Hope You're Having A Nice Review (in Jamaica Reviews)

[Pigfarmer Jr]

Or maybe a slightly critical one... okay, a pretty harsh one... okay, you're gonna go cry on you're teddy bear.

[Jerkatorium]

Contractions used erroneously where possessive adjectives should be; that's what makes me want to go cry on my teddy bear.

[Pigfarmer Jr]

And.... it starts.

[rnagoda]

I managed not to review or vote in the last one which was lame, so I'm glad to be the first to review this fight at least ...

Sunday Guts - The opening groove here is pretty sweet. I think the vocals are a little weak - it sounds like it may just be the processing, like maybe if there was some more of the dry vocals in the mix it would be fine. Cool song, I wish it was a bit longer and that the drum track changed up more often.

Jerkatorium - Okay, a nice little tune. Upbeat. I think the "really" and "really really" bits are a bit overdone. When they stop I'm glad for it. The changeups are cool between the parts, nice transitions.

Waffle Fortress - I really like the minimalism you start out with here. This just has a cool vibe to it throughout and that bass synth sounds surprisingly good in this context. Probably a vote, but lemme listen to the rest first. Okay, I listened - it's this and MooseMuse for me.

Slickitude - Reminding of Southern Culture on the Skids here, in a good way. Also has a bit of punk-y lack of shit-giving which is also good. The ending is the only part I don't like here - it just seems to happen for no apparent reason. Cool stuff.

Pigfarmer Jr - I like the big blues-y guitar for the intro. The vocals and other instrumentation don't keep up with it though. With that guitar sound I want those drums to hit hard, for example, but they don't. That drum solo, though, is a cool and unexpected treat. The "doo doo doo doo" bit is also cool, I really wanted to hear that again at the end, maybe as an outro.

Johnny Cashpoint - This sounds like a true story, which is good, I suppose. But it also sounds true in that I wonder why I'm hearing it. Also the second masterbation joke, which has nothing to do with you since I doubt you and Jerkatorium planned it, just an odd observation.

Skadaddle - I was worried I was about to hear some ska, so first off I'm glad I didn't. The verses here are great, I love the vocals and the way they interact with the bouncy instrumentals. I'm not as excited about the chorus as it seems to lose the energy that the verses created. The bridge/whatever bit that starts around 1:56 and carries into the solo is a good bit of fun.

Berkeley Social Scene - A good tune here. Seems like the instrumentation is all in the mids, vocals included, which makes it sound a bit flat. Mixing is not a strong suit of mine, so I may be way off base there. The bridge at 1:45-ish is cool, and I like the way the song title kind of lilts along almost like you aren't even going to get it all out - a cool sound there.

Hillbilly - I like the lonely and forlorn effect you've created here. Having some trouble associating this sound with Jamaica, ganja and dreds, but that's just programming on my part, nothing to do with you.

Astrolamb - Yeah. So. There's this thing - I'm trying to make sure I don't fall back on straight guitar driven rock which is where my head always goes when I start to write a song. I feel like this is pretty far from that, so mission accomplished on my part?

Squirrels In The Attic - I kept hoping the vocals would become audible, but they never did. Definitely going to want to try to find a way to bring those up in the mix.

Caravan Ray - Fun and upbeat. Maybe a little too in your face with the repeated lines, but whatever. I believe that you hope he enjoyed the trip.

Klownhole - The mix here makes this very hard to hear.

Inflatable Vegetables - Really like the chorus here, and it's a neat trick to manage to say "you faker, you faker" and sound kind of cool doing it. I missed the bass in the second half of the second chorus - I couldn't tell if that was on purpose or not, maybe for mood? Cool tune, digging the retro vibe.

MooseMuse - I really like the laid-back sound here, setting an appropriate mood without resorting to reggae rip-offs (well, until the joke at the end, that is). Definitely some nice guitar work happening here, and cool self-harmonizing on the vocals too. Vote.

[j$]

Johnny Cashpoint - This sounds like a true story, which is good, I suppose. But it also sounds true in that I wonder why I'm hearing it. Also the second masterbation joke, which has nothing to do with you since I doubt you and Jerkatorium planned it, just an odd observation.

