Chill out, already (Everybody Calm Down reviews)

[Caravan Ray]

LYRIC BURGLAR:
Is this that dude Knig Arthur? Sounds like his voice.

King Arthur!?!?!

I'm not sure if the Lyricburglar would be enormously flattered by that - OR - think "jam it up your arse you stupid bastard - I might sound old, but not that old" (sorry KA )

(oh - and apologies to Knig Arthur too)

ISR: You remind me of Gordon Lightfoot.

Again - I don't want to put words in the Lyricburglar's mouth - "Fuck Off" are two that spring to mind. Fucking wreck of the fucking edmund fucking fitz fucking gerald my fucking arse.

[Caravan Ray]

And WTF is going on this week?

Gert? Johnny Cashpoint? R.Mosquito? Octothorpe?

It's like somebody has shaken out an old blanket and all sorts of weird things have scuttled out!

Welcome back everybody



"...even Nostradamus would stay home in his pyjamas...."

[someguycallednoel]

SomeGuyCalledNoel -- Neat intro. Good song! The guitars panned wide set in in a weird way. Don't know how to describe it. In terms of engineering, I think the acoustic guitar in the middle has too much body. Cutting frequencies somewhere in the mid range might have been good. It's really too bad you compressed it down this much (and with that I mean sampling rate and MP3); doesn't exactly make me want to listen to it more than once. I'll pretend it was good quality so you get a vote.

Hah crap, your right! I've just been using the default settings in cubase to mixdown...it was set to 22,050 hrz and some crummy resolution on my version. I've tried it at 44.1 and its sounds much crisper. Cheers!

[king_arthur]

First time I've listened in a long time...

Aardwolves

Obviously working with very limited equipment, but it
sounds like you can sing and you've got a guitar that
will stay in tune. Guitar sounds boomy enough that it's
tough to hear the lyrics clearly - probably move the mic
closer to the singer, away from the guitar soundhole. Can
you maybe record in a more live, trebly room? Might help.
Think about the way you're singing the song, which words
get held out longer, which words hit "on the beat" so
that they are emphasized.

Adam Dachis

Like your singing voice. The song as a whole feels like
a sitcom theme song, but then the story line is too dark
for that. Would have liked to see the title worked into
the song some more near the end - "there she goes... (3x),
everybody calm down" like, "we're getting rid of the body,
don't worry" (we've been watching the DVDs of "The Shield"
lately).

A Late Thaw

Intro maybe a bit long for a songfight song. I like the
sound of your voice and the reverb, but I can't understand
a word you're saying - 1:50 into the song and I'm finally
pretty sure it's in English...

Andrew Reist

Rhythm guitars sound good, the lead whatever at the start
sounds a bit too MIDI-fied. Man, my ears must be going, I
can't pick out what you're saying on that "I am the... you
are the..." chorus. Umm, advances to the semifinals, we'll
see... semifinal round second listen, yeah, we'll make this
a keeper, it's got a good musical hook to it.

Billy's Little Trip

This is well done, the style is just not my thing. Another
one into the semifinals. Semifinal round second listen...
think I'll pass, and it's pretty much all genre bias.

Blues Manufacturing Facility

I'm generally okay with MIDI drums, but this is pushing
it. When you're mixing, try running all the instruments
through a common reverb so they sound more like they were
playing in the same room at the same time. I didn't really
care for the Canned Heat song this is muy derivative of
way back when (even the lead guitar), so I'll pass on this
too...

Finding Nemoy

I like this one because of the strong story line, it pulls
me into the song and makes me keep listening. "If this
money is your future, then your future is in my hands,"
that's good. I wish things were a little more in tune,
but that's just the old guy talking. This is something I'd
enjoy having come up on my MP3 player, keeper / vote.

Flvxxvm Florvm

I'm not a fan of distorted vocals, but they work here.
"calm down everybody / 'cause the blues is coming to
town" doesn't quite work for me storyline-wise - none
of the "events" in the song make sense as reasons to
"calm down."

Gert

"Not my thing" stylistically, but it's so well recorded
and performed that it's a keeper anyway. I know you guys
are working in different cities, but you do a great job of
making it sound like you're all in a room together playing
the song. Keeper / vote.

