Bruckheimer makes a good film (Hollywood Fantasy Reviews)

[Kamakura]

Blatherings from the land of Kamakura (north of the silly's, west of Dungeness)
Damn good fight. Neither big, nor small, ‘twas just the right size.
There are two songs here* that bowled me over completel. Brilliant… Seriously.
Reviewed in the order I listen to them on the way to work and back.

Andre was here at midnight
I guess I’ll have to play the genre bias card (which is an easy copout). Sorry Dre, not for me.
Specifically this had some timing problems, and needed to be tight. It did have a mood to it though. I zoned out at the ‘aliveeeeee’. Not keen on the lyrics either.

Andy Balham
Very, VERY English. I loved it, but then I get the references. A lot wouldn’t I think.
The spoken description was unnecessary imho. Great lyrics.
Keeper. (because).

*The BeWells
I’d buy the album. Fuck this is good.
I listened to this several times before I read the lyrics. Then I went off it. The emotion the song bled seemed to be more powerful than the lyrical content, which appeared too clever by half and disappointed me. I was glad the voice was mixed the way it was, because the lyrics seemed to kill it… Then I re-read the lyrics, and they are growing on me. I think the moral is don’t let me read lyrics with film titles in blue.
The production, especially the strings is almost perfect.
Keeper (I want the album autographed).

Cattle Bat and the Brian Fs
Fun fun fun. Grungey and Beachboy-esque. Brings a smile to the eyes and sends you dancing to the fridge for another beer, prior to digging out the chillum.
Keeper. (holds his breath and falls over)

Eddiebangs
I used to tour selling T-Shirts, and have seen a lot of ‘stadium’ gigs with the likes of REO-Speedwagon, Survivor, Foreigner etc. Lotsa lights, double bass drum kit, leather trousers and hordes of groupies. I can and hear see this there.
Keeper (‘oh yes, I fought Eddiebangs. Back in 05 I think it was…’)

Hoblit
Sheesh. The lyrics, good though they are, quite depressed me. I’m not sure quite what to say. The songs works. I like your voice. Deep and dark. But hell… Great guitar solo.
Keeper (for those dark hours).

Kamakura
This weeks excuses are: Hideously rushed, and live.
I thought the lyrics worked. Then I would say that. Lotsa timing problems and bum notes (see 2nd sentence). There it is then.
Keeper (I’m allowed)

*Loyalty Day.
I guess Purdey didn’t scan. Sad.
I can see the video, hear the announcer saying ‘Loyalty Day are at number 10 and climbing’. This is perfect pop. Can’t fault it. Go get a deal. Now.
Keeper (duh)

Magnet Box
This felt slow to me. Good guitar solo. It sounded like you didn’t let go when you sang. There is ‘something’ about your voice that sounds like you could shine, but here you didn’t. I hated the way you sang ‘fantasy’. It’s also unfortunate that you came where you did in the playlist.

R. Mosquito.
Great groove. I don’t like rappy stylie things generally speaking but this was made for me with the bangra feel. Great lyrics, made better with the Nova reference. I had a Chevy Nova once, and in Hollywood too. I had to sell it to buy comestibles.
Keeper (yassa)

After due deliberation and angst my vote is split between The Be Wells and Loyalty Day. I’ll have to listen some more.
Hoblit gets The Darkness Award ®

[drë]

<b>Andy</b>
Engaging intro.. but then I get lost. Mostly the vocals just turn me off. Like the drums though.

<b>Bee’s leave wells</b> - possible vote
Nice intro, and like the entire LIVE feel to this. The vocals are great, but at first I didn’t think it was mixing with the acoustic all that well, it might mix better with a piano. Then the strings came in and it really soften everything together. But I really thing, your vocal tone would mix better with a piano. Enjoyed the lyrics, and the drums.
But seriously dude, piano.

<b>a bat and Brian, but not Brian A</b> - possible vote
This is cool, upbeat, and stutututututttering.
At time the mix gets muddy with the electric guitar. Perfect length as well.

