Nur Ein XVI Round Two "Drag Me Around"

There can be only one.
User avatar
sailingmagpie
Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love
Posts: 48
Joined: Wed May 06, 2020 12:48 pm
Instruments: Guitar, Bass, Keys
Recording Method: Reaper
Submitting as: The Serviettes, chewmeupspitmeout
Pronouns: He/him

Re: Nur Ein XVI: Round Two "Drag Me Around"

Post by sailingmagpie »

I didn't get my shadow finished on time, so I'll try writing some reviews to erase the shame of my failure. :D
User avatar
crumpart
Ice Cream Man
Posts: 1123
Joined: Wed Aug 07, 2019 8:04 am
Instruments: Fuzz
Submitting as: Hot Pink Halo
Pronouns: She/her
Location: Laois, Ireland
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein XVI: Round Two "Drag Me Around"

Post by crumpart »

vowlvom wrote:
Mon May 31, 2021 2:04 am
I figured out that it was something to do with the line breaks in mine, rather than odd punctuation. I jigged it around in a plain text editor and that worked.
Ok, I've tried adjusting line breaks in a text editor, I've tried deleting all apostrophes, and I'm getting nothing.

When I copy and pasted just the liner notes section, which I'd originally typed in the box here, that seemed to work in the preview. Then when I hand typed the lyrics underneath then copied and pasted the chorus from that, I got an error.

I tried just typing the whole lyrics themselves after that, and still got an error.

I'm starting to think a robot has a grudge against my song.
Devil’s got me Lindt! Devil’s got me Lindt!
User avatar
vowlvom
Ice Cream Man
Posts: 1091
Joined: Wed May 17, 2017 3:29 am
Instruments: guitar, keys, "other"
Recording Method: PC, reaper, ableton
Submitting as: Vowl Sounds, Vom Vorton
Pronouns: he/him
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein XVI: Round Two "Drag Me Around"

Post by vowlvom »

Very odd. My original workaround was going to be saving the lyrics to a text file and adding it as an attachment, so you could try that? Or screenshot them and post it as an image?
User avatar
Lucky Spoon
Somebody Get Me A Doctor
Posts: 148
Joined: Fri Feb 20, 2009 3:48 pm
Instruments: B-b-b-b-bass
Recording Method: Alesis io|26, Reaper, Rode NT, Pixies
Submitting as: Lucky Spoon, Rabbit vs Table
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein XVI: Round Two "Drag Me Around"

Post by Lucky Spoon »

Sorry all. Just too busy a weekend.

My song was gonna be about rabbits from the fantasy ceiling world in a action 80s cartoon intro style.
Apollo14... Keeping mooses safe since 1992. Full album here

Sneaky Bear Music Video - He's just a #SneakyBear
User avatar
Geoff WreckdoM
Mean Street
Posts: 540
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 12:13 pm
Instruments: Theremin
Recording Method: Pabst Blue Ribbon
Location: Awestin, TX
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein XVI: Round Two "Drag Me Around"

Post by Geoff WreckdoM »

I admit I wasn't thrilled about the challenge for this title, but now that we're on the other side of it I am instead grateful for it, how it inspired us, and I'm really quite pleased with our work and how it ties our first two songs together. Yeah, any given Sunday and all that, but I don't really have delusions what'll happen after this next round of voting. Despite that, I know I'll always be pleased with these three songs and revisit them fondly. 2021 has proved to be a fun and productive year for WreckdoM. Best of luck to everybody that doesn't sing/talk, what an enlightened world you must live in. ;)
"perhaps the most offensive and disturbing image I've ever heard in a song" - Hans Gruber
User avatar
vowlvom
Ice Cream Man
Posts: 1091
Joined: Wed May 17, 2017 3:29 am
Instruments: guitar, keys, "other"
Recording Method: PC, reaper, ableton
Submitting as: Vowl Sounds, Vom Vorton
Pronouns: he/him
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein XVI: Round Two "Drag Me Around"

Post by vowlvom »

crumpart wrote:
Mon May 31, 2021 4:22 am
I tried just typing the whole lyrics themselves after that, and still got an error.
yep, just out of curiosity I copied out your lyric directly into the "post a reply" box from your image, and got the error too.

so weird!
User avatar
seemanski
Somebody Get Me A Doctor
Posts: 136
Joined: Sun May 10, 2020 12:54 pm
Instruments: Guitars
Recording Method: Reaper
Submitting as: seemanski
Pronouns: he/him
Location: Sheffield
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein XVI: Round Two "Drag Me Around"

Post by seemanski »

vowlvom wrote:
Tue Jun 01, 2021 4:39 am
crumpart wrote:
Mon May 31, 2021 4:22 am
I tried just typing the whole lyrics themselves after that, and still got an error.
yep, just out of curiosity I copied out your lyric directly into the "post a reply" box from your image, and got the error too.

so weird!
I had the same issue, I had to remove a single word from my lyrics to make it work. I had to type line by line and keep saving until it blew up to find the word to remove. Your challenge if you choose to accept it is to find out what I had to omit :P.

