The Song Fight Bulletin Board

HANK. wrote:

j$ wrote:
I imagine Gert will win for all the wrong reasons, so I'm voting for Henley.

Like talent? Crybaby.

No, because Luke Henley wrote the better song - if you love Boltoph that much, why don't you ask him out?

j$ wrote: I imagine Gert will win for all the wrong reasons, so I'm voting for Henley.

TheHipCola wrote:I found that statement to be pretty unclear....judging by reviews and comments so far, there's lots of awesome entries this week...so I was curious to learn what reasons you figure Gert would win wrongly win with. That's all

j$ wrote:Ah I see. Now that's plenty clear enough as is, thanks.

Also if you perused the rest of my reviews, or indeed the one preceeding the one you quote you will see that I don't think there are a lot of 'awesome entries this week'.

j$

Hey Johnny, wasn't talking about your reviews..., but thanks for not answering my question at all.

Anyhow, enough of this..on with the reviews!

Ryan Rickenbach wrote:

insomniac wrote:<b>Ryan Rickenbach:</b> Kumbaya! Sounds like it's exactly what you want it to be.

What?

Translation: I mean that it's a "guy & his guitar" song (yes, you did sing it as a duet with yourself so it's not quite). I don't feel qualified writing a review of that kind of song since there's so many on this site, and after a while they all start to sound the same to me. However, it does sound quite well done for that style, hence I think it probably came out like you had intended it to.

Bit of a tangent, but the same thing apparently doesn't apply to "girl & guitar" songs since I'm a big fan of Henrietta + Hostage's work... No idea why that would be different.

insomniac wrote: Bit of a tangent, but the same thing apparently doesn't apply to "girl & guitar" songs since I'm a big fan of Henrietta + Hostage's work... No idea why that would be different.

Because girls(and guitars) are awesome. Psh.

never mind.

Ryan Rickenbach wrote:Come on now...SF voters are horny for raps that are produced well.

<sarcasm> I guess that explains why FAL has won so many </sarcasm>

insomniac wrote:

Ryan Rickenbach wrote:Come on now...SF voters are horny for raps that are produced well.

<sarcasm> I guess that explains why FAL has won so many </sarcasm>

FAL never wins because their genius escapes the majority of songfight listeners.

I agree with j$: this fight underwhelmed me. Though I suppose it beat raking leaves.

Big Dumb Jerks:
I couldn't get past "i-ii-n a bag". Did you listen to that and think "yeah, I'm happy with how it turned out?" 'Cause if not, then you're a dork for subjecting us to it. The stream of consciousness lyrics forced to fit a melody don't do you or us any favours. And why even bother with the drum kit? If you want some mix advice: crank the drums and bass, and the pan knob is your friend.

Cheap Bastards:
This is sonically interesting and well put together. The shaker really jumped out on my system, but otherwise you got a great balance in the mix. I appreciate the effort even if the song doesn't do much for me.

Clever Intarweb Audios:
If I'm not supposed to hear the words, then you did a good job. Otherwise, they need to be louder, and you need to eq out a little space for them. And make them clearer. And use a little less distortion. And rap about something interesting. Good beat though.

Darrin Sethe:
This is well performed, but poorly mixed. The vox have no body. Sounds like you rolled off everything below 500Hz, which takes the meat out of your voice. Also, I can't hear the kick drum at all. Maybe it's because the bass guitar is way too loud. You could clean this up by scooping out some of the mids on the bass, and finding some of the beater sound on the kick (maybe around 3KHz). Actually, the whole drum kit could be a bit louder.

Flvxxvm Florvm:
The vocal performance is ass. Your tone when you sing "leaf blower of love" is piercing. Annoyingly so. Did you get the guitar distortion by overloading the input on your sound card? You'd get a better, fatter tone with a distortion plugin or even one of the built-in effects in Sound Forge or Cooledit or whatever you're using. I also think the bass is a bit too loud, but it's not muddy or distorted, so that's probably just personal preference.

Fourth Doctor and KGB:
Good beats. And whatever interval you've got going on in the instrumental break is great. Honestly, though, the vocals take away from the groove. This would've been better as an instrumental.

Gert:
Its a song about Leaf. What's not to like?

Johnny Cashpoint:
Great drum sounds, especially the snare. There's a lot going on here, maybe too much. It gets really muddy (muddled?) at 2:30. I think I know what you were going for, but it'd have better effect with a couple fewer instruments that have cleaner definintion. I think the song overall would improve with a rounder bass tone. Something with a little more warmth. The melody and chord change at 0:30 is the best part of the song. I anticipated it again at 1:30, and it was satisfying to hear, if that makes sense.

