My band:Garagey, pyschedelic, surfy something?..making the narcisstic move

geezerjpj · #1 07-31-2010, 06:31 PM

and posting the myspace here because I'm curious as to what kind of music bass players think my band is playing? Is it just indy..vaguely psyche/garage, 90s something or other?

http://www.myspace.com/shinglesscheisskopf

What we've been told so far is that we're a cross btwn Man or Astro Man and the Dead Kennedys, we're a punk jam band, or just an artsy, psychedelic garage band.

I'm playing a 75 Rick w Chromes and a pick through a B-18. The bass isn't center in the mix because the drummer has only been playing 2 years and his kick etc weren't tight enough/matched up well enough for the bass and drums to be together. The silver lining is it sounds late 60s early 70s which actually works pretty well for us.

All that's besides the point...I just want to know more or less what the genre is as I've dropped all my pre-conceived notions/suppositions and just played bass to whatever it is we've come up with.

Edit: the description I liked most was what another band's drummer came up with describing us the Minutemen if the Minutemen played surf. I'm asking because I am unsure of how to market ourselves ie. what sort of bands should we try to set up gigs with/who should we play with?

Unrepresented · #2 08-01-2010, 03:28 PM

Based on the production I'd put it as "garage." It's definitely retro sounding with the heavy reverb and the tones and style of play.

You'd be perfect for a local radio show we have here in San Diego that's hosted by John Reis of Rocket From the Crypt.

geezerjpj · #3 08-03-2010, 09:47 AM

Hey Unrepresented. Thanks for weighing in. I'm comfortable with my band being described as garage or garagey.

When we get booked with "garage" revival bands who take a real strict almost dogmatic approach to it eg two guitars, subdued bass, simple riffs, lots of I IV V. They kind of treat like we're something else(even if they like what we're doing)...same holds true for when we play with psyche/art rock bands. I think we have the attitude though..we're fairly straight ahead, a little loose but smart with our riffs. Plus, we like the reverb and retro sound/production values and we rehearse in the basement of a dilapidated house. We get the audiences going too even with some occasional dancing.

I checked out John Reis' playlists for the Swami Sound System and they're more varied than I imagined they would be based on the Swami Records catalog. I could see our stuff fitting in. His contact info is on the Swami Records site...for both the radio show and for submissions to Swami Records. I think I'm going to send him our tunes.

Thanks man.

guroove · #4 08-03-2010, 09:52 AM

I don't know what I'd call it, but I like it. That bass sound is fat and raunchy!

geezerjpj · #5 08-03-2010, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guroove

I don't know what I'd call it, but I like it. That bass sound is fat and raunchy!

Thanks a lot!

Re the bass sound

Some more details than what I mentioned above: It's 75 Rick 4001 strung with medium Daddario Chromes with just the bridge pickup with the hi pass filter bypassed played with a pick. I'm playing into a 60's B-18 and a hand built tube direct box....I'm almost positive there's no added compression. I am using an Ibanez Delay Champ that's always on set to a short slapback. I'm stomping on an EH English Muff'n for overdrive.

We recorded at John Kilgore Sound in the city. My friend manages it.
It's a great Pro Tools studio with tons of vintage gear(amps, guitars.basses, Gretsch drum kit, piano) old compressors, supremo top end Neumann mics etc, and the aforementioned hand made direct boxes. John Kilgore is a grammy award winner engineer who is Steve Reich's engineer and engineered the first DNA record(for those of you know who that is).

This is just our demo that we did in one 3 1/2 hour session. It was a great experience. He knows his stuff and works fast. We'll be going back to him in the future. That's for sure!

Here's their website:
http://www.johnkilgore.com/

guroove · #6 08-03-2010, 11:07 AM

John Kilgore is great! I've played through that same B-18. Great setup, and great sound engineer.

megadan · #7 08-03-2010, 11:11 AM

Good stuff.

New wave garage like Thee Oh Sees meets BRMC.

Unrepresented · #8 08-03-2010, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geezerjpj

Hey Unrepresented. Thanks for weighing in. I'm comfortable with my band being described as garage or garagey.

When we get booked with "garage" revival bands who take a real strict almost dogmatic approach to it eg two guitars, subdued bass, simple riffs, lots of I IV V. They kind of treat like we're something else(even if they like what we're doing)...same holds true for when we play with psyche/art rock bands. I think we have the attitude though..we're fairly straight ahead, a little loose but smart with our riffs. Plus, we like the reverb and retro sound/production values and we rehearse in the basement of a dilapidated house. We get the audiences going too even with some occasional dancing.

I checked out John Reis' playlists for the Swami Sound System and they're more varied than I imagined they would be based on the Swami Records catalog. I could see our stuff fitting in. His contact info is on the Swami Records site...for both the radio show and for submissions to Swami Records. I think I'm going to send him our tunes.

Thanks man.

there's of course no such thing as perfectly falling into a single genre, so you just try and go with what's most effective at conveying in a word or two what to expect. My band has a similar dilema as we are influenced by a wide variety of sources. We don't have a perfect fit either.

Definitely get in contact with Swami (Reis). I think you'd be perfect for his format and it's a hip show on the hit station around here. And if he picks you guys up on his label, most people consider my standard finders fee to be high but fair.

geezerjpj · #9 08-06-2010, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unrepresented

Definitely get in contact with Swami (Reis). I think you'd be perfect for his format and it's a hip show on the hit station around here. And if he picks you guys up on his label, most people consider my standard finders fee to be high but fair.

So I sent mp3's(the specified format) to John Ries mentioning both the show and the label. I will keep you posted when and if he gets around to listening/responding. And, I will happily pay your finders fee when we come to San Diego to open for a reunited Rocket From The Crypt or Drive Like Jehu.

In the meantime, I will check out the Swami Sound System broadcasts on Saturday nights. At the very least, thanks for hepping me to the show's rad existence.

lunarpollen · #10 08-07-2010, 05:54 AM

Hehee kudos on the Delay Champ... it's been my delay of choice since I started playing

Unrepresented · #11 08-07-2010, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geezerjpj

So I sent mp3's(the specified format) to John Ries mentioning both the show and the label. I will keep you posted when and if he gets around to listening/responding. And, I will happily pay your finders fee when we come to San Diego to open for a reunited Rocket From The Crypt or Drive Like Jehu.

In the meantime, I will check out the Swami Sound System broadcasts on Saturday nights. At the very least, thanks for hepping me to the show's rad existence.

No problem.

Rocket From the Crypt was great. Reis is currently fronting a band called the Night Marchers for those uninitiated with his current band du jour.