ariich's Song Roulette - all done

Started by ariich, December 17, 2010, 04:26:54 AM

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ariich

IT IS TIME! Here is the list of competitors, in no particular order:

orcus116
sonatafanica
Portrucci
Ultimetalhead
TheVoxyn
DTVT
zxlkho
antigoon

Right, here's how this will work. I am going to do the usual six rounds, after which the top 4 will enter a short semi-final playoff (#1 vs #4 and #2 vs #3) with the winners progressing to a final. I know it's not necessary as the important thing is for me to discover new music, but I figure it'll be fun to give someone bragging privileges! Oh and if people can let me know whether there's a period that they will be away and unavailable over Christmas, I can possibly do two rounds at once to keep things ticking over!

How submissions will work:

Rather than use last.fm (which is not really suitable for me as lots of stuff I listen to isn't in there, and it's not really indicative of how much I like something), I'm using RYM. My account is here: https://rateyourmusic.com/~ariich

[In case you're not familiar with RYM, here's how to use it for this: scroll down to the Music section of my profile, and you can check out the Ratings button to see the list of my 5 star albums, 4.5 star albums, and so on. It also makes things easy to see if I am familiar with a band or artist, as at the top of the Music section there is a "Search ariich's music for" field, so you can check whether I have rated an artist (if not, it will run the search but there will be no results).]

- If I have never rated an album by a band or artist, it should be assumed that I am not familiar enough with them and so they are eligible.
- I will also allow submissions of any bands or artists for whom I have only rated up to two albums by and never rated 3 stars or more.
The reason I am allowing this is that often I have heard an album or two from one particular era of a band and not been that overjoyed by what I heard so didn't bother checking out more, but I am always happy to be shown something else by them that could change my mind! Plus, the quality of an individual song is not necessarily linked to the quality of an album overall.

Submissions should, ideally, be Grooveshark or Spotify links (if you don't know how to use either, PM me and I can explain), but youtube links are also ok. Again, ideally these should be official links so that I can post them in the results posts, but if the only thing you can find is an unofficial link, that's fine, I just wont' be able to post it publicly.

One more rule:  One of the later rounds will be for long epics where there is no cap on song length (you can start thinking of ideas now), but for the rest, all songs should be 8:00 minutes or shorter (if a track length is longer because of silence or hidden tracks at the end, that's fine, just let me know).

My tastes:

I have very eclectic tastes, in all honesty. I am extremely open-minded and have no bias when it comes to genre or style. I am more familiar with various rock and metal genres than any other simply because of my listening habits as a teenager, but even within those there is a ton of stuff I've never checked out.

Whether I like something or not seems to be somewhat random as well; there are things that I love such as power, emotion, groove, vocal harmonies, etc, but none of them are remotely essential and I love plenty of music that displays few or none of those qualities. So all I'd say is send me anything you think I'd like based either on my RYM ratings, or anything else you know about me, or even simply because you yourself love it. It's not a requirement, but feel free in your submissions to include an explanation of why you like the song so much, so I can listen out for it.

Ok, I think that's everything.

ROUND 1: Open – Send me anything.

GO! :)

Quote from: Buddyhunter1 on May 10, 2023, 05:59:19 PMAriich is a freak, or somehow has more hours in the day than everyone else.
Quote from: TAC on December 21, 2023, 06:05:15 AMI be am boner inducing.

antigoon


Portrucci


TheVoxyn

Sent you a way too long PM. I'm not sure if it will get me many points, but I hope it's something new for you.

Portrucci


ariich

:lol Don't worry about long PMs, like I said, the more you explain what you love about it (or the band/artist in general) the more I know what to look out for.

Quote from: Buddyhunter1 on May 10, 2023, 05:59:19 PMAriich is a freak, or somehow has more hours in the day than everyone else.
Quote from: TAC on December 21, 2023, 06:05:15 AMI be am boner inducing.

sonatafanica


orcus116

Just woke up so I'm on the hunt. Expect a PM shortly.

Jesus I hate open rounds. So many choices.


