Chug! Chug! Chug! (Bottle Neck reviews)

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Smalltown Mike
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Chug! Chug! Chug! (Bottle Neck reviews)

Post by Smalltown Mike »

Another round?
Punk rock is for children. Grab a six-pack at Half-a-Dozen Records.
The_Grim
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Re: Chug! Chug! Chug! (Bottle Neck reviews)

Post by The_Grim »

I am an artist not a critic. However, one of the reasons I submit songs on here is not for the competition, but for feedback from others, so I thought i would provide that for others too.I mean no disrespect to anyone and I think everyone on here is clearly good at what they do ..that being said..
Hows bout some reviews

Paco del Stinko-Drifts between noodly surf rock, rockabilly, and acoustic pop..Dig the multiple parts and transitions. The palm muted verses are my favorite.. just needs some tremolo on those verses! Vocal and lyrics not really my thing, but I can objectively see their value

The Overambitious-Reminds me a bit of post Waters Pink Floyd mixed with chariots of fire. Favorite part is the lyrics, but i appreciate the building momentum and the use of space. Tones feel real retro 80's

Micah Sommersmith-Super Cheeky! Well done on the accapella intro. Production level is superb, doesn't hang around too long. Pretty original, along the lines of beck or Liam Lynch

Hardmonica- First five seconds i was excited, then a little let down by the verse melody, redeemed by the chorus though .Excellent voice with good range . Instrumental is ok kinda stock

Glenn Case- Great acoustic tone , good chord choices, reminds me of something I cant quite place. I like your voice and especially when you get scratchy on the chorus' however I feel the chorus' are a let down from the verses. they lift the song to a more upbeat place when I was hoping it would take it the other direction. Definatly well written song though .I'm looking forward to hearing more

Gert-Production is dope. Very interesting choices in parts. Super sexy bass lines. Super clever arrangement. The bridge part is one of my favorite things I've heard on song fight.I feel the crescendo from the bridge could've been bigger, but besides that small critique, kick ass song

Jeff Desantis- Ok lets be real here, this song is all about the mood, the feel , the setting..and you nailed it. Great voice, little Tom Petty like but smoother.Lyrics are good, music is fine. That voice though along with the backing vocals kill it .excellent song

Berkeley Social Scene- decent production, decent attack. I hear you guys almost every week and you are quite consistent! I like the composition, but I have to say the main guitar part is not pleasing to me ( maybe im just picky being a guitarist myself) solo aint bad though

The Grim- Nerdy metal by yours truly ..again I appreciate anyone listening to it

Tuners Union- love the vocal delivery and the spacey acoustic guitar. You use reverb like you own it. Production is great. Feels almost southern gospel with a funk rock flavor..cool tune

The Magnetic letters-You occupy your own space for sure. An acquired taste, but i got it. Love the lead guitar. Mucho respect for the bluesy attack and quirky odd lyrics. I dig it man I do.Has an overall Clapton feel to it (which i'm sure you're aware of) You walk a fine line between comedic and weird and you walk it well

stevierock- cool arrangement .Sorry man, but I don't feel it was quite executed well. The production is too unflinching to be powerful, it lacks dichotomy. I think it does have a cool breakdown feel to a lot of it though and I like where your head is at

The white hat- not my thing really. That being said I do feel you're a good songwriter and an odviously accomplished guitarist. Your grasp of melody is good. You make it sound easy

Gert and Jeff Desantis get my votes
hillbilly

Re: Chug! Chug! Chug! (Bottle Neck reviews)

Post by hillbilly »

Tuner---Damn this is tight, you are growing on me, I like this a lot.
Jeff---Great lyrics, good job all round, like this mood, pleasing, Really like this.
Stink---You need to take your medication.
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thehipcola
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Re: Chug! Chug! Chug! (Bottle Neck reviews)

Post by thehipcola »

What a fight! Lots of good and great work in here - nothing that totally sucks. Right on!


Micah Sommersmith
-Love the reflecting on life and it’s journey vibe - the music fits the oeuvre of the lyrics. The opening was a little worrisome, but it came together nicely. Being someone who reflects this was an enjoyable listen. Like the spin on the title.