Location, Location, Location:
This has a great early 90's brit pop feel. Like old Blur or the Sundays. It's a good song overall and I think it just needs a little mix love. I like the drum sounds, but the kick could use a little more punch. You need a better balance between the guitars and vox. The vocals are indistinct (not muddy.. They just don't have any presence,) and the guitars are just a bit too loud. All that said, I think this is my favorite of the fight.

Luke Henley:
Earnest. I like it. I rolled off everything below 250Hz and the vocals popped right out.

Of Science and Numbers:
Good vibe. Really nice harmonies. This song wants some bottom end though. The piano and distorted guitar need warmth, 'cause what you have there sounds pretty harsh. The drum sound needs some work too. I pushed everything above 3K about 6dB, and that cleaned it up a lot (until the end bit). And of course your song is your baby, and everything that goes into it has a purpose. But 5:47 is WAY too long for Songfight. Knowing how to cut is a life skill for writers.

Phunt Your Friends:
Pappy always said if you cain't say sumthin nice, don't say nuthin. So ... um ... you have nice eyes?

Ryan Rickenbach:
I like the song, and love the harmonies. I can't decide about the hard-panned vocals, though. That's Conner Oberst's thing, right? I prefer Elliot Smith's technique, with the doubles panned about 30 degrees. I find hard panning makes the voices too distinct, to the point where I'm distracted by it. And I hope you can take this constructively: The lyrics sound a little forced in places. It's like you wrote prose separately, and made it fit the melodic structure. Specifically in "another day has passed me by," the way you draw out "another".

The Poor:
This has some good parts. And some really bad parts. Whatever you did with the vocals up to 1:30 is painful (delay panning? abused stereo enhancer?) The Sigur Ros tribute ... er, breakdown ... at 2:00 is nice. But the meta-lyrics at 3:50 destroy any good will from me you might have built up. I skipped everything after you pegged my meters at 4:47. What did I miss?

Those Meddling Kids:
I like this enough, but it really needs a mix doctor (and you need a pop screen for your mic.) The drums could be louder (except the cymbals), the vocals clearer, and the bass needs a lot more presence. I also find the organ in the chorus (?) unbalances the mix. Some interesting stuff going on, but in the end nothing that overly excites me.

Gert! gert gert gert.

suggested faq change.

Song Fight is a free Web site where Internet musicians enter their work into competition. Every week several titles are provided, the competitors write a brand new song inspired by the title of their choice, and the message board erupts into a heated debate about the validity of one of the groups or musicians while people vote to make political statements or to signify that they thought an entry was the best song for its given title.

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No place in the review thread!

Big Dumb Jerks- Occasionally, your chorus makes me laugh. I feel you on playing with midi since I do that constantly, but I think this is pretty basic stuff and your vocals and production aren't stellar either. But if you're interested in this, keep up with it and whatnot. I think this track easily has potential to be a funnier track if it was shorter. I'd also suggest converting the midi tracks to audio and then running some plug ins on them to at least be weird electronic sounds or slightly reverby midi. Somebody phunted the difference to me last week and it was astounding. Most midi programs seem to have at least some plug in feature.

Cheap Bastards- Awesome intro. Mighty Mouse type thing is greatly sampled, explosions too. Nice. Those fit your mellow mood perfectly somehow and that is admirable. I like the taken aback quality I always find in the vocals, if you know what I mean. It almost sounds like you're surprised at the lyrics each time you start a new clause. hehe. I really like the way this is arranged and I think the samples and vocals are working together enough to carry the music. Crazy music would have thrown this over the edge in my opinion. As it is, I still really enjoy it, but I'm glad it ended when it did, given that I didn't see it going anywhere else. That sounds belligerent. This track got my hopes up for the fight. It was good.

Clever Intarweb Audios- The different rap voice is really hard to hear for that first bit (at like 00:56), but then it hits full on and is partially unintelligible. It interestingly strikes me as gibberish with some unique flow. It ends before it can overstay a welcome. You do a good job with the chopped up talking percussion but I think that should me higher in the mix just a tad... I think this review would sound nicer if I didn't always hear this song right after Cheap Bastards'.

