A quick word about judging:
As I have previously indicated, I will attempt to judge the songs on their own as much as possible - not the musicianship of the competitor, not the vocal or instrumental skill, not the production quality or recording quality, just the song. I won't look negatively, for example, upon bad singing - unless the singing is SO bad that I can't understand the words or hear a discernible melody, etc. Great instrumental skill, vocal work, or production can only help you as a bonus, but lack of it will not hurt you, as long as the level of musicianship is adequate to communicate the song to me.
Over the course of my career as an "internet musician" I have had the pleasure of getting to know many of the competitors in this contest, both personally and professionally. I know that some of you are professionals, some of you are very dedicated amateurs and hobbyists, and some of you are just looking to have fun. The same thing applies: Your professional background, or lackthereof, will not, in and of itself, impact your score. Obviously a professional artist is going to be able to write and produce a much higher quality song in the given time than someone who is just getting started, and that is ok. I intentionally avoided reading bios or researching the entrants - I'm just listening to the song. Of course, nothing takes place in an vacuum. I won't pretend I haven't worked with / shared the stage with some of you. One of the most valuable things I learned at school was the ability to separate the song from the person, and I'll be applying that here.
I have listened to each song through twice while looking at the lyrics. The first time, I'm just listening to the song as a work. When it's done, can I sing the chorus back? Is it memorable? Does it feel too long, too short, awkwardly paced? Is this something that someone with no musical knowledge whatsoever would enjoy if they heard it on the radio? (Like it or not, radio play has always been the metric of what the wide majority of the non-musical population enjoys. This a powerful metric of the overall appeal of the song, but for certain challenges, may not be applicable for obvious reasons.) Then I will go back and listen a second time paying attention to the technical aspects: melody construction and contour, phrasing, lyrical stresses and rhyme schemes, chord progressions, forms, etc.
As far as criticism, most of the other judges will be reviewing the entire song as a whole so I'll focus on one or two tips I feel would improve the work.
One final note: I don't know what I'm talking about. If I say something you disagree with, so what? I'm probably full of shit. On to the reviews.
Governing Dynamics - Alive Again
This is a funny entry from Travis. An appropriately strong chorus for this tune. This is a case in which production can affect the delivery of the song: He has included parenthetical text in his lyric, which is tough to communicate - you can't count on your listeners having the lyrics sheet in front of them. He has panned those vocal lines slightly off axis which works ok with headphones on, but will be lost in larger spaces, cars, and any situation where music is mono-summed. To increase the effectiveness, I'd say try a change in vocal EQ for those lines as well - try low cutting around 250 or 300 hz to lose some of the fullness which should contrast nicely. The only reason I call so much attention to this element is because the parentheses go a long way to developing the mindset and behavior of the character that he is singing about. My only other suggestion is that the vocal "oohs" before the second verse are unnecessary and pause the story where it doesn't need to be paused. I think the song is much better paced with the omission of this section.
A solid entry.
Gold Lion - In The Afterlife
This is a spritely blues rock tune, which is a very exciting style to see especially from someone of this competitor's age. Blues is generally not associated with a 'happy' style but this seems to pull it off nicely with uptempo, solid guitar backing. The tune is based on a modified 16 bar blues form which is a form that shows a pretty solid understanding of the genre. It is a clever idea and has a solid, repeatable hook in the chorus/refrain section. I am ok with the talking/sound fx section in the middle but I really think a second verse would have strengthened this song a lot more than the syllabic filler of "sha la la." With the addition of a second verse, this could be a fun tune for live performance with a full band.
A charming concept.
Dr Lindyke - Wake Me When It's Over
Ah, Dave we meet again. Despite some friendly competition in the past, is is always a pleasure to hear the confident piano/vocal stylings of Dr Lindyke. This is a great tune from Dave, but I'm not sure it's happy: As someone who has played at hundreds of catholic funerals, it has that same feel about it: "We're all telling each other this is a happy occasion, he's in a better place now, chin up, etc etc" but it's not hard to see that no one actually believes that. Bittersweet, calming, absolutely. Not completely sold on 'happy' though.
I'm not quite sure I understand the form here - there are three opening verse-like sections which are all pretty different, which leaves the ear going: "And, chorus...oh wait, no that's not the chorus." Beginning this third verse section with the title REALLY makes the listener feel like this is the chorus, especially with the percussion entrance here, but he actually holds off on the chorus until the fourth section in. If you want to keep all of these sections in your song, try moving one of them 'down' in the form until after the first chorus to give it a more accessible structure - this would have been confusing without lyrics in front of me.
The chorus melody is strong and solid, and while instrumental sections are usually viewed as a cheap way to fill songwriting real estate, it actually worked very nicely here, considering the reflective tone of the song. Strong piano playing carries through to the final cadence. (If your last line is "It's never over," consider not playing that final I chord and instead just leaving that line hanging there. It could be very effective.)
While not the best fit for this challenge, with a little polish this song is a strong addition to any songwriter's catalog.
Alexa Polasky - You Will Never Die
This tune has a strong 80's indie rock feel to it, which does not surprise me considering I know Alexa is a fan of Driftless Pony Club.
After the first chorus, I was pleased to hear the initial guitar riff come back. I think this would be even more effective if the drums dropped out there for 2 bars or so. This is a very strong chorus, especially with the additions of the harmonies on the second time through, and the drum arrangements throughout the whole tune. This is some of the best guitar playing and songwriting I have heard from Alexa so far. The vocal FX are a bit strong for my taste and can obscure some of the clarity of the lyrics - try running the vocal effects off a separate buss so they can be panned to the side or EQ'd separately.
The final section had a major feel to it which was a bit surprising after the minor, modal feel of the entire song, but given the repetition of the line "it only gets better" (why isn't this your title?) this is a very strong device and a good choice here - a great example of when to 'break' the rules. This song clocks in at over 5 minutes but it didn't feel too long to me.
This is a great entry. I would love to hear it on stage with a full band.
The Offhand Band - All Over
This relyricing of "Get Back" comes in at just under three and a half minutes, and while Alexa's tune didn't seem long at five, this seems long, probably due to the repetition of the hook. I'm not sure how much McCartney is to blame for that, but "Get Back" seemed like a somewhat random choice for this entry. That being said, the song does its job and tells the story efficiently. My only gripe is that the change of heart in the second verse seems to come about a little too abruptly - we've just established the situation that he's in a few lines ago. Get Back was the only Beatles single to be credited with another artist, and the Preston-style EP playing here gets the job done. Even though the original tune repeats ad infinitum, I could do with one less chorus here, or combine it with the keys solo at the end, since it's not really adding anything to the song by repeating again.
Although I can’t give full weight to springboarding someone else's song for a songwriting contest, Beatles fans will appreciate this "part 2"ish tale of JoJo.
Matt Walton - We're All Going To Die
Ah yes, we've managed to make it six whole songs into the round before a ukulele shows up.
This entry felt like it was poking some fun at the Ben Kweller-esque "sensitve guy" songs which is a tactic that I very much welcome. Form-wise, it's a good chorus, but it occurs three times with the same prechorus before the first two, and no prechorus preceding the last one. This feels kind of lopsided to my ear - some ways to 'fix' this would be to lose the second prechorus, or write another set of lyrics for it. Omitting it the second time seems like a better choice given the lyrical content of verse 2 and how well it would flow right into the chorus again. I appreciate the tone and point of this song very much. Another verse outlining increasingly ridiculous deaths would make this a surefire youtube success.
It's quaint, entertaining, and doesn't overstay its welcome.
Brian Daniell - Cubbies Will Win
Is that a mandolin I hear? This is exciting. Some great bass playing here as well, although at some time this made it a bit tough to hear the lyrics. This is a fresh and pleasant musical flavor and a funny idea for a song. I rather liked the premise especially with the addition of the sports joke. Execution-wise, the only word of advice I would offer is that it's hard to parse the exchanges within a single line- "Did I die?" "yes, you died" as being spoken by the two characters. This change of speaking point is pretty tough to do in song, be wary of it.
A fresh, enjoyable entry.
Byron Blocker & The Offbeats - She's Dead
I really liked a lot of the imagery in this song, particularly the first verse. My one lyrical criticism is that the line "She made it hard to live without suffering" is repeated almost ad nauseum but the narrator has really done nothing to say what exactly she did or why his life sucked so much with her. Some may find this insignificant but I think it's an integral part of taking the listener with you to the place of being happy that she's dead. Vocally and stylistically this was very well done, however, and there's a few interesting rhymes that made this fun to listen to.
Edric Haleen - I Hope You Die
Edric once again manages to cram an impressive word count into less than three minutes. This hilarious tune shows some serious Weird Al influence on top of his usual musical theater style. The last few seconds really develop the story and hint at a larger plot outside of the song. I really would have liked to have heard the last line sung instead of spoken. As usual, Edric’s work is excellent, with this being a great example of his lyric setting prowess, and I don’t have much to say.
Charlie McCarron - Grandma And Grandpa
Pulling a risky move here, McCarron submits a gimmick-free, humor-free, ‘serious’ song to the competition. It’s a strong song, and a good vocal delivery easily carries the plot through some minor lyrical setting issues. The vocalized section after the last chorus really rounds out the song. Although I tend to shy away from ‘extras’ like that, it’s very effective here. One thing that really would have made this song come together for me would have been executing a ‘colored’ chorus - using one of the several very good lines here at the end of each section, which would gain more meaning as the story progressed. “Grandma leans back in his lap, and takes in the stars” would be a great choice for this.
Spencer Sokol - Keeping Calm
Nice folky feel on this entry. I could go for a little more clear definition in terms of the different repeated sections of this song. There wasn’t much that I would have been able to sing back after hearing it once. I sense some very clever lyrical expression here but some of it is so cryptic that I can’t really tell what the overall message is as well as I’d like. There is some interesting imagery but I would definitely have trouble determining that it’s about death if I didn’t have the lyric in front of me. The vocal performance becomes more confident as the recording progresses - this is usually a sign that another take or two will land you right in the sweet spot. (Also try turning up the guitar in your recording headphones just a tad.) The line “be still” gets the most repetition and I would think about using that as the title, as well.
