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Last Active 12-09-22 12:08 am
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| Umbrella Contest 2021 Round 7: Handmade Umbrella
2 are out and 14 are still in! | | 1 |  | Beltaine
Rockhill
1.Link a song via YouTube, Spotify, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, DailyMotion, Vimeo... or whatever you like as long as I don't have to download something.
2. The theme this round is Traditional/Cultural. A song that is neither classical, experimental, or pop, even by vague definitions. I want the kind of music some white dude thinks would sound good mixed into a world music project, but I don't want HIS project, I want the real stuff.
3. Aim to impress me with what you pick, since I'm rating these.
4. If I know the song already, I'll tell you to pick something new, otherwise, you're good.
5. I'm going to start each new round every Sunday night (EST,) so if you're late, you're out. My 1-2 least favorite recs will be eliminated each round (1 if we don't get a lot of people and 2 if we do.)
***The winner of the competition can recommend me whatever 2 albums they want and I'll listen to them no matter the album as long as it's not impossible to find and as long as neither exceeds 3 hours.*** | | 2 |  | Anais Mitchell
Hadestown
Sinternet
“Wait for Me”
Rapping and strings, hmmm. I don’t really like this guy’s singing voice for some reason. Very sparse instrumentation. Now that the backups are going at it, it’s getting better, and cool solo. This isn’t bad at all, but I don’t see myself ever returning to this.
3.4/5 (Passed to next round) | | 3 |  | Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds
The Good Son
Pangea
“The Good Son”
Very bluesy. Queer plans? Oh, murder! Nice incorporation of guitar, this is an epic story haha. Songs like this make me wonder why I haven’t heard an entire Nick Cave album. Everything here is awesome, the instrumentation, the vocals, the story. Had to read up on the lyrics on and apparently this referencing Cain killing Abel. The refrain really hammers it all in. Was there ever a dark cabaret musical? There should be, it sounds like it’d be fun.
4.4/5 (Passed to next round) | | 4 |  | Shiina Ringo
Shouso Strip
JohnnyoftheWell
“Honnou”
Jazzy, but the vocals are very distorted. The bass is great! Her voice is very early 2000s pop star, even in Japanese, which I’m neutral about.. Drums are catchy and the strings add a lot of atmosphere. Arty pop music done right for sure. Is it very theatrical? Eh not really. But even with a point off this passes so, why bother deciding if it does or not?
3.9/5 (or 2.9, doesn’t matter) (Passed to next round) | | 5 |  | Oingo Boingo
Forbidden Zone
SlothcoreSam
“Queen's Revenge”
This is camp as hell off the bat. Nice woodwinds and twinkles. Weird vocals, but I’m feeling it. Is this technically a polka, because it feels like it is. Or klezmer? The lead sounds like she inhaled a ton of helium. This song is very overwhelming. I like this in a way, but I also need to take a death breath after hearing it.
3.7/5 (Passed to next round) | | 6 |  | Soundtrack (Film)
Hedwig And The Angry Inch
Minushuman24
“Wig in a Box”
Emotional piano and vocals. Glam rock flairs as the song bigs, feels like it’s heading for a big explosion of passion. Very Ziggy Stardust. A sing along section? That’s cute. This seems like a good movie. Not much else to say since it’s mainly a modern take on Bowie, but the trans lyrics are a pretty good addition to the song fleshing out the gender fluidity of the glam rock scene.
4/5 (Passed to next round) | | 7 |  | BUCK-TICK
13-kai wa Gekkou
Aberf
“Doll”
Shreddy guitar. Would you guys kill me if I said this reminded me of the MCR Balck Parade BS, just with less shouting? Okay, okay, with better guitar too, but like the overall vibe/essence/vocals of it all is similar. Don’t even tell me scene kids wouldn’t like this. I never had a scene phase. This is only considered gothic? I’ll take the Nick Cave brand goth over this 1,000 times over.
