michael cullen & love transmitter

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Prodigy issue 13 Sounding a little like a drugged-up version of Peter Steele from Type-O Negative, Michael Cullen makes his solo debut. You can be forgiven for wondering just who this Michael Cullen bloke is. Apparently he was frontman for some pop punk band or other. That must be where he wrote all his better lyrics, because as far as penmanship goes Cullen is pretty drab. However, the strange haze of almost Tom Waitslike melancholy - bordering verrrry closely to melodramatic - saves this from being a complete trainwreck. This was the most surprising release in my review batch this week. Give it a try if you like bands such as Counting Crows. He sounds absolutely nothing like them, but its the atmosphere it creates that's similar, and that's no bad thing. 7 of Spades

Drum Media Be prepared to be surprised with Love Transmitter. if you've followed Michael Cullen's career through The Hardheads and the unjustifiably ignored Watershed, this is another side of him barely hinted at in those projects. Apart from anything else, Cullen has played the majority of the instruments, with Tim Powles of The Church taking care of the drums, percussion, beats, loops and production, as well as the odd backing vocal, along with the odd guest on the odd track, like Jon Butler drumming on two tracks, and Dave Skeet adding voice here, organ there. In some ways, this record could only have been produced in collaboration with Powles. The songs have that otherworldly quality that we've come to expect of recordings made in Powles's Spacejunk Studio, with that timeless kind of instrumental wash layered beneath and behind the voice. it works a treat with the vaguely 'dark beatlish' feel of All Used Up for instance. Cullen's subversive sense of humour comes into play on the title track too. Powles must have smiled at the line 'then she told me Kilbey was God/well I laughed at that' the metallic, restrained grind of guitar chopping and building inexorably. Contrasting that humour is the worldweary sadness of Closer, but there's plenty of light and shade across the ten tracks, from the bounce of One is Still my Number and sarcasm of Professional Entertainers to the stumbling plea of Chinese Hammer. References? You can hear Cullen is very much a man who came into his creative muse in the early 80s, so the references would be, i suppose, New Order or Jesus & Mary Chain, but there's Aztec Camera and The Smiths there if you want to hear it. The truth is that while artists like that may have addressed his youth, Cullen has grown into his own voice, so forget the above and just listen to that voice and discover a quietly unique talent. Michael Smith

2XX Canberra   reviewing = Interesting. I've had this by the cd player for two weeks now, trying to decide whether it goes into the 2XX new releases draw or not, coming back to it every few days. Giving it a good listen now, i have to say it will. i'm enjoying the guitar and the overall production (when I read about the Church connection I went "Aaaah, that sounds right"). Nice to find someone with their own sound though unafraid to show their interest in music history. i thought maybe I heard a little bit of Edwyn Collins styling in there too. Well done dude. singoda

CUrio This is the debut solo album from the former front man of punk groups The Hardheads and Watershed. However if you were expecting another punk album then you would be in for a massive shock. Instead Mr. Cullen has gone for a very dark and moody soundscape. The results of this departure in style are quite astounding as each track is beautifully crafted. ‘All used up’ and ‘transmission’ both stand up as powerful highlights. Michael Cullen’s music is reminiscent of bands such as Joy Division, The Birthday Party and the Triffids to name a few. He manages to combine the best bits of each of these artists to come up with something distinctive of his own. The quality of the record is further enhanced by the production work of The Church’s Tim Powles. This is a brilliant piece of work that consists of dense sounds and beautiful melodies. All songs on offer manage to be self contained as well as fit together with one another to create a smooth flowing long player. Grade: Distinction. Richard Rowe

reviews of all used up from garageband.com		reviews of transmission from garageband.com
