Let's trade (Friendship Bracelet reviews)

[Pigfarmer Jr]

I'll show you mine if you'll show me yours.

[Pigfarmer Jr]

Please post your lyric in the appropriate thread: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=12189

[SweeneyToad]

Please post your lyric in the appropriate thread: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=12189

FYI: When I try to post in the lyrics thread I get an internal server error.

[Pigfarmer Jr]

Please post your lyric in the appropriate thread: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=12189

FYI: When I try to post in the lyrics thread I get an internal server error.

It's a day later (or so) but it's working for me.

[Lunkhead]

The internal server error thing is just something that's going to happen sometimes. Our bulletin board runs on a server that is shared with other Dreamhost customers running other stuff, and sometimes that other stuff hogs the server's resources and our bulletin board barfs for a big.

Anyway, I went on a somewhat impromptu road trip and have gotten delayed in updating songfight.org. Hopefully tomorrow I will have time for it.

[Lunkhead]

Also I haven't been checking the fightmaster email so if you've submitted a very late song and not gotten confirmation that's why.

[Lunkhead]

OK, so, bit further delayed, sorry.

[Lunkhead]

The songs are posted.

[the panna cotta army]

Some brief rambling thoughts on this fight

Berkeley Social Scene
Bouncy and lively 90s style power-chord pop a la mode of Greenday, etc. The verse and chorus vocal melodies are nice, catchy and sung in that slightly deadpan style with some smooth harmonies here and there to add a bit of colour (or color as you say over there). If I had criticism it’s perhaps the solo is a little too conventional/generic but other than that, I like this; it’s a neat package that ticks most boxes.

Pigfarmer Jr
The opening is rocking with both drums and guitar sounding gritty and energetic. I dig the instrumental section; the simple style of the solo fits the song and the palm-muted bridge leading back to the last chorus is perfect. My one reservation would be the verse vocals seem to me as if you’re holding back slightly, like you’re not convinced about the melody you’re singing. The chorus is much better with a stronger commitment to the punk-ish characteristics of the song. Overall, I think this works well.

Sumner Sloane
Can’t put my finger on where I think this is falls stylistically. There’s perhaps a bit of Springsteen in here but I’m also picking up a slight flavour of very early Steely Dan, though the simple la-la chorus isn’t really representative of either of those. I think I’d have liked a bit more variation in the arrangement; particularly the middle eight to make it stand out from the verses more. The main significant dynamic change is right at the end when the backing la las come in.

Lichen Throat
I tried to figure out what time signature this starts in but gave up pretty quickly; and also whether it changes for the chorus (I think it might do), though as the rhythmic elements and the vocal scansion are fairly independent of each other, it’s tricky to discern either. It’s curious how your music is so robotically quantized yet the vocals are in complete contradiction to that. The chorus has what I’d probably consider as the strongest conventional vocal melody of yours I’ve heard, though the song's general musical direction remains elusive.

Sweeney Toad
This has a lot of the signature elements of one of your productions although they seem to come together particularly well here and make something that feels catchy and coherent. The chord sequence is unusual but intriguing and the harpsichord-ish instrumental bits lend it a gothic kind of a vibe. I still think there’s a need to tone down the loudness/harshness in the vocals but overall I’m digging this one.

The Mellfire Trifecta
Some pretty and nice bright acoustic work with the guitar and mandolin - I’d lay off hard panning though. Nice when the bass comes in. The vocals and harmony work are excellent but it seems like there are too many syllables in one or two spots so the vocal melody gets a bit awkward. The timing lurches and stumbles a bit but the overall Jayhawks style acoustic pop sound is great.

Starfinger
The production is excellent and sparkly with a lot of bells and whistles; a blingy, showy arrangement that’s ended up sounding not unlike a George Duke/Parliament funk thang, but with some extra oriental twists. I assume this is not your natural singing style and your playing it for laughs by doing a sort of comic turn with multiple voices. Maybe one or two subtler moments threaded into the narrative would’ve provided a bit of dynamic variation but impressive nevertheless.

[Pigfarmer Jr]

Notes/reviews on the first listen, although most of these I listened to multiple times before finishing my thoughts.

Berkeley Social Scene: I liked the melodies right from the start. The guitars on the intro were interesting. The doubling effect was noticeable from the beginning but really fit well when the backing fully kicked in. I like this but it somehow seems a bit lighter than your (y'all's) usual fare. I think it's the lyric. I like this musically. Cool lead.

