recording Indie rock

[giraffe]

bush and silverchair are half way there.......

but yea, kinda.

 

[rory]

The pixies and Gavin Degraw or Hanson?! I'd love to hear that explanation. Music is not simply Music.

 

[emomusician]

sure it is..

classifiy what you want.

its all notes, its all lyrics, its all a way of expressing those notes and lyrics.

You may not LIKE said music.. but its still Music..


I for one despise country music and rap in all its forms.. But do I condone others for liking it?

Never.. its still art, and its still music regardless of whether I like it or not.

Just because "YOU" don't care for it, does not mean its not music. Thats like me saying.. I don't like onions. therefore its not food.

Pay attention to the good in things, and don't just focus on the negative.

Sure, there is "bad" in everything.. but it really all boils down to the opinion of the listener.

I think Coldplay bites monkey balls.. but hey, 1,000,000 other people love it. So, yeah I may not like it.. but that doesn't make it "not music".

I hate to say it.. but opinions are like assholes.. everyone has one.

 

[rory]

I think you misunderstand my comment. Gavin Degraw, Hanson, Hootie, Bush, etc... are JUST music. They are either piggybackers on a trend or created for the sake of making money. They play music, but generally lack any cultural or societal or musical meaning. Then we have the pixies. They are more than JUST music. Would Nirvana have been nirvana without the pixies? What about Radiohead? I don't care that you listen to those aforementioned bands, but to say that music is just music I feel is incorrect and extremely limited in scope. To say that all music is art is also, in my consideration, incorrect.

 

[fretwire3d]

and the human body needs an asshole to survive. So everyone needs an opinion and should have one.

Ha!

 

[fretwire3d]

some people just write music to write music. others are inspired.

like painting a picture (pixies), or photocopying a cereal box (Hootie, Gavin Degraw, Thrice, Finch, Thursday, Bush, Silverchair, Hanson, A Static Lullaby, Bullet for my Valentine, Edwin Mccain, Underoath, Unearth, DragonForce, Dream Theater, Matt Nathanson, Jason Mraz, Oasis, Chiodos, Alexisonfire).

 

[ridgeback]

And again Mr Emo, you didn't give us what you need. The above bands used umpteen million different guitar set-ups with lots of different outcomes. What exactly are you not happy with RE your guitar SOUND. I don't think there's a modeler out there with a "indie" setting. Are you just not happy or can you put your finger on something you don't like.

ALSO! If recording this sound which I'm assuming that's not what your happy with (this is the recording technique forum), try like someone earlier suggested. Pull off the mics from the cabinet a little. I'd also like to see you try micing the back of the cabinet out of phase from the front. Another technique is side micing the cabinet as well.

 

[emomusician]

Ridgeback.. actually.. this thread went way off course and me listing all those bands were just to combat the comments made that bash certain people's taste in music.

I've given up on the pedal, my band has practice tomorrow night so I am gonna bring home my mesa rig and try some micing. I have a SM57 and some other random mics I intend to try. I read that entire article that was originally posted and have kept in mind some of tips given.



anyhoo.. as far as anything goes regarding the music politics discussion we had going

I know some of you have made a living making music, and I have the utmost respect for those who have.

I have already down the road of being "inspired" and even had the opportunity to tour the country and rub shoulders on stage with "My idols". Your gonna have your cookie cutter bands.. being 100% original, and being a pioneer is something that very few bands can accomplish. So unless you ARE.. The Pixies.. or <insert band name here> your chances of doing the next to impossible are near impossible. To say that all those bands but one are not "Real music" wouldn't be fair either. Sure, they aren't ground breaking.. but they have musical talent nonetheless. Heck, as much as alot of us would deny it.. we would love to be in the position most of them are in right now. I for one don't care what kind of music I play as long as it gets heard.

I guess its all in how you look at it.

 

[ridgeback]

Ridgeback.. actually.. this thread went way off course and me listing all those bands were just to combat the comments made that bash certain people's taste in music.

No need for combat here man. Enough going on all over the world.

I have a SM57 and some other random mics I intend to try. I read that entire article that was originally posted and have kept in mind some of tips given.

That's a good start man. Decent mic and some good reading material.

anyhoo.. as far as anything goes regarding the music politics discussion we had going

Let's just drop that right here. Again, what about your sound aren't you happy with? Maybe we can help.

 

[emomusician]

well.. since I haven't actually tried micing the cab yet. I don't know what I won't like yet. I was just basing my post off trying to take the convenient way out and use the pedal.

I guess if I am taking this seriously, I should bite the bullet and lug the big fella (Mesa) over..

I have wanted one forever.. and I talked my wife into letting me buy the head and cab set for 1400. Thought it was a steal.

This is just a different style than I am used to. I normally do high gain guitar sounds.. this is going to be alot lighter. I think the distortions on the pedal just sounded like crapnuts. The cleans were ok.. but seriously.. I just paid 1400.00 for an amp.. I should use it. lol

When I get some samples, I will post them and maybe that will help more.

