ST22 Bonus Round Album

SpinTunes 22 wraps up with the Bonus Round album - twelve covers by SpinTunes participants of SpinTunes 22 songs. Album art is provided by Lolzilla, inspired by Matt Schubbe's Round 1 art. Stream or download the album on Bandcamp or embedded below.

SpinTunes 22 Final Results

The votes have been counted, and the contestants have spoken. Our SpinTunes 22 Champion is no stranger to the winner's podium; in fact, he took the crown just two tournaments ago. Congratulations to Ironbark, whose song "El Ultimo Toro" wins him the title of SpinTunes 22 Champion!

Read on for the full Final Round results!

ST22 Final Round Reviews - Micah Sommersmith

 I've shared a few of my thoughts about the final round in this video.

ST22 Final Round Reviews - Phlub

Joy Sitler - Makeshift Rorschach Test

I’ve listened through this one quite a few times and I can’t NOT hear the strong similarity this song has to Goo Goo Dolls mega hit Iris. Which isn’t a terrible, thing, but the cadence of the song, the pacing, the string swells,the epic gradiosity…if it wasn’t deliberate, this may be like the time the Flaming Lips accidentally wrote a Cat Stephens/Yusef Islam song. Regardless of the similarities, it’s very well executed and has a lot of appeal. 

That aside, I like the lyrical approach. A melancholy lost love and depressive introspection feel. Stare at that water stain and see what you see. That’s what I do with my water stain. Your third stanza is especially neato. I suppose if I had to criticize something about it, I feel like the back half of the song of meanders…it builds and it’s epic and the conclusion feels a little…undercooked compared to how it starts? Anyway,strong effort, good tune.

Ironbark - El Ultimo Toro

A dialogue between a doomed matador and the bull right before the matador murders him, complete with a description of the matador’s unfortunate family life and boy howdy you pulled out all the stops on emotionality here. Personally – I would have  made the music contrast a bit more when the narrator gets into reflection mode. From a composition standpoint, I feel like there should be a bit more of a difference between the matador in the arena soon to be  gored and the scenes from his past, cause the setting is different, you know?

I liked the story, super creative. Maybe a bit long? I dunno, maybe it’s not. I dig the Spanish inflections on the guitar playing. It’s compelling in spite of its minimalism. I’m running low on constructive things to say, all in all this was just nice and pleasant and kind of epic?

The Alleviators - Sarah’s Basement

Ah yes, those core young adult memories. Mine had less dancing in basements and a lot more dancing in random fields in the middle of nowhere or some more or less empty warehouse in the middle of nowhere. Rocking, with good energy throughout the song. Chorus really brings the energy up a notch and it’s well done. An excellent slice of nostalgia, if not only for the subject matter but for the song itself, which is straight out of the featured albums that would be on the rack near the cash register at the Disc Exchange when I was a kid. 

I really can’t criticize this much. I can’t tell for sure if the ‘you’ in this song is a dear friend or something more. It kind of sounds like something more, but heck, right at the first stages it can be pretty hard to tell the difference. Which I guess goes with the thrill of the song? Excellent coming-of-age banger.

Glennny - Leaky Pipes

Very free associative lyric. While there are many stanzas that are all inspired by the water stain and the Rorschach-esque nature of it, I don’t feel like it ties together that much, not that I am in any position to criticize anybody about that particular thing. Guitar work is impeccable throughout the song, it’s a joy to listen to. Really the only complaint I have is that it kind of starts, and it’s a lot of nice individual moments but there isn’t really a core element of the song that grabs my attention, not a whole lot of development. But it sounds good! Goodness, I’m going in circles. I would be really stoked to hear this live, as hard as I find it to review. Harmonies sound good but need more treble in the EQ when they appear. That riff that closes out the song is terrific. 