Cool shit. Finally...a band that can play and sing. This is cool shit. I dig it. Cool chorus. I like the way that the guitars blend in. Come to Denmark and play gigs with us;) Good production, good sounds. This is good. - Vilgersence from Copenhagen, V, Denmark		tight Gtrs build the wall; splashy reverse cymbals fill the pool. Oh... it's quite the "The Cure" influenced thing. Vocals have the "Robert Smith" thing. Nice arrangement; recording is very harsh... almost like it's been over-EQed (esp cymbal trax). The mix is good, recording is hurting... make sense? Brit-rock. Good stuff. I like the 8th note guitars that keep everything full. "Transmitter". Wasn't what I wanted to think, but I saw her slip something in my drink. It's been quite the tense little number for a while... seems to need to break out and groove for a few bars. Good lyrics. "my cancers" (or whatever). With cleaner tracks (and without that harsh, grainy sound) this would be top of the pops. Nice job all the way. Reviewed by: super_enthused from Sandy, Utah
JESUS-AND-MARY-OASIS-CHAIN CHAOS REIGNS,THE DRUMS AT THE START WERE A BIT ANNOYING,HI-HAT PRETTY BRUTAL,THE SONG GETS BETTER HOWEVER,WITH THE FIRST CHORUS ADDING MELODY,ON THE PRODUCTION SIDE ITS A BIT MUDDY THOUGH THAT COULD WELL BE ON PURPOSE,I LIKE IT MORE AFTER A COUPLE OF LISTENS AND ITS AN ENERGETIC HONEST PERFORMANCE - MichaelLee from Martina Franca, Taranto, Italy		great lyrics love transmitter, eh? I like it ... a lot. Great story. I'm not gonna blink! Good sense of urgency created musically. Extra credits for mood, lyrics, and originality. Also for male vocals - nice voice!. I'm picking this for best potential movie soundtrack! Plankton - Culver,Indiana
making slashing motions in a westernly direct.. cool harmonized vocals in the beginning. all the instruments sound like their glitching...like a scratch on a cd. then it kicks into more straightfoward mode. this song has a really great mood. i like the excess reverb/echo on stuff. sort of shoegazey..but not really. i really like this song. the mood is really the best part of the song, as it completely enveloped me. only complaint might be that the vocals are pretty high up in the mix, and they could probably be brought down a little. otherwise...this is a nice song with a great mood. thumbs up. - nearertonever from Monticello, Indiana		original I don't know what type of music this is, but it's different. I like the guitar riff and the effect on it, sounds like the right amount of reverb. Vocals don't fit into the mix as well as they should. Built to Burn - West Bridgewater, Massachusetts
Gene meets Moby Mix is very low. The song itself is very good, I particularly like the chorus. A different take - nice. The voices are a little to muffled and could be brighter. The perfomance was full of controlled energy and worked v well. It does sound a little like one long intro at times. The drums were particularly impressive, really moved this tune along well... Nice one.. - WizardSween from Wales, Cardiff, United Kingdom		this song grows as it goes on I like it. I knew I'm lucky after a few seconds. This guy knows how to do a good song. Extra Credit: Melody, Mood Special Award: Most Rocking Track lofik7
Joy Division Like the way this song starts instantly real nice feel to it quiet dark in places almost like Joy Division. - spark74 from Dublin, Ireland		Great Layering You really did a good job with the instrumentation of this track. Very dramatic. I think the vocals are a little loud. They need to be more integrated into the mix. The lyrics are compelling, but I feel the volume of the vocal is overpowering this song. Its also got a good hook. i like the phrase love transmitter. Very clever. Good songwriting. Work on the mix and this will be a more solid track. gutterstar - Hoboken, New Jersey
I'm all used up..up...up...up..up. Origional style. Performance is good - top marks to the drummer for working so hard on this one. I think the vocals are a little weak in delivery, that is, I think the emphasis here is effects vs letting the lyrics dictate the impact of the song. (It works at 2:06, though, when the music fades out with the "I'm all used up baby" line - there was more attitude there with the vocals) I think the idea for the song is cool/I liked it more the second time through. Production is pretty lo-fi. I think its a good demo for getting the vibe of what you're about across to the listener. - TerraFirma from Calgary, Alberta, Canada		Overall Good Cool lead in, builds tension. The vocal is right out front. The mix sounds good, the production sounds good. I like the chorus. The vocal is a little bit reserved, not as emotionally expressive as it might be, to me. The music builds tension, I am still waiting for it to let loose .... the bridge could get loud and loose and make it more compelling to me. the whole tune seems to hold back somehow. overall a good song. The playing is good and intelligent, the production clear. I'd change the arrangement and dynamics, but that's just one guy's opinion. overall, a good song with a solid chorus. Abarrs - Tampa, Florida
