By the Fruit of Another (I Am Tempted reviews)

[joshw]

Mmm.. fruit...

[Leaf]

Josh! I had no idea you swung both ways.


You liberal minded twisty!

[Bolio]

I was thinking the same thing JW. One of my favorite songs to play on the Hammond. Squeeze kinda rocks.

[Eric Y.]

that song does indeed have a great organ part. i'd like to hear that, bolio

also hopefully everyone will enjoy our submission for this title!
some file-conversion and de-noising issues kind of created some unwanted digital artifacts buried somewhere within the song but i cleaned it up as well as i could, and if you can look past that slight issue, i really dig the tune. i hope y'all do too.

anyway, "silent e" is niveous on vocals and guitar; me on bass and harmony vox.

[eostrom]

Hi everyone. I've been thinking about writing a Song Fight song for months and finally got around to it. I have nothing much to say beyond that, though.

[slowRodeo]

erik ostrom - was that a sheryl crow quote? i really liked this song. you have alot of style. it sounded really good on headphones but didnt sound so good on my laptop speakers. could have used more resonance on the bass line. i dont know how to explain that. didnt feel completly part of the song. maybe more attack. was it a real bass guitar? but anyway, i really did like your song. 7/10

Josh Woodward - I really liked this song. wow your awesome. i really liked the breakdown and loved the vocal effect from the chorus. you did a great job. i still think you need more edge in your vocals. it still sounds like you dont mean it. but this is really good song. 8/10

humbert - this was going good till the simulation/stimulation part. i liked everything but that, kinda annoying. really good lyrics. this was a good song. good bassline. liked the bridge, nice. funny. good song. 7/10

kelvinator - good song. umm seemed alittle unbalanced everything seemed panned to the left. except the cymbal. and the occasional backup guitar. little distracting. but great wellplayed instruments. perfect length. 5/10

wreckdoM - as soon as the music started i started tapping my toe. i eventually stopped. this song is very different. but its a little too different. you can be different but you have to make sure the listener gets into it. i wasnt into that much. maybe just me. A for effort. 4/10

silent e - this song would have been better if everything was so quiet. i think it would have been alot better. i dont know if you did that on purpose or not. when there was the louder voice was playing i really liked this song. 4/10

max the cat - this is the second song ive heard from you and ive decided that you are awesome. this reminded me of dispatch. my god this song is awesome. only song ive downloaded so far. you are freakin awesome! i couldnt find anything wrong.10/10 would have voted for you except im greedy and want atleast one vote for myself.

PiGPen - good rap. need better delivery. i dont really like rap, but if i look at objectively its pretty good. sounds kinda like eminem. the beat didnt really change. oh yeah and god damn kerry's chin!!! 4/10

slowRodeo - if my voice wasnt crap it would be a little higher in the mix. anyway i didnt get to properly record this song. i had to record it at my house not the studio i usually record at thus crappy quality. i didnt have one effect on this song not even an EQ(can you tell?) i couldnt even pan in the program. anywho i like the lyrics though. need to rerecord this. 3/10 im voting for myself i want at least one.


40 second songs - great rythem. i was tapping my foot the whole time. this song is great. the drummless break was cool. nice. inventive. this is a really good song. could have used a break from the beat. maybe a change in tempo or something just to keep things interesting. 7/10

the soylent spuds - i didnt really like this song. sorry not my thing. 2/10

the miasmatics - apparently your singing in a huge room. really liked the music. needed a bridge or something other than the outro to break up the structure a little bit. all in all good song. 5/10


max the cat deserves to win. by far the coolest song.

[eostrom]

It's a common phrase, but yeah, once I'd written it down, every time I looked at the page that Sheryl Crow song got stuck briefly in my head. The bass was an acoustic fretless, recorded direct and with no effects; someday I'll record this one better. (I monitored this one all on headphones, which is probably why it sounded good to you on headphones.) Thanks for the comments.

