Nur Ein XIV Round Three "Color Me _____"

There can be only one.
mo
Mean Street
Posts: 513
Joined: Fri Oct 08, 2004 9:46 pm
Instruments: guitar, bass, synth
Recording Method: Reaper 4eva
Submitting as: duboce triangle, ellipsis, agony sauce, moody vermin, spite, yaks
Pronouns: n/a
Location: hell a
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein XIV Round Three "Color Me _____"

Post by mo »

Now that the round is over (yeah, I'm biting your shiz, Sam), I want to note that Glenn decided that we would use the sample we did because someone else, I forget who, had apparently said they hated that song. You guys have no idea how much of Glenn's songwriting is based on trolling. I fret over things like "maybe I shouldn't go to the Lydian Dominant at the end of the solo because it might be too distracting in a pop song", and Glenn's just like, "come at me, beaches!"

Thanks for people saying nice things about the Agony song this time--the music is mostly me this time (for you tone hounds, I used the one guitar, a Gibson Les Paul Custom 68 RI from the 90s, loaded with OX4 pickups and...um...Garageband....) because Glenn didn't have a lot of time last week--good timing for us to win an immunity (also on a song where I did most of the instrumentation). I really didn't envy the judges this week as there were a lot of tough decisions to make. So many red wheelbarrows.
User avatar
GlennCase
Ice Cream Man
Posts: 1804
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 12:41 pm
Instruments: Bass
Submitting as: Glenn Case
Location: Spokane, WA
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein XIV Round Three "Color Me _____"

Post by GlennCase »

Mo isn't wrong.

I thought it would be humorous to sample a vocal hook from a song that sampled a vocal hook, and yes I was absolutely trolling Glen to some extent. He mentioned disliking "Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth With Money In My Hand". We can agree to disagree. I love the song, and have even covered it.

I didn't think it was still online, but someone uploaded it to YouTube a couple of years ago!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMIGxTpFJGw

The image they use in the video is from the cover art of my album "Lies". I taped a small piece of a branch from a tree to myself to suggest a poorly crafted wooden nose. Rach took the photo.
User avatar
glennny
Jump
Posts: 2196
Joined: Sat Mar 04, 2006 2:39 am
Instruments: Guitar, Bass, Mandolin, Dobro, Banjo, E-Bow, Glock
Recording Method: Garageband
Submitting as: Berkeley Social Scene
Location: Castro Valley, California

Re: Nur Ein XIV Round Three "Color Me _____"

Post by glennny »

I listened to your cover Glenn. I like it better than the PRG version. You used timeless orchestration and you're a far better singer than that dude. That said, it still had the same effect. It triggered an uncontrollable urge to listen to BB King: How Blue Can You Get
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l45f28PzfCI

(troll me anytime)
Phillipso, Older Brothers, Semolina Pilchards, Zipline , Thank Glennny for the Frisbee, The Odoriferous Valley, The Worldly Self Assurance, Berkeley Social Scene, Very Gentle Knives, Daddy Bop Swing Set, GUNS, The Kraken Lives, Cavedwellers
Cybronica
Push Comes to Shove
Posts: 314
Joined: Mon May 14, 2018 2:38 pm
Instruments: Vocals, Bass
Recording Method: sm7b, Scarlett 8i6, Logic Pro
Submitting as: Mandibles, Cybronica
Pronouns: she/they

Re: Nur Ein XIV Round Three "Color Me _____"

Post by Cybronica »

Nur ein xiv 3

I thought we were being super clever and unique by doing “color me in,” but as pointed out to me by estaphonia during the creation of our song, it was an obvious (good!) choice. So many great songs, again, so color me impressed.
Once again, no particular order:

Agony Sauce: I really like the build to this song, and the harmony vocals are really nice to have in my left ear. The use of the sample is really well integrated, and I like the guitar solo a lot, especially how it lingers on in the following sections. A cool take on the title, though the lyric seems a little contradictory, color me by numbers/break free etc.

Nick Soma: O my glorp do I love this song. This is everything I want. Low throbbing drone, delicate piano, floating voice, and soulful singing. I love how the drone sound comes back as the bass line. The build into the song, and then the outro really make this for me. My only nit picky comments are the drums are a little hot, and there are just a couple pitchy notes that I think could have been fixed with a little more time. Over all, it reminded me strongly of the LotR soundtrack (esp gollum’s lament at the end of the two towers). Excellent song.

Grumpy Mike: is it hot in here? No? Just me? Really? This song is sexy. There is no other word for it. Prime grade, bow-chicka-wow-wow sexy. This song is so well crafted, with the sample, the pulsing driving bass, the melody, and LYRICS. Don’t listen to the others. This song is perfect. Any faster and you would have lost the furtive tension that makes this song so amazing. This story and the way you deliver is so... sensual. Like the way you break after “I’m canvas baby” before falling back into the title line, there’s so much subtext in everything you do. The lyrics- I love the different colors and how they all fit into the story you’re telling, especially color me purple, like she’s literally coloring you purple with bruises. This is amazing wordsmithing. And the story it tells is so tragic, so dramatic. This is a deeply unhealthy relationship, and i love how in the music you have communicated how something about the singer’s words is just wrong, leaving us all uneasy, yet still titillated. If I was required to give a critique, I would only say put a little reverb on your vocals to match that on the sample. And again, after reading the other reviews I must stress, this song is the absolute correct tempo. Not every song needs to be a pumping fast dance song. This song is like a cat stalking its prey. Too fast and it falls apart.

