Hey, what's that in my beer? (A Tear reviews)

Discuss upcoming, current, and previous song fights.
Smalltown Mike
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Hey, what's that in my beer? (A Tear reviews)

Post by Smalltown Mike »

From crying over you.
Punk rock is for children. Grab a six-pack at Half-a-Dozen Records.
Lonbobby
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Post by Lonbobby »

Hey everyone, Anita and I are really looking forward to the fight. We made an acoustic remix of our song that we liked and we struggled with which version to submit for the fight. We decided to send the original, but if you'd like check out the acoustic remix at my site bellow. Tell us if you think we made the wrong decision! :)

http://dirtcheapmusic.org/artist/lonbobby/

(The original can be found there too)

Lon and Anita
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Ryan Rickenbach
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Post by Ryan Rickenbach »

I'm pretty sure Songfight is for songs you wrote this week.
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Post by Steve Durand »

Ryan Rickenbach wrote:I'm pretty sure Songfight is for songs you wrote this week.
What makes you think he didn't write it this week?

Steve
"Writing about music is like dancing about architecture" -Unknown
"Seems to me this is the point of Songfight" - Max The Cat
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Ryan Rickenbach
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Post by Ryan Rickenbach »

Hmm, I'm not sure why. Maybe the word "remix" just jumped off the page at me.

My bad.
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PiGPEN
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Post by PiGPEN »

I cant wait for the songs to go up!!!
I think this is one of the best rock songs ive done. Hope i dont get mauled for acting a fool.
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jack
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Post by jack »

just because lonbob called it a remix, doesn't mean he didn't write it for the fight. he's been around for a while, and knows how the game is played.

i think he just meant he had an alternate mix (or arrangement) he was debating and picked one and posted the other. big deal.
Hi!
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Post by Egg »

Thank the gods somebody cleared that up. . . again.
glug glug glug egg makes wine. You can make wine too.
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Ryan Rickenbach
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Post by Ryan Rickenbach »

jack wrote:just because lonbob called it a remix, doesn't mean he didn't write it for the fight. he's been around for a while, and knows how the game is played.

i think he just meant he had an alternate mix (or arrangement) he was debating and picked one and posted the other. big deal.
Yeah, that's why I said "my bad". :twisted:
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Post by martyr »

Max the Cat
Max has consistently insane studio production. The spoken word stuff lost me though zzzzzz.

King Arthur
This one is also a bit slower than I'd like.

Ryan Rickenbach
I like the folksy style to this one. Kindof Dylan-does-country at moments.

Lonbobby feat. Anita
I like the electro goth sensibility to this one. This one is the best thus far. I tried comparing to the "acoustic" version during the prerelease, but didn't notice major variation. The vocals are really nicely done -- the harmanies are sweet!

Pigpen
Eclectic! Is this is some other language?

Bookclub
A nice "big rock" production intro with baby overlays that morfs into some home-made domestic ramblings remenisant of X (male/female harmonies).

Phunt Your Friends
Another slow one with a deep, chanty vox style. Nothing against Phunt in particular, but these slow songs compositions just drag to much for me ... I guess the point is to make us cry!

Older Brothers
This is our entry. Our goal was to improve the production over last week, while keeping the primary focus on song craft. A "real" <a href="http://www.xx1.com/songfight/m++_a_tear.mp3">acoustic version </a> from before we cut the studio track is available for comparison and enjoyment. Looking forward to peoples' thoughts.

:shock: :shock: :shock:
m++
j$
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Post by j$ »

Book Club – the vocalist sounds a little unsure in her expression – I like the voice and it really suits the sound, but it lacks a little convention. Oh, the male vocalist seems a bit oddly placed. A bit out of the blue. Again sounds good but it’s almost like ‘is it my line yet? I wanna line!’ I wish the percussion was heavier. Lyric seems a bit cutesy unless it’s an extended metaphor for something I have missed. The like the sound, the feel, the idea behind the group just not that keen on this. But a good ‘start’

King Arthur – oh that tweeting is a little loud and piercing. A more space-ful arrangement than I am used to from you, KA, and I think I’m liking it. As always superlative bass tone gets bonus points from me. That tweeting is a bit annoying I have to admit.

Lonbobby / Anita - great opening guy ‘n’ guitar ‘n’glitch! This is suitably strange. Anita sings well as usual, and here comes back the noise just when I am beginning to hope it does. Actually that guitar is a bit harsh on the ears, and coming from me that’s something! Curious – by the end I am not sure if I like it, love it, or think it’s just a mess. I always like that from a song J

Max the Cat – I like the voice. Not so keen on the pan-type synth or the spoken word stuff. Too arty for me. I must admit I found this a bit boring, although the female singer is great. Really sultry and some beautiful guitaring there as well. This should start at 1.56ish. The first two minute are totally superfluous and ruin an otherwise awesome song.

Older Brothers – I have an older brother. He doesn’t sound like Morrisey singing drunkenly in a karoake bar over an Jesus Jones backing track. Actually, wobbly pitch to the point of distraction and crazy volume difference between the vocals and the backing track aside, this isn’t so bad. It has a feel of James or one of those mid90s bands.

