SpinTunes 18 Final Round: One-Two Punch

[Chas Rock]

Ay! Only five songs and I really enjoy everybody’s music, so I thought I would put together some super quick reviews (in the order they appear on the tracklist).

Daniel Sitler - What If: Shoegaze is making such a fun comeback right now and if you’re doing a two-chord challenge, I think this punk-ish direction is great! There are a couple performance issues, specifically a couple of sections where it feels like the rhythm of the vocals and the rhythm of the instrumental don’t quite groove (which is something I struggle with all the time), but overall, love the dreamy big delay guitars, love the POV, love the variation, great entry!

Brian Gray - Gestalt: Enjoying this folksy genre shift from Brian. Still has that musical theatre essence that BG does so well, but if you weren’t looking for it, you’d never know it was there. Also, there are lots of parents in this competition (lol obviously, just try writing a song about a fictional child receiving minor fictional injuries from an intentionally self-destructive narrator and SEE WHAT HAPPENS ), but I can’t stress enough how much I admire the POV. We all love the idea of a song from a parent's POV that’s like “here’s the world, I’m so excited to show it to you and give you a little piece of it because I’m going to be the greatest parent of all time!” but that’s really not the way most of my new-parent-friends feel right now. I think it takes artistic courage to have a super honest POV with a lovely, necessary cynicism that accurately reflects (one of) the (many) modern fear(s) around having children.

Sober - It Never Comes: And yet I did (end of review).

Jim from Seattle: Let me start by commenting on everything I love about this song, because most of it, I love a lot. From the moment it starts, the composition is absolutely lovely and the instrumental/vocal performances are pretty flawless. My heartstrings are TUGGED. I’d be remiss if I didn’t also mention that excellent instrumental section that starts around the two-minute mark. The sound of this song makes me want to get sad and hang up a Christmas tree alone. All of that being said, when I dig into its substance, I come away feeling much less satisfied. The main thing that pulls me out of it is the lack of a POV. I get it. The intention is to be simple and I’m sure this song is about something because the emotions are there, but it feels like it’s designed to cast a super wide net and when a song is this emotional, I want the lyrics to be a little bit more vulnerable. I love simplicity, but as a listener I have a really hard time connecting to a series of non-sequiturs. Also, the mix takes me out a little bit. Sonically, everything sounds pretty good, but I’m not sure anything sounds like it’s in the same place and it makes it a little bit awkward in the more stripped-down sections.

I didn’t do shadow reviews for lack of time, but a lot of great stuff in there too!

And now to be sincere for just a second (sorry Micah), but I really enjoyed this competition and am so grateful for everybody’s earnest participation and feedback. While I understand that friendly competition is kind of the driving force behind all of this, for me there wasn't a definite 100% winner in any round and that in itself is a sign of all the great art being made as a result! Huge thank you to Micah and the judges for all of the time and effort it takes to organize and execute something like this so well. I’m so excited to hear the covers next week and am crossing my fingers that I have time to get one done too! BYE!

[Jim of Seattle]

Since I'm in the final round I'm only discussing the shadows.

How will people deal with this challenge? and how was I going to approach it myself? I had all kinds of thoughts about it over the past week, and was super curious to hear the entries.

First, I was thinking there would be some Working Class Hero type songs https://open.spotify.com/track/1yKQBy7o ... 8bbdd146e9, in which the music essentially served as a Lyrics Delivery System. There was at least one, but we didn't get a lot of story songs like I thought we might, though Bucket Hat Bobby Matheson had a lyric-heavy story with "Two Cords". (Still trying to envision someone whose face is in the dirt while they are simultaneously staring straight up . Also, I seriously doubt one can teach heartstrings anything, whether they are taut or slack...) Hot Pink Halo looked like they had a lot of lyrics with "One Two Punch", but it looks like more than it is, since the same stanzas were just copy-pasted, and most of the time she's just singing fuck you to a politician in sort of a sweet gentle voice - the effect is trippy and I can hear it being produced as this super cool creepy thing...

