I'm having a yard sale (Everything Must Go reviews)

[Pigfarmer Jr]

come over and buy my junk.

[Pigfarmer Jr]

You can place your lyrics with the business cards: viewtopic.php?t=12529

[Lunkhead]

Songs posted!

[rone rivendale]

Very solid fight, voted for (almost) every song here. Congrats to everyone!

BSS:
Very catchy chorus. And I like the guitar here. Can't find anything to complain about. Vote.

Freezing Hands:
Everything is very seamless and smooth. Another chorus that I enjoyed. Vote.

Hostess Mostess:
This is a rare miss from you, for me. It's too slow and drawn out. Feel like this is just a personal preference thing though. Nothing here is bad, but it's not something I'd given a 2nd listen.

Jeff Desantis:
Don't know why but this sounds like a Bob Dylan song lol. I enjoyed it. Vote.

Jim Tyrrell:
And now we have a new Randy Newman song! I feel like a hypocrite but this is a slow song that I liked. Vote.

J$:
I hate to take points off for mixing since I'm not good at it myself, but this is grating.

Pigfarmer Jr:
I can always count on you for an automatic above average rock song. And this is no different. I like your song structure, it flows well. Vote.

Rone Rivendale:
Musically I think I did an okay job. The lyrics I'm not sure. The song is supposed to be about self improvement. Letting out the bad, so the good can grow. You'll have to tell me.

[j$]

Hostess Mostess - pretty. There seem to be lots of very hot "mis-used izotype vinyl style" effects, more than I would expect; but then again I am always up for pushing my pain threshold. Any way I dont like it! Without them it's very pretty but non-consequential to these ears. I do like the chorus. Otherwise it's a bit soundgarden doing "the ballad" but what do I know, right? Actually I want more if the hot take mixing gltiches, please, like as many as you can get in there. To me, the most unpleasant and therefore the best part of the song!

EDIT: I am beginning to suspect this might be my audio player playing up. So if it is, I apologise, though I prefer it muchly with these weird glitch effects.

Rone Rivendale - grating. Oh the mix is dreadful. I always find it amusing when someones review of a song of mine entirely matches their own effort. But hey, I really dont give two f*cks about mixing so delete that first line and impress me! *Waits for ever* Jesus, the song is tuneless and stunningly boring. The lyrical delivery is flat and listless which does not match the lyric. I can at least say I admire the length. Give me a break from length! All of that I can take if there was even a spark of interest anywhere in the song, but there isn't.

Pigfarmer Jr - began skipping ahead at 18 seconds looking for anything other than the alt-country tone I get from the first two lines. If that isn't how you think of it, sorry but that's all I can hear. The vocal is great and the musicianship is spot on (apart from what sound like occasional timing issues on the snare) - but the lyric & vocal delivery are just too simpering for me to enagage. Sorry about that!

BSS - Like that opening riff. Actually I like all the verses. I do like that 90s alt sound. Ah no, I was hoping for a bit more development in the arrangement (because I dont love that 90s alt sound). I like the stutter at the start of the chorus, but I am worried that was a glitch of my audio player because what I heard doesn't ever appear again. I am also slightly disturbed by the lack of any single part that I massivel disalike, as per usual ...Oh yes, there we go. I dislike the high keyboard part under the second chorus. But apart from that it's not bad at all, if a little unimaginative and since that must be the nicest response I've ever had to a BSS song (and also because this fight is not doing it for me) I guess that counts for a VOTE.

j$ - that's me. I don't like this song very much but at least the lyric is stupidfunny. What can I say? It is what it is. Have at it, rip it apart, that's all good by me. I don't bear grudges to people I admire (so that's a whole bunch of grudges coming your way. hee hee)

Freezing Hands - Nice bass tone - and I like that guitar part that comes in. But I don't think I like the vocal performance. I mean it's a good voice but ... it's a bit bland in performance for something which isn't really that dense a song. I dislike the repeated "Everything"s quite a bit and unfortunately you obviously don't agree given the number of times you use that trick. It's probably just a personal taste thing, but its very frustrating because it is so close to being a great song, but there's this one thing that is standing in the way and it's front and centre in the mix. it's annoying to these ears, but it's not your fault so now I have to take the time to decide whether I am being unfair and vote for it or dismiss it from my memory sapce. Thanks for that

EDIT: I've decided and you'll never know if I voted for you or not as I am cruel like that. (Spoilers: VOTE).

Jeff De Santis - ah no way I am listening to 4 minutes of this. See my review of Pigfarmer Jr. I will say I like the echoed lead part and the vocal performance, which I didn't like a first, kind of won me round over the full 4 mins (yes of course I listened to it all. TATJ!) I just really hate that alt country sound (apologies if I am misattributing this to a genre that you would never identify as this song belonging to. Jesus, what a clumsy sentence!). Not your fault, also not mine.

Jim Tyrell - well that sound is very, very pleasing to my brain and I am going to vote for this, but I will say the lyric kinds of lets the song down - you are pitching it like it's the saddest version of events ever, which I don't get from reading the words. However it's got this vague Elton-John-At-The Height-Of His-Cocaine-Addiction mood to it and that wins for me. VOTE.

