Month: August 2016

Broadjam Artist: Uncle Spider & The Electric Dirt Clods
Song: Downbeat

Reviewer: Steven Furr

Positive Comments: Burt Bacharach-ish, Love it! Not imply a copy of Burt’s music, just that it sets a nice laid back feel. That was fun! I’m a sucker for the maj/maj7 cord change. Very nice interludes. Backing strings are nice and add an airy feel. The bass is perfect, very tight and resolves nicely into each verse/chorus. Drums are tight on and blend perfectly. Both the bass and drums work well together.

Constructive Comments: I really don’t know how to criticize a production such as this. The positive comments I’ve written above were easy because it’s such a good performance and production. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to hear your other music. Keep up the good work!

Broadjam Artist: FRED GROSS
Song: Liberty Jam

Reviewer: Steven Furr

Positive Comments: A great recording! I’m going to guess this is a recording of a live band. Drums and Bass are awesome with a totally nice groove. Drum fills are tight and the bass is right there. Nice guitar work on the solos and rhythm sections. The sax melody fits the song well. Keyboards are definitely hitting! I like the snappy ending.

Constructive Comments: On the intro, I would stop everything at :07 and let the sax make it’s introduction. There are other parts of the song where sharp staccato cuts would be cool (such as at :46), but I think you are not looking for clean cuts at these parts, and it works. How about using hi-hat on the last three notes, instead of letting the cymbal ring?? Making the last note a sharp snap ending…..

Broadjam Artist: Brenda Craven
Song: Love Is Here To Stay

Reviewer: Steven Furr

Positive Comments: Very nice mood. Nice piano work! Your song has a very calming groove. I like the background chords. And I like the drums, they sound “real” . In this day, it’s hard to tell if they are programmed or not. However, in this case they sound authentic. Keep up the good work!

Constructive Comments: Drums are nice. If had to correct anything, I would change the sound of the brushes at the start of the song. Keep the brushes but reduce the reverb, they would sound better dry. Also, the cymbal at 3:38 cuts off too quickly, it should ring out. This happens at 3:06, too. From what I’m hearing on this end, the snare seems a bit too loud as it starts near 3:07. Certainly, keep the snare just tweak it down a notch.

Broadjam Artist: Junior Murrell
Song: Set Your Heart Free (featuring Cyndi Corkran)

Reviewer: Steven Furr

Positive Comments: Very nice groove and instrumentation. Great dance potential! A song like this makes for an easy review because it sounds market-ready and easily likable.

Constructive Comments: Honestly, I have to make some kind of constructive comment before this review is accepted by Broadjam, but after listening to your song a couple of times, plus reviewing certain parts of it, I can’t find anything to critique. Please note I have no problem critiquing when I hear something that needs fixed. Personally, I think this song is ready to go!

Broadjam Artist: Martie Echito
Song: Champagne Kinda Feelin’

Reviewer: Josh Walker

Positive Comments: Great feel from the rhythm section and really nice hook melody! I like the A section a little more than the B section, but good harmonic structure overall. Very simple and nothing overstated. The chord choices and voicing for the A section are really cool as well.

Constructive Comments: The piano sound is pretty distracting to me. Do you have access to a real piano, like at at church or anything? If not, I would try to find a better piano sound. I like the angular key change on the B section, but the harmony wasn’t my cup of tea. But then that’s just my opinion.

Broadjam Artist: Nigel Barrett
Song: Peanuts

Reviewer: Josh Walker

Positive Comments: Great electronic sounds on here! They complement each other very well. It has a 1980’s feel, similar to the music from Fletch. It’s recorded and mixed very well. Great drum and bass programming as well. Is that an electric piano? It sounds very authentic if it’s not. The pacing of the song also works very well, and the B sections contrast great with the A sections.

Constructive Comments: This isn’t a criticism so much as a question to think about: Because it has an 80’s feel, is that going to limit your marketability? I don’t have a feel for how that kind of smooth jazz sells. That’s my only concern with this song. The musical elements in the song are great!

Broadjam Artist: HarryBudini
Song: Little Armageddons

Reviewer: Patrick E. Muth

Positive Comments: interesting start to this song. not really sure what I heard tho.

Constructive Comments: I think it would help if you tried using Melodyne on the vocals. (Pitch Correction). I know it helped me in the studio.good luck and keep on truckin. pat

Broadjam Artist: Bob Higgs
Song: Nicolette

Reviewer: HarryBudini

Positive Comments: A sombre dylanesque protest song or such. It’s performed with skill and expressiveness. The lyrics seem quite dense.

Constructive Comments: The vocal mannerisms often reminds so closely of Dylan that, to me, it all feels more like an [excellent] exercise in style, than something with a genuine meaning and intent.

Broadjam Artist: Chet Nichols
Song: My Kenworth Motel ( … from “Modern Progress”)

Reviewer: Margie & Art Corey, S. & A. Corey

Positive Comments: This is a very interesting song theme and could be a tad awkward or misconstrued?? But alas………it sounds heart felt,honest and may just pass muster in some circles. Love the harmonica, love the vocal, matches the feel of the genre, it has a very simple country approach….would work well in a comedy film at a truck stop scene…….Good Job……….Thumbs Up

Constructive Comments: Think the music could be a little better recorded, but this may be the intention of the artist……….so, if this sounds good to the songwriter……go with it!! This is just one person’s opinion…take it with a grain of salt!!Now in hindsight…..I have listened to this song about 5 times and it’s starting to grow on me……the more times I play it!!!Man, that’s trippy!!

Broadjam Artist: Ronald Arduini
Song: LORDY LORDY

Reviewer: Josh Walker

Positive Comments: Wow what a cool, quirky tune! The originality is its strongest point, from the jagged sax lines to the very interesting vocals and interesting keyboard sound. With another song I would suggest upgrading the drum and keyboard sound, but I think it may fit this song.

Constructive Comments: It’s hard to know what to suggest because this is so quirky and I think the things I would normally suggest changing you are doing intentionally. Maybe experiment with different vocal effects and miking to further change the sound of your voice maybe? Unfortunately the originality would suggest that it would appeal to a narrow niche and it may be hard to make money with it unless you know your target audience. In any case, I think it’s pretty cool!