I made it through! I started listening with the thought I would decide votes first and then review, and then was like "I know myself, I am never going to come back and finish these" so started writing reviews in real time as I listened to the songs--so no re-listens, none of the reviews taking longer than the songs, people with short songs may have been shortchanged, people who came up while I was in a bad mood or distracted may have also been shortchanged. Such is life. I have finally voted too, phew!
Abjure!: I'm a ukulele fan and this is a charming tune that feels almost like it could have come off the Magnetic Fields' 69 Love Songs. The harmonized vocals sound great, especially in spots where the female vocal is a bit higher in the mix. I do feel like it might have worked better with more of a contrast between parts, maybe the harmony vocal being used more sparingly and just coming in here and there for emphasis?
Abominominous: Rawk! Satisfying riffage. The mix seems a bit muddy. I am not cross-referencing the lyrics thread, because there are tooooo many songs this time, but I just heard "Tony Bologna" and I approve. Cool doomy break in the middle. Not really the kind of music I find particularly appealing, but it's well executed.
Add: Interesting groove. My college roommate was in an acappella group that sang a weird song about John Quincy Adams so the opening line is appealing to me for nostalgia reasons. The lyrics seem weirdly serious for the feel of the music, I'm not cross-referencing the lyrics thread, but a lot of the verse lyrics have a "Wikipedia song" listy feel that is off-putting. Chorus is more fun! The delivery of "manifest destiny" is great, especially where it's a little more loose.
Agony Sauce: Love the way the guitar/vocal/drums interlock rhythmically in the verse, really fun. I wish the mix was a little more dry maybe, the instruments all kind of feel like they're floating in different spaces. Interesting changes going on here in the middle, kind of Steely Dan-ish. I like the repeating "I think you're kind of a dick", great way to end it.
All The Robots: Ooh, love the kind of flamenco? feel of this. The lyrics kind of remind me of Warren Zevon. Nice instrumental break! I was going to say it feels too long, but it's not really all that long, so I guess take that as you will, maybe I just need to listen to the lyrics more closely to feel like it's going different places.
Another Future of Music: Impressive. Soulless. Hate it. Glad you revealed where it came from so I can say that honestly without fear of hurting someone's feelings.
Balance Lost: Great melancholy vibes, love the reverb and the combo of bubbly synth and bright guitars. The rhythm of the "time travel" line is satisfying and I really like the images in the chorus. Some of the chorus vocals seem a bit pitchy/loose.
Basket Robbers: Launches right into it with no wasted time, woo! Works really well, I love the energy and the way the vocals are processed, they sit nicely. The middle 8 is distinctive, but I am not sure I like it, kind of takes me out of the groove of the rest of the tune so it feels more like something that was decided on like "we have to have something different here" than something that feels like it elevates the song.
Berkeley Social Scene: This instrumental and mix has a kind of loose, live feel to it that I like. Not a huge fan of the vocal delivery on this one vocal, a bit too whiny for my taste and it's distracting, plus feels really pitchy around 20 seconds in. I like the progression, good bones and movement between verse and chorus. The solo seems kind of aimless and the little riff break around 2:36 seemed confusingly tacked on. I do like the chorus parts with the layers of vocals going on, nice vocal arrangement and it feels nicely epic.
bgm: I thought this was going to turn into a Red Hot Chili Peppers song or something at first, I like where it went instead. These vocals are really excellent, and this song has a wonderful sense of lazy menace. The cuckoo clock circus music break is kind of amazing. I liked this one a lot.
Bjam: Lovely vocal, but I wish the guitar didn't sound so muffled and boomy in contrast. I like the sweet sentiment, but the main hook/metaphor seems like kind of an awkward stretch to me, the title was not really used in the most natural way IMO.
Brian F: I love the sound of this, that intro bit and the various weird noises scattered through it are kind of Flaming Lips-y and this has a generally excellent lo-fi feel, and good hooks and energy. Gives me some Elephant 6 vibes too, like a more garage-y Apples in Stereo maybe. Really enjoyed this!
Cannonade Streete: I like the general chill 90's vibe and feel with the whooshy guitars, but these performances are too loose for me, I think it would be much better if you tightened up the pitch and rhythm in various spots and mixed it to be a bit punchier.
Caravan Ray: I really like those little guitar lead lines, this has a nice bouncy and nostalgic feel. Good switchups in arrangement, the sparse verses are nice. I wish the vocals were more in tune though, and not a huge fan of the fadeout, I think it could have used a nice big ending.
