Dr. Songfight (Art Bomb Reviews)

[jeff robertson]

I think sometimes instrumentals need to have their vision explained.

The "vision" is that the sound clips before and after the music are clips from the Honeymooners, with Jackie Gleason and *Art* Carney. There were a lot more such soundbites during the music, but I ended up mixing them out because I decided I'd rather just hear the music. The result doesn't have as much Art as intended, but that's what you get when you give yourself 24 hours.

[AJOwens]

The "vision" is that the sound clips before and after the music are clips from the Honeymooners, with Jackie Gleason and *Art* Carney.

I thought that was Ralph and Norton! I ask about it in my reviews, which are a work in progress (I'm now in the G's).

[foobar93]

James Owens

... I want more punch. More monster drums, maybe a little faster tempo too. I'm not sure what to suggest, but I think this could use more energy. . .

I'm hearing "Make it louder." Try the attached remastered version. (Also, as a simple test, please try turning the original up and see if it works better for you.)

Wow, never had a custom mixed track before. Listening now... (Hey this would be a great way to deal with a pretentious reviewer - just give them the same track as a "special remix" and watch them flail about how different it is)

It's definitely a lot more dramatic, and I hear way way more bass which is awesome. I can also crank it up a lot louder without it getting painful, so I think that helps me hear some of the punchier items that I didn't hear. I like this song a lot, but I still think even with the remix it could use more energy. I think you could reuse more material from the solo (I love that tone) and the little guitar riffs towards the end sooner. I'm thinking maybe for "jam all the lines" is where I'm expecting it pick up in energy, maybe a new instrument or some extra drum activity. I like how it goes back to a lower energy verse, then "steal all the words" would be great to kick it up again. Then you can go nuts on "insurrection" and of course on art bomb.

Now that's just my $.02, so obviously take it with a grain of salt. during the guitar solo, things are feeling pretty satisfying. I just want more of that kind of stuff in the rest of the track.

[g_rock]

Thanks for the reviews everyone who reviews, mine are coming shortly. Some good songs in this one.
posted some lyrics too for anyone who likes that sort of thing.

[AJOwens]

These reviews were written in fits and starts over several days, and reflect changing moods, and possibly mood-altering substances. YMMV. Hope I don't piss anybody off, but remember, don't take it personally. I'm just some jerk on the Internet.

----

Add - Pleasantly boppy song with personality. Constructed in a way that sustains interest. I like the manic singing, and the interplay in the minimalist lead solos. Crisp, fresh sound.

Balance Lost - Interesting variations; rich, busy arrangement. The recording feels overdriven, a little crowded in the midrange. Reading the words, I like your take on the title; the anger and aggressiveness come through in the performance, to the extent that the tune allows, but the tune actually feels pretty happy.

Berkeley Social Scene - Clean, open arrangement. Pretty introduction. The chorus is noteworthy for a sound that successfully straddles indie and pop. Nice Fripp-style lead.

Big Matt Hyatt and his Rusty Red Riders - Needs a heckler telling the front man to get on with it. . .

Boffo Yux Dudes - You probably don't remember "I feel like I'm sitting on a time bomb, baby" by the one-hit-wonder Europop group Lake. I do, which gets in the way for me. But your mood is more B-52's (appropriately enough for this title). Enjoying the rude lyrics. The vocal delivery feels appropriate here; in a straighter song, the swooping and imperfectly achieved notes might be an issue. Vocals are high in the mix; the recording would benefit from more presence in the instruments. Good punchy bass line in the chorus. Nice fade.

Caravan Ray - Groovy mood set by the lick, the rhythm, the arrangements. I like your lyrics. "Ten thousand people" wants rich harmonies. Fun tune.

Chiron Return - Parts of this sound like the Elvis Costello-Burt Bacharach collaboration. Impressive and imaginative harmonic developments, good arranging (except for some of the crazy vocals). The production is a bit washed out, not enough spectral range or contrast. Six minutes is more than the material can really carry; the song could be tightened up.

c.layne - Sweet voice. Tuneful song. The chorus starts off very Pink Ployd, but the closing "I'll never let you go" is outstandingly pretty and moving. Tasteful lead work, struggling a bit with the dissonance. The three-note semitone ride-up that appears here and there could have more oomph. Man, that chorus really sells this one.

Codpeace - No shortage of energy from this performer! Great hard-driving punk guitars and drums in a mixup with classic wailing leads, demented vocal enthusiasm.

DJ Ranger Den - An instrumental, but still in the running because it is an art bomb. The watery impressionism of the piano, punctuated by small, dry percussive sounds, creates a sonic space that defies its own impossibility. What emerges is a dreamlike passage through uncomprehended events. As for what the piano is doing, with its amorphous post-Ravelian swirls, that would be amazing even without the LFO filter.

Flvxxvm Florvm - HEY! I see Russian folk dancers. Another of several instrumentals in this fight; good, high-spirited work, da. Loosely inspired by Falla's Ritual Fire Dance? HEY! Is that Norton and Ralph?

Foobar - Very Lou Reed. The lyrics are clever. The performances are good, although sometimes a misplaced, slightly flakey falsetto disturbs the gritty, purposeful atmosphere. The mix sounds great. Stays interesting. Good song.

Frontalittle Squad - Consistent sound and mood across varied sections. Persuasive rapping, nice groove, engaging chorus. Good job all round.

Glad Baggage - High-energy contribution. The song is not outstanding in any particular way, but fun to listen to. The offbeat scan of "art bomb" and the scratchy bad connections at the end underline the general mood of craziness.

glennny - Nice pun on "bourgeoisie" (wouldn't work up here -- "bourgeois zed"). The music seems to be bolted together in sections for the purpose of carrying the lyrics, which fold back on themselves in self-referential irony. It adds up to an emphatic nod in the direction of postmodern art, which is good. The song itself is not going to be a commercial hit. I think you knew that.

