noel emits
a wonderful wooden reason
Yeah, it's only poor smackheads you have to worry about nicking stuff.
Rock Music - let's be honest
- Thread starter Sick Boy
- Start date
audiofelch
Active member
come and watch my band in London tomorrow night.
- we have a shit-awful name
- possibly quite boring, sluggish, overlong songs .. although we're now playing much more condensed stuff live. (not yet documented online im afraid)
- rather overwrought vocals (my fault)
but live, there a whole load of Lidell-esque sampling, dubbed out fx and bits of sound manipulation, some mildly innovative approaches to guitar...like... well, delay pedals
We do have a good drummer, at least.
www.thesoundofbrenda.co.uk
--
ohgod, my first post here amongst the finest names in music deliberation ... and its a shameless plug of my not so good band.
ach well, ive been a dedicated loiterer.
--
on topic:
i can see why many would feel rock to be rather dried up.. the only innovation being in more abstract terrain.. of Liars et al..
the more exciting prospects, like TVOTR.. sound great on paper.. but they never, or rarely quite deliver on the song front.
theres got to be a way of harnessing newer technologies, with a dedication to ROCK dynamics (but not rockism), with a well written and more accessible SONG aspect to it??
I dont believe that guitars are dead.. they may be weighted with a silly amount of cultural history
but theyre can be such great sound sources for abstraction (a la fennesz etc)
and theyre fucking fun to hit.
and they DO extend the penis. FACT.
still, is this whole question of 'is rock dead?' is not just a journalistic concern?
are bands/projects like liars, subtle, deerhoof, and dalek.. (all of whom use rock dynamics) not 'rock' becasue they dont draw exclusively from that purist rock lineage?
if these sort of criteria are set up for what yr going to include as 'rock', then yr only going to end up with a load of ramones wannabes, which in turn you can criticize for being too retro! and so it goes...
is this not in truth a criticism of the rock/indie press, the channels of distribution etc etc..
and the problems of categorisation?
in short, does it matter?
buy the records you like. give up on this idea of a sustainable rock continuum, a canon..
(I admit, that wouldnt be much fun though.)
OR is it just that we dont hear much/any of this guitar-based innovation in the charts?
whereas we DO hear great, innovative pop/r n'b in the top ten
but then, as some have said, the part of the philosophy of rock music (that outsider stance kind of thing.. if not the teen sex energy aspect), if adhered to with integrity, may not have the same mass-marketability.?.. im probly talking nonsense here. (but the succesful 'outsider stance' rockers.. kurt.. etc.. well, he was pretty boy really. not an outsider in my book!)
also, on a purely sonic level, huge swathes of dissonant guitar nosie just doesnt go with yr franchise coffee/mall shopping experience (and it fucking shouldnt) quite like a slinky neptunes beat / reassuring sub bass line.
anyway. and i dont know if i feel that wholesome when things i love start getting rotation in topshop as hordes of teens buy their uniforms.. let it stay marginalised! (he says as another rock genius starves)
.that was sprawling mess.
apologies.
--
ps: nice to see a friend, Jamie Woon mentioned... he's a self confessed Jamie lidell and Reggie watts freak. tho he's definately more of a folk, soul boy than a 'man of rock'.
- we have a shit-awful name
- possibly quite boring, sluggish, overlong songs .. although we're now playing much more condensed stuff live. (not yet documented online im afraid)
- rather overwrought vocals (my fault)
but live, there a whole load of Lidell-esque sampling, dubbed out fx and bits of sound manipulation, some mildly innovative approaches to guitar...like... well, delay pedals
We do have a good drummer, at least.
www.thesoundofbrenda.co.uk
--
ohgod, my first post here amongst the finest names in music deliberation ... and its a shameless plug of my not so good band.
ach well, ive been a dedicated loiterer.