Carol Cleveland Sings: Sweet, dreamy, gentle, love the detuned sounds. Ooh, abrupt left turn! This also has a big Elephant 6 feel to me. Possibly some shades of the Cardigans in that fast part. Wish it was a bit longer, feels more like a sketch than a full song.
The Chebuctones: Nice playing, this is a pleasant, solid folksy tune! Somehow I can't hear the phrase "pitching tents" and take it seriously though--kept expecting some kind of dirty twist, but I think it's supposed to be straightforward. I think bringing in some different elements or changing up the arrangement more as the song goes on would help, it feels like you could have cut out the last third or so without losing much.
Chthonic Black: Takes its time with the spooky intro--more than 30 seconds before the instruments come in? I always like hearing an owl! Whoa this got intense real fast, that's a fun changeup. I am probably never going to be all-in on this genre but I think you did it well, some nice twists and turns in this and a good sense of darkness. The "grand parade" lyrics kind of don't feel like they fit into the genre itself.
Chumpy: This is a nice G&G song, dig the energy in the guitar and vocal delivery, but it's kind of pitchy. I think it could have used a few more takes before calling it final. The Disneyland lyrics are fun, they are the first to actually make me wade into the lyrics thread to see what I missed (somewhere around Goofy and the rat, I think).
Chumpy vs. Lichen Throat: Oh haha this is the same as the previous one? Wasn't expecting that, they are very different takes and I appreciate both versions. I like the floaty guitar arpeggios and atmospheric synth stuff, but the drums feel a bit plodding, maybe they could have used a bit more space. The vocals have a sort of cold metallic feel to them, not sure if that is just the type of reverb or what.
Cloverdance: That low voice coming in is fun, kind of "Daddy sang bass". This feels like it goes on and on without a change, though, I think it could have benefitted from more of a distinction between verse and chorus. The fadeout only contributes to that sense. It has more of a demo feel of laying down a first draft idea than a fully baked song feel to me.
Cybronica & Estaphonia: I feel like I should be drinking a glass of claret and wearing a silk dress while listening to this in a salon. I like that it gets darker in the back half of the song, and the a capella outro is lovely. Not my thing overall stylistically, but it's pretty.
Dead Ambassadors: Short and sweet, doesn't overstay its welcome. Nice chunky guitars, that last cascade into the ending is great.
The Def Author: whoa the vocals are LOUD, that took me by surprise. Nice clear vox despite the doubling/delay effect, but I think I would have preferred to hear the lead vox without that. This feels like it loses the plot a bit when it gets to the chorus, drums are kind of off in another world doing their own thing and the sung hook feels really aimless to me. Strong performance, love the flow in the last verse.
Dr. Spectacular's Power Circus: RAWK! Great big production and the vocal melody feels careful and well crafted. I have not looked up the lyrics but they feel intricate in a good way in those long lines. The mellow bridge into epic solo is a really good transition. Radio-ready!
The Dutch Widows: There are those trademark DW atmospheric vocals... I like the sound of them, but I do think they could stand to be a bit louder here, I like the chord progression/melody and I think the buried vocal kind of does the song a disservice. The electric noodling behind the acoustic guitar is nice and tasteful.
DuToVa: Enjoying the weird chromatic guitar movement, but the grunge vocals are not my cup of tea, particularly the "grand parade" delivery that feels very closed-mouth in an exaggerated way. That's a preference thing, but I think this could use a bit less reverb if you're going for the full grunge feel, it has an almost goth atmosphere to me that is at odds with the vocal style.
Entropic Pincushion: This definitely makes a nice experimental changeup from the normal songs I've heard so far, kind of fun conceptually but I can't say it's particularly enjoyable to listen to for more than a few seconds. Could be fun to hear it further cut up into something a bit more coherent.
Explino!: Solid performances and production. I like the backing vocals in the chorus a lot and the chord progression/melody in the chorus is appealing. This song feels very Songfighty somehow but I don't know how to define that, that's more an observation than a comment on quality or anything.
Falcon Artist: Always love a bit of talking like the intro of this song. Would love more delicacy/variation in the guitar playing, it's a bit overwhelming with the strumming constantly at 100% and drowning the vocals out a bit. This sounds like it was recorded on an old tape deck and I'm into that, but it's definitely not going to be everyone's thing.
Frankie Big Face: I'm a sucker for jangly guitar arpeggios. Nice backing vocals and melodies, the movement between sections is well done, but the mix seems a bit quiet and messy and I think was a bit distracting from the quality of the song overall.
The Frontalittle Squad: Meta nerdy shaggy dog tale. You can tell you're all having fun here! I don't know how much I would revisit this, but it feels perfect for the moment of this fight.
