the songs got left at the gate (outside paradise reviews)

[gizo]

This week its an "I'm at the pub and I'm knocking back a couple of frothies, and then this band starts playing... am I gonna dance?" week.

And the answer is, Hell Yeah(s)!!

{
RxW: what is going on with those clacky's??
Tam Lin: Halve it, replace the terrible synth (not the pretty organ) with a tambourine.
Klownhole: Thank you for telling me that you have done 40 songs that I have not been able to listen through. It is impossible for me to review your songs, because I just can't listen to them, not my thing, you know. It's not you, it's me....
}

[raisedbywolves]

OK, so regarding the clackies... this is a lesson to uh, me, to listen to the song after encoding it. On my original wav file the clacks kinda bounce around waaaay in the background, and I liked that. I only listened to the mp3 I sent in after reading Mr. Cashpoint's review. I have no idea how that happened. I'm a technical moron, certainly, but I had no clue the compressing could completely alter the sound of the thing. I will probably post a non-clacking version somewhere in the near future. Sorry for the annoyance.

Oh, and dre - sometimes I'm shy. But thanks for the nice words.

[jseavers05]

there were a few cool songs in this fight. hell yeahs, thank for the friss guy, and wormsweater were a few. ill do some reviews later.

[j$]

I will probably post a non-clacking version somewhere in the near future.

Please do, I'd like to download that.

[Wages]

<b>Wages (me)</b>
I couldn't bear to have distracting drums again (not that I had plenty of time to make 'em.... Now I hear the vocals are mixed too low, but as to my other problems, I did play to a click track. About 4 minutes into this track my high E string broken, hence the reason I didn't re-record. Yeah, um, that's my excuse for sure.
----------------------------------
<b>Aaron Price</b>
Are you sick? Should I call a doctor? Nurse, 10cc morphine STAT! Put a stint on his guitar....

<b>Adnoisium</b>
Are you a dwarf? I'm waiting for the munchkins.... perhaps in the chorus.... perhaps in the bridge.... nope

<b>Andrew Ayers & Guest</b>
A nice entry. A bit long, but good. There are some good lyrics in here too. Good job.

<b>Beefy</b>
I like the words. Good lyrics, yo

<b>Bellison</b>
This is a good entry and the first out of five I will keep. This song has a nice feel. Thanks!

<b>Blake Walker</b>
You grew up in the '80s, right? '80s aside, this is a good tune, too bad for you "they" don't go for instrumentals. But I'll keep it.

<b>Chin Music</b>
This is another good entry. Has some uneven mixing (but who I am to talk?).

<b>Hell Yeahs</b>
o............oh...............oh..............oh................oh. Okay, now just fill in lyrics on the dotted line. But seriously, I like the instrumental part about 1 minute in the most. Otherwise, it must be hard to escape that Donnas sound. Sorry I'm not much help....

<b>Jeff Robertson</b>
Adnoisium did the drums? Cool. The vocals are too hidden by the rest of the song, but I like the tune. Garage band goodness.

<b>Jim Tyrrell</b>
I'd like to hear Jerry Chantrall's (sp?) version of this. This is a good entry.

<b>Klownhole</b>
Did anyone tell you not to write a song ABOUT Songfight? I did this once. It sounds like you've been listening to ELP on steroids.

<b>Lack of Sleep</b>
I like this song a lot, but it needs some serious work. If you get a better overall take, please post it as I'd love to hear this a little more polished.

<b>Landstander</b>
Not bad, but it needs something.

<b>Paco Del Stinko</b>
It's not without merit, but good production value isn't everything. The organ is cool. I like the guitar, but the vox is a bit too goofy for me.

<b>Radioface in the 9th Circle of Hell (between the drunken bum and the mailbox)</b>
pure insanity

<b>Raised by Wolves</b>
On the bandwagon I jump..... you got some serious clackin' problems!

<b>Ross Durand</b>
Starts out really nice...nice lead.... That bass is sweet! And that lead guitar.... This is my favorite song thus far (and there's only three to go!). The extra effects are cool too.

