Saturday, May 5, 2012
soon soon soon
ahhh!! I'm sorry, I haven't had time to write reviews. Just so happens I got an opportunity to move again and have been packing/sorting like cray cray... they're still coming! I promise.
Just a bit longer.
I'll be starting/posting my reviews later today.
EDIT: Today actually means tomorrow.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Friday, April 27, 2012
Vol. 2 Reviews
Volume 2 was quite excellent as well, here are my reviews!
ClassiCal - Sefirah EP
Great sounds! This is the perfect chill music, its not too distracting or consuming, it just sounds good. I loved the way the various instruments/sounds would cut in and out. It’s a technique that hip hop and electronic music use a lot, but you did it in a very cool, out-of-the-box kind of way. Cool record, you should be proud of this!
Dick Reynolds - Record Time Shizz
I wish the vocals were a bit louder on these songs. The vocal melodies are GREAT, and it sounds like the lyrics are probably pretty stellar as well, but its hard to hear them. I really like how clean and unassuming these songs are; there is something magical about using just vocals, bass, tambourine, and guitar feedback. Cool music!
f.e.a.r. - Why?
This is intense music, not quite like anything I’ve heard before. There is so much going on it is hard to comprehend upon first (even second or third) listen. Every time I play it, something new jumps out at me, like a panning tambourine, or some new synth countermelody I hadn’t noticed before. I’m not generally a fan of the industrial genre, but this doesn’t really sound like industrial either. Great work!
Kevin Lee Todd - Magnus Ociel Marcello
Holy cow, 46 minutes?!?!? And not just 46 minutes of rubbish, but 46 minutes of well thought out material. Very impressive! I really dig the musical vibe you have going on in this album. I like how sloppy it is, and I love your use of banjo and mandolin. This album definitely sounds like a more refined and well-executed version of your last Record Time album. Great work!
Kris Eckman - Burl’s Great NoNo
I like the guitar tone a lot, especially on the leads. I’m not really a fan of this kind of metal, but I really like and can appreciate a lot of the little things you threw in there, like the shouting at the beginning of “Eat Jimmy Dean” that gradually fades up underneath everything else. “Good Luck and the Lost Turf War” is really cool, especially right at about the 50 second mark when the drums kick in harder.
Marqs the Spot - Favorite Place
I like the band name. Not only is it clever (you know, cuz your name is Marquissee), but it fits with the theme/title of the song. Every aspect of the mix sounds great, but the vocals could have maybe been a little more upfront. Cool tune, solid production. Its a shame you were only able to churn out one tune, it would have been really cool to hear a few more like that from you.
R. Aaron Webster - Snails
This piece is a lot more complex than I initially thought it was. There is a LOT of subtle variation going on in that synth pattern, and the rest of the instruments follow along perfectly. This is the kind of stuff that is really arduous to program, and always takes a lot more effort to make than it maybe sounds like to most people. The only thing I might have done differently (MAYBE) is, halfway through the song, I might have switched up the main instrument to something else, or maybe added another layer on top of it.
Great sounds! This is the perfect chill music, its not too distracting or consuming, it just sounds good. I loved the way the various instruments/sounds would cut in and out. It’s a technique that hip hop and electronic music use a lot, but you did it in a very cool, out-of-the-box kind of way. Cool record, you should be proud of this!
Dick Reynolds - Record Time Shizz
I wish the vocals were a bit louder on these songs. The vocal melodies are GREAT, and it sounds like the lyrics are probably pretty stellar as well, but its hard to hear them. I really like how clean and unassuming these songs are; there is something magical about using just vocals, bass, tambourine, and guitar feedback. Cool music!
f.e.a.r. - Why?
This is intense music, not quite like anything I’ve heard before. There is so much going on it is hard to comprehend upon first (even second or third) listen. Every time I play it, something new jumps out at me, like a panning tambourine, or some new synth countermelody I hadn’t noticed before. I’m not generally a fan of the industrial genre, but this doesn’t really sound like industrial either. Great work!
