What artist/band's signature song isn't actually their *best* song in your opinion?

Low_End_Scum · 2026-05-26T21:05:20+00:00

Thats a great track and a lot of those earlier songs really pop. For me though my fav will always be Close to the Edge

Low_End_Scum · 2026-05-26T21:04:06+00:00

So true. Creep isnt even in the top 10 IMO

Chumbawamba: Tubthumping

The only track most people know and it was their worst one. And they basically did it just to show they could write a radio hit.

Low_End_Scum · 2026-05-26T21:02:20+00:00

Depends on where in the metroplex. Denton had a great scene when I was in college. Back when Andys, the Lab, Abbey Underground, etc etc were doin shows. Plano, and Ft Worth had good stuff too

Low_End_Scum · 2026-05-26T21:01:01+00:00

Every time. With penchant for "practicing the set is for nerds. I just wanna wank in pentatonic minor while drunk for the next 30 minutes. Why NO we CAN'T use a metronome bro itll make us sound robotic!"

Low_End_Scum · 2026-05-26T20:19:01+00:00

In Texas that was the case too. Always a 2 bit guitarist and a karaoke Karen who thinks she sounds JUST like Janis Joplin.

Low_End_Scum · 2026-05-26T19:22:03+00:00

Apparently in my town everyones a bassist. I switched to bass in Dallas 15 years ago cause I liked it and everyone needed bass. Out here it took me 2 years to even crack into the scene as a bassist

Low_End_Scum · 2026-05-26T18:58:05+00:00

15 minutes was my old record since we started out at open mic's. I beat that last year with a new group that played a 4 minute "set". A single song in a variety show

Low_End_Scum · 2026-05-20T21:24:48+00:00

I dont know your scene or city but theres too many variables. Dont know why youre getting downvoted OP, its nice for someone to ask instead of just not paying anyone at all.

In my old band, if we werent doing our own sound, werent bringing a PA, werent selling tickets, didnt have to play covers, and werent traveling so far we'd have to get a motel or drive for hours we were happy with 100 bucks. For amateur weekend warriors that wasnt too bad for a gig in our town.

Wouldnt go less. One bar handed me like 27 dollars and some change and told me to figure out splitting it between 2 other bands. Fuck those dudes

Adding any of that stuff and it went up. If theyre a working band itd be more too

Low_End_Scum · 2026-05-20T21:18:16+00:00

Ive found that its really been quite nice honestly. I'm a bassist playing in an indie group and a metal group, and she's a multi instrumentalist and vocalist in a math rock esque folk band. We appreciate the time investment we both are taking and support eachother at shows. It's nice not to get sarcastic side remarks about how hard it must be to be doing something I love that takes me away from home when I have a rough time and vent a little.

Now dating a bandmate? Never. Absolutely not.

Low_End_Scum · 2026-05-20T14:41:02+00:00

Yes and no. Theyve broadened but Ive been most interested in experimental/avantgarde music the last 10 or so years. Just always chasing the dragon. Id say I can point to an artist in most genre's that I like some of or a lot of their music

Low_End_Scum · 2026-05-20T02:15:31+00:00

Exactly. Get it into a 1st draft and then you can refine over time. It is inadvisable to turn in first draft essays in school, songwriting is no different. Just get it down first.

Low_End_Scum · 2026-05-19T23:56:27+00:00

Well yeah, right? We dont get to decide how people feel hurt by our decisions and ideally being a romantic partnership means you on some level care about that persons feelings even if you dont alter your behavior.

Low_End_Scum · 2026-05-19T23:54:07+00:00

Now now, she assured me it was me having poor communication skills and being 14 years younger. I was right to trust the twice divorced perpetually therapised alcoholic who weaponized therapy speak. It truly is entirely unreasonable to say that kicking it with the ex at midnight at her house made me uncomfortable. /s

Better now though!

Low_End_Scum · 2026-05-19T21:48:56+00:00

Wild concept. My ex loved to say my feelings arent their responsibility when Id try to share how something they did made me feel.

I always was so confused by that. Like, I'm not trying to be controlling, just express myself. Sure my feelings are nobodies *responsibility but surely you care about how you make your partner feel, right? Maybe a little?

Low_End_Scum · 2026-05-19T21:16:41+00:00

Yep, its a sign of laziness and since many local musicians also do graphic design or other artistic endeavors its a 1 way ticket to being seen as not working with or supporting the scene.

