dear notifylist please vote for my song! (safety in numbers)

<3 · Post by <3 » Tue May 02, 2006 6:42 pm

Mostess wrote:
blue wrote:well i was gonna review but mostess is first in the play list so i guess i'll just vote and close the fight.
From now on, we'll be submitting as "Aardvark Admiring."

And I will be making sure to actually have my file name be <3_whatever.mp3 ^_^

Kill Me Sarah · Post by **Kill Me Sarah** » Tue May 02, 2006 6:51 pm

Fine bass tones courtesy of TVIYH.

jack · Post by **jack** » Tue May 02, 2006 7:23 pm

god damned that poptronics falsetto is some serious shit!

drums sound fine dude.

Adam! · Post by **Adam!** » Tue May 02, 2006 9:20 pm

Hostess Mostess: Very cool sounding. The vocal harmonies are very nice. I think that really high pitched synth is a bit too loud, because it leaps out and makes me turn down the song when I want to turn it up. Otherwise, great production. I love around 2:20 when the song sort of peels away, then rushes back. This'll probably be a vote unless someone else has a killer hook. 8.

Kill Me Sarah: What the hell is happening with the timing in this song? Man that bass rocks on those low notes. Vocals sound disinterested, making me the same. If you're saying words, I can't tell. Now I don't consider my own song so sloppy. 2

Kweep: I just realized I haven't heard any kweep; this is really nice sounding. Really great vocal and guitar doubling. I guess the "three is too many, and one is too few" rhyme was way too obvious, but I would have preferred it to "makes me feel so blue" (I guess that's why I'm not penning lyrics these days). I wish the drums were more perceivable: all I can here is the hat and an occasional crash. The perpetual flatulent beatboxing is a little distracting and out of place. Catchy enough, doesn't overstay it's welcome. 7

Link Powerup: why is your avatar's hair familiar? Hmm... Affected 'cute' vocals are a no go for me. Some cool synths come in and dance around a bit, but they never really do much to elaborate on the progression. Sounds too much like an FL demo for my tastes. Still better than Fischerspooner. 4

Marcus: Hey, this is disarmingly pleasant. I'm not used to hearing Campless-Kellis. The pitch on those vocals sounds quite good throughout, but it's tough to tell under all the effects. The melody wears itself out pretty quick, but the song knows this and ends just at the right time. That bass is absolutely crushed; I can't tell what it's playing at all. The percussion is the best part of the song, but that might be because it's the only part that isn't effected and compressed all to hell and back. 5

marn: I'm Bored! Oh god, there's still have 2 and a half minutes left. If you were all drunk and yelling about god overtop of this I would like it. Zero.

Nodalnim: I'm glad I'm following this song, just for volume contrast. I hope people turned this song up real loud. I like "impregnable" and all the chords. Very nice vocals. My gut reaction is that the lyrics walk the line between fairly cool and really lame, but I can't pull out any good examples for either case. Maybe it's because you fucked up Fibonacci. Is there a band name in that somewhere? The Fibonacci Fuckups? I hate the non-chorus melody. 5.68

Popular Electronics: J$ and I. This is my attempt to strip down my production a bit so I can actually get songs finished, and maybe even reproduce them live some day. No sequencing or effects or fidgety editing or vocal doubling (well, that's last part is a big fucking lie, as the chorus vocals are doubled. But it's still a great departure from my usual shtick of hiding behind 10 vocal layers) or any of those other things that like to eat my week. Yeah, Catch, that drum loop was a snippet of me playing that I used as a stand-in. This song is too damn loud and sloppy. But, I like the bass tone. A lot.

Produce: I like some of the turns of phrase here. The meandering random number chanting seems pointless. The doubling is pretty bad. I usually like glitch-vocals; not here. Well, at least it's short. 3.5, all for lyrical snippets.

