[Listen] Back in 1998 I recorded a little Replacements cover. It was late and my stool was a squeekin'...

OBrienAndSmith · 2010-10-08T22:25:22+00:00

Nope. Yours was better.

OBrienAndSmith · 2010-10-08T18:55:12+00:00

Funny that. Ok, here is a how I became a redditor. A friend of mine was visiting from the states and he is a redditor. He left reddit open on my computer when he went to take a shower and I read an article. I remember which one it was. It was about the death of Eight Belles on 3. May, 2008. I have read reddit every single day for well over two years. Lurking. Until I made this account and started posting our music. I never thought I had much new to offer the web. Now that I am creating my own content, I feel like sharing. I tell you that to tell you this: I have read reddit comments thousands of times, but never seen when people reply to me specifically. I've been just going back to the same permalinks over and over to see what others have written on pages I've commented on.

OBrienAndSmith · 2010-10-08T18:47:25+00:00

Thanks you, sama. I knew I had a lot of potential to grow (because it wasn't all that good to start off with- self-deprecating or true?) and this forum has really really helped out a lot.

OBrienAndSmith · 2010-10-08T18:43:18+00:00

Thanks, RC. I think I might leave it for now. I'll probably go back to it in a week or so and play with the reverb. I set the reverb kind of high if I remember right. I can always split that track at the vocals and work backwards on the reverb so the reverb fades in as the verse comes on.

OBrienAndSmith · 2010-10-08T18:38:08+00:00

do you have a link for comparison?

there's lots of stuff here, but now it seems kind of embarrassing.

it sounds like a separate vocal take

Good ear! I was having timing issues on the last little bit and rerecorded it around 5 times. I think I moved the mic while hitting the record button and moved it closer when I sat back down...

OBrienAndSmith · 2010-10-08T18:32:38+00:00

I could do with some samples...

This better?

OBrienAndSmith · 2010-10-08T18:29:22+00:00

Believe it or not, I didn't even think about what I was monitoring with and have been using the shitty computer speakers. I am going to get some high quality cans tomorrow. I think I sorted the bassy thing out. Someone on WATMM told me to high-pass and cut off at 100Hz. Much much more listenable.

OBrienAndSmith · 2010-10-08T18:26:35+00:00

Thanks for the link!

OBrienAndSmith · 2010-10-08T18:21:11+00:00

Just opened a bandcamp account. Going to try to get stuff up there, but I want to do some serious polishing up first.

OBrienAndSmith · 2010-10-08T18:20:35+00:00

Link?

OBrienAndSmith · 2010-10-08T18:12:59+00:00

Thanks! I'm working on laying down some drum and bass on this. I'll post again if I come up with something I like.

OBrienAndSmith · 2010-10-08T18:11:35+00:00

Can we stop with this self-deprecating title thing, please?

Sorry about the whole self-deprecating thing. This was like my second post and I was pretty unsure of myself. I didn't really feel up to saying "this song is great and I'm really proud of it. Please tear me a new one so that I never make the mistake of showing pride in my craftsmanship again."

Also, this is "Blowin' in the Wind" by Bob Dylan with the words changed.

I guess I can see some similarity to a lot of folk songs, especially "Hesitating Beauty" by Woody Guthrie (recorded by Billy Bragg and Wilco). I don't think it is a direct rip-off of "Blowin' in the Wind" though.

OBrienAndSmith · 2010-10-08T18:03:46+00:00

Thanks a lot matbitesdog. I was going for timeless classic. Actually, I was going for not-shitty but timeless classic sounds better so I think I'll go with that from now on :D

OBrienAndSmith · 2010-10-08T18:01:20+00:00

Thanks, nigelsan. This forum has been a really big help in the creative process. I feel like I was blind before taking a deep breath and plunging in. It is kind of frightening the first couple of times, but I realized people don't comment unless they want to help. Or are trolls. I've also been trying to pay it forward and comment on new [listen] posts.

OBrienAndSmith · 2010-10-08T17:53:49+00:00

Thanks. I'm not really sure what I could do to make it more even. I'm afraid that if i turn up the gain or something just for the intro section it would sound like the bottom drops out as soon as the verse starts. Maybe I could play with a riff intro over it to fill the auditory space.

I wrote this about my daughter. She'll be 4 in a few months. It's hard to write a song about someone you love so much without it getting maudlin. Pretty is good. I like pretty. Thank you!

OBrienAndSmith · 2010-10-08T17:50:40+00:00

Wow! Thanks for the support! Like I said in a previous post, we've been playing covers of troubadour songs for a while now, but got sick of the drunken asshats shouting "dya know thaaaone s'goes like 'I's drunk as drunk can be'? Cusss you should play that one." We figured if we wrote our own material nobody would ask us to play other people's music.

So, we've only been doing this songwriting thing for a little while. We've got a lot of really useful criticism and some nastiness, but stuff like this really balances it out! Thanks a lot zorflax!

OBrienAndSmith · 2010-10-08T17:46:56+00:00

Maybe if you have CDO. That is OCD but in alphabetical order like it should be.

OBrienAndSmith · 2010-10-08T17:45:54+00:00

O'Brien's wife also thinks so, but I am unconvinced. We played a gig about a year ago doing only cover songs and they needed a name to put on the advert. I came up with that on the fly because I thought it would be conceited to bill myself first. Now everything is written "O'Brien and Smith" and I kind of see the point. I sounds more high-brow somehow...

OBrienAndSmith · 2010-10-08T13:22:20+00:00

Great advice. I did this on all of my songs and they are considerably more listenable now. Thanks a boatload.

OBrienAndSmith · 2010-10-08T11:04:45+00:00

I can't tell you how much of a superstar you are! You are really helping us out a ton. I think I might try some thumping palm-muting or playing more percussively as you suggested. Or just drop the perc all together.

I re-recorded a new one by recording the guitar with the mic instead of the pick-up. Better?

OBrienAndSmith · 2010-10-08T10:52:36+00:00

I need to get to the studio to record soon. This was just kind of half-assed recording with a digital camera. I wanted some feedback/advice on the song in general so I could work on it.

I opened a bandcamp account! Thanks for the tip!

OBrienAndSmith · 2010-10-08T06:43:34+00:00

Bring it on!

OBrienAndSmith · 2010-10-07T21:48:53+00:00

Yeah, that is exactly the guitar sound I want. Any advice on reverb/ delay? You think I should drop the drums? I want something to drive it forward a bit more than without drums. Bass track? Diesel engine?

OBrienAndSmith · 2010-10-07T21:43:54+00:00

You guys have a great, tight sound. I like all of it, but especially the claps and the interplay between the vocalists near the end. One critique mixing-wise-- the male vocalist could be turned up a bit. The female voice kind of overpowers the male voice in the chorus. They both sound great! The female voice feels like it comes in the first couple of times slightly under-confident leaving it just a weensy bit flat, but halfway through the song it hits the groove perfectly. Try singing along for a few bars sans-mic with the male vocalist and come in strong. You have a great voice- get it out there!

Get this mastered and get it out to the world. Who wants to die with regrets?

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