Dear Jury: Vote not guilty; I'll pay you! /Acquitted Reviews

Discuss upcoming, current, and previous song fights.
Eric Y.
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Dear Jury: Vote not guilty; I'll pay you! /Acquitted Reviews

Post by Eric Y. »

(On trial for bribery charges).

Reviews go here. If you're lazy, here's a helpful template to get you started:

Code: Select all

[b]Before the Fire[/b] - 
 
[b]Berkeley Social Scene[/b] - 
 
[b]Chopped Liver Meat God[/b] - 
 
[b]Chthonic Pop Ensemble[/b] - 
 
[b]Chthonic Youth[/b] - 
 
[b]Crank Radio[/b] - 
 
[b]Elaine DiMasi[/b] - 
 
[b]Howl Down the Chimney[/b] - 
 
[b]Jon Titterington[/b] - 
 
[b]King Arthur[/b] - 
 
[b]Light With Heat[/b] - 
 
[b]The Lyricburglar Inside Your Head[/b] - 
 
[b]Mantzfield[/b] - 
 
[b]noah mclaughlin[/b] - 
 
[b]Paco del Stinko[/b] - 
 
[b]Pathetic Wannabees[/b] - 
 
[b]Ripping Hammer[/b] - 
 
[b]Rone Rivendale[/b] - 
 
[b]Sh*tload of Dolphins[/b] - 
 
[b]Water Bill[/b] - 
 
[b]The Weakest Suit [/b] - 

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HeadShot
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Re: Dear Jury: Vote not guilty; I'll pay you! /Acquitted Reviews

Post by HeadShot »

Berkeley Social Scene – I love your instrumentals, but you should practice tone control and breath support in your vocals, cause once you have that down your voice will be great.

Mantzfield – I was going to vote for this, until it got to the chorus. In the verse, it was great, quiet, but melodic vocals, punk instrumentals, and even some Bad Religion esque back-up vocals. But the chorus came in and suddenly the vocals didn’t match with the instrumentals. Both all of the vocals and all of the instrumentals are great in this song… they just didn’t mix together that well in the chorus.

Ripping Hammer – Great sound, I’m just not too into that genre, so I can’t really critique it.

Crank Radio – I was already considering giving you my vote, because this was very well done, and a pretty good song to boot, but your guitar solo sealed the deal. Vote.

The Weakest Suit – Hardcore Punk, hell yeah. Vote.

Sh*tload of Dolphins – I have nothing good to say about that genre. I think so low of that entire genre that I had to mention it, despite the fact that I’m only trying to say helpful things here. Here’s something helpful: Stop it. Learn to sing without whining, and jump on a band wagon that isn’t so annoying.

Paco Del Stinko – I had nothing but high expectations for this, and you didn’t let me down. Well done. Vote.

Jon Titterington – Very Elton John with the piano, and well done vocals, but not sure if this gets my vote.

Pathetic Wanabees – This sounded familiar for some reason…

Cthonic Pop Ensemble – Pleasant, but not my thing.

Elaine DiMasi – Damn you got pipes. All you need is a band behind you. Ask around in the Collab forum.

Water Bill – I love that bass line… oh wait, that’s me…

Howl Down The Chimney – Haunting
I've got a better idea. You go in there and talk to him. I'm going home. http://www.facebook.com/#/pages/REFLEKT ... 011?ref=nf
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JonPorobil
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Re: Dear Jury: Vote not guilty; I'll pay you! /Acquitted Reviews

Post by JonPorobil »

Eric Y. wrote:(On trial for bribery charges).

Reviews go here. If you're lazy, here's a helpful template to get you started:
I don't care how the votes turn out; the winner is Eric Y.
"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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roymond
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Re: Dear Jury: Vote not guilty; I'll pay you! /Acquitted Reviews

Post by roymond »

I love when noobs attack each other for reasons known only to themselves.
roymond.com | songfights | covers
"Any more chromaticism and you'll have to change your last name to Wagner!" - Frankie Big Face
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Authors Of
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Re: Dear Jury: Vote not guilty; I'll pay you! /Acquitted Reviews

Post by Authors Of »

Here is my critique. I appologize if I mis-spelled your names! Great music, guys.