Ray Negro: I should hate this, but I find myself really liking it. The vocals sound strange but infectious. I keep thinking the lyrics are gonna make me cringe, but instead they're earnest sleaziness makes me smile. The drums rule and so does the chord progression and the melody. 8

Tiny Robots: Holy crap good. Great vocals carry the song. I can't tell if the rhythm acoustic should have more body or not; all I can hear is the pick-clicking, but that's a popular sound for a reason. Perfect melody. I usually hate this kind of guitar soloing, but here it fits so well (the generic keyboard stuff is kind of an underwhelming note to go out on). This song might have the shortest verses I've ever heard. 9

Turtleboy: I don't know what to make of this song. I can't wrap my ears around it. Something is playing in my headphones--I can tell because the oscilloscope shows activity--but I haven't got a clue what it is. I think I like it. Maybe? N/A.

EDIT: Whoops, missed this question:

catch wrote:Did you use any particular scale for it?

Um... I think I played... thingies? I don't know what chords I played in that song; I don't even know what key it was in. Maybe now is a good time for me to confess that I don't have a clue what I'm doing.

catch · Post by **catch** » Tue May 02, 2006 10:04 pm

Puce: Hm. Thingies. I'll have to try that.

Haha, at least you know you don't know what you're doing. I just cracked open a music theory book for the first time last night and... well, let's just say things weren't pretty.*

*A grown man crying.

Kweep · Post by **Kweep** » Tue May 02, 2006 11:23 pm

hostess - really nice sounds and use of odd meter... but the bridge/chorus(?) bit seems to drop out sonically... really strong tune though... vote?

kms - really could use some basic mastering... and drums.

bass is a smidge too loud... other than that, pretty strong ideas... good riffs and nice vocal performance.

kweep - me (about the 'beatboxing' - first off, it's not a loop... i 'performed' it all the way through. i had this sound in my head and tried to make it happen with a loop that i'd 'effected' and it just wasn't working for me so i 'boxed' it and was happier with it... it's not meant to be quirky or odd... it's just what i heard in my head and this was the closest i could get to makin' it happen... dig?)

<3 - nice strong groove! awesome sounds and production... very happy poppy vibe... the call and response is sweet... only complaint/suggestion is that i'd love a break [pause] reintro with a bigger fatter groove. really strong, though a little long... vote?

marcus kellis experience - overall decent, but the production is wonky and very distracting. the bass seems to be stepping on everything and i can't really understand the vox... and it makes me wanna cry cry cry cry cry cause there's somethin' there... i just can't hear it.

marn - i'm tryin'... i'm tryin'... nope, can't get into it. sorry... it's just not a 'song'... decent ideas though...

nodal nim - love the 'echo'... really nice ideas... getting into the first 'safety in numbers' seems a bit ... umm... angular? disjointed? the 'numbers' bit is pretty cool. nice... i dunno why, but i likee... maybe it's the uke (if that is, indeed, what it is)? vote?

popular electronics - wasn't sure til it kicked in... ok, yes... i DO like it. awesome falsetto! fuggin' rockin' chorus! love me some distorty bass! vote?

produce - cool sounds... cool use of fx... the 'power in numbers' low vox thing seems overpowering... it hides the 'vocoder' vocals which are cool...

ray negro - another really nice track! bring that spanish funk!!! kick ass sounds and a really nice take on the theme... like others have noted 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, sex! is a great lyric! vote?

tiny robots - decent sounds (except the lead guitar bein too loud)... nice vox... nice sentiment to the lyrics... not suckin' me in though...

turtleboy - nice vibe! vox need to be louder... the guitar in the left speaker is sweet! cool ass line/riff. i dig the dissonance! just wish i could hear the vox more... nice ending.

wow, nice stuff this fight... no idea yet who i'ma vote for...

Kweep · Post by **Kweep** » Wed May 03, 2006 12:01 am

one more thing

Puce wrote:[...]I wish the drums were more perceivable[..]

i just used one room mic and double tracked the drums... not the best for perceivability but kinda fun

and... it's all about havin' fun and experimenting, eh?

<3 · Post by <3 » Wed May 03, 2006 12:25 am

Puce wrote:Link Powerup: why is your avatar's hair familiar?