The Grammys - Some G & G entries are intended for solo performance, coffee-house style; others are meant as sketches for a full song. I don't know which way to take this one. The tune has a nice lilt, and the chorus is capable of grabbing attention, but the vocal delivery is pitched too low for excitement (except for the "ooh-hoo"). The song has possibilities, but it would take a full band to realize them. The short duration of the track also suggests a sketch; it's not long enough to leave a satisfying feeling. In my monitors, the track seems to need some high midrange trimming.

grock - I like the low-blues-jazz mood of the verse a lot. The change at 1:09 has a different mood, slightly commercial, which interrupts the vibe. Structurally this part is a high point in the song, but for a couple of reasons it feels weaker than the verse. The sound loses its former transparent clarity; the rhythm guitar is too prominent, or maybe its syncopation is murkier; the bass in particular slips anchor. I'm all for adventurous bass lines, but here a straighter treatment would give the chorus a more solid feel.

The Hand Formula - The vocal recording is "tanky" -- it needs a parametric EQ to clear out the muddiness. A minimal arrangement, with the interesting choice of a toy piano and a plastic reed organ. The tune has a charming simplicity, using a progression strongly reminiscent of Pachelbel's Canon. The singing sounds distracted or listless. I can't make out all the words.

HIJ$KM - The bass and synth bass drum seem high in the mix, overwhelming the recording in my monitors. The simple tones and stark arrangement make for a very dry sound; my ears long for more richness, or perhaps just less brutality. The Dr Who-ish goings-on around 1:27 are an improvement. I do like the shape of the composition, the tensions and contrasts.

Hoblit - I like the thick, heavy sound. The chorus comes at just the right time, modulates interestingly, accelerates the chord changes, builds well, develops an exciting sound (great air raid siren guitar). Second verse emerges quietly, with the vocal an octave higher (and some minor changes in the guitar, if I'm not mistaken). Gentle outro sums up. In other words, a very well-crafted song. Tune is likeable too. Clean, well-balanced recording. A solid entry.

James Owens - The Internet was surprisingly unhelpful, so I consulted my daughter, who studies communication arts and is familiar with the concept, and then I added my own philosophical spin on the transformation and reclamation of public space, drawing out the martial metaphor and the element of surprise. Art bombs are planted overnight, and everything led me to the modified Robert Duvall quote, "I love the smell of art bomb in the morning." I didn't mean to suggest an apocalypse.

Paco and foobar would like more energy in the song. Remastering helped a little (I posted an update on page 1 of the review thread), but it still needs something else, and I don't know what would do it exactly. More distortion? More instruments? More frenetic parts? But anyway my singing voice leans toward mellow, so what can you do?

Glenn Case finds the rhythmic interplay dangerously loose. I'd followed a suggestion often made by SongFighters to use doubled rhythm guitars across the stereo field, but I didn't worry about exact duplication of the rhythm, and I gave them different tones. Possibly one or both of these choices was a mistake. Or maybe uneven drumming is the problem.

Jim Tyrrell and the Summiteers - The lyrics are well done, and after my own heart. I also like the tense seriousness of the delivery. The music is suitably martial and ominous, with a good groove (and a nod to Led Zeppelin). Good job on the clapping effects. The choir is a good idea, but the execution isn't big enough. The song could be longer.

Ken's Super Duper Band 'n Stuff - Nice upbeat song, good vocals. Interesting textures. Well recorded. Good synth break, maybe just a little loud. Ends rather unexpectedly! Great sound overall. I like your take on the title, and the lyrics are tight and efficient.

Level Nivelo - Not sure what to make of this. Overall it sounds like a recording on a budget, for which people will usually cut you some slack. But the vocal has a sophisticated effect, there's a fascinating synthesized orchestra-tuning intro that has nothing to do with anything, and some haphazard drums pop up randomly at the end. Then there's the accident with the mic. Murky recording, especially of the ukelele, and the singing is occasionally pitchy. The lyrics are not that well focussed, some lines are just padding. The tune is OK, but not outstanding. To get away with everything you'd need a really good basic song.

The Magnetic Letters - The female voiceover is convincing, both in tone and writing, and the sensitively applied vocoder synthesis over unobtrusive techno music is a brilliant touch. This disturbing atmosphere of clinical dissection breaks down with the move to speech-synthesized conversation. The dialog is composed entirely of movie clichés; that may be intentional, but in contrast to the refined quality of the preceding segment, it feels clumsy, especially given the inherently bad acting that comes with voice synthesis. In the final, sung segment, we understand the need for the setup, but it's a laborious way of going about it. The singing has a certain soulful quality though, and I do like the techno background (if that's what it's called).

Micah Sommersmith - A very dark take on the title. Well-written lyrics and tune, with a quite musical arrangement. Good performance and recording. Short and wry. My only complaint, and it's a minor one, is that the various instruments seem to be in separate rooms, so to speak; somehow they don't mesh into a unified sound.

New Image - (I've never been sure about fuzz bass, even when Paul McCartney tried it on "Think For Yourself." ) It could just be genre bias, but at first the chord progression and melody don't engage me. I do like the lead solo, and after a few plays the song grows on me, in particular the vocal sound. The melody in the section at 1:25 seems unsure of where it's going. This entry feels shorter than 2:52, which is a sign that it's more interesting than I think. Great "live" sound in the recording. The echoes of the vocal line in the guitar starting around 2:18 work really well, and the guitar tone is perfect for it.

Niveous - Slow to start. The words are hard to make out; they're fighting for space with the guitar, and the vocal needs more energy and commitment. There is altogether more of that solo guitar lick than it deserves. The synth sprinkling is refreshing though. If this is supposed to be a minimalist, droning kind of song, given the subject matter and all, then you did a good job. It doesn't pack a lot of excitement.

Paco del Stinko - In terms of arrangement and production, expertly and imaginatively crafted, with tight punctuations, good change-up. Great bass work. The composition itself is distinctively eccentric and angular. I have a little trouble hearing the lyrics on this one.

