Song Fight! - A Conversation

A new Song Fight! went live this week. Time to review the latest batch from my favorite songwriting community. This fight is a pretty big one: 22 entries; and there are a lot of strong songs.

Andy Sucks vs Darrell and Company
--- snnnnnnnnnnnnnnnrrrrrrrrrrxxxx ---

I'm sorry, were you trying to do something interesting or just a bunch of insular noise? Going meta doesn't save this. Maybe you should go back to the definition of the term "conversation," because this is nothing like that.

Berkeley Social Scene | lyrics
+++ hard-panned guitars; I especially like the acoustic tones +++
+++ melody; especially the chorus +++
--- lyrics are really on the nose ---

Billy and The Psychotics | lyrics | Vote
+++ melody; love the enjambment +++
+++ dynamics +++
+++ RAWK in the chorus +++

Blue Movies | Vote
+++ groove +++
/// putting such an overt effect on the vocals is a risky gamble ... ///
+++ that I think really pays off for this tune +++
/// bring that solo UP ///

Caravan Ray | lyrics | Vote
+++ vocals harmonies +++
+++ nice hymnal reference there +++
+++ great layering +++

This could do with some more melodic variation. The harmonies and instrumental layers are fantastic, but the whole thing seems to drag. I love the snark of the coda, but it seems tacked on.

Dwald
This song sounds as if you just keep finding interesting tones and effects to pile on without rhyme or reason.; very little coheres.

The Elephant Choir
+++ call and response vocals +++

I have a soft spot for murder ballads and the minimalist instrumentation makes room for the vocal harmonies. Yet, this still doesn't really engage me. Maybe it needs more passion, energy, or... I'm not sure.

FauX | lyrics
--- instrumentation, especially that high-end, 70/80's synth arpeggio ---
--- prosody is either forced or sing-songy ---
--- boring story is boring ---

hillbilly
--- lyrics ---
--- the story is banal, which has possibilities, but never really goes anywhere ---

This has a lot of neat elements. I love the hard-panned guitars flanking the main acoustic tone. But, their use is inconsistent and don't seem to have a purpose.

Infinity Point Buck | lyrics
--- awkward prosody ---
--- unfinished; though that may be part of the point ---

Jan Krueger | lyrics | Vote
+++ groove and tone +++
+++ vocal harmonies +++

Jim of Seattle
This is a very interesting artistic experiment: a soundtrack to a short-short story, posted here. Separately, these works are brilliant. The "story," more of a prose poem about loss and leaving and identity, is emotionally engaging without being overwrought. The music is equally so: wonderfully performed and produced.

However, they don't gel well together. Jon Eric hit upon the right idea before I did:

[R]eading words on a page and listening to an audio recording aren't analogous because the listening is temporal, but the reading is not. People read at different paces, and you'd then have the benefit of being able to tailor the music to the point in the essay it's meant to accompany.

In literary and academic circles, the name for your problem is the "chronotope." While some scholars refer to this strictly as the way a give work represents time, a more post-modern take includes the reader in this representation. Reading has a highly-variable temporal experience; music (and cinema and theatrical performances) have a much more rigid chronotope. The present dissonance detracts from this possibly wonderful work.

Long story short (too late!): I'd love to hear these performed together.

Jon Eric | lyrics
+++ drums +++
+++ great line: But being born in this town is walking in on a conversation / The moment it turns awkward. +++

I'd like to see this story more developed, though I'm not sure where you might go. That line is fantastic and good place to stop.

Longfellow Street | Vote
+++ RAWK; love the rough edges +++
+++ pleasantly unexpected female vox +++
--- oi oi oi ---

Paco del Stinko | lyrics
+++ vocal effect +++
+++ ending +++
/// This is short and punchy, but I'd still like to see a bit more dynamism ///

Ross Durand | Vote
+++ as usual, a fantastic Guy n' Guitar tune +++
+++ lyric narrative +++

This is a perfect coffee shop, or more appropriately, campfire tune. I want sit down next to Ross and pass around a bottle of whiskey and talk about lost love.

Scott Gesser | Vote
+++ riff +++
+++ melody +++
+++ chorus +++

I have a soft spot for "anti-choruses," or choruses with no words but memorable melodies.

Seismic Toss
+++ good groove +++
/// lacks dynamism ///

Smashy Claw
/// opening reminds me of Sublime ///
--- the tinny EQ on the guitars should be used much more sparingly; when the full band comes in it's a very welcome change, but it's long overdue ///
+++ when this finally takes off, it's great : lyrics, melody, performance and production are all spot on +++
/// end seems abrupt ///

Steve Durand | lyrics | Vote
+++ great gel of lyrics and musical genre +++
+++ excellent mix +++

Suckweasel | lyrics
+++ good rock vibe +++
/// familiar guitar tones and riffs ///

I would bop along with this in the background at a bar, but there's not much here to make it stand out.

Tuners Union
/// mix is rather quiet ///
+++ once I turn it up, it's beautiful: lovely harmonies, (mostly) nice instrument tones, good melody +++
/// the snare and guitar strum on beats 2 and 4 are really hot and nearly the same tone; it slices right through the mix and becomes distracting///
/// the acoustic guitar part in general is a little hot and lacks satisfying low end. ///

the last afternoon of a woman he only thought he knew

As seems to happen with frightening regularity, a new Song Fight is up! The Fightmasters often like to chuck out impossibly-long and awkward titles and it's a fantastic prompt for creativity, in my opinion. I would have loved to contribute to this fight and the title is tucked away on my list for the future.

