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| Never Gonna Cry Again by thenownows | 2 years ago |
 Consider it a given that I think any song you post is brilliant. That said, I'll skip all the regular compliments I give and get to the specifics. I love what you've done here. This song has a very distinctive character or flavor. I know you've categorized as country/jazz, and I can definitely hear those influences, but there's more to it than that -- blues...folk...rock. I think I'll just call it a hybrid. But whatever it is, it's memorable, and that's what really counts. Great vocal hook, great melody. And excellent use of the xylophone. It really seems to fit in there naturally and adds a really interesting dimension to the overall sound. The guitar is also very, very cool. It's one of those parts that makes me want to grab mine and play along. I'm putting this on my iPod right now! -CM |
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| Living (It's All Borrowed Time) by thenownows | 2 years ago |
Cool cool cool! I love this one! You know me when I review your stuff, Martin...I'm like a broken record and I gush and gush about how good it all is. But it is, and this is right up there with your very best. This is exactly the kind of music I love. The guitar and bass are excallent (and by guitar, I mean the many separate guitar tracks). Among these, I particularly like the really distorted one; it fits in perfectly and provides an edgy tone to the entire track (really, it's interesting how one single part like that can completely change the whole character of a song). The harmonies also really stand out, too, and provide even more depth. You know, I noticed a bit of background hiss and thought that it sounded a little unusual, since I don't hear this on your other recordings, but then I read the description and saw that you'd recorded it on an 8-track several centuries ago. I'm really impressed by how solid the sound is. I kind of miss recording and mixing on tape, though I don't miss the track limits and having to bounce individual tracks. Anyway, this is great. Nice job! -CM |
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| Big Mac by thenownows | 2 years ago |
Great song! Of course, everything was extremely well-done (no burger pun intended), but there are a few things that really stood out as I listened to it. One of them was the particular interplay between the electric rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, and piano, especially the way they are panned. They fit really well together in terms of their rhythm, spatial placement, and tone. The bass and drums provide a solid foundation for the other parts, though I might suggest very, very slightly increasing the volume on the drums (it isn't bad at it's present level, but for some reason, to me it seemed as if the drums lacked as much presence as the other parts; could probably stand to be boosted by maybe .5 to 1 dB) That aside, each specific track is well-played. arranged, and mixed. The vocals, as always, are great and the lyrics funny. Very nice collaboration! -CM |
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| We Are This England by thenownows | 2 years ago |
Oh my God, what a fun song that is! And rapping, no less! Wow...truly, you never cease to amaze me. As always, everything is superbly done. The performance, the writing, the lyrics, the arrangement, and the mixing are all excellent. And what I think I love most is the fact that you are constantly able to come up with new directions and sounds. There is absolutely nothing I can think of to improve this track. It's super, super good. I could go on and on about all the things I like, but I think you get the picture. I will, however, that the first thing that really stood out to me were the lyrics, which are extremely creative and intelligent. Intelligent lyric writing is, I've found, uncommon at best. You have always had the knack for eloquence and the ability to turn an interesting phrase, and the lyrics here demonstrate this in spades. Of course, given the speed at which you are running through them, it took a few listens to catch most of it, but as I was listening, I couldn't help but smile and bob my head. Brilliant! -CM |
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| Control by CausaMortis | 2 years ago |
| Thanks for the suggestion (and for listening!) I hear what you're saying regarding the bass and drums. I've had a lot of problems in the past getting the bass levels right; they've generally been too high and sounded too bottomy as well as at times overwhelming the rest of the mix. I think I may have overcompensating in trying to cut the lowest frequencies (below 120 Hz especially). There is actually no reverb applied to the drums, but I think that what you may be hearing is a result of the compression and EQ settings. I used a multiband compressor from iZoTope, and while it's a great plug-in, it can sometimes result in a very unexpected output (and when used in conjunction with the mastering EQ that I use -- also by iZoTope -- can produce a phasing type of effect, mild distortion from saturation, and I suppose reverb, too!) I'll keep those suggestions in mind when I go back to tweak it. Thanks again for your ideas! -CM |
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| Torch by CausaMortis | 2 years ago |