Lichen Throat: I like your chorus melody and that's the bit of your vocal I like the best. I dig the rhythm. That kind of all and response, sort of delayed sparse bit works extremely well for me. This might be my favorite of your songs.

The Mellfire Trifecta: Oooh, nice guitar work. Nice mando. Maybe just a bit unbalanced volume wise with the hard panning, but not terribly so.(This is probably just a high end heavy mando not sounding quite as full as the guitar.) I like the addition of the bass. Strong vocal. Good melody, although maybe a bit predictable with the melodies in some of the cadences/ending lines. I like your take lyrically. I found it hard to get a unique take on this title and I think it showed in most of the entries (not that they are bad lyrically) but it's good to see how you handled it. Cool instrumental section. I like this a lot.

The Pannacotta Army: I like your throwback intro arrangement and verse melody. Your chorus melody is sweet and memorable. Nice climb into the instrumental section. You're throwing in all the cool songwriting techniques. Your playing is good, too. This is extremely likeable.

Pigfarmer Jr: I picked up one of those mini mustang squires earlier this year and it's not a great guitar but I have fun picking it up and banging out songs like this one.

Starfinger: Digging the rhythm. Enjoying the arrangement. Those vocals definitely make an entrance. They're pretty hot in the mix but part of that is the uber-confident vocal performance. Both strong and full of bravado that I find appealing. I don't see the lyric, but what I'm getting from the story combined with the vocal delivery makes me smile. I think you've made this lyrical take on the challenge fun.

Sumner Sloane: I like your melodies and I think your vocal is good. Maybe partly due to the mix, but it reminds me of some 70's sounds/production/melodies. The arrangement works but I found it pretty stagnant and feel it could use some dynamic shifts. That being said, this is a good listen and isn't unlikeable.

Sweeney Toad: I like the lo-fi rhythm combined with the clean upper register. I found the vocal rhythm is a bit too much on the beat but I found myself bobbing my head to it so it must be working. Interesting intro. I like using that intro bit as the foundation for the track with this arrangement. This is built nicely and, while not in my wheelhouse, sits solidly in this fight.

I think Mellfire was my favorite followed by TPA and BSS

[starfinger]

I don't see the lyric

FYI i just posted 'em

[Pigfarmer Jr]

I don't see the lyric

FYI i just posted 'em

Thanks. That's a cool take.

[lichenthroat]

Sweeney Toad—The effects on the vocals makes the whole song sound like it should be the chorus; did you consider trying something more subdued for the verses? I think I’d like the chorus and verse to have more differentiation from one another. I like the synth arpeggios in the background music. The simple beat works pretty well, too.

The Mellfire Trifecta—This starts with a nice elegiac, wistful vibe, which I like quite a bit. To me, however, it seems like the specific references to more contemporary things (e.g., punk bands, hacky sack) undermine the atmosphere that’s been established by the music. I still like this quite a bit, though. Your vocal fits well with the overall aesthetic.

Sumner Sloane—Sometimes your vocal delivery carries a hint of sarcasm, but I think this is intended as an earnest, heartfelt song. The contrast distracts me a little. I like the smooth feel of the music. The percussion is effective without being too obtrusive; I like the sounds you’ve chosen here.

Starfinger—I didn’t notice what this was about the fist couple of times through, but the song became a lot funnier once I paid more attention to the lyrics. The part about their dads is particularly good. Your vocal delivery sounds confident and appropriately bombastic for the genre.

Pigfarmer Jr—I’m not sure what to think about the lack of low end on the chorus vocals; sometimes I think it works, but not all the time. I like the instrumental interlude/guitar solo. I like the more aggressive percussion, too.

Berkeley Social Scene—This is top-tier BSS and probably my favorite of the fight. The lyrics fit very well with the music. I think, however, that it would have been better to include more variability in each instance of the chorus; “It took me a while to make it” is a lot funnier the first time than subsequent times. That’s a small nitpick, though; this is a good song that I enjoyed.

The Pannacotta Army—Excellent production and performances, of course. This has a bit too much of a 1960ish after-dinner dance vibe for it to be my favorite, but it seems like a good exemplar of its genre, and I think you accomplished exactly what you had in mind.

Lichen Throat—This whole song is in 13/8. Any non-4/4 time signature tends to mess up my vocal timing, and it took a lot of effort for this not to sound even more rushed than it does. I am, however, pretty happy with how it turned out overall, especially the chorus.

[Lunkhead]

Berkeley Social Scene wins!

[Pigfarmer Jr]

Congratz BSS!