Members dbd1963 Posted June 7, 2007 Members Share Posted June 7, 2007 Don't let the title fool you, this is a straight up power-pop destroyer. House of Gall and Pain lo-fi URL: http://www.soundclick.com/util/getplayer.m3u?id=5425631&q=lo hi-fi URL: http://www.soundclick.com/util/getplayer.m3u?id=5425631&q=hi It still has some problems, but it's at the usual state for one of mine. I wanted to add more parts but I just thought it'd clutter up the mix. (For instance, I was thinking of an awesome B3 with leslie deal.. heh, except I can't play that anyway..) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members eeglug Posted June 7, 2007 Members Share Posted June 7, 2007 I'm listening under duress at work on little earbuds with lots of noise around me...I'll have to listen again later when I get home. Really cool song. The chorus is a great great great hook. The background vocals need work. The 'response' vocals need to be really tight and on-pitch and need to cut through the mix better (but note my impaired listening conditions though). Some of those response line lyrics sit awkwardly in the rhythm of the verse. This is my quickie review - I'll try to listen later and re-assess. Overall it's a really good song and vies with Solar System Man as the best I've heard from you so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dbd1963 Posted June 7, 2007 Author Members Share Posted June 7, 2007 Some of those response line lyrics sit awkwardly in the rhythm of the verse. I might know which ones you mean, but if you run across them again on your next listen, would you let me know which ones for sure? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mekke Posted June 7, 2007 Members Share Posted June 7, 2007 cool song dbd, cool song! I really dont know how you manage to prog your drums that way with loops, but I love it. This song really is something I can imagine hearing on the radio, and thinking "cool".My only remark: do you really need to go so high with the voice? I think it takes a lot to be in tune with such high notes, with the result that when you sing so high you go out of tune. I would look for a slightly lower line, so that your voice - which I like - can shine:thu: Question; can you run SONAR on mac without installing windows? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dbd1963 Posted June 7, 2007 Author Members Share Posted June 7, 2007 Last question first, no you can't do that with Sonar; it's still Windows only. There was a rumor a year or two ago that they were going to make in for Mac too, but so far they have not. About the line going so high -- well the song told me to do that! I never imagine myself as the ultimate singer of the songs I write. I always figure myself as a back-up singer. My ultimate goal is to get enough material to launch a little regional band. If I ever go through with it, I'll certainly bring in a singer. It would likely be a female singer too, because there are just a lot more of them around the DC area than male singers, at least that's what I see when I look around at the ads. Anyway, when I hear my voice on that high part, I think I sound like Spongebob Squarepants. You might not get that reference -- it's a US cartoon character with a weird high voice.. The drums are from "Drums on Demand" I think, a collection of loops. I look for the ones that fit the tempo and rhythm and when I find it, I stick to that folder. What's in there sometimes will suggest another part, as it did in the case of the first part of the bridge here. I had the vocal line and basic chords, but the rhythm comes from the drums there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members eagle1 Posted June 7, 2007 Members Share Posted June 7, 2007 Hello dbd. I love how the song starts with the phase sound. The lyrics and melody is awesome. I don't know if it's me but the sound is kind of muddy to me (specially the back-up vocals). I don't know if it is a certain effect you used, or if you were trying to hide it on purpose. Also, are the 2 guitars in tune? It seemed to me that the acoustic sound and the electric were just a little, itty bit off... or am I just listening with my arse?!?!? Anyway, cool pop song. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Floophead3 Posted June 7, 2007 Members Share Posted June 7, 2007 Aside from intonation issues with backup vocals and perhaps some of the instruments, I like the song a lot. I think if you went back and recorded everything really meticulously and perhaps added some pitch correction to the vocals around the high notes, because I like what you're trying to do, and I really would like to hear it perfectly done, the song would be spectacular. Definetely worth keeping this one! GJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members eeglug Posted June 8, 2007 Members Share Posted June 8, 2007 I might know which ones you mean, but if you run across them again on your next listen, would you let me know which ones for sure? Ok I listened again. The line that felt most awkward to me is "Maybe the mall or the coffee shop either one". The rest are ok. They fit the rhythm...however, the song would be greatly improved if these responses had a more consistent rhythm of syllables with one another. Those backing vocals really ought to be recorded the same way as the lead vocal, instead of being apparently shouted from a distance. You can treat them later with plugins if you so desire. But they need to be clear. The bludgeoning power chords during the verses are a bit too harsh. This could be what eagle1 is reacting to. My 2 cents... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rsadasiv Posted June 8, 2007 Members Share Posted June 8, 2007 The opening (chimey guitar/koto?) riff reminds me of "There She Goes Again" by The La's. The synthy background noises are good, here and throughout the song. OneTwoOneTwoThreeFour over a banging snare - this is a great way to start a song and I don't care how many other songs use this exact same count in intro. The guitar tone on the verse is truly terrible. Both the electric and the acoustic guitars. I think I complained about the guitar not being in tune on your last song. As Eagle1 points out the guitars are still not in tune, and I am still complaining about it. The backing/response vocals are a nice touch but should be miced much closer (+1 on eeglug's "apparently shouted from a distance"). The super staccato, slightly out of tune guitars sound like an 80's alt-pop band (Mission of Burma/Husker Du/Gang of Four). The vocal leap in the chorus is lovely. The backing vocal is lovely. The exit back to the verse is lovely. A definite keeper. +1 on floophead3's pitch correction suggestion. There are many others, but GSnap is free and does a decent enough job. Not really digging the bridge, but the exit back to the verse is really good. OMG, the lead playing over the third verse is atrocious. An inept guitarist playing an awful sounding instrument at high volume - is this something cooked up at Guantanamo Bay? I like the lyrics, but it seems like every line of the backing/response vocals has a different number of syllables. The "shout across the room" recording technique makes some less noticable than others, but a consistent metrical foot would make phrasing the lines much easier. I spent a lot of time with this song (6-7 listens), but I'm still not sure how I feel about it. Maybe I'll just say that I think this is a good song wrapped in a bad performance. Just for reference, check out GJ patron MicwaltI Lost My Lisa. Micwalt's performance and production are so good that you really have to dig deep to hear that "House of Gall and Pain" is potentially a better song. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members oddestmoose0 Posted June 10, 2007 Members Share Posted June 10, 2007 I hear flaming lips for some reason, I think it might be your voice and the symphony pop feeling I get from it. Wayne Coyne (lip's lead singer) has this fragile shouting voice which I really enjoy because I don't think it's really musically good but somehow it works. I feel the same way about your voice. I enjoyed all the back ground vocals. Like one of the previous comments said they could be worked on a tiny bit but I really like what they bring to the song. I really liked the little guitar fills around 3:00, a little sloppy but I think that's why I liked them. I really enjoyed this song a lot, keep up the great work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dbd1963 Posted June 10, 2007 Author Members Share Posted June 10, 2007 Thanks for the comments everyone. I'm late getting back into this thread because I had a tooth die on me. That's what the dentist said, my tooth died. It didn't go without making a real ass of itself though. I don't think I've ever been in that much pain before.. Had a root canal yesterday morning and I'm finally recovered enough to sit still for more than a second. I appreciate you folks listening and giving me your impressions and advice. I'll keep them in mind when I start to work on this song again. For my own part, I think I'm least happy with the lead vocal parts at the beginning of the song, where it sounds to me as if I've grown bored. Do any of you have any tricks for keeping your excitement level up after you initial "new toy" excitement has worn off? This is one of my biggest problems. An early take always sounds so much more authentic than a later one, even if I've improved things. Are there "lead singer" secrets that I don't know about, or is this just something that, you either have it, or you don't? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rsadasiv Posted June 11, 2007 Members Share Posted June 11, 2007 Ouch - sorry to hear about the tooth. Hope your dentist wrote you a prescription for "the good stuff". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members eeglug Posted June 11, 2007 Members Share Posted June 11, 2007 Do any of you have any tricks for keeping your excitement level up Sometimes I keep rehearsing to a point where technically I'm feeling good...then take a brief break to do something else as a way to reset and then jump back in. Another trick (which might not work for you) is to sing a totally different song from what you're doing - preferably something really loose so it stretches you out from approaching your own song too mechanically. eg. I don't tend to write bluesy or r&b-ish material but singing that kind of stuff before recording my own songs is a good way to loosen up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dbd1963 Posted June 11, 2007 Author Members Share Posted June 11, 2007 Hope your dentist wrote you a prescription for "the good stuff". I just got Codeine and tylenol, which didn't kill the pain. Luckily, the pain has now gone away so it didn't last too long. Have to call the dentist - the pain is excruciating when it rises. Mine was initially like this, only it was something too cold that would set it off. Take my advice and don't put it off, because I've been told it's not likely to get better on its own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members eeglug Posted June 11, 2007 Members Share Posted June 11, 2007 Take my advice and don't put it off, because I've been told it's not likely to get better on its own. Thanks - I'll call them the dentist this morning... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members egelmett Posted June 13, 2007 Members Share Posted June 13, 2007 This song would be outstanding with a more confident vocal performance. I did read your opinion that you think you're not the ultimate singer for your songs - I completely understand that as I feel the same about my own voice. But tonally, you have a fine voice, it was just the performance that needed to be more solid. I really like the twist of some of the chords give the song. There's an unexpected pleasantness the changes - very nice! Well done! Oh...what is a "house of gall and pain" anyway? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dbd1963 Posted June 13, 2007 Author Members Share Posted June 13, 2007 Thanks for the compliments, I appreciate that! I don't know what a house of gall and pain is, that is, I don't think it's already a phrase, but I use it as a metaphor for going into a period of extreme hardship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dbd1963 Posted June 16, 2007 Author Members Share Posted June 16, 2007 I have uploaded a slightly edited version of this song, and have reloaded all the others as well with new mixes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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