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This week turned out to be very electronic!
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Darrin Sethe- I think you sound slightly similar to Smalltown Mike's badass funk voice. The back up vocals that kick in around the one minute mark are pretty well-hidden. I'd try to bring them out from behind all of that rocking. I was wishing that this rocked a little more when I first heard it. Like with a crazy kickout drum solo or big guitar blast...to really sock it to that obnoxious blower of leaves, and then BAM guitar solo. But I still think that could get a little wilder. Maybe if it was just faster or had some drums. I mean everything sounds awesome but it's so laid back. I feel like this should be a song with the attitude that it's about to kick somebody's ass. But ya, interesting. Alternatively, I could see it being interesting if you hyped up how nonchallant and above the leafblower you are. Make it even funkier and add a hint of condescending amusement to those vocals.. hmm, but good track.

Flvxxxvm Florvm- This isn't Latin! This has the attack that I was yearning for on the last track. I'm accepting the dirtiness of the vocals because they fit in a funny sort of way with this psychotic come on. And then you go all crazy foreign country music around 2:10 hehe What does that have to do with this song? I picture a guy dancing really spasmodically and trying to impress me. The fade out seems inappropriate.

Fourth Doctor and KGB- That voice is really creepy in the good way. Also, the controlled panning catches me right off the bat. The song is a little heavy on the left but that fixes after a while. The scratchy quality of that percussive beat in the left is okay too. I think it fits the ambiance of the track. Oh, and this rising synthy business works too. The song is so cheesy-creepy and that voice (which reminds me of Sandcastle Surgery in some of his non SF tracks) is really funny in, again, a cheesy sort of way. 2:30 always seems like the end and we go on one more loop but that stuttering voice always sounds creepier on that last run. Like an engine dying. haha, funny and creepy.

Gert-You guys are too badass. Most of the time, listening to grown up men talking about sex is just embarassing. But somehow you guys make it badass. Pink skirt reference and a not-over-the-top reference to the cowbell from earlier in the song. This is so dirty. Get it? His name is Leaf! Plus, I'm still of the opinion that you guys really do shine more as a supergroup than as individuals because you really get to focus on being super cool at a couple things. So there are always like a dozen things going on. I want his skins to make my midi grittier! That's not a come-on. Err.. look: did you just hurdy gurdies? That's not a percussive instrument but I hardly care! I wouldn't even mention it if I wasn't in love with hurdy gurdies. Who is saying "Bring that beat back?"

Johnny Cashpoint- I like that drastic break from the guitar to the synth with no drums. You made a great transition from the Gert song. Your chorus makes good use of tinny Jpoint vocals and cadence without overdoing it and then you're back to that slower descriptive voice. It's a good narrative and sometimes it feels like the instruments are speaking with you. There are a lot of abrupt transitions in this song and I can get with all of them. Distorted vocals are kooky and I haven't been focusing on the lyrics but I bet they're justified lyrically somehow. This will probably garner a few votes for variour reasons of differing quality.

Location, Location, Location- Okay, guitar is doing something up front in your intro and it keeps up, but the vocals feel a little underscored in the mix. The main vocals seem like they're at about the same volume level as the backups. Maybe bring that up a notch. On a more subjective note, this song feels a little wimpy. Beef it up with less predictable drums and some meaner audio quality on the vocals or guitar. Give something a bite and I'd be hooked. As it is, I feel like it wafts uneasily in the pop of yesteryear, but I don't really know if I'm right about that description...that circling synth end is an interesting choice.

Luke Henley- I'm spoiled with a constant deluge of Luke Henley songs and I really overlooked how amazingly honest and beautiful this song is when I first heard it. Hearing it amidst all these songfight tracks brings something of that natural beauty back out. There's something so authentic about the vocals and guitar. Before this review, I felt like I was always demanding that songs be more badass. Here is a song with a very wimpy subject that is clearly badass in a whole different way. I still feel like the guitar and vocals sound like they're on separate tracks, and I can't figure out what would do that... must be in my head. Way to go, Luke Henley.

Of Science and Numbers- The intro is fine and the first appearance of vocals meets it to make me worry, "Uhoh! Styx is submitting to songfight!" but no. That comparison doesn't last. I like that the keys are so dirty but I think the dirtiness of the vocal recording doesn't match somehow. These vocals demand to be a little more crisp and boomy. Given the recording quality you've got, I think you double it with the backup pretty well. When the volume comes up, that's a good level and it is pretty boomy. The hard panning is a bit much, but who am I to say that? The song gets pretty repetititive. It seems like that 3:50 guitar should come in faster and be higher in the mix and really carry me away from the other instruments and rock. Wow. I didn't realize this last part was the same song on previous listens ... even though it has the exact same chorus. Ya, I think this is a good ending segment for the song but it should've come sooner. And fading out is lame, especially after picking up the tempo so drastically!

