Walking through Shadowy Reviews (In The Valley Reviews)

[thekruekrew]

Sorry. That was the most pointlessly retarded song. Excuse us for submitting it; late nights, no sleep, The Land Before Time, etc.

[ujnhunter]

I, sir, am the Anti-Vagina! well no... it's not that I don't like them... I... well you know...

[EmbersOfAutumn]

Glennwood
/// maybe its my hardware, but the full instrumentation gets close to clipping and the bass definitely resounds too strong in the mix ///

+++ recorded live? sounds it at least, which makes the arrangement impressive +++

--- some instruments seem out of tune ---

1. - It's weird. My work computer does something weird to the mix, but my home computer is fine. I'm not quite sure what's up.

2. Thanks. The only things I don't do live are drums, when my friend Matt isn't doing them for me (EDIT: I lied, sorry... I synthed the bass on my keyboards. My bass is kaput! [Accepting donations now ])

3. Very Highly plausable. I'm surprised my elec. guitar hasn't disintegrated. It's still my first guitar ever. I love it, but it doesn't hold it's tuning anymore. (I play with a capo on 2 just to play in standard E.)

[Billy's Little Trip]

William L Tripowtski and the Tripowtski Players - Holy crap this rocks. I can't really think of anything much negative to say about this tune. Everything seems to fit where it should. Love the rock organ. The vocals could be a little better, but who really cares? Excellent stuff Billy. Vote.

Thanks Stu. I agree on the lead vox. But if the song gets you pumped, that's all that matters.

WLT – Yeah, that’s cool in a rawk 'stepping stone' way. The chords are a bit basic but there is a nice swooping edge to the melody line and the ‘ahhs’ work well. Nothing especially outstanding lyrically but it got’s me tapping my foot so that’s a good sign. Coming where it does in the stream probably means I am less well inclined towards any artist after ‘M’ anyway. Cute little breakdown that does what it needs to do then scarpers. Probably should have sat down at 3 minutes-ish but it’s definitely a good'un.

Thanks J. I did over do it a bit with the extra long post bridge thing, but I wanted to try something new to freshen up my tired old typical song layout. But it's all about tapping your foot and maybe a smile.

Tripowski et al.
/// BLT does Caravan Ray? ///
+++ great pop groove +++
--- superfluous solo --- [full disclosure: i'm guilty of my faire share of these]
/// the bridge/solo/breakdown section does too much; the whole song should have the punch of the ending ///

Thanks nyjm. And yes, that Aussie bloke is in fact the famous New and Improved Zealand resident, Caravan Ray. I'm riding on his famous coat tails.
You say the whole song should have the punch of the ending. My signature style is a lot of up and down emotions and volume levels. How could I create an emotional roller coaster if it was a continuous level of punch and drive?

[nyjm]

/// the bridge/solo/breakdown section does too much; the whole song should have the punch of the ending ///

Thanks nyjm. And yes, that Aussie bloke is in fact the famous New and Improved Zealand resident, Caravan Ray. I'm riding on his famous coat tails.
You say the whole song should have the punch of the ending. My signature style is a lot of up and down emotions and volume levels. How could I create an emotional roller coaster if it was a continuous level of punch and drive?

I certainly understand about having a signature (mine is left-of-center songs) and a vision for a song (I knew from the outset that this week's entry would have a very repetitive melody; it doesn't make the best song fight entry but it works for the song itself.)

However, your "In the Valley" seemed to me to be a pretty-straightforward rock/pop song. I really like this genre (even if I can't write in it to save my life) and most of your song is done very well for it. However, you break the mold with the 3-odd part bridge, over-complicating an otherwise simple (and enjoyable) song - and rock/pop is a pretty unforgiving genre. (The rules of genre are there for a reason, b/c most often they work the best. Don't let that stop you from trying to break them, just don't expect it to work every time, or even most of the time.) In sum, I like your plan to bring a wider palette to a genre that is often monochrome, but, for me, this composition defies the rules while failing to excite the listener with the innovation.

I suppose, again just for me, there would be two ways out of the predicament (and to answer your largely rhetorical question):

1) Rock/pop songs can be very dynamic, just within small parameters and with small increments. iI's the basis of the verse/chorus dichotomy. You can arrange similar changes into the verse-chorus-verse structure with simple layering or slightly modifying the melody.

2) Keep experimenting with this, especially if you really like this song. my suggestion is to loose the complicated bridge and poor that creative energy into a solo that really drives the song forward and changes the way the listener thinks about the melody or even the lyrics themselves.