Hi, thanks for the review! I must admit, after your first phrase, where I find it a shame you appear to take my elongated pun on 'Jamaica' as anything more than it is (funny or not) nothing you write makes sense to me? I haven't listened to the stream yet so it may be my alphabetical predecessor has queered the pitch for me. I will be cross but accepting if that is the case In other words, just because I use the word 'masturbator' doesn't mean I'm singing about masturbating?

j$

[rnagoda]

Hi, thanks for the review! I must admit, after your first phrase, where I find it a shame you appear to take my elongated pun on 'Jamaica' as anything more than it is (funny or not) nothing you write makes sense to me? I haven't listened to the stream yet so it may be my alphabetical predecessor has queered the pitch for me. I will be cross but accepting if that is the case In other words, just because I use the word 'masturbator' doesn't mean I'm singing about masturbating?

j$

Sorry - trying to get the reviews in while working on other things I can see that I came across a bit scattered. To be true, I didn't know what the joke was but that's more likely on account of me being dumb than anything else. To me it sounded like a personal story that I didn't have any point of relation to so I guess I just missed it all the way around. As for the masturbation bit I just remarked about it since someone else had made a similar reference in their song, that's all. No offense meant, hope none was taken - mostly I wanted to make sure to get this done right away since I missed it last week.

[j$]

No, absolutely none taken. Actually I guess I take from your review that it's one of those songs if the listener doesn't get the 'joke', there's not much else to say about it, which I feared might prove to be the case. Thanks for reviewing!

j$

[Billy]

I managed not to review or vote in the last one which was lame, so I'm glad to be the first to review this fight at least ...

Sunday Guts - The opening groove here is pretty sweet. ...

Thanks, but I can't take full credit for the groove - It's based on the overused "Ashley's Roachclip" sample:

http://www.whosampled.com/sample/582/Ll ... Roachclip/

[Chumpy]

Once again, I started to write reviews without having enough time to actually finish them, so I'll do them in chunks. Here is what I have so far.

Astrolamb
I appreciate the interesting sound, with the pulsing ambient synth noise, odd rhythms and autotune. The quiet voices after 'depend on you' are a really interesting and spooky touch, like radio waves from Germany are infiltrating your song. The vocals on 'It's a whole 'nother part of the world' are uncomfortable listening, which might not have been that big of a problem if the song wasn't already a bit melodically sparse. Kudos for going outside your comfort zone and making more daring music though.

Berkeley Social Scene
Woot, a catchy quirky melody, and is that Martin again on vocals? I'm really a fan of his singing style. The build-up to the chorus really does it for me, and gets me pumped for the chorus. The and coast guard / postcard line is great. If I had to be critical, I'd say the bridge might just be a touch overdone, but I admit the bobsled line did make me smile.

Caravan Ray
John Benjamin has gone to Jamaica! The repetition works well for me, because the line about coming back with a sun tan and NATTY NATTY dreadlocked hair is great, and makes the time spent getting there totally worth it. The bridge (or maybe second verse?) of the song is dynamite. It charms me to think of jb as a bit of a loner, wanting to really cut loose in Jamaica but having a hard time leaving the sidelines -- and then triumphantly doing so. Excellent songwriting, definitely one of my favorites from this fight.

Hillbilly
I'm liking the mood you created in the beginning with the melodica and guitar and that you're broke and stuck in Jamaica. All good so far. The way you drawl 'dreads' sounds great as it nails that fish-out-of-water feeling. The rhyme with 'give me head' though seems out of place and feels like lazy writing to me. The guitars sound really good, but perhaps a bit too loud in spots, and the ending is abrupt. Overall though, I like the song and the style.

Inflatable Vegetables
Oh. My. God. I'm seriously questioning her commitment to the goth lifestyle. I've always thought she was a phony and I'm glad somebody is finally calling her on it. Enjoyed.

Jerkatorium
I tried to strike a balance between the verse vocals sounding really annoying and really, really annoying. Hope you're having a nice time listening.

Johnny Cashpoint
Reminds me a bit of The Streets in that it's telling an interesting personal story using lingo and an accent that sounds cool and foreign to me. Having close friends who are gay, I wanted to write a big 'fuck you' song to Buju Banton specifically and all of Jamaica in general in the worst and most offensive dub style I could muster. I'm glad I didn't, because it would be preaching to the wrong people, needlessly political, and just generally awful. I may be reading too much into this, but I feel like j$ found a great way to express his desire to stand up for his best friend without making it political or having to get into how fucked up and homophobic Jamaica is. Much enjoyed, wish I would have written it.