Luke Brekke, Esquire - Cannibal
This is kind of like Monster Mash only about cannibals. I thought a lot of people would go with the zombie route so this is fresh. I could definitely go for a bit more lead vocals as the organ is kind of overwhelming to my ear when trying to make out the lyrics - listen in particular to the beginning of the verse. Also worth trying: Running ALL the vocals, lead and bg vox through a single bus with compression. This helps keep the doubled BGV’s from overwhelming the lead, even though they are more multiple. The other thing I would have liked to hear from this entry is a steady time or beat at some point. It sounds established at some point but it is inconsistent at best. Some smoothing out of the connective tissue between sections of this song would really move it along nicely as well. I feel like this is a good start and good idea from Luke, and with some more refinement could turn into a great addition to the catalog.
"BucketHat" Bobby Matheson - No Worries
Bobby is back with his unconventional orchestration and quirky yet frank lyrics. The opening line is already funny. The first verse is great at establishing the rest of the song, and the instrumentation follows well. Bobby always pays clear attention to the sections and form of his songs. I really would have loved some percussion here - he does a great job keeping the rhythm driving but drums or at least shakers would have picked it up even more. This has a Jimmy Buffet / Garth Brooks bar anthem feel to it. On paper, the lyric looks massive but it doesn’t feel to long or crowded upon listening.
Alex Carpenter - The Day I Died
Alex Carpenter is a well-established pop writer and he will be a formidable competitor throughout this entire competition.
It is nice to hear Alex back on electric guitar - it really supports his voice well. The first two stanzas establish a very strong pace, mood, story, and melody. Him talking actively to his diary as the last human left alive during the zombie invasion kind of has a Wilson the Volleyball feel to it and it works well to hint at the desperation of the situation.
Going into the final verse would have been a great place to drop all the instruments out except for an acoustic guitar to really accentuate the finality of the story at this point. This song is well-paced, without much unnecessary fluff or dragging, but long enough to make the story arc feel natural. My two cents: Delaying the last two lines of the chorus by two beats each (I’ve held out long enough, it’s time for giving up) would result in having the words ‘held’ and ‘time’ on the downbeat of the bar and I think it would really strengthen the second half of the chorus, which seems like it’s struggling to follow the catchy singable opening half of the chorus. This is definitely one of the strongest entries this round, but those familiar with Alex’s career won’t find this a surprise considering his extensive experience.
Inverse T Clown - Caroline Is Dead
This is a great vocal performance. The harsh non-rhyme of the first two lines is somewhat softened after hearing the entire first verse and learning that it’s a through-written rhyme scheme. The sharp four half diminished passing chord is Coulton’s calling card and is well applied here. Another weird-al-ly entry. This song borders on having too many words but it doesn’t seem extremely burdened given the delivery.
It’s almost as if Inverse is counting on the listener having prior knowledge of the back-story of the Caroline character.
Jutze - I Love The Dead
The fun part about these challenges is seeing what out-of-the-box solutions people come up with. Undertaker / gravedigger is definitely an interesting route that I wouldn’t have thought of. This is a funny, quirky tune with lots of entertaining wordplay. With the slight exception of the “six feet under” line, nothing seems too forced. The last line seems a bit out of place and maybe just repeating “I love the dead” again as a tag would be a better cap to this very enjoyable song.
Godz Poodlz - Wake At The Sunnyside
This boppy beat has a Paul and Storm meets Backstreet Boys sound. The registered trademark symbol in the lyrics is a funny little joke that is lost without the written lyric in front of the listener. Part of what made this so fun is that I could almost imagine this song being used in a really bad promotional TV commercial for a funeral home. This suspicion is overwhelmingly confirmed once we get to the Major Credit Cards lyric. My only constructive criticism is that, aside from the modulation, little is done to break up the somewhat receptive sound, and even the modulation doesn’t free the ears all that much.
Tally Deushane - My Dead Goldfish
This is a pretty interesting idea for a song, given the challenge, and the line “but I only wanted you for a week” is very funny, almost laugh-inducing so and I think trying to rework this as the closing line of the chorus would be a very successful idea. Melodically, it can be a bit repetitive and a little more variation is desired. Plot-wise, all we get is that the goldfish was “needy.” We never find out why - maybe replacing one of the repeated sections with a second verse going into some humorous explanation would be something worth looking into.
Ethan Ivey - The Four-Year Itch
This song started out sweet and then took a turn. And then took another turn. And then took another turn. This triple twist was pretty well-executed, however the last section felt a bit too long for my taste - maybe a line or two being dropped could be the difference here. I feel like one less stanza would make this feel much lighter and snappier. There are some truly funny moments and some mildly appalling moments. I would love to hear this song done in barbershop quartet format.
Matt And Donna - Lady On The Gray
Absolutely everything - piano part, melody, vocal delivery, style, horn lines, production - screams Ben Folds - in a good way. Given this reviewer’s chosen genre, that statement should not be taken lightly. The storytelling was a little less than clear, but maybe that’s intentional given the subject matter. The one thing that I really can’t let pass without mentioning is the background vocals - the bottom part sings the notes A and C. The C calls over an A major chord, and it really should be a C# to avoid clashing quite strongly with the piano part. Overall, however, this was a very enjoyable entry.
Ross Durand - No Taxes
Cramming both a penis joke and a religion joke into the same chorus is a big plus for me, I won’t lie. I much enjoyed the guitar playing on this as well. I really wanted the last chord of the verse to be VI- rather than IV, given the progression leading into it. This is a very good idea and a pretty good execution, but I think changing the second and third chorus sections up to include more jokes instead of repeating the same ones three times would take this song from very good to excellent.
Menage’A Tune - Isn’t It Nice
The ‘box of chocolates’ lyric at the end of verse 2 is a nice cap and it would be neat to hear this at the end of each verse. This song relates a somewhat harmless but satisfying childhood scheme (or is it really harmless? is the song about death? in that case it’s pretty scary.), and the vocal delivery has a kind of “told you so,” struggling to hold in laughter quality to it, which added to the listening experience. This seems like a good addition to a children’s entertainer’s catalog. It is the slightest bit draggy, which might be aided by a very small tempo increase, maybe only 4 or 6 bpm.
Glen Raphael - When You’re Dead
I appreciate the stylistic effort here, especially the spoons. When recording this type of vocal production, it’s best to have a piano scratch to help you maintain pitch. Key establishment fades in and out and this song’s impact would be much stronger if it had a stronger pitch center, and the tools of harmony and melody then start pulling their weight. For the most part I can hear the progression that is being implied, but it’s difficult. Despite this, I was able to enjoy the groove and the premise. My only other gripe is that the section about the mortgage and the chores seemed 2 lines too short and felt a little off kilter. I definitely think this is a great approach to the challenge.
Doom SKITTLE - A Better Place
I’m not sure the pacing was the optimal approach for this challenge - at least to me, the only ‘happy’ part was the final line, and even then it really didn’t feel happy at all, mostly due to the melancholic nature of the accompaniment. The lyrics make sense on paper but are kind of scattered in delivery. The lyrics read with hints of a southern baptist poetry which is pretty interesting and I think definitely adds to the atmosphere of the story.
Wait What - Death: Everyone’s Doing it!
Funny title! A song about death in the style of a children’s song, while perhaps slightly overdone, is hilarious. This song packs a lot of entertaining content, but it feels unnecessarily long. Going through with a fine-toothed comb and picking the funniest lines would improve the ‘density’ of the song. The rap is funny as well, although it feels kind of shoehorned in. Excellent concept.
Steve Durand - Die Happy
Excellent production and instrumentation. Usually that wouldn’t impact my rating but this style really requires the kind of brass performance present here. This is a very authentic shot at this style. It’s light heated... I could have gone for a slightly more humorous approach but I really enjoyed this entry nonetheless.
Jason Morris - Burning For You
What a disturbingly creepy entry! The shining upbeat production masks its truly grisly plot. The combined prechorus/chorus section is very well constructed and definitely builds appropriately. Jason is an experienced player and producer, and I don’t have much negative to say about this entry, especially given the time constraints. I really wanted to hear that tambourine come in on the chorus. There, how’s that?
Caleb Hines - Haven’t You Ever
The first makes me wonder “where’s he going with this?” and builds excellently into the chorus. Caleb presently surprised me with the very successful execution of this great idea. Instrumentally and compositionally this is a wonderfully crafted little song. I really liked the five minor chord on the chorus, and the rhyme scheme is appropriately pleasing. I don’t feel the change in the last chorus was necessary, it was funny enough as it was, and changing to “I’m dead” doesn’t really add anything to the song’s comedic value, in my opinion.
Bryce Jensen - Thank You
Despite some lyrical setting issues, this lyric is pretty well done and another great execution of what may seem like an overly simple idea. There’s nothing wrong with the length or the pacing, per say, but another verse or bridge section would be a welcome addition here to provide some more ‘real estate’ for jokes. I really enjoyed listening to this entry.
Pat And Gweebol - Baby Go To Sleep
The carefree nature of this song makes the tragedy of its subject matter quite surreal and dreamlike. Perhaps this was intentional to highlight the drug-induced haze. This is a quaint little piece, not overly inventive or original but executed well and doesn’t overstay its welcome. It seems like, at times, the bass part and the piano part were not in agreement about the chord progression or perhaps inversions being used. It’s not overly distracting, but it definitely sounds like 2 things going on rather than the solid support that a bass guitar generally provides when it’s playing on a piano-centric arrangement. The vocal performances in this song are well above average and go a long way to improving the listener’s reception of the song.
The Boffo Yux Dudes - Marked For Death
This feels more like a spoken word performance piece set over music rather than a ‘song’ but it is entertaining nonetheless. Given this format, the repeated chorus seems a little but unnecessary. The BYD have managed to cram a ton of lyric into just over 2 minutes and that might alleviate some of the bulging nature of the lyric. The vibe I am getting is Monster Mash meets poetry jam. It’s a solid idea, but it could become a great idea with some more refined characters.
Young Stroke aka Young Muscle - My Name Is Death
Hip hop and rap are generally pretty rare genres in songwriting contests and for that reason I welcomed this change of pace. This portrayal of Death brings to mind the family guy character. The rhyming style is authentically early 90’s NYC/ east coast hip hop rap scene, and the pacing is pretty good for the most part. There are some moderate mis-settings and some breaks in the flow but overall this is a great entry. A few of the rhymes seem a bit forced and I would have liked to see more complex internal rhyme happening, but to be fair, more complex internal rhymes weren’t really prevalent in this style of hip hop until the late 90’s and might not sound genuine with this track.