ST22 Final Round Reviews - Tunes By LJ

Joy Sitler - Makeshift Rorschach Test

This song starts out beautifully with a 12 string guitar playing a soothing, nostalgic chord progression. When the vocals come in, I realize it's not actually nostalgia I’m feeling, I am simply recalling the song Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls. I think you deserve the benefit of the doubt on this - I doubt you intended to imitate that song so closely on purpose, but once that comparison presents itself it becomes pretty hard to shake. The vocal melody is similar, you also have a large stringed instrument (definitely Not A Cello) in the background doing a similar pattern, and the buildup to the chorus jumps up the octave with “shadow looks just like mine” (you bleed just to know you’re alive)... Lawsuits have been filed over less! Fortunately it sounds great, especially the noise rock sections in the middle and end, they create a nice energetic high point. You’ve certainly met the challenge, and I appreciate the meta approach you took, an emotionally-charged experience of reading meaning into visual noise. The lyrics are passably textured, with some eloquent turns of phrase that evoke a hint of profundity, though less memorable than your previous entries. All in all this is a beautiful song that sounds a bit too much like another beautiful song that came before it.

Ironbark - El Ultimo Toro

Another fantastic showing that caps off a truly incredible run of songs in this competition. You saw something specific in this image that no one else did, and you unpacked it in classic Ironbark style: starting at Spanish bullfighting, flecked with Flamenco chords, and blossoming into a moving meditation on generational trauma. In your song bio you reference your intention while writing it to set aside preconceptions and “see where the song would lead.” I can almost hear that intention playing out as the song unfolds and new meaning presents itself. “Maria wanted daughters” takes us to a completely new narrative paradigm that still feels perfectly apace with the initial setting, and I can feel the song’s expanding metaphor taking shape as you write it. Finding a sympathetic figure in an abusive father seeking atonement is a herculean task, but you’ve somehow done that here, and the way the metaphor comes together in the end is really a masterclass in narrative songwriting. 

The Alleviators - Sarah’s Basement

This song perfectly captures a certain period of late adolescence, old enough to get into trouble but too young for adult nightlife. I feel like I was literally at this exact party some 15 years ago. The details ripple with authenticity and nostalgia - I couldn’t stop smiling while listening to this, it makes me want to go dig up old photos and reach out to old friends. You took a more meta approach to the photo, alluding to the rorschach test of “shapes in the stains” rather than seeing anything specific, but I think it’s effective here, situated in an adorable story about a dreamy hazy basement party. Per usual your melodic instincts really shine here, especially the beautiful chorus - “finally faced it” is so damn good. I could point out some sloppiness in performance and mix but I honestly don’t really hear anything that detracts from the experience. This song is so much fun and so upbeat  - your usual style is more slow and subdued, and now I’m wondering where this energy was the whole time! I really, really love this song. 

Glennny - Leaky Pipes

I like what you tried to do here, but I had to read your bio to really grasp the vision - you definitely commit to the challenge but without a clear throughline tying the various images together it feels pretty disjointed. I couldn’t really follow a coherent story, and the music similarly feels a little scattered across sections. It's a shame because there are some great ideas on display, particularly toward the end of the song. I had to hit replay on this a few times before I felt like I had a solid grasp on it. Your guitar work per usual is exemplary, confidently driving the song and capably shouldering basically the full instrumental soundscape. I just wish your lyrics tied the whole thing together a little better.

ST22 Final Round Reviews - Josh HelfinSiegel

As usual, Josh's reviews and breakdown of his rankings can be found at this spreadsheet.

ST22 Final Round Reviews - Valerie Polichar

Joy Sitler - Makeshift Rorschach Test — The guitar on this is absolutely excellent, very compelling, and the build on the song, the slow add of instruments and density, really adds to the quality and professional feel. It feels like you’ve taken in the various comments along the way in this contest, and your songs are just getting more and more pro-sounding! Minor issue: there’s something about the very low tone that booms in at “mind” that is almost too boom-y for comfort, but adding in the bass end is good in general and maybe it just needs a hair of EQ. The drop at “So here I lay” is spot on. The melody (which of course repeats throughout the song) isn’t the most original-sounding, but it is hook-y, and the well-developed build is key to making this work. The lyrics are strong, even though I’m not completely sold on “fallen out of love” as the kind of fall that generates this much impact. I admit I’d love for the final line to have the same syllables/stress as the previous ones (basically, variations on anapestic trimeter) — instead, you’re effectively holding “fall-” and “out” for two beats each, and I think that makes it lose some punch. Basically, put a couple more syllables in there and it’ll punch harder. (Still, I fully agree with the decision to make the final line the reveal of what kind of “fall” this is.)

