Because We're All Horrible People (No Good Can... Reviews)
- inevitableguy
- Mixtral
- Posts: 534
- Joined: Sat Apr 26, 2008 9:19 am
- Instruments: Stuff with strings, vocals, poor drum machine programming
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Because We're All Horrible People (No Good Can... Reviews)
No good ever comes of letting other people dissect your art. Except, you know, the part where you might get better at your craft?
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Naked Philosophy, The Tedward Nixon Experience
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"Brilliant and disastrous at almost the exact same time" - Melvin
Naked Philosophy, The Tedward Nixon Experience
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"Brilliant and disastrous at almost the exact same time" - Melvin
Re: Because We're All Horrible People (No Good Can... Review
Rabbit and Ram----I cant find anything about this song that dosent suit my present mood. I like this. Vote
Moose, muse-----good job. This is intresting. For some reason i was listening to every piano note. Drummer needs to settle down a bit. just my 2 cent. that is the best recording of a piano i have ever heard.
Moose, muse-----good job. This is intresting. For some reason i was listening to every piano note. Drummer needs to settle down a bit. just my 2 cent. that is the best recording of a piano i have ever heard.
Last edited by hillbilly on Sat Aug 01, 2015 12:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- Chumpy
- Twilight Sparkle
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Re: Because We're All Horrible People (No Good Can... Review
DJ Ranger Den
I think it's an interesting notion for a song, something I've felt before too. This Facebook conversation is going to end in awkward family get togethers. I like the G&G sound, and I think the vocals sound pretty good, especially in the chorus where there are two intertwined vocal lines. The parts I didn't like is where the two chorus vocal lines are clearly out of sync, like at 1:14 on 'facebook' which tweaks my ears.
Hillbilly
I think this is the best sounding and produced track of yours I've heard. My ears didn't hear any distortion or clipping. I think I heard guitar, two harmonicas, two vocals tracks. Your singing sounded natural, comfortable, and with character. Listening with headphones, I felt a sense of space in your mix, and I noticed the left and right harmonica parts, and I thought it was well done. My criticism is that the song needs more movement. There isn't a lot of difference between the verse and chorus, and there is no bridge, so it stays pretty anchored in one spot.
James Owens and Acorn Productions
If you don't have anything nice to say ...
Yogi and the Bipolar Bears
... don't say anything at all.
Jerkatorium
Apparently 'too far forward' is a nice way of saying too loud, and it has nothing to do with panning.
MooseMuse
I feel like this is a strong composition, but the music itself didn't really move me, maybe because the overall emotional tone is a bit down. As someone who uses canned drums, I'm impressed at how these sound. I'm not sure the timing of the echo on the chorus vocals is a net positive, as I noticed it in a distracting kind of way. The solo piano towards the end seemed a bit "too far forward" (see what I did there?) and I had to reach for the volume knob. Nicely sung all the way through.
No Orchids
I was ready for some Rock. Dig the main riff and the loud cymbal hits, and the guitar sound! The vocals get a little buried in fuzz when the guitar comes in during the verses, which I think could be solved with some magic mixing knob twiddling. It sounds like the chorus vocal lines don't quite fit in with the music, and there needed to be some spacers to make them fit, which was a bit noticeable. Enjoyed.
Pigfarmer Jr
Hell ya, more guitar rock! The timing on the first 'anxiety, insanity' and 'just set me free' and 'once and for all' is a bit wonky and distracting. The solo is my favorite part and sounds like groovy 60s rock, very nice. I like the vocal quality in general, it sounds nice and clear and I feel like the style fits the song.
Rabbit & Ram
The electric piano sounds pretty nice, but the vocals are the best part of this song IMHO. The chorus vocals sound great, and I can make out the two distinct voices without odd overlap timing issues. The 'lungs filled with water' vocal dynamic change is not subtle. As usual, great lyrics, but the sad feeling of the song combined with the Casio beat made it not a hit for me.
Sunday Guts
Love that Sunday Guts / XTC type sound and groove, which this song has in spades. My complaint is the same I had with Hillbilly's song, not enough movement. Also that sound at the end sounds cool at the end, but it was driving me crazy starting at around 0:26, I smushed my headphones down over my ears trying to hear just WTF it was. I could kinda hear it better later, but it was definitely distracting. It's a cool sound and I like the texture it adds, but probably should have just used it at the end.
The Hip Cola
Lots of interesting sounds here -- the record sound at the end, the broken up guitar at the start, these are all really nice flourishes that add a lot of color. The gruff angry prophet distorted vocals are somewhat at odds with with the one planet one people kumbya message and are too earnest and wild-eyed breathless for my taste. Preachy. The 'Go!' parts are really good, especially the first one, but they lose power with repetition.
I think it's an interesting notion for a song, something I've felt before too. This Facebook conversation is going to end in awkward family get togethers. I like the G&G sound, and I think the vocals sound pretty good, especially in the chorus where there are two intertwined vocal lines. The parts I didn't like is where the two chorus vocal lines are clearly out of sync, like at 1:14 on 'facebook' which tweaks my ears.
Hillbilly
I think this is the best sounding and produced track of yours I've heard. My ears didn't hear any distortion or clipping. I think I heard guitar, two harmonicas, two vocals tracks. Your singing sounded natural, comfortable, and with character. Listening with headphones, I felt a sense of space in your mix, and I noticed the left and right harmonica parts, and I thought it was well done. My criticism is that the song needs more movement. There isn't a lot of difference between the verse and chorus, and there is no bridge, so it stays pretty anchored in one spot.
