gfxgfx
 
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
logo
 
gfx gfx
gfx
680597 Posts in 27600 Topics by 4068 Members - Latest Member: Dae Lims March 28, 2024, 01:31:53 PM
*
gfx*HomeHelpSearchCalendarLoginRegistergfx
  Show Posts
Pages: [1]
1  Non Smiley Smile Stuff / Smiley Smilers Who Make Music / Re: How to Start Up a Band? on: February 14, 2015, 08:59:24 PM
Interesting topic. in my opinion and experience, being in a band isn't really something you can learn in a guide. It takes a lot of trial and error. The most important thing you can do is to not wait around for anyone to do anything for you, or "find" you. Learn to do it all yourself. By that I mean take serious time to study gear, recording, mixing, marketing, networking, etc. Study where the music business has been and where it seems to be heading, copyright law, publishing, digital distribution, etc. Set yourself up for making your own success.

With your bandmates, spend hours upon hours jamming. Don't immediately set your sights on albums and shows, or even writing songs - just learn each other first. Hone your chops together and learn to read each other without having to ever speak. Develop that second language. Then you'll have unconsciously figured out how to write songs together in the voice that you've collectively found. Being in a band is a lot like being in a relationship - you're going to spend a lot of time with these people learning and growing, so there has to be musical trust. Once you've developed that second language, the trust comes naturally, and your band is a lot better for it. Know that everything you do, every show you play, every track you record is going to make you better in the long run - and it most likely won't be too pretty when you start. In the future, you may look back on things from the beginning and cringe a little, but you need to take those steps to get to where you'll be. I know it's cliche, but there's a reason cliche's stand the test of time.

I'd recommend some of Bobby Owsinski's books such as Music 4.0, The Recording Engineer's Handbook, and The Mixing Engineer's Handbook to start. You can find them here: http://www.amazon.com/Bobby-Owsinski/e/B001K8A8F8/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1423975334&sr=8-1.
2  Non Smiley Smile Stuff / Smiley Smilers Who Make Music / Re: Zep Tepi is a FATSO!!! on: February 14, 2015, 01:29:21 PM
Cool stuff Zep! I really like the song that starts ten minutes in. Reminds me of Syd Barrett.

Interesting comparison; thank you very much for listening, Mike!
3  Non Smiley Smile Stuff / Smiley Smilers Who Make Music / Zep Tepi is a FATSO!!! on: February 13, 2015, 10:52:49 PM
Good evening, Smiley Smilers!!

My name is Zep Tepi. I don't post much, but about 5 years ago I did some mellow covers of He Gives Speeches / She's Goin' Bald and Mona that got a nice reception, so I thought I'd share my current work.

I just cooked up an album called Fatso. It's a lo-fi snack of psychedelic proportions for belt-ditchers everywhere! In crafting an album for the ever-expanding, I noticed my BB influences seeping through, so figured this board would be a good place to drop it off. The album is streaming in full at https://zeptepland.bandcamp.com/ and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UL9aZzc98dY, but the track with the heaviest Super Wilson Bros. vibes is called Front Porches, and you can check that out here: https://soundcloud.com/wosrecordsandtapes/frontporches.

I'm in awe of all the talent I've come across in this section, so it is with great humility that I submit my own stuff. Eat well!

Note: edited to add flattery.
4  Non Smiley Smile Stuff / General Music Discussion / Re: Who Was The Biggest Loss To Music? (Death) :/ on: June 25, 2012, 09:29:25 PM
One musician who went much too soon that I have yet to see mentioned is Elliott Smith. I've spent a lot of time thinking of his progression as an artist, as it was so interesting and unique. From his first records, you can tell he has something to say and an everlasting mark to make on music, only it's hard to pinpoint where & how. He then very quickly evolves his songs into something more mystique and complex with "Either/Or", mastering a tone during that era that I have yet to hear since. He then progresses to an era of shimmering pop arrangements with "XO", and explores that area further by using the studio as a classroom for himself a la Brian Wilson, which culminates in "Figure 8". The stuff he was working on prior to his death was completely different from what he had ever done, a completely natural progression that took pop, rock, and experimentation with intense beauty and real soul and emotion to a sonic paradise. I think in a bizarro universe where he's alive, he released that completely original and new music to massive critical acclaim, but continued to fly under the radar, and continues down a path of innovation in pop & rock. To see where he would have taken music is an interesting thought to ponder. I really do think the posthumous album "From a Basement on a Hill", and all his unreleased post-Figure 8 material, will be appreciated on a much deeper level years down the road. While he was a really great guitarist, I think he'll be remembered more as an innovative artist as a whole.
5  Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: Brian's piano playing on 2012 on: June 19, 2012, 04:47:50 PM
Surprised we don't hear Al's guitar more.  He's playing Rhythm, but I guess he isn't turned up.

