Page 1 of 4

At The Hospice (We Keep Them Alive Reviews)

Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 11:36 am
by Manhattan Glutton
Keep your reviews lively, please.

Re: At The Hospice (We Keep Them Alive Reviews)

Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 11:51 am
by sliced carrots
When do they go up anyway? I'm so nervous...(first time). :shock:


I don't intend to be rude and impatient, I'm just crazy apprehensive and I'll feel better when I see my submission safely made it up on the page. :) And being new, I have no clue how long this usually takes.

Re: At The Hospice (We Keep Them Alive Reviews)

Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 12:07 pm
by jb
they go up when they go up! be thankful they usually go up the same day they're due. be thankful they go up at all if they don't go up the same day they're due. just be thankful.

Re: At The Hospice (We Keep Them Alive Reviews)

Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 12:14 pm
by sliced carrots
Heh, I should probably chill out and get some sleep then. Or at least step away from the computer for a little while.

And I am quite thankful... :) Thanks to songfight, I finally made something again after not doing much of anything since making a few things in college a couple years back... I just need to calm down. :lol: The review thread popping up got me hopeful...

I would actually be surprised if you guys could get them up this quickly, using powers of sense and logic. It's just the nerves...

Re: At The Hospice (We Keep Them Alive Reviews)

Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 1:28 pm
by sliced carrots
Max the Cat, channeling Laurie Anderson? This is incredible, man. :)


- oh, and that was wicked fast! Thanks Spud and jb and/or whomever is responsible for such things. 8)

Re: At The Hospice (We Keep Them Alive Reviews)

Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 1:37 pm
by deetak
I'll get to the rest later. Just a few for now.

Who Fly – Song had a strong first impression on me. I like the falsetto back up vocals at the end of verses.

Weakest Suit – That chorus part around 1:15 might be more effective with deeper sounding drums. That’s the way I’m imagining it.

Turkey and Giblets Dinner
– Regarding your poetry, I think your specific images (e.g. my rainbow vomits blood now/ drying to blue-black crud/covering the over 9000 walls
of it's windex and rabbit-fluff rooms
) are more effective than parts like “alone, daydreaming/remembering/what I used to hope/life would be like/by now/and how much of it/was/nothing/ like now is.” Maybe some variation in the delivery (intensity, vocal range)? Though I see why you might not want to.

Todd McHatton – I really like the first 39 seconds (that whole verse that comes again later), it has a, uh, soaring and semi-improvisational feel to it.I don’t quite get the transition in mood to the next more upbeat part. Maybe the lyrics ease the transition, but I don’t see them in the lyrics thread.

Swilington – When the drums kick in, the eight note chord synth kind of gets overwhelming because it’s so low and maybe it feels like that because the singing is in a lower vocal range as well. I do like the little ringing riffs on top. I have trouble discerning the structure of the song though; it might be because of the instrumentation.

Re: At The Hospice (We Keep Them Alive Reviews)

Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 2:43 pm
by BriGuy92
I'm gonna be all self-conscious now and "review" my own song. I always end up finding all of the flaws after I think it's finished... :?

Anyway, there are definitely a few problems with our song (Ramen-Flavored ROMs) that I can think of. The vocals are a tad hard to hear. I knew that while I was piecing it together, but figured that with the distortion on it, any louder would just be hard to listen to. I don't know, I'll let you all decide on that one. Also, quite a few of the lines in the verses are quite off-rhythm. It was actually a lot worse than it is. It took us a few tries, and even then, Steven (the guy attempting to rap) still couldn't quite understand what a beat is. I think we'll be sitting down for some lessons in rhythm soon.
Other than that, I'm satisfied.

Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 5:13 pm
by saunter
__________

Re: At The Hospice (We Keep Them Alive Reviews)

Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 5:20 pm
by phetal
deetak wrote: Who Fly – Song had a strong first impression on me. I like the falsetto back up vocals at the end of verses.
Thanks! So do I! I think the harmony on "back to their lovin' arms" is my favorite part in the whole song. Glad to know my falsetto-harmony fetish isn't as naughty as it feels.
Enter It In The Art Show wrote:Bread Skeletons, Max The Cat, Some Guy Called Noel, Steve Durand, Who Fly - Great stuff!
Thank you as well, and I agree with all the other artists you mentioned... still have about 3/4ths of them to listen to... reviews to come!

edit: FUCK I FORGOT TO TAG MY MP3. SORRY... Won't happen again!

Re:

Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 8:13 pm
by Ethan
Enter It In The Art Show wrote:Also, The Sky Looks Pissed, was your name inspired by Ingrid Michaelson? The Chain is an amazing piece.
Yessss. I love that song. Probably more than I should.

