ariich's DARK TO LIGHT roulette (v8) - Post-roulette updates (ongoing)

[ariich]

ROUND 5 RESULTS

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HOF – The Clientele
1. Impossible
2. Share the Night
3. Orpheus Beach
4. No Dreams Last Night
5. The Age of Miracles

First impression: This was rather calming and relaxing - not much jumped out at me melodically, but it has a nice sound and a range of styles and tones.

Final opinion: I like this, but not as much as I thought (and hoped) I might. There’s a nice range of influences and styles, with a bit of Beatles here and some funkier stuff there. It’s all very mellow in tone, which is very pleasant but it does mean there’s not really very much going on. Which is fine when the music is rich in terms of harmonies and/or melodies, but this doesn’t really do that and it hasn’t really grown on me in that regard. Some of the vocals are a little iffy as well - for example those slightly off-key vocals at the end of Impossible, I’m sure I’ve said before that I rarely enjoy that style. A couple of the songs compensate by doing something else quite interesting - Share The Night is pretty groovy, while No Dreams Last Night is very pretty and calming. But the rest feel very much like background music to me.

Score: 7.5

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King – Joe Jackson
1. I’m The Man
2. Look Sharp!
3. Fools In Love
4. Is She Really Going Out With Him?
5. Be My Number Two

First impression: The sound feels somewhat dated and the vocal style isn’t my favourite, but the music seems nice enough, with a slightly punky energy in some songs, to make it enjoyable anyway.

Final opinion: I have to say, the punky vibes in a couple of these songs were not what I was expecting but they’re good fun. In general I very much enjoy the variety in this selection of songs, which makes it hard to pin down his style. It’s all pretty accessible yet has a slight edge to it, despite the overall sound also clearly sounding of its time. Anyway, these songs are fun. There are two that very much stand out. Look Sharp has a bit of groove, and a great hook in the chorus that is really rather catchy - I’ve found myself humming it to myself at times. And Be My Number Two is very heartfelt, with a very warm crescendo towards the end of the song. The rest are all fine, they just don’t do anything to excite me, and not helped by his vocals which I find extremely average.

Score: 7.7

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Sacul – George Clanton
1. Livin’ Loose
2. Make It Forever
3. Out of the Blue
4. I Been Young

First impression: So that genre I’ve seen some people banging on about lately, this is what it sounds like. It’s pretty cool.

Final opinion: So, this is vaporwave, I gather. I’ve no idea if this is particularly representative of the genre, but the sound is kind of neat. Seems to be very sample-based, and actually reminds me of some electronic artists I rather like that pre-date the movement. One that particularly comes to mind is Lemon Jelly, which has a similarly upbeat vibe to it with little poppy and jazzy infusions. I’m not sure I quite love this - there’s something slightly off about it. I don’t know if it’s a byproduct of the way the samples are manipulated or simply a deliberate design choice, but the way sounds go slightly out of tune is something I’m rarely keen on in electronic music and happens a little too much here for my taste (although not really in Out of the Blue, which might be part of why it’s my favourite of the bunch). But apart from that, I do dig it.

Score: 7.9

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Elite – Kurt Rosenwinkel
1. East Coast Love Affair
2. You Go To My Head
3. Pannonica
4. You’ve Changed

First impression: It's that guitar noodling again! This is nice though, has a sort of mellow elegance to it.

Final opinion: You know, I’ve heard very little jazz guitar that’s this mellow and subdued. Even the Thelonious Monk tune, which is the one I know best and is pretty chilled to begin with, is even quieter in this version. It’s not only in the composition and arrangement, a lot of which does seem like quiet noodling, but also the playing and the production are quite muted. I wasn’t sure what to think of it at first as it’s not really my cup of tea, but I ended up liking it more than I thought I would. Which isn't to say that I love it, exactly, but there's a tenderness to these songs that's rather warm and appealing. A bit more energy or fullness of sound might have made it something I want to come back to, but as it is it's something I've definitely enjoyed listening to.

Score: 7.9

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Vmadera – Angel Vivaldi
1. .____
2. ..___
3. Nine
4. Sea of Heartbreaks

First impression: This was very nice stuff but I did still feel, at times, like I wanted to know where the vocals had gone.

Final opinion: I’ve said before (including at least once this roulette) that I’m pretty picky when it comes to instrumental rock music, which I often find sounds too much like songs with the vocals missing. The first three songs here definitely feel that way, a little. The general sound is nice, if not hugely original - definitely in that djenty bedroom guitarist vein if a little more slick in production. The guy is certainly a tremendous player, not just in skill but also in playing some very nice lines. I don’t find any of these three songs particularly memorable, but I enjoy them while I’m listening to them. Sea of Heartbreaks is a different beast though. As the title suggests, it’s very emotive, but it also has a very hopeful tone and the whole track is gorgeously composed.

