About accuracy of the listings

[mladendomic]

YOUTHFUL ADULT CONTEMPORARY SONGS with FEMALE VOCALS in the style Adele meets Joss Stone and Tracy Chapman, needed by the VP of A&R at a Major label for a young female artist working on her follow-up album. QUOTING THE SOURCE: "She's a bit of a modern day Tracy Chapman. A good song reference in terms of style would be 'No Room For Doubt' by Lianne La Havas with a bit more to it!" They'll be looking for songs that have a CURRENT sound, with INTIMATE and MEMORABLE melodies and lyrics. You lyrics MUST provide an EMOTIONAL IMPACT, with clearly defined and MEMORABLE chorus hooks that stick with the listener. REMEMBER: This is a young artist so keep themes age appropriate and within the AC range - nothing too mature and no fluff! Strong demo performances are essential to really "sell" the concept. FEMALE vocals ONLY! Your vocal and instrumental demo presentation must be top-notch! Please submit one to three songs online or per CD, include lyrics. All submissions will be screened and critiqued by TAXI and must be received no later than Thursday, October 4, 2012.
TAXI # S121004AC

After spending a few hours studying this listing and listening to referenced artists, I find this listing pretty confusing.

Now, I think the four referenced artists are sooo different from each other. Adele is one serious indie "heart like backpack" (my wife's quote), Tracy Chapman is a steady revolutionist who leans towards folk, maybe a bit of reggae, Joss Stone is a young wild vamp performing hip hop, retro funk, retro rock, country, you name it... and finally the referenced artist and her song is something sweet, naive, mousey, sounding almost like high school beginner's debut.

What are they really looking for? What kind of song would you submit to this one?

[davewalton]

I remember a post that Matt Hirt make one time where seemingly different artists really weren't so different when thought of in terms of a radio station. It wouldn't be too much of a stretch to think of turning to some kind of "Adult Comtemporary" radio station and hearing these artists played during the course of an afternoon.

I'd focus on the whatever is the most "known". Female vocals for sure with "young" lyrics and themes. This is important...

QUOTING THE SOURCE: "She's a bit of a modern day Tracy Chapman. A good song reference in terms of style would be 'No Room For Doubt' by Lianne La Havas with a bit more to it!"

I'm not submitting to this but personally I'd probably not pay too much attention to the other artists but focus specifically on the Tracy Chapman/Lianne La Havas vibe (but with "a bit more to it" as they said).

So maybe if you thought of "Youth themed/appropriate female vocal ala Tracy Chapman, using 'No Room For Doubt' by Lianne La Havas as a baseline to build from". Then the rest, "CURRENT sound, with INTIMATE and MEMORABLE melodies and lyrics. You lyrics MUST provide an EMOTIONAL IMPACT, with clearly defined and MEMORABLE chorus hooks that stick with the listener, etc" as the additional qualification for the specific artist reference should help target it pretty accurately.

Remember, it's the listing party that basically writes these things. They're not always (and usually not) musicians. They'll say things like "looking for New Age music ala America's Top Model". Well... that's not exactly "New Age" music, at least as most of us thinks of New Age. So if you give them whatever you hear on Top Model (regardless of what it's called), you're in. Send a lovely Yanni lullaby, although truly being New Age, and it's a return.

Sometimes I wish we had a listing Enigma machine to break the code! Anyway, hope that helps.

[mladendomic]

So maybe if you thought of "Youth themed/appropriate female vocal ala Tracy Chapman, using 'No Room For Doubt' by Lianne La Havas as a baseline to build from". Then the rest, "CURRENT sound, with INTIMATE and MEMORABLE melodies and lyrics. You lyrics MUST provide an EMOTIONAL IMPACT, with clearly defined and MEMORABLE chorus hooks that stick with the listener, etc" as the additional qualification for the specific artist reference should help target it pretty accurately.

Or not!

Remember, it's the listing party that basically writes these things. They're not always (and usually not) musicians. They'll say things like "looking for New Age music ala America's Top Model". Well... that's not exactly "New Age" music, at least as most of us thinks of New Age. So if you give them whatever you hear on Top Model (regardless of what it's called), you're in.

The part: "QUOTING THE SOURCE: "She's a bit of a modern day Tracy Chapman. A good song reference in terms of style would be 'No Room For Doubt' by Lianne La Havas with a bit more to it!"" I understood more like "Her voice is similar to the referenced singer"; or even "She looks like a referenced singer" and NOT necessary "This is the song style we want you to submit." And the part "She's a bit of a modern day T.C." doesn't say a thing about the song. You can say "A car is a bit of a modern horse." and I get the point, but I am not going to be able to build a car based on this information.

