Nur Ein 5: Round 1 Results

Before you get to the results, I need to make something clear. I AM NOT THE PERSON WHO RUNS "NUR EIN" or the website that hosts the contest. I may have worded things in the past that made that unclear. I only review Nur Ein, much like I do with Song Fight & Masters Of Song Fu. The man behind Nur Ein is Niveous, and he can be contacted over on the Song Fight Boards. I'm sure it'll be less confusing once the Nur Ein website is rebuilt, but until then I'll try to be a little more clear.

Well the results for Round 1 are in, and Boop Boop got the win. He recieved 96 points (105 possible) from the judges, and gets immunity for the next round. Unfortunately 4 cuts were made as well. Brodeur & Gliniecki, Emperor Gum (TMA member), Adam Adamant and Same Day Positive were all eliminated. Round 2 has already started, and the challenge is:

"Title: "Spanish Lessons"
Due Date: May 3rd at 12AM (Eastern)
Non-optional Challenge: Accelerando"

More cuts will be made in the next round, and immunity is once again at stake. The results of Round 1 are below:

Round 1 Results:
(A direct link to the MP3's of my favorite songs are provided.)
Boop Boop 96
Milo Dunderville 88
Chris Cogott 80 (TMA member)
Minty Handy 77
Jon Eric 72
Therman 70
Berkeley Social Scene 69
Billy's Little Trip 66
Sid Denison & the Harpooners 66
DJ Ranger Den 60 (TMA member)
Johnny Cashpoint 60
The Real Sign 57
Who Fly 48
Noah McLaughlin 44
Rabid Garfunkel 42
Hoglen & Wages 37
Naked Philosophy 34
Emperor Gum 33 (TMA member)
Adam Adamant 23
Brodeur & Gliniecki 17
Same Day Positive 16

Lunkhead, one of the members over at Song Fight, created a cool table that shows very clearly how past Nur Ein's have panned out. Definately worth a look, and you can see it HERE.

Round 1 Review
Round 0 Review & Results

Nur Ein 5: Round 1 Review

It's time to share my favorite songs from round 1 of Nur Ein 5. All 21 participants from round 0 managed to get an entry finished for round 1. This round is a bit more important though, because 4 people will be eliminated & 1 person given immunity by the judges. Lets review the round 1 challenge:

"Title: "Stranded"
Non-optional Challenge: Whispering"

My Favorites: (right click "Save As" on the artist to download their song)
1. Chris Cogott - I thought of the Beach Boys while listening to this...and that's a good thing.

2. Milo Dunderville - I would suggest sending this song to tikibartv.com. They might be interested in using it in an episode. Heck if you rewrite a couple lines it could be their new theme song. Fun song, it'll get numerous plays from me.

3. DJ Ranger Den - I really liked the direction Denise went here. Afterall...nobody else wrote about being stranded on a space station. This is either my 2nd or 3rd favorite song from Denise.

4. Berkeley Social Scene - In a couple places where the vocals overlap I couldn't follow the lyrics. Otherwise I loved the song, well done.

5. Therman - I liked the story, but thought some of the lyrics felt awkward. (make sense?) The music & production were great though, and I dugg the chorus.

Not Bad: (visit Nur Ein to download these songs)
Jon Eric - I think it's a really well written song, but I'm not a fan of Jon's performance of it. He's totally into it, but I don't think he has the voice for it. Still one of the better songs this round.

Boop Boop - Me gustaría ser bilingüe. Esta canción sonaba muy bien, yo simplemente no podía entenderlo. Todavía terminó bailando en la silla un poco...tan bien hecho. (I'm hoping that's translated right.)

Who Fly - There were some good things in there, but the performance just wouldn't let me get into the song. Everything was clearly spoken, but it reminded me of someone who's learning English. In that each word came with a struggle, each syllable seemed forced & had no natural flow.

Therman - "Stranded"
Andrew Reist made a video for his Nur Ein entry.


DJ Ranger Den - "Stranded"
Denise Hudson made a video for her Nur Ein entry.

Phun Times With Roxi Davis

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Hey Molly

Little while ago I suggested Mike Lombardo send Rafem a video to upload onto his channel. You know to expose himself to a different, but similar fan base. Well I'm late mentioning this, but Mike is now on Rafem's channel. You can buy Mike's new album HERE.

Today's The Day

Ok, here's the deal. I'm trying to get people to cover the song "Today's The Day" by Inverse T. Clown.

Well that's it. You can listen to the original song HERE, and you can contact me on Twitter, Formspring or YouTube if you have any questions.

Jeff MacDougall


Joe "Covenant" Lamb


Edric Haleen
You can download the MP3 of Edric's version HERE, and you can also request the sheet music.