[Billy]

Jerkatorium
I tried to strike a balance between the verse vocals sounding really annoying and really, really annoying. Hope you're having a nice time listening.

.

I think you really, really nailed that balance. Only thing is your overall bounce could be louder... But that's only because most of the other songs are louder.

The arpeggiated twinkle keys are great, as is the hook itself. I really (really) like that chord change: Tonic to Tonic with a flat 7. Cool stuff.

[j$]

W.A.I.L. I.A.A.C.

Not my favourite fight ever but I enjoyed the listen, overall.

Astrolambites - very intriguing. I like that dub-ish synth line that sounds like a slowed down kraftwerk sample. It's a little loose and scrappy and while I have no problem with the autotune, I'm not sure it brings anything to the story. Liked this, though it goes on a bit beyond its natural lifespan, I suppose... yeah, I'm getting a little bored at 3 mins - nothing's wrong, it just doesn't evolve quite as powerfully as I feel it needs to. That said, I can feel the roots of a grower taking place in my brain.

BBS - Great drums. The 'kind of get away with it' clunky lyric is fun. The off-key singing not so much. I am the last person in the world to complain about that but this time out it distracts from my listening too much and in fact stops me getting much past the second chorus / bridge. Sorry, guys.

CR - It is what it is. It seems have been written with SF:Live in mind. The dreadlock line is funny. The rest feels a bit rushed / in need of a bit more honing? I like the BVs very much. Ummm, not much else to say. It is what it is.

Hill(?) - I like 'there's a lot of things I can do/ None of them include you' as a refrain very much. This is very well played/performed/arranged but it doesn't leap up and grab me, I'm afraid. It may be just be personal taste. The ending is very abrupt as well.

Iveg - There's some nice imagery in this but the story doesn't really sound like much more than a route between 'Jamaican' references. The chorus is great melodically. In fact the music works very well for me throughout. Just not left with much of an impression of what you're actually singing about.

Jerkatorium - Cutesy. Perhaps trying a little too hard (lyrically it's a bit all over the place trying to find its direction) but I like it anyway. Lots of great little riffs and melodies without losing its 'bedroom-made' feel (whether or not that's where it was made) which elevate it. This may get a vote from me.

j$ - that's me. My best friend isn't West Indian. I don't know anyone called Jim. This started as a # pun - 'Hope you're having a nice time in Jim Acre'. I don't have a soul, guys, it's an anal sex joke On another level, I do love dub and reggae but do have problems with the homophobic, mysognist cliches that populate them, so it comes from that point as well. I wanted to make a song that used musical cliches (off beat guitar, heavy dub basslines, steel drums as a melodic short cut for Jamaica, lovers' rock) but find a new way of using them. Which I did. Only the arrangement / mix lets that stuff down. Anyway, I am very fond of it. Especially given my original arrangement was just me and guitar.

Klownhole - I wrote a little Klownhole reviewing program to save me time
5 secs Print "great riff".
10 secs Print "Oh this has to be Klownhole".
15 secs Print "Oh that's some terrible singing".
20 secs Print "What the f are they on about this time"?
25 secs Print "Part of me likes this a lot,though".
30 secs goto 5 secs.

What's the root of money? Surely, the federal reserve. Wonderfully bonkers as usual. Never know whether to love or shrug. This is a good thing

Moosemuse - This is a lovely song (though your 'yeahs' are incredibly creepy. In fact the vocal sounds like a stalker whispering through the air conditioning unit. This is not neccessarily a bad thing). Nice jazzy solo-ing. I would have voted for this if it had finished around 2.30. It's just way too long for the ideas included. It keeps on going and going but doesn't get anywhere. Which is a huge shame as I love the constituent parts. Time sigs and solos don't cover the fact that it can't support its own lack of weight. Still, I mean this to be a good review. Just a little less self-indulgence and you'd be getting my vote for sure.

