Month: July 2016

Broadjam Artist: TBD...
Song: Half A Love

Broadjam Pro Reviewer:
A.J. Gundell (Songwriter, Composer, Music Supervisor, Producer)

Pro General Comments: I appreciated being asked by the Artists to review "Half A Love" specifically because my previous Pro Reviews have been straightforward and honest--and they welcome the criticism, even if it's 'rigorous and harsh.' Sorry if this disappoints you then, guys--but I love "Half A Love", and the most rigorous criticism hardly turns up anything for me that's not to love. So, first and foremost, congrats on a truly exceptional piece of work. This is both a perfect Nashville artist pitch, and an extremely licensable song for film and TV.As I also say in previous reviews, I'm always on the lookout for what I call the 'holy trinity': excellence in songwriting, vocals/performance, and record/production. "Half A Love" nails the trinity--the song craft/storytelling is evident in every line, with a truly original central song idea the singing and playing is world-class the record is state of the art Nashville demo production that rises to the level of a broadcast/release-ready master. Anything less than that in today's insanely competitive indie music market doesn't stand a chance. So that, along with their willingness to dig deep and welcome the chance to always improve, points the way to an extremely promising future for Tell Her I Love Her.

Quote From Pro: I love "Half A Love", and the most rigorous criticism hardly turns up anything for me that's not to love. So, first and foremost, congrats on a truly exceptional piece of work. This is both a perfect Nashville artist pitch, and an extremely licensable song for film and TV.I'm always on the lookout for what I call the 'holy trinity': excellence in songwriting, vocals/performance, and record/production. "Half A Love" nails the trinity--the song craft/storytelling is evident in every line, with a truly original central song idea the singing and playing is world-class the record is state of the art Nashville demo production that rises to the level of a broadcast/release-ready master. Anything less in today's insanely competitive indie music market doesn't stand a chance. So that, along with their willingness to dig deep and welcome the opportunity to always improve, points the way to an extremely promising future for Tell Her I Love Her.

Broadjam Artist: J.J. McGuigan
Song: Letter

Broadjam Pro Reviewer:
Robert Dellaposta (Writer, A&R, Publisher)

Pro General Comments: There's a lot I like about this song. You chose rock alternative as the genre but this has other influences I can hear as well...Country, Americana folk rock. Your vocal has a little Neil Young mixed in with Bob Dylan and Daughtry. the tempo was a little on the slow side which added to the length of the song. 4:54 is outside the time restraints of commercial radio...my advice is do a radio edit and end it around the 3:45 mark which will greatly improve your chances for radio airplay ...4:54 is fine for a download or cd...increasing the tempo will give it a little more edge and movement in my opinion and help shorten the song. The electric guitar is a little loud in spots but it fits this genre...I love the intro with the string pad ...the vocal has a lot of reverb on it which makes it difficult to understand the words and in this genre the lyric is very important. The lyric I did hear was well written and meaningful. It was introspective and poignant... a lot of people will relate to this... You have a very smooth voice and unique style...your pitch is excellent...you might want to be a little more aggressive on your consonants which will help make the lyric stand out... add a harmony part starting on climb every mountain...verse/pre-chorus/chorus...melodically all three sections were well crafted...the chorus is catchy and memorable and I liked the chord progression and arrangement... songs like this are good pitches to music libraries for use in tv and movie background... make it as broadcast ready as you can...this is a good song and it's worth a little more time and effort to make it a great song...I hope my suggestions and comments are helpful. You are a very talented writer and artist.

Quote From Pro: J.J. McGuigan has both the musical talent and lyrical talent to be a competitive artist/writer in the Alternative Rock world. I would not be surprised to hear one of his songs on Americana radio or in a movie or tv show in the near future.

