ST13R1 Reviews - Paul Rosenbluth

Sara Parsons - Crikey!

An all-around delightful song.  Reminiscent of the best of the singer-songwriter genre, Joni Mitchell meets Jack Johnson (a fellow UCSB Gaucho).  Excellent lyrics and a fitting tribute to Steve Irwin, especially the chorus.  A truly optimistic description of a great legacy: teaching, listening, loving, inspiring.  Love the way Sara sings (with sweet, comforting voice) the hopeful line, “No I've never been to heaven, but hope it's full of crocodiles.”  Excellent work!



Melissa Phillips - Never the Fool

Another great singer-songwriter entry.  A melodic and pensive tribute to Gene Wilder.  “You were all of us sometimes” nails it and stands out as a take away line.  Such a dulcet voice and great execution musically.  Excellent!



Ominous Ride - Line After Line (Wired)

Maybe my favorite song in round one and keep listening to this one over and over.  Hard driving rock song that builds and builds.  The syncopated, delayed singing style builds anticipation throughout.  A dark but honest tribute to John Belushi.  The repeated chorus “line after line to the bottom” is anthem like. What a great tune.  Solid work!



Jailhouse Payback featuring John Sievers - The Greatest Bond

What a fun song.  Familiar with the use of the Bond Theme but it supports the new material well.  Suggestive of upbeat groups like the Old 97s and the Replacements.  Love the playful dialogue insert about Austin Powers.  Great execution.  Solid job!



Jerkatorium - Center Square

Another fun song suggestive of the B52s and Beck. So happy to hear a tribute to Paul Lynde.  I most remember him as the voice of Templeton in Charlotte’s Web.  Very witty lyrics.  Already thinking how to drop “alco-hall of fame” into conversation.  And yes, “housewives love that kinky talk.”  Great job.



W8 What - Wake Up!

Very well done tribute to George Michael in the style of GM and Wham.  Excellent use of references in the lyrics and musically engaging.  Excellent.



Zoe Gray - Play On (Shadow)

Would have ranked this around seven, maybe higher.  Simple but sweet chorus as performed.  Really great lyrics with the classic inspiration of Shakespeare.  Outstanding.



Army Defense – TheUltimateGift

Quirky and smart song reminiscent of Paul McCartney or Ben Kweller.  Good lyrics but the music carries this one for me.  Very good work.



Megalodon - The Quiet One

Lovely tribute to George Harrison including his influences and others.  Really fine performance with nice slide guitar elements.  Very fitting.  “Whimsical, magical, beautiful sadness.”  Very nice!



Alex Valentine - Adolescent Minds

Strong and brooding tribute to 27 club member Kurt Cobain in the style of Nirvana.  Musically excellent with fitting lyrics. I agree “such a waste.”  Solid work.



Boy on the Wall - Bail Me Out

A very good song.  I didn’t get Robin Williams by listening to it but once revealed it makes total sense.  Very good lyrics considering him as the inspiration.  Catchy.  Well done.



Glen Raphael - One More Thing

A good story song with well written lyrics.  Contemplative and entertaining.  Good job (no pun intended).



Governing Dynamics - Final Flight of the Electra

A catchy fun song overall.  Great lyrics and music suggestive of the Replacements.  Really dig the chorus on this one.  Good performance too.  Well done.



Gorbzilla - Drowned in Moonlight

Nice lyrics with an almost Roy Orbison vibe.  Several stand out lines including “And I know the pain that you battled has seen it's final day gone away,” and “We know you were fighting your dark side.” Strangled by her own indeed.  Nice work.



Micah Sommersmith - The Sisters of Mercy Again

The lyrics, key, and instrumentation give this a nice Eastern European ethnic folk tune vibe.  Very Camper Van Beethoven.  Very nice lyrics and fitting tribute to Leonard Cohen.  Good stuff.



Rob From Amersfoort - The Blonde Bombshell

I like parts of this song but as a whole it feels disjointed. Some good musical ideas that either need smoothing to work together, or more editing and consideration of proper song placement.  Good effort.



Boffo Yux Dudes - What Ailes You

A well-crafted, witty, polemic.  If Roger Ailes is a favorite celebrity, I’d hate to hear a song for someone you hate.



Little Bobby Tables - Star Man

Some really insightful, lovely lyrics here.  The line about “saints and scholars, liars, lovers, fools” stands out.  What would Carl Sagan say if he were here today?  It’s a good question.  Well done.



Lucky Witch & the Righteous Ghost - Sour Boy

Some good lyrics here.  A rather melancholy take on another tragic figure. Well constructed and executed.



Inflatable Vegetables - Another Blackstar Fallen

Very creative tribute to David Bowie with a very Bowie vibe musically.  Nicely done.



James Young – Singularity

A good hard driving energy song.  Solid lyrics and musicianship.  Nicely executed too.



\αlpha​.​ßeta\ - Relativity

Some smart elements in this song but would have liked something more.  Perhaps more lyrics.  Good start to something that could be more.



Emperor Gum – He

Some good lyrics here.  A bit campy perhaps.  Would be interested in hearing another arrangement of this one.



Kevin Savino​-​Riker - Ode to the Sportsman

Had a hard time connecting with this song.  Lyrics were detailed but sort of free form and flowing so hard to discern a structure to engage with.  Some good ideas here though.  Good effort.



Matt Walton - The Coming of Enlightenment

Judges: Matt, don’t go there.

Matt: Watch me.



Jubilation - The Delirious Lord Made Flesh

Very indulgent in the spirit of Jim Morrison.  Sounds a little too much like the song playing in Apollo 13 from the tape deck while the batteries are dying.  I always appreciate effort though and having been to the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice I can definitely say this is art.



Edric Haleen - In Memoriam

A very artsy list of names.  Nice voice and piano.



Jordan Carroll - Trickle Down

Whimsical.



JoAnn Abbott & M​.​A​.​T. - Fly​.​.​. And Be

A lot going on in this song.  Has a very Broadway vibe to me which is fine but it felt like there were a lot of lyric ideas forced into spaces they don’t quite fit.  Pretty voice and good effort.



Pigfarmer, Jr. - Cheeto Blues (Shadow)

Good bluesy music track.  Ridiculous lyrics.  No idea where I would have ranked this but it would have been DQ’d since the subject is not deceased (much to the performer’s dismay?)