The Consensus Blog

'Switched to 4 opinions per review' by Andrew Chapman Category: Consensus News In the interests of churning out the reviews faster, I've temporarily switched the Consensus system to require 4 opinions per review instead of 5. Whilst this isn't ideal, it will provide a quick solution to the ever growing queue. I'll kick it back up to 5 again once the wheels start turning. Happy reviewing.

'Bogus scores..good point BUT' by MYSTR Treefrog Category: Miscellaneous More Info Here: http://www.myspace.com/mystrtreefrog Rick...you definately have a good point RE: differences in listening equipment, headphones and perhaps qualifications. On the whole I think all the Consensus Reviewers are pretty even-handed. Most are musicians themselves. Truth is, all of you are to be congratulated for taking this rather tough thankless task on. In my opinion, rather than differences in equipment- the quirky variable is the QUALIFICATION aspect. Thats the cool thing about 5 different reviews of the same song..jeez, after all..like it's been said- WRITING ABOUT MUSIC IS LIKE DANCING ABOUT ARCHITECTURE... The Artists appreciate all your efforts..heck y'all..it takes a fair amount of commitment and love of music to DO this. VERY COOL... Truth is, sometimes a crappy recording done on a 4-track will be better than a lot of Pro-Tools over produced JUNK.. The Soul either shines through or it doesn't. Case in point: THE STONES- Exile On Main Street is a truly HORRIBLE production...but I'lltake it over ANYTHING Madonna has done...in a heartbeat. I think all of you are doing a seriously cool thing by giving these Artists feedback. CHEERS BABY!! PS..MYSTR Treefrog(blabbermouth) is laying this one out. I like watching you all clawing toward the finish line.

'Recording scores... BOGUS!' by Rick Whitehurst Category: Miscellaneous More Info Here: http://myspace.com/changyenho I cannot seem to get to the old forum to voice my opinion so I thought perhaps I would say it here on the blog. How in the world are we as reviewers qualified and capable of giving scores on "Recording quality"?? How many of us have sound systems on our computer capable of truly judging the technical expertise of the recordings we listen to. The disparity I have noticed on so many recording scores seems to prove that we in essence are all listening to different versions of the same song... I maintain (and could prove) that we cannot judge the recordings fairly unless we were all given the same excellent sound system. Therefore from now on to be fair all recordings will recieve an 8 from me. This problem rang true in a review of one of my songs that was recorded and mastered by a professional in the business for many years and then made into a shitty mp3... one reviewer had the audacity to give it a score of 1 and another 9... I say we remove this "Recording score" forever from the list and replace it with a "CHARISMA" score slot like the one at GOM!

'How I Emerged A Victor' by nb Category: Miscellaneous More Info Here: http://www.braunandbrainsmusic.com Fear not fellow reviewers it is doubtful I will ever review 70 songs in one day ever again. I am not sure what quite possessed me. I had not intended to become such a relentless pursuer of beating the frogman ummm I mean MYSTR Treefrog but he is really the reason for my victory. It all began one rainy night in Vancouver while I was sipping my Maple flavoured (note Cdn spelling) Red Rose Tea trying to soothe a terrible head cold. I signed up to be a c0nsensus reviewer. Quickly I became hooked, obsessed really and I think C0nsensus should post warning signs May Lead To Addiction. After watching who was doing what, I decided I would keep pace with the leader of the pack, MYSTR Treefrog. Friday night before the end of the competition is when things really took off. After hours of reviews, MYSTR Treefrog broke the ice with an email stating he was impressed and then asking me if I ever slept and if he is beaten by a girl it should be me. We then emailed humourous (note another Cdn spelling) and engaging comments and challenges back and forth amidst all the reviewing. With 3 hours to go to the end of the race, with bleeding ears and fingers, MSTYR Treefrog conceded defeat and crowned me Queen. I had searched for a song link to I am Woman Hear Me Roar but to no avail. So the morale of the story is pick your opponents wisely they may in fact become the motivating force in your victory or at the very least a good cyber pal. The contest was a fun one and thanks for your good words. Also Canada not only invented hockey, basketball was also invented by a Canadian. Keep Making Great Music and Writing Insightful Reviews. Norine

