I'm in a new band playing bass.
We are gigging all arround Suffolk so come and see us if you are in the area.
Band Site Here
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Monday, January 14, 2008
Headphones, Audiophiles and BS
I have just ordered some rather extravagant Sennheiser HD600 open backed headphones from play.com (Expect a review soon).
Before you condemn me too much for spending £140 on headphones, I was intending to get some 595 or 555, but play have been sold out of them for the past month and as they sell Sennheiser for half the price of everywhere else I decided go up a model rather than pay an inflated price for 595s elsewhere (Of course I could have waited another month, but where is the fun in that).
Naturally being the obsessive maven that I am I had to do vast amounts of reasearch before committing to the pair that I was going to buy and this put me into the whacky world of the "Audiophile".
High end headphones are something that I haven't really delved into before, but it came as no surprise to see quite how much nonsense that people will talk.
On AVforums and headphone.com it's quite common for people to recommend that you buy a pair of £60 headphones and couple it with a £500 headphone amplifier. In fact it is quite common to see people recommending £2.5K valve headphone amps or portable headphone amps for iPods.
None of this is a surprise after all some audiophiles claims are so ludicrous that James Randi has started calling people out via his million dollar challenge . Where it is a real pain in the arse is when you actually try and get some useful advice on Hi-Fi which despite the ludicrous numbers of magazines and forums on the subject proves virtually impossible. Much of the available information seems to be written with the intrinsic belief that if you can't hear a difference then you must be some kind of philistine.
The only thing I have been able to glean with any authority (Other than that fact that as I suspected Sennheiser are the defacto standard for high end cans) is that many integrated amp manufacturers stick crappy components into the headphone sections of their amps to keep costs down on the basis that people don't audition them when they go to buy an amp. This may well be true, but luckily I have a good quality firewire audio interface attached to my PC which I can use to compare and contrast to my NAD amp in the lounge before I consider a separate headphone amp.
A review written by a sound engineer from Sound on Sound convinced me that the HD600s were a good choice for me, but I would love to find a place where I can be sure of finding decent information about Hi-Fi without all the nonsense.
Before you condemn me too much for spending £140 on headphones, I was intending to get some 595 or 555, but play have been sold out of them for the past month and as they sell Sennheiser for half the price of everywhere else I decided go up a model rather than pay an inflated price for 595s elsewhere (Of course I could have waited another month, but where is the fun in that).
Naturally being the obsessive maven that I am I had to do vast amounts of reasearch before committing to the pair that I was going to buy and this put me into the whacky world of the "Audiophile".
High end headphones are something that I haven't really delved into before, but it came as no surprise to see quite how much nonsense that people will talk.
On AVforums and headphone.com it's quite common for people to recommend that you buy a pair of £60 headphones and couple it with a £500 headphone amplifier. In fact it is quite common to see people recommending £2.5K valve headphone amps or portable headphone amps for iPods.
None of this is a surprise after all some audiophiles claims are so ludicrous that James Randi has started calling people out via his million dollar challenge . Where it is a real pain in the arse is when you actually try and get some useful advice on Hi-Fi which despite the ludicrous numbers of magazines and forums on the subject proves virtually impossible. Much of the available information seems to be written with the intrinsic belief that if you can't hear a difference then you must be some kind of philistine.
The only thing I have been able to glean with any authority (Other than that fact that as I suspected Sennheiser are the defacto standard for high end cans) is that many integrated amp manufacturers stick crappy components into the headphone sections of their amps to keep costs down on the basis that people don't audition them when they go to buy an amp. This may well be true, but luckily I have a good quality firewire audio interface attached to my PC which I can use to compare and contrast to my NAD amp in the lounge before I consider a separate headphone amp.
A review written by a sound engineer from Sound on Sound convinced me that the HD600s were a good choice for me, but I would love to find a place where I can be sure of finding decent information about Hi-Fi without all the nonsense.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Was C4s Mobile Act Unsigned A Con?
This Sunday the finalists of Channel 4's Mobile Act Unsigned were decided.
The four bands who made it to the semi-final were Hijack Oscar, Revenue, The Bad Robots and early drop outs in on a wild card Envy and Other Sins.
