Where your rating is (Come Down reviews)

Discuss upcoming, current, and previous song fights.
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jast
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Where your rating is (Come Down reviews)

Post by jast »

I predict a lot of diversity in this fight. Can't wait to listen to the submissions!
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EmbersOfAutumn
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Re: Where your rating is (Come Down reviews)

Post by EmbersOfAutumn »

The listing isn't even up yet... and yet I feel compelled to offer my apologies concerning my submission...
"Out of all I've learned in Life,
You always keep your friends close to your heart,
cause they'll help you if you're falling down..."
- The Ataris - Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, B, A, Start
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jast
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Re: Where your rating is (Come Down reviews)

Post by jast »

EmbersOfAutumn wrote:I feel compelled to offer my apologies concerning my submission...
Don't.
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jb
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Re: Where your rating is (Come Down reviews)

Post by jb »

Yeah really, don't. Apologizing just admits that you know your entry wasn't good enough to be submitted. If it sucks that bad, don't send it in.

Don't be in denial about your work!

Resist that human impulse to desire praise despite poor performance, to get a trophy for participation, a pat on the head from teacher because "at least you tried!"

Bah! I say, BAH!

The path to progress is paved with red hot pokers stamped "Effective and Realistic Self-Examination" on the business end, and if all you want is affirmation then send your MP3 to your mother along with detailed instructions how to play it, and spare our eyes the burden of passing over your link on the page while searching for another entry from Wet Towel Society whose "Love Me A Little Bit More" made us dance at our cubicle desks.

Stiff upper lip, Song Fighters! Give us your best or take your medicine!

JB
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Re: Where your rating is (Come Down reviews)

Post by Henrietta »

Reviews don't even seem as harsh as they used to be. The comments I'd get as H&H were all like "Your music would be enjoyed by mini-van driving soccer moms trying to pretend their lives don't suck" and "You and Lisa Leob should start a school for retarded children and get it over with." Step up the hate, people! ;)

(Just kidding. Please, don't.)
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Re: Where your rating is (Come Down reviews)

Post by adamadamant »

Damn! I just received an email notifying me that I accidentaly sent my entries to fightmaster@songfight.com. How annoying!

Well in case anyone would like to listen to them anyway you can download them:

Adam Adamant
Mortimer The Tortoise

EDIT: If, as I suspect, free file hosting is for chumps then you can also listen to them at my MySpace.

EDIT AGAIN: I just saw the front page, you are too kind Spud! But I take it you downloaded the links above, they both seem to have been cut short somewhere in the journey through the internet pipes. If I email you the full versions could you put them up? Pretty please, I am your bitch, etc.
Last edited by adamadamant on Tue Feb 10, 2009 12:15 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Where your rating is (Come Down reviews)

Post by Spud »

Entries? Tsk. Tsk.
"I only listen to good music. And Octothorpe." - Marcus Kellis
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Re: Where your rating is (Come Down reviews)

Post by adamadamant »

Yeah I know, sorry. It's probably for the best; now people have a bit less to get through.
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Re: Where your rating is (Come Down reviews)

Post by ujnhunter »

Some good ones I've listened to so far... listening in Reverse Alphabetical order this time... :)

edit: Tortoise is glitched in the middle... also, is Max the Cat Paul Simon? :)
-Ujn Hunter
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jeff robertson
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Re: Where your rating is (Come Down reviews)

Post by jeff robertson »

Well, it's too late for the deadline and it's far from perfect, but here's mine anyway:

http://www.jeff-robertson.com/flvxx/pla ... belong.mp3
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sliced carrots
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Re: Where your rating is (Come Down reviews)

Post by sliced carrots »

I listened to the mortimer the tortoise song three times thinking it was me and my attention span that was the problem b/c I'm doing too many things at once, then on the third try realized it just cuts off early. Too bad, I was enjoying it! And I haven't tried listening to Adam Adamant yet, but the name caught my eye and made me smile. :) Sorry your entries got messed up.

I haven't listened to many but am enjoying them so far, to me more of them are "natural sounding" than last time(my first time listening and voting though I have casually visited the site a couple times in the past, sorry I got too overwhelmed to try reviewing). In the last fight, the phrase "love me a little bit more" felt forced to me at times, though it could have been b/c the themes of many of the songs seemed similar or just the sheer number of entries- I got so sick of the phrase "Love me a little bit more". :P

Er, so what I was trying to say is that most of those I've listened to so far sound more like "regular songs" instead of like they're forcing songs around the same phrase.

