M_Riot

It was said that they quit back at the start of the year, but was denied by the band officially - so maybe they have been gone for a while.

Sugababes - 'Overlaod'

Gimme some of that posh loving!!!!!!! God I would love to ruin her.

Although I don't like their music, I have total admiration for their grit and determination. They have been around for years bubbling under the surface of 'success' without 'making it' - yet they continue to tour relentlessly and put in 100% effort.

I like the fact that they have decided to try and make their sound more commercial - some would call it selling out, but I think they realised it was time to shift a little to the centre in order to sustain a career as full time musicians.

Respect to them.

The Jacksons (including Michael) are playing Wembley Stadium on September 2nd - fuckin awesome if the chaepest tickets weren't priced at £150!!!!

Here's that article I was talking about:

"Aspiring vocalist? Struggling, aspiring vocalist? Neil, singer with Bristol-based ska punks Two Day Rule, takes us through some ideas to help you along the way.

OK, here's the thing. If you're the same as me, then you want a nice gritty sound to your voice so you're singing loud (I, for one, couldn't hold a note unless I was singing really loud, I think its the same for most people) then adding "grit" to the notes by constricting your throat/the back of your mouth so that it vibrates and sounds more raspy. Yeah?

So when you're trying to hit high notes, do you tend to look further and further upwards? So it stretches your throat? If so, that's exactly like me. You'll find that your voice will really wear out quickly if you keep singing like that. And contrary to popular belief, it won't get stronger if you persist, you'll just end up with problems.

Here's what you need to do, a few things. They're simple for me to say to you, but not so simple to get the hang of:

Stop looking upwards as you try and hit high notes, 'cos it stretches your larynx, and actually makes it more difficult to hit them. Your body won't believe this, so the conditioning is hard to break. Took me bloody ages. I'll get to things to visualise to get around this later. But the fact is, the more relaxed you are facially, and neck wise, the easier the note will be to sing.

So when you're practicing, keep your head facing front, and do it with a relaxed, blank facial expession. You see singers onstage with veins bulging out of their necks, emoting like billyo, etc? It's all a show. Once you've got the hang of singing in a relaxed manner, you can start putting on all that acting, but it's not necessary in order to hit the notes.

It took me a bloody long time to figure that one out, but it's true, and it took an even longer time for my brain to persuade my body to believe it. In fact I'm still working at it.

With me so far? I'm gonna try and come up with something to make this "breathing from the belly thing vaguely understandable...

Okay, "breathing from the diaphragm":

You ever heard a baby scream? They can scream at the top of their voices for hours on end without hurting themselves.

If I scream really loud, it makes me cough, and fucks up my throat in seconds.

What's the reason for this? Well, as soon as we start walking upright, guys start to suck their stomachs in, God knows I do, especially when a girl walks past.

This means when you fill your lungs they're not as full as they could be.

Relax, let yer belly flop out and breath all the air out of your lungs. Then fill them up slowly with a big deep breath.

What you need to do is imagine the air pouring into your lungs from the bottom upwards. This means that the first air that goes in will push your diaphragm down (the plate that separates your lungs & your intestines, but you knew that) and your belly will go out a bit, then as you fill up with air the sides of your ribcage will be pushed out, then eventually your chest will be forced out.

Men normally only do the last bit. So when you think about it in the way above, you can probably see how you could be fitting a lot more air into your lungs.

Right, sing a long note at the top of your voice, emptying your lungs like you would a toohpaste tube. Slowly and evenly from the bottom of the tube (your lungs), all the way up to the last bit at the top or your chest.

So you're squeezing and forcing the air out of your lungs. It's still not quite right though. Which is where the screaming baby comes in.

Babies don't care about how their little fat bellies look to chicks. Chicks think they're cute anyway. So they've got the part I've just explained all figured out already; it comes naturally to them. They havent mentally changed their behaviour because of vanity, they just breath (and scream) in the easiest way possible. So you've got to think of this as not being something difficult to do, but that you're removing the obstacles that are making things difficult to you, and getting back to the simple, easy way of doing it. Cool?

Right, here's why it's so easy (and I know it doesn't seem like it, and this is another part where the conditioning is hard to break, but once you've done the hard part, you end up finding singing a lot easier, and then you won't be straining yourself all the time):

Fill a balloon with air. Then let the air out. The air moves out of the balloon of it's own accord. You don't need to squeeze it like a toothpaste tube. That's exactly what your lungs are like. Open your mouth, and unless you're holding the air in with your throat or tongue, the air will pour out.

