Members dead_bowie Posted October 13, 2009 Members Share Posted October 13, 2009 Hey all. I just got back into songwriting recently after a year long hiatus to introduce myself to FL Studio and how the basics of mastering work. I had been thinking about giving up on music up till about two weeks ago , but luckily I got the bug again. www.myspace.com/joshuaneal I'd appreciate any kind of feedback you can offer. I don't know that many people to send my stuff to, and the ones I can get feedback from don't seem like the best people to go to for it. I'd recommend listening to bull, tralfamadore, blue and lie in that order. Really appreciate it : D. -Josh EDIT: The lyrics for each song can be found under the lyrics tab on the player. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dead_bowie Posted October 14, 2009 Author Members Share Posted October 14, 2009 If I'm not being specific enough about what kind of feedback I'd like, I just started so I'd really like to know where to go for inspiration and what kind of exercises and techniques I should practice to compliment my style. I'd really appreciate it. Peaces. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mpeddle Posted October 14, 2009 Members Share Posted October 14, 2009 I really appreciated your songs. The lyrics were good and the music was engaging and well-performed. The spot where your vocals were kind of radio-ish in Tralfamadore was a nice touch. Perhaps experiment with more instrumentation or with more changes in dynamics? A little zazz, you know? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dead_bowie Posted October 14, 2009 Author Members Share Posted October 14, 2009 I really appreciated your songs. The lyrics were good and the music was engaging and well-performed. The spot where your vocals were kind of radio-ish in Tralfamadore was a nice touch.Perhaps experiment with more instrumentation or with more changes in dynamics? A little zazz, you know? Wow, do I appreciate that. I have generally low confidence. I think if my music sounds good at all, it's a result of me being harsh on and strict with myself when it comes time to pen lyrics and record. I appreciate the comment about the cassette tape effect in Tralfamadore because I was afraid it might come off as over the top. I wrote that song a month or two after one of my best friends shot himself and I think it holds up really well in that context. I liked the ending because it helped express the dissociation that comes after an event like that. And hell yeah, man! I've been practicing no less than an hour a day for the last two weeks. I'm doing a lot of technical exercises, but if you have any music to recommend me to take a look at or practice, I'd appreciate it greatly. I don't really listen to anything that sounds like what I do except the album Mutations by Beck. I'm more into post punk than anything. Any and all music that you or anyone could recommend to put me on the right path would be appreciated beyond expression. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members stereojunkie Posted October 14, 2009 Members Share Posted October 14, 2009 When you said Beck's Mutation's, I assumed that the direction you would go was the Os Mutantes Tropicalismo thing that inspired most of that album. But I can see that you have that acoustic alt country swagger that Todd Snider offers. (I see that you put him on your list as well). So If I was to offer some inspiration from that I would say listen to the Avett Brothers, cause they understand how to pen a song pretty well.I can hear your music begging to be electrified, but depending on how punk "back to basics" you are trying to go, I would definitely say that this is minimal and tasteful. Some of the best stuff I have stumbled across in fact. Your lyricism is fantabulous. Great imagery, loosely narrative, endearing and evocative. You should find a good second guitarist, and I think work on some guitar duet work. Normally, I would never say that, as I typically hate guitars on principle. But I think that would really bring forward the quiet emotionalism of your riffs. Also, listen to some Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. I suggest "Time The Revelator" as a good first listen to give you some vibes of what I hear you doing acoustically. I think maybe finding a guitarist like that guy out of BRMC, would do you wonders. I don't think you need to go full band, because I think your songwriting really has something to offer. And I mean that. Keep it up man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mpeddle Posted October 14, 2009 Members Share Posted October 14, 2009 I guess the 'right path' is sort of subjective, isn't it? It's a matter of vision. I'm a fan of trying to deconstruct the things I strum on my guitar and reinvent them without the same-old-same-old acoustic strum. On the other hand, it's perfectly valid to forge on in the same direction and explore it fully. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rsadasiv Posted October 15, 2009 Members Share Posted October 15, 2009 I really appreciated your songs. The lyrics were good and the music was engaging and well-performed. The spot where your vocals were kind of radio-ish in Tralfamadore was a nice touch.Perhaps experiment with more instrumentation or with more changes in dynamics? A little zazz, you know? +1. I think incorporating the sequencer/synths/effects from FL Studio into your writing will be an interesting and hopefully inspiring experience. About 5 years ago I went from playing mostly acoustic guitar and vocals songs to doing more electronica and rock oriented stuff in FL Studio (starting with version 4 - eek) and the combination of those two strands has been very fruitful for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mpeddle Posted October 15, 2009 Members Share Posted October 15, 2009 Totally. I'm having a ball with Reason + Ableton Live right now. I don't share most of the things I'm working on because they're still pretty primordial, but I find the abject cluelessness that new technology inspires to be an effective songwriting tool. If you don't know wtf you're doing, you're more apt to try things you wouldn't normally. In particular, I really like some of the synth sounds I've heard on the flaming lips' newest album. Firmly recommended. I also really like primitive electronic drum sounds juxtaposed with more organic-sounding music. For example, the field mice - emma's house. Also, working with samplers can be really rewarding. I've made some awesome sounds by recording short clips of my guitar and the molesting it till it's unrecognizable. Electronic music software is a tweaker's paradise! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rsadasiv Posted October 15, 2009 Members Share Posted October 15, 2009 You should check out some of Blue2Blue's older "mutant-pop" stuff. A little dated, and he has moved on to other things, but lots of interesting ideas there. http://www.soundclick.com/members/default.cfm?member=dmoriarty&content=station&id=646658 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dead_bowie Posted October 15, 2009 Author Members Share Posted October 15, 2009 Man, I'd never heard the Avett Brothers. I haven't been this inspired in a while. They definitely have that ear for a hook that I admire. That they can lay the hook without sacrificing the lyrical integrity of their music makes them that much better in my eyes. I don't think I'll continue listening to them, as I imagine myself drawing a little more from their style than would be helpful to me. Gillian Welch was impressive. I really like her style, but if Time the revelator is indicative of her overall style, I'm not sure that's where I'd like to head as musician. Finding a hook is one of my favorite parts of songwriting, and one of the parts that comes most naturally to me, so I see myself leaning mainly towards shorter pieces that balance pop aesthetics with emotional and lyrical drive. I was confused by your comment about BRMC. I hadn't heard them up until after reading your post. I listened to a few of their songs, and I think one out of five or so had a prominent lead guitar. Maybe I'm not listening hard enough. As for the "right path" comment, I'd agree that such a thing is subjective. What I'm looking for is those musically intuitive suggestions of sources of inspiration that could lead me to strengthening the style I've already established. Stereo Junkie did a great job of providing some. I'm not looking for a specific direction to pursue, as that vision has been burned into my mind for quite some time. I'm just looking for music that would help me build upon my subconscious melody dictionary and technical ability if I started practicing it. There's definitely some interesting ideas in Blue2Blue's stuff. Ironically, working with FL8 as long as I did led me to believe that I'd be better off leaving the electronica out of my recordings. I'm considering using pads and very subtle effects, but I think it'd take a lot of skill with a midi keyboard to keep any musical additions to acoustic songs from sounding lifeless and cheap. Just a personal opinion, and I'm sure there's a plethora of examples with which you could prove me wrong. Overall, I appreciate all the feedback. Specific thanks to Stereo Junkie for providing such great new music and for the overall praise. It definitely makes me feel more motivated to work hard, take it seriously and have fun with it. Thanks all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dead_bowie Posted October 16, 2009 Author Members Share Posted October 16, 2009 I won't bump this again, but I would like to see if I can get any more feedback as what I've gotten so far has been very useful. All the lyrics can be found with the lyrics button in the media player. Thank ya. Edit: 116 views and a handful of replies makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong : /. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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