Time to hand out the Ribbons, it's the Pink Reviews

[Spud]

Blue Ribbons
Red Ribbons
Pink Ribbons

[Billy's Little Trip]

I just finished my first listen of the Pink entries, and there are some AWESOME songs. I'll be listening to them all week with a review to follow.
Great job SF'ers.

[kaptainklaws]

All I could think of was intestines...

Just kidding...
I picked my favorite of all of these absolutely wonderful songs. I mean... you guys all seriously created some nice songs here. It took me hours of excrutiating pain but I picked one.

I voted for the Dave Vs. Mandy song.

I do not know how you came up with those vocals. But combined with the music I just couldn't help but listen to it over and over on repeat. A simple melody mixed with some of the funniest and unspeakable lyrics just made my day.

Fault was pretty awesome. Those vocals were some of the best of the entire list of songs... no offense to everyone else... but I think women have us men beat on the singing scale... unless you are Maynard James Keenan of course.

Meeshka... it sounded like salad fingers was singing me to sleep. I loved it. I feel really bad for the girl but oh well... she should have known better.

Chuck the Bear's song was pretty nice. The lyrics were clever and the music was well composed and performed. I listened to this one afew times as well.


I will add some more here... don't you worry.

[Smalltown Mike]

Love that Dave vs. Mandy track. It's not the first time I've heard that technique used, of course, but it's done really well (rhythmically) and the melody is great.

I wish, though, it had more of a structure, and more lyrics. Great work.

Do it next week, though, and it'll get old.

[starfinger]

billy's little trip: love the bass part and the vocal treatment
(what did you do to your vox?) the recording has this classic lo-fi
sound.. that and the vocal delay reminds me of Comets on Fire.
pretty awesome.

chuck the bear: this is beautiful. lots of nods to yacht rock,
musically and sonically. good lyrics. great job.

cynthia size, et al: those vocals are too loud, but this is
definitely interesting, and actually pretty catchy. the backing
music is really the strong point.

dave vs. mandy: i like the music box sound, but this is pretty
monotonous and uneventful.

disciples of beer: i can't hear a thing you're saying, but I'm not
sure I care. I like the noodling. And I like beer.

dm6: this is definitely good overdriven honkblues. keep it up!

the fault: This is on the verge of sexy. the verses are too
monotonous, and the vocals are too muffled. I like the sparse
arrangement a lot.

feldspar: great lyrics. i'm not much of a G&G guy, but this goes
well with my coffee.

flvxxvm florvm: probably better than dm6's blueshonk. love the
harmonica, and the psychotic, Waitsy vocals.

gawking urethras: now that's a mix! i like it best when your vocals
go totally over the top. great playing and arrangement. awesome.

hostess mostess: This is absolutely amazing. i have to listen to
it twice. the way it builds up and transitions tot he "it's in the
language of.." part reminds me of Peter Gabriel at his best. Damn!

klownhole: this is just silly. you don't seem that committed to
your lyrics. the piano is good. the chorus is really catchy. how
long is this song anyway. oh hey, there's the klownhole I want to
hear. huzzah. wait a minute, how long is this song anyway.
Mental note for me: listen to some Melvins this afternoon.

lsares: this was promising until the vocals started. actually
this has a lot going for it, but something is really crapped out in
that vocal mix. decent guitarifying. and then it's over.

masterhyde: this is definitely cool production, but all of your
songs sound very similar. break out of your mold! These lyrics are
like an MC Hammer B-side.

mc eric b: you're the guy that steals all his backing music right?
That is pretty good. Your contribution, not so much.

meesha chekovdfjlasdkfw: you would be creepier if it didn't sound
like you were making it up as you go. very primusy lyrics,
and the ambience is cool. Vocals are dumb and annoying.

melvin: obviously you're talented and there are catchy things going
on here, but I don't really like it.