Shitload of Dolphins
It's nice and clear. The guitar is relaxing and the vocals are clear and clever. I can find nothing to critique you about. Again, I try to avoid subjective elements that are a matter of preference. Very well done.

Berkeley Social Scene
I like the unique bizarre sound of this song. I kindda wish the chorus was a little more melodic. I can hear the intended melody but I just wish the vocals hit those notes. I believe you're capable of hitting those notes, so I believe your method of singing is a part of the style. Truly, I do get into the chorus and I enjoy it but the vocals leave me wanting to her those notes hit.

Paco Del Stinko
Catchy drums and I like the background vocals. Damn... you're good. I don't like to just say positive things like, "Hey that's awesome" cause that's not helping anybody improve. Anyways this is nicely put together.

Lyric Burglar Inside Your Head
I wish the guitar was louder; I wish it was more blastic in my face. The bass is too loud and the tone is too... boner-tone. I like the guitar solo. Overall, I find the song doesn't flow. It reminds me of my truck getting stuck in the deep ruts on a muddy road. The vocals are fun. Reminds me of a Danzig demo tape. Perhaps if the guitar had more sustained, resonating notes and string pulls? However... I do like where you went with the theme. Nice contrast from the others. I got bored with the happy and cheerful and yours is gloomy and dark. Good.

CrankRadio
Nice smooth sound. Smooth vocals. The guitar is nice for the most part, I found some places where the notes climbed up there and they sounded a bit flat. Maybe a bit of string bending could help manually shift them up to fit in the groove. I wish there was a little more sustain and vibrato. Mind you, that's just in some parts 'cause I notice the guitar sounds great in other parts... particularly where there are vocals. At the end, I like the part where there's just vocals. I also wish perhaps if all the voices were totally in sync with each other. Unless your desired effect was to have them scattered and out of sync.
Well done.

Elaine DiMasi
Wow. Very different having just the one vocal. Such simplicity without hearing other instruments. Less is more! It's fun with the extra words all set in there so precisely. It's an interesting solution but I was hoping for more. Did it need more? No. I don't want to get subjective on you, so I'll say it's creative.

RippingHammer
This one was fast paced and quirky. I thought it was neat. I wish the distorted voice had a little more meat to it. For example if there was a bit less distortion and more warmth or mid range to give it some body. Other than that, I liked the sound of the instruments and I liked the multi-tracked voices.

Chopped Liver Meat God
This one has an awesome sound. Killer guitar with lots of sustain and great tone. I like the faced pace. The violin sounds awful! Man, it really took away from it 'cause the song started off all serious and then the violin made it sound like you guys were just messin' around. I think it's unusual how you guys shifted gears half way through. I got bored when it shifted away from the heavy sound. It was a let-down. I wish you kept it heavy.

NoahMcLaughlin
This song is straightforward. It's okay and I can find no fault with it.

HowlDownTheChimney
Very nice banjo sound. I think it's a banjo anyways... I really like the smooth vocals. Nicely recorded. I really appreciate the different approach you've taken- using a banjo instead of a guitar as a primary instrument. I also find the background synth thingy in the background. "Chopped an elephant to death?" I see you got "Signboy" to do some saxophone in there.

Light With Heat
This is a nice song with a nice beat. Nice tone. I can't find anything to critique about it.

Chtonicpopensemble
I like the introduction to this song because it's something I'd like to try on my own. It reminds me of those English songs... hhaha, sorry for being so vague on that one. Again, I can find no fault in this song either.

Jon Titterington
Yes, another straight forward song. It's nicely done and I can't say anything about it for critique.

The Weakest Suit
Full of energy, this song is. I can't hear what you're saying but that comes with the style. Yeah, that's all I have to say about this one. Good.

King Arthur
Nice sound quality. I like the clear vocals. It's well-composed.

Rone Rivendale
You should get a pop filter thingy for your microphone. That will help your sound quality. I find the timing of your vocals doesn't quite groove enough with the percussion in the background. The lyrics are well composed.