'What I Learnt Being A C0nsensus Reviewer(and FORMER contestant) This Past Last Week- PART TWO' by MYSTR Treefrog Category: Miscellaneous More Info Here: http://www.soundclick.com/mystrtreefrog #4- There’s a veritable CRAPLOAD of bands out there! And some of them even have talent! Some of them are apparently playing music to avoid making OTHER significant choices in life. Some are actually evil torturers disguised as songwriters. Some should be subjected to criminal background checks and a 6-month waiting period before being allowed to purchase, plug in, and use a musical instrument.(Admittedly, these are the ones I enjoy the most. It’s hard to explain. Maybe it was all those hallucinogens and Fellini films in my callow youth.) Then there are the vast majority of young budding songsters and bands that I rather generously(um..for me..) term- JOCK MUSICIANS. The ones I imagine traded in a tennis racket, drinking games, mailbox bashing and football playing for an overly expensive guitar and a bank of Roland Digital effects. The sad thing is that the ease of use, and lack of serious dedication it takes to find “your own sound” generally has the surprising and unredoubtable effect of making you and your hot band SOUND JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE. Yes ,kids..the same lead and vocal patterns. The same middle-eight configurations.The exact same EMO screaming in unison. The same kinda...hell...dare I say it?- Hootie And The Blowfish intellectual and spiritual approach to songcraft. Dang. And there are GAZILLIONS of you out there. It boggles the mind. HINT: writing and performing music is not the same as group speed-jerking or competing for a body-building trophy. I mean,honestly- no matter what you think music is about, it really ISN’T about the march toward clear-eyed conformity and worldwide banality. Find out what else is out there. Some music doesn’t even have words or use 4/4 time . Some music isn’t in English. Some music IS NOT superior to...silence. The Upside? Once the JOCK MUSICIANS get laid, submit their resumes to Law school or land that five figure gig at the Corporate Widget Factory they’ll forget all about this silly music stuff and the road to nirvana will be a little less congested. This Music thing has a VERY HIGH attrition rate(see Hunter Thompson quote.) The rest of us “lifers” know this and that’s the reason for that omnipresent possum smile we wear at yer JOCK gigs. And then there’s the few beautiful jewels ,rough and otherwise, that make the reviewing thing worth doing. Man! There’s some STUNNING songwriters out there. MOST of them have just an acoustic guitar and a mastery of language. Some of them don’t even approach or acknowledge the “rules” of proper time signature or convention. It boggles the mind and heartens the spirit. It’s magic, pure and simple. There is no formula. No rules. No chart. And NOBODY owns it or can predict when or where it’ll happen. Thank Gawd. That’s why soul, spirit and music can be uttered in the same breath. What Learnt: It’s there. Either you get it or you don’t. If it’s the latter don’t despair-there’s a Golf-Pro shop near you. Nice cleats..now turn that hat around forwards,O.K.? Thanks. #5- If Beaten By A girl(woman) Don’t look at yourself in the mirror in disgust. It’s NOT the end of the world to be a loser. Go out and buy something, dude! It has a narcotic effect. Women know this. It’s time to get closer in touch with yer feminine side. Buying that hand inlaid abalone fretboard, Kona wood top,impeccable electronics,killer E.Q., and pearl tuning machine brass knobs(take breath HERE..) may not put more hair or your chest, but dig it...grass don’t grow onna playground, see? Congratulations, n.b. Yer tough and cool and you DESERVE the crown! I think I can stand the welts and strained eye muscles just fine. What Learnt: Self respect cannot be measured by victory alone. There are ,after all, Guitar Stores EVERYWHERE. (sigh.) Peace and apparent tinnitus; MYSTR Treefrog.

'What I Leart As A C0nsensus Reviewer(and FORMER contestant)This Las Week-PART ONE' by MYSTR Treefrog Category: Miscellaneous More Info Here: http://www.soundclick.com/mystrtreefrog #1- It’s Possible to be Beaten(soundly) By A Girl And Still Retain A Shred Of Dignity. Take heart there fellers! It simply isn’t a matter of upper body strength, brute strength, angry tattoos, or sharp filed teeth. It’s that great set of Equalizers know as: TENACITY verging on obsession, rapid fire typing skills, no-nonsense approach to music reviewing, and 3 extra hours of clock provided by Pacific Standard Time. n.b. came up from behind and shredded with a veracity heretofore unbeheld by likes of po’ me. Ouch. It was fun(and uh..not..but..) still my excuses(read-face-saving measures..) ARE: I was busy slacking off in mid-afternoon E.S.T. by trying to corral 2 five year-olds and auditioning a Djembe player. This while n.b. was waking up after a good nite’s rest(this I presume..it was either that or a dreamless nite of rabid obsession..) and after drinking a nice tall cuppa coffee(or Maple Syrup whatever they drink in Canada) and she was ready to RUMBLE. By the time I got back on line she was in the lead by 10 reviews..yeek. My heart stayed planted in my throat. She proceeded to splinter me. This made a raft ride thru the Grand Canyon look like a trip to the Tofu ice cream stand. This , my friends, is no exaggeration. What I Learnt: Never underestimate a Canadian. Male or Female.What? Yer Surprised? They invented ICE HOCKEY fer cripes sake. #2- Speed matters. This is what I get for never bothering to go to typing class. I type with ONE finger on my right hand. Hours of this causes internal hemorrhage and unmanly whimpering. Avoid this. Stay in school. My other downfall? Spending too much time goofing. n.b. meant business. She was succinct and almost journalistic. What Learnt: Cute may be entertaining, but it don’t win no foot race. #3- Feeding Your Children Pizza For 5 days is NOT good Parenting. Neither is barking at your wife, your dog and eating 12 bags of creamcheese flavored Doritos and driking three six packs of RED BULL. What Learnt? MYSTR Treefrog yer bout half an idjit- Go find that bottle of cod-liver oil, Dad. It’s gonna be a tough 23 hours.