Abominominous: the nanny nanny boo boo music is a nice touch. I legit thought that this was in gibberish or a foreign language or that the vocals had been popped in reverse. It’s a little like when an American sings in Italian and the accent is really thick. As someone who almost never listens to the words on the first 30 listens unless forced to, i really loved listening to how you shaped your vowels and consonants on this track and how the changes in timbre went with the music. Good use of title and challenge. Sorry to see you go. Based on pure enjoyability to listen, I’d say this is my fav of yours.

Rachel Layne: a cool take on the title and I liked your use of sample. Those two synths that come in at the start are really delicious, the one in the right and the bubbly one that pans in and out on both sides. Your use of backing vocals to increase the tension was really effective. The intent of this song reminds me of chow down from the broadway lion king, but I feel like it needed a catharsis of some sort, where they actually get me. The slow down and false end kinda does that, but unsatisfactorily. The panning and synth orchestration is masterful.

Merisan: perfection. This is totally my kind of music. I love your use of the sample, and the story is engaging. But when it comes down to it, I am here for the close high voice harmonies. I also love the the humming interludes and back vocals, especially what I can only assume are sams low breathy hums with the quick gasp of air. I never get tired of this song. I will say for the first few listens, my ear was a bit confused by the guitar line, because it feels to close to even to be swung, but too close to swung to be even. I got used to it, but it felt strange, not quite one or the other.

Vom Vorton: I missed your voice! This is a pretty classic sounding vom song. The song is really sweet, and I really like the use of the sample. The melodic direction it takes is very alien to your normal vom style, so it creates an interesting change up. This is pretty good for 45 minutes of free time. Good job!

Ujn Hunter and friends: ooooh I love the opening to this. This is a really 80s sound to my ear, something I love, and it feels really cathartic. If I’m not wrong, this feels pretty through composed, without a clear verse/chorus/bridge structure, and I really like that. In this kind of competition, it is really nice to have a change up. It makes you more interesting, and lets the ears be fresher for the next song. I do wish you had brought back the opening section because I loved it so much and the song is so short. The vocal delivery was really interesting, accurate to the point of sounding robotic; I’m curious, how much processing do you do on them?

Frankie Big Face: I really like this one. The beginning/verses remind me strongly of “can’t fight this feeling,” so I really don’t get the musical theater vibe you were talking about. My favorite thing about it is how you go from the verse to the chorus, bringing the vocals to the front and filling out the texture, and that quick fade in of the i knows with the stop at the start of the chorus. I also really like the i knows and how you have them slightly syncopated. It’s a really great pedal tone kind of effect. Sometimes your vocals sound just a little wavering, and I think a deeper breath to give a little more support to the tone could help with that immensely.

Vowl sounds: this is so beautiful. So much is perfect- the bird calls, the flowery language, the tie in to the other songs (i see your concept album... loving it), the harp, the sample integration, the blue notes, the descant of the sample at the end, the echoing call backs.... “his head lies on my breast while his mind lies somewhere else” is brilliant- broke my heart- and the way you sing whippoorwill is just so beautiful. My only thought is maybe the story could do with being a couple clicks slower, and that might have helped you stick the landing on the low notes.

Mandibles: This song was a joy. I had the idea and truth fleshed it out with lyrics and melody while I mined archive.org for bob Ross clips and learned how autotune and flex time/pitch work. We reread the prompt halfway through the week and noticed the term “hook” in there, which prompted us to put in the “this is your world” line (the song is vaguely a love story involving a human and an alien that perceived the world in a different frequency spectrum). The bit before the bridge might be a little to long, but I love this song all the same. Credit where it’s due: we can thank my husband for learning how to use logic (and how to use a Mac) to get us that fade out while I was at work on Monday morning.

Third Cat: this song has much more color (pun intended) than your previous songs from this nur ein, and i liked it for that, so I’m sorry to see you eliminated. I like how the sample is folded into the fabric of the instrumentals. The lyrics had a nice sound to them, but it seemed to me that the story was about finding words that rhyme, and I really didn’t get the eyeball thing. The guitar was mixed too loud in the break; it didn’t match the color (again intended) of the rest of the song. It was jewel tone on a palate of pastels.

Faster Jackelope: love that guitar at the start with the synth coming in. Reminded me for a moment of Sia’s Titanium. This is a cool concept, and I like how you used the samples. A couple of them were flat, but having only learned how to do all that myself this week, I’m still impressed. Gave it a cool effect. Great solo. You did a good job of using instrumentals whose timbre matched the timbre of the processed samples.

Iveg: this is such a sweet story, and the instrumentals match the feel of it. I love the references to childhood crafts- ex distance no glue can mend- and the nostalgic quality to the story. I would have used the duality of crayon’s pronunciation to your advantage, mainly saying cray-on most of the time, but on that last line, color me with crooked crans, just to make the line flow a little better. Other people might have problems with doing that, but I think it would have served the music well.

