Just to be clear, it'll be my last time running the contest. It does NOT mean that SpinTunes is ending. SpinTunes isn't really mine to end, it belongs to everyone who has participated over the years. After SpinTunes 12, I'll be handing over the keys to Dave Leigh (aka half of Dr. Lindyke). At that point Dave will have final say in all matters SpinTunes. Not that his opinion (or mine) was ever more important than any other SpinTuner, but it's important to have 1 person able to make on the fly decisions without calling for a vote over every little thing. I could have asked any number of people in the contest to take over, and I'm sure they would have done just fine. I ended up going to Dave first because he's already been involved in almost every aspect of the contest anyways. He's competed, he's judged, he's shadowed, he's my go to file converter guy, he already has access to the blog+Bancamp page & I've gone to him for advice on multiple things. He's also one of the many people that's been here from the start.
My time running this contest has been a great experience. It started off as a group project with a bunch of friends, and I've made three times as many friends because of it. Of the many things I've contributed to online over the years, it's by FAR the thing I'm most proud of being a part of. It's definitely been a team effort the entire way as well. Remember how awful the LP's used to be when I ran them on U-Stream? Now we got Tom doing a fantastic job on YouTube. Remember how only some of the albums had album art? Now we have Matt giving us professional quality art for every album. There have been others a long the way who stepped up to help out whenever needed. Whether it was Joe doing a LP when Tom was out of town, Jules working my poll like a boss, someone filling in as a judge or guest judge when needed, and even Sammy Kablam for giving me album title suggestions. I couldn't possibly name everyone who helped out in some way, so all I can do is say a general thank you to you all.
I'm sure some of you are curious about WHY I'm quitting. To be completely honest it's a number of things. Aside from hearing the music & just being a part of something so awesome, one of the things that always motivated me was GROWING the contest. Now, I don't mean to say that I wanted to grow SpinTunes into some massive website & eventually turn a profit from it. That was NEVER on the table. But to maintain this as a annual or bi-annual event I thought it was important to constantly be growing our community. And of late, I think I've been failing.
We had 20 competitors in the first contest. The likelihood of all 20 showing up for every contest after that is unlikely. You're going to have people come & go as real life clearly should take priority. You also have to consider sometimes people just move along to other things. To offset this you need to be bringing in new people each contest, even if it's just a few. Early on this wasn't a huge problem for me. I knew about a lot of independent musicians from years of running my other blog. So I reached out to some of these people I'd been following. Some of them were Song Fighters, some of them YouTubers, and some were from other networks. The only problem was, I eventually quit doing that other blog, and I ran out of people to contact each year. And eventually I just got tired of blindly running around asking people to judge & finding new communities to pull from. The 2 weeks before the contest starts...is just not fun at all for me. After that...cake. But those 2 weeks prior are pretty important, and I haven't been putting in enough work.
I've got other interests & real life problems taking up more time than I used to have as well. So combine that with me just not doing as good a job for SpinTunes as I think I should...it spells "Time to pass the torch."
So, next January...will be my last time running the contest. I'll still be around though. I'm still going to listen to all the music, volunteer to be judge or guest judge whenever needed & help out Dave the way you've all helped me over the years.
-Spin
Saturday, August 13, 2016
Sunday, August 7, 2016
Champions Vs Shadows #2 Champion: Governing Dynamics
Winner: Governing Dynamics
Runner Up: Heather Zink
Congrats to Governing Dynamics. He has evened the CvS series 1-1, and in doing so has become the only person to win multiple contests here! Make sure you e-mail me about your free t-shirt, so I can get that to you.
Judges: Jailhouse Payback, Ted Kiper, Emperor Gum & T.C. Elliott
Guest Judges: Ian Ferguson & Zack Scott
Alternate Judge: N/A
I want to give a big THANK YOU to all the competitors, judges, guest judges, fans, Tom for hosting the LP's, Matt for the album art, and anyone that had anything to do with this contest. None of this is possible without the participation of all you wonderful people.
Here's how the winner was decided. 6 competitors sent in their votes, and it was a tie 3-3. The tie breaker was the judges votes. That ended up being 5-1 in favor of Governing Dynamics.
This was a fun side project, but we will get back to SpinTunes in January. The exact date won't be set for a few months, but expect sign-ups to go up in mid-late December. Make sure you follow @SpinTunes on Twitter for contest updates.
Governing Dynamics: Governing Dynamics won Spintunes 5, allegedly.
Links: Website - @travisnorris
R1: Rise
R2: Dark Energy (Winner)
Kevin Savino-Riker: The champion of Spintunes #1, and coming out of semi-retirement, Kevin has served as drummer, bassist, guitarist and lead vocalist in a number of bands over the last two decades. He is uncomfortable writing about himself in the 3rd person.
Links: Website - @RITmusic2k - YouTube
R1: Wait Right There
R2: Deadline Victim
Ben Taggart: I'm a software engineer that loves music. I have decided that I have music to share. Time will tell if I am right, or if any of it is any good.
Links: @glikker
R1: Master Of My Destiny
R2: Ballad Of The Mushroom Kingdom (Shadow) Deadline Victim
Mick Bordet: Since his last SpinTunes outing, Mick has released two albums of instrumental music featuring everything from zither and bouzouki to flutes made from walnuts and a drawer full of kitchen knives. Who knows which weapons of musical destruction he will deploy from his arsenal this time around? One thing is for sure: it won't result in a top ten hit single. Thank goodness.