[slowRodeo]

a good tip i read is never mix on your headphones unless your trying to listen to the left and right channels. the bassline only sounded a little soft.
really good song though

[Poor June]

erik orstrom: the guitar thing is awesome... the vocals aren't carrying it as well as i'd hope... but still really good... it's somethin' very listenable... some of the lyrics kinda don't really catch me that well... a little too descriptive and doesn't leave much to the imagination...
which can be cool... but i'm not in that sort of mood... i'll give you a tops though for a pretty cool guitar riff... (oh and i liked the double vocals... really good choice on when they should come in and when not 2)
(really like the two wal-marts and a one night stand part really great)
i'd love some more free form guitar riffing at some point though... it'd be really pretty to hear a semi-clean guitar solo would be beautiful for this song

forty second song: honestly love a lot of your songs... i like the fact that this has a very dif. feel from the norm... but i don't think it is one of your stronger songs... (really do like the back vox thing)... somethings really grab me about this song... and i love so many things in it... but there is just somethin' bout it... not sure what it is... that doesn't fit for me... but this is great tops

humbert: i really love this song... but i despise the simulation/stimulation thing... it lasts too long and is really annoying... i think its good cause it breaks up the song a bit... but it just isn't done very well... it just is annoying... other then that... i really dig the song....
i didn't like the length but i did like the ending quite a bit... and a backing vox are nice.... this is somethin' i could listen to out of songfight if it wasn't for the simulation/stimulation thing i'd probably even get friends to listen to it... tops

josh woodward: really dig the rythym... and of course spotless production as usual... love the vocal effect thing that was great... it fit so well 2... and of course i'm glad my song didn't get in this fight... cause it would be yet another one i'd lose really bad haha... this is a great fight... i really love this song though... it's beautiful... and awesome... oh and semi-solo of sorts... nice i like that a lot awesome lil' break down... not an insane solo... but very fitting and that's what matters... someday i'll have to try to make it and see you live... i bet you put on a pretty good show... tops... probable vote

kelvinator: i like some of the little guitar riffs quite a bit... the levels seem a lil' out though... some of the riffs are really loud... then loose volume really fast too fast... and that one riff thing ends way too fast... and the lyrics aren't very good to me... but i won't hold that against you... not bad singing... this would be really nice if the levels worked better... (cause that really loud riff that comes in is awesome... but it is way too loud compared to the song itself... it should be able to glide with the song... and not have to over-do it if you understand...)... tops

max the cat: this is probably one of my favorite songs of yours... love the natural harmonics... nice slow sweet piece... somethin' that would be nice to hear around a fire in the middle of the woods... this is very close i'm still gonna stick with woodward... but i really dig this song... and would most likely be my next choice... \m/ tops

maismann?: really love the music... the vox kinda throw me off a bit... the reverb in them are fine... and the vocals are nice... they just don't seem to fit the song very well... beautiful music... love all the sounds goin' on... that distorted guitar sounds panned?... it doesn't seem right like that... love all the other stuff goin' on... great stuff... just wished the vox were more fitting... tops

pigpen: sounds like a reversed beat... which is pretty cool... think you're pretty good rhymer... wished you gave it more of a into it thing... you sound so laid back and lazy... that it tends to draw away from what you are saying... and can't let that happen with rap... you gotta give it more then that...
however i did vote bush... but i won't hold that against you... i don't like bush... and i don't like kerry... but i agree'd with more things with bush... even if i don't like most of his choices... i wouldn't liked most of kerry's either... it's just evil against evil... so either way no biggy...
i'm not sure about shooting him though... then cheney takes his place... and trust me... that would be much much worse...
anyways good... wished you gave a stronger delivery though... because it's pretty well written...

silente: i know y'all probably recorded from dif locations and that i understand... but i really believe either the back vox came down a lot... because they are too clear and loud to get into this song... they over power the leading vox... which is really hard to get back into the verse after hearing that... the music itself is really good... if y'all could've changed equipment for this... it probably would've worked out much better... or just switched position... love the singing... just wished it was above the backing vox... and it sounds so muddy... which is understandable with bad equipment... but after the clean back vox... really hard to get into...
i do love the idea of this... and if y'all ever re-do it... and is better.... and levels are better... then i'd be all into this...