Rain watt: congrats! I liked listening to the song this sample was from and hearing how your music has progressed since then. I liked the link between old kid/new kid and the “I missed out” and “color me out.” That play out is really emotional and I enjoyed listening, like youre trying to convince yourself it’s true. Interesting the implication that with age come a loss of joviality. Your lyrics are always rich with meaning, and I love that about your songs.

Bss: i liked this song much more after Chumpy pointed out that it was about synesthesia. When I first heard “my favorite number is the color blue” my initial reaction was ‘oh, like 7’ but then I was like, no, no one writes about that, and then when Chumpy said it, all the lyrics fell into place and suddenly the song was something I could really identify with. I like how the blue sample is put in the instrumental texture of the final chorus. Good song!

Max Bombast: i really for a moment thought this was a muse song. I love it. I like the “doo doo doos” you put in behind the amazing grace section, and the processing on it is really excellently done, as is the tuning you did on your own vocals to make them match. Your verses are very, uh, you. Now on song #4 I’d like to hear another type of declamation from your voice. I just end up feeling like I’m listening to the same song, and I was always waiting for the chorus to come back because it had a different shape to it.

Sunday colors: this is my fav song of yours yet! I like the pun with your band name, and love the emotion evoked by the phrase “color me Sunday.” I really like the post chorus and intro verse guitar interjections. I think the sample would have been integrated a little better/not been so surprising if you had continued singing in a harmony line over it.
“It's like opera for toddlers or something.” -furrypedro
frankie big face
Ice Cream Man
Posts: 1939
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 12:26 pm
Instruments: Vocals, Bass, Guitar, Saxophone, Flute, Keyboard, Violin, Other Stuff
Recording Method: Logic, UAD Apollo Twin, aging iMac
Submitting as: frankie big face
Location: Lancaster, PA
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein XIV Round Three "Color Me _____"

Post by frankie big face »

Cybronica wrote:
Fri May 24, 2019 8:14 am

Frankie Big Face: I really like this one. The beginning/verses remind me strongly of “can’t fight this feeling,” so I really don’t get the musical theater vibe you were talking about. My favorite thing about it is how you go from the verse to the chorus, bringing the vocals to the front and filling out the texture, and that quick fade in of the i knows with the stop at the start of the chorus. I also really like the i knows and how you have them slightly syncopated. It’s a really great pedal tone kind of effect. Sometimes your vocals sound just a little wavering, and I think a deeper breath to give a little more support to the tone could help with that immensely.
HA! It does sound like "Can't Fight This Feeling" which is even worse than bad musical theater! I really appreciate your review. My voice is still not quite back after being sick so those wavering notes will hopefully firm up soon. Good comments. Thanks again.
Cybronica
Push Comes to Shove
Posts: 314
Joined: Mon May 14, 2018 2:38 pm
Instruments: Vocals, Bass
Recording Method: sm7b, Scarlett 8i6, Logic Pro
Submitting as: Mandibles, Cybronica
Pronouns: she/they

Re: Nur Ein XIV Round Three "Color Me _____"

Post by Cybronica »

frankie big face wrote:
Fri May 24, 2019 8:21 am
Cybronica wrote:
Fri May 24, 2019 8:14 am

Frankie Big Face: I really like this one. The beginning/verses remind me strongly of “can’t fight this feeling,” so I really don’t get the musical theater vibe you were talking about. My favorite thing about it is how you go from the verse to the chorus, bringing the vocals to the front and filling out the texture, and that quick fade in of the i knows with the stop at the start of the chorus. I also really like the i knows and how you have them slightly syncopated. It’s a really great pedal tone kind of effect. Sometimes your vocals sound just a little wavering, and I think a deeper breath to give a little more support to the tone could help with that immensely.
HA! It does sound like "Can't Fight This Feeling" which is even worse than bad musical theater! I really appreciate your review. My voice is still not quite back after being sick so those wavering notes will hopefully firm up soon. Good comments. Thanks again.
Ah, that’s right! Well, recovery can be difficult depending on your daily activities, like if you’re writing and recording songs every week. XD

Do you do any vocal exercises before recording? While you’re still feeling the effects of the sickness, it can help ease your folds into vocalizing. Even just humming 5 note scales throughout your range with a nice deep supported breath can help your confidence of tone.
“It's like opera for toddlers or something.” -furrypedro
frankie big face
Ice Cream Man
Posts: 1939
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 12:26 pm
Instruments: Vocals, Bass, Guitar, Saxophone, Flute, Keyboard, Violin, Other Stuff
Recording Method: Logic, UAD Apollo Twin, aging iMac
Submitting as: frankie big face
Location: Lancaster, PA
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein XIV Round Three "Color Me _____"

Post by frankie big face »

Cybronica wrote:
Fri May 24, 2019 8:59 am
Do you do any vocal exercises before recording? While you’re still feeling the effects of the sickness, it can help ease your folds into vocalizing. Even just humming 5 note scales throughout your range with a nice deep supported breath can help your confidence of tone.
My vocal regimen consists of drinking several cups of coffee. I'm a rock star, Cybronica, not an opera singer. ;)
Cybronica
Push Comes to Shove
Posts: 314
Joined: Mon May 14, 2018 2:38 pm
Instruments: Vocals, Bass
Recording Method: sm7b, Scarlett 8i6, Logic Pro
Submitting as: Mandibles, Cybronica
Pronouns: she/they