<b>Eddie bang bang</b> - possible vote
I have always enjoy your songs; mostly the guitars and drums, and arrangement
But the downer for me, is mostly just a gender thing.
The vocals are a bit high (pitchy) to pull off, that early-mid 90s post grunge melody on the vocals. But you sure sing it with the perfect energy / attitude and it shows.
Maybe next time, you’ll think twice and bring down the treble (highs) and give more mid/lows on the vocal tracks. But that’s just me.

<b>Hoblit</b> - possible vote, ok vote
Best song I have heard from you yet. I’ll even classify it as an opus.
Great energy, awesome guitar tracks. Good vocal melody. Perfect break/solo. Worth the 5 minutes. (Actually is like 15 by now)

<b>kamakura</b> - possible vote, ok runner up
Good to hear from you again, as this sounds groovy. It’s like a weird mix of 60s spy music, a lounge band, and some Mexican mariachis. Like how the words just flow with the music, super smooth. Everything sounds good, but maybe the drums could come down just a bit in the mix, as the high hat, get a bit distracting at times. Man, do you brits have good sense of melody.

<b>L-Day (get it, like D-Day, hahaha)</b>- possible vote, ok 3 rd place.
Man, does this sound nice and happy, reminds me of that 99 balloons song. But Ken, let the girl sing. This is her song. Seriously this type of song has chick vocals written all over it, and I don’t need your voice, popping in and out of my right ear, from time to time, reiterating, what she just finish saying. Also whished the break, was fast and even more poppy (if that’s possible), instead of that slow screaming thing.


<b>MagnetVox</b>- possible vote, ok 5th place.
Interesting guitar intro. But then the song comes in and it’s easy and laid back, oh shit, then the vocals come in, and it sounds like their about to cry. I love it.
This sounds good, and the vocals have a familiar sound to it, but can’t ping it down. Decent solo, and more sad vocals , I like it. I want to hear more of this.

<b>Rapping mosquito</b>- possible vote, ok 4th place.
Don’t know why people are complaining of the rapping, as this is within the top 5 percent of all raps in songfight archive. The hand claps and especially the finger snapping is brilliant I think. At time (mostly the chorus) it gets muddy, and that wrench sound is fucking annoying as hell.


Tops,
1.-Hoblit – vote
2.-Kamakura
3.-L Day
4.-R Mosquito
5.-Magnebox

[13hugh]

Come on, you can't fault Andys spoken word middle, maybe you're just protecting yourself from the nightmare world he's describing.

[j$]

A. Balham.
You know who you sing like? Johnny Cashpoint. And it's not just the accent.

I've just noticed this. No he doesn't. Yes it is. For proof of this, go listen to the duet between the two of us, in the Run Faster fight. If you can't hear a difference between the two voices, then you're mentally impoverished

The more I listen to AB's song here, the more I agree with Kamakura; although it's nicely done, the spoken word section not only slows up the flow a bit too much, it also turns this into an out and out mordant wit song and away from the pleasingly ambiguous message that it would carry if you left that part out.

I voted for Kamakura by the way...

j$

[Andy Balham]

The more I listen to AB's song here, the more I agree with Kamakura; although it's nicely done, the spoken word section not only slows up the flow a bit too much, it also turns this into an out and out mordant wit song and away from the pleasingly ambiguous message that it would carry if you left that part out.

You're a fickle one Mr.$. On Trailblazin' you wanted it spelt out more and on this one you want ambiguity

On the whole I'm glad I went with the spoken bit. For me it works, though I may experiment with halving its length as suggested and adding a better drum roll into the solo. I knew it would label it very much as British and may sound a little portentous, but for once I wanted to avoid being stuck in the mid-atlantic. Thanks to 13hugh for defending it too.

[j$]

You're a fickle one Mr.$. On Trailblazin' you wanted it spelt out more and on this one you want ambiguity

Not really. That song needed less ambuigity, this one would be improved with more. That's not being fickle, that's considering each song on its individual merits rather than blanket-judging you, based on one song you wrote that I personaly liked more than another ... oh hang on

j$

[Kamakura]

Common boys, don't bicker. It'll only end up in tears.
Andy- It is English and so are you. QED
J$ - Leave him alone, he lives in Balham.
PS: Thanks for the vote, you are my new lord.
13hugh - Nightmare is spot on.
'Welcome to a hollow world
A land of quiet despair
Harvesters on Sunday
And Febreze hanging in the air.' ©A.B
Strange how tastes change over the years. At one time Harvesters were the place to go. [/shudder]

[j$]

Common boys, don't bicker. It'll only end up in tears.
...
J$ - Leave him alone, he lives in Balham.

