Here's my songs:
www.mp3.com/blindslim

The first 3 are the funky stuff, and I'm doing more in that direction. It's all live, all recorded on my old 8-track, in my house.

I was TRYING to go for early Prince - early like Head, The Time's first record, etc. I ENDED UP with something more like, I dunno - bad new wave bands - too sterile, I guess.

So I'm open to input, arrangement, mixing, recording, whatever. I've checked out your posts of music, so I know you're all trying for the same thing. Maybe we can trade off tips here.

I just listened to the first 3 tracks on the mp3 page and I really like them! That's some booty-shakin' music!


Is that you singing lead? Good voice. This is really great stuff. Good arrangements and instrumentation. Good lyrics too!

I do everything myself too, but its all keyboards and me singing. So I don't have any recording tips, because everything I do is MIDI and I'm just learning about digital audio. I admire anyone who can produce decent stuff on a home 8-track.


Super Hot Lady Cop is a kick-ass song. The brige is great.

Come on Baby is really groovy as well. This is really funky stuff. I dig the baseline and the rhythm guitar part. Really solid groove. I really like the ending! And the lyrics are great! I love it! "Don't you say a peep, while I smack yo sexy ass!" Good arrangement, you really know how to "break it down."

I only have two suggestions for this one.
1. The vocals aren't very strong when you sing high. Either work on that or get someone else to do it. It's not terible, just a suggestion because your voice is sooo strong otherwise and its quite a constrast. Nothing wrong to give a lead vocal part to another person, remember 1999?

2. I hear a harmonica on this song (in my head) and it sounds like you recorded something like it, but I'm not sure what it is. Whatever it is, it needs to be clearer throughout the whole song. Maybe its my 56k modem. But, I feel like a lot more can be done with it anyway. I just hear a lot more harmonica riffs in my head.

Show Her My Oh Face. This is what The Family should have sounded like! You got the funky guitar, a better voice than St. Paul... Imagine what this would sound like with some sax and a female back up singer?!?!

Keep us posted if you get a Dr.Fink-like keyboard player. This sounds really good. I don't think this is too sterile, just because you set out to write a certain style and it doesn't come out that way doesn't mean it isn't good. Don't force it to sound like anything because that would make it sterile. If you're not happy with it, then keep listening to what you want to compare it to and make adjustments.

For example, Head is a lot more sparce than what you got here, but just because a song inspires you to write something, doesn't mean the whole thing should follow the same path. Let it take you on a journey! I'm sure you know all this, I'm just trying to be supportive.

Thanks. I didn't play everything on there - the drums were somebody else, as well as the bass, harp and some guitars. I tried to include the whole band on it.

There is harmonica on "Come On Baby" - Lindsey Mercer from Memphis. He tore it up on there... just looking for something to make it different than the usual 4-piece.

Thanks for your input. I'm going to have some newer stuff up within the next week or two. I'm trying to wrap up some new material.

I'll keep the tip about the falsetto voice - I never sing it like that live, I don't know what I was thinking.
[This message was edited Thu Jan 16 9:41:37 PST 2003 by otan]

VERY COOL!! Nice grooves, and plenty o' soul!!! Have you considered horns?? The mixes are nice, maybe a bit heavy in the low mid area, but could be my setup also. Been workin w/ an old PC using Cubase, Acid, Sonar, whatever i can find. I do everything myself so the musicianship isnt where i'd like it to be, but good enough for getting the idea down. Are you mixing and editing digitally?? If so, what are you using? May be able to help ya in that area. Got some things up at www.mp3.com/kevinhendrick. demo quality mostly. Can also check out www.alextorres.com for some of my horn arranging and writing. Salsa, Merengue and Latin Jazz.


Keep pumpin' them out!!

I think everything was mixed analog on an old Tascam 8-track.The final 'mastering' (if you'd call it that) was done in SoundForge - I just added a little more verb overall, as well as compression, and then checked the levels between the songs so that they're all in the same volume range.

Horns would be good. I just got a violin off of ebay ($50!) and I'm thinking about adding some strings to my new songs.

Oh, sure, I know what you're thinking, and you're right. I have NO idea how to play violin. I've seen other folks do it -- it can't be THAT hard to just pull a couple of notes out of it, right? I'm trying. I don't know what the end result will be. Right now, all I'm doing is scaring my cat.

latjazz1 said:

I dont know. I find i have the most fun playin instruments i dont really know how to play. Makes me go w/ what sounds good to me. Kinda freeing in a sense. I scare my dog often. Frustrating part is not being able to execute the ideas i have. So, always looking to collaborate. Cubase has a thing called the Rocket Network where ya exchange entire song files. Can do the same type of thing w/ Sonar. Have done internet collab. w/ a friend and its a cool process. One of us puts down a track or 2 then sends it on, then it just grows as it goes back and forth. Then if I have time, i like to go back and re-mix the tracks, maybe change the form, add things here and there, give it some production. I find good gear to be KEY to good sound, which i am lacking. If doin the digital audio thing, a high end sound card makes a HUGE difference. Would recommend "Home Recording" magazine. It's got great stuff for the home studio. Focuses mostly on PC recording, but always encourages the use of analog. Thought ya may find it helpful. Later.