James Owens and Acorn Productions
If you don't have anything nice to say ...
Yogi and the Bipolar Bears
... don't say anything at all.
Jerkatorium
Apparently 'too far forward' is a nice way of saying too loud, and it has nothing to do with panning.
MooseMuse
I feel like this is a strong composition, but the music itself didn't really move me, maybe because the overall emotional tone is a bit down. As someone who uses canned drums, I'm impressed at how these sound. I'm not sure the timing of the echo on the chorus vocals is a net positive, as I noticed it in a distracting kind of way. The solo piano towards the end seemed a bit "too far forward" (see what I did there?) and I had to reach for the volume knob. Nicely sung all the way through.
No Orchids
I was ready for some Rock. Dig the main riff and the loud cymbal hits, and the guitar sound! The vocals get a little buried in fuzz when the guitar comes in during the verses, which I think could be solved with some magic mixing knob twiddling. It sounds like the chorus vocal lines don't quite fit in with the music, and there needed to be some spacers to make them fit, which was a bit noticeable. Enjoyed.
Pigfarmer Jr
Hell ya, more guitar rock! The timing on the first 'anxiety, insanity' and 'just set me free' and 'once and for all' is a bit wonky and distracting. The solo is my favorite part and sounds like groovy 60s rock, very nice. I like the vocal quality in general, it sounds nice and clear and I feel like the style fits the song.
Rabbit & Ram
The electric piano sounds pretty nice, but the vocals are the best part of this song IMHO. The chorus vocals sound great, and I can make out the two distinct voices without odd overlap timing issues. The 'lungs filled with water' vocal dynamic change is not subtle. As usual, great lyrics, but the sad feeling of the song combined with the Casio beat made it not a hit for me.
Sunday Guts
Love that Sunday Guts / XTC type sound and groove, which this song has in spades. My complaint is the same I had with Hillbilly's song, not enough movement. Also that sound at the end sounds cool at the end, but it was driving me crazy starting at around 0:26, I smushed my headphones down over my ears trying to hear just WTF it was. I could kinda hear it better later, but it was definitely distracting. It's a cool sound and I like the texture it adds, but probably should have just used it at the end.
The Hip Cola
Lots of interesting sounds here -- the record sound at the end, the broken up guitar at the start, these are all really nice flourishes that add a lot of color. The gruff angry prophet distorted vocals are somewhat at odds with with the one planet one people kumbya message and are too earnest and wild-eyed breathless for my taste. Preachy. The 'Go!' parts are really good, especially the first one, but they lose power with repetition.
"I don't recommend ending on a bad joke." --ken
- thehipcola
- Grok
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Re: Because We're All Horrible People (No Good Can... Review
Great review Chumpie! Can't say I disagree with much - especially the over-wrought vox. I definitely find my first passes of a vocal idea are over the top as I'm trying things out - and I would love to have dialed some of these back a little if I had a bit more time (gruff distorted parts). The juxtaposition of the grim vibe and one-world vibe was intentional though - but that's obv. personal taste. I rarely like traditional one-world vibe, feel-good songs - and I sort of thought the tone of admonishment of the state of things fit a more gloomy approach. But again - awesome review - thanks for listening!The Hip Cola
Lots of interesting sounds here -- the record sound at the end, the broken up guitar at the start, these are all really nice flourishes that add a lot of color. The gruff angry prophet distorted vocals are somewhat at odds with with the one planet one people kumbya message and are too earnest and wild-eyed breathless for my taste. Preachy. The 'Go!' parts are really good, especially the first one, but they lose power with repetition.
edit: whoa - just realized you actually link to everyone's song - that's some awesome-soss right there.
- Pigfarmer Jr
- DALL-E
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Re: Because We're All Horrible People (No Good Can... Review
DJ Ranger Den: There is something about your vocal delivery that just kills it. It's sounds restrained, tentative and mixed a bit low. Where that would sound like all bad traits it works great here. The doubled sections are a nice touch. You've nailed the facebook conversation in song form. After listening three times I've decided that I like this song.
Hillbilly: Another good use of doubled vox. There is a bit more space/reverb in the demo than I generally like, but it sounds good on this song. This is the type of song you excel at. Your vocal, your style, your arrangement all work well. Sounds like a song I'd expect from someone called Hillbilly.
The Hip Cola: I'm struck with how much the vocal propels the energy of the song. The bass/rhythm are fairly chill but the vocal delivery, the pace of the delivery.. really brings the tension/drive. I really liked the chorus section vocal quite a bit. I really don't like many songs with an AAAA rhyme scheme and here you take it to a new level, but it works. It lends itself to the subject and the attitude of the song. The longer I listened the better I liked the song.
James Owens and Acorn Productions: The vocal is mixed down and I find myself wondering what the hell is going on? I like that guitar part panned left. And the single note lines… lots of tasty bits but I wish I knew what it was about. Well, I found the lyric and I still don't know what is going on.
Jerkatorium: I don’t like meta. But man, I like this. Good tongue in cheek delivery that pulls off the idea marvelously. I wasn't expecting the final line of the chorus, but was digging the idea even when I thought it was a leave her for music or leave him for music song. Well, I like it. The drums with that hick beat and the vocal delivery nails it for me.
Moose Muse: When the guitar kicks in and fills out the piano, drum, guitar, bass, vocal arrangement I felt it just felt "right". Worked much better. I like the old school vibe but you lost me. Probably through no fault of your own. It just took an effort to stay to the end with the build in the arrangement. Sorry my attention span is so weak.