Re: At The Hospice (We Keep Them Alive Reviews)

Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 9:04 pm
by jast
phetal wrote:edit: FUCK I FORGOT TO TAG MY MP3. SORRY... Won't happen again!
Does it matter? I usually forget that too.

Re: At The Hospice (We Keep Them Alive Reviews)

Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 9:04 pm
by Lord of Oats
I don't care how fast the songs go up. Only how fast the new title goes up.

Re: At The Hospice (We Keep Them Alive Reviews)

Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 9:25 pm
by jb
YAY CAROL CLEVELAND! WOOOOOOOO!

So glad you can't keep yourself away from songfight, yo. This song rocks seriously hard.

Re: At The Hospice (We Keep Them Alive Reviews)

Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2009 2:51 am
by adam b
bam!

Votes for:
Bread Skeletons
deetak
Flvxxvm Florvm
The Hell Yeahs
Jan Krueger
Mailbox
Manhatton Glutton
Sheail
SomeGuyCalledNoel
Steve Durand
Swillington
================================
Berkeley Social Scene - Instrumentation is cool, don't particularly like the vocals or the lyrics.

Binary Red - well put together, but I don't see how it fits the title

Bread Skeletons - mmm bread. Nice upbeat feel here.

deetak - lol wtf bbq!? i like the way your voice floats along :) tempted to vote though this doesn't quite do it for me. almost... or... yes it's a vote after listening to the second half of the song. the dynamics are cool as is the instrumentation, and you can actually sing. It's good that I can clearly hear the words here.

Enter It In The Art Show - heh heh heh. screams are good. However, this should be a breakdown and not the whole submission. Build a song around it and you'll do well.

Flvxxvm Florvm - "and I was like... lol wtf" at the intro? Builds up nicely. Cool and fast-paced, the distortion on vocals works with the dirty (filthy) feel of this one. The song goes on and on and blah blah blah... but in a really good, random way. It's either the climax or intro to a sci-fi movie/game. Vote!

The Hell Yeahs - pure cheese, love it. Vote!

Howl Down the Chimney - Vocals are cool, but they sometimes don't hit the mark. Lyrics have a cool theme, though they can be mundane. Instrumentation really works, nice and sparse where it needs to be, and quite full at other times. Is that a theremin? Yes it is! Nice. Production on this one is excellent. With a little improvement on the lyrics, this would have been a clear vote.

IndiAdamJones - nice groove to the song. The cut-off before the solo is too abrupt for me, and the lyrics are a bit trite.

Jizzazz 5:30AM - vocals are quite good here, the whole song works nicely. The style is a bit generic, that's all. The tone on the solo is sexual.

Jan Krueger - For a second I thought the intro vox were a synth patch, but then I remembered it was you, great work :). I don't know what country your accent is from but it's always been endearing to me. I'm giggling at the vocal instrumentation - it's slightly cheesy, but it works so well. You've got talent. Vote!

Jon Eric feat. Steve Durand - nice and cutesy, but vocals aren't spot-on. I think a bit more practise would make this one really solid. the music is very upbeat, I love it.

Mailbox - "that's good shit". You have me hooked from the start, your voice is very smooth, and the music is clear, all the tones are great. Once the song kicks in... yeah I love it. Big Fat Vote! I was waiting for backing vox in the final chorus and they made me smile.

Manhattan Glutton - this one rocks :) Vocals are cool, but the affectation does grate on me a little. The harmonics in the guitar are fucking good. You managed to pull this one off. Vote!

Max The Cat - haha, thought this was the continuation of Flvxxm Florvm. The vocal performance is great, and the lyrical flow is good, but I don't really like the words themselves, it's a bit contrived. "Shut the fuck up" is a nice touch :)

Naked Philosophy - great composition up until the vocals come in, then it's pleasant but doesn't work so well for me.

Nigel Clements - cool instrumentation and teh vocals are done well :)

Paco del Stinko - Best guitar performance so far, and I'm through half of the songs - i predict it'll be the best overall. The vocals are more matched to the harder parts of this song, I don't really like how they go with the clean bits.

PiGPEN - really beginning to appreciate your style. This is a super-big improvement on the demo I heard before, the extra instrumentation really adds to it, and i love that the instruments now have life and character. Something's still bugging me about the vocals even though they're fine

Quoonsryche feat. Anaconda Hans - don't like the voice you put on, even if it makes me laugh a little it also makes me cringe. Backing music is good, could be have some extra fills to make it more interesting. the little instrumental transitions are great however. Good take on the title as well.

