Round 4: Inverted Umbrella Competition
2 are out and 15 are still in. Conmaniac and budgie were disqualified for being too late to the deadline! The new deadline to get your round 2 songs in is 5pm EST on November 19th! |
| 1 |  | Elysian Fields
Dreams That Breathe Your Name
The rules are the same as last round:
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. This round is [dream pop]. Dreamy, warm, spacey...probably has guitars, but a lot of modern things called dream pop don't. What is a dream pop? It's a feeling! I'm typically more into the less shoegaze 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.)
***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 possible to find and as long as neither exceeds 3 hours.*** |
| 2 |  | The Brothers Johnson
Look Out For #1
Mort.: “Get the Funk Out Ma Face”
Groovy bass! Very poppy in a good way. I like how it’s letting the groove go. The lyrics are a little bland, but hey who cares? Do not get thi funk out of my face haha.
4/5 (SAFE) |
| 3 |  | Pornland
In the Nude
SlothcoreSam: “Slap Dat Ass”
Goofy as hell lyrics. Groovy though of course. Seems like parody music more than straightforward funk, but I dig it enough haha. Bass could be more prominent though.
3.5/5 (SAFE) |
| 4 |  | Experience Unlimited
Free Yourself
Kompys2000: “It's All Imagination”
This gives Cymande vibes. I like Cymande. Bass ix off the hook as are the horns! FREEDOM. Not much else to say other than this fucks.
4.8/5 (SAFE) |
| 5 |  | Tom Browne
Love Approach
JohnnyoftheWell: “Funkin' for Jamaica (N.Y.)”
Dirty bass line, a lot of call and response. Nice so far. Simple, but it works. I might be fairly easy to please with funk, but yeah good shit.
3.8/5 (SAFE) |
| 6 |  | Gil Scott-Heron
Pieces of a Man
“Home Is Where the Hatred Is”
Sad funk nice. I do like that “Lady Day and John Contrane” song from this album. Good bass, good keys, and most importantly sailient emotion. Nice guitar solo too, adds to the expressiveness a lot. Heron is certainly an artist I should eventually get into.
3.9/5 (SAFE) |
| 7 |  | Cory Wong
Power Station
someone: “J​.​A​.​M. (Just A Minute)”
Cory Wong always sounds so corporate. I don’t mean music industry corporate. I mean 80s shoulder pads and business meeting corporate.The horns are bright and vocals are high, but it feels so soulless, which is the last thing funk should be. It’s structurally okay and not unpleasant though.
3/5 (SAFE) |
| 8 |  | NoMeansNo
Wrong
CugnoBrasso: “Big Dick”
Another band I’d probably love if I gave them the time of day haha. Classic bass, very Minutemen. Punk funk and all that. Hilarious lyrics. Weird to give this round to a funk song, but that’s just how it’s gotta be.
5/5 (ROUND WINNER! [+0.5 will be added to his next round score]) |
| 9 |  | Oneness of Juju
African Rhythms
Porcupinetheater: “African Rhythms”
Very jazzy so far. Good bass. Feels like an outdoor party. The percussion is awesome too. Might be overstaying its visit a little bit though.
3.6/5 (SAFE) |
| 10 |  | Gang of Four
Entertainment!
ffs: “Damaged Goods”
The is funky enough to make this count as funk punk, but not as much a NoMeansNo. Bass is doing good. The chorus is catchy as all hell too. Fun song.
3.7/5 (SAFE) |
| 11 |  | Aretha Franklin
Young Gifted and Black
fogza: “Rock Steady”
Funky, filled with brass, and mostly importantly driven by Aretha’s powerhouse vocals. I feel like she’s better at deep soul though than funk if I’m being honest, but Aretha is Aretha.
3.5/5 (SAFE) |
| 12 |  | Gyedu Blay Ambolley
Simigwa
Havey: “Akoko Ba”
Afrobeat with a lot of polyrhthms. Very cool so far. Very jammy. I wish there were more interesting vocals. Good is still good though.
3.9/5 (SAFE) |
| 13 |  | Koffie
Kokon
Trifolium: “Komet”
Instrumental and modern sounding hmmm. Sounds a little like soundtrack music if I’m being honest. Sounds like funk from the future, but maybe not in a way that I like. The Jetsons could boogie to this?
2.8/5 (ELIMINATED!) |
| 14 |  | Tim Maia
Disco Club
protokute: “Sossego”
Kind of disco. Disco funk can be awesome, though I suppose it strays from the Earthiness that I suppose I prefer. Bass an horns an vocals are all still good though. Definitely has that “Brick House” by Commodores energy.
3.4/5 (SAFE) |
| 15 |  | Ninjaspy
SpĂĽken
Pizzamachine:
“Speak” (by Ninjaspy from Spüken)
What in the Chris Cornell crossed with Maynard Jame Keenan are those vocals? This is isn’t funk at all. -0.5 for not following theme. I oddly don’t hate it, it’s well instrumented and isn’t hideous, but I can’t say I find it super interesting either. Fuck that scream though haha.
2.6-0.5=2.1/5 (ELIMINATED!) |
| 16 |  | Medeski, Martin and Wood
Notes From the Underground
GhandhiLion: “Uncle Chubb”
Mostly jazz, but there’s definitely fusion with funk (at least that bass line is funky.) I know that this technically counts as funk, but it’s missing what I love from the genre. It’s so tightly wound and sophisticated. This sound really needs to let loose, but I have a feeling it won’t. Could you even dance to this? I need a massage after this one.
3.2/5 (SAFE) |
| 17 |  | Skull Snaps
Skull Snaps
PotsyTater: “It’s a New Day”
Good bass line, fun vocals, a lot of personality here! Cowbell, nice. Simple, but effective.
3.9/5 (SAFE) |
| 18 |  | Serge Gainsbourg
Histoire de Melody Nelson
BitterJalapenoJr: “En Melody”
Very much a jam. Whoa what’s that squealing? Odd! Wish it had vocals, but regardless, good jam! Funk rock and all that.
3.5 +(0.5 from winning last round) = 4/5 (SAFE) |
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