Feedback requested

[celiaslattery]

Hi everybody,I re-joined Taxi about a year ago, was waiting to submit until I had finished my second full-length CD recently...it was a project born out of love, not thinking commercial viability (and it cost a fortune:-). That being said, I did want to see if I might be able to get a song placement through Taxi.So I submitted to about five different listings, in the AC and the Singer-songwriter categories.The feedback I got was mostly postiive, with all the ratings in the 7-10 range, but that the music wasn't right for any of the listings. One point is that the lyrics to the songs are too specific - which I totally get, although every once in a while there's a listing that comes around that might be on target. (There was one like that last spring that requested songs about returning vets but my "Distant Thunder" song wasn't ready yet.)Than the really confusing part was the stylistic feedback. The ones I submitted for the SS category basically said the sound is too "classic" - and one of those said it sounded more like AC. The AC feedback was that it sounded "folk" (which there's not even a listing for).Soooo...there's a listing up now in the AC category that references Norah Jones/Madeline Peyroux, and one in the SS category that references Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, etc. Do any of those sound on target? Or should I just stop submitting these songs and try to find some different collaborators? (I'm primarily a singer/lyricist). OK - not sure how to attach specific songs to this post so I'll send you to my sonicbids sight and ask that you listen to especially, Distant Thunder, Seaglass, and of course any others that you want to! (Love Will Come Around and Farewell, Farewell are covers)http://www.sonicbids.com/epk/epk.aspx?epk_id=892And thanks very much, in advance, for any insights you can provide!

[zoom]

Hey Celia!I think your vocal styling is more that of modern Carole King but the instrumentation/arrangements are a bit jazzier and much brighter in tone. Which means (fortunately or unfortunately) that your music falls within a smaller niche. I'll use my radio station analogy... When flipping around the dial, I could really hear your song on a couple of types of stations.... Lite radio and NPR. Your music borrows from a lot of different styles and is distinctive to the ear, but not distinctive enough as to fit a clear genre (AC/Pop/Jazz). So the listings you're looking for may be a bit harder to come by... but that shouldn't discourage you from looking, as the tracks sound really good.As to the specific questions you asked, I'm not sure how great of a fit your music is with the referenced artists. And I say this without reading the specific listings -- so there may be other info I'm missing. But based solely on the artists... Joni and Neil tell me the client is looking for an old school protest folk type of vibe, and the reference to Norah Jones says silky smooth melancholy...Distant Thunder comes the closest to both sets, and while I generally like this piece, I have a feeling it may possibly get rejected for being too specific and for using that percussion loop throughout the entire song (and well past when the song ends). The percussion is an easy enough fix, but the specificity of the lyrics will get you a lot more returns than you like.Seaglass is a really good song... and I think if you want more forwards with it, you may want to think about an instrumental version of it. It's a lovely light and happy tune that's produced well.I hope that helps... I enjoyed the listen.

[ideascapes]

Hi Celia. I'm listening to Distant Thunder now--definitely hearing the Joni influence and understand the "too specific" comment. Seaglass sounds very retro/MOR to me...Anne Murray, maybe? Well done, but not "current" sounding.What usually works best on this forum is to post a TAXI listing and ask people's advice on whether a particular song would be a good match for submission.I love the sound of your voice and you'd probably enjoy collaborating so that you can build a bigger catalog of songs to pitch. There are probably people in this forum who'd do that with you. If you hang out here and get to know other posters chances are you'll bond and find opportunities to work on something together.Do you have easy access to a recording studio? Most folks here have a home studio, but also often hire studios to realize demos.Vince

[cameron]

You do have some nice songs and you perform them very well.I like Distant Thunder, and it sounds modern enough to me, but I do understand the "too specific" comments as well. Seaglass is just, well, not like anything I can think of. Very "bubbly"... kind of like a jazzy Cowsills (probably not what you wanted to hear I guess.) When I heard the intro I though it was a remake of my own song "Am I Wrong or Am I Right?" http://www.taximusic.com/song.php?song_ ... tream=true but it turns in to something quite different.To me, your jazzy stuff, like Bamboo Bar, comes off best. I like that song a lot! I suspect you've listened to a bit of Steely Dan (as have I).Cast of Characters, except for the intro, sounded a bit like something you'd hear from a Broadway show.To me mostly your songs sound like Celia Slattery, which is a very good thing, but I guess it might be hard to find "a la Celia Slattery" listings on Taxi. It's really tough. At some point you have to decide if you're going to be yourself or sound like someone else. I try to do a little of both (not very successfully I might add, lol). I suspect that you have the talent to do whatever you set your mind to, and I guess if you're going to be yourself you'll probably do best in clubs or by making a name for yourself, while Taxi might be better for you if you choose to imitate some other styles for awhile.So, I rambled on for an hour and I don't think I answered your question. I think Bamboo Bar could work for the listing you referenced, although there is a chance they could think it's too jazzy too. What the hell, it's only $5!Cameron

[celiaslattery]

Hey, Thanks for the posts, everybody. It really helps to get that feedback on what the songs sound like to you. (although gotta say, that Cowsills one kinda stung (BTW - excuse my ignorance, but what does MOR stand for??)I guess the style thing is largely a product of the keyboard player/arranger/producer I've been working with. I mostly do lyrics/melodies, very basic harmony, don't really have those skills. So collaborating with others is definitely something I'd like to try. I don't have my own studio but certainly have a lot of contacts and resources around here (Boston).And yeah, I am interested in following my muse as a performer/writer, but also would like to try my hand at the commercial Taxi thing. I think it could be a good learning experience to try to "imitate" for a while, as you say, Cameron. Maybe I just have to see them as two quite separate things for the time being, unless I get lucky. (As you say, it's only $5 to try!) Thanks againCelia

[cameron]

For Taxi, you really have to fit into one of the genre slots. For me it really helps to think about which artist your song would fit as you're writing it, and I try to write for the ones that seem to show up regularly in the listings.I talk pretty convincingly for a guy who has only had one forward, don't I?Cam

[davekershaw]

Quote:I talk pretty convincingly for a guy who has only had one forward, don't I?CamTake it from me Cam, one forward makes you an authority!

[billg]

Hey Celia, I listened & think that if I were you I would put $5 on Bamboo Bar in the SS listing. Very cool song. I like them all but I really think that Bamboo Bar has a shot at that listing.

[celiaslattery]

OK, thanks! Will do!

[celiaslattery]

mmm...they want two - three songs for that SS listing - so Bamboo Bar and Distant Thunder or Bamboo Bar and SeaGlass?