Pigfarmer Jr - Maybe turn up the lead in the mix. (in the verses I mean, that higher lead is almost inaudible). You do what you do (a kind of Led Zepplin thang) very well. Vocals sound great. Could do with a bigger, more defining chorus. But there's some good riffing going on. Alone / Telephone is a terrible rhyme to use. Ever. Love the silly drum solo. Injects another 25 seconds' life into the song. Should have brought in the 'do do dos' earlier and more prominently in the song. That was the bestest bit. This is a good song.

Skadaddle - Like Jerkatorium it's trying too hard, screaming 'look at me, I'm FUNNNEEE' - but the chorus is beautiful (despite the over-loud guitar) which keeps me listening over the slightly irritating verse progression. I mean, that's an interesting chord sequence but not interesting enough to support how much you use. Also I'm a body dysmorphiac so singing about food's always going to make me uncomfortable. I can't believe it took you two minutes to get to the point of the song - more efficiency! This bit I like but far too much 'ho hum' in the build-up. And there we are back at the 'not as good as you think it is' verse. Oh you said 'crabs'. Half a brilliant song, half a terrible one. I am intrigued but not enough to vote this time out. Sorry.

Slickitude - I am liking this very much 30 seconds in. I mean, it's not breaking any new boundaries but it's done well (though the mix could fill the speakers a bit more). Yeah, this a fun song. Nicely played, sir(s)!

Squirrels in the Attic - I like the name and the mood as it starts. I generally don't care about mixes which is lucky for you. However there is no way I am sitting through six minutes of this! We shall see if it steps up. It's too lolloping, too sluggish to escape its bad recording. Which is a shame, as I think I can hear a great song somewhere in there, and I like the kooky quality. But it's all about efficiency with me and what the song can support. Had you wrapped this up around 2 mins (and turned the vocal up a bit more) I would have voted. Self-indulgence is a dangerous thing.

Sunday Guts - That bass line is great. I lived through the 80s the first time round so I am not so keen on the synth / melody approach. It sounds like a game soundtrack (maybe one of the later Sonics, for the beach level) that has been developed up into a real song. Sorry, man - it's very well done and pleasant on the ear but it lacks anything for me personally to engage with. I wouldn't worry about it come the count Like other songs this fight I hear Wikipedia research dripping through the lyric. Yeah, good but not good enough for my picky tastes. Soz.

Waffle Fortress - Hello, good/stupid name band. I like this a lot. I have no idea what you're singing about. I don't care, at leasst 40 seconds in. Like the vocal, like the mood. Some great phrasing going on here and oh hello lovely little high note (at least first time around). Like the slinky, sleazy bassline that pops its turtle's head into the mix. It doesn't quite get to where I want it to go but it's got more drive than most of the other songs this fight. If you could sort out the stupid but well-phrased lyrics I would be shouting your name from the rooftops. As it is, have a vote!

So I'm voting for Jerkatorium and Waffle Fortress. I need to think a bit more about Astrolamb and Slicktitude.

j$

[Chumpy]

Klownhole
This is the best Kownhole song I've ever heard. You guys turned a song about having a nice time in Jamaica into wanktastic Objectivist Rock, and for that you get my vote. The 'ATTENTION ALL PLANETS' bit at the end is cheeky as fuck, and I admit it, I laughed out loud. Thanks for listening to feedback about song length, you guys executed your concept in 3:25, huzzah. Also there are times where you sounded dangerously close to having your shit together, like starting at around 2:00. I think the organ at 2:35 was a good idea, but needed to be a lot louder in places.

[Billy]

Sunday GutsLike other songs this fight I hear Wikipedia research dripping through the lyric. Yeah, good but not good enough for my picky tastes. Soz.


j$

Yes, "Port Royal" and the location of Bob Marley's Mausoleum were both learned about using Google Maps.

Sonic The Hedgehog 2 has a slammin soundtrack, so I'll take that as a comp


Waffle Fortress - I like this one a lot, too - - LOVE the keyboard - Sounds like Aztec Camera (among other things). Mind divulging where you found it?

[CordSmith]

Johnny Cashpoint - Enjoying the accent. Sweet groovy organ. Catchy hook. Like the humor. Would like a longer track with some added instrumentation.

Hillbilly - I'd prefer a shitty mic'd guitar over an acoustic/electric plugged in. It's got this specific tone that gets to me. There's a solo happening sometimes over some singing, which I think is distracting and could be saved for later when it can shine on its own. I like the heartfelt tone of this tune. I'd love to hear you play this song with just you and the guitar sitting in front of one $150 large diaphragm mic. It'd have a real gritty, Johnny Cash kind of vibe. I swig my beer slowly to this one.

