About that review... (Why So Serious?)

[HeuristicsInc]

is this a review? it just sounds like bitching to me.

way to alienate the newcomer, non-musician friend of a songfighter.
why so harsh? your response is much like bitching.
-bill

[The Weakest Suit]

is this a review? it just sounds like bitching to me.

way to alienate the newcomer, non-musician friend of a songfighter.
why so harsh? your response is much like bitching.
-bill

Why so serious?

[theLMNOPotamus]

the LMNOpotamus - Rhymnocerus? Kinda just zoned out on this. Not your target audience.

the whole reason i joined! fuck a target audience, i want to rap at people who hate it. :)

anyway, my first reviews...

MC Crapalot - The trippy intro got my hopes up... actually liked the way the vocals kind of didn't mix with the music... for awhile. 3.5/10 (since you obviously make your own beats)

Stu Jordan - Enjoyed the simplicity of this, found myself bobbing back and forth. Your vocals = good. 7/10 (edit: + .5 for style)

Precarious Loaf - I liked the structure of the song but the background always sounded like it needed something "else." Wish I could tell you what. It's still a good track though, I might listen again... 6.5/10

Capitalist Youth - That crunchy bass just carries me through the whole thing. The song was really tight sounding, good production and mixing. Lyrics are a boost, they sound smart-ass but harmless. :) 7.5/10

Atari in the Desert - I could see Kanye West creaming his pants over this production and putting in gospel vocals. :D Something about these vocals didn't really click with me, but not because they weren't well-done or anything... Will you punch me if i say it sounds almost like a Timberlake / Maroon 5 collab, done when they're all hung over? Major kudos on this instrumental though... 7.5/10

The Weakest Suit - The music is put together well here, but the vocals leave me wanting like another singer or for you throw in some more emotional backups... just some little addition. The pace kinda brought me down, which isn't necessarily bad. 7/10

Eddibangs - The beginning sounds like a song from a minivan commercial, which was honestly my favorite part. The drums are nice througout, and the ambient breakdowns are cool. There's something you do vocally when you say "hair" that reminds me of (yuck) Creed. I'm sorry, I had to say it. 6.5/10

Pathetic Octothorpe - Yes! It's like the B-52s combined with Rhythm Activism, in a garage full of beer. So far this has been the best point-of-view to pose the question "Why So Serious?" 7.5/10

Future Boy - Superb production value, engaging (to say the least) beat, but the vocals get pretty boring after awhile (not alot of variation, and the synth starts to distract me). 6.5/10

Ill Cricket Crew - I wanted to like this, the singer's voice is crisp and sounds great. The chorus though, it kept me from really embracing the song. + .5 for "pick it up" x 10. :) 6.5/10

the LMNOPotamus - me. I uh, don't know anything about mixing, but that won't keep me from voting for myself (I'd hate to be one of those entries with 0 votes). Everybody who says I sound like slim shady is makin' a list. Of some sort.

Rone Rivendale - Dude, I love the 80's too, but set your lyricism bar a little higher if you're going to do such a bare-bones beat behind it. I agree with Jeff ^ "a little bit like what I would expect from my junior high science teacher if he decided to teach us about the solar system through rap." 5/10

Wages - I like your voice, alot. The sloppy preciseness of the guitar made me close my eyes, just listen and groove for awhile. 8/10 (would have voted for this if i wasn't so ego-centric)

Jeff Travis Henderson - This has a very familiar feel to it, perhaps you've just fallen perfectly into the groove you're in. Some parts had me thinking Lou Reed... 6.5/10

Steve Durand - Oh hell yeah, very fun! Made me wish I was listening to it in a paino bar or something. Not superbly original musically, but you twisted the topic to fit the music in an original way. Nice job. 8/10

PiGPEN - This would be good music to play during a slow-motion car crash. Got tired of the auto-tune, maybe if the vocals were more clear and to-the-point it'd work a little better. 6.5/10

Uncle Gravy Biscuits - The impression I got from this song: "These would be cool guys to get zooted with." I like the funkiness, it's light but easy to groove on. Enjoyable, will give it another listen. 7.5/10

[Stu]

Stu wrote:

MC Crapalot - Hmm, doesn't do it for me either. There is so much going on in the background at the end that it's pretty hard to listen to. Vocals could stand to be up in the mix too.


don't have a pre-amp, that's about the best i can do on production right now
specially vocals

Well I hear that. No pre-amp for me either. Maybe in a few weeks I'll break down and buy one though.

