The Song Fight Bulletin Board

thirdcatmusic wrote: ↑

Thu May 21, 2020 7:36 am

This is a cool challenge because it has me creating something quite unlike my usual tracks.

This makes me happy to read! Can't speak for all the judges, but this is precisely the kind of outcome I was hoping for. Something that takes you a little outside your comfort zone, and forces you to consider your options.

GlennCase wrote: ↑

Thu May 21, 2020 8:20 am

thirdcatmusic wrote: ↑

Thu May 21, 2020 7:36 am

This is a cool challenge because it has me creating something quite unlike my usual tracks.

This makes me happy to read! Can't speak for all the judges, but this is precisely the kind of outcome I was hoping for. Something that takes you a little outside your comfort zone, and forces you to consider your options.

Then you'll be pleased to know I'm doing the same. There are several elements of my song this week that I've never done or used before.

(I figure, based on my rankings and reviews, I'm a dead man walking anyway... )

I mean, we're judges. We're pretty mercurial, so you never know

it is with a heavy heart that i must report that I have had to visit my local a&e department, and now have my arm in a sling, following an extremely cool skateboarding accident. apologies for not being able to get one in for this round, it was going to be an absolute banger, but it means that there'll be at least one shadow re-entered, so go get 'em, tiger!

thirdcatmusic wrote: ↑

Thu May 21, 2020 7:36 am

You can make a pretty full sound with one synth patch so I hope that the result doesn't sound like cheating to the judges. It really is just one synth patch; just with parts going on in multiple octaves. I'm thinking this is fine because the Dresden Dolls example has a full sound with the piano.

My two instruments: one synth patch, one 808 drum machine.

This is a cool challenge because it has me creating something quite unlike my usual tracks.

One great thing about soft synths is they have infinite fingers

ariskofrain wrote: ↑

Fri May 22, 2020 5:13 am

it is with a heavy heart that i must report that I have had to visit my local a&e department, and now have my arm in a sling, following an extremely cool skateboarding accident. apologies for not being able to get one in for this round, it was going to be an absolute banger, but it means that there'll be at least one shadow re-entered, so go get 'em, tiger!

Ah man, I just read this. That sucks!
At least you got injured with style

Aww that sucks, rain! No chance you can work around it using two one-handed instruments? A synth and... a different synth? Either way I hope it's not too painful and that you make a speedy recovery!

ariskofrain wrote: ↑

Fri May 22, 2020 5:13 am

it is with a heavy heart that i must report that I have had to visit my local a&e department, and now have my arm in a sling, following an extremely cool skateboarding accident. apologies for not being able to get one in for this round, it was going to be an absolute banger, but it means that there'll be at least one shadow re-entered, so go get 'em, tiger!

Ohhh noooo that sucks but at least you were being extremely cool at the time?

Feel better soon! Submit some shadows later! Play some instruments that only require one arm! Play the guitar with your feet! While riding a skateboard! Wait, maybe this is how you got injured, never mind.

ariskofrain wrote: ↑

Fri May 22, 2020 5:13 am

it is with a heavy heart that i must report that I have had to visit my local a&e department, and now have my arm in a sling, following an extremely cool skateboarding accident. apologies for not being able to get one in for this round, it was going to be an absolute banger, but it means that there'll be at least one shadow re-entered, so go get 'em, tiger!

This is a real shame. You’re great. We will miss you.

ariskofrain wrote: ↑

Fri May 22, 2020 5:13 am

apologies for not being able to get one in for this round

You had my favorite song of round zero. I'm very sorry to hear you won't be moving forward. My suggestion is to send something (almost anything) in and if you're cut then keep shadowing until you're healed enough to do music properly where you may take the place of a non-entrant. Of course, that's predicated on having an injury that heals within a week or three.

Just sent in a shadow. I'm out of town the next two days.

Song bio: So I looked up a Chupacabra (and read an article a guy wrote who investigated the phenomena) and I came to the conclusion that it's basically a fictitious blood sucking demon dog. And when I think of blood sucking demon dogs I immediately think of ex girlfriends. (Granted the song is fictional as well.) Musically, this isn't quite what I was going for, but 1) I'm out of time and 2) it's a shadow and 3) It's only the second song on piano* that I can remember doing in the last ten years. If you heard all the flubbed takes then you'd understand why.

*fairly inexpensive weighted keyboard with grand piano setting

+1 to being bummed about you dropping out rain. Hope you heal up quickly and well. This is an especially rough time for having medical/health issues.

OK, sorry to be "that guy" but ... this rule seems very oriented toward participants made up of single individuals. For a band, let's say, if two people play nylon string/classical guitar, does that count as two instruments ... ? It's physically/literally two different instruments but that's because we can't share the same one right now due to the pandemic. They're going to sound basically the same. It'd be like if we both had the same keyboard and used the same preset, which sort of sounds like it would be ok ... ?

I'm sorry to hear, rain. I wish you a speedy recovery!

Lunkhead wrote: ↑

Fri May 22, 2020 4:27 pm

OK, sorry to be "that guy" but ...

