The Song Fight Bulletin Board

And it begins.
...again.

and SO it begins.

I don't partake in the status quo. As two very wise girls from Milwaukee once told me, "give us any chance, we'll take it. Give us any rule, we'll break it. We're gonna make our dreams come true. Doin' it our way"

in case we are waiting for art.

BLT - 11/10 However, the vocals were too vocally for me so I can't vote for you.

Who_Izzy wrote:BLT - 11/10 However, the vocals were too vocally for me so I can't vote for you.

This is my first use of the "Review this Week's Fight" button, so I'm just gonna type as I listen, then sum up everything at the end. Hope that's alright.

Banana Dan
This is some catchy shit...Is it telling me to bounce? Cause I am.
This is going on my walkman
Oh, "Come out and play" That makes more sense.

Ok, I loved that. It was catchy as hell and simple to boot. They keyboard synth sound thingies were probably my favorite part, especially after the break. You get a vote

Berkeley Social Scene
This is...interesting? I kind of feel like I'm in the windmill from LoZ OoT
"Come out come out whereever you are" is going to be overused this week, isnt it?
This guitar solo is nice.

Alright, that was nice I think. Not my cup of tea, though. The vocals sounded...I don't know, Pink Flloydyish? But I couldn't quite understand them and the music wasn't quite pleasing to my ears outside of that bit with the guitar. Sorry, but no vote from me, though I don't doubt you'll get them elsewhere.


Billy and the Psychotics
I chan't think of an entry of yours that I haven't been impressed with and so far I don't see that changing here
Your vocals are probably my favorite of all the fighters i've heard.
do=do-dodo-do-do-do....that riff was neato
instrumental....nice

Even if I didn't have a problem finding negative things to say about peoples creative works I doubt I would have anything bad to say about this. This was just great I enjoyed every minute of it and It will be on my walkman, Also, I'm voting for you

Bombernaughts
Ooooh Synthy
I can't understand these vocals...not loud enough, I think. Really pretty though
That breakdown bit with the overlapping vocals was really cool.

Ok, I know I just said that I have a hard time saying anything negative, but I couldn't understand the vocal here, at all. I don't know if they were to quite or just where they sat range-wise(I know nothing about music lol) But I feel like I should have been able to hear them better, they were terrible beautiful, just I couldn't understand them, and therefore I cannot vote for you.


Christopher Broxson
Dig the drums...and the bass....cool keys...backgroud shouting...is this a jazzy zombie song?

That was cool, but I don't know if there's enough there to make me vote for you...I may flip a coin


Chuck Chuck Moose
These drums remind me of Prince Harry by Sohodolls...these vocals, do not lol
Turn your vocals up or stop whispering, this message brought to you by someone who has a hard time turning up his vocals and a hard time not whispering. Autotune, might not hurt either, unless that was on purpose.
Are these loops? What are you using?
I do like the lyrics though, but I'm not sure that's enough for a vote.


Foobar
NOOOO, not more slow music! Nice keys though
anything else, or just 3 minutes of keys?
NOw we're playing red light green light...No words?

I feel like you were trolling me, no vote.


g Rock
I think these vocals are supposed to be this quite and i like they way they sound through this/these filter(s)...but I can't quite understand you.because of these things.
Oh dat reverb guitar.

2:08 I'm done, pausing for a moment just so i can vote for you solely because of that reverb'd guitar, then I'm going to enjoy the rest of this.


Havarti on Rye
Lots of synth this week...FL studios? These voice things are intense. GF doesn't like em though ...I won't tell her I'm probably voting for you.
"Beam me up"?
Vocal sounds if anything are a bit too loud
That change up with the beat was nice

You gave me a headache and I'm still voting for you...good job

The Hell Yeahs
This sounds like it should be on a THPS game...I like it. 'Cept for maybe the lyrics. The voice is great, but I just don't like the words.Make me think of something I've heard before, but I'm not sure what.

The only thing keeping you from one of my votes is the lyrics...I love everything else


Hey, It's Romer
...Wut?
Rep it homie!
You get my vote for this.


Hoblit
Let's see if Hoblit's money is where his mouth was...
okay....maybe.
What's with the all the THPS music? I'm digging this



I'll try to finish reviews later

Here are some thoughts I jotted down for y'all.

Banana Dan - Well-produced, but while I love electronic music this is a branch of it I'm just not into. I recognize the talent that went into this, but I think it sounds dated - which is essentially death for an electronic track. Electronic music is constantly changing and growing and mutating, and I would like to hear your work caught up in a more contemporary conversation with what's going on around you.

Berkeley Social Scene - My ears didn't really prick up until the chorus, which I thought was the hands-down strong point of this song (as I guess it usually is with most songs). The verses between, however, seemed to drag on. I wish the whole song were as immediate as that chorus. Or, as Dave Grohl would say, that the song were "all chorus."

