Forum Home Forum Home > Site Rules and Guidelines > Site rules and guidelines
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Site Policies and Guidelines - Artists and Albums
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Topic ClosedSite Policies and Guidelines - Artists and Albums

 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
Message
Dean View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Retired Admin and Amateur Layabout

Joined: May 13 2007
Location: Europe
Status: Offline
Points: 37575
Direct Link To This Post Topic: Site Policies and Guidelines - Artists and Albums
    Posted: November 13 2010 at 06:45

This thread contains all the site policies and guidelines that are concerned with Artist and Album inclusion into the ProgArchives database. These policies and guidelines supersede and replace all similar policies and guidelines found in various threads throughout the forum. In time the older versions of these policies and guidelines will be removed or hidden, but for now will remain in situ for comparison and reference. In future any reference to these policies must link to the appropriate post in this thread (ie copy the required link listed below)

Note: citation to the original authors of some of these policies have been lost in the collation of this thread - any authors who wish to be cited please PM me and I will update the entry. 

ProgArchive Collaborators and Prog Reviewers can discuss and suggest amendments to these policies in the CZ in this thread: New Site Policies and Guidelines.


Edited by Andy Webb - January 08 2014 at 13:07
What?
Back to Top
Dean View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Retired Admin and Amateur Layabout

Joined: May 13 2007
Location: Europe
Status: Offline
Points: 37575
Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 13 2010 at 06:46
Band Submission Policy

ProgArchives is dedicated to creating the best and most complete database of progressive rock on the internet. The collaborators of the website dedicate much of their time to careful evaluation and selection of the bands they deem as progressive rock and add bands accordingly. This cannot be done by this select few, however, and we need the help of the entire website to track down bands which would further complete the database. While we want to maintain the most up-to-date and comprehensive database, those who wish to suggest bands to ProgArchives must do some work in order for bands to be recognized, evaluated, and added.

First, please only suggest bands that have released at least one album and are compatible with our definition of an "official release." If the band is signed to a label, it is almost guaranteed this band fits this definition, but if the band is self-signed, please ensure that the band has recorded their music professionally or in a professional manner and has their music available for purchase or download from a respected source. The availability of a physical medium is preferred, but bands whose music is available solely on iTunes, BandCamp, or a similar website will also be accepted. If bands do not have an official release, feel free to create a thread in the unsigned bands subforum.

Second, prepare a suggestion. 

You have two options to create a suggestion

1) Use the defined Suggest New Bands/Artists subforum.
This subforum is monitored by collaborators who will listen to your suggestions and alert the proper genre team of your suggested band. The genre team will then take your suggestion and evaluate them to determine whether your band is eligible for addition. 
PLEASE make the suggestion checker's job easy by creating well-thought out, thorough suggestion threads. Here is a good procedure to follow:
  • Title: BAND NAME - POSSIBLE SUBGENRE (ex. Genesis - Symphonic prog)
  • Start with some basic biographical information about the band (ex. Genesis was formed in 1967...)
  • Provide streamable samples of the band's music that checkers and team members can listen to (ex. youtube videos, BandCamp pages, Soundcloud links, MySpace, Facebook, ReverbNation, etc)
  • If you have listenable material that would aid in evaluation, you can upload these in .zip or .rar format to file sending websites such as sendspace.com and send them to the team leader of the genre that you are suggesting the band should be evaluated under. A list of team leaders can be found at the end of the post here.
  • Provide links to the bands official website, websites that have written about the band, or helpful links in general. 
This is a phenomenal example of a great suggestion thread. 
One a monitor checks your suggestion, a genre team will look at it next. Evaluation could take anywhere from a few days to a few months depending on how busy a genre team is.

