The Song Fight Bulletin Board

Happy new year, ya dinguses!

Late entry added.

Wot, no reviews? Scandalous! I'll make the first move, then.

Berkeley Social Scene

Cool guitars. Vocal sounds a bit strained at times. This is not exactly my cup of tea, unfortunately, as I tend to dislike songs in 6/8 time, especially as this reminds me a bit of '50s/early '60s music in the vein of Sam Cooke or Paul Anka (with a bit more rock, though), which I don't care much for. Still, OK song.

Cornfield

A bit unfocused. But there's some potential there, especially in the vocals. With a voice like this one, I'd love to hear you do an Eels or Magnetic Fields cover, which I'm convinced you could pull off very well.

Glenn Case

I like this. Everything sounds so smooth, it all blends together nicely. Some good vocal harmonies, too. This song is perfect the way it is, no adjustments needed. Vote.

MENBAH!

Nice vocal. Out of all the entries, this is probably closest to the original Auld Lang Syne song. [EDIT: OK, Paco used even more of that melody.] There's not enough going on here to keep me interested after about a minute or two. It has more of a demo feel to it. Not a bad demo, though.

Nick Soma

The über-misanthropic character in my song is based on my father, just in case you wonder. I experimented with vocal harmony before (e.g. "Lost Weekend"), but I didn't employ it very often. For this song, I decided to incorporate more elaborated harmony vocals throughout the whole track. I like the results. So, here's a vote for myself. Yay!

Paco del Stinko

Fun, bouncy song. Theme and variations, in a way. I like the way you took the traditional tune and made it your own. Plus, it has great bass. Vote.

WreckdoM

This doesn't sound like much of a song. The glitchy beats are interesting, though, plus it uses tuba (that's a tuba, right? It sure sounds like it), which is a huge plus in my book. I don't like the track enough to vote for it (sorry), though I really, really enjoy the tuba. And the weird FX. You should all definitely use more tuba, as it can make an otherwise average song sound much better. In fact, I believe it should be mandatory to include tuba in your Song Fight! submission, considering that, as any mentally sane person knows, there is no song in this world that wouldn't benefit from just a slight dash of tuba. As you might or might not have guessed, I got a fever, and the only prescription is more tuba. So you better give me some tuba, y'all.

noma wrote: that's a tuba, right? It sure sounds like it

Glad you liked it, that is indeed real, it's a Sousaphone, and Mel played while standing up. It was fun to record and, even though, IMO, it comes across as the backbone of the song, it is actually the last thing we recorded, she played along with a mostly completed song.

Berkeley Social Scene—The vocal is really interesting, particularly the first few lines of each verse. However, there’s something weird on the vocal track, most notably at 1:01–1:09, and again at 1:59. I like the drunken musings vibe.

Cornfield—This feels a little loose, but I like the sorrowful, wistful atmosphere. I’m not usually a big fan of horns, but they work well here.

Glenn Case—This sounds very professional and well crafted. The little flourishes in the drumming are judiciously placed and pack a lot of punch. Solid performances on all instruments. Vote.

MENBAH!—Nice lyrics and a great vocal performance. This is simply very pleasant to listen to. Nice work. Vote.

Nick Soma—Wow, that was a downer! On the other hand, it’s great! Good lyrics, very cohesive, gets better with every listen. Vote.

Paco del Stinko—The weaving of the traditional Auld Lang Syne melody into the rest of the song was smoothly and effectively done. The ska-tinged sound is a nice touch. Vote.

WreckdoM—I do like the Sousaphone, and the “rough and tumble god” line is good. Otherwise, though, this isn’t my cup of tea. I don’t have a lot of experience listening to this kind of music, so my opinion is probably not worth much.

MENBAH! -- Fantastic singing, great writing. The whistling solo works well, although in places it's very thin. Great harmonies. Like the old timey language.

Glenn Case -- What can I say, I'm a Glenn Case fanboy. Once again Glenn crafts another delicious pop nugget.

Paco -- I like how you appropriated the melody, but went another direction with it. Really noticed the dynamics on this song. Dig the soft guitar plucking at the ending, something about that melody makes me emotional.

Nick Soma -- Good one. Dark, but sounds pretty great. I sometimes feel like this.

WreckdoM -- Some of the spoken word bits remind me of the Weatherman from Negativland, good character in the voice. Singer sounds like he's on lithium. Dig the weird sounds and backwards audio. The line about cops executing the poor on YouTube is great.

BSS -- Vocals strain badly in places, clip distort in other places. Sounds like a lot of other BSS songs. Guitars sound awesome as usual.

Cornfield -- On the nose, sentimental. The horn in my left ear is a bit loud, and tires me a bit.

Berkeley Social Scene - The lead vocal compensates in enthusiasm what it lacks in pitch, and I like that much. The vocal clips quite a bit, but it conjures up the vision of a drunken partygoer grabbing the microphone and nearly swallowing it, which (speaking from past experience as a KJ) fits the Auld Lang Syne theme well. Catchy hooks, and a tasty guitar solo. Enjoyable enough.