Billy and the Psychotics - Cool, laid back jammy feel. I normally hate cool, laid back jammy music. This is immediate enough for me to get into, however; it's to-the-point and doesn't meander as so many songs tend to do. Plus your voice sounds like Karen O in the chorus, which is a definite plus. The idea of Karen O singing for a band of this vein is a really weird mental image, though. This is a very solid song, with little for me to criticize other than the fact that it's just sort of not in a style I really appreciate.

Bombernaughts - The new action thriller starring Ryan Gosling featuring new music by Bombernaughts. Not quite, this is dated in a way that just misses the mark of being cool. Cool isn't everything though. I like the harmonies a lot. This is such a weird song and is so out of step with everything else in this fight that I just have to like it. I'm a fan of Bombernaughts!

Christopher Broxson - The stuttering drums and the vocal effects are really annoying, keeping me from getting into this. This sounds like you didn't really have a song so you turned the weird and random faders all the way up which is a technique I really don't like.

Chuck Chuck Moose - The chorus is awkward. It almost sounds like it's a karaoke song and you're rushing yourself to keep up with the words. I just feel like the vocals lack confidence which is a shame for a song whose lyrics are so full of conviction.

enter it in the art show - I'm a sucker for this genre. Confessional, auto-biographical folky music. Sounds like Olive Juice Music's roster or Plan It X. I'm actually wondering if you're Major Matt Mason USA in disguise. Love the lyrics, melody, all of it other than the cheesy MIDI drums that suddenly overtake the entire song. Also you should have just said "fucking town," it would have made me clutch at my heart and pull on my t-shirt. Fake swearing is bullshit. I really liked your song, though.

Foobar - You're a very competent player, and all the notes seem to be in the right place. There's just not enough dynamic shift or movement in this instrumental to capture my attention, my emotions, or my imagination. If I'm being honest, it sounds like a very good piano player noodling around rather than the work of a composer.

g Rock - The song takes me in some interesting directions, but ultimately it gets a bit noodle-y and doesn't hold my attention lyrically or melodically. Like too many songs, it starts to get more interesting just near the end. Then it fades out. I feel cheated!

Havarti on Rye - The tempo shifts and the volume of the vocal part are really jarring. There's not much form to latch onto in this, so what's left is a jumpy electronic track that wears its welcome out quickly.

The Hell Yeahs - Love that heavy groove. I love how everything sounds like it was recorded just slightly in the red. It has a warm, distorted sound. It just rocks. It's tight, oozing with attitude, heavy, and melodic.

Hey, It's Romer - The aggressive lyrics seem very disconnected from the delivery, which seems monotone and unexciting. The beat's all right except for the dubstep-on-a-budget chorus. This is pretty boring for a song that seems to be designed to make me want to mob hard.

Hoblit - I wish you'd used the same energy as you used in the backing vocals in your main vocal track. It sounds a little sleepy in comparison. The song's pretty cool, a nice homage to the melodic 70s punk stuff. Could have been faster and more pissed off, but then again couldn't it always?

Hortus Ortus - I grew up listening to music like this. Simple, earnest, pretty harmonies. Lyrically pretty weak, but the arrangement and the performances are charming and appealing.

Humanic - Right off the bat I'm turned off by the cold nature of the rhythm track and the natural-sounding instrumentation that ends up sounding mechanical due to looping. There's just such a disconnect for me, a coldness that keeps me from getting into your song. As it grows and adds layers, I find myself a little more invested in it, but it sort of just builds on the initial formula without really taking me anywhere new. Usually only Bob Dylan gets away with that.

Inflatable Vegetables - I felt like I was Rick Rolled for a second at the beginning. The music is somehow grating and catchy at the same time, which creates something interesting. The lyrics sound like they were mis-translated from an anime theme song. That could be a compliment or a criticism. I really can't tell, honestly.

Jay String & DJ Whyz - Such a weird, damaged beat. I like the lyrics a lot, although I felt like there were some issues with rhythm: I would have liked a little pause between hate and fucked even though it's a hyphenated word. I thought it was going to go "though I hate-/fucked a few" to keep those triplets together, but that's a very nitpicking point. Overall I liked this song quite a bit and will have that beat stuck in my head the rest of the day.

Klownhole - Two doom songs in one songfight? I'm onboard with the music, but the vocals seem somewhat neutered when paired with the balls-to-the-wall drums, bass, and guitars. I would have loved to hear this with an over the top, gravelly, bluesy wail. Especially when you start with a Sabbath riff, I expected to hear something Ozzy-like in the singing. Instead I get this tin can sheet-reading vocal track. Back to the backing band, though, totally kick ass.

