as a Songfight entry was a complete dog's breakfast.

Long live Songfight!