Also, that's not to say there weren't several I liked last time, there were... I voted for a nice chunk of them. I'm still tempted to go back and offer some kind of commentary but I dunno if it's worth anything since we've moved on.

Hopefully this time I'll make it back here to comment/review, and maybe I'll even actually make something myself for the next fight.
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Re: Where your rating is (Come Down reviews)

Post by ujnhunter »

It's always worth something. Go for it! ;)
-Ujn Hunter
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Re: Where your rating is (Come Down reviews)

Post by Teplin »

sliced carrots wrote: Also, that's not to say there weren't several I liked last time, there were... I voted for a nice chunk of them. I'm still tempted to go back and offer some kind of commentary but I dunno if it's worth anything since we've moved on.
IMO, reviews and comments are always worth it, even if they're late.
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Re: Where your rating is (Come Down reviews)

Post by Spud »

The issues with Adam's and Mortimer's entries should be resolved.
"I only listen to good music. And Octothorpe." - Marcus Kellis
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Re: Where your rating is (Come Down reviews)

Post by adam b »

bom chicka honk honk.
A lot of good songs here, and a few great ones...

Abominominous - nice groove, really well produced

Adam Adamant - sweeet as bro! very smooth, especially the ending. Vote!

Andrew Reist - cool melody and guitar tone. Vocal rhythm works really well, but you don't always hit the notes you're aiming for. solo is pretty cool too :)

Berkeley Social Scene - pleasant, as usual. found it a little boring though.

Big Crouton - MASSIVE sound. And I mean MASSIVE. Lyrics are good too, you do this style really well. Vote! Outro is disturbing.

The Chadderandom Abyss - don't rate this one very highly for personal enjoyment, lyrics aren't bad though. and it's certainly a lot better than my submission... it's slowly growing on me, glad I listened to it through. final word: not my style at all, but still well-made.

Chopped Liver Meat God - cool intro. vocals are entertaining and convincing. you make the lyrics sound half decent - didn't know that was possible :D Vote! HHHHHHHHHHHAHAHAHAHAHA - about teh morrissey bit. ahhh. that made my day.

Chthonic Chthock - pacey, like the way the instruments blend. Lyrics and themes are great too, nice and quirky. Vote!

Clifton Leef Johnston - chord progression is very much like "Save Tonight". well played though, vocals mix well with the guitar. the song flows along nicely too.

deetak - so good, the choral parts are great, and the various transitions are awesome. instead of sounding confused, this one really WORKS! Vote!

Doctor Worm - a well-rounded rock tune, just doesn't hit the spot for me though. must say the bridge is excellent.

Ford's Theater Disaster - you're a showman! best intro i've heard to a song. ever.

Embers Of Autumn - You? Doing an electronica song? Nice! Vocals don't really do it for me, but I do like the contrast of angsty and calm. Lyrics were cool. the synth loop you use is really impressive, and it's sad when some of the other instruments clash. Also work on the calmer vocals and you'll absolutely nail this one. If you do re-record, I'd love to hear it.

Grass Stained - sooooo relaxing. Vote.

Humboat - best lyrics and theme so far. You use your voice well within its range. Vote!

Jan Krueger - the rhythm in the verse is very odd, but I like it. Lyrics are entertaining, but again the self-righteousness takes away from it (I didn't like your lyrics in Elegy for the same reason). The heavier style suits you as much as your acoustic feel.

Jonathan Mann - very cool tune, lyrics really work.

Larry - well made, but not really my style.

Lawless Drive - heh. hastily recorded and mixed, and it really shows! I wasn't confident with some of Reve's lyrics, particularly with the timing in the verses. The lead acoustic guitar fades into the mix a lot of the time, and makes some of the vocals incomprehensible. Using a super-cheap vocal mike without a grill, let alone a pop protector means there's lots of unintended noise. Having a flock of birds screeching outside while I recoded vox didn't help either. The electric guiar had a muddy tone (cheap guitar + cheap practise amp = sludge) and the panning effects now sound annoying rather than clever. Next entry will have a lot more time devoted to it!

Max The Cat - pleasant, nice dynamics, but didn't really catch my attention. For something in a similar style that I think has balls, try I Will Follow You Into The Dark by Deathcab For Cutie.

Mortimer The Tortoise - haha, cool :) sorta lost concentration after a while though, so no vote :(

Naked Philosophy - love the way this song bursts into life, has a bit of a Live feel to it. your guitar tone is great too, though your voice sounds a little forced/strained. solo doesn't do it for me at all, sounds like it's in the wrong key, though the rhythm is fine.

