New Music from what the thunder said

[Deeps]

Please give it a listen and lemme have your thoughts.

The new tune is Mullen.

Bounce and Algo are from a live EP.

Hope you enjoy it.

Full album by March we hope.

WTTS Myspace Link

[Baj]

thanks for the samples...sounds good... kinda gettin a "CAKE" feel atleast from the way the lyrics are delivered

awesome music though..really enjoyed what I heard

at the fundraiser show...and looking forward to seeing ya again.

[SmoothedShredder]

I like this tune. It's got a strong element of composition for you guys, and it's a real good tune for you guys live. I don't know if it's because of the effect/compression/mic used on the vocals, or if it's because of my space. But the production felt a bit 'in the box'. It's a cool effect and all, but if you can find a way to open it up at some point, put in some really clean and high organ or guitar solo... kinda like what Cake is able to do with their horn solo's and that Moog sound... you might have something with a little more pop... That's just my 2cents.

Keep up the good work!

[Boochawan]

Some really neat stuff goin on - I really like how it starts (i'm a fan of a shaker). Vocals are interesting, the phrasing is very reminiscent of Leo Kottke for me ("you wake up in the mornin' and you roll out of bed, you roll out of bed..."etc - it's a good thing!).

But i agree with smoothedshredder on the production comments...the keys feel a little heavy to me just before the two minute mark. It's very "wall-of-sound" esq, which can be cool if that's what you're going for.

Around 3:01, that full-band rhythmic breaks is an interesting compositional idea but, for me, it kinda collapses the momentum of the tune. The groove that takes the band out of the section at 3:14 is great - i'd like to hear more of that.

The drum filling/solo that happens around 3:45 has a lot of potential, but again it breaks the momentum (especially at the end, around 4:07). The sound of the drums themselves seem slightly flat (dense, not pitch) but i don't know if that is myspace, my computer speakers, or a combination of the two. I really like how the band comes out of that section at 4:09 to end the track - cool 70s rock/the doors groove...i'd like to hear more of that as well.

All in all a cool track, and i look forward to hearing the final cut...I hope "Bounce" is on there - i love that track!

peace,

booch

ps: you have a request for a new 'friend' on myspace

Edited February 8, 2006 by Guest

[secondtube]

a funky neat mario brothers guitar theme throughout the track.

not too bad.

gotta love the tight bass solo 3/4 ways through.

thanks for the link....the other two tracks weren't too bad at all either.

Good job.

[Tungsten Gruvsten]

sounds great - I think the guitar has a ground buzz that should be fixed(not only in the track but on the amp)-most noticeable around 3 minute mark...

nice stereo'ed guitars, leaves room in the middle, I say vocals up/keyboards down when they are both on and it's rocking!

[Deeps]

Thanks for the input guys and girls...I will listen to the tunes with this in mind.

Pleas check it out if you haven't yet ;-)

[StoneMtn]

I have no constructive criticism; only praise.

I listened to all three songs. I'm a fan.

[shitidiot]

i'm going to say sorry for what i'm thinking.

[MarcO]

the tune won't play for me.....

[Deeps]

i'm going to say sorry for what i'm thinking.

[spoilerq:1]what I said[/spoilerq]

[spoilera:1]No no please...let's have your thoughts. No no please...let's have your thoughts.

I'm sure they'll be amazing.

That is if we can work past the spelling and drool.

I caught the back end of that locked thread.

You're a genius....your a genius if that helps.

Locked thread.

[/spoilera]

What I should have said.

Please give me your thoughts. Just berating someone without actually doing it is boring.

Sorry for letting my emotions get the better of me there. Just trying to get some reasonable dialogue going here or at get some honest kicking of my ass. Tell me I suck, but be specific I guess.

Edited February 10, 2006 by Guest

[Cully]

wow Deeps your pretty brave for calling the big man on! Look out

[Biggest Fan]

My 2 cents for what its worth.

I love the sound of your group. It is pretty much where I am now in terms of what I enjoy the most. You have drunk rock and roll (moe)on one hand and indie/techno on the other. I like the somewhere in the middle. To often indie can only really be enjoyed when a person is all OO out. Not that there is antthing wrong with being OO out but that cannot be the only way to groove to the sound. I enjoy moe. a lot but I like something lets say a little more technical/techno. It seems 'what the...' falls into that happy medium.

The one thing that sticks out that takes away from the sound to some degree are the vocals. They are very strong and to a degree overwhelm (for no better word) the music itself.

Very relaxing and enjoyable groove.

