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This has to stop. 21 entries but only 4 smilies? Come on, admins...
Votes to Big Crouton, glennny and the Chocolate Chips
*I spent 6 hours on this review and need to get to the competition now...
Airlines
"breathing fire - blazed the night..woke up on this bed of ash...we burned too bright for it to last - oh, open your eyes to the harsh light of day -"
Percussion: I like the shaker...nice, minimalist – I like the the sustained rattle towards the end (3:47) at the repeated chorus
Lead guitar: Diggin' the light reverb, the downward slide at the end note, good sustain – nice riffs during the instrumental between chorus (3:04), and I like how it follows the vocals during, an octave lower - haunting
Rhythm Guitar: generally clean! You've been at this for awhile, my friend...
Chorus Guitar: at the end – that's a real nice touch – adds a Flamenco feel – why is this the only place I hear this? I listened like, 12 times through; did I miss it elsewhere? It's real nice.
Vocals: diggin' the quasi-gated effect – but you do have a nice voice and I would like to hear you get more comfortable with it (I know, easier said than done). The whispered "Open your eyes" at the bridge is a very nice touch...I'd like to hear you in a bit of a lower range – you have some raw power hiding in there...
Lyrical content: nice story about a relationship and love unrequited
Production:I'd have cleaned up the ending – squeaks and things. But the levels overall are great. Good job!
Structure: Nice, classic 4/4 interesting pre-bridge; is that 14 measure chorus with a pick-up? I like the interesting rhythm of the pre-bridge and chorus; definititely owning this song.
Overall: Sounds like you're in a tunnel, and the Fish likes that.
Berkeley Social Scene
In the first two seconds, I "Named That Tune" as Tom Petty's Won't Back Down.
Vocals: Clean, clear. Interesting change-up in volume at the chorus. Diggin' the bgv's at the chorus. Overwhelmed often by the rest of the mix; generally when your vocals hit the low frequency range (50-75 hz) they get washed out by the bass/kick drums. I'm sayin' it. Perry Farrell. You know your range, and you don't overreach.
Percussion: Not having a real kit, this sounds fuckin' good.
Structure: Interesting deviation at the chorus.
Lead guitar: Sweet little riffs here and there. Not overwhelmed by reverb. No need!
Rhythm Guitar: a bit overwhelming in the chorus. Clean during the verses; a bit grungy on the fx.
Bass: Smooth.
Lyrical contents: something about ghosts of your memory – please post lyrics next time; or hell, now! "keep the darkness away...keep the d-bags at bay?" (2:23)
Overall: Supertight, but the overall composition drowns out the vocalist, and that disturbs me from a listening perspective.
Big Crouton
Well, well – what have we here?
My heart IS overused!
Vocals: Rich, deep, harmonies are tight – impressive.
Guitars: woah – comin' in strong – but damn –
This track is reminiscent of Winter Hours/Joe Rodriguez out of Jersey in the 80's.
NOTE – You guys are talented as fuck. I just listened to City of Fog. I am literally crying right now. Barbershop quartet meets oscillating machete.
PREDICTION: Win.
Burnzi
Your mix is way too hot – honestly – pull it back to like, -.02 db
Lyrics: A+
Vocals: Nice, confident, rich! Not too much reverb, but a little warm/damp for your range; you have a good tenor sound – highlight it! You could easily pull a Neil Diamond/Peter Murphy if you dropped a bit...
Bass: Holds it together nicely -
Structure: Nice ballad – I am holding my lighter up with one hand... (the drum fill in the "it's always..." I could have gone either way, right? I always struggle with fill placement in transitional phrases - )
Guitar: Very sweet intro, clean, nice amount of flange
Production: Vocals drop out as soon as the music comes in; no sweat – a common problem
Overall: I see there's only Suitcase in the archives – This was a good piece of work, and you show great promise as a studio artist - I look forward to hearing more from you!
The Chocolate Chips
What CAN you wrap your lips around? I don't give a fuck, either.
Lyrics: A+
Vocals: A+ Pure. On key, strong, talented, confident. Brad Sucks meets They Might be Giants meets Mount Sims. Lovin' the delay in "messed up"
Production: A+ No complaints. None.
Guitar: Nice riffs – I can't tell if you are using loops or playing, and that's okay!
Percussion: Nice hi-hats – not overwheming, good call.
Synthpads: Excellent use, holds it together well without overwhelming.
Structure: Neat, atmospheric, yet dancey
Wait – what is that – vo-codey – mandoliny ending? Ha!