Dave Leigh

Kevin Savino-Riker

More Covers:
Denise Hudson - Mike Lombardo - "Buckethat" Bobby Matheson - Graham Porter
Lyrics:
I had a dream last night
In which everything wrong in my life went right
And much to my surprise
It was a quick transition
It played out so vividly
That's it's hard to describe what it did to me
Suffice to say I took it
As a premonition

Today's the day I get a move on
Today's the day I change
Today's the day that I improve on
Who I am and everything I do:
Today's the day that I break up with you

Just stop and think about
All the times I gave in so that we'd work out
If you look at the score
I think I tip the balance
But you prob'ly think that's great
'Cause you take and you drain and manipulate
I guess every succubus
Is gonna have those talents

Today's the day that I get angry
Today's the day I fight
Today's the day that I harangue
The telling-off that's way past overdue:
Today's the day that I break up with you

Don't look at me like that
With your cute pouting lips and your big, sad eyes
You're pretty, but you're pretty much a bitch

It's time for you to see
That the world is the world universally
And nowhere does it say
That you can run my planet
So you take our history
And your need for control and co-misery
And brace yourself real good
Then go ahead and cram it

Today's the day that I'm the victor
Today's the day I win
Today's the day I do your sister
Here's a toast to starting life anew:
Today's the day that I wake up
It's time to say I've had enough
Today's the day that I break up with you

Nur Ein 5 Round 0 Results

Well the results for Round 0 are in. Jon Eric got the most points from the judges, so he's the winner of the round. Round 1 has already started, and the challenge is:

"Title: "Stranded"
Due Date: April 25th at 11:59PM (Eastern)
Non-optional Challenge: Whispering"

There will be 4 eliminations this round, so the pressure is on. The good news is that the winner of Round 1 will get immunity in Round 2. The results of Round 0 are below:

Round 0 Results:
(A direct link to the MP3's of my favorite songs are provided.)
90 Jon Eric
80 Milo Dunderville
79 Berkeley Social Scene
78 Minty Handy
71 Adam Adamant
71 Therman
66 Chris Cogott (TMA member)
64 Johnny Cashpoint
62 Billy's Little Trip
59 Boop Boop
49 Sid Denison
48 Who Fly
47 DJ Ranger Den (TMA member)
44 Emperor Gum (TMA member)
44 Noah McLaughlin
40 The Real Sign
39 Same Day Positive
36 Naked Philosophy
35 Brodeur/Gliniecki
32 Rabid Garfunkel
21 Wages

Circle Of Titles

Today I'm reviewing a side project that Jon Eric started over at Song Fight. This is from the project site:

"In March 2010, fourteen Songfighters each suggested a title. Jon Eric then randomly assigned each title to one other participant. The result was the Circle Of Titles."

I wanted to wait until everyone finished their song before reviewing this, but I'm not sure how long it'll be before the last 2 get done. I thought some of the song titles were a little silly if not stupid, but most of the participant did a good job with what they were given. You can download all the finished songs over at Jon's site, but my recommendations are below.

My Favorites:
(Right Click "Save As" on the artist's name for a MP3 of their entry.)

Billy's Little Trip - Look To The Skies (suggested by Rabid Garfunkel) - The 50 second intro made me think of Edric Haleen (Song Fu reference). The song is totally inappropriate, juvenile & .... hilarious. The intro isn't as funny as I think it's meant to be, but but once the music starts all is good. If you're into alien sex, this is your song.

Chris Cogott - The Prisoner's Dilemma (suggested by Caravan Ray) - I liked the prompt, and Chris capitalized on it. Catchy, funny & well produced like all of his songs...from what I've heard at least.

Ross Durand - Cocobolo Glow (suggested by Mike Lamb) - I didn't like the prompt, but Ross manages to write a sweet tune anyways.

Jon Eric - Viva La Narcissism (Suggested by Heuristics, Inc.) - This is another prompt I didn't like, but I think Jon did a good job with it. Way to step up, especially since this was your idea Jon.

Lithic - Show All History (Suggested by Jan Krueger) - I struggled to understand all the lyrics, but considering it's metal...that didn't shock me. I'm not a huge fan of the style, but not bad.

Mike Lamb - Count To Ten (suggested by Jon Eric) - This must have been inspired by one of the millions of nagging wives out there. I'm sure a lot of guys will relate.

Suckweasel - Nickelback Is My Favorite Band Ever (suggested by Sven Mullet) - I like this only because I'm picturing Mike Lombardo singing it. To be fair, I can't picture anyone doing much better considering the stupid prompt.

Caravan Ray - That's How I Feel (suggested by Ross Durand) - This song was entered in the "Front And Center" fight a few weeks ago. I've got no problem with someone killing 2 birds with 1 stone, but I'm just going to cut/paste my comments from that review:

"I think this guy must have at least a couple restraining orders out against him. I little creepy, but entertaining."

Side Notes:
- The 2 people who have not finished their song yet are Rabid Garfunkel & Lord of Oats. When they finish I might mention it in the blog later on.

Song Fight Review: Ease Your Storm

The last challenge over at Song Fight was titled "Double Life/Half Life", and my favorite entry was Nobody, et al.. Berkeley Social Scene, which was my 2nd choice, ended up getting it's 2nd win in a row. There's a whole new batch of songs over at Song Fight, so I suggest you go pick your favorite songs for the current round. My picks are listed below:

Voted For:
(Right Click "Save As" on the artist's name for a MP3 of their entry.)

Herbitis billahhweetig - Beautiful song. My only complaint was one of the sounds that repeated during the chorus. I have no idea what it is, so it's hard to communicate what sound it is. At 3:29 it starts & makes me grind my teeth. Aside from that...loved it.

Stu Jordan - Loved the mellow opening with the rain & relaxing music. I was relaxed before the vocals even started. It did run a little long, and even worse; it felt long. I'd suggest cutting it down a little, but good work.