By the way, because of the general anapestic trimeter, I inadvertently realized you can sing Billy Joel’s “Piano Man” (which is also imperfectly anapestic trimeter) to the tune of your song. Sorry.

Ironbark - El Ultimo Toro — The incorporation of a flamenco chord progression into that of a folk standard is masterful. So, too, is the seamless metaphor between the bullfight arena and the relationship between father and son — this shouldn’t work, but it does, and it’s very moving and surprisingly relatable. In general the lyrics are excellent, though I remain unconvinced that the “saturn devouring his son” verse is relevant enough to keep. I don’t think it would hurt to make that verse shorter (keep the “tell my son to take the best of me / and throw the rest away” stanza!), as the song is on the long side. The countermelody that comes in with the “maria” verse is lovely. The mix of instruments is effective, and there is increased complexity as the song moves on, but it would be interesting to play with the dominance of the different instruments to ensure that the bass guitar arpeggio doesn’t become a drone. You do this a little bit on the last verse, but more, earlier, would be worthwhile. A bit more percussion variation would also be welcome. The outro is fun but could be shorter. The novelty and effectiveness of the metaphor and story here coupled with a strong melody and lyrics make this a powerful song.

The Alleviators - Sarah’s Basement — The guitars are great, but a ‘hookier’ intro would be a nice add. Beka’s voice is terrific. It’s a thrill every time she jumps up to “Finally faced it.” The lyrics tell a compelling and half-familiar story in a novel way, and there are some really punchy lines, e.g. “I’m too young to decide / We’re both too drunk and too damn shy” and “You're my kind of my mess, my best mistake.” I’m missing what “You gave me your snap back” means (are you talking about a hat? Oof, I feel old), but I like the half-giggle on the next line. Good use of the bridge lyrics to set up possible futures — I like a bridge used to create a turn in the song or a side exploration, and this is just the way to leverage it. The final chord is the perfect ending spot. I don’t have a lot of notes on this one because it feels fairly fully-formed.

glennny - Leaky Pipes — Your voice sounds lovely and smooth on this, and the instrumentation is well blended and effective. There’s a certain kind of ‘80s pop sound here that really works, reminiscent of Aztec Camera. Melodies are strong (the bridge may be the weakest bit, as it’s not memorable melodically, but the lyrics are spot on). The lyrics are a bit of a mix, some stronger (“Our discussion becomes a mushroom cloud,” “A catalyst that we both missed / Turned all that metal into rust,” “We discuss with disgust / Winding down but all wound up”) and some weaker (first verse). Not fond of the repetition of metal turning to rust. The analogy of the water leak to the relationship is effective. Guitar duo post-bridge is very pretty, and following it with the electric solo is good (maybe back the acoustic down during that section?).  The call/response on the chorus is super-catchy. Outro is lovely too.

SHADOWS:

Falcon Artist - The Lost Dog — The off-key guitar makes the song challenging to listen to — strongly recommend a tuner to help you get the best impression from your work. The changing time signatures give the song pleasant folky variation, as does the movement from minor to modal to major keys. There are places where your emphasis in a phrase feels off, and/or you’re trying to cram too many syllables into a line, e.g. “looked out into my back garden to see,” the stress of “-sie” on “to look for my dog Lassie,”  “where my dog Lassie had gone” (“where my dog had gone” would scan perfectly there!), etc. “The forest that was evergreen” is an awkward phrase. We love the happy denouement, but it would be nice for the bridge to have a totally new chord progression and melody to musically convey the change in tale! Great outro with the repetition of “the lost dog,” winds up the story well.

