Nur Ein XIX Round Zero- "For Your Consideration"

[HeuristicsInc]

Righto, "Will I Make It Home Tonight?" lyrics by you and the rest by me!
Just making sure you were the same person and not some weird confluence of bandnames

[Mysteria]

There's no way for the contestants to know about ANY judges scoring criteria though atm. Not unless Niv wants to post something on the main Nur Ein site when the first challenge goes up. 1 judge may hate soft rock, another might be anti uke, it's just part of the luck factor.

Hey everyone, good to be back for another Nur Ein.

I can’t speak for my fellow judges, but when I listen to an entry I look for the following criteria: did the song meet the challenge, lyrical composition, musical composition, would I want to listen to this again? Even if it is a genre I am not overly fond of, it gets a fair shake. And for me, while there is always credit given for meeting the challenge, but how well/creatively/ and not jarring to the song also could earn you more points in that regard.

I’ll try to get reviews up this weekend. I have been traveling for work the last two weeks so I am behind in all aspects of my life so no promises. That being said, I did find things I liked in every song and am looking forward to next week’s entries.

[Niveous]

1 judge may hate soft rock, another might be anti uke, it's just part of the luck factor.

That's one thing I talked with the other judges about. Genre bias is a tough thing. My suggestion to the judges was to judge how they would want to be judged. And no one would want to be judged poorly just because of the genre they choose.

[Spintown]

1 judge may hate soft rock, another might be anti uke, it's just part of the luck factor.

That's one thing I talked with the other judges about. Genre bias is a tough thing. My suggestion to the judges was to judge how they would want to be judged. And no one would want to be judged poorly just because of the genre they choose.

I personally wouldn't mind. I don't care why someone dislikes or likes my submission. It's a valid reason to just dislike something for a stupid reason. I'm cool with it. Same if they like it for a stupid reason. So you have my permission to judge me however you want. Dislike the genre? Fine. Dislike Minecraft (HOW DARE YOU)? But fine. ;p

[Pigfarmer Jr]

I personally wouldn't mind. I don't care why someone dislikes or likes my submission... Dislike the genre? Fine. Dislike Minecraft (HOW DARE YOU)? But fine. ;p

Then why enter it into a competition?

I actually think it's useful: The deadlines are awesome at motivation, getting things done. And the sense of community is pretty cool, too. And I was going to say you get some feedback and at least some of it is from people who won't naturally gravitate to your genre which is useful. But if you genuinely don't care why then that's moot.

[Spintown]

I personally wouldn't mind. I don't care why someone dislikes or likes my submission... Dislike the genre? Fine. Dislike Minecraft (HOW DARE YOU)? But fine. ;p

Then why enter it into a competition?

I actually think it's useful: The deadlines are awesome at motivation, getting things done. And the sense of community is pretty cool, too. And I was going to say you get some feedback and at least some of it is from people who won't naturally gravitate to your genre which is useful. But if you genuinely don't care why then that's moot.

Feedback is useful & I like it. When I say I don't care, I mean that I don't care how someone decides to judge the song. They can make their criteria whatever they want it to be. Genre bias is fine with me, and once I know what the judges are looking for I can make the decision to work with that knowledge or continue to do what I want & except the outcome.

So if I turn in a soft rock song & 2 judges really dislike soft rock, I'll adjust to not doing soft rock next round if I'm really wanting to try to win. Me personally, am not all that competitive with this because I'm just a bad lyricist doing this for fun. I consider pretty much everyone in this out of my league, so winning is not even something I consider. I'll probably write whatever song idea pops into my head that can also be used for a Minecraft video idea.

[frankie big face]

Finally listened to all these songs. Not posting reviews, but I really really enjoyed UJN and Starfinger. WOW!

I also enjoyed Moss Palace, Cavedwellers, Balance Lost, and Vom Vorton. Good job!

@Spintown. The opening of your song is strikingly similar to Fountains of Wayne's "The Summer Place." FWIW.

[Spintown]

@Spintown. The opening of your song is strikingly similar to Fountains of Wayne's "The Summer Place." FWIW.