Chtonic Youth
I can get a sense of a really nice melody at the beginning of this song but it sounds like the instruments are a bit out of tune. I think the guitar is a bit flat. I really wish you were singing in this song. Come on, buddy.. Ah there!! Half way through you finally broke out and did it! That "YEAHH!" is the energy I was really hoping for in this song.

Before The Fire
What the hell is this?! Haha. I don't know what to say about this, you guys. Other bands put in a lot of effort and have some exquisite work to submit but this sounds like you guys were just fooling around. I can't take this seriously.

Mantzfield
Fast complicated guitar and fine timing! I love that introduction. Very catchy with nice vocals and your percussion is so precise! I'm glad I'm not high on acid 'cause you guys have this bizarre confusing sound that kindda disorients me. The bass is right in there too, playing some really crazy riffs.

Pathetic Wannabees
Nice old school sound. It sounds like a lot of fun with that organ sound and the guitar. I wish the vocals had a bit more energy as if you're holding back. I have the same problem when I do vocals. When I hear the other songs on here I find they have more of a crisp tone in the overall recording. I find your solution lacks that tone. It gives it an old-tyme sound and perhaps that's what you were going for? A happy accident? Well done! A unique style. I enjoyed it.

Waterbill
I wish the melodic synths had a lot more intensity and atmosphere. What I mean to say is that if all the tracks, including the percussion were done with one program - all of that sounds like one instrument. If there was a way to individually tweek each track I can imagine the melodic synth could have a lot more energy. Perhaps you had a different idea with the composition of the song. Anyways, I like the melody in the vocals also. The overall composition is great but I wish the intensity and atmosphere was more... in my face.
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HeadShot
Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love
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Re: Dear Jury: Vote not guilty; I'll pay you! /Acquitted Reviews

Post by HeadShot »

Authors Of wrote: Waterbill
I wish the melodic synths had a lot more intensity and atmosphere. What I mean to say is that if all the tracks, including the percussion were done with one program - all of that sounds like one instrument. If there was a way to individually tweek each track I can imagine the melodic synth could have a lot more energy. Perhaps you had a different idea with the composition of the song. Anyways, I like the melody in the vocals also. The overall composition is great but I wish the intensity and atmosphere was more... in my face.
Everything but the vocals were done with FL Studio 5, and there were exactly 3 instruments in use: The bass, the "guitar", and the drumsynth. More intense and in your face? All right, I'll take that into account for future entries.
I've got a better idea. You go in there and talk to him. I'm going home. http://www.facebook.com/#/pages/REFLEKT ... 011?ref=nf
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Teplin
Push Comes to Shove
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Re: Dear Jury: Vote not guilty; I'll pay you! /Acquitted Reviews

Post by Teplin »

Thanks for the review, Authors. I used a banjitar, a banjo with a six string guitar neck.
Authors Of wrote:"Chopped an elephant to death?"
Shocked an elephant to death. True story!
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nyjm
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Re: Dear Jury: Vote not guilty; I'll pay you! /Acquitted Reviews

Post by nyjm »

Authors Of wrote:noah mclaughlin
This song is straightforward. It's okay and I can find no fault with it.
I can! Wow; after a good night's sleep away from this tune, I apologize to everyone for inflicting that white-fucking-hot acoustic on your left ear.

Here is a much smoother and balanced mix.

noah mclaughlin - I Will Be Acquitted (SoCo Mix)
"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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Teplin
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Re: Dear Jury: Vote not guilty; I'll pay you! /Acquitted Reviews

Post by Teplin »

nyjm wrote:Wow; after a good night's sleep away from this tune, I apologize to everyone for inflicting that white-fucking-hot acoustic on your left ear.
Yeah, been there. I hate when ear fatigue kicks in midway through mixing an entry a few hours before the deadline.
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fishsticks
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Re: Dear Jury: Vote not guilty; I'll pay you! /Acquitted Reviews

Post by fishsticks »

Before The Fire
-5 molesting a mic like that
-3 making no sense at all
did you do this on purpose?

Berkeley Social Scene
-2 out of key vocals
+3 everything else
This needs to be covered. You've got a great song here, but the vocal performance brings it down. I hope to hear more and better entries from you in the future.

