"quit while you are ahead" might come from gambling, since in gambling the odds are always against you so if you do get ahead, it might be a smart move to quit from a mathematical perspective. Plus, if you quit while you are winning you can feel satisfied where as if you quit while losing you leave unhappy and feel like things are unresolved.
- Eric
Thank God for Reviews!
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Hoblit
- Roosevelt
- Posts: 3713
- Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 12:48 pm
- Pronouns: Dude or GURRRLLLL!
- Location: Charlotte, NC ... A big city on its first day at the new job.
- Contact:
Re: quitting
Which is why I mentioned that the phrase implies that one will not always be ahead. AND THANKS, that does give me some perspective on how the phrase came about. That makes perfect sense. However, the saying should be buried because it's snarky and possibly illogical.MC Eric B wrote:"quit while you are ahead" might come from gambling, since in gambling the odds are always against you so if you do get ahead, it might be a smart move to quit from a mathematical perspective. Plus, if you quit while you are winning you can feel satisfied where as if you quit while losing you leave unhappy and feel like things are unresolved.
- Eric
{/threadjack}
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erik
- Churchill
- Posts: 2341
- Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 11:06 am
- Submitting as: 15-16 puzzle
- Location: Austin
- Contact:
Here's some reviews:
4 Am Cig: This recording is really painful to listen to, with the buzzing and all air blowing in the microphone. The song is, okayish, but it's not great enough to make me forget the awful recording.
add: I like songs that mention cities, songs with spelling, songs that quote lyrics to other songs, and songs where you can hear people cheer. This song is good.
Anchors: I don't like your voice. I like your Thermalsesque music. This song is okay, but I don't want to listen to it again.
Bad Cactus: Oh, the electronic drums sound out of sync with the music. This song is good enough, but it kind of sits at the same dynamic level the whole time and I end up ignoring it.
Big Matt Hyatt and His Rusty Ryder: Oh, I don't like this.
Billy's Little Trip: If the loud part had a catchy refrain, I'd probably think this was okay, but nothing's really leaping out at me, and it sounds like alot of the same thing going on. The melody reminds me of that one System of a Down song where they sing "DISORDER DISORDER" alot, and then I want to hear that song instead of this one.
bluestrainbluesind: Oh, this is really bad.
Memphis Lo Fi: This song is good enough, but it seems completely unnecessary. Oh. Then it becomes a novelty song. Okay, this is okay I guess. I don't need to hear this song again.
Booty Chesterfield Trio: Weird, this one sounds like Chop Suey. I am haunted by SoaD. Kind of long intro. The vocals are all "But trust me on the sunscreen". The syncopated vocal lines become comical with their regularity. This song is not doing anything for me.
Chris Cusack: The chorus doesn't belong with these verses. The chorus is just so throwaway, you should replace it.
DJ Big Dick: Oh, wow this is really bad.
Embers of Autumn: Your warbly voice is kind of distracting. The guitar and the piano are fighting each for the same space, it makes it hard to listen to. Where's the chorus? Is there one? The song sounds very samey-samey the whole way through, it makes it hard to pay attention to.
Flvxxvm Flrvm: Hey, this is an acceptable fake Johnny Cash. This is pretty cool.
Gurdonark: This is just weird. I don't like this song.
Hans Gruber Ultimate Villian: This music is pretty good. The vocals are way too reserved and quiet. This song needs a bridge, or it needs to be like 1.5 minutes shorter.
The Hedonistic Calculus: I don't really like your vocals. The lyrics seem like every line would have a footnote, if I were reading them. It's all allusions to other things, and nothing of its own. The second verse sounds alot like that one song by Everlast "What It's Like". I might like it more if he sang this song. This song is too short.
Hoblit was Here at Midnight: I'd like to hear this all rocked up, or rather, I'd like to hear this song start off with just voice and guitar, and then build up with and more instruments. This song has some cool elements, like the first part, with the kind of stuttery guitar. It kind of goes on for a bit too long, maybe by about 1 verse and 1 chorus.
Iron Man Bobby Graham: Oh, I don't like this.
Flapjack: I like the other version better.
More later. woowooo
4 Am Cig: This recording is really painful to listen to, with the buzzing and all air blowing in the microphone. The song is, okayish, but it's not great enough to make me forget the awful recording.
add: I like songs that mention cities, songs with spelling, songs that quote lyrics to other songs, and songs where you can hear people cheer. This song is good.
Anchors: I don't like your voice. I like your Thermalsesque music. This song is okay, but I don't want to listen to it again.
Bad Cactus: Oh, the electronic drums sound out of sync with the music. This song is good enough, but it kind of sits at the same dynamic level the whole time and I end up ignoring it.
Big Matt Hyatt and His Rusty Ryder: Oh, I don't like this.
Billy's Little Trip: If the loud part had a catchy refrain, I'd probably think this was okay, but nothing's really leaping out at me, and it sounds like alot of the same thing going on. The melody reminds me of that one System of a Down song where they sing "DISORDER DISORDER" alot, and then I want to hear that song instead of this one.
bluestrainbluesind: Oh, this is really bad.
Memphis Lo Fi: This song is good enough, but it seems completely unnecessary. Oh. Then it becomes a novelty song. Okay, this is okay I guess. I don't need to hear this song again.
Booty Chesterfield Trio: Weird, this one sounds like Chop Suey. I am haunted by SoaD. Kind of long intro. The vocals are all "But trust me on the sunscreen". The syncopated vocal lines become comical with their regularity. This song is not doing anything for me.
Chris Cusack: The chorus doesn't belong with these verses. The chorus is just so throwaway, you should replace it.
DJ Big Dick: Oh, wow this is really bad.
Embers of Autumn: Your warbly voice is kind of distracting. The guitar and the piano are fighting each for the same space, it makes it hard to listen to. Where's the chorus? Is there one? The song sounds very samey-samey the whole way through, it makes it hard to pay attention to.
Flvxxvm Flrvm: Hey, this is an acceptable fake Johnny Cash. This is pretty cool.
Gurdonark: This is just weird. I don't like this song.
Hans Gruber Ultimate Villian: This music is pretty good. The vocals are way too reserved and quiet. This song needs a bridge, or it needs to be like 1.5 minutes shorter.
The Hedonistic Calculus: I don't really like your vocals. The lyrics seem like every line would have a footnote, if I were reading them. It's all allusions to other things, and nothing of its own. The second verse sounds alot like that one song by Everlast "What It's Like". I might like it more if he sang this song. This song is too short.
Hoblit was Here at Midnight: I'd like to hear this all rocked up, or rather, I'd like to hear this song start off with just voice and guitar, and then build up with and more instruments. This song has some cool elements, like the first part, with the kind of stuttery guitar. It kind of goes on for a bit too long, maybe by about 1 verse and 1 chorus.
Iron Man Bobby Graham: Oh, I don't like this.
Flapjack: I like the other version better.
More later. woowooo
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Billy's Little Trip
- Odie
- Posts: 12090
- Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2006 2:56 pm
- Instruments: Guitar, Bass, Vocals, Drums, Skin Flute
- Recording Method: analog to digital via Presonus FireBox, Cubase and a porn machine
- Submitting as: Billy's Little Trip, Billy and the Psychotics
- Location: Cali fucking ornia
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DJ Big Dick
- Karski
- Posts: 78
- Joined: Thu Feb 16, 2006 6:27 pm
I've listened to the front end of the fight a few times, so here are some reviews: Bad Cactus, The Anchors, and ADD Music are my favorites so far, in that order.
