Big Bad Brad
Wade Wilson
Big Bad Brad
Tournament Master
Posts: 27,407
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Post by Big Bad Brad on Apr 26, 2015 13:57:16 GMT -5
I need to step my game up.
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pegasuswarrior
El Dandy
Three Time FAN Idol Champion
@PulpPictionary
Posts: 8,748
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Post by pegasuswarrior on Apr 26, 2015 14:14:08 GMT -5
All unedited comments as rankings were being made.
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2 Cellos - Purple Haze
I dunno, man. That tune is irreplaceable, that's for sure. Pretty much jamming full force while listening to it. But we've already heard this track in a previous season. Taking the vocals out of it and saying "it's not Jimi Hendrix so it's fine" is reallllllly realllllly cutting corners. I anticipate there are going to be original picks that aren't trying to cut corners and re-use something we've already heard before, so while I can't tell where you're going to rank after seeing this as the first choice, it's safe bet that however far away from the top spot you are, the explanation will go back to how deep others' wells went. This pick just feels cheap since we've already had it, AND you just took the lyrics away. All that said, I freaking dig it big time. It's an awesome display of talent. You've just put me in a bind now as a judge as to what to do about the re-hashing of a previous pick. Trust me, that's the main thing that's jeopardizing your ranking. If you're going to play Season X, play season X and not another season that's already played itself out.
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Antonio Carlos Jobim- One Note Samba
While usually a fan of minimalist touches on music, in this case I kept looking at the computer screen to find out what floor the elevator is on. It's a nice enough blend, soothing, but remarkable it is not (for me anyway). The cool jazz is something I REALLY REALLY appreciate when I'm out on a Friday or Saturday and want that atmosphere, and that samba vibe attached to the smoothness and structure works in that situation. When it comes to a judged competition, it just feels like I need more. I'm soothed by the woodwind melodies fluttering atop a brushed drum beat and steady piano/string accompaniment. I just figured I would need a pick that grabs me by the throat and says, "HERE! LIKE ME" a lot more in this round. A mid-to-low ranking here might be best explained by some picks that seem to "go for it" a bit more. Again, this is just pick number two, so it's not hopeless for you. But I'm anticipating a little more stand-out qualities in some other picks.
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The Bunnys-Moanin'
Gosh dang, yes! Here's one with a bit of bite to it. It's thematic, yet varied enough to give many different listens from different angles. Well-constructed piece that has a clever hook, theme, and just enough featured soloist stuff to keep a listener engaged. I absolutely the love the mix of Western rock vibes intertwining with obvious Asian artistic elements in this one. A cool choice. I didn't anticipate anything like this at all, and with that bite that I spoke of, the originality and the talent on display combined makes this a piece that seems to be what the round is all about.
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Clint Mansell- Lux Aeterna
Ok, so I'm really confused. This pick hasn't been submitted yet? Seriously? That's my first instinct. Secondly, this pick hasn't been submitted by me yet? Seriously? The freakin' gosh-darned amazing effing freakin' piece is among the best ever put on screen or on a set of music staffs. Now, I know I have queued this piece no less than 5 times over the course of FAN Idol competitions in my four seasons of competition, and somehow I never pulled the trigger. I'm just utterly flabbergasted that we're seeing this for the first time. It's seriously one of my favorite pieces of the last 20 years. Lastly, a curse must be placed on the chooser of this piece because it NEVER leaves my head upon hearing it for days upon days. So, I have ranted and not given any actual feedback about its brilliance. First of all, haunting intro with crescendo'ed swelling that just oozes into your mind like the sickness of messed up Ellen Burstyn that's too far gone once it all comes together. I also mentioned minimalism earlier. Those quick hits on the strings through the mid-to-final melodies once the opening melodic statement is made just tease the ears. And speaking of opening melodic statement, it's a swelling effect. It's temptation and vice at its finest. That two-note structure, then the reverberation of the variation that follows; it's a growth on the musical memory. Such a captivating phrase. It's a Hitchcokian music piece that only gives you enough to want something that it's only going to give you in fragments. It's a jigsawed conundrum that comes together as a holistic matsterpiece. The sum of all its parts is what makes it the entire mind-bender that it truly is.
