these reviews are 'not exactly normal'

jim fallope · Post by **jim fallope** » Thu Mar 02, 2006 8:59 pm

Middlemarch wrote: Jim Fallope
Silly and short (could be shorter, actually). I suppose it would be fun, but it's not my favorite entry. Sounds like you had fun playing it, though. 2/10

i actually didn't have any fun playing it. it was one of those sessions (can we amateurs even call them 'sessions'?) where i recorded, and recorded, and recorded until i couldn't record any more because nothing was working and my feet were sore (for some reason i always record standing). at that point i bounced it over to the four-track and sped it up a whole bunch in hopes that it would sound funny. whilst i know it's not a contender, i am glad that it sounds like an old, worn-out, horribly warped LP played at 45 rpm. so, if you wanted an 'old, worn-out, horribly warped LP played at 45 rpm' song, i'm your man. this is not an excuse, just an explanation (wink wink).

Middlemarch · Post by **Middlemarch** » Thu Mar 02, 2006 9:00 pm

On misplaced notes, do you mean in the vocals or the lead guitar?

Both, but mostly the guitar.

Ever see "There's Something About Mary"? Jonathan Richman is the guy in the background playing songs. He's been around since the 70's. You should definitely check him out.

Clats, thanks for letting me go first.

Mike, thanks for the compliments.

Kweep · Post by **Kweep** » Thu Mar 02, 2006 9:18 pm

Thanks Mike! I worked long and hard for seconds on that intro!

But I'm torn... since you've said you trust I won't do it again (reference SongFight! that is)... I may have to, now. I don't know where... I don't know when... But keep your ears open... It may or may not be coming... maybe... or maybe not.

Clats · Post by **Clats** » Thu Mar 02, 2006 9:22 pm

Middlemarch wrote: Clats, thanks for letting me go first.

Hey man, the bar manager set the lineup

jim fallope · Post by **jim fallope** » Thu Mar 02, 2006 9:30 pm

Wages
This has a Jonathon Richman feel to it. I like the simplicity of the structure and playing, though the lead could be "cleaner". A misplaced note here and there is endearing. All through the song, they're distracting. Looking forward to more! 6/10

dude, you totally beat me to the punch. in my review i was going to compare wages to richman. except i was going to go one step further and say that wages may actually be the illegitimate love child of Jonathan Richman and Syd Barrett. since i've already started wages review, i'd better finish. WAGES, your's was my favorite song!!!!! i listened to it five times over (i'm a courier and i have a lot of time to listen to music). i love the stuttering, halting rhythm of the acoustic and the tortured voice. the only thing i didn't like was the lead guitar. if you could remove the lead and re-post the tune, i would keep it on my iPod forever. i'll probably keep it on my iPod forever anyway. i haven't been on songfight long (four weeks) but of all the songs i've heard, this is my favorite thus far. everyone else, i'll write my reviews later, 'cause i'm fucking tired.

8)

Smalltown Mike · Post by **Smalltown Mike** » Thu Mar 02, 2006 9:39 pm

Kweep wrote: since you've said you trust I won't do it again (reference SongFight! that is)... I may have to, now.

My dad had a saying when I was growing up: "Once is funny, twice you're an asshole."

Don't do it, man.

Kweep · Post by **Kweep** » Thu Mar 02, 2006 9:58 pm

That's an excellent quote (your dad's that is)... and don't worry. I prolly shoulda put a 'just kidding' in there somewhere... but I'd hoped all the maybes would do it.

wages · Post by **wages** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 8:31 am

Andrew Reist
I like the guitar. Not feeling this terribly well.

Chocolate Flavored Penguin
Strangeness! Hmmm....how does this intstrumental fit the song title? I can't quite put my phase detecting ray on it...

Deshead
Nice polished sound. I like the melody. I'll keep this tune. You voice keeps this tune from sounding like the "next Gilmour Girls" song (that's a GOOD thing!). My vote for best song will go to you as I feel this is the best overall tune (and the catchiest).

Dustpipe
You need to mix the vocals up a little. If you did this, I would like this tune rather well. I like the Flaming Lips influence. I'll be keeping this tune.

Eddie Lance
I like the tune, but my opinion is you need more from your voice (or from your mic?). Nice ambient feeling. I like the piano part.

Fourth Grade Gladiators
This tune has really brought out the Flaming Lips influence! SWEET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm feeling this (and keeping it).

Hoosenbergler (featuring Johnny Cashpoint)
Das Germandy remixia. Spreckensy notzi bad. Eh, Johnny Cashpoint neverzen soundz ez differenzen. (did I just coin the "Eng-man" language?)

