SpinTunes 18 Round 1 Challenge 'Color Me Impressed'

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Re: SpinTunes 18 Round 1 Challenge 'Color Me Impressed'

Post by neutronflow »

Jim of Seattle wrote:
Wed Oct 06, 2021 3:29 pm
GREENSLEEVES?
Was the repeated quote of Greensleeves intentional? I notice it every time. 0:01, 0:56, etc.
Yes, it was intentional (or, at least, I recognized I was doing it). Weirdly, I didn't think until just now that "Greensleeves" is another color song. In my head, while recording "Slate," I don't think I once thought the word "Greensleeves" or "green," it was always "Alas, my love you do me wrong to treat me so discourteously..."
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Re: SpinTunes 18 Round 1 Challenge 'Color Me Impressed'

Post by Jim of Seattle »

sleepysilverdoor wrote:
Fri Oct 08, 2021 2:10 pm
it's in free time until you get to the chorus which is indeed in 4/4. If you follow the hand drums, they're super stop/start. The idea was to create an "impressionist" effect where the song is just kind of floating along (see what I did there...it's about painting...impressionism...) .
Listened again. I think the floaty thing could work, but really only the vocal part is floaty, and the band pretty much plays in a straight 4/4, at a consistent tempo with occasional extra beats thrown in. Only the vocal part is kind of floaty. So now that I know the intention, I would change my review to say it's not floaty ENOUGH. This idea would go great in this new challenge - you could have tempo changes all over the place. Anyway, if it's supposed to be floaty, then I wish everyone was floaty, or else it is in danger of coming across that there's a band of sober musicians in a room with one floaty person singing.
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Re: SpinTunes 18 Round 1 Challenge 'Color Me Impressed'

Post by sleepysilverdoor »

Jim of Seattle wrote:
Sat Oct 09, 2021 7:11 am
sleepysilverdoor wrote:
Fri Oct 08, 2021 2:10 pm
it's in free time until you get to the chorus which is indeed in 4/4. If you follow the hand drums, they're super stop/start. The idea was to create an "impressionist" effect where the song is just kind of floating along (see what I did there...it's about painting...impressionism...) .
Listened again. I think the floaty thing could work, but really only the vocal part is floaty, and the band pretty much plays in a straight 4/4, at a consistent tempo with occasional extra beats thrown in. Only the vocal part is kind of floaty. So now that I know the intention, I would change my review to say it's not floaty ENOUGH. This idea would go great in this new challenge - you could have tempo changes all over the place. Anyway, if it's supposed to be floaty, then I wish everyone was floaty, or else it is in danger of coming across that there's a band of sober musicians in a room with one floaty person singing.
I mean the guitar is floaty too, just not in tempo. Maybe we define floaty differently?

Anyway, I have a mind bursting with ideas for round #2, and some of that will be undeniably floatier.
"There's a lot to be said about a full-on frontal assault on the ear drums" - Pigfarmer Jr.
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Re: SpinTunes 18 Round 1 Challenge 'Color Me Impressed'

Post by Jim of Seattle »

sleepysilverdoor wrote:
Sat Oct 09, 2021 11:59 am
I mean the guitar is floaty too, just not in tempo. Maybe we define floaty differently?

Anyway, I have a mind bursting with ideas for round #2, and some of that will be undeniably floatier.
These are floaty to me
https://open.spotify.com/track/1kAD3OQe ... 6cf7cc4812
https://open.spotify.com/track/3c2YdZe6 ... 45cfe14313
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Re: SpinTunes 18 Round 1 Challenge 'Color Me Impressed'

Post by seemanski »

Ok, like it or not I had a go a reviewing the songs. There are wonderful bunch of songs that I thoroughly enjoyed listening to. My top 5 tracks (in order of listening) are Stacking Theory, Chas Rock, Brian Gray, Good Guy Sôjàbé, and Also in Blue. This was difficult to choose and on another couple of listens I guarantee it would change, there are a lot of really good tracks.

