The Song Fight Bulletin Board

sleepysilverdoor wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 16, 2020 9:52 am

I was using SF jukebox. Does that use the same feed?

It does use the same data but it isn't able to automatically update when issues like this happen and get fixed. I had to go manually fix it separately which I after I'd posted here that I'd fixed songfight.org, so maybe you listened in that gap period.

Jast's review template has the two tracks in opposite order. I almost had them reversed even though the songs are corrected.

add: I like this arrangement. It's a good combination of instruments that appeals to my ear.

Alchemy feat. Copernicus: I'm digging the vocals. Maybe a hair too straight but that might be the tempo more than anything. It's got a cool groove and I can't help but dig into it.

Balls To Monte: I get a real Dr. Hook feel... only with a more modern production sound. Which is like super cool, imo.

Bear Rider: I get a spooky movie kid gets possessed feel from this track. Which is unexpected, but cool.

Brown Word and the Big Whine: I like the introduction. Do you always double the vocals? It seems to be a consistent technique. The bells (or bell sounds there for a bit) was a little much for me. But I like the guitars. And I like the ever changing arrangement. Lots of good bits.

Deadnettlez: LUFS -48, right? Did you know when I crank my stereo there's some static that comes through? Yeah, me neither. I'll check it out later.

Evermind: I like the rhythm a lot. That reversed feel is used to good effect. The simple, almost creepy repeated organ bit was cool. Distorted guitar rocks. Yeah, this is cool. The more I listen the more I like it.

Future Boy: Chipping the rhythm track and using it as an intro before filling out the track nicely with the organ and bass is awesome. Another song of yours that feels good/right. I think the "saints"... erm homage? was mentioned before but I liked how you used it.

Glenn Case: There's something about your melodies that seem pretty characteristic of you. Partly the way you double/harmonize, but I think it's the melody shape as well. Maybe it's the cool chord progressions you use? At any rate, I like them. Cool guitars, too.

Hot Pink Halo: Cool rhythm. Something in the mix keeps the vocal from really standing out in a lot of places. But I enjoyed listening to the song. That.. bridge? is appropriately odd. The texture of the delay is interesting.

JP Nickolas: I like the guitar part and the tone in the beginning. That heavier bit is very interesting. It's cool how you came up with a similar feel to the first guitar part only heavier (at the 2:00+ mark.) Vox isn't the strongest, but this is interesting to listen to even if primarily from the various guitar parts.

Lichen Throat: I like that intro. I like your vocal timing here, it's good, especially in the beginning. I like the chip/arcade sounds you've used and how it connects to the lyric.

Nick Soma: The rhythm and bell like parts work well together. They support the more laid back vocal phrasing which sits nicely in the mix. Like maybe a hair too deep in the comfy chair, but feels good because of it.

Night Sky: Cool feel. I think the vocal isn't mixed perfectly as it stands out a bit. But this is a cool song.

Paco del Stinko: Oh, cool. Wah right from the start. This is a cool vocal. I like the build and the rock and the laid back contrast. This would be fun to play live.

The Pannacotta Army: Cool keys. This one is hard to resist. Cool guitar. (I like the added wah, btw) How the hell can one sit still while listening to this? (Answer: One cannot.)

Phlebia: There's a lot to be said about a full on frontal assault on the eardrums.

Pigfarmer Jr: If we're gonna die then we might as well have fun singing a song, right?

rackwagon: Cool guitars. The subtle and the heavier. A cool laid back feel, too. I like this quite a bit.

R. Mosquito: Okay, I get the Priest comparison now. Although the guitars and feel is more of a slow burn, like some Black Sabbath tunes, maybe?

Robyn Mackenzie: I saw the wicked game reference, and it's there in the guitars but I probably wouldn't have made the connection without it being said... probably. I like your melody and vocal (as usual.) I liked the doubled vocal. (For once, I did that as well.) You have a cool sound. Hard to believe that at 4:49 you don't have the longest song of the fight. Not that it matters.

Sweeney Toad: That intro vocal almost had a Walken feel to it. Cool rhythm, especially in the vocal delivery. Vox pretty hot and I'm not sure how I feel about the vocal delivery, but there are some great lines. Something about this won't let me stop listening even though it isn't something that would be normally in my wheelhouse.

I don't know how Jast's template works. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ It looks to have the correct urls now. https://jk.gs/songfight-download/markup.php

Hot Pink Halo - I like the general jangly guitar tone though all those ringing chords make the mix a bit messy. I can't quite get my head around the structure. The melody is a bit meandering but the vocals are nice. Not sure about the "when they were up" section. Can't help thinking the song would be better with some editing.

Robyn McKenzie - This has a nice easy going groove with that brush drumbeat - A bit akin to Mazzy Starr/Chris Isaak (as someone else mentioned). Your vocals are great as usual, both the lead and the harmonies. They provide the variation because otherwise the music itself is perhaps a little one dimensional. At not far off 5 minutes, I think some sort of breakdown/pause would have been good. However, overall this is pretty cool - I like it.

JP Nikolas - Another Epic pushing 5 minutes. Bass is badly missing from the mix. For me your vocals don't really fit with the histrionic guitar work and the same goes for the rather weak sounding drums. More attention to the production and getting some good basic sounds would be nice and less to the plank spanking.

Nick Soma - I like the groove of this. Has a bit of a Depeche Mode vibe only not quite so dark with that vibesy/bell sounding arpeggio synth. Vocals are good. All the percussion is excellent too. Very nice catchy synth-pop. Well produced with some good variations in the arrangement which is tight. Good stuff.