Gorille85


Ultimetalhead


Dr. DTVT

#11
This is where I think knowing future rounds is a good idea.  I have about 4 songs I want to send, but without knowing what's coming up I can't plan to use certain songs later.

I know Hefdaddy, SoundscapeMN, YtseBitsySpider will strongly approve of my selection.  Hef might smite you if you score it high.

ariich

#12
Quote from: DTVT on December 17, 2010, 02:37:29 PM
This is where I think knowing future rounds is a good idea.  I have about 4 songs I want to send, but without knowing what's coming up I can't plan to use certain songs later.
Yeah but I quite like getting people to think on their feet! :biggrin:

Anyway, I've already given you one of the later rounds (epics).

I've listened once through all the songs sent so far (just waiting on Letters), very good stuff! Open rounds are always tough, but there's nothing I dislike, which is fab.

Quote from: Buddyhunter1 on May 10, 2023, 05:59:19 PMAriich is a freak, or somehow has more hours in the day than everyone else.
Quote from: TAC on December 21, 2023, 06:05:15 AMI be am boner inducing.

zxlkho

#13
I thought I sent you one! I had quite a writeup to go along with it too!

Oh well I'll just send it again.

EDIT: sent.

ariich

#14
:lol Nope, definitely didn't get one before. It's come through now though, on my second listen. :tup

EDIT: Oh man, everyone's songs are really good, the more I listen the more I like them.

Quote from: Buddyhunter1 on May 10, 2023, 05:59:19 PMAriich is a freak, or somehow has more hours in the day than everyone else.
Quote from: TAC on December 21, 2023, 06:05:15 AMI be am boner inducing.

antigoon

It's cool if you want to do your write-up before mine, Rich. I don't want to be delaying TWO roulettes :lol

ariich

:lol Sure thing.

I've done the write-ups, but on my current listen the ranking has changed slightly, so I'm going to have another listen tomorrow before finalising and posting!

Quote from: Buddyhunter1 on May 10, 2023, 05:59:19 PMAriich is a freak, or somehow has more hours in the day than everyone else.
Quote from: TAC on December 21, 2023, 06:05:15 AMI be am boner inducing.

TheVoxyn

I just hope that I am more succesfull here than in Gorille's song roulette :p.

ariich

#18
Round 1: Open - Anything you like
Ok, 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
OceansizeUnfamiliar (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! :lol 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 - Kolniður (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 Kolniður 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.

Quote from: Buddyhunter1 on May 10, 2023, 05:59:19 PMAriich is a freak, or somehow has more hours in the day than everyone else.
Quote from: TAC on December 21, 2023, 06:05:15 AMI be am boner inducing.

TheVoxyn

Yay, 3 points! That's good enough for me :p. Glad you enjoyed it, and you should indeed check out Go. Go Live is better imo but for some reason it's not on spotify. Also, Mumford and Sons are being so hyped and overplayed on the radio here that I am getting pretty sick of them.

I already have an idea of what I'm going to send for the 'epics' round. Thinking of something for the other round is going to be a tad harder though.

ariich

No rush, take your time. I'll expect Round 2 submissions by maybe midweek at the latest, Round 3 you'll have until just after Christmas. :)

EDIT: Oh and Go Live will probably pop up on Spotify eventually, most albums don't go up straight away.

Quote from: Buddyhunter1 on May 10, 2023, 05:59:19 PMAriich is a freak, or somehow has more hours in the day than everyone else.
Quote from: TAC on December 21, 2023, 06:05:15 AMI be am boner inducing.

kári

I saw Mumford and Sons live in August, they were pretty amazing, and I hadn't heard of them before. They've been insanely popular here ever since.

Sigz

LIIIIIFFE IS A CLAY URRRNN ON THE MANTLLLEEEEEEEE
AND IIII AM SHATTERRREEDD ON THE FLOOOOOOOOOORRR

ariich

Quote from: kári on December 19, 2010, 04:16:18 AM
I saw Mumford and Sons live in August, they were pretty amazing, and I hadn't heard of them before. They've been insanely popular here ever since.
I'm listening to the album now, and it's really great!