Caravan Ray - I remember from prior songfights, you doing super fun stuff that I thought was catchy and hilarious. So I have a soft spot for your tunes. I like those harmonies.

Pigfarmer Jr - Diggin the sweet licks. Since there's a lot of repeating of the lyrics, I think it'd be cool to double the repeated vocals a few times to give them thickness and girth. GIRTH. Like the change to semi-spoken Cake style vocals. DEM DRUMS. Doo doot doot doot! You're a madman! My song had a similar theme of someone being left behind while someone else goes off and lives there life. Why are we so sad?

Klownhole - You are rockin' that guitar. I don't like too much reverb on the vocals, it reminds me of when I'm talking to someone who is on their cell phone in the bathroom. I'd like to hear you scream this song out, Henry Rollins style.

Berkeley Social Scene - I love the textured instruments. The chorus is anti-chorus enough for me to fall in love with it. I will probably hear this in my head tomorrow as I am cataloging library books.

Sunday Guts - Right up front I thought this was the sample from "Standing outside a broken phone book with money in my hand." I was wrong. Very cool vocal harmony mix. A big variety of vocal melodies. While I love a non-traditional songwriting format, I wouldn't mind a more recognizable refrain. Still, great tune and production.

Inflatable Vegetables - It's so awesome to hear a goth-ish song mentioning a "nice time", much less one in Jamaica. I am enjoying this. I like that bouncy bass groove. I feel like the information age, with its social media and whatnot, really lends itself to watching other people on vacation and feeling shittily happy for them. Why do we do this to ourselves? Cool tune, thank you.

Jerkatorium - Haha, another song about a "new boyfriend"… at least in your song, you're jerking off and going to the gym. That's progress, baby! In mine, I'm just eating and being miserable. I literally experienced my recent ex going to Paris during this specific song fight, so I had some real feelings in this one. I did not, however, eat any salty mackerel. I like the humor, keep it up.

Waffle Fortress - I like the band name, it makes me hungry. I love your vocals. The guitar is a subtle addition. I like this song very much.

MooseMuse - I am playing congas along with this in my mind. Nice harmonies. I want to hippie dance to this whilst juggling my too-expensive juggling balls. I like the big change at the end. Now I want to put my juggling balls down and feed seagulls from a hammock.

Slickitude - You've got your 'voice' down pretty great, even to the right amount of delay to add. I think a lot of songwriting talent went into this song, I dig it.

Squirrels in the attic - I'd like to run the entire final mix through a big room reverb, give it that kind of open spacey feeling which gives me nostalgia for some reason. Oh, and I love squirrels.

Astrolamb - I fell in love with like the first half of this song, but then it kind of went a little long. Still, cool stuff here and I'm in a funk today and this kind of made me feel some strong music-induced feelings.

[Caravan Ray]

CR - It is what it is. It seems have been written with SF:Live in mind. The dreadlock line is funny. The rest feels a bit rushed / in need of a bit more honing? I like the BVs very much. Ummm, not much else to say. It is what it is.
j$

Yep. It is what it is. It was a rushed job at writing a song to 2 titles, this weeks title - and the first Nur Ein title, which (as I have explained before) I gave as the title to my local chapter of the (auspiciously named) Australian Songwriters Association. And - this is what I love about the whole Songfight concept - out pops a song that never would have been written before without those prompts (oh…and the fact that JB went to Jamaica)

I think Chumpy was far too generous when he wrote above:
The bridge (or maybe second verse?) of the song is dynamite. It charms me to think of jb as a bit of a loner, wanting to really cut loose in Jamaica but having a hard time leaving the sidelines -- and then triumphantly doing so. Excellent songwriting, definitely one of my favorites from this fight.

…but I do tend to agree that that song does have quite a silly charm about it that I do find quite amusing.

I admit - the recording is appalling - it really was rushed - written and recorded all in about 2 hours. But - after recording, I went along to the monthly Australian Songwriters Association meeting and played it karaoke style. I took my master and deleted the guitar and lead vox from it - then played an mp3 of the bass, drums and backing vox - while I sang and played guitar live to it.

