The Song Fight Bulletin Board

Boltoph: This sounds very good. If I could have my pick of who I would like to sing like you would definitely make the list. Something about that downward run on the guitar just seems little bit off rhythmically to me but you do it exactly the same way every time so I guess it’s intentional. I don’t feel like the more distorted guitar parts are quite in character with the tone of the song. The lyrics are fine but the melody doesn’t really stick with me I guess your hook is really in the lead guitar part. The outro is a nice little piece of work but disconnected a little with the rest of the song. Overall very good.

Emergency Pizza Party: This is pretty decent for a rap song. The loop gets awfully repetitive though and I would have liked to hear it change up somewhere in there. The three voices work well together and you all have good flow on your parts. Once I figured out that this was about an almost 20 year old video game I kind of lost interest. With the very repetitive nature of the loop and the chorus I was pretty much done after 2 minutes.

Johnny Cashpoint: Welcome back! There’s that good old accent and you still do what I like to call the “Cashpoint Cadence” of each syllable right on the beat although you do have some syncopation in there in places. I’m not a real fan of having instruments parallel the vocal melody. The chorus sounds pretty good. I didn’t get the cultural references to Abby Titmus and Rhydian so I went and looked them up. I think that you did a very good job on the lyrics and stayed true to your theme throughout. Merry Christmas Mr. Scrooge.

Lockheed Symphony: You are very good at making soudscapes. The quality of the vocal doesn’t fit very well with the music. Not really much of a song here but , you got a cool groove going.

Lord of Oats: The opening acoustic guitar sounds nice but when the drums come in they are really thrashy. The chord progression is fairly pedestrian but serviceable. The “unison” vocals aren’t nearly in unison enough. If you can’t sing them in tune then you need to get a pitch corrector or something ( I speak from experience) because it is difficult to listen to. This is OK overall but could be significantly improved with just a few minor things.

Melvin: Other than writing to the wrong title this is another solid Melvin entry. I don’t really like the rapping parts I’d rather hear you sing harmonies because you sound so good doing that. I also don’t like the instruments playing in unison with the vocal melody. I also find the way the lyrics flow a little incongruous. You’re trying to get across what a gentleman you are but then you start rapping “Let’s get it on” which seems a fairly crude way to go about it.

Northside Hindus: If you’re going to bother to put in the effort to record 2 minutes worth of something why don’t you actually try to write a song. Stuff like this ceased to be amusing to me back when I was 17 which was quite a long time ago.

Paco Del Stinko: Very nice opening with the guitar. Great production quality like usual. I like the direct approach that you took to the lyrics. This song makes me happy. I’ve really got no criticisms.

Plain Songs For Doves & Tigers: I’m just not feeling this. I like the voices and the accent. The transition into ¾ is a nice change of pace. The lyrics aren’t really doing anything for me. Being a horn player, that synth trumpet is really grating on me.

Surf Train Surf Industry: I’m already tired of the riff after 30 seconds I didn’t give this song a second listen.

Test Week Hiatus: Aren’t you also The White Hat? I was expecting to hear some nice guitar picking. The backing music sounds so distant. The drum track gets really monotonous. I think that the lyrics are clever

Wreckdom: I get a little chuckle out of the lyrics but otherwise I think this is kind of a mess.

A note about my song this week. The lyrics were intended to be a sarcastic jab at middle class tourists. Based on some of the comments so far I guess that didn’t come across.

This comes down to a choice between Johnny Cashpoint and Paco Del Stinko. I’m going with Cashpoint for the vote.

Steve Durand wrote:Melvin: You’re trying to get across what a gentleman you are but then you start rapping “Let’s get it on” which seems a fairly crude way to go about it.

I'm pretty sure there's an untrustworthy narrator at work here. I think he's trying to be ironic when the lyrics juxtapose this supposed gentlemanliness (the word gentleman used a bunch of times, with very little evidence, e.g., "I'll hold the door,") with the "Let's get in on!" chant, over the sort of hypnotic riff. I think he's trying to blatantly expose the way that his character plays women.

