SpinTunes 17 Round 1 Songs

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MicahSommer
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SpinTunes 17 Round 1 Songs

Post by MicahSommer »

Last night's Listening Party was great fun - thanks to everyone who joined in.

If you missed the party, the songs are of course still available. The BandCamp album is live now at https://spintunes.bandcamp.com/album/sp ... 17-round-1 or embedded below!

As always, our delightful album art is by the talented and generous Matt Schubbe!



Upcoming schedule:
Now: Judging commences
Saturday March 20:
12:01 am Eastern - Round 2 challenge posted
4:00 pm Eastern - Round 1 Judges' Reviews and Rankings due.
8:00 pm Eastern - Round 1 Results posted.

Feel free to post your own reviews!
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Re: SpinTunes 17 Round 1 Songs

Post by BoffoYux »

A great batch of tunes this round.

A reminder - there will be 11 eliminations for Round 1, but there are also reinstatements if someone doesn't submit a song for Round 2.

What does that mean to you? Do a shadow song when the Round 2 challenge is posted on Saturday. If you're booted on points and not a DQ, you have a very good shot to get back into the mix. And once you're in there, anything can happen. Just ask Tenmere.

They were cut in Round 2 in a challenging field, reinstated in Round 3, and took the championship for SpinTunes #16! Just sayin'.
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Re: SpinTunes 17 Round 1 Songs

Post by EmKayDeeBee »

Great load of tunes! :D Have loved listening on repeat and seeing the live chat unfold. Sorry not to be able to be there live for the banter, looked like some great craic! (1am start time for me and I’m useless on no sleep :cry: )
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Re: SpinTunes 17 Round 1 Songs

Post by crumpart »

EmKayDeeBee wrote:
Tue Mar 16, 2021 11:43 am
Great load of tunes! :D Have loved listening on repeat and seeing the live chat unfold. Sorry not to be able to be there live for the banter, looked like some great craic! (1am start time for me and I’m useless on no sleep :cry: )
Where in Ireland are you then? I'm in Cork. :)
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Re: SpinTunes 17 Round 1 Songs

Post by EmKayDeeBee »

crumpart wrote:
Tue Mar 16, 2021 11:47 am

Where in Ireland are you then? I'm in Cork. :)
Alas, mainland England (though West Coast at least, so the best side!)... Cumbria
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Re: SpinTunes 17 Round 1 Songs

Post by crumpart »

EmKayDeeBee wrote:
Tue Mar 16, 2021 11:53 am
crumpart wrote:
Tue Mar 16, 2021 11:47 am

Where in Ireland are you then? I'm in Cork. :)
Alas, mainland England (though West Coast at least, so the best side!)... Cumbria
I'm actually Australian but have lived here since 2017. I assumed somewhere in Ireland because you play harp and pulled out "craic". :)
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Re: SpinTunes 17 Round 1 Songs

Post by EmKayDeeBee »

crumpart wrote:
Tue Mar 16, 2021 11:47 am


I'm actually Australian but have lived here since 2017. I assumed somewhere in Ireland because you play harp and pulled out "craic". :)
Ah - well I’m celtic for sure! Grew up in Wales! Quite a change from Aus to Ireland?!
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Re: SpinTunes 17 Round 1 Songs

Post by crumpart »

EmKayDeeBee wrote:
Tue Mar 16, 2021 11:58 am
crumpart wrote:
Tue Mar 16, 2021 11:47 am


I'm actually Australian but have lived here since 2017. I assumed somewhere in Ireland because you play harp and pulled out "craic". :)
Ah - well I’m celtic for sure! Grew up in Wales! Quite a change from Aus to Ireland?!
Some things are different, but there's a lot in common. The sense of humour is very similar, and even though it's cooler here, it's still very temperate because it's a lot more humid. Australian food is leagues ahead, but Irish butter is better. I liked being able to just up and go to another country when, you know, we could go to other countries.
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Re: SpinTunes 17 Round 1 Songs

Post by EmKayDeeBee »

crumpart wrote:
Tue Mar 16, 2021 12:02 pm

I liked being able to just up and go to another country when, you know, we could go to other countries.
Ah, the good ol’ days!
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Re: SpinTunes 17 Round 1 Songs

Post by JonPorobil »

Here are some song reviews. I am not a judge, and my reviews represent only my subjective opinions. I try to meet each song on its own terms, but I don't have expertise in every possible genre, so I apologize in advance if your song left me without much to say. I hope to finish the batch later today, but here's Part 1.

Yo Mammy and the Fuzznuts - Your name is appropriate, definitely. I'm not a huge fan of this kind of muddy distorted quasi-psychadelic mood, but it's pretty clear what you're going for and I think you've mostly achieved it. One thing that stood out to me was the drum kit - the snare sounds extremely tight, but the cymbals/overhead mic on the drums have a lot of room sound, so they sound like they're from different kits. I've listened to this four times now, but I can never remember it after it's gone.

EmKayDeeBee - The harp melodic hook and light percussion combine to create a truly unique groove. I also really like your vocal performance. Your mix is a little muddy; I think the harp has some overtones that are overwhelming in points. I'd consider using EQ to cut a little mid-range, especially in the areas where your voice is most prominent. I mostly like your lyrics, but I think they're a little dulled by the chorus' emphasis on talking about traits in relation to which parent you inhereted them from. We don't know your parents, so it's not meaningful to us when you say that you are your father's daughter. However, I recognize that this lyrical conceit it pretty fundamental to the song, so there's not a lot you can do to change it.

Handhammered - I like the kind of ramshackle country vibe and cryptic lyrics. Some interesting word choices throughout ("Orange," "precedent strain," "impeach"). I do wonder if you're going to get busted on the challenge here, as I don't think this is an introducition of yourself. Outside of that context, I do like this song.

Melody Klein - Musically, I can't really fault most of this. The synth tones are compelling and the instrumental mix works really well. It's mostly pretty well paced (though I would have shortened the instrumental passage between 1:15 and 2:02) - I found the build-up of the percussion track extremely satisfying. I especially like the slidey synth tone carrying the solo from 2:55 through 3:41. What isn't working as well for me are the vocals. I'm not fond of the melody (forgive the inevitable wordplay), the performance, or the mix of the vocals. I think it would be more impactful and memorable if the vocal melody had more structure and movement. Also, mix-wise, the voice is buried a lot, so I can't actually understand a lot of what you're singing as the instrumental track builds up. I think I would have liked this a little more as an instrumental piece. It's also quite long, which isn't inappropriate for its genre, but there are lot of round 1 entries...

David G Harrington - I'm really surprised that you're the only person who thought to write your song in the third person. This lyrical approach gives your song a gravitas and urgency that most of the others don't. The arrangement serves that emotional goal as well, with the piano and strings combining with some retro mixing choices that make this sound like a lost cut from a 70s concept album. I also really like the slide guitar that comes in during the choruses. That side-stick hit in the verses gets a little too loud at points. I also think either your background vocals are a little out of sync or maybe you've got some delay effect that's set a little off-tempo, which are distracting. I keep going back and forth on your piano and string sounds - they sound a little dull a cheesey, which bugs me a little bit, but maybe it's perfectly appropriate for the genre and time period you're emulating. Lyrically, I like the chutzpah of making your chorus "We all know Dave." During the listening party I actually misheard it as "We all ARE Dave," which I thought was amazingly over-the-top, but either way it's fine. This also runs very long for a round 1 entry, but was one of my top-tier picks.

