Tombstoner Songs spamage

spookstrickland · May 01, 2012, 04:30:43 AM

I should have posted this in the Jam room originally I guess but I forget that some of you don't leave the jam room area. I really wanted to hear what you guys thought of our new tunes that we recorded in the last couple of weeks. I have added more Lead type elements to my playing but still keeping it heavy. It's still the two piece and I think we are really making some good progress. We like to keep things loose and with out any really structure except to start out in a basic chord vamp then take off from there.

Please let me know what your think positive suggestions would be much appreciated.

http://tombstoner.bandcamp.com/

Lumpy · May 01, 2012, 05:31:44 AM

Applauded for persistence.

I only listened to 2 songs (Heavy Burden and Hand of God). Heavy Burden is too unfocused and jammy, which can be cool but it's rreeaallly hard to do (and still keep peoples' interest). Keep trying? It might take a really long time to get good at that. You seem to be persistent, so maybe you can get there eventually. But I would build in more structure though. Hand of God sounds more focused and I like it better, but what about reprising the beginning riffs at the end? Bring it back around before ending the song. Maybe.

The octave effect is not tracking very well, and I'm not sure that I like it. Maybe it should be on all the time (if its supposed to be like having a bass player). If it's just a special effect, I would use it more sparingly. It's really distracting to have it on sometimes, and not on sometimes. If you're going to use it like a bass player (and not a special effect) it has to track better than it does now. Maybe you can get it to track better by examining your pedal setup.

i think you need vocals. Vocals with tons of echo would be good. Maybe the vocals can be used as a way of organizing the song structure (I think you do need some song structure in there, even if you keep the free-form sections too). Maybe the vocals can sometimes be structured like a song (with repetition, verse/chorus etc) and during the free-form parts, the vocals can be free-form too, like maybe a spoken word/poetry, or you tell a story, or it's stream of consciousness.

So, (in my opinion) add more song structure, for example structure at the beginning and the end of a song with a free-form middle, or alternate between structured/unstructured parts. "Structure" can mean anything you want it to mean, it doesn't have to be a a strict song structure, just not so loosey-goosey. Free-form music is really hard to pull off successfully, so if you go that route, be prepared to put a lot of work in. Add vocals, effects on the vocals would be good, especially echo. Get your octave working better, or use it sparingly. Just my opinion though!

Credit is due for sticking with it.

Hemisaurus · May 01, 2012, 06:33:09 AM

There's something wrong with the Jam Room if music is spam, and gratuitous gear pics are the norm.

Maybe we should rename it Keeping up with the Jones's Room or Sad Wankers who spend all their time online and forget to play music room, now I'm gonna go find my headphones and listen.

liquidsmoke · May 01, 2012, 07:52:08 PM

I downloaded all 4 songs, burned them to a CDR and listened to it cranked on my stereo while making and eating breakfast this afternoon.

Overall I think it's interesting stuff. I want to like it and I do somewhat. I think the songs would very much benefit from more structure and variation, the drums especially, they don't change enough, not enough drum writing and too much jamming, need more drum beats and more that are less busy. I think there are too many jammy/lead guitar parts for the skill level demonstrated. I say that knowing full well that I'm not any better myself. They bite off more than they can chew. Even Hendrix probably had his off nights where the really long jams didn't work out so well. If I was going for this sound myself(which I do mess around with at times) as my main thing I'd practice scales and licks and study/learn Big Brother, Hendrix, Cream, Hawkwind, etc leads and songs for hours per week. I probably have no business saying all of that I but I like the overall sound being attempted and wish there were more bands doing a similar thing. People like this sort of stuff when it's done right, no matter how much they claim to despise "hippies" and psychedelic/'60s culture. I just saw Acid Mothers Temple and the place was packed to the back.

Hemisaurus · May 01, 2012, 08:14:13 PM

I kinda thought it could go the other way too, I know Spook worked hard to find a drummer, but a sort of ambient background texture thing instead of the drums here might also work, or more minmalist drumming?

I couldn't get into Heavy Burden because the drums and guitar sorta clashed, then it kinda clicked into place partway into Reigning on dead leaves, but then clicked out near the end of Hand of God, ZKM was solid.

Still my fave track was the one with Texas in the title, and it's gone from myspace

liquidsmoke · May 01, 2012, 08:57:40 PM

I'd like to hear the Texas song too, perhaps it could be thrown onto the bandcamp.

Jake · May 01, 2012, 09:50:18 PM

Not Hydrozeeny enough for the bigtime.

Worthless Willie · May 01, 2012, 10:24:53 PM

Quote from: Hemisaurus on May 01, 2012, 06:33:09 AM
There's something wrong with the Jam Room if music is spam, and gratuitous gear pics are the norm.

Maybe we should rename it Keeping up with the Jones's Room or Sad Wankers who spend all their time online and forget to play music room, now I'm gonna go find my headphones and listen.

Says the fella who gratuitously posts pics of his seriously gratuitous bass rig.

VOLVO))) · May 01, 2012, 11:17:28 PM

Quote from: Worthless Willie on May 01, 2012, 10:24:53 PM
Quote from: Hemisaurus on May 01, 2012, 06:33:09 AM
There's something wrong with the Jam Room if music is spam, and gratuitous gear pics are the norm.

Maybe we should rename it Keeping up with the Jones's Room or Sad Wankers who spend all their time online and forget to play music room, now I'm gonna go find my headphones and listen.

