Heading into the penultimate round... Fock me, you all just don't stop sending great music. I know I sound like a broken record but for real, whether you're in the lead or in the back, you're all winners to me due to each one of you sending some certified Good Shit™ since the start of this roulette.
But after tallying up the scores, I am quite surprised at who's coming out on top. You all have two rounds to change your standings!
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Train of Naught: Massive Attack 7.91. Splitting the Atom
2. Dissolved Girl
3. Atlas Air
Getting some big Imogen Heap and Second Person vibes out of Dissolved Girl... Splitting the Atom doesn't connect with me much. Atlas Air is definitely my favorite, I just really like that theme and the beat. But man are the vocals sleepy on all of these. The vibe is nice, but the hooks are really low key and unobstrusive. It's good for listening to at work, actually, but I get restless listening to it otherwise. There's stuff here I like a lot, and I'm curious about hearing a full album to see how these work in that context, but having heard a couple songs before, I'm starting to wonder if I can be sold on Massive Attack. Not giving up hope, though. To end on a more positive note, I really like how somehow Atlas Air doesn't feel nearly as long as it actually is.
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Evermind: Delerium 7.91. Fallen Icons (ft. Jenifer McLaren)
2. Silence (ft. Sarah McLachlan)
3. Euphoria (Firefly) (ft. Jacqui Hunt)
Okay so full disclosure I actually just listened to a Delerium album at the start of June because a friend elsewhere linked it to me as a suggestion - Chimera. None of the songs here were on that album, but they do sound very similar. In fact, the songs here all sound like each other. I'm not sure that's a bad thing but in some ways they do blend together. The singers are good (Sarah McLachlan returns) but they aren't stealing the spotlight. Actually, Silence might be my favorite here because of how it mixes choral vocals with the electronics and that 90s drum beat. Has a very interesting vibe about it. Lyrically I'm not getting much out of these but I feel like that might have to do with how detached and cold the singers sound. Like they sound good, but not like they're attached to the music, they sound distant and disconnected. But maybe that's just me. Overall, I like this, there's a lot here that I also liked about several of your previous submissions: namely the smooth electronics, 90s beats, and an interesting combination of sounds not normally heard elsewhere. I just want those melodies to be stronger and more interesting.
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Podaar: Depeche Mode 8.11. A Pain That I'm Used To
2. In Chains
3. My Little Universe
4. Scum
I really wanted to like this more than I did, bud! I guess Depeche Mode may just not be for me. It's not that I disliked this, but I didn't find anything that blew me away. Based on what little other Depeche Mode I've heard, I think I like this more than that. A Pain That I'm Used To - I like the hook a lot. My Little Universe has a cool beat and synth line. I don't think I'm digging the singer or his style, though. I'm definitely not saying they're bad because I know Depeche Mode is hugely popular and a big influence on so many artists, but I don't think it's for me. I'm glad you showed me some more of their stuff though, because I needed to hear it.
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TAC: Tangerine Dream 8.21. Central Park
2. The Warring Forces of the Twins
3. Stratosfear
I keep replaying these. They're not bad. They're kind of interesting! But I find myself zoning out at some point during each of these tracks. The Warring Forces of the Twins is the highlight here for me. A nice bobbable beat, a delicious harpsichord theme, it's got it all. Central Park has some curious electronic stuff going on but it lacks the memorability of TWFOTT. Stratosfear is more curious than it is entertaining; I find it interesting and fun to listen to all the synth sounds, and the main theme is noticeable but not all that compelling. The whole piece sounds like background music. Perhaps that's what Tangerine Dream is best at? Given the massive scale of their discography I don't think this even scratches the surface of what they have to offer so I'm sure it must've been a nightmare picking out some submission material. That factors into the score a little bit; I want to rank this both lower and higher for a bunch of reasons, but it is what it is. I found this more curious than entertaining although it is good music!
