Board 8 > The Board 8 Song of the Week Club - Week 1

(+) Yeah! (+)

FWIW I will be posting on time this Tuesday but my participation after that will be uncertain, as I am traveling to Germany Thursday evening through the following Wednesday. I'll try to post when I'm around wifi, but I can't guarantee anything
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Seginustemple posted...

Okay, expectations subverted. Every piece of new information seemed more incongruous than the last - It's Steiner but he's recommending what is clearly a Good Charlotte song except it's actually a musical number by Cyndi Lauper about a struggling shoe factory owner and Patrick Stewart is playing the poop emoji. I didn't really enjoy it but I feel like I learned a lot.

it's tera actually

Caligula's Horse - Firelight

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNIP5LPuLHo
https://open.spotify.com/track/66RFqz3CpogpfSnhDiRe4o
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BROCKHAMPTON - SWEET

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBJd6vbjxYg

CherryCokes posted...

okay, I have settled on something.

Nick Hakim - Miss Chew

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdfLyYeNT8E

very smooth, sexy instrumentation on this. the hollow, spacey aesthetic makes for a relaxing listen. not my usual cup of tea, but still enjoyed it
6/10

MycroProcessor posted...

Anthony Burns - Innovation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZTSBtPKe3U

maybe im an unintelligent lower lifeform, but an 8 and a half minute instrumental is gonna bore me without fail. the music was.. fine. good, even. i just stopped caring about it after like 2 minutes.
2/10

mcflubbin posted...

Olga Bell - Zone

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puoLUP8Rgjo

woodblock didnt do it for me at first, but i started to like it the more i listened to it. sort of an off-kilter sound, but she makes it work. not amazing, but i can see " connect that shit on your own" popping up in my head throughout the week.
5.5/10

VeryInsane posted...

Hop Along - Waitress

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIPAEclVg-Y

Was super psyched to see them last year amongst a few other bands in a music festival but my friend had his ID expire so he couldn't go in and as the driver I didn't... want to just leave him alone in Philly. @_@ Oh well, at least I discovered them and a few others along the way so not all was lost!

Gotta dig up some new stuff I guess! Or at least pay attention to more that's playing around me haha

im inclined to agree with the top comment on that youtube video. ive never heard of Hop Along but holy shit the singer's vocals are fucking phenomenal. i like the subject matter, i feel like i dont hear a lot of music about cheating from a female, but maybe im just not looking hard enough. either way, super powerful song, and im definitely gonna check out more of this artist.
9/10

Drakeryn posted...

Snake5555555555 posted... (re: Kinky Boots)

I can dig on the pop punk style here but the lyrics and beat are beyond generic.

I kinda agree with this -- it seems like a very "safe" song -- but whatever, I liked it

people keep summarizing my exact thoughts before i can
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i hated we are alive at first but by the end i was into it

i hated sweet at first and by the middle i was watching the time to see how long was left
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more like song of the week chub am i right
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i know i have a song of the week chub
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yeah like a boner
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digiiiiiiiii posted...

Socalled - You Are Never Alone

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_QZNtflyJA

https://open.spotify.com/track/0KQITutAuJd8hlcFDuGcLY

definitely an interesting listen. i like the old-school hip-hop vibe this gives off and the singer had a nice voice.
7/10, good background music

Seginustemple posted...

Sex On Toast - Oh, Loretta!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DofDOKYOi7I

nice 80's homage. very fun and light piece of music, not something id usually listen to but i enjoyed it for what it was.
6/10

Steiner posted...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIdd8mJJMEc

basically exactly what snake said, but i dont mind the generic lyrics when the song is so fun to listen to and the vocalist is so talented
7.5/10

Shaduln posted...

Terravita - We Are Alive

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyB4IgB53Jg

https://open.spotify.com/track/5HSyK0suyEthXexsheMFpB

I will say the one thing I really don't like about this song is it uses "retarded" as an insult once. Just a forewarning.

dont really know what to say besides i just didnt care for this. i was alright with the laid back flow and delivery over the sax loop, but the dubstep just kinda killed it for me, and the lyrics didnt do much for me either.
3/10

Steiner posted...