4 a.m. Cigarette – the mic problems are just so distracting. That coupled with “I went down to Memphis, yeah yeah” part really put a damper in me liking this song. If those parts were sung like the rest of the song and the mic was functioning right, I would probably really like this song. This version though, is pretty hard to listen to. I would like to hear other songs by you, though.
ADD Music – I like this one a lot. It’s fun, and delivered well. Crowd reaction is great too. Not much to say, here. It delivers on the optional challenge, and is very fun to listen to.
The Anchors – this song sounds a lot like Frank Black and the Catholics, both musically and lyrically. This song is pretty good. The recording sounds a little thin. I don’t know if this is because it was recorded live, or just the way it came out. I like it though. It’s a song that knows what it wants to be and does it well.
Bad Cactus – I really, really like this one. The instrumentation is perfect, and the melody is very catchy. My attention was kept throughout, and it has prompted multiple listens. It’s lyrically, very interesting too. Very, very good job.
Big Matt Hyatt – the vocals here are so off key, I find my self embarrassed by them. It sounds like drunken improve, which are two of my least favorite genres.
Billy’s Little Trip – I like the verses much better than the chorus. The vocals in the chorus don’t sound in tune with each other and it’s really hard to listen to. Musically, I like it a lot, but the vocal chorus delivery really dampens my feelings for this one. Maybe with only one vocal track in the chorus I would like this a lot more.
Blues Train Blues Industry – anyone can rumble out a minute of improvisation. There is no fight in this one.
Blumptown Singers – lyrically, this is great, funny, and touching. The vocals are also delivered honestly and sweetly. Musically, though, all the changes are familiar and it does not sound a bit original.
The Booty Somethingorother – the first two minutes of this song are torture. The palm-mutes throughout are ridiculous. When the vocals, or speaking, come in, it does not make me want to listen any further, but I did, just to try to make it through. I couldn’t though. About 30 seconds to the end, I couldn’t take it anymore. I didn’t know a person could speak off key, but there you are. I can’t tell if this song is supposed to be a joke or not. It’s just so bad.
Chris Cusack – I like this one. The vocalists go well together. It’s a nice song, but in this large of a field, it does not really stand out. The more times I hear it, though, the more I like it. It’s a nice laid back number.
DJ Big Dick – this is a joke. It does not rate a review.
Embers of Autumn – the acoustic guitar is not in time with the piano in a lot of places. It’s really distracting. The piano is louder than the vocals in places. That is also distracting. This song is not easy to listen to. It all just sounds like muddled piano.
Flvxxm Florvm – like the Jim Tyrell song a few fights ago, this is just 12-bar blues. Where is the originality?
Gurdonark – I don't understand what you are trying to accomplish with your songfight entries, but I do know that I don't like it.
4 a.m. Cigarette – the mic problems are just so distracting. That coupled with “I went down to Memphis, yeah yeah” part really put a damper in me liking this song. If those parts were sung like the rest of the song and the mic was functioning right, I would probably really like this song. This version though, is pretty hard to listen to. I would like to hear other songs by you, though.
ADD Music – I like this one a lot. It’s fun, and delivered well. Crowd reaction is great too. Not much to say, here. It delivers on the optional challenge, and is very fun to listen to.
The Anchors – this song sounds a lot like Frank Black and the Catholics, both musically and lyrically. This song is pretty good. The recording sounds a little thin. I don’t know if this is because it was recorded live, or just the way it came out. I like it though. It’s a song that knows what it wants to be and does it well.
Bad Cactus – I really, really like this one. The instrumentation is perfect, and the melody is very catchy. My attention was kept throughout, and it has prompted multiple listens. It’s lyrically, very interesting too. Very, very good job.
Big Matt Hyatt – the vocals here are so off key, I find my self embarrassed by them. It sounds like drunken improve, which are two of my least favorite genres.
Billy’s Little Trip – I like the verses much better than the chorus. The vocals in the chorus don’t sound in tune with each other and it’s really hard to listen to. Musically, I like it a lot, but the vocal chorus delivery really dampens my feelings for this one. Maybe with only one vocal track in the chorus I would like this a lot more.
Blues Train Blues Industry – anyone can rumble out a minute of improvisation. There is no fight in this one.
Blumptown Singers – lyrically, this is great, funny, and touching. The vocals are also delivered honestly and sweetly. Musically, though, all the changes are familiar and it does not sound a bit original.
The Booty Somethingorother – the first two minutes of this song are torture. The palm-mutes throughout are ridiculous. When the vocals, or speaking, come in, it does not make me want to listen any further, but I did, just to try to make it through. I couldn’t though. About 30 seconds to the end, I couldn’t take it anymore. I didn’t know a person could speak off key, but there you are. I can’t tell if this song is supposed to be a joke or not. It’s just so bad.
Chris Cusack – I like this one. The vocalists go well together. It’s a nice song, but in this large of a field, it does not really stand out. The more times I hear it, though, the more I like it. It’s a nice laid back number.
DJ Big Dick – this is a joke. It does not rate a review.
Embers of Autumn – the acoustic guitar is not in time with the piano in a lot of places. It’s really distracting. The piano is louder than the vocals in places. That is also distracting. This song is not easy to listen to. It all just sounds like muddled piano.
Flvxxm Florvm – like the Jim Tyrell song a few fights ago, this is just 12-bar blues. Where is the originality?
Gurdonark – I don't understand what you are trying to accomplish with your songfight entries, but I do know that I don't like it.
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Billy's Little Trip
- Odie
- Posts: 12090
- Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2006 2:56 pm
- Instruments: Guitar, Bass, Vocals, Drums, Skin Flute
- Recording Method: analog to digital via Presonus FireBox, Cubase and a porn machine
- Submitting as: Billy's Little Trip, Billy and the Psychotics
- Location: Cali fucking ornia
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Billy's Little Trip
- Odie
- Posts: 12090
- Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2006 2:56 pm
- Instruments: Guitar, Bass, Vocals, Drums, Skin Flute
- Recording Method: analog to digital via Presonus FireBox, Cubase and a porn machine
- Submitting as: Billy's Little Trip, Billy and the Psychotics
- Location: Cali fucking ornia
Yep, that's what I meant. Although the anagram won't move him up on the list, I think I like that name better.Albatross wrote:Sorry, I'm just not getting the joke behind "Sure all-American drunkard saviour."Billy's Little Trip wrote:Change it to Aardvark Nuclear Uranium Soldiers. Your anagram would be the butt of all jokes.
Or perhaps you meant acronym?
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wages
- Orwell
- Posts: 987
- Joined: Sun Sep 25, 2005 3:16 pm
- Instruments: Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
- Recording Method: Zoom h4n, Audacity
- Submitting as: Wages
- Location: The place that never tasted so good
- Contact:
...which is just Saads....Albatross wrote:Sorry, I'm just not getting the joke behind "Sure all-American drunkard saviour."Billy's Little Trip wrote:Change it to Aardvark Nuclear Uranium Soldiers. Your anagram would be the butt of all jokes.
Wages - Hoglen & Wages - The Affirmative Mention - Gawking Urethras - The EAF - and more
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Billy's Little Trip
- Odie
- Posts: 12090
- Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2006 2:56 pm
- Instruments: Guitar, Bass, Vocals, Drums, Skin Flute
- Recording Method: analog to digital via Presonus FireBox, Cubase and a porn machine
- Submitting as: Billy's Little Trip, Billy and the Psychotics
- Location: Cali fucking ornia
HaHa, good one Phil, that took me a second, lol.Wages wrote:...which is just Saads....Albatross wrote:Sorry, I'm just not getting the joke behind "Sure all-American drunkard saviour."Billy's Little Trip wrote:Change it to Aardvark Nuclear Uranium Soldiers. Your anagram would be the butt of all jokes.