Alchemy feat. Copernicus - I like the jazzy Rhodes chords and simple rimshot beat. It has a nice chilled vibe. The vocal performances are okay but I feel they need a little more processing to fit in the mix better and have more presence. Surprisingly short but I quite like this.

Lichen Throat - Let's just say I like the big synth swell and fade at the end but the preceding 2 minutes 20 seconds not so much.

Paco Del Stinko - The wah guitar work is cool. The vocals are pretty neat too especially the backing harmony ahs. I was kind of waiting for some massive loud instrumental section to kick in and although it does pick up, you never quite get that big impact I was expecting. However, this is probably my favourite thing I've heard from you lately with some intriguing elements to it.

Night Sky - I know it was a side challenge but I think I'd have preferred the sax not to get the wah-wah treatment - nice chops though. I quite dig the Bo Diddly groove though the dynamism is a bit lacking in the vocal timing. Some of the other elements in the mix like the guitar and bass could have been louder.

Bear Rider - The chord sequence is all a bit murky and I'm not fully keen on how the constrained vocal melody interplays harmonically with it. Feels like something else needs to happen. As far as gothic, gloomy music goes, I prefer something with a bit more edge.

Evermind - Minimalistic trip-hop. The sub-bass synth sets me in mind slightly of Portishead. Hard to tell if it's playing the same notes as what I'm guessing is distorted bass guitar. The lo-fi eq vocal treatment is okay but a little reverb/delay would've added a more atmospheric vibe as would some other introduced elements to counter the repetition - i.e. all 4 verses have a near identical arrangement.

Balls To Monte - Retro sounding 70s light guitar rock with what (for me) has a sort of Creedance feel. I think you've captured that vibe really well. The performances, arrangement and production are all very good. I particularly like the vocals. Good song - I like its simplicity and sounds like it's put together with an experienced ear and deft touch. Catchy melodies too.

Phlebia - I find this excessively murky and chaotic. Too much distortion and excessive loudness going on and the effect is a very harsh sounding mix. Loud can be good but this is unbalanced. You need to tame the production particularly for the shouty sections.

Glenn Case - I'm not sure if this might have benefitted from a slightly faster tempo. Vocals are nice though - I like the languid delivery (quite Fountains of Wayne - have I said that before?) and the harmonies. The arrangement and production are cool but maybe the fuzz guitar lead doesn't quite sit in the mix as comfortably as I think it should. All in all, nothing much to dislike - another well constructed and very enjoyable pop song.

Sweeney toad - The slow plodding pace and mechanical vocal delivery don't exactly set my heart racing. There doesn't appear to be much correlation between the sampled strings and the bass in what I term as the "chorus". The arrangement on the whole is just all a bit random sounding, lacking cohesion and flow.

Add - I'm a bit distracted by the croaking frog and I'm not totally sold on some of the other percussion but otherwise I dig the song with it's acoustic guitar led folky arrangement. Vocals are very nicely sung an I like the excellent lyrics. The instrumental breaks are cool. Something a tad Arcade Fire-ish about this. My percussive reservations aside, another good one.

Pigfarmer Jr - There's an almost comedic feel to the pace and delivery of this which seems completely against the subject matter and as such, I'm a bit thrown off and unsettled. And unfortunately there's nothing overly outstanding or ambitious about the musical arrangement that might help redeem this uneasiness either. Not for me.

Brown Word & Big Whine - No doubting you've embraced the wah-wah and kalimba side challenges. I like the latin/salsa percussion groove but I'm not sure the combination with distorted guitars here is a marriage made in heaven (though Kid Creole made it work successfully). I'd have preferred some restraint - a "less is more" stance on that score. There's a lot going on in the mix so overall, a rather anarchic romp.

Rackwagon - I like the spacey feel and yet another laid back brush drum beat, which is good to hear. The swelled tremolo guitar is cool as are the breathy vocals which remind me a bit of Jarvis Cocker. I think the big guitar (sounding like a bit of a Johnny Greenwood cadge from Creep) when it comes in for the "chorus" is too loud in my opinion. Other than that, I like the song and there are some excellent touches.

Future Boy - The retro drum machine loop is cool. I like the Casio-type string sound in there too. A bit of an odd melange of styles - partly hymnal/gospel, a little bit cheesy ballad too. Nicely sung and the electric piano sounds good. The similarity to The Saints Go Marching In is presumably deliberate? Not quite sure what to make of this - whether you're playing it straight or being ironic.

Deadnettlez - I can't hear you

R Mosquito - Can't tell if this is straight up but either way, I'm not convinced you pull off the constricted falsetto metal vocal thing. A lot of low end flabbiness in the mix. Not my cup of tea, whether in earnest or not.


I think that's the lot, but holla if I've missed someone. Pretty good fight with several voteable songs.


The Pannacotta Army - The lyrics are unashamedly all out pop. I just got a new electric guitar hence why this features a lot of that kind of stuff. I think it sounds pretty nice but perhaps I should let others be the judge of that. Vocals could be better but I like the groove.

Lunkhead wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 16, 2020 10:36 pm

I don't know how Jast's template works. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

It saves a local copy of the markup from songfight.org at the time the fight is downloaded. If the markup was wrong at that point in time, then the links my template contains are wrong, too. If it was correct, the links will be correct, too. (I did not do anything to fix anything in the last few days.)

I CANT BELIEVE YALL FIND MY SONG TOO ABRASIVE, ITS NOT ABRASIVE AT ALL AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Lichen Throat - I like the intro and the beat. The synths are an interesting touch, and the vocals remind me a little bit of Television. Cool lyrics too.

Paco del Stinko - Love the wah effect. This has a real 70's feel to it, but like, mixed with 90's grunge, which I love. Really good drums.