Steve Durand wrote: Test Week Hiatus: Aren’t you also The White Hat? I was expecting to hear some nice guitar picking. The backing music sounds so distant. The drum track gets really monotonous. I think that the lyrics are clever

This is, in fact, The Weakest Suit. If you look carefully, (I'm pretty sure he's mentioned it somewhere), it's an anagram. It's easy to get those guys that live at the end of the alphabet mixed up.

Steve Durand wrote: Lord of Oats: The “unison” vocals aren’t nearly in unison enough. If you can’t sing them in tune then you need to get a pitch corrector or something ( I speak from experience) because it is difficult to listen to.

To you and everyone else that noticed this, I can't believe I didn't notice it myself during mixing. But it can be very easy to get sidetracked in the studio, only paying attention to certain aspects of whatever you're working on. The first time I listened to this after I sent it in, I immediately took note and did a big "Whoops!" or "Doh!" or something like that. The worst thing is, I think, it's really only way off the first time. It sounds alright to me after that, but I think it's too late for redemption at that point. The thing about that that makes it even worse is that I could have fixed the whole thing with a simple copy/paste job from one of the other places that it's used in the song, or by just doing a couple more takes. But I was quite rushed when I was tracking it, even more so when mixing, and to top it off, it just wasn't a good day for my voice. Let this song be a lesson to procrastinators! Allow yourself enough time to work on your songs, or you, too, will end up somewhere on the internet as a living monument to poor work habits!

Lord of Oats wrote: This is, in fact, The Weakest Suit. If you look carefully, (I'm pretty sure he's mentioned it somewhere), it's an anagram. It's easy to get those guys that live at the end of the alphabet mixed up.

because i wrote for the other fight and wasn't paying attention to this one, i didn't notice this until now. i did go by that name for a few days (and still think it's pretty cool). i'm guessing someone liked the name or is trying to imitate me. is it you?

Wow, seriously? Whoever did this had me convinced that it was you. I didn't even question it. Somebody did a decent job imitating your voice, though now that I listen, it sounds a little weaker (no pun intended) than yours typically does. I was going to compliment you on making two good songs this week in my reviews, but I guess that no longer applies.

This is quite funny. I did very much like the name myself, and may have snatched it up, but I didn't think it would be fair to you to do so. So no. It certainly wasn't me. I don't sound anything like that. I won't have it pinned on me just because I've been known to front songfighting bands without telling anyone about it. And as we've seen, when I do so, I stay silent on the matter, rather than trying to blame anyone else. And this isn't really a song someone could conceivably be embarrassed to be associated with, like a BMF track or something.

I listened to this fight a week ago, then both yesterday and today. Sorry for the last minute reviews, but thanks for all of the others.

Boltoph - If that's not a real guitar amp, I'll eat a shoe. Great playing. The airy vocals put my head in the clouds, which is where I've come to expect being sent with a Boltoph tune. Super tension build up and I dig the Steely-ish end section as the payoff. Nice melody, even if it doesn't stick to the ribs too long, great playing all around. PS - I didn't hear the drum fill I referred to a week ago after the first listen. Sorry, I didn't mean to try and drag you down to my level in any way.

Emergency Pizza Party - The gal is gold, as I'm sure you are aware of by now; she could be Heather Redmons' younger rap sister. I like the loopy synth line, mostly. I like the goofy exclamations in the chorus as well. Overall, the vocal deliveries are enthusiastic and well done layer-wise.

Johnny Cashpoint - The intro is fun and I appreciate the darkness of the verses after they get going. The chorus is most excellent and (again from you) makes me want to sing along in a pub somewhere. Maybe you have yet to write a stadium chant, but I don't understand it if the your local drinkeries aren't clanking glasses while singing away to your tunes, this included. Love the "don't let Christmas ruin your Christmas" line. Straight-up instrumentation works perfectly, it's all you need underneath the lyrics and melody. Stick around!

Lockheed Symphony - Nice and mellow, I start to dismiss this as just chill-out music or whatever the kids call it these days, but there's a certain sexiness that creeps in for a while early on. I don't know that it sticks around 'til the end though, as the song starts to lose its focus a bit. Nice, but nothing that grabs you and doesn't let go.

