Man, great guitar dude. This is really well done.
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 8:47 AM on August 8, 2008

Reminds me of Big Rock Candy Mountain. This is nice. You could almost just sample banjo and loop it randomly in the background and it would work.
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 8:46 AM on August 8, 2008

I find it really difficult to completely match melodies when writing lyrics; otherwise the words just come out as nonsensical syllables that I can't sell in the singing of them (which, if you ask me, is the key).

I would offer to take a crack at writing lyrics to this if you could post it without the singing parts, using this one as a basis for the melody. It would probably differ on the melody in parts so I don't know if that's what you're looking for.
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 8:44 AM on August 8, 2008

I used to live in Montreal. I remember this being a big problem. There are groups of thieves that specifically target bands, pawn shops that specifically sell the stolen goods. It makes me sick.
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 8:58 AM on August 5, 2008

Apparently Italmelodie, is known to buy stolen goods, which is a shame because they are one of the best music stores in town.

This is a link to the local music board that is having a similar discussion. It details all of the equipment stolen.
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 11:13 AM on August 5, 2008

Organized crime is no joke in Montreal. I would not be surprised if this was connected to that community somehow.
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 9:33 PM on August 5, 2008

I'm not saying Don Corleone hotwired the truck or anything. But yeah it probably went down like you say.
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 7:17 AM on August 6, 2008

While I can't really give specific advice. I would recommend you stop looking at it with the eyes of Cool Edit Pro. It works much more elegantly/simply than anything I've ever used before. It is almost too simple sometimes.
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 1:35 PM on August 5, 2008

Thanks guys. I feel like this sounds kind of rushed. I just kind of fooled around on electric guitar and bass and didn't know the lyrics at all. I agree there are some good ideas, but it seems kind of half assed to me.
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 3:13 PM on August 1, 2008

I don't hear "ballad" here but damn girl you can sing.
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 12:09 PM on August 1, 2008

I think this song is bigger than any of us.
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 7:24 AM on August 1, 2008

This is exactly what I needed to hear this morning. This is fantastic sleepy pete.
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 6:18 AM on July 29, 2008

Don't change it one bit Sleepy Pete. Don't do it! ;)
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 8:43 AM on July 29, 2008

Really nice danb.
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 6:25 AM on July 29, 2008

I'm a fan of sleepy_pete and edlundart. Maybe not like a squealing 14 year old girl fan, but I always am sure to check out whatever they do.
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 6:20 AM on July 29, 2008

I love drony acoustic guitar like this.
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 11:00 AM on July 22, 2008

This reminds me of the type of music I used to listen to as a teenager. Kind of like Silkworm, but more than that. I really like it. Thanks for posting.
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 9:26 AM on July 22, 2008

Hey Corduroy, I guess I could. I kind of wrote them in one shot so they are still being worked on.


Whispers

the first responder's sirens are still singing in our ears
a crumpled car sits in the street and its occupants lay near

the sun is high up over head and the breeze softly blows
tire track scar the corner of where our garden grows

but he don't... [more]
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 2:14 PM on July 11, 2008

Added internalmic tag
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 11:28 AM on July 14, 2008

Great production edlundart.
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 11:04 AM on July 11, 2008

I wanted the chorus to just explode into perfect 3 part harmony. Probably not going to happen after 10 years though. As it stands it is both catchy and really f'ing creepy at the same time. Good job..?
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 10:31 AM on July 11, 2008

I feel the same way chococat. Its almost a reflexive "gasp, barenaked ladies" thing when I hear his songs, but I keep it playing and the sheer sincerity (or insincerity?) of hillelc's songs always makes listening worthwhile.

Keep it up dude you seem to be onto something that works for you. I have a feeling that you would keep it up regardless, and maybe that's what I like.
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 8:30 PM on July 10, 2008

Dude you have got to bust a freestyle over this. Really fast like a bonethugsinharmony thing.

god damn it. how can it. be so easy. making me queesy. count dracula. scott bacula. quantum leaping. like a cold black spatula. comin' after ya. straight from Canada. beats from hoopa. screw frooty loops yeah.

or something.
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 8:58 AM on July 10, 2008

Yeah man. I pretty much only comment here. The front page is good for a while but I often feel like I'm shouting into the void when I comment anything. Its a nice little scene on music dot mefi.
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 6:12 PM on July 10, 2008

I hear a bit of early Randy Newman in this. Sounds very New York to me. I imagine this playing over the opening montage of an early 90s Tom Hanks vehicle with lots of exterior shots of New York in the morning.
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 11:32 AM on July 10, 2008

I listened to a radio interview with ?uestlove of the Roots. He was talking about learning something like 100 songs for a string of shows that they had to perform. He said, basically, "18 times". Play each song, 18 times in a row. Devote a few hours a day to a song and play it 18 times in a row. He said that you won't forget them after that many times. It would clearly require discipline to do it. But I would trust his advice on that one.
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 11:17 AM on July 10, 2008

Hilarious umbú.
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 9:11 AM on July 9, 2008

This is really nice early morning music. Love the calm space between the notes. The guitar solo is perfect.

