Mga Huni ug Awit sa Taga Cebu!!!!!!!!!!

[|EE]

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bataw!

[jpaolo]

Ezra Bai, you know the Sprakataks and AUBO and Marx and everybody else right? Maybe you're part of either bands? Say Hi to Johann for me, and you might wanna read his review of our music in opposition to their better aubo music.

[EZRA]

JPAOLO.. no problem with the use sa English Language bai, makasakay ra ko. And for the record, I never did spend that much time to focus on your music to make a well-thought criticism... I only listened to 3 songs.. Melissa, Deception and Wish. And to take into consideration, I am Neutral in this discussion so don't take this as an attack on you and on your craft ... don't classify me as to what kind of critic I am.. I am merely a listener and a fellow musician.


Anyway.... yes, I think your work does need a bit of improvement (same as mine) .. your acoustic ballad (WISH) clearly ripped off a bar from EXTREME'S More than Words. You also need to use a click track when recording, both MELISSA and DECEPTION are out of sync ... I think the transitions would stick out more if the hits and accents are tight ....... (On a recording situation in where you can punch in and out to correct inconsistencies, you should've remedied the TIME issue before finalizing the whole track.. unless you're that anxious to put out your material).

... The vocals on Melissa and Deception seems to emulate most of the post-grunge music that you hear on the mainstream airwaves nowadays (Puddle Of Mud, CREED, etc...) Pretty Ironic ain't it? You accused ACIDBURN's band's vocalist of trying to sound like Scott Stapp yet you (or your vocalist) is also guilty of doing such... although there's nothing wrong with that, as what you said, as long as they're capable, why not.. right?


As far as recording quality goes, I'm not one to criticize considering you did this yourself with limited budget, I credit you for that.. you did a decent job.

Jumping to another subject -Covering Songs- people and bands have the utmost freedom to make their own rendition..... I've heard cover bands do reggae versions of The Cure's Just Like Heaven and it sounds awesome .... now, is that wrong? Certainly not..... but, if they're playing the song off-key on some segments of it... then it is wrong.
By the way.. the "you're not a cover band" comment wasn't intended for you, that was for Acid Burn's band.

Yes, I am MARX of SPRAKATAKS.... we've talked before. And for the record, I am not a better musician, better songwriter, better what not... I get criticized as much as you... even more .... but I never throw insults when I criticize... constructive criticism is more like it.... I've been doing music for too long that I tend to strive for people's reactions to my work.. I welcome comments, constructive criticisms ... but insults and personal attacks are a different matter.

[EZRA]

By the way... I've read Johann's review on your music.... his review is not of my concern, that's his opinion, not mine. If you have the time, listen to our stuff... www.sprakataks.com ... it's not the best out there.. and certainly not our best either... recorded in my basement... maybe you'll like it, maybe not.

[EZRA]

By the way.... the lady who wrote WISH.. Jullienne Guanzon.. is she TOTO's (Lemuel) older sis? Lyndon Guanzon, Theresa, etc.... if so, I know the whole Family.. say hi to Julliene for me next time you talk to her.. tell her it's KALI's and Mei-Ling's youngest brother.. Thanks.

[jpaolo]

Musta Marx, ikaw diay ni? Long time bai, sige paba kag chat sa irc?
hehe for my music, yeah I have to admit I was very young at 17 when I recorded the songs, and mostly just like punk music, it's the bahala na attitude type of mentality you throw into your music if all you wanna do is get back at that girl who hurt you and not bother getting into the hype of studio mastery. I don't really care for now if I'm not called a musician for having mis-timed beats, I have metronomes all over, but I thought, hey I don't need to use this, I'm in it for the fun, not the hype hehe. =) Sometimes u just have to look past the shortcomings, and find out what the person's point in that person's art, ngek corny, like Kurt Cobain's Vocals, you can't pass his hungaws kung nag kanta siya, but you just respect him because he's into the art and he started a whole new Original genre. About my grunge vocals, hehe, it's kinda hard for me to accept that we wrote those songs and performed it in Cebu 3 years before Creed, Nickeback, Default, Saliva, Tantric, and Puddle of Mud came out and already with the grungy voice (prolly influenced by nirvana), pero of course, what the hell am I talking about, they were meant to be signed and everything.