It is very similar. I'll have to ask Joe if he's a Fountains Of Wayne fan.

[arby]

Buckle up, kids, it's time for Brookes and Niv's In The Car review-o-rama!

It's our 8th anniversary (of our first date) and we are spending it going to an estate sale. Brookes suggested that we also spend it doing our reviews. So, I'm the one taking dictation while she drives. (Brookes’s Note: Niv wrote his reviews silently, before I did mine, so we didn’t affect each other’s opinions.)

14hundredjoules
Niv- It’s atmospheric, that's for sure. I found it hard to sink my teeth into the song. It just happens. It gets more interesting as it speeds up but I feel like you can be this moody and create the scene while making it a catchier song. In fact, at the end it creates a hook. So, if it was me making this song, i would take another look at the structure and tweak it. I do enjoy the instrumentation. 

Brookes- This reminds me of a minor track from Daft Punk that I don't care for. The irregularities in the beat distress me. The lyrics are nothing special. I'm assuming the challenge is met as I hear acoustic piano sprinkled in, but it feels like an afterthought. Also, the prosody of the chorus needs work. The first two lines don't match up well ("receive" and "read" don't have the same number of syllables and weren't sung differently enough to make up for it). 

Balance Lost
Niv- A problem that i have being a judge is that a lot of the artists in this competition are bands that i've been listening to for well over a decade. Balance Lost is one of those and that means i have heard a bunch of songs that sound just like this one. I enjoy the use of higher register in the vocal and there is some wonderful guitar playing but it all feels kinda phoned in, like Balance Lost could've done this in his sleep. It's an alright song but i feel like if i heard this song out of the context of the Nur Ein- like if i turned on the radio and heard this, it wouldn't make an impact with me. I think that's my one big suggestion for BL is- deliver songs that make an impact. I wanna hear you swing for the fences. 

Brookes- The music is quite nice. I really like the background but the vocal bothers me as the breathy tone is hard to distinguish from it. However, it's a pleasant melody with some decent lyrics. Catchy. I would like to hear this with a different vocalist. I am assuming that this meets the challenge due to the different guitars. 

Berkeley Social Scene
Niv- The fact that you got a weird twerpy sound out of drum kit is wonderful. I enjoy Martin vocals but I know that they are an acquired taste and if I didn't have years of grooming to enjoy them, I would think the vocal here lacked requisite spice at times and was way too uncontrolled at others. I like the slide guitar a lot. There is a lot going on musically here and it may be a bit too much. Too much a good thing and not enough of others- like the bass. I turned it up all the way in on our car speakers and they still left wimpy in the mix. Lyrics are not sticking with me. I admire the creativity in choices and that goes a long way with me even if they don't always connect the way you hoped. 

Brookes- First of all, I loved the whistle at first but it's overused and quickly becomes annoying. Secondly, the vocal really annoys me. It sounds like one of those 90's bands I never got into despite having good music, like Redd Kross, because the vocalist is trying too hard to sound cool. Lyrics are bog standard. I'm assuming it meets the challenge as the whistle is actually a drum pad and there are acoustic drums. Overall, sound is obnoxious. 

Bluechip Ashram
Niv- I'm not a fan of the vocal performance choice. BCA can open up and deliver and has made the decision to use a more mumbly delivery to try and sound grittier. I could've rather have had this be smoother in that respect. The chorus is catchy but I hate how musically it pulls back at the point. Sure, I enjoy the synth mirrors the chorus right afterwards but I would've preferred a strong chorus to do decent bits. Lyrically it's okay. There's something weirdly cold to the whole thing like it's made to be performed by Patrick Bateman. I'm really split on this one. The rhythm section needs some oomph. 

Brookes- First of all, I genuinely love this song. It reminds me of a minor sleeper tune from the 70's or 80's that you would hear on AM radio. The drawling, laid back vocal delivery is just cool. As a song, it does a very good job of holding my interest. Backing vocals are nice but too quiet. I really love it. I assume it meets the challenge with the synth and piano and they both serve the song well. Reminiscent of Supertramp meets Jackson Browne, but better than both. I will genuinely listen to this outside the contest. The lyrics are similar to many other entries but deftly handled. I appreciate the meta nature of the lyrics use of the title. 