2) Use the email suggestion method, written by Uwe (Rivertree)
Collect sound samples and other helpful information, as stated below. Create a ZIP or RAR archive with all this included, upload it to a free filesharing service (RAPIDSHARE.com is actually recommended because very fast all around the globe) and finally forward the download link to [email protected] as well as your explanation of why this band/artist should be added to ProgArchives and in which sub-genre
  • necessary information
    please provide some full songs (no clips/excerpts) with acceptable quality (not less than 128 k/bits) for evaluation and streaming. If you want to send a promo CD you'll get back a reply containing a valid postal address. These samples will of course only made available for streaming with permission from copyright holders. 

  • helpful information
    - website, MySpace as well as other related links with useful informations or reviews
    - band biography (in English)
    - an artist picture with a scale of 500 pixel as possible
    - the complete band/artist discography (album titles, cover art, line-up, tracklisting plus track times) as possible
Once the email has arrived, the Band Submissions Team will check the information and forward the request to the prefered sub-genre team which will evaluate then.
Please use this email address only for submitting bands for inclusion. Inquiries about the progress or other issues will be ignored.

Using the first option is usually preferred. 

Suggesting a band can seem like a tedious and time consuming ordeal, but we all appreciate your contribution to the site and beg patience as team members evaluate bands. No collaborator is paid, so all evaluations are done on volunteered time. One way to help speed evaluation is to provide a biography. More details about this can be found here.




Edited by Andy Webb - February 03 2015 at 13:28
What?
Back to Top
Dean View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Retired Admin and Amateur Layabout

Joined: May 13 2007
Location: Europe
Status: Offline
Points: 37575
Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 13 2010 at 06:46
Band Admission Policy


1. Only bands with official releases can be included in the archives (for bands with no official releases see: Signed/Unsigned Policy).
For the purpose of clarity, an official release is defined here as:

1.1 A single long track or several shorter tracks combined under one title, with at least the length of an EP (10-25 minutes);

1.2 Recorded and mixed in a professional manner, such that it meets commercial sound quality as found on average CDs released by commercial record companies;

1.3 That is available for sale on demand, either in physical (glass pressed CD or CD-R or vinyl, not tape) form or downloadable (MP3, Ogg, iTunes...) from the band themselves or through a commercial distribution company/record shop; and

1.4 Being sold as a commercial product rather than a promotional item.

1.5 For artists whose release(s) are made available for free download see Free-release Policy
2. Once an official release is available the band shall be suggested in the Suggest New Bands forum or send directly to a Genre Teams for evaluation, etc.
 
3. When posted in the Suggest New Bands forum, an indication of which genre team should consider the band will be added to the thread title.

4. Bands being evaluated by a genre team will be accepted on a majority vote of the active team members
4.1 A majority vote will be a number of positive votes in excess of 60% - on teams of 4 or less active members a single No vote should be taken as a veto, rejecting the artist, however this is left to the discretion of the Team Leader but should prompt discussion within the team to the suitability of the artist to the subgenre.
4.1.1 Three-man team = 2 Yes votes, 0 No votes
4.1.2 Four-man team = 3 Yes votes, 0 No votes
4.1.3 Five-man team = 3 Yes votes
4.1.4 Six-man team = 4 Yes votes
4.1.5 Seven-man team = 4 Yes votes
4.2 Past Yes/No votes by retired team members will be counted unless the artist was previously rejected, where on a unanimous "Yes" vote by all active team members will be required (see Controversial Bands Policy)
4.2.1 For example - if a band has 3 Yes-votes and 2 No-votes from past members then these 5 past members will be incuded in the majority vote, so for a team that currently has 4 active members the total number of voting members will be counted as 9 (4+5) and a total of 5 Yes votes will be the required majority vote for acceptance (ie in this example only 2 of the current 4-man team will be needed to clear the artist for addition instead of the normal 3).


Edited by Dean - October 02 2013 at 12:16
What?
Back to Top
Dean View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Retired Admin and Amateur Layabout

Joined: May 13 2007
Location: Europe
Status: Offline
Points: 37575
Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 13 2010 at 06:47
Band Name and Diatrics Policy
 
If the band name includes diatrics, they should be used, e.g. AMON DÜÜL 2
In biographies write band names in UPPER CASE
In biographies write band member last names in UPPER CASE and first names in Title case in the order LAST NAME, First names - e.g. GODFREY, Robert John
Album names in biographies should appear between quotation marks "..."  e.g. MARILLION "Brave".