Maybe it is because you have also seen some anime! ^_^

Sounds too much like an FL demo for my tastes. Still better than Fischerspooner. 4

But I am using Logic Pro and all of the loops were my own making. Oh well!

(By the way I really like your music and I think you're very cute and so I'm happy that you reviewed my song even if you didn't like it so much. *^^* )

ken · Post by **ken** » Wed May 03, 2006 12:38 am

Hey All,

Doing reviews on my new Sennheiser HD580 headphones. Watch out!

Hostess Mostess- interesting synth sounds to start. Bass seems off center for some reason, a little to the right. I am enjoying the vocal delivery, but the vocals seem to sit behind the mix, as if they are afraid to be in front. Good harmonies there. Drums are disappointing in their repetition and lack of impact. Have you and Glenn Case ever done a duet? I think your voices would compliment each other nicely.

Kill Me Sarah ft. TVIYH: Weak sounding guitars. Vocals are too soft in the mix. Interesting vocal effect though. Not really together on the chorus. There are only four elements to this song, you should really be able to keep them together. Bass is really up front, and it isn't always in time. Can you try double tracking the guitars next time and panning them left and right. I like the low notes on the bass. Bring the vocals up a bit too. Does the chorus ever start together? This is the main point of the song, and it is so weak. Have you tried recording to a click track? I think it may have helped this song and will serve you well in general when you collab with people.

kweep: Nice picked guitar parts. Your voice sounds like Hoblit. Interesting choice to beat box your rhythm track. I like the Beatlesqe guitar part. Adding bass on the chorus is a good move. I like the change between the verse and the chorus. The empty space between chorus and verse two sounds artificial and bad. Hey, real drums on verse two. Interesting way to build the song up. Good vocal harmonies. Definately an interesting and good song.

Less Three <3: Bouncy drums. I like the delayed guitar part, but it gets old quick. Interesting lyrics. This song starts out so dense, I want it to thin out to make room for the vocals, but instead you weave in more parts. They are all very nice, but I think it is the opposite of how the dynamics of the song should be. Then you could build more at the bridge, which is a nice part. Yeah, this song definately needs more dynamics. Instead of a slow rise let's see some up and down. Also, this felt about a minute too long.

MKX: Hey, a multitrack recording! These parts don't always fit together. I also think it is odd that the drums and bass feel like they are playing in double time against the guitar. I think your vocals are good, and I even like the reverb. They just sound pretty lofi compared to some of the other stuff in the song.

Marn: Did you have fun twisting the panning knobs? Bill Frisell you are not. I keep waiting for the song to start, and I suspect it never will. I will now skip forward to see what happens. Unfortunately, nothing.

Nodal Nim: Nice Mandolin. Solid vocals. I don't think there is a need to repeat the chorus twice each time. Not much happens there. Interesting School House Rock moment with the counting. The repetition on the chorus would work better with a harmony on the second repetition. I think you did well with just mandolin and voice.

Popular Electronics: This song really misdirects me. Noisy They Might Be Giants rap rock? Is this Puce's new band? It sounds really good. Vocals are a little hard to understand. I think they need better EQ, maybe less low end, or make a little more space for them by cutting frequencies on other tracks. Maybe they just need be to up a db in the mix. Nice.

Produce: You rock that casio man! Interesting track, I didn't expect it to turn into a rap song. A bit too atmospheric for the fast and aggressive vocals in my opinion. I'd rather hear slow and thoughtful delivery.

Ray Negro: Lovely Organ. Drums sound really good too. Damn they get blown out. I'm not sure what to say about your vocals. I don't like the tone of your voice. I think the melody is good, but something about your accent and delivery really bothers me. I hope that is your real voice, and that is why it sounds that way. I mean no disrespect, just want to let you know. Nice punchline at the end.

Tiny Robots: Timing is pretty loose. Verse is nice, as is the change to the prechorus. Maybe that lead guitar is a little loud on the chorus. I'm sorry we weren't able to spend more time getting the guitar tone. I think we could've done different ones for each part of the song. Nice tamborine on the solo. Such a great guitar solo. I like the synth on the last chorus. Do you think it should have been on all of them?