I also thought there might be songs relying on a catchy bass hook like this https://open.spotify.com/track/76hfruVv ... 1ca9d941ab. I REALLY wanted to do something like that song, but not having experience with it I decided against it. It wasn't going to end up being as good as that and I'd be disappointed. (I love that song though.) Jocko Homomorphism was the only entry that ventured down the techno path. I didn't even notice that "Tuck and Roll" was only two chords for that reason. Interesting how this challenge was so wheelhouse-y for some, while others sounded more like it was a struggle. (If I sang like JH but also did songs in the style of JH, I don't know quite what I would do. They don't match for me, but I don't have any ideas. )

One of my big questions all week was would these songs feel natural with only two chords, or would they sound like the songwriter struggled with the challenge? How would I feel about them as a listener? Would they drone on and get boring? I am absolutely harmony-forward in both my composing and my listening preference. Not enough chords is a frequent complaint from me, for better or worse. What two chords besides I-IV and I-V would I hear? I was wondering specifically whether I would hear a combo in which one of the chords was not a I or i chord. I think See-Man-Ski came the closest with his Radioheady "Love Is". By using the F and A he did, he gave himself the opportunity to come up with all sort of interesting extensions on the basic major chords, and that was fun. It was an ambitious idea he could have taken even further had he used more instrumentation.

I also guessed that the success of the songs would depend on the groove that was established, and in that regard I think I was right. Stacking Theory's sort of lovely indie-rock number sets up a nice groove with pretty little melodies and the I-IV never feels constrained by not having more chords. I know from experience how hard it is to get that groove to sound right, so hats off, dudes. When I've ever been able to hit that groove sweet spot, it feels like the song is 3/4 done already.

I wondered would any entries only have ONE chord? IIRC there was no stipulation that it had to have exactly two, only that we were limited to two. As it turns out, I think there IS a song that is is only one chord, albeit inadvertently, and that is Cybronica's "Yesterday's Mascara", which is really just in E minor with a first inversion to a G bass. Funny, she had a whole 'nother chord available that she didn't even need! But again, it didn't feel constrained by not enough harmonic interest. How are people able to do this? Lucky thing I was wearing two hats today because hats off to you too for that.

At the conclusion of the contest, I find it interesting that this is the only challenge with three -- by my count -- songs which specifically referenced the challenge itself, See-Man-Ski's "Brief", "Bucket Hat Bobby Matheson's "Two Cords" (only via the title) and Sober's entry. None of the other challenges had much of that at all. Which makes me think this was a hard one for many.

As for me, as I said, my first instinct was dance/techno, a lot of which I love, but I decided it wasn't in my wheelhouse, and since this is a game after all, and the whole fun of any game is for everyone to try to be the winner, I decided to play for real, and thought I'd have a better chance sticking to what I'm good at rather than trying to go outside what I normally do.
Then I wondered if I could go without a I chord at all, and that's when I thought the ii7/V7 approach might work, which is where I ended up going. The theme seemed exceedingly sad and sort of like a big resigned sigh, and was pretty enough as a piano tune that I didn't want to sing it. And I started coming up with little three-word phrases in counterpoint, which is where the "story" of a breakup sprang from. After a day or so of messing around with the theme and the chords, allowing myself to invert the two chords and add extensions, I had way more ideas down than I could use, which is where the idea of a theme and variations came from.
Everyone that I had hear it thought it was so sad and that the lyrics seemed really real and personal, but honestly, there is no connection to any real persons living or dead. People's reactions have all been this sort of somber admiration. Unlike my earlier entries "Gray" and "Snorkeling" which had happy energized reactions. But I was tickled by how my little theme was just dripping with regret and sorrow, and it made me want to see about exploring that emotion while staying to the two-chord challenge. How much could I stretch and pull this two chord taffy? Eek.

The song simply imagines the routine sadness of a couple breaking up. Weekday afternoon, raining, surrounded by mementos of their happier times. And while the breakup itself is the saddest part of the experience on the surface, there's this undercurrent of routine-ness permeating the ordeal. People break up every day, but it's still so painful being in the middle of it. So, I realize it's not a rip roarin' hootenany of a song, but I'm hoping the judges won't mark me down for making them briefly depressed.