The Pin Drops - I like the way the chord changes jerk me around. I can bob my head to it and still be taken in new, fun directions. You sound like a fun live band. Not a big fan of the lyrics. There are too many lines that seem to be there for the sake of the rhyme rather than for the sake of the song, and while I've done that countless times myself I feel like it's a lazy way to write and creates some really cringeworthy material.

R. Mosquito - Doooooooom! The drums to this are incredibly creative. I love the stripped-down nature of this song. I would like to hear some really heavy guitar come shredding in, but as it stands it works as just a muscular, spare structure of a really heavy and lyrically-intriguing song. I don't know that I've ever heard a doom song on songfight, much less one that nails all the most satisfying qualities of the genre.

TRJones - Got a real Paul Westerberg vibe here. I dig the simplicity of it, the straightforward and unadorned sound of the song. Once I start listening to the lyrics though, I'm left completely cold. Straightforward is nice, but it's easy to overdo it which gets boring fast. And the "ooh" part at the end is not necessary.

Tubba Gutz wrote:I feel cheated!

Perfect.

Who_Izzy wrote: The Hell Yeahs
This sounds like it should be on a THPS game...I like it. 'Cept for maybe the lyrics. The voice is great, but I just don't like the words.Make me think of something I've heard before, but I'm not sure what.

Hoblit

What's with the all the THPS music? I'm digging this

The rest of the world calls this Punk Rock. Although it was invented shortly after Tony Hawk was.

Who_Izzy wrote: 2:15 - had to stop . Hope I'm not missing anything I'd like better, but I can't do this. Not my thing...

2:08 I'm done, just so i can vote for you solely because of that reverb'd guitar....

I'll try to finish reviews later...

Heya, man...slow down. Take your time. There is no rush, let the songs settle in your mind. It seems like bad form to outwardly criticize a song before listening to it in its entirety. If you don't like it enough to not listen to it, then maybe not critique it at all.

I'm not the boss or nuthin' but I just thought this was all a little hasty. If it were me, I'd be slightly offended that you shrugged off of my song by stopping it before it was through and then still comment on it.

No need to vote or come to your complete conclusions today, those songs will be up for a while and there is plenty of time to let them all settle in before you make any kind of decisions.

With that said, thank you for the time you did put forth to review all of the songs that you have. It's that kind of thing that keeps all of us coming back. I for one, do appreciate your opinion.

Thanks, again.

Hoblit wrote:

Who_Izzy wrote: The Hell Yeahs
This sounds like it should be on a THPS game...I like it. 'Cept for maybe the lyrics. The voice is great, but I just don't like the words.Make me think of something I've heard before, but I'm not sure what.

Hoblit

What's with the all the THPS music? I'm digging this

The rest of the world calls this Punk Rock. Although it was invented shortly after Tony Hawk was.

Har har. I dont think all punk rock fits with TH games. Yes most of it is, but its like squares and rectages to me. One is always(or in this case almost always) the other while the other is not always(usually isn't always) the one...Make sense?

Hoblit wrote:

Who_Izzy wrote: 2:15 - had to stop . Hope I'm not missing anything I'd like better, but I can't do this. Not my thing...

2:08 I'm done, just so i can vote for you solely because of that reverb'd guitar....

I'll try to finish reviews later...

Heya, man...slow down. Take your time. There is no rush, let the songs settle in your mind. It seems like bad form to outwardly criticize a song before listening to it in its entirety. If you don't like it enough to not listen to it, then maybe not critique it at all.

I'm not the boss or nuthin' but I just thought this was all a little hasty. If it were me, I'd be slightly offended that you shrugged off of my song by stopping it before it was through and then still comment on it.

No need to vote or come to your complete conclusions today, those songs will be up for a while and there is plenty of time to let them all settle in before you make any kind of decisions.

With that said, thank you for the time you did put forth to review all of the songs that you have. It's that kind of thing that keeps all of us coming back. I for one, do appreciate your opinion.

Thanks, again.

Okay, ya caught me there. Social interaction on any level isn't something I'm good at and I tend to not think about things such as that. That being said I have removed the one offending remark and fixed the other to what I originally meant to say

Tubba Gutz wrote:Hoblit - I wish you'd used the same energy as you used in the backing vocals in your main vocal track. It sounds a little sleepy in comparison. The song's pretty cool, a nice homage to the melodic 70s punk stuff. Could have been faster and more pissed off, but then again couldn't it always?

Thanks! I was going for a very formulaic version of what I really like to do. I was actually going for more of an 80's (maybe even early 90's) punk vibe.

Vocally I was going for 'the leader' and 'his minions'. Any more aggressive on the lead vocals I'd lose that and just be another 'screamy' punk rocker guy. But noted, against the energetic gang vocals, it does lose some of it's original power.

