Month: July 2016

Broadjam Artist: Nabii
Song: Infidel

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

Pro General Comments: Dear Nabil:Please note I do not comment on technique- of instruments and vx- my expertise lies in overall presentation, lyrics and marketing.First off, you were right- the home recording is perfectly fine to showcase the song. You have one of the hardest parts down, you have a great vibe in this song and it comes across very clearly.And second you have a great message. It's a message that you're aware of - is a very very tricky one to put across. You've done a great job so far and there is probably some more tweaking you can do to make it realize it's full potential.So let's start with the great stuff first. Your voice and your use of bg vocals is very EASY ON THE EARS! Almost hypnotic- so that is a strength of yours in your arsenal.Most great songwriters have a strong message to impart and this fuels their songwriting, so it's a great topic to chose. And you are right, you have to be very careful with this type of subject matter- but it's an important one. With these types of songs its best to clothe them in an artistic story type way to take away some of the "preachiness" or to make the message more palatable.In Marvin Gaye's "What's Going on" he tackles the brutality of war and senseless violence by asking a question "Mother, mother, everybody thinks we're wrongOh, but who are they to judge us Simply because our hair is longOh, you know we've got to find a way To bring some understanding here today"Or John Lennon's song gets us involved by telling us to: "Imagine" Imagine there's no countries, It isn't hard to doNothing to kill or die for, And no religion too, Imagine all the peopleLiving life in peace...They're two of the very best songs written on the subject of war, violence, religion. It would be good to study them to see how they can take such a "heavy" topic but make it something people want to hear. It may give you some ideas.

Quote From Pro: Artist has a wonderful simplicity and vibe in this track that presents a powerful message.

Broadjam Artist: TJ Doyle Band
Song: We Are Here

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

Pro General Comments: "We Are Here" is an emotionally gripping and effectively evocative classic rock protest song. The subject matter--a generation's promise to bring about social change, its successes and disappointments--is a refreshing change from so much of what makes the charts and trends on the socials these days. TJ and the Band absolutely crush the performances, sonics, and the recording. The guitar-centric band slams with heartfelt intensity and totally sells the messages that the song intends to convey.The chorus sings, "We Are Here, We Are Here.... Raise your arms into the air." We can see an entire arena of fans, and possibly a whole world of followers, following along. Feelin' it, guys. Right on.

Quote From Pro: "We Are Here" is an emotionally gripping and effectively evocative classic rock protest song. The subject matter--a generation's promise to bring about social change, its successes and disappointments--is a refreshing change from so much of what makes the charts and trends on the socials these days. The chorus sings, "We Are Here, We Are Here.... Raise your arms into the air." We can see an entire arena of fans, and possibly a whole world of followers, following along. Feelin' it, guys. Right on.

Broadjam Artist: Tom Ballister
Song: You Never Know

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

Pro General Comments: Hi Tom -Thanks for bringing this song and yourself to my attention. "You Never Know" is really an excellent song and I really enjoyed listening to it multiple times while reviewing it.The songwriting itself is very strong. I can tell you've been at this many years I can hear your experience in the recording and the writing both. Lyrically, it's excellent and I don't really have any suggestions there. The vocal is very pure and '60s sounding in my opinion (which is good). It puts me in-mind of some of the great Folk music from that era.Instrumentally, again... excellent. The finger-picked guitar has a nice gentle touch that fits this song perfectly and the string arrangement is really great as well. The only thing I might suggest, and I know this wouldn't be cheap... is to use a real string section instead of the synth strings. Now, *what* the strings are playing is really great, but to me it's a little too synthy sounding to be convincing - only for that reason - but the arrangement is really great and fits the song very well.Coming from an engineer's perspective, I really can't find anything to mention other than it's been recorded and mixed very well, so your technical chops certainly get the job done and fits this style of song too.Overall, it's a really simple yet very beautiful song that I'm sure you're very proud of. It's very pure-sounding and has an innocence about it that I really like.

Quote From Pro: "You Never Know" is a beautiful song that has a unique, simple sound and feel to it reminiscent of 1960's or early 1970's Folk music. The craftsmanship of this song is nearly perfect in every way, with it's purity of heart and simple, yet effective lyrics and vocals, it makes it very enjoyable to listen to. Overall, an excellent song with really good synch-appeal for period-piece films, documentaries, and television shows.

