SpinTunes #1 Round 1 Review

If you've been paying attention, you would know that I started a song writing competition. Round 1 is now finished, and you can listen to (and download) ALL the songs for free at Bandcamp. (Round 1 Album) You can find out more about this competition by visiting "SpinTunes". There's a permanent link right up above. Now on to MY review:

As an alternate judge I'll be doing reviews each round just in case they are needed. Since this competition is based on 4 challenges, my rankings will strongly reflect how well you met the challenge, and not just on how much I liked your song. There's a few songs that got ranked near the bottom that I really liked. They just didn't meet the challenge...in my opinion at least. These are ordered from favorite to least favorite, with reviews of the shadow songs at the very bottom.

Thank you to EVERYONE who submitted a song.

Caleb Hines (The Memoirs Of Clockwork Man) - Caleb's voice isn't sinister enough to pull off that opening, but works perfectly for the song. He's just sounds so sweet & trustworthy....which sets you up even more for the shocking ending. All the clock noises were AMAZING in this song. This is my favorite song of the round. There were a couple that were right on his heels, but this song shows why Caleb was my favorite Song Fuer in "Masters Of Song Fu 6". He just keeps getting better & better.
Challenge: Met

Ryan Welton (Underdog Blues) - I almost had this as my favorite song. Just thought it had a really cool groove, and even if I'm not an Underdog fan, this could almost make me one. I can't think of anything to complain about, and it was fun to sing. This is an i-Pod killer for me.
Challenge: Met


Steve Durand (Gamma Man) - The horns were amazing, and really set the mood. I could definitely see this as a TV theme song for some cheesy 70's or 80's superhero show. Fun story telling, and one of my favorite entries this round. Well done sir.
Challenge: Met


Edric Haleen (A Letter To Humanity) - Beautiful in every way possible. Edric's constant mind games during the past week (over at Artifiction) only made the ending of his song even better than it already was.
Challenge: Met


Godz Poodlz (The Human Bomb) - This song had me trying to think of a dirty joke about the Human Bomb & Bomb Squad Girl hooking up. I failed at joke making, but this song doesn't fail to entertain.
Challenge: Met

Jon Eric (Superman Sneezed) - Jon Eric is one of my favorite performers from Song Fight. I typically love his since of humor, and even if his vocals aren't great, the performance is usually entertaining. This song is both humorous & sad. Loved the idea, and you were the first to successfully get the "Howard The Duck" song out of my head. Thank you for that.
Challenge: Met

Governing Dynamics (Origin) - Your vocals aren't the greatest, but you do a great job of putting some emotion into them in this song. For instance the 2 lines about the needle FELT like you were nervous. I've listened to this 3 times carefully, and each time it jumps a bit on my list.
Challenge: Met

"Buckethat" Bobby Matheson (Super Villain Blues) - This song brings our attention to some unknown problems that supervillians must deal with all the time. I mean do you think death rays, nuclear bombs, and fantastical weapons of mass destruction come cheap? Of course not. And you know having your dreams crushed by a man in tights has got to suck. I really liked the accordion, but it could use some banjo (all songs need banjo, not just this :p ). To me this beats anything you entered into the last Song Fu, and is an example of why I'm a Buckethat fan.
Challenge: Met

Ross Durand (Don't Turn The Page) - The mixing of the two worlds is a bit awkward, but I think it works. The song as a whole is what I've come to expect from you, and that's a good thing.
Challenge: Met

JoAnn Abbott - When JoAnn signed up, I was worried for her. She plays no instruments, and wasn't working with anyone else. Acappella is nice, but some challenging times were ahead. She totally shocked me though. Her lyrics were SOLID & the tune pretty worked well. Dave Leigh was kind enough to add some last minute piano which helped the track a lot, but honestly it was good enough on it's own to get a nice pat on the back from me. The vocals were good, except I didn't dig the second to last line. The idea that this could be from the point of view of a superhero or supervillian was also a really cool component to the song for me.
Challenge: Met

Sara Parsons (Starlite: Ballad For A Noble Steed) - This really bends the rules of what's a superhero. Personally I think it is...but barely. Hey, it's a talking horse, with super intelligence (for a horse), and it can run on rainbows (I think...it's been a long time since I saw the show...forget you just read that). I enjoyed the music, and it's probably my favorite song I've heard from you in competition. Harmonies for the win...well for at least a purdy song.
Challenge: Met

Denise Hudson (Invisible Girl) - Your style doesn't really fit this challenge. I mean when I think superhero music your atmospheric Denisisms don't pop into mind. That said; you told a story that I could follow, the music & performance was solid, and you met the challenge. Overall one of my favorite songs from you, but it'll probably be a little lower on my list because it doesn't FEEL like a superhero song....even though it is.
Challenge: Met