Ramen-Flavored ROMs - odd. The music is a bit jarring but not so bad and I like the disembodied vocals.

Ross Durand - you're doing electronic stuff now? :) the music is pretty cool, the vocal effect is interesting and suits the style, but ultimately detracts from the song.

Sheail - Love that you pay more attention to the drum mixing than anyone else I've heard. They're super-sharp, without clashing with the mix. Would have been completely left-field, only TaGD has a similar entry. Vote - had to give it a close listen to hear the words, but that got me in the end.

The Sky Looks Pissed - buzz during the intro is frustrating, but the fact that it's drowned out after two seconds makes it insignificant. The layered vocals would have been cool if they'd been more in-sync, or didn't clash quite as much. Possibly opting for a single vocal track would have been good here. Guitar solo is nice, maybe try adding a few bends or slides/hammer-ons to give it some character. I do like that instruments often jump out of the mix, however they some of them are a bit harsh on the ears. Smooth out those problems and you'd have a pretty cool song.

SomeGuyCalledNoel - guitar is really well played and composed - this makes me happy :) The song grew on me as I listened to it. Vote! vocal clipping is not good though.

Steve Durand - intro is great. theme is great. Production could be better, but... Vote! I'm a sucker for group vocals.

Swilington - great electronica. wasn't quite a vote unti the drums kicked in to provide some change. i like the way it's got no beat before that, but dynamics are what get me. the lyrics here are good :) Vote!

Todd McHatton - This has a great groove to it, sometimes I think the vocals aren't punchy enough, but that's a mixing issue, and a minor one at that. The layered vocals are cool, and I love the bass presence - you manage to do a rare thing - provide a good bassline!

Turkey and Giblets Dinner - freaky-deaky.. by that I mean trippy. the mix felt a little crowded, until I let myself settled into it. very original and the words are interesting. The words are really hard for me to make out at the start from the music.

The Weakest Suit - not bad, nice buildup.

Who Fly - like the edgy feel, especially the beat. distortion on the vox is good too.

My favourite is Mailbox.

Re: At The Hospice (We Keep Them Alive Reviews)

Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2009 10:45 am
by Spud
Lord of Oats wrote:I don't care how fast the songs go up. Only how fast the new title goes up.
Sorry about that. I knew there was something I forgot.

Re: At The Hospice (We Keep Them Alive Reviews)

Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2009 11:41 am
by JonPorobil
Hey, we appreciate this no matter how fast anything goes up.

The fast turnaround times these last couple of week have been great, though. Great work, Fightmasters!

Haven't had a chance to listen yet.

Re: At The Hospice (We Keep Them Alive Reviews)

Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2009 12:15 pm
by Todd McHatton
Let's do some collaborating... anyone? Send me some files.
And please, tell me how to do those bitchin' tags with the image and lyrics.

Berkeley Social Scene - What's up with you guys? This could potentially be really good with stronger vocal tracks. And, I'm not so into the prog sounding guitar riff transitions between parts or the lead guitar tone. Again, this tune could be really cool though - it's close.

Binary Red - Is there an 80's resurgence going on now that I am completely unaware of? If so can someone clue me in to who out there is absolutely nailing this style. I'd like to hear some of it. This is okay but I really like vocals here on Song Fight unless the instrumental just completely capturing the title.

Bread Skeletons - I love this. My favorite of the fight by far. I would definitely buy the album.

deetak - I admire your ambition. It's clear your attempting to channel the very best but if you want to be that badass I suggest either going further over the top or pulling back and working out some more with the details.

Enter It In The Art Show - Sounds like 3 fat, bald, naked, drunk guys sweating it out in a practice room totally stoked on their latest creation.

Flvxxvm Florvm - Very entertaining intro. This is almost really good. The chorus is way too Spinal Tap (not in the good way). If you're going to do a chorus like this I would suggest a huge English Boys Choir - that would be awesome. The rest of it is great.

The Hell Yeahs - The punk vibe is awesome in your tunes. Take it over the top - make it weirder - way weirder. The "Ink and paint on Wally Gator" line absolutely rules.

Howl Down the Chimney - I'm a big fan but this one sounds like something very ambitious that may have gotten a way from you a little bit. Not that it isn't great. I love the tremolo vocal(?). I don't love the theramin. One of the things that I really enjoy with your music is the stuff that pops up where I don't know what it is it just sounds really cool. Your voice is consistently fantastic as well. I would buy your records.

IndiAdamJones - I really like the bass tone.

Jizzazz 5:30AM - Heard a lot of this sound on the radio a couple of years ago. You've definitely got something here - work on making it more your own. I like all of the guitar sounds at the end a lot (except the last wavering bass note).

