Hey everyone my band Starmount Drive just played a show @BigDaddy's in Tallahassee Fl. and we were recorded and it's now on [url]www.purevolume.com/starmountdrive[/url] keep in mind it's live so recording quality isn't the best but still better than home recordings. We also have a site [url]www.starmountdrive.moonfruit.com[/url] and you can review us and other local bands on [url]www.tallahasseeshows.com[/url]
thanks peace out!:D

Tip: Dont perform live until you can achieve some semblence of unity as a band. You consistantly sing flat and your songs are a disgrace to music as a whole.

Dude they're on time and he's not a front man. Also you have to start somewhere so before you start to turn into a smart ***. I suggest you try and sing and play guitar WHILE staying on time. They might not be the best band in the world but thats no reason to be a jack ***. You could give some constructive critisism not just critisism.

Sounded pretty good, but you do sing quite flat. I tend to do it too, so simply work on it. I was never aware I did it until someone pointed it out on these forums, so I think I've gotten better. So just... work on it. (A bad monitor mix will contribute to this, maybe that could be it.)

.. Uh yeah, I beleive Schming already does sing and play guitar -and- stay on time. So get off your high horse.

And besides, he's right too, they're on time, for a few seconds, then it goes out of time, back in, back out.

And there's some sloppy playing on this. Is it so hard to play right and correctly when you play live? This is a disrespect to your audience. present a product that's well prepared and rehearsed then it'll go better.

the single note leads lack a lot of emotion, they're just bleh, flat, unitone with no feeling at all. when not out of key. the lead player needs to have way more definition of his picking attack, and vibratos/trills wouldn't hurt either.

Chill people it was my bands first show and we've only been a band for about a month and a half. So im sorry for wasting your precious time with this post. Because im sure everyone who criticized us in a spectualar band of their own with million dollar record contracts and limos! Guys chill were kids having fun were not freakin Van Halen, never claimed to be. Im also very sure the first time your mighty selves graced a stage it was so much better and if it was good for you were not in a competition. I'm happy for you but just bashing other bands when you don't even know how long they've been playing is uncool. So good luck to all you guys and your music.
Peace!

How long a band exists doesn't mean balls, it's about the quality of the band.

If I liked that kind of music I'd really like it. I just think it's okay though. It's really not that bad.

I didn't have any problem with the singing and sloppy playing. Haven't you guys ever heard of The Stooges? Or The Ramones?
Hell, Bob Dylan sings flat, and a lot of great blues guitarists played sloppy.

I concur. The vocals pretty much suck... I mean I hate punk rock and it's vocals to begin with, but these are like...just bad. Sorry. The music doesn't sound like anything original either, but maybe it's because of the genre. I've found that to me atleast most punk rock songs sound horribly alike.



You shouldn't post expecting all praise and OMG I WANT YOUR BABIES! Use the critisism to your advantage.

I do apologize for being so harsh earlier. I've had 2 hours of sleep in the past 48 because I've been studying my arse off for finals.

However, I still stand by my first statement.

My band sucked really really bad, but we kept at it and just practiced as much as we can. We now practice 2-3x a week for about an hour and a half each time. Usually we run through a 30-minute set once and then work on either new material, covers, or trouble spots.

Some tips for you guys:

#1. Your drummer needs to get a metronome for practicing with. Whenever he uses the double kick he speeds up and then lags a bit before getting back into the regular beat.

#2. When the guitarist switches between riffs he almost always has a little hiccup. Smooth out those transitions. Only way to do this is practice it slow and then speed it up.

#3. Bassist flubs around A LOT and it sounds like his bass is flatter than the guitar. During the instrumental breaks the bassist really needs to get with the drummer and work out a beat they can both do because they're each doing something separate and it sounds awful.

#4. Guitarist and Bassist both need to get some Chromatic Tuner pedals just so that they'll both be in tune with each other. It's by far the best $90 you'll spend.

#5. Vocals, I think the reason the melodies are so bland is because you're not totally comfortable with your voice which in turn limits your range. Do-Re-Mi much? You need to, it really does help. And get off the flat moan sound, sing like a singer people will appreciate it much more. Even punk singers sing. Even metal grunters can hit the right pitch.

#6. .......did you really just say "I wanna rip my heart out and put it in your hand" ? These lyrics in the 2nd song are a stretch. Bleh, I'm not good at lyrics either.

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and TDKLaguna,

your argument is null and void basically because I can do all those things. And it's one of the worst arguments ever.

The 3rd song is pretty together, it's mainly the 1st and 2nd songs.

Just because we're unsigned doesnt mean we dont have the ability to critique others. I thought it was common knowledge that A&R reps go for the most marketable, not the most talented.

And the length of time since the band was founded is bollocks, like gothicx said, it's what happens onstage that counts.

Yeah. You don't HAVE to preform... if you aren't able to preform at a month and a half, then you shouldn't. However, I think its fine that you preformed. Its not terrible...

