Dredg & Catch Without Arms seems like it's sound was

[xplosiv757]

forced by the record company. Even though Dredg said it was their music i'm sure it was, but I think they were atleast encouraged to put out something radio friendly. ..im sure someone showed this but this lyric:

"I'm not your star, I'm not that beam of light, here to save your life, to make your wallet fat while mine is on a diet."

It sounds like he is talking about the record company

[InfraredDream]

He is talking about the current state of music industry, not for their label. They always say happy they are with such a big label that still let them create their own music.

[xplosiv757]

Oh. I See.

[Eagle Morph]

Interscope is generally recognized to give a lot of bands free reign when it comes to their albums, especially as compared to say, Warner Bros. I mean, when one of your major artists - Linkin Park - screams at you for stifling their artistic nature, and you practically take them to court before settling, then you're doing something wrong (and as a side note, I do buy into what Linkin Park was saying. No matter your opinion on their music, listen to some of their pre-Warner Bros stuff, even just "Hybrid Theory," and compare it to "Meteora" and the other more recent stuff. Someone stuck their nose where it shouldn't belong). Meanwhile, you never hear about Interscope, but you do hear about their bands.

Some examples of bands signed to Interscope - and their assorted affiliates, like Shady/Aftermath Records and others - that aren't necessarily hitting it big (thus excluding your Eminem/50 Cent rap hits), but still are maintaining artistic integrity:
-dredg
-AFI
-Audioslave (difference between their two albums is extraordinary, though they do have the benefit of being a super-group and are thus skyrocketing in popularity).
-Beck
-Helmet
-The Hives
-Institute
-Jurassic 5
-Queens of the Stone Age (although they are growing in popularity)
-The Rasmus
-Snow Patrol
-...and You Will Know Us By The Trail of The Dead
-The Wallflowers (now there is an unheralded band...shame they couldn't stay in the limelight. "Rebel, Sweetheart" gives "Catch Without Arms" a solid run for number one of 2005 in my book).

This isn't including your standards like U2, Nine Inch Nails, etc that are also signed to Interscope.

Most labels don't get it right. But once a band finds a niche, Interscope seems to push the artist as much as possible. I think once dredg finds a true genre/audience, Interscope will truly get behind them. Until then, I think the gentlemen will continue to alter their direction with each album. From what I've read, CWOA was done completely by the band, and not one song was forced upon them by the label.

Eminem doesn't even get that treatment, as he often talks about having to write a "mass hit, single song" towards the end of the album making process.

I would be surprised if dredg ever cited artistic integrity/control as an issue with the label. Maybe proper funding/exposure issues, but definitely nothing dealing with the art itself.

[evasivetear]

you should read the " I still like coquette better than cwoa " thread xplosiv757

very similar topic

[Gnomad]

Some of those bands should have less freedoms... that's right, I said it.

[evasivetear]

heh

[Arctic Circle]

No matter what, any album from any band is going to be somewhat influenced by their label/producer/whatever.
It's practically unavoidable.
But if a band wants to have something more than mediocre success (and don't confuse success with talent, because there are a lot of talented bands that are not successful) sometimes they have to compromise their songs/albums/art if they want to attain such a level of success.
'Cause that's what happens when you compromise your art.

[Dredg]

I don't know... I'm not sure what this is, but on the back of the CWOA album, is says written by dredg and Undiscovered Music..or some weird name like that... but i'm not to sure what that is... there was only like 2 songs that were written eniterly by dredg and one other person, and i remember the one was spitshine.

[cyrinic]

re: Dredg & Catch Without Arms seems like it's sound wa

beware: this is fucking long, but if you are interested please read it. i think it's potent.

goddammit this shit is starting to piss me off. sorry for the bad vibes but between this and the "i still like coquette better than CWA" thread, i have to be the angry asshole.

one of the things that Gavin said on the "Live Performance at the Henry Fonda Theatre" DVD was that, when they started, they "set out to just be honest, you know, as honest as we can, which is difficult sometimes when, you know, to fully put yourself out there like that, but just focus on what we are as people and how we perform our music and...show that, and let it be how it is."

now if you don't like CWA because it isn't obscure and artsy enough to not be the dreaded "pop" music, then you don't like dredg - you like "el cielo" and "leitmotif." In the Visions article written about them, Dino said "we could have written a progressive, dodgy album in one or two months. But the challenge was to write real songs." dredg wanted this album, they wanted to create this music, and they did it how they wanted and were satisfied with the outcome (or at least about 80%, which Mark said was about the same with the other albums)

to quote once more from the visions artcile, Mark said "the recordings were fantastic. Terry was the right man for us. We did not only succeed to record our songs dynamically, the aura of the music was also right." so yeah, the company did influence the album - but in a way that they wanted and liked.

even if the record company influenced thier music in a bad way, dredg could have decided to say "fuck you" and leave. so, even though it's a bitter comment, it was dredg's decision to let the company influence thier music "badly"- if that is the case, which I don't think is.

so the bottom line is that "Catch Without Arms" is dredg's music. If you don't like it, if you think it's too poppy, if you think that they had money in mind while trying to write a song "fit" for radio, then tough.

Whatever they may have had in mind while writing this album, whatever the record company did to influence it, I am happy that they have made this music and that I have had the opportunity to listen to it.

Added after 6 minutes:

oh and another quote that i found interesting that has actually already been posted.

"...but some have never understood how this band worked! That they were loved because they always did their own thing. Always...At least no one can say that we are not trying it." -Mark

[DeweyFinn]

I think all 3 albums are B.A. Barracus. I love the fact that you never know what direction dredg will take you. I don't like comparing one album to another because they are so different, hell it sounds like 3 totally different bands to me. Anyway I like the fact that this band embraces change and is not afraid to risk the comfort of their listeners.

[Arctic Circle]

*applauds cyrinic*
That was great.
By the way, you wouldn't happen to have an extra copy of the Henry Fonda DVD, would ya?

[evasivetear]

"now if you don't like CWA because it isn't obscure and artsy enough to not be the dreaded "pop" music, then you don't like dredg - you like "el cielo" and "leitmotif.""

that was an excellent way to word that

thank you cyrinic that was a good post

[Volvox]

There are also people who like CWA more than El Cielo - so I respect both albums - Mark once said in an interview: "We dont plan music". I belive him! They werent "forced" 8)

[cyrinic]

re: Dredg & Catch Without Arms seems like it's sound wa

thanks. i put about an hour into that post.

sorry, i dont have an extra copy. it was a christmas gift from one of my friends - i think he got it off ebay.