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 Post subject: Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 4:48 am 
The only problem with Smarter to me is the fact that there's clearly a Say Anything guitar riff on top of an Eisley song. However, Max did write it, if I remember correctly, and was clearly playing it, so I imagine that it will be a little more subtle on record...unless Max recorded it, too. I personally like it, but yeah, it is sort of in the vein Taking Control (and I already said how I felt about that). I just hope it's at least released as a single. Totally bizarre to me that TC wasn't. It's the only Eisley song my 13 year old at the time cousin liked enough to d/l. And I don't think it's nitpicking. I think it's finally an opportunity for honestly...and not in a crazy, uber-personal, open-letter sort of way. Eisley can and will do whatever they want with their music, and no one here is forced to stay a fan or member of the board, but it can be frustrating for some of us (actually a lot of people, they just would never want to post about it here) to watch a band "grow" and go in a direction where there's obvious regression. Going from legit to pop punk is backwards, imo. Going from Pop punk to legit is growth, ala YFW to Deja, to me. But these are pretty much all old feelings. Like I said, I'm excited for the new album. I can only judge by snippets, but a lot of my concerns about this record are proving to be unfounded. _________________ Albert Camus wrote: Always go too far, because that's where you'll find the truth. |
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Joined: 04 May 2007 | Posts: 3862 |
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Post subject: Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 5:02 am
vivalaspopie wrote: TheAntrider wrote: Also, it's pretty angry, and that's what really makes the heavy work for me. Yeah, but it's like Avril-angry. Actually... that would make a good Avril Lavigne song. Oh my God, I love it. 
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Joined: 12 Sep 2005 | Posts: 1182 | Location: Houston
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Post subject: Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 5:30 am
You know, how many of you have had to go through a Divorce while promoting and preparing for a tour where you had to sings songs that have direct emotional ties to LOVING the person who was severing ties with you? Seriously, under those circumstanses I wouldn't be myself, personally or musically, I'd have to just let it come out, and whatever it sounded like, if I felt it I would go with it. That's catharsis for you. So bare that in mind when considering your barbs, there's more to it than just performance quality. Not saying you can't be critical and be "justified" I'm just saying as far as live performances, as well as new writing, there may be more factors at play besides technical execution. Sometimes the last thing a songwriter wants to do is write another one of their songs, the way they normally are praised for, in the name of someone who broke their heart. Not saying that's reality in this case, just saying, it's food for thought. _________________ yup, that's my name. FOR YOUR RATING PLEASURE: 4 LIKE Buttons, 1 NEUTRAL, 1 VEXED, 5 DISLIKE buttons. LC > FB           
 = personal fave  = Eisley fans should dig it
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Joined: 09 Apr 2008 | Posts: 9641 | Location: Greater St. Louis Area
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Post subject: Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 9:34 am
wilsmith wrote: You know, how many of you have had to go through a Divorce while promoting and preparing for a tour where you had to sings songs that have direct emotional ties to LOVING the person who was severing ties with you?
