In case of Jack Nicholson, use the stairs (Red Tide Reviews)
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erik
- Churchill
- Posts: 2341
- Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 11:06 am
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- Location: Austin
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In case of Jack Nicholson, use the stairs (Red Tide Reviews)
Tony is the boy who does reviews in my mouth.
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Leaf
- Churchill
- Posts: 2438
- Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 2:19 pm
- Instruments: Drums, guitar, bass, vocals.
- Recording Method: Cubase
- Submitting as: Leaf 62, Gert, Boon Liver, Leaf and Twig, Tom Skillman, A bunch of other stuff.
- Location: Campbell River, B.C.
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I'm gonna post up a link later on to the red tide tune I got from ages ago... just cause... however, to the fighttunes I say:
Chuck Chuck Moose: I like your band name. The heavy guitar seems lost without supporting stuff... it doesn't have to be drums, but it seems out of place and incomplete on it's own. I like those backups... kinda sultry... and some nice chords in there. A dreamy verse. Yeah, on the chorus, it just sounds like you never finished it. I think this song hasn't reached it's potential, but I do like it...
Noah McLaughlin: Accoustic guitar intro.. not bad. It has it's charming moments, but overall, I'm not hooked into it. The mix seems disproportionate . The first part of the tune...it's ok. The bridge, that's awesome. I REALLY like that part, and it sets up the next verse in a way that has me into it now. So, this is ok, but didn't grab me off the bat. The drums sound pretty good... are they programmed? Good parts.
Luke Henely: Intro doesn't like me. Verses... you know, I just don't like this tune. About the only thing I like about it is the energy you put into it. That's cool. But I'm not into the song itself.
Jay String: I like this. I think cause it's got good rhythm, and some weird, creepy things. Creepy is my latest musical descriptor. If you get creepy from me, that's a good thing. For somreason, this reminds me of Cashpoint. You know, this is probably where I'm putting my vote... it's got some good snot to it, and yet also has a smooth, gliding groove at the same time.
Yeah, I'm thinking Jay String.
Chuck Chuck Moose: I like your band name. The heavy guitar seems lost without supporting stuff... it doesn't have to be drums, but it seems out of place and incomplete on it's own. I like those backups... kinda sultry... and some nice chords in there. A dreamy verse. Yeah, on the chorus, it just sounds like you never finished it. I think this song hasn't reached it's potential, but I do like it...
Noah McLaughlin: Accoustic guitar intro.. not bad. It has it's charming moments, but overall, I'm not hooked into it. The mix seems disproportionate . The first part of the tune...it's ok. The bridge, that's awesome. I REALLY like that part, and it sets up the next verse in a way that has me into it now. So, this is ok, but didn't grab me off the bat. The drums sound pretty good... are they programmed? Good parts.
Luke Henely: Intro doesn't like me. Verses... you know, I just don't like this tune. About the only thing I like about it is the energy you put into it. That's cool. But I'm not into the song itself.
Jay String: I like this. I think cause it's got good rhythm, and some weird, creepy things. Creepy is my latest musical descriptor. If you get creepy from me, that's a good thing. For somreason, this reminds me of Cashpoint. You know, this is probably where I'm putting my vote... it's got some good snot to it, and yet also has a smooth, gliding groove at the same time.
Yeah, I'm thinking Jay String.
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Dan-O from Five-O
- Orwell
- Posts: 924
- Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 5:51 pm
- Instruments: Guitar, Bass, Drums, Mandolin all graded on a sliding scale
- Recording Method: Mixer to a Fostex D-160
- Location: Somewhere in a place called the Midwest
Remember folks, it's just my opinion, I could be wrong.
<b>Chuck Chuck Moose:</b> Good mix, I especially like the acoustic guitar. The distorted guitar sounds GREAT! It should now be required that anyone who uses a distorted guitar sound make it sound exactly like this. The vocals don't do anything for me, and neither do the lyrics. I want to like this song, but I don't. Maybe it's the 9 seconds of silence at the beginning, or the bass solo intro, or the lack of any percussion or the aforementioned lyrics and vocals. Here's the thing, you're not rapping, you're speaking. Spoken voice over music only works if you're selling something, and whatever it is you're peddling, I'm not buying. Which is a damn shame 'cause it's so shiny and I really like all the bells and whistles.
<b>Jay String:</b> Well I hate to be so.....predictably.....concise.....but I don't get it. The lyrics were OK, vague but understandable. The "music" if that's what I'm forced to call it, is simply not my thing. The middle break starting with "Peel the bodies off the wall" is so childlike in its delivery, it's laughable. I can envision a bunch of men dancing and posing and Vogueing to this though, so if that's what you were going for, you got it right. NOT.....FOR.....ME.....!
