SpinTunes #5 Round 2 Review

Different things motivate different people.  This challenge is so wide open lyrically that it is hard to say that anyone didn’t meet the challenge. (unless you didn’t include lyrics) Just because your song didn’t motivate me, doesn’t mean that it didn’t motivate you or someone else.  My rankings will mostly reflect how much I liked your song, and not how much I thought it met the challenge.  That being said...if I hear something that really does motivate me...it could bump you up a little in my rankings.

The rankings were the hardest part of the judging process this time around.  I thought it was a REALLY strong album, and it was hard to put anyone near the bottom.  Great work everyone.

Ross Durand - Win
I was looking forward to this song more than any other this round.  Mostly because of “Let's Get Bloody”, and I enjoyed putting a little extra pressure on you by mentioning that.  Now...on to the new song.  It was worth the wait.  Probably the song that pumped me up the most, and it was also a lot of fun to sing.  This is something that can (and will) be played in my car as I’m going to basketball games.  Heck I might even have to ask to use this in another Pain For Laughs video.

Edric Haleen - One More Step
It doesn’t SOUND like this pushed you out of your comfort zone...  At first I’m thinking it’s a song about running, and it could be, but it can also be about anything.  Just improving & pushing yourself at anything really.  Music & vocals were as usual great, but it would be nice to hear you sound like you were challenged for once.

RC - Get Up
You win for best idea of the round.  Who doesn’t need a little extra motivation to drag their ass out of bed some days?  If I had a fancier alarm clock, I’d have this play in the mornings.  Aside from having a great idea, everything else works as well.  Music is upbeat & fun, I enjoyed the lyrics & it was catchy.

Gorbzilla featuring The Gorbzookies - Superwoman
Funk...cool.  Not all that motivational for me since I’m a guy, but it’s a lot of fun, and I would have to think it goes over great with it’s intended audience.  Between Zoe & The Gorbzookies we’re certainly getting our fill of cute kids in this contest.  Well done Gorb & company.

PS: Happy birthday Superwoman.

Mariah Mercedes - Hurricane
You improve from contest to contest, and this is my favorite song yet.  The music is as powerful as a hurricane & you really let loose on the vocals.  Not really sure I can relate to being a hurricane, but it pumps me up nevertheless.

Rats Of The Sky - Dance To The Groove Libido
I know that boasting & self-praise is a part of rap, but it’s one of the things I really don’t care for.  In this case I don’t knock you much because the self deprecating kinda balances it out.  The beat & music work well to motivate, but lyrically I’m not sure this would motivate many.  The lyrics were creative enough to hold my interest, but the chorus was a little weaker than I’d have liked.  Overall...good entry, that I hope gets you to round 3.  Well done.

Caravan Ray - Pump It Up
Like The Boffo Yux Dudes, this was the obvious direction for you.  I’m going to give you props for having some difficult lyrics (even though the Latin shadow trumped you), and despite being repetitive as hell it was still fun.  I didn’t care for the Tour de France line, but other than that I enjoyed the lyrics.

The Boffo Yux Dudes / Chris Cogott - Big, Bigger, Best
There are a couple lines that didn’t really get a laugh from me, but for the most part I laughed more than groaned.  The music & vocals were about perfect.  Could this pump you up?  Musically yes, but lyrically it’s more like the anti-workout song.  The take on the challenge was a bit obvious...at least for the Boffo Yux Dudes.  If you’re going to do obvious, you should at least do it well...and you did.

Glen Raphael - Pump Down The Volume
Great idea, but the subject itself doesn’t seem that motivational.  The music sure hits the mark, and it got me bobbing my head.  The breakdown was funny, and you come off sounding like an old man with lawn issues.  One of my favorite songs from you thus far.

Godz Poodlz - In The Zone
I like everything about this, but I want more.  It’s just a little too repetitive for me in the end.  The sound is awesome, lyrically no issues, but you need to leave the zone long enough to write at least 1 more verse.