[nyjm]

And now it's my turn to ask questions about defying conventions - of signboy and the community at large :

Noah McLaughlin- 6/10
That kick is crazy, but it works in a Sigur Ros kind of way. Maybe a bit too loud in the mix. Or maybe it's that it's panned to the left. That makes it really stick out. Yeah, that's what it is. On speakers it's distracting, on headphones it sucks. No more panning for you if you can't use it responsibly.

So, what are the rules for drum panning? Specifically, when is it okay to pan the drums off-center?

I know the convention: kick in the center, snare slightly off to one side, a battery of toms to the other, arrange cymbals as necessary to the mix, etc. But there are some really great songs (I'm thinking Beatles here, especially) that have the percussion entirely to the left and the guits entirely to the right and vox right down the middle. And it's gorgeous. I wasn't aiming for a Beatlesque quality with this song, but I generally consider the panning of drums to be acceptable for unusual songs like this one.

Perhaps with this song in particular its a matter of volume and isolation? And perhaps its the snare (the 1 beat) and not the kick (beats 2 and 3)? The snare is ALL the way left and somewhat strong.

[phetal]

But there are some really great songs (I'm thinking Beatles here, especially) that have the percussion entirely to the left and the guits entirely to the right and vox right down the middle. And it's gorgeous

Agree completely. George Martin's use of stereo space is amazing. You don't do it badly, either.

[Billy's Little Trip]

/// the bridge/solo/breakdown section does too much; the whole song should have the punch of the ending ///

Thanks nyjm. And yes, that Aussie bloke is in fact the famous New and Improved Zealand resident, Caravan Ray. I'm riding on his famous coat tails.
You say the whole song should have the punch of the ending. My signature style is a lot of up and down emotions and volume levels. How could I create an emotional roller coaster if it was a continuous level of punch and drive?

I certainly understand about having a signature (mine is left-of-center songs) and a vision for a song (I knew from the outset that this week's entry would have a very repetitive melody; it doesn't make the best song fight entry but it works for the song itself.)

However, your "In the Valley" seemed to me to be a pretty-straightforward rock/pop song. I really like this genre (even if I can't write in it to save my life) and most of your song is done very well for it. However, you break the mold with the 3-odd part bridge, over-complicating an otherwise simple (and enjoyable) song - and rock/pop is a pretty unforgiving genre. (The rules of genre are there for a reason, b/c most often they work the best. Don't let that stop you from trying to break them, just don't expect it to work every time, or even most of the time.) In sum, I like your plan to bring a wider palette to a genre that is often monochrome, but, for me, this composition defies the rules while failing to excite the listener with the innovation.

I suppose, again just for me, there would be two ways out of the predicament (and to answer your largely rhetorical question):

1) Rock/pop songs can be very dynamic, just within small parameters and with small increments. iI's the basis of the verse/chorus dichotomy. You can arrange similar changes into the verse-chorus-verse structure with simple layering or slightly modifying the melody.

2) Keep experimenting with this, especially if you really like this song. my suggestion is to loose the complicated bridge and poor that creative energy into a solo that really drives the song forward and changes the way the listener thinks about the melody or even the lyrics themselves.

Wow, thanks for this. It actually makes some sense to me. I guess if people were dancing to this song, they would find themselves in a very compromising position when the beat stops, lol. Everyone on the floor would lose their rhythm, like a bunch of drunk caucasians at a wedding, and just kind of look at each other with an embarrassed look on their face. Then when it kicks back in, they start going again.
So just something simple to keep it moving forward would have worked. I did have a shaker, as I often do, running through the quiet keys post bridge, but decided I wanted the extreme change. I should have left the shaker, I guess.

[jeff robertson]

In the interest of full disclosure, and in accordance with stated wishes of JB, I'm just letting ya'll know that I am friend-flooding this fight.

Sort of. I didn't tell them to vote for me. But if you define friend-flooding as doing stuff to spread the word about a fight you're in, then I'm a friend flooder.

[Billy's Little Trip]

There is nothing wrong with that, Jeff. It brings more people to the site to listen to the music. Every so often I tell the members over at my Mustang site to come over and vote for their favs. Spud even commented once that they do in fact vote for a variety of entries. So I consider that a good thing. I have even gotten new listeners on my MySpace band page that came here as friends of members here at SF and liked my stuff.

[j$]

I am still to be convinced that FF helps anyone other than the artist in question / that they listen to anything, even the artist in question. Still, spreading the word of songfight is good, and with the new voting system, it increases the chances that they might.