Ill Cricket Crew
Personally, this is the best hip-hop song I've heard on songfight. (I need more cowbell! You bastard! I wanted to use that in a song!) This is the FIRST hiphop songfight song I'm keeping.

Jim Fallop and Your Fallopian Dudes
First, if you didn't believe me before, I LOVE YOUR BAND NAME! Second, I have to love your song because you liked mine so much! I will be posting a "lead-less" version of the song as I agree, it takes away from the tune. Less is more and all that jazz. Ok....REVIEW....nice concept. This is that strange song on the album that comes between tracks 9 and 10, just to make the listener say, "Oh, that's way different". I like it.

Kill Me Sarah
Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo mellow. I would say this song needs something more, but ....on wait....at around 1:30 comes in another instrument. Enya would be proud (J/K!). I would want the vocals doubled for more impact and I would remove some of the reverb. I like the drums on this tune.

Kweep
As far as I can remember, this is the first song to actually refer to Songfight (that I have heard). I'm liking it. Keep submitting tunes! I'll keep this one. I'm giving you a close second place, too bad the voting system is weighted to allow users to vote for their top 3 (Songmaster: HINT!).

Middle March
Ironically, I generally don't care for G'n'G. Your voice reminds me of someone, but I can't put my finger on it at the moment. I like your voice. Do you listen to a lot of Jayhawks, Wilco, Son Volt, etc?

Thanks for the Frisbee
Cool band name. Oh, I definitely hear the Modest Mouse voice (NOT Float On, but their REAL music). The guitar doesn't have the same weirdness, but your voice/melody is spot on! Be careful or you could have "Blue Merle" syndrome (Blue Merle sounds identical to Coldplay; so much so, I can't stand to listen to it because, well, it seems like a complete rip off; your guitar keeps this from happening on your song; plus some of your melody structure is different). I'll keep this tune for now, needs to be listened to more.

Again, I need a weighted vote as I want to give you my 3rd place prize.

Wreckdom
Did you get Beck to so the "hip hip hooray"? Sounds just like him. Pretty creepy tune! It kinda makes my stomach turn (in a good way...if you can imagine). Cool entry.

-----------------------

Altogether, I kept 6 of the songs (I think that's a record for me). So, to recap, my vote order is: First: Deshead, Second: Kweep, and Third: Frisbee's are Free (you know who you are!). Good job to all, really!

wages · Post by **wages** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 8:35 am

Here it is, without further ado-doo...

The LEED-LESS version of my tune (doo to popular request) can be found at:
http://www.thoughtconspiracy.com/songfi ... _area).mp3

Kill Me Sarah · Post by **Kill Me Sarah** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 8:39 am

Wages wrote: Enya would be proud

Ouch! Oh well, I guess I could handle the royalties she's probably still getting from Orinoco Flow (does it just make it worse that I know a song title of hers off the top of my head?).

halen99 · Post by **halen99** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 2:25 pm

Hi I'm new, just curious on something. Does anyone ever take the suggestions and reviews in consideration, then re-work the song, then share with everyone.. Or are we supposed to just move on to the next song and use the info forward..?

Eddie

stueym · Post by **stueym** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 2:44 pm

halen99 wrote:Hi I'm new, just curious on something. Does anyone ever take the suggestions and reviews in consideration, then re-work the song, then share with everyone.. Or are we supposed to just move on to the next song and use the info forward..?

Eddie

Some folks will re work songs and post links to them but the vast majority of us I suspect are already gnashing our creative teeth against the new titles. I suspect we all take something from the reviews and feed it back into our overall body of work. I suspect like most songfighters I keep promising to go back and re-work the back catalogue but rarely does it happen

But feel free to pipe up anyone else

HeuristicsInc · Post by **HeuristicsInc** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 3:12 pm

i've done it a few times, and posted the updates, but people rarely comment on them. i guess it depends on what you plan to do with the songs. if you want to release them it's probably a good idea.
-bill

Middlemarch · Post by **Middlemarch** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 4:22 pm

Do you listen to a lot of Jayhawks, Wilco, Son Volt, etc?

Yes, yes, and yes. I'm into the whole roots rock/cowpunk/alt country thing, though I hate labels.

I've tried to break away from it (I feel a bit obsessed), but that's what I like and the type of music I keep coming back to.

deshead · Post by **deshead** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 4:30 pm

Thanks for the thoughts on my track.