Governing Dynamics - Forward
I thought the music was more interesting than most this round (but it could have been shortened a bit), and lyrically I didn’t really get it at times.  The music held my attention, but overall I don’t think it’s all that motivational for ME.  It was just the opposite at times.  I mentioned I wasn’t grading too hard on the challenge this time around, but I always knock people if I don’t really dig the lyrics.  That’s the main reason you dropped in my rankings.

Jailhouse Payback - Kick Your Routine
Change your name to Schoolhouse Rock Payback.  Seriously...I got a Schoolhouse Rock vibe from this.  Working out has got to be one of the most boring things to do in life.  Which is why some people need music to help motivate them.  A song / lesson plan on working out wouldn’t be that motivational to me personally.  BUT, I am a huge Schoolhouse Rock fan (have them all on DVD), and I still managed to enjoy this track.

Felix Frost - The Frost Mine
Ok...I thought you had the most difficult task this round.  Your 8-bit style & your very youngish voice just didn’t seem like fits for this challenge.  That being said I do enjoy brentalfloss videos & his music...and there have been some games that have soundtracks I still find motivational. (Mega Man, Contra, Zelda, Life Force)  So lets see how you did...

The intro is interesting, but I’d shorten it some.  Not all that motivational yet...oh but wait...the chorus is pretty cool, and it’s pumping me up somewhat.  But once again this sounds like 2 different songs pushed awkwardly together.  Your story is a bit weird...and going to be hard for some people to get into.  Especially since your vocals need to be brought up in the verses.  Whoa...that ended quickly.

In the end there were parts of this song that I could see being included in some really kickass NES game.  But in the end I still think less could be more in terms of types of sounds you’re throwing at us.

Menage a Tune - Run!
Musically this is fine, but lyrically I don’t really see this being motivational for many people.  You don’t really ever give a reason to keep going...just that you should.  It’s rather depressing for me.  If you’re going to motivate someone I would think you would focus more of the positives of your story.

The Chocolate Chips - Nothing Can Stop You
OOOOooo...love the opening.  Don’t like whatever you ran your vocals through though.  Not all that catchy.  “You will taste fresh if you begin to plant the seed”????  The music throughout could have held my interests, but the vocals & lyrics didn’t pull their weight.

Jeremy Lambright - Shut Up And Dance
I know you ran out of time, and that’s why there are no lyrics.  If you would like to finish this track later, we would be happy to play it at the next LP.  The music is chill yet at the same time seems to push me towards something.  So I would love to hear this finished.


Jeffrey Powers - If I Finish This Workout, I Can Go Get A Beer (Shadow)
You may have a drinking problem, but I’m glad Tom wrangled you into the contest. You seem more like a happy drunk than an angry one. The song doesn’t meet the 2 minute minimum, but it’s a shadow, so that’s ok. For what it is it’s effective, but there are a couple lines that need cleaned up. For instance: “If I run, I can make the happy hour earlier than late ”. It sounds like you crammed too much into that line. Minor issues for what’s not meant to be a serious song.

Dr. Lindyke - A Tune For You (The SpinTunes Montage) (Shadow)
Yeah, I didn’t know I was getting a SpinTunes theme song this round? It’s more like a ST5R2 theme song because of lines mentioning the examples, but it’s the best I’ve got, and it’s really fun to sing along with. In the contest...you may have been at risk for going meta, but I love this. I wish there was a 2nd FULL verse.

Dr. Lindyke - Monastic Workout (Shadow)
I have a policy against reviewing things I can’t understand that are not official entries. I just started it.

Ménage a Tune - Rat Race (Shadow)
I really think you missed the boat...again...with the lyrics. I find them depressing...not motivational. And anyone who uses the phrase “Hamster wheel of life”...needs a rewrite.

Zoe Gray - Mine (Shadow)
You sound like a villain from the show “My Little Pony Tales” that’s trying to take over the world with cuteness. When I send out my feedback forms to all the participants of SpinTunes 5 I’ll ask them what it feels like to have their asses (Brian you better bleep that out) handed to them by an 11 year old. Extremely well done.

