The Song Fight Bulletin Board

I have to say something here to be able to post.

A lot of good tunes this week.

As for Slickitude, it appears I submitted the wrong version (tagged when we were thinking of changing our name to the Flying Murder Dolphins).

So pretend this version was mastered just slightly better.

Feel free to submit the right version and it may get posted.

Thanks -- won't be until tonight if I can. Not to worry.

Fake Teak - Pink Floyd oompa baroque. your hi-hat sounds a bit shimmery, but I enjoyed the ride!

Flvxxvm Florvm - Bluesy. Good solo.

Here Atticus - Like this, good writing and arrangement, but everything sounds a bit fuzzy. Get a bit of a Coheed vibe from this.

Inflatable Veggies - Very clean. Guitar is too buried in the chorus, could lift the whole track if you brought it up in the mix. 'down on your knees searching for cheeses.' lol

Jerkatorium - Very Jerkatorium - don't mean that in a bad way - its tight, with catchy hooks, well placed vox harmonies, ska-tastic. I feel like the song gets more focused as it goes along, the news bulletin near the end really frames it well. Might have been cool off the top?

Jim F&HFT - Short - sounds a bit scratchy. Vox sounds a bit buried. Bass is doing a cool counterpoint rhythmically but occasionaly wanders out of tune it seems.

JBB - good sound, great recording of the acoustic, and the added touches in the chorus really fit together nicely and give it a great big sound, like REM or something. Harmonies are great. Liked it a lot!

Johnny Cashpoint - Not feeling the verses, sounds like a its all going through a low-pass or something, too much limiting. Chorus with the denser instrumentation is better.

Long Aztec - Super Quiet, gotta up your output level man. Rhythmn guitar is a bit difficult to make out. Like the lead bits. Maybe a bit repetitive, could use a solo or fill or bridge or something.

Nick Soma - Interesting group of sounds, get a bit of a Deadsy vibe from this. Like the variety in the arrangement (orchestral break?). Guitars sounds a bit too compressed in the chorus, think a wider sounds would benefit the track.

3C - Slow start, but interesting once it gets going. I feel like you are losing a big piece of high end in your guitar somehow. Sampled chaos in the BG is cool. Maybe a bit long, but some interesting moments.

FMD - Airborn aquatic mammal, with malicious intent to cause injury or death.

Tuners U - This goes to some really interesting places, I like it. Drums are way back there, but it works. Really like when the banjo and CSNY vox starts rolling, very cool. Great ending!

JK Fredrickson wrote:JBB - good sound, great recording of the acoustic, and the added touches in the chorus really fit together nicely and give it a great big sound, like REM or something. Harmonies are great. Liked it a lot!

Much appreciated. I'd like to use this opportunity to give a shout out to this microphone: http://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00HHEVL3C

Process for recording JBB's "The Rat Brain":

Acoustic Guitar
1. Go into our guest bedroom, which is very quiet.
2. Plug the MiC into my MacBook Pro via USB.
3. Set the MiC on the bed next to the laptop, angled up a bit.
4. Adjust the gain on the MiC so the guitar isn't making it clip.
5. Hit record.

Vocals
1. Steps 1-4 above still apply
2. Hold the MiC up to my face, using my hand, with my face-hole above the MiC a little so I'm not blowing into it (cheap way to avoid needing a pop-screen)
3. Try it, and adjust the gain on the MiC until it's not clipping.
4. Hit record. And do that about six more times for the different parts.

Basically, I just went into a quiet room and recorded strait into my laptop via USB, using this terrific little microphone. That's my point. I am continuously pleased with the quality of recording that this microphone achieves with such incredible convenience. And it works with my phone and iPad too.

I know it's like $230, but if you're looking to spend a little on a nice microphone, I think this would be a way to go. I use it a lot more often than I use my Rode NTK-- which has a vibration cage and requires a pop screen, and has its own power supply and plugs in via XLR etc etc. In other words-- GREAT sound but a pain in the ass to use.

(The rest of the song is Logic Pro X software instruments-- a Drummer track with tweaked settings, an arpeggiated mallets patch, and a bass patch-- and then some reverb stuff (mostly Space Designer) and the Logic standard compressor)

Just in case you're interested.