Anyway, here goes. I would like to add, these are my preferences, if you think I am talking out of my arse then I probably am.

matt rhog-miller - Retail Therapy

I think your lyrics are really well crafted. I liked your use of the colour of money to describe the things you want to buy to fill a void. You made me google "Serotonin", I'm a simple guy and had no idea what it was I just know I liked the way sounded when you delivered the line. Production wise, not really much going on and I do think your guitar is slightly out of tune which is a bit distracting. I think the lyrics did make this tune enjoyable to listen to but I wanted a bit more for my buck (see what I did there).

Stacking Theory - This Pale Blue Dot

This sounds very familiar. I have a feeling this is an artist I am familiar with that has decided to change their name to confuse me. The sounds really pull you in, I'm getting Ride vibes from the ambience and guitars (especially when in really kicks in).

I then started reading about the Pale Blue Dot and twigged what you are singing about. I got so lost in the vibes on my first listens I didn't twig it. Wow, wonderfully imagery.

This is a contender, nice one Gizo (yep, found you out by the magic of songfight lyrics forum).

The ending really highlights the wonderful trickery on the vocals.

Daniel Sitler - Only (Kind Of) Blue

This is slick, I love the understated production values. Its quite minimalistic but the elements that are added are really subtle and move this along, I really liked the little string section you had and your harmonies are great. I did have a problem with the deep-ER and sleep-ER rhyming with blue, it was stretching it a bit for me. This was a very pleasant listen though.

See​-​Man​-​Ski - Pulp

This is me, I've been stuck in self isolation whilst making this tune and didn't feel overly keen on writing something serious. There's enough crap going on that I couldn't bring myself to do it, so I went silly and as my daughter was with me at the time, because she has now discovered my recording space, I figured why not give her a little vocal (she got bored after the one line so I went with what I was given).

I did toy with the idea of it being about relationships when I chose to use the word separate instead of segregate which it was previously but in all honesty the song is about going to café and having a full English and not being given the option of pulp in my orange juice. The 2nd verse is about the customer giving the waiter lip and them not taking any of it.

The Dutch Widows - Pastel Purple Icing

This is bonkers, I spent the entire listening trying to figure out what the hell you are singing about and I came up completely empty. I absolutely adored your instrumentation, the arrangement and your vocals reminds me a bit of Suede - Introducing The Band.

Still trying to wrack me head around what it is about, the dancing on a pin makes me think of some kind of figurine on a purple cake. Either way, whatever this about I need some cake and now that I don't have to self isolate anymore I might just do that.

Chaz Rock - Hazel Green

I love the production of this, it is so off kilter and abstract. The beat throws me off completely in a really good way. The synths are really nice. There are some really nice key shifts. I admire your skills, it gives me food for thought.

Poor old Hazel Green, I did wonder if she is a real person I should be aware of but a google search came up empty. After seeing your discord, apparently not, oh well, even if it is just about eye colour I still like being able to associate it with a person.

Timothy Patrick Hinkle - Slate

I do like the ambience that this track gives. It is a bit ploddy but I did feel there was enough going on with the instrumentation that kept me interested. I would have liked the synth to be a bit more gritty, it felt very clean I thought it could have come out a bit more in the mix. I did like the harmonies leading into the chorus and I had a couple of comparisons I made during my listen. The track itself sounded like it belonged on Becks Sea Change album and there were a few vocal lines that reminded me a bit of Ocean Colour Scene.

Ominous Ride - Gin Black Daze

I can hear that this was a little rushed, there where elements I felt could do with some love. The drums to me lack character, they don't really drive you along. I think a bit of work could have made them a bit more dominant. I also wanted more guitar, maybe doubling them could have helped make them a bit fuller. The Hammond organ however, I adored. That really gives the track its 70s rock vibe that I am digging. I also really liked your vocals. Hope you make it because this does show potential just needed a bit more love.