Trader Jack - Let Nothing Be Left Behind (Shadow)
Better late than never. I’m glad you sent this in, and I enjoyed parts of your lyrics a lot. It did get a little weird for me in parts, but for some reason it held my interest. At first I thought it was going to be a bit too slow, but I think it worked as being motivational. Well done.

SpinTunes #5 Round 1 Review

Caravan Ray - The Beginning Of The End
I guess the 3rd time is the charm. This is the third time you’ve signed up, and the first song you’ve turned in. In this case it was worth the wait. It’s upbeat, fun, and the jokes got a laugh. Of the people who took the challenge on directly...this is one of the better ones.

Governing Dynamics - Swing Shift
Hit the challenge square on, and rocked it hard. The ONLY thing I didn’t like about this entry was the slower section toward the end. I won’t say it sounded out of place, but I didn’t think it was needed or added much to the song. I’d just cut it.

Francis Wms. - Redundant Redunit
I’m not sure what to make of this. You’ve taken clips from other places that aren’t really lyrics, and used them as the only lyrics in your song. At least that seems to be what you did.  Did you recreate all these clips?  Either way I wouldn't call them lyrics.

Whether it’s DQed or not wouldn’t change my opinion of the track. I couldn’t really make out the vast majority of the words/lyrics by listening alone. The last time I heard something like this was the last time I tried to tune in a radio station in that was just barely out of range.

RC - Goodbye Everybody
Wow, this sounds awesome. The music & vocals just hit the sweet spot. Lyrically it was the most predictable song of the bunch in my opinion though. The lyrics aren’t bad, it’s just that nothing surprised me. I think everyone would like to blow up or burn down their place of employment at some point. Obvious or not, it’s a great song & it’s going on my MP3 player. I REALLY look forward to hearing more from you in round 2.

Mariah Mercedes - Ending(eternal)
If you were fishing you would go home empty handed. You take on the challenge really walks the line. But “work” was left open to interpretation, and you stay within the boundaries. Not really my kinda lyrics, but your biggest issue is the first item I mentioned.

Jailhouse Payback - Escalator
The vocals & music is fine. Better than fine, it’s very easy on the ears. The lyrics...eh... I mean I don’t get a clear picture of anything other than it’s the last day at work. The story behind it is a mess. I think you’ll move on...but I’m not confident in that prediction.

Edric Haleen - The Death Of A Meme
Great take on the challenge, I didn’t really see that coming. I know everything you do with a song is intentional, but I didn’t care for the abrupt ending. Other than that, move along into round 2, do not pass go or collect $200.

Felix Frost - Leaving Lyman’s Liquor Store
This took 100% more focus to review than it did to write. I keep thinking I’m jumping between multiple songs, and never stay in 1 long enough to get into it. The transitions aren’t even very smooth, you’re just suddenly into something else. It’s not just musically all over the place either. Your lyrics are all over the place as well. It’s a shame that you couldn’t FOCUS on something smaller in scale because you do some interesting things musically & your voice is pleasant. I love me some 8-bit music...but more focus is needed.

Army Defense - You’re Not Paid
There’s just not much there. It’s extremely repetitive & the song really does feel like a boss harping on an employee. Not sure that’s a good thing, but there needs to be more substance here lyrically.

Alex Boyd - The Bastard Had It Coming
Some of the lyrics feel awkward, and I question the slapping of your boss. I mean if he’s so bad to warrant hitting, why not make a fist & knock that asshole out? I don’t really get the line about being late & getting wrote up. That kinda seems like how it should go down. The 1 man, 1 uke approach is a difficult road to take when you’re going up against people with more weapons, but it can be done. Robert Borden looked to be a real threat to win in the last contest, and that’s all he used. His lyrics were not as clumsy, and he had a great voice. When you have less to your song, it’s easier to see the flaws in it. So make sure it’s polished up as much as possible in round 2.