Throughout the competition The Bad Robots have been acknowledged as the best song writers and Hijack Oscar as the best musicians and yet Revenue (a band all the judges acknowledged are incapable of writing songs) and a band who were knocked out of the competition early on for being dull end up as finalists.
How did this happen?
Maintaining a sense of community involvement and excitement about the winners requires that the final comes down to a public vote. In the era of the X Factor the audience expect nothing less, but this is the last thing that the label want when they have a million quid riding on the winner.
The answer to this problem? ...
A ringer
Envy and Other Sins were parachuted into the competition the week before the semi final where they performed a mediocre cover of Video Killed the Radio Star. People who haven't been watching from the start probably haven't heard a single song they have written.
Even the public vote to reinstate them was a con. The 6 bands with the highest votes were brought back into contention, but when you consider that this was from a list of 12 with 3 still in the competition and one disqualified you realise that the judges got to pick who to bring back from a list of 6 of the 8 bands who were eligible. The only reason for them to be in the competition is to ensure whoever they are up against wins the public vote.
So why Revenue?
Two moments in the series might provide a clue. The first was when the singer managed to get Lilly Allen's phone number, but perhaps the most telling was the scene in the semi final where Simon Gavin informed the band that they had no song writing ability, but that was ok because he would find them a producer who could help them with that.
Excuse me what?
I thought what producers did was make recordings sound good. I think the what he was trying to say was "We can find you a Guy Chambers style hit maker who can write your songs for you".
So what do we get?
In the absence of a real stand out talent in the competition they have decided to go for a bunch of guys who aren't too smart, but they can guarantee will make it onto the pages of Bizzare in The Sun who they can sign to a shitty no money one album deal and write some hit factory songs for.
I'm hoping some kind of fluke happens and they get stuck with Envy and Other Sins, but I wouldn't put money on it at any odds.
The four bands who made it to the semi-final were Hijack Oscar, Revenue, The Bad Robots and early drop outs in on a wild card Envy and Other Sins.
Throughout the competition The Bad Robots have been acknowledged as the best song writers and Hijack Oscar as the best musicians and yet Revenue (a band all the judges acknowledged are incapable of writing songs) and a band who were knocked out of the competition early on for being dull end up as finalists.
How did this happen?
Maintaining a sense of community involvement and excitement about the winners requires that the final comes down to a public vote. In the era of the X Factor the audience expect nothing less, but this is the last thing that the label want when they have a million quid riding on the winner.
The answer to this problem? ...
A ringer
Envy and Other Sins were parachuted into the competition the week before the semi final where they performed a mediocre cover of Video Killed the Radio Star. People who haven't been watching from the start probably haven't heard a single song they have written.
Even the public vote to reinstate them was a con. The 6 bands with the highest votes were brought back into contention, but when you consider that this was from a list of 12 with 3 still in the competition and one disqualified you realise that the judges got to pick who to bring back from a list of 6 of the 8 bands who were eligible. The only reason for them to be in the competition is to ensure whoever they are up against wins the public vote.
So why Revenue?
Two moments in the series might provide a clue. The first was when the singer managed to get Lilly Allen's phone number, but perhaps the most telling was the scene in the semi final where Simon Gavin informed the band that they had no song writing ability, but that was ok because he would find them a producer who could help them with that.
Excuse me what?
I thought what producers did was make recordings sound good. I think the what he was trying to say was "We can find you a Guy Chambers style hit maker who can write your songs for you".
So what do we get?
In the absence of a real stand out talent in the competition they have decided to go for a bunch of guys who aren't too smart, but they can guarantee will make it onto the pages of Bizzare in The Sun who they can sign to a shitty no money one album deal and write some hit factory songs for.
I'm hoping some kind of fluke happens and they get stuck with Envy and Other Sins, but I wouldn't put money on it at any odds.
Monday, December 03, 2007
Can Guitar Hero Make You a Better Guitarist? + Free Guitar Game
I just read this article by Rob Walker about Guitar Hero from the New York Times with some interest.
Since Guitar Hero III came out reviewers have speculated that playing might improve your axe skills or give you an advantage if you were to take up the instrument. The consensus seems to be that it doesn't, but I'm not so sure.
The little plastic buttons on a Guitar Hero controller certainly bear no relation to the demands of fretting, but the need for spot on timing is universal.
