Well.. this round has been an *experience*, hasn’t it!? :)
Song No: - Artists – Review – Marks out of ten – (Placing)
1- Jailhouse Payback - Loved this from the off. Set the standard for this round, and kept it flying to the end. My winner.
9.5 / 10 (1st)
2 - Army Defense - Very interesting track (TBH ‘Splyng’ sounded like it was being used as a Proper Noun to me. (Brand Name)) But I can (just) see it being a generic term... (except it really does sound like an advert...) I liked the song...
7/10 (7th)
3 - Ryan M. Brewer - I dunno... "A feeling called Mareno" (Like "a feeling called Coca Cola") doesn't detract from the fact that the song is called Mareno (The Biggest little Casino...) and so alludes to Mareno being a proper noun. ) Either way. Whereas it was well recorded. Just not my style. (Didn't like the opening and the spoken section, or the ending... sorry.)
6/10 (14th)
4 - Ominous Ride - Oh! "House of the Rising..." Oh... no... Well recorded, nicely put together and interesting melody. I have to mark it a little lower than it may deserve as I don't think the *borrowed chords* means "Borrow from The Animals." :)
7.5/10 (5th)
5 - Brian Gray - Well... as I don't read anything about the songs (they stand and fall by themselves... not about what the artist has to say about them) I had no idea what the made up word was... "Cantable", which I thought meant 'sing-able' - and references to Sweeney Todd only bolstered that belief. So I could only think it was Wendigo.. but I know that IS a word, and a Proper Noun) It was only because I thought it should therefore be DQ'd that apparently the word is Cant'ible?? Too close to an actual word for me. And honestly, apart from the line "On St Wendigo's Day", it didn't do much for me.
6/10 (15th)
6 - Zoe Gray - This is the most mature thing I have heard from you. (It's just a shade too long) On first listening of this I was dreading that Lullaburbia was going to be a proper noun for a place... but then I thought you were singing "when you sleep etc..." So, safe from DQ and I could relax and enjoy the (a little bit too long) song. But then I listened to it again... and realised you were singing "Where you..." every time – which, to me, in context, should mean Lullaburbia IS a place, and thus a Proper Noun. That said, I've grasped at the very thin straw which some other judges threw me and can (just barely) accept that it isn't.
8.5/10 (3rd if not DQ'd)
7 - Kyleen Downes - Vocal a bit swamped (very bassy) it's a groovy little song. but needs a bit of work and polish
7.5/10 (6th)
8 - Bryan Schumann - "Without human can earth survive?" "Easily" :) To be honest, again on first listening I thought "Proper noun" cos I thought you were singing "Without YOU, man, can earth survive?" ! :) Dunno, sounded like you were trying too hard to be Rage Against the Machine... and where that's not a bad thing to aspire to, you didn't quite hit it - and so it ended up sounding a bit like a pardoy. Which is a pity, because the chant of the "made-up-words" was quite hooky!
6/10 (13th)
9 - Steve Stearns - Yeah.. I hear George Harrison in here. And whereas Bryan didn't quite pull of RAtM, you're hitting Harrison's 'Ex-Beatle' / "Sgt Pepper" sound beautifully. Really liked this. (Neil Innes would snap this up as a Rutles track in a cold second!) The backward masking went on too long! Ben Franklin or no!
8.75/10 (2nd)
10 - Rob From Amersfoort... Oh Rob... I can't see this one NOT being a Proper Noun. And as such must be a DQ. The song itself was alright, but I didn't think the white noise at the end to extend the song to the 2 minutes helped. 5/10 (17th if not DQ'd)
11 - Mick Bordet - Gazebonea... well, it is never referenced to anything except used as it is... so cannot say whether it is a proper noun or not. Loving the dark, but does it have replay value? Not this one.
6/10 (16th)
12 - Ross Durand - This had SO much debate. Is a the name of a medical condition a proper noun. Consensus said No. Which is good, because I really liked the song. Simply done, but very effective.
8/10 (4th)
13 - Boffo Yux Dudes - The middle eight killed this one. Which is a shame, ‘cos it was a great idea about a true legend (Though I see him always as a MAD artist!)
7/10 (8th)
14 - Governing Dynamics - Very muddy recording, which is a shame, because I think this one could be a really cool song. Vocals letting it down a bit though. The middle eight just sounded off, very messy. (Very unlike GD!)
6.5/10 (12th)
15 - Shyfox - The last 30 seconds of this were great. The rest sounded a bit... almost random... but not unpleasantly so.
7/10 (9th)
16 - Lucky Witch & The Righteous Ghost - The keyboard was too discordant for this, which again is a shame as the vocal was intriguing, but the keys, off-putting.
6.5/10 (11th)
17 - Adam Sakellarides - Yeah... okay... a fully fledged story, a made up word - lyric is stretched a little in the second half of the song, needs a of tightening up.
6.5/10 (10th)
Shadows:
Alex Forger - Televice - Has got to be a proper noun? This would have sounded a bit better a little faster, I think?
Lucky Witch & The Righteous Ghost - Dissomnience - Well, a bit long, but dammit if I didn't like this! (I like strange and dark sometimes!)
Saturday, March 4, 2017
SpinTunes #12 Round 3 Reviews: Jeff Campbell
Brian Gray
This is a great song and I was bummed when I thought it might be DQ'ed. This is my top pick!
Zoe Gray
Chorus is great and word makes sense in the lyrics. Cool vocal production. Points for writing, which is what this is about
Ross Durand
Wonderful and honest vocal delivery. Chorus is short but to the point, same with Bridge. And I get the lyrical refs. Great job.
Ryan M. Brewer
Cool intro. Memorable Chorus. I get what Mareno means, which is good.
Steve Stearns
Super cool, Grays/Jason Falkner feel to the writing and production. With some early Floyd vocals peppered in. Melody hooks are there for sure. High marks for production and melody, but points deducted for illegible lyrics. Only thing that’s keeping it from the top of the list, really. Still great job though.
Army Defense
Decent production, great lyrics that paint a picture, memorable chorus, and I get what Splyng means thru the lyrics
Kyleen Downes
The melody is there. Production leaves a lot to imagination in some spots. Overall, gets point across though
Alex Forger
Obvious current events lyrics. Melody is a little all over the place. Good made up word though. And decent chorus hook, albeit not too different from the verses.
Rob From Amersfoot
Great writing, production, and great 1st verse hook, chorus leaves a little to be desired though. And the later verses are kinda all over the place
Jailhouse Playback
Decent production, great lyrics that paint a picture, memorable chorus, dunno what the word means from the lyrics though
Bryan Schumann
Super weird and well done for a drum machine. Writing is kind of all over the place, and I can’t really make out what the word means thru the lyrics but points for originality for sure.
Shyfox
Great melody off the bat. And the made up word is funny and gets the point across. Nice writing work, even with a lack of a chorus.
Governing Dynamics
Killer musical production. Very Greg Dulli influenced. And good writing. Decent song, just needs an arrangement.
Adam Sakellarides
Melody is there. High marks for making up a cool word, although has mary poppins tributary aspects. Chorus and verse are same melody. Can’t really make the narrative out of the lyrics but still not bad.
Boffo Yux Dudes
Great, discernible melody at first, but then kinda goes off the rails lyrically. Has all the folk ballad boxes checked until that point though. I guess it begs the question, what about this song is supposed to be the takeaway? Other than it being well produced and super weird.
Mick Bordet
David Bowie album cut esque writing and production. No real melody or hook though so this one is all production, not writing.
Ominous Ride
Can’t understand lyrics. Chours hook is there, but not prominent enough till too far in the song. And I have no idea what the title means from the lyrics
Lucky Witch & The Righteous Ghost
Melody exists right away. Although the made up word is just kinda 2 words put together. Same as lovechild. Good writing fundamentally though. Ranked lower b/c of the word though.
Lucky Witch & The Righteous Ghost
It’s a poem, not a song.
This is a great song and I was bummed when I thought it might be DQ'ed. This is my top pick!
Zoe Gray
Chorus is great and word makes sense in the lyrics. Cool vocal production. Points for writing, which is what this is about
Ross Durand
Wonderful and honest vocal delivery. Chorus is short but to the point, same with Bridge. And I get the lyrical refs. Great job.
Ryan M. Brewer
Cool intro. Memorable Chorus. I get what Mareno means, which is good.
Steve Stearns
Super cool, Grays/Jason Falkner feel to the writing and production. With some early Floyd vocals peppered in. Melody hooks are there for sure. High marks for production and melody, but points deducted for illegible lyrics. Only thing that’s keeping it from the top of the list, really. Still great job though.
Army Defense
Decent production, great lyrics that paint a picture, memorable chorus, and I get what Splyng means thru the lyrics
Kyleen Downes
The melody is there. Production leaves a lot to imagination in some spots. Overall, gets point across though
Alex Forger
Obvious current events lyrics. Melody is a little all over the place. Good made up word though. And decent chorus hook, albeit not too different from the verses.
Rob From Amersfoot
Great writing, production, and great 1st verse hook, chorus leaves a little to be desired though. And the later verses are kinda all over the place
Jailhouse Playback
Decent production, great lyrics that paint a picture, memorable chorus, dunno what the word means from the lyrics though
Bryan Schumann
Super weird and well done for a drum machine. Writing is kind of all over the place, and I can’t really make out what the word means thru the lyrics but points for originality for sure.
Shyfox
Great melody off the bat. And the made up word is funny and gets the point across. Nice writing work, even with a lack of a chorus.
Governing Dynamics
Killer musical production. Very Greg Dulli influenced. And good writing. Decent song, just needs an arrangement.
Adam Sakellarides
Melody is there. High marks for making up a cool word, although has mary poppins tributary aspects. Chorus and verse are same melody. Can’t really make the narrative out of the lyrics but still not bad.