And yes, a particular friend and old band mate of mine would completely agree with the fact that every song could be played faster and more pissed off. With the addition of 'louder'...but that might still fit under 'pissed off'.

Thanks for your review, I do appreciate it.

Who_Izzy wrote:
Har har. I dont think all punk rock fits with TH games. Yes most of it is, but its like squares and rectages to me. One is always(or in this case almost always) the other while the other is not always(usually isn't always) the one...Make sense?

Yeah, I understand. Like every cop is a jerk but not every jerk is a cop. I just know that punk is a popular genre in the realm of skating. Err...skate boarding to be more precise. (Disclaimer, if you are someone you know is a good cop, we can argue about it later!)

Who_Izzy wrote:
Okay, ya caught me there. Social interaction on any level isn't something I'm good at and I tend to not think about things such as that. That being said I have removed the one offending remark and fixed the other to what I originally meant to say

Like I said, I'm not the boss or nuthin', but that is pretty cool of you to do.

Thanks again for sharing your opinions, in risk of this being a pure nacho cheese moment, that is what this community is all about.

Reviews from Darren of Hortus Ortus yo!

Jay String and DJ Whiz......Some interesting sounds here. Some good creativity going on here. Creative lyrics. This is a fun song.

Enter It In The Art Show....Cool guitars...Voice sounds cool. Nice melody. Cool arrangement. This might get a vote.

Bombernaughts....The keys sound great. A very moody melody. Nice arrangement and nice voice. The moody melody doesn't appeal to me personally though.

The Pin Drops....I personally don't like the chord changes. Cool sounding group though. Interesting voice...I like it.

Billy and the Psychotics....Loving the drums..now the voice..very cool! That melody is nice on the verses. Something about the chorus is bugging me. Maybe the mix of the vocals? A cool song and I like it.

Chuck Chuck Moose....Sorry, the singer can't sing. A few people are going the obvious route with lyrics about homosexuality (not that there's anything wrong with that), just an observation.

The Hell Yeahs....Cool sounding group. I am liking the chorus, very catchy. Love the harmonies. The bridge and verses are less appealing to me. The voice is great!

Klownhole....Control-A selects all in my software...don't know about yours. I like the drums and guitars...don't like the vocals or the melody. The singing is pitchy dawg. That guitar riff is cool.

TRJones.... I like the chord progression. The singing is a bit pitchy, but I like the tone/sound of the voice. There sounds like a little Smashing Pumpkins influence. I like the song, and if you had more time, it could be better.

G Rock.....I don't like that hissy noise. I like the voice...cool voice effect. Cool guitars. I like the building as the song goes on. As with many songs on Songfight, if there was more time, this good song could be better.

Hoblit....Cool guitars! I love how the stereo changes when the drums kick in. Love the "Whoa-oh!". Cool chorus!! The harmony is not quite on.

Inflatable Vegetables....An inspirational message...nice. A nice pop tune with a nice melody.

Hey, it's Romer......cool sounds..beat. Rap vox is cool, but should have a bit more attitude in my opinion. Singing is pitchy. A fun song though.

R Mosquito.....I love sound of the drums. The vocals are not done well...pitchy. This is a very creative song with very interesting dynamics and sounds, which I like. The voice has a nice tone to it, but the singing is just not up to par.

Banana Dan....well done but I think the melody should be more "hooky", especially since it's an instrumental in a songfight contest.

Christopher Broxson....Sounds interesting until the vocals come in. The vocals sound like they were not recorded very well...cheap mic or something. Ok...this is just masturbation with garageband or something.

Humanic....Intro is too long. Way too long. Vocals sound great, but mixed too low. This song has some nice elements to it, but it needs a little somethin'-somethin' extra. The chorus is great, the rest is lacking.

Havarti on Rye....Chaos intro melds into.....a nice beat...cool. Now, chaos with a nice beat....not so cool. This is just not appealing to me.

Foobar....Nice keyboard playing, but it needs more melody or hook. It sounds like the keyboard track to a song and we're not hearing the other instruments.

Roach Bites....This was not recorded very well..not at all. This might sound ok if there was good production, bass, and an actual drummer.

Berkely Social Scene....This song has some nice elements, but it is really held back by the vocals. The vocalist is very pitchy and it is so prominent in the mix, that it really takes away from the song.

Rops has joined the fray. My dog ate his entry. Fortunately, he had a spare and sent it to me, and I have now posted it. Please have a listen and add Rops to your reviews if you have a chance.

Thanks,

SPUD

W.A.I.L. I.A.A.C.

