Winter Warm-up 2020 #1: Sam Robb's Reviews

 [Dave's Note: Sam Robb suggested this challenge, which basically kickstarted me out of depression and got me jazzed about reviving SpinTunes from its fallow spell. Since he is an author, his bio is pretty easy to find, and I'll just give it to you here:

Sam Robb is a devoted husband and the father of three teenagers. As such, he's developed a propensity for Dad jokes. He's also interested in long walks, urban photography, martial arts and self-defense. Oh, yes - he also ran for President, once upon a time.

When he's not walking around Pittsburgh taking pictures and making up stories to tell, he works as a software developer and teaches Sunday School at his church.

Have a look on Amazon and show him some love.]

REVIEWS

Dr. Lindyke - Me Vs Mini-Me

As the first song in the set, Dr. Lindyke set the tone - and did a great job of it. Dad complimenting his son charmed me at the start; when his son joined in and started starting in on how "I got my skills from my incredible Dad", well, that made me smile! The references to trumpet playing lips (ha!), coding (geek here!), Dungeons and Dragons, and Scooby Do bumped it up a notch for me. I've got three daughters - but if I had a son, I'd want one like the Doc's Mini-Me.

Menage a Tune - You're Amazing!

Following up the Father/Son saga, Menage a Tune served up a Mother/Daughter tale. There was some real heart in there as Liz and Jo told the story about how their lives intertwined, good and bad. A little off key or rough here and there, but honestly? That made it more real to me. This wasn't two artists making up a story, it was two people telling a their real story.

The duet refrain was a really nice touch - I'm not one who usually listens to rap, so I don't know if that's a common technique or not; but it worked, caught me off guard and made me sit up and pay attention. I'd like to see what they could do with more than a week to work something up.

"BucketHat" Bobby - Bob Matheson Vs BucketHatBobby

This was a delightful listen. I immediately heard echos of Weird Al and a reminder of Moxy Früvous' "BJ Don't Cry". I loved the techniques, and some of the rhymes made me stop and rewind to make sure I caught what I thought I heard. The tempo was good, too, especially the wind down and pick up towards the end.

The concept was beautiful, too. I've been there, and I know what it's like to listen to that little voice. Bob, listen to that young guy - Micah and Ryan from All the Robots think you've got something going, and I agree.

Joe Covenant Lamb - JoeCovenantRap: A Jock's Rap

This one took me completely by surprise. Wait, is that mixing bad? I can kind of get a word here and there, but... pop open the lyrics... OH! HE'S SCOTTISH!

That was all I needed for my brain to shift gears, and THEN I was ready to hear Joe rapping about the Heelan' coos! My wife and girls looooove an English accent. Me? Give me a Scotsman. Blame it on Sean Connery, I guess.

The wordplay was imaginative and combined with a Scottish accent, there were some particularly clever lines. Hats off to Joe for a great idea expressed with the perfect matter-of-fact attitude. "Well, I could compliment a friend, I guess. Or my wife. Wait, I know... I'LL RAP ABOUT HOW FANTASTIC MY WHOLE DAMN COUNTRY IS!" Which he did... and I loved it!

Boffo Yux Dudes - You're So Much Better Than Me

I'm going to say that out of all the entries, the BYD gave us the most iconic tune. This was the song I was expecting to hear. The way they changed up their rhythm and rhymes to move between verses was classic. Bonus points for some language that I would not have expected from a rap artist - "sylvan glade"? Makes me think that someone's either a fan of Shakespeare, or can tell you what THAC0 means. A solid production across the board, but to me, it felt a little too polished - it didn't seem to have the same heart as the others.

All The Robots - Complementary Compliments

I described this one to my wife as "Schoolhouse Rock grew up and got snarky." The opening dialogue (I'm a sucker for a grammar joke) and the refrain immediately made me think there should be some 70's animation in the background. Intended homage or not, it immediately made me smile.

I really loved what Micah and Ryan did here, too. Of course, they were complimenting each other. That was the goal, right? Then they took that and kicked it up a notch, and complimented each other while ALSO complimenting other artists - including a couple of their competitors! On top of it all, they really sounded happy to be doing it. Absolutely charming.

RANKINGS

Final rankings, favorite to least:

#1 - All The Robots - Complementary Compliments.

Goofy, silly, unpretentious and absolutely charming.

#2 - Joe Covenant Lamb - JoeCovenantRap: A Jock's Rap.

I now want more Scottish rap. My wife may never forgive you.

#3 - "BucketHat" Bobby - Bob Matheson Vs BucketHatBobby

Listen to the kid, Bob. He's right - you're pretty great.

#4 - Dr. Lindyke - Me Vs Mini-Me

Wins the coveted "Can I Introduce my Daughter to Your Boy?" award

#5 - Boffo Yux Dudes - You're So Much Better Than Me

Most Boffo. Also the most Yux delivered from a pair o' dudes.

#6 - Menage a Tune - You're Amazing!