mike lamb: vocals are too loud. this would be better if you
emphasized the sea-dirge of it. yeah there's some good music in
there, but your vocals are too dominating. i'm not too fond of your
drum sound either.

paco del stinko: that is a totally intimidating opening groove.
i'm so glad you got a little phatty. love those goofy vocals. What
a bizarre solo. awesome ending.

paul moyer: the music is pretty good, but these vocals are totally
throw away. actually, i guess the collective sound is pretty cool.
it's definitely weird, and weird is good. i'm not much of a lyrics
person anyway.

r. mosquito: i love the extreme production, but the mix is weird.
good deal.

thornberry: your vocals are always a treat. but this mix is weird,
and it's too quiet. i definitely like the song though.
supergrassy. oh yeah i like those vocal swells. and a bitchin
guitar solo. man, re-mix this for me.

zipline: ouch, watch that clipping. good drumming. yeah this is
pretty cool.

[mr_lostman]

mr. lostman feat b. ellsion:

aw

oh and i am yet to listen to this fight but i'll get on it soon enough.

[Meatwad]

klownhole: this is just silly. you don't seem that committed to
your lyrics. the piano is good. the chorus is really catchy. how
long is this song anyway. oh hey, there's the klownhole I want to
hear. huzzah. wait a minute, how long is this song anyway.
Mental note for me: listen to some Melvins this afternoon.

Fuck yeah you should listen to some Melvins this afternoon. If you need a mental note to listen to the Melvins, then you've got the wrong stuff burned onto your ceiling.

[MC Eric B]

-------------------------------------
Starfighter wrote:
mc eric b: you're the guy that steals all his backing music right?
-------------------------------------

Just to clarify, I don't steal the background music for my songs. I only use beats that are available for free for rappers to use, or ones that I specifically pay to use. Many hip-hop artists buy their beats instead of making them themselves. Even if they don't buy them, usually somebody else (like a producer) makes the beats for them. That is just the nature of hip-hop. Soundclick even has a whole section of their site devoted to beats for sale at http://www.soundclick.com/genres/charts ... trumentals .

I do not know ahead of time which beat I am going to use. When the Songfight song name is announced, I write the lyrics to a tune I create in my head. I then try to find a beat to use that best matches what I wrote. If I could write my own beats, the songs would sound much better because they would fit my vocals better, but I am not at the level where I can do that yet.

- Eric

[Billy's Little Trip]

billy's little trip: love the bass part and the vocal treatment
(what did you do to your vox?) the recording has this classic lo-fi
sound.. that and the vocal delay reminds me of Comets on Fire.
pretty awesome.

This is the first of my new digital Trip. It might not sound like it to most, but I'm actually kind of picky about the way I sound. I've delivered bad recordings in the past, which makes it hard to hear my final goal. But now the sky is the limits and I think my signature will become easier to identify in the weeks to come. I was trying to follow the vocal chain that was posted in the help area to get me started because this digi stuff is SO different from my analog equipment. Compression/limiter/gate/sibilance, then my own twist with a warm tube pre amp and delay at settings I like. The muffled vox after the lead solo is just a filter pod thingy I was playing with, where in the past I'd use something in my equipment rack, like my Korg. Thanks for noticing Starfinger.

[starfinger]

sorry mr. lostman.. not sure how that happened:

mr lostman: these vocals are straddling the line between talking and
singing in a weird way. it's like you're enthusiastic, but are
trying not to fall asleep. the song is pretty minimal, but I think
I like it.


furthermore, I listened to the Melvins this morning, without the need of my mental note.

lastly: impulse, I was just busting your chops. And my name is not starfighter. that would be ridiculous.

-craig

[Billy's Little Trip]

my name is not starfighter. that would be ridiculous

I don't know why, but that made me laugh with vigor.

[Albatross]

And my name is not starfighter. that would be ridiculous.

He is merely *a* star fighter.

[Meatwad]

furthermore, I listened to the Melvins this morning, without the need of my mental note.
-craig

Well there you go then. Everything is in it's right place.

