June Contest: Gossip

[mellotronaut]

Hi Mario,

reviews aren't objective, just reflections, but i admit, i'd like to get you out of this comfort zone, because you have an unusual and wonderful sense for atmospheric sounds and i have the impression, you underestimate this ability and cover it by your more proggie motions.

cheers and bubbles

Chris

[mellotronaut]

thank you very much for the votes, Mr Natural and Forw!

[oddbod]

GMoneh - this has a lovely lazy, laid back rhythm and I like the melody interplayed between the piano and sax lines. The sampled tone of the sax is a bit too artificial in places particularly when it gets more strident.

patrick9 - The intro and recurring guitar riff reminds me of Everybody's Talking. Not really sure the trance-gate type pad in the chorus really fits with the song, it's a bit too much of a clash of styles for my ears and the timing of the gate is slighly out. Well sung vocals and it's got a warm ambience.

laguna rising - there's a sweet, pleasing overall feel to the first laid back section although the latin percussion doesn't flow as effortlessly as it should. Not so keen on the second rock out section.

papatomany - Simplistic but effective tune. I can hear the atmosphere that the piece is attempting to convey but the performance doesn't quite have the delicacy to completely pull it off.

barnadine - I wondered if this theme might tempt you out of your temporary exile. As soon as I saw the photo I thought "barnadine could create the perfect short story from this image" - and you did, which is of absolutely no surprise whatsoever. Gorgeous. Particularly love all the subtle piano tinkles.

robojam - I like the layered textures of the music, the simple percussion, the high pitched plinks and midddle register sine wave beeps. Not mad about the voice-over though.

me109 - I must confess I didn't get this on first listen but then it just all clicked. The lyrics are wonderful and if you're a fan of film musicals (which I am) then you can't help but enjoy it. I can visualize the mid-movie montage sequence as this plays on the soundtrack. Great arrangement.

mellotronaut - it's lively and as with all your tunes, totally unique. Do I like it? I'm not sure, there are plenty of interesting parts like the hammered piano and the crumhorn-ish toness and some I'm not so keen on such as the eastern-scale wind melody. Overall, not a winner in my book but equally not too shabby either.

RuediRena - There's no real coherence in this - the vocal samples appear to have been selected willy-nilly then thrown into the mix with little thought about their relation to the music, which is in itself assembled rather randomly.

dh miltz - the music is great, it's got that brooding, melancholic dark edge - love the minor strumming and slide guitars. the lyrics are rather good as well. the only niggle is that although I'm not averse to a voice that croaks and wobbles off tune, your performance here just does it a tad too much for my taste, but all very nice nevertheless.

pchor - this conveys and builds an atmosphere of tension rather well but although there's good variation around the two chord central theme, I feel it could still do with something more.

satYtunes - this is certainly very well produced and powerful piece of music in the style of modern age blockbuster movie soundtracks and it would work very well in that context. From a personal point of view however, as a piece of stand alone music, I'm afraid it doesn't really do much for me.

[mellotronaut]

mellotronaut - it's lively and as with all your tunes, totally unique. Do I like it? I'm not sure, there are plenty of interesting parts like the hammered piano and the crumhorn-ish toness and some I'm not so keen on such as the eastern-scale wind melody. Overall, not a winner in my book but equally not too shabby either.

Sir Oddbod, i really love this review! it's like reading, what i feel about myself atm.

and thank you very much for all the reviews, you did this month! i've enjoyed reading them.

m.

[forw]

oddbod, thankyouthankyouthankyouuuu !!

[satYatunes]

satYtunes - this is certainly very well produced and powerful piece of music in the style of modern age blockbuster movie soundtracks and it would work very well in that context. From a personal point of view however, as a piece of stand alone music, I'm afraid it doesn't really do much for me.[/color]

Thanks for the review. Appreciate it.

[broodkillphill]

Thanks for the review mellotronaut, krytonaut, and oddbod.
Ive been messing around with odd signatures, making the down beat at the command of the guitar chord progression. Though i had trouble making an introduction of the drums until the ride. i didnt want to jump straight to using the ride in effort to make some sort of build. The guitar has some crackles in it with some off tuning. I was aiming for indy, loose rhythm, breezy, carefree with a touch of retrospect and colors around grey and blue.

[D.H. Miltz]

Thanks, oddbod. I'm not especially pleased with the vocal myself. Despite knowing better I left the singing for last, and when I ran out of time and steam I kept the least bad takes and said, Oh well. I haven't decided if I like the song enough to give the singing another go.