Future Boy: I like the G&P sonic palette, but the instrumentation and tempo seem too light for the subject matter for me. I feel like I should be hearing more anguish, I guess.
gareth: Lovely guitar, even the occasional fret buzzing feels nice, authentic. This is recorded really quiet and it's hard to make out the vocals, so it makes it harder to judge what's going on.
Giraffes for Wings: The guitar rhythms support the vocals well, but I think this could have used a bit more of a changeup at some point. Still, it's short, so not a big deal. Stops really abruptly, was it meant to cut off so soon?
Glenn and Rachael: Ooh, the traded lead vocals are nice. The vocals fit nicely together--sometimes there's a big difference in timbre or apparent volume between different vocalists, but it doesn't feel jarring in any way when Rachael comes in. This kind of feels like the theme song to a nostalgic favorite TV show in an alternate universe.
Glenn Case: Slow burner. Kind of also has a lost TV show music vibe, but moodier than the Glenn & Rachael track. Nice stacked harmonies. I like the held notes on the chorus. It sounds like there's maybe some unintended distortion on the vocals and keys at moments?
Glennny: wicka wicka waoh! Lovely moment where the acoustic guitar stuff comes in around 2 mins. This whole song is kind of a fun smorgasbord of various guitar sounds. Pretty fun to just bounce around the sounds and ideas. Had a bit of trouble making out the lyrics on the stereo where I was listening.
heine: Unusual arrangement! The instruments feel very quiet to me compared to the vocals. On the bright side, the vocals are crystal clear. This is weird and fun, kind of feels like a kids' song but with ripping flesh in the lyrics.
The Hell Yeahs: Dig this, it feels like something I would have heard on college radio in the 90's and called in to find out what it was.
Henrietta20: Great vocals, they feel just a bit loud in the mix compared to the instruments though. I am not so much a fan of the part where the second vocal comes in and diverges really widely from the lead vocal. The doubling feels unnecessary--I like how striking it feels when it's super sparse. The end feels kind of accidental, not quite fadeout and not quite hard stop.
Heuristics Inc.: Big sounds going on here. I like the creepy 80's goth vibe. Wish this changed a bit more, layers of synths coming in or a double time section or something might have been nice even if the 7 minute runtime is not a real 7 minutes.
Hoblit: I really like the idea here, the jangly and funky guitars are great and I love the main guitar riff, but the vocal is pretty off-key, especially when it first comes in, and spoils it a bit. Melody reminds me heavily of RHCP, "Soul to Squeeze" in particular.
Hostess Mostess: Love the weary but strong timbre of your voice combined with the warm guitar picking. This is a really lovely tune and feels very "real," for lack of a better word--like it was written from the heart, not like something concocted as an exercise.
Hot Pink Halo: The progression of the arrangement is great, I am enjoying the combo of instruments here and the feeling of it kind of taking off along with your high held notes in the chorus.
Inflatable Vegetables: I am loving how this plunges in full throttle, busy in the best way with all the guitar noodling behind the vocals, and also appreciate how short it is without feeling incomplete. I like that bratty crunchy riff and the way the rhythm switches up in the chorus.
James Owens: Whoa, cool chord progression, that chorus key change really feels epic. I would have liked this better with more organic instrumentation (the synths are very 80's but the rest of the arrangement doesn't quite go cheesy enough to really lean into it IMO) and no mentions of Reaper and Logic, which I understand is all part of the meta reference stuff but really turned me off lyrically.
Jerkatorium: John Sousa, now there's a reference I can get into. This is a super feel-good slice of upbeat pop a la Fountains of Wayne. The guitar solo theatrics are great fun and fit well with the song. The higher notes in the vocal feel a bit strained sometimes, but it's not too bad.
Jim Tyrrell: Nice performances, this has a 70's singer-songwriter feel to me with some of these changes and the instrumentation. I especially like the laid-back piano playing that lays a perfect backbone.
The John Benjamin Band: Epic production, this sounds huge and overstuffed with cool noises (in a good way!) Really catchy melody and I love those dramatic drop-outs. Have not been paying attention to the lyrics but the last line is memorable, haha.
Josh Woodward: Catchy, strong melodies, just has some things that rub me the wrong way: I am on the fence about this because there are various things about the production that read "soulless modern pop with all the edges sanded off" to me and turn me off, but sometimes, like a magic eye painting, I hear it as an 80's synthpop song instead and have considerably warmer feelings if I listen to it that way.
King Arthur: Good balance between instrumental interludes and vocals in this tune. Your voice has so much character. The "grand parade" lines don't feel terribly natural to me in terms of phrasing, but you pull it off and make it feel authentic.
