Nur Ein IV Round One "Bullets & Lovers"

[Niveous]

ROUND ONE of the NUR EIN starts now!

Title: Bullets & Lovers
Non Optional Challenge: Song must be 2 minutes or shorter.
Song must include 2 verses, a chorus, a repetition of the chorus and a solo.
Songs are Due on: Monday, April 27, 2009 @ 12:01 AM EST

Five bands will eliminated at the end of this round. The winner of the top song in this round will earn immunity in Round #2.

Adam Adamant
Andrew Reist
Chopped Liver Meat God
Cock
Frankie Big Face
Howl Down the Chimney
John Kloberdanz
Jon Eric
MC Eric B
Nigel Clements
Nouveau Pavre
Paco Del Stinko
Rabid Garfunkel
Ross Durand
Sheail
Signboy
Student Band
Swilington
Test Week Hiatus
Tex Beaumont and the Dirty Hearts
Tiny Robots
Todd McHatton
WreckdoM

STREAM ALL

[reve]

ROUND ONE of the NUR EIN starts now!
Challenge: Song must be 2 minutes or shorter.
Song must include 2 verses, a chorus, a repetition of the chorus and a solo.

It's like the template for a Cock track! (Cock's always been a bit on the short side.)

[ujnhunter]

Nice title too... fits in with the whole concept!

[Billy's Little Trip]

Oh cool! Love the title!

By the way, I'm sure Ross will ask if the challenge is optional, being that it doesn't say non optional. So we might as well get that out of the way.

[JonPorobil]

A little bit of quick math, for us click track slaves (rounded down where applicable).

Assuming that our hypothetical song has exactly two verses, exactly two choruses, and exactly one solo, all of equal length, then the song would look like this:

In 4/4:
60 bpm, 2:00 = 30 measures. --> Each unit is 6 measures.
75 bpm, 1:58 = 37 measures. --> Each unit is 7 measures. (2 left over)
90 bpm, 2:00 = 45 measures. --> Each unit is 9 measures
105 bpm, 1:58 = 52 measures --> Each unit is 10 measures (2 left over)
120 bpm, 2:00 = 60 measures. --> Each unit is 12 measures
135 bpm, 1:58 = 67 measures. --> Each unit is 13 measures (2 left over)
150 bpm, 2:00 = 75 measures. --> Each unit is 15 measures
165 bpm, 1:59 = 82 measures --> Each unit is 16 measures (2 left over)
180 bpm, 2:00 = 90 measures. --> Each unit is 18 measures
195 bpm, 1:59 = 97 measures. --> Each unit is 19 measures (2 left over)
210 bpm, 2:00 = 105 measures. --> Each unit is 21 measures
225 bpm, 1:59 = 112 measures. --> Each unit is 22 measures (2 left over)
240 bpm, 2:00 = 120 measures. --> Each unit is 24 measures

In 3/4:
60 bpm, 2:00 = 40 measures. --> Each unit is 8 measures.
75 bpm, 2:00 = 50 measures. --> Each unit is 10 measures.
90 bpm, 2:00 = 60 measures. --> Each unit is 12 measures.
105 bpm, 2:00 = 70 measures. --> Each unit is 14 measures.
120 bpm, 2:00 = 80 measures --> Each unit is 16 measures.
135 bpm, 2:00 = 90 measures --> Each unit is 18 measures.
150 bpm, 2:00 = 100 measures --> Each unit is 20 measures.
165 bpm, 2:00 = 110 measures --> Each unit is 22 measures.
180 bpm, 2:00 = 120 measures --> Each unit is 24 measures.
195 bpm, 2:00 = 130 measures --> Each unit is 26 measures.
210 bpm, 2:00 = 140 measures --> Each unit is 28 measures.
225 bpm, 2:00 = 150 measures --> Each unit is 30 measures.
240 bpm, 2:00 = 160 measures --> Each unit is 32 measures.


3/4 time is much easier to work with mathematically than 4/4 time. It also seems very appealing to go faster, but it's not impossible to do a relatively complete slow song that still fits within the constraints of this week's challenge.

