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Wednesday, June 20, 2012

SpinTunes #5: Round 1 Challenge


The Beginning Of The End - Write a song about the last day of work. (2 minute minimum) (your submission is due June 30th 11:59PM (Sat).

- We of course run things by my time...not yours. The link at the top of the blog may be helpful to you when it comes to deadlines throughout this contest. (I'll update that after work today around 7PM)

- The bold part is just the title of the challenge/album. Everything after that is the actual challenge. "The Beginning Of The End" will be the title of the album.

- I set my alarm just so I could get up in the middle of the night & post this. If you see mistakes, just leave a comment.  I'll fix them after work.

Submitting Entries:
- Entries must be received by the given deadline. Otherwise it'll be posted as a shadow. Received means that it has to appear in my e-mail inbox by the given deadline. I will be going by the time stamp on the e-mail in my inbox. PLEASE do not wait until the last hour to send me something. If there is a blackout in your area, your computer crashes, or your dog actually eats your thumb drive...I will not care. You are allowed to send in a draft of your song early just in case something horrible happens & you miss the deadline. Then you can add polish to your song & send in a better version closer to the deadline. 1 minute late is still late people.


- Send your file in a format that Bandcamp accepts. (.aiff, .wav or .flac) (at least 16-bit/44.1kHz) You can find the specific requirements for Bandcamp files HERE.

- Name your file the song's title, but without spaces & punctuation.

- Title of the e-mail should be the title of the Challenge & your band's name.

- Include the song lyrics in the body of the e-mail. (If your song doesn't have lyrics...consider yourself eliminated. Instrumentals can be pretty, but SpinTunes does require lyrics.)

- Include information on anyone that needs credited if you collabed with someone.

- If you have a BandCamp account, you can just send me a link to your song on BandCamp if you include all the info I mentioned above. Make sure you have it set as a free download, and have it set so that I don't have to put in an e-mail to download it if you pick this option. THIS IS THE BEST FILE SHARING OPTION!

- Other file sharing options if you need them: YouSendItSound CloudDrop BoxRapidShareZShare & MediaFire. Please send an e-mail as I already stated, but with the download link if you need one of these services. Please follow directions so your file doesn't wind up in my spam or trash folder accidentally.

Side Notes:
- Good luck everyone. I don't care who wins, but I hope you all have fun & maybe even learn a little something along the way.

- Remember that Max, Dave & Tom have access to my e-mail now. If I'm not available, it's possible that one of them will respond to you.

- Remember that you are allowed to send in a little background about your song. Some people don't like to do that, and you don't have to, but if you want to write a couple sentences about your song I'll post it on the BandCamp page for people to see. Some judges will look at the lyrics & this extra info, but they aren't required to.

- If you didn't sign-up in time to compete in SpinTunes #5, you can still complete the challenge & send in a song. It'll be uploaded with the other entries as a "Shadow Song". Check the FAQ if you don't know what that means. You can even complete past challenges from previous contests.

- If you didn't sign-up you can also do a song for "Single Rainbow Across The Internet". You're song would be played during the LP as well.

- The only other way to get your music played at the LP is to cover "Today's The Day" by Inverse T. Clown.

- Feel free to leave any questions in the comments.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

SpinTunes #5: Profiles

If you waited until the last second to sign-up it's possible that your e-mail didn't show up in my inbox by the given deadline.  I will check my e-mail again when I get home from work around 6:30PM.  If there were any that showed up late, but had the correct time stamp, I'll add them to the list.  Keep in mind that even if you were late, we love to get shadows.

While you're waiting for the round 1 challenge to be posted, I suggest checking to make sure your links work.  If you find one not working just let me know via e-mail & I'll fix it as soon as I can.