The New Original Titans of Song Fight - Another crappy name, but the song was enjoyable. Odd, but enjoyable.

Not Too Bad:
(To download these songs head over to Song Fight)

Ross Durand - It grabbed me right off, but at the 25 second mark things got slightly epic. Honestly this felt too short, and in my opinion it needs another verse. Even though this was clearly inspired by the title/challenge, I didn't hear the phrase in the song. That's the ONLY reason this isn't getting my vote, but great work.

Steve Durand - I liked the idea for the song, but the vocal performance just didn't seem to fit the song. I think I would have liked the song if someone else sang it, or if you approached the performance different.

Dan The Man Band - Like I said with Stu, this 'felt' long. This also felt repetitive...so that might be why it felt longer then it actually was. Not a bad entry, but it just didn't hold my interest throughout the entire song.

Side Notes:
- 2nd fight in a row that I only voted for 3 songs. Nur Ein definately took some of the wind out of these fights.

Nur Ein 5: Round 0 Review

Round 0 is basically an entry round. Instead of signing up for Nur Ein, you send in a song to fullfill a challenge. Then the best 25 get into the tournament (if there's more then 25). The challenge for round 0 was:

"Title: "Time to Panic"
Non-optional Challenge: Song must include audible counting"

I'm looking forward to following Nur Ein 5 because this is the first one I've been able to observe as it's happening. Unlike Song Fu & Song Fight, the public does NOT vote on these songs. Judges are selected from the Nur Ein & Song Fight community, and they decide who moves on. So I'm not telling you who I voted for today, just which songs I enjoyed listening to.

My Favorites: (right click "Save As" on the artist to download their song)
1. Chris Cogott - Fast, great production, and has a strong pop feel. Chris is right up there with Ross Durand as one of my favorite Song Fighters...this is just another example of why.

2. Berkeley Social Scene - Nothing bad to say about this gem...except...I didn't like the instrumental that started 1:55 into the song. Music overal was good, lyrics great & well produced.

3. Jon Eric - The word goofy comes to mind, but in a good way. It was entertaining, the screams made me laugh, and it was kinda catchy. Overall, great entry.

4. Milo Dunderville - A great song about a day I'm doing my best to avoid. Actually very fun to sing along with.

5. Billy's Little Trip - Another fun song to sing...nothing really to complain about here.

Not Bad: (visit Nur Ein to download these songs)
DJ Ranger Den - Loved the music, and liked the creepy feel the song gave me overall. At times it's hard to hear the vocals, and Denise already knows my issues with her lyrics.

The Real Sign - Vocals are a little hard to pick up sometimes, but it's a solid entry.

Minty Handy - Basically it's a "list" song, like "Internet People 2". Only this song is about unfortunate situations that might be unsettling. Not a bad idea, but there's really not much to the song. Not bad, just not great either.

Side Notes:
- Good luck to fellow TMA members DJ Ranger Den, Emperor Gum & Chris Cogott.

- Matt Brodeur & Bill Gliniecki had a good idea for a song, but it didn't really grab me. It did inspire me to listen to the Godz Poodlz song "Bomb Squad Girl" some more...that's a plus.

Song A Day #471
Jonathan Mann wrote this song for the challenge, but for some reason isn't 'in' the competition.


Time To Panic
Andrew Reist made a video for his entry.

Spintown Interviews... (Season Two)

This is a series in which various dancers & singer/songwriters get interviewed. The people selected are people who use the internet as a tool to share their creativity. The other requirement is simple, but very subjective....I have to be a fan.

Music By: Sammy Kablam
Opening Animation By: "Buckethat" Bobby Matheson
Len Peralta Will Flip Your Face At: http://flipface.me/

Mike Lombardo
Main YouTube Channel: mikelombardomusic
Secondary YouTube Channel: jeffisold
Mike's Website: http://www.mikelombardomusic.com/
Mike's Twitter: @mikelombardo
Mike's Bandcamp: http://mikelombardo.bandcamp.com/
Mike's Facebook: Mike-Lombardo-Trio
Mike's MySpace: mikelombardomusic
Mike's Formspring: MiLo
The interview was too long for me to upload as one long video. Click these links to watch the rest: Part 2 & Part 3.

HERE's a link to the blog post that accompanies this interview.
Meghan Tonjes
Meghan's Website: http://www.meghantonjes.com/
Meghan's YouTube Channel: tonjesml
Meghan's Twitter: @meghantonjes
Meghan's Bandcamp Page: http://meghantonjes.bandcamp.com/
Meghan's MySpace: meghantonjes
Meghan's Facebook: meghantonjes
Meghan's Formspring: meghantonjes
Project Lifesize On YouTube: ProjectLifesize
Project Lifesize Ning: projectlifesize
Click these links to watch: Part 2 & Full Interview (without annotations).

HERE's a link to the blog post that accompanies this interview.
Andy Rehfeldt
Andy's YouTube Channel: AndyRehfeldt
Andy's Twitter: @andyrehfeldt
Andy's MySpace: andyrehfeldt

HERE's a link to the blog post that accompanies this interview.
Kata Hay
Kata's Website: http://www.katahay.com/
Kata's YouTube Channel: kataandtheblaze
Kata's Twitter: @katahay
Kata's Wikipedia Entry: More Info

HERE's a link to the blog post that accompanies this interview.
Jeffrey Vinokur
Jeffrey's Website: http://www.therussiantiger.com/
Jeffrey's YouTube Channel: TheRussianTiger
Jeffrey's Twitter: @jeffreyvinokur
Jeffrey's Facebook: Page

HERE's a link to the blog post that accompanies this interview.