The geek in me switched on the network tab to found out the request was a teapot, that is the first time I have ever seen the https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/doc ... Status/418 status code used
User avatar
vowlvom
Ice Cream Man
Posts: 1091
Joined: Wed May 17, 2017 3:29 am
Instruments: guitar, keys, "other"
Recording Method: PC, reaper, ableton
Submitting as: Vowl Sounds, Vom Vorton
Pronouns: he/him
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein XVI: Round Two "Drag Me Around"

Post by vowlvom »

In testing with crumpart's lyric, I got it so I could break or fix it by adding or removing the word "the".
User avatar
WreckdoMelle
Push Comes to Shove
Posts: 359
Joined: Tue May 01, 2012 5:18 am
Instruments: Gibson SG, clarinet, tuba, bass guitar, baritone horn, mandolin, vox, sax (sorta)
Recording Method: Bitwig Studio
Submitting as: Brown Word and the Big Whine, sometimes WreckdoM
Pronouns: she/her
Location: Austin, TX
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein XVI: Round Two "Drag Me Around"

Post by WreckdoMelle »

seemanski wrote:
Tue Jun 01, 2021 4:43 am

The geek in me switched on the network tab to found out the request was a teapot, that is the first time I have ever seen the https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/doc ... Status/418 status code used
I have always wanted to use that somewhere. Why throw a 500 or a 404 with a helpful error? Swap in a teapot.
Brown Word and the Big Whine on Bandcamp:
http://brownwordandthebigwhine.bandcamp.com
User avatar
Lunkhead
You're No Good
Posts: 8107
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 12:14 pm
Instruments: many
Recording Method: cubase/mac/tascam4x4
Submitting as: Berkeley Social Scene, Merisan, Tiny Robots
Pronouns: he/him
Location: Berkeley, CA
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein XVI: Round Two "Drag Me Around"

Post by Lunkhead »

Ooh, thanks for the tip about the 418 response, see-man-ski. That lead put me on a path to investigate something specific.
User avatar
crumpart
Ice Cream Man
Posts: 1123
Joined: Wed Aug 07, 2019 8:04 am
Instruments: Fuzz
Submitting as: Hot Pink Halo
Pronouns: She/her
Location: Laois, Ireland
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein XVI: Round Two "Drag Me Around"

Post by crumpart »

vowlvom wrote:
Tue Jun 01, 2021 7:14 am
In testing with crumpart's lyric, I got it so I could break or fix it by adding or removing the word "the".
French for "tea", give or take an accent. Something something teapot error.
Devil’s got me Lindt! Devil’s got me Lindt!
User avatar
BoffoYux
Panama
Posts: 908
Joined: Tue Jan 11, 2011 9:22 pm
Instruments: Keys, Clunking, SFX and Strings
Recording Method: Audacity, Adobe, and other 'A' titled software
Submitting as: Boffo Yux Dudes
Location: New England
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein XVI: Round Two "Drag Me Around"

Post by BoffoYux »

A heads up for people who like to read the chats of the Listening Parties.

Last night, it appears one of the post show songs had a 10 second sample of 'Muskrat Love' that blocks the replay Down Under.

Blocked countries: Australia, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Cook Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, New Zealand, Niue, Norfolk Island, Tokelau.

Normally, I'd just trim the audio out and move on, but that will delete the chats.

So If you're interested in what everyone said about your tune in the chat logs, check it out sooner than later. I'll eventually trim it so everyone can watch it, but I'd like you to be able to see the log before I do that.

Last night's LP happened here. Thanks for dropping by!