Good luck to all the old & new faces in this edition of SpinTunes,
Spin.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Round 1 Album - Round 2 Album - Round 3 Album - Round 4 Album


Round 1 Challenge: The Beginning Of The End - Write a song about the last day of work. (2 minute minimum) (they had 11 days) (Results)

Round 2 Challenge: Pump You Up - Write a song that is motivational to workout to.  Something meant to pump up the listener. (2 minute minimum) (they had 8 days) (Results)

Round 3 Challenge: What's Opera, Doc? - Write a Mini-Opera: A dramatic story told through dialogue sung by two or more characters. (2 minute minimum) (they had 8 days) (Results)

Round 4 Challenge: Photo Finish - Write a song inspired by THIS picture. (2 minute minimum) (they had 8 days) (Results)



(Profile order is based on who sent in their entry form first.)


Edric Haleen: Edric likes writing songs, even though they're often different than others may have been expecting at first listen. Care to know more? Check out the link below to visit his website. (Also, please consider checking out http://happinessboard.com/ to see -- and add to -- the Happiness Board! Guaranteed to put a smile on your face, or your money back!)

LinksWebsite

R1:  The Death Of A Meme

R2:  One More Step

R3:  (Vows) featuring Kevin Savino-Riker

R4:  My Friend (runner up)



Ménage a Tune: Possessed of nothing more than cheerful determination, a love of learning and the ability to shamelessly beg for help, JoAnn has been a part of Spintunes for 2 years, never missing a challenge, often shadowing. This time her partners will be Skyen, from Denmark, and her ST#4 amazing piano player pal Ted Kiper, who she knows from church. Skyen describes himself as “Able guitarist, adequate pianist, decent ukulelist, passable bassist, and a good singer. He studies history at Aarhus University."

LinksWebsite - @Calliopeva

R1:  Crowning Glory

R2:  Run! - Rat Race (Shadow)

R3:  Voted Out Poison, Or, All Of Hamlet In 4:04

R4:  The Mermaid's Waltz (Shadow) - First On My List (Shadow)



Heather Miller:  I picked up a loaner guitar and Easy Beatles Songbook in 2001, taught myself a few chords and kicked around with songwriting off and on for a bit. A radio show, some songwriting contests, folk festivals, and a songwriting certificate later, I decided to stop kidding myself and take my dreams seriously. So in 2011, I sold my car, moved to Austin to study at Rubicon Artist Development, played 157 open mics and showcases, and recorded an EP called Anchor (the title track started out as a SpinTunes entry!) that is due out this summer. I'm now back in Iowa, ready for the next chapter in my musical journey!

LinksWebsite - @humsongs - YouTube Channel

R1:  Not Gonna Miss Your Face

R2:  Deadline Victim

R3:

R4:



Wait What: After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is Wait What. With the cop from Reservoir Dog's ear for music, they have charms to sooth savage boobs, to soften rocks, and bend a knotted oak. The music of Wait What is a moral law: it gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything, not that there's anything wrong with that.

LinksYouTube Channel

R1:  Middle Management

R2:  Deadline Victim

R3:

R4:



Rats Of The Sky: Rats of the Sky is a hip-hop group consisting of Happi (MC), and Matt Cassel (producer and sometimes MC). Together, they did sort of well in the Nerdcore Now Vocalist/Producer Challenge, and now they're bringing SpinTunes the kind of synergy that can only come from two dudes who only know each other through the internet.

Links:

R1:  Two Weeks Notice

R2:  Voted Out Dance To The Groove Libido

R3:

R4:



Caravan Ray: Hello Ladies. I am Caravan Ray.






LinksYouTube Channel

R1:  The Beginning Of The End

R2:  Pump It Up

R3:  Deadline Victim

R4:



"BucketHat" Bobby: A veteran of Song-Fu and Spintunes, Bobby has dropped off of the face of the internet for nearly two years while attempting to make it in "Real Life". Now, he returns to Spintunes with the hopes that his new experiences will help him re-claim his title of most mediocre internet personality.

Links@buckethatbobby - YouTube Channel

R1:  On The Pogey

R2:  Deadline Victim

R3:

R4:



Jeremy Lambright: I'm a production student with a knack for instrumentation. I've played in most every type of band and I'm now looking to expand my solo catalog. Cheap as I am, all songs will be produced on Iphone using nanostudio from blip media.