<b>Somewhere off the Left Coast of TFTF</b>
You would have gotten my vote, but Ross had such a great entry. You got a close second in my book (last week you would have won).

<b>Tamlin Music</b>
A lullaby. This is a very strong entry, but I'm going to go with my genre-bias. There's no reason other than that. You should get lots of votes.

<b>Wormsweater</b>
This is a cool tune. I like all the different parts. It comes together pretty nice, though it could use vocals higher in the mix. What's with the punch sound!? Was that supposed to be a bass drum? Anywho, I like the harmonica and it's nice!

<b>A fine effort by all, but as you know, we only have 6 slots open for this musical, so without further adodo...
----in order of appearance---
Bellison
Blake Walker
Lack of Sleep
Ross Durand (top billing)
Somewhere Off the Left Coast TFTF (best supporting actor)
Worm Sweater (co-star)</b>

[Heather. Redmon.]

<b>Hell Yeahs</b>
o............oh...............oh..............oh................oh. Okay, now just fill in lyrics on the dotted line. But seriously, I like the instrumental part about 1 minute in the most. Otherwise, it must be hard to escape that Donnas sound. Sorry I'm not much help....

What's wrong with the Donnas? I like the Donnas. Did you read the lyrics in the Lyrics Archive? Just wondering? Too bad you didn't like it very much, but that's fine by me. Thanks for the review!

[Phil. Redmon.]

The Donnas rule!

Actually, we were going for The Sonics, and I think we came pretty close.

Not sure if you were slagging the lyric style, or if you just couldn't catch 'em, but they're right HERE for your perusal.

HELL YEAHS 4EVUH!

P.S. I bet you love the Black Keys.

[Niveous]

I saw The Donnas at my first Coney Island Siren Festival. There is nothing like riding the Cyclone roller-coaster with the Donnas playing next to it.

[wormsweater]

What's with the punch sound!? Was that supposed to be a bass drum?

Ha! Nope, it's just a punch... Co-star, eh? Very generous, and tahanks for the 'view.

[Wages]

<b>Hell Yeahs</b>
o............oh...............oh..............oh................oh. Okay, now just fill in lyrics on the dotted line. But seriously, I like the instrumental part about 1 minute in the most. Otherwise, it must be hard to escape that Donnas sound. Sorry I'm not much help....

What's wrong with the Donnas? I like the Donnas. Did you read the lyrics in the Lyrics Archive? Just wondering? Too bad you didn't like it very much, but that's fine by me. Thanks for the review!

Actually, the "..........oh" was a comment on the fact that so many of those lyrical lines seemed to end in "oh". So i was kinda making a joke about the lyrics. Sorry for the confusion on that...

As to the Donnas, I personally feel they have some good songs, but overall one song is not that much different from another. I've heard a lot girl bands that seem to have that same kinda sound. I'm not sure what it is really that bugs me.

I saw the Donnas at Bumbershoot in Seattle 2005. They definitely rocked hard and I was pleased with the show. However, Iggy Pop wiped the floor with them. Sorry, but Iggy has a GREAT show!

hi ho, hi ho, And it's back to work I go..

[Paco Del Stinko]

good production value isn't everything

Agreed. An honest performance taped on a shoe phone beats a slick pile of pooh any day. Maybe I'm just made of pooh!

[raisedbywolves]

Somebody has a shoe phone? I want a shoe phone. Please keep me informed about all things shoe phone-related.

[DELETED]

DELETED

[Heather. Redmon.]

Aaron Price – First line of the song is the title. You sound like you have a terrible cold. Your lyrics are boring. Your guitar sounds pretty out of tune. Ugh, your singing is terrible. It really falls apart there after the bridge. Are you playing a rubber band for bass?

Adnosium – First line of the song is the title. Why do you do that to your voice? I assume you don’t really sound like that. The synths sound like, well, not enough to carry the song. I’m bored half way through.

Andrew Ayers & Guest – You’ve got a good voice and the lyrics are pretty good. I would have said “The world’s not a vampire, but it sure does bite” haha. This does get a little long for guy and guitar and I have to admit, I lost interest toward the end, not enough going on to keep me hooked.

