blue wrote:
tuner's onion
Love it. Anyhow, reviews. Average grade this week looks like about a B+ or A-, which bodes well.
Banana Dan Well I definitely dig the beat. A whole bunch, actually, I sense a touch of Ronald Jenkees in there. But it took me a couple listens to actually hear the "make the first move" lyric, which doesn't bode well for a vote from me. Basically, I like it, but I don't know how relevant it is to the fight. So... C?
Berkeley Social Scene Feels a little muddy. I don't think I like the prosody on "first move". Comes across a little rushed, I think. Vocals seem to clash with the guitars a bit. This is ok. Solo is pretty bitchin'. B.
Billy and the Psychotics Killer. Wait is that DJ? Have you guys been collaborating for a while? Am I an idiot? Anyhow, I like this. At times it's like Nine Inch Nails, minus the hopeless crushing despair. Nothin to complain about here. A-.
Billy's Little Trip feat. Paco del Stinko Now I like this, but I think the word "fuckin" doesn't belong, which is typical for me. It just distracts me. I don't think it's a cop out or anything, I just think the 3rd grader in me says "that guy just said the f word", and I don't think it really added anything in spite of the distraction. I might be alone in this, so feel free to ignore that comment. Cool sound though. Very much, actually. Vocal could use a little more clarity, because I lose some words here and there, but it's nothing too serious. A-.
Bootlegged Waters Vocal is great, most definitely. But I think that's about it. The mic is saturated like a... well, it's saturated. Fortunately, that's an easy fix. That third chord of the verse just really doesn't sit right with me. I really like the high acoustic part though (first pops in at 0:56). So songwriting is solid, I'd say, good lyrics from what I caught, but keep playing with recording technique. C-.
Caravan Rabbott I laughed out loud at "Caravan Rabbott", so kudos on that. Opening rhythm is very nice. Backing vocals are awesome, really give it a cool feel. Got a little bit of The Who sound going on with the vocal, but that might be my American inability to distinguish a British accent from an Australian. I hope that doesn't make me a racist. So I like it, lyrics are nice and straightforward, and the overall feel matches them. A-.
c.layne If you hadn't posted the lyrics, I'd have had a real tough time with some of these. And I don't think I like how heavy it gets. I usually like somewhat schizo music (as it's been described to me) but I don't know how I feel about it here. It's just that the first bit has this certain sweetness to it with just the right amount of roughness that when it gets all heavy at 3:13 I sort of miss the beginning and lose interest. But you do get back to it, which is good. Anyhow, very crisp vocals, great lyrics, great performances. You sound a little like Jose Gonzalez in this. The "right here real patient" line is simply magnificent. So despite my gripes, overall, fantastic work here. A.
Dejected Motives Mix is a little quiet. Whoa... if you're gonna autotune, make sure I can understand the words. Because I can't. I like the overall feel and the progression and the instrumentation... but the quality of the vocal is really lacking. Lower the reverb, at the very least. Clean this up and it has a Eurythmics kind of feel, in a good way. Until then... C-.
DJ Ranger Den Your songs are always fun to listen to musically and especially lyrically. Not driving-music-fun, but headphones-in-a-quiet-room-fun. The vocal is up on top of the piano here too, which is good. The delay on the vocal is very nice, how subtle it is. Is the piano track clipping? It sounds like there might be some digital distortion there. In any case, nice, keep 'em coming. A-.
The Economy Biscuits I like this a lot, in a non-traditional sense. May I ask - is that a live stand up bass or a virtual instrument? It sounds live, but I hope to <deity> that it's not, so that I can use it myself. The short string break, too? Like DJ This is good lie-down-with-headphones-on music, which personally I find to be the best. A.
glennny The rhythm/syncopation in the beginning is awesome... it took me a few times listening to really understand it and I love that. I don't think I like the sine synth though. It felt a little... what's the word... loose? And really after the first bit I'm kind of expecting more of a choppy-but-precise feel and I think the synth clashes with that a little too much. So in its own right I don't think it's bad, but I don't know if it fits here. Overall... I think it's fine. Maybe cut like a minute or more off. B.