Banana Dan- I wouldn’t dance to this in a club,so fail. I am not sure whether I like the chipmunky vocals saying “banana dan” over and over – the chutzpah is cool but I don’t really hear anything worth the chutzpah. Doesn’t go anywhere. Too long.

BSS- Ack, positivity The vocal has a few moments but overall the tracking works. I like the mini rock opera (like a heavier ELO) but it’s a bit chunky,perhaps. Doesn’t the rhythm section (which is great)not changing up hide the variety within the song? Slightly heavy-handed arrangement of a good song?

Billy & The Psychotics – Great opening riff, in fact I love the verse – melody / arrangement a LOT. The bouncing bass, the tone on the guitar. The falsetto BVs. All for the win. Shame then,for me, the chorus is not a chorus, but a not very memorable extension of the verse. Hey the Rhodes solo is great. Just that chorus ruins it for me. I appreciate the need for it to go big, and rockier, but it doesn’t go far enough. Ends up between two stools. Lyrically I’m not really following it, which makes it seem longer than it is, but it’s all good. Except the chorus. Did you get that I didn’t like the chorus much?

Bombernaughts – I love the first minute or so of this despite the ‘heard it all before Enigma’ keyboard tones. The rigidity of the sound against the impressive vocals that you are keen to impress on us. I just wish you had done Abba rather than Enigma. It’s a very well done song in a style that I find boring. And the speed and relative mix of the words means I only catch bits – I like “shiny superficial and shameless” for instance!

Christopher Broxton – I usually hate instrumentals but I would suggest making this song one. The vocals add nothing to this in its favour. They’re not bad they’re just fluff. Otherwise this is good – interesting, strong riff throughout, doesn’t outstay its welcome. Replace the vocal spaces with some keyboard flutter and I would vote for this.

Chuck Chuck Moose – passing over the mix issues (it would take me all week) and the pitchy vocal, I like the riff, the bass is good … er … actually I can’t pass over the mix issues – so example the chorus, which is cute and fun, should be joyous and actually make people want to come out and find what they’re missing, but the mix (vocal sounds afraid, and is far too high in the mix to make it sound anything other than vaguely creepy) – it sounds like someone singing along in their car to something on a radio station. Shame. As a gay man, I would politely request you refrain from representing on our behalf in public until you can fix those mix issues

My Song 4 (?) - Oh this is a “not my bag” issue. 10 seconds I was already disliking it; not your fault, I just find this style of music indulgent, faux-emotion, slow and clunky. I think “I bet this is going to be about 5 minutes long at this rate, when it can only support 3.” I am therefore concentrating on the lyric, most of which is fine, but they don’t make me, a stranger, care about your life, which for ‘confessional’ style lyrics (whether true or imagined), is the only win. “When we first kissed, it smelt like a hotel room”??? What the fuck does that mean, exactly? You were going to be on a loser with me from start, but everything is done well, I suppose.

Foobar – Did you accidentally submit your instrumental demo track? I don’t hear “come out” here – but I do hear cocktail lounge singer accompaniment, which is gay enough for the title I suppose. No go and find your cocktail lounge singer.

G Rock – that’s some mighty hiss going on there. Just sayin’. This is great. Hmmm I predicted that shift at 1.00 but I wanted to go Major, bigger and go on for longer. Solo. Yes. Beginning to be less interested at this point. You lost the vote from me for going on 4 mins when what’s on offer just doesn’t support it. There’s lots of interest going on but it’s all happened by 2 minutes, at which point you repeat with slight variations. Voice sounds great! Where is that hiss coming from?

Havarti-on-Rye – I like the tone on the lead keyboard, the tempo changes., the experimentation. The cut-up feel of it. I dislike the lack of focus. Was this interesting? Very. Was there enough structure for the listener to hang their ears on to encourage multiple listens? Nowhere near.

Hell Yeahs - “Sorry / Tomerrey” Welcome back. “vampire novels” – I love the unreliable narrator stalking the neighbourhood. Joyous, fun, rocking. VOTE.

Hey it’s Romer - “Everybody in the whale?” I’ll stay right here, but thanks for offering  “Filling up the kettle, drop it into place”? “I’m fucking up your plane”? Are you a Dada rapper? What’s with the manic laughter? “I’m addicted to the rabbit”? The chorus is really cool and the arrangement is cool (I don’t like the tone of the central oscillating bleep but apart from that) – Weird. I like this very much but I have no idea whether I could listen to this again – mainly because I’m afraid on second listen I’d realise the oddness was imagined and this was standard slightly nerdy rap. Maybe a vote, I’ll come back to you on that one.

Hoblit – great riffing! I prefer the DK feel of the verses than the Sham 69 of the choruses. Though if we’re “going bashing with the boys” then I suppose it’s absolutely appropriate. Woh-oh indeed! Does what it sets out to do admirably.