Re: Nur Ein XIV Round Three "Color Me _____"

Post by Cybronica »

frankie big face wrote:
Fri May 24, 2019 9:10 am
Cybronica wrote:
Fri May 24, 2019 8:59 am
Do you do any vocal exercises before recording? While you’re still feeling the effects of the sickness, it can help ease your folds into vocalizing. Even just humming 5 note scales throughout your range with a nice deep supported breath can help your confidence of tone.
My vocal regimen consists of drinking several cups of coffee. I'm a rock star, Cybronica, not an opera singer. ;)
Even casual runners stretch before a race... ;)
“It's like opera for toddlers or something.” -furrypedro
User avatar
grumpymike
Push Comes to Shove
Posts: 418
Joined: Sun Apr 17, 2016 3:12 pm
Instruments: Rage and curmudgeonry
Recording Method: Zero-turn lawnmower
Submitting as: Grumpy Mike

Re: Nur Ein XIV Round Three "Color Me _____"

Post by grumpymike »

Cybronica wrote:
Fri May 24, 2019 8:14 am
is it hot in here? No? Just me? Really? This song is sexy. There is no other word for it. Prime grade, bow-chicka-wow-wow sexy. This song is so well crafted, with the sample, the pulsing driving bass, the melody, and LYRICS. Don’t listen to the others. This song is perfect. Any faster and you would have lost the furtive tension that makes this song so amazing. This story and the way you deliver is so... sensual. Like the way you break after “I’m canvas baby” before falling back into the title line, there’s so much subtext in everything you do. The lyrics- I love the different colors and how they all fit into the story you’re telling, especially color me purple, like she’s literally coloring you purple with bruises. This is amazing wordsmithing. And the story it tells is so tragic, so dramatic. This is a deeply unhealthy relationship, and i love how in the music you have communicated how something about the singer’s words is just wrong, leaving us all uneasy, yet still titillated. If I was required to give a critique, I would only say put a little reverb on your vocals to match that on the sample. And again, after reading the other reviews I must stress, this song is the absolute correct tempo. Not every song needs to be a pumping fast dance song. This song is like a cat stalking its prey. Too fast and it falls apart.
You just colored my face red. Thank you.
mo
Mean Street
Posts: 513
Joined: Fri Oct 08, 2004 9:46 pm
Instruments: guitar, bass, synth
Recording Method: Reaper 4eva
Submitting as: duboce triangle, ellipsis, agony sauce, moody vermin, spite, yaks
Pronouns: n/a
Location: hell a
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein XIV Round Three "Color Me _____"

Post by mo »

Frank, you misspelt "whisky"
frankie big face
Ice Cream Man
Posts: 1939
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 12:26 pm
Instruments: Vocals, Bass, Guitar, Saxophone, Flute, Keyboard, Violin, Other Stuff
Recording Method: Logic, UAD Apollo Twin, aging iMac
Submitting as: frankie big face
Location: Lancaster, PA
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein XIV Round Three "Color Me _____"

Post by frankie big face »

mo wrote:
Fri May 24, 2019 11:08 am
Frank, you misspelt "whisky"
*like*
User avatar
arby
Somebody Get Me A Doctor
Posts: 202
Joined: Sat Jul 16, 2016 8:21 pm
Instruments: Omnichord, vocals
Recording Method: ZOOM, GarageBand
Submitting as: Lucky Witch & the Righteous Ghost, Virgo Power
Pronouns: she/her
Location: Staten Island, NY
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein XIV Round Three "Color Me _____"

Post by arby »

GENERAL NOTE re: Judging: If you write and perform well a GREAT song that at least pays lip service to the challenge, I personally will rank it highly and not dock you. If your song sucks but you absolutely NAIL the challenge, you will get a point or two more than you would have if you only barely addressed the challenge. If your song is mediocre and it's falling somewhere in the middle of the pack, then how well you handle the challenge (and the title, for that matter, which honestly irks me more than the challenge half the time, I agree with Chumpy on that one) could well make or break you in the rankings. And honestly I challenge all the whiners and haters to try judging for yourself before bitching. When I was a contestant, I thought it would be sooo easy and it is NOT. The reviews are one thing but coming up with the challenges and doing the rankings is hard AF. If I love it or I hate it, that's easy. But we don't have the option of saying "it was okay" without assigning a number to it, which directly affects the participants. WHICH MAKES ME FEEL BAD SOMETIMES!!! BUT THAT'S HOW THE CONTEST WORKS!! In the early rounds, the difference between 16 and 6 is often just a matter of "I felt meh about all of them, but some handled the challenge better or some annoyed me slightly less". But when we're writing the reviews some of us feel compelled to nitpick in order to "justify" our ranking when sometimes it was as simple as "15 entries were better than yours". HOPE THIS HELPS! :evil:

And now, on to the reviews.

Max Bombast - This wow’ed me out of the gate with the wild sample. I love how it’s so distorted and processed. At first I didn’t even recognize it. The contrast between the high pitch of the singing and the intense low (bass? guitar?) heavy AF riff is so great. And THEN Max comes in singing & swinging. The best part is at the end when Max sings Amazing Grace in the key of his sample. Fabulous. This is catchy and ballsy and overall just… words fail me. Max killed it.