1.9/5 (ELIMINATED!) | | 8 |  | Nina Simone
I Put a Spell on You
Trifolium
“Marriage Is for Old Folks”
Upbeat and jazzy. Nina’s voice is so unique, yet so gorgeous. Cheeky and with lush strings. This sounds like it’s from a musical where a stubborn girl ends up falling in love with a handsome newcomer to her small country town. She has so much flair. I easily can imagine the campy dialogue that would lead into this number with her friend character being like “oh but don’t you want to get married soon? Marriage is amazing!” and then she’s like [cues song.] Yeah, this is fantastic.
5/5 (ROUND WINNER! handicap (for others) of +0.5 for the next round) | | 9 |  | Leonard Bernstein
On the Town
Zig
“I Can Cook, Too”
Weird horn intro. This is a very “classic” sounding musical number. So she’s bragging about herself in an attempt to impress a love interest? This is goofy as all hell, but the lyrics are so 50s housewife that it feels more dated than other songs from that decade. The clarinet is cool. Clarinet is a very underutilized instrument in pop honestly. Not terrible, but I don’t think it’s anything special.
3.2/5 (Passed to next round) | | 10 |  | Michel Legrand
The Young Girls of Rochefort OST
protokute
"Chanson Des Jumelles"
No idea what these ladies are saying, but it sounds very upbeat and the background music is very fast and mixed very quietly compared to the vocals. The vocals are pretty, but I wish the musical backing was mixed a little higher, like the vocals would still be nowhere near drowned if the music was a bit louder. Jazzy flares, fast thumpy bass and drums. Nice a little talking section at the end of the number, very immersive I think? One of them is now plucking a banjo, but I certainly can’t hear any banjo. Maybe it’s better in the film’s context, but I don’t feel this one at all.
3/5 (+.5 for winning last round) = 3.5/5 (Passed to next round) | | 11 |  | Lin-Manuel Miranda
Hamilton - Original Broadway Cast
Bgillesp
“Wait for it”
Clapping, piano, and R&B vocals. Kinda bland so far. There’s a pickup, but I’m still bored. It’s like I’m listening to a 2005 Top 40 radio ballad, but it’s about Aaron Burr instead of just being generically inspiring. Is it weird I kind of wish you gave me one of the rapped songs from Hamilton instead?
2.5/5 (Passed to next round) | | 12 |  | Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
Album
Botulist
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis & Shilpa Ray - Son of Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs & Chanteys
“Pirate Jenny”
More Nick Cave! This lady sounds drunk and that accordian is very droney. This song needs more going on, this accordion isn’t very enjoyable, and the violin isn’t really doing anything for me either. What a slog. I hope the original isn’t this bland.
2.4/5 (Passed to next round) | | 13 | | Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
Album
normaloctagon
Dajaé
“U Got Me Up (Cajmere's Underground Goodies Mix)”
More house music, what a surprise. Clapping and old jazz samples (not ragtime like you said, but like original 20s jazz,) but no lyrics. I’m trying to imagine this being adapted into a musical number, but cannot. Don’t get me wrong, this is a fun song. The percussion and the jazz sample are cool, but 20s jazz by itself would never make me think of a show tune, especially not as an instrumental. I think more speakeasies, flappers, and lawn parties with that.
3.2/5 (-1 for not following the theme) = 2.2/5 (Passed to next round) | | 14 |  | Andrew Lloyd Webber
Jesus Christ Superstar: Original Cast
Ryus
“Everything’s Alright”
Pretty voice and nice bass. The backups are cool, and the male vocalist is very passionate. I like the refrain and the overall vibe. There’s the strings again, never a bad choice. A set up early act number looking at the soundtrack, before they want to kill Jesus. Cool stuff.
3.8/5 (Passed to next round) | | 15 | | Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
Album
garas
Hungarian State Opera Orchestra
“III. Koppány vezér: Szállj fel, szabad madár!”