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Buddyhunter1: Celldweller 8.21. It Makes No Difference Who We Are
2. Birthright
3. The Lucky One
4. Breakout (ft. Scandroid)
The Lucky One is the standout here. It's really corny, but it's really fun, and has a fun energy to it. Birthright is up there, too - really good energetic song. Breakout starts out almost identically to Edguy's "Superheroes" which I find greatly amusing. I like the beat to that one. Hook's pretty catchy and I like the synths. This is some curious music. I liked it from the start, but it never quite blew me away (although TLO and Birthright do scratch an itch I didn't know I had). Very interesting style, there's definitely something here.
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ariich: Blue Food 8.31. Boogiemen
2. Engine of the World
3. Joker Face
Gonna get right to the heart of this one, I don't think I'm totally sold on this group. THAT SAID, I think it's fun, quality jazz. There's something about it though, I'm not feeling a connection with it. The bass is punchy and the drums are fun to listen to, but I'm not connecting with the singer or the melodies, and I find myself wanting more 'soul' out of the music, if you know what I mean? I dig the band name (reminds me of a Carlin bit) but this didn't grow on me as much as I had hoped it would. Top notch playing, no doubt, but it's missing something critical for my tastes.
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kingshmegland: The Fixx 8.41. Deeper and Deeper
2. Red Skies
3. Are We Ourselves?
4. One Thing Leads To Another
5. How Much Is Enough
Okay I've been really struggling with this one all round. It's taken me 6 rounds but I think I understand what new wave is now. I think it's more a subgenre of pop/rock (pop rock even, maybe) than its own distinct thing, because while this is fun and has a nice light sound, it's very much in the realm of rock, down to the rock beats and even some riffs. It's almost like 80s Rush at times. So I'm starting to get the impression that new wave, while fun, is a bit too safe of a genre for me to explore further. At the same time, I thought this was a lot better than some of your other submissions - the melodies are strong and the hooks are even stronger, those are the songs' biggest strengths. I really like Deeper and Deeper, that's probably my favorite, but Are We Ourselves? and One Thing Leads To Another is good, too. All five have really good hooks though. So I'm still kind of torn. On one hand from a roulette perspective this is a solid batch of songs deserving of the score, but in the bigger picture, it's not going to be a high priority for exploration post-roulette - but it has piqued my interest for sure.
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wolfking: John Farnham 8.51. Break the Ice
2. Age of Reason
3. Thunder in Your Heart
This definitely rocks but I think it qualifies more as pop because the guitar is rudimentary and the synths have more going on. Farnham has a really good voice. Each of these has a great hook. I like Thunder in Your Heart the most. Age of Reason reels it in a bit but it kind of has a Rush, Tears for Fears, Toto type of vibe all blended together. His singing on that song reminds me of someone specific but I just can't pinpoint who it is. Anyway, I like these a lot. Big 80s pop energy, maybe not doing anything I haven't heard before, but it's nice to finally hear something other than You're The Voice. And look at you, beating out jazz and avant-garde electroprog and other non-rock genres, with rock. You got to know when to hold 'em and know when to fold 'em... you've either been drawing some lucky hands from your musical deck, or are just really good at navigating my tastes in pop rock. Genuinely surprised at the quality from your picks considering it's so rock-ish
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HOF: Nickel Creek 8.51. The Lighthouse's Tale
2. Out of the Woods
3. This Side
4. First and Last Waltz
5. Helena
This Side and Helena are my favorites. I really like the melodies there and the general vibes... The Lighthouse's Tale also has a nice rhythm and the lyrics are good. Out of the Woods and First and Last Waltz are far from bad, but after multiple listens they don't stand out quite as much as the rest. At first I was afraid this was going to be hard to appreciate because of how gentle it is, but I kept coming back to it, cranking the volume and focusing on it, listening in different situations to see what worked. I really like this. Nice acoustic folky music. Many years ago I dated a girl who was big on this group and I enjoyed them whenever she'd play them in the car on a long drive but never looked into them. This was nice to hear. So I'm not chomping at the bit for more right now, but I'm definitely going to explore them at some point after the roulette, I think they'll fill a perfectly sized hole in my library for sure.