Links: Website - @MickBordet
R1: You Remind Me
R2: Deadline Victim
Rob From Amersfoort: Although born one year after their break-up I grew up listening to The Beatles. I like to be creative, that's why I write and record music. I call my music PRIP (post-retro indie-pop); catchy, acoustic-electric slightly psycho/experimental songs with personal lyrics and lots of backing vocals. I don't like dull & boring so that's why most of my songs tend to be short.
Links: Website - YouTube
R1: I'm So Stable
R2: Deadline Victim
The Boffo Yux Dudes: Old guys who do know better. The Dudes started in 1987, reformed in 2009, and got time off for good behavior. Now they attempt to do music. Allan Morgan, Tom Giarrosso and Scott Mercer head this version of BYD with rabid optimism that they'll be remembered for more than just all those replays on Dr. Demento. Record holder of most shadow songs submitted. Piggly Wiggly Enthusiasts. We live 3000 miles apart, so cut us some slack.
Links: Website - @BoffoYuxDudes - YouTube
R1: Instability
R2: Deadline Victim
Runner Up: Heather Zink
Congrats to Governing Dynamics. He has evened the CvS series 1-1, and in doing so has become the only person to win multiple contests here! Make sure you e-mail me about your free t-shirt, so I can get that to you.
Judges: Jailhouse Payback, Ted Kiper, Emperor Gum & T.C. Elliott
Guest Judges: Ian Ferguson & Zack Scott
Alternate Judge: N/A
I want to give a big THANK YOU to all the competitors, judges, guest judges, fans, Tom for hosting the LP's, Matt for the album art, and anyone that had anything to do with this contest. None of this is possible without the participation of all you wonderful people.
Here's how the winner was decided. 6 competitors sent in their votes, and it was a tie 3-3. The tie breaker was the judges votes. That ended up being 5-1 in favor of Governing Dynamics.
This was a fun side project, but we will get back to SpinTunes in January. The exact date won't be set for a few months, but expect sign-ups to go up in mid-late December. Make sure you follow @SpinTunes on Twitter for contest updates.
Champions!
Links: Website - @travisnorris
R1: Rise
R2: Dark Energy (Winner)
Links: Website - @RITmusic2k - YouTube
R1: Wait Right There
R2: Deadline Victim
Shadows!
Links: @glikker
R1: Master Of My Destiny
R2: Ballad Of The Mushroom Kingdom (Shadow) Deadline Victim
Links: Website - @MickBordet
R1: You Remind Me
R2: Deadline Victim
Links: Website - YouTube
R1: I'm So Stable
R2: Deadline Victim
Links: Website - @BoffoYuxDudes - YouTube
R1: Instability
R2: Deadline Victim
Champions Vs Shadows #2 Round 2 Reviews: Zack Scott
Zack Scott is a friend of mine who games on YouTube. He's been into gaming a long time, classic & current games. He's also a musician so I thought this challenge was a good fit for him to guest judge.
I'll embed one of his recent videos below. You should check him out if you like watching LP's on YouTube.
- Spin
1. Governing Dynamics - Dark Energy
I felt like this song was the best example of how the samples should be incorporated. The samples felt less tacked on and more part of the song's soul. Ignoring that, it was also my favorite track of the three in terms of production quality and performance. I listened to this one the most. I love the synth work!
2. Ben Taggart - Ballad Of The Mushroom Kingdom (Shadow)
I love the idea of Bowser being the good guy. Not necessarily my preferred style of music, but I do like storytelling in music. It's interesting to hear the samples used as percussion. The samples are so well known though, that they almost feel tacked on.
3. Heather Zink - Ms. Pac-Man
A happy song that takes the game topic literally. I like the layers of vocals, but the samples don't really feel like part of the song.
I'll embed one of his recent videos below. You should check him out if you like watching LP's on YouTube.
- Spin
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1. Governing Dynamics - Dark Energy
I felt like this song was the best example of how the samples should be incorporated. The samples felt less tacked on and more part of the song's soul. Ignoring that, it was also my favorite track of the three in terms of production quality and performance. I listened to this one the most. I love the synth work!
2. Ben Taggart - Ballad Of The Mushroom Kingdom (Shadow)
I love the idea of Bowser being the good guy. Not necessarily my preferred style of music, but I do like storytelling in music. It's interesting to hear the samples used as percussion. The samples are so well known though, that they almost feel tacked on.
3. Heather Zink - Ms. Pac-Man
A happy song that takes the game topic literally. I like the layers of vocals, but the samples don't really feel like part of the song.
Champions Vs Shadows #2 Round 2 Reviews: Jailhouse Payback
Governing Dynamics - Dark Energy. I think this song is really cool. I love the samples. I am not a video game person, and I don't understand any of the references. But the music is great. I love the piano bits, the electronic bits. I also love the harmonies, although I'd like to hear the harmony vocal turned up a little bit. You did a great job of incorporating the samples into the song and really making the song about that. I feel like you really accomplished the challenge better than anyone else this round. Very unique, I really enjoyed it more than any of the songs in the previous round. Total 9 points out of 10.
Heather Zink - Ms. Pac Man. This is so quiet, I've got the volume all the way up and I can't hear it that well. You did a nice job, I like the melody. The arrangement is pretty sparse, I would have liked to hear more instruments in the mix. This is totally cheesy, but it has charm. Sampling feels a little tacked on. Total 7 out of 10.
