[evollove]

Female singer, mostly, although I sing a verse or two. Lo-fi indie whatever.

I realize my desperation has an unpleasant odor, but I can't pretend to be cool and casual about it. I've been making music since I was 13, but due to very high standards and a very low self-esteem, I haven't released anything. Don't want to bother anyone.

But I genuinely feel I'm not wasting anyone's time. There are a few details I don't like, which were mostly out of my control, but I'm satisfied with most of it. And it's only 17.5 minutes, so I don't feel like I'm asking people to rearrange their day.

This is conceivably the only thing I'll ever release, so I'm eager to have as many people listen to it as possible.

This is a unique situation, and hand on my heart, I'll never spam again.

[Rob Instigator]

I will jam on it. BRB

[Drjohnrock]

Originally Posted by evollove

This is a unique situation, and hand on my heart, I'll never spam again.

https://www.facebook.com/KellyMatthew-503591230003576

You certainly aren't a spammer. You post a lot of thoughtful stuff and don't make a habit of promoting your own stuff on the board. You don't have to apologize for wanting people to hear your band.

I listened to a couple of the tunes on Bandcamp. Interesting stuff. I'll listen to the rest this weekend when I have more time before commenting further on the music.

[TheMadcapLaughs]

The struggle is real. I'm listening now!

I just remembered when you added drums to one of my soundcloud songs ages ago. That was cool!

Oh and I liked your fb page, looking forward to hearing more tunes. I liked "I'll Leave Laughing" alot, it's got that 90's lo-fi indie vibe i like

[evollove]

Thanks

And if you're paying too much for car insurance, let me set you up with one of our fine representatives.

[tesla69]

I enjoyed listened through the songs
- they were compelling enough so I wanted to hear the next one
- Attic Is Flooding/Too Much could make a fine 45
- when Porter sings, it reminds me of the Young Marble Giants on some songs - which I liked at any rate
- I like the electric guitar sound on these recordings
- for basement recordings there are some [good]things going on that don't sound like my basement recordings in the 80's...
- honestly, I didn't care for Somethings, maybe it needs more instrumental time and space where it has too much vocals all too quickly - but there is a groove in there!

Thanks. I clicked through to the bandcamp site

[Kuhb]

Especially enjoyed Come Clean. Made me want to hop on the drums and play along. Gave it a FB 'Like'. Keep it up! Will listen again later on

[evollove]

^ Thanks homie!

Originally Posted by tesla69

- when Porter sings, it reminds me of the Young Marble Giants on some songs - which I liked at any rate
- I like the electric guitar sound on these recordings
- for basement recordings there are some [good]things going on that don't sound like my basement recordings in the 80's...
- honestly, I didn't care for Somethings, maybe it needs more instrumental time and space where it has too much vocals all too quickly - but there is a groove in there!

I've always liked your taste, so this is awfully nice. I think we were aiming for something better than demos, but not polished too smoothly. Funny, I doubt the singer has heard of YMG, but they were often in the back of my mind, holding me back from getting too indulgent.

I agree about "Somethings." It's a good riff than never gelled into a good song.

[!@#$%!]

Originally Posted by evollove

https://kellymatthew.bandcamp.com

Female singer, mostly, although I sing a verse or two. Lo-fi indie whatever.

I realize my desperation has an unpleasant odor, but I can't pretend to be cool and casual about it. I've been making music since I was 13, but due to very high standards and a very low self-esteem, I haven't released anything. Don't want to bother anyone.

But I genuinely feel I'm not wasting anyone's time. There are a few details I don't like, which were mostly out of my control, but I'm satisfied with most of it. And it's only 17.5 minutes, so I don't feel like I'm asking people to rearrange their day.

This is conceivably the only thing I'll ever release, so I'm eager to have as many people listen to it as possible.

This is a unique situation, and hand on my heart, I'll never spam again.

whaaaaaaaat?

just caught this! wow

i had no idea

look, i have to start work in 2 minutes and my good internet doesn’t come on till later, but i’ll try to have a listen throughout the workday if i can manage

[Severian]

Originally Posted by evollove

https://kellymatthew.bandcamp.com

Female singer, mostly, although I sing a verse or two. Lo-fi indie whatever.

I realize my desperation has an unpleasant odor, but I can't pretend to be cool and casual about it. I've been making music since I was 13, but due to very high standards and a very low self-esteem, I haven't released anything. Don't want to bother anyone.

But I genuinely feel I'm not wasting anyone's time. There are a few details I don't like, which were mostly out of my control, but I'm satisfied with most of it. And it's only 17.5 minutes, so I don't feel like I'm asking people to rearrange their day.

This is conceivably the only thing I'll ever release, so I'm eager to have as many people listen to it as possible.

This is a unique situation, and hand on my heart, I'll never spam again.