Boffo Yux Dudes
Great, discernible melody at first, but then kinda goes off the rails lyrically. Has all the folk ballad boxes checked until that point though. I guess it begs the question, what about this song is supposed to be the takeaway? Other than it being well produced and super weird.
Mick Bordet
David Bowie album cut esque writing and production. No real melody or hook though so this one is all production, not writing.
Ominous Ride
Can’t understand lyrics. Chours hook is there, but not prominent enough till too far in the song. And I have no idea what the title means from the lyrics
Lucky Witch & The Righteous Ghost
Melody exists right away. Although the made up word is just kinda 2 words put together. Same as lovechild. Good writing fundamentally though. Ranked lower b/c of the word though.
Lucky Witch & The Righteous Ghost
It’s a poem, not a song.
SpinTunes #12 Round 3 Reviews: Zarni de Vette
Ross Durand
I really liked this… for me, that is what the exercise was about. Making up a word that can still serve your message well and you totally did that. I thought the song was so sweet, nice melody and production. Also your line “I fall a little bit in love with someone every day” works really well to just drive home your message. Didn’t feel forced or anything.. you almost made the word sound like it is a real word
Zoe Gray
I really enjoyed this- its my favorite you’ve done so far. I love that you made up a word that sends such a strong message that you can say it to anyone and they can infer what it means. You used the opportunity well to say something substantial and you did it well. The production worked great and was really cool. Good job!
Beautiful images; midnight wrapping you around her finger, cotton candy sunsets….love!
Ryan M. Brewer
Loved the use of mareno- marine casino. Very imaginative and great production that served the song well. Great melody, rhyme scheme…the whole thing just worked for me
Brian Gray
Very clever made up word; loved the images, melody and different musical sections. The epic sounding choruses served the epic idea of St.Wendigos day really well. Cool harmonies!
Jailhouse Payback
good description, really sets the scene and gives life to the word. Nice clean production
Lucky Witch & The Righteous Ghost
Super clever with the hate baby; one can definitely imply what this is about without even hearing it. The melody didn’t match the music (chords) as well as it could’ve I think and for that reason I had to rank it a bit lower. I wonder if the production would’ve been better just vocals and the guitar underneath? For me, with your great idea, that would’ve been enough. The organ or synth part is a bit distracting
Governing Dynamics
I ranked this higher because, as always, your production is well rounded and beautiful. Your made up word came across more like a foreign language to me than using a new made up word to further or make your point. Felt like you could’ve not had the made up word in there, and I still would’ve gotten it so I think that was besides the point of the song challenge
Shyfox
Cool and creative. In the production, I dont know if you needed the lower octave voice- i found it to be a bit distracting
Steve Stearns
Mazoom to me sounds like a different than word that how it was used here but good job- creative
Bryan Schumann
I like the overall idea here and I think the production works really well with the different sections and the message you are sending. Besides for the fact that the word sounds really cool and of another civilization or even extraterrestrial, I wasn’t sure how it serves the song. In other words, I got a message from all of the lyrics without that phrase even being in there so Im not sure how the made up word contributed a lot here except for maybe inspiring the idea in the first place. The production got a little too noisy for my taste at the end
Army Defense
I didn’t quite get the idea behind the word here- liked the melody and the production though! I think abstract and metaphorical lyrics are really cool but in this setting, when the whole song centers around a made up word, I could’ve used some more clarity elsewhere
Ominous Ride
Really cool production and overall sound. I didn’t really quite get the meaning of the word
Boffo Yux Dudes
The music distracted me a bit from the lyrics and everything going on. Less, and better parts are more, I think than a lot of parts that could all be a bit tighter
Kyleen Downes
Im not really sure how the word pondling is different than pondering in this situation or if you were playing off another word; I didn’t totally get it either way
Adam Sakellarides
The made up word was a bit too long for me; I think you could’ve gotten the same message across with a better made up word…
Mike Bordet
Didn’t love how the music was set over the chords…I find it hard to judge the piece with so few lyrics
Rob From Amersfoort
I see what you were going for- the word is just made up enough to slide through the cracks and make your point but not as creative as some of the others. You didn’t really make a whole new word, you just turned an adjective into a noun.
Alex Forger (Shadow)
Thank you for doing a nice but simple production. Your voice is so lovely too. You used the made up word well and made the song challenge seem like it was an easy task. Good work!
I really liked this… for me, that is what the exercise was about. Making up a word that can still serve your message well and you totally did that. I thought the song was so sweet, nice melody and production. Also your line “I fall a little bit in love with someone every day” works really well to just drive home your message. Didn’t feel forced or anything.. you almost made the word sound like it is a real word
Zoe Gray
I really enjoyed this- its my favorite you’ve done so far. I love that you made up a word that sends such a strong message that you can say it to anyone and they can infer what it means. You used the opportunity well to say something substantial and you did it well. The production worked great and was really cool. Good job!
Beautiful images; midnight wrapping you around her finger, cotton candy sunsets….love!
Ryan M. Brewer
Loved the use of mareno- marine casino. Very imaginative and great production that served the song well. Great melody, rhyme scheme…the whole thing just worked for me
Brian Gray
Very clever made up word; loved the images, melody and different musical sections. The epic sounding choruses served the epic idea of St.Wendigos day really well. Cool harmonies!
Jailhouse Payback
good description, really sets the scene and gives life to the word. Nice clean production
Lucky Witch & The Righteous Ghost
Super clever with the hate baby; one can definitely imply what this is about without even hearing it. The melody didn’t match the music (chords) as well as it could’ve I think and for that reason I had to rank it a bit lower. I wonder if the production would’ve been better just vocals and the guitar underneath? For me, with your great idea, that would’ve been enough. The organ or synth part is a bit distracting
Governing Dynamics
I ranked this higher because, as always, your production is well rounded and beautiful. Your made up word came across more like a foreign language to me than using a new made up word to further or make your point. Felt like you could’ve not had the made up word in there, and I still would’ve gotten it so I think that was besides the point of the song challenge
Shyfox
Cool and creative. In the production, I dont know if you needed the lower octave voice- i found it to be a bit distracting
Steve Stearns
Mazoom to me sounds like a different than word that how it was used here but good job- creative
Bryan Schumann
I like the overall idea here and I think the production works really well with the different sections and the message you are sending. Besides for the fact that the word sounds really cool and of another civilization or even extraterrestrial, I wasn’t sure how it serves the song. In other words, I got a message from all of the lyrics without that phrase even being in there so Im not sure how the made up word contributed a lot here except for maybe inspiring the idea in the first place. The production got a little too noisy for my taste at the end
Army Defense
I didn’t quite get the idea behind the word here- liked the melody and the production though! I think abstract and metaphorical lyrics are really cool but in this setting, when the whole song centers around a made up word, I could’ve used some more clarity elsewhere
Ominous Ride
Really cool production and overall sound. I didn’t really quite get the meaning of the word
Boffo Yux Dudes
The music distracted me a bit from the lyrics and everything going on. Less, and better parts are more, I think than a lot of parts that could all be a bit tighter
Kyleen Downes
Im not really sure how the word pondling is different than pondering in this situation or if you were playing off another word; I didn’t totally get it either way
Adam Sakellarides
The made up word was a bit too long for me; I think you could’ve gotten the same message across with a better made up word…
Mike Bordet
Didn’t love how the music was set over the chords…I find it hard to judge the piece with so few lyrics
Rob From Amersfoort
I see what you were going for- the word is just made up enough to slide through the cracks and make your point but not as creative as some of the others. You didn’t really make a whole new word, you just turned an adjective into a noun.
Alex Forger (Shadow)
Thank you for doing a nice but simple production. Your voice is so lovely too. You used the made up word well and made the song challenge seem like it was an easy task. Good work!
SpinTunes #12 Round 3 Reviews: T.C. Elliott
There was quite a bit of discussion about a surprising number of entries as for the lyrical challenge and DQing entries. While your approach to fulfilling the challenge(s) did affect my ranking, it didn't as much as I thought it might. I rank based on how well the song connect to me as a listener (rather than a critical examiner) first and then considered technical approaches etc., later. This was a very interesting round. I was pleased in the borrowed chord challenge and the range of use. Going in I thought the lyrical challenge was the easier of the two, but it turned out to be the bigger challenge, imo.
17. Ryan M. Brewer - Mareno - I like the melody, the guitar is driving without being heavy. Your vocal performance works really well and the chords under the title line, well the chorus, really, is excellent. Those ooh hoos are a nice touch. I like the 6/8 bridge/changeup. I'd definitely listen to this song again
16. Ominous Ride - Wrenchion di Gnausque - I could tell this was an OR melody, I don't know what it is, but it just seems to fit what you'd do. But I really do like it. It's excellent. The mix might be just a bit muddy.. or maybe just not quite as clear as I hoped. The vocal is just a hair harder to hear than other tracks, but it seems to be the overall volume of the track rather than the mix. Did I mention I like the melody? I would definitely listen to this song again.
15. Zoe Gray - Lullaburbia - Your vocal is excellent (as usual) and the melody kept my interest throughout. I like the texture of your song quite a bit. The more I listen to this the more I like it. I would listen to this song again.
14. Ross Durand - Amoreliebephilia - I like the guitar and melody and your vocal performance all quite a bit. you did a great job of explaining your word without defining it in the lyric. This is actually a pretty darn good job of hitting the challenge and being likeable at the same time. I would listen to this song again.
13. Brian Gray - St Wendigo's Day - That's a good vocal performance. The song notes really helped me enjoy this song. The lyric is more interesting for it. I like the rhythm and the atmosphere of the track. I'd listen to this song again.
12. Kyleen Downes - Pondle - This is an interesting song. I had a small bit of trouble grasping exactly what you were getting at, but I do like the vocal performance, the melody and the arrangement. I'd listen to this song again
11. Army Defense - Splying - So this splying thing is a type of water? It's not like Fanta (which would be capitalized) right? I like the rhythm, the optimistic sound and the melody. The synth single note line fits the concept. I'd probably listen to this again.