slowRodeo: kind of a bland intro... it is just too structured... and your vox... are out of tune the whole time... you hit one or two notes right on... sometimes... and then even then you switch your vox off note... it basically sounds like you're tone def... which is really hard to listen 2... bad production and really off singing... you sound like you could sing decently... if you could just stay in tune with what is playing... practice could maybe help... gettin' used to singing in tune would be great... practice this... i don't say it to be mean... i say it... cause it's horrid... and it'll help you in the long run...
and also... it's bad enough to vote for yourself... specially when you don't deserve it... and admitting it... that is just ehhh... not right...
as long as you don't win i won't take it too hard against you... if you somehow win... that'll just be fucked up for those that actually did have good songs... you just have a good idea...
try to get better (the guitar gets really repetitive and boring afterawhile 2... plain strumming is really boring... unless it has some backing... and this doesn't)...

soylent spuds: and i didn't realize there would be so many political songs this week... but i should've since it is right after election week... the music is ok... i'm guessin' this is spud... all the sounds sound like samples... but i know that's not usually your style???... i don't know if you changed your mind... i'd love to know...
it's got some good ideas... but i'm not really feeling like the lyrics right now... cause i'm tired of hearing everyone bitch... but the music itself is pretty awesome... tops

wreckdom: the breathes into the mic at the beginning not cool... should sort of talk above or below the mic... that'll help that a lot...
the low talking thing is not very easy to understand at all... and the music itself is gettin' a bit annoying... the vocals for the i am tempted by another woman part is pretty cool... the song needs more... (love the zip zip part haha not sure how to explain sounds)... but it has some ok points... but it gets really old fast...

top 5 (faster then all my tops)
5.forty second songs
4.erik obstrom
3.maismann
2.max the cat
1.josh woodward

(humbert barely missed my top 5... would've been there... but i really really didn't like the simulation/stimulation thing)...
and woodward gets my vote... and my prediction will be between him and max the cat...
of course max the cat was already cheated out of one vote... by a greedy kid that can't sing... but i won't hold that against him... for more then a week or so... :::glares:::
anyways... this fight had some really really awesome songs in it... and i will most likely save most of 'em...
(all my tops for sure).... humbert just cause i like the vox... i really really wished you would've thought of somethin' else for that one part...
it was such a good song :'(

anyways enough of my ranting... great stuff!!!

[slowRodeo]

ouch umm i was joking dude. i voted for max the cat. my girlfriend on the other hand voted for me. but thanks for the review anywho and i wanted to put a lead line there and a better bridge/outro but alas no time. ill give you a link after the remix and rerecord trust me it will be better.

[Poor June]

ouch umm i was joking dude. i voted for max the cat. my girlfriend on the other hand voted for me. but thanks for the review anywho

ok that's good... \m/... i'm just giving you a hard time... but honestly work on your tone... cause you have a decent voice from what i can hear... you just don't have a very strong tone direction...

[Rabid Garfunkel]

soylent spuds: and i didn't realize there would be so many political songs this week... but i should've since it is right after election week... the music is ok... i'm guessin' this is spud... all the sounds sound like samples... but i know that's not usually your style???... i don't know if you changed your mind... i'd love to know...
it's got some good ideas... but i'm not really feeling like the lyrics right now... cause i'm tired of hearing everyone bitch... but the music itself is pretty awesome... tops

Sorry man, music's j$ and vox/words are me

Edit: Solid fight. Nice.

[TVsKyle]

Josh Woodward- Good playing, a hook, good production... it's beggin for some weird Kevin Hearn organ stuff or something, but this might already have my vote. The night is still young, however...

Kelvinator- Very, very, very, very, very, very, very repetitious. Riffs weren't meant to be repeated that many times.

slowRodeo- I almost always hate guy-with-guitar songs. This is no exception. This reminds me of a Bjork song in that you appear to be singing an entirely different song than what you're playing.

The Miasmatics- Please turn the echo down on everything. There are some timing issues on the guitars. The drums might as well not be there. I get the impression that you're trying to do more complicated production than you're really capable of at this point. Work your way up to it.

Humbert- Those lyrics are hilarious! I like your sound once the song kicks in. If this had more of a hook going for it, I'd vote for it. It does run a bit long.

WreckdoM- If nothing else, I at least know I won't be bored when I click on that name. I love that little tune the guitar and organ are playing. If that was turned up and the vox were turned down, I this'd be a possible vote. Usually you guys don't stick on one song part this long. I kept waiting for part b.

Max le Chat- Guy with guitar. Well-recorded guy with guitar, with some beat and background vox there to hold my interest a little better than usual, but guy with guitar no less. Unless you're Elvis or Michael Nesmith and can kick the world's ass using only a guitar, I see no point.