Jan Krueger - I am obviously a sucker for vocal harmonies. Your vocal quality is endearing but I'd like to hear it a little less restrained. I often get the complaint that I sound as if I'm trying not to wake the rest of the house. I hear a little bit of that with you too. You've really got something with this tune though.

Jon Eric feat. Steve Durand - Those drums are bad... but you sound like the Violent Fems... which is good.

Mailbox - That opening guitar is awesome. Again, with the 80's feel - and again, please let me know who you're listening to if it's someone newer. I dig this tune. Please tell me how to do that "Tag" thing with the photo and the lyrics... please.

Manhattan Glutton - Yes. Except the vocal quality and some of the phrasing and the kind of stale chord changes this is almost good. I like the verse riff.

Max The Cat - Yeah, amazing. You have a gift - not sure what it is but it's clear you've ransacked the place, dug it out, opened it, and are going to play with it until it breaks. Good for you.

Naked Philosophy - I would encourage you to keep at it.

Nigel Clements - I did not enjoy this at first because it felt too goofy but I'm really enjoying it on the second listen because it's so goofy. I'd like to see the video.

Paco del Stinko - What I like about your songs is that it sounds like you're actually playing all of the instruments and playing them with your own very distinct style. It still sounds like you're always searching for your vocal style though.

PiGPEN - This is great. I absolutely love your style. Another record that I would definitely buy.

Quoonsryche feat. Anaconda Hans - Exact same comments as Nigel Clements.

Ramen-Flavored ROMs - I'd like to hear some bigger, crispier drums on this.

Ross Durand - I love that you're going with something completely different but would've enjoyed this more with your acoustic guitar sprinkled throughout and without that chorused 80's guitar riff. It nails the style of course but it would be fun to hear from a broader pallet.

Sheail - Wow, great sound. I would not buy this but it's entertaining the first time through.

The Sky Looks Pissed - You going for a Bon Iver thing? If not, you should. Get rid of those drums and just whack the occasional percussion. The sloppiness and all the wrong key, out of tune stuff is working for you though - seriously.

SomeGuyCalledNoel - Great and original as usual. What is that accent? ... "nur-vuuss" - "everythin' tha' went dowhowhowon" seriously, what is it? I love the beater sounding guitar thing. I did that on my last Grass Stained tune - found a dusty old child's guitar with 4 strings on it sitting in my son's friends garage - tuned it to whatever sound it wanted to stay in and squeezed the song out (I made a comic about it on my website at mchatton.com). You capture this kind of thing well. I find myself holding back on the mad finger picking when it comes to recording because I get concerned about timing. You sound like it all just comes pouring out of you. Very nice.

Steve Durand - The imagery and lyrics are great. I like the vocals when you're really, really pushing it. The lead guitar tone is horrible. What a cool tune though.

Swilington - The Beasties "Intergalactic" and Imogen Heap's "Hide and Seek" just rocked the vocoder thing so hard that I think you really have to bring it more now.

Turkey and Giblets Dinner - Wow, I remember my first... This goes on the album with Max. I'd like to hear a little melody to some of the up front parts next time.

The Weakest Suit - I think it needs a more confident vocal delivery. The rest of the lo-fi vibe is really working though. The Pavement sounding parts are really good.

Who Fly - Always dig your stuff. You do an amazing thing with capturing a vibe and sustaining it all the way through.

Vote is for Bread Skeletons but almost everyone is bringing something very unique and interesting this time.

Re: At The Hospice (We Keep Them Alive Reviews)

Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2009 1:11 pm
by Teplin
adam b wrote: Howl Down the Chimney - Vocals are cool, but they sometimes don't hit the mark. Lyrics have a cool theme, though they can be mundane. Instrumentation really works, nice and sparse where it needs to be, and quite full at other times. Is that a theremin? Yes it is! Nice. Production on this one is excellent. With a little improvement on the lyrics, this would have been a clear vote.
Hey Adam, thanks for the review. Could you go into more detail about what you disliked about the vocals? Mundane as in, you liked the story but I spent too much time on, say, the basket? Or something else? That would be helpful.
Todd McHatton wrote:Howl Down the Chimney - I'm a big fan but this one sounds like something very ambitious that may have gotten a way from you a little bit. Not that it isn't great. I love the tremolo vocal(?). I don't love the theramin. One of the things that I really enjoy with your music is the stuff that pops up where I don't know what it is it just sounds really cool. Your voice is consistently fantastic as well. I would buy your records.


Thanks Todd, that means a lot. Yeah, I'm loving my new theremin... too much to be as objective about it as I should. It's starting to sink in that I'm not nearly consistent enough with my pitch yet to get away with sprinkling it willy nilly through my tracks.