Governing Dynamics - People were giving you crap for your riff sounding like "Come Together," and I don't think that's fair. I mean, I do hear the similarity when it's pointed out, but come on, this is quite different enough. I dig your take on the alt-hard-rock vibe here. The guitar tones are good and the playing also competent. Vocally, you're no Freddy Mercury, but you're clearing working well with your range and the emotional level is on point. Nitpicking a bit, I think there might be a little too much vocal reverb in the verses (it's less of a problem in the chorus). Overall, I'd like to see this tighetened a little bit, as five minutes is a long run time, not just for round 1 of a 35-song competition, but also for this genre. Lyrically, I adore the hook "You don't have to count on me but don't count me out." OVerall a very strong intro/entry.

See-Man-Ski - This is my favorite of your songs I've heard so far. I like the tones of your drum kit, and the minimalism of the other musical elements that sneak in at the end of each measure. Your lyrical approiach, about the curation of your self-presentation, works really well for me, and I adore the spin your put on your vocal performance on "none of which / reflects badly on MEEEEEE!" It's also short, but doesn't feel incomplete to me, which is a huge plus. Leave 'em wanting more! If I were ranking, you'd be near the top, maybe #4 or #5 ish.

Little Bobby Tables - I don't know what your material normally sounds like, but here I appreciate the added texture of the background noise, and even things like the clacking of the keyboard's key weights on the microphone. I liked the lyrics, and the simplicity of the idea - with maybe the one bit of songwriter's verve added in the form of a "Mario" progression at the very end. This is short and sweet, but I think it's similicty keeps it a little short of top-tier for me.

Lucky Witch & the Righteous Ghost - This is a little outside of genre comfort zone for me. I'd say maybe the guitar is a little overprocessed, but that's probably a personal preference me. The lead vocal performance is great, and the "Hello" hook gets under your skin and doesn't let up. That's great. I think, given the lyrics point to the narrator being some kind of Lovecraftian eldritch horror, I'd like to hear *more* vocal processing on that moaning scream after "My name is..." Maybe double it up, add some more distortion? I don't know, I'd have probably just added like six or seven layers. Again, this is mostly personal preferences, but you had a good idea, gave it a good hook, and executed it well. Good stuff!

Dented Bento - I kind of wonder if you picked your band name just to make your "introduction" song a persona poem. A bit of a loophole... I mean, this is Inflatable Vegetables, right? Anyway, I like the bouncing synthline and the guitar is fine. The vocal performance isn't overly challenging, but you stayed in the pocket throughout, and I also like the spot harmonies. I once entered a Nur Ein round and Niveous called it "A straight up line drive," meaning I hadn't taken any big risks, but the song was just fine. And that's how I feel about this entry. I like it, even though it's not super exciting.

The Dutch Widows - I didn't like this very much on headphones, but it came alive on my nice studio monitors. Do you have a real drummer? If it's not a real kit, then you've sequenced it exceptionally well. I like the barely-audible acoustic guitar in the back of the mix just adding a touch of jangly texture behind the guitars. Really great instrumental pacing. Lyrically, you're reminding me a little of Too Much Joy, with the self-effacing sense of humor. It took a few listens before this really hit me, but I think it's climbed up to my top five.

The Wizards of Vomit - This is charming, but fails a lot on execution. I love the ukulele groove and lead guitar texture. Your musical mood is very appropriate for the joke of the song, and the melody is nice and hooky too. The lyrics made me laugh - it reminded me of Perd Hapley from Parks & Recreation, but god, those lyrics are hard to hear. You sound like you're wearing two face masks and singing from under the floorboards of the room the mic is in. Maybe it's just a poor quality microphone? Hard to diagnose. But if the vocals were clearer and mixed better, this would have been a real contender.

Boy on the Wall - This one made a very strong first impression by musically emulating 90s New Jack Swing with amusing precision. But the vocal performance leaves me cold in a lot of places, and the novelty lyrics got old after the second listen. I also think some of the word choices don't fit the melody you wrote, especially "Now I'm your husband" in the chorus, which doesn't rhyme OR fit the meldoy. Parle G Baby, who I'm assuming is the woman doing the rap verse in the bridge, plays her part well, and I found the rapping competent, but it doesn't really add anything to the song, except for being another element common to New Jack Swing songs that adds to the pastiche. But lyrically? Generally a bridge should provide some variation in message, or another point of view, or something, which seems like a given when the bridge is actually performed by another character in the song, but it feels like it's just riffing on the same ideas. Maybe she should be picking an argument with the main singer? On a first listen, this was one of my favorites, but I'm sorry to report that it sank to the middle of the pack as I listened more.

Sober - This is the one that's most been stuck in my head all week (maybe because you showed me a preview before you submitted?), and I really like it a lot. You're in a tight race for my #1 pick of the week. I love your lyrics - one highlight is "My story should have ended in that desert overseas." Very personal and devastating. One minor preference/nitpick is that I think it would have worked better if you'd alternated "Even if it hurts" and "Even if it's dirt" consistently, instead of adding in "Even if it hurts" as an alternate rhyme at the very end. I also think there are a couple of points where maybe you emoted the vocal performance a tiny bit TOO much (I'm probably guilty of that this week too). These are the tiniest gripes. Overall, the performance, arrangement, mix... All of it is top-notch, professional-level stuff, and not only that but all these elements are working WITH each other, cohering into a well-thought-out whole song. You're at or near the tip-top on this one.
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Re: SpinTunes 17 Round 1 Songs

Post by Cybronica »

Hey guys! Great round of songs this week; I had a good time listening to them and PASSING JUDGEMENT ON YOUR SOU- I mean SONGS. I’ve been avoiding the forums so as not to have my rankings influenced, but feel free to ask me to clarify anything once the reviews get posted. If I have the mental wherewithal, I’ll get back to you! :) good luck with round 2!
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Re: SpinTunes 17 Round 1 Songs

Post by crumpart »

I, too, am hoping to have a crack at writing reviews this afternoon. It’s a lot of songs, so I doubt I’ll write much, but we’ll see.
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Re: SpinTunes 17 Round 1 Songs

Post by Sir Chorizo »

Going to try and comment on a few.

Yo Mammy and the Fuzznuts - Yo Mammy and the Fuzznuts
Enjoyed the comical intro.The slide/delay shifting background warbles and feedback sounded added a lot for me. Really like the lo fi drum sounds and off kilter beat. Melody is pleasant . After a re-listen I realize it kind of just trails off but doesn't really bother me. On my initial listen of all the songs this was one of my favorites.

EmKayDeeBee - Pleased to Meet You
Really great groove on this, even more impressive since it's all coming from some sparse percussive sounds and the harp itself. I was kind of lukewarm on the verse melody but when the prechorus/chorus comes in it hits really hard with the lilting ever rising melody and pretty perfect melodies. Really great crystal clear bluesy singing on this, liked the song a lot.