Glenn Case - Yet another one with a cool retro sound. Solid harmonies and the guitars sound great. I like this a lot.

Bear Rider - This has a ghostly, atmospheric quality to it that would make it fit quite nicely on my Spotify Halloween playlist. The simple melody and the monotone chorus are kind of disconcerting with the organ, which adds a nice ominous touch.

rackwagon - I really like the lyrics. When that electric guitar drops in it really amps it up a notch, then it pulls back in an organic flow. I think the distorted guitar could be a bit more center in the mix, as it's a bit distracting to have it all in the left ear. Overall though, I really enjoyed this.

Nick Soma - The bell synth reminds me of Minecraft. I like the doubled vocals in the chorus--gives it a nice indie sound.

JP Nickolas - I like the changeup from the slower guitar to that super fast metal riff. I really want the guitars to be louder, especially those lead parts. Right now they feel a little too held back from the vocal.

Robyn Mackenzie - A few of you have mentioned Wicked Game and that was definitely what I had in mind when I wrote this, so I'm glad I got it. I'm not quite sure how it got to be so long--the muse works like that sometimes, I suppose.

Pigfarmer Jr - You sure have a knack for catchy choruses. I'm gonna have this in my head for the next week. Interesting subject matter, and it works really well for the prompt. Nice guitar solo.

add - I like the folky feel of the waltz with the tambourine. Nice harmonies. I'm not sure what part of the percussion sounds like a frog, but I find it a little distracting. I do really like the lyrics.

Alchemy feat Copernicus - Ooh, this is smooth. I like the electric piano. This is some old school slow jam goodness, with a powerful message.

Deadnettlez - I had to turn my volume way up to hear this. Super weirdness, in a fun kind of experimental way.

R. Mosquito - Ozzy feels here. Nice classic rock sound--those guitars really capture the vibe. Those vocals are impressive.

Hot Pink Halo - Great lyrics. I like the pop indie feel. I really like the break in the bridge and those echoes. Nice job.

Balls to Monte - I like the contrast between the poppy verse and the more intense chorus. The guitar solo is great. Enjoyed this quite a bit.

Night Sky - The wah effect on the saxophone is interesting. This has a retro feel while also feeling new and fresh. The ending was a little abrupt, I think you could have faded out on the sax, but that's just me. I like the lyrics.

The Pannacotta Army - This is fun and jazzy. The wah guitar works really well, and I like the breakdown at the end. Really polished as always.

Brown Word and the Big Whine - This is a bit different from what I've heard from you previously, but I like it. For some reason the melody in the chorus reminds me a bit of 2000s pop. The percussion is a little busier than I think it needs to be, but I like the combination of all the different sounds.

Phlebia - The screamy vocals add a whole new level of intensity to this already pretty intense piece. This is the kind of stuff I listen to with the windows rolled down when I'm pissed off. I like it.

Future Boy - I like how the doubled vocals come in on the folky chorus. Those harmonies are lovely, and the electric piano is a nice touch. I like how you structured this--it flows really organically.

Evermind - This had me nodding my head immediately. I like how you processed your vocals against the dark instrumentation. It works really well. I like the "pretty pretty please" sections--gives it a bit of a Marilyn Manson feel.

Sweeney Toad - The rhythm of the rhyming is cool. The image of being in a frat house full of werewolves reminded me of What We Do in the Shadows, which is hilarious if you haven't seen it.

Hi All,
I just submitted a late entry to this fight. Hopefully, FM3 will be willing to at least add it to the archives. I had it written and half recorded in time, but didn't want to leave it unfinished. I'll post it here in a day or two if it doesn't get added to the fight.

Ken

paco - cool intro, it starts really low, then gets really loud, then quiet again, not sure how I feel about that, it maybe just gets a little to low. A cool psychedelic vibe to this one, I like it. reminds me of something I use to listen to when I was much younger, frank zappa maybe? idk but i dug it, good job.

jp nickolas - kind of reminds me of neil young in the beginning, at 40 seconds i like the guitar riff change up but didn't think the singing went really well with that part. pretty decent track, i feel like the vocals could have been more rehearsed and there's room for improvement there.

brown word - i can pick out the thumb piano right away and it sounds really cool the way you implemented it. this track has a lot of weird change ups and I really like that, it keeps the track really interesting and I enjoyed listening to the whole thing. good job on this one.

nick soma - there's the thumb piano again, sounds really cool. this is just generally sounds like a nice indie rock song, kind of reminds me of an old indie band i used to listen to call american analog set i think? your singing style kind of goes from indie rock to a little gothy sometimes, which is pretty cool. i dug this.

r. mosquito - lol this is really fun to me, it kind of reminds me of a fake sock puppet band from sifl and olly or something. beavis and butthead would have also loved this, so i love it too, YES! YES! YEAH! ROCK! THIS ROCKS UH HUH UH UH HUH UH UH HEH EH EH EH HE HEHE EH

phlebia - i find this loud and abrasive, i am deeply offended by it. you really need to leave this style to someone like r. mosquito. and frankly, r. mosquito you are not. lol jk, this was pretty dope. i like the contrast of mellow delivery and then the absolute insanity switch up, this was fun. good job.

balls to monte - this sounds like a song i'd hear when I walk into a bar waiting to order a beer. the kind of song that puts me in an instant good and relaxed mood because I know I'm about to have a good time and get drunk and hear some good tunes. just a really solid track and super nice guitar solo btw. let's get this one in the jukebox for sure.

