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Hi guys! Can you listen to my debut album Counterculture? It'd mean a lot!


CharlieCashmere

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CharlieCashmere

So I just want to preface this by saying I've been a member of Gagadaily since 2016 but I've never really posted until recently (although I'm always lurking :zilla:). I've found you guys to be some of the most creative, articulate and *funniest* people I've ever encountered online and so it was important for me to share this album with you because I genuinely consider most of you my peers since we have pretty similar backgrounds and there's no one who can constructively critique your work better than your contemporaries. 

Even though my music can technically be classified as 'bedroom pop' since I tend to write, record and produce all my tracks in my bedroom, this record is really eclectic and I'd personally describe my overall sound as retro-futuristic.  I consider myself more of a songwriter than a singer (admittedly I'm not the strongest vocalist but I LOVE telling stories and making music) but if you're a fan of synthy pop with a heavy 70s disco/80s new wave influence, then I think you might really like it (in fact, quite a few people have told me that they can hear Gaga's influence on a lot of the tracks, which I take as a HUGE compliment because she's my biggest inspiration, obvi). In any case, my album is available on all the major streaming platforms (SpotifyApple MusicTidalAmazon Music etc) and if you don't have a subscription to any of the aforementioned sites but still want to listen, you can stream here. I'd really love if you could give it a listen.

P.S. I'm Jamaican so if you find it hard to decipher the lyrics cause of my accent you can find the lyrics on my Genius page. Really looking forward to your comments/critiques so if you have any notes or suggestions (or just wanna tell me which songs resonate with you the best), feel free to share in the comments below. My favorite thing about Gagadaily are all the reviews and analyses you guys do, so all feedback welcome! (Also if you want you can also follow me on Twitter and Insta ^_^) Looking forward to hearing from y'all! Thank you for reading/listening! :)

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Blastertoyo

I will definitely give it a listen!

I saw you have a YouTube link and it might be a bit easier for us to access 

 

please enlighten me to death
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CharlieCashmere
7 minutes ago, Blastertoyo said:

I will definitely give it a listen!

I saw you have a YouTube link and it might be a bit easier for us to access 

 

Thanks so much! Looking forward to your review! In terms of YouTube, while I did make a deal with my digital distributor to have my music on YouTube, I actually have no control of when the content will be available to stream there. To make a long story short, I gave them permission to put the album on YouTube Music, but since this is a separate service from my personal YouTube user account where I can upload my own content, I don't really have much of a say on when they will publish them there so it's all a matter of remaining patient, really. In the interim, I'm grateful I was able to negotiate with the other streaming services (Spotify, Amazon, Apple Music, Tidal etc) and have the album be released on my birthday (September 16th) so thank god it's already out there! I know not many people can afford a monthly subscription to these services (and even if they can, it might be blocked in certain regions, sadly) but I definitely want to make sure that my music is accessible to everyone no matter where you are in the world :)

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CharlieCashmere
11 minutes ago, Daylight Jokers said:

Will give it a listen in a few minutes. :kara: Sounds psychedelic. 

Yay! And yeah, I think psychedelic is a great word to describe the sound :heart:

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I.D.G.A.F. sounds very dreamy in a way. I like the background vocals, they really add something.

I really like the intro to 1 A.M.

I love the outro of Sweet Tart too! Very catchy.

The chorus of Bounce is nice.

Growing is good and I like the end, it's a good way to end the album!

You popped my heart seams, all my bubble dreams
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Daylight Jokers

Pride - I lovr this. It sounds very indie and psychedelic. Reminds me of the music played in the film 'White Bird in a Blizzard'. Its transition to IDGAF was very smoothly done.

I.D.G.A.F. - Come thru harmonies. The main hook is very catchy! I'm loving these songs so far.

Doozy - Chromatica interlude vibes on the intro! So far my least favorite but it's not definetly bad, the first two tracks are just stronger to me. I have to say, the harmonies again are on point. You're very good at them. The chorus is definitely its strongest part. Again, so catchy.

1 A.M. - Again, it's psychedelic af. The vocal production on this is very interesting. Stranger Things vibes. I also noticed how you change things up in the end before transitioning to the next track. Very creative.