10. Governing Dynamics - broken/lost/alone/adrift - I like the feel of the song. But there was something in the mix, the vocals, that seemed muddy and was causing me some ear fatigue. I liked the guitars and /bridge/ section as a nice counterpoint to the ease of the rest of the track. This has some good writing in it, and I like your verse lyric and the idea behind your song. It isn't bad, but I feel it didn't quite reach full potential. I might listen to this song again.
9. Steve Stearns - The Eneffable Moment Of Mazoom - The guitars were cool from the start. The entire track is a bit quiet compared to the competition. (It's okay, I turned it up.) I like all the alliteration in the lyric. I don't know if I admire the use of "scram" or if I think it doesn't quite work. The melody on the chorus is good. This reminds me of some 70's songs, maybe Harry Nilsson?, in a good way in the melody and the lines in the guitars etc., I like this song well enough but it isn't quite in my wheel house. But I'd probably listen to this song again.
8. Jailhouse Playback - Nojrelias - A perfectly fine song. I like the melody in the verse (and the chords on the last line.) It's pretty well written and I'm a bit impressed with the construction. But it just doesn't stick with me much after it's done playing. I might listen to this song again.
7. Bryan Schumann - oblagetauta agmepulot - I like the arrangement pretty well, but the mix is a bit off for me with the rhythm buried a bit, but I like a lot of the texture. And I like the guitars, especially at the beginning. The spoke/rap idea grows on me as I listen. I think the "without human.." line is a bit ambiguous until you see the rest of the lyric. There is a fair amount going on which is fun to listen to again and pick out other bits to enjoy. But ultimately, it just doesn't grab me as much as I'd like it to. I think this is a good write, but it fails to hit the head of the pack. I'd listen to this song again.
6. Shyfox - Am I Yurtinforfum? - The laid back vocal delivery fits well with the guitar line and soft mix. There is something about it that just doesn't sit well with me, though. I want to like this song more than I actually do. There isn't anything that I especially don't like, it just didn't do a whole lot for me. Although, I'll say that melody grows on me with repeated listens. I might listen to this song again.
5. Rob From Amersfoort - The Ignorists - I like your word and the use of it more than most. This is one of the few that seems like it could be a word that I just haven't run across before. I like the rhythm throughout the song. But ultimately, I'm not that drawn in to this song. I might listen this song again.
4. Adam Sakellarides - Delbajifrasticderigibalistic - I like the vocal performance and melody on the title line, but not nearly as much for the rest of the song. I'm just finding this song ordinary. I'm not likely to listen to this song again.
3. Lucky Witch & The Righteous Ghost - Hatebaby - More guitar, lower the vocal track a hair. And maybe change something up for the chorus to give it more punch. Bring in something or subtract something from the verse or something. I just need more dynamics in the arrangement in order for this to go from having potential to being something I'd want to listen to again.
2. Mick Bordet - Gazebonea - The melody is ok, the vocal is a bit up in the mix, especially to start. I did like the shimmering guitar and the arrangement of other elements. It went on for a bit with the end bit seeming to take forever. While I liked the texture I just wanted something to happen at some point. I probably wouldn't listen to this song again.
1. Boffo Yux Dudes - Bilpm - The Ballad of Don Martin (Cracked Up) - I thought the vocal performance(s) were good, but I didn't much care for the arrangement. I like the idea of writing a tribute to Don Martin, but half your song was onomatopoeia and I'm still not sure if you actually defined a new word or not. While I like the idea behind the song, I feel it failed to make a connection. I just really didn't care for the melody all that much and I'd probably not listen to this song again.
Alex Forger - Televice - SHADOW - Lyrically, I think you did a great job with your word and your use of it. Your vocal has a nice, warm quality to it. The vocal might be up a bit in the mix, but it sounds good so I don't mind. The plain arrangement works okay and really does benefit from the small bits on the chorus, but I feel it needs more. And the pace is a bit plodding. This isn't bad but a few tweaks could make it better, I think.
Lucky Witch & The Righteous Ghost - Dissomnience - SHADOW - I like your word and the lyric in the verses are good, I like a lot of the images, especially the last verse before the chorus and right after chorus2. The transitions are a little abrupt and this ends up being a bit plodding in its delivery. I like the ideas here but it's still a little rough.
17. Ryan M. Brewer - Mareno - I like the melody, the guitar is driving without being heavy. Your vocal performance works really well and the chords under the title line, well the chorus, really, is excellent. Those ooh hoos are a nice touch. I like the 6/8 bridge/changeup. I'd definitely listen to this song again
16. Ominous Ride - Wrenchion di Gnausque - I could tell this was an OR melody, I don't know what it is, but it just seems to fit what you'd do. But I really do like it. It's excellent. The mix might be just a bit muddy.. or maybe just not quite as clear as I hoped. The vocal is just a hair harder to hear than other tracks, but it seems to be the overall volume of the track rather than the mix. Did I mention I like the melody? I would definitely listen to this song again.
15. Zoe Gray - Lullaburbia - Your vocal is excellent (as usual) and the melody kept my interest throughout. I like the texture of your song quite a bit. The more I listen to this the more I like it. I would listen to this song again.
14. Ross Durand - Amoreliebephilia - I like the guitar and melody and your vocal performance all quite a bit. you did a great job of explaining your word without defining it in the lyric. This is actually a pretty darn good job of hitting the challenge and being likeable at the same time. I would listen to this song again.
13. Brian Gray - St Wendigo's Day - That's a good vocal performance. The song notes really helped me enjoy this song. The lyric is more interesting for it. I like the rhythm and the atmosphere of the track. I'd listen to this song again.
12. Kyleen Downes - Pondle - This is an interesting song. I had a small bit of trouble grasping exactly what you were getting at, but I do like the vocal performance, the melody and the arrangement. I'd listen to this song again
11. Army Defense - Splying - So this splying thing is a type of water? It's not like Fanta (which would be capitalized) right? I like the rhythm, the optimistic sound and the melody. The synth single note line fits the concept. I'd probably listen to this again.
10. Governing Dynamics - broken/lost/alone/adrift - I like the feel of the song. But there was something in the mix, the vocals, that seemed muddy and was causing me some ear fatigue. I liked the guitars and /bridge/ section as a nice counterpoint to the ease of the rest of the track. This has some good writing in it, and I like your verse lyric and the idea behind your song. It isn't bad, but I feel it didn't quite reach full potential. I might listen to this song again.
9. Steve Stearns - The Eneffable Moment Of Mazoom - The guitars were cool from the start. The entire track is a bit quiet compared to the competition. (It's okay, I turned it up.) I like all the alliteration in the lyric. I don't know if I admire the use of "scram" or if I think it doesn't quite work. The melody on the chorus is good. This reminds me of some 70's songs, maybe Harry Nilsson?, in a good way in the melody and the lines in the guitars etc., I like this song well enough but it isn't quite in my wheel house. But I'd probably listen to this song again.
8. Jailhouse Playback - Nojrelias - A perfectly fine song. I like the melody in the verse (and the chords on the last line.) It's pretty well written and I'm a bit impressed with the construction. But it just doesn't stick with me much after it's done playing. I might listen to this song again.
7. Bryan Schumann - oblagetauta agmepulot - I like the arrangement pretty well, but the mix is a bit off for me with the rhythm buried a bit, but I like a lot of the texture. And I like the guitars, especially at the beginning. The spoke/rap idea grows on me as I listen. I think the "without human.." line is a bit ambiguous until you see the rest of the lyric. There is a fair amount going on which is fun to listen to again and pick out other bits to enjoy. But ultimately, it just doesn't grab me as much as I'd like it to. I think this is a good write, but it fails to hit the head of the pack. I'd listen to this song again.
6. Shyfox - Am I Yurtinforfum? - The laid back vocal delivery fits well with the guitar line and soft mix. There is something about it that just doesn't sit well with me, though. I want to like this song more than I actually do. There isn't anything that I especially don't like, it just didn't do a whole lot for me. Although, I'll say that melody grows on me with repeated listens. I might listen to this song again.
5. Rob From Amersfoort - The Ignorists - I like your word and the use of it more than most. This is one of the few that seems like it could be a word that I just haven't run across before. I like the rhythm throughout the song. But ultimately, I'm not that drawn in to this song. I might listen this song again.
4. Adam Sakellarides - Delbajifrasticderigibalistic - I like the vocal performance and melody on the title line, but not nearly as much for the rest of the song. I'm just finding this song ordinary. I'm not likely to listen to this song again.
3. Lucky Witch & The Righteous Ghost - Hatebaby - More guitar, lower the vocal track a hair. And maybe change something up for the chorus to give it more punch. Bring in something or subtract something from the verse or something. I just need more dynamics in the arrangement in order for this to go from having potential to being something I'd want to listen to again.
2. Mick Bordet - Gazebonea - The melody is ok, the vocal is a bit up in the mix, especially to start. I did like the shimmering guitar and the arrangement of other elements. It went on for a bit with the end bit seeming to take forever. While I liked the texture I just wanted something to happen at some point. I probably wouldn't listen to this song again.
1. Boffo Yux Dudes - Bilpm - The Ballad of Don Martin (Cracked Up) - I thought the vocal performance(s) were good, but I didn't much care for the arrangement. I like the idea of writing a tribute to Don Martin, but half your song was onomatopoeia and I'm still not sure if you actually defined a new word or not. While I like the idea behind the song, I feel it failed to make a connection. I just really didn't care for the melody all that much and I'd probably not listen to this song again.
Alex Forger - Televice - SHADOW - Lyrically, I think you did a great job with your word and your use of it. Your vocal has a nice, warm quality to it. The vocal might be up a bit in the mix, but it sounds good so I don't mind. The plain arrangement works okay and really does benefit from the small bits on the chorus, but I feel it needs more. And the pace is a bit plodding. This isn't bad but a few tweaks could make it better, I think.
