Voxx

Hey Voxx,

This is the written response I received from my mentor in Chicago.


A reworked version of "In the Doe" should be his club release it has more beat and far more danceable than others -- it also has the least simplistic lyric composer.


Bring up the 808 in "Take this Away" and you have a great cruzin down the highway anthem that needs air play or car play at the least


re-edit the first 30 seconds of "About No One" by removing the imitations of other rappers and you have another radio editable product -- at the end I have a very important question please stay tuned


Dude how could you bury a steppers wrap song (Sympathetic) in the middle of a confusing electronica hip-hop album and does Narada Michael Walden know you lifted his music for this track? - It is a pleasant surprise and shows versatility but it demands explanation of its inclusion in this release



"Missing Home" I like the homage to Journey that is an [interesting] nice touch it also benefits from being segued by "Sympathetic"




The verse structure of some compositions like the "Damned" lack maturity and could have been written by a talented 15 year old


This artist can be improved by releasing a radio friendly album and saving the adult lyrics for the live performance. This would give more credence to his shock value and the choice to fuse electronica with rock and hip-hop.


As an unknown artist or unplayed artist one of the best virtues you have when being placed on a program managers desk is to be neutral in content. The latest VOXX offering is not neutral by a long shot. Placing a disclaimer that you have radio friendly version available stunts some reviewer from listening to the work. Consider doubling your revenue stream and let the people decide which version of you they want to hear. At SONICBIDS.COM I saw no offer to listen to "ear friendly" versions of your songs.


In a free market that says more of you is better why dont I have options of what I want to hear from you. I am not conservative by a long shot I have no problem hearing the words Nigger, Bitch and many others in context when presenting art. So, I am not requesting nor requiring that you change for my taste, I am suggesting it to increase mass appeal and market share.


Now for my question: Why is Nigga - Nigger required in your rap on average in some pieces as often as 1/7 of all nouns and pronouns in your music?


In closing I was expecting more depth CURE, FIXX, LED ZEPPLIN, STEPHEN WOLF meets RUN DMC mixed with techno/electronica


A direct statement to the artist: If you are going to be avante garde in the 21st century take a page from Britain's MASSIVE ATTACK each or the ALAN PARSON's PROJECT each album was a surprise and welcomed MASSIVE ATTACK is still making music far past their early 1980's (Soul II Soul rip off) prime. It is possible to succeed if you have your own map and know the history of where you are trying to go. "Hannibal crossed the sea on land - there is always a way!" - Flava News

First Reviewed: Dec 21, 2010 Status: Selected Updated On: Dec 21, 2010 Response: RATING SCALE "1" Indicates the Lowest Score "5" Indicates The Highest Score Recording Quality/Production: 5 Lead Vocals: 4.5 Musicianship: 4 Lyric Writing: 4.5 Music Composing: 4 Melodies: 5 Song Arrangement: 4 Overall Delivery: 5 ----------------------------- Dear Lionell, Thanks for submitting the material for the evaluation. I liked the songs - and reading your list of early influences was impressive. That broad list of artists (Ozzy/Gene Simmons/LL Cool J) have helped you create a unique/cool sound for yourself. You are truly an entertainer - someone who realizes the importance of the song, the image and the message. You create an entire experience for the listener. So few artists realize the importance of those steps. You have a clear vision and I applaud your efforts, Lionell. It's so cool that you thought out of the box and created something that is truly strong and well rounded. Let me paste in some info about the Evaluation and scoring process... To give you insight to the scoring scale above, the majority of artists score in the 2.5 to 3.5 range in the various categories. Whenever an artist sees a 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3 or 3.5 as a score in a certain category (or categories) it means that's an area I feel they need to improve and develop. When an artist sees 4, 4.5 or 5 as their score in a category, it's a validation from a professional, confirming that the songs are of the highest level and show strong potential in the ultra-competitive music industry. To really raise the bar, every artist should work hard to earn a 4.5 or 5 in every category. It's a very competitive business and people averaging in the 3's (or less) will probably not get too far without a great deal of improvement and development. I don't give out 4's and 5's easily, so any of those you see, you have earned. Well done! One thing to keep in mind, at least for your songs designated as "Singles" (the songs geared towards winning over radio stations, record company executives and music publishers) - try to keep Intros under 10 seconds and try to reach the Chorus between the 40 and 43 second mark. This is very important in the following genres: pop, rock, alternative, punk and singer/songwriter If it's 44 seconds or longer into a song and the Chorus did not kick in yet, you should edit the arrangement accordingly. In rap music, the chorus can come in at the 55 to 59 second mark, since the verses are traditionally longer, compared to the other genres of popular music. Radio, Record Company and Music Publishing executives pay close attention to song arrangement, as they decide if an artist is developed enough for them to show interest. I'll now paste in some general career-enhancing tips and provide you with a link to free advice which is posted on my Web site. --------------------------------------------- For a FREE resource of helpful information, I encourage you to visit the "Media Appearances" section of my Web site, www.FoleyEntertainment.com. You will see links to several television interviews I've done, which are filled with advice and tips that may be of help to you. If you only have the time to watch two of the clips, I'd say the most informative are: "Poughkeepsie Live - Second Appearance" - from Time Warner Cable Television in New York and "69 News At Sunrise" from WFMZ in Pennsylvania. ---------------------------------------------- If you are trying to gain the attention of record companies, music publishers, booking agents or top managers, make sure your game plan includes college radio promotion, publicity, lots of gigs, Internet marketing and CD sales, at the minimum. Just having a great CD and live show are no longer enough in today's music business. You have to show industry executives you have a product that has been marketed successfully on the local or regional level. Also, it's important to have a professional looking Press Kit. If you are not sure if your materials are as strong as they should be, (or if you are possibly not using the correct industry standard two-pocket folders and envelopes) don't hesitate to contact me. I'd be glad to send over a photo of a Sample Press Kit via e-mail. Additionally, if your Press Kit does not contain a Fact Sheet, I can send you a sample documents via e-mail as well. You can then compare yours, to see if it's as strong as possible. If you don't have a Fact Sheet in your Press Kit, then the sample document could be a helpful template, so you can design your own immediately. ----------------------------------------------- On a side note, to send this message to you via the SonicBids system, I have to click on "Selected" or "Not Selected." However, in this particular opportunity, all submissions are "selected" - so to speak, as everyone who submits their music will receive the evaluation and an opportunity to begin a dialogue with me. It's not like most of the opportunities on SonicBids, where some artists get selected - and others are not selected, such as a festival or contest of some kind. ----------------------------------------------- Thanks again for the music submission Lionell and continued best wishes! I'll check out your Web site online now and then, so I can keep up with your career news and latest accomplishments. Happy Holidays to you! -------------------------------------------------- - Gene Foley