Phunt your Friends-aaaaaaaaaa ooooo ooooOOOOOOO aaaaaaaaaAAAAAAHH oooooOOOoOOOoooooAAAAAAAAHHHHAAHAHHH!!ooooooohhh oohhhhAAAHHHH HHHHooooooooOOOOHHHH

poor- okay, dude. I don't know what to do. You've got this orgy of sound with some ugly characters... and I feel more like it's a big ugly orgy that happened to feel good at times, but it made me feel dirty afterwards and pretty much ashamed of being involved... The first part of this made me really happy and like wow! The recording quality on the vocals could be crisper blah blah whatever. The Ouaah ouahhh thing before the explosion is cool too. The doo ya do ya? segment quickly followed by bad rapping that feels stapled to the first part of the song is tragically bad to my ears. I was loving that first part. The beat was fun and the vocal melody was grand and yay, but the rap is shitty. The breakdown goes all newagey panning and then you go and make me enjoy the track again. You've got Novox going there. And this segment is great. Weird spaced out guitar introduced by a robot with a bad case of mispronunciation .. but why the hell is it in the same song??! This part of the song reminds me a lot of the melody of the robot vocals on that deranged robot entry earlier this year. . . Swedish is kind of funny, but I don't feel like the track is supposed to be funny because the music has just been good and the funny has not been funny until now... AND YOU CRAZY FLIP OUT CHANGE AGAIN. that segment would have sounded great as part of another piece. People say Phunt sounds disconnected... but see, it's this sort of track that really lacks connection. People have to hear a difference between some of these leaps and what we do... right? Your last segment is super heavy on the left ear. But you really remind me of a band I've been listening to a lot recently (Dionysos)... You sweep in with a song that feels like five or six songs copy pasted together timing at 8 minutes this week to steal our pissing-people-off throne, perhpas. You might deserve it. I like the last switch transition a lot too, but I hate the meta explanation/fake apology.

Ryan Rickenbach- This is catchy and fun guitar being played here alongside some catchy and fun vocals. While I've been telling everybody to get cripser vocals, you've got them. . . poppy. I don't know what to tell you since you pretty much nailed this song on the head.

Those Meddling Kids- Put a band name in your id3 tags cause I'm sick of doing it for you. You are totally awesome. Way to percuss and rise to the challenge of singing. Your reluctant vocal tracks are not as bad as you claim they are before hand. They add an upbeat quality that's missing from some of your instrumentals. But there's a zany quality to all your compositions that mirrors that upbeat quality and it makes for great play in some of the mixes.

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way to go, gang.

if i offended anyone in gert with my comments, i apologize, as that was not my intention. gert was just the most recent example of a point i was discussing, but none of the comments were directed towards anyone in particular. if anyone has an issue with what i said, feel free to PM me as i'd rather not clutter up this thread any more on the matter.

HANK. wrote:
Quote:
j$ wrote:
I imagine Gert will win for all the wrong reasons, so I'm voting for Henley.


Like talent? Crybaby.


No, because Luke Henley wrote the better song - if you love Boltoph that much, why don't you ask him out?

JDollar: CRYBABY. Not only are you a crybaby, you're an ambiguous crybaby, like a child who hasn't learned to speak yet. Your ambiguity allows other people to articulate an intelligent opinion for you.

Jack: Thanks for making sense of this for me. Though personally I think the supergroup idea is great, high-talent people who come together to create good music.

Sorry for cluttering up this thread with this, Johnny Dollar gets me a little pissed.

Egg wrote:Who is saying "Bring that beat back?"

That's a Public Enemy sample...and uh...one of the members of Gert joining them cause he thought it was actually Smalltown Mike on the guide track he, uh, I, used...

deshead wrote: I think the song overall would improve with a rounder bass tone. Something with a little more warmth..

Hmmm, interesting. I was trying a different technique with the mixing (i.e. bouncing all the music down into one track - which is something Blue suggested in a thread a while back, only I probably misunderstood / got it wrong) I thought the overall result is it sounded thin / a little tinny in the mix - maybe I was just mistaking a lack of bass warmth - could I get away with exciting the bass part in ozone before mixing it all together, do you think (you have always proved to be very good at that side of the things) or should I abandon the grouping idea altogether?

Any suggestions there would be appreciated.

j$

Big Dumb Jerks: Call me dumb, but I love this! The melody is totally speaking my language, and I’m always a sucker for crummy keyboard sounds, especially when they’re so catchy. Now, let’s see if anyone can top this slice of understated lo-fi brilliance.