Seriously, under those circumstanses I wouldn't be myself, personally or musically, I'd have to just let it come out, and whatever it sounded like, if I felt it I would go with it. That's catharsis for you. So bare that in mind when considering your barbs, there's more to it than just performance quality. Not saying you can't be critical and be "justified" I'm just saying as far as live performances, as well as new writing, there may be more factors at play besides technical execution. Sometimes the last thing a songwriter wants to do is write another one of their songs, the way they normally are praised for, in the name of someone who broke their heart. Not saying that's reality in this case, just saying, it's food for thought. I think there are points in both albums where the vocals aren't up to par; live and in studio. I'm not sure it's directly relevant to life situation. It shouldn't be for the studio recordings, at least. _________________ 
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Joined: 21 May 2005 | Posts: 5051 | Location: TX/NYC
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Post subject: Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 10:01 am
vivalaspopie wrote: I think there are points in both albums where the vocals aren't up to par; live and in studio. I'm not sure it's directly relevant to life situation. It shouldn't be for the studio recordings, at least. The comments about the Combinations Tour and Smarter or any other new song that of that sort is more what I had in mind with that post. It wasn't meant to be a blanket explanation. And emotion does come to play in recording, cause in some cases, depending on the produces, perfection is the last thing they want, some want raw emotions and nothing else. So it varies according to a produces style and preference. _________________ yup, that's my name. FOR YOUR RATING PLEASURE: 4 LIKE Buttons, 1 NEUTRAL, 1 VEXED, 5 DISLIKE buttons. LC > FB
= personal fave = Eisley fans should dig it
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Joined: 09 Apr 2008 | Posts: 9641 | Location: Greater St. Louis Area
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Post subject: Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 10:08 am
wilsmith wrote: vivalaspopie wrote: I think there are points in both albums where the vocals aren't up to par; live and in studio. I'm not sure it's directly relevant to life situation. It shouldn't be for the studio recordings, at least. The comments about the Combinations Tour and Smarter or any other new song that of that sort is more what I had in mind with that post. It wasn't meant to be a blanket explanation. And emotion does come to play in recording, cause in some cases, depending on the produces, perfection is the last thing they want, some want raw emotions and nothing else. So it varies according to a produces style and preference. Oh definitely. I just meant she wasn't dealing with the divorce when recording the albums. _________________
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Joined: 21 May 2005 | Posts: 5051 | Location: TX/NYC
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Post subject: Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 10:56 am
I don't hear anything 'pop punk' or 'Avril' about Eisley. I also don't know why everyone is so hard on Sherri...I don't mean to say vocal concerns/opinions shouldn't be expressed, it just seems like everyone gangs up on her in particular when criticism happens here. I also tend to agree with superhits, if you really want to dissect every little nuance that bothers you, it doesn't begin and end with Sherri. _________________ "The artist, like the God of creation, remains within or behind or beyond or above his handiwork, invisible, refined out of existence, indifferent, paring his fingernails."(J.Joyce) |
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Joined: 18 Dec 2004 | Posts: 339 | Location: never give up and good luck will find you.
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Post subject: Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 11:04 am
Retrovertigo wrote: I don't hear anything 'pop punk' or 'Avril' about Eisley. I also don't know why everyone is so hard on Sherri...I don't mean to say vocal concerns/opinions shouldn't be expressed, it just seems like everyone gangs up on her in particular when criticism happens here. I also tend to agree with superhits, if you really want to dissect every little nuance that bothers you, it doesn't begin and end with Sherri. I don't really know anything about bass or drums, so I can't critique that section of the band. I think the guitar and keys are generally pleasant to my ears (but there should be a little more Rhodes next album, imo. It always seems to be higher in the live mix. ) Also, most of us critiqued other aspects of the band/its future earlier in the thread, but then vocals were brought up later. And Sherri's in particular are the ones that have bothered me on occasion in the past.
Sorry to get so defensive, I just don't want it to sound like I'm being extremely harsh on Sherri in particular. These types of things come up when discussing any band out there. Anyway, I still think their biggest problem is the label. _________________
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Joined: 21 May 2005 | Posts: 5051 | Location: TX/NYC
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Post subject: Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 11:23 am
Well it's kind of easy to when she's talking about verbally berating something...as if there's really any other way to berate! JK, I was just thinking of something I could be nitpicky about. I'm sure you can berate people using ASL. Oh, and the internet wouldn't be verbally. Damnit! 
But yeah, it's not really personal. It's just some of the stuff that stands out to me was Sherri's stuff...I'm sure they all have their little issues, but those just haven't stuck out to me, so I can't really apologize for it. _________________ Albert Camus wrote: Always go too far, because that's where you'll find the truth. |
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Joined: 04 May 2007 | Posts: 3862 |
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Post subject: Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 11:37 am
To be fair, playing guitar/keyboard/drumset is really easy, especially in the context of a rock band like Eisley. You don't really have to worry about timbre or intonation very much, so it's pretty much all about hitting the right strings/keys/drums at the right time. _________________ EisleyForever wrote: you're A-list in my heart! MAKECOLDPLAYHISTORY |
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Joined: 20 Feb 2005 | Posts: 8868 | Location: Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age
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Post subject: Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 2:01 pm
wilsmith wrote: You know, how many of you have had to go through a Divorce while promoting and preparing for a tour where you had to sings songs that have direct emotional ties to LOVING the person who was severing ties with you?