<b>Luke Henley</b> Nice distortion......goodbye.
<b>Noah Mclaughlin</b> Cheap effects and poor recording techniques do not a song make. I'm not sure what you're using to produce this song, but I am sure there's a better way to do it. Examples of which are all over the place on this site, find them and copy their fine methods. OH, and get some better equipment. The lyrics suggest an interesting take on the title, but they aren't what "Red Tide" means to me (More on that in a minute). Nothing wrong with that though, just a different take on the title. Overall what this song needs is a better singer, better production, and better delivery. It's not bad mind you, it just needs some serious work done to make it better.
The title to me suggested one of 2 ways to go. The communist fury that overtook the U.S. in the 50's, and a reference to a woman's menstrual cycle. I kind of think that's where the entries were going (CCM put a more modern spin on the communist evil by making it terrorists) and I kind of was hoping someone would go outside that little box I created in my own mind. Unfortunately, no one really did overtly. Noah had the most interesting take on the title, so he'll likely get my vote. To me this was kind of a weak fight, tough title, but a weak fight with no clear winner.
<b>Chuck Chuck Moose:</b> Good mix, I especially like the acoustic guitar. The distorted guitar sounds GREAT! It should now be required that anyone who uses a distorted guitar sound make it sound exactly like this. The vocals don't do anything for me, and neither do the lyrics. I want to like this song, but I don't. Maybe it's the 9 seconds of silence at the beginning, or the bass solo intro, or the lack of any percussion or the aforementioned lyrics and vocals. Here's the thing, you're not rapping, you're speaking. Spoken voice over music only works if you're selling something, and whatever it is you're peddling, I'm not buying. Which is a damn shame 'cause it's so shiny and I really like all the bells and whistles.
<b>Jay String:</b> Well I hate to be so.....predictably.....concise.....but I don't get it. The lyrics were OK, vague but understandable. The "music" if that's what I'm forced to call it, is simply not my thing. The middle break starting with "Peel the bodies off the wall" is so childlike in its delivery, it's laughable. I can envision a bunch of men dancing and posing and Vogueing to this though, so if that's what you were going for, you got it right. NOT.....FOR.....ME.....!
<b>Luke Henley</b> Nice distortion......goodbye.
<b>Noah Mclaughlin</b> Cheap effects and poor recording techniques do not a song make. I'm not sure what you're using to produce this song, but I am sure there's a better way to do it. Examples of which are all over the place on this site, find them and copy their fine methods. OH, and get some better equipment. The lyrics suggest an interesting take on the title, but they aren't what "Red Tide" means to me (More on that in a minute). Nothing wrong with that though, just a different take on the title. Overall what this song needs is a better singer, better production, and better delivery. It's not bad mind you, it just needs some serious work done to make it better.
The title to me suggested one of 2 ways to go. The communist fury that overtook the U.S. in the 50's, and a reference to a woman's menstrual cycle. I kind of think that's where the entries were going (CCM put a more modern spin on the communist evil by making it terrorists) and I kind of was hoping someone would go outside that little box I created in my own mind. Unfortunately, no one really did overtly. Noah had the most interesting take on the title, so he'll likely get my vote. To me this was kind of a weak fight, tough title, but a weak fight with no clear winner.
jb wrote:Dan-O has a point.
JB
Them be fightin' words!
Well, this week was a tough fight for me. Ran out of time, ran out of ideas. I wanted to put some heavy boomy drums in, but I ran out of time. Here's my take on the songs:
Luke Henley: I really didn't like this song at all. Maybe you're going for a "this is deep, you just don't get it" kind of thing, and if so, you're right, I don't. The mix sounds very left heavy, and the guitar sounds very thin. The second voice hard panned left was also sort of disconcerting.
Noah Maclaughlin: This sound has a cool kind of americana/rock feel. I like the drums, although they seem to be either in one speaker or the other. I don't like the way the voice is recorded. It sounds to far away and also the effects on it are not what I would call tasteful. Maybe my head is messed up, but this also sounds left speaker heavy. Did you record this analog? It has a sort of cool retro sound.
Jay String: This track is very slickly produced. Everything has a sweet kind of low-fi crunch to it. The chorus thing that comes in the first time at about 0:30 is probably the low point of the song. It is sort of sing songy and doesn't go with the vibe of the rest of the song. I think a minor chorus would work better. Just out of curiousity, what gear to do you use to produce your songs? I am especially interested in what you use for your drum programming.
Luke Henley: I really didn't like this song at all. Maybe you're going for a "this is deep, you just don't get it" kind of thing, and if so, you're right, I don't. The mix sounds very left heavy, and the guitar sounds very thin. The second voice hard panned left was also sort of disconcerting.