Hey man, you and your band-mate here have an obvious knack for making keen, immediate, punchy indie rock and you should totally feel good about that and promote the hell out of it — especially if this is the realization of a life-long dream or goal that you thought you might never meet.

First thing I noticed (and I'm hoping and actually assuming that this will be taken as a compliment) is that the girl has a vocal timber that is instantly reminiscent of Kim Deal. There's a nice breathy quality to her voice that just kind of makes the brain say, "More please." But it's not so Kim Dealy that it sounds like a ripoff or even an homage. So that's good. Also wisps of Cat Power and another female vocalist I can't quite identify.

You (you're the guy I'm assuming?) on the other hand sound as much like Nick Cave on some of these songs as she sounds like Kim Deal. So that's pretty cool, and makes for a nice combination of tones in terms of the singing.

The songs are pretty classic basement-indie — pretty standard in terms of structure — but there's an interesting hint of the angular sound of post-punk in the guitar dynamics. A little bit Slint, a little bit Sleater-Kinney... and so on.
I've been in bands and been around musicians enough to know that for some people being compared to another artist is like being pissed on, so I hope that's not your mindset because I have an analytical approach to this stuff, and I process new music from the "top down" (I note the familiar first) which makes comparison and contextualization an absolute necessity for me. That's why you'll hear me say shit like, "(X) is the (Y) of (Z)" — Kanye's the Beatles of hip-hop, or Unwound is the "alternate 1985" Nirvana, etc. It's not meant to dismiss; just to place in context.

What's really important here, I think, is that you have an approach that is interesting. I like the way the notes plop down around each other just in time. It's clean but also sounds off-the-cuff, and that's a cool balance to strike. I also like the fact that the songs are structured on minor chords and slightly atonal sounds, but are still infectious and catchy. There's obviously charisma and talent here.

I dig the first track, and i dig the last track. The last track is nicely weird, and makes me think of Xiu Xiu a bit.

Now, I do have to say that the chord progression in the chorus of "Come Clean" is just way too major-chord-punky for me. It's a little weird because the rest of what I'm hearing is decidedly more weird and structurally interesting... then this chorus comes on and it sounds so totally normal that I almost forget that I was just quietly marveling at the restrained fuzziness of the guitar few seconds prior.
It's not really a bad thing, it's just not an aural turn-on for me, personally. Three-chord stuff makes my brain turn off pretty quickly unless there's something super weird about it.

Another "note" I have is that you guys need a different name. Kelly/Matthew makes me think of "Matt and Kim," which makes me think of the most generic indie girl and guy tripe this side of whatever that godawful band Zooey Deschanel had with her boyfriend or gay best friend or whatever (She and Him? I think it was actually fucking She and Him. Ugh!), know what I'm saying?
I know you said this might be the only thing you do, but if that's the case, for Christ's sake choose a better name. Go into Bandcamp right now and rename your band the first thing that comes to mind.

Like... Uh... Basement Aches. Ok? That's the name of the EP or whatever, right? Not a tremendous band name, but it's pretty much 200 million times better than Kelly/Matthew.

I'm not trying to be a dick about that or anything. I'm trying to be helpful because you seem super into this, and I promise that even if everything else I'm saying is complete hogwash and horseshit, the band name thing is *objectively* good advice that you should absolutely take.

Honestly though, I think you should keep this up. I like what I'm hearing enough to be interested and take note and check out future releases. Keep playing together and fusing as musicians. Do weird shit. There's an undeniably deft hand at work here, and you guys clearly intuitively understand something about composition that some people (like myself) fail to grasp even after dozens of attempts.

[noisereductions]

dude. There's a new Weezer album out today, and I listened to your band first. Take that as the highest of high NR compliments.

y'know that thing when a friend makes some kind of art and you're kind of nervous to check it out because you know you will have to say *something* and you're like "ugh what if I don't like it? I need to be honest..." ? Well, all that anxiety left me within the first few moments.

You guys should be really proud of this. It's really really good. For realsies. Going back to Weezer - I'm always proud to share my love of a band that people hate. So you know I'm telling you the truth here. I don't pretend to like stuff that I don't.

Kelly's voice is GD lovely. Soft, vulnerable but not cloying. And it fits the tonal quality of the instumentation perfectly. Fittingly, your own voice juxtaposes against her in a really interesting way.

"I'll Leave Laughing" is a great opener. Really understated. And flows well into "Come Clean." "Lucia" is really pretty. Reminds me a bit of maybe a Moe Tucker VU track, or something Georgia would've sang on a YLT record. "Acado" is fucking weird, in a good way. Which brings me to a point that while all the songs here feel like they belong together, there's no samey-ness that can bog down a lot of bands. "Somethings" is like an 80s rock-pop thing. Reminds me a bit of like the Sentridoh version of Bryan Adams' "Run To You" or something. Speaking of influence, because we all try to draw these lines, I can't help but here an 80's indie vibe... like I'm thinking of Joy Division or Echo & The Bunnymen - at least in the guitar tone?