Fish Sausage
I don't like to review my own stuff. I made like, 8 tunes before settling in on this one.
The glass harp staccato riff was OK. The chain-saw was better. Pulled in some old Jack Dark plug-ins for the mix, and the old-school gated reverb on the kids at play. "Get 'em offa me!" "I help!"
Future Boy
Aw, yeah. Brings me back.
Tha mix: No complaints.
Vocals: Always pleasant. So nice to hear the raw talent unmasked by effects.
Lyrics:
Don't cover your shame, baby. Real men cry. NOT THE FRIEND-ZONE!!! Love the reality that we can all relate to. Well done!
Structure: Nice transition into a smooth chorus...Nice work!
This song was so old-skool organ-based, A+. Diggin' the bass-line.
Overall: Very sweet tune, man. Heart-felt. Interesting transition at the end.
glennny
Aw, yeah. Ska-BOOM!
Structure: Wtf? Yea-yeah! Mix that shit up! F#ck dat 4/4! Got me tappin' my feet and wantin' to sing along...
Vocals/Harms: The vocoded harms were kinda off; the "bawdawm-bawm-bawm-bawmps" just made me want to sing along EVEN MORE. Falsetto; sweet – nice showcase of range – and courage. Good job. Like that the horns follow along.
Horns: CLASSIC. Herb Alpert ain't got nothin' on you.
Piano: Well dayum, son. Is there any instrument you DIDN'T incorporate? Wait, I don't hear no damned didgeridoo...
Strings: Added a nice bit of tenor, perhaps a bit too busy, but hey, I'm the Queen of "too busy..." - How many tracks did you lay, by the way, out of curiosity?
Bear Food is also nice.
Inflatable vegetables
Doughy hands? HAHAHAHA!!! Once a whiney phoetus?
Now it's diabetes? We keep on eating sugar 'til we're dead? LYRICS PLEASE!
Structure: Always like me a march, makes me feel patriotic.
Vocals: Appropriately harsh/pirate-y. Diggin' the Exene Cervenka-style harms at the first chorus.
Mix: Um, yeah, a bit sloppy and overwhelmed by drums and metal but, meh.
It's Chris
Vocals: Off-key, not cool.
Guitar: Good at high-velocity.
Lyrics: Good! Say something, dammit! Loves me some angsty message. WITCH HUNT! LET'S KILL EVERYONE THAT ISN'T BEAUTIFUL!
Overall: I want to hear more! Have you submitted previously under other names? I could only find "Her" – get you a band, son, your anger and passion will take you far...I'm feelin' old school Angry Samoans – brutal, raw, could easily turn into something brilliant and enduring
Jan Krueger
Vocals: Clearly enunciated, comforting range to listen to.
Piano: Lovely, if a bit overwhelming at times (3:01)
Accompaniment: Nice creeping strings, vocal harms....The crescendo into chorus is brilliant -
Structure: Ending is beautiful.
Overall: I hate to say it, but it sounds like an autobiography. Something we would each likely write about ourselves, you know? How we struggle so hard to fit in to the constraints of "societal acceptance" keeping our sacred selves hidden away for fear of rejection...
Jeebas Jones
Welly-well!
This is a very nice piece.
Lyrics: Classic blues – been drinkin', defeated, but gonna keep keepin' on
Vocals: Perfect for this tune.
Extras: Some interesting things going on in the background. Care to elaborate? Sounds like the brakes of a train (:35) then someone's calling (and you start laughing) but it WORKS ("alarm bell's ringin'") and the nice break where the dial tone is.
"What a wonderful day to be dead" Ha!
Fill in the Blank is my fave by you. I think if you haven't already, you should listen to some Jesse Dee, specifically, Boundary Line.
Johnny Cashpoint
Bassline: Tight. Better than I could ever do.
Lyrics: I always love a good story. And a sad one, too.
Vocals: I've always admired j$. Strong, enunciates well, always does really good harmonies.
Keys: Like how they bounce with the bass, keeps the song active and moving.
"I realized you're 'cray cray'" Ha!
Overall: Good job, as usual. Classic Cashpoint sound.
Kevin Mellows
Bassline: Nice, soft enough to support without overtaking the song.
Percussion: appropriate to the mix – lots of cymbals and high-end going on, but the bass compensates well
Piano: just enough in the verse – super-fine in the intsrumental fill
Guitar: a bit sparse in the verses – beautiful in the chorus – nice fill at 2:45 (you, or loops?)