Brown Word and the Big Whine
Niv- Barebones stuff here. It hits me in the wrong way. Here's the thing- I play at open mics in New York's East Village with a bunch of old guys who all lived through the CBGBs days and folk scene. This song is something I have heard a million times and often done better. But I have to get through my own bias and review this on its own merits. The performance was okay. There were moments where the singing fell out of step with the guitar. The little electric guitar bit for the challenge felt tacked on. The lyrics didn't do anything for me at all. Overall, I wish this song had something to say instead of I'm a girl with a guitar who rocks. 

Brookes- The ramshackle nature of this song is somewhat endearing. I like the stop and start guitar. The song suffers from a lack of melody and catchiness. I fail to see how this met the challenge. The Pussy Riot line was mildly amusing. The rest of the lyrics are mediocre.  Overall, a decent effort. 

Cavedwellers 
Niv- Strong guitar work as always from the CDs. This is a good song but it doesn't do anything very exciting. The song needs a better hook. I have listened to this song a lot during the week and I can't remember that chorus. It passes the challenge. My suggestion to the CDs is push the envelope because more songs like this will coast through early rounds but won't make it in deep water. 

Brookes- Tbh, the lyrics struck me as being kinda incel-y. However the song is quite tuneful. I like the background vocal. Meets the challenge as I can hear electric and acoustic guitar. It’s perfectly pleasant and inoffensive (aside from the lyrics), but i wouldn't listen to this outside of the contest. 

Chewmeupspitmeout
Niv- What is the percussion at the beginning, it sounds like the flicking of a deck of cards. I feel like this song just didn't come together as planned. The vocal doesn't deliver. The electric guitar is best part. The synth that comes in in the last minute does nothing for the song. I honestly want to know why it's there. There are many things this song could use- a bit more energy, some low end, better composition, better background vocal choices, a decent hook. It just overall misses the mark. It could be better with a revision. 

Brookes- I don't know why I don't like this song. I first thought the piano riff was too long. I feel like if it were handled better, it wouldn't be so bad. The lead vocal is whiny and adenoidal. I see how the challenge was met with the acoustic piano vs buzzy synth. However, I don't think it serves the song very well. 

Cybronica
Niv- This is a good use of Cybronica’s voice. The arrangement is very minimal and in the future, I hope for something more. This song is carried by very good lyrics and a great performance. 

Brookes- First of all, I like this a lot better than a lot of Mandibles/Cybronica songs because it's straight up opera instead of making opera fit in a pop rock context. Best lyrics of the round. Some pitch issues and grating at the top of the register but I appreciate the fierceness. Barely meets the challenge with its sparse synth. Recording quality leaves something to be desired, but I understand it was a last-minute redo due to technical difficulties, in which case brava! 

Frankie Big Face
Niv and Brookes, singing in unison: Oh Yoshimi. They don't believe me but you won't let those robots defeat me!

Niv-  It’s hard to escape how much this sounds like "Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, Part 1". So much that I have to struggle to focus on the FBFness of this. There's just so much Flaming Lips in the DNA. I guess kudos for making a song that includes such well-done bits. Making a Flaming Lips song isn't easy. Okay, the lyric. Good concept using Guinness. I don't know why you needed to bring Ripley's in. I kinda wish there was a little more emotion in a song about not getting a girl. The delivery ends up a little robotic and not just because of the vocal processing. There's just not a lot of hurt in the vocal despite being about such a grand failure. But I love Yoshimi so I like this. 

Brookes- David Bowie meets the Flaming Lips. There were many things to like about this song such as the charming use of vocoder and the elaborate harmonies in the second half. It was overall pleasant and amusing to listen to, however, it did not stick with me when I was not actively listening to it. And the excessive musical resemblance to "Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots" was distracting at best. I'm not sure if or how it met the challenge. Lyrics were mildly amusing. 