If you have ever listened to a beginner play guitar the first thing you notice is that they speed up on the easy bits and slow down on the trickier sections. This is the bane of guitar teachers lives and is the reason they bug you to practice with a metronome. Once you start playing with a drummer you suddenly discover that you have to start marching to the beat of another and your kick ass riffs suddenly start sounding a little sloppy. I know plenty of people who can wail on a guitar, but dry up and blow away when faced with recording to a click track.
In an example from my own life. I've been playing guitar for about 13 years (at one point for about four hours a day) but a few years back I was getting frustrated with my playing and needed a change so I started playing drums in a band learning as I went. Gradually my guitar playing slipped and I realized that my Strat had been sitting unplayed in its case for 3 months. When I dug it out something strange had happened. My technique had gone to shit and I found I got cramp after a few minutes, but my phrasing had come on in leaps and bounds and I had made the breakthrough that made me interested in playing the guitar again.
So do I think that Guitar Hero III could make you a better guitarist?
If you are a beginner, or your phrasing gives you grief then I think it can only have a positive effect.
If you are wondering what all this Guitar Hero fuss is about then I suggest you try out Frets On Fire. It's a freeware game which you play holding the keyboard like a guitar and you can get it here .
Since Guitar Hero III came out reviewers have speculated that playing might improve your axe skills or give you an advantage if you were to take up the instrument. The consensus seems to be that it doesn't, but I'm not so sure.
The little plastic buttons on a Guitar Hero controller certainly bear no relation to the demands of fretting, but the need for spot on timing is universal.
If you have ever listened to a beginner play guitar the first thing you notice is that they speed up on the easy bits and slow down on the trickier sections. This is the bane of guitar teachers lives and is the reason they bug you to practice with a metronome. Once you start playing with a drummer you suddenly discover that you have to start marching to the beat of another and your kick ass riffs suddenly start sounding a little sloppy. I know plenty of people who can wail on a guitar, but dry up and blow away when faced with recording to a click track.
In an example from my own life. I've been playing guitar for about 13 years (at one point for about four hours a day) but a few years back I was getting frustrated with my playing and needed a change so I started playing drums in a band learning as I went. Gradually my guitar playing slipped and I realized that my Strat had been sitting unplayed in its case for 3 months. When I dug it out something strange had happened. My technique had gone to shit and I found I got cramp after a few minutes, but my phrasing had come on in leaps and bounds and I had made the breakthrough that made me interested in playing the guitar again.
So do I think that Guitar Hero III could make you a better guitarist?
If you are a beginner, or your phrasing gives you grief then I think it can only have a positive effect.
If you are wondering what all this Guitar Hero fuss is about then I suggest you try out Frets On Fire. It's a freeware game which you play holding the keyboard like a guitar and you can get it here .
Orchestral Mario Galaxy Recording
The orchestral sessions for the Gutsy Garden theme from Super Mario Galaxy. A fair chunk of music from the game is recorded with a full orchestra, but you don't get the full awesomeness of it until you hear it being recorded.
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Gig Review - The Magic Numbers - London Hammersmith Apollo 18/11/06
The Hammersmith Apollo is the biggest gig the Magic Numbers have ever played and tonight they look like a bunch of excited puppies bounding around the stage clearly loving the jubilant reaction of the capacity crowd.
To celebrate this milestone they have invited along Robert Kirby (The genius arranger responsible for the strings on Nick Drakes first two albums) and a string octet, both of whom play on their recently released second album.
I've been lucky enough to see The Numbers three times with the first being a Camden pub gig in early 2005 while they were still just another band playing Camden toilet circuit gigs. Even then it was obvious that they were something special, by the quality of their songs and their infectious sunny harmonies, so what has changed in 18 months? (other than the size of the venue and the Mercury nomination)
As you might expect the songs are tighter and the band have gained confidence and stage presence, but the biggest revelation is Michelle. She has clearly grown into the role of rock bass player strutting around the stage like Gene Simmons and stomping to the music whilst throwing a series of rock shapes. It's surprising and heartening stuff coming from a 20 year old girl who is probably most famous to the general public for being part of the band that walked off Top Of The Pops after insensitive remarks were made about the bands weight by Richard Bacon.