Political Suicide - An unusual, sparse but lively sound. The vocal rhythms move the song along briskly. By changing the vocal treatments and other surface happenings, you manage to keep it interesting even though the underlying song is quite repetitive. It's the kind of song you can bop in your chair to. I'm not completely sure, because I can't catch all of the lyrics, but they seem to be about vapid celebrity, in which case the significance of "She's a real art bomb" is not clear to me. Is it somehow akin to "blonde bombshell"?

Rio Mondo - A short, demented comedy routine about an "art bomb" as a regular wartime bomb, surrounded by a collage of quotes, conversation, and background music. The collage material is interesting, but without more clues I can't connect it all up as a commentary on art and war, humorous or otherwise -- if that's what it is.

Ross Durand - Good rocker, nice build. I'm impressed at how you get such a great lowdown rock sound from a couple of acoustic guitar tracks, a tambourine, and a raunchy vocal and harmony. Solid lyrics, fine delivery. Your lead guitar is getting better!

Ryan Dawson - Good vocal tone. The plain bass drum on the first beat of the bar is a little simplistic or heavy-handed for the song. Pretty keyboard work, adding some interest to a pattern that is getting worn. The end harmonies need some treatment to make them sound more like backing vocals; some reverb plugins have helpful presets for this. Overall the song needs more variety.

Schlimminy Cricket - The song has a good flow. The synth solo is a bit loud, and needs to be pulled back a bit when the vocals rejoin the song. The instrumentation is simple and quiet, focussing attention on the lyrics, which at their best are cryptic and intense.

Since the lyrics are so important to the song, I'll risk further comment on them. The word "fleshy" is distracting for a couple of reasons: as a dictionary word, it's doubtful (one might say fishy), but it's also strongly evocative of things not to the point. You don't really want people thinking about your flesh here. You're using it to fill out the meter, but a different word is needed; not "mortal," which is equally unhelpful (and a cliché), but something that relates a human form to whatever it is the art bomb can do or has done to it. "Broken," maybe.

The phrase "Or if not innocent" is a philosophical pulling back, a remote, abstract reflection that disrupts the immediacy and intensity of the images you're piling up.

Apart from that, and maybe the ambiguity of "said" for a poet's colony -- clever, but it could be "sad" with a typo -- the poetry is effective. (I hope you don't mind me putting on editing airs.)

Scott Gesser - This is actually a pretty good song -- tuneful, lively, interesting. The constructions and arrangements show a strong musical sense. The overall sound is sparse and thin, and that could be thickened up with pads or effects (if you wanted). But the entry suffers from imprecise singing, which seriously obscures a good melody. You need to work on that, or team up with a vocalist.

tentillum - When the piano comes in at 2:43, this changes from an interesting experimental electronic sound project into a bit of funky, happening background music. But thinking back on it, the funky, happening rhythm section gave that away almost at once; I was just too forgiving. Not that there's anything wrong with funky, happening background music; it's just destined to be anonymous. Who cares what any particular selection is named?

Tokyo Expressway - People sometimes give instrumentals short shrift, but if you contrast the ones in this fight, there's a lot to distinguish and comment on. It's just that there's no way to prove any given one was inspired by the current title. DJ's was a conscious nod to impressionism, electronic music, and musique concrete; FF's was a deliberate construction of crazy fun (HEY!); tentillium's turned out to be an endless groove; this one feels like a single-chord jam with some sound effects thrown in. On balance, the ones that appear to involve some thought and planning are the more persuasive entries.

Tyler Zahnke - Now this feels like a planned instrumental about Arthur and Guinevere -- at least for a while. Then it collapses, first into tentative exploration, then pretty much into randomness. It could be a slowly exploding art bomb. With the percussive artifacts and the "shave and a haircut" ending, this begins to seem like a plausible theory.

Wages - There are timing issues throughout. Some of this is speed variation in the song. If you ever do full-blown multitracking, this could be a real headache, so you may want to explore click tracks. But part of it is sheer synchronization. I'm hearing up to three vocal lines on more or less the same notes, with different timings. This creates an effect not unlike a late-night singalong at a bar. (Maybe that's what you're going for, I'm honestly not sure.) The whole "by and by" thing, and the simple, short, quickly resolved melody of the verse, suggests an old-time sort of song. The lead guitar is very dry in the mix. A little reverb or echo would give it more life.

WreckdoM - Another live recording captured on a single mic, but this one sounds much better than your last one; I'm hearing a full range, from the grungy amplified bass to the crisp cymbals. You could EQ the recorded track to bump up the bass (and drum kick) a bit. The song has an intriguingly degenerate sound, thanks to the rawness of the band and the semi-spoken, drawling singalong of the vocals. As a live performance, it would be entertaining. The song is very basic, so it's really more about the performance. And possibly the lyrics, which are a little murky in the audio. But reading them on the Olde Lyric Archive, I'd say they work with the song.

[Tyler Zahnke]

First of all, I'm going to say, I didn't listen to many of the songs, because there are so many. I will say, Frontalittle Squad, this is your best song since the Song Fight Christmas special "Merry Christmas" back in 2003. As far as my piece (now that I have a forum account, that stupid machine didn't send my activation code probably because of my Comcast email address, I can participate), I believe that the recording quality of mine is a lot better than the first three times. The first three times, as your reviews back then speculated, I did use a handheld recorder. I upgraded recently. As far as the "shave and a haircut" ending, it is immitating the parody artist P.D.Q. Bach (real name Peter Schickele). If you listen, at the beginning, a couple notes from Cher's song "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves" can be heard. At the end of the intro part, you can hear what sounds a little like Hide and Seek by Imogen Heap, Scottish fiddling in the body of the piece, and The Count's The Transylvania Polka from Sesame Street just to see if anyone noticed. And Shave and a Haircut. Peter Schickele, who plays P.D.Q. Bach, is very old, and I'm just being the new P.D.Q.; it was my idea of instrumental music humor. Witch Hunt, though shoddily recorded, was supposed to be like a spooky, dark movie scene. Dodged a Bullet a chase scene. This Week We'll See a cheap nerdcore song. And this, with better audio equipment, a P.D.Q. Bach-like piece. To me, the music reminds me of being in an art museum, and you see a piece of artwork that is so beautiful that it causes an "explosive" emotion, like an emotional bomb. And this is why I composed it.