Chopped Liver Meat God
+2 rock
+/- 2 vocals
So close. The verses are the best stuff I've ever heard from you. The rap, I could take or leave, but the bit at 0:54 sucks. The vocals there need to be better, or quieter. And then... violin? and then... a new song? I like the second part, just not that it's the second part. All in all, I wish you had just stuck to the Filterish beginning. Or started with the second half.

Chthonic Pop Ensemble
+2 being sensitive
+5 being good
This is a really well done track, and I don't have any criticism without getting nitpicky. Fantastic job.

Chthonic Youth
see above
I like this one a bit more in the yeah parts, but a bit less for the spoken verses.

Crank Radio
-1 mixing details
Solo is a bit loud. The drop off right after feels good because of that, though. The acappella bit at the end is... chaotic. I don't like it, but you may have been going for that, as you can obviously sing.

Elaine DiMasi
+3 pulling this off
Wow. I've seen people with the balls to submit an instrumental, but you... you have Cojones! It might have been a bit more impressive if you had done some stereo widening or something. Sounds good.

Howl Down The Chimney
+5 replacing Danny Elfman in the soundtrack of my nightmares
I love this. There is some seriously eclectic instrumentation going on, too. Love it.

John Titterington
+2 vocal sound
-1 unidentified cause of low memorability
I like this. But I don't. I've listened 3 times, and I can't make up my mind. Maybe it's that there really aren't any harmonic or dynamic changes.

King Arthur
+2 my mom will love it
-1 panning
This sounds great on "almost mono" speakers, but in headphones, the panning is a bit distracting.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/articl ... ic_in.html

Light With Heat
+2 having the idea
-2 recording it
I love everything but the recording/mixing of your song. Turn the tambourine down, cut out some low rumblies. This is another song that really deserves a remake.

Lyric Burglar
+2 ending with that violence
-1 rearranging the lyrics
I you're going to burgle, you should burgle straight. burgle. burgleburgleburgle.
It's pretty rough & raw, but well done for the style.

Mantzfield
+1 being almost really good
-2 having that much going on
Is there 2 songs being played at once? I have a hunch you're on the cusp of a large improvement leap. There's some really good bits here, but it's just not assembled well.

Noah McLaughlin
+3 writing a good song
-2 panning
Things panned all the way hard into just one ear suck. Really good song, though.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/articl ... ic_in.html

Paco Del Steenko
+4 being Paco
-1 snare hurts.
Maybe my speakers are just too loud, but there's something about that snare that feels louder than it is. Overall, this oozes Paco Del Goodness.

Pathetic Wannabes
+3 groovin, old school
This is some of the best you guys have done.

Ripping Hammer
+4 making me rewind to bob my head from the beginning
I like it!

Rone Rivendale
+2 I can tell this apart from the others
-2 poor use of autotune

Shitload Of Dolphins
+3 you sing purdy
-1 song is pretty, but not going anywhere
Some harmony vocals would have been really nice.

Water Bill
+2 giving me my techno fix this week
-1 vocal rhythm
The multiple vocals are a bit too loose in the timing to have that thickening effect. I like the melody, though. Some more time spent mixing would have made this better. eg: drum track is too loud, vocals could have been reverb'ed into the "same room" as the instrumentation. Good voice for this style, I hope to hear more from you.

Weakest Suit
+3 replacing Ministry
LOL, this is great! I was hoping someone would take the M.J. route.
championvinyl
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Re: Dear Jury: Vote not guilty; I'll pay you! /Acquitted Reviews

Post by championvinyl »

fishsticks wrote: John Titterington
+2 vocal sound
-1 unidentified cause of low memorability
I like this. But I don't. I've listened 3 times, and I can't make up my mind. Maybe it's that there really aren't any harmonic or dynamic changes.
Pretty much what most of my friends have told me. I cranked this one out quicker than I should have (probably) and spent too much time on the performance and not enough time working on the melody, or molding anything into a hook.
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rone rivendale
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Re: Dear Jury: Vote not guilty; I'll pay you! /Acquitted Reviews

