Artist Feature: Fox Cubs
Fox Cubs joined us back in April under a different name just as this community was developing.
The first track that really caught my attention was 'I Could Be Wrong', Although the band haven't tried to emulate any of the Cure's styling musically, I find the vocals quite reminiscent of Robert Smith, especially on their newer material.
'In Silence, In Secret, In Shadow' is also delightfully dark with a bludgeoning intro, seedy phrasing in the verses and a really strong chrous. I'm looking forward to seeing the band live to see how their use of synth's and reverb effects translate.
They've just come out of the studio with their latest offerings 'Beasts of England' and 'You'll Never Learn' which looks like the band are taking a break from the dark side musically. Be sure to visit their blog and have a listen to their other tracks. In the mean time, watch the below:
Also, on reading the comments of Kang and others, I have contacted Vox to see if we can add fucntionality to the A&R process of having some kind of 'listen to/by' flag on new submissions. I don't know if this is possible yet but will keep you informed. Keep the good ideas coming. Thanks Kang.
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Comments
Interesting track! I'm feeling this one a lot. This kinda music isn't normally my cup of tea but i like this particular track. There's something about it that hits me! The breaks are crazy! The drummer is bananas! lol
Also i'm glad to read that the Vox team has been contacted regarding the email notification for demo submissions. This kind of functionality will help to futher set the whole online demo submission process apart from the normal "CD in the post" way of doing things.
Glad to know our comments and suggestions are being taken on board! :D
If i have any more ideas i'll be sure to post them in the Widgets blog.
Thanks again CD.
Kang.
How are you?
I'm fine.
Very nice track!
Thanks again.
VideoTrain
The mind boggling thing is that in this industry there are no "coaches." In sports you don't just have a CEO and players you also have COACHES. Wow! what a concept. The strange thing is that the music industry is not the place for staffing people to turn ugly ducklings into swans, but bands are not willing to pay a person to help train them to be a better band either. So you have employers and employees but no institutions to train these employees in the music industry. What you end up with is stubborn musicians who are too set in their ways to accept structural criticisms and all they care about is practicing, recording, sending off demos and marketing stuff that is not marketable. You have management teams on here spouting how good their acts are and even they are under the illusion that they are representing good bands. Incredible. You have bands who don't want to sound like everyone else but sound practically like everything else out there anyways. What happened to making good music for the masses, not just for the artists and teenagers? Some of you bands out there are hoping that the music moguls hopefully won't notice your shortcomings or your lack of originality. A major music mogul once said "90% of the demos he receives are rubbish." The thing is that bands need to start acting more like actual business people and not just people who think they're business people. Right now 90% of you are rubbish and not because you're not trying and not because you can't better yourselves and not because you don't have talent. But rather that you are stagnate and too internalized to what you are doing and you have virtually no sense of humility. There are quite a few bands on here that I have heard that I could take one of their songs right now and in 6 months do some rework on it with the artist(s) and turn it into a near hit. And I'm not claiming I'm a hitmaster, I just can tell what is inherently wrong with the song. Would anyone send a random music guy a master of one of their songs and take time out of their schedules to focus on something like this. The answer is NO. So they'll keep on playing live, practicing and high fiving each other, shmoozing with their manager, updating their webpage, making themselves seem really cool and having a good time. Oh yeah, and talk about getting signed. And when i critique songs on a "business" level now I get the "but, that's like your opinion, man" response or the "thanks, for taking the time to listen our music" response. If bands really want help with their music I just don't see it. They just want to be in a band and get signed. "I'd wish you luck, but you wouldn't know what to do with it." Quoting from a movie there. Most of you are nothing more than hobbyists and that's the stone cold reality whether you think it or not. You need to take that money that you're blowing on recording albums and travel the world instead. Be in a band, play live, have fun, post your music on the web, have good memories, but for god's sake don't waste any money towards it and don't do it on this supposed professional level. If it was me I would look behind the Wizard Of Oz curtain and get it over with now. If you think this is over the top, just think what a high strung record label CEO who works 24/7 would say to you right now if you were sitting in his office and he had an ounce of time to spend with you. If you can't imagine it think Simon Cowell. I know, I roll my eyes at Simon Cowell too. But that's the kind of attitude you have to finally impress to get that elusive major contract. This concept of doing your same routine over and over again expecting to get somewhere is not the way to do this. Either take on the attitude of having fun playing music and if somebody notices you then that's great or take on the attitude that you need outside help to retool your music to help get you noticed.
In a nutshell Matt; artist develepment is non existant nowadays but you've got to take into account the amount things have changed since those days when artists would be kept under wraps for years sometimes while they were being molded into a superstar!
Nowadays everyone wants to get signed and the label wants and needs to make money because lets face it, the labels aren't doing much to tap into the lucrative online market. They are sticking to an old, outdated model - cds! The labels piss n moan about sales dropping blah blah blah! Stop complainin and do something about it! Stop sueing the people who download! That money could be spent on ARTIST DEVELOPMENT which would give the listener an amazing product. An amazing product you say? Indeed i do! Think about it... If artist A was developed and their album was cohesive and also track for track mind blowing then i would happily part with my cash.
To be honest i download and i buy. I'm not gonna spend £10 on an album that i know only has 4-5 good tracks on it. Whereas something like an Eminem album i know for a fact would be track for track an amazing album.
Dre has it right! He spends years developing his artists. He spent approx 2 years development on Eminem and roughly the same time on Game. Why does he do this? Simply because he knows if he doesn't, he won't make as much money he could if he developed him.
Anyways i kind of went a lil off topic there but i think i got my point accross.
All in all the labels want someone they can put straight to market and make money straight off the bat. Simple as. Artist development is lost and it most prob won't come back unless the music industry does a 180!
Kang.
I'm also a little confused about how you think a band would be able to "travel the world" if they didn't do the band at a "professional level". You are against supposed "hobbyists" suggesting that you think being in a band should be a full time activity, but if you aren't looking to make any money from it how will you be able to afford to travel the world.
This is not an out and out criticism of what you said, I would just like to know how it can be achieved so I can do it.
Tim
Fox Cubs are a good. i'm impressed for one. they're doin it proper. they got solid songs with tight energy. wicked
Listened to them yesterday! And they're aMAZing. Really love Beasts of England, it's got a lot of energy in there.
Glad to see Pinstripe are doing well just brought they're EP on iTunes lol, is well good.