[Mostess]

If I could write my own beats, the songs would sound much better because they would fit my vocals better, but I am not at the level where I can do that yet.

May I suggest trying? We songwriters call it "practice".

[obscurity]

May I suggest trying? We songwriters call it "practice".

Yeah, have you considered looking for some kind of regular event that you could get involved in, that could help provide motivation for the practicing? Like, oh I don't know, some sort of regular songwriting competition?

[feldspar]

Hey hey, here's some reviews. Everyone who didn't use any variation of the phrase "pink ribbon in her hair" gets ten bonus points. Originality is a pretty crucial part of good songwriting.

<b>Billy's Little Trip with guest star Paco Del Stinko:</b> The guitar and bass work well. Vocal effects fit well. Your delivery is good too, though you break your cadence on a few phrases, like "innocent face to keep her minx hidden." I think lyrically you could've phrased it to flow a little better. Solid effort, though.

<b>Chuck The Bear:</b> Lyrically and melodically, this stands out for me. I really love the vocal melody, like, a lot. There's just a tiny something missing in your layers of guitar that keep it from taking on that warm, cuddly tone that I'm looking for in this. There's an edge of harshness that keeps me from warming up to it too much. Still, I like this a lot.

<b>Cynthia Size and the @eclectic sp00ns:</b> Those vocals don't cut it with me, sorry. I'm not very into this song. Some of the synth sounds fit, and some just don't.

<b>Dave vs. Mandy:</b> Funny idea, I guess, though the gag starts to wear thin pretty quickly. Very nicely executed, though. It does get monotonous after a while. I do dig the music box, though.

<b>The Disciples of Beer:</b> Turn up the guitar, turn down the bass, and <i>sing</I>. Belt it out. The mumbly, half-spoken vocals don't take your song anywhere interesting. I like where you're going with the guitar, but I can't hear it well enough to be really impressed. Bring it front and center next time.

<b>DM6:</b> Harsh tone. This is pretty good. Could do with a cleaner vocal track. Other than that, this is a fine song. You've got the vocal delivery and melody, and the guitar chops. Decent song.

<b>The Fault:</b> Your vocals are nice, but need a little bit of enthusiasm. The melody kind of plods along monotonously. The piano and guitar are nice. That kick drum is too loud, I think. I like the glitchy rhythm bits in the chorus. I like the arrangement. Nice work.

<b>Flvxxvm Florvm:</b> I like everything about this except your vocal delivery. The harmonica is a very nice touch, and the guitar's <i>got it</i> just right. Maybe this could use some more percussion. The echoey hard-panned kick drum and the sparse handclaps don't carry this tune as much as they should.

<b>Gawking Urethras:</b> Ten seconds in, and I'm hooked. This is arranged well, played well, and mixed well. I'm unsure about the vocals; half the time the warbly not-quite-sure-of-yourself style works well, and sometimes I wish you'd be more direct. The more forceful you are, like in the chorus, the better it sounds. Lyrics are lacking just a tiny bit, but the performance makes up for that. After the solo, the song drops off too much. It might have been better to just extend the solo and fade out.

<b>Hostess Mostess:</b> I like this a whole lot and can't really think of anything more interesting to say. Very good job.

<b>Klownhole:</b> I like the piano a lot and I'm so-so about the rest. This is okay, but it does not keep my interest for the whole thing.

<b>LSares:</b> The vocals are so lost in the mix that I'm starting to doubt they even exist. Nice guitar. Could really use a good solid audible vocal track.

<b>Masterhyde:</b> I really don't know where I stand on this. The lyrics are really hokey, but almost in an endearing way. Vocal delivery is good. The music is pretty flat, though.

