Graynbow Review Thread

[Mostess]

did you get a new mic? your vox sound very condenser-ish this week.

I did use my big (not new) condenser. I had a bit of a head cold and a couple beers in me, and the song is just above my range. The vox had really awkward dynamics, so I compressed the shit out of it. Probably too much.

BTW: I thought about your distaste for buzzy electric guitars while I was mixing, and I think I hid the electric behind my voice too much. I couldn't bear to get rid of it because it had moments where it sounded a little like Knopfler, and that was too good to not share. Unfortunately, in the end, it sounds like Knopfler through a McDonald's drive-thru speaker. I could have made it work a lot better. I gotta start waiting a day or so between recording and mixing. Ears get tired.

[Caravan Ray]

it sounds like Knopfler through a McDonald's drive-thru speaker.

Yeah, I've heard that's where he's working nowdays. Good place for him too, if you ask me...

[blue]

it sounds like Knopfler through a McDonald's drive-thru speaker.

Yeah, I've heard that's where he's working nowdays. Good place for him too, if you ask me...

[Billy's Little Trip]

I gotta start waiting a day or so between recording and mixing. Ears get tired.

That makes two of us. My problem is that I find myself finishing up my song the night before the due date. I can't help but wonder if my songs would be better if I wasn't such a procrastinator.........or is my procrastination saving me from over production? Ouch, I need to stop thinking now.

[Ross]

Some nice ditties. I thought the Hostess Mostess track was really well done but ended up voting for Syd and Me on the basis of top notch accents and sweet muted trumpet solo.

Syd and I say thanks!!! Thanks also to Uncle Steve (Durand) for playing the trumpet solo, and to BLT, sp00n, and Meatwad for their nice comments, too.
Reviews will be coming eventually.

[MC Eric B]

My reviews for this week:

Double Helix Bros. - The first 30 seconds started out fine, but you changed into a different sound way too soon. Thereafter it sounds like a jam session, with made up lyrics. Then it got better for me in the last 1/3rd. I did not hate it, but it did not thrill me.

Queen Anthony's Lace - I like the concept of the song, and the intro started out ok, but after that I found it a little boring, maybe because the song is too long. It was something different at least, which is good.

Carpetburn - I like how the vocals are easy to understand. Song does a good job of starting slow and building to crescendo. I am not sure why it needed to be almost 6 minutes long, but it is a good song so that was ok.

Jolly Roger - vocals and music very faint, like you are playing in somebody's basement down the street from me. Other than that, it seemed ok, but that ruined it for me.

mico saudad - You sound like a cool, hip dude. I like the multitrack vocals. The song seems kind of short actually since it was going along food.

Steakhaus - Seems fine for speed metal, or whatever this would be considered. Just not my thing.

Syd and Me - Kids voice is cute. Contrasts well with the deep voice of the adult. Adult is a better singer though. I like the trumpet solo. And, the part where you sign together is a good way to end it. Plus, the tune is kinda of catchy. And, unlike some of the other songs this week, it did not drag on too long.

Thanks Glenny for the Frisbee - The music is great. Vocals seem to meander a bit, but maybe that is the point, to be a relaxed and leisurely song. Reminds me of the mood of a Simon and Garfunkel song a little. Not particularly memorable, but I liked it while I was listening to it.

Billy's Little Trip - Sounds a little like a Pink Floyd song. The dark and depressing lyrics do a very good job of matching the tone of the song. Production seems very good. I like it.

Klownhole - I made a songfight reference once in my songs, and someone trashed me for that. You whole song seemed like an inside joke, as somebody not from Songfight would be confused. But, I liked your vocals and singing attitude. I like how you rhymed rainbow with Eskimo. You are certainly a contender for saying the Songfight title the most times in a song. Luckily it is a poetic title, so it works for you to repeat it.

Eddie Lance - Love the piano intro for the first 30 seconds or so. Made me want to cry before you even started singing. Then you never started singing.

c hack - The melody of the song is actually very catchy, so it might have been better if the song was not just acoustic. Having other instruments would have made it a much catchier song. That being said, with just a guitar, you do a good job of progressing the song and keeping it interesting. How is seeing a naked woman like seeing a gray rainbow though?

Spinlock - The vocals are good, and piano playing good, but not really catchy or memorable for me.

Hostess Mostess - I like this. Music, vocals, lyrics all good. I was just about to write though that it was not that catchy but then the catchiness kicked in for me in final 25% of the song. Overall great!

cranial biffida - I would have liked the intro part to be shorter, but that's probably because this is not my type of thing. I liked how you changed things up a lot in the last 20% of the song.

signboy - I like the chorus best. Song dragged on a little for me. Only lyrics that I really remember are "White House lawn", which is funny even if it was not intended that way. Overall good.

Lyricburgler - I could not understand the vocals in the first part, but then it got clear. I liked the last 1/3 of the song 10 times better than the first 2/3. I started typing I did not like this song, but it is actually just the first 2 minutes that did not thrill me. Since the end is good, I come away liking it because I forgot the first part.