Chris Cogott - Drag Me Down
Some great prosody in the chorus section here, and overall great production on this simplistic but very enjoyable tune. Those not heeding the opening lines will miss out on most of the ‘backstory.’ This song’s execution sits right in the sweetspot between too much of a storytelling burden and being frustratingly ambiguous. Other than some slightly tired rhymes, I have little to say in terms of criticism.
Happi - The Next Part Of Life
This wins the award for most intellectual and philosophical entry hands down. I found myself listening multiple times and following the lyrics - this is definitely not fluff. If you haven’t heard this track, give it a listen: It is a bold and confident presentation of some very interesting lyrics. There are few minor lyrical mis-settings here as well but it’s an excellent dense, well-flowing rap. The track builds well and is paced well. The dead stop on the refrain line is very effective. The bridge section is thrash-y and heavy -- try easing up on the master compression a bit to give this section a lot more teeth. This is an excellently constructed and executed lyric.
Emperor Gum - Frequency
The pacing is quite slow on this entry but I’m ok with it because it mirrors the events of the plot and the listener can sense the protagonist's frustration.
The prechorus chord progression might not be the most appropriate for the lyrical content. However the chord progression of the ending section is cinematic and fitting. While I see how this can be classified as a ‘happy’ song, it definitely left me feeling more of an eerie grisly chill than joy. But I think that’s part of the fun. I see the radio connection but I think the lyric contains a more appropriate title for this song.
Jon Eric - Birthday
This song really has the feel of a traditional folk song that has been passed down for generations around campfires, both in content and execution. The pacing of the story for the first two verses is excellent. I’m not sure about the third verse, as it really doesn’t match the tone or timelessness of the rest of the song. Try ending the third verse on a half cadence rather than the one chord. I really like the lyrical construction of the chorus and I think this is a fine song, definitely something to be proud of.
Hudson And Day - Silly Baby
The lyrics of this song are frustratingly difficult to make out, and I really wish I could hear them better to absorb the interplay between the two vocalists. While the piano holds down the harmonic setting of the song, at times the vocals are out of time and some of the harmonies aren’t really meshing nicely with the chord progression. The story seems purposely ambiguous as to time and place, but it definitely feels like a Sam Spade, Fosse’s Chicago type setting. That being the case, this is an interesting start to a neat idea and I feel like a lot more could be done to develop the concept. I would stick with this post-spintunes and really put some time into neatening it up, because there are a lot of possibilities for this song and it has the potential to be very dramatic and interesting.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
SpinTunes 3: Round 1 Songs
One of the things I love about SpinTunes is how supportive people can be. I wasn't as active as I would have liked to have been in the chat room during the LP, but whenever I did manage to follow along I saw tons of positive comments. Thank you to everyone who showed up, it was a great turn out. I think I counted over 70 people at one point, and no fewer than 50 while the songs were being played. THAT'S AWESOME!
The songs are now available for FREE download, and you can vote for your favorite entries as well. With the new addition of the popular vote, many of you will be asking friends and family to support you. That's great, but when you do, please ask them to listen to all the songs & vote for their favorites. You can vote for up to 5 different people, so they might as well listen to everyone.
PLEASE download the entire album vs downloading just a handful of songs. BandCamp limits how many free downloads I can give away, and 1 album download counts the same as 1 song download.
With 37 entries turned in for round 1, that means there will be 11 elimintions for the first 3 rounds. That would leave 4 finalist for round 4. Good luck everyone.
You can find the album on BandCamp by clicking the image below:
(Album cover by Dr. Lindyke)
- You can vote for your favorite songs with the poll in the right sidebar. -->
- Popular vote stays open until 8PM on the 25th.
- Judges & guest judges have until 8PM on the 25th to hand in their reviews.
- I will post the Reviews & Eliminations at 11PM on the 25th.
- June 26th 1AM (Sun) - Second Challenge is announced.
Videos:
If anyone wants to make a video for their song, I'll include it here:
SpinTunes 3
David Ritter made this video before the contest started. In case you haven't seen it, I thought I'd include it here.
I Love The Dead by Jutze
No Taxes by Ross Durand
Today Is Not That Day by Common Lisp (Shadow)
Reviews & Links Of Interest For This Round:
(If anyone writes any reviews or song bios please send me the links & I'll link to them here.)
- Here's a Song Bio for The Offhand Band.
- Tom Giarrosso of the Boffo Yux Dudes reviewed the shadow entries in the comments section below.
- Dr. Lindyke posted a Song Bio for his entry.
- Chris Cogott posted a Song Bio for his entry.
- Noah McLaughlin decided to write some Reviews of this round.
- Sammy Kablam reviewed this round as part of his Negative Reinforcement series. These are not meant to be constructive, and done for entertainment more than anything.
- Jutze posted a Song Bio for his entry.
- Byron Blocker & The Offbeats requested I remove the video of their entry from the site. Even though I don't need anyone to OK the embed of a video, I did as they wished. So if you want to see it, you'll have to go to their YouTube Channel.
- Godz Poodlz posted a Song Bio for their entry.
- Jutze wrote Reviews for this round.
The songs are now available for FREE download, and you can vote for your favorite entries as well. With the new addition of the popular vote, many of you will be asking friends and family to support you. That's great, but when you do, please ask them to listen to all the songs & vote for their favorites. You can vote for up to 5 different people, so they might as well listen to everyone.
PLEASE download the entire album vs downloading just a handful of songs. BandCamp limits how many free downloads I can give away, and 1 album download counts the same as 1 song download.
With 37 entries turned in for round 1, that means there will be 11 elimintions for the first 3 rounds. That would leave 4 finalist for round 4. Good luck everyone.
You can find the album on BandCamp by clicking the image below:
- You can vote for your favorite songs with the poll in the right sidebar. -->
- Popular vote stays open until 8PM on the 25th.
- Judges & guest judges have until 8PM on the 25th to hand in their reviews.
- I will post the Reviews & Eliminations at 11PM on the 25th.
- June 26th 1AM (Sun) - Second Challenge is announced.
Videos:
If anyone wants to make a video for their song, I'll include it here:
SpinTunes 3
David Ritter made this video before the contest started. In case you haven't seen it, I thought I'd include it here.
I Love The Dead by Jutze
No Taxes by Ross Durand
Today Is Not That Day by Common Lisp (Shadow)
Reviews & Links Of Interest For This Round:
(If anyone writes any reviews or song bios please send me the links & I'll link to them here.)
- Here's a Song Bio for The Offhand Band.
- Tom Giarrosso of the Boffo Yux Dudes reviewed the shadow entries in the comments section below.
- Dr. Lindyke posted a Song Bio for his entry.
- Chris Cogott posted a Song Bio for his entry.
- Noah McLaughlin decided to write some Reviews of this round.
- Sammy Kablam reviewed this round as part of his Negative Reinforcement series. These are not meant to be constructive, and done for entertainment more than anything.
- Jutze posted a Song Bio for his entry.
- Byron Blocker & The Offbeats requested I remove the video of their entry from the site. Even though I don't need anyone to OK the embed of a video, I did as they wished. So if you want to see it, you'll have to go to their YouTube Channel.
- Godz Poodlz posted a Song Bio for their entry.
- Jutze wrote Reviews for this round.
Round 1 LP & Deadline News
As with every SpinTunes deadline there is usually good news & bad news. The good news is that we had more official entries for this round than any other round in our short history. 37 people managed to turn something in on time. The bad news is of course that 23 people did not turn something in on time. A few people pulled out of the contest, while others just missed the deadline. For those of you that missed the deadline, but have a song (or part of one) finished, get it turned in. Shadow entries are awesome, and everyone in the contest would love to hear your work. Right now we have 7 shadow entries to go along with the 37 regular entries. Anything else that's turned in will be added to the album, and played at the listening party.
The listening party will be hosted by me, and it starts at 8PM TONIGHT! Like always, we're going by my time, not yours. (counter has been updated for you) I will play the songs in the order they were submitted, and then play the shadow entries at the end. I hope you decide to stop by, and bring friends. I'll probably get there 15-20 minutes early, but the SpinTunes songs won't start until 8PM. All songs will be available for FREE listen & download shortly after the LP.
Listening Party Location: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/spintunes
So many people pushed the deadline, and didn't turn in a draft early. If you wait until the last 15 minutes to turn something in, there's a good chance you'll end up missing the deadline. Files take longer to upload & send than you think, links may not work, power outages happen, computer crashes, bounced e-mails, etc..etc... I know sometimes waiting until the last second is unavoidable, but this round (as well as others in the past) are great examples of why you should do your best to avoid it. If you send in a rough demo early, at least that gives you an entry if something horrible happens & you don't update it by the deadline. The deadline is as much a part of the challenge as the lyrical/musical prompt.
Deadline Eliminations: Heather Miller, Common Lisp, Bram Tant, Darrell Maclaine, Cass and Dannerzz, David LeDuc, Anna P, The Vespus, InfernoVivo, Dylan Ihde, Ben Tracy, Donutworthy, MC Squared, Wire Fixerson, Jimmy DiNardo, Megan M, Quetzalcoatlus, Green Mama Bathsalts, Patrick Goodden, DrTRB & Deftlemons, B-Type, David Ritter & Zinkline.
(Details about the round 1 judges eliminations will be posted after the LP.)
(PS: I'm very tired & haven't slept yet. I'm about to do that now. If I forgot something or made an error (#BlameHeather), just tell me via e-mail. Don't expect a quick response...cause as I said...I'm going to bed.)
The listening party will be hosted by me, and it starts at 8PM TONIGHT! Like always, we're going by my time, not yours. (counter has been updated for you) I will play the songs in the order they were submitted, and then play the shadow entries at the end. I hope you decide to stop by, and bring friends. I'll probably get there 15-20 minutes early, but the SpinTunes songs won't start until 8PM. All songs will be available for FREE listen & download shortly after the LP.
Listening Party Location: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/spintunes
So many people pushed the deadline, and didn't turn in a draft early. If you wait until the last 15 minutes to turn something in, there's a good chance you'll end up missing the deadline. Files take longer to upload & send than you think, links may not work, power outages happen, computer crashes, bounced e-mails, etc..etc... I know sometimes waiting until the last second is unavoidable, but this round (as well as others in the past) are great examples of why you should do your best to avoid it. If you send in a rough demo early, at least that gives you an entry if something horrible happens & you don't update it by the deadline. The deadline is as much a part of the challenge as the lyrical/musical prompt.