LinksWebsite

R1:  Empty Spaces

R2:  Voted Out Shut Up And Dance (DQ)

R3:

R4:



RC: I've been playing music in bars for 36 years. If you don't mind, I'm going to pretend this is a bar.





LinksWebsite - @RCOhio - YouTube Channel

R1:  Goodbye Everybody

R2:  Get Up

R3:  Voted Out He's Dead, Jim

R4:  Orange Beach (Shadow)



Mariah Mercedes: Hi, I'm a 16-year-old hooligan and part-time rockstar. I've been writing under Gold Lion for about a year now, however, Gold Lion has since developed into a full band (complete with banjo). So, for this competition I'll be flying solo under my own name. I'm excited to learn and grow over the course of SpinTunes #5, as well as listen and create some great music.

Links@_MariahMercedes - YouTube Channel

R1:  Ending(eternal)

R2:  Hurricane

R3:  Dear Jeremy

R4:  Footprints (placed 4th)



Felix Frost: Felix Frost is the solo music project name of YouTuber MagicTurtle643. I make bright and sunny music, usually with lots of keyboards and synth, strange and story-telling subject matter, and through-composed song structures.



LinksWebsite - @MagicTurtle643 - YouTube Channel

R1:  Leaving Lyman's Liquor Store

R2:  The Frost Mine

R3:  Voted Out Lyman Boone And The Moonshine Scoundrel

R4:



Glen Raphael: Glen Raphael is a Manhattan-based singer-songwriter whose songs combine humor, love, and a nerdy modern sensibility. He regularly appears at The Bitter End and other venues to play songs on such diverse topics as quantum physics, bedbugs, and the Statue of Liberty's mid-life crisis. Glen has won Best Original Song awards at NCSA events and is the current organizer of the New York City Folk Music Meetup.

LinksWebsite - @glenraphael - YouTube Channel

R1:  Naked

R2:  Voted Out Pump Down The Volume

R3:

R4:



Trader Jack: I write and cover songs sometimes, usually in the alt-rock, folk, or dance genres.





LinksWebsite - @Trader_Jack - YouTube Channel

R1:  Voted Out Last Day

R2:  Let Nothing Be Left Behind (Shadow)

R3:

R4:



The Boffo Yux Dudes / Chris Cogott: Funny Guys. Serious Musican. Known now as BYD&CC. Just like CSN&Y lite. The ones your parents warned you about. Allan Morgan and Tom Giarrosso head this version of BYD with rabid optimism that they'll be remembered for more than just all those replays on Dr. Demento. Mr. Cogott should have his head examined for joining us. Whatever comes out of this unholy union won't be boring. Fun Fact: Everyone likes kittehs.

LinksWebsite - @BoffoYuxDudes - YouTube Channel

R1:  The Ballad Of JJR

R2:  Big, Bigger, Best

R3:  Deadline Victim

R4:



Alex Boyd: I write songs about books, games, comics and stuff. I travel around the country playing those songs at sci-fi conventions.




LinksWebsite - @tlgtunes - YouTube Channel

R1:  Voted Out The Bastard Had It Coming

R2:

R3:

R4:



The Orion Sound: My name is Oliver Parsons, aka Emperor Robot Hitler Gandhi Jesus Walrii McPoshtwat . I'm well known for getting all da bitches. Like, ALLLL of them. As friends. I make songs about codes and the murdering of cats because no one likes cats (monkeys are much better) and my hair is pretty awesome. It’s all poofy in the middle. I kind of look like a homosexual hedgehog, with the face of a mouse. It’s wonderful. It’s like a hedgehog and a mouse made sweet love. Sweet, sweet love... (Written lovingly by Bethany L Martin)

LinksWebsite - @olirulz_747 - YouTube Channel

R1:  Voted Out Praying

R2:

R3:

R4:



Emperor Gum: Moth Rock.






LinksWebsite - @EmperorGumNews

R1:  Voted Out Pygmalion

R2:

R3:

R4:



Francis Wms.: My name is Francis Wms. and I have recorded for most of my life under a number of different pseudonyms. I split my time between Chamberlain, South Dakota and Jacksonville, Florida, where you can catch me as a member of The Shutupok (as Frankie Williams). Currently my interests are the movie The Last Night, new music by Aiden Grimshaw, customizing blank skateboard decks and making bundt cakes. I will now come up with eighteen words which rhyme with conclusion.

