Charting the music guidelines

Overview

• The goal of these articles is to introduce the KDHX online audience to new music by spotlighting a new release that has been performing well on one of our charts.
• The structure of these articles will follow a "listicle" style, combining factual information with clever writing and observations.
• Here is an example of the basic structure.
• Note: Do not merely mimic the above example or any other example. Examples are just to provide context, not a template. Each new Charting the Music article should have a fresh and informative take on the album in question.
• Authors will consult with the Music Director on what album to highlight in a given week. Then, the author will do the research and prep the article, and send the copy to the Web Editor for editing and publishing.
• Because these articles are fact-based, it is vital that the author double-check spellings of all names and all other fact-based information (release dates, titles, news, credits etc.).
• Also, because these articles are fact based, the writer will do research for the piece. However, the writer must not merely rephrase or rehash an outside source. If a writer relies heavily on an outside source, the writer must fully digest that material and express in his or her own words, while giving proper attribution of the source -- even if that source is an official bio or Wikipedia page.

Writing the Lede

• Each article will have a lede sentence to draw the reader in. The lede should be no more than 30 words. Ledes should reference the artist and the album, and be written in a clever, engaging and imaginative style, but should not be over-the-top with flowery or obtuse language.
• Examples of good ledes:
  • What's a sure-fire method of putting a fresh spin on an album? Try recording it in a 200-year-old barn. Ha Ha Tonka did just that for its newest release, "Death of a Decade." -- Joshua Edwards
  • Collaborating with big names from Jeff Beck to Kid Rock, Trombone Shorty creates cross-genre appeal with his seventh full-length album, "For True." -- Laurel Morris
  • Punk rock pros Janet Weiss and Carrie Brownstein of Sleater-Kinney tone down their aggression and angst in their latest project "Wild Flag." -- Laurel Morris
  • Shilpa Ray and her Happy Hookers' "Teenage and Torture" unleashes all of the angst and tortured thoughts of the teenage years with a musical prowess developed in adulthood. -- Joshua Edwards
  • If San Francisco didn't exist, Chuck Prophet would have had to invent the city -- in all its wild, soulful, rock 'n' roll glory. And he does just that on "Temple Beautiful." -- Roy Kasten
  • Like a fast-paced action montage, New York City-based, electronic rock group Battles' newest release, "Gloss Drop," immerses the listener in a seemingly non-stop audio assault. The album will leave you wondering, "What are they making that sound with?" -- Reiner Timbas

Writing the Body

• After the lede, write one or two sentences of body text that further describes a bit of the album's sound, style, songwriting, singing -- as relevant. The writing should be concise and clear, but also imaginative, without being convoluted or overblown. The goal in the body text, as with the lede, is not to hype or promote the album. It is to engage and inform the reader in a lively and appealing voice.
• Examples of short body text:
  • The album is a celebration of traditional folk music re-imagined by Neil Young and longtime band Crazy Horse in an attempt to reflect the gamut of struggle and pride inherent in the American experience. -- Magdalene Linck
  • Whether it's an upbeat number or an intimate serenade, Edwards seems in her element. The album itself offers musical variety. Several of the tracks are folk-influenced rock tunes featuring full-band instrumentation. Still other tracks are stripped down and driven by pianos, clean guitars and most of all her voice. -- Joshua Edwards
  • Traditionally, Smith has recorded with small ensembles, showcasing his unpredictable trumpet improvisations and take on free-jazz expression, often involving long, droning notes. While the trumpeter maintains his individual style with plenty of pleasant yet screechy notes and extended rests, he adds a 14-piece electric backing band, Organic, to his latest recording. -- Laurel Morris
  • In a post-Braxton era the remaining Battles members Konopka, Williams and Stanier have taken the sound in a direction truly their own, shedding the need for constantly pitch-shifted vocals and the injection of random audio samples. The instrumental sound is definitely more refined than their debut album, "Mirrored." -- Reiner Timbas

Format

• After the body text, the author may choose 12-16 items from the list below, or come up with other topics, as relevant. Bold items must be included in all articles.

At the end, you'll need to include a SoundCloud or YouTube or Vimeo link of a track from the album (or even the whole album, if it's on an official SoundCloud page).