My daughter plays violin, my sister is sax and clarinet, and my wife sings. I learned a ton from this challenge.

Lastly, thank you SpinTunes!! This contest was positively exhausting. I knew I would regret not giving it my all, and so I gave this contest everything I had. When I sent Send on this last one, I felt like I wasn't going to be up for writing more music for about 50 years. I was gulping oxygen through a mask in my sweat-soaked songwriter uniform. Add to that my little reviewgate which I still feel bad about, and it was quite a journey I've been on. So glad I was invited. It took everything out of me, and I'm a better person for it.

[Jim of Seattle]

when I dig into its substance, I come away feeling much less satisfied. The main thing that pulls me out of it is the lack of a POV. I get it. The intention is to be simple and I’m sure this song is about something because the emotions are there, but it feels like it’s designed to cast a super wide net and when a song is this emotional, I want the lyrics to be a little bit more vulnerable. I love simplicity, but as a listener I have a really hard time connecting to a series of non-sequiturs.

Oh that reminded me of another struggle I had. This song would have abso-bloomin'-lutely been an instrumental had it been outside of SpinTunes. As it is, I wanted the lyrics not to take center stage and have it be much more about the music. But that wasn't coming across, so I put the little vocal coda in there because like it or not, it was gonna be a song with vocals, so well, if you can't beat em, join em. I also think I was inspired by a previous discussion about how specific lyrics can or should be, and I had the thought that writing unspecific lyrics was harder than specific ones because you had to be dead-on with your imagery if you don't have specific dying puppies to sing about. So because I thought it was harder, I had to see how well I could do with it.

I was reminded of the photographer Ansel Adams, famous for his epic sweeping black and white landscapes, who once said that no matter how big the landscape is you are photographing, if there's even one single tiny person anywhere in the picture, THAT's going to be the focal point. It's how humans are wired. So I thought a lot about that quote this past week.

[Chas Rock]

when I dig into its substance, I come away feeling much less satisfied. The main thing that pulls me out of it is the lack of a POV. I get it. The intention is to be simple and I’m sure this song is about something because the emotions are there, but it feels like it’s designed to cast a super wide net and when a song is this emotional, I want the lyrics to be a little bit more vulnerable. I love simplicity, but as a listener I have a really hard time connecting to a series of non-sequiturs.

Oh that reminded me of another struggle I had. This song would have abso-bloomin'-lutely been an instrumental had it been outside of SpinTunes. As it is, I wanted the lyrics not to take center stage and have it be much more about the music. But that wasn't coming across, so I put the little vocal coda in there because like it or not, it was gonna be a song with vocals, so well, if you can't beat em, join em. I also think I was inspired by a previous discussion about how specific lyrics can or should be, and I had the thought that writing unspecific lyrics was harder than specific ones because you had to be dead-on with your imagery if you don't have specific dying puppies to sing about. So because I thought it was harder, I had to see how well I could do with it.

I was reminded of the photographer Ansel Adams, famous for his epic sweeping black and white landscapes, who once said that no matter how big the landscape is you are photographing, if there's even one single tiny person anywhere in the picture, THAT's going to be the focal point. It's how humans are wired. So I thought a lot about that quote this past week.

Don't blame you at all! The one thing that all SpinTuners have in common is the knowledge that it's hard to make anything work the way you want it to when both the writing and production have to come together in one week. I think your work definitely speaks for itself when it comes to how lovely your compositions and arrangements are. I also think there's no point in being hard on yourself for the tough reviews. I know we all got a little upset and appreciated the harsher redactions, but I'm certainly not holding a grudge and I'd be surprised if anybody else was either. I think the reviews came from a good (and probably excited) place and I'd rather look back five weeks and say "fuck, Jim was right about the rhythm of the verses" than not have any feedback at all! In the future, you have full permission to lay it on thick when it comes to my stuff. I won't be offended and I love a good (friendly) fight