No Orchids: Guitars. I like guitars. Those vox are very up front which is just slightly off to my ears. But man, I like those guitars. The pauses after the bridge? are a nice touch, too. On second listen the vocals aren't quite as attention grabbing as I thought at first. But, GUITARS!
Rabbit & Ram: Casiocore? I like casiocore well, enough but…. The vocals on the chorus work very well for me. I found myself wanting to know more about the story as it went along. I like the melody on the title line. In spite of my first inclination not to like the drum/keys sounds you won me over with patience. The response toward the end was a nice touch and the simple stabs and build at the very end is a nice arrangement touch. Yeah, you definitely got me by the end.
Sunday Guts: I like the acoustic pop sound of the music. I can't really understand the lyric which is annoying, but I really like the arrangement, the sound of the mix and the melody.
Yogi and the Bipolar Bears: Yeah, it was cute at first.
Hillbilly: Another good use of doubled vox. There is a bit more space/reverb in the demo than I generally like, but it sounds good on this song. This is the type of song you excel at. Your vocal, your style, your arrangement all work well. Sounds like a song I'd expect from someone called Hillbilly.
The Hip Cola: I'm struck with how much the vocal propels the energy of the song. The bass/rhythm are fairly chill but the vocal delivery, the pace of the delivery.. really brings the tension/drive. I really liked the chorus section vocal quite a bit. I really don't like many songs with an AAAA rhyme scheme and here you take it to a new level, but it works. It lends itself to the subject and the attitude of the song. The longer I listened the better I liked the song.
James Owens and Acorn Productions: The vocal is mixed down and I find myself wondering what the hell is going on? I like that guitar part panned left. And the single note lines… lots of tasty bits but I wish I knew what it was about. Well, I found the lyric and I still don't know what is going on.
Jerkatorium: I don’t like meta. But man, I like this. Good tongue in cheek delivery that pulls off the idea marvelously. I wasn't expecting the final line of the chorus, but was digging the idea even when I thought it was a leave her for music or leave him for music song. Well, I like it. The drums with that hick beat and the vocal delivery nails it for me.
Moose Muse: When the guitar kicks in and fills out the piano, drum, guitar, bass, vocal arrangement I felt it just felt "right". Worked much better. I like the old school vibe but you lost me. Probably through no fault of your own. It just took an effort to stay to the end with the build in the arrangement. Sorry my attention span is so weak.
No Orchids: Guitars. I like guitars. Those vox are very up front which is just slightly off to my ears. But man, I like those guitars. The pauses after the bridge? are a nice touch, too. On second listen the vocals aren't quite as attention grabbing as I thought at first. But, GUITARS!
Rabbit & Ram: Casiocore? I like casiocore well, enough but…. The vocals on the chorus work very well for me. I found myself wanting to know more about the story as it went along. I like the melody on the title line. In spite of my first inclination not to like the drum/keys sounds you won me over with patience. The response toward the end was a nice touch and the simple stabs and build at the very end is a nice arrangement touch. Yeah, you definitely got me by the end.
Sunday Guts: I like the acoustic pop sound of the music. I can't really understand the lyric which is annoying, but I really like the arrangement, the sound of the mix and the melody.
Yogi and the Bipolar Bears: Yeah, it was cute at first.
Evil Grin bandcamp - Evil Grin spotify
T.C. Elliott bandcamp - T.C. Elliott spotify
"PigFramer: Guy and guitar OF MY NIGHTMARES." - Blue Lang
T.C. Elliott bandcamp - T.C. Elliott spotify
"PigFramer: Guy and guitar OF MY NIGHTMARES." - Blue Lang
- Chumpy
- Twilight Sparkle
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Re: Because We're All Horrible People (No Good Can... Review
I click the "Review This Week's Fight" link at the top (which doesn't show on some board skins) and it creates a post for me with all the links to the songs, then I just spew up some text between the links using my charming blend of ignorance and impertinence.thehipcola wrote:edit: whoa - just realized you actually link to everyone's song - that's some awesome-soss right there.
I hear that. I feel like we've used up an entire year's supply of meta up in the last two fights.Pigfarmer Jr wrote:Jerkatorium: I don’t like meta.
"I don't recommend ending on a bad joke." --ken
- AJOwens
- Grok
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Re: Because We're All Horrible People (No Good Can... Review
It's called Review-O-Matic, courtesy of jb. There's a sticky thread about in in the Forums area. Currently the link shows up on the subsilver2 theme, if you select that in your Board Preferences. It used to be on the prosilver theme, but for some reason it's not there at the moment.Chumpy wrote:I click the "Review This Week's Fight" link at the top (which doesn't show on some board skins) and it creates a post for me with all the links to the songs, then I just spew up some text between the links using my charming blend of ignorance and impertinence.thehipcola wrote:edit: whoa - just realized you actually link to everyone's song - that's some awesome-soss right there.
Re: Because We're All Horrible People (No Good Can... Review
IF REALLY LISTEN THAT HIP COLA, SOME DEEP STUFF,VERY WELL PRODUCED. GOOD WORK OF ART, MOST DON'T TAKE TIME TO LISTEN. VERY GOOD JOB. HIP. YOU ARE ALL SOME. DON'T HEAR ANY THING YOU DID WRONG OR COULD DO BETTER, VERY TASTEFULL. IF YOU GET ANY BETTER, HOOK ME UP WITH A STAGE HAND, ELECTRICAN THING. Try not to get all horny on me just a review.
dj ---wow i really like your voice this time, my hands are in lil billys pants, good topic, you sound cute not singing thru you nose.
dj ---wow i really like your voice this time, my hands are in lil billys pants, good topic, you sound cute not singing thru you nose.
