SpinTunes #3: Profiles

The old SpinTunes logo has been retired, and this updated logo will take it's place. Happi (from the list below) was kind enough to make it for us. It'll soon be plastered all over the SpinTunes sites & new T-Shirt hopefully. So big thanks to Happi.


I had a good time hanging out with some of you in the ArtiFiction chat room before this was posted. I'll be hanging out in ArtiFiction again a couple hours before the first challenge goes ups. Stop on by, we had 11 people in there at once tonight. (SEE) In total, I lost count of how many stopped by, but there were 6 or 7 others who aren't in that pic that were there at some point. For instance: "Buckethat" Bobby Matheson, Bram Tant, Heather Miller, Doom SKITTLE, Governing Dynamics, Kevin Savino-Riker (former SpinTunes champion), and Edric Haleen were all there visiting at some point. (sorry if I missed someone)

Round 1 Album - Round 2 Album - Round 3 Album - Round 4

SpinTunes #3 Rules - SpinTunes #3 Schedule
Round 1 Challenge: If You're Happy And You Know It Raise The Dead - Write a happy song about death. (2 minute minimum) (they had 12 days) (Results)

Round 2 Challenge: BREAKING NEWS! - You‘re writing a topical song. 'Topical' was defined as something from a headline in a newspaper no older than 2 weeks from 6/26/2011. They were required to include a link to the story that inspired their songs, or attach a scan from the newspaper. (2 minute minimum) (they had 8 days) (Results)

Round 3 Challenge: Top That - Write a rap. For anyone who has any experience rapping, you get the added challenge of making your rap about a work romance. That added challenge doesn't apply to those who have never rapped up until this point. (2 minute minimum) (they had 8 days) (Results)

Round 4 Challenge: A Picture's Worth A Thousand Lyrics - Write a song inspired by THIS Reinfried Marass photograph. (2 minute minimum) (they had 8 days) (Results)

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(Profile order is based on who sent in their entry form first.)

Edric Haleen: Edric likes writing songs, even though they're often different than others may have been expecting at first listen. Care to know more? Check out the link below to visit his website. (Also, please consider checking out http://happinessboard.com to see -- and add to -- the Happiness Board! Guaranteed to put a smile on your face, or your money back!)

Links: Website

R1: I Hope You Die
R2: What About Love? (not on album)
R3: Voted Out Sarah
R4:

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Heather Miller: I remember as a kid, wearing a cape, somewhere upwards of 17 crazy pigtails and bouncing around the bedroom of a small trailer in Iowa, changing the colors to “Yellow Submarine” for as long as my dad would play it. Fast-forward to college, teaching myself chords with a loaned guitar and book of Easy Beatles Songs. Then homework to write a melody every day. Turning to my poetic-rambling filled journals, I picked out a few pieces and dove in. I succumbed to my practical side for a few years after college, but little songs about life kept knocking at my door. In May 2011, they kicked down the door and dragged me from Iowa to Austin for a year of in depth study and focus. I can't wait to see what happens.

Links: Website - @humsongs - YouTube Channel

R1: Deadline Victim Throw My Anchor Down (Shadow)
R2:
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Menage’ a Tune: Menage’ a Tune is mostly JoAnn Abbott, but can include any number of friends willing to help her manage to get a tune out and who can play an instrument. JoAnn first got her feet wet with last summers SpinTunes 1, and has participated in a number of collaborative and cooperative musical endeavors since then. If you would like to contribute to any of her songs, please drop her a line! When not making music, she like to make costumes and spoil grandchildren...and teach them to sing, of course.

Links: Website - @calliopeva

R1: Voted Out Isn't It Nice
R2: The Furries Are Heading Back To Pittsburgh (Shadow)
R3: Roman Road Rap (Shadow)
R4: Tempted (Shadow)

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Jutze: Singing folky pop songs like "I Wish Natalie Portman Was My Neighbour", "Graveyard Girl" and "Laundry Day", Jutze has left marks all over the internet. His most recent project saw him release 52 52-second songs throughout 2010. For SpinTunes #3 he will now return to write somewhat longer tracks. Jutze's real name is Johannes Schult. He lives in Germany and is a fan of Roxette, Eric Bazilian, Dar Williams, Chris de Burgh, Blind Guardian, XKCD, statistics and Star Wars.

