The Song Fight Bulletin Board

ShoehornTC - Really solid mix, especially like the multitracked guitar strumming in this, it sounds really nice. Like the vocal in the chorus, that extra harmony layer is lovely. Maybe a little too long, but I'm splitting hairs - I enjoyed this. VOTE

Caravan Ray - I like all the vocal manipulation a lot, but it does make your lyrics in the first two verses indecipherable without reading along. Like the reversy sounds, and that synth that comes in at 0:38 sounds great. Pretty weird song but I think I like it. MAYBE

Lichen Throat - like that fuzzy organ-y sort of sound - reminds me of the first Mates of State album. But the vocals are too loud in the mix for me, they drown out the instrumental a bit.

Joblito Y El Banditos - The first minute of this sounds like House of the Rising Sun played at half speed. Not really a fan of the long intro. I like your vocals when they come in but (genre bias) I'm really not a fan of this sort of bluesy rock.

Cavedwellers - Really nicely written - I like the mandolin (?) a lot. This sort of trad/folky stuff is really not my thing, but I think I'm tempted to vote for this, there's enough here I like to just about overcome my genre bias. MAYBE

The Gross Tones - I like that simple piano part a lot, and there's some nice unexpected touches as this goes along, particularly the synth line that comes in around a minute in. It does teeter a little on the edge of falling apart at times - not decided yet whether I like that though? MAYBE

The Lowest Bitter - I always feel like I want to change the mix immediately after I submit, this turned out okay I think though. My mic is broken which I've been ignoring but I feel like there's bits where it's very noticeable here. This song is about going on instagram and seeing gay guys posing topless with facemasks on, or with soap dripping down their bodies, to both raise awareness of coronavirus and also promote their onlyfans accounts at the same time. I'm not judging, there's a whole load of horny people on lockdown so you may as well capitalise. Godspeed, instagays!

Paco Del Stinko - Really like that chorus, the echoed "LOVE" vocal is great. I like the break after the second chorus too. VOTE

wreckdoM - I like the percussive bed here - all those chimes - but felt that it didn't really gel with the super fuzzy guitar and vocals. There's something about this though, it sounds really ominous and weird and that does fit the lyrics.

Phlebia - Genre Bias alert: this sort of music is not my thing at all. Sludgy guitars here not helped by a muddy mix.

Phil Well - love those warm synths in the intro, and the way the beat builds after that is great. The chorus is great when it comes, that acoustic sounds especially nice. Possibly my favourite. VOTE

Mandibles - like the vocals here but just not really my thing, and I'm struggling to really articulate why that is. Think maybe I agree with vowlvom, perhaps a little bit too earnest for my cynical tastes?

Pigfarmer Jr - Good mix here, and I like your vocal a lot - probably genre bias again but I found this well written and produced while not actually liking it all that much. I'll give it a couple more listens before voting but probably a no.

James Owen - Really nice fingerpicking here, and I really like the woodwind coming in 2/3 of the way through. VOTE

Gaping Maw - This one pulled the rug out from under me, was loving the electronic intro (your vocals are great) and was ready for an entire song in that vibe, and then that guitar came in. I'll admit I don't like the rock parts anywhere near as much as the electronic parts but you've done a good job stitching them together and I think this is probably the most interesting song in the fight. VOTE

Jerkatorium - Great production on this, and I like that you decided to take the title a different direction and not do a coronavirus song. This is a really solid genre pastiche, but not a genre I like all that much. I'll probably vote for it though. MAYBE

Berkeley Social Scene - Another song that I can hear is well written and produced but that just isn't doing anything for me, which I realise is supremely unhelpful feedback. Again, I'll give it a couple more listens before voting to see if anything clicks.

Brown Word and the Big Whine - Love that deep bass rumble, the use of the ambient nature noises and heavy breathing 3/4 of the way through is great. Enjoyed this one a lot. VOTE

Berkeley Social Scene: Abrupt intro, but it works I like the chorus, especially that delayed chorusey guitar lick that comes in afterward. The kind of clicky drum-machine drums work well with this kind of tune, especially the general chorus. All in all the verses kind of go in one ear and out the other for me, but the chorus is definitely strong. The guitar work is definitely sweet. By the time that we get to the 3 minute mark, my attention starts to wonder. I’m not sure if it’s the general lack of dynamics or what. I do love that repeated guitar lick.