The Soylent Spuds- I... don't understand why I don't hate this, but I sure as hell don't like it. Maybe you just used good samples. The Brak singing isn't helping.

Forty Second Songs- I'm relatively new here. Is FSS just accoustic Carol Cleveland Sings? I like this a lot. If it had a bass, I'd love it. Possible vote.

Erik Ostrom- This sounds neat, but the vocals are hard to hear over the higher-pitched guitar. I like the higher-pitched guitar, but maybe if that was played only when there isn't singing. Pretty damn good, but it seems to lose itself before once again regaining it's structure.

Silent E- I never get to say "too bass heavy" around here. It's too bass heavy. Why does the too-loud harmony vocal sound so much clearer than the rest of the song? Boring.

Pigpen- You still sound bored. I only like rap when the music in the background is really interesting like Pharcyde or Lynch.

Forty Second Songs gets'a the vote!

[Lunkhead]

Humbert, your song should be played at the next SongFight show in SF! It would be a blast to get everybody up singing along and jamming out on it at the end of the night or something.

[joshw]

Scoring Key: (Production, Performance, Song)

Fair warning: I'm listening on headphones. My production scores might be skewed. Not sure which direction.

Eric Ostrom (7, 7, 8)

Hey cool, nice to see you here! Some great rhymes here. The verse is good, a little repetitive, but intesting. The chorus, on the other hand, is great. There's something really haunting about it. The performance is shakier than the rest of what I've heard out of you - a little more conviction would help. You do a great job of cramming a lot of lyrics into phrases cleanly. Possible vote.

FSS (8, 8, 8)

Great chord progression. Really great. Nice accordion. Freaky background vocals, in a good way. I start drifting at the shooby-dos around 2:00, but the breakdown after it is great. As usual, very creative and well-done. Possible vote.

Humbert (9, 8, 7)

Heh, nice metasong concept. Musically rich. The simulation/stimulation part starts losing me with too much repetition, but the next verse saves it. Excellent production. Wow, the verses are so great, and the choruses are so not. I'm not sure about the interview part. I think I like it. This song could be a complete knockout with two things: a good chorus, and a minute or two cut out.

Kelvinator (7, 6, 6)

Nice guitar tones and good intro. I'd like to hear more energy behind the vocals. The music has a really powerful and sinister feel, but the vocals are missing juice. It's a good riff, but it's too repetitive. Wow, not just repetitive - that's the only thing in the song. This didn't make much of an impression on me.

Max the Cat (8, 9, 9)

Wow, you don't sound like you just drank a pot of coffee. ;-) Nice chops, nice voice. What tuning is that? Sounds like eEBEAbB or eEBEEB or something crazy like that. This is simply beautiful. This is completely up my alley. Musically beautiful, lyrically killer. Great harmonies. Wonderfully understated. Great "oohs" for the ending. This is one of the hands-down best songs I've heard on SongFight. Probable vote, unless someone really pulls it off.

Miasmatics (6, 7, 7)

Interesting intro. I'm starting to lose interest when the lyrics come in. Way too much reverb. It's really hard to understand with all of that, and the loud guitars. The song itself seems good, when I'm able to concentrate on it without getting distracted by everything going on. Pretty ending.

Pigpen (6, 7, 7)

Again, not too bad. You've got interesting music, and your rapping isn't terrible. You'd really benefit by getting better at recording. Get closer to your microphone, get a little more into it, and compress it. Use more of the stereo spectrum. Heh.. one piece of advice, you sure you want to think twice before announcing your intentions to assassinate the President on a public forum. This gal can tell you all about that.

Silent E (5, 6, 6)

The production is really bad, and the performance is lackluster. The song itself is pretty good. Unfortunately, by 1:30, the plodding pace is really starting to take its toll.

slowRodeo (6, 5, 5)

Plugged in acoustics are the root of all evil. Another song with bad production and lackluster performance. I like your lyrics, but the music is kinda boring. Very pitchy vox. Too long.

Soylent Spuds (7, 6, 5)

The music is kinda interesting. The lyrics are pretty bad.

Wreckdom (7, 6, 4)

I like the drumbeat, though I'm sure it came off a sample CD or something. The "vocals" are irritating and there's no way I'm going to make it through 4:53 of this. The singing part makes me wish that the other stuff will come back. Next.