NUR EIN!

[Niveous]

Made some fixes to the initial post.

[The Weakest Suit]

i forgot exactly what the rule is about if you have to use the exact title in the song for it to be seriously considered. i seem to remember an issue with "let me in" a few years back. thanks.

[Ross]

Oh cool! Love the title!

By the way, I'm sure Ross will ask if the challenge is optional, being that it doesn't say non optional. So we might as well get that out of the way.

I would have asked nothing of the sort - I know enough to know that the challenges in teh Ein ar Always non optional. Now, whether there has to be 2 and only two verses and exactly one repetition of the chorus - that is an interesting question. (just kidding - no one need address this)

Nur Ein!

[swilington]

ROUND ONE of the NUR EIN starts now!

Song must include 2 verses, a chorus, a repetition of the chorus and a solo.

in that order?

[reve]

ROUND ONE of the NUR EIN starts now!
Song must include 2 verses, a chorus, a repetition of the chorus and a solo.

in that order?

Seriously though, we were talking about this on IRC. I thought the chorus needed to be repeated twice in a row (i.e. the end of the cock track). The consensus was that was not the case, but rather that VCSVC would fulfill the criteria. Of course, none of us actually knew, so take that with a salt lick.

[Ross]

[oh, and niv - you put standard time again )

[adamadamant]

I like the title and the two minute limit straight away. It could have done without the verse-chorus-solo thing though.

[Lord of Oats]

A lot of what might be called a chorus these days is much more properly called a bridge...but verse/chorus form has trumped AABA form, so everything that isn't a verse is a fucking chorus. Somebody posted a link around here to a web site with analysis of Beatles songs...and that guy makes a big distinction between bridges and choruses...and yes, there are plenty of songs with two or three bridges. I kind of feel it out, myself...given certain criteria. For lack of a proper definition, I think a bridge contrasts more with a verse, makes more use of dissonance, ideally dissonance that resolves to the first chord of the verse, while a chorus tends to gel with the verse a bit better, and relies more on catchiness and/or hookiness. In verse/chorus form, the chorus is the focus. The verse sets it up. A bridge is a point of contrast that is there to complement the verse. That doesn't mean we can't have more than one of them, of course. You ever hear a great song with a great verse, where the first half is great, and the second half is boring as hell? Typically goes something like this.

VVCVCC(CCCCCC FOR EFUCKINGTERNITY THEN FADEOUT)

I've seen this tooooooooo many fucking times to count. So many times, potentially great songs are ruined, because songwriters write a badass bridge and mistake it for a chorus, because verse/chorus structure is so dominant. Then they repeat it to hell, because you're supposed to 'repeat the chorus'. Repeating shit never makes sense to me. And like I said, what's a great bridge could be a terrible chorus. Put more simply, if you could refrain from refraining to the refrain so often, I wouldn't have to refrain from listening to it. JUST CALL IT A BRIDGE AND GO HOME. VVBV. MAYBE VVBVBV. NOW LEAVE.

I think of Ben Gibbard as a strong bridge-writer, but a little underdeveloped in terms of his prowess for chorus hooks. Some of Death Cab's most disappointing, and I suppose ultimately uninteresting, songs are the ones that drag as they repeat a weak chorus into time's end. The best songs either A. skip out on the idea of having a chorus and settle for one or two bridges, or B. feature a strong chorus. The Photo Album is an excellent study in bridgecraft.

Now I have actually not done the research and I could be totally wrong, as far as definitons, but hey, at least I got this all off my chest. By the way, just stop stacking choruses at the end of songs, in general. No chorus is good enough that you need to hear it eight times. Repeating any element of a song that often kills the repeat value of the song as a whole. FUCK YOU, POP MUSIC. FUCK YOU.

So I suppose my actual rules question is, can I do two verses, two bridges, and a solo, if my part B feels more like a bridge or something than a proper chorus?

[Nigel (spOOn) Clements]

Loads...

...of really important stuff!

But what I liked most was ....

FUCK YOU, POP MUSIC. FUCK YOU.