Score: 7.9

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Stadler – Fleetwood Mac
1. Rhiannon
2. Beautiful Child
3. Sara
4. Gold Dust Woman

First impression: I hear a lot of more recent acts in this, which leads to me to think this artist may have been more influential than I had previously appreciated.

Final opinion: Have I ever heard any Fleetwood Mac before? Genuinely not sure. Rhiannon sounds familiar to me - particularly the main guitar motif - but not this arrangement. Possible I heard a cover or a live version. Anyway it’s a great motif and indeed a really nice song. In general, a lot of the sound in these songs reminds me of various more recent folk-pop/rock singer-songwriter artists. I don’t know why I had in my head that Mac were very “of their time” but these songs, at least, don’t feel that way at all. The middle two songs in this selection are not the most exciting musically speaking, but they’re very attractive nonetheless. And then Gold Dust Woman is the best of the lot, great vibe and bluesy hooks.

Score: 8.0

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Buddy – Della Zyr
1. Constellation’s Song
2. What Orpheus Sang Before
3. So Please Don’t Leave Me / To Go Forward Despite the Terror of Living in This World, Clinging to a Tiny Speck of Hope

First impression: This isn’t a style that tends to excite me, but this sounds pretty - I don’t really have a sense yet of how much I’ll end up liking it.

Final opinion: This lo-fi side of shoegaze is not something that interests me, generally speaking. The music is very pretty in all these songs, but the production is just… not? If your aim was simply to introduce me to something you love then that's great, I love getting a sense of people's tastes and interests. But when it comes to my tastes, you must surely know by now this type of production isn't really my thing. That said, it’s the first two songs that are the culprits, and even those still have enough lovely music to still be a pleasant listen. The third song, though, is so much nicer. The general style is the same, but the sound is so much fuller and clearer while still very floaty. Combined with some more lovely music - possibly the prettiest of the lot - it really does create a gorgeous, dreamy effect. The last couple of minutes of the main song (excluding the silence and hidden track) is incredibly immersive.

Score: 8.0

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faizoff – Coldplay
1. Church
2. Orphans
3. Coloratura

First impression: I’m not sure this band will ever excite me, but there are some lovely vibes and nice surprises here.

Final opinion: As you know from my RYM, I know Coldplay’s first few albums and found them all decent, but not great. There’s a few excellent songs dotted throughout, but I’ve generally found them a bit dreary and unable to write interesting vocal lines. To be honest, on that last point, these songs suggest they’ve not really progressed on that front. But the music here is so much richer and more engaging. Church and Orphans are both unashamedly pop songs, and they have a nice sound and instrumentation, definitely a more varied and interesting sound than I’d expected from them which is enjoyable, if not mind-blowing. But - aside from the vocal melodies still being quite bland - Coloratura is clearly something pretty special for them. I remember hearing it once when it first came out and liking it, but never returning to it. It’s great, really lush and creative, covering lots of different ideas and sounds over its 10 minutes in a way that never feels forced or disjointed. Even little flourishes like the chromatic piano run around 2:30 (and again later) provide gentle twists and turns and keep it sounding really fresh and fun.

Score: 8.1

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jingle – Robert Plant
1. Tie Dye on the Highway
2. If I Were a Carpenter
3. Oompa (Watery Bint)
4. I Believe

First impression: This was a nice surprise - more varied than I expected and probably some of the most interesting stuff I’ve heard from this artist.

Final opinion: Ok so my opinion of Robert Plant is gradually improving with each roulette. Not including the first folk album he did with Alisson Krauss of course, which I already loved. Anyway there’s a great mix of styles here, more or less all of which is more interesting than what I’ve heard before from his solo stuff or from Zeppelin. Tie Dye fuses psychedelic rock with some more bluesy hard rock and I’d say it’s almost certainly my favourite of what I’ve heard from the harder rock side of his stuff, very punchy and engaging. If I Were a Carpenter is alright - that kind of simple folk is often up my alley (again, see the stuff he’s done with Krauss) but this song isn’t the strongest example. Oompa is another shift in style, going very bluesy with a lot of groove and nice use of horns. And then I Believe is probably the most middle of the road song here, but it’s a nice one with a bit of an emotional edge.

Score: 8.1

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Evermind – Galahad
1. Termination
2. Empires Never Last

First impression: Not sure what you were worried about, this is definitely up my alley - not the strongest production maybe but it’s still punchy and dramatic.

Final opinion: I don’t think neo-prog is that risky with me is it? I think sometimes I may react, positively or negatively, to certain bands that might be popular in a genre but not because of any strict defining features of that genre. For sure I’ve heard some neo-prog that I find quite bland and middle-of-the-road, but this kind of dramatic flair is definitely my sort of thing. I mean, I don’t know that I could point to anything that really stands out about this - the style and sound is something I’ve heard from lots of other bands and the performances are pretty straightforward - but all of it is done really well. The music is quite epic and has some strong hooks, and both songs have a sort of pulsing beat  - especially Empires - that’s quite evocative.