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wages
- Orwell
- Posts: 987
- Joined: Sun Sep 25, 2005 3:16 pm
- Instruments: Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
- Recording Method: Zoom h4n, Audacity
- Submitting as: Wages
- Location: The place that never tasted so good
- Contact:
I just calls 'em as I sees um!Billy's Little Trip wrote:HaHa, good one Phil, that took me a second, lol.Wages wrote:...which is just Saads....Albatross wrote: Sorry, I'm just not getting the joke behind "Sure all-American drunkard saviour."
Wages - Hoglen & Wages - The Affirmative Mention - Gawking Urethras - The EAF - and more
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Billy's Little Trip
- Odie
- Posts: 12090
- Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2006 2:56 pm
- Instruments: Guitar, Bass, Vocals, Drums, Skin Flute
- Recording Method: analog to digital via Presonus FireBox, Cubase and a porn machine
- Submitting as: Billy's Little Trip, Billy and the Psychotics
- Location: Cali fucking ornia
Well, I guess it's time to get through the painful, but appreciated, honest reviews.
It's so funny, because I really like this song. The extended due date gave me time to write the way I really feel comfortable with, etc. I haven't been real happy with some of the new styles I've been doing lately, but getting pretty good reviews. Now I do a song I love, that rocks me, and my true honest writing style, and it is hated. Go figure, lol. Oh well, it's only rock-n-roll.
Well, I was really hoping the power and drive of the loud parts would be the grab. When I listen to this song and the loud parts kick, it makes me want to throw myself to the ground, do the worm, and spin around in circles.
Thanks Erik
I think it is too strange, but I thought it was kind of floaty and cool. But I can see how it can rub the listener wrong.
I think I need to quit trying to find that "magic" vocal sound and just get back to straight vox.
Thanks Jack.
It's so funny, because I really like this song. The extended due date gave me time to write the way I really feel comfortable with, etc. I haven't been real happy with some of the new styles I've been doing lately, but getting pretty good reviews. Now I do a song I love, that rocks me, and my true honest writing style, and it is hated. Go figure, lol. Oh well, it's only rock-n-roll.
erik wrote: Billy's Little Trip: If the loud part had a catchy refrain, I'd probably think this was okay, but nothing's really leaping out at me, and it sounds like alot of the same thing going on. The melody reminds me of that one System of a Down song where they sing "DISORDER DISORDER" alot, and then I want to hear that song instead of this one.
Well, I was really hoping the power and drive of the loud parts would be the grab. When I listen to this song and the loud parts kick, it makes me want to throw myself to the ground, do the worm, and spin around in circles.
Thanks Erik
Yeah, I tried a new vocal FX on this one. I was hoping it would give the song a different unique sound to get away from the norm.jackfrost wrote: Billy’s Little Trip – I like the verses much better than the chorus. The vocals in the chorus don’t sound in tune with each other and it’s really hard to listen to. Musically, I like it a lot, but the vocal chorus delivery really dampens my feelings for this one. Maybe with only one vocal track in the chorus I would like this a lot more.
I think it is too strange, but I thought it was kind of floaty and cool. But I can see how it can rub the listener wrong.
I think I need to quit trying to find that "magic" vocal sound and just get back to straight vox.
Thanks Jack.
here they are, * marks favorites
4 a.m. Cigarette: shit man, your mic is hella noisy, ruins it. When the guitar change comes it seems chaotic and it doesn’t flow too nice with the words. When you get passed that stuff it sounds like a nice song, really enjoyed the first guitar part. Work on production.
ADD Music: enjoyed it, confident dude, relaxed. It’s pretty bare and raw, but definitely has potential, memorable chorus. You do a lot with a little.
The Anchors: voice is kinda odd, and grating at times, almost lost faith in the song until the band came in. the instrumentation is ace, very modern and upbeat, catchy. Sounds like a lot of time went into this, you’ve got my respect. It’s just….the voice, it needs more bass behind it or something.
Bad Cactus: relaxing, liked the bass, liked everything. You really control the dynamics of everything well, like when the electric guitar cuts off at the end and just opens everything up and slows it down. Worth repeated listens.
Big Matt Hyatt and His Rusty Red Ryders: Haha, really liked it. Out of tune vocals at time, but you probably know that already, fun song. The layered vocals were novel at first, but got on my nerves after a while.
*Billy's Little Trip: beautiful lead guitar effect, mirrors the style of the vocals. Enjoyed the vocals. God damn, and now the loud part just came, fucking awesome. Considering you for my vote (but we’ll see what the others do). Drums are tight. Love the large full sound, wish I could get that going myself. Oo bass solo too, nice atmosphere. Love how up and down the song is, really keeps me interested.
Blues Train Blues Industry: guitars are barely audible, and the vocals barely fit over them at all, like they were just mashed together. The vocals sound restrained and remind me of like the dude from creed doing a country song. Couldn’t get through the whole thing, muddy as hell. Did you listen to this thing before shipping it off? Maybe just software problems? Idk man
Blumptown Singers: very well done, everything, you know what you’re doing. Nice voice. If you were trying to mock the genre you did it perfectly, just it fails to really grab my attention for me to vote for it.
The Booty Chesterfield Trio: wow, jaw dropping quality, I envy you. Great intro. The repetition in the beginning gets a little annoying which makes the change up to the chorus very welcome. The vocal style was a little off putting at first but I got use to it. Maybe the vocals could start earlier.
Chris Cusack: the change in style from the verse to the chorus caught me immediately as kind of odd, but I guess going with happy major chords on that part is important to the story? Really like the female vocals. Enjoyed the listen. Going back for a second listen- it’s really her voice that hooks me.
DJ Big Dsck: intrigued at first, but then turned off by the ending, didn’t go anywhere. Liked the nice strong bass line that came in, that was cool, but then it’s turned down and it makes the song fall apart. What’s with the shit on the end? The “dj dick” bits and other sound clips are just really annoying and obscene.
Embers of Autumn: I hate the overdone emo style of the vocals, out of tune at parts as well. Maybe the guitar part could be turned up? Or taken out, it doesn’t add much to the piano line, which already seemed full enough. Yeah the out of tune vocal parts get a little plentiful. Nice ideas though, very apparent that a lot of honest feeling was put into this. The piano is really nice the whole way through. A bit long too; a more polished shorter version would be preferred.
Flvxxvm Florvm: boomin voice, very nice. Got my head nodding in rhythm, the simple four on the floor drum part was a good idea, but goes a little late on a couple beats. The chorus chords seemed a little too dissonant ( 7ths?), though I realize it’s supposed to be a little bit.
Gurdonark: eerie, strangely intriguing but kinda loses it for me halfway through. Wouldn’t listen to something like this regularly, but it stands out from a lot of the other entries on originality alone.
Hans Gruber: Ultimate Villain: from the intro, it sounded like a song they would have the robots at chuck e cheeses play. The bass line in particular adds to the ridiculous feel of the whole thing. Everything sounds well done; it’s just very cheesy. Don’t like the chorus.
*The Hedonistic Calculus: wow nice. Seems like something I would listen to regularly. Very chill instrumentation. That little clean guitar part is a beautiful addition. Really enjoyed listening to this! May vote for it
Hoblit Was Here At Midnight: nice raw song, keeps me interested. I get the effect that the guitar is trying to convey, but it falls a little short at times. Leaves a nice melody in my head. A little more polishing would be nice, but I understand the live situation.