Links: Website - @schult - YouTube Channel

R1: I Love The Dead
R2: Re: Your Oil
R3: Voted Out My Friend Kay
R4:

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Matt Walton: I'm a software engineer by trade, but spend a fair amount of the rest of my life playing the recorder and viola de gamba, singing and dabbling in other instruments of varying utility. I'm mostly into renaissance, baroque and folk music, with occasional diversions into contemporary rock and pop. Describing SpinTunes as a 'challenge' is a serious understatement, but I work better with a deadline.

Links: Website - @MaW

R1: We're All Going To Die
R2: Voted Out Take Your Placards Down To London
R3:
R4:

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The Offhand Band: OHB is Mark S. Meritt. He began with a kids CD. SpinTunes #1 drove him beyond family-friendliness. Just as well. Mark has written musicals & screenplays that agents represented, performed piano on national TV including once with Rosie O’Donnell, & received honors & citations for academic work on sustainability. He teaches the revolutionary Simply Music piano method, is a keyboardist for the Mop & Bucket improv theatre company, & offers unique creativity services thru http://potluckcreativearts.com/.

Links: Website - @theoffhandband - YouTube Channel

R1: All Over
R2: Program aids food stamp users
R3: Voted Out Not Cool
R4:

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Common Lisp: Paul is a middle-aged nerd with a wife, five kids, some guitars and microphones, and musical tendencies. This will be his third songwriting contest. Think of it as either his midlife crisis, or his therapy. He has worked on collaborations with various folks including Joe "Covenant" Lamb, Denise Hudson, and The Mandelbrot Set, the Jonathan Coulton virtual cover band.

Links: Website - @paulrpotts - YouTube Channel

R1: Deadline Victim Today Is Not That Day (Shadow)
R2:
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Dr Lindyke: This amalgam of Dave Leigh and William Hoover judged SpinTunes #2 and is ready to pay their penance in SpinTunes #3. Here's a proper bio: http://music.cratchit.org/p/bio.html



Links: Website - @Dr_Lindyke - YouTube Channel

R1: Wake Me When It's Over
R2: Prayer For Peace
R3: Voted Out Politics And Promises
R4: Photo Finish (Shadow)

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Godz Poodlz: Icon/Rock/Dad Band! Two neighborz and friendz unite to form “Gödz Pöödlz!" Gödz Pöödlz are Rüss Rögers and Rhöd Dürre.




Links: Website - @GodzPoodlz - YouTube Channel

R1: Wake At The Sunnyside
R2: Voted Out Independence And Freedom For All
R3:
R4:

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"BucketHat" Bobby Matheson: Bobby is a veteran of Song-Fu and Spintunes who has almost entirely dropped off of the face of music over the past year. He is really sorry and is going to try his hardest to not suck this time around.



Links: @buckethatbobby - YouTube Channel

R1: No Worries
R2: Deadline Victim
R3:
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Spencer Sokol: Spencer makes music, but has decided to let someone else be the judge of that.





Links: Website - @spencersokol - YouTube Channel

R1: Voted Out Keeping Calm
R2:
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Wait What: Featuring LBC's Glen Nesbitt, Alex Benavidez, and Shelby Prendergast, Wait What will make you take your clothes off and go dancing in the rain.




Links: Website

R1: Death: Everyone's Doing it!
R2: Bunny Please Don't Go
R3: Voted Out Six Years Seventeen Days
R4:

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Governing Dynamics: Yeah, this is another one of those "bands" that just has one dude (almost invariably a guitarist, and indeed that is the case here) in. Incidentally, I don't describe my music very well (let's say it's "post grunge, occasionally described as sounding like Radiohead") so feel free to check the bandcamp site if you're curious.

