Help Determining Genre?

[midwinter]

Hi, all.

One of the more frustrating things I'm experiencing thus far with Taxi has to do with genres, and I'd like some help trying to figure out what Taxi reviewers have in mind by certain genres (I've submitted cues I thought were Americana only to be told that they're folk; I've submitted songs I considered singer-songwriter only to be told that they're more adult contemporary, etc.)

I have two that are particularly confusing for me in terms of selecting a genre:

This one, which I wrote intentionally to sound sort of like Jason Isbell's Americana Country/Rock thing.

And this one, which I think of as singer-songwriter, but which gets nothing but returns from Taxi.

Can y'all give me some help figuring out what genres I ought to be submitting these to? Thanks in advance for any feedback!

Cheers
Scott

[annayarbrough]

Hey Scott! Nail on the head with "You Wanna Go My Way" - definitely hear Isbell in there! I would agree with you - my first instinct was Americana/Rock.

It looks like you've posted the same link twice - let us know where we can find your second one!

[cassmcentee]

Great tune Scott!
If it is for your own Album I wouldn't change a thing!!!
The two links you gave seem to be both for the same song...
I get "Americana" by your vocal delivery, The band/music comes across as a cross between Americana/Country
I believe the Country Market is SO HIGH BAR that to get this through you would have to rethink the mix while inundating yourself with the current country production sounds.
To win in the Americana genre I think you would have to lighten up on the Electric Guitar for the opening verse and introduce a Banjo/Mando or something a little more Bluegrassy?!?
Just guessing at this point.

Let me point out TWO MAJOR problems for Film/TV placements in this mix...
1. Don't fade in. The tune needs to start at 0:01
2. I hear a major CLICK/GLITCH at 0:13 or 0:14 Gotta Fix That!

Like I said, Love The Tune!
Looking forward to hearing more!
Cass

[midwinter]

Thanks, y'all! I'm pretty aware of the weirdness that is Country music production these days (which is essentially becoming hip hop with a banjo, it seems). And thanks for the fine words about the tune; it started as a bro-country tune in response to a Taxi call, but we got to the chorus and really liked it. We have other, less "rock" versions, but the one I wanted to focus on was this Isbell-y sort of thing.

So y'all think I should call it "Americana" or "Rock"?

Cass: the pause at 13-14 is on purpose. The song actually just STARTS, and many of the people whose ears I used as I was mixing didn't like that at all; they wanted some kind of way to ease into it. We were sort of playing around with the idea of a band warming up—I may even automate some kind of radio-sounding midrange boost ending with that feedback before the tune starts. Maybe the best thing to do is to have two versions; one that's buttoned and one that works better for an album for us.

Anyway. I'll edit the original post, but the other song I'm having trouble with in terms of identifying a genre is this one. Any advice about how to play within the boundaries of the Taxi music genre thing would be greatly appreciated.

[cassmcentee]

Cool Scott, another great Tune!
The vocal delivery leans more country to me.
The song feels like it could go Americana with a raw or different approach to the vocals
To me the music could be tweaked to be Americana. Again by adding a Bluegrassy element.
So my ears tell me you're right in the middle

Saying that...
Being right there IS NOT A BAD THING!
Take the band "CALICO", they are on the rise, and if you listen to this song I think you'll get what "Right Down the Middle" is to my ears.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKw8t-jM7UY
3 very accomplished musicians (although it doesn't look like it in the video, cause it's a video afterall )
And I can envision your band playing the same shows.

P.S. the "Glitch" I hear in song #1 is a Digital Pop/Click not a song structure thing, it could be a compressor kicking in or, what happens to me, I forget to put a slight Fade-in on a waveform that I have applied a Cut Hope that makes sense
Cheers
Cass

[midwinter]

Cool Scott, another great Tune!
The vocal delivery leans more country to me.
The song feels like it could go Americana with a raw or different approach to the vocals
To me the music could be tweaked to be Americana. Again by adding a Bluegrassy element.
So my ears tell me you're right in the middle

Saying that...
Being right there IS NOT A BAD THING!
Take the band "CALICO", they are on the rise, and if you listen to this song I think you'll get what "Right Down the Middle" is to my ears.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKw8t-jM7UY
3 very accomplished musicians (although it doesn't look like it in the video, cause it's a video afterall )
And I can envision your band playing the same shows.

P.S. the "Glitch" I hear in song #1 is a Digital Pop/Click not a song structure thing, it could be a compressor kicking in or, what happens to me, I forget to put a slight Fade-in on a waveform that I have applied a Cut Hope that makes sense
Cheers
Cass

I'm trying to remember what the first Taxi rejection of the "Water" songs was; I think it was something like "This is more classic rock than singer-songwriter."

Also: NOW I hear that little pop! I'll have to hunt it down, fix it, and replace that sound file. Thanks for pointing it out!

Edit: it was a weird artifact in the cut on that feedback. Automated a fade and it's all fixed! Thanks again!

[cassmcentee]

I'm trying to remember what the first Taxi rejection of the "Water" songs was; I think it was something like "This is more classic rock than singer-songwriter."
Also: NOW I hear that little pop! I'll have to hunt it down and replace that sound file. Thanks for pointing it out!

I can understand that screener's comment... There was a touch of Mellancamp in my head on #2 as I listened...
Re: The Pop... Glad you can hear it now, sorry that it is there... Trying to help!

[midwinter]

I can understand that screener's comment... There was a touch of Mellancamp in my head on #2 as I listened...
Re: The Pop... Glad you can hear it now, sorry that it is there... Trying to help!

I've also heard Don Henley, which is a comparison that I really didn't expect.

Pop is gone and the track on BandCamp has been replaced. Thanks, again!

I guess in the end what I'm asking is sort of a broader question. I completely understand that, with Taxi, you're operating within sort of pre-defined generic (i.e. having to do with genre) set of expectations. I'm just trying to get a handle on what those expectations are for the Taxi folks, and it's a little frustrating to submit things *I* consider one genre only to find that the Taxi reviewers consider them something else.

I'm not complaining, though. I do my thing and I like writing to spec; I just have these two tunes (and others) whose genre I cannot figure out in terms of the Taxi expectations.

[cassmcentee]

I hear ya, that's why many of us use the Peer to Peer forum to audition tunes and get feedback prior to submitting.
You will find a very helpful and honest group of talented ears around these parts.
Don't forget to attend the "Road Rally" if in any way you can
And watch the regularly scheduled Monday's Taxi TV - 4pm Pacific - on Ustream
It's a giant learning process and a slow and steady business
Cass

[waveheavy]

"Where This Water Takes Us" I would label as Singer/Songwriter, but I'm new to Taxi, so I wonder at some of their style labels myself. Americana to me is like the folk themes in Aaron Copland's Appalachian Spring. But since there's an American Music Association that came later, they now define what is Americana.

Fantastic song on this one too! I've already listened to it 3 times!

Dave

Anyway. I'll edit the original post, but the other song I'm having trouble with in terms of identifying a genre is this one. Any advice about how to play within the boundaries of the Taxi music genre thing would be greatly appreciated.