That's exactly what happens: there's no pushing or squeezing necessary. Keep visualising the way you fill and empty your lungs as above, but remember that you're not pushing; just let nature take it's course and the air will come out.

Now, if you hold the neck of a balloon and stretch it, it'll whine as the air comes out. That's what your larynx does. It shapes the air as it comes out, and you don't need to strain your larynx to get the notes. Just shape it as the air flows naturally through, and away you go. Easy.

That's the basics.

Don't strain your throat & face. Let the air flow naturally in and out. And your whole body will work together in the simplest, easiest possible way.

It takes a fuckin' age to get your head round it and break the conditioning, but it really is that simple.

Now, moving along, here's some excercises and sundry notes.

To warm up:

Make a BBBbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb sound with your lips. Know what I mean?

Now with a relaxed face and neck, start on the easiest note for you to sing, and move up as high as you can go (still not straining or lifting your head) and back down again like a siren.

Do this over and over about five or six times.

Then do the same thing but with a "Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm" sound.

Then with a "Ng" sound (like 'sing', without the 'si').

Then a "Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee" sound.

You'll be super warmed up by now, and if you do this sort of thing every day (whenever nobody is listening) then it'll help you break the conditioning we mentioned. The key is that you've got to stay relaxed while you're doing it, and soon you'll realise that you don't need to strain to hit the high notes. In fact, if you strain when you go up high, your throat will just cut off the sound, and you can actually feel and hear that happen.

Now (and this is a good one):

You let the air flow out of your lungs, it goes over your larynx, which controls the pitch of the note like a stretched balloon neck, then you articulate the words themselves with the very tip of your tongue and your lips.

Words aren't involved at all until the very last, what, half inch, of the air's journey out of your body.

So when you learn a song, forget consonants. "Sing" through the song making only the "Ng" sound but kind of articulating the words (you'll sound like Joey Deacon, but this is important). That way you can concentrate on maintaining the same air pressure out of your body, because that pressure doesn't need to change, no matter what word or note you're singing. Remember, words aren't involved until the moment the air leaves your body, so before that it's all about maintaining the air pressure, like toothpaste from a tube, keep it constant, keep your face and throat relaxed, 'cos they won't affect your ability to hit the notes.

Sing through the whole song like that a few times. Get a feel for that constant flow of air, and where the notes are, and how you don't have to strain to reach them. Then add the words with the tip of your tongue and your lips, just gently directing the edges of the melody as it leaves your mouth.

Right, if you can get your head around all that, then you'll be well on your way! Just be sure to keep re-reading this, and doing those warmups whenever you get the chance. And when learning songs, learn them from bottom up, like I said above.

Now, does recording yourself and playing it back help? I've just started doing that recently and it's helped me a lot. The basic exercises I've set are all you need to start with, though. Once you've got your head around the way that singing "correctly" feels, you'll start to hear when people are straining themselves on record, including your own recorded voice. For instance, you will still strain on high notes to begin with, and you'll be able to hear it on tape, then take steps to keep relaxed and chilled out when you get to that note next time."

I couldn't see this ever being released as a single. I don't feel it has a really good chorus/hook to pull people into it. I also think it's more of a 'grower' - which won't work for a single (or certianly not the 1st single).

But obviously that is my opinion.

I also feel that Better is the strongest song from the leaks. It def makes the most impact.

Also don't drink anything really cold just before, or during performance. The best thing is room temperature water.

Ok, i'm somewhat new to it all, my friends tell me i'm good, but I need to learn to push down on my diaphram, while pushing outward also? I dunno, whats that mean really? And also, Whats a good warm up song? I have been using slipknot, as it helps me projeect my voice further and it stretches my vocal's, but lately I haven been able to hit the same notes and i'm not able to get ontop of the things i'm singing.. so I switched to Jack's lament, from jack the nightmare before christmas... Anyway.. i'm doing like, a mix between screaming like Corey in slipknot, but also singing like he does in stoneosur.. if any of you have a clue.. and I just need help from anybody.. any suggestion or tips, breathing tech's. anything that anybody could do to help, no matter how big or small.. I cant say that do re fas oula shit, I just cant say the words.. so any other scaling tips would help.. i'm pretty much just learning from ear.. and everyone says I hold my notes very well, and I would sound really great, if I just had some help.. so i'm asking.. anyone, help... Thanks