Little Bobby Tables - I'm The One
Great call and response vocals and harmonies on this. I assume it's a single singer and I love the way the background voices meld together. The background vocals are what make this song interesting to me and make me want to listen again. Nice melancholic theme and presentation talking about the next generation while they make noise in the background.

Dented Bento - Spark Joy
Really cool conceit for how to introduce someone. I really enjoy the overall sound achieved here with the synth and guitars. Nothing hits you over the head with obviousness on the changes and the melodies which is great. Very tasty chorus/transition (the "will the still be a spark") part.


The Wizards of Vomit - The Thing About Me Is, Who I Am
Really was into this song from the first second of playing. Love how the instrumentation gives an off kilter teetering feeling like an overloaded jalopy that is about to run off the road any second. The guitar lead in the intro and throughout is extremely tasty and well placed. The chord progression is a familiar one but the texture guitars/uke? going along with it add some freshness to it. The simple repetitive melody is pleasant to listen to even if over and over again. Another one of my favorites.


Boy on the Wall (featuring Parle G Baby) - Pleasure To Meet You (I Am Your Husband)
I don't have a lot of useful commentary on this I'm just amazed someone is able to put together a spot on recreation of 80s/90s R&B like this. Having to do this would be like someone asking me to build a rocket ship.


Vom Vorton - Forget All You Knew
I'm back in an 80s teen movie and I love it! Love the synth driving the song forwards and the guitar stabs coming in to help. So many cool song tricks like the arpeggio filling things out on the second part of the verse. "forget all you knew" part coming in is really satisfying. Great anthem with a great vocal performance.

Lichen Throat - King of the Gnomes
I'm sure this person is sick of hearing it but he sounds 100% like David Berman and it was a bit shocking when I first heard it. Very fun song and listen. Lyrics made me laugh just had one quibble I was really wishing it had been stab you in the eyes would have made me laugh harder.

Regis Michelena - The Other Regis
Vocals and production are charming and fun to listen to. I think the main point of the song is to talk about the "wrong regis" which is fine by me because I found it a hilarious idea. And I'm a fan of Wyoming!

Good Guy Sôjàbé - Hey Sôjàbé!
Another favorite of mine. It feels really authentic to late 80s rap. Everyone here has a great flow and the verses are totally engaging and interesting. Love the bass sound and the slightly dischordant horror movie chimes behind the verses is an inspired choice. Chorus is decent but falls a little flat compared to how great the rest of it is.


Keen Observer - P.O.S.
Lyrics and vocals really well done to me. Surprised how many different things they came up with to say here and not many if any dud lines. Chorus melody is really satisfying. Love the main riff / part without vocals. Just really great energy on this song.

Jon Porobil - My Name Is Jon
Opening synth line and snaps are really catchy and make you want to keep listening. Really beautiful transition on the "hi jon" part with the sweet descending vocal going back to that same synth line, very satisfying. Which is why I felt cheated when it didn't do it again when it came around the second time!


Menage a Tune - Mostly I'm Just Me
Struck me right away, reminded me a lot of Daniel Johnston and I enjoyed the performance. After a while started to sound like someone reading their resume though.

Jealous Brother - We're Jealous Brother
Production wise and song construction wise this is probably the most well done song in my opinion. Sounds fresh and interesting all the way through. Chorus kind of makes me keep thinking of the tv funhouse theme.
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Re: SpinTunes 17 Round 1 Songs

Post by JonPorobil »

Part 2! As I said before, I am not a judge, and my reviews represent only my subjective opinions. I try to meet each song on its own terms, but I don't have expertise in every possible genre, so I apologize in advance if your song left me without much to say.

Rackwagon - I like the slower intro that transitions into a different tempo and style. I think the juxtaposition makes this song a little bit more than the sum of its parts. Which is to say, a full 2-3 minute song in either of these styles wouldn't have made as big an impression. I wish the first verse of the second part hadn't had the same lyrics as the intro section. I imagine that you had intended to write a third verse but went with a stand-in due to time. My favorite part is the instrumental break after the second iteration of the first verse. Really liked the synth-horn swell and the new-agey guitar stab. One thing I wonder is about the lyrics - you listed a few facts about yourselves, but when you say "Now you know / who we are," I think: "Do I though?" These lyrics form kind of a gestalt, I guess, but I'm not finding a thematic throughline or emotional core that makes me think I have a handle on who you are or why you're singing about it. I guess I'm reaching. Musically, you're in the top tier, here, but the lyrics left me pretty cold.

Buku Chauney - Your voice is buried pretty far in the mix here, so without the lyrics on Bandcamp, I'd have a hard time telling what you're singing about. Rest of the mix is also quite muddy. I appreciate your take on the lyrics, basically a challenge to the challenge: "You want me to introcuce myself? No you don't." If it's up to me, I consider that a neat angle on the challenge. I hope all the judges see it that way too. Musically I'm afriad this isn't much to write home about. Your playing and singing are fine, I suppose, but I get hung up on the mix, and there's not really much to the lyrics outside the clever twist on the challenge. Maybe you'll be able to wring some more compelling material out of the next challenge.

Vom Vorton - Another top-tier entry! Maybe #3? I don't know, I'm not really keeping track of my rankings. I do feel the need to call out the cliche "shelf/self" rhyme, but musically, this is bouncy and catchy and fun! The vocals are performed and mixed well. I really really love the chorus lyrics, too, especially that punch line of "I used to be an honest man / Now I am a liar." The percapella third chorus works really well for pacing's sake. You kept it short, punch, fun, bouncy, and snuck in a few jokes too!

Lichen Throat - This is by far the best vocal performance I've heard from you yet. You have a clear sense of your melody, you hit most of your notes, and you've gotten a better sense of how to mix your voice as well. Your creative process lends the music an uncanny quality that takes some getting used to, but I've come to think of it less as a failing and more as your style. Which is to say nothing of the absolutely bonkers and unexpected take on this challenge - king of the gnomes?! How did that even occur to you? One thing I wonder is whether that uncanny style is capable of carrying the emotional weight of a less gimmicky song, but for "King of the Gnomes," it's quite well-suited to the task. There's still a lot of room for improvement in the vocal performance and mixing, but you've come a long way, and I think you deserve at least to make it to the next round this time. Good luck to you!

Declan IOM - These vocals are completely indecipherable, so I turned to the lyrics on Bandcamp, and, like... I wish I hadn't? I don't know, I think I just need to take a pass on this. It's discordant and isn't working for me on any level. Sorry.

Regis Michelena - "Not that Regis." Yeah, I mean, when your name is Regis, I guess that's a problem you deal with, right? Rhyming "Calrissian" with "Mixolydian" was a really clever touch, and the whole rest of the song *is* actually in the mixolydian mode, isn't it? Clever. I think in a lot of ways, this does fall into the same "here's a bunch of random facts about me" trap that some of the other songs have fallen into this round, but what you lack in urgency, you make up for with execution - great "line reads" in your vocal delivery and just a sense of genuine fun. For many reasons, I'm glad not to be a judge this round, but one reason is that I'd really struggle with where to put this. I guess a little above the middle?