[jeff robertson]

HEY! I see Russian folk dancers. Another of several instrumentals in this fight; good, high-spirited work, da. Loosely inspired by Falla's Ritual Fire Dance?

The inspiration, such as it was, was to try to do an early rock-n-roll instrumental, like "Wipeout" or something by Link Wray, but using dissonances and scales they would have never used in the 50s/early 60s. In this case, all the leads and the roots of the power chords are from the symmetric (octatonic) scale with half-whole-half-whole-etc steps. E,F,G,G#,A#,B,C#,D.

It was originally going to be a more surf-y guitar tone, more like Dick Dale.

[AJOwens]

HEY! I see Russian folk dancers. Another of several instrumentals in this fight; good, high-spirited work, da. Loosely inspired by Falla's Ritual Fire Dance?

The inspiration, such as it was, was to try to do an early rock-n-roll instrumental, like "Wipeout" or something by Link Wray, but using dissonances and scales they would have never used in the 50s/early 60s. In this case, all the leads and the roots of the power chords are from the symmetric (octatonic) scale with half-whole-half-whole-etc steps. E,F,G,G#,A#,B,C#,D.

It was originally going to be a more surf-y guitar tone, more like Dick Dale.

Interesting! It must be the octatonic scale that gives it a Slavic feel.

Now that I look into it, I didn't mean Falla's Ritual Fire Dance; I meant Khachaturian's Sabre Dance. (Apparently both composers dabbled in octatonic, although there's no indication that either of these pieces uses the scale).

[Niveous]

If this is supposed to be a minimalist, droning kind of song, given the subject matter and all, then you did a good job.

Even though, this was part of a mostly negative review, this sentence couldn't have made me happier since I was 100% going for minimalist and droning.

[rick.mealey]

Bearing in mind that these are MP3s I'm hearing, and that I'm listening on headphones so as not to disturb my roommates, here's a start on the reviews.

Add — some of the lyrics don't sound like they want to be sung by that melody. Prosody between lyrics and melodic accents could be better. Alt-universe production would slow this down a few bpm and tame some of the vocal leaps, which currently distract instead of enhance. E for effort.

Political Suicide — Uneven vocals: chorus vocals jump out a little too much. Like the Bowie/Iggy vibe of the vocal though, and the spoken-word bit was clever.. welcome to my world.

James Owens — Third song so far that's kept the drums off in some far distance, and here I really do wish I could have heard them better; rest of the song has an early Who feel to it that needs the drums up front. Good chorus top to bottom, wish I could remember the verse melody as well as that.

Hoblit — Ah, there's the drums. Production-wise I kind of wish the chorus felt louder than the verse, because it's very striking. Wish the verse melody had more shape to it to go with the lyrics, which are the best I've heard thus far.

Jim Tyrrell — Had me nodding my head in tempo pretty much from the get-go. Arrangement works very well indeed. Would love to hear this expanded out with a proper chorus and maybe some keyboard widdly-woo. Vote.

Grammys — Needed the scorecard, er the lyrics thread, to understand what was going on. Is this song in the right register for the vocalist? Lyrics seem to want to be sung a little more urgently.

DJ Ranger Den — clever-clever piano processing but gets old rather fast, wish that had changed up some during the course of. Interesting sonic layering. Feel the Seurat/Duchamp.

Balance Lost — chorus melody feels like an afterthought. Energetic enough, like the textures in the bridge section. Sufficiently chaotic by the end.

Foobar — Lou Reed called and wants his diffidence back. Where are the drums? Prosody between lyrics and music seems a little forced. Good build at the end for a payoff.

Glad Baggage — like the instrumental mix. Vocalist has the attitude, if only I could hear him. Build melody could be fleshed out a little better than it was.

tentillum — Ooooooooh. Shoulders wiggling involuntarily. Impressive synth work, nice changes at about 2:45. Tangerine Dream meets Chemical Brothers anyone? This could have gone on twice as long as it did and still held my interest. I don't mind the through-composed feel in the least.. this time. Vote.

New Image — getting a Sniff 'n' The Tears vibe off the bat, not a bad thing. Lost me somewhere in the middle though.

Chiron Return — Elaine and I. Vocals just a touch buried, agreed. If I'm allowed a defense here, I mixed this (with Elaine sprinkling the last of the production fairy dust while I was flying home to Cali) in a room with which I wasn't intimately familiar, on a DAW with which I wasn't quite familiar. Elaine confesses that the vocals can jump out in the room and then feel buried on other systems; I notice the same about the top octave of the frequency spectrum, which in this mix at least got a little attenuated. Piano courtesy of Elaine's Nord Electro; all other keyboard noises were her Roland SH-101; drums were Addictive.

Vocals a little pitchy, I'll cop to that, but we actively went for a slightly hysterical sound in spots, given the situation of the characters we inhabited as we sang. Whoever likened this to Broadway and/or Bacharach spoke more rightly than he knew; the other touchstone of this arrangement being the progressive rock I grew up with, where we stop and smell the roses from time to time rather than traipse through the garden at breakneck speed.

To those who gave us the "Gee, Mr Mozart" line about its length: I disagree; it was precisely the right length. Reflexive vote.

More soon.

[AJOwens]

Laidback Who. . . Get Moon drums and send it home.

. . drums off in some far distance. . . an early Who feel to it . . .

While reading Townshend's book recently, I had Who songs in my head a lot. The open-stringed travelling E position was influenced by "I Can See for Miles." And I tried to build up to Moon drums. Hell, I even set my two-cymbal Roland kit to "Power!" But you're right, I could turn them up in the mix.

(EDIT) I tried that, and subdued the vocals, and gave it more guitar, but it's still missing something. I don't think it can be fixed in the mix. Must need a new part, or a different rhythm, or something. Not that the song is important to me; I'm just trying to learn some production skills.

To those who gave us the "Gee, Mr Mozart" line about its length: I disagree; it was precisely the right length. Reflexive vote.