Did I miss anyone? I hope not.

j$

[Pigfarmer Jr]

Pigfarmer Jr [/b]- began skipping ahead at 18 seconds looking for anything other than the alt-country tone I get from the first two lines. If that isn't how you think of it, sorry but that's all I can hear.

Nope, you nailed it. Exactly what I was going for. Sorry you didn't like it but thank you for the honest review.

[rone rivendale]

Jesus, this is why people don't like doing reviews. It's not personal, calm the frick down.

[j$]

If you're talking to me, I am perfectly calm, thanks! j$

[Pigfarmer Jr]

Jesus, this is why people don't like doing reviews. It's not personal, calm the frick down.

For the record (in case you're talking about me), my response was sincere, I'm not angry. I appreciate that J$ took the time to review all songs and even found something to appreciate in my song even thought it wasn't for him. It's exactly what is great about this community when it's at its best.

[rone rivendale]

Jesus, this is why people don't like doing reviews. It's not personal, calm the frick down.

For the record (in case you're talking about me), my response was sincere, I'm not angry. I appreciate that J$ took the time to review all songs and even found something to appreciate in my song even thought it wasn't for him. It's exactly what is great about this community when it's at its best.

No, it wasn't about you. He didn't like my review so he tore into me and cursed at me like I shot his dog or something. That's the sort of thing that makes people leave the community (I did for almost 12 years).

[Pigfarmer Jr]

Aye, I went back and read it. Seemed a bit harsh.

[tomdg]

Berkeley Social Scene: Really liked the rhythm and riff at the start of the verse, would have liked a bit more of that.

Hostess Mostess: Beautiful vocal tone, love the hook in the chorus (I don't believe). The eerie scratch effects I thought were a mistake at first but work well with the guitar sound. This is brilliant.

Jeff DeSantis: Like the use of piano - very subtle. Verse feels a bit long but a nice feel to it. Guitar solo is nice too.

Jim Tyrrell: Brilliant, but are you allowed to get Tom Waits to write and record the song for you? Like the tasty chords in there, the sparseness of the piano and the bass, the playing is perfect. My favourite of all of them.

Pigfarmer Jr: Like the languid guitar at the beginning. Slow songs are tricky.

Rone Rivendale: This felt uncomfortable to listen to, but in a creative and intentional way.

[Geech]

BSS - Glenn on rhythm guitar, Martin on bass, me on drums, lead guitar and vocals. We did this the typical BSS way - we jammed some parts over an hour or two and created a structure with typically no idea as to the vocal melodies or the lyrics at the time. As per usual, we recorded the core parts live in our rehearsal space. I did a couple of very minor edits after the fact, but that's it - one rhythm guitar, one bass and drum kit. Contrary to j$, review, that sound he doesn't like introduced in the 2nd chorus is a guitar. I first started writing lyrics about a couple living together that breaks up and the narrator wanting to get the hell out of there, but then I reconsidered and moved to a theme where the dude loses his job, goes on a retreat at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, becomes enlightened, decides to radically downscale his material possessions and eventually aspires become a Buddhist monk. I tried making our 1 rhythm guitar sound big and I had some trouble getting the vocal to sit right, but I am pretty happy with it.

Freezing Hands - I dig this. I really like the contrast between the intro/chorus and the verses, switching back from unnerving and disturbing to pretty warm and inviting. The vocal is conversational and rhythmic without attempting a rap. I don't say this about most SF songs, but I wish this were longer. The freaked out "everything, everything" vocal is cool.

Hostess Mostess - Very GBV. Very effected guitars and vocals. Inserted glitches for an extra unsettling effect. It's nice When you get into your higher register for "And I don't believe". I like how you build up tension with the chorus and resolve it as it ends coming down with the title. I'd like to hear this both as a full band piece and also as a totally uneffected guy and guitar piece. I dig the ending and the lengthening of the chorus.

Jeff DeSantis - Acoustic/electric guitar mix panned left and right. The intro drum fill feels a bit out. My ear perked up hearing a reference to "Thirteen by Big Star". The chorus is pretty catchy. The lyrics of a guy trying to impress his girlfriend with his likes and stuff, I feel it. I appreciate your use of background vocals with harmonies in the bridge. Nicely done and not seen often enough for SF. Is the bass panned just to one side? That is weird and should not be done for a conventional song like this. The lead guitar has a nice full sound, just a bit dirty and is well executed. Good extension of the last chorus.

Jim Tyrell - You don't hear voices with this much rich character in SF almost ever. My wife and I, unprompted, had the same reaction - Tom Waits singing Billy Joel. Tom Waits in the 70s anyway before his voice dropped two octaves and run through a meat grinder. This song reminds a lot of NY State of Mind. It is a well executed and interesting composition for just 1 vocal and 1 piano. The lyrics and their delivery work well together. I definitely see myself at an empty smokey bar with you at the piano pour your heart out here. Nicely done.