At the show I attended (the 2nd NYC show), Al's guitar was definitely audible. It had a really nice spot in the mix that night.
6  Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: Beach Boys perform on Good Morning America -- Friday, 6/15 on: June 15, 2012, 09:05:20 AM
Just got back from this. What an interesting experience. Seeing them soundcheck, being able to pick out each guy's part (haven't been able to do that to the degree I could today), seeing how the band interacts to build this music...

The best part, though, was watching these fascinating men we're all here because of interact on a personal level. Al really seems to be soaking up being with these guys again. He hung around Brian a lot. They poked around the keys together, sang a bit together, he brought his guitar over, these guys care for each other immensely. Brian seemed to perk up the most when Dave would come 'round to the keyboard to play some chords and have a laugh. Al and Mike shared some laughs as well. When all the guys would go around Brian's keyboard (before interview segments), Bruce, Dave, and Mike would all give Brian back rubs simultaneously and individually. Attached is a picture of just that. Brian particularly seemed to enjoy his back rub from Bruce.



When Brian called for the audience to quit with the beach balls, he said, "some people are trying to watch, and it's distracting for them," which is how I was feeling about the beach balls (being so fixated on all the things I stated above). In my head, Brian called for the beach balls to stop so that I could delve into my fascination with the process, and spend those moments watching and learning. Maybe he did, maybe he didn't, but either way, he helped pave the way for a truly unique and enjoyable experience (though, the beach balls came back with a vengeance later on). Despite the constant yelling around me for Kokomo and Barbara Ann, the crowd, made up of many vacationers who seemed to mostly be there for the tv show experience, were very respectful and patient. The Beach Boys are truly unique in that they are loved by so many. Even though large portions of the populace only know the big, big hits, The Beach Boys transcend the stigmas attached to all walks of life. The name itself, The Beach Boys, means something so massive. It was a real joy to watch them make these people of all walks of life happy and content in the moments they were in their presence.

Though, I'll never quite understand the utter joy people get from thinking they may be seen for split seconds on television, but such is the nature of a camera in the face I guess.
7  Smiley Smile Stuff / Concert Reviews / Re: Show 25: Verizon Wireless Amphitheater - Irvine, CA 6/3/12 on: June 03, 2012, 08:11:26 PM
My folks are lucky enough to be at this show, having flown from Kansas to California just for the show (after hearing my constant ravings of the NYC show I attended, they couldn't resist). My mom sent me a couple short clips of California Saga performing, so I thought I'd upload 'em and share them as they come. Quality is shoddy cell phone quality, so nothing to write home about, but whoever is singing lead on Little Bird (Carl B.?) is certainly doing a beautiful rendition.

Friends:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BcqH9WAFCY&feature=plcp

Little Bird:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rdK8bas5-0&feature=plcp
8  Smiley Smile Stuff / Concert Reviews / Re: Show 10: Beacon Theatre - New York, NY 5/9/12 on: May 10, 2012, 01:28:35 PM
Welcome and thank you for this very interesting review !!


Two questions:
Did Brian sing lead on "Marcella"?

Did the Forever-video work this time ?

Thanks for the welcome. Yes, Brian sang lead on Marcella. He was really groovin' with it, too. The Forever video worked perfectly, and was very touching. My eyes teared, and my mouth was agape, marveling at its beauty the entirety of the song. Brian sounded particularly good on the "DoDoDoDoDoDo's" during the God Only Knows bridge, and I noticed him open his mouth to start singing the next line, probably just out of habit at this point, before realizing he got to sit back and listen to his brother croon it.
9  Smiley Smile Stuff / Concert Reviews / Re: Show 10: Beacon Theatre - New York, NY 5/9/12 on: May 10, 2012, 01:02:09 PM
This show was so swingin', rockin', beautiful, and heavy that I finally took the plunge and created an account after many a night spent lurking in the shadows of the board.

