Ok, we're pretty sure this is country

  • Thread starter Thread starter lbanks
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lbanks

lbanks

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In an effort to define ourselves, we posted a number of songs we thought were 'country'. The general consensus was... "Sir, I know country and that isn't country." So now we offer this tune... enjoy. :D
 
Well............................

It has a country "feel"??? I dunno. What is "country"? Is it defined by the song topic? If it's the instrument choice, then I'd have to vote no. All I hear are guitars, bass and drums. There are no fiddles, steel guitars, honkey tonk piano, banjos; the things we equate country music with. I haven't listened to country since Randy Travis was Diggin' up Bones. I don't know what the "new" country sound is, to be honest. But I'm quite sure it hasn't changed that drastically. The intro to your song sounded almost Blue Grass, but the tempo was slower. The bass coming in is what took me out of the game. I may be too harsh, but you guys are close. I think your sound is good, but to me, it's just not quite country.... yet.
 
Rokket said:
Well............................

It has a country "feel"??? I dunno. What is "country"? Is it defined by the song topic? If it's the instrument choice, then I'd have to vote no. All I hear are guitars, bass and drums. There are no fiddles, steel guitars, honkey tonk piano, banjos; the things we equate country music with. I haven't listened to country since Randy Travis was Diggin' up Bones. I don't know what the "new" country sound is, to be honest. But I'm quite sure it hasn't changed that drastically. The intro to your song sounded almost Blue Grass, but the tempo was slower. The bass coming in is what took me out of the game. I may be too harsh, but you guys are close. I think your sound is good, but to me, it's just not quite country.... yet.
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I thought about a honky-tonk piano part, but then I realized I wasn't sure what that meant. Was the bass too loud or was the riff wrong? I play bass and this is my first foray into the country field. I was thinking of trying to simplify my runs but the writer says that would kill the song. I game for any advice because the only country I hear is on Cable TV.
 
Why does it have to be categorized? :D

Biggest thing I think it needs is for the vocals to be more tight, and drums to be more upfront.. Reminds me of 70's pop.. maybe Lobo, Dr. Hook, I dunno..

Vocal compression, needs that too, more defined and tight mixing.. in my opinion.. :rolleyes:
 
Weird... it DOES sound really early 70's! Doesn't sound county enough.

Sounds are a bit thin in general. Vocal timing mistracks a TON... extremely annoying. The one guitar is too loud... I assume whoever played that mixed the song. :)

Needs some re-recording and a professional polish.
 
Cloneboy Studio said:
I assume whoever played that mixed the song. :)
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Guilty. :D
Cloneboy Studio said:
Needs some re-recording and a professional polish.
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We will take it to a studio, if we decide to take it seriously. The concept is more to sell songs than us. (We have no idea how, of course.)
 
Rokket said:
What is "country"?
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I think 'Country' as a musical category is acheived when the singer sustains a note on more consonants than vowels...

Especially the letter 'R'

:D
 
BentRabbit said:
I think 'Country' as a musical category is acheived when the singer sustains a note on more consonants than vowels...

Especially the letter 'R'

:D
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That's funny!

As far as the bass, your licks can be tamed a bit, because most country bass is straight foward, off the downbeat. I say MOST. Not all. But yeah, your sound is more 70's.
 
BentRabbit said:
I think 'Country' as a musical category is acheived when the singer sustains a note on more consonants than vowels...
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Or when they do that octave jumping little whimper thing in the vocal... My wife tried to make me listen to Garth Brooks once.. I was counting like 15 times a minute he would do that! Made it unlistenable to me..
 
schenkerguy said:
Or when they do that octave jumping little whimper thing in the vocal... My wife tried to make me listen to Garth Brooks once.. I was counting like 15 times a minute he would do that! Made it unlistenable to me..
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He's the worst offender of that. Randy Travis can do it and get away with it. His whole approach to singing is older country: the old Merle Haggard, Left Frizzell era were his influences.

Garth is a rocker-wanna be poser in that respect. But he has made some decent music, and he's pretty good in concert.
 
lbanks said:
I thought about a honky-tonk piano part, but then I realized I wasn't sure what that meant.
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If you can get a hold of some of it, try listening to older Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, George Jones. Listen to the piano parts. It's not just the sound of the piano, but the way and feel of the playing.


Jerry Lee Lewis is a GREAT example of honky tonk playing. He practically invented the style. He influenced a couple generations of piano players.
 
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