The verdict? I was told it was 2 minutes of "high energy" - as a balding, middle-aged man ranted incessantly about some bloke called "John Benjamin" - but it did have that "My Sharona" like quality of being irresistible to dance to, and continue to sing later.

My work was done. In hind site - it is a ridiculous song done very quickly - but it is really growing on me. I thank Chumpy for his kind review, and admit that I am starting to sort of agree with him.

Post Script: If JB ever comes to Toowoomba - I'm afraid there will be people who ask him about his Jamaican holiday. On the bright side though - "John Benjamin has Gone to Toowoomba" would work well too as a "Peggy Sue Got Married" style sequel song.

[Smalltown Mike]

Sorry, I don't have reviews for every song, just the ones I had something to say about.

Astrolamb: The autotune really kills it for me, which is too bad because there are some interesting things here.

BSS: The music and the lyrics are really working for me, but I hate to say the vocals just aren’t.

Waffle Fortress: I like a lot of this. The drums didn’t work for me first, but they grew on me. Really like the vibe here. Nice sounds here and there, and I like the very sporadic backing vocals. Great vocals (remind me of something but I can’t quite place ‘em). Dig it.

Skadaddle: I love this. Sounds excellent – especially the vocals. Great change at about the two-minute mark. This is really great. Great ending. This is a song.

Pigfarmer Jr.: Again, excellent. The repletion of the lines really works for me. Not sold on the drums in general, but the drums solo is ridiculous. So frantic.

Caravan Ray: One of the best CRay tracks I’ve heard, I think. I like this a lot, the doubling of the vocals works well where you did it.

MooseMuse: I like this one a lot, too. Some nice solos, great vibes, nice vocals – but is up with that weird splice at the 4-minute mark? That needs to fix it. Blend it. Funny, someone else pointed out the reggae vibe in that last part, but I hadn’t noticed it before. If it’s reggae, it’s very subtle.

Slickitude: This is me. I suppose I could fix the sudden ending.

[Smalltown Mike]

And Sunday Guts!
Somehow this wonderful song didn't make it onto my iPod. It's truly great pop! I was nervous at first because it sounded very much like Paid in Full, but this has wonderful vocals and groove. I was hoping for a breakout keys solo at 1:149, great nonetheless.

[Billy's Little Trip]

my local chapter of the (auspiciously named) Australian Songwriters Association.

Too bad it's not named Australian Songwriters Society. The acronym would be a delight.

[boltoph]

Hillbilly
A nice time...except for that sunburn. Feels like it didn't turn out as hoped...stuck...at least there are worse places to be unless you're at a whorehouse in Ocho Rios. Start up a beach shop, renting jetskiis to vacationers. But never comin' home. Just strummin. Drinking some cheap beer every night, looking out at the ocean. It's the way I'd love to die.

Klownhole
The beauty is that I wasn't warned. I wasn't warned it would go this bad. It fell into the middle crease of a dead man's hand and walked it's way into my veins. Closed in. The polar ice caps froze that day. We were buried in snow, in the paradise of a Jamaican shore. Our thoughts were cold. Palm trees looked like wind chimes. Individual freedom would never be a question, again.

Astrolamb
Astro-fuckin'-poetry. Waitin' around gets the best of us sometimes, all of us. Having a nice time, is relative to the end-user. One person's shit is another's treasure. This is the way culture has always rolled. Until everything went dark and the lack of light helped us discover something certainly brilliant, but an idea beyond what we all would dream of being able to grasp. And while a "nice time" would be defined in only subjective fashion. Life in Tuscon....goes on....

Johnny Cashpoint
I like the smooth keys. I think it'd help build the vocal line if it started with half as many syllables in the first verse, think of it as foreplay, build up to the faster, deeper vocal. I like the hook around masturbator, castration, and such. Painful imagery.

Waffle Fortress
Not at home is where it got me. I'm not at home, though I'm here, at home. Could've dropped to a nice major lower chord in a couple spots, and opened up with all instruments. Some good turnarounds in the vocal phrases, and nice bringing on of the bass about halfway through, some very tasty melodies on the bends/slides of the guitar. Feels like "Final Cut" era Pink Floyd meets Silver Sun Pickups.