Last edited by hillbilly on Sat Aug 01, 2015 11:57 am, edited 1 time in total.
- AJOwens
- Grok
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Re: Because We're All Horrible People (No Good Can... Review
DJ Ranger Den -- This has a gentle, throughtful appeal. The slight hesitations between lines are disconcerting, but effective in setting a meditative mood. The tune is disarmingly innocuous; the words are charmingly subversive. The recording is very clear, but the level seems a little low.
Hillbilly -- The vocal track is a little muffled, but other than that this has a rich, dense, natural sound that adds to the mood. The performances are good, solid, out front, with a clear love of the music.
James Owens and Acorn Productions -- The Squirrels suggested lead guitar in specific places. The lyrics are just doodles. I recorded the drum track, main bass, and organ on a single first track, which limited my options for the stereo mix.
Jerkatorium -- Band-wise, you seem to be going for something like The Arrogant Worms or The Barenaked Ladies. As a Canadian, I can only approve. The world needs more songs with attitude. Your lyrics are clever, and the music bounces along like puppies. Lots of good touches in the arrangement. At 3:30 it's getting a little long; a change of pressure in the middle would help. Reducing the chorus to two repeats of the title would make the overall song shorter and tighter.
MooseMuse -- The bass and guitar need to be higher in the mix. The bass sounds out of tune sometimes. (The piano I can forgive.) Nice playing; it sounds like a live recording, and it hangs together well. Very grand and melodramatic. Good bluesy breakout adds to the fun, but the song is a bit long for what it is.
No Orchids -- Packed sound; I'll turn down. The stormtrooper compression helps achieve that monster metal sound, but I think I can actually hear distortion (not the Marshall distortion, nothing wrong with that) -- at second 39 or 46, for example. The vocals need an edgier sound, maybe a little reverb or echo. Nice, driving song, built of simple and effective elements, and with a good overall enerrgy.
Pigfarmer Jr -- (turning back up) The bass needs more presence to give this track depth and power. The song takes some unusual turns and stays interesting; lays down a beat and knows how to vary it. The complex rhythms coursing through this are in contrast to its simplicity of purpose, making for a mixed effect. The playing has a nice rawness.
Rabbit & Ram -- Clearly you know what you're doing compositionally, but some chord choices have a certain natural momentum; they go where they go, and it's often the same place I'd go. The touches in the arrangement are promising, but would benefit from more sophisticated voicing and production. The vocals are solid. This is a very even song, with good cheer and without drama or big moments; it leaves a pleasant feeling. The lyrics use straightfoward, uncomplicated techniques to tell their story.
Sunday Guts -- (turning down a little) Eccentric turns in the music, but they feel good. The production is distractingly thick; I'm guessing too much compression gives that cotton-wool effect in my headphones. Lively, bright sound despite it though. An entertaining entry. Nice mellotron sounds at the end.
The Hip Cola -- Sounds like a tape loop with a bad splice. Cool! Hypnotizing content; intense exotic rhythms on a desperate drone. Everybody's part is working; we're all on a camel train under a desert sky. I can get behind the lyrics, but they sometimes feel a little preachy. The "Go!" is a great touch that needs to be used more sparingly and perhaps more emphatically.
Yogi and the Bipolar Bears -- I helped with this, as one does, but I tried to keep it short. Anyway we had fun.
Hillbilly -- The vocal track is a little muffled, but other than that this has a rich, dense, natural sound that adds to the mood. The performances are good, solid, out front, with a clear love of the music.
James Owens and Acorn Productions -- The Squirrels suggested lead guitar in specific places. The lyrics are just doodles. I recorded the drum track, main bass, and organ on a single first track, which limited my options for the stereo mix.
Jerkatorium -- Band-wise, you seem to be going for something like The Arrogant Worms or The Barenaked Ladies. As a Canadian, I can only approve. The world needs more songs with attitude. Your lyrics are clever, and the music bounces along like puppies. Lots of good touches in the arrangement. At 3:30 it's getting a little long; a change of pressure in the middle would help. Reducing the chorus to two repeats of the title would make the overall song shorter and tighter.
MooseMuse -- The bass and guitar need to be higher in the mix. The bass sounds out of tune sometimes. (The piano I can forgive.) Nice playing; it sounds like a live recording, and it hangs together well. Very grand and melodramatic. Good bluesy breakout adds to the fun, but the song is a bit long for what it is.
No Orchids -- Packed sound; I'll turn down. The stormtrooper compression helps achieve that monster metal sound, but I think I can actually hear distortion (not the Marshall distortion, nothing wrong with that) -- at second 39 or 46, for example. The vocals need an edgier sound, maybe a little reverb or echo. Nice, driving song, built of simple and effective elements, and with a good overall enerrgy.
Pigfarmer Jr -- (turning back up) The bass needs more presence to give this track depth and power. The song takes some unusual turns and stays interesting; lays down a beat and knows how to vary it. The complex rhythms coursing through this are in contrast to its simplicity of purpose, making for a mixed effect. The playing has a nice rawness.
Rabbit & Ram -- Clearly you know what you're doing compositionally, but some chord choices have a certain natural momentum; they go where they go, and it's often the same place I'd go. The touches in the arrangement are promising, but would benefit from more sophisticated voicing and production. The vocals are solid. This is a very even song, with good cheer and without drama or big moments; it leaves a pleasant feeling. The lyrics use straightfoward, uncomplicated techniques to tell their story.
