Let me twist your arm to write (Bend The Knee Reviews)

Discuss upcoming, current, and previous song fights.
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Let me twist your arm to write (Bend The Knee Reviews)

Post by Pigfarmer Jr »

Yeah, yeah, I know you're busy. See if you can do it anyway.
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Re: Let me twist your arm to write (Bend Your Knee Reviews)

Post by Pigfarmer Jr »

Apparently this is the lyric thread. I honestly never checked to be sure: https://songfight.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11459
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Re: Let me twist your arm to write (Bend Your Knee Reviews)

Post by Pigfarmer Jr »

Okay, just checked. Yup, it is. Thanks to Owl for starting it and linking it and all
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Re: Let me twist your arm to write (Bend The Knee Reviews)

Post by Lunkhead »

Songs posted!
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Re: Let me twist your arm to write (Bend The Knee Reviews)

Post by thelowestbitter »

Really good set of songs! Gotta say as a Songfight newbie I’m impressed and a little intimidated by the quality of all of these. I reckon over half of these will be getting a vote once I’ve had a few more listens

Budget Bears: This sounds like a Martha song - vocals especially - which is ace! Drums sound really good, and the “half-way through round three” vocal melody is really hooky. “The game is thrown” - I see what you did there.

Chthonic Doom: Really interesting mixture of styles here - the slower, quieter intro and outro, the sort of post-rock first half and the punkier second. I would’ve liked the vocals to come in earlier personally but I think that’s just me, I always cram songs with words and struggle a little with instrumental stuff.

DuToVa: Like the guitar sound a lot, the squelchy synth works well too. The synth solo after the second chorus is good as well. Feel like maybe the chorus vocal could have an extra vocal track or harmony part to differentiate it from the verse vocal and make it stand out a bit more, but overall a really good production.

Gert: Big fan of the intro fakeout - thought the song was headed one way and then went rock. So much interesting stuff going on in this song - some great guitar parts - and I love the layered chorus “I’ve had it up to here” vocals.

The Lowest Bitter: My one. Mostly pleased with this, although I can’t decide whether the non-existent transition between the two halves of the song is inspired or lazy. Also a lot of the vocals I convinced myself were *raw and impassioned* a week ago are on reflection actually *first take and lazy*. The pitch shifted vocals at the end aren’t great. In my head, the idea was you’d hear my normal voice, a pitched down, ludicrously fake “masculine” voice, and a pitched up, equally fake “feminine” voice all competing with each other, to represent the struggle with internalised homophobia and gender norms. But the end result is just annoying. As for the lyrical content, there is some context/justification for it in the lyrics thread if you’re interested.

Micah Sommersmith: Sea shanty vibes! Really like the instrumentation in this and thought your vocals suited the style. I don’t actually watch Game of Thrones (although I was aware this week’s title was taken from that) so I’ll confess the lyrics to this one are a little lost on me.

Miscellaneous Owl: That chorus is a delight - the harmony vocals are fantastic and I love the handclaps. That harpsichord line is great too. Fantastic lyrics in this one - “Reach a little farther towards heaven with your knee bent and your best intentions” is wonderful. One little thing is that the transition into the key change sounds a little off - I think maybe that cymbal crash is a fraction too early?

Paco Del Stinko: Really solid groove to this one, and there’s lots to like in the instrumentation - the pounding piano works really well and I like the guitar solo too. The call and response vocal on “bend the kneeee” is great. I wasn’t a massive fan of the “Keep going...” section, it seemed a little lacking in energy compared to the rest of the song, but otherwise really good.

Third Cat: A lot crammed into a minute and a half. I really love the drum machine beats in this, the acoustic sounds lovely, and that big echoey stadium guitar line is just on the right side of cheesy. The strings at the end are a nice touch too.
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Re: Let me twist your arm to write (Bend The Knee Reviews)

Post by thirdcatmusic »

Budget Bears - I noticed that you sounded like Vom Vorton last time, but I didn't realize you are Vom Vorton, I'm not as into the pop-punk thing as I am some of the other styles you do but you do this style really well too, this has a lot of energy and it's pretty darn catchy. I like the short & sweet thing for sure. Overall I like this especially considering my genre bias here.

Chtonic Doom - the mixtures of styles here is pretty insane, I like the little acoustic intro, the more heavy rock bit is really well done. heavy stuff. good job with the vocals for this style, sounds pretty good. I don't really listen to stuff like this so I can't give great feedback. seems well done. the outro is maybe a bit canned sounding, but maybe that's an on purpose contrast?