[joke]My big question is with a song like yours, Jeff, why you'd want your friends to hear it? [/joke]

[Billy's Little Trip]

[joke]My big question is with a song like yours, Jeff, why you'd want your friends to hear it? [/joke]

*grits teeth and breaths in*ouch
Joking aside, I liked it Jeff and I gave you a voteski

[rogerroll]

But there are some really great songs (I'm thinking Beatles here, especially) that have the percussion entirely to the left and the guits entirely to the right and vox right down the middle. And it's gorgeous

Agree completely. George Martin's use of stereo space is amazing.

I disagree completely.

[milothefultz]

Adamamamant - This started out to be a very awesome 80's ballad, then turned into something so Devo-esque. It's making me laugh. A lot. Anything Casio involved here? Nice singable chorus, however it would be nicer if the notes were a bit more distinguishable, lawl. This drumbeat is freaking me out, btw. Snare and everything else on 1 and 3 is weird, but strangely alluring. Synth solo of epic proportions! Very nice... MORE CHORUS. Yes...nothing much else to say here except I really like it in all of it's absurdity. Bass tone is pretty ballsy, too. Aww...you shouldn't have faded it out at the same time of the actual song ending. Overall though, fun to listen to and completely ridiculous. Loved it.

Cutie Pies - BOW BOW BOW BOW. God damn it, I love techno. And you've got it good. Keep it up. I can't really tell you to do anything different because there's almost nothing I would change. Maybe instead of that weird bell sounding pad, strings instead. I like the Guy/Girl thing you have going because it's freakin' my beans and is compelling to listen to. Nice lyrics, too. The high frequencies are killing my ears a bit in the instrumental part, but that's cool. Not too bad. I like the overdriven bass in the verse after the instrumental section. YES. +1 for you, good sir.

Donkey Punch - Good grunge sound here. Reminds me of Soundgarden and Nirvana. More power behind your vocals, man, or maybe just a little more gain. Overall, it's really sweet, though, it's gettin' me to trip a little bit. YEAH, GRUNGE CHORUS TO THE MAX! Disregard that vocal comment earlier. The drums are a bit off, but you've got energy and passion and it drives it, so I don't care. Eh, now it's starting to bother me around the second verse. But the chorus comes around and I don't care anymore. I like the spoken word part a lot. Very ethereal. The drums could use a bit more punch, and a better bridge into the last chorus would have been much appreciated, it was a little too blunt. I like it, you need to move to Seattle.

Flvxxvm Florvm - Hunky dory goodness, kinda Tom Waits. Yes. I want some bass drum and hihat stuff going here, but alas, I hear none. But the lyrics are killing me in the awesome way that I wish I could hear m=from most groups. Percussion! I want some...and the out of tune guitar is trippin' me out, too. It's over? Dang...I dig it, though.

Give Our Regards To The Earth's Core - Weird. Very retro. Sweet groove, man. This is the best I've heard so far! Awesome verse and overall super sweet to the point of lmfao. This song is fuggin' amazing. I love this gotdang song. The weird dialogue and sound effects sound very Beatle-esque, too. Sweet. WTF? More piss? I don't care. This song is making me crazy. I don't want this song to end. Make more. Make a sequel. Make a five-part series. Make more, I demand it. Do it, and I will give you one internets. Nice dialogue at the end! Damn it, props to you, sir.

Glennwood - Ballad. Good. Eh, church music. Meh...sorry, I kind of have a vendetta against church music and this falls into that IMO. Lots of people will love it much more than I; don't listen to my stupid commentary.

Hand Formula - Uke? Mando? KEYBOARD! Yeah...this brings back good memories. This makes me want to go out and find a woman to fall in love with, marry, make kids with, and then live in a cottage where I will retire and grow old with her slowly wasting away with nothing to hold on to but each other's love and happiness. Dang. Congratulations. You evoked a very real image in my head. But, damn I don't want that at all. Nvm.

i.p. - Very old school 50's and 60's era orchestral arrangement. This is great. You could sell this. You should. I'm getting chills. Shit. Vocal harmonies, trumpet solo, deliciousness. Moar! I kind of wish that there was a higher point in all of this, like maybe hold back on the vocal harmonies until later and maybe and percussion later on, but damn, overall, this shit makes me want to get my singing chops together. +1.

Johnny Cashpoint - Sweeeeeeeeeeet. The vocals are almost indeterminable in what they're saying. Might be the accent, but I think it's the mixing and the EQ. It's very monotone. Spice it up a little bit. The drums dropping out was awkward during the chorus. Dang, it's a shame this song is getting boring, but it is. Dang.