Anyway, I'm itching to do another collab, and this would be a good week to do it, so count me in. I'll send you a PM.

I'm really liking what I've heard of this fight so far. I'm definitely going to try harder to get reviews out this week.

Re: At The Hospice (We Keep Them Alive Reviews)

Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2009 4:36 pm
by Nigel (spOOn) Clements
Just a quick note, forgive me as I wont be able to post any reviews until the second week in March as I´m currently on holiday in South America (those that know me, know where and why).

But I will post reviews, just a little late, thanks guys, and good luck to all....

Re: At The Hospice (We Keep Them Alive Reviews)

Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2009 5:46 pm
by deetak
Here are some more comments. I'll get to the last batch in the next few days.

Steve Durand – The brass is interesting in itself near the end but doesn’t distract me from the rest of the song/vocal melody, which is good.

SomeGuyCalledNoel – Guitar sets the mood well, but I might have had trouble listening to the structure/variations in the song because of it being constant like that.

The Sky Looks Pissed – I like the ascending “aliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiive” part near the end of the 2 minute mark. For me it seems to lose the tension after the harmonica solo that was there before.

Sheail – I didn’t get the connection to this week’s theme the first time through, but on a second listen, it was apparent.

Ross Durand – Seems like something else might work with the instrumentation/texture because the vocal effect is very attention grabbing and the chorused guitar actually made it ‘lighter’ (as in relieved) so all the fuzz of the electronics weren’t so heavy. Something like the oO oO notes around 2:32. But I could follow the structure of the song fine.

Ramen-Flavored ROMs – Could use some more dynamic variation? I mean the vocals go lower in the spoken part but the guitarish synth is loud at that point.

Quoonsryche feat. Anaconda Hans – I really like the lyrics of this one, maybe because I was (following your intention or not) interpreting them in a more dark/violent general way about resentment towards one’s dependents.

PiGPEN – The delivery of the vocals actually fits well for me with the calm melodic interludes. I usually don’t like that style of vocals, but here it was enjoyable.

Paco del Stinko – The style of the chorus is very distinct, I don’t know what it is about it. I like the last chorus to the guitar solo to the end (not so much the electronic noise at the end, but that choral part)

Nigel Clements – The chords in the background (maybe it’s just the volume) at 0:51 distract me from the rest of what’s going on in that part. This is song in unsettling in a good way but I don’t think the guitar at the end does justice to the performance before it.

Naked Philosophy – I don’t think the guitar tone in the beginning fits the mood created by the bass. I like it more when the vocals come in (the ‘ahs’) because it feels like there is more direction to the song then. I don’t get the transition in style/mood to the next singing part (mentions simulating sunshine, rain,). I mean there are parts where there seems to be a link in style like around 2:54.

Max The Cat – Maybe I’m just basing this on whatever stereotypes I have but I imagine this perfectly with some kind of conspiracy-theory type of documentary images.

Manhattan Glutton
– I like the structure of the song. I think the first part could have used some of the real roughness of the vocal shown in the second part.

Mailbox – I thought the line “your doubts do your breathing” actually said “we danced to your breathing”. The instrumental parts are pretty cool (eg 1:42 – 1:58). Maybe if that synth was a little louder in the chorus? Because it sounds like there’s only the vocals and a space between that and the cymbals but the parts 1:17-1:28 are fuller sounding in comparison.

Jon Eric feat. Steve Durand – The chime type instrument around 2:12 adds a nice touch. The vocal duet/overlay at 2:01 - the counterpoint of the song then is a good change at that part. The tone of the guitar doesn’t fit for me.

Also, Jon Eric, I retract my statement in the Come Down thread about your reviews being “condescending”. I was thinking about why I said that after listening to your song and could find no rational reason why I felt that way. My bad.

Jizzazz 5:30AM – I like the style of the chorus much more than the verse. It could just be because you’re bringing out more instruments then, but I think it’s more than that. The melodic lines of the chorus fit in an interesting way.

Jan Krueger – I agree with Todd McHatton about the “restrained” quality. I like everything about the whole song, though.

Re: At The Hospice (We Keep Them Alive Reviews)

Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2009 9:36 pm
by Lord of Oats
Spud wrote:
Lord of Oats wrote:I don't care how fast the songs go up. Only how fast the new title goes up.
Sorry about that. I knew there was something I forgot.
Thank you, Sir Spud!

Re: At The Hospice (We Keep Them Alive Reviews)

Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2009 1:05 am
by reve
Oh my god Bread Skeletons.

You fucking own.