favorite things you love in a song

[mymomsapanda]

what are the favorite things you love in songs

1.melodic vocals coinciding with the beat of the drum (like at the end of "the rumour" by you me at six)
2. gang vocals
3. a good breakdown

[STCmatt]

a bunch of vocals happening at the same time like the end of Jude Law

[$eth]

1. Message
2. Good mixing
3. Distortion on guitar intro

[theguy77]

1. music with a really unique soundscape/texture -- when an album is produced in a way where nothing else sounds like it.
2. music that has a lot of layers and details. obviously the core songwriting has to be good, but if you can take quality songwriting and put a lot of detail/complexity into it without making it sound disjointed, i LOVE that.
3. really fucking atmospheric music, not excluding music that incorporates intentional noise/distortion into the atmosphere.

thats my top three but i'll be listing other random ones as this thread progresses.

[optimusrob]

when they sample their own songs. like near the end of What a Catch Donnie by Fall out boy

[nlo13]

7/8 time.

[Derka Derka]

passion

[Losing Streak]

BREAAAAAKKKKKDOWWWWWWWWNNNNSSSSSSSS S!!!

Just kidding.

Most of Strung Out's "Suburban Teenage Wasteland" has pretty much everything I like in songs.

[theguy77]

7/8 time.

10/8 and 11/8 are better.

[nlo13]

10/8 and 11/8 are better.

Don't care for 10/8.

[theguy77]

Don't care for 10/8.

really? it can be made to sound so natural.

[nlo13]

really? it can be made to sound so natural.

I know. But when I switch up time signatures I like it to catch me by surprise sometimes. Math-rock, if you will. Plus, whenever I see 10/8 time I immediately think Mission Impossible haha

[theguy77]

I know. But when I switch up time signatures I like it to catch me by surprise sometimes. Math-rock, if you will. Plus, whenever I see 10/8 time I immediately think Mission Impossible haha

hahahaha thats understandable.

i love when time signatures alternate, like time signatures with an 11 on top generally can be counted with a 5 and a 6, something extra is added onto the second and it sounds sweet. see: "the tallest man, the broadest shoulders..." by sufjan stevens.

[nlo13]

hahahaha thats understandable.

i love when time signatures alternate, like time signatures with an 11 on top generally can be counted with a 5 and a 6, something extra is added onto the second and it sounds sweet. see: "the tallest man, the broadest shoulders..." by sufjan stevens.

Yeah alternating is what it's all about. I generally don't like a lot of Dream Theater's songs but I love their instrumentals so I'm a fan I guess haha. Check out "The Dance of Eternity"; there are a total of 123 signature changes in that song but it sounds so fucking natural it's amazing.

[theguy77]

Yeah alternating is what it's all about. I generally don't like a lot of Dream Theater's songs but I love their instrumentals so I'm a fan I guess haha. Check out "The Dance of Eternity"; there are a total of 123 signature changes in that song but it sounds so fucking natural it's amazing.

sweet, i'll have to check it out.

im probably partial to 10/8 because radiohead has used it multiple times. in fact, im listening to "go to sleep" right now.

[bluecrunchy]

I really like it when a song slowly grows quiet, and then explodes into a really heavy section.

[thespearkid]

- when a song is so expertly put together that, even after hearing it a dozen times, you still occasionally discover little things about the arrangement you never noticed before.

- a good, well-placed scream. i'm not talking about a band that has screaming in every song. the scream in "Papercut Skin" by the Matches and "Typical" by MUTEMATH come to mind.

- hearing background noises after the music ends (the musician coughing, the producer commenting, sounds of someone getting up and walking away, etc.)

- sections of the song being in a different language (mewithoutYou is pro at this).

- double-tracked vocals balanced in separate ears (elliott smith/jeff mangum do this a lot).

[flks511]

Long intros that build up for a while before exploding into energy.

[nlo13]

sweet, i'll have to check it out.

im probably partial to 10/8 because radiohead has used it multiple times. in fact, im listening to "go to sleep" right now.

-dSztjpJNNk

It's more on the progressive metal side. With some sweet ragtime piano at 2:33! haha

[writeacliche]

-Fantastic harmonies/Gang Vocals (The Mile After, end of "Feeling This" by Blink 182, "Jude Law" by Brand New)

-Vocals that drip with emotion (Anything by Evans Blue, notably "A cross and a girl..." or anything by bands like Brand New and Taking Back Sunday. I might hate the music or the band but if I hear that vocalist pouring his heart out I can respect it.)