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Dick Dale- Misirlou Here are some nice roots to throw back to. Such an influential song and one influenced with a combo one would never expect: a middle eastern/Arabian vibe matched with pop surf. Gosh, it's amazing how well that works. Only a genius could piece together such a connection, so a heavy respect pop for this Dick Dale mad scientist concoction. I'm not even much on surf pop to begin with, and the novelty use of Arabian music in some compositions is something I'm not a huge fan of usually, but it's just so perfect here. Like, I'm seriously playing the meta-judge here and just thinking how this piece gets made compositionally speaking and a huge hats off to the mad scientist of this song's construction: Dick Dale.
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Enigma-Dreaming of Andromeda Wow, another band/music project that I have had queued up in multiple FAN Idol installments. There is a definite aura here that just goes multi-dimensional. Nothing like that human voice as an instrument and not a lyrical vehicle. That's how you do it right there. It's certainly an atmosphere piece that takes you to a place musically that no other piece does. There is a world being built here. There is life in it. And yes, we have artificial sounds, but it's a fantasy world, and to pull that off, you have to create something new. That's what we have here. Majorly interesting little tidbits that are grooved into the beat at the perfect times. It's an evolution before our very ears. Anything short of first place for this tune is not an indicator of shortcomings; there just may be a bit of flair or merit to some of the other picks we've heard so far that just give an edge with me personally. But it's a gem of a piece. Keep this up and the endgame will satisfy you, I'm sure, even if a 1st place vote doesn't happen right out of the gate here in Round 2. Just don't feel lost in the shuffle. I've got my ears open for the chooser of this piece.
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Explosions in the Sky- Your Hand in Mine A major thank you for this. I just got finished saying how much I appreciated the authenticity of the previous choice and that sentiment is echoed here. So much you could have picked, but this feels tailored to specific listeners, and it's obviously a piece that can resonate and mean something on many levels with an individual. Very nice build to the fluttering rhythms in the middle. That "do I dare?" moment with another person, and then the risk is taken. All of a sudden is that mixture of rapture and confusion as if on cloud nine, but it's a place you've never been before, so you're not sure what to make of it (as told by the crescendo'ed middle section). After all is said and done, you went for it, and the reflection of the moment is dripping with fondness for the fact that it happened. The other person didn't resist the touch of your hand or the novice embrace, but it happened and you were too chaotic to appreciate it for what it was. The memory of the moment sends a resounding confirmation about your intentions and motivations and feelings in that locked-in moment. The more you think of it, the more power it has. The second (toward the end) crescendo brings it all back, but this time, it's captured by memory. It's reliving that moment. Though similar rhythmic undertones, the reflection feels less frantic. Not being able to fully grasp the build and the moment is ok. The payoff comes back all in the end. With all that said, just a gripping narrative piece here. Well-played.
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Joe Satriani- Satch Boogie We go from thematic ventures to a showcase of raw talent. That's where the judging gets a bit complicated, doesn't it? Technical prowess all over the place here. On one hand, impressive. On another hand, does it translate to the product as a whole? The vocal acrobatics of some singers don't always tell the tale and come across as genuine song-storytelling. I think the lower and more grooving rhythms suit me even moreso than the rapid fire show-out parts. I'm actually a fan of both parts, but together in the same song sometimes leads to me feel a bit conflicted as if it's contradictory. It's a piece I'm in awe of. I get all that's going on, and I'm amazed at how well put-together some of those notes are. Before the crazy runs and afterward, I'm equally impressed with the rhythmic core of the piece. I just wish the two battlefronts gelled a little more together. Don't let that small personal critique weigh you down though. I appreciate the knowledge base and the talent you brought to us right here. I really do. Because of my perceived lack of holistic composition layering, this one tends to get lost in the shuffle a bit, so I hope that little tidbit explains any eventual ranking. It's sure not for lack of talent and taste. I get the appeal, but there is something a bit more seamless about some of the other pieces here today. I'm 50 kinds of marking out for that album cover and album title though.