| Thanks, rograbi! David Gilmour has always been one of my favorites, too (well, Pink Floyd as well, for that matter...used to be quite the obsessive teen fan back in the early 80s). Guitar Rig 3 is fantastic, and I can't help but feel a little spoiled by it. After all, people like Gilmour and the other premier guitar players of the 60s, 70s, and even the 80s never had the benefit of anything like it. We just plug in and push a few buttons, whereas they had to go to sometimes strange lengths to get the sounds they wanted. Ironic, actually, that we've developed this advanced audio technology to reproduce (at least, a lot of the time) the sounds created by people without the benefit of such technology. The only thing I don't like about GR3 (and it is far outweighed by the benefits) is that I can't use the VST plug-in if I want the effects applied while playing. I have to use the stand alone version for that (otherwise I have to record completely dry and then apply the VST version to the audio track, but it's way too difficult to achieve certain sounds when you have to apply the effects after the fact.) Anyway, what I end up doing is running my guitar via my Fast Track Pro into my laptop and the stand alone of GR3, then route the sound back out into my X-Station (which, in addition to being a MIDI controller and analog synth, also has a two port direct input that is just as good as my Fast Track), which then inputs into Sony ACID Pro 7.0. It's kind of a convoluted set up, but it works well enough. I suppose it's only a matter of time before they can get GR3 to the point where you can process live sound with the VST version. Until then I have to use my jerry-rigged patch job... | |
| Crawl Creature ... Crawl by thenownows | 2 years ago |
Wow, Martin! First, let me say hi! It's been a while since I've been on, but I *have* been listening to your stuff that I downloaded and loving it. But on to my review --- Brilliant as always. It amazes me how you are so versatile in your styles. This is much darker and edgier than your usual fare, but I love it. There is so much I could comment on but so little time and space to cover it all, but I'll remark on a few that stick out. A) Your vocals are fantastic (as well as the lyrics); they fit perfectly into the overall fabric of the song, and they are so full of life and energy (a very dark energy); B) the mixing is top notch; there's no muddiness or lack of definition; whatever EQ, compression, and stereo placement you did works extraordinarily well, everything blends in together while retaining their individual sounds; C) the composition itself is complex and fascinating; I've listened to it four times while writing this, and each time it seems like something I hadn't noticed before jumps out, and then I focus on it as it winds its way through the arrangement. I'm curious as to how much time it took you to do this piece from the beginning of the writing process to your final mixdown. Anyway, I can go on and on about all the different things I love about this track (such as the rhythmic structure and timing, the multiple layers of synths, the driving bass line, etc.), but I think you get the picture. So, so good. Hope you're doing well there on your end of the pond. Please give my regards to Ms.Nownows and Nownow, Jr.! -Cm |
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| Come To Me You Dirty Little Rock'n'Rollers by thenownows | 3 years ago |
Martin, you jerk. Why do you have to be so good? WHy why why? Seriously, this is brilliant. I never pegged you for a glitchy kind of guy, but this sounds like you've been doing it for years. I absolutely LOVE your vocals in this. Everything is perfect. PERFECT. I wish I could make something like this. Fatherhood has apparently inspired you. Excellent work as always. |
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| Guess Who's Coming .... by thenownows | 3 years ago |
Fan-friggin'-tastic! Oh my God, this is a kick-*** song. Of course, you might want to not play this particular piece until young Max is a bit older - it might give him nightmares about himself! But aside the potential terror it may cause the boy, this is good on so many levels, it reminds me of why you piss me off, Martin -- it's hard to feel good about one's own music when you're making masterpieces like this. Darn you for being so good. Darn you! Seriously though, this is a really brilliant composition and has a really inspired choice of instrumentation. The tempo changes give the piece a feeling of forward momentum, which makes it compulsively listenable. I could go on, but I think you get the picture. I'd give this one 6 stars in all categories if I could. Really...some of your very best work, and that's saying a lot. Thanks for sharing this with us! -CM |
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| Christmas Prayer by thenownows | 3 years ago |
Wow, what a nice surprise (unfortunately, it comes more than a month after Christmas)! This is a really catchy, beautiful Christmas song. I love the vocals and especially the chorus (and everyone knows that the chorus is what makes a song). The layered vocals are superb. The playing is really nice, subdued and frame the vocals perfectly. Each instrument seems to contribute fully without giving the sense that they're thrown in for the hell of it (which I am guilty of on occasion). In other words, it seems as if the entire composition was designed with each specific instrument part in mind. This may or may not be the case, and if it isn't, then the decision to include them after the fact (i.e., the oboe? I think it's an oboe, at least) was inspired, to say the least. I'm definitely going to include this as part of my Christmas music playlist for the coming year. Beautiful work, guys! -CM |
