[/b]How to embellish the drums? How to layer? Pray tell your secrets oh wise and funky one...
Which stuff at the beginning specifically, or do you know? [/B]
Oh shit. You're talking to me! ROFL.... uhm, rats? LMAO...
Okay, I have NO answer to your first question. As far as the layering goes (you referring to mixing and voice placement, or grouping of voices?), the only thing I can suggest is throwing your leads WAAY off to one side or another. Not necessarily for this song, but most of my songs that sound "off" generally get cured with a quick twist of the lead's pan knob. Like I have an ear for it anyway, lol...
The stuff at the beginning... Okay, if you haven't heard the song before, it's tough to determine what the riff is at the beginning. Kinda sounds like an AM radio version of Ramones song, but it's still hard to catch what rhythm you're playing. It SOUNDS like you're using too little gain (on the mic) and perhaps that you're trying to be quiet while playing...? I think the "fix" for this is to play staccato enough so that the rhythm comes through (and maybe keep that guitar tone, it works really well with the rest of the instruments into the song).
Also, that lead that comes in and feels like a cross between marmelade-covered worms on amphetimines crawling on your inner thigh and an itch that can't be scratched. It's a shrill, biting tone... kinda makes it hard to relax and dig the waves of texture you've got going on. I'd try something warmer (or play down an octave, which might fix all of this).
Uhm... I dunno, I like the texture of sound (has a deep Sonic Youth quality to it). If you wanna head more mainstream than this, bring up that rhythm guitar track, drop the snare a bit (add some 'verb to it, just a little).... Yeah, relative to the bass (which sounds a bit sharp at times, too, probably because that "shrill" lead sounds a bit flat when it's introduced with the bass), drop the snare just a bit and bring up the guitar... FOR OTHER SONGS. This one is pretty cool the way it is.
Possibilities that pop into my head: syncopate the kick, add leading tones to the bass line, use the middle pickup on the bass and forget about the pluck of the 1st pickup, drop that first "click" of the hi-hat, and maybe extend the kick tunnel with a box or something to get an accurate "PUHMMM" from the kick (yeah, i haven't tried it either), and if you REALLY REALLY do it, have yourself play 4 or 8 measures before the song getting loosened up (and then cut them with CEP afterwards). The first round of drums and bass give an "unsteady" feel to the song that probably should be right-on, and you can easily attain that by putting in a click or beat 8 or 16 measures before the song and playing with it, then keep playing but actually start the song knowing you're gonna kill those 8 or 16 measures/beats anyway. Vocals up.
Have you heard any WAX? They did some really good songs a while back, and in addition to S.Y. and F.L., I hear some of that there too.
I'm gonna shut up now. High and absolutely sure I'll be sticking my foot in my mouth visiting this thread in the future.
