WTFBBS: Like reading Penny Arcade, probably hilarious but I haven't played this game so it goes over my head. From my standpoint of ignorance the track doesn't change and the lyrics are crowbarred into the lines.
Weakest Suit: Ignore A J, I'm readin his review as saying "make your song sound the same the whole way through". Why the hell would you want to do this? The only answer I can think of is because he's threatened by your songcraft and wants to make your songs more boring so he can steal a vote or 2 off you. Maybe turn the blippy bits down a dB to stop them from drowning out the lyrics. Next time do an electro song with random acoustic twangery at an unexpected moment.
Torrentz: This kicked ass until the chorus, not that it's bad technically, it's just the FM rock-style is...just, so boring and middle-aged where the rest of the song is cool. I guess I just prefer hip hop, but the verses are original and fun.
Wages: Not bad
Ux Mpuzm: Ha, this is funny. I wouldn't ever listen to it again but it made me chuckle.
Therman: You've done slicker productions but this is a pretty rockin tune. I like the sludgy stomp and the horn middle section.
State Shirt: I'm a fan of musical U-turns so I like when the rawk! section comes in. I'm sad that it takes nearly 2 minutes to get there. This is all a really good job, can't fault you in anyway, and that you made a video for it as well is mega-impressive. I think this deserves a vote from me (though it doesn't sound enough like the Archers of Loaf for my liking but hey).
Styop Quoons: 10 fucking minutes! Come on, am I really going to listen to 10 minutes of this shit? (using the term "shit" in a broad sense there), skipping....4 minutes, slight change, but not much....skipping......6 minutes, shit (the normal sense of the word), skipping......8 minutes, a different instrument not doing much......man, there's this Moondog track call some hippy shit like Cosmic Meditation which doesn't do much either and it's about 25 minutes long, but it's awesome. This, is not awesome. The last 2 minutes is listenable thanks to the lack of guitar and vocals. Feel free to do this again, I will probably not listen it all again.
Ross Durand: I like the guitar line in this and the arrangement's great. Lyrics don't strike much of a chord (in my soul, man) but it certainly doesn't detract from the song. Good job.
Manhattan Glutton: Anthemic. It's got a Hey Jude feel about it, not structurally but y'know, in the choruses. I like the late era Yes stylings, with all the blippy bits and extra tracks. This is really good, I don't know if I'm gonna d/l it but I'm not going to penalise you for my taste (on this occasion, heh).
Montana Fudge: I was worried that these lyrics were incredibly hackneyed but the chorus saved it from a schmaltzy oblivion. I think I'm gonna cry. That was the most beautiful thing I've ever heard.
Mister Manly: I wasn't paying attention when this came on. This is probably my favourite of the fight so far. It reminds me of a guy I really like but not heard of for a while called Neverest Songs. It's just so simple but pretty, doesn't try too hard, and the chord choices are very effective. I'm even glad it lingers for a while.
Menbah: That was a really well executed intro and I knew that you wouldn't carry on like that. I'd really like to know why not? The way the song turned out is nothing special but those harmonies are sweet. The beat is poor, did you program that? it's like your drum machine is drunk or something. Sorry to get so scathing but it's frustrating when one part of a song is so good and other parts are so bad. Also I'm not a fan of using the word "baby" like that in a song, dunno why, just sounds cheesy. I'd come back to this for another listen but I'd skip straight to the choruses.
Spucky Loon: That's pretty fucking good. the way you sing "do what they're told" reminds me of the Tap.
Lynette Lewis: Songwriting: you nailed what you were going for there, well done. Production: I keep expecting it to kick in, all you'd need is a heavier, brighter beat (snare and kick mainly). Vocal phrasing would be more confident if you had another week to practice. These are quibbles, but nothing to worry about. Good job.
King Arthur: I could imagine Tom Petty* singing this. Surely you've got a mic for that acoustic right? The DI makes it sound like plastic. *I like Tom Petty.
JRobz + Kandee-lite: That bass keeps farting in my right ear. I'd keep bass panned central if I were...anyone, ever. yup, bouncy, rippin. Cool. In fact this may be the best song I've heard from you, not that I have an exhaustive knowledge of your back catalogue.
