The Song Fight Bulletin Board

*puffs out chest*

This is WreckdoM's most low fi entry ever, one take recorded on an iphone. Drums, guitar and theremin, recorded immediately after writing it. If you don't like the first 30 seconds then just move on, it's not changing.

Hoglen and Wages... one night, one take per instrument/vocal, one hour spotty mixing, and done.

Long time no see! This is my 10 year anniversary of stumbling headfirst into Song Fight, so like an alcoholic coming back for just one drink, let's do this thing!

Josh Woodward

Hey, I know this guy! I made a VideoSong (what you see is what you hear, and vice versa) of my entry: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NI18UrCkBEk.

Aggabagga

Ahh, a nice way to start out a Monday morning, no coffee needed. Not my cup of tea (ugh, mixed metaphors) musically, but it's well done. I like the attention to detail and change-ups.

Berkeley Social Scene

90's vintage indie rock, nice sound. Good groove in the verses.

Brown Word and the Big Whine

Interesting. Not much to chew on here, but it's a fun little tune. Creative instrumentation.

glennny

Well, this one's outside of the box! Very fun, I love the harmonies. I don't know if it was a stylistic decision, but the AutoTune is sticking out. Great breakdown at 1:30, stretching into the solos. Vote.

grock

Whoa, an acoustic guitar. I was starting to wonder if people still had these here. The verse chord progression is repetitive, but I like the sound. I was expecting a big chorus, and what I thought was the prechorus turned out to be all there was. Good voice for the style.

Hoglen and Wages

Nice, I like the contrast of acoustic and nastiness, and the minimal arrangement. By the 1:30 mark, I'm worried this isn't going anywhere, though, and it turns out to be the case. This is a great start, and I'd love to hear it built up with more variation in instrumentation and arrangement.

Jake DeLorey

The intro hooks me right away. Great harmonies, heroic sound, nice changeup at :45 and again at 1:00. This has the push-pull I was hoping for from Hoglen. Nice eastern flourishes. Vote.

James Owens

Not sure is the schmaltz is ironic or not. It's really pretty, and very well performed, but also kinda cheesy. A slightly grittier arrangement would make this great.

King Arthur

Wow, nice to see you still around these parts. You haven't missed a year, either! Not really my style musically, but very well-written.

New Image

I like this musically, but not so much the really affected vocal delivery. Like King Arthur, you really ought to mic that acoustic instead of plugging it in. Some variation would help keep this more interesting.

Paco del Stinko

I like this 80s/90s low-fi rawk sound. Interesting and solid chord changes and little embellishments. A little short on the minus side, but it held my interest.

Pigfarmer Jr

I like the song. The delivery is a little bland and rough in spots, but not bad.

Possum Sauce

Very creative start, a little disorienting and making me wonder if this is going to end well or painfully. Luckily, it ended up being a fun ride. Bonus points for being the most interesting song yet. Vote.

Promiscuous Banquet

Ooh, another creative one. I love the arrangement on this. Not quite as much meat on the bones of this one, but the production is awesome.

Rio Mondo

Definitely on the rough side, and doesn't dig very deep into the topic, but this is fun.

Ryan Dawson

A very well-done guy-and-guitar tune. I like your voice, the right balance of honesty and vulnerability. Definitely nothing groundbreaking, but enjoyable.

Sep

Shaky timing in the intro, and really fake-sounding drums, but the I like the vocals a lot. I like the changeup at 1:25.

WreckdoM

Ahh, speaking of tenacious SongFighters... Nice to hear you guys making something a little more, uh, musical. This was obviously still designed to hurt my ears, but I'm actually kind of enjoying this.

See you guys in 2018, I guess?

Another Wack of tunes. Love it! Lets get crackin' with bad spelling and all. Last three standing get my vote. Let the Wild Rumpus.....BEGIN!

Aggabagga Hell Yeah! Great opening line, spoken like a true Bully. Really nice sounding drums. Prett good mix all around. Lyrically its not grabbin me with exception of the "last good tooth" line. Still loving those drums. Its what is making this song for me. The Bass seems like its clipping. At first I was chalking it up to "streaming" issues on my PC, but as the song rolled on it seemed like only the bass was causing it. May be off on that. Great submission. Nice and heavy. Lets see if those drums can roll you into a top 3 spot in my books.

Berkeley Social SceneAlright Berkley, whats your lineup this week? Liking that guitar right away. Nice vocals this week. Its really got me grooving. I usually am a bit iffy on your submissions, but this one really works. Its not rushed, and everything is nicely balanced. That guitar doing the funk rhythm is really dialed in just right IMO. Great submission!