Score: 8.2

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Reaper – KOAN Sound
1. Strident
2. Boundless
3. Grounded

First impression: It's very odd to be sent an artist that I myself have sent in other roulettes.

Final opinion: So yeah this is weird. When I find something that I rate 4 stars or higher, I’m generally pretty reliable at exploring that artist further and only stopping either if I’ve exhausted everything or if I’ve lost interest. With the latter that’s normally if I’ve checked out a few more things but none of them interested me, or if, say, it seems like an earlier/later period of that artist’s output is not interesting to me. None of that applies here. I loved their Dynasty EP. I checked out their full length and a joint EP they did with another artist, and I liked those but didn’t love them, and then never went further. Evidently I should check out more of their EPs because these tracks are pretty great electronica. Nice groove, excellent sound design, and cool hooks. Not sure if those are samples or original vocals in Grounded, but either way they’re also used well and to create a poppy effect that’s very enjoyable.

Score: 8.2

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Luoto – Sisare
1. Mountains
2. Geno

First impression: Really loving the warm melancholy mood and some lovely playing in this.

Final opinion: This is a slightly different style, but it reminds me quite a lot of Evermind’s Galahad submission, which incidentally got the same score. This is a little more recent and definitely more melancholy, but the ever-present minor keys and the pulsating beats create a very similar effect in my mind. This doesn’t have the same dramatic neo-prog stylings, but takes a warmer approach and, especially in Geno’s chorus, has a bit of alt-prog groove that’s pretty great. There’s also some really nice guitar work throughout, particularly in the solos but also in a few other moments too. I don’t have much else to say really, it’s just very nice music.

Score: 8.2

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[ariich]

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Glasser – Mr. Reality
1. Anonymous
2. Fourth of July
3. Honest Innuendos

First impression: Slightly middle of the road perhaps? But nice melodies and especially nice vocal harmonising.

Final opinion: This is another example of something that’s pretty straightforward stylistically but works because of the strength of the vocal melodies. It’s basically acoustic pop rock with a mix of tones. Anonymous is pretty musically upbeat with a bit of a bounce to it, although the lyrics are perhaps not as jolly. On the other end of things, Fourth of July is pretty moody, while Honest Innuendos is somewhere between the two - energetic but tonally mellower. Oddly enough that song reminds me a lot of Freak Kitchen. Anyway these songs are all really good, with the first and last having some great hooks, and all the songs making good use of engaging vocal harmonies to help it stand out.

Score: 8.2

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Crow – Black Country, New Road
1. The Place Where He Inserted the Blade
2. Snow Globes

First impression: This was elegant and attractive, though I didn’t love all the vocals and the songs maybe don’t develop as much as I might have liked.

Final opinion: Ok so this grew on me a reasonable amount, thanks mostly to some of the music being absolutely gorgeous. The first song is, in a way, the safer of the two - emotional indie rock with some other influences brought in to nice effect, like the saxophone which plays some really lovely sorrowful stuff. The music is very nice and the vocal style, while a bit more mumbly than I would normally go for, works well and I’ve come around on them in this song. Snow Globes, on the other hand, is both better and worse at the same time. Some aspects of the song are slightly grating. The vocals are… not terrible I suppose and I do get the emotional delivery where his voice breaks, but there are moments where he just goes weak and out of tune that don’t really work for me. But more so is the drums. The song doesn’t really develop much in the rest of the instrumentation but the drums get noisier and more frantic and frankly it’s kind of distracting. But despite all that, the main theme in the orchestration is just stunning, and performed in a way that’s really evocative and heart-wrenching.

Score: 8.2

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soupy – The Pierces
1. It Will Not Be Forgotten
2. Boring
3. Glorious
4. Kings
5. We Are Stars

First impression: This seems like incredibly attractive pop music with some folk rock influences - chance it could be a bit too safe but then the warmth and the melodies really are very nice.

Final opinion: Yep this is really nice stuff. Funny to get them in the same round as Fleetwood Mac who, as you say, are clearly an influence, but being more modern this does have a slightly fuller sound which is rather lovely. Indeed the way it’s produced is really nice and enhances the music, full of little details and sounds that are in the background but help create a very warm effect. The music is great too, it’s pretty straightforward and yeah I guess a bit safe on the whole, but it’s full of strong melodies and has a nice range of styles - the poppy infusions and occasional synths for example are really nice. The only song that does something a little unusual is Boring, and I don’t know that I love the verses but the idea of the song is cool and the chorus is still great anyway.

Score: 8.3

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TAC – Dark The Suns
1. Everywhere
2. Raven
3. Alone

First impression: This is surely the least light submission in either of the light rounds, but I’ll allow because it is indeed pretty and energetic, which incidentally are also what I’m finding attractive about it.