Season One

NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT:

An Unfair and One-Sided Review
by Sammy Kablam

Fight: Double Life/Half Life

Here we go again! This is the first time I've reviewed a prompt with options, so this should be interesting. I'll reserve my opinion on multi-prompt options, because it doesn't really matter, and none of you care, anyway. So, let's skip the useless bantor and get down to business! (I will say, though: if nobody wrote a song about Batman, I'm gonna be pissed.)

The Weakest Suit

I can't really see any way around it, pal: you need a vocalist, and you need a writing partner. Your music is fine this time around, but your lyrics are cheesier than curdled milk. And your singing... Just...get a vocalist.

ptp

I fail to grasp what, in this story, is really suggestive of a "double life" outside of the use of the word. From what I could hear, it just sounds like some guy is chasing a thief across the world. Being a criminal doesn't immediately define you as having a double life -- then again, maybe I just missed the real allusions to the concept. As for music, it doesn't really grab my attention, and the solo bits almost sound like you don't know what you're doing; like you either don't know how to write an effective solo, or you just didn't have one planned and tried to freestyle on the spot. Either way, again, not very effective.

yelyah

Number one, your lyrical rhythm is still bad enough to make me cringe. And once again, you sound more like a flute than a person. Your music isn't bad, but your vocals are really blurry, and it kills the whole thing.

Berkeley Social Scene

This is not a bad song, and I don't want to convey the idea that it is. All I'm going to say is this: I felt like it should have been more powerful. The lyrics are fine, and as good as the music is, it doesn't feel as strong as I think it could. For a song about liberation from daily drudgery and the desire to shine as your inner self, the music doesn't feel quite as epic as I'd like. BUT...it's still very good, and that's really just a nitpick more than "do it right".

Jan Krueger

This is kind of grating. It's musically redundant and whiney. It's not fun at all, and even if you were trying for a "serious" tone, you have to make it something that's interesting, not repelling. It's not a bad production; it's a decent production of a bad song.

Torrentz

If this was just a little bit dumber, it'd be funny. Unfortunately, it hovers in that realm of stupidity where it's not dumb enough to be intentionally comical, and not good enough to be intentionally listenable.

Nobody, et al

This was pretty damn good. Keep it up!

Steve Durand

So far, the most fun in this Fight. The showtune/big band/circus sound is brilliant, and the lyrics are very smart. Well played, sir.

A Far Off Land featuring Wise

I don't like this "style". That's not to say the song is bad; rather, I'm not the guy to judge. This is the kind of thing that makes me change the radio station because it's dull and tries too hard to be cool. And that's not really my bag.

Rycehat

Aside from some of the timing of the lyrics, this isn't really bad at all. It actually nailed (one of) the prompt(s) right on the head, and also managed to be entertaining in the process, ranking it among the more impressive entries.

Dan The Man Band

Well, it certainly qualifies as "metal", to my understanding. Ironically, the most unmetal thing about it is that I can hear the vast of the lyrics. The only caveat is that I don't see what it has to do with either of the prompt options. Your song appears to be about tempo, and that's not really the topic. Either of them.

Stu Jordan

...Moving doesn't qualify as a double life. Props on the Huxtables name drop, though.

Jeff Robertson And The Neo-Candylanders

I'm really having to focus to make your lyrics. BUT, I can say your melody is catchy and your music is upbeat enough to keep my listening. It may be a tad repetative, but "Louie, Louie" is about fifty times more repetative and unintelligible, but also holds that weird catchiness to it. I'd suggest toying with the vocals to help them through a little better, but like I said, it's catchy as is.

Jonathan Mann

This is probably the most I've understood any of your songs, because there seems to be a story in it. That's not to say I comPLETEly understand, but I think I get the general idea. But, again, I don't fully see how this song fits in with either prompt. That could, of course, just be because it's a Jonathan Mann song that I don't really get, but other than not seeing how it meets the challenge, it's a pretty decent tune.

Kuwait Sheet Set

Bored, bored, bored. It's slow, bland, and the chrous is incredibly similar sounding to the verses. I don't see a whole lot of replay action going on here.

Ephh Wi-Yi

Topically, this is the most rule-bendingly creative thing so far. And that's admirable. The weirdness of the music is successful in that it's bizarrely constructed, without being inane and flat stupid. I'm not going to say it's "the best", but it's up there, without a doubt. Creativity like this is blatantly lacking in Song Fight, and this pointed that out and did something about it. Kudos.

Stucco Lobster Breadbox

You are not They Might Be Giants.

Well, that's that for this oddly dualistic prompt. Hopefully next week, while easing the storms, we also manage to step up the game. Oh, and remember: the propmts are there for a reason. ;)

Until next time,
S. Kablam

(1 review was removed by Spin)

New Follower

- I might have mentioned this once before, but Ross Durand wrote an entire album in just 1 month. That's not so shocking, a lot of people have tried it; but usually those albums suck. I really enjoyed his, and you can download it HERE. (Right Click "Save As")

- I recently checked out Josh Woodward's website, and you can download a lot of cool music that he released under 'creative commons'. When I said "a lot"...I meant well over 100 original songs can be found right HERE.

