Nur Ein V Round One "Stranded"

[Reist]

it seems self-consciously “cool,”

You said that about the last one too - could you elaborate?

Either I didn’t “get” the story, or it seemed not nearly as interesting as the music implies it should be. kind of a bunch a nothing, yeah?

Here's the lowdown on the story. It's not from personal experience - my life isn't interesting enough to write about.

Guy and girl are at party. Guy drinks, girl gets high. Everybody else leaves and gets stuck in poor traffic because of the snow. Guy/girl hook up. Guy falls in love with girl. Guy gets girl's number and goes home when he's sobered up.

I kinda think it's a cute story - sorry if it sounded like "a bunch of nothing". The lyrics are more literal than I usually write, but I just can't bring myself to straight up tell the story from beginning to end - it always sounds cheesy and contrived when I do that.

[Caravan Ray]

... my life isn't interesting enough to write about..

That's not what I've heard:
http://songfight.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=3775

[wages]

Moved to http://songfight.net/forums/viewtopic.p ... 17#p151417

Please update your records accordingly.

[Chris Cogott]

So......this accelerando thing......does this mean the song starts out at a certain tempo and ends faster than what it started out as (meaning just one slow and steady build up) OR does it mean it can speed up then go back to normal tempo and speed up again etc...?

[frankie big face]

Okay, I made a Round 2 thread, but couldn't figure out how to move your posts. (I may not have that level of moderation.)

[frankie big face]

So......this accelerando thing......does this mean the song starts out at a certain tempo and ends faster than what it started out as (meaning just one slow and steady build up) OR does it mean it can speed up then go back to normal tempo and speed up again etc...?

It means whatever you want it to mean. Just write a good song that makes clever use of accelerando.

My favorite use of accelerando in a pop song is "Come On Eileen" by Dexy's Midnight Runners.

[Rabid Garfunkel]

Rabid: What I liked - the overall feel - lyrics, arrangement, delivery, orchestration. It was very Tom Waits for me. One of my favorites of anything I’ve heard by you
What I didn’t like - your singin is one degree to imprecise, there were a few spots where the piano vamp was too long without more color
Challenge: eh

"Challenge: eh" as in you didn't like it, or "eh" as in you didn't hear it (at first/at all)?

Hmmm, getting the Tom Waits comment outside of SF too... maybe I should look into getting a megaphone, heh. Starting to like writing stripped down arrangements, it's an interesting change in the approach & thinking.

[Billy's Little Trip]

BLT: What I liked - it rocks, the energy changes in the pre-chorus
What I didn’t like - innacurate vocals - I didn’t really care about the words much
Challenge: Fine

I'm guessing that inaccurate vocals mean not fitting the music? Or do you mean out of key? Either way, Frank said it too, so there is obviously an issue in that department.

As far as not caring about the words, that's understandable considering your skills as a song writer. It's like if Spud told me that I was a weak beer drinker, I would completely understand that coming from him.

.....but yeah, my lyrics didn't do their job it appears. It really was a heart felt story, in my own way.

Thanks for the review, Ross.

[jb]

Very few of the entries this week had what I would consider catchy hooks, both musically and especially lyrically. It was pretty disappointing-- a lot of samey-samey sounding songs (uniform texture and style the whole way through, lack of variation between sections), a lot of lyrically rambly songs. It's like many of you have very detailed ideas you're trying to execute (lyrically), but when it comes to crafting a catchy interesting phrase you run out of time or aren't inspired, or something else.

So if there's anything I would like to hear in the next round, it's some lines that I want to quote. Gimme some kinda cowabunga or eat my shorts moment.

And way too many of you have good instrumentation but TERRIBLE TERRIBLE SINGING. Or even decent singing but TERRIBLE TERRIBLE VOCAL RECORDING TECHNIQUE. It's frustrating to hear a nice piano sound coupled to somebody singing into the left earpiece of Walkman headphones from 1983. Not that you're required to have fantastic equipment, but if you can't execute a slick vocal sound then you should consider "roughing up" your instrumental sound. Work with your equipment to achieve a cohesive production, whatever the fidelity.

JB

[Niveous]

So if there's anything I would like to hear in the next round, it's some lines that I want to quote. Gimme some kinda cowabunga or eat my shorts moment.
JB

I don't think I would have phrased it that way but I wholeheartedly agree. Some of you put up some nice choruses that stuck with me (Milo Dunderville, Minty Handy) and some of you put up songs that I'm going to struggle to remember once Round 2's songs are in. Let's shoot for 17 songs we all will remember.

[j$]

Hmmm, I don't remember being that queeny when I was a judge - time the great healer

[Caravan Ray]

Very few of the entries this week had what I would consider catchy hooks, both musically and especially lyrically. It was pretty disappointing-- a lot of samey-samey sounding songs (uniform texture and style the whole way through, lack of variation between sections), a lot of lyrically rambly songs. It's like many of you have very detailed ideas you're trying to execute (lyrically), but when it comes to crafting a catchy interesting phrase you run out of time or aren't inspired, or something else.

So if there's anything I would like to hear in the next round, it's some lines that I want to quote. Gimme some kinda cowabunga or eat my shorts moment.

I'm sorry - we should have considered your lack of attention span. I'll try to aim for the lowest common denominator next week.

[frankie big face]

See, no-one really cares what we think anyway. So listen to the songs if you must, then rank the fuckers and move on. I mean, these were 21 masterpieces so, by rights, they should have all received the maximum number of points possible. How dare you think your opinion could possibly matter like you're some kind of, I don't know, judge.

[Billy's Little Trip]

Honestly, I thought I was doing catchy and easy to remember bar room chants. How much simpler can I get beyond "give us peace, love, rock, sex and bbq"?
I'll take that bit of advice though, JB. I'm sure I can get catchier and hookier if I really put my mind to it.

...maybe "give us math, equations, algebra, boobs and pi"?

[Lunkhead]

I just think it's a little silly to have a completely open contest and then complain that some or many of the entries weren't that great. Dude, have you ever listened to Song Fight!? At least in Nur Ein you're a judge and you can rank the songs you dislike most last, so that those people will likely get eliminated quickly. Just be happy you didn't have to start out listening to >25 entries in round zero, then 25 in round one, then 20 in round two, etc. You got off easy this time.

[Niveous]

Hmmm, I don't remember being that queeny when I was a judge - time the great healer

I just think it's a little silly to have a completely open contest and then complain that some or many of the entries weren't that great.

Oh, how they forget what they were like back when they were judges.

[Rabid Garfunkel]

[j$]

One thing's for sure, Niv, I never quoted back someone else's joke at them for points.
Come on, judges, you can be more entertaining than this.

[Niveous]

I was moreso reiterating your joke for kinda a double joke at Lunkhead's remark. Didn't work. Oh well. Rabid laughed. Win enough for me.

[Spud]

If I was in the competition, which I have been in the past, I would WANT the judges to be telling me how they are seeing it. Easier for me to pander.

[Spud]

Honestly, I thought I was doing catchy and easy to remember bar room chants. How much simpler can I get beyond "give us peace, love, rock, sex and bbq"?
I'll take that bit of advice though, JB. I'm sure I can get catchier and hookier if I really put my mind to it.

...maybe "give us math, equations, algebra, boobs and pi"?

I'm not going to speak for JB, but as I said in my review, your hook hooked this judge. Boobs are good, too, though.

[Lunkhead]

Allow me to rephrase. I would not complain so publicly that some or many of the entries weren't that great. Save it for the between judge emails.