Song Contest 143 (Results posted!)

[Vi]

ugh
there are two songs I want to submit from the same artist, and I feel like I'm going to go with the one I enjoy less in the name of #winning

haven't decided yet tho

[Vi]

ugh
there are two songs I want to submit from the same artist, and I feel like I'm going to go with the one I enjoy less in the name of #winning

haven't decided yet tho

submit the better one because i, specifically, will notice if you don't

You might, actually.

that said NOPE #YOLO

[Vi]

also the song ends at like 8:15 so dont be perturbed by the extra stuff.

giving us something to look forward to

[Vi]

I'm going to step into this to say--
Speaking as the one person who confirmed that they listened to your "extras" in prior contests, why should I listen to these when you have such a spotty track record of voting in prior contests, including a no-show in the previous one? I listen to the entries submitted as a sign of respect for the people who entered them (and also because it's an integral part of the spirit of the contest). You do not do the same.

This is what actively cultivating a bad reputation looks like. I hope you come to terms with it while you're away.

[Vi]

VOTE: Salad

VOTE: Salad
boosting my sheeple score early

[Vi]

Anyone wanna listen to some Billie Eilish

I mean
I could lie and say I'd like it like that

[Vi]

What about people who plan to vote but don't submit songs? I get that it's different but it's kind of weird when people keep doing it.

[Vi]

(Now that's service!)

[Vi]

The entries in this contest are like a parade of excellent band and song names and I pre-emptively love it.

Stay tuned for the wails of the damned as I realize how mistaken this impression is.

I did a double-take when I saw one of the artists though. You know who you are (probably).

[Vi]

I promise that you'll hate mine, Vi

Normally I'd playfully suggest you'd hate mine more but this time I trust you.

I have a near infinite list of music to choose from as I regularly get about a hundred albums a year, and usually most from different bands. Lots of new bands I've never heard of.

Out of curiosity, why?

[Vi]

I've finished my first pass. I think this contest is slightly better than the last one but only because I'm gonna go full snowflake and give points to things everyone else is probably going to pass on.

uh cyril right now you're in line to get multiple points from me
make of that what you will

[Vi]

That Toad song is the banger we all needed.

would you, in fact, bang to that song

[Vi]

That Toad song is the banger we all needed.

would you, in fact, bang to that song

Happily.

Control questions:
*is there a song you would not bang to
*is there a song you would bang unhappily to

[Vi]

I've finished my second pass. I might move things around a little between now and when I actually vote depending on if I get pangs of guilt about my rankings, because while I tried to assign numerical rankings and order things properly my brain kept interrupting to ask why I hated it.

Spoiler: welp

|
|
===TIER: Way, way above the others

(12) Greenland -- Beta State {Timeless}

-- While this style isn't really me, it's up-tempo and mastered well (possibly just meaning loud; IDK). It grabbed me from the beginning and mostly held on. 4.6/6


===TIER: Look I think y'all deserve points

(10) Costa Rica -- of Montreal {We Will Commit Wolf Murder}

-- It feels like this song is doing its best to make something workable while disrespecting multiple standard techniques for not coming across as obnoxious. And yet... I don't hate this. I kind of unhate this. It's impressive like that. It's rated this highly because I find it engaging. 3.8/6

(8) Sealand -- Sirenia {Seti}

-- This is some early-mid-2000s video game vibe right here. It's too cliche to impress me and the melody synth is that early-mid-2000s kind of unnatural but at least I can listen to it, and in this contest that's where the bar is. 3.75/6

(7) Djibouti -- Jason Richardson & Luke Holland feat. Rick Graham {Hos Down}

-- This isn't my casual style either, but I acknowledge the musicianship (to such a degree that I feel like I'm cheapening it by only rating it here). The sudden country break was worth it (and by saying that I feel like I'm outing myself as someone who enjoyed The World's Most Unwanted Song). Since it's not my style, though, I feel I have to halfheartedly say it went on too long for my preference though. 3.7/6


===TIER: 10/10 it's ok

(6) Egypt -- Rina Sawayama {Cyber Stockholm Syndrome}

-- I feel like I'm not fashionable enough to understand this song. This is absolutely a song that other people will like, and I'm pretty sure this song will do well, but for my part I'm putting it this high because it's chill and I don't really hate it for any reason. Also I agree with the comment "petition to release on her vevo account and remaster the video". 3.6/6

