Lethean's Laid Back Roulette (Final round results!!!)

[jingle.boy]

Also, pretty sure I know what #2 is as well.

So do I.  Just took one actually.

[Lethean]

katt gets corn points everyone else gets first

 

Is mine #9? It probably is. It's not metal...  

Neither was Jane's Addiction or Agent Fresco.

[The Walrus]

First place confirmed! 

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

Also, pretty sure I know what #2 is as well.

So do I.  Just took one actually.

Where'd you take it? Shouldn't you have left it?

[Lethean]

Some thoughts:

1.   Another song that takes it sweet time to get going, and perhaps also takes a little long to end.  The middle is incredible though.
2.   This song might have scored as you predicted, if it weren't for…
3.   This track alternates between me really like it and feeling it gets a little too dramatic.
4.   Actually not as bad as it could have been.
5.   Really hit me in a big way the other day, and just when I was grinning like an idiot at how good it was, I realized I’d missed my exit the next one wasn't for another 5 miles.  I was OK with that.
6.   Better than I thought it was going to be, but still probably falls into what I've been told about certain bands: "a little too X for you."
7.   A fresh take on a topic that's been covered quite a bit
8.   Heavy with great vocals
9.   I feel like this song is one that needs time to grow on you to really be appreciated
10.   The best singer of the slower ones in this round (and it's beautiful too)

[Stadler]

Well if I didn't, if I just tried to give a song a rating on it's own like out of 5 stars or 10 stars or whatever, I'd probably just give almost everyone the same score each round.   Plus I just don't think I'd be that good at doing star ratings like that.  I have lots of "10s" even though I like some of those better than others, and that might not even make sense to people.

Also, pretty sure I know what #2 is as well.

That's kind of how I did it.  I listened, and gave it a number.  Then I ranked them, and then adjusted.   If song A got an 8 and song B got an 8, but I really liked A better than B, I adjusted.   Sometimes I gave a song a 10 and others a 3 or 4, but then realized "wow, Lethean's song wasn't THAT bad, I'll bump it up".  Iteration.   

[The Walrus]

1.   Another song that takes it sweet time to get going, and perhaps also takes a little long to end.  The middle is incredible though.
5.   Really hit me in a big way the other day, and just when I was grinning like an idiot at how good it was, I realized I’d missed my exit the next one wasn't for another 5 miles.  I was OK with that.
10.   The best singer of the slower ones in this round (and it's beautiful too)

Dear Someone's gotta be one of these. I hope it's 5 but I bet it's 1 or 10, 1 describes it perfectly.

[Lethean]

Well if I didn't, if I just tried to give a song a rating on it's own like out of 5 stars or 10 stars or whatever, I'd probably just give almost everyone the same score each round.   Plus I just don't think I'd be that good at doing star ratings like that.  I have lots of "10s" even though I like some of those better than others, and that might not even make sense to people.

Also, pretty sure I know what #2 is as well.

That's kind of how I did it.  I listened, and gave it a number.  Then I ranked them, and then adjusted.   If song A got an 8 and song B got an 8, but I really liked A better than B, I adjusted.   Sometimes I gave a song a 10 and others a 3 or 4, but then realized "wow, Lethean's song wasn't THAT bad, I'll bump it up".  Iteration.

That's not a bad idea, although in the end I think it would be just as difficult as the way I'm doing it now.  Maybe next time I should do themes, because it might make it easier if I was comparing 10 heavy songs then 10 ballads then 10 acoustic songs or something.  On the other hand, I'm getting a lot in great new music, even a lot of the stuff that hasn't scored as highly as people would like, so from a pure listener's perspective, I like having it open.

[jingle.boy]

I'll correct my prediction of 7.  It's gotta be #8.... and hoping that means a low #d ranking.

[Stadler]

Well if I didn't, if I just tried to give a song a rating on it's own like out of 5 stars or 10 stars or whatever, I'd probably just give almost everyone the same score each round.   Plus I just don't think I'd be that good at doing star ratings like that.  I have lots of "10s" even though I like some of those better than others, and that might not even make sense to people.

Also, pretty sure I know what #2 is as well.

That's kind of how I did it.  I listened, and gave it a number.  Then I ranked them, and then adjusted.   If song A got an 8 and song B got an 8, but I really liked A better than B, I adjusted.   Sometimes I gave a song a 10 and others a 3 or 4, but then realized "wow, Lethean's song wasn't THAT bad, I'll bump it up".  Iteration.