Turtleboy: Odd arrangement from the start. Vocals need some definition. I can't really make them out. Hey, this sounds a lot like Dennis from sonofsupercar! I get into all the diferent parts the longer this song goes on. Panning seems a little odd though, where there is one guitar on the left, and other between center and right. Why not one on each side? They seem to be playing similar parts, at least rhymically. This song also runs a little long.

There seems to be quite a few veteran songfighters hiding out in this fight. Reveal yourselves!!!

Be well,
Ken

<3 · Post by <3 » Wed May 03, 2006 12:51 am

ken wrote:Doing reviews on my new Sennheiser HD580 headphones. Watch out!

Less Three <3: Bouncy drums. I like the delayed guitar part, but it gets old quick. Interesting lyrics. This song starts out so dense, I want it to thin out to make room for the vocals, but instead you weave in more parts. They are all very nice, but I think it is the opposite of how the dynamics of the song should be. Then you could build more at the bridge, which is a nice part. Yeah, this song definately needs more dynamics. Instead of a slow rise let's see some up and down. Also, this felt about a minute too long.

There is no guitar! There is only synthesizer and violin. Also there are places where parts drop out and there actually aren't many parts to begin with. I think your Sennheiser HD580s might be even muddier than the HD280s I use for mastering! (But I agree that dynamics could be better! I tend to overcompress things.)

Mr. Car · Post by **Mr. Car** » Wed May 03, 2006 12:55 am

RAY NEGRO / I'm waiting in Anthropology for my wife to try on 14 pairs of pants, reading a book on Morrocan Courtyard Design, and this song comes on... I bolt up to the counter to peruse the CD's in rotation and try to guess which one this is on...I'm sure it's Belgian or Spanish Indie and that owning it will expand me...This is truely special...download and vote.

KWEEP/ The lost Harry Nielsson tapes from 1971? What a find! ( "...with titty dancers"?) Use of that fine voice as a force for good- several bonus points. Vote only if Ray Negro party rips my song.

TINY ROBOTS/ You make it hard to think of stepping on bugs. Some of them might be you and removing such happiness from the world is a risk I shall not take.

<3/ Could have evolved. Everything was technically right and the few melodies that came through were good, but something 'uber' could have helped.

HOSTESS/ Lots of nice instrumental happenings...those were my only notes on this one. I guess the vox felt forced into places a times that weren't beneficial to the outcome of the song.

POPULAR ELECTRONICS/ Starts out promising...then it rocks out...no, it power-pops out...I mean it's alright, I can't really discect this one.

TURTLE BOY/ Turned up real loud in a fast moving vehicle for about 4 listens. Then it just becomes another thing that happened. I need to spend time with the cubase mixing tutorials, esp drum loop cut and paste.

MARCUS/ Everything is just so off. It's hard to say slag=success unless it's brilliant slag and everyone is drunk. Please be brilliant and drunk next time because all the pieces are there.

MARN/ Illegal use of the Telecaster, 15 yards, still second down.

KILL ME SARAH/ Try harder, if this is the best thing you've ever written, just keep that momentum and try harder.

PRODUCE/ The power in numbers thing just bothered me becuase the title is safety in numbers but throwing down 'there is safety in numbers' in that rap would essentially be like the Wiggles or Disney or something, so I guess you did the right thing. Bonus points for use of the Guess Who.

NODAL NIM/ Everyone deserves a ribbon for running the race.

Eric Y. · Post by **Eric Y.** » Wed May 03, 2006 2:12 am

Mostess wrote:Kill Me Sarah, featuring That Voice Inside Your Head:I want the bass to do something other than follow the guitar around.

same here! furthermore i'd say i want the bassist to spend more time working with the song than (approximately) midnight through three am, the night before songs were due!