Final opinion: You were really pushing the “light” theme with this one, Tim. It’s firmly in the melodic death metal camp. But there are a few elements that, in combination, do make it distinctly lighter than your heavy round submissions. There are some clean and whispered vocals, although that doesn’t mean much as your heavies did that as well. But crucially, the music is very pretty throughout. There are delicate moments, lots of use of piano and it’s all very melodic and attractive. In Raven especially, the piano work offers an ethereal vibe, and the melodic chorus is really great. As I said in my first impression, those are also the features that combine with the general style/genre to make something really engaging to listen to. The other “light” element is that one of the string motifs in Everywhere sounds a bit like The Final Countdown.

Score: 8.3

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seneca – Unleash the Archers
1. Legacy
2. Through Stars
3. The Wind That Shapes the Land

First impression: These are basically anthemic pop songs with more distorted guitars, and I'm here for it.

Final opinion: Taking out the instrumentation, the first two songs here really do just sound like pop songs. The music is very light and upbeat, the melodies are catchy, it’s all just rather fun. And then thrown in the metal stylings, distorted guitars etc. and it’s a great effect that reminds me, oddly enough, of some of Devin Townsend’s more accessible stuff (especially in Legacy) which I tend to like a lot. Brittany has a great voice too - not wholly unique maybe, but it has a lot of power and charm. The Wind That Shapes the Land is also great in different ways - a little less poppy and a bit more proggy. The melodies are less immediate and catchy, but the chorus is still pretty great, and the way the song is composed and developed appeals to me in a different way, engaging the brain more if the heart a little less.

Score: 8.3

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lonestar – Atarashii Gakko!
1. Otonablue
2. Nainainai
3. Janaindayo
4. Suki Lie
5. Pineapple Kryptonite

First impression: Started more understated and less off-the-wall than I expected, but gets more varied as it goes - it’s a lot of fun, and has some groove and nice hooks.

Final opinion: And so your scores continue their slow but steady upwards trajectory. I wonder if you can keep this up in the final two rounds. You’d be the only person to ever do so in one of my roulettes. The quirky sense of fun here is something I find I can really enjoy in modern Japanese music because they have such a wonderful cutesy way of approaching it. As you know, by far my favourite j-[genre] band is Gacharic Spin and one of the things that pushes them that bit higher is exactly this poppy aspect (combined with all the other qualities of course), particularly in their earlier and mid-era stuff. Anyway this doesn’t have the full range of what GS do, but is a great example of the poppy end and still dips into the more rocking side too. It’s fun, catchy, varied, quirky and just a bit silly, but without feeling like a novelty (for the most part anyway).

Score: 8.3

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wolfking – Blessed By A Broken Heart
1. Thunderdome
2. Holdin' Back for Nothin’
3. Shut Up and Rock
4. Scream it Like You Mean It
5. Sleepless Nights

First impression: Hair metal with metalcore vocals is a bit… actually you know what, it's a ton of fun.

Final opinion: Alright so this just got better and better with every listen, what an absolute blast. In the vocal department, it’s very metalcore in style - not only the harsh vocals but also the style of the clean singing. Sounds like the sort of thing I’d expect to hear over some intense angst, but instead the music is super-melodic hair metal basically, with lots of cheesy synths, flashy guitar playing, big falsetto and fun, groovy riffs. The reason I think it works so well is that they just really go all out. I wasn’t sure what to think about the fusion at first but the energy and the catchiness are just so great - there’s no subtlety to it whatsoever but that’s just what’s so entertaining about it. I can just imagine this band (or any other band) trying the same thing again and it sounding contrived or awkward, but in these songs at least they’ve hit on a sweet spot and nailed it.

Score: 8.4

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romdrums – Imogen Heap
1. First Train Home
2. Swoon
3. Cycle Song
4. Xizi She Knows
5. Closing In

First impression: Rich, creative, varied and really interesting - even the simpler-sounding, more accessible songs have a lot going on in the instrumentation.

Final opinion: I’ve obviously heard of and read about Imogen Heap - she’s a fairly big name in the UK - but I didn’t really know anything about her music. It’s not always the case, but pop artists who are big in the UK tend to be… not that interesting. Anyway this is a lovely surprise and just really great music all round. She uses a variety of different sounds and plays around with different styles and genres in very creative ways, layering ideas over each other and creating some really interesting effects, but crucially tying it all together with a very warm and rich melodic approach. However esoteric or experimental the instrumentation might sound, each of these songs is grounded by something catchy and/or emotive in it.

Score: 8.4

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nick_z – Kent
1. 400 slag
2. Revolt III
3. Dom Andra
4. Ded Doda Vinkeln

First impression: The style is not dissimilar to other bands from that genre and era, but the music and sound are really lush and rich and had me hooked.

Final opinion: You mentioned this band having a bit of a Muse sound, and yeah I can kind of hear that (especially in the vocal lines of Revolt III, obviously), but also just as much if not more so other poppy, indie-ish, alternative rock bands from around the turn of century. Definitely some Radiohead in there as well at times. But it has its own identity and doesn’t sound quite like any of those bands. I like those bands a lot and was especially into them in my formative late teens, but they do have an angsty coldness to a lot of their sound, where these songs have more of a rich warmth. Both are great in different ways, but this vibe definitely works great for the melodic approach these guys use, and the effect is incredibly inviting.

