Song Fu Round 2

It's really eerie how well you three apparently know each other. Both songs are dead on.

Is it too soon to request an actual JoCo version of "Live"? ~

Visual interpretations of both songs can be found here:

http://jawboneradio.blogspot.com/2008/07/song-fu-challenge-vtaws.html

I insist that you perform each other's songs in concert. Yes, I insist, I do. (In DC, especially)

I love both yours and P&S's song, and I can't help but giggle uncontrollably at work when I hear Big Dick Farts a Polka (through my earphones). While I love your own style, Jonathan, there's something to be said for P&S's in-your-face 'instant gratification' that you so effectively channelled. So if I were to vote right now it'd definitely be for the P&S-style song. But I'm going to mull it over, let Live sink in a bit more, and then decide.

"Live" done by JoCo could just be the sequel to Skullcrusher Mountain that my boyfriend and I have been looking for (yes, we ARE that creepy couple in the back that hold hands and look so much in love during that song....)

You and P&S have certainly left us in a quandary, sir. Both entries are awesome (as I suspected they would be), but I'm thinking that yours is slightly moreso. :-) I'm still considering my vote, though. ("Think, think, think...")

A big Dick and flatulence? Sweet. If a bit embarassing.

It's a shame Paul and Storm don't always make songs in your style- maybe I would enjoy listening to them more.

I'm going to be forced to vote for "Live". It sounds too much like something you would write.

This is a tough one. P&S got my vote last time, but it's hard to argue with accordion and fart noises. Guess I've been a Weird Al fan for too long.

I second Gina's recommendation.

Route 180 ends at Williamsport PA. I can definitely see Richard Wojcinski living there.

Both songs = Quality
Whoever came up with the idea for this round = Genius

Wow I feel so disloyal, I just voted for P&S. Not knowing their music as well as I do JoCo's, it was tough to decide who did who better but I was amazed by how much like JoCo that song sounded!
Kudos all round though, both very enjoyable songs!

Live was cute, but just enough like Skullcrusher and the Future Soon to be jarring. Now, Big Dick, on the other hand--that had the qualities of a P&S song, but was on different themes entirely. Which is better, I say.

Man o man, that was great! They did a really good job capturing the obvious parts of your sound, but I had to vote for "Large Richard Flatulates a fast, lively genre of dance music, familiar throughout Europe and the Americas." (Thanks Wikipedia!) lol :) They just didn't capture that JoCo style and wit.

Let me echo the multitude above.. you both know each other's styles WELL. But I laughed so loud at Big Dick Farts a Polka that my co-workers came over to find out why... so it got my vote. BUT it was HARD.

Good job!

You know, I thought that I could listen to this song at work.

I thought I had the self control to enjoy any Jonathan Coulton song in the style of Paul and Storm with dignity, poise and silence.

I was horribly mistaken.

Dear Jon,
These song contest6s are weird...in a good way. Linked to you recently from my blog by the way.

I wasn't aware "Paul" and "'Storm'" (extra quotes intentional) were actually secretly Ren and Stimpy. Zing.

PLEASE record your own version of Live! It's such a wonderful song, so succint a summation of your style (hoo boy, alliteration!) and I simply must hear you sing it.

I hope these songs find their way into the live show - they're great!

I've got to agree, this was a tough call. Live is beautiful and haunting and I would love to hear JoCo sing it. I laughed and was horrified by Big Dick much as I am by a fair amount of P & S songs. Len your artwork is amazing!

Fu Master Coulton, What was your initial reaction on hearing P&S's version of you?
I guess you can't really answer that question till after the voting is over.

Wow. Both songs are awesome but I think I'm going to have to vote for Live. P&S captured JC's style brilliantly.

Hmm...I thought P&S's one was better, but I think that's just because it was in the style of JoCo. So ultimately I voted for JoCo's because it was more like P&S than P&S's was like JoCo. Does that make sense? I hope so.

No comments on the challengers? I thought Lex's was good, but I voted for Jeff myself. Don't get what everyone seems to see in Elaine C. F.