JB

Much appreciated. I'd like to use this opportunity to give a shout out to this microphone: wouldn't let me post the url because I am too new

Great sound for a USB mic! Especially stacked up like that for the vox. One for the xmas list this year.

JB , your right, that mike sounds very good, what distance did you record from the guitar and did you have to use any noise reduction?

That Tuner stuff---- is very different, not what I would normally care for, but very interesting, taste full and well done.

hillbilly wrote:JB , your right, that mike sounds very good, what distance did you record from the guitar and did you have to use any noise reduction?

About a foot away from the guitar, at the same level as the guitar, pointed at the body of the guitar generally. No noise reduction was necessary, because the room was very quiet and I set the gain so that the mic would pick up the right amount of the guitar. It took a couple of experiments to find the right position, distance, and gain-- but I made only minor adjustments, it wasn't like I turned it way up and way down and moved the mic feet. It was inches and small changes to the gain. I only gave myself a very brief time (mostly because I was submitting late), so I did the things that had worked in the past and were most likely to sound good.

JB

jb I can even tell your strings are low enuff if you would hammer they would rattle, that is pretty clear. I finally got offered a job as a Stage Hand at the Asheville Civic Center, but was hired bye a local electrican that treats me like family or better and don't have to travel. Things are looking better, anyway vote.

I really enjoyed listening to everyone's songs. Please take my critiques with a grain of salt; you can simply take a listen to my tune and learn that my opinions are worth just about as much as a grain of salt (but I do like to contribute).

Flvxxvm Florvm

What did you use for bass guitar? Like the guitar solo; changes of tone throughout. A bit on the long side (my songs are always too short, so my perspective might be someone biased in that direction) and I couldn't understand the lyric.


Inflatable Vegetable

This tune sounds like it was composed by the love child of Gaucho era Steely Dan and Depeche Mode (I like both bands so it's meant as a compliment). I especially enjoyed how the vocals drop out at the end and then the synths and beats fade away. Lyrically, it's kind of funny, but seems as if the writer wasn't fully committed to concept. Also, the meter of the lyric could be tighter; it's looseness was especially apparent in contrast with the programmed beats. All in all, though, an enjoyable listen. This one was better on the second listen. Might put it into permanent rotation.

Nick Soma

Very professional. Great lyrics! Very funny. My son was getting his haircut while I was listening to it with headphones on, and when it got to the part about the cat balls, I audibly laughed (you know, a "headphones on" laugh, much louder than a "headphones off" laugh). My wife has him go to a hair salon, not a barber's shop, and all the ladies gave me a dirty look. Anyhow, very funny, very professional, but also very "normal." I don't know if I'd listen to it more than once simply for cat balls.

The John Benjamin Band

I immediately got a country/folk rock vibe from this one (I seem to think there's a Gordon Lightfoot tune with a similar sound; I'm going to research). Here it is, "Fire on the Mountain," Marshall Tucker Band. The board wouldn't post a url; you can find it on YouTube. I know it's weird, but especially that guitar sound at the beginning, sans pedal steel. I like this one; very professional (do I sound like Donald Trump?; "very professional, very classy."). This one bears repeat listenings. At times I thought it had one too many parts, each independently could stand on their own. The mellotron section is nice, just too many ideas for one song, maybe? If I had to vote right now, this would be my choice.

Fake Teak

I think the high hat intro went on a little too long. Getting a 19th century Dickensian character vibe, and musically kinda Kurt Weill if he had a rock band. I dig, I dig.

Long Aztec

Starts off like ZZ Top. Turns into ZZ Top meets Bobby "Boris" Pickett. Probably my number 2 pick because of the line "he knows what he knows because of his nose." Reminds me of Lou Reed singing about a honey bear who got all his hair shaved off, "you've got a hairy minded pink bare bear."

Johnny Cashpoint

Every song tonight is evoking a comparison to something from my record listening past. This tune could be a song off the first half of David Bowie's Low. Maybe a bit more synth heavy than that. I don't think it would hurt if the guitar was bumped up a bit. Overall the mix seems really loud; I had to turn down my earphones as it came on. Very good tune.