The Cure? Song reminds me a bit of the Cure and Echo and the Bunny Men. Talented guitarist/bassist and drummer. Overall good production. - Tinta from Bethesda, Maryland		Chillin' Song had a nice feel to it, production was good, vocals were smooth and just right for the riff. it has a chillin' mood to it, good work. I was waiting for it to climax somewhere but it didn't but I get the idea .... good luck! Extra credit: Male Vocals, Guitars, Production, Lyrics, Mood Patmulwany - Austin,Texas
Steady Waiting This song has a very anticipitory feel to it. It kept me expecting it to kick up a notch at any moment. It has that build up type of steady rythem that never develops into anything, but itself. Thats coll if thats what you were going for, but it was a bit dissappointing to me. Good production and musicianship, I just think the arrabgement was not as strong as it could be. - GuerrillaWrench from Boise, Idaho		Blade Runner Love Song This could have the sound of a runaway subway train. Good song. i'd really 'toughen' this up. Maybe it's the recording? maybe the mix. good words and well sang. Nice composition. Lots of tension and feeling, even though it's pretty one note-ish. this has good potential. Rework and record. Good luck. dgrundy - Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Dueling vocals An interesting approach to the phenomenon that is retro. More of a combination between grunge and the 70s comback, i like it, i would like to hear something a little bit mor upbeat the next one. - whoisplanb_com from Virginia Beach, Virginia		thurston moore meets depeche mode hmm.. its kinda .. hmm.. its alright.. needs to kick in at some point and kick in hard.. the chorus is prettty gothy . hmm its good - dead_meat St Louis, Missouri
This was a good start I liked the start of it and it had a good melody,and this was very unique a different style just not really my type of music but good job - jaredh46 from Unspecified		A Modern Joy Division The fresh drum patterns are fantastic, reminiscent of Joy Division's experimental percussion-style in places. Great skip-beats and effects used. The guitars are strong with good dark progressions throughout. The vocals work well and I do like the lyrics too (I especially like the timing skip on the second "don't play"). For me, this track would benefit from a breakdown where there is a melodical departure from the main theme, but the track is a nice length and overall this was an excellent song with fine production. Great job. John, Misnomer - www.mp3.com/misnomer Extra Credit: Drums, Mood - Misnomer Southend, Essex, United Kingdom
"Weird Sex" factor inplay- repeated listening.. This song is like intercourse with someone who won't bother with foreplay, climaxes a bit early and THEN wants to cuddle after. In other words, the song starts abruptly, almost mid-beat(I actually restarted it a couple times because I thought it was a streaming error). It then drives on steadily for approximately two minutes until it reaches it's peak. It then lingers about without much purpose for the last minute or so. This is unfortunate because the band is tight, well rehearsed and sufficiently skilled. I liked the percussion especially, which distinguished itself without distracting. Production did a good job of capturing the fullness of the instrumentation, but not as well with the vocals, which sound a bit tinny. My big problem with the track is the intro. On 2nd and 3rd listens I really enjoyed the music but the first time I heard it, the way it dropped in at the beginning made it pretty inaccessable. -If I weren't reviewing it I wouldn't have given it a 2nd listen. Some minor tweaking would go a long way on this track. A little adjustment to vocal effects, cutting off the 15 seconds(?!?) of feedback at the end and adding a couple of seconds of it to the beginning for a lead-in would probably do it. - ApacheFogg from Muskegon, Michigan		weird space 60 bowie. britanian emo pop. nice tight verse, good use of unique vocal patterns. i appreciate.Extra Credit: Male Vocals, Guitars, Drums, Bass, Lyrics, Beat, Mood - moah Grand Rapids, Michigan