HipWreckd - Vocals are clear which is good. The first 50 seconds could have been the whole song if you just extended. I like that part much much better musically. Is the concept that you died for the first part, and then woke up dead in the 2nd part, so the dying music is different than the music from Heaven? That is a very creative concept, but if I did not write this I am not sure most listeners would get it. Is the final part about going to hell? I like that surprise twist, but that seems to lose the point of the song to me. Overall I like the song and it is memorable.

Pipefist - The vocals somehow remind of karaoke. Nothing wrong with the song, but somehow the whole thing did not come together for me. I like the piano at the end. Not a bad song.

No Ghost - Is that a guitar or banjo in the song? If no banjo, why does the song talk about you playing a tune on your banjo? I like your vocals, but the music is too sparse. Overall not bad though.

cynthia size and the @eclectic spOOns - Lyrics were very very hard to understand. Music was boring. I liked the individual parts of the music, like guitar riff and drums, but somehow it needs more. Maybe if it had real vocals, the sparse background music would not matter as much. Also, the song seemed long to me.

Spinning Merkaba - The vocals mix well with the music, plus I like the part where you talk instead of singing. The last 1/3rd of the song seems kind of long though. I like the very end part, but before that seems like it could have been cut.

[jb]

I can't help but wonder if my songs would be better if I wasn't such a procrastinator

stop wondering. answer's YES.

[onedumbmick]

my biased vote was cast

[WesDavis]

Pipefist - The vocals somehow remind of karaoke. Nothing wrong with the song, but somehow the whole thing did not come together for me. I like the piano at the end. Not a bad song.

Yeah the vocs are essentially unmastered, so that makes sense. That's just me straight through an SM-58 with no additives. It was a little inappropriate for the song, but I don't know how to master vocs and didn't want to screw them inadvertently. Of course, then I actually did do some stuff to them and if you'd like to hear that, it's right here. I dunno if it'll sound less karaoke-ish, but it's there, for what it's worth.

[MC Eric B]

WesDavis - Yes, I like the new version better. That sounds normal now.

[WesDavis]

Thanks dude. Yeah, I thought it sounded more appropriate. I also took out the vocal oohs and ahhs in what I guess could be considered the bridge. They were too intense for the way the rest of the song felt.

[LesChaps]

Billy's Little Trip: ... great sound ... good song

CarpetBurn: ...Nice guitar work ...

Cranial Biffida: ... cool parts ... Fun ...

Cynthiasize-eclectic spoons: Neat voice.

Double Helix Bros: Cool Beck sounds.

Hipwreckd: Good opening riff. Nice stereo image. ... Nice, interesting changeup. ... Music is nice ... The return to the opening part is welcome.

Hostess Mostess: ... good stuff. ... quality work that I can't find fault in.

Klownhole: Hopefully Dan-O has a sense of humor about it.

Lyric Burglar: Good energy.

No Ghost: There is a nice mopiness to this.

Pipefist: Nice sounds. ... this is ok ...

Queen Anthony Slace: This is fun. Nice vocals ... Good harmonies. This is fun.

Signboy: This is kinda cool. I like vocal harmonies ... good beat behind the half-time guitar line.

Spinning Merkaba: Cool. ... I like the music. Cool guitar and synth line.

Steakhaus: Fuck yeah. This is what I'm talking about. ... I like the effort ...

Syndandme: ... this is cute as hell. ... both vocals are very nice.

Age has a way of softening people up. And that's a nice thing.

[Billy's Little Trip]

I can't help but wonder if my songs would be better if I wasn't such a procrastinator

stop wondering. answer's YES.

I'll have to think about if I should stop wondering.
.......what's the deadline?

[Meatwad]

Billy's Little Trip: ... great sound ... good song

CarpetBurn: ...Nice guitar work ...

Cranial Biffida: ... cool parts ... Fun ...

Cynthiasize-eclectic spoons: Neat voice.

Double Helix Bros: Cool Beck sounds.

Hipwreckd: Good opening riff. Nice stereo image. ... Nice, interesting changeup. ... Music is nice ... The return to the opening part is welcome.

Hostess Mostess: ... good stuff. ... quality work that I can't find fault in.

Klownhole: Hopefully Dan-O has a sense of humor about it.

Lyric Burglar: Good energy.

No Ghost: There is a nice mopiness to this.

Pipefist: Nice sounds. ... this is ok ...

Queen Anthony Slace: This is fun. Nice vocals ... Good harmonies. This is fun.

Signboy: This is kinda cool. I like vocal harmonies ... good beat behind the half-time guitar line.

Spinning Merkaba: Cool. ... I like the music. Cool guitar and synth line.

Steakhaus: Fuck yeah. This is what I'm talking about. ... I like the effort ...

Syndandme: ... this is cute as hell. ... both vocals are very nice.

Age has a way of softening people up. And that's a nice thing.

I blew my nice wad all in one review. It will be awhile before I say anything nice again.