Score: 8.5

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luke – Billy Talent
1. Devil in a Midnight Mass
2. Red Flag
3. Pins and Needles
4. Fallen Leaves
5. Surrender
6. River Below

First impression: This somewhat reminds me of my university days but funnily enough I’m more into this style than at any other point since then.

Final opinion: It surprised me just how much I ended up enjoying this. It’s definitely of its era in the early to mid 2000s, a sort of mix of pop punk and emo. I wasn’t hugely into the latter at that time, but I was a big fan of the former and some stuff that sat in between them. Then I kind of went off them a bit - in that pretentious phase where I liked the new thing and stopped liking the old one, a phase I’m very glad to have moved on from! Having more recently got (pretty much) past genre-based biases, I’ve definitely been finding myself enjoying the theatricality to be found in emo-adjacent music like this and honestly these songs are just really great. Pretty simple in essence, but punchy, energetic, a little cynical in tone and with ridiculously catchy hooks throughout.

Score: 8.5

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Litho – Haerts
1. Shivering
2. Hemiplegia
3. Lights Out
4. No Shame
5. All the Days

First impression: I love the sound of this - somewhat reminiscent of other things I like, with the poppy style contrasting nicely with some gorgeous melancholic hooks.

Final opinion: Yes yes yes, this is just excellent. There are a handful of artists it’s somewhat similar to, but I’ve figured out who it reminds me of most, and that’s Susanne Sundfør. Not exactly the same style, but a lot of the same stylistic and melodic elements. It’s poppy, synth heavy, energetic but very melancholic. On the surface it sounds simple but it’s all deceptively intricate, clearly with great care and attention paid to all sorts of subtle sounds both in the main musical ideas and sometimes just background effects. The music is all very rich and memorable, and I love the way the songs build - they’re very well paced, with sometimes quite nondescript beginnings quickly leading to really lush choruses and synths. And it just gets better and better with every listen. Lovely stuff.

Score: 8.8

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Puppies – Kiss Kiss
1. The Best Mistake
2. All They Draw
3. Innocent I (The Corruption of Self Through the Introduction of Naturally Existing Self Producing Chemicals)
4. Innocent II (A Drop From the Ethereal; Swimming Towards the Crescent Moon)
5. Hate
6. Through the Day

First impression: The dark theatricality to this was something I wasn’t particularly expecting and it works great - nice emotionality and strong hooks.

Final opinion: Where to start with this? It might be instrumentally lighter than the extreme metal you sent in the heavy rounds, but it sure isn’t tonally light. But despite being very weighty and emotional, it’s also incredibly vibrant, and the contrast is quite wonderful. It’s like it takes all the most compelling features of indie rock, art rock, post-hardcore, symphonic prog, music theatre and probably various other things and fuses them together like Frankenstein’s monster into something kind of bonkers and yet very affecting. There’s the odd moment that’s a little rough around the edges and some of the wackier moments border on too wacky, but never stray that far - it’s always brought quickly back to something thrilling. I love this more and more with every listen and just can’t get enough of it. Congrats on the first (and possibly only) 9/10 of the roulette!

Score: 9.0

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Scores after Round 5:

 1. Crow     = 8.8 + 8.4 + 8.6 + 8.3 + 8.2 = 42.3
 2. wolfking = 8.6 + 8.1 + 8.4 + 8.5 + 8.4 = 42.0
 3. nick_z   = 8.2 + 8.5 + 8.3 + 8.4 + 8.5 = 41.9
 4. Luoto    = 8.3 + 8.7 + 8.0 + 8.6 + 8.2 = 41.8
 5. Litho    = 8.3 + 7.8 + 8.4 + 8.4 + 8.8 = 41.7
 6. TAC      = 8.2 + 8.7 + 8.2 + 8.2 + 8.3 = 41.6
 7. Evermind = 8.4 + 8.2 + 8.3 + 8.4 + 8.2 = 41.5
 8. Glasser  = 8.1 + 8.1 + 8.8 + 8.2 + 8.2 = 41.4
 9. Buddy    = 8.4 + 8.3 + 8.3 + 8.3 + 8.0 = 41.3
 9. Puppies  = 7.9 + 8.3 + 8.3 + 7.8 + 9.0 = 41.3
11. soupy    = 8.4 + 7.9 + 8.2 + 8.4 + 8.3 = 41.2
12. jingle   = 8.2 + 7.7 + 8.6 + 8.4 + 8.1 = 41.0
13. Sacul    = 8.3 + 8.9 + 8.0 + 7.8 + 7.9 = 40.9
13. romdrums = 8.0 + 8.2 + 8.0 + 8.3 + 8.4 = 40.9
15. luke     = 8.2 + 7.9 + 8.2 + 7.9 + 8.5 = 40.7
16. seneca   = 7.6 + 8.3 + 7.8 + 8.6 + 8.3 = 40.6
17. lonestar = 7.8 + 8.0 + 8.2 + 8.2 + 8.3 = 40.5
18. Stadler  = 7.9 + 8.4 + 7.9 + 7.4 + 8.0 = 39.6
18. Reaper   = 7.6 + 8.1 + 7.7 + 8.0 + 8.2 = 39.6
20. Vmadera  = 8.0 + 8.0 + 7.3 + 8.3 + 7.9 = 39.5
21. HOF      = 7.5 + 7.9 + 8.7 + 7.7 + 7.5 = 39.3
22. King     = 7.3 + 8.2 + 8.2 + 7.8 + 7.7 = 39.2
23. faizoff  = 7.2 + 8.2 + 8.3 + 7.0 + 8.1 = 38.8
24. Elite    = 7.8 + 8.0 + 7.5 + 7.2 + 7.9 = 38.4


