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Old 04-15-2020, 05:34 PM
1neeto 1neeto is offline
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Default Songland

Anyone seen this show? It’s basically a big time band or producer auditions people for their original songs, and then decide who they pick to work with. Last episode was Lady Antebellum

It quite blatantly shows exactly what’s wrong with the music industry today. Aspiring musicians perform their original work, just so it gets dissected by them and transformed into completely uninspiring pop crap. Usual feedback lines are “oh there’s no chorus, how about you add *I V vi IV chords* and they all get big eyed as if they just found the missing progression to make that particular song a “hit”. My eyes could not roll far enough.

After they audition a few, they decide who gets to move on, and then it’s one on one with the “coach” so they can make the song a radio hit. Most of the time, they change the song to the point it’s barely recognizable to what the songwriter auditioned with at first. At the end they pick a winner, and that artist get to go tour with them or something.

Go check it out if you wanna cringe for 45 minutes.
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Old 04-15-2020, 07:05 PM
6 Strings MI 6 Strings MI is offline
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I've never seen it. Sounds like it would be a massive cringe-fest, especially if Lady Antebellum was featured. I almost without exception abhor modern "country music."
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Old 04-15-2020, 09:14 PM
1neeto 1neeto is offline
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I've never seen it. Sounds like it would be a massive cringe-fest, especially if Lady Antebellum was featured. I almost without exception abhor modern "country music."

They know what they are. One of the guys said “we are a pop country band and I say that without shame”. Paraphrasing of course. Next week is John legend or something. I remember seeing another episode where the winner got to play a commercial jingle for Dodge. I want to like the idea because it’s all about singer-songwriters auditioning with their original stuff. But the goal is not about making their song better, it’s about making their song sound like everything else in pop radio.
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Old 04-15-2020, 11:15 PM
RussL30 RussL30 is offline
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They know what they are. One of the guys said “we are a pop country band and I say that without shame”. Paraphrasing of course. Next week is John legend or something. I remember seeing another episode where the winner got to play a commercial jingle for Dodge. I want to like the idea because it’s all about singer-songwriters auditioning with their original stuff. But the goal is not about making their song better, it’s about making their song sound like everything else in pop radio.
I ended up watching because my wife likes me to watch The Voice with her and I saw the guitars come on after it was over.

I’m a staunch traditionalist when it comes to country and think pop country is worst thing our society has produced. I cringed when they said that line about being pop country. I didn’t care for the blonde girl’s “drink to that” song but I was complaining the whole time when they changed the others. The lady that was working with the bearded guy said the line about making it good for radio, and by doing that took the soul out of the song.

I think it shows that a lot of people that write these mindless radio hits are actually pretty talented but to be successful they have to conform. I don’t blame them for doing that and making a great living in music, but I hate that’s what the music industry is.
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Old 04-16-2020, 12:18 AM
1neeto 1neeto is offline
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I ended up watching because my wife likes me to watch The Voice with her and I saw the guitars come on after it was over.

I’m a staunch traditionalist when it comes to country and think pop country is worst thing our society has produced. I cringed when they said that line about being pop country. I didn’t care for the blonde girl’s “drink to that” song but I was complaining the whole time when they changed the others. The lady that was working with the bearded guy said the line about making it good for radio, and by doing that took the soul out of the song.

I think it shows that a lot of people that write these mindless radio hits are actually pretty talented but to be successful they have to conform. I don’t blame them for doing that and making a great living in music, but I hate that’s what the music industry is.

That was the most painful to watch since that guy was clearly the most talented. I just hope that experience didn’t t suck the soul out of him.

And I knew that blonde girl would win because from the get-go I knew she was exactly what they wanted. Cookie cutter pop country with zero substance in melody, progression, and lyrics.
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Old 04-16-2020, 12:46 AM
RussL30 RussL30 is offline
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That was the most painful to watch since that guy was clearly the most talented. I just hope that experience didn’t t suck the soul out of him.