Phunt Your Friends – Hmmmmmm, slight yawn. While I sense a Luke Henley influence in your work and this is certainly not as abrasively irritating as some of the soundscaping you have worked onto the world in the past, it is irritating in a ‘Ballad of Rone Rivendale Not Actually That Funny You Had To Be There shocker’ way. I dunno I can’t really offer anything constructive. I wasn’t that fond of the more abstract takes from you, but I am not enamoured with this either – which I appreciate isn’t much help.

Pigpen – nice guitar tone. Good sounding bass.

Lots of ok songs, nothing grabbing me immediately. Maybe Book Club, if I can look past the cutesy lyric.
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Ryan Rickenbach
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Post by Ryan Rickenbach »

No review?
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Post by j$ »

Oh sorry don't know how I missed you in the stream - hang on!

ryan rickenbach - oh I like this one a lot. Glad I didn't miss this. The 'kick' sounds a little sloppy - not out of time I don't think, or off the beat, just maybe not a great recording? Or could be limited so they're all the same level? That 'saw you down by the side of the road' is really catchy. Kind of Blues via White Stripes without electric and back again. Definite vote winner for me. Too catchy to ignore.

See, never hurts to ask, does it? :)
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PiGPEN
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Post by PiGPEN »

martyr wrote:[
Pigpen
Eclectic! Is this is some other language?
I use some Japanese words and fake a Japanese accent (ive been listening to the pillows alot). Paipan basically means shaved and Guro means gotesque (loan word i loaned back)....both those words i learned from porn!
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Post by Kweep »

book club - cuteness! do you guys have family songwriting hour? good sounds and production in general. the lyrics and overall song concept aren't quite doin' it for me, though (just cause i haven't cried over missin' the ice cream truck in at least a week or two).

king arthur - nice sounds. i love the noodlehorn thingy. decent lyrics and performances but feels a little... 'flat'? the bridge bit is nice.

lonbobby - pretty cool. nice vox... mix is iffy (guitar a bit overpowering, strings and bg stuff in general could be louder). not really doin' much for me.

max the cat - kinda dark for you max... nice female vox! the spoken word bits feel a tad contrived. production is crispy and nice (love the flute/shaku/whateveritis).

older brothers - pretty fun. this is kind of a study in potential... lotsa almost good things... almost interesting melody, almost interesting lyrics, almost good performance. i'm lookin' forward to following you fellers' developement.

phunt - nice. this is really interesting... love the vocals. cool sounds.

pigpen - not at all what i was expecting after reading the lyrics. i was hopin' for schlocky anime pop. this, unfortunately, is doin' nothing for me.

ryan rickenbach - excellent sounds! great vox and lyrics. cool humming bridge bit. - vote
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Post by Stubby Phillips »

Phunt Your Friends:
Cool vocal effect. Some lyrics seem a little forced to get rhymes. Not sure I like the random percussives. But the whole things sets a very strong mood/atmosphere, which is good. The synth(s) add a nice touch. Voices in the background make it sound like you recorded this while friends were over, and they were tryingto be quiet.

Lonbobby:
Anita -- you have a great voice. I'd like to hear you belt out something a little more... beltish. But this fits the song. This sets a mood, too -- but I think the triads at the beginning should come in a little later. Not bad; maybe a bit long.

PiGPEN:
Vox is kinda wierd in a bad way. This is how I sing when I'm drunk. The melody is OK. Needs an instrumental interlude in a different key maybe.

Book Club:
Like the kid. I can hear her. The guitar drowns the main vocal out a bit. Cool idea/lyric. EDIT: I did the EQ like below and it helps, but the guitar and the vox are in the same freq. range, and it doesn't help that much. The split vocals are right on level-wise, though.

The Older Brothers:
Right away I notice the level is too low -- the vox is too loud, or rather, the instruments are too low. I always listen with the EQ flat, and when I brought up the bass and highs a bit it sounds WAY better. I guess some people EQ their songs expecting the listener to crank up the bass & treb, or they monitor it that way. I don't want to tweak my EQ when I review, but otherwise I probably would. Song is OK, not really grabbing me. Or I was too busy playing w/ the EQ. Oh well.

Max the Cat:
"Art". The female vox is cool. And then the guitars... very nice. Yeah, this is turning out nicely... Did I say the chick can sing? Wow. That's pretty powerful stuff. The spoken/sung parts fit kinda well together, but make the spoken parts shorter. I know -- "but the story..." Sorry, I don't listen to stories, not on a first listen; I listen to a collection of sounds. These sounds are very well performed, recorded and mastered. No EQ tweaking here.

Ryan Rickenbach:
Pretty good. Nice humming harmony. Hummony. Well crafted, and good sound. Classic Dylanesque delivery. I know alot of people will like this. Me? It's pretty good for what it is. <genre bias>

King Arthur:
How do you get your birds to sing like that? Pretty cool. Nice elec. guitar sound/playing. Bass too. Drum machine is kinda distracting. Vox and lyric are good, too. I like it. Seems like I should have a genre/style bias as with Ryan, but this is more to my liking. I think the electric helps. It's sweet.