 


Edited by Dean - January 23 2011 at 05:39
What?
Back to Top
Dean View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Retired Admin and Amateur Layabout

Joined: May 13 2007
Location: Europe
Status: Offline
Points: 37575
Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 13 2010 at 06:47
Biography Standards Policy
  1. 1st paragraph: Short history, list of current and former members, style & similar bands
  2. 2nd paragraph: Describe the better cds without mentioning their tracks.
  3. End with mention (recommended, highly recommended or not) or brief commentary.

Additional information to be submitted with the Biography:

  1. A band photo (if possible about 200 - 250 pixels wide)
  2. A list of all releases (LP, CD, Compilations, Live) with year of release, track listing (track time), line-up and the cd/album label. (NOT NECESSARY but useful - this does not need to be included in the Biography on the Band page, but is useful for compiling the artist's discograohy section
Addition notes on biography composition:
  • ALL band names and last names of band members MUST be all caps (ex: GENESIS was led by talented vocalist Peter GABRIEL)
  • Album names should be in quotations (ex: GENESIS released "Foxtrot" in 1972)
  • Biographies are not discographies; while major releases should always be mentioned, don't waste your time listing every album ever released. 
  • Focus more on band members and chronology if possible. 
  • A good rule of thumb is to follow this format:
    1. Introduce the band name and genre
    2. Elaborate on the date of formation and the home town
    3. Give a list of the founding member or members if possible
    4. Explain band beginnings (ex: "they played live for 10 years before releasing their debut album in 2003")
    5. Explore their career - well-established bands may have a lot of this material, but often for new bands this may be a sentence or two or not exist at all. Make sure to mention line-up changes, significant changes in style, or other important events.
    6. End with a conclusion that elaborates on the style of the band and bands with a similar sound or obvious influences.
  • Biographies should be about 2-3 paragraphs. New bands may only have bios of a few sentences while older bands may have lengthy biographies. Don't force information into a bio or make conjectures that may not be true.


Edited by Andy Webb - April 07 2015 at 23:58
What?
Back to Top
Dean View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Retired Admin and Amateur Layabout

Joined: May 13 2007
Location: Europe
Status: Offline
Points: 37575
Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 13 2010 at 06:48
Discography Standards Policy
 
SITE STANDARD FOR ALBUM DATA

1. ALBUM TITLE

    1.1 Template

       artist_name_variant: + album_title + (distinguishing_qualifier) + [also released/known as:  + list_of_alternative_names]
       
            artist_name_variant (optional) = alternative name adopted by the artist or an off-shoot for the specified album
            album_title (mandatory) = album title
            distinguishing_qualifier (optional) = usually either 'CD' or 'DVD' or any other appropriate distinguishing feature like 'New Version'
            list_of_alternative_names (optional) = album_name(1) [[" and " + album_name(n)] .... ] = additional name(s) given to the album

    1.2 Title to be in its original language, translations should not be included unless the album itself carries it or legibility is seriously impaired

            Harakka Bialoipokku
            ¿Bichos=Dichos?

    1.3 Each word of the main title to be in lower case with an initial capital regardless of language of origin, unless deliberately varied for artistic reasons

            Les Grands Succès De Morse Code .... not Les grands succès de Morse Code

    1.4 When the artist_name varies for the specific album, the album title must be in the format "artist_name_variant: album_title". Applies to the following circumstances:

        1.4.1 An off-shoot or derivation of the primary artist

                BJH Through The Eyes Of John Lees: Nexus
                Electric Light Orchestra Part II: ELO's Greatest Hits Live
                Hotlegs: Thinks: School Stinks

        1.4.2 An alternative name adopted by the artist for the specified album

                Nik Turner's Sphinx: Xitintoday
                Van Der Graaf: The Quiet Zone / The Pleasure Dome