'Iron Man' Bobby Graham: very dull sounding voice, like mr. Rogers with an acoustic. The bit of lead guitar is not very nice, bends out of tune (and time) a lot and just makes the mix seem chaotic. Not badly done, just doesn’t hold interest.
Jeff 'Flapjack' Robertson: seems like I’ve heard something a lot like this before…..the vocals don’t seem to into it, I couldn’t get into it.
Ken's Super Duper Band n' Stuff: nasal voice, the drum track is barely audible. The chord progressions sound nice, interesting changes. Just the voice gets to me.
King Arthur: great quality, I don’t know how some of you do it. Everything is extremely tight and polished. The solo guitar is kinda typical, but fills its role. Catchy.
Lord of Oats: uh, were you just reading off the wiki page directly in the beginning? Whole thing just seems very contrived. The vocals seem restrained and nasal, put more balls into it. Musically everything was pretty cool, really liked the lead- keeps it tasteful.
LSK: uhhh, cool sound effects? the “rhythmic” tapping was retarded, it’s not very interesting at all, and I’m pretty considerate about these soundscape deals; it just kinda goes on for a while in a boring and repetitive manner and I wish it would stop.
Lyricburglar: nice, everything very smooth and tight. Love the played down kinda chorus, where most people (me included) went with the loud explosive chorus. The acoustic track in the back gives it a very authentic feel. Enjoyed the listen
MC Eric B: hard to take seriously, sorry. Everything sounds alright, just completely doesn’t appeal to me at all. Hate that bass line, hear it in sooo many songs, like something they would program onto a musical toddler’s toy these days. The weird thing you do to your voice just makes everything seem more ridiculous.
*MC Wino: gorgeous, wow then the vocals- powerful as hell. Dig the drums. Very nice entry. Hard to understand the vocals on some parts, but honestly it hardly even bothered me. enjoyed
Melvin: nice confidence in the lyrics, not afraid to yell. Strong melody.
*Paco del Stinko: you’re the first one to do something quirky with your voice and still keep it nice and strong, well done. Interesting musically, holds the attention. The change in mood halfway through is nice, still manages to fit well with everything else. Enjoyed the listen. Catchy lyrics.
Ross Durand: Nice bass drum sound. The very first piano line sounds like a play on the melody to tears in heaven and the first lead guitar part reminded me of the solo from tuesday’s gone….maybe it’s just me. Everything’s really tight though; but it just doesn’t hook me.
Snape Killed Dumbledore: Wish I could make nice electronic sounds like that, did some interesting things. Not something I could listen to regularly
Starfinger: uhh pretty terrible listen, then the beats kick in and my foot kinda taps with it, but it’s still annoying.
Steve Durand: ahhhh a change of pace, musically. Lmao, great when it kicks into the fast part. All I can think of is Aladdin and that one parody “prince alli had to go pee under a palm tree….” Enjoyed the listen, entertaining. Must have been interesting to record. Liked the percussion a lot.
Urine Luck: It-it was sooo short, had a nice recording quality too, wanted more. vocals are very nice and crystal clear. Fine little snippet.
Wages: this for the live optional too? Very nice, hard to carry something with so little backing, but you pull it off. Strong uninhibited voice and the beautifully harsh guitar accompaniment. Beautifully harsh sums it up. The strongest blues entry here
The Weakest Suit: vocals are a little unsettling on the ‘thank god for memphis’ part. The oohs and the “they called it rock and roll” parts were the highlights...it’s mostly the vocals that irritate me to be honest.
WreckdoM: I don’t know man, what do I say? It’s weird, you know that. Didn’t really get into it, maybe the drum part could be a little louder? Not something I could listen to regularly. Lyrics are the most entertaining part.
x-tokyo-river-god: The vocals get a little quiet at times, nice and adventurous with ‘em though. Everything is so bassy, even the high tones of the solos don’t really come out. All the guitar work in the background is barely heard or appreciated. The personality in the vocals stands out the most. Enjoyed, nice.
4 a.m. Cigarette: shit man, your mic is hella noisy, ruins it. When the guitar change comes it seems chaotic and it doesn’t flow too nice with the words. When you get passed that stuff it sounds like a nice song, really enjoyed the first guitar part. Work on production.
ADD Music: enjoyed it, confident dude, relaxed. It’s pretty bare and raw, but definitely has potential, memorable chorus. You do a lot with a little.
The Anchors: voice is kinda odd, and grating at times, almost lost faith in the song until the band came in. the instrumentation is ace, very modern and upbeat, catchy. Sounds like a lot of time went into this, you’ve got my respect. It’s just….the voice, it needs more bass behind it or something.
Bad Cactus: relaxing, liked the bass, liked everything. You really control the dynamics of everything well, like when the electric guitar cuts off at the end and just opens everything up and slows it down. Worth repeated listens.
Big Matt Hyatt and His Rusty Red Ryders: Haha, really liked it. Out of tune vocals at time, but you probably know that already, fun song. The layered vocals were novel at first, but got on my nerves after a while.
*Billy's Little Trip: beautiful lead guitar effect, mirrors the style of the vocals. Enjoyed the vocals. God damn, and now the loud part just came, fucking awesome. Considering you for my vote (but we’ll see what the others do). Drums are tight. Love the large full sound, wish I could get that going myself. Oo bass solo too, nice atmosphere. Love how up and down the song is, really keeps me interested.
Blues Train Blues Industry: guitars are barely audible, and the vocals barely fit over them at all, like they were just mashed together. The vocals sound restrained and remind me of like the dude from creed doing a country song. Couldn’t get through the whole thing, muddy as hell. Did you listen to this thing before shipping it off? Maybe just software problems? Idk man
Blumptown Singers: very well done, everything, you know what you’re doing. Nice voice. If you were trying to mock the genre you did it perfectly, just it fails to really grab my attention for me to vote for it.
The Booty Chesterfield Trio: wow, jaw dropping quality, I envy you. Great intro. The repetition in the beginning gets a little annoying which makes the change up to the chorus very welcome. The vocal style was a little off putting at first but I got use to it. Maybe the vocals could start earlier.
Chris Cusack: the change in style from the verse to the chorus caught me immediately as kind of odd, but I guess going with happy major chords on that part is important to the story? Really like the female vocals. Enjoyed the listen. Going back for a second listen- it’s really her voice that hooks me.
DJ Big Dsck: intrigued at first, but then turned off by the ending, didn’t go anywhere. Liked the nice strong bass line that came in, that was cool, but then it’s turned down and it makes the song fall apart. What’s with the shit on the end? The “dj dick” bits and other sound clips are just really annoying and obscene.
Embers of Autumn: I hate the overdone emo style of the vocals, out of tune at parts as well. Maybe the guitar part could be turned up? Or taken out, it doesn’t add much to the piano line, which already seemed full enough. Yeah the out of tune vocal parts get a little plentiful. Nice ideas though, very apparent that a lot of honest feeling was put into this. The piano is really nice the whole way through. A bit long too; a more polished shorter version would be preferred.
Flvxxvm Florvm: boomin voice, very nice. Got my head nodding in rhythm, the simple four on the floor drum part was a good idea, but goes a little late on a couple beats. The chorus chords seemed a little too dissonant ( 7ths?), though I realize it’s supposed to be a little bit.
Gurdonark: eerie, strangely intriguing but kinda loses it for me halfway through. Wouldn’t listen to something like this regularly, but it stands out from a lot of the other entries on originality alone.
Hans Gruber: Ultimate Villain: from the intro, it sounded like a song they would have the robots at chuck e cheeses play. The bass line in particular adds to the ridiculous feel of the whole thing. Everything sounds well done; it’s just very cheesy. Don’t like the chorus.
