Page 1 of 5

You Spin Me Right 'Round Baby Right 'Round (Spin The Bottle)

Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 11:23 am
by Billy's Little Trip
...like a bottle baby, right 'round 'round 'round.
Kick off your shoes and write some reviews
Then you can choose, who doesn't lose
Spin The Bottle reviews

Re: You Spin Me Right 'Round Baby Right 'Round (Spin The Bottle)

Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 12:13 pm
by Lunkhead
Jedi Spaceship, hm, sounds like The Booty Chesterfield Trio to me.

Re: You Spin Me Right 'Round Baby Right 'Round (Spin The Bottle)

Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 12:21 pm
by Billy's Little Trip
LML, I like it when you do that style. Simple and groovin'. Plus you mention vanilla lip gloss. I said my girl tastes like vanilla cream. :P

Re: You Spin Me Right 'Round Baby Right 'Round (Spin The Bottle)

Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 12:23 pm
by LML
Seriously? Haha I guess I shouldn't dig into my soul for the rest of my entries. LML on Songfight is nothing like LML on myspace.

Re: You Spin Me Right 'Round Baby Right 'Round (Spin The Bottle)

Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 12:32 pm
by Lunkhead
I enjoyed your song too, LML, but I wish your vocals were louder in the mix.

Re: You Spin Me Right 'Round Baby Right 'Round (Spin The Bottle)

Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 12:36 pm
by LML
You can blame that on Garage Band and my lack of production skills. Just crank that bitch up and head bang to it. I might make a music video if I can convince some of my friends to dress horribly.

Re: You Spin Me Right 'Round Baby Right 'Round (Spin The Bottle)

Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 12:37 pm
by Lunkhead
Awesome, I just saw the entry by Paul Otteson. I found that guy's stuff on FAWM and really liked it. Maybe he saw my comment telling him to come by here some time...

Re: You Spin Me Right 'Round Baby Right 'Round (Spin The Bottle)

Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 12:38 pm
by Lunkhead
LML wrote:You can blame that on Garage Band and my lack of production skills. Just crank that bitch up and head bang to it. I might make a music video if I can convince some of my friends to dress horribly.
Ha ha ha, awesome.

Re: You Spin Me Right 'Round Baby Right 'Round (Spin The Bottle)

Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 1:06 pm
by Billy's Little Trip
LML wrote:I might make a music video if I can convince some of my friends to dress horribly.
Girls kissing for the win. :wink:

Re: You Spin Me Right 'Round Baby Right 'Round (Spin The Bottle)

Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 1:24 pm
by LML
I didn't imply that the girls would actually kiss just that there's the possibility of it happening. Difference.

Re: You Spin Me Right 'Round Baby Right 'Round (Spin The Bottle)

Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 1:46 pm
by Teplin
First impressions and gut reactions. Not a spectacular fight, or maybe I'm just not in the mood.

AA: I wish you'd tuned your guitar. That third chord makes me wince. I like the synth and piano sounds you chose. Don't know if this was rushed, but it feels that way.

AR: Wow I dig that fuzzed out guitar. Great slow plodding stoner rock feel. The delay fanatic in me approves of the vocal effects (I suspect that not many are going to agree with me, though). Vocals are... great, actually! Very appealing on all levels. It's still early in my listen through, but I think this is going to emerge as one of my favorites.

AK: If the lyrics were funny it would be a clear vote. As it is, it's played a little too straight to be so smooth, if that makes any sense. I... I'm just not sure if this is my thing.

BSS: Kinda meandering. The panned guitars are distracting.

BLTFQ: I'd like to hear Henrietta and the bass turned up in the mix. Otherwise, nice and hazy.

BDs: Good call embracing the live feel. No complaints about the performances. It's simple, in a good way, and it suits the style. Lyrics are the standing kissing game lyrics, meh, but overall it's a pleasant little tune.

CC&hLCS: I'm a bit of a sucker for this era in music, and this is a pretty good imitation of it.

D: Positively Haunted. Excellent work, a great addition to my Deetak collection.

DS&tBVB: Nothing really jumps out to engage me. The drumming shines in a couple of places. It's ok.

JS: Bass is heavy and chunky, and the best part of the song. Guitars need some more definition. Vocals are a bit low in the mix. I can dig it.

JMCC: When I clicked on the name I was expecting some GnG and I was right! When Ross does this sort of thing it almost pushes me out of my anti-country bias because it's so well crafted. This is less well crafted, so it doesn't do much for me.

KMHP: 50 bonus points right off the bat for not writing yet another kissing song! I would have liked to hear the background vocals come in sooner, because they are fantastic. Everything is fantastic. Well done! I like the part where the song changes to a minor key to fit the mood of the lyrics.