Cheap Bastards: These keyboards are a lot fuller and also fairly catchy, but the vocal is working against them in what strikes me as a generally un-catchy manner.

Clever Intarweb Audios: Awesome band name, for starters. Guitars grinding in the background are neither threatening nor coy, so why bother? Re-do the mix and make them tear people’s faces off, is my suggestion.

Darrin Sethe: Swampy, sweaty, filthy, raw, disgusting. I kind of like it. Sounds like it was made by a band that gets really hammered in the afternoon, beats each other up with car parts in the evening, then calls up the trailer park whore to make amateur porn all night. Can’t be all bad.

Flvxxvm Florvm: Thought I might like this until the vocal came in. It is badly recorded and way too loud in the mix. That is really working against it, because the “criminally insaneâ€

I'm often underwhelmed, so this fight will do just fine!

Gert - I'm really just catching like, the "unk" words. Ah, there's clearer vocals. This is just like a little too thick-necked for me, and the rhyming is like silly past the "we're having fun" silly vibe. It's more just like, silly in the wrong way. On top of that though, performances are obviously top notch and the production is great and everything, but the actual song itself don't get me steppin' just quite. But I wish it did. Aw, and now you're name-dropping yourself. Fuckin' supergroups!

Big Dumb Jerks - This sounds totally deflated, like this balloon wherein you can see what it's supposed to be, but it's just this limp shapeless form on the ground. There's a way to use that kind of energy, but here it just sounds like you're content to mill around in it. You don't have a leaf blower to blow the leaves? Well that's a right fucking shame.

Johnny Cashpoint - You sound more pissed this week. In the beginning, now there's fauxnky tonk keyboard goin'. This started off sounding much more insidious than it's shaping up to be. I guess it's a nice change-up, but it also just kind of befuddles me. Alright this ranty bridge is where I think your song is, you know what I mean? Like that's the energy I think you're at your best in.

Darrin Sethe - That panning at the beginning made me squint my eyes closed really hard because I kind of have this hell of a headache. These vocals are kind of South Park, and it sounds like the band's playing on the second floor balcony looking down at the vocalist who's on the ground level. The music and vocals are like two separate entities instead of complimentary forces.

The Poor - The problem here is that this sounds like a totally sane person trying to sound insane, so it comes out kind of awkward. But the sort of muffle on the vocals works well. Aw no, what did you do. Your song turned into a rap parody. And with the- god dammit what are you doing. This is like, I mean, I just can't wrap myself around this in any way which is off-putting because there are parts that I really like, like this spacey bit with the robot voice (which is fucking great), but then you shit it up with some really poorly-executed ideas. I like this piano a lot, for example, but I'm nervous it's going to be followed up with like a salsa. Ok, you're more subtle this time but like you're fucking this up with making fun of it in your vocals and I just don't know why you're making fun of it. Aw jesus, and what is this. God dammit, Poor.

Flvxxvm Florvm - Noodley. But not very much substance. The vocals and lyrics are just harsh and goofy and awkward. There's nothing wrong with a little sincerity every once in a while.

Luke Henley (me) - I don't know what to say. Luke's lovesick and confused, blah blah I made this up as I went along and it's only three chords.

Ryan Rickenbach - Hey, wait a minute, this is like a million times better than the other work I've heard from you. Your vocals sound really honest and sweet and just, like, this is really great. This is the sincerity I'm talking about, I have no doubts that this song was made for a reason you know? A reason that's important to you, therefore making it important to me. And these harmonies are fantastic.

Phunt Your Friends - Egg's wail is getting heartier. And his guitar is less rambley? How did all this happen? Made all that money from your last effort and now you can afford some lessons? Anyway, the chaos is still there, but dare I say that the Phunt are evolving?

Location, Location, Location - This opening really drags me in, the way the parts all play off each other. This has a great 90s indie vibe, like Guided by Voices status. I like it, it banks on nostalgia but not in a lame way. I could pack my bags and hit the road to this song, you know?

Cheap Bastards - That is a harsh buzz, in a good way. Actually I'm going to be disappointed if this doesn't continue to bug the shit out of me. Yeah, alright, this is upsetting in all the right ways. Dark without being overbearing, melodic without being obsessed with itself. I like it for certain. The Mighty Mouse clip is creepy, like a big swooping hawk.