Deadline Eliminations: Heather Miller, Common Lisp, Bram Tant, Darrell Maclaine, Cass and Dannerzz, David LeDuc, Anna P, The Vespus, InfernoVivo, Dylan Ihde, Ben Tracy, Donutworthy, MC Squared, Wire Fixerson, Jimmy DiNardo, Megan M, Quetzalcoatlus, Green Mama Bathsalts, Patrick Goodden, DrTRB & Deftlemons, B-Type, David Ritter & Zinkline.
(Details about the round 1 judges eliminations will be posted after the LP.)
(PS: I'm very tired & haven't slept yet. I'm about to do that now. If I forgot something or made an error (#BlameHeather), just tell me via e-mail. Don't expect a quick response...cause as I said...I'm going to bed.)
Thursday, June 9, 2011
SpinTunes #3: Round 1 Challenge
If You're Happy And You Know It Raise The Dead - Write a happy song about death. (2 minute minimum) (your submission is due June 19th 11:59PM)
- 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.
- The bold part is just the title of the challenge. Everything after that is the actual challenge. I just like to come up with titles for the albums/challenges.
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 have 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: YouSendIt, Sound Cloud, Drop Box, RapidShare, ZShare & 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!
Side Notes:
- For those of you that stayed up late to see who & how many people signed up for SpinTunes the other night, you'll remember there being 58 sign-ups. If you check now, you'll count 60. Do to me being a disorganized boob, 1 e-mail was misplaced & another just forgotten about. But 2 other people did have their release info sent in by the deadline, so I plugged them into the profiles page where they should have been.
- 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 #3, 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. This project was started in our little community of friends long before SpinTunes even started.
- Feel free to leave any questions in the comments.
- 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.
- The bold part is just the title of the challenge. Everything after that is the actual challenge. I just like to come up with titles for the albums/challenges.
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 have 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: YouSendIt, Sound Cloud, Drop Box, RapidShare, ZShare & 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!
Side Notes:
- For those of you that stayed up late to see who & how many people signed up for SpinTunes the other night, you'll remember there being 58 sign-ups. If you check now, you'll count 60. Do to me being a disorganized boob, 1 e-mail was misplaced & another just forgotten about. But 2 other people did have their release info sent in by the deadline, so I plugged them into the profiles page where they should have been.
- 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 #3, 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. This project was started in our little community of friends long before SpinTunes even started.
- Feel free to leave any questions in the comments.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
SpinTunes #3: Profiles
The old SpinTunes logo has been retired, and this updated logo will take it's place. Happi (from the list below) was kind enough to make it for us. It'll soon be plastered all over the SpinTunes sites & new T-Shirt hopefully. So big thanks to Happi.
I had a good time hanging out with some of you in the ArtiFiction chat room before this was posted. I'll be hanging out in ArtiFiction again a couple hours before the first challenge goes ups. Stop on by, we had 11 people in there at once tonight. (SEE) In total, I lost count of how many stopped by, but there were 6 or 7 others who aren't in that pic that were there at some point. For instance: "Buckethat" Bobby Matheson, Bram Tant, Heather Miller, Doom SKITTLE, Governing Dynamics, Kevin Savino-Riker (former SpinTunes champion), and Edric Haleen were all there visiting at some point. (sorry if I missed someone)
Round 1 Album - Round 2 Album - Round 3 Album - Round 4
SpinTunes #3 Rules - SpinTunes #3 Schedule
Round 1 Challenge: If You're Happy And You Know It Raise The Dead - Write a happy song about death. (2 minute minimum) (they had 12 days) (Results)
Round 2 Challenge: BREAKING NEWS! - You‘re writing a topical song. 'Topical' was defined as something from a headline in a newspaper no older than 2 weeks from 6/26/2011. They were required to include a link to the story that inspired their songs, or attach a scan from the newspaper. (2 minute minimum) (they had 8 days) (Results)
Round 3 Challenge: Top That - Write a rap. For anyone who has any experience rapping, you get the added challenge of making your rap about a work romance. That added challenge doesn't apply to those who have never rapped up until this point. (2 minute minimum) (they had 8 days) (Results)
Round 4 Challenge: A Picture's Worth A Thousand Lyrics - Write a song inspired by THIS Reinfried Marass photograph. (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!)
Links: Website
R1: I Hope You Die
R2: What About Love? (not on album)
R3: Voted Out Sarah
R4:
Heather Miller: I remember as a kid, wearing a cape, somewhere upwards of 17 crazy pigtails and bouncing around the bedroom of a small trailer in Iowa, changing the colors to “Yellow Submarine” for as long as my dad would play it. Fast-forward to college, teaching myself chords with a loaned guitar and book of Easy Beatles Songs. Then homework to write a melody every day. Turning to my poetic-rambling filled journals, I picked out a few pieces and dove in. I succumbed to my practical side for a few years after college, but little songs about life kept knocking at my door. In May 2011, they kicked down the door and dragged me from Iowa to Austin for a year of in depth study and focus. I can't wait to see what happens.
Links: Website - @humsongs - YouTube Channel
R1: Deadline Victim Throw My Anchor Down (Shadow)
R2:
R3:
R4:
Menage’ a Tune: Menage’ a Tune is mostly JoAnn Abbott, but can include any number of friends willing to help her manage to get a tune out and who can play an instrument. JoAnn first got her feet wet with last summers SpinTunes 1, and has participated in a number of collaborative and cooperative musical endeavors since then. If you would like to contribute to any of her songs, please drop her a line! When not making music, she like to make costumes and spoil grandchildren...and teach them to sing, of course.
Links: Website - @calliopeva
R1: Voted Out Isn't It Nice
R2: The Furries Are Heading Back To Pittsburgh (Shadow)
R3: Roman Road Rap (Shadow)
R4: Tempted (Shadow)
Jutze: Singing folky pop songs like "I Wish Natalie Portman Was My Neighbour", "Graveyard Girl" and "Laundry Day", Jutze has left marks all over the internet. His most recent project saw him release 52 52-second songs throughout 2010. For SpinTunes #3 he will now return to write somewhat longer tracks. Jutze's real name is Johannes Schult. He lives in Germany and is a fan of Roxette, Eric Bazilian, Dar Williams, Chris de Burgh, Blind Guardian, XKCD, statistics and Star Wars.
Links: Website - @schult - YouTube Channel
R1: I Love The Dead
R2: Re: Your Oil
R3: Voted Out My Friend Kay
R4:
Matt Walton: I'm a software engineer by trade, but spend a fair amount of the rest of my life playing the recorder and viola de gamba, singing and dabbling in other instruments of varying utility. I'm mostly into renaissance, baroque and folk music, with occasional diversions into contemporary rock and pop. Describing SpinTunes as a 'challenge' is a serious understatement, but I work better with a deadline.
Links: Website - @MaW
R1: We're All Going To Die
R2: Voted Out Take Your Placards Down To London
R3:
R4:
The Offhand Band: OHB is Mark S. Meritt. He began with a kids CD. SpinTunes #1 drove him beyond family-friendliness. Just as well. Mark has written musicals & screenplays that agents represented, performed piano on national TV including once with Rosie O’Donnell, & received honors & citations for academic work on sustainability. He teaches the revolutionary Simply Music piano method, is a keyboardist for the Mop & Bucket improv theatre company, & offers unique creativity services thru http://potluckcreativearts.com/.
Links: Website - @theoffhandband - YouTube Channel
R1: All Over
R2: Program aids food stamp users
R3: Voted Out Not Cool
R4:
Common Lisp: Paul is a middle-aged nerd with a wife, five kids, some guitars and microphones, and musical tendencies. This will be his third songwriting contest. Think of it as either his midlife crisis, or his therapy. He has worked on collaborations with various folks including Joe "Covenant" Lamb, Denise Hudson, and The Mandelbrot Set, the Jonathan Coulton virtual cover band.
Links: Website - @paulrpotts - YouTube Channel
R1: Deadline Victim Today Is Not That Day (Shadow)
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
Links: Website - @Dr_Lindyke - YouTube Channel
R1: Wake Me When It's Over
R2: Prayer For Peace
R3: Voted Out Politics And Promises
R4: Photo Finish (Shadow)
Godz Poodlz: Icon/Rock/Dad Band! Two neighborz and friendz unite to form “Gödz Pöödlz!" Gödz Pöödlz are Rüss Rögers and Rhöd Dürre.
Links: Website - @GodzPoodlz - YouTube Channel
R1: Wake At The Sunnyside
R2: Voted Out Independence And Freedom For All
R3:
R4:
"BucketHat" Bobby Matheson: Bobby is a veteran of Song-Fu and Spintunes who has almost entirely dropped off of the face of music over the past year. He is really sorry and is going to try his hardest to not suck this time around.
Links: @buckethatbobby - YouTube Channel
R1: No Worries
R2: Deadline Victim
R3:
R4:
Spencer Sokol: Spencer makes music, but has decided to let someone else be the judge of that.
Links: Website - @spencersokol - YouTube Channel
R1: Voted Out Keeping Calm
R2:
R3:
R4:
Wait What: Featuring LBC's Glen Nesbitt, Alex Benavidez, and Shelby Prendergast, Wait What will make you take your clothes off and go dancing in the rain.
Links: Website
R1: Death: Everyone's Doing it!
R2: Bunny Please Don't Go
R3: Voted Out Six Years Seventeen Days
R4:
Governing Dynamics: Yeah, this is another one of those "bands" that just has one dude (almost invariably a guitarist, and indeed that is the case here) in. Incidentally, I don't describe my music very well (let's say it's "post grunge, occasionally described as sounding like Radiohead") so feel free to check the bandcamp site if you're curious.
Links: Website - @travisnorris
R1: Alive Again
R2: Voted Out Cameras, Streetlights, And Things Worth Fighting For
R3:
R4: Flooded (Shadow)
Tally Deushane: Tally Deushane is college student with way too much time on her hands, as well as four ukuleles named after characters from Joss Whedon shows and a crazy insane TV DVD collection. She is a three-time piano lesson drop-out, who has more nerdy t-shirts than closet space, much to her mother's chagrin. Once, in the span of 24-hours, she sat in Sheldon's spot on The Big Bang Theory set and was kissed on the cheek by Neil Patrick Harris. She may or may not still be reeling from that experience.
Links: Website - @live2tivo - YouTube Channel
R1: My Dead Goldfish
R2: Deadline Victim
R3:
R4:
Luke Brekke, Esquire: A 15 year old from Minnesota, Luke Brekke is the co-founder of the record label "MediaRose Records." He plays piano and alto saxophone and sings bass. You just lost the game.