Brown Word and the Big Whine: Another one of my favorites of the fight, along with WreckdoM’s entry...you’re on a roll this week, especially given that WreckdoM’s is more you by percentage than usual. That warpy keyboard that’s just moving up and down with those ahhh vocals makes me super happy. This has this kind of dark but dreamy feel that resonates with me strongly. When the track abruptly gets all quiet and starts to sound like a respirator and the dark wooshing comes in I just love it. Though admittedly the singing is a little pitchy in the chorus...so that could be a little bit stronger. I’d love to collab on a doomfest with you at some point, I think it’d be a blast. So many sounds in this I love, vote for sure.

Caravan Ray: Here’s a strange little electronic number. I have trouble making out the words throughout the first part of the track. Actually pretty much the whole track, the vocals are really low. But there’s the “spread it like a disease” part that I can make out really well. The “keeps burning burning burning” bit reminds me of The Residents for some reason. I like the shuffling beat and the sounds behind this. It’s not the most coherent of tunes but I can’t say that I didn’t enjoy it! In a weaker fight I’d have given it a vote. I do really like the sounds and the panning on the backwards...something.

Cavedwellers: I enjoy the approach on this one, and the production is fantastic and clear. The mandolins are a nice touch, and fit the vibe extremely well. I don’t really know enough about history to be able to really know quite what this was talking about. If I knew more about the events this was describing, it’d be nice. But the shakers, the violins, all of it give it a great folky vibe that I can’t get enough of. Musically, this among my favorites of the fight. I can’t fault this. Votie vote.

Gaping Maw: A bit of as sucker punch, eh? You exact this twee electronica and then ALRIGHT RAWK. Admittedly -- and while I’ve pointed out that I like your voice in most contexts, I don’t think it really fits the intro as well as it does the part after the heavier riff comes in. But hey, whose voice fits every style equally. I like the bass lines running through this, the “fills” (is that what you’d call them) are well executed. And even the “love love love” in the time of, despite my complaint about the intro sounds good. Synth solo is great. Personally I’d have cut the drums after the synth solo until the verse came back....which I’m still iffy on. Chorus is strong, though I’d like to hear a couple higher notes. I want to like this more than I do. It’s solidly executed but probably not something I’d return to.

The Gross Tones: Okay, you’ve performed really strongly in the past couple of fights with songs that I don’t really understand why everyone else likes them so much, but this one I do understand how people would dig it. Those octave piano chords aren’t really my thing, but your bass tone is fantastic, and those snare rolls rolling along in the background are pretty cool. I like how you’re playing with the subdivisions on your synth oscillator. Very jammy (and as one of the few people on here who usually does live drums, the performance is strong. Still don’t like the piano. The melody and the jamminess fit well. I feel like I should be at a jam band show with the synths and the soft melody. By the end of it I start to find my attention wander. But I usually can only make it like 5 minutes into a “Dark Star” unless I’m like grilling or mowing the lawn or something.

James Owens: I adore the flute, I enjoy the somber tone of this tune. Also the up-front approach to your vocal is working well for me, along with that slight reverb. Is that two recordings of the same guitar part, one panned hard to the left speaker and one to the right speaker? It provides a nice stereo effect that I think is really sweet. And that flute. God I love the flute. I disagree with comments saying you over emote, I think it’s perfect for the tune. I’m also a sucker for 9ths and those sorts of sustained chords. I think this gets a big fat vote.

Jerkatorium: I’d probably appreciate this song a lot more if I actually had a strong opinion on the Beatles. Like I kind of like Revolver, but otherwise it’s just sort of “oh hey that band that everyone loves who originated so many musical tropes”. I mean I like the clever word play. And then...the maniac part? That’s a fun reference, but kind of loses me. The guitar work is good (as expected, I enlisted you a few months back for my Personal Space entry), and the performance is tight. This is another entry that I recognize as good but I just can’t get into unfortunately.

Joblito Y El Banditos: Intro seems a bit too long and I don’t like the tone of the distorted guitar...and that’s often technical limitations. But I’m always a sucker for atmospheric cymbal tapping so yay. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting. Get to the pointttt. The shouted vocals sound kind of cool. My favorite part of this is the drumming. And once the vocals FINALLY come in, I enjoy them, even though I wish there was more to the lyrics to just shouting or singing the title of the song over and over. I can’t decide if this is under- or over-developed. But I’m bored by the end.

Lichen Throat: As always, I enjoy your lyrics and MIDI onslaught. I’m trying to find things not to enjoy about this track -- sometimes your double tracked vocals kind of clash and create a level of dissonance that works against the quality of the track. That is not the case here. Sure, the sense of melody isn’t all that strong, but it’s strong enough and it works. Vote.