To all: Ma Miltz reports being tickled that her picture was enjoyed/inspirational.

[mellotronaut]

Hey Mr. Miltz: thank you very much for the vote!

btw., my lady noted too, you were out of tune: "Huh ... " she said. i like 'good' out of tuners like you and James (who is the best except Dylan Thomas).

btw., greetings to your mom .... isn't it time to unveil the real story behind the picture ... tatatata?

[mellotronaut]

nº2 from Robojam

[evo2slo]

Some comments on the tracks as I try to figure out my votes:


satYatunes - The Abduction
Great percussion and very nice arrangement. Excellent cinematic production. Love those strings. The helicopter sound is a nice touch (though perhaps not appropriate for the time period from the photo?) - I didn't realize on first listen it was in the recording because of the police helicopters that fly over my house literally every night where I live in Philly.

miro - betray
Gentle, beautiful, and haunting. Great written accompaniment as well. I rather liked your production choice in keeping the vocals low so one has to lean inwards to hear. Very enveloping. This is a track I could listen to again and again. Maybe a bit more instrumental intensity as it progresses would be nice - but then again I like it just as it is, so what do I know…

Mister Natural - Could be You
Love that clean strat tone and riff. Really strong songwriting. The hats are a bit overly crisp for my taste. The enigmatic lyrics and heartfelt vocal delivery are fantastic. Though I am a bit sad not to get to hear your 'Naked Photographer' track.

Barnadine - Cover Your Eyes
Whoa…. this is absolutely brilliant! Amazing inner rhymes and wordplay in the poetic lyrics ('water tower'/'hour or two', 'cornfield'/'cornflower', etc…) and the 'youth of today' bridge gives me shivers it's so good. The vocals, guitar, and keys are perfectly arranged and produced. Sorry for gushing, but I really love this song, makes me smile and cry at the same time - and it fits wonderfully with the photo.

Nahkaorava - The Day He Was Gone
Wonderful playing. Very cool bass line that holds it all together quite nicely when the drums come in. It seemed a little rushed to end perhaps - but I guess I just wanted it to keep going.

RuediRena - Did You Love Me
A meeting of the minimoogs! Very creative production. I think the percussion works well with the bass, but not so well with the (perhaps overly scattered) samples.

forw - Elegy for strings
Very heavy piece, though it didn't quite maintain my interest throughout. Would have liked more counter melodies. But I did love the sonic transformation at the end.

Hellfog - Endless Time Of Victims
Cool sounds and fx. Really like the beat and melody when they kick in. Great horror soundtrack.

Liqih - evidence of waltz
Nice four-handed harp playing. I liked the synth sounds very much. Though I enjoy the airy, freeform style of this piece, I found myself wanting just a bit more structure.

D.H. Miltz - The Girl Who Disappeared
Good concept exploring the seedy underbelly of the (so pure and wholesome on the surface) 1950's. Excellent lyrics and storytelling. I really enjoy your voice, the way it breaks reminds me of J. Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. I like the organic quality of the production and the musical arrangement has many nice subtle sonic details that blend very well in the mix.

Jerru - Happy
Great song! Bass (nice tone), guitar (sweet delays), and drums(steady as a rock) are great. Killer chorus! I love how the lyrics explore both sides of what the girl may be feeling in the photo. I think the vocal sound in the verses doesn't blend in as well with the music as it could. In the chorus' it slips right in there absolutely perfect. Bullet of a track - great stuff!

oddbod - I am all hers
Truly excellent songwriting and singing. The guitar in the verses makes me think of the David Crosby 'Guinevere' tuning. A really nice contrast with the chorus. Your voice has such a great warm and sincere quality - love the delivery in the chorus. The production on this track is exceptional. Nice laid back percussion and incredibly tasteful lead guitar in the break and coda.

papatomany - i might
I love the concept behind this track, spreading the photographer and subject across opposite ends of the keyboard. Very tricky to execute, and I think you did a very good job with it - way better than I ever could that's for sure!

mellotronaut - ma'senormousbirthdaycake
I love how this glorious cacophony comes jumping right out of the gate and keeps rolling along and building up steam. Great unorthodox instrumental choices. A truly crazy celebration is going on here and I can see why she may be covering her eyes… Excellent New Orleans style horn arrangements for this mad march.