*The Hedonistic Calculus: wow nice. Seems like something I would listen to regularly. Very chill instrumentation. That little clean guitar part is a beautiful addition. Really enjoyed listening to this! May vote for it
Hoblit Was Here At Midnight: nice raw song, keeps me interested. I get the effect that the guitar is trying to convey, but it falls a little short at times. Leaves a nice melody in my head. A little more polishing would be nice, but I understand the live situation.
'Iron Man' Bobby Graham: very dull sounding voice, like mr. Rogers with an acoustic. The bit of lead guitar is not very nice, bends out of tune (and time) a lot and just makes the mix seem chaotic. Not badly done, just doesn’t hold interest.
Jeff 'Flapjack' Robertson: seems like I’ve heard something a lot like this before…..the vocals don’t seem to into it, I couldn’t get into it.
Ken's Super Duper Band n' Stuff: nasal voice, the drum track is barely audible. The chord progressions sound nice, interesting changes. Just the voice gets to me.
King Arthur: great quality, I don’t know how some of you do it. Everything is extremely tight and polished. The solo guitar is kinda typical, but fills its role. Catchy.
Lord of Oats: uh, were you just reading off the wiki page directly in the beginning? Whole thing just seems very contrived. The vocals seem restrained and nasal, put more balls into it. Musically everything was pretty cool, really liked the lead- keeps it tasteful.
LSK: uhhh, cool sound effects? the “rhythmic” tapping was retarded, it’s not very interesting at all, and I’m pretty considerate about these soundscape deals; it just kinda goes on for a while in a boring and repetitive manner and I wish it would stop.
Lyricburglar: nice, everything very smooth and tight. Love the played down kinda chorus, where most people (me included) went with the loud explosive chorus. The acoustic track in the back gives it a very authentic feel. Enjoyed the listen
MC Eric B: hard to take seriously, sorry. Everything sounds alright, just completely doesn’t appeal to me at all. Hate that bass line, hear it in sooo many songs, like something they would program onto a musical toddler’s toy these days. The weird thing you do to your voice just makes everything seem more ridiculous.
*MC Wino: gorgeous, wow then the vocals- powerful as hell. Dig the drums. Very nice entry. Hard to understand the vocals on some parts, but honestly it hardly even bothered me. enjoyed
Melvin: nice confidence in the lyrics, not afraid to yell. Strong melody.
*Paco del Stinko: you’re the first one to do something quirky with your voice and still keep it nice and strong, well done. Interesting musically, holds the attention. The change in mood halfway through is nice, still manages to fit well with everything else. Enjoyed the listen. Catchy lyrics.
Ross Durand: Nice bass drum sound. The very first piano line sounds like a play on the melody to tears in heaven and the first lead guitar part reminded me of the solo from tuesday’s gone….maybe it’s just me. Everything’s really tight though; but it just doesn’t hook me.
Snape Killed Dumbledore: Wish I could make nice electronic sounds like that, did some interesting things. Not something I could listen to regularly
Starfinger: uhh pretty terrible listen, then the beats kick in and my foot kinda taps with it, but it’s still annoying.
Steve Durand: ahhhh a change of pace, musically. Lmao, great when it kicks into the fast part. All I can think of is Aladdin and that one parody “prince alli had to go pee under a palm tree….” Enjoyed the listen, entertaining. Must have been interesting to record. Liked the percussion a lot.
Urine Luck: It-it was sooo short, had a nice recording quality too, wanted more. vocals are very nice and crystal clear. Fine little snippet.
Wages: this for the live optional too? Very nice, hard to carry something with so little backing, but you pull it off. Strong uninhibited voice and the beautifully harsh guitar accompaniment. Beautifully harsh sums it up. The strongest blues entry here
The Weakest Suit: vocals are a little unsettling on the ‘thank god for memphis’ part. The oohs and the “they called it rock and roll” parts were the highlights...it’s mostly the vocals that irritate me to be honest.
WreckdoM: I don’t know man, what do I say? It’s weird, you know that. Didn’t really get into it, maybe the drum part could be a little louder? Not something I could listen to regularly. Lyrics are the most entertaining part.
x-tokyo-river-god: The vocals get a little quiet at times, nice and adventurous with ‘em though. Everything is so bassy, even the high tones of the solos don’t really come out. All the guitar work in the background is barely heard or appreciated. The personality in the vocals stands out the most. Enjoyed, nice.
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Hoblit
- Roosevelt
- Posts: 3713
- Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 12:48 pm
- Pronouns: Dude or GURRRLLLL!
- Location: Charlotte, NC ... A big city on its first day at the new job.
- Contact:
There is some talk of getting our studio version into the fight, but until then I'll be replying to these reviews with this:puadxe wrote:
Hoblit Was Here At Midnight: nice raw song, keeps me interested. I get the effect that the guitar is trying to convey, but it falls a little short at times. Leaves a nice melody in my head. A little more polishing would be nice, but I understand the live situation.
<a href="http://www.ghosttowngridlock.com/misc/H ... emphis.mp3" target="resource window">Studio Version...</a>
Won't quiz you on it later or nothin' and thank you for the original listen.
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Billy's Little Trip
- Odie
- Posts: 12090
- Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2006 2:56 pm
- Instruments: Guitar, Bass, Vocals, Drums, Skin Flute
- Recording Method: analog to digital via Presonus FireBox, Cubase and a porn machine
- Submitting as: Billy's Little Trip, Billy and the Psychotics
- Location: Cali fucking ornia
This makes me feel better, because you pointed out everything that I seriously worked hard on with the arrangement and design of this song. The guitar tone, the bottom of the barrel vocal sound, the brushes on the intro dums, etc.puadxe wrote: *Billy's Little Trip: beautiful lead guitar effect, mirrors the style of the vocals. Enjoyed the vocals. God damn, and now the loud part just came, fucking awesome. Considering you for my vote (but we’ll see what the others do). Drums are tight. Love the large full sound, wish I could get that going myself. Oo bass solo too, nice atmosphere. Love how up and down the song is, really keeps me interested.
Thank you for noticing, Puadxe
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The Anchors
- de Gaulle
- Posts: 129
- Joined: Fri Jan 20, 2006 10:14 pm
Thanks for the review. I created a thread <a href="http://www.songfight.net/forums/viewtop ... requesting help with recording vocals</a> if anyone has any tips.puadxe wrote:voice, it needs more bass behind it or something
thanks for the nice review man. it's appreciated.puadxe wrote:
*MC Wino: gorgeous, wow then the vocals- powerful as hell. Dig the drums. Very nice entry. Hard to understand the vocals on some parts, but honestly it hardly even bothered me. enjoyed
Oh so sweet yet oh so miserable..
It felt so good to finally clear the air - as I spilled my guts.
The guilt fades away - as I spill your guts.
It felt so good to finally clear the air - as I spilled my guts.
The guilt fades away - as I spill your guts.
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Lord of Oats
- Niemöller
- Posts: 1194
- Joined: Sun Aug 26, 2007 2:35 pm
- Location: Gainesville, Florida
Lord of Oats Reviews WOOO
Greetings! I suppose I'll review the songs, because that seems to be the thing to do around here.
I guess Memphis in the title means that everybody should do shitty acoustic blues and folk and weird ass country. I'm not sure what that's about.
I'd like to have good relationships with everyone. Nothing is meant to be inflammatory. If you want more specificity about anything, ask, and I'll get back to you.
