I could've sworn I sent a shadow. I'll have to check my email when I get home. Wouldn't be the first time I've had email difficulties
Re: Nur Ein XV Round Five "North Beach Vampires"
Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2020 11:32 pm
by crumpart
Ok, now that it’s morning and I’m awake again, my song was co-written by former Australian Prime Minister, Julia Gillard. It’s about a prominent drain on the Australian public, Tony Abbott, notable resident of Sydney’s North Shore.
Last week I woke up to the news that he’d been made a Companion of the Order of Australia: “The honour was primarily for his role as prime minister, as well as significant contributions to trade, border control, and to the Indigenous community.“
My cousin re-posted this TikTok on Facebook as a coping mechanism. It’s source material is one of my favourite speeches of all time. Fifteen minutes of the parliamentary equivalent of a stake being driven through Tony’s heart, delivered entirely off the cuff from a handful of rapidly researched notes, because that’s how Australian Question Time works.
For good measure, here’s Gillard being interviewed about the speech earlier this year.
On a musical note, everything except some handclaps and finger clicks (I even recorded real ones instead of using Logic’s fakes!), two samples and a tiny bit of electric piano is made from sounds that came out of my mouth.
Re: Nur Ein XV Round Five "North Beach Vampires"
Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2020 12:00 am
by sailingmagpie
Some liner notes for my shadow:
It took me a few attempts before I landed on what I was gonna do for this challenge. I started off going for a surf tune, which was awful. Then I moved on to indie rock, which was just a bit dull. I eventually settled on doing the whole thing a cappella (I'm sure someone else will have done the same thing but much better than me!).
Over the last few weeks, I've found it increasingly depressing reading comments on social media from people who have no clue what they're talking about but act like they know everything. I thought North Beach sounded like a safe, well to do community, so thought it would be the ideal home for these sort of people.
I really wish I'd known how much my voice sounds like strings when it's multi tracked. It would've saved a lot of messing about on the Bond theme!
Can amend with Balance Lost when it gets posted or you can download that one separately I dunno I'm tired leave me alone
Re: Nur Ein XV Round Five "North Beach Vampires"
Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2020 2:53 am
by furrypedro
I seem to be experiencing the same email difficulties I had during the Peak Misery fight which has annoyingly resulted in my shadow song not being sent in
Quick impressions. Top three are Frankie, Glow Worm, and Max, but I couldn't possibly rank them in order.
Frank, I don't think I've ever heard you swear in your lyrics. That F-Bomb really caught me off guard.
Mandibles, I really dig the arrangement and the jazzy chords.
I'm proud of my song, but I'm pretty sure I'm on the chopping block this time around. The competition is just too stiff! At least, if I were a judge, I would cut my song.
Balance Lost, it's a shame you got cut last week, because your shadow entry this week might just be my favorite Balance Lost song ever.
I made a clean version for my kids. I’ll send it to you.
Also, remember, it’s not me saying it. It’s entitled rich kids who are struggling to find a purpose in life.
And finally, I think I have an F-bomb in the chorus of a Songfight song called “I Hate You” maybe? Did we make a song with that title?
Certainly no judgment for using it. I mean, I called the president a MFer a few songs ago. I don't like to swear in my lyrics often, but there are times when foul language fits. If I were an arbiter of such things, I'd say you used it appropriately, given the context and characters in your song.
Certainly no judgment for using it. I mean, I called the president a MFer a few songs ago. I don't like to swear in my lyrics often, but there are times when foul language fits. If I were an arbiter of such things, I'd say you used it appropriately, given the context and characters in your song.
I didn’t take it that way. You’re right that I don’t swear very often in my lyrics. There are so many words - why limit ourselves! Believe it or not, I actually sang that line multiple times, trying to find the right enunciation so it wasn’t so harsh, but it still hits pretty hard. But yeah, it’s the best word for that space. I have all the best words! (DT reference - such a douche)
Re: Nur Ein XV Round Five "North Beach Vampires"
Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2020 12:23 pm
by BoffoYux
Nur Ein Listening Party for 'North Beach Vampires' starts tonight at 9pm EDT.
Drop in to the chat if you have some time to talk with the artists.
I'll also be playing the latest SongFight 'I Am Very Busy' - So 30 new tunes tonight!
Listened to the songs once on my way to Costco to get my stupid tire replaced. These are the things I remember that are worth sharing:
Cavedwellers - Probably the best vocal performance I've heard from you so far. Also, the tone of the guitar solo sounds really good. (Like really really) Maybe I would find the song more interesting if I lived where you do.
See-man-ski - This is really ambitious. I need to listen again to absorb some of your harmonic choices but I was impressed by the effort. I wonder if you didn't quite fulfill the challenge of having an a cappella section since the entire song is a cappella but what do I know. The judges work in mysterious ways.
Moss Palace - This is a really strong song made even stronger by the on-point production and arranging. What a mood! Someone in your house has extremely good musical instincts and the knowledge and musicianship to put them into practice. The song ended up seeming a little long to me and I didn't think it was necessary to bring back the a cappella thing at the end. But those are nitpicks.
Hot Pink Halo - For my money, you're the most interesting newcomer of the bunch. (If you're not new and I didn't notice before, I'm sorry.) I always enjoy your work.
Lichen Throat - I always felt you could be the perfect Peter Murphy soundalike so I was excited about your goth track. Unfortunately, a cappella is a challenge that works against you as you are a, shall we say, developing singer. I loved your track last week, btw.
None of the songs were bad - I just don't have things to say about all of them after one pass. Oh, and I didn't make it to Vom before I was out of my car and unloading groceries.