[PiGPEN]

Hey my first full review....i just got some broadbands and now i can actually listen to more than a couple songs! ROCK!

Atari in the Desert
Ah this is cool stuff. I'd suggest more dramatic vocals (belt it out), especially the first set of lyrics. Vocals sounds a bit too R&B for the music and too white for R&B. Despite that i really like it.

The Capitalist Youth
"Youre going to die :D"
Im not one for white boy folk music but this was fun. FUN! CLAP! CLAP! DIE! LOL! FUN!

Eddiebangs
Another Alt-Folk thing. All the stuff that isnt acoustic guitar and touchy feely vocals is nice. OK.

Futureboy
Indeed futuristic in the "HAY THERES ONLY TECHNO IN THE FUTURE" kinda way and certainly a boy. Not bad, not great. Wanted a bleep bloop fadeout ending. Slightly better than ok.

Ill Cricket Crew
O lawd...reggae. Need better "A-OH"s. "Rude Boy"... dont remind me of Dizzee Rascal during this...does not compute. Nice Solo. Nicer second solo. "Stick your left arm in" ... dont remind me of the Hokey Pokey during this...does not compute. Ah fuck it i like it.

Jeff Travis Henderson
Good. Not my thing......except the choir part. I like choirs.
Actually......if you could sing nicer this would be like Maroon 5....i like Maroon 5.

The LMNOPotamus
THIS ONES FOR THE CLUUUUUUUUUUUUUUBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB!!!!!!!!!!!
I havent listened to rap in so long. This is good as far as rap oti goes. Typical dirty south backing track but its serviceable. Nice flow. A few ok lines but overall fluff and some nonsensical lines... "My drops know the score like hot butter popcorn"???? OK, better lyrics plox.

MC Crapalot
What?! I was expecting a space shuttle to take off or something.

Pathetic Octothorpe
SongFight has a little bit of everything huh? Political/Grunge/Polka? Not something i would listen to again but I C WUT UR DOING THERE.

Precarious Loaf
Music is fine, "ooh"s are nice, Lyrics and their vocals not so nice.

Rone
Yeah......no.

Steve Durand
Oh snap this is cool, this is....oh no, vocals. Cmon...you coulda like... warped your vocals into some females or something. Everything else is SUPER COOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Could stand to be a little shorter.

Stu Jordan
Needs more than you and guitar. Alright i guess.

Uncle Gravy Biscuits
I dont think the solo guitar fit in. Overall, hip.

Wages
"Loves got a lifetime guarantee"! I dont think anyone could pull that off and you freaking crashed and burned with it killing dozens. Dont like song.

The Weakest Suit
Ah...I goes from a-likin your voice to a-hatin it back and forth......the parts where you go soft in the verses rape me. Song needs more variety.....preferably a liftoff somewhere (for lack of a more knowledgable term).

Man.....pretty much all the songs didnt suck. Im astounded really.
But everyone who rhymed 'serious' with 'delirious'......BAD! VERY BAD! CORNER FOR YOU!

Im stuck between The Capitalist Youth and Ill Cricket Crew for the vote.

[Steve Durand]

Steve Durand
Cmon...you coulda like... warped your vocals into some females or something.

If you are aware of some warper that would make my vocals sound good I would appreciate you pointing me to it.

Thanks for the review.

[Lord of Oats]

not being in both fights SUCKS

[jeffhenderson]

not being in both fights SUCKS

You could let out some of that frustration by doing reviews.

[Lord of Oats]

well, i'm going to listen to the fights at least one more time before i do that

[Ross]

not being in both fights SUCKS

Not being in both fights is what the all volunteer, kindness of their hearts, moderators request.

[howling monkey]

so here goes my first review. I hope I don't piss anybody off.

