Michael, can I use a clip of what you said on Taxi TV?

[pboss]

Hey, Sedge, yes, I was watching the episode, too. Your track is authentic, and in a sense, it's not that common to be authentic. Yes, we have periods of "sounds" regarding different decades, but more power to you. Rock on!

[admin]

Hi Sedge,

Yes, feel free to use my comments. After reading other folk's comments I was worried that I had said something offensive, so I just went back and watched the show. I'd have to parse out every single word and sentence and defend it line by line, but I'll summarize to keep this short.

I certainly didn't mean to offend you or anyone else. I'm sorry if I did.

I stand by what I said, and how I said it. It wasn't mean spirited, it was me being compassionate in trying to point out how OFTEN we hear what we call a 70s Pop sound (for lack of any better way to define it), and how that sound has limited use in Film and TV placements. I want EVERY TAXI member to have as many opportunities as possible, so I give advice on many levels to help them achieve that. My comment about how it COULD be used in a scene with stoner hippies in a van was sincere. I was trying to show that it had some value, and give an example of HOW it could be used.

Agreeing with a viewer that it reminded me of Gerry Rafferty was not meant to be mean at all, just an objective observation. Comparing it to Poco or America, same thing! I love all of those artists by the way. At no point was I trying to put your music down. I was doing my best to objectively use it as an example of something we routinely hear and want to help our members fix (if they want to) so they can have more opportunities for their music.

Sounding current does NOT always mean that you have to sound like Justin Beiber, BTW. And sounding retro can sound very differently from unintentionally sounding retro. I think most people can easily hear the difference. All of those things add up to or NOT to what the industry folks who make the decisions (and PAY musicians) consider when they make their choices. My job is to get them to use all of YOU!

Now, it could be easy to assume that ALL industry decision makers are assholes and tin-eared idiots, but that's not true. While there are SOME, I think a lot of musicians would like to assign that level of incompetency to the industry "ears" to explain why they themselves aren't signed or famous. Not saying that you're doing that Sedge. So knowing that this (assumed) unintentional 70s Pop sound/genre is considered to be less than desirable by many people in the industry, I want to help our members learn how to avoid it if they are desirous of doing so.

I stand by my effort to make the point that there is some percentage of music (and TAXI submissions) that fall into a genre that is hard to define and not very commercially viable. That doesn't mean that it sucks. It just means it has less chance of making money. I work under the assumption that every TAXI member has joined for the purpose of making money with his or her music. It's my job to be honest and helpful to that end. And by watching what I did and said on the show again, I feel that was exactly what I was doing.

Frankly, I don't think Mojo's stoner comment was intended to be hurtful either. I think he's a better person than that. My take on it was that he was also trying to point to what he perceived as the type of audience it would appeal to -- Deadheads, etc.

In closing, ALL the aspects of what I talked about on that show go into the stew that is Broadcast Quality. If something makes it less likely to be "broadcast," then it may not be Broadcast Quality.

I sincerely hope this helps to clear it up.

Warmly,
Michael

[sedge]

Thanks Michael, that is proper cool!

I feel a little troubled you felt the need to defend somewhat here!!
this really was not was this thread was for from me!

Wanted to grab the sound byte and thought it best I mention.

From my side nothing you said on the show was off ... at all, quite the opposite, I and folks here at home too, thought it was one of the coolest things you could have said about the tune/style (hippy van etc, we even own an old beat up VW, and all taken in the spirit of the show, of course I would have loved and the viewers to buzz off the tune but not expecting that, I sent in the tune to see if Broadcast Quality, I was expecting that Broadcast Quality is regarding recording quality, lyrics, performance and songwriting. I was on a learning when I found that style was also a factor.

Others in this thread felt for me it sounds here and it sparked some debate around contemporary , and so the thread ran off towards that direction I guess. Some great stuff has come out but sorry you felt the need to check it over, I was trying to bring this thread back to what I wrote it for on a few occasions , which was really just how top it was to be on the show getting some thoughts

Huge thanks again, the clip sounds brill!

As for Mojo, I'm removing him from my christmas card list



Rob

[sedge]

Just taken the context out and re read your post Michael,

must say some top gems of info there, also very on point to the reason we are here with you,

it's really tough to take a step towards 'change', not even that I wouldn't want too, I just plug in the mic, try to keep the listing in mind (but not so much to come off in sincere) and just blast out the song and kinda 'who knows' how it sounds happens, good fun! I can only hope it fits the listing sometimes, more down to limits of my current ability than actually purposefully sounding a certain way (wish i could!), not down to taxi communication on the listings either, hope that eases the pain a little with the frustration on some submissions, its probably all we can do ( at the time )... help here is top and will get us there as I keep on soaking it all up! I'm probably (hope) not alone here!

All something to learn! Taxi is the place!

