The Critic seeks your critiques...

[The_Naked_Stalk]

I think I've finally found a suitable place to offer up my band's songs to the quotidian masses.

Here's the link:

http://www.cornerband.com/html/bandPage/bandPage.asp?band_id=1034730

I'm making this a poll so you don't have to worry about responding unless you feel moved to, in which case your feedback is most welcome. Oh and make sure to use the High BW. The low BW sounds awful.

I hope you guys notice this. It's the first time anyone's ever heard our stuff outside of family and friends.

Cheers.

[Elgyn]

Just listening now.
I can't really criticise Neon, although at some stages the transition from distorted guitar to heavily chorus'd guitar isn't smooth. It kicks arse though, really I like it. It sounds good when the intro guitar comes back in at around 2:30.

I like the build up in Puce, but I was ready for more of an explosion than that which occured (at around 2:00). Another good song though, this ones got a sad feel to it. That's a really good start though, because without vocals, I can pull out an emotional direction. I suppose it's probably partly due to the bassline, but the guitar complements it well. Nice solo at the end.

Red...
Nice Jazzy bassline. Almost ten minutes, thats a brave move. Nice intro. I like the guitar following the bass melody, and some coo drumming. Liking the mellow around 4:30. Nicely contrasts the energy of the previous section. You seem to have quite a good drummer, although I don't much about playing drums. Well my friend, you've surprised me. You pulled off 9:49 with class the entire way through. I'd really like this song in mp3 format.

Question: Is this really a band....?
The recording quality seems pretty damn good, and I can't imagine that being achieved by three people playing at the same time.

Kick arse.

[The_Naked_Stalk]

Just listening now.
I can't really criticise Neon, although at some stages the transition from distorted guitar to heavily chorus'd guitar isn't smooth. It kicks arse though, really I like it. It sounds good when the intro guitar comes back in at around 2:30.

I like the build up in Puce, but I was ready for more of an explosion than that which occured (at around 2:00). Another good song though, this ones got a sad feel to it. That's a really good start though, because without vocals, I can pull out an emotional direction. I suppose it's probably partly due to the bassline, but the guitar complements it well. Nice solo at the end.

Red...
Nice Jazzy bassline. Almost ten minutes, thats a brave move. Nice intro. I like the guitar following the bass melody, and some coo drumming. Liking the mellow around 4:30. Nicely contrasts the energy of the previous section. You seem to have quite a good drummer, although I don't much about playing drums. Well my friend, you've surprised me. You pulled off 9:49 with class the entire way through. I'd really like this song in mp3 format.

Question: Is this really a band....?
The recording quality seems pretty damn good, and I can't imagine that being achieved by three people playing at the same time.

Kick arse.

All songs you hear are live takes.

A side note before this goes further. No singer, therefore, the songs were named after the colors we saw while playing.

Most of the songs tended to stretch to over 5 minutes at least. Neon was short and sweet and probably would have been a single, likewise with Puce.

I know what you mean about Neon. Jason (he's the other guitar you hear, and why Neon sounds so much fuller than the other two) didn't work out for us. He just didn't meet the technical requirements such as rhythm. Plus he really wasn't up for jamming on Sundays (which was our drummer Chase's best day).

I know also what you mean about the missing "explosion" in Puce. I was having level problems with my patches on my multi-effects unit. I always wanted more of a kick at that point. This song was what we always opened rehearsals with. Just a simple jam to feel each other out with.

We had one song that was a 2 parter that stretched into 20 minutes on occasion. The length of the songs was always dictated by feel. And we got the thing about Chase a lot. He's a character. I haven't seen him in a while though. I really miss this band.

I tried to explain things about the band in the little area on the page where it gives the bio. Did you read the bio?

But I'll tell you how we recorded. We miked the drums with two condensers on either side of his kit and just a standard mike on his bass drum. The bass and guitar are both straight in from the outputs on our multi-effects units and we also set up a choir mike to catch the ambient noise and amp warmth. Then we just plugged into Ian's (bass player) mini-disc recorder, and away we went. That's how we did it. Just the three of us. Scout's honor.

Did you express your sentiments at the site as well? It allows you to rate us while you listen.

Thanks for responding.

[Elgyn]

I'll give you an appropriate rating on that site, although I hadn't thought to previously. I read the bio on the site too, so I understand where you're coming from.