Lucky Witch & The Righteous Ghost - Dissomnience - SHADOW - I like your word and the lyric in the verses are good, I like a lot of the images, especially the last verse before the chorus and right after chorus2. The transitions are a little abrupt and this ends up being a bit plodding in its delivery. I like the ideas here but it's still a little rough.
SpinTunes #12 Round 3 Reviews: Ted Kiper
From the lyrics of Zoe, judging this round has been nothing but "oh-me oh-my"'s. When Spin wants to give a good challenge, he delivers. And you guys have jumped many hoops to impress, and yes sir I am impressed. Most people seemed to have taken the overall challenge with stride:
Something Old, Something Knant - Create a new word, and write a song using it prominently. It can't be a proper noun. Your song must also use borrowed chords. (2 minute minimum length) (they had 8 days)
But as you can see, there are THREE requirements: new word, borrowed chords, and CANNOT be proper noun. And many of you seemed to have neglected to clarify the third.
It can't be helped. As I explained to fellow judge Joe, I believe we assume that the unnatural words we see everyday in our language tend to be names. Unique names are proper nouns, and your made-up words are pretty unique too.
But some of you made very little effort to ensure that your made-up nouns are common. And some steps could've been taken:
* Do not capitalize the word.
* Make it plural. (Then the word won't be unique.)
* Don't use it as a name, even if it is a condition, state of mind, or a feeling.
* Don't leave it alone--use and abuse it, make it seem normal. Make a story about it, or use it in multiple contexts.
The judges and I spent all week arguing about who failed this third criteria, and nearly half the entries were in question. And the more we looked into your lyrics, the more questions were brought up. It was catastrophic.
Or at least it could've been. We were very lucky. Most of you should thank Spin for having the grace to prevent this "musical holocaust". (Well, those are two words I never thought I'd say.)
For more of my thoughts about the challenge and how well you handled them, you can check them out in your reviews.
(Because I thought the challenge was an important, dynamic feature, I decided to employ a point system, loosely based on Brian Gray's format, that would lean towards people who succeeded to meet all the criteria. "Word Choice" is about what word you created, did it sound right, and did you use it enough. "Borrowed Chords" is how RESPONSIBLE you are with the borrowed chords, so that I didn't have to look intensely for it or I didn't feel completely overwhelmed by them. And "Proper Noun Ban" is how well this word did not seem like a proper noun. "Judge's Whim" is a combination of how much I personally liked it and how well-crafted the song was made. 17 is the highest score, 1 is the lowest.)
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Reviews:
1. Kyleen Downes - Pondle
Word Choice (7) - It's simple, really. If I could define it, it's like thinking with more physical involvement. Perhaps it's a mix of "ponder" and some other word. This proves that there is no need for crazy hodge-podge of syllables and stutters. Who says made-up words has to be literally unspeakable?
Borrowed Chords (16) - What's amazing about the chords here is that the song doesn't seem to play any borrowed chords. But then I inspect the chords that you so thoughtfully added into your lyrics, and I realize that you've incorporated them so brilliantly. It's a true sign of responsibility when handling these chords, and you made them sound so natural. It may not seem like the most original set of chords, but the subtle smoothness of the transitions shows what could be the best songcrafting of the round.
Proper Noun Ban (17) - When the rest of your peers fiddled with all sorts of nouns, you were the only one that made your word very clearly a verb. As a result, you were one of the few that was never mentioned about being DQ. Whether your word choice was by luck or by design, you easily outsmarted the rest.
Judge's Whim (8) - It's the chorus that I love the most. There is enough variety of guitar playing that keeps the song fresh. And yet, in a round full of amazing ideas, this entry was a little too safe for my liking. But I guess it doesn't matter; your cautiousness may have kept you focused on the challenge and take my top rank.
2. Army Defense - Splyng
Word Choice (13) - I am not sure what is this "splyng". Sure, it's a beverage or drink of some form. I might argue it's a drug. Like alcohol? That makes singers sound goofy and robotic? Simple, accessable, fun to say, and fitting to the tune, I'd say you picked the right word.
Borrowed Chords (14) - That chorus is a dizzy trip of chords, very enjoyable. Somewhat clear, but mostly smooth.
Proper Noun Ban (8) - You silly, silly people. When you say "Splyng, the legendary drink of Kron", you confused many of the judges thinking it's a brand name. Almost DQ'd you. Thankfully, you added in equally mysterious "booglets" and "brtlys". It's a sidestep, but you passed.
Judge's Whim (13) - Someone from the LP chat said this sounded like The Doors. I absolutely agree, but yours is even more fun.
3. Steve Stearns - The Ineffable Moment of Mazoom
Word Choice (9) - Yes, "mazoom" seems pretty appropriate for the direction of the song. Better yet, you've used some pretty uncommon words to pair with this fun word, which lets the word sit comfortably in the lyrical dreamscape.
Borrowed Chords (15) - Lots of borrowed chords, presented in a casual pace that allows me to digest it all. And the genre takes full advantage of this challenge.
Proper Noun Ban (11) - I'm not sure what this word is, maybe a period of time or a state of mind. But I don't see any clues that it would be a proper noun, so that's good in my book.
Judge's Whim (11) - I sense the Final Four for you. Some on the LP chat say you sound like the Beatles. I also happen to agree with this. But I think I like this better. Once again, your mastery of genre-switching is amazing.
4. Ominous Ride - Wrenchion di Gnausque
Word Choice (10) - When I first read the notes, I got the impression that these new words were just re-spellings of older words. I'm hoping that's not true, probably not, but that impression is very hard to shake from me. (I don't know, maybe I take you too literally. I guess you make such a strong impression on me.)
Borrowed Chords (6) - The F# is common enough as a borrowed chord, but the juicier chord would definitely be the A#dim. I do feel that the song rides a tiny bit much on the common chords more, or maybe they were used in a catchier fashion.
Proper Noun Ban (12) - I'm glad you mention how to pronounce it, the translation, and the context of how it's used. This clearly couldn't be a proper noun.
Judge's Whim (17) - Congrats! Not only is this my favorite submission from you, it's also my top favorite entry of the round. With more variety of borrowed chords, this may have been ranked much higher; but it's already so sweet that I wouldn't really want to change a single thing.
5. Jailhouse Payback - Nojrelias
Word Choice (11) - "Nojrelias" is definitely made-up. Where you came up with it confounds me, though.
Borrowed Chords (17) - This is the smoothest pace of using the right amount of borrowed chords. Nothing too complicated, nothing too subtle. The entry serves as prime example of responsible usage of borrowed chords.
Proper Noun Ban (7) - Not clear if "nojrelias" is a noun for "the feeling" or an exclamation (at the end). If the feeling was called "sadness", would the word sadness be proper? It's not something I want to think too long about.
Judge's Whim (9) - Not a bad song, even if the lyrics make little sense to me. Not all too catchy for me to relisten, unfortunately, but if I had to relisten to it, I wouldn't complain at all. If anything, I'm amused of how meta it gets.
6. Governing Dynamics - [broken/lost/alone/adrift]
Word Choice (17) - No, creating a new word wasn't enough. You had to claim a whole new language too. And it was a genius move. Title, choice of words, choice of instrumentations--all was thought through.
Borrowed Chords (4) - I hear the chords, but they show up a little too subtle for my ears. I'm hoping the other judges were able to pick them up better.
Proper Noun Ban (16) - From your "translation", I'd say they are adjectives. And if not, then at least they are very obviously not nouns. You make completing this challenge look so easy.
Judge's Whim (6) - So... I love the first half of the song. Absolutely loved it. And then the guitar kicks in at the middle, and completely leaves me in the dust. I get it, the guitar part, I do; but I really, really wanted to keep the first half mood.
7. Adam Sakellarides - Delbajifrasticderigibalistic
Word Choice (12) - Well, that's a word that I don't think anyone has ever heard of. God help anyone trying to recite it.
Borrowed Chords (11) - A healthy amount of borrowed chords, just a bit on the overwhelming pace of using them.
Proper Noun Ban (13) - Although you say it's a feeling, I find it more like an exclamation. I can't see how this be proper at all.
Judge's Whim (5) - It's pretty creative, employing a waltzy scherzo. I'd like it a little more it wasn't so musically repetitive. But at least it's more down-to-earth, besides the spleen part. You ranked well because you followed the challenge very closely.
8. Bryan Schumann - oblagetauta agmepulot
Word Choice (15) - Not only are the words enchanting to look at, but the definition and the source are mind-blowingly cool.
Borrowed Chords (1) - I have no clue where the borrowed chord is. I'm surprised none of the other judges have brought up the issue, so I'm pretending that some borrowed chord is in there and it's just too subtle for me. In my ears, it sounds like all one chord with a whole bunch of pitch bends and rapping. Super imaginative, but dangerously not what we asked for.
Proper Noun Ban (15) - No, I can't see how a mystifying phrase of syllables could be a proper noun. I think you're safe here.
Judge's Whim (10) - I love dreams, so if this really came out of a dream, I'm incredibly interested! Very fascinating backstory! Although this genre is not easy for me to swallow, the sheer creativity of the song cannot be denied. And this is from the same guy who did "Open Roads"? Amazing job!
9. Boffo Yux Dudes - Bilpm - The Ballad of Don Martin
Word Choice (16) - You have so many weird, weird words, you might have over-achieved yourself. I think the subject of Don Martin was an excellent pick.
Borrowed Chords (2) - Call me crazy, but I'm not sure if there are too many borrowed chords or if there is any at all. The chords are so unconventional. The progression may work for the topic of the song, but it's too difficult to say if it works with what I thought was borrowed chords.