Brown Word and the Big Whine groovy band name. I dig it. BIG BASS to start things off. Nice ambience. starting to get a little busy and jumbly for me. YA, I like it, but its really busy in parts. Ends abruptly and no lyrics. Cant put this in contention because it goes against my own rules. No lyrics=not finished= I dont submit my tune. Thats just me though. SOnically this sounded really nice, and I think if arranged a bit different with a bit more breathing room between all the instrumentation this would have worked better on my musical pallete. Still cool though

glennnyRazamatazzzzzzz. Nice little loungy swing. Vocals sound good, nice harmonies. This doesnt flow for me. Purely a personal taste thing. The heavier break was interesting but just served to kick me off the track once again. The slow saxophone break was my favorite part of this tune as it gave me time to fall into the tune again. For me this is to all over the place, but that does not take away the fact that this was well done. Cheers

Okay so the first group of 3 votes has been established. Its up to the rest of you to steal a spot from Aggabagga, BSS, and Glenny, who is up for the challange? WIll it be you Grock?

grockNice voice man! Acoustic sounds good, although I would like to hear it a bit wider in the stereo field to balance out that big boomy bass. Vocals sit really nice though. Probably the best sounding vocal track I've heard from you. Good on ya dude. Quality track, my only complaint is the Acoustic is not sitting nice in the mix for me. With the boomy bass and the flat acoustic the track sounds a but muddy. Your brighter vocals save it a bit though. Good submission, and good enough to bump Glenny from a vote spot.

Hoglen and Wages A Lo-Fi'er. I Keep waiting for the drums to kick in and everything to go Hi-fi. I wanna hear some changes. Vocals are pretty cool. You have a good voice. Your backing music doesnt do your vocals justice though. For a 1 take across the board on the instruments this is great. Would love to hear what you caan do with some more time invested in the tune. As this one stands its good, the vocals save it, but just. Wanna hear some variation in the actual music. Nice submission.

Jake DeLorey Its me. The recording of this tune started off strong, but then fought me tooth and nail the rest of the way. The low points for me were not being able to program a proper drum track before the deadline approached. The looped drums are overly repetitive and were only there as my click track. The CHorus ideas fell through twice, and I ended up just repeating bully in order to have something in the chorus slot. A little muddy on the mix, cheese on the lyrics, and some very low volumed and lost vocals in the low range. Need to do some more compression research to bring out my low register in a mix. had fun with the backwards solo. Went that way because the drums kept reminding me vaguely of the beat for the Beatles "Tomorrow Never Knows". Its fine, and something to work with a little further down the road. I could tear my own work up all day, but I need to stop doing that. One of my goals is to stop adding discalimers before sharing my songs with people. Close, but I dont crack the top 3. Hopefully you guys feel different 8)

James Owens I want a smidge more brightness on those vocals (not happier lyrics or anything, just some more High end on them). Very nice song, sounds good in the headphones. Piano is a bit thin for me. Being the main instrument, I want it to fill up my head more. I think a more spread out piano would help your vocals sit in the mix a bit better. Really well constructed song, and although its not really my thing, its good enough to bump Aggabagga

Josh Woodward Bumpin bass. This sounds really nice in the ol cans. Nice melody, you have a really nice voice that is sitting just right in the mix. Its not a busy song, and there is lots of breathing room in the mix. I get a bit of Death cab/The shins from this. Lyrics really work. Great buildup, wasnt really expecting it, so way to go that extra mile. Really well crafted submission man. Keeps me interested through the entire song. And the ramp up sound super professional. Tight ending. YA! Definetely a vote. Sorry BSS you have lost your spot.

King Arthur The left acoustic sounds lifeless with a bit of distortion on the heavier strums. Its sitting hard in my left speaker. Lyrics work really well with this, very strong. Overall its a nice submission, but the mix isnt sitting right with me. Just a bit to acoustic heavy on one side throwing the rest of it off. Nice submission, but no vote from me this week though.

New Image this sound stumbly. The beat seems to be struggling. You have done yourself a dis-service once more with your heavy use of the auto tune. Its what hurt your tune last week as well. Its all good if you use it, but maybe use it a bit more subtley, or only on your backing vocals. If you are doing it for effect, then you may want to look into some different approaches because even as an effect it just stands out and makes your song sound glitchy. I like this tune, but every time I hear your voice worbles from auto tune I want to skip. C'mon you can do it. If you are a bit self concious about your voice (like me) try doubling your vocal, or harmonizing with them on another track. DOuble tracking can hide some of those off notes by rounding them out a bit. I dare you to not use autotune next songfight. Explore your vocal options a bit more.