Good Guy Sôjàbé - This one was a tough nut to crack for me. I think one thing that I got stuck on was the sense that you're not not doing a "sincere" take on rap; I get the sense that you're being at least a little tongue-in-cheek, but at the same time, you're doing a fair amount of engaging with the same cliches that a more tongue-in-cheek style might want to lampoon. I'm looking especially at the lines "Kickin' with ma G's, triple threat assault / Ladies all the time, sippin' single malt." I guess for me, listening to that line, I think it's pretty obvious that that's insincere, so I'm stuck on the idea that you're not really introducing yourself in that way. You're kind of playing a character, but also acknowledging that it's a character, which begs the question of why we're not learning more about the person behind the character. The guitar playing is hot, I really liked that. The rest of the beat was a little static and flat, owing mainly to a cheap-sounding drum kit. I know a lot of great rap music has been made with cheap-sounding drum machine sounds, but in this case I don't think it sounds good contrasted with the guitar. I don't know, I've talked around this song quite a bit and I still don't think I've put my finger on why it's not working for me. I'm still not sure I've really identified what you were going for with this, and that's a problem.

Cavedwellers - Uh oh, your written lyrics don't match the vocal performance! Tut tut. In all seriousness, I appreciate that a quick glance of your lyrics makes it obvious that they're supposed to be semi-incoherent, which I appreciate because I don't feel the need to investigate every line I don't quite understand. I also get the sense that you snuck in little autobiographical bits in there as, like, Easter Eggs or something. I really like your highly technical jazz-rock stylings, and they're executed really well here. Keeps it interesting through repeat listens, which is more than I can say for a lot of the entries this week. It connected thematically to your title and the semi-random nature of the lyrics here, creating a bit of a mission statement, which makes it one of the more fitting "introductions" this week as well, making your disjointed lyrics a conceit for your musical "porpoise." I really appreciate what you've done here, but I admit that for me it's missing a bit of an emotional level, which holds it back a bit in my esteem.

Jealoud Brother - At first I struggled to find things to say about this, to be honest. I like the violin. I've mentioned in reviews for a couple of the other songs that listing a bunch of autobiographical details and facts about yourself isn't the same thing as "introducing yourself." I think the lyrics to this song have this same problem, but not as bad as some of the other ones I've pointed out. Like, Jon's dad was a preacher and his mom taught him chords, therefore...? The end results, obviously, is the song I'm listening to right now, but I feel like for the song to really feel complete, there's some extra info or emotional connection that could take this to the next level. Also, there are two bridges in a row, which might be one too many. What if the part about the rhythm section being done by committee were just cut entirely. You could just start listing your drummers and other occasional musicians, and we'd get the idea. I do like the controlled chaos in that second bridge. This is one of those songs that is well executed and hangs together well, but I think it's just missing a little je-ne-sais-quois to make it truly compelling. Those are the hardest ones to review.

Hot Pink Halo - Nice layers of synths and vocals. The lyrics are a bit difficult to make out at some points, but I'm not sure if it's more due to the mixing or your performance. The mix comes to life once that guitar part kicks in. This is really well paced! I wish I could better follow what your lyrics were about. I kind of hoped this would explain the band name a little, but it's just as cryptic as it ever was to me. Even so, with the confidence of the vocal performance and mix, you SOUND like you know what you're talking about.

Keen Observer - I like the muddy grunge-funk vibe here, and it's a surprisingly tight hook, considering the subject matter. You managed to find a lot to say about being poop, but to me it didn't feel like it had much point in the end. It's kind of clever, but, like, yeah, that's a bunch of ways to say the same thing. The cleverest bit was when

Giraffes for Wings - This is another of those ideas that I can't even guess how you brainstormed your way into. It's interesting and dramatic, in that They Might Be Giants way. I like the line "When spring breaks like the flesh of an orange." The lack of rhymes is probably one factor that keeps this from sticking in my mind when it's over. I do like the "They're gonna know my name" part, which is ironic because I still don't know the character's name, unless it's just "Toothpick Man?"

The Brewhouse Sessions - I like the simple straight-ahead midtempo rock groove, which seems appropriate given the subject matter. Your vocals are mixed a little too low, which makes the lyrics hard to make out, which is made even worse by the fact that many of your lyrics are kind of a mouthful, with some jargon and some parts that are just really wordy. The chorus part is nice, though, "Hoppy, approachable, sessionable." I thought that was pretty clever. I like the vocal delivery on the spoken-word "I am beer!" I do think maybe this could have done without that last verse being repeated, or maybe a shorter solo. It's a pretty long song for a laid-back midtempo romp about beer.

Boffo Yux Dudes - Something is seriously off about the mix on this one. Your voices and all the instruments sound either muffled or distant. Except the cowbell in my left ear. I'm curious whether the overuse of autotune (especially in the chorus) was intentional, but if it's part of a joke, I'm not sure I got it. Maybe if the song was about being artificial, or being about unable to sing, or something? I can't really connect the choice of autotune to anything else the song is trying to do, so it's really distracting. I also think a lot of your word choices aren't really working well - there are a number of places where you're struggling to fit your lyrics into the melody because the emphasis of the correct pronunciation of the word doesn't match the melody you're singing, and others where you're using odd constructions just to make sure the word that rhymes comes at the end of the line (like "Hope by the judges we're not screwed"). I could see liking a version of this if the lyrics were more naturalistic and the mix were higher quality.

Night Sky - Man, you blow those horns well. I love the funk vibe, and the bassline seals the deal. The double-sax solo made me smile. Then after the solo, the arrangement continues to build with that chimey keyboard sound that I'm pretty sure wasn't there before. I don't have much to say, I'm afraid, but I did like this.

Mystery Science Creator 3000 - One thing I really like about this is how the acoustic guitar sits comfortably atop the rest of the arrangement, never getting fully lost, but never defining it either. There's a story here and I didn't really follow it until I read the lyrics while listening... Actually, no, I'm still not sure I get it. The Green Canabalistic Space Smurf is eating the astronaut, but then the MSC-3000 merges with the astronaut? Why? Where did it come from? Is the implication that you, the singer songwriter, are the merging of a fearful astronaut and a benevolent AI? Maybe it's just a movie; I should really just relax.

Menage a Tune - Are you playing your own guitar now? It's very introductory musicanship. The vocals never stay in tune for long, but your performance kind of splits the difference between sung and spoken-word, and it's happening in a way that isn't pleasant for me, just really bouncy and sing-songy and doesn't really go anywhere interesting to me.

Pigfarmer Jr. - I like this for the laid-back vibe and cheeky sense of humor. I think you're near the top of your vocal range and straining your voice a bit. Maybe transposing the song might have helped? Or just more rehearsing and vocal warm ups? The drums sound pretty good. My favorite part might be the bridge - I like the lines "Singing words I misheard / Being a rock star in my mind." The dueling guitar solos and tempo change at the end were unexpected and welcome, but I think I might have liked them better if the tones on the guitars had been different, a little crisper, with a little more presence and overdrive.