DuToVa - this has some bits in it I really like, but is maybe a tad too slow. the mix seems a bit off, like the bass really cuts through, but the vocals sometimes get lost. there are some nice catchy guitar riffs. vocals could be stronger. my favorite bit is maybe the synth solo. that's pretty cool and I wasn't expecting it.

Gert - ah! I recognize the voice (OG Lawn Darts... right?) but you're not doing the laid back raggae thing this time, this is some pretty heavy rockin'. I think the verse is stronger than the chorus, although what I'm calling the verse includes the "bend the knee" repeats at the end? . overall really impressive production / performance. some cool fake outs/changes.

The Lowest Bitter - this has a cool groove to it, there are some really nice vocal hooks in here too, and I like the backing vocals a lot. there's a bit of a lo-fi feel here which seems a bit odd with the synth pop thing. not sure how much of that is on purpose. I really like the vocal effects with the crazy voice there towards the end. overall this was a very creative and interesting song. I liked the lyrics too.

Micah Sommersmith - your style really fits this medieval thing really well. I have read all GoT books and seen all of the HBO eps so I get all of the references but I'm not crazy about reference lyrics like this, still I bet a lot of people will dig that and they're well done. musically this is really nice, I really like the instrumentation.

misc owl - vocals are a bit buried which is unfortunate as what I can hear of them are really nice (as always - I love your voice) and I think they're the strongest part of the song. probably one of my favorite songs of the fight but the mix and some of the instrumentation sounds a bit sloppy.

PDS - fun one, seems a bit lighter than your usual style which is a nice change. I also really like the synth riffs that first break instead of your usual guitar rocking. but of course you give us some of that too and it's great as always.

Third Cat - what the hell is this?

not sure which ones are my favorites this time around, I think I'm going with The Lowest Bitter as my favorite, some of that is genre bias, this is just most like the type of thing I like to listen to. maybe I'm gonna stop fighting genre bias and just vote for my favorites? I don't know. Feeling tired. Need to see the sun again. where has it gone?
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Re: Let me twist your arm to write (Bend The Knee Reviews)

Post by Lunkhead »

Gert track updated, overlooked Berkeley Social Scene track added.
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Re: Let me twist your arm to write (Bend The Knee Reviews)

Post by owl »

BSS: I like the music a lot! Nice switchups between sections and dynamic changes, nice tones, and in particular I really like the way the different guitar parts work together during the "bend the knee" section, the writing and playing of those parts is great. (I looked at your song notes and yes! I can see the Television influence on those riffs now.) And impressive that it's all live-tracked, it sounds great! But I am definitely not so into the lyrics. The self-aggrandizement turns me off even if it's supposed to be tongue in cheek (is it? I didn't get any indication of this being the case) and the rock 'n' roll long hair and leather fantasy scene just feels kind of cringey and/or alienating to me. I also do not get what the "even if you're family" part is supposed to mean. Like... everyone is supposed to bow down to your greatness, even mom and dad? Maybe I'm missing something.

Budget Bears: love that main guitar riff, it's so catchy and sweet. The elaborate lyrics made me laugh, my favorite lyrics this week--they make sense plot-wise, rhyme and scan nicely, and are a satisfyingly ridiculous shaggy dog story. Really well done.

Chthonic Doom: this is nitpicky, but I wish the intro was a bit louder, I had to turn it up and then turn it back down again when the next part came in, but I do really like that contrast between the interesting kind of angular acoustic intro and sludgier verse. Once vox kicks in: is that a whistle? far be it from me to complain about metal being abrasive, but... well, actually, I'm not a metalhead so I will say that brief sound was pretty unpleasant. I like the intense but still melodic vocals! I am typically sort of turned off by the either operatic or growling or screaming vocals in metal songs so this was a welcome difference. The fast part is not really up my alley stylistically, but I love your casual saunter between intensity levels and subgenres here with the different sections and everything is well done.

DuTova: That descending chord progression and rhythm, with fuzzy guitar and melodic vocals, reminds me of "Brain Stew" by Green Day. I like your melodies and that synth solo is sweet! The vocals are a bit pitchy--I think they could have probably benefited from another take. Seems like it ended too abruptly, I would have liked to hear a proper outro on this one.

Gert: Great production, I enjoyed the echoing sound effects and all the sweet guitar work. I like the vocals more where you sing in a straightforward way in the chorus than the parts where you kind of do that talk-singy part, although it is pretty distinctive style-wise so if that's your thing then keep doing your thing, I just think it might be better more sparingly deployed.

