Current Band That Are Good / Acoustic Singers with Lower Voices [2 part question]

Chop Logic

PART ONE:

Heres my problem: Almost none of the bands I listen to are currently around. I listen almost exclusivley to bands that have broken up. I'd like to listen to some bands that are current, that are around now. Listening almost exclusivley to bands that have broken up also greatly limits my selection of shows to go to, which is a problem. Here are some of my favorite bands:

Architecture in Helsinki
At The Drive-In
Billy Bragg
The Broadways
Cap'n Jazz
Defiance, Ohio
The Go! Team
Iron & Wine
Joan of Arc
Lifter Puller
The Lillingtons
The Most Serene Republic
The Mountain Goats
Neutral Milk Hotel
Refused
The Weakerthans

Also, I just haven't really discovered any new music in a long time, so I'm overdue. I've been listening to the same stuff for a long time. In case you don't recognize some of these bands, I'm into punk, indie, punk influenced folk, and acoustic stuff. I listen to everything really, but this is really the stuff I'm looking for. Thanks a lot. If you could indicate a little about the band you're reccomending, that would be great.



QUESTION THE SECOND

I also play acoustic guitar, and I'm trying to start writing my own songs. So naturally, I'm trying to learn a lot of songs that other people have written that I like in order to get better. Also, I just like singing and playing.

Heres the problem, I have a lower voice. I'm really a baritone. I have a high G in chest voice (the G above middle C I think, it's really high), but I sound like a baby. Theres a special term for it, its the voice in between head and chest voice. So often times, when I try and play songs by Neutral Milk Hotel for example, his voice is just too high, and I sound like a little kid.

If I try and use a capo to change the key of the song, I end up having to put the whole guitar up a fifth or sixth and singing down an octave, and then I'm singing lower than the guitar and it sounds like I'm playing a ukelele.

So, if anyone knows any really good acoustic artists that don't have a really high voice, please reccomend me some stuff. The style I'm looking it is: Billy Bragg, The Mountain Goats, Old Against Me!, Neutral Milk Hotel, The Weakerthans. Thanks a lot.

EggyToast

Regarding the "playing music" thing, a lot of people in your position will just sing the harmonies at a comfortable, lower voice. If you don't know how to sing harmonies naturally (can't blame you), sing along with the song but try singing a harmony and seeing how it works. Since most songs end up repeating parts, you can practice on a song w/o going nuts.

The other thing to do is to simply knock it down an octave. Double bass players do this for music written for cello.


As for the music recommendations, I've got a friend who heartily recommends Josh Ritter for anyone into acoustic folk stuff (w/o being "folky"). It's on iTunes for a sample. I can't recommend much, though, as I'm generally into a different sort of music.

Flying Couch

For the "music to play," you might look into some of Pearl Jam's acoustic stuff. As far as I'm concerned, "Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town" should be required playing.

Organichu

So you know, like 7-8 (I think) of those bands are still active in some way or another.

Chop Logic

Yeah, after writing the list I realized that. Thats just a small sample though.

Also, About singing the harmonies, I dont mean that I want to sing along with the song, I was to be able to play the chords on guitar and sing the song by myself, so singing the harmonies won't really help me, thanks though.

EggyToast

Chop Logic wrote: »

Yeah, after writing the list I realized that. Thats just a small sample though.

Also, About singing the harmonies, I dont mean that I want to sing along with the song, I was to be able to play the chords on guitar and sing the song by myself, so singing the harmonies won't really help me, thanks though.

No, that's to sing by yourself. I mean, sure, if you want to sing a carbon copy of the song you're simply not gonna be able to do it with your voice, so those are your options -- learn the harmonies and sing those by yourself, or drop the vocal an octave.

A fair number of bands record the vocals sung as a harmony as alternative takes, or will perform them live that way, etc. You're still in key, you're just singing them differently. And you harmonize fully because if you're just singing and can't hit some notes, you simply sound funny (as you noticed). Harmonizing is good vocal practice as well, as you're experimenting in the key and can use that experience when working on your own stuff.

You said you were interested in writing your own stuff, and learning how to sing the harmonies to songs you know is excellent practice for that. You then sing them on your own and can experiment with how they sound, and that serves to help you get an ear for note combinations.

Nitsuj82

Bands: Well, I don't really know. I was going to say something like Brand New, because they have the odd post-punk sound of At The Drive In or Refused, but with a little less intensity.

Acoustic: My two favorite acoustic CD's are Matt Skiba's split with Kevin Seconds (whose portion of the album is kind of crap imo), and any Saves the Day song that's acoustic (Ups and Downs has all of their EPs on it).

enderwiggin13

Awesome taste in bands...I screamed my way through "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" on a drive home the other night. I'm a baritone myself, always trying to be a tenor to sing along with a lot of stuff I listen to.

