The Song Fight Bulletin Board

ofscienceandnumbers wrote:Hat, Jolly, Milo, Rage, and Eric,
Jolly and Rage, I think the fact that both of you used the words "you guys" in your reviews is among the biggest compliments I've yet received on my music. I appreciate that.

Yeah man it sounds good!

jackfrost wrote:how long is the voting period for this one? does it end thursday when the next song is due, or is it going to be longer than 2 days? it would be helpful to know when the "polls" close, because i don't usually review on my first listen.
thanks.

Due to only 12 votes being received by the deadline, voting will be extended until Sunday to give everyone a fair chance to have a listen or two...

SPUD

If that means I get a few more days to finish this weeek's song, then thank you all you non-voting people! :)

But, really, y'should vote.

obscurity wrote:If that means I get a few more days to finish this weeek's song, then thank you all you non-voting people!

But, really, y'should vote.

It does not. The songs are in.

Bugger.

I really dig Melvin's tune this week. Sweet.

Return of the Audio Reviews

I haven't actually listened to these. I'm pretty sure there's some cursing.

Intro
Billy's Little Trip
Dublin Duck Dispensary
Flapjack
Four Zombies and a Clown
Hello Blue Monday
Jeff Travis Henderson
Klownhole
Lord of Oats
MC Eric B
Melvin
The Nunrapers featuring Rusted Dildo
Of Science and Numbers
Paco del Stinko
PiGPEN
Puadxe
Ralph Makes Music
Ross Durand
Senza Valore
Steve Durand
Suburban Bear Quadrant
veGetar Ianra Ge
The Weakest Suit
The White Hat
Outro

Edit: New and improved! Now with stream all.

Lord of Oats wrote:I'm pretty sure there's some cursing.

Especially if your song rules.

Lord of Oats wrote:Return of the Audio Reviews

Jim Gaffigan reviews on SongFight! ....thats awesome!

Lord of Oats - No, I did not use any samples in my song. For the chorus, I layered the vocals and on one layer I used Pro Tools to make my voice lower, so it has a harmony type sound to it, to make the chorus stand out more.

- Eric

Lord of Oats wrote:Return of the Audio Reviews

I haven't actually listened to these. I'm pretty sure there's some cursing.

Klownhole

I listened to your song, and it's really great (reviews to come after I am done travelling). To your point about people thinking your song is "gay" after hearing our song, your song isn't gay. It may be gayer than ours. Or depending upon how homo-erotic you think heavy rock is, perhaps ours is gayer. Doesn't matter, they are both good songs.

Well, I seem to be announcing all over the place that I'm heading out of town today, but I wanted to stop in here to say thanks for the reviews so far and sorry that I am unable to write any this week. Whether it is a responsibilty or not, I feel obligated to do them. I'm not sure, but I think that I may have more reviews written than songs submitted, and I'm almost at 40 regular fight entries. So I guess that I won't beat myself up too badly, though. Thanks again.

Oatsy - If I remember to, I will go whole hog on the wah next time. Not out of spite, but rather, out of love.

Lord of Oats wrote:Return of the Audio Reviews
I haven't actually listened to these. I'm pretty sure there's some cursing.

The reviews are very personable, if a little distracted and unfocussed at times. My favourite moments were during the Klownhole, vegetarian and ... was it blt reviews? Where you dissolve into a glowing cascade of appreciation.

You're right about the intro and outro music, but *don't issue challenges for 2-day fights in the outro!*
Oh, you made a sidefight. Cool.

Lord of Oats wrote: Billy's Little Trip

I cracked up at this audio review. "I don't know what's going on here, that's an engine, right?"
You know, as this song finished up, it seemed to sort of blend together more than I wanted it to for some reason, but turned into something newer and bigger than I started out trying to do. Instrumentally each part is pretty cool and so much of it is lost in the final production. This is a two guitar song and I really wanted to let each guitar help score the images that I was trying to present, right down to the harmonics in the bridge that sound kind of like a car horn honking and engines revving.
But you hit it on the head, it's a driving song. Thanks for the review LOO.

Lord of Oats wrote:Return of the Audio Reviews

It's cool to get criticism that focuses on soloing techniques. Back in the 90's all my hipster musician friends had to pretend to not know anything about scales and stuff, lest they be accused of being outdated hair metal shredder wannabes. I'm kinda glad that era is over.

ISTR the first solo is mixolydian. Glad you liked the tone, even if you found it digital, by which I figure you mean it doesn't sound like it ever came through an amp and speaker. That is in fact true. The lead sound is basically an Ibanez tube screamer pedal straight into the computer.

Thanks for the reviews so far.

white hat wrote:A bit heavy on the Shel Silverstein

Reference entirely intentional of course. I didn't really have this book growing up. I was kinda of confused when some kids performed it as a skit for "Forest" week when I was teaching outdoor ed about 15 years ago. Seemed quite strange and I'd never thought of it like that. Even weirder that their counselor didn't intercept it as being sort of backwards.

milothefultz wrote:Neil Diamond. Neil Diamond. Neil Diamond.

I know I know I know - my voice just does that.

The lyrics make me think.

Thanks very much - that's about one of the best reviews I can get.

spinlock wrote:I *really* like this song, apart from two things. The part that goes "and I guess I feel bad" - I can't make out the harmony at this point. Could be deliberate, but if it is, I don't really like it. And the first word 'like', which makes me think it's a metaphor, but then it seems to turn out you're actually talking about a tree the whole time. (Or have I missed a subtlety?)

I'm glad you like it so much - see my note above Re:Shel Silverstein - so in verse 2 I extend the tree thing to the earth: water in veins, food torn from skin, juices from within (oil). As far as the backing vocals - this is what time pressure does.