Broadjam Artist: Ian Lee
Song: Missi

Broadjam Pro Reviewer:
Doug Beck (Producer, Remixer, Composer)

Pro General Comments: Ian Lee-MissyIan. This is really nice. What starts as a gentle folk love song explodes into an emotional musical storm. The dynamics between the start of the song and the end are fantastic.The intro of acoustic guitar and bass is very nice. I love the keys and secondary guitar that comes in with the first verse. The keyboard break between verses is very tasteful. This track is almost a throwback to the great ballads of the 60's. It has a real hint of that favor for me while at the same time being totally contemporary.The overall production suits the song perfectly. The instrumentation you chose really helps to translate the mood of this song. I can't think of anything I would have done differently on the production front.Arrangement wise the only thing I would change (and this is pretty minor) is I may have gone back for a just one quiet vocal phrase at the very end.The vocal performance is very nice. The emotion is believable and I love the secondary vocals weaving throughout the chorus. Very nice.Artist's Submitted Question: Hi Doug, This song is certainly at the more Rock end of the spectrum for me, it has a gentle opening but picks up to a more Rock ending. Do you think this style suits me? If so how can I develop this style, and is it the right direction to go or should I focus on ballads, like my other submissions? Now I have completed and recorded an album (11 songs) how should I release this? Is it worth waiting and finding a label to support me or should I release on iTunes and see how it goes? thanks IanLBHi Ian. Thanks for being patient to get these reviews.This is a great song and I think these style suites you very much. I love the mood of this track. There is nothing wrong with branching out. Very few artists do just ballads and you pulled this style off very well. I would continue to write songs in this vein. It really does work for you.As far as releasing a record now? That is such a tough question. There is certainly no harm in putting this on iTunes and other sites and promoting it through social media. If you do live shows even better. Many artitst these days are building their following organically. I can tell you first hand that a label in not the answer to everyone's problems when it comes to releasing music unless you can find a label that really believes in what you're doing. I would search out similar indie folk artist like yourself and approach those labels.

Quote From Pro: Ian Lee's song 'Missi' is a gentle love song that explodes with emotion as the song progresses. Worth a listen for sure!

Broadjam Artist: J.J. McGuigan
Song: Home

Broadjam Pro Reviewer:
Robert Dellaposta (Writer, A&R, Publisher)

Pro General Comments: Lyrically this is well written and the message is clear...Home has been and continues to be a popular subject matter for artist/writers and Americana and country artists...Joe Diffie had a huge number 1 country hit with Home...It's a theme a lot of people will relate to...this particular subject matter although not all that radio friendly will be tv , movie and commercial friendly...you drew me in on the downbeat...great sounding band...very commercial and broadcast ready...your vocal was spot on...a 100% improvement in diction, and mix...I could hear every word and you sounded great...the hook was delivered in a strong melody...I really think home is where I wanna be is the title people will remember...This is an A+....the overall length is well within commercial guidelines and to be honest you sound like a 20 year old indie singer songwriter...I know a young singer by the name of Adam Searan here in Nashville and you sound a lot like him on this song...he's a great singer...you really delivered on this and you got your money's worth on the demo/master...pitch pitch pitch...I would offer you a non-exclusive contract on this song but I want you to pitch it and get 100% of any synch license...you are headed down the "write" road my friend...the instrumental to this song will also be a great pitch to movies, tv and commercial leads

Quote From Pro: J.J. McGuigan's music is extremely commercial and easy to listen to...his Americana indie alternative singer songwriter style crosses over to country and in my opinion will resonate with young and old alike...

Broadjam Artist: Ron Wilson
Song: The Guys In Las Vegas

Broadjam Pro Reviewer:
Nikki Hornsby (Songwriter, Artist, Producer, Arranger)