That's not a bad idea, although in the end I think it would be just as difficult as the way I'm doing it now.  Maybe next time I should do themes, because it might make it easier if I was comparing 10 heavy songs then 10 ballads then 10 acoustic songs or something.  On the other hand, I'm getting a lot in great new music, even a lot of the stuff that hasn't scored as highly as people would like, so from a pure listener's perspective, I like having it open.

That's a good point. I don't remember how many themes I had.   I might do another roulette and have it be entirely themes.   

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

Well if I didn't, if I just tried to give a song a rating on it's own like out of 5 stars or 10 stars or whatever, I'd probably just give almost everyone the same score each round.   Plus I just don't think I'd be that good at doing star ratings like that.  I have lots of "10s" even though I like some of those better than others, and that might not even make sense to people.

Also, pretty sure I know what #2 is as well.

That's kind of how I did it.  I listened, and gave it a number.  Then I ranked them, and then adjusted.   If song A got an 8 and song B got an 8, but I really liked A better than B, I adjusted.   Sometimes I gave a song a 10 and others a 3 or 4, but then realized "wow, Lethean's song wasn't THAT bad, I'll bump it up".  Iteration.

That's not a bad idea, although in the end I think it would be just as difficult as the way I'm doing it now.  Maybe next time I should do themes, because it might make it easier if I was comparing 10 heavy songs then 10 ballads then 10 acoustic songs or something.  On the other hand, I'm getting a lot in great new music, even a lot of the stuff that hasn't scored as highly as people would like, so from a pure listener's perspective, I like having it open.

That's a good point. I don't remember how many themes I had.   I might do another roulette and have it be entirely themes.

When I did my roulette, I found the themed rounds much easier to rate and rank than the open rounds.

[Lethean]

Anneke - haven't checked out Vuur yet; didn't like the Gentle Storm, generally OK with her in studio on Ayreon but sometimes, especially live, too much vibratto

I just added Vuur to the banned list, since I'm now listened to the album after running through most of the round 6 songs twice and not getting closer to ranking some of these.

Vuur is wayyyyyy better than the Gentle Storm.  I don't think I'm ever going to be as big of an Anneke fan as everyone else, and the vibratto thing still annoys me, but halfway through the Vuur album and it's quite good, and seems kinda different too.

[The Walrus]

Yeah, our tastes are way off from one another, then. I got halfway through the Vuur album - couldn't stand it 

[Elite]

Vuur is wayyyyyy better than the Gentle Storm.

lol what the flying fuck

[Lethean]

Vuur is wayyyyyy better than the Gentle Storm.

lol what the flying fuck

Sorry - I wasn't a fan of The Gentle Storm much.

[Crow]

i don't like either much, tbh

i haven't revisited the gentle storm in ages & didn't even care for it much at the time

vuur i've just, never listened all the way through. i listened to about half of it when it came out and was too damn bored to finish

[jingle.boy]

Vuur is wayyyyyy better than the Gentle Storm.

lol what the flying fuck

I'm with ya there.  Hey, didn't you open for them?

[The Walrus]

results when

[Lethean]

Vuur is wayyyyyy better than the Gentle Storm.

lol what the flying fuck

I'm with ya there.  Hey, didn't you open for them?

Guess it's a good thing no one tried to send them to me.

[Lethean]

results when

Soon... ish

[Lethean]

Writeups in progress....

[The Walrus]

 

[Lethean]

OK, so there's really no point in dragging this out any further.  I have some songs in the middle, and the song I listened to last out of them is usually the one I like best.  I switch up the play list, same thing.  So there will be more ties, and more funny math.


10. Clipping - story 2
Sent by Sacul

I did give you the opportunity to resend, and you didn't want to, so I hope you don't feel too bad about this score.  The very very beginning always made me think I was getting an ad at first, but then a couple seconds later I realized it was the track and not a commercial.  This was actually not as bad as it could have been.  I appreciate very much that it was only 2 minutes long.  I also appreciate that the music underneath was somewhat cool.  I like the idea behind it, the way the music intensifies, and the last 15 seconds.  However, I still don't like the rapping.  It's just not something I've ever dug.  It's never resonated with me, never moved me, never done whatever it does for other people.


9. Michael Schenker Group - Samurai
Sent by Stadler

I'm sorry Stadler.  I really love Three Days and Love to Love, but this one didn't make that kind of an impact.  It's better than I thought it would be from what I heard of MSG.  Great guitar playing of course, I like the singer, but it still probably falls into what I've been told about certain bands: "a little too rock n roll for you."



None of the other bands are getting below a 6, because I just can't do it.  I like all these songs a lot, and spent some time driving around just listening to them.