The Hand Formula

Levels very low, and it doesn't help that you're following
Gert for those who review alphabetically. I like the song,
it would work great in front of a coffeehouse audience. I'd
rather hear just a good sounding acoustic guitar accompaniment
than whatever that is you have now, but keeper / vote because
there's a good song in there. End of the song, let the
instruments ring out, don't chop off the track.

Johnny Cashpoint

Clever lyric. Instrumental track I find kind of annoying
most of the way through, maybe that was your intent. The
rapid-fire lyric delivery kinda blunts some of the sharpness
of the content.

Jonathan Mann and the Berkeley Social Scene

I can imagine the Travelling Wilburys doing a more in-tune
version of this and I'd really like it... well written and
recorded, music on the verses is maybe a little bit familiar,
but definite keeper / vote.

Lyricburglar

Maybe a little less reverb on the vocal, and make that lead
guitar go stand in the corner while you're singing.

MC Eric B

The part I like best is the instrumental track, but it's
obviously Band In a Box or something, so points off for
the lack of chord changes - if you're letting the computer
play all your instruments for you, make it do something more
intersting. I do prefer your setting of the lyric to the
burglar's, at least you interest me in what you're saying.
This would probably be a keeper if you'd done more with the
instrumental tools at your disposal.

Melvin

Like the way you worked the title into this, my favorite
so far in terms of that. Yeah, the chorus definitely
makes this one for me. Like the horns.

noah mclaughlin

Velvets? The vocals seem kinda buried, especially in
the bridge part. This might work for me if it sounded
even more like Lou Reed - put the vocals out front and
sell it on personality.

Octothorpe

In parts of the song, the person who doesn't like the
band and needs to calm down is "I", in other parts it's
"you." Might give the song more impact if it was clearly
from one POV or the other - the audience member who slowly
grows to like the band and then tells everybody else
around them to calm down, or the band explaining it all
to the audience.

Puppies and Flowers

Style is not my thing, though I think you did achieve
what you were aiming for. Well performed and recorded.
Just doesn't do it for me. Gave it another listen in
the semifinal round, still feeling the same way.

R. Mosquito

Distorted mix doesn't appeal here. I think I'd like your
singing voice with a different overall sound.

Sockpuppet

Not liking the rhythmic jerkiness throughout. I sense that
there's maybe a good song going on here, but the performance
makes this not a keeper for me.

SomeGuyCalledNoel

Like the nylon string guitar, I sorta feel like when other
instruments and voices come in they just diffuse the effect
of the song rather than building it up. Might help if all
the guitars were in tune... I think just a g'n'g version of
this might have come off better, more focused.

Todd McHatton

Like that keyboard sound. Not sure the chorus needs to be
repeated ( everybody / everbody / no need / driver is ),
maybe if you varied the wording a little. Overall, like
this, keeper / vote.

Tuba Toothpaste

Trying to decide if the "sarcastic first person" casting
of the lyric works for me or not (knowing that if I was in
the fight I'd have probably done something very similar).
Nicely recorded and performed. Like the way the horns
come and go to bring some overall dynamics to the song.
Yeah, keeper / vote, I could listen to this some more
times.

The Weakest Suit

Like the way you hold out "calm" and "down," seems like
just about everybody else rushed those words. Nice approach
to the title (first person joint). Wish it was longer, but
maybe it's one of those things where stretching the joke out
to three minutes would have just felt too long. Yeah, okay,
keeper / vote.


So, umm, keepers / votes for me: Andrew Reist, Finding Nemoy,
Gert, Hand Formula, Jonathan Mann, Melvin, Todd McHatton,
Tuba Toothpaste, Weakest Suit. If we were only allowed to
vote for one, I'd have given it to Gert.

Charles (KA)

[thehipcola]

Hey all!

I'll have to complete reviews in 2 or 3 parts..life is just too damn busy these days.


Reviages:

Finding Nemoy

Digs: guitar interplay, electric/acoustic blend, story-ish narrative lyrics, intended melody
Don'ts: vocal pitch issues...compouded with doubling
overall: I like it. Singing could be better executed. Nifty take on the title.

Melvin

Digs: great mix, great flow, a great lift of hiphop style, pretty good lyrics
Don'ts: using another song so liberally to sit your idea on top of.
overall: this could totally be straight off of MTV, I can see the video. I don't find it terribly creative, but I do think its clever.