Pro General Comments: First you should know that I do like your song but the instrumental introduction has the bass player playing the wrong notes at this exact meter point 0:03-0:04 which for the listener is a very bad negative point at the beginning of any song. It's more like what a live recording does without any editing control of the final song demo recording. Remember any recording IS your calling card as a songwriter. This is why a good engineer / producer / professional musician would hear these things like bad played notes, timing, or other balance points as I did and correct them for the songwriter or record label before it ever leaves the studio. The back ground musical arrangement and execution in this "The Guys of Las Vegas" demo production (as it is now) is very distracting to the song even as a demo. In my opinion the wrong person did the production & the instrument arrangement on this demo for your song and not good for any songwriter / artist. It would be like putting your beautiful child in, torn and tattered, dirty clothing to send them to their first day at school or on their first prom dance. It would be better as a songwriter to have your "The Guys In Las Vegas" sent to professional demo service. There are some really good ones online at a very reasonable cost. Do this please in the future BEFORE sending "The Guys of Las Vegas" to anyone who is a professional in the music recording business. A demo is still a release or potential recording release for the general public if it's uploaded anywhere online. This is essential to produce demos or recordings well and today it is the best to do for the music & lyrics even with a demo production in my opinion. Good thing is that your song "the Guys in Las Vegas" does have a haunting melody which sticks with the listener. That in itself helps take the first steps towards publishing, marketing, and sales of any song which should be the goal of being a professional songwriter. I listened to this song a few times and that is why I suggest with some good polishing in a demo it would be much better for your craft as a songwriter. It also would be better for any of your original songs to be posted ONLY polished this way online. Remember we all know NOTHING lasts forever but in the music recording business to be known for better than bad demonstrations of your songwriting (music & lyrics) I believe will help you accomplish your goals of which for each of us are achievable.

Quote From Pro: "The Guys of Las Vegas" has a haunting medium tempo melody but as the demo it is it does need some polishing. When that is done it could be a great gem for any listener as we as songwriters need to dress our recordings up a bit as if they were to be seen at the finest events, dressed up with a good and applicable instrumental balances too. At the least we as songwriters need to do the best demos we can afford therefore, I suggest your song "TGLV" now be sent to a professional demo service like many songwriters here on Broadjam have done. In my opinion you might do this before you start posting a lot of your songs even as demo's on your BJ Page in the future or replace them with the polished demos. That way in truth when the professional music or film industry starts searching for your work or when you send your product into the companies looking to license your songs, it will be acceptable rather than rejected. Potential is really there for your song certainly that you submitted to me once you take those suggested steps. Finally, let me thank you for sharing "The Guys in Las Vegas" lyrics & music. There is a message in this song we as listeners can relate to and I look forward to reviewing more of your work in the near future. Thank you.

Broadjam Artist: J.J. McGuigan
Song: In All Honesty

Broadjam Pro Reviewer:
Robert Dellaposta (Writer, A&R, Publisher)

Pro General Comments: It's a little slow but the song is well within commercial radio time restraints...you could try a few more beats per minute but again that is subjective and would be subject to the scene narrative...it's a perfect length for a scene in a movie or tv show although it is lyric specific... very cool groove and arrangement...love the chord progression and melodic lines...the chorus works but I would have preferred more of a separation between the end of the verse and the start of the chorus...there wasn't much of a range difference or meter and phrase difference...great instrumental...professionally done...this is very pitchable on its own...the overall concept is common and there are no lyric lines that stand out as being unique...but that doesn't hurt your chances for movie or tv placement...the track sounds broadcast ready...good luck with this...as I said before the instrumental will be just as commercial as the master vocal...

Quote From Pro: Just my two cents but J.J. McGuigan is producing high quality instrumental beds and high quality masters that many music libraries and music placement services will be anxious to sign...

Broadjam Artist: Sergio Simone
Song: One More River to Cross

Broadjam Pro Reviewer:
Diana Williamson (Songwriter, Music Supervisor)