Sometimes I wish we had a listing Enigma machine to break the code! Anyway, hope that helps.

Yes, me too. But I often wish that listings would be more precise, so I wouldn't have to wish a "Listing Enigma Machine".
Thank you for your thoughts, Dave!

[tordenspyd]

I cannot help you other than adding to the confusion, perhaps from a slightly different angle.

The listing is written as soliciting songs for a specific artist.
I have seen several of those.
Those I have seen don't consider the vocal range of the singer, Neither does this listing.
Why not?
In my limited experience with singers, the vocal range of the song has always been important, except for styles and singers that always ad lib whatever the melody is.
So I have had to re-record in a different key or rewrite.

It seems to me, the neglect of range only make the odds for 'hitting', much less.

Perhaps under those circumstances one may consider that ; as long as your song is a well recorded, well performed, smash hit track, and it is in agreement with the listing there is a chance the screener may like it and forward it, then, according to the listing there is a chance that the VP of a major music enterprise may listen to it. If he loved the song, even if it did not fit the intended artist, it could fit another (not competing?) artist.

[Casey H]

I cannot help you other than adding to the confusion, perhaps from a slightly different angle.

The listing is written as soliciting songs for a specific artist.
I have seen several of those.
Those I have seen don't consider the vocal range of the singer, Neither does this listing.
Why not?
In my limited experience with singers, the vocal range of the song has always been important, except for styles and singers that always ad lib whatever the melody is.
So I have had to re-record in a different key or rewrite.

It seems to me, the neglect of range only make the odds for 'hitting', much less.

Perhaps under those circumstances one may consider that ; as long as your song is a well recorded, well performed, smash hit track, and it is in agreement with the listing there is a chance the screener may like it and forward it, then, according to the listing there is a chance that the VP of a major music enterprise may listen to it. If he loved the song, even if it did not fit the intended artist, it could fit another (not competing?) artist.

I think in this situation, there were enough clues about what type of vocal range to go for. The listing said she’s a young “Tracy Chapman” and that a good reference song would be 'No Room For Doubt' by Lianne La Havas with a bit more to it!"... If there are ‘a la’ artists and reference songs… Well, you kinda have a lot of info, don’t you?

Casey

YOUTHFUL ADULT CONTEMPORARY SONGS with FEMALE VOCALS in the style Adele meets Joss Stone and Tracy Chapman, needed by the VP of A&R at a Major label for a young female artist working on her follow-up album. QUOTING THE SOURCE: "She's a bit of a modern day Tracy Chapman. A good song reference in terms of style would be 'No Room For Doubt' by Lianne La Havas with a bit more to it!" They'll be looking for songs that have a CURRENT sound, with INTIMATE and MEMORABLE melodies and lyrics. You lyrics MUST provide an EMOTIONAL IMPACT, with clearly defined and MEMORABLE chorus hooks that stick with the listener. REMEMBER: This is a young artist so keep themes age appropriate and within the AC range - nothing too mature and no fluff! Strong demo performances are essential to really "sell" the concept. FEMALE vocals ONLY! Your vocal and instrumental demo presentation must be top-notch! Please submit one to three songs online or per CD, include lyrics. All submissions will be screened and critiqued by TAXI and must be received no later than Thursday, October 4, 2012.
TAXI # S121004AC

[tordenspyd]

I cannot help you other than adding to the confusion, perhaps from a slightly different angle.

I think in this situation, there were enough clues about what type of vocal range to go for. The listing said she’s a young “Tracy Chapman” and that a good reference song would be 'No Room For Doubt' by Lianne La Havas with a bit more to it!"... If there are ‘a la’ artists and reference songs… Well, you kinda have a lot of info, don’t you?
Casey

Thanks.
You are right. There are a lot of clues. But, I am not able to make use of several of them.
Specifically, regarding the vocal range:
Should one go for dark voice with a range similar to Tracy Chapman. (From what I have heard It was dark also when she started her recording career, I know nothing before then )
or should one go for a brighter (shy young girl voice) with a range similar to Lianne Le Havas ?

To clarify, why I have problems:
To me the term reference song does not necessarily imply a vocal range. There are other cases where it definitely does not. I don't know here.
To me that she is a young Tracy chapmen does not nessecarily imply she has a vocal range like Tracy Chapman.