Paco del Stinko Mr. Stinko got a vote from me last week, lets see if he can keep it going. Great guitar sound as I have come to expect from Paco. The Drum sound is way to thin for this. I want to hear this "Kit" in much bigger room. Way to stale to be competing with those great guitars. Quality tune. Like the hook. Nice break here, with the Harmonized "Dooooown" sounds wicked. Great submission with the drum sound being my one complaint. Not enough for a vote this week.

Pigfarmer JrPOWER BALLD! YA...well its started off like one, but its not really I guess. Bass is a little loose on this, but only in a few spots. Nice voice man, lyrics are nice and music appropriate. I really want to hear this "KICK IN" though, as its starting to be a bit dull, I need it to branch out or introduce another element to keep my interest going. My only hope now is blistering guitar solo....no solo yet, but the bridge helped a bit. Here comes the solo.......nope. Very nice song. Missing some elements to keep me invested. Kept waiting for the drums to kick in..................." PAT BOONE DE-BBIE BOONE ...CRASH.....insert ARENA ROCK SOLO!!!

Possum SauceNice and synthy. I'm a sucker for it. This has a nice sound and it makes me want to know where its going so..so far so good. I like that simple dry piano in parts. really sparse mix, but its really working for me. The lyric are a but dry and sitting on top of the mix, but once your Background vocals come in it all works. I would like to hear some more background vocals scattered through out the song, as the parts when they came in really worked for me. Great submission. Almost a vote...I may have to relisten to yours and Grock once I get to the end just to make sure. Looking forward to your next submission.

Promiscuous BanquetANother synthy one. Cool. Starting off muddy though. I want to hear thise handclaps/snare pierce the mix abit more. Like your drip drop sounds. The high synthy "hook" is to much. Sort of an annoying sound repeated over and over. Maybe have that pop up in a few spots, but whenadded behind the lyrics its distracting. Your lyrics are fine, but dont flow over the song, might want to revisit your phrasing. See ya next songfight.

Rio Mondo Okay Rio Mondo, what do you have in store for us this week, I'm hoping you drop the rap game. Damn. I like you guys, I hear the potential of your tunes, but the rap thing just throws it all off. Again with the "Angry Voice" coming out of a nice guy thing. Like your change up, and I do like this comedic outro better then the comedic intro of the last songfight. Your stuff is refreshing but your approach on vocal treatment/style doesnt really work for me. All that being said though, I am still looking forward to your next submission.

Ryan DawsonOh Fuck, somebody who sounds like they know what they are doing. You have a superb voice there. Your lyrics are well crafted. The fact that you and a guitar are enough, makes me envious, and a bit jealous. SO fuck you, NO VOTE. Just kidding 8) This is really nicely done. Not my style of tune, but there is no denying you're a talent. Not sure if its your style or not, but I would love to hear you flesh this out a bit. SOme harmony, a bassline, etc. Its a very strong song lyrically. May be a vote, but I will have to listen to James and Josh's tunes again. Looking forward to future submissions.

Sep 'Sup Sep, lets see what you're bringing to the table. Got me boppin. Erics Trip reference is kick ass. Big fan, being an hour and a half from their hometown of Moncton. Drums need to be looked at again. That super thin cymbal is rough to listen to. In fact the drum sound really drags this tune down. I like this tune a lot though. It is only being brought down by some mixing issues. This can all be fixed by continuing to record as regularly as possible. Lots of potential here. Rough and abrupt ending could be worked on a bit.


WreckdoM LO-FI! still sounding cool though. Like this tune, but being me I want to hear it polished. It rocks. Guitar sounds a bit shitty, but meh no biggie. Extra credit for a live off the floor recording, but I want to hear this tweaked and in High Fidelity. No vote this week 8(

Okay, time to go back and do some relistening to figure out the final three....

Okay, from my most favorite to my third most, the votes go to 1) Josh Woodward 2) Ryan Dawson and last but nowhere near the least 3) Possum Sauce!

Good on ya boys. A very pleasurable battle indeed. Cheers and until next fight!

WreckdoM: Like: lo fi can be cool, this is cool. like early talking heads. Dislike: cant hear the vocals, but thats just tough isnt it?

Hoglen & Wages: Like: mix of acoustic and electric for backing rhythm. Dislike: synched vocals arent, cant make out the words. should be tighter.

Aggabagga: Like: headbanger pillow, singer does the genre up right, good mix Dislike: nothing

glenny: Like: cool harmonies, bass is appropo, the break at 1:50 (nice sax!) Dislike: scatting vocal parts hard to make out the words, but thats what the lyrics page is for right?