The Pannacotta Army - Black Swan — Love the intro and its build, and the little guitar hook in it. The tight harmony vox and the arpeggios on the chorus are perfect and make the chorus really punch. The subtle guitar responses in the second verse are a nice touch. Good drop after the second chorus and the idea of the instrumental bridge is great, though there’s something in here that starts to sound like the James Bond theme and that’s slightly distracting. In general, though, this is a nice tight song with a great sound, good use of minimal lyrics to tell a story in a short space, and the perfect length.

Stacking Theory - I am leaving black holes in everything and everyone — (I am here for the Black Hole EP!) A lovely, haunting exploration of the black hole theme and the photo inspiration image. Love the delicate, if aching, lyrics. The guitar tone that comes in at 1:16 is especially engaging. The acoustic/rhythm guitar is very far forward, again Pink Floyd-style, but I’m not sure it serves the song as well here — it’s a little distracting, as is its placement so far to the left. The high vocal echo in the second, long chorus is gorgeous and effective, but I’d cut it out during the “no light is getting out of here anymore” section, where it gets muddy and has a sloppy impact. Not sure about the abrupt end; the line could also work for a fade-out, and that might be more in line with the lyrics, tbh.

▷ - Indistinct — Digging the modals and microtonalities inserted here. The treatment of abstractions, like time and thought, as if they were concretes, is a witty lyrical approach, and this track also has enough experiential description that the listener can connect emotionally. The push/pull sensations of the drops really convey the title concept. The tinkling keys run is a nice accent. Some of the high vox are a little off-key (not intentionally microtonal, I don’t think, in these cases, or if it is, it doesn’t work as well as the other ones). This track has a good feel and rhythm to it. As often with your work, I’m reminded, in a good way, of Brian Eno. You sure your mind doesn’t have fractal thoughts?

Siebass - I’ll Go Now — The soft keys intro is a pleasant way to pull into the song. The rhythm guitar coming in at “Adding” is great, but I wanted the build to continue rather than having the song back down again. Your voice at “blindfold my mind” is perfectly aching. The music is lovely, but at the same time, the melody/chords/topic combined with the treatment makes the song verge dangerously on the overly melodramatic. That said, the harmonies on the “Oh I’ll go” work very well and spin this up from morosity to simply melancholic; it’s a good move. Maybe adding some more energy to the middle of the song, or to your choruses, would blunt the melodrama. There are a lot of pieces to like here, and you made the most of the lyric restriction — they work well.

Hot Pink Halo - Fortune Teller  — Your voice rising on “I fold each line”/”read each leaf” etc  is a nice contrast to the lower verses. Lyrically, although I enjoyed the lyrics, I am not making the connection between the typewriter, the tea, and the loss. Is the protagonist writing letters to the missed person? Are they actually typing the fortune teller (that would be tricky, but I guess you could keep rotating the paper) or just the letters? Where does the fortune teller come in? I love all the images, but I’m having trouble assembling them (it’s like an origami song instead of just an origami fortune teller). Lovely sound here, it’s sitting in a nice space for your voice and the accompaniment is pretty; the two lines (guitar and banjo, I think?) chasing each other around sound great, and the choice to separate the panning on them is effective. The very slow build of instrumentation gives the song shape, and the final verse has a great warmth to it, with that wonderful final suspended chord. I like the ending of the final chorus but I might suggest ending on the bass notes rather than the woodwind chord. Nice work overall.

ST22 Final Round Reviews - Zoe Gray

1. Joy Sitler - Makeshift Rorschach Test

Excellent mastery over the guitar. It’s a low-arrangement song, building up slowly from guitar to bass to violin to tambourine, layering guitars for a full and complete sound. As in previous rounds, I just think you’ve picked a genre that lends itself very well to your vocal timbre. Your rhymes and lyrics in this song, too, have a wonderful sense of inevitability: what else could have been falling out of but love? You’ve done such an excellent job, to me, of building up a song that is technically on the simpler side (chord-progression wise and structurally) and keeping it engaging and filled with forward momentum. I’ll cop to personal taste as an influencing factor (this month has ben all Mountain Goats, Foxing, Emperor X, midwest emo and indie rock), but I just genuinely find this song moving and highly replay-able. This would go on the 2024 soundtrack if you dropped it on streaming.