Ben Taggart - Ballad Of The Mushroom Kingdom. Great lyrics, but man, it's a little long. I would have liked to hear more variation throughout the song, it's fairly repetitive. The sampling feels a little tacked on. Total 6.5 out of 10.
Heather Zink - Ms. Pac Man. This is so quiet, I've got the volume all the way up and I can't hear it that well. You did a nice job, I like the melody. The arrangement is pretty sparse, I would have liked to hear more instruments in the mix. This is totally cheesy, but it has charm. Sampling feels a little tacked on. Total 7 out of 10.
Ben Taggart - Ballad Of The Mushroom Kingdom. Great lyrics, but man, it's a little long. I would have liked to hear more variation throughout the song, it's fairly repetitive. The sampling feels a little tacked on. Total 6.5 out of 10.
Champions Vs Shadows #2 Round 2 Reviews: Ted Kiper
I hate writing these reviews so late, especially at the last round, when everyone usually puts in their A-game. At first, I didn't very much care for these entries. They seemed to lack some power. But over time, I've grown to adore all three of them in their own ways. So here is the challenge:
Arcade Anthem - Write a song about a classic videogame & include an audio sample from the game. The sample shouldn’t just be tacked on, it should be an integral part of the music. As an added challenge, you need to collaborate with someone else on your team. (2 minimum length) (they had 8 days)
Now let's see how I thought you guys handled it:
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1. Heather Zink - Ms. Pac-Man
Score: 44
Challenge: 9
Lyrics: 5
Composition: 7
Songcrafting: 7
Arrangement: 3
Performance: 4
Recording: 3
Judge's Whim: 6
Summary: Simple and catchy, just like the game. The sound effect inputs are precisely enough to be there, not distracting. Early 20th century feel? I like it. And the swirly melody? Quite captivating. You've done very well this competition, and I think you should win because everything here and last round fits together in a tighter package.
2. Governing Dynamics - Dark Energy
Score: 44
Challenge: 9
Lyrics: 3
Composition:7
Songcrafting: 6
Arrangement: 4
Performance: 4
Recording: 4
Judge's Whim: 7
Summary: Compared to the last entry, this is much cleaner, and I absolutely appreciate it. So you've used all these sound effects for the drummy percussion? Excellent job! I would've never guessed. My big criticism is the excessive monologues. (Maybe if I had played Half-Life 2 like I always wanted, then I wouldn't mind it, I guess.) I think I will say this is my favorite composition of the round, perhaps even the last one.
3. Ben Taggart - Ballad Of The Mushroom Kingdom
Score: 41
Challenge: 10
Lyrics: 6
Composition: 5
Songcrafting: 6
Arrangement: 2
Performance: 3
Recording: 4
Judge's Whim: 5
Summary: Solid song, but perhaps a bit too safe. It justs seems a bit long, with sudden events not as powerful as your previous entry. You certainly use sound effects, but I'm afraid the other two competitors had either better execution or better creativity. But these past two rounds have showcased your composing skills much better, and I can't wait to hear more of what you offer.
Conclusion:
This was a floppy summer, wasn't it? Or perhaps you're happy to not have too many competitors to defeat? But you three should be proud to completing a song for the round--(faster than I can complete my reviews!)--and it was an honor to judge your works. I hope I get to hear you guys again for the next competition!
Rankings:
1. Heather Zink - Ms. Pac-Man
2. Governing Dynamics - Black Energy
3. Ben Taggart - Ballad Of The Mushroom Kingdom
Arcade Anthem - Write a song about a classic videogame & include an audio sample from the game. The sample shouldn’t just be tacked on, it should be an integral part of the music. As an added challenge, you need to collaborate with someone else on your team. (2 minimum length) (they had 8 days)
Now let's see how I thought you guys handled it:
------------------------------------------------
1. Heather Zink - Ms. Pac-Man
Score: 44
Challenge: 9
Lyrics: 5
Composition: 7
Songcrafting: 7
Arrangement: 3
Performance: 4
Recording: 3
Judge's Whim: 6
Summary: Simple and catchy, just like the game. The sound effect inputs are precisely enough to be there, not distracting. Early 20th century feel? I like it. And the swirly melody? Quite captivating. You've done very well this competition, and I think you should win because everything here and last round fits together in a tighter package.
2. Governing Dynamics - Dark Energy
Score: 44
Challenge: 9
Lyrics: 3
Composition:7
Songcrafting: 6
Arrangement: 4
Performance: 4
Recording: 4
Judge's Whim: 7
Summary: Compared to the last entry, this is much cleaner, and I absolutely appreciate it. So you've used all these sound effects for the drummy percussion? Excellent job! I would've never guessed. My big criticism is the excessive monologues. (Maybe if I had played Half-Life 2 like I always wanted, then I wouldn't mind it, I guess.) I think I will say this is my favorite composition of the round, perhaps even the last one.
3. Ben Taggart - Ballad Of The Mushroom Kingdom
Score: 41
Challenge: 10
Lyrics: 6
Composition: 5
Songcrafting: 6
Arrangement: 2
Performance: 3
Recording: 4
Judge's Whim: 5
Summary: Solid song, but perhaps a bit too safe. It justs seems a bit long, with sudden events not as powerful as your previous entry. You certainly use sound effects, but I'm afraid the other two competitors had either better execution or better creativity. But these past two rounds have showcased your composing skills much better, and I can't wait to hear more of what you offer.