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Stadler: Harry Styles 8.61. Golden
2. Watermelon Sugar
3. Ever Since New York
4. Sign of the Times
5. Cherry
Okay, Golden isn't bad, and Watermelon Sugar has a fun vibe and a nice hook. But Ever Since New York is a HOME RUN. That simple little guitar lick, the drum beat that sounds exactly like Toto's song I Will Remember, that great hook and the vocal layers. Ticks all the boxes in my opinion. Sign of the Times is great for similar reasons. Cherry takes a while to get going but I appreciate this almost pop-country vibe it takes on when the drums start up. I think I see why you like Harry Styles so much. You've convinced me he has a great voice, at least, and the songs here imply there's some really good stuff to be found on his records.
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Puppies_On_Acid: Björk 8.71. Army of Me
2. Joga
3. Pagan Poetry
4. Unison
Björk is so weird. This definitely grew on me, and honestly, it's still growing on me. I didn't find any of these immediately memorable, there's a lot of artistry on display here, but I can't lie, it's been taking me a while to look past her accent and quirky style of singing to appreciate the music. Lyrically I'm not all that interested in it, but her delivery of the vibe is convincing in its own weird way. I think Pagan Poetry is my favorite here. I'm really not sure what to think of that last minute, her accent is both charming and grating, the repetition of 'she loves him' kind of gets old after a while, but there's something about it... Joga is another really good one. Unison isn't bad, but it doesn't stand out the way the others do. Army of Me is kind of in the middle. At first I didn't like her voice but I think I do now. Those unique voices are either charming or a turn-off, so it's nice that I warmed up to her. She seems very creative and unique, not sure I've heard anything quite like Björk, so I'll definitely be giving her music more attention in the future.
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Elite: John Coltrane 8.81. A Love Supreme, Pt. I - Acknowledgement
2. Alabama
3. Giant Steps
Man, that's what I call jazz. You can hear the individual instruments so easily in these Coltrane songs and everybody's doing something really interesting. The drummer especially is a treat to listen to by itself, and I love what the piano and bass are doing in the back. I don't listen to too much jazz with singing but it's nice what happens in the last couple minutes of A Love Supreme. Alabama does something I really enjoy about old school jazz: it's not always about cramming a million notes into a a few bars. Alabama allows sooo much room for Coltrane to breathe, the rhythm section is almost doing some avant-garde stuff especially for the time. There's a whole minute toward the end as it goes to the finish where it almost breaks down, that's the best part imo. Giant Steps is really fun although it's kind of emblematic of that 'million notes a second' type of jazz playing that people stereotype the genre as. I would say I think there's a lack of a strong memorable melody in these tracks. I've played them a bunch and there are moments that stand out but it's hard for me to remember what the actual motif is, if any. As fun as they are to listen to it disappoints me when I can't remember the meat of a piece when it's over.
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romdrums: John Coltrane 8.81. Countdown
2. The Night Has a Thousand Eyes
3. Naima
4. A Love Supreme, Pt. I - Acknowledgement
Okay so A Love Supreme is a delectable bit of jazz tastiness, you can clearly hear each instrument and they're all playing their own interesting parts. It's one of the highlights here. Countdown shares a similar craziness with Giant Steps in Elite's Coltrane submissions, I like it, although it's a bit chaotic, just like Giant Steps. The Night Has a Thousand Eyes has some gorgeous piano chords and a great solo. Naima is very pretty and once again shares similarities with Elite's Coltrane submissions in that it's super restrained and has minimal rhythm and percussive elements. And I really like that side of jazz. Naima does a fantastic job giving the piano and bass plenty of room to breathe, and even the drums have some interesting stuff going on with all the delicate cymbal work, I'm impressed at the playing at such quiet volumes. That's a real winner, and my favorite of this bunch. Both these Coltrane submissions are excellent, I think you both have convinced me that Coltrane is a must-have in my library now, although again, I am left wanting for more memorable melodies. Perhaps I need to shift my jazz expectations or continue my listening, since I'm still clearly a noob.