And I knew that blonde girl would win because from the get-go I knew she was exactly what they wanted. Cookie cutter pop country with zero substance in melody, progression, and lyrics.
Yeah, I’d hate for it to ruin him. He definitely had some talent and seemed to have the ability to make you feel what he was singing. Of course changing his song took all that feeling and ability to connect and relate out of the song.

When she auditioned for the judges the first time, I told my wife that her song sounds exactly like what you’d here if you turned on country radio.
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Old 04-16-2020, 08:13 AM
Golffishny Golffishny is offline
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Remember that they're auditioning a song to fit the needs of the guest band/musician. The original writers are trying to get their song recorded and get income and exposure. Last season a writer was told they needed to record the song because it was too good to give up to someone else. Another got to sing with the artist choosing the song. They still have the option to not go on the show. They know what it is going in, looking to learn the craft better.

That said, the cookie cutter recipe is monotanous but they're there to produce what sells.
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Old 04-16-2020, 02:40 PM
1neeto 1neeto is offline
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Remember that they're auditioning a song to fit the needs of the guest band/musician. The original writers are trying to get their song recorded and get income and exposure. Last season a writer was told they needed to record the song because it was too good to give up to someone else. Another got to sing with the artist choosing the song. They still have the option to not go on the show. They know what it is going in, looking to learn the craft better.

That said, the cookie cutter recipe is monotanous but they're there to produce what sells.

I think what gets me about the show is the whole this is how you have to do it in order for people to like it and become a hit.
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Old 05-19-2020, 11:41 AM
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tinnitus tinnitus is offline
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Got pretty much what I expected when I tuned in.

Lots of talent and ability all around. It's clear to me why the hosts and guest stars are so successful in The Industry. They're really good at what they do. But that blade cuts both ways...

True, someone's tune will get revised and one songwriter per episode gets a chance to enjoy some recognition and money in the industry.

But the problem is (and others here said it above), The Industry is all about regurgitating an approved formula to fit predictably insipid pop, latin and country templates. Proven equations and tedious algorithms trample rough-shod over any notable creativity that might've shown through from the original inspiration.

Some themed "hooks" might survive, but I have no interest in hearing one more "new" song with a repetitive catch-phrase related to drinking. It's a worn out punchline to a joke that was already just so-so the first time around.

Even if you don't care much for the Beatles (just for the sake of example), compare a concise novella like When I'm Sixty-Four to any of today's tripe that sells and sells and sells.
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Old 05-19-2020, 12:21 PM
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These programs are nothing more than the traditionalists trying to stay relevant. I understand why the contestants do it, they feel a need for validation. I don't believe that getting a vote from Lady Antebellum and a shot at a commercial through one of these programs is a shoe in for success these days. You got a better chance with a YouTube video and a bunch of Instagram followers. The times they are a changin'.

Last edited by rllink; 05-19-2020 at 12:33 PM.
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Old 05-19-2020, 01:30 PM
1neeto 1neeto is offline
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These programs are nothing more than the traditionalists trying to stay relevant. I understand why the contestants do it, they feel a need for validation. I don't believe that getting a vote from Lady Antebellum and a shot at a commercial through one of these programs is a shoe in for success these days. You got a better chance with a YouTube video and a bunch of Instagram followers. The times they are a changin'.

Yeah I refer to it as the singing show blessing/curse. Most people can’t remember who was the winner from two years ago, much less anyone from the top 5 from the previous season. Add to that the clauses they probably sign once they get in the show (I believe they can’t go on their own for a certain amount of time). And they’re pretty much back to obscurity, regardless of how many followers they earned on social media. People have simply moved on to the new season contestants.
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Old 05-21-2020, 10:57 AM
TaoMaas TaoMaas is offline
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I actually like Songland pretty well although I think it was better at first than it is now. Personally, I think they ought to roll Songland, The Voice, and American Idol all into one show and try to find artists who write and perform their own material because that's what most of our real musical favorites do. My wife got me started watching American Idol and I've always felt that they're looking for Broadway stars because everyone is doing cover tunes.
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Old 06-04-2020, 04:47 PM
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I still like Voice and Idol for my own purposes. Are their song choices ludicrous more often than not? Absolutely. But we still see performers striving to deliver the goods to an expectant audience. Like the kids say, "I'm down with that." As a guitarist, that's what I did in performing hobby/garage/cover bands for decades. So it entertains me in more than a few ways. Cute girls and smokin' bands never hurt either.