Yeah!

[Caravan Ray]

Calm down Spoons

[The Weakest Suit]

...

[melvin]

When I see a stop sign, does it mean, like, STOP IMMEDIATELY, like, as soon as I see the sign, or does it mean keep going until I get to the sign, and THEN stop? And, like, do I have to stop driving for the rest of the day, or like, just for a few a seconds, or like, until I see another car come along or WHAT?

[adamadamant]

I agree that it's possible to be too pedantic about these things but if last years Nur Ein taught me anything it's that people will inevitably diss songs because it dosen't meet the challenge. It's helpful to have something clear, and the chorus/bridge thing is a fair point.

As for the 'title in the lyrics' question, I'm pretty sure someone last year (BLT maybe?) said they didn't include the title in any of their lyrics on purpose. I think it's fine to just take the title as a theme and not have it in the lyrics.

Btw, LoO, what is your band name in this Nur Ein?

[bambamoozle]

A little bit of quick math, for us click track slaves (rounded down where applicable).

Assuming that our hypothetical song has exactly two verses, exactly two choruses, and exactly one solo, all of equal length, then the song would look like this:

In 4/4:
60 bpm, 2:00 = 30 measures. --> Each unit is 6 measures.
75 bpm, 1:58 = 37 measures. --> Each unit is 7 measures. (2 left over)
90 bpm, 2:00 = 45 measures. --> Each unit is 9 measures
105 bpm, 1:58 = 52 measures --> Each unit is 10 measures (2 left over)
120 bpm, 2:00 = 60 measures. --> Each unit is 12 measures
135 bpm, 1:58 = 67 measures. --> Each unit is 13 measures (2 left over)
150 bpm, 2:00 = 75 measures. --> Each unit is 15 measures
165 bpm, 1:59 = 82 measures --> Each unit is 16 measures (2 left over)
180 bpm, 2:00 = 90 measures. --> Each unit is 18 measures
195 bpm, 1:59 = 97 measures. --> Each unit is 19 measures (2 left over)
210 bpm, 2:00 = 105 measures. --> Each unit is 21 measures
225 bpm, 1:59 = 112 measures. --> Each unit is 22 measures (2 left over)
240 bpm, 2:00 = 120 measures. --> Each unit is 24 measures

In 3/4:
60 bpm, 2:00 = 40 measures. --> Each unit is 8 measures.
75 bpm, 2:00 = 50 measures. --> Each unit is 10 measures.
90 bpm, 2:00 = 60 measures. --> Each unit is 12 measures.
105 bpm, 2:00 = 70 measures. --> Each unit is 14 measures.
120 bpm, 2:00 = 80 measures --> Each unit is 16 measures.
135 bpm, 2:00 = 90 measures --> Each unit is 18 measures.
150 bpm, 2:00 = 100 measures --> Each unit is 20 measures.
165 bpm, 2:00 = 110 measures --> Each unit is 22 measures.
180 bpm, 2:00 = 120 measures --> Each unit is 24 measures.
195 bpm, 2:00 = 130 measures --> Each unit is 26 measures.
210 bpm, 2:00 = 140 measures --> Each unit is 28 measures.
225 bpm, 2:00 = 150 measures --> Each unit is 30 measures.
240 bpm, 2:00 = 160 measures --> Each unit is 32 measures.


3/4 time is much easier to work with mathematically than 4/4 time. It also seems very appealing to go faster, but it's not impossible to do a relatively complete slow song that still fits within the constraints of this week's challenge.

NUR EIN!

Hey, thanks for the head start! I tend to be more feeling than technical so this will actually save me a ton of time!

[bambamoozle]

BTW, good thing that there's the 2:00 time limit. How many "Down by the Rivers" would there have been otherwise?

[bambamoozle]

I think it's fine to just take the title as a theme and not have it in the lyrics.

This is a good thing, how many rhymes can there be for the word "bullets".

I think a non-optional rule for this round should be "no rhyming bullets with mullets"!

[ujnhunter]

Chopped Liver Meat God i do believe...