The reason for the tour is the new album (I haven't heard it yet, but as soon as I have a review will be forthcoming) and the gig is a mixture of old and new with the old favorites unsurprisingly sounding tighter and ushering the strongest response from the audience. The highpoint of the gig is undoubtedly Angela and Romeo's duet on "I See You, You See Me" with every line from Angela provoking yells and whoops from the audience. One of the great strengths of the band is the quality of the three voices and wisely both girls get a turn on lead vocals with songs from the new album. Surprisingly it is Michelle rather than Angela whos vocal turn is most convincing taking centre stage and swapping bass for guitar with Romeo. Whilst Angela has arguably the finest voice in the group her turn is less engaging as she stands off to the side and seems too nervous to cope with being the main focus of the audience.
It remains to be seen if the new album will be as big a hit as its predecessor, but if the reactions of this crowd are anything to go by then they can count on a devoted live following for some time to come.
http://www.themagicnumbers.net/
To celebrate this milestone they have invited along Robert Kirby (The genius arranger responsible for the strings on Nick Drakes first two albums) and a string octet, both of whom play on their recently released second album.
I've been lucky enough to see The Numbers three times with the first being a Camden pub gig in early 2005 while they were still just another band playing Camden toilet circuit gigs. Even then it was obvious that they were something special, by the quality of their songs and their infectious sunny harmonies, so what has changed in 18 months? (other than the size of the venue and the Mercury nomination)
As you might expect the songs are tighter and the band have gained confidence and stage presence, but the biggest revelation is Michelle. She has clearly grown into the role of rock bass player strutting around the stage like Gene Simmons and stomping to the music whilst throwing a series of rock shapes. It's surprising and heartening stuff coming from a 20 year old girl who is probably most famous to the general public for being part of the band that walked off Top Of The Pops after insensitive remarks were made about the bands weight by Richard Bacon.
The reason for the tour is the new album (I haven't heard it yet, but as soon as I have a review will be forthcoming) and the gig is a mixture of old and new with the old favorites unsurprisingly sounding tighter and ushering the strongest response from the audience. The highpoint of the gig is undoubtedly Angela and Romeo's duet on "I See You, You See Me" with every line from Angela provoking yells and whoops from the audience. One of the great strengths of the band is the quality of the three voices and wisely both girls get a turn on lead vocals with songs from the new album. Surprisingly it is Michelle rather than Angela whos vocal turn is most convincing taking centre stage and swapping bass for guitar with Romeo. Whilst Angela has arguably the finest voice in the group her turn is less engaging as she stands off to the side and seems too nervous to cope with being the main focus of the audience.
It remains to be seen if the new album will be as big a hit as its predecessor, but if the reactions of this crowd are anything to go by then they can count on a devoted live following for some time to come.
http://www.themagicnumbers.net/
Thursday, October 26, 2006
London Lites Lame Listings
I was reading the listings in the London Lite on the tube on the way home last night (A London Free Paper mostly concerned with celeb gossip) and noticed a great example of lazy music journalism.
"Ray Lamontagne whose single Trouble echoes Nick Drakes softly spoken style"
Say what?
Last time I listened to Trouble the guy sounded like a love weary Grizzly Adams bellowing Otis Reading songs with a gob full of gravel where as Drake on the other hand sounds like a painfully shy posh boy singing rather eloquently in a very English accent.
I think what they actually meant was:
"I don't really know anything about Ray Lamontagne other than the fact that he doesn't do interviews and he is very shy and the most famous singer/songwriter I can think of who was also quite shy is Nick Drake"
Tomorrow I'm expecting something along the lines of:
"If you enjoyed the Streets latest record why not listen to UB40 who are also from Birmingham"
Still what did I expect for free....
"Ray Lamontagne whose single Trouble echoes Nick Drakes softly spoken style"
Say what?
Last time I listened to Trouble the guy sounded like a love weary Grizzly Adams bellowing Otis Reading songs with a gob full of gravel where as Drake on the other hand sounds like a painfully shy posh boy singing rather eloquently in a very English accent.
I think what they actually meant was:
"I don't really know anything about Ray Lamontagne other than the fact that he doesn't do interviews and he is very shy and the most famous singer/songwriter I can think of who was also quite shy is Nick Drake"
Tomorrow I'm expecting something along the lines of:
"If you enjoyed the Streets latest record why not listen to UB40 who are also from Birmingham"
Still what did I expect for free....
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