Josh Woodward (me)

Production Notes


Wow, some great entries in this fight. Eric and FSS had excellent songs that would have won most fights, but Max raised the bar on this one. Meow.

[Rabid Garfunkel]

Really digging on Kelvinator's entry right now (Hundred Mile High City by Ocean Colour Scene, anyone?), and Josh Woodward's lyrics are pretty damned awesome too.

Reviews to follow, eventually. But those two (and our Soylent Spuds entry--be people or not!) are keeping me highly entertained through another long night at work.

[Poor June]

soylent spuds: and i didn't realize there would be so many political songs this week... but i should've since it is right after election week... the music is ok... i'm guessin' this is spud... all the sounds sound like samples... but i know that's not usually your style???... i don't know if you changed your mind... i'd love to know...
it's got some good ideas... but i'm not really feeling like the lyrics right now... cause i'm tired of hearing everyone bitch... but the music itself is pretty awesome... tops

Sorry man, music's j$ and vox/words are me

Edit: Solid fight. Nice.

ahh ok that's cool... i think it was the 'spuds' part of the name that got me... and i haven't been on readin' much lately so i probably missed any talk about that name...
y'all work pretty well together...

i do have a q for johnny... like lately seems like a lot of your songs have seemed more sampled... i don't know if they are or not... i was just curious... cause i know most of them used to sound like real instruments givin' maybe not every instrument... i'm just curious if you're changing up your style or what not?...

[Humbert]

Humbert, your song should be played at the next SongFight show in SF! It would be a blast to get everybody up singing along and jamming out on it at the end of the night or something.

Thanks, very nice of you to say so and good to hear from you! I'm trying to talk Zareen (of "the befores") into doing a few songs at some future songfight but it's all a bit vague at the moment.

[j$]

i do have a q for johnny... like lately seems like a lot of your songs have seemed more sampled... i don't know if they are or not... i was just curious... cause i know most of them used to sound like real instruments givin' maybe not every instrument... i'm just curious if you're changing up your style or what not?...

I don't really know what you're talking about, PJ. I own an acoustic guitar and that's it. *looks back at recent songfight entries* - Half a Stone (b'n'g), Shaving in the Dark (live guitar 'n' bass), bonjour mon ami (b'n'g), Shower Scene (entirely live apart from drum machine), Trailblazin' (punk guitar).

I have always used hits NOT loops. I.e. Every note you hear has been decided on and programmed by me. Usually i alter the tones as well to get it more how I want it to sound.

Possibly, my production is a little crisper so you can hear the individual elements better?

Whatever ...

j$

[SaxManRunning!]

alright, I've got 15 minutes here so chew on this.

Erikostrom: This is fairly good for a first shot. It's the same old songfight style that everyone seems to hang on but that's ok, Josh wins on it every week, they seem to like it around here. As soon as you get out of your depresion and put some energy into it I'll vote for you.

40Second Songs: Like always the lyrics leave me ina stupor but I don't honestly care. The bell kit you have happening is awesome, if that is what that is. The extra little noise makers hapening is one of the 2 things that makes 40 second songs the best. The entangelment of voices to bluntify things is what really does it though. I love this music you do Oooh Oooh Oooh, proving once again that singing doesn't need to be words to kick evryones ass.

Humbert: I listened to this, but then wondered why I wasted all the time, the lyrics are dry the song has already been done and here again my friends the only things I liked were the bells and maybe the piano. Bass is kinda muffeled. Background voices are off, no biggy.

JoshW: Your guitar riffs everyweek are about as creative as your title this week. I've lost my luster for your music, it was cool a while ago but now all I can find that I like is the lyrics, maybe some things are better changed now and then eh?

Klevinator: Wondering why the little thing at the beginning lasted more than 2 seconds. But anyway, intro was cool soon as lyrics happened I was uninterested. Fills and guitar riffs without vocals are nice, besides that it's repetitive to say the least, needs some energy on the whole singing, you know what, yell a little.

MAxTh3CAt: refer to my comments about ericostrom, besides the first shot thing, and this one is kinda quiet.

