new tune

[dobro]

'Support our troops' say the bumper stickers. Okay. Here's my support.

SoundClick artist: youse music - page with MP3 music downloads

'Frankistan'

Mix comments very welcome.

 

[jairien]

really nice guitar in this

 

[PoeticIntensity]

Very interesting style! Vocals seemed very, very dry. If that's on purpose, then it certainly adds to the unique-ness of the song. Dude... That high-pitch string plucking during the chorus is wicked awesome. Bass seems to lack a bit of low-end definition. I'd pump up the low-end of the bass just a db or two. Overall the mix is pretty well-balanced.

The chord progression overall is amazingly unique. It's hard to pull off such a strange progression and keep it sounding pleasing.... But ya did it. Loved the hand-drums / xylophone instruments. Really glad I listened to this. Thanks for sharing!

 

[dobro]

Thanks for the idea about the bass.

I got that sound using the pitch wheel on my Roland, actually.

 

[ido1957]

When it first came on I thought hmmm something is out of tune. I think it's the left guitar lower string intonation. It subsides as you get involved with the song. Not sure about the bass as you wouldn't want it overpowering. The whole structure/arrangement/instrumentation is very creative, unique and I like it!

 

[dobro]

Telecaster twang? I can't even hear it any more, I've listened to it a hundred times. Biggest argument for getting somebody else to master your stuff. When I get real good, somebody else will mix this stuff. ha

 

[Track Rat]

I like it sir. Good balance on the mix. On a tune like this, I'd want some verb to help glue it together ( I like reverb ). Just my humble opinion. Cool tune.

 

[dobro]

Thanks, TR. I'll think about the verb. On this album, I was doing it dry-ish for three reasons: I like a dry-ish sound, I thought it would be more intimate sounding dry-ish, and I was using Audition's verbs on all the tracks, and although it's okay it's a DAW verb and not perhaps the most spectacular space in the world so I decided to go understated. Thanks for the balance comment - getting the balance right is the main problem for me. The biggest problem I've identified anyway .

 

[Tobe]

Very interesting and enjoyable Dobro, and I completely agree on the dry vocal, it's more interesting when it is distinct.

TR might be talking about adding some ambient (50-100ms), hardly discernable "glue", but I don’t hear any disconnect between the vocal and the music.

 

[dobro]

Well, I'm willing to experiment a bit, so I added more space to the vocal, just to A/B the two versions. It's here:

SoundClick artist: youse music - page with MP3 music downloads

New name: "Frankisspace"

 

[Bristol Posse]

I'm listening to Frankisspace

I love the arrangement, the xylophone type sounds (if that's what they are) are an unusual choice that definitely counterpoint the guitar chords.
Very open sounding which I think takes nerve to do and good clarity of all the elements. I find a minimalist approach scary and tend try too hard to fill up the space for fear of their not being enough to the music. The open arrangement really works here, I may have to give it a try on my next effort

I don't hear any disconnect of the vocal on this version, and can't offer up anything to make it any better cos it already sounds great IMO

Unusual song but very well done

 

[TripleM]

I listened to Frankistan. I thought it was pretty good. I liked the guitar sound. I liked that high pitched squeal thing later in the song. That was a cool idea - it fit with the song perfectly.

My only nit was that the vocal was much dryer than the guitar. So the singer sounds like he's 10 feet in front of the guitar. Not a big deal.

 

[dobro]

I'm listening to Frankisspace

I don't hear any disconnect of the vocal on this version, and... IMO

You like this one, and Tobe Simon likes the dry version. I think I overdid the verb a bit on the wet one, but maybe it's a tune that can handle either space on the vocal. I'm going to consult one more set of ears and then toss a coin. Thanks for the listen, you guys.