        1.4.3 It is a joint release with one or more other named artists

                Peter Bauman and Paul Haslinger: Blue Room
                Bill Bruford with Ralph Towner and Eddie Gomez: If Summer Had Its Ghosts


    1.5 If the album has no title, then the title must default to "artist_name" or an appropriate name in common usage

            Bakerloo
            Queen
            Led Zeppelin IV
            Korai Öröm 1997


    1.6 In the case of an artist releasing a number of albums with no title, they should be identified by the means in common usage as appropriate

            Peter Gabriel 1, Peter Gabriel 2 etc
            Third, Fourth etc [Soft Machine]


    1.7 Multiple parts of a title should be separated by "/", "-" or ":" whichever is most appropriate, to improve legibility even where none exists on the actual cover

            Classic Artists: The Moody Blues
            Lemuria - The Crystal World In Danger


    1.8 Where different albums from an artist [eg CD and DVD] bear the same title, an appropriate distinguishing qualifier should be appended in round brackets to each entry

            Living With The Past (DVD) and Living With The Past (CD)
            Space Metal (special edition) and Space Metal (original edition)
            The Fall of the House of Usher (original version) and The Fall of the House of Usher (new version)
            Magical Mystery Tour (UK version) and Magical Mystery Tour (USA version)
            Invisible Touch (single) and Invisible Touch (CD)
            Owner Of A Lonely Heart (promo single) and Owner Of A Lonely Heart (EP)


    1.9 If an album has been released by more than one title, then any subsequent title should be presented in square brackets after the original one in the format "[also released as: alt_title_1 and alt_title_2 ....]"

            Then And Now [also released as: Emerson Lake And Palmer Gold and Greatest Hits]
            Cook [also released as: Live In The USA]
            Remasters: The Official Anthology [also released as: Uriah Heep Gold - Looking Back 1970-2001]


    1.10 Double A-side singles & EPs should have the title of each track separated by "/"

    1.11 Distinguishing qualifiers must only be used to separate albums of the same name, otherwise they are superfluous

            incorrect .... Blue Light (promo 12" single)
            incorrect .... Box (Compilation)


    1.12 Where an album has a 'common name' other than its official title, the common name should be appended in square brackets as "[also known as: common_title]"

            Blondel [also known as: The Purple Album]
            The Beatles [also known as: The White Album]


    1.13 No other general comment, remark or additional information should be included in the title


2. TRACKS - the artistic contents of the album

    2.1 This section contains data relating only to the actual audio/video performances, including any relevant recording data such as dates

        2.1.1 Primary tracklist of original album release
        2.1.2 Bonus tracklist for re-release
        2.1.3 Revised tracklist for re-release
        2.1.4 Textual information relating to the recordings

    2.2 Track Template, ie format for entering a single track

        n. + track_title + [  /  translated_track_title ] + [  (recording_data) ] + (track_length)

            n (mandatory) = track position number starting at 1
            track_title (mandatory) = title of track
            translated_track_title (optional) = English translation of track_title
            recording_data (optional) = brief details pertinent to the recording of the track
            track_length (mandatory) = duration of the track as mm:ss [but with no leading zero]

    2.3 Tracks to be numbered in a continuous sequence from 1

    2.4 For multiple discs, tracks may continue sequentially throughout, or restart at 1 for each disc, whichever is the most appropriate given the individual circumstances

    2.5 The primary part of the track list should describe the album's original release, though LP 'sides' are optional

    2.6 Primary list may be followed by one blank line then total time in the format - "Total Time: 9:99", but this is an optional field

            1. Tubular Bells Part 1 (25:00)
            2. Tubular Bells Part 2 (23:50)

            Total Time: 48:50


    2.7 Details of bonus material to follow in a separate block but conforming to the same format and under the heading

                     Bonus tracks on Record-Company remaster (year):
                    
Bonus tracks on Record-Company re-issue (year):