2. Ironbark - El Ultimo Toro

Those moments of flamenco are enchanting. This song is such a gotcha, to me. You’re doing the Decemberists thing of telling a highly detailed story with character, plot, and archetypal roles, into which you sneak a profoundly affecting and broadly applicable human sentiment. I don’t mind that this is low arrangement. It’s got that spanish feel to it, and the fingerpicking keeps a lovely beat. There’s a few more instruments supporting softly, but they stay out of the way of your vocals, which are full and lovely. I think the song might be just a touch too long. Or that I would have preferred some sort of structural diversion or instrumental change by the time we got to “oh mi amigo toro, i don’t know what to say”, which is when it began to feel stagnant. But all in all, this is touching and beautifully executed.

3. The Alleviators - Sarah’s Basement

Y’all are so technically proficient. There is a combination of mixing, arrangement, and vocal energy that keeps all your songs sounding radio-ready. Your vocals are incredible, and you’ve written yourself some really fun melodic lines in this one. I think the thing that’s keeping this shy of the lead for me is the chorus: it doesn’t quite have a catchiness in the hook like you’ve had in other rounds. The “in that basement” feels similar to the energy of the rest of the verses, which is keeping me from a level of catharsis/sinking into the chorus. There’s a lot of great moments in here, though, lyrically– largely in the verses: the Halloween smoke machine, take your coat and take your time, the assonance and consonance on masses passing out. Largely reminds me of Rilo Kiley and that kind of early aughts indie rock. I think I’m just looking for something a little cleaner and sharper on the choruses, both melodically and lyrically.

4. glennny - Leaky Pipes

I love the shimmer of the guitar and the strong beat. Your chorus is well differentiated from your verses, and the guitar riffs that take us out of the chorus and back to the verse is great. There may be actually a little too much disparity between the energy between the verse, pre-chorus, and chorus. Each of the sections– including the bridge– feel a bit too much like they’re from different songs. There’s a throughline there lyrically, but some of the musical transitions feel jarring or unjustified. I love your interpretation of the photo and the story you were able to read into it, taking several different images– a child, arguing faces, a mushroom cloud– all from the prompt, and weaving them together into a thematically coherent whole. 

ST22 Bonus Round Listening Party and Deadline News

 The official end of SpinTunes 22 is almost upon us. The contestants' votes have been cast, and at tonight's Listening Party we find out who earns the title of SpinTunes 22 Champion.

But before we crown the Champion, we're going to hear some brand-new covers of SpinTunes 22 songs. I have already received or expect to receive covers of the following songs:

• Standin' in the Rain [Hutch]
• Sweater Weather [The Moon Bureau]
• Rain [▷]
• Grey Skies [Cybronica]
• We Work Together [Eric Baer]
• Hurricane [chewmeupspitmeout]
• Frostbitten Hearts [Winterloper]
• Up the Hill [Falcon Artist]
• Little Red Antiphon [Menage a Tune]
• Weather Song [Lucky Witch & the Righteous Ghost]

I'll accept covers right up until the Listening Party and beyond, so if you are inspired to record a cover, send it my way! We'll have a blast celebrating the music of SpinTunes 22.

Tommy G hosts the Listening Party at 10 pm EDT; join us on YouTube or embedded below.

ST22 Final Round Album, Contestant Voting, and Bonus Round Info

 Thanks to all who joined us at Monday night's Listening Party where we got the chance to hear four great Final Round entries along with some lovely shadow songs.

In this blog post, you'll find the Bandcamp link for the Final Round album, info on contestant voting (SpinTunes 22 contestants are the judges for this round!), and info on the Bonus Round. Read on!