Musical Demo Submission thread
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...It's working. I have a heavy work weekend but I'll crack on with it during the week, cheers. Expect to hear more from me.BonsaiK said:
Alrighty then. First one's a cover, and it's pretty different to the original.
And one of mine (kinda an old video)
And one of mine (kinda an old video)
Well, I was going to post something, but then I remembered:
-We did covers that were like the original
-Our one original song the vocals didn't come through due to a sound problem
-And I'm n ot with that group anymore
So it would be kind of pointless. Wish I had something, though. Hopefully Furb will get our piece done while this is still around.(I sent him some lyrics to try and put to music.)
HOWEVER! I'm interested in a music industry career, or at least finding out if it's right for me. Do you mind answering questions if I have some?
-We did covers that were like the original
-Our one original song the vocals didn't come through due to a sound problem
-And I'm n ot with that group anymore
So it would be kind of pointless. Wish I had something, though. Hopefully Furb will get our piece done while this is still around.(I sent him some lyrics to try and put to music.)
HOWEVER! I'm interested in a music industry career, or at least finding out if it's right for me. Do you mind answering questions if I have some?
This is a great thread- you're definitely right about the difficulty in getting honest criticism about music.
If you're willing to deal with a Soundclick link [http://www.soundclick.com/orchidnc], I'd love some feedback on a couple songs. The balance is pretty atrocious and there are a few mistakes, but I'm curious to see what you think about the melody, structure and overall vibe.
A little off-topic, but SHP, I'm really liking the Gilmour vibe in your last recording. Maybe I should save unqualified flattery for the Jam Session thread, though
Edit: Youtube links
If you're willing to deal with a Soundclick link [http://www.soundclick.com/orchidnc], I'd love some feedback on a couple songs. The balance is pretty atrocious and there are a few mistakes, but I'm curious to see what you think about the melody, structure and overall vibe.
A little off-topic, but SHP, I'm really liking the Gilmour vibe in your last recording. Maybe I should save unqualified flattery for the Jam Session thread, though
Edit: Youtube links
I thought the exact same thing, the White Stripes came immediatley to mind when I heard his band. I really enjoyed his band's sound and I consider myself a musical elitist, it's really tough for me to find something I like.BonsaiK said:
I shall leave now as I have no business in this thread.
Just wanted to say I really enjoyed that, keep up the good work.Sexual Harassment Panda said:
The cover isn't that different, it sounds pretty much just like the original, just acoustic. Unless you mean about how your guitar is out of time. You're trying to be too fancy with the little licks that come after the G chord, that the main thing that's throwing you out. Better to play it simple and correct than fancy and wrong. Also that harmonica playing is dreadful. Bob Dylan should be punished severely for the crimes he has inflicted on music with regard to harmonica playing, there's no reason to go impersonating the guy's weakest link. If you must add harmonica learn how to play it first, seriously - harmonica doesn't have to sound like that, it can sound as good as lead guitar in skilled hands. It's all a moot point anyway because I can't sell "Sweet Home Alabama" and even if this version was good I would just go "oh, that song. Next!".MelasZepheos said:
When selecting a cover - if you're going to pick a really popular song, one that is considered a "classic", remember that you are competing against the original of that song. The more well-known and popular the song is, the harder your job is to impress someone with it. You have to approach it with a completely different angle if you're going to make an impact. (Or, you have to be an already-established artist who can get away with anything.) The problem is that you love the original too much. Next time you do a cover, why not pick a song you hate and try to improve it?
Your original song isn't bad at all though. Guitar playing is better because you're not overstretching yourself, hell, you sound like a whole new player, relaxed and confident. Vocals are good. Annoying that the video is such poor framerate and isn't in sync - presentation does matter. Because the song doesn't really change or vary at all, I'd say add some dynamics, have a part where you go really whispery quiet or something... it's okay but just a bit repetitive, kind of does the same thing over and over. They lyrics seem to tell a story, so try and involve the listener in that story, with the way you present the song musically. Dynamics could really make this song come alive.
I'm so sorry. You seem like a nice person. I apologise in advance.Horticulture said:This is a great thread- you're definitely right about the difficulty in getting honest criticism about music.
If you're willing to deal with a Soundclick link [http://www.soundclick.com/orchidnc], I'd love some feedback on a couple songs. The balance is pretty atrocious and there are a few mistakes, but I'm curious to see what you think about the melody, structure and overall vibe.
A little off-topic, but SHP, I'm really liking the Gilmour vibe in your last recording. Maybe I should save unqualified flattery for the Jam Session thread, though
Edit: Youtube links
I have no problem with the fact that this has obviously been recorded in the corner of a jam room, that's fine. Wish I could make out the lyrics but no big deal really, I can still hear the vocal melody. Yeah the balance is terrible but once again no big deal. A few mistakes too but that's okay, I can handle that.
Okay, so I'm trying to be positive here. You're all good musicians, basically. That's good. Your vocalist overstretches annoyingly and he really should not do that really high shit - but in the lower register he's really good. In fact, everyone overplays a bit, especially the drummer. Damn he's a good player, but his job is to keep the beat, not wow me with his ability to hit all of his toms at once with only two sticks. The songs, well the first one is just the same thing over and over, you could mix it up a little. Maybe add another section. The second one is more varied, but... oh who am I kidding. I'll stop beating around the bush and get to your one real overarching obstacle. Please forgive me.