Lie 2 Me - Ugh, the harmonies again. They're so good! Do you manually do these or do you use a vocoder? They're so tight.

Sweet Tart - My favorite intro so far! And the song doesn't disappoint. I really love the production of the instrumental on this one. The part where you were singing 'think about the music(?)' were a little off to me, but it's overall a very good song. Again, with the outro sounding very different. I love that.

Bounce - Lovin' the vibes on this one. It's something I would listen to in my car (if I ever have one lol) at 2AM.

Growing - The harmonies. I'll never get tired of them. And they're so smartly placed too! This is the most pop sounding track in the album. I think this is my favorite track. It got better as it progressed. I wish it was longer tho. Perfect closer!:giveup:

Lastly, that album cover! It's so cheery and bright and powerful.

Favorites: Growing, 1AM, and Bounce

Least fave: Doozy and Sweet Tart.

Are you a Beyonce fan? Cuz there are some melodies in the song that sounds like something Beyonce would do.

Really nice album, I wasn't looking at the tracklist so I was taken aback when it was over. Great job!

Also, @tomsches is holding an original song competition, maybe you'll be interested. It's good promo for your album (can't link the thread rn cuz I'm working).

 

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tomsches
1 hour ago, CharlieCashmere said:

So I just want to preface this by saying I've been a member of Gagadaily since 2016 but I've never really posted until recently (although I'm always lurking :zilla:). I've found you guys to be some of the most creative, articulate and *funniest* people I've ever encountered online and so it was important for me to share this album with you because I genuinely consider most of you my peers since we have pretty similar backgrounds and there's no one who can constructively critique your work better than your contemporaries. 

Even though my music can technically be classified as 'bedroom pop' since I tend to write, record and produce all my tracks in my bedroom, this record is really eclectic and I'd personally describe my overall sound as retro-futuristic.  I consider myself more of a songwriter than a singer (admittedly I'm not the strongest vocalist but I LOVE telling stories and making music) but if you're a fan of synthy pop with a heavy 70s disco/80s new wave influence, then I think you might really like it (in fact, quite a few people have told me that they can hear Gaga's influence on a lot of the tracks, which I take as a HUGE compliment because she's my biggest inspiration, obvi). In any case, my album is available on all the major streaming platforms (SpotifyApple MusicTidalAmazon Music etc) and if you don't have a subscription to any of the aforementioned sites but still want to listen, you can stream here. I'd really love if you could give it a listen.

P.S. I'm Jamaican so if you find it hard to decipher the lyrics cause of my accent you can find the lyrics on my Genius page. Really looking forward to your comments/critiques so if you have any notes or suggestions (or just wanna tell me which songs resonate with you the best), feel free to share in the comments below. My favorite thing about Gagadaily are all the reviews and analyses you guys do, so all feedback welcome! (Also if you want you can also follow me on Twitter and Insta ^_^) Looking forward to hearing from y'all! Thank you for reading/listening! :)

9f23bbe07843f0440941dcf8787abdfd.1000x10

 

Hey,

GGD has its own Original Song competition. We are currently in our 7th season. It's a perfect way to get exposure and increase your clicks/likes while giving nd receiving constructive criticism.

You have a bit over a week to submit your song!

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CharlieCashmere
2 hours ago, Oriane said:

I.D.G.A.F. sounds very dreamy in a way. I like the background vocals, they really add something.

I really like the intro to 1 A.M.

I love the outro of Sweet Tart too! Very catchy.

The chorus of Bounce is nice.

Growing is good and I like the end, it's a good way to end the album!

It's so interesting that you find I.D.G.A.F. dreamy. I can seem why you'd say that (the intro does make me feel hopeful and optimistic for the future) but personally, 1 A.M. is the track I'd say is the dreamiest, mostly because it was deliberately produced to sound that way - hazy and full of echoes. I always say that that's how my subconscious would sound (but yeah the intro for 1 A.M. is definitely meant to sound hypnotic and trance-like. Shout out to my buddy Jericho - who helped me with the harmonies/background vocals!)

