The Syndicate

Oh yeah I get you

Or just loud?

Soooooo..... I think it's gonna be Thursday after all. :\ Sorry for the confusion/disappointment, I know you guys are excited!

The wind category is really strong you guys <3

No no PM same as last time. So unfortunately it sounds like that's like 5 am for you, sorry

Dragon D. Luffy wrote: ↑Mon Oct 21, 2019 9:25 pm I would actually be okay with shorter, but more frequent sessions. Nutella's timezone is like 5 hours behind mine so I'll always miss the end if they are too long.

Good to know, I kind of worried about it going too long. Maybe I'll just do 4 and 5 this time, then 6-7 next time and finish with 8-10. Or some arrangement.

Wait actually Wednesday works better for me. Hope that's ok with you guys

Alright, I can be ready for Thursday 10/24 same time for rounds 4-6. Might shoot for 5:45 (8:45 eastern) since there are a few longer tracks and we have the Rythm bot now so I'll probably run live reveals in discord this time (means the songs will play for anyone who joins the audio channel, you'll be muted so it's just for listening and you can react in real time in the text chat). If you can be there to listen along, great, if not don't worry I'll be posting them here just like last time as well.

Yeah that sounds good to me, and if the winner isn't up for it, it can go down the list to whoever else wants to

Idk man, maybe same time as last week but can't confirm yet if I'll be ready

Awesome G, I'll check them out when I have a chance!!

To be fair to Tex, since I want to make sure that everyone is getting scored for what they intended me to hear, I have stuck this in:

***REVISION***
The video I found did not exactly match the version of the song Tex intended to submit, so I thought it would only be fair to re-evaluate. The correct version is here: https://vimeo.com/178893108
I appreciate the difference, and based on both my enjoyment of the song and perception of thematic fit, I am retroactively re-scoring this submission to 7.5, making it tied with sprityo's submission in 7th place and surpassing TH's by a hair.

This has affected the current standings, nudging Tex a hair above iaafr.

Oh interesting. I assumed it was the same, it's too bad there had to be a discrepancy there :/ I'll try to find it!

Standings through Round 3

I don't care if Epi is offended.

I hope speed isn't offended that I thought his entry was Epi's.

1st Place



Gentle Giant - So Sincere

Oh man this is delightfully weird. (Hard Epi read if that even needs to be said.) It's musically goofy and lyrically perplexing. Definitely somewhere between an acid trip, a disjointed dream, and a riddle. I'm really not sure what this is supposed to be, and that's kind of exactly what this cat was going for.

9.4

Submitted by: speedchuck

2nd Place



Radiohead - Lotus Flower

This is Sloonei right? Lol. I'm onto you guys. Anyway, this is another case where I'm intimately familiar with the artist and the particular song so it's a little hard to evaluate fairly, but it definitely works and I definitely love it. The percussion/rhythms on this album are some of the most engaging of all time, and this is the kind of music that no matter how many times I've heard it I just want to close my eyes and let it envelop my brain in its soothing embrace. Damn near perfection.

9.3


Submitted by: Sloonei

3rd Place



Wolfgore Show - When does a dream become a nightmare?

....Uhhhhhh. What on earth is this lmao hahahahhahaha this is so bizarre and unsettling
Welp, that answered the prompt quite literally and effectively. Jesus. O_O
I feel like I've at least seen/heard part of this before and relegated it to some dark corner of my memory lol (I definitely remember "whipped cream pouring like waterfalls!" -- yeaaahhh this is a classic meme isn't it heh). It absolutely appeals to my sense of humor and category-wise I really can't deny that this sub is right on.

9.0


Submitted by: iaafr

Top 3: iaafr, Sloonei, speedchuck

4th Place


(vimeo embed doesn't work for me, here is the link https://vimeo.com/281945476)

James McAlister, Sufjan Stevens, Nico Muhly, Bryce Dessner - Jupiter

Ooooh this is a pleasant surprise. I absolutely LOVE Planetarium, and this is my favorite track from it (Neptune is up there but this one wins out). Never seen it with this video though, and it is totally awesome -- syncs up very well. And I've never actually seen 2001 but this is making me want to. Damn this is epic. Did I mention I love this song a lot?? Musical perfection. I think it falls just a little bit short on cat fit, but my heart says to give this a high score for beauty.