Jeff Desantis
-great space off the top - sets up the vocal nicely. Really nice when the ride cymbal taps come in - everything so tastily sparing. Sweet. All the instruments sound just like they should - great restraint with the production - it works. Dry vocal especially. Like this a lot. Possible vote.

Hardmonica
-this is cool - dig the blippy bass line and other programmed stuff off the top - grabs my attention. The verse vox are well done. Great groove evolution in the open hats pre chorus section. The chorus descending vox autotune is warbly and I don’t like hearing that. But all in all it’s a cool, stylish tune.

Glenn Case
Great third chord choice! That’s unexpected and it grabs me. Nice. This reminds me of The Odds - great Canadian rock band. I like this a lot. Great chorus with great chords again. Dig it. I like the stripped down production style everything sounds like it fits. This is great. Possible vote.

Gert
I’m in it so I’ll just say this was a killer fun week and a bit making this tune. I’m always in awe of the other guys and their talent. Good times.

Tuners Union
Great great vox off the top. Cool tune - sucks you in. I like tunes that have the same backing grooves all the way through - you have to be clever and resourceful to pull those off with interest all the way through - which you have. Nice job. Possible vote.

BSS
I’m thinking at the same time - this is well done - well written, nice little chorus/verse combo. But also - I just don’t like it that much. Can’t seem to get with the BSS sound for some reason - it’s clear you guys have your shit together - good players, good recordings, good parts, smart songs. I guess it’s just a style thing. So no disrespect intended - nice work.

The Grim
Great intro sample - love it. Oh man this is killer - but I’m missing the kick drum on my iMac. I’ll have to check this in the studio - that groove should be punishing! wish I could make out the lyrics - note to check the lyric archive. Awesome guitar work. Those death howls are really awesome. I like this quite a bit. So overwrought!!!! The falsetto vox don’t work aaaaas well but that’s nit picking. Nice work.

The Overambitious
I like the vocal sound right away. It’s a cool moody builder. I think it needs more to keep me interested, but nice sounds, nice melody. Cool.

Paco del Stinko
Wow that harmonized guitar line off the top is killer. Nice! I normally don’t dig campy stuff and the slide into major land is super campy but I’m thinking it works. I like this - cool ending man.

The White Hat
ha - I saw these lyrics get posted and I was not expecting the jaunty feel of this tune. I kind of dig the juxtaposition. Over already? Bummer! Nice guitar work. Vocals sound hesitant a little.

Stevie Rock
Love that double kick lock with the guitar chugging. Nice. Very moody - but will this explode into something or be a one trick pony…. Alright - here it goes. Nice solo. Wish those vocals would come out of telephone land and show themselves. Fun crunchy little tune. The guitars are super mid-scooped - kind of wish they had more mid-balls. But cool. I like this.

The Magnetic Letters
Now that’s a chaotic intro - was thinking it might turn into a hiphop groove - but nope. I like the guitar and drum groove - wish the drums evolved away from kick snare a bit.
This is cool - great playing. Not sold on the whole thing together though - but I like the elements. Nice work.
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MicahSommer
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Re: Chug! Chug! Chug! (Bottle Neck reviews)

Post by MicahSommer »

This was a fun batch of tunes to listen to. Here are my reviews:

Berkeley Social Scene - Solid production, though the guitars may be a little too loud at times. The lyrics are a little bland and awkwardly-phrased in parts, and structurally the song is good but I kept waiting for the general intensity level to change - it was very even-keel throughout. Nice guitar solo.

Gert - I loved the very sneaky shift into triple time around halfway through, and the ending section. Nice collaboration.

Glenn Case - I’m a sucker for two acoustic guitars hard panned to either channel. Solid lyrics, and I enjoyed the vocal energy in the chorus, and how you extend your musical phrases to unexpected lengths. Good production too!

The Grim - This particular style of music is not much to my liking but I can recognize when it is well done, which I think it is here. The six-minute runtime was a little taxing for me, but I know it’s not that long for the genre, and there was enough variety to hold my interest.

Hardmonica - I love the instrumental. It weirdly reminds me of like an 80’s police procedural soundtrack (in all the best ways). I’m less wild about the vocals. I enjoyed the harmonica at the end and wouldn’t have minded more of it.