Proper Noun Ban (14) - No, I can't see how excalamations of made-up action noises be considered anything like proper nouns.
Judge's Whim (1) - I know you like to pride yourselves as the funny guys who like to go just beyond the edge of sensibilities. At this moment, I don't even see you guys in the same solar system. In fact, this might as well have been an anthem for aliens. At least I like ze wierd.
10. Ross Durand - Amoreliebephilia
Word Choice (6) - It's a pretty cool word, considering it is three different languages that say love. But among other more creative words, this was a tad bit too safe for me. Clever, perhaps, but still not bold enough for my taste.
Borrowed Chords (5) - Your borrowed chords worked well, clear and smooth. But with so few in the song, isolated mainly in the bridge, I'm afraid several other songs have edged out more creativity and boldness.
Proper Noun Ban (6) - It was this song that made me wonder if diseases can be proper nouns. They are usually named and unique. But my wife, who was probably so very smitten by your song, insisted that your word represented more of a condition than a name. This song took a while to clear through the judges, and I disapprove of the confusion.
Judge's Whim (14) - It's quite a beautiful song. This might be my most favorite submission from you yet. And I'm very grateful this entry isn't as infected with weirdness like the other songs. It's fresh, it's clean, it's sincere, it's heart-felt.
11. Zoe Gray - Lullaburbia
Word Choice (4) - There is nothing wrong with the word, it is your baby after all. But I'm surprised that it didn't show up in Google anywhere in the web. There just happens to be more interesting words I've been hearing on this round.
Borrowed Chords (9) - This has a fair amount of twists and turns for the chords. Nothing too crazy, but this brings me right at the edge of feeling like not needing so many borrowed chords.
Proper Noun Ban (3) - This was one of the hardest songs to clear. Your use of "lullaburbia" appeared to be leaning more proper than common. It seemed like such a specific place! If you used it in a plural form, I imagine this wouldn't have been as big of an issue as it was.
Judge's Whim (15) - Oh yes, Depeche Mode is what I feel here; more specifically, it reminds me of the song "World In My Eyes", with the production from the "Sounds Of The Universe" album. You did not disappoint.
12. Rob From Amersfoort - The Ignorists
Word Choice (1) - "Ignorist" is not too far off from "ignorant", only this is dangerous form of a noun.
Borrowed Chords (13) - It has a fair amount of borrowed chords, but I really enjoy the chord progression mostly. Some borrowed chords come clear, some more rewardingly subtle. Very enjoyable for my ears.
Proper Noun Ban (1) - Your word was the hardest to clear. "Ignorists" sounds either like a religious cult organization or a political party, and either one is typical capitalized like you do in your song. Why did you capitalize it if it isn't a proper noun? It was a very unfortunate choice.
Judge's Whim (16) - My goodness, I really love the beat, like some form of robotic jungle. It fits so well with the topic. And I haven't a song this juicy good from you since "Girls In Leggings". I'm glad this wasn't DQ'd, this was very closely tied to my favorite song in this round.
13. Shyfox - Am I Yurtinforfum?
Word Choice (14) - Well that is quite an interesting word. I am quite confident that no one would ever think of it.
Borrowed Chords (3) - I'm not sure where the chords want to go, especially . And the only borrowed chord I can discern is at the end of the chorus.
Proper Noun Ban (10) - I actually find this word more like an adjective or a mental condition rather than a noun.
Judge's Whim (3) - I found this either too sleepy or too timid. Even the mix doesn't want to come through. I kind of like the sincerity, though, and I float well with the ending.
(14.) Lucky Witch & The Righteous Ghost - Dissomnience
Word Choice (6) - I actually really like the word, like I don't need the definition to understand what the word means. But your lyrics do a good enough job explaining the feeling anyway.
Borrowed Chords (15) - Well, this certainly has the borrowed chords throughout the song, with contemplative pacing and cautious delivery. Your band has such a bizarre way of piecing your chords together, and in here, it almost works.
Proper Noun Ban (5) - It seems to be a state of mind more than a proper noun, but it's hard to tell with such limited context. Thankfully, you didn't deliver this song as the official when considering the proper noun criteria.
Judge's Whim (4) - I actually like the direction of the song slightly more than your original entry, which I knew would happen. Yeah, I can see what you mean; the song length does seem rather long, like a uncut personal vlog. But thank you for submitting it!
14. Ryan M. Brewer - Mareno (The Biggest Little Casino On The Seven Seas)
Word Choice (5) - The story is rather captivating, that I keep forgetting the point of the word "mareno". Worse still, "mareno" sounds too much like "marina" to me, and this drains my view of creativity from your word.
Borrowed Chords (8) - Very clear and prominent in the chorus, and I like clear chords for simple judging. But that was pretty much it. Very safe, almost too safe.
Proper Noun (5) - Perhaps because your word sounds like "marina", some of the judges may have mistaken it to be a place. And since it is weird, they may think it is a name. And what doesn't help is your title, which pairs your word with a specific place, as if it is a direct subtitle to "mareno".
Judge's Whim (12) - I appreciate the bold songcrafting with a rather developing intro and various changes in rhythms. Not sure about those pirate voices, though. Just a bit too gimmicky for my taste. But the narrative style is pretty cool.
15. Lucky Witch & The Righteous Ghost - Hatebaby
Word Choice (2) - I see where you derive "hatebaby", but more creative new words have been presented in this round.
Borrowed Chords (12) - The chords make more sense here than in your shadow, but it still harbors some unpredictability.
Proper Nouns (9) - Thankfully, your noun was quite easily convinced to be common rather than proper. This may further enforce my point that normal words like "hate" and "baby" doesn't encourage the idea that something unique will be made when the two words combine.
Judge's Whim (4) - The lyrics are so depressing for music somewhat bouncy. Reminds me of The Cure. Unfortunately, this isn't nearly as addicting as "Spoiler", nor as thoughtful as "Hey Mister". Strangely enough, I'm beginning to see why you call this song our hatebaby.
16. Brian Gray - St. Wendigo's Day
Word Choice (5) - At first, I thought it was "Wendigo", but some judges have been claiming that the created word was "cann'tabil". If that's true, I don't find much of a creative leap to that word from "cannibal".
Borrowed Chords (10) - This is certainly a cool blend of cool chords, especially from a chord-master such as yourself. It's actually quite delectable, considering the topic! I don't think I could've come up with any ideas of what to do with those chords, so it's rather impressive.
Proper Nouns (4) - I didn't like the confusion whether it was "Wendigo" or "cann'tabil" as the created word. (Yeah, I had no idea about the word "wendigo".) It was confusing enough to be discussed for DQ, so something went wrong somewhere.
Judge's Whim (7) - I'm not sure how this song managed to be ranked so low here. I thought it was very creative and delightfully epic. I think what killed it was the vocal performance/production, which seems unusually low quality for you.
17. Mick Bordet - Gazebonea
Word Choice (8) - I would've never thought of using a word that sounded like "gazebo". Really, my question is: why?
Borrowed Chords (7) - There are so many borrowed chords, I'm not even sure what key this song belongs in. I'm just going to assume you're way more advanced in music theory than I am. But at least I can tell you I like where it compositionally goes.
Proper Nouns (2) - Your entry was also very difficult to clear from being DQ'd. "Gazebonist" sounds like a title, especially when you capitalize the word in your lyrics; and "gazebonea" sounds like a place, but we can't tell because it isn't properly used in any context.
Judge's Whim (2) - This is another case where abstract ideas are hit-or-miss situations. I'm afraid the numerous questions about how this song passes the challenge had devastated the chances for me to enjoy this song.
(17.) Alex Forger - Televice
Word Choice (5) - Yeah, I like the topic and I understand the mashup of the words involved. Sounds futuristic in name, even though it seems very relevant today.
Borrowed Chords (1) - As a Shadow, I guess it doesn't matter if I almost missed the borrowed chords here. Finding them was like an audio game of "I Spy".
Proper Nouns (5) - You seem to treat "televice" very proper. But either word in the mashup would be a common noun, and since this is a shadow, I don't have any concern whatsoever.
Judge's Whim (3) - That is such a beautiful voice for such a strangely uncomfortable subject. I love creepy, but the subtleness takes it to a new, unexpected level, at least to me. It was about as cute as a daycare for dead children. I'm very confused, it has the intensity of a deep satire. Was that even where you going?--cuz you went so far in that I couldn't catch up. Again, beautiful voice.
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Conclusion:
This round will not be so easily forgotten. This is challenging for me to judge as it was for you guys to write. A lot of failures could've taken place, on both ends. But I think this was worth it. Some of these songs have amazing creativity oozing out, and I've found some more addicting favorites.
And I'm shocked where these songs placed in my ranks. I'm really not sure who will be the Final Four, but I wish them luck. You've survived longer than I would have.
Until next time!
Something Old, Something Knant - Create a new word, and write a song using it prominently. It can't be a proper noun. Your song must also use borrowed chords. (2 minute minimum length) (they had 8 days)
But as you can see, there are THREE requirements: new word, borrowed chords, and CANNOT be proper noun. And many of you seemed to have neglected to clarify the third.
It can't be helped. As I explained to fellow judge Joe, I believe we assume that the unnatural words we see everyday in our language tend to be names. Unique names are proper nouns, and your made-up words are pretty unique too.
But some of you made very little effort to ensure that your made-up nouns are common. And some steps could've been taken:
* Do not capitalize the word.
* Make it plural. (Then the word won't be unique.)
* Don't use it as a name, even if it is a condition, state of mind, or a feeling.
* Don't leave it alone--use and abuse it, make it seem normal. Make a story about it, or use it in multiple contexts.
The judges and I spent all week arguing about who failed this third criteria, and nearly half the entries were in question. And the more we looked into your lyrics, the more questions were brought up. It was catastrophic.
Or at least it could've been. We were very lucky. Most of you should thank Spin for having the grace to prevent this "musical holocaust". (Well, those are two words I never thought I'd say.)