-------------------------------------------
Conclusion:
This was a floppy summer, wasn't it? Or perhaps you're happy to not have too many competitors to defeat? But you three should be proud to completing a song for the round--(faster than I can complete my reviews!)--and it was an honor to judge your works. I hope I get to hear you guys again for the next competition!
1. Heather Zink - Ms. Pac-Man
2. Governing Dynamics - Black Energy
3. Ben Taggart - Ballad Of The Mushroom Kingdom
Champions Vs Shadows #2 Round 2 Reviews: Emperor Gum
Governing Dynamics: Dark Energy
This is fantastic. The broad mechanical SFX percussion elevates the huge brash synth which the intricate and code generated sounding piano complements exquisitely. The voice samples fit perfectly as verses into this sci soundscape, I can see City 17 when I close my eyes. The phrase 'dark energy' could be G-Man's puppet strings or Dr. Breen rejection of humanities base nature, perhaps simply the future itself. I couldn't pick up on Jenny's vocal parts, are they buried too deep in the mix?
This is great stuff, Travis. You should seriously consider mixing more synth and samples into your alt guitar rock from here on out. My friend has G-Man as his Sat-Nav voice, it it deeply unsettling. D:
Heather Zink: Ms Pac-Man
The unshakeable left hand of the piano evokes Pac-Man's incessant beeping without growing wearisome. The right hand and samples adds flourish, the pauses in the arrangement during the sorta-Chorus keep the tune fresh. The melody is lovely and memorable; in particular the harmonies and gravitas of the finish are splendid. The girl-power elements are a nice touch. This is good work!
Whilst both songs are good, ultimately GD and 'Half Life 2' have greater depth and are more anthemic than HZ and 'Ms. Pac Man'.
1. Governing Dynamics
2. Heather Zink
Ben Taggart: Ballad Of The Mountain King
This strip backed Mario ballad blends video game lore with folk legend well, smartly holding off its twist for a full minute. There's some nice stereo guitar strumming and the spoken/sung vocals add good dynamics. The SFX don't add much and become annoying pretty quickly, they don't work as a percussive element and might have been better utilized quirks to end sections with.
This is fantastic. The broad mechanical SFX percussion elevates the huge brash synth which the intricate and code generated sounding piano complements exquisitely. The voice samples fit perfectly as verses into this sci soundscape, I can see City 17 when I close my eyes. The phrase 'dark energy' could be G-Man's puppet strings or Dr. Breen rejection of humanities base nature, perhaps simply the future itself. I couldn't pick up on Jenny's vocal parts, are they buried too deep in the mix?
This is great stuff, Travis. You should seriously consider mixing more synth and samples into your alt guitar rock from here on out. My friend has G-Man as his Sat-Nav voice, it it deeply unsettling. D:
Heather Zink: Ms Pac-Man
The unshakeable left hand of the piano evokes Pac-Man's incessant beeping without growing wearisome. The right hand and samples adds flourish, the pauses in the arrangement during the sorta-Chorus keep the tune fresh. The melody is lovely and memorable; in particular the harmonies and gravitas of the finish are splendid. The girl-power elements are a nice touch. This is good work!
Whilst both songs are good, ultimately GD and 'Half Life 2' have greater depth and are more anthemic than HZ and 'Ms. Pac Man'.
1. Governing Dynamics
2. Heather Zink
Ben Taggart: Ballad Of The Mountain King
This strip backed Mario ballad blends video game lore with folk legend well, smartly holding off its twist for a full minute. There's some nice stereo guitar strumming and the spoken/sung vocals add good dynamics. The SFX don't add much and become annoying pretty quickly, they don't work as a percussive element and might have been better utilized quirks to end sections with.
Champions Vs Shadows #2 Round 2 Reviews: Ian Ferguson
Today's guest judge is Ian Ferguson from the Completely Unnecessary Podcast. On the podcast Ian & Pat (Contri) discuss videogame news, retro gaming, collecting & movies. I've been watching clips from this podcast on YouTube for awhile now, and thought Ian would be a perfect guy to have judge this gaming themed challenge. To listen to full episodes of their podcast go to cupodcast.podbean.com or if you want to contact Ian his Twitter is @pxlsicle. I'll embed one of their YouTube clips below in case you want to sub to the channel. I highly recommend it.
- Spin
Kudos to everyone involved!
All three songs were fun to listen to and I found the last two to be especially catchy. With that being said I think the first track may fit the criteria the best.
Governing Dynamics - Dark Energy uses a good chunk of speech samples from a couple characters in Half-Life woven throughout a song about the general story and themes of the game itself. It has a nice composition and at no point do the these samples feel shoe-horned in, in fact they create a sense of flow to the song that really gives it a story quality of its own. It would feel right in the game, an advert, or on a completely unrelated concept album.
Heather Zink - Ms. Pac Man is incredibly catchy with it's piano and sing song lyrics. At first listen I felt the video game samples used were more or less tacked on which didn't detract from what I enjoyed about the song but would dock points based on the criteria of the competition. I kept listening to the track, however, and realized the whole thing, especially WITH the samples, had this wonderful cartoon chase-like quality to it, exactly what a song about Ms Pac Man should sound like. It is straight to the point, simple, and fun like any good old arcade game.