Berkeley Social Scene: Like: solid intro, verse m7th guitar, vocals are good. Dislike: break at 2:00 drops the energy level

Jakedelorey: Like: Super intro, tricks me into thinking the "Who", lead guitar around 1:20, harmonized vocals. Dislike: nothing

grock: Like: evokes kurt cobain/nirvana from the start - well done too. Dislike: nothing

newImage: work in progress ...

Rio Mondo: Like: duet vocals play off each other right, rapping tells a viable story, nice build of energy from verse to chorus Dislike: nothing

Brown Word and the Big Whine: Like: very cool synth popping. Dislike: how does this meet the target subject? Unfortunately, one has to plug vocals into the mix to address that matter. I am the perfect one to wish that wasnt the case (see the reviews of my vocals).

King Arthur: Like: Intro guitar, story is nice and clearly delivered, excellent musicianship and mixing. Dislike: maybe a bit too long - but really nothing else.

Possum Sauce: Like: Dry vocal delivery gets the story across, strategic use of backing vocals to enhance the chorus, tune stayed with me long after over. Dislike: nothing

Josh Woodward: Like: Vocals nice and clear, clever lyrics, everything from the break at 2:40 to end. Dislike: song from intro to 2:40 - lacks energy

PigfarmerJr: Like: Intro (evokes Grant Lee Buffalo), vocals and story are clear. Dislike: dynamics are lacking - IMO it might benefit from some drums or eGuitar in the chorus

Sep: Like: cool feel to this, the multiGuitar backgrounds sound good together, vocals are not pretentious and dont sound out of place. Dislike: cant make out the words clearly, but they are delivered musically well

Promiscuous Banquet: Like: good synth table laid down, nice change around 1:30, good vocals Dislike: wanted more, kinda short. but really nothing.

Paco Del Stinko: Like: stylistically fits the Paco (didnt even need to look at who the artist was), excellent musicianship, mixing, dynamics. Dislike: dont take this wrong, but you might try a smidge of AUTOTUNE

Ryan Dawson: Like: your name is perfect for the genre, vocals and story are clear Dislike: sounds like you're in your bedroom - I'd add a touch of reverb

James Owens: Like: operatic vocal delivery fits, simple basic lines of strings and keys crossing, woodwind break at 1:30. Dislike: nothing

Reviewed over three days, in varying moods.

Aggabagga -- Powerful intro. Phenomenal drumming. Good tight sound. Vocals seem a little low in the mix. The composition is dominated by semitone moves, giving it a certain tense character, but this one doesn't stand out for me. The arrangement is mostly straightforward. The performance and delivery are excellent, as is the engineering.

Berkeley Social Scene -- I like the open, sparse arrangement of the verse. The verse melody has a lot of character. By contrast, the chorus feels a little muddy. The chorus melody and harmony are unusual, but I don't get a strong sense of direction or arc. The chromatic climb, in defiance of other things going on at the same time, is a nice touch; it lends something memorable. The bridge takes up the spartan sound successfully, but is strangely uneventful. Good performance and recording.

Brown Word and the Big Whine -- A weird little instrumental with pleasing tonal colours, interesting synchronizations, and a generally cheerful sound. It has nothing to do with the title as far as I can tell, but it's definitely fun to listen to.

glennny -- Wow. Great wandering bass; fine coordinated sax and lead guitar work; smooth, clear vocals with strong harmonies; good jazz rhythm guitar; in all, outstanding performance and recording. The composition is imaginative, if a bit schizophrenic. The lyrics are interesting, although I don't get the Nelson Mandela reference. An impressive entry.

grock -- A soulful number. The chorus (00:59) is striking at first, but suffers a little from repetition. On the third round I want it to go somewhere else, and it sort of retires to where it started. Better at 2:02, when it breaks out into a new direction. From the rhythms, patterns, and (excellent) vocals, I'd guess Nirvana is an influence. Good clean recording, and an arrangement that is simple and effective. This song has a lot of warmth and feeling.

Hoglen and Wages -- The improvisational quality of the vocals suggests you didn't spend a whole lot of time fussing over this entry. Still, I hope you don't find my review too harsh. As a song, this has a very limited range and feels kind of repetitive. It's centred on a sort of metal lick, which in a typical treatment would be carried by Marshall-soaked screaming guitar, driving bass, pounding drums, dominating vocals, and buried VU meters, overwhelming the listener with sheer power. Under those circumstances, the shock and awe might help pull it off. The present treatment doesn't send the same message. The acoustic guitar primes the listener to expect something lyrical, while the mildly distorted electric guitar communicates Rolling Stones-style rock. So it doesn't quite work for me.