Andrew Reist: This would sound better if you found a way to even out the meter of the lyrics. Your phrasing sounds forced in places (like "trouble" in "I know you have trouble listening.") And the guitar part is so consistent that the mismatched meter really jumps out. Like, there's a line that starts with "Every day," and the next one starts with "But don't." I'm expecting them to be phrased the same, and they're not, so I'm left hanging there on the word "don't." Does that make sense? Some other things I think would help the song: try doubling the guitar part. It's a great riff, and I think it's probably driving the song, so fatten it up! I also think the snare drum is too quiet for the style of music. My favorite trick: listen to some professional recordings, and turn the volume down way low. Notice that the last things you hear, as the volume approaches zero, are the vocals and the snare drum. Now try to replicate that in your own mixes.

Chocolate Flavored Penguin: Not enough title integration for me.

Dust Pipe: This has lots of interesting bits. Sounds like it was fun to play. I can't hear a word you're singing, though. Is that by design? The mix would benefit from better stereo separation. The middle is really cluttered. You've also got a lot of low-end mud, so the bass has no definition. I'd clean it up by bringing the kick drum down a little, boosting the bass guitar around 250Hz, and lowering the kick there .. And high-pass the guitars at about 200Hz.

Eddie Lance: I like the piano melody that picks up at 1:55 ... I think the track might gel better if your voice had the same reverb on it as the piano. Put them in the same "space," is what I mean.

Fourth Grade Gladiators: Did you mix this with your eyes instead of your ears? I'll bet you'd clean the mix up in a hurry if you A/B'd it with a similar-sounding commercial track (like Ned's Atomic Dustbin, which is what this reminds me of.) There's a good song in there, the mix just needs love to bring it out. The change at 1:14 is pretty great.

Hoosenbergler: This is one of those "love it or hate it" tracks, and I'm afraid I don't love it... I think a lot of people will, though. It's definitely catchy. Just not my thing.

Jim Fallope and his Fallopian Dudes: I have no idea what I just listened to. I think I liked parts of it.

Kill Me Sarah: What's that weird clipping sound at 0:16? Ya, like you said, this is definintely a track you have to be in the mood for. It's well-executed, but not something I'd want to hear on a Friday at 5pm. If I mixed this track, I would have beefed up the kick drum a good bit (lots of 80Hz) and put the drum kit in the same reverb space as your voice, so the kick drum would really thump. That would really open the song up, and add to the atmosphere.

Kweep: If you remade this without the meta-lyrics, it would clean up. Seriously, that's the only thing wrong with it. (And if you don't win, that's the only reason why.) Great energy.

Middlemarch: Listen to much Uncle Tupelo?

This is awesome. Well, for me anyway. 'Cause I'd follow Jeff Tweedy around the country if someone paid for my beer.

Thanks for the Frisbee: I'm in the "don't like the screaming" contingent. But the song itself is fantastic. I think your chorus is the best hook in the fight.

The Ill Cricket Crew: why see eh ess EYE!!!! Eff'n brilliant.

Wages: The lined-in guitar was a bad idea. You have an awesome voice. Let that drive the song.

WreckdoM: WreckdoM songs make me want to clean something. I just ordered 2 gallons of this stuff. So I should be good to go. What's the thing that sounds like a dog howling? That was weird ... Cool weird.

Kweep · Post by **Kweep** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 5:03 pm

[quote="deshead"]
Kweep: If you remade this without the meta-lyrics...

What're meta-lyrics?

I'm glad you dug it otherwise.

deshead · Post by **deshead** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 5:09 pm

Kweep wrote:What're meta-lyrics?

Self-referential lyrics. Referring to the song from within the song itself.

Kweep · Post by **Kweep** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 5:34 pm

sweet! thanks... I love learnin' stuff. And that's a pretty cool word to learn.

blue · Post by **blue** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 6:13 pm

look, frisbee, just don't rip of modest mouse, aight. it's not cool. it's lame, and sad. let them be who they are and go find someone else's talent and years of effort to abuse.

Leaf · Post by **Leaf** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 6:47 pm

Like Slayer.

SLAYER!!!!!

edit: hmmm. this will read better if you read Blue's comment first. It's about his love for Kerry King.

SLAYER!!!

blue · Post by **blue** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 6:51 pm

man i fuckin love slayer.

chocolateflavoredpenguin · Fri Mar 03, 2006 7:33 pm

yea. well, in responce to the couple of people who couldn't see the connection with the song lyrics, there is singing about 3 minutes in. i (stanley(asperse)) of cfp find it funny that people are so surprised by a song like this, considering the title... cfp is a live recording, one take- improv effects ridden chaos infested mistake that will not go away.

sorry.