The Lowest Bitter: Yay welcome to Songfight! I really liked reading about the inspiration behind your lyrics and they feel very honest and confessional, which I like in combination with the slick production and style--my favorite was the "man and wife" verse that kind of explains the song idea. The dropout around 1:40 is cool. I love the melody of the "trying to unlearn" portion of the song, the whole ending is particularly catchy! I would say that I think I have heard better vocal performances from you in the past, the song might benefit from a cleaner vocal take, but also the processed vocals at the end are great so I think you should leave those just as they are! I feel like I'm always complaining about people's vocoder stuff in Songfight but it's cool when effects are used sparingly and wisely as you've done here.

Micah Sommersmith: I have never seen or read Game of Thrones (although I got the reference in the title) so, while I'm sure this is very clever and well constructed, the reference-packed lyrics did nothing for me. The sea shanty-ish musical backing is well done, I like the combo of the accordion and plucked strings, but I don't think this was varied enough musically to compensate for my not being in your target audience for the lyrics and then having to sit through 8 verses' worth of GoT metaphors I don't understand. Filk is a super hard sell for me even for fandoms I'm interested in...

miscellaneous owl: I dislocated my knee rock climbing a while back and decided to finally make it useful as a metaphor when I saw this prompt.
<complaining & excuses> I had a lot of random, stupid, gear-related difficulties when recording--like I didn't have my amp at home and there was ridiculous latency with the amp simulator I was using, so guitar was all tracked with only being able to hear the unamplified guitar in the room, then I would have to listen back via the amp sim in my DAW and see how it sounded amplified, rinse and repeat until I got sick of repeating. And the climb into the key change spans the range of my MIDI controller keyboard, so I had to record part of it, stop and shift the octave up, record the next part, and kluge them together, which I think is the actual cause of the messed-up timing part thelowestbitter mentioned in that transition--the drums are MIDI loops, so it's a lot more unlikely they're off than the part I played live and then attempted to glue by ear instead of by piano roll. (Oh, and I asked my husband for his opinion on the mix and he told me my vocals were too loud, so I turned them down! Apparently too far!) </complaining & excuses> I really love this weird keyboard patch though, and had fun with the bendy guitar and keys in the bridge, and I feel like I generally accomplished the ramshackle lo-fi pop thing I was going for, more ramshackle than not.

Paco del Stinko: I love that loud swoopy legato synth! The groove is great at first but doesn't feel like it changes a lot through the song and I wish it did vary more between sections--I was left feeling like I somehow missed part of the song. However, I enjoyed all the strange and somewhat unsettling melodic shifts and also especially liked the piano part that comes and goes.

Third Cat: this feels like what would happen if you hired Third Cat to play some slow dance songs at your prom. I am into that! Reverb for everyone! The "bend the knee" melody is really pretty. I love the shimmery guitar solo, and the strings at the end are a cool touch. It was over fast but it was an enjoyable ride while it lasted.

I think Budget Bears, Chthonic Doom, Lowest Bitter, and Third Cat were my favorites this week!
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Re: Let me twist your arm to write (Bend The Knee Reviews)

Post by vowlvom »

Berkeley Social Scene - already commented on this one when it was called 'Shock Value'. The 'Bend the Knee' bit is probably actually my favourite part of the song? But I still think that the attempt to fit both challenges hurts the song on the whole.

Budget Bears - another sloppy punk song from me. I didn't realise this was a Game of Thrones title until owl told me, and I couldn't resist writing this whole song just to make a throne / thrown pun. I think it's quite fun generally though, I like the riff.

Chthonic Doom - another Nur Ein double entry. I think this has grown on me a bit but when I'm not actively assessing it for the dynamics it does become a little annoying that I have to turn it up to hear the intro / outro and down for the main bulk of the song. It's well done, though.

DuToVa - this has a slightly plodding tempo that I'm not totally in love with, but the bit where the synth solo comes in wins me over every time. The reverb / delay on the vocals feels a bit metallic and distracting to me. A solid song but not one of my favourites.

Gert - sorry to repeat myself from every OG Lawn Darts review but that speak-singing style in the verse is something I can't get on with at all. I like that this has a big change-up into the epic chorus though, and there are a lot of interesting touches in the musical arrangement. This is objectively well done but really pushes against all my genre biases.

The Lowest Bitter - a good start to your Song Fighting career! I've definitely heard Lowest Bitter songs that I like more than this one but this is still strong writing, really good lyrics and the song gets better and better as you add vocal layers I think. I'm not crazy about the breakdown bit with the wandering guitar line but everything after the song kicks back in is particularly good.