Click the graphs to enlarge.

[LithoJazzoSphere]

[ariich]

Heaeaeaarts!

[LithoJazzoSphere]

Sundfor isn't the first comparison I'd have thought of, but I can definitely see it now that you mention it.  The last decade or so has been the golden age for this sort of music, and I'm glad to be able to spotlight some deserving artists. 

[Crow]

the way the drums freak the hell out is my favorite part of snow globes  to each their own tho
round 6 i could see backfiring on me but if it does it's your loss, not mine 
even if i do lose the top spot here i'm taking it back in the EP round anyways, so

[TAC]

Oof. I had high hopes for that submission. 

My next submission will either put me into contention for the EP round or take me completely out.

[HOF]

ROUND 5 RESULTS

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HOF – The Clientele
1. Impossible
2. Share the Night
3. Orpheus Beach
4. No Dreams Last Night
5. The Age of Miracles

First impression: This was rather calming and relaxing - not much jumped out at me melodically, but it has a nice sound and a range of styles and tones.

Final opinion: I like this, but not as much as I thought (and hoped) I might. There’s a nice range of influences and styles, with a bit of Beatles here and some funkier stuff there. It’s all very mellow in tone, which is very pleasant but it does mean there’s not really very much going on. Which is fine when the music is rich in terms of harmonies and/or melodies, but this doesn’t really do that and it hasn’t really grown on me in that regard. Some of the vocals are a little iffy as well - for example those slightly off-key vocals at the end of Impossible, I’m sure I’ve said before that I rarely enjoy that style. A couple of the songs compensate by doing something else quite interesting - Share The Night is pretty groovy, while No Dreams Last Night is very pretty and calming. But the rest feel very much like background music to me.

Score: 7.5

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Hmmm, didn't expect "not rich in harmonies or melodies" to be part of the writeup for this band. Not sure what you're not hearing that I am as the vocal and instrumental melodies/harmonies are a big part of the appeal for me. Maybe Impossible and Share the Night weren't the best for that, but the others all have some really lush arrangements and/or vocal harmonies. I think you should listen again more closely! 

[ariich]

Sundfor isn't the first comparison I'd have thought of, but I can definitely see it now that you mention it.  The last decade or so has been the golden age for this sort of music, and I'm glad to be able to spotlight some deserving artists. 

Yeah like I said it's not quite the same style, but it's the viiiiiibes man. Especially her earlyish stuff (less so what she's put out in the past decade actually).

round 6 i could see backfiring on me but if it does it's your loss, not mine 
even if i do lose the top spot here i'm taking it back in the EP round anyways, so

I've no idea what it is yet but you're welcome to change it if you want, or to stick to your guns. I'm kind of intrigued though!

[LithoJazzoSphere]

Sent!

[Buddyhunter1]

Still an 8! That’s better than I thought, you sure you’re not inflating the scores for this roulette a little? 

The production’s not great yeah but sometimes the music’s good enough that you look past it. And What Orpheus Sang Before actually sounds pretty good to me, since the instrumentation is a lot more mellow on that one.

[ariich]

Oof. I had high hopes for that submission. 

An 8.3  is above average score! (yes even in that round)

My next submission will either put me into contention for the EP round or take me completely out.

Between this and Crow's post, I feel like I'm getting some risky stuff in round 6...

Hmmm, didn't expect "not rich in harmonies or melodies" to be part of the writeup for this band. Not sure what you're not hearing that I am as the vocal and instrumental melodies/harmonies are a big part of the appeal for me. Maybe Impossible and Share the Night weren't the best for that, but the others all have some really lush arrangements and/or vocal harmonies. I think you should listen again more closely! 

What can I say, I thought I'd like it more too and I didn't mean to imply it was wholly lacking in that department, just not something that really got me. Like Chad says, TASTES^TM.

[jingle.boy]

TAC: Disappointed with 8.3.
Jingle:  I'll gladly take an 8.1 for Robert Plant.  Glad it didn't suck for you!

Is that the first 9 of the competition?  Well done Puppers.