Also In Blue - This one is my favorite of the round. It was a tight race with Sober, but I ended up being unable to resist those tight harmonies and soft-rock groove. pacing with that first verse nearly a capella before the full arrangement and tempo kick in for the second verse... Ooh, it's just so perfect. And the prosody of the lyrics, they all just feel so natural! "It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm so sorry" is a perfect take on this challenge. The whole song is very quotable. "Ask for introductions and there's nothing to tell." I have one and exactly one criticism: the word "loners" gets swallowed a little in the mix (at the end of the line "I come from a long line of loners"). Everything else about this works for me on pretty much every level, and it's my #1. Can't wait to hear what you come up with next week!

Ominous Ride - Catchy melody and idea here. That acoustic guitar tone isn't great on its own, but once the overdriven guitars kick in, everything clicks. I like the background vocals a lot. Not much else to say on this one, I'm afraid, but I liked it quite a bit. Sorry, there've been 35 of these. Good showing!
"Warren Zevon would be proud." -Reve Mosquito

Stages, an album of about dealing with loss, anxiety, and grieving a difficult year, now available on Bandcamp and all streaming platforms! https://jonporobil.bandcamp.com/album/stages
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crumpart
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Re: SpinTunes 17 Round 1 Songs

Post by crumpart »

Reviews initially written with pencil in a notebook on a 7km walk yesterday, before the results came in (and edited slightly in retrospect for a couple). I've tried to include things here that I hope will be helpful to people, but obviously take what you think is useful and leave what you think is nonsense. I am merely one non-professional person reviewing ...37 songs.

Yo Mammy and the Fuzznuts, Yo Mammy and the Fuzznuts
I really like the drums and the fuzzy instrumentation on this one. The melody sounds a bit too overly familiar for my liking, and the vox have a non-committal vibe, which is disappointing. The lyrics sound a bit like you made them up as you went along. If you commit more to improving the lyrics and vocal delivery and this would be a pretty fun song.

Pleased to meet you (introvert in disguise), EmKayDeeBee
This is a nice song. Love the harp. The percussion is fine, and the little break where it drops out was an excellent choice, but then it starts up again the same as it was before; as a whole, the song could really benefit from some more dynamic changes instrumentally. To my ear, the way the vocals are mixed makes them sound a little nasal and strident. Lyrically, there are some things that come across as very "first draft". One land's flower is another land's weed; so your “I’m a flower not a weed” is a bit of an ill thought out line. The lyric about the lies doesn't feel connected to the rest of the song. Maybe you have context for it in your head, but it's not coming across to me, and directly contradicts with the "introvert in disguise" line, as what's a disguise if not a lie? If you were going for an unreliable narrator scenario deliberately, that's not entirely clear. (See Vom's song with his line about "lies" as a more solid example of an unreliable narrator.)

I Dream, HandHammered
Your vocals have a nice tone but the whole production is messy AF. When I checked your liner notes so that I could actually figure out what the lyrics were, I saw your rule about only using first takes, and while that's nice in theory, it usually doesn't work in practice and mostly just feels like an excuse for laziness. Your double track is all over the shop and it muddies everything up and obscures the lyrics. This song would definitely benefit from some drums coming in part way through to give it a lift. Challenge wise, this is not remotely an introduction song, and if you want a non-American, immigrant-living-17445km-from-country-of-birth perspective, the AMERICAAAAA PATRIOTISM YEAH YEAH YEAH vibe is a touch ...bleugh.

My name is Melody, Melody Klein
First impression of this song was that it was six minutes long in a big list of songs, but it's in keeping with your chosen genre and the whole thing is pretty enjoyable to listen to. The synth layering is lush. I can't always make out what the lyrics are, but for a song like this I don't care so much. I noticed early on in the song that however you've recorded or processed your vocals seems to be emphasising a bunch of mouth sounds in a not great way, so that might be something to look out for.

Dave is OK, David G Harrington
This sounds like a super cheesy TV movie montage, which would be fine, except I get the impression that you don't realise and the musical decisions you made are entirely earnest. It's way too long and very self-indulgent, and personally I find the melody and chord progressions pretty clichéd. From a technical standpoint, the recording sounds like you're either not using a pop shield on your mic, or you've processed the vocals in a way that's really emphasising your hard consonants and mouth sounds, which is a bit off-putting. The lyrics sounded a bit inconsistent when I was out listening to this. Most of the song is in the third person, but there's one line where you you seem to flip out of that and mention "me". Looking back over the lyrics it seems that this is a "quote", but in just listening to the song without reading the lyrics that wasn't clear. Editing things like that, and just editing in general, would make this song so much better. Did I mention that it's way too long? One more note: in your liner notes, you say "Too many people are raised to believe they are victims these days and that is not a good thing." Don't talk down to your audience. Don't insult your audience. You weren't that direct in your lyrics, but even saying that in the liner notes is really squicky and unprofessional. Life is way more complex than that.

Don't count me out, Governing Dynamics
Really great guitar sounds and nice mixing on this. The "count on me/count me out" line is clever and well delivered. I see in the lyrics that this is a line that changed during the production (but not in the posted lyrics). Count on me/count me out is a much better line than bet on me/count me out. It was nice to hear in the bridge you didn't go for the obvious rhyme after "colours you've never even"; I was fully expecting you to sing "seen" here, and going for "dreamed of" instead was a really good choice. The solo/instrumental goes on a bit but the ending of the song holds up. I would have liked to hear a bigger build up of instruments throughout the song.

Let me introduce myself, See-Man-Ski
This is immediately a Seemanski song. It's a really good length and I enjoyed it, but I would like to hear you write something soon that's not so obviously about imposter syndrome. This is no doubt more about me than you, so take it with a grain of salt; I'm super glad more men are talking about their feelings because it's important and helpful, but I'm also getting sick of hearing men complain about imposter syndrome (most people I've ever known have some level of imposter syndrome, and I'm not entirely sure I'd trust someone who didn't). You make good songs, you're good at this, you don't need to be afraid that you're not.

I'm the one, Little Bobby Tables
The "well-preserved" line followed by the F-bomb drop is super great and I love it. This is a sweet song with some nice harmonies. I'd like to hear a more polished version without all the people sounds in the background. I'm not sure if all those sounds were deliberate, but it's not really coming across that way.

Hello, Lucky Witch and the Righteous Ghost
This is an excellent, really clever take on the theme. I've written down in my notes that the vox could use some doubles or harmonies in the bridge to beef it up a bit. I think the actual scream/name part is fine. I get what other people are saying about wanting it to be really crazy sounding, but I agree with you that it could actually be off-putting if you went full tilt. What I made a note of in regard to that is I'd like to hear some more eerie high end (or even really low end) sounds in the mix; I think that might be a better way to achieve that implied scariness than just doing a more off-kilter scream. I've also written down in my notes that there are some crackles/distortion throughout the song that seem a bit accidental. I don't know if something was clipping maybe, but you might want to have a look at that. Note: your refrain line/melody reminded me a lot of Hello I'm Right Here by Tegan and Sara.

Spark Joy, Dented Bento
Love the style of this, although in this instance I think it needs MORE cheese. The delivery on "electric guitars" is super sweet and I'd like to hear you lean into that kind of performance a bit more. Apparently I've written down in my notebook that I'd cut the last chorus.

