|
Post by manus21 on Oct 6, 2011 15:31:16 GMT -5
thanks for the update! Sounds really exciting
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 8, 2011 9:10:37 GMT -5
Thanks for update! Make sure this record has some "oompf" will ya? That dark captivating style we've heard with Many Lives and Honour the Dead is far superior to the showtunesy orchestral stuff. Genre concerns are in the ears of the listener, not the creator; at least, that's been my experience. "Many lives" is the most showtuney song I've recorded (excepting "Do you love" and the stuff on Plays to please). Any gay dude or a man working with traditionally 'classical' instrumentation is going to get accusations of "showtune". To my mind, it is not a disparagement. Show tunes run the gamut from My Favourite Music Ever (Stephen Sondheim's Sunday in the park with George) to Indelible Classics of American Art (Cole Porter, Gershwin Bros.) to campy jazz-hands (Glee) to superpopular shitburgers ( Phantom, Wicked). One of my closest friends, a fellow musician, once criticized my songwriting tendencies as veering toward showtunes. I didn't know what he meant; I still don't know what he meant. But it's true, I have no ear for what is jazz-hands and what is art. Currently I'm seeking to tap into a form of aggression that is sterile, de-masculinized. Dissonance as a natural state instead of a weapon. "Oomph" as you describe it suggests something that I'm not interested in, or at least, not right now, or not consciously. Showtunes, on the other hand, well; what do you mean? Operatic singing? Jazz hands? I guess the operatic singing is a part of it. I don't really like most of British prog rock for the same reason. I don't hear any jazz hands it's not that bad lol. You know how you used to actually scream in Many Lives? It was more edgy and cool. Running scared music instead of music for a nice walk in the woods. There was more of a tension I dunno I just feel like its not there as much lately. I'm sure you are still totally capable of bringing this kind of energy so ya. Basically I want to hear more direct, dark trancey stuff as opposed to meandering, whispy arrangements. At the end of the day it your music though. Sterile? You're going for that? Why?
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 8, 2011 11:20:46 GMT -5
The core ideas of a lot of the songs are great I think its just the way you embellish them.
Your early live stuff you did more with less and it was really inspiring now it seems like you are doing less with more if that makes any sense.
Im still looking forward to whatever you end up doing next.
|
|
|
Post by ionut on Oct 9, 2011 23:46:35 GMT -5
No matter how much it pains me to break my lurking on this board, I just need to note that you are most sincere musician ever, Owen. <3
|
|
|
Post by skuldchan on Oct 10, 2011 0:32:52 GMT -5
It's hard to decide, as a creator, how your work is going to be accepted by everyone else. Because the creator doesn't judge the art, it's all in the subjective eyes of the audience. I'm actually kind of sad that somebody on this board called your music "showtunesy orchestral stuff," because so far as I am concerned, Heartland was the best damn shit I listened to in 2010. I'm not really sure what other people mean when they say that certain styles are "showtunes," and I think you're right, maybe it's a gay bias. If so, that's kind of sad that people tend to evaluate your sexuality along with your music. Perhaps it's inescapable, but I'd like to think your melodies are more complex and more motivated than just having the trappings of being gay.
|
|
|
Post by ben on Oct 10, 2011 7:28:46 GMT -5
Currently I'm seeking to tap into a form of aggression that is sterile, de-masculinized. Dissonance as a natural state instead of a weapon. "Oomph" as you describe it suggests something that I'm not interested in, or at least, not right now, or not consciously. It comes as a great relief to read this. It's like, finally, a musician who actually gives a shit about gender relations, about humanity and its problems. It feels to me like we as a society have hit a brick wall in terms of progression and artistic endeavours such as this one are the only chinks of light in that wall.
|
|
|
Post by asdisbjork on Oct 15, 2011 10:07:54 GMT -5
To come out of my lurking at this forum.. Well, from what I heard last night at Iðnó I really liked this new direction you're going for even though the old stuff never really gets old either. Definitely looking forward to what's coming next! Oh and thank you so much for a mind blowing show, both yesterday and the other day at Kaffibarinn, you were amazing.
|
|
Alyssa!
Go Away
I'm out on the street with an open case and a mandolin and with every coin I am born again
Posts: 437
|
Post by Alyssa! on Oct 17, 2011 0:32:09 GMT -5
It comes as a great relief to read this. It's like, finally, a musician who actually gives a shit about gender relations, about humanity and its problems. It feels to me like we as a society have hit a brick wall in terms of progression and artistic endeavours such as this one are the only chinks of light in that wall. I'm glad that a more well-known musician is examining and taking a stance on these things. There is, and has always been, a very strong tradition of queer and allied bands, of femme and feminist rockers, of protest music, that doesn't enter the realm of popularity. Or the agendas of musicians get distorted or altered by the popular spotlight (for example, I really don't think the music press has any idea of what sufjan stevens is talking about, and has labeled him strangely; Adele's comments on fat-positivity, the ones that have made news, tend to be snarky and unsubstantive ones and not more reflective ones). The popular culture is that it is always, in hidden ways, feeding off of subcultures and the avant-garde; this means that, although it doesn't get the spotlight, these strains of critical reflection in music ARE part of the culture's "progression." At the very least, they're worth examining as alternate paths that liberation and identity take.
|
|