Eric Y. · Post by **Eric Y.** » Wed May 03, 2006 2:12 am

(sorry for double-posting... access to the forums died right in the middle of trying to post last night)

Kill Me Sarah · Post by **Kill Me Sarah** » Wed May 03, 2006 6:14 am

Goodness, I hope no one besides the new guy thought I was serious when I said this was the best thing I've ever written or the best I've heard on SF! I was being tongue-in-cheeky. I was, frankly, amazed that anyone had anything nice to say about it whatsoever. Even my wife's first word about it was "boring". I think TVIYH's bass is about the only redeemable factor about this song. And maybe there are some recyclable ideas kicking around in it. I truly dis-like it and it freaks me out that the response to it wasn't more in that vein, because I usually get more negative responses about the songs I really do like, but maybe you're all just being nice

I have trouble in general with wanting to write fast, heavy songs when I'm by myself. With a drummer behind me it's a different story.

Re: the use of a click track. I've tried it and I have a hard time with it. When I play with a drummer, the tempo makes sense to me, but when I just hear "tick tick tick tick" at varying speeds I have a hard time understanding it. Then what's worse is in a song like this one where the chorus speeds up, I have to try to find a faster "tick tick tick tick" to match that part. Drums I can hear and feel but the idea of BPMs in general just puts me in the fetal position. Anyone have any advice?

Mogosagatai · Post by **Mogosagatai** » Wed May 03, 2006 6:22 am

Get a drum track. Or make one, a real simple one, using a program that can do that. I also don't like following some dinky little click, so I make something I can follow and then proceed.

Mostess · Post by **Mostess** » Wed May 03, 2006 8:12 am

kill_me_sarah wrote:Drums I can hear and feel but the idea of BPMs in general just puts me in the fetal position. Anyone have any advice?

Lay down a knee-slapping track as a "click" track. Doesn't have to keep a steady tempo, all it has to do is communicate where the beat falls to the other players. My "scotch snap" vs. "pickup note" comment was trying to get at this. All you need is a percussion on the downbeat to help the players (and maybe the listeners) understand your short-long, short-long, short-long rhythm: are the shorts the downbeats (scotch snap) or the longs (shorts are pickup notes).

I'm with you on click tracks. Sometimes I use them (this week, for instance) and I always feel like I have to inject extra energy into the song to compensate for the perfectly flat tempo.

I have a slow ear, so quick click tracks confuse me. So another advice about click tracks: try very slow ones (just one click per bar) just to keep your tempo honest, but give yourself flexibility within each measure. And keep your "what the hell is going on?!" head from confusing your performance (that's my problem).

ken · Post by **ken** » Wed May 03, 2006 9:51 am

I know this has been discussed on songfight, but the more you work with a click, the easier it becomes, and the more enjoyable it is. Keeping a steady tempo is a basic musicianship skill. It is tougher when you want the music to change tempo, and good recording software will allow you to do this.

Ken

fluffy · Post by **fluffy** » Wed May 03, 2006 9:57 am

the more you work with a dick, the easier it becomes

Too true!

(Seriously, though, I totally agree with Ken.)

Post by **Lunkhead** » Wed May 03, 2006 10:15 am

Metronomes (hm, "Metrognomes" could be a band...) can be helpful, too, if you need to work on your rhythm.

catch · Post by **catch** » Wed May 03, 2006 7:30 pm

After letting the songs settle, Ray Negro's entry has really grown on me. Hostess Mostess, Kweep, Popular Electronics, and Tiny Robots have stood the test of time. Nodal Nim isn't as interesting after the first listen and <3 is making me reach for the red potion with the five-minute-beat. The rest I'm not compelled to play anymore.

I think it's between Ray Negro & Popular Electronics for dis vizote.

Paco Del Stinko · Post by **Paco Del Stinko** » Thu May 04, 2006 8:51 am

This is my 3rd review. Pummel me back in next weeks fight. I listened to each song three times over the past three days.