Theme for The Dutch Windows, The Dutch Windows
This was really enjoyable. The melody sounds familiar. I like the inflections where the melody goes up at the end of certain words. There's an acoustic(?) guitar in the mix (it almost sounds like you're strumming a tennis racquet) that I found a bit grating, but overall I thought this song was fun and I like it.

The thing about me is, who I am, The Wizards of Vomit
This is weird because your instruments and mix sound so good, but your vocals sound like they were recorded through a cardboard tube with a mouth full of marbles behind five duvets. It must be a deliberate choice, and I wish you'd gone in a different direction with them. The song itself is pretty cute but even though it's not a long song, it feels really long. You could consider changing up some instruments or rhythms, or even cutting the last couple of chorus repeats and just going for a fade out instead. Fade outs aren't just for 80s radio anymore, I promise!

Pleased to meet you (I am your husband), Boy on the Wall (ft Parle G Baby)
This is pretty cute. Interestingly, I enjoyed this much more when I was out walking and listening than I did when I listened sitting down at home. It's got a good groove to it. It sounds like you had fun making it and the mix is really nice.

Even if it's dirt, Sober
I was a bit worried that this would get marked down because it really doesn't feel like an introduction song to me. Turns out that wasn't a concern, so congrats! I didn't write down much for this one, but I did note that the delivery on the "don't make that face" line is great.

We are Rackwagon, Rackwagon
I'm very cross you're cut. Very cross. Yes, I'm biased, but even if I hadn't known you both for 20+ years and, you know, married one of you, I'd still be cross because I love this song. One of the judges mentioned something about you saying "imagine" with an odd inflection, which I've tried to figure out and cannot. Sounds exactly how we say "imagine". Accents hey. Sometimes words are pronounced differently in different countries and this is why arguments about scansion often grind my gears, because a lot of the time they come from a very US-accent-centric mindset. That aside, I have two technical notes and they are... Giz, that chair sound at the end of the intro section is frustrating! Don't reach for the stop button so quickly when you stop singing, just give it a second! Toshiro, you've got some harsh sibilance in a few spots; you've gotta go in manually and edit that in the automation even if you hate doing it. Manual automation for harsh S sounds is way superior to a de-esser plugin.

About Me, Buka Chauney
I really enjoyed this. I made a note that the length is spot on. It does sound like you've got a bit too much reverb or something on the vocals, and my suspicion is that maybe you're a bit uncomfortable with your own voice so you're burying it in effects (been there, done that, wrote the book, etc.).

Forget all you knew, Vom Vorton
This is my favourite song from the fight. I love it. Ticks all my boxes. The "honest man/liar" line turnaround is top notch. I also love the "learned a new chord" line. The last chorus could do with a more full-throttle delivery, but I still love it. This song made me happy.

King of the Gnomes, Lichen Throat
Like many of the songs I hit at about this point during my walk, I wrote down that this one could do with being a minute shorter. I enjoyed it well enough, but it felt a bit like a run-on sentence. I wonder if leaving a few little instrumental spaces between the sections would help that, or even just changing up the instrumentation a bit here and there.

I am a robot, Declan IOM
I really wanted to like this because Humans is such an excellent show, but I was really disappointed by your focus on just the sex robot thing. It feels like a cheap take on the subject matter. The mix is super quiet and the tone in general is very one dimensional. I love me some experimental "art music" (just ask anyone here) but this song does not work for me.

The other Regis, Regis Michelena
I love accordion. The accordion solo was definitely my favourite part of this song. The gang vocals from your family at the end are super cute and endearing. On the whole, this felt about a minute too long, and sounds to me a bit like a first draft that would benefit greatly from some editing.

Hey Sôjàbé!, Good Guy Sôjàbé
The "eight beers later" and "conjugating verbs" lines in here made me smile. This is a fun song and it sounds like you had fun making it. You're still part of the One Minute Too Long club, but damn, those harmonies near the end are super sweet.

Disjointed but with porpoise, Cavedwellers
I didn't like this much at all the first time I listened to it, but it's definitely one that became really enjoyable the more I listened. Good job! Still 1:30 too long.

We are Jealous Brother, Jealous Brother
This was fun the first time I listened to it and continued to be fun all the other times too! The harmonies are lovely and the rhythmic change at the bridge is a winner. The "my mum was a banjo" and "avoid easy rhymes" lines still make me laugh.

P.O.S., Keen Observer
Oh god this is so fun and funky and I love it. It's so clever. Good job.

Screed of the Toothpick Man, Giraffes For Wings
This is *very* John Darnielle, but luckily for you I love John Darnielle. Good job. I really feel for that toothpick guy. My only technical note is that some of the gang vox at the end sound a bit harsh in the mix.

I am beer, The Brewhouse Sessions
I like sound effects in songs generally, but there's something about the sounds at the start of this that really made me uncomfortable. My notes summed this up as "ASMR yuck", for the record. I think that probably set the tone for how I felt about the rest of the song. The chord progression and melody feel generic and heavy handed to me, like it's a first draft that didn't get any editing. It's way too long. Not my favourite, sorry. You sound like you had fun making it though.

Half step away, The Boffo Yux Dudes
Not a lot to say about this one. The lyrics come across as a bit passive, like you'd get that annoying paperclip telling you off for them in Microsoft Word. I found the autotune heavy-handed and distracting.

Celestial navigation, Night Sky
I think I was getting close to home by this point as the amount of notes I wrote down for each song got drastically shorter. I don't love the melody in this one; it feels a bit generic. Your vox are mixed a bit too far back. I love the sax solo, but the other sax parts (I think it's sax?) with the short notes sound a bit farty (I'm sorry!) and I didn't really enjoy listening to it.

Awakenings, Mystery Science Creator 3000
First note I wrote down says "HELLO". I liked this song. I have no idea what the lyrics were, so therefore no idea if it's actually an introduction song or not, but I just don't care because I loved the whole vibe. The high notes at the end are very swish. 5/5 Manos Hands of Fate.

Mostly I'm just me, Menage a Tune
This sounds very much like a first draft. The lyrics don't all scan super well and it would definitely benefit from doing a few more takes.

My name is Jon, Jon Porobil
The synth at the start is a bit loud for my liking, but it tones down and settles in pretty quickly. Love the harmony/delivery choices on "Hi Jon". This builds really well throughout, and your mixing has improved dramatically since Nur Ein. Good job!

Middle age rock star, Pigfarmer Jr
This is my favourite of yours for a while. The higher register is working for this, and I love the fake out solo at the end. It caught me off guard and made me happy every time I heard it.

Pleasure to meet you, Also in Blue
This sounds so familiar, and I don't know if that's just because it's really good, or if it's reminding me of something else. I love the drone tone at the start and end. The general vibe feels like Foy Vance meets the O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack.

The guy behind the guy, Ominous Ride
Not my favourite genre personally, but this is well done.

Mountain home blues, Hutch (shadow)
I'm a bit of a sucker for blues. It's a bit long, could do with a little more emotion in the delivery, and the vocals are a bit loud in the mix, but this is overall really enjoyable. Needs a harmonica.