Hortus Ortus – pretty. Those harmonies in the chorus – the voices work beautifully together. The lyrical phrasing is clumsy at points (“ little village in argentina” is the main culprit – the line doesn’t quite fit the music) - I googled Epecuén and can safely now describe this song as “South Americana” or maybe (a different) Country. Pretty but not outstanding. A little bit worthy but an interesting take on the title. .

My Band Name (?)– great first 20 seconds or so. That swelling keyboard is too high in the mix, it’s threatening to swamp everything else (although it never quite does to be fair) – that brass sound is great. The melody kind of belongs in an entirely different song – it’s like a dance song melody put atop a soundtrack instrumental. Now, I like that, at least in principle. A little long for what’s on offer, but doesn’t outstay its welcome. Walks a line from pretty all the way to bland but never stops long enough anywhere to become annoying. Hmmm.

Inflatable Vegetables – I love the backing track. The words are good (though a little fatuous and clunky in the chorus) – I LOVE the vocoder chorus BVs. I guess overall the pet shop boys-isms of the music don’t quite offset the awkwardness of the lyric, but it’s a good song.

J$ & Dj Whyz - Cool backing track. Everything else you hear was done in an hour and a half, and I’m pretty pleased with it, although there are some phrasing issues on the first take vocals. “Never kissed a Tory” is a phrase off a socialist party badge I have in my room. I like the way it came out. http://www.blipfoto.com/entry/649009

Klownhole – SABBATH! Slightly sludgy in the instrument mix – not a bad thing, just pointing it out. “I’ve got a Twister set, you’ve got a gun / out in the backyard, let’s have some fun” is a great couplet. Needs a bigger, more delineated chorus. It doesn’t hold the interest for five minutes, despite the great lyric. So no vote this time. Sorry.

The Pin Drops – great music, overall feel – I don’t the vocal styling. It comes across as smug and sarcastic when I don’t think it’s meant to. Still there’s nothing wrong with it per se. It’s good if standard pop but with some interesting arrangement / progression stuff going on subtly. But there doesn’t appear to be anything by way of a chorus. It feels throwaway as a result. Lots of promise there.

Mosquito – bass and drums Sabbath? (rather than drum’n’bass Sabbath which would be different but possibly amazing. I digress.) I love the idea behind this, but it’s too monotonal, at least dynamically – changing the bass pedal to “fuzz” halfway through doesn’t count, or at least isn’t enough. I like this but I want to hear a bit more thought into some background sound effects / experimentation to add colour to an otherwise 3 minute-odd song.

Roach Bites – Why are the drums mixed so quiet? It took me about a minute to realise there were any. I like/hate the vocal, so it’s wisely not too near the top of the mix. Yes that’s guitar riffing. The words don’t catch my ear much on first listen, so the only thing that stands out for variety is the cheesy 80s poodle metal guitar in one speaker clashing with the metal thrash of the other. Interesting. In fact the arrangement is intruiging, only 2 minute intriguing not 4 minute intrnuiging.

Rops – West Coast rap? Miami rap? Erm … I am totally unqualified to comment on this song. I see a video with swinging butts and big gold medallions. That may not have been what you were after. Some of the singing is a little flat (2.05-ish onwards specifically) which is a shame. Auto-tune that fucker then it would be perfect in its genre. Which I’m afraid is not something for me. But wow. Just when you think you’ve heard it all on SF!

TR Jones – I hate simpering sensitive vocal phrasing – it’s good singing, just not my preference. Which, given the simplicity of the arrangement and its prominence in the mix, doesn’t leave me much else to hook on. Ugh, the way you say “What a beautiful BITCCCHHH” and then rhyming it with “itch”? I am out of here.

Chuck chuck moose
Heavy guitar and drums cool. You sound shaken and not convinced of what your saying. I can hear the wavering in your voice. You gotta put more behind it.

Enter it in the art show
Kick alone over acoustic. Smooth sound. smooth voice. Song builds up with strings or synth . Nice chill song. Bridge is good. Only thing I can offer is I don’t like the crash in the bridge should be a little thinner sounding. Real good song man.

The hell yeahs
Cool voice. The tambourine at the beginning before it all comes in is great. Come out come out and ooh doubles are right on. the song has a cool rhythm that grabs my ears. I like the attitude of the song. Nice. Is that just a delay on the lead vox or is it all doubled? Doesn’t matter it is a good song and I like it.

Hortus ortus
is that a mandolin? Sounds like it. Nice harmonies. It is not over used. I think its easy to over use on a pretty song like this. Nice job.

