404 (Down For A While reviews)

[Steve Durand]

Someone do some art.

[milothefultz]

Catholics - Can't understand the vocals at all. But I like the happy but still overbearing ridiculous band. OK, the bass break has made this song better. It's so happy, but the vocals contradict it. If you made the vocals a little lighter, it would be much better. Seriously could be MUCH better with better vocals.

Doug Funnie - I was really diggin' it until the double time chorus. It just didn't gel. You might just try keeping it the same time as the verses. Otherwise, I'm liking the rapping vocals, not so much the singing vocals, but that might just be the production more than your singing. The solo in double time worked. Pretty good idea executed well. Needs a little more production work, but that's all up to your program you use and is directly related to your cashflow, so I can't hold thqt against you.

Flvxxvm - This reminds me of Pulp Fiction, I'm not sure why. Like the falsetto. A lot. OK, this song is totally Pulp Fiction. If there was a lyric sheet, I would be singing along right now. DANG IT, I wanted more lyrics.

Gooey Centaur - This song has flow. It's like a spoken word/Jack Johnson mix. I like the major tonic in the chorus. I didn't mind that you were barely missing a note during the choruses until you added harmonies. I like it, but could be worked on a bit more.

Heavenly - Building...building...building...but it's not going anywhere. If that's what you wanted, then good for you. Personally, it's stagnant. After the chorus where it changes chords, I was waiting for some HUGE sound and that keyboard solo over distorted guitar and arena vocals again at the chorus, but alas. I wanted moar, sir.

Jimmy Dean - I'm not a big fan of the singer/songwriter style unless it's backed by a band, my mind just tends to wander. I like the solo there, but otherwise, not really feelin' it, sorry. Maybe try using more complex chords than just major and minor, give me some 7ths or some 9ths or something.

Nobody - Pretty solid groove for one guitar and voice. I like the lyrics a lot. The guitar was good, but was pretty static. The lyrics were supposed to drive the song and they did. Good work.

PT - Like the subject, definitely. Need to tone down your compressor, methinks. Stuff is ducking when it would be fine without and the vocals are standing out way more than they need to. I like the song, though. It's a good old fun halloween rocker. But the compression is killing the feel, for srs. Just tone it down next time.

Heap - Epic so far. It's like a screwed up Metallica underneath a guy screwing around on a piano. I like the feel of it simply because it's so weird. I like how raw it is with the downtuned sample of the guitar, the drum machine, the Casio piano. All good things in my book. Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeah, LIKE. Even though the singing could definitely use work, I don't mind much and the piano is keeping me listening for sure. I don't know if it's 80's pop dance music or a rock song or something? DEF LIKE, though, keep it up.

sonofmac - It reminds me of the Minutemen. Diggin' it. So eerie even though it's so simple. The TV samples are making this more and more awesome. AND the banjo solo or whatever the hell that is. AWESOME. Yep, definitely a banjo. Could use words at the end even though I dig it. I kind of want vocals to bookend it. Otherwise, AWESOME.

Speakeasy - This one's me.

Steve - OK, dig. I don't feel like I can say anything else. It's so good. I really. really. Like it. I wouldn't change anything besides maybe a tenor sax solo and real instruments. It sounds like old school Basie and considering these are samples, it's awesome. Thumbs up.
EDIT: ZOMG, real horns? It wasn't that they sounded sampled, it was that I didn't think someone would go through and record all those! EXCELLENT!

Lobster - Classic Stucco, it seems. More?

The Suit - I like the tone of your acoustic, as always, and the doubled vocals make it a cool sound. Nice (maybe unintended) fake ending. I'm liking the feel of this song a lot.
Hmm, this challenges my above comment to Jeremy Dean, though. It might just be that little chord in between chords that gets him out of the singer/songwriter shell, for me.
Anywho, liked it, dood. Only thing I would add is some sweet drums to kick the groove up a notch, but AFAIK, you don't put drums in your recordings, so killer job, mayne.

FINALISTS:
Flvxxvm Florvm
Scrap Heap
sonofmacarthur
Steve Durand
Weakest Suit

WINNAR:
Scrap Heap

[PTP]

Overall a strong showing.

Jeremy Dean
Remnicent of 80's metal hair-band acoustic ballad. Well mixed. Was waiting for a big crash into a large, whole band section. The solo was a pleasant surprise. The sharp snap of a snare sidestick on the 2 & 4 might pep it up a bit. Greater variety in chord changes would help. Well sung.

The Weakest Suit
Is that a washboard behind the tamborine in the rhythm section?

sonofmacarthur
Very hard to make out the spoken word. Maybe that was intentional. The lyrics are also hard to hear. Another, eclectic production. Can't fault that. I would say mandolin instead of banjo, though.

Flvxxvm Florvm
Very 60's. Solo is well played. Loved the organ. The bass sounded like it was clipping a bit in places.

Gooey Caramel Centaur
Was that a mandolin or a uke? The song breaths nicely. Lyrics are clever.

The Speakeasy Cynics
Nicely played and mixed. The changes are well placed and keep the tune fresh throughout.