The Hand Formula

Digs: it was short
Don'ts: oversimplistic production, arrangement, vocal delivery seems apathetic
overall: nothing for me in this one


Blues Manufacturing Facility

Digs: Guitar tone once things get a bit more rockin'.
Don'ts: the drum machine beat, the vocal delivery and sound, the wandering lead gtr, the extra 1:00 of unneccessary ending
overall: not bad, but not great, tired blues riffing sounds like a rip off...zztop? La Grange?

Todd McHatton

Digs: Great vocal sound, strong melody, mix
Don'ts: cheese factor, but I'm in a more serious mood this morning, so take that fwiw.
overall: likeable tune, easy to listen to. not memorable at all, not reaching to turn it up.

J$

Digs: lyrics are clever, intro grabbed my attention
don'ts: the sound of everything is so trashy. the flute-ish part is grating, the guitar sounds like it occupies the same eq range that bowed cymbals do.
overall: I'm not overly taken with We Didn't Start The Fire current events lists and lyrics that belong in that class, and that's how I'm feeling about this. But at times they were pretty clever. Sonically the song does nothing for me, and some parts just push me away.

Tuba Toothpaste

Digs: it's not offensive to my ears
Don'ts: vocals seem muffled. music seems a touch loose around the edges...drum programming?
overall: nothing to write home about, nothing to complain about either...it lacks character and conviction

Andrew Reist

Digs: at times sounds like it could have come off of Eve 6's Horrorscope. (I really like that album, btw).
Don'ts: some of the vocals just dont' quite hit the mark...but it's a decent effort. Harmonies would make this a far more rocking track.
Overall: This is quite good for rockin' altpop. Nice work. I'd def. like to hear harmonies in the chorus, and maybe some more work on getting punch from the guitar tones.

R.Mosquito

Digs: The first 3 snare hits right at the beginning. I had just enough time to think, "hell yah!"
Don'ts: The rest, during which I seriously turned it all down and wondered if Metallica's audio production team consulted on your mixing/mastering.
overall: I just can't appreciate over-the-top offensive sonics...so whatever might have been underneath by way of a song... didn't make it through.

[Spud]

Octothorpe

In parts of the song, the person who doesn't like the
band and needs to calm down is "I", in other parts it's
"you." Might give the song more impact if it was clearly
from one POV or the other - the audience member who slowly
grows to like the band and then tells everybody else
around them to calm down, or the band explaining it all
to the audience.

Not sure I agree with you on that. The verses are from the point of view of the audience member, and the chorus is from the point of view of either the band telling the first person to calm down. Different voices are used to reinforce the characters.

In fact, as you might realize from last week's reviews, the audience member in question is an amalgam of Ross, Melvin, and No Horse Town, all of whom claimed last week that they "didn't get" Octothorpe. It is definitely US telling them to calm down.

SPUD

[Elvis]

As Octothorpe's drummer (at least for this week), I have to disagree with nyjm's suggestion that the tempo is off. The drumming may be goofy and amateurish, but the tempo is solid.

[nyjm]

A calm relaxing song about the city being destroyed by a giant monster is literal?

after a closer look at the lyrics and a second listen, I amend the "literal" comment (hey, it was like 1:30 am...). "under-developed" is more appropriate. i like the idea, but in the execution, what strikes me was the repetition, supported by the music: "calm down, calm down, don't worry". the sinister nature of a monster in a city needs to be underscored with... something, a minor key, snarkier vocal delivery, a scarier lyric, something to make my skin crawl inside the calming tone.

[nyjm]

As Octothorpe's drummer (at least for this week), I have to disagree with nyjm's suggestion that the tempo is off. The drumming may be goofy and amateurish, but the tempo is solid.

it's not the drumming that's off, it's the instruments (especially in the first verse) not being quite in time.

[Spud]

As Octothorpe's drummer (at least for this week), I have to disagree with nyjm's suggestion that the tempo is off. The drumming may be goofy and amateurish, but the tempo is solid.

it's not the drumming that's off, it's the instruments (especially in the first verse) not being quite in time.

In that case, I take credit. If it's the bass, I played it live with the drums, and if it's the guitar, I mixed it in there from some solo out-takes. That's how we do things around here.

SPUD

[j$]

Instrumental track I find kind of annoying
most of the way through, maybe that was your intent.

I never intend to be annoying, it just comes out that way

[nyjm]

noah mclaughlin -- Pretty average.

first reaction : "ouch. that stings"
second reaction: "hey, that means i've come a long way."