Over Too Far

What started happening towards the end of the beginning of this song (or should I say in the last minute of the 1st quarter) was really interesting. However, for me, the computer/android/radio noises really detracted from the nice guitar part that was being played. That guitar and voice could really have stood on their own. I like the sparse beginning leading to a fuller ending. Probably around the middle of the fourth quarter it would have been awesome for that same guitar bit we heard at the beginning of the song to have been joined by bass, some keys, etc., to close out in epic fashion. This is the song in the group that is great because of its imperfection and it's latent potential. I don't know about you all, but I love those Skip Spence and Syd Barrett records because I can listen and imagine the vision they were trying to translate onto tape, but tragically couldn't achieve (is "tragically" too big an adverb?). This song evokes those feelings for me. I think I might have talked myself into voting for it. And hey, Mr. Over Too Far? Please let me apologize for comparing you to famous, dead, rock-and-roll acid casualties. Sorry.

Tuners Union

I'm not through with the comparisons; this one reminds me of Crosby, Stills, and Nash from their Dark Star period. Nice harmonies when the whole group is singing. The rhythm seems to fall apart a bit towards the end.

Here, Atticus

Wow. Two different songs. Two different bands! I was hoping beyond hope that the band wouldn't break in, but I knew it was coming. When it did arrive it was awesome, but I could have listened to the first half and have been totally satisfied. More my style, I suppose; subdued. I will make one comparison; really liked the falsetto; reminded me of Brian Wilson.

Jerktorium

Jerktorium, great song.

Slicktitude:

One powerful minute and one half. Didn't understand muc of what was being said (might be ear fatigue) but I am impressed with the machine gun lyrical barrage.

Thanks for the comments on my song, glad you like it! I can kind of hear the elements in "Fire on the Mountain" that remind you of my song-- the guitar opening, the single-vocal verses mixed with harmonized choruses, the minor key...

Rudedawg Raymond wrote: Jerktorium
Jerktorium, have you thought through the ethical and moral implications of growing a human brain in a laboratory? The horror of a sentient pile of squishy neurons lying on a counter somewhere in the catacombs of MIT to be poked at by graduate assistants with bad cases of acne? Now, how awesome is that? Just kidding. Great song (seriously, you can call me a Luddite, but growing rat brains in a lab is f@cked-up, right?).

I think Jerkatorium was talking about this: http://www.livescience.com/52453-rat-br ... puter.html

JB wrote: I think Jerkatorium was talking about this:

I know...I was just practicing my jackass routine. Sorry. I tend to get carried away and people don't know if I am a true jackass.

Hey, let me ask you, your mic, is it worth getting if you record to an iPad and use an interface? That's how I'm currently set up (cheap focusrite with one xlr and one 1/4 jack). I want a better, affordable condenser (mine's busted) and was intrigued by your comments. If you have any suggestions on a nice mic, that'd be great. The guitar sound at the beginning of your tune is what really caught my attention.

Ah, joke went over my head obviously.

I've made another thread in "Help and How To" to talk about iPad recording: http://songfight.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=10000

JB

Rudedawg Raymond and jb - you're both absolutely right. The lyrics specifically refer to the recent advances in the rat brain neural network computer model, but we also wanted there to be a touch of spin about the potentially unsettling direction of the research. One step closer to Skynet, right? The problem is that it's hard to communicate that without sounding alarmist and reactionary, so we decided to err on the side of subtlety by not addressing it at all in the lyrics.


Way too many great songs in this fight. I'll post reviews later.

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

I am listening to this on low-ish volume as I am at work. So take all comments with a big ol’ pinch of the white stuff. Salt, that is. Or cocaine. Cocaine would work …

Fake Teak – I like it overall - the chord progression and the keyboard part which it gives it the feel of ‘Eloise’. It’s a little too self-consciously OTT/camp/theatrical in the vocal performance for my tastes. Trying too hard to say ‘it’s funny’ diminishes repeat listenability for me and it’s probably a little too long with no great shifts in the dynamic. But it’s a fun listen.

Fluxum Floor’em – I like this a lot. You rock the guitar greatly as usual and I like the filthy filter on the vocal. ‘boyrock’ doesn’t always do it for me and it’s not exactly pushing the boundaries, but it does what it sets out to do really well and I find myself idly head-banging (well, nodding – but you know what I mean) so it would be churlish not to give it a VOTE, despite the fact it’s at least 40 seconds too long. Seriously the last verse feels superfluous. Anyway …

Here, Atticus – Pretty melody on an effective mood piece. The mix is a little quiet? The question for me is when it kicks in, which way will it go … ah. That’s a shame. I could have done with continuing the vaguely 80s trippy mood of the first two minutes – not changing up so dramatically. The rocky stuff doesn’t do it for me anywhere near as much as the ‘introduction’. It’s very well done – that’s just a personal taste thing. I’d probably turn the vocal up a little bit as well?