Vocals: wow – this is really a nice build in the chorus – very dramatic "I won't give uuuup..." is especially nice, and "repaay..." - good use of the ol' pipes! At times, it sounds like the back of your throat closes up, and you kinda sound like Kermit the Frog. But that's okay.
Lyrics: Looking for redemption; nice, glimmer of hope!
Klownhole
Percussion: YES. Plodding. Methodical.
Female robot voice/CPU: YES. Repeat stuff. Repeat stuff.
Who is that proud and handsome man in the image?
What is this reference to the cleft donkey?
Is this the "K-hole" I've heard so much about? Ahhhhhhh.....
"Something travels deep inside of me...when I see the rising sun..."
This is beautiful noise...I wish you would post the lyrics...
There is a special, special place for those who enjoy the Klownhole...and that's...the Klownhole...
Lightning Shark
Brevity is beautiful.
40 seconds of sweet, sweet acoustic sweetness. Good job!
Lyrics: Classic Americana.
Guitar: Sweet, quality.
Production: I can hear you squeak in your chair, which adds to the "hometown charm" feel elicited by this tune.
Vocals: Wouldn't change a thing. You sound a little tired, but it fits. Harms are a bit muted, but, meh.
The Magnetic Letters
Lyrics: Woop! Story time!
Vocals: The reverb adds an amount of creepiness that reminds me, oddly enough of the Cheshire Cat as he vanishes, leaving naught but his eerie grin...
Structure: Samba? Bossa Nova? Sweet! Get me outta the norm ANY day!
I totally feel the need to have some Vics and grapefruit juice and wander the highway in some desert while listening to this tune...wasn't this part of the soundtrack to Rubin and Ed? If not, it should be...
(OMFG – hahahaha! "I don't give an F U C K anymore - anyway – it was dark, she was warm...")
And – wtf – a tiajuana zebra? HAHAHAHAHA FTW!!!!!! HAHAHAHAHA
The Moonshine Lullabies
This is a very nice, sweet, tune. Very Sarah MacLaughlin-ey.
It's good, nothing wrong with any of it, I have nothing else to say about it.
R. Mosquito
This is abrasive as fuck. But nice, in a dark, Fields of the Nephilim kind of way. I wish your vocals weren't so muddied. Next time.
*Always curious to see what you'll come up with – Hollywood Fantasy, Quentin Tarantino, Get a Life, Shoelace Soup were good stylings for you, and I liked the glitch in Pink Ribbon for sure – but this holds great promise, to be honest! I hope you enjoyed doing it, because I'd really like to hear more!
Scrotean Hydra
Again, reluctant to remark on my own work. Sounds a helluva lot like the old Yummy Bug stuff (shocking)
This song is about those spring days when winter has gone but spring has not yet arrived and the grass is still a shitty shade of brownish-black and the sky is overcast. My daughter and I will look at each other and say, "Damn. Everything looks like a prison today." Particularly here, in the Detroit metro area, where our major city has been in bankruptcy for over a year and most of the businesses are all boarded up (after having changed owners a half dozen times) and many of the neighborhoods have burned out and boarded up houses. The latest round of high school graduates have been raised up in the unique "one-state" recession (which began here circa 2004, when our GDP when from up 3.1% in '02 to down -.08 and just kept on sliding) and subsequent national recession – there are no jobs for them – NONE. Industry here has come to a grinding halt, where once were had the "Big Three" providing for all the factory jobs and virtually everyone was guaranteed a job somewhere – a subsidiary, affiliate, supplier – now, nuthin.' Because after all the billions made, they decided to declare bankruptcy, fire everyone, and move all the production overseas and dramatically reduced wages, keeping the rate of pay for the CEOs steady. Then the banks. Now the homes here are worthless, everyone earns less money, works fewer hours, and income levels have decreased to levels that are 16% lower than pre-recession. What that means is, degreed professionals are earning today what they were earning 10 years ago without a degree as an entry-level clerk. So yeah, it's a very depressing tune, but hey. Things will look better in the harsh light of day?
WreckdoM
Awww, yeah, let's get that's old school 70's vinyl spinnin'
Percussion: Nice use of hand claps and rubber duckie
Lyrics: This may actually be...one of my favorites. What *is* her job? Wow – good job! Please post the lyrics.
Pads: Good levels, works well with the bass-line (sooo glad it's not a buzz bass)
Vocals: Nicely creepy, in a Yello kinda way – diggin' the female bgvs
"Wreckdom? Damn near killed 'em!"