Micah Sommersmith - having never read or watched a Game of Throne, I did somewhat write this off on first listen, but the lyrics are so well crafted that I found myself enjoying it more on subsequent listens even if I haven't got a clue what you're on about most of the time. The first verse / chorus particularly have some clever lyrics that work outside of the GoT stuff but it gets extremely reference-heavy later on and loses me a bit. Really like the musical arrangement though, and your voice is really strong here (I can totally hear Will Oldham now that Hoblit has mentioned it!)
Edit: Duolingo DOES offer High Valyrian, by the way. This factual inaccuracy ruined your song for me (it didn't).

miscellaneous owl - that keyboard riff is DYNAMITE, I love it so much. There are definitely some mix problems, vocal level is OK until more guitars come in later and drown you out a bit, and the key change definitely doesn't feel as tight as it needs to, although on further listens I've gotten used to the shift a bit! This song as a whole is my favourite from the round despite the mix issues though and should totally get some polish, it'd make a great Gentle Brontosaurus song I think (and we should do an updated version if not!)

Paco del Stinko - I love most of this, the extra keyboard stuff gives it such a great vibe and the chorus gets stuck in my head. The middle-8 feels a bit lacklustre / uninspired but I like the rest of the song enough to forgive that.

Third Cat - I don't like this quite as much as your current Nur Ein entry (I can't help drawing comparisons when I've been switching between the two so much) but it's still pretty good. Lots of lush guitar sounds and I really like the strings!
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Re: Let me twist your arm to write (Bend The Knee Reviews)

Post by Leaf »

I listened to these songs in three different environments; on my laptop at work in my office (it was a long night!), in my Tacoma (how does the song drive?), and in my studio. I am fully aware that people have deadlines, real life jobs, families, cats, "special personal time" and all that; so dont' get butt hurt if my blunt commentary feels like it needs a defense... it doesn't; but I'm going to speak my thoughts on your entry bluntly. I try to stay objective but I got my bias' too. Such is life.
If I got spelling errors and such, I do have spellcheck, but I'm in a rush!!

BSS:
Reminds me of: Weezer
In a: good way.
Performances:
All very good. Some minor timing issues here and there, but things that would likely not make it to a final mix if this wasn't on a deadline for songfight.
Bass stood out for me, I love lines like that. I'm not big on midrange tuned snares that sound clean and 70's. Vocals sound excellent, a little dip in some end notes but that's super picky. "high caliber rocking" yeah.
Production:
Also real well done. If it's me, the kick sticks out a little more on the bottom end (although it might, I don't have a sub in my studio...)
My emotional response: I dig it.
on the laptop: worked fine.
In the truck:sounded better, sounded real good actually.
In the studio: Sounds fantastic! Balanced mix, loved the bass tone. I do not recall if Ken,who years ago I collabed with is in this group? I recall him being a drummer but for some reason I had this thought "it's Ken singing man". I dunno... I liked this one, and it grew on me the more I listened. WELL DONE.
how many repeats?: 6, no 7, no 8.
Vote? yes.
Random GOT reference out of random number: 6 direwolves out of 7.

Paco Del Stinko
Reminds me of: Songfight songs.
In a: okay way. I can't draw a reference...
Performances:
Things are played well.
Some minor timing things as well.
Vocals don't work for me. In the past I'd write a bunch of sensitive (I thought) stuff to be all encouraging but that disclaimer is the extent I'm going to. My thought is; if you rehearsed the vocals more, (assumption on my part) and "learned" the parts more, I feel like you'd find the register and tone that makes it work better. As it is, the vocal performance distracts me to the point I can't pay attention to the lyrics. The amateur producer in me thinks I can pull a David Bowish performance out of you, but that's just the arrogance talking. Overall, I feel like you are choking back the vocal performance, and again, my guess is that you don't know the song well enough yet (but I think that because often when I"m hating my own vocals, it improves...duh..with practice..duh lol). "laugh all night" sounded good; that's the territory of confidence and tone I am hinting at.
Production:
Very good production, everything tonally sounds good to me. Tom sounds are great, suit the mix. So does the snare on this one for me.
Everything has it's place, I like that.
My emotional response: It's okay overall.
on the laptop: Sounded fine.
In the truck: Sounded better.
In the studio: I enjoyed it more when I had a true stereo environment to listen to it in.
how many repeats?: 6
Vote? No.
Random GOT reference out of random number: 5 dotharik screamers out of 7.