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John 5-Black Widow of La Porte
That intro could not be any more perfect. A wonderful opening that sets up the frantic kick-butt-ness of what's to come. And they rip and tear you to shreds right out of the gate. Oh wait, you still have 6 and 1/2 minutes of song left? Strong opening statement and followed up on with well-timed silences that allow you to catch a breath, but not for too long. What I like here is that the different sets of the piece actually seam together rather than just being a thrown together set of guitar licks that say "look at what I can do." It feels more like a composition than a showcase, which is one problem I have with some tracks of this genre (the "look what I'm doing aspect" rather than making a composition). That's not a problem here though. That 6:40-6:46 "wind down" and 6:50-6:56 "stutter step" are two of my favorite parts set up by what has been a perfect build to that moment. Just love that to pieces. There is one slight problem though, and it's just a technicality. There comes a point about two minutes into the piece where the band is "mutilating" it on the strings, but I don't think--according to the rules of the round--that they're allowed to verbally tell us that. Before just penalizing and moving on, I wanted to double check it with the rules committee (i.e., Square) to see what to do about it. As expected, it's ultimately in the judges' hands, and I feel rotten about it because it is a good piece, but it's technically ignoring the explicit rule set forth in the round. I dig it, but I think it's sliding past a rule that others weren't allowed to slide past. I hate the outcome, so please accept my acknowledgement of your musical tastes here in the review above and please don't harp about the ranking as a result of a rule oversight on your part.
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Takashi Tateishi and Manami Matsumae - Dr. Wily's Castle (Mega Man 2)
A bit of a risk here to say the least. If you were going to go this route, you sure went with a piece that makes it hard on me as a judge to downgrade. In other words, for it to be a "gimmicky" pick, you sure made a heck of a gimmicky pick. No matter how bad I want to go the way of the "Charles Robinson" critique of the last round and give a good judge-thrashing of the pick, it's really hard to do here. It's not exactly a "cutesy" pick like the gimmick pick of the last round. There is complexity to it. There is legit composition here. And while it's just a manufactured, no-instrumentation series of notes, someone did come up with a nice layered piece here. I'm not judging this by mark-out levels of the video game. Likewise, I'm trying to judge it for what it is and not roll my eyes that it's "just a video game pick" here. A tricky situation you have me in here. I like this predicament. Well-played. Ultimately, this one is getting ranked according to what it is--a pep piece designed to get the adrenaline going and an experiment in the complexities of 8-bit/16-bit sound design. And it's very well done.
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Nobuo Uematsu - Descendant of Shinobi (Final Fantasy VII) Ok, it's interesting that this pick fell back-to-back with the previous pick, so that gives some nice room for comparison on what I was saying earlier. The whole video game approach *is* a bit gimmicky, and what I said earlier about the Mega Man piece is that it IS a stand-alone piece. This, however, is an example that--to me--gets its charm in its context as a video game piece. It's nothing structurally to go nuts over. It picks a lane and stays in it. It's certainly a mere atmospheric piece that feels straight up game-oriented. As such, it's not packing the punch needed in a round of stellar, well-thought-out pieces. There is no knocking your enjoyment of the piece. But it's a bit hokey when stacked against some of the other powerhouses going for the home-run in this round.