Pro General Comments: Please note I don't rate individual instrumentation since my expertise lies more in marketability, lyric, melody, and overall performance.I love murder ballads. Very solid song. It holds your interest. Hook stands out like it should. You have a good scope in your songwriting. The lyric is very solid. Melody works and arrangements enhance. Vocal tells the story well in a believable manner. So therefore what I say is just ways of making your song better- however you could possibly get it cut the way it is.Woman "spits on the evil man"- great visual. And so is "I called him out with the sun at my back ?He pushed his way through the door.?With a star on his chest and all dressed in black? He looked ready to fight this war." You really take the listener into your story with this type of description. Very good, you can just feel the darkness and struggle about to happen.Song has a good story- a western Count of Monte Cristo. In this day and age a woman would rarely stay with a devil for that long- so you might have wanted to put a little detail in there to add to it (for eg he says he'll get the man killed in jail if she leaves), etc.. My instinct says it sounds like a demo- not exactly something you would put in film and tv- but something worth pitching to an artist. I could also hear this song being really cool in a dark Americana vibe- this version has an almost friendly easy going feel. If you had some young buck with a twang in his voice beating his heart out with a darker edgy feel you could really make an impact of it. (banjos and steel guitar and female bg vocals) However that's not necessary but would be cool in a perfect world where we have unlimited $ for demos.Singer has a nice vocal timbre. Pronunciation sometimes gets lost which is very important in a story song so we can follow. I'd make that marshall "pay" the word pay kinda dissolves- when it should be yelled out with anger type of feel. Just something to watch out for.You got the hard stuff down- when your hook comes in- we want to sing along- good work.The guitar solo sounds a little easy going- which fits with the general mood but I was expecting something a little more blood thirsty- there is tons of blood, guts and vengeance going on here. Harmonica adds a great feel.Some bg vocals on the chorus- some cool female vocals might help build the hook up just a little more to help it over the top. Just to change up the dynamic a bit.You could have an outro which says something like-eg- the riverbed has a nice NEW field of daisies (subtley refer to the fact the lawman went missing- and they can live happily ever after) So your audience can rest with the knowledge it's a happily ever after.If you ever do re demo you may want to shorten intro and take out a few double choruses, maybe even the guitar solo to make song a bit shorter. Nowadays it seems songs really move along quickly when you are pitching. However as I said its very solid and worthy of pitching. An artist you want to cut that song should be able to hear how to make things a little snappier.You have a great feel for songwriting. Good luck and keep on writing!

Quote From Pro: Sergio you have solid songwriting instincts and good storytelling abilities. You bring the listener right into your story waiting for the climax.

Broadjam Artist: RandomReality
Song: knock knock

Broadjam Pro Reviewer:
Doug Diamond (Music Supervisor, Engineer, Producer, Composer )

Pro General Comments: Hi Scooter -Wow, thanks for sending this song to me to review. I think it is really great! I'm a big 80's Rock fan anyway and this song is definitely something I would've been listening to or doing a cover of in my band back in the day.I like *almost* everything about it, from the rockin' chorus to the instrumentation and overall sound it has. My main tweak to this song would really only be to the lyrics. I think the chorus is fine as-is, but I would probably consider rewriting the verses... that's the key to a really great song - rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. I think the verses need some refinement to possibly make it a bit more of a story with a payoff at the end versus a more lustful type of simplistic thing. Those elements are fine, but I think if it was more of a story, it would appeal to a wider audience than it already does. I'm not sure if that makes sense, but I think this song has real potential. You mentioned in your Story Behind the Song that you spent 30-sec. to make the words rhyme, etc. ....well, that part of it does sort of sound that way a little. Don't get me wrong, it's good, but it's not quite "great" yet. Take your time when writing songs. The chorus is GREAT and that's the best starting place to have. Maybe go back and really listen to some of Joan Jett's lyrics or someone else similar they seem really simple, but it's difficult to get them to be that way oftentimes.Excellent melody and performances, recording, etc.From a technical standpoint, I'd think about a remix. I'd bring the drums up in the mix and give them a more front-and-center position. The guitars and vocals and everything else is really fine to me, but the drums are too low in general. Also, have it professionally mastered as that will make a HUGE difference if it's done right.That's it really, otherwise, nice job!

Quote From Pro: "Knock Knock" is the hit song that Joan Jett & the Blackhearts never had! It's an excellent 80's sounding Rock song with great synch potential.

Broadjam Artist: Flava Hype
Song: I'm Lethal

Broadjam Pro Reviewer:
Serge Durand (A&R/Publisher/Manager)

Pro General Comments: I think this is a good hip hop record. The hip hop purists appreciate songs like this. We're in a time now where rappers aren't rapping about anything with substance. Songs like this have a fan base because there are thousands of fans out there that feel like what you're rapping about. I like your raps on this song. I appreciated your word play. I also enjoyed the female rapper. She killed it. I would shoot a video to this song making fun of the rappers promoting the flashy/baller lifestyle and promote it to multiple hip hop blogs like Allhiphop, Hiphopdx, 2dopeboyz, etc... Just make sure that your vid is quality. Videos don't cost as much as they used to, but they still cost. You can get a decent video shot for $2500-5000 using a good camera nowadays. I think you have potential and a lane. Judging front the songs that I've heard from you is that you have a message. You're anti-gimmicks. That's a good thing, but it's a long road. The gimmicky guys come and go, but they catch fast. The route you're taking takes a while longer, but if you break you're fans will be loyal like J. Cole/Kendrick's fan base. Stick to your guns. Keep creating music with a message and promote your music as much as you can. Also put together a good team around you. You can't do it all by yourself.