            1. Südseewellen (7:02)
            2. Reiselust (5:52)

            Total Time: 12:54

            Bonus tracks on Randon re-issue (1993):
            8. Südseewellen (Radio Dance Remix) (3:48)
            9. Lucky Stars (Radio Dance Remix) (3:59)


    2.8 If a re-issue changes the original track list, then a secondary track list should be given in full under the heading [in bold - use HTML codes <b> ..... </b>]

                   <b>Track list of Record-Company remaster (year)</b>
                   <b>Track list of Record-Company re-issue (year)</b>


            1. Track One
            2. Track Two
            3. Track Three

            <b>Track Listing of Fictitious remaster (2004):</b>

            1. Track Three
            2. Track Four
            3. Track One
            4. Track Two


    2.9 Tracks should be listed in their language and spelling of origin as given on the album

    2.10 English translations of non-English titles may be given, separated from the main name by "/" and before the track length

    2.11 Additional track information may be added after the song title but before the track length - this must be kept short, but may include:

        2.11.1 Source or date of recording
        2.11.2 Version details
        2.11.3 Performer, in the case of a multi-artist compilation

            1. It's Cold Outside (by Saints And Sinners 1959) (2:40)
            2. Kata Kong (Hatfield - Hatfield Polytechnic - 21/11/75) (8:28)
            18. Dominoes (Take 2) (2:36)
            7. Siberia (Studio Run-through of "Siberian Khatru") (9:19)


    2.12 All words in song titles to be in lower case with an initial capital

    2.13 Brief comments relating to recording details (especially of live albums) or an album's history may follow track lists.

     2.14 Asterisks must not be used as a means of cross-reference - track numbers must be inserted into the text

    2.15 For a multiple disc release, the tracks for each disc should be headed by a disc_ID and timing in the format "disc_ID: optional_title (09:99)" - the 'optional_title' is for situations where original albums are packaged together

            CD1: Fandangos In Space (45:12)
            1. Track One (4:34)
            2. Track Two (3:23) ....


    2:16 Suites [ie a grouping of tracks, which includes separation into discs and/or sides] may be titled as follows, depending on circumstances:

        2.16.1 Where a suite is a single track with unnumbered parts, each part should be given a letter in the format "- a. part_title"

                3. What A Lovely Icecream (9:45)
                - a. Visit To The Corner Shop
                - b. Practice Operatic Voice
                - c. Eat Delicious Morsel
                - d. Read Amusing Joke On Stick


        2.16.2 Where a suite comprises separated tracks and is followed by another suite, or by the end of a disc, then a title may be inserted before the tracks in the format "Title:"

                Guards, Guards:
                1. First Guard (4:13)
                2. Second Guard (5.21) 
              

        2.16.3 Where a suite comprises separated tracks and is followed by other non-suite tracks, the title can be inserted before the track title in format "n. suite_title: track_title"

                1. The Long And Winding River (2:56)
                2. Water In The Whistdrive (4:34)
                3. The Party: Arrival At The Delirious Gates (5:25)
                4. The Party: Hello Sophie, How's The Lumbago (3:20)
                5. The Party: A Drink In Time (2:54)
                6. The Party: Around And Around We Go (4:42)
                7. The Party: Feeling Ungroovy (5:34)
                8. The Party: Out Is The New In (3:33)
                9. Twenty Ways To Felixstowe (7:16)
                10. Heard It On The Tape Worm (2:59)


    2:17 Where track, disc or album timings are unknown, the value should default to null

    2.18 DVDs should follow these standards wherever possible as guidelines, but a degree of flexibility is allowed to cope sensibly with a wide range of individual circumstances

    2:19 Untitled tracks should be called "untitled" [NB - note lower case!]

