Some very late reviews:
Hey, everyone whose songs I didn't get to, sorry I didn't get to your songs in time. I've had a rather busy week and this was a long-ass fight. Anyway, for anyone still interested, here are the remaining songs I have not yet reviewed for this fight.
McRamahamasham - You know, a lot of people have told me that I have the best name in this particular fight, but I think you just may be a contender for the title. Also, this song is pretty awesome. Except for excessive amounts of clipping, I really enjoy this. Guitar solo is surprisingly good, considering the rather abstract, off-kilter direction you went with the rest of the piece. I also dig the way it just sort of ends without really concluding anything. Very boss.
Melvin - Okay, Melvin, I have to be honest. On one level, I like your songs in that I find them competently written, performed and produced, and when I first found this site a few months back you were towards the top of my list as far as songfighters went. That said, now that some time has passed and I've heard a lot of your entries, I'm also a little sick of you, and I haven't even been here all that long. Every time I see your name in a fight, the first thought that goes through my head is: "Oh, god damn it. Melvin entered. I guess I can pretty much assume that he is going to win this fight, or at least get like over 9000 votes and a bazillion compliments. What's more, he's probably going to do it by doing more or less the exact same song that he won with last time, and the time before that, and the time before that...you get the picture. While I will gladly concede that you have some real talent, at least as far as the kind of music you're doing is concerned, I feel like you've won so many fights and seem to be so popular here that, well...maybe it's time to step back and give someone else a chance to be songfight's beloved mellow pop sensation. Or maybe it's time to try moving on to bigger and better pastures than some crappy little website. My friend and I had a discussion about you the other night, and we concluded that you could easily make it as one of those Third Eye Blind type artists, that have one really successful album and then just sort of fade out. You could always make a bunch of money and then come back to the internet. Just saying. Did you ever see that episode of South Park with Bono in it? If not, you should probably watch it.
Melvin is God - What the hell is that synth sound? That shit is driving me crazy. It sounds like the one that Cobalt Stomach uses, also I think this band called Lithium Institution who was on here awhile back used it as well. Anyway, I'm not quite sure how I feel about this song. The beat is catchy, but without being especially innovative, and the vocals and lyrics pretty much suck, although I get the impression they're supposed to. So, good job? Bad job? Not sure. Pick one, I guess. Also, your name. See above, if you want my reaction.
Ocho del Culo - This is one of my personal favorites.
Paco - Liked the little handclaps during the chorus. Also, nice solo. I feel like maybe the bass needs to back off a little, or maybe there just needs to be thicker chordage on the guitar, if that makes sense. Also, I think this is longer than it needs to be. I liked it for about half of its length, but I found myself getting a little bored by the end.
Pathetic Wannabees - I think this song needs a tuba in it, just making a nice little oom-pah sound over the back of this. That would be the shit. Like this. Recording is a little shitty, but that probably can't be helped. All in all, I think I dig this.
Pet Squirrel - Wow, the way the intro went I was expecting a completely different kind of song. Alright, so as much as I tend to support crappy, underproduced synth pop, I have to say that my time at songfight is rather beginning to desensitize me to it. This is just one song too many of this kind of thing for me to really get into it, however I do rather like some of what you did here. The synth parts that come in around the main beat are really well done. Also, the intro was cool; very dreamy. I kind of wish you'd stayed with that vibe instead of launching into the song that you wound up doing.
PiGPEN - dun dun dun dada dada dun...quack noises...bouncy electronics.....cheezioid synth percussion....stupid lyrics....yes....this is good. Wasn't originally going to save this, but now I think I just might.
Plain Songs for Doves and Tigers - When this first started, and I heard the hissing and the guitar warming up, I thought to myself, "Oh, fuckbiscuits, here's another douche with an acoustic guitar and a crappy microphone who thinks he's Crosby, Stills and Nash. That said, once it got going a few seconds in, you totally proved me oh so wrong, and I thank you. Love the shakers, the flute, whatever the hell else you have mixed in there, and that noise in the background that makes it sound like someone is moving furniture around the room while you're recording. The song itself is also quite good, and I like the way it's sung. Very nice work.
Quimby - This seems to be a good fight for lead guitar parts, because I like the one you have here. I still think your voice sounds kind of like a girl Neil Young, but it works for what you're doing. Usually I don't go for this kind of thing, but I have to admit, this is quite good. Not quite sure about "Colmes to your Hannity", but otherwise, yeah. Dig.
raisin brain - You and Chopped Liver Meat God should do a concert together. Very nice new wavey kind of a vibe here. There's something that sounds like that one kind of synth again. That's driving me crazy. (see Melvin is God) Anywho, tho, yeah. This is good. Like the way it completely shifts styles in the middle there. What effect is that on the guitar? It sounds like it would be fun to play with.
Red Skeletons - Can't really make out the words, and there's not really a whole lot else to listen to here. Wait, scratch that, the bassline that comes in is pretty good, and the chorus is very bouncy and, oooh, yes, I do believe that's some kind of twangy electronic sound of undisclosed origin. Yes, I can get into this. Redundant organ parts need to come down in the mix; that's what was bugging me at first.
Rik Gerblick - Good. This is poppy without being too poppy. Catchy, nice guitar work, and while you can clearly sing well, your voice is a little bit gritty too. I like that. Entirely too many "pretty" vocal submissions this time around, although with the title I suppose that's to be expected. I could hear Widespread Panic or someone like that possibly covering this song.
R. Mosquito - "Hey, R. Mosquito, the title this week is 'Love Me a Little Bit More'. Are you going to put together some whiny, fluffy, pretty, pussy-ass kind of sentimental type song with lots of acoustic guitars and lilting keyboard melodies?" Your answer, of course, was a gritty, in your face NO, and for that you deserve a round of applause. I like the old-time rock n' roll framework combined with all of the distortion and feedback. Very early punk. Hot cack, my friend, hot cack.
roymond & BLT - This pretty much rocks. No other comment needed.
