Jack Conte - Absolutely Speechless...

[David Robinson]

yep, the man's got talent.
not only that, but he's one of YT partner's AND works with a very unique female vox
as Pomplamoose.
their view counts, if parlayed into record sales would prolly put 'em on Billboard.
i really like to hear other opinions on their production sound.
IMHO, it sounds pretty damn good comin' off YT as not much better than mp3.
also their vids are fairly simple, but interesting to watch.
ha! and there's even some french outfit on YT copying Pompla's style, down to the production sound!!
all in all, i wish there were more like this on YT, most of the original stuff is mediorce and/or poorly recorded, IMO.
best.
jr.

[InTheBox]

Really Great! He seems to know one or two things about orchestration, or maybe it's intuitive...? Very creative !


-Box

[David Robinson]

Originally Posted by InTheBox

Really Great! He seems to know one or two things about orchestration, or maybe it's intuitive...? Very creative !


-Box

hi,
i'd be very surprised if he hasn't had lessons at some point.
his arranging and production skills are too polished.
the harmonies the girl does COULD be done by ear, but there's lots of super tight clustering, like a sax section in a big band, that makes me think they've both studied music.
i wish there were lot's more acts with their lack of hype, intelligence and good taste.
jr.

[RTR]

I love the second one= MORE COWBELL

[Saudade]

well, one could dismiss it as a few clever and classy chord changes repeated ad nauseum against a backdrop of some very well thought out sound design, throwing in very nice video to accentuate the effect (try listening to it without looking at the video). I mean without the usual constraints of a song structure almost anyone can be as "creative" as he is. But to me real creativity is how you work around tight constraints.

But what I quite like is how he manages to capture such abstract musical ideas and execute it so delicately, and how he manages to capture that energy and rawness of performances well. Would be insightful to read about his workflow and what he is smoking Interesting listen

[author]

What a complete waste of time. No song, no talent, no nothing.

[eascholz]

Yeah, if I'm not mistaken, he has studied music. I think his stuff sounds wonderful; the arrangements play a huge role but he's also got a great ear for the sound itself. According to an audio interview, he mixes on a pair of Rokit 5's. He says something to the effect of "I'm a strong believer that it doesn't matter what you mix on, as long as you know its character really well."

If you go to pomplamoose's myspace, there are free downloads of all of their covers.

[LeMauce]

I'm following him all ready some time and yes he has talent. Really like what he does.

[days]

I always feel like a sucker for checking out these kinds of threads on gearslutz. Usually, the artist has a lot of virtuosity, but very little of interest to say, and nothing new to bring to the table.

In this case, the songs are pretty threadbare, consisting of a few nifty chord changes, but, holy cow, this guy knows how to arrange sound and make the most of a meager melody and hook. I think there is probably an important lesson here for those of us who write and record and produce our own music: A good song, in and of itself, just isn't going to be enough anymore. You've got to know what to do with your song once you've got it. This is a sound-driven music culture these days (and has been for quite some time), not a song-driven one. It's a kind of culture in which a guy like this can thrive.

[Blind]

@ author:

your post was the most ignorant one i have seen in a long time. It's absolutely ok if the music is not to your liking... but completely ignoring the fact that this is one person creating (in any way) a unique piece of music all on his own is quite dangerous and in my opinion downright stupid if you are a professional in any field of audio.


anyway - this guy made me buy his music in 20 minutes from not knowing him to completing my order. There aren't many artists out there that achieve this... even though his music is not something i could listen to all day.

Jonny

[David Robinson]

Originally Posted by Blind

@ author:

your post was the most ignorant one i have seen in a long time. It's absolutely ok if the music is not to your liking... but completely ignoring the fact that this is one person creating (in any way) a unique piece of music all on his own is quite dangerous and in my opinion downright stupid if you are a professional in any field of audio.


anyway - this guy made me buy his music in 20 minutes from not knowing him to completing my order. There aren't many artists out there that achieve this... even though his music is not something i could listen to all day.

Jonny

and isn't that what most folks would like to have happen when someone hers there stuff.
i know i do.

style over substance? yep, i'd sy that's in there too.
but there is a touch of class with that.
i must say tho, that i cannot remember too much of the music afterwards, just that it was not wasting my time.
let's face it, if others are copying Mr Conte right now on YT, there must be something in it.
jr.