Ben Taggart - Ballad Of The Mushroom Kingdom (Shadow) - A wonderfully produced track in the style of a ballad with excellent and truly funny lyrics telling the other side of the story, the tale of Bowser from Super Mario Bros. as the hero of the day. It's memorable, clever, and sticks in one's brain and obvious a lot of effort was put into this track. Problematically I don't feel the samples were used to their greatest effect, mostly being used as punctuation and not particularly integral to the actual music. The use of some of the most familiar samples, bite sized ones at that, could be seen as a good idea as they are immediately recognizable but the flipside to this is that this can also cause them to barely register on the ears of certain listeners. An excellent track about a video game but perhaps not the best use of video game samples.
I think overall Dark Energy is the most cohesive use of samples, Ms Pac Man is the best overall snapshot of what an arcade game would sound like in song form, and Ballad is the best lyrically of the bunch. By the guidelines set out by the competition I believe this means my vote would have to go to Governing Dynamics - Dark Energy. It was definitely a very close call between them and Heather Zink but at the end of the day A decision had to be made.
Ian Ferguson
- Spin
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Kudos to everyone involved!
All three songs were fun to listen to and I found the last two to be especially catchy. With that being said I think the first track may fit the criteria the best.
Governing Dynamics - Dark Energy uses a good chunk of speech samples from a couple characters in Half-Life woven throughout a song about the general story and themes of the game itself. It has a nice composition and at no point do the these samples feel shoe-horned in, in fact they create a sense of flow to the song that really gives it a story quality of its own. It would feel right in the game, an advert, or on a completely unrelated concept album.
Heather Zink - Ms. Pac Man is incredibly catchy with it's piano and sing song lyrics. At first listen I felt the video game samples used were more or less tacked on which didn't detract from what I enjoyed about the song but would dock points based on the criteria of the competition. I kept listening to the track, however, and realized the whole thing, especially WITH the samples, had this wonderful cartoon chase-like quality to it, exactly what a song about Ms Pac Man should sound like. It is straight to the point, simple, and fun like any good old arcade game.
Ben Taggart - Ballad Of The Mushroom Kingdom (Shadow) - A wonderfully produced track in the style of a ballad with excellent and truly funny lyrics telling the other side of the story, the tale of Bowser from Super Mario Bros. as the hero of the day. It's memorable, clever, and sticks in one's brain and obvious a lot of effort was put into this track. Problematically I don't feel the samples were used to their greatest effect, mostly being used as punctuation and not particularly integral to the actual music. The use of some of the most familiar samples, bite sized ones at that, could be seen as a good idea as they are immediately recognizable but the flipside to this is that this can also cause them to barely register on the ears of certain listeners. An excellent track about a video game but perhaps not the best use of video game samples.
I think overall Dark Energy is the most cohesive use of samples, Ms Pac Man is the best overall snapshot of what an arcade game would sound like in song form, and Ballad is the best lyrically of the bunch. By the guidelines set out by the competition I believe this means my vote would have to go to Governing Dynamics - Dark Energy. It was definitely a very close call between them and Heather Zink but at the end of the day A decision had to be made.
Ian Ferguson
Champions Vs Shadows #2 Round 2 Reviews: T.C. Elliott
1) Governing Dynamics - Dark Energy - I've researched your game choice and sound bites. It's almost cheating to be able to use these speeches this way… almost. Or genius. Because it works perfectly. The production is very good, the overall sound is good. The synth work with the piano line panned to the right is a nice counterbalance that works beautifully, imo. The vocals are excellent, as well. The lyric and melody work well together. The chorus is just catchy enough to satisfy my need for light in this otherwise dark song. But I like the dark, too. I don't have anything I dislike about the song. I'll be listening to this one again. You nailed it in my opinion.
2) Heather Zink - Ms. Pac-Man - I like the passing tone/slight dissonance in the main melody run in the piano line. The harmony vox works very well for me. The lyric is a good one, at least the angle is, the idea behind the song. I like the point of view and I think you've successfully put that point of view outside the game and into song. It works for me. You used the sound effects well enough. Overall this is a well written and well performed song. The sound could have been better, though. I've found it difficult to record a piano well and the production on this song is fine, but it suffers in comparison to the competition.
Shadow) Ben Taggart - Ballad Of The Mushroom Kingdom - I'm kind of surprised at how well the sound effects work with the acoustic guitar, folk ballad story telling. Well done on that front. I liked the angle on the lyric, the focus on the mushrooms was a killer idea. *slaps knee* The song works, but not having to be compared to the entries is helpful, as I feel the idea is good, the implementation is fine, but overall it just isn't as creative as either of the "official" entries. The production meets expectation and it works fine for what is. I enjoyed listening well enough and it's probably better than I would have done, but I liked the two entries a bit more.
Tuesday, August 2, 2016
Champions Vs Shadows #2 Round 2 Songs
With only 3 songs & 1 new cover of "Today's The Day" it was a short LP. So if you missed it, make sure you check out the new album. Also, if you signed up for the contest & turned in at least 1 song, you need to VOTE. You decide who wins & who loses. I've sent out reminder e-mails, so just reply to that e-mail letting me know which entry you liked best.
The songs are now available for FREE download on the album below.
- Judges, guest judges AND competitors need to turn in their reviews & rankings by August 6th 11PM (Sat).