The Kruegen - Boo. I like the fact that it went into some cool dub, but...what?

MC Eric B - Jazz. Noice. Very late 90's sound. I like the vocals a lot. Your singing is almost intolerably off-key near the end of the verses. I like all the fake instrumentals. Nice saxophones and trumpets and stuff. In the valley, In the valley, In the valley, In the valley. I like that. A lot, even though it's totally ridiculous. The ending kinda pissed me off, though. Too short.

Melvin - Sweet as usual. Nice poppy sound, but not that shit pop sound. Yeah! I hear Weezer. Very good. I don't want you to change anything at all. Excellent, and well done.

Noah McLaughlin - I like your chords a lot. Intriguing. I like the sound a lot. This is sweet. Very celtic for some reason. Gordon Lightfoot is your vocalist? Hm. I'm diggin' it. This is pretty good and you should just work on your vocals a bit. Otherwise this is all tight. A little monotonous after a while, but this song is also very Tom Waits for some reason. Whatever, my brain is weird.

Osharenistas - Sweet. This really cool and spacey and there are the drums. Well placed, sir. I like the progression. You've got the hang of this style completely and it's tight. Everything is perfectly placed. I;m going to shut up and listen.

PigPen - What? THis is just weird. I don't know what to say except more vocals and less of that obnoxious synth. It was cool at first but then you should bring it down a bit. This is really obnoxious. I can't listen to anymore.

Plain Songs For Doves & Tigers - Cool country feel but the violin is just pissing me off. This song is just kind of odd. I like the words, but not the vocals particularly. What is that sound? Um...yeah. This is just odd. I think this songs could have used more prominent percussion and louder everything except vocals. Yep.

Rone Rivendale - Dialogue. Really weird music, but I like it. For some unknown reason. Up the vocals and that's about it. But yeah...this is just annoying now.

Scow - Nice guitar licks. Tasty. No. Vocals just killed it for me. It's a bit too flat for me. The guitar licks are a bit overpowering and should be more in the background. Backup vox are sweet. No percussion for this song was a good choice. Cool chord qualities. Cool bridge. $60 haircut? Neat. Off the wall lyrics are nice. The vocals are a lot better now. Nice ending.

Signboy - Cool! I like it a lot. Sweet vocal melody! Jesus, sweet voice, noice melody, nice words, tasty guitar! YEAH! Chorus is solid! This is tight music, I wish the vocals had a bit more power during the chorus though, a little bit of a letdown. Damn it, that verse vocal melody is great. A little more power behind the voice would do wonders during the chorus. Louder guitar solo! It's great, but it's a blending into the backgound. Yeah, back to the chorus. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yes yes yes yes yes. Cool ending.

Some Guy Called Noel - OUT OF TUNE GUITAR. Or else it just sounds like it. Well, it's distracting. I like the vocals and the guitar riff a lot. It's starting to get complicated and I like it. The vocals should be a bit more upfront. I like this a lot. Now all you need is an upright bass or something there. Cool...there's something there to change it up near the ending (I think). Yeah, this is getting cool, I wish there were more vocals though. Didn't really go anywhere. Oh well...

Weakest Suit - Techno. Yeah. Vocals are annoying but well placed. Tight guitar stuff goin' on in this song. ARe you using a Digitech effect on your guitar? I like the hits in this song because they really caught me off guard. I like the off beat chorus and how it's like 9 beats long or something like that. Plus the chorus is just fun. No fade out. Damn. No fade out. DAMN IT. Sweet song though. Very catchy.

William L Tripowtski and the Tripowtski Players - Cool intro syth. Epic. I want there to be a power ballad. Even better, double time power ballad. Ooh, solo guitar. Yeah, happy go lucky rock that is super cool. Tight lyrics. Overall awesome. I just want to get up and dance now. Damn this song is fun. Tight guitar solo! Very surf rock and I'm really getting into it. Sweet synth. Oh man...build up...build up...into soft slow? Very well done! This song is great.

Candidates -

Cutie Pies
Give Our Regards To The Earth's Core
Hand Formula
i.p.
Melvin
Osharenistas
William L Tripowtski and the Tripowtski Players

Winner - Give Our Regards To The Earth's Core

Well done, sirs.

[phetal]

But there are some really great songs (I'm thinking Beatles here, especially) that have the percussion entirely to the left and the guits entirely to the right and vox right down the middle. And it's gorgeous

Agree completely. George Martin's use of stereo space is amazing.