Very riffy intro. Times like these make me wish I spoke Hungarian. This is from a rock opera, so I assume these lyrics are narrative. There’s some chorus singing. This deff is theatery in a “macho” rocky way. Outside of the vocals, the music is kinda basic 70s hard rock, and I can’t say the bass or drums are doing much, it’s all about that guitar. It was good, but nothing more.
3/5 (Passed to next round) | | 16 |  | Get Well Soon
The Horror
someone
“Martyrs”
Cool percussion and there’s twinkling, okay. This is kinda boring honestly, the vocals, the instrumentation, and progressions are just backgroundish to me. Does that make this not very musical theater then, because it’s so low-key and uncampy?
2.8/5 (-1 for not following the theme) = 1.8/5 (ELIMINATED!) | | 17 |  | Soundtrack (Theatre)
Chess
"One Night In Bangkok"
I guess members of ABBA did help make musical theater beyond jukebox shows. Well the bass is cool, but the synths are lame. Dumb pun lyrics, but they're harmless. I don't like this, but it's got some good attributes like the bass and the backups.
2.8/5 (Passed to the next round)
BONUS, because I accidentally listened to this first:
"Lady Day" by Lou Reed (from Berlin)
Crashing intro. I like the piano. Is this about Billie Holiday? I know her nickname is Lady Day. Man, I need to get around to Lou’s solo career, everything I hear from Transformer and Berlin is always cool. I could easily see this being from a… oh it is from a rock opera! Cool, I can’t wait to get around to Berlin, this is some primo glam rock theatery fun.
4.6/5 (should've stuck with this one) | |
ArsMoriendi
08.22.21 | Before someone says this theme is too specific: it's literally existed for over a thousand years, it's the broadest theme lol | JohnnyoftheWell
08.22.21 | SOMEONE, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
was convinced it was gonna be norma as I scrolled down, but what a brutal last minute twist | JohnnyoftheWell
08.22.21 | "A song that is neither classical, experimental, or pop, even by vague definitions"
whut? I ～think I get the rest of your point, but how is what you're describing mutually exclusive from both classical and "experimental" music? | ArsMoriendi
08.22.21 | Polka
Chinese folk music
African African Spiritals
Native American Folk Music
Celtic folk music (not Celtic folk rock don't even try)
TBH pick a culture and find their traditional work from 150 years ago until it sounds good is what I mean
"classical and "experimental" music?"
I guess what I mean is I don't want what the aristocrats of the era prefered, I want the traditional everyman music of a culture | JohnnyoftheWell
08.22.21 | Does it have to be an old recording or are contemporary rerecordings of old pieces okay or are contemporary pieces in a traditional "genre" also okay?
or are all three okay? | Pangea
08.22.21 | definitely consider checking some nick cave stuff ars. i think most of his 80s and 90s stuff atleast would appeal to you
this will be a tough round hmm. i feel like i don't listen to a whole lot pure traditional music | ArsMoriendi
08.22.21 | @johnny: All 3 are okay, but let's just say if it has a synth, or an electric guitar, or something that isn't associated with an old traditional culture, it's not a good choice
Acoustic is fine depending on what culture you draw from, I mean Celtic folk and flamenco have plenty of guitar right? | JohnnyoftheWell
08.22.21 | okay, sounds good! lemme comb my klezmer archive | SlothcoreSam
08.22.21 | If you thought you needed to take a deep breath after that Oingo Boingo song, you should check the whole album, it's fucking crazy.
I'm thinking of some traditional Tuvan throat singing for this round
Just going through my Huun-Huur Tu collection | fogza
08.22.21 | Hmmm, I think it's probably gonna be easy to fall foul of the rules on this one as liner notes aren't always so great on these type of recordings. Anyway, I'm gonna take a chance on this:
Amadou N'Diaye Samb - Niani
(Senegalese Griot Music)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oxO6jvfo9A | fogza
08.22.21 | "should've stuck with this one"
probably, but i have a soft spot for Chess lol. | garas
08.22.21 | That Beltaine album in the description box is a real beauty. | Pangea
08.22.21 | not sure if this will be my final pick, but ars could check if this fits the theme?