Thats a pretty neat way of recording. You guys obviously had your shit together. It's a shame you can't do it anymore. I try and write music on my own, and it is seriously tough, because each time I think of changing something, I have to re-record the entire song, rather than just getting together with some other musicians and jamming it out. Jamming also helps to get a better feel for the music, which you guys obviously have.

Going to place my vote.

[The_Naked_Stalk]

I'll give you an appropriate rating on that site, although I hadn't thought to previously. I read the bio on the site too, so I understand where you're coming from.

Thats a pretty neat way of recording. You guys obviously had your shit together. It's a shame you can't do it anymore. I try and write music on my own, and it is seriously tough, because each time I think of changing something, I have to re-record the entire song, rather than just getting together with some other musicians and jamming it out. Jamming also helps to get a better feel for the music, which you guys obviously have.

Going to place my vote.

In all seriousness. Thanks a lot. It's scary for me to lay my music out there. I'm really glad that you honestly like it. Like I said in the bio we're not dead, so we may be able to get back together. Just not anytime soon. And the mini-disc was Ian's genius. Something about it just gives a warm feel and captures what things actually sound like. I would reccomend it to bands out there. It's a great way to think about your jamming outside of rehearsals.

Cheers.

[Hurter Vileslay]

Very good recording-Im at college at the moment doing music technology; even using good quality mics, 24 channel Mackie mixing desk and 8 track ADAT machine its hard to get it sounding that good!
Good music too-Its a pity youre not still playing together.

9/10

[The_Naked_Stalk]

Very good recording-Im at college at the moment doing music technology; even using good quality mics, 24 channel Mackie mixing desk and 8 track ADAT machine its hard to get it sounding that good!
Good music too-Its a pity youre not still playing together.

9/10

Thanks.

Did you rate us at the site as well?

[Choler]

i'm very impressed with the recording quality, thanks for the recording info, I might have to check that out. and yes, I did rate you guys very well at the site. hope you guys play together in the future, only good things will come of it. Nice job.

[The_Naked_Stalk]

i'm very impressed with the recording quality, thanks for the recording info, I might have to check that out. and yes, I did rate you guys very well at the site. hope you guys play together in the future, only good things will come of it. Nice job.

Thanks for your support.

[Hurter Vileslay]

Err forgot to rate you on the site. Ill do that now

[Hurter Vileslay]

Did you rate us at the site as well?
Cant work out how to leave a rating

[Windir]

I voted for all.

I loved all 3 of them.
I liked all 3 of them
I hated all 3 of them
I thought it was good, but it's not my flava.
I had a combination liked/hated/loved them.
I didn't listen to them, but I felt like voting for something.

I voted for all.



I downloaded all songs now...
:Þ

[Windir]

Cant work out how to leave a rating

First open this site:
http://www.cornerband.com/html/band...band_id=1034730
Then press on 28.8k | 100k, one of those two.
Then you get another screen... and you can rate the song (it's on the end of the page).
You got to have uhm... media player, or something... he will check your puter for that by itself...
But I think you allready heard the songs, so never mind that.
You can do that with every single song.

I don't know how to rate the band, yet...
But that doesn't matter IMO.

[Windir]

Cheers.

Thanks...

So I downloaded the songs, but when I play Puce in Windows Media Player, it says Sea Green.
Explain that to me please...

Oh... B.T.W. Are you guys ever going to play further away from home then you do now...
Like... trying to get a record label and stuff?
It's really comforting music... it sound fucking great!

*waits patiently*

[The_Naked_Stalk]

I voted for all.

I loved all 3 of them.
I liked all 3 of them
I hated all 3 of them
I thought it was good, but it's not my flava.
I had a combination liked/hated/loved them.
I didn't listen to them, but I felt like voting for something.

I voted for all.



I downloaded all songs now...
:Þ

Errrrr... Why?

[The_Naked_Stalk]

Cant work out how to leave a rating

You need to stream the music. In the streaming audio screen that should pop up, there will be a little slider that you can rate the song with. Move the slider towards how you feel about the song(s) and click submit.

[Windir]

That's what I said...

Errrrr... Why?

I felt like all of them...
:)

[The_Naked_Stalk]

Thanks...

So I downloaded the songs, but when I play Puce in Windows Media Player, it says Sea Green.
Explain that to me please...

Oh... B.T.W. Are you guys ever going to play further away from home then you do now...
Like... trying to get a record label and stuff?
It's really comforting music... it sound fucking great!

*waits patiently*

Sea Green was what we used to call the tune, but it sort of evolved into Puce, it's not a big deal. We never really refered to our songs by their names anyway. We usually just said, "Hey let's play the one that goes like...."