Caravan Ray
Makes me kinda want to throw on an Australian cowboy hat and dance on the Aussie shores, clothed in only a loincloth, a large knife, a pair of boots, and that spotted leather, hand-oiled Australian outback hat. Just leaning back on those shark-infested shores...breathin' sweet Jesus, in "Jamaica", AU.

MooseMuse
Time for a nice six pack of red stripe and a throwback to yer old '60s plate verb'd vocal. With an island guitar groove. A little congas, some samba instruments could be a nice addition. Bass + conga solo would've been a welcome addition, along with a guy in the back playing a cabasa with all his heart and soul.

Jerkatorium
How did these fuckin' guys get signed? Their weekend was better than mine, way better, I bet. Bring on the Beach Boys meets Ween. More steeldrum, and cowbell! Maybe there's something to be said for the right hand, but it's underrated. The left is much better.

Squirrels in the attic
This is a bit disorganized for my tastes, chaotic in terms of a steady rhythm, obviously. Bring up those vox a bit and there could be something worth development. A couple places where I could hear a chord change or two that'd bring the song in an intelligible direction.

Slickitude
Hey, is that my old casio drum machine? Like from the late '80s? I can tell this shit was built on the foundation of a late '80s CBGB fanatic. I can see the lead singer in a pink-spotted white vest and a sideways golf visor. Holding up a beer, with a butt hanging out of his mouth and CHIPS sunglasses. Maybe even a helmet, some eyeliner. Hey wait....how did you get the Ramones to record a tune with smalltown mike on the vocals? WTF? I bet you wrote this song ten years ago, smokin' blunts with them other cunts.

Pigfarmer Jr
Aw yeah. If you can get a couple models I'll buy a plane ticket and reserve some rooms for Ocho Rios, may'n. We'll hit up the market every day and roll in Dunn's River Falls every day. A little snorkeling, some nice eats, and whole lot of hard drinkin'!

Skadaddle
Shoot, I feel a little Johnny Cash meets some kind of modern type of Irish jig type of thing. This makes me want to drink hard whiskey...hard!!! And just when I think this was all for fun, you hit me with the chorus and the "I'm never coming home...are you?" and that was where I was sold. Nice work with that hook. Skip the whole ending and just repeat the chorus 3x with a slight variation in the words each time and a grand, slow, bendy guitar solo and I'm totally sold. That chorus and that one line, makes my soul ache with a hundred happy and sad memories.

Inflatable Vegetables
Oh we all loves us some Depeche Mode and this takes me right back to the ex-girlfriend I had that loved that shit. Island time is the best. Skanky = all good.

Berkeley Social Scene
Very enjoyable wash of guitars left and right, a journey in indie-disto guitar, which I can appreciate. I was hoping for one big chord and resolution in the chorus, but didn't get it until the bridge about 2/3 the way through and at that point, I now feel connected with this song. Would've liked to see it go in a different direction after that bridge, until the end, an abandonment of the previous vs/chorus combination, something deep and meaningful, radiating the warmth of a good buzz on a Jamaican beach.

Sunday Guts
Glad to hear something tight, something that I can groove too, to end this listening session, off. Feels like Seal would be the ideal studio vocalist for this. Or Billy Ocean. This feels like an ocean, like sailing. This is great ending track, something I could hear at the end of a movie while the credits are rolling. A comedy/drama would be a perfect fit. Hell yeah. Happy weekend!

[Albatross]

Too bad it's not named Australian Songwriters Society. The acronym would be a delight.

"Why yes, I am one of the most active members in ASS."

[j$]

I think it'd help build the vocal line if it started with half as many syllables in the first verse, think of it as foreplay, build up to the faster, deeper vocal ...

Interesting. I'm not sure I agree but I get what you're saying. In a deliberately 1 minute 50 song, for me one needs to get the cards on the table ASAP, especially when it is a slightly jarring, staggering phrasing - otherwise it's over before you've even had time to enjoy the way it leads you into pun after pun. I think I should have been a bit more Caravan Ray in my arrangement (that's a compliment, John) - it might had forced the ear towards the humour (or lack thereof) more efficiently. Still, it wouldn't have suited the subtlety (or lack thereof) I was after. Thanks for the review - good to see you again!

j$

[Lunkhead]

reviews

Wow, welcome back! Are you going to enter fights again too? That would be awesome.