Kramer Ferrington III. Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 I know I've posted this already in the GP forum, but hey... Anyway, yesterday we finally got our demo back from the friend who recorded us. If you'd like to have a listen, all the tracks are up on http://www.myspace.com/thischarmingmystery We're a three piece, so the bass plays a pretty important role in all the songs. Everything was recorded live to stereo so there are some occasional fluffs which didn't warrant scrapping a take, but overall, I'm pretty happy with the results. And, as I said to the GP forum, we really don't know what style we play, so any comments or definitions would be welcome. It's a lot easier to get gigs if you can tell a bar booker, "We're a such-and-such band" or, "We sound like..." If we were a cover band, it'd be easy enough to just give the booker the set list, but doing originals as we do, that's not an option. Band MySpace My snazzy t-shirt empire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil W Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 Will take a lesson later Vince. Regarding genre's I think just make up some random collection of currently or locally trendy genres. http://philwbass.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kramer Ferrington III. Posted February 26, 2008 Author Share Posted February 26, 2008 *LOL* Yeah, might be the best idea. Band MySpace My snazzy t-shirt empire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rizzo9247 Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 Indie-Alternative-Experimental-Rock, that should do it I really enjoyed the demos, especially Spies and Portobello Road, they put me in a good mood, and being a pretty miserable person to begin with, that's a good thing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juancarlin Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 A friend of mine was in a similar situation some years ago.. they ended up defining their sound as "Damned A Go-Go". Yet, the "Somewhat different Rock´n Roll" motto in the MySpace pic applies very well, I think. Loved "Kilimanjaro". What is it.. the ABG? My favourite up to now? Peasant dance. Brought to you by Juancarlin. www.juancarlinmusic.com http://www.youtube.com/JuanCarlinMusic www.facebook.com/JuanCarlinMusic Instagram: @JuanCarlinMusic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmittyG Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 Man, that is some kick ass music! But, yeah, the marketing is going to be a bitch. The groove is in the spaces. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kramer Ferrington III. Posted February 26, 2008 Author Share Posted February 26, 2008 A friend of mine was in a similar situation some years ago.. they ended up defining their sound as "Damned A Go-Go". Yeah, it's such a stupid situation because you're expected to be able to define yourself in a word or two, for club owners and bookers and all that and... and well, we don't know how to. I even had it come up at a job interview (my CV mentions that I play bass in a band) and when they asked "so what sort of band is it?" I looked like a total idiot. My favourite up to now? Peasant dance. Cool, thanks! That one always makes me think of those Pieter Brueghels pictures of peasants dancing. Portobello Rd is called that because it's a bit like strolling through a street market and hearing Indian music playing (well, the guitar sounds like a snake charmer anyway!) I'm the only one in the band that has been there, but it's a lovely name for a place anyway. Band MySpace My snazzy t-shirt empire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil W Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 Always good to put a couple of beverages - foods in the genre too like 'cappuccino soul-folk' or 'deep-fried organic cheese rock' not that yours sounds like either. I enjoyed the music muchly. Somewhat different Rock´n Roll? Alt-rock? You could try this site: http://justice.loyola.edu/~mcoffey/ce/music/ Music genre name generator but I think that site is unimaginative and unpoetic I'll keep thinking http://philwbass.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davo-London Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 The bass tone reminds me of early stranglers. The guitar sounds a bit weedy and 60's-ish compared to the muscle of the bass. Perhaps a lot more reverb would assist the guitar tone and it's freeform. And er perhaps a tune-up wouldn't go a miss: ) Needs some polish though Vince. I would get the drummer to lay off the ride as it is incessant in the Peasant Dance, the song which I prefer to Portobello Road. In fact as the bass and guitar are so busy it may be better for the drummer to hold back a bit. Imagine the space that Stuart Copeland would bring to the party. Enjoyed listening. Davo "We will make you bob your head whether you want to or not". - David Sisk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kramer Ferrington III. Posted February 26, 2008 Author Share Posted February 26, 2008 The bass tone reminds me of early stranglers. The guitar sounds a bit weedy and 60's-ish compared to the muscle of the bass. Perhaps a lot more reverb would assist the guitar tone and it's freeform. And er perhaps a tune-up wouldn't go a miss: ) Ah, yes. The guitar. The guitar is both a cross I must bear and one of the defining parts of the band. You see, he hasn't been playing long (a year, perhaps) so the challenge has always been to come up with interesting stuff to do around the limited guitar. I definitely agree about the tone too. Much to my consternation, he doesn't even own an overdrive, so the tonal options are rather limited. I had to give him my digital delay on extended loan and even though it made an amazing difference to the sound, he still forgets to use it, sometimes. I don't think he's even aware of "tone" as a concept (and monkey on his back) as yet. He's definitely getting better though! Needs some polish though Vince. I would get the drummer to lay off the ride as it is incessant in the Peasant Dance, the song which I prefer to Portobello Road. Interesting point. I'll bring it up next rehearsal. I definitely agree it needs more polish (I fluff a note right at the start of Peasant Dance #5 and the high notes sound totally out ) but, because it was live to stereo, there's not much I can do about it. If we'd had the luxury of multitracking, it'd be a very different animal indeed. Thanks