[Broclee]

The scream near the end of Luca by Brand New, right after the quiet chorus, is one of my favorite musical moments. It gives me chills every time I listen to it.

[on a frequency]

when two different parts of a song are sung over each other (like a bridge sung over a last chorus, or something similar). only example that comes to mind is brand new's quiet things, at the end when the "i lie for only you" etc. etc. part is being sung over the outro chorus.

i also really like when instrumental solos are repeated over the outro chorus... like in aar's swing swing, when they repeat the guitar solo over the outro chorus.

umm other than that... it's great when songs are carefully arranged well. and it's cool when quirky and nontraditional "instruments" are incorporated successfully. clever lyrics are always nice. and passionate vocals (gavin degraw live!).

[foryoublue]

I like when the lyrics are based on real events and sound sincere.
I kind of really like songs that don't really have a chorus...kinda like "apple shampoo."
songs that have piano thrown in somewhere are nice too.

[Iwudstilldie4u]

Most people don't, but I love string sections in music, especially if it's just one or two string instruments.

Good atmospheric yet poignant synth parts a la Innerpartysystem's "Last Night in Brooklyn" or Kanye's "Flashing Lights"

Songs that cleverly reuse melodies from other songs in the album, like Armor for Sleep's "The End of a Fraud" (reusing "The Truth About Heaven) or The Dear Hunter's using the melody from "Evicted"

Trumpets

Really good bridges

[Broclee]

Most people don't, but I love string sections in music, especially if it's just one or two string instruments.

I love a nice string part in pop music. Sufjan Stevens has some great ones.

[zonto]

1. No clipping and unnecessary distortion. There's a difference between noise and guitar effects and not knowing how to set up microphones and equipment correctly.

2. Well-recorded percussion, especially cymbals.

3. Good imaging and stereo effects.

4. Subtle details like breaths, messed up chord fingerings, hearing two drum sticks strike a drum rather than two, etc...

5. Hearing recording room doors closing, opening, people talking in the background.

6. Not hearing an abundance of AutoTune and fake, lame harmonies.

7. The "live" sound so when I hear it in concert it's not vastly different.

8. Layered vocals

9. No sibilance in voices recorded.

10. Being able to feel emotion in what the band/artist is doing and not feeling that it's fake and over processed. If they're into it, I usually am too.

11. Getting chills or teary eyed.

No particular order.

[ShimmerAndSpill]

I love asymmetrical time changes like going from 6/8 to 7/8, but I love Thrice way too much.

[gemini089]

I really love in acoustic versions you can hear the fingers slide along the strings, idk its simple but its still one of my favorite things to hear

[Broclee]

I really love in acoustic versions you can hear the fingers slide along the strings, idk its simple but its still one of my favorite things to hear
Oh yeah, I absolutely love that.

[murrich]

what are the favorite things you love in songs

1.melodic vocals coinciding with the beat of the drum (like at the end of "the rumour" by you me at six)
2. gang vocals
3. a good breakdown


Why did you lie about being 23?

[jco3]

1. No clipping and unnecessary distortion. There's a difference between noise and guitar effects and not knowing how to set up microphones and equipment correctly.

2. Well-recorded percussion, especially cymbals.

3. Good imaging and stereo effects.

4. Subtle details like breaths, messed up chord fingerings, hearing two drum sticks strike a drum rather than two, etc...

5. Hearing recording room doors closing, opening, people talking in the background.

6. Not hearing an abundance of AutoTune and fake, lame harmonies.

7. The "live" sound so when I hear it in concert it's not vastly different.

8. Layered vocals

9. No sibilance in voices recorded.

10. Being able to feel emotion in what the band/artist is doing and not feeling that it's fake and over processed. If they're into it, I usually am too.

11. Getting chills or teary eyed.

No particular order.

Sounds like you know your way around a studio... I agree with everything you've said here.

[jco3]

I really love in acoustic versions you can hear the fingers slide along the strings, idk its simple but its still one of my favorite things to hear

Completely agreed.

[kwsqd]

Don't care for 10/8.
really? it can be made to sound so natural.
9/8 ftw.