Hostess Mostess - You too can be a diamond. Could benefit from some instrumental punch.
Kill Me Sarah f. TVIYH - Good scratch-pad for a potentially good moody song. Double time drums at end.
Kweep - This could be re-done by mid 70's Scorpions. Yes, those Scorpions. It's also very nice like this.
<3 - If I looked good in tight bike pants I would dance around the house like an arm flapping nut. Until I needed to sit down for a minute.
The Marcus Kellis Exp. - Good mood. Gude mude? Stand up straight and take it around the block once or twice. Nice bass sound.
Marn - I almost want to be a cowboy. Turn it up and add some wind for 2:30.
Nodal Nim - I can't tell if I'm in California or on a Scottish salmon farm. Nice methods all around.
Popular Electronics - Kickass theme to a terric feel-good summer blockbuster! Alright!
Produce - Bong-hit feel needs an early whiff of air. Just scootch on over on the couch a bit.
Ray Negro - Take a bite off, oh, there I suppose, and enjoy a wonderfully weird apple.
Tiny Robots - There is a cozy little club somewhere with this playing loud enough, comfortably, to enjoy either alone or accompanied.
Turtle Boy - Better after the 1st time, somehow the song has matured. It sure as shit wasn't me that did!

Paco will vote by secret ballot after further review and considerations. Donkey.

Stubby Phillips · Post by **Stubby Phillips** » Thu May 04, 2006 12:34 pm

Marn:
Level WAY low. Still waiting for song to start... it never does. ERROR! ERROR!

Kill Me Sarah: Another low level. Serious timing problems, and the vox needs to be compressed and louder. Use a click or drum track to stay on time.

Markus Kellis:
I don't really know what to say about this... Love song? Boppy blues? Just a song? The delivery sounds kinda sincere, but I still don't know if you're serious or not. Like the hand drumming -- I'd like to hear more of that on SF.

Popular Electronics:
Good vox. Good playing all around. Sounds pretty flat w/ EQ flat -- that's how I listen when reviewing. Broad dip @ 500 Hz really livens it up. Do you EQ assuming your audience is gonna crank up the bass and highs? Good song. Good energy and it's the right length.

Ray Negro:
Like the tonewheel (B4?). Maybe you need another mic on the drums for a little spread, and the cymbals are a bit overpowering, but good playing. Pretty balanced otherwise. Good song.

Nodal Nim:
Nice mandolin. Wish I could get more than 3 chords out of mine. Math folk? Good singing. Nice progression. Try a different mic placement next time to get more highs out of that mando.

Tiny Robots:
I love your voice. Synth sounds out of place to me. Nice guitar solo. Organ/synth solo is peaky. I like the progression/changes. Playing is good all around. Sweet!

Turtleboy:
Somebody sounds like John Lennon. Scary. In fact this song sounds like JL circa 1970. His version would have been shorter, I think. Middle part is too long. Cool groove, though. OK, the middle part is going to the end. Way too long. But I like the crazy beat and instrumental interplay, especially in the first 2 - 3 min. You should leave us wanting more -- not less.

Hostess Mostess:
Good production. Cool panning synth. Good mix on the various vocals -- and good vocals they are. Wierd -- after it ends I can't remember a riff except the chorus 'safety in numbers', but it seems like it was a totally riff-driven song. Very catchy.

Kweep:
Interesting vocal percussion. Cool lyric. Good vocals -- sounds like in between 'real' doubled and 'delay with mod' effect. Good clear audio and mix -- lots of room there. Way cool.

<3:
Vox is a little low in the mix. Is that two people singing during call/responce in the middle, or just you? Never mind. Nice layering of synths -- cool almost 'accidental sounding' synth harmony @ ~ 3:15. Should have expanded that into another part. Is the vocalist the person(?) who does the posts? I feel like I'm part of some college sociology experiment.

Produce:
Randy, Burton, and Ahhnold. Very strange. Isn't digital technology great?

HM, Kweep, TR, RN, and PE are the best. I think Tiny Robots and Hostess Mostess tie.

dear notifylist please vote for my song! (safety in numbers)

Safety In Numbers: Reviews