6. The Family Crest - Beneath the Brine
Sent by Train of Naught

This track alternates between me really liking it and feeling it gets a little too dramatic.  That might not even be the right word for it.  I really do like this song, and this was just a case of liking the other ones more.  I like the strings on this a lot, and the singer has an incredible voice.  Maybe sometimes he's... I know dramatic isn't what I want to say because plenty of music I listen to is dramatic, but it's something.  But I love it his voice at the end when he's really going for it.  Curious what their other material sounds like.


5. Brand New - Limousine
Sent by Parama

The scoring on this is kind of like what I did with Dyssidia for TAC.  Except I don't hate anything here like I did the harsh vocals on that song.  It's just that I think the beginning kind of takes forever, and I'm not that into his voice.  However - that middle part is soooooo good.  The first time I heard it, I will admit to saying "OK dude I get the point" with the repeating verse… but then, I think I didn't get the point right away because it's actually awesome.  It keeps building and building and I often have the part of the song in my head.  I also at first thought that the song takes a little long to end, but now I'm not so sure.  Maybe it needs that long to wrap up so you can come down from the intensity of that middle part.  This was definitely an interesting submission, for sure.


4.  Essence of Sorrow - The Mirror
Sent by TAC

   Really heavy, great vocals, awesome song.  Another one that I kept turning up the volume whenever I played it.  It starts off dark and heavy right off the bat.  I don't have a whole lot to say about this one, but sometime I just want to  , and when I like the singer, it works perfectly.


4. Epysode - Raven's Curse
Sent by jingle.boy

Maybe you would have received the score you predicted if it weren't for Tom Englund.    I liked the other song you sent too, but well, it doesn't have Tom.  And he sounds incredible here (note to Redemption, can we have the real Tom next time, please?)  I also like Ida Haukland's voice here and the song is pretty  .  Add to that Simone from DGM and we have an awesome combination.


4. Beyond the Bridge - The Difference is Human
Sent by Evermind

I feel like this song is one that needs time to grow on you to really be appreciated.  (So does the other song).  Luckily, I got an early start with this song and it did just that.  By the time you get to the end of this track, it's just awesome.  The male vocals are OK, and I really like the female vocals here.  I'd really like to check this album out, because both songs are promising after you listen to them a few times.


3.  Thrice - Daedalus
Sent by Elite

This song is just gut wrenching.  I'm not sure how many songs I've heard that reference Icarus, or his wings, but it's a lot.  This is the first one that made me feel a true sense of loss, rather than just a romantic notion.  It starts off very beautifully.  I like that kind of sad guitar playing that runs through the song.  I love the build up that happens before the last 2 minutes, and then in the last 2 minutes the anguish is fully unleashed.


2.  Mystery - Dear Someone
Sent by Kattelox

So… why wasn't I sent this band rounds ago, jingle.boy?  I thought you were saving it up for the end perhaps, and were going to murder Firewings as soon as the list was published, but you seemed unfazed.  Anyway, on to the song.  It's beautiful.  I had 3 songs this round that I grouped together as the slower/sad songs.  They're all very good, but this one has my favorite singer of the three.  Also, Rushiness.  No, it does not take too long to get going nor does it take to long to end, and if that's what you think, you're wrong.    I dunno why, but I love the way he sings "beware." The guitar playing is really nice here too.  Very beautiful song.


1. Children of Nova - The Complexity of Light
Sent by Puppies

I listened to this song as soon as you sent it, which is what I usually do if I'm up, checking my email, and not listening to Legends of the Shires.  I thought it was cool, nothing special, and went to bed.  A few days/plays later - it really hit me in a big way.  Just when I was grinning like an idiot at how good it was, I realized I’d missed my exit and the next one wasn't for another 5 miles.  I was OK with that.  I want to hear this song live and I want to hear that singer pull it off too.  The vocals on this song are fantastic.  I love the rhythm section on this track; great bass and drums.  I took this song, and a few others, off the playlist today so I could sort out the rankings of all the others.  But that was a no go, because it demanded to be played.   Awesome, intense, intricate.