Sunday Guts -- (turning down a little) Eccentric turns in the music, but they feel good. The production is distractingly thick; I'm guessing too much compression gives that cotton-wool effect in my headphones. Lively, bright sound despite it though. An entertaining entry. Nice mellotron sounds at the end.
The Hip Cola -- Sounds like a tape loop with a bad splice. Cool! Hypnotizing content; intense exotic rhythms on a desperate drone. Everybody's part is working; we're all on a camel train under a desert sky. I can get behind the lyrics, but they sometimes feel a little preachy. The "Go!" is a great touch that needs to be used more sparingly and perhaps more emphatically.
Yogi and the Bipolar Bears -- I helped with this, as one does, but I tried to keep it short. Anyway we had fun.
- thehipcola
- Grok
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Re: Because We're All Horrible People (No Good Can... Review
DJ Ranger Den
Awesomeness: Short and sweet. Your voice has a really nice quality to it - simple, pretty. I like the picked out guitar work.
LessThan: Could be tighter with the backing vocals - but I'm sure you know that.
overall: Not my cup of tea but that doesn't mean I can't like it, which I do. I enjoyed the lyrics.
Hillbilly
Awesomesoss: perfect voice for this kind of song. Nice. I like the lyrical ending on the title.. punches that particular meaning through... cool. Harmonica is a super nice touch. Like your cool vox.
PrettyDamnClose: at times the acoustic guitars are a bit muddled - maybe panning them left and right would give everything a bit of space in the mix to breath. Also - fwiw - I found them to be pretty clacky sounding - almost hard. A little EQ reduction in the mid-range might smooth things out - just a little reduction - nothing to crazy.
Overall: Really dig your stuff man.. love your voice. you've got a laid back vibe that's easy to believe.
James Owens and Acorn Productions
Awesomesoss: There are scattered throughout some great musical moments! Chording and passing licks that I dig.
NotQuiteThere: Vox are mixed too low - hard to make them out. General sloppiness suggests lack of time.
Overall: Although distrated by timing issues and other little errors of efficiency - I like the music in this quite a bit - the structure and dynamics that I picked up on work well. Turn-off: picking out the word "squirrel" - instantly makes me think this is less than serious work - not a fan of silly songs for the most part, although some exceptions do occur. Completely subjective opinionating there, no dis intended.
Jerkatorium
Awesomesoss: Love the lyrics - awesome. Great mix - lots of elements to fit in there.. The drumming is awesome! Great chord progression and melody.
PrettyMuch: i think there are some cool musical elements buried in the mix in the middle - want to hear those! The vocals pop out at times - almost need a tad more compression to get them to sit in the mix a little more convincingly.
Overall: This is a really well recorded, well written, nicely mixed track. Too nice? perhaps! But that doesn't stop it standing out so far in this fight. Possible vote!
MooseMuse
Awesomesoss: I like the vocals off the top - well-delivered, good sense of melodic space. Everything is well played here. Big forward sound. Snare is thin imo. Maybe a direct mic on that would help bring it fwd, like the kik. (assuming these are real drums). I like the delay on the vox around 2:15ish. Yah - the sneaking in of bluesy scales for the outro is crafty. Nice.
AlmostAwesome: Bass sounds like it's either out of tune with itself or with the song, or both... maybe just one string.. not sure. It's pretty low in the mix. for all the songs great bits, it's a bit sloppy at times - maybe due to big reaches musically. Dunno if this is a one-dude song or a band - but given the big production here - no real points lost for that. Drum sounds could all be a bit fuller like the kik.
Overall: Dig this song - lots of work in here and I like it. Vocals suit the track really well. Lyrics didn't grab me but I tend to miss them in favour of individual performances and production, so take that fwiw. Nice work!
No Orchids
Awesomeness: Dig your vocal sound. You've got a cool voice! I like the balls2thewall-ness of this track. Guitar sound is snarly - cool. Bridge points!
Prettyclose: Mix is .... good - but there's some great elements here that could stand some real work in the mix.. Guitar is huge - but it overpowers everything. Bass and drums (was there bass?) could be punchier, up the middle - spread some guitarwork to the sides and milk that voice with some nice processing! Cool track - be a fun one to mix.
Overall: I like this - reminds me of some heavy grunge I used to listen to alot. Cool riffs, great vox. Mix issues aside - this is a possible vote.
Pigfarmer Jr
Awesomesoss: Dig that guitar intro and the guitar sound too... wonder if maybe adding some edge to the turnaround guitar licks would be a cool way to spice things up? I like the use of some different vox processing in the chorus - maybe add some doubled guitars as well to widen things a bit. Bridge section gets extra points. I like bridges. The acoustic guitar should be louder!
NotAsAwesome: vocals - great energy but a little pitch-ish and the melody variation is less than optimal - very same-y. Drum programming sounds programmed-like, but pretty good none-the-less! Feel like it could be tighter overall
Overall: I dig this tune! Good energy, nice sounds.
Rabbit & Ram
Awesomesoss: I like the small drum machine vibe off the top. The sadness is dripping through - nice.
Almost: The song ending with some punchier drums is too late - I'm bored before that point. But the spirit in which you created that variation you could use throughout the song to build interest for me! (yes it's all about me).
Overall: The main "thing" is well-done and sounds nice. Like last week - sounds nice. but I want more from you guys. Some edge, some passion, some crazy-ass sound that isn't obvious. I know you've got it in there. (seriously - it's a nice bit of music - I'm being critical because I hear production-y things that would totally take it from a 7 to a 9 in my head).