8.9


Submitted by: Keldeo

5th Place



XTC - Grass

Ahh this is one of those albums I should go back and relisten to more. Also gonna go ahead and guess this is Jay's submission. Definitely gives me a good vibe, evocative of memories of being high on a nice day outside in college. Very pleasant, maybe lacking in the "weird" factor I was sort of going for in the prompt but I can't really fault that since it fits in its own way.

8.4


Submitted by: JaggedJimmyJay

I had pegged a different submission as Epi's. My first incorrect guess.

6th Place



Outkast - SpottieOttieDopaliscious

Oh yeah I can chill to this. The beat, the horns! I can definitely get lost in that. It's not really my genre and I feel like it carries nostalgia for a time and culture that I have little to no connection to/can't entirely appreciate, but musically I really dig it.

7.8


Submitted by: Epignosis

7th Place



Homestuck Soundtrack - Oppa Toby Style

Well, nice to know one person has a gimmick going, hahaha. Honestly I feel like this could have fit cat 1, and maybe the corresponding cat 1 sub could have swapped with it here. But this works here as well in a sense; my main descriptor would be "frenetic." Fast-paced chaos. Disorientingly, overwhelmingly fast and all over the place, which can definitely fit this prompt. It's almost like an anxiety attack put into musical terms.

7.5


Submitted by: sprityo

Epignosis wrote: ↑Thu Oct 17, 2019 11:03 pm Miley Cyrus is hard pass. I gave that 30 seconds. Oof.

To be entirely fair the first bit is not really representative of the song as a whole. Try a bit in the middle. But it still won't be your cup of tea.

Our first round medalists have flipped to the bottom three here! Fascinating.

8th Place



Miley Cyrus ft. Sarah Barthel - Slab of Butter (Scorpion)

Is this what Miley sounds like these days?? Iiinteresting. And... not bad. I can dig this. The sci-fi-ish sound effects and some of the lyrics make it okay for the theme. Not a slam dunk, but surprisingly decent.

7.4

Submitted by: Turnip Head

Turnip Head wrote: ↑Thu Oct 17, 2019 10:55 pm I'm disappointed that nutella didn't get high for this category lol

heh, fair enough.

9th Place



Grimes - REALiTi

Video was blocked for me so I found a working one here


Never listened much to Grimes, so this was interesting. I liked it, pretty catchy and her video was fun. Not feeling the category fit that strongly, if anything it's more on the dream side than the drugs side but that's fine. Overall this is a decent track that unfortunately doesn't stand out a ton in my head.

7.2


Submitted by: Texas Cloverleaf


***REVISION***
The video I found did not exactly match the version of the song Tex intended to submit, so I thought it would only be fair to re-evaluate. The correct version is here: https://vimeo.com/178893108
I appreciate the difference, and based on both my enjoyment of the song and perception of thematic fit, I am retroactively re-scoring this submission to 7.5, making it tied with sprityo's submission in 7th place and surpassing TH's by a hair.

10th Place



Gorillaz - Andromeda

This is a bit.... samey, idk. I feel like nothing I've heard from Gorillaz has ever stood out in any real way. Like, it's got a nice beat but it doesn't really go anywhere, it's just predictable. Maybe it would be less boring if I were high. Sorry, but I don't really get much from this.

5.8

Submitted by: Dragon D. Luffy

ROUND THREE

3. The Lotus-Eaters - Psychedelia baby. Gimme something that will make me feel like I'm high or dreaming or both. Can be anything from chaotic, trippy electronica to peaceful New Agey shit.

I haven't even started on the later categories haha. I'll probably do another batch of three in a week or two and the last four another week or so after that. Will let you know when I decide on a time.

1st Place, Part 2



Ewert and the Two Dragons - Sailor Man

Ooooooh I have a passing familiarity with this band because they're apparently really good friends with The Family Crest. Love their sound. This song has a really uplifting, inspirational feel to it in the way the chorus builds. Also love the drum/instrumental interlude.

9.7


Submitted by: Keldeo

Epignosis wrote: ↑Thu Oct 17, 2019 10:42 pm Is this going to continue throughout? Should I call out of work?

Eh? I'm just doing through category 3 tonight if that answers your question.

Epignosis wrote: ↑Thu Oct 17, 2019 10:39 pm "The Whaler" = Dope.

Yeah. Notice how very close the points are -- I actually originally had it in first but the top three were just all so close I had to make a call, sorry TH. Absolutely adore it.

Epignosis wrote: ↑Thu Oct 17, 2019 10:37 pm No Mariner's Revenge Song? Boo!