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMOKCjd3p5E
User avatar
crumpart
Ice Cream Man
Posts: 1123
Joined: Wed Aug 07, 2019 8:04 am
Instruments: Fuzz
Submitting as: Hot Pink Halo
Pronouns: She/her
Location: Laois, Ireland
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein XVI: Round Two "Drag Me Around"

Post by crumpart »

Thanks for the heads up!
Devil’s got me Lindt! Devil’s got me Lindt!
User avatar
Lucky Spoon
Somebody Get Me A Doctor
Posts: 148
Joined: Fri Feb 20, 2009 3:48 pm
Instruments: B-b-b-b-bass
Recording Method: Alesis io|26, Reaper, Rode NT, Pixies
Submitting as: Lucky Spoon, Rabbit vs Table
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein XVI: Round Two "Drag Me Around"

Post by Lucky Spoon »

Cybronica wrote:
Sun May 30, 2021 10:27 pm
Aww, I was looking forward to the bunnies going on a grand ceiling adventure! Sorry to see you go, Lucky Spoon.
I just noticed you totally called it!

Unfortunately, the rabbits suddenly started fighting after my wife's family left town (maybe bored and lonely after having a house full of screaming kids all weekend? They really love kids). They are separated until we can sort things out and we are very sad.

Poor rabbits.

(I blame the judges)
Apollo14... Keeping mooses safe since 1992. Full album here

Sneaky Bear Music Video - He's just a #SneakyBear
User avatar
Niveous
Beat It
Posts: 7177
Joined: Mon Sep 27, 2004 6:45 am
Instruments: vocals, songwriting, guitar
Submitting as: Lucky Witch and the Righteous Ghost
Pronouns: He/him
Location: Staten Island, NY
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein XVI: Round Two "Drag Me Around"

Post by Niveous »

We are in the midst of a judging situation similar to last week, except it also included a motorcycle accident. (He's okay!) I'll keep you posted on what's going on in terms of the scores. For now, to keep you all entertained here's reviews...a whole mess of them.

Here we go again. I'm going to attempt to barrel through a whole lot of reviews while sitting here teleworking. I'm going to be listening to each artist's three songs and writing as I go. I'll be listening in Semiprecious/DMA/Pareidolia order as was always intended. I wrote all of these on my phone, so autocorrect may have cursed my work (Niv in the future writes- it's nearly 1AM, I'm not proofreading. Just be happy, it's not just one big paragraph.)

Moss Palace:
Erin starts off with a good amount of vocal and lyrical snarl. That first verse does a great job of setting the atmosphere. The guitar is killer and this is a very strong tune overall. The transition to DMA is a little wonky and I feel it could have been an easy one but I can hear the lyrical bridge so the challenge is definitely met. Another really strong guitar performance. Stand alone, the song is okay. It's got some Doors vibes about I feel like it never goes anywhere. I guess since it's transitional, that's okay. It works as the second part of a suite. Good transition to Pareidolia. I think this may be my favorite of the three with the subtle harmonies. There's a ghost story vibe to the whole thing. Moss Palace has done a great job making a three song suite. This is well done.

Heid:
I like the sparse arrangement as it grows in Semiprecious. "Walking Home Again" makes for a good little hook. There's a feeling of crescendo as this builds to the end. The bigger drums of DMA are a little jarring in the transition but the link is there. I like some of the elements in there that pop up unexpectedly. I would listen to SemiP 9 times out of 10 over DMA but it does have some charm. The "What have I done" is a good transition into the tender piano of Pareidolia. The whole suite feel is there so challenge met. Pareidolia is an okay song but the struggle with handling a word like Pareidolia in the lyrics is evident. It's better as it goes along. It took the lyric a little while to get going from more than just reiterating what pareidolia is. Good suite overall. Looking forward to hearing more Heid.

Balance Lost:
The synths on Semiprecious are so good and the way it dances along that funky drum beat makes this a great song. I don't know what that extra long second chorus added to the song. I preferred it when it happened at the end. It had greater heft. Still I enjoyed that song along. If you crossfire the end of SemiP to DMA here, it works for the transition. I feel like this song gives me the wrong ratio of things I want. I like the chorus a lot and the verses kind of drag. No bridge here instead you get an outro that makes an awkward lead into Pareidolia. Instead of hinting the train announcement, it hints the riff, so it tumbles. The challenge is met but the execution is awkward. I see what BL was trying though. This works with some manipulation. Pareidolia is a fun song. I like the back and forth in the riff. There's a little 2000s emo hidden in the DNA of this and I enjoy it. Solid suite. SemiP is the star and DMA was a definite drop in strength but it's still solid overall.

Budget Bears
Semiprecious was already going to win me over by 1) sounding like it could've been done by Sports Team, and 2) using the phrase "throwing his toys out of the pram". I love little bits of British slang like that (I watched way too much Love Island during the lockdown). It's a fun fun fun song and has a lot of replay value. Perfect transition to DMA. Another fun song to bop around too. Again, it has that Sports Team thing (without all the pretentiousness). Great chorus. Using the different meanings of drag was a smart choice. Nice transition. The suite comes together well. Challenge met. Damn. I really enjoy this trio of songs. I can foresee listening to this more in the future. There's a little 80's feel to Pareidolia that I'm enjoying. Like it could've been done by Loverboy or the Romantics. It's a great song and all together Budget Bears has done a superb job pulling all three rounds into one.

