Like Them? I LOVE Them! (How Do You Like the Colors Reviews)

Discuss upcoming, current, and previous song fights.
User avatar
ken
Hot for Teacher
Posts: 3871
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 6:10 pm
Instruments: Guitar, bass, drums, keys
Recording Method: MOTU 828x, Cubase 10
Submitting as: Ken's Super Duper Band 'n Stuff
Pronouns: he/him
Location: oakland, ca
Contact:

Like Them? I LOVE Them! (How Do You Like the Colors Reviews)

Post by ken »

Wait, no, I HATE them!
Ken's Super Duper Band 'n Stuff - Berkeley Social Scene - Tiny Robots - Seamus Collective - Semolina Pilchards - Cutie Pies - Explino! - Bravo Bros. - 2 from 14 - and more!

i would just like to remind everyone that Ken eats kittens - blue lang
j$
Beat It
Posts: 5348
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 11:33 am
Instruments: Bass, keyboards, singin', guitar
Submitting as: Johnny Cashpoint
Location: London, Engerllaaannnddd
Contact:

Post by j$ »

Eddiebangs - starts out very Police. I feel a bit hectored by the lyric. Who's that on backing vox? Is that one of your kids? That really lifts the song. Unexpected, and good. I like what you do, despite the fact that I don't like the genre very much. Which I guess is a compliment.

Fruitvale Stations - great first 10 seconds. After that, doesn't go anywhere. Under-developed.

Jim Tyrell. I am not sure what a 'magnet on your car' is, so it stops me getting into the story of the song. But very nicely recorded, some great experimentation chordally within the format (off rhythms and the like) but it is so simple in arrangement that if I don't get / agree with the message there's not a huge amount to get out of it, maybe. Well done as always but that basic stupidity of mine is interfering with the engagement factor.

Melvin - Weirdly, I don't like Weezer. You could stand to vary your song composition a little more, maybe.

Remiss - Do you not have any instruments? This is pretty charming, but it would be adorable with a bit of bass and guitar. I am tempted to ask for the vocal track so i can write a tune to go to this. The song part seems to have been forgotten. I am tempted also to vote for this on the charm of the vocal in itself.

The Special Relatives - sell out. Acutally this is very pretty. And I like the weird mix - it works well for this song. Creepy good as it is it needs something more past the minute mark. Something to anchor it ....

Solar Skye - Pretty mainstream I guess. Well done, mind.

Stubby - opens like Led Zepplin or some Americana rock band. 'Crazy as a loon' although not tortology, is kinda unneccessary. The shift at 1.26 isn't enough -that bit really needs to kick out and it doesn't. I love the backing vocals at 2.30ish. And the rhythmic change there, too. One could argue this goes on about a minute too long for what it offers, but not bad at all.

Nothing bad here, nothing great either. Same as the other fight. Same as it ever was?
insomniac
A New Player
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Nov 16, 2005 5:32 pm
Location: The State of Denial

Post by insomniac »

Hi everybody (Hi, Dr. Nick!).

Long time lurker, first time poster here. How about some reviews?

<b>He Bangs!</b>, uh I mean <b>Eddiebangs:</b> I'll try to focus on the music here. Honestly, I really don't like what I call "political lyirics" that try to send a message. Don't take it personally, it's just a bit of a pet peeve of mine, though I guess I should have expected that given the title this week. Anyway, musically this is very nice. Well produced with a good sound. The vocals do seem a little muted at times but the instruments are extremely clean. Serious contender, despite my bias.

<b>Fruitvale Station:</b> Yeah, booooyyy. You talkin' about colors? Colors? Did I hear you right or are you talkin' about colors? All right <b>colors</b>, I mean <b>website</b>, I mean <b>Fruitvale</b>: j$ hit the nail on the head, interesting at first, but needs to branch out more.

<b>Jim Tyrell:</b> Starts out as a typical guy & his guitar piece, which I tend to skip over only because it's done so much. But up tempo and interesting lyrics, so I'll stick with it. There's some sample clipping or some odd distortion on the guitar around 1:38 that's distracting, fortunately it doesn't last long. Ah, more instruments! Hmm, I'll have to think about it. Solid entry. Doesn't really grab me, but I'll keep it in mind since this is a small fight.