EDIT: Oh man, White Blank Page is incredible!

Quote from: Buddyhunter1 on May 10, 2023, 05:59:19 PMAriich is a freak, or somehow has more hours in the day than everyone else.
Quote from: TAC on December 21, 2023, 06:05:15 AMI be am boner inducing.

Ultimetalhead

#24
OH GOD THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PUTTING IN A QUIRKY ROUND.

Edit: The I&W similarities I saw in Seventh Wonder's song are mostly in the tone of the instruments. I could easily see a lot of those riffs in Metropolis or UAGM or whatever. The keyboard tone and the amount of guitar/keys unison runs all make it feel like I&W, IMO.

2ND EDIT LOL: If you do get a chance, listen to the full album. It's a concept album, and a fairly awesome one at that.

kári

Quote from: ariich on December 19, 2010, 04:33:25 AM
Quote from: kári on December 19, 2010, 04:16:18 AM
I saw Mumford and Sons live in August, they were pretty amazing, and I hadn't heard of them before. They've been insanely popular here ever since.
I'm listening to the album now, and it's really great!

EDIT: Oh man, White Blank Page is incredible!
Little Lion Man is by far their most "popular".

ariich

Yeah I had a listen to Mercy Falls yesterday, it's pretty good. It's quite a long album and there isn't a great deal of variety in tone or style, but other than that a lot of the songs are really solid!

Quote from: Buddyhunter1 on May 10, 2023, 05:59:19 PMAriich is a freak, or somehow has more hours in the day than everyone else.
Quote from: TAC on December 21, 2023, 06:05:15 AMI be am boner inducing.

Ultimetalhead

Yeah, that's my biggest issue with it as well, but if I'm in the mood for something like that, it's total euphoria. I need to explore them further, and their new album is apparently pretty awesome as well.

ariich

Mm, they're starting to find some success so hopefully they'll start to refine their style. I'll check out the new album as well once it appears on Spotify!

Quote from: Buddyhunter1 on May 10, 2023, 05:59:19 PMAriich is a freak, or somehow has more hours in the day than everyone else.
Quote from: TAC on December 21, 2023, 06:05:15 AMI be am boner inducing.

Dr. DTVT

Quirky...and I can't send in Devin Townsend...this might tax me.  Before this started, I compared your music to my library and wrote down 30 artists I think you would like that you don't already have.  Quirk is something I can usually only enjoy in small doses.

Now of course epics...I have about 100 different songs in mind.

ariich

:lol Awesome, yeah I imagine different rounds will suit different people. I'm glad I have such an eclectic mix of people in this, in that first round all 8 songs were completely different!

Quote from: Buddyhunter1 on May 10, 2023, 05:59:19 PMAriich is a freak, or somehow has more hours in the day than everyone else.
Quote from: TAC on December 21, 2023, 06:05:15 AMI be am boner inducing.

TheVoxyn

Quote from: kári on December 19, 2010, 06:14:24 AM
Quote from: ariich on December 19, 2010, 04:33:25 AM
Quote from: kári on December 19, 2010, 04:16:18 AM
I saw Mumford and Sons live in August, they were pretty amazing, and I hadn't heard of them before. They've been insanely popular here ever since.
I'm listening to the album now, and it's really great!

EDIT: Oh man, White Blank Page is incredible!
Little Lion Man is by far their most "popular".
That song was on the radio here ALL THE TIME. And to add to that two of my housemates listened to it a lot. I am so sick of it now. It wasn't too bad the first couple of times though.

Dr. DTVT

I can't believe what I'm about to send for the quirky round  :lol

TheVoxyn

I'm still having trouble to think of something. I know a great track for a future round though (presuming that there will be a open round or a fitting round sometime).

ariich

I haven't yet decided whether the last round will be open or not.

Quote from: Buddyhunter1 on May 10, 2023, 05:59:19 PMAriich is a freak, or somehow has more hours in the day than everyone else.
Quote from: TAC on December 21, 2023, 06:05:15 AMI be am boner inducing.