The Lowest Bitter: A simple pleasant song, reminds me of some the indietronica stuff that we used to play a ton when I worked at a radio station about ten years ago. Not super complicated no, but I enjoy the “ohhhh” and the general vibe of the track. It’s very enjoyable and I kept it on repeat a few times to soak in the vibe. Not particularly boundary pushing, but there’s this “squishy” sound in the background that sounds cool to me. Maybe vote.


Mandibles: This scratches a very similar itch that the Cavedwellers song hits, only with slightly different instrumentation. I wish the drums were a bit louder in the mix, cause as it stands they’re kind of buried. Actually this could maybe benefit from bring the vocals down in the mix as well. The vocal performance is definitely strong though. I want to like this more than I did, because the actual instrumental is really good and the elements are all there. It sort of gets into this very lush instrumental arrangement, but for some reason it’s so “powerful” all the way through that it loses me by the end. I don’t know why. Maybe just not for me.

Paco del Stinko: Greatly enjoy your chorus and instrumental work on this. You like singing songs about Love. I’m still remembering your IIII LLOOOOVVVEEE YOUUUUUU refrain from several fights ago (which one was that again?) Excellent bass work, good composition. And now I know that you’re 6’1”. I think. Unless that’s fabricated information. Vote.

Phil Well: It’s funny, I think you mentioned some fairly strong genre bias against my song and the feeling is pretty mutual. The melody is pretty good, but for some reason it reminds me of Forever Young. The mix is very bass deficient and I wish you’d gone with a kick drum that sounded a lot less “clicky”, cause it sounds very clicky. The vocals remind me a bit of Roland Orzabal, which is a good thing. Only a little less emotive and bombastic. But it’s hard to out-emote and bombast that guy. I’m lost by the end. Though admittedly the transition into my depressive sludgefest about morel hunting is kind of funny cause these songs don’t flow at ALL.

Phlebia:
I was out in the woods looking for morels and couldn’t find anything. The lyrics popped into my head while out there, so I gave up on looking, pulled up Google Docs on my phone, and scribbled down the lyrics. I wanted to see how power chords played on a bass sounded and I always have fun playing at the extreme ends of tempo. Plus I'm having fun trying out my lower register. Though based on the reception to my “sad” songs, my “early 90s depressing” tunes are received about as well as my “early 80s depressing” tunes. Oh well.

Pigfarmer Jr: Vocals are very loud in the mix. I enjoy the general structure of this. Something about it isn’t really sticking with me, but maybe some of that may be genre bias (hardly the most helpful thing I can say). Near the 2:50 mark when you drop everything out it sounds really great. I kind of wish there was less emphasis on singing the word love over and over -- maybe because the vocal is so loud it kind of draws too much attention? I guess I’d half to hear the song without the more prominent vocals to decide whether or not I felt the same way. Anyway, it’s a decent song, but not for me.

ShoehornTC: A soft, melodic number. I appreciate your usually gentle musical backdrops. Someday I wonder what you’d sound like making a heavy intense song. This sounds like something that I’d listen to on the way to an inspirational youth retreat while driving down I-75 in our chapter sponsor’s minivan. Only that’s not at all what I listened to, usually I was listening to Einstuerzende Neubauten with George. But that has nothing to do with your song. This one rates highly with me, because while it’s super simple it works. I did notice a few times where the guitars got off beat. But it’s songfight, how much time you got to do other takes? Vote

WreckdoM: This is a tremendous rhythm track, it’s like a muddy wall of guitar drone. The percussion...is that a soda can on the beat? The way the vocals come in are just awesome, though I kind of wish that they were louder, they’re kind of swallowed by the swamp monster guitars. This has a certain weirdo retro vibe, the closest touchstones I can think of are Mellow Gold era beck mixed with like Jane Jensen or something...mostly cause of the distorted half distorted vocals that are half singing and half talking. The wind chimes are a nice touch. Some people said they don’t fit but I disagree with them because it creates an atmosphere of weird confusion. Like I said. Swamp monster. This song sounds like a swamp monster and is my favorite of the fight. Mega vote. Tremendous vote. The best vote.

Ranked:
WreckdoM
Brown Word (ellewreckdom, you’re killing it lately!)
James Owens
Cavedwellers / Lichen Throat tied.
Everyone else.

sleepysilverdoor wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 02, 2020 2:04 pm

Is that two recordings of the same guitar part, one panned hard to the left speaker and one to the right speaker?