<b>Melvin:</b> <Beavis>Hey, this sounds like it's gonna rock!</Beavis>. Off to a great start. I think it might be better without the synth at 0:50-1:00 (and again at 1:50-2:10). Another well-produced entry -- wow, this is shaping up to be a really good fight. I like the way the colors are worked into the song while managing to not be overly cheesy about it. Possible vote.

<b>Remiss:</b> Um, what can I say? You program a mean drum machine... I think I've heard that melody before. Reminds me of a nursery rhyme, and not in a good way. Also waaay too much cramming lyrics where they don't really fit. The vocal delivery is somewhat monotonic and not in any real key -- I think you could do a lot better with musical accompaniment to tune to.

<b>The Special Relatives:</b> Very interesting. Kind of freaky, I almost think it would make a good track for last weeks Left at the Morturary. I get the feeling I'd like it better if I could make out what you're saying.

<b>Stolar Skye:</b> Nice catchy tune. I'd expect to hear something like this on the radio except I can't quite place it into any particular genre (which is a good thing as far as I'm concerned). Another serious contender, although the lyrics do seem slightly awkward.

<b>Stubby Phillips -featuring- The Illustrious Dr. Water:</b> Is it just me or do the drums and guitar seem slightly out of time with each other at first? The vocal style doesn't seem to really fit with the instruments either. I don't know, all of the individual pieces seem like they're done well, they just don't come together as a cohesive whole. It does get better when the music changes, but there's like 0 lyrical variety in that part.

Well, it's a tough call. I think I'm going to have to go with...
Vote: Melvin
Saved to collection: Stolar Skye, Jim Tyrell
Who needs sleep? You're never gonna get it!
melvin
Push Comes to Shove
Posts: 409
Joined: Mon Sep 12, 2005 7:32 pm

Post by melvin »

Eddie Bangs: Like the guitar harmonics off the top. This sounds like an early-90s superstar band. Sometimes I wish we could turn back the clock. Call me conservative. Funny – there’s mention of the GOP in this track. This is solid in terms of production and performance, but it’s just not very catchy to me. Also, I find it’s difficult to pull off political rock without sounding a bit silly. Long live The Clash. So, overall, this is just okay.

Fruitvale Station: You’ve got a decent beat going, but did not manage to turn it into a decent song, in my opinion.

Jim Tyrrell: Like the vocals and lyrics in this. Like what it does around 1:30. Lead guitar takes a nice turn, too. I interpret this song as making a comment about bumper-sticker politics, and to that extent, I think it is a more successful political song than Eddie Bangs’ entry. Maybe I like this because I despise the political superficiality of our times more than I can be bothered to despise the GOP, or any other party in particular. Down with the man. This is my favourite track so far.

Melvin: Me. I wasn’t into this tune so much at first, but it’s growing on me. Hopefully I’m not alone. By the way, I really appreciate all the reviews (and votes) I've received lately.

Remiss: Rone? Is that you?! This is Rone-like in that it reminds me of the giddy excitement I felt when I first started making songs at home, however, I believe it needs a little more development before it’s ready for public consumption. For example, a “keyâ€
hi!
User avatar
Bjam
Ice Cream Man
Posts: 1687
Joined: Mon Sep 27, 2004 3:24 pm
Instruments: Singin', Guitarin', Mandolinin'
Location: Atlanta, GA

Post by Bjam »

Eddiebangs
Man, you sound like the guy that sung that song from Spiderman 1. Nickleback? Something like that. This is a pretty nice mellow rock song. It changes up a nice amount, and it all seems very together. The genre isn't one I dig, but this is actually pretty good, and I probably wouldn't turn off if it came on the radio. Good job.

Fruitvale Station
Um, so, about them colours... This just really went nowhere to me. It could've been kinda interesting, but it's so short and... short. The end sounds like a Phunt song(not that that's a bad thing)

Jim Tyrrell
The guitar sound you've got is pretty nice. Very... I dunno. It's interesting though. It drags a little bit, and your vocal changes up halfway through. It becomes more present, I guess. I think if this had a chance to become more developed it could be pretty cool. The little electric guitar solo thing is nice but feels out of face in a very bare song. Nice job though.