LORD OF OATS:
Yep, both tracks recorded separately. For the guitar, I used a Samson C02 pencil condenser at the 12th fret set back about 6 inches, and a Behringer B-1 large-diaphragm condenser near the bridge set back about a foot. Vocals were then sung directly into the B1.

On iTunes:
I got on through the digital distribution management of CDBaby. They charge $35 to set up your digital account, which ships your stuff out to like 30 or so digital distributors.

Total money earned using digital distro: $0.42

That's right. Twelve paid plays on Napster and not a damn cent from itunes. Admittedly, I haven't been promoting or anything and I'm not exactly a big hit, so it's to be expected. Ultimately, it's up to you and how much you think you can sell or how much you just want to be able to say "I'm on iTunes."

On the Chorus:
"I know this ain't some free market situation / but you can't monopolize my time
And yes, I understand it's hand-in-hand, / cat got tongue, your body on my mind"
You're right. I should have slowed it down. My diction ain't what it used to be back in my theater days.

We have made $40.82 through CDBaby's digital distribution, with the largest number of listens going for $0.009 per play on Rhapsody and $0.014 a play on MusicMatch. Those rare iTunes, Liquid Digital Media, and Sony Connect actual sales are the ones that bring in the big bucks, though. It looks like I should send Kompressor a few bucks, though as our cover of his "Don't Dance" looks like our biggest hit.

edit - just going over the figures. Oddly, we have made exactly $0.002 from what is arguably our best song, Skyline. Go figure.

Billy's Little Trip
I love that you know your own sound. This is another great BLT song.
I don't know anything about cars, so I thought a "Posi in the rear" would mean a screwdriver up your ass. Turns out your song isn't that sort of depraved.
Anyway, great rocking track. Only one annoyance is that in the "Don't you wanna" section first time through... I think you're adding a fuzzy guitar with the vocals, but it sounds like the vocals are clipping, rather than an extra guitar thing.

Dublin Duck Dispensary
I'm not keen on your guitar tone for this song, but I respect that you made an effort. I don't particularly like it though. The melody's fine, the arrangement is bizarre, but you don't particularly combine that with bizarre lyrics, so it doesn't come off that well.

Flxxm Florvm
First of all, shame about the click track. Other than that, I think the mix is pretty good, the guitars balance and the vocals fit together nicely and make a complete song. The particular style isn't my thing but you have got skill. The lyrics are ... Unsubtle, but in good way. Would be nice if it wasn't the same chords / strumming pattern all the way through, though the solos do break it up. Overall a bit long, but not bad.

Four Zombies
No. This isn't a song.

Hello Blue Monday
A better recording gear would be nice. But that aside, If you keep repeating lyrics, then they need to have something else going on in the background to keep interest up. As it is the accompaniment is rather unspired.

Jeff Travis Henderson
This is good! Although some of the rhythm changes are in strangeplaces. It makes sense to change them on verse / chorus boundaries, but you change sometimes a bar earlier. Still, I like what you do vocally, the ba-ba's and the unusual style are interesting, and the song gets caught in my head after listening to it.

[ Klownhole
I really have to be in the mood for your stuff. I gotta admire your ballsy, and tight performances, especially gives the meandering structure of your songs. The vocals are pretty clear all the way through this. apart from around 1:15 where two people are singueling different words. That's not great. The ending was a bit of a let down. As always, not my thing, but still interesting to listen to.

Lord of Oats
Ok, your lyrics were clear. The bizarre thing is, you like songs with balls, but this entry really has none. At least lyrically. It's cool if you think you're not that great, but I don't want to hear about that. Play to your strengths.
Singing: I've heard you do better. I think doubling your vocals may be a /bad/ idea if you're not a consistent singer, cos you end up accentuating all the innaccuracies. But it kinda works for you on the chorus. I like the synth stuff, with the guitar. I'd be interested to hear you work in extra layers and take what you're already doing further.

MC Eric B
Oats changed my opinion of this track. It's good. Although, I have to say, some extra tracks of dudes going 'huh! Yeah!' and stuff behind you, and a more prominent synth riff to fill in the gaps and accentuate certain lines would be good. Can you shout? Maybe you could work in some doubled up samples of yourself shouting appropriate stuff in the background. Gotta say rnb style stuff isn't my forte though.

Melvin
You do all the stuff right that you normally do. Guitar work, Singing, tightness and overall quality. I like the drums and the clapping. The organ is a really nice add. The 'alright' shouts work well. Chorus bit is great, (the "wear me down, breaking my stride" bit) but the verses are a bit too stop-start for my taste, and the ending lacks the conviction of the rest of the song. In places the bass hits notes that don't seem right. Anyway, aside from those niggles it's a great track.

The None Rappers
I don't have anything to say about this. No, I've changed my mind. There's a bunch of stuff you've got going on here that's quite good. I like the panning screaming creatures, and the disgusting lyrics are pretty cool. But I don't like the messy noisy crap you've got accompanying it. You did put some effort into this, so dismissing it off hand would be rude and unfair. But totally not my thing, if the 'musical' aspects of the piece are what you're about.

Of Science and Numbers
Hehe, this reminds me of lemmings... and then (0:38) you break into really nice chorus bit. .. And then you change it again (1:01). I'm getting quite excited by this song now. I love the chord changes, and the variety you've got. But your lyrics don't grab me, expecially at the 'just so you know' part, which is a shame cos you really get into this.
Didn't like the ending fretnoise, though the rest of the song was tidy.
I haven't heard your stuff before, but I'm impressed. Really good.