EDIT: I'm also doing alot of soul type music, like have you seen her, come ove rto my place, me and Mrs. Jones ect ect.. so again, anyhelp at all, I would greatly appreciate.. and please, no suggestions from a friend who has this one friend who knows a guy unless you know they really know what they're talking about.. i'm working to get in a band, and I need to take this very serious, and I hope you will too... but one of teh weirdest thinsg i've heard, is sleep with a heavy book on your chest??? Sounds weird, but ya know.. i havent tried it though...

To makesure you're using your diaphragm correctly take in a nice deep breath and makesure your shoulders stay still as that will constrict your throat. Put your hands on your tummy and make a hard Shhhhhhhh noise and start squeezing the air out. Squeeze from your lower tummy muscles and keep on making the Shhhhh sound for as long as possible (without getting quieter etc) until you've got no more air to let out. Do that a few times to remember the sensation you should feel when you're singing. A constant, powerful flow of air.

An exercise to warm up your voice is this: imagine the noise a police siren makes. Try and do that very quietly and smoothly, with no cracks in the voice. Start only going between a few notes and then gradually extend the range further and further. If you were singing properly any cracks in the siren would indicate an area where you lose control of your vocal chords (notes are determined by the tensing of muscles) but it'd be a good exercise to warm up with anyway, as it gets things moving.

I also have a really useful article that i can post a link for, but I have it saved on my work computer and I'm not back in until Tuesday. I'll post it then.

Paul Gilbert!!!!!!!

Saw him at the Key Club in January and he was amazing. What sets him apart from his peers is that he can sing with real emotion rather than just fill the time with fret-wankery.

Def Gilbert.

My only advice on this matter is to go and play them. Also, if you have gone to a shop to try the guitars - do the decent thing and buy it from that shop rather than wasting their time and then buying it from Thoman. Support your local music stores.

Notoriously, the Fenders will be much better made guitars............. but it's whichever one that feels comfortable for you.

Just incase anyone is interested, I have a Shure Beta 87 wireless for sale. Paid £900 for it a few years back and it has only ever been used twice.

PM me if interested.

Twist & Shout (Vocals sound amazing)

Back In The USSR

I still get hours of fun out of my NES. Got it when they first came out and I was about 7 years old.

Hmm wonder if they are coming up to Brissy...

More than likely. They have already played some Australian shows, and their label is Australian.

Good band. Seeing them in a couple of weeks in London.

Awesome!!! Can't wait to see the Spice Girls*

*again

I was listening to this track earlier today. Good use of MJ - but shit way to come back.

Some good friends of mine - Fortune Drive

There is also a story about Slash almost being involved when John Squire jumped ship.

How can the greatest frontman of all time be overrated?

Do you honestly believe that? I mean, if you do then fair play and you are entitled to your opinion - but I think it's stretching it a bit. He was a very good frontman when he was part of the smiths for sure - but I really feel it's pretty hard to describe his performances as a solo artist as being comparable to some of the truely great solo artists.

Admititly the majority of his solo stuff was pretty dire but in his prime in The Smiths he was the greatest frontman ever imo. Such a unique style of writing and a pair of glasses and a bunch of flowers in his pocket just confirms my theory

I think thatyoucould certainly argue the case regarding the Smiths era. My bone of contention was the solo stuff.

Fair play to you.

How can the greatest frontman of all time be overrated?

Do you honestly believe that? I mean, if you do then fair play and you are entitled to your opinion - but I think it's stretching it a bit. He was a very good frontman when he was part of the smiths for sure - but I really feel it's pretty hard to describe his performances as a solo artist as being comparable to some of the truely great solo artists.

The Smiths were an amazing band, but I find Morrissey's solo stuff all to be self-indulgent, contrived crap and wish he would disappear. He has cult-like status which was pretty much thanks to the NME putting him on the cover after blanking him for years. I really find him overrated massively.

Well, I was the UK person and obviously this is now delayed... but I will start the vine in the UK when I get it.

So whoever still needs my address just let me know.

To suggest Merck hasn't really been fired is just ridiculous.