I-VEG – Love the bouncy bass synth sound. The lyric is cute, smiles rather than belly laughs but some good imagery. I think I like the minimal verses much more than the (admittedly creative and interesting) chorus – I think if you pushed up the guitar/bvs in the chorus it would define the overall melody better? The main vocal is slightly overpowering the rest and overall making it sound more repetitive / monotonal than it actually is?

Jerkatorium – great guitar tone! It has such a nice jangle to it. Absolutely nothing wrong with straightforward power-pop. I like chorus harmonies – work really well – and the spoken word / guitar solo section has a great drive to it. Weirdly despite a review full of praise it’s not really staying with me once it’s finished. Maybe it would take a couple more listens to wedge itself in my ear, or maybe a strong little riff that repeats through the song? I think I’m trying to say that unusually for my taste, the arrangement is a bit too understated?

Fallopia Utopia – I had to listen twice to make sure of this – mainly because the pleasant g’n’g mix slightly smothers what I am pretty sure is a brilliantly inventive melody / vocal arrangement – but I think I like this a lot. Whack those vocals up in the mix – they good, fun, bouncy, springing all over the place in a very pleasing way but the guitar is all but drowning them (to these old ears anyway) – I don’t think you need to add anything else, just a quick re-adjustment and this would be stunning. I like the thing that goes ‘beep beep’ every now and again! Ah, I’m gonna chuck a VOTE your way.

JBB – A pleasant listen. I think I like the bridge more than I like the rest of the song, kind of wish that had been used as the verse instead. But that’s by the by – it’s all good. It’s just not jumping out of the speakers at me so I’m left bobbing along on a very pleasant stream of tune, which I can’t really complain about. I like that line ‘ Can’t fetch but he sure can beg’. That sticks with me.

J$ - That’s me.
I am conscious I over-compressed the main vocal. I was going for ‘voice inside your head’ feel - seemed like a good idea at the time ☺
The sample at the beginning is a clip from a presentation on neural interfaces being tested on rats, which I found online and now can’t find again! I’m not 100% sure but I think it’s The neuroscientist, Miguel Nicolelis, talking about his own experiment. Apologies if I am mis-crediting.

Long Aztecs - As compared to Short Aztecs? Anyway, I digress – lyrically not engaging much – some solid puns/word play in there for sure so I think my problem may just be the phrasing/performance choice of dragging out the syllables. It makes it sound hammy. Maybe it’s meant to be. Either way I find it distracting. Otherwise it’s all good. The lead guitar tones are very effective. Maybe could do with a bit more dynamic variety. Also I would play this a few bpm faster. But then I would most everything a few bpm faster so no need to listen to me.

Nick Soma - Great start. ‘fart trap’? Damn it, Nick – it seems you always do this to me – you start with this awesome ingenious electronic / industrial-lite song that I adore and then in comes an enormo-guitar-splodge of a chorus that is far more predictable and ‘stadium rock’ which I really don’t like. How can I vote for you if you keep sneaking Depeche Mode off-stage and replacing them with Green Day just before the chorus kicks in? Seriously, there is so much going on here I like but that chorus is just a bit ham-fisted in comparision to the rest of the song and to be honest, as much as I applaud the genre-splicing, I’m not sure it works all that well – though the melding at the end suggests it could …

Over Too Far – there’s some fatuous ‘not over too soon though’ joke which I’m not going to make. Oh, I just did Trim off the largely superfluous first minute (I mean great mood created there but I’m not sure it actually adds anything to my mood) and finish it where it seems to want to (3.30ish) and you have an absolutely brilliant song. I love the droney mood, all the peaks and troughs fill me with happy, they sit well on the song; but it’s just not efficient to have over half of your song tripping away happily, keeping the listener at arm’s (or skip button’s) length from its tasty heart. I don’t like complaining about music I like but I am not sure I would listen again as it stands and given the quality on show that’s a tragedy for me.

