I wish I was like Howie Day or Jason Mraz or Matt Nathanson

[1eyed_jack]

not because I think they are good but becuase they have an uncanny ability to release shitty songs and not care about it. I've got like 5 or 6 songs i'm working on and possibly one of them is a keeper. the other five i think are crap and will probably never get played again.
i wish i was like those guys i mentioned cause they take the good song, make it a single and throw the other 5 on the album anyway. but i can't do that. i'm my own worst critic (which is how it should be) but i do it to a fault sometimes. If i don't like a song i'll just throw it away.
anyone else like me and overly critique your music to a fault?

[Rob]

I understand your pain with Howie Day, and possibly with Mraz, but Nathanson? His first label release didn't really have a throwaway song...

[1eyed_jack]

of the three i listen to him the least but it seems like everyone just groups them together so i did too. my mistake

[cptnhansel]

not because I think they are good but becuase they have an uncanny ability to release shitty songs and not care about it. I've got like 5 or 6 songs i'm working on and possibly one of them is a keeper. the other five i think are crap and will probably never get played again.
i wish i was like those guys i mentioned cause they take the good song, make it a single and throw the other 5 on the album anyway. but i can't do that. i'm my own worst critic (which is how it should be) but i do it to a fault sometimes. If i don't like a song i'll just throw it away.
anyone else like me and overly critique your music to a fault?

I'm not going to lie, I'm EXACTLY the same way. Way to be. :D

[explode41]

i do the same thing with my songs, but some of my lyrics mean so much to me that I cant throw them away,,, i just need to get more creative onthe guitar i guess,,, just feel the music your self,, make it flow,,,, thats what I try to do but I dont know if it works but I believe it is a good direction to go in

[1eyed_jack]

i've got this style of music i want to play but it always seems like the stuff i write and play on guitar is like this sad slow depressing shit and i don't want to write that.

[Rob]

Matt writes some of the best acoustic guitar stuff out there these days- it is so unique and solid on a standalone basis. It's the sad bastard stuff that just kills me. His shows are out of this world, however, as he's just such a great entertainer, and his ability to make fun of himself and his own songs is what makes him killer.

[explode41]

i've got this style of music i want to play but it always seems like the stuff i write and play on guitar is like this sad slow depressing shit and i don't want to write that.

well if you are sad and depressed, if so then your songs should be,,, and if you not not sad you should try using more major chords in your guitar, you want to but how your feeling into your guitar is what i guess im trying to say, from the chords to the strumming pattern,,, see if that helps, let it come naturally

[MattJ]

not because I think they are good but becuase they have an uncanny ability to release shitty songs and not care about it. I've got like 5 or 6 songs i'm working on and possibly one of them is a keeper. the other five i think are crap and will probably never get played again.
i wish i was like those guys i mentioned cause they take the good song, make it a single and throw the other 5 on the album anyway. but i can't do that. i'm my own worst critic (which is how it should be) but i do it to a fault sometimes. If i don't like a song i'll just throw it away.
anyone else like me and overly critique your music to a fault?


Well, on something as subjective as music I think thats a hard statement to make about someone else's intentions. Maybe of the 6 songs you have, I'll really dig some of the ones you think suck.

I think its tough to separate what's good and bad from what is or isn't to taste and who knows what conclusions any of us come to when we decide whether we think one of our songs is good enough to let people hear.

[1eyed_jack]

Well, on something as subjective as music I think thats a hard statement to make about someone else's intentions. Maybe of the 6 songs you have, I'll really dig some of the ones you think suck.

I think its tough to separate what's good and bad from what is or isn't to taste and who knows what conclusions any of us come to when we decide whether we think one of our songs is good enough to let people hear.

i thought about that too, but decided it doesn't matter. cause I could write a song that everyone in the world loves except me and i would never play it. if i don't like a song then i have no business playing it.

[MattJ]

i thought about that too, but decided it doesn't matter. cause I could write a song that everyone in the world loves except me and i would never play it. if i don't like a song then i have no business playing it.