Links:

R1:  Voted Out Redundant Redunit (DQ)

R2:

R3:

R4:



Governing Dynamics: Time traveling all the way from the mid to late '90s is a curious compound of post-grunge, guitar driven, sci-fi altrock.




LinksWebsite - @governingdmusic

R1:  Swing Shift

R2:  Forward

R3:  Dark Places featuring Rebecca Brickley

R4:  Houses (Winner)



Ross Durand: Singer-songwriter Ross Durand is the Andy Murray of online songwriting contests. Will this be his Wimbledon?




LinksWebsite

R1:  I'm Lyin'

R2:  Win

R3:  Apart featuring Bryanna Acosta

R4:  When The Tide Comes In (placed 3rd)



EvelBist: Madness, heretical, diabolical, dirt poor, and quite handy with a pickle fork. A background in mostly unscientific pursuits and a failure at SongFight.org where I am constantly chastised for using the bandname "sausage".



Links:

R1:  Voted Out The Beginning Of The End

R2:

R3:

R4:



Milton: I'm Adam Milton Hosack. I've been playing piano on and off for 6 years and playing guitar for 3. Singing and songwriting for 2. Deciding on a band name is hard. I participated in my first song fight last week and I've written and recorded 5 Album-a-days. These have been practically my only experience with recording. I'd like to change that.

LinksWebsite

R1:  Voted Out Today's The Day

R2:

R3:

R4:



Hudson And Day: Their songs can be used as lullabies to put bison to sleep. They collaborate via secret locations at opposite ends of the country - using mental telepathy and fantastic hair. They can write music without making a sound - although every lyric in each one of their songs is actually in fact, a word. They are ... the most interesting women on the Internet. "We don't make an appearance in every song contest, but we are here, and we shall rock." Stay thirsty, Spintunes.

LinksWebsite - @HudsonandDay - YouTube Channel

R1:  It Worked Out

R2:  Deadline Victim

R3:

R4:



The Chocolate Chips: The Chocolate Chips write songs about animals of different colors, politics, the sun, and dreams. They also specialize in weirding new versions of nursery rhymes and in recording jingles for imaginary commercials.



LinksWebsite - @ChocChipsMusic - YouTube Channel

R1:  My Own Boss

R2:  Nothing Can Stop You

R3:  Voted Out The True Way

R4:



Jailhouse Payback: Guitars, drums, a bicycle, a shotgun, and the truth.





LinksWebsite

R1:  Escalator

R2:  Voted Out Kick Your Routine

R3:

R4:



Army Defense: Army Defense is: Dave Lehnen, J.S., Brandon Chitwood, Jose Ferreira, and Shannon Roberts, Barry Hill. We are renegade singers/songwriters/musicians. Since 2004 we have recorded 23 albums of Sparkling Pop Music.



LinksWebsite

R1:  Voted Out You're Not Paid

R2:

R3:

R4:



Godz Poodlz: Icon/Rock/Geek/Dad Band! Two neighborz and friendz united to form Gödz Pöödlz! Gödz Pöödlz are Rüss Rögers and Rhöd Dürre!




LinksWebsite - @GodzPoodlz - YouTube Channel

R1:  It's A Great Day At BigMart® Today

R2:  In The Zone

R3:  Deadline Victim

R4:



Gorbzilla: Gorbzilla is a musician/band teacher in Mid-Michigan. He has been in a few bands over the years, most notably as the guitarist/vocalist for the band “Jimmy Likes Pie” and the bass player/vocalist for the band “Satin Jones”. The proud father of two future rock maniacs, Gorbzilla has been writing music for the past twenty years, and is looking forward to more chances to write.

Links@GorbZilla

R1:  The Last Last Day

R2:  Superwoman featuring The Gorbzookies

R3:  Deadline Victim

R4:



David Ritter: Utto nye usabia atoonyoba?