Hot Pink Halo - For my money, you're the most interesting newcomer of the bunch. (If you're not new and I didn't notice before, I'm sorry.) I always enjoy your work.
Thanks! I'm definitely new to Nur Ein, and have been Songfighting since August last year. Prior to that I've been interested in music, and my husband (Toshiro) has submitted to Songfight sporadically over the years, so when I decided to have a more serious crack at writing and recording stuff, this is where I came. I've missed a few Songfights here and there since then, but am trying to do something once a week. Places like this are great because they give me solid deadlines.
Re: Nur Ein XV Round Five "North Beach Vampires"
Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2020 1:14 pm
by GlennCase
Abandoning the scoring system this week, and going with brief descriptions. Admittedly, I'm worn out and ready for this to be over.
Moss Palace - This goes on the Best Of compilation. If and when Songfight Live becomes a thing again - This is song I would want to hear. Call and response between the lead vocal and the guitar is great. Vocals are perfect.
Frankie Big Face - Solid composition and recording. Great hooks. Excellent a capella section. Good job.
Jon Eric - This one is very fun. This is a composition that could have run the risk of sounding cheesy, but you sell it well. The a capella section is top notch. I like the slow-down at the end.
Max Bombast - I like this better than your last couple of entries. Good lyrics, and solid a capella sections. The mix is solid as usual.
Glow Worm - The na na na section feels tacked on and completely disconnected from the rest of the song. The chorus isn't really doing anything for me. This seems like more of the same from you, but a lesser version of it. Probably my least favorite Glow Worm song from the competition thus far. It's not horrible, but I have been anticipating that you would have a good shot at being in the final, and you might be in danger this week.
Cavedwellers - I don't particularly like the horn that plays through the verses. The guitar solo sounds like it is filling up a section rather than serving a purpose in the song. The sax solo is a bit more enjoyable, but the guitar and sax solos both feel like they go for about twice the length that they should. Outside of those issues I like this well enough. I like the lyrics, and I like the a capella section.
Mandibles - I don't hate this, but there are stronger songs in this round. A couple of fun lyrics here and there, and I like the chorus better this week. I like that middle eight/break section that starts at 2:43. The a capella section and handclaps at the end are pretty cool.
see-man-ski - Promising start, but it falls apart quickly. We asked for an "a capella" section and you made it the whole song, which could have worked if the vocals were a little more on pitch. As it sits, this is a bit of a hot mess. Your intended chord structure doesn't come across clearly.
Re: Nur Ein XV Round Five "North Beach Vampires"
Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2020 3:19 pm
by seemanski
A great round by everyone, I am starting to feel like a very small fish in a massive sea full of very talented musicians. I figured my time was closing to a close soon and I have a feeling this might be the round I drop off in, I ain't over till its over but I am proud to have gotten this far so if it happens I can hold my head up high.
The ones that really stood out for me this round were Max Bombast, Mandibles, Frankie Big Face and Jon Eric. I thought they were really fun and there were elements in the tracks that made me smile.
See-man-ski - This is really ambitious. I need to listen again to absorb some of your harmonic choices but I was impressed by the effort. I wonder if you didn't quite fulfill the challenge of having an a cappella section since the entire song is a cappella but what do I know. The judges work in mysterious ways.
Thanks Frankie, I figured that a whole song is section, just a really really really long one. I was also under the impression that I am probably going to be gone this round, so I am just going go with what I want to do and damn the consequences.
Re: Nur Ein XV Round Five "North Beach Vampires"
Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2020 4:12 pm
by JonPorobil
The ones that really stood out for me this round were Max Bombast, Mandibles, Frankie Big Face and Jon Eric. I thought they were really fun and there were elements in the tracks that made me smile.
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Hey, thank you! I was especially proud of my song this week; glad to see positive attention on it!
I was also under the impression that I am probably going to be gone this round, so I am just going go with what I want to do and damn the consequences.
That strategy has been working out for me for the last four rounds.
Re: Nur Ein XV Round Five "North Beach Vampires"
Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2020 4:37 pm
by Lunkhead
Admittedly, I'm worn out and ready for this to be over.
We were remembering that Round 5 is about when that really sets in, on both sides. But your work is almost done, just hang in there, two more weeks! You can do it!
We asked for an "a capella" section and you made it the whole song, which could have worked if the vocals were a little more on pitch
I'm not a judge, and I'm really not trying to poke the bear here or pick on you at all, Glenn, (by the way, thank you for all your hard work as a judge!) but I would hope that somebody doing a whole a cappella song would at least technically qualify as meeting the exact wording of the challenge, which was "Include an a cappella section".
I'm realizing now that this whole challenge thing in Nur Ein reminds me so much of my job. "Product development" folks will write a feature requirements document, and then hand it over to software engineers. Our job it is to find every conceivable ambiguity or uncertainty. Like, "When you said 'an' did you mean 'exactly one' or 'one or more'?" "What do you mean by 'section'?" "Could the whole song be a cappella or are you implicitly requiring that the rest of the song NOT be a cappella?" "Is it OK to repeat the a cappella section or does it need to occur only one time?" etc. etc. This of course drives the product development folks up the wall. Communication is hard.
Re: Nur Ein XV Round Five "North Beach Vampires"
Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2020 5:18 pm
by frankie big face
“If only they had provided examples of what they meant!” Is something someone might say in response to Lunkhead.
I love that you do these zips - but can you check on the Moss Palace, Mandibles and Grumpy Mike songs? When I played them at the LP they cut off the ends. I wasn't sure if it was me, but if it's a zip, it shouldn't do that to the songs.
Communication is hard.