Post by rone rivendale »

fishsticks wrote: Rone Rivendale
+2 I can tell this apart from the others
-2 poor use of autotune

No autotune. But thank you for the review. And thank you for not making me the lowest point total. I appreciate it! ^_^
From spoken word to actual singing, I can screw up any style with style. :D
Eric Y.
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Re: Dear Jury: Vote not guilty; I'll pay you! /Acquitted Reviews

Post by Eric Y. »

Comments moved here and expanded slightly.
Last edited by Eric Y. on Tue Jul 14, 2009 10:36 am, edited 1 time in total.
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roymond
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Re: Dear Jury: Vote not guilty; I'll pay you! /Acquitted Reviews

Post by roymond »

I'm thinking Phil Dotree isn't a very good source of production advice (don't get me started), but at least he put together lists of things to resemble a method. There are great threads here in our Help and How To section (including awesome links), but it needs to get organized. What ever happened to that SF Production Wiki?
roymond.com | songfights | covers
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nyjm
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Re: Dear Jury: Vote not guilty; I'll pay you! /Acquitted Reviews

Post by nyjm »

fishsticks wrote:Things panned all the way hard into just one ear suck. Really good song, though.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/articl ... ic_in.html
Phil Dotree (author of article above) wrote:1. Avoid the three zones of extreme panning. Dead center, extreme left, and extreme right are three zones where you should usually not be putting any instruments; if something's going into any of these areas, you've got to have an extremely good reason.
Why?

Mr. Dotree doesn't explain it later in the article. In fact, most of the rest of the article is pretty conventional wisdom, though he does a piss-poor job of explaining the reasons behind any of it.
"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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nyjm
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Re: Dear Jury: Vote not guilty; I'll pay you! /Acquitted Reviews

Post by nyjm »

roymond wrote:What ever happened to that SF Production Wiki?
You know, I was just thinking about that earlier this morning.
"You sound like the ghost of David Bowie." - SchlimminyCricket | it was a pleasure to burn | my website | Juliet's Happy Dagger
championvinyl
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Re: Dear Jury: Vote not guilty; I'll pay you! /Acquitted Reviews

Post by championvinyl »

championvinyl wrote:
fishsticks wrote: John Titterington
+2 vocal sound
-1 unidentified cause of low memorability
I like this. But I don't. I've listened 3 times, and I can't make up my mind. Maybe it's that there really aren't any harmonic or dynamic changes.
Pretty much what most of my friends have told me. I cranked this one out quicker than I should have (probably) and spent too much time on the performance and not enough time working on the melody, or molding anything into a hook.
lol, if anyone is interested one of my friends just threw a rhythm section over the raw mp3 and turned it into friggin postpunk or something.
http://championvinyl.net/iwbaACTIONMIX.mp3
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mico saudad
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Re: Dear Jury: Vote not guilty; I'll pay you! /Acquitted Reviews

Post by mico saudad »

Before the Fire - Can't get into this sorry

Berkeley Social Scene - I want the synth part to transition to something else from the arpeggios, I enjoyed this. I think a couple more takes of vocals could've tightened this up a bit.

Chopped Liver Meat God - the heaviness. my favorite metal is really focused on developed melodies, this kind of wandered around a baseline but didn't develop an evolving trajectory, do you know what I mean?

Chthonic Pop Ensemble - Entertaining! Wes Anderson will contact you about putting this song on his next soundtrack. And I mean that as a compliment.

Chthonic Youth - Is this the same as the other Chthonic, cause it's a faux pas to submit multiple songs. Just saying. Way too much space in here for my taste.

Crank Radio - Very happy with this one, it came together nicely. f*** the Basiji!

Elaine DiMasi - This is the sort of thing I like to sing in stairwells and showers. Not that you have access to it but it does beg for a walking standing bass line.

Howl Down the Chimney - Interesting atmosphere. Too loose for my taste.

Jon Titterington - I'm absolutely loving this until the chorus starts. The lyric placement within the piano phrases are nice, and the tone of the voice matches. Similar to what I like about Ben Kweiler in some of his songs.