- I thought doing a series of Twitter interviews was a good idea awhile back...and now look. --> David Choi Interview

- As the blog title suggests...I got a new follower for the main page the other day. That make 5 for the home page *cue the Jefferson's theme song*, and 3 for the "Songs Of The Day" page. I think we can get double digits by 2011. :p

- I stumbled onto THIS website the other day, and probably wasted 20 minutes making images like the ones below.

Give A Girl A Break (1953) & Time Out For Rhythm (1941)

Spintown News:
- Joe & Sammy uploaded a new podcast over at TMA. This time Kevin Savino-Riker joins them, and you can download the podcast HERE.

- Just another reminder that if you want to compete in Nur Ein 5 your entry song is due April 19 at 12AM (EST). The title of the song is "Time To Panic" & it has to include audible counting. You can find all the details you'll need by visiting the Song Fight Messageboard.

- Well I watched a couple more movies that I thought I'd give my opinion on. That's the main feature for today. Chelsea...you better be reading these.

Give A Girl A Break (1953)
I was shocked at how much I loved this movie. For a movie made during the golden age of musicals the plot is fairly typical, but the dance numbers were all stunning. Thanks to Marge Champion, Gower Champion, Debbie Reynolds, Bob Fosse & Helen Wood; each time music starts to play you're jaw will probably hit the floor. The acting was average at best (even for a musical), the music was perfect (provided by Burton Lane & Ira Gershwin) for whatever the mood of the scene & this is definately a fun musical you don't want to miss. It's unfortunate that I couldn't find most of the musical numbers online, but you can watch the trailer below.

Balloon Dance
This number is performed by Debbie Reynolds & Bob Fosse. It's one of those numbers that you just wish you could see some behind the scenes featurette about.

Nothing Is Impossible
This isn't one of the better numbers from the film, but it's not bad. Michael Jackson used to be a big fan of musicals, and you have to wonder if this clip gave him the inspiration to perform his own 'anti gravity lean'. I know MJ had speical shoes made to work with pegs in the stage floor to do his move. I'm not sure how they did it in this film.


Other dance routines in this film that are worth watching include: "In Our United State", "Applause, Applause", "It Happens Every Time" & "Puppet Master Dance".

Time Out For Rhythm (1941)
I watched this film because Ann Miller was in it, and that's almost the only reason to watch this really bad film. Ann does have a couple entertaining dance numbers like "Obviously The Gentleman Prefers To Dance", but nothing on par with the previous film. The film features some terrible acting (most from Rudy Vallee), a plot that's dull/uninspired & the 3 Stooges. The Stooges give a little life to this film by doing some of their classic routines like "Maharajah". Allen Jenkins is also in this film, and does a good job with the crap he's given....but it's hard to turn horse shit into anything of value.

Song Fight Review: Double Life/Half Life

The last challenge over at Song Fight was titled "Front And Center", and Give Our Regards To The Earth's Core was my favorite entry. The voters disagreed, and Berkeley Social Scene got the win. It was a relaxing tune, but didn't get one of my votes. There's a whole new batch of songs over at Song Fight, so I suggest you go pick your favorite songs for the current round. There was actually a choice of 2 topics this time. My picks are listed below:

Voted For:
(Right Click "Save As" on the artist's name for a MP3 of their entry.)

Nobody, et al. - Love the lyrics, and it's a really 'sweet' song. It would be nice if the production value was a little better, but I have no idea what restrictions you're working under. Nice work, but a re-recording would be great.

Berkeley Social Scene - Can't say much bad about this. I didn't vote for them in the last fight (which they won), but they get my vote this time.

Steve Durand - Quirky & geeky both come to mind. It's not a bad song, but in a stronger fight I probably wouldn't vote for it. Not bad, but it's like beating up on a bunch of 5th graders, not all that impressive.

Not Too Bad:
(To download these songs head over to Song Fight)

A Far Off Land featuring Wise - Nice flow, cool relaxing beat, but couldn't get into the lyrics.

yelyah - This song is so close to being 'catchy'. I don't really dislike anything about it, but I can't place why it didn't grab me. I know this is even less helpful then my usual uninspired comments....sorry.

Side Notes:
- Overall I thought it was a weak fight. I love Song Fight, and I did find a couple songs I liked, but the loser of this fight was clearly anyone who listened to it all. For every good song, there were 2 bad ones.

- In the near future I'll be taking a look at a side project some Song Fighters have been working on called "Circle Of Titles". I haven't listened to the music yet, but it's a really cool project I'll tell you more about later.

It All Makes Sense At The End

Hazen Nester finally uploaded something to YouTube. (bout time) This is one of his "Masters Of Song Fu" entries. Here's hoping he posts a lot more in the future.

Search Stories

Make your own story: HERE.

For Orchestra 34

The only thing I have for the home page today is a For Orchestra cover of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'". <-- Click the song title.

Carolina Blues (1944)

I watched another musical on TCM yesterday, so I figured I'd give you my thoughts on it. This movie stars Kay Kyser with his band, and it's pretty bad. Kay & most of his band just annoys me with bad acting that's way too corny....and not a funny corny. I really only watched this because Ann Miller was in it, but she didn't have a great dance number in the film either. Victor Moore plays 4-5 characters....all of them annoying as well. Ish Kabibble is somewhat funny at times, and there's really only 1 clip from the entire film worth watching.

