The Song Fight Bulletin Board

chuckstas wrote:I'm getting the impression that the drum kits I used on my drum programming in the previous songs sounded better and more realistic...

I reviewed your songs in the archive (good stuff I missed a couple of these fights), and I would have to say:
I Hate You: Drums stood out less in this song, but verse parts are pretty obvious.
Red Tide: Totally sounds like real drums (if no one is playing them)
Short Life: Most realistic drums, could have fooled me

I think One Less was more obvious because of the mix and where the drums came in.

Thanks for the feedback about the drums. I'm pretty limited in terms of my programming resources/abilities, so any advice helps. Right now I create patterns and sequence them on my Roland Fantom-S, and then I dump that sequence into Sonar 4 with MIDI sync. Then I go back and edit them and try to make them a little more "human" and varied. I'm looking to move to an all software setup, does anyone have any recommendations? I was thinking of coupling an M-Audio Trigger Finger to Native Instrument's Battery drum sampler. Does anyone have any experience with any of these products?

no time for reviews! fight time was too short.

favorites: future boy, bjam, kamakura, j$, chuck, hostess, hefty, abec
are also good: ross, id3, glenncase, gert, wayward, steve

gert's solo section is very nice. outro's too long tho. gets repetitive.

vote: future boy. it was my favorite!
however, since it's after 1, it might not count.
-bill

Thanks Bill...yah, between Des and Boltoph, I'm ashamed to call myself a guitarist. Those guys are pretty smokin' players.

Wow, there's been a ton of great reviewers here so i think from what i've read the only thing that i would add is that Hostess Mostess and Future Boy struck me as some awesome production and vocals...

I dunno about anyone else but here in Texas we have to drive too far to get anywhere and the wife and kids are starting to request tunes from SF (tnx everyone for some sweet tunes, your work is appreciated)

PS: I don't play so can only listen

TheHipCola wrote: Those guys are pretty smokin' players.

It's all studio trickery, dude. I'm pretty sure Boltoph plays his guitar solos on kazoo, and just runs the track through Guitar Rig.

Future Boy wrote: did anybody other than remiss actually listen the lyrics?

I did! Loved the song - loved the take on the title. You got my vote.

Greetings from another universe

Reviews continued...

<b>id3 tag</b> Ok. Bad input from keys to recorder. I can hear the next part come in at 0:54 even before it starts playing. Not really excited about the lyrics or the voice. The second piano is cute, but I can't get past the noise.

<b>Jay String</b> Ah fuzzless! Is this a Kompressor cover? This is actually pretty good, and I like the variations that occur but it needs more. I don't like how omnipresent the wall of electricity is. I think this song is also candy, which is fine, but it struck me to say so I guess that means I wished it wasn't pure candy.

<b>Kamakura</b> It's a little repetitive for my taste way before the switch at 1:37. That part is also a little overwhelmingly full of sound. I don't know how to suggest thinning it out without losing anything. 2:15-2:49 is even worse. I like the feel of the song I think you're going for, but I get the same feeling listening to this that I do listening to my own songs that I wished I had more time to work on.

<b>Marti Mar</b> Some parts of this are actually pretty nice: "I said no (no) but the force said yes (yes)" and the bell part just after. That was nice. Many of the rhymes are pretty loose though. Not bad. Some voices work for rap and others don't. I like your voice for rap. I think if you tightened up the rhymes and lyrics this could be greatly improved.

<b>Ross Durand</b> If I had a beer to clink I'd do it. The lyrics are classic country, after a couple more takes I think this could be polished into something pretty.

<b>Steve Durand</b> Great storyline and soundscape. Holy crap nice brass! Good my lord! The cheesy keys undercut that brilliance of the brass but I like its melody, I just wish it was as real sounding as the brass.

<b>Wayward Sway</b> Ouch that 7ped is killing me loudly with his song. This song if done differently could be pretty mellow and calming but it has a hard time getting there like this. Dr. Abcd prescribes another arrangement.

And I'm out.

Future Boy wrote:did anybody other than remiss actually listen the lyrics?

Don't you hate it when you love your lyrics and you feel like they go unnoticed?

abecedarian wrote:
<b>Steve Durand</b> The cheesy keys undercut that brilliance of the brass but I like its melody, I just wish it was as real sounding as the brass.

That cheesy sound is a real instrument. It's a Suzuki Melodion.

Steve

sdurand wrote:

abecedarian wrote:
<b>Steve Durand</b> The cheesy keys undercut that brilliance of the brass but I like its melody, I just wish it was as real sounding as the brass.

That cheesy sound is a real instrument. It's a Suzuki Melodion.

Steve

I'm an ignorant and arrogant little bugger.

I guess I still think that the feel conjured up by the sound and style of the brass doesn't seem to match the tone of the melodion. I think the rest is so familiar a scene that the tone of the melodion just jerks me right out of the mood you're trying to create. The melody it plays is nice, though.

abecedarian wrote: I think this song is also candy, which is fine.

You mean apart from the lyric, which is about a man who chops off his ex-girlfriend's head and sleeps with it by his pillow?

deshead wrote:

TheHipCola wrote: Those guys are pretty smokin' players.

It's all studio trickery, dude. I'm pretty sure Boltoph plays his guitar solos on kazoo, and just runs the track through Guitar Rig.

I heard that too. Sometimes they just ran kazoo loops through it even.

This whole fight rocked pretty hard. There were a lot of strong entries and I enjoyed a good deal of fruit from a good deal of hard labor.

I especially liked some of the jangliness I got out of some of these tracks. There was a feeling where some songs were really moving around and doing fun stuff. I'll be less ambiguous if I give this whole fight another listen within the next week.

j$ wrote:

abecedarian wrote: I think this song is also candy, which is fine.

You mean apart from the lyric, which is about a man who chops off his ex-girlfriend's head and sleeps with it by his pillow?

Dark chocolate

Sorry no full reviews, just a few comments:


CCMoose - I loved this - very Exile On Mainstreet-y

Dark Liberty - your're writing great songs but your vocals aren't selling it

The Good 'Ol Durand Boys - I totally loved both of these. Ross, your lyrics are excellent and Steve, Ennio Morrocone would be proud. (shit, I hope I got the names around the right way)

Kamakura - Excellent - I really liked this. Your lead vocals are great - but I must admit - I wouldn't mind having a crack at this one myself.


While both Durands are worthy of a vote - I don't want to promote sibling rivalry - so I'll vote for Kamakura

Good job Gert and Futureboy!

(Also ten votes for me? Whoa.)

Merci Bjam!

Wow.. we didn't really expect to three-peat... so needless to say... we're pretty stoked. Some VERY good songs this week.. so great fight all!

So how long before we all start hating Gert?

odd... 22 - 16 = 6. & "Gert has Eight More than Future Boy".
i guess more votes keep coming in after you tally the results?
also it should be "ekes" not "eeks" unless that's a pun of some sort... hmmm
congrats to the winners!
-bill

Wait, how many people are in Gert, and did they all vote for Gert? I demand vindication!!!

(or something)

In Gert there is only six. Gert is pleased by our third win in a row. Thanks to all who voted. If we all voted Gert then that would put us in a tie FB. Gert loves FB and his keytar. We could not make it four as it was too short a time span to make it work for this last fight, but we will be in for the next. Gert is very pleased.

Bjam wrote:So how long before we all start hating Gert?

Well... that depends on who's teaching Math 11 this year... and who winds up in my chemistry class.