(Ends up taking massive break due to my dreadful job, the WWE doing another mass firing that my friends could not stop texting about, and a driving lesson…)

Max Bombast:
Time to feed my Muse fix without listening to Muse. Great bass on Semiprecious. I have been enjoying this song for the musicianship. It's well played and well performed, but I forget the song after it's over. The hook just isn't grabbing me. The transition is there. DMA still feels like a very separate song. I enjoy MB bringing the head voice. Almost disappointed that he didn't keep it throughout the song, or made the song like a duet between the very distinct two voices instead of the chest voice just taking over. Then the song just kinda ends. That was unfortunate. Then comes Pareidolia (with a solid transition- challenge passed). I am not a fan of the chorus. I like all the weirdness in the field recordings. This is the worst of the three. I enjoy a punk turn. (LWRG is used to me taking our ballads and turning them punk at band rehearsals.) The punk bit is my favorite part. All in all, the suite was okay. It went downhill from a strong track to a transition to a weak track.

Crown Shy:
Okay, let me just say this once and get it over with- Owl's vocals are great. All three songs. It's Owl's strength and one should play to their strengths. Semiprecious is a good song but bitcrushing is a hard sound to wrangle. You either need to use it sparingly or drown the mix in it. This lands in bitcrush limbo and it suffers. The lyrics are very good. Make me think of when my grandma was dying and no one told her my uncle died. Onto DMA and there was no transition sonically. I enjoy this song, it's got some Luscious Jackson vibes. Ah, there is a lyrical bridge so that works. The guitar solo needs a little something but all in all, I like this song a lot. Then comes Pareidolia which gives me Beabadoobee bedroom recording vibes. The song is overflowing with charm but doesn't become twee. This has Sunday brunch vibes...if it wasn't for the lyrics. Like if you didn't pay attention, you could get fooled. It's just an illusion! Crown Shy did a great job on the suite but after Message Received, that shouldn't surprise me. I love a good concept album.

BSS:
When I think concept album, I think BSS (I wrote 5 of them with the band, including the wonderful "Suntory Time" based on the movies of Bill Murray which you should all check out on Bandcamp). Semiprecious is okay. I can appreciate the quirky take, going with Silence of the Lambs. There is nothing in this that stands out. It doesn't have a great hook. It has solid playing but no bits that I latched onto. No real transition into DMA but the lyrical bridge is there. The chorus sits kinda flat especially when it's mostly just repetitions of one line. It needed more oomph. Definitely could've user a better chorus. Hmmm, I'm struggling to get a strong link to Pareidolia. All the songs feel unified because the BSS has a very distinct sound. Pareidolia is definitely the best of the three. Ken killing it on the drums. I like the spoken word bit though the "I think he’s dangerous" has the "Oh hai Mark" delivery. Still, I like that bit a lot and it made for a good use of the field recordings. While I didn't like Semiprecious or DMA that much, I do find myself intrigued as if this was a whole story, so I guess it worked as a suite.

Ever Keneivel
My autocorrect is hating that name so "EK" from here on. I did a full review of this one a few days back before my job became a misery machine so you can look back at that one, but I still hold on to the view that this is a late 90's jam that would make Frank Farian salivate. DMA has more of that vibe. I just wanna dub these EK songs over old music videos! I played this song and watched LFO's "Summer Girls" and it went really well. So, this song is really winning me over with the nostalgia vibes with a little Rex Orange County in the mix. Transitions well into Pareidolia (challenge met). Doesn't hit that nostalgic sweet spot which is a shame because I was hoping to mix this one with "Candy Rain" by Soul For Real. It's got good atmosphere for a song full of paranoia. Why does "23rd of the month" work so well? The line just hits. Not the best song as it's a song that doesn't stick with me. I couldn’t sing it back if you paid me and I've listened to it many times. Still I like all 3 songs in the suite and I'm curious to hear more from EK.