Of Science and Numbers - I sort of expected where this was going from the opening. Like, it has a pretty conventional vibe. But, you use the convention well, I mean it doesn't disappoint the listener. This is, once again, sincere sounding which is welcome. And these harmonies are nice. This is actually quite sweet, though I'd like to hear it build itself up a bit more. Ah, some guitar, but still it's distant like the rest of the music. And I mean, it's a bit cheesy. But cheesy in that relatable way, so that works. Ah, there's that muffled drum I was kind of waiting for. Yeah, this fills out in all the ways it should, but doesn't do much more. Well jesus, you sure wait till the end to fulfill the power pop prophecy and become all that this song was begging for you to become at the beginning. I bet people'd be all over this shit live.

Those Meddling Kids - Yeah, this is really great. It stays tight, though it threatens to just fall apart out of sheer desparation and surpressed energy. It's taut through and through. Like you're worried you won't be able to get all the words out there in time. Good things all around, and it even makes me feel kind of good.

Fourth Doctor and KGB - Ha, nice little German industrial whispery hiss. I want this to be really great, but I can't tell where it will end up. Which, you know, is good. It's fun so far, really does remind me of like KMFDM or Einstreinzeinsdiansidniasnidn Neubaten (I don't fuckin' remember the first word for real). Ok, the "blower thrower" rhyme is just not that good, and yet it occured to like everybody. These vocals, in fact, are kind of goofy again in the "doesn't fit with the song" way. I mean, the song's goofy too, but not like "let's make fun of it" goofy. I don't know, maybe it is.

Clever Intarweb Audios - I guess this sounds good, but I don't really get what it's doing. It exists, purposeless to me, I can't tap into its context.

jack wrote:well, i could be making an assouttauandme for saying this but i think johnny's "all the wrong reasons" comment deals more with the idea of "the songfight supergroup" than anything else. when you have five guys that post regularly, blog about it, and pretty much won't shut up about it on the boards leading up to the song being posted, it doesn't make for a very level playing field for the rest. it's certainly been done many times before (see the frontalittle squad), so it's certainly nothing new, and in some ways it's not really fair as the song itself is usually well done, and competitive enough to earn a win. it's just a sort of perceived tainted win i guess. it's sort of like perceived ADVANCE friend flooding.

it's just the perception from many is that such a win is a result of good marketing and networking as opposed to a level playing field. of course it's stupid to whine about it, as nothing is at stake beyond pride.

i'm not dissing gert. i like gert. i like making fun of gert. but i think johnny makes a somewhat valid point.

in my humble opinionated opinion.

Was it advanced friend flooding when Bloody Hams did Gift with Purchase? Give it a break.

I haven't been on SF in over a month for exactly these reasons that I see displayed in this review thread.

Gert is 6 guys collabing cross country, which in itself is no easy feat. Ego management, musical space management, lyric management and just generally trying to create the best song for the title. We just want people to listen and give honest critcisms. Not this tainted board politics crap. Do us all a favour and try to just vote for the best tune for the title. This tune is about Leaf and how Gert is comprised of a bunch of Leaf blowers. We have fun making the music together and endeavour to impress the community with our pooled talents. Who cares about winning. We of Gert vote for the best tune for the title and not our own and we don't mass email about it either. It's about making great steaming piles of art. Give it a rest.

i did. i deleted my post. people are getting way to bent over LITERALLY NOTHING.

Ye Olde reviews.

Big Dumb Jerks
The drums could be left out altogether I think, with some string samples instead. The higher, wavery vocal notes continue to set a sort of comical vibe. It reminds me of an old guy on his porch in a yard covered with leaves and he's drinkin. He's drinkin because he's way bummed out about how much work it would be to clear the leaves. so much for that lawn...too much work...like too much work to add much needed instrumentation and developing that vocal line.

Cheap Bastards
I like the dark, big sound of the instruments, and the randomness, the twisted chaotic "save the day" (I think that's what it says). The spaciousness of the vibe, a mellow coat of smooth gravy, like walking backwards through a hazy summer daydream. That's how this makes me feel, I dig that part of the feeling. It's like a descriptive tune about leaf blower ecstasy and elation, saving the day (and my back) from an acre-raking-oak-maple-nightmare.

Clever Intarweb Audios
I dig the groove and some of the vocal rhythms, the bits that seem like foreign language. I could rock out to this, only because I rolled last night and it's still lingering, I'm rocking out in my chair now to a solid backbeat. The background guitars have a blowing, motorized sound. Reminds me of a chainsaw. or a leaf blower. I love a good beat. When there's not a good song, at least it helps to have a good beat.