Links: Website - @travisnorris

R1: Alive Again
R2: Voted Out Cameras, Streetlights, And Things Worth Fighting For
R3:
R4: Flooded (Shadow)

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Tally Deushane: Tally Deushane is college student with way too much time on her hands, as well as four ukuleles named after characters from Joss Whedon shows and a crazy insane TV DVD collection. She is a three-time piano lesson drop-out, who has more nerdy t-shirts than closet space, much to her mother's chagrin. Once, in the span of 24-hours, she sat in Sheldon's spot on The Big Bang Theory set and was kissed on the cheek by Neil Patrick Harris. She may or may not still be reeling from that experience.

Links: Website - @live2tivo - YouTube Channel

R1: My Dead Goldfish
R2: Deadline Victim
R3:
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Luke Brekke, Esquire: A 15 year old from Minnesota, Luke Brekke is the co-founder of the record label "MediaRose Records." He plays piano and alto saxophone and sings bass. You just lost the game.



Links: Website - @hamisgood

R1: Voted Out Cannibal
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Gold Lion: Gold Lion is the product of 15-year-old Mariah Mercedes. A high school student from Shakopee, Minnesota, Mariah is fairly new to the world of songwriting, but is quickly learning its landscape. Gold Lion cuts out the clichés of teenage love songs, and in return brings bluesy-acoustic vibes and true-to-the-heart lyrics that will put any listener in a state of bliss.

Links: Website - @GoldLionMusic - YouTube Channel

R1: In The Afterlife
R2: Message For Vivian
R3: Deadline Victim
R4: Some Things Weren't Built To Last (Shadow)

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Caleb Hines: Caleb is a software engineer by day who enjoys pretending to write music on the internet when he gets the chance. A Song Fu and SpinTunes veteran, he is self-trained in classical music theory, and has amassed a small plethora of instruments, though few that he can play well. That hasn't stopped him from trying, though.

Links: Website - @calebhines - YouTube Channel

R1: Haven't You Ever
R2: Too Soon To Say Goodbye
R3: Voted Out Two Musicians (DQ)
R4:

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Alexa Polasky: A singer/songwriter from a small town in Ohio, I try to make my music unique to myself and at the same time relatable to young people. I've been playing guitar and singing since 2005 and have shared the stage with talented artists such as The Civil Wars, Driftless Pony Club, and Mike Lombardo.

Links: Website - @alexapolasky - YouTube Channel

R1: You Will Never Die
R2: Voted Out Infidelity
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Ethan Ivey: Ethan is a student at Western Illinois University and is studying music education. He is excited to be student teaching next spring and becoming a high school choir director. He doesn't often write music and is looking forward to an opportunity to do so among friends.


Links: @ethanjivey

R1: Voted Out The Four​-​Year Itch
R2:
R3: Entry 3 (Shadow)
R4:

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Emperor Gum: Moth Rock.






Links: Website - @emperorgumnews - YouTube Channel

R1: Voted Out Frequency
R2:
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Matt and Donna: Matt and Donna didn't know each other growing up, but coincidentally played the same instruments as children: piano and trumpet. After learning this they found they also happen to have a lot of other things in common, and since each deemed the other to be awesome, they got married in 2008. Matt and Donna both have some training in voice and piano but prefer to willfully ignore that training and do whatever they want musically because that's fun.

Links: @sh00bs

R1: Lady On The Gray
R2: A Tight Spot
R3: Anatomy Dance
R4: Back Down The Road (Winner)

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Glen Raphael: is a Manhattan-based singer-songwriter whose songs combine humor, love, and a nerdy modern sensibility. Glen regularly appears at The Bitter End and other venues to play songs on such diverse topics as quantum physics, bedbugs, and the Statue of Liberty's mid-life crisis. Glen has won Best Original Song awards at NCSA events and is the current organizer of the New York City Folk Music Meetup.