Jeff DeSantis - Nice lyrics and vocal performance. The (sampled?) background “ooh”s were a nice touch, but they were very static/unchanging, and they way they cut out abruptly was jarring - it would have been nice if they had more shape. Overall the production was well done but not particularly compelling.

The Magnetic Letters - The performance and production are both great and the composition is solid but not particularly remarkable, which leaves the question of whether the story can sustain itself over a 5 minutes song. Myself, I was amused but thought it dragged on too long.

Micah Sommersmith - It’s me! Thanks for listening.

The Overambitious - I love the ominous, atmospheric vibe at the beginning but was worried it was going to stay at that level throughout, so I was pleasantly surprised halfway through when you started moving in new directions. It never quite kicked in at the level I was hoping it would, but it still made for an interesting and rewarding listen.

Paco Del Stinko - Catchy chorus, solid production, great guitar solo. Compelling subject matter telling an all-too-familiar story (how many bodies did this kid end up leaving in his wake?) but the lyrics come off a little awkward and off-kilter.

Stevierock - I dig the drums and guitar (including the wicked solo) but I don’t think they jibe well with the mumbly, stream-of-consciousness vocals.

Tuners Union - I love the chill indie vibe. Great vocals - including the harmony and the reverb. My one complaint is that when the hi-hat comes in, it’s very loud in the mix and very thin, so it disrupts the flow of the song more than I think you were intending. Everything else about the song is great.

The White Hat - I love it! Great guitar playing and good vocals, though your voice took a bit to grow on me. The lyrics, though, are the standout. I thought about going with the environmental angle but you did it much much better than I would have - compelling images with a somber conclusion but just the right amount of ambiguity. And the right length to leave me hitting repeat!

My picks are Glenn Case, Tuners Union, and The White Hat.
"you did a skillful job pulling off the sexy" - RangerDenni
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GlennCase
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Re: Chug! Chug! Chug! (Bottle Neck reviews)

Post by GlennCase »

The_Grim wrote: Glenn Case- Great acoustic tone , good chord choices, reminds me of something I cant quite place. I like your voice and especially when you get scratchy on the chorus' however I feel the chorus' are a let down from the verses. they lift the song to a more upbeat place when I was hoping it would take it the other direction. Definatly well written song though .I'm looking forward to hearing more
Thank you for your feedback! I do believe I'll be back next week, too. :)
thehipcola wrote: Great third chord choice! That’s unexpected and it grabs me. Nice. This reminds me of The Odds - great Canadian rock band. I like this a lot. Great chorus with great chords again. Dig it. I like the stripped down production style everything sounds like it fits. This is great. Possible vote.
I will take that compliment! Thank you! Odds is a band that I adore. Huge influence.

I once interviewed Craig Northey of Odds on my old radio show, and later he agreed to be on the "Throw Money" version of Pencil Me In! Was a dream come true for me. He sings on the third verse, plays lead guitar, and some harmony vocals on that version of the song!

Here's the interview
MicahSommer wrote: Glenn Case - I’m a sucker for two acoustic guitars hard panned to either channel. Solid lyrics, and I enjoyed the vocal energy in the chorus, and how you extend your musical phrases to unexpected lengths. Good production too!
Hey, thanks! Funny enough, I am almost positive I learned the two acoustic guitar technique in the Songfight forums years ago! Glad you liked the production, as I usually consider it to be my own personal kryptonite. Learning some things along the way 'though.

ROCK!

Glenn Case
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Jim of Seattle
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Re: Chug! Chug! Chug! (Bottle Neck reviews)

Post by Jim of Seattle »

(strrrrretch) Ahhh.... good morning, everyone! How long have I been asleep? Wait -- HOW LONG? And how did I grow this really long beard?

I used to hang out here a long time ago, and it was fun, but I got burned out. Today I felt like doing some reviews for some whocares-ish reason. But I'm only going to review songs I have something possibly useful to say about. My standards are high, and I don't want to be telling people "this song does nothing for me either way" or worse, "I hate this". Does that really need to be said?

So if I didn't review your song, it doesn't mean (necessarily) I didn't like it. Chances are the lack of a review means I either didn't care for it or else it was too ordinary for me.I vastly prefer audacious failures to "successes" that sound like a hundred thousand other songs out there. Ordinariness in music makes me angry.