Darren Sethe
First thing that grabs me is the rockin groove, I like the change to that descending chord progression in the chorus. The wah guitar has a Jerry Cantrell feel that I really like as well. The vocal is low cut obscenely though, wish it had a little more body so I could make out the vowel and consonant sounds more. The whole mix needs more work. Eq that shit right and proper.

Flvxxvm Florvm
It's like techno with vintage Jefferson Airplane guitar work. I like the lyrical connection in the chorus, to "leaf blower of love". I would rather hear just ripping pentatonics triads or fifths in the guitar solo instead of the modal/harmonic minor stuff. The galloping beat has got momentum but it could use a change at some point, I think. But the vocal tone seems to be clipping, kinda harsh...um...hi-ho Silver, just keep on galloping.

Fourth Doctor and the KGB
I like your name. I'm getting horny listening to this tune. I have to admit it. I want to mix in audio samples of sexy chicks moaning, with this, right now. That would be too perfect. Without those samples, this song just doesn't make my playllist. And a lady with a southern drawl doing the main vocal instead of the guy would be much preferred. Just my opinion.

Gert
This was headed up by three guys who grew up together, Smalltown Mike, The Hip Cola, and Leaf. It's much different than anything else we've done. I wish more like-minded songfighters would meet up and start online bands. But anyway, it's always my privilege to make music with these guys in Gert.

Johnny Cashpoint
I kinda like parts of this. It's an interesting mix of sound, a little busy at points. The guitar tone is harmonically rich, but messy. Could've skipped that whole intro, doesn't really feel like it fits with the song. The straight 1/4 note verse vocal would probably hit harder with more edge in the vocals or something. Would've left out the guitar noodling in the bridge part.

Location, Location, Location
Finally, that female vocal I needed so badly to hear. If the one I think is a girl, is a guy, I don't even want to know. You and Fourth Doctor have made me so glad I'll be seeing my girl tonight. Anyway, this is the best song so far. I like the melancholy Beatles vibe and the sustaining open notes in the right guitar especially. Vocals took long to come in, that's my main complaint. Bring the vocal up too, in the mix. Save the extra reverb on the vocal, for a specific part or line, too. Like for just the chorus. I love the answer "the wind is blowing".

Luke Henley
Well, I'm a sucker for a sweet longing melody, fed with true honest feeling. I'm talking about a deeper meaning to the song, written in the lyrics, so non-explicit that it just creates an image of walking down the road, some landscapers running leaf blowers, and there's some emotion stirring in my heart, the leaf blower is a side effect, white noise creating a barrier between my thoughts and my internal reflection of my thoughts, just enough to actually have a clear moment of recollection, nostalgia.

Of Science and Numbers
This would make a great ending track for an album. It's an interesting take on the title, and I like the warm melody. It could use a change in the chords, more vocals to illustrate the story, but the dynamic contrasts and changes are great. The band sounds good when everything opens up, I'm still wanting a change in the melody, but I enjoy the vibe and even though this is one of the most repetitive songs I've ever heard, it's got some catch. Like a Gloucester fisherman, every day blurring into another.

Phunt Your Friends
It's like a madman running wild through his leaf covered yard, absolutely riveted by the leaf blower! He was out there all day just blowing leaves everywhere. First to the right side, then to the left. By the end of the day there are more leaves in his lawn then when he started, and he's bummed. He just spits on the ground and goes inside for some hard drinkin.

Poor
whoa! nuclear war meets Vaudeville! The entertainment / humor value definitely counts for something. I like the "I'll tell you what we'll do". That kills me. The rap after that part...uh...humor value, up, yes. The breakdown reminds me of something from Pink Floyd's Echoes...but out of place here. I don't quite get the significance of these different sections. But some interesting production points, from the stereo processors to the beats.

Ryan Rickenbach
My favorite parts are the ooo's, there'r some good folk hooks too, that I really like. I want to say I like the doubled vocal but it feels a little much at some points in the verses, almost like you got two heads, both singing on either side of me! Might consider mixing them closer together a little, and dropping one of em a bit. I like the line about kicking the leaves because they can't kick you back. Very folky, and hooky for a folky piece.

Those Meddling Kids
I like the guitar chords and some of the changes definitely grab me a bit, and it's pretty good use of a very potentially choppy drum beat. Feels like it's a guitar orchestra. The ending was a bit predictable and it almost felt like the song sort of had nowhere to go at the end. Could've built up way more, but I hear the idea and I like it.

Favs: Location, Location, Location; Luke Henley; and...

I'm not voting in this fight, I'm far too biased at this point. My love of Leaf is too strong....but I never realized that ego management was needed in Gert. Except for when I give Tonetripper shit if his bass line is not sounding as tight as his ass looks...