Lord of Oats - I like the scent of Pixies here that poofs up occasionally, but w/o sounding like a rip-off. This has a nice bitter/sweet quality to it that could be stronger, and I'm split on the "oh-oh-oh" chorus, though it works well to lead in to the lines that follow it. Seems like this is missing a verse, perhaps, but another might make this feel too draggy. Maybe more time on this one instead of going all over the place with other songs, hmmmm? It's right there...

Melvin - Love the intro especially, and you are certainly ballsy for that drums/loop mix: good job. I like the easy-going summery feel though the rappy and scratchy parts don't completely woo me, but the guitar or whatever it is solo coming in sends me right over the moon. I understand the comments regarding being a gentleman and getting it on, but like the perspective options that it does offer: Is it what he thinks, what she thinks, etc. Or just a flub on your part.

Northside Hindus - This reminds me of Lux Interior before he's had his morning coffee, singing over an early learning how to 4-track experiment that I might have done back in the dark ages, except I had no reverb. I like this more than I should, although I'm not going to call it good.

Paco del Stinko - Depth free, I was hoping to get a light, sun on the face while on the swingset feel. If I could sing, maybe. I have several SF! songs w/ slide parts in them and I think that they typically sound pretty decent. Secret: old Sears Silvertone guitar I got at a pawn shop in '93. And an amp, of course.

Plain Songs for Doves & Tigers - I love where this song goes. It keeps on taking unexpected but not shocking turns. It's a little goofy, and I have no idea what you're singing about, but I love the feel of this. The drums are often un-noticed, but I like space offered up in this song. I want to say "beef this up" or "what are you crazy? Crank that thing!" but that would be quite inappropriate here. It may not be hooky, but the performance doesn't stray into Silly-ville.

Steve Durand - Of course, the horns bring out the sun, but the back-up vocals are excellent as well, and give this a not quite Steve Durand feel. It sounds great after they come in and your voice turns into a lead vocalist with accomapniment, instead of just Steve making his way through the song. Does that make sense? Great rhythm and change-up, the hint of dark Spanishy feel is most tasteful.

Surf Train Surf Industry - I like the vocoder parts best, the simple key riff not so much. The detective rhythm is hard for me to resist, but it's kind of wasted here under the one joke lyric. This would have worked better clocking in at under a minute.

Test Week Hiatus - I don't want to like this one, but something about the vocal lines and slide get under my skin, but admittedly not too deep. I hear where people are coming from when they comment about the instruments following the vocal, but I don't poo-poo it as much. Perhaps building each line up would be neat: start w/ what the voice does, but turn it into a harmony, setting up a spot for the guitar as well. There is also a tossed off feel to this that maybe is what gives it the charm it does possess.

WreckdoM - You'll think that I'm kidding, but I think that this would be good all acousticy and Neil young sounding, and less syrupy. BUT, I am quite glad to take a dose of WreckdoM syrup. This one feels a bit 'stock' for you guys, but I'm hoping that it's a warm-up for more treats to come.

I'm listening to the ones I want to listen to, and giving short reviews/short band names.

Steve D - Your backup vocals are great, and your lead voice is improving, if still a bit weak. I enjoyed it.
Paco - Your voice has always been a bit too wavery for me, but the chord progression is perfect. Possible vote.
Melvin - Nice and chill. "C'mon, let's go cuz I dig this flow?" ... I'm not so sure about the rap. I guess I just have something against rap theses days ... as usual, it really is a great tune. I'd listen to it again.
Boltoph - Of course this is going to be good ... really good guitar stuff. Your voice is really good, man. I can't think of much critical to say. Great song ... possible vote.
Wreckdom - I suppose this is going to be a musical dirty joke. It would be cool if you'd take yourselves a bit more seriously, but that's not what you want, right?
j$ - Good to see you entering again. Nice and dark/sad. The chorus part is really sad. If I'm ever hankering for a song to cover, I might go for this one. Cool tune.
Oats - This isn't the production I expect from a LoO song, but here come the drums, which I instantly recognize. The Oooos are cool. I still think that your vocals were the coolest in "message for you", but if you like this style more, it's up to you. Try writing a song without an extended guitar solo (just to mix it up ... your guitar playing is fine).
EPP - Okay, so maybe I didn't want to listen to it, but seeing EPP in a fight is like a magnet to me. Ha ... I love you guys/girl. No matter what the haters say, this is pretty good. I really enjoyed this.