Quote From Pro: Flava Hype has something to say and I think hip hop fans out there want to hear the message that he preaches in his music.

Broadjam Artist: Randall Rutledge
Song: Non Stop Flight

Broadjam Pro Reviewer:
Tirk Wilder (Songwriter, Performer)

Pro General Comments: Randall and Raymond,First, I want to apologize for the length of time it took me to get this review back to you. In my defense, I got back form a medical mission trip to central Guatemala on March 18th, and I myself was sick for a week after we landed. Then the family showed up for a weekend, and that shot everything too. Not an excuse. Just an explanation.Now to the song.Love the groove you have going on here. Top-notch studio musicians.I think the idea of the song is excellent, and very hooky.I think that you could successfully place this song with some production libraries and do some good with it. Just on the strength of the tracks.Everything I say here is only my opinion. All I would try to do is inspire you to greater heights.I believe there is room for a lot of improvement in this song, and I will give you my suggestions.But please keep in mind they are only SUGGESTIONS.There's an old catch phrase among commercial songwriters. It's become an indispensable arrow in the songwriter's quiver. I give it to you as it was given to me long ago. Made me re-write every song I had with it in mind."Less is MORE".Every syllable must count. If you can think of a way to squeeze the number of syllables down, the further down you get it the stronger it becomes.For instance:"We taxi down the runway hand in hand". There is no need to add the words "We taxi". It makes it sound cumbersome, as if you have to hurry the lyric to get them in. And you can drop a few syllables in the second part of the line, and have it look like THIS:"Down the runway, hand in hand, we take off on our own flight plan"...Much easier to sing, much more fluid on the ear.Every line has to SNAP with cleverness and be different than the lines before it and after it."As we take off on the go" is kinda meaningless here. For one thing, you've already used the phrase "take off" in the first line. I'm of the opinion that the only thing that should be allowed to repeat in the whole song is the HOOK. It makes the hook more POWERFUL.You could get crazy and say "Leave our baggage in the hold, turn off air traffic control". (You can use that, free of charge, if you want to.)Every line in this song needs to lose weight to gain power, if you know what I mean.And do your best, whatever you have to do, to make sure you have NO CLICHES in your lyric, unless you are presenting them in a fresh way. These are words or phrases that have been used so many times, they lose their meaning.For instance:"On the go", "Our love is true"."Well around the world many things I've seen but loving you I've earned my wings" is repeated three times, which is okay if it's the chorus, but it doesn't stand out as melodically different from the rest of the song. The most successful song form in the history of the recorded music charts is Verse-Chorus-Verse-Chorus-Bridge Chorus. The chorus, in this form, should be completely different from the verses in melody and lyric. It's usually the only place where the hook is heard.I'm not really sure it matters in this song. It seems to have it's own form.But if that's the case, I would urge you to consider making every verse different, as in NO repetitions. If for no other reason, you are repeating the heck out of "Non-stop Flight, when I'm a-lovin' you", and everything else should be different, IMHO.Also, I would encourage you to try to make the verses a little less cumbersome in places. For instance:"We ignore radio frequency cause we're flying frequently" sounds a little tough to sing, and frequency and frequently are the same words, really. See if you can come up with something to beat that.Remember, you don't HAVE to have EVERY line be an airplane reference.If you give this song a re-write with these ideas in mind, I think you may end up with a stronger, more commercially viable piece of music.And I wish you the best of luck.

Quote From Pro: Randall Rutledge can take you around the world on a NON-STOP FLIGHT. Fun music, good times.