Fair enough. All we can do is pray that someday Gwen decides she doesn't like Hollaback Girl

[1eyed_jack]

Fair enough. All we can do is pray that someday Gwen decides she doesn't like Hollaback Girl

:lol i heard the song for the first time a week ago. i was like "is she spelling the word banana?" i felt a lot better about my own lyrics after that

[justinandimcool]

I think the only one that fits the description is Howie Day. I can't stand 90% of his songs. Jason Mraz, on the other hand, I can't find any song I don't like.

[MattJ]

I think the only one that fits the description is Howie Day. I can't stand 90% of his songs. Jason Mraz, on the other hand, I can't find any song I don't like.

I lean in the opposite direction. Won't say I can't stand any Mraz, I just prefer Howie's stuff. To each his own.

[1eyed_jack]

its mainly lyrics. i mean pull up a random song by either of them and chances are the lyrics won't be that good, and are even worse if you don't hear the music

[Popeye2003]

I'm the same way when composing. But I wouldn't say Mraz and Nathanson are shitty. Howie, however, has some crappy songs.

[MattJ]

its mainly lyrics. i mean pull up a random song by either of them and chances are the lyrics won't be that good, and are even worse if you don't hear the music

Interesting. I was listening to Stop All The World Now the other day and I thought most of them are pretty solid songwriter stuff with some little things done really well. Numbness for Sound and I'll Take You On in particular.

If anything I think the weakness is that the band sounds kind of tacked on, like its fairly apparent he wrote a lot of the stuff on just an acoustic guitar.

I think sometimes you can get away with non mind blowing lyrics with the right music. Songs that are more atmosphere than anything else don't really need a real unified story to them I think. Stuff like Come Lay Down or Discoteque (sp?). Hell, "Come Together"s lyrics are pretty nonsensical but I still think its a good song.

[Sklnnerbox]

of howie day, matt nathanson, and jason mraz, the only one you could maaaybe bash is matt nathanson cause he has a lot of good songs, but also a lot of crap, and just has like multiple albums with the same songs on it. howie day and jason mraz are extremely talented, and although howie days new stuff is girly and crappy and with a band, his old stuff is brilliant. listen to his live solo stuff. also jason mraz is really good, just not my thing, and the album that got him popular is pretty solid all around.

so a better example of a couple good songs on an album and then fill the rest with crap would be liiiike, 90% of rap albums, and drumroll pleeeeease, STAND UP.

[Rob]

Grammar not your strong point?

Matt Nathanson recorded his albums on his own dime, and when it came time for a professional label release with the associated monetary backing in the studio, he didn't have complete input on the songs that would make the cut. To be fair, you need take Nathanson's 4 albums and EP seperately from the label release. At that point, there are only two repeats, and they went from acoustic-only tracks to full-band tracks on a later album.

Again, to be fair, Howie has several repeats if you take his entire catalog in one shot or if you seperate it according to label and independant releases. The Blue and White EP's have several repeats with each other and Australia, and She Says appears on all of his albums.

Like.

[MattJ]

What do you guys think is the best Nathanson album? I don't know his stuff at all.

[waterwalker]

its mainly lyrics. i mean pull up a random song by either of them and chances are the lyrics won't be that good, and are even worse if you don't hear the music

just a quick question do like the new Mraz song wordplay? Personally i think the lryics are alright and i wondering how hard you on lyrics cuz im pretty hard on any music i listen to or write.

[jimibadfish]

I don't play a song unless I can feel a groove to it of some kind and as long as you can groove to it then fuck what people think. But I am from more of a Boosty and Sly influence than Howie Day and Jason Mraz. The funk will set you free.