- Reviews are posted & the winner is announced on August 7th before 8PM (Sun).
Links Of Interest:
The songs are now available for FREE download on the album below.
(Album cover by Matt Schubbe)
- Judges, guest judges AND competitors need to turn in their reviews & rankings by August 6th 11PM (Sat).
- Reviews are posted & the winner is announced on August 7th before 8PM (Sun).
Links Of Interest:
Monday, August 1, 2016
Round 2 LP & Deadline News
For now you should know:
- There are 2 official entries...1 from the Champions & 1 from the Shadows.
- There is 1 shadow.
- I think I responded to all e-mails (eventually).
- The listening party will be hosted by Tom on YouTube tonight at 8PM EST.
- There will be a new "Today's The Day" cover played during the LP as well.
LP Location: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0LqaqncO2Q
- There are 2 official entries...1 from the Champions & 1 from the Shadows.
- There is 1 shadow.
- I think I responded to all e-mails (eventually).
- The listening party will be hosted by Tom on YouTube tonight at 8PM EST.
- There will be a new "Today's The Day" cover played during the LP as well.
LP Location: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0LqaqncO2Q
Sunday, July 24, 2016
Champions Vs Shadows #2: Round 2 Challenge
Arcade Anthem - Write a song about a classic videogame & include an audio sample from the game. The sample shouldn’t just be tacked on, it should be an integral part of the music. As an added challenge, you need to collaborate with someone else on your team. (2 minimum length) (your submission is due Sunday, July 31st 11:59PM)
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Submitting Entries:- Entries must be received by the given deadline. Otherwise it'll be posted as a shadow. Received means that it has to appear in my e-mail inbox by the given deadline. I will be going by the time stamp on the e-mail in my inbox. PLEASE do not wait until the last hour to send me something. If there is a blackout in your area, your computer crashes, or your dog actually eats your thumb drive...I will not care. You are allowed to send in a draft of your song early just in case something horrible happens & you miss the deadline. Then you can add polish to your song & send in a better version closer to the deadline. 1 minute late is still late, people.
- Send your file in a format that Bandcamp accepts. (.aiff, .wav or .flac) (at least 16-bit/44.1kHz) You can find the specific requirements for Bandcamp files HERE.
- Name your file the song's title, but without spaces & punctuation.
- Title of the e-mail should be the title of the Challenge & your band's name.
- Include the song lyrics in the body of the e-mail. (If your song doesn't have lyrics...consider yourself eliminated. Instrumentals can be pretty, but SpinTunes does require lyrics.)
- Include information on anyone that needs credited if you collabed with someone.
- If you have a BandCamp account, you can just send me a link to your song on BandCamp if you include all the info I mentioned above. Make sure you have it set as a free download, and have it set so that I don't have to put in an e-mail to download it if you pick this option. THIS IS THE BEST FILE SHARING OPTION!
- Other file sharing options if you need them: Sound Cloud (set to download a format BandCamp is ok with) & Drop Box. Please send an e-mail as I already stated, but with the download link if you need one of these services. Please follow directions so your file doesn't wind up in my spam or trash folder accidentally.
Side Notes:
- Remember that you are allowed to send in a little background about your song. Some people don't like to do that, and you don't have to, but if you want to write a couple sentences about your song I'll post it on the BandCamp page for people to see. Some judges will look at the lyrics & this extra info, but they aren't required to.
- If you didn't sign-up in time to compete in Champions Vs Shadows, you can still complete one of the challenges & send in a song. It'll be uploaded with the other entries as a "Shadow Song". Check the FAQ if you don't know what that means. You can even complete past challenges from previous contests.
- The only other way to get your music played at the LP is to cover "Today's The Day" by Inverse T. Clown.
- Feel free to leave any questions in the comments.
- Send your file in a format that Bandcamp accepts. (.aiff, .wav or .flac) (at least 16-bit/44.1kHz) You can find the specific requirements for Bandcamp files HERE.
- Name your file the song's title, but without spaces & punctuation.
- Title of the e-mail should be the title of the Challenge & your band's name.
- Include the song lyrics in the body of the e-mail. (If your song doesn't have lyrics...consider yourself eliminated. Instrumentals can be pretty, but SpinTunes does require lyrics.)
- Include information on anyone that needs credited if you collabed with someone.
- If you have a BandCamp account, you can just send me a link to your song on BandCamp if you include all the info I mentioned above. Make sure you have it set as a free download, and have it set so that I don't have to put in an e-mail to download it if you pick this option. THIS IS THE BEST FILE SHARING OPTION!
- Other file sharing options if you need them: Sound Cloud (set to download a format BandCamp is ok with) & Drop Box. Please send an e-mail as I already stated, but with the download link if you need one of these services. Please follow directions so your file doesn't wind up in my spam or trash folder accidentally.
Side Notes:
- Remember that you are allowed to send in a little background about your song. Some people don't like to do that, and you don't have to, but if you want to write a couple sentences about your song I'll post it on the BandCamp page for people to see. Some judges will look at the lyrics & this extra info, but they aren't required to.
- If you didn't sign-up in time to compete in Champions Vs Shadows, you can still complete one of the challenges & send in a song. It'll be uploaded with the other entries as a "Shadow Song". Check the FAQ if you don't know what that means. You can even complete past challenges from previous contests.