Nigel Clements - hahaha. ha. hahaha. this one's great. so cutesy and so stalkerish. Vote.

Paco Del Stinko - I much prefer you when you're not droning, ie this song as opposed to Elegy. As always, the guitars impress me. Vocals are soooooperdooooopersmooth. Keep it up :)

Quimby - more Rilo Kiley! The lyrics are amazing, vocals-only intro was perfectly suited.. now for the rest of the song... bam. Vote!

Quimby feat. BLT - instantly fell in love with this one. Your lyrics are great. The layered vocals made me cream my pants. Really reminds me of Rilo Kiley, this time not only the voice but everything. Vote!
Now that I've actually come to the end of the song, this is another contender for a real favourite.

Rone Rivendale - oscillating synth could have been cool but it just hurt. your mix is a bit noisy, i'd say get rid of the dissonant parts. didn't much like the lyrics. but it's a big improvement on previous entries, i do like that your vocals are now clear.

Ross Durand - Leonard Cohen? not quite, but still an enjoyable piece. Sometimes the actual singing clashes with the music. Lyrical themes are something I wasn't expecting :) Vote.

Signboy - absolutely owns my entry and completely embodies the lyrics. Vote!

The Sky Looks Pissed - great stripped-back style, lyrics are pretty interesting as well. kinda reminds me of The Thrills. My only complaint would be the slightly out-of-time shakers at the start. ending is good too. Vote!

Steve Durand - cute, but doesn't quite work for me. the solo is nice though

Todd Mchatton - my favourite so far. Everything just blends so well. and the bass is sexy - it's not common to hear a bassline that is used as an instrument in its own right. The theme is common but you do it well. Vote!

Tungsten Chic - innovative. The backing music is really cool too. This song is somewhere between grating and awesome, so doesn't quite get a vote. From "ooo, yeah..." you have me laughing a hell of a lot though. Ok, you have my vote. Fucking hilarious. Another unexpected theme, really well done. great take on "come down where you ought to be"

The Weakest Suit - the weakest suit gets weaker :( don't really like this entry, it's nicely made and all, but it just lacks any punch. I preferred last week's entry, it was smashing. If you manage to keep that energy your songs will still be nice, but they'll have a whole lot more feeling.. or, in my words, balls!

Who Fly - this is good. quite good actually. nice and minimal. lyrics are hot. the way it builds up is great!

Vote!
--
Favourites - these ones get the privelige of sitting on my hard disk, with the possible exception of CLMG, due to lyrics.

Adam Adamant
Chthonic Chthock
Chopped Liver Meat God
Quimby feat.BLT
Signboy
Todd Mchatton
Tungsten Chic
Who Fly


After having a few more listens, I'd have to say Signboy should be the winner. He completely embodies the lyrics. The song isn't about disco, it IS disco.
Last edited by adam b on Thu Feb 12, 2009 6:33 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Where your rating is (Come Down reviews)

Post by jast »

Good news, everyone: I'll be using the Arbitrary Review System again! Just to recap: C = composition, L = lyrics, F = feeling, P = performance, M = mix. 0-3 points each. Arbitrarily weighted sum for total rating. The overall rating score is nonlinear. Songs reviewed in random order.

I felt mostly generous in this round of reviews.

Abominominous -- 12/15
C:2 (I find the melody/chord structure boring but I love the arrangement), L:* (not reviewed; post your lyrics next time to change that), F:3, P:3, M:2 (rather busy in the low/mid range. I'm sure you intended it that way but I think it takes away from... something. I don't know.)

Adam Adamant -- 11/15
C:3 (great conglomerate of synths, even if the overall melodical idea doesn't appeal to me), L:* (not reviewed; post your lyrics next time to change that), F:2, P:2 (vocals sound hesitant), M:2 (the hi hats are a bit too present, I think)

Andrew Reist -- 12/15
C:2 (nice, just not subjectively exciting), L:2, F:2, P:3, M:3 (perhaps bring the vocals up a bit more, nice punchy mix otherwise)

Berkeley Social Scene -- 11/15
C:2, L:* (not reviewed; post your lyrics next time to change that), F:3 (the heaps of guitar in the background really add to this), P:2 (uneven lead vocals), M:1 (harsh lead vocals, occasional clipping, what's with the sniffing at the end?)