Seriously, under those circumstanses I wouldn't be myself, personally or musically, I'd have to just let it come out, and whatever it sounded like, if I felt it I would go with it. That's catharsis for you. That's a perfectly valid point with regard to live performances in the past year and a half. It does not apply to performances given or recordings made before that time, which (from what I've seen) composes the majority of the examples given in this thread of less-than-ideal Sherri moments. I have the utmost respect for Sherri and the awful ordeal she has gone through. I do not mean my remarks in this thread to be an affront to her, as I've already stated. I don't think anyone else who has made similar remarks does either. wilsmith wrote: So bare that in mind when considering your barbs, there's more to it than just performance quality. Not saying you can't be critical and be "justified" I'm just saying as far as live performances, as well as new writing, there may be more factors at play besides technical execution. Sometimes the last thing a songwriter wants to do is write another one of their songs, the way they normally are praised for, in the name of someone who broke their heart. Not saying that's reality in this case, just saying, it's food for thought. Maybe it's the two and a half glasses of really good cabernet sauvignon in me right now, but I can't figure out which point you're trying to make in this paragraph. It seems to me that with "Smarter," Sherri wrote another one of her songs, the way she normally is praised for (or at least the way she did on Combinations), in the name of someone who broke her heart. Empowering as the song indisputably is, that is still, by definition, what it is. Retrovertigo wrote: I don't hear anything 'pop punk' or 'Avril' about Eisley. I also don't know why everyone is so hard on Sherri...I don't mean to say vocal concerns/opinions shouldn't be expressed, it just seems like everyone gangs up on her in particular when criticism happens here. I also tend to agree with superhits, if you really want to dissect every little nuance that bothers you, it doesn't begin and end with Sherri. If you read back through this thread, the criticism has neither begun nor ended with Sherri at all. The criticism of Sherri, however, seems to be the variety that produces the most vehement defenses, and by extension, continued responses from the people who posted the criticism in the first place. Nobody's trying to be hard on her. We all love Sherri, and the rest of Eisley, or we simply wouldn't be here. _________________ INTELLECT AND ROMANCE OVER BRUTE FORCE AND CYNICISM Smokemonster |
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Joined: 24 Sep 2003 | Posts: 14510 | Location: Alone on an airplane, fallin' asleep against the windowpane...
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Post subject: Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 2:13 pm
Saellys wrote: wilsmith wrote: That's a perfectly valid point with regard to live performances in the past year and a half. It does not apply to performances given or recordings made before that time, which (from what I've seen) composes the majority of the examples given in this thread of less-than-ideal Sherri moments. I have the utmost respect for Sherri and the awful ordeal she has gone through. I do not mean my remarks in this thread to be an affront to her, as I've already stated. I don't think anyone else who has made similar remarks does either. wilsmith wrote: So bare that in mind when considering your barbs, there's more to it than just performance quality. Not saying you can't be critical and be "justified" I'm just saying as far as live performances, as well as new writing, there may be more factors at play besides technical execution. Sometimes the last thing a songwriter wants to do is write another one of their songs, the way they normally are praised for, in the name of someone who broke their heart. Not saying that's reality in this case, just saying, it's food for thought. Maybe it's the two and a half glasses of really good cabernet sauvignon in me right now, but I can't figure out which point you're trying to make in this paragraph. It seems to me that with "Smarter," Sherri wrote another one of her songs, the way she normally is praised for (or at least the way she did on Combinations), in the name of someone who broke her heart. Empowering as the song indisputably is, that is still, by definition, what it is. Oh, I thought that was clarified in this exchange: vivalaspopie wrote: wilsmith wrote: vivalaspopie wrote: I think there are points in both albums where the vocals aren't up to par; live and in studio. I'm not sure it's directly relevant to life situation. It shouldn't be for the studio recordings, at least. The comments about the Combinations Tour and Smarter or any other new song that of that sort is more what I had in mind with that post. It wasn't meant to be a blanket explanation. And emotion does come to play in recording, cause in some cases, depending on the produces, perfection is the last thing they want, some want raw emotions and nothing else. So it varies according to a produces style and preference. Oh definitely. I just meant she wasn't dealing with the divorce when recording the albums. And a lot of people talked about songs not coming off live, songs from Combinations in reference to Stacy's breath control and losing some of her range since she was younger (which had nothing to do with my point) and Sherri over reaching, emoting in posture, but vocally straining, which was then punctuated with the HOB footage. *whinces at the "intervention-like" way that section of the thread played out* (which was the instigator of me making any point at all.) Sooo... I was trying to kill two birds with one stone and highlight the context of the last tour and performances, and the current songwriting and performances to come. ( as well as the criticism that the song was such a departure in style, more "pop-punk" or "Avrilish" as it's been called. So I tried to address it all in one fell swoop without parsing. Maybe not the wisest, but I'm trying to be more economical with my words. and failing. _________________ yup, that's my name. FOR YOUR RATING PLEASURE: 4 LIKE Buttons, 1 NEUTRAL, 1 VEXED, 5 DISLIKE buttons. LC > FB
= personal fave = Eisley fans should dig it
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Joined: 09 Apr 2008 | Posts: 9641 | Location: Greater St. Louis Area
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Post subject: Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 2:36 pm
It's a cult! 
