Recently I started a folk/Irish band with a couple other people, just for fun. We're not taking it too seriously and just want to play around town some and maybe make a little extra money.
The thing is, Abilene, TX really kind of sucks for regular venues, especially bands just starting out. We're playing at open mic nights and even headlined a show at the local downtown Artwalk, which is where we started getting noticed. Since a lot of places aren't able to pay us outright or give us a cut of the door (because they aren't
charging at the door), and because a lot of people ask us if we have a CD, we spent the last few months recording one so that there's potential for income even at free shows and we don't have to necessarily beg for tips.
We didn't overdo this thing. Most of the tracks are just how you'd hear us at a show and there's only three of us. A few of the tracks I went a little overboard with on multitracking (Black Velvet Band and McLeod's Reel/Rights of Man/Down By the Sally Gardens especially) but for the most part if you hear a part it's being played live.
I know that there are mistakes on there as well, and I may be inclined to go back and fix them if you all hear something that just really bugs the shit out of you, but otherwise I'm fine with calling them "happy accidents".
Mostly I'd like your mixing ears. I'm pretty amateur at EQ/reverb mixing and it's easy enough for me to quickly fix if you hear something atrocious. I'd just like to be able to sell them for $8-10 and not feel bad about it.
Give the thing a listen on ReverbNation
here.
Appreciate all comments, positive and negative.
Posts
Make a myspace. It can't hurt... Also, post for gigs on craigslist and show them this link.
Haha, thanks. Like I said, we weren't really going for professional, just listenable. We're not trying to be stars or make our living off of this or anything. Only one of us is Irish but we have fun anyway.
I like your stuff for sure, I was actually just building a folk music playlist this morning.
Christine is Irish. Her mom is Irish and her dad is American, she was born in Ireland and flew to the states when she was little.
I feel there's a few just slightly rough spots in the fiddling in The Kesh Jig though.
edit: but who cares, really, because you guys are fucking awesome and I will be listening to this playlist so hard
Belruel, thanks I was a harmonica player long before I played any of these other instruments and while this group doesn't afford me as many opportunities to wail as my rock/blues stuff, I couldn't resist the opportunity to have a little fun.
oh my god please record and post this too
also, man, you ain't gotta be from a place to play its music
I will fight anyone who says otherwise
This thread has one song, but no harmonica solo
I have a worse song, like a love song (ugh) I wrote when I was like 19 years old, but it has a great solo in it
I think this link will take you to it but please do not judge me based on my 19-year-old self's lyrics, just listen to this one for the solo
It is like going back into yesteryear.
just got to the harmonica
dang dude, you tear that shit up.
Oh well, I was young, dumb and in love
Never ended up with the girl I wrote that one for, by the way
Probably because the stupid lyrics overshadow the harp solo
...wait.
But seriously, great harmonica-ing, I keep meaning to give it a go one of these days.
No
But playing it better than Bob Dylan can be
I have a Hohner Golden Melody and I can't play it for shit
but I have -5 musical talent
Special 20s are where it's at, man
They're all I'll play on now
Plastic comb doesn't splinter or swell, and the reeds are so easy to bend
Also, we have a MySpace. That place is a ghost town, though, so we made a Facebook page as well.
That actually is super helpful, because the more I hear that the less I'll feel that I've cheated patrons out of $10 for a compact disc. Also, it increases the likelihood that I'll want to record another one.
Josh, have you heard of Liadan?
I haven't heard any of their stuff but they're pretty good from what I understand!
Anyway, good luck sir, and I will try to buy the CD if I can scrounge up the money.
That's the nice thing about having a lot of committed members, you can do a lot more elaborate stuff live
or these:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ui38waRcJ2U&feature=related
Just throwing some blues into the mix
I have a solo in here, but I'm not at my best since it was at the end of a 3 hour set in the sun
All right enough excuses
2:13 is where my solo starts
edit: also, josh, I am sitting here with both cash and e-money, ready to buy the album
The second is Wild Rover, pretty much a standard if you're playing Irish music. Wes is singing/playing the fiddle, Christine has harmonies, and I'm playing drums/bass/guitar/shaker/singing harmonies. All of us do the hand claps.
We have a pro audio engineer coming to finalize the mixes and do the mastering, so we're pretty close to done with this thing. We don't need advice on the mixes of these two tracks (they're a little bit rough, I know), but any comments or criticism of the composition is welcome.
Also sorry I keep linking to an external site, but I don't have any other way of getting the music embedded on here other than uploading to YouTube, and I'm not ready for the world to hear these tracks yet. I did put them on a page other than our ReverbNation this time, so at least you know I'm not sitewhoring for a certain number of listen hits.
The only real pick that I have with your music is that you're getting caught in a very common trap of different insturments (voice/piano/violin) all the playing the same thing. 1:13 is a great example of this. Thats why system of a down sucks, and stuff like what's listed below is epic.
This is the prime example of moving peices that are similar but different. The part that is meant to draw your attention is LOUD and staccato, but the part meant to support the attention has quiet, short moving lines, sort of like stand bass in a jazz quartet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYCPHHPXTmk
This exemplifies a good harmony, that you use with violin in your song, is if the two parts can be played separate and sound like their own piece. Different but similar.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ad6-MRmZ5IU
3:59 to 4:17 is primarily what I'm after on this one. Most people don't like this type of music, so I won't ask you to listen to the whole thing, but that part also accentuates my next point.
LISTEN TO 3:59 to 4:17
Also you want to keep consistency with the parts that you create. For example towards the end of Asurance the moving Violin 1 part has unnecessary legato thrown (like at 2:00 when the parts mesh) in when you already have 2nd violin playing legato, the main attaction in this piece is the piano and the violins are an accent, so Keep the moving "Violin 1" a moving part (add fills i.e. tremalo, trills etc), and "Violin 2" as a legato part. This will keep the piece interesting and build up towards a climax at the end.
This brings up a final point. One thing that traditional musicians forget to incorporate into their work is DYNAMICS!!! You remember like p, mp, mf, f, ff, creciendo, decreciendo? These are crucial to playing acoustic instruments like the piano, violin, trumpet (unless you're in a ska band, then you play however loud you want... all the time) What separates a good song from a FANTASIC SONG is dynamics. Your peices seem to be very level from beginning to end. Let the pianist rock out towards the end, treat it like the percussive instrument it was meant to be, and give the emotion in the song more weight!
Aside from my nitpicks, I love the folk sound you have, and its very well structured, and pleasant to listen to, I hope to hear more!
Edit: Do you use a metronome? The ending of Wild Rover sounded like a bit of mush.
This may be a bit off from what I talked about but I'ma put it up anyway. This song accentuates my point about Dynamics and Confidence in your violin playing
Like the subtle creciendo of the chord at 2:18
The trills at 2:30-2:35
And great tone throughout.
Glad I could help. I hope it didn't come across too nitpicky. (sp?)