'MYSTR TREEFROG IS A TROLL' by MYSTR Treefrog Category: Off Topic More Info Here: http://mystrtreefrog.altpro.net MYSTR TREEFROG IS A TROLL ...A TROLL, Y'Hear? A TROLL! This is what my 15 yr old blue-haired son accused my of after reading several of my reviews on Techno, Ambient, and Electronica on The C0nsensus site. “ Dad..you’re Trolling.” “ What..is that like Trawling?” “ No..TROLLING is like bashing something without being constructive.” “ I am not.” “You are. You know you hate Techno..so why review it?” “ Hey..look, I TRAWL down the list and randomly pick something that looks interesting. If it’s good, I like it..if it’s bad I try to be kind but tell the truth..if it’s Techno Non-Music CRAP I simply say so.” He shakes his head again with that baleful Dad-Yer-A-Hopeless-Hypocrite look in his eyes. “ Dad, I hereby anoint you the TROLL-OF-THE-YEAR-AWARD. Your Statue is a giant Booger.” “ You’re being insolent.” “ I am.” “ You’re questioning my objectivity!” “I am.” “ Well, look..I may be an old school pain-in-the-arse stickler about MUSIC being the expression of the HUMAN soul..therefore- to be PLAYED by HUMANS. But I am NO TROLL.” “ Dad..you are.” “Am not.” “Amso. My father is a Troll.” “ Go to bed.” “ It’s 5:30 in the afternoon. You can’t send me to bed. I’m taller than you now.” “ Ok..Ok..I admit I hate this Computer driven patch-loop noise. It’ FAKE..it’s B.S…it’s NOT MUSIC.” “ If that’s how you feel, then your mind is not open enough to review it. It’s not really fair.” “ Isso.” “Isnot.” “ I love the AFRO-CELTS..they’re Great! Hah! They use computers. That’s Techno! “ “ Dad..The Afro-Celts are not , strictly Techno.” “ Areso.” “Arenot.” “ Well they use computers.” He shakes his blue-haired head again. There is a mixture of pity and accusation in his eyes. “ Not Techno. Please don’t be a Troll Dad. Because if you are a Troll, then that makes me a…” he thinks for a moment;”..a TROLL-ETTE. “ ‘A Troll-ette? That’s kinda effeminate.” “ Please, Dad..this is hard enough. Don’t mock me. I already have zits. Don’t scar me further. Is that what my fate is to be by blood association? A TROLL-ette.?” “ I hate it when you’re right.” “ Don’t declare a jihad on Techno or Ambient or Electronica. It’s Pathetic. And worse- your mind is not open. Desist. We’ll all be happier.” “ You’re insolent.” “ I am.” “ I guess you’re right.” “I am.” THE UPSHOT- MYSTR Treefrog has been chastened by the Fruit Of His Loins. I won’t apologize. But I won’t review anymore computer generated quasi-UN music (bear with me here- these ephiphanous(sp?) moments are NOT without pain..) ..EVER AGAIN. I swear. This promise is NOT made because I feel contrite. This promise is made because my son did “THE ROBOT” dance to one of the Techno “music” Tracks I reviewed and made me laugh my arse off. I’m still catching my breath. It’s a Win-Win proposition. Why? I gave my blue-haired Robot-Dancing Techno-Loving Son a YARDBIRDS CD, and he’s up WELL past his bedtime playing “ TRAIN KEPTA ROLLIN ALL NITE LONG”at Max Volume..over and over and over again. I can take my medicine..as long I get a spoonful of sugar along with it. Your Humble NON-TECHNO reviewing Servant: MYSTR Treefrog

'Cinoci Recrds' by Moseeki Category: Industry News More Info Here: http://www.cinocirecords.com Cinoci Records is a revolutionary online record label. It aims to sign a selection of top quality unknown/unsigned albums, releasing them for free in return for the downloader's email being added to the artist's mailing list, and to generally promote the music through the web through various means (last.fm, iTunes, and so on). Once the label is more recognised, commercial compilations may well become a reality. However, this cannot be done without the music itself, and that's where you come in! If you are interested in being part of the revolution then please feel free to submit a demo at http://www.cinocirecords.com/contact.html. More information regarding the label can be found on the site itself, or by emailing cinocirecords@gmail.com.