Three recordings of the same guitar part, one on either side recorded with a low-budget condenser mic, and one in the middle recorded with a good dynamic mic. I did it to smooth over the finger-picking, but it also filled out the sound.

I'm glad so many people liked the flute. I was worried about it being too old-fashioned.

Berkeley Social Scene—The abrupt ending works well, and I like the guitar interplay. This sounds very polished, as if the band has been performing it for years. I’d put this in the top 25% of BSS tracks.

Brown Word and the Big Whine—This was a little too slow and low for my taste. I also didn’t feel like the vocal melody had a lot to do with the rest of the song. I do like the increase in energy when the chorus starts.

Caravan Ray—Great beginning. This might be a little too syncopated for me. I can’t really fault any aspect of your technique, however. You’ve done a good job of making all the electronic sounds work together.

Cavedwellers—For some reason, I had trouble downloading this, so you didn’t get as many listens as the other songs. Nevertheless, I quite like both the music and the lyrics. I wish it was a little longer.

Gaping Maw—Your vocal delivery on this is great. It sounds like you’re just barely holding it together, which obviously is appropriate for the tone and subject matter of the song. The music has so many different parts, but they fit together remarkably well.

The Gross Tones—Something about the recording or the mix makes this lack immediacy; it sounds distant somehow. This is a bit too laid-back for my taste, but I do like the staccato synth notes.

James Owens—Your vocal sounds so good! You’re singing so gently, but it feels like it resonates in my head. Are you doing any tricks with the mix, or is that just your natural sound? The atmosphere is so sweet; this is my favorite take on our COVID-19 world that I’ve heard so far.

Jerkatorium—I’m not a huge fan of the old time rock ’n’ roll sound, but it’s obviously essential to the concept of the song, so I’m not sure what to suggest. I like the lyrics and the uniquely non-apocalyptic take on the title.

Joblito Y El Banditos—It really bugs me that this isn’t “Los” Banditos. The intro is a little slow and long, but man, that riff in the second section rocks so, so hard. The raw energy in the Mexican-style rock overcomes all my other reservations.

Lichen Throat (me)—This was an attempt to write a song in the style of the Weakerthans. I was very happy with the music, but the vocal was hard for me to sing for some reason, even though it seems like it should be simple. (Those of you who said it’s monotonous have a point.) I wasn’t planning to double track the vocal, but it just sounded awful without it.

The Lowest Bitter—This is just great. My favorite of the fight. It sounds so full and smooth. It’s hard to comment when there’s nothing to nitpick.

Mandibles—I’m confused—but definitely not unpleasantly so—about what’s going on at the very beginning when the rapid guitar notes give way to a medieval-sounding melody. This reminds of some songs from a band called Rara Avis, in the respect that they sometimes use early-music melodies in a contemporary instrumental structure.

Paco del Stinko—I like how light this feels. Nice mix: all the instruments are separate and clean, but the overall sound is cohesive. I think the vocal part of the bridge drags a little, but I quite like the guitar instrumental that follows it.

Phil Well—I don’t have the music vocabulary to describe the kind of sound you have in the intro and chorus, but I like it a lot. The timbre of your voice is perfect for this kind of song. I’d like to hear that acoustic guitar mixed a little louder.

Phlebia—Exquisitely dreary. The heaviness is a lot to take, but I feel like you accomplished exactly what you set out to do. That droning guitar tone creates the effect that I think you had in mind.

Pigfarmer Jr—The acoustic guitar sounds great. This song sounds very competent but also very orthodox. I think it could use a more adventuresome element. The bridge is my favorite part.

Shoehorn TC—I dig the early 60s folk. I think maybe the vocals could be mixed up front a little more. You really want to emphasize the harmonies in this kind of music (well, at least I want you to). This is good, though; I like it.

WreckdoM—This is not my cup of turpentine. I am curious about how this would have sounded if the vocal had contrasted with the distortedness of the guitar, rather than going even further into the distortion box. I like the deliberate anticlimax when you sing “love in the time of….this.”

lichenthroat wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 03, 2020 2:15 pm

Are you doing any tricks with the mix, or is that just your natural sound?

No tricks, but it's a good mic, an entry-level large-diaphragm condenser (AT2035), and it captures a lot of detail and warmth. It's very sensitive to the room ambience, so I look for a sweet spot where it's not too muddy and not too tanky. I'm singing gently about four inches from the mic, on the other side of a wind screen. The reverb is a free plugin called Ambience (very smooth, highly recommended), and the preset is called "Vocal - Straight" (I think). Usually I roll off below about 150 Hz using a plugin, but in this case I didn't apply any EQ.

