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Author Topic: channels.....  (Read 3874 times)

j.hall

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channels.....
« on: June 09, 2004, 04:13:33 PM »

j.robbins' new band

he just posted an mp3:

http://www.jrobbins.net/mp3s/mp3s/storytime.mp3

check it out....post your thoughts

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weihfool

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Re: channels.....
« Reply #1 on: June 09, 2004, 05:42:13 PM »

Love it.  It fills a gap where Burning Airlines used to reside....  

a band I was very sad to see go away.
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j.hall

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Re: channels.....
« Reply #2 on: June 10, 2004, 10:27:47 AM »

it fills a gap in the sense that j.robbins is easily the most inventive indie rock writer out there

and he seems to have no problem shifting his style from record to record, and band to band

channels sounds to me like he went for something a little less busy

i loved jawbox....and loved burning airlines.....so far, i'm digging channels and i like the shift in writing....

the female backing vocal is really nice.

how does he play those guitar parts and sing those vocal lines.....something i was amazed with back in his jawbox days, and it only got better!!
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weihfool

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Re: channels.....
« Reply #3 on: June 10, 2004, 06:13:43 PM »

Oh man, I know what you mean about singing AND playing those ridiculous guitar parts.  

I went to see Burning Airlines at Bowery Ballroom with a friend of mine who has NO interest in indie rock.  He's a "guitar player".  

He sat there with his mouth open watching J. play.  For some reason I felt very proud that he was so impressed with an indie rock guitar player's abilities.  

I suppose it goes back to the stigma that if you play indie rock it means you play poorly.  I think J. Robbins pretty much dispells THAT myth.   Laughing
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takeout

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Re: channels.....
« Reply #4 on: June 11, 2004, 10:21:51 AM »

I agree with the "degree of difficulty" stuff; that's pretty amazing.

But I've totally fallen out of love with the actual sound of his voice.  Soooo bland.  Until he starts screaming, anyway.
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redelephant

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Re: channels.....
« Reply #5 on: June 11, 2004, 03:04:07 PM »

I heard this track a couple weeks ago, and at first taste I totally fell for it. I love J. Robbins and all of his projects. Burning Airlines was great, but wasn't in any way as good as Jawbox for me. So admittedly I dismissed it and never really gave it a chance. Although I did see Burning Airlines in 98' with about 6 other people in attendance. I spoke to J in length about Jawbox and their demise. He is a really nice guy, and tall no less. Anyway, this new Channels stuff is just awesome. Really fills that Jawbox void. The drummer is quite amazing and J's guitar playing is incredible. ALSO J has become quite an engineer. I have heard the new Mock Orange disc (and his other billion credited CDs) and I haven't been that impressed, but this new stuff is on point.

All in all I can't wait to hear more... a lot more.
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ebeam

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Re: channels.....
« Reply #6 on: June 14, 2004, 11:46:57 AM »

I'm pretty much in the same boat as redelephant.  I used to be a huge jawbox fan.  Burning airlines never really did it for me.  More recently my tastes have wandered into different territory...although I still think 'sweetheart' is awesome.  This new stuff is definitely different but seems to have more of the flavor I liked from Jawbox.  As far as the vox go, I tend to agree.  It seems like he is constantly struggling with his voice, trying to reign it in, but it ends up sounding sort of constricted.  Same thing happens to me all the time - my pitch is bad, so I focus on it to the detriment of the overall performance.
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Ben Myers

j.hall

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Re: channels.....
« Reply #7 on: June 14, 2004, 05:01:47 PM »

i disagree on the vox

i love his voice

i can see takeout's point

but i don't think he's struggling at all, and i think his skill as a vocalist is high enough that he isn't searching for pitch

i've seen jawbox three times, burning airlines three times, and i'll see channels as much as they come through

not once have i seen him blow it live.  the guy is a machine, and you simply can't believe he sings the parts and plays his guitar parts like that live.
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ebeam

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Re: channels.....
« Reply #8 on: June 15, 2004, 11:03:55 AM »

I didn't mean he was struggling for pitch (thats my problem  Mad ), just that his voice doesn't sound very relaxed.  Don't get me wrong, I still like him better than almost all vocalists in this 'genre' but on this recording it sounds a bit forced.
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Ben Myers

takeout

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Re: channels.....
« Reply #9 on: June 15, 2004, 11:18:46 AM »

The vox thing...

Yeah, he technically hits the right notes at the right times.  That's not what I was referring to.  There's no "oomph", no grit, no balls to it.  It sounds like... I dunno. Tired, maybe?
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j.hall

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Re: channels.....
« Reply #10 on: June 15, 2004, 12:15:27 PM »

yeah, i agree with that

the last jawbox record was the last time he really "let you have it" vocally...

although, identikit has some really great vocal performances on it

but overall, song to song, it's not as in your face as he "used to be"

i've heard that channels is a slight attempt at being lazy....

i've heard direct references to karate in regards to his direction for this band

after hearing that track, it's nothing like karate and i'm not sure those rumors are anything more then straight rumors

but vocally, it is more relaxed....and maybe that's the point

hard to judge with out a whole record
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