Beefy – Well, I’m not a fan of rap, nerdcore, whatever… the lyrics are clever, I suppose, but I don’t like the mention of topical or current issues and events usually in songs, so things like myspace, stick out like a sore thumb to me. Your delivery is good.

B Ellison – The melody of the opening lines remind me of something, but I can’t put my finger on it. Eve, blah. I think it could have been over right before the change. The different layers don’t seem to line up at times. That gong sound keeps repeating, maybe too much. Overall it’s a nice song though.

Blake Walker – I kept expecting vocals, but they never came. The music is not my style, but it’s nicely done. The crunchy ending is odd and abrupt. Overall it’s very grand and ethereal.

Chin Music – I expected this fight to be filled with religious references, and this one fits the bill. As religiously overtoned as they are, the lyrics are interesting and I enjoy a good play on words. I do have a problem with the overall feeling of the song. The whole things sounds off. Maybe there are too many instruments or parts competing to share the same small space.

The Hell Yeahs – I really love this song! I love the lyrics, I love the bass line, I love the drums. I love the Hell Yeahs! I love you Phil

Jeff Robertson – I like the different elements of this song, the guitar, drums, singing, etc, but they do not mesh well together. They just don’t line up. I think it’s cool that you wrote a song about a town called Paradise too. Is there really a Paradise, AL? When the guitar solo comes in, all hell breaks lose and then only barely comes back together again.

Jim Tyrrell – For a guy who just became a new daddy, this is very good! I have nothing to major to complain about with this song. It’s long, but you know that. It didn’t grab me, but it certainly didn’t hate it either.

Klownhole – Ugh, a song about Songfight. Big deal that you’re overtaking Hoblit in number of entries. (No offense to Hoblit is intended whatsoever). This is heavy, sure, but I don’t like the keyboard sounding thing at all. Yeah… no.

Lack Of Sleep – The guitars are too up front and the drums are too far back. Those drums are all over the place, but get better about halfway through the song, then fall apart again. I see what this song was trying to achieve, I think. The vocals are alright, could use some tightening up. Speaking of tightening up, the rest of the song could use it too. I think if you were able to accomplish that, it would be a fairly decent entry.

Landstander – I like this from the point of view of Eve, even though, previously mentioned, I thought the religious take was a bit predictable. This works because we never really get to hear the woman’s take on the whole fucked up deal. Even thought this is just you and an acoustic guitar, the lyrics kept me listening. This would sound great as a really rockin’ tune!

Paco Del Stinko – I love a good deep voice. Not quite sure if I like the organ. I like the other instruments though. Seems a little religious-y, see previous reviews. Of course, your production value is top notch. This is a good song, no complaints here.

Radioface In The 9th Circle Of Hell – aaaarrrgh! I have no desire to listen to this racket. Ouch, skip.

Raised By Wolves – This sounds pretty, but it doesn’t grab me. I find nothing wrong with it, I suppose. Good vocals, ok lyrics, nice instrumentation. I know the clacking issue has been previously addressed. Overall, a nice song.

Ross Durand – Great bass. The lyrics are good, I just don’t like things about war, n’stuff. Changes are cool. Overall, good. I know it was mentioned before, but it is kind of Doors-y, which isn’t a bad thing.

Somewhere Off The Left Coast TFTF – This sounds like a lot of stuff you’d hear on the radio these days, but like Cashpoint said, I’d probably change the channel. Pretty non-descript, but well done. Good mix, vocals, harmonies, etc.

Tamlin Music – Great voice, sounds familiar, but I can’t place it. I like your pacing and your lyrics. The strings are a nice touch. I like this.

Wages – I like the way the guitar sounds, but I don’t like the way it’s played. It needs drums or something else. Your voice is good, I just fine that I’m not listening to the lyrics because that guitar is so… there.

Wormsweater – This seems like you’re trying to sound like Cake or something. It also feels like there are a few different songs going on here, mashed together. I don’t like the harmonica bursts. The weird sound effects just don’t work and seem very random. Just when I thought it would end, it starts up again. Way too long.