Melvin
I can see this playing at some junior prom and all the slutty girls rocking out in the front wanting to sleep with you. Or at the end of some teen/young adult comedy with the amusing montage at the end. A very rock-out-able song. Just very... safe though. You've got all the good components of a song(especially a song that is prone to winning votes on SF) but it all seems to want some purpose. I dunno. Nice song, and I wouldn't turn over if it came on the radio, but it just doesn't grab me.

Remiss
So, basically what others have said. The drums are pretty standard and... well, programmed drum machines. It kinda sounds like the demo on some thing and you're pressing it for each verse/chorus. Your mic and your face obviously moved about because each verse sounds slightly differently. Sit in one place and record, otherwise you get one verse being very roomy, the next being very upclose, and it gets very confusing. Cute, but needs some development.

The Special Relatives
I have no idea what you're saying. Bring your vocals waaaay up. The guitar is pretty, but it all seems rather spaced out and it needs something to tie it all up. It's just very sparse and samey. *shrug*

Stolar Skye
Do you have some funky panning go on? Is that just me? The lyrics feel very forced, maybe they needed to be tweaked a little to the music. It's very nice and radio-friendly though. The singer's voice sounds like he's singing kinda high in his register, kinda like he's stretching. Maybe that's just me too. Man, I don't know anymore. It ends very suddenly. Nice song.

Stubby Phillips feat. Dr. Water
This kinda drags for me, it's just not what I dig, so it feels long to me. The singer's pretty good. And the guitar's nice. The changeup around 1:30ish feels very... stilted. This is a good song, and pretty well produced, for what it is, it just isn't grabbing me as it would if I liked this genre. Personal bias, I'm afraid.

None of the songs really grabbed me in this fight... I'll listen some more and then vote.
Songfighter since back in the day.
User avatar
Caravan Ray
bono
bono
Posts: 8647
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 1:51 pm
Instruments: Penis
Recording Method: Garageband
Submitting as: Caravan Ray,G.O.R.T.E.C,Lyricburglar,The Thugs from the Scallop Industry
Location: Toowoomba, Queensland
Contact:

Post by Caravan Ray »

No reviews - nothing really excited me much in this fight.
Briefly:
Melvin was good.
Remiss was not so good - but sounds promising - I'd like to hear more
I'm voting for the Special Relatives - easily the pick of the bunch
User avatar
Caravan Ray
bono
bono
Posts: 8647
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 1:51 pm
Instruments: Penis
Recording Method: Garageband
Submitting as: Caravan Ray,G.O.R.T.E.C,Lyricburglar,The Thugs from the Scallop Industry
Location: Toowoomba, Queensland
Contact:

Post by Caravan Ray »

Bjam wrote:

Melvin
I can see this playing at some junior prom and all the slutty girls rocking out in the front wanting to sleep with you.
Congratulations Melvin! It sounds like you've achieved all the musical ambitions I've ever had.
boltoph
Panama
Posts: 775
Joined: Mon Jan 03, 2005 9:21 am
Submitting as: Gert
Location: Boston, MA
Contact:

Post by boltoph »

Eddiebangs
I like the mainstream, melancholy rock sound, the hook on the title line in the chorus is good, I’ll have that one line in my head for a couple days at least. Might say, could’ve gone for a smoother, more somber vocal tone in the verses and then bring it out loud for the chorus, just to create more contrast. Also not quite sure about the spot in the chorus where the bass drum goes nuts for a second or two, but I like the ambience of that chorus vocal and the young one saying the speech about “liberty and justice for someâ€
User avatar
furrypedro
Ice Cream Man
Posts: 1265
Joined: Mon Nov 07, 2005 12:06 pm
Instruments: Guitar, programming
Recording Method: Cubase, Reason
Submitting as: Balance Lost
Location: Kyoto
Contact:

Post by furrypedro »

eddiebangs - all I could think of when listening to this was Bill Bailey singing "how can I feel paaaiiin, when your being so supportiiiive..." . Well produced and there's a few nice guitar sounds in there but this kind of rock is not my bag.

fruitvale station - haha, no how do YOU like the colors?!?! I reckon you could definitley do more with this in a week.