LML: I agree that this style is a good match for you and that the vocals need to go up a little. Lyrics are kinda weak but that's true for lots of entries in this fight. I guess it's the "Lets give it a whirl" that stands out as being particularly weak. I dunno.

LSK: Haha! If the question is "what's the opposite of ash kanna?", this is the answer.

MC&LK: Vocals are perfect. Guitar is struggling to keep up. Drums are often off. With some different sonic choices and tightening this could have been nice.

MC JB: Is this Fartin' in the Club, or did you borrow their setup? Can't think of anything to say about this one.

N MCL: I like the chord structure, guitars, and background vocals. Bonus points for non-native language recording.

PDS: Good as always, but doesn't stand out among your other entries. Musicially, a lot of the entries sound similar to me this week, everything is starting to run together.

PW: There are those distinctive PW vocals. I've heard this chord progression so many times.

PO: Just another GnG song with harmonica, or it WOULD have been, but the vocals save it by being so full of character and good. Doesn't quite remind me of Nick Drake, but reminds me of what I like about him.

TSLP: Opening guitar sounds a bit awkward. Mostly GnG, but this time the vocals don't save it.

SSWFE: First take? It's just not together with itself.

TMK: Now here's something that stands out from the rest. Love the glockenspiel, and the microwavable pillow line. Vocals aren't quite up to the level of the rest of the song, but this is great, really. I even like the comedy outro, but I would have liked it better if you hadn't sped up one of the voices.

TS: A clearly recorded guitar, for once. Vocals are slightly muffled. Like the percussion. Like the synth accents. Lip trumpets are in danger of making this a novelty song. The piano coming in near the end might be the best thing ever. Bonus points for all the variety.

W: Could have done a few more takes to keep this from sounding so much like a hasty demo. Needs tightening. Kinda odd how the delay on your vocals comes and goes so abruptly. Also, what is that horrible zippery buzz that comes and goes?

TWS: The usual. I never hate your stuff. I just don't always love it either.

Re: You Spin Me Right 'Round Baby Right 'Round (Spin The Bottle)

Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 2:02 pm
by Billy's Little Trip
Teplin wrote:BLTFQ: I'd like to hear Henrietta and the bass turned up in the mix. Otherwise, nice and hazy.
Yeah, I thought that too. For some reason she wanted it pulled back. The original idea was a call and respond, but we had time issues, etc. Also, I normally do a mono bass track, but I got it in stereo and just left it to try something different. I noticed the higher tones came through nice, but I think I should have boosted the bottom....maybe.
Thanks Tep.

Re: You Spin Me Right 'Round Baby Right 'Round (Spin The Bottle)

Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 2:11 pm
by mc joebudy
Teplin wrote:First impressions and gut reactions.

MC JB: Is this Fartin' in the Club, or did you borrow their setup? Can't think of anything to say about this one.


okay here's the thing, I did this on a singstar mic (from the ps2 game) onto grage band. So the production value is crapy.
As for the actual song itself, I wrote the lyrics in a day, and the beats on the spot.

I found out about this site last friday >.< So I did not have that much time to work on the song.

TL;DR I had fun making it, and I hope some people enjoy it X_X

Re: You Spin Me Right 'Round Baby Right 'Round (Spin The Bottle)

Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 2:49 pm
by LML
Teplin wrote:First impressions and gut reactions. Not a spectacular fight, or maybe I'm just not in the mood.

LML: I agree that this style is a good match for you and that the vocals need to go up a little. Lyrics are kinda weak but that's true for lots of entries in this fight. I guess it's the "Lets give it a whirl" that stands out as being particularly weak. I dunno.
I agree. I wasn't really feeling this title, so to me it really shows up in my singing (I'm as bored as I sound) and in the writing and production of the whole thing. I guess I'll have to stick with techno/trance/house/disco music if I want good reviews. Just plain old guitar doesn't cut it I guess. I need lessons... at least it was kinda catchy. (In my opinion the cheesiness to the song lyrics really matched the gay 80's vibe)

Re: You Spin Me Right 'Round Baby Right 'Round (Spin The Bottle)

Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 3:20 pm
by j$
Haven't heard the fight yet, but lovin' that artwork.

Re: You Spin Me Right 'Round Baby Right 'Round (Spin The Bottle)

Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 5:14 pm
by Henrietta
Billy's Little Trip wrote: For some reason she wanted it pulled back.
....we had time issues, etc.
....I normally do a mono bass track, but I got it in stereo.
Es verdad. I am to blame. It was me in the conservatory with the candlestick.

Also, Teplin: holy good artwork, Batman!