- The only other way to get your music played at the LP is to cover "Today's The Day" by Inverse T. Clown.
- Feel free to leave any questions in the comments.
Saturday, July 23, 2016
Champions Vs Shadows #2: Round 1 Totals
Here are the links to your reviews:
Official Judges:
You can listen to all the wonderful songs from this round by checking out the free album HERE.
Feel free to check for mistakes in my math...as always. The names in bold are moving on to the finals. But even if you're not a finalist...you might be able to still help your team. Read the final challenge later tonight for more details...
Champions:
Governing Dynamics - 2 - 1 - 1 - 2 (6)
Kevin Savino-Riker - 1 - 2 - 2 - 1 (6)
Shadows:
Heather Zink - 5 - 5 - 5 - 5 - 5 (25)
Ben Taggart - 3 - 4 - 4 - 4 - 2 (17)
Rob From Amersfoort - 4 - 2 - 2 - 3 - 4 (15)
Boffo Yux Dudes - 2 - 3 - 1 - 1 - 3 (10)
Mick Bordet - 1 - 1 - 3 - 2 - 1 (8)
Official Judges:
You can listen to all the wonderful songs from this round by checking out the free album HERE.
Feel free to check for mistakes in my math...as always. The names in bold are moving on to the finals. But even if you're not a finalist...you might be able to still help your team. Read the final challenge later tonight for more details...
Champions:
Governing Dynamics - 2 - 1 - 1 - 2 (6)
Kevin Savino-Riker - 1 - 2 - 2 - 1 (6)
Shadows:
Heather Zink - 5 - 5 - 5 - 5 - 5 (25)
Ben Taggart - 3 - 4 - 4 - 4 - 2 (17)
Rob From Amersfoort - 4 - 2 - 2 - 3 - 4 (15)
Boffo Yux Dudes - 2 - 3 - 1 - 1 - 3 (10)
Mick Bordet - 1 - 1 - 3 - 2 - 1 (8)
Champions Vs Shadows #2 Round 1 Reviews: Jailhouse Payback
Overall, I (James Rechs) thought these were hard challenges, especially the elevator one. we tried to do a shadow ourselves, and we couldnt get them done on time because it was a hard round of challenges. Maybe that explains why I thought the songs were not that great (sorry, just being honest!) On top of that, we got to listen to and judge these songs during the national nightmare that was the republican national convention--- so we were already depressed as it was. I scored them out of ten possible points.
Heather Zink - Dementia. Your voice is great. The song topic and lyrics are accessible. That being said, this song is really depressing. I like how you put your voice out there a cappella. I also like the abrupt ending. I can't say I completely loved the song, but on the other hand, even just based on this song, I find Heather incredibly likable as a singer and songwriter and I want to hear more. Overall, it was my favorite song for this round. Heather, I feel like you probably sound good no matter what the song is. Total Points: 6
Rob - I'm So Stable. Finally, something a little upbeat. I realize the challenge was for elevators, but come on people, the first priority should be to write a good song. Rob is the only person who brought a little humor and quirk to the challenge. I like the purposeful screwups. So yeah, this song has life. I want to have a beer with this song. Total points: 5.5
Boffo Yux Dudes - Instability. This is a cute song. I liked the ending. I'd have liked this to be a little catchier. Total points 5.1
Governing Dynamics - Rise. I really liked the first three minutes. Then you started to lose me a little bit. I like the production and the performances are good. I thought this song ran a little longer than it needed to be. Your voice has a quality that I like best when you're doing the more mellow singing. The lyrics are really interesting, but it requires a lot of attention to figure out how it meets the challenge. I at least want a particular hook relating to the song challenge. I didn't get that here, although I imagined listening in an elevator and that aspect of it worked. Total points: 5.0
Kevin Savino-Riker - Wait Right There. Pleasant enough, but nothing about it really stands out. I like the production. Once again, I thought it went on a little longer than it needed to. I'd like to hear tighter arrangements that don't keep going unless there is a specific purpose. It was not a slam dunk for me in terms of meeting the challenge. Total Points: 4
Ben Taggart - Master Of Destiny. It's fine, but not memorable. Total points: 3.
Mick Bordet - You Remind Me. This is A little too slow and lacking in energy for me. Total points: 2
In summary, these songs were really depressing and mostly too serious. I want something more upbeat, quirkier and more fun. I appreciate the effort though, because these challenges were difficult and sort of encouraged you to write songs that were either slow or disorganized. So it's not your fault. All things considered, you did the best you could. And the songs were less depressing than the RNC.
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Comments from Jon Sailer.
1. Ben Taggert - Master Of My Destiny
They actually asked to listen to this one again on the ride home. I think it is a clear winner, the only one I would really want to hear again. When it started I was worried Ben was taking himself too seriously. It ended so perfect, falling apart just like it should. It's a really good classic folky melody, good lyrics, and good goofy ending. Love it.
The boys agreed.
2. Boffo Yox Dudes - Instability
The race for second was close. Everyone agreed this one was pretty good. It's missing something, but I'm not smart enough to know what.
3. Rob From Amersfoort - I'm So Stable
Again, it's pleasant enough. Pretty cool when it gets unwound at the end. I believe we settled on "It sounds like Grandpa singing with Radiohead".
4. Heather Zink - Dementia
This rose up our charts because my son loved this one. He gave it a rating of 9 out of 10. I think it is well done, but just not my thing. The 13 year olds didn't like the harmony. I thought it was fine.