Cornfield - The song sounds like it is being played at different tempos on each instrument. The lyrics are nice, and there is a pleasant enough melody hiding in there. I like the instrument choices, but I do wish they lined up a little closer in rhythm.

MENBAH! - Excellent, visual lyrics. Vocal uses a little more vibrato than seems necessary for my taste, but that really is more of a preference thing on my end. I was wondering how many of these compositions were going to make direct references to the most famous song with this title, and this composition found a good balance; not relying too heavily on that.

Nick Soma - Slick production choices, and the lyrics tell a story which grabbed my attention. Some serious hooks in there, and excellent use of dynamics. This sounds very good. [VOTE]

Paco Del Stinko - You have my attention with that fantastic opening line "I'm the Frankenstein of Auld Lang Syne". In my review for MENBAH! I mentioned wondering how many submissions were going to make references to the most famous song with this title, and I think this composition might have overdone it a bit with said references.

Wreckdom - Love the looped low horn sound, and the sentiment of the lyrics. I enjoy the false start at the beginning as well. Unique and a bit strange, which is honestly what I have come to expect and appreciate from Wreckdom.

Chumpy wrote: Glenn Case -- What can I say, I'm a Glenn Case fanboy.

Those exist?!

(Thank you.)

This is our first time at reviewing here. If you don't like our opinions, you know where to put them.

Cornfield: Song reads like it was written in the middle of the night (it was). The end product shows all of the love that can be packed into 30 minutes of arrangement, practice and recording. We learned a long time ago that it is never polite to vote for yourself (wonder if Trump knew that).
It is a chorus in search of verses. Maybe next year. No vote.

Glenn Case: Sounds a lot like They Might Be Giants. That's a good thing. There were no lyrics posted in the Lyrics Archive. Our televisions always have closed captioning on so that we can figure out what the Hell people are saying. Couldn't follow your lyric. No vote.

Nick Soma: You had lyrics posted! Far out. Your song had a great, tragic story. We loved it. Your life sounds pathetic.
We didn't think that the song really fit Old Lang Whats his name. It seemed like the New Years bits were stuffed into a song that was nearly completed already. Kind of like a musical turducken (without the duck). No vote.

Berkeley Social Scene: No lyrics but at least you sang slow and distinctly enough that we could understand you. To have one vote counted requires a second vote. The vegetable Pope says that we couldn't vote for ourselves so you got our mercy vote.

Paco del Stinko: No lyrics and you sang too fast and whatever for us to understand. This is the second time that we are referring to TMBG in this review. It sounds a lot like TMBG. We like TMBG. We liked your song but.....no vote.

Menbah!: No lyrics but we could understand you. Clever use of the original melody. This song deserves to be named "Auld Lang Syne". (Btw, Syne is pronounced like sign, Google it.) First vote.

WreckdoM: We like tubas. One of us played baritone, tuba and sousaphone in a previous life. He remembers the band teacher throwing wadded up pieces of paper into the bell of his horn. He liked your song. We pulled out his fingernails and water boarded him while playing your recording. He eventually changed his mind.
Your lyrics don't seem to have anything to do with the title. No vote.

Geoff WreckdoM wrote:

noma wrote: that's a tuba, right? It sure sounds like it

Glad you liked it, that is indeed real, it's a Sousaphone, and Mel played while standing up. It was fun to record and, even though, IMO, it comes across as the backbone of the song, it is actually the last thing we recorded, she played along with a mostly completed song.

That's interesting. I really dig the Sousaphone; your song is starting to grow on me.

Cornfield wrote:Nick Soma: You had lyrics posted! Far out. Your song had a great, tragic story. We loved it. Your life sounds pathetic.
We didn't think that the song really fit Old Lang Whats his name. It seemed like the New Years bits were stuffed into a song that was nearly completed already. Kind of like a musical turducken (without the duck). No vote.

Thanks for your review! I can see how it doesn't sound like it, but this song is actually based on my father's stereotypical behavior on New Year's Eve, a bit exaggerated though. It's what first came to my mind when I saw the title.

No entry from me this round, but here are some reviews:

Berkeley Social Scene - My comments about the lead vocal performance and recording quality have already been made by others. I for one really enjoy the 6/8 time, which lends the feel of a 50s high school dance. Juxtaposed with the aggressive vocals and guitar solo, it makes for a great sexually charged song. (See also: Leonard Cohen’s “Memories.”) In that sense I guess the vocals actually work.

Cornfield - Melody reminds me of a combination of Tom Waits’ “Time” and the Taize hymn “I am the Bread of Life,” but I don’t mind. Lyrics are effective in their simplicity and straightforwardness. The performance is a bit rough, but I’m imagining a small group singing it at 3 am on January 1st, amid strewn bottles and streamers after the rest of the partiers have gone home.

Glenn Case - Impeccably performed and recorded, with great hooks and solid lyrics. I always enjoy a singer punning on their own name. Your voice feels like you believe in a 90s alternative band. You can take that as a compliment or insult, however you prefer.