Spots 2-11 are all separated sequentially by 1/10th of a point (not counting ties).  Crow has a healthy lead with 2 rounds to go.  While I'm sure he'll continue to slag himself (it's as sure as death and taxes), it's likely his to lose.  But I'm rootin for ya, Kade!

Still gotta figure out how to manage my Round 6 songs.

[ariich]

Still an 8! That’s better than I thought, you sure you’re not inflating the scores for this roulette a little? 

Indeed not. I've noticed that with these multi-song submissions, there's a bit more clustering in the middle range than albums. Because people are picking out what are, in their view, the best songs, I'm sometimes getting a better impression of it, when a whole album I might find more average or more of a drag. But conversely, the best albums can elevate my opinion beyond a selection of songs, either because of the way it hangs together as an album and/or because of the sheer consistency of quality over its runtime. All but one submission has scored between 7.0 and 8.9, but I'm 100% certain that when I come to check out whole albums, quite a few will score 3 stars (6/10) or maybe even lower while some others will score 4.5 stars (9/10). A tiny handful may even eventually end up moving up to 5 stars though I'd pretty much never do that right away with an artist I don't already know.

The production’s not great yeah but sometimes the music’s good enough that you look past it. And What Orpheus Sang Before actually sounds pretty good to me, since the instrumentation is a lot more mellow on that one.

Yes that's true, it's most noticeable on Constellation’s Song. The sound isn't great on Orpheus but it's fine, and it's a very nice song overall.

[TAC]

Didn't Luke just send a whole album?

[Crow]

round 6 i could see backfiring on me but if it does it's your loss, not mine 
even if i do lose the top spot here i'm taking it back in the EP round anyways, so

I've no idea what it is yet but you're welcome to change it if you want, or to stick to your guns. I'm kind of intrigued though!

oh no there is no way i'm changing it. it's just.

you'll see 

[HOF]

Hmmm, didn't expect "not rich in harmonies or melodies" to be part of the writeup for this band. Not sure what you're not hearing that I am as the vocal and instrumental melodies/harmonies are a big part of the appeal for me. Maybe Impossible and Share the Night weren't the best for that, but the others all have some really lush arrangements and/or vocal harmonies. I think you should listen again more closely! 

What can I say, I thought I'd like it more too and I didn't mean to imply it was wholly lacking in that department, just not something that really got me. Like Chad says, TASTES^TM.

Yeah, you either like it or you don't, I get that. And it does seem like the notion of "melodic" can be hard to pin down and vary from person to person. But if you had specifically asked us to send something melodic with strong harmonies, I probably still would have reached for this band (but maybe sent a couple different tunes though).

[ariich]

Is that the first 9 of the competition?  Well done Puppers.

It is! They're not common, only one in my v7 and two in my v6.

Spots 2-11 are all separated sequentially by 1/10th of a point (not counting ties).

I noticed that! It wasn't intentional, just like it wasn't intentional to have a whole load of clustering after the previous round.

[ariich]

Didn't Luke just send a whole album?

He only sent me 6 songs, that's nothing compared to the 10 songs he sent Litho.

oh no there is no way i'm changing it. it's just.

you'll see 

Oh god what am I in for?

Yeah, you either like it or you don't, I get that. And it does seem like the notion of "melodic" can be hard to pin down and vary from person to person.

So true. Certain approaches appeal to me more than others, same with all of us I guess.

[lonestar]

Damn, thought I was gonna sneak in a winner with that one. Next submission, Japanese of course, is a bit more straightforward, let's see how it plays. As the old saying goes, just keep throwing stuff against the wall in hopes it'll stick.

[Buddyhunter1]

Yes that's true, it's most noticeable on Constellation’s Song.

For sure - I included that one in spite of that because you seem to enjoy when submissions have a bit more variety across the songs.

[TAC]

Didn't Luke just send a whole album?

He only sent me 6 songs, that's nothing compared to the 10 songs he sent Litho.

Ok, that's what I was thinking.

[jingle.boy]

Damn, thought I was gonna sneak in a winner with that one. Next submission, Japanese of course, is a bit more straightforward, let's see how it plays. As the old saying goes, just keep throwing stuff against the wall in hopes it'll stick.

Even a blind squirrel will find a nut once and a while!

[ariich]

Damn, thought I was gonna sneak in a winner with that one. Next submission, Japanese of course, is a bit more straightforward, let's see how it plays. As the old saying goes, just keep throwing stuff against the wall in hopes it'll stick.

Not a round winner but if Nainainai had been as great as the other songs it probably would have netted you another 0.2 maybe. Fun enough but definitely the weakest of the bunch.

Yes that's true, it's most noticeable on Constellation’s Song.

For sure - I included that one in spite of that because you seem to enjoy when submissions have a bit more variety across the songs.

Variety yes but I still want it all to be good.

I'm joking of course but it was definitely the relatively weaker link in that set.

Didn't Luke just send a whole album?