Jake DeLorey -- The droning, sparkling, reverberating, pulsating sound is what I would call "trippy" or "groovy," and I mean that in a good, retro way. Sweet harmonies. The vocals get a bit crowded and uncoordinated in the part around 00:54 -- the sibilances aren't timed with precision, for example -- and murky around 1:04, where they compete for sonic space with the low mids of the rhythm guitar. Hey, is that a backwards lead? Good call! As I say, it's got a good groove, and although it might benefit from a contrasting segment somewhere, it's short enough to work.

James Owens -- A rare instance where I wrote lyrics with no idea of the music. Usually I can just bang out some tune or other, but this one gave me a hard time. The fourth try turned up this rather schmaltzy song. It worked all the way through, and I was out of time for a fifth try. Ironic? Let's just say so and leave it at that. The piano part being too thin to carry the entry, I added the mandatory string quartet using a Cello patch; but faced with cheesy synthesis, I chickened out and went with a slightly more plausible Orchestra patch. To develop the string arrangement, I shuffled notes around in a MIDI editor. Originally there were just three verses, but I didn't want anyone killing themselves because I made it sound like a good idea, so I added a fourth, redemptive verse. Which just made it schmaltzier. The whole time I was haunted by the Beatles' She's Leaving Home.

Josh Woodward -- This song has a natural melodic flow. There are some ingenious harmonizations to make it more exciting, but despite this, some of the patterns feel familiar and well-worn, which detracts a little from its freshness. Good performance, arrangement, production. Well-designed ending -- I always appreciate a planned ending -- but the abrupt switch at the last minute is unnecessary and distracting. Intriguing, well-written lyrics. Overall, a strong entry.

King Arthur -- Crisp, bright sound. Interesting take on the theme. The arrangement during the bridge (2:01) sounds a little thin; the interplay between the guitars becomes too loose, or maybe the timing is slightly off. This song has a rhythmic and melodic hook in the falling "Nobody 'round here thinks so" -- it feels quite satisfying.

New Image -- The acoustic guitar gives this song some energy, and the busy, slightly limping drums give it a sort of edge, but the long, still notes of the melody start to drag around the second verse. The song could use a contrasting part; also a more varied melody. Good acoustic guitar recording; clear, well-balanced mix, with the parts sharing the sonic space nicely. The wide-ranging bass line is quietly interesting.

Paco del Stinko -- Modal tension between the F# and G. Great opening punch, creating a powerful physical impression. The fist-shaking menace of the tickled guitar during "Gonna put you down," accompanied by the slow, stalking approach of the bass, is another brilliant illustrative touch. The rest of it has a wild, controlled energy, full of intricately worked parts delivered with confidence and gusto. As usual! I love listening to your work, but I'm running out of things to say. . .

Pigfarmer Jr -- The song has a nice flow and a good tune. The singing is not pitch-perfect, but it's comfortable, with a warm, personable character. The very simple arrangement of guitar and bass is enough to fill things out. The brief coda's a good idea, but at over four minutes, the song is a little long. You could pick up the pace slightly, or maybe just do the second half of one of the choruses for a variation, or skip the last "All because" section.

Possum Sauce -- This has a charming sweetness, perhaps because of the simple tones of the understated accompaniment, the clear, emotionally transparent vocal style, and the childlike melody (which has some delightful surprises). Pretty harmonies. The arresting lyrics are set off by the innocence of the tune. The more I listen, the more I like this.

Promiscuous Banquet -- Nice synthesizer textures. The emotionally flat yet insouciant vocal delivery reminds me slightly of The Flying Lizards' cover of Money in the late seventies. Some kind of megaphonic distortion seems critical to this approach; yours works, but is a little bit muddy. I like the sharply contrasting tone of "that ass," which seriously brightens things up and gets attention. The effect could happen again to add some continuity. The length is about right for the bored, tossed-off effect you're going for.

Rio Mondo -- The lyrics are good, and the vocal delivery is entertaining. I think "He's a bully" needs to be more of a disembodied harmonic chorus; the personality in it competes with the lead vocal. But that's just my opinion. The musical accompaniment does the job, but doesn't contribute a lot in its own right. In works of this genre (which again, I barely understand), I usually notice something disarmingly simple and kind of catchy going on in the instrumental accompaniment. Good comedic acting at the end (and nice sound effects). It works better there, after you've warmed us up.

Ryan Dawson -- The intro has a different tempo, which is slightly disconcerting. Good song; the verse builds well. By about 2:16 the song needs a change. Your voice has strong and tender qualities, but it feels slightly strained and tense, as if suffering from stage fright (which I doubt is the case; maybe it's a breath control thing). The lyrics could be about a bully. They're simple and elegant in describing an emotional state, but one or two lines are obscure (to me anyway).