Links: Website - @hamisgood
R1: Voted Out Cannibal
R2:
R3:
R4:
Gold Lion: Gold Lion is the product of 15-year-old Mariah Mercedes. A high school student from Shakopee, Minnesota, Mariah is fairly new to the world of songwriting, but is quickly learning its landscape. Gold Lion cuts out the clichés of teenage love songs, and in return brings bluesy-acoustic vibes and true-to-the-heart lyrics that will put any listener in a state of bliss.
Links: Website - @GoldLionMusic - YouTube Channel
R1: In The Afterlife
R2: Message For Vivian
R3: Deadline Victim
R4: Some Things Weren't Built To Last (Shadow)
Caleb Hines: Caleb is a software engineer by day who enjoys pretending to write music on the internet when he gets the chance. A Song Fu and SpinTunes veteran, he is self-trained in classical music theory, and has amassed a small plethora of instruments, though few that he can play well. That hasn't stopped him from trying, though.
Links: Website - @calebhines - YouTube Channel
R1: Haven't You Ever
R2: Too Soon To Say Goodbye
R3: Voted Out Two Musicians (DQ)
R4:
Alexa Polasky: A singer/songwriter from a small town in Ohio, I try to make my music unique to myself and at the same time relatable to young people. I've been playing guitar and singing since 2005 and have shared the stage with talented artists such as The Civil Wars, Driftless Pony Club, and Mike Lombardo.
Links: Website - @alexapolasky - YouTube Channel
R1: You Will Never Die
R2: Voted Out Infidelity
R3:
R4:
Ethan Ivey: Ethan is a student at Western Illinois University and is studying music education. He is excited to be student teaching next spring and becoming a high school choir director. He doesn't often write music and is looking forward to an opportunity to do so among friends.
Links: @ethanjivey
R1: Voted Out The Four-Year Itch
R2:
R3: Entry 3 (Shadow)
R4:
Emperor Gum: Moth Rock.
Links: Website - @emperorgumnews - YouTube Channel
R1: Voted Out Frequency
R2:
R3:
R4:
Matt and Donna: Matt and Donna didn't know each other growing up, but coincidentally played the same instruments as children: piano and trumpet. After learning this they found they also happen to have a lot of other things in common, and since each deemed the other to be awesome, they got married in 2008. Matt and Donna both have some training in voice and piano but prefer to willfully ignore that training and do whatever they want musically because that's fun.
Links: @sh00bs
R1: Lady On The Gray
R2: A Tight Spot
R3: Anatomy Dance
R4: Back Down The Road (Winner)
Glen Raphael: is a Manhattan-based singer-songwriter whose songs combine humor, love, and a nerdy modern sensibility. Glen 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.
Links: Website - @glenraphael - YouTube Channel
R1: Voted Out When You're Dead
R2: Billion Metal Dollars (Shadow)
R3:
R4:
Anna P: I'm Anna P (I'd tell you my last name, but you probably wouldn't pronounce it correctly). I have red hair (yes, that is important AND awesome) and am currently 20 years old. My influences are Paramore, YUI, Michelle Branch, and Lady Gaga. In the past few years, I've been kind of well-known on YouTube for doing covers of Japanese songs, so I would say that the majority of my fanbase are Japanese people, which is awesome because I can speak Japanese. I have written only a handful of songs over the years, so I'm hoping that SpinTunes will motivate me to get back into songwriting!
Links: Website - @annapeasoup - YouTube Channel
R1: Deadline Victim Jesus's Best Friend (Shadow)
R2:
R3:
R4:
The Vespus: On the second day of the year, 2008, three musicians met in a garage to form the band soon to be known as The Vespus. Driven by percussion, bass, and guitar (accompanied by vocals) The Vespus set out to be a fun lovin’ band that you and you’re mom would love. The boys of the band, dressed in plaid shirts adorned with skinny ties, played their take on alternative rock in several localities of L.A. and Orange County.
Links: Website
R1: Deadline Victim (Shadowed) (not on album)
R2:
R3:
R4:
Chris Cogott: This is Chris's second adventure traversing the SpinTunes universe. The first go through was a ton of fun. Hopefully there won't be any broken instruments this time around. He's been playing and writing music for close to a hundred and fifty years now but it doesn't seem that long.
Links: Website - @chriscogott
R1: Drag Me Down
R2: Welcome To Kabul
R3: Deadline Victim
R4:
Byron Blocker & The Offbeats: Byron Blocker & The Offbeats play a drunken mix of Whiskey Blues/Pirate Jazz in the vein of Tom Waits. The Offbeats earned their nickname Hollywood’s Midnight Band by playing their home stage The Viper Room more times than any other band in 2010.
April 2011, The Offbeats won the Music Publishing Marathon at Musician’s Institute and have since started their own publishing company. The band plays extensively throughout Southern California promoting their new EP and supporting local charity shows.
Links: Website - @ByronBlocker - YouTube Channel
R1: She's Dead (not on album)
R2: (Withdrew)
R3:
R4:
Young Stroke aka Young Muscle: Young Stroke aka Young Muscle appeared on the scene in the Summer of 2005, and has since proceeded to push the boundaries of crunk to the breaking point! Not giving a damn, Streezy has no shame and will proceed to act a fool and humiliate himself on one track, then act like it never happened and spit more fire than a flamethrower on the next! Searches have been conducted to find music moguls as eclectic and quirky, yet at the same time crunk and dank as the Stroke, but have so far proven to be unsuccessful!
Links: Website - @rebelnaked - YouTube Channel
R1: Voted Out My Name Is Death
R2: One Dollar Robber (Shadow)
R3:
R4:
Charlie McCarron: Charlie studied composition at Saint John's University, where he learned to appreciate and make weird music. His style is now all over the map - pop, folk, classical, experimental, etc. In 2011, Charlie has been getting back into filmmaking. He also organized the Frankensong Challenge in January, and he recently formed a dark, grungy band with his cousins, called Rat People.
Links: Website - @charliemccarron - YouTube Channel
R1: Grandma And Grandpa
R2: The Mountain Will Not Yield
R3: Trail In The Snow
R4: Skipping Stones (placed 4th)
Ross Durand: I write songs because i want people to hear songs that make them think and feel. I write songs because when dylan plays alone ona stage, 10,000 people stop and listen. I write songs because it makes me feel good.
Links: Website
R1: No Taxes
R2: The American Way
R3: Camp Romance
R4: Rusty (placed 3rd)
Pat And Gweebol: Patrick and Gweebol enjoy catchy melodies and interesting chord progressions. They will try to make some. Starting.....now."
Links:
R1: Baby Go To Sleep
R2: The Story Is Mine: Confession Of An Undocumented Immigrant
R3: TickiTock (Top Tad)
R4: In The DeVille (runner up)
Donutworthy: Hello, Judges. Listeners. Look at the other contestants. Now back to Donutworthy. Now back at them. Now BACK to us. Unfortunately, they can’t be the amazing collection of individuals that were chiseled and perfected in Frankensong’s Castle of Excellence; but all could learn from their shining example. Perhaps. Look down. Look up. The Donutworthy shadow falls long. Floods into your room. You’re in Scotland. Belgium. England. You’re crossing the wilds of America. With the band your band could rock like. On a horse.
Links: Website - @donutworthy - YouTube Channel
R1: Deadline Victim Signal (Shadow)
R2:
R3:
R4:
Hudson And Day: We're not going to lie to you. It would be difficult to find better looking people than Alyssa Day and Denise Hudson on the internet. Luckily for the rest of you, this isn't a beauty contest. Unhappily, however, this IS a contest that measures talent and songwriting aptitude; and angel voiced Day and contest veteran Hudson are going to smoke you people. No. Just kidding. This is a FAMILY show… and not about money OR prizes OR babes! Look out though, Donutworthy. We're coming for YOU.
Links: Website - @HudsonandDay - YouTube Channel
R1: Voted Out Silly Baby
R2:
R3:
R4:
Happi: One-half of comedy hip-hop outfit Spandex Moose. He comes from Down Under and enjoys riding his Kangaroo to the shops. He has never really done much solo-work but as a rapper he decided it was inevitable to one day drop a solo album because them's the breaks.
Links: Website - @happi_mc - YouTube Channel
R1: The Next Part Of Life
R2: Voted Out Double The Fetish
R3:
R4:
Alex Carpenter: Alex is from Los Angeles, and enjoys the following things : Your Favorite Band and The Summer.
Links: @AlexCarpenter - YouTube Channel
R1: The Day I Died
R2: Voted Out The Last Launch
R3:
R4:
The Boffo Yux Dudes: The 2011incarnation of Boffo Yux Dudes include Allan Morgan and Tom Giarrosso, with other sundry accomplices. Their farcical past stretches back to the 80's, peaked in the 90's and was re-released in the 10's with time off for good behavior. Now they're rested and ready to rumble.
We've been on Dr. Demento numerous times, had an award winning cable TV show, are enshrined in the Periodic Table of Geek Musicians, and now plan to release a CD this summer.
Links: Website - @BoffoYuxDudes - YouTube Channel
R1: Voted Out Marked For Death
R2:
R3: It's All About the Benjamins (Shadow)
R4: Alien Octopus Trilogy (Shadow) - Car (Shadow) - My First Car (Shadow) - Bayou Cadillac (Shadow) - Cadillac Coupe DeVille (Shadow) - (Lay Around The) Caddy (Shadow)
Green Mama Bathsalts: We forage and plunder.
Links:
R1: Deadline Victim See You In Hell (Shadow)
R2:
R3:
R4:
Brian Daniell: Singer/Songwriter from Boulder CO. Performs with a trio (Lost Alamos) which includes his wife, Vicki Bynum and well-known producer-guitarist Scott Bennett. The group plays Brian’s songs exclusively.
Links: Website
R1: Cubbies Will Win
R2: Deadline Victim
R3:
R4:
Inverse T. Clown: In an attempt to delay the release of his album even further for no good reason, Inverse has told Responsibility to go fuck itself and signed up for Spintunes 3. Responsibility was not pleased upon receiving the letter, but word has it that Impulse and Peer Pressure were no less than thrilled.