(5) Croatia -- Damjan Mravunac {Virgo Serena}

-- This sure is an odd thing to submit to a song contest, but I'll still take it seriously. It's not something I'd want to listen to again, in part because it's honestly not that interesting, but at least it sounds good enough to not hate. I know if I give this points I'll murder my sheeple score and I'll deal with it; it wins head-to-head against the below because it feels soft. 3.5/6

(4) Chad -- The Deadly Syndrome {I Hope I Become A Ghost}

-- It sounds kind of decent. The vocals are ungood but at least the drum set is putting in work to make it feel like this isn't Song Contest hell. 3.46/6

(3) Liechenstein -- Sick Puppies {Odd One}

-- At least they're not Rabid Puppies? It's okay. Its message is reasonably well-executed. The sound's kind of unremarkable and it's too sappy to win ties. FEELAAAAAN and AAAAAAAAAAY are tiresome. 3.45/6


===TIER: Why is there still room to give points

(2) USA -- Ice Nine Kills {IT Is The End (ft. etc.)}

-- Clown growling is a genre, I suppose. It's so chaotic that it's hard to parse, and it kind of presupposes that you've already bought into the theme. It's well-made, although it's an open question if what was made was a good idea. This probably would have been better if it wasn't so dedicated to the whole post-hardcore thing and flipping between speaking and singing. Gets a score above white noise because I appreciate the use of saxophone. 3.15/6

(1) Iceland -- An Isolated Mind {Afraid of Dissonance}

-- Y'know, I kinda think I'm not surprised that you watch raocow.

But yeah I hated this from the first waveform

I'm trying to make any sense of this and turning up the volume doesn't bring the voice into any clearer definition. It's like listening to what the people in the next room over are blasting. It sounds okay, and while I feel like I should dislike it more it's so fuzzed that I can't bring myself to get worked up about it. Then it vanishes into white noise. It gets a rating that basically fits white noise. 3/6

Iran -- Saweetie {My Type}

-- Huh. Up until now I never considered that rhyme for "bigger". I'll do my best to forget about it by the time I finish this post. 2.8/6

San Marino -- Itchyworms {Beer}

-- I can't fault it for failing to deliver on the booze. 2.75/6

Turkey -- Eric Whitacre {Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine}

-- Okay, but

Eric Whitacre

? The guy who got band directors to think it would be a good idea to put a song called "Sleep" on their programs? The guy who composed Equus? I was around when October was a band meme... 2.45/6 or something, hard to rate but likely gets placed here due to head-to-head wins


===TIER: no plz

Hungary -- Ginuwine {Pony}

-- My entry feels attacked by your entry. :V 2.2/6

Spain -- Ambitious Lovers {Love Overlap}

-- 2.1/6

Comoros -- tricot {Potage}

-- 1.9/6

Australia -- Approachable Members of Your Local Community {Velcro}

-- 1.8/6

Ecuador -- Sub Urban {Cradles}

-- 1.7/6

Somalia -- Maylene and the Sons of Disaster {Memories of the Grove}

-- 1.45/6

Poland -- Two Gallants {Despite What You've Been Told}

-- 1.3/6


===TIER: you're welcome back but make sure you learn how to socialize while you're gone

Russia -- Toad {USSR Anthem}

-- Given the promise to not vote I refuse to rate vizIIsto's entry on principle, let alone put any effort into what I would rate it if I were going to. NA/6

Canada -- Brooks & Dunn {Boot Scootin' Boogie}

-- Y U P

This song is an iconic example of how this duo, Garth Brooks, and Randy Travis ran away with and remade the country genre in the early '90s. This song was legiterally so big that both me AND Amrun couldn't leave primary school without learning how to Boot Scoot. Apparently this was even true of some schools in Canada! Who says that schools don't teach our values? :^]

But this is actually a serious entry for a variety of reasons. This genre is basically unrepresented in Song Contests (that Brad Paisley entry doesn't count). It's short, up-tempo, and

very

catchy. It's winkingly self-aware of how extremely white it is (it ain't called "honky tonk" for no reason). But most importantly, Ronnie Dunn's voice is top-shelf, with all the crispness you could want and relatively little of the whine and twang that's customary to the genre.