WreckdoM
Great sample to start off Semiprecious. I can get into the groove of the verses of the song. The chorus feels like a not so good pre-chorus leading into a nothing chorus. Lyrically, this does nothing for me. Is this what phoned in WreckdoM sounds like? Good transition into DMA. Now this is more like it. Interesting decision to go lower on the pre-chorus. I like the horns in the mix. I enjoy this one. Not a great transition to Pareidolia. I like the fuzzy crybaby sound and the affected vocals. There are moments where the vocals get a little loosey goosey and fall off the beat. Musically, I'm in. Vocally, I could be convinced. Lyrically, a little less enthusiastic except for that pile of dirt line which was pure gold. 2 out of 3 on the suite.

Grumpy Mike
A very interesting take on the title Semiprecious. I dig the synth bass under the arpeggiated riff. As someone with an incomplete collection of New Mutants comics, I hate the person in this song. All in all, it's decent but short song. Great transition to DMA. Hate the horn choice. There has got to be a better virtual instrument out there. I have no idea what the chorus is saying. "Fit Bit"? Wait, is he saying "They've been"? But why on earth would you emphasize those words so strongly. That's weird and doesn't work with me. Good transition to Pareidolia. The synths are very hyperpop at times. This is a great little pop song. The wannabe Primitive Radio Gods bit gets a little grating after a while but that's nitpicking when this is just a fun take on Pareidolia. The suite is there. Challenge pass. Pareidolia is my fave of the three by a country mile. DMA is the lowest scorer.

Brown Word and the Big Whine
The chorus is what makes Semiprecious work. I enjoy that a lot. It's got a little old timey twist and I love the background vocal. The bridge is lyrically nothing. I could do without that. But I can listen to that vocal interplay all day. Perfect transition to DMA. I like the verses much more the choruses of this one. Just doesn't hook me at all. I do enjoy the rumble of the bass but this one didn't come together for me. Easy transition into Pareidolia. The vocal isn't as strong for me on this one. There are moments where I feel like it sounds as if the singing is done through a pinched nose. The song is okay. I find it a bit toothless. The suite is here so challenge passed. SemiP is far and beyond my face. I could take or leave the other two.

Mandibles
Starts off with the big ol' epic of Semiprecious. This song is killer. It has a good build. The composition is solid. The ending with all the vamps is just the best. In fact, this may be my favorite Mandibles song.. Screw indecision. This is my favorite Mandibles song. If I get a chance to see another Mandibles live show, I will be singing along in a ridiculous fashion- "You're not a diamond!". Sonically, I don't get the transition to DMA but I can get it lyrically. I'm not big on this one. It's got a touch of country, a touch of 60's folk but neither hits. Passionate singing of "Benefits, Health Care, and Dental", I'm not on board with. This is an okay song but I wouldn't listen to it if it weren't for my job as a judge. So putting DMA in front of Pareidolia makes it that jobs drive you crazy. I'm sorry but this is the antithesis of Semiprecious for me. I don't enjoy this soporific song at all. It doesn't spark emotion for me. I couldn’t enjoy the music. This is all wrong for me. The suite is kinda there. I can link SemiP to DMA but it gets harder to do with Pareidolia.

Governing Dynamics
All the 90's tracks you love are here on one song. I kinda wanna Dark Side of the Floyd this suite with the movie Can't Hardly Wait. Semiprecious is a good tune. The chorus hits and the nostalgic tones are working in a positive way. Wish that guitar solo at the end was allowed to wail while the vocals pulled back. No sonic transition (that would've been easy) to DMA. I'm getting some serious Goo Goo Dolls vibes out of this one. This really works well to soundtrack Can't Hardly Wait...I was being facetious at first but with the right cut of the film, this suite of songs would kill. I just had DMA on in the background of the scene where Amanda and Mike get into the fight at the party and it fit. DMA is not setting my world on fire but I would have this on when I'm driving around and I would enjoy the heck out of it. The transition is there to Pareidolia. Different rock vibe. There are moments where the vocal feels like it's fighting against the beat and that's not enjoyable. And the chorus feels like a poor take on "Muscle Museum" by Muse. This whole song is kind of a miss with me. I can't get into the verses. The suite is weak but it's there if I squint my eyes.

Nick Soma
I enjoy the dark tone of Semiprecious. I think this is a song I could find myself coming back to. It fits into my regular listening patterns. I like the choral background vocal and how it hangs. There is something Middle Eastern in the mix too that I'm digging. Good ending too. Transition to DMA is solid and immediately this is related to SemiP but how do we get to Pareidolia? Divorced from SemiP, I'm not that into DMA. It's okay but nothing is hooking me. If some asked me what the chorus of that song was, I would have no idea. But I can hear where it transitions to Pareidolia. And now to the theme song for my favorite new CW song about teen detectives who can see Ghosts, Pareidolia. I like this song way too much. It's just so jaunty and it's got so much charm. The bridge is so good. It's one of those songs that I don't wanna nitpick because I'm too busy enjoying it. Suite executed. Pareidolia is my jam.