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Joined: 17 Dec 2005 | Posts: 7525 | Location: Wisconsin
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Post subject: Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 5:08 pm
I don't post around here too much, but seeing as there's a lot of debate going on here I guess this is the perfect time. I honestly don't understand most of the older fan's beef with Combinations. It may have strayed away from the fantasy/unicorn barbie rock sound that made most of us, including myself, love Eisley, but whenever I listened to one of the songs, I know that it's an Eisley song. Not because Eisley is my favourite band, but it has that certain something that all Eisley songs have that I love. I also think there are certain songs on Combinations that are much better than Room Noises. And I always found If You're Wondering to be incredibly beautiful, and one of the songs that is closest to that "Room Noisy" feel. Now, I won't lie, I usually skipped over it when it came on my iTunes playlist because I never actually listened to it, but when I did, I felt kind of stupid for ever not liking it. And as far as Sherri's voice goes, I have had problems with her live, especially on the Combinations tour. I happened to be at that HOB show and heard Sunfeet. I didn't think she sounded too bad, live or in that video, but the heavy breathing and commenting on how out of shape she was did worry me. And honestly, if you compare her live demeanor on the acoustic tour and tours before the Combinations tour, it's almost like watching two different people. I think the divorce sort of changed the way Sherri acted on stage, and maybe when she was screaming out the lyrics and not sounding very like herself was a way for her to cope with that pain she was feeling. It may sound very cheesy, but very understandable. Even my dad noticed that Sherri was getting "too into" the music, and said that she wasn't quite as good as we had heard at the five or so shows that we had previously attended. I wholeheartedly agree with whoever it was that said Sherri sounded better acoustic. That's something I noticed at the acoustic show last month. She didn't sound quite as strained and much calmer. My friend Tori, who had gone to the acoustic show with me, was much more impressed with their live performance on the 5th than she was last year at HOB, as she had gone with me that time also. And as much as you guys are all like, "Oh, we love Sherri, and Eisley, we aren't nitpicking, we're just giving criticism." I don't want to start a war with any of you guys, but I feel like that's a load of BS. I feel like criticism should be expressed to the band or the person being criticized themselves, not on some forum that the band hardly ever checks. /end rant _________________ Downey, is this guac too lemony? |
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Joined: 10 Jul 2008 | Posts: 50 | Location: ninezerothree, texas
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Post subject: Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 5:19 pm
"I feel like criticism should be expressed to the band or the person being criticized themselves, not on some forum that the band hardly ever checks." Right...let me shoot Sherri a PM about how I think her voice isn't always to my liking. I'm sure she'd appreciate it and want to further discuss it.
If anything, I sort of feel bad criticizing them in a place that they and their family visit quite a bit, but the question posed deserved honest responses (which can be frowned upon, especially here where people feel like they're actually friends with the band). It's a discussion between members of the board (which yes, encompass the band and their family), and I'm not looking for a dialogue with the band themselves. I agree that in some cases...like random posts concerning personal issues like health insurance would warrant PMs (well, not really, but much better than on the board), but this is different, imo. _________________ Albert Camus wrote: Always go too far, because that's where you'll find the truth. |
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Joined: 04 May 2007 | Posts: 3862 |
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Laughing City Forum Index -> eisleyBlog -> What's the true essence of "Eisley"?
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