Noah Maclaughlin: This sound has a cool kind of americana/rock feel. I like the drums, although they seem to be either in one speaker or the other. I don't like the way the voice is recorded. It sounds to far away and also the effects on it are not what I would call tasteful. Maybe my head is messed up, but this also sounds left speaker heavy. Did you record this analog? It has a sort of cool retro sound.
Jay String: This track is very slickly produced. Everything has a sweet kind of low-fi crunch to it. The chorus thing that comes in the first time at about 0:30 is probably the low point of the song. It is sort of sing songy and doesn't go with the vibe of the rest of the song. I think a minor chorus would work better. Just out of curiousity, what gear to do you use to produce your songs? I am especially interested in what you use for your drum programming.
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j$
- Ibárruri
- Posts: 5374
- Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 11:33 am
- Instruments: Bass, keyboards, singin', guitar
- Submitting as: Johnny Cashpoint
- Location: London, Engerllaaannnddd
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I use Tuareg Sequencer and a whole bunch of hits off royalty-free CDs. Never loops, mind, I drag and place all the individual hits by hand. Trash and the Ohmforce plug ins to mix up the sound a little, just gentle effects to give the sound a more personal feel. And O-Zone for mastering.
j(ay) $(tring)
j(ay) $(tring)
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j$
- Ibárruri
- Posts: 5374
- Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 11:33 am
- Instruments: Bass, keyboards, singin', guitar
- Submitting as: Johnny Cashpoint
- Location: London, Engerllaaannnddd
- Contact:
Tuareg is just a free download thingy from the web - http://www.brambos.com I believe. It's not especially wonderful but it does have an intuitive (for me at least) interface. I know next to nothing about MIDI - any live instruments I play I mic up ....
j$
j$
Other Gear
What else do you use to record your music (software/hardware instruments, microphones, preamps, audio interfaces, mixers, DAW software, etc.)?
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WeaselSlayer
- Niemöller
- Posts: 1592
- Joined: Tue Dec 14, 2004 5:13 pm
- Instruments: Guitar, keyboard
- Recording Method: Garageband, laptop mic
- Submitting as: Luke Henley
- Location: Tucson, AZ
- Contact:
Me: The folk thing was in danger of getting stale and I feel very different these days, so I tried to fuck shit up armed with one sample, an acoustic guitar, a tambourine, and a sore throat after all was said and done. Not my finest work, but I think it turned out pretty cool.
Chuck Chuck Moose: I don't hear any- oh there it is. I was kind of expecting some punk breakdown. But the kind of slacker sparse highway tune is probably a lot more interesting. The energy seems a little hollow, but the arrangement is nice. I have to admit, though, politics and music usually turns me off. Still, this is pretty good. Just not that exciting.
Jay String: Like cleaning up the bodies after a coke-fueled disco night. And stealing a few wallets. Sexy.
Noah McLaughlin: It sounds like you're forcing your voice into a motif it's not wanting to be forced into. It sounds unnatural. As do the drums. There's this real clash of like gritty guitar tone and playing and all of that and then this artificial vocal style and drums and laser clashes. And some echo on your voice which. The whole thing kind of bugs me. But I like what you're doing with the guitar sometimes. I realize that's kind of a shitty compliment, sorry. Really though, I want to hear what your voice sounds without the extra oomph.
Chuck Chuck Moose: I don't hear any- oh there it is. I was kind of expecting some punk breakdown. But the kind of slacker sparse highway tune is probably a lot more interesting. The energy seems a little hollow, but the arrangement is nice. I have to admit, though, politics and music usually turns me off. Still, this is pretty good. Just not that exciting.
Jay String: Like cleaning up the bodies after a coke-fueled disco night. And stealing a few wallets. Sexy.
Noah McLaughlin: It sounds like you're forcing your voice into a motif it's not wanting to be forced into. It sounds unnatural. As do the drums. There's this real clash of like gritty guitar tone and playing and all of that and then this artificial vocal style and drums and laser clashes. And some echo on your voice which. The whole thing kind of bugs me. But I like what you're doing with the guitar sometimes. I realize that's kind of a shitty compliment, sorry. Really though, I want to hear what your voice sounds without the extra oomph.
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j$
- Ibárruri
- Posts: 5374
- Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 11:33 am
- Instruments: Bass, keyboards, singin', guitar
- Submitting as: Johnny Cashpoint
- Location: London, Engerllaaannnddd
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Chuck Chuck Moose - great bass. Lovely tone and production on the instruments. The backing vocals are maybe a bit too loud in the mix. This is good, needs drums. The message while a good one is a bit didactic. The lack of drums make this song drag a little bit but it's really good anyway. I think it's the lack of drums that makes the song seem too chilled for the message, if you see what I mean.