4 a.m. Cigarette - This is okay. It's usually very easy for my ear to kind of drift away from guy and guitar stuff, but there was absolutely no way to do that with this song, considering the mic noise, and all the wind, constantly assaulting my ears. Was this a computer mic? Go spend $50 on a low-end Shure dynamic, and make a pop filter out of panty hose and a coathanger, and try again. The total lo-fi is getting in the way of any songwriting potential.
ADD Music - This is a little rough, but it's live, right? And improvised? I like this one for what it is. Nice, upbeat tune. Nothing to complain about, really.
The Anchors - I like the instrumentation. The band is pretty tight, compared to a lot of what's here this week. I'm not really clear on who this Memphis fellow is...
Bad Cactus - The song is kind of pretty, but fairly dull, but the instrumentation kept me interested enough. I like the guitar parts. Moderately sweet band name.
Big Matt Hyatt and whatever - The vocals are disorganized and out of tune. This sounds like Convoy, or whatever that stupid song is, but with no catchy chorus. The background is the most generic horse-ridin' blues beat I've ever heard. The song might have some good components, but the lack of structure makes it very hard to appreciate them. There's some okay guitar work, and I really like how somebody just shouts, "Memphis!" once in a while. But I don't care about the toilets. Try to write something listenable next time.
Billy's Little Trip - This really reminds me of Superunknown-era Soundgarden, which is when they were at their best, if you ask me. I mean, you don't sound like Chris Cornell, but the rest of it's there. It's a good representation of that style, and a good song, to boot. I like the lead guitar lines pretty well. More organized than, but maybe not as interesting as, Kim Thayil's solos, anyway. Good dynamic variation is in contrast to all the shithole bedacoustic songs this week.
Blues Train Blues Industry - I like the band name. But what the fuck is this? There haven't really been any reviews that can express what a piece of shit this is. Although I like the static blast at the beginning, the use of the unbridled dissonance, the booming bass tones throughout, and the drunken mumble. And this song was good for a laugh. Some friends and I listened to this, and had a great time. But seriously. Go to hell. You help kill Song Fight!
Blumptown Singers – This is totally 50's dance hall. It's a pretty good representation of the style, except that guitar tone didn't really exist yet. The one for the solo, anyway. It's a mediocre feat of audio engineering, and accurately representing a poor style of music still makes for a poor song. Oh, and the chords are the same as Beauty School Dropout.
The Booty Chesterfield Trio – I like the intro thing, but it takes forever to get off the ground. And by get off the ground, I mean, the vocals start. It still doesn't go anywhere, dynamically, until the chorus. The lead guitar tone is very digital-sounding. Overall, a pretty good song. The two sections contrast well. I like the tremolo-picked guitar late in the song. It kind of starts to drag after that, but it's not a miserable song, so it's not a huge complaint; it'd probably be suitable for the car.
Chris Cusack – Good verse. Okay chorus. Nice aaaaaaaah harmonies. Happy ending. Decent effort. It could use a little orchestration, and certain production values could afford to be bumped up a notch.
DJ Big Dick – You sure got your name in there. I like that part. You mainly just use samples, so you are, in fact, a DJ, and from what you wrote on the forums, you seem like kind of a big dick, so I guess that's accurate. I don't want to seem too scathing; I didn't interpret what you said as hostile, in any way. That said, what the hell? I'm pretty sure that had nothing to do with Memphis. And I have a certain amount of respect for the artist, in an abstract way, so I wouldn't ever say that what you created isn't really a song, but I'd like to point out that if those weren't my beliefs, I would definitely say that.
Embers of Autumn – You have the emoest name I've ever heard. I guess the fall months are indeed the most representative of the mood of that sort of music, and you've picked not one, but all of them. Cornered the market. You've got the style down. If I knew how to write a song that sounded like that, I would. From that standpoint, this is good. I like the piano in the middle, and most of the rest of it. But you need a rhythm section to tighten this up. Get some bass and drums, and some way to make more hi-fi recordings.
Flvxxvm Florvm – It took me like ten minutes to get your name spelled right. Good lord. Pretty generic acoustic blues. Not as boring as it could have been. But fundamentally untrue, lyrically, if I understood it correctly. Different styles of blues sprang up everywhere, and I don't think I'd cry if the Memphis style hadn't ever existed, which your song doesn't even necessarily match. Whatever. A friend of mine really liked your song.
Gurdonark – This is weird. The singing doesn't really mesh with the instrumental parts, on any level. I'm not sure what else I can say.
Hans Gruber: Ultimate Villain – This is a pretty solid surf boogie. Not that I really like surf boogie, but this is pretty good for what it is. They're not bad, but I think the vocals might be better an octave up. The lead guitar is pretty crazy, and short-lived. I might have liked a little more. The double-time section rounds out the chorus nicely...I think...I don't know, you get the idea.
The Hedonistic Calculus – Cool name. Cool song, although it doesn't do a whole lot. Some kind of contrasting section might have helped?
Hoblit Was Here at Midnight – Rough. Definitely live, I guess. I like the chords and the feel...s. I think it needs a full band...and a studio. Lyrics seemed pretty cool, I think. The song drags after a while, but I like the ending.
I feel like my reviews are starting to lag...? Eh, whatev....
“Iron Man” Bobby Graham – Man and Graham don't rhyme. The accompaniment is a little rhythmically challenged. The vocal line is incredibly generic, melodically, in certain places, and bad in others. This is one of several songs where the vocal just sounds too low, for some reason, and one of several shoddy acoustic blues entries.
Jeff “Flapjack” Robertson – I like the speech at the beginning. Good stuff. This is a live version of the other song? Okay, I guess so. I think the other one is better. The guitar is way too jangly. But obviously, you can't control that kind of stuff when you're performing. This one does have some nice lead guitar in it. I'm not sure about the drums.
Ken's Super Duper Band n' Stuff – I like these chords alright. Your voice does the job. But this poor recordings of acoustic guitar with drums stuff is killing me. On the other hand, the drums are consistent and good in this one. Structurally, this song is solid. I just need a better recording.
King Arthur – I'm really not digging this style, but you did a good job with it. Good recording quality. The vocals really fit. I thought I was going to write something like this, but I just don't think I could. And this has some sweet ass guitar in it.
Lord of Oats – Lyrics are totally cliché, and exaggerated. Why on Earth are you comparing this poor girl to the fine city of Memphis? And who's shouting in thirds? The chorus would be good if you weren't singing like a wuss. The syncopated beat to the double-time thing really works, though. And that solo is tasty. Overall, congratulations on writing a somewhat normal-sounding song, you freak.
LSK – Thank you for assorted the truths and lies about Memphis. Nice noise collage. If I were you, I would try making a song with chords.
Lyricburglar – This is perfect 70's singer-songwriter material. But I'm not sure who ever made that a successful genre, or why. But this is a pretty good recording. It builds nicely, but I sort of wish you'd brought the spice a little earlier, and thrown in some well-seasoned guitar licks. Nice job, overall. Good for what it is.
MC Eric B – MIDI as hell! Good lord! Which the vocals contrast with a pretty obscene way. I do like the lyrics. If the instruments didn't sound so computery, this might be a compelling piece of satire, but it really gets in the way. And I don't know about those chords at the end. Alright stuff overall.
MC Wino – Some of the most interesting instrumentation, so far. It's a nice middle ground between the acoustic hoo ha, and the bizarro electronic camp. Parts are a little rhythmically challenged; tighten it up. This has a nice 80's pop vibe for a while, like Careless Whisper or something. then everything gets really washy for the chorus. I'm not sure what's going on...wall of sound? I'm diggin' the totally keyboard slap bass, and the lead guitar works for me. Vocals are pretty damn good compared to the rest of what's on here. One of the most original pieces this week.