Re: You Spin Me Right 'Round Baby Right 'Round (Spin The Bottle)

Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 6:12 pm
by Teplin
@BLT+Q: Don't sweat the mix issues, I think they are really minor. I really enjoyed the track.

Re: Artwork. Thanks! I finally broke down and got myself a wacom tablet, so I was way more into that than music this week. At least I was able to contribute something to this fight. :mrgreen:

Re: You Spin Me Right 'Round Baby Right 'Round (Spin The Bottle)

Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 6:19 pm
by Billy's Little Trip
Wow, after hearing my mix on this song in my car on a good system, I really screwed up the vocal mix. I mixed it at around 1:00am on head phones and it sounded pretty good. I need to learn how to mix female vocals. Sorry Jen, I'll get the hang of this.
Oh well, there's always next time.

By the way, the bass on my car system sounded fucking great on my 12" subs. :wink:

Re: You Spin Me Right 'Round Baby Right 'Round (Spin The Bottle)

Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 7:36 pm
by Ash Kanna
Teplin wrote:First impressions and gut reactions.

AK: If the lyrics were funny it would be a clear vote. As it is, it's played a little too straight to be so smooth, if that makes any sense. I... I'm just not sure if this is my thing.
Hey thanks, I think...could you clarify what you mean by 'played a little straight to be so smooth' ? This is my first entry, and it's obviously completely 'a cappella'. Interestingly, nearly the whole thing was done in one take per track...but there are a lot of tracks!

Cheers,

Ash

Re: You Spin Me Right 'Round Baby Right 'Round (Spin The Bottle)

Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 9:14 pm
by TheTungstenSheik
Took a couple of weeks off from reviewing because life is stupid. Frankly, I'm not at all convinced I should be doing them this week, but the Power of Boredom compels me. AUDIBLE SIGH

Adam Adamant - It's a very relaxing groove, kind of nice, but by the end, I'm sort of falling asleep. Lyrically, I can only guess you're after one of two angles - either you're being really sincere about thinking Zach Braff plays 'spin the bottle' all day, or you're being ironic about never having played it yourself. Can't tell which. Both? I don't know. Either way, I gotta be honest, I'm not into it.

Andrew Reist - If popular radio is any indication, I doubt this will have much trouble finding an audience. Compositionally a little too spartan throughout; it sounds like you're building towards something you never quite reach. Mix is way too loud, as well.

Ash Kanna - Oh, snap. Put the soul on it, you-all. I don't much care for the rapping here, but that background harmonizing is nice. Yeah, I can dig it.

Berkeley Social Scene - It's, um... you know, it's okay. Another instance where I can't tell if you mean to be ironic - Are people really that judgmental when they play spin the bottle? I guess it reveals something about me that I even have to ask. At any rate, musically, this neither offends nor intrigues me.

Billy's Little Trip feat. Quimby - "Where I should have oughta been" causes furious readings on my Grammar-O-Tron. Aargh! The lyrics are not my favorite (although bonus points awarded for use of the word 'gabardine'), but I definitely like the off-kilter sound of the music, and the vocals are well delivered, though I think Quimby could come up in the mix just a bit.

The Bourbon Drops - This is nice. It hearkens back to a simpler time; a time of barn dances and buggy rides, before life was complicated by heartless machines. I picture you all just hanging out on the porch performing this song, having a nice time, probably some other people are standing around listening and smiling and enjoying themselves. I meanwhile, am smiling because your band name has inspired me to consume straight bourbon until I am empowered to see through time itself.

Charles Cack & His Little Cack Surprise - I've got something in my front pocket for you. Why don't you reach on in and see what it is?

deetak - Creepy ballad, or creepiest ballad? Either way, this is frickin' sweet. I don't understand what's going on in this song, even after reading the lyrics, but that doesn't bother me, because I'm too busy thinking about how cool the music and vocals are.

Drew Styles & the Blue Velvet Band - Not the most original, but it's well executed. The lyrics feel a little shoehorned into the the song structure. It's pleasantly mellow.

Jedi Spaceship - Oh my. This is funk-o-licious. I can't understand a word of what's being sung, unfortunately, and there's a sort of chorus part in there that kind of reminds me of the Bunny Hop, but I love the vibe here.

Jim McCarter - To stand out doing guitar+vocal, you really have to go above and beyond, and while both your playing and singing are competent, the song itself is kind of a snoozer. Really nothing here that would make me think about this a second time.

Ka Maua Hana Punahele - Ha! Oh Steve, this is just what I like about you. I'm almost always guaranteed a clever take on the week's title. This is a good one, too. Best ukulele of the week.

LML - Hmm, sassy new-wave lady-beats. I like it. I don't know if any of the criticisms I can think of would be of much help. I feel like the beat should get a little more aggressive over the chorus, and the vocals could stand some refining - they're fine, I just mean if you want to improve this one for the future. It's pretty good.