I guess I'll listen to the ones I hadn't heard of before/didn't want to listen to.
NSH - This isn't very good. But you know that already, don't you?
Doves/Tigers - This is like Adam Adamant doing a folky tune. It's not really bad, but not something I would really enjoy.
SurfTSI - Too long for how much content it holds. Try again with sung vocals, and I might enjoy it.
TWHiatus - Production isn't stellar ... not too enjoyable, but not painful to listen to.
Lockheed Symphony - I'd expect to hear something like this in some sketchy club downtown. Didn't really enjoy it.

Not a bad fight. I wish there was a way I could vote for my top 3 favs ... I really liked Paco Del Stinko, Boltoph and Emergency Pizza Party. To be honest, I think EPP gets my vote for being a genuinely fun song.

Yeah!

EPP
I like the ping-pong lead instrument tone, shifting to that minor or dominant chord, the darkness. Two boys one girl and a blob. The blob is the sound, riding the sound, riding the groove.
Pretty cool. She could have said "I want to get on it, the rocket" or something more to drive the sex vibe home.

j$
That opening sample with the minor groove, sharp attack bass, moves me. It's just the tone of the minor chord progression that moves me, because this is the kind of thing I like. It reminds me of WreckdoM's song almost (until shift to major for the "forfeit Christmas"). Just the minor bass guitar progression, has a feeling I like. I like the "Stooges of the world unite" line. Yer right I have no idea what the story is but I like it anyway! After the "thin and sober" line, it feels like it should just SLAM into man-town madness!!!! I like the build up to that line, but wanna hear it kick in there with some big squeezy distorted synths or something to just bring it home.

Lockheed Symphony
Oh lonely drone vocal in chorus, almost too many times on the get on it part (the chorus), but i really like the feel of it initially. Slinky, ethereal feel. I loved the sax parts, just like the end of that Police song, I think it was actually My God or "fill it up! fill it up!" off of Synchronicity. I like the vibe, smooth and sultry, a bit of tabboo or something of that nature. Very nice breaks with guitar. Beat could use more variation, development.

Lord of Oats
Sounds great when the drums first kick in, in a cool early 60s-pop sort of way. I liked the line "numbness hurts". I like the guitar solo melody. Could've skipped the hammerons and gone for slower bends. It's not about the number of notes, sometimes one might just feel like playing a fast number of notes because it's just about having fun sometimes, this thing of music. The vocals get a little lost towards the end, pitch-wise, but that feeling does go with the vibe of the song, and slowly falls apart a bit.

Melvin
The guitar doubling that catchy verse vocal is fantastic. And the shift to other parts...the mysterioso quality of the guitar while saying "let's get it on". Yeah I thought that part's vocals could've spread out into something more intellectual but maybe it's fun just to have fun. that verse melody is so damn fun and catchy. Pissed me off for a little bit today though when I couldn't get it out of my head. It kind of repeats that one super catchy alot, maybe could vary that up a bit here and there more, the verse guitar / vocal / chord melody. Not as into the rap but it's a real catchy job, all around.

Northside Hindus
I started losing touch with the music around the time I heard the same chord over and over more than 20 times. Maybe 100s of times, that one chord strummed again and again. Kinda cracked me up with the monotone verse repeat title line! It's a damn fine thing Melvin's chorus was so catchy.

Paco Del Stinko
Sounded pretty thick when the bass and drums kick in, I like that weird chord turnaround before the vocal comes in. Slapstick vocals seem like a good choice but it may go a tiny bit extreme. Some voc harmonies would sound nice? Love that slide solo.

PSfDT
I really like how it transitions to the "and what it is I've no clue", the song starts to move for me there, I was hoping to hear more of that sort of thing, that's in that one line and the line after it. The third line becoming a lower register carbon copy of that shit. It is a bit of a hook between that part I like and the "what it is I tried to do". Interesting shifts.

Steve Durand
I like the story build behind the lines. I think the verse could have benefited from doing more than just those two chords. The ending was snazzy, but the title line could've had some varying rhythms or something different movement that might make the title feeling stronger or the melody line catchier.