You're entitled to your opinion. And you're certainly entitled to vote for your own song!

[foobar93]

Foobar — Lou Reed called and wants his diffidence back. Where are the drums? Prosody between lyrics and music seems a little forced. Good build at the end for a payoff.

This review is awesomely beyond my comprehension. I'd love to know a little more about what you mean. I look forward to adding to my vocabulary.

Flattered by all the Lou Reed comparisons. Believe it or not, I don't know his music especially well. For those who felt the similarities, would you suggest a track or two to listen to?

[AJOwens]

Flattered by all the Lou Reed comparisons. Believe it or not, I don't know his music especially well. For those who felt the similarities, would you suggest a track or two to listen to?

My knowledge of Lou Reed comes from a friend who had all the albums. I know his sound, but for naming tracks I'm not useful. "Walk on the Wild Side" comes to mind. The others here are from googling "Lou Reed na na na."

[Hoblit]

First of all, I'm going to say, I didn't listen to many of the songs, because there are so many.

...I believe that the recording quality of mine is a lot better than the first three times. The first three times, as your reviews back then speculated, ...

You have excused yourself from listening to the entire fight and then go on about how somebody else took the time to review yours?

I shake my Songfighter's cane at you and I'm telling you to get off of my lawn until you can listen to the whole fight.

Unless you are on dial-up or something, then I apologize.

*shakes old-skool Songfighter cane furiously

[Hoblit]

Add
What the hell is this about? I mean, you said it with 'don't make no sense'. Get control of yourself, man. You're all over the place and wobbly! Stop howling and sing already. Your drummer is excellent. NO VOTE.

Balance Lost
Your poor, poor instruments. They just want to make a cohesive song and all you do is keep them in restraint. Well, except for that mad bass line that just keeps rolling all over the place. It's like your walking an agressive dog while also trying to hold a cat in your arms. NO VOTE.


Berkeley Social Scene
This is pure wussy crap. Man up, yo. All I hear is la la la la la la la la, blah blah blah blah, la la la la la. Explosion of color? More like explosion of song. NO VOTE.


Big Matt Hyatt and his Rusty Red Riders
UH, pure unadulterated crap. Do you have any more? I need mulch for my garden.NO VOTE.


Boffo Yux Dudes
Ugh, is there someone else I can talk to, I'm not getting anywhere listening to you. Maybe it's time to update your Casio to Roland? OH, and you're not fooling anyone with the doubling vocals on the chorus, you hack.NO VOTE.


Caravan Ray
This song is about terrorism. NO VOTE.

Chiron Return
I did NOT know Michael Bolton was covering RENT reject songs. I kept wanting to sing Seaons of CRUD every time the music paused. Also, please put your singing cat to sleep. NO VOTE.


c.layne
Lots of reverb...the word "ghost"...yeeeeeeeah, Band of Horses called, they want their song back. NO VOTE.

Codpeace
Do you have something else you can sing out of besides your ass or nose? NO VOTE.

DJ Ranger Den
This is definitely a bomb. I don't know how much of it is an ART though.

Flvxxvm Florvm
This is definitely a bomb. I don't know how much of it is an ART though.

Foobar
Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah not getting my vote. NO VOTE.

Frontalittle Squad
Congratulations, you found the drum loop Milwaukee Youth Choir used in their songfight! title, Red Robot and slowed it down for YOUR song. Even Frankie Big Face's excellent verse couldn't save this obvious white boy rap, I mean crap. NO VOTE.

Glad Baggage
Glad Baggage is right, this is pure garbage. NO VOTE.

glennny
Did you hear this before you submitted it? I mean...yeah, it really is an art BOMB, but you didn't have to subject citizens to this sort of fall out. You're the reason that most jazz pieces don't have vocals. NO VOTE.

The Grammys
Free Drugs = Art Bomb? What world of words do you live in? NO VOTE.

grock
WHAT? I CAN'T HEAR YOU. And after turning it up, I don't want to. NO VOTE.

The Hand Formula
Back away from the keyboard. NO VOTE.

HIJ$KM
Bloody awful? Did I say that right? Because I wanted to make sure I was complaining about this in the right accent. NO VOTE.

Hoblit
Did you forget what year it was, jerk? This wouldn't have been any good then, I don't know why you would think it would be any good NOW. Is there a way to subtract votes from entries? Because I want to give it less than NO VOTE.

James Owens
Can you even play guitar and sing? OKAY, maybe that's harsh. Can you even...play guitar or sing? I'm sorry, I can't improve on that. NO VOTE.

Jim Tyrrell and the Summiteers
Pigs in Zen, Sober, some Eagles' song... plenty of others have done this before. Also, I'm laughing at that many people being into this song. NO VOTE.

Ken's Super Duper Band 'n Stuff
This is okay. NO VOTE.

Level Nivelo
Is there a song in this muffled band of noise? I hear somebody howling art bomb at some point to try to save it. But fails miserably. NO VOTE.

The Magnetic Letters
I bobbed my head to the ridiculously bad fake drum intro. I did not bob my head to the ridiculously bad sampled story that commenced after that. NO VOTE.

Micah Sommersmith
You're SICK, SICK. SICK I tell you, sick. NO VOTE.

New Image
This is radio crap that isn't good enough to be on the radio. NO VOTE.

Niveous
HUH? Is this a song or doctor's office torture? NO VOTE.

Paco del Stinko
OH MY GOD, what is this? Are you even okay? Do you need medical attention? Perhaps just an asylum, you crazy art bomb. NO VOTE.

Political Suicide
MEH. And you better take it. NO VOTE.

Rio Mondo
Yeah, we get it, you let all of the samples do the work. NO VOTE.

Ross Durand
Hey, party at your house. Sounds like you performed this drunk. NO VOTE.

Ryan Dawson
Another one that is good because you can't hear it. NO VOTE.

Schlimminy Cricket
I had to break out the crackers for this bit of cheese. NO VOTE.