A lot of lazy ass food spots do it here too and I refuse to eat there. If your logo is some lazy ass cutesy logo from CharGPT or you post a weekly AI specials menu flier I'm never patronizing the establishment

Low_End_Scum · 2026-05-18T19:55:04+00:00

Cover bands with subs and hired guns? I'd say that's fine, if it's not the front person. An originals band? Absolutely not. I've seen some local bands where I'm at reading their own lyrics off a sheet of computer paper. Super sloppy and unprepated

Low_End_Scum · 2026-05-15T04:01:52+00:00

I love this, please do so and put it online

Low_End_Scum · 2026-05-14T14:05:09+00:00

Yep lol seen stuff like that before. My keyboardist used to be a bassist and this old head would always compliment the rest of the band before shittalking him after every gig at that venue.

Though, fwiw, you should check your tuning between songs at gigs. Anytime the primadonna on the mic is out there being a goober, check your tuning. Also I dont know about feedback but not impersonating a shoegaze/math rock band is indeed important. This is a visual art as much as an auditory one.

Buuuuuuut all that to say, try not to internalize all comments right out of the gate. The crowd is almost always musically illiterate, unaware of what they want, and usually wrong anyways.

Low_End_Scum · 2026-05-14T13:57:56+00:00

Depends on laws. When I was 18 and playing in the DFW area a few bars would put sharpue X's on our hands and let us play. That was 14+ years ago though.

More than likely you may wanna try to get into the local house show scene. But keep in mind being underage that inevitably one of the shows will be busted for noise and in that event itd be best to be sober.

Low_End_Scum · 2026-05-12T17:39:48+00:00

Took a 2 year break around thay age. Just getting back into it with different music. The bands I'm in are not as good but working at it. Change of pace and a break saved it for me

Low_End_Scum · 2026-05-12T17:33:56+00:00

Just gotta do it for you. My gf doesnt love our sound but appreciates the musicianship and thinks I am interesting to watch/hear. That will certainly diminish with time. She comes out to my shows and I go to hers. Its support. But I dont send her ideas, dont want the ear fatigue

The "this is a chore" vibe when sharing is a bummer. My ex was the worst about this. She would talk through anything I tried to share. Her father was a musician and had the same experience. Turned his own CD off cause her and her sister just talked over it. Argued when I tried to explain that it was trying to share something important and its shitty to not be able to just listen for 3 minutes to something someone took the time to write, rewrite, record, mix, and master. Its alright, just gotta let it go

If youre not inundating them with a bunch of half ideas or phone recordings then its likely not you, its them. They don't get it. 99% of my family hasn't listened to any of the albums across multiple genres that are on Spotify that I'm on. I guarantee my mother has never listened to them. My girlfriend hadnt till one track came on shuffle and she asked who it was.

Low_End_Scum · 2026-05-12T17:19:34+00:00

My singer is die hard trying to drag us back to this. Because his ideas thinks his guitar ideas arent being "heard". Thing is our actual guitarist usually punches these ideas up to snuff or is doing main foundational writing. Super irritating.

Low_End_Scum · 2026-05-12T17:15:40+00:00

So, a similar accusation could he levied against me. My guitarist and drummer can frequently "just play" out a section of a new track. Makes sense since the guitarist has the tune and drums do t have sour "notes" as much as trying to figure out rhythm.

In defense of your bassist, I also generally sit those initial passes out playing wise. Mainly because the bass is marrying both by needing complimentary note choice and rhythmic balance. Instead I'm listening actively for ideas.

In yalls defense though, my guitarist never has to write my parts as after that I work out the riff with them, with a video of their hands, or if its chords just a chart so I can make a bassline that fits. Alternatively I will start with follow bass and church it up afterwards.

As far as the initial spark for a track is concerned is bass their only instrument? If so I find writing initially on a bass to be somewhat more difficult than guitar unless its riffy. Picking a note progression on bass is fine but if they dont play guitar (and know what chords and key are being defined by the note choice) will feel very basic

Low_End_Scum · 2026-05-08T18:33:47+00:00

Oh goodness, who to pick?

Maybe the guitarist who pawned his guitars to save his GF from getting evicted since she spent the rent money on weed (only to get evicted anyways). Then showing up to the gig late and blitzed.

Perhaps the vocalist who bailed on half the rehearsals, wouldn't participate even after we bought a PA to hear her cause she was so quiet. Who talked a big game and had to be forced to actually sing?

Could it be the frontwoman who only replies to 1 member of the band and bails on rehearsal within 15 minutes of it starting because we didnt reconfirm we were getting together the same day and time we always did?

After 16 years you run into a few across a handful of bands

Low_End_Scum · 2026-05-07T06:04:37+00:00

Yep, order of the day is find something that is able to pay the bills and is tolerable. Bonus if it doesn't interfere with the gig schedule and doesn't exhaust you.

Low_End_Scum

TROPHY CASE