You are the first person to submit something here that hits on a forbidden genre, which is early post-grunge style rock. This style of music is not acceptable to labels right now. Why? Because it just went out of fashion very recently. Yes, there are still established bands making this kind of music - what that means is that there is no room for new bands to make this kind of music. No band that makes this type of music has been signed in the last few years to a major label in a western country. Feel free to check, you will find that this is true. All the bands who will ever make this type of music on a global scale in the next 20 years have already got record deals. Your chances of success are absolutely 0%. You need to change the style and sound of your band completely, or just get a new band that wants to make different music. Maybe keep the songs or at least the song ideas, or just write new songs, but nothing will ever happen for you with this band, with this sound. You could get some gigs in your local town, maybe go on a small tour at the very most, or sign a distributor deal where you pay for all the manufacture and they don't care about your music style and just add it to the catalog to be forgotten about unless someone orders it, however any actual proper label you send this to will reject it within about 30 seconds of listening, regardless of playing or songwriting quality, simply because of the style. What you are doing is like trying to start a glam metal band in 1993 just after the big grunge explosion. You're all talented folks but you're wearing bell-bottoms in the mid-1980s. You are out of fashion. The music industry is fickle like this. I'm so sorry.
No need to apologise, thanks for the honest feedback. Now we can work on trading the bellbottoms for skinny jeans.BonsaiK said:
I'd actually considered asking about what you considered to be forbidden genres, but I managed to find out anyway. Out of curiosity, what are the others?
It changes all the time, as music fashion changes. It's usually something that was very popular for a while and then suddenly vanished off the radar.Horticulture said:
Nu-metal is another. No nu-metal bands are being signed now - unless they are made up of already-established artists in the genre. Breakbeats that are derived from James Brown's "Funky Drummer" (or a song that samples that song) are also absolutely forbidden. There are others but they don't readily spring to mind. If someone posts one, that will jog my memory.
You'll be pleased to know that in about 15 years obviously auto-tuned pop will be on this list.
Wow I am really impressed by that riff and just the overall sound of the music. It's right up my street. I'd love to hear you get some interesting and unique vocals over it and keep it out of double time, so it maintains the slow, crunchy theme of the tune. It is actually very similar to The White Stripes Icky Thump riff, but it sounds fuller or something. Please do more in the vein of this song.Sexual Harassment Panda said:
OT: I don't really have anything to submit but I feel this thread deserves to stay alive. I also really wanted to comment on how awesome SHP's song was.
I pretty much only made these songs because I was tired of not having any say in the crappy band I was in, and wanted to play some music that I would enjoy listening to. (I have a pretty eccentric taste in music) If I had to describe the idea I was shooting for, I would say a mix between Depeche Mode and The Dead Milkmen. I am very much aware of the sound issue on Ronald Reagan's Zombie Corpse, and I apologize. I lost the original file, and I do not care enough to re-record it. I have no intentions on being a professional musician, I am just curious what a pro would think of it. I have gotten invited to open for Gwar and KMFDM, but I don't have it in me to play live. So here is my link, with no stupid flashy background to load, I hope if you don't like the music, you at least get a smile from the humor http://www.myspace.com/brokenspork42
Me and my friends have started a band recently, we haven't made a proper song yet, we have just been jamming and stuff. We are attempting to cover Crystal Mountain by Death. When we do get something recorded I'll send it to you because I would love to hear your opinion on us, and any advice you could give us.
Tracks are great, I really like them. (I'll ignore the first track which obviously has technical issues, sounds like it was recorded on a tape with too much built-up magnetism or dirt.) Vocals are a different story. You sound like you're having trouble hitting the right notes, so you're wavering around, timidly guesstimating the pitches. Nothing a bit of auto-tune can't fix, I guess - or the other option is to go "screw the pitch" and be content with half-rapping it in Frank Zappa style (which would suit what you're aiming for, actually), and give the vocal delivery more character. However, some of your vocals in "Costner Stalker" are actually out of time with the beats - you're rushing the vocal delivery and going faster than the beat dictates in places. The bass guitar also rushes and de-synchronizes with the beat in the Zombie song during that fancy fill section. That is not a "fix in the mix" proposition - pitch can be altered but you MUST get timing right, always, because time-stretching after the fact sounds horrid. Aside from that there's also technical issues - the voice needs compression, a little distortion wouldn't hurt either (it's what a lot of people in this music style do to compensate for weak delivery) but compression is the main thing. It just sounds like some guy mumbling at the moment, kind of indistinct. If you're going to have "funny" lyrics, they need to be clearly audible, and not muddy or indistinct in any way. Don't sing so close to the microphone. It's a shame because the tracks really are great, atmospheric even. It's the live elements you're putting over the basic tracks that are the deal-breaker at this stage.Guestowel said:
I know you don't care, but if I were a label I wouldn't sign you for one and one reason only, completely unrelated to everything I've just told you. You were invited to open for a big international act and you didn't say "yes I'll do it" immediately. That's not cool from a label's point of view. Artists who won't play live are truly a pain in the ass to work with, as it's almost impossible for them to make money, or for us to make money by having them on our roster. I know people in my town who would have killed for an opportunity like that.