Links: Website - @glenraphael - YouTube Channel

R1: Voted Out When You're Dead
R2: Billion Metal Dollars (Shadow)
R3:
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Anna P: I'm Anna P (I'd tell you my last name, but you probably wouldn't pronounce it correctly). I have red hair (yes, that is important AND awesome) and am currently 20 years old. My influences are Paramore, YUI, Michelle Branch, and Lady Gaga. In the past few years, I've been kind of well-known on YouTube for doing covers of Japanese songs, so I would say that the majority of my fanbase are Japanese people, which is awesome because I can speak Japanese. I have written only a handful of songs over the years, so I'm hoping that SpinTunes will motivate me to get back into songwriting!

Links: Website - @annapeasoup - YouTube Channel

R1: Deadline Victim Jesus's Best Friend (Shadow)
R2:
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The Vespus: On the second day of the year, 2008, three musicians met in a garage to form the band soon to be known as The Vespus. Driven by percussion, bass, and guitar (accompanied by vocals) The Vespus set out to be a fun lovin’ band that you and you’re mom would love. The boys of the band, dressed in plaid shirts adorned with skinny ties, played their take on alternative rock in several localities of L.A. and Orange County.

Links: Website

R1: Deadline Victim (Shadowed) (not on album)
R2:
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Chris Cogott: This is Chris's second adventure traversing the SpinTunes universe. The first go through was a ton of fun. Hopefully there won't be any broken instruments this time around. He's been playing and writing music for close to a hundred and fifty years now but it doesn't seem that long.


Links: Website - @chriscogott

R1: Drag Me Down
R2: Welcome To Kabul
R3: Deadline Victim
R4:

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Byron Blocker & The Offbeats: Byron Blocker & The Offbeats play a drunken mix of Whiskey Blues/Pirate Jazz in the vein of Tom Waits. The Offbeats earned their nickname Hollywood’s Midnight Band by playing their home stage The Viper Room more times than any other band in 2010.

April 2011, The Offbeats won the Music Publishing Marathon at Musician’s Institute and have since started their own publishing company. The band plays extensively throughout Southern California promoting their new EP and supporting local charity shows.

Links: Website - @ByronBlocker - YouTube Channel

R1: She's Dead (not on album)
R2: (Withdrew)
R3:
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Young Stroke aka Young Muscle: Young Stroke aka Young Muscle appeared on the scene in the Summer of 2005, and has since proceeded to push the boundaries of crunk to the breaking point! Not giving a damn, Streezy has no shame and will proceed to act a fool and humiliate himself on one track, then act like it never happened and spit more fire than a flamethrower on the next! Searches have been conducted to find music moguls as eclectic and quirky, yet at the same time crunk and dank as the Stroke, but have so far proven to be unsuccessful!

Links: Website - @rebelnaked - YouTube Channel

R1: Voted Out My Name Is Death
R2: One Dollar Robber (Shadow)
R3:
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Charlie McCarron: Charlie studied composition at Saint John's University, where he learned to appreciate and make weird music. His style is now all over the map - pop, folk, classical, experimental, etc. In 2011, Charlie has been getting back into filmmaking. He also organized the Frankensong Challenge in January, and he recently formed a dark, grungy band with his cousins, called Rat People.

Links: Website - @charliemccarron - YouTube Channel

R1: Grandma And Grandpa
R2: The Mountain Will Not Yield
R3: Trail In The Snow
R4: Skipping Stones (placed 4th)

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Ross Durand: I write songs because i want people to hear songs that make them think and feel. I write songs because when dylan plays alone ona stage, 10,000 people stop and listen. I write songs because it makes me feel good.



Links: Website

R1: No Taxes
R2: The American Way
R3: Camp Romance
R4: Rusty (placed 3rd)

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Pat And Gweebol: Patrick and Gweebol enjoy catchy melodies and interesting chord progressions. They will try to make some. Starting.....now."