Thanks, Mr. Owens, for the explanation!

AJOwens wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 03, 2020 4:29 am

sleepysilverdoor wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 02, 2020 2:04 pm

Is that two recordings of the same guitar part, one panned hard to the left speaker and one to the right speaker?

Three recordings of the same guitar part, one on either side recorded with a low-budget condenser mic, and one in the middle recorded with a good dynamic mic. I did it to smooth over the finger-picking, but it also filled out the sound.

I'm glad so many people liked the flute. I was worried about it being too old-fashioned.

I did some voting yesterday but think I forgot to put yours in there. Mentally add yourself another vote when the numbers come in!

Wreckdom
I like the textured opening. Dirty bass/guitar punch is cool! Dig the groove. Not a fan of the buried-ish vocals never quite seeming to land the notes, though I get that could be intentional. Gets repetitive after awhile, but doesn’t seem to develop any more interest for me.

James Owen

Really nice opening - love the roomy upright bass? Nice touch. I dig this - simple, but compelling - very tasty little flute colour there… love that you didn’t beat it to death. Nice dusting of sugar. Nice title drop, again - just touch on and then off. I really like this track, it’s well paced, nicely arranged and the various elements blend well.

Shoehorn TC

Ordinarily I’d be irritated by timing issues in the backing strumming, but for some reason it’s working for me here. Pretty sure I’d have killed the feel thing to play this. Nice work. I like this - uplifting, simple. I like the cymbal that’s just peeking through the mix - nice touch. I like the single voice for the verse. I like that you left it on the left instead of centering it. I’d like to hear a tad more bass in the mix, but overall I’m down with this track. Feels good.

Phil Well

Great voice! I’m a sucker for 80’s informed tunes. Great intro. Was not expecting that guitar. I like the part, but I think tonally it’s too abrasive given the rest of the sonic palette of the song. Transition into the chorus is stark - maybe intentional, but it irks me a little. Nice work getting those acoustics to fit the synthetic space. I do like the punch of the crunch guitar when you hit the verse again - so maybe it needs to morph as you head back to the chorus… dunno. This is well done, well recorded, well mixed, well sung. I love your voice. I could go on and on with suggestions but who cares what I think… but it’s a good sign - means I dig the track and a producer’s mind starts exploding with possibilities. ha. Possible Vote.

Paco del Stinko

Love that last chord in the verse - unexpected and it works great. Class PdS - great movement, strong melody, cool musical bits sprinkled throughout. Bass is cooking here - love it. Really drives the song. Half-time bridge is a nice touch. Slide solo is sweet - reminds me of George Harrison. Very nice. This is a great track - lots to chew on. Possible Vote

Joblito Y El Banditos

Nice fade in on the guitar. Pretty bass work. Love this loooong intro - moody. Dig that groove when it comes in. Cool track - lost me after there were no lyrics aside from the title. Still - dig the overall vibe of the track. Nice work.

Pigfarmer Jr

Definitely the nicest sounds I’ve heard yet from you (though I may have missed a bunch of stuff) Nice job on this recording! The guitar licks in between verses - nice touch. I dig this - easy to listen to. The drums were noticeably quieter than the other instruments at times - could bring those up a bit. Nice work!

Lichen Throat

Cool - is that a real acoustic guitar? I like the lyrics! I want to hear you bust out of the low octaves you inhabit. I find the lyrics/singing don’t always connect with the lyrics at the time - but maybe that’s intentional… I think I’d have gone with one voice in the verses and saved a doubled section for something you want to really highlight. Some variation as well in the singing approach might help keep it easy to follow - in some ways I feel like the pattern of the vocal superseded whatever was being sung.. anyways - interesting tune and I liked the lyrics.! Some refinement around presentation might make it more appealing to me.

Gaping Maw - me and Smalltown. Seems like a fair bit of assumption that there’s only one singer - but usually it’s both of us in there… but I do find he's trying copy my style lately. Thanks for the reviews so far. I literally spit out my coffee when someone compared us to Limp Bizkit. haha. Not sure I’m hearing that - but hey - there’s no accounting for taste, right? YMMV. Keep rocking folks!

Caravan Ray

What is going on here? 45 seconds until I can make out a word. Nice. The cut-up approach is fun. Bewildering - but hey, sometimes you need to sneeze out a pile of audio and call it a song. About a minute and a half in and something resembling a refrain shows up… nice. I don’t dislike the reverse guitar stuff - it’s cool. Seems like a loop experiment. And while it’s charming, it’s not begging for repeat listens. Nice to hear strains of a voice I remember from old SF days though!

