June 21, 2007

Niveous · Post by **Niveous** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 6:03 am

Roll Call!

Hey everyone. It's a bright sunny day here in NYC and I'm getting all set for my trip to Chicago by working hard at the job, so that people can't pick through my stuff in my absence. Those bastards. I'm also happy because it's the Stepping Up day for my little one, M. I'm so very proud of my almost-no-longer-a kindergartener.

Question of the Day:
If you had to give a letter grade (A-F) to your musical catalog so far, what would you give it?

In other words, look at your musical body of work and how would you rate it. Does it need improvement? Are you ecstatic with it? Is it nowhere close to where you would want it to be?

jimtyrrell · Post by **jimtyrrell** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 6:40 am

Happy Summer (to those of you in the Northern Hemisphere)!

I ordered new cables for my computer speakers, but after this morning, I'm doubtful that this alone will solve my problems. I get a great deal of buzz and crackle through the monitors when the fridge in the other room kicked on. Guess I gotta find a new plug or something.

Tonight I'm stopping in on a couple local joints, but I'll be in early. I've got a show Friday, and another two-day stint at The Balsams on Saturday and Sunday.

QotD: I give the Jim Tyrrell catalog a B-, worthy of perhaps the slightest praise. The songs are generally well structured (if a bit predictable). The lyrics are at times clever, but at other times very trite. Some solid interumentation, and a couple tasteful solos, but for the most part this aspect is also played a little too close-to-the-vest. It's when he loosens up and goes a little more on 'feel' that he meets with the best results (see: I Know My Rights, Naked On The Meach, House Of Hodgman).

Hoblit · Post by **Hoblit** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 7:44 am

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Another busy day here at work. I suppose I can deal with it, it makes me feel useful. Looking forward to our (Ghost Town Gridlock) gig tomorrow across the bay. Well, not really. It's going to be a lot of work hauling equipment all the way over there and all the guys are gonna wanna leave early which in turns almost obligates me to leave early. (We practice at Bread Box Studios aka my place) ( I'm name dropping for the search engines, its called promotion, deal with it

)

Niveous · Post by **Niveous** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 9:25 am

Either it's a very quiet day or a very off-putting question.

For me, my musical body of work has had a lot of ups and downs over the years. I have gone a long long way from before I joined songfight. My older bands like Fearofsleep and 'Thyst may have done a lot of music but I feel more fulfilled by the music I've done more recently.

My solo work has suffered thanks to my inability to produce well. Though I'm learning and getting better, it's still something that I need to improve on. Thus, my solo songfight entries are not some of my favorites. My solo albums are okay but I feel they could improve.

My collabs have faired better. Some have missed the mark like the one with Dan Bailey, and Deaf Sale. Some have done some very good stuff like XTRG and Silent E. And my songwriting stuff has been a high point. Getting to write for Zinkline, Glenn Case, Cow Exchange, Luke Henley and so many others has been a blast and I've loved the results.

All in all, I'd give myself a B- right now. I really need to get past some milemarkers like produce a clear new album, do more work in a band type setting, and dare to release more music (a la some more Songfights, etc.)

Rabid Garfunkel · Post by **Rabid Garfunkel** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 10:08 am

D+

Well, yeah. Everything's (with the exception of Honeymoon in Polynesia, shudder) got some element that's on, but the rest of the pieces of the song(s) are lacking at best for that fullness, completeness feel.

When I let my freak flag fly is when I get the closest to hitting that elusive mark, methinks. The more recent stuff (live shows with p++, the Civil Offense entries, and my short-lived Nur Ein attendance) is almost there.

If I just didn't suck so much with deadlines.

Good hard question, Niv.

Billy's Little Trip · Thu Jun 21, 2007 10:13 am

Congrats on your Daughter stepping up Niv.

What's that mean? Birthday, potty trained, walked up steps?

Another day in pair of dice
Dots of plenty and hot as ice
Work is the order of the day
Been playing with that Bloc Party shyt that the Aussie Redneck posted
There are around 20 tracks to remix
I don't normally care about mixing other bands music
But I have to say, its a great learning tool and I suggest it
The way they recorded the tracks
How they fill the song with nuggets of sound
How they only use mono tracks
The way they harmonize
The amount of reverb
It goes on and on
If I was a teacher of sound engineering, this would be a lesson

QOTD:
My recorded music? F+
My music sounds much better in my head, because I have a full orchestra and William Shatner singing.

Live, Love, Rock

Niveous · Post by **Niveous** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 10:35 am

Billy's Little Trip wrote:Congrats on your Daughter stepping up Niv. What's that mean? Birthday, potty trained, walked up steps?

M is my son, Maxwell. I guess you got confused because I'm always talking about "The Girls". When I'm talking about my sons Toby & Max (aka T & M), I usually refer to them as "the kinderlings". The Girls are my wife and our housemate.