The Friends
Niv- This song is incredibly okay. That's good but for a song contest, maybe not. I am fine with this song. I like the first vocal much more the second. The guitars have charm. The lyrics are okay but don't stand out. I think that's it - this doesn't stand out. I remember this song for having a guitar solo that I like and nothing else. The hook is sparse and it's just okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. 

Brookes- It starts off quite pretty. I really like the guitar sound. The vocals are weird and sort of nasal but not annoying. The melody is strange. I don't hate it, until it gets to the chorus where it gets muddled with no melody or hook. This trend continues with the bridge which is also kind of a jumbled mess. Lyrics are bog standard, same as everyone else's.  I wish it had lived up to the promise of that opening verse. 

Glennny
Niv- I enjoy the playfully dark lyric here. I kinda wish the vocal would've went full camp. It was as if there's a joke here and you forgot to wink to the audience. Not saying this isn't good. Far from it, this is well done. Sure, the percussion is lacking something but the guitars are good as gold and this is charming but there's another gear that this could've gone to that would have gotten this the win. Imagine this with a snarly Bon Scott cheeky vocal, a little less prettiness, and more Sweeney Todd camp and this would've slayed. 

Brookes- A pretty standard Glennny song. Guitars are great as always. I particularly liked when the riff went electric as it provided welcomed variety and served the song well while also meeting the challenge. I found the lyrics somewhat disturbing.  Why is Glennny listing off ways to kill this person? There are many parts of this song that I enjoyed, especially the stuttering drums that came in at the middle of the song. Also, it was catchy - which is more than I can say for many of the songs in this round. Overall, good effort. 

Heid
Niv - I enjoyed Heid a lot but I couldn't find a way to justify the song passing the challenge. But damn was it catchy.

Brookes - I go back and forth on this song. Honestly, some of it is a little genre bias because I go to the same open mic(s) Niv does, and we hear a LOT of songs just like this one. But I’m trying to be less of a hater, so good for you, Heid, for writing about something you feel passionate about.

Hjólhýsi Geisli
Niv - Caravan Bjork was a catchy song. Not a standout song but a good one to put in the middle of the Caravan Ray catalog.

Brookes - I was trying to figure out what I can’t stand about this song and honestly I think it’s that the main riff (the beginning of the chorus, which starts the song) is vaguely the same tune as the whistle solo on Sitting At The Dock of The Bay? Which is really random thing to nitpick, I know. It’s catchy but in an annoying way. The lyrics have a lot of “ion” rhymes but for some reason they leave me cold. Look, this song is just fine but it didn’t float my boat.

Hot Pink Halo
Niv- That four note riff gets old real quick and it sticks around for way too long. I want to focus on this lyric and somewhat impassioned vocal but I'm too busy fighting what feels like a 4 note metronome in my head. 1-2-3-4 1-2-3-4. This needs some variety. By the three minute mark, this is getting seriously grating. Then it changes up and just plays the riff higher with a double track. Yes, I know the chords are changing but it's the same arpeggiation and it is way too much of a good thing especially for 5 minutes of song. There needed to be variation. 

Brookes- I'm gonna have to confess to some genre bias here, as slow piano ballads generally aren't my thing. That said, I find this soporific. It goes on far too long without a noticeable hook or melody. The lyrics are heartfelt but I don't know if i would say they're well written. Not sure how it meets the challenge. Overall, not my bag. 

Kamakura
Niv - (accidentally skipped, will supply later)

Brookes - honestly I am sorry to report I found this song highly forgettable. The production is very minimalist, which is fine except it's also very quiet (poorly mastered) and since the vocal on the verses is also in the same monotone throughout, the whole thing is super boring. It sounds like an Echo and the Bunnymen b-side.

The Lowest Bitter
Niv- I've seen this film before. That first minute felt like remnants of the Hot Pink Halo song and the Ujn Corp song, but not like a distilled better version but like an icky runoff. It's short and doesn't do much. It feels like perhaps you struggled with the time and just tossed something out. Maybe next time. 

