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Post by festivus on Aug 7, 2006 8:17:02 GMT -5
this is the best web board ever.
where is everyone?
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Post by me on Aug 9, 2006 9:43:21 GMT -5
yeah, the board's not bad, but i think it's the complete lack of people that really makes it something special. it's very peaceful. i like to come here and think in silence. you know - meditate, reflect. om. but as long as you're here, whaddya wanna talk about? i managed to pick up the new album last week. harsh criticisms aside, it's pretty solid.  good deal. |
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Post by festivus on Aug 9, 2006 23:11:22 GMT -5
where did you get the new album? are you fooling with me? i'm dying to hear new stuff already, the myspace songs are rad. what harsh criticisms?  |
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Post by me on Aug 10, 2006 9:35:31 GMT -5
i picked it up online somewhere, i forget the name of the place. allegro something? i googled the album and happened to come across them claiming it was "in stock". sure enough...
anyway, mostly kidding about the flaws.
pros: a great bunch of songs, with no embarrasing filler like "dirty bitch". love the reprise. love "oh lord", and "iraq is dead" was a nice surprise, didn't know that would be on there. i would agree with the pr 100% - this is the most lyrically & sonically cohesive, most fully realized vision of any capitol years record so far.
cons: i don't care for some of the production. the layered vocals (and please tell me that's not pitch correction) that add such a great lush, full sound to the slower numbers make rock songs like "long time" lose any sense of chaos and instead sound a bit sterile and contained. other songs, "you can stay there" comes to mind, suffer similarly. i remember that one being a high point of the new tracks in their live set, but here on record it's slowed down & sounds deliberate and plodding. the sequencing and transitions between songs are also abrupt and jarring sometimes - it's the one thing i would say comes across like an afterthought rather than part of any strong "vision".
obviously, i'm getting pretty nitpicky now, so i'll stop there - it's probably starting to sound like i really don't like this album, which is definitely not true. it's a much mellower album than "let them drink", and they've hopped away from some of the genres i like best from them on this one, but overall it's a very strong record, totally worth yr money. if you like the stuff you've heard on myspace you're gonna love it.
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Post by capitol shai on Aug 11, 2006 16:02:30 GMT -5
no pitch correction on this one...though if i had it i would have probably used it.
not sure how you got the record already but glad you sort of dig it.
we'll see what happens...
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Hex Confusion Generator
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Post by Hex Confusion Generator on Aug 24, 2006 18:23:57 GMT -5
Shai,
I don’t know if you read this board regularly, but I have a couple of questions.
First of all, I envy that guy who has the album already. Secondly want to say that I find the complaint regarding the production to be a bit silly. From what I’ve heard of the tunes posted on myspace, the production is not cumbersome and allows the tunes to really come across clear. “Long Time,” “Mirage People” and “You can stay” have lodged themselves in my brain to a degree I can’t fully explain. I play music too and it seems I can’t escape these melodies when trying to write myself. The production is not a hindrance, in my opinion, but a help: I love the layered vocals. To tell you the truth I almost felt the production was too flimsy on Let Them Drink, as great as that album is.
Anyway, I guess the first thing I’m curious about is how you go about writing tunes. Like do you immediately push “record” on your recording device at home (which one is that by the way?) or do you play a riff and it stays with you by memory. Or, conversely, do your tunes grow out of your jams with the other guys? Do you usually bring in a lot of stuff to rehearsals? I’m sorry I sound like a reporter but the Capitol Years are as important to me as Floyd is to some people. I’m immensely curious. O yeah, and do you come up with topics and then think of music to express them? Or do you come up with music and then think of accompanying topics?
That relates to my next question. So “Mirage People” is a subtle commentary on the sad state of the music scene? And what do you imagine “ You can stay there” to be about? I know you like to keep some of these things vague but I honestly wonder.
I was talking to the Clientele’s tour manager and he said your solo set opening up in Philly was cool. My bro wanted to go but it was sweltering.
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Post by capitol shai on Aug 25, 2006 11:34:16 GMT -5
hey Hex, thanks for all the kind words...if you live 200 miles or less from Philadelphia, please make sure to come to the cd release show on Sept. 16th. i have no idea how someone got the cd so early, as a purchase online no less, but i suppose it's possible. as for songwriting questions, that's always tricky as it seems to change over the years, months, even day to day. people have different ways of writing and different songs come out in different ways. the ideal for capitol years songs is when a song comes together very quickly...by sitting and strumming, not thinking too much, and somehow getting a good 2 or 3 different parts for a song. another preferred way is if somehow a song pops in your head and seems good enough to sit down and work out or record in order to remember...often enough it pops in your head with some words which helps as far a basic direction to go in lyrically. a lot of people record these quick song ideas on a handheld tape record which i used to do back in the day. these days i have to use a program on the computer, which doesnt really help with 'the moment'...so, whatever way is quickest and easiest to record some ideas is probably best... the song idea, or the cool riff/part is the first challenge, but actually remembering the song is another challenge. as for 'topics'...sometimes the topic comes first, sometimes later, and sometimes it's complete nonsense...which later turns into a topic for some people. and Mirage People...not sure if you ever heard the backstory on that one, but it's all laid out here and it was quite a memorable day: www.philebrity.com/?p=1519hope you enjoy the record when you get it...and come see us live wherever you are. -s |
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Hex Confusion Generator
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Post by Hex Confusion Generator on Aug 27, 2006 20:47:24 GMT -5
Shai, Thanks very much for your thoughtful answers. I wish I could go to your record release but i live on the other coast now. I used to live in NY--that's where i got turned on to the CY. I saw you every time you came up. By the way, i noticed your only playing one night in l.a. then it's off the long beach. Would you consider 2 nights up here? I recorded a kind of a reaction to Mirage People called "the conceptus". What I thought the original song was about (sort of incorrectly) was a commentary on challenging ourselves to try harder with music. So my idea was to lay out my meager goals of playing the echo and recording an album away from my bedroom. If you ever get a chance you can check it out at www.myspace.com/conceptus. I had to add the intro to get the song near 3 minutes. Yes I've gotten dropped you a message via myspace before. You're probably like: "this godamn incessant fan. Why can't we hear from some other guys?" |
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Post by capitol shai on Aug 28, 2006 10:06:08 GMT -5
no, we're usually thinking, ""this godamn incessant fan. Why can't we hear from some other girls?"
we are in fact playing more than one night in LA...probably 3 or 4.
so just stay tuned and we'll have the dates updated soon.
we'll check the song on myspace.
thanks,
-s
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Post by Hex Reductor on Sept 12, 2006 20:56:00 GMT -5
The Capitol Years are not a good band.
We look forward to your shows in los angeles. 4 nights of music in town would be something. I wouldn't be suprised if started some kind of small-scale revolution. Lemme know if you need some localized promotion on yr behalf. I work at UCLA and could get some shit around there or something.
By the way,
It's a shame the Burning Brides skipped town for los angeles.
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Post by chris on Sept 12, 2006 23:00:33 GMT -5
hey Hex,
yes, please email me at chris(at)parkthevan.com
we could always use your help street-team style.
there will def. be at least 4 shows in the area.
should be cool.
-c
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