Glen Raphael - Naked
I hear a lot of excuses from people who miss deadlines. Some of them are better than others, but this is at least the 2nd time you’ve turned something in while traveling with limited resources. Well done. I’m fairly dense when it comes to getting lyrics at times, but I’m not getting how the chorus really ties in with the verses all that well. The performance & production suffer due to being on the road, so I won’t get into the flaws there.

Milton - Today’s The Day
Ok...you just used the title of my favorite song of all time...this better be good. *listens* Well, it’s not Inverse, but it MIGHT get you to round 2. I didn’t dislike the vocals, or the music (although messy at times), but nothing really stood out as great. Not the most creative lyrics, but I did find myself mouthing the chorus towards the end...so that’s a good sign.

Menage a Tune - Crowning Glory
Enjoyed the music throughout. I hope your new team sticks with you, cause they’re good. Easily one of the best this round in terms of lyrics & story. The vocals were good about 66% of the time. Enjoy your first non-shadow entry of round 2.

Rats Of The Sky - Two Weeks Notice
One of the best raps to be entered into SpinTunes thus far. Granted, there hasn’t been A LOT of them, but this meets the challenge twice, it’s kinda catchy, and the lyrics are what I’d expect from a rapper. (creative) I hope you make it to round 2.

Wait What - Middle Management
This was going along ok until the line, “But she smells like a wet chihuahua with gas.” The line didn’t get a laugh (for the right reason) & it didn’t really fit either. Right after that line we get a pretty weak chorus. Musically this is the best I’ve heard from you. Lyrically I only dig about half your lyrics & hate the other half. So I end up with moments I enjoy, but an overall experience I wouldn’t seek out again. I’ll keep listening & look forward to the moment you put it all together just right.

Ross Durand - I’m Lyin’
Hey, look at that. Someone went for an emotional response other than anger or joy while using a creative take on the challenge...and they did it well. I hope everyone else is taking notes, cause this is how it’s done. Great EVERYTHING.

“Buckethat” Bobby - On The Pogey
This song is so much better after a quick Google search of “Pogey”. :p Musically...it’s...well...not much. But the performance & story telling is comedic & well done. You’ll probably have this stuck in your head even if you’re too lazy to look up “Pogey”.

Hudson And Day - It Worked Out
After hearing the first song from Hudson & Day I was more than a little scared to click play on this one. I’d have changed bandnames just to distance myself from that one song. But with my cursor on the mute button I began to listen....and I was SHOCKED. The music is nothing like the music I’ve heard from Hudson in the past (that’s not good or bad just a fact), and Day can actually sing. The overall feel of the song was perfect. Relaxed & pure joy. I liked how most of the lyrics didn’t really go into detail about the job because then I can be about anyone’s job. My least favorite lyrics were “My last day filling the paper tray / My last day getting your coffee” because they DID mention details of the job. Excellent work...and hopefully this is what people find if they ever Google search “Hudson And Day”...and not that other song.

The Orion Sound - Praying
You tried to cram a bit too many words into a few places & in a couple spots you don’t pronounce everything all the way through, but this is entertaining nonetheless. I don’t think you’ll need the popular vote to save you this time around.  It's always risky joking about the things you talk about in a contest though.  We've had judges knock songs down for being "offensive" in some way in the past.  This got the biggest laugh from me of this round. Loved it.

Emperor Gum - Pygmalion
Nice interpretation of the word “work”. I know you’ve improved your vocal recording a lot over the past few years, but you seem more confident as well. The vocals still need work, but it’s yet another step in the right direction. The idea you had isn’t bad, but the lyrics weren’t all that creative & the length of the song made me lose interest about halfway through.