For more of my thoughts about the challenge and how well you handled them, you can check them out in your reviews.
(Because I thought the challenge was an important, dynamic feature, I decided to employ a point system, loosely based on Brian Gray's format, that would lean towards people who succeeded to meet all the criteria. "Word Choice" is about what word you created, did it sound right, and did you use it enough. "Borrowed Chords" is how RESPONSIBLE you are with the borrowed chords, so that I didn't have to look intensely for it or I didn't feel completely overwhelmed by them. And "Proper Noun Ban" is how well this word did not seem like a proper noun. "Judge's Whim" is a combination of how much I personally liked it and how well-crafted the song was made. 17 is the highest score, 1 is the lowest.)
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Reviews:
1. Kyleen Downes - Pondle
Word Choice (7) - It's simple, really. If I could define it, it's like thinking with more physical involvement. Perhaps it's a mix of "ponder" and some other word. This proves that there is no need for crazy hodge-podge of syllables and stutters. Who says made-up words has to be literally unspeakable?
Borrowed Chords (16) - What's amazing about the chords here is that the song doesn't seem to play any borrowed chords. But then I inspect the chords that you so thoughtfully added into your lyrics, and I realize that you've incorporated them so brilliantly. It's a true sign of responsibility when handling these chords, and you made them sound so natural. It may not seem like the most original set of chords, but the subtle smoothness of the transitions shows what could be the best songcrafting of the round.
Proper Noun Ban (17) - When the rest of your peers fiddled with all sorts of nouns, you were the only one that made your word very clearly a verb. As a result, you were one of the few that was never mentioned about being DQ. Whether your word choice was by luck or by design, you easily outsmarted the rest.
Judge's Whim (8) - It's the chorus that I love the most. There is enough variety of guitar playing that keeps the song fresh. And yet, in a round full of amazing ideas, this entry was a little too safe for my liking. But I guess it doesn't matter; your cautiousness may have kept you focused on the challenge and take my top rank.
2. Army Defense - Splyng
Word Choice (13) - I am not sure what is this "splyng". Sure, it's a beverage or drink of some form. I might argue it's a drug. Like alcohol? That makes singers sound goofy and robotic? Simple, accessable, fun to say, and fitting to the tune, I'd say you picked the right word.
Borrowed Chords (14) - That chorus is a dizzy trip of chords, very enjoyable. Somewhat clear, but mostly smooth.
Proper Noun Ban (8) - You silly, silly people. When you say "Splyng, the legendary drink of Kron", you confused many of the judges thinking it's a brand name. Almost DQ'd you. Thankfully, you added in equally mysterious "booglets" and "brtlys". It's a sidestep, but you passed.
Judge's Whim (13) - Someone from the LP chat said this sounded like The Doors. I absolutely agree, but yours is even more fun.
3. Steve Stearns - The Ineffable Moment of Mazoom
Word Choice (9) - Yes, "mazoom" seems pretty appropriate for the direction of the song. Better yet, you've used some pretty uncommon words to pair with this fun word, which lets the word sit comfortably in the lyrical dreamscape.
Borrowed Chords (15) - Lots of borrowed chords, presented in a casual pace that allows me to digest it all. And the genre takes full advantage of this challenge.
Proper Noun Ban (11) - I'm not sure what this word is, maybe a period of time or a state of mind. But I don't see any clues that it would be a proper noun, so that's good in my book.
Judge's Whim (11) - I sense the Final Four for you. Some on the LP chat say you sound like the Beatles. I also happen to agree with this. But I think I like this better. Once again, your mastery of genre-switching is amazing.
4. Ominous Ride - Wrenchion di Gnausque
Word Choice (10) - When I first read the notes, I got the impression that these new words were just re-spellings of older words. I'm hoping that's not true, probably not, but that impression is very hard to shake from me. (I don't know, maybe I take you too literally. I guess you make such a strong impression on me.)
Borrowed Chords (6) - The F# is common enough as a borrowed chord, but the juicier chord would definitely be the A#dim. I do feel that the song rides a tiny bit much on the common chords more, or maybe they were used in a catchier fashion.
Proper Noun Ban (12) - I'm glad you mention how to pronounce it, the translation, and the context of how it's used. This clearly couldn't be a proper noun.
Judge's Whim (17) - Congrats! Not only is this my favorite submission from you, it's also my top favorite entry of the round. With more variety of borrowed chords, this may have been ranked much higher; but it's already so sweet that I wouldn't really want to change a single thing.
5. Jailhouse Payback - Nojrelias
Word Choice (11) - "Nojrelias" is definitely made-up. Where you came up with it confounds me, though.
Borrowed Chords (17) - This is the smoothest pace of using the right amount of borrowed chords. Nothing too complicated, nothing too subtle. The entry serves as prime example of responsible usage of borrowed chords.
Proper Noun Ban (7) - Not clear if "nojrelias" is a noun for "the feeling" or an exclamation (at the end). If the feeling was called "sadness", would the word sadness be proper? It's not something I want to think too long about.
Judge's Whim (9) - Not a bad song, even if the lyrics make little sense to me. Not all too catchy for me to relisten, unfortunately, but if I had to relisten to it, I wouldn't complain at all. If anything, I'm amused of how meta it gets.
6. Governing Dynamics - [broken/lost/alone/adrift]
Word Choice (17) - No, creating a new word wasn't enough. You had to claim a whole new language too. And it was a genius move. Title, choice of words, choice of instrumentations--all was thought through.
Borrowed Chords (4) - I hear the chords, but they show up a little too subtle for my ears. I'm hoping the other judges were able to pick them up better.
Proper Noun Ban (16) - From your "translation", I'd say they are adjectives. And if not, then at least they are very obviously not nouns. You make completing this challenge look so easy.
Judge's Whim (6) - So... I love the first half of the song. Absolutely loved it. And then the guitar kicks in at the middle, and completely leaves me in the dust. I get it, the guitar part, I do; but I really, really wanted to keep the first half mood.
7. Adam Sakellarides - Delbajifrasticderigibalistic
Word Choice (12) - Well, that's a word that I don't think anyone has ever heard of. God help anyone trying to recite it.
Borrowed Chords (11) - A healthy amount of borrowed chords, just a bit on the overwhelming pace of using them.
Proper Noun Ban (13) - Although you say it's a feeling, I find it more like an exclamation. I can't see how this be proper at all.
Judge's Whim (5) - It's pretty creative, employing a waltzy scherzo. I'd like it a little more it wasn't so musically repetitive. But at least it's more down-to-earth, besides the spleen part. You ranked well because you followed the challenge very closely.
8. Bryan Schumann - oblagetauta agmepulot
Word Choice (15) - Not only are the words enchanting to look at, but the definition and the source are mind-blowingly cool.
Borrowed Chords (1) - I have no clue where the borrowed chord is. I'm surprised none of the other judges have brought up the issue, so I'm pretending that some borrowed chord is in there and it's just too subtle for me. In my ears, it sounds like all one chord with a whole bunch of pitch bends and rapping. Super imaginative, but dangerously not what we asked for.
Proper Noun Ban (15) - No, I can't see how a mystifying phrase of syllables could be a proper noun. I think you're safe here.
Judge's Whim (10) - I love dreams, so if this really came out of a dream, I'm incredibly interested! Very fascinating backstory! Although this genre is not easy for me to swallow, the sheer creativity of the song cannot be denied. And this is from the same guy who did "Open Roads"? Amazing job!
9. Boffo Yux Dudes - Bilpm - The Ballad of Don Martin
Word Choice (16) - You have so many weird, weird words, you might have over-achieved yourself. I think the subject of Don Martin was an excellent pick.
Borrowed Chords (2) - Call me crazy, but I'm not sure if there are too many borrowed chords or if there is any at all. The chords are so unconventional. The progression may work for the topic of the song, but it's too difficult to say if it works with what I thought was borrowed chords.
Proper Noun Ban (14) - No, I can't see how excalamations of made-up action noises be considered anything like proper nouns.
Judge's Whim (1) - I know you like to pride yourselves as the funny guys who like to go just beyond the edge of sensibilities. At this moment, I don't even see you guys in the same solar system. In fact, this might as well have been an anthem for aliens. At least I like ze wierd.
10. Ross Durand - Amoreliebephilia
Word Choice (6) - It's a pretty cool word, considering it is three different languages that say love. But among other more creative words, this was a tad bit too safe for me. Clever, perhaps, but still not bold enough for my taste.
Borrowed Chords (5) - Your borrowed chords worked well, clear and smooth. But with so few in the song, isolated mainly in the bridge, I'm afraid several other songs have edged out more creativity and boldness.
Proper Noun Ban (6) - It was this song that made me wonder if diseases can be proper nouns. They are usually named and unique. But my wife, who was probably so very smitten by your song, insisted that your word represented more of a condition than a name. This song took a while to clear through the judges, and I disapprove of the confusion.
Judge's Whim (14) - It's quite a beautiful song. This might be my most favorite submission from you yet. And I'm very grateful this entry isn't as infected with weirdness like the other songs. It's fresh, it's clean, it's sincere, it's heart-felt.
11. Zoe Gray - Lullaburbia
Word Choice (4) - There is nothing wrong with the word, it is your baby after all. But I'm surprised that it didn't show up in Google anywhere in the web. There just happens to be more interesting words I've been hearing on this round.
Borrowed Chords (9) - This has a fair amount of twists and turns for the chords. Nothing too crazy, but this brings me right at the edge of feeling like not needing so many borrowed chords.
Proper Noun Ban (3) - This was one of the hardest songs to clear. Your use of "lullaburbia" appeared to be leaning more proper than common. It seemed like such a specific place! If you used it in a plural form, I imagine this wouldn't have been as big of an issue as it was.