[Ellwood]

Just to extend the conversation a bit, let me ask the question: "why do so many songwriters tend to sound 70's ish?" there seems to be a on-going conversation about the 70's era influence in many songwriter efforts today. This tenancy in stylistic writing seems to be discouraged today as being seen as non commercial (and that certainly is possible) is it that the industry and buying public has moved on and many musicians have not? or is it deeper than that?

[sedge]

Hi Trident, I can only take a guess as to why on this tune. I have had a couple of forwards from Taxi so I am not taking it totally as I am missing the bar across everything I am trying to make.
For this particular track I think it is acoustic guitar over a set back drum kit and slightly overdone it with a double track vocal to push the voice over in the mix. They might all be production styles heavily used in that era which I can try to avoid and still keep the fun and myself in there

Makes sense to me as ;

- I find it hard to go back to a non double tracked vocal after it has been put on, self concious reasons
- drums I make in house and added secondary from a feeling that the song 'needs them' (I tap mine out on an e kit, but sometimes not fully confident i guess ) - so again shy with these and possible tempted to sit them back - the 70s might have mixed levels this way too
- the acoustic is often wet too - mainly down to struggling with getting a tone that doesnt sound like a fork on a chalkboard.

The more I am looking at some modern artists I like the more I'm starting to see instruments, regarding arrangement and mixing 'effects', are kept to a very clever minimum , or poss indeed any tune that can't seemed to be pinned to a date at all. All clear non 'effected' sounds. Like Neil Young! Kinda undated to me.

These were my thoughts after looking at things more closely, thanks of course to Michael, the tv show and you guys in this thread


so far then, I recon, common , in house shyness / accidents home studio learning antics just happen to turn out to be in line with the sound of 70's production techniques, does explain why, 'Bedroom 70's' new one for the genres ; )

That's all theory so far, now for the practice and see if it is correct, I like a clearer rawer sound so it's all good, less time on the verbs and such , more time in the woodshed and just being more honest in the recording is what i am thinking

[Mark Crozer]

Ok, having read through everyone's comments I now feel like a bit of a knob for getting worked up over what was clearly nothing more than a bit of light-hearted banter. Oh dear. I had the beat of intentions though.

Mark

[sedge]

not at all Mark!
as there was laughing , kinda at the expense of the tune it sounded! Lucky I own a VW van and have long hair for me to not take it in a different light maybe! and I like that vibe though, as opposed to say being too straight/pc. an I asked for it knowing how the show is. fly on the wall view, priceless!

your mentions about contempory here ect are top, certainly helped me in the thinking of how to move forward with how I take it, you let me feel like at the heart I was doing right, very encouraging/concrete to read , as I had the suggestion to look for modern but still cloudy on what it was in the modern to look for, as like you pointed out, many genres are modern. I think i might have the answer to a new approach as above. I have to get to the bottom of it , kinda a fault/quality of mine I don't know yet. no, your a much needed help, and no doupt to others reading this too

[Len911]

Just to extend the conversation a bit, let me ask the question: "why do so many songwriters tend to sound 70's ish?" there seems to be a on-going conversation about the 70's era influence in many songwriter efforts today. This tenancy in stylistic writing seems to be discouraged today as being seen as non commercial (and that certainly is possible) is it that the industry and buying public has moved on and many musicians have not? or is it deeper than that?

It would certainly make a good piece for public radio,lol! Could be that most people grew up in the '70's? The '70's and '80's were prosperous times, a lot of freedom to create, more integration, influence and acceptance of Black music and music of other cultures. The vintage and new equipment of the times. Then the beginnings of digital, kind of sterile at first, rap was considered music, and here we are today, although I sort of think contemporary country has a "pop '70's sound" to it. Rap or hip hop probably seemed like the day music died or progressed. So perhaps music or what anyone remembers as music just peaked in the '70's and '80's? I think I peaked too!

[gtrmann]

You see... It's all a matter of the right listing...

60’s DRUG INFLUENCED SONGS needed by a busy TV Music Supervisor for a scene where two stoners are in a van and music is playing out of the radio. He uses druggie/stoner songs very frequently and is trying to build a stash for upcoming shows, mostly on MTV and VH1. Your songs need to sound very “stoned”. MALE or FEMALE VOCALS OKAY. Broadcast Quality needed (great sounding home recordings are okay). Your submissions cannot be signed to any Libraries, not even Non-exclusive libraries-they must be totally "free and clear," meaning that you must own or control 100% of the copyright and master. If your songs are used, they will go DIRECT to the Music Supervisor and you will keep 100% of the income. If the Music Supervisor is interested in your song(s), he will contact you directly! Please submit one to three songs online or via CD, include lyrics. All submissions will be screened and critiqued by a TAXI screener (after smoking a few doobies) and must be received no later than Friday, September 23, 2011.
TAXI # S110923ST

Casey

Hey, I went to High School in the 70s, this sounds like a song I could write, I did this, I lived it....LOL ...... Do I submit it to Casey ......