You'll get Under Over the reviews

[jast]

I was going to put some kind of pun here but all my ideas were lame... so how about you just wait for the songs to be posted and then post your reviews.

[eggnogadam]

title suggestion "Over Here, Underwear!"


anyway, I just realized that I submitted the wrong version of my song. Hahahaha. Awesome!

[jeff robertson]

I've submitted the wrong version before, and then asked them to change it, and they did.

Also I'll point out that I wrote my lyrics under the impression that the title was "Over Under", and just stuck with that even when I realized it was "Under Over".

[eggnogadam]

I've submitted the wrong version before, and then asked them to change it, and they did.

Also I'll point out that I wrote my lyrics under the impression that the title was "Over Under", and just stuck with that even when I realized it was "Under Over".

hahaha. I did that with the lyrics I wrote while I was drunk recently. The sequence of over/under didn't matter in the end because the lyrics were terrible.

I'll keep the "they will change it if you ask nicely" thing in mind, but I think I'm going to let this one ride. I wasn't even that happy with my REAL song so I might as well suck it up and give my half-baked step-child of a song-thing a go.

-Eggo-

[Ross]

And here I am worried that my mix isn't quite right..... I guess i should let it go.

[JonPorobil]

Hey fluffy, I like the art.

[Billy's Little Trip]

I made us a music moobie.

Yeah, nothing creative, but from the time I heard Denise's vocals, all I could think of is this scene.

[JonPorobil]

Short, angry reviews. An asterisk indicates that I didn't make it all the way through your song without skipping. A good review indicates that you didn't completely fail and might get a vote (assuming I don't forget). If you would like me to elaborate on any negative criticism I may have given, let me know and I'll be happy to respond in civil and constructive detail at some later date when I'm in a better mood.

*J Sheezy, just... just no. At least it's short.

Crank Radio, your hi-hat sounds awful. This song doesn't really go anywhere.

Tindersoot, I like your chorus, but the song goes on too long. I'd rag on your for writing "Over Under," but I made the same mistake.

Hey It's Romer, your intro sucks (sampling The Matrix, really?), but your flow is pretty good. I dig the call-and-response stuff.

PiGPeN, excellent work as usual.

*Cannibal Parrot, learn to sing. Or write a more intuitive melody. Nice clavinet, at least.

Ross, pick me up, man. The cadence of that opening riff is very familiar. Good take on the title, keeps evolving as it goes. I dig the venture into falsetto. Good tune. Could probably be faster.

*Paco, you never fail to bring the happy. Not feeling it right now. I'll come back to this. (It's me, not you.)

Schlimminy Cricket, I used to do Casiotone songs, but they sounded like crap. This is decent. Does your stuff have "suck" knobs that you turned down or something? I keep waiting for the joke to end and for the song to kick into high gear, but it never does. *sigh* Pretty good for what it is.

Noah, seeing you live has given me new perspective on your work. I think I like this more than I would have if I'd heard it before I met you IRL. Nice drum work, too. Bad vocals in the bridge.

Steve, maybe you should consider a pitch-correction plugin? I dig the percolating organ. Clever rhymes, nice concept. Runs a little long. I'd have cut the second verse, as it doesn't give any new information. Repetition kills comedy.

lalabrookie, if this isn't a live recording, try stereo-panning your guitar next time. It won't sound so thin. Your drums sound like they were improvised on improvised instruments. It's not awful, but it feels like a stand-in for something better.

BGT, your song only has three chords, you hack.

*Larry, there's a jarring disparity between your guitar and your piano. They sound irreconcilably off from each other. Checked at about 1:30 and saw that I was only about a third done. Skipped the rest.

BLT, you prostitute. Denni, your voice sounds a little too delicate for this arrangement in the verses. You belt a little in the chorus, and it sounds better. Can't bring that kind of energy to the verses? Maybe growl a little? Paco shreds like crazy.

*Flvxxvm, if you'd put more effort into making your songs, I'd put more effort into listening to them.

EggNogAdam, you're a decent singer, but your lyrics, overemphasizing the words "Under" and "Over," just seem too forced-clever. Music goes on too long after the lyrics are over.

[Billy's Little Trip]

BGT, your song only has three chords, you hack.

I just did what you tellded me o do.

Sounds good though. Well, your acoustic kind of messes it up, but eh, good song

[Manhattan Glutton]

I don't have time for reviews right now. But I have two comments.

Denise - I am in love with your vocal styling here. I just wish BLT knew how to mix.
JE - One of your strongest performances. I really enjoy the catchy backing vox on the chorus.

[JonPorobil]

BGT, your song only has three chords, you hack.

I just did what you tellded me o do.

Sounds good though. Well, your acoustic kind of messes it up, but eh, good song

When I review my own songs, typically I'm talking to myself. When there's a collaborator involved, I'm still just talking to myself. Chris, you did good work. Made it into the kind of song I wanted it to be. Thank you.

