Nur Ein- Stage 3: "El Balazo" Review Thread

[Niveous]

The songs have been posted. Feel free to enjoy the tunes and review as the jury deliberates. The jury will also be posting reviews in this thread but the actual scoring will not be announced until friday. On Friday, you will find out who has been eliminated as well as the new title and non optional challenge.

NUR EIN!!!

[Leaf]

I only count 13 entries... are two missing, or am I missing something?



...also, streamall did not work...tried twice...





EDIT: Denyer and Kamakura... where be they??

[Niveous]

Sadly, Kamakura and Denyer did not submit entries.

[edit]
Did you look at the link for the stream?

[j$]

Bewells - beautiful but you failed the challenge, so I am sorry to say, especially as it's the best thing I've heard from you in this particular sidefight, I'm gonna have to take the lazy option and vote for "Disqualified".

Calfborg - Wow. This is cool! The double-tracked vocals are out of time slightly with each other - just enough to be distracting. But i love the swelling, poppy take on the on a subject that doesn't 'suit' it. and the subtle use of the female backing vocal is good. Could maybe do with a nice meaty surf-style riff to pin down the instrumental bit. And the break goes on a little long. I think I got the point about 15 seconds into it that you are aware of the dichotomy between music and vocals. Trim that down and fade it out a little sooner and this would be a fantastic 3 minute song ... it's a pretty damn good 3 1/2 minute one.

Deshead - Ok I really like the verses. the chorus is a bit too poppy for me int erms of the subject matter. Nice spanish feel on the intro and the solo. What I don't like - that someone who has a 'middle class' singing voice dissing the 'middle class'. I don't know if that's true, obviously, but that's what comes across to me at least. The 'slice of life' attack on suburban values has been done so often that it's really hard to do it convincingly any more, at least to these ears. Probably my prejudice but I tell it like I hear it, not how it really is.

Glenn Case - ha. Awesome groove. This time out the drums are way too quiet! Somewhere between 'Sleeper' and this one would do perfectly! I like the stabby chords leading into the chorus very much and the garbled double speed vox. Could do with something different in tone between the two to really highlight the evolution of the song. The mix is a little sloppy but with some tightening this could be shiny shiny shiny!

Heuristics Inc - Weird that you should take the superhero approach ... cool. I like this. It's #-esque almost, I think the drums should be a little less rigid to give the lurch of the melody more room to move but you get to stay another week, in my book at least.

Jim Tyrell - For a moment there I thought it was going to be the rest of the Bewells song...oh this pretty camp Like those backing vocals - and the mood - Eagles meet Cash I guess. not much else to say. A good placeholder, but not my favourite of yours. The bongos come in too late to save it for me - although they are awesome.

Ken - This sounds really thin. I like the woman singing very much, I am not sure that your voice really sits very well with hers. I love the pop-a-long bass very much although the tone is a bit thin - should be fatter I think. Could be late period Talking Heads at points...

Leaf - This is almost a Prince song! Nice bass tone. This is sexy in a slightly creepy way. Lacks a really killer moment that makes me sit up and go 'wow' like your last two songs, but this funky, and I love the little squeaky keyboard riff. Reminds me of 'Black Sweat'. Don't like the spoken word / rap / whateve you want to call it. That more metal moment lurches me out of the groove. Yeah, pretty good, overall, but I wouldn't rush to listen to it again, despite the sexy female voice.

# - what a great opening though I think a bass should come in at .17, to accentuate the build into that eighties synth. I am enjoying this in a 'best synth pan pipes world ever' way. Great slightly weird electro-clash style female vocals. Those backing vocals are great - Mad Dog speaking softly is great! maybe one chorus each on the backing vocal rather than the both of you all the time. The pan pipe setting does get a bit tiresome after a while but only in a 'how are they getting away with me stil enjoying this' approach. Supah-sweet.

Ross Durand - taking a leaf from Steve's book in the 50s feel? This is fucking awesome. Like Doris Day or someone else who I love like that. A little long - half the length and it would be a number one hit all the alternative universe in which I inhabit.

Tex - This is like a Happy Mondays do Stray Cats groove. I love this lyric. It's very cute indeed, witty and doesn't resolve around cock gags for once. Spoekn word is weirdly out of character of the song. Great female vocal.