Big Crouton -- 14/15 -- boo for the false ending, but I just can't bring myself to take off any points
C:3 (the lots of suspended/diminished chords make this one), L:* (not officially reviewed; what I made out sounded great), F:3, P:3 (rock!), M:3 (but more juice for the lead vocals, please. Excellent guitar tones. Clean mix.)

The Chadderandom Abyss -- 9/15
C:1 (not much happening there, is there?), L:* (not reviewed; post your lyrics next time to change that), F:2, P:2 (please learn to sing), M:2 (sounds mushy and seems to be missing the high end)

Chopped Liver Meat God -- 10/15
C:2 (synth fun, a bit too repetitive), L:* (not reviewed; post your lyrics next time to change that), F:1, P:2 (lead vocals are off), M:3

Chthonic Chthock -- 14/15
C:3 (rock! Synth fun!), L:* (not reviewed; post your lyrics next time to change that), F:3, P:3 (great vocals, great everything else), M:3

Clifton Lee Johnston -- 11/15
C:2 (I like this a lot and I would have loved it if you had done more things in the arrangement department), L:2, F:2, P:3 (excellent playing and singing), M:2 (lo-fi)

deetak -- 10/15
C:3, L:2 (I don't get it but at least it sounds nice), F:3, P:1 (hard to make out parts of the vocals, high notes are way off), M:1 (extremely harsh vocal reverb; essy vocals, attack on the string synth sounds very artificial)

Doctor Worm -- 13/15
C:3 (the staccato guitar stuff is awesome. The suspended/augmented chords work great with this), L:2, F:3, P:3, M:2 (mix is too dense/compressed, sort of passes right by the ears if you don't turn it up enough. Perhaps bring the vocals to the front more, especially in the bridge (which, by the way, is insanely long))

Embers of Autumn -- 7/15
C:1 (synths and lead don't seem to be connected in any way. Actually the sweeping synths seems pretty pointless), L:1 (self references aren't that exciting), F:1, P:1 (singing is off, painfully so), M:1 (clipping)

Ford's Theater Disaster -- 10/15
C:2, L:2 (parts are a bit too emo for my taste, the rest is interesting), F:2, P:2 (if those were supposed to be notes in the lead vox in the chorus... it didn't work well. Great drive in everything, though), M:2 (clipped lead vocals)

Grass Stained -- 11/15 (imaginary minus point for submitting two songs)
C:3, L:* (not reviewed; post your lyrics next time to change that), F:2, P:3, M:1 (plosives are even worse if there's little in the arrangement to hide them)

Humboat -- 13/15
C:3 (cute song), L:3 (awesomess squared!), F:3, P:2 (even if it sort of fits the theme, the singing definitely doesn't warrant full marks), M:3

Jan Krueger -- 13/15
C:3 (for some reason, I don't submit songs I don't like musically. This song has weird timing stuff which was fun making up.), L:3 (but what do I know), F:3 (fun with organs!), P:2 (I hurried through this recording in three hours. It hurt the lead vocals, a lot), M:2 (okay, so I butchered the drums in the mix due to listening fatigue. That's too bad because in this song I focused on making the fake drums better than usual...)
Oh, and let me address some fan mail (thanks!) while I'm at it:
adam b wrote:Lyrics are entertaining, but again the self-righteousness takes away from it (I didn't like your lyrics in Elegy for the same reason).
That's okay, I'm not exactly being serious here. :)

Jonathan Mann -- 11/15
C:2 (I can't help but think I've heard these riffs before. Fun though), L:* (not reviewed; post your lyrics next time to change that), F:3, P:3, M:2 (the tremolo on the guitar?synth? in the left channel is a bit weird, harsh reverb on lead vocals)

Larry -- 11/15
C:2 (very generic sort of song but done in a nice way), L:* (not reviewed; post your lyrics next time to change that), F:3, P:2 (slightly hesitant or weak vocals), M:2 (please do gate the noise away, and perhaps change something (gotta love suggestions that are this helpful, right?) to make the rhythm guitar less mushy)

Lawless Drive -- 9/15
C:3, L:0 (not yours), F:2, P:2 (held back vocals, cool guitar playing), M:2 (extreme plosives, handling noises, clicks)

Max The Cat -- 13/15
C:3, L:* (not officially rated but the parts I got sounded pretty cool), F:3, P:3, M:2 (I think I like whatever the doubled thing you mixed into the background was. Reverb sounds rather cheap. Click near the end.)

Mortimer The Tortoise -- 10/15
C:2 (with an actual consistently discernable melody I would have loved it a little bit more. This way it's just sort of fun), L:2, F:2, P:2 (singing sounds rather detached), M:2 (same thing about the hi hats as in the other song you submitted. Boo, by the way! Ending cut off.)