Common? Who are you are calling common?

I'm not bickering, I'm explaining a misunderstanding. And if you can't be snippy with your friends, who can you be snippy with?

p.s. you're welcome.

j$

[Andy Balham]

You're a fickle one Mr.$.

Not really. That song needed less ambuigity, this one would be improved with more.

You know I was only joking, but 'tis a tricky one getting the level right. Maybe I'll see if I can come up with an alternative bridge to see how it affects the feel. Mind you, revisiting things just feels so alien these days.

[j$]

Mind you, revisiting things just feels so alien these days.

Ain't that the truth? Since I started songfighting I've written in the region of 200 songs, the vast majority of which I can't even remember how to play. I guess it's because not being in a band / playing live, there isn't really the opportunity. Wire refused to play any song live more than once (although they renaged on that a coupla times recently) - once it was done, it was done and move on, take what you've learnt to something fresh. I kind of like that anti-nostalgic attitude. Anyhoo ...

j$

[Kamakura]

Common? Who are you are calling common? j$

erm. I meant come on. #shuffles away#

[Bolio]

Reviews...

AWHAM – Interesting intro, the tempos on the acoustic & keys are a little different but it has a cool effect. electric guitar line comes in too loud & throughout the song it messes up the mix. Boy those vox get way out there, but I like it. Don’t want to compare you to Pink Floyd but this is giving me the same type of feeling as lesser-produced Pink Floyd song. I’ll keep it.

ANDY BALHAM – The last word of each line of the verses seem to be off (despair, In the air), you throw in such a cool chord, sing that note with confidence. Chorus vox are shaky. Great transitions in this song, between chorus & verse & solo… very good production on this, especially that solo area. Points off for the cutoff ending, small pet peeve of mine. Yet I look forward to listening to it again.

BeWELLS – You got me with the smooth acoustic intro, very nice throughout the song too. Love the chorus progression, tempts me to sit down & figure it out. Nice variety here, I like the strings added in occasionally. Impressive overall.

CATTLE BAT & THE BRIAN F’S – This song is good fun. I like the build & nice production on the outro with all the moving parts. Song is too short!

EDDIEBANGS - The input media format is invalid. I’ll try to catch up with it later.

HOBLIT – Awesome intro, I’m ready to groove! Organ is killer every time it enters. Great chorus, love the guitar rhythm. Interesting progression. Oooh this section (before the solo) is EXCELLENT!!! Good solo & BAM, we’re kicking ass again. Great job, I’m floored. Your ‘Spring of Teal’ was in my regular rotation for a long time, as will this one be.

KAMAKURA – Nice beat. Sounds a bit empty at times, maybe looking for another keyboard or guitar. Nothing reaches out & grabs me from this song.

LOYALTY DAY – as if this fight wasn’t tough enough. Very unique song, far from typical Loyalty Day. Vox steal the show, great harmony & melody is catching after the first listen. What a performance. One thing, I would maybe add some sounds to that synth break.

MAGNETBOX – Something ain’t jiving in the intro tempo-wise between guitar & drums… the guitar starts too fast & sounds weird when it has to slow down when the drums start. Throughout the song this occurs, maybe have you’re drummer record with a click-track or metronome, no shame in that. Melody sounds like it’s in a different key, maybe try to nail more notes. Some of the vox sounds fine, the rest are all over the place.

R MOSQUITO – Not a fan of the backround, or the rapping (though it sounds better than most on Songfight!) or that tedious noise in the chorus that made me stop the song suddenly, sorry.


Many very good songs in this fight! Tough decision, but I can’t wait to get home to crank Hoblit’s song loudly, so he get’s my vote.

[Kamakura]

I've got Hoblit's song going round and around in my head. It intrudes at the most inconvenient times.