Brookes- Starts out extremely boring. Too many songs in this competition start off with a long boring piano riff. Then it abruptly got more lively and I got into it and then poof, it was over. Sounds like half a song. Not sure if or how it met the challenge. Lyrics didn't make much sense. 

Mechakarp
Niv- Okay, elephant in the room first- For Your Consideration isn't there but it's your first entry in the Nur Ein and you get a pass. I dislike the percussion in this. The synths are okay. The vocals are an acquired taste but seeing as you sound very close to my friend, Loose Lid, I guess I've acquired it, but they could use a better performance especially because they do nothing for the lyrics at all. Halfway into the song, it just feels like a stop and then the fake choir comes in and it's awkward. Give this a revision. Change the percussion and give the vocals some air and see what happens. 

Brookes- This song suffers severely from the lack of a hook. Vocally it's all over the place and I can’t understand any of the lyrics. I have no idea what it's about. The music is not terrible but I think it deserves better a vocal melody to suit it. I don't know if it met the challenge but it doesn't feel like a song that was called For Your Consideration. 

Max Bombast
Niv- Max Bombast's song was good almost to the point of feeling sterile. Accept no imitations...feels like an imitation of life. A great song without passion.

Brookes- Pretty standard Max Bombast song. I always enjoy his voice. Kinda boring rhyming “for your consideration” with “accept no imitation”, however what raises this above the high standard is the bridge. The switch to acoustic guitar provides welcome variation and the melody in the bridge is particularly delightful. After this, the line about the sick guitar riff is silly considering the guitar doesn't get good until much later. All that said, it is catchy and doesn't overstay its welcome and I enjoyed this.

Moss Palace
Niv - Moss Palace did an amazing take on Goldfrapp and was my favorite of the week.

Brookes - this is fine. as usual with MP it's slick and glossy and radio-friendly in a way that always leaves me kinda cold. also as usual, the lyrics are somewhat vapid/generic and have only the barest relationship to the challenge title. this should be called "Constellation". THAT SAID! I love the jangly/crunchy 60’s fuzz guitar in the background, and I like the bridge. Overall I enjoyed this song. I’m assuming it meets the challenge somehow though I didn’t try to count the acoustic/electric guitars.

Pigfarmer Jr
Niv - PFJ brought a very earnest passion to the song like it was meant to be done by Springsteen while in front of a factory that is about to lay off its workers.

Brookes - Overly earnest, bombastic arena-rock that is perfectly well executed but does nothing for me.

Spintown and Co.
Niv- I like the vocals here. The double track is put to good use and coming from me that's a huge compliment as I feel double tracks are often used poorly. Some of the lyrics hit very awkwardly. I couldn't keep up with the story of the song. Musically, it's good. Okay, this is gonna sound weird but it's almost too good. It comes together as clean and glossy and radio ready and I like my rock with a little less pretty and a little more gritty. But overall, this was pretty alright. I just couldn't resonate with it but I bet someone out there could. 

Brookes- First of all, I found myself very distracted by the lead vocals’ resemblance to Weird Al. An attempt was made at melody, however, unfortunately it left me cold. The music reminded me of the Gin Blossoms which I never really cared for. The lyrics are strange. I'm not really sure what they're about. The pronunciation of the lyrics are also very awkward as if English wasn't this person's first language. That said, it was mostly inoffensive. I'm not sure if it met the challenge. 

Starfinger
Niv- I gotta praise the creative choices. I dig the mix of edm and r&b in the chorus. The synth solo was fun. There's some humor in this song. I don't have a lot of notes. It's a little too cluttered for my taste but this is overall greatly enjoyable and this kind of outside the box thinking in the competition is what I'm looking for. 

Brookes- First of all, I love the surprising interjections - the dog bark made me smile/chuckle literally every time (I'm sometimes easily amused). The vocals is also quite entertaining, as it sounds like a deranged Tom Jones from an alternate universe. Good groove. The lyric subject matter is amusing and fits well with the sound fx. I just liked it and will listen to this song outside the contest. 