The Lowest Bitter

Sucker for the slow pan on the synth - nice. Diction!! Cant’ understand what you’re singing man. Catchy synth and some cool found sound beats happening. I dig the falsetto section - nice. Still can’t make out all the words - but that seems to be the case these days with lots of music. My daughter listens to a load of hip-hop which seems to be trying hard to outdo each other by enunciating less and less of the letters in the words. Cool track - nice production. Horribly unclear vocal style, but I did like the harmonies and singing overall. Nice!

Brown Word and the Big Whine

Portamento! Don’t hear that much anymore. Nice. I like the instruments in different depths of verb - it’s a cool production choice. I like the bendy synth main bit - it’s a solid underpinning for the tune. Not as into the change with the LFO pitch synth part…. It’s pretty jarring. I definitely dug this as it got rolling, but it lost me along the way. Cool vibe though!

Phlebia

DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAOHHHDHHDHHHHHDHHHHHHHHHHHHROGHGHHGHGHGHHGHHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHHHHSGJHGHHDHDHGHGHGHHGHhhhhhhhhh. That’s my death metal scream off the top. Dirty! Love the chilled out breakdown after the intro. Nice contrast. I dig this tune, reminds me a little of Layne Staley. Rockin’!

Jerkatorium

Catchy AF! Really dig the vocals here - the part AND the sound - really nice. Great take on the title. I dig the stripped down production - everything is present and accounted for, punchy and sounds just right. Great mix - awesome bass playing. Vote.

Cavedwellers

Wow - this is excellent as well. Love your voice and vocal performance. Guitar work is great - strings too - not much to pick at here. Not my usual cup of tea, musically, but hats off to an all around excellent song and production. Vote.

The Gross Tones

Dig it so far. One niggle - the opening refrain isn’t different than the opening few words of the verse… makes it seem uninspired. I’m down for the cosmic synth solo, even if feels a little out of place. Not sure why that is - maybe because I don’t here any synth parts that aren’t the wild leads, so it seems to jump out of nowhere in an otherwise standard-voiced song (piano bass drums). BUT - I dig it overall - nice punchy sounds. I think the vocals could a bit a more lively and/or mixed a little more interestingly, perhaps the vocal part could have been written for more interest. Solid tune though - nice job!

Mandibles

That intro sound fading in strikes me as…. weird and out of context. Wonder if it will be revisited to tie it in? Wow - beautiful voice! I find the voices are a tad too forward, could use a bit of EQ to help sit a little better in the mix - ‘cuz there’s some great music going on behind them that should be featured as well. I get it though, with a voice like that - who cares about the music. (Kidding). Seriously - lovely song. And I see the ending is the same as the intro - so points for tying it together, although it still seems out of nowhere. Great work!

Berkely Social Scene

LOVE the chorus guitar sound… and is that a flute? I dig this quite a lot. I long for something different from the electronic drums in the verses - I get wanting to keep it stark but seems like there’s room for variety there. Cool, different sounding BSS tune. Nice job!

thehipcola wrote: ↑

Sat Apr 04, 2020 7:43 am

. . . love the roomy upright bass?

That's a Hofner Beatle bass through Reaper ReaVerbate "Wide wide"

thehipcola wrote: ↑

Sat Apr 04, 2020 7:43 am

Mandibles
That intro sound fading in strikes me as…. weird and out of context. . .

A couple of people have said this, so I just wanted to chime in. I thought it sounded like a medieval string instrument, quite appropriate for the song.

Hipcola: I'm surprised you're the only one who noticed that. The vocal harmonies were pretty heavily influenced by AiC indeed! I just don't have half the angst he had. Nor am I a heroin addict.

After I was done writing and recording the two guitars and two vocals on my tune my partner/bandmate listened and she said, "it's perfect just like that". I looked at her and said, "yah, you are probably right but I can't help myself, I'm just going to keep recording stuff, 'cause that's what I do."... ha. I did get off slightly here and there on the backing tracks after that but I liked how it sounded, I buried it in the mix, bugged me a bit, but hey "it's Songfight", as some smart person once said. I've shared this with a few friends and they shared with a few friends, it seems to be making people feel good. thanks for the comments!!