[Jim of Seattle]

I know we all got a little upset and appreciated the harsher redactions, but I'm certainly not holding a grudge and I'd be surprised if anybody else was either. I think the reviews came from a good (and probably excited) place and I'd rather look back five weeks and say "fuck, Jim was right about the rhythm of the verses" than not have any feedback at all! In the future, you have full permission to lay it on thick when it comes to my stuff. I won't be offended and I love a good (friendly) fight

Well, I can't keep track of who is and isn't upset by them. Of course we can't know. So better safe than sorry. I tried something different this time, centering on the contest and the challenge as a whole and making sure I mention every entry in my ramble.

I don't know, my problem is those harsh comments don't bother me very much at all when I get them. My reaction is usually "Oh really? Let me listen for that" and half the time I go "ooooohhhh.... yeah that IS a problem" after which I'm glad I learned something for next time, and the other half I think "hmm... I see it, but too bad, that's how it's gonna be". Your review was some of both. I mean, what you said about POV was something I did on purpose, hoping that the emotions of the music would inspire the listener to fill in the blanks of the intentionally non-specific lyrics. The fact that it didn't work for you is something I'm going to chew on for a long time. And what you thought was non-vulnerable others said was REALLY vulnerable. God, this stuff is interesting, huh.

Also, I've learned that the ST culture is quite different from the SF culture. Seems like they're a lot more frank over there. Maybe it's because it's this never ending stream of competitions, instead of one big push every few months. Live and learn.

I have just always found music endlessly fascinating and could go on forever. My reviews are always way shorter than they could be.

[gizo]

Well, I can't keep track of who is and isn't upset by them.

To be honest - I was prepared and hoping to be upset, but it really didn't come (as Stacking Theory)

It's great to get positive feedback, especially when you're applauding the parts I put most focus on (how wonderfl to know that things we sweat are noticed!).

But the real meat & veg of growth (for me, at least), is to find the things that aren't working, and to make them better. I've been around the sun and been kicked in the guts enough times to know that even when it hurts, I'll get over it.

I mean - in SpinTunes 17 we (as rackwagon) were eliminated in the first round, and then we wrote Au Revoir, Mon Fils.
Bring it on.

[crumpart]

I mean - in SpinTunes 17 we (as rackwagon) were eliminated in the first round, and then we wrote Au Revoir, Mon Fils.
Bring it on.

I'm also putting my hand up for some credit for Au Revoir, Mon Fils. Sure, I wasn't in the song, but I reckon it was (at least partially) me who got that performance out of you.

It also highlighted, for me, the distinctly different styles Toshiro and I employ when we're trying to get someone to do something. He is very direct in a similar but far less polite way than Jim, I'm definitely more, "this is good, but hmm, maybe try it this way and it could be even better".

[crumpart]

Well, I can't keep track of who is and isn't upset by them. Of course we can't know. So better safe than sorry. I tried something different this time, centering on the contest and the challenge as a whole and making sure I mention every entry in my ramble.

I don't know, my problem is those harsh comments don't bother me very much at all when I get them. My reaction is usually "Oh really? Let me listen for that" and half the time I go "ooooohhhh.... yeah that IS a problem" after which I'm glad I learned something for next time, and the other half I think "hmm... I see it, but too bad, that's how it's gonna be". Your review was some of both. I mean, what you said about POV was something I did on purpose, hoping that the emotions of the music would inspire the listener to fill in the blanks of the intentionally non-specific lyrics. The fact that it didn't work for you is something I'm going to chew on for a long time. And what you thought was non-vulnerable others said was REALLY vulnerable. God, this stuff is interesting, huh.

Also, I've learned that the ST culture is quite different from the SF culture. Seems like they're a lot more frank over there. Maybe it's because it's this never ending stream of competitions, instead of one big push every few months. Live and learn.

I have just always found music endlessly fascinating and could go on forever. My reviews are always way shorter than they could be.