King Arthur - This is enjoyable! There's an energy that you have at 0:51-1:01 (and similar spots throughout the song) that I really like, but that the actual chorus could be oomphed a bit.

Light With Heat - I also feel like there's a little bit of hesitation in the beat that was somewhat distracting for me, such that it didn't flow but felt more like chunks of measures on a string.

The Lyricburglar Inside Your Head - You've definitely got a consistent style, but it's too loose and plodding for my taste.

Mantzfield - Wow. totally a Nintendo boss fight scene. Like the end boss. Oh. And now we're doing metal punk. Interesting. I'm not totally sure that the glibness of punk matches well with the frikking pinpoint accuracy of good metal, but I'm willing to be proven wrong in your future tracks.

noah mclaughlin - your voice is going for something different than the music. I suggest working for a convergence between the tools you've got access to and your playing styles.

Paco del Stinko - fresh off a win, and the guitar work is nice. nice full mix. The lyrics don't really pull me in, but parts of the music are nice. Yeah I want something more compelling.

Pathetic Wannabees - I want the song to be a little louder and a little tighter.

Ripping Hammer - This could be fun live I think. Not sure I'd want a whole set of this, which sounds a bit like circus music. But this one song stands out as an interesting novelty.

Rone Rivendale - Rone dude, I remember listening to your songs like a year ago and telling you the same things I'm feeling today. I want less muddy vocals, tighter rhymes.

Sh*tload of Dolphins - Very nice guitar work. Not really funny enough to be a funny song, not serious enough to be serious. Ill listen to future songs cause I think I could potentially like your stuff if you ended up going way more funny, or way more engaging.

Water Bill - Another Nintendo song, this time it's the beginning of a stage. Vocals will have to be much heavier in the mix, this track needs to be fuller somehow.

The Weakest Suit - Nice consistent energy. I'm not super into yellcore, but nice for what it is.
martyr
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Re: Dear Jury: Vote not guilty; I'll pay you! /Acquitted Reviews

Post by martyr »

Before the Fire - Cool soundscape. Not really a song. But notable for the unique mix of drones and natural percussion. It's like the prisoners start tapping on the prison walls and ignore the megaphone drones of the guards to stop.

Berkeley Social Scene - Both vocal tracks, and all three guitars were done in one take in my car at 5am out in front of the house so as not to wake the family. Ken laid the drums, midi keys, and mix (including the sending one of the acoustic guitars through an octave fx to make it into a bass track.) Overall, I'm happy with the composition of this song. I agree with Ken that it is Lennonesque. Regarding the out-of-tune and breath stuff -- sure there can be improvements. The focus was on the songcraft, but ultimately the track is the final output, and people just want to hear it done perfectly. Well, there wasn't time for that, and cramped early-morning singing is all we have to represent the idea. Excuses aside, I like listening to this.

Chopped Liver Meat God - Nice late 90s style Hard Rock thing going. The guitar solo tones are hot and bothered. Not into the ominous whine vocal that comes later. Melody drops out and guitar holds a note -- sort of a weak point. This is devolving into a 80s metal thing. The violin is cool and steps it up a notch in likability for the avante gaurd aspect. This is freaking long. It just switched into an entirely different song. Seems okay, but I'm experiencing listener fatigue, and have nothing to show for it.

Chthonic Pop Ensemble - National theme intro, flows into a jazz thing. Real horns are nice. Or is it key samples -- well they're good ones. Magnetic fields sorta feel. Vocals are holding up. Melody goes somewhat Depeche Mode and then it all stops... For a really long time... Is my volume just really low? I know I know I know. This would be improved if the drum sounds were beefier, but overall I think you are achieving what you're going for. Still too long for me... Almost bailed on the "what have I done"? Now the dynamics are making me adjust my volume all over. Also, the ending wasn't wrapping up the package. Again, fine, more like a symphonic piece than a pop song.

Chthonic Youth - Cool intro. Not into the talk over. Needs to kick in. Now I'm liking the talk-over as verse. Post-punk rules. Ok, need a chorus with melody. Just droning the Pavement licks and Slint talk-over. Well, to be Slint, you need a long scream-as-chorus. Hah, there it is. Good. Came a bit later than I wanted, and not quite the pitch I was expecting, but fair enough -- ask and tho shall receive. Fine ending.