LinksWebsite - @MacMufasa

R1:  Voted Out Graveyard

R2:

R3:

R4:



Shadows:



Greg Hosack: Hi! My name is Greg.  My musical goal is self-expression.  My hope is that I can bring my own unique perspective to the party.  Most of my expression manifests itself in a folky, singer-songwriter style, but I enjoy trying to challenge that.  I like guitars. =D


Links: Website - @Greggersathome - YouTube Channel

R1:  I'm Gonna Go

R2:

R3:

R4:




Dr Lindyke: This amalgam of Dave Leigh and William Hoover judged SpinTunes #2 and is ready to pay their penance in SpinTunes #3. Here's a proper bio: http://music.cratchit.org/p/bio.html



LinksWebsite - @Dr_Lindyke - YouTube Channel

R1  Mayan Holiday

R2  A Tune For You (The SpinTunes Montage) - Monastic Workout

R3  Mr. Nobody

R4  Carbon Footprint



Dex01: Dex01 is a British, rock based, songwriter who has been writing music for almost two years, which qualifies him as a musician (it doesn’t). Inspired by Jonathan Coulton’s approach to writing and recording material, Dex decided to try and see if he could turn his hand at writing material instead of playing along and jumping up and down. The past two years have seen Dex record an EP turned demo album and acquire a professional mic which makes him some sort of big shot (it doesn’t).

LinksWebsite - @Dex01 - YouTube Channel

R1  Brand New Life

R2:

R3:

R4:



Zoe Gray: I am an 11-year-old girl named Zoe Gray. I live in Pennsylvania, and am daughter to the songwriter Brian Gray, who is sometimes a contestant. I like different types of songs, from musical theater-style to death metal. I play the piano, guitar, and sing.



LinksWebsite

R1:  Say Goodbye

R2:  Mine

R3:

R4:




The Boffo Yux Dudes: We're humorists. That means we go for the occasional highbrow joke among the necrophilia and genitalia comments. The Dudes managed to reawaken from their coma in 2009, creating music new music for the confused masses. Allan Morgan and Tom Giarrosso head this version of BYD with previous members in the wings, ready to pounce if they make some change out of it.

Links: Website - @BoffoYuxDudes - YouTube Channel

R1:

R2:

R3:

R4:  Wash Away featuring Osmium - Sand In My Toes featuring Denise Hudson & Mick Bordet - Footprints - Foot In The Sand featuring Dr. Lindyke



Gray Havens: Brian & Zoe Gray.






Links:

R1:

R2:

R3:

R4:  Onward To The West



Monday, June 4, 2012

SpinTunes #5: Sign Up Page


It's time for SpinTunes #5. The rules are in place. New judges are in place (mostly) & they will be working on the challenges soon. Now it's time to see who will be competing in SpinTunes #5.

I will need everyone who wants to participate to copy & paste the following text into their e-mail. Fill in the needed info, and then e-mail it to me at the address I provided below. Make sure you put "Spintown Contest" as the subject of the e-mail so I don't think it's spam. Also use an e-mail that I can reach you at if need be. Don't panic if you don't get a confirmation e-mail immediately after signing up. I'll message you back within 24 hours of getting your e-mail.

I _____________ give Travis Langworthy permission to upload any music I submit into his contest onto his blog (Spintown) & bandcamp. I realize it will become part of an album consisting of numerous other artists, and that it will be available for anyone to download for free. I also promise to give my very best effort in each round to complete the challenges. Providing NEW songs that have not been released before in any form. I also agree that anything that goes wrong during this competition is Heather's fault. 
Name: (The name you or your group wants to be referred to during the competition.) 
Bio: (Give a brief description of your group/music/history in 500 CHARACTERS or less. I know it's brief, but it's more than Twitter allows. :p Besides, links to your sites will be provided if people want to learn more about you.) 
Twitter: (If you got one & want to share. *optional* If there's multiple accounts for multiple band members that's fine.) 
YouTube: (If you got one & want to share. *optional*) 
Band Website: (If it's different than either of the above. *optional*) 
Pictures: (I need a band picture or logo. The image should be 100x100, and if it's not I'll do my best to make it so. Don't forget to actually attach the picture.)