robyn mackenzie - i hear the chris issac thing right away, i always liked that song a lot when i was a teenager, and this definitely does the style justice. another good one for the jukebox at our imaginary songfight bar i think. not sure if i have any critiques on this one, just a good solid track. if you're taking requests for songs in the style of 90's music i'd like to request something by you in the style of bikini kill next, thanks.

bear rider - this sounds like something from an 80's horror movie, probably a dream sequence where the main character is falling in slow motion endlessly in the air with a lot of smoke machines around them. I guess if the music alone conjures images of smoke in my mind you did a pretty good job, i dug this actually, i feel like it could have been a little longer, but this was neat.

rackwagon - this is probably my favorite of the bunch, definite vote obviously. i like the bass line and your singing, and the dreamy vibe to the whole thing, the little bursts of guitar riff excitement are a really nice touch too. it kind of reminds me of pulp i think, and i love love love that band, so i love you too! awesome song!

sweeney toad - werewolf balls are hairy

pigfarmer jr - this sounds like a theme song for a tv show, a tv show that i would probably watch and probably make sure to never miss an episode. the guitar solo at the end is hottttttttttt, i liked this a lot, good job!

lichen throat - this is pretty cool, i like that synth you got going on. i like the fx on your vocals for a lot of this, it makes for a cool contrast with the weird synth. i dug it, yes, pizza please.

night sky - catchy riff you got going on here, the vocals go along nice to the beat i just feel like they could use more energy, like tbh, if you could pull off a screamin jay hawkins type of energy on this song it would be amazing, but maybe that's your thing, i know that is not everyone's cup of tea lol

deadnettlez - i was pretty excited when i saw you were in this fight because i was ready to hear some weirdness, but i could barely hear the song even with it turned up to the max, so I was just left disappointed.

future boy - casio beat? nice. takes me back to my wesley willis fandom days. you have a really good singing voice, i dare to say even better than wesley. I love the chorus because it reminds me of a cross between saints go marching in and michael row the boat ashore. well produced track, good stuff!

pannacotta - catchy stuff, i like the lyrics, it makes me think of someone being on fire. i like the breakdown in the middle, very well done overall!

evermind - creepy vibe to this one, i like it. the lyrics match the mood perfectly. that synth that comes in is so dark and menacing and i love it. this kind of sounds like a "scary stories to tell in the dark" short story entry in musical form. I think you got a vote with this one, this was super cool.

hot pink halo - i like the drums on this one. i like the humpty dumpty line lol. i really like when it gets to the part with the up up ups and downs downs downs. the reverb that makes certain parts a little echoey is a nice touch too, i dug this one.

alchemy - this is really good, has a nice early 90's hip hop vibe, i think it needs a little more work on the vocal mix, both voices contrast nicely, it's a little too short and overall feels more like a demo, really good potential for something great here though for sure.

add - this is a pretty solid track, i like all the sounds in this one. this song has an end of the world vibe to it but you don't really care, almost like nothing really phases you anymore. i like that. good track.

glenn case - another solid track, i really like that guitar solo. this has a similar vibe to the add song, like everything is blowing up in your face but "this is fine", like that cartoon dog meme, you know the one. good song, short but sweet!

Late entry from Ken added.

Preliminary, first listen ratings:

Favorite two songs are Rackwagon and Robyn Mackenzie. Honorable mention to Brown Word and the Big Whine, who also gets my award for best backing vocalist.

Many other great songs this week, but those two in particularly are my favorite. If only because I really like Slowdive and Chris Isaak.

Reminder - The Smoke is Rolling In listening party is tonight at 9pm

We'll have some fun and hope you vote if you haven't for your favorites.



https://youtu.be/FbqJStQDYKo

SweeneyToad wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 18, 2020 7:53 pm

if you're taking requests for songs in the style of 90's music i'd like to request something by you in the style of bikini kill next, thanks.

Challenge accepted.

Very quick reviews, based on memories from listening yesterday, so may mix up songs and / or forget how they went.

add: classy writing, good performance.

Alchemy feat. Copernicus: love the jazzy e-piano, sudden ending caught me off guard.

Balls To Monte: more my cup of tea than last fight's entry, solid rock song.

Bear Rider: this is very odd and oddly enjoyable. Reverb suits you.

Brown Word and the Big Whine: love the intro, the song didn't quite live up to that level of excellence but it's solid.

Deadnettlez: yeah, sort out that volume problem. I did turn it up, but did not really uncover a hidden gem by doing so. More sound please!

Evermind: really enjoyed this one, it's an odd song and I found the bassy-but-sparse mix very effective. Wasn't sure it quite made it into my top-tier / voting group, but since you said pretty please...

Future Boy: loved this one, definitely one of my favourites. The interpolation of Oh When The Saints works really well, and your piano playing is first-rate, as usual.

Glenn Case: another very strong Glenn song! I don't have much to say about this song in particular but you always bring the goods.

Hot Pink Halo: I was all set to declare this my favourite HPH song but didn't really like the Grand Old Duke of York bridge section, the thumb piano at the start oddly sounds like a skipping CD to me, and as I've been listening to all of my CDs as a pandemic sanity project, I'm very sensitive to that sound! But for the most part this is really good and I enjoyed the atmosphere.

JP Nickolas: as others have said, solid guitar work but the rest of the song suffers. Mix is very muddy and vocal energy doesn't match the rawk guitars.

Lichen Throat: I liked your instrument choice here, feels like you're branching out a bit and some of the wobbly synth / sampled guitar stuff reminded me of early Magnetic Fields. Vocal processing is interesting too, although I found the vocals hard to follow which hurts the song because lyrics are one of your key strengths.

Nick Soma: great stuff, one of my three favourites. Excellent take on the challenge and you turned all those chimey thumb-based sounds into an excellently catchy, memorable song.