[RangerDenni]

DEAR:
People.
-This time I shall review. No. Really. We already started to listen in the car tonight.
BLT.
-The video is gorgeous and a ton-o-fun-on-a-sesame-seed-bun!! Yay!
MG.
-Thanks!! you are a sweetie
JE
-I see your point. I am still experimenting with the concept of beltage and intensity. I don't know how to hit those verses a little harder though without quite sounding like I'm giving it all up on the first date, if you know what I mean..? If I growled from the get-go, would the audience still respect me by the end of the song? Worth a thought. Who knows these things.
More to come

[Steve Durand]

Steve, maybe you should consider a pitch-correction plugin? I dig the percolating organ. Clever rhymes, nice concept. Runs a little long. I'd have cut the second verse, as it doesn't give any new information. Repetition kills comedy.

Yeah, I've got pitch correction software but I feel guilty about using it.

About your repetition comment. I'm not sure I see it. There are three "going under" ideas in the verses; Drowning, financially, and under the knife (or under anesthesia). Is that repetitive?

Thanks for reviewing:-)

[Billy's Little Trip]

I just wish BLT knew how to mix.

Oh sorry. Next time I'll make sure to send a mud log straight up your arse.

[Manhattan Glutton]

I'm starting a "New Headphones for BLT" charity drive. If we all chip in, maybe we can upgrade you to the $20 version of the ones you have.

[Billy's Little Trip]

Mine were $250. But I'm always up for freebies.

I have to be honest MG, I'll never take mixing advice from you, so don't bother.

[eggnogadam]

Short, angry reviews.
EggNogAdam, you're a decent singer, but your lyrics, overemphasizing the words "Under" and "Over," just seem too forced-clever. Music goes on too long after the lyrics are over.

thank you and, yes. Agreed. No asterisk? let me guess. you were busy and couldn't reach the mouse? hahahaha.
Anyway, thank you and, again, I agree.

[lalabrookie]

lalabrookie, if this isn't a live recording, try stereo-panning your guitar next time. It won't sound so thin. Your drums sound like they were improvised on improvised instruments. It's not awful, but it feels like a stand-in for something better.

Yeah, I'm playing around with effects - I noticed it also had kind of a live feel to it, but not necessarily in a good way! If anyone wants to offer any tips on when to use compressor, equalize, normalize, etc (without getting too technical because I am kinda ride the recording short bus) I would appreciate it! Oh, and those were real bongos, and the compressor threw them out of whack, but then I couldn't get the effect to undo and it was getting late, so I just had to say F it and send it in. Sometimes you just gotta say "What the fuck"

[Manhattan Glutton]

Mine were $250.

My only advice then is to take them off your butt and put them on your ears.

[JonPorobil]

Yeah, I'm playing around with effects - I noticed it also had kind of a live feel to it, but not necessarily in a good way! If anyone wants to offer any tips on when to use compressor, equalize, normalize, etc

I'm not a mixing authority, but something you did made it sound like the guitar and vocals were being recorded at the same time. It might have something to do with microphone placement. Does your program come with a compressor program? See if it has a preset for vocals and try applying that to your lead. If you like how that sounds, or think you're moving in the right direction, play around with it until you get a feel for how the knobs will affect the sound.

Many programs come with a "Stereo Expander" plugin (and if yours doesn't, Jan Krueger wrote one and distributed it for free). Stereo Expanders take a mono source sound and make it sound fuller by widening it into stereo. I use that sometimes, but for guitar, I prefer actually recording the track twice (making sure it's as close to identical as possible), panning one about 75% to the left and the other about 75% to the right.

(without getting too technical because I am kinda ride the recording short bus)

lol

Oh, and those were real bongos, and the compressor threw them out of whack, but then I couldn't get the effect to undo and it was getting late, so I just had to say F it and send it in. Sometimes you just gotta say "What the fuck"

Interesting. It sounded like someone was actually banging on a plastic trash can or something. I don't know how to mic bongos, but it sounds like it might be another mic placement issue. I would imagine you'd get a pretty good sound if you put the microphone as close as possible to the skins and turn it up as high as it'll go without clipping.

On the bright side, your vocals and harmonies sound really nice.

[JonPorobil]

Short, angry reviews.
EggNogAdam, you're a decent singer, but your lyrics, overemphasizing the words "Under" and "Over," just seem too forced-clever. Music goes on too long after the lyrics are over.

thank you and, yes. Agreed. No asterisk? let me guess. you were busy and couldn't reach the mouse? hahahaha.
Anyway, thank you and, again, I agree.

I'm just a sucker. I'll listen to a decent-sounding song with bad lyrics all the way through, but I'll often let a poor recording of great lyrics pass me by undiscovered, because over the years my tolerance for discordant sound has diminished. Yours is pretty clearly lo-fi, but there's a difference between that and being impossible to listen to (like many other Songfighters over the years).

[JonPorobil]

Yeah, I've got pitch correction software but I feel guilty about using it.

About your repetition comment. I'm not sure I see it. There are three "going under" ideas in the verses; Drowning, financially, and under the knife (or under anesthesia). Is that repetitive?

Thanks for reviewing:-)

I'll listen again when I get home from work. My impression of it was that the second verse was repeating the thematic ideas of the first. At that point in the song was I reading it all as metaphor, though. By now it's clear that the narrative imagery was meant to be taken literally, so maybe that will make me more charitable when I revisit the song.