Judges:
Here's a list of the people that will be making the challenges, reviewing your work & of course voting on the songs:

1. Steve Durand - The current champion of SpinTunes.
2. Mick Bordet
3. Hazen Nester
4. Charlie McCarron
5. Mark Meritt

Schedule:
Sign ups will last until June 18th 11:59PM (M).

The first challenge will be posted June 20th 1AM (W).

My best guess as to what the whole schedule will look like can be found HERE.

Sunday, June 3, 2012

SpinTunes #5: Official Rules

These rules are not up for discussion at the moment. That time has passed. If something is confusing, needs clarification, if you just think I made a mistake or forgot something feel free to mention your concern in the comments below. It will be addressed within 24 hours.


Schedule:
It will have a similar schedule to SpinTunes #4. There will be 4 rounds. You will have 8-11 days to write, record & send in your song. There will be a short break between each round. During this time the song will be voted on, reviewed & prep for the next round will be made. For more info click: HERE.


Judges Voting:
There will be 5 judges who are not participating in the contest & who will not shadow rounds until the contest is over. Each round they will individually rate all the songs from favorite to least favorite. Then the judges scores will be posted & added up. Here's an example of what the judges scoring would look like:



Popular Vote:
Popular vote will still be a tie breaker, but it will also be a way for people to earn points toward their overall round score. In rounds 1 & 2 the popular vote will be scored like a judges ranking. In rounds 3 & 4 the popular vote only counts as a tie breaker.


If there is a tie in the popular vote in rounds 1 or 2, whoever turned their song in first will rank higher.


Eliminations:
Each round people will be eliminated from the competition. The number of eliminations each round will not be known until after the round 1 songs are turned in. I want the number of people eliminated in rounds 1-3 to be the same (or close to the same), and 4 people left for the final round. So if 25 people submit songs for round 1: 7 people would be eliminated in round 1, 2 & 3....leaving 4 people in the final round. More details to be posted when the round 1 deadline has passed.


This is not a head to head contest, each round the competitors with the lowest vote totals are eliminated. After the eliminations all the point totals goes back to 0. You don't get to keep points from previous rounds.


Ties are settled by a popular vote in the form of a poll I'll start for each round. If somehow that is a tie as well, the point totals from the previous round will decide the winner. If by some miracle everything is tied, the final deciding factor is me.


Final Round:
In the last round, everyone who has been eliminated (who also submitted at least 1 song) will be allowed to rank the songs. This round the judges have no say in matters, but they will still be required to review each song. Rules for a tie are altered just a bit. Popular vote is the first deciding factor, then the judges, and then I am the last deciding factor.


Challenges:
The challenges will be similar to the old Song Fu & "Non Optional" Nur Ein challenges. If you go through the old challenges you'll see that they could be anything. You could be given a theme, restrictions, a technical challenge and hopefully you're forced to do things you've never done before. The challenges will be created by myself & the other judges before the contest even starts.


Submitting Entries:
- Entries must be received by the given deadline. Otherwise it'll be posted as a shadow. Received means that it has to appear in my e-mail inbox by the given deadline. I will be going by the time stamp on the e-mail in my inbox. PLEASE do not wait until the last hour to send me something. If there is a blackout in your area, your computer crashes, or your dog actually eats your thumb drive...I will not care. You are allowed to send in a draft of your song early just in case something horrible happens & you miss the deadline. Then you can add polish to your song & send in a better version closer to the deadline. 1 minute late is still late people.