I'm actually reading the Great Gatsby right now (embarrassingly, for the first time) so it fits really well into my here and now. Thanks for uploading this.
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 9:09 AM on July 9, 2008

Nice one. Added to my playlist.
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 9:02 AM on July 9, 2008

Makes me think of driving through the desert at night in an old convertible listening to AM radio.
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 3:04 PM on July 6, 2008

I agree about the hesitations. It makes it sound conversational, your voice has a Dylan-esque. I mean that in a good way.
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 2:04 PM on July 5, 2008

I think you've got a great voice and you play a nice unadorned style on guitar.

If you're looking for criticism, I think that the percussion that you use could use some rejiggering. It could be any combination of the following things: too tonal but not the same key as your guitar, often too much on the beat (1,2,3,4, bong, bong, bong, bong), the stuttering doesn't follow the feel of your strumming -- so I feel a disconnect on several levels.
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 4:19 PM on July 4, 2008

I like how the guitar sounds almost like its at a luau.
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 8:39 AM on July 4, 2008

Thanks danb. He's a f'ing incredible drummer so I'm pretty confident that the drums will sound awesome. I agree that it is all about the groove.
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 10:33 PM on July 3, 2008

Oh jesus danb. The TV adds kind of a found sound element to it. Reminded me a little of early Adam Green.
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 10:24 PM on July 3, 2008

Makes me think of the Cars meeting the Magnetic Fields. I know it is lazy to compare like that, but it is what came to mind.

You are definitely going to be the cool uncle.
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 7:34 PM on July 3, 2008

I will Nth that I think mefi music is a great addition. I'd love to see integration with the main page, like having the current tracks be playable on a standalone player while browsing/posting/ranting. As I often forget that music.metafilter.com is here, and I've uploaded several tracks to it..
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 1:40 PM on July 2, 2008

I heretofore avow to listen more, comment more, post more and help build this mother up.

WHO IS WITH ME?!?
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 7:01 PM on July 3, 2008

Oh man the 5/4 part is good. I think its really hooky the way it is. Sufjan Stevens uses 5/4 all the time and it works just fine for him. I think the build up and back down thing that Karlos the Jackal mentions wouldn't be so jarring with drums and bass backing things up throughout and/or maybe a bit of compression (my guilty pleasure) so that things don't pop out so suddenly.This is really good songwriting dude.
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 5:41 PM on July 3, 2008

I don't know man. The city ain't so bad. Maybe try moving to a different neighborhood? Kind of an Alice in Chains thing going on. I kind of like the droning outro part. I know its kind of weak to be critical and such but the lyrics come off as a little bit contrived to me.
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 5:35 PM on July 3, 2008

This makes me so f'ing cheerful. I feel like Mario music will be the music that we listen to when we are in our old folks homes tended to by carebots. Sometimes my band will break into the "grassland" map theme from Mario 3. Its just a good jam.
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 2:56 PM on July 3, 2008

Yeah man! Definitely has an "on a quest" type vibe to it. Lots of good themes that you rotate through.
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 4:22 PM on July 2, 2008

This reminds me of Goblin; 70s Italian Horror soundtrack stuff. Spooky. :)
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 4:19 PM on July 2, 2008

Hi Corduroy, thanks for your feedback! I agree with your observations on the energy dropping off. I have indeed heard Dry the Rain. As I recall, the Beta Band achieved this by getting "busier" with their playing, and by adding more instruments and voices as the song progressed culminating in the band singing "I Need Love!" in unison, which was always a big "YES" moment for me. :)

The stranger will come as a midpoint in the album. We are... [more]
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 8:44 AM on June 26, 2008

Thanks micayetoca. I originally wanted to make the vocals sound more like someone in the next room was singing that part to play up the acoustic instruments' natural reverb. Still need to make a production decision there!
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 7:08 AM on June 27, 2008

oh and a large proportion of those instruments are guitars...
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 6:47 AM on July 5, 2007

wow, tough crowd.
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 3:42 AM on July 6, 2007

i dig it man. i picture a montage of some bad dude driving through the desert on a motorcycle with this playing.
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 8:39 AM on July 5, 2007

its a little noisy, hope you don't mind.
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 2:03 PM on June 22, 2007

Thanks micayetoca. I've actually heard the Morrisey comparison before.

We continue to work on stuff, albeit very slowly. We have a lot of unfinished stuff that will be finished over the next while, but I can't see any new material being worked on at such a distance. In some ways, recording this way is better because it becomes all how things sound and getting the right takes but I often miss the ramshackle spirit of the jamming shared experience.
posted to MeFi Music by dobie at 7:40 PM on February 11, 2007