Rachael Layne - I do not understand why this got ranked so low from some of the other judges. I really liked it. (References that only Niveous will get - this reminds me of Max Miller meets Killy Dwyer.) Cool beats, underwater synth sounds, vocal that dances around the beat, so much going on with the production that I never get bored. Arguably the sample was not perhaps used the way we instructed (I believe we said it should be a “vocal riff” i.e. melodic line) BUT the song is soooo good that I did not take off points for it.(see note above)

Rain Watt- sort of shocked that Rain was the only one of two competitors to sample her own work! I would have thought more people would have done it, if for no other reason than you know what key your own song is, depending on how you recorded it you might have access to an isolated vocal track, AND you get to direct the judges to your Bandcamp/Soundcloud. Just saying. Anyway, this is another great track from Rain. The fast part is so catchy. And then the slow part is sooooo intense and good and sad. Great dynamics, atmospheric backing vocals, layers, ping-ponging drums. Damn. And I listened to the song it was sampling and while the lyrics aren’t posted, Rain’s not at all hard to understand so it was fairly easy to pick up the callbacks. Very, very well done. If I had to quibble (see general note) I would say only that “colo(u)r me out” is not really an idiom/saying, at least not one I’m familiar with. But who cares? This is is really good.

Merisan - This instantly reminded me of Fleetwood Mac for some reason, the layered harmonies over fingerpicking, lush and pretty. I also think the samples are really well integrated, because they both sound like they could be Erin’s voice, and the song is built well around them so they don’t stick out like a sore thumb. This is also interesting lyrically because even though it doesn’t tell an explicit story, it conjures up a mood pretty effectively, which to me is honestly just as good as telling a story. Like I don’t need to know exactly what is going down to get the feeling of it, which is done well here. Merisan for me is getting better and better each round.

Vowl Sounds - WOW the lyrics are really great in this one, as is the sampling. This ties with Max for best use of sample. Not one, not 2 or 3 but FOUR samples are used here, and they all sound gorgeous. The Depeche Mode one cracked me up. However the song itself didn’t grab me right away. Of course it’s a grower, so now I am loving it more and more. The Nur Ein format really works against these types of song. The ones I rank highest at 2 days in listening are OFTEN not the same ones I would rank high at the end of a week or 14 days of listening. (I tend to listen to things over and over and then - if I don’t start skipping them - they grow on me and I often love them more than the ones I liked at first blush.) The singing and backing music is also really beautiful. Is that an Omnichord I hear in the chorus?? Sounds like an OM-84. (I play Omni but later models (150 and up) but have learned to recognize Omni wherever I may come across it.) Even the whipporwills are tasteful and pretty! And I LOVE the first Vowl Sounds song they sample - I mean I didn’t know it before, but I went and listened to it, so beautiful AND it uses one of my favorite Latin phrases (sic transit gloria mundi) - ps wow 2nd Nur Ein song to reference it?)

The Sunday Colors - The new mic sounds great! Big improvement in sound quality, great job Christopher! As usual, lyrics and performance are fabulous. I especially like “You flashed your half-moon smile when I stepped off the plane”. And then the chorus hits, and the sample. Ha! This cracked me up. I’m not sure it was supposed to be funny, but come on. Lionel Richie is just about the LAST person I expected tSC to sample. I think you could play this live and just sing it and change the words to “That’s why I’m easy / Easy like Sunday Colors” and it would be great. Also noted a second guitar part, as previously suggested, I think it was by Grumpy Mike? Very nice. You are improving rapidly, young grasshopper.

Grumpy Mike - this is another grower. At first I found the sample kind of annoying, but now I’m starting to really dig it. I like how high pitched it is compared to the doomy low notes of the instrumentation and GM’s voice. (Though I maintain that Max Bombast did it slightly better. But these are v. different types of songs.) This reminds me of Ben Harper meets Soundgarden. The lyrics are quite frankly, sexy - and I will admit I was kind of startled/taken aback by it at first. I don’t expect sexy from Grumpy Mike! But good singing, and good playing. I like the big echoey drum sound and the slow arpeggios adding interest in the 2nd verse. I guess the reason it’s ranked where it is, is that I didn’t find it super catchy or memorable the first 4 times I listened to it. Sample is well used, as is the title.

Frankie Big Face - This starts out sounding like Phantom of the Opera mixed with EDM. And then the sample kicks in. Hard to beat Bill Withers for sheer catchy, especially the best part of the song (“I know I know I know I know I know”). Honestly I didn’t really care for the verses at all of this, but the chorus was good and the sample was good and well used.

Berkeley Social Scene - I really like the noodly prog bits in the background on the verses. The line “My favorite number / is the color blue” is cute. The sample is weird but I don’t hate it. I like the wash of sound on the chorus - and there’s something about that jangly guitar in the background that reminds me of the Byrds, “Eight Miles High”, but the actual melody of the chorus leaves me flat. The solo is pretty, and then the synth comes in with a very prog-rock sound on the final outro (chorus repeated). Basically despite a lot of nice sounding elements here, the song as a whole doesn’t really move me.