Naked Philosophy -- 12/15
C:3, L:2, F:3, P:2 (sounds like the singer is moving too much; drums sound strangely out of rhythm in solo part and after it), M:2 (vocals are lacking in body and presence)

Nigel Clements -- 11/15
C:3 (generic feel good stuff but nicely done), L:2, F:2, P:2 (especially the lower notes you're singing need more work), M:2 (slightly tinny vocals, accompaniment sounds uncohesive)

Paco del Stinko -- 13/15
C:3 (hey, there's a Paco song I actually really like. Cool! Fun breaks between chorus/verses.), L:* (not reviewed; post your lyrics next time to change that), F:3, P:2 (imprecise singing, otherwise the usual great stuff), M:3

Quimby -- 13/15
C:3, L:2, F:3, P:3 (only very slight issues in vocals, great guitar), M:2 (harsh lead vocals, especially during solo)

Quimby featuring Billy's Little Trip -- 13/15
C:2 (definitely worth more than just one listen but there's pretty much no variation in the melodical structure. Shame), L:2, F:3, P:3, M:3 (I find the vocal reverb a bit harsh. A longer tail with a decent amount of decay might have been nicer.)

Rone Rivendale -- 7/15
C:1, L:1 (seriously, what?), F:1, P:1 (vocals are off, guitar playing seems arbitrary; timing is okay though), M:3 (punchy, even the clipping almost works here)

Ross Durand -- 13/15
C:3 (woah, I liked it from the start but when you add the second guitar and the pads it gets really good), L:1 (I don't agree with the lyrical idea but for what it is it's done well), F:3, P:3 (and I'm forgiving the occasional flat vocals), M:3 (vocals sound just a little bit boxy, perhaps due to the reverb settings; I think the main guitar may be a bit too compressed, not sure)

Signboy -- 11/15
C:2 (80's, boring edition. Fun solo passage though, and you pretty much nailed the style.), L:0 (not yours), F:3, P:3, M:2 (the mangling in the chorus makes it rather muddled; vocals don't have enough punch for this style)

The Sky Looks Pissed -- 12/15
C:3 (fun to listen to; nice combination of instruments), L:2 (not exciting but no turn-off either), F:3, P:2 (tune your instruments to match! Also consider practicing the vocal part a bit more), M:2 (plosives; it's actually pretty easy to highpass those away... otherwise nice. Perhaps take a little bit of high end off the glockenspiel or whatever it was.)

Steve Durand -- 13/15
C:3 (lots of movement in the harmonies. Great stuff!), L:3 (ahh, just the right thing for this cold weather), F:3, P:1 (lead vocals actually make it hard to make out the melody in some spots because you seem to be sort of sliding into the notes; other performance-related things are great, as usual), M:3 (the vocoded (or whatever) backup vocals are a great touch)

Todd McHatton -- 11/15
C:2, L:* (not reviewed; post your lyrics next time to change that), F:3, P:3, M:2 (oversaturated, plosives)

Tungsten Chic -- 8/15
C:1, L:* (not reviewed; post your lyrics next time to change that), F:1, P:1 (not much to review in this category), M:3

The Weakest Suit -- 11/15
C:2, L:2, F:2, P:2 (add more power to the vocals if you're not going to mix them more up front; also slightly off at times), M:3

Who Fly -- 14/15
C:3, L:3, F:3 (the dreamy-aggressive style, whatever that is, works), P:3 (excellent vocals), M:2 (give the vocals a bit more juice; the arrangement is a bit thin sonically. You've got a lot of bass and a lot of pad-style mids but that's about it. Something additional might have been great.)

BONUS REVIEW: Flvxxvm Florvm -- 11/15 -- were you in a hurry to leave near the end? ;)
C:2 (sometimes a bit disjointed but a nice song), L:* (not reviewed; post your lyrics next time to change that), F:3, P:2 (sometimes uneven vocals), M:2 (the extremely fuzzed guitar(s) seem a bit too loud in the overall shape of things)

Today's votes go to: Big Crouton, Chthonic Chthock, Doctor Worm, Humboat, Max The Cat, Paco del Stinko, Quimby (with and without Billy's Little Trip), Ross Durand, Steve Durand, Who Fly... and myself.
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Henrietta
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Re: Where your rating is (Come Down reviews)

Post by Henrietta »

Some quick reviews...