Mr. Beebe
Ann Miller opens this number with her singing...not her dancing (wtf was the director thinking). After that Harold Nicholas, of the famed Nicholas Brothers, takes over with some jaw dropping dance moves. There's a number of other dancers & singers that get to show their stuff in this big number; including The Four Step Brothers.

It Was A Good Day

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Hey You!

- I'm late posting this just because I've had so many other things to put on the home page lately. But HERE'S episode 18 of the TMA podcast.

- I spent some time over at 8-Bit Collective today. I didn't mean to spend so much time there, but listening to things like the theme song from Family Matters made time fly.

Hey You!
Jonathan Mann is putting together a fan tour. He's not the first to do something like that, but it's a cool idea.

Song Fu 6: A Summary

Well I’ve already reviewed every round, and Song Fu 6 has officially ended. Unfortunately it ended with a pop…and not the BANG some were hoping for. I don’t want to focus on a lot of negatives in this blog, but I will touch on some things I viewed as negatives at the end of the blog. I’d like to start off with some positives.

In today’s blog I’d like to share with you my favorite songs of Song Fu 6, and my favorite Song Fu’ers of the tournament. This is going to be similar to my Song Fighter of the year blogs I’m doing. It’ll consist of a few lists & some links to download the mentioned songs. Lets start off with my favorite songs of Song Fu 6.

Top 7 Songs Of Song Fu 6:
(Right click “Save As“ on the name of the song to download the MP3)
1. Edric Haleen - “This Song Doesn’t Rhyme” (Round 2)
2. Inverse T. Clown - “Devastator” (Round 3)
3. Leigh & Hoover - “Yesterday Hero - Someday” (Round 4)
4. Mike Lombardo - “Sit And Watch The Rain” (Round 1)
5. Governing Dynamics - “Broken Boy” (Round 3)
6. Caleb Hines - “Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliaphobia” (Round 2)
7. Mike Lombardo - “I Found You” (Round 2)

Based on my voting those shouldn’t be too shocking, but as time has passed I wouldn’t be too surprised if some of my votes would be a little different. Some songs grow on you, and some you never play as much as you expected after first hearing them. (one reason I don‘t vote right after listening to the songs) Now you know my favorite songs, but who is my favorite Song Fu’er of Song Fu 6?

Top 5 Fu‘ers
1. Caleb Hines - If I was to extend my list of favorite songs, Caleb’s other 2 songs may not crack the top 10, but they would definitely be in the top 15. Every single round Caleb managed to make me smile with his entry, and I know I voted for him at least twice (I’m too lazy to go check). I knew before Song Fu 6 that Caleb had talent, but I’ll be honest, his songs were never one of the first songs that I listened to each round. You can be assured that the next time Caleb enters Song Fu….he’ll get my first right click “Save As”.

2. Inverse T. Clown - He may be a NOOB, but his 2nd round rant got my attention. Then in the 3rd round he blew my mind a bit with his geektastic entry. (Although Voltron is still better then Transformers) A solid shadow entry bumped him up over the next 2 people.

3. Edric Haleen - Well he had my favorite song of this Fu…so I sort of have to put him on the list. I will say that “Robot Monkey” has gotten a lot more plays in my car then I originally thought it would. If I was to make a top 10 list including songs from ALL past Song Fu’s….Edric would be on that list at least 3 times now.

4. Mike Lombardo - For me it’s so close between Mike vs. Leigh & Hoover that Mike is getting the edge simply because he won in the end. I thought Mike’s round 1 song kicked major ass, and even though his round 2 song isn’t all that complex….I really enjoy listening to it. I think Mike faded a lot toward the end, but for 2 rounds he put up 2 songs that I loved.

5. Leigh & Hoover - 2 more NOOBS on the list. I really didn‘t expect that to happen. Their round 1 song was great, but their songs from round 2 & 3 failed to make it onto my playlist. Round 4 more then made up for that, because they saved their best for last.

Positives:
- There weren’t very many people that skipped rounds.

- There were a lot of great songs.

- I voted for at least 4 people I’ve never voted for in the past.

- It had a final round, even if it wasn’t what everyone wanted.

Negatives:
- I can’t say that Ken failed this time, but I will say he disappointed. Ken deserved to have “Fail” tattooed onto his forehead the previous 2 tournaments. Mostly, but not entirely because he failed to plan ahead to ensure that a master participates. This time there was no promise of a master, so he didn’t really fail at that. Because of the previous fails I know a lot of people were really hoping he would provide a master & redeem himself a little. That didn’t happen, and because he left that part open ended to start with, I have to say I was disappointed with the ending.

- The limit of 20. The songs were great for the most part, but limiting the tournament to 20 could have some negative affects in the future. A big concern is that it could mean less new blood is pumped into the talent pool. Ken says he takes the first 20 to enter (I’m not convinced that’s entirely true), but if he does, who is most likely to get in? People who have participated in Song Fu in the past who are sitting at their computer waiting for “Fred” to post a sign up form. I’m not saying that I don’t want past Song Fu’ers to get in, but I really think the entry form should be a challenge & let the voters decide who the 20 will be. There’s new talent that couldn’t get into Song Fu that wanted in….that’s not exactly widening the fan base.

