Month: March 2017

Broadjam Artist: Randal Dunkle
Song: Jeanie

Reviewer: John Masarone

Positive Comments: The groove of the song is good but the drums are bringing the song down. The vocal delivery has nice color. It works for this song. The arrangement is good too. You can do a lot with this. I would have given high marks if there was no drum track at all.

Constructive Comments: May I suggest just a straight drum beat. I would increase the tempo too. Once you have that down maybe layer on some guitar melodies. I always record a rough version of a song with an acoustic guitar, my vocal and a click track. I listen to it and make whatever changes. I like to get the tempo and key right before I recording for real.

Broadjam Artist: Peter Toussaint
Song: Sunrise

Reviewer: Randal Dunkle

Positive Comments: Very beautiful guitar introduction that continues throughout the song, I also like the lead guitar as well and the strings bring it all together.

Constructive Comments: Very cool instrumental – I love the guitar playing and all the runs and riffs – I think the song would sound better with a low frequency bass hitting one note at the beginning of some of the guitar phrases – best wishes!

Broadjam Artist: Brenda Craven
Song: J Groove

Reviewer: Bill Dake

Positive Comments: Simple funky tune.

Constructive Comments: Not sure this is Jazz/Fusion, seems a little more funk/rock, but everything bleeds into everything else as far as musical genres go. The groove is fine and the simple horn line melody works. I’d let the piano/ keys do the soloing rather than the synth horns, unless you’re willing to do a lot of work, it’s just damned hard to get synth horns to sound authentic and anyone who would want to use this for TV, movie etc. would want real horns…..it’s just the way it is. It’s a good piece…..

Broadjam Artist: Jonathan Le Vay
Song: Hurry Up, Get a Move On

Reviewer: Bill Dake

Positive Comments: Interesting concept, kinda blues based with some nice keyboard riffs and licks.

Constructive Comments: Very busy. I listened a couple times to find the groove and maybe a melody to relate to but couldn’t quite get there. The timing seemed to jump around a lot and the rhythm pocket just wasn’t there. I don’t have a problem with changes going “Outside”, but they should take you somewhere, a melody line to connect the new ideas. This sounded more like a jam than a completed tune….that’s not bad, but I’m not sure what the purpose of the piece was. It has some good moments and some good playing, but just seemed a little too disjointed. I don’t really see this as a jazz/fusion number but more of a blues based jam.

Broadjam Artist: Randy Calligan
Song: Pick Up My Heart And Go Home

Reviewer: Drew Hale

Positive Comments: So as soon as I’m done writing this review, I’m going immediately to download this song, and play it on repeat in my car. This song…the honesty…the lead vox…the mix…so damn good. Your lyrics. So simple, yet so poignant. I think this song is incredibly marketable to a myriad of artists in different genres. It could go 1,000 ways with the arrangement. This is so reminiscent of Sara Bareilles, and I hear a little Regina Spektor. Maybe a touch of Florence and the Machine. The strings grabbed me. And the line “pick up my heart and go home”…clever. Great freaking song.

Constructive Comments: I have listened through this song 6 full times now just trying to find something to critique. And all I’m coming across is the desire to start it over and listen again.

Broadjam Artist: Charlie Shock
Song: THE WAY LIFE GOES

Reviewer: Drew Hale

Positive Comments: Great melodies in this song. I enjoyed the chorus as well, it’s gonna be in my head for a good while. Great guitar paying in this tune, especially electric guitar and pedal steel. Not your typical country song lyrics, and I appreciate that as well. Good visuals. I could definitely picture where you were in this song.

Constructive Comments: This song doesn’t feel terribly relevant to modern country markets. It feels a little bit dated to me, like something that would have KILLED in the early 90’s alongside “The Bluest Eyes In Texas”. Good song overall, but definitely sounds like that era. The electric guitar tone, the snare, and the hook in particular. Not necessarily a bad thing depending on what you want to do with it. Arrangement-wise. The little choppy hits on the organ feel distracting to me. I’m not sure they serve much of a purpose to the groove or the mix. There are a lot of great things about this song, though. These are just a couple of my preferential thoughts.

Broadjam Artist: Sam Cooper
Song: EAST NASHVILLE GIRLS

Reviewer: Drew Hale

Positive Comments: First of all. Damn. Those lead vox. Hell…yes. Reminiscent of old school David Lee Roth meets Steely Dan meets Confederate Railroad. Next, the song. So fun!! So clever. Had me bobbing my head form the opening riff. This song just absolutely grooves. I don’t know how marketable this tune is to radio, but I bet this tune KILLS live. I love the energy, and I like the sound. Very unique. NO mistaking these lead vocals. Well done.

Constructive Comments: There aint much constructively…couple of small things. I don’t know that you need the extra 2 beats before the first chorus. I lost the groove a touch there. I think you could build right into one from “Cumberland River”. Just a preference thing for me. One other thing would be the bass tone. I feel like the overdrive gets in the way a little bit. I get the idea, and again I think LIVE it would be great. But on the record it doesn’t quite seem to fill the low end like it should. Otherwise…man. Great tune!

Broadjam Artist: Joseph Cirello
Song: Monday’s Calling (country)

Reviewer: Drew Hale

Positive Comments: Great hook, and great harmonies. Reminds me a lot of Crosby, Stills, Nash with a more updated sound. Can I please THANK YOU for taking the time to write lyrics about more than hooking up at a bar like so many other modern country songs. This is very relevant to many people I think, the waning of the love flame, the fear of loneliness, but the acceptance of the reality that love may be gone. I’d love to hear more from you.

Constructive Comments: I don’t know that I have many critiques for this tune…maybe a couple of small things. I don’t really feel like I get the “Cigarette Break” line. The rest of the song feels like the subject is ready to move on. “Cigarette Break” feels like you just want a quick reprieve. I feel like it contradicts the rest of the song a bit. Especially since you said you were “ready to run”. Otherwise, love this song. Really enjoyed it.

Broadjam Artist: Peter Toussaint
Song: Moonlight

Reviewer: HarryBudini

Positive Comments: Smooth and flowing guitar-led instrumental, that manages to be relaxing and dynamic at the same time – further characterized by the pulsing electronic bass in pure eighties style and by synthetizer whistle that curiously and continuosly peep through the song, without being disturbing, somehow. The lead guitar is elegant in its phrasings, tone and sound.

Constructive Comments: Nothing to say, as far as I’m concerned. Even the whistling synthetizer idea, which could have been proved annoying, somehow fits in nicely.

Broadjam Artist: Tom Reardon
Song: Changed My Life

Reviewer: James Neilson Graham

Positive Comments: Nice poppy song with experimental touches. Interesting vocal harmonies, especially from the wordless backing singers. Tidy groove.

Constructive Comments: Perhaps a little more variety as the song progresses? Sometimes it pays to exaggerate the contrasts between one section and another.