Lawless Drive: Man, I wish the vocals were more clearly recorded. I really like the dual guitars. I'd expect a disco monkey to need more of a dance rhythm to really shake those cheeks.

Jan Krueger: Nice vocals, as always. I enjoy the song itself, but not the production so much. The rhythm in the verse doesn't quite flow as well as it could. Good chorus.

Embers of Autumn: I didn't get into this one so much. I'm not into electronica so much, so I claim genre bias.

Chthonic Chthock: Nice! I love the double vocals, and the energy is awesome. Drat, way too short. VOTE++

Chadderandom: The image I get is a homeless guy staggering around on some kind of dementia riddled bender. And for that image, this is the absolute perfect soundtrack. Dangerously creepy. Does the woman exist, or is he unstable and his imagination crossing over into real life? Could possibly add some banjo after about 1:30 in. And some cowbell.

The Sky Looks Pissed: The outtro is cool. Yay! Banjo and glock! (Or is that midi toy piano. I can never tell.) If only the eggshaker was a cowbell instead.

Ross Durand: I love the guitar here. Great song! VOTE

Deetak: What you're doing is great. Tony the Tiger grrrrreat. I really want to hear your vocals more, but they're buried under the midi. Drat. :/

Larry: The melody is rather pretty, and the lead guitaring even more so. The percussion is drowning out the guitars, and that is a bit distracting.

Clifton Lee Johnson: Awesome! Is this one take into one mic? I'd love to hear it multi-tracked. Oh yeah, that was you in the prefight who mentioned having some technical issues. Possible Vote.

The Weakest Suit: I didn't enjoy this one as much as your previous stuff.

Andrew Reist: I dig this. Awesome vocals. Pop-py.... I mean that in a good way. VOTE

Steve Durand: Awesome arrangement, per usual. The dog barks remind me of playing Katamari Damancy. Hey, and so does the flute solo! :) I love that game.

Rone Rivendale: I like your lyrics.

Chopped Liver Meat God: I like Rone's lyrics.

Big Crouton: I lurrve the music. Awesome guitar tones all around. The vocals are great too. The melody doesn't quite have the same energy or dynamics as the music. Then again, those screams in the fires of hell are pretty convincing... Possible vote.

Who Fly: I like. VOTE+

Grain Stained: This is really pretty. Some of the second vox are a bit muddy. I especially like at 1:08 when the second falsetto & the other instruments kicked in. The ending feels like an afterthought, maybe try an intrumental outtro or something. Possible vote.

Naked Philosophy: Nice! Some background vocals on the chorus would really drive it home.

Mortimer the Tortoise: I was at a hockey game, and then wait, what? How did you break my Windows Media Player?

Adam Adamant: I really dig the mood you're getting here, but it still feels like an midi instrumental. Not quite my thing. Genre bias.

Jonathan Mann: I like. Maybe not as much as your previous stuff, but still quality. VOTE

Ford's Theater Disaster: This has kick ass energy. The chorus could be a bit hookier somehow. Possible vote.

Tungsten Chic: Not my thing. Genre bias.

Doctor Worm: Hell yeah. The breakdown in the middle might be 30 seconds too long. VOTE

Humboat: My favorite lyrics of the day! I wish my dad sung this to me, it would have saved me a lot of trouble. VOTE++

Nigel Clements: If this had different instrument sounds, it might have turned into new wave-ish tune. But these particular midi/keyboard tones aren't my favorite of yours.

Todd McHatton: I think this is more of a slow burner type than an instant love kind of tune. There's a ton in the atmospherics there to enjoy, even if the song itself doesn't jump right out at me. VOTE

BerkeleySS: What? BerkeleySS has a mando? The mix is definitely not my favorite BSS. It feels a little like you guys are trying hard to sit back and relax, but are secretly itching to rock out. You know, on the other hand, maybe that's just me projecting because *I* want you to let go and rock out but it never quite gets there. Hmmm. I like the song though.

Max the Cat: Really nice! The tune itself reminds me a bit of Colin Meloy. Feels a bit unfinished compared to your previous entries, but has plenty enough for a VOTE

Paco del Stinko: This is really fun. :) Possible Vote.