Jay String - is me. This is about a policeman turning up at a murder scene. Although afterwards it occured to me it could read as a gay man's fear of menstruation. That wasn't intentional
Luke Henley - The levels are a bit whack and it's covering up a really interesting song. What I like about LH songs is the level of thought and energy in them, more sometimes than the finished product. This is one of those but i do like it. Just not sure that the roughness of the mix means I would rush to listen to it again.
Noah M - Do you add the drums after you have recorded? I really think that your songs would be better without drums. They don't quite seem to tie up. The vocals are too quiet - both in volume and positioning in the mix. This is a really good tune if you mixed it a little better or if you arranged it up - I do think drums without bass very rarely works. Even the White Stripes get away with it only by duping bass-end sounds on the guitar. Hmmm, a pretty pretty tune, mind.
Well, I think I would vote for Chuck Chuck Moose if it had drums, or Noah, if it didn't ... hmmm will need to think for a buit. I quite enjoyed this bite-size fight.
Jay String - is me. This is about a policeman turning up at a murder scene. Although afterwards it occured to me it could read as a gay man's fear of menstruation. That wasn't intentional
Luke Henley - The levels are a bit whack and it's covering up a really interesting song. What I like about LH songs is the level of thought and energy in them, more sometimes than the finished product. This is one of those but i do like it. Just not sure that the roughness of the mix means I would rush to listen to it again.
Noah M - Do you add the drums after you have recorded? I really think that your songs would be better without drums. They don't quite seem to tie up. The vocals are too quiet - both in volume and positioning in the mix. This is a really good tune if you mixed it a little better or if you arranged it up - I do think drums without bass very rarely works. Even the White Stripes get away with it only by duping bass-end sounds on the guitar. Hmmm, a pretty pretty tune, mind.
Well, I think I would vote for Chuck Chuck Moose if it had drums, or Noah, if it didn't ... hmmm will need to think for a buit. I quite enjoyed this bite-size fight.
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nyjm
- Niemöller
- Posts: 1066
- Joined: Thu Mar 17, 2005 6:14 am
- Instruments: acoustic guitar, electric guitar, synth, various MIDI instruments
- Recording Method: Reaper, Line 6 POD, GLS Audio 57 and 58
- Submitting as: noah mclaughlin, Ford's Theater Disaster, Juliet's Happy Dagger
- Location: atlanta, ga
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chuck chuck moose:
- cool theme and variation with the music arrangement
- very clean production
jay string
- great beat, lots of fun, nice and meaty, too
- this definitely has your signature vibe, j$, but in a slightly different direction; i'd say the stripped-down production/performance options you have this week have really worked for you
luke henley
- the opening hurts my ears
- clipping, meandering
- sounds like an early nirvana demo
me
- this was written, recorded and everything like 2 hours before the deadline on tuesday; hence the spotty production, especially since i'm still learning Kristal
- i keep trying to build better drum parts, but maybe standard percussion just doesn't jive with my little acoustic style (yes, drums were added afterward)
- lyrically, it's taken from "Carmen"; yeah, in the book she's killed in a cave, not by the sea-side, but I like that image of a blood-stained tide
- cool theme and variation with the music arrangement
- very clean production
jay string
- great beat, lots of fun, nice and meaty, too
- this definitely has your signature vibe, j$, but in a slightly different direction; i'd say the stripped-down production/performance options you have this week have really worked for you
luke henley
- the opening hurts my ears
- clipping, meandering
- sounds like an early nirvana demo
me
- this was written, recorded and everything like 2 hours before the deadline on tuesday; hence the spotty production, especially since i'm still learning Kristal
- i keep trying to build better drum parts, but maybe standard percussion just doesn't jive with my little acoustic style (yes, drums were added afterward)
- lyrically, it's taken from "Carmen"; yeah, in the book she's killed in a cave, not by the sea-side, but I like that image of a blood-stained tide
"You sound like the ghost of David Bowie." - SchlimminyCricket | it was a pleasure to burn | my website | Juliet's Happy Dagger
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EightLeggedOedipus
- Attlee
- Posts: 310
- Joined: Fri Dec 17, 2004 10:11 pm
- Location: Los Angeles, CA
- Contact:
Sorry for no reviews, but i just wanted to give a big shoutout to Ashok Henley for this. I thoroughly enjoyed this, especially the last minute. My laptop speakers are still crying from it.
<a href="http://www.mbeanis.com/0.html">Understand</a> my reviews. Voted best auto-wrecking record of 2005! "<a href="http://www.thedrinks.net/"><b>The Drinks</a></b>' - Grr!" available now.