1. music with a really unique soundscape/texture -- when an album is produced in a way where nothing else sounds like it.
2. music that has a lot of layers and details. obviously the core songwriting has to be good, but if you can take quality songwriting and put a lot of detail/complexity into it without making it sound disjointed, i LOVE that.
3. really fucking atmospheric music, not excluding music that incorporates intentional noise/distortion into the atmosphere.

thats my top three but i'll be listing other random ones as this thread progresses.
Like your list a lot!

I'm a big fan of when a drummer seemingly carries the melody and rhythm. That's probably not the best way of describing it, but.. oh well.

[zonto]

Sounds like you know your way around a studio... I agree with everything you've said here.

Completely agreed.

Never really been in a studio setting, just observations over the years as I've progressed in music and in my "audiophileness" I guess. Etymotic ER4S are very revealing earphones and render some albums unlistenable because of their crappy production.

And yes, acoustic string slides (aka #4 subtle details on my list) are absitively glorious!

Listen to Ace Enders - The Australia EP and you can hear he and his wife talking in the studio as she adjusts the recording gain. I love it.

[theguy77]

9/8 ftw.

claude debussy "clair de lune" and radiohead "in limbo" ftw

also, im glad we agree with my list! i kind of see what you're saying about the drummer; i feel that percussion is more important than a lot of rock bands give it credit for, and that its best to get a drummer who understands melody and aesthetic as well as rhythm to get his parts to coincide with the music perfectly. i had no idea how much difference the drumming style makes in a band's sound until i started working with drummers myself. ive gone through like 5 and finally found one who's perfect for me.

[fadedmemories]

Witty, accessible and easy to relate to lyrics

Great harmonies

Synth playing that actually compliments the song

A well placed key change

[theguy77]

- when a song is so expertly put together that, even after hearing it a dozen times, you still occasionally discover little things about the arrangement you never noticed before.

yes! i would say about half if not more of the fun in listening to music for me is analyzing how it was put together. when i stopped simply writing songs and started actually developing and producing my own music, like planning out all the arrangements of every layer and every instrument etc., this is something that stood out to me a lot more when hearing other peoples' music.

- a good, well-placed scream. i'm not talking about a band that has screaming in every song. the scream in "Papercut Skin" by the Matches and "Typical" by MUTEMATH come to mind.

dude i hate to be predictable and bring up radiohead YET AGAIN but i know you're an OK computer fan. dont you just fucking LOVE the scream at the end of "climbing up the walls"? all my muscles go tense at that point, after the song has just been this massive 6 minute build. its so great.

- double-tracked vocals balanced in separate ears (elliott smith/jeff mangum do this a lot).

see this is awesome and unique but when other artists do it its just such a blatant rip off of these guys haha. its like a trademark of the elliott smith sound in my opinion.

[MADSTA]

When the song is actually really simple, but still sounds amazing. (Death Cab For Cutie - A Lack Of Colour)

- when a song is so expertly put together that, even after hearing it a dozen times, you still occasionally discover little things about the arrangement you never noticed before.
I love this.
Songs that cleverly reuse melodies from other songs in the album, like Armor for Sleep's "The End of a Fraud" (reusing "The Truth About Heaven) or The Dear Hunter's using the melody from "Evicted"
THISSSS one of my favourite things.

[apegutt_90]

Bridges which take your breath away.
Especially those you sit and wait for and think 'omg, omg, here it comes'.

For instance Jimmy Eat World - Futures

[Jaimehere]

1. Meaningful Lyrics
2. You can rock out too(Mosh, Sing-along, go crazy! etc)
3. Guitar Solo(that is not out of place)

4. an original breakdown though it's just something to headbang too not necessarily needed xD

[Broclee]

A well placed key change

I love a good key change, but I get so pissed at pop artists that do it after the "drum solo" for the final chorus. It's so predictable and cheesy (here's looking at you, Kelly Clarkson).

