Blaggardacio - new VHS original

VomitHatSteve

VomitHatSteve

Hat STYLE. Not contents.
Hi folks!

Having a lot of trouble getting this mix to gel. I was going for an Adam and the Ants kind of thing, but it quickly got away from me and turned into a RatF circa 2010 kind of thing... So any tips would be helpful!

Latest mix (flac)
View attachment Blaggardacio.mp3

The other important consideration is which spelling makes more sense "Blaggardacio" to emphasize the pronunciation and the "braggadacio" aspect or "blackguardacio" to emphasize that "blackguard" is a weird word to pronounce?
 
I like the vibe. Listening to it and hearing the lyric, "Brazen faced highwaymen," I'm taken to some murky English bog filled with scoundrels, the occasional maiden, and perhaps a Monty Python character or two.

The only issue for me is that the musical style(s) has a hard time keeping up with the imagery. The first lick makes me feel like I'm about to be launched into a metal song. Then it becomes something else more lyrical and melody driven. The string scrape before the final chorus is reminiscent of late 90's modern pop rock--perhaps something between Weezer and Blink 182. Then there is a sort of discordant ending which sends me back towards metal. Stylistically, it's a little confusing. That may have been your goal, but it sounds like you're also having a problem with the combination of styles.

If I were producing the track or handling the arrangement, I'd try to figure out a way to diminish the stylistic confusion. Maybe changing the beginning or end might do the trick, Or perhaps eliminating the synth during the body of the song. That sound really has the effect of contextualizing the material in a way that is at odds with the lyrical content. I want to hear something there but it's not quite the synth. It's something more like electric bagpipes or the sound emblematic of that 80's Scottish band, Big Country. They may have used doubled guitars I can't remember. But it sounded, oddly enough, Scottish.

I would also slow things down at some point and maybe have some sort of a break or interlude. Something that interjects the feel of an old English folk tune. Something from that bog I mentioned earlier. I can't think of an example, other than Spinal Tap's Stonehenge or maybe Sam Hall by Frank Tovey.
 
dwillis45 said:
Something from that bog I mentioned earlier. I can't think of an example, other than Spinal Tap's Stonehenge or maybe Sam Hall by Frank Tovey.
Click to expand...

The goal was sort of an Adam & the Ants[SUP]1[/SUP] by way of Atom and His Package[sup]2[/sup] kind of vibe (Maybe I shouldn't listen to my music alphabetical order any more...)
So something between Weezer and Blink 182 in an English bog is pretty good!

A bagpipe interlude apropos of nothing would be pretty "on brand" for this too tho... Hmmm...

[sup]1[/sup] youtube.com/watch?v=4B2a6l6wM2k

[sup]2[/sup] youtube.com/watch?v=mnMmRVfybN4
 
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VomitHatSteve said:
The goal was sort of an Adam & the Ants[SUP]1[/SUP] by way of Atom and His Package[sup]2[/sup] kind of vibe (Maybe I shouldn't listen to my music alphabetical order any more...)
So something between Weezer and Blink 182 in an English bog is pretty good!

A bagpipe interlude apropos of nothing would be pretty "on brand" for this too tho... Hmmm...

[sup]1[/sup] youtube.com/watch?v=4B2a6l6wM2k

[sup]2[/sup] youtube.com/watch?v=mnMmRVfybN4
Click to expand...

Interesting. I think if you were trying to combine those two songs, you hit the nail on the head with just one hammer.

I might lean more heavily towards the ant music. But, hey, I remember it like it was yesterday. I also like the heavy use of toms with a minimal drum kit. It’s an interesting way to take one verse and give it variety while opening the mix to allow plenty of room for the vocals. I notice that he/they did that on a couple of their hits (Ant Music and Goodie Two Shoes). It’s something to consider on your track. It might work. And it’s nice and primitive.

Of course, at some point you will need a couple of Little People (they used to be called Dwarves in the 1980’s) playing A-style mandolins or a lute. That will be a nice homage to Tap’s Stonehenge or perhaps Safety Dance by Men Without Hats. :D
 
The mix is pretty well balanced on my office speakers. I'm not hearing any Adam and the Ants though. Not a fan of the keyboard sound, it's kinda cheesy and brings the production down imo. Vocals are nice and clear here
 
Wow, Steve, you've got a quick mouth. My teeth'd fall out if I tried to sing this song!

Maybe it's just me but I'm finding the guitar on the left to be lacking some high end, although I like the tone, it's a little to low end for me. The only other things is that synth that comes in on the last chorus could come forward and lend a bit of overall high end to the mix.

The drums could use some work, for example I know there were toms at 52s or so but they were indistinct where they should have popped out more. Same for the snare, IMO it could have more snap to it - maybe with some verb, I'm not sure. And the kick just isn't hitting me.

Vocals as always are clear and sweet.

Great song!

Timbo
 
dwillis45 said:
I might lean more heavily towards the ant music. But, hey, I remember it like it was yesterday. I also like the heavy use of toms with a minimal drum kit. It’s an interesting way to take one verse and give it variety while opening the mix to allow plenty of room for the vocals. I notice that he/they did that on a couple of their hits (Ant Music and Goodie Two Shoes). It’s something to consider on your track. It might work. And it’s nice and primitive.
Click to expand...
Hmmm... I've got my usual randomized drums on it, but I probably didn't put as many toms in as I should have.

Bulls Hit said:
The mix is pretty well balanced on my office speakers. I'm not hearing any Adam and the Ants though. Not a fan of the keyboard sound, it's kinda cheesy and brings the production down imo. Vocals are nice and clear here
Click to expand...
Thanks.

YellowDwarf said:
Wow, Steve, you've got a quick mouth. My teeth'd fall out if I tried to sing this song!

Maybe it's just me but I'm finding the guitar on the left to be lacking some high end, although I like the tone, it's a little to low end for me. The only other things is that synth that comes in on the last chorus could come forward and lend a bit of overall high end to the mix.

The drums could use some work, for example I know there were toms at 52s or so but they were indistinct where they should have popped out more. Same for the snare, IMO it could have more snap to it - maybe with some verb, I'm not sure. And the kick just isn't hitting me.

Vocals as always are clear and sweet.

Great song!

Timbo
Click to expand...
Thanks. Yeah, I'm hearing the darkness on the left guitars. The last chorus doesn't add any other synths that weren't in earlier ones tho. Do you mean the lead guitar? (I do not have great tone!)
I'll take another look at the drums.
 
Not me! Guitar tone was better. Sorry I didn't know that the lead was a guitar, that's an unusual tone. But I still have a problem with the drum sound.

Timbo
 
Yeah, it was a bit of a rush job, so I really only had time to address the pipes and not to fix anything else.

I ducked "bagpipe samples" and threw what I found in ReaSamplomatic5000. The samples are even of some cheap keyboard's bagpipe patch. I'm surprised at how not terrible they turned out!
 
VomitHatSteve said:
Yeah, it was a bit of a rush job, so I really only had time to address the pipes and not to fix anything else.

I ducked "bagpipe samples" and threw what I found in ReaSamplomatic5000. The samples are even of some cheap keyboard's bagpipe patch. I'm surprised at how not terrible they turned out!
Click to expand...

You should probably just invest in a set of real pipes. I hear it's easy once you inflate the bag, keep it inflated, and get use to wearing a wool kilt without underwear.
 
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