                1. untitled (2:19)

  
    Illustrations

        Minimum basic CD

            1. Tubular Bells Part 1 (25:00)
            2. Tubular Bells Part 2 (23:50)

            Total Time: 48:50

        2 disc, with mixed media, groups of tracks, unknown timings and track recording details [NB Total Time is omitted]

            CD: (48:33)
            Part One:
            1. Introduction (5:51)
            2. Fast Guitars (1:04)
            3. Basses (0:46)
            4. Latin (2:18)
            5. A Minor Tune (1:21)
            6. Blues (2:40)
            7. Thrash (0:44)
            8. Jazz (0:48)
            9. Ghost Bells (0:30)
            10. Russian (0:44)
            11. Finale (8:36)
            Part Two:
            12. Harmonics (5:21)
            13. Peace (3:22)
            14. Bagpipe Guitars (3:07)
            15. Caveman (4:33)
            16. Ambient Guitars (5:09)
            17. Hornpipe (1:39)

            DVD:
            1. Introduction (DVD 5.1 mix)
            2. Fast Guitars (DVD 5.1 mix)
            3. Basses (DVD 5.1 mix)
            4. Introduction (Video Promo)

        CD with bonus tracks

            1. Südseewellen (7:02)
            2. Reiselust (5:52)
            3. Schwarze Augen (4:53)
            4. Lucky Stars (5:53)
            5. Lichtermeer (5:08)
            6. Gloria (5:57)
            7. Happy-End (4:42)

            Bonus tracks on Randon re-issue (1993):
            8. Südseewellen (Radio Dance Remix) (3:48)
            9. Lucky Stars (Radio Dance Remix) (3:59)
            10. Trance-Atlantik (5:22)
            11. Südseewellen (Ambient Remix) (5:35)

        CD with tracks divided into parts

            1. You Know The Way (6:32)
            - a. Spirit Of Change
            - b. In the Future
            - c. Wasteland
            - d. You Know The Way
            - e. In The Future
            2. Blue Sky, Deep Lake (0:53)
            3. Traveller (7:25)
            4. Nostradamus (3:52)
            5. Into The Unknown (5:22)
            6. Until The Sun Burns Out (13:27)
            - a. The Human Race (Is Not Evolving)
            - b. Darkness
            7. 108 Steps To Babaji (5:25)
            8. Rif (20:02)
            - a. Monkey?
            - b. Rif (Part One)
            - c. Lucid Dreamer
            - d. Last Of The Species
            - e. Millennium
            - f. Monkey ??
            - g. Rif (Conclusion)

            Total Time: 65:25

        3 disc, with combination of track list and descriptions

            DVD1: Main Documentary (150:00)
            The story of The Moody Blues, 150 minute programme includes: Exclusive new interviews
            with Justin Hayward, John Lodge, Graeme Edge, Mike Pinder, Denny Laine, Eric Burdon, Ian
            Anderson and many others. Includes some concert footage, rare and unseen photographs,
            previously unreleased archive footage and unseen promos.

            DVD2 - Extras (90:00)
            Five Full Length Moody Blues Music Promos:
            1. Go Now (3:06)
            2. Steppin' In A Slide Zone (3:30)
            3. The Wildest Dream (5:00)
            4. I Know You're Out There Somewhere (4:11)
            5. No More Lies (3:56)
            Extended Interviews Of Special Importance:
            6. Justin Hayward (8.49)
            7. John Lodge (7:16)
            8. Graeme Edge (4:45)
            9. Mike Pinder (9:50)
            10. Denny Laine (11:30)
            11. Ian Anderson (6:30)
            12. Bev Bevan (1:20)
            13. Bias Boshell (2:30)
            14. Barry Claymore (2:10)
            15. Hugh Mendl (4:00)
            Extensive photograph and memorabilia gallery spanning 5 decades

            CD: Bonus Disc (21:23)
            1. It's Cold Outside (by Saints And Sinners 1959) (2:40)
            2. I'll Show My Love Is True (by Saints And Sinners 1959) (2:27)
            3. Down The Line (by El Riot And The Rebels) (1:48)
            4. Dr. Feelgood (by Gerry Levene And The Avengers 1964) (2:17)
            5. Blues Stay Away From Me (by The Carpetbaggers) (2:00)
            6. Forever And A Day (Denny Laine And The Diplomats 1963) (2:13)
            7. You Better Move On (by Moody Blues 1964) (3:55)
            8. Lose Your Money (demo)(by Moody Blues 1964) (2:01)
            9. London Is Behind Me (by Justin Hayward 1965) (2:02)