Winner, "Most Amazing Mom" competition, 2020

 

SpinTunes Winter Warm-up 2020 #1: The Songs

 The album is up on Bandcamp:

2020 Winter Warm-up #2: THE CHALLENGE

OK, the rap challenge wasn't everybody's bag. But you missed out on some fun if you didn't do it. Here's the next challenge, straight out of the suggestion box: 

Say My Name: Some first names have been immortalized in pop music, so that you can’t meet someone with that name without thinking of the corresponding song. (Don’t worry, they LOVE it when you sing their name at them immediately upon meeting them. It doesn’t get old at all.) Your job is to add to that list. The title of your song must be a given name which, to your knowledge, hasn’t already been immortalized in song. The name must feature prominently in the lyrics, ideally as a catchy melodic hook that listeners will forever get stuck in their head whenever they think of said name.

Examples:

“Roxanne” by The Police

“Alejandro” by Lady Gaga

“Alison” and “Veronica” by Elvis Costello

“Fernando” by ABBA

“Cecelia” by Simon and Garfunkel

“Jerome” by Lizzo

“Ophelia” by the Lumineers

... and the list goes on... "Peggy Sue", "Delilah", etc.

You've got less time to finish this challenge, but you know already that you save it for the last minute anyway. So this is due Sunday, December 13th before midnight end-of-day.

Submitting Entries:

• Your entry must be received by Sunday, December 13th, 2020 @ 11:59 PM EDT.  Received means that it has to appear in my e-mail inbox (spintunescontest@gmail.com) by the given deadline. I will be going by the time stamp on the e-mail. One minute late is too late.
• You are allowed and encouraged to submit a draft of your song early just in case something horrible happens and you miss the deadline. Then you can add polish to your song and send in a better version closer to the deadline. The last version received prior to the deadline is your official entry. 
• Lyrics are mandatory. No instrumentals. Having no lyrics will get you disqualified.
• Name your file the your band name + the song's title, but without spaces & punctuation.
• Title of the e-mail should be the title of the Challenge & your band's name. (e.g. "Winter Warmup #2 - Dr Lindyke") (The title of your song is whatever you want it to be)
• Include information on anyone that should be credited for collaboration. Remember, collaborations are OK, even among competitors. You must write your song, but if you want to use another vocalist or musicians, do so. Use the Facebook and SongFight forums!
• 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. THIS IS THE BEST FILE SHARING OPTION!
• Other file sharing options if you need them: Sound Cloud (set to download a format BandCamp is ok with) & Drop Box. Please send an e-mail as I already stated, but with the download link if you need one of these services. 
• If you're using something other than Bandcamp, It's best if you 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.
• If you send me an MP3, I will attempt to convert it for you. But be warned... I will be strapped for time, and I will post whatever Audacity spits out of the conversion. So if you picked the wrong sample rate, your dulcet tones may wind up sounding like termites or chipmunks or random static. And that is what will be judged. So please... save and submit your files in the right format. 
• You can update your picture anytime you like, or even use a different one on each album if you send them with your submissions. Just make sure it's up to size (1400x1400 pixels or larger) unless you like fuzzy, blocky photos. I'll crop and re-size it as best I can. Otherwise the album art will be displayed.

Side Notes:

• You are allowed to send in a little background about your song. We encourage and appreciate "song bios". You don't have to do it, but if you want to write a couple sentences about your song I'll post it on the BandCamp page for people to see. I'll even link to longer blog posts if you want to explain your song on your blog. Some judges will read this extra info, but they aren't required to.
• Since this is a single round, there are no shadows. Just making music and having fun.

Feel free to leave any questions in the comments.

2020 Winter Warm-up #1 - THE CHALLENGE

Welcome to the 2020 Winter Warm-up! We're just getting back into the swing of things so we can make some music in earnest starting in January. There are no sign-ups for this warm up. You have the challenge, just submit your song.

Epic Rap Battles of Courtesy!: Write a song where two people try to outdo each other with compliments and/or self-deprecation.

Although this is supposed to be a rap battle, don't let that stop you. If you think you can get the flavor across in a tune, have at it. If you've been hiding under a rock and don't know what we're going for, check out this Compliment Rap Battle on YouTube (NSFW). Give us a beat.

SongFighters know there can never be too many songs. They've opened a SpinTunes subforum on their message boards. So go participate & post your lyrics. We're under SideFights and Highlights, but the board is waaaay bigger than that. Look around. SongFights are ongoing.

The Listening Party will be held on December 7th, 2020 at 9pm EST here.

