Shiney New Music
Hello,
Apologies for the temporary hiatus in posts. Was away for a while and unable to update properly.
Firstly, I was looking through the comments of the last post, really interesting stuff. A few views on where producers sit with music today, plus real thoughts on the music featured too. Thanks to Blair Lott, Matt Morris, Nuggit De Hornet and Apside for their comments. Perhaps warrants a further post? Let us know and I'll link through to what you put up.
As we approach THE 2000 ARTISTS MARK (!!!), it's getting easier and easier to find good music to listen to. The media player is in good use, although a little basic it seems that many people are finding new bands that they want to hear. I'm still working with vox on an updated version.
I'm updating the format further for the unsigned blogs, I'm going to feature one artist per blog, but get posts up more often. That means there's more space for each featured group. I'm contacting the bands first to get more info. So hopefully you'll find out further details here that aren't on their blogs. I will also feature comments from this post in the next blog, so get writing about the music. The feedback on the last post was really good.
I'd like to talk about are the Lost Levels which I can only describe as 16 bit games console influenced indie rock. :-
) Steve and Owen met in an Arcade on the Golden Mile before turning their blistered, possibly arthritic fingers to the jumpy basslines as crunchy drums we hear in Lost Levels.
I've been told that Xavier and Iain met at a Siobhan Donaghey audition, have a look at the pictures and you can see that neither of them look like her, so no wonder they were rejected.
Working out of a converted barn on the Norfolk coast, they use an array of wonderfully low tech synths and recently appropriated an harmonium to produce the bleepy stompers featured below, with often interjections of ambient bliss as heard in Early Sheets. Looking at the activity from the last post, I'd love to hear your views on these.
The Band Are:
Xavier - Vocals/Keys
Iain - Guitar/ Vocals
Steve - Drums/Glockenspeil
Owen - Bass/Double Bass
Gigs:
15th June - Parade - 333 Old Street London
25th June - The Gramaphone, Commercial Road, London
Comments
Early sheets felt to me like it's missing a proper chorus, but the pre-chorus-y, refrain-y type thing they have sounds good. I just wanted something more after that, more payoff. The second verse felt long to me. Verses in general didn't really excite me too much. The bridge is the best bit. Also, I wish it hadn't ended as it did - maybe the missing chorus would fit well there.
Game over felt like it would be at home in a cool movie soundtrack.
Good work overall.
RE: The Lost Levels
I hear Weezer and Eels Vs Pink Floyd and Crosby, Stills & Nash - something like that. I'm hearing another band in there somewhere also but can't put my finger on it. Not sure of the blend of verses with the chorus and bridge, they sound a little too contrasting. It's a little too "rehearsed" and not organic enough. Drums and guitars sound a little too perfect and a little too microwave ready for me. I hear a lot of that lately, I don't know if it's a trend or not. The nerdy singing doesn't have enough presence or enough "lift" to capture my attention and like Randy on American Idol would say - "I'm just not feeling it, dog." Not enough going on to make me feel like it's an actual band. A little too bland and not enough personality. It's not quite original enough to get on the air but it's a good template. The problem is the Lo Fi grunge sound is past its vogue and the chorus and bridge are too yesteryear. Production wise it's worthy though.
RE: Game Over
I appreciate those old Nintendo/Atari sounds - definitely adds for some nostalgia but I think I feel like you're attempt at implementing them are too subtle and sound more like one of those cheapy handheld video games than a real Nintendo or Atari. I would be a little more colorful and don't be afraid to milk them. If nothing else you might get famous just for that novelty factor. I have to admit I get lost and feel like my attention is torn between the instrumentation and the singing. The voice is too barren and lacks emphasis and individuality. Again you come in with a bridge that leaves the rest of the song behind and makes the total composition of the song sound like an experiment. I'm still feeling like you're a one man band. I do see a lot of heart in what you are doing and your attempt at originality is in the first stages. Keep working hard. Thanks.