Links:

R1: Baby Go To Sleep
R2: The Story Is Mine: Confession Of An Undocumented Immigrant
R3: TickiTock (Top Tad)
R4: In The DeVille (runner up)

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Donutworthy: Hello, Judges. Listeners. Look at the other contestants. Now back to Donutworthy. Now back at them. Now BACK to us. Unfortunately, they can’t be the amazing collection of individuals that were chiseled and perfected in Frankensong’s Castle of Excellence; but all could learn from their shining example. Perhaps. Look down. Look up. The Donutworthy shadow falls long. Floods into your room. You’re in Scotland. Belgium. England. You’re crossing the wilds of America. With the band your band could rock like. On a horse.

Links: Website - @donutworthy - YouTube Channel

R1: Deadline Victim Signal (Shadow)
R2:
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Hudson And Day: We're not going to lie to you. It would be difficult to find better looking people than Alyssa Day and Denise Hudson on the internet. Luckily for the rest of you, this isn't a beauty contest. Unhappily, however, this IS a contest that measures talent and songwriting aptitude; and angel voiced Day and contest veteran Hudson are going to smoke you people. No. Just kidding. This is a FAMILY show… and not about money OR prizes OR babes! Look out though, Donutworthy. We're coming for YOU.

Links: Website - @HudsonandDay - YouTube Channel

R1: Voted Out Silly Baby
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Happi: One-half of comedy hip-hop outfit Spandex Moose. He comes from Down Under and enjoys riding his Kangaroo to the shops. He has never really done much solo-work but as a rapper he decided it was inevitable to one day drop a solo album because them's the breaks.


Links: Website - @happi_mc - YouTube Channel

R1: The Next Part Of Life
R2: Voted Out Double The Fetish
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Alex Carpenter: Alex is from Los Angeles, and enjoys the following things : Your Favorite Band and The Summer.





Links: @AlexCarpenter - YouTube Channel

R1: The Day I Died
R2: Voted Out The Last Launch
R3:
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The Boffo Yux Dudes: The 2011incarnation of Boffo Yux Dudes include Allan Morgan and Tom Giarrosso, with other sundry accomplices. Their farcical past stretches back to the 80's, peaked in the 90's and was re-released in the 10's with time off for good behavior. Now they're rested and ready to rumble.

We've been on Dr. Demento numerous times, had an award winning cable TV show, are enshrined in the Periodic Table of Geek Musicians, and now plan to release a CD this summer.

Links: Website - @BoffoYuxDudes - YouTube Channel

R1: Voted Out Marked For Death
R2:
R3: It's All About the Benjamins (Shadow)
R4: Alien Octopus Trilogy (Shadow) - Car (Shadow) - My First Car (Shadow) - Bayou Cadillac (Shadow) - Cadillac Coupe DeVille (Shadow) - (Lay Around The) Caddy (Shadow)

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Green Mama Bathsalts: We forage and plunder.






Links:

R1: Deadline Victim See You In Hell (Shadow)
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Brian Daniell: Singer/Songwriter from Boulder CO. Performs with a trio (Lost Alamos) which includes his wife, Vicki Bynum and well-known producer-guitarist Scott Bennett. The group plays Brian’s songs exclusively.



Links: Website

R1: Cubbies Will Win
R2: Deadline Victim
R3:
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Inverse T. Clown: In an attempt to delay the release of his album even further for no good reason, Inverse has told Responsibility to go fuck itself and signed up for Spintunes 3. Responsibility was not pleased upon receiving the letter, but word has it that Impulse and Peer Pressure were no less than thrilled.

Links: @InverseClown - YouTube Channel

R1: Caroline Is Dead
R2: Something In The Air
R3: Deadline Victim
R4:

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Steve Durand: Steve Durand is a trumpet player and songwriter who likes to infuse his music with swing and jazz stylings




Links:

R1: Die Happy
R2: When Frankie And Johnny Get Married
R3: Voted Out A Place For Love
R4:

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Jason Morris: I suppose I am what you could call a “Multi-Instrumentalist”. That is a nice way of saying “Jack-of-all-trades, Master-of-none”. I began playing drums as a teenager and spent a great deal of energy during my 20’s trying to “make it” in the music biz. I became involved in the Masters of SongFu contest, where I had the honor of being soundly defeated by The RiffTones. SongFu was a great way to gain some exposure for my music. I hope SpinTown will give me the opportunity to expose myself to many more people.....