Faster Jackalope - Another nice riff, this one reminds me of Sloan again. I liked the music of this but the melody & lyrics left me cold again. The samples were ok I guess? I mean they don’t sound terrible, and I guess it makes sense but there were too many names and I wasn’t clear at all where any of them fit in and the overall story line (someone is gambling, that’s all I got). Honestly in 2 days I do not have the time to understand a song this complicated. And it didn’t really grow on me, unlike several of the others. The ending is pretty, I like the ascending stacked vocals. It has its moments, but overall not really one I would listen to outside the contest.

Nick M. Soma - This one is so creepy. It reminds me of something from a horror movie, which makes sense given the source of the samples. The piano is pretty, and the low bass etc are a nice contrast. But the vocals, melody line and overall song didn’t really grab me. The lyrics are ok, not particularly original. Overall a meh.

Third Cat - This reminds me of a cheesy 60’s song. I like the echoing background vocals. This was starting to grow on me until the bridge with the gross lyric about digging out an eyeball. Ugggh! That part musically is really pretty, too, which somehow only makes it worse. I get that it’s a Beatlesque sort of homage but that lyric turned me off. And the chorus is corny. An abrupt ending completed its low ranking.

Ujn Hunter + Friends - This reminds me of David Bowie. I hate David Bowie. Or like Kraftwerk. Weird, mannered vocals and a strange melody combined to not endear it to me. I feel like if this were more sensitively sung I might have liked it more. There are many parts, some more pleasant than others.

Abominominous - Welp, Abominominous is nothing if not consistent. Unfortunately most of the time I find them so annoying that that doesn’t really help with my rankings. When I read the lyrics I see that this for once has an actual story and makes sense, however I could not understand the majority of the lyrics due to a mumble-mouthed, overly drawling, weirdly pronounced delivery. Is that guitar riff from the childhood taunt “Nah nah nah nah nah”? The sample is whatever, mildly amusing I guess. Overall I found the song both bizarre and irritating. The fact that it’s less than a minute and half long could be seen as a blessing.
——————————————————————————————————
Agony Sauce (Immune) - Not bad. I like the verse music. This has a slow groove that is hypnotic. I will admit I didn’t really listen to any of the immune/shadow tracks more than a few times, because I was focusing on getting my rankings in on the competing entries. But I like the bridge on this a lot. Good effort.

Vom Vorton (shadow) - This one might grow on me. I like the instrumentation and the constant motion of all the parts, including the panning on the backing vocals. Lyrics are kind of cheesy. Reminds me of Sesame Street, or the Electric Company with the naming of the colors.

Inflatable Vegetables (shadow) - The opening sample is mildly irritating, but it kind of reminds me of Spookey Ruben, who I love, but does that a lot. What’s worse is the buzzing (synth? guitar?) instrument that plays on the same horrible frequency throughout the whole song (except for a brief, blessed break on the bridge). It makes my ears tired. The singing, lyrics and overall song are not compelling enough to get me to overcome these annoyances. The chorus reminds me of The Moody Blues, with the orchestral stabs in the background.

Mandibles - Perfectly inoffensive and pleasant, but not particularly memorable, much like the paintings of Bob Ross, who provides the sample.
"That organ is piercing my soul" - Adam Adamant
"Lo-fi doom rock isn't my bag at all. I'm trying to imagine this with professional production and played/sung perfectly and I don't think I'd like it much more." - furrypedro
User avatar
vowlvom
Ice Cream Man
Posts: 1091
Joined: Wed May 17, 2017 3:29 am
Instruments: guitar, keys, "other"
Recording Method: PC, reaper, ableton
Submitting as: Vowl Sounds, Vom Vorton
Pronouns: he/him
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein XIV Round Three "Color Me _____"

Post by vowlvom »

arby wrote:
Sat May 25, 2019 3:19 pm
Vowl Sounds - WOW the lyrics are really great in this one, as is the sampling. This ties with Max for best use of sample. Not one, not 2 or 3 but FOUR samples are used here, and they all sound gorgeous. The Depeche Mode one cracked me up. However the song itself didn’t grab me right away. Of course it’s a grower, so now I am loving it more and more. The Nur Ein format really works against these types of song. The ones I rank highest at 2 days in listening are OFTEN not the same ones I would rank high at the end of a week or 14 days of listening. (I tend to listen to things over and over and then - if I don’t start skipping them - they grow on me and I often love them more than the ones I liked at first blush.) The singing and backing music is also really beautiful. Is that an Omnichord I hear in the chorus?? Sounds like an OM-84. (I play Omni but later models (150 and up) but have learned to recognize Omni wherever I may come across it.) Even the whipporwills are tasteful and pretty! And I LOVE the first Vowl Sounds song they sample - I mean I didn’t know it before, but I went and listened to it, so beautiful AND it uses one of my favorite Latin phrases (sic transit gloria mundi) - ps wow 2nd Nur Ein song to reference it?)
Thanks for the great review! Really pleased that Depeche Mode sample worked for you, I thought it was hilarious. Although I guess we weren’t going for hilarious overall so maybe it’s a weird choice. My Omnichord is an OM-27! I’d love to upgrade to one of the later ones with more sounds if I ever run into one at a good price but I do love digging out this old thing whenever I can!
I don’t expect sexy from Grumpy Mike!
Somewhere in the world, in some other competition, Sexy Mike is having a really bad week.
User avatar
arby
Somebody Get Me A Doctor
Posts: 202
Joined: Sat Jul 16, 2016 8:21 pm
Instruments: Omnichord, vocals
Recording Method: ZOOM, GarageBand
Submitting as: Lucky Witch & the Righteous Ghost, Virgo Power
Pronouns: she/her
Location: Staten Island, NY
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein XIV Round Three "Color Me _____"