Sep -- The musical accompaniment is ragged, but with promising arrangements. The singing voices are all right -- quavery and slightly nasal, but always sensitive and listenable. The melody is pleasing, and the imaginative variations in instrumental texture and lyrical scan keep the song interesting. I can't make out the lyrics, a chronic problem of mine, so I can't comment there. In terms of votes, this may take a hit for sometimes tentative musicianship and nondescript technical production, but it's edgy and fundamentally quality stuff.

WreckdoM -- You've already apologized for the production (or warned us, which is not quite the same). Sounds like it was recorded at the back of a bar on one of those old portable cassette players with the five piano keys. It makes reviewing hard, as I'm not sure what's going on, but the song seems to have a decent structure. The band is enthusiastic, could be tighter.

glennny -- Wow. Great wandering bass; fine coordinated sax and lead guitar work; smooth, clear vocals with strong harmonies; good jazz rhythm guitar; in all, outstanding performance and recording. The composition is imaginative, if a bit schizophrenic. The lyrics are interesting, although I don't get the Nelson Mandela reference. An impressive entry.

Hey thanks a lot for the kind words! Nelson is the bully on the Simpsons as you probably know, but what I learned in "research" for the lyrics is his full name is "Nelson Mandela Muntz", so it's not my joke, but I think it's hilarious.

AJOwens wrote:Ryan Dawson-- The intro has a different tempo, which is slightly disconcerting. Good song; the verse builds well. By about 2:16 the song needs a change. Your voice has strong and tender qualities, but it feels slightly strained and tense, as if suffering from stage fright (which I doubt is the case; maybe it's a breath control thing). The lyrics could be about a bully. They're simple and elegant in describing an emotional state, but one or two lines are obscure (to me anyway).

I can explain the voice thing you mentioned. I recorded 5 takes of this song. I had problems with the first four because, as I started to sing louder, the sound would distort. (I don't have good equipment). So, in take 5, I transposed down to a different key and tried to restrain my voice more. As a result, it sounds tense. The lyrics are about my own extensive experience being bullied at school and abused at home. I suspect that the lines that seem the most obscure are probably the most personal ones, such as "You're not human" (a reference to the lack of empathy many bullies I knew all had in common). A little bit of the tension in my voice is anger.

Aggabagga
Sounds like Paco No Stanko with a different drummer (that is not himself). Wow that guitar solo! Damn you Paco. Drums are played well. heard a small mistake with the double kick but recovered pretty quick. They wont help you they wont help me was a cool ending. Don’t have much to offer but the guitar is sshweeeet.

BSS
nice groove right away. like the guitar at together we can take you down. I wish there was more of that through the whole chorus cause that sounded sweet. bridge is mellow and jammy cool cause I didn’t expect it… like the ending.

Brown Word and the Big Whine
Drums are great from the start. interesting sound-there is a lot going on. Cool enough groove but needs a top melody to ride on it (vocals). I listened and thought of a pretty cool vocal line. Try humming a vocal line and see if you can find a story to go with the nice groove.

Glenny
Something about this makes me think zappa! (it’s the initial vocal harmonies) Aside from the fact that its all over the place. “you suck” really sounds like FZ. Wow I don’t know where this is going to go next. Doubled solo. yeah you had Frank on the mind. nice guitar. is the sax real? I cant tell so good job either way. those changes aren’t easy. it goes pretty smoothly. I certainly couldn’t do that. None of the transitions are very easy. you pulled some craziness off Glenny. nice job I don’t know know how you wrote that. everything I do is simple for a reason. Show off!

Hoglen and Wages
cool idea wish it was fleshed out a little more. There is a held out note on the vocals twice where it sounds like Les Claypool. I like the sound just a bit more production would help. like the vocalist. ideas good but needs more affection.

Jake DeLorey
intro is quite nice. the spot where you are talking in the vocals reminds me of earlier (less poppy) incubus. I like the entire sound. The vocals feel more of a texture than a focus - but they sound good. Reverse solo. Please tell me how. I couldn’t pull much from the vocals but the overall sound is excellent.

James Owens
delicate sound. piano sounds good to my ears. flute is nice. Do you play the flute or just a patch? good story. nice overall sound.

Josh Woodward
Another Ohio dude on SF I like it. Like the sound, all but the initial sampled kick and snare sound im not a fan of. but that is just picking on a really good tune. Doubled vocals are pristine. Very professional sound. Love when the real drums come in. good build up to the change. Props for the video song. build up at the end is great but you knew that.

King Arthur
Guitar sounds like Jimmy Buffet as always. Storyline is different. I didn’t expect the song to defend the football kid. I noticed the bass sound and like the line you play. How did you record your bass?
good overall playing and production.

