Watching the Review Thread Riot (Watching the Riot Reviews)

[ken]

Don't tase me bro!

[Chumpy]

Haven't voted or really made up my mind on how I'm going to vote this time around, but here are my initial thoughts.

Astrolamb
The vocals sound strong and clear to me, didn't notice any pitch problems, which plague just about everything I sing. The character of your voice fits the song nicely. The guitar and piano sound great together after you first sing the title, but it feels like you just tagged the title at the end of a section, especially at the end where it seems most out of place. Good song, but a failure to meet the spirit of the challenge.

Berkeley Social Scene
Another really strong track from BSS. Great guitar sounds, singing, prostyle. Lyrically it's a song about shopping addiction, I think. If you change 'Watching the Riot' to 'I can't Deny it' it doesn't really change the song. In my estimation, It uses the words of the title, but little if any of the meaning or context. I don't buy watching riots as a metaphor for compulsive shopping on QVC. Having said that it's an enjoyable and listenable song, with a righteous guitar solo.

The Chocolate Chips
The build up at the beginning is really good. I'm pretty pumped by 0:14 but I feel like the melody loses some steam by 0:20, but I can't say exactly why. Watching the Riots .. maybe this is what the end of society looks like. Also a listenable song, with the words, the context, and clocking in at 01:36 it didn't overstay its welcome.

inflatable vegetables
Literally abut watching riots, good imagery, nice 80s sound, well written, efficient. Nicely done. The chorus to me is a bit of a downer, not sure why my ears expect/want it to be somehow more upbeat.

Jerkatorium
Was not ever intended to be a full song, but it turned into one for fun. I feel this could legitimately be a song about riotous anarchy by an unimaginative punk band.

Klownhole
Nice pipes, some pretty kick ass on-topic punk singing. I wish I could sing like that without my neighbors calling the cops, must feel awesome. It's a bit long though, and I feel like you spent maybe too much time exploring the no/yes dichotomy. I assume sounding like an asshole is part of the act, bravo.

Margret Benson and the Cheese Trio
Attempted song collage, with a hat tip to the the collage art I had hoped would be selected for the cover art. There really isn't enough variation to make it that interesting sadly, but it was fun to write and record the bits.

Nick Soma
Nice fast punk song about watching riots that sounds vaguely like Suicidal Tendencies to me. The 'are you aware / wake up' bit gets me amped up like good punk songs are supposed to do. Dig it. Some of the vocals sound muddy and lost in the mix though, especially in the be beginning where they set the tone for the song.

PFMKM
I like the line about your streets becoming a firing range. Pretty multi-tracked singing 'fire' in watch the fire, the hooter also sounds appropriate. I also like the line about burning the tyrant's crown. Even though I was initially turned off by somewhat schmaltzy melody, it grew on me.

Skadaddle
Cool song. I guess the line about the telephone camera being your gun could be about watching riots, but it's a song about a relationship. Not sure I care, it's a good engaging song, and I really like the raspy voice of the singer. Enjoyed it every time I've listened, but again I don't feel it meets the challenge of writing a song with an arbitrary title/topic.

Sunday Guts
Another great sounding tune by Sunday Guts. Really dig the vocals, especially what sound like staccato sampled backup vocals, really adds something nice to the sound. The laughing / talking bit doesn't really work that well for me. The language of sinners and proverbs bugs me, but I still dig the song because it takes me to my pop happy place, which Sunday Guts seems to have a knack for finding.

[Billy]

Sunday Guts
...The laughing / talking bit doesn't really work that well for me. The language of sinners and proverbs bugs me...

Thanks, Chumpy... I should note somewhere that the talking/laughing was sampled from The Dusty and Clay Pidgeon show in WFMU - -The "NYC/Baltimore Solidarity March" Episode. It's actually man-on-the-street interviews with people commenting on the issue... It's topical at the very least.
https://wfmu.org/playlists/CP

Didn't really realize how religulous the words got, haha.

[Meatwad]

Klownhole
"... I assume sounding like an asshole is part of the act, bravo."

It IS the act.

[chocolatechips]

I liked 'em in something like this order (top four get votes) ... (after getting my songs ranked over at Nur Ein I guess I felt like being a judge for a change !)

1. Sunday Guts - Nice & poppy. Great production. I liked this one quite a lot; lots of catchy musical bits. VOTE.

2. Berkeley Social Scene - Strong vocals, catchy melodies. Neck & neck with Sunday Guts for my favorite of the week. VOTE.

3. Inflatable Veggies - Hey there fellow Nur Einer ... I'm struggling to finish "Banshee" and taking a break from the frustration to review the latest songfight songs. This one does sound a bit like my WTR in that it was tossed off in the extra time I had left over after working hard on my Nur Ein entry. But while this comes off as pretty slight; I still find it enjoyable. You seem to do a different style every time I hear you but it all fits into the Inflatable Vegetables thing somehow - I think that's pretty cool. VOTE.

4. PFMKM - Nice mix of synths and acoustics ... something I try to do quite a bit so definitely in my wheelhouse. Nice vocals. I liked it more and more as I listened; the melody seemed to grow on me. I can imagine this one would possibly climb my rankings with extra listens ... VOTE.

____

5. Skadaddle - Reminds me of Modest Mouse a bit; especially when it slows up (also my favorite part of the song) ... Nice fast/slow dichotomy. Even shorter than my song; I figured I'd have the shortest entry. Nice!