Says the fella who gratuitously posts pics of his seriously gratuitous bass rig.

You know I don't fuckin' play music, I just buy and sell gear because I'm a sad wanker.

Either way, whatever.

HOGNOSE!

spookstrickland · May 02, 2012, 02:47:57 PM

Hey Guys, Thanks for the feedback I'm really encouraged right now. We knew we were kind of gambling with being so free form and wanted to see just how far we could take things. I think pulling back a little and adding more structure is the right idea now too. My lead chops are still not where I want them either and probably never will be but I'm pretty happy to be doing what I'm doing after battling severe tendonitis for the last 3 years.

I wish I could find a good affordable octave pedal that drops down two octaves and tracks better. I think I would kind of like to leave that on all the time but it really keeps the bottom end from falling out when I move up the neck to play a lead. it actually puts out more bass on the light strings on my guitar than my guitar does on the low with out it. I kind of dig the little fuck ups it makes though and just kind of play with that weird sound but may have over done it a time or too lol.

I sincerely thank you all for listening and giving your feedback. Now it's time to put in some more hard work and see what we can accomplish next.

I'll see if I can find "The Texas" song and re-post it, if not I'll see if we can record it again and maybe it will be even better

Thanks

-Spook

Hemisaurus · May 02, 2012, 04:13:22 PM

Dumb idea. A 3-pole pickup on your guitars top 3 strings that you pull out separately and feed permanently to an octaver? I always wondered about doing something similarly opposite on bass. Or put a really steep filter (you can use an old EQ pedal) so that only the higher frequencies get through to the octaver.

liquidsmoke · May 02, 2012, 08:56:32 PM

Tendonitis/wrist problems suck. I've been dealing with that myself for over 10 years. It's why I hate playing all chords aside from 2 finger power chords which aren't even technically chords.

There is that EH POG thing but I don't think they are cheap. If I ever do the 2 piece thing in the future I'll probably get one to run into my bass amp. Sunn here says they track very nice.

spookstrickland · May 03, 2012, 03:54:54 PM

Quote from: liquidsmoke on May 02, 2012, 08:56:32 PM
Tendonitis/wrist problems suck. I've been dealing with that myself for over 10 years. It's why I hate playing all chords aside from 2 finger power chords which aren't even technically chords.

There is that EH POG thing but I don't think they are cheap. If I ever do the 2 piece thing in the future I'll probably get one to run into my bass amp. Sunn here says they track very nice.

It sure does. I have it really bad in my pick hand and for slow single note stuff it's not bad but if I want to pick up the speed or do some fast strumming or heavy down picking it tenses up on me like a mother fucker until I can't hold onto a pick.

Discö Rice · May 03, 2012, 05:56:00 PM

Maybe a DOD Meat Box? I hear those track well.

Lumpy · May 03, 2012, 06:06:00 PM

The DOD Meatbox is more like a bass EQ. Emphasizes bass frequencies, adds girth. The Electro Harmonix Mole is similar (bass boost).

Discö Rice · May 03, 2012, 06:28:40 PM

I agree with Lumpy in that you'd benefit from more song structure. It kinda just sounds like you named jam sessions, as opposed to writing songs. Hand of God has some groovy ideas that might be pretty cool if they were firmed up. The weird tracking with your octave pedal resulted in what could be a cool bass line (jumping octaves and such) if a real live bass player got involved.

VOLVO))) · May 03, 2012, 11:31:18 PM

POG tracks awesome. here's me, and mine.

Hemisaurus · May 03, 2012, 11:44:49 PM

Ah, to be young and able to spend all your cash on musical shit

VOLVO))) · May 03, 2012, 11:53:52 PM

Quote from: Hemisaurus on May 03, 2012, 11:44:49 PM
Ah, to be young and able to spend all your cash on musical shit

I clawed and fought for that shit. The POG was bought over the course of two weeks in 20 dollar increments.

spookstrickland · May 04, 2012, 02:33:31 PM

Quote from: Hemisaurus on May 02, 2012, 04:13:22 PM
Dumb idea. A 3-pole pickup on your guitars top 3 strings that you pull out separately and feed permanently to an octaver? I always wondered about doing something similarly opposite on bass. Or put a really steep filter (you can use an old EQ pedal) so that only the higher frequencies get through to the octaver.

I've thought about that, that would be pretty cool. Would I have to use two cables or could I wire up a stereo jack and cable on my guitar for that setup?

spookstrickland · May 04, 2012, 02:49:05 PM

Quote from: Discö Rice on May 03, 2012, 06:28:40 PM
I agree with Lumpy in that you'd benefit from more song structure. It kinda just sounds like you named jam sessions, as opposed to writing songs. Hand of God has some groovy ideas that might be pretty cool if they were firmed up. The weird tracking with your octave pedal resulted in what could be a cool bass line (jumping octaves and such) if a real live bass player got involved.

That's pretty much what we do. Some times I'll have a preexisting idea of what I want to do but most times we just start playing. My drummer is really into Jazz and improve so heavy Jamming is our M.O. The other thing is and I don't know how to overcome this is that the Original Jam always seems to sound better and fresher to me than when I go back and relearn everything and play it again. I wonder if that's just my perspective?

I really am enjoying the little fuckups that pedal makes. It makes me think of what kind of cool sound would Hendrix have coaxed out of one of those pedals if he had, had one?