Heather Miller (I'm Not Wearing Tights) - I really liked the idea for this song. It's a good first entry, and makes me look forward to more from you. The song itself doesn't jump out at me though. It's enjoyable, and will get some plays on my computer. It doesn't jump out at me as being a favorite this round, but it'll probably end up middle of the pack.
Challenge: Met

The Offhand Band (Step Back Swooperman) - I enjoyed most of the JW elements, but it felt out of place in parts. The first verse just didn't work for me. The lyrics are fine, but the music just didn't mess with them. The vocals are clear, and I enjoyed the chorus. The idea was original & interesting, and you can tell you do family friendly music. It feels like something that could be on a children's album. I enjoyed the song, but it'll probably go middle of the pack on my list because of the first verse.
Challenge: Met
(judges mix is different from bandcamp version)

Jenny Katz (Blofeld's Beginnings) - It's not first person...oh wait it is...well it sort of is. The music was simple, but very effective. I loved the vocal performance, and overall enjoyed the song.
Challenge: Halfway Met (p.o.v. half fail)

Charlie McCarron (Faster Than Superman) - I found myself ignoring the vocals, and just relaxing to the music. That's probably a good thing, because when I did focus on the lyrics I didn't think they were strong enough. It wasn't enough to get me to care about the super fast individual...whoever he is. The music was fine though.
Challenge: Met
(judges mix is different from bandcamp version)

Graham Porter (Costume) - It's a bit odd having a male voice sing from the point of view of a female (even though I should be used to it from Edric's shows :p ). Your song is a good example of why I had people send in lyrics with their songs. Overall I thing this is one of your better songs (that I've heard), but you really need to find some way of upping your production & recording techniques. Whatever the heck you're doing isn't working. It's a shame, cause like I said it's my favorite thing I've heard from you, but it's really hard to get past the crummy presentation.
Challenge: Met
(judges mix is different from bandcamp version)

Gorbzilla (Superhero Song) - Title sucks. Now to the song. I think you just hit a lot of G(eek) spots with this song. It's an interesting idea, and I loved the song. It's going near the bottom of my list though, and that's because it wasn't from the point of view of a superhero. It's about superheroes, it's about A LOT of (sub par) superheroes...but that's not the challenge. This will get a lot of plays from me...even though I think Aqua-man & Captain Planet both kickass.
Challenge: Not Met (p.o.v. fail)

Kevin Savino-Riker (Tough Jobs Vs Iron Gates) - The idea for the song is amazing, and you pulled it off nicely. Unfortunately I don't consider Bill or Steve a superhero or supervillian. The voice overs were a cool touch, and I thought you did a good job of singing from both view points. The Apple & Microsoft references were cool, but the fact that they were well thought out saved it from being too silly. It's a total challenge fail for me, but nice work noob.
Challenge: Not Met (superhero fail)

Bram Tant (Kebab Shop) - The opening had me a little excited, but then instead of the music taking off, it just stops. It turns into Bram's monologue (where did the song go). It had me laughing, and I do like humorous tunes. But as I pointed out....most of this can't even be called a song. I'm glad you're thinking outside the box, but next time think outside the box while still inside the challenge. The supervillian is certainly a bad dude, but being a bad dude doesn't really make you a supervillian...to me at least. Funny, enjoyable, but this has to go at the bottom of my list unfortunately.
Challenge: Not Met (song fail, supervillian fail)

Shadows:

Buffo Yux Dudes (The Ballad Of Henry Pym) - These guys were deadline casualties because of a miscommunication & an act of God. Weak excuse guys, PRAY HARDER! :p This is now my favorite song from you guys, and that's a real achievement since I hate Ant Man. As much as I love it, I still couldn't have put it too high on the list because it wasn't from the point of view of Ant Man. As a song, and taking the challenge out of it, it would have been a top 3 song. Considering the challenge, well it would have been the best of all the songs at the bottom that didn't meet the challenge.
Challenge: Not Met (p.o.v. fail)

Bryce Jensen (Dearest Firestorm: Love, Multiplex) - I've heard of love triangles, but I don't know what the hell to call this. I hadn't heard of Firestorm or Multiplex before. Apparently Firestorm is a hero that is 2 people combined? And Multiplex is a bad guy that can clone himself so that there are multiple versions of himself. And this is a love song being sung by Multiplex...to Firestorm. Very confusing, but very cool. Going acappella takes some guts, but it works really well for this idea.
Challenge: Met

Mick Bordet (They Don't Want Me) - I loved the idea for this song. It takes a superhero & puts him in a situation every high school kid has probably felt they’ve been in. Great way to get people to related to a song about a superhero.

