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Post by frobeniuz on May 6, 2008 10:12:45 GMT -5
When I write a review of a band, I usually try to be the most clear as I can: I do not want my reader to end reading asking themselves: OK, but now what this CD sounds like??? I know that artists dislike to be described similar to other artists; but, in respect of readers, it is important to give them and idea of what they are going to listen. Just in order to give a general idea.
Well, when I reviewed NoSound I used the following names: no-man (I had to), David Sylvian, Brian Eno, Pink Floyd, Sigur Ros, Marillion (Hogarth era).
Obviously in some songs you can hear the Brian Eno influence or David Sylvian (as in "The Misplay"), more than in other songs ("Places remained" is more the key of Pink Floyd as "What do you want from me").
Do you agree with the names I used or would you like to add others or take away some?
Ciao! Stefano
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Post by proggrl on May 6, 2008 11:00:06 GMT -5
I usually don't like pointing to bands. I go more for the 'so your sitting on the beach and getting fairly warm, then a cooling breeze comes and washes over you and kinda tickles your bare belly. This song sounds a like that!' I like to describe sometimes in feelings because that's what I get from music. Or images... I don't know - I'm weird like that.
However, I do understand sometimes you get a feeling of other bands/music and it does make it easy to describe. Not so much for me, cos when I tell people who they sound like they haven't heard of who I'm relating them to either! hehehe Going by your list, I think those are right as that is what it sounds like to you. I don't think I'd ever say h-era Marillion (or Fish-era either), though. But music is subjective like that. I might include early PT in there. I am hearing a slight nod to post-rock in their sound, so Sigur Ros isn't far off. no-man (for obvious reasons), I might even say Blackfield too (Nosound were the band I contribute making Glow a fave song of BF's for me).
Sylvian, I get hints, but he's so diverse you'd have to put an era to it. I don't think I'd point anything Nosound has done to say Naoshima or even Blemish. Perhaps something from Dead Bees... ??
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Post by drgoon on May 6, 2008 12:26:34 GMT -5
The problem I have with band references is that sometimes I associate certain styles, sounds or methods to the band that I first heard using them. Which is a pointless reference for anybody else. Of course, that doesn't mean that comparisons are a bad idea - its just that its often better to describe why something strikes you as similar and personalise it.
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Post by frobeniuz on May 7, 2008 3:23:12 GMT -5
Obviously I try to be the most precise I can, specifying the era of band/artist I am referring to. In The Misplay, for sure, you cannot hear the electronic-experimental-pop from "Blemish", but you will hear echoes of "Damage" or "The shining of things", but overall I imagined that Sylvian singing "The Misplay", while Brian Eno is creating the atmosphering surroundings. This is the way my mind works. At the same time I alwas imagined "The world is outside" (one of my favourite ever) sung by H, and in "Kites" is reverberating something of the latest Marillion (maybe only echoes), like "Somewhere else" or "A voice from the past". I could say atmospheric (ambient?) prog, but I prefer to give, even if in a vague way, and idea or olny an image of what NoSound's Sound should look like. Music is subjective, put the approach in a description should be the most objective as possible. So, a review should be useless, but for me it is really useless only if it does not help a reader to imagine what he/she is going to listen. An image of a sound. Only this.
Bye, Stefano
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