Myrkur - Harpens Kraft https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZFV0e7SRh8 | garas
08.22.21 | Ah damn, already a Myrkur rec! Excellent choice, Pangea. | ArsMoriendi
08.22.21 | @fogza: that's exactly what I'm asking for based on a skim, you're all good
@pangea: assuming that's traditional Celtic folk, this works perfectly
EDIT: google says it's traditional Scandinavian folk, cool, that's also fine of course | JohnnyoftheWell
08.22.21 | for now, Naftule Brandwein - Kallarash (added to database hooray)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxFfUvJlGpQ
klezmer clarinet superboi | ArsMoriendi
08.22.21 | @Johnny: your link is unavailable in the USA
Is this link correct: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxFfUvJlGpQ | JohnnyoftheWell
08.22.21 | yep, that's the boi! | someone
08.22.21 | meh | bgillesp
08.22.21 | Would original 1920s Americana/folk/blues precursor stuff count? | ArsMoriendi
08.22.21 | Like Robert Johnson and Blind Willie McTell type stuff?
That's very on the line, so I'm just gonna say no to make things simple | fogza
08.22.21 | Cool, sorted. Oh and Ars, if you're.going.to listen to Berlin, don't go in expecting campy fun, the record is a major downer. But good. Coney Island Baby is amazing too btw | Minushuman24
08.22.21 | What about say... Aboriginal modern folk | Minushuman24
08.22.21 | Also, yeah, Hedwig is a fantastic movie | ArsMoriendi
08.22.21 | "Aboriginal modern folk"
Depends... it shouldn't have modern pop/rock/indie etc elements | bgillesp
08.22.21 | I was thinking Cannon’s Jug Stompers but I’ll keep looking. Gus Cannon was the man | Divaman
08.22.21 | I'm just here for the free donuts. | bgillesp
08.22.21 | I got it now. I’ll go with something from Zabelle Panosian but I’ll need to relisten to pick what.
[edit] It’s Armenian folk music recorded in 1917. That has to work right?
https://youtu.be/hach3FFkv5M | ArsMoriendi
08.22.21 | @norma: I'm not looking for "world music" in a "Peter Gabriel decided to mix modern pop with some African folk influence" way, I'm looking for real traditional folk music
@bgillesp: yeah that easily works | Aberf
08.22.21 | I rest my case from the last thread. | ArsMoriendi
08.23.21 | @norma: tbh what you picked is so off that it's closer to Peter Gabriel than it is to the correct type of music I'm asking for.
Both house and the jazz it's sampling are genres that don't count, if you wanna pick -Afro-Cuban traditional music try Rumba :P | ArsMoriendi
08.23.21 | "It ain’t house music"
RYM has it listed as deep house first, it sounds like house music, and Joe Claussell is a house artist, you're just trollin' now... and also you submitted something, so even with the points off it's still a submission soooo you'll see my comment on it Sunday ;) | JohnnyoftheWell
08.23.21 | rym sez | ArsMoriendi
08.23.21 | I mean I also used my own ears | ArsMoriendi
08.23.21 | Why | Divaman
08.23.21 | What song did you listen to from Chess? | ArsMoriendi
08.23.21 | One Night In Bangkok, whoops forgot to list it haha | JohnnyoftheWell
08.23.21 | norma track is p cool but yh i'm not feeling house outside of the beat. similar deal to st germain where you *could* call it house but it'd feel like a weirdly specific choice idk
also, re. "I want the kind of music some white dude thinks would sound good mixed into a world music project, but I don't want HIS project, I want the real stuff."
not to imply that you are this hypothetical white guy with an added fixation on the past sounding old BUT what is your view on reducing centuries of distinct cultural heritages and idiosyncratic traditions to a smorgasbord of no context one-stop jukebox entries defined as eligible on somewhat cursive grounds of arrangement purism without specific research into what defines the traits and techniques of the traditions in question, all of which will be graded first and foremost according to your own personal whims having been snatched up on potentially similar superficial grounds on our part?