[Hoblit]

I've got Hoblit's song going round and around in my head. It intrudes at the most inconvenient times.

*Hoblit twists beard and breaks into maniacle laughter.

Later today, early evening perhaps...I'll post my reviews.

Thanks ya'll, Kamakura, Bolio, Dre and everyone else with their kind words. I do appreciate the listens and the sweet feedback.

[Adam!]

Hoblit v. EddieBangs? There may be roman blood in me because I can’t pass up this gladiator match.

Dre: Wonky.
Pro: Really nice sounding tremolo guitar.
Cons: Fake sounding piano riff has mega awkward timing. Intonation is all over the place. The melody is very challenging.

Andy Balham: I can’t put my finger on what I don’t like about this. Sorry Andy.
Pro: Guitar during the chorus sounds great.
Cons: Many.

Bewells: Nice and safe.
Pro: Nice strings. That acoustic sounds so sweet. The vocals are dead on and perfectly preformed. Pretty.
Cons: I’d lowpass that reverb, because the sibilances turn into long hissing snakes that undoubtedly cut your overhead. The vocals sound a little out of place, like the vocal mic doesn’t fit properly. I wish there was something about this song that was a little more ambitious. I mean, it’s very well done, but I’ve heard it many times before.

Cat Battle: This song poured itself right into the pleasure centers of my brain.
Pro: I really, really like you’re voice. I hear a lot of myself in there, and maybe a little Doug Cheatwood. I like that nerdy but self assured vocal style. The energy you bring is great.
Cons: Your voice could sound much better (like absolutely pro) with different compression and EQ and doubling. The music sucks in a generic sort of way; If you had some adventurous music this could totally be a vote.

Eddie Bangs: Eddiebangsy.
Pro: Pro is right. This song –and all your songs– sounds perfect. Solo = great. Voice = great. Chorus = great. Those overlapping harmonies are money.
Cons: Sounds a little too EddieBangs-y. That’s a backhanded complement. The first minute and a half is pure eddie goodness, but afterwards I start to hope you do something a little different later in the song. But then that chorus kicks in and everything is alright.

Hoblit: Hoblity.
Pro: That’s a really nice organ you’ve got there. Or so I’ve heard. The bridge is an awesome change. All the regular stuff that you do well is done well, but the solo really stands out.
Cons: I spent the entire song trying to figure out where I’ve heard the verse rhythm guitar before. Hmm.. something about this song doesn’t grab me. Vocal delays around 4:20 sound wonky to me. I think I would like them more if you lowpassed those echoes.

Kamakura: Not entirely unlike a mellow Ricky Martin.
Pro: Interesting sounding instrumentation. I like that snare. The latin-american vocal melody is catchy and appealing. Vocals are good. One of my favourite Kamakura songs. Great ending.
Cons: A little too much vocal reverb, imo; less would give it a more intimate feel. It cries for a Carlos Santana-esque guitar solo. No other complaints.

Loyalty Day: I’ve finally found someone to replace Gwen since she went all poppy.
Pro: What a sweet intro. What a sweet breakbeat. The pop-ska feel works well. I’m really enjoying the retro-synth for the bridge. Vocals are perfect as usual.
Cons: I can’t hear the bass on these speakers. That’s not really a con, but it makes me feel bad because I always love LD’s bass. This song will be stuck in my head all day. The ending drags a bit.

Magnetbox:
Pro: The drums sound good. Solo sounds good.
Cons: Another song that made me wonder where the hell I had heard the rhythm part before. Ubiquitous intonation problems. Very slow and dull.

RMosquito:
Pro: You, sir, are a genre ninja. The rap’s got flow. There’s a sample during the chorus that is the best thing I’ve heard in any song this week. Great sampling.
Cons: Vocals need some compression or EQ or something. The whole thing sounds muddy.

Vote: Brian F or LD or Reve.

EDIT: I just noticed Brian F is a fellow British Columbian-ite, which biases me in his favour. Brain, you got my vote. Long live Vancouver-area Nerdrock!

whisper: collab collab collab col...