Sweet Tart is definitely my favorite song on the record. It was the most fun to write and I had a lot of fun recording it as well. The outro is definitely a highlight for me. I know he's a controversial/polarizing figure, but I was actually inspired by Michael Jackson's Thriller when I collaborated with my producer to make it. That song is so timeless you can't help but dance to it, and that's exactly the kind of energy I want to capture in my own music.

Bounce is the quintessential pop song. I believe the best pop songs are awfully simplistic and this one is so straightforward and matter of fact, it doesn't try to be anything more than what it already is. In my opinion, the denser or more complex a song's melody is, the more jarring/inaccessible it is to most listeners so that's something I grappled with while making this album. Like....how could I make music that's fun and catchy and easily digestible but also not formulaic or generic? I knew I wanted to make earworms but i also didn't wanna make it sound like nursery rhymes, you know? All in all, I'm glad you like the chorus. I agree, it IS pretty catchy haha

Lastly, Growing is an underrated bop. I agree that it's a perfect closer because it's such a full circle moment in that the record starts with orchestral strings and it ends with orchestral strings. The only difference is that the strings on Pride are lighter while the ones on Growing are more darker, which suggests that I've become a bit jaded by the 8 track journey I've been on. What I love the most about it is that it doesn't sound like the end of something, it leaves the door open for something else to come after, you know? Like yes, I have been through a lot and yes I have been deeply affected, but I'm not daunted, there's still so much I have left to look forward to. Also, thanks for listening ^_^

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Healed My Heart

I haven't listened in too much depth yet, but on my initial listen I think you have a really cool sound! It feels to me like a blend of the 80s, the trippier songs by The Beatles (particularly some of the vocals), with Gaga influences. Pride is my favorite! Hugs to you, congrats on releasing your art :kara:

She/her 💗💜💙
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CharlieCashmere
2 hours ago, Daylight Jokers said:

Pride - I lovr this. It sounds very indie and psychedelic. Reminds me of the music played in the film 'White Bird in a Blizzard'. Its transition to IDGAF was very smoothly done.

I.D.G.A.F. - Come thru harmonies. The main hook is very catchy! I'm loving these songs so far.

Doozy - Chromatica interlude vibes on the intro! So far my least favorite but it's not definetly bad, the first two tracks are just stronger to me. I have to say, the harmonies again are on point. You're very good at them. The chorus is definitely its strongest part. Again, so catchy.

1 A.M. - Again, it's psychedelic af. The vocal production on this is very interesting. Stranger Things vibes. I also noticed how you change things up in the end before transitioning to the next track. Very creative.

Lie 2 Me - Ugh, the harmonies again. They're so good! Do you manually do these or do you use a vocoder? They're so tight.

Sweet Tart - My favorite intro so far! And the song doesn't disappoint. I really love the production of the instrumental on this one. The part where you were singing 'think about the music(?)' were a little off to me, but it's overall a very good song. Again, with the outro sounding very different. I love that.

Bounce - Lovin' the vibes on this one. It's something I would listen to in my car (if I ever have one lol) at 2AM.

Growing - The harmonies. I'll never get tired of them. And they're so smartly placed too! This is the most pop sounding track in the album. I think this is my favorite track. It got better as it progressed. I wish it was longer tho. Perfect closer!:giveup:

Lastly, that album cover! It's so cheery and bright and powerful.

Favorites: Growing, 1AM, and Bounce

Least fave: Doozy and Sweet Tart.

Are you a Beyonce fan? Cuz there are some melodies in the song that sounds like something Beyonce would do.

Really nice album, I wasn't looking at the tracklist so I was taken aback when it was over. Great job!

Also, @tomsches is holding an original song competition, maybe you'll be interested. It's good promo for your album (can't link the thread rn cuz I'm working).

 

I've never watched White Bird in a Blizzard but I am definitely watching it later today. Thanks for the recommendation! Also, I'm glad that you liked the transitions. Fun fact: Madonna's Confessions on a Dancefloor is one of my favorite albums of all time and it actually inspired me to make the record sound like one continuous stream that doesn't end, making it like a mix you would hear a DJ play in a club - no ends no breaks. I knew I wanted there to be an element of continuity so that's why the ending of one song is the beginning of another.

As for I.D.G.A.F. my friend Jericho did a fabulous job with the harmonies, especially in the bridge (which is my favorite part of the song).