In the spirit of giving an opinion to try and make something better, I feel like your reviews have really useful information in them, but your way of expressing that information can sometimes be a bit too narrow. Of course, you can only come at something from your view, but the way you tend to phrase things makes it feel like yours is the only correct perspective, and that can make people frustrated. We all have different backgrounds, come from different cultures and make music in different ways for different reasons, and just because you don't understand why someone would do something a certain way doesn't mean they're wrong for doing it. It's still ok to say that you don't understand or don't personally like someone else's choices or tastes, but it could be helpful to phrase those things in a way that is less absolute.

[Jim of Seattle]

In the spirit of giving an opinion to try and make something better, I feel like your reviews have really useful information in them, but your way of expressing that information can sometimes be a bit too narrow. Of course, you can only come at something from your view, but the way you tend to phrase things makes it feel like yours is the only correct perspective, and that can make people frustrated. We all have different backgrounds, come from different cultures and make music in different ways for different reasons, and just because you don't understand why someone would do something a certain way doesn't mean they're wrong for doing it. It's still ok to say that you don't understand or don't personally like someone else's choices or tastes, but it could be helpful to phrase those things in a way that is less absolute.

Yeah. I've been accused of this before, and not just with song reviews. It all comes from a place of genuine enthusiasm. Too much enthusiasm. And this weird obsession with wanting every piece of music that arrives at my ears to be the greatest thing I've ever heard or something.

[thirdcatmusic]

I just sent in my reviews/rankings and I think all of you guys did a great job. Jim of Seattle; I love your reviews (and your music is great too.)

[Jim of Seattle]

Aww... means a lot. I realize that music criticism doesn't affect me much at all, but I'm taking review criticism hard. Go figure, Reap what ya sow I guess.

But the real reason I am posting is that I'm really hoping that if people post covers for this Round 5 that the SpinTunes overlords will let everyone know right away so people have a chance to listen to the original in advance and therefore better appreciate the cover. Is there any chance of that happening? I don't want to hear a cover on Monday night of a song I only vaguely recall.

[Chumpy]

The Jerks are joined by Cybronica as we run down all the songs and shadows for SpinTunes 18 Round 4!

Here is how you can vibe with this:

• Download or point your browser directly at the mp3
• Point your podcast software at the feed
• View the podcast on iTunes

INDEX:

• 00:00:00 - Intro Song
• 00:01:03 - Beginning-of-podcast blather
• 00:07:57 - Thoughts on the challenge
• 00:18:08 - Daniel Sitler - What If?
• 00:26:12 - Brian Gray - Gestalt
• 00:38:30 - Sober - It Never Comes
• 00:49:09 - Jim of Seattle - Variations on an End
• 01:00:09 - Chas Rock - Hotel by the Hospital
• 01:08:14 - Thoughts on ranking
• 01:11:13 - See-Man-Ski - Brief (SHADOW)
• 01:14:53 - Stacking Theory (featuring Toshiro) - Holding My Own (SHADOW)
• 01:19:31 - See-Man-Ski - Love Is (SHADOW)
• 01:28:45 - Hot Pink Halo - One Two Punch (SHADOW)
• 01:35:32 - Jocko Homomorphism - Tuck and Roll (SHADOW)
• 01:40:49 - Cybronica - Yesterday's Mascara (SHADOW)
• 01:59:00 - "BucketHat" Bobby Matheson - Two Cords
• 02:06:33 - End-of-podcast blather
• 02:10:20 - Shout outs

Yow!

[MicahSommer]

But the real reason I am posting is that I'm really hoping that if people post covers for this Round 5 that the SpinTunes overlords will let everyone know right away so people have a chance to listen to the original in advance and therefore better appreciate the cover. Is there any chance of that happening? I don't want to hear a cover on Monday night of a song I only vaguely recall.

On Monday morning there will be either an email or a blog post with a list of the songs covered in the bonus round, although who is doing the covering will stay a secret until the listening party!

[seemanski]

Here are my reviews, in no particular order. Really enjoyed this spintunes competition and I'm intrigued to see who will be crowned the champion.