I don't really like how loud and distorted this is.

the loose, drifting clean power chord guitar is not working.

???

Has merit. Reminds me of the Clash.

Velvets?

thank you, i'll take any such comparisons as high praise.

The vocals seem kinda buried, especially in
the bridge part. This might work for me if it sounded
even more like Lou Reed - put the vocals out front and
sell it on personality.

that's a new one. i usually have to discipline myself to pull the vox back down. with this mix, i was afraid they were too hot. more definition and more oomph, perhaps?

In that case, I take credit. If it's the bass, I played it live with the drums, and if it's the guitar, I mixed it in there from some solo out-takes. That's how we do things around here.

fair enough.

[fluffy]

It's a lot easier for every instrument to stay together if they're all played together by different people who listen to each other. I think # sounds just fine rhythmically. My track kind of sucks in that regard because I started out by making a simple drum loop, recorded everything else against the drum loop, then played drums against the rest of it, and I am a shitty drummer.

I'll try to get around to doing reviews but I'm terribly busy at work. I've listened to all the songs and the only ones which stood out for me as being particularly good were # and J$. Everyone else just blurred together into a sea of "hey let's make an aggressive loud rock song about calming down LOL" with the occasional bit of lo-fi stuff (Aardwolves, please please get a better mic and/or record at 44KHz or something, you always sound like you're recording at 11KHz and then encoding your mp3 at the minimum bitrate possible even though your mp3 file says otherwise).

[Leaf]

nyjm: There is some guitar part in there, clean, I assumed power chords by the pitches I could hear.


Yeah, my "reviews" were first impressions as I listened... just take it. Take it, take it like a man with a clean guitar tone that didn't work for me.


I mean, if you don't HAVE a clean guitar track you are going to have to convince me of that. Which shouldn't be too hard...


Just say so. OOOOOOOOh!

[Leaf]

It's a lot easier for every instrument to stay together if they're all played together by different people who listen to each other.

That, my fine purple androgynous dinosaur person, is an opinion, not a fact.

From my point of view, it is the opposite that is true... I find it WAY easier to have tight sounding music if I play all the parts...especially when doing a song in a week or less. I don't have to "gel" with the other players.
Although, I must say that in the Gert situation, all the players have the elements needed to make it sound like a band, in the same room, dispite the obvious distance involved... so that works... unless Boltoph is drunk, then we gotta do some tweaking... heh.

Still, there are some "facts" to consider:

I would support your opinion IF the musicians in question had a good sense of time-keeping on their particular instrument, are listening (as you stated) AND most important, AGREE with each other on the direction of the tempo, feel and "zone" placement of the groove. Sometimes one person can sit behind, while another sits on top of the groove, and it sounds FANTASTIC, but sometimes it doesn't... which brings us to the most critical element... a sense of musicality. If a group of musicians try to play together and lack some of those qualities, it's gonna sound loose and out, that's just how it is.
Time keeping is a skill. Occasionally there are those who have a knack, or talent for it, but most players develop the skill with (often) boring metronome studies... and for the record, that's how I got my timekeeping to a decent status... YEARS of metronome work! now, there are very tight sounding bands (whose members may not have worked the skill individually) where the "TIME" isn't clinically sound to a metronome,but the band sounds tight. That is mostly due to either a)talent or b) lots of practice as a group... so my point remains the same. Musical skills come from Talent or Hard work.

The hard work pays off though,eventually you don't need to think about it... although you need to maintain it. I personally don't feel as "tight" as I was a few years ago.. due to injuries, less music time, more time at work... bleh.


I suppose the only other detail that springs to mind is that the physical side can hold back what the mind is telling you, if you're "out of shape"! AND!!! I'm SURE I'm not the only one who's noticed that little detail!


At the end of the day, you're music is gonna sound tight, or not. the "reasons" don't change the fact that it isn't tight.


/end transmission

[Elvis]

Aardwolves - Like early Beck, lo-fi but very compelling.

Finding Nemoy - Like Lou Reed's "Carrying a Gun" but way cheerier.

Andrew Reist - Guitar riff reminds me of Lou Reed's "Adventurer".

Johnny Cashpoint - Great lyrics. Chorus makes me think of XTC.

Tuba Toothpaste - Like Prince and the Stray Cats went to the Grand Ole Opry with Frank Sinatra.