[mymomsapanda]

ive gotten asked this so many times. when i first joined this site, i thought there would be some sort of age thing that would restrict you from going to parts of the site

[rising_tied]

Breakdowns are a good thing but like alotta kids at shows think, its not what makes a song. I said this before in another thread but after In Fear And Faith finished there set one time I heard some ignorant shit.. Instead of ONE MORE SONG. I heard "ONE MORE BREAKDOWN" First of all really? An IFAF breakdown? and cmon man thats just ignorant in my opinion

Important things are (but not always what I listen to Ill admit)
Songs that have meaning
Mix of Genres in one song (yea ima Nu Metal kid haha)
If there IS a breakdown I like a Bass drop.

you know what... my mind is blank haha

[ImOnFire54321]

-Gang Vocals
-Natural Sounding Vocals
-A feeling of emotion
-Dynamic shifts
-Multiple Vocalists
-Epic Song Endings (The Recieving End of Sirens - The Armistice and Planning a Prison Break)

[Nightfox33]

1. Gang Vocals
2. Gang Bangs
3. When the music stops and the singer sings for a section, then the music rocks back in like a tidal wave

[billy_yo]

1. gang vocals
2. guest vocals
3. clapping
4. cowbell

[billy_yo]

5. harmonies

[TheGoodnightMoon]

Cartel's Q&A pretty much sums it up.

[thespearkid]

Good atmospheric yet poignant synth parts a la Innerpartysystem's "Last Night in Brooklyn" or Kanye's "Flashing Lights"

Songs that cleverly reuse melodies from other songs in the album, like Armor for Sleep's "The End of a Fraud" (reusing "The Truth About Heaven) or The Dear Hunter's using the melody from "Evicted"

Trumpets

all great. i'm a sucker for trumpets in a song. and reusing melodies from earlier sections of the album is just about always amazing. have you listened to Brian Wilson's Smile? the entire album is based off one song called "Heroes and Villians" and the revisit that melody a few times on the album. this brings up another thing i love; songs that have a part II (two-headed boy pt. II, four word letter pt. II, the hazards of love pts. II-IV).

yes! i would say about half if not more of the fun in listening to music for me is analyzing how it was put together. when i stopped simply writing songs and started actually developing and producing my own music, like planning out all the arrangements of every layer and every instrument etc., this is something that stood out to me a lot more when hearing other peoples' music.
that's what i like to work on two. i'm trying to make my songs more interwoven but it's hard with just an acoustic guitar, a crappy mic, my laptop, and audacity. up da punx.

see this is awesome and unique but when other artists do it its just such a blatant rip off of these guys haha. its like a trademark of the elliott smith sound in my opinion.
agreed, to some extent. the first time i heard it used was on elliott smith's "pictures of me" and i was, literally, blown away. i rip off that technique every now and then but i've grown to use it in a more subtle sense to make my vocals clearer and louder.

[thespearkid]

and i also have a soft spot for gang vocals, not gonna lie.

[love_american_style]

i like it when they do stuff that doesn't suck.

[mattmatumbo]

1. Lyrics that remind me of my childhood
2. Use of any time signature but 4/4
3. Out of standard tuned guitars
4. Crescendos

[Thomas Nassiff]

1. complex instrumentation. i love pop punk music but the best music is much more comlpex. see: springsteen and the e street band.

2. great lyrics. the best songs, in my opinion, tell you a story. see: jungleland by springsteen

3. live ability: a song should be best when played live. if its a studio-only song then it loses a lot of its luster. see: bruce springsteen's entire catalog.

um, springsteen rules.

[Dubui_209]

When you guys say gang vocals, Do you mean harmonies?

[michelle182]

Gang vocals.
Ones that sound awesome live too. Like the band stops playing and everyone just sings. Like in Soco Amaretto Lime.

[J Me]

Clapping

[fivergirl]

- build up/change in mood
- notice things with repeated plays
- good lyrics
- heartfelt

I also like it when songs mix male and female vocals.

I pretty much agree with what everyone else is saying.

[murrich]

David Eugene Edwards is my what I love in a song.

[fanberlinboy]

Most songs that send chills up my spine. And give me goosebumps.

From a music perspective, well placed guitar solos are great. Dual vocals are awesome, too.

[Molly0218]

I love collaborations/duets and gang vocals.

And I love when theres like talking in a song.
Example: I'm Ready by Jack's Mannequin

[alis21]

a well placed 'woo' (logan to government center - brand new)
accidentals (time to waste - alkaline trio)
when it sounds like the singer is far away (kill the rhythm - gallows)

[ShimmerAndSpill]

Vocal harmonies, especially when Dustin Kensrue does them.