- Send your file in a format that Bandcamp accepts. (.aiff, .wav or .flac) (at least 16-bit/44.1kHz) You can find the specific requirements for Bandcamp files HERE. You do not need to send in MP3's.
- Name your file the song's title, but without spaces & punctuation.
- Title of the e-mail should be the title of the Challenge & your band's name.
- Include the song lyrics in the body of the e-mail. (If your song doesn't have lyrics...consider yourself eliminated. Instrumentals can be pretty, but SpinTunes does require lyrics.)
- Include information on anyone that needs credited if you collabed with someone.
- File sharing options if you need them: YouSendItSound CloudDrop Box,RapidShareZShare & MediaFire. Please send an e-mail as I already stated, but with the download link if you need one of these services. Please follow directions so your file doesn't wind up in my spam or trash folder accidentally.
- If you have a BandCamp account, you can just send me a link to your song on BandCamp if you include all the info I mentioned above. Make sure you have it set as a free download, and have it set so that I don't have to put in an e-mail to download it if you pick this option. THIS IS THE BEST FILE SHARING OPTION!


Hosting:
Each round I'll be uploading the songs onto BandCamp as an album. The songs will be set for free download only. BandCamp makes it easy to download songs, you can share 1 song individually or the album as a whole.


If you want to be entered into the contest, your song must be on the album & made available to everyone for free. Otherwise you are DQed from the contest.


Prize:
I didn't plan on there being a prize. No trophy. No cash. I’ll be happy to mail you a t-shirt that says you’re the new champion, but the real prize is knowing you won & the music itself. If you need gifts & thousands of fans to motivate you to write songs in this competiton...it ain't for you.


The winner will be allowed to be a judge in the next competition, unless they wish to compete.


Listening Party:
Tom Giarrosso will be hosting the listening party for each round (he will also help with uploading). Hopefully we can all get together in one virtual place while the songs are played for the very first time for people.


Meet The Judges:
Here's a list of the people that will be making the challenges, reviewing your work & of course voting on the songs:


1. Steve Durand - Current SpinTunes champion who also has over 100 songs submitted to Song Fight.
2. Mick Bordet
3. Hazen Nester
4. Charlie McCarron
5. Mark Meritt


* I am the alternate judge. If a judge is unable to do his/her job, I'll step in and take over. If the judge has to withdraw from the contest totally, I'll fill in until I can find a replacement. If I happen to have a guest judge lined up already, there will be no need for me to step in as alternate. (Buck stops with me, but then I blame Heather.)
* There could be "Guest Judges" who drop by from time to time. A guest judge has to be approved by me ahead of time. I'm not promising anything, but if I can swing something cool for you all I want to leave that open as a possibility. When a guest judge ranks & reviews a round, it does count toward the scores for the round. If a song is disqualified by the regular judges, the guest judge's rankings will be edited to stay in line with the judges decision. There will be 1 or 2 guest judges each round if I can swing it. No promises though.


Judge Responsibilities:
- Reviewing entries each round. Shadow entries don't have to be reviewed, but it would be nice if you found the time. You can type up your review or you can vlog it on YouTube. If you decide to Vlog your review on YouTube, it needs to be kept private until after I post the reviews on the blog.
- Making the challenges via a super secret website I set up.
- After the songs get posted each round the judges will be allowed to post their thoughts on who failed to met the challenge. (in the super secret location) 48 hours after the songs get posted we need to have a decision on what songs did or didn't meet the challenge. If you don't speak up in that window of time you'll have to live with a decision I make on my own.


Any judge who does not go along with a decision about a DQ will not have their rankings count for that particular round. However I will post any reviews they provide. Hopefully this does not happen again.


Twitter:
For those of you that don't want to check this blog every day, but also use Twitter, I'll be posting updates on Twitter as well. @SpinTunes was created just for this contest. You can unfollow it right after the contest if you want, my ego can take it. There is a Twitter list that includes all the judges & competitors (SpinTunes List). Well, at least all the ones I know that are on Twitter.


Song Sharing:
You are allowed to share your songs before the LP. In my opinion the songs will be better if you can go to another musician in this contest, share what you've got & get feedback. So if you want to share with a few friends or fellow competitors before the listening party feel free to do so.


However...


I would prefer it if you kept it low key, and not pimp it all over the net (via Twitter, YouTube, etc...) until after the LP, but that's up to you as well. It does take a little excitement away from the LP if people have already heard the songs. Common sense. Just don't try to get feedback from a judge, or from me since I'm an alternate.