Surf Train Industry
That it is a big wave is the best part. Damn should've had a whole band slam in after the "go". That would be fantastic. I really like this lead melody line in the bass. Want to hear a real human band just bust in HARD in contrast with the mechanical....sorta happens at the lead guitar part. I like this song enough that I'm saving it to the iPod. That bass groove is so fantastic, sure it doesn't build on it, but man it's a fuckin fantastic groove with some good sonics and that's enough for me.

Test Week Hiatus
The slide coming in makes it feel like after Tennessee you guys got wasted and that brings the song into the fold. Lock it down bitch! The fundamental song going on here is potentially fantastic if it could get a nasty bass going on with a heavier kit and more of those cool vocal "response" parts, where the low cut overdrive vocal answers the lead vocal. A chick's voice there would be fantastic, this would be a rip roaring dance song or even a square dance-type, country event. I'm sold at Drink It Up!

WreckdoM
I loved this entry, but maybe I was just in the mood for this style. Because the kick drum kicks some ass and the guitars just reeeeeeel this minor drone shit. As always, the vocals could use some low cut treatment and some more compression. But mostly is the let me get it up, and just the idea that this song is just about "it" and that you'll get on anything, whatever it is, you wanna get on it. And that minor drone that I really like. Could've screamed louder on the "I wanna get on it"

If I were really voting for just how much a song "sounds" like "I Want to Get On It" I might want Wreckdom because of the theme of just wanting to get on anything no matter what it is....ha! And Test Week Hiatus actually has a catchy little country drawl title line that's pretty damn good, Surf Train just rocked my face off!
There's a lot of cool shit in this songfight once I dive in and just listen for the sake of listening. My vote still goes to Melvin, fuck! I mean, I'm gonna hate the song by tomorrow but I still really dig it. I'll remember that vocal melody "will you look at me, i feel like I've never really lived before" forever. Like some summer walking down the beach, I'll remember that shit randomly for the rest of my life, here and there. An unforgettable little piece of vocal melody that's that infectious, even if annoying or not "my style", wins a songfight for me.

Hey I see a wave. That is a big wave. GO!

boltoph wrote:Yeah! etc...

Dude! Yer killin' me here. Thanks for saying all that nice stuff. I just got back from being out of town and checked out the fight - your track is totally sweet. So much more, uh, musician-y than mine! Really great playing and vibe. You deserve second place in this fight.

You know, it's been awhile since I've heard a real Boltoph masterpiece. It's good to know you're still around, and you still have it. Evokes a lot of old Steely Dan and David Gilmour feelings, but with a little secret blues, like maybe you just might be thinking about your old uncle Paul Butterfield. Great track sir, just great. The only thing I'd change is to run the first heavy solo up closer in the mix. It felt a little buried and distant.

-Mike Lamb

Melvin got robbed!

Rone Rivendale wrote:Melvin got robbed!

It's true, but we all know the deal with the "Emergency Pizza Party".

The real winner is Melvin, in my opinion. Pizza Party probably wanted to "stuff" all of us at songfight for making fun of them in the prefight thread. Haven't seen 'em around here to flaunt the winning...they must be so elated, basking in the glory right now...too many endorphins to even type, maybe...just rolling, rolling in the winnings!

Thanks Mike, Melvin, Paco, j$, Steve, Frankie, Reïst, Apples, Signboy, all you guys for checking out my tune, too. I guess I meant it to be more goofy than it may have seemed. What with singing about sugar cookies and such, and then having such a "majestic, meaty" guitar solo section. Like a mincemeat pie mixed with fruitcake.

That Surf Train song is also really one of my favorites, just something about it. I know the Adobe reader / mechanical voice has been done before, and all, but there's just something about the song, the bass line, that I really liked.

p.s. a friend of mine really liked your song in the other fight, Reïst.

boltoph wrote:p.s. a friend of mine really liked your song in the other fight, Reïst.

Nice! Thanks for mentioning it.

I think EPP's song was solid enough for a win. So were a lot of them. Good fight, everyone.

That one really was exquisite. Thanks for the feedback!