Doc Jon - Mary Lou
There's an innocent playfulness to this track that is reminiscent to me of the early Floyd with Syd material, though this is way more contemporary. Fantastic vocal delivery with awesome british invasion style inflections. The mix is topnotch. Nice rich guitar sounds and sweet jumpy bass. Great big drum sound that works surprisingly well in this pop context.

bzur - Memories II
Wonderful spacious composition, lots of well-placed pauses that really let it breathe. The environmental samples blend nicely, though for me the engine sound at :33 is oh-so-slightly overdone. Amazing sounding professional mix. The percussion in the second half is really cool. Lots of great details to hear on repeated listens of this track (of which there will be many).

GMoneh - Nostalgia
Love the chord progression and piano playing. I'm really crazy about the first minute of this track, but don't really care for the tone of the sax when it is featured in the mix. A shame because I really like everything else about this track, especially the laid-back pace, percussion, and great compositional structure.

Farlukar - Oh Dear
Great idea using photosounder with a photo theme, but perhaps more could have been done to make it listenable.

Patrick9 - Peekaboo
The songwriting has a nice classic Neil Diamond type touch to it. Great connection to the photo. Unfortunately the experimental production choices in the chorus are distracting for me and pull me out of the warm vintage glow of the song.

broodkillphill - photomomento
Love that progression. Really great guitar parts. Too disjointed from the drums though for me to really get into the track as a whole.

Robojam - Product Recall
Excellent synth textures and a very sweet groove. Fantastic comedic writing. Incredibly hilarious list of side-effects, and great delivery! Rare to be laughing and grooving at the same time. Really enjoy this track!

Laguna Rising - Southern Glow
I dig that percussion and the background sounds in the intro. The soloing is a little on the loose side for my tastes. Really like how the second half kicks in strong, and there the soloing works much better for me - some really sweet licks and runs.

Daniel Pompougnac - Tes mains sur tes yeux
The bass and guitars are outstanding. The way they play off of each other is really well done. The overall texture of this piece is fantastic. And the arrangement is mesmerizing. I can really get lost in this one.

offthewall - The Girl
Very nice song. The guitars sound good and are well played. I like the sad tone to the lyrics and music, but with a glimmer of hope behind it.

Sepheritoh and offthewall
Good songwriting and production. Nice separation of instruments, but all gelling together. Cool string arrangement - really lifts the song.

Pchor - When They Come
Great rhythmic beat and drums. Nice synth sounds. Really like the guitar lead that comes in at the end. Would have liked more variation with the composition itself.

Bill Messerschmidt - White Picket Fence
Very skillful songwriting and an excellent arrangement - love those horns! The lyrics are really well put together and work nicely with the photo. The mix is a little muddy sounding to me, but who cares with a song this good.

kryptonaut - 3rd July 1947
The problem with this track is that the music is too damn good. It's hard for me to pay attention to the story as I can't pull my ears away from the great sounds. Love the writing and the narration. Voice is spot-on and the story has great tension and build-up. Excellent.

beanpole - 1953
Good song. Love that back porch guitar picking, and the lyrical development is really well done and very entertaining. I like the light-hearted approach you took. It grew on me each time I listened to it, though I can't quite get into the drums.

nikp2000 - 1956
Such a sweet sound from that Gretsch - great playing. Drums are very well placed in the mix - I really like the overall staging and dimensionality of the instrumentation. Nice production that complements the style. Something about this track really grabs me - not sure exactly what it is but I love it.

[Mister Natural]

Mister Natural - Could be You
Love that clean strat tone and riff. Really strong songwriting. The hats are a bit overly crisp for my taste. The enigmatic lyrics and heartfelt vocal delivery are fantastic. Though I am a bit sad not to get to hear your 'Naked Photographer' track.

thanks for the kind words Evo - I just kept laughing too hard to write a song titled "Naked Photographer"
:=)

[mellotronaut]

mellotronaut - ma'senormousbirthdaycake
I love how this glorious cacophony comes jumping right out of the gate and keeps rolling along and building up steam. Great unorthodox instrumental choices. A truly crazy celebration is going on here and I can see why she may be covering her eyes… Excellent New Orleans style horn arrangements for this mad march.

you've made my day:

great reviews

[robogone]

Robojam - Product Recall
Excellent synth textures and a very sweet groove. Fantastic comedic writing. Incredibly hilarious list of side-effects, and great delivery! Rare to be laughing and grooving at the same time. Really enjoy this track!

Thank you! I was considering using an American accent as that might have been a better choice, but mine is what is referred to as 'Transatlantic', so I reverted to my native accent.

[Sepheritoh]

Sepheritoh and offthewall
Good songwriting and production. Nice separation of instruments, but all gelling together. Cool string arrangement - really lifts the song.

You are very kind. thanks. Much appreciated