Sunday Guts
Awesomesoss: Big sound, punchy snare. Like that. Wide guitars. Dig it. Short and sweet and the vox are candy-like. Cool.
NotSoMuch: Autotune - doesn't sound like you need that - do you? Of course that assumes you did use it.. pardon me if you didn't. Find the vocals could stand out a bit more from the rest of the track. I'd have made those wide acoustics a little more meaty - maybe the whole track could use a bit more sub-ness.
Overall: I like this - there are some cool vocal hooks with little melody-isms that catch my ear - very nice. Ending is odd but cool at the same time. Short song made listening repeatedly easy. Poss. vote.
Yogi and the Bipolar Bears
Not much to say here. No idea what is happening.
The Hip Cola Totally busted on overuse of the "Go!"s. I hear that too. So much I'll change on this one - ran out of time before a real round of refining could happen - ahh, but that's the case for all of us isn't it, no excuses! Intro and Ending seem a little phoned in - neither is particularly impressive. It needs a bridge!!! NO POINTS. lol - the guitar splice vibe - super cool RE in Reason called Crapre Cassette by Peff. Sigh - there's always next week. Thanks for the reviews!
cool fight! Thanks everyone
Awesomeness: Short and sweet. Your voice has a really nice quality to it - simple, pretty. I like the picked out guitar work.
LessThan: Could be tighter with the backing vocals - but I'm sure you know that.
overall: Not my cup of tea but that doesn't mean I can't like it, which I do. I enjoyed the lyrics.
Hillbilly
Awesomesoss: perfect voice for this kind of song. Nice. I like the lyrical ending on the title.. punches that particular meaning through... cool. Harmonica is a super nice touch. Like your cool vox.
PrettyDamnClose: at times the acoustic guitars are a bit muddled - maybe panning them left and right would give everything a bit of space in the mix to breath. Also - fwiw - I found them to be pretty clacky sounding - almost hard. A little EQ reduction in the mid-range might smooth things out - just a little reduction - nothing to crazy.
Overall: Really dig your stuff man.. love your voice. you've got a laid back vibe that's easy to believe.
James Owens and Acorn Productions
Awesomesoss: There are scattered throughout some great musical moments! Chording and passing licks that I dig.
NotQuiteThere: Vox are mixed too low - hard to make them out. General sloppiness suggests lack of time.
Overall: Although distrated by timing issues and other little errors of efficiency - I like the music in this quite a bit - the structure and dynamics that I picked up on work well. Turn-off: picking out the word "squirrel" - instantly makes me think this is less than serious work - not a fan of silly songs for the most part, although some exceptions do occur. Completely subjective opinionating there, no dis intended.
Jerkatorium
Awesomesoss: Love the lyrics - awesome. Great mix - lots of elements to fit in there.. The drumming is awesome! Great chord progression and melody.
PrettyMuch: i think there are some cool musical elements buried in the mix in the middle - want to hear those! The vocals pop out at times - almost need a tad more compression to get them to sit in the mix a little more convincingly.
Overall: This is a really well recorded, well written, nicely mixed track. Too nice? perhaps! But that doesn't stop it standing out so far in this fight. Possible vote!
MooseMuse
Awesomesoss: I like the vocals off the top - well-delivered, good sense of melodic space. Everything is well played here. Big forward sound. Snare is thin imo. Maybe a direct mic on that would help bring it fwd, like the kik. (assuming these are real drums). I like the delay on the vox around 2:15ish. Yah - the sneaking in of bluesy scales for the outro is crafty. Nice.
AlmostAwesome: Bass sounds like it's either out of tune with itself or with the song, or both... maybe just one string.. not sure. It's pretty low in the mix. for all the songs great bits, it's a bit sloppy at times - maybe due to big reaches musically. Dunno if this is a one-dude song or a band - but given the big production here - no real points lost for that. Drum sounds could all be a bit fuller like the kik.
Overall: Dig this song - lots of work in here and I like it. Vocals suit the track really well. Lyrics didn't grab me but I tend to miss them in favour of individual performances and production, so take that fwiw. Nice work!
No Orchids
Awesomeness: Dig your vocal sound. You've got a cool voice! I like the balls2thewall-ness of this track. Guitar sound is snarly - cool. Bridge points!
Prettyclose: Mix is .... good - but there's some great elements here that could stand some real work in the mix.. Guitar is huge - but it overpowers everything. Bass and drums (was there bass?) could be punchier, up the middle - spread some guitarwork to the sides and milk that voice with some nice processing! Cool track - be a fun one to mix.
Overall: I like this - reminds me of some heavy grunge I used to listen to alot. Cool riffs, great vox. Mix issues aside - this is a possible vote.
Pigfarmer Jr
Awesomesoss: Dig that guitar intro and the guitar sound too... wonder if maybe adding some edge to the turnaround guitar licks would be a cool way to spice things up? I like the use of some different vox processing in the chorus - maybe add some doubled guitars as well to widen things a bit. Bridge section gets extra points. I like bridges. The acoustic guitar should be louder!
NotAsAwesome: vocals - great energy but a little pitch-ish and the melody variation is less than optimal - very same-y. Drum programming sounds programmed-like, but pretty good none-the-less! Feel like it could be tighter overall
Overall: I dig this tune! Good energy, nice sounds.
Rabbit & Ram
Awesomesoss: I like the small drum machine vibe off the top. The sadness is dripping through - nice.
Almost: The song ending with some punchier drums is too late - I'm bored before that point. But the spirit in which you created that variation you could use throughout the song to build interest for me! (yes it's all about me).