Slickitude – happy, happy punky fun times. I’m quite glad I don’t have the words in front of me (the chorus sounds like ‘rat-brain will nibble at you’ or maybe ‘mad train is well overdue’ – which is actually quite a good line now I think about it) – but the vocal performance is a brilliant punk pastiche so as long as I don’t know what you’re singing about I can give you a VOTE.

Tuner’s Union – You suffer from being at the end of the playlist as I am well sick of hearing songs about rats by now ☺ It’s a lovely tune, very well performed but I have to admit to not fully engaging with it. Actually this is growing on me – oh it just ended suddenly! You almost had me – I like the soft-rock inflections and there’s some lovely harmonising going on. If it had been half a minute longer I think you’d have sucked me in. I was just about to eat my words!

Johnny Cashpoint wrote: Fallopia Utopia – I had to listen twice to make sure of this – mainly because the pleasant g’n’g mix slightly smothers what I am pretty sure is a brilliantly inventive melody / vocal arrangement – but I think I like this a lot. Whack those vocals up in the mix – they good, fun, bouncy, springing all over the place in a very pleasing way but the guitar is all but drowning them (to these old ears anyway) – I don’t think you need to add anything else, just a quick re-adjustment and this would be stunning. I like the thing that goes ‘beep beep’ every now and again! Ah, I’m gonna chuck a VOTE your way.

Yeah, for some reason, at the last moment, I turned down the vocals about 25%. I have a hard enough time listening to myself x 1, never mind x 4. The "beep beep" sound is a cuica sample, a funny monkey sounding thing that you can hear on a lot of Bossa Nova songs. Some how it ended up not sounding like a cuica, though, and more like one of those plastic records they have you learn to play in elementary school (I take it you are from the UK; do the powers that be over there make you learn how to play "Mary had a Little Lamb" on cheap plastic recorders when you're 8, too?). Thanks for the kind comments.

Here, Atticus – Pretty melody on an effective mood piece. The mix is a little quiet? The question for me is when it kicks in, which way will it go … ah. That’s a shame. I could have done with continuing the vaguely 80s trippy mood of the first two minutes – not changing up so dramatically. The rocky stuff doesn’t do it for me anywhere near as much as the ‘introduction’. It’s very well done – that’s just a personal taste thing. I’d probably turn the vocal up a little bit as well?

Thanks! You're not the first to say that about this one. I just wanted to write a rock song so bad, all my recent stuff has been keyboard driven and moody haha. I submitted an unfinished mix in a panic at 10:01 pst. I later learned that many people submit late mixes and I could have taken a few more hours

Anyway, listening away and typing now. Reviews to come in the next comment.

Rudedawg Raymond wrote: Flvxxvm Florvm

What did you use for bass guitar?

There's no bass, just one of the 5 guitars playing everything in unison has an octave shifter applied to it.

Here, Atticus wrote: I submitted an unfinished mix in a panic at 10:01 pst. I later learned that many people submit late mixes and I could have taken a few more hours

Late submissions are entered at the whim of the Fightmaster, so if you're going to take those few more hours just understand that it's a calculated risk.

We mustn't take Lunkhead's sufferance for granted. (Me included, as I was late this week too!)

JB

Fake Teak
Ohh I love the progression right away, very interesting to listen to. The more I listen, the more I like this arrangement. Lots of fun! The mix is...too dry for me? I'd be able to take the song pretty seriously with a more cohesive mix, really. The chorus makes me think of Diablo Swing Orchestra a bit, which is certainly a good thing. Also, I laughed at the end.

Flvxxvm Florvm
Man, there is some DRIVE in this song. I like distortion everywhere when it's done right, and I like the sound of this song. Not really my listening style, believe it or not, but I was feeling the groove here. Guitar solo sounded great! But it may have been a little long. I think the repetitiveness of the song (not a bad thing inherently) makes it feel like it goes on a bit long.

Here, Atticus
Not digging the rock part. You stretched too far, son.

Inflatable Vegetables
"The rat brain has gone electronic" I can hear that
Again, another genre that in which I never spend any time, but I am liking these synth sounds. They make for a really interesting texture, especially when you have them syncopated in the verses. I think the vocals are a little loud, and the guitar in the chorus could come up some to provide more textural variety for the song. I loved your lyrics, very cheeky.