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| Bless the Good Ship iComp Lord by thenownows | 3 years ago |
Woooohooo! You did it! You did it! This is awesome! The final product is fantastic! Everything flows so well together, the mixing is perfect! And of course, the pirate growls make the piece. Wonderful playing, everyone...your performances really capture the essence of the pirate song genre! Very humorous and a nice, tongue-in-cheek tribute to iComp. Captain Martin and crew, I give ye 5 pieces of eight and the Patched-Eye, Peg-Legged Parrot Award for Excellence in Pirate Song Emulations! Avast ye! Arrrr! -CM |
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| Your Wife by thenownows | 3 years ago |
I wish I had listened to this sooner. What a wonderful texture to this song, beautiful and melancholic. Can't think of anything but good things to say. The concept is great and can't help but evoke those feelings we've all had at one time or another. Lyrics are simple yet powerful, the vocals are somewhat subdued but convey the full weight of the emotions. The guitarwork by Fatchance is excellent and add both to the dimensions and emotion of the overall piece; I particularly enjoyed how they seem woven together with the vocals (which is that much more interesting given that they were apparently added after the fact -- had I not known that up front, I would have assumed that they were recorded contemporaneously with the rest). Brilliant work, Fatchance...I'll have to go listen to some of your individual work. The remaining instrument tracks are simply spot-on. They all blend together subtly and seamlessly. The mix is extremely well done; the quality of it is, I would say, ready as is for a commercial CD (maybe a little tweaking during mastering to create an overall louder sound, but such tweaking would, at most, be extremely minor in nature.) This is just one helluva piece of work and instantly one of my favorites (right up there with The Weathergirl, which I love). Great job, Martin & Fatchance! Thanks for sharing! -CM |
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| The Weathergirl by thenownows | 3 years ago |
Holy Smack! That was friggin' awesome. EXTREMELY nice use of synths. Really provided atmosphere and color. Wow, I don't know what I was expecting, but THAT was NOT it. This is fantastic. Of course, your vocals and lyrics were nopnotch aw always, but your use of FX, nice guitar in there (I think I heard in in there somewhere.) Extraordinarily professional production. This has GOT to sell somewhere. BLEEDIN' BRILLIANT! And you know something else? It was pretty okay, too. Seriously, though, amazing job and well done! -CM |
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| Falling Man of The Metropolis by rograbi | 3 years ago |
How cool! I have a real love for minor chords (just that kinda guy, I guess) and really atmospheric stuff. This is my bag, baby. Of course, it took forever for iComp to load this one up (it always runs slow for me for some reason). Anyway, really nifty guitar work. It's funny, for the first few seconds, I wasn't sure if I was hearing a piano or guitar...maybe both? I definitely hear a slide in there. Nice bass work, too. And I love the little synthy percussion. Of course, that is all lead up to the thrashing guitar, which is excellent and unexpected. Following with the tremelo is fantastic. Really adds a nice change after that assault. I could go on (for example, scratching the strings with the pick...really nice place for it) but I have to stop somewhere. Loved it! |
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| Riptide Starlight by CausaMortis | 3 years ago |
| Martin- I'm with you completely. The drums are actually supposed to be more forward, but for some reason both they and the bass seem to not balance out the other tracks. I've tried to adjust the level of the other tracks, but it seems like the drums in particular are either too overpowering or underwhelming, except for a few seconds at the beginning. It may be due in part to the addition of the strings, which was done as an afterthought and probably not a great addition -- it seems like they muddy the mix and take some of the punch out of the other tracks. I think I'm going to try it without that track, adding a compressor to the drums, and dialing back the guitar a bit (as well as increasing the low shelf from around 100 to 200HZ (-4 db). Might try adding a limiter to the drums as well. My biggest weakness, though, is the mixing part of the process. Composition is the easy part (to me, at least), even the fast runs on the keyboard are relatively simple compared to working out a mix (they're mostly improvised anyway). In any case, thanks for your input, and I 100% agree with you. As ambient as my stuff tends to be at times, I'm a rock guy at heart and love a good strong beat & bass combination, overdriven guitars, and power. Hope you're doing well! -CM |
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| Carrack by CausaMortis | 3 years ago |
| Sci-fi, yes...Bladerunner...? Not exactly. | |
| The Illusionist by rograbi | 3 years ago |
Excellent! I commend you on all the different tones you managed to squeeze out of the guitar. I especially like the one that sounds like a synth (it may BE a synth, but it sounds guitarish to me). The arrangement is superb, and the different parts compliment each other nicely. I'd also like to talk about the bass (which sometimes gets overlooked)-- it not only lays a nice foundation for the rest, but it is dynamic as well, adding a nice additional dimension to the rest. Everything is nicely played and inventive. Someone else mentioned technical issues -- the only thing obvious to me was an amplifier hum in some of the quieter moments, but from my own experience, that can be an absolute ***** to get rid of sometimes (maybe a filter...I dunno). That aside, it's an intriguing piece of music with a fantastic original composition and much life. Excellent work bringing this highly original vision into being. Great job. |