RE: Never the First
Madness meets Ben Folds. Sounds like a catchy tune for an advert but I couldn't see it on the radio. Needs more of a musical group feel than just the solo artist in the booth feel I get from it right now.
BTW the first post was for Early Sheets
no matt, im not expecting to get signed from these blogs. we have a very nice following in northern cal, and have done many things that happen to a band only with a label support - even being on mtv and having songs on tv shows. but it amazes me the great marketing strategies of this site to attract artists on the days before this was on, and then replies are zero, and even posts on this blog are zero. A&R people have never listened to physical discs anyways, and here it would be no different. I think the purpose of these blogs should be more explicit "we wanna be myspace without really saying it."
I appreciate the time you took to go and listen to our music. but with all these talks about "formulas" and "trends" it's hard to take it seriously. Bands should not be playing the songs that are on the radio today, but on the radio tomorrow. And if you had to track down those songs, it is bc they're not supposed to be here, meaning they're part of history, but don't represent us any longer, even though that took us further than we expected.
thanks.
Matt Morris 's profile said he is a lifelong drummer with aspirations to mold bands.
My dad is a lifelong drummer but he has no idea about what any bands I listen to are trying to do. Aspirations and reality are very different things.
I aspired to release records and I did. I aspired to manage acts and I did.
The verse compared with chorus and bridge was a totally different format music wise. You can't just jump completely from one brand of music to another in the middle of a song without it seeming congruent. It might be a cool idea but it takes a genius to pull it off. The bland I was referring to was the vocals. People forget that you have to accentuate vocals to grasp the ears attention. Sometimes you have to manufacture even a small amount of feeling into your singing for it to stand out.
Apside, anyone with big pants in the industry can get you on tv, etc. Especially with the right connections. You should be grateful you've got this far. But sometimes you have to step outside of that and become a business manager/critic within yourself, Ask yourself why is my music good? Why is my music original? How can I develop a sound in our music that could be the next wave? The music world is as volatile as the stock market. Just because 3 or 4 other bands in your area that are good rock bands might have signed does not mean that you should or will be signed. Even if you are realistically better than those other bands. Record labels will only sign a few "project" or "potential" bands or maybe none at all if the boss man decides to put his fist down. And most producers will not take the time these days to try and create "hits" with a band. They are looking for bands that have an immediate hit in their pocket. Your best bet would be to scour the landscape for a producer who's willing to sculpt your music a little more if that's possible now that you are on a fast track. The A&R guys in the business have to be careful with what they submit to their overlords cause their jobs are at stake too.
Does that mean that there's now almost a 1 in 2000 chance of an A&R Manager actually listening to our songs.....?
Better than the old days when we had to go in to the big smoke and harass you at the door when you entered / left the office.....
:)
We would like to hear some creative critizism from the producers on our music. We are going back into the studio this week to start recording our second album, due out in December. We have added new recording equipment, but we are curious about our first album and how it sounds.
Thanks to all!!
Kevin
Stoneshiver
D-Lo, experimenting is not a crime, is it? and so far, experimenting with this has been a disappointing thing. criticism from other people here do not exist, and the few people who have the balls to criticize this entire things get very intelligent comments such as yours. kissing asses will not help you here. it has been stated already that chances of happening here are very low.
everything else you said does not need to be adressed bc you were not part of the dialogue to begin with. if you read all the previous posts you may get some understanding of the things i've said.
This must make them the most royal act on here.
Could you take a look on my site also i would like to hear your advice of how my demos are good or bad i dont mind advice on how to improve my demos thank you..casanova
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BOYS AND GIRLS, please take time out to check me out on the uk';s biggest radio station radio one this sunday 10.30pm till 11.30pm disussing drugs, and my new song braindead.
thanks alot
hey im not sure how to go abt this
but please listen to my song "come back home" on http://daoriginale1.vox.com
and please leave a comment
Stine Richard