[Hoblit]

*Hoblit puts on light sunglasses, unbuttons his silk shirt a little, and shoots two finger guns.

<b>Andre dude...</b>I really like the clunky sound and the light guitar fills. The vocals could have used some more variation but hey if the ladies buy the emo shtick...then go with it. While I am diggin' the clunkyness...it gets a little out of your control here and there. Dude, you gotta sound like that's on purpose or we'll have to call you out mah man. This is pretty good but not as good as it could have been. *Flips a silver dollar that you will try to react and catch but won't as it hits the ground and rolls around while you chase it a little bit.

<b>Andy, Babe...</b> This is some really kick butt stuff right here. This is a cross between that hippy sh#t and some southern rock. I'd hate to see the kind of babes you be banging. (but oddly intrigued) The accent really sells it in the middle there. We 'mericans usually go all googly eyed for those of you English. It gives your sound to our ears a bit of an artsy touch. Even if it's just your natural voice. So the spoken word part really sells *sexy*. I dug on the driving guitar walking briskly with bulging shoulders. This song screams loose streets and hard living. Definitely one of the better songs this week. *Slaps andy on the butt and walks away before noting the reaction it caused.

<b>bewells...uh...</b> awe, how sweet. Let me wipe this tear away from my eye and get all serious. This is a fantastic song. I mean, women love this sh@t! I bet you are just swimming in the pu$$y! Nice, tender. The strings lift me a to a nice place. The intimacy you create here is hard to deny. The guitar is simple yet exact. It's a great sound with just enough fills and finger picking to get the job done without seemingly showing off. Your vocals are sincere and heart felt. You wrote this in a week? Man, you're sick. This could have used a stand up orchestra bass. But thats hardly a complaint as much as it is a suggestion. I almost voted for this one. *Hugs bewells for just a hair too long causing that uncomfortable couple of seconds

<b>cattlebat, wha?</b> whats with the name. It's dangerous...I like it. I really like it. PUNK rock... but when I say punk rock...I mean like Mick Jones of the clash type of pu$$y punk. Hey, he was good... but man did he have a limp wrist or what? I like the energy of your song overall. I think you have a future kid. You just gotta tighten the screws a little. Nice, hit and run. This was kind of cool. *Fakes a High Five and pulls hand out just in time and leaves dude hanging

<b>Eddie bangs a banging</b> RAWK, mah man...this is awesome. I didn't realize you were a head to head with Hoblit until this fight. Takin' that down. I'm feedin' on how crisp and concise you are. Great EFFING mix do0d. Awesome guitar work if not a little cheesey, but hey, that sounds like what Hoblit was going for too. Your vocals are right on as usual which really gets the ladies. I mean, what groupy can't resist the lead singer. The lyrics were just a bit trite...not overly done... trite enough to sell I say! I almost voted for this one too...tough choice...tough break kid. *Friendly punch to arm that hit a little too hard

<b>Hoblit....</b> ... sick dude. Just sick. *walks away keeping disapointed eye contact

<b>Kamakura karma</b> oooooOOOOooo, spooookeeey. Love it. I like creepy junk like this. Makes the dark darker. The rhythm guitar is nice and dark but yet funky at the same time. The lyrics are cute... especially the 'win a songfight from time to time' ..yeah, that sells fantasy if ever a lyric did. Keep dreamin' babe. This is intellectual coffee club music. Not sure if you wanna sleep with that crowd. They'd probably wanna gab about the sensations of thier genitals in the middle of a romantic sexual session. But then again, one has to get his jollies anyway he can. *shudders and walks away bobbing to upbeat strokes

<font color="blue">
<b>Loyalty Day</b></font><font color="orange"><b> Wow, I'd tell you how hot you sound if I didn't think your husband would whoop my a$$ all over the studio. This is my vote. I can't help it. I know that you are a shoe in but thats obviously for a reason. Excellent talent. Anyone else notice that there were a lot of organs used in this fight in general? The guitar lick harmonizing is INCREDIBLY cheesey...but ... who doesn't like nacho sauce anyways? right? The vocals are so sweet and the beat is hard to shake. Wait, Belle & Sebastian? Not...not that I"d know what they sounded like or anything...just uh *Puts hands in pockets and walks off briskly in mid sentence</b></font>