Berkeley Social Scene:
This was an online collab between me and Ken and Glen, with Ken taking the lead. This started with Glen sending out a demo of a chord progression. Ken took and ran with it, adding another progression, picking a tone and tempo, writing lyrics, and coming up with the vocals. I did the synth bass and the drum machine, Glen did all the guitars, Ken mixed. I think it turned out pretty decent. This online collab process is definitely going to take some getting used to.

Brown Word and the Big Whine:
I like the bassy intro a lot. The new instruments in the verse are cool, I think the vocal melody though sounds a little atonal or something when it starts. When it gets to the wordier section it sounds better. I think the vocals are a little too wet. I like the music in the chorus, it could maybe use a stronger melody. The wee-ooo-wee-oo synth doesn't work for, I think it's the pitch bending part, i feels a little woozy to me. I like the singing of the title over the verse music after the chorus. (Maybe I've got the parts misnamed, I don't know.) I like the breakdown. Something about the harmony vocal after that sounds off. Good ending of the song though. Good structure to the whole thing.

Caravan Ray:
I'm getting maybe a Depeche Mode feel. It's like a mix of that but also some cheesier EDM vibe. I think all the backward stuff is a bit too disorienting for me, and overall it's not really my cup of tea.

Cavedwellers:
Very good, clear production. Nice singing too. Well written lyrics. The instruments are all really well played. Great fiddling. Overall, really well done. It's not a huge favorite style of mine but it definitely earns a vote. If I had one nitpick, it's the the shaker or whatever it is is way way way too loud.

Gaping Maw:
The vocal melodies in the first two sections could use a little more variety of notes, they're a bit monotonous. Good production and everything is well played. There's maybe a plosive issue with the second vocalist, not sure. Overall this one also doesn't connect 100% for me but definitely seems worthy of a vote.

The Gross Tones:
I like the live feel of the intro and the music and melody. I think maybe instead of singing multiple vocal tracks it'd potentially sound better to spend the same amount of time on getting the one main vocal to be really on pitch. The synth solo is a little rambling. And long. There's a breakdown in that solo which I think is cool, I think this needs more changes in dynamics like a longer part where things come down a lot. Sounds like a fun jam, I'm looking forward to the day when I can jam with people in real life again like that!

James Owens:
This is really beautiful. One nitpick would be that the vocals could use a de-esser. And/or maybe be sung from farther away from the mic. Sounds like they're sung very quietly, so, you'd have to turn up the gain to compensate for the distance, but I think it would still soften some of the sibilant and other sounds. Anyway, enthusiastic vote.

Jerkatorium:
Whoa, this is uncharacteristically quiet for y'all. Maybe it's going to bust into a modern loud mastered sound at some point, and this more dynamic sound is to fit the retro topic. I like the drum stick clicking part. Real fun song though. LOL at rhyming "embarrasing" with "George Harrison". I really want to know, that vocal vibrato, is that real or is that from the autotune...? It seems like it's very fast and has a very wide pitch swing. If it's artificial, it might sound less artificial if the speed and range were dialed down. If it's real, I guess it would take some vocal control to tone it down. Anyway, fun stuff, vote.

Joblito Y El Banditos:
The intro is kinda long. I think things would sound clearer if the two guitars were panned to the sides. More intro! This is a LOT of intro. I'm starting to get concerned this will be an instrumental. OK, some vocals, at then early two minute mark. OK, now I'm starting to get concerned the only lyrics will be the title, haha. OK, yeah, maybe trim off the first two minutes and I'd like this more.

Lichen Throat:
I know I say this a lot, but, doubling vocals doesn't inherently make them sound better. I think most of the time the time spent would be better off spent all on just one vocal. Plus if you aren't able to nail the pitches or able/willing to autotune, multiple vocals that are off in different ways at the same time are going to sound a lot more dissonant than just one track. Anyway. i feel like I can tell more easily than in past songs of yours what the underlying chords are in the music, so that's good. I'm still having a hard time connecting the vocal melody to the chords of the music some of the time. The verse melody works OK though at least. Good lyrics. I feel like the vocal delivery could use some variation and more emotion to try to match up with the lyrics better.

The Lowest Bitter:
This one sort of washes over me. When the bass and drums come in, I get a sort of LCD Soundsystem feel. I can't really understand the falsetto vocals very well. There seems to me to be some mismatches in terms of how much reverb is on which vocal tracks. I think overall it's maybe little too repetitive for me, it doesn't quite pull of that trick that LCD Soundsystem are good at of having a real simple underlying groove.