Links: @InverseClown - YouTube Channel
R1: Caroline Is Dead
R2: Something In The Air
R3: Deadline Victim
R4:
Steve Durand: Steve Durand is a trumpet player and songwriter who likes to infuse his music with swing and jazz stylings
Links:
R1: Die Happy
R2: When Frankie And Johnny Get Married
R3: Voted Out A Place For Love
R4:
Jason Morris: I suppose I am what you could call a “Multi-Instrumentalist”. That is a nice way of saying “Jack-of-all-trades, Master-of-none”. I began playing drums as a teenager and spent a great deal of energy during my 20’s trying to “make it” in the music biz. I became involved in the Masters of SongFu contest, where I had the honor of being soundly defeated by The RiffTones. SongFu was a great way to gain some exposure for my music. I hope SpinTown will give me the opportunity to expose myself to many more people.....
Links: @JasonLMorris - YouTube Channel
R1: Burning For You
R2: Deadline Victim
R3:
R4:
David Ritter: I'm MacMufasa, also known as David Ritter. In 2010 I wrote a song a week and posted them to my website www.MacMufasa.com. Some of the songs gained a lot of attention and that made me smile. That alone was well worth the effort. As a result of my Song a Week Project I got to chew the fat with people such as Grant Imahara, Ze Frank, Seth Green, Drunk Hulk and Jorge Garcia - All wonderful people.
I had many projects lined up for 2011 but those got put on hold in April when my doctor found I had a testicular tumor which turned out to be cancer. Three days later I had surgery to remove Lefty. So far I'm a cancer survivor, and I'm probably the only person competing in this contest with one ball.
I love writing geeky songs.
Links: Website - @MacMufasa - YouTube Channel
R1: Deadline Victim Requiem For Bob (Shadow)
R2:
R3:
R4:
Jon Eric: Jon was born in New Orleans but currently lives in Austin, Texas. A three-time Nur-Einer and longtime Songfighter, he's been recording his own particular (slightly off-key) brand of indie pop music out of his bedroom since 2003.
Links: Website - YouTube Channel
R1: Birthday
R2: North Dakota (I. Five Years, II. Fargo, III. Panic, IV. Rain, V. Dry Land)
R3: Voted Out The Dance
R4:
Bryce Jensen: Bryce Jensen spends the bulk of his time in a dark, musty corner of his New England home, lurking in forums and chat rooms by the faint light of an old, dusty computer monitor. Occasionally, he writes and records a song. The result is usually so horrible that he must immediately delete it and pound his head repeatedly into the hardwood floor until the memory of it is but a faint, vile echo. In very rare instances, in the midst of delusions of mediocrity, he obeys the voices and posts one online.
Links: Website - @psychobman
R1: Voted Out Thank You
R2:
R3:
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Doom SKITTLE: Jackie has always been interested in the Musical Arts and the creating of it. He creates techno-type music and acoustic songs.
Links: Website - @FoxyMcCloud
R1: Voted Out A Better Place
R2: Going Undercover (Shadow)
R3:
R4:
SHADOWS:
Mick Bordet: Mick is co-founder of prog-skiffle band, 'The Lunacy Board' and is currently focusing on his podcast fiction projects at ‘Some Other Scotland’ and ‘Every Photo Tells…’ He plays anything he can lay his hands on, from ukulele to theremin and cites influences from Ivor Cutler to Iannis Xenakis. Mick recently moved to Vienna, Austria, where he is trying to learn German so that he can finally start his own Krautrock band.
Links: Website - @MickBordet
R1: The Highland Coo Song
R2:
R3:
R4:
Noah McLaughlin: French professor by trade, song writer by hobby; pretentious lyrics by choice. Closest approximation of style: Tom Petty crossed with Nirvana. noah mclaughlin is long-time participant in Song Fight! but this is first swing at SpinTunes. He points a firm finger of blame at Denise Hudson and Jon Eric for getting him into this.
Links: Website
R1: Thank You, Joss Whedon
R2: Fear Drive
R3:
R4: Seeds To Sow
Kevin Savino-Riker: When not at his day job producing electrical control panels for waterpark rides, Kevin is the guitarist for the Write Bloody House Party 2 Band, playing weekly at the Lightbulb Mouth Radio Hour variety show in Long Beach, CA. He is also an unsigned and unknown independent musician on YouTube. Kevin has served as drummer, bassist, guitarist and lead vocalist in a number of bands over the last 15 years, though never all at the same time. He is uncomfortable writing about himself in the 3rd person.
Links: Website - @RITmusic2k - YouTube Channel
R1:
R2:
R3:
R4: Forgotten But Not Gone
I had a good time hanging out with some of you in the ArtiFiction chat room before this was posted. I'll be hanging out in ArtiFiction again a couple hours before the first challenge goes ups. Stop on by, we had 11 people in there at once tonight. (SEE) In total, I lost count of how many stopped by, but there were 6 or 7 others who aren't in that pic that were there at some point. For instance: "Buckethat" Bobby Matheson, Bram Tant, Heather Miller, Doom SKITTLE, Governing Dynamics, Kevin Savino-Riker (former SpinTunes champion), and Edric Haleen were all there visiting at some point. (sorry if I missed someone)
SpinTunes #3 Rules - SpinTunes #3 Schedule
Round 1 Challenge: If You're Happy And You Know It Raise The Dead - Write a happy song about death. (2 minute minimum) (they had 12 days) (Results)
Round 2 Challenge: BREAKING NEWS! - You‘re writing a topical song. 'Topical' was defined as something from a headline in a newspaper no older than 2 weeks from 6/26/2011. They were required to include a link to the story that inspired their songs, or attach a scan from the newspaper. (2 minute minimum) (they had 8 days) (Results)
Round 3 Challenge: Top That - Write a rap. For anyone who has any experience rapping, you get the added challenge of making your rap about a work romance. That added challenge doesn't apply to those who have never rapped up until this point. (2 minute minimum) (they had 8 days) (Results)
Round 4 Challenge: A Picture's Worth A Thousand Lyrics - Write a song inspired by THIS Reinfried Marass photograph. (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!)Links: Website
R1: I Hope You Die
R2: What About Love? (not on album)
R3: Voted Out Sarah
R4:
Heather Miller: I remember as a kid, wearing a cape, somewhere upwards of 17 crazy pigtails and bouncing around the bedroom of a small trailer in Iowa, changing the colors to “Yellow Submarine” for as long as my dad would play it. Fast-forward to college, teaching myself chords with a loaned guitar and book of Easy Beatles Songs. Then homework to write a melody every day. Turning to my poetic-rambling filled journals, I picked out a few pieces and dove in. I succumbed to my practical side for a few years after college, but little songs about life kept knocking at my door. In May 2011, they kicked down the door and dragged me from Iowa to Austin for a year of in depth study and focus. I can't wait to see what happens.Links: Website - @humsongs - YouTube Channel
R1: Deadline Victim Throw My Anchor Down (Shadow)
R2:
R3:
R4:
Menage’ a Tune: Menage’ a Tune is mostly JoAnn Abbott, but can include any number of friends willing to help her manage to get a tune out and who can play an instrument. JoAnn first got her feet wet with last summers SpinTunes 1, and has participated in a number of collaborative and cooperative musical endeavors since then. If you would like to contribute to any of her songs, please drop her a line! When not making music, she like to make costumes and spoil grandchildren...and teach them to sing, of course.Links: Website - @calliopeva
R1: Voted Out Isn't It Nice
R2: The Furries Are Heading Back To Pittsburgh (Shadow)
R3: Roman Road Rap (Shadow)
R4: Tempted (Shadow)
Jutze: Singing folky pop songs like "I Wish Natalie Portman Was My Neighbour", "Graveyard Girl" and "Laundry Day", Jutze has left marks all over the internet. His most recent project saw him release 52 52-second songs throughout 2010. For SpinTunes #3 he will now return to write somewhat longer tracks. Jutze's real name is Johannes Schult. He lives in Germany and is a fan of Roxette, Eric Bazilian, Dar Williams, Chris de Burgh, Blind Guardian, XKCD, statistics and Star Wars.Links: Website - @schult - YouTube Channel
R1: I Love The Dead
R2: Re: Your Oil
R3: Voted Out My Friend Kay
R4:
Matt Walton: I'm a software engineer by trade, but spend a fair amount of the rest of my life playing the recorder and viola de gamba, singing and dabbling in other instruments of varying utility. I'm mostly into renaissance, baroque and folk music, with occasional diversions into contemporary rock and pop. Describing SpinTunes as a 'challenge' is a serious understatement, but I work better with a deadline.Links: Website - @MaW
R1: We're All Going To Die
R2: Voted Out Take Your Placards Down To London
R3:
R4:
The Offhand Band: OHB is Mark S. Meritt. He began with a kids CD. SpinTunes #1 drove him beyond family-friendliness. Just as well. Mark has written musicals & screenplays that agents represented, performed piano on national TV including once with Rosie O’Donnell, & received honors & citations for academic work on sustainability. He teaches the revolutionary Simply Music piano method, is a keyboardist for the Mop & Bucket improv theatre company, & offers unique creativity services thru http://potluckcreativearts.com/.Links: Website - @theoffhandband - YouTube Channel
R1: All Over
R2: Program aids food stamp users
R3: Voted Out Not Cool
R4:
Common Lisp: Paul is a middle-aged nerd with a wife, five kids, some guitars and microphones, and musical tendencies. This will be his third songwriting contest. Think of it as either his midlife crisis, or his therapy. He has worked on collaborations with various folks including Joe "Covenant" Lamb, Denise Hudson, and The Mandelbrot Set, the Jonathan Coulton virtual cover band.Links: Website - @paulrpotts - YouTube Channel
R1: Deadline Victim Today Is Not That Day (Shadow)
R2:
R3:
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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.htmlLinks: Website - @Dr_Lindyke - YouTube Channel
R1: Wake Me When It's Over
R2: Prayer For Peace
R3: Voted Out Politics And Promises
R4: Photo Finish (Shadow)
Godz Poodlz: Icon/Rock/Dad Band! Two neighborz and friendz unite to form “Gödz Pöödlz!" Gödz Pöödlz are Rüss Rögers and Rhöd Dürre.Links: Website - @GodzPoodlz - YouTube Channel
R1: Wake At The Sunnyside
R2: Voted Out Independence And Freedom For All
R3:
R4:
"BucketHat" Bobby Matheson: Bobby is a veteran of Song-Fu and Spintunes who has almost entirely dropped off of the face of music over the past year. He is really sorry and is going to try his hardest to not suck this time around.Links: @buckethatbobby - YouTube Channel
R1: No Worries
R2: Deadline Victim
R3:
R4:
Spencer Sokol: Spencer makes music, but has decided to let someone else be the judge of that.Links: Website - @spencersokol - YouTube Channel
R1: Voted Out Keeping Calm
R2:
R3:
R4:
Wait What: Featuring LBC's Glen Nesbitt, Alex Benavidez, and Shelby Prendergast, Wait What will make you take your clothes off and go dancing in the rain.Links: Website
R1: Death: Everyone's Doing it!