Billy and the Psychotics
Hell yeah Fuckin nailed it. I might just put this on my MP3 player. Close my eyes I think the Yeah yeah yeahs first album that I loved. Put this on the radio and I’ll listen with a smile. Nothing to offer but im holding up a big number 10 on my scorecard HIGH as I can. Where can I buy this cd? Ive heard this song a few times and Sorry to the other 22 of us but this fight is OVER….

Roach bites
Heavy guitar but still sounds hollow. There is No body to the sound. The song sounds heavy and got the intensity but the mix is weak sounding. There doesn’t seem to be any low end to the whole mix. Good job on the vocals and the guitar and drums. I think the mix is weak and it weakens the songs intensity.

Jay string and DJ Whyz
Nice beat nice synth sound different enough to grab my attention. Like when you scream a bit. Put your money where your mouth is. I wish more of the vocals had that attitude . Effected vox at the end are great. The song as a whole sounds somewhere in between les claypool and trent reznor. I like how different this is stylistically from everything else here. Good song.

R mosquito
Bass and drums are great. Like the drums and bass Im right there but it needs some Oh there it is.
The guitar is very needed. It almost created a suspense waiting for it to hit with the guitar. Drums should come in heavy at 2:40. The weak drums here takes the legs out from under the song. I would like heavy toms and crashes but you brought it right back under control Nice job. Cool song.

Banana dan
Cool song Mr Dan. Im glad you came out to play. Some parts sound a little too perfect for my ears. I think you should play some of the parts on keys then sample or something, if your setup would allow. I like the song nice job man.

Inflatable vegetables
Sounds kind of talking heads if you know what I mean with the wave at the tail of your voice. I’ll bet you have a few david byrne cds. Nice job

Klownhole
Cool riff the drums change the beat and great job. Cool riff. Vox need somethin maybe some reverb or a delay or something to keep the vox sounding too plugged straight in to the mixer. If your vox jumped an octave, same exact part but up one octave at the end would bring some more energy at the end of the song. The song is good but the vocals need to flex their muscles at the end and really sell it to match those heavy guitar parts.

Rops
The vocals don’t strut with the beat like they should in the verse. I know there is a lazy delivery thing that’s cool but this is just off enough at times to pull away from the cool chorus. Cool song overall I would either be right on the beat or more lazy with the vocals on the verses. But Nice none the less.

Foobar
Pretty piano nice playing. This is chill. Like how it resolves at the end. But it doesn’t make me want to come out. Doesn’t paint enough of a picture for me to get the “Come out”. Nice playing and a pretty song.

Christopher Broxten
Nice drums cool sounds. When is it gonna go? Oh well I guess that’s it? Cool bass line over a good beat. But that was it.

Hoblit
Hi hat should be open on the drums in this song to make it dirtier and heavier. I don’t have any room to talk as my drums are just looped. But still would make the song just a tad better. Vox are good unison singing and whoa’s are great. Best song from you Ive heard yet. That’s all I got for advice open the hi hat a bit. Nice song Hoblit!

Hey its romer
Nice groove Give it one for the treble 10 for the bass. Cool. This song caught me a lot more the second listen. Good job like it more and more.

TRJones
Damn that voice is so damn great. Like the acoustic take. God damn I would love to play the drums on this with some other instrumentation. The song has a great structure and you got me with that voice. I don’t like the flanger or chorus on your voice in this song. It pulls away from the rawness of the song. Makes it feel less real. Leave your voice dry on this one. it sounds great. Really good song man.

Berkely social scene
Voice right away sounds weak or unconvinced. There the chorus sounds more solid. Like the triplets on the snare before the chorus. Love the bass after the bridge. Nice melody. Good song. I wish the vocals were stronger.

Humanic
Love the Upright bass sound rim shots on the snare. Chill vibe the sax on the bass line is nice. Smooth vocals on chorus. Nice Mellow song.

The pin drops
Sounds kind of violent femmes. I get what you were going for on this song. The vocals just don’t grab me. Sounds like it is you writing a song for the violent femmes and just need to work on the vocal delivery some more. I don’t know if it makes sense but maybe a bit looser on the vocals in attitude. Maybe just care a little less? Know what I mean? You got the attitude right in the rest of the instrumentation. You gotta own that voice if your gonna sing in that voice.

Bombernaughts
Sounds like a video game. Vocals are good. Nice harmonies. Nice backing vocals. It needs a real instrument be it drums or bass or something for my taste but that is just my taste. It is done well. It just sounds a bit too pristine for my style.

Havarti on rye
Like the synth and sampling. Nice I like the toying with the tempo. Should do that a little earlier to spice it up a bit. Cool piece

g_rock

j$ wrote:Hell Yeahs - “Sorry / Tomerrey” Welcome back. “vampire novels” – I love the unreliable narrator stalking the neighbourhood. Joyous, fun, rocking. VOTE.