for the comments! Band MySpace My snazzy t-shirt empire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davo-London Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 Yeah and my comments are not intended as critisism but are hopefully constructive - you seem to have taken it that way which is great. The guitarist has a future if he has got that far in a year. Davo "We will make you bob your head whether you want to or not". - David Sisk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kramer Ferrington III. Posted February 27, 2008 Author Share Posted February 27, 2008 The guitarist has a future if he has got that far in a year. Davo Wow, thanks! I'll tell him that: sometimes, the guitarist says that he feels like the "real" band is the rhythm section and that he's just a guy that noodles on the top. He needs all the encouragement he can get. Band MySpace My snazzy t-shirt empire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 Great. I like those tunes. PM sent. Feel the groove internally within your own creativity. - fingertalkin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Bloe Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 You might go with "progressive blues indie". Blues is generic and covers most music, the rest is self evident. Nice tunes. Music is currently stale. It will take this kind of work to help push it into new directions. Bass, the final frontier... http://www.myspace.com/johnnyandtheboomers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kramer Ferrington III. Posted February 27, 2008 Author Share Posted February 27, 2008 You might go with "progressive blues indie". Blues is generic and covers most music, the rest is self evident. Yeah, good call. Most people like blues (of some sort), and by the late 1960s, "blues" was pretty much whatever you wanted it to be. Nice tunes. Music is currently stale. It will take this kind of work to help push it into new directions. Wow, thank you very much. Band MySpace My snazzy t-shirt empire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Daddy from Motown Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 What blues? No blues influence I can hear. Garage Rock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kramer Ferrington III. Posted February 28, 2008 Author Share Posted February 28, 2008 Well... "Blues" in the same way as Cream could describe themselves as a blues band and keep a straight face. The term has become quite general (debased, even) these days and if you mean "blues blues" you have to add an adjective. "Blues" can be anything, really. How many pop songs of the 50s and 60s had the word "blues" in the title while having a very tenuous connection the blues? "Delta Blues" means blues. "Chicago Blues" means "blues". But plain old "blues" can mean anything these days. "Garage Rock" as I understand it, tends to be more reliant on the 12-bar blues structure and has a more of a 60s sound, with a noticeable use of fuzz. Mind you, I'm probably too influenced by the "Nuggets" box set. But I would agree in part: the music does have a ragged sort of sound that is rather garagey. I quite liked the term "Avant Garage", which was invented for Pere Ubu, but sadly, we're not that "avant". Band MySpace My snazzy t-shirt empire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddiePlaysBass Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 Yeah, good call. Most people like blues (of some sort), and by the late 1960s, "blues" was pretty much whatever you wanted it to be. True, it works in most situations. I have dubbed my band's music "rootsy rockabilly blues" because "country" has a certain twang to it that sits less well with certain crowds. Will listen to the tunes this evening, I'm at work right now. "I'm a work in progress." Micky Barnes The Ross Brown Shirt World Tour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Capasso Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 just took a listen - interesting. The description on your myspace seems about right... If your guitarist is having trouble coming up with ideas, have him listen to more surf music - that would seem to fit. Tom www.stoneflyrocks.com Acoustic Color Be practical as well as generous in your ideals. Keep your eyes on the stars and keep your feet on the ground. - Theodore Roosevelt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 It's more like Indigenous Folk Rock. Parts of the tunes sound almost aboriginal. Its definitely got that Southern hemisphere sound. They're on my IPod now TA! Feel the groove internally within your own creativity. - fingertalkin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kramer Ferrington III. Posted February 28, 2008 Author Share Posted February 28, 2008 Wow, thanks Tim! Band MySpace My snazzy t-shirt empire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABGBrian Posted February 29, 2008 Share Posted February 29, 2008 Have you guys considered putting in a synth player? I think some layered keyboards could really expand your soundscapes. Official Website BandcampFacebook Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZZ Thorn Posted February 29, 2008 Share Posted February 29, 2008 Sounds good! What to call it...I'm not super familiar with their work but Portobello road and Monday Morning Traffic reminds me of the Minutemen, so I'd throw 'rock' in with whatever you come up with. But people call them 'punk'.... Seems That Way is sort of new wave punk - reminds me of Depeche Mode. I enjoyed it - very creative. Avant wave rock? http://www.myspace.com/themoustachioed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1111000 Posted February 29, 2008 Share Posted February 29, 2008 Have you guys considered putting in a synth player? I think some layered keyboards could really expand your soundscapes. Agreed! Something like that would really do the trick. I think you guys should hardline your genre as "somewhat different rock and roll", as on your myspace picture, because frankly I think that describes you as aptly as anything else. If you force it on your audience long enough, they'll start saying it on their own and start to admire it. I really like the bassline to Portobello Road. It'll be fun to watch this band develop. p.s.: Was Billy supposed to go back into the studio and lay down vox over the instrumentals, or are they instrumentals? Just curious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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