So.... I liked almost everything this round. And what I liked, I liked a lot. Took a whole damn lot of thought trying to figure out how to rank and score these. Thanks for playing everybody. You've done a damn good job at opening up whole new worlds of music for me. I would love if you could suggest me some albums by each of the artists you sent because I am going to start immediately digging in to this stuff. There's very, very little in this roulette that I don't want to explore further. Everybody sent fantastic stuff at one point or another. Kudos!
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Elite: Ben Folds Five [7.9]1. One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces
2. Philosophy
3. Song for the Dumped
4. The Last Polka
5. Steven's Last Night In Town
I've only heard one other Ben Folds Five song until now, but I didn't like it, so I was hoping to warm up to these. While I like some of the piano playing, there is a vibe to the songs that isn't very compelling to me and I'm having a hard time describing what about it rubs me the wrong way. I don't like his voice at all, to be honest, and while the music is well played it's not what I'd call exciting to me. I wanted to like this but I'm afraid it just doesn't do anything for me
The arrangements and the songwriting are interesting, and it has this certain 90s indie... almost dorky? quality to the music that is unlike anything else sent in the roulette, in my opinion. I could see why some people might dig Ben Folds, but so far I don't think he's for me.
Final thoughts: Elite, you've sent so much awesome stuff in this roulette that even if you ended with a whimper, you were some fierce competition throughout the whole thing. Hats off to you. Can't wait to go back to Sublime, Kamasi Washington, and more.
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TAC: Gary Numan [8.0]1. Tracks
2. Metal
3. Oceans
4. Complex
5. Cars
I have such conflicting opinions on this. First of all, I like what he's doing with the synths. Super creepy vibe to all the pads and synths in this but at the same time they sound poppy. Tracks does a great job showing both sides of that. But oh man, this guy's singing voice gets on every one of my nerves. I really don't like it which is a shame because I like a lot of the music underneath. Metal, for example. Shitty riff, shitty vocals... but that haunting synth pad lurking in the back always pulls me back in, even though I can't stand some of the other parts of the song. Oceans is super cool, Complex is okay... and Cars. I do not like that song. I just hate his singing and it ruins it. So there are some super cool things about this! But I hate his singing. Yet this is one of those super rare situations where the music is just interesting enough where I might be able to get over his voice in time, and maybe start to like it. I do like unique voices that are often polarizing and off-putting to others, and who knows, I could sincerely change my mind over time. But for now...
Final thoughts: TAC, I loved your impressions in this roulette, and am grateful you jumped in halfway through. Also very thankful that you can take a joke and can return the ball-busting. Can always count on you to be a great sport and have a lot of fun. Maybe I didn't really love the music, but I just like having you in my roulettes anyway.
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Train of Naught: Ibrahim Maalouf [8.3]1. Intro
2. Maeva in Wonderland
3. Beirut
This was really interesting to hear. The intro is nice for a short piece. Maeva in Wonderland is simply fantastic. I love the sound of the horns and how it builds on the theme. Great memorable melody. Beirut is a really slow burn. About halfway through I'm ready for it to be over with, but then the last minute or so it finally kicks into high gear with that climactic guitar solo. So I'd say it's a little hit and miss, but for sure the horn playing is top notch, I love his sound and the rich melodies he creates.
Final thoughts: Train, you've sent some of my most favorite stuff this roulette. I cannot wait to listen to more Clarence Clarity, clipping., Federation of the Disco Pimp etc. Thank you for playing, you've got some really bizarre music, you know.
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HOF: Mike Keneally [8.4]1. Dee 'N' A
2. Oh Angel
3. Pretty Enough For Girls
4. Drumsticks
5. Hang Tough
6. I Was Not Ready For You
Okay, this is a mixed bag, and I'll tell you what the main reason is: it's the singing. Not a big fan of it. But other than that, the music is wonderful. There's a real pleasant vibe to all this music. But the other reason is that the songs from Nonkertompf are the ones I am most impressed by. Is the rest of the album like this, where the pieces are short instrumental works, almost like interludes? Because I loved them. They all have a rich, gorgeous sound. So although it's a mixed bag, I really do love the instrumental stuff and think I'll give the Nonkertompf record a listen.
Final thoughts: I got a good idea of the kind of music you like HOF, at least outside of rock and prog. You sent some really beautiful, emotional music that I connected with a lot and several of them like the Paul Buchanan are quite enjoyable for easy listening at home. Thank you for playing and expanding my library that much further.