Thornberry - Every time I think you'r losing me you bring in a strand that I like - the backing vocals here save the first minute of this song from bland mor pop as do the stumbly rhythm and the higher female voice. hate the guitar lead, mind. Pretty plodding. And the overly ornate bass moments don't work for me either. Great singing but overall not pumping my lovebags all the way. Extended bass noodling over fade-out? j'accuse!

Wreckdom - so should have had a cheesy shot sound rather than the gliiinnng sound for the page-turn. A great idea. Awesome bass groove in the breakdown. I like the story but there's too much of it and not enough of the groove. Lot of thought gone into it, and nice try, but it's just a bit lop-sided in overall impression.

[deshead]

someone who has a 'middle class' singing voice dissing the 'middle class'. I don't know if that's true, obviously, but that's what comes across to me at least. The 'slice of life' attack on suburban values has been done so often that it's really hard to do it convincingly any more, at least to these ears.

No class-consciousness here. I'm just relaying my buddy's description of the area around El Balazo in the Upper Haight. I'm a little surprised you got anything serious from the song, actually, what with "good fish tacos next door to Wasteland," and all.

[ken]

I would like to compliment whoever did the artwork for El Balazo. It is great.

Ken

[j$]

someone who has a 'middle class' singing voice dissing the 'middle class'. I don't know if that's true, obviously, but that's what comes across to me at least. The 'slice of life' attack on suburban values has been done so often that it's really hard to do it convincingly any more, at least to these ears.

No class-consciousness here. I'm just relaying my buddy's description of the area around El Balazo in the Upper Haight. I'm a little surprised you got anything serious from the song, actually, what with "good fish tacos next door to Wasteland," and all.

well, i took that as 'forced jollity about the happy life it's meant to be' against the more bland, harsher verses, accented by the music, but clearly I was wrong

[bwell]

Bewells - beautiful but you failed the challenge, so I am sorry to say, especially as it's the best thing I've heard from you in this particular sidefight, I'm gonna have to take the lazy option and vote for "Disqualified".

After staying up all night reworking everything from the lyrics and melody to the chord voicings, I pretty much resigned myself to this fate. I couldn't quite find a combination that properly captured the sounds and ideas I had in mind. Not wanting to completely give up, I figured I would bow out with at least this little snippet that captured the mood I wanted.

[Tex Beaumont]

Tex - I love this lyric... doesn't resolve around cock gags for once.

You don't know how hard it was for me to resist writing about "uprisings south of the border" - but that's more Caravan Ray's bag.

[Niveous]

If you want your listing for this week to include "featuring (name of your lady friend)", then please tell me so I can make the necessary change.

[Leaf]

Well, mine features "Dana Gordon", my awesome <insertyour personal, possibly politically correct term, be it "wife", "life partner", "friend", "mate","soulmate", "significant other", "sexual muse", etc) ...either way, she's the one.

[Spud]

Here's a stream:

http://www.songfight.org/nur_ein_3.m3u

[Ross]

Ross Durand - taking a leaf from Steve's book in the 50s feel?

Probably has more to do with us being brothers than pages taken. We grew up in a house with a fairly eclectic collection of music. I have a lot of affection for folk and folky country, like the stuff in the Anthology of American Folk Music, Lomax books, etc...

This is fucking awesome.

Thanks:-)

[Geoff WreckdoM]

Niveous- Our song features our friend Buttercup, my significant other will not allow herself to be recorded. The other members of WreckdoM do not have significant others except Richard, and that may be part of why he's seldom involved anymore. Anyway, Buttercup also helped us out with Wrath of God:
http://www.songfight.org/music/wrath_of_god/wreckdom_wrath.mp3

Johnny - You are one tough crowd man, not that I'm disagreeing with you but dang I wish we could win you over every once and awhile. Jeez.

[Reist]

Reviews

Bewells - Short, well done, awesome. But you failed the challenge. Goodbye.

Calfborg - I don't love the intro ... it doesn't grab me at all, but I like it once the guitar comes in. Way better vocals than last week. I like the tune once the song gets going - the mix of different background sounds. This is really good. Normally I hate electronic drums, but you really worked it into the style. Good job with how you did the challenge ... I barely even noticed it since it blended with the style so much.

