Post by mattschick on Mar 6, 2003 19:00:29 GMT -5
(This is what I posted on a recording forum, where Darth had posted links to FW for the purpose of sharing audio/ production notes. Several members had subsequently become interested in FW as well and requested my commentary)
"No midget poopy poo
at all. I'm a hard sell too and I will qualify this Big Statement.
Background: some of my favorite bands with brand new amps in the pop rock genre are:
Weezer
Ben Folds w/ and w/o the Five
Foo Fighters
Boxcar/ Blink
Face To Face/ Lagwagon
I'm much into melodic/ harmonic vocs
Clever, whitty lyrics
Steroid strong pop song arrangement
Crunchy creative guitar facility
Upbeat tempos and kickass rock drumming
I've seen hundreds and hundreds of major label and unsigned bands with brand new amps:
These boys totally deliver. Their tour is an every-night-monday thru Sunday string of dates. Tonight, Tues., they set up in the corner of a college town pot pie restaurant, two hours north of Santa Barbara. Maybe 20 people in the room, including employees, and a local band with their friends.
My wife and I sat 10 feet in front of FW where they proceeded through an intimate throw down.
Four piece, all in white dress shirts with FW appliques. 3 guys up front, left to right, Josh-LP copy, PV amp and vocs, Ben-Fender bass, small combo amp & vocs and Atom: LP stndrd through a jcm900 half stack and vocs. Bill, the drummer plays a small lo-pro kit and he plays the midget poopy poo
out of it. No voc mic on Bill.
While Atom is the primary singer, Josh and Ben are more often than not singing something as well. All of these dudes can sing, too. This is one of those groups that, no matter who your watching, your being entertained. I'm not talkin antics, I mean composition of sound and demeanor. Yes, there was ONE well placed, obligitory, simulteneous leap:-)
These guys use their textural options to the max. At any given time, any one of them will handle a lead voc while the others harmonize a different line, the same line or perhaps, all unison a line. Same goes for the instrumental delegation: at any given time, any combination of guitar/ bass orchestration, as their recordings illustrate. ie on her ping pong pallet
in dynamics.
What's very fun about FW is the vibe; while the musical sophistocation is obvious, there is a goofy, gleeful demeanor throughout the delivery. Not unlike The Sums in their energy, but more genuine.They simply don't take themselves or the music too seriously. But, as you can hear in the recordings, and live, there's not a lazy bone to be found in the work.
I very rarely find a project that I like EVERYTHING about. I mean nothing other than to wax on my own evaluations here:
Ben Folds: the first thing I said and posted here about FW upon 1st listen (over a year ago) was "this is what Ben Folds wishes his solo material sounded like". Ben's solo material has guitars, unlike Ben Folds Five, which was a three piece consisting of Ben on piano, a terrific bass player singer and a rad drummer, vocalist. I do like Ben's solo stuff, too.
I don't know who Ben tours with now, but his is an autocracy, rather than a band vibe. In fact, I had heard Ben quoted as saying he'd liked to have used other players in BFF, which was a slap in the face to us BFF fans, and indicative of the hiarchy. FW is clearly a brotherhood: with built in guitars.
Weezer: I've seen Weezer on a number occasions and while I love their music, Rivers' live delivery can be wimpy. In addition, the vocal harmony isn't paramount as is with these guys, then again, who's is?!?
Foo Fighters: I've seen FF a few times as well. Yes, their live shows rock, but Grohl winds up roaching alot of his vox and they don't place the emphasis on vocal harm delivery in the same league as FW. (see above)
In a dwindling sea of post-post-popunk Green-Sum-182's (all which I appreciate) in a similar genre there is a band called Nerfherder. Snappy, smarmy-poppy-punky. The Sums are a parody of themselves. You don't hear FW and wonder if it's the Beastie Boyz. While Nerfherder is a clever, fun popunk group, they don't (show) nearly the prowess (musicianship) that the FW's do.
The latter happens to be from my town. I've done shows with them, I know them and they are fine people and a good, worthy outfit. When one of the FW's asked if I might deliver a copy of their cd to them, I said I could, but told him that it's my gut feeling that all of these bands with brand new amps will find Feable Weiner, regardless.