Kevin Lee Todd - Magnus Ociel Marcello
Holy cow, 46 minutes?!?!? And not just 46 minutes of rubbish, but 46 minutes of well thought out material. Very impressive! I really dig the musical vibe you have going on in this album. I like how sloppy it is, and I love your use of banjo and mandolin. This album definitely sounds like a more refined and well-executed version of your last Record Time album. Great work!
Kris Eckman - Burl’s Great NoNo
I like the guitar tone a lot, especially on the leads. I’m not really a fan of this kind of metal, but I really like and can appreciate a lot of the little things you threw in there, like the shouting at the beginning of “Eat Jimmy Dean” that gradually fades up underneath everything else. “Good Luck and the Lost Turf War” is really cool, especially right at about the 50 second mark when the drums kick in harder.
Marqs the Spot - Favorite Place
I like the band name. Not only is it clever (you know, cuz your name is Marquissee), but it fits with the theme/title of the song. Every aspect of the mix sounds great, but the vocals could have maybe been a little more upfront. Cool tune, solid production. Its a shame you were only able to churn out one tune, it would have been really cool to hear a few more like that from you.
R. Aaron Webster - Snails
This piece is a lot more complex than I initially thought it was. There is a LOT of subtle variation going on in that synth pattern, and the rest of the instruments follow along perfectly. This is the kind of stuff that is really arduous to program, and always takes a lot more effort to make than it maybe sounds like to most people. The only thing I might have done differently (MAYBE) is, halfway through the song, I might have switched up the main instrument to something else, or maybe added another layer on top of it.
Volume 2 reviews coming tonight!
I'm almost done with them, its just taking a me a while to really absorb Kevin Todd's opus (sounds like a recurring issue). As with Volume 1, really great music, and really great production quality! I'm very impressed.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Wilinski's Volume 3 Reviews
So instead of a typical review of what songs I liked, didn't like as much, what bands I think you sound like, etc. etc…I'm going to describe to you exactly where the entire album or particular song brought me. I've tried to write the most unadulterated image of what I imagined when closing my eyes while each submission gently blared through my Sennheisers.
In addition, I want to provide constructive (yet, perhaps opinionated) feedback that I hope isn't taken as being offensive or overly critical. I am fully aware of the time restrictions of this project, and know that although everyone's projects are pretty solid, improvements can always be made. We all want to hear how we can improve, or at least, I do! I suppose it's hard to define where everyone is at musically, so I'm not sure how to gauge these recordings against something else you may have done. Regardless, Record Time has definitely pushed me to grow as a musician, and honestly, as a person in general.
I'll throw in a single word remark about your artwork. No one ever talks about the artwork...
===========
Eric Cripe's JabberJay
The Image:
I've entered into a medieval time period where a horse drawn carriage harboring a time traveling guitarist playing and singing is trudging along in a damp forest where Robin Hood is lurking, waiting to rob the 1%, only to suddenly be whipped back into present day, transported to an airport runway, nearly run over by a lightweight Boeing 737.
The Critique:
I can definitely hear the hunger game influence, and I like your approach towards a concept album! My one gripe when listening to everything is that I think that the vocals sound almost improvised. I think your voice has a pretty excellent timber. If you work on your confidence when singing the actual melody and vocal lines, it could have been that much better.
The Artwork:
Granular
Marta's Tuscon
The Image:
The scene flips between an almost unnoticeablely slow zoom out revealing a lone girl singing, narrating, sitting on a neatly made bed in an earthy themed room and the vivid memories and dreams that are running through her mind.
The Critique:
Honestly, this album is really great. I think that this could have been improved with more advanced recording techniques. BUT. BUT. BUT. I would not want to take away from the intimacy that really shine through on these recordings. It's almost like you would want the more advanced recordings to sound like the lo-fi recording that you've made. I think some of the harmonies and doubles could have been sung a bit tighter. Again, great job.