Hot Pink Halo
Semiprecious has a dream pop vibe that I enjoy. It feels like it could've been done by Cocteau Twins or at least it fits on college radio in 1989. I could've used some more bass in the mix to create more of a wall of sound. There are little twinklies in the mix that don't get a chance to shine too. Overall, I dig this one. Musically, I don't get much transition to DMA but I know it's in the lyrics. The vocals aren't the strongest but they're passable. There are just a few note choices in the vocal that could've hit better. And this is much more a song called Aquamarine than it could be a song called Drag Me Around. I'm struggling to get the link to Pareidolia. There's something there though. I would have to dig harder. This song is okay. Like a well-placed expletive in a lyric. The field recording comes out of nowhere and was a bit jarring like someone walked into the room and did a Dick Van Dyke partially.

The Lowest Bitter
I already did a whole review of SemiP earlier so you can review that one and see how I just wasn't into the synth riff and how it sat in the mix. All in all, this felt like an Of Montreal b-side that I just wasn't that into. Thankfully that synth bass did not transfer into DMA, though I'm a bit unsure of the transition. I think I'm getting to the point where I can make up a link between the songs if I want to. Hey TLB, give Grumpy Mike a heads up to where you got that horn. This song has some charm to it. There are moments where I what more out of it like a more dynamic performance and it kinda stays flatline. But it's a decent song overall. Now to the waltzy Pareidolia. I know that the verses aren't a waltz but there's something in the feel. I like when the chorus comes in. It's kind of like two different songs patchworked together. The first half is a little bland and the second half does a heavy lift to make this song good. I don't know if I get the suite here but I didn't hate the ride.

Third Cat
The vocal on Semiprecious keeps me from loving it. Imagine if there was some soul in that vocal, how it would be able to carry that lyric. It doesn't even have to be full R&B soul, even Phil Collins soul got make it work. That missing vocal performance is holding this back. I feel like the potential is there. Transition is there into DMA. I didn’t expect where the drums went and that was enjoyable. Up until the guitar solo hits, I was just going with the flow absentmindedly. And the song ends soon after that so that's not good. It basically struggled to keep my interest. Onto Pareidolia and a bit of country twang to the verse. Hmmm. I heard the chorus and wished it was a pre-chorus. It definitely lacks a hook that brings me in. It was just okay over all. There's some experimentation happening all over these songs and I enjoy that but I need some good hooks or something to keep my interests.

Cavedwellers
Fuck almost missed this one completely thanks to all the mixed musical DNA found in this Nur Ein. I was like didn't I already hear Lee...Fuck, I forgot there's double the Lee (and Glennny). The verses are okay on Semiprecious. Not too big on the chorus. There's nothing very interesting happening there. I would've rather had Lee vocals throughout as Glennny brings the weaker voice on the bridge. The song is okay overall. Couldn't have gone from the chime ending of SemiP into DMA? DMA is kinda all over the place. It feels like a song from a weird musical. Like take all the moves from American Idiot but set it at a Detroit factory. There's some charm here. I can see myself watching this musical hypothetical musical but I wouldn't pay full price. Like I'd be at TKTS and if I saw I could pick up a ticket on a whim, sure. Oh, we're at Pareidolia now. This is the hit of the three, even if the chorus is not doing anything for me. The verses with the field recording is doing the heavy lift. This might as well have not had a chorus at all. No, actually it needs a far better chorus. And ugh, the heavy heavy handed bridge is just lyrically bad. I enjoy the synths that follow. It's the best part of the song, which was an okay song overall. Passes the challenge. The whole thing was decent but not my fave.

see-man-ski
This brings me straight back to the days of Abominominous in the Nur Ein. That's a positive. I like the snarl in the chorus and the guitar tone is enjoyable. There's a steely jangle to the whole thing that I can't get behind but overall I do dig this one a fair amount. I also wish the drums had a little more oomph. Not the most satisfying transition into DMA. I like the performance of the vocals. There's some energy in it and it transfers well. Interesting guitar tone as well, curious to how you got that sound. The "so-I-say" was well placed. This is quite enjoyable. Well done. No real transition to Pareidolia. Hmmm. Not getting the challenge aspects. The verse and chorus of Pareidolia feel very disconnected at first. The keys bring them together the second time around but the first time, the chorus stood out like a sore thumb. There's nothing really hooking me on this one but there's nothing offending me except a couple of oh's. Still not connecting the dots between the songs here.