R2: Bunny Please Don't Go
R3: Voted Out Six Years Seventeen Days
R4:
Governing Dynamics: Yeah, this is another one of those "bands" that just has one dude (almost invariably a guitarist, and indeed that is the case here) in. Incidentally, I don't describe my music very well (let's say it's "post grunge, occasionally described as sounding like Radiohead") so feel free to check the bandcamp site if you're curious.Links: Website - @travisnorris
R1: Alive Again
R2: Voted Out Cameras, Streetlights, And Things Worth Fighting For
R3:
R4: Flooded (Shadow)
Tally Deushane: Tally Deushane is college student with way too much time on her hands, as well as four ukuleles named after characters from Joss Whedon shows and a crazy insane TV DVD collection. She is a three-time piano lesson drop-out, who has more nerdy t-shirts than closet space, much to her mother's chagrin. Once, in the span of 24-hours, she sat in Sheldon's spot on The Big Bang Theory set and was kissed on the cheek by Neil Patrick Harris. She may or may not still be reeling from that experience.Links: Website - @live2tivo - YouTube Channel
R1: My Dead Goldfish
R2: Deadline Victim
R3:
R4:
Luke Brekke, Esquire: A 15 year old from Minnesota, Luke Brekke is the co-founder of the record label "MediaRose Records." He plays piano and alto saxophone and sings bass. You just lost the game.Links: Website - @hamisgood
R1: Voted Out Cannibal
R2:
R3:
R4:
Gold Lion: Gold Lion is the product of 15-year-old Mariah Mercedes. A high school student from Shakopee, Minnesota, Mariah is fairly new to the world of songwriting, but is quickly learning its landscape. Gold Lion cuts out the clichés of teenage love songs, and in return brings bluesy-acoustic vibes and true-to-the-heart lyrics that will put any listener in a state of bliss.Links: Website - @GoldLionMusic - YouTube Channel
R1: In The Afterlife
R2: Message For Vivian
R3: Deadline Victim
R4: Some Things Weren't Built To Last (Shadow)
Caleb Hines: Caleb is a software engineer by day who enjoys pretending to write music on the internet when he gets the chance. A Song Fu and SpinTunes veteran, he is self-trained in classical music theory, and has amassed a small plethora of instruments, though few that he can play well. That hasn't stopped him from trying, though.Links: Website - @calebhines - YouTube Channel
R1: Haven't You Ever
R2: Too Soon To Say Goodbye
R3: Voted Out Two Musicians (DQ)
R4:
Alexa Polasky: A singer/songwriter from a small town in Ohio, I try to make my music unique to myself and at the same time relatable to young people. I've been playing guitar and singing since 2005 and have shared the stage with talented artists such as The Civil Wars, Driftless Pony Club, and Mike Lombardo.Links: Website - @alexapolasky - YouTube Channel
R1: You Will Never Die
R2: Voted Out Infidelity
R3:
R4:
Ethan Ivey: Ethan is a student at Western Illinois University and is studying music education. He is excited to be student teaching next spring and becoming a high school choir director. He doesn't often write music and is looking forward to an opportunity to do so among friends.Links: @ethanjivey
R1: Voted Out The Four-Year Itch
R2:
R3: Entry 3 (Shadow)
R4:
Emperor Gum: Moth Rock.Links: Website - @emperorgumnews - YouTube Channel
R1: Voted Out Frequency
R2:
R3:
R4:
Matt and Donna: Matt and Donna didn't know each other growing up, but coincidentally played the same instruments as children: piano and trumpet. After learning this they found they also happen to have a lot of other things in common, and since each deemed the other to be awesome, they got married in 2008. Matt and Donna both have some training in voice and piano but prefer to willfully ignore that training and do whatever they want musically because that's fun.Links: @sh00bs
R1: Lady On The Gray
R2: A Tight Spot
R3: Anatomy Dance
R4: Back Down The Road (Winner)
Glen Raphael: is a Manhattan-based singer-songwriter whose songs combine humor, love, and a nerdy modern sensibility. Glen 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.Links: Website - @glenraphael - YouTube Channel
R1: Voted Out When You're Dead
R2: Billion Metal Dollars (Shadow)
R3:
R4:
Anna P: I'm Anna P (I'd tell you my last name, but you probably wouldn't pronounce it correctly). I have red hair (yes, that is important AND awesome) and am currently 20 years old. My influences are Paramore, YUI, Michelle Branch, and Lady Gaga. In the past few years, I've been kind of well-known on YouTube for doing covers of Japanese songs, so I would say that the majority of my fanbase are Japanese people, which is awesome because I can speak Japanese. I have written only a handful of songs over the years, so I'm hoping that SpinTunes will motivate me to get back into songwriting!Links: Website - @annapeasoup - YouTube Channel
R1: Deadline Victim Jesus's Best Friend (Shadow)
R2:
R3:
R4:
The Vespus: On the second day of the year, 2008, three musicians met in a garage to form the band soon to be known as The Vespus. Driven by percussion, bass, and guitar (accompanied by vocals) The Vespus set out to be a fun lovin’ band that you and you’re mom would love. The boys of the band, dressed in plaid shirts adorned with skinny ties, played their take on alternative rock in several localities of L.A. and Orange County.Links: Website
R1: Deadline Victim (Shadowed) (not on album)
R2:
R3:
R4:
Chris Cogott: This is Chris's second adventure traversing the SpinTunes universe. The first go through was a ton of fun. Hopefully there won't be any broken instruments this time around. He's been playing and writing music for close to a hundred and fifty years now but it doesn't seem that long.Links: Website - @chriscogott
R1: Drag Me Down
R2: Welcome To Kabul
R3: Deadline Victim
R4:
Byron Blocker & The Offbeats: Byron Blocker & The Offbeats play a drunken mix of Whiskey Blues/Pirate Jazz in the vein of Tom Waits. The Offbeats earned their nickname Hollywood’s Midnight Band by playing their home stage The Viper Room more times than any other band in 2010.April 2011, The Offbeats won the Music Publishing Marathon at Musician’s Institute and have since started their own publishing company. The band plays extensively throughout Southern California promoting their new EP and supporting local charity shows.
Links: Website - @ByronBlocker - YouTube Channel
R1: She's Dead (not on album)
R2: (Withdrew)
R3:
R4:
Young Stroke aka Young Muscle: Young Stroke aka Young Muscle appeared on the scene in the Summer of 2005, and has since proceeded to push the boundaries of crunk to the breaking point! Not giving a damn, Streezy has no shame and will proceed to act a fool and humiliate himself on one track, then act like it never happened and spit more fire than a flamethrower on the next! Searches have been conducted to find music moguls as eclectic and quirky, yet at the same time crunk and dank as the Stroke, but have so far proven to be unsuccessful!Links: Website - @rebelnaked - YouTube Channel
R1: Voted Out My Name Is Death
R2: One Dollar Robber (Shadow)
R3:
R4:
Charlie McCarron: Charlie studied composition at Saint John's University, where he learned to appreciate and make weird music. His style is now all over the map - pop, folk, classical, experimental, etc. In 2011, Charlie has been getting back into filmmaking. He also organized the Frankensong Challenge in January, and he recently formed a dark, grungy band with his cousins, called Rat People.Links: Website - @charliemccarron - YouTube Channel
R1: Grandma And Grandpa
R2: The Mountain Will Not Yield
R3: Trail In The Snow
R4: Skipping Stones (placed 4th)
Ross Durand: I write songs because i want people to hear songs that make them think and feel. I write songs because when dylan plays alone ona stage, 10,000 people stop and listen. I write songs because it makes me feel good.Links: Website
R1: No Taxes
R2: The American Way
R3: Camp Romance
R4: Rusty (placed 3rd)
Pat And Gweebol: Patrick and Gweebol enjoy catchy melodies and interesting chord progressions. They will try to make some. Starting.....now."Links:
R1: Baby Go To Sleep
R2: The Story Is Mine: Confession Of An Undocumented Immigrant
R3: TickiTock (Top Tad)
R4: In The DeVille (runner up)
Donutworthy: Hello, Judges. Listeners. Look at the other contestants. Now back to Donutworthy. Now back at them. Now BACK to us. Unfortunately, they can’t be the amazing collection of individuals that were chiseled and perfected in Frankensong’s Castle of Excellence; but all could learn from their shining example. Perhaps. Look down. Look up. The Donutworthy shadow falls long. Floods into your room. You’re in Scotland. Belgium. England. You’re crossing the wilds of America. With the band your band could rock like. On a horse.Links: Website - @donutworthy - YouTube Channel
R1: Deadline Victim Signal (Shadow)
R2:
R3:
R4:
Hudson And Day: We're not going to lie to you. It would be difficult to find better looking people than Alyssa Day and Denise Hudson on the internet. Luckily for the rest of you, this isn't a beauty contest. Unhappily, however, this IS a contest that measures talent and songwriting aptitude; and angel voiced Day and contest veteran Hudson are going to smoke you people. No. Just kidding. This is a FAMILY show… and not about money OR prizes OR babes! Look out though, Donutworthy. We're coming for YOU.Links: Website - @HudsonandDay - YouTube Channel
R1: Voted Out Silly Baby
R2:
R3:
R4:
Happi: One-half of comedy hip-hop outfit Spandex Moose. He comes from Down Under and enjoys riding his Kangaroo to the shops. He has never really done much solo-work but as a rapper he decided it was inevitable to one day drop a solo album because them's the breaks.Links: Website - @happi_mc - YouTube Channel
R1: The Next Part Of Life
R2: Voted Out Double The Fetish
R3:
R4:
Alex Carpenter: Alex is from Los Angeles, and enjoys the following things : Your Favorite Band and The Summer.Links: @AlexCarpenter - YouTube Channel
R1: The Day I Died
R2: Voted Out The Last Launch
R3:
R4:
The Boffo Yux Dudes: The 2011incarnation of Boffo Yux Dudes include Allan Morgan and Tom Giarrosso, with other sundry accomplices. Their farcical past stretches back to the 80's, peaked in the 90's and was re-released in the 10's with time off for good behavior. Now they're rested and ready to rumble. We've been on Dr. Demento numerous times, had an award winning cable TV show, are enshrined in the Periodic Table of Geek Musicians, and now plan to release a CD this summer.