Thanks johnny! It's great to be back! The "takin' the mick" at the end was for you

g_rock wrote: The hell yeahs
Cool voice. The tambourine at the beginning before it all comes in is great. Come out come out and ooh doubles are right on. the song has a cool rhythm that grabs my ears. I like the attitude of the song. Nice. Is that just a delay on the lead vox or is it all doubled? Doesn’t matter it is a good song and I like it.

The vox are doubled and thanks for the review!

j$ wrote: G Rock – that’s some mighty hiss going on there...Where is that hiss coming from?

Yeah I record playing live with a shit ton of pedals with the looper, vocal effect pedals, guitar pedals...I counted and in that song I play 10 pedals while I sing and play guitar. that sustainer pedal would be the 11th. 87 live takes later I get lazy with the sustain pedal and say fuck it. Thats the noise.
g_rock

Heather. Redmon. wrote:
The vox are doubled and thanks for the review!

Well Hell Yeah Thanks for the rockin song... You got my vote!

g_rock

g_rock wrote:

j$ wrote: G Rock – that’s some mighty hiss going on there...Where is that hiss coming from?

Yeah I record playing live with a shit ton of pedals with the looper, vocal effect pedals, guitar pedals...I counted and in that song I play 10 pedals while I sing and play guitar. that sustainer pedal would be the 11th. 87 live takes later I get lazy with the sustain pedal and say fuck it. Thats the noise.
g_rock

Four words then. Free software - noise reduction. It really is an interesting, good arrangement of a good song. I just personally felt it goes on too long. But you're two minutes down on last fight so you're moving in the right direction Also if it takes you 87 takes to nail something, you're probably doing it wrong I jest but seriously, you may want to consider your approach to live recording. Punch in, punch out, done? Most people couldn't tell the difference. Just sayin'

Who_Izzy wrote: Billy and the Psychotics
I chan't think of an entry of yours that I haven't been impressed with and so far I don't see that changing here
Your vocals are probably my favorite of all the fighters i've heard.
do=do-dodo-do-do-do....that riff was neato
instrumental....nice

Even if I didn't have a problem finding negative things to say about peoples creative works I doubt I would have anything bad to say about this. This was just great I enjoyed every minute of it and It will be on my walkman, Also, I'm voting for you

Thanks, Izzy! Reviews like this make all the hard work worth re-working the details to make a good song. There are always things that can be worked on, but with the time restraints, it's nice to be appreciated.

Tubba Gutz wrote: Billy and the Psychotics - Cool, laid back jammy feel. I normally hate cool, laid back jammy music. This is immediate enough for me to get into, however; it's to-the-point and doesn't meander as so many songs tend to do. Plus your voice sounds like Karen O in the chorus, which is a definite plus. The idea of Karen O singing for a band of this vein is a really weird mental image, though. This is a very solid song, with little for me to criticize other than the fact that it's just sort of not in a style I really appreciate.

Well that's good enough for me, Gutz. A song not in your listening comfort, yet you had good things to say. Thank you, fine sir.

Hortus Ortus wrote: Billy and the Psychotics....Loving the drums..now the voice..very cool! That melody is nice on the verses. Something about the chorus is bugging me. Maybe the mix of the vocals? A cool song and I like it.

Yeah, I've gone back and re-mixed the chorus. I was trying to get all the backup vocals to work with the lead vox and the EQing got a bit sharp in the higher freq area. I softened them and it sounds much smoother now. Thanks for the nice review.

j$ wrote: Billy & The Psychotics – Great opening riff, in fact I love the verse – melody / arrangement a LOT. The bouncing bass, the tone on the guitar. The falsetto BVs. All for the win. Shame then,for me, the chorus is not a chorus, but a not very memorable extension of the verse. Hey the Rhodes solo is great. Just that chorus ruins it for me. I appreciate the need for it to go big, and rockier, but it doesn’t go far enough. Ends up between two stools. Lyrically I’m not really following it, which makes it seem longer than it is, but it’s all good. Except the chorus. Did you get that I didn’t like the chorus much?

So basically, your favorite part is the chorus. Cool, I'll make sure we continue doing them as such.
Ah, we just do what feels good and right. You can make some of the people happy some of the time...
Thank you, fine sir and or madam.

g_rock wrote: Billy and the Psychotics
Hell yeah Fuckin nailed it. I might just put this on my MP3 player. Close my eyes I think the Yeah yeah yeahs first album that I loved. Put this on the radio and I’ll listen with a smile. Nothing to offer but im holding up a big number 10 on my scorecard HIGH as I can. Where can I buy this cd? Ive heard this song a few times and Sorry to the other 22 of us but this fight is OVER….

Wow, thanks, G! That's one heck of a compliment.