Round 1: Open - Anything you likeOk, so firstly, all the submissions were really good. Some grabbed me straight away, while others took a few listens to grow. Importantly, though, all 8 I was definitely interested enough in to want to check out a full album (most of them appear to be on Spotify, which is fortunate) so I’ll get back to you guys when I’ve done that. Don’t be disheartened if you’re at the lower end this round, it was all very close!
5 points - Antigoon
Mumford and Sons -
Winter Winds (
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KCg_QEHtkY)
This is terrific folk music right here, so simple and so pleasant. Lovely vocals, good melodies and just an all-round great atmosphere! You’re right about the instrumentation; I particularly love how the mandolin and violin are used throughout, and the added effect that the trumpet provides towards the end. I’m definitely going to be seeking this band out further. I’m not sure I have a great deal else to say about it really, it’s a short and simple song, but completely flawless.
4 points - zxlkho
Oceansize –
Unfamiliar (
https://listen.grooveshark.com/#/s/Unfamiliar/2sULRT)
Really good song, hooked me from the very first listen. There seem to be quite a number of bands these days playing this brand of new-prog; some do it well while others just end up being disappointingly uninteresting. Fortunately Oceansize appear to be in the first category, based on this song anyway. What I really like about it is the fact that it is surprisingly technical but in a very subtle and understated way. The rhythms are quite unusual, and parts of it are very interesting harmonically, particularly the riffs at the beginning, and yet it feels very natural. I have a real soft spot for bands who can do that (Haken are another great example, although they’re more traditional prog I suppose). The build-up in the syncopated rhythm section starting around 3:20 is particularly excellent, and the end is great.
4 points - Portrucci
Agalloch -
…And the Great Cold Death of the Earth (
https://listen.grooveshark.com/s/+and+The+Great+Cold+Death+Of+The+Earth/2DHXkG)
Well, this is an incredibly depressing song!
I remember hearing some Agalloch a long time ago and not being a fan at all, but I think my tastes are broader now because I found this quite interesting. They create a very eerie atmosphere and, maybe because it’s winter and it’s been snowing like crazy here, it hit quite well with me. The harsh(ish) vocals don’t really do much for me here, they seem a bit… I don’t know, tame but weird, if that makes sense. But other than that it’s a great piece of music; the clean vocals are very brooding, and I particularly love the wonderful way in which the acoustic guitars are incorporated, often alongside the electric guitars. The section half way through with the low strings and drums was great as well, especially cranked up to full volume. I’ll be honest, I had a listen to the first song you sent (the one that was over 8 minutes) and I liked it even more, so that’s 2 Agalloch albums I need to check out!
3 points - Ultimetalhead
Seventh Wonder -
Welcome to Mercy Falls (
https://listen.grooveshark.com/s/Welcome+To+Mercy+Falls/2gVJhM)
I love the chorus in this song! I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this band as the name lent itself to potentially being quite cheesy, but actually this song (while having some standard cheesy prog metal elements) is really nicely done, and the vocals in particular are excellent. Reminds me slightly of a more tasteful Symphony X, which is good as I like SX but find them a little over the top most of the time. I’m not sure I see the I&W influence, personally, but you’re right that that the musicianship is excellent. It’s pretty much straight down the middle prog-metal done very, very well.
3 points - TheVoxyn
Jónsi -
Kolniđur (live) (No link)
I can see why you chose to send the live version, this is really good stuff. Post-rock seems to be a genre that works well live, probably because it is so reliant on flowing sections and peaks and troughs. As with Portrucci, I also had a listen to the first one you sent that was over 8 minutes. What’s interesting is that the melodies in that other one are absolutely stunning and the end is great, but actually the song feels a bit dragged out. What I really like about Kolniđur is how concise it is and how much it grows in just 4 minutes. His album Go is on Spotify so I’ll be giving it a listen at some point.
2 points - Orcus116
The Black Keys -
Everlasting Light (
https://listen.grooveshark.com/s/Everlasting+Light/2JP6GQ)
This song has a really great groove to it, it reminds me a bit of Scissor Sisters, whose first album I rather like. There were just two things that brought the song down a little: the vocals are ever so slightly grating (not the style, I enjoy the falsetto singing, but the way they’re produced is quite overdriven and a bit brash), and the song doesn’t really seem to hit a high at any point. Not that I always except a huge bridge section or anything like that; I just felt that the song plodded along a bit. Other than that though, it’s a very cool tune. The Black Keys are pretty well known here but I’ve never bothered to check them out; think it’s about time I gave them a proper listen.
2 points - DTVT
Kevin Gilbert -
Certifiable #1 Smash (
https://listen.grooveshark.com/s/Certifiable+number+1+Smash/2El90j)
The lyrics are fantastically sarcastic! I was already aware of the Madonna video, so fortunately I got the references, although I imagine someone who didn’t might be a bit baffled about the whole thing. The music is good, definitely a nice classic prog feel at times, particularly in the chorus, which is extremely catchy (it’s still stuck in my head now actually and I’ve stopped listening to the song). I liked the groove in the verses as well; the only thing I was less keen on was that the spoken word bits seemed to go on a bit, but other than that it’s a very good song.
1 point - Sonatafanica
Bright Eyes -
Take it Easy (Love Nothing) (
https://listen.grooveshark.com/s/Take+It+Easy+love+Nothing+/1QsUWm)
This was an interesting choice, probably the most surprising song here. Unusual mix of indie rock with very old-fashioned video game-esque electronic sounds. I certainly liked the song, you’re right that the lyrics are great, and the outro is pretty cool too, so the song ends on a high. I just didn’t find that there was any real spark in the song, nothing that fully grabbed my attention. The style definitely intrigued me though, it’s a mix that I’ve never really considered before, but that seems to actually work well, especially when listening on earphones as you can hear all the subtleties much better! As with all the submissions this round, I’m going to check out the rest of the album to get the full experience.
Rankings:antigoon - 5
zxlkho - 4
Portrucci - 4
Ultimetalhead - 3
TheVoxyn - 3
orcus116 - 2
DTVT - 2
sonatafanica - 1
Next: As it's coming up to Christmas, and I know a couple of people are away, I'm going to do two rounds at once this time. If you're going to be away, send them both in before you go; if not (or if you're still going to have access), feel free to take a bit more time to have a think about the round 3 submission and I'll bump in about a week to remind you!
Round 2: Quirky - Everyone seems to have a slightly different definition, but I've recently started really enjoying music that's a bit quirky and unusual but still high-quality, so send me anything that
you consider to fit that description. Points will be awarded for both how good the song is and also how quirky it is.
Round 3: Epics - As I mentioned at the start, this round does not have the 8:00 length limit. There is no upper limit, and in fact I'd like each song to be a minimum of 10 minutes if possible. I often like songs that take the listener on a journey and leave them feeling great at the end, so that's what I'm thinking here, and I figured I'd do this round now over the Christmas period as the listening and writing-up will take longer.
Topic: ariich's Song Roulette - all done (Read 50689 times)