Overall: The main "thing" is well-done and sounds nice. Like last week - sounds nice. but I want more from you guys. Some edge, some passion, some crazy-ass sound that isn't obvious. I know you've got it in there. (seriously - it's a nice bit of music - I'm being critical because I hear production-y things that would totally take it from a 7 to a 9 in my head).
Sunday Guts
Awesomesoss: Big sound, punchy snare. Like that. Wide guitars. Dig it. Short and sweet and the vox are candy-like. Cool.
NotSoMuch: Autotune - doesn't sound like you need that - do you? Of course that assumes you did use it.. pardon me if you didn't. Find the vocals could stand out a bit more from the rest of the track. I'd have made those wide acoustics a little more meaty - maybe the whole track could use a bit more sub-ness.
Overall: I like this - there are some cool vocal hooks with little melody-isms that catch my ear - very nice. Ending is odd but cool at the same time. Short song made listening repeatedly easy. Poss. vote.
Yogi and the Bipolar Bears
Not much to say here. No idea what is happening.
The Hip Cola Totally busted on overuse of the "Go!"s. I hear that too. So much I'll change on this one - ran out of time before a real round of refining could happen - ahh, but that's the case for all of us isn't it, no excuses! Intro and Ending seem a little phoned in - neither is particularly impressive. It needs a bridge!!! NO POINTS. lol - the guitar splice vibe - super cool RE in Reason called Crapre Cassette by Peff. Sigh - there's always next week. Thanks for the reviews!
cool fight! Thanks everyone
- Future Boy
- DeepMind
- Posts: 414
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Re: Because We're All Horrible People (No Good Can... Review
These are joint reviews by Rabbit & Ram (but I'm still gonna write in first person). Also, thanks for all the nice reviews above (and potentially below)! Away we go!
DJ Ranger Den
The vocals are charming. It's quirky and it made me smile. Some of the lyrics at the beginning were slightly clunky but the line about buying Jesus a beer saves the whole thing (get it, Jesus saves).
Hillbilly
Way more reverb than I would ever advise, but that's kind of an aesthetic call. Feel like the guitar really buries the vocals sometimes, to the point where I can't understand the words and I like to understand words. Guitar playing is way more gripping than vocal delivery in this song. Are you exaggerating the vocal delivery or is this just how things come out? It sounds over-countrified to me.
James Owens and Acorn Productions
Pretty bored by a minute in. It just seems to drag. Could be worth trying a faster tempo or some kind of rhythmic element that makes it feel less plodding. The low, mumbly vocal is not helping in that department. Also, I feel like the vocals are buried but that you actually care about what you are saying. So, don't bury them. I feel like the drums sound way out of place with the rest of it. I might drop the drums altogether or find some drum sounds that make more sense with the hand-played organ, guitar, etc.
Jerkatorium
Has a strong early They Might Be Giants vibe, which I am totally in favor of. Well done, there. The vocal melody really catches my attention. I feel like the mixing could be more polished, it sounds more like a rough demo, which let's be honest that's everything on Songfight. Lyrical content is good for the forum crowd, obviously probably won't make any sense to "real" people. The freestyle vocals that are hard-panned during the final choruses are way too upfront for my taste, I might like them better pushed back in the mix (lower volume, tight room reverb with the dry mix turned down).
MooseMuse
Your songs are so theatrical! When the band kicks in, I want a tighter snare, more bite. This song makes me think of Velvet Goldmine (ie 70s theatrical rock (is that even the genre, do you know what i mean?)). Hits that Ben Folds piano rock spot as well, but the solos at the end started to feel a bit too samey to me.
No Orchids
I'm into butts, but I'm not into buttrock so I'm not super qualified to comment on it in that regard. It feels like the guitars and drums are mixed that way very intentionally and I think it is totally competent. The vocal then feels like it's from a totally different universe. I might put very heavy compression on the vocals and run them through a slightly lighter version of the grunge on the guitar.
Pigfarmer Jr
I feel like the songwriting here is competent and the performance of the instruments sounds solid to me. Both the vocal performance and the way it is treated in the mix make it sound detached from the music. A lack of cohesion. Like, for instance, I'm often hearing that you mean to be singing particular syncopated rhythms, but the actual rhythm is kind of floating around the beats it means to be on.
Rabbit & Ram
This song has drawn the strongest response from people I have played it for, so I guess that means it's better than the others? I somewhat agree with The Hip Cola. Listening to it again I would at the very least add a bass and slightly thicker drums in the first two choruses. But otherwise I stand by the decision to leave the majority of the song pretty barebones.
Sunday Guts
Too buried the vocals! You even processed the shit out of them so I don't know what you are afraid of. They could be at least as in my face as the hard-panned acoustic guitar. I like the general upbeat sound of the song and I think it's really well written. Nicely reminiscent of early pop-punk. I think it's just the vocal treatment that is making me feel less-than-engaged.
The Hip Cola
The rhyming gets a bit too out of control around 1:30. I mean, at least go for a slant rhyme. Crazy Faith No More vibe here at 2 minutes, which I'm liking a lot more than the vocals at the beginning of the song. Tho overall sound of them is a bit more dramatic than I'd like. I do like that you are singing about social issues, so I think it's more of a delivery problem than lyrical content (aside from the rhyming issue already mentioned). I also feel like the drum sounds are a bit outdated (says the guy using a casio from the 80s), I want to hear this with more contemporary sounds, maybe like more what'd you'd find in some kind of recent rock/electronic outfit.