New Image
over-effected vocal. id rather hear a vocal a little off than too much processing. But that’s my preference. I can feel where this goes. man that effect pulls me out of the tune. needs a change as well.

Paco No Stanko
There’s Paco on the kit riding the ride. like the harmony on the guitar. backing ohs sound good on the change. Nice palm muted change on gonna put you down. I like. good ending.

Pigfarmer Jr.
Somehow this gives me an Uncle Tupelo vibe. Drums and backing vocals could really fill this out. Good song I like it. It needs some more instrumentation but so you know you wrote a good song.

Possum Sauce
Is this King arthur’s alter ego? the vocals sound like it. When “you kicked your little sister” I wanted the song to kick in and drums overdriven guitar loud sound to all come in.

Promiscuous Banquet
The vocals are off the beat a little too much at times. I like the NIN style backing.

Rio Mondo
Sounds like you are trying not to laugh which is funny. and he put Shit in my hair. your too Silly guys I say that every time I think…

Ryan Dawson
Sounds like you pulled back on the vocal delivery at times. Which is unfortunate cause you have a nice voice. I see you already addressed that so just push the mic or whatever further away. I would rather have the real emotion with distortion than the pulled back vocal. Let it out, just push the mic a little further away.

Sep
By the bone machine reference I guess you’re a pixies fan. Drums sound a bit artificial with the hi hat pinched shut so tight. Bass could be louder-Not enough ass on it. Vocals sound best at the end with all the instrumentation kicked in. The vocals might poke out a bit too much early on.

WreckdoM
I had now idea you can still buy blank cassette tapes? vocal delivery sounds like talking heads. I like the backing vocals. theremin could be replaced by a cheap synth with a little more control but I like the messiness. Take away the messiness and the vibe is gone. A cheap digital recorder with gain control would do you wonders. I would love to hear this with a better recording. Song has energy!

g_rock

g_rock wrote: Do you play the flute or just a patch?

It's a real flute, from my high school days when Jethro Tull was in full stride.

AJOwens wrote: It's a real flute, from my high school days when Jethro Tull was in full stride.

bad-ass. I love when people can play "actual" instruments. I just dont have the same respect for someone who can play a virtual flute. Ian Anderson, still the man.

Aggabagga Probably the wildest drums I've heard at SF!. Where ya at, Leaf? Reist? Blue who? Just the right length, it has several differing sections without getting too repetitive. Guitars could be bigger, as long as they don't take away from the drums. More, please

Berkeley Social Scene This almost sounds like porn soundtrack at the start. No problem with that here. Ahem. I like the overall dark tone/feel, and the dissonant guitar parts on the chorus are right up my alley. I like the mellow bridge, a face punching lead right there might not be bad. Or maybe that's too me, but I kept waiting for more there.

Brown Word and the Big Whine I really dig this, your synth work is some of, or maybe even complete, favorite of mine. I have no idea how this relates to the title, but still enjoy the glurp and throb.

glennny Crazy, daddy-o. The harmony vocal work is very excellent even if I have no idea what you are going on about. It would probably take me a year to figure out how you played this and the jazz parts feel 'real'. The doubled solo is especially tasty, the trade-off one could flow a little smoother on the overlaps. Although the song doesn't flow easy, this is top tier work by a true musician.

grock Very Nirvana Unplugged, but without being total copy of anything in particular. Nice vocals/voice work/timbre. Was it you that said something about my ride cymbal? Ha! Ride'd sound good here, I think. More than it does anyway. This could use a one time change of some kind although I understand the build you went for, and pulled off. good work.

Hoglen and Wages This needs more rehearsal. The mood is right, and the riff solid enough, but it's way too sloppy. Strong vocals, misguided, are all over the place. Too bad, Phil, cos you guys have the right ideas, just don't kick'em around enough. Little more spit, little more polish, never a bad thing.

Jake DeLorey Nice opening. Broad horizons and I'm digging the delayed Araby riff and vocals. I can't understand the vocals, but don't mind as the mood is good. This could use a face melting synth or guitar lead, maybe even some crazed mid-eastern horn all woodly. regardless, nice textures and good work despite lacking a change-up somewhere in there.

James Owens Heh. I guess we both sound like ourselves, eh? I'd get laughed away for trying something like this, though. Sounds like some kind of Renaissancey thing at times. Maybe some distant reverbed out vocals somewhere to add even more mystery, but diggin' the flute. Very nice.