- Too much whining…whine before…whine after…not during….at least not if you’re competing.

Going Forward:
I really hope Ken promotes Song Fu 7 (if there is one) more so then he has with all the previous tournaments. Even little things like posting about the end of the competition seems too difficult for the man. I’ve been waiting for a post saying, “It’s all over, congrats to Mike Lombardo” for awhile now.

Ken has said that if there is a Song Fu 7 it will be the same format as #6. (going on 2nd hand info here) If that’s the case I already mentioned what I consider negatives about this decision, so lets mention the positives. The obvious positive is people won’t be disappointed by a lack of a master at the end. Leaving things open is never a good thing in any type of competition. Rules, schedules, directions should all be made clear ahead of time, and that’s not always been the case in Song Fu. Song Fu will now be like Song Fight’s “Nur Ein“ tournament, but there’s nothing wrong with that.

I mentioned before that Ken not having the masters compete along side the challengers is a good thing. My reasoning was that it’s HARD to get masters to commit. Since Ken hasn’t been smart enough to “vault” a master’s song beforehand, eliminating the master altogether isn’t a bad decision.

Well that’s it for today. I may think Ken does a half assed job at running Song Fu, but everyone should be grateful to the man. He created Song Fu, hundreds of songs have been written because of it that wouldn’t have been otherwise, and TMA wouldn’t be if not for Ken. That’s a lot of music & friends I would’ve missed out on.

I’ll list my favorite song from each competitor below….well at least from each competitor that has a song on my personal playlist.

(Go to A Site Called Fred to download these songs.)

Mike Lombardo - “Sit And Watch The Rain” (Round 1)
Leigh & Hoover - “Yesterday Hero - Someday” (Round 4)
Edric Haleen - “This Song Doesn’t Rhyme” (Round 2)
Inverse T. Clown - “Devastator” (Round 3)
Governing Dynamics - “Broken Boy” (Round 3)
Caleb Hines - “Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliaphobia” (Round 2)
Denise Hudson - “Duality Cupcake (’Why’)” (Round 3)
Spencer Sokol - “Wicked One” (Round 3)
Glen Raphael - “Big In Japan” (Round 3)
Boffo Yux Dudes - “A Recipe For Love” (Round 3)
Gorbzilla - “A Song About This Song” (Round 2)
Ian “2 Shades” Johnson - “Downpour” (Round 1)
Godz Poodlz - “Rain Is Pouring Down” (Round 1)
Jeff MacDougall - “Ken Plume Is To Blame” (Round 2)
Common Lisp - “Polly Loves The Rain” (Round 1)
Zer0guy - “Recipe For A Bad Man” (Round 3)
“Buckethat” Bobby Matheson - “Forget About The Rain” (Round 1)

Oh…and lets not forget the most active shadow in the history of a Song Fu…
Joe “Covenant” Lamb - “Rain” (Round 1)

NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT:

An Unfair and One-Sided Review
by Sammy Kablam

Fight: Front And Center

I'm BAAAAAaaaaack! After a lengthy hiatus that began as illness and slowly became "I just don't wanna", your favorite Song Fight Reviewing Cuddlebunny is back on Spintown with another biting, insightful and all-around correct summary of this week's entries. So, let's stop dicking around with the intro, and head into the perfect prompt for my timely return: "Front And Center"!

SomeGuyCalledNoel

So, this is pretty depressing, but it's a good depressing. In fact, there are only two things that I'm going to point out as negatives: number one, the guitar riff, though wonderfully played, is pretty well repetative; Number two, when you drop to your hook/chorus, you appear to be singing uncomfortably low. As if you're on the verge of being out of your range. Those two points aside, this is an excellent tone setter for the picture it describes, and although it's not a happy song, it is successful in its INTENTION is to not be happy, which, in an indirect way, DOES make me happy. Thank you for starting this off in a pleasant way.

Joanthan Mann (TMA member)

I have only heard a fraction of your repertoire, but this strikes me as the best musically sound song I've heard of yours. I still have no idea what exactly you're talking about. I guess the guy is miserable because he has no friends. But I do get tired of having to decode things. Sometimes, it's nice to just have things put on the table, as opposed to hidden in "poetry".

The Weakest Suit

I'm going to ignore the glaring irony of repeating the line "I'm moving on".... Instead, I'll simply say that you remind me, quite sincerely, of Rogers & Clark. Except without the charm. (Google it, kids.) I'm just saying, this sounds like it's supposed to be motivational and uplifting, and everything about it is incredibly not. It's slow, it's unenthusiastic, the lyrics are repetative, and even vocals don't have any umpf. It sounds like you're just going thru the motions, like the kid in math class that's doodling on his worksheet while watching the clock tick closer to the bell. And you know what? So was I.

yelyah

I don't use the word "hokey" very often, but this is a great opportunity. I mean, this song isn't aggressively irritating, or anything like that, it's just...not really...good. It's more, like...vague and cheesey and overly simplistic, while hoping to be deep and meaningful. I get the sentiment, really, but it's just...hokey.

Jeplexe!