Links: Website - @BoffoYuxDudes - YouTube Channel
R1: Voted Out Marked For Death
R2:
R3: It's All About the Benjamins (Shadow)
R4: Alien Octopus Trilogy (Shadow) - Car (Shadow) - My First Car (Shadow) - Bayou Cadillac (Shadow) - Cadillac Coupe DeVille (Shadow) - (Lay Around The) Caddy (Shadow)
Green Mama Bathsalts: We forage and plunder.Links:
R1: Deadline Victim See You In Hell (Shadow)
R2:
R3:
R4:
Brian Daniell: Singer/Songwriter from Boulder CO. Performs with a trio (Lost Alamos) which includes his wife, Vicki Bynum and well-known producer-guitarist Scott Bennett. The group plays Brian’s songs exclusively.Links: Website
R1: Cubbies Will Win
R2: Deadline Victim
R3:
R4:
Inverse T. Clown: In an attempt to delay the release of his album even further for no good reason, Inverse has told Responsibility to go fuck itself and signed up for Spintunes 3. Responsibility was not pleased upon receiving the letter, but word has it that Impulse and Peer Pressure were no less than thrilled.Links: @InverseClown - YouTube Channel
R1: Caroline Is Dead
R2: Something In The Air
R3: Deadline Victim
R4:
Steve Durand: Steve Durand is a trumpet player and songwriter who likes to infuse his music with swing and jazz stylingsLinks:
R1: Die Happy
R2: When Frankie And Johnny Get Married
R3: Voted Out A Place For Love
R4:
Jason Morris: I suppose I am what you could call a “Multi-Instrumentalist”. That is a nice way of saying “Jack-of-all-trades, Master-of-none”. I began playing drums as a teenager and spent a great deal of energy during my 20’s trying to “make it” in the music biz. I became involved in the Masters of SongFu contest, where I had the honor of being soundly defeated by The RiffTones. SongFu was a great way to gain some exposure for my music. I hope SpinTown will give me the opportunity to expose myself to many more people.....Links: @JasonLMorris - YouTube Channel
R1: Burning For You
R2: Deadline Victim
R3:
R4:
David Ritter: I'm MacMufasa, also known as David Ritter. In 2010 I wrote a song a week and posted them to my website www.MacMufasa.com. Some of the songs gained a lot of attention and that made me smile. That alone was well worth the effort. As a result of my Song a Week Project I got to chew the fat with people such as Grant Imahara, Ze Frank, Seth Green, Drunk Hulk and Jorge Garcia - All wonderful people. I had many projects lined up for 2011 but those got put on hold in April when my doctor found I had a testicular tumor which turned out to be cancer. Three days later I had surgery to remove Lefty. So far I'm a cancer survivor, and I'm probably the only person competing in this contest with one ball.
I love writing geeky songs.
Links: Website - @MacMufasa - YouTube Channel
R1: Deadline Victim Requiem For Bob (Shadow)
R2:
R3:
R4:
Jon Eric: Jon was born in New Orleans but currently lives in Austin, Texas. A three-time Nur-Einer and longtime Songfighter, he's been recording his own particular (slightly off-key) brand of indie pop music out of his bedroom since 2003.Links: Website - YouTube Channel
R1: Birthday
R2: North Dakota (I. Five Years, II. Fargo, III. Panic, IV. Rain, V. Dry Land)
R3: Voted Out The Dance
R4:
Bryce Jensen: Bryce Jensen spends the bulk of his time in a dark, musty corner of his New England home, lurking in forums and chat rooms by the faint light of an old, dusty computer monitor. Occasionally, he writes and records a song. The result is usually so horrible that he must immediately delete it and pound his head repeatedly into the hardwood floor until the memory of it is but a faint, vile echo. In very rare instances, in the midst of delusions of mediocrity, he obeys the voices and posts one online.Links: Website - @psychobman
R1: Voted Out Thank You
R2:
R3:
R4:
Doom SKITTLE: Jackie has always been interested in the Musical Arts and the creating of it. He creates techno-type music and acoustic songs.Links: Website - @FoxyMcCloud
R1: Voted Out A Better Place
R2: Going Undercover (Shadow)
R3:
R4:
Mick Bordet: Mick is co-founder of prog-skiffle band, 'The Lunacy Board' and is currently focusing on his podcast fiction projects at ‘Some Other Scotland’ and ‘Every Photo Tells…’ He plays anything he can lay his hands on, from ukulele to theremin and cites influences from Ivor Cutler to Iannis Xenakis. Mick recently moved to Vienna, Austria, where he is trying to learn German so that he can finally start his own Krautrock band.Links: Website - @MickBordet
R1: The Highland Coo Song
R2:
R3:
R4:
Noah McLaughlin: French professor by trade, song writer by hobby; pretentious lyrics by choice. Closest approximation of style: Tom Petty crossed with Nirvana. noah mclaughlin is long-time participant in Song Fight! but this is first swing at SpinTunes. He points a firm finger of blame at Denise Hudson and Jon Eric for getting him into this.Links: Website
R1: Thank You, Joss Whedon
R2: Fear Drive
R3:
R4: Seeds To Sow
Kevin Savino-Riker: When not at his day job producing electrical control panels for waterpark rides, Kevin is the guitarist for the Write Bloody House Party 2 Band, playing weekly at the Lightbulb Mouth Radio Hour variety show in Long Beach, CA. He is also an unsigned and unknown independent musician on YouTube. Kevin has served as drummer, bassist, guitarist and lead vocalist in a number of bands over the last 15 years, though never all at the same time. He is uncomfortable writing about himself in the 3rd person.Links: Website - @RITmusic2k - YouTube Channel
R1:
R2:
R3:
R4: Forgotten But Not Gone
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
News & Notes
No big changes to announce right now, the profiles get posted as scheduled, and the first challenge will be posted as scheduled. This post is just for me to update you on how things have went during sign-ups. In short they went extremely well. My personal goal was to have more people sign-up in SpinTunes 3 than we had in SpinTunes 2. We had 35 sign-up in the last contest, and in this contest we blew away that number (you'll see by how much when the profiles get posted). I've worked harder at spreading the word for this contest than I did with the previous 2. But what helped more than anything is the SpinTunes veterans (and fans) who were spreading the word as well. So a BIG THANK YOU to everyone who has been talking up the contest during the past 2-3 weeks.
Together we did so well that it's actually caused a small problem. When I asked the judges to help out with this contest they were under the impression their workload would be considerably less than it is now going to be. So I also owe the judges a BIG THANK YOU for sticking with it & not saying "Fuck off, this is too much." The judges really do have a tough job this go around. Reviewing the number of songs they'll have on the table in the short span they are given is not easy. Not by any stretch.
In the future I will plan for having a larger than expected group of sign-ups. I've already written down a few ideas for SpinTunes 4, but I don't plan on changing anything for this contest. The rules will stay as they were originally posted.
For those of you who don't know already, my laptop crashed about a week after sign-ups started. That's the computer I used for streaming the live listening parties on U-Stream (http://www.ustream.tv/channel/spintunes). Now I'm using a borrowed desktop (that's kinda crappy) & I'll have to see if it can handle U-Stream. If not, there's a chance someone else will host the party.
The loss of my computer also means that you would make me EXTREMELY happy if you sent files that BandCamp is cool with. (details can be found on the rules page) In the past I've excepted MP3's & even a couple of YouTube videos that I converted myself for upload onto BandCamp. I'll probably have some new software & still be able to do that...but it would be one less thing for me to piddle with if you can handle it yourself. If all you can manage to send is an MP3..so be it. I'll get it done.
If anyone has any questions you can always e-mail me, and I'm very good at responding to comments on the blog. Often blog comments are even better cause someone might have the same question as you. If you want to ask me questions in real time you can try to catch me hanging out in "ArtiFiction" (link's in the sidebar). I'm almost always in there the night I have to post an update on the blog. For instance I'll be hanging out in ArtiFiction tonight because I have to post the profiles around 1AM. It's fun to be able to hang out with everyone during the big reveals. So on the nights when there's a song deadline, or when reviews & results are getting posted...come hang out. Not just with me, but with others in the contest.
I think that's all I was planning on blabbering about until Wednesday...so good luck everyone, and thanks for being a part of SpinTunes.
Together we did so well that it's actually caused a small problem. When I asked the judges to help out with this contest they were under the impression their workload would be considerably less than it is now going to be. So I also owe the judges a BIG THANK YOU for sticking with it & not saying "Fuck off, this is too much." The judges really do have a tough job this go around. Reviewing the number of songs they'll have on the table in the short span they are given is not easy. Not by any stretch.
In the future I will plan for having a larger than expected group of sign-ups. I've already written down a few ideas for SpinTunes 4, but I don't plan on changing anything for this contest. The rules will stay as they were originally posted.
For those of you who don't know already, my laptop crashed about a week after sign-ups started. That's the computer I used for streaming the live listening parties on U-Stream (http://www.ustream.tv/channel/spintunes). Now I'm using a borrowed desktop (that's kinda crappy) & I'll have to see if it can handle U-Stream. If not, there's a chance someone else will host the party.
The loss of my computer also means that you would make me EXTREMELY happy if you sent files that BandCamp is cool with. (details can be found on the rules page) In the past I've excepted MP3's & even a couple of YouTube videos that I converted myself for upload onto BandCamp. I'll probably have some new software & still be able to do that...but it would be one less thing for me to piddle with if you can handle it yourself. If all you can manage to send is an MP3..so be it. I'll get it done.
If anyone has any questions you can always e-mail me, and I'm very good at responding to comments on the blog. Often blog comments are even better cause someone might have the same question as you. If you want to ask me questions in real time you can try to catch me hanging out in "ArtiFiction" (link's in the sidebar). I'm almost always in there the night I have to post an update on the blog. For instance I'll be hanging out in ArtiFiction tonight because I have to post the profiles around 1AM. It's fun to be able to hang out with everyone during the big reveals. So on the nights when there's a song deadline, or when reviews & results are getting posted...come hang out. Not just with me, but with others in the contest.
I think that's all I was planning on blabbering about until Wednesday...so good luck everyone, and thanks for being a part of SpinTunes.
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