"Stepping Up" is graduating from kindergarten.

Billy's Little Trip · Thu Jun 21, 2007 11:04 am

Niveous wrote:
Billy's Little Trip wrote:Congrats on your Daughter stepping up Niv. What's that mean? Birthday, potty trained, walked up steps?
M is my son, Maxwell. I guess you got confused because I'm always talking about "The Girls". When I'm talking about my sons Toby & Max (aka T & M), I usually refer to them as "the kinderlings". The Girls are my wife and our housemate.

"Stepping Up" is graduating from kindergarten.

Ooopsy daisy. My humblest apologies. Yeah, I have no idea why I assumed Daughter, weird. Well, congrats to the young man that will carry on the great name and traits taught by his Father and Mother.

Paco Del Stinko · Post by **Paco Del Stinko** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 11:49 am

Here at Songfight!, I'd have to go with a D. While I like something about every one of them, my voice and lame melodies are usually big minus points. I think I've put some fun bits and pieces out there, and don't mind if people are entertained only by a small portion of what I do. Maybe it inspires you to do better, ya know?

Of the many hundritudes of recorded songs prior to and during SF time, I'd have to say A-.That would include stuff both by myself and with others, going back many moon.

WeaselSlayer · Post by **WeaselSlayer** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 12:17 pm

My songfight catalogue gets a C just because it's bogged down with some veritable shit. But outside I give myself a 3.5 GPA. I'm on the Dean's List. I hope to finish reading No Country for Old Men today, work on some music, and mourn the coming workdays. Last night I ate lamb's tongue tacos and I wanted to share that. They were so awesome.

roymond · Post by **roymond** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 12:31 pm

My son's stepping-up is tomorrow. I'll be there for a change.

QotD: I don't feel good with the self-grading thing. The rush and sense of completeness I get after finishing something is generally pretty high. Listening later, I'd say 20% are A, 40% B and the rest C level. The weakest element, in most cases, is the lyric. But when I get that I feel great.

Billy's Little Trip · Thu Jun 21, 2007 12:56 pm

Paco Del Stinko wrote: Of the many hundritudes of recorded songs prior to and during SF time, I'd have to say A-.That would include stuff both by myself and with others, going back many moon.

Good point. I feel much better about my music that I have done as a complete band collaboration. Mainly because we worked them live a lot before they were recorded and took months to perfect in some cases.

fodroy · Post by **fodroy** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 1:11 pm

I haven't done much today. I'll probably make some pasta for dinner and then maybe get some sangria or something and watch a movie. I'm doing a lot of writing lately too. I'm trying to spend several hours a day on my writing. I've been pretty lax for most of the summer, and I need to step that up. I've got a story in the works that I know can be awesome and unique, but I'm having a hard time feeling it out. Ah well, it'll come. I just need patience and determination.

qotd: I'd give myself a D. My music isn't really all that listenable to anyone who doesnt know me and already think I'm a cool guy. My voice sucks and I suck at mixing, so everything sounds very much like I don't know what I'm doing. Occassionally, I'd have moments of clarity that make up for all the crap, and that's what saves me from an F.

I occassionally listen to a few of my songs. I think of all the songs I've done (SF and not) I could maybe scrape together a decent collection of songs. My favorite thing that I've done was actually Møurning Brëth (the first album).

Some of my collabs have been cool though. Miss Teen Universe was pretty sweet, but R. Mosquito did most of the work. I think Danyer was pretty successful. Phuntpaper Orchestra could've gone better, but I kinda like it's difficult to listen to quality.

And Niveous, you're right. Our collab was off. I think we had a cool idea, but I just couldn't get the timing right with your vocals and the music. I think we just barely missed it, but we missed with a lot.

I don't know when I'll get around to music again. I live in an apartment now and I'm pretty sure my neighbors would get annoyed by my singing/guitaring. I also get really self-conscious and shy if I think there's a possibility that anyone can hear me when I'm recording. All of my recordings have been made in complete secrecy.

fluffy · Post by **fluffy** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 1:26 pm

qotd: B-. Most of my stuff's generally listenable but probably wouldn't sell any albums.

drc: I was at work until 9:15 PM last night dealing with another stupid manufactured crisis. Today I am very tired. I hope my boss lets me leave at a reasonable time. If not I will leave anyway. Fuck him if he has a problem with that.

Caravan Ray · Post by **Caravan Ray** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 1:57 pm

I rate my stuff A+. Why else would I spend so much time doing it? I really don't give a toss how anyone else grades it anymore.

drë · Post by **drë** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 2:51 pm

Today I saved the world once again from being destroyed by microscopic robots brought over here by evil aliens, 800 years ago. When triggered the robots can construct them selves at a rate of 10^72 per hour, using earth minerals and Hydrogen.