[djmmjd]

Wow...those are some harsh words towards some really amazing artists, I feel. I mean it also depends on motive as well. I think these guys are really well intentioned musicians as well as really talented ones. But at the same time, I feel like Howie and Nathanson aren't trying to right sonic altering music and there's nothing wrong with that. And I think they do pretty damn good keeping in mind that these guys didn't run to labels or push for commercialism regardless of where they are now. They busted their asses. And don't get me started on Mraz...he's more talented than I think some of us ever will be, and if you don't believe me/don't know much about him, I'll send you some stuff to show you what I'm talking about. I mean I play mostly jazz/funk stuff(think Soulive) with bits of DMB/Marcus Eaton, and I play with a lot of older amazing cats, but I'm not biggoted towards other simpler music. Even OAR who I hated, but now I truly respect....they're music is so simple and many say its crap...but they busted their asses to get where they are, and they enjoy writing their brand of fun schmaltz or whatever it is. Plus, they rep my home state.

[PilotC150]

Mraz played a new song (probably Wordplay) on Leno and it sounded so simliar to Remedy it's not even funny.

[FireDancer79]

I love Matt's lyrics... As well as his melodies for that matter. :)

He was at Pac Bell night 2 btw. I sat right behind him. :thumbsup

[Geeky]

Mraz played a new song (probably Wordplay) on Leno and it sounded so simliar to Remedy it's not even funny.

If you listen to the lyrics in wordplay it's very funny because he makes fun of it sounding the same. Thumbs up Mraz! In the video which is available on Taylor's T5 page people starts to stone him to death because he sings the same crap over and over and is a one-hit wonder. :D

Plus it's an okay popsong.

[dman0808]

i like reading the opinions on these three artists.

I personally can't stand mraz...maybe only like 2 songs i like. I think his music if very gimmick-ish.

Howie i used to love and have now eased off. I have been to 10 of his shows, that's before all his shows ended up being the same thing. Australia is much better than Stop All The World Now (SATWN) I was actually listening to SATWN today and found myself skipping about half the songs. Not cause they're bad songs (some are though) but because the production value is pretty bad considering it's a major label release. I have other issues with him these days. He's no longer in it purely for music and takes things forgranted and it shows through in his music and performances these days.

Matt on the other hand, has never taken anything forgranted and still loves playing music and appreciates where he is today, and that shows through in his music. The thing about his music and his CD's is that it's a progression (just like his appeanence on his album art, hah). He's constantly progressing and so are his lyrics. And while not all his music will be "great", it's hard to find a truly "bad" song on any of his albums.

I think you can never underestimate effort and passion in writing efforts.

[gregory311]

Anyone who questions Matt Nathanson's ability to write and play amazing songs needs to hear "More than This." The strumming is outstanding and the lyrics are top notch. In fact, "Still Waiting for Spring" has a number of quality songs on it like "Wings," "Answering Machine," "Lucky Boy," and "Then I'll Be Smiling."

I do not care for Jason Mraz or Howie Day, but I do not choose to critize their music at the same time because they could rap me in the head with a fucking ratche,t so to speak, as far as playing and writing.

I love all these jackoffs who hang around here shooting their mouth off but are: #1 douches typing at an internet messageboard that have recorded 0 albums, have no credits to their name other than high school talent shows or coffee house apperances where they do nothing but covers but somehow still want to be held in high regard based on nothing, #2 probably have not sacrificed their lives to share their gifts with the world by busting their ass to play and sing anywhere and everywhere, and #3 are most likely still living in their mom's basement.

J.

[Geeky]

I love all these jackoffs who hang around here shooting their mouth off but are: #1 douches typing at an internet messageboard that have recorded 0 albums, have no credits to their name other than high school talent shows or coffee house apperances where they do nothing but covers but somehow still want to be held in high regard based on nothing, #2 probably have not sacrificed their lives to share their gifts with the world by busting their ass to play and sing anywhere and everywhere, and #3 are most likely still living in their mom's basement.

J.

Hear hear!

[Pat M]

I love all these jackoffs who hang around here shooting their mouth off but are: #1 douches typing at an internet messageboard that have recorded 0 albums, have no credits to their name other than high school talent shows or coffee house apperances where they do nothing but covers but somehow still want to be held in high regard based on nothing, #2 probably have not sacrificed their lives to share their gifts with the world by busting their ass to play and sing anywhere and everywhere, and #3 are most likely still living in their mom's basement.

J.
so people can't have an opinion? jesus christ.