Probably not anytime soon. We've sort of broken up. I say sort of because Ian (bass) & I (guitar) still play together. Chase (drums) just sort of gave up on the band, probably because we never got a chance to play shows, never found a singer or 2nd guitarist and never had anybody say anything positive about what we were doing. Some people need that to feel justified in what they're spending their time doing.

I'm glad you liked it. I've got my hands in a bunch of other projects, so look for me to post some more of my music in weeks/months to come. I can PM you or anyone else that wants me to, when I've got something new up. More A Modest Proposal recordings are on the way too (we ended up having about 7 or 8 decent sounding takes of our stuff).

Peace.

[The_Naked_Stalk]

That's what I said...



I felt like all of them...
:)

Fair enough.

[Windir]

I am pretty fair... enough.

Sea Green was what we used to call the tune, but it sort of evolved into Puce, it's not a big deal. We never really refered to our songs by their names anyway. We usually just said, "Hey let's play the one that goes like...."

Fine with me, but it seemed a little odd when I saw it.


Probably not anytime soon. We've sort of broken up. I say sort of because Ian (bass) & I (guitar) still play together. Chase (drums) just sort of gave up on the band, probably because we never got a chance to play shows, never found a singer or 2nd guitarist and never had anybody say anything positive about what we were doing. Some people need that to feel justified in what they're spending their time doing.

That's too bad.
I don't think you guys need a singer or a second guitarist though.
You sound pretty damn good, just the 3 of you.
But yeah... if you guys feel like you need a 2nd guitarist and a singer, I wont be the one that will hold you...
:)


I'm glad you liked it. I've got my hands in a bunch of other projects, so look for me to post some more of my music in weeks/months to come. I can PM you or anyone else that wants me to, when I've got something new up. More A Modest Proposal recordings are on the way too (we ended up having about 7 or 8 decent sounding takes of our stuff).

Peace.

Yeah... I would like that (that you PM me everytime you have something new up with your band).
I would love to hear more...

Thanks...
Cheers!

[The_Naked_Stalk]

I don't think you guys need a singer or a second guitarist though.

Why do you think that would be a bad idea?

[deviatedwolf625]

You guys sound great without one

[Windir]

Why do you think that would be a bad idea?

You guys sound great without one

One good reason, of course.
And... I think that we have enough Alternative band that have singers, and it would be quite original to NOT have one.

[reddish]

Images that come into my mind as I listen to Red.

I'm walking through a playground; theres a forest at the edge; leaves cover most of the grass. The trees in the forest have light grey tunks; the leaves have fallen off. There's a slide and a swingset, no monkeybars. I get to the edge of the playground and walk into the woods. Wander around for a bit. Now I've found a road paved with stone. Weeds have grown over most of it though, but it keeps the trees from growing up through it. I'm following the road. Another road meets up with mine I woman about 16/17 emerges from it; the trees in between us have kept us from seeing each other until now. She's short thickish, soft curly brown hair, beautiful amber eyes. We don't really talk but our eyes meet and walk down the road a bit together. I feel a little nervous around her.

I start to introduce myself but she looks at me, with those eyes . . . those eyes . . . so I just wrap my arms around and begin to kiss her neck and nibble on her ears we fall to the ground and roll off the road, still holding each other, she's not moaning but I can feel her moving. It's the way she's moving. I slip a hand down the back of her skirt and slide it in between her legs, move my mouth from her neck to her mouth. She slides her toung into my mouth I move my hand to her front, I put the other hand on the gorund for support. I begin to unbutton her blouse; it's red, she has a soft pink bra neath it. I go to kiss her and get lost in her eyes again. She leans up. I undo her bra. I'm about to mount her. There's nothing beneath her skirt. I hear something and turn around, it doesn't seem to be anything I look back to the girl. She's gone. I begin to look for her.

NO panic only confusion. The leaves no longer crackle beneath my feet. There's dirt on the ground the trees are thinner. It's a clearing. A very large one; the treeline is distant on the other side. I see a hole in the middle, at least eight feet wide. A worm shoots out. Rough purplish skin. She's in it's mouth screaming. I start attack the worm, run at it. I stop when I get close enough to really see it's size. It slides back down the hole. I look around for a weapon. Mostly barren land. Dirt. I pick up a branch off of the ground and begin to descend the hole.