I'm basically the same as Glenn, but I'll throw out another bit in the hope it helps. For reference, I don't read any liner notes or lyrics before judging because I care more about the performance and how it stands on its own than any intent.

I'm on my phone and won't try and quote, but there were posts about hitting your instrument in different ways and using mouth sounds, and those are fitting the spirit of the challenge which is to think creatively within the limitations. There are no track limitations, so one person playing the guitar on three tracks is effectively the same as three people playing one guitar track each. If you can't use a drum kit but have someone beatbox instead, it'll probably work great as long as you don't apply so many effects that we think it's a real drum kit.

In short, if it doesn't sound like multiple instruments, it should be fine. If it sounds like multiple instruments, that's a problem. If you can't tell, then I probably can't either, and if you can, I probably can, too. If you listen back and realistically think you're breaking the rules, you probably are; if you think you technically are but don't really hear it, you can probably get away with it, but who knows. Use your judgment, but we are not trying to punish you if you are trying to follow the challenge. We only punish Karens who think they can do whatever they want regardless of the rules.

And this challenge may favor smaller groups and solo artists, but there have been challenges that go the other way, and having more people is generally a boon overall if not always in every specific scenario. Even rock bands have ballads that don't use every instrument, and sometimes you just have to make a song you don't want to keep playing the music you do.

Now to drink a beer to wash away the smugness of my pithy ending.

I also have a question for the judges/Niv.

I made 2 different versions of my song, i.e. the second one is a completely different recording, a cover version if you will. Would it be acceptable to submit the second one as a shadow entry? I am aware that there is potential for this to colour people's opinions of my entry if there are multiple versions, and so I'm happy to just post it after the fight, but I wanted to get an official line on the legalities. Thanks.

I probably won't listen to your second version shadow till after judging, so I don't have a problem with it.

Generic wrote: ↑

Thu May 21, 2020 8:42 am

GlennCase wrote: ↑

Thu May 21, 2020 8:20 am

thirdcatmusic wrote: ↑

Thu May 21, 2020 7:36 am

This is a cool challenge because it has me creating something quite unlike my usual tracks.

This makes me happy to read! Can't speak for all the judges, but this is precisely the kind of outcome I was hoping for. Something that takes you a little outside your comfort zone, and forces you to consider your options.

Then you'll be pleased to know I'm doing the same. There are several elements of my song this week that I've never done or used before.

(I figure, based on my rankings and reviews, I'm a dead man walking anyway... )

I agree as well. I didn't like the first two challenge/title combinations. But this one is a cracker. Good job.

Not that I am doing anything out of the usual for it. Just the same old shit.

ariskofrain wrote: ↑

Fri May 22, 2020 5:13 am

it is with a heavy heart that i must report that I have had to visit my local a&e department, and now have my arm in a sling, following an extremely cool skateboarding accident. apologies for not being able to get one in for this round, it was going to be an absolute banger, but it means that there'll be at least one shadow re-entered, so go get 'em, tiger!

Bad luck. You were my tip to win this.

furrypedro wrote: ↑

Fri May 22, 2020 7:01 pm

I also have a question for the judges/Niv.

I made 2 different versions of my song, i.e. the second one is a completely different recording, a cover version if you will. Would it be acceptable to submit the second one as a shadow entry? I am aware that there is potential for this to colour people's opinions of my entry if there are multiple versions, and so I'm happy to just post it after the fight, but I wanted to get an official line on the legalities. Thanks.

I bet that'll break the Nur Ein site and require Grumpy Mike to make _more_ code changes.

Liner notes:

My song is the origin story for the troll in Three Billy Goats Gruff

Lunkhead wrote: ↑

Fri May 22, 2020 9:04 pm

furrypedro wrote: ↑

Fri May 22, 2020 7:01 pm

I also have a question for the judges/Niv.

I made 2 different versions of my song, i.e. the second one is a completely different recording, a cover version if you will. Would it be acceptable to submit the second one as a shadow entry? I am aware that there is potential for this to colour people's opinions of my entry if there are multiple versions, and so I'm happy to just post it after the fight, but I wanted to get an official line on the legalities. Thanks.

I bet that'll break the Nur Ein site and require Grumpy Mike to make _more_ code changes.

Hmm, good thinking Batman. I am happy to submit the shadow using a different artist name to avoid </issues>

Caravan Ray wrote: ↑

Fri May 22, 2020 9:48 pm

Liner notes:

My song is the origin story for the troll in Three Billy Goats Gruff

On the subject of things that suck goats, my song is about "yr mom", heyoooo!
Kidding of course. I would never talk about such a venerable woman in that way.

can I tune down my guitar, and do a bass line with it
can I take that same guitar and hit and slap it to make a percussion track out of it
then can I use that same guitar to play rhythm guitar with it
then on that same guitar play slide on it.

is that Four instruments or One instrument?


Is the challenge really limit to 2 tracks of instruments
and infinite tracks for vocals?

@Rain

There comes a time for us all when we must do some doo-wop. This might be that time for you.