Broadjam Artist: Cindy Tuttle
Song: Did Ya Know

Broadjam Pro Reviewer:
Tom Bocci (Music Supervisor, Producer, and Publisher)

Pro General Comments: Greetings Cindy,Thanks for the opportunity to review another lovely song of yours. Your natural ability with melody and a catchy hook is alive and well again in this tune. Your lead vocal has a surprisingly soulful, bluesy color to it that serves as an interesting counterpoint to the positive message of the lyric.Your tendency to start with a chorus works especially well here, because it's always a good idea to begin with an opening question so that you can develop a number of multi-faceted answers within the rest of the song's story. Well done!In the second section of the first verse you might want to try singing the word vanish instead of push to see how it feels without it changing your intended meaning. Also the structure starts to fall apart in the second verse. Suggest you drop "new" before "hope", it sounds awkward and end the second verse with "look deep and you'll be glad" by deleting the "Taking One Step..." half verse. Then go directly back to repeating the chorus one last time. The ending/outro in my opinion would be much more effective using a slow fade by singing the line, "See the Light Within, See the Light of Love" three times. This leaves the listener with the memory of your main overall message, and sounds more organic than the abrupt ending that is there now. It's also why I think the title should be "See The Light". Your instrumental partner's musical tracks and arrangements are major assets to these demos and I encourage you to work together more on tighter structures that enhance your style of writing.

Quote From Pro: Your natural ability with melody and a catchy hook is alive and well again in this tune.Tom Bocci

Broadjam Artist: Bill Zeffiro
Song: Universal Truth

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

Pro General Comments: Please note: I do not comment on instrumentation since my expertise lies in marketing, lyric, melody, overall presentation, etc..Hi Bill- Good concept. It may be a hard sell to an artist though- universal truth- most artists want songs that portray them as virile, competent and a winner. It can be an uphill battle to sell a song where they call themselves a schmuck. This is the age of false beauty- where everyone edits their image until it's six pack, no wrinkles, etc etc. It would take an artist who has been on top for quite a while, with a great sense of humor to undertake such a song.It is perfect for theatre though where an audience can listen along and empathize. For some reason we love actors to look like schmucks because we can see ourselves in their shoes and feel less silly about our own foibles. However in music - its usually a more sexy thing- and the preening peacock artist rarely submits themselves to ridicule no matter how warranted. Sense of humor alas seems to be a rare quality in the music biz..You may want to decide on a sexier title- Universal truth can bring to mind some religious leader about to lecture us on the perils of sin (lol). You want a title that is going to bite and make us curious- so we just have to know more. "Just Another Schmuck in Love" for eg - gives us the tone of the song- we know its going to be funny.You have a great way with lyrics. Maybe you could research comedians that sing- a lot of comedy records are done and see who is working on an album. Adam Sandler? Steve Martin? Some who sing: Jimmy Fallon, Tom Lehrer, and Steve Martin.

Quote From Pro: Bill has a great flair for comedy.

Broadjam Artist: Bob Hutson
Song: Run Til I'm Free

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

Pro General Comments: Hi Bob: As you probably know- Please note I don't rate individual instrumentation since my expertise lies more in marketability, lyric, melody, and overall performance.You have an interesting idea of mixing a rock-ish style with a gospel- type vocal. I could possibly hear a few more bluesy licks in there to really fuse the two together. They are two very rich styles that have the potential to really merge in interesting ways.My first initial instinct after reading the lyric says you have a powerful idea/concept. It's simple and focussed which is good. You don't always need overly clever or poetic lines. Just ask Adelle's "Hello it's me Again" or the Beatles "I Wanna Hold Your Hand". Simple and direct can be powerful and your lines ring with a good urgency. The visuals of chained hands and feet paint a vivid picture.However when the music first came in- it sounded pretty but I was waiting/hoping for a bit more emotion, a bit more tension in the melody/arrangement. It's a full 30 seconds before the verse and vocal comes in. This is an eternity in today's music- people are very used to short intros- (as opposed to the 80's). It's different if you are doing your own record and are not worried about selling it to another artist- in a pitch. But unfortunately people have short attention spans so cut to the meat of the song pretty quickly whenever possible. The vocal feels a bit buried in the track- the singer has a nice timbre so you want to showcase that. Also the guitar line might want to get a bit more sparse in the verse- it feels a bit like it's competing with the vocal. That guitar riff is also feeling a bit repetitive, can you change it up a bit?

Quote From Pro: A lot of heart in this song.

Broadjam Artist: MoBack
Song: Because Of You - Studio Demo

Broadjam Pro Reviewer:
Shawn McKenzie (Producer, Artist)

Pro General Comments: Hi Monique, thanks for submitting your music to be reviewed. I only received 2 songs from you, not sure what happened there? I find the song to be a cool laid back song. If that was your goal then you have accomplished that. But if you were trying to establish a smash hit, this is not the song to do it with. I find the verses are tad bit long a bit too wordy. I can only go from these two songs, but in both those songs the choruses are right on the mark, they are catchy and simple which is what people are looking for now when submitting songs. Depending on the demographics that you are trying to hit, this may or may not work. If you are hitting the European market, it may work. But if you are trying to access the US market then you need to have a rewrite of the verse, and as good as a Producer as Andy Whitmore is the music will not cut it to for the US market. In Europe the vibe is more open to different styles and flavours of music. so you have a better shot with that market, not to say that it may be accepted but on the whole Europe is more open to all types of music. My recommendation is to shorten the verses by 4 bars. As writer, it would do you well to have a stronger vocalist to sing when you are pitching music. As a songwriter you want to hit them strong the first time, and not have the performance come out a little weak. As the saying goes, "first impressions, are lasting impressions". You want the person to get the vibe the first time instead of them trying to feel the vibe as you intended it to be. I am giving you this review to help encourage and not to discourage you, put it this way it took Pharrell 9 tries before Happy was accepted. Rework the song a little bit and you just might make everyone happy. Hope this makes you happy.