Billy's Little Trip - Helter Skelter, Ramones meets Nirvana. Tight as always.

The Weakest Suit - Sugar Hill bass riff. Kind.

The Hand Formula - Eels. John Cage. Daniel Johnston.

Noah McLaughlin - The Clash circa "Give 'Em Enough Rope", Stones circa "Exile"

Gert - Great guitar work. The mellower parts make me think of Crash Test Dummies and
Ben Folds.

A Late Thaw - Slightly Zepplinesqe.

Sockpuppet - Slightly Pink Floydish.

MC Eric B - I'm a sucker for steel drum sounds. Made me think of The Specials.

Todd McHatton - Great harmony vocals. The high production values make me think of
Steely Dan, which I mean as a compliment!

Jonathan Mann & Berkley SS - Great vocals. Reminds me a bit of my friend Seth. Check out BlackLashes.com.

R. Mosquito - Sex Pistol guitar sound.

Melvin - Yeah, if you're gonna steal, steal something great!

Flvxxvm Florvm - Nice groove. Hell yeah to the harmonica. Cool guitar tone.

Lyricburglar - Tight. Rhythm reminds me of G. Love, Jack Johnson.

Adam Dachis - Reminds me a bit of Ben Folds. Nice structure.

Puppies and Flowers - Black Sabbath. I like how low the vocals are mixed on the verse. Makes that screaming tone more musical. Nice guitar work.

A Late Thaw - A mellower, sadder House of the Rising Sun

[Billy's Little Trip]

Billy's Little Trip - Helter Skelter, Ramones meets Nirvana. Tight as always.

Oh Damn! I love this combination. Dice up some Joey Santiago and a few slices of Frank Black and it would be a great pizza. Thanks.

[drë]

my vote goes to Jonathan Mann and the Berkeley Social Scene...
even tho i think Jonathan should have gotten really really drunk and then performed.
Tom Waits doing this song would be complete awesomeness.

great job Berkeley people.

[tonetripper]

Take my reviews with a grain of salt. I wanted to wonder what it would be like to listen to the tunes in the mindset of being a serial killer and what that would be like after listening to them.

Billy's Little Trip: Wow!!! I never thought I'd hear P.I.L. again. I don't think it really sounds like them; just reminiscent. Awesome guitar tones and well, the performances, all around are stellar and tight. One little pet peeve is that the last line of the chorus needs to be tighter. Almost like shrunk to the music than the delivery that lives on the track right now and possibly some kind of more spoken pissed-off-ness "I'm freaking, freaking out" to really push it at the end.
Digging: Totally.
Lasting Impression: The music kicks the title in a way that makes me want to destroy things whilst trying to drink Chamomile Tea. Good job on that.

MC Eric B - When that sample comes in it reminds me of College radio missing it's cue after station identification. Something doesn't quite flow here in a natural way. Sounds like the sung lyrics are all forced with the backing tracks.
Digging: Not.
Lasting Impression: "J....ust open your eyes" makes me want to destroy you.

Blues Manufacturing Facility: The chorus is the best part of the ripped off tune. Well borrowed if you feel it's more appropriate. Reminiscent of "Bone Machine" in a way.
Digging: The general overall tone of the tune. The mix is pretty good.
Lasting Impression: If I wanted to hear some ripped off version of another tune with different vocals I'd do it myself and then never listen to it EVER again. Why didn't you just scrap the rip off and go in the direction that you go at the end? That would have made more sense imo.

Gert: YCASI
Digging: Kicks ass to the point of wanting to go drink that Chamomile Tea and watch Oprah.
Lasting Impression: OMGYCASI. It Owns.

Lyric Burgler: Well recorded. The low end really gets into you. Something sounds sort of disjointed about the space of the vocals with the music. The backups work for me in terms of mix, but the front voice needs to match the reverbed essence of the instruments. The drum part does sort of bother me. There is, however something very sixties about this tune. The chorus is catchy enough to make me want to listen again.
Digging: Ya, it's very catchy.
Lasting Impression: Re-record this with better drum parts and a few more transitions and it would kind of kick. Maybe some flute at some point to really mess it up. Do I need a coffee?