Rerecording & Remixes:
In previous contests some people sent their song in ON TIME, but then after the deadline wanted me to post an updated version onto the album (they added bells & whistles). My response to that is ok, BUT you will be judged by what you turned in before the deadline. So anyone who decides they want to make a better mix of their song, and have it replace the one they sent before...that's fine. Send me the info, and I'll switch the files out. I might not do it instantly, but it will be done. Now I'm not going to have someone send me a new mix every month because they like remixing their own stuff all the time, but I'll allow 1 update of each song down the road. These songs are something you should be proud of, and some people are bugged by not being able to add everything they want in that small window I give them...so hopefully this helps...while still being fair.


Multiple Songs:
You can enter 1 song each round until you are eliminated. There is no limit on how many shadow songs you can enter each round though. If you are still in the contest & have multiple songs you wish to enter, you just have to pick 1 song to be your official entry, while the other is listed as a shadow song.


You are not allowed to enter the contest as a part of more than 1 group. So if you enter as yourself, you will not be allowed to enter again as a part of another band.



Wrap Up:
I am currently working 2 jobs & it will not be possible for me to be available as much as I'm going to be needed.  So I drafted Max Finsettler (better known as Sammy Kablam) to help run the contest this time around.  He will probably be answering most of your e-mails during the day & even be doing most of the blog & Twitter postings.  He will have the final say in matters when I'm not available.  Dave & Tom will both be allowed to have access to the SpinTunes e-mail to assist will uploading if they have time.


- If anything does go wrong...it's STILL Heather's fault.

SpinTunes #5: Schedule

This schedule is a bit flexible, but it's my goal to stick to it. If there are any changes made to the schedule, I'll mention it in a blog post & on the @SpinTunes Twitter account.

This schedule is in Cincinnati time. Don't know the time in Cincinnati? Google is your friend....and I usually keep a timer counting down for the important deadlines. You can find a link to that timer right under the SpinTunes banner up above.

June 5th (T) - Sign ups start.

June 18th 11:59PM (M) - Sign ups end.

June 19th 1AM (T) - Profiles get posted.

June 20th 1AM (W) - First challenge is announced.

June 30th 11:59PM (Sat) - First song deadline.

July 1st 8PM (Sun) - Listening party will be held HERE, and hosted by Tom.

July 2nd (M) - Songs are made available for free download on BandCamp.

*During this gap:
- judges will rank the songs
- judges will review the songs*

July 7th before noon (Sat) - Judges reviews are due.

July 7th before 11PM (Sat) - Reviews & Eliminations are posted.

July 8th 1AM (Sun) - Second challenge is announced.

July 15th 11:59PM (Sun) - Second song deadline.

July 16th 8PM (M) - Listening party will be held HERE, and hosted by Tom.

July 17th (T) - Songs are made available for free download on BandCamp.

*During this gap:
- judges will rank the songs
- judges will review the songs*

July 20th before 11PM (F) - Judges reviews are due.

July 21st before 11PM (Sat) - Reviews & Eliminations are posted.

July 22nd 1AM (Sun) - Third challenge is announced.

July 29th 11:59PM (Sun) - Third song deadline.

July 30th 8PM (M) - Listening party will be held HERE, and hosted by Tom.

July 31st (T) - Songs are made available for free download on BandCamp.

*During this gap:
- judges will rank the songs
- judges will review the songs*

August 3rd before 11PM (F) - Judges reviews are due.

August 4th before 11PM (Sat) - Reviews & Eliminations are posted.

August 5th 1AM (Sun) - Final challenge is announced.

August 12th 11:59PM (Sun) - Final song deadline.

August 14th 8PM (T) - Listening party will be held HERE, and hosted by Tom.

August 15th (W) - Songs are made available for free download on BandCamp.

*During this gap:
- previously eliminated competitors will rank the songs
- judges will rank the songs
- judges will review the songs*

August 18th noon (Sat) - Judges reviews are due.
- Eliminated competitors rankings are due.

August 18th 8PM (Sat) - Reviews are posted & the winner is announced.