Nobody, et al.
Good guitar playing. Vocals are well sung but too low. I would bring them (and everything else) up on the second or third verse. More in your face.

Stucco Lobster Breadbox
Not sure that I would want to take up abode in the Parthenon - the roof leaks a bit too much. You might try a deesser on the vocals.

doug funnie and fingerz
Beginning is a decent jazz bit. Surprised that it was an intro for a rap. Nicely done. Heard some beastie boys and something else I could not quite identify.

Steve Durand
Florida? My first image was of a Dixieland dive bar in New Orleans. But, I can see the vaudeville, dinner theater towards the end. Just watch the for hook.

Scrap Heap
Great intro. Not sure what to make of the rest of the mix - quite eclectic.

Catholic Buttfnckers
Loved the metal guitars. The vocals were very lost.

Heavenly Androgyne
A bit monotonous for my tastes. The style requires soft vocals, but they could benefit from being a bit more on top.

PTP
Out of control compression. Could not get the vocals to sit like I wanted. There really is more high end and depth in the original tracks.

[Handrogyne]

Hi y'all songfighters. I'm Heavenly Androgyne -- not all that androgynous myself, thanks, but my act needed a name. I'm a not-so-prolific songwriter. I'll do some reviews myself just so I can feel adaquate.

Flvxxvm Florvm: The clean strumming and melodies on this one really remind me of a spaghetti western. The falsetto is great, and the drums and distortion kick in just when I started to think that this one was a bit too sparse.

Nobody: I agree with PTP that the vocals are a bit low on this one, but so are mine, apparently, so I shouldn't throw stones . I like your lyrics but the melody is a little conjuct. Your singing is great too.

doug funnie and fingerz: Great start. When you started rapping it startled me a bit. I know next to nothing about hip-hop, but this is really great -- really intense, especially leading in to the chorus. This is a real fist-pumper!

Steve Durand: The horns are super awesome. They remind me of something that could have come on the radio in the 40s. This song has an authentic "swing"/big band/ lounge feel. I can imagine someone playing this in a tuxedo, with a full brass band behind them.

The Speakeasy Cynics: In the beginning, the bass and guitar on the off-beat give this one a ska punk feel, but the chorus reminds me of 90s indie/ alternative rock--this might have been a pre-Blue Album Weezer demo. Then you mix it up with a reed instrument. I would have thrown in some vocal harmonies. The song is fast paced and engaging from start to finish.

PTP: Vocals [i]are[i] a bit compressed and... creamy. It almost covers up the rest of your mix. The chorus is good, especially with the fuzzy guitar. Nice lyrics as well! I think that your vocal range would have been much better suited to a higher key.

Stucco Lobster Breadbox: Very funny. I almost laughed out loud at this one in tech class. Otherwise, I'm not sure what to say. I liked your usage of what sounds like a Casio keyboard preset. Also, you were creative in incorporating the fight's theme into the song.

Scrap Heap: I was a little offput at first by this one, but it's really grown on me with multiple listens. There's a great melody on top of that guitar and piano. This is really minimalist, which works to your advantage because the song is catchy and got stuck in my head. On the other hand, the repeated chords in the background do get kind of monotonous eventually (I'm throwing stones again).

Catholic Buttfnckers: Weird how you cut out in the beginning like that. Good, fast guitar. The thing is, I couldn't tell if you were singing words or doing an imitation of a seizure-wrecked cookie monster. If I had children, this would have scared them.

Heavenly Androgyne: This is me. I wanted to do a simple pop tune in the twee tradition. You're right, it's repetitive. I kept the vocals soft on purpose -- perhaps they could be emphasized more, but that would expose all the notes that I missed.

The Weakest Suit: In my opinion, if you're going to have two vocals, then go for a fixed harmony. That might not have worked well, though. In general, I don't really like acoustic songs like this, but you did it well.

Jeremy Dean: This is a song that could be on a movie soundtrack, during a montage that includes plenty of shots where it's raining. It's that melancholy. The solo during the bridge gives a good relaxed break from the song. Like PTP, I think that this could have ended with the whole band joining in.

sonofmacarthur: Weeiird. I can't really compare this to anything. Listening to it is like looking at a collage of seemingly random images and newpspaper clippings.

Gooey Caramel Centaur: The ukelele is fun. The key change in the chorus... works. I think that everything could be louder. I liked your lyrics when I read them, and they are just as good sung. I thought that it was a little bit sparse at first, but the addition of any more instrumentation would ruin this one. It's good the way it is.

I like everything.

[DougFunnie93]

Doug Funnie - I was really diggin' it until the double time chorus. It just didn't gel. You might just try keeping it the same time as the verses. Otherwise, I'm liking the rapping vocals, not so much the singing vocals, but that might just be the production more than your singing. The solo in double time worked. Pretty good idea executed well. Needs a little more production work, but that's all up to your program you use and is directly related to your cashflow, so I can't hold thqt against you.

Any suggestions for a clearer mic? i have been using the Snowball USB mic which runs me about $100 for it. Is there any other mics that are better that can be used on a USB input?