I disagree completely.

Well to each their own. I am absolutely in love with The Beatles, so anything you say negatively about them will only be met by zealous defense. However, I can understand why one would think the panning is annoying. But I also know you're wrong, so it's okay.

Rubber Soul and Revolver are my 2 favorite albums, hands down, and the stereo work on those, in my opinion, is beautiful. For No One maybe being at once the most simple and profound.

[Caravan Ray]

I am still to be convinced that FF helps anyone other than the artist in question / that they listen to anything, even the artist in question. Still, spreading the word of songfight is good, and with the new voting system, it increases the chances that they might.

I'm still to be convinced that the FF hurts anyone. It is usually fairly obvious (especially if Fluxxm Flvrm does it ), and even if it isn't - if not winning is something you take personally, you probably shouldn't be playing the game. But if the chance exists, even if it is minute, that one of the flooders will have a listen to one extra song - then we're ahead.

As a slight aside - would it really bother you if someone - let's say a Melvin or even recent winners i.p - were winning by large margins because they were promoting themselves and getting people into vote them - knowing that these voters were not listening to anyone else? I'm talking about the fighters who are genuinely good musicians with genuinely good songs here, not the adolescent microphone farters. I seem to think that anyone who really is even slightly serious about doing this stuff should promote themselves in any way they can. I couldn't be arsed doing it myself, but it wouldn't bother me if others did.

...btw..reviews will eventually come...probably late as usual

[EmbersOfAutumn]

Glennwood - Ballad. Good. Eh, church music. Meh...sorry, I kind of have a vendetta against church music and this falls into that IMO. Lots of people will love it much more than I; don't listen to my stupid commentary.

I'm not quite sure why everyone thinks this song is 'church music'. It's a jazz-rock song that just happens to talk about dealing with life. Sorry I gave that impression with the song...

[j$]

if not winning is something you take personally, you probably shouldn't be playing the game."

You have just explained exactly how I feel about friend flooders.

In answer to your second question, yes, I would feel equally strongly if that situation transpired. In fact it would irritate me more if people who don't need to do it did it. It's not really a personal issue - I honestly would like to win every fight I enter, because every song I write and enter, I think (usually only for a short while) is a worthy winner. Equally, I don't expect to win any fight I enter, because I know my limtations ...

There is a british expression, not sure if it exists in the rest of the world, about ensuring 'a level playing field'. There are so few other places in rl or the internet where the possibility of this happening exist, that I want to protect it at all costs. Call me utopian but cheatin' is cheatin', whoever does it.

Of course if those friends turn up and vote for the song they think best, and it happens to be their friend, then so be it. I could make a snide aside that most people who defend friend flooding are people who at some other point reveal that they've done it at one time or another in the past ...

[MC Eric B]

Yes, "a level playing field" is a popular American expression also. I also agree that friend flooding is not fair. Even though I have never won a Songfight and might never win one, I like to at least think that if one week I made a brilliant song that everybody actually loves, I would have a good shot at winning. If every week there is somebody who friend floods, then I would never win, unless I friend flood also, and then it is no longer about how good the song is.

[Caravan Ray]

if not winning is something you take personally, you probably shouldn't be playing the game."

You have just explained exactly how I feel about friend flooders.

Fair enough. Point taken

I could make a snide aside that most people who defend friend flooding are people who at some other point reveal that they've done it at one time or another in the past ...

Well I certainly hope your not accusing me of having friends!!!
No - the closest I've come to a "friend flood" is voting for myself on the free computers in every Qanats Club lounge from Brisbane to Santa Cruz and back for the "Rhymes With Lucia" fight. I racked up a total of 6. And deserved every one of them in my opinion.

[erik]

It's hard to promote songfight WITHOUT friendflooding. If I wrote to all my friends and was all "Hey guys, I just wanted to tell you about this cool website. People make music and send it to a guy, and he puts it up on the internet. I don't have a song up there right now, but please listen to some of the songs by a bunch of people you don't know!" That's just weird. The only way to promote songfight to people you know without seeming like a weirdo is to tell them about a fight you're in.

And honestly, most of the friendflooding I've heard about has been people using the context of Songfight to get people to actually listen to their new song. Songfight is a good way to pimp your music: it seems more real to people if you can send them a link where they can hear a song of yours as compared to just emailing them an mp3 or putting a song on your myspace page or whatever.

[erik]

PS: I've never friendflooded.