Month: January 2018

Broadjam Artist: Trinity
Song: Night Thoughts

Broadjam Pro Reviewer:
Martin Blasick (Songwriter, Producer)

Pro General Comments: It's an epic at 7 minutes! To make that play consider an arrangement that evolves as the song progresses. There's quite a bit of Verse/Chorus to get through to get to that instrumental for a little break. It can be done. Something amazing should pull us through each new section to feel the wonder and magic I know you want to share. There's an echo-y quality that is too much in places. The key it to have it just the right amount. Some of the rhythmic elements are bumping into each other way that goes against the groove. The shaker has a cool effect on it. But somehow it doesn't sit with the groove. Really detail each element for a groove that is awesome and beyond.The kick pattern doesn't gel with the track imho. Maybe have the bass lock in with it? Or change the kick to a less busy pattern.

Quote From Pro: An intimate trip through the heart and mind of a dreamy chanteuse

Broadjam Artist: Trinity
Song: Night Thoughts

Broadjam Pro Reviewer:
Martin Blasick (Songwriter, Producer)

Pro General Comments: It's an epic at 7 minutes! To make that play consider an arrangement that evolves as the song progresses. There's quite a bit of Verse/Chorus to get through to get to that instrumental for a little break. It can be done. Something amazing should pull us through each new section to feel the wonder and magic I know you want to share. There's an echo-y quality that is too much in places. The key it to have it just the right amount. Some of the rhythmic elements are bumping into each other way that goes against the groove. The shaker has a cool effect on it. But somehow it doesn't sit with the groove. Really detail each element for a groove that is awesome and beyond.The kick pattern doesn't gel with the track imho. Maybe have the bass lock in with it? Or change the kick to a less busy pattern.

Quote From Pro: An intimate trip through the heart and mind of a dreamy chanteuse

Broadjam Artist: Trinity
Song: Unassuming Light

Broadjam Pro Reviewer:
Martin Blasick (Songwriter, Producer)

Pro General Comments: Think about the middle eight. It has a similar melodic flow as the verse. Consider playing around with it to differentiate the sections. The hook is the tag at the end. It's pleasant. But it's not like "I Can't Drive 55" by Sammy Hagar where it really caps off the verse. But you made it work because the lyric and melody fit the mellowness. So, to give that hook room to leave its strongest impression, it'd be nice to differentiate that middle 8, so it's not muddled. Consider jumping in a beat or two earlier, or later or higher or lower, something different. The intro could be 4 more bars in this case. There's room for as much or as little background vocals as you are feeling. But the lead vocal is the story. Support it with love ( and production choices). Try mixing with drums, bass and lead vocal and the drizzling in the rest so they don't overpower. Accentuate the awesome that is already there.

Quote From Pro: There's a magical quotient that's undeniable.

Broadjam Artist: Trinity
Song: Unassuming Light

Broadjam Pro Reviewer:
Martin Blasick (Songwriter, Producer)

Pro General Comments: Think about the middle eight. It has a similar melodic flow as the verse. Consider playing around with it to differentiate the sections. The hook is the tag at the end. It's pleasant. But it's not like "I Can't Drive 55" by Sammy Hagar where it really caps off the verse. But you made it work because the lyric and melody fit the mellowness. So, to give that hook room to leave its strongest impression, it'd be nice to differentiate that middle 8, so it's not muddled. Consider jumping in a beat or two earlier, or later or higher or lower, something different. The intro could be 4 more bars in this case. There's room for as much or as little background vocals as you are feeling. But the lead vocal is the story. Support it with love ( and production choices). Try mixing with drums, bass and lead vocal and the drizzling in the rest so they don't overpower. Accentuate the awesome that is already there.

Quote From Pro: There's a magical quotient that's undeniable.

Broadjam Artist: James Neilson Graham
Song: Cafe Valny

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

Pro General Comments: This is a very quirky and interesting song. As a publisher I can't think of another artist to pitch it to so that leaves it in the 'unique" category where you are most likely going to be the artist performing this song both live and to the internet. My impression is the singer is lonely and sad and only feels peace when he is in Cafe Valny. It's deeper than just the cafe's coffee and soup in my opinion. All three of your songs reminded me of different singers. This particular song has the bluesy retro sound of Leon Redbone. This song also reminded me of music I've heard watching a movie or TV scene taking place in France. Definitely has a European quality about it. There were a few iconic references that I did not understand and they might be confusing to others. The Buffy Saint-Marie reference was unpredictable and I have no clue as to what egilsstadir is. Is the singer an actual hobo or are you just describing his solitary lonely life? A hobo brings to mind an image of a man dressed in rags dirty unshaven and penniless. The arrangement was unpredictable. I wasn't expecting 6 verses and a 4 minute 33 second song. A music supervisor would most likely edit that down to fit the time of the scene. I would have preferred you only adding the humming part after the 3rd verse but that is subjective. The music was haunting and well crafted. I see the song was written 9 years ago. I assume you have written many more songs since you wrote Cafe Valny. I can hear this being used as background music in a movie or television show...it would most likely be a period piece during the great depression or during world war I or II. Try pitching it to a music library or music placement company. Good luck with this and the other two songs. I hope my comments and suggestions were helpful.