The Ujn Corporation
Niv- Pure science fiction. I enjoy the Radiohead guitar chug. I don't know why you wouldn't write a chorus for this? At least to help break up the composition. I feel like lyrically this is cookie cutter stuff, like you picked a bunch of lyrics from a word cloud based on William Gibson novels. Did this have acoustic stuff? I really couldn't tell. I liked the style of this song more than the substance. 

Brookes- Abrupt start and ending, which was disconcerting to say the least. Cold and sterile electronica which doesn't excite me. Lyrics felt impenetrable. I couldn't tell how this met the challenge. Overall, it just left me cold. Not offensive but I didn't particularly care for it. 

Vom Vorton
Niv- This falls somewhere between 60's British invasion and 70's sad sack rock and I don't feel like I'm getting the best bits of either one. I hate that I feel this way but I feel like this is a Flight of the Concords throwaway instead of something heartfelt. Maybe it's in the delivery but the song doesn't feel genuine. And the lyrics are not helping me get into this song. It's entirely inoffensive but that's not only get you anywhere. I would rather some risks and some teeth. 

Brookes - I like the riff. I love the many -shun rhymes. (And I know I said above for other songs that the "ion" rhymes didn't do it for me! I don't know why Vom's worked and the others didn't.) The melody is okay. My biggest issue is the sloppiness of the vocal double tracking, as it makes it hard to understand the words sometimes. Also it is very short and does not have much variation throughout. 

[reve]

and we are spending it going to an estate sale.

You gave us the most epic set of reviews in the history of SongFight (and affiliated sidefights), but you neglected the most important bit: what you picked up at the estate sale!

[arby]

and we are spending it going to an estate sale.

You gave us the most epic set of reviews in the history of SongFight (and affiliated sidefights), but you neglected the most important bit: what you picked up at the estate sale!

ha! well, Nivs got 2 comic books and a record cover with no record in it - I'll let him elaborate - and I got 3 stained glass windows! (see pics)

[Niveous]

I got "The Further Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix" issues #3 and 4. (For you Xmen '97 watchers out there, this is next season's plot for Scott and Jean). And I picked up the cover of Led Zeppelin II to hang on the wall.

[Spintown]

Spintown and Co.
Niv- I like the vocals here. The double track is put to good use and coming from me that's a huge compliment as I feel double tracks are often used poorly. Some of the lyrics hit very awkwardly. I couldn't keep up with the story of the song. Musically, it's good. Okay, this is gonna sound weird but it's almost too good. It comes together as clean and glossy and radio ready and I like my rock with a little less pretty and a little more gritty. But overall, this was pretty alright. I just couldn't resonate with it but I bet someone out there could. 

Brookes- First of all, I found myself very distracted by the lead vocals’ resemblance to Weird Al. An attempt was made at melody, however, unfortunately it left me cold. The music reminded me of the Gin Blossoms which I never really cared for. The lyrics are strange. I'm not really sure what they're about. The pronunciation of the lyrics are also very awkward as if English wasn't this person's first language. That said, it was mostly inoffensive. I'm not sure if it met the challenge.

Thank you both for the reviews. I have to agree with a lot of what was said.

Niv: Of course I take the blame for the lyrics, and I'm guessing they'll be more awkward than I normally do throughout this contest. Usually I'll take a week or 2 to sit with lyrics before I send them off to be recorded. Doing them all in 24 hours is kinda new for me, and I'm not very good at it to start with. So yeah, I'll try to do better, but don't get your hopes up. ;p I honestly didn't think anyone would follow the story very well since it's written for a very small community within the Minecraft world. Of the people that play that mini game, there are way less that even follow the forum set up for it, and the song is mostly for those people.

Brookes: I'm sure Joe would love hearing you thought of "Weird" Al hearing his vocals. Joe told me he's a fan of Al awhile back (so am I). As for the lyrics, yeah I get it. It's actually one of the reasons I'm trying to knock out very quick videos to go along with the song. I know it shouldn't affect the judging, but at least the judges can maybe get a better feel for what the song is about afterwards. I knew this was going to be an issue. Also, you're 100% right about English not being Joe's first language. Spanish is his first language, he's from Mexico.

Again, thank you both!