--
on topic:
i can see why many would feel rock to be rather dried up.. the only innovation being in more abstract terrain.. of Liars et al..
the more exciting prospects, like TVOTR.. sound great on paper.. but they never, or rarely quite deliver on the song front.
theres got to be a way of harnessing newer technologies, with a dedication to ROCK dynamics (but not rockism), with a well written and more accessible SONG aspect to it??
I dont believe that guitars are dead.. they may be weighted with a silly amount of cultural history
but theyre can be such great sound sources for abstraction (a la fennesz etc)
and theyre fucking fun to hit.
and they DO extend the penis. FACT.
still, is this whole question of 'is rock dead?' is not just a journalistic concern?
are bands/projects like liars, subtle, deerhoof, and dalek.. (all of whom use rock dynamics) not 'rock' becasue they dont draw exclusively from that purist rock lineage?
if these sort of criteria are set up for what yr going to include as 'rock', then yr only going to end up with a load of ramones wannabes, which in turn you can criticize for being too retro! and so it goes...
is this not in truth a criticism of the rock/indie press, the channels of distribution etc etc..
and the problems of categorisation?
in short, does it matter?
buy the records you like. give up on this idea of a sustainable rock continuum, a canon..
(I admit, that wouldnt be much fun though.)
OR is it just that we dont hear much/any of this guitar-based innovation in the charts?
whereas we DO hear great, innovative pop/r n'b in the top ten
but then, as some have said, the part of the philosophy of rock music (that outsider stance kind of thing.. if not the teen sex energy aspect), if adhered to with integrity, may not have the same mass-marketability.?.. im probly talking nonsense here. (but the succesful 'outsider stance' rockers.. kurt.. etc.. well, he was pretty boy really. not an outsider in my book!)
also, on a purely sonic level, huge swathes of dissonant guitar nosie just doesnt go with yr franchise coffee/mall shopping experience (and it fucking shouldnt) quite like a slinky neptunes beat / reassuring sub bass line.
anyway. and i dont know if i feel that wholesome when things i love start getting rotation in topshop as hordes of teens buy their uniforms.. let it stay marginalised! (he says as another rock genius starves)
.that was sprawling mess.
apologies.
--
ps: nice to see a friend, Jamie Woon mentioned... he's a self confessed Jamie lidell and Reggie watts freak. tho he's definately more of a folk, soul boy than a 'man of rock'.
audiofelch
Active member
spamming: i know. trust that i am wracked with guilt... and anticipate the lash of a whip and a banning at any moment!
there was a thread of tenuous logic in there though.. we are a 'rock' band..
regarding the live sampling; most seem to favour those green boxes produced by line 6, they are simple and reliable guitar orientated things..
I personally use a combination of great windows apps:
audiomulch.. (or another called plogue bidule) - as a host
mobius - an 8 track, live looper that can get astonishingly complex if desired. its in beta stages and free. check: http://www.zonemobius.com
marvellous support too.
it can generate midi to sync extrnal gear to it, or can accept midi input to sync to itself
but i opt to send a headphone feed to our drummer, challenging him to hold time to my badly cut loops.
it does seem to be a bit of a trend at the moment, i think Battles have really set the standard for terrifyingly precise ensemble looping.
but there is a real thrill at hearing the recorded you, there, ready for interaction, or butchering, so spontaneously.
i just find it useful for pulling off more extravagant arrangements than 5 people can with the standard guitar, drums, bass vocals setup.. rather than a showmanship thing (why bother when theres jamie lidell eh?)
there was a thread of tenuous logic in there though.. we are a 'rock' band..
regarding the live sampling; most seem to favour those green boxes produced by line 6, they are simple and reliable guitar orientated things..