Governing Dynamics - Violetlies

I immediately was drawn to the Smashing Pumpkins comparison with your guitars. It certainly has a lighters in the air feel to this track. I did feel it went on a bit, I kept waiting and waiting for a massive crescendo of ripping solos but it never came sadly :( Great vibes, it just didn't quite build enough for me.


Sara Parsons - Secondary

This is obviously a very simple setup but it is so well with such great imagery. It feels to me like an end of a relationship where you are both chalk and cheese. I loved how you painted this conflict between both characters and green being used to make it sound like your a bit sick of it all. Yellow and Blue being colours describing both sides of the relationship with the relationship being green, that's really clever.

Entertainment Brothers - Purple

This has a great vibe, the drums sound lovely and the organs are so cool. I got Crash Test Dummies vibe when listen to it. One of the lines stuck out to me but then I realised I heard it wrong. I thought you sang "it's Lois Lane in traffic is the one that I choose" and thought that's a nice superman reference. All round nice sounding mix, very accomplished.

The Brewhouse Sessions

There is some things I really love about this tune, I really like the pace and the stabby piano but there are some things that grates me a little. That drum break that keeps happening is a bit annoying after a while. I am fine with nerdy stuff but the hex colour as a hook doesn't really cut it for me, maybe it just needs a few layered vocals, maybe so it turns into some kind of chant. Faith No Mores Be Aggressive springs to mind as an example. Kind of felt like you didn't know how to end it also.

Cavedwellers

When that bass kicks in, man, and with that chorus hook it's an absolute killer. Great build up and the pay out of build up sent shivers down my spine. Ouch! The final line of the chorus is cutting. The oos that sit in the background are a nice touch and I only really noticed them during your solo but they really help blend the mix.

Jealous Brother

My instant thought when your vocals kicked in was to compare you to Teenage Fanclub. I like what you have done with the lyrics and made it topical. To me, the track felt a bit flat, I felt there wasn't enough variation in the track to keep me interested.

Brian Gray

Now this one caught me completely off guard. When those horns kicked I thought this is going to be bit cheesy. However, this tune just seems to get better and better. I think it works in your favour that I have just finished the first book in the bobbiverse universe and I am a total geek. I absolutely loved the journey you sent us on. This was the intergalatic journey I never knew I needed. At the start of the track I was thinking "what am I in for" and ending with "that was EPIC!". I love how you are obviously loving singing those words and that little chuckle you did brought a smile to my face.

Good Guy Sôjàbé

Bass line reminds me of the Pixies, then I get Marilyn Mansun vibes from your vocals and Ride (Weather Diaries in particular) for the reverberating guitars. I absolutely loved the everlasting reverb you have got going on, oh and another comparison hits me in the chorus, Ghost. This song encompasses a lot of different things that I like to listen to and delivers it really well. The chorus is killer the picked electric guitar really cements it.

Jocko Homomorphism

First thing that popped into my head when was "Ooo, look at you with all those fancy pants effects" and "I'm guessing this guy likes numbers". The piano stabs are really lovely and your vocal delivery which follows the piano is really effective. The theremin like instruments that fills the gap gives this very precise track that spontaneity it really needs. I really like the bitcrusher effects you applied to the vocals at the end. The one criticism is that I felt the ending was a bit, meh! The vocal change was nice but it just felt like you hadn't quite finished the track and just faded it out.

Phlubububub

I'm really not sure about the reverb on this. I think it detracts from it and feels a bit messy to me. I was getting Doors vibes when listening. It feels quite uncomfortable to listen to, which isn't a bad thing. I think you are doing something to give it that feel but it is too clever for me little brain to comprehend. I'm on the fence with this, I admire that you are trying to push your limits but it just doesn't feel right to my ears, but that is more of a preference thing.

Menage a Tune

My thought when listening to this track was that there should be a music video for this with a magpie throwing some disco shapes. There is certainly a nice charm to this track. It is a bit cheesy, the horns didn't do it for me and I felt it went on a bit. I did think it was a fun track which helped it to stick out.