Post by arby »

vowlvom wrote:
Sat May 25, 2019 3:37 pm
Thanks for the great review! Really pleased that Depeche Mode sample worked for you, I thought it was hilarious. Although I guess we weren’t going for hilarious overall so maybe it’s a weird choice. My Omnichord is an OM-27! I’d love to upgrade to one of the later ones with more sounds if I ever run into one at a good price but I do love digging out this old thing whenever I can!
Haha, nice! I am so psyched that I was right that it was an Omni. I have a 250m and a 300m, as well as a Q-Chord, but the wildest Omni I have in my collection is this totally sick modified FolkTek OM-84. I hardly ever play it because it's so hard to control and plus it gives me mild electric shocks when my palms sweat (which is why its nickname is "Ol' Shocky" :lol: :lol: :lol: ) but it has given us some crazy-awesome results.
I don’t expect sexy from Grumpy Mike!
vowlvom wrote:
Sat May 25, 2019 3:37 pm
Somewhere in the world, in some other competition, Sexy Mike is having a really bad week.
Ha!!
"That organ is piercing my soul" - Adam Adamant
"Lo-fi doom rock isn't my bag at all. I'm trying to imagine this with professional production and played/sung perfectly and I don't think I'd like it much more." - furrypedro
User avatar
grumpymike
Push Comes to Shove
Posts: 418
Joined: Sun Apr 17, 2016 3:12 pm
Instruments: Rage and curmudgeonry
Recording Method: Zero-turn lawnmower
Submitting as: Grumpy Mike

Re: Nur Ein XIV Round Three "Color Me _____"

Post by grumpymike »

arby wrote:
Sat May 25, 2019 3:19 pm
Grumpy Mike - this is another grower. At first I found the sample kind of annoying, but now I’m starting to really dig it. I like how high pitched it is compared to the doomy low notes of the instrumentation and GM’s voice. (Though I maintain that Max Bombast did it slightly better. But these are v. different types of songs.) This reminds me of Ben Harper meets Soundgarden. The lyrics are quite frankly, sexy - and I will admit I was kind of startled/taken aback by it at first. I don’t expect sexy from Grumpy Mike! But good singing, and good playing. I like the big echoey drum sound and the slow arpeggios adding interest in the 2nd verse. I guess the reason it’s ranked where it is, is that I didn’t find it super catchy or memorable the first 4 times I listened to it. Sample is well used, as is the title.
Thanks, Arby. It is an interesting day when I get compliments for a sexy song. I didn't particularly think of it that way, but I'm happy it's not the normal adjective I get. Maybe I should become Grumpy Michael Bolton.
vowlvom wrote:
Sat May 25, 2019 3:37 pm
Somewhere in the world, in some other competition, Sexy Mike is having a really bad week.
Perhaps he made a catchy, up-tempo song and got immunity? :P
theSundayColors
A New Player
Posts: 18
Joined: Mon Apr 29, 2019 5:00 pm
Submitting as: the Sunday Colors

Re: Nur Ein XIV Round Three "Color Me _____"

Post by theSundayColors »

arby wrote:
Sat May 25, 2019 3:19 pm

The Sunday Colors - The new mic sounds great! Big improvement in sound quality, great job Christopher! As usual, lyrics and performance are fabulous. I especially like “You flashed your half-moon smile when I stepped off the plane”. And then the chorus hits, and the sample. Ha! This cracked me up. I’m not sure it was supposed to be funny, but come on. Lionel Richie is just about the LAST person I expected tSC to sample. I think you could play this live and just sing it and change the words to “That’s why I’m easy / Easy like Sunday Colors” and it would be great. Also noted a second guitar part, as previously suggested, I think it was by Grumpy Mike? Very nice. You are improving rapidly, young grasshopper.
This means so much to me! Thank you, Brookes :)

I'm very grateful to Nur Ein, in that I can see tangible ways my songwriting has developed in a few short weeks. This was my first time ever using Audacity or mixing multiple tracks into one song, and it's such an exciting thing for me. I'm very pleased with how this song turned out, and I'll admit that I think my second guitar part is super catchy. I am torn on my sample. I hear Chumpy's point, that Lionel is a bit of a jolting shift in sound, but I also had my heart set on using him for this song the moment I saw the challenge.

Thanks to everyone for their feedback on this round in particular. For what it's worth, I'll say that my song title was not a pun. This title challenge was a fun exercise for me to write about why I am the Sunday Colors.
User avatar
iVeg
Mean Street
Posts: 531
Joined: Sun May 12, 2013 10:06 pm
Submitting as: inflatable vegetables

Re: Nur Ein XIV Round Three "Color Me _____"

Post by iVeg »

Thanks for the review, Brookes. I appreciate your candor. Thanks too for the intro bit about judging, and your take on it.

