My thoughts as a musician who is not as good as you guys.
Do not I have a habit of being very straight, to a level people get offended.
(Could be my brain damage) :)
First I am going to say that I listened to your stuff at some point earlier long ago and I think you have evolved. I think people made fun of you at rec.arts.poems But you are no longer that guy. You guys sound better than you used to.
Black Crow:
A lot of potential.
Beautiful guitar.
Love the chorus.
Waiting to explode.
Drums like thunder. Distorted guitars and soaring voice.
Maybe a lift in the chords? Then coming back.
Twilight girl:
I could see that if this was played in a smoky bar. People would love it.
Very chill.. Love the drums. Your voice works. Really love the drums.
Are these played to a click? Or is the drummer playing to a varying tempo? Great guitar work.
Your voice reminds me of Lou Reed here "A smile, for what"
Nice simple bass and flute.
Chattahoochee Sunset:
Love the guitar being wide on the channels. One playing a little
different. Great work.
Love the guitar parts at 3 minute plus, reminds me of Kashmir a little bit.
Under the Radar you sound very Cohenish.
All of this sounds very folk. Very 60'es.
Love the big drum..
Black and Blue night:
Love the drums. GREAT GUITAR WORK!
Good vocals!
I wish the guitars would have a solo. Sixteenth sweep playing
around with the available scale.
Also, I am almost wishing the guitars were not panned to the side.
Maybe there could have been a different chord circle somewhere there.
Taking it away for a bit. Coming back.
I can see why you guys play bars.
At the same time. To push you guys over the edge. What you would need
is a killer producer. Which is not me. I am not that good. Guys
featured from "Pensados Place" who do sound engineering for rock bands:
https://www.youtube.com/user/PensadosPlace
Would magically transform these songs into gems.
Listen to these guys talk about what they do! You will learn a thing
or two, there is first a advertisement, but after that they talk about
what they do. There is a lot of EDM / Hip Hop engineers but then there
are people who produce rock too.. Find those guys and listen.
maybe ask your band members to join in.
Shadowville Speedway:
I smell a story that has a link to reality. I just hear Shadowville
Speedway on first listens. The story is a little lost on me.
It sounds good.
But. Your vocals are buried: too quiet and maybe a bit too
much reverb?
Walking:
Early Bruce Springsteen. (I was a super fan as a kid)
Love the big drum.
Love the female addition.
Edge of town tonight..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LpdEyGhNxM
Listen to the song explode at 0:33
You need that moment. Springsteen was made fun of in the eighties for
always using that same old massive snare. But it is what caught attention
of people, along with his looks of course.
If you had written this in 1976. You probably could have had a shot at a
record deal..
Also. As a shitty singer I am going to tell you something. To push it
over the edge. You would have to do multiple takes on those vocals. Push
them further. You know when you sing and you can see what you are singing about and your voice begins to quiver and you have that Springsteen moment,
when he is smiling, dripping sweat. And people are eating from his hand.
Lighters lit up.
Of course old Springsteen can not do that either (he sounds pretty bad now).
If you struggle with pitch. That can be worked on these days. I use pitch
correction shamelessly sometimes. Everyone does these days. It is just another tool.
Do you have instrumental tracks of these? Do you have capability to redo
tracks?
If you do not, if this is all live. It is damn good stuff for live.
I have a recommendation.
Write a song that fits your voice a little better.
A song where you do not have to struggle to hit the note.
Your voice has probably shifted lower with years.
Listen to Cohen:
Late:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AMMb9CiScI
Early:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6o6zMPLcXZ8
He shifted his voice down for a reason. He probably struggled
hitting those higher songs of early songs.
Also. Do not bury your vocals in reverb.
You have misfortune of not being Cohen, so your voice does not evoke
instant recognition. You have to say something, that goes through the
heart. Something. Deeply personal.
You can not try to sound like someone else. You have to find your own voice.
Your band is your unit. You are in a war. You have to write something that
is brilliant. You are old as I am. But you have to find from inside you that
place. That place where you guys are real. That place that even people who do not believe or like in you can not deny. Has some truth.
I smell you guys have been doing this a long time and have maybe reached a plateau of some sort. Your throat is worn, the guitarist has a aching back etc.
But I think you have the capability. You just need to talk to the right
guys who can sprinkle some magic dust on your songs.
And. Catch that damn elusive lightning in a bottle.
I know it is hard when you already have pushed yourself to the edge and
you are getting old.
I do not think booze or drugs will help you with that. You need a clear head,
start working the first thing in the morning.
Things that come to mind.
Do you have a vocal coach?
Do your guitarists have more amps?
Access to a decent studio / home studio?
You guys are chasing a song from 1970'es. Which is ok!
Yet.
Do you have a song inside of you that would resonate in 2020
among all?
What could that song be?
You may not even like people from 2020. Your idols can be in 1960'es - 1970'es.
But how could you use all this talent you have, to talk to people now.
I think you need a gimmick.
You need a hook. A very effing strong hook. A very effing strong song that has
power which can not be denied. I do not even know what genre you should write it in.
To gain attention you need something that starts strong, gets attention, stays strong, does not drop a ball and finishes in a way that leaves people grinning and wanting more.
Top songs right now:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJcWyGRH8Uw
Sex. Heavy pitch correction. Heavy 808 drums. Hip Hop. Strong
electronic elements.
So probably no.
Reddit Music:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Music/
What is this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6-EfveplnA&feature=youtu.be
Very similar stylistically to what you do. What is that? 11900 upvotes.
(This coming from a man who has never been gaining more than few upvotes
for my vocal songs there.)
What are they doing? First of all it is a song featured on
"Scott Pilgrim vs the world" movie.
What are they doing? Once again that heavy amp guitar is doing its magic.
What else?
A scantily clad female dancing on a microphone. Blue hair here and there.
What do you lack?
A scantily clad young woman?
Heavy guitar amps. More explosion on the drums.
ATTITUDE!
HONESTY!
You have to come to the song like a pilgrim. You can not come to it
like a man who drinks. Feeling good, maybe fooled by himself that it is
"Good Enough."
You have to start a single song project. A single song that takes you
and your band to the top of that plateau you have reached. Then you have to
strap rocket engines on your back and press the button.
I think in a world where the stars align right. You can do it.
But you have to open your mind to the possibilities that are open to you.
I would start by getting a good producer. Ask around in reddit:
https://www.reddit.com/r/WeAreTheMusicMakers/
If first one does not work. Find another. If you get negative comments, you know it is par on the course.
My reddit handle is
https://www.reddit.com/user/Mrloop/
Antti
Antti