Caligula's Horse - Firelight

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNIP5LPuLHo
https://open.spotify.com/track/66RFqz3CpogpfSnhDiRe4o

i feel like i was waiting for a bigger payoff than anything the song offered; it was like kinda teetering between the calm before the storm and the actual storm without ever tipping over. maybe i wanted some more intensity in the vocals, idk, but it felt like it was missing something to me. still a solid song tho
6/10

MysticBrohan posted...

i feel like i was waiting for a bigger payoff than anything the song offered; it was like kinda teetering between the calm before the storm and the actual storm without ever tipping over. maybe it wanted some more intensity in the vocals, idk, but it felt like it was missing something to me. still a solid song tho

yeah i kinda feel this upon listening back more today - picking it was a gut reaction to hearing it the first time and being like, "yeah i really like this" but then i listened to a lot of their other stuff today and there are much better payoffs in there. but this song really grabbed me on first listen as like, a sound and style that i liked, although the song may not be all there
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Week 1:
Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/user/steinershocker/playlist/4PPymr4o30yrgehBxUm8rE (missing: Anthony Burns - Innovation (MycroProcessor) -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZTSBtPKe3U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZTSBtPKe3U)

Snake5555555555: Gangstagrass - I Go Hard

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JovA1T98IdU
Bane_Of_Despair: Paramore - Told You So

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yw-RPm1uOM4

Cokes: Nick Hakim - Miss Chew

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdfLyYeNT8E
https://open.spotify.com/track/4krSiY1rYkVUjC73pOGWtM
MycroProcessor: Anthony Burns - Innovation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZTSBtPKe3U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZTSBtPKe3U

VeryInsane: Hop Along - Waitress

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIPAEclVg-Y
mcflubbin: Olga Bell - Zone

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puoLUP8Rgjo

digi: Socalled - You Are Never Alone

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_QZNtflyJA
https://open.spotify.com/track/0KQITutAuJd8hlcFDuGcLY
Seginustemple: Sex On Toast - Oh, Loretta!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DofDOKYOi7I

Terastodon: Kinky Boots - Step One

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIdd8mJJMEc
Shaduln: Terravita - We Are Alive

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyB4IgB53Jg

Steiner: Caligula's Horse - Firelight

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNIP5LPuLHo
MysticBrohan: BROCKHAMPTON - SWEET

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBJd6vbjxYg
https://open.spotify.com/track/2DgMxFMUQRPthW4ROhjen1
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Playlist of ALL Song of the Week songs: https://open.spotify.com/user/steinershocker/playlist/068e7pdVKSPQJ9NCJ7SB6J

(it's the same playlist right now but all future songs will be added to this as well as a weekly playlist)
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Steiner posted...

it's tera actually

Caligula's Horse - Firelight

This was so sick, the drums kept kicking in at all the right times and sounded so amazing. I like the soft metal vocals and the solo was pretty nice as well. I like music like this that teeters on the edge of chill and rocking.

MysticBrohan posted...

BROCKHAMPTON - SWEET

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBJd6vbjxYg

Some verses I really loved (McLennon's) and some I really hated (Merlyn's). Overall, it's an uneven package, but there's some good lines in there at least.
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Steiner posted...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNIP5LPuLHo

for the the first few seconds this sounded like a fleet foxes song lol. good song but not great.

Steiner posted...

https://open.spotify.com/track/2DgMxFMUQRPthW4ROhjen1

(the youtube link didn't work for me.)

the beat was awful. i didn't like the rapping. well, i kinda liked the second to last guy - he vaguely reminded me of aesop rock. but yeah, overall i thought this sucked.
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Ok here's some of my thoughts on each song, basically just little tidbits I wrote as I listened to each

I Go Hard- The flow is fine but lyrics are borderline laughable along with the twangy chorus

Miss Chew- dope, relaxing, interesting. Not much else to say but I dig it.

Zone- I will say I'm more drawn to the beat and production than her voice but she does do some things in it, chorus ends up being pretty catchy

Waitress- I really dig her voice, I get a vague Karen O Yeah Yeah Yeah vibe which is super cool.

You Are Never Alone- beat reminded me of Danny Brown's Lost for a second. I do think there's a bit too much going on. I appreciate what it's trying to do though.

Oh Loretta- super easy and fun to sing along to, just a fun song all around

Step One- the most Broadway of Broadway songs and it revels in it, so it works. I'm actually super curious to see how Brenden Urie does with this song since he took over the role for a bit.

We Are Alive- has a flow that isn't too shabby, drops are a little obnoxious but there's parts where it gets into it. Although the beginning of the end drop holds on to a part for just a bit too long before it changes it up. Lyrics aren't exactly great but kind of expected from the type of song it is.

Firelight- hey I'm very happy with the vocals here. That honestly would have been a make or break for it, the instrumentals are really good but without a voice to hold it all down and stand out it would have veered into inoffensive territory for me. Luckily the voice pulls it off, there's a few spots I would personally change the melody but man there's some really great sweet spots.

Sweet- I fuck with this, you really get a lot to choose from. Beat is great, all the different styles coming together works for me. I will be giving this further listens to dissect each verse.