A Late Thaw: That guitar sounds great!!!! The delay is a bit off with the time of the guitar but it sounds sooo beautiful. The vocals coming in reminds me of Snow Patrol for some reason. There is a couple of pitchy moments that hurt it. A little NIck Drake in a way. There's also this kind of Level 42 melody in the main guitar chord progression that makes me think of other things. All bands that I like for various reasons but not in their entirety.
Digging: Ya, kinda. Might be the mood I'm in, but the guitar performance is very good.
Lasting Impression: If you don't shorten it it's going to make me fall asleep whilst watching Oprah.

R. Mosquito - Holy Compression Batman!!! Brick-walled. The sonic awfulness makes me smile from ear to ear.
Digging: Absolutely. My ears are bleeding but it feels soooo good.
Lasting Impression: Yes. One of my favourites of the fight.

Melvin: uh....
Digging: C'mon really?!
Lasting Impression: This is one of those times where the Death Penalty should be enforced for submitting.

The Hand Formula: The minimalism lo-fi with the jews harp is kinda cool. "Close your eyes" makes me mad. The bank concept really robs me of all respect that this song could have had.
Digging: No.
Lasting Impression: Wrong direction with the lyrics. Got any more of that Hand Formula? I feel a relief need coming on.

Todd McHatton: Wow is the compression heavy. Works though. The sound of the voice is very nice with the music and especially with the drum fills this may be one of my favourites of the fight. That bass eats at my soul.
Digging: Right on. I love the instrumentation and the way the mix flows. The breakdown is real nice at the end.
Lasting Impression: I'm calm and then, all of a sudden, I want to drink a large glass of cola and ride my bike to the river to throw cheesies in it. I'd explain it, but it's a long story.

Some Guy Called Noel: Great performance on the guitar. That buzz is extremely distracting. Underneath the bad quality there is a great song there just waiting to be produced.
DIgging: Oh ya. If the tune sounded a bit better and retained it's lo-fi-ness, if that makes any sense, I'd listen to it over and over.
Lasting Impression: Like having a smoke after my necrophiliac affair.

Adam Dachais: Wow. Talk about forcing the lyrics into the tune. And those drum fills should be re-addressed. Nice idea that kind of never really came to fruition properly.
Digging: Not a chance.
Lasting Impression: I need to take a pill after that one. I feel myself ramping up.

Aardwolves: Well there is the obvious down converted bit resolution of the mp3 that is a bit distracting. Also too much low end. Especially at the lo resolution it will come out even worse. Underneath, the performance is pretty good.
Digging: The resolution is too distracting.
Lasting Impression: I'm breathing in a bag right now.

Johnny Cashpoint: Why is it that after all this time I still hear a white noise on your recordings? Is it a pre-amp issue? As far as the song goes it's really well performed and I do enjoy the sonics, but the progression kind of bugs me. It sounds all too simplistic for my sensibility.
Digging: Sort of. I'm not sure, really. It kind of gets me riled for some reason, but in the wrong kind of way.
Lasting Impression: KInd of like a nursery rhyme tripping out on acid. When it hits it's peak the fits gonna hit the shan. As it is; it doesn't, so it distracts from it's ok production and mediocre songwriting. Where's my bag again?!

Noah Mclaughlin: The bass is a little heavy in the mix. Might be an EQ thing. The low end is meaty. Just like to hear it pulled down in the 60 - 100 Hz region.
The chording sounds confused. The slow down is my favourite moment of the tune. Makes perfect sense, but there's just no hook to bind me to the conclusion of thinking the tune really is about the title.
Digging: No, kinda don't dig it and I can't really put my finger on it.
Lasting Impression: I....uh..... I.... got to go for a walk and think about it all. I..... um.... I'm just not sure.

Weakest Suit: I glazed over when I heard this. Might be the title in the tune. It kind of annoys me. That sweeping insert on the voice.
Digging: No, I would definitely never listen to it again.
Lasting Impression: Back from my walk and I f*&kin lost my keys.

Jonathan Mann and the Berkeley Social Scene: The Tom Waits rip off is killing me at the head of this tune. It's all really well-performed, but the choice of the instrumentation all seems really easy. I suppose the choice makes sense with the songwriting, but that doesn't say much in terms of originality. "Please calm down" is my favourite hook of the tune. I think the drums need to come up and the voice needs to go down and the rev is too heavy in the space. I would have dropped it a bit more or eq'd it differently.
Digging: Ya, it's ok. Nothing to write home about, but I'd listen to it again.
Lasting Impression: I think I need to have a glass of cognac.

flvxxvmforvm: When that meaty backing track comes in I'm smiling so hard I wish I could take a picture of my face and send it to you. Another tune that is borrowing from a medium that's been done to death, but for me this works for the tune. The harmonica is nice in the right side.
Digging: Nice one. It all sounds good if not borrowed from countless blues acts. I can totally relate to it's glass saluting.
Lasting Impression: I've lined up about 10 shots of tequila and limes.