<3: Fun and bouncy! The lyrics feel pretty tightly crafted except for one thing, the emphasis on the second syllable of "happy" which kept bothering me.
Lockheed Symphony: An odd little instrumental, enjoyable enough and I like the hidden morse code message bit.
Lucky Witch and the Righteous Ghost: Crunchy guitars, dark feel and yet a catchy chorus. Enjoying the freewheeling historical references in the lyrics.
Lunkhead: Poppy melodies that go in some slightly weird directions, big harmonies and backing vocals, Byrds-y chiming guitar, warbly organ textures, what's not to like? This is excellent, right up my alley.
Madame Breathehard: I like toy pianos. The ambient noise samples are enjoyable, but I kind of expected this to do more than it ended up doing, lots of noodling and not a lot of payoff.
MC Frontalot w/ Baddd Spellah: Vocals feel a bit quiet in the mix for the genre, this should really be vox-forward--it's kind of hard to make out the lyrics as is. Great delivery and lyrical flow, though, and catchy chorus melody.
McHaggis: The little pause and tumble at the end of the verses is perfect, and I like the lift into the chorus. This has a wonderful mellow feel that for some reason kind of reminds me of Elliott Smith doing a genre detour (I guess it's the combo of the soft vocal and some of the melodic choices?) The production isn't as loud and shiny as some of the other songs here but I really enjoyed your songwriting.
Melvin: Ah yes, listening to 1000 songs, extremely relatable. The vocal seems a bit loud in the mix, especially after the intro. Nice melodies, and I like the synth pads and the way the instrumentation develops as the song goes on. The meta lyrics feel forced at times but I'm generally giving that a pass for this fight. Oh look at that, a proper coda/outro part.
mico saudad: The vocal is a bit boomy and hard to make out, but it has a really nice timbre and warmth to it. This song has good vibes, kinda lonely kinda cozy, I feel like I should be listening to it in a dark dive bar with tinsel and a disco ball on a tiny stage.
miscellaneous owl: It me, with an extremely last-minute song I started at about 11 PM the night before Sam posted everything. I mostly just wanted to make big floaty shoegaze/dreampop guitar noises. mo gave me the pedal that is responsible for that, thanks mo! I started out wanting to make something that sounded like Cigarettes After Sex, they have a dreampop vibe but super loud close-mic'd vocals, but I chickened out with putting them so forward in the end, and went back to the more genre-standard buried vox that inevitably people complain about and which I see has predictably gotten a lot of complaints here too.
Miss Fancy Pants: Very medieval, a much older grand parade than most of the ones here. Good music for a fool to caper to.
Moody Vermin: That repeating guitar figure is unsettling and cool, really like it. Lives up to its name with the moodiness, good texture to the vocal, those kind of falling detuned synth sounds in the bridge followed by the almost theremin-like lead guitar tone are great. Oh no, a fadeout? I wanted a crescendo.
Motley Cyrus: Evocative lyrics. tbh I didn't really want it to go into that parade music part when it got there, it's competently done and all but I was enjoying the sound of the earlier part.
Mr. B and Mr. C: Oof, that is certainly one of the guitar tones of all time. It's not the easiest listen. This doesn't really hang together well for me, it is kind of giving me sensory overload, but it sounds like you had a vision and delivered on it.
mzmo: I like the wistful feel of this one. The combo of the straightforward acoustic rhythm guitar and the subtle tremolo picked part is really nice.
Nodal Nim: Love the sound of that mandolin. I would have liked more change-ups in this song to mix it up a bit. Last 40 seconds or so seem to be empty?
One Future of Music: See review for "Another Future of Music"
Paco del Stinko: I like the mode you're playing in. Everything fits together really nicely in this tune and the guitar playing is lovely, the little solo around 2 mins in and the triplety rhythm part preceding it are my favorite parts.
The Pannacotta Army: Tasty harmonies in the chorus, I was doing something else and immediately perked up when I heard that part come in. Really enjoyed the instrumental break arrangement, particularly the first half. Really polished production and songwriting as always.
Pigfarmer Jr: Memorable chorus, I love the phrasing of that "try to catch the candy" line. This gives me some Tom Petty vibes.
plusdot: I feel like this goes into a sort of silly voice part where it leans more Fred Schneider but I like this better when it's taking itself more seriously, and is weirder with the kind of spoken-word stuff over 90's grungey riffs. Love the weewoo synths that come in later on.
Pork Producer Jr: Super striking lyrics and presentation. I think the repetition works well except for "vile blood clots on you" which is good the first time you sing it, but felt awkward to me when repeated. Unsolicited advice (like all of these reviews) but I think maybe taking out the lines explicitly about revenge could make the song more subtle/ambiguous and effective.