Innovation- Alright so I know myself, and I know I wouldn't put this on casually to listen to. But I find it absolutely fascinating, especially coupled with the video. Like I 100% appreciate this song, even if it wouldn't get nearly the amount of playtime from me it deserves.
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finally it gets the respect it deserves

so uh, how does today work? can i just post my song ranking here?
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oh yeah. for future reference, feel free to get votes in any time after both saturday's songs are posted.

Oh, Loretta
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I'm in between like 3 songs to pick. But I'll go with my initial gut one


Firelight
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Waitress

Firelight > Kinky Boots > I Go Hard > Sweet >> We Are Alive > You Are Never Alone > Waitress > Oh, Loretta > Innovation > Told You So >> Zone > Miss Chew

I Go Hard versus Sweet is interesting because the songs are good at opposite things. Sweet, I like the actual rapping well enough, but everything else is meh. I Go Hard, the rapping feels wooden and lifeless, but I like the background bluegrass and the overall composition more
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You Are Never Alone
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Waitress

Really close between this and Firelight.
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my ranking will come either at halftime or after the Patriots game
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Die Patriots die
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Told You So

Innovation
Oh, Loretta!
You Are Never Alone
Firelight
Zone
We Are Alive
I Go Hard
Step One
Miss Chew
Sweet
Waitress
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Socalled - Pretty good, wasn't what I was expecting from a Jewish Cowboy at all. Not my favorite track but I have to admit it was solid. Music Video was pretty cute.

Oh Loretta - Super catchy chorus mix together with a solid jazz/funkish background and I really dig the sax in this song. Really good goofy throwback song and the music video was interesting!

Step One - Straightforward rock song, I feel like I may have to listen to the musical to really appreciate this song but it was decent, just didn't feel like it really stood out

We Are Alive - Felt like it was trying to do too much as an electronica song. Was liking it at first but then I don't really know how to feel afterwards.

Firelight - At first I thought you were trying to subvert me but then the music started to slowly pick up. The Instrumentation is really key but the guy's voice I couldn't really get into, especially as the music picked up as it seemed like the music started to overtake him.

Sweet - You rec'd these guys to me a few weeks ago! I really like this group but this track wasn't one of my favorites on the album (Tokyo is my jam though) and this was merely just a good rap song for me, but not one I was going "HOLY SHIT" about. JOBA was the highlight for me here.

I think I'm gonna go with Oh, Loretta just a good song IMO
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VeryInsane posted...

Tokyo is my jam though

god i was debating all week about whether i was gonna use tokyo or sweet. the way joba opens up that song, and the jazzy instrumental behind kevin on the hook are so good

Gangstagrass - I Go Hard
This mostly makes me want to watch Justified, but this isn't actually very good.

Paramore - Told You So
After Laughter is a pretty good album, but this song doesn't do much for me.

Anthony Burns - Innovation
Drummers should only drum, and occasionally sing. They should not compose.

Hop Along - Waitress
This is a great song, it's good that other people are being forced to listen to it.

Olga Bell - Zone
This just avoided being unpleasant to listen to by the smallest of margins.

Socalled - You Are Never Alone
This is solid. Reminds me of Daedalus.

Sex on Toast - Oh Loretta!
The groove is smooth, but there is this sort of insincere, disingenuous feeling to it that is a real turn off.

Kinky Boots Cast - Step One
I now fully understand why Brandon Urie was just the lead on Broadway.

Terravita - We Are Alive
Jesus that was terrible.

Caligula's Horse - Firelight
I would have expected a band with a name like that to not sound like a Christian band that knows how to use multiple time signatures.

Brockhampton - Sweet
This is fine, but I don't know why large swaths of the internet were making a big deal about Saturation II

1. Hop Along - Waitress
2. Socalled - You Are Never Alone
3. Paramore - Told You So
4. Brockhampton - Sweet
5. Sex on Toast - Oh Loretta!
6. Caligula's Horse - Firelight
7. Olga Bell - Zone
8. Kinky Boots Cast - Step One
10. Anthony Burns - Innovation
11. Terravita - We Are Alive
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CherryCokes posted...

Drummers should only drum, and occasionally sing. They should not compose.

wut
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The groove is smooth, but there is this sort of insincere, disingenuous feeling to it that is a real turn off.

When I watched the music video for this I thought it was super intentional
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Mr Lasastryke posted...

CherryCokes posted...

Drummers should only drum, and occasionally sing. They should not compose.

wut

Everything but the drumming was garbage
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VeryInsane posted...

The groove is smooth, but there is this sort of insincere, disingenuous feeling to it that is a real turn off.

When I watched the music video for this I thought it was super intentional

the music video only intensified the feeling for me. the song scans as parody without it, with it it seems even cornier.
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CherryCokes posted...