Josh Woodward Long time away, short time to win. Tasty and catchy if not infectious. Professional and displaying excellent writing/arranging/producing skills, as well as a nicely delivered vocal. I'd like to hear some layered vocals make their way in as the song progresses especially on the bully did this and that part, more than just the one (excellent) voice there at the end. Good job, sir.

King Arthur Story fits in well with recent headlines. Tough crap, Billy, I ain't feelin' for ya. This could be a grown up relative of Macho-Rama (Invasion of the Beef Patrol) by Dead Kennedys. Well structured and arranged/played, a simple vocal or instrumental harmony here and there might add gentle spice as needed.

New Image This has a pleasant vibe although the vocal makes me think of some 80's Gothy thing or something. How about a supporting vocal harmony, back in the mix, during the second run through the verse/chorus? I like the main guitar part and the ride bell sounds nice as well.

Paco del Stinko Main riff is kinda fudgy, but was fun to play. Low E string was tuned to D, in case anyone is interested. Another in a seemingly endless parade of tough guy songs I do.

Pigfarmer Jr I think you should have played the bass with fingers, not a pick. Give it a softer attack and make feel less up front. Sounds good, though. Nice chorus section, the repeated fragments of melody are quite hooky. Could be tighter, all around, but not anywhere near a slop fest. Decent tune, worth revisiting to polish up with backing vocals and simple support, if you wanted to.

Possum Sauce I like this one a lot. It's rough at times, but I dig the synth tones, vocal timbre and story. Nice (mostly) simple builds and supports, this is easily one of my faves this fight. I love the melody as it leads out of the chorus. I reckon that if I could only vote for one song per fight again, it'd be this one.

Promiscuous Banquet Heh, I lke the twisty synth lines that wiggle in. The vocal delivery is a little stiff, but I like the voice. Story ide3a is appropriate, if incomplete. Nice ethereal ending.

Rio Mondo Annoyingly catchy "he's a bully" this sounds like one of those 90's Sugar Ray band type things at first, then sounds like young guys still learning about recording and writing. The heavy part could be heavier, it's nice and nasty sounding. The fight is good for the guy getting beat on. Sorry.

Ryan Dawson Uh, oh. Mature writing. Very nice coffee house performance, that is not an insult. Your singing and delivery is excellent and the guitar sounds well to boot. I'm not sure that I understand who is being forgiven, I keep thinking it's a woman. Nice work, regardless of my misunderstandings.

Sep I hear some of my favorite song titles go by, I'm not sure I understand why, though. The sloppy college rock tune is decent and I dig the lo-fi scruffiness. The vocals are wobbly and could vary the melody a loot more. I guess I get stuck on what the lyrics are going on about and end up confused more than anything else.

WreckdoM This is noisy goodness. The jammy punk in a loud garage thing works great here. The blasting levels, no bass, Theremin, super progressions, all belong here. This, to me, is dance music although it would most certainly not be a healthy sight to behold as I muggled my way around the floor to this mutated thing of beauty.

Paco Del Stinko wrote: I hear some of my favorite song titles go by, I'm not sure I understand why, though.

Check Sep's vocal at 0:50...

Yeah, that's what I was talkin' about. All Surfer Rosa and what, Daydream Nation?

EvilBist wrote:Dislike: dont take this wrong, but you might try a smidge of AUTOTUNE

No insult taken, but no way. I don't do the Auototune (obviously) Unless it's for special effect, I think it's just plain wrong. Thanks for the comments, though!

JakeDeLorey wrote:...the Acoustic is not sitting nice in the mix for me. With the boomy bass and the flat acoustic the track sounds a but muddy.

Advice on EQing acoustics? Im ok with the flat sound when mixing probably because I don't know any better and that is how I write just raw acoustic so that is the sound I gravitate to. Id love to make it better; anyone got some advice?

High pass to get rid of he boomy bass. You probably don't need much low end if you have other low elements in the mix like bass guitar and/or kick drum. Then you can boost the high end for "sparkle" if needed. I also tend to cut a bit at 1.5k to make room for vocals, but in general, just getting rid of the low lows and boosting the highs a bit is a good place to start.

Now thats what Im talkin about...Thanks Ken
This weeks submission is getting some eq on the acoustic. Well see if it makes the track not suck.

I've posted this before, but it is a great place to start with EQ: http://www.menet.umn.edu/~kgeisler/EQ/primer.htm

This is also a great series of videos. Each about 5-6 minutes in length. All the very helpfull regardless of your choice of DAW. about 93 videos broken up into three rounds.

http://therecordingrevolution.com/5minutes/

Thanks Ken and Jake, really helpful. I spent some time with EQ on this weeks submission and its simple yet helpful stuff. A little compression a little EQ and man the little differences in each track really add up to help the overall sound. Thanks for the advice.