The Lowest Bitter
Reminds me of: Johnny Cashpoint
In a: good way.
Performances:
The musical tracking sounds great; I like and am envious of midi and keyboard stuff; I just don't have enough experience or skill with that stuff so I enjoy it when I hear it.
Backup vocals are real good too.
Lead vocal reaches for notes and stretches, it doesn't work for me. Glancing at your own self assessment, I don't think my view is anything you don't know yourself. Do you belt your stuff out; or are you a quiet singer? I agree with your view it seems lazy. I like the feel of the words "power of surrender" comes off great; but overall the song suffers from the lead vocal performance issues.
Production:
Well recorded and mixed. I LIKE the "take it like a man" effected vocal personally; I felt that saved some of the vocal performance.
My emotional response: I want to like it more.
on the laptop: sounded decent.
In the truck:Sounded better.
In the studio:yeah, I dig the music, the mix and ideas. Needs to find the "home" for your vocals so they work. If the Clash, Neil Young, Bob Dylan and Madonna can do it, you can.
how many repeats?: 5
Vote? no
Random GOT reference out of random number: 4 pots of lannister gold out of 6.

Third Cat
Reminds me of: No immediate, 80's ballad? oh.. lead guitar reminds me of Bryan Potvin from the Northern Pikes who I love! Also a bit of a U2 (the Fly era) vibe here.
In a: all in a good way.
Performances:
I assume that's a drum machine. Feels like some parts are not tight to the groove and drift a bit.
I love the strings, the vocals are great, and kick ass.
Not alot going on in the bottom end, but it's not that kind of tune.
Production:
Pretty good. The panning 16ths doesn't do it for me.
My emotional response: This is pretty good, a pretty good song.
on the laptop: good
In the truck: better, not as much difference (which is good)
In the studio: Liked it even more in the studio. Also got some Phil Collins off this... this is a grower too, more you listen, more you like.
how many repeats?: 7
Vote? I wish I had voted for this one, it deserves a vote. Maybe FM will add one in for ya!
Random GOT reference out of random number: 6/7 sappy romantic moments WITHOUT the dagger plunge (dagger as in knife for the pervs out there).

Micah Sommersmith
Reminds me of: Groo the Wanderer. The Minstrel.
In a: I'm split on this.
Performances:
The random minor vibrato moments that make it feel shaky in the vocals don't work for me, and the reaching and not making it for notes. I am going to assume you don't have time for this, but I wonder, if you just sang the shit out of this for a few days, like ..100 times, if all that stuff would disappear? Moments when you should breathe, etc.
I like the concept, I LOVE the medieval vibe of this, but the topical lyrics will get dated fast. Like, I'm already over GOT ... so that takes from the strength of the tune. This should have been written 4 years ago, then I bet it could get some traction.

Production:
Pretty good. Everything sounds even, well blended. I really like the music components of this track, it's fun and smart.
My emotional response: I want to like it more than I do.
on the laptop: Sounded even.
In the truck: Sounded even.
In the studio: I've noticed this with a few tracks, I can understand the lyrics in the studio, had a hard time in the other environments.
how many repeats?: 6
Vote? no.
Random GOT reference out of random number: 8/8 seasons. Music: Seasons 1-5. Vocals: Seasons 5-8.

Miscellaneous Owl:
Reminds me of: Breeders.
In a: good way
Performances:
Vocals were buried on the laptop and in the truck. They are understandable in the studio.
I suspect the bottom end is too dominant to cause that to happen?
Timing errors distract me. Tuning issues I think ..yep.. that guitar on the left is out of tune. (my guitar is often out of tune cause it's cheap so I feel ya on that).
I really dig the vocal tone.
Production:
You can hear everything, but the mix is not balanced. The mid range and bottom seems to strong to me.
My emotional response: I REALLY want to like it but things keep distracting me from liking it overall.
on the laptop: hard to hear vocals, the part I liked the most.
In the truck: better, still hard to hear the vocals. Mix feels cluttered.
In the studio: I can hear the issues with the mix better; and if it was my project I know what I'd do to fix it. Redo all my parts, test it in different envrionments, screw around until it sounds more balanced and the parts that should be dominant (in my mind on this track the vocals) are so, and supported by the music instead of fighting it.
how many repeats?: 6
Vote? no.
Random GOT reference out of random number: hmmm let's call it 3/5 dornish snake sisters.

Clthonic Doom
Reminds me of: Sabbath. A bit of Faith no more too.
In a: good way. Very good way.
Performances:
I dig this.
I like the patience of the groove as it builds up towards the next section.
Production:
Good mix. For me, too much point on the kicks. I get that it lets flourishes stick out, but it's pulling my ear to the kicks more than to the overall groove. But that's me.