Format for Charting the Music articles (NOTE: Please follow the format -- in terms of capitals, bolding, date format, etc. -- laid out below):

• Short, engaging, snappy lede (30 words or less)
• Short, engaging, body text (1-2 sentences)
• 88.1 KDHX chart position: # Name of Chart and # Name of Chart (if charting on more than one at all, not necessarily in the top 5) for Month, Day, Year. Spell out date: July 12, 2012. Include the URLs for the charts (this will save editor some time). Select an album from the top 5 from any chart. You'll find all the charts here: http://kdhx.org/radio/charts

Note: You must use the actual, specific URL for the specific chart, not just the general chart category.

• Record label, release date and producer
• Can be heard on: Name of KDHX Show with host name, Name of KDHX Show with host name, and Name of KDHX Show with host name (3-4 max). Include the URLs for the shows (this will save editor some time). You'll find all the KDHX shows here: http://kdhx.org/radio/shows
• RIYL: This stands for Recommended If You Like. Here you may mention one, two or three other related artists, and say something interesting or engaging about the comparison. Have fun developing something creative here. Don't just list the artists, but include at least one sentence that will engage the reader in the comparison. If you absolutely can't come up with any interesting text to enrich the comparison, then you may just reference the RIYL artists. Examples:
  • RIYL: The Velvet Underground, especially the sweet, strange pop side of "Who Loves the Sun" and "Sunday Morning."
  • RIYL: The White Stripes and early Black Keys, but wish there were more harmonies and horn charts.
  • RIYL: Going to a party, spiking the punch bowl, turning off the Fountains of Wayne Pandora station and putting on a scratchy Roy Orbison album.
  • RIYL: The lo-fi, summery sound of the first Best Coast album.
  • RIYL: The Beatles, before multi-tracking and LSD.
  • RIYL: Brian Eno and Bread. "Bon Iver" somehow marries both electronic and soft rock sounds.
• Hometown
• Standout tracks: Highlight one or two songs that have been getting significant airplay (if any) or name one or two songs and briefly explain why they are of interest.
• About the band or About the artist: Identify band members and any other notable projects or facts
• This producer: Give an interesting fact or facts about the producer.
• This label: Give an interesting fact or facts about the label.
• About the guests: If there are notable guest vocalists or musicians, list the guests, who they are, if necessary, and the songs they play or sing on. If possible, include info on the collaboration.
• Notable lyrics: Quote an especially inspired or engaging lyric, and, if you wish, explain why it's noteworthy.
• Play it while: (this is a creative item based on where and/or when and/or how to listen to the album) Example:
  • Santigold's latest is best enjoyed loud, with bass EQ set to 11, while driving down your favorite clubland strip.
• About the album art: (give a brief description of the art and include link to a good image of the album art) Whenever possible include extra info on the artwork or the artist.
• Did you know?: (Surprising fact that you discovered while researching)
• How they got started: Band origins: Year and Place, with some interesting note about the band's origin
• Awards and accolades: Could be for this album or, more likely, for a previous release.
• Recently in the news: Search Google news, band website, and/or blogs for newsworthy topic about the artist, aside from the album’s release. Include your reference.
• What the critics say: Find a good short quote from a blog or music site. Include name of write and link to the site.
• Playing St. Louis: Will be in St. Louis at ______ on ___ (only include this if artist has an upcoming show in St. Louis area.)
• KDHX coverage: Previous KDHX in-studios, artist album reviews or features. Do a search on KDHX.org for the band. Highly recommended to include if you can find previously published content.
• ""Discover more new music on all the 88.1 KDHX charts. (This sentence will be included right before the embedded media at the end of each article.)
• Check it out: Streaming audio or Music Video - Pick one piece of media from the album, either on YouTube or Vimeo (preferably from official artist or label channel) or SoundCloud (preferably from official label/publicist/artist channel). You may also embed an official Bandcamp or other official embeddable stream, if you prefer. If you are taking media from a non-official source, make sure that the quality is good (should not sound distorted, warbly or degraded). Also, avoid embedding media that begins with an advertisement.

Various Artist Compilations

• Follow the same format, but vary the artists/songs you choose for each category. Don’t just stick to a couple of artists. Find the category that works best per artist or song.
• Or you may do a track by track 1-2 line review of each song and only include the categories below. If it is a tribute album, make insightful comparisons to the original.