[darkwater]

Originally Posted by Blind

@ author:

your post was the most ignorant one i have seen in a long time. It's absolutely ok if the music is not to your liking... but completely ignoring the fact that this is one person creating (in any way) a unique piece of music all on his own is quite dangerous and in my opinion downright stupid if you are a professional in any field of audio.


anyway - this guy made me buy his music in 20 minutes from not knowing him to completing my order. There aren't many artists out there that achieve this... even though his music is not something i could listen to all day.

Jonny

+1
dfegadauthor

While I don't like every JC song, I do appreciate the execution and art. And Pomplamoose is absolutely my fav band at the moment. Their use of youtube to promote themselves is pleasurable, refreshing, ingenious.

[author]

Originally Posted by days

A good song, in and of itself, just isn't going to be enough anymore.

My god...

Originally Posted by days

This is a sound-driven music culture these days (and has been for quite some time)

Not at all. The song is everything.

[days]

Originally Posted by author

My god...



Not at all. The song is everything.

I was not making a normative statement. I am, I suppose, like you: The song should be the most important part in popular music. I am very much old school in that regard. But you would have had to have had your head buried in the sand for the last several years to believe that the song hasn't been replaced by sound (and beats) in popular music (even in indie). This is not to say that there aren't song-oriented artists still out there, but they are decidedly in the minority. This is, of course, a shame.

[Mertmo]

Days, your last post nailed it. I wish it were only about the song as well, but sound in
and of itself is now an equal part of the equation I think.

I watched the first one, "I know". Talented, no doubt about it. Great song? I don't
think so. Barely a song at all, pretty much a well arranged sound collage. This guy
probably wouldn't exist without the Radiohead influence IMO. Funny how one of the
youtube links that popped up at the end was for one of his Radiohead covers...

SHOCKER

I do like the whole "video song" thing. I think...
Hell, I practically pine for the days when artists and bands were still interested in just
being big and grand. Accessible and just downright amazing songs and performances.
Not really seeing that too much these days. Lots and lots of interesting sounds, though.
Gee, what a great tradeoff we've made...

[Dean Roddey]

I'm a song oriented guy as well, but there's a place for abstract stuff as well. From Also Sprach Zarathustra's opening fanfare to Radiohead or Sigur Ros and so forth, more abstract noodly stuff can be done really well, or outright spine tingling in the Strauss case. If Sigur Ros were more into speed than X they might have sounded like this :-)

[author]

Originally Posted by days

you would have had to have had your head buried in the sand for the last several years to believe that the song hasn't been replaced by sound

Let's look at the numbers.

Nobody obviously cares about this Conte guy -- he had 70,000 hits or so on the tube. Because

1) he has no song and
2) he has no talent.

Compare that to Ke$ha's TiK ToK: It had 40 mill YouTube hits the last time I checked. Because of

1) an extremely well written song and
2) a huge talent.

[rack gear]

Originally Posted by David Robinson

yep, the man's got talent.
not only that, but he's one of YT partner's AND works with a very unique female vox
as Pomplamoose.
their view counts, if parlayed into record sales would prolly put 'em on Billboard.

there's a lot of discussion about and specifically at this thread - although titled for another artist.

The Myth of Free Music... Case Study Mia Rose

the exact post is here RE:Poplamoose :
The Myth of Free Music... Case Study Mia Rose

Originally Posted by David Robinson

i really like to hear other opinions on their production sound.
IMHO, it sounds pretty damn good comin' off YT as not much better than mp3.
also their vids are fairly simple, but interesting to watch.
ha! and there's even some french outfit on YT copying Pompla's style, down to the production sound!!
all in all, i wish there were more like this on YT, most of the original stuff is mediorce and/or poorly recorded, IMO.
best.
jr.

I think they're genius really - IMHO - I just wish they'd have more smarts about their marketing, what they're giving away, etc... I think they could have translated to a lot more sales if they had a head for that goal - maybe they don't - and that's cool too.

either way - I love jack and pomplamoose...

[Mertmo]

True, Dean.

Time and a place for all things.

Maybe we are reaching a point in the history of our art form when the definition of
"song" is changing. For me, fancy sound will never qualify in and of itself, but for a
lot of people I think it now does.