Being quite the youngster, with only a couple decades + 2 on my life experience belt, I've only seen Al's band with David and Mike & Bruce. Al & David's show was intimate and fun, and Mike and Bruce made sure their band took good care of these historical jewels we call Beach Boys songs. The thing about those shows was, they were fun and enjoyable. The songs sounded good, and everyone was in good spirits. But this show...seeing & hearing Brian, Mike, Al, David, Bruce, and the incredible backing band perform these songs...was a religious experience to say the least. These songs came alive in such an intense and special way. It literally felt like being inside the music, as if these songs were physical entities you could step into. It was like tumbling into the world inside my headphones.

David's guitar shrieked and swarmed over the audience as he tore out his heart, took a bite, and threw it on the audience during his solo's. This tour would not have been complete without David Lee Marks. The way the guys constantly praised Brian, give him little looks, nods, and smiles throughout the show, was beautiful. I couldn't help but harken back to this video as I watched David, Mike, and Brian during Surfin' Safari: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74rreG0k5lA and think about time traveling to pull one of those Hawthorne kids into the future, probably David, and bring them to this show 50 years later. Now, to the songs!

Marcella! What a wonderful surprise! It sounded so fantastic and full. Before the song, as mentioned previously, Brian was playing the keyboard and doing some ooohohhhohh's, which was, for all intents and purposes, watching Brian Wilson jam for a few seconds. I thought that little preparation he was doing sounded like I Feel So Fine, and I couldn't help but wonder who slipped him some white stuff. I had to promptly explain to my girlfriend what "The Cocaine Sessions" were. At the end of Brian's noodling, Al got to the mic and sang "I have a girlfriend..." then said, "is that what you're playing?" I thought to myself, "wow! snippets of I Feel So Fine AND I'm So Young!" But then Marcella came out of the instruments and vocal chords, and pulled me by my ears back into the music. Stamos sort of took me out of the music for a moment with his drum solo before BTTYS, but that's what you get with Stamos, and if I had a chance to do a drum solo at a sold out Beach Boys show, I'd be wailin' before Mike even had a chance to go "wheeeeeeen" (which was extremely shortened tonight, and he didn't do his usual "old guy needs help getting up" routine with it). We're spoiled because John Cowsill's drumming is so tastefully perfect and hard hitting at the same time.

When the light went on over Brian's piano and all the guys were standing there, I thought they would all go back to their respective spots, but I noticed Al holding a mic between him and Bruce, and all of a sudden Add Some Music begins, and Mike tells me exactly what the Sunday morning gospel goes good with. It seemed like they were all still getting a grip on the song, reading the lyrics on top of the piano (Mike from Brian's teleprompter), and David seemed like he didn't exactly know what he was doing, but, Lord, those vocals. After the song, Bruce said something that sounded like, "first time in 41 years", but I may stand to be corrected on the accuracy of that. Heroes and Villains got a HUGE standing ovation that lasted, what seemed like, a good couple minutes. The guys seemed very appreciative of that. It made me wish even more than I normally do everyday that I had seen a live Brian Wilson Smile show after watching Nelson Bragg on the percussion of H&V. In fact, Nelson and Cowsill are a hell of a team. I went in expecting to watch Mike, Brian, David, Bruce, and Al the most, but the backing band is hard to take your eyes off of. That energy! Having a night sky filled with stars on the projector screen during parts of God Only Knows was a beautiful backdrop to Carl singing. I Just Wasn't Made for These Times was Brian in top form, singing his heart out. He really reached for some of those notes, grabbing 'em from above his head, and gracefully guiding them back into his larynx.

Again, as somewhat of a youngster, I'm not used to sit down concerts. I went with the ebbs and flows of the audience to be respectful, but I would have much rather been standing & grooving for songs like H&V and This Whole World, especially as I was completely within the music. What a special night. Go see this show!
Pages: [1]
gfx
Powered by SMF 1.1.21 | SMF © 2015, Simple Machines Page created in 1.122 seconds with 22 queries.
Helios Multi design by Bloc
gfx
Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!