The Artwork:
Jazzy
Randy Stary
The Image:
The year is 1973, and Randy Stary is perched on a 4 legged stool on a dark stage with a single spot light shown upon him. His paisley shirt has a collar that is bigger than yours. An amateur's camera with a small propagating crack in the lens is filming this live performance, the performance right before he springboards into fame, making it big with his new single, Child of the Night, ready to be released in the upcoming weeks.
The Critique:
I want more voices on this track. I also wish the lyrics were given a little more creative thought, but they definitely work well with the melody.
The Artwork:
N/A
Daniel Clark's Songs Relevant to my Life at the Present Time
The Image:
4x real life speed, I'm watching the close-up of a tan colored grasshopper jump from grass blade to grass blade. A lizard suddenly slurps and eats it. The focus racks from the lizard's wily eyes to a man on a ladder brush painting a wooden paneled house with a bucket of pearl white paint. Time lapse even faster, I watch the man quickly finishing the entire wall in a matter of minutes. The hot sun is shining overheard.
The Critique:
These songs are really excellent. I wish the overall production gave a little more OOMPH to everything, particular the drums. The drums could have been a little more in your face pounding/driving overall.
The Artwork:
Screenprint
David P Larson's Faded Form
The Image:
9pm, Thursday evening. An experienced poet wearing a black button down shirt preaching at a podium in a full but silent lecture hall. There's an intermission with half dollar sized cucumber sandwiches and organic french toast sticks paired with all natural Vermont Maple Syrup. The wine is sweet with a pleasant bouquet of oak.
The Critique:
Dude, super sick. My only critique is that I wish that every instrument on all the tracks were played by real players.
The Artwork:
Black
Pigeon's Good Times, Hot Chicks, Limp Dicks
The Image:
Wintertime is ending, and the ice is finally thawing. There's a stillness in the air, and I can cut my breath with a knife. I'm exhausted, and I'm huddled beneath a blanket in my north woods cabin. I'm able to hear the trickle of a stream that's a quarter mile away, and every once in a while there's a slushing noise of ice and snow breaking away from the shoreline.
The Critique:
I think that the vocals could have had a little less reverb. But the verb does in fact give a nice softness, and I can still hear what is necessary to understand the lyrics.
The Artwork:
N/A
T Clax's What the Heck Johnny
The Image:
Jesus with a well trimmed beard hanging out with his disciple homies, breaking bread, earning respect, loving life and triumphantly walking into Jerusalem as his followers are waving palm leaves at his well washed feet.
The Critique:
I think this is unique, and it's the first Christian rap I've ever heard. The clave sounds a bit like a click track in the beginning. Great sound effects throughout, but I think the main verse vocal could use a bit of vocal treatment for some added interest.
The Artwork:
N/A
Audio Adrenaline's I'm Not the King
The Image:
A pitch black muscle car comes barreling down a twisty red rock canyon-like trench. It's pushing 95 mph, squealing its tires around each turn, rocks being thrown in every direction, almost losing control. There's a glimpse of the inside of the car, and there's a man tightly wound with a thick gray rope up in the passenger seat, and a woman driving with one hand on the 8-ball shifter, knowing exactly what she's doing.
The Critique:
Great guitar work, but I think that the entire track lost a bit of focus. There are a lot of ideas jammed into this single song. Lots of cool progressions and riffage, but I think that this tune could be broken up into several, with each respective lick and riff expanded on as separate identities.
The Artwork:
N/A
Brad Adams' Mr. Brew
The Image:
I'm about to fast forward through the commercials between the show that I DVR'd. But I can't help but stop and listen to the entire polka jingle of Mr. Brew, having it stuck in my head for the rest of the week, inevitably buying a Mr. Brew coffee mug that I accidentally leave on top of my car after juggling too many things when trying to enter through the car door. The coffee mug falls off the top of my car as I drive away, and is picked up by my neighbor who steals my Mr. Brew coffee mug. It becomes a collectors item.
The Critique:
This is a fun tune. I don't have much critique about a composition like this. It's exactly what I think it's supposed to sound like.
The Artwork:
Smorgasbord
Nick's Reviews - Volume 3
Last batch of reviews / thoughts / comments!