Puppies and Flowers: Well the mix could have benefitted with a bit more concentration on the EQ. As far as performance this is the killer of the fight. Reminds me of Les Claypool a bit. Push it at about 3 khz by about 3 db on the whole mix and it'll sound better I swear.
Digging: Fuck ya!!!!
Lasting Impression: I'm going in for seconds on my necrophiliac love affair to see if I'll ever be over Puppies and Flowers.

Tuba Toothpaste: When those vocals come in it's over for me.
Digging: Not a chance.
Lasting Impression: I need a new lover. Let's see I got a chainsaw or some knives......hmmmm.

Andrew Reist: That lead line before the vocal line coming in is awesome. Push the vocals back a bit in the mix. The progression is great. The nasal thinned out eq on the voice is the way I thought you should have gone with through the whole tune. There's a bit of an awkwardness about the vocal arrangement and the lyrics. It doesn't work. Once again. Boost the whole mix by about 3 db at 3 Khz and it'll sound hotter.
Digging: Ya man nice job.
Lasting Impression: I'm hitting the chair and I'm not coming out til Oprah comes back on.

Octothorpe: Sounds live as the S/N ration is very stacked against the recording. Is Bert singing?
Digging: Sort of, as with all Octothorpe I'm not really sure.
Lasting Impression: My son has an Elmo that may get destroyed today.

Sock Puppet: Do you use a pick when you play the guitar?
Digging: That is the lamest tune I've heard from Fluffy the Fampire.
Lasting Impression: Elmo's gonna get it.

Finding Nemoy: "About time" eeeeeks..... wow that's just bad. Can you not hear that? Would have been better to not double it. The melody is cool. The lyrics seem a little forced for me.
Digging: I'd never listen to it again.
Lasting Impression: Where's my axe?

[fluffy]

At the end of the day, you're music is gonna sound tight, or not. the "reasons" don't change the fact that it isn't tight.

Okay, let me amend that with: it's easier for me to have every instrument stay together if they're all played together by different people who listen to each other. Whenever I've done live drumming for Octothorpe we've stayed together pretty well (modulo Mad Dog), but whenever I've done "live" drumming in any of my own songs, the drums in particular always waver. Normally when I record a solo song I sequence the drums rather than record them (or sometimes modify canned loops), but I'm tired of how that sounds and it definitely didn't work with what I was going for in this song.

Although, given how little variation I had in my drum patterns I could have probably just sequenced a few loops and occasionally tweaked them.

Sock Puppet: Do you use a pick when you play the guitar?

Yes.

[Elvis]

D'oh - I left someguycallednoel off my review list. Nice guitar work. Reminds me of Beatles "Blackbird" and "Dear Prudence."

[Leaf]

in response to TT's review:

Yeah I worked it for 5-6 hours straight... but as you know, I just seem to MISS eq decisions for some reason. When I was all done, I was thinking 'yeah, this sounds great" and maybe, for a Leaf production, it does. But then I listen to Gert, and its' like.. FUCK!! why can't I do that??? (rhetorical, lack of experience, and practice).

My mixes STILL have this tight, narrow stereo, heavy almost muddy thing going on... or at least, that's how I hear it a few days later. Maybe it's the garage I'm mixing in. Maybe it's my fucked up hearing. Maybe not stepping away long enought to let it settle. I dunno. where's Rick Rubin when i need him???


I was tempted to ask one of you dudes how to make it sonically better, but it was late, and gert was knee deep in gerting, so I didn't want to distract from the gert, if you gert my meaning.

I would like to remix it, or have it remixed... like anything... I'm gonna try your tip, please forward any others!!

Oh, and to the dude who said "it made him crazy' or some such thing. That was such a compliment, you have no idea. When I get to the middle of that track...I start to giggle all crazy as I imagine the number of people who have to stop listening cause they can't take it. I know, it's a weird perspective... but fuck it, that's how the metal rolls.