Then... we see the hopeful writers on Songland, who've already homogenized their fare to get in lockstep with the latest radio fashion, hoping it will take hold with the experts and ultimately sell to a charming guest star. Watching several more layers of processing heaped on top of that can be informative (to a degree). But since most commercially viable music today is disappointing and boring, it's like seeing someone present a recipe for a dish on a cooking show, only to watch the experts substitute large quantities of their preferred ingredients in everything (regardless of the "original" theme) only because they know consumers will buy it in droves. IMHO, and back to music, while Scott Borchetta (for example) has made thousands of musicians into zillionaires and household names, he has single-handedly turned the Nashville music scene into an assembly-line of what I can only describe as nauseatingly bland "product."

To be fair, I can't really second-guess the unvarnished premise of the show... take something "original" and shove it through a processor to deliver (slightly) different versions of canned Spam. Of course the writers are humble, pliant and receptive! "Please, buy my song and get my name on The List." But, as a 1955 baby, captivated by everything interesting/revolutionary that happened to music well into the 70s, my opinion remains unchanged after sitting through a few episodes of Songland. The current insipid and predictable industry standard (yawwwwn) for promoting popular music just disappoints and bores me.

Last edited by tinnitus; 06-04-2020 at 09:16 PM.
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Old 06-04-2020, 11:14 PM
1neeto 1neeto is offline
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I still like Voice and Idol for my own purposes. Are their song choices ludicrous more often than not? Absolutely. But we still see performers striving to deliver the goods to an expectant audience. Like the kids say, "I'm down with that." As a guitarist, that's what I did in performing hobby/garage/cover bands for decades. So it entertains me in more than a few ways. Cute girls and smokin' bands never hurt either.

Then... we see the hopeful writers on Songland, who've already homogenized their fare to get in lockstep with the latest radio fashion, hoping it will take hold with the experts and ultimately sell to a charming guest star. Watching several more layers of processing heaped on top of that can be informative (to a degree). But since most commercially viable music today is disappointing and boring, it's like seeing someone present a recipe for a dish on a cooking show, only to watch the experts substitute large quantities of their preferred ingredients in everything (regardless of the "original" theme) only because they know consumers will buy it in droves. IMHO, and back to music, while Scott Borchetta (for example) has made thousands of musicians into zillionaires and household names, he has single-handedly turned the Nashville music scene into an assembly-line of what I can only describe as nauseatingly bland "product."

To be fair, I can't really second-guess the unvarnished premise of the show... take something "original" and shove it through a processor to deliver (slightly) different versions of canned Spam. Of course the writers are humble, pliant and receptive! "Please, buy my song and get my name on The List." But, as a 1955 baby, captivated by everything interesting/revolutionary that happened to music well into the 70s, my opinion remains unchanged after sitting through a few episodes of Songland. The current insipid and predictable industry standard (yawwwwn) for promoting popular music just disappoints and bores me.

Couldn’t have said it better myself. There was a recent episode where they transposed a song from minor to major, and changed the melody because I guess writing in minor key can be depressing or something. It killed the whole vibe of the song IMO.
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Old 06-05-2020, 06:59 AM
PeterM PeterM is offline
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TV was left on the channel while I was in the other room.
When I returned, this was on. After about 10 minutes I could not take it anymore. EVERYTHING was thru the Autotune. It was dreadful.
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