I thought your singer had some vocal charisma but needs to work on pitch and extending his range.
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What do you think about my band's singer?
- Thread starter altarsofmadness
- Start date
I'm gonna be honest, cause that's what you ask of me:
I find this very hard to listern to. The music is good and get's me into the song, then the guy starts 'singing' and i really wan't to put pluggs in my ears.
What i would do: He could be a good keyboard player, you guys sit down and tell him:
'Hey man, we get a lot of great things about our music, but we hear that your singing is off. How about you focus on the keyboard and we look around for a good lead singer.'
ps: i can't sing f
I find this very hard to listern to. The music is good and get's me into the song, then the guy starts 'singing' and i really wan't to put pluggs in my ears.
What i would do: He could be a good keyboard player, you guys sit down and tell him:
'Hey man, we get a lot of great things about our music, but we hear that your singing is off. How about you focus on the keyboard and we look around for a good lead singer.'
ps: i can't sing f
And this is why Autotune was invented. You'd send me the vocal track and I'd be happy to Autotune it for you. I must confess that since I am personally a dreadful singer but a very skilled recording engineer, Autotune allows me almost sound OK sometimes...god bless technology!
It's good you ask for opinions, that is pretty confronting.
Being honest: I could make a bad joke by telling you to take first song title (Abandon All Hope) literally
- but that wouldn't be fair.
I have to agree with others that I thought it sounded pretty good until the vocals came in, that killed the entire song for me.
I would suggest him getting vocal lessons or just sticking to keys and find a better singer.
What do the other band members think of his singing?
Being honest: I could make a bad joke by telling you to take first song title (Abandon All Hope) literally
- but that wouldn't be fair.I have to agree with others that I thought it sounded pretty good until the vocals came in, that killed the entire song for me.
I would suggest him getting vocal lessons or just sticking to keys and find a better singer.
What do the other band members think of his singing?
Just one more opinion:
No I didn't like the singer.
But I'd also emphasize a point I've seen a few people make: the kind of thing he does really fits better in punk than in metal. Punk is all about saying "We're going to make this noise whether you like it or not, so piss off." Skill and musicianship is not a concern, it's attitude. A singer who has no idea where the key is and doesn't care can work if it has that ironic, sarcastic, mocking edge to it. Kinda reminded me of this kind of thing:
If that fits where you want to go, go with it. If it doesn't, he's going to need to learn some singing skills.
No I didn't like the singer.
But I'd also emphasize a point I've seen a few people make: the kind of thing he does really fits better in punk than in metal. Punk is all about saying "We're going to make this noise whether you like it or not, so piss off." Skill and musicianship is not a concern, it's attitude. A singer who has no idea where the key is and doesn't care can work if it has that ironic, sarcastic, mocking edge to it. Kinda reminded me of this kind of thing:
If that fits where you want to go, go with it. If it doesn't, he's going to need to learn some singing skills.
Nice call on the Wesley Willis comparison.
If you told me the singer of a band sounds like a cross between Wesley Willis, Shane MacGowan, and the South Park guys, I would check that band out.
I think it makes every difference that you are 14-19. You have a ton of time to get better and frankly you are better than I was at your age.
I don't like the singer much or even at all but at your age, who cares
I don't like the singer much or even at all but at your age, who cares
Sound like a low budget version of the cure. Not my cup of tea but I won't be surprise if you find fans.
I like it! Maybe the vocals could, at times, be more subdued, more intimate, more melancholic, to suit the title better. He's got some chops 
In the tone - ie: the 'voice' - maybe there's a little too much fight, a little too much power, and not enough abandonment-of-hope - or deflatedness, to coin a phrase - thinking about experimenting with that, shifting that dynamic somehow. And the track would be better served if the music could be brought forward a little. It could do with some sizzle, more crispness, more fidelity, especially in the top end. Well done, I say!
In the tone - ie: the 'voice' - maybe there's a little too much fight, a little too much power, and not enough abandonment-of-hope - or deflatedness, to coin a phrase - thinking about experimenting with that, shifting that dynamic somehow. And the track would be better served if the music could be brought forward a little. It could do with some sizzle, more crispness, more fidelity, especially in the top end. Well done, I say!
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- Oct 7, 2000
- 18,619
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- Endorsing artist: Musicman basses
I didn't read every post in this this thread, but read a lot and haven't seen pitch correction mentioned. Nor a remix, where the vocals weren't quite as in your face, but a little more in the mix. Any reason yas didn't use pitch correction? There are people who sing far worse than your guy, who come out of the studio sounding like virtuosos.
The fact that this many people had so much passionate response to your post deserves some kudos. More talkbassers have listened to your music in 2 days than have listened to most others here in 10 years
.
I'm with the camp that says stick with it. I can't tell you how many people hated my singer in The Nerve! And we got to do some really cool things with that band. And because of that band.
The fact that this many people had so much passionate response to your post deserves some kudos. More talkbassers have listened to your music in 2 days than have listened to most others here in 10 years
. I'm with the camp that says stick with it. I can't tell you how many people hated my singer in The Nerve! And we got to do some really cool things with that band. And because of that band.