'(Sk)hip Hop Aussie Style' by Jonathan Sanders Category: Industry News Who'd have thought that Australia would be at the forefront of hip hop development in 2006? Well, it's true. Led by innovative bands including Sydney's The Herd, Australian "Skip Hop" is taking the land down under by storm, and looks to have marketability outside the region, thanks to Black Eyed Peas frontman Will.i.am and U.S. DJ/Producer Jazzy Jeff. According to Billboard's July 22 issue, in an article written by Chritie Eliezer, the genre's growth will depend on whether the burgeoning bands on the scene can find the producers to help them push the music to the forefront of the scene beyond just Australia. "There's a greater diversity in hip-hop here [in Australia] than in America," Will.i.am told Billboard, announcing that he plans to spend six months out of each of the next few years in Sydney, working to develop acts for his music imprint. And Jazzy Jeff, who is hosting and performing at the Urban Music Awards on July 21 in Syndey, says now's the time to focus on what Australian acts are doing. "The music has that purity and enthusiasm American hip hop used to have before it became obsessed with money," he told Billboard. The Herd's album "An Elefant Never Forgets" can be purchased in America via Napster, even though it's not officially available stateside.

'TAPE OP' by Joops Category: Industry News More Info Here: http://www.tapeop.com TAPE OP Magazine is a great little recording industry magazine that offers a ton of information about all types of recording, equipment, reviews, bios, etc. Best of all the subscription is FREE! (Sorry I beleive it is only free for those in the U.S. -- I know that sucks for the rest of you). Check it out. Its well worth the price!

'Reviewer Competition Winner' by Andrew Chapman Category: Consensus News Folks, the final donations are in and we have a winner! Congratulations and 150 smackereroos goes to The Captain for what can only be described as a herculean effort. He came from nowhere and blindsided us all! Thank you sincerely to everyone that participated and gave it a red hot go. A new competition will start in a few days time. Stay tuned.

'Music magazine for the Artist' by Christian Lowensprung Category: Miscellaneous More Info Here: http://www.soundonsound.com/ Just a short note. If you are an artist, there is a magazine out there that covers what to purchase on equipment, various tips for the major recording programs (sonar, cubase, etc.), how to get your mix as good as possible, what gadgets to buy both instruments, mics, and studio gadgetry. No celebrity nonsense, just pure attention to what you are doing: Making music! There is only one magazine that has really worked for me, and that is Sound on Sound. DON'T subscribe to it if you don't live in the UK, they send you a magazine without all the valuable offers on prices from different retailers. Believe me, you want those! Ask your local magazine dealer instead for it. It really is a must. Keep the good music coming Yours truly: Christian Lowensprung

'Portable Fidelity with the iAudio U3' by Andrew Chapman Category: Hardware More Info Here: http://global.cowon.com/product/product_U3_feature.php Calling all audiophiles! Do you remember what music used to sound like before mp3? You know, when you listened to CDs and you could actually hear a full rich bass and a crystal clear treble? Well, I'm pleased to report that those days are returning thanks to two very special and recent inventions. Invention 1: Get FLAC'D! FLAC stands for Free Lossless Audio Codec. In a nutshell, it's a file format that compresses wave files to about half their size whilst ensuring ZERO loss of quality. That is, a flac file has ALL of the information that the original CD has on it. The more common formats such as mp3, wmv, ogg, aac etc are all lossy formats, and all of them strip out important information from an audio stream. You can rip CD's to FLAC and then play them using desktop applications such as jetAudio and media monkey. Invention 2: There are some new breed portable audio players these days that support FLAC. I purchased a wonderful little device 3 weeks ago by Cowon called the iAudio U3. The U3 is a small, lightweight, sexy, intuitive and loud device, that best of all, simply sounds awesome. The 60mW integrated amplifier is clean and powerful, producing a tight sound, and when combined with FLAC lossless files, what you have is 7 CD's worth of super clear music all in a compact, portable device. I purchased the 2GB edition which is more than enough room for small trips (eg, to work and back or to uni and back). Oh, and the other great thing about Cowon and iAudio is that they support Windows, Linux and Mac. So whatever desktop you run, you can plugin your portable device and transfer your music. I was an early adopter of digital music. I had an mp3 player before the iPod even existed – my first device was called The Jaz Piper and it had a whopping 32 meg of memory. I upgraded from there to a series 1 iPod, and the U3 is my first device since the iPod. iPod's used to be the cool but now they're just another Apple device that's focused on aesthetics over performance and features. If you have the means, I highly recommend exploring the wonders of FLAC and picking up a portable device such as the U3.