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Shadow Ninja 2.0: Heilung 8.91. Svanrand
2. Traust
Okay so I know a bunch of people who are gaga for this group and this is my first time lisening to them. This is actually really cool. No idea what the words are about, I'm just gonna assume it's some pagan folky foresty worship type stuff, but it's really cool how they utilize the voice as both a melodic and percussive instrument and the rhythms are just as important as the melody. It gives the music this mystical, tense feeling. And it never feels like it's meandering or losing sight of where it's going even though the second song is very long. I liked this at first but was nervous the novelty might wear off. Now of course I haven't sat through an entire album of this, but damn this is some really cool stuff, it defied my expectations. The logo and art made me fear it was another umpteenth folk band with a hurdy gurdy and flutes and the whole nine yards. Instead it reminded me a lot of that Tenhi band Puppies has sent me. Cool!
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Big Hath: Jaco Pastorius 9.01. Weather Report - Birdland
2. Portrait of Tracy
3. Weather Report - Teen Town
4. Al Di Meola - Suite Golden Dawn
I'm kind of embarrassed I've never listened to Jaco Pastorius until now. At least knowingly. I love that you sent Birdland. When I was a kid I heard the Manhattan Transfer version - I remember it being one of the first songs I heard that made me think differently about music, I remember listening mainly to video game music at the time, and I heard Birdland and fell in love with the richness of it all. It was a real treat to hear the original, and Jaco's work on it is spectacular. The reason for his fame is apparent, I don't feel like I can say anything that hasn't already been said about his playing. He's a delight to listen to - and of course the rest of the band is. I'm not so crazy about Portrait of Tracy. I get that it's a bass standard now and it's one of his signature pieces but I'm just not crazy about it from an entertainment perspective. As a work of art, it's very good and the way he plays it is fascinating to me, but I find the Weather Report songs far more pleasing to listen to. Suite Golden Dawn is a beautiful trip, everyone's phenomenal to listen to but as this is a Jaco submission my ears were drawn towards his playing. Very enjoyable, not quite as good as the others in my opinion, but still of a high caliber. Overall this is some really rich music and I think I'd love listening to more of Jaco's playing so hit me with some suggestions, I'm stoked to learn who else he played with.
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Sacul: TR/ST 9.11. Sulk
2. Shoom
3. This Ready Flesh
4. Bulbform
The one iffy thing about these songs has been the singer's voice. I've never been quite sure if I liked it or not. I think I do, though. The more I thought about it, the better it seems to work with these lush beats and melodies. It's like chill dance music, I don't know why but I get this goth vibe from it? Might be one of the coolest things you've sent so far honestly, there's not any one element that stands out as awesome but everything works together so well and I love the vibes. Sulk and This Ready Flesh might be my favorites, but they're all consistently quality and not too same-y sounding.
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Bolsters: Purity Ring 9.21. begin again
2. heartsigh
3. repetition
4. pink lightning
5. sea castle
Stunning. Does this count as synthwave? I love it. It took me days to figure out who the singer reminds me of. It definitely sounds like Halsey's voice, but where Halsey's inflections border on annoying, Purity Ring's singer doesn't strike that nerve. Love the super vibrant synths and laid back beats. Big mood, all around. Looove everything about this, it's just so vibrant and warm and lovely.
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Indiscipline: Rondò Veneziano 9.31. Odissea veneziana
2. La Serenissima
3. Magica Melodia
4. Cappriccio veneziano
5. Rondò veneziano
Oh man, what a brilliant decision to add some simple beats to classical music. This is fantastic. Everything from the tone of the instruments to the articulation is great, but it feels emphasized by the steady beats which make already melodic music even catchier. I really, really love this, it appeals to my sense of catchy pop music and lush strings and classical structure. Fock me this is fantastic. Everybody should listen to this just to see what it's about. I have nothing bad to say about this in any capacity.
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jingle.boy: Nikki Yanofsky 9.41. Something New
2. Little Secret
3. Kaboom Pow
4. Take The "A" Train
5. I Believe
There's no doubt in my mind that this is the round winner. There's some great variety in the tracks here, there's some great arrangements and playing from the band, but it's the singing, man... That voice is gold and makes me feel ways. Love at first listen. She can control her voice effortlessly and man does she sound like she's having fun. Focking hell, I may have a crush on her... okay, just Googled her, crush confirmed. (Last minute edit: two round winners in a row? You lucky focking devil. How'd you pull that off?)
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Topic: The Walrus's Lead-Free Roulette -- now exploring every roulette submission ever (Read 97138 times)