Just glad we got our signed copy of their Jeff "Darthfaders" Horne produced cd and my "Hot Chick" got a "Go Geek" t- Shirt!
machik"
"No midget poopy poo
at all. I'm a hard sell too and I will qualify this Big Statement.
Background: some of my favorite bands with brand new amps in the pop rock genre are:
Weezer
Ben Folds w/ and w/o the Five
Foo Fighters
Boxcar/ Blink
Face To Face/ Lagwagon
I'm much into melodic/ harmonic vocs
Clever, whitty lyrics
Steroid strong pop song arrangement
Crunchy creative guitar facility
Upbeat tempos and kickass rock drumming
I've seen hundreds and hundreds of major label and unsigned bands with brand new amps:
These boys totally deliver. Their tour is an every-night-monday thru Sunday string of dates. Tonight, Tues., they set up in the corner of a college town pot pie restaurant, two hours north of Santa Barbara. Maybe 20 people in the room, including employees, and a local band with their friends.
My wife and I sat 10 feet in front of FW where they proceeded through an intimate throw down.
Four piece, all in white dress shirts with FW appliques. 3 guys up front, left to right, Josh-LP copy, PV amp and vocs, Ben-Fender bass, small combo amp & vocs and Atom: LP stndrd through a jcm900 half stack and vocs. Bill, the drummer plays a small lo-pro kit and he plays the midget poopy poo
out of it. No voc mic on Bill.
While Atom is the primary singer, Josh and Ben are more often than not singing something as well. All of these dudes can sing, too. This is one of those groups that, no matter who your watching, your being entertained. I'm not talkin antics, I mean composition of sound and demeanor. Yes, there was ONE well placed, obligitory, simulteneous leap:-)
These guys use their textural options to the max. At any given time, any one of them will handle a lead voc while the others harmonize a different line, the same line or perhaps, all unison a line. Same goes for the instrumental delegation: at any given time, any combination of guitar/ bass orchestration, as their recordings illustrate. ie on her ping pong pallet
in dynamics.
What's very fun about FW is the vibe; while the musical sophistocation is obvious, there is a goofy, gleeful demeanor throughout the delivery. Not unlike The Sums in their energy, but more genuine.They simply don't take themselves or the music too seriously. But, as you can hear in the recordings, and live, there's not a lazy bone to be found in the work.
I very rarely find a project that I like EVERYTHING about. I mean nothing other than to wax on my own evaluations here:
Ben Folds: the first thing I said and posted here about FW upon 1st listen (over a year ago) was "this is what Ben Folds wishes his solo material sounded like". Ben's solo material has guitars, unlike Ben Folds Five, which was a three piece consisting of Ben on piano, a terrific bass player singer and a rad drummer, vocalist. I do like Ben's solo stuff, too.
I don't know who Ben tours with now, but his is an autocracy, rather than a band vibe. In fact, I had heard Ben quoted as saying he'd liked to have used other players in BFF, which was a slap in the face to us BFF fans, and indicative of the hiarchy. FW is clearly a brotherhood: with built in guitars.
Weezer: I've seen Weezer on a number occasions and while I love their music, Rivers' live delivery can be wimpy. In addition, the vocal harmony isn't paramount as is with these guys, then again, who's is?!?
Foo Fighters: I've seen FF a few times as well. Yes, their live shows rock, but Grohl winds up roaching alot of his vox and they don't place the emphasis on vocal harm delivery in the same league as FW. (see above)
In a dwindling sea of post-post-popunk Green-Sum-182's (all which I appreciate) in a similar genre there is a band called Nerfherder. Snappy, smarmy-poppy-punky. The Sums are a parody of themselves. You don't hear FW and wonder if it's the Beastie Boyz. While Nerfherder is a clever, fun popunk group, they don't (show) nearly the prowess (musicianship) that the FW's do.
The latter happens to be from my town. I've done shows with them, I know them and they are fine people and a good, worthy outfit. When one of the FW's asked if I might deliver a copy of their cd to them, I said I could, but told him that it's my gut feeling that all of these bands with brand new amps will find Feable Weiner, regardless.
Just glad we got our signed copy of their Jeff "Darthfaders" Horne produced cd and my "Hot Chick" got a "Go Geek" t- Shirt!
machik"