Abominominous: Awesome. VOTE++

Signboy: Disco monkey!! Now that's more like it. Shake that monkey booty. :)
User avatar
reve
Push Comes to Shove
Posts: 265
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Recording Method: Reaper.
Submitting as: R., Chth*.*, etc.
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Re: Where your rating is (Come Down reviews)

Post by reve »

jast wrote: Chthonic Chthock -- 14/15
C:3 (rock! Synth fun!), L:* (not reviewed; post your lyrics next time to change that), F:3, P:3 (great vocals, great everything else), M:3
I went ahead and posted the lyrics for ya. The Chthock thanks you!
-- reve mosquito.
phetal
Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love
Posts: 87
Joined: Wed May 16, 2007 7:15 pm
Instruments: Laptop (Reason 4), Keys, Vocals!, Immmmmmaaaagination!
Recording Method: Into Microphones, via MIDI, or Cave Drawings
Submitting as: i.p. / Who Fly

Re: Where your rating is (Come Down reviews)

Post by phetal »

jast wrote: Who Fly -- 14/15
C:3, L:3, F:3 (the dreamy-aggressive style, whatever that is, works), P:3 (excellent vocals), M:2 (give the vocals a bit more juice; the arrangement is a bit thin sonically. You've got a lot of bass and a lot of pad-style mids but that's about it. Something additional might have been great.)
Thanks! This is actually my first time really doing mixing with vocals on my own.


Hey! A bunch of great songs in the batch! I'll have reviews up soon.
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- The Phobias - i.p. - Who Fly - Phetal -
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signboy
Mean Street
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Joined: Wed Mar 07, 2007 10:33 pm
Instruments: things that make noise
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Re: Where your rating is (Come Down reviews)

Post by signboy »

Adam B wrote: Signboy - absolutely owns my entry and completely embodies the lyrics. Vote!
thanks, glad I could come into a fight with songfists swinging.
Jast wrote:Signboy -- 11/15
C:2 (80's, boring edition. Fun solo passage though, and you pretty much nailed the style.), L:0 (not yours), F:3, P:3, M:2 (the mangling in the chorus makes it rather muddled; vocals don't have enough punch for this style)
Yeah, After hearing it a couple times, I can see that it was poor discretion to mix the vocoder into the chorus.


Thanks for reviews, guys. I'll have some up soon.
Irwin: I'd sell my soul to jesus to program drums like signboy.
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nyjm
Ice Cream Man
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Instruments: acoustic guitar, electric guitar, synth, various MIDI instruments
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Re: Where your rating is (Come Down reviews)

Post by nyjm »

I'm still listening through (while grading quizzes - yay!) but I just have to say:

Ross Durand - most awesome! Instant download.
"You sound like the ghost of David Bowie." - SchlimminyCricket | it was a pleasure to burn | my website | Juliet's Happy Dagger
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Nigel (spOOn) Clements
Mean Street
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Submitting as: Nigel Clements, Accessory Twelve, @eclectic spOOns, Cynthia Size
Location: Spectrum HQ, Cloudbase.
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Re: Where your rating is (Come Down reviews)

Post by Nigel (spOOn) Clements »

Abominominous: Just a simply brilliant tune, Windows Media Players default swirly image thing absolutely loved it. Everything else aside this is... (how do the kids put it?)... TUNE! it's 1979 again, can't catch the lyrics, but it doesn't matter, I'd rush out and buy this tomorrow. (this is obviously the album version, I'd suggest a straight forward cut off for the single release) VOTE!

Adam Adamant: This is very much sub-Blur in the vein of 'This is a Low', nicely instrumented, but could maybe do with a bit more .... (struggling for the word).... direction... (that'll have to do!), overall this is nice work.

Andrew Reist: Really nice solid track, any song that includes 'trinket' has to be good, I know I've been out of the playground for a while, but this is probably the best I've ever heard from you.... Possible Vote!

Berkeley Social Scene: Oh how Jarvis you sound (and I don't mean the Avengers butler), Almost like Pulp gone electro-folky, quite a rambling style that although is extremely good, lacks a particular hook to make it both catchy and memorable, as lovely as the track sounds I know I'm going to struggle to remember it in 10 minutes....

Big Crouton: Just for a moment I thought that intro was just going to keep going, quite an epic sound, very well played, but not really my cup of treacle, a bit long, a bit samey, a little bit boring.... sorry!

The Chadderandom Abyss: Is this Rone's band??? sorry guy, s'awful!

Chopped Liver Meat God - Is this the new x-tokyo-river-god?? Hmm! obviously not, I actually enjoyed the Quirky-ness, would probably work better if the vocals were vocoded to sound like robots, did get a bit annoying after three minutes though.....

Chthonic Chthock: Ooooh! a touch early PWEI, thoughrely enjoyable track, shame it's under 2 minutes, could have been a perfect pop song... Possible Vote!

