Magic: The Interactive Gathering - The Votecasters

Thanks a lot George... I'm such a playlist addict.

Finally had some time to listen to the suggestions, so here some feedback (with a special focus on the nominated songs):

Shadowyzard: Erang's Temple of Elemental Evil sounds like an intro or interlude from a bigger whole. It lays down a great atmosphere, but to me it is lacking development (which is probably compensated by the rest of the album?). It still is my preferred one of the other two choices that sound much too formulaic to me. My compliments regarding your singing on The Enchantress! Really good, but you know by now that this is not my kind of music.

Anders: Gasoline's Legenden om Josha og Ming lays down a very nice bluesy foundation for the rest of the music and although it sounds quite straight rock overall it is much richer than that - good listen.

JD: Levitate by I Mother Earth, a very energetic song, great playing. And although I dislike the djent thing it is fortunately not accompanied by the "need-for-speed" double bass drum that is imo part of the metal clichés; here is a "normal" drummer (and a good one too!). It is not completely enchanting me, but I prefer this one over the Mike Batt song you put up, which has too much of a patchwork feeling to me. I know the Joe Jackson song (great) so it is good you chose to nominate I Mother Earth.

Progishness: Michele O'Malley's Song to the Magic Frog is a nice surprise: a wonderfully sung dreamy pop song, drenched in psychedelia. Great melodies and a nice melancholic stance... The right choice compared to the other two, which are nice, but not as convincing as this one.

Mathman: Another gread discovery with The Budos Band: a slow almost psychy intro before laying down the groove for the rest of the song that is very much enriched by the brass section. Creating some interesting tensions within the song... Very nice.  I remember Triumph from the 80s when they had some (minor?) hits and airplay; great to hear them again.

Snicolette: Ah, The Waterboys, long time no hear... Great to listen to this one - didn't remember them this way. Country Joe and the Fish is nice to hear too, but a bit more conventional late 60s(?) psychedelic music. Your nomination Iron & Wine is also my preferred one: more richness in the music, sonically speaking, more subtlety in the playing, more originality. Great song!

Saperlipopette: I very much like both of your suggestions: the folky Toadstone made me imagine myself being at Stonehenge, observing some rituals going on. At the same time it has something very modern sounding over it. But my preferred one is indeed your nomination, The Unseen. This one makes me think of Yann Tiersen: very atmospheric and sonically rich, wandering between a very dark ambience and a more comforting musical box type of sound, including loops and cheesy synths. Very cinematic indeed. Great discovery!

jamesbaldwin: I like the Modena City Ramblers' song (it is that they sing in Italian, otherwise you would thinkg they're an Irish-American band...) but it leaves me somehow underwhelmed - it remains a bit too much on a similar level -, especially when compared to Francesco Guccini's song, which conveys much more emotion and, imo, has simple a greater songwriting quality.

Lewian: I'm glad you changed your nomination... Although it is nice to hear the Subway to Sally songs, this kind of trad metal/heavy folk just doesn't stick long with me. HyCo on the otherhand is a good surprise. Upon a first listen I though that his singing was a bit weak, but upon a second listen it goes very well with the music: an intriguing New Wave influenced atmospheric song. I really like it.

TCat: Mick Karn with Plaster the Magic Tongue, great choice! Very much similar sounding to the Polytown album that I have and like very much (the collaboration between Mick Karn, David Torn and Terry Bozzio) and it sounds like David Torn is on here again. This is really up my ally! BÖC is nice but a bit too "straightforward" sounding to me, and Ulver is nice to hear too (great atmosphere), but cannot compete with Karn.

Cristi: Magic Man by Bloodrock brings a nice subdued jazzy rock song, typical early 70s sound. It has every thing we can expect: a nice groove, a great voice, modest but at the same time very present keys and the obligatory guitar. Strangely we expect more power from them, the song is not going where I might expect them to go but keeps lingering in a similar mood. Very nice listen, though.