Scott Gesser
Great, you've got me singing ART BOMB every 10 seconds now. I hope you're happy with your little earworm, you parasite. NO VOTE.

tentillum
At least you updated your Casio drum track DURING the song. It's really too bad that it didn't save the song that has no tangible relation to the TITLE THIS WEEK. NO VOTE.

Tokyo Expressway
What was the title this week? What, you don't know? That is apparent. NO VOTE.

Tyler Zahnke
This is B movie music. NO VOTE.

Wages
Doubling vocals doesn't cover up how badly you are singing, only enhancing that fact. NO VOTE.

WreckdoM

I'm just going to pretend that you are T H I S band every time I hear anything you do again.

[Hoblit]

J U S T K I D D I N G !

Real reviews below!

[Hoblit]

Add
This is an excellent song. I'm not sure I quite get it all, lyrically. The lyrics are a bit strange but I do like some of the imagery. Particularlly the water in mouth part. But as always, I love the execution and your vocals. You have always had a unique voice and I catch myself comparing artists I hear on internet radio to you. This song is no exception. I really like the clangy guitars and the straight forward pop rock. But it is always your voice and vocal delivery that gets me hooked. One of the best songs this week. Gets one of my votes.

Balance Lost
I really like the energy of this song right out of the gate. I also particularly like the lyric "take what you want 'cause no one is going to give it to you". This is a hard truth in life that reminds me that you should limit your wants to your needs, thus taking what you need. (because nobody is going to give you that either.) The song continues to be quirky but energetic. It's got moxy, if you will. I admire how you can take normal instruments, make the sound as different as it is, and still keep it roped in as a song. Good work and I rank it pretty high in the good week of fight songs. (I also like the octive harmonies on those hooky choruses.)

Berkeley Social Scene
I really dig the intro that doesn't exactly burst into a song but it definitely launches.It reminds me of something particuarly but I can't remember what that is. Like ADD, I can get into the straight forward pop rock style. The vocals remind me of some early Cure as well as some of the music. But the guitar and bass aren't exactly 80's new wave, but more 90's and early 2000's. The lyrics work as best they can for the title, if not better than most of the entries. Another great song this week. I really like the beggining line of the chorus,"explosion of color everywhere you look". It's not just words, but the way it is sang and it's contrast to the verses. So it's a great little journey for the listener.


Big Matt Hyatt and his Rusty Red Riders

While I'm pretty sure I've heard the 'lets go to the whore house' joke but it is a cute addition to this song. I'm not crazy about this piece. It's not cohesive and it seems that there isn't much effort put forth. With that said, I don't mind listening to the story that is being told.


Boffo Yux Dudes
I know that this song suffers a bit from time constraints. I hear the doubling of the vocals on the chorus which is a trick that we all have to employ here and there. (Which I did on my own track this week, subtly) But it does add a bit of energy and your chorus is very hooky. Which is a pretty clear feat considering that you are quoting the very difficult title. All and all I would love to hear an updated version of this. The instruments are nice, another basic pop rock song in the same vein as Berkly Social Scene & ADD. I like the keyboard, guitar, bass and drums simplicity with the thin vocals and change up chorus. A pretty good entry.

Caravan Ray
This song appeals to me. I really like the tension that this song creates. It's like a cross between Secret Agent Man & Just Dropped In (to see what condition my condition was in) This is another excellent display of the title which is otherwise difficult to use. But you left Art Bomb chorus in my head. The breakdown is performed excellently and I'm always a fan of this kind of bridge. Continues the story while taking you somewhere else for just a minute. Only to bombard you with the chorus again. (Pun intended) Another great entry this week and probably one of my favorites. I'm voting for this one.

Chiron Return
While this is not my thing. This is a pretty excellent song on its own. Good instrument choices and for the most part, considering the time limitations, the singing is pretty good. I like the contrast between the normal verse and epic choruses. It reminds me a bit of 90's rock theater. It's passionate and slightly theatrical but not in the vein of the classical classics. This is a good song for a good week of fights. I'm not sure how it ties in with the title though. Maybe there is something I'm missing. Assuming that this is on the up & up, it gets a vote for being a definite contender.

c.layne
At first, this song was a clear winner for me. After listening to all of the songs over and over,this one starts to lose its shine. With that said, I want to state that this song is excellent. I really like the mix and execution. The guitar is beautiful, both the clangy rhythm and that wondering lead throughout. This is well recorded, well constructed, and the mood it creates is absolutely perfect. It reminds me a bit of the Flaming Lips and I'm downloading it for my collection and it is definitely getting a vote. This is one of the best songs in the mix this week and I fully expect you to win. Thank you for an excellent song this week.


Codpeace
RAWR! This is a pop punk song straight out of the 90s. I'm hearing Fat Mike in there along with some Dead Milkmen type vocal styles. The straight forward rock delivery along with that gives me the pop punk impression. That is some pretty solid guitar playing in there. While it is a bit much, it definitely enhances the energy of the song. The song is tough and snotty. The 'commands the bombs to drop' hook is definitely reeling me in. I love this and I'm downloading it for my collection. Good work. The song has everything it needs to win. A good story, lyrically. Excellent execution of music, catchy vocals, everything. GETS MY VOTE.

DJ Ranger Den
While I can't be sure how this ties in. I don't necessarily hear a bomb in there nor is there a clear tie-in with art. It however, is nice to listen to. It's pretty and worth a listen. I'm not crazy about that one keyboard that is sprinkled in every once and a while. But overall, this is okay even if it kind of goes on a bit long for an instrumental that doesn't really cover the Art Bomb title. (in my opinion)

Flvxxvm Florvm
This is another one that I don't quite understand as far as title tie-ins go. I am not really digging the constant doo-pah drums. I do have to say that this is a cute and catchy tune on its own. The guitar part running around is kind of cute and energetic. In the end, not a bad song.

Foobar
I'm not crazy about the mix but i can understand the reason the drums are mixed low. I don't get the lyrics all that much either, but I do like the 'she said' hook along with the na na na nas. That is catchy no matter how you cut it. I think it is a well constructed song that I find listenable. I'll go as far as saying that it is deserving of votes. Even if I'm not that crazy about it.