Quote From Pro: James Neilson Graham has the talent to be a force in Folk/Americana. His retro poetic lyrics and beautifully crafted melodies are both interesting and unpredictable.

Broadjam Artist: James Neilson Graham
Song: Cafe Valny

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

Pro General Comments: This is a very quirky and interesting song. As a publisher I can't think of another artist to pitch it to so that leaves it in the 'unique" category where you are most likely going to be the artist performing this song both live and to the internet. My impression is the singer is lonely and sad and only feels peace when he is in Cafe Valny. It's deeper than just the cafe's coffee and soup in my opinion. All three of your songs reminded me of different singers. This particular song has the bluesy retro sound of Leon Redbone. This song also reminded me of music I've heard watching a movie or TV scene taking place in France. Definitely has a European quality about it. There were a few iconic references that I did not understand and they might be confusing to others. The Buffy Saint-Marie reference was unpredictable and I have no clue as to what egilsstadir is. Is the singer an actual hobo or are you just describing his solitary lonely life? A hobo brings to mind an image of a man dressed in rags dirty unshaven and penniless. The arrangement was unpredictable. I wasn't expecting 6 verses and a 4 minute 33 second song. A music supervisor would most likely edit that down to fit the time of the scene. I would have preferred you only adding the humming part after the 3rd verse but that is subjective. The music was haunting and well crafted. I see the song was written 9 years ago. I assume you have written many more songs since you wrote Cafe Valny. I can hear this being used as background music in a movie or television show...it would most likely be a period piece during the great depression or during world war I or II. Try pitching it to a music library or music placement company. Good luck with this and the other two songs. I hope my comments and suggestions were helpful.

Quote From Pro: James Neilson Graham has the talent to be a force in Folk/Americana. His retro poetic lyrics and beautifully crafted melodies are both interesting and unpredictable.

Broadjam Artist: Michael Clothier
Song: December

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

Pro General Comments: Hi Michael -Thanks for bringing your song to my attention. I really like it and have enjoyed listening to it several times. For the title, I think that just "December" is a little forgettable, honestly. I'd probably call it "December (Still As Night)" - because that brings to mind Christmas more than just the month of 'December', which can mean different things to different people. Just a suggestion.Overall, the songwriting is very strong as are all of the performances - particularly the vocal and the piano, so nice work there. I think the lyrics and the melody are also both excellent.To me, the only part of this song that needs work is the production value. It's just not quite there... good, but not *great*. For songs that I pitch, the production has to be incredible. It needs to sound like something a major label might put out. So remember your competition. If it doesn't sound that great, it generally will have a hard time getting placements. Your tune deserves to sound its best. Right now, it's probably more along the lines of a really good-sounding demo. It doesn't quite have that final polish that it needs. I think part of it is the mix and/or arrangement too. I'd think about having some nice, subtle string arrangement in there, perhaps starting past the halfway mark and building towards the end (preferably real strings though, not synth strings). Nothing too dramatic, but something that adds to the feel and texture as the song progresses. That's just a suggestion, because it's fine without that, of course. The existing recording is ok, but just needs a little work. The piano is a little dull-sounding (great playing though) and I'm not sure about that airy synth sound I'd think about using more building strings personally. Also, there is a click/pop when the synth cuts off at 1:32 and the piano melody starts, so that needs to be cleaned up. Those types of things can't stay in final recordings that get pitched for film/TV/ads because the editors, producers, directors, music sups, will all hear that and either reject the song or make you fix it then, or simply not use it - costing both time and money that likely no one has. You want to have that stuff cleaned up before you pitch it.So the main issue with the song and the overall bottom line is the production value. Otherwise, you have an excellent song that could work for many types of Christmas opportunities.This song could definitely find a home in the right Christmas-type of sync placement. You can email me for more information if you like via our SongHunters website, or my site at www.diamondiscaudio.com.Thanks again and good luck to you!Best,Doug

Quote From Pro: "December" is a great example of what could someday be a new Christmas/Holiday standard, that many could grow to love, and even become part of people's annual Christmas family traditions.