I'll review the shadows tomorrow, especially since I hear that Virgo Power might have one to add to the mix. I say that as if I don't know she's recording two rooms away.
"I'd like to see 1984 redubbed with this in the soundtrack."- Furrypedro.
NUR EIN!
X-Tokyo
Lucky Witch and the Righteous Ghost
User avatar
furrypedro
Ice Cream Man
Posts: 1265
Joined: Mon Nov 07, 2005 12:06 pm
Instruments: Guitar, programming
Recording Method: Cubase, Reason
Submitting as: Balance Lost
Location: Kyoto
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein XVI: Round Two "Drag Me Around"

Post by furrypedro »

Niveous wrote:
Wed Jun 02, 2021 9:55 pm
I'll be listening in Semiprecious/DMA/Pareidolia order as was always intended.
What?! That order was never specified was it?
As the bookends on my song pretty clearly imply my song order was Pareidolia/DMA/Semiprecious, which meets the wording of the challenge the way I read it. I'll be pretty bummed out if I get docked points for my interpretation. Of course, if it was explicitly stated anywhere on this forum I take it all back.
User avatar
Adam!
Ice Cream Man
Posts: 1425
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 11:10 am
Instruments: Drum 'n' Bass (but not THAT Drum 'n' Bass)
Recording Method: Reaper + Stock Plugins
Submitting as: Max Bombast
Pronouns: he/him
Location: Victoria, BC, AwesomeLand
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein XVI: Round Two "Drag Me Around"

Post by Adam! »

Come watch Max Bombast drag himself around:
User avatar
crumpart
Ice Cream Man
Posts: 1123
Joined: Wed Aug 07, 2019 8:04 am
Instruments: Fuzz
Submitting as: Hot Pink Halo
Pronouns: She/her
Location: Laois, Ireland
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein XVI: Round Two "Drag Me Around"

Post by crumpart »

Niveous wrote:
Wed Jun 02, 2021 9:55 pm
Hot Pink Halo
Semiprecious has a dream pop vibe that I enjoy. It feels like it could've been done by Cocteau Twins or at least it fits on college radio in 1989. I could've used some more bass in the mix to create more of a wall of sound. There are little twinklies in the mix that don't get a chance to shine too. Overall, I dig this one. Musically, I don't get much transition to DMA but I know it's in the lyrics. The vocals aren't the strongest but they're passable. There are just a few note choices in the vocal that could've hit better. And this is much more a song called Aquamarine than it could be a song called Drag Me Around. I'm struggling to get the link to Pareidolia. There's something there though. I would have to dig harder. This song is okay. Like a well-placed expletive in a lyric. The field recording comes out of nowhere and was a bit jarring like someone walked into the room and did a Dick Van Dyke partially.
Thanks for reviews! I explained how I approached the bridging in liner notes over in the lyric thread, but I know not everyone reads those. My first song was about the semiprecious blue pigment Lapis Lazuli, and specifically about Brett Whiteley's painting Big Orange Sunset (1974), which is a landscape painting of Lavender Bay in Sydney Harbour. My second song was about my experience of emigrating from Australia to Ireland four years ago, and the subsequent decline of a close friendship. When I lived in Australia, I worked at an art supply shop with that friend (the field recording is audio of that person as we were clearing everything out of our old shop just before I left Australia, and moving it into a new shop. It’s a set of shelves falling apart as it was pushed down the stairs. Kind of a metaphor for the friendship… It’s one of the few pieces of audio I have from that person.) My parting gift from the shop, chosen by that person, was a Raphael paintbrush "treasure chest" and a set of oil paints. Those details aren’t all spelled out in the Pareidolia song, but it was such a strong connection for me that making something up instead to more obviously fit the challenge would have been much more of a stretch.

The one colour in that paint set that I didn't already have was Ultramarine, so that's the tube that's seen the most action so far. Ultramarine is the synthetic version of Lapis Lazuli. In the semiprecious song, my chorus referenced three colours: orange, lavender and lapis lazuli (blue). In this one, I reflected that by building this chorus around red, green and ultramarine (blue). To spell it out, the red references Australia and its red earth and the green is Ireland, because, you know. It's not called the "Emerald Isle" for nothing. Ultramarine references the literal tube of paint from my gift, but also the oceans and distance between the two countries, and was an attempt to build on the motif of the sea that was set up in the semiprecious song. The reference to a tube dragging me around is both about the tube of paint and the aeroplane that took me to the other side of the world. Musically, Semiprecious was in E major and Pareidolia was in G major, so this song starts in E and moves to G. They were also both built around the I, IV and V chords, so this song continues in that tradition. There are some other musical references as well, but those are the main ones.