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Buddyhunter1: Anamanaguchi [8.4]1. Lorem Ipsum (Arctic Anthem)
2. Endless Fantasy
3. Tear
4. We Die
Love how melodic and dance-y this is, especially Endless Fantasy. Tear is interesting because it's short and feels like it never quite reaches the peak it's building to... until the end. Love that enormous but soft synth pad. Tear is a very pretty song. I think We die takes a while to get going to, but when it does, it's good. I'm definitely interested in hearing more Anamanaguchi. Based on this it seems like it's catchy and upbeat and synthy enough for my tastes.
Final thoughts: I'm glad you joined this roulette, Buddy. I've had the Bravely Default songs you sent me set as my phone alarm and ringtone music for weeks now, and I never get tired of hearing them. Lots of very interesting electronic music from your end and although I can't say I'm interested in playing Undertale again it was nice to get an appreciation for the music.
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Evermind: Didier Marouani & Space [8.5]1. Symphony
2. Prison
3. Deliverance
4. The Very Last Song
There's something strangely charming about this music. I like the sound of the synths a lot and how big the drums sound. Prison is catchy as heck. I love the sound of the choir in Deliverance. It lends a quality to the music I have a hard time describing, it's weird hearing it over a dance beat but it works so well. The Very Last Song took days to grow on me before I was sure I liked it, that one's a real slow burn in my opinion. I wasn't sure what to think at first, but this is very curious and I'd like to check out the whole record/concert actually.
Final thoughts: While I may not have been floored by your submissions, I could always count on getting some smooth electronic stuff from you, Ruslan. Lots of interesting stuff was sent. I'm excited to listen to more Amethystium in particular, and the Didier Marouani & Space songs have me really curious, too. I'm going to revisit all your submissions eventually but those are probably my top picks right now.
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ariich: Bizali [8.5]1. Intro
2. Lucille
3. Round 3
4. Everybody Here
5. Uh-huh
6. Nothing to Lose
I really, really like her voice. But the star of all this is the bonus track, Nothing to Lose! Love the energy to this piece and it reminds me a lot of that eclectic band Caravan Palace you submitted at the start. I gotta have more like that! Not to say the others are bad, though. Everybody Here and Uh-huh are my other favorites. This group seems to have some really good bass playing which gives the songs a tasty groove. I'm going to check out the Thanks Anna album, unless they have more stuff like Nothing to Lose elsewhere, in which case I'd love some suggestions.
Final thoughts: It's been a joy listening to your picks, Rich. You came out the gate swinging with Caravan Palace (eager to listen to them again) and kept trying new things. There's some great jazz in there waiting to be heard.
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Puppies_On_Acid: Scott Walker [8.5]1. It's Raining Today
2. Copenhagen
3. The Seventh Seal
4. The Electrician
5. The Old Man's Back Again (Dedicated To The Neo-Stalinist Regime)
This was a trip. He has a lovely voice. It's Raining Today is very pretty with lots of emotion, and Copenhagen even moreso, which sounds like this old school crooner type of music. I really dig that. The Seventh Seal is really cool! It sounds like this old school western storytelling type of music. But The Electrician reminded me of Farmer in the City, and I don't like it. I mean, I think it does a great job at creating this unsettling atmosphere, I just don't like it. The effects on his voice and the way he sings skeeves me out. I can't pinpoint exactly what it reminds me of. Certain Pink Floyd material that I've avoided for a long time, I think. The Old Man's Back Again isn't bad, but it doesn't stand out like the other songs do. Just a nice inoffensive piece (good bass though!). I'm really interested in hearing more of this cinematic side of his music based on It's Raining Today and Copenhagen, and The Seventh Seal to some extent.
Final thoughts: I think Mos Def was the highlight of your submissions, but you always sent something different and interesting, which was the whole point of this roulette. You took that premise and ran with it. Great job, buddy!
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jingle.boy: Saturday Night Fever [8.7]1. Bee Gees - Stayin' Alive
2. Bee Gees - Night Fever
3. Tavares - More Than A Woman
4. Walter Murphy - A Fifth of Beethoven
5. The Trammps - Disco Inferno
Now this is how you cheat. I already know Stayin' Alive and Disco Inferno, but I've never sat down and really paid attention to them. So let's talk about the Bee Gees. Stayin' Alive kicks ass, but I've never heard Night Fever and now I see where Daft Punk got some of their sound from. Barry Gibb's singing is super cheesy but I mean, hey, it just works. Ultra catchy beats and singing, disco strings, I love it, you nailed the right kind of cheesy pop for my taste. I like the flute in More Than A Woman. I absolutely love the prominence of strings and lush orchestrations in 70s pop music like this. A Fifth of Beethoven - very clever of you to slip in some classical with a modern(?) twist. But it ain't no Disco Inferno. I've heard that song a lot without knowing who did it and I dig it. That hook is legendary imo. Maybe I should watch Saturday Night Fever.