Deshead - I like the intro ... how you worked in the spanish feel to it, but still had it with your style and rocked it out. Good guitar soloing. I didn't hear the female vocals though. Maybe I just missed it.

Glenn Case f/Rachael Layne - Weird. Style is kind of cool, but it doesn't really appeal to me. I don't like your high range, man. Learn to control your voice when it goes high and don't let it sound like you're straining. Definitely the best use of female voice I've heard so far.

Heuristics Inc - Awesome! I like the whole thing. Wish I could understand the female vocal section, but whatever. Good job.

Jim Tyrell - I heard the start and thought "this is going to be just another Bwell ... short, sweet, and a failure. Good voice. I like the way you tell a story ... goes with the style very much. I would dislike the length of the song, but since I wanted to hear the end of the story, I'll let it slide.

Ken - I like the use of jumping from one ear to the other. Great! Finally a girl singing in the front ... I like the way your voices blend together. Fantastic job.

Leaf 62 f/Dana Gordon - Fantastic drumming, as usual. That's Leaf drumming, right? I really like this one ... good use of each instrument ... that way the sounds don't get crowded, but it still gets the job done well.

Octothorpe - This is the first Octothorpe song that has gotten my attention as being different and unique. I don't exactly love the female vocals. Very laid-back feel. In a good way. I wish you had more variety in this one. It really is the only Octothorpe song that I've enjoyed in any way though, so good job.

Ross Durand f/Anja - Way to get an actual good mexican feel ... great female vocaling too. One of my favorites so far. Only problem ... needs more variety, but it had enough to keep my attention.

Tex Beaumont and the Dirty Hearts - I like how you make every song unique, but keep a signature feel in between the songs. I quite like this one, especially the vocal clips in between sections.

Thornberry f/Kelsea Rhamgren - Is that a girl singing, or Thornberry doing the same girl voice he did in Adonai. Just a question. Either way, it sounds dang good. Very creative song. I really think you could be in the final rounds if you keep this up.

Wreckdom - That voice sounds like Oprah at first. Very creative use of the female vocals ... and the read along tape idea. I can't say I love the music overall, but it's humorous, well done, and original.

This was really good. I wish Kamakura and Denyer had backed out last week so I could have been in this one, but no problem. At least I got to listen to some of the best songfighting ever. I think this contest is really diversifying what you guys started out as, and I'm pumped for the next batch of entries next week.

[Spud]

'best synth pan pipes world ever'

Thanks, Johnny. I thought you might want to see the pan pipes:


moral: buy everything. you never know when it might come in handy.

SPUD

[Spud]

It really is the only Octothorpe song that I've enjoyed in any way...

brings a tear to me eye, young feller.

[j$]

Johnny - You are one tough crowd man, not that I'm disagreeing with you but dang I wish we could win you over every once and awhile. Jeez.

hey check my review again for your 'Pencil Me In'. Also your 'Punk Bartender' got my vote (although I seem to remember being quite harsh in the review only to change my mind when it came to voting.)

I appreciate not a brilliant return, but I'm not entirely stuck in my ways

j$

[HeuristicsInc]

Heuristics Inc - Weird that you should take the superhero approach ... cool. I like this. It's #-esque almost, I think the drums should be a little less rigid to give the lurch of the melody more room to move but you get to stay another week, in my book at least.

thanks! yeah, the superhero thing was the first idea that came to my mind. i love superhero parodies!

well, the drums are two loops (made by somebody else). do you have any suggestion to fix them, given that fact? i'm not sure what i could do about it.
-bill

[HeuristicsInc]

Heuristics Inc - Awesome! I like the whole thing. Wish I could understand the female vocal section, but whatever. Good job.

Thank you! Yes, the female lyrics are all in Spanish and they can be found in the lyrics thread with translations... let me find you a link.
Ah, here they are.
-bill

[Geoff WreckdoM]

I'm not entirely stuck in my ways

j$

Yes, I hear ya. I may be overly sensative because there have been more than one occasion where I was very proud of our song and anxiously awaited feedback only to get a first reveiw from J$ that exposes the flaws I was most concerned about like so much guacamole on my lapel, and all I can say in my defense is "I can't help it, I get excited about guacamole!" But honestly you do usually give me something to ponder and work on and that is appreciated.

[jack]

...... overall not pumping my lovebags all the way.

best review ever.