Of course, if I skipped you but you want a review anyway, let me know and of course I'll be happy to oblige. Just sayin', one of the reasons I stopped doing reviews is because I felt I had to review EVERY song in a fight, and it can be hard to find something to say every damn time. That and the fact that I tended to be too critical and came off like a jerk.

Anyway, if it's reviewed, that means I liked it enough to take the time to review it. Even if the review says negative things.

Gert I like the break into the screamy chorus hitting that flat VI chord. I think the song is too long, and it feels like two different songs spliced together. And the style of the lead vocal feels a bit raw for the rest of the band, but that's a nitpick. I like the first song better than the second one. But if you returned to the first part again and made that second part an extended bridge, that would be satisfying.

Glenn Case Nice to see you're still at it. This sounds like all your other songs from back when I was here a lot. That's a good thing. I've always liked your ability to balance the expected and the surprising. Like your verse cuts into the chorus a bar before we think it's going to. Little details like that make such a difference. Pay attention, noobs, Glenn knows what he's doing. Ouch, those half rhymes at the very end. Cringe.

The Grim I like the contrast between the screaming and the falsetto. I also like the adventurous chord changes. a few times the melody is not in the same key as the band, and I'm not sure it's on purpose. I know the contrast to the Pink Floyd-y part is intentional, but it's a but too obvious and self-conscious for me, even though the Floyd-y part sounds great. And the spoken intro is too long.

Micah Sommersmith If you're going to do the falsetto clones thing, it should be tighter and the part writing needs to be perfect, otherwise (such as in this case) it sounds uncomfortable. I like the wordsmithery a lot. Some nice subtle wordplay that was a pleasure to listen to. The backup band is boring and a little thin. Nice work though.

Tuners Union This is lovely. I get a bit tired of those same two chords over & over, but the arrangement is so nice and balanced, and everything has its place, and the vocals fit.
Here's my record label page thingie with stuff about me if you are so interested: https://greenmonkeyrecords.com/jim-of-seattle/
HeuristicsInc
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Re: Chug! Chug! Chug! (Bottle Neck reviews)

Post by HeuristicsInc »

I recorded a song called "Bottleneck" for FAWM, but it ended up having no words so I didn't post it for the fight. It does have beer bottle percussion, though.
Anyway, it's here if anybody wants to hear it.
-bill
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Toby Roktot
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Re: Chug! Chug! Chug! (Bottle Neck reviews)

Post by Toby Roktot »

Hmmmm, my submission is awol....not a problem, just more of the same. It was a live performance from lost wages...
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Leaf
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Re: Chug! Chug! Chug! (Bottle Neck reviews)

Post by Leaf »

I listened to all these tunes a few times now over the past few days, then didn't listen again until tonight.
There are some that would pop into my head for one catchy reason or another.
I shall award bottles of beer and various chasers to reflect my pleasure or lack of with the tune... of course we all have different tastes in drinks just as we do in music, so all in fun. I can't spell what I drink however, so I'll deal with that reality.



Micah Sommersmith: Fun but really not something I am into. So, yeah that can happen too. Tons of fun stuff, but not my cup of brew. This is 3 bottles of Labatt's blue, and... I feel guilty assigning alcohol to this one.

The White Hat:
another not my kinda thing tune. Reminds me of when I was a kid. Good guitar playing and singing though. This is a couple of Sleemans from the tap. Cream Ale. 2 pints.

Overambitious: Nice feel to it, melodies are very comfortable, nice mix, love the singer's voice, reminds me of the 80s in a good way, love the dancing riffs near the end. 4.5 / 6 bottles of Heineken, and a shot of Jaegermeister. Hell, a vote too.

Tuners Union: Nice sound, this one is memorable. Excellent performances and writing. I like it a ton. This is a Carslberg's kinda thing, probably 4 bottles or Carslberg followed by... yeah... Glenfiditch on ice. My wife's feeling Heinken's on this one, so whose to say. Not picky about the year, as long as it warms me up and feels all toasty...and a vote.

Stevie Rock: Love the intro, the riffs, the style. Feels cool. Enjoyed it a ton. 5 Molson Canadian and two shots of fireball. A vote.