Judge's Whim (15) - Oh yes, Depeche Mode is what I feel here; more specifically, it reminds me of the song "World In My Eyes", with the production from the "Sounds Of The Universe" album. You did not disappoint.
12. Rob From Amersfoort - The Ignorists
Word Choice (1) - "Ignorist" is not too far off from "ignorant", only this is dangerous form of a noun.
Borrowed Chords (13) - It has a fair amount of borrowed chords, but I really enjoy the chord progression mostly. Some borrowed chords come clear, some more rewardingly subtle. Very enjoyable for my ears.
Proper Noun Ban (1) - Your word was the hardest to clear. "Ignorists" sounds either like a religious cult organization or a political party, and either one is typical capitalized like you do in your song. Why did you capitalize it if it isn't a proper noun? It was a very unfortunate choice.
Judge's Whim (16) - My goodness, I really love the beat, like some form of robotic jungle. It fits so well with the topic. And I haven't a song this juicy good from you since "Girls In Leggings". I'm glad this wasn't DQ'd, this was very closely tied to my favorite song in this round.
13. Shyfox - Am I Yurtinforfum?
Word Choice (14) - Well that is quite an interesting word. I am quite confident that no one would ever think of it.
Borrowed Chords (3) - I'm not sure where the chords want to go, especially . And the only borrowed chord I can discern is at the end of the chorus.
Proper Noun Ban (10) - I actually find this word more like an adjective or a mental condition rather than a noun.
Judge's Whim (3) - I found this either too sleepy or too timid. Even the mix doesn't want to come through. I kind of like the sincerity, though, and I float well with the ending.
(14.) Lucky Witch & The Righteous Ghost - Dissomnience
Word Choice (6) - I actually really like the word, like I don't need the definition to understand what the word means. But your lyrics do a good enough job explaining the feeling anyway.
Borrowed Chords (15) - Well, this certainly has the borrowed chords throughout the song, with contemplative pacing and cautious delivery. Your band has such a bizarre way of piecing your chords together, and in here, it almost works.
Proper Noun Ban (5) - It seems to be a state of mind more than a proper noun, but it's hard to tell with such limited context. Thankfully, you didn't deliver this song as the official when considering the proper noun criteria.
Judge's Whim (4) - I actually like the direction of the song slightly more than your original entry, which I knew would happen. Yeah, I can see what you mean; the song length does seem rather long, like a uncut personal vlog. But thank you for submitting it!
14. Ryan M. Brewer - Mareno (The Biggest Little Casino On The Seven Seas)
Word Choice (5) - The story is rather captivating, that I keep forgetting the point of the word "mareno". Worse still, "mareno" sounds too much like "marina" to me, and this drains my view of creativity from your word.
Borrowed Chords (8) - Very clear and prominent in the chorus, and I like clear chords for simple judging. But that was pretty much it. Very safe, almost too safe.
Proper Noun (5) - Perhaps because your word sounds like "marina", some of the judges may have mistaken it to be a place. And since it is weird, they may think it is a name. And what doesn't help is your title, which pairs your word with a specific place, as if it is a direct subtitle to "mareno".
Judge's Whim (12) - I appreciate the bold songcrafting with a rather developing intro and various changes in rhythms. Not sure about those pirate voices, though. Just a bit too gimmicky for my taste. But the narrative style is pretty cool.
15. Lucky Witch & The Righteous Ghost - Hatebaby
Word Choice (2) - I see where you derive "hatebaby", but more creative new words have been presented in this round.
Borrowed Chords (12) - The chords make more sense here than in your shadow, but it still harbors some unpredictability.
Proper Nouns (9) - Thankfully, your noun was quite easily convinced to be common rather than proper. This may further enforce my point that normal words like "hate" and "baby" doesn't encourage the idea that something unique will be made when the two words combine.
Judge's Whim (4) - The lyrics are so depressing for music somewhat bouncy. Reminds me of The Cure. Unfortunately, this isn't nearly as addicting as "Spoiler", nor as thoughtful as "Hey Mister". Strangely enough, I'm beginning to see why you call this song our hatebaby.
16. Brian Gray - St. Wendigo's Day
Word Choice (5) - At first, I thought it was "Wendigo", but some judges have been claiming that the created word was "cann'tabil". If that's true, I don't find much of a creative leap to that word from "cannibal".
Borrowed Chords (10) - This is certainly a cool blend of cool chords, especially from a chord-master such as yourself. It's actually quite delectable, considering the topic! I don't think I could've come up with any ideas of what to do with those chords, so it's rather impressive.
Proper Nouns (4) - I didn't like the confusion whether it was "Wendigo" or "cann'tabil" as the created word. (Yeah, I had no idea about the word "wendigo".) It was confusing enough to be discussed for DQ, so something went wrong somewhere.
Judge's Whim (7) - I'm not sure how this song managed to be ranked so low here. I thought it was very creative and delightfully epic. I think what killed it was the vocal performance/production, which seems unusually low quality for you.
17. Mick Bordet - Gazebonea
Word Choice (8) - I would've never thought of using a word that sounded like "gazebo". Really, my question is: why?
Borrowed Chords (7) - There are so many borrowed chords, I'm not even sure what key this song belongs in. I'm just going to assume you're way more advanced in music theory than I am. But at least I can tell you I like where it compositionally goes.
Proper Nouns (2) - Your entry was also very difficult to clear from being DQ'd. "Gazebonist" sounds like a title, especially when you capitalize the word in your lyrics; and "gazebonea" sounds like a place, but we can't tell because it isn't properly used in any context.
Judge's Whim (2) - This is another case where abstract ideas are hit-or-miss situations. I'm afraid the numerous questions about how this song passes the challenge had devastated the chances for me to enjoy this song.
(17.) Alex Forger - Televice
Word Choice (5) - Yeah, I like the topic and I understand the mashup of the words involved. Sounds futuristic in name, even though it seems very relevant today.
Borrowed Chords (1) - As a Shadow, I guess it doesn't matter if I almost missed the borrowed chords here. Finding them was like an audio game of "I Spy".
Proper Nouns (5) - You seem to treat "televice" very proper. But either word in the mashup would be a common noun, and since this is a shadow, I don't have any concern whatsoever.
Judge's Whim (3) - That is such a beautiful voice for such a strangely uncomfortable subject. I love creepy, but the subtleness takes it to a new, unexpected level, at least to me. It was about as cute as a daycare for dead children. I'm very confused, it has the intensity of a deep satire. Was that even where you going?--cuz you went so far in that I couldn't catch up. Again, beautiful voice.
---------------------
Conclusion:
This round will not be so easily forgotten. This is challenging for me to judge as it was for you guys to write. A lot of failures could've taken place, on both ends. But I think this was worth it. Some of these songs have amazing creativity oozing out, and I've found some more addicting favorites.
And I'm shocked where these songs placed in my ranks. I'm really not sure who will be the Final Four, but I wish them luck. You've survived longer than I would have.
Until next time!
Friday, March 3, 2017
SpinTunes #12 Round 3 Reviews: Nick Dellaposta
Amoreliebephilia
The punchline here is highly similar to the Hozier song 'Someone New'. But despite the 54 million views they have on their video, your song... that you wrote as part of nonsense-word songwriting challenge... in my opinion... is far superior. It's clever, heartfelt and truly beautiful. Please don't let the similar reference discourage you. Your song is different in so many ways from the other and I'm only drawing the comparison to point out how much stronger yours is than a song with a moderate level of success.
Mareno (The Biggest Little Casino On The Seven Seas)
Ryan, Excellent chord progressions. There are some awesome story-telling details and musical elements: melodic hooks and a theatrical bridge that make this tune top-notch. Well done.
Lullaburbia
Zoe, you have a gift for versatility. More so than your previous submissions, this song showcases a sultry facet that would feel at home in a 007 film. Where your first song was darker, your second was ultra-fluorescent. Lullaburbia paints a picture of a lucid dream which has a color palette all of its own. I love that your songs are so visual, for me at least. Being a musical shapeshifter will serve you well for years and will undoubtedly keep things interesting.
Pondle
"Maybe not having, is the key to change what your life needs"... in a round where you were tasked directly with using a nonsense word prevalently you somehow managed to sneak in really insightful, uplifting, and inspirational lyrics. Thank you for taking what you do seriously even when it comes to writing songs about pondling. Highly enjoyable.
St. Wendigo’s Day
Brian, you never cease to impress me. There's so much drama and tension that explodes into a grand choral cry. I'm not DQing anyone based on whether their invented word is a proper noun or not, that would be silly. (I see the prompt as more of a guideline or starting point than a strict rule) but that's really the only deduction I have for this song. I'll take a quality song over strict adherence to the rules any day and you've delivered a thoughtful song that took time and effort that deserves to be rewarded.
The Ineffable Moment Of Mazoom
I've often wondered what it would have sounded like if Roger McGuinn collaborated with the Beatles. Now I know. Great tune and excellent use of alliteration throughout.
Wrenchion di Gnausque
The arpeggiated progression gives this tune a "House of the Rising Sun" kinda vibe. I appreciate how the chorus really opens up. It probably has potential to stand out a bit more if the predictable picking pattern varied to quarter notes or if the instrumentation was altered, but you have a quality tune here that had me tapping my foot along even without knowing what Wrenchion di Gnausque was.
broken/lost/alone/adrift
Peaceful and captivating, your song captures that "adrift" quality very well. The spacey atmospherics and lyrics penned from intercepted alien transmissions make me reimagine what it's like to really be lost by contrasting 'unknown whereabouts' with 'not being able to understand external signals'. I question the heavier section toward the end. It seemed a little foreign but then again I guess that's kind of part of the story isn't it?
Delbajifrasticderigibalistic
That is a mouthful! Your song has all the elements of a good song. Strong hook, and melody, and identifiable subject matter. That being said, and i hate to say this… it kind of sounds like Ted Cruz singing a Mary Poppins outtake.