good lyrics I like the lyrics alot. The production is very nice great vocal effects. I can't think of anything that could improve this track. - groovfidel from Virginia Beach, Virginia		CrazySexyCool Really neato song, nice vibe going on, and I really like the weird cymbal effect. Despite being different, it's still really catchy (I hope that's what you were going for, some people get ticked at that kind of thing.) Really nice guitar solo, very simple, it serves the song well. However, the song does get a little tedious towards the end, but maybe that's the short fast food/tv attention span talking... Extra Credit: Drums, Sequencer/Effects Programming, Mood - slobstar1 Winchester, Kentucky
Love the quick beginning The chorus could be developed further, specifically expanding the melody line, which would add a stronger dynamic to the song. I liked this song for the first minute to 1:30. After that I got bored. It has potential, I really like it. A very 80s New Wave type feel. The song is relying only upon melody/mood/beat, no guitar solos or anything, which is fine, but the melody/vocals need expanded to keep the song alive. Either that or throw in a horn section or something. Good though. Keep at it. - paintonmyhands from Taft, Ohio		Over Dramatic Cool The overdramatic vocals in the first verse, well sounds like they're sticking around, are strangely appealing. The music is reasonably cool. Maybe a better mix, yeah, a better mix. This is a cool song. All of a sudden hits me like I heard it once. There's a Sonic Youth thing going on, musically, just not as dissonant. Extra Credit: Male Vocals, Melody mrjones_fptoz - Fairview, New Jersey

Reviews of Tidal Wave from GarageBand.Com

 

reviews of do you believe from garageband.com		reviews of tidal wave from garageband.com
Good song...just needs a little more variatio.. The beginning of the song drew me in... sort of a Pink Floydish feel. The vocal melody was a bit too straight for me, not much of a hook, in my opinion. I like the bridge, a bit of a change up. The production is good, mixing is good. I definitely think a little variation in the vocal melody would make a huge difference. - onewhodreams from Laguna Niguel, California on 24Oct2004		It's alright. I like the melody. The vocals are great in the chorus, I don't really like the beginning vocals. The drums were great. - AdoptMe from Crownsville, Maryland
Like a plain, bland muffin... I'm just not getting it guys. I'm not sure where this song is going. I don't think it's "performed" poorly, per se, but I just don't know about the song writing. It doesn't really inspire an emotion in me. It doesn't excite me, and does not truly hit the sadness emotions. I'm just indifferent to it. Totally subjectively, I'm not sure I like what the vocalist is doing with his voice. Too much inflection perhaps (Also, I'd suggest getting rid of some of the vocal effect/reverb, esp. on "do you believe" refrain: let his true voice come out). Speaking of vocals, you can get anything more stock than "Do you believe in love?" I like the rythym, drums/track. Good production though. - lehnherr12 from Platteville, Wisconsin		Intresting The guitar is pretty good at the beginning. The singer's voice isn't really my style, might be because it's a bit loud too. Other wise its pretty good. Reminds me of the Doors for some reason. - malakikourt from Ninety Six, South Carolina
Believe Real interesting tune;keeps your attention. Well played and in time with each other.Overall pretty cool! - pkndille from Warwick, Rhode Island		PULP This is very Pulp influenced. This one is loungy with dirty hooks. trip out. - peck from Hayward, California
80's is not dead again this is a good tune for the beauty bar on thursday nights.good rockin drinking music.somber,moody,melloncollie,s its own way)i love descenant sounds.sounds that appear to be trailing of into the amber sunset.this song is simple which all good music is.they are obviously not trying to break any records which is good.the song is good very listenable(is that a word?)the production sounded better than most of the shit i have listened to on this website.good shit guys.good luck - mrwong2442 from Astoria, New York		BINGO! Loved the lyrics! And that super low lead voice. Beautiful stuff! Everything about this song was just right. Had to listen to it again. I'd love to see the band live! - jnny808 from Cyberspace, Alberta, Canada
Nice Song I thought the production and performance was pretty good. I would have liked to hear more effects in the main vocals in the verses especially...maybe even just slightly different mixing, more reverb or something...i dunno. Overall, I thought it was pretty well done. - arghhh2004 from North Bay, Ontario		Interesting Vocals are to high in the mix. It sounds a little like Sean Mullins. The recording is good. - rbell44 from Saint Paul, Minnesota