Jerkatorium
I really like this one! Where's the brass? j/k, but I could hear a horn section in my head haha. I love the guitar sound, well just the overall sound. The organ, the drums, vox, I like the SOUND here. The song flows really well and feels natural. I could hear it on my summer playlist. It feels weird to say, but I'm not feeling a hook anywhere, and the song feels like it should have one. I don't know if that's the melody or just the mix at fault. I enjoyed the whole song (a couple times, actually), but none of the parts stick in my head.

Jim Fallope and his Fallopian Dudes
I like the simplicity of instrumentation. It gives you a lot of room to have fun with the vocal line (which you very much do!). The vocals could have been louder, for this reason. It was hard to make out lyrics and even melody lines in some parts. But the song sounds good. I like the clicking sound of the pick on the acoustic, it creates a nice rhythmic effect. At first I thought there were snaps and clicks thrown in there too. Overall, pleasant to listen to

The John Benjamin Band
Man I like your music a lot. I love the bass line/movement of the verses. Instrument choice in the chorus is magical. OH MAN THAT BRIDGE. That makes me happy. Love the feel and progression. This is easily my favorite this week.

Johnny Cashpoint
There is a lot going on here, very quickly. Lots of interesting sounds. The opening synth is harsh up high, I think. It keeps grabbing my attention over everything else. It's the only sound in the song I'm really not digging, though. It just cuts through too much, maybe? The synth arrangement is really interesting (in a good way). Lots of really cool elements coming together, especially in the choruses. Honestly, the compression isn't bothering me. The vocal levels seem to jump around a good bit, though, making some of them hard to understand.

Long Aztecs
I like the feel, especially in the choruses. The whispered vocals sound really good. The mix itself is kind of quiet. I like those lead guitar licks. Very understated and they add the perfect little bit of interest when they happen. Solid groove the whole song, but it does get a bit repetitive. The guitar strumming chords is a bit quiet, but overall I like the mix.

Nick Soma
I like what you do with sounds! I absolutely love the synth you're using in the verse. The chorus, I think, may not hit as hard as you wanted it to. I like what you wrote, I just think the guitars need to be bigger, maybe. Or maybe have the guitar and drums hit together more there so it hits harder. Ok, back to another verse. I really, really like the atmosphere you've created here. And the bridge. Verses and bridge here are your crown jewels. They just sound so cool. Just those verses also puts this one as one of my favorites this week.

Over Too Far
Ok, a minute in and the music has started! Very atmospheric at first. Interesting rhythmic sampling going on. I'm not sure how I feel about this sound. I like your chord progression and melody line a lot, I cannot pinpoint why. Very up my alley, I guess. There's a lot of silence before you gear up into sections. I really like the idea of creating an atmosphere with the sounds and samples, but it's not really interesting enough for me, here. I don't feel engaged, which is a shame because you've got a lot of really cool sounds and ideas here.

Slickitude
I like the intro, good energy right away and it goes right on into the song. Lyrics lyrics lyrics, very dense, very punk. I like it a lot. I can't understand you though haha. (like I said, very punk, right?) The drums might be a little loud for my taste, especially the hihat. It kinda washes away the rest of the mix and makes it hard to hear a lot of the guitar work (which sounds very good). In a different lifetime, a 13 year old me would have covered this song in his first band. Solid track start to finish.

Tuners Union
I love the vocal harmony. Wow. Drew me in right away. When the rest of the instruments kick in, the vocals may actually be a bit loud in the mix. Your guitar lines are kind of getting lost in the vocals. Really, just one or two of the tracks come up out of the mix when you sing louder, sometimes. Man, I like this chorus. Love the vibes in the background. What a goove.

jb wrote:

Here, Atticus wrote: I submitted an unfinished mix in a panic at 10:01 pst. I later learned that many people submit late mixes and I could have taken a few more hours

Late submissions are entered at the whim of the Fightmaster, so if you're going to take those few more hours just understand that it's a calculated risk.

We mustn't take Lunkhead's sufferance for granted. (Me included, as I was late this week too!)

JB

I've only ever done a few of these fights, but this particular one was the fastest turn-around time I've seen from submissions closing to voting. It did make me reconsider the "people can submit late fights" notion for that reason.
Lunkhead is just the best and I do not intend to test the limits of his tolerance.