Frontalittle Squad
These pieces are always a little fun if not just to hear all of the guess stars. The chorus probably needs to be worked on a little, but I really like it. I think the mix suffers just a little but if we are going on content, this song ranks okay along the other songs in this fight. Frankie Big Face's verse is pretty good. I know this white boy and I can hardly believe that he pulled that off. He must have dusted off the old Beastie Boys records for inspiration. Good to hear you...us guys...whatever, this is a nice blast from the past, not currently in the past at this very moment. FUN!

Glad Baggage
I really dig the intro guitar. Tight and catchy. I can get into the kooky vocal delivery although I have to be honest, it may have needed a bit more time. I know how the time contstraints of one week can be. I think the lead guitar sort of has the same problem. I hear a good song in here, I just think it needed a bit more time to develop and be executed properly. Otherwise, I think the structure and mix are pretty decent, although the vocals could be elevated a bit here and there. Keep up the good work and looking forward to hearing some more from you in the future.

glennny

Are you really playing this music? My mind struggles that someone playing the music this well could also be the person singing. I have to say that I love the choruses where maybe the voals are the worse. But I think that is the most catchy part. It's very artsy to admit that something is bombing at the very time it is being bombed. As for a tie-in with the title, it is both literal and metaphoric. That is an excellent tie-in, perhaps one of the best. I think you did a good job this week in direct spite of the vocals being the way they are. One of my favorites and it's getting my vote. That "I was wrong" part / Chorus is just too good to ignore.


The Grammys

Having read the history of your entry on these boards, I was very skeptical. I still don't think this is great and I'm not entirely sure how the title ties in. BUT, this isn't exactly bad. I think it is a fine performance, considering.

grock
Too quiet. I imagine you've already heard this. But after cranking it, this is an excellent tune. Who can't like the walking bass and the thin vocals over top of it. It's slick and then it slides right into that smooth bridge. The chorus is nice too. Everything blends very well and I can really get into this. Good work. You get a vote from me.

The Hand Formula
I'm not crazy about this. I can only recommend that you take a little more time in the future and etch out your idea before you take it to tape. I wish you much luck and if you are looking for constructive critism, I would recommend that you grab an instrument by its horns and really get into learning it to a degree where you play more confidently.

HIJ$KM
I like the overall sound. The drum track and bass work well together. I like the changes. This song isn't something I'm really into but I hear the quality in it. I think the vocals may suffer a bit from the time constraints, but I have to say that they remind me a bit of Blur. There is a snotty sexiness to them but it's not quite there. But it ranks amongst some of the other contenders.

Hoblit
I would have liked to have more time on the vocals. But what I really needed was more time with the production. I'm not crazy about the mix, especially the bass.

James Owens
I hear a good song in here. If there were any complaints, it would be some vocal parts get lost on the change ups. But when it is on, it's great and very catchy. I always like strange chords that make the song mystical. Some of the rhythms fall off here and there but otherwise I really can like the little trip I go on during this song. This song makes the cut for a vote.

Jim Tyrrell and the Summiteers
I think you did great. I the guitar part sounds way cliche' to me though. I also think that the crowd sample should have been a larger one. The dramatic song you have created sounds more ARENA while the crowd is more 'small room'. With that said, this is a great entry. It has a bit of a Sisters of Mercy (yeah, I'm old) sound to it. I like the dramatic and dark mood the song creates and the lyrical content with the vocal style just enhances that. I think that without the preconceived ideas I have on the guitar riff, I could have found this song to be the best. It's short and sweet but full of dark overtones that appeal to me.

Ken's Super Duper Band 'n Stuff
Another pop rock song executed perfectly. I realize that you are part of at least two projects this week and both are excellent. If this wasn't so catchy, it would risk being boring. But you have found a way to take the basics and keep the song rolling and interesting. Very catchy use of the title as well. Definitely getting my vote.

Level Nivelo
This obviously suffers from the lo-fi experience. I do like the title use here, that part is somewhat catchy. Unfortunatly I can't really hear the song very well due to the muddier EQ issues. This one needs a bit more work but I do admire that the chorus is as hooky as it can be.

The Magnetic Letters
This is not my thing, I'll start with that. It did make me interested in whether or not there was any truth to this story, assuming it was sampled from somewhere. But overall, this doesn't really do it for me. The end vocals were probably not necessary and bring the border line song down a notch. I think you just needed more time to thoroughly explore where this song should have gone.

Micah Sommersmith
THE LYRICAL CONTENT OF THIS SONG IS EXCELLENT. In fact, I honestly think this is the best take on the title. I really dig this and of course the simplicity of the whole thing is great. I can appreciate mixing the fake drums low but them still being there in order to carry the song from the intro to completion. I'm not crazy about the bass being in the intro with the piano. But that is some weird problem I have with bass guitar & piano only. Thats more on me. But your song is one of the best this week. I have to say that I'm impressed with the simple execution of some of the best lyrics I've heard this week. Excellent work and you are definitley getting my vote.

New Image
I think this song suffers a bit from lo-fi problems. But if you get some kind of direct amp or modeler, you're guitar & bass will improve. With that said, you have a pretty catchy song here. I can't say it is among the creme of the crop this week but you managed to get a listenable song in. I like some of the risks you take vocally and I find that it's overall sound works. I just think time & equipment restraints may be the only thing holding your song back from being up there with some of the other excellent tunes this week. Good work and hope to hear more from you in the future.

Niveous
I wish I could get into this a bit more. But I'm not crazy about the main rhythm sample over the really quiet drum track. I think the keyboard or samples that softly make their way in and out of the song are nice. But I'm unable to make out the lyrics and the drone of the sample distracts me. Outside of that, this song is one of the mediacore songs this week. I'm sure that there are other people here who could get into this a bit more than someone like myself, as the style isn't something I'd even normally consider listening to. Good attempt, though. I've heard other stuff you've done and been quite impressed.