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Jack Wall - Jack (Mass Effect 2) And again, another video game piece. (See how monotonous this can get after a while?) Again, same merit-based discussion for this piece as the broken record series of explanations in the last two pieces' critiques. It goes back to the standalone nature of the piece. And you have to admit, there is a bit of legs to the piece as its own work of art. You can get an established mood with variations and compositional layers here that supersedes "just a video game piece." My hat's off to the mood-setter here and to the composers on this one. The eerie-ness and the dark recesses that this piece explores tells a story outside of a video game setting. There is a world created here, just like I commented on in the Enigma piece from earlier. What it comes down to here is how much the story resonates with me as a judge. I have no "gimmicky" critique of it. It's a flat out nice, well-done selection that hits on all intended cylinders. The industrial elements of it set against the ominous echoing overtones just make you look all around yourself as the piece ventures further and further into the realm of the unknown. Totally a piece you can feel. Going to be honest. I could see this as a piece I look back on and wonder if I gave it enough justice in this round's rankings. It's one that grows on you with more and more listens. And admittedly, I'm not as familiar with this one as most all of the others. So, there is a listening learning curve here. Would I mark out more on a listen here if I knew how much I liked it the first time I heard it (or, rather, this being the first time I've probably fully paid attention to it outside of a video game context)? It's a tricky situation, and it's a pick I'm going to come back to a few rounds from now and judge myself over to see if I served it and the song-chooser correctly. Anybody who does get stuff like this would've done the same thing to a narrative composition like Peter and the Wolf in the early 1900s version of FAN Idol. Some people just don't get it.
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Santana - Soul Sacrifice
Well, just a bit of bad luck here with this particular judge. I have a built-in aversion to most of Santana's tracks. It's not a knock against your musical tastes, but just follow me on my associations with Santana tracks. The track (and other Santana tracks like it) reek of cigarette-contaminated run-down apartments or houses with torn-up carpeting that haven't been vaccumed since God knows when. Bad greasy hair and a bunch of leather-accessory-wearing adults in stained jeans talking about loads of s*** they know nothing about, but it makes them feel better to hear themselves talk amongst other "down-on-their-luck" citizens of like mind. Bad jokes amid conversation that are so tired that you wonder how little of a brain one has to have to even bring it up, much less the fact that the mid-age crisis party is willing to go along and laugh with them while they're at it. In short, the track just reeks of middle aged people who did nothing with their lives and think they're still owed something by the world. An unfair association? Maybe. But it's a bitter association and connection that I stand by, and I'm convinced by and large that that is the origin of this track's liking. By no means do I think this description applies to any of our players. I'm saying that it's a bad luck pick with this judge because I just have all sorts of dirty vibes from the song and Santana-esque songs. It's just "dirty rock," largely the background noise of a beer-guzzling fest where bikes and sub-standard meats at a cookout are discussed. Just a "dirty feel" to the track overall.
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Yngwie J. Malmsteen - Black Star A somewhat interesting blend of influences here the extends across a few cultures. However, it's again interesting that this falls back-to-back with the Santana track. Very similar stylings with the "cool rock" vibe that--honestly, at times--feels sleepy and/or "dirty." I can appreciate a good guitar cry/whine, but when the whole piece relies on it, I just lose interest fast. I mean, I can see the notes being cranked out in my head, and much appreciation for the fingers and technicality. But the sound itself isn't enough to carry that appreciation for the physical talent. It's a bit self-indulgent and not at all what I want to sit back and groove to. Again, I just see a washed up 40- or 50-something guzzling beer with other washed up friends with this playing in the background while head nodding along to those drones and mind-numbing drum beat. I get it if one is listening to the music to "get lost" in a moment that is accompanied by alcohol or other substances. But as a music piece, it doesn't stand out on its own for me. ------------
The tiers and the ranks:
1. Clint Mansell - Lux Aeterna
(Some real hair-splitters at 2-5 and 6-7 are right on pace enough to remain as part of this "second tier" excellence) 2. Dick Dale - Misirlou 3. The Bunnys - Moanin' 4. Explosions in the Sky - Your Hand in Mine 5. Enigma-Dreaming of Andromeda 6. Jack Wall - Jack (Mass Effect 2) 7. Takashi Tateishi and Manami Matsumae - Dr. Wily's Castle (Mega Man 2)
8. Yngwie J. Malmsteen - Black Star 9. Joe Satriani- Satch Boogie 10. Antonio Carlos Jobim- One Note Samba
(Maybe should've been ranked lower in retrospect; just felt too merit-worthy to keep right at the bottom) 11. 2 Cellos - Purple Haze
12. Nobuo Uematsu - Descendant of Shinobi (Final Fantasy VII) 13. Santana - Soul Sacrifice 14. John 5-Black Widow of La Porte
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Big Bad Brad
Wade Wilson
Big Bad Brad
Tournament Master
Posts: 27,407
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Post by Big Bad Brad on Apr 26, 2015 14:32:01 GMT -5
At least I didn't get any last place votes this round.