Melvin – Seems kind of loud? Way more exciting than the other acoustic entries. The lead guitar parts are where it's at. I like the back-and-forth thing, between those and the vocals. It's short. You almost want more. Which is a hundred times better than it dragging. Good, but there are more interesting things here this week. I did vote for you last week, though.
Paco del Stinko – I don't really like the name. The tags on the beginning and end are somewhat clever. I'm not really into Elvis impersonations. I guess part of that is that I'm not really into Elvis. But eh...you end up sounding more like Space Ghost in a lot of places. No problem, though, I'm into Space Ghost. Good bridge thing! And then good guitar work. But the overall jangly bouncy feel doesn't really stir my tea. Props on squeezing in a reference to ancient Egypt, especially in that sort of song.
Puadxe – I really like these chords. The melody fits right over them, but isn't obvious before you hear it. Nice guitar work. I like your voice pretty well. The song was a little short overall, I'd say. Decent lyrics. I was really wanting some drums to come in, and the mix was a little bass heavy, but lots of things sounds that way on these speakers. Did we both say 'thank God for you' ? Cause, yeah, I wasn't really too focused on Memphis myself.
Ross Durand – The guitar melody from the beginning is heart-breakingly delicious! I love it, but the guitar also sounds really digital. Interesting choice, making Memphis into a girl. Vocals are decent, but the lead guitar is where this shit's at. Nice.
Snape Killed Dumbledore – I made like four songs like this in Fruity Loops last week. It's not really making me think of Memphis. Instrumental music has to be pretty damn good to compete with vocal music. Especially when we can hear that you sequenced everything. Explosion is cool? Some kind of melody might have helped. I just don't feel like that really fits the title, or like it really had anything to say, other than, hey, dance, kind of. Maybe try a melody? I mean, one that you wrote.
Starfinger – This is pretty rough. I'm not sure what's going on. It makes for an interesting conversation piece. I like when the drums come in. It didn't sound like it would, but it actually goes somewhere after a while. It's kind of horrifying, but at least it's not boring. Maybe.
Steve Durand – You get the balls award. I'm not sure the sound of it actually pleases me, but you get massive props for singing about ancient Egypt. The lyrics are very clever. Good job. My first thought was which Memphis to write about, but I just couldn't come up with anything good about the Egyptian one. This is where it's at. This trumps every country, rockabilly, or blues entry, and by a large margin. I don't think this can win, but I'd be very satisfied with the community if it does, or at least gets a respectable showing.
Urine Luck – That was alright. If you'd have developed it into a full song, there might be something there. And I don't really think bus drivers would have that rough of a time without Memphis. And worst pun ever. Nobody wants to think about urine.
Wages – Most generic blues ever! Guitar playing is good. Recording is good quality. I really like your voice. Very dynamic. Woot on the barbecue.
The Weakest Suit – Weak vocal right off the bat, but not bad after that. I'm not sure what the lyrics mean. I think you mentioned Satan, which is cool. I got kind of bored and went out to make some tea. It was pretty good when I got back. I'd prefer more instrumentation, but if you're going for solo acoustic, it's probably as good as it can be.
WreckdoM – Well, this is weird electronic stuff, which I'm usually not too into, but this has a cool beat, and it actually has something to do with Memphis. The lyrics are really disturbing, actually, but I'm cool with that. Kind of short for an industrial sort of tune.
x-tokyo-river-god – This is pretty country, but it's also kind of weird-ass electronica. Ploop, plop! What is going on? I guess you get some points for creativity. I don't know what else to say.
That was tiring. Thanks, everybody. You've stolen my entire evening from me.
I guess Memphis in the title means that everybody should do shitty acoustic blues and folk and weird ass country. I'm not sure what that's about.
I'd like to have good relationships with everyone. Nothing is meant to be inflammatory. If you want more specificity about anything, ask, and I'll get back to you.
4 a.m. Cigarette - This is okay. It's usually very easy for my ear to kind of drift away from guy and guitar stuff, but there was absolutely no way to do that with this song, considering the mic noise, and all the wind, constantly assaulting my ears. Was this a computer mic? Go spend $50 on a low-end Shure dynamic, and make a pop filter out of panty hose and a coathanger, and try again. The total lo-fi is getting in the way of any songwriting potential.
ADD Music - This is a little rough, but it's live, right? And improvised? I like this one for what it is. Nice, upbeat tune. Nothing to complain about, really.
The Anchors - I like the instrumentation. The band is pretty tight, compared to a lot of what's here this week. I'm not really clear on who this Memphis fellow is...
Bad Cactus - The song is kind of pretty, but fairly dull, but the instrumentation kept me interested enough. I like the guitar parts. Moderately sweet band name.
Big Matt Hyatt and whatever - The vocals are disorganized and out of tune. This sounds like Convoy, or whatever that stupid song is, but with no catchy chorus. The background is the most generic horse-ridin' blues beat I've ever heard. The song might have some good components, but the lack of structure makes it very hard to appreciate them. There's some okay guitar work, and I really like how somebody just shouts, "Memphis!" once in a while. But I don't care about the toilets. Try to write something listenable next time.
Billy's Little Trip - This really reminds me of Superunknown-era Soundgarden, which is when they were at their best, if you ask me. I mean, you don't sound like Chris Cornell, but the rest of it's there. It's a good representation of that style, and a good song, to boot. I like the lead guitar lines pretty well. More organized than, but maybe not as interesting as, Kim Thayil's solos, anyway. Good dynamic variation is in contrast to all the shithole bedacoustic songs this week.
Blues Train Blues Industry - I like the band name. But what the fuck is this? There haven't really been any reviews that can express what a piece of shit this is. Although I like the static blast at the beginning, the use of the unbridled dissonance, the booming bass tones throughout, and the drunken mumble. And this song was good for a laugh. Some friends and I listened to this, and had a great time. But seriously. Go to hell. You help kill Song Fight!
Blumptown Singers – This is totally 50's dance hall. It's a pretty good representation of the style, except that guitar tone didn't really exist yet. The one for the solo, anyway. It's a mediocre feat of audio engineering, and accurately representing a poor style of music still makes for a poor song. Oh, and the chords are the same as Beauty School Dropout.
The Booty Chesterfield Trio – I like the intro thing, but it takes forever to get off the ground. And by get off the ground, I mean, the vocals start. It still doesn't go anywhere, dynamically, until the chorus. The lead guitar tone is very digital-sounding. Overall, a pretty good song. The two sections contrast well. I like the tremolo-picked guitar late in the song. It kind of starts to drag after that, but it's not a miserable song, so it's not a huge complaint; it'd probably be suitable for the car.
Chris Cusack – Good verse. Okay chorus. Nice aaaaaaaah harmonies. Happy ending. Decent effort. It could use a little orchestration, and certain production values could afford to be bumped up a notch.
DJ Big Dick – You sure got your name in there. I like that part. You mainly just use samples, so you are, in fact, a DJ, and from what you wrote on the forums, you seem like kind of a big dick, so I guess that's accurate. I don't want to seem too scathing; I didn't interpret what you said as hostile, in any way. That said, what the hell? I'm pretty sure that had nothing to do with Memphis. And I have a certain amount of respect for the artist, in an abstract way, so I wouldn't ever say that what you created isn't really a song, but I'd like to point out that if those weren't my beliefs, I would definitely say that.
Embers of Autumn – You have the emoest name I've ever heard. I guess the fall months are indeed the most representative of the mood of that sort of music, and you've picked not one, but all of them. Cornered the market. You've got the style down. If I knew how to write a song that sounded like that, I would. From that standpoint, this is good. I like the piano in the middle, and most of the rest of it. But you need a rhythm section to tighten this up. Get some bass and drums, and some way to make more hi-fi recordings.