Mandibles:
This one is pretty. I think there could be less vocal doubling here too and maybe use harmony more, since the singer sings really well. This one's really on the border of a vote for me, I wish it maybe had a moment of higher intensity in it.

Paco del Stinko:
Everything sounds real good and is played real well per usual. I think the verse vocal in the first verse sounds a little too undefined for me. It sounds stronger in the second verse. Overall a good solid Paco song, vote!

Phil Well:
This all sounds good. It's hitting some genre bias for me unfortunately. It's well done. I think it could use more vocals, like, more harmonies, something more to the vocal arrangement, to elevate it.

Phlebia:
Definitely getting the 90s grunge vibe. I think this could really use some more dynamic changes. Maybe bring things down, stop the drums for longer, have a build, etc. As is, it's kinda dragging for me. Oh, there was a nice moment just like what I was suggesting. I think maybe what I'm waiting is for the vocals to go up in register and get more screamy and edgy. And the drums to get really hyped up, with busier playing and more cymbal crashes, etc.

Pigfarmer Jr:
I have to confess, after so many songs, at this point, I'm finding it harder to really get into things. This is competently done but doesn't really have any special sauce that's grabbing me.

ShoehornTC:
I didn't count but it seemed like a lot of folks used "love in the time of love". Anyway. This one's pretty and charming. I like the message. And it flows nicely. Although now I'm seeing two minutes in that it's four minutes long. I'm wondering how it's going to mix things up to sustain my attention another two whole minutes, haha. OK, solo, verse, etc. That worked. Vote!

WreckdoM:
This one's ok. I think I'm fatigued and don't have a lot of useful feedback at this point. I want some more variation. Like for the telephone effect to come off the vocals or have the singer start going wild, etc.

Howdy!

I want to say thanks to everyone who reviewed this fight, it feels amazing to have so many folks actively participating in SongFight during this challenging time when we're all stuck at home. Ryan and I were joined by Alice and Brian for this podcast, and well ... we certainly entertained ourselves. I hope you guys have nearly as much fun listening as we had making it.

Here is how to get on board:

• Download or point your browser directly at the mp3
• Alternate download from AWS S3
• Point your podcast software at the feed
• View the podcast on iTunes

INDEX:

• 00:00:00 - Intro Song
• 00:01:00 - Beginning-of-podcast blathering
• 00:05:04 - Berkeley Social Scene
• 00:10:36 - Brown Word and the Big Whine
• 00:13:41 - Caravan Ray
• 00:20:20 - Cavedwellers
• 00:26:06 - Gaping Maw
• 00:31:03 - The Gross Tones
• 00:35:23 - James Owens
• 00:39:36 - Jerkatorium
• 00:48:41 - Joblito Y El Banditos
• 00:52:15 - Lichen Throat
• 00:59:10 - The Lowest Bitter
• 01:03:37 - Mandibles
• 01:08:31 - Paco del Stinko
• 01:13:11 - Phil Well
• 01:17:33 - Phlebia
• 01:24:33 - Pigfarmer Jr
• 01:29:53 - ShoehornTC
• 01:33:05 - Wreckdom
• 01:38:12 - Late Songs
• 01:40:16 - I'm So Sorry
• 01:42:23 - Lungbutter
• 01:44:18 - "Real Person"
• 01:45:36 - PLANG
• 01:47:56 - Water click
• 01:50:11 - The Printer Coffee Cups
• 01:52:30 - Cron Daemon
• 01:53:39 - Thoughts on Voting
• 01:56:00 - End-of-Podcast blathering
• 02:02:26 - Shoutouts

Love in the time of ... <3

Yay, new Two Jerks One Vote!

I'm surprised anybody would not have noticed the drums being a drum machine. I sequenced them and used my Korg volca beats for the sounds. The "shaker" sound is the open hi-hat sound, which probably actually is partially literally white noise. It is very loud in the mix, probably I should have adjusted the level of that sound vs the others on the beats, and/or EQ-ed it down before sending it to Ken.

And yes, we have five core members (Martin, Ken, Sam, Glen, Geech) and we all take turns singing.

Two jerks: for the record, the proper way to pronounce Phlebia is "quickly and confidently".

I think this podcast is rad. Thanks for doing this folks!

I was hoping Cron Daemon would be a real track!!!

Phil Well wins!

Congrats Phil! Loved your song!

Congrats Phil. I also loved your song!

Thank you! And thank you for the great reviews. I also loved the podcast!

Congratulations to Phil Well. As I said in my review, the song is very well done. Lots of people liked it, and it deserves the win.