Cybronica - I wanted to do it all "crans", to rhyme with the other __nds words. But when I sang it, my brain decided Cray-on. Silly brain. Thanks for all your reviews. Thanks for making Grumpy Mike blush.
facebook.com/ivegband
User avatar
vowlvom
Ice Cream Man
Posts: 1091
Joined: Wed May 17, 2017 3:29 am
Instruments: guitar, keys, "other"
Recording Method: PC, reaper, ableton
Submitting as: Vowl Sounds, Vom Vorton
Pronouns: he/him
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein XIV Round Three "Color Me _____"

Post by vowlvom »

arby wrote:
Sat May 25, 2019 4:16 pm
the wildest Omni I have in my collection is this totally sick modified FolkTek OM-84. I hardly ever play it because it's so hard to control and plus it gives me mild electric shocks when my palms sweat (which is why its nickname is "Ol' Shocky" :lol: :lol: :lol: ) but it has given us some crazy-awesome results.
!!!

That looks like it'd be worth getting electrocuted for! Sounds great, too.
User avatar
Rachael Layne
Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love
Posts: 34
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 3:39 pm
Instruments: Vocals only at this point...
Recording Method: Ask Glenn... ;)
Submitting as: Rachael Layne
Pronouns: She/her
Location: Spokane, Washington
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein XIV Round Three "Color Me _____"

Post by Rachael Layne »

Rachael Layne - This is creepy and weird. Like Abominominous, I'm sure there are people who would love this to pieces (pun intended), but it's not for me. It's a convincing performance, however, so good job. It made me uncomfortable so I think you probably achieved something there.
Thank you! Yeah, we definitely took a risk on Color Me Dead. I liked the idea of doing something really different from anything else we had conjured up thus far. (I am a creepy girl at heart.) :lol: The fact that it made you uncomfortable does make me happy as this was intended to be a bit unnerving, mischievous, yet campy. Like Elvira only much more menacing I guess. Anyways, regardless, thanks for the listen and review my friend! :)
Music is love in search of a word...
User avatar
Rachael Layne
Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love
Posts: 34
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 3:39 pm
Instruments: Vocals only at this point...
Recording Method: Ask Glenn... ;)
Submitting as: Rachael Layne
Pronouns: She/her
Location: Spokane, Washington
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein XIV Round Three "Color Me _____"

Post by Rachael Layne »

Rachael Layne - total genre shift here! It's like a gothy trip-hop thing? An interesting change, not sure it totally works for me but it's pretty fun. There are some vocal lines early in the song that sound way off key to me in a really distracting way, but since you're such a good singer I'm thinking maybe it's a deliberate choice? The harmonies sound really good when they kick in.
Thank you, i am glad you were able to pin point the deliberate off key bits. It was an attempt to increase the creepy uncomfortable factor. Not sure it was the best choice, but when you choose to do something way out in left field, (at least this was for me), who knows if it will land as intended. Haha! Was fun doing something super weird. Definitely going to keep trying to challenge myself to keep it interesting if nothing else. (Glenn Case is good at pushing me out of my comfort zone as he is fearless. And that is a good thing.) 8-)
Music is love in search of a word...
User avatar
Rachael Layne
Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love
Posts: 34
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 3:39 pm
Instruments: Vocals only at this point...
Recording Method: Ask Glenn... ;)
Submitting as: Rachael Layne
Pronouns: She/her
Location: Spokane, Washington
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein XIV Round Three "Color Me _____"

Post by Rachael Layne »

Spintown wrote:
Wed May 22, 2019 9:26 pm
Rachael Layne
The music sets a creepy mood, and you bring attitude & personality to the performance. Overall though, this doesn’t work for me at all. There’s no hook to grab the listener nor is it fun to sing at all. The sample works, but it’s not the greatest use this round, and it really don’t ADD much to this. Honestly would have thought there would have been a lot more you could have used sample wise WITH this topic & style. So I was left a little disappointed there. Just my opinion, but this was the weakest round of the contest for you.
Thanks for the review Spin. I appreciate your take and feedback. It was a very risky move to switch it up this much and it almost got me eliminated so I will be crafting accordingly going forward in the competition should I survive another round. :P
Music is love in search of a word...
User avatar
Rachael Layne
Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love
Posts: 34
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 3:39 pm
Instruments: Vocals only at this point...
Recording Method: Ask Glenn... ;)
Submitting as: Rachael Layne
Pronouns: She/her
Location: Spokane, Washington
Contact:

Re: Nur Ein XIV Round Three "Color Me _____"

Post by Rachael Layne »

bennyharv3 wrote:
Thu May 23, 2019 4:30 am
New Ugly review of round 3 went up last night! http://podcast.songlander.com/?name=201 ... in14-3.mp3
You guys made me feel a lot better about Color Me Dead. That was a rough round. It tickled me that you overall got where we were attempting to come from. Creepy cannibal/zombie/vampire/undead themes are definitely not for everyone but I was giddy when I heard the Elvira comparison as that is exactly what I was hoping to come across. Maybe a bit more macabre than campy but still in that vein. (I listened back on the prior episode and very much appreciate your critiques. That was fun!)

Glenn Case is my one man band so his influence will always be heavy in my recordings. I write the majority of the lyrics with tweaks from Glenn from time to time and we both work on the musical and vocal arrangements together.

We have been married almost 24 years and music is the tie that binds us the most. He has been encouraging me to create again after a bit of a hiatus and this competition has been really helpful in getting me back into it. ;)
Music is love in search of a word...
Post Reply