Links: @JasonLMorris - YouTube Channel

R1: Burning For You
R2: Deadline Victim
R3:
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David Ritter: I'm MacMufasa, also known as David Ritter. In 2010 I wrote a song a week and posted them to my website www.MacMufasa.com. Some of the songs gained a lot of attention and that made me smile. That alone was well worth the effort. As a result of my Song a Week Project I got to chew the fat with people such as Grant Imahara, Ze Frank, Seth Green, Drunk Hulk and Jorge Garcia - All wonderful people.

I had many projects lined up for 2011 but those got put on hold in April when my doctor found I had a testicular tumor which turned out to be cancer. Three days later I had surgery to remove Lefty. So far I'm a cancer survivor, and I'm probably the only person competing in this contest with one ball.

I love writing geeky songs.

Links: Website - @MacMufasa - YouTube Channel

R1: Deadline Victim Requiem For Bob (Shadow)
R2:
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Jon Eric: Jon was born in New Orleans but currently lives in Austin, Texas. A three-time Nur-Einer and longtime Songfighter, he's been recording his own particular (slightly off-key) brand of indie pop music out of his bedroom since 2003.



Links: Website - YouTube Channel

R1: Birthday
R2: North Dakota (I. Five Years, II. Fargo, III. Panic, IV. Rain, V. Dry Land)
R3: Voted Out The Dance
R4:

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Bryce Jensen: Bryce Jensen spends the bulk of his time in a dark, musty corner of his New England home, lurking in forums and chat rooms by the faint light of an old, dusty computer monitor. Occasionally, he writes and records a song. The result is usually so horrible that he must immediately delete it and pound his head repeatedly into the hardwood floor until the memory of it is but a faint, vile echo. In very rare instances, in the midst of delusions of mediocrity, he obeys the voices and posts one online.

Links: Website - @psychobman

R1: Voted Out Thank You
R2:
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Doom SKITTLE: Jackie has always been interested in the Musical Arts and the creating of it. He creates techno-type music and acoustic songs.




Links: Website - @FoxyMcCloud

R1: Voted Out A Better Place
R2: Going Undercover (Shadow)
R3:
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SHADOWS:

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Mick Bordet: Mick is co-founder of prog-skiffle band, 'The Lunacy Board' and is currently focusing on his podcast fiction projects at ‘Some Other Scotland’ and ‘Every Photo Tells…’ He plays anything he can lay his hands on, from ukulele to theremin and cites influences from Ivor Cutler to Iannis Xenakis. Mick recently moved to Vienna, Austria, where he is trying to learn German so that he can finally start his own Krautrock band.

Links: Website - @MickBordet

R1: The Highland Coo Song
R2:
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Noah McLaughlin: French professor by trade, song writer by hobby; pretentious lyrics by choice. Closest approximation of style: Tom Petty crossed with Nirvana. noah mclaughlin is long-time participant in Song Fight! but this is first swing at SpinTunes. He points a firm finger of blame at Denise Hudson and Jon Eric for getting him into this.

Links: Website

R1: Thank You, Joss Whedon
R2: Fear Drive
R3:
R4: Seeds To Sow

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Kevin Savino-Riker: When not at his day job producing electrical control panels for waterpark rides, Kevin is the guitarist for the Write Bloody House Party 2 Band, playing weekly at the Lightbulb Mouth Radio Hour variety show in Long Beach, CA. He is also an unsigned and unknown independent musician on YouTube. Kevin has served as drummer, bassist, guitarist and lead vocalist in a number of bands over the last 15 years, though never all at the same time. He is uncomfortable writing about himself in the 3rd person.

Links: Website - @RITmusic2k - YouTube Channel

R1:
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R4: Forgotten But Not Gone

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