Dr. Lindyke (Save The World) - Not a great recording, but good song. Dave is one of my favorite 'performers' and just little things like the way he delivers a simple "But no!" made me smile. This is a great superhero song, that pretty much takes you through the mind of half the superheroes in comic books. Which makes the fact that the hero is not named in the song itself great. I'm sure everyone has a different image in their mind while listening to it.
Challenge: Met

Danny Blackwell (Love Song From Robin To Batman) - This song is like when Ricky Martin announced he was gay. News worthy as far as entertainment news goes, but not really shocking to anyone. I think we all knew Robin was gay, and frankly I've had concerns that Batman was as well. I mean he is very secretive, and hangs out with a young boy in tights. It's simple & entertaining. Since it's a shadow entry I won't harp on the fact that it's under the two minute minimum. I'm happy you submitted this, and hope we get more shadow entries from you.
Challenge: Not Met (time requirement fail)

Song Fight Review: Dirt Nap

The last challenge over at Song Fight was titled "Dana Wears Dresses", and my favorite entry was from Flvxxvm Florvm. Well it seems like most people disagreed with me, because Seamus 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.)

Ross Durand - The songs are completely different, but you've got the vocal performance that Pigfarmer Jr was lacking. I didn't care for a couple notes you hit, but it's a fine song.

Holst - Some of the lines didn't grab me, but overall I enjoyed it. The strong vocals probably won me over enough for a vote.

A Far Off Land ft. Wise - Overall it was enjoyable. Lyrics, flow, & music (simple, but effective). The chorus is the weakest part of the track for me. "Dirty Dirt Nap"? Change that shit.

Pigfarmer Jr - The vocals were nice & clean, but the lyrics would suggest more anger in the performance. I didn't get enough feeling from your performance to match the lyrics. I think it would also benefit from being sped up a little. It's not bad, and you're getting a vote, but I don't know how much replay value this has "as is".

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

Chekhov's Raygun - I hate raps in which the vocals aren't clear, and yours were very clear. Unfortunately they were way too quiet. The beat was alright at best, but for me lyrics & flow are more important in a rap. I can't say "Great job", but I'll give you a "Nice effort". I would actually like to hear more from you in Song Fight.

Side Notes:
- It was good to see more entries in this fight.

Songs For A New Day (Reviewed)

by Dave Leigh

The problem with reviewing Mike Lombardo's "Songs For A New Day" is that I can sum up the entire review in three sentences: Mike Lombardo is the kind of musician I wish I was. He's driven, motivated, and supremely talented. Buy this album, you won't regret it.

One of the things I like about Mike is he's not a one-trick pony. I really don't want to say that Mike is producing any particular kind of music, since I think that would be doing him a disservice. He's just creating music, and letting each song go where the concept will take it. Too often with 'Internet musicians', you find that they do one thing pretty well, and that's the one thing they do... always. Don't get me wrong, it's nice to have a 'sound', but you've got to be able to provide a little variety. I like a musician who can have an idea and say, "This needs to be gospel", or "This one needs to be jazz". Mike can do that. He easily goes from a driving rhythms of "Abby Never" to the soft ballad "I'm Right Here", to the 1940s film-noir sounds of "This Time Tomorrow". The songs themselves are all excellent. Out of ten tracks, I really like nine (and don't dislike the tenth, it's just not as well-developed). That's a better track record than most artists have for me. The lyrics are generally smart and well thought out. Mike is still growing into his voice... his vocals are much better than they were a year ago, and it's very clear they'll be better still a year from now. In particular, I want to hear "This Time Tomorrow" again after Mike's voice has acquired the patina of age. I can say this... Mike Lombardo's going to be around and writing great music for a long time, and you ain't heard nothin' yet. Get this album now and you'll be the one telling your friends about the early work of this up-and-comer when the rest of the world belatedly 'discovers' him in a few years.

The nice thing about 'new model' music is that you don't have to take my word for any of this. Go to http://mikelombardo.bandcamp.com and listen to all the songs yourself. I honestly have a very hard time pointing to any specific song on this album and saying, "this is my favorite," but I'm going to do it anyway. "Don't Blame Me" stands out for me, as I'm a long-time Billy Joel fan, and this particular number actually feels like something that Joel himself could have written in his "angry young man" early days. It's also worth noting that my wife likes "Colby's Song" so much that she can't listen to it very often: when she does, she bursts into tears and becomes an emotional pretzel for the next hour or so. Now that's art.

You can order "Songs For A New Day" for $12 on CD from DFTBA Records. But wait! That's not all! You also get a second BONUS album, "The Fordham Sessions", which includes an additional ten remastered tracks of previously released material plus an additional new track. If you don't feel the need for the physical disks, then Mike's Bandcamp page offers "Songs For A New Day" for direct download for $9.99 ("The Fordham Sessions" are a separate $2.99 download). This is absolutely worth the price, no matter what format you choose.

Editors Notes:
- I really love it when I get people like Dave Leigh, Sammy Kablam, Travis Norris & Mike Lombardo to review music here. They bring a lot more to the table as reviewers then I can, and it's much appreciated. Please go show Mike some love by visiting his BandCamp page, and giving his music a chance. One listen, and you'll probably have to keep listening. Also go thank Dave for his review if you enjoyed it. You can find him on Twitter (@leighdf) & he has a blog of his own: http://music.cratchit.org/.