5. Kevin Savino-Riker - Wait Right There
My son's friend gave this a high rating. He liked the vocals and musicianship. I found it strangely creepy. Maybe that's good?
6. Governing Dynamics - Rise
There were a couple parts of this I really liked. The lyrics are pretty awesome, especially the chorus. Some of the guitar work is really interesting and inventive. I think the vocals don't quite reach what was intended. At the end of the day it gets a little boring. The kids in the car did not like this one. kids, what can you do?
7. Mick Bordet - You Remind Me
Other than Ben, this got the biggest reaction overall. So maybe it is great art. My son at one point commented "This song is really meeting the challenge, because I am starting to lose control". I setteled on "Jarvis Cocker meets HP printer cartridge". The boys thought I was talking about Iron Man's butler, and that actually works a lot better.
Champions Vs Shadows #2 Round 1 Reviews: Ted Kiper
Hello, hello! Welcome again to Spintunes! Once again, I am honored to participate as your judge. Unfortunately, I am battling something like allergies or bronchitis or something. Due to self-treatment, my writing may be a bit... wonky. Rest assured, my rankings were made well before these reviews, when my sense of judgement was quite intact. Anyway, before I sound a little too silly... Let's review the challenges.
Champions Challenge:
Going Down?: Write a song meant to be played on an elevator. (2 minimum length) (they had 10 days)
Shadows Challenge:
Unstable: Write a song about losing control. It can mean losing your temper, losing control over something physical, etc...etc… This is not just a topical challenge, meaning the music itself should give the impression that someone is losing control. (2 minimum length) (they had 10 days)
Now let's see how I thought you guys handled it:
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Heather Zink - Dementia
Rank: 1
Score: 45
Challenge: 11
Lyrics: 6
Composition: 6
Songcrafting: 6
Arrangement: 4
Performance: 3
Recording: 4
Judge's Whim: 5
Summary: This seems to match the challenge best, it is exhibiting the act of "losing control", not so much already lost or going to be lost. The notes dropping out of existance as the song progresses is a thoughtful touch. The vocal harmonies seem a little lost and deranged; perhaps on purpose?
Ben Taggart - Master Of My Destiny
Rank: 2
Score: 43
Challenge: 10
Lyrics: 6
Composition: 4
Songcrafting: 4
Arrangement: 4
Performance: 4
Recording: 4
Judge's Whim: 7
Summary: Goodness, what an incredible improvement from your last entry! This is my favorite song in the round, congratulations. It's unfortunate that I couldn't rate this higher; I'm guessing it was because I didn't feel that the execution was a tiny bit too sloppy. Chord progression is a bore, but this is one of the best songs that I know uses it. Excellent overall concept!
3. Kevin Savino-Riker - Wait Right Here
Rank: 3
Score: 43
Challenge: 10
Lyrics: 6
Composition: 6
Songcrafting: 7
Arrangement: 4
Performance: 3
Recording: 3
Judge's Whim: 4
Summary: Well, it sounds like elevator music. I should know because I'm not a very good fan of the genre. Good job! Yet, I'm not sure if this song has tones of sexuality...
4. Rob From Amersfoot - I'm So Stable
Rank: 4
Score: 42
Challenge: 9
Lyrics: 5
Composition: 6
Songcrafting: 6
Arrangement: 3
Performance: 3
Recording: 4
Judge's Whim: 6
Summary: I like the song, but I feel like the end highlights what the whole song should be. Going crazy is definitely happening. Sensible at first, chaotic at the end. Not bad.
5. Mick Bordet - You Remind Me
Rank: 5
Score: 41
Challenge: 10
Lyrics: 6
Composition: 6
Songcrafting: 5
Arrangement: 4
Performance: 3
Recording: 3
Judge's Whim: 4
Summary: Goodness, it's dark! This kind of stuff would make Roger Waters proud. Quite a doomy, gloomy mood. Not a bad song by any measure, especially the interesting lyrics, but a pinch of energy might have really helped.
6. Boffo Yux Dudes - Instability
Rank: 6
Score: 38
Challenge: 9
Lyrics: 4
Composition: 4
Songcrafting: 6
Arrangement: 4
Performance: 3
Recording: 3
Judge's Whim: 5
Summary: Science for the win! But no mention about atomic bombs? What a missed opportunity! Unforunately, this is much too messy for my taste. The words are often lost upon themselves. At least the ending is pretty cool. Or is it thermodynamically hot? Enlighten me.
7. Governing Dynamics - Rise
Rank: 7
Score: 35
Challenge: 6
Lyrics: 6
Composition: 6
Songcrafting: 5
Arrangement: 2
Performance: 2
Recording: 4
Judge's Whim: 4
Summary: Well, well. With all due (massive amounts of) respect, this song doesn't much cut it for me. "Killing floor" and "blood and gore" just seem a bit violent for waiting in an elevator with your slow-jamming music. It's an OK song, but I'm spoiled in hearing more spectacular works from you. In my goofy attempt to lighten the revealing of this rank, I'll let you decide which label I should bump on this song: (1) "sloppy-pop", or (2) "Goo Goo Dolls overdosing on heroin". Please, pick the one that made you smile more.
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Conclusion:
Thanks for making the time to submit! I appreciate some of the minimalistic approaches, and you guys never cease to amaze me. Until next time!
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