Splyng
Your lyrics tell an interesting story that creates images in the mind and flavors on the tongue. The interlude is well-written and tasty. Keep writing music that stimulates the senses.
Nojrelias
Nojrelias or “Sailer Jon” backwards. (I’ll pretend there’s some hidden meaning there). Your song has identifiable lyrics and some well-played electric guitar that many songwriters would enjoy. You seem to have come to peace with writing music that isn’t “meant to please a crowd”, getting older, and being misunderstood. None of these things are bad. As songwriters, it’s easy to write music for that all-important audience of 1, (I’m guilty of it too) but I’d encourage you to try to use your art to channel characters, tell stories, give pause, inspire, or make others feel a certain way.
The Ignorists
I'm a big fan of using idioms in songwriting. I do it frequently in my own, but after a while it starts to seem like a crutch. "Empty vessels make the loudest noise" is a great line, but I'll challenge you with the same thing I challenge myself with in my own writing... Try to invent new idioms. You'll find it to be more rewarding, more unique and for lack of a better term... you'll feel like less of a hack for borrowing a pre-built lyric. All of that aside, I appreciate the curveball chorus and other musical surprises you've used throughout this tune.
Bilpm - The Ballad of Don Martin (Cracked Up)
Interesting story. I enjoy the contrasting chaotic sections with the verses. The character voices seem like they could have come straight out of Mad Magazine which is cool but not entirely obvious without the backstory.
oblagetauta agmepulot
Lots of style points here. This is an imaginative production that took a lot of talent to pull off. Compositionally, lyrically, and substantively however there is less for me to evaluate from a songwriting perspective. It's got feeling and a great backstory but your preface in the liner notes was more compelling and understandable from a story-telling perspective than the actual lyrics you used for the song.
Hatebaby
Your lyrics tell a tragic story that is accompanied by appropriately ill chord changes that force your listeners to confront the uneasiness of the situation. To be clear, just because something is difficult to listen to doesn’t mean it’s bad. In your case, I think the anemic instrumentation and difficult subject matter support one another in an artistic symbiosis.
Am I Yurtinflorfum?
I appreciate the Introspective angle you took. The lyrics make me want to fill in the blanks and leaves me wondering what Yurtinflorfum is. Unfortunately, your tune is so laid-back and pale that it is undistinguished among the crowd.
Gazebonea
Mick, the sparse interplay between the guitar, vocal and woodwind was interesting from a strictly tactile perspective. Unfortunately, there is not much here in terms of songwriting elements. Lyrical content, melody, rhythm etc.
The punchline here is highly similar to the Hozier song 'Someone New'. But despite the 54 million views they have on their video, your song... that you wrote as part of nonsense-word songwriting challenge... in my opinion... is far superior. It's clever, heartfelt and truly beautiful. Please don't let the similar reference discourage you. Your song is different in so many ways from the other and I'm only drawing the comparison to point out how much stronger yours is than a song with a moderate level of success.
Mareno (The Biggest Little Casino On The Seven Seas)
Ryan, Excellent chord progressions. There are some awesome story-telling details and musical elements: melodic hooks and a theatrical bridge that make this tune top-notch. Well done.
Lullaburbia
Zoe, you have a gift for versatility. More so than your previous submissions, this song showcases a sultry facet that would feel at home in a 007 film. Where your first song was darker, your second was ultra-fluorescent. Lullaburbia paints a picture of a lucid dream which has a color palette all of its own. I love that your songs are so visual, for me at least. Being a musical shapeshifter will serve you well for years and will undoubtedly keep things interesting.
Pondle
"Maybe not having, is the key to change what your life needs"... in a round where you were tasked directly with using a nonsense word prevalently you somehow managed to sneak in really insightful, uplifting, and inspirational lyrics. Thank you for taking what you do seriously even when it comes to writing songs about pondling. Highly enjoyable.
St. Wendigo’s Day
Brian, you never cease to impress me. There's so much drama and tension that explodes into a grand choral cry. I'm not DQing anyone based on whether their invented word is a proper noun or not, that would be silly. (I see the prompt as more of a guideline or starting point than a strict rule) but that's really the only deduction I have for this song. I'll take a quality song over strict adherence to the rules any day and you've delivered a thoughtful song that took time and effort that deserves to be rewarded.
The Ineffable Moment Of Mazoom
I've often wondered what it would have sounded like if Roger McGuinn collaborated with the Beatles. Now I know. Great tune and excellent use of alliteration throughout.
Wrenchion di Gnausque
The arpeggiated progression gives this tune a "House of the Rising Sun" kinda vibe. I appreciate how the chorus really opens up. It probably has potential to stand out a bit more if the predictable picking pattern varied to quarter notes or if the instrumentation was altered, but you have a quality tune here that had me tapping my foot along even without knowing what Wrenchion di Gnausque was.
broken/lost/alone/adrift
Peaceful and captivating, your song captures that "adrift" quality very well. The spacey atmospherics and lyrics penned from intercepted alien transmissions make me reimagine what it's like to really be lost by contrasting 'unknown whereabouts' with 'not being able to understand external signals'. I question the heavier section toward the end. It seemed a little foreign but then again I guess that's kind of part of the story isn't it?
Delbajifrasticderigibalistic
That is a mouthful! Your song has all the elements of a good song. Strong hook, and melody, and identifiable subject matter. That being said, and i hate to say this… it kind of sounds like Ted Cruz singing a Mary Poppins outtake.
Splyng
Your lyrics tell an interesting story that creates images in the mind and flavors on the tongue. The interlude is well-written and tasty. Keep writing music that stimulates the senses.
Nojrelias
Nojrelias or “Sailer Jon” backwards. (I’ll pretend there’s some hidden meaning there). Your song has identifiable lyrics and some well-played electric guitar that many songwriters would enjoy. You seem to have come to peace with writing music that isn’t “meant to please a crowd”, getting older, and being misunderstood. None of these things are bad. As songwriters, it’s easy to write music for that all-important audience of 1, (I’m guilty of it too) but I’d encourage you to try to use your art to channel characters, tell stories, give pause, inspire, or make others feel a certain way.
The Ignorists
I'm a big fan of using idioms in songwriting. I do it frequently in my own, but after a while it starts to seem like a crutch. "Empty vessels make the loudest noise" is a great line, but I'll challenge you with the same thing I challenge myself with in my own writing... Try to invent new idioms. You'll find it to be more rewarding, more unique and for lack of a better term... you'll feel like less of a hack for borrowing a pre-built lyric. All of that aside, I appreciate the curveball chorus and other musical surprises you've used throughout this tune.
Bilpm - The Ballad of Don Martin (Cracked Up)
Interesting story. I enjoy the contrasting chaotic sections with the verses. The character voices seem like they could have come straight out of Mad Magazine which is cool but not entirely obvious without the backstory.
oblagetauta agmepulot
Lots of style points here. This is an imaginative production that took a lot of talent to pull off. Compositionally, lyrically, and substantively however there is less for me to evaluate from a songwriting perspective. It's got feeling and a great backstory but your preface in the liner notes was more compelling and understandable from a story-telling perspective than the actual lyrics you used for the song.
Hatebaby
Your lyrics tell a tragic story that is accompanied by appropriately ill chord changes that force your listeners to confront the uneasiness of the situation. To be clear, just because something is difficult to listen to doesn’t mean it’s bad. In your case, I think the anemic instrumentation and difficult subject matter support one another in an artistic symbiosis.
Am I Yurtinflorfum?
I appreciate the Introspective angle you took. The lyrics make me want to fill in the blanks and leaves me wondering what Yurtinflorfum is. Unfortunately, your tune is so laid-back and pale that it is undistinguished among the crowd.
Gazebonea
Mick, the sparse interplay between the guitar, vocal and woodwind was interesting from a strictly tactile perspective. Unfortunately, there is not much here in terms of songwriting elements. Lyrical content, melody, rhythm etc.
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
SpinTunes #12 Round 3 Songs
Nice work Tom, you had some tough words to say live on air tonight...and you mangled them gloriously. ;p
The songs are now available for FREE download. Until the round 4 songs are posted I will only allow people to download the round 2 album as a whole. But even after that, PLEASE download the entire album vs downloading just a handful of songs while the contest is on going. BandCamp limits how many free downloads I can give away, and 1 album download counts the same as 1 song download.
We had 17 total songs turned in before the deadline & we had 2 shadows turned in. After this round there will only be 4 left in the contest. Of course everyone is still encouraged to shadow the last round. The more songs the better. Good luck to you all, and well done!
- Judges & guest judges need to turn in their reviews & rankings by March 3rd before 11PM (Fri).
- Reviews & scores will be posted March 4th before 11PM (Sat).
- March 5th 1AM (Sun) the Final Challenge will be announced.
Videos: If anyone wants to make a VIDEO for their song, I will include it here:
Links Of Interest:
- Brian Gray posted a song bio for his entry.
The songs are now available for FREE download. Until the round 4 songs are posted I will only allow people to download the round 2 album as a whole. But even after that, PLEASE download the entire album vs downloading just a handful of songs while the contest is on going. BandCamp limits how many free downloads I can give away, and 1 album download counts the same as 1 song download.
We had 17 total songs turned in before the deadline & we had 2 shadows turned in. After this round there will only be 4 left in the contest. Of course everyone is still encouraged to shadow the last round. The more songs the better. Good luck to you all, and well done!
(Album cover by Matt Schubbe)
- Judges & guest judges need to turn in their reviews & rankings by March 3rd before 11PM (Fri).
- Reviews & scores will be posted March 4th before 11PM (Sat).
- March 5th 1AM (Sun) the Final Challenge will be announced.
Videos: If anyone wants to make a VIDEO for their song, I will include it here:
Zoe Gray: Lullaburbia
Links Of Interest:
- Brian Gray posted a song bio for his entry.
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