 

[Good Friend]

everyone got mad

everyone got mad at me, but i thought my points were pretty wise. Also i think its a little lame to say you dont care what you are playing as long as it gets heard. I dont want to be a total asshole, but thats the attitude of someone whos just desperate for rock n roll lifestyle but without real passion. I find that MANY musicians are simply passionate about being a musician, not passionate about music. And there is a difference. A big difference. There are tell tale signs of people who are passionate about being seen as a musician vs passionate about music. Usually anyone following trends isnt going anywhere. Or at least not anywhere for long. When you strive to be like a trend you dont do much but help the backlash come faster. People are neophytes. The record buying public are a big cruel selfsish mass of NEOPHYTES. Which means they are sluts for anything that seems "new". And striving for a place in the easy and pre-established is starting from behind. But thats just me. You may love to play anything as long as i gets heard. But id rather play nothing at all if it isnt useful to someone in a genuine way. I mean, does the world need more emo stuff right now? Even if it was some kind of neo-emo hybrid it still seems like we are further into this trend now to the point where the fastest way out is through. Then onto the next thing. But guaranteed when the next thing comes it wont be the work of some dude in his room trying to sound emo. Itll be the guy who felt suffocated by it and had to break free of the cliches. Thats who always comes up with the new shit. Its the law of art. Its called a BACKLASH.

 

[heroics321]

You're basing this all on the assumption that there is no difference between indie rock and modern, mainstream emo. Emo, as it is today, is an oversaturated mess. You can honestly tell me you see no difference between a band like The Appleseed Cast and the no talent ass hats in Cute Is What We Aim For? You can kind of blame Thursday for your My Chemical Romances of the world, but those guys paid their dues and definitely not in it for fame or to "Ride the trend". They're merely trying to make music in the aftermath of bands like Puddle of Mud and Creed, and continuing even after makeup and hair gell took over and ruined what could have been a great mainstream musical movement. What happened? Record labels (major and independent) took a fairly elitest genre and just oversaturated murdered it. Sound familiar? It should, it's what happened to metal in the 80's and again in this decade. But I have to say, in oversaturating the market with shit bands and making the genre a complete joke, a lot of your up and coming and veteran artists have pulled back and re-examined their music. It's not something to be taken for granted, in any way, whatever side you are on. To assume it's all bad is to be bat shit crazy. With vision that narrow, it's no wonder most people miss out on a lot of great music.

Edit: Not to mention the fact that the OP was asking how to get a particular guitar tone in a recording techniques forum. Seems fair to me.

 

[cello_pudding]

indie...jason mraz and hootie and whatever other names????

you're making pop man.

andrew bird, margo and the nuclear so and sos, cat power, sufjan stevens, joanna newsom.

please don't call yourself indie. its making us look bad.

 

[cello_pudding]

wah wah wah. your music isn't my music. there are trends in my music too but i'm too ignorant to notice. wah

.....

..

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

on. I find that MANY musicians are simply passionate about being a musician, not passionate about music.

We're probably actually talking about the same thing, but I'd like to refine the wording a bit - at least based upon my experiences (YMMV)...

I find that MANY performers are simply passionate about being a musical act, not passionate about being a musician.

If I had a buck for every band I have come across (recording and live) who put their attention on getting just the right tone and having a lively stage presence, but couldn't transpose a I-IV-V to save their sister, and might know how to exactly mimic the guitar solo in "Ride my See Saw", but couldn't carry an improvised jam line in a basket with padded handles, I'd be able to buy me a new Manley .

G.

 

[BRIEFCASEMANX]

How to get a good indie/emo sound in a few simple steps:

1. (the most important step) steal 1970s haircuts and rename the look "emo" even though anyone with a brain knows its just a 70s haircut.

2. cover up your inability to write good songs with alot of overly emotional strumming and singing.

3. call your music "indie" and it will make people think that being independent has an effect on whether or not your music is any good. God knows that no good music ever came from major labels in the entire history of music.

4. wait a couple years until the next trend comes along and then jump on that bandwagon.

5. and lastly, flame this post with things like "who asked your opinion?" and "go listen to so and sos new emo album and tell me its not great" and so on. Maybe even "the poster asked about a recording technique, not a music genre critique". Any of those will work.

emo != indie. Don't talk if you don't know shit.

 

[giraffe]

i know many excellent musicians that don't know crap about theory.
i don't think theory has any thing to do with it. yea, it may help you get a paying gig... but it does not make you an artist.

also, i've met some music school grads that were less then passionate about music, though more then able to play it.

 

[noisewreck]

I have just what you need, right here!

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to ez_willis again.

 

[ez_willis]

I for one despise country music.

Country music is the work of the devil.

do I condone others for liking it?

Never..

Then you may as well be a shitkicking cowfucker.

 

[ez_willis]

i know many excellent musicians that don't know crap about theory.
i don't think theory has any thing to do with it. yea, it may help you get a paying gig... but it does not make you an artist.

Theory doesn't make you an artist, and in my case has nothing to do with a paying gig, but knowing what notes go together, and why, and what the next note in a progression should be helps with chord structures and song arrangements.

To make a decision to purposely not learn theory is retarded. To not learn it because you are just too fucking lazy, I can understand, but not wanting to expand your knowledge of a craft/hobby/career is just limiting yourself.