Dr wu23: Three classic artists. The Donovan song is a very good listen, as are the Steppenwolf song and the Searchers songs, but somehow they're not having the same impact as some of the other songs posted here. Maybe too much 60s flavoured? Nice to listen to, but I'm not overwhelmed. Maybe I prefer the Steppenwolf track from these three...



Edited by suitkees - August 08 2021 at 11:10

Here are my votes, again, wonderful choices from all, but it must be narrowed down.  Thank you Shadowyzard for the theme, especially considering you've been under a bit of stress from those fires.  May they soon end.  Thanks also to George for the playlist and to Lorenzo for the creation of these polls. 

jamesbaldwin wrote: ***Saperlipopette: i dont find your piece.

You mean the Bandcamp-page doesn't appear on your screen? Because if it does you can just click the playbutton.

Snicolette wrote:   2.        Shadowyzard:  Erang  "The Temple of Elemental Evil"  Really fought for 1st, decided to go with a less conventional (for me) option this time.  I would love to hear more of it.  A more symphonic piece (part of a video game or?).  I like the feeling of despair in the initial keyboard part.  There is an operatic voice that enters.   Some slightly discordant elements that enter in, and some plucked-sounding cello or perhaps done on keyboards.  And shimmery-distant horns, I think via synth.  This is a gorgeous piece.

TBH, Erang's other stuff didn't interest me this much. You might wanna check this out though! Darchon is actually a nefarious black metal band, but this "interlude" is very haunting. Please listen to it till the end. I'd like to hear what you think about it, if you can spare time for that. 

Shadowyzard wrote: TBH, Erang's other stuff didn't interest me this much. You might wanna check this out though! Darchon is actually a nefarious black metal band, but this "interlude" is very haunting. Please listen to it till the end. I'd like to hear what you think about it, if you can spare time for that.

suitkees wrote: Shadowyzard:My compliments regarding your singing on The Enchantress! Really good, but you know by now that this is not my kind of music.

I'm really sorry that I'm not responding to such compliments, as I see singing as a hobby and sing for fun. NEVER thought of being a pro singer. Never did anything for that, even rejected some offers.

So, I belatedly thank to you, Lewian and Snicolette for your kind words about my singing in this and the previous poll (another band, another song). If I'm forgetting someone, accept my apologies.

Edited by Shadowyzard - August 09 2021 at 07:25

jamesbaldwin wrote: Shadowyzard wrote: suitkees wrote: Shadowyzard:My compliments regarding your singing on The Enchantress! Really good, but you know by now that this is not my kind of music. I'm really sorry that I'm not responding to such compliments, as I see singing as a hobby and sing for fun. NEVER thought of being a pro singer. Never did anything for that, even rejected some offers. So, I belatedly thank to you, Lewian and Snicolette for your kind words about my singing in this and the previous poll (another band, another song). If I'm forgetting someone, accept my apologies. Oh yes, measured and enthralling vocals. Excellent singing. The use of the voice recalls me that of Chris Cornell.

Thanks man! BTW, I don't "try" to sing like someone. Or more accurately, I gave up being a Bruce Dickinson wannabe after I was 23 years old. But, Chris Cornell... Another singer that my singing is likened to. That should be the 40th or so. 

I'm doing another listen, but I am not yet ready to vote. Some very strong tracks here.

Lewian wrote: Mick Karn is great as ever, I love his whole discography and this one is well selected, but there is enough to vote that I hadn't known yet. Some candidates: The first entry Erang is of course great for an Art Zoyd fan and lover of dark atmosphere. I'm always up for slick instrumentals anyway, and The Budos Band has produced another one of these. I Mother Earth does the kind of heavy that I like. The Song to the Magic Frog has something magic indeed. More magic comes from the Klaus Morlock/Unseen track, this is exactly how it sounds when the spirits take over. And then, excellent as ever, Nicky's entry Iron and Wine (actually this sounds a bit atypical for you but the quality is surely there). So that's six and I have three votes.   Finally I go for Erang, the Unseen, and Iron and Wine, but it was very very tight between those listed. (Listening Modena City Ramblers again, I include them in the top list, but the votes are as they are.)