Flvxxvm Florvm – It took me like ten minutes to get your name spelled right. Good lord. Pretty generic acoustic blues. Not as boring as it could have been. But fundamentally untrue, lyrically, if I understood it correctly. Different styles of blues sprang up everywhere, and I don't think I'd cry if the Memphis style hadn't ever existed, which your song doesn't even necessarily match. Whatever. A friend of mine really liked your song.
Gurdonark – This is weird. The singing doesn't really mesh with the instrumental parts, on any level. I'm not sure what else I can say.
Hans Gruber: Ultimate Villain – This is a pretty solid surf boogie. Not that I really like surf boogie, but this is pretty good for what it is. They're not bad, but I think the vocals might be better an octave up. The lead guitar is pretty crazy, and short-lived. I might have liked a little more. The double-time section rounds out the chorus nicely...I think...I don't know, you get the idea.
The Hedonistic Calculus – Cool name. Cool song, although it doesn't do a whole lot. Some kind of contrasting section might have helped?
Hoblit Was Here at Midnight – Rough. Definitely live, I guess. I like the chords and the feel...s. I think it needs a full band...and a studio. Lyrics seemed pretty cool, I think. The song drags after a while, but I like the ending.
I feel like my reviews are starting to lag...? Eh, whatev....
“Iron Man” Bobby Graham – Man and Graham don't rhyme. The accompaniment is a little rhythmically challenged. The vocal line is incredibly generic, melodically, in certain places, and bad in others. This is one of several songs where the vocal just sounds too low, for some reason, and one of several shoddy acoustic blues entries.
Jeff “Flapjack” Robertson – I like the speech at the beginning. Good stuff. This is a live version of the other song? Okay, I guess so. I think the other one is better. The guitar is way too jangly. But obviously, you can't control that kind of stuff when you're performing. This one does have some nice lead guitar in it. I'm not sure about the drums.
Ken's Super Duper Band n' Stuff – I like these chords alright. Your voice does the job. But this poor recordings of acoustic guitar with drums stuff is killing me. On the other hand, the drums are consistent and good in this one. Structurally, this song is solid. I just need a better recording.
King Arthur – I'm really not digging this style, but you did a good job with it. Good recording quality. The vocals really fit. I thought I was going to write something like this, but I just don't think I could. And this has some sweet ass guitar in it.
Lord of Oats – Lyrics are totally cliché, and exaggerated. Why on Earth are you comparing this poor girl to the fine city of Memphis? And who's shouting in thirds? The chorus would be good if you weren't singing like a wuss. The syncopated beat to the double-time thing really works, though. And that solo is tasty. Overall, congratulations on writing a somewhat normal-sounding song, you freak.
LSK – Thank you for assorted the truths and lies about Memphis. Nice noise collage. If I were you, I would try making a song with chords.
Lyricburglar – This is perfect 70's singer-songwriter material. But I'm not sure who ever made that a successful genre, or why. But this is a pretty good recording. It builds nicely, but I sort of wish you'd brought the spice a little earlier, and thrown in some well-seasoned guitar licks. Nice job, overall. Good for what it is.
MC Eric B – MIDI as hell! Good lord! Which the vocals contrast with a pretty obscene way. I do like the lyrics. If the instruments didn't sound so computery, this might be a compelling piece of satire, but it really gets in the way. And I don't know about those chords at the end. Alright stuff overall.
MC Wino – Some of the most interesting instrumentation, so far. It's a nice middle ground between the acoustic hoo ha, and the bizarro electronic camp. Parts are a little rhythmically challenged; tighten it up. This has a nice 80's pop vibe for a while, like Careless Whisper or something. then everything gets really washy for the chorus. I'm not sure what's going on...wall of sound? I'm diggin' the totally keyboard slap bass, and the lead guitar works for me. Vocals are pretty damn good compared to the rest of what's on here. One of the most original pieces this week.
Melvin – Seems kind of loud? Way more exciting than the other acoustic entries. The lead guitar parts are where it's at. I like the back-and-forth thing, between those and the vocals. It's short. You almost want more. Which is a hundred times better than it dragging. Good, but there are more interesting things here this week. I did vote for you last week, though.
Paco del Stinko – I don't really like the name. The tags on the beginning and end are somewhat clever. I'm not really into Elvis impersonations. I guess part of that is that I'm not really into Elvis. But eh...you end up sounding more like Space Ghost in a lot of places. No problem, though, I'm into Space Ghost. Good bridge thing! And then good guitar work. But the overall jangly bouncy feel doesn't really stir my tea. Props on squeezing in a reference to ancient Egypt, especially in that sort of song.
Puadxe – I really like these chords. The melody fits right over them, but isn't obvious before you hear it. Nice guitar work. I like your voice pretty well. The song was a little short overall, I'd say. Decent lyrics. I was really wanting some drums to come in, and the mix was a little bass heavy, but lots of things sounds that way on these speakers. Did we both say 'thank God for you' ? Cause, yeah, I wasn't really too focused on Memphis myself.
Ross Durand – The guitar melody from the beginning is heart-breakingly delicious! I love it, but the guitar also sounds really digital. Interesting choice, making Memphis into a girl. Vocals are decent, but the lead guitar is where this shit's at. Nice.
Snape Killed Dumbledore – I made like four songs like this in Fruity Loops last week. It's not really making me think of Memphis. Instrumental music has to be pretty damn good to compete with vocal music. Especially when we can hear that you sequenced everything. Explosion is cool? Some kind of melody might have helped. I just don't feel like that really fits the title, or like it really had anything to say, other than, hey, dance, kind of. Maybe try a melody? I mean, one that you wrote.
Starfinger – This is pretty rough. I'm not sure what's going on. It makes for an interesting conversation piece. I like when the drums come in. It didn't sound like it would, but it actually goes somewhere after a while. It's kind of horrifying, but at least it's not boring. Maybe.
Steve Durand – You get the balls award. I'm not sure the sound of it actually pleases me, but you get massive props for singing about ancient Egypt. The lyrics are very clever. Good job. My first thought was which Memphis to write about, but I just couldn't come up with anything good about the Egyptian one. This is where it's at. This trumps every country, rockabilly, or blues entry, and by a large margin. I don't think this can win, but I'd be very satisfied with the community if it does, or at least gets a respectable showing.
Urine Luck – That was alright. If you'd have developed it into a full song, there might be something there. And I don't really think bus drivers would have that rough of a time without Memphis. And worst pun ever. Nobody wants to think about urine.
Wages – Most generic blues ever! Guitar playing is good. Recording is good quality. I really like your voice. Very dynamic. Woot on the barbecue.
The Weakest Suit – Weak vocal right off the bat, but not bad after that. I'm not sure what the lyrics mean. I think you mentioned Satan, which is cool. I got kind of bored and went out to make some tea. It was pretty good when I got back. I'd prefer more instrumentation, but if you're going for solo acoustic, it's probably as good as it can be.
WreckdoM – Well, this is weird electronic stuff, which I'm usually not too into, but this has a cool beat, and it actually has something to do with Memphis. The lyrics are really disturbing, actually, but I'm cool with that. Kind of short for an industrial sort of tune.
x-tokyo-river-god – This is pretty country, but it's also kind of weird-ass electronica. Ploop, plop! What is going on? I guess you get some points for creativity. I don't know what else to say.
That was tiring. Thanks, everybody. You've stolen my entire evening from me.