Parama: 5 + 1 + 1 + 3 + 5 + 5 = 20
Elite: 1 + 10 + 4 + 1 + 5 + 3 = 24
Train of Naught: 3 + 4 + 3 + 8 + 3 + 6 = 27
Kattlelox: 4 + 7 + 8 + 4 + 3 + 2 = 28
Puppies on Acid: 7 + 8 + 1 + 5 + 6 + 1 = 28
TAC: 9 + 3 + 7 + 5 + 2 + 4 = 30
Evermind: 6 + 6 + 5 + 2 + 10 + 4 = 33
Stadler: 8 + 2 + 6 + 9 + 1 + 9 = 35
jingle.boy: 2 + 9 + 10 + 7 + 7 + 4 = 39
Sacul: 10 + 5 + 9 + 10 + 7 + 10 = 51

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

3.  Thrice - Daedalus
Sent by Elite

This song is just gut wrenching.  I'm not sure how many songs I've heard that reference Icarus, or his wings, but it's a lot.  This is the first one that made me feel a true sense of loss, rather than just a romantic notion.  It starts off very beautifully.  I like that kind of sad guitar playing that runs through the song.  I love the build up that happens before the last 2 minutes, and then in the last 2 minutes the anguish is fully unleashed.

I should send you the EP that Evermind sent me in my roulette (along with the novel that he wrote for it  ). It had this song on it. The whole EP is an emotional roller coaster.

[Crow]

the noisy outro i considered just sending you a version without that and maybe i should have, it's more an interlude than anything really but ehh  expected better tbh but also feels are variable

i dunno what to send, maybe some crap

[Train of Naught]

I knew that dramatic bit was going to be mine haha, too bad but glad you still liked it! Children of Nova was a mixed bag man, that EP (Complexity of Light) is absolutely superb. Unfortunately they only put out one (mediocre) album after that and then broke up, huge potential lost there . Second Sight Blackout is my personal favourite tune on that EP but Arcaedion and that track are close seconds/thirds.

Like I think I said in the PM, The Family Crest likes opening albums with super dramatic tunes, but they generally do more upbeat indie prog in the vein of The Dear Hunter kinda. I don't know what your overall stance is on 'happy' music but I had a feeling that I better stick with darker stuff

Sent round 7!

[Evermind]

Seems like I shouldn't have sent Steam Powered Giraffes.

Most of songs from The Old Man and the Spirit are better in context of the whole album, so yeah, check it out when you have time.

[jingle.boy]

Seems like I shouldn't have sent Steam Powered Giraffes.

Most of songs from The Old Man and the Spirit are better in context of the whole album, so yeah, check it out when you have time.

Yeah... they're all really good as standalone songs (though, Triumph of Irreality is God-tier), but as a whole, the album is just pure gold.

I'll claim moral victory on Katt's 2nd place ranking.  Didn't think that pure prog-rock was quite your thing.  Ok, now let's see if Katt wants to claim moral victory (or defeat) on my ranking this time.

[The Walrus]

I'm doing better in this roulette than I expected. I had a feeling you'd love Mystery. I highly suggest listening to that album. I really think they're a band you'll enjoy overall.

Sending today.

[The Walrus]

Seems like I shouldn't have sent Steam Powered Giraffes.

Most of songs from The Old Man and the Spirit are better in context of the whole album, so yeah, check it out when you have time.

Yeah... they're all really good as standalone songs (though, Triumph of Irreality is God-tier), but as a whole, the album is just pure gold.

I'll claim moral victory on Katt's 2nd place ranking.  Didn't think that pure prog-rock was quite your thing.  Ok, now let's see if Katt wants to claim moral victory (or defeat) on my ranking this time.

You're going down, buddy. GAME ON! Oh, and congrats Puppies. That's a damn good tune!

EDIT: Sent. Guess I finally got that monkey off my back. Round 8 will be a surprise 'wtf?' submission.

[Lethean]

Seems like I shouldn't have sent Steam Powered Giraffes.

Most of songs from The Old Man and the Spirit are better in context of the whole album, so yeah, check it out when you have time.

Yeah... they're all really good as standalone songs (though, Triumph of Irreality is God-tier), but as a whole, the album is just pure gold.

I'll claim moral victory on Katt's 2nd place ranking.  Didn't think that pure prog-rock was quite your thing.  Ok, now let's see if Katt wants to claim moral victory (or defeat) on my ranking this time.

Well, I did tell hint, not very subtly, for you to send them in round 2... 

[TAC]

  I don't have a whole lot to say about this one, but sometime I just want to 

Sometimes that's all that needs to be said.

[Lethean]

I'm doing better in this roulette than I expected. I had a feeling you'd love Mystery. I highly suggest listening to that album. I really think they're a band you'll enjoy overall.

Sending today.

I've already bought it.

[The Walrus]

I'm doing better in this roulette than I expected. I had a feeling you'd love Mystery. I highly suggest listening to that album. I really think they're a band you'll enjoy overall.

Sending today.

I've already bought it.

Oh cool! Let me know what you think of it sometime. 

[Crow]

lethean told me i should probably resend after he listened to my song

y'all let's vote should i resend or not