Round 4 - Debut Album
This round was hard, because aside from one song, they were all enjoyable to some extent, which is why I skipped 2 point songs this round.
6 points
Gorille85 - Stolen Babies - Push Button - The first thing I thought of when I heard this was a more accessible Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, a band with obvious genius that often eludes my interest. Thankfully, this song reminded me of all the reasons I enjoy Sleepytime, and none of the reasons I struggle with them sometimes. Good call, I quite enjoyed that, and at the same time it was somewhat outside of my stated interests. Fortune favors the bold (sometimes...see below)
5 points
Sigz - Giant Squid - Neonate - Love the band name. Also really liked the song...it has a disjointed, frantic feel without using speed, the usual vehicle for "frantic" in music. Love the piano part at the end as well. Another band I'm going to add to "buy if I find" list I keep on my Blackberry.
YtseBitsySpider - Cloudscape - Every Day Is Up To You - I'm not sure if I recall ever hearing of this band before, so it's a shame there hasn't been much discussion about them. Pretty much straight up my alley prog metal, so I'm just lappin' this up. Add another band I'm going to check out.
4 points
Wolfking - Queensryche - Take Hold of the Flame - Geoff Tate rocks. I knew that. This song just reminded me I have to go back and pick up this album. I said earlier in the thread that there might be diminishing returns on repeat bands, and that's the only reason I'm scoring it this low. Got to reward the people who went outside the box. This is why I'm going to implement the new rule below.
3 points
SoundscapeMN - Pure Reason Revolution - Golden Clothes - I really liked the instrumental first minute. This song reminds me in an indirect way of PoS's "Used" - in that parts of it were preventing me from enjoying the song as a whole when I first heard it. I've grown to love "Used", and I think I could grow to love this song. I really enjoy the mixture of male and female vocals, but I don't like when they overprocess them and get that stuttering effect, and it gets a little too electronic for my taste in the middle of the song. I also think it's weird that PRR has essentially 3 different debut records, depending on where in the world you live.
Seventh Son - Candlemass - Solitude - Is that Locrian in the beginning? That really set the mood for this song. The creepiness is heaped on more because it sounds like its being played on a warped record that is revolving one or two rpm slower at times. The only glaring weakness is the singer, he's not bad, but I've heard much better.
Zantera - Pure Reason Revolution - Apprentice of the Universe - The song itself was rather enjoyable minus the "bleepy bloop" stuff at the beginning, and the 30 seconds of noise at the end of the track. The middle part is rather enjoyable though, a nice relaxed groove.
1 point
Portrucci - Neu! - Negativland - While I appriciate being sent something I haven't been exposed to before, this seems to represent two areas of music I've never really been able to get into, electronic and krautrock. There's just not enough meat on this bone for me. Sure, it makes a nice stock, but most people don't want stock, they want the hearty soup. Soup me.
After 4 rounds:
YtseBitsySpider - 22
SoundscapeMN - 20
Portrucci- 15
Wolfking - 15
Sigz - 15
Zantera - 12
Gorille85 - 11
Seventh Son - 9
New rule: If a band places a song with 4 points or more in a round, it's done for the roulette. I'm looking for as many new bands as possible, but I don't mind getting two of the same band in the same round, or getting another song from a band I scored low previously if you feel like I need to re-evaluate them.
Round 5 - New release - again, another openish round, but the song must be from a bands most recent album that came out within the last 2 years.
Bands no longer accepted:
God Is an Astronaut
Maxxess
Amesoeurs
Ragnarok
Jason Becker
Queensryche
The Dear Hunter (now own these anyway)
Battle of Mice
Beyond Twilight
Kevin Gilbert
Pink Floyd
Muse
Anathema
Stolen Babies
Giant Squid
Cloudscape