Yogi and the Bipolar Bears
You're lucky I'm high right now.
DJ Ranger Den
The vocals are charming. It's quirky and it made me smile. Some of the lyrics at the beginning were slightly clunky but the line about buying Jesus a beer saves the whole thing (get it, Jesus saves).
Hillbilly
Way more reverb than I would ever advise, but that's kind of an aesthetic call. Feel like the guitar really buries the vocals sometimes, to the point where I can't understand the words and I like to understand words. Guitar playing is way more gripping than vocal delivery in this song. Are you exaggerating the vocal delivery or is this just how things come out? It sounds over-countrified to me.
James Owens and Acorn Productions
Pretty bored by a minute in. It just seems to drag. Could be worth trying a faster tempo or some kind of rhythmic element that makes it feel less plodding. The low, mumbly vocal is not helping in that department. Also, I feel like the vocals are buried but that you actually care about what you are saying. So, don't bury them. I feel like the drums sound way out of place with the rest of it. I might drop the drums altogether or find some drum sounds that make more sense with the hand-played organ, guitar, etc.
Jerkatorium
Has a strong early They Might Be Giants vibe, which I am totally in favor of. Well done, there. The vocal melody really catches my attention. I feel like the mixing could be more polished, it sounds more like a rough demo, which let's be honest that's everything on Songfight. Lyrical content is good for the forum crowd, obviously probably won't make any sense to "real" people. The freestyle vocals that are hard-panned during the final choruses are way too upfront for my taste, I might like them better pushed back in the mix (lower volume, tight room reverb with the dry mix turned down).
MooseMuse
Your songs are so theatrical! When the band kicks in, I want a tighter snare, more bite. This song makes me think of Velvet Goldmine (ie 70s theatrical rock (is that even the genre, do you know what i mean?)). Hits that Ben Folds piano rock spot as well, but the solos at the end started to feel a bit too samey to me.
No Orchids
I'm into butts, but I'm not into buttrock so I'm not super qualified to comment on it in that regard. It feels like the guitars and drums are mixed that way very intentionally and I think it is totally competent. The vocal then feels like it's from a totally different universe. I might put very heavy compression on the vocals and run them through a slightly lighter version of the grunge on the guitar.
Pigfarmer Jr
I feel like the songwriting here is competent and the performance of the instruments sounds solid to me. Both the vocal performance and the way it is treated in the mix make it sound detached from the music. A lack of cohesion. Like, for instance, I'm often hearing that you mean to be singing particular syncopated rhythms, but the actual rhythm is kind of floating around the beats it means to be on.
Rabbit & Ram
This song has drawn the strongest response from people I have played it for, so I guess that means it's better than the others? I somewhat agree with The Hip Cola. Listening to it again I would at the very least add a bass and slightly thicker drums in the first two choruses. But otherwise I stand by the decision to leave the majority of the song pretty barebones.
Sunday Guts
Too buried the vocals! You even processed the shit out of them so I don't know what you are afraid of. They could be at least as in my face as the hard-panned acoustic guitar. I like the general upbeat sound of the song and I think it's really well written. Nicely reminiscent of early pop-punk. I think it's just the vocal treatment that is making me feel less-than-engaged.
The Hip Cola
The rhyming gets a bit too out of control around 1:30. I mean, at least go for a slant rhyme. Crazy Faith No More vibe here at 2 minutes, which I'm liking a lot more than the vocals at the beginning of the song. Tho overall sound of them is a bit more dramatic than I'd like. I do like that you are singing about social issues, so I think it's more of a delivery problem than lyrical content (aside from the rhyming issue already mentioned). I also feel like the drum sounds are a bit outdated (says the guy using a casio from the 80s), I want to hear this with more contemporary sounds, maybe like more what'd you'd find in some kind of recent rock/electronic outfit.
Yogi and the Bipolar Bears
You're lucky I'm high right now.
New Album: Comes Apart | Missed Connections | With Johnny Cashpoint: A Maze of Death | modular synths on Youtube
Re: Because We're All Horrible People (No Good Can... Review
future----(Way more reverb than I would ever advise),my thoughts,shitty recording, no hook, did'nt tell story, i havent been trying. Next time i enter, i will entertain you[/quote] It sounds over-countrified to me. I am trying to hold that back.
Last edited by hillbilly on Sun Aug 09, 2015 12:14 pm, edited 2 times in total.
- Chumpy
- Twilight Sparkle
- Posts: 700
- Joined: Sat Apr 18, 2015 2:06 pm
- Instruments: Vocals, guitar, bass
- Recording Method: Logic
- Submitting as: Jerkatorium, Chumpy
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Re: Because We're All Horrible People (No Good Can... Review
Disregard all of that shit. I should not write any reviews until I've listened to the songs a lot more. After repeated listenings this song has become my favorite of the fight, and is now on my SF playlist. The mellotron now does not sound weird or out of place to me at all.Chumpy wrote:Sunday Guts
... Also that sound at the end sounds cool at the end, but it was driving me crazy starting at around 0:26, I smushed my headphones down over my ears trying to hear just WTF it was. I could kinda hear it better later, but it was definitely distracting. It's a cool sound and I like the texture it adds, but probably should have just used it at the end.
"I don't recommend ending on a bad joke." --ken
- Billy
- A New Player
- Posts: 20
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- Submitting as: Sunday Guts, Unpaid Bill and the Cheapskates
Re: Because We're All Horrible People (No Good Can... Review
Thanks Chumpy, for the sweet redaction. And thanks for the nice/constructive reviews from the rest-a-yah.