<b>MagnetBox</b> mah man, between you and me, this isn't gonna get you laid. There a too many mistakes and both the lyrics and vocals are short of mind blowing. I admire the quality of the production though. The recording itself isn't bad at all. But some of the guitars and bass with the drums get derailed at times. The vocals are a bit strained and just bein' honest with ya here...the lyrics aren't selling it either. However, you stick with the game. You will improve those things, I just know it. You have the production going for you and if you line up those other ducks...you'll be a contender. *Sprays breath freshener and moves onto the next

<b>MOSQ</b> Hey, this is one of the better rap songs I've heard on this site. It gets a little repetive musically. I like the samples though and I think the actual rap is right on. The vocal fills are a nice touch and give it that extra little bit that takes it from amateur to professional sounding. Hey, I'm a white boy and I had to listen to this a few times to even understand what the hell it was you were sayin'. Good tune and glad to half decent rap hanging around in the crowd. *Finger points, shoots and blows smoke off of barrels

Hey, nice fight ya'll, I mean overall. Have a drink on me and maybe later we'll all meet for a slice of pie.

*runs hands through hair once, spins around, grabs door handle and pulls just a little bit, kicks the door open the rest of the way with boot, leans back and takes large steps through the opening.

[Lunkhead]

From a songwriting perspective, I think everybody did really well this week. So I'm going to just mention some things I liked or disliked about the performance/production of the songs:

awham
The rhythm of the piano sounds pretty stiff. The bass is a little muddy. There seem to be some timing issues... Something in the low frequencies is making a fwapping noise. Your singing is better than usual. I like what the guitars are doing. Ouch, that big long high note a bit after the middle doesn't sound so good. I like the chord changes near the end. Doh, there's that vocal note again that trails off in a not so good way.

andy balham
The vocals seem a bit off pitch in the beginning. I like the drums. There's a bit too much bass in this mix for me on these headphones. I like the energy of the chorus, but it makes the verses sound too low key. I'm not that into the spoken part of the bridge, that part drags a bit. I like the guitar solo, though, I would have just gone straight to that.

the bewells
Too bad about the background noise. The vocals seem a bit loud compared to the guitar, and also I think they could use more low cut (if they have any on them). I like the arrangement of the strings (a cello and two violins?). Hm, was the singer being really quiet when recording this? It sounds like he's whispering most of the time. If so, it would have been great to hear the vocals with a little more air behind them.

cattle bat etc.
Chorus sounds kinda Dead Kennedys-esque to me. I like the backing vocals in the second verse. I'm so not into the 4-bar casio drum loop through the whole song. I like the vocals in the bridge. This could be like a song by The Darkness if it were produced better, and if you used your falsetto the entire time, and had a crazy hair-metal guitar solo. Ouch, vocal clipping...

eddiebangs
I like the little intro. Is there a piano/synth track in there? I don't think it's adding that much during the verse. Good "aaahs" and "oooohs". Nice harmonies in the chorus. The mix sounds a bit muddy in the low end. Some of those trills in the guitar solos sound really gratuitous to me. Also the rhythm guitar tone sounds kind of muddy now that I think about it. Nice fade to drums and vocals at the end. Hm, are those your drums, or are they sequenced? Something about them sounds a little stiff at the end.

hoblit
The rhythm gets a bit repetitive and plodding after a while. It would be nice if the verses had more dynamic contrast with the chorus, like if the music were quieter and had 1-2 fewer instruments, so the vocals really stood out. That would make the bridge contrast more with the other parts, too. I also think sometimes that the bass part is either too simple or the drum part is either too complicated, because they don't always sound to me like they mesh together.

kamakura
Doh, another person who went for a ska-ish sound! You nailed it, too. The guitar is kind of quiet and muddy. The mix in general sounds like it's missing something. The drums sound good. The organ and guitar are maybe both too quiet and have too much reverb. Is there a bass track? If so I can't hear it. I like the singing, though some of the plosives pop a bit. I like the dark turn in the lyrics. Neat ending.