The news was brought to my attention around 3:30 A.M this morning, by Chen Mi, a senior chemistry student from the University of Boston. Chen Mi first discover something funky was going on with the depletion of earth minerals while working on his Senior Thesis “Earth, Minerals, and you”. He emails me at superdre@superheroforhire.com, to inform me of this alarming finding.

At first I thought it was a joke from some punk college kid doing too much weed, but after reading the 3rd paragraph from his thesis, it all made sense.

It was tough at first fighting these super tiny robots, especially when my cape got caught between my underwear and bell buckle, but I managed somehow. The robots have been completely disabled, and frozen underneath a lake in Russia. As for the evil aliens their still out there somewhere ...
I know their up to no good...

For lunch I had a banana flavored, SuperBar.

This super hero job is getting tiresome.

-Super Dre.

fluffy · Post by **fluffy** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 4:31 pm

Caravan Ray wrote:I rate my stuff A+. Why else would I spend so much time doing it? I really don't give a toss how anyone else grades it anymore.

I rate your stuff A+ too.

WeaselSlayer · Post by **WeaselSlayer** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 4:50 pm

I just found a box of tapes of my stuff I recorded when I was like 16 or younger. Some of it's pretty cringe-worthy, but I actually think I was a better arranger back then. I guess I didn't have anything else to do.

Heather. Redmon. · Post by **Heather. Redmon.** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 7:51 pm

Today I got a call from my dad while I was at work. He usually knows better than to call me there, but he had some weird news to tell me.

My great-aunt June called him today to tell him that she got a post card in the mail from me yesterday from Oxford, England. She wanted to know why I was there and what happened to the kids and my husband, etc. My dad was confused and told her that I'd been to Oxford back in '95 but not since. My aunt June told him that the post card was really beat up and muddy and impossible to read.

Apparently the post card took 12 years to get to her! She lives on Bainbridge Island in Washington, not like Antarctica or anything.

I would really like to know why that happened and what took it so long to get there. What were the circumstances surrounding the postcard's journey? Did it get lost somewhere in England, only to be found over a decade later and dropped in the post by some bloke? Did it get stuck in the sorting machine and found while the machine was being cleaned or repaired? Did it make it's trip across the Atlantic only to be lost somewhere in middle America? Who knows!

My day otherwise was fine. I was tired as usual. Phil had the night off so when I got home from work, we went out to dinner with the kids. Fun!

QotD. I love the Hell Yeahs tunes. Sure the production might not be perfect and I'm not too satisfied with the first couple of songs we did, but I would rate our catalog at a B+. I listen to all the Hell Yeahs tunes at least once a week. As for stuff we've done before the Hell Yeahs... I played bass in Vlad Smut and the Swanks, I wasn't very good, I didn't sing. I would rate my performance in the band at a C- but Phil's performance was more like a B or B+.

Billy's Little Trip · Post by **Billy's Little Trip** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 8:07 pm

Damn Heather, that's a fucking mind blower! How cool is that? Not that it was "lost" for 12 years, but because it actually got there after 12 years. I want to hear more about this on Phil's show.

j$ · Post by j$ » Fri Jun 22, 2007 5:49 am

fodroy wrote:My voice sucks and I suck at mixing

no, it doesn't, and yes you do - but don't we all?

I think Danyer was pretty successful.

Does this mean there will be no more Danyer? this is my favourite SF collaboration so far.

Recently, I give myself a U. I didn't turn up for the exam

Although I listened the other day to the stuff on my website, which is mainly SF stuff, and over half of it surprised me as to how close it sounded to how I wanted it to sound, so honestly a B, or a B- It's not like i can improve that much, i have more or less got to where I am going to get to, bar better equipment ...

king_arthur · Post by **king_arthur** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 6:35 am

I guess I feel like my music falls in B or B- territory with a lot of other folks. My lack of SF voting success makes me feel like I don't quite have "what it takes," nor do I have the ability to figure out what that is. Also, it's kinda frustrating that my own church doesn't do any of the worship songs I've written because our worship leader has a policy of not doing any "original" music. (I think that would change if he started writing his own songs, though...) I do think that some day, when I'm sitting around in the rest home with nothing to do and go back and listen to all of it, I'll be satisfied. And I have noticed lately that the SF reviews of my stuff have been mostly positive, there are always just a couple songs that any given voter prefers.

I could mention that I think my catalog of my music is A grade - everything is in a database with high quality .mp3 versions of all the recordings, typed in lyrics, scanned in originals, leadsheets and chordcharts (where they exist), and html pages for each "album" and a page for each song with links to each recording of that song. There are various indices of songs and even a "concordance" of selected words...

Every now and then, I have to remind myself that there are thousands of people in the world who have never written a song at all, who've never recorded a song at all. It helps knowing that...

Charles (KA)