'the mp3 revolution (the truth)' by Christian Lowensprung Category: Miscellaneous More Info Here: http://www.mp3.com Has music gotten better over these last years, after the internet took over for good? In the early 90's, before real internet connection was available, people depended on the music industry to flood shops with CD's. We bowed, and we obeyed, rushing to shops to discover our music by listening to CD's. I remember I used to ask where the electronica section was, and the guy at the counter pointed at the electronica section. There I usually picked out a cool cover, and discovered artists like Vangelis, Aphex Twin, Chemical Brothers, and compilation albums like Trancemaster, Rave Mission, Thunderdome. That era alone was responsible for me draining my bank account and buying a whooping 800 CD's. Some would today call that a waste, but to me, those were the days. Now, things have shifted. The mp3 revolution changed everything. People are no longer bowing to record companies. We are our own landlord. Internet connection has gone from a bleeping and twirping slow menace, to a silent cable that is capable of extreme speeds. Music is at our fingertips. We can go to our local DC++ and download the software, look at what other users have; we are our own shops really. Usually folders named "jazz", "electronica", "Britney Spears" and so on are available at a click of a button in our own home, and after a few hours of downloading while we are Away From Keyboard (AFK), hundreds of songs, dozens of CD's worth has been put in our own folder which we name to see fit. The cost? It's absolutely free. But is really the music gotten any better over the years? Hmm. I am not the person to answer that question, although I have my own opinion. But ask yourself this: Artist: (1990) I want to create great music. Better music than the other guy so people can buy my CD's and I can make money on something I like doing. (makes sense) Artist: (today) I want to create great music. Better music than the other guy so people can download my music freely off the internet and I can work without pay. (makes no sense at all) Yes, the internet has made things easier for us mortals to make our crap music available. Oh are you provoked that I said crap? Hmm, ask yourself this then: If you think your music is so good, and it probably is, you think you would have gotten a record deal back in 1990? Yes, I think so too.

'A new #1' by orfeo Category: Our Artists More Info Here: http://www.delawaremusic.co.uk For the first time in a long while, Consensus has a new favourite song. British duo Delaware had already made a strong impression with 'Everything Changes', which scored a lofty 7.87/10. That was good enough to put the song in the Consensus all-time top ten. But Delaware, it seems, wasn't content with that success. They quickly submitted a new track, and it wasn't long before it was receiving even better reviews from our team. 'Within It' achieved an unprecedented final score of 8.29/10, which places it at the top of Consensus' picks. To find out what the fuss is about, and to decide if you agree with the Consensus, click on the link above to go to Delaware's website. You can listen to 'Within It' and 'Everything Changes', as well as several other tracks.

'Are you Sirius about your music?' by Audigy Category: Our Artists More Info Here: http://www.sirius.com/contactus Whether you are an industry player or an aspiring independant musician, now is your chance to get your music on Sirius Satellite Radio for millions to hear! Visit the above link and submit your recordings for Sirius consideration. Be mindful of what you are submitting. Can it be classified under a genre? Is it something that people would enjoy listening to? Is your work mastered correctly? Do you own the rights to your work entirely? If you answered yes to all of the above, then what are you waiting for? Submit a CD with your best work today! There is a reason Sirius is #1, they gather music from all walks of life; signed or unsigned. If it is good, they will play it for all to hear.

'Consensus Donations' by Andrew Chapman Category: Consensus News The Consensus is pleased to announce our new donations system. It's now possible for Artists to push themselves to the front of the queue in return for a small donation. Donations will fund reviewer prizes and general site upkeep. We'd like to thank the following Artists for donating so far: Nick Tosches & Surfing with Valdez Dante Doris and the Daze Delaware

'Subdivider divides the pack' by Andrew Chapman Category: Our Artists More Info Here: http://www.purevolume.com/subdivider/music After romping it in with an incredible 8.06/10, Subdivider finds themselves in 2nd place for their song 'Vertigo'. Consensus reviewer Chris K says "Subdivider, brings some deep roots of the style into the equation, showing an honest attempt at evolving the form, as opposed to trying to create something new that only resembles the past." We encourage all of our visitors to visit Subdividers website (link above) and listen to the wonderful work they're doing.