[blue]

Overall a strong showing.
sonofmacarthur
I would say mandolin instead of banjo, though.

Banjitar.

[jeff robertson]

I saw an upright bass-jo the other day. It was the size of an upright bass and it's body was a bass drum. It was awesome, but it was also $1000.

[Spintown]

http://spintown79.blogspot.com/2010/05/song-fight-review-down-for-while.html

Well here's the 3 songs getting a vote from me this time around.

1. Jeremy Dean - Simple, well sung & recorded, and just plain purdy. This fight should be declared a no contest, because this was far & away the best entry. Well done sir.

2. Nobody, et al. - I'd like this a lot more if it was recorded better, but it sounds like a solid song. Just sounds like a rough draft & not a finished tune. I'd love to hear this re-recorded.

3. Steve Durand - I like all the references to other songs, and overall I enjoyed the track. Much like your last entry, I don't really think you've got the voice for the song though. I know that everyone can't be Frank Sinatra, but it just doesn't seem to fit you personally. You still deserve some props for a good song though.

[Steve Durand]

Hey Weakest Suit!

Congratulations on your 100th entry (under this name).

[jack]

ha, i saw "sonofmacarthur" among the bands and immediately thought "sonofsupercar".

[booty]

Review baby, reviews!

I just write the first things that come to mind, so here they are.....

Catholic-Awe shucks, not another one of these senseless metal numbers

PTP-I think I know this guy and I feel bad for him. Like the wacky beginning. Chorus stinks though.

Flxx From-Violent Flemmish lads. Give you credit for trying the high notes. Little bumpy on the electro solo portion, but I like it and think it works just needs to be smoothed out. Keyboards good.

Stucco Lobster- thought I would hate it. I kinda do. Doesn’t go anywhere.

Speakeasy Cynics- Ska is so ’03 or ’93 or ’83….beginning verse vox to jumpy. Chorus not bad. I think I am hearing a hooter, which makes the song…

Scrapbed-Overdone intro. Surprisely like the vox on the verse. Is this trying to be Sweverdriver with terrible drumming accoutrements? Painful toward halfway point…

GooeyCRameledspot- like this song. Add some fx on those vox and you have a real good little song here.

Heavenly- Like the keyboards. Drums sound like shit. Other than that this song isn’t half bad. I would say go for it on the vox. I like how it builds. Wendy carlos is digging the ending.

Et al- Like the sound of it. Very simple. You have skills and you are not over-muddling it.

Steve-Like the big band approach. Singing needs “studio magic”.

dogFun- Beeeauteeful beginning….Goooorillaz start attacking. Like the backing vox. Guitar sounds like shit.

Weeksuit- Sounds good. But it sounds like it is missing something. I don’t know what. Just a little weak. Always a fan of a well placed tambourine. Good job on that. A little BMRC, which is a good thing IMO. Prolly get my vote.

SonofsuperBooty- Me, Blue & Dennis.

JimmyDean- too Pretty. Sorry I am not into it.

[supremeedible]

Very low crap ratio this week!

Catholic Buttfuckers
This is very cool. I like the musical turns. There's this incessant noise in the track though. Oh, and you should add some vocals.

Doug Funnie
The picked intro is a bit melodramatic. I like the rapper's tone, but he could enunciate better at times. Also it sounds at times like you have written down a rhyme, but haven't been very strict about "hitting it", that is, shaping the rhythm and stress so that the rhyme is felt. The vocal quality of the chorus is a bit of a let down, especially the very last note. All around I like it though.

Flvxxvm Florvm
I was bored part way into the first verse, but good on you for making it interesting quickly: the falsetto is a cool change, as well as the big step up in the middle, although the timing of when everything jumps in is just plain off.

Heavenly Androgyne
Stupid name, awesome song. VOTE.

Jeremy Dean
This is not an outstanding song. Nothing draws me to it. That said, it is nice and well produced, and knows when to end. I'm gonna give you a VOTE.

Nobody et al.
Charming. VOTE.

PTP
This song just does so much that annoys me: (1) I V vi IV (2) suspect timing and scansion (3) repulsive voice (4) chorus that ends with the word "tonight" (5) vampires. Needless to say I didn't like it.

Scrap Heap
HUGE VOTE, AS! It's a shame your voice is pretty weak, because this song is amazing, and your production, especially the rhythmic choices, is brilliant. However, the very last note -- the cymbal smash -- annoys me, because I don't think it should be there at all.

sonofmacarthur
This was intriguing, until you started whining, when it became a marketable headache inducing agent. I didn't make it through.

The Speakeasy Cynics
Funny song. The solo is just charming. The, er, atmospheric drunkenness behind the last chorus is very cool. You get a VOTE.

Steve Durand
Wow. This is soooo convincing. I saw some of the comments above criticizing the vocals, but I think they're fine. This is sooo cool. VOTE.

Stucco Lobster Breadbox
Ha.

The Weakest Suit
Nothing to say.

So all up, my top two are Scrap Heap and Steve Durand, with votes also reaching the hands of Heavenly Androgyne, The Speakeasy Cynics, Nobody et al., Jeremy Dean.