Final thoughts: So happy you changed your mind and decided to play in this. It was a rocky start, but you sent some home runs after you found your footing. There's some really great unexpected picks in your submissions and I'm eager to get back to Nikki Yanofsky and Christina Aguilera.
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Bolsters: All Hail The Silence [8.8]1. Looking Glass
2. The Alarm
3. Broken Satellite
I recommended this group to a friend this week and he immediately bought the CD, so hooray. I'll be listening to this one soon, too. It's great synthwave type stuff. I really like all three of these, but The Alarm is my favorite. I just love the steady beat, the whole vibe, that hook is straight up magical, man. Fits like a glove into my synthwave library. Great songs!
Final thoughts: You know you're the synthwave guy in my eyes now, right? It was game over after CHVRCHES. You and Shadow both sent my absolute #1 favorite discovery of this roulette, so thank you thank you thank you.
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romdrums: Chick Corea (Akoustic Band) [8.9]1. Humpty Dumpty (live)
2. Autumn Leaves (live)
I am so sold on Chick Corea that I recently watched an hour long video of him constructing a song from scratch and working it out with some musicians. Just fascinating to watch that guy work and play. I mean, all the guys on these two songs are great to listen to, they're monster players, but Chick is the star and I am blown away by his playing. Literally my only complaint is that like a lot of jazz stuff, it's hard to follow what the actual motif of a given song actually is. For the most part I can pick out licks that might reprise later on in the performance, but there's so much soloing that it makes a lot of the performances all blur together for me. And maybe that's on me, but it's not a dig at the music as if it's not interesting, it's just hard to think back to, "Humpty Dumpty, that piece that goes like... uh..." y'know? Fantastic pieces to listen to though. Master players.
Final thoughts: Man, it was a delight having you in this roulette, romdrums. You sent some particularly bold stuff and sometimes that paid off big time. Chick Corea, Keith Emerson, etc. - lots of really meaty, substantial music. Thank you!
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wolfking: Allan Holdsworth [8.9]1. City Nights
2. Atavachron
3. Tokyo Dream
4. Ruhkukah
The synths sound great for this although they have that cheap 80s sound. Smart playing all around (common theme this round). Atavachron might be my favorite on this because of all the keyboard and piano playing. I think I remember reading something about Holdsworth's style of playing and how he was influenced by saxophone players? I can hear that at times in this music, unless I'm just making things up. I think that's really cool because it changes how he phrases the music. Sometimes I get lost in the meandering but that could just be my noob ears tripping up from time to time. I would love to check out an album or two from Holdsworth to get started, perhaps Hard Hat Area and Atavachron? This is right in the pocket with Chick Corea and Trio in Tokyo in my opinion.
Final thoughts: Eric Johnson, Allan Holdsworth, an Aussie pop girl, and a whole bunch of 80s pop rock. My man, you chose things I like. Thanks for playing again
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Indiscipline: Trio In Tokyo (Michel Petrucciani, Steve Gadd, & Anthony Jackson) [9.0]1. September Second (live)
2. Cantabile (live)
3. Little Peace in C for U (live)
Similar to the Chick Corea in this round (and others, like Return to Forever for example) it's a bit hard to tell what the motif or theme of a piece is. Fascinating music to listen to, just hard to pick out what the definitive melody of a work is. I kind of like having that anchor for a piece. Or maybe I'm just too small-brained to recognize the jazzy structure of it since I'm still getting my feet wet listening to the genre. No matter what it is, it's still highly enjoyable to listen to. This Michel Petrucciani fellow is a great pianist. I like the repetitive he does in Cantabile that goes on for seemingly forever. Charming easy lick. Great mood to all this stuff, I'd love to check out more by any of these three guys. Lots of masterful playing in this round, this is among the best.
Final thoughts: My man, I knew from the moment you signed up you were gonna send some interesting stuff and I'm so glad you didn't disappoint. Rondo Veneziano, all the Al Di Meola, Trio in Tokyo, and Chess - simply sublime, I'm very grateful for these contributions.
Topic: The Walrus's Lead-Free Roulette -- now exploring every roulette submission ever (Read 97184 times)