Anyway dude, you say this is maybe the only thing you'll release? Why? This is such a strong intro to this duo. Y'all should really keep at it.

[Severian]

Pff.. mine’s better

[evollove]

I didn't read either. Just tell me how many stars for fucks sake.

[!@#$%!]

btw ive managed to download the album to my garbage android phone

now if i could just figure out how to play it— ha! spotify won’t see the files

this weekend for sure i’ll sort it out.

btw it’s been such a swamped week — and i don’t work with music— instead i have this endless tic-toc that tells me when to work and when to stop. no, im not a masochist— just very easily distracted.

[noisereductions]

Spotify app doesn't easily play local files. Just use Play Music the stock Android app to play em.

[Severian]

Originally Posted by noisereductions

Spotify app doesn't easily play local files. Just use Play Music the stock Android app to play em.

S’cuz Spotify eats a shit. Android eats a shit. But ya’ll know this is my take.
Funnily enough, I was able to download immediately and import into iTunes, which plays my on my god-damned Apple Music. So.. haha.

Buuut, playing in the Bandcamp app is easy. Playing in the browser is easy.

Anyway, back to the thing by those people, Matt & Kim. Er, She & Him. Yeah, that thing evollove is doing.

(Serious business bro: I know she’s a girl and is therefore better than you in every way, and you wish to please her, but change than name dawg. Change that non-band kinda-name right now, so you don’t have to tell your kids stories about how you once had a band, and see them vomit in their mouths when they hear what said band was called. /REALTALK)

[!@#$%!]

Originally Posted by noisereductions

Spotify app doesn't easily play local files. Just use Play Music the stock Android app to play em.

thanks! it’s the weekend at last— will have time to look for it

[noisereductions]

Originally Posted by Severian

S’cuz Spotify eats a shit. Android eats a shit. But ya’ll know this is my take.
Funnily enough, I was able to download immediately and import into iTunes, which plays my on my god-damned Apple Music. So.. haha.

see oddly enough I streamed it from bandcamp on my Android phone w/ zero problems. But you go ahead and upgrade to a $1,000 phone so you can get some animated emojis, ye Apple Loyal.

[!@#$%!]

lol phone warz. let’s not drive ebola’s thread off a cliff

anyway, amazon music was able to open it and play it in the correct order better than the files thing.

so i listened this morning before getting out of bed— and liked it! and i’m listening to it again while i write this.

i like the songs, they’re good. im talking about them as “tunes” not as “sung words”. i rarely “get” lyrics, so you could be singing in japanese and it would be the same to me. so my comments are not about words, except to say— the words don’t bother me (more often than not lyrics bother me when i understand them).

having said that, i think you’re generally hiding the vocals in the mix. they’re too low for me. maybe that’s the effect you want but comes across as... shy? no— you’re in front of a microphone— belt it out or turn up the faders. in parts of attic is flooding she’s barely audible. gotta pay attention to the dynamics of the mix. also sounds like your loudest sound is generally coming from the bassier part of the spectrum which might muddle things a bit.

the impression overall i get is that these songs could have been in one of those KRS compilations from the early 90s— you know the ones i’m talking about? except updated, this is not a late 80s/early 90s sound— it’s less rockist, mellower, clearly post-noise. i hear a little bit of yo la tengo / wye oak in it (ylt when you sing, wye oak when she does or maybe war paint). but what i mean by all this is that i hear a budding indie band that needs to maybe work on polishing up some details but sounds fundamentally good and can go far.

i’m sorry to disappoint your horrible fears and leave your fretting hanging out to dry, but you don’t suck. good tunes, good guitar, her voice is nice (just mixed too low) and i generally hate men singing but you actually do a decent job so i don’t hate your singing.

now get to work on your mix and you’re good to go. and please get on spotify so i can lissen to you on the regular and pay you a fraction of a penny for each replay. come on!

[Severian]

Originally Posted by noisereductions

see oddly enough I streamed it from bandcamp on my Android phone w/ zero problems. But you go ahead and upgrade to a $1,000 phone so you can get some animated emojis, ye Apple Loyal.

Oh I’m not doing that. Fuck that. I’m actually super pissed at Apple about its new phone releases. My 7 is still working great, and most people I know don’t have anything above a 6. Fuck that 8 AND the “X.” I don’t pay $1,000 for something that’s going to be irrelevant in a year. Nope. No way.


Anyway, let’s not talk phones in this dude’s thread. If Apple keeps going down this path, I’ll switch to a google pixel or some shit.