Fellow CAG "MookyJooky" is trying to be successful in music... what is missing?

Man, I expected this to be total shit - and it isn't - not by a long shot. It reminds me of John Mayer, Ray LaMontagne, and Amos Lee (to an extent).

I'm not sure if you are out trying to hustle local shows or not, but Charlottesville is a great place to try to get started. Hell, there has to be some frat party, coffee house, or something you can play at near UVA.

If you ever do a show in Charlottesville, drop me (and the other VA CAGs) a PM and I'll try to get over there to check it out. My wife is a UVA grad so she'll love any excuse to head over there.
 
You've definitely got talent, but something about the music feels 'flat.'

I'm not really into this type of music but your songs all sound like the same thing throughout. Unless I'm really concentrating on the songs I can't tell the difference between verse and chorus. Lyrics are fine, the singing is fine although you could push your voice harder than you are. A good producer will pull this out of you.

I think you need to focus more when you're making songs. Either try and arrange the music or concentrate on the singing and songwriting especially if you're looking to get signed. If you can sing and write and maybe come up with the music or general tune for your verses then a good producer can really make some magic happen.

The only other thing I have to say is don't get attached to your music. If you're planning on releasing a cd, it's going to get reviewed and get torn five ways from friday. Just the reality of it.

One last tip: Research your influences' influences. I don't know what any of your influences were listening to back in the day but it will help your music along if you can hear what they heard.
 
As for what you said about making your songs "pop," some better production like cochesecochese wrote would help. Also, some variety in your sound would make the songs stick with the listener more.
 
I'm not sure if I could really get into it, but I am kinda digging it. I immediately thought of Dave Matthews, which isn't going to win you any points with me, but there are definite hints of Ben Harper (his good, funky tracks, not his mellow bullshit) and even John Mayer, now that I see someone else mention it. Not exactly sending chills down my spine, but it's certainly not bad.

You obviously have the talent, but I really think you'll get lost in the shuffle if you keep writing songs like that. Unfortunately, you sound far too much like your influences (who, in my opinion, aren't spectacular to begin with).

I would recommend listening to as much of as many styles of music as you possibly can, especially foreign, and see if any of that moves you. Incorporate some of that into your own music, and you might stand out in am already crowded field.

If you're comfortable with your current style, and that's what you feel you want to continue to play, then you need to be playing as many live shows as possible. You're not a young, flashy hip-hop or pop-punk dude (i.e. talentless and easily marketable), so you're not going to just get thrown onto MTV. Guys like you need to claw their way to any sort of success, and I would say the best way to start is by getting people to say, "Dude, does anyone remember the name of that guy playing at that bar we were at last night? I was pretty trashed, but I remember him rocking hard."

Getting the word out in CAG isn't going to hurt you any, either. :lol:

Best of luck, man.
 
[quote name='cochesecochese']
One last tip: Research your influences' influences. I don't know what any of your influences were listening to back in the day but it will help your music along if you can hear what they heard.[/QUOTE]
This is excellent advice. My brother was in a band while he was in high school, and their biggest influences were blink182 and Green Day. These kids hadn't even heard of The Kinks or even The Clash. Needless to say, they sucked.
 
Like Scorch, I intended to post the "talent!" post... but you actually do have some talent damnit.

Good stuff, I don't know anything about the music business so I can't give you any advice, but good luck man.
 
My honest opinion!.... Here it goes!

I like it, I really do..... but I have some complaints.

----most of this, no... all of this, refers to the song Sleep----

The background "wha wha wha" techno/electronic noice is a bit too loud in some of your softer points. It drowns out your voice at times, and that is just sad. I would either tone it down for those softer points in the song, or only bring it in during the stronger chords/lines (which arnt strong enough for my liking... but ill get to that in my next point). It sounds out of place, that wha wha, i cant put my finger on it.... but i just dont like it.

Also, I wish there was a point where it kicked up a bit harder. Around 2:05 it does kick up with a drum double up and a flute which I thought was a great touch. But I wish you really went a bit more "all out" for that 2:05 to 2:35ish or so. The song sounds too flat, alot of the time, no build up, no climax to a ever popular "After 2nd chorus line freestyle/change in pace" that I hear in 98% of the songs on the radio.

By all out I mean, louder vocals, a higher key in your voice. Temporarly, of course, but just to draw us in for a continued listen. I felt like "okay, it'll get louder/powerful/stronger any minute now....now...now" through alot of the time at 2:30 and onward. The kick up I had in mind occurred at 3:20 instead, which is good, but I feel that 3:20 being a second kick up instead of the first kick up in the song, would be better. it is too late to keep me interested, if that makes any sense. And it was a rather... "gentle" kick up regardless, sounding nearly the same to the initial 3 minutes of song.

I like the tone of your voice (raspy, mellow, dave mathews-ish) keep that.

I also missed not having an expected loooooong key at some point. Almost every song has one towards its finally. (not a kick up... a long key) Usually its like a string of the same word a few times, in a fast song/jazz song, or a words syllab held for a while longer then usual. Sometimes near the end, sometimes after the 2nd chorus string.... for the change up. I felt like you tried it at around 3;40? but i just didnt feel it was built-up-to nor expressed as powerfully as i would have enjoyed hearing.

As always, these are just my OPINIONS, as a LISTENER!, nothing more, nothing less. And it is only based on my listening of other music in the same/similar classes of music. :) I do believe you have potential! and i'd like to see where this goes, so keep me posted! us Florida homies need to support one another. :p
 
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