Quote From Pro: "Cool laid back song, short simple and sweet Chorus"

Broadjam Artist: Maxim Senin
Song: Murder Ballad

Broadjam Pro Reviewer:
John Anderson (Publisher)

Pro General Comments: Hey Maxim,We'll I like to think you're asking the right guy, I'm a big fan of the Murder Ballad genre. I had the privilege of working Nick Cave's catalog for a decade and know his work well. It's quality song all around. My overall impression is quite positive, you've managed to truly capture a dark solemn feeling. Made my also think of the Bob Dylan song "Death Is Not The End" as well as the band The Pogues and their song "Fairytale of New York". Easily crosses the Singer Songwriter, Indie Rock, World Music genres, incredibly universal. Could also work as a Duet or for a solo artist with prominent backing vocals, Male or Female leads. Big Celtic influence. Scottish or Irish sounding. The Lyrics form a great narrative and pulls you into the story.I recommend self-releasing with you as the artist but I'm sure there are song publishers out there that would be proud to submit "Murder Ballad" for a major label or independent artist to record or cover crossing several genres.The demo recording and production quality is superior to what I typically hear. Solid production, instrumentation with lovely backing vocals. GREAT! It a timeless sounding record.I personally focus my efforts on film/television/ad placement for artists. It does strike me as a song that would fit nicely into a film or TV show and really enhance the emotion of the scene as well. Relaxing and evocative, well done!

Quote From Pro: Murder Ballads (The Hangman, the Chariot a Queen of Hearts) tells a dark engaging story that takes you on a man's journey through time that leads to a violent end. Hunnypot Approved!

Broadjam Artist: PYSONGS
Song: SKYLIGHTS

Broadjam Pro Reviewer:
Jonathan Weiss (Music Supervisor, A&R)

Pro General Comments: This song has some well put together, yet familiar sounding chord changes. At some points it sounds like the changes could be something like an early Sheryl Crow song, with horn and synth arrangements that sounds like its from the 70s. Overall the song and production sounds very retro to me. That's not always necessarily a negative thing, however in this case, I felt the chordal structure was inventive and something you don't hear a lot of these days in contemporary pop music. Structurally, the song took quite a while to develop. To kick off the song, it sounded like a stripped down rhythm section and evenutally at 0:51 a full horn and background vocal arrangement came in. It wasn't until after 1 minute in, that the full rhythm section came in. This is a long time to develop for a pop song. In order to grab the listener's attention right off the bat, I would have come in right at the top with a full compliment of the arrangement and instruments, then have the breakdown come in the middle of the song. Pretty inventive background vocal arrangements throughout and a full sounding wall of sound type arrangement once the song gets going. Perhaps with a bit of a restructure, the sectional contrast of the song would work better and have more potential commercially.

Quote From Pro: An inventive retro wall of sound type sound that is reminiscent of an early Sheryl Crow arrangement.

Broadjam Artist: Punk Ass Mo Fo
Song: Taxman

Broadjam Pro Reviewer:
John Anderson (Publisher)

Pro General Comments: Hey Punk Ass Mo Fo,We'll I like to think you're asking the right guy, I'm a big fan of the Rock/Punk genre. I had the privilege of working with The Cramps, The Bellrays, and Dramarama's catalogs to name a few. TAXMAN is a quality song all around. My overall impression is quite positive, you've managed to make a political statement and still rock it out.It's a great message that challenges the system in this politically charged environment. Perfect song to release in an election year.The recording and production quality is solid and similar to what I typically hear from young bands working with limited budgets. The production may be a bit polished or smooth for the hard core punk audience but the flip side is that it plays better for getting added at radio. The Lyrics form a great narrative and pulls you into the hook while the overall track kicks ass.I recommend self-releasing with Punk Ass Mo Fo as the artist but I'm sure there are song publishers out there that would be proud to submit "Taxman" for a major label or independent artist to record or cover.I personally focus my efforts on film/television/ad placement for artists. It does strike me as a song that would fit nicely into a film or TV show and really enhance the emotion of the scene. The limitations is the songs political message. Finding scenes that require this type of statement are few and far between but they are out there.Thanks for the listen.John Anderson

Quote From Pro: TAXMAN is a quality song all around. Punk Ass Mo Fo make a political statement and still rock it out.Hunnypot Approved!