I apologize. At 2:04 I had to stop it. I can't understand the vast of what you're saying, and you're saying it all in a very fecking annoying way. The music was annoying enough from the get-go, but your vocals (or whatever) just tipped the scale. It may be unprofessional to post comments on a song I couldn't bring myself to finish, under the argument of "if you didn't finish it, you didn't hear the whole thing", and that's fine -- Spin doesn't pay me for this, so I'm not a professional. And I can't listen to this for free.

Give Our Regards To The Earth's Core

LOL rape. And badly written rape, at that. I mean, it's totally funny, because he's kidnapping this person and forcing her to do things against her will, but it's because he's in love. So it's funny. It doesn't need to have thought or effort put into the lyrics or anything, just the very idea is funny. Trust me. That's how comedy works; as long as I think it MIGHT be funny and effective, it IS funny and effective. Just ask Carlos Mencia.

PTP

What? This makes virtually no sense. It sounds like you tasted a stranger's hair; then it sounds like you and your wife fight against any authority to can find; then the stranger says she's joining the military -- a decision you praise, after talking about fighting against a very vaguely mentioned "powers that be". And the freakin' hook: "to stand front and center is liberty". What the hell does that even mean? Are you TALKING about being in the military? Because, I'll be honest, I never joined, but I don't ever recall the men and women having much say in where they go, what they do, or when they do it. Something about "taking orders", I think. Which doesn't exactly scream "liberty" to me. But then, maybe you aren't talking about being in the military, which means I just have no clue what your line is supposed to suggest. And your choppy, clunky music and singing pattern doesn't make it any easier to take.

Berkley Social Scene

Your music is pretty great this time. I can't really hear most of the lyrics, and I'm having a hard time not zoning out; I've restarted the song five times, and keep catching myself day dreaming about a minute in. That may sound like a dig, but it's more a compliment to the montage tone of your music. Take that how you will, I guess.

Internet Famous

I really think your next album should be titled "Facepalm". I honestly can't tell if you're trying really hard to be weird, or if you're just really bad. I tend to get a vibe indicating you wish you were TMBG, but I hope that's not the case. I hope you're just being ironic.

Rycehat

Speaking of TMBG, interesting voice. Some of your lyrical rhythm needs work, but overall, this isn't bad. If nothing else, it displays a lot of potential. But, since it wasn't a mess and I'm pretty much just here to mock things, that's really all I have to say.

William Parsons Project

I think it would be simply fantastic if the corpse of Frank Zappa got up and trekked to your home so he could knee you in the groin. You know, just to return the favor.

Steve Durand featuring Ross Durand

This is a cute little song and all, but...I fail to see how it really fits the prompt. I mean, the first line uses the word, "center", but, really. Kinda let down, here.

Hostess Mostess

So, the moment I heard the first line, something didn't feel right. Like...I wasn't sick...but I wasn't sure if I was all that well. I actually started to think maybe I was turning into a "Flagpole Sitta" rip-off. Then I realized it was just your song. Boy, was I ever relieved! Thought I was losing it for a minute, there. Beyond that, though, great entry.

Lord of Oats

There's a lot of weirdness going on here. I'm going to say there's a measure of potential, but I'm not going to say this is really great.

Well! There's the Big Return of Negative Reinforcement! I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did, and I just can't WAIT for the next round. Keep up the... um... work!

See ya soon,
S. Kablam.

Song Fight Review: Front And Center

The last challenge over at Song Fight was titled "Robot Ninja Zombie Bear", and my favorite entry was Jonathan Mann (TMA member). Well Torrentz also produced a good track, and got the win. There's a whole new batch of songs over at Song Fight, so I suggest you go pick your favorite songs for the current round. My picks are listed below:

Voted For:
(Right Click "Save As" on the artist's name for a MP3 of their entry.)

Give Our Regards To The Earth's Core - I think this guy must have at least a couple restraining orders out against him. I little creepy, but entertaining.

2. Jonathan Mann (TMA member) - Dug the 2nd verse a lot. Felt very minimalist & a little long, but overall it was a sweet tune.

Rycehat - I didn't expect a time traveling song during this round...well I normally don't expect one. Overall it was enjoyable. Some of the music was a bit annoying. I could have done without whatever effect it is that starts about 70 seconds into the song.

yelyah - Simple song about one of the harder things in life; letting someone go. This one felt very simple, and could have used something to mix it up a bit.

Still Good:
(Head over to Song Fight to download & listen to the following songs.)

Steve Durand featuring Ross Durand on Lap Steel - Great song, probably my favorite of the round. There's just 1 small problem...I can't see how in the world it comes close to meeting the challenge? If I missed something please explain it, but I can't vote for it since it seems like you picked your own topic for the fight.

Berkeley Social Scene - Very relaxing music, at times it was hard for me to pick up on the vocals.

Song A Day #452
Jonathan Mann made a video for his entry.


Side Notes:
- This song sounds so freakin' familiar that lyrics were on the tip of my tongue while listening to it. Unfortunately they weren't the lyrics used in this song. I have a feeling Hostess Mostess borrowed a lot from a popular song of my youth. It's annoying me that I can't place what song it is, so if anyone can tell me I'd appreciate it.

- The next fight should be interesting. The Song Fighters have been given 2 options for the upcoming Fight. They can pick from "Double Life" or "Half Life".

- Stucco Lobster Breadbox made me laugh with their entry, but as a song it falls flat. I admit to having a thing for 3 tittied women, but just because you theme your song around one....it doesn't make it a good song.