Night Sky: this is really interesting, I like what you're doing with the sax here - it doesn't sound quite like anything else, which is cool. I liked the rhythm, as well.

Paco del Stinko: not one of my favourite Paco songs, at this point I have to admit that I'm not a BIG fan of wah and this really leans into the optional bonus wah challenge. Clever use of dynamics, as always.

The Pannacotta Army: pleasant and charming although didn't really stick with me, I get that you were going for simple / pop with the lyrics but the repetitiveness / hammering the one same theme didn't really do it for me.

Phlebia: fun stuff, the noisy parts work really well. As usual I enjoyed your lo-fi production, I'd probably hate this song if it was really polished but with some nice grungy distortion and roomy sounds I enjoyed it quite a bit.

Pigfarmer Jr: fun, up-tempo pop-rock, good stuff.

rackwagon: my other favourite from this fight. Great atmosphere, the laid back style really suits your vocals, and the quiet / loud guitar stuff adds some welcome dynamics.

R. Mosquito: I always struggle with the hard-rock yelping vocal style, it sounds like you're doing a solid job of it though. Good energy.

Robyn Mackenzie: this one ranked with Evermind in my "not quite a favourite but really, really good" category. The mix sounds great, vocal / instrument blend works a lot better for me than your previous song. Tons of atmosphere, good melody.

Sweeney Toad: solid Sweeney, like Glenn I sometimes find it hard to know what to say about your songs as you tend to do a similar kind of thing each fight, but do it well (similar to your other songs, that is - not similarities between you and Glenn!)

Ken's Super Duper Band n Stuff:
Feels a bit repetitive at the beginning, but evolves enough over the course of the song to get more interesting. Vocals are a bit off-time right before the synth solo. Mix feels too bright, and a bit lopsided toward the right channel.

Night Sky:
The thumb piano, guitar, and drums, are out of time with each other, and for a song that's so rhythm-driven, it kills the whole thing for me. I feel like a small nudge one way or another on these would make the song a lot more enjoyable.

Phlebia:
Yeaaaaaah, bring the noise! The distorted guitar tone is nice, and I like the cymbals ringing out over the heavy low-mid-tones of the guitar. At times the distorted vocals seem a bit too loud in the mix, could use a level adjustment or maybe just compression / plosive redux? The detuned solo portion is nice. The whole of the drums seems to be off to the right channel a little bit, which wouldn't be a problem if the kickdrum weren't there with it. Since loud, low sounds on one channel used to cause even freshly-pressed stereo vinyl records to buck the needle off the groove and skip, audio engineers in the time of vinyl started mixing loud, low sounds like kickdrum and bass guitar squarely in the middle, and people have grown used to that. If you recorded the drums with a single overhead, consider cloning the track and using low-pass/hi-pass filters to get just the low end of the drums in the center, or just shift the whole drums down the middle. Still a great track. Voted!

Sweeney Toad:
I like the idea, but the execution and the lyrics kill it a bit for me. The "I am scared too" in the chorus breaks the cadence and really breaks the "show don't tell" rule of storytelling. The little typewriter breakdown is a fantastic touch. You lost me when you started talking about the silver buttplug. It moved from funny to TMI.

Deadnettlez:
I'm sure you know this by now, but it's too quiet. You do some interesting things with your vocals. This song feels like it's meant to be a joke, until it hits "what do I need, I need your devotion". It gets serious at times, and you show that you have musical talent, and then you noodle on synths with random notes and do silly beatboxing. I'm interested to see what you could have done if you weren't trolling. I have a feeling we know you by a different name already...

Future Boy:
Amazing work on the keys. The tone of the keys is so satisfying. Everything feels very down-the-center of the mix until the chorus, when the harmony vocals are split across the mix. It's a nice effect, but it would be nice it there was a little bit more spread across the channels outside the chorus. I've spent a good part of the week trying to decide whether I like the "Saints Go Marching In" section, and ultimately I've decided it doesn't work for me. I think it's the line "how I want to hear the thunder", because I don't get what "the thunder" is or why you want to hear it.

Alchemy feat Copernicus:
The chords bouncing back and forth between the channels is nice. Laid back hip-hop backed by jazzy drums and percussion set way back in the mix. Kinda gives me a Flatbush Zombies vibe, especially on the "that northwest breeeeze" line. The lyrics feel kind of generic "blaze it" but I like everything else about this. Ends fairly abruptly. Wouldn't mind more of this track. Voted!

Robyn Mackenzie:
The heavy autopan and tremolo on the rhythm guitar track that plays the same three chords throughout the song makes me feel dizzy to the point of actual physical discomfort, like I'm on a theme park ride that I regret eating right before riding because I'm not sure if I'm going to blow chunks. The vocal harmonies are nice. The solo doing the same tremolo / autopan but at a different time really worsened the dizzying effect. I can't actually finish this one, sorry. I'd love to listen to this again if it were mixed in a way that didn't make me feel this way.

rackwagon:
I was going to say that the vocals are too soft in comparison to the guitar in the "don't believe what the papers tell you" section, but the way the vocals and guitar both get their own time up front and they don't really overlap makes it work and creates a nice effect. The fuzz on the guitar is nice.

Pannacotta Army:
Head bopper. This is mixed really well. Strong wah game, complete with wakachicka section. Lots of different things going on, and a complex song structure. I would hate to be a recording engineer trying to understand the structure of this song to plan it out. Everything works, though. Nicely done. Voted!