don't get me wrong, i think this one of the best themes yet and am v glad it's happening; this is simply the ritual a question you have to arbitrarily be asked and answer at some point in advance for the round to be kosher (ha cultural appropriation geddit) | ArsMoriendi
08.23.21 | Good questions
To address your first: I'd say what separates me from my world music strawman example is that I place European folk music on the same level as all other types (I hate the term "world music" if you couldn't tell and find it Eurocentric, since it often leaves out Euro trad folk as if it's not the same as other trad folk, especially Northern European trad Folk styles.)
Reducing this all to one theme is basically the point of the umbrella comp, but I will agree that this theme is relatively weird since it's basically the broadest by far. I chose this theme because I was disappointed that in both Umbrella comps of the past, when we had a folk theme, people only ever chose Western Contemporary folk styles (indie folk, psych folk, neo-folk, folk rock, etc.) even when I mentioned that all folk would be allowed.
There's also the argument that due to the globalization of the 1900s and the invention of recorded sound in 1877, that modern music has advanced and compartmentalized exponentially. Think about it: all music you've heard EVER, even if the sheet music was written in 1536, is no older than 1877. The oldest traditions still had to be filtered through an 1877-or-later lens.
I guess I want this theme to really explore that pre-pop, pre-jazz, pre-recorded sound era as best as it can and I don't know how else I'd codify it without breaking it down into overly-specific groups or forcing classical to be allowed. My rules this theme mostly exist to disqualify advancements made within the recorded sound era I guess | JohnnyoftheWell
08.23.21 | Nice nice, I can vibe all that
"I was disappointed that in both Umbrella comps of the past, when we had a folk theme, people only ever chose Western Contemporary folk styles"
especially this. Plunder on! | Zig
08.23.21 | Carlos Paredes - Canção verdes anos
https://youtu.be/50AA_Aln6P8
An example of Portuguese folk (or Fado, in this case instrumental), a genre with 1820s origins, known to be played with the Portuguese guitar, an instrument invented in c. 1750. | SlothcoreSam
08.23.21 | K, I'm going to be that white dude that thinks this would sound good in a world music project. Gonna lock in.
Huun-Huur Tu - Chiraa Khoor off the album The Orphan's Lament.
I saw these guys in 2007,and it's still in my top 5 live experiences of all time. The video is a live performance, which is a must to experience the wonders of Tuvan throat singers.
https://youtu.be/-bDntRWfL70
Is this traditional enough for you Arse? | Trifolium
08.23.21 | Yippee Ars!!!!!!!! That Nina tune is indeed totally amazing and I get it stuck into my head always. Just so good. Super glad you liked it and Nina is the best, never forget.
Now for this one, love it, good theme, let's think for a second. | garas
08.23.21 | "I Riden SĂĄ" by Gjallarhorn. (Are you proud of me, budgie?) Swedish folk, also sung on an archaic dialect (Fenno-Swedish I think). Gorgeous album, gorgeus song.