All the robots, All the robots (shadow)
100% here for this collaboration. I love Robot Micah voice. I feel like this is pushing you both out of your comfort zones a bit and it's super fun. Some of the high end sounds a little harsh, but I did just listen to a lot of songs, so who knows how accurate I am there.

***

Hot Pink Halo, Hot Pink Halo
It me.
Last year in round 1 Nur Ein I wanted to make a fun pop song in round one and it just didn't coalesce properly. Thought I'd take another pass at it here and I'm super happy with how this turned out. I changed the drums and the bass part way through, which I think has thrown off some of the vocal timing, but there's only so much time in a day so I didn't redo them. I did the guitars last and was very unsure of the whole thing up until they were in place, but thankfully they tied everything together. I'm pretty proud of these lyrics. I've wanted to use "hero in a half pan" somewhere ever since I started writing songs, and now was its time to shine. I did not want to write an introduction song — this challenge made me very uncomfortable initially — but decided to write it as if I was a superhero character in a comic book, and I think this was a good way to go.
Devil’s got me Lindt! Devil’s got me Lindt!
Declan IOM
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Re: SpinTunes 17 Round 1 Songs

Post by Declan IOM »

I submitted my song as a downloadable Soundcloud link.

The version that appeared in the youtube listening party and on Bandcamp is noticeably quieter, as if it's been compressed. Do Bandcamp have a stage where they automagically "master" a tune.
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crumpart
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Re: SpinTunes 17 Round 1 Songs

Post by crumpart »

I suspect the compression is happening at Soundcloud's end. Here's a forum I found when searching this that has some info. https://forum.reasontalk.com/viewtopic.php?t=7518741
Declan IOM wrote:
Mon Mar 22, 2021 3:56 am
I submitted my song as a downloadable Soundcloud link.

The version that appeared in the youtube listening party and on Bandcamp is noticeably quieter, as if it's been compressed. Do Bandcamp have a stage where they automagically "master" a tune.
Devil’s got me Lindt! Devil’s got me Lindt!
Declan IOM
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Re: SpinTunes 17 Round 1 Songs

Post by Declan IOM »

I think you are right. The playback on the Soundcloud page is far better than the playback of the downloaded .wav
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MicahSommer
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Re: SpinTunes 17 Round 1 Songs

Post by MicahSommer »

Declan IOM wrote:
Mon Mar 22, 2021 4:56 am
I think you are right. The playback on the Soundcloud page is far better than the playback of the downloaded .wav
If you send me your song by a different way (DropBox, Bandcamp, email attachment, We Transfer... etc) I'll be happy to replace the file in the SpinTunes Bandcamp album. Same for anyone else who submitted via SoundCloud.

This also goes for anyone who has made changes to their song since the initial submission - now that the judging is over, if you want a different version of your song to be the one that lives on in posterity, I'm happy to update the album.
"you did a skillful job pulling off the sexy" - RangerDenni
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seemanski
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Re: SpinTunes 17 Round 1 Songs

Post by seemanski »

crumpart wrote:
Sun Mar 21, 2021 2:35 pm
This is immediately a Seemanski song. It's a really good length and I enjoyed it, but I would like to hear you write something soon that's not so obviously about imposter syndrome. This is no doubt more about me than you, so take it with a grain of salt; I'm super glad more men are talking about their feelings because it's important and helpful, but I'm also getting sick of hearing men complain about imposter syndrome (most people I've ever known have some level of imposter syndrome, and I'm not entirely sure I'd trust someone who didn't). You make good songs, you're good at this, you don't need to be afraid that you're not.
Thanks :) Hopefully my next track ticks that box. Problem is, now I have imposter syndrome about having imposter syndrome :?
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Re: SpinTunes 17 Round 1 Songs

Post by arby »

OK some belated reviews. I may or may not get to finish considering I want to try to review this week's songs as well. Sorry for those I didn't get to.

1. Yo Mammy and the Fuzznuts - Yo Mammy and the Fuzznuts
I wanted to like this. I dig reverb, weird sounds and fuzzy amps and washes of noise. But I was put off by the intro, it just seemed totally unnecessary. I would have preferred 53 seconds of instrumental instead of the spoken intro. And then the vocal came in. Sigh. Too pinched and nasal, and there’s nothing really melodic or memorable about the vocal line or lyrics. The background reminds me a little of King Gizzard and the Wizard Lizard, also “Evil Kneivel” by the Lilys. Some good ideas here but sadly ultimately it went nowhere.

2. EmKayDeeBee - Pleased to Meet You (introvert in disguise)
Cool minimalist vibe. I like the combo of harp and handclaps. Is that also a bass in there? Neat arrangement. Singing is good, I like the harmonies/contrapoint too. This is a chill song that I would listen to again. I do think it repeats a little bit too much though, like I would have cut just one verse or chorus or replace it with another solo and it would have been perfect.

3. HandHammered - I Dream
I must admit this turned me off immediately due to a genre bias against country music. The not-so-veiled references to politics aren’t helping. But if I were judging I’d DQ it for not meeting the challenge. How is this introducing anybody? As a song and performance in and of itself it is fine. I just don’t particularly like it. His voice sounds like Tom Waits (I *hate* Tom Waits. Haha). I keep expecting it to actually evolve into a chorus or something catchy and it keeps not doing it.

4. Melody Klein - My Name Is Melody
Ehhhh. It’s okay. Not really a fan. Some of the sounds are cool. I don’t really like the drawn out pads in the background which - unfortunately for me - go throughout the entire song. Lyrics are kind of ridiculous. Cringey and TMI and also just kind of basic. Like it’s written like a dating profile, but with no attempt at crafting or rhyming or even any editing. Finally, the whole thing goes on WAY too long. Like 3 minutes longer than it had any need to be.

5. David G Harrington - Dave Is OK
I did NOT want to like this (genre bias against “solo piano” songs) but it grew on me. Something about his delivery reminds me of Elvis Costello (EC is very very hit or miss for me). I do think the arrangement has a nice build to it, and by the time the chorus comes in, I’m like okay, I can see it. There’s something a little bit Kinks to the song too, despite the slide guitar (which I actually really like). The singing is okay. Not great. Same with the lyrics. This also goes on too long.

6. Governing Dynamics - Don't Count Me Out
Yes, “Come Together” called, it would like its riff back. It is well-played, though. And the production is nice, thick & meaty with a lot going on that kept my ears interested. The vocal kind of turned me off. I want to like it but it’s so arrogant, plus so pitchy at times. Reminds me of the Black Crowes. This was catchy enough but I don’t love it.

7. See-Man-Ski - Let Me Introduce Myself
I like the opening a lot. It reminds me of “Your Woman” by White Town (a 90s classic!). Also Soul Coughing with all the samples. Interestingly enough this did not catch my ear at the listening party but I like it a lot better the 2nd time around.

8. Little Bobby Tables - I'm The One
Immediate genre bias against it (solo piano again). The background chatter/baby sounds is VERY distracting (I kept thinking it was one of my cats crying). The counterpoint vocals were a cool idea but suffer from pitchiness at times. I ended up thinking it was okay. Decent idea that suffered in the execution.

