Isn't "contemporary, all genre's" contradictory by nature?

[nolosolo]

Okay, I'm new at this. Never cared about what "genre" my material was in since I wrote only for myself.

So, I got this rejection based on "Style not on target for contemporary appeal" yet the request was for: "contemporary, all genre's & tempos".

If "contemporary" is that specific a category, then you can't say "all genre's" can you? What am I missing?

My lyrics didn't cut it either for a pitch requesting "lyric themes about, “Home, Missing Home, Returning Home, etc.”

Rejection response was: "lyrically a bit specific to scene "been on the road way too long" etc."

BTW, the song name is "My Heart is Home" (http://www.taxi.com/kentone) the here's the lyrics:

My Heart is Home
------------------------------------------------
Now I'm almost home
I can see it up ahead
no more need to roam
Just want to rest instead
--------------------------------------------------
Now I'm home again
Been on the road too long
It's time to settle in
Doing nothing makes me strong
-------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
I'm home this time to stay awhile
Back where it all began
Been too long without seeing your smile
My heart is finally free again
-------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
Minimalist to be sure but "specific to scene"? What does that even mean? I've mentioned "home" in every verse!.....

I'm starting to wonder about these listings now as there is another coming up the 4th with nearly the exact same pitch about "home" only for "contemporary rock" this time..... Think I'll save my $5.......

[Len911]

Style is a subset of a genre. So some styles may be contemporary or not. They only wanted the contemporary styles from the genre. So in that respect, I would say no, it's not contradictory.

Eg., Rock is a genre. 50's style rock, unless it has become popular once more,lol, wouldn't be considered a contemporary style. Though you might argue '70's style rock is a contemporary country(genre) style, but is not a contemporary style for rock,lol!


I do agree with you on the home argument. You have to "return home" from somewhere. The "road" is pretty non-specific imo, unlike New York or a specific place. It's like "missing home", it implies you are somewhere else. So in that respect, it's the returning and missing part that leads to a specific scene. Maybe those descriptors should have been left out of the listing?? But in reality, how many times have you heard songs that conflict with the scene but are used because the focus is not the specifics, but maybe a few key words that emphasize the point of the scene? I'm thinking of Microsoft a few years back using the Rolling Stones song "Start Me Up". The lyrics "you make a grown man cry" was not really the focus, but rather "start me up".

[nolosolo]

Style is a subset of a genre. So some styles may be contemporary or not. They only wanted the contemporary styles from the genre. So in that respect, I would say no, it's not contradictory.

Eg., Rock is a genre. 50's style rock, unless it has become popular once more,lol, wouldn't be considered a contemporary style. Though you might argue '70's style rock is a contemporary country(genre) style, but is not a contemporary style for rock,lol!

......

Thanks Len, makes sense. Guess I didn't quite get the meaning of contemporary.

Just so I'm clear however, contemporary rock would be what exactly? Indi, Alt, Punk, Metal, Classic, Southern, or other genre's that are played currently, would be contemporary? OR, OR, do they have to also be a popular style (but not necessary POP)?

Sigh...oh for the days of just AM and FM....

Ken

[Kolstad]

Contemporary basically means reminiscent of what's on the charts right now, I think.

Use what everybody else uses, and you'll be on solid ground.
Check out the current charts on spotify or some other streaming service.

Also a good resource is http://reports.hitsongsdeconstructed.com/hsdwire/

And Robin Frederick's blog http://robinfrederick.com/how-to-write- ... temporary/
Lots more hands-on stuff on how to actually do it in her books. Highly recommended!

There's nothing wrong with the quality, but you can't argue with use. It's like selling cola, when they want milk.

[eeoo]

It sounds like the screener knows specifically what will be happening in the scene and therefore anything that doesn't jibe with the scene lyrically would be obvious to them. I had a return on this one as well, same reason, seems like you either had to get lucky and have your lyric more or less match the vibe of the scene or be over the top universal with the lyric. Oh well, onward...

eo

[andygabrys]

another interoperation of "contemporary":

stuff that fits in with what contemporary major league productions are doing.

Some examples based on a 5 second listen to your piece:

If MIDI programing is used, the sounds are juggled and mixed to sound live and "real" - i.e. the drums

Guitar sounds are really specific, and you can often tell what era something comes from by the effects (or lack thereof) that are employed. The guitar has a pretty obvious chorus / modulation effect on it - that's a hallmark of days gone by.

The amount of reverb on most of the elements is also a giveaway to the primary era that the producer is most comfortable with. We tend to mix stuff like the things we like to listen to. These days the amount of verb is going to be different - the hi-hat for example is pretty wet.

Sometimes you might listen to a band that is influenced by a certain period in time (i.e. lots of bands have some 80's elements like certain synths or guitar sounds like chorus etc.) but those elements are often in cloaked in a production style that is more "contemporary" and even those old elements then sound new and not dated. Like you might have a police inspired chorus / delay treatment on a guitar but its played with a slightly distorted bass aggressive baseline and drums that sound larger than life (maybe with some parallel distortion). The result is something arguably more contemporary.

besides all that blah blah blah - Ethan is likely right on. If the screener has seen the actual scene, they are going to reject stuff that doesn't fit even if it is contemporary.

[Len911]

Ken, I don't have a clue about what contemporary rock is, fwiw I am not contemporary,lol!