by Paco Del Stinko » Thu Mar 01, 2007 7:41 am
Damn! I thought I'd be first to review after not doing so for February! Here they be anyhoo, I'll be glad to go further if anyone wants me to clarify or whatever. I'll give them all more listens prior to voting. Lots of TV themes in here to my ears.
Anarchaeologists - I thought I was listening to Flash In The Pan for a moment! I like the part-time menacing bass line and the effective melodies. The guitar solo is exciting and fun, made more so by its brevity. I like the overall mood to this and also the tracks clarity. The ending is a bit weak, but a good song overall.
Balls To Monte - Sounds like the music for a misty filtered montage scene for some lonely robot feeling sorry for itself. I like the gentle pace of this, flowing like water (appropriately enough) Nice mix of electric piano and synthy sounds. I almost want to dislike the main progession, but can't.
Beefy w/ DJ Snyder - Right in your face urban feel. Big and strong, yet clear and understandable. Good story after I thought it was going to be on the silly side. Well done tracks don't repeat to the point of numbness like they could, instead helping the flow. Good work.
Billy's Little trip - Did John Bonham play for the Pixies? Nice vocal layers work well over the balanced instrumental tracks. The slo-mo lighter waving feel to this works well if a few lines come off flatly delivered (in the spoken-ish part) I was half expecting it to double time at the end but enjoyed the lazy afternoon pacing.
Booty Chesterfield Trio - The third chord in that progression really drives home the mental twist here. Great tempo drop into too many pills land makes the return to speed stronger. I enjoy the feel of spontanaity here, and as in other Booty songs, it feels as though it's being created right now. Nice sounding, too. Good, dark, fun.
DJ Dickie Quick - I loved Baily on that show, but who didn't? Fun re-mix that starts sounding like fusion underneath, but what's it got to do with the title at all? I reckon it just made you think of the shared RP's or something.
Flvxxm Florvm - I like the rhythm-it sounds like teeth slowly chewing their way to get you. Good total 60's trade off, I like how the organ does a dive-bomb also. Good creepy fun.
Garlick Head - Ah! Saturday morning with the Kraft Brothers. Or 1927. This is classic. I like the mumble mouth computer that comes in with the title. This could easily be re-interpreted to the next uke fight. Good job.
Gert - I love the storyline about getting back at the sportos and the smell him coming is both silly and cool. I have an understanding of how you guys put this together (from a log of another Gert song posted somewhere) and it's all the more impressive for it. It might not be as powerful as some others you guys have done, but this is a good rocker with universal substance appeal, make that subject appeal, and a driving fast feel. I like Smalltowns snearing delivery, but Boltoph makes me feel like I drank cough syrup or something. This is actually meant as high praise, somehow.
iNGRUO - I like the mish mash rhythm section and the rubbing the balloon sounds, but the Tom Waits-like vocal approach doesn't do it for me here, surprisingly. I don't know what you'd put there in its place, but maybe less menacing and more goofball or something. (I'll show you goofball!) Gets a little busy but I like the big keys later on.
Melvin - I was thinking on your last entry how I'd like to hear you do something a little more uptempo. I like the Mo-town rhythm here and the bump-ba-das are excellent. This sounds like a good postive motivating song for a teen, or is it using naughty words? Very nice little bridge section there and very good vocal work.
Paco - Just in time for the pounding of nerd-core, although I wouldn't quite put it in that category. Rappish type songs from me are few and far between, so enjoy the ultra-goof exhibit on display here.
Raspy Jasper - Saturday morning again! I like the envelope filters here adding a nice contrast to the more organic sounds going on. The arrangement is good and the verse melodies work best I think. There are moments when the rhtyhm almost seems to catch up to itself at times. There's almost a hint of menace (my word for the day, apparently) behind the boppy little romp of this.
Ross Durand - Another TV show theme, this one is the best of them. Some freckle faced, gap toothed whippersnapper punk kid. The chorus hook just grabs you and you don't want it to end for the brief moments it's there. Very nice, I was surprised when the end came and it had the network spot there. Excellent, an instant classic!
signboy - I want to like this more than I do. The changes are all good, well written and performed, but somehow it doesn't quite click with me. I like the melody too, even if the pitch is a little wobbly, but that's not it. I think it's a nice little positive song, and I just listened to it three times in a row. Chalk it up to personal preference, I suppose. Hope to hear more from you, though.
Sockpuppet - Nice intro. This has the lonely vocal feel to it that I liked in your Bad Cat song. Very nice layers and atmosphere, the well blended key work is wonderful, and the little scratch-down in the middle was nice. I like the overall vibe to this and again must comment on the structure, well layered w/o feeling like parts just come back and repeat themselves, but develop instead
Spinlock - Whiffs of the Clash and the Jam turn into a TV show theme of sorts. The stuttery intro grew on me and I like the child-like voice like some enthusiastic sidekick all smiles to be participating, but like some scruffy Dickens character. This song shows its subtle strengths on a re-listen. Very good. Now piss off! (kidding)
Wages Of Spin - Phil's reigning it in to good effect. I like the arrangement here and the clavi is used well. Moody with hints of 70's FM radio, I like the serious tone of it overall. Good builds and use of dynamics. A crunchy guitar wouldn't be out of place, but not missed either. Good work.
Wreckdom vs. Sven - Beautiful. But leave my mother out of this please. I hope that this upsets many people, but I won't be one of them as I think this is just great, and the face pounding half way in is glorious. I am a WreckdoM fan from my time here, and Sven is more of boards figure to me, but I hope that this signals a return of both to the competition. Cheese grater! HA HA! Great work, guys.
Zoosneakers - I am tuning in to your delay heavy psychedelic sound and very much digging it. This sounds like a tormented bit of psychosis, but I've been here a few times. Some may question the substance of the lyrics, but I am just enjoying the heady swirl. Dark is good, just not all the time.
I apologize for the vocals... I had to use a computer mic at the last second and clean up wasn't easy.