Submitting Entries:

• Your entry must be received by Sunday, December 6th, 2020 @ 11:59 PM EDT.  Received means that it has to appear in my e-mail inbox (spintunescontest@gmail.com) by the given deadline. I will be going by the time stamp on the e-mail. One minute late is too late.
• You are allowed and encouraged to submit a draft of your song early just in case something horrible happens and you miss the deadline. Then you can add polish to your song and send in a better version closer to the deadline. The last version received prior to the deadline is your official entry. 
• Lyrics are mandatory. No instrumentals. Having no lyrics will get you disqualified.
• Name your file the your band name + the song's title, but without spaces & punctuation.
• Title of the e-mail should be the title of the Challenge & your band's name. (e.g. "Winter Warmup #1 - Dr Lindyke") (The title of your song is whatever you want it to be)
• Include information on anyone that should be credited for collaboration. Remember, collaborations are OK, even among competitors. You must write your song, but if you want to use another vocalist or musicians, do so. Use the Facebook and SongFight forums!
• 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. THIS IS THE BEST FILE SHARING OPTION!
• Other file sharing options if you need them: Sound Cloud (set to download a format BandCamp is ok with) & Drop Box. Please send an e-mail as I already stated, but with the download link if you need one of these services. 
• If you're using something other than Bandcamp, It's best if you 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.
• If you send me an MP3, I will attempt to convert it for you. But be warned... I will be strapped for time, and I will post whatever Audacity spits out of the conversion. So if you picked the wrong sample rate, your dulcet tones may wind up sounding like termites or chipmunks or random static. And that is what will be judged. So please... save and submit your files in the right format. 
• You can update your picture anytime you like, or even use a different one on each album if you send them with your submissions. Just make sure it's up to size (1400x1400 pixels or larger) unless you like fuzzy, blocky photos. I'll crop and re-size it as best I can. Otherwise the album art will be displayed.

Side Notes:

• You are allowed to send in a little background about your song. We encourage and appreciate "song bios". You don't have to do it, but if you want to write a couple sentences about your song I'll post it on the BandCamp page for people to see. I'll even link to longer blog posts if you want to explain your song on your blog. Some judges will read this extra info, but they aren't required to.
• Since this is a single round, there are no shadows. Just making music and having fun.

Feel free to leave any questions in the comments.

WINTER WARM-UPS

SpinTunes is back, and we're starting off the Winter season with some warm-ups (or cool-downs, if you're Down Under). There will be TWO one-off challenges in December, to be judged independently, just to get us in the mood. In January we'll have a full competition schedule.

There will be no sign-ups necessary for these warm-ups. I'll post the challenges, you send in the songs. Simple as that.

The dates are:

WARM-UP #1: 

November 28: The challenge is posted

December 06: The songs are due

December 12: The results are posted 

WARM-UP #2:

December 05: The challenge is posted

December 13: The songs are due

December 19: The results are posted

We've been idle for a while now. Let's dust off the instruments and get in the mood to make some music and have some fun!

SpinTunes 16 Round 4 RESULTS

CONGRATULATIONS

TEMNERE

SpinTunes 16 Champion!

Had to go with the explosion. 

Fireworks don't contain enough heavy metal

Temnere wins the coveted no-prize, and also earns a spot as a judge in our next contest, where he can give as well as he received.

And this, Ladies and Gentlebeings, is why you shadow.

Thanks to everyone who participated, and special thanks to the judges (Micah Sommersmith, Joe Lamb, Russ Rogers, Mary Ann Randall, and Travis Langworthy, as well as William Hoover); to Tom Giarrosso for his deft performace as MC at our listening parties; and to Matt "Shoobs" Schubbe for the exquisite cover art.

Be sure to check out the Two Jerks One Vote podcast, on which Temnere coincidentally appears as a special guest!

Here's the voting:

	Steve Stearns	Jerkatorium	Temnere	Ross Durand
Boffo Yux Dudes	1	2	3	4
Faster Jackalope	4	3	1	2
Governing Dynamics	3	1	2	4
Jocko Homomorphism	4	1	2	3
Lichen Throat	4	3	1	2
Mandibles	3	2	1	4
Menage a Tune	1	2	3	4
Mike Lamb	3	2	1	4
Nick Work	4	2	1	3
Ominous Ride	3	4	2	1
PigFarmer Jr	1	2	4	3
Ross Durand	2	4	3	1
Steve Stearns	1	4	3	2
The Brewhouse Sessions	2	3	1	4
Timothy Patrick Hinkle	3	2	1	4
Vowl Sounds	4	2	1	3
TOTAL	43	39	30	48
Judges
	Steve Stearns	Jerkatorium	Temnere	Ross Durand
Dr. Lindyke	1	4	3	2
Joe	3	2	1	4
Mary Ann	1	4	2	3
Micah	4	2	1	3
Russ	2	1	3	4
Spin	2	3	1	4
TOTAL	11	13	10	16

LATE RANKINGS
As you can tell from the above, a number of competitors did not make the deadline for rankings. I waited an extra hour before closing submissions, so late entries will not affect the rankings and results as reported above. Nevertheless, if you'd like to have your voice heard, send them in and I'll post them here.

Jerkatorium: 1. Temnere, 2. Steve Stearns, 3. Jerktorium, 4. Ross Durand.
[editorial comment: not voting for yourself is laudably honest, though borderline Darwin-worthy]

ST16R4 REVIEWS - Joe Lamb

Joe asked me [Dave]  to pass on this message:

I found it hard to see most of the songs meeting the challenge, but Mandibles would have won it for me across the board.

For Joe's rankings,  see the results page.