Third Cat

At the start there is some kind of distortion that caught my ear that I wasn't too fond of. That went away when the instruments kicked in so I didn't think on it too much. There are some interesting harmonies going on in the chorus and I really liked all the little synths that fluttered between my ears. I did think there might be a few clashing frequencies, there was something about the distorted guitars that doesn't quite sound right to me. Overall, I did like this track it is very nice to listen to.

Ross Durand

I do like your take on the challenge and using the pantone number to define your chords, that is a bit subtle and it is not something you would pick on by just listening. I did feel that the drums could be louder and I felt that your vocals could have benefited with a bit of eq treatment, to my ears they are a bit tinny and could have used a bit of reduction in the higher frequencies. I really liked the attitude and groove of this track.

New Fangled Trolleys

I love the punk pop feel of this track, your vocals fit the bill quite nicely. I get memories of listening to Green Days Warning at college. Cool use of the challenge, I remember using post it notes in university but now it is all electronic, so I now have the sticky notes app to cover my monitor screen.

I did find the middle 8 (purposefully dissonance bit) a bit too repetitive, however, it did stick in my head wondering around the house so it did its job of cementing the melody.

Lichen Throat

What is with the beep at the start, I initially thought I had a notification on my phone but then when I re-listened I realised it was part of the track. Clever use of the theme, you have a very definite narrative to your lyrics and they are really well craft. I do like the instrumentation of this track, it is very much a Lichen Throat track, you have a style which is immediately recognisable.

Temnere

I have my rock hands out, this track ROCKS BIG TIME! You are a very talented guitarist, there are some nice licks in this. This is heavy metal as I know it (and done very well). Makes me yearn for long hair so I can mosh away. I can imagine the epic battles taking place as I listen.

Jim of Seattle

This is nice clean production, I am instantly transformed to the 60s. My foot is tapping along uncontrollably. Wonderful use of colours to portray how you are feeling and working out how you are not feeling. This tune sounds great in my cheapo knock off air pods which is saying something for your production.

I loved the how it ended, I loved use an E, use an A to rhyme with gray, oops I mean grey (according to spellchecker).

galoshy

This is a really pretty song, it's a bit plain for me but it is lovely none the less. I guess I am on the look out for production chops (that's just my preference though).

"BucketHat" Bobby Matheson

I was very interested as soon as I started hearing the accordion. I did want it more in the mix, it sets this track out from the pack and it gets lost in the mix. I think the accordion could use a bit of an eq boost on the high end of the frequency spectrum and the vocals are a bit hot for my taste. The solo doesn't quite cut it for me either, I think you play it well but there is too much reverb and the held accordion notes makes it less defined. I did like this track though, the lyrics are really clever and it has substance. Considering it is pretty long it held my attention all the way through which is saying something.

Boffo Yux Dudes

The first thing that hits you is that intro which is cracking, I really like the bass run you have got going on. The introduction and build up the different instruments is nice. Not sure how I feel about the vocal effects, they are subtle but quite odd. I think I'm leaning on liking them rather than hating them. Really loving the beat but would like it a bit more in the mix, it seems to be buried in the back a little to my ears.

Sober

Damn man, every time I see you name I know you are going to put something together that makes me sick with jealousy. Your production chops are insane, I keep thinking you must have some incredible mics to get the quality you are getting. On top of that you are an incredible musician and I love listening to those wonderful melodies you have on the various string instruments (I think it is the mandolin that has the melody I love). Digging the little twiddly bits (that's the best I can come up with) and the deep "rain, rain go away" was a really nice touch.

I just realised I listened to the entire song and it doesn't have any percussive elements but it feels so driven.

Brother Baker

Well this hits you round the face from the get go. I love the mix of the heavy drums and the piano (which isn't played with as much gusto). This has some excellent energy pulsing through it, loved your shouting vocals, so much angst. I'm presuming both vocals are you but they both have different qualities I'm not sure if it is the same vocalist. Either way it sounds like they are feeding off each other which I found really nice to listen to.