My emotional response: Fuck yeah.
on the laptop: loved it.
In the truck: Loved it.
In the studio: Loved it.
how many repeats?: 8
Vote? yes.
Random GOT reference out of random number: This is the Iron Born. 8/9 Iron Fleet warships...with scorpions.. that face BOTH directions.

Budget Bears:
Reminds me of: intro makes me think "Unsung" by helmet, then suddenly it's Sum41 or Blink but without a great singer.
In a: okay way.
Performances:
I'd ditch the riff and find something that ties the vocals better, cause i keep expecting the singing style of forementioned bands.
Vocals have great energy and vibe, I don't like the effects on it, something about room sound of the vocals doesn't enhance them for me.
I think things are well played but mixing is pulling my ear around.
Production:
Good, but not excellent.
Again, I feel like maybe the midrange is too full? I have to "squint' to hear all the parts. Maybe the bass guitar is too loud, vocals are well on top, but guitars and drums sound like they are at the back of the room.
My emotional response: It's okay. I like the energy of it, the intention of it, but the final execution isn't 100%
on the laptop: messier sounding than in the other places.
In the truck: sounded better
In the studio: yeah, I can hear mix issues better here. It's not bad, but not great.
how many repeats?: 6
Vote? no.
Random GOT reference out of random number: 5/7 unsullied.

Dutova
Reminds me of: STuff I like.
In a: GOOD way.
Performances:
I like the feel of this... it sits good, and I like that riff... then the little melody that answers stuff and gives some hook.
Production:
I wish this had a more live drummer feel; it feels like a band with a drum machine. I wouldn't but so much hop in the hihat part if it was me, and would be more rock. mix is good. Bass was getting me in a good way. Vocals have some stretches and reaches, but they work. I think that keyboard works good too and comes in at a great time.
My emotional response: I dig it.
on the laptop: sounded good.
In the truck: sounded better.
In the studio: Well done. I really dug this one, enjoyable.
how many repeats?: 8
Vote? yes.
Random GOT reference out of random number: 7/8 debts paid by a Lannister.


GERT: I love gert. If you don't like it cause you don't like certain genres, well, that's you, but it's fascinating and exciting to make projects with people across the continent that have so much collective talent. I drummed on a guitar riff and some rapping...no idea what was going to come next.
I totally thought the chorus was going to bite it and then Des does his thing and BOOM! The intro.. I am going to admit, that was a different idea we had, and we voted on going with the riff stuff... but it reminded me of how a lot of HBO and Netflix shows open these days, so I thought... fuck that'd be cool, it can be the "intro credits" to the song... and when I floated I that, I know for SURE one of my buds thought "that's fucking dumb Tom" but once it was in there , I think we can all agree it kinda works. The floor tom part got me wet in a good way, I felt all tribal on that part lol.
So .. .isn't that a fucking cool moment when you got an idea that sounds dumb and then it works and people are on board? You know it.
So, thanks Smalltown for pulling gert together this week I love making music with you all and it even inspired me to enter my first solo SF in... 9 years? I dunno something like that. GERT RULZ.
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Re: Let me twist your arm to write (Bend The Knee Reviews)

Post by thirdcatmusic »

awesome reviews Leaf, makes me want to put more effort into my next batch.
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Re: Let me twist your arm to write (Bend The Knee Reviews)

Post by vowlvom »

Yeah, really appreciate the detailed reviews, Leaf! I do a lot of in-car listening as well and it can really make a difference to hear the songs on headphones / decent speakers too.
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Re: Let me twist your arm to write (Bend The Knee Reviews)

Post by Lunkhead »

BSS:
Reminds me of: Weezer
In a: good way.
Performances:
All very good. Some minor timing issues here and there, but things that would likely not make it to a final mix if this wasn't on a deadline for songfight.
Bass stood out for me, I love lines like that. I'm not big on midrange tuned snares that sound clean and 70's. Vocals sound excellent, a little dip in some end notes but that's super picky. "high caliber rocking" yeah.
Production:
Also real well done. If it's me, the kick sticks out a little more on the bottom end (although it might, I don't have a sub in my studio...)
My emotional response: I dig it.
on the laptop: worked fine.
In the truck:sounded better, sounded real good actually.
In the studio: Sounds fantastic! Balanced mix, loved the bass tone. I do not recall if Ken,who years ago I collabed with is in this group? I recall him being a drummer but for some reason I had this thought "it's Ken singing man". I dunno... I liked this one, and it grew on me the more I listened. WELL DONE.
how many repeats?: 6, no 7, no 8.
Vote? yes.
Random GOT reference out of random number: 6 direwolves out of 7.
Long time no see, welcome back! Yes, Ken is involved in BSS but that's me singing on this one. I have to confess I didn't spend as much time on tracking the vocals as I would have liked.
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Re: Let me twist your arm to write (Bend The Knee Reviews)

Post by Chumpy »

All that Nur Ein drama and whining on the boards got ya down? Feel like nobody listens to your songs? Fear not good people of SongFight, we haven't forgotten about ya!