I decided that y'all would rather listen to this than tear-in-my-beer, which is why I didn't go with my original choice, Neon Moon. I personally like it better, and it was still a close decision, but ultimately this contest isn't quite about what I want.

Remember: In Oklahoma and Texas, B&B doesn't stand for "bed and breakfast", it stands for "bar and brothel". Although if you squint hard enough after a few beers those are kind of the same.

Good YouTube comment:

I don't listen to this song often
But when I do
So do my neighbors

[Vi]

That Toad song is the banger we all needed.

would you, in fact, bang to that song

Happily.

Control questions:
*is there a song you would not bang to
*is there a song you would bang unhappily to

*No.
*Anything by Blood on the Dance Floor, since they are the worst musicians in the history of music. If you wanna even call them musicians.

Spoiler: with apologies

I wouldn't unironically like this because it's

very

insipid and manufactured... but it's so much so that it kind of swings back to better than mediocre IMO. :V

Can understand the turn-off though. It certainly doesn't have the bang-inspiringly triumphant Soviet grandeur that the Toad song does.

[Vi]

...I normally disagree with cyril....but his Iran commentary is spot on. This is straight like..early 00s late 90s southern beat. Like trick daddy or ying yang twins.

but is it your type

--

Eventually I’ll figure out why country singers sing with so much twang in their voice.

oh honey if you think

this

is twangy

butt rock

this is the first time I've heard this term and I can't wait to use it personally

I imagine "math rock" is similarly perjorative

[Vi]

I have an actual important question....is hoobastank buttrock?

I don't think so. I feel that this would reduce the definition of the term to "music I don't like where guitars are involved", which discounts the evocative aromatic and tactile buttness that should be emblematic of the genre.

[Vi]

I have an actual important question....is hoobastank buttrock?

Hoobastank slaps

...butt?

[Vi]

My rating spread kind of speaks for itself in that regard, but more importantly I'm glad more people (both new and familiar!) are joining in.

[Vi]

solid winner
glad some of you liked my entry
vi how did you know viz was russia?

I read the forum drama. I crave forum drama.

Damn though. This was not the contest I expected to be bottom 20% in.

[Vi]

Well, let's do the stats on this.

SHEEPLE

N
Formerfish
Vi
|
toolenduso
ceejayvinoya
|

- 3/4 sheeple

Looker
Plotinus
pickemgenius
Cyril
Panzerjager
Aurathebirb

- Midpoint (i.e. Keke)

Amrun
VashtaNeurotic
Saladman
Errantparabola
Rhinox
|

- 3/4 snowflake

|
Xtoxm
MiniDeathStar
Empire
|
Dr Easy Bake

SNOWFLAKE

Two of the top three people with their pulse on the community also tied for near-last. wig

---

W.R.T. reciprocity...

RHINOCROSSOVER -- VashtaNeurotic <-> Rhinox <-> ceejayvinoya
HIPSTER CLIQUE -- Empire <-> Errantparabola <-> Panzerjager
WHAT'S THE CHORUS EQUIVALENT TO BAND GEEKS AND ORCH DORKS -- Xtoxm <-> Amrun

[Vi]

I feel like im normally among the higher on the the sheeple side.

That means that I rank the songs closer to where they end up right?

Yeah, that's right. High sheep = your vote closely aligned with the final result (after reverting penalties).

which means that the result is more your fault than others'

[Vi]

I have worked personally with Whitacre and world premiered a piece of his at my professor’s funeral.

what

I would totally have given October one or two points in this contest.

Spoiler: The rest of my notes for your entry

This takes me back to my wind ensemble days, but... not really in a good way. Like it's not the kind of bad I remember from Incantation and Dance, or Chorale and Shaker Dance, or basically any band song with "Dance" in its name; but it doesn't feel like it goes anywhere. It's the musical equivalent of staring at a fire. I can't help but wonder how much of this song could have been cut, given that it feels like the whole point of the song is six and a half minutes in. At least it doesn't make my ears want to go on strike.

There is an orch/band song I've wanted to submit for a while now but I haven't been able to find a recording I'm satisfied with. 's the trouble with the genre after you've participated in it.