Bear Rider:
I like the synth pads, echoey vocals and organ, you manage to create a creepy atmosphere. The monotone vocal melody manages to highlight how you don't always hit the note, which kind of sours it. There's also not a lot of variation in this song either, it pretty much does the same thing for the whole song and never goes anywhere. The vocals also clip a little bit because of the heavy echo. Also, the way you say "lucky chaRm" gives it away that the accent is a fake.

Hot Pink Halo:
Guitar sounds a little hollow until the second guitar comes in. Vocals sound a little hollow too. Might just be the mic you're using? Vocal take is a little rough, at times not quite hitting the note or being on-time. I love the songwriting on this. Reminds me of the Cranberries for some reason. Vocals clip a little right before "when they were up they were up". Vocals are especially rough during this section. Drums sound very flat, every sample seems to be at the same volume, panned the same. Could use some variation in volume from drum to drum, and better yet, from drumbeat to drumbeat, if you're trying to make them sound more human. If you want the drum machine sound, I would at least do a little panning and volume adjustment on individual drums, where possible. I love this song and would love to hear it mixed differently.

Balls to Monte:
Love your vocal style so much. Would love the guitar to pop a little bit more forward in the mix during the hook. Everything seems panned dead center. All the performances are really well done, everything is very clean and on-time, though not to the point of feeling inhuman or over-produced. Would love it if you'd push the eq a bit to bring out the cymbals from the drums.

Lichen Throat:
A bunch of clipping on this. Makes full use of the stereo field. The low end of the frequency spectrum is crowded and it muddies up the sound. The vocals don't quite hit the notes, but it has a sort of goth feel to it.

Brown Word and the Big Noise:
Both thumb piano and wah. Yeet! I like everything going on in this, it feels chaotic in a good way. The thumb piano feels off-time and for such a rhythmic song it gets in the way. The chuggy guitar section with the digital noise is like candy. I like the call-and-response vocal section alternating on the left and right channels. This felt a little bit messy in places, but was otherwise so cool I have to give it a vote. Voted!

JP Nickolas:
Vocals need more work. Guitar tone and performance is really strong, but what seems like a lack of passion in the vocals makes the impassioned and intense guitar sound seem silly when put together. Right before the big guitar solo is a rat's nest of sound, with various guitar takes and vocals that don't quite line up, and without being mixed in a way that makes the various parts distinguishable from one another. I would love to see you collaborate with another songfighter and bring that guitar heat. Actually, wanna collaborate?

Paco del Stinko:
Sounds like more vocal experimentation this week. This experiment REALLY worked. I like that I can hear some amount of breath in the vocal takes, it helps to sell the sleepy psychedelic feel of this. My wife comments "this guy got REAAAAALLY high". This drips with psychedelic rock and I am HERE for it. The dynamic range of this song is really satisfying with all the slow crescendos, and the vocal performance contributes a lot to that, getting more intense as the waves build and crash. Voted!

Glenn Case:
"I've lost track of everything that's gone wrong" whoo, big mood there. Wonderful fuzz on the guitar solo. Fantastic vocal melodies that I've come to expect out of you. I like how you've panned your different vocal takes, it's satisfying. The volume on the backup vocals is great, too, just enough to bring it out far enough to get your attention. Voted!

Pigfarmer Jr:
Lovely little punk piece. Love the feedbacky guitar at the end.

ADD:
Nice warm sound. Love the guitar work here, you've done a good job making each of the guitar parts sound noticeably different and work with each other. This tune reminds me a lot of "Wake Up" by Arcade Fire. The way frequencies are carved out for different parts and the way the different parts intertwine is so nice. This is my favorite of the lot. Great job, dude. Voted!

R. Mosquito:
HAIR METALLLLLL! Guitar / bass are a little out of time with each other. Pigeon what? Love the aesthetic, execution was a tiny bit sloppy.

Nick Soma:
My favorite use of the thumb piano so far. Drums sound a little hollow, like the mic used to record them was inside a cardboard box. Maybe too much high end was rolled off them to make room for thumb piano (and marimba?). Vocal performance is really good and sounds nice. Very soothing song. Good use of echo and reverb that makes it all sound ethereal without feeling like I'm drowning in it. Voted!

Evermind wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 23, 2020 1:20 pm

If you recorded the drums with a single overhead, consider cloning the track and using low-pass/hi-pass filters to get just the low end of the drums in the center, or just shift the whole drums down the middle. Still a great track. Voted!

I've mentioned it in past fights, but I record my drums by laying a single SM-58 Beta on the floor underneath my snare drum pointed at my kick drum.

Good idea, by the way!

I got all the way through rackwagon, when I accidently deleted all of the reviews I had written. My apologies, but here are new, much briefer remarks. Lot of songs, man!

add - Lullaby to churchy campfire song to a warm, patient and mature song. All good.

Alchemy feat. Copernicus - Groovy purples and orange, tan, the vocals sit nicely in the warm. I'll take a hit.

Balls To Monte - Your influences are worn well, not well worn in this easy rocker with a great chorus outro that arrives exactly where needed. Win YEAH!

Bear Rider - The feet walking sequence dents the feel of this moody piece with and effective vocal hook. Like, whoa.

Brown Word and the Big Whine - The horror movie porno start funks into a great psycho mystic jam that rocks your face of. Live band next.

Deadnettlez - Earhorn

Evermind - Sinister heaviness that needs no more than what it has to crush your bones. Mega-volume.

Future Boy - Lovely warmth and elevation to the genuine ending. I feel better.

Glenn Case - On the right side of mope and its's all easy groovin' with taste and hooks. You gotta, like, think positive, dude.

Hot Pink Halo - Simultaneously rainy and sunny day with moments of triumph and thoughts of victory. Time spent would not be in vain.