Clifton Lee Johnston: The male 'Michelle Shocked' this is going to get under my skin, I can feel it creeping there already...... Vote!

Deetak: I missed the spaghetti western that this is from, shame that, I reckon I'd have really enjoyed it, or maybe it was a stage musical! enjoyable, different and slightly unsettling!

Doctor Worm: Very good standard rock fayre, reminds me a little of 'Jolly Roger - Andrew Reist' and although this is a really cool track, it needs a little extra something, a more definate hook, also gets a little spoilt by the length.
... Almost a possible Vote!

Embers Of Autumn: I would've loved a slightly more dubby effect on the backing vocals, this would've/could've been a supurb slice of techno-reggae, loses it's way a little whilst approaching and through the chorus-section??

Flvxxvm Florvm: I know you missed out , but hey you provided a link so, I'll treat it the same as all the rest, Excellent military-style intro, Oh I love that break-down, reminds me of hundreds of songs I already love, this would have been a definate vote, cool track!!

Ford's Theatre Disaster: One word.....Glorious.... VOTE!

Grass Stained: This comes up as being 24hrs 51mins 18 secs... I bloody hope it isn't..... Nice folk-rock sound, goes a little wrong when the Ooooh's first come in, in fact apart from the Oooooh section, I love this.... Possible Vote!

Humboat: This has got a slight 'Sesame Street' feel to it, I dunno, a little like the lyrics go, 'Okay now kids, this is what you could be if you want to...'
Very pleasant in a twee, innocent, melodic kind of why, the can't be a fireman line is pure gold though!.... Possible Vote!

Jan Krüger: A little samey, lacking a definate punch or hook, has a little touch of the Rutles about it.... you know what I mean?!? just tends to float by, and never quite lives up to it's expectations, good track, well sung, well played, just not doing it for me, really didn't like the pathetic loser line at the end!

Jonathan Mann: Really like this, lyrically it sits right there between clever and practical, yeah this is a.... Possible Vote!

Larry: Slightly disjointed vocal delivery/lyrical style has me a little confused, too long and too samey for my tastes, nice assured vocals though...

Lawless Drive: Sorry guys, I hated this!

Max The Cat: Nice slice of 60's psychadelia, rather abrupt ending detracts rather!

Mortimer the Tortoise: Great instrumental track, shame you started singing, this had 'Childrens theme tune' written all over it, nice delivery though.

Naked Philosophy: a bit thin for the genre, double up you vocals, or harmonise with your self, that would help, as it is it sounds a little whiney, not for me sorry!

Nigel Clements: A tale of Obssession! (I was supposed to play over the top of the synth sounds and therefore replace them, but I ran out of time....)

Paco Del Stinko: You don't ever get enough credit, for your lyrical expertise, forget the excellent guitar playing, you have such a clever witty style.... awsome!.... VOTE!

Quimby: Just a cut above everything else, Vocally, Playing, Lyrics, just totally professional..... VOTE!

Quimby (ft. BLT): As above..... VOTE!

Rone Rivendale: Original, a may I say this is Possibly the best thing you've ever done, such a tremendous improvement!.... Possible Vote!

Ross Durand: I always enjoy your work Mr. Durand, and this is no exception, yourself, King Arthur and Jim Tyrrell are to me outstanding in your consistent output.... phenomenal!.... Vote!

Signboy: I've probably missed something here, what with being absent from the boards, but what is all this Disco Monkey stuff about?? Good use of the vocoder, nice 70's feel, cool synth work.... Almost a Possible Vote!

The Sky Looks Pissed: I nearly bought myself a harmonica the other day, maybe I will when I get back from my holiday.... Bob Dylan you are not! but the harmonica sounds nice!

Steve Durand: Oh I've missed my regular slice of Steve 'Mr. Cool' Durand, I feel you've listened to too much 'Barry Mannilow' there is just so much to like about this, everything makes me smile..... Vote!

Todd McHatton: Like a softer, floaty Ross Durand, the 'there were clouds' line is to die for, the delivery is gold.... beautiful track!.... Vote!

Tungsten Chic: Dr. Stephen Hawking starring in a remake of Shaft!.... bizarre!

The Weakest Suit: Quite a poor outing, I seem to remember you being 'tighter' than this, this just feels rather sloppy, and a bit dissapointing.... sorry guy!

Who Fly: Vocally you sound a little like a male 'Ida Maria' nice poppy feel that lacks a little something instrumentally, a little too spacious for my tastes.
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