MENBAH! - Nice use of the original poem as a chorus and original words for the verses. You managed to match the feel of the language quite well. I like your new tune also. It keeps the feeling of a traditional ballad, and as such I think the spare instrumentation fits it very well.

Nick Soma - This is an impressively empathetic depiction of an asshole who has earned his misanthropy by enduring his fair share of tragedy. Your voice complements the subject matter well. Instrumentally, I like the ominous quieter sections (e.g. the beginning) better than the harder-rocking and more generic sounding choruses. I would like to hear the title incorporated a little more - maybe as backing vocals. There are some nice “Ahhhhh”s at the end, and I thought you might go that way, but alas.

Paco del Stinko - I like what you’ve done incorporating the traditional melody along with your own contributions. I’ll second the TMBG comparison - the backing vocals take me straight back to Apollo 18. There’s some real melancholy in the lyrics, but the relentlessly upbeat music keeps me from connecting to it emotionally.

WreckdoM - Interesting ideas, and yes, the sousaphone is great, but it’s not enough to hold it together for four and a half minutes, especially when you can’t be bothered to sing.

And now for some stray comments...

noma wrote:tuba

noma wrote:tuba

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Ah yes, Mr. Nick Soma, who never met a low brass part he didn't like. Why oh why didn't you stick around for "High School Safety Pin Parade"? My entry had not one, not two, but three euphonium parts.

Cornfield wrote:If you don't like our opinions, you know where to put them.

I see you've figured out how we do things around here.

MicahSommer wrote: Cornfield - Melody reminds me of a combination of Tom Waits’ “Time” and the Taize hymn “I am the Bread of Life,” but I don’t mind. Lyrics are effective in their simplicity and straightforwardness. The performance is a bit rough, but I’m imagining a small group singing it at 3 am on January 1st, amid strewn bottles and streamers after the rest of the partiers have gone home.

......

Cornfield wrote:If you don't like our opinions, you know where to put them.

I see you've figured out how we do things around here.

Our singer had a terrible cold that day. Thanks for the comparison to TW. We think that his melodies and sound tricks are underappreciated. Have you ever heard "The Piano Has Been Drinking"? We did a version of this in a club one night but we sang "The banjo has been Drinking" . The piano wouldn't fit in its case.

The piano has been drinking
My neck tie is asleep
And the combo went back to New York
The jukebox has to take a leak
And the carpet needs a haircut
And the spotlight looks like a prison break
Cause the telephone is out of cigarettes
And the balcony is on the make
And the piano has been drinking
The piano has been drinking

And the menus are all freezing
And the lightman's blind in one eye
And he can't see out of the other
And the piano tuner's got a hearing aid
And showed up with his mother
And the piano has been drinking
The piano has been drinking

Cause the bouncer is a Sumo wrestler
Cream-puff casper milk toast
And the owner is a mental midget with the I.Q. of a fencepost
Cause the piano has been drinking
The piano has been drinking

And you can't find your waitress
With a Geiger counter
And she hates you and your friends
And you just can't get served
Without her
And the box-office is drooling
And the bar stools are on fire
And the newspapers were fooling
And the ashtrays have retired
And the piano has been drinking
The piano has been drinking
The piano has been drinking
Not me, not me, not me, not me, not me

Cornfield wrote: Your lyrics don't seem to have anything to do with the title. No vote.

"Auld Lang Syne" is a traditional song sung at new years parties once the clock strikes midnight. Our lyrics are an admonishment of the past year without explicitly naming it. I will name it here though. 2016, you were a shitheel year if there ever was one. I'm glad your dead.

Congrats to Paco!

I can not believe that my song won. I sure didn't vote for it! I've still yet to vote for one of my songs after all these years. Anyway, this song was written as a goodbye, song number 200 in the Paco canon, a fine milestone. Perfect that it won from that perspective then! I don't know that I'll really retire, as I can't stand the thought of the Berkely boys passing me in entries.

Congrats Paco! Awesome song!

Congrats on winning song #200 Paco, nice job! Also, way to compete in every fight in 2016, very impressive.

Niv’s quickreview for:
Auld Lang Syne

Berkeley Social Scene delivered a sleepy little New Year’s song. Not my fave. Cornfield felt a little off with his digital instruments but had an intriguing voice. Glenn Case brought a blissful piece of pop rock. MENBAH played off the traditional and frankly gave it a better set of lyrics than the original, but that whistle needed some work. Nick Soma brought my kind of take on this- dark alt rock and I greatly enjoyed it. I just wish it had a chorus. Paco del Stinko took a very vintage-Stinko take on the theme. Good song but it doesn’t stand out especially if I listen to it in the vast PDS catalog. Wreckdom coupled tuba with funky breakbeats and that was very cool. The news footage brought down the songs flow.

1. Glenn Case
2. Nick Soma
3. WreckdoM
4. MENBAH!
5. Paco del Stinko
6. Berkeley Social Scene
7. Cornfield