Here’s an updated version of this song with some trackings I did this evening. I think it’s an improvement, particularly in the vocal department. I might try toning down the distortedness a bit, but I like them double tracked. Also some empty space left still for a guitar/glock/whistle solo. Anyone? Anyone? Aryn- how would this sound with upright bass?
4 thoughts on “hello.music — crushed (updated)”
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The following is a chat transcript from last night:
Greg: i think i made some good progress tonight
Mike: oh nice… you putting anything up to listen to?
Greg: yeah converting now
Mike: cool
Greg: i think the vocals are getting much better
Mike: awesome
Greg: added some percussives too
Mike: your songs always sound like real songs and like they were figured out more organically… mine feel really piecemeal
Greg: umm yeah, i think you mean the opposite :)
Mike: heh
Greg: i need you to add a solo line to this… either guiter or glock or something like that
Mike: exactly. i think im going to write about being lost in the desert since that is sorta what my song is sounding like… hence the red skies title.
Greg: yeah. i like that theme… very wide and open
Mike: yeah. i think radiohead and arcade fire’s rosy disposition has worn off on me a bit
Greg: yeah, im tired of that positive shit
Mike: they really need to sing about the end of the world a bit more …like string cheese incident does
Greg: k … just put up on blog
Mike: awesome… listening now. i need tambourine.
Greg: it’s there… but messed with
Mike: oh its not there yet
Greg: haha. OK, I’ll bring in more realistic tambourine
Mike: maybe at the beginning after the guitar builds a bit … in the second verse? your vocal melody is great
Greg: thank you for the harmony idea. i think it makes it
Mike: maybe needs bass guitar
Greg: yeah. i was thinking maybe upright?
Mike: not straight eighths on one note or anything but something simple. i sorta hear electric
Greg: k
Mike: maybe a distant really high autoharp strum of whole notes as this goes on
or bright long guitar chords… but subtle, something in the high register. this is great, really great. i want to play again. i wouldn’t change much… just a few simple little overdubs
Greg: awesome thanks…
Mike: but be sparse w\ any extra sounds
Greg: i think it’s coming together after a few days in the valley
Mike: i think some real tambourine, and some bright long chords would be good
Greg: awesome… autoharp might be nice
Mike: or stomp of piano block chords every measure later in the song
Greg: ooh… yes, i like the piano idea
Mike: just something to add to the timbre a little…think nigel godrichy on this
Greg: i think there’s a distinct bass line in the chorus… in between the vocal lines
Mike: yeah i hear that… you can emphasize that on electric maybe?
Greg: yeah. that’s what im thinking
Mike: don’t over do obviously… i like the paired down sound…just a few touches when it counts
Greg: so what do you think about the bridge/solo section
Mike: let me listen again
Greg: it’s right where the short whistle is
Mike: yeah… man i love your b section. so staccato. amazing. really memorable melody. the vocals that is .
Greg: it’s kind of angry… the lyrics are a bit violent
Mike: yeah sounds great. okay maybe so distorted sloppy slide guitar? crunchy and nasty
Greg: yes
Mike: during the bridge
Greg: yes- very simple lines… i like
Mike: i could try something there tomorrow night… almost beck junkyard sounding there
Greg: yeah, see what you can do… id love to have you play on it
Mike: yeah id love to play this song live… ill give it a shot tomorrow
Greg: great. whenever you get a chance
Mike: this is great greg… really
Greg: thanks! i think one of my better efforts
Mike: do you have effects on your voice?
Greg: yeah, distortion and bass reduction
Mike: cool… feels AM radio like
Greg: too much?
Mike: i like it… id be curious if one voice was cleaner and the other was the same as it is now.. but not sure you really need to mess w\ it
Greg: hmmm… i’ll try just to see
Mike: maybe just a slight bit of compression
Greg: ok
Mike: make sure you add a mastering chain to your master track in live — really boosts things pretty nicely
Greg: i need to import to live… it’s all garage band
Mike: oh man this is gband?… holy crap
Greg: haha yeah
Mike: amazing
Greg: yeah, i wanted to get the idea down and didn’t want to fuck with reinstalling live
Mike: i don’t blame you..its tedious
Greg: which i still need to do
Mike: well i can master if you want… if you export from gband when you’re done
Greg: i might have you do that, since you are good at it… i have no idea
Mike: im not amazing, but its kinda fun
Greg: sweet
Mike: im trying to learn a bit more.
END TRANSMISSION
this is awesome.. I will see what I can add upright wise this evening.. I like the vocals.
I think electric might better, but give both a shot. Try to avoid typical straight 1\8th note thing the whole time.
Spent a couple hours coming up with some ideas for electric guitar things for the middle section…but ‘writing’ and abrasive Beck or Johnny Greenwood guitar line that sounds rockin but not too tonal is harder than it seems. I’ll try again tonight and forward what I have… could be you dont like it but its worth a shot.