Atari in the desert populiscious! got a little o that crunk. nice use of textures. It's really a pretty serious song. one thing: YOUR SONG IS TOO LOUD!!! it distorts. Limit that mug.

wages make that rhythm tight, bro, and you're there.

rone riverdale bizarre. you sound bored.

precarious loaf kinda cool. hard to hear the lead vocal. that drum groove might get me goin if you tossed in a little bass.

jeff travis henderson sounds nice. got a nice hook up front. the chorus has a nice harmony thing goin on. harmonized guitar is the key to the universe. (I love brian may big time)

pigpen got autotune, huh? this tune reminds me of eating a twinky at the dentist's office.

mc crapalot this is like something you'd hear at a clockwork orange bar.

future boy "this is the shit hitting the fan" -nice opener! i like them chords. vocal multitracks at the end are cool.

eddie bangs dude, invite a drummer and a bassist over.

ill cricket crew like them rhythm guitar tones.

stu jordan i like the simple guitar/voice thing. Why be so serious.

pathetic octothorpe oscar the grouch!

capitalist youth fuzz bass is cool. any song that says "you are going to die" is fuckin cool. do you even say "why so serious?" in this song. who cares.

the weakest suit pick up that tempo. make me shake it.

steve durand horns and synth strings--nice. makes me think of TMBG - lincoln or similar.

lmnopotomas this is the shit. makes my balls bounce.

uncle gravy biscuits (I know uncle gravy biscuits personally) says this was written after a long session of listening to steely dan. It might be about a particular individual he knows who is a major a-hole.

[Lord of Oats]

not being in both fights SUCKS

Not being in both fights is what the all volunteer, kindness of their hearts, moderators request.

Hmm, I didn't fully explain. Everybody around here seems to think it's totally acceptable for you to enter one fight and a band you're in to enter another, or even for both artists to enter the same fight. Didn't we have a fight where The Wordly Self-Assurance, Melvin, Thanks For The Frisbee, Carpetburn, and Zipline all entered or something? Or at least the first one and two of the others?

Okay, so there you go. It's good to have had something to do with at least one song in each fight, so every time somebody reviews, you get to hear something. I mean, I just can't even imagine sitting out for a whole round. That would just blow my mind. Maybe I'm just a glutton for punishment. My songs always seem to get trashed for what I think are usually stupid reasons. But still, I keep coming back for more.

My band Rock, Paper, Steve had a slightly almost brilliant song for this title, but another member did something incredibly dumb that caused the source files to be corrupted. It was too close to the deadline to re-do everything. The song died a painful death. Having pushed my original project aside for that one's sake, I used time that should have been spent sleeping to finish writing and recording a song for the other title. It was just a stressful experience. One of those times when you put a lot of effort into something (RPS is a train I seem to mostly have to push by myself), and you just get a huge pile of nothingness and disappointment out of it. We all have them from time to time, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't get upset when they happen.

[theLMNOPotamus]

The LMNOPotamus
THIS ONES FOR THE CLUUUUUUUUUUUUUUBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB!!!!!!!!!!!
I havent listened to rap in so long. This is good as far as rap oti goes. Typical dirty south backing track but its serviceable. Nice flow. A few ok lines but overall fluff and some nonsensical lines... "My drops know the score like hot butter popcorn"???? OK, better lyrics plox.

haha! yeah, the beat sounds kinda mainstream (as far as rap goes). and it's not like it makes <i>much</i> more sense, but the line goes "my drops known to scorn like hot buttered popcorn..."

[drë]

Who is that signing in uncle gravy biscuits? It sounds so freaking familiar, but I just can pin point it.
Dammit! I hate it when that happens.
Either way, my votes goes to uncle gravy biscuits.

Steve Duran was a close second. Great freaking theatrical song.

[Lonbobby]

Doesn't Uncle Gravy Biscuit's song sound a little like Dylan Nau?

Also, Futureboy, I downloaded some Phoenix....great stuff!

[PiGPEN]

Steve Durand
Cmon...you coulda like... warped your vocals into some females or something.

If you are aware of some warper that would make my vocals sound good I would appreciate you pointing me to it.

Thanks for the review.

I didnt say "good", i said "female".....pitch UP.
And really any difference you make to that would make it "better".

[Freddielove]

Atari in the Desert
Lonbobby with the hot track, and my take on a JT style pop vocal. Not my usual thing, so it was fun.