On purely musical grounds, it was pretty easy to narrow the challengers down to Elaine, Jeff, and Run at the Dog this week. I agree with Frederick about Elaine, though her entry was much stronger this week. In the end I thought Run at the Dog's entry was the most interesting, but Jeff's was the one I was most likely to listen to repeatedly, so that got my vote.

You nailed it. Big Dig Farts a Polka is *classic* Paul & Storm. The harmonies, the timing, the subject matter, it was spot on.

Live was also quite good. The subject matter and lyrics are right there with Coulton. But the voice sounds a touch off. Still definitely in your style.

Man, that's a close call. Both are spot-on. I hope these get into the concert rotation.

For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of hearing Jonathan performing with Paul and Storm, or are trying to get a feel for the "P&S" sound, try these mixes of live concert audio footage:

Skullcrusher Pirate Hotdish
Bigfoot Love Triangle

The songs on each alternate back and forth between JoCo and P&S. Enjoy!

P&S's song captured an obvious something-ness about JoCo. (Yes... JoCo sings about mad scientists in love.) Don't get me wrong. We LOVE P&S. But, JoCo's song nailed it by just being *good*. Even if it lacks a certain P&S-ness (which I don't think it does) it stands on it's own as a good song. Style-jabbing P&S just makes it *better*!

Living, as I do, deep in Pennsylvania near where Route 180 ends... I must vouch (and vote) for the quality and accuracy Big Dick Farts a Polka.

Mr. Wolczynski sends his regards.

Major congratulations to both sides!

I've gotta give this one more to JoCo, though....both absolutely nailed the style of eachother, hands down. But, in my eyes, "Live" wasn't quite as good because of how much it just was a mashup of subject matter/jokes that mostly already exist in JoCo songs.

"Big Dick Farts a Polka" is totally a song P&S would write..."Live" kinda feels like a remastered version of a few songs JoCo already *has* written. If that makes any sense.

Wow... yours was so Paul and Stormy... and theirs was so JoCoey... which is why I'm going to have to vote for their one, and third Gina's command.

Paul and Storms didn't use enough monkeys

Man, that was tough! Last round was much easier (I voted for P&S). But this round was practically a toss-up: both songs were right on target. I did vote for the polka in the end.

I also voted for Elaine Chao Finnell (though I do think Jeff MacDougall's song was excellent). I hate these tough decisions.

I thought both songs were impressive, but I think the faux P+S song was much more spot on. Theirs was good, but a little too obvious, good but not quite there. It sounded like someone trying to do a JoCo song. Yours sounded almost freakishly like P+S in style, wit (seriously...no, seriously...), harmony, energy, everything. Excellent work.

@Javier - what was it you liked about Elaine's song? My impression is that it's just ok and I see that it's really out in front. I was wondering if you could tell me why you like it. I would put it third behind McDougal and Run At The Dog. I'm genuinely curious.

Did they plan the challenges ahead of time? I think what made this round so good is that you two are so familiar with each other's work you can each write a song in their style and its hard to notice. I mean, I'm not too familiar with P&S's work, but if someone had sad Live was a JoCo, I would've believed them. So I voted for their song, because as much as I want to see you be the final master I enjoyed theirs better, because it was more like yours...

now time to listen to the challenger songs to see if any of them are good this time around.

I am pulling my hair out trying to decide on which master to vote for. Sooooooo good. Both of them. I'm going to have to play them all day, everyday for the next week. Bastards.

That was close. Really, really close. While P&S made the archetypal mad scientist song with a very touching end that has all of the elements of JoCo-ness, it's still missing a certain je ne sais quoi in the way it's put together. I about fell out of my seat laughing at "Big Dick Farts A Polka", and I think it's a spot-on rendition of their performance style.

Challengers: toss-up between Jeff MacDougal and Run at The Dog. I'll have to sit on it for a while. But I'd also like to give props to Cloakie for being so very, very wrong.

Personally, I liked Elaine's song best out of the challengers... Jeff and Run at the Dog's were definitely good, but I think what sets her apart is... well, she's the only one who does ballads. And ballads happen to be my favorite :P. All the other entries are done in kind of similar styles, you know? Then lots of people are having a hard time choosing between Jeff and RatD, so those two are splitting their votes.

