The Song Fight Bulletin Board

So my band recorded five new songs fairly recently at a local studio. I'd be very grateful to hear what Song Fight has to say about them.

www.myspace.com/thespeedofsoundinseawater

I played guitar, bass, and sang on the recordings, plus I play trombone for a brief moment in one of the songs.

Thanks for your time!

Jon Eric's One Would Hope is a very pleasant experience. Sweet, with a bit of salt, honestly delivered and bringing out the sunshine. Send him a couple of clams and also enjoy the wonderful Teplin cover art. Nice little record there, Jon Eric!

Paco Del Stinko wrote:Jon Eric's One Would Hope is a very pleasant experience. Sweet, with a bit of salt, honestly delivered and bringing out the sunshine. Send him a couple of clams and also enjoy the wonderful Teplin cover art. Nice little record there, Jon Eric!

Well, gosh, Paco, yer makin' me blush!

If our paths ever happen to cross in person, remind me to number your copy, because I forgot to do so when I signed it. You got one of the limited-edition error printings.

Well, there's certainly something right about me and flaws being linked together. Like milk and cereal, or something. Great disc, I was familiar with three of the four songs. It always sounds like you enjoy signing. Again, nice work!

Thanks for the comments 2dogs and Whitehat - here's a new small song I did called "on the on the way out"

mp3: http://tinyurl.com/deetakonthewayout

lyrics: http://docs.google.com/View?id=dfxjzmsv_37dhcc9ddb

Great stuff as always deetak! You need to release an album, so I can buy my very own deetak album.

I think you've really outdone yourself this time, deetak. All the layered vocals sound better than ever, great sounding guitar, interesting chords, that subtle keyboard flute coming in. Two nitpicks. The end cuts off too abruptly, before the last chords finishes ringing out. And, I wish you could track down and eliminate the buzz from your studio... It's loud enough to be annoying and keep the track from sounding professional at the beginning and at the end. Very minor issues, though. This is the best thing I've heard recently, and it's going in my permanent collection.

Thanks for the comments, guys. I'll let you know Ujn if there is ever an album.

Teplin: I edited my post with a new link that has a "fixed ending" that doesn't cut off like the previous version. re: buzz - I will try to take care of it (get a new mic/interface maybe)

Teplin wrote:I think you've really outdone yourself this time, deetak. All the layered vocals sound better than ever, great sounding guitar, interesting chords, that subtle keyboard flute coming in.

In concur; this is far and away my favorite deetak song yet. Keep it up, man, and let me know when an album comes out!

dayam, Deetak, that kicks ass!

Deetak, this was phenomenal guitar. I still think you could use your signature vocals and let that voice of yours loose. It might scare you brother. I think there's some powerful vocals in there.

Great job and thanks for sharing it with us.

I slapped a new one together this weekend called "Gonna Mend My Heart". (This is a draft but I'm hoping that recording in proper studio will sound better) One song at a time I'm getting closer to my album

Cheers

www.myspace.com/incredibleunknown

Hey guys! I don't usually post about songs I make outside of SF until I have a full album to shill (cha ching) but I did a song today that I am really proud of and I would love to hear some comments.

You can find it at http://www.myspace.com/mikebushmusic It's the 1st song on the list entitled "Step On Me".

Rone, it's cool to hear something new and improved from you! The chorus is great! This is definitely your best song ever. I would suggest panning the vocal into the middle of the mix and maybe adding a little reverb; it's way over in the left channel and it's a little distracting. You really really need a pop filter. It sounds like you're holding the mic in your hand? Invest in a mic stand and a cheap pop filter, you can make one out of a coathanger and pantyhose if you need to, it really helps with reducing the "static" you get from the "P" when you sing "support".

Great job!

[some redundancy with Mike Lamb's comments, but whatever]

Okay, so. First of all, you picked a key for once. That's a huge bonus right there, but then there's that chorus hook, and the synth plays the main melody line, and your voice follows it. That's a pretty simple trick, but it gives the song grounding, it helps you sing on-key, and gives it a quality I'm not sure I've ever heard in a Rone track before: catchiness. I think I'm going to have that chorus melody stuck in my head for a little while!

So yes. More of that, please.

It's not all good, though. Are you still using that Rock Band mic? Your vocals still pop like crazy on certain consonants. A pop filter might help, but barring that, trying wrapping your mic in a sock or two. Also, in the bass-heavy verses, you're still off-key. Try recording a synth line like you did in the chorus, and sing along to that - you can cut it out of the final track, but it often helps to have something to follow when you record vocals.

Thanks Mike and Jon. I thought this one was pretty special too. Appreciate the comments. Little confused thought about one thing you said Mike.

I would suggest panning the vocal into the middle of the mix and maybe adding a little reverb; it's way over in the left channel and it's a little distracting.

I panned the vox because I was told a few times in the past that having all the tracks in the middle made it sound muddled. This is the 1st time I've ever messed with the panning of my song. I thought it made the lyrics alot easier to hear.

right idea, rone, just wrong execution. leave the vox in the middle. pan the other stuff out of the way.

deetak wrote:Thanks for the comments 2dogs and Whitehat - here's a new small song I did called "on the on the way out"

mp3: http://tinyurl.com/deetakonthewayout

Sweet. What everyone else said. Great layered textures and appropriate setting for your cool detached lyrics. I like it!

I've put up three new tracks on my website today, perhaps the most pertinent being a cover of The Nutwalls' "Crossroads."

Irwin and Mike Lamb seemed to enjoy it, so I hope you all do to!

Also, are fightmasters still accepting and hosting Hxaro songs, and if so, does this count?

Hey, I said I liked it too in IRC. *goes all emo and stuff*

Rone Rivendale wrote:Hey, I said I liked it too in IRC. *goes all emo and stuff*

Fair enough, but you're not the original artist.

Thanks Generic, Signboy, 2dogs (I'll give you a suggestion a try one day), Roymond.

2dogs: Your singing sounds much improved on that song, from what I remember of your first entry to Songfight that I heard.

Rone: That song has the most melodic section of any song I've heard by you.

Generic: "We Keep Them Alive" I still remember the catchy melody to from when it was first released here. I like "St. Expedite" because I haven't heard that sort of mood in the song in your others.

deetak wrote: Generic: "We Keep Them Alive" I still remember the catchy melody to from when it was first released here. I like "St. Expedite" because I haven't heard that sort of mood in the song in your others.

Hey thanks! I remember being very proud of "We Keep Them Alive" when I first finished it, and less so as the week went on. In the end, it only got one vote - I think it was Steve's. The rerecording addresses most of the flaws, I believe, and I'm happy with it again. Looking forward to hearing Steve's reaction to it.

Also thanks for listening to the ones I didn't advertise! If you don't mind, could you elaborate a little more on what you mean about the "mood" of "St. Expedite?" It's a re-recording of an older song, but I didn't think the mood was particularly different from other stuff I've been doing lately.