JP Nickolas - Great ambition that is unfortunately restricted by lack of guitar support. Try this acoustically, voice and guitar. Seioulsy.

Ken's Super Duper Band 'n Stuff - Closer to album track than single with great touches perfect for a band and Mystery Ken video. Right arm.

Lichen Throat - Slower vocals with fewer syllables over the busy-ish tracks would end the competition within itself. Stretch some things out.

Nick Soma - Sorry that the somewhere in Europe outdoor summer concert didn't happen, as this sometimes somber leaning tune would have had the crowd singing along. Judas Priest wants their intro back.

Night Sky - Wah with a slower pan would ooze some sax warmth out in this loose bar jam. You can probably do good Halloween music.

Paco del Stinko - Was gonna do funky weed music, but took a turn down Moody Street. Two amp stereo guitar.

The Pannacotta Army - Even I could dance to this groovy taste fest of good vibe and taffy. This and the whole album it came from should be playing at the party.

Phlebia - The brutal intro is mesmerizing right into the descending death riff of bliss. The monster vocals are better here as pepper than meat.

Pigfarmer Jr - Racing Saturday morning cartoon ride down the highway of darkness without a seatbelt. Bit of Truth at the end.

rackwagon - Colors laid out properly and where they are supposed to be. Warm pulse keeps the chill at bay.

R. Mosquito - Master Of Reality spawn with a vocal that fits sonically, but lacks abandon. Wooly.

Robyn Mackenzie - Cool desert night after a hot desert day, refreshing, stars and sky. Scents of pine in the fire.

Sweeney Toad - Some funny lines in a dark and frosted ice cube tray ridges base. This offers a mental picture of the deliverer.

robynmackenzie wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 21, 2020 4:46 pm

SweeneyToad wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 18, 2020 7:53 pm

if you're taking requests for songs in the style of 90's music i'd like to request something by you in the style of bikini kill next, thanks.

Challenge accepted.

In order of listen:

Sweeney Toad - The delivery could use a little pep, perhaps some sass even. I appreciate the Halloween theme of (teabagging) werewolves. Spooky music.

Pigfamer Jr. - I like this right away. The doubled vox sound good and the hook is a good one. You get a great guitar tone - go wah! Yeah, I'll never forget seeing that standoff playing out day by day on TV until the terrible end. This song does not linger 51 days, it is short and sweet.

R. Mosquito - One must appreciate the crazed Axl Rose intro here. Love that blown-out, filthy stoner tone on the low end and the nasty lead. I will let Geoff know I think you have executed your homage in a suitably metal manner.

The Panna Cotta Army - Light, bouncy, playful music. Well-sung clever lyrics. Catchy as all hell. I like the parts where the music pauses and the lyrics are drawn out. Nice guitar tone (yay wah)! And I never poo-poo the use of horns real or otherwise. All of the instrumentation on here sounds top-notch. Super cool ending, as in smooth.

Glenn Case - Interesting guitar tones on this one. That fuzz on the solo is something I don't hear too often - enjoyed. The multitracked vocals sound great. I know you play your own drums and let me say they sound really good. This is a nice, mellow tune.

Deadnettlez - The quiet song, let's turn up and... well I would've liked to hear more of this at full steam. I notice drums panning back and forth. A cute keyboard piece. Some ambient beatboxing.

Alchemy feat. Copernicus - Those keyboards are smooooth. Decent delivery.

Balls To Monte - The guitars are partcularly well-done. I like your chord progressions immensely. The play between major and minor modality in particular adds interest and mood. This chorus is a good one, kind of a mantra.

Nick Soma - First entry I've noticed having a thumb piano in my listen so far (sorry others if I missed it). Nice to see you back. This takes me to somewhere far away in the 80's only I'm not a kid again but I'm the age I am now. That interlude in the middle nicely breaks up the song.

Ken's Super Duper Band 'n' Stuff - Those keys sort of remind me of Doctor Who, and that's not a bad thing. This has a creepy air about it (again not a bad thing). Catchy chorus. Major bridge is a nice interlude.

Future Boy - The voice is perhaps a little forward in the mix, but then I think that is what you are probably going for. That's the only possible complaint I have for this charming, beautiful, sweet composition. Your voice on the chorus carries me away up into the clouds, and the end is just powerful.

Hot Pink Halo - Your songs often have this airy open quality that I really like. I like your voice, it's very sweet. The percussion is interesting and multi-textural. I love your delivery in the first half of the middle part. The chorus has a very catchy rhythm.

Evermind - Right away I like the percussion and that creepy sweeping sound. Great storytelling/vocal delivery. That bass is a menacing touch - nice! Yeah, this is super creepy and awesome!

Phlebia - Am I biased because I'm supplying the gutteral backup vox on this? No, because this is heavy as hell and and loud and I like it: crazy intro, blasts into bass-heavy, drum-busting fury, then smooth to psychotic vox covering dark subject matter. Hook has been stuck in my head several times since collaborating on this. Nice!

Brown Word and the Big Whine - This is me. I wanted very much to use both kalimba and wah and was fortunate to be able to do so and create something I feel pretty good about. Perhaps as close to a love song as Brown Word has gotten yet.

add - Oh I like this - interesting percussion (what is that scrapey sound - it's really neat). Whimsical and pretty, soothing vocals. So many soft sounds combining to form a wall of sound like being engulfed in a cloud (that is not smoke).