Sadly I couldn't vote for the masters because I don't know much about P&S's music. And if I voted for the song I liked best, I'd have to vote for them.

I'm one of the people that don't get Elaine Chao's popularity. There's actually something about her style that I find distinctly irritating. But even without that, the song just isn't that clever. Jeff MacDougal and the Paul Frumpton Experience all seem so much more interesting and funny. Steven Hawking getting dumb from eating pudding? Dracula's melancholy expressed through a beach towel? Brilliant!

Excellent. So hard to pick...

I had to go with Paul & Storm's "Live". I think writing a JoCo song would be harder to do, and they nailed it.

I had to go with Paul and Storm, because I think both were dead on in their impersonations and I just like JoCo songs better.

I don't know who to vote for! I love JoCo but Paul and Storm fucking nailed it with that song.

Why, why why why why why are you not selling out Madison Square Garden??????? We need to do something about this....no more Ikea in Redhook for you sir....You are a brilliant, brilliant man. I can't stop humming Big Dick Farts a Polka...so dead on...I totally voted for yours.

@Jim138 --- I'm not sure I can put it into words, but I'll try. First, after reading your question I went back to listen to the songs and was immediately reminded why I found it a difficult decision and began to second guess myself (like I knew I would). Jeff's song was really good! But you want to know why I voted for Elaine. I'm not totally sure, but something about her smooth bolera style reminded me of songs (please don't ask me which songs because I just don't remember specifically) I used to enjoy as a kid. I hope that answers your question.

Although I doubt the wisdom of it, I'll post this, trying not to attack. Of the challengers, Jeff MacDougall and Run at the Dog sparkled this round; I endorse JeffM, not only because he came to the forums to solicit votes (I wasn't supposed to say that, was I?) but also because of the challengers that I liked, he has the best chance of winning.

Lex Friedman, Cloakie, and the Paul Frumpton Experience featuring Larry submitted entries that had varying degrees of listenability, but they all had moments of lyrical brilliance -- I especially admired the lyrics of "Dracula's Beach Towel", which to me was the entry that came closest to making the "little from column A, little from column B" feel natural.

I thought each of those five aforementioned contenders had a spark of life, an originality, and a freedom from banality; although musically they were not as glibly polished, perhaps, as other entrants, each of them submitted an entry that made me stop and think that there was something about it that wouldn't cause me to be completely tired out if its composer reached the finals.

Also, I've said this in the forum thread too, but -- I like Live a whole lot and have very little interest in BDFaP, but the former has a twinge too much "Your Love Is (Love Song with Metaphor)" peeking out, while BDFaP is seamless.

Also, I’ve said this in the forum thread too, but — I like Live a whole lot and have very little interest in BDFaP, but the former has a twinge too much “Your Love Is (Love Song with Metaphor)” peeking out, while BDFaP is seamless.

Ah, but JoCo actually co-wrote Your Love Is with Paul and Storm. So doesn't that make it even more Coulton-esque?

Yes, JoCo contributed a guitar part to that song, and indeed the sensitive guitar stylings are very Coultonesque. But I'm given to understand his contributions to the lyrics thereof are minimal, and it's the lyrics of "Live" that don't sound Coultonesque enough.

Very nice ... I think you guys should play both of these when you FINALLY make it to Toronto (after the aborted first attempt last year) come Wednesday night! I can't wait to finally see you (and them) on stage ...

Oh, and I'll be bringing my external hard drive to be signed, since everything I've bought by you _and_ P&S has been via mp3. ;)

Jeff MacD needs a couple more votes!

McDougall has taken the lead!

Oh, the tension! Just 12 more hours!

(I think.)

Come on Jeff!

Congrats to JoCo and JeffMac! Now it's time for JC to kick some amateur butt!

Yay! I made into the final round! (wait a minute... oh crap. I made it into the final round... now what am I going to do... someone... anyone.. help..)

I want to thank everyone who voted for me. I couldn't have done it without you. I now have the honor of getting my butt kicked by Master Coulton. Should be fun..

Damn you, Coulton. Equal parts repulsive and catchy. What am I supposed to make of this?