Crank Radio - Melodic fine indie pop thingy. Nice choppy rhythm guitar. Sort of a subdued Strokes vocal and even guitar feel. Like one of their slower contemplative B sides -- not the mega hits, but still nice. Liking this alright. The guitar solo goes a bit amateurish and detracts from the positive work from earlier. Did it just end like that? No goes quiet and tries to pick it up again. The bridge isn't quite as strong and is now getting all biblical... Perhaps eye for an eye is repeated too much. Guess it's a build up or build out or whatever. Perhaps I'm too picky. Good effort -- great moments.

Elaine DiMasi - Solo vox intro -- always ballsy. Verse 2 I'm hoping for instrumentation. Not that your voice can't hold it's own -- on the contrary, super strong. By Verse 3, I'm accepting that this is a going to be a vocal call to action -- the sort of thing you sing in the Irish bar before shipping of to war. Nice.

Howl Down the Chimney - Folksy mandolin thing with deep doubled reverb vox. Nice atmospheric feel. Like the male Catpower thing going on. The title line is very well performed. Like the choice of notes and melody. Your band name is very appropriate for the result you're generating. Like the rich instrumentation that slowly layers on with each verse. Excellent. Long though -- all the better to trip out too, but I think the radio cut could have ended a few minutes before.

Jon Titterington - Very nice piano work. Good pleasant vocals. Nothing really to say other than I like this.

King Arthur - Nice fun intro. Happy upbeat verse. Fine enough.

Light With Heat - Good intro with nice tambo and subdued indie production. Decent stuff - might be late in the fight, but feeling like I've heard the title lyric too many times. Love the fuzz guitar solo and hits. You could play one note with that tone and it'd be awesome. The organ sound is really good too. Nice.

The Lyricburglar Inside Your Head - Heavy scary into. The anger and resentment is building. Will it explode? Hmm seems to keep doing the same thing with verse and chorus barely differentiated and the same gruff grumbling throughout. Feedback outro is fine.

Mantzfield - Pulsating madness. Reminds me of the tune on this free iphone tap tap drum metal app I downloaded, but then totally changes. Frantic but cool in a way. Like the gyrating vocals and even the disturbing rhythmic madness. This is really for the advanced listener however. Sorta poppy -- sorta weird. Could make you crazy if exposed to it for too long.

noah mclaughlin -

Paco del Stinko -

Pathetic Wannabees -

Ripping Hammer -

Rone Rivendale -

Sh*tload of Dolphins -

Water Bill -

The Weakest Suit -

:o :x :wink:
Last edited by martyr on Tue Jul 14, 2009 3:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
m++
Lord of Oats
Ice Cream Man
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Re: Dear Jury: Vote not guilty; I'll pay you! /Acquitted Reviews

Post by Lord of Oats »

Shitload of Dolphins - Holy shit. You entered a fight. Awesome sauce.
"81 songs and 569 posts in 4 months. You don't mess around when it comes to messing around." - fluffy
Lord of Oats
Ice Cream Man
Posts: 1194
Joined: Sun Aug 26, 2007 2:35 pm
Location: Gainesville, Florida

Re: Dear Jury: Vote not guilty; I'll pay you! /Acquitted Reviews

Post by Lord of Oats »

There was apparently a problem.
Last edited by Lord of Oats on Tue Jul 14, 2009 3:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"81 songs and 569 posts in 4 months. You don't mess around when it comes to messing around." - fluffy
HeuristicsInc
Beat It
Posts: 5297
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Re: Dear Jury: Vote not guilty; I'll pay you! /Acquitted Reviews

Post by HeuristicsInc »

nyjm wrote:
Phil Dotree (author of article above) wrote:1. Avoid the three zones of extreme panning. Dead center, extreme left, and extreme right are three zones where you should usually not be putting any instruments; if something's going into any of these areas, you've got to have an extremely good reason.
Why?
yeah, i thought it was pretty standard practice to pan the bass right in the middle...
-bill
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