magnetbox
The kick drum sound seems a bit loose, like it should be tightened up with some compression or something? The vocals in the chorus sound off sometimes, and the part is a bit monotonic, so it's important to make sure the one note you're singing in each line is on. The guitar solo is too long, or at least, the solo quality-to-length ratio isn't right.

r. mosquito
Ouch, that's some loud kick drum. I like the orchestral samples. I don't like that really loud click-click-click noise. Considering how fast you're rapping I can understand a lot of what you're saying, good job. I could probably understand more if the vocals had more space in the mix. They don't need so much reverb, and they could use more low cut.

loyalty day
Lyrical credits for this song go to our bass player David. Ken was rebuilding his PC so we wound up recording this at my house and I mixed it. Ken had to play keyboard drums rather than real drums, which I'm sure is not his ideal, but he came up with great parts anyway. I'm happy because I got to use my theremin sample again. Here's a better mix, I think, with less reverb, better levels, and more stereo separation:

http://www.loyaltyday.com/songs/loyaltyday_hf.mp3

Anyway, thanks for the kind words/votes. It's nice to be back in action with LD.

I'm not sure who to vote for as I think everybody did well. I guess I'm leaning towards the BeWells out of genre bias.

[bwell]

I finally took some time to sit down and write some comments for all of the songs. Here are my thoughts...

Andre was here at midnight - I like the overall feel of the instrumentation in this song. The effects choices for the electric guitars with the tremolo and then the reverb set back a bit work well for me. Things could be a little tighter in spots but it generally works. The vocals were probably the weakest spot. The melody didn't quite sit as nicely for me, but I think it might have been the way the vocals were sliding around the notes.

Andy Balham - There's a great full sound to this song. I love the electric guitar sounds and the drums and bass sit nicely in the mix. Great contrast between the verse and chorus. That chorus is wonderful. The speaking part works alright and leads nicely into the instrumental section. The vocals in general kind of work, but the effect stood out a little too much for me. The first half of the guitar solo gets a little distracting. There is something about the first half with the note choice and/or being slightly sharp in spots that doesn't sit as well as the second half when it drops down to to the D (around 2:33). The second half sounds pretty good. In the end, this has a great band sound with good presence...well done.

The BeWells - The idea for this song kept going in different directions as I tried to write it. What I ended up with was attempting to include the titles of all the Audrey Hepburn films in the song and still stay somewhat close to an earlier story line (along with the "go lightly" character reference and a couple of brief musical references to "Loverly" and "Moon River"). I did a quick take of the acoustic guitar and a few takes of the vocals to smooth out some of the rough spots in the lyrics and timing. At that point I decided to give up on the song, so I never did a real take with the right mic and all. After sleeping on the song it grew on me a bit and I spent the last half hour or so before the deadline adding the strings (yes, cello with two violins) to bulk up the sound a little. Thanks to everyone for the comments and suggestions. This one was received much better than I thought it would be given the lower production quality and somewhat awkward lyrics. I will probably redo this one sometime soon to get a clean sound and add some other ideas I couldn't get to before the deadline.

Cattle Bat and the Brian Fs - This is a fun song. I like the guitars and vocal style. The background vocals are great. The shorter length works well for this...what was there was enjoyable and left me wanting a little more. Something about the overall sound did not quite jump out at me, but I don't have enough mixing experience to identify those things yet.

Eddiebangs - Great sound with excellent production. Other than minor touches to clean up timing and intonation in spots, this sound would outdo quite a bit of what plays on the radio these days. The vocals sound good and the guitar playing fits perfectly. The rhythm on the piano is the only thing that distracts instrumentally for me...it's mostly good, but could use the occasionally break from that steady rhythmic pounding.

Hoblit - I love the dark feel with the guitar and organ. And I guess that is quite appropriate given the subject. This has a nice, big sound to it. The bridge changes things up well and leads nicely into that big guitar solo...great guitar sound there. It's long but it doesn't end up feeling too long. The drums sound fine in the mix, but sometimes they feel a bit stiff. Apart from that and the disconcerting lyrics, this is a good one with an epic feel to it.

