Original Band Looking For Feedback

We'd love to hear what some fellow song-writers think about our stuff. All opinions welcome, if we suck...TELL US!

Thanks in advance!

http://myspace.com/roperband

First off, see my sticky at the top of the forum. You've made it quite difficult for many of our members to participate in this thread.

I listened to "Nothing in Particular". The vocals/lyrics kind of sounded like an afterthought, like you had the instrumental jam worked out, and slapped a vocal on top of it. I really liked the harmony vocals coming in, but the lyrics seemed a little bland.

I don't really get what you mean? Why can't people respond?

Anyway, thanks for the comments...and you're right...the lyrics to that song are not the original ones.

Good ear!

See the sticky.

edit

Overall, well done. I think I went through the entire gamut of song experience with one listen. After a while I found it catchy but by the end I felt like I was done with it. It's nice but perhaps a little rhythmically monotonous after a while.

Listening again. . . it feels too long. But, like I said, well done. But, I'm not sure I like that song too much.

Trying another. . . Lost My Way. . . I like the verse melody. Mellow smouldering. . . This song has nice dynamics, rising and falling and rising. . . Nice voice. I like this one a lot better that the first I listened to.

Nice mellow groove stuff.

Hey, thanks a lot man...I'll check out your songs too.

Pictures in my head:

sounds like alot of the same thing (as mentioned). It doesn't take me anywhere. Just an anxious sounding drive. I think the talent is there, I just didn't care for the song as much.

Nothing in Particular:

Better than the above, the vocal and music in the chorus helped moved things along much better. The rhythm section is still monotonus sounding for me. (maybe thats a trait from the genre?) I like the harmonies alot, great complimenting to the lead vox. The melodies seemed a little contrived though, as in the first song.

Lost my way:

By far the best most interesting of the bunch. The melodies were captivating and pulled me in wanting to hear the story. I like the song alot, but the production in that one sounded a little hokey at times with the keyboard parts here and there. Sometimes less is more.. ya know? (imo)

i want to hear this. anyone who is a 'jazzman' gets my attention. do you get what chicken monkey said? sticky.....a-la post somewhere else besides my{censored}. i'm very curious.

welcome

^^ For those of you unwilling to recognize Myspace as a legitimate music source, let's see how you like Purevolume:

http://purevolume.com/justinroper

lol. it's not unwillingness...it's blocked. ....as was mentioned. i'll listen later.

LOL, Oops! I read the sticky, but maybe it went over my head? It wouldn't be the first time!

i heard 'lost my way' -

you know you don't suck.

lol . . . another "stinging dave mayer!" (welcome to MY hell!...yeah...i get that, too....it's quite a tag to shake....and especially in the NY area, you want to try and shake it. it's really not the most original thing in the world, man. (no offense; this is from one guy who gets labeled that way to another) i also have a good friend up there named 'john lardieri' who has it, too. he's been fighting it for years. btw, both you and he have similarities in your voices...in your excellent voices....he might be worth a myspace search for you...very talented...although, you may be a bit discouraged about how similar your singing voices are.)

about the tune, i love your vibe. it's definitely up my alley. i felt the groove was a little pedantic, though. the whole arrangement needs a bit of distillation, from where i'm sitting....maybe a better mix will do it, though. the concept is very well in place; i just don't hear too much of anything that would hook me as far as melody/lyrics are concerned. the change is cool and interesting and (as i mentioned) your voice is addictive, but the song is lacking that little magical element that keeps my interest. (that's personal, btw...someone else might totally be feeling it)

i dug you and your bro's harmonies - i thought they were tastefully placed. also, i thought the bass was tight with the drummer. that's a plus. i also dug how you write from the leading tones and ninths in your melodies. again, though...that's sting/john mayer in a nutshell.

i think you're good, man, but your voice needs developing. (NOT your singing voice necessarily, but your whole musical voice. it's not as original as you or I, for that matter want it to be.

i hope i didn't offend too much here. remember, i'm very much in the same boat as you. you have something, but it needs developing for me. good luck...and keep posting new material. i'm a fan.

Wow, thanks for the expert critique bro. I'm not sure what else I can say, but I will certainly take your words to heart.

I've always longed for a producer who can take an outside ear to the tunes, because I feel that a songwriter can only do so much. I honestly didn't get everything you said there, but I'm always searching for ways to improve so I'm going to read it a few more times...lol.

If you have a myspace, or an email, I'd love to further discuss your opinions. And if you have any tunes, I'd love to hear them.

Peace!

well, i only have sub-par home recordings up on broadjam, but my disk is being mixed right now in Miami, so i'll have something presentable from a production standpoint very soon. feel free to follow the link in my sig.

ps- i like long island. (your islanders just kicked the rangers' ass, by the way......i know that's a big deal for my cuzzes i have out there ....lynbrook.)

Pictures in my head - excellent back and forth lead licks between guitar and keyboard. Vocal harmonies are perfect. Nice and jazzy. Bit repetitive but it's the chorus breaks it up a bit....Nice overall recording too....