[Pierre Menand]

Aaron Price
Sounds like a field recording of R Stevie Moore. I love the hum in the right channel ... is that the recording device being picked up by the microphones?

Adnoisium
Not sure about the flanging. Not sure about the vocals. Might be more effective with a better accordian patch.

Andrew Ayers + Guest
Always enjoy a Banjo. Nice recording. A little long.

Beefy
Better than most of the rapping on SF. Nice programming.

B Ellison
Choral vocals. Hmmm. Nice.

The Hell Yeahs
Don't really hear the Sonics in this, but this is pretty great. You might try adding a piano and lurching a bit if you want to get that Lakewood sound.

Jim Tyrrel
Love the desperate splash cymbal.

Klownhole
Sometimes you just manage to suck the life out of a song in the process of recording it. You wouldn't know how great this is by listening to it. I would like to point anyone who can't tell the difference between 'shitty and sloppy' and 'jazzy' to Jimmy Smith's Back at the Chicken Shack. Klownhole is often poorly played, but never jazzy or funky.

Lack of Sleep
The panning in the beginning is great. The panning at the end is great. The drums could stand being a bit less panned to one side, and some click on the bass drum would make this much better.

Landstander
Strummy

Paco Del Stinko
This is great ... the mix is well constructed, good dynamics, nice hooks, breaks in place, backing vocals. At this point head and shoulders above the rest of these...

Radioface
Now that's a wake me up. Demented, out of tune, and incomprehensible. If it wasn't for the Paco Del Stinko, this would be my choice. I'll be digging out Hasil Adkins albums when I get back to the house tonight.

Raised by Wolves
Like the tapping noise. Sort of nonplussed by the remainder.

somewhere of the left coast
Not really anything that grabs me. The sort of thing I usually like, but this just isn't getting my attention.

Tamlin Music
Nice picking, nice recording.

Wages
More the sort of thing that perks up my ears.

Wormsweater
A little heavy on the percussion and light on the harmony vocals, but other than that a great entry.

Jeff Robertson
Like the organ bit. Guitar solo is in excess to requirements.

Ross Durand
Another great recording - like the variations in the instrumentation. Another point where I notice that many of the SongFight participants apparently don't have to rewire their recording equipment every week.

Overall - Paco Del Stinko over The Hell Yeahs by a whisker.

[Adnoisium]

Adnoisium
Not sure about the flanging. Not sure about the vocals. Might be more effective with a better accordian patch.

There's neither flanging nor accordian in the song. There is however a saw synth with vibrato on it via a pitch oscillator.

[Thanks For The Frisbee]

Aaron price: there are terrible songs and there are songs that are meant to be funny..and this song was probly meant to capture both wonderful styles. Its kinda funny but only in SF context. I can tell you will probly wow us later with an amazing piece of music. This song feels like a spoof of lo-fi productions and almost there vocals….but I have an sneaking suspicion that you are most likely really great.

Adnoisium- sounds like a lot of thought went into the lyrics, but I don’t like the style of music. But I have wanted to make a song with an old casio keyboard…maybe your song will inspire me

Andrew ayers and guest- folky, I usually like well done gng. This is a song you have to be in the mood for, somber and a little depressing, but I guess that’s what the title is suggesting. Seems too long. I like the lyrics very much, but the verse repeats too much IMO. Great voice, lyrics and style.

Beefy- well you are right, you probly will never be famous, But isn’t that a good thing? And wow….I really don’t like the idea of getting rich off of music you make. Anyways Money doenst solve problems, if anything it causes them. All that aside…you can rap okay. Its kinda funny in some places.

B ellison- I like the vioce and the sound. I like the literal interpretation. Good song.

Blake walker- I actually really like this instrumental. My wife says it sounds like “ the main song “ in the movie “ raising Arizona “. I cant back that up though. I like it and kinda wish there were vocals, not that it needs them. Great song.

Chin music- do people tell you that you sound like tom petty? Sounds like a viet nam protest song…at least something from that era. Its okay. I cant shake the tom petty sound …almost like you are trying to sound like him. but its still good

The hell yeahs- I didn’t expect to like this song, but I did. I love the tempo and the story ( even if it is a clever adaptation of Thelma and Louise ) you have a really great female rock voice. You might win with this.