Pringle Can: I think this is one of the better meta sets of lyrics in this batch of songs so far in terms of potentially having a more universal appeal. Unhinged, but there was room to go even more over the top.
Prob Trull: Nice harmonies, this is a sweet little confection of a song with a lot of details for its length.
Rachael Layne: Nice progression on the guitar there, some of the moving lines feel Beatles-y. Lovely vox as usual, this has a really nice intimate feel. Ooh, mellotron!
R. Meowsquito and the Tiny Ujns: Cute! I really like the cowpunk kind of feel of this and of course the cats, but I wish the instruments were louder, this feels washed out where it should feel punchy.
R. Mosquito: Tom Waits, is that you? Great slightly scary vocal delivery.
RoneAI: Can't really engage with AI songs, sorry. Plus I hate this style even when made directly by humans.
Ross Durand: Lots of songs mentioning the grand marshal (so far, 2, but that still feels like a lot, haha). Wonderful feeling in the performance, it feels like I could be captivated in the front row at an open mic.
The Seamus Collective: I like those vocals and the slide guitar details, very pretty, and the contrast with the big farty tuba is nice, along with the marching band breaks it gives the song kind of a bizarre twist that I find very appealing.
See-Man-Ski: This intro part has a fun beat, kind of feels like one of those old-timey news tickers. Nicely written and arranged, it holds your attention.
Sell Crazy: Big sound, I like it--kind of reminds me of Guided by Voices. I like hearing the tunes in this batch that stay well away from the "parade music" trope.
Shark Tornado: Riffage! Catchy song, tight performances and production.
ShoehornTC: I really like the melody and harmonies! The constant quarter note piano feels sort of oppressive after a while.
Sober: Nice playing! Love the bluegrass feel. I like that you're not just delivering the lyrics in a really straight way--playing around with the talky bits and rubato rhythms makes the tight harmonies hit that much harder.
Somewhere Off the Left Coast: I have a visceral hate of the autotuned (AI?) vocal, sorry. It was not what I was expecting either with the slightly messy piano at the beginning.
sonofsupercar: I like the abrasive noise rock feel in theory, but musically, this is kind of a tough sell between the pitchiness of the vocal and the instrumental parts that seem to be playing at the same time in different keys.
Spy Vs. Pie: The shimmery little lift in the outro is great. The vocals are a bit messy but this fight has cemented for me that I'd 1000% rather listen to something human but messy rather than perfect and made by AI.
Stacking Theory: Take me to church, Stacking Theory! This has a really cool progression from the vaguely synthetic-sounding layers of harmonies to the impassioned back half with crashing drums and melancholy organ.
Starfinger: Theatrical! Maybe over the top, maybe just enough? Lots of cool sounds and textures going on in this song. Love the chopped-up processed bits that start around 1 minute in. The "here comes the band" part made me laugh, too.
Sugar Johnson: Enjoying the playing and the classic bluesy progression, but it feels pretty repetitive by the end. Genre-appropriate, I guess, but would have liked more variation.
Swampy Nethers: Loving the tune and the harmonies. This kind of reminds me of "The Passenger" in terms of the melody and feel. The lyrics are a creative take on the title.
T.C. Elliott: Lots of evocative, concrete images in these lyrics, and I liked the mountain/molehill line.
Thanks for the Frisbee: I kind of love this aesthetically and the interesting shifts between sections, but the drums feel kind of like those videos of the overly qualified Japanese mascot drumming at a kids' show--like maybe one or two notches of intensity above the rest of the instruments. Cool synths. Cool a cappella outro.
Tiny Robots: Lovely vocal, strong and clear, and great melody. Very Fleetwood Mac. Super clean production, beautiful song.
Vom Vorton: Ooh percussion! This is a strong melody with some weird twists and turns in the chord progression. Love the jangly guitars and the synths, the theremin one and the bloopy bass. "Mistakes" feels like it's emphasized on the first syllable instead of the second which bugs me a little every time it comes around. Perhaps that's a little bit of meta?
The Worldly Self-Assurance: Quirky and stuffed full of ideas, pretty much all of them good. This is really charming, love the mix of instruments and sections, nice vocals, especially the harmony parts and that dramatic sparse intro.
WreckdoM: Inventive and brash, kind of hypnotic. I could imagine this song being found by a random DJ and ending up with a cult following of people wanting to know where it came from.
Yaks of the Industry: Huge sound, shiny production, love the arpeggiated synth break and orchestra hits in particular. A nice way to end this epic fight.