[author]

Originally Posted by Dean Roddey

I'm a song oriented guy as well, but there's a place for abstract stuff as well. From Also Sprach Zarathustra's opening fanfare

Zarathustra -- ABSTRACT?

If there *ever* were a great pop tune...

Are you sure you're not talking about the book?

[Buss-me]

Damn!, never heard of this guy. There was a time when I wanted to do this kind of thing. Just lock myself away with all manner of gear, instruments and noise makers....and just go to town. Never really happened.

What's necessary to pull off this kind of thing....
-Talent
-inspiration
-a bunch of stuff
-tolerant neighbors
-a lot of time on your hands

he's got all that and then some!!

Now I need some time to go through all his videos!!?!?

[theblue1]

Originally Posted by Blind

If this is the wrong forum or this guy has been discussed a lot about earlier feel free to delete this but i am literally floored by how creative and passionate this guy is about his music... After watching this I immediately thought ,,Stop wasting time thinking about Sennheisers, Neumanns, Distressors and PreAmps... Go make some music''

i mean check this out:

YouTube - I Know - Jack Conte VideoSong

YouTube - Gulf - Jack Conte VideoSong

YouTube - James Bond 007 Movie Theme - Jack Conte


I wish that he comes to Europe one day...

All the best
Jonny

EDIT: Even if it's not your type of music... just watch one complete Video... he deserves it

Thanks for the tip. I really like the vid for "I Know" and I'll probably watch the rest, too. I like the music pretty well, too.

[MDSleep]

Originally Posted by author

Let's look at the numbers.

Nobody obviously cares about this Conte guy -- he had 70,000 hits or so on the tube. Because

1) he has no song and
2) he has no talent.

Compare that to Ke$ha's TiK ToK: It had 40 mill YouTube hits the last time I checked. Because of

1) an extremely well written song and
2) a huge talent.

so 70,000 views = "nobody"?
Amazing.

[author]

Originally Posted by MDSleep

so 70,000 views = "nobody"?

Yup.

[rectifier]

Originally Posted by author

Let's look at the numbers.

Nobody obviously cares about this Conte guy -- he had 70,000 hits or so on the tube. Because

1) he has no song and
2) he has no talent.

Compare that to Ke$ha's TiK ToK: It had 40 mill YouTube hits the last time I checked. Because of

1) an extremely well written song and
2) a huge talent.

Wrong. If you included his collaboration with the female he's had over 10 million hits and probably more. If you look at only his solo stuff he has a couple of million hits. And he's not writing crap for 12 year olds obviously, unlike the kesha studio machine. So I suggest your 'nobody cares about this Conte guy' is very naive. As always in your posts, your arrogance is forgetting that not everyone has same tastes as you and you are not quite speaking for everyone as you seem to always think. The hits speak for themselves. I know Kesha has good hit count but to suggest this guy has no talent is your opinion and thankfully only that.

[fhames]

Love the soundscape and how it morphs at the piano, (I Know). Love the 7/8-4/4 meter changes, (in Gulf). I loved how the vid matched the audio in texture and effects. This is clever, energetic and very entertaining. Thanks for sharing.




Bryant - Hames Music

[Dean Roddey]

Originally Posted by author

Zarathustra -- ABSTRACT?

If there *ever* were a great pop tune...

Are you sure you're not talking about the book?

I must have missed the verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, verse chorus structure of the fanfare.

[initialsBB]

Originally Posted by Blind

but i am literally floored by how creative and passionate this guy is about his music... After watching this I immediately thought ,,Stop wasting time thinking about Sennheisers, Neumanns, Distressors and PreAmps... Go make some music''

He has kind of a lot of gear though. Also, it sounds like Radiohead. And how can you be "literally floored"? You actually fell over?

[theblue1]

Originally Posted by author

My god...



Not at all. The song is everything.

Oh... you probably didn't even like "Big Noise from Winetka."




First, even though I'm pretty involved with conventional songwriting (probably too conventional ), I've never really had problems with stuff outside the pop norms. Maybe it's because I'm also a jazz and classical fan, going back to when I was a little kid.

I liked what I heard. And saw. And that was with this musical experience sandwiched in between Gillian Welch and Blossom Dearie... a couple of gals who know their way around conventional song craft, one as songwriter and the other as interpretive chanteuse/pianist.