Personally I feel he is trying to imitate a voice he just doesn't have the chops for. Like some type of depeche mode. Only advice I would give is that it seems he needs to find HIS voice and what is natural but from what I'm hearing he just sounds like he's trying to sound like a specific style that he just can't perform. I'm by no means a good singer, but I got a lot better over time just by realizing I had a problem with singing. I simply didn't have a singing voice, I have a talking voice and if I heard a song I liked I'd imitate it, but through practice and trial and error I now have an original "okay" singing voice but still am no where near good enough to be an actual singer apart from just backups.
This reminds me of the video documenting the making of the Canadian benefit song "Tears Are Not Enough". Bryan Adams wrote the song and various singers are in the booth to record their individual lead vocal lines. Anne Murray nails hers in one take. Neil Young comes in and...ouch! David Foster gets on the intercom from the control room. "Neil, you're flat." Neil replies, "That's my style, man!"
I suspect twenty years from now you'll listen to that track and laugh your a$$es off.
Your singer has potential. He might benefit from some vocal lessons.
I do backing vocals and have issues with my own pitch at times. Great vocalists make it sound easy. Good luck!
Your singer has potential. He might benefit from some vocal lessons.
I do backing vocals and have issues with my own pitch at times. Great vocalists make it sound easy. Good luck!
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I assume the OP is honest when he says he's looking for criticism (not reaffirmation) so I'm not dropping any euphemistic b/s here.
This said, that singer sounds like he's tone deaf. Period. Creativity and looking for one's personality is good, but it only comes once you're already technically fit. I know one can't ask a singer to be his own QA (IME singers are the least educated and auto-critic personalities I've interacted with in almost 30 years playing in bands). I find maybe 1 in 10 rock singers acceptable. I even decided to front my own band some years ago out of such frustration. I'm constantly asking the guys in the band to give any possible feedback on not only vocals' performance but also arrangement and even lyrics. I'm as self conscious as self conscious can be, spend time with vocal coaches also. Still I hate to hear myself sing, even tho' some people may consider what I do as pretty decent...
So I guess self-consciousness is a matter of standards. If I were your singer and heard myself singing in a critical mood I'd not only hate myself but would probably quit trying to sing forever. Not wanting to sound agressive. I just lost a lot of time with worthless singers who couldn't sing crap, I would have welcomed with my heart if anybody had told me to move on past such ugly singers. Your singer is a no-no, no euphemisms will remedy that (much the contrary, might give you the false impression you might have any further business by playing with him, which you don't). No matter what your aims are, if only for the beauty of the music, which is the most primary of aims when you're creating music. He just sucks, deeply. Sorry, I feel your pain, happened to me a hundred times.
This said, that singer sounds like he's tone deaf. Period. Creativity and looking for one's personality is good, but it only comes once you're already technically fit. I know one can't ask a singer to be his own QA (IME singers are the least educated and auto-critic personalities I've interacted with in almost 30 years playing in bands). I find maybe 1 in 10 rock singers acceptable. I even decided to front my own band some years ago out of such frustration. I'm constantly asking the guys in the band to give any possible feedback on not only vocals' performance but also arrangement and even lyrics. I'm as self conscious as self conscious can be, spend time with vocal coaches also. Still I hate to hear myself sing, even tho' some people may consider what I do as pretty decent...
So I guess self-consciousness is a matter of standards. If I were your singer and heard myself singing in a critical mood I'd not only hate myself but would probably quit trying to sing forever. Not wanting to sound agressive. I just lost a lot of time with worthless singers who couldn't sing crap, I would have welcomed with my heart if anybody had told me to move on past such ugly singers. Your singer is a no-no, no euphemisms will remedy that (much the contrary, might give you the false impression you might have any further business by playing with him, which you don't). No matter what your aims are, if only for the beauty of the music, which is the most primary of aims when you're creating music. He just sucks, deeply. Sorry, I feel your pain, happened to me a hundred times.
My bandmate was head butted by Wesley once. Ha! Apparently this is what he'd do? Rock over London Rock on Chicago!
As for the OP who cares play your music. If you like it then mission accomplished.
Sounds like Billy Bragg, but not on key. He could be endearing if his key was better. I mean some mentioned earlier, Lou Reed, but also Ray Wylie Hubbard. Key is a necessary component.
My bandmate was head butted by Wesley once. Ha! Apparently this is what he'd do? Rock over London Rock on Chicago!
I once ran into Wesley Willis on a bus when I was on my way home with a brand new Scrabble game under my arm. He immediately invited himself over to play, but I knew that it would be much less fun than it sounded, so I wound up making up a story and getting off at the next stop and walking home instead.
More on topic: One of my favorite vocalists is a man named Doc Dart, and he is the singer of a band with a name that cannot be mentioned on this forum. He sounds like Uncle Fester getting into a fist fight. Just... completely abrasive and unpleasant. I think the OP's vocalist might need to either clean it up and learn to sing properly, or take the whole thing even farther off the rails. I found it difficult to listen to the whole song, but there was something compelling about it. My first thought was Wesley Willis when I heard this.