Let's start with the cover art, which is awesome! Love the blending of textures, text and images. I could easily see this on a professional album cover.

Berkeley Social Scene
--- opening vox ---
+++ fem backing vox +++
+++ lead guitar tune +++
+++ chorus melody +++

This is much more catchy than many other BSS songs to my recollection, and I love it. Vote!

bgm | lyrics
+++ rhythm +++
+++ story & imagery +++
+++ dynamics +++

Everything I love in a song: melody, solid production and performance, a biting story with evocative imagery. Huge vote!

Billy and The Psychotics | lyrics
--- I dislike fake openings ---
/// wait, that's not Denni... but it's still damn fine +++
/// I'd like more grit from the bass tone ///
+++ CHORUS! +++

The chorus is hands down the best part: has me immediately pumping my fists and singing along. Do more of that. I love the way the second verse goes; I would open with that, and move the guitar shredding to the middle. Not a fan of how this begins, but it does nothing but get better the whole time, so vote!

c.layne
+++ creepy opening loop +++
+++ lovely vocal harmonies +++
+++ solo +++

This is a fantastic study of tonal counterpoint. Great layers that compliment each other and create an evocative aural fabric. Even when the tune takes a left turn at Albuquerque during the guitar solo, it's an awesome detour. I'm less a fan of the choppy break-down towards the end, but still: Vote!

Dejected Motives
+++ low-end guitar +++
+++ there's some good melodies here ... +++
/// but they're not really fleshed out ///
--- that screeching tone ---
--- clipping vox ---
--- way too gorram long without any interesting dynamics ---

Vocoding is a favorite whipping boy these days. Given the electronica bent of this tune, I think it's okay. But you've got to get that damn microphone out of your mouth and/or check your levels while mixing.

Dirge | lyrics
+++ soundscape +++
+++ solo guitar +++
--- singing ---
+++ did I mention that solo? +++
--- lyrics ---
--- metal power breakdown ---

This was such a promising tune, then you turned on the Metallica. *sigh*

DJ Ranger Den | lyrics
+++ melody +++
+++ imagery +++
+++ story +++

I'm generally a fan of DJRD, (aka, Denise Hudson) and I'm happy to hear her deliver again, ditching her usual piano for some sparse guitar that still takes us in interesting directions. As has been mentioned on the review boards already, I'd love to hear this fleshed out with some more instrumentation, some nice R&B drums and an organ tones. Vote!

Emperor Gum
+++ creative instrumentation +++
--- hate that reedy flute sound ---
--- poor performance misses the beat here and there ---
--- why are you singing in a Port-a-Potty? ---

This submission gets full points for ambition. It follows in the footsteps of The Beatles' White Album, but it has too many production and performance flaws.

Future Boy | lyrics
+++ opening swell +++
+++ dynamics +++
+++ story +++

As this opens, I feel like I should be snapping softly along with a cigarette in one hand and a glass of red wine on the café table in front of me. Then the bridge hits like TNT. Fantastic: vote with enthusiasm!

Hip Hop Anonymous
/// reminds me of "Nightmare on My Street" ///
+++ creepy plot-twist +++
--- misogyny, rape and torture ---

I started a row by using the "M-word" last round, but I'm sticking by it. Straightfoward stories of rape, torture and victimizing women are not entertaining. Nor is yours even edifying; Kechiche you are not.

Klownhole
/// props for taking on the awkward title right in the first line; but it doesn't work to grab me ///
+++ it gets better the second time when you let the grove take you +++

This is straight-forward garage rock that was probably really damn fun to play, but I don't feel part of that vibe.

Life in Decibels
/// meh ///

Pretty much standard Euro-pop that has nothing to stand out or interest me. Solid production and pretty good performance. Please come again with something more creative.

Mom&Data
+++ dynamics +++
+++ melody +++
/// singing is a little flat ///
+++ guitar tones and panning +++

I really like how this builds. It takes a while, so it won't grab impatient listeners, but I think it's worth the wait. Small mixing quibble: that backing organ, the primary instruments, is too loud. This is lovely, so vote!

Paco del Stinko | lyrics
+++ FUZZ +++
+++ dynamics ///

As much I love that fuzz tone, you need to lower it in the mix during the more melodic bits. It ruins the dynamism of this tune.

Pigfarmer Jr | lyrics
+++ story +++
--- boring prosody ---
--- chorus ---

This this sounds like an amateurish version of a much better song. Such a simplistic chorus needs to be sung with much more conviction; you need to channel Kurt Cobain

Ripping Hammer
+++ immediately gets me dancing +++
/// those electronic blips on 1 and 3 are little loud ///
--- it just stops ---

I would have voted for this if it had gone somewhere.

sonofsupercar
+++ lo-fi RAWK! +++
--- that slightly out-of-tune rhythm guitar ---
+++ doubled vox +++

This evokes a little bit of The Dead Milkmen, Stone Temple Pilots and everything great and raucous about a ton of '90s independent rock. Vote!

Sportswriters | lyrics
+++ lyricism +++
--- awkward drumming ---
+++ story +++

This would be a great song were it not for the deliberate odd time signature, which for me is just constantly jarring. I want to sway and waltz to this and the tune keeps tripping over itself.

T.C. Elliott | lyrics
--- robo-drums ---
/// nice, but predictable melody ///
--- boring guitar tones ---

Like your other entry for this fight, this has some good elements, but the performance (and, in this case, instrumental) choices make it sound amateurish.

Wicked Cripple feat. dont reply
+++ rhythm of vocal delivery +++
--- misogyny ---

Hanging a lampshade on your fear does not excuse you.