Kamakura - The song generally has a good sound. I like the vocals and the organ but it seems that there could be something else to fill things out. The sparse instrumentation works well for most of the song, but a little more variation or complexity now and then would help a lot.

Loyalty Day - The opening organ sound had me worried, but then the guitar kicks in and pulls me into the song. By the time the chorus comes around everything feels great. The instrumentation stays kind of simple, but it works well. The vocals are great. I normally don't like unison vocal lines, but it works here the way the voices fit together. Those echoed vocal lines are perfect. Instrumentally, everything feels like it could be kicked up another level (except maybe that wonderful thereminesque part), but the midi-ish cheesiness fits perfectly, the lyrics are fun and the vocals are great. I love it and can't help myself from singing along.

Magnetbox - There is a nice feel to this song. However, the timing and pitch are off enough throughout the song that it does make it difficult to sit through multiple listens. There are some nice parts with the guitar playing.

R. Mosquito - If the flow and timing were cleaned up a bit, this would be a rather catchy number. I like the backing for the most part. The style of the delivery also works alright. It's not quite the type of thing I tend to listen to, but this is pretty fun.

My vote this week goes to Loyalty Day, with Andy Balham as runner-up trailed by Eddiebangs, Cattle Bat, and Hoblit.

[Stevie Windsor]

R Mosquito As rapping goes on Songfight, this is pretty good but too repetitive to hold interest beyond the first minute

Andre was Here Some timing problems in places, the mix between lead and rhythm guitars could be better and the the vocals not immediately appealing. However I really like the drony sound and the guitar lines. A bit more proficency and this would have been a really great song.

eddie bangs Doesnt play in my Windows Media Player. The last track of yours I tried to listen to also suffered from this. What codec to I need to load to get it to play?

The BeWells Oh no, here come the tasteful acoustic guitars! Good playing and singing, although the vocals sound a little too close and breathy, but not really all that great a song.

Loyalty Day Love this, Great chorus, stays just on the right side of novelty kitsch, inevitable but excellent spacy keyboards for the middle eight.

Hoblit Epic feel, an awsome blend of guitar and keyboard, but feels a tad ponderous in places, possibly due to the vocal. The solo delivers!

Kamakura This works after a fashion, although more variety in the song would lift the interest. The verse is better then the chorus.

Cattle Bat Why can't we have more Songfight songs like this. Sharp and to the point, squeezes 2 verses, choruses and middle 8 into 90 seconds.

Andy Balham One of his best, I think, great chorus, obviously helped by the brilliant if erratic lead guitar playing.

MagnetBox I prefer the extended instrumental section to the singing bit which seems to lack melody and direction


A nice, compact strong fight, many contenders, I'm torn between Cattle Bat and Loyalty Day. After a second listen.....

1 Loyalty Day (vote)
2 Cattle Bat
3 Hoblit
4 Kamakaura
5 Andre

[HeuristicsInc]

1: hoblit, andre, balham, eddie, cattle, loyalty
2: bewells, rmos, magnet, kamak

my vote is going to go to loyalty day! that rocks!
very catchy.
eddie's in second. i like his harmonies a lot. very eddie.
-bill

[Kamakura]

My vote went to Loyalty Day, with The BeWells a close second. So close I had to role a die.

Thanks to all for the feedback

[tonetripper]

Andrew was Here at Midnight - The timing and pitch issues are so strong I skipped it.

Andy Balham - The sounds are good and are you by chance related to Johnny Cashpoint?

The BeWells - It's good just not what I think is for the title.

Cattle Bat and Brian's F - Catchy little ditty and the type of energy I hear for the title.

Eddie Bangs - A few pitch issues in the chorus, but I can see where it is going.

Hoblit - This is alright, just know that you have done better.

Kamakura - Nice ideas but not executed to the extent it needed to be executed and the production could use a little help.

Loyalty Day - From the opening riff of the harmonied guitar I knew I would vote for it and I did.

Magnet Box - Pitch, pitch, pitch.....

R Mosquito - This is the bomb especially with the finger snaps.

Winner - Loyalty Day first with R. Mosquito leaving me with another itchy bite...... f*(&er, Cattle Bat and Brian F's third.