Demos for real people about real people

rpmsongs · Post by **rpmsongs** » Sun Sep 13, 2009 7:25 am

another home studio demo, bounced everything to cassette. http://www.ourstage.com/fanclub/thedondiegos

to download the whole 9 songs to your computer go to: http://rapidshare.com/files/270316996/T ... Diegos.zip

Thanks for tuning in!

rpmsongs · Post by **rpmsongs** » Sun Sep 13, 2009 6:55 pm

thoughts? comments?

douglas baldwin · Post by **douglas baldwin** » Tue Sep 15, 2009 5:58 am

Listening on OurStage:
"You Come Along" - nice trashy rock. I'd ditch the harmonica, and add the guitar that does the middle break in the beginning instead. Make it shorter, too. It's there in about 2:15. Cut the fat.

"What Kind of Girl" - you packing wood for Elvis Costello? A better mix than "You Come Along." Again, I'd cut the "whoa-oaooh" at the end, maybe end right after that surprising minor chord.

"White Fire" - good change of pace, but the cassette texture is just a bit grating here. That 2K-4K range sounds a little too crispy.

"Choking on All These Tears" - another cool change-up. You study songwriting with C.C. Sabathia? The low-rent cassette sound honestly gets a little grating at this point. Consider a little smoother production on these last two tunes, and keep bangin' 'em out!

rpmsongs · Post by **rpmsongs** » Fri Nov 13, 2009 9:36 pm

Really, no one had anything truly great to say about this shit? fuck it. I quit. No one's ever given a shit about anything I've ever done and I just cannot fucking take it any fucking longer. I'm broke, living in my parents' basement, with no job, no car, no opportunities, no job skills because i've spent the past 10 years working so hard at something that is just never going to fucking go anywhere. I'm literally sucking water out of my 60's ludwigs every time it rains just so i can get a fucking drumsound to try to please people and make the world a better place, spending day in and day out at the coffee shop burning holes in my stomach and lungs with drip coffee and rolled cigarettes so I can pump out the things that i feel into songs and not a single person really gives a flying fuck about what i'm doing. I quit. Thanks very much. You probably would have taken the harmonica out of the beginning of love me do too. Thanks for nothing. ciao

Brian Brock · Post by **Brian Brock** » Fri Nov 13, 2009 10:22 pm

One time my dad was the only person who came to a show I did, and he heckled me.

I downloaded your stuff - anyone who's that freaked out about their music might be a genius.

Brian Brock · Post by **Brian Brock** » Fri Nov 13, 2009 11:42 pm

you recorded that in your parents' basement? Sounds really good on my shitty computer speakers at low volume. Are you saying you recorded those drums in a basement? I like em. But the strings are software, right?

The songs are not really my cup of tea. I guess they're kind of like Sheryl Crow songs, and what I like about Sheryl Crow is how she and her band just present the songs bare, but solid as a rock - you're kind of going for a produced Byrdsy thing with the arrangements. Maybe that's not the right comparison - obviously you're not doing something like Neutral Milk Hotel, or Smog / Bill Callahan, who are some of my favorite songwriters because they're so peculiarly universal.

Anyway, I thought Douglas Baldwin offered you better ideas than mine, and he even encouraged you to keep banging them out - although in a way I think that's the opposite of what you should do.

mc437 · Post by **mc437** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 9:45 am

Take a deep breath and relax, man. I posted stuff on here and got precious little feedback as well; it's not the end of the world.
I think the songwriting is solid, and the cassette sound doesn't bug me either-the bottom end is eaten up a little bit, but it's not a big deal. The singing is not to my liking, though. I find the voice a bit too affected-but a lot of people like that sort of singing, just not my cup of tea.

Trick Fall · Post by **Trick Fall** » Sun Nov 15, 2009 11:30 am

Really liked where do we go and what kind of girl. Tried to dl the rest, but rapidshare wouldn't let me. Does anyone else hate rapidshare? Anyway don't be so frustrated. Recognition usually has little to do with quality.

Danly · Post by **Danly** » Tue Nov 17, 2009 7:58 pm

sounds good. i like it. why not use these recordings to team up with some other songwriters, or book some shows, collaborate more. don't give up. i like to think that everything happens for a reason. it's comforting, at least... you know how a lot of hippies and conspiracy theorists like to say we are here to learn lessons? keep it up.

hey, maybe you could release a 7" with your favorite 4 songs from these sessions.

Groovedog · Post by **Groovedog** » Wed Nov 18, 2009 7:00 am

really liked "What kind of girl"!............overall I liked the sound on all of your posted songs....especially for being mixed to cassette. Recognition doesn't determine how good recordings are. The main reason to record your own music is to bring to life your own vision (with the equipment you have, knowledge, ideas, techniques, recording space you are in) and not someone else's unless you willingly collaberate with them. You're never going to satisfy everyone and even if someone loves your music they may not even let you know how much they like it. Some people won't offer praise out of sheer laziness. The old cliches give me comfort with my own recordings...."One man's trash is another man's treasure" and "There's an ass for every seat."

oldguitars · Post by **oldguitars** » Wed Nov 18, 2009 10:38 am

wow, only 10 years? You are gonna need thicker skin and a goal, rather than waiting for someone to give you a career in music...

I think your stuff is pretty cool.

Brian · Post by **Brian** » Wed Nov 18, 2009 1:33 pm

I wish there were more people like him, no one says it's great so they get out of the way. Poetry.
Don't bother working on it because you might actually get great, and then what?
You did the right thing man, selling shoes is better.

That was the funniest post I ever read. Surely no one took that seriously.

creaturesleeper · Post by **creaturesleeper** » Wed Nov 18, 2009 8:22 pm

rpmsongs wrote:Really, no one had anything truly great to say about this shit? fuck it. I quit. No one's ever given a shit about anything I've ever done and I just cannot fucking take it any fucking longer. I'm broke, living in my parents' basement, with no job, no car, no opportunities, no job skills because i've spent the past 10 years working so hard at something that is just never going to fucking go anywhere. I'm literally sucking water out of my 60's ludwigs every time it rains just so i can get a fucking drumsound to try to please people and make the world a better place, spending day in and day out at the coffee shop burning holes in my stomach and lungs with drip coffee and rolled cigarettes so I can pump out the things that i feel into songs and not a single person really gives a flying fuck about what i'm doing. I quit. Thanks very much. You probably would have taken the harmonica out of the beginning of love me do too. Thanks for nothing. ciao

I dig your tunes...I wouldn't let a little criticism stop you...Fuck Em...remember who your doing it for...your opinion is the only one that really matters when it comes down to it...I have been recording to cassette for years and I love all of it regardless of anybody else. I like that first song on there...it reminds me of T-Rex....also the bicycle song...I'll listen to the rest when I download em....Keep it up dude...

Brian · Post by **Brian** » Thu Nov 19, 2009 6:13 am

This from another site discussing this phenomenae.

Berry Gordy used to ask "if you only had a dollar in your pocket for lunch, would you buy this record or a sandwich?" Our goal was to make a record that was good enough for that time to win out over a sandwich on an empty stomach. We managed to outsell all of the majors except the Beatles and we held our own with them all from our little home studio.

It seems that sandwiches and cappuccinos are winning the argument today for most people. This is an undeniable fact. All the rest of the rhetoric is making excuses.

That mentality is really running short nowadays. Somehow artists think it their right to be successful and when it doesn't happen they point fingers. But they see people seem to be having success without any talent (just loads of exposure) getting famous with poorly performed covers.

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