The Capitalist Youth
Wayne Coyne fronts a mountain evangelical singing group. That would be a cool church. Nice percussion in this, don't get to say that very often about a Songfight tune.

Eddiebangs
Great Chorus. The high strings and sixteens on the high hats make it. This song has great dynamics.

The song structure is a little unusual. Rather than a verse chorus verse bridge order, you have A, B, and C parts. The C part, after the chorus, seemed a little strange at first, but it has grown on me, as has some of the sound effects in the middle part.

One thing, it may not be necessary to ride that acoustic guitar line all the way through the song. It may have more impact if it dropped out of a section and came back in for the chorus.

Future Boy
Great Opening lyric there. Not crazy about the bass line in the beginning, sounds a little silly compared to the rest of the song. The synth patch I didn't like at first, but has grown on me. The chord after "can't manage to care" is so great. Great chorus. Nice chords. Love the pulsy percussion in the chorus. The added instrumentation in the second chorus is perfect. This is a fantastic song. And then it stops.

On some speakers the vocals get a little lost with the synth patches. Might be good to either pan those out or carve a space in the eq for the vocals to pop a bit in front.

Jeff Travis Henderson
This would fit right in with "Sleep Through the Static". Nice change up for the chorus. Great energy. Great backing vocals, they just lifted this song. Great drums as well. The guitar solo is a bit jarring, then funny, with the chorusing.

Ohhhh, nice. The percussion at the end is great. Sounds like you're channeling the Rolling Stones by way of the Happy Mondays. Great work.

the LMNOPotamus
Oh here come another club banger.... Nice track. Got shades of Shady here, but you got your own dirty south take on it though. So we could call this post-Eminem rapping. Good skills. Anyone who wants to drop a rap track on SF needs to hear this first.

Don't care for the SF self-referential lines, I'll give you a pass on that though. And this is a criticism with rap in general these days really, but a change in the beat or instrumentation would make it more interesting.

mccrapalot
Wow psychedelic. Not really a rap, kind of its own thing. Vocal styling reminds me of Ministry. Cool sounds.

Pathetic Octothorpe
Not really sure what you're singing about here. Mad Dog sounds, well mad though. Picks up a nice Taxman type groove after the middle section. "Send me a postcard from the hobo camp", funny line.

The bass drum sounds like someone hitting a pillow with a frozen ham. I always wonder if Octothorpe would sound better with good production, then I just decide its all part of Octothorpe experience.

Pigpen
This song sounds like a beginning of a song that doesn't start. Its cool though. Very original. The synths sound like they were borrowed from a South East Asian Hill Tribe. Cool use of the auto tune as well.

Precarious Loaf
The vocals are so clearly defined in space that I imagine each person standing on stage in a different place singing, kind of like the Proclaimers, with everyone dressed like Freddy Mercury. Like the oooohs in the chorus.

Please loose the drum loop though. I think it would sound better without any percussion in the beginning at all. Then let the song build.

Ill Cricket Crew
Not caring for the verse, a little too Margaritaville. Like the chorus. The aoh aohs are great. Everything is well produced. Nice drumming. Fun song.

Rone Rivendale
This sounds familiar. Have you entered this song before? Some interesting synth sounds. That stop was too long. The vocal delivery is too static. You hit every quarter note with emphasis, need to switch that up to add some variation.

Steve Durand
Great horn solo to start. I am in a parlour of a southern gothic building with you and a senior citizen brass band. Nice lesser-obvious words to rhyme with the title. Smart song writing here. Not the best singing, it adds to the charm though.

I think holding the complete horn section until later in the song would work better. Letting the single horn play reinforces the isolation vibe of the song, then bring in the hors for the last chorus and outro. I think the legato horns work better than the staccato. Also the section with the violin (a patch but that ok it sounds good) sounds like its going to be the end, but then you go back to the part with the organ. I think that part work best when you only hear it once, earlier in the song. I'd find a way to let the song build until you end it with the horns and strings together. Oh, and great song.

Stu Jordan
Nice song writing here. Great chord changes through the chorus. Love all the major 7ths. Not a fan of the seventh to take it back into the verse, but I see why you are doing it, to bridge the two sections. No need to drop the f bomb here. Nice little solo to end the song.