<b>MC Eric B:</b> You're not quite rapping, and you're not quite singing. Go one way or the other, because the half-spoken style just doesn't work. The music and vocals don't suit each other at all, for obvious reasons. Try to learn how to create your own beats before you go any further, because this style just doesn't cut it. There's tons of people over in the Help and How To forum that can give you some pointers on where to get started. Writing lyrics is only half of the craft of songwriting.

<b>Meeshka Chaukinov:</b> Your vocal delivery doesn't do anything for me. Nor do your lyrics. I'm not too crazy about your arrangement, either.

<b>Melvin:</b> Very catchy, very well-done. I want a little more bigness in the chorus. It's nice, though. Good song.

<b>Mike Lamb:</b> Turn down the vocals a bit. Your singing is fine, but a couple of your lyrics have meter issues that throw off your vocal cadence. 'she needs to accomplish her feat,' for instance. I'm not fond of your lyrics in general. They lack subtlety and just do not turn me on to the story you're trying to tell. And you're really not saying anything new or interesting with them. Nice effort, though. Music is good, though it's hard to tell over the overpowering vocals.

<b>Mr. Lostman feat b. ellison:</b> This is okay. Nothing is jumping out at me. Nothing too good or too bad about this. Average, I guess? Nice effort.

<b>Paco Del Stinko:</b> I love the arrangement. Great music. So-so vocal melody. So-so lyrics. Decent singing. Good song.

<b>Paul Moyer:</b> Interesting. I like the way this works. Some parts sound really great. I'm usually pretty big on lyrics, but you've done a lot without any substantial lyrical content. Good work.

<b>R. Mosquito:</b> This is not a genre that I'm normally fond of, but you do it well. I'm not crazy about this song, but it's a decent attempt.

<b>Starfinger:</b> I'm having a hard time making out some of your lyrics. I'm reading along, though, and they're okay. A little too goofy for my tastes. The sparse arangement of this leaves me feeling like something is missing.

<b>Thornberry:</b> This mix is very very strange. Too much hard panning. There's not enough in the middle; center something. The vocals are nice. Well-written. Good song, not good mix.

<b>Zipline:</b> Crackle crackle. Nice groove. Decent song. I like it. Maybe bring that synth or piano or whatever it is up more. It's really really buried.

Very very excellent fight. <b>Chuck the Bear</b>, you've got my vote.

[obscurity]

<b>The Fault:</b> Your vocals are nice, but need a little bit of enthusiasm.

To be fair to LML, you can blame me for that - she sent me other vocal takes that were more enthusiastic, but I went with this because I preferred the air of detachment, I felt it suited the music more.

[kaptainklaws]

I think the Fault song works very well in its entirity... we will have to see the next LML submission...

[Nigel (spOOn) Clements]

oops hit the wrong button.. sorry! ignore this post...

[Nigel (spOOn) Clements]

<b>Cynthia Size and the @eclectic sp00ns:</b> Those vocals don't cut it with me, sorry. I'm not very into this song. Some of the synth sounds fit, and some just don't.

Don't be sorry dude, that's more than ok. I'm fully aware that I still have a long way to go, to even get close to some the maestro's producing awsome tracks week in week out (and once again there are many here!)

But I do have to say that I really love your avatar.

[MintyHandy]

Stopping in to say the following:

Billy's Little Trip, congrats on the production level bump -- much, much better, sounds fantastic.

Paco Del Stinko, that is the hookiest guitar riff I've heard in ten years, and when I spoke with Frank Zappa earlier today, he said "Have you heard that Paco Del Stinko riff? That's what I'm talking about."*

Actual reviews later, as I'm under the weather.


*then he hung up and went back to dead.

[jeff robertson]

<b>Flvxxvm Florvm:</b> I like everything about this except your vocal delivery. The harmonica is a very nice touch, and the guitar's <i>got it</i> just right. Maybe this could use some more percussion. The echoey hard-panned kick drum and the sparse handclaps don't carry this tune as much as they should.

That drum sound is actually just what the mic picks up when I pound on the base of the mic stand with my fist.