As far as titles go, I prefer to use the title of the round in the song, but not necessarily as the title. I know some people see it differently, but I’d rather use it and make it feel appropriately part of the song than give it the main focus. Depends on the song, obviously, but it wouldn’t have been the right approach for this one, for me.
Devil’s got me Lindt! Devil’s got me Lindt!
User avatar
seemanski
Somebody Get Me A Doctor
Posts: 136
Joined: Sun May 10, 2020 12:54 pm
Instruments: Guitars
Recording Method: Reaper
Submitting as: seemanski
Pronouns: he/him
Location: Sheffield
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein XVI: Round Two "Drag Me Around"

Post by seemanski »

Niveous wrote:
Wed Jun 02, 2021 9:55 pm
see-man-ski
This brings me straight back to the days of Abominominous in the Nur Ein. That's a positive. I like the snarl in the chorus and the guitar tone is enjoyable. There's a steely jangle to the whole thing that I can't get behind but overall I do dig this one a fair amount. I also wish the drums had a little more oomph. Not the most satisfying transition into DMA. I like the performance of the vocals. There's some energy in it and it transfers well. Interesting guitar tone as well, curious to how you got that sound. The "so-I-say" was well placed. This is quite enjoyable. Well done. No real transition to Pareidolia. Hmmm. Not getting the challenge aspects. The verse and chorus of Pareidolia feel very disconnected at first. The keys bring them together the second time around but the first time, the chorus stood out like a sore thumb. There's nothing really hooking me on this one but there's nothing offending me except a couple of oh's. Still not connecting the dots between the songs here.
Thanks for the review, FWIW I'll attempt to join the dots for you. My idea was that my semiprecious song was about throwing wealth away and pareidiolia was about a kidnapper see the face of his victims in other people. The bridge is that the kidnapper has been caught by the fuzz after throwing away all his money and is being dragged away to face his pending doom, put me down was an attempt at suggesting the death penalty.

Thanks again for the reviews and that goes to all the judges, it's fascinating seeing your incite and being able to learn from it.
User avatar
Niveous
Beat It
Posts: 7177
Joined: Mon Sep 27, 2004 6:45 am
Instruments: vocals, songwriting, guitar
Submitting as: Lucky Witch and the Righteous Ghost
Pronouns: He/him
Location: Staten Island, NY
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein XVI: Round Two "Drag Me Around"

Post by Niveous »

furrypedro wrote:
Wed Jun 02, 2021 10:35 pm
Niveous wrote:
Wed Jun 02, 2021 9:55 pm
I'll be listening in Semiprecious/DMA/Pareidolia order as was always intended.
What?! That order was never specified was it?
As the bookends on my song pretty clearly imply my song order was Pareidolia/DMA/Semiprecious, which meets the wording of the challenge the way I read it. I'll be pretty bummed out if I get docked points for my interpretation. Of course, if it was explicitly stated anywhere on this forum I take it all back.
Hmmm. I never thought the order was that way but you weren't docked by me at all so you're good.
"I'd like to see 1984 redubbed with this in the soundtrack."- Furrypedro.
NUR EIN!
X-Tokyo
Lucky Witch and the Righteous Ghost
User avatar
furrypedro
Ice Cream Man
Posts: 1265
Joined: Mon Nov 07, 2005 12:06 pm
Instruments: Guitar, programming
Recording Method: Cubase, Reason
Submitting as: Balance Lost
Location: Kyoto
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein XVI: Round Two "Drag Me Around"

Post by furrypedro »

Good to know. Thanks Niv

Also cheers for the feedback on the songs. I agree with you about my verses dragging a bit. Might need to go back and edit it.
User avatar
Lucky Spoon
Somebody Get Me A Doctor
Posts: 148
Joined: Fri Feb 20, 2009 3:48 pm
Instruments: B-b-b-b-bass
Recording Method: Alesis io|26, Reaper, Rode NT, Pixies
Submitting as: Lucky Spoon, Rabbit vs Table
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein XVI: Round Two "Drag Me Around"

Post by Lucky Spoon »

Adam! wrote:
Wed Jun 02, 2021 10:51 pm
Come watch Max Bombast drag himself around:
As always, thanks so much for these videos, max! They're just so inspirational to me to watch someone else go through the process.
Apollo14... Keeping mooses safe since 1992. Full album here

Sneaky Bear Music Video - He's just a #SneakyBear
Post Reply