Update on categories:
Category host name: NotBruceZ
Category: A cover where the performing artist is of a different biological sex than the original artist. In case of a band, consider the lead singer. In case the song has a featured artist, it is the main artist who counts.
Musical tastes: Very eclectic, but I tend to like music in my vocal range that I can sing along to. My favorite artist is Billy Joel. My favorite genre is 90’s non-grunge alternative, but I occasionally listen to songs recorded in the 1930s and I occasionally listen to current Top 40 radio.
Any other judging notes: I won’t penalize anyone for a song I am very familiar with because I used to be a rabid collector of covers, but non-hits will win a tiebreaker. I prefer it when the cover artist puts their own spin on it instead of a note-for-note recreation.
Category host name: pyatnitski
Category: Jazz (or obv jazz influenced) or folk (or obv folk influenced).
For folk I mean anything credibly called folk music from anywhere in the world.
Musical tastes: Folk, jazz, improv, noise, bleeps/bloops, all sorts. I’ll give anything a listen once. I used to listen to loads of weirder indie stuff, but hardly ever do now. I love some classic rock/metal/pop, but am very ignorant about lots of that thanks to a youth spent as a music snob.
Any other judging notes: I’ll be lenient with the ‘influenced’ parts, but I might want to see your working. I wanted this to just be jazz but I worry about jazzphobia. Because of that I’ll give jazz submissions a preference in tiebreakers, but if you send me Kenny G or something by [ jazz great everyone knows even if they hate jazz ] expect nothing.
Category host name: cassette
Category: A song with a great guitar riff, intro, or solo
Musical tastes: Rap, metal, punk, hardcore, alt country, beep boops, anything experimental, anything awesome or depressing or upbeat. No autotune or top 40’s please!
Any other judging notes: We all know guitars are the best instrument. Give me some finger picking, face shredding, or a sick riff. Try to pick something I might not have heard before.
Category host name: Pauwl
Category: A love song. Or song about love/relationships. I would prefer positive songs rather than lost love or unrequited love.
Musical tastes: Current music is mostly indie or what falls under that general umbrella. I despise most popular music of the 90’s. Post MP3s, I haven’t really followed pop music. Early 80’s and back, is wide open. Tons of cool stuff to discover.
Any other judging notes: Overly familiar songs will be punished. I don’t want over the top torch songs. If you’re thinking Whitney Houston, think again. Please, no cheese.
Category host name: skydiver8
Category: A song that is mostly about, invokes or heavily references a specific place. It doesn’t have to be happy or exotic, just interesting.
Musical tastes: Anything but screamy metal. Modern country-pop is probably gonna rank low, as well, but I highly doubt anyone would submit that anyway.
Any other judging notes: Since most of us are prisoners right now, let’s travel via music! Note: When I travel, I like to get real. Sure, I’ll see the touristy stuff, but I also want to get to know the real people and food and soul of a place, even if it’s not all good. Take that for what you will.
Category host name: eyebooger
Category: A 2017-2020 political song appropriate for the times we live in.
Musical tastes: Mostly modern rock (anything from folk to metal) and catchy pop. But it doesn’t have to be that. Alt-hip hop act Rizzle Kicks won my last category. The only genre that is a likely loser right out of the gate would be country.
Any other judging notes: I’m basically looking for the next generation Rage Against The Machine. It doesn’t have to be the same style of music as them, but I want the anger and/or the message to be clear.
Category host name: MJiggy
Category: A song from a movie, TV show, or video game soundtrack
Musical tastes I’ve made a reputation for myself (at least in my head) for liking popular music but I wouldn’t say that’s exactly accurate. I listen to some popular stuff but like a lot of alternative/indie rock, some hip hop, and just generally like being exposed to different genres of music although I definitely lean more towards “rock” these days.
Any other judging notes For this category I really don’t want songs that were commercial hits. They can be from popular pieces of work but I will dock points if I would be expected to already be familiar with the song. I’ve immensely enjoyed the soundtracks of several movies released over the past few years but I won’t say which because people might pick them. Also they do not have to be in English; I don’t watch anime but I do sometimes like songs from it.
Category host name: Yuv
Category: A song that was released in 2020. I don’t listen to enough new music. I hope you young hip individuals can introduce me to music in the year of the pandemic
Any other judging notes: I won’t specifically penalize highly known songs but tbh i don’t know many songs released this year to begin with
edit because never being understood is very depressing - I don’t actually care what genre you send. I don’t like Metal or Prog Rock as much, but that doesn’t mean you can’t send it
Category host name: seities
Category: A song with a scream. To expand, in a lot of punk hardcore you might say the singer is screaming every word. So that counts. But also, one long or short scream in the song counts. I’m not judging based on the scream itself.
Musical tastes: I generally lean more towards things on the faster/heavier side within the following genres: Rock/Punk/Metal/EDM/Rap. Anything from 90’s onwards is probably going to have a better chance a high ranking.
Any other judging notes: If it’s overly familiar, there will be a penalty. Try and keep it under 8 minutes, and if I am liking a 3 minute song and an 8 minute song a comparable amount then I am going to rank the 3 minute song higher.
Some examples in case it helps:
Slint - Good Morning, Captain: https://youtu.be/J87vtrC_JBM?t=398 1 . The link should start you at about 6:38 of the song. The scream is central to a climactic end to the song.
Paint It Black - Greetings, Fellow Insomniacs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_meLg1UW9EI 1 - Dude is pretty much screaming the whole song.
Tool - 4 degrees: https://youtu.be/8NGemR1cqZQ?t=213 2 - Clip should take you straight to 3:33 where Maynard belts out “Let meeeeeeeeeeeeeeee…in”.
Really, even if there is just a 3 second scream in the song somewhere that has an impact, its going to work for the category.
Category host name: SwankyWilder
Category: It is documented that this summer is Hot as a Haddock - I would like anything featuring the word Hot, or it’s derivatives, or anything Fish related
Musical tastes: Likes - pop in all its glorious forms - and my definition of pop is very wide. I do like a good tune obscured by noise. Dislikes - Jazz, Folk, Hard Rock, Metal apart from the bits of these I arbitrarily decide to like
Any other judging notes: Familiarity breeds contempt, except when it doesn’t
Category host name: Rivaldo
Category: a song with a yeah!! or many yeahs! in it. “ohhs” and various other non-language vocalizations that are distinct from a scream will also work.
Musical tastes: Magic
Any other judging notes: I have my doubts, what if I’m wrong?
Waiting on: @CanadaMatt3004 @Nicholasp27 @LouisCyphre. I don’t think its going to matter if you guys need a bit more time since submissions aren’t til 25th, but by the end of the weekend at latest pls :-)