Allow me to lay it on you thusly: Are your dreams haunted by an owl named Duo? Let us know at: feedback@twojerksonevote.com.
Get bent!
"I don't recommend ending on a bad joke." --ken
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Re: Let me twist your arm to write (Bend The Knee Reviews)

Post by vowlvom »

Good News For People Who Like Reviews
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Re: Let me twist your arm to write (Bend The Knee Reviews)

Post by vowlvom »

Chumpy wrote:
Fri May 24, 2019 10:45 pm
[*]00:09:38 - Budget Bears
I did explain why I'm submitting as Budget Bears in response to the last fight, if you're interested. I feel like even Micah would have done this particular bit of research ;)

Excellent podcast again though, Brian and Alice are such great guests!
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Re: Let me twist your arm to write (Bend The Knee Reviews)

Post by thelowestbitter »

Thanks for the kind words, feedback on vocals is fair - I was very aware I could’ve done a better take but *excuses* in my defence I was also moving house that week and didn’t really have time to redo them. I think my vocals for Hope Against Hope are better, although I also think some of it is just my voice.

Anyway, glad you enjoyed!
Chumpy wrote:
Fri May 24, 2019 10:45 pm
All that Nur Ein drama and whining on the boards got ya down? Feel like nobody listens to your songs? Fear not good people of SongFight, we haven't forgotten about ya!

Allow me to lay it on you thusly: Are your dreams haunted by an owl named Duo? Let us know at: feedback@twojerksonevote.com.
Get bent!
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Leaf
Jump
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Re: Let me twist your arm to write (Bend The Knee Reviews)

Post by Leaf »

That podcast review style is epic.
It's pretty surreal to hear three people I don't know (or I think I don't know?) talk about us and our music history...much appreciated.
As weird as this might sound.. .it felt real?
Totally caught me by surprise and also kinda felt like some friends dropped by the studio to listen to a new track.
(My friends have critiques and love, so it was comparable!).
I was between tears and giggling throughout. Thanks for that!
Mind you, weed is legal here.

But seriously I so appreciate the time that takes and the ability to tell backstory on gert.
I haven't taken them time yet to check out the other reviews, so I don't know if this is what you do, or just what you did this time.
You win songfight review for sure that is killer, I hope that other SF's got out of that what I got out of that!
Having grown up on muchmusic when they played only videos and band interviews, and how I kinda enjoy those first reaction youtube things like Holy Wars ... It was like a childhood fantasy come true. But when you're old.

So, thank you Erica Em, Christopher Ward and Terry David Mulligan.
I almost forgot I have a real job and grown up kids and ... did I just review the review of a review?
Weed is legal here.
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Re: Let me twist your arm to write (Bend The Knee Reviews)

Post by thehipcola »

Yah for sure - I've got to jump on Leaf's comments with a big +1. The podcast reviews are seriously cool and you guys do a great job. I love listening and arguing with you about almost everything - good naturedly of course. Opinions right? I super love that you love having beaten Gert. Cool twist. Songfight is awesome. wish I had more time for it. I am planning to do reviews - in the middle of selling a house and moving but I'll get to it. Thanks for the folks who did reviews so far - and great fight folks!
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Re: Let me twist your arm to write (Bend The Knee Reviews)

Post by thehipcola »

Chthonic Doom
First Words: metal!
What I dig: The riffage. The name. The killer switch from the riff to when the vocals come in. Unexpected and totally awesome. That the guitars and bass weren’t so distorted as to lose their percussive drive when the vocals came in.
What I can’t: The ending seems phoned in.. such epic promise in this track, so many doors you could have ripped off the hinges and walked through. It feels awfully SF! In that a lack of time might have made this the ending you had, instead of the ending you wanted/could have done.
Vote: Solid maybe. Full points for the sheer rawk here. Lots to like.

Micah Sommersmith

First Words: Show songs. Ugh.
What I dig: the music is always consistently well done, well written/crafted. Gotta give it up – you are a fine songsmith and musician. Lots of words that sound GoT oriented – nice title take.
What I can’t: The accordian.. The musical theatre quality to the song. The vocals didn’t quite hit the mark pitch-wise – like a demo. That said – this is no simple rock/pop melody, you’ve got your work cut out for you here and I admire your sense of melody even if it doesn’t make me want to re-listen. Lots of words.
Vote: probably not – but that’s my bias talking – I know you’ve a great many supporters here and deservedly so.