Paco del Stinko
This is probably my favorite song this week, maybe. There are a couple I really like. But if this isn't THE favorite, it is definitely up there as one of them. I really REALLY LIKE THE VOCAL STYLE! I even had a dream about this song one night this week. Your vocals have improved over time since the first time I've heard you and in the most excellent way apparently. (The intro reminds me of something.) You almost have a child like charm in some of the song. But the song itself is a cute journey. Even though I'm no Zappa fan, this reminds me of something like that, or maybe TMBGs even. It's sort of Dead Mikmen'ish but then again, it isn't really similar at all. I don't know exactly what it is but I really like the story, the vocals, the instrumental choices and all of the changes in the song. Great tune and thank you for existing! Definitely gets a vote!

Political Suicide
This song is pretty okay. I'm not crazy about the vocals but the execution is decent. You have provided a pretty listenable piece that I can't really find fault in. But I'm not crazy about it overall. The guitar strike at the beginning is kind of nice while the bass tries to get the listener into the groove. Reminds me of some 80s stuff. This is a solid entry though. Good work.

Rio Mondo
This is not my kind of thing so that is on me. Some of the samples are nice.

Ross Durand
While I really think this should have more percussion, you have a really a good hook here. The only bomb we wish would fall again. That line draws you in. (Like it blew up on me and it'll blow up on you...) Your lyric and delivery is what makes this song. I think with all of the instruments, a driving drum back up would have driven this song all the way home. An excellent tune with good party vibe. Gets a vote.

Ryan Dawson
Under the quiet, this is a really good song. I like the kick, even though it is probably too high in the mix. But the backing vocals are relaxing and the song draws up imagery for me. It's very peaceful and makes me think of laying on hills looking up at clouds. Excellent tune and I'm voting for it. You may need to learn how to jack up the volume on your recordings though.

Schlimminy Cricket
I'm not crazy about the instrument choices but I do like the chord progression, to a degree. It's a bit repetitive but I like that because of the change up. It makes it stand out. The vocal delivery is pretty decent, especially in harmony. I suppose that I'm not crazy about it but that may just be my fault. This isn't the kind of music I'd normally listen to. But that doesn't mean I can't pick out what I DO like about it. And I like the bomb sample in the way back there as well as your vocal delivery.

Scott Gesser
I like your voice. There is a dryness that I can get into.I like your vocal delivery. I like the lyrics as well. However, with all of that said, your vocals seem to be more agressive than the music wants to allow. That creates a tension that I don't like. BUT you make up for it in the chorus. This is another one of the very catchy uses of the title. It makes me smile when you go into the falsetto singing of ART BOMB. Good work. This is another excellent entry this week. I'm teetering on a vote here but even as I write this, listening to the song for about the 10th time, I can't say for sure.

tentillum
I'm not sure how this ties-in and suffers from the fact that it is another instrumental in an instrumental heavy week. This isn't my kind of thing but there are some hints of Pink Floyd, which is. This is definitely not a bad piece, it's just not really doing it for me. I can appreciate the work put into this piece though. It is very listenable and on another day, or maybe another week, it would have appealed to me more.

Tokyo Expressway
This suffers a bit from lo-fi causes, BUT it is very hooky. The guitar and horn intro gets me into it at first. But another one where I can't figure out how the instrumental ties in with the title. Keeping in mind that a lot of people's entries are challenged with the title's awkwardness and they work hard at making something out of that. It seems unfair that an instrumental with no (obvious) tie-in should be as catchy as your song for this week's title. You did a pretty good job here but I'm not sure I can vote for it. It's as good as the other instrumentals, and in my opinion, somewhat better than some. Good work on this.

Tyler Zahnke
Another instrumental where the tie-in is not an obvious one. This isn't bad on its own but I'm not able to get into it. It sort of has a dramatic journey going on and I can appreciate it, but in the end it leaves me wondering. Keep up the good work and hopefully future entries will be as good or even better in creating imagery around the suject of the title.

Wages
I like the simplicty and sweet execution. I think the vocals are a bit off but that could just be time constraints. Vocals that are off a bit are never a deal breaker for me anyway. I think that offers more tenderness to a song in some cases, and in this one as well. This isn't one of my favorites but I do like it. I think it needs some tightening up, especially on the doubled vocals. See Jack Shite's previous work for how to expertly double vocals.

WreckdoM
I can appreciate this song, lyrically. But only after a few drinks. (which is often!) As always, I love your band name.

[Billy's Little Trip]

J U S T K I D D I N G !

Real reviews below!

I was reading the reviews and thought, cool, Negative Reinforcement! Sammy Kablam would be so proud of you, lol.

edit: That WAS Frank. There was a different name on the lineup.

[foobar93]

J U S T K I D D I N G !

Real reviews below!

Laughing out loud, for reals and stuff. Well played.

[BoffoYux]

J U S T K I D D I N G !

Real reviews below!

I was reading the reviews and thought, cool, Negative Reinforcement! Sammy Kablam would be so proud of you, lol.

I was thinking of Sammy as well! I miss those caustic comments. He never finished doing the SpinTunes Commentary from 2012.

Hoblit - The comments are appreciated, both sets.

[c.layne]

c.layne
Lots of reverb...the word "ghost"...yeeeeeeeah, Band of Horses called, they want their song back. NO VOTE.

Dude. This is spot on! I knew there was something that wasn't quite right about the mix, but I couldn't pinpoint it. I went back through and changed a couple of things and I'm a lot happier with the mix now. Let me know what you think!

[Hoblit]

c.layne
Lots of reverb...the word "ghost"...yeeeeeeeah, Band of Horses called, they want their song back. NO VOTE.

Dude. This is spot on! I knew there was something that wasn't quite right about the mix, but I couldn't pinpoint it. I went back through and changed a couple of things and I'm a lot happier with the mix now. Let me know what you think!

I just wanted to let you know:

1. You got me.
2. I deserved it.



Your song is my top favorite this week until I hear ADD or Paco Del Stinko, then one of those are my favorite until I hear yours again. I look forward to losing to you this week.