Disclaimer: the following comment is not endorsed by Dan and/or the Record Time administration haha... but like Logan said on Facebook, "POST REVIEWS AND RESPOND TO REVIEWS!" My 2 cents is that this is an invaluable part of the process. We all deserve each other's praise. But on that note, I think we also all deserve each other's constructive criticism. That's really the more important part here in my opinion - to maturely and honestly suggest improvements for each other. Iron sharpens iron... and all that good stuff... (although that's been admittedly hard for me because this crop of music is so damn good!).
Audio Adrenaline - I'm Not the King: I'm really impressed with this tune. I love the vocal melodies and the lyrics. It's a well put-together, serious tune. My favorite part is the chorus hook - "I am not anything without the king of kings." Good choice going to the IV chord there... and those ascending / descending licks. Kinda wish I wrote that line and used it in a funk tune lol I think adding lots of vocal harmonies would have been good for this tune. Great work.
Brad Adams - Mr. Brew: I just read in Dan's review that Audio Adrenaline / Brad Adams / and T Clax are all the same person(s)? Nice... I wouldn't have noticed from how different the 3 tunes are. Anyways, fun tune man. Are all these horns real? They sound cool to me.
Daniel Clark - Songs Relevant to My Life at the Present Time: Really like "Until The Surface Fades." Cool herky jerky kinda rhythm. Great vocals and unique vibe... dig the harmonies. Maybe snare rim shots would have been cool in the bridge with the lowered intensity. "It's Mine"... more of the same goodness. Dig the drum movement. Third track... the wild card! I like all the production and madness. Also, great artwork - simple, but awesome.
David P Larsen - Faded Form: Cool, atmospheric stuff. I like the delivery of the spoken word stuff and the lyrics. Very nice backing vocals in "Precipice." I like how they subtly move in dynamics, and then you add those extra ones towards the end. I'm a sucker for harmonies. The 2nd tune started playing before I caught the title, and I thought hmm, delay and reverb on a trumpet... reminds me of... "Shades of Miles" indeed. Also, a BASS SOLO! Nice. The strange, abstract delivery of the spoken word stuff reminds me of Microsoft Sam, and also the song "Droides" from Record Time VII. I like the sung chorus in "Pure Emancipation." I think you could have hit those notes cleaner if you allowed yourself to sing it louder, more chest voice... belted it out a little more ya know. Great ending to the tune. Great work!
Pigeon - Good Times, Hot Chicks, Limp Dicks: Nice atmospheric stuff. Dig the verb on the vocals in "Ghost Rider," just can't make out the lyrics too much. I coulda sworn you said "rusty trombone" in there at one point. If not, my sincerest apologies haha Nice harmonies at the end of the tune. Very cool stuff, overall. Nice melodies. Reminds me of the movie Garden State for some reason... sorta that melancholy vibe. Nice work.
Randy Stary - Child of the Night: Great tune! Great voice, very enjoyable. Love the call and response vocals. I could picture lots of harmonies and backing vocals. Nice job throwing reverb on the guitar and sending the signal 100% wet into the right channel... I recently started doin that trick myself. Seems like the attack on the reverb is slow though, causing it to act more like a delay... which I'm not sure you were goin for. Also, maybe roll the high end off of it so you just sense that it's there, but don't make it out distinctly. Love the lyric about 8 and infinity. Nice work!
T Clax - What the Heck Johnny: Great performance. Nice hook. Kudos on all the lyrics. I like the production of the vocal and all the ad libs. Cool effect treatment to the chorus vocal. Nicely done, not a lot else to say!
Cheers and congrats again to everyone!
-- Nick
Disclaimer: the following comment is not endorsed by Dan and/or the Record Time administration haha... but like Logan said on Facebook, "POST REVIEWS AND RESPOND TO REVIEWS!" My 2 cents is that this is an invaluable part of the process. We all deserve each other's praise. But on that note, I think we also all deserve each other's constructive criticism. That's really the more important part here in my opinion - to maturely and honestly suggest improvements for each other. Iron sharpens iron... and all that good stuff... (although that's been admittedly hard for me because this crop of music is so damn good!).