        CD with second tracklist for remaster

            1. A Tab In The Ocean (15:31)
            2. Desolation Valley (5:45)
            3. Waves (2:53)
            4. Cryin' In The Dark (5:27)
            5. King Of Twilight (4:07)

            Total Time: 33:43

            <b>Track Listing of Dream Nebula remaster (2004):</b>

            The Original German Mix 1972:
            1. A Tab In The Ocean (16:52)
            2. Desolation Valley/Waves (8:12)
            3. Crying In The Dark (6:28)
            4. King Of Twilight (4:22)
            The 1976 USA mix:
            5. A Tab In The Ocean (16:03)
            6. Desolation Valley/Waves (8:33)
            7. Crying In The Dark (5:13)
            8. King Of Twilight (4:05)

            Total Time: 69:53


3. LINE-UP/MUSICIANS - the people who created the album

    3.1 Contains data pertaining only to people and performers

    3.2 Musicians should be entered in the following format - "- musician_name / instrument_list"

            - Les Holroyd / lead vocals, bass guitar, acoustic guitar, keyboards
            - Angelika Filanda / vocals, percussion
            - Tommy Shaw / guitars, vocals


    3.3 Permanent band members should be entered first, followed by a blank line then a suitable heading for additional musicians

            Guests:
            Guest artists:
            Additional musicians:


    3.4 Additional personnel, such as producers, lyricists, engineers etc, are excluded

    3.5 Instruments should be listed in English [where possible] and in lower case only unless a make/model is specified

            lead guitar
            Fender Stratocaster guitar
            Mini Moog synthesizer
            synthesizer
            Mellotron
            keyboards


    3.6 Each named performer must occupy a separate line

            incorrect ....    - Lenny Zakatek, Eric Woolfson & Geoff Barradale / vocals

            correct ....  - Lenny Zakatek / vocals
                               - Eric Woolfson / vocals
                               - Geoff Barradale / vocals


    3.7 An orchestra and its conductor/arranger to be incorporated into the list as a performer

            - Pip Williams / orchestral arrangements
            - The David Kate Strings / orchestral strings
            - Andrew Powell / orchestral arrangements, conductor
            - The English Chorale conducted by Bob Howes / choir


    3.8 Where a performer only performs on selected tracks, the track numbers should be inserted into the instrument_list in any combination of

            (1)
            (1-3)
            (6,9)
            (1-3,6,9)


        3.8.1 Where data on individual instruments is not available:

            - musician_name / (track_list) instrument_1, instrument_2 ....

                    - Stuart Wolstenholme / (1-11) synthesizers, Mellotron
                    - Kim Turner / (1-11,13,14) drums, acoustic guitar, percussion, backing vocals
                    - Ritchie Close / (1-3,5,9-11,13-14) piano, orchestra
                    - Friday Brown / (5) vocals


        3.8.2 Where data on individual instruments is available:

            - musician_name / instrument_1(track_list), instrument_2(track_list) ....

                    - Gerry Murphy / North Umbrian pipes (1), Uilian pipes (7)
                    - Chris Squire / bass (4, 6-7, 9) vocals (1, 4, 6-7, 9)


    3.9 Asterisks must not be used to cross-refer musicians to tracks

    3.10 If there is no data in this section then it should contain the phrase "Not available at present, if you can help with the details, please contact the site".