Was almost one of my examples anyway

1st Place, Part 1

http://donottouch.org/
^website very worth checking out, here is a youtube for the thread though



Light Light - Kilo

Oh this is very cool. The site is like a collaborative music video in which the viewers use their cursors to make collective shapes and stuff. Very unique experience; I'm a sucker for innovative music videos. And the song is really good!! Very strong thematically and I am really into the catchy tune. Excellent pick.

9.7


Submitted by: Dragon D. Luffy

3rd Place



Thrice - The Whaler

Ooooooh baby this is that deep dark emotional stuff I didn't even realize I was so looking forward to. The piano and soft beat immediately felt simultaneously soothing and ominous -- just like the ocean. Coupled with the emotionally devastating lyrics and harmonized "ahh"s, this is absolutely gorgeous. This is the kind of indie bread and butter I thrive on. Love it.

9.6

Submitted by: Turnip Head

^Oh wow that's wild hahaha

Top 3: Dragon D. Luffy, Keldeo, Turnip Head

.....Dat consistency tho

4th Place



Procol Harum - A Salty Dog

This has Epi written all over it lol. I only know Procol Harum from that one Bach-y song they did that everyone knows, and this has a similar style with the lovely strings and the drums. It's nice, and yet somehow still sounds dated to my generationally-challenged ears. Maybe it's just the singer's voice, but I think the cinematic nature of it has a part as well. Thematically/lyrically this is obviously a winner, and musically it's very well put together.

9.0


Submitted by: Epignosis

5th Place



Camel - The Hour Candle (A Song for My Father)

This is gorgeous, and I'm unfamiliar but found a description of the concept album this is taken from and it sounds like a really moving story told through music that I'll have to check out. The proggy "jam" aspect of this track doesn't necessarily resonate that strongly with me, but parts of it are amazing. I suspect it would have more impact in context.

8.6


Submitted by: JaggedJimmyJay

6th Place



Homestuck Soundtrack - Pumpkin Party in Sea Hitler's Water Apocalypse

More hamsteaks!! Lmao that title wut. I don't have much context for this and don't really know what the mood is supposed to be, but I can get a piratey vibe -- it's definitely drawing on some various European folksy influences, like Celtic fiddle and maybe a bit of klezmer in there. I dig it.

8.0


Submitted by: sprityo

7th Place



Ayreon - Into the Ocean

Speedchuck I am *onto* you lol. Overall I was pleased by the genre diversity in this category, and not surprised at all that some of the cheesiness carried over from the first one -- in fact I'm maybe surprised there wasn't more, given the "epicness" of the open sea This definitely works, but doesn't stand out a whole lot. Having listened to some of Ayreon's albums I get the impression that a lot of his stuff just all kinda sounds the same. He has a gimmick and sticks with it. The lyrics are evocative and clearly part of his expansive sci-fi mythos. The music just doesn't do much for me.

7.5


Submitted by: speedchuck

8th Place



Banjo-Kazooie Soundtrack - Treasure Trove Cove

Ahahahaha. This is great. Not really what I was expecting for this category and I feel kind of trolled but in such a good way. Makes me want to lounge on a bright blue pixelated beach sipping a mai-tai out of a coconut. The awful synthesized approximation of a steel drum is so beautifully painful and so crisp. Certainly not evocative of a dangerous voyage over Poseidon's raging seas, but hey it was a loose prompt and this made me smile.

7.3


Submitted by: iaafr

Dragon D. Luffy wrote: ↑Thu Oct 17, 2019 10:07 pm Trying to post things nutella doesn't know when nutella has the same taste as you was not a good plan.

I do fear I wasn't as true to the "originality points" thing as I should have been since I ended up giving some pretty good scores to songs I am familiar with. I tried to be fair about it and balance it with thematic strength but it's hard to eliminate bias

9th Place



Mark Knopfler & James Taylor - Sailing to Philadelphia

Ooooh we got some straight up folksy Americana here. I have mixed feelings about these guys (I have a weird thing about Taylor's voice in particular but whatever) but in any case this is a really pretty tune with polished vocals and interesting historical lyrics. It's fairly light on the sea theme and not that musically interesting, but I find it a nice enough listen.

6.8


Submitted by: Texas Cloverleaf

Dragon D. Luffy wrote: ↑Thu Oct 17, 2019 10:04 pm Nutella apprently dislikes background music and I'm feeling uncomfortable because I posted like 3-4 lyric-less songs.

Lyricless definitely doesn't equal background. Instrumental music can be really exciting. It's just more background if it doesn't really go anywhere.