Everything but the drumming was garbage

even if that were not 100% false, there's plenty of drummers who compose great music. bill bruford, vinnie colaiuta, virgil donati, frank zappa...
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Waitress - Brohan, Snake, Cokes

Oh, Loretta - Steiner, VeryInsane
Firelight - Bane, Drakeryn

You Are Never Alone - mcflubbin
Told You So - Lasa
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Mr Lasastryke posted...

CherryCokes posted...

Everything but the drumming was garbage

even if that were not 100% false, there's plenty of drummers who compose great music. bill bruford, vinnie colaiuta, virgil donati, frank zappa...

no one calls Frank Zappa a drummer, much the same way that no one calls Prince a drummer.

Bruford is an exceptional drummer but I can't for the life of me think of a great song he wrote.

I have no idea who Virgil Donati is, so I'll leave that one out there

Colaiuta, as far as I'm aware, has never written anything beyond a drum part, though he has been on a million things, so I'm not sure what you're on about here
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Sex on Toast - Oh, Loretta! (Seg)

Very groovy, very weird and an excellent video to go with it. Just super solid all around.

Kinky Boots - Step One (Tera)

I've never seen it nor do I know what Kinky Boots is about so I'm not really getting much from this. The vocals are nice and all that, sounds it like it could be the opener for a season of Digimon lol

Terravita - We Are Alive (Shad)

I did not ask to be dubstepped. Why did you do this to me (song was good until then)

Caligula's Horse - Firelight (Steiner)

The video does this song a disservice because it's so corny and it makes this song come off way less cool than it actually is. So I stopped watching and just listened and I kinda love this. I've heard of this band before, but never listened, and I can totally see what you mean comparing them to Rishloo. Maybe like a more mainstream-sounding Rishloo sure, but similar in a lot of ways. I dig it. I'll be seeking out more.

BROCKHAMPTON - SWEET (Brohan)

There are a lot of Aesop Rock-like sensibilities with the rhyming scheme/song structure here and I like that. I dont have that many notes, it's just a good beat, good rapping, good lyrics. I like it.

final ranking:

11. Terravita - We Are Alive
10. Olga Bell - Zone
9. Gangstagrass - I Go Hard
8. Anthony Burns - Innovation
7. Kinky Boots - Step One
6. Paramore - Told You So
5. Nick Hakim - Miss Chew
4. Brockhampton - Sweet
3. Caligula's Horse - Firelight
2. Sex On Toast - Oh, Loretta!
1. Hop Along - Waitress

Also, I think each week I'm going to note if I would personally put my own song at the top of the list -- I legitimately believe and hope there are weeks where this isn't the case. But this week, since I picked such a personal favorite of mine, I'd put mine on top.
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CherryCokes posted...

no one calls Frank Zappa a drummer,

he literally started out as a drummer and there's plenty of officially released tracks where he drums, so...? just because "no one calls him a drummer" doesn't mean he wasn't one.

Bruford is an exceptional drummer but I can't for the life of me think of a great song he wrote.

all of the stuff he did with bruford (the band) and earthworks is pretty great. yes' five per cent for nothing is also a pretty decent tune (not great though).

Colaiuta, as far as I'm aware, has never written anything beyond a drum part, though he has been on a million things, so I'm not sure what you're on about here

i remember hearing a jazz fusion song on the radio that colaiuta wrote years ago. maybe i'm totally confusing him for someone else, though.
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Mr Lasastryke posted...

there's plenty of drummers who compose great music. bill bruford, vinnie colaiuta, virgil donati, frank zappa...

Don't forget Max Roach and Art Blakey!

Steiner posted...

Caligula's Horse - Firelight

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNIP5LPuLHo

I'm not in love with the song itself but man I really dig the texture they put together, the somewhat vulnerable voice and pinchy lead guitar over a space-rock foundation sounds great. It reminds me of Dredg but with a Satriani style guitarist who knows when to take a backseat.

MysticBrohan posted...

BROCKHAMPTON - SWEET

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBJd6vbjxYg

Too many cooks! The beat and chorus are alright but there's too many rappers here who don't enhance the track much. The second verse hits a lyrical peak, but the third guy fumbles it and the fourth and fifth can't save it. By the time the last guy was reminiscing about growing up listening to N*SYNC in a minivan and wanting to be JT I just wasn't feeling it anymore.

Told You So > Miss Chew > Zone > Firelight > You Are Never Alone > I Go Hard > Innovation > Waitress > We Are Alive > Step One > SWEET

Seginustemple posted...

Don't forget Max Roach and Art Blakey!

sure. obviously that wasn't an exhaustive list, just listed some drummers that came to mind instantly.
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oh yeah, i probably should've mentioned i also liked the caligula's horse guitarist. obviously the focus wasn't on him but he was good.
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