I wont let being in last place get me down I'll keep fighting on and try my best to get away from the bottom.
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pegasuswarrior
El Dandy
Three Time FAN Idol Champion
@PulpPictionary
Posts: 8,748
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Post by pegasuswarrior on Apr 26, 2015 17:55:37 GMT -5
------------ Yngwie J. Malmsteen - Black Star A somewhat interesting blend of influences here the extends across a few cultures. However, it's again interesting that this falls back-to-back with the Santana track. Very similar stylings with the "cool rock" vibe that--honestly, at times--feels sleepy and/or "dirty." I can appreciate a good guitar cry/whine, but when the whole piece relies on it, I just lose interest fast. I mean, I can see the notes being cranked out in my head, and much appreciation for the fingers and technicality. But the sound itself isn't enough to carry that appreciation for the physical talent. It's a bit self-indulgent and not at all what I want to sit back and groove to. Again, I just see a washed up 40- or 50-something guzzling beer with other washed up friends with this playing in the background while head nodding along to those drones and mind-numbing drum beat. I get it if one is listening to the music to "get lost" in a moment that is accompanied by alcohol or other substances. But as a music piece, it doesn't stand out on its own for me. 8. Yngwie J. Malmsteen - Black Star As you can see, the above is the worst comment of the round from me. I leave my comments unedited so you can see them posted here. That Santana vibe got me so aggravated at the state of people in general that I needed a track to get me out of that groove. So, when this piece showed up right after it, I instinctively grouped them together. It's not that my comments above are all that inaccurate or disingenuous, but as you can tell by the solid placement, I always make sure I try to do each player right. So yes, I did go back and justify the pick for what it was intending instead of superimposing the first instinct against it. The Black Star piece has a lot more going for it than I initially gave credit for. So, it's worth a hindsight "reboot" of the original comments to acknowledge that it was a solid enough piece. The comments portion made it sound not that great, but there was a more well-crafted series of statements in that piece that really didn't reflected in the initial comments. Also, to the player's credit, I didn't know the piece, and while I don't know everything about music, that rarely happens; or, it happens a lot less often than not. So, it IS a new piece that I've been exposed to, and I did go back and get it out of the dumps after grinding through the negative associations that come with Santana for me. Malmsteen's track and Santana's really aren't as identical as I seemingly made them out to be in those preliminary comments. Apologies if the comments and solid ranking are a bit contradictory. The ranking is a reflection of my first "blah by association" having time to subside. EDIT: I stand by my actual rankings throughout, however. A few at 2-5 and 6-7 that could've been flipped around.
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Waffel113
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Ain't no Rap Mobile with his Waffels
Posts: 19,020
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Post by Waffel113 on Apr 26, 2015 18:04:40 GMT -5
*examines song list*
Alright, not taken. Now I'm starting to build up a nice little group of possible Sing-Off songs.
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Post by RadcapRadsley on Apr 26, 2015 20:50:53 GMT -5
Gotta say I liked almost all the songs this round,hopefully instrumental round stays a fixture in all future seasons.
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suave
Dennis Stamp
"I only got on my knees for God and maybe to lick a girl's pussy" -Teddy Hart
Posts: 4,207
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Post by suave on Apr 26, 2015 21:15:03 GMT -5
Aight, second, that's good. Long as I stay out of the bottom half of the field.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Apr 27, 2015 18:11:18 GMT -5
*pokes head in*
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Jeff Mangum PI
Hank Scorpio
11 herbs and spices for the rest of eternity; Is Number Two. Number Two!