https://youtu.be/MPR56PXiLqY
I could drop lots of cool neo-folk stuff, but since you wanted some "close to the roots" type of music, here it is! | Trifolium
08.23.21 | Why twice hello hello!!! | ArsMoriendi
08.24.21 | All of these work well except norma's :P keep it up guys | ArsMoriendi
08.26.21 | Stilling waiting on:
1.Minushuman24
2.Ryus
3.Trifolium
4.protokute
5.botulist
6.Sinternet | Ryus
08.26.21 | victor uwaifo - osalobua rekpama
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sjjSAGUQlU | ArsMoriendi
08.26.21 | Sorry Ryus, Highlife music has too much influence from American jazz, which isn't traditional African Folk, so if you stick with that, you'll lose points for not following theme
Try to think of music that doesn't have influence from modern genres | Ryus
08.26.21 | hecc thought that might be the case lol
aight ill be back | Ryus
08.26.21 | oidupaa vladimir oiun - how the shadow is clear
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UHt7kpRaww
the throat singing king | ArsMoriendi
08.27.21 | Skimmed it and yeah that's perfect | Trifolium
08.27.21 | Oumou Sangaré - Kayini Wura (from Ko Sira)
https://youtu.be/ivZgAL7IoJI
Love her voice, always with the perfect accompaniment of her background singers and her band. Mesmerizing. Hope you haven't heard this one yet! | ArsMoriendi
08.27.21 | Nice
Only missing 4 people now | Trifolium
08.27.21 | HYPE! | Divaman
08.27.21 | I don't know what my pick would have been, but it would have been something Irish. | ArsMoriendi
08.28.21 | All of these later minute people, hope there’s are good | Sinternet
08.28.21 | ali hassan kuban - habibi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=encjtyifDUE | ArsMoriendi
08.28.21 | Too modern-sounding to not lose a point
Electric bass, keyboards, echoing effects etc. Not very traditional even if it has some traditional elements | Sinternet
08.28.21 | i really don't understand what you're actually looking for then
| botulist
08.28.21 | I’ll hit you up tonight | ArsMoriendi
08.28.21 | "i really don't understand what you're actually looking for then"
Traditional cultural folk, with no modern influence, the kind of folk that could've existed before the invention of recorded music if played live (except for the fact it's obviously recorded)
| Sinternet
08.28.21 | so why have you accepted that oumou sangare pick which sounds just as modern? like have some consistency, you even said that myrkur track was fine | Sinternet
08.28.21 | not being funny but apart from the tracks which are like 80 years old so far every track submitted has modern influences | SlothcoreSam
08.28.21 | Yo, my track has no modern influences.
https://youtu.be/-bDntRWfL70 | JohnnyoftheWell
08.28.21 | go old or go home
ars plz take 1 point off for every submission added within the last 50 yrs | Colton
08.28.21 | Cosmic Jared has no modern influences | ArsMoriendi
08.28.21 | "not being funny but apart from the tracks which are like 80 years old so far every track submitted has modern influences"
I guess it's difficult to get away from modern influence completely... hmmm well you know what all of the previous submissions (except for norma's but duh) have in common? They're all going for an unplugged natural sound. No electric guitars, no keyboards, no cool studio tricks, just unplugged stuff that could easily be played live without an outlet/batteries/wires etc with strong influence from their cultural roots | Sinternet
08.28.21 | hmm some of the ones have electric bass but fair enough, i'll think of something else in a bit | ArsMoriendi
08.28.21 | Damn which ones lol expose them | Sinternet
08.28.21 | nvm it just sounded like it i think
this better be good enough
doriyal caymmi - e doce morrer no mar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qAQLCfZnmo | ArsMoriendi
08.28.21 | Yeah, that works, traditional samba, right? | Gyromania
08.28.21 | Couldn't get into the umbrella academy | Sinternet
08.28.21 | indeed indeed | Colton
08.28.21 | sinternet doesn’t even know what electricity is | botulist
08.28.21 | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6YM97z82K4 | ArsMoriendi
08.28.21 | Nice, now we just need
1.Minushuman24
2.protokute | Minushuman24
08.29.21 | https://open.spotify.com/track/0WjBwFCJ9lFyPrNKAogEew?si=22dd93375fd54a92
Here for the time being | ArsMoriendi
08.29.21 | Okay, someone get proto in here sooooon I'm prob checking these Sunday 11am EST like I usually do | bgillesp
08.29.21 | I’m curious. I agree Samba works, but what is the difference to you between that and original folk/blues that represented early Appalachian/Mississippi delta cultural music? Both appeared around the same time and sprung out of available instruments and local culture | ArsMoriendi
08.29.21 | Hmmm fair, but it's too late now, I'm starting!
And sadly protokute could not make it on time :( Which is sad cuz he deff seemed like he could've won |
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