Bear Rider - Synth-heavy, no percussion - this is different (in a good way)! I like the creepy quality and the atmospheric vocals, though the reverb might be a bit heavy (hear a little clipping in my headphones too).

rackwagon - For some reason this reminds me of a more relaxed version of an Echo and the Bunnymen tune I covered recently as part of an 80's showcase. I like your voice, as well as the message. The guitars are a little loud when coming in over chorus. Neat sprinklings of sound over the verses, a good amount of space in this tune.

Lichen Throat - Nice layering in. There he is! Bass or baritone? I like that high-pitched pluck to the right, that cool call and response it has going with the guitar. Ah, I see this song is about pizza - very nice! I miss grabbing food with my pals.

JP Nickolas - The guitars that come in are awesome! That style sort of reminds me some early aughts metal. That middle guitar part is killer. You clearly have hella chops and I love that you're bringing it to Song Fight. More please. I'd say for myself that the vox are always the part I do the most takes on - don't hold back, just let it rip, is advice I've gotten here and I'd say this song would benefit vocally from such an approach.

Paco del Stinko - It's Paco - my favorite Song Fighter, wah-ing it up big time. This one's pretty moody. The juxtaposition of that moodiness with the open, discordant grooving is excellent. Kind of a T-Rex feel there for a sec. Is this about nuclear devastation?

Robyn McKenzie - I love your voice. Your interview on Song Fight Diary was also great btw That ooo-ooo part is absolutely lovely. Kind of reminds me of something off of Dreamboat Annie. The rotary effect is slightly disorienting but that goes away when the vox come in. Other than that I really dig this mellow groove.

Night Sky - Wah sax! I love hearing horns in Song Fight. I like that big room sound. This sounds really retro and cool. Oh my yes, that sax just slayed it - awesome!

add: Bonus points for toad percussion, not just toad-shaped, but toad-sounding. Or is that just a guiro? Anyway, it sounds like a toad, which is inspired for the throat wrecking air quality of late. Nice melodies and lyrics, and I like how all the pieces fit together.

Alchemy feat. Copernicus: Good groove, like the keys. Ends too abruptly.

Balls To Monte: Well-constructed, nice changes, nice melody, and well-performed across the board. You had me dancing around the kitchen while I made Friday night pizza. Granted I was dancing like an old guy in Birkenstocks at a festival, but that’s not your fault.

Bear Rider: I like the lyrics, but the lack of melody in the verse makes it hard to stay with it.

Brown Word and the Big Whine: Kalimba and wah off the bat. Check and check. Like the arrangement overall, but the vocals sound crowded out or a little too far back in the mix.

Deadnettlez: I don’t know what to make of this, it’s nearly inaudible. I get some hints of Thom Yorke locked in the basement, but only if I crank the volume.

Evermind: Pretty pretty please some harmonic motion.

Future Boy: Lyrics do a good job of capturing recent experiences of life in CA. Love the saints go marching in reference in the chorus. Good vocal performance and Rhodes. The organ feels a little too constant in volume to me, but what do I know, I’m not a keys guy.

Glenn Case: Nice. I’m basically just studying what you do to make myself better. But I’m a slacker, so it’s slow going.

Hot Pink Halo: I like the lyrics, but I had to strain to make out the vocals — too much compression and reverb, or maybe recorded too hot? Musically I like it, but it feels crowded to me.

JP Nickolas: Vocal melody seems unsure. Lower rhythm guitar part feels out of time. Higher lead is better, but altogether rhythms fight with other rhythms and pitches likewise. A bit on the long side.

Lichen Throat: Synth parts take up too much space. Can’t hear the vocal, or at least can’t parse it out. That said, the vocal effects work pretty well with your voice.

Nick Soma: Good recognizable Kalimba sound, repeated syncopated rhythm is the most appropriate to the instrument that I’ve heard in this fight. Space around 2:25-2:35 is really nice. Good lead and backing vocals.

Night Sky: Me. This started with the idea of a second line beat, which was kindly (and on short notice) provided by a friendly drummer collaborator. I agree that there’s some time struggle going on, but it’s street beats, so it doesn’t bother me too much. The soprano sax wah was inspired by the side challenge and also King Curtis, who was doing this sort of thing 50 years ago (check out “I Stand Accused” from the Live at Fillmore West album).

Paco del Stinko: I get Lou Reed/VU vibes from this, but that wah isn’t stuck. Good arrangement and dynamics, excellent guitar performances.

The Pannacotta Army: Nice pop sound, good arrangement and performance. I like the guitar leads in particular. Horns noticeably synthy, but not everybody has/is a sax section (hit me up if you want one; I can do SATB and can skip the wah).

Phlebia: I admire your dedication to the project of documenting the trials, tribulations, and especially deaths of the cast of characters of Grey’s Anatomy. Almost blew out my eardrums, though.

Pigfarmer Jr: Catchy and well-executed. David and Tim aren’t the most sympathetic protagonists, so I’m not sure what to make of the lyrics on the whole.

rackwagon: I like this, but it’s a little more depressive than I can handle at this particular point in history. Well-executed, though.

R. Mosquito: Vocals are very stylistically appropriate. Guitars are loud, which I understand to be the point. This isn’t my style, but after a few times through I appreciated the humor. I would buy this as a Spinal Tap! deep cut.

Robyn Mackenzie: I like this. Composition, vocals, and general performance are excellent, as usual. But I would have tried to get to the first chorus about twice as fast. It just takes too long to get to the first harmonic contrast at this tempo. The effects don’t make me queasy in the least; I don’t mean this a faint praise, I just find this critique by others to be utterly mystifying.

Sweeney Toad: Sorry, not a fan of frat guy humor, had a tough time with this one when I listened to the lyrics.

mholland wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 23, 2020 10:19 pm

Evermind: Pretty pretty please some harmonic motion.

gotchu fam