JimmyT - I dunno why and it's only a small thing but that acoustic sound bugs me; I'm not sure how you get rid of it, it sounds a bit too nylon-y or something, maybe I'm talking balls. anyway, the song's cool and I think there's some good chord changes there and the whispery verse is cool. Also, that solo really contrast with the rest of the song but manages to lead back into the verse perfectly. so good job

melvin - more punk pop from the master, you've obviously got a commanding grip of the dynamics needed for it. I read a review earlier cussing the synth in the chorus but that is what makes this in my opinion, and a 1/2 time chorus. classic. and above the ocean of pop punk bands around for some reason this reminds me specifically of Lit.

special relatives - spooky stuff. the strange modulations in the picking pattern and whispering in the background really add to the atmosphere. definitley achieves a certain feeling which is a good thing, but it's still has an incidental vibe.

stolar skye - nice laid back but expansive sound. I like the delay and slow attack guitars. the song itself struggles to hold my attention tho.

stubby - I've listened to this a couple of times and I still find myself skipping though it to find the interesting section, but to no avail. which is a shame cos you've got a good voice and grasp of arrangements.
User avatar
furrypedro
Ice Cream Man
Posts: 1265
Joined: Mon Nov 07, 2005 12:06 pm
Instruments: Guitar, programming
Recording Method: Cubase, Reason
Submitting as: Balance Lost
Location: Kyoto
Contact:

Post by furrypedro »

whoops, I just realised I forgot to review Remiss. it wasn't intentional, just slipped through the net i guess. so..

remiss - sounds like it's trying to steal the minimalist vote from Rone. I was immediately put off by this but on closer inspection there are some nice lines even if they're not so well delivered; and the lacsadaisical quality sounds like Adam green which can be great if you're in the mood for it.
jimtyrrell
Mr. Beast
Posts: 2263
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 12:43 pm
Instruments: Guitar/bass/keys
Recording Method: Various. Mostly Garageband these days, actually.
Submitting as: Jim Tyrrell
Location: New Hampshire
Contact:

Post by jimtyrrell »

Furrypedro wrote:JimmyT - I dunno why and it's only a small thing but that acoustic sound bugs me; I'm not sure how you get rid of it, it sounds a bit too nylon-y or something, maybe I'm talking balls. anyway, the song's cool and I think there's some good chord changes there and the whispery verse is cool. Also, that solo really contrast with the rest of the song but manages to lead back into the verse perfectly. so good job.
That sound bugs me, too. It's because I record plugged in, instead of using microphones like I wish I could.
JimmyT? Haha, every now and then I see one of my old elementary school teachers and they still call me Jimmy. :roll:
Thanks for the review! I'll be doing the same here as soon as I can.
frankie big face
Ice Cream Man
Posts: 1941
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:

Post by frankie big face »

Eddiebangs - Ah, Eddie Bangs. It starts out like 1985 and I'm playing Red Barchetta in a cover band at 1:00 in the morning. There's really nothing wrong with this song and the kids are a nice touch, but it's just so....serious. I don't think I'll ever be able to like your vocal tone quality, but it fits your style of music perfectly, so I wouldn't change a thing.

Fruitvale Stations - boring, but at least it's short! Thank you for that.

Jim Tyrell. - a little too repetitive for my tastes. Acoustic guitar is way too loud even when it's the only instrument playing. Another message song I can't really get into. I think that part of my brain stopped functioning 15 years ago.

Melvin - this song is awesome. Especially the chorus--the feel change, the synthesizer. I could probably stop listening now--this is most likely going to get my vote. Reminds me of OKGo. Seriously, the other reviewers missed something huge with this song. It's fantastic.

Remiss - This would be easy to write off and as a whole, it's pretty bad. But the lyrics are pretty good and the idea is solid. I'm not sorry you posted this. I hope you have an opportunity to work it into a more complete composition in the future (if you'd like to, that is).

The Special Relatives - Really not good. Not good in any of the ways others have suggested. Just bad. Almost unlistenable.

Solar Skye - Singer has some serious pitch problems which are hard to ignore. The arrangement is pleasant enough. Kinda bland overall.

Stubby - Singer sounds like he's trying too hard in the upper range at times, although as the song goes on, he's better. I can't really say I like the song, but I also can't say anything really bad about it. I like the ending more than the begining and I appreciate the non-standard song form. These are good things!

