I agree. A bit weird. Clearly a lot of talent in songwriting and musicianship. But, I usually like to hear one song in my songs, not a medly. Sure, Queen and the Beatles did it, but sparingly. Appendix needs to put up a song that is straight up and show us if they have the skills to put out a great SONG.
Could it be you don't understand it? Bach wasn't told to limit his music to just a couple of mevements because they needed to have a simple melody. Some music takes you on a journey, and the changes are part of that. If you want simplicity, listen to a nursery ryhme. Or country.
I understand it all right - and I understand that this type of music doesn't stand up to what 99% of musicians would consider a well crafted song. Like it or not, to have a song that stands the test of time, it usually must conform structurally to some pretty basic standards. Sure, there are exceptions (thinking of Bohemian Rhapsody) but even Queen and the Beatles bread and butter was "standard" songs. My beef is that this is all Appendix does. By the way, the list of simple songs that are: 1) hugely successful and, 2) not country or nursery rhymes is pretty extensive.
So, my point is that I am not on the Appendix bandwagon. They definitely rock and are some of the best musicians I have heard here at ArtistWeekly or anywhere else. I think their songs are interesting. I just don't dig the theatrics, and wouldn't consider their music to be great.
You say "Appendix needs to put up a song that is straight up and show us if they have the skills to put out a great SONG." - but that's what YOU think is a song. They already wrote what they think is a great song, and the dude that started this thread likes them for that (me too). As Willis said, "Different Strokes". He didn't actually say that, but there was a character in that show with that name.
Listen to "evolve." It took me 5 listens before it clicked. This is amazing music. the sabbath guitar riff at about 2:(no, i'm not in the band. they're from slovakia and i don't even know where that is.)
This group is by far one of the more CREATIVE bands to post here at Artist weekly.
I mean there's a lot of great talent here and some real winners in terms of performance and production.
But this group has some other nuts and bolts that i really respect and that is the element of: SURPRISE.
Man, I can't ask for that enough when I listen to music. All of us sound so much a like when we write our tunes (me included!!) Our only hope to interesting music, in my opinion, is to change it up from time to time with the element of "Surpise" mixed with "familiarity".
Appendix does that! I really respect their music because of that.
But that's not to say they couldn't do for some improvements but they got the nuts and bolts down already!
Now the trick is for Appendix to NOT sound like Appendix ALL the time. I know! I know! That's Record Company blasphemy but it's what I like! We've got so many tools at our fingertips...how to introduce the element of SURPRISE into each tune to reflect our changing nature.
Oh, god!! Not another acoustic guitar tune with Poor-ME vocals!!!! AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
This group is by far one of the more CREATIVE bands to post here at Artist weekly. I mean there's a lot of great talent here and some real winners in terms of performance and production. But this group has some other nuts and bolts that i really respect and that is the element of: SURPRISE. Man, I can't ask for that enough when I listen to music. All of us sound so much a like when we write our tunes (me included!!) Our only hope to interesting music, in my opinion, is to change it up from time to time with the element of "Surpise" mixed with "familiarity". Appendix does that! I really respect their music because of that. But that's not to say they couldn't do for some improvements but they got the nuts and bolts down already! Now the trick is for Appendix to NOT sound like Appendix ALL the time. I know! I know! That's Record Company blasphemy but it's what I like! We've got so many tools at our fingertips...how to introduce the element of SURPRISE into each tune to reflect our changing nature. Oh, god!! Not another acoustic guitar tune with Poor-ME vocals!!!! AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! Rock on Appendix!
I TOTALLY agreee with this - it's the surprise factor that I like, but just couldn't put it into words. I am sooooo tired of songs that just drone on and on and on and on and never go anywhere. Maybe Appendix goes too many places on a few songs, but better too many than too few.
OK great. Surprise rules. Once. I like Appendix, but c'mon, how many times can the boogie man pop out of the closet or from under the bed before the kid either expects it or leaves the room? Surprise works when it is surprising, and a band in metal these days (and gee, always)needs a gimmick to get anywhere. But gimmick is all it is and it is not artistically sustainable, because the immediate, inexplicable hard right at 70 mph serves the same purpose as spandex, face paint and giant hair. It says "LOOK AT ME" but when you look deeper into Appendix, there's really not much there.
I think of the Appendices' songs as little short symphonies with different movements. The only difference for me is that the movements aren't really standalone pieces and couldn't be. So I think the appeal and longevity of them are adversely affected by the cut and paste approach. Any fool could splice three or four musically unrelated themes together. That's not an indication of talent or creativity. It's a new spin on an old idea, and it works, kind of, if you can listen attentively and repeatedly to a song that lacks a melody. I can listen to their stuff once or twice, then it's all just thrash this way, thrash that way, play faster and out. A few good guitar licks, no great vocals, no great songwriting...some growling. Nothing great about it. If I really need to hear this sort of thing I'll just switch back and forth between better songs in fast succession while I'm pullig my dog's tail. Same difference.
I know you'll say I "just don't get it." Ok whatever. I'm so sure randomness is on some higher plane. There's just nothing there to get. GRRRR