Stacking Theory (featuring Toshiro) - Holding My Own (SHADOW)

This is an exceptional song, it hits so many of the right notes (even though its just 2 chords). The sentiment is lovely and is a really pleasant listen. I love how you have put all of your songs together into a single finale song. You've had a great spintunes journey and this is the icing on the cake. Gutted you didn't make it to the final, this would have been my top song if you had. I can't put a fault on it, it sounds amazing and feels amazing to listen to.

Jim of Seattle - Variations on an End

The scenario that played around in my head whilst listening was a piano with the 2 singers either side having a mini argument. Not really saying anything that is useful (which in most cases is what an argument is). I imagined as it went into the instrumental the singers turned away not having resolved whatever conflict they were having this argument about. Throughout the tune I imagined some kind of café lounge and when the western bit came in that threw me and I felt it was out of place of the setting I had just built up in my head. I also felt the instrumental was a bit too long for my taste. The scenario continued to play out in my head when the characters appear to resolve there indifferences as the song reaches its finale.

Although this didn't distract me from the song I did hear a lot of hiss in the piano at the start and in the middle.

"BucketHat" Bobby Matheson - Two Cords (SHADOW)

These lyrics are cracking, there are so many lines that I love. The idea of 2 cords of a knot describing a relationship or feelings for another is really great. They give me the feeling of a yearning for a love not quite realised and I like the idea of knot being not as in this is a love that is not going to happen. The reverb on the piano is really nice and I am more than happy for this to be a scratch tune, as you put it, I think this being as minimal as it is works well for it.

Sober - It Never Comes

Your production chops always amaze me. This is no exception. The guitar work is wonderful and I really liked how you used your knowledge on music theory as a way of describing a relationship where the protagonist isn't happy. Someone with a bit more music theory will probably get all the meanings i.e. I'm guess D would be the forth inversion (I'm not even sure that is the right term ). Admittedly, I read the lyric "picardy third" as being the great Jean Luc Picard. This is a nice tongue in cheek take on the challenge and interesting.

Cybronica - Yesterday's Mascara (SHADOW)

I got exorcism intro music vibes from the piano. It definitely feels like a horror movie intro, it is the arpeggiated piano that gives me those vibes I think. The tempo changes are really effectively, I get a sense that you have just reached your tether and its time to stop. What the hell are you saying in "Not so fond and not so fair"? I can hear a curse word but can't make out what it is. Ok, so I put it in my DAW and played around with the eq and I think it is "fucking bitch". That was a nice touch but a little buried in the mix to hear totally (maybe that was intentional, and I can get behind that). This was creepy and emotional at the same time, I like it.

Brian Gray - Gestalt

The guitar work is really nice, it reminds me a bit of Jane Says. I do like the sentiment and it's relatable outside of this whole Gleeble universe thing you have got going on. I do think this is a really nice song, it sounds great and there are some great elements. The harmonies and harmonic to name a few things I really liked. I felt like I wanted more from it though.

Daniel Sitler - What If?

First off, I didn't think I was going to like this song as much as I did. First impressions weren't great for me. The intro just didn't feel right, I think you were doing some clever stuff with timing but it just felt off to me and the first verse just lacked something (I think it was the drums). However, once the chorus came in I was hooked. I totally related to the lyrics as I spend most of my life wondering if I am good enough, at work, parenting, music etc and this touched that nerve. After the first chorus the song just seemed to lift, maybe it was because I just suddenly related to it and that was it.

Chas Rock - Hotel by the Hospital

There are some really nice synths sounds in this track, it has a lovely atmosphere about it which I really admire. The eq that you have used on the centred vocals is really nice and I liked that. I did feel like it never really changed and I felt myself longing for something a bit different. The ending does resurrect it a bit but I found myself switching off quite early on in the song and by that point unfortunately you had lost me.

I do also wonder if this songs suffers a bit from it's placement, maybe if it had been earlier on in my listening experience it might have captured my attention more. I have listened a few more times with it first rather at the last of the pack but it doesn't quite grab me still.

