Messages posted to topic:

Seth Howard         22-Dec-04  
jan                 27-Dec-04  
Alex Niedt          27-Dec-04  
Seth Howard         27-Dec-04  
ron                 27-Dec-04  
ron                 27-Dec-04  
Seth Howard         27-Dec-04  
musical scientist   28-Dec-04  
Alex Niedt          28-Dec-04  
musical scientist   29-Dec-04  
ron                 29-Dec-04  
dk                  29-Dec-04  
ron                 29-Dec-04  
Alex Niedt          29-Dec-04  
dk                  29-Dec-04  
Fibonacci  Fred     29-Dec-04  
musical scientist   30-Dec-04  
ron                 30-Dec-04  
Alex Niedt          30-Dec-04  
green               03-Jan-05  
Alistair            08-Jan-05  
Alex Niedt          08-Jan-05  
Alphonse            25-Feb-05  
c                   16-Sep-08  
jeff                18-Sep-08  
JR Olsson           19-Sep-08  
sal                 30-Dec-08  
Ron                 20-May-09  

It's been a long time since I've had something posted online so here goes.

http://music.folktrash.com/show/_tune/searchlights.mp3

I recorded it live to two track in my basement, just to have a record of the song more than anything.

to be very honest. a boring song. You sound like toby burke and to my opinion that is not a compliment. but who am I. Just a belgian guy with an opinion

Sorry but take care and bring a little more 'schwung' into your songs !!!

I think it's just fine for "a record of the song". It would be very good if fully arranged/developed/produced/etc. The only thing that really bother me is the simplicity of the 5 chord during the verses; it's just way too common. Change a note in there somewhere. Make it more dissonant. Or, actually, you could just pick the notes you're using in a different order. Instead of picking the notes high to low, in a 123432 pattern, try 132432.

Interesting comments. It will definitely be less sparse in its final recorded form.

I think I want to work on some arrangement ideas and see what picking pattern is going to work in that context.

i would offer some stuff, but i can't seem to get the webpage to load up...

OK. got it. uh.. yeah... i think it would add a lot to have a band playing... it would add some more melody and fill some space up a bit. good lyrics, and i like the vocal phrasings... but i think alex is on to something (but didn't quite make it all the way) with changing something. i hear the song exploding at the end... with a sort of darker ending...there's something about the lyrics that make me want the music to be darker. at first listen, it reminded me of a Low song... which ain't all bad. :) good stuff, though, seth. i like it.

Yeah. It's hard to make an acoustic guitar sound appropriately sinister for this song. It at least needs a distorted or super-low bass line.

I think I've used the "exploding at the end" trick on a lot of other songs. I want to try adding some noise gradually on this one - maybe some runaway analog delay weirdness or street noises.

I respectfully disagree with Mr. Niedt. I would suggest a 431131, or perhaps a 5.882242/212/232 pattern. Using such a pattern would increase this song's chances of becoming scientifically correct, and as we all know, music MUST be scientifically dissected in order to confirm its validity.

You're a fucking idiot. Do you even have a clue what I was saying? There was nothing scientific about it, you moron.

Hmmm... there's no need for profanity, Mr. Niedt. In fact you said in your last post "there was nothing scientific about it" - this is precisely the problem. Music IS science, and any arguments about chord progressions, finger picking patterns etc. MUST have scientific grounding. The human (emotional)element must be removed completely.

believe it or not, but i do actually know a couple of guys who believe exactly what Musical Scientist guy believes (eventho' it's total bollocks). one of the guys actually said to me, "there's gotta be some kind of scientific way to make our band tighter. there must be some analytical proof." needless to say his band is shit.

I've resisted responding to this because "musical scientist's" point seems so obvious, but...

Alex and Ron, look up irony in the dictionary. There, I feel better now.

yeah, we get it. but thanks for the tip.

You call it irony, I call it being a fucking douchebag.

"believe it or not, but i do actually know a couple of guys who believe exactly what Musical Scientist guy believes (eventho' it's total bollocks)" doesn't suggest that you get it. I'm just trying to point out that "musical scientist" means exactly the opposite of what he says. I hope that's helpful. Good luck in the future.

oh puhLEEZE.. all of you! give it a rest! everybody KNOWS that the only REAL music is music whose harmonic series is based on Mersenne Primes! i mean, uh DURR! isn't that, like, common knowledge?!?!?! sheese.

Mr. Niedt, don't be so hard on yourself - I don't think you're a fucking douchebag. I was merely suggesting that you're scientifically challenged in the field of music.

citing an example of the opposite of what sci music guy really believes (or not the opposite) doesn't mean that i don't get what he's saying. that's bad logic. we get it. we all get it: wit, humour, irony, sacrasm, whatever you wish to call it. the point of citing the example is, however outlandish such an approach to music may be (and i don't believe that's what alex was saying at all) there are people who take that approach.

Yes, thank you Ron.

I think it has potential. it seemed more like just an idea for a song rather than a song. definitely needs something else to help it move a bit. I don't think it really goes anywhere. anyway, I guess you'll keep working at it. hope it turns out well.

well i think jans an offensive immature dick and if he said that about my music i'd twat him.

and i agree with alex that musical scentist is a moron.

of the song itself i think a lot of the other observations are quite accurate, i think its a nice simple song that could be fleshed out with some inventive arrangements, but you dont have to

ive listened to it quite a lot now and i think you could maintain peoples interest and make it feel more substantial by writing another section in between the

everybody feels alone-

to

- i remember

like where the root note descends you could descend even more and write another 2 verses with a different, maybe slightly sadder more reflective chord progression to elaborate a bit more, maybe on feeling alone, even if you just sang, "alone, alone, alone etc"

a bit like in rhps bubble where mark makes you think you know whats gonna happen and then sings " i embrace the moment..."

and then go back to the "i remember bit" which sounds like a really nice bit to go back to once youve taken the audience somewhere else?

but i do think its a really nice song that has a subtle depth thats lost on people like jan, and would inspire me to want to hear more of your other music? is folktrash your website seth?

i hope it turns out well also

Good post, Alistair.

Seth's song on the Something Must Break compilation sounds really good. It reminds me a bit of Mark Eitzel during "The Invisible Man". I love it, Seth. I hope you're doing more stuff like that right now.

Anyone who thinks music is a science needs to get their heads out of their mommy's butt

I just have to say that's it been really fun re-reading these old threads (yes, I have too much time on my hands). This one in particular made me laugh my ass off. "Musical Scientist's" first post on this thread and people's reactions to it are ridiculously funny. Ah you people...

yes! this is good

Agreed!

this thread needs to published somewhere where it can be more fully appreciated.

God, i just read this entire thread again. it wasn't funny then. and it's not funny now!