[Dan-O from Five-O]

Klownhole: Hopefully Dan-O has a sense of humor about it.

What's this mean? Is there a reference to me in there somewhere? If there is I must have missed it. I'll have to have another listen when my ears stop bleeding.

[Meatwad]

Klownhole: Hopefully Dan-O has a sense of humor about it.

What's this mean? Is there a reference to me in there somewhere? If there is I must have missed it. I'll have to have another listen when my ears stop bleeding.

You are the star of the show.

[blue]

Klownhole: Hopefully Dan-O has a sense of humor about it.

What's this mean? Is there a reference to me in there somewhere? If there is I must have missed it. I'll have to have another listen when my ears stop bleeding.

jesus christ. i guess that explains why you had so much trouble catching the reference last week.

[Ross]

Klownhole - Thanks for the Klaatu reference - made my day.

[c hack]

Revuoos!

no ghost: I kinda like it. The world needs more hayseed music. Reminds me of early Beck. But it's prolly twice as long as it should be. You could end it at the first "take me home."

pipefist: I like the melody on this one. Reminds me of Lily Allen's "Smile." You should actually get the CD -- they give you the source audio (well, you have to extract it) to two of the songs, and you can do a remix. Hmm, maybe I'll make a remix contest. But anyways, my point is, listening to the tracks separately teaches you so much about good production.

cynthia size: started off kinda cool, but then got really weird and dumb. Had to stop halfway through.

klownhole: first rule of songfight -- don't sing about songfight. Wow this song is not fun to listen to at all. Stopping halfway through.

mico saudad: hey, this is kinda fun. Needs to be a little tighter. I think this is my favorite so far. The "Day and Night" bit is too loud. Great stuff. Listening to this a second time. Love it. Could even be longer. CONTENDER

cranial biffida: starts out good. Great production, really sounds professional. But the songwriting isn't a match for Jute Gyte's "Violet Wants it Her Way." http://www.songfight.org/music/violet_w ... violet.mp3 (of which Glenn Case made a fucking awesome cover). No matter what genre you work in, you need melody. This just gets monotonous. Stopping halfway through.

hostess mostess: Nicely done. I don't really have any complaints about this, other than it sounds toodentist-officey.

double helix brothers: feels chaotic and in disarray. I can't get a handle on it. Stopping halfway through.

billy's little trip: no real complaints about this, but it's just not really grabbing me.

syd and me: cute. But way too cute for my taste. Well-done, though. CONTENDER

jolly roger: this really suffers from the production, but the song's not really doing anything for me either.

thanks glenny: ooo, starts out great. Totally Shins-esque. Love it. CONTENDER

mc eric b: man, the lyrics totally do NOT go with the cheezy midi music. I mean, REALLY do not go. Just get an acoustic guitar and do it Johny-Cash style.

queen anthony's lace: I actually like your voice. The song is best when it's only the voice and a just little backing. The production is horrible though. So bad that it keeps me from liking the song. I'm really curious to hear what you can do with better engineering.

eddie lance: hey, this is an instrumental! Disqualified. Too pretty for me anyways.

lyricburgler: This isn't bad. Kinda enjoyed listening to it, but don't find myself wanting to listen to it again.

spinning merkaba: Not bad. Like it, but don't love it.

steakhaus: Like Cranial Biffida, this sounds great but it just doesn't have enough melody for me to get into it.

carpetburn: this started out not that great, but got a lot better 1/3 in. How is there proof that there are no heavens above? Lame. CONTENDER

signboy: Not bad. Like it, but don't love it.

hipwrecked: It's funny, I can't hear that sitar thing now and not think of Borat Nicely done, but I don't have a lot to say about it.

c hack: Me! I had another thing going for a while (one that referenced Murky and Lurky), but came up with a completely new song (this one) after going to a Shins show. I really want to get it to sound good with a whole band.

spinlock: Not sure what to say. It's alright, but not really doing much for me.


CONCLUSION

I'm extremely dissappointed in you guys -- no reference to Murky and Lurky anywhere. So, of the 4 contenders, (Mico, Syd and Me, Thanks Glenny, and Carpetburn), Thanks Glenny and Carpetburn's songs aren't quite there I don't think. Mico gets my vote. The arrangement is horrible and the production makes it sound like it was recorded by a retarded monkey, but damn, that's some great songwriting. I'd love to hear it recorded and arranged well. Syd and Me, your song is really well-done, but again, way to cutesy for me.

[Meatwad]

Klownhole - Thanks for the Klaatu reference - made my day.

And you made my day for knowing the reference.

[Dan-O from Five-O]

Klownhole: Hopefully Dan-O has a sense of humor about it.

What's this mean? Is there a reference to me in there somewhere? If there is I must have missed it. I'll have to have another listen when my ears stop bleeding.

jesus christ. i guess that explains why you had so much trouble catching the reference last week.

It's a joke Blue. It's exactly the same thing I said last week.

[halen99]

eddie lance: hey, this is an instrumental! Disqualified. Too pretty for me anyways.

Tough crowd.