Miscellaneous Owl

First Words: oh no toy synth line!
What I dig: Drum sounds. I like the “song”. Love the tonality of the singer’s voice! Some cool stops/starts and structured moments I dug.
What I can’t: Mud guitar sound. It’s quite sloppy in places, guitar is pitchy (over fretting?) vocals all but disappear in places. I want you to sing with more instensity! The drums sound very polished in contrast to the rest of the recording which kind of rubs my ears weirdly.
Vote: Probably not.

The Lowest Bitter

First Words: Big. Wide.
What I dig: Vocal tone is cool and distinct. I like the programming (synths/drums). Stabs! Huge kick. Your sense of vocal layering is very cool. Vaguely Prince-like track! I like a lot about this.
What I can’t: Vocal pitch is problematic. Nail this down and this becomes a very convincing track! Electric guitar lead/line thing – ugh. Too dry too direct sounding. Not enough variety in structure/parts – it’s one motif over and over with breakdowns and build-ups for the most part… you’ve got great production chops, I want to hear more from your creative side!
Vote: Probably not.

Budget Bears

First Words: indie sounding drums cool.
What I dig: the wall of sound is kinda cool. I like the guitar hook line. The vocal tone is cool and edgy. Maybe a bit too forward… I want to hear more definition in the other instruments. Short song! Extra points. I like a good short track that doesn’t feel rushed.
What I can’t: The muddy overall vibe. Vox too loud. I want that lead guitar refrain to sing out clearly and be played awesomely well.
Vote: Possible vote.

Third Cat
First Words: Melody! Instant like.
What I dig: great sense and use of space…great melody. Drum programming feels organic. Strings for interest. This is sweet.
What I can’t: where is the killer bass part? 😊 It feels like your great melody could be even more set off with a wicked bass line. Not sure the shortness of this song works for me. Feels like a jam that could spend some time fleshing some things out. Hmm..
Vote: Quite possible. Extra points for production, space use, musical parts, melody… minus a point for length. I’m voting for it though.

DuToVa
First Words: same drum pattern for a long time.
What I dig: It’s pretty tight! Bass playing is sweet too works well with the melody. I think this is a better song than it sounds like. Production changes could fix this a fair bit I think. I dig the overall groove.
What I can’t: uninspiring production. Get that guitar off to one side, narrow the drum kit and it’s room/verb.. add more variety to the drum patterning. Better use of panning would help this tune stand out more. Vocal harmonies? 3rd part to the song? Few tweaks would make this a lot more interesting.
Vote: Probably not.

Berkely Social Scene

First Words: Great bass sound -wow.
What I dig: The production is great. Everything sounds tight and punchy. The vox doubled sound sweet. This is really well done on many levels. Convincing fadeout for extra points. Ahh – it cuts prematurely though – dock ½ pnt
What I can’t: A few lines don’t seem to fit/have poor delivery.. Some of the guitar parts linger too long/same/could evolve a bit more… but I’m picky because I know what you guys can do. 😊
Vote: Yes.

Paco del Stinko
First Words: fat bass!
What I dig: that synth in the chorus so tasty! Chord changes that surprise and delight! Great song structure… guitar lead smokes. Elton John piano breaks here and there are great too.
What I can’t: vocal sound could be more consistent.. compression/mic technique? I feel like a remix to remove mud would help.
Vote: Possible vote. Lots to love here.


This was a cool fight - great job everyone. If I irritated you with my comments, get over it, I ain't nobody and who cares what people think, right? :) It really only matters that you're working away at writing and recording your stuff... fuck anything else. KEEP MAKING MOAR MUSIC!!

It's always fun when Gert get's its ass in gear to do a song. The way it takes over my inbox for a week with hundreds and hundreds of emails as we nail down a riff then a structure and try to stitch it all together.. I'm sure it's the same for lots of collabs here. Yah, we make epic styled rock.. that's what Gert does. Sometimes you just have to roll with what you got haha. I have time for epic rock in my life. Huge props to the podcast folks - so cool. Hoping to get into a solo fight submission soon... thanks for the reviews folks. Stay musicing.
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Re: Let me twist your arm to write (Bend The Knee Reviews)

Post by Lunkhead »

Gert wins!
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Re: Let me twist your arm to write (Bend The Knee Reviews)

Post by vowlvom »

Congertulations!
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