A Far Off Land: Pretty good shoegazey type track. I think I'd dig it more if the rhythm wasn't so laid back, and had a bit more of a pulse that is promised by the intro. You've nailed light and airy. I can't fault the production and the song is good, but perhaps the vocal melody isn't quite robust enough to get under my skin (in a good way).
Architects of Desire: I was expecting the vox to this to be way more bronxed, as it is it makes me think of...I dunno, My Life Story or something. The track's got a good vibe, it's tight and well produced. Good work.
Barton Stink: I like this, reminds me of Buck 65's "463", or some Atmosphere stuff. The violin loop is cool, you're lyrical flow is excellent. I'd like to hear it with more of a funk beat rather than a rock one and some tighter bass, my main criticism is there just aren't enough lyrics and you loop the chorus too much. More content! you're good at it. I'll probably keep this one. cool, is this your first fight? Do more.
C.Layne: Ooh, sinister. This is pretty well done, sounds like the Sting albums (that my mum listens to *cough*). I think it would sound good to drive through the desert to.
Cobalt Stomach: the only bit in this that I like is the part that starts at 1.40 and last a couple of seconds (with the 7th chords in), those are pretty good chords. The rest just passes me by without making much of an impact. sorry. Nothing sounds rubbish, but there aren't any dynamics between the different sections, it's always the same instruments, nothing builds up or breaks down. It changes speed a bit which kind of helps.
Jimmy Owenz: I fink you sound like Bowie. S'good but not my thing. Genre biastard.
Les Interchangiables: It's a cute song with an alright melody, but the ploddy rhythm is boring and some of the phrasing's slightly off in the vocals. The incredibly mature part of me hoped you were going to sing "someone with a much bigger cock". There I said it.
Fortune's Favez: The backing track's pretty tight. It develops well, there's always something new coming in to keep me interested. The vocals are odd, they just drone on and every now and then throw in some weird phrase which makes it feel like a novelty track. I have no idea what these lyrics are about. If you had a girl to sing sexy things that don't mean anything you could sell this.
Cthonic Youth: Yes! Gimme indie rock. Just what I'm after. That is some dirty bass. I like this, the tempo seems to suit the dirty strut in the verse but when the more anthemic parts of the bridge and chorus come in I want it to be faster. Do you guys know Archers of Loaf? you should. They're the dopeness. I'll likely vote for this.
Sober: Accomplished but middle of the road. I like where you do the little pushes and the backing harmonies.
Bingy Swirlz: Country style, 5 minutes, this better do something quick. Ploddy, why is everyone going with ploddy this week? Skipping, sounds the same. I'd have given this a better review if you weren't late. Life sucks huh.
Suckweasel: Kinda bouncy and kinda catchy. I'd have liked to hear this with some extra instruments, but funny ones, like slide-whistles, bloopy nes sounds and a shaker, that kind of thing. Not a standard band arrangment, that would make it boring. You win out of the late entries, would I have voted for it....I'd have thought about it.
I hope I didn't miss anyone. If anyone wants clarification/justification just shout. I'll probably send votes the way of Mr Man, Lucky Spoon, Cthonic, State, Ross, Glutton and Barton Stink,
and now...I found some of the comments on reviews for me unfair so allow me to retort
Manhatton Glutton wrote:this feels too loud and compressed...poor mixing
Turn it down, surely? Poor mixing. Please give details. I thought my mix was okay, it all sat together pretty well, nothing out of place. You are right about the over-compression, whoops.
FortunesFavorite wrote:I think I have a problem with the second person in song lyrics.
You don't like people saying "you"? That can make songwriting difficult, especially with this title, and I'm not sure why my song was singled out for it.
Spintown's Friend Sammy wrote:This feels an awful lot like it's trying to be poetry
It seems like it's stated as if it's a bad thing necessarily. I was trying to introduce qualities like rhyme, meter and feeling into the words for sure, I think all songwriters do. But I fail miserably at the poetry thing with this song because of the small matter of the backing track.
Which just goes to show Spindude, that even if you have musical ability you can still talk shit about other peoples tunes. Not that all feedback is not appreciated, there's the bottom line. So thank you all for comments (that's not sarcastic, I realise it may come of that way)
I could have gotten away with it had you not been such a horn snob!!