I believe!! I like the originality. The fade in is cool. Great ideas. I LOVE the vocals and the tone. Nice ear candy with the guitar sounds. Production is very lively and refreshing. Nice key work. The song has a cool mood. I LOVE the sparce drum beat. The only constructive critasims is to have a more intense part of the song to catch a higher emotion level. AWSOME job guys! - SamuelSharkey from Red Deer, Alberta, Canada		Very interesting The singer's voice...whoa, it made me feel like I was in a dream. Very intoxicating and unique. I'm not sure that I'm a big fan of this kind of music, but I do appreciate that the singer wrote some very interesting lyrics. I think the singer must be the anchor of the band, because nothing else was remarkable in the song. The bridge section was kind of a letdown...I was expecting something more from it. I'm not sure what it should have been, but it just killed the momentum of the song. I would like to see your band live to see what kind of energy you have and how you connect with the audience. - SamsaraMan from Evanston, Illinois
ill give you a chance.. dudadudadudadudaduda dudadudaduda she was wearing that red dress... blablablaaaaahh blablahhhhhh sorry just alittle generic for me.. more 2 note riffs please! - Hecubis301 from Central, Florida		Please more sex refrences Lyrics really bad. And thats a completely subjective category, but they completely ruined the song for me. The lyrics in the chorus arent so bad. But the verse, is mind boggling bad. Song sounds alright though. Bass is very very strong. Drums sound alright. Vocal delivery is a little weak. Especially at the begining. AHHHHH i just remembered the first line again "Love is an ocean, why dont you get wet". That one hurts fellas. - Baron_Zemo from Vienna, Virginia
Gothic love at its best Filled with a creepy vibe throughout, this song has a subtle, dramatic quality that frames the lead vocalist's deep, hypnotic voice perfectly. An inescapable sense of foreboding rides alongside quiet musings of love, which makes your heart ache while the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. Lush, engaging, and addictive, this song is everything you want in Gothic-Alternative sound. - madsmiley78 from Brandon, Florida		dark but catchy this is a pretty catchy song, but dark at the same time. all the parts are played well, and the vocals are nice. however, i much prefer the sung choruses to the verses, because during the verses the singer takes on a kind of Nick Cave baritone that is a bit irritating. my favorite part is the background organ (or synth organ), but i kind of wished that it was brought more to the front of the mix. this is a quality song, though... nice work. - sansarc from Woodbury, New Jersey
nice sound simple guitar riff that sounded good and grew louder,was a bit let down by the beat at first but it got better. performance is good and production is spot on too,song itself pretty good but i found vocals are a little sort of one leveled and quite not boring just a little monotomous,not a bad track at all though - ashaxx from Stourbridge, Non Usa, United Kingdom		Dreamy alt-rock Sounds well-produced. I like the instrumentation, the vocals are alright, but they are a little too conversational to me. The voice might be better if it was sung higher, but that's okay. It reminds me of Pink Floyd and Interpol. The vocal effects are slightly distracting, but not bad. The drums are very good, keeping the beat well and adding just the right amounts of rhythm. The guitars are pretty good. I like the feedback noises, very cool. Maybe there could be a bigger break-down in the middle or something? Or maybe a guitar solo? Or a riff jam? It sounds very good though. - Forever_Endever from Eau Claire
hard to place the vocals were a bit muddy. I did like the overall leonard cohen feel... didn't really care for the lyrics. - bunnysound from San Francisco, California		eerie the vox are eerie and are like...the doors mixed with beatles melody, that's kinda what i'm hearing atleast....nice lil breakdown in the middle with the vocalist..talking to...whoever he's talking to - blankosmosis from Levittown, New York
Sweeping sound, underwhelming chorus I like the harmonies and the full, intoxicating sound. The melody in the chorus itself is a little monotonous to me, and the lyrics are on the trite side. Great soundscapes you've created here though, lots of potential. It is performed well, and produced well (maybe the vocals could be mixed better?) - lhawkins from Los Angeles, California		Loose the Verse Melody the instruments sound good. I'm not a big fan of the vocals in the verse. When the vocals are layered a bit it helps. I would rethink the melody on the verse and then you would be getting closer to having a good song in my book. I do give you props on the mix. - bartongill from Studio City, California