I think songfight needs more supergroups!! Egg's comment is dead on... when a group of musicians pool resources... good shit happens. for me, it's better cause sharing the vibe is just so much fun! Like the difference between masturbation and group sex I suppose... ok , maybe not.


Anyway, this topic comes up each time Gert enters, and then EVERYONE gets upset and complains and fights and argues... good god!! It's like this is our life or something... haha! Anyway, on one hand, I feel very complimented by this attention, and explainations that contain comments like "well, you're all really good so it's not fair" make me feel pretty damn fine, and so I thank you. I had a ball hockey team...we had a lot of fun, and lost every game. for three seasons straight. We really enjoyed hockey, but we sucked compared to the other teams. Badly. Now, this is not the actual metaphorical comparison, but this type of bullshit we're starting makes me wonder if some people (not Gert from what I can tell so far, through internal discussions) are feeling like that. So again, thanks for the validation!

Still, the thing is, I sit in the position of having collabed with Gerts and Moslen Twins and carvans and leablit and bloody hams and god, a ton of other people. Seriously, put all the people I've collabed with in a bucket and weight it...it's like a metric tonne or 3!! Easy. So I know the people in Gert and out a little better than just through SF message boards. .. and remember , Mike, Hipcola and I knew each other for years...over 16 !! TT has been buds with Hipcola for 10 years or more. Fuck. This is actually Des' and Boltoph's fault man...they are the new ones man... haha just kidding...

Still, I was also confused by Johnny's comment as much as the hipcola was... I don't get it. I mean, the implication is that there are "right" reasons., and damn it, I'd like to know what those are! I think it's to tally reasonable for HC to ask, and I think Jack's response is totally fine, as he's just pointing out the reality that some people experience.
EVERYONE THINKS DIFFERENTLY. And I'm personally not pissed at anybody. Fuck it's a message board, post your message, just no more mean bitches kicking guys in the nads please. (a request, not a rule! )

Structures like songfight and other communities formulate rules...much better political theorists than I could explain it better. however, there is no rule currently that you shouldn't talk about how much fun your having, how much you're enjoying your tune, making it, the people you happen to be working with that day.
There is no rule currently that you can not collab. Hell, there is no rule that you can't friend flood, and honestly, lately I think everyone should friend flood...share the wealth goddamnit! It's seriously crossed my mind... why are people anti-friend flooding? the first fight, I told like ten people I knew, and "tj's chillum" got like 7 votes, and three were from me cause I didn't know better!! I have my own standard on voting now, and it isnt' forumlated by some browbeaten standard on the message board. Don't vote more than once. Vote for what I consider the best song. That includes if it is me. I don't care what everyone else thinks or does. Do what you want. The songfight songs I enjoy the most in my everyday life are chosen cause they won some imaginary contest. It's cause I liked them.

So, thick skin people. We are all musicians, we all have egos, we all have our own visions... quite worrying about vote numbers and friends and number of members in a band and start thinking about me. That's right, this fight is supposed to be about me for christ sakes. Wake up. I better hear more songs about me in this fight, cause god damn it, if it isn't about me, it ain't worth listening too...and that will be reflected in my reviews...


Get a sense of humour too... if we happen to win, by 1 vote or 60, for sure I"m gonna be proud ... but I'm already proud of this tune, I don't need no fantasy win to tell me that I enjoyed making this, I enjoy listening to it.

I'm gonna have to wait to review...but listening to this fight last night while cleaning up my new studio space was enjoyable. So I'm sure reviewing will be too.

Wow. that was long, even for me.

boltoph wrote: Except for when I give Tonetripper shit if his bass line is not sounding as tight as his ass looks...

I love it when you tell me my ass looks tight. I wore these jeans just for you B. Reviews to follow.

And a lady with a southern drawl doing the main vocal instead of the guy would be much preferred. Just my opinion.

Ouch. That wasn't a guy. That's worth a ROFL or two.

deshead wrote:
Big Dumb Jerks:
I couldn't get past "i-ii-n a bag". Did you listen to that and think "yeah, I'm happy with how it turned out?" 'Cause if not, then you're a dork for subjecting us to it. The stream of consciousness lyrics forced to fit a melody don't do you or us any favours. And why even bother with the drum kit? If you want some mix advice: crank the drums and bass, and the pan knob is your friend.

There is a line of constructive critizism, and insulting. Our songs may not be the best, a lot of them a funny songs. I prefer geek and not dork, by the way.