Hot Pink Halo - One Two Punch (SHADOW)

This is awesome, I absolutely loved the groove and you mentioned in the chats you were dancing around the room, I can see why. I had an immediate comparison when I heard it which is I am Robot and Proud, specifically the Touch/Tone album. I loved the tubular bass sound and it is catchy is hell. The f bomb is used so effectively. This is one of my favourites that I have heard from you, absolutely loved it.

Jocko Homomorphism - Tuck and Roll (SHADOW)

Damn you, you have put my sonic song to shame I really like all you synth sounds, they are gelling really really well. The playful vocals fit really well and give this a I'm having fun playing games with my mates feel. I'm am transformed back to my childhood days sitting on the floor with the mega drive, admittedly I was playing Mortal Kombat at the time.

[thirdcatmusic]

great podcast although I think my rankings are going to be a lot different than the jerks. I loved the Chas Rock song, it was my favorite of the bunch. the comments from the jerks and cybronica were really interesting. and I loved the two chord challenge. definitely my favorite challenge of this spintunes 18 deal.

[thirdcatmusic]

Hyped to see someone covered my track "some truths" - that really made my day and I'm excited to hear it. Feeling inspired to do a cover of my own ... I do have the day free and 10 hours to get it in before the listening party. Would be a heckuva a challenge for me to try to record a cover in a day. I'm going to give it a go but I highly doubt I can pull it off in time. Won't say which song I'm trying as I don't want to disappoint if I can't get it done.

(edit! finished it and sent it in - 7:15 pm! hopefully I got it in in time!)

[gizo]

Stacking Theory (featuring Toshiro) - Holding My Own (SHADOW)
This is an exceptional song, it hits so many of the right notes (even though its just 2 chords). The sentiment is lovely and is a really pleasant listen. I love how you have put all of your songs together into a single finale song. You've had a great spintunes journey and this is the icing on the cake. Gutted you didn't make it to the final, this would have been my top song if you had. I can't put a fault on it, it sounds amazing and feels amazing to listen to.

Oh wow. Thanks so much. I really am humbled by the positive feedback I've received throughout, and this comment just makes my day - especially because I really admire the work you produce.

[thirdcatmusic]

Much thanks to Jocko for covering "some truths" - it was really neat to hear your interpretation (and it was the first time I've ever had one of my songs covered.)

I enjoyed covering the Chas Rock song yesterday. It was my favorite song of the final round (and probably of the whole competition) and covering it deepened my appreciation for it. I do wish I had started working on it earlier so I could have ironed out some of the sloppiness but there is something to working fast and having to make decisions quickly that is cool.

[crumpart]

This episode of Ghost Notes that I listened to today called “Professional Music Experts” made me think about the chat about reviewing/talking about music that’s been happening here. (Ghost Notes is made by the people who make the 12 Tone and Polyphonic YouTube channels.)

https://pca.st/episode/232755e1-42ac-40 ... 18e8967706

[crumpart]

Stuff I quoted just so I could tag Jim...

Hey Jim, I saw in the live chat on the listening party that my music reminds you of Margo Guryan, so I looked her up today and I fricking love this album so much! Thank you!

Everyone else, do yourself a favour:
https://songwhip.com/margo-guryan/take-a-picture

[Chas Rock]

Much thanks to Jocko for covering "some truths" - it was really neat to hear your interpretation (and it was the first time I've ever had one of my songs covered.)

I enjoyed covering the Chas Rock song yesterday. It was my favorite song of the final round (and probably of the whole competition) and covering it deepened my appreciation for it. I do wish I had started working on it earlier so I could have ironed out some of the sloppiness but there is something to working fast and having to make decisions quickly that is cool.

I've been out of town all weekend and just got home and saw this and just wanted to say thank you so much for the cover! It really meant a lot to me and was such a wonderful shock to hear something I made coming from somebody else!!!

[Sober]

Likewise belatedly chiming in here to say thank you to Daniel Sitler for covering my round 1 song. Very cool to hear such a different take on the material