The 2nd Coming
Posts: 6,957
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Post by Jeff Mangum PI on Apr 27, 2015 18:17:31 GMT -5
*sneaks in* *takes a cookie from the cookie jar* *sneaks out*
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Demented
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Winner of the Harleen F. Quinzel Legacy of Puddin Award
What am I doing here?
Posts: 16,071
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Post by Demented on Apr 27, 2015 18:21:59 GMT -5
*sneaks in* *takes a cookie from the cookie jar* *sneaks out* *kicks DJ in the groin* *steals cookie* Thank you, good sir. *bites cookie* Yuck! Oatmeal. *kicks cookie in the groin*
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Waffel113
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Ain't no Rap Mobile with his Waffels
Posts: 19,020
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Post by Waffel113 on Apr 27, 2015 18:27:07 GMT -5
*ponders Square's clue, awaits further clarification*
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fw91
Patti Mayonnaise
FAN Idol All-Star: FAN Idol Season X and *Gavel* 2x Judges' Throwdown winner
Tribe has spoken for 2024 Mets
Posts: 38,900
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Post by fw91 on Apr 27, 2015 18:31:07 GMT -5
*types something in between asterisks just to not feel left out*
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MrBRulzOK
Wade Wilson
Mr No-Pants Heathen
Something Witty Here.
Posts: 26,719
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Post by MrBRulzOK on Apr 27, 2015 18:42:57 GMT -5
*sneaks in* *takes a cookie from the cookie jar* *sneaks out* *kicks DJ in the groin* *steals cookie* Thank you, good sir. *bites cookie* Yuck! Oatmeal. *kicks cookie in the groin* *Wonder which of his fellow judges is secretly breeding oatmeal cookie monsters that are anatomically correct*
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Jeff Mangum PI
Hank Scorpio
11 herbs and spices for the rest of eternity; Is Number Two. Number Two!
The 2nd Coming
Posts: 6,957
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Post by Jeff Mangum PI on Apr 27, 2015 19:22:04 GMT -5
*ponders place in the universe* *realizes that all females just want bad boy jerks instead of a nice guy such as myself* *gets arrested by the fedora police*
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Big Bad Brad
Wade Wilson
Big Bad Brad
Tournament Master
Posts: 27,407
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Post by Big Bad Brad on Apr 27, 2015 20:40:43 GMT -5
when is the next round going to be revealed?
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Waffel113
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Ain't no Rap Mobile with his Waffels
Posts: 19,020
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Post by Waffel113 on Apr 27, 2015 20:47:00 GMT -5
when is the next round going to be revealed? Suckas gotta know.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Apr 27, 2015 21:41:43 GMT -5
when is the next round going to be revealed? Suckas gotta know. Quiet, your still being eaten
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Waffel113
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Ain't no Rap Mobile with his Waffels
Posts: 19,020
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Post by Waffel113 on Apr 27, 2015 21:53:21 GMT -5
Quiet, your still being eaten (Tangentially related to that smiley, whoever wound up nicking "Diane Young" in a previous season, you dirty rotten bastard (if you're here; if not, disregard). I was gonna use that at some point. )
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Knailsic From Now On
Dennis Stamp
Loneliest Number Since #1
Waiting with my red eyes and my stone heart
Posts: 4,364
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Post by Knailsic From Now On on Apr 27, 2015 23:06:22 GMT -5
Quiet, your still being eaten (Tangentially related to that smiley, whoever wound up nicking "Diane Young" in a previous season, you dirty rotten bastard (if you're here; if not, disregard). I was gonna use that at some point. ) That was me, in the secrect box artist round I got VW and that was the only song I knew
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Square
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Official Ambassador
Grand Poobah of Scavenger Hunts 2011
Square-Because he looks good at all the right angles.
Posts: 18,700
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Post by Square on Apr 28, 2015 7:33:18 GMT -5
Square lies! The round will be announced now! ROUND THREE, SONGSLAPPING. Songslapping is the art of getting a song stuck in someones head, so this round you challenge is to choose a catchy song because if a judge comes back the day after judging and goes "I've had BLANK stuck in my head all day" you will get 5 bonus points. Thursday evening if you will
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