Glenn Case: Real nice feel off the top, and great playing by whomever is doing that. Very good song, I think this calls for 3 Granville Island Winter Ales's and then a coffee with Bailey's. Love the ending. A Vote. Have one more Winter Ale on your way out this evening. Don't drink and drive.


Gert. Becks. Carlsberg. Molson Canadian. Patron. Patron. I haven't participated in a cross-border cross the thousands of miles recording/writing session in three year's so this was a total trip of enjoyment. Winter's Ale for desert. Patron. One of those super big sized bottles of Becks. Vote.

Pac De Stinko: Fun tune. Bass sounds great. Fun. 5 Molson Canadian, shot of fireball, a Beck's to finish it off. Like it. Good solo.

Magnetic Letters: Every time... first thing I think of at the start is Orange Crush by REM. So it evokes that off the top for some reason. This one is weird for me cause there is stuff I like a ton but really I am not a fan of the lyrics so I'm gonna say this is one of those fine, fine I'll have a bud-lime if thats what you got but you better have at least four.. oh... you have a six pack? Hmm...okay, I'll take 4 of those and... you know, I like it when I don't pay attention to the lyrics. That said I find the line about sitting down beside Dennis Rodman catchy for some reason. Love the instrumentation at the end, killer. That's a shot of patron right there.


Hardmonica: Love the intro. Love the groove. Who wouldn't want to sing over this lol. I get a slight Bowie feeling from this, mostly cause I want to, ya know? Love the chorus, super fucking cool. Yeah, I remember this one from last time, love it. 5 carlsberg, a partron. A Vote cause I love the chorus.



Berkley Social Scene:
I feel like its the Dead Milkmen sorta. Don't mind it, don't love it. I want to like it more than I do, probably because it's got great energy. Four Bud's and...what the hell, two more bottle's of bud.

Grim: I like this one. This is a six pack of molson Canadian all the way, plus someone's passing around a bottle of Jack and you're all fuckin invited. The middle section is excellent listening. I prefer my metal more in the Havok, Megadeth, Slayer etc etc zone, and while I can't say what genre this would be particularly, I enjoy it in small doses.

Jeff DeSantis:
I so enjoyed this one. Great feel, sits back in a nice pocket, sounds like it was done in a nice, small studio back in the late 70s lol. I think this one HAS to be enjoying some Granville Winter's Ale on tap at the local pub, lights are dimmed, crowd is feeling mellow, chillin out, and the barista's bringing you those sweet glasses, frosted, with the Granville logo shaped into that glass...oh yeah.. I am so there. I would listen to a whole set of this group, damn straight. Vote.

Votes to Jeff DeSantis, Hardmonica, Gert, Glenn Case, Tuner's Union, Stevie Rock, Overambitious.

I AM NOT AN ALCOHOLIC.
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boltoph
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Re: Chug! Chug! Chug! (Bottle Neck reviews)

Post by boltoph »

It was a pleasure to partake in the songfight, and hear some good tones. I liked Jeff DeSantis's smooth sounds, dug Paco's tight rhythmic playing, enjoyed Glen's screams, twists and turns, chilled to the Tuner's Union's textures, Berkeley's raw jungle, Magnetic's down home slide, Micah's tight harmonies, White Hat's honest acoustic and vocals, Stevierock's Megadeth parts, the Grim's monster roar, Hardmonica's smooth sections, Overambitious's usage of delay, and in general for songfight because I once met some guys on the internet and we liked to exchange questionable pictures; and once in a while we still get some time to do it again, ten years later! So here we all are today. Thanks be to music. rök

{edit: production notes, vanity, and such: my fav part of the tracks I recorded for the Gert tune was probably at about 2:47 when Leaf changes the beat -- pure genius -- and the psychedlic part ensues, there's a low mixed vocal of me doing some aahs and oohs, it's there the whole time but really low and slowly gets louder, the whole part before my lead vocal comes in for the ending, it's there the whole time but sounds like a background synth. That's the kind of thing that warms my bones...TheHipCola's tightass mix, Deshead's wizard architecture and screaming chorus vocal, Smalltown's singsong rap, Leaf's genius, rock solid skin-slapping, Tonetripper's bass, so tight in those jeans. Westport lemonade.}
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