Chasm. It's very dark; can't see anything. Can't hear anything yet. It's cold, moist. Now I hear chanting. I fall into a tunnel. It seems manmade, not like the worm hole. Follow it towards a dim light. When I get to the end theres' a turn. Around the bend I see the girl tied to a post several people around her they're dressed in brown cloaks; leathery dusty. They have jewler glasses on. The metal brown with rust. The lenses a dull faded yellow. There's a deep pit in the middle on the room separating them from me. I run around towards them. They see me. I slam the branch into the stomach of the first one who gets close to me. He tries to pull a knife out the cloak thing but I knocked the wind out of him. Stumbles backward and drops it. I pull the stick from his stomach. Pick up the knife in the other hand. It's reddish. I think he used it on her. Run at the others. One flees I strike the other one across the face with a knife he stumbles away. Falls into the pit when I swing the branch at him.

[Hurter Vileslay]

Then what happens???

Do you get your shag in the end???

[reddish]

No shag. Listen to the song. It just end abruptly after the last climactic part.

Naked_Stalk, you suck.

[The_Naked_Stalk]

No shag. Listen to the song. It just end abruptly after the last climactic part.

Naked_Stalk, you suck.

Yea? Well then I guess Tool really sucks.

[reddish]

I wasn't serious about you sucking. If I really thought you sucked, I wouldn't have listened to your ten minute song and made that post, about the images that come into my head as I listen to it.

Naked_Stalk, you kick ass.

[The_Naked_Stalk]

I wasn't serious about you sucking. If I really thought you sucked, I wouldn't have listened to your ten minute song and made that post, about the images that come into my head as I listen to it.

Naked_Stalk, you kick ass.

Oh whoa, dude. I meant it as a joke. I know, And I really appreciate it. Seriously.

All the best, man.

[J1516]

One good reason, of course.
And... I think that we have enough Alternative band that have singers, and it would be quite original to NOT have one.
Plus the music speaks for itself wonderfully. Some bands just shouldn't have singers and for that reason.

[imtheism]

I enjoyed all 3, the drums sounded kinda repetitive in all 3 songs though.

[imtheism]

oh, and I liked neon the best by far. The drumming was on point, and the song just seemed like it had more flow to it. It built up, kicked ass, then left it at that. The 5 mins of mellow and what not in other songs was all good, but neon was the best.

[The_Naked_Stalk]

oh, and I liked neon the best by far. The drumming was on point, and the song just seemed like it had more flow to it. It built up, kicked ass, then left it at that. The 5 mins of mellow and what not in other songs was all good, but neon was the best.

I agree with you. That one was supposed to be "the single" (which of course was just a joke). So Ian and I made everyone buckle down and just do things straight. We fully arranged it. The other tunes are jams that never got fully arranged because, well, the band never went anywhere. The Montgomery music scene is the most creatively stifling scene I have ever been to. We never had any outlet for our music. But I'm rambling.

Thanks for your honesty.

[The_Naked_Stalk]

Oh and just a note. New stuff from my latest project: Prajna is coming soon. And it's way better than anything I've ever done. Hopefully I'll have some demos ready in about a month.

In the meantime. Check out my new thread that deals with my first ever project.

Again, I can't thank those of you that respond to my music enough. I really appreciate you guys taking the time to hear it.

Incidentally, you guys are welcome to do whatever you want with my music. I really don't care. If you want to give it to friends. Download and distribute. Anything goes. If it spreads my music around a little more I'm for it. Besides, I'm not worried about the money. Just the exposure of my art. So yea. Rambling again.

Take care, all

-James

[bpizzle]

I registered here just to respond to this topic. So far I've listened to 2 songs and like them both. And let me say, this recording is awesome. Me, my brother, and a few of his friends play every once-in-a-while and lately we've become interested in recording. As of now we record the sessions onto film with my brother's mini-dv camera, then copy the audio onto minidiscs. We've been looking into buying a mixer and some microphones to get better quality, and I'm guessing you could give some good suggestions. I don't want to completely derail this thread, so if you don't mind shooting an email my way ([email protected]), I'd appreciate it.

I just got through Puce after Neon, with Red playing right now. As a drummer, I really liked some of the beats on Puce. Where do you guys record? How old are you, and how long have you been playing? I really like the sound of you guys and the idea of breaking down genres. Thats what we do...we play drums, bass, guitar, organ, and keyboard. And let me tell you, we don't have an ordinary sound.

Once again, you guys have some talent and I really like what you're playing. Keep us updated and post more songs as they become available. And if you don't mind emailing me, I'd love to talk about your recording methods. Keep it up!