Gregg Boethin I think I've given you this same exact review maybe 4 times - I would be thrilled to see this live, but I don't think it does too much for me like this. Don't get me wrong, there's not a damn thing wrong with it... just a matter of preference. Still deserves an A though, because this is clearly of high quality.
heine I think it's been said, but maybe consider doubling the vocal. It doesn't sound bad, but it could use a little punch. The tone on the guitar in the solo is pretty awesome. Overall, it sounds good, though I don't know if it's quite adventurous enough for me. B.
J$KM Feels a little sparse. Kit felt very casio-tone - which is fine, I understand the challenges of getting a good percussion sound - but it always distracts me. Play around with that sound a little bit... even a little distortion on that track might help it a little bit, and I don't think it would be out of place at all. From a songwriting standpoint, I like it. I missed a few lyrics, but got most of them, and they were cool. B+.
Jake DeLorey Excellent. Bring the vocals up just a tad, I think. At the "make the first move" in the chorus, I think the supporting vocal would really shine if it stays up on the root of the chord - know what I mean? Happy to clarify if you want. Anyhow, that's a matter of opinion in any case, so please let me know if I should go piss off. This is a rare one that actually works with a longer length at ~4:30 too. A. Related: reading your review was fun, too, though I might be biased because you were awfully kind to me (thanks).
The Lookouts Something reminds me of Blind Melon. Whomever is your vocalist has a voice that is unique enough (and good enough) to carve yourselves a little niche someplace. Hm. I love this. That is all. Keep 'em comin'. A.
Minor Profit Yeah, it's hard to get a good whistle recorded. You're close here, but not quite there. The sound and the mix is good... unfortunately it's just really damn hard, because the slightest pitch imperfections just glare in the final mix (I've found, anyways.) If you'd like to feel terrible about your whistling skills, look up Andrew Bird, because it's demoralizing how good he is. Anyhow, it's close enough. So this is pretty great, in other respects. I caught most of the lyrics, but I'd really appreciate it if you post them. Boost the vocal harmony at "if I had to"... I didn't even notice it the first time, but it's a very pretty part but it doesn't get the attention it deserves. I hear a little Umphrey's McGee in the vocal. Sing from the belly and open up! Your tone sounds great, but it needs a little oomph, and a bit of strength from the belly/chest will help with that immensely. It'll help the pitch stay nice and crisp, too. Google for tips. I don't think I like the ending, it's just a little too abrupt. So yes, I have some nitpicks, but I tend to get really nitpicky on songs I really like. A-.
Nobody, et al. Very nice vocal harmonies, and very nice vocal work all around. And good lyrics. I like the nice light feel, too. Maybe a little variation on the drum track would be nice... that beat gets kind of stale. Good work. A-.
Paco del Stinko I didn't like "assclown" at first, but I think it works. Chorus is pretty awesome, I like the rhythm on the vocal, and the chord progession is neat. The effect on the bass starting at 1:47 is really awesome. Overall, not exactly my style, but I liked it anyways - so nicely done there. A.
Skadaddle So I was expecting something like last week, and at first I felt a little let down. But I'm not. Badass lyrics, man. Seriously. The music matches perfectly, and that chorus is haunting, which fits perfectly. Lead vocal might be a little hot, but I didn't lose a word, so that's good. Again, excellent lyrics. Very nice. A.
sonofsupercar You sound like the guy from Gomez. And I think I've said that before. And it's still a good thing. So I like this. Unconventional chords always get high marks from me. Ah the change at 1:50! I like it. I get a smack of the Dilbert theme song, which is awesome. Like the lyrics, too. Maybe reduce the level on the vocal a tad... I'm not sure if there's distortion on them, or if they're just high... they just sound a little loud to me. Nicely done. A-.
TRJones At about the 1:00 mark it gets pretty muddy. Whoa then it falls apart. So that was probably by design. I liked it up until then. I really don't have a lot else to add on this one, unfortunately. C.
Tuners Union First run with BFD2 drums. It's pretty great overall, and the integration with ProTools 10 is pretty good, though not perfect. I don't have a good feel on how to mix it yet, but I did very little to it this week and I kind of like the sound.