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| Hold On by thenownows | 3 years ago |
This is rough? Wow...this is fantastic. The arrangement is super and very nicely mixed. Really great playing, and superb vocals (background as well as main) and lyrics. I love the bridge. Hell, I love the whole thing. Someone in an earlier comment said it sounded like Bowie. I agree, but only Bowie-esque...not unoriginal. It's good on every level. Extremely nice collaboration, and kudos to all of you. Think about doing more. |
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| Evening-Song by dirigent | 3 years ago |
Mein Gott...this is beautiful. I'm so glad you are posting these performances. It's a great reminded of the potential of music...and not just music, but the pure human voice. It's beyond description. Completely moving. Thank you for posting this! -CM |
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| Cabin Fever by rograbi | 3 years ago |
Oh man oh man. This is too weird. I love it. I wish I could make stuff this glitchy and weird. Excellent guitars, bass, and percussion. I love your intro, too...it's so out there. And I also loved the spoken track underneath...adds a kind of dark feel to it. I could go on and on, but basically what I'm saying is whoa...really good stuff. Amazing. |
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| Get That Finger Up ......... (mini-song 53 seconds) by thenownows | 3 years ago |
OK. I'm going to bypass my usually praise for you to simply say this song is way too good to be less than a minute. Oh my. You've got to add much more...much much more. That was one of the fastest minutes I've ever experienced. Seriously. With a song this good, you've got to keep going. The vocals and the distortion on them is perfect!!!!!!!!! Ah, hell...just go add more, will you? |
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| The Girl With No Shame by thenownows | 3 years ago |
GD it, Martin. You are too good! Aren't you embarrassed by the fact that you're so good? Seriously, this is awesome. Simply awesome. You have the best voice (and singing personality) I've heard in a really long time. I can definitely see this being on an album. So, what are the individual tracks? An accordian, strings, and rhythm guitar plus vocals. Perfectly mixed, great arrangement, wonderful lyrics and vocals, nice rhythm guitar part, which is almost not noticeable but still adds body to the song (it's always a good sign to me when a mix is so tight that an audible part is nevertheless not noticeable; sort of like not noticing special effects in movies, if that makes sense). I have nothing I can add as far as suggestions. Really, really great. You need to go get a recording contract...and now. |
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| O Padre Nostro by dirigent | 3 years ago |
Uh...AMAZING! Reminds me of why I love Verdi. But shame on you...it's recordings like this that make me feel bad about myself! ARGH! Seriously, though, I am completely awe-struck by this. How you managed to get 100 singers (singers!!!!) in such perfect tune and unison is beyond my ability to comprehend. Excellent. Excellent. Excellent. And you know what? It's GOOD, too. |
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| Friend by thenownows | 3 years ago |
Martin- First, thank you for your kind review of my stuff. That means a lot from someone who is obviously so exceptionally talented. Second - this is bloody good. So good, I'm not sure quite where to start. So here goes: A) You have a great voice, which blends in seamlessly with the music; B) the lyrics are wonderful and moving, and you know how to turn a good phrase (I especially liked the part - and I'm going from memory from one listen - where you sing "I didn't know good-bye would mean so long / I didn't know forever would be so soon"; very nicely said); C) one of the things that struck me with your song here was that you didn't overdo it, which can take a touching composition and turn it sappy - I like this; D) the mixing was fantastic, as well as the tonal quality of the individual instruments; E) nice guitar work -- it fills the song out nicely without needing a pad; F) really nice interplay between the bass and guitar (point-counterpoint); F) a unique sound and original composition overall. I could go on and on, but I think the music speaks for itself. Truly excellent, and I think you've really honored your friend with a moving tribute (which is not without humor; I think the drinking and swearing off of drinking until the next round is something most musicians can relate to). In a word, "wow!" I bet you'd be great playing live. OOPS - I almost forgot...I always try to make at least one suggestion in any review I do. I can't make any suggestions about the music that would make it any better. So I tried really hard to think of a suggestion, and this is it: you should add a bit more metadata to your MP3 file so that it fits in easier in my iPod. OK. That's the only thing I can think of. Best indie song I've listened to in some time, metadata or no. |
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