The Pleasantry

The female vox are really nice and really compliment the stabby synths you have got going on. I got Kanye west vibes (but I don't really listen to that style so that might be not knowing what I am listening to). I did find this a little bit sexist, it was the jibes into making the female world a little less pink that didn't sit well with me, I found it hard to listen to once that feeling set it.

thanks, brain

That beat immediately grab my attention, mainly because I immediately associated this track with one of my favourite artists. I'm assuming you attempting to recreate NiN Downward Spiral feel. The sounds you get are incredible, I love all the little tweaks that you add to the static sound you have got going on. Although I wasn't keen on the spoken word mixed with your vocals, they clashed a bit and I found it hard to hear what you were singing. It also felt a bit unfinished as I kept waiting for something else, mainly because I had already associated this with NiN Hurt and wanted something like the breakdown of guitars and "what have I become, my sweetest friend"

P.S. Just found from discord this is about twitch and suddenly the colour you have chosen and the words make a lot more sense.

Hot Pink Halo

The reference that popped into my head is sonic youth. I think it is the way you are playing the guitar that my me think of it. That lazy driving feeling that is slightly uncomfortable but feels natural at the same time. I thought it was a really good use of feedback, occasionally hearing those guitars squealing in the background is very nice. If I was going to do anything this to the track I would up the higher end of the frequencies for a bit of shine, to me it felt like it sits a bit too much in the mid frequencies. That is my preference though more than anything, that might have been what you are aiming for.

Also in Blue

Well, if you were competing I'd get my coat. Now at least I can use the stuff you put out as a frame of reference and learn from it. Damn, this is how you do harmonies, I think my jaw dropped throughout listening to this. That little section where you put your vocals it bit further back in the mix against the female vocal is really effective. I'm glad you are submitting your work as well as judging, I absolutely loved what you did last year because you have a wonderful way with words which is extremely relatable and I absolutely love listening to your work.
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Re: SpinTunes 18 Round 1 Challenge 'Color Me Impressed'

Post by Chumpy »

The Jerks have returned with a podcast, this time joined by Brian from Boy on The Wall, where we review all the songs for SpinTunes 18 Round 1!

Here is how you can play along at home: For those of you not familiar with our shtick, you can either download the whole podcast above, or you can just click on the the chapters in the index to listen to just the parts of the podcast you're likely to care about.

INDEX: Hope ya appreciate our blather!
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Re: SpinTunes 18 Round 1 Challenge 'Color Me Impressed'

Post by Pop Machine »

Chumpy wrote:
Sun Oct 10, 2021 2:07 pm
[*]02:50:41 - Boffo Yux Dudes - Green With Envy
"Tradition", huh? Wow.
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Re: SpinTunes 18 Round 1 Challenge 'Color Me Impressed'

Post by governingdynamics »

Note to self, doing the first chorus in the lower octave before you doesn't really work as a build or dynamic technique, it just makes no one realize it's a chorus...
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Re: SpinTunes 18 Round 1 Challenge 'Color Me Impressed'

Post by Jerkatorium »

Pop Machine wrote:
Sun Oct 10, 2021 8:24 pm
Chumpy wrote:
Sun Oct 10, 2021 2:07 pm
[*]02:50:41 - Boffo Yux Dudes - Green With Envy
"Tradition", huh? Wow.
Literally the three words I said immediately following that were, "That's a joke."
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Re: SpinTunes 18 Round 1 Challenge 'Color Me Impressed'

Post by Pop Machine »

Jerkatorium wrote:
Mon Oct 11, 2021 6:34 pm
Pop Machine wrote:
Sun Oct 10, 2021 8:24 pm
Chumpy wrote:
Sun Oct 10, 2021 2:07 pm
[*]02:50:41 - Boffo Yux Dudes - Green With Envy
"Tradition", huh? Wow.
Literally the three words I said immediately following that were, "That's a joke."
Yeah, you're right, sorry.
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