Jeff Robertson- oh man….come on man!!! Where is your voice??!!!?? Sounds like you spent so much time on the music and carelessly added vox. The electric is too loud and your voice is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too quiet. I like your style and song writing but I want to hear those vocals man!! You are capable . Nice try with this song . The fault lies in production I guess. I would love to hear this song remixed. I would offer to do it but I suck at production. Good song all in all.

Jim Tyrell- I like your melody. I love it. I really love it. Great song. cant really say anything else.

Klownhole- apology accepted. You have skills. You know that. I think you could really do some damage if you knew how to harness your powers.

Lack of sleep-….” im looking for an outside paradise” ? that doesn’t make sense….maybe I just have to think about it…outside IS paradise? I think im getting it. Okay I didn’t really understand your lyrics completely. Nice song though. Sounds like when we used to record on an old karaoke machine. Good times.

land stander- nice gng. I like your voice.

Paco de la smellkins- your quality is awesome. Great song. Nice changes, excellent music. You have bad placement in the lineup though cuz there has been sooooo many biblical references up to this point that im sick of it by now, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like your song. It just means…well I don’t know ….but your song rocks.


radio face-I want my 30 seconds back…yah your song is longer but I was giving this song the benefit of the doubt for 28 of those 30 seconds and then I just felt cheated and used like and old newspaper lining the cage of a filthy bird.

Raised by wolves- well performed, but its weird that with “ paradise “ in the title of all these songs…yours is the only one that reminded me of phil collins. I don’t know why it does though. One of the best put together songs of this fight.

Ross Durand- great as usual. Sounds like you got rid of kermit this time. Put some soul in there. Sounds really good.

Left Coast-TFTF- nothing really grabs me…there is nothing special about this song ……you should be on the crappy radio….not that I would listen. LOL. Yah I agree that this song is a little more main streamy than my solo songs. that’s because we have different styles and influences but when we make music together its really fun and I liked it. We will try to be more captivating with our next entry we promise.

Tamlin music- nice song. Really really pretty . Reminds me of eric clapton a tad, but that’s good. Well done.

Wages- that electric stings my ears a little at first but I like it. You showed up this time man! I always love the amount of feeling you put into your vocals. I can tell you focused a lot on that guitar this time. Great entry!

Wormsweater- I love this song…yah it is a little long, but its got mojo. Nice work.



I really did like quite a few in this fight, but the overwhelming bible/ god lyrical lean got a little draining after a while. The hell yahs should win I think.

[Steve Durand]

Ross Durand- great as usual. Sounds like you got rid of kermit this time. Put some soul in there. Sounds really good.

I'm afraid that you have us mixed up.

Kermit is mine and Ross can't have him.

Steve

[Heather. Redmon.]

The hell yeahs- I didn’t expect to like this song, but I did.

Hee hee, that made me giggle! Glad you liked it this time, thanks for the review.

( even if it is a clever adaptation of Thelma and Louise )

I suppose you could look at it that way, but just because it's about two women on the road, it doesn't have to be Thelma and Louise. The main character in this song is part of a recurring theme in some of the Hell Yeahs songs (See Brand New Car, Piece of My Heat, Bitter Orange, even Hold This For Me). After the lyrics were written, even I said "it's a little Thelma and Louise-y", but it's not a direct adaptation. Thanks again for listening!

[jeff robertson]

Is there really a Paradise, AL?

If there is, its too small to be on any map I've ever seen. Which is, of course, the way its supposed to be in the song.

[jeff robertson]

your voice is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too quiet.

I actually did a couple of other mixes before this one, and even submitted one of them. I might post them off-site.

[wormsweater]

The weird sound effects just don’t work and seem very random. Just when I thought it would end, it starts up again. Way too long.

They work because they don't work. And, those false endings are there for just that reason. And, you guys should be grateful we're not sending in ten minute ambient jams a-la Mogwai, 'cause we can start...