A bit gloomy Interesting intro, sounds quite dark in a way. The singer sounds like Syd Barrett on his way to a radiohead gig. Nice chords/melody. A bit gloomy (good for a song like this). - TheMattBrown from London, England, United Kingdom		I think I'm Elvis Lyrics and vocals need serious help, but the music isn't too bad. - LithiumSuede from Medford, Oregon
Go Go Gadget Headline I like the bridge part most. And I dislike the chorus. This has a sound that reminds me of a cross between The Smoking Popes and The Magnetic Fields. If more was done with that bridge part and less with the chorus, I'd be all over this like lube on a porn star. - Flloyd from Boston, Massachusetts on 26Oct2004		right on... WEDDINg PRESENT!!! decent song, original play and vocals...good job... - lesblack from Chicago, Illinois
Keep up the good work What a nice mood this song had. I think this has some real quality to it. Unusual production, but engaging. Keep up the good work. - foffster from Bö, Telemark, Norway		crash test the drums and vocals appear to be too high in the mix...the two are washing out the guitar, which is a strong point of the song...i like the instrumentation and the chorus, i just can't get into the vocals on the verse...it's good, otherwise - chickenking from Smithtown, New York
katchy like how the guitar comes in...the keyboards sound alright...little video-game-ish at times....the arrangements are alright...the drums cut through nicely and mix well with the song...like the changes...like the chorus..good performance...the production is pretty well down..the song overall is pretty kewl...hey..its a love song...good stuff guys-John - sykossun from Barrie, Ontario, Canada		Interesting lyrics Good production on this track. The vocals are good and clear. The lyrics are interesting. The guitar bass and drums all seem to work well together in this tune. I like the change up at the ending. Good work. - BigBadBoMan from Langley, British Columbia, Canada
do you believe I really like the bouncing guitars coming into the synth pad setting up the verse here, The vocal tone is decent, but I'm not in love with this singer... Interesting drum tones coming in around 1:39... At the 2:11 mark, the backgrounds add in some nice warmth and the guitar playing becomes strong. Performance- strong in many areas, especially drums and bass production- fairly well done... Song- It's ok...try breaking things up a bit more. good luck - Audioride from Brighton, Massachusetts
nice intro vocalist could work on his approach i think that perhaps he could work on the lyrics of the chorus also there decent but its just been sung about so many times you know? over all i think that this song would sound very good live and the performance would probably be there but in just audio it doesnt grab me ? production ok its definately good enough to get the idea of the song through but if you got signed you would rerecord any way so dont sweat the production. - stockton from Fort Lewis, Washington
My review I really like the verse. You have a Joe Jackson vibe goin on. The chorus is weak compared to the verse. Overall the song is quite good but I'd rework the chorus. The performance is solid. - JustAudio from London, Ontario, Canada
alice in chains meets the grand orchestra she was wearing that red dress, huh? god the vox are horrible. is this robert smith's new band? Yes, I believe in love. this belongs in pop section. I cannot go on listening to this crap. shut her down 1 of 5 b/c thats the lowest rating garageband allows. hey at least I'm honest. - maulingallmules from De Pere, Wisconsin
like Nine Inch Nails struck by Cupid Singer needs to try recording this when he isn't half asleep; that way the words won't run together. Song has the right texture for the style. The bridge was a nice contrast. Overall, a bit too mellow for me; if you want to do a slow song, you need to emphasize the lyrics. Clear lyrics in a ballad turn the song from a puddle into a stream; a stream that can flow right into the listener if you do it the right way. - darkmorning from Lancaster, New York
song Good ideas here. Too much synth, I think, perhaps a better idea may be a lead guitar with lots of effects. I like the chorus, sounds more clear than the verse. NIce and meloncholy...I'm a fan of that. - cjmahoney from Boston, Massachusetts

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