6. Jerkatorium - Another one shorter than mine. Something about this title makes one want to record a song less than 2 minutes long, eh? You used the "watching the riot on TV" line too. Overall I thought this was pretty good although a bit unremarkable (maybe why I'm having a hard time thinking of what to remark upon?)

7. Margaret... - This confused the hell out of me at first because it included bits from your Jerkatorium entry ... I'm still not entirely sure of what the hell is going on. But it's pretty interesting. Are each of the songs ideas you came up with?

8. Astrolamb - A bit of not my cuppa but seems alright for the style aimed at. Piano sounds pretty good, vocals aren't bad. Does seem like the title is shoehorned.

9. Nick Soma - I kept thinking I had accidentally opened up two songs at once ... it definitely gets across the idea of chaos and confusion so it fits the theme very well but I'm not finding it enjoyable; it's making me feel anxious and my skin has broken out in a rash ... maybe feels a bit too much like actually being in the middle of a riot. Another one shorter than my entry. Seems like songs under 2 minutes are the norm this time around.

10. Klownhole - Well ... I can always count on Klownhole to not enter a short song. It sounds a bit better than I remember some of your past entries sounding (as far as the mix/production goes) so that's good. It's the way your songs go on and on that I can't really deal with I think - but it doesn't help that I'm not really into the heavy sludge rock sort of deal anyway.

~~~

My entry was done rather quickly ... it's a very simple idea ... the sound inspired a bit by Primal Scream's XTRMNTR album (although I don't think I came close to matching their intensity...) the guitar riffing is pretty sloppy but ... I decided to let it be like that since it seemed to fit with the theme somehow.

[CordSmith]

PFMKM

Diggin' that fat organ (that's what HE SAID) Have you done any goth music? You have a great sensibility and voice for it. I went to a goth show the other night and it was a hoot, especially if you like people wearing black outfits with buckles and whatnot. Nice harmonies.

Margret Benson and the Cheese Trio

I like the sample and buildup at the beginning. There is so much creativity here. It seems like people are afraid to take risks and try new stuff. You are not afraid. Are you a radio production engineer? The production reminds me of radio sweepers. Fun. Mucho enjoyed.

The Chocolate Chips

I want to put on some black clothes with buckles and dance around in a sea of strobe lights. Very cool, and nice to listen to. Make it longer.

Nick Soma

I'm a sucker for this genre, whatever the kids are calling it these days. I would say punk/hardcore/motorhead, but I'm an old fogie. I do the fast head nod to this. Love the OOZIN AHHS. Great bass breakdown.

Astrolamb

That opening piano riff had me reaching for my astroglide. So smooooth. You have a nice songwriting style and voice that reminds me of the Gordon Lightfoot/James Taylor movement of the 60s70s? Heartfelt and bittersweet, like the greats.

Sunday Guts

Wow, sounds great. I love how you make the vocals, I can understand everything you're saying. What is your technique, is it just how well you annunciate? Or is it your mic/compression setup? I may be a mumbler with shit equipment, but that's how I get the ladies. Great catchy tune.

Klownhole

Is that opening sample of a guy doing open-mic comedy? Love the vocal stylin. Fat ass guitar distortion. This crushes my balls, love it. However, as Mark Sandman once said to me, "Keep it short."

Inflatable Vegetables

My pants are getting tighter. I like that synth bass. RAH RAH RAH I want to sing along to this in my best goth baritone. I'm hearing a lot of goth influence this week from folks. Maybe that's just the lens through which I'm viewing the world at the moment? Love it. Simple n' short, you definitely got the chops to keep my attention with a longer track though. Cool.

Jerkatorium

I want to hear the music louder! The problem with mixing your own stuff that you sang on is our inherent narcissism to want to hear our sweet sweet vocals. Get it to where you think it should be, and then dial it down a notch or two, and wet them thar vocals with some delay or something. I dig the songwriting and performance, just mix that shit a little better for me. I want more.

Berkeley Social Scene

Always delivers. I don't come here every week, and maybe you've done this before but: I want you to step outside your comfort zone. Make a death metal song. A rap. A broadway musical number. I want you to stretch til it hurts. You'll be surprised what you'll learn about yourself, and THE UNIVERSE. Guaranteed. Great, as always.

[Chumpy]

7. Margaret... - This confused the hell out of me at first because it included bits from your Jerkatorium entry ... I'm still not entirely sure of what the hell is going on. But it's pretty interesting. Are each of the songs ideas you came up with?

Dr. Zoom (who also sings on the track) and I went to a TMBG show the week of the fight where the band ended the encore with Fingertips, which is essentially a bunch of different song fragments, all mostly unrelated. All the bits we strung together came from material we recorded for the fight.

Also, I enjoyed the video for your WTR entry. The footage of orderly societal dancing made it for me.

[Billy]

PFMKM


Sunday Guts

Wow, sounds great. I love how you make the vocals, I can understand everything you're saying. What is your technique, is it just how well you annunciate? Or is it your mic/compression setup? I may be a mumbler with shit equipment, but that's how I get the ladies. Great catchy tune.

THANKS, CORDSMITH - -

Didn't really do anything special, but I did sing quite delicately on this one - Mostly to avoid any harshness.

I love this weeks Skadaddle song - - You have a rad sound, and voice. The chord changes are ear-bending - Just how I like 'em.