I mean I'm not really into this type of music (you probably hate to hear that)... It feels like if your going to go as elaborately as you do with your playing and composition, you have to be tight, or else it doesn't work. I think the 3rd song is pretty tight. I actually really enjoy the 3rd song...

I just find the instrumental parts kind of boring (except for the 3rd song), but it seems to me thats just a quality of screamo that I should just get over.

The fact that your voice is kind of flat doesn't really bother me because... well, all your doing is screaming anyway.

It seems like the type of band that you'd have a lot of fun being in. On that note, good job and congradulations. A lot of people have made some good points.. wouldn't hurt to follow them.

uh.. You should Chill.

I haven't asked you to play faster. I asked you to play RIGHT.

And I'm sorry but I'm not bashing you, I'm giving you actual tips. I'm TELLING you just how to improve the sound of the song. And you're being defensive for no reason.

And yeah, the 3rd song was better.

Like i said, put more feeling into the playing, it's not that hard to pick one note harder than the other, to slide to the next one instead of attacking it with the pick. to hammer to it as well. it just adds a voice to the melody.

I'd listen but the site doesnt seem to work.

Look Schming I apologize for being a jerk. Sorry :(.

It's ok, I was being a jerk too. Let's sex.

The music is a lot closer stylistically to metal than punk. It's definitely not punk.

I've not listen to the music yet and have only skimmed over the thread but....

I live in Tallahassee and my band played at Big Daddy's last month! THE INTERNET AND THE REAL WORLD COLLIDE.... MY HEAD 'ASPLODE.

Not the same thing, but cooler: I have a friend whose dad knew both The Replacements and Husker Du! Collision between my real world and the world of my musical heroes.

That has nothing to do this! You are just looking for an excuse to bring that up! :p

(but yes, it is cool )

Yeah, I know :). The same friend's mom also knew Steve Albini.

It's called hardcore/screamo.

Yeah, that type of music leans more toward the metal influence. The types of guitar fills that the song used are never used in punk.

Uhhh..the vocals and lyrics usually determine if something is punk or not.

Nope.

Punk is definitly placed in it's genre by it's lyrics and vocals. I don't mean the fake punk crap everyone likes, I mean the real messed up punk.

Not true. The vocal style and lyrics can diffeer greatly between punk bands.
For example: Venus by Television has entirely different vocals and lyrics from Blitzkrieg Bop.

Punk is determined by the scene more than anything else. It started with The Velvet Underground. They were responsible for creating the scene. After them, it was the New York Dolls. Then they had David Bowie in England, and MC5 and The Stooges in Detroit. All of it centered around NY though. Then there was Patti Smith, The Dictators, The Ramones, the Heartbreakers, Blondie, etc. When The Ramones played in London, they sparked a bunch of bands like The Clash, The Sex Pistols, The Damned, etc. A young guy named Legs McNeil and his friends who lived in New York started a magazine called Punk, it was all about the aforementioned bands and the scene. That's where the genre got it's name.

you people take being in a band waaaaaaay too seriously, its all in the name of fun.


nice tunes.

Man, I thought you guys were being harsh, but then I listened to it.

I'm sorry dude, it's a nice effort but you guys still have work to do. The singer (you?) sounds like he can't hear himself on-stage, his voice is all over the place. The guitar was decent, but still a bit lacking. A little more flair would add a lot, but so would a second guitar. The bass and drums should have worked their rhythms together, everything would sound a lot tighter.

playing in your garage is for fun. if you perform anywhere else it's a career choice. you should take it seriously.

Performing is no where near a career choice. I perform but I don't plan on being a rock-star. I do my homework everynight and study so I can do good in life if the whole music thing doesn't work out. I think putting out an album while not having any other jobs and just trying to make it like that is called a career choice. Or teaching guitar, ect.

So you can't have serious fun? :p

It sounded like the band was having fun. It sounded like the crowd was enjoying themselves. What else matters? That may almost seem shallow. People need stage experience just as much as (if not more than) practice with each other.

I sang flat for quite some time while adjusting to being in charge of a band. I posted here, people gave advice, I took it, worked on it, and can definitely say we sound much better now. (Maybe I'll post something again someday).

Your voice is awesome now... aside from the vibrato.

My voice is nowhere near as good in the recordings I've posted as it is live. I cut loose a lot more than I used to (although still not as much as I'd like), and I'm much more comfortable behind a mic than I used to be. Plus we re-arranged the band, got some new people. (We took our drummer and put him on guitar, our bass player, put him on drums, and then got a new bass player. We sound better. I'll record next week and post it.)

It looks like we scared Scooty away.

He hates us now.

I am curious as to whether he truly is proficient at scooting.

He sorta stole my unique thread title. Now I keep clicking on the wrong one.

Hey man, stop it with the blatant attacks! It's not Scooty's fault if your mouse-clicking skills are lackluster! And "New Song" isn't original. Next time, try something like "Grab the tentacles, Mr. Poofalego!"

DogSRoOL, you are out of control.