Wilco - They even did an album with Billy Brag. Their early stuff was very alt-country while more recent stuff is more indie/new folk? Also check out the previous band, Uncle Tupelo, for more country. A lot of their songs fall right in my vocal range
The Shins - Indie pop. A little higher than my range, but still relatively easy to sing.
Cat Power - Folk/indie/blues. Female singer, but she has a throaty alto voice so singing down an octave sounds fine.
Clem Snide - Alt-country/indie rock. I think the lead singer is a tenor, but some songs are pretty low.
The Decemberists - Folk/indie pop. Mostly acoustic, I think the lead singer could be a baritone as he goes pretty low, but some songs are a little high.

Oh and Sufjan Stevens probably won't be easy to sing...he's a tenor for sure, but you have to listen to him.

Zael

It sounds like you'd really like Colin Hay's acoustic stuff.

bsjezz

hey you might want to try out jack penate, new english/spanish folksinger with a poppy-ska feel. i dig it, and he's just on the verge of popularity i think

Alpine

City and Colour is fantastic - his voice isn't too high, and all he plays is acoustic guitar.

TrippyDK

Alpine wrote: »

City and Colour is fantastic - his voice isn't too high, and all he plays is acoustic guitar.

Oh but its pretty up there sometimes.

I would recommend The Manchester Orchestra. Its like a more poppy version of The Weakerthans with some interesting loud/soft dynamics.

meeker

Check out TV on the Radio for a singer with a very cool low voice.

skyybahamut

That part that is inbetween head and chest voice is called the passizzio(sp) (pass-Ah-zhee-oh). You need to have a lot of air moving through, like 2-3 times normal, to make it work right. Otherwise you will sound like someone mid-puberty.

Chop Logic

skyybahamut wrote: »

That part that is inbetween head and chest voice is called the passizzio(sp) (pass-Ah-zhee-oh). You need to have a lot of air moving through, like 2-3 times normal, to make it work right. Otherwise you will sound like someone mid-puberty.

Yeah, thats what it is. I can hit at least a high G# now, but I literally sound like a 12 year old.

Thanks for all the suggestions guys I'll check them out and get back to you.

skyybahamut

I had to practice (in HS and College choir lessons) for the better part of 2-3 months to get it right. (I'm a 2nd tenor btw) It's been since 2002 since I was in a decent choir where I would need it, but in my limited experience you might benifit to have a vocal coach or trainer to help if you are sirious about this. (and also not laugh at your feeble sounding screwups)(and you will screwup from time to time)

If done properly passizzio will sound like a slightly higher version of your normal voice and should be able to seemlesly fill the gap between your normal singing to falsetto (mickey mouse/head voice). IE you should be able to do scales up 2+ octaves with normal to passizzio to falsetto voices.

Edgie

Try some of these:

Ghost Mice - Acoustic guitar + violin, rather folkish.
Against Me! - I'm sure you've heard em before, but just in case you haven't .. check out Reinventing Axl Rose and As the Eternal Cowboy, in that order. You might also enjoy their acoustic EP, as well as their Crime! EP, which has much more anarchist overtones and screaming. I don't care much for their later offerings.
Face to Face - Punk with a bit of pop. From all the bands on your list, I'd probably most closely relate them to the Lillingtons. For a first time listener, I'd recommend their live cd. Their later stuff is really quite different, and not so good in my opinion.
Good Riddance - Very fast/hard punk. Good shit.
Screeching Weasel - Some fun, old punk. Lillingtons got a lot of influence from these guys.
This Bike is a Pipe Bomb - Since you like Defiance, Ohio, try these guys out.

And finally, try the Bouncing Souls. Their earlier albums, which are my favorites, are rather simple punk songs, such as their s/t or Maniacal Laughter. They start to sound tighter and switch things up more with their later CDs, which are still quite good - Hopeless Romantic and How I Spent My Summer Vacation.


Lots of stuff, and you might not enjoy all of it, but what band doesn't have a myspace these days? Try em out, and if you like any of them, post which ones and I'll see if I can find anything else with a similar style of music.

HadjiQuest

Some of the dudes from Lifter Puller are The Hold Steady now. I figure you've probably heard them, but since you didn't list them, I'll mention that.

Also, try Red House Painters/Mark Kozelek/Sun Kil Moon. They're all the same, but Mark has occasionally switched names to keep critics interested. Sun Kil Moon is the version that's still active at the moment. It's kinda folksy singer-songwriter stuff similar to old Iron & Wine.

Also, if you like them, then you might try Low, who spun from the same sadcore movement. Both RHP and Low have been pretty popular in indie circles in the past.

Sword_of_Light

I cant help you with the first question - since all the bands I listen to were popular in the mid-70s.

As to low-range acoustic artists - have you checked out Johnny Cash? No really - listen to his version of Personal Jesus - its a really simple arangement, and his style makes the song vastly more interesting than the original proto-emo one.

urahonky

Check out Bright Eyes. Specifically the CD: Lifted Or The Story Is In The Soil, Keep Your Ear To The Ground. That would be perfect for your Acoustic practice. He has a low voice, and uses an Acoustic Guitar (at least I think it's Acoustic).