Good fight! If I were to vote based on a lack of negatives, RR would win. But maybe Lonbobby, KA, or MtC will pull ahead. The envelope, please? And the winner is... I gotta listen again...

EDIT: King Arthur wins by a nose, even with the drums! The crowd goes wild!
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Ryan Rickenbach
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Post by Ryan Rickenbach »

You know, people keep saying my track sounds like Dylan, but (and this will probably sounds like sacrilege to most of you) I've only heard a few tracks of his in my life. He's been on my "need to get me some of that" list for a long time now but he's just one of those guys that you know you should now, but don't.
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A Tear:Review

Post by Paco Del Stinko »

This is my first review. I will submit myself as punching bag for the "Covered With Bugs" fight. I've listened to each song three times so far.

Book Club - A tight song w/ tentative vocals asking for a solo instrument (guitar, sax) during the space provided.
King Arthur - Better singing Jerry Garcia needing to fine tune the tweetery sound over a comfy groove.
Lonlobby - The minstrals and maidens threatened by menacing key guitars is plenty moody, heavy AND lite.
Max The Cat - On another day, ghost riders might travel these same skies. There are diferent weights to each element.
Older Bro. - The good vocal idea lies within a 3:05 song that could have a brief instrument-playing-the-melody bit to break up said vocal.(?)
Phunt - The pirate singing this song may be laying face down in the wet sand but he can still see colors.
pIgpen - I'm sure that the one-gerbil audience that witnessed this mutant karaoke song was enticed by the free liquor.
Ryan Rickenbach - Could almost be looser. Either that or have THOR hammer out a bass drum beat somewhere in the middle.

Paco will vote by secret ballot after further listens and contemplations.
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furrypedro
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Post by furrypedro »

book club: the melody in the verse really reminds me of a Police song but I can't remember which one. Good guitar tone but the vocals seem a bit uninterested. Didn't blow me away but it's the best song I've heard about Ice cream as far as I can remember.

King Arthur: I really like the way this all fits together. I'm not crazy about the tune but it does the trick; the guitar and bass sound are great though, and your voice just kind of glides over the top. The thing that really does it for me is the cheesy drum sounds and the shuffly beat; without it I think the song might sound a bit bland but as it is it really reminds me of recent Super Furry Animals stuff. Nice lilting tones over a tight structure and some wibbly noises for colour. good stuff

Lonbobby ft Anita: There are elements of this that are really good, the song overall is cool, and the percussion - the way the rhythms march along. I'm down with that weird milk bottle noise, it makes the track stand out a bit more. I'm not sure about the general arrangement though, especially the guitar. It doesn't sound crap but I think it conflicts with some of the other instruments and there are places where the mix sounds a bit muddy. minor quibbles though, good work.

Max the Cat: This sounds pretty ambitious which is always welcome in my book. I could really hear this in the score for some dramatic film. I'm not usually sad that 4 minute songs are near the end when reviewing, and the fact that I am here says a lot. Genre-bias notwithstanding, this should win this fight

Older Brothers: You guys are unfortunate you came after Max, anything else sounds like a knock-off by comparison. That said, this is kinda cool. Ignoring production faults, I like the way this bounces, nothing sounds out of place and I like that you've used some weird sounds in a constructive way (is that the Zoom step effect? I've never heard that used outside a bedroom before). Cool singing, cool song

Phunt em hard: Where the hell's that cello solo then, eh??!! oh hear it....haha, I'll get you next time Gadget. This is what they listen to on Sunday afternoons on Saturn or in alternate universes that are entirely made of pixels. They do this while determining the exact concentration of lemon in water required to make a 'weak lemon drink' (whoever 'they' are, wizards probably). I quite like this one

PiGPeN: Aleister Crowley's Elvis impression. good bassline

Ryan Rickenbach: Your voice is good, guitar playings good, songwriting is nothing if not accomplished, and the backing vocals add that little something extra. This wasn't really grabbing me but I had to go give someone a lift halfway through writing this review and found myself singing the chorus while I was driving; definitely something in it.

the standard was consistently good at worst here. never quite reached amazing though
my vote's split between Phunt, Max and Charles
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Post by Clats »

Furrypedro wrote:book club: the melody in the verse really reminds me of a Police song but I can't remember which one.
Invisible Sun from the Ghost In the Machine album maybe?
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PiGPEN
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Post by PiGPEN »

Furrypedro wrote:Aleister Crowley's Elvis impression.
Referring to this man?
Whatchu mean by that?
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Post by Mogosagatai »

Furrypedro wrote:This is what they listen to on Sunday afternoons on Saturn or in alternate universes that are entirely made of pixels. They do this while determining the exact concentration of lemon in water required to make a 'weak lemon drink' (whoever 'they' are, wizards probably).
Best. Review. Ever.

There's this, uhh... thing we're making, and I think I'll incorporate that.
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