Johnny Cashpoint - I admit this is not my bag. I want the keyboard lines to be hookier. You have good rhythm in your vocal delivery but it's a bit tuneless. The use of the background vocals on "Everything Must Go" of the chorus is good. The chorus is fairly catchy. I do like the second verse more than the first, I don't mind it hangs on 1 note. The rhythms are good. The breakdown at the end is unneeded and should have a stronger lead guitar since that is the entire focus of the section.

PFJ - 6/4! Standard PFJ flow and setup here, but it's good. It works. Starting in halftime, dropping the drums and bringing them back - good use there, but I probably would have done that kind of breakdown for the last verse to introduce variation later in the song after things had been more firmly established. You hit the title exactly at the 1min mark. The lyrics are kind of predictable, but they work. I think they relate a bit to your actual job, am I right? I see the "I posted a notice" part as a prechorus and I like the build to the title as a chorus a lot, but I want more resolution than just this one line, especially at the end. I like the subtle use of the piano, but I would like to hear that more in the chorus, to bring in more contrast with the verse. Similarly, with the bridge, it would be nice if something happened to have it contrast more with the other sections - instrumentation, rhythms, feel, etc. But I do like this song and found myself singing the hook as I cooked breakfast this morning.

Rone Rivendale - At 1:15, this is not really a full song and even these pieces don't really gel together. This reminds me of Devo, especially the keyboard riff part, which I like. The vocals are fairly tuneless, arhythmic and grating. The verse vocal is too hot and you are too close to the mic, you are overloading it. Lots of plosives and mouth sounds.

[rone rivendale]

Rone Rivendale - At 1:15, this is not really a full song and even these pieces don't really gel together. This reminds me of Devo, especially the keyboard riff part, which I like. The vocals are fairly tuneless, arhythmic and grating. The verse vocal is too hot and you are too close to the mic, you are overloading it. Lots of plosives and mouth sounds.

I'll take a Devo comparison any day. I know about the plosive problem, i've always had that. I use a RockBand mic. Thank you for the critique, I'm always trying to improve on vocals.

[Geech]

Rone Rivendale - At 1:15, this is not really a full song and even these pieces don't really gel together. This reminds me of Devo, especially the keyboard riff part, which I like. The vocals are fairly tuneless, arhythmic and grating. The verse vocal is too hot and you are too close to the mic, you are overloading it. Lots of plosives and mouth sounds.

I'll take a Devo comparison any day. I know about the plosive problem, i've always had that. I use a RockBand mic. Thank you for the critique, I'm always trying to improve on vocals.

It's always good to get to know your mic. Get a pop screen. Try standing at different angles and distances capturing your vocal and see what sounds good. One thing I noticed about your track is that your mic'ing for the verse vs chorus is pretty different; this is disorienting. You really want consistency in lead vocal recordings even if you treat them differently later with reverb, echo etc. or layer them with backgrounds. Having a proximity effect like you do in the verses and not in the chorus just makes things sound off.

[Lunkhead]

Jim Tyrrell wins by a landslide. Nobody else stood a chance.

[rone rivendale]

Def no friend flooding here. lol

[jimtyrrell]

Hi.
Looks like people who follow my Facebook turned out in force.
It’s never my intent to imbalance a fight. I want my entries to live or die on their own merits. Often I’ll enter a fight and make no mention of it on Facebook, but this time I was kind of proud of the song, and I wanted people to hear it.
In cases where I DO promote a fight, I encourage people to listen to and vote for all songs they honestly enjoy.
I think my song was pretty good, but not to the scale represented in the voting. Apologies if I have caused a less-than-accurate result.

For this current fight (E-Bike Gang), I plan to do no promotion, and I think you’ll see a return to my standard mediocrity. Although to be fair, that’s probably also because my entry is pretty weak. Heh.

[freff]

Jim, I think this song was a standout. My first thought upon hearing it was that it deserved to win. Nice work.

[rone rivendale]

Hi.
Looks like people who follow my Facebook turned out in force.
It’s never my intent to imbalance a fight. I want my entries to live or die on their own merits. Often I’ll enter a fight and make no mention of it on Facebook, but this time I was kind of proud of the song, and I wanted people to hear it.
In cases where I DO promote a fight, I encourage people to listen to and vote for all songs they honestly enjoy.
I think my song was pretty good, but not to the scale represented in the voting. Apologies if I have caused a less-than-accurate result.

For this current fight (E-Bike Gang), I plan to do no promotion, and I think you’ll see a return to my standard mediocrity. Although to be fair, that’s probably also because my entry is pretty weak. Heh.

If it wasn't clear, I was joking. You're a vet, Jim, I know you would never purposely try to rig a fight. Just for the record

[jb]

I mean, to be able to get 19 ppl to actually do something is an achievement.

I think we need to call Jim the Mr. Beast of Song Fight! From now on.

[Lunkhead]

Jim, please keep entering and sharing Song Fight with your people. It sounds like you're already trying to wield your might responsibly, so thanks for that.

I would love for everybody to have a fair shot in every fight but I understand that's not always going to be the case. I don't want anybody to try out Song Fight, see results like these, and think the whole thing is rigged and get turned off by that, though. That's why to me it's worth talking about it when it's very clear that something was up with the votes. We maybe need a new FAQ item about sharing a fight with fans so we codify our guidelines more clearly.