The Song Fight Bulletin Board

ROUND THREE of the NUR EIN starts now!

Title: "The Blitz"
Due Date: May 26th at 1PM EST
Challenge: Use of choral voices
Send a copy of your completed song to nurein.sidefight@gmail.com

Adam Adamant
ADD
Billy's Little Trip
Bryan Kandel
Frankie Big Face
Glenn & Rachael
Jim Tyrrell
John Benjamin Band
Ken Mahru
Octothorpe
Paco del Stinko
Ross Durand
Starfinger
Tex Beaumont and the Dirty Hearts
The Worldly Self Assurance

STREAM ALL

The Jury will now deliberate. The Jury's decision as well as the new title will be posted on May 29st at 1PM(EST).

NUR EIN!

Are you ready, Steve? Aha.
Andy? Yeah! Mick? OK.
Alright, fellas, let's goooOOOOOO!

Should be interesting.

Yeah, that's the first thing I thought too. Hard to write a song when you already have one ingrained in your brain. Otherwise, I like this title.

'Ey-'O! Let's Go!

(only, of course, I'm not in the competition so I won't be going anywhere)

I'm going to sound dumb here, won't be the 1st nor last time.

Use of choral vocals challenge, what does that mean?

4 voices doing separate contrapuntal lines?
samples of choirs?
what is the difference between choral music and doo wop? Is doo wop a subset of Choral music?

Could you give examples of this challenge in popular music?

Would "In the Garage" by Weezer qualify? "Danger of the Water" by Futureheads? "Can't always get what you want" Rolling Stones?

I'd like to hear from judges, (last year the only people to tell me I couldn't use a baritone guitar in the no guitar fight, were competitors, although I don't mind hearing what they have to say, I'd like to hear from at least one of the judges)

Thanks!

I can't believe we actually went almost 28 hours without questions like that.

glennny wrote: Use of choral vocals challenge, what does that mean?

I automatically thought of 15 drunk, naked rugby players showering together and singing "The Good Ship Venus"

glennny wrote:(last year the only people to tell me I couldn't use a baritone guitar in the no guitar fight, were competitors...)

Heh. That was me. Dude, the challenge was "no guitars" and you posted "could I use a baritone GUITAR?"!! I actually thought you were joking at first and then I felt a little bad when you weren't.

But yeah, all these choir questions are good ones. Yay for another awkward challenge. (I didn't mind the last one, for the record.)

glennny wrote:I
Use of choral vocals challenge, what does that mean?

Interesting, when this first went up I saw "Choral vocals" but now it says "Choral Voices"

interesting.

good thing no one has daily access to an actual choir.....

Ross wrote: good thing no one has daily access to an actual choir.....

yeah, good thing.....*walks away whistling with hands in pockets*

(actually, i'm pretty sure school is closed for Memorial Day)

((speaking of which! last year, we had an extra day over the Memorial Day weekend. any chance this courtesy will be be extended this year? for those of us who will be out of town?))

(((note to self: assemble MOBILE ROCK UNIT)))


(((( ))))

Caravan Ray wrote:

glennny wrote: Use of choral vocals challenge, what does that mean?

I automatically thought of 15 drunk, naked rugby players showering together and singing "The Good Ship Venus"

Holy crap, me too! Except I pictured them singing The Good Ship Lollipop

frankie big face wrote: ((speaking of which! last year, we had an extra day over the Memorial Day weekend. any chance this courtesy will be be extended this year? for those of us who will be out of town?))

I think that was an 11th hour decision last year. As for this year, I'm not sure. But, I will say this, it may be a little while before I can get to upload the songs, so you may be able to get away with a little lateness.

Music to a procrastinators ears.

glennny wrote:Could you give examples of this challenge in popular music?

Would "In the Garage" by Weezer qualify?

Definitely not, in my books. There are a few lines in that song where two Rivers (aka a "group" of vocalists) are singing in harmony, so it could be argued that it satisfies the challenge in a very trivial way. Much the same way that almost any song technically must contain a crescendo in it somewhere. But, if you've read my reviews, you know how I feel about this least-effort-possible approach to the challenge.

A song that I feel would own this challenge is Radiohead's Paranoid Android. For more extreme examples, look to nearly anything by Blind Gaurdian or Bang Camero. Even Add's song last week (which has a digi-choir for about 2 seconds) would probably fly, although that's cutting it close.

As always, IMO and IANA6J (I Am Not All Six Judges).

Niveous wrote:

frankie big face wrote: ((speaking of which! last year, we had an extra day over the Memorial Day weekend. any chance this courtesy will be be extended this year? for those of us who will be out of town?))

I think that was an 11th hour decision last year. As for this year, I'm not sure. But, I will say this, it may be a little while before I can get to upload the songs, so you may be able to get away with a little lateness.

2 June is New Zealand's Queens Birthday
9 June is Australian Queens Birthday.

It looks like I will be missing out on Her Majesty's celebrations this year as I will probably be leaving Aust. before the 9th and arriving in NZ after the 2nd. I hope she understands.

Can I have extra Nur Ein time?

Adam!, Thanks for the reply! I had to re-listen to PA, I could have sworn that was Thom, Ed and a mellotron. I guess it's real vocals. I always want to embrace the challenge in these Nur Ein fights, I regret not doing so in the "Let Me In" fight last year, but since then I really try. You do know the breakdown I'm talking about in the Weezer song where it is a cappella and basically doo wop yeah? Since I read the challenge I've been trying to discern the technical difference between doo wop and choral music. All I come up with are A) longer notes in choral music B) "Ahs" and "oohs", not so much "bahs" "bums" "dips" or "doo".

As soon as I read the challenge, I was writing music in my head, and it's definitely all doo wop (I blame Frank Zappa).

I think I grasp the challenge, but I have a hard time explaining to myself the technical difference between Choral music, Doo Wop, and barbershop.

Anyway thanks!

Nur Elf!

Here's one example of choral voices for you, glenny.

In Russia, choir sings in you.

Rabid Garfunkel wrote:Here's one example of choral voices for you, glenny.

In Russia, choir sings in you.

Ha! Leningrad Cowboys. sweee tome Alabama. That's funny, Rabz.

glennny wrote: You do know the breakdown I'm talking about in the Weezer song where it is a cappella and basically doo wop yeah?

You mentioned "In the Garage", but I think the song you mean is "Holiday". Holiday would be fine, although I'd hope for more than a ~15-second two-person "ensemble". Similarly, I'd be down with barbershop... although if I were a more pedantic person I would point out that there is a distinction between a barbershop quartet and a barbershop choir.

But, if you're thinking about the challenge at all, I feel confident that you guys will satisfy it. What I don't want to see is someone recording a song with doubled or harmony vocals just as a matter of course, and then thinking the can coast by on technically satisfying the challenge.

EDIT: Fix'd link.

Woops, yeah "Holiday" is what I meant. Melvin will shun me for getting that wrong.

Both of those links go to the same page, but yeah, I see the distinction.

Thanks!

Wow - things are pretty quiet around here. I hope everyone has found this sub forum.

I hope no-one will mind if my submission is less than"entry level" and is just kinda me goofing around.

Nur Ein!

I'm in.

Bring on Round 4.