I think there's a difference between following somebody's vocal technique and music accompaniment style, and following somebody's vocal technique but with a whole different accompaniment style. Ang original songs sa acidburn, ang guitar riffs kay sounds like creed man giyud plus ang vocals pa, If we get into the song Wish, no the bars don't come from Extreme, but sounds like Extreme especially the strumming (but how else can you strum a hoppy ballad?) the first chord starts at B, then C - Em, D. and the chord changes every 4 counts, More than words on the other hand starts at G, Bm, C, Am, D, and changes chords every 2.5 secs. So i guess the learned ear can more or less catch these differences, and for the timing, hehe I wasn't thinking of that I guess, I was feeling the song from my heart and played with no hype, so as for Melissa and Deception and All the rest of the songs. hehe kataw-anan bai kay sa normal listener, I got reviews that those songs are good, but kung ang learned listener maminaw, you already know hehe. I don't expect to get signed, because my material isn't for the masses, but If I do, I would probably be more of a perfectionist and strict on perfecting the entirety of the songs. Bai, naa diay koy gi produce nga local band, check them out at http://mp3.com/pedrogil , I don't think the quality's really good and the direction, but I think I got better at recording and directing from the time I recorded those originals, especially with new recording gear, it's your decision.

About sa covering songs, no there's nothing wrong at all, but you can tell if a band is doing their own version, or is playing the song wrongly. I have to admit I am one who plays songs wrongly, that's why I know when this comes around. Oh sorry sa misinterpretation sa You are not a cover band.. I listened to your songs bai and you guys are good, especially with a girl vocalist (who can't be accused of using post-grunge vocals heheh) but roses always have thorns, but I don't wanna elaborate on that. Sige Marx, hope to see u in the chatroom. take care bai.

[jpaolo]

Bai, I'd really appreciate if you'll take time to listen to the rest of the songs, and gave me back a review coz mostly people only give me reviews for the first 3 songs giyud, like how you did, and when they can tell that this guy is a joke, they stop. Please bai. Thanks and more power.


Paolo

[EZRA]

I always take each and every musician seriously.... each and every one has his own artistic point of view and musicians express their art in a very personal way... maoy naka nindot sa music kay ma express ang imong gi bati and the masses can actually hear, realize, and even relate and sympathize sa imong pamati.

I think your music is very marketable and radio-friendly. Sayang lang dili kaayo in sync ang mga instruments on the breaks and transitions so dili kaayo ma appreciate ang musicianship pero if dili lang kaayo ko critical.. or sa ordinary listener's point of view, I think your songs are very decent, I guess that's why you get mad props from people.
As for WISH.. it's the first 2 bars ang naay similarity with MORE THAN WORDS.. different key perhaps pero same progression... pero the rest is totally your own

All in all I think your songs are good although dili kaayo ko fan sa mainstream rock.. medyo nabilin pa man ko sa 80's gud.. new waver lang gihapon, brit-pop/power-pop.. so among tukar murag ma sulti nga sunod sunod mi sa THE SUNDAYS or COCTEAU TWINS............ mao bitaw ni sibat ko sa AUBO kay among vocalist close-minded ra kaayo .. dili ganahan mo explore ug laing style, ug unsay sikat sa KROQ, mao iyang ganahan.
Anyhow.. among female vocalist mo quit na... sige na kog pang audition ug replacement karon... no gender preferences..

Si Johann diay naay laing banda.. RAMINI ang name.... metal na sila ron, check them sa MP3.COM .. murag http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/401/raminiabb.html or www.mp3.com/raminiabb man to ang URL.

[jpaolo]

Coincidence kaay Marx kay the people I work with karon are all into Power Pop and The Cocteau Twins hehe. PedroGil is a power-pop band, that's what they label themselves, and all of melody del mundo's songs are very coctwins-like. I've laiden-low on mainstream and got into what you're into pud. I visited Johann's site, the music's alright, that's rock and it's either you're in the bandwagon or not. Kaila ba kang Francis Jillian Saa Marx? Just a friend of mine. She knows Johann. Aite bai.

[EZRA]

Wala ko kailang Francis.... si Melody Del Mundo kauban mig gig diri last year sa NYC ... very SUNDAYS kaayo style niya... Sundays and Cocteau Twins... ganahan kos iyang style... trippy kaayo