Audio Adrenaline - I'm Not the King: I'm really impressed with this tune. I love the vocal melodies and the lyrics. It's a well put-together, serious tune. My favorite part is the chorus hook - "I am not anything without the king of kings." Good choice going to the IV chord there... and those ascending / descending licks. Kinda wish I wrote that line and used it in a funk tune lol I think adding lots of vocal harmonies would have been good for this tune. Great work.
Brad Adams - Mr. Brew: I just read in Dan's review that Audio Adrenaline / Brad Adams / and T Clax are all the same person(s)? Nice... I wouldn't have noticed from how different the 3 tunes are. Anyways, fun tune man. Are all these horns real? They sound cool to me.
Daniel Clark - Songs Relevant to My Life at the Present Time: Really like "Until The Surface Fades." Cool herky jerky kinda rhythm. Great vocals and unique vibe... dig the harmonies. Maybe snare rim shots would have been cool in the bridge with the lowered intensity. "It's Mine"... more of the same goodness. Dig the drum movement. Third track... the wild card! I like all the production and madness. Also, great artwork - simple, but awesome.
David P Larsen - Faded Form: Cool, atmospheric stuff. I like the delivery of the spoken word stuff and the lyrics. Very nice backing vocals in "Precipice." I like how they subtly move in dynamics, and then you add those extra ones towards the end. I'm a sucker for harmonies. The 2nd tune started playing before I caught the title, and I thought hmm, delay and reverb on a trumpet... reminds me of... "Shades of Miles" indeed. Also, a BASS SOLO! Nice. The strange, abstract delivery of the spoken word stuff reminds me of Microsoft Sam, and also the song "Droides" from Record Time VII. I like the sung chorus in "Pure Emancipation." I think you could have hit those notes cleaner if you allowed yourself to sing it louder, more chest voice... belted it out a little more ya know. Great ending to the tune. Great work!
Eric Cripe - JabberJay: Cool concept, unique to Record Time. The rain
does put you in that gloomy Hunger Games mind-set. Maybe it coulda been buried
more in some places, but I think you automate it in and out most of the time,
which is great. Same thought as Logan that additional instrumentation would
really spruce up the tunes – and also harmonies! I think the concept and lyrics
are great and ambitious. Good work, look forward to hearing more.
Marta - Tucson: Really nice stuff! Very sweet, honest tunes. I like the chorus of
the 1st song. I like how the lyrics interact with the fact that you’re,
ya know… playing guitar haha Nice vocal overdubs! I think everything's panned pretty straight down the middle (or I'm going crazy). I'd suggest getting those overdubs out of the middle and EQing them differently so things occupy their own sonic space. Overall, really cool stuff. Some spit and polish to the production and it'd be even better. Also, great artwork!
Pigeon - Good Times, Hot Chicks, Limp Dicks: Nice atmospheric stuff. Dig the verb on the vocals in "Ghost Rider," just can't make out the lyrics too much. I coulda sworn you said "rusty trombone" in there at one point. If not, my sincerest apologies haha Nice harmonies at the end of the tune. Very cool stuff, overall. Nice melodies. Reminds me of the movie Garden State for some reason... sorta that melancholy vibe. Nice work.
Randy Stary - Child of the Night: Great tune! Great voice, very enjoyable. Love the call and response vocals. I could picture lots of harmonies and backing vocals. Nice job throwing reverb on the guitar and sending the signal 100% wet into the right channel... I recently started doin that trick myself. Seems like the attack on the reverb is slow though, causing it to act more like a delay... which I'm not sure you were goin for. Also, maybe roll the high end off of it so you just sense that it's there, but don't make it out distinctly. Love the lyric about 8 and infinity. Nice work!
T Clax - What the Heck Johnny: Great performance. Nice hook. Kudos on all the lyrics. I like the production of the vocal and all the ad libs. Cool effect treatment to the chorus vocal. Nicely done, not a lot else to say!
Cheers and congrats again to everyone!
-- Nick
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