Broadjam Artist: Michael Clothier
Song: December

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

Pro General Comments: Hi Michael -Thanks for bringing your song to my attention. I really like it and have enjoyed listening to it several times. For the title, I think that just "December" is a little forgettable, honestly. I'd probably call it "December (Still As Night)" - because that brings to mind Christmas more than just the month of 'December', which can mean different things to different people. Just a suggestion.Overall, the songwriting is very strong as are all of the performances - particularly the vocal and the piano, so nice work there. I think the lyrics and the melody are also both excellent.To me, the only part of this song that needs work is the production value. It's just not quite there... good, but not *great*. For songs that I pitch, the production has to be incredible. It needs to sound like something a major label might put out. So remember your competition. If it doesn't sound that great, it generally will have a hard time getting placements. Your tune deserves to sound its best. Right now, it's probably more along the lines of a really good-sounding demo. It doesn't quite have that final polish that it needs. I think part of it is the mix and/or arrangement too. I'd think about having some nice, subtle string arrangement in there, perhaps starting past the halfway mark and building towards the end (preferably real strings though, not synth strings). Nothing too dramatic, but something that adds to the feel and texture as the song progresses. That's just a suggestion, because it's fine without that, of course. The existing recording is ok, but just needs a little work. The piano is a little dull-sounding (great playing though) and I'm not sure about that airy synth sound I'd think about using more building strings personally. Also, there is a click/pop when the synth cuts off at 1:32 and the piano melody starts, so that needs to be cleaned up. Those types of things can't stay in final recordings that get pitched for film/TV/ads because the editors, producers, directors, music sups, will all hear that and either reject the song or make you fix it then, or simply not use it - costing both time and money that likely no one has. You want to have that stuff cleaned up before you pitch it.So the main issue with the song and the overall bottom line is the production value. Otherwise, you have an excellent song that could work for many types of Christmas opportunities.This song could definitely find a home in the right Christmas-type of sync placement. You can email me for more information if you like via our SongHunters website, or my site at www.diamondiscaudio.com.Thanks again and good luck to you!Best,Doug

Quote From Pro: "December" is a great example of what could someday be a new Christmas/Holiday standard, that many could grow to love, and even become part of people's annual Christmas family traditions.

Broadjam Artist: James Neilson Graham
Song: Gather Ye Rosebuds

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

Pro General Comments: It's always good advice to avoid using cliche's or old poetic lines as hooks to contemporary folk songs. Gather Ye Rosebuds is only used once in this song and it does not qualify as a hook in the true sense of the word. My Precious Pearl is used 4 times in the song including the last sung lyric. It is the only repeated hook in the song in my opinion. The form of the song is verse/verse/verse this is a valid form for folk songs. your overall length of song is good. melodically this is well done. The end of each verse or the refrain as you call it is catchy and memorable. Excellent chord choices. The groove, melody and chord progression fit this genre well. The prosody is good. Instrumentation is good. Vocals are good. Commerciality of this song for Americana radio is low because of the antiquated poetic lyric and unconversational vocabulary. Don't get me wrong it's well written if your target was a late 19th century or early 20th century folk song. The only market i can visualize this song being used is film and television and even then the opportunities would be limited to the period and era i stated. It's a charming piece of music that is well crafted for what it is. It is not a contemporary sounding folk song for radio airplay in my opinion.

Quote From Pro: James Neilson Graham is an authentic old soul folk writer and artist. His lyric and music will take you back to more innocent times when the world wasn't in the turmoil it is in now. His beautifully crafted melodies are relaxing and soothing. Well worth listening to.

Broadjam Artist: James Neilson Graham
Song: Whitstable Girl (1)

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

Pro General Comments: This evaluation is based on my first impressions on hearing the song. I was immediately taken back to my remembrance of hearing songs in movies based on WWI. Rudy Vallee came to mind. The songs subject matter fits in with a soldier saying goodbye to his sweetheart as he leaves to fight in the war. The vocabulary used fits in perfectly with this era in history. This song could have also worked for a British soldier saying goodbye to his sweetheart. Your lyric is poetic and true to the era. Halcyon, whistable, o'er and the spelling of rumour give me a sense of England along with Abbeville. The melodies are perfect for this type of folk song. Very strong authentic performance Ala Rudy Vallee. Very emotional and believable. The guitar playing was a little on the contemporary folk side but it was well done. This would be a good pitch to a music library or music placement company needing a WWI type song. I liked your choice of chords and the range of your melodies. This was very believable in my opinion. I can visualize this being sung in a cabaret in 1917.

Quote From Pro: James Neilson Graham has the heart and soul of a 19th century poet. His imagery and music were a time machine that took me back to 1917 and WWI. His vocal and lyric were authentic to the time period.