I'm low key sorry to hear Doozy is your least favorite but different folks, different strokes so that's totally fine! It's so funny, even though I started officially working on the album around late February/early March of this year, I was blown away when Gaga released Chromatica because some of the motifs that she used (like an orchestra in her interludes) were already things I had incorporated (or planning on incorporating) on the intro for certain tracks on Counterculture so it was really surreal. It was almost as if we were both operating on the same wavelength/taking cues from the same 'sine' from above haha. When I finally released the record 4 days ago, some of my friends were like "this is so Gaga" and I was actually quite pleased because in my head I felt like ok, I'm doing something right if people can compare me to my biggest idol. 

1 A.M. is SO psychedelic. That's the perfect word to describe it. It's very atmosphere and I wanted it to make you feel as if you're high/under the influence of some psychedelic drug. 

As for the harmonies on Lie 2 Me, I actually came up with all the melodies/hooks/ad-libs during the songwriting process but I wasn't 100% confident in my vocal abilities at the time so I enlisted the help of my friend Jericho (who's a MUCH better singer than I am) on each track. So what I did was, I recorded what I wanted him to sing via voicenote on my phone, sent them to him to re-record them on his mic and after he sent them back to me, I overlay them with my own and added a lil bit of reverb. This entire album was a truly collaborative experience. 100% symbiotic.

Sweet Tart is actually my favorite song on the album. Production and lyrical wise. I'm not at all surprised that the bridge was a bit...off because I actually recorded that separately from all the other verses. I wanted to do that robotic effect Gaga had on Telephone at 1:08 and 1:13 where the background vocalist is like like stop telephoning meeeee/I'm busssyyyy but I couldn't quite get it 100% right but hey, I tried! haha

Bounce is a bop. It's definitely one of those songs on the record that you just wanna have a good time to, ykwim?

Finally, Growing! Growing has a special place in my heart. I just love what it represents. Whenever I listen to it, I can't help but smile. I'm VERY happy it's your favorite because it's definitely one of my favorites two (I'm torn between Pride and Growing being my second favorite.)

Yes, I love the album cover as well. I've always wanted to bridge the gap between pop music and pop art in my work (in fact, I always see rich visuals/imagery when I'm writing my songs) so I commissioned this brilliant artist named Vilenna to bring it this idea I had to life and she did a phenomenal job executing my vision. In fact, we collaborated on a couple other pieces together and you can see them on my Instagram/Twitter accounts (all my social media to be honest). When the album was finally released, I actually screamed because the cover was SO pretty. I'm so in love with it.

To answer your question, I'm a HUGE Beyoncé fan (I actually grew up listening to Destiny's Child). In fact, next to Gaga, she and Madonna are my three biggest influences/inspirations - hands down. I'm gonna be honest though, when you said the melodies in the song sound like something Beyoncé would do, I literally burst out laughing. That is one of the best compliments anyone could ever give me because she is truly a master of her craft. What an honor. 

P.S. I would LOVE to be a part of that competition. Thank you so much for the suggestion, I'll definitely check it out! And thanks again for listening! <3

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CharlieCashmere
39 minutes ago, Healed My Heart said:

I haven't listened in too much depth yet, but on my initial listen I think you have a really cool sound! It feels to me like a blend of the 80s, the trippier songs by The Beatles (particularly some of the vocals), with Gaga influences. Pride is my favorite! Hugs to you, congrats on releasing your art :kara:

Thanks so much for taking the time out to listen! I appreciate it v. much! And you're spot on with all those references. This record is definitely an amalgamation of all my favorite things/sounds so I'm glad you can pinpoint out where I'm pulling my inspirations from. Pride is one of my favorites too! It was the first song I ever wrote for this project so it will always hold a special place in my heart. ❤️

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CharlieCashmere
2 hours ago, tomsches said:

 

Hey,

GGD has its own Original Song competition. We are currently in our 7th season. It's a perfect way to get exposure and increase your clicks/likes while giving nd receiving constructive criticism.

You have a bit over a week to submit your song!

OMG, I actually saw this while browsing the forums yesterday and I actually have every intention of being a part of the competition. I'm gonna DM you in a few for details. Thanks for reaching out/reminding me! :)

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