Great song writing carries this one. Nice contrast between the rnb style verses and the jazz, almost bossa style chorus. Is not often you hear a guy and guitar that's engaging all the way through.

Uncle Gravy Biscuits
Great first line. Puts a visual straight into the song. Nice guitar work, and the rhythm guitar on the upbeats. Great change into the second section, both with the percussion and chord changes. You know where the chorus is going before its gets there, but that's ok. Everything else is so great.

Saving the electric guitar for the second verse and the letting in really crunch in could be an effective way to get the song to build more tension.

Wages
Like the lo-fi approach. Haven't heard your recent stuff, but if this is your new style, roll with it. Has a cool M. Ward quality to it. The guitar playing is sloppy, kind of adds to the busker feel.

You may want to stay within yourself vocally. You have a good voice, but in parts you tend to scoop it to much or add some extra notes where they aren't necessary.

The Weakest Suit
This plods a bit. Some attention to the rhythm and percussion would help here. Not bad, keep on working on it. Everything is nicely arranged.

Wow. This is one of the best fights I can remember in a long time. I am really impressed by the number of quality entries this week. It was a pleasure to be in this and to review these, so thanks.

Good
The Capitalist Youth
the LMNOPotamous
Ill Cricket Crew

Great
Eddiebangs
Future Boy
Steve Durand
Stu Jordan
Uncle Gravy Biscuits

[Freddielove]

And here is the J~ metareview.

Wow, these are really good.

[tuuur]

Atari in the desert
Very well done but too slick for me.

Capitalist Youth
Great fuzz bass and harmonies. Why do you sing "you're going to dzzzzie"? Took me a few listens before I heard it was "die" you meant.

Eddiebangs
Well done! Good production and harmonies.

Future Boy
Nice harmonies, but I don't like the electro-ness of the song that much.

Ill Cricket Crew
I like ska like stuff. Only this song misses that snappiness, jumpiness of the ska I like.

Jeff Travis Henderson
Hm. Too slick and smooth in a copacabana kind a way. Harmonies are a nice touch though.

The LMNOPotamus
Rap could be more up front. Sound and productionwise it is well done, but I don't like this kind a rap.

mccrapalot
uhm... sometimes there seems no connection between the vox and the backking track.

Pathetic Octothorpe
I can't listen to this that much, but you sound like you're having fun.

Pigpen
Why abuse autotune? Not much I like here.

Precarious Loaf
Very nice new wave kind of sound. I like that chorus.

Rone Rivendale
Uhm. Don't like this at all.

Steve Durand
Man, those horns are great. I mean really REALLY great. Though very 1940s like, and not my thing, this is so well done.

Stu Jordan
Who's not to like guy and guitar songs. Very listenable.

Uncle Gravy Biscuits
Well played, but those verses are to much based on one note. Musically this doesn't do much for me. I didn't pay attention to the lyrics, so can't comment on that. (and if they're too intelligent, I won't get them as non native speaker )

Wages
Nice guitar riff. Not much to say about it.

The Weakest Suit
Hm. That harmony on the "we are faded"- part annoys me. Otherwise, nice song.

[Smalltown Mike]

Hey Steve:

You might want to try doubling your vocals—that might fatten them up. But I would probably avoid using vocal pitches or other strange Cher-style vocoding advice that may come your way. That's pretty played-out.

Your tune is great, and your horns are absolutely fantastic.

[Spud]

The bass drum sounds like someone hitting a pillow with a frozen ham.

Wow, Freddie. You've got a good ear Actually it's a floor tom with a towel over it.

SPUD

[AcidicJew]

The Weakest Suit – I think there’s this strange ‘singing in the shower’ effect that turns me off, it can really break a song for me.

is this a review? it just sounds like bitching to me.

I thought of a lot of snarky responses to this, but not wanting to perpetuate the snarky impression I've already given you I thought I'd answer the question seriously.

As I said, the reviewer isn't a musician and does not know any technical jargon. It may sound like bitching, but it is not. The "strange singing in the shower" effect she is talking about is just a laymans way of saying reverb. She is basicly saying that, for her, there was to much reverb on your song.