Jeremy Lambright - Empty Spaces
My only compliant with this song is the vocals. They aren’t clear enough & they’re too low in the mix. If I didn’t have the lyrics in front of me I would have missed half of it. The song is pretty long, but I’m not sure that’s a problem. It’s hard to tell until I can hear a mix with better vocals. The music was cool, so if the vocals were better it might hold my attention for 5 minutes.

David Ritter - Graveyard
This song started before I had released the mouse button. What’s the hurry? You take a cool topic like zombies, but don’t bother to tell an interesting story lyrically. This just seems more rushed than your other recent entries.

EvelBist - The Beginning Of The End
You have a nice sound here, but the lyrics aren’t for me. I like detailed stories that are easy to follow, and I don’t really want to have to think about meanings of specific lyrics. It doesn’t make your lyrics bad, it just makes them again...not for me.

Gorbzilla - The Last Last Day
I like the fact that you used the challenge to make a personal statement on a political issue that directly affects you. I like your vocals, but I think the song needs a little more than the guitar. The lyrics are ok, but I’d change the line, “Because life is such a bitch”. It just sounds awkward, and if you’re going to use strong language to make a strong point or emotional peek, it shouldn't come off sounding so unsure.

The Boffo Yux Dudes - The Ballad Of JJR
Toward the end you hint that he might be leaving town or quitting, but you never really say what he’s doing for sure. Just sounds like he’s in fear of his life & going off the grid for a little while to me. I don’t know. You walked the line, and there’s going to be discussion about this one... The song itself isn’t bad, but whether you hit the challenge enough is the issue.

Trader Jack - Last Day
I’ll start off by simply saying I enjoyed this. It’s another just really joyful song, that could be about any job. But there are 2 things that keep this from being really high in my rankings. The first thing is the vocals. The second thing is the really weird section that you forgot to write actual lyrics for & instead used a lot of “What’s”, “Woah’s” & “I don’t know’s”.

Godz Poodlz - It’s A Great Day At BigMart Today
I’m not a fan of the audio effects & stuff used in this. I actually had to double check the file to make sure I didn’t upload some sort of corrupted file. I can see a really cool music video being done for this, but the song as is, takes too much work to listen to. Too much going on. “Made in China, destroyed right here. . .” is a great line though.

Heather Miller - Not Gonna Miss Your Face
Rotten eggs to the face huh? I don’t think you’ll be working for me anytime soon. ;p You mention on your blog about waiting until the last 3 hours to write & record this, and that’s what it sounds like. It sounds like a REALLY rough demo of what could be one of the better songs of this round. But since production does count in SpinTunes, and you have none of it...I don’t know if you’ll make it to the next round. Well done though.

Chocolate Chips - My Own Boss
4 lines for an entire song? Really? You stretched it out to make the minimum requirement, but come on, you have to know you’re going to have trouble holding someone’s attention with this. I can understand if there was some other element that was just so incredible & amazing that it made us forget about lyrics...but that element just isn’t there. I used more words in this very short review than you did in your song.

Shadows

Dex01 - Brand New Life (Shadow)
I think you did a fine job of telling the story, and I could hear the vocals. (if I remember correctly I had trouble with your previous entry) There is a problem with the vocals though. Aside from not being the greatest performance & a little bit too up front, however you recorded them just didn’t come out clean. The music isn’t bad, but it needs something to mix it up a little more. Not bad.

Dr. Lindyke - Mayan Holiday (Shadow)
Lyrically it’s probably my favorite of the bunch, and the idea is different from everyone else so you get props for that as well. The production is...not there, but I know you don’t care, and your performance always makes up for that anyways. As is, if you were in the contest, this is a top 5 entry for me.

Zoe Gray - Say Goodbye (Shadow)
Whatever Sammy & Howie say about you, ignore it. You just kicked some serious butt & you’re only 11. Tell your dad I can give him Sammy’s address if need be.

Greg Hosack - I’m Gonna Go (Shadow)
It’s disappointing that you didn’t find out about the contest in time to sign up. Vocals need to be brought down at bit in places. It runs a little bit long for me, but other than that...I have no issues with this song.