[shitidiot]

what i should have said is this:

although i do think WTTS are talented musician, I'm personally not drawn to there sound. i find they're doing what most new jambands do, play uptempo funk grooves with quirky lyric. same old, same old. i personally think this is a mistake most new bands make, they try to play everything fast because they think faster is better. my opinion the sign of a good band is there ability to play slow, less note but the right notes. also songs, songs and more songs. i love jams, but only when there in a song. i feel like I'm being cheated when there no song. i don't connect to jams. i not walking out of the show being "man when he played that funky bass solo i really understood what he was trying to say. it really connected to me personally ." but hey that's just me. your musicianship is fine but i don't like your sounds. i find the keyboard sound like a cheap synth version. the cymbals sound thin and tinny (this could be the mp3) also find that there seems to be a lot of compression on the guitar (that's just a guess).

i might not write beautifully, but two things i do know are music and its not good idea to make enemies with people in the canadian music industry. we all have to work together to make shit happen.

[MarcO]

Deeps did you know you guys have two myspace sites?

#1?

#2?

could be confusing and the music doesn't work for me on the first one.

[mattm]

Hey Deeps (it's matt, mike's buddy from penetang),

I tried listening to the song but it wasn't working (maybe too many people downloading at the same time ). It tried to stream but it was too choppy to actually listen to. I'm going to try again later tonight. [Edit] Maybe I tried the wrong site, I'll try the other one, thanks MarcO [End Edit]

Personally I love you guys though being up in Ottawa I rarely get a chance to groove with you but it's all good. The NYE show was great and I can't wait until march 10 here in O-Town.

When's the NYE dvd going to be ready? Any chance I can grab a copy if I make it up for the basement jam?

Edited February 10, 2006 by Guest
read the topic above

[gentlemonkey]

i might not write beautifully, but two things i do know are music and its not good idea to make enemies with people in the canadian music industry. we all have to work together to make shit happen.

Thats the truth!

I had a listen, and there are some nice ideas going on for sure. Playing seems tight all around... As has been stated, the keyboard seems kinda loud. bass is kinda quiet for my tastes- on my speakers. I like the tone of the vocals, but I would prefer to hear the voice deliver some more melody.

Its a brave thing to ask a forum of people for opinions on personal art. Be it for comments on the production or the actual music. In my case, i admit I don't really listen to any music of this sort, so I am not initially drawn into it.. But there are shitloads of people who are- so it doesnt matter what anyone says really. There is a lot of potential, I think.. I will check out the band next time its through Ottawa.

[bradm]

For reference, What The Thunder Said will be playing at Mavericks in Ottawa with Lure and Inglewood Jack (the band I'm in) on Friday, March 10.

Aloha,

Brad

[Deeps]

When visual artists go to school they are put in a situation where they are critiqued and openly so.

They stand in the front of a room with their creation directly beside them and their peers, and teachers let 'em have it, they don't sugar coat it they don't shit coat it either.

They speak as artist to artist to critic and back again. They respect that each have have a basis for their opinions and both the artist and the critic understand that anything said may be taken and utilized or left behind, but it is of upmost importance to just say it and not take any of it too personally, it's only fertilizer for the creative mind nothing more.

Replace "artist" with musician and "critic" with appreciator, listener or expert and you'd have what we have here............

...uptempo funk grooves with quirky lyric. same old, same old. I personally think this is a mistake most new bands make, they try to play everything fast because they think faster is better.

I find the keyboard sound like a cheap synth version. the cymbals sound thin and tinny (this could be the mp3) also find that there seems to be a lot of compression on the guitar (that's just a guess).

I might not write beautifully, but two things i do know are music and its not good idea to make enemies with people in the canadian music industry.

We all have to work together to make shit happen.

I agree with all of the above on some levels, if not totally, and respect that people aren't going to be totally moved by an instrument's solo. Some will though.

As for there being a quirky lyric...interesting...maybe I'm not fully getting across what I think I am. It's happened before and I have made improvements in our recent ventures.

I feel the imagery in Mullen works well, but I agree that given more space to put lyrics the story could be fuller.

As a band we write the music together. Any attempt at a lyric is an individual pursuit to this point. In the group this needs to be and is carefully handled.

My main responsibility is to the group and I get the words in where I can with the intent of not overriding the energy of the music and thus disrespecting the collective place from whence the music started.

I like to make people move and get up out of their seats, and I find the voice to be a strange territory in that it takes on a soloist kind of thing. It overpowers and thus jumps forward of anyone in the band not singing, depreciating the energy (sometimes) and not reflecting a truly collectively effort (save full choruses where all sing).

On occasion (many) the Verse, Verse, Chorus, Verse, Instrumental Bridge, Chorus thing can be heard as Vox Solo, Vox Solo, Vox Solo (Chorus), Vox Solo, Unity, Vox Solo (chorus). Not cool when you are trying to have everyone's musical intention present. That being said I think member of our band are learning to jam with the voice in the mix, and are becoming more aware of such dynamics.

I'm trying to find the balance all the time.