LSK - Illicit sexual acts with endangered flightless birds?

MC and LK - I like the island beat. The reggae-ish vibe definitely makes this a stand-out. It's all a little loose, though; the instrumentals need tightening, and the vocals stray slightly out of tune. Not badly, but it's especially noticeable on the sustained notes in the chorus. It also feels like it goes on for about 30 seconds too long, though that may just be personal preference. Overall, good stuff.

mc joebudy - Um... It's not the worst nerdcore I've ever heard. Your beat is too 'pre-programmed-casio-keyboard', though, the vocal delivery is a little weak, and the vox recording cries out for a pop filter. And the lyrics... well, like I said I've heard worse, but better luck next time.

noah mclaughlin - As a rule, I don't trust speakers of French. If ever a language made everything sound like people were up to something shady... I actually quite like the song, though, especially the march-style snare. Guitar's good too. Actually, if it weren't for my being forced to picture you in a red beret smoking a cigarette, drinking red wine, and conspiring to tie everyone in Belgium's shoelaces together, I'd have no complaints about this one whatsoever.

Paco del Stinko - Rhyming "can't frown" with "Campground"? Ouch, Paco. Ouch. Another solid piece, though. You know what you're doing. Keep up the good work.

Pathetic Wannabees - Nice laid-back groove, enjoyable if not memorable. I like the bass line, and the inclusion of harmonica is always a plus. The vocals are kind of "weird uncle that nobody talks about until the incident at the family reunion," though.

paulotteson - This is good. You sing very well, and the guitar is nice and tight. Also, the touch of harmonica really spices it up nicely. I love how everything is understated, but balanced. I'm totally impressed.

The Sky Looks Pissed - Not bad, but kind of forgettable. It just doesn't do anything for me that guitar+vocal pieces haven't already done to death. It's fine, but it doesn't grab me.

South Sycamore Wheelbarrow Factory Ensemble - I think I've got an idea of why Kimberly left you. No part of this matches up with any other part. The lyrics are dull, and the vocals are out of tune and time. I really tried to think of something nice to say here, but this is just awful. Sorry.

Those Meddling Kids - I was rolling my eyes as hard as I could, right up until the tapping electric beat came in, at which point I realized different things were going to happen. This made me very happy. The lyrics feel a little awkward, but they work in their own way, and I like the instrumentals a lot, especially the synthesized ones. I'm sorry to hear you broke up with your chipmunk, because you were making some good music together. Maybe you could replace him with a mouse, or something? That might not be as good, but then the chipmunk would be made to feel jealous and come back, and you could do a reunion tour. I'm sure a stop at Cornwall could be arranged, if it's a sticking point.

Toasted Sandwich - Scatting in a guitar-vocal folk piece, eh? Well, that's different. I don't know if I like it, but it's different. Good instrumentals and vocals. Pretend trumpet? Wait, what? Did you accidentally swallow a piece of a Louis Armstrong record? You know, I think I do like this after all. It's not amazing, but it's quirky, and I respect that.

Wages - At least it's an electric guitar. Not bad. Timing's a little off, and the phaser at the beginning is a little off-putting, but the recording and mix are good. You've got some audio artifacts popping up at the end there. Overall: Meh.

The Weakest Suit - Eyes Wide Shut with 15-year old kids? Dude, that's not right at all. Disturbing. Heh. One of the more palatable guitar+vocal tracks of the week; this might play more favorably on its own, not surrounded by a dozen other songs trying to do the same thing.

Re: You Spin Me Right 'Round Baby Right 'Round (Spin The Bottle)

Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 9:24 pm
by Teplin
Ash Kanna wrote:Hey thanks, I think...could you clarify what you mean by 'played a little straight to be so smooth' ?
It's all a subjective, personal taste thing. The vocals are well recorded and performed, and my first impression of them was that they had a smooth "pop" or "rnb" quality to them, sort of boybandish, and (to my ear) not a lot of character. It still would have been enjoyable with some more interesting or humorous lyrics, but those (to my ear) had the standard "girl I want to get with you" theme, which doesn't interest me much either. I'm just not your target demographic :)

Re: You Spin Me Right 'Round Baby Right 'Round (Spin The Bottle)

Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 9:42 pm
by Reist
TheTungstenSheik wrote:Andrew Reist - If popular radio is any indication, I doubt this will have much trouble finding an audience. Compositionally a little too spartan throughout; it sounds like you're building towards something you never quite reach. Mix is way too loud, as well.
Just curious - how is this radio ready in any way? Crushed mix aside, of course. Also, I'd like to know your definition of spartan.