He only sent me 6 songs, that's nothing compared to the 10 songs he sent Litho.

Ok, that's what I was thinking.

And that was with a 15 minute limit as well!

[HOF]

Sent!

[Crow]

My next submission will either put me into contention for the EP round or take me completely out.

Between this and Crow's post, I feel like I'm getting some risky stuff in round 6...

i think this is just how i've ended up using the non-themed round, evidently
round 3 i sent vylet pony and that turned out better than expected 

...this submission has something in common with that one, funnily enough, but not in a musical way 

[TAC]

Yellow horsey?

[twosuitsluke]

Didn't Luke just send a whole album?

He only sent me 6 songs, that's nothing compared to the 10 songs he sent Litho.

Ok, that's what I was thinking.

And Litho’s had a shorter time limit as well!

Damn, I got all excited with my high score only to see I’m still joint 15th 

Glad you liked Billy Talent though, I had a feeling you would. Those songs are just super infectious, and as you said, massive hooks. I’ve got a friend whose favourite band is Billy Talent and honestly, back in 2006 when the second album came out he wouldn’t shut up about them. I was kinda burnt out on them that year as he just played them at every opportunity. Over time I’ve found myself going back to them (especially the first three albums) and they are just great. Definitely check out II, but don’t miss out on I & III.

[King Postwhore]

I had a feeling. Shazbut.

[jingle.boy]

Round 6 sent. Tried to cheat a little, but Rich went all Homey The Clown on me.

[LithoJazzoSphere]

Didn't Luke just send a whole album?

He only sent me 6 songs, that's nothing compared to the 10 songs he sent Litho.

To be fair, four of them are less than a minute long and calling some of them "songs" (one only 8 seconds long!) is being kind.   

[twosuitsluke]

Didn't Luke just send a whole album?

He only sent me 6 songs, that's nothing compared to the 10 songs he sent Litho.

To be fair, four of them are less than a minute long and calling some of them "songs" (one only 8 seconds long!) is being kind.   

Hey now, NOFX can write a mean 8 second song! Don’t diss them because they don’t conform to song length norms! I was actually tempted to send all their shortest songs (regardless of quality) and get over 20 songs for the submission. I ended up picking lots of my favourites that happen to be really short.

Also, results when? I notice you often post results shortly after results are posted in another roulette 

[nick_z]

nick_z – Kent
1. 400 slag
2. Revolt III
3. Dom Andra
4. Ded Doda Vinkeln

First impression: The style is not dissimilar to other bands from that genre and era, but the music and sound are really lush and rich and had me hooked.

Final opinion: You mentioned this band having a bit of a Muse sound, and yeah I can kind of hear that (especially in the vocal lines of Revolt III, obviously), but also just as much if not more so other poppy, indie-ish, alternative rock bands from around the turn of century. Definitely some Radiohead in there as well at times. But it has its own identity and doesn’t sound quite like any of those bands. I like those bands a lot and was especially into them in my formative late teens, but they do have an angsty coldness to a lot of their sound, where these songs have more of a rich warmth. Both are great in different ways, but this vibe definitely works great for the melodic approach these guys use, and the effect is incredibly inviting.

Score: 8.5

 

Yep, those bands' influence is definitely in there, especially in Hagnesta Hill (the album Revolt III is from)...funnily enough, as we were discussing with Litho, Music Non Stop (covered my Mercenary) is from that same album. The Du & jag döden album leans more towards melancholy, and it's my favorite (of the ones I've heard). I can see how the Katatonia guys are fans...a tune like 400 slag, instrumentally, could almost pass for a lighter Katatonia song

Round 6 is ready, sending soon...

[lonestar]

Damn, thought I was gonna sneak in a winner with that one. Next submission, Japanese of course, is a bit more straightforward, let's see how it plays. As the old saying goes, just keep throwing stuff against the wall in hopes it'll stick.

Not a round winner but if Nainainai had been as great as the other songs it probably would have netted you another 0.2 maybe. Fun enough but definitely the weakest of the bunch.

That's my favorite of the bunch too  , that song has more groove than everything else I'm sending you combined.

After the roulette you may want to check out their first two albums, a bit less pop with more traditional instrumentation, but still has that AG quirkiness.

[LithoJazzoSphere]

Didn't Luke just send a whole album?

He only sent me 6 songs, that's nothing compared to the 10 songs he sent Litho.

To be fair, four of them are less than a minute long and calling some of them "songs" (one only 8 seconds long!) is being kind.   

Hey now, NOFX can write a mean 8 second song! Don’t diss them because they don’t conform to song length norms! I was actually tempted to send all their shortest songs (regardless of quality) and get over 20 songs for the submission. I ended up picking lots of my favourites that happen to be really short.

Also, results when? I notice you often post results shortly after results are posted in another roulette 

I haven't even posted comparisons yet, so they're still a bit out. 

I have lots of thoughts on NOFX (including song length), but you'll have to wait and see what they are in due time.