General Music Chat

I think you're right Hayden, but unfortunately musicians are a cash cow to the dream merchants. We're easy marks and I see a rise in this type of "service".

I've submitted to MusicXray for both song critiques and record company opportunities:

One song critique was done by a self professed "REAL ROCKER GIRL". Leslie J. Bialik. Some 60 year old lady who didn't actually identify herself beyond "REAL ROCKER GIRL" on MusicXray. So I had to dig to find out who she was. While you can't please everyone, her critique didn't actually make any sense to me and implied that she really hasn't worked for or with anyone in the industry. That led me to digging for info on her. She supposedly specializes in promoting European Hard Rock and Metal for TV and film opportunities, but I can't find anyone she's worked for or affiliated with. Everything from her Myspace to her Facebook, to her Linked IN says that she works for "self". If someone is going to purport to be an industry pro who promotes a genre of music, there should at least be mention of some bands she's promoted, but there seems to be nothing out there on the web other than generic and sparse info.

I got answers back from submissions to American Recordings, run by Rick Rubin, and Parlophone Records, a subsidiary of EMI. The odd thing about those responses to a couple of different songs, was worded EXACTLY THE SAME, WORD FOR WORD- "1. Not quite what we're seeking". I Tweet to MusicXray- "Do record companies respond to song submissions via a multiple choice form, or do they type their response?". They indicated that the record company reps type their responses. I informed them about the two responses from two different record companies being WORD FOR WORD EXACTLY THE SAME. I haven't received a response from them yet. Seriously, with the number 1. in front of "Not quite what we're seeking", How could this not be a multiple choice response. Also, how likely is it that two different record companies respond with the EXACT SAME RESPONSE, LITERALLY? I don't think so. I've always been supportive of this company because I believed that they were connecting artists with industry professionals but I've heard that no one is really checking whether or not anyone claiming to be an industry pro, really is one. I saw something about that here- http://www.onlinework4all.com/2011_06_01_archive.html

The fact that they didn't respond to the question of two different record companies responding with the exact same multiple choice response, is highly suspect. The same songs are ranking in the top 50 in my genre on Soundclick.com (Deathmetal/Black Metal). Everyone I've played my songs for agrees that they rock. Even if neither of these record companies chose my songs because for one reason or another, they weren't what they sought, the fact that two different unrelated record companies IN TWO DIFFERENT COUNTRIES responded with the EXACT SAME RESPONSE, doesn't make sense unless the whole thing is BS. My "Spider sense" has begun tingling....

Chaeya,

Getting back to the licencing effort, I wonder if asking them precisely what they need, could get you a foot in their door....

I'm thinking if they said specifically; "Well, we need music of this pace, style for this upcoming project...etc" then maybe you and Cisco could sit down and work one or two songs up for that requirement...then submit them.

In that case, the feedback would be more relevant, (obviously), and .based on how well they cooperate with your inquirey, you could spot whether or not they are flakes (i.e if they withhold info from you , it means they aren't interested in your effort...they just want your money)

just a thought..

Yea,

And if you find yourself getting the exact same verbatim response to your submissions from two different individuals, that should be another red flag that something is wrong here.