Miasmatics: Vocals are actually the right volume! good Job! Again intro and pulsing background on the organ was a nice touch but don't get too full of youself. Nothing exciting here... move along people.

pigpen: I hate rap and will spare you of reasons or thoughts on the matter.

silente: I didn't listen to more of 5 seconds of this... enough said.

slowrodeo: kinda Quiet eh?! Wait!!! Wait!!!! here it comes! is that... no still much much to quiet on vocals. the guitar riff is repetitive and boring, refer to max the cats comments to betterunderstand my meaning here.

soylentspuds: besides the weird "I am a liberal" guy singing this song isn't a bad mix of techno if that says anything. Look, techno isn't that impressive dance music is kinda good when techno is crazy and well, good for moshpits, this isn't. It's not even good for I don't know, making your neighbors hate you, er wait... it is.

wreckdom: As usual you've created a type of music that no-one would ever want to listen to ever, I'm not sure why either of you havent shot yourselves.

Harsh reviews? get over it! This was generally a bad fight. Props to 40second songs who kept me from smashing my face into my monitor screaming "OH Lord where has the talent gone! Where?!!?!?!?!?!111"

[Jim of Seattle]

Favorites in blue

<font color=blue>Erik Ostrom
Really great. The quiet breathy quality sounds like a technique used to mask weak singing rather than an artistic choice, but either way it's not a problem. I think if you'd let loose a little bit it would have been really satisfying. First song and already possible vote.</font>

Forty Second Songs
The combination of lightheartedness, ukulele and diminished passing chords makes you sound just like Carol Cleveland. For some reason this song doesn't gel together for me. The songwriting is all there, and the production is good, so I don't know why it's not doing anything for me. Maybe I'm just not in this song's mood. Oh well. But hey, good job.

Humbert
Geez, that simulation/stimulation thing isn't nearly as interesting as you seem to think it is. Over & over & over & over. Very grating. I'm not sure what your angle is with this song. Is it a parody, or a satire, or do you really mean it, or what? I don't get where you're coming from. I don't really care which it is, the problem is that I don't know from just hearing the song. The production and all is good. It's also way too long.

Josh Woodward
This song, like some of your others, is really crying out for a catchy hook. The chorus melody uses the same vocal range and melodic contours as the verses, which is one of the reasons it doesn't come out as catchy. I think that chorus should have some big musical variety. Longer note values, sung up an octave, large interval leaps in the tune, key change, time sig change, anything, to set it apart more as a chorus. This sounds a lot like your other songs and sort of washes over me in a very pleasant but frustratingly unobtrusive way.

Kelvinator
The exact same guitar riff is repeated throughout this entire song. It's not interesting enough for that. I appreciate your rockin energy, and the guitars are good, but there is just barely an actual song here. Way, way too repetitive.

Max the Cat
Pretty and sincere, I like that. Your arrangement and melody really showcases the vocal line, so the lyrics had darned well better hold my interest. Nice as they are, they don't really. So the song shines a bright spotlight on the lead vocal, but it ultimately isn't interesting enough to deserve that kind of attention. I also think it takes too long to get off that same chord.

Miasmatics
This is kind of nice. I like your instrumental arrangement. The piano is very cool, with that extra long decay. The guitar is a little fuzzy for the song, but the harmonica-like sound is nice. The vocals are out of character as well, and kind of destroy the RxW mood you're setting up. Songwriting-wise, it's a little spare, but not too bad.

Pigpen
I agree with your politics, but the rap is pretty weak, the rhymes are mostly forced, and the beats are just sort of so-so.

Silent E
I appreciate your sincerity, but the singing is too far off to allow me to get into it, and the tune you're trying to sing isn't particularly interesting.

Slow Rodeo
You need a lot more singing practice before you can pull off those long high sustained notes. There are other problems with lyrics and songwriting and recording, but you have to solve the vocal problem before anything else is going to work

<font color=blue>Soylent Spuds
This was fun. I like your assessment of the issues. That's fresh and fun, and I like the energy. This isn't great big beautiful music or anything, but I enjoyed it.</font>

WreckdoM
It's pointless to review this. It's like trying to tell a crust of bread that it doesn't taste enough like an apple.

[j$]

Look, techno isn't that impressive dance music is kinda good when techno is crazy and well, good for moshpits, this isn't.

This sentence is not quite making sense to me, but if it means what i think it does, that's cool. But don't assume that all fast electronic music is for dancing to.