Signboy - Like the bassline, as well as the effect you used. Would like to be able to hear the keyboard a little bit more.
The Sky Looks Pissed - I wish I could play the harmonica. This sounds like it was recorded by a single microphone in the middle of the room while everyone performed around it. That isn't necessarily a bad thing in itself, but I don't know about it here. Shitty singing recorded poorly works for some kinds of songs; namely ones where that is the impression the performer was going for. Rone's style, for example, is quite endearing for the kind of thing he's trying to do. For you, though? I would recommend investing in a decent four track, a decent microphone, and a book on basic home recording techniques. This kind of angsty teenage post-punk kind of a song, I don't think quite lends itself to the sort of heavily-underproduced sound you have here. Also, some parts kind of sound like you were making up this song on the spot. Okay, it's finished now. What's that? "That was angry?" Uh, not really. Angry if you're like 13 and doped up on Ritalin, maybe.
Slats - Yipes, that high guitar hurt my ears there. Like the sound of it. I think this is my favorite of your songs that I've heard so far. Synth strings go nicely with the laid back kind of sound you've got going here. Yipes, there's that high guitar again. Turn that shit down a bit. It clips, and it hurts my ears through the headphones. That's really the only problem I have with this. Wait, one more thing. Not quite sure if this is a bad thing or not, but you seem to be a little overly fond of flange-type effects. They're fun to use, but they can get annoying in high doses. Maybe back it off a bit, or perhaps try doubling up the guitar track and putting the flanged track in the background? I don't know. That sort of thing is up to you I guess.
Some Guy Called Noel - Not sure if I've ever mentioned it before, but you are a really good guitar player. Your songs tend to be a bit melancholy overall, I've noticed, but I find that I like them. Yeah, this is pretty good.
squidbird - oh, so that's what that crack that one dude made about how I should have tried rapping and sampling bird sounds on my song was all about. Anyway, this song. Uh, yeah. As far as the hip hop I've heard on songfight is concerned, this is definitely in the upper echelon. That doesn't necessarily mean it's anywhere near fantastic, it's just that most of the raps I hear here are pretty god-awful, with the exception of Milk Plus I suppose. Anyway, yeah. Birdcore. Original, so points for that. Beat isn't that innovative, but it isn't bad. I'd probably be a little embarrassed if anyone caught me jamming out to this, especially if they didn't know what songfight is and didn't understand the context, but on its own, this could have been a lot worse.
Steve Durand - So, you're in this thing twice, then? I think I liked the Durand Durand song better. This is still upbeat enough to avoid being too saccharin, but this is drifting dangerously close to the kind of soft, pretty song that I mentioned being afraid of hearing earlier. Anyway, not bad. Not my favorite, but not bad.
Swillington - Instead of the song you did here, I think you should have just made a three minute long instrumental piece out of that drum loop and the little synth blips, with maybe some other instruments entering in and building up as the thing progresses. As far as the direction you went, this is just kind of bland and dull.
Todd McHatton - Is that a tuba? I sure hope it is, because I think the inclusion of a tuba just might sell this song for me. I like the little sixties pop psychedelica kind of sound you have going here. It's a bit like the Beatles, or maybe the Lovin' Spoonful. This is definitely a save; in fact, I think this one is also going to go on my drunken relaxation mix. Quite nice.
A Tribe Called Quoons - Am I really such a pompous dildo that I would actually take the time to write a silly little blurb about my own song and actually expect people to sit here and read it? The answer is yes. Yes I am, and you just did. Suck on that.
Weakest Suit - Tambourine! Yes! Fuck yes tambourines! This also needs a tuba. This song should be nothing but tubas and tambourines. Every song should be nothing but tubas and tambourines. Let's have a tuba and tambourine fight, everyone. I'm sorry, I completely forgot to pay attention to this song. Sorry, man. That tambourine got me started on a tangent, and well...MORE TUBA!!!!!!!! In all seriousness, though, this is actually pretty good.
Wet Towel Society - I'm sorry, but there are just too many of these kinds of songs this week for one fight to support. I know it's not your fault, but this song and Pet Squirrel just keep running together in my mind. If it's any consolation, you're a better singer than him, and your instrumentals are more interesting as well. All in all, I think towel trumps squirrel, but I'm afraid I'm just having a really hard time getting into this, particularly as you're all the way at the bottom of the alphabet and I've already heard this same basic song concept several times already. Again, not your fault, but still.
The White Hat - I like banjo music, I don't care what anyone says.
The Worldly Self Assurance - Okay, so this is pretty much in the same category as Berkshire Social Scene, Melvin, and Jon Eric in that it is written, performed, and recorded competently, but it is just too conventional and uninteresting to really elicit much more than a "meh" from me. I didn't really pay that much attention to the lyrics, and yet simply based on the nature of the song title and the kind of direction you chose to go with it, I feel like I not only know exactly what they are about, but that I've heard this exact same song, like, a million times before. Since I'm doing these reviews after the fact, and can see how everyone did, I notice that this song got like ten more votes than mine, so I suppose somebody gets into it. But as far as I'm concerned, there's just not enough here to really hold my interest, I'm afraid.
That be all. Sorry about the late reviews. I'll try not to let it happen again, but no promises.
Oh, yeah:
Teplin wrote:You're probably going to lose votes because of the theme, but I, for one, am grateful that you didn't write Yet Another Sensitive Love Song, and the humor is welcome.
Thank you. It's about time somebody noticed.