Melvin wins. No-one else is even close.
frankie big face
Ice Cream Man
Posts: 1941
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:

Post by frankie big face »

j$ wrote: Jim Tyrell. I am not sure what a 'magnet on your car' is...
If you lived in America and you didn't have some stupid fucking ribbon-shaped magnet on your car that says "support our troops" or bears some simiarly inane phrase, you'd practically be an outcast and be subject to charges of treason. They're everywhere.

I turned off avatars a while ago, but roymond used to have as his the specially made "support our songfighters" magnet (the only cool magnet to have on your car).
Mogosagatai
Mean Street
Posts: 717
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 3:09 pm

Post by Mogosagatai »

Yeah, and there are so many differently colored ribbons for whatever somesuch cause (AIDS, troops, breast cancer... I saw one for just the Navy the other day--I think it was blue with "camouflage" splotches) that they pretty much lose any meaning at all, other than a glazed over "I support something!" Well yeah, sweet.
HeuristicsInc
Beat It
Posts: 5297
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 6:14 pm
Instruments: Synths
Recording Method: Windows computer, Acid, Synths etc.
Submitting as: Heuristics Inc. (duh) + collabs
Pronouns: he/him
Location: Maryland USA
Contact:

Post by HeuristicsInc »

yeah, it really shows your support when you use an easy-to-remove magnet rather than an actual sticker.
also, navy people don't wear camouflage... huh?
-bill
152612141617123326211316121416172329292119162316331829382412351416132117152332252921
http://heuristicsinc.com
Liner Notes
SF Lyric Ideas
Egg
Mean Street
Posts: 510
Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2005 5:42 pm
Instruments: whistles and egg shakers
Recording Method: Cakewalk, Cubase, Audacity, Garageband
Submitting as: Phunt Your Friends
Location: Villemoustaussou, France
Contact:

Post by Egg »

Maybe the navy ribbon is trying to coopt Marines as a historical subdivision of the navy. Terrorists.
glug glug glug egg makes wine. You can make wine too.
frankie big face
Ice Cream Man
Posts: 1941
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:

Post by frankie big face »

I just hate that this thread has gone untouched for four days.

THERE ARE TWO FIGHTS HERE PEOPLE! (he says, having not listened to any of the other songs)
User avatar
Bjam
Ice Cream Man
Posts: 1687
Joined: Mon Sep 27, 2004 3:24 pm
Instruments: Singin', Guitarin', Mandolinin'
Location: Atlanta, GA

Post by Bjam »

When I don't have a song in one week, I try to do reviews for the fight that isn't getting as much love.
Songfighter since back in the day.
User avatar
furrypedro
Ice Cream Man
Posts: 1265
Joined: Mon Nov 07, 2005 12:06 pm
Instruments: Guitar, programming
Recording Method: Cubase, Reason
Submitting as: Balance Lost
Location: Kyoto
Contact:

Post by furrypedro »

Forgive me for being cynical, I'm all about positivity, but there must be something fishy going on for a beat lasting little over a minute (Fruitvale) to tie with a gem like Melvins, right?
Stolar Skye
A New Player
Posts: 22
Joined: Tue May 17, 2005 7:19 pm
Location: Troy, NY
Contact:

Post by Stolar Skye »

What I can't understand is how Special Relatives got any votes at all, let alone 10.

I also find it amusing that though the other fight got many more reviews, this one got more votes.
phatcactus
Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love
Posts: 26
Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2005 12:34 am
Location: Chicago

Post by phatcactus »

Stolar Skye wrote:What I can't understand is how Special Relatives got any votes at all, let alone 10.
Shit, if we're gonna be mean about it, yours sounds like it was recorded by a freshman theater major. I'm quite pleased with my ten votes. I don't know how I got 'em either. :D

Jeez, I hate bein' mean without bein' self-deprecating too. I'm afraid of girls. Arright?
Stolar Skye
A New Player
Posts: 22
Joined: Tue May 17, 2005 7:19 pm
Location: Troy, NY
Contact:

Post by Stolar Skye »

Well, I'm a freshman in college, majoring in Computer Science and Electronic Arts, have done theatre for last 4 years, and am continuing to do large amounts of it now, so... touche?
Post Reply