I personally use a combination of great windows apps:
audiomulch.. (or another called plogue bidule) - as a host
mobius - an 8 track, live looper that can get astonishingly complex if desired. its in beta stages and free. check: http://www.zonemobius.com
marvellous support too.
it can generate midi to sync extrnal gear to it, or can accept midi input to sync to itself
but i opt to send a headphone feed to our drummer, challenging him to hold time to my badly cut loops.
it does seem to be a bit of a trend at the moment, i think Battles have really set the standard for terrifyingly precise ensemble looping.
but there is a real thrill at hearing the recorded you, there, ready for interaction, or butchering, so spontaneously.
i just find it useful for pulling off more extravagant arrangements than 5 people can with the standard guitar, drums, bass vocals setup.. rather than a showmanship thing (why bother when theres jamie lidell eh?)
Yeah, Battles have that locked, far more so than Lidell, who to be honest is still doing stuff that's pretty entry level given the technology-- its the fluidity and rapidity of movement in Battles' stuff that makes it more than just a gimmick, they've got the technology utterly mastered to the point where you barely notice, except that what's going on would be impossible without it...
I've mucked about with Mobius before, didn't realise it was that flexible...? Need to give it another try I think...
I've mucked about with Mobius before, didn't realise it was that flexible...? Need to give it another try I think...
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yeah but he can perform well, is a great singer and an ok beatboxer, he's got alot of imagination too.
battles though, i don't even thing they have started to show what they are capable of yet.
ok he's handsome and has some very cool clothes, i guess he's just kinda dipped out of your radar, as a pop act, in the sense that he bridges the pop world, the underground and the avant guarde, i can't think of many people out there to be more optimistic about in alot of ways.
Ah, but I love pop r'n'b in a timberlake like mold--- I was anticipating him being like an avant timba-land/lake combined in a self-production avant-teenpop explosion of sex, falsetto and technological perversity, instead its kind of obvious stuff, and the solo album was retro as fuck... its all much safer than it needs to be! He's not POP ENOUGH, and there's an air of smugness that hangs over a bit... and he's been on fucking later with Jools (eugh) Holland (eugh) the toxic penguin of death.
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N
nomadologist
Guest
. o (why don't i know who any of the bands are that they're talking about?) o .
don_quixote
Trent End
i'm rather taken by "standing in the way of control". not sure about anything else the gossip have done though.
yes it's great, the rest of the lp isn 't up to the same quality, they had a remix by someone which made the whole thing a bit spicier she's great, the band are very mediocore though, and a post punky band with a belter of a singer aint gonn change the world.
don_quixote
Trent End
the soulwax nite versions rmx? that was awesome. i LOVED nite versions in fact, i never bought any minute now.
audiofelch
Active member
we live in hope...
Ive seen Lidell play alot over the past 6 yrs or so.. and its been a fantastic evolution. He did actually build the max msp machine he uses.. and he's tweeked it to be incredibly responsive. I've witnessed some 20 minute odysseys that have bascially worked through everything from wonk techno, through electroacoustic music, gospel, funk, noise.. without a breath.
more recently though, he does seem to be giving the crowds something a bit too safe and conventional. which is a shame. i really liked the whole cyber/dada-derangement aesthetic he was rocking a few years back.. before it all went a bit joss stone.. well, ish
still, ive never had the same total life affirming, joyful buzz from battles, good as they are....
must be the voice that does it.
swears
preppy-kei
Hey, whoa steady there, I'm not a huge fan of his more recent stuff but that's just below the belt!
audiofelch
Active member
you duet with jools: you pay.
tis the order of things.
ok.. perhaps not the best point of reference.
i do actually really like much of multiply.
noel emits
a wonderful wooden reason
mms coins a new genre
i can see it being very big
I think it already is.
yeah hopefully he'll come back with something a bit stronger, it was his day time radio album i guess, a good introduction for alot of people to a guy who'd never really been popular before, i guess he needed to breakthru a bit for his own benefit.
I saw him play at the barfly once of all places, he was really angry, and it was absolutley brutal, metallic aggressive and distorted, i loved it. it scared a lot of people though, it was off key, more like mark stewart or something at his most fcked, really exciting.
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