As a Canadian music community I completely understand the need to work together. I am able accomplish this often. I guess I am trying to remove the back talking that can happen by just asking for the proper input. I don't want to be stroked. I get enough of that and the people around here have been around, they're educated and are ecclectic listeners thus I want to hear their real input.

Either way WTTS is gonna make what they make and feel good that they are contributing to music in an overall positive way. I'd like to be an ecclectic band, so thanks for working with me and opening up some doors to improvement. It took a couple of kicks at it but I got your opinion out of you and I have gained a lot of respect for this e-person called "shitidiot".

In terms of how you write...it's really fine, I was just teasing becasue the homo this and homo that really gets under my skin. Normally I try to ignore it, but it really just gets me...to a fault some times, so I jumped on a personal thing of yours that doesn't really matter and doesn;t really bother me in the grand scheme.

By the way....taking pictures of beers in the afternoon and being funny as hell about your afternoon party was and still is amusing.

I hope there is no bad blood.

Deeps

[MarcO]

As a band we write the music together. Any attempt at a lyric is an individual pursuit to this point. In the group this needs to be and is carefully handled.

My main responsibility is to the group and I get the words in where I can with the intent of not overriding the energy of the music and thus disrespecting the collective place from whence the music started.

I like to make people move and get up out of their seats, and I find the voice to be a strange territory in that it takes on a soloist kind of thing. It overpowers and thus jumps forward of anyone in the band not singing, depreciating the energy (sometimes) and not reflecting a truly collectively effort (save full choruses where all sing).

On occasion (many) the Verse, Verse, Chorus, Verse, Instrumental Bridge, Chorus thing can be heard as Vox Solo, Vox Solo, Vox Solo (Chorus), Vox Solo, Unity, Vox Solo (chorus). Not cool when you are trying to have everyone's musical intention present. That being said I think member of our band are learning to jam with the voice in the mix, and are becoming more aware of such dynamics.

Interesting post Steve.

The thought that struck me as I read this was that musicians should be slaves to the song, not the other way around. The "musical intention" of the individual members is far less important - to me, as a listener - than the song itself. Start with the songs themselves and do what is right for them, not for yourselves or each other.

You guys are heading in the right directions and have come a long way since I first heard you about a year ago. I believe good things will happen to you in 2006. I also believe the best way to extend and develop this progression is to tighten up the tunes themselves and keep creating new ones, to try to keep getting better at it.

Just my $0.02 dude, in light of this conversation.

(ps – one thing I always wondered – is Paul, Mike or Fraser on this board at all?)

[Deeps]

They are not on this board, but I will definitely send them toward this thread.

The song is the group and the group is the song. It's a tough distinction and all you wanna do is keep it together and try not to compromise too much in any one direction.

2006 will be interesting...it's improves all the time....it's just a matter of stepping away and getting people's opinions and willing to have a pop sensibility. Not an easy sell in the group when just jamming feels as good as it does. I think we're doing alright though.

The myspace thing should be rectified by the weekend in terms of there being 2 of them as far as songs not playing....I think you'd have to contact myspace about that.

Deeps

[Dr. J]

Start with the songs themselves and do what is right for them, not for yourselves or each other.

Deeps, unfortunately the sound on my computer is screwed up (basically i don't have any), so i can't listen to the tunes, but if I'm not in Toronto, I hope to be at the show @ Mavericks in Ottawa on the 10th.

Over time I have come to appreciate the wisdom that is Marco. His take on songwriting seems to me worthy of careful consideration (as is all the input). Reminds me of when Leonard Cohen was awarded the Governor General's medal for literature and declined saying, "The poems themselves forbid it, absolutely."

[The Chameleon]

I listened to all three tunes. I really liked the arrangements, most of all. You can really teel that careful thought has been given as to where small musical hooks and phrases go. Basically everyone stays out of everyones way musically. Which is good.

The little unision guitar/bass riffs that occur and shots that happen time to time are very effective in giveing the music corners. Well done.

My only piece of constructive criticism would be that there is a really roomy sound. Menaing you can hear the sound of the room in the production. But this has been said and ultimately it is the music that matters. (Althought he live track at the end didn't sound like this)

Finally, in the first tune sometimes when the musci gets dense the vocals get a little washed out.

I also really like your drummer's sense of when to subdivided the beat into 16th, or 32nd note rhythms, it really helped propell the groove and held my interest.

All and all

Edited February 10, 2006 by Guest

[Deeps]

Cool.

What's posted on myspace is the first mix.

We are going in next week to iron out the details. We as a band have noticed the quieter vocal and have it written down.

We gots some plans, dats foh sho.

Deeps

[Biggest Fan]

It is funny in that I can never tell what is being said in the 'vocals' of a song but they are such an important part of the music. I agree with the points that someone said about just keep playing and the things will tighten up by themselves and with the idea of keep writing/singing/playing and let the creativity evolve.