9. Lucky Witch & the Righteous Ghost - Hello
Oh that’s us! I have a number of critiques about my vocal (which was done in one take because we were rushed for time). I feel like I came in awkwardly on the very first line, and muddled up the delivery of the last line in the 1st verse. Also my Hellos are pitchy on the 2nd iteration of the 1st chorus. Otherwise I like our song. The “screech” as I call it was modeled after the horrible sound Nivs likes to make to frighten me when I come into a room and he’s there (like ET when he’s scared!). However he refused to do it on the song so I had to use a Pitchfork pedal to make my generic “Raaaaarrr” sound more otherworldly. We tried a number of different pedals and the Bitcrusher was truly horrifying but it was also so obnoxious to the ear that we thought it would go over badly (as Nivs explained upthread). I am proud of one line “I existed in the exhale when the universe was born”, I like that one. The others are ok but I feel like I sang them with conviction so they don’t sound stupid. It’s also funny because the day after we recorded it I went to the bagel store and said, “Hello” and that’s just exactly how I say it in real life, too. (PS Can’t believe no one else called a song Hello!)

10. Dented Bento - Spark Joy
I dig the opening of this, kind of a twisted 80s lo-fi asthetic. And then the vocal comes in. I am sorry but I cannot get into the singing. There’s something kind of novelty about it that turns me off. I don’t think it’s a bad song, I like the lyrics. Basically i like everything about it just fine except the lead vox.

11. The Dutch Widows - Theme For The Dutch Widows
This just doesn’t stick with me. I listen to it and then a minute later I cannot remember how it went. The production also feels kind of flat and one-dimensional. It’s not terrible, but it’s also not particularly great. I also have no idea what they’re saying. Overall a big meh.

12. The Wizards of Vomit - The Thing About Me Is, Who I Am
Vocal is wayyy too buried in the mix. What the hell are you saying? The music is cute, if inoffensive. There’s a weird crackling sound in the background that’s bugging me. The lead vocal sounding like it’s coming from 3 houses away really detracts from the overall experience. Also it sounds kind of pitchy. I looked the lyrics up and they were… not great. Sorry guys.

13. Boy on the Wall (featuring Parle G Baby) - Pleasure To Meet You (I Am Your Husband)
This is GREAT! We enjoyed the hell out of this. Perfect 90’s pastiche. The lead vocal is a *little* weak just from a purely vocal perspective - but really, that is also not unheard of in this genre - but the concept is so cute and clever and he really nailed the instrumentation. The rap is adorable too. We loved this. I thought this should have won the round honestly just because it’s the one I enjoyed listening to the most and would listen to again.

14. Sober - Even If It's Dirt
Hm. Bluegrass. I must admit to a genre bias against this right off the bat. Like it’s fine, but I don’t care for it. His voice is also slightly hoarse in this way that irritates me. Also I must say, I don’t think it meets the challenge. I would have DQed for criteria.

15. rackwagon - We Are Rackwagon
This was okay. I like the later sections better than the opener. Nice use of space in the instrumentals. I really heard that guitar lick coming out of one speaker and horns out the other, which I always appreciate. Someone is a bit pitchy on the “now you know / who we are” section. Overall a good effort.

16. Buku Chauney - About Me
Nice bass in this one. Vocal’s buried in the mix again. Why? It’s not a fabulous vocal performance, but it deserves better than to be underground. Not a bad backing track, it would have been so much better with a decent vocal. Lyrics are kind of silly.

17. Vom Vorton - Forget All You Knew
I like the music. Very 80s new wave. The vocal is well-recorded and clear at least, though I have a slight genre bias against the British accent. (For years growing up I hated Depeche Mode, The Smiths & the Cure because I thought their British accents sounded too fake. Because I listened to a LOT of Beatles and I didn’t realize they were imitating Americans! Haha!) This is overall a pretty damn good song and I really have no complaints except that I find the accent mildly annoying.

18. Lichen Throat - King of the Gnomes
As usual Lichen Throat does a cool backing track, good use of synths, and then ruins it with a pitchy vocal. I am sorry but I can’t! I just can’t anymore dude. His voice has such a cool timbre but when it’s so pitchy it just hurts me. I do like that it’s about fantasy, the lyrics are cute.

19. Declan IOM - I Am A Robot
This would have been cute as an intro to an actual song. As it is, even 2 minutes and 51 seconds is far too long for this. A novelty track only.

20. Regis Michelena - The Other Regis
Good bass on this one. Lyrics are silly. Vocal reminds me of a poor man’s Warren Zevon. I liked this okay until the accordion solo. That’s another thing that I just can’t anymore. I’m sorry.

21. Good Guy Sôjàbé - Hey Sôjàbé!
Ehh. So that’s how you pronounce Sojabe! Oh no, now there’s rapping. The high pitched interjections remind me of Epic Rap Battles of History, which is kind of amusing at first but quickly grows old. I don’t hate the backing of this. But I wouldn’t listen to it ever again of my own accord.

22. Cavedwellers - Disjointed but with Porpoise
I like the Police-style arpeggios in the background. As usual Cavedwellers have some really cool parts and then there are things that just don’t work for me. Very RUSH-esque. Like it’s all perfectly competent, if the vocals are a bit weak, but I don’t love it. Nice guitar solo.

23. Jealous Brother - We're Jealous Brother
This sounds like BSS/Cavedwellers, but country. It’s fine. The chorus is mildly catchy. I don’t hate it, but I don’t love it either.

24. Hot Pink Halo - Hot Pink Halo
Something about the rhythm of this opening 2 verses confuses my ear. Like is it fast or slow. What is happening. Okay now “do you like the way I flow”, I can follow this beat. I think the thing I don’t like is the xylophone? Some weird instrument choices here that make it hard for me to enjoy it. I like it when the drums and guitars and bass are all in the mix, all the rest of the time I am not a fan.

25. Keen Observer - P.O.S.
I will admit I laughed, especially at “extra brown and extra fecal”. (Yes, I have the sense of humor of a 12 year old.) Musically it’s nothing exciting but it is fairly competently played, recorded and sung. Vocals are not great but it’s a novelty song about poop, how great does it have to be? It does what it set out to do. Also it’s nice and short, thank you for that!

26. Giraffes for Wings - Screed of the Toothpick Man
I did not like this at all. Extremely random and also just not a particularly good song musically or lyrically. I do think “spring breaks like the flesh of an orange” is a good line.

27. The Brewhouse Sessions - I Am Beer
Is it still genre bias if I just hate beer and don’t care to hear exactly how it was made etc? Why are the lyrics sooooo literal? And nothing about the music is compelling me to listen to it anyway. Sadness.
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Re: SpinTunes 17 Round 1 Songs

Post by crumpart »

arby wrote:
Sat Apr 03, 2021 2:21 pm
I have a slight genre bias against the British accent.
How can you have genre bias against an *accent*? I’m not Vom, so can’t speak for him, but I also sing with my own, non-American accent and find this kind of flippant and upsetting.
Devil’s got me Lindt! Devil’s got me Lindt!
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