    3.11 If a performer's name is known but not the instruments played then the word "unknown" should be substituted

        - Fred Bloggs / unknown

    3:12 Use proper 'instrument' names unless there is a contraction in common usage, eg 'synth' is acceptable but 'vox' is not

    3.13 The level of detail may vary depending on the availability of data - the following examples are all valid:

            Fred Flintstone / lead vocals, backing vocals
            Fred Flintstone / lead and backing vocals
            Fred Flintstone / lead & backing vocals
            Fred Flintstone / vocals
            Barney Rubble / Moog, Hammond B3, ARP, Mellotron Mk II, Roland D50, Steinway Grand piano, Sony PS-3
           
Barney Rubble / synthesizers, keyboards
           
Barney Rubble / keyboards

    3.14 In situations where different groups of musicians play on specific tracks, each group is listed with a header which identifies the track(s)

            Track 1:
            Name1 / guitar, vocals
            Name2 / flugelhorn

            Track 2:
            Name3 / guitar, vocals
            Name4 / toaster

    3.15 No additional information to be included in this section except where an explanation of the relationship of a line-up to the named band is desirable, eg where a band has divided like Wishbone Ash. Such description to follow the line-up as free-format text.


4. RELEASES INFORMATION - production of the physical album

    4.1 Contains data or description pertaining only to album releases [but not tracks, recording dates etc]

    4.2 Each album release should be documented in the following format

        disc_type + record_company + label_reference + (release_year + country) + (comment)

            LP Atlantic K40106 (1971 UK)
            7" Decca Records F 12775 (1968 USA)
            DVD Angry Penguin PEN1887 (2005 Finland)
            CD  Eclectic HBGB023 (2001 Germany)

    4.4 Additional data may be appended against a release in a further set of round brackets after the date/country

            CD Elektra 73788 (2003 USA) (remaster)
            CD Atlantic 7567-82670-2 (1994 UK) (digitally remastered by George Marino at Sterling Sound)

    4.5 No specific restriction on additional data, except that it must be brief and succinct

    4.6 Releases should be listed in date order starting with the first release in the band's home country

            LP Atlantic 7244 (1972 UK)
            CD Atlantic 7567-82666-2 (1994 USA)
            CD Elektra 73790 (2003 UK)( remaster)


    4.7 Words like 're-issue' or 're-release' are superfluous in the basic release data and should not be used

    4.8 Vinyl singles should be listed as 7", 10" or 12", with or without -EP as appropriate

            7"
            7"-EP


    4.9 Albums of multiple discs should be shown in the following format "3LP" or "2CD" etc except for vinyl singles which should be in the format "2x7""

            2CD Metro Music METRDCD535 (2004 Timbuktu)
            2DVD+CD Classic Artists DVDCASMB002 (2006 USA)
            2LP Charisma CGS101 UK (1974 UK)
            2x7"-EP EMI Parlophone 1234 (1967 UK)

    4.10 Descriptive free-format text that details aspects of the album's release(s) may be included, but should not be used to replace the standard data format:

        4.10.1 Details of a DVD's format
        4.10.2 Cross-reference to other releases relating to the album
        4.10.3 Information relating to availability

    4.11 If there is no data or description in this section then it should contain the phrase "Not available at present, if you can help with the details, please contact the site"
 
    4.12 For free-release downloads a link to the band website where details of the download can be found can be added. Direct linking of the download is not permitted. Links to file-sharing sites are not permitted.



5. PICTURE
   
    5.1 Picture should be a facsimile of the earliest front cover as released in the artist's home country, if possible

    5.2 Pictures should always be 200 pixels wide

            CD picture is 200w x approx200h
            DVD is 200w x approx280h

 5.3 File should be no greater than 100kb and in the 'jpeg' format [file extension .jpg]

    5.4 Only the album's front cover should be displayed

    5.5 If the album had no cover picture [eg for singles] a photo of an actual disc in its sleeve can be used

    5.6 If no picture is available, then a 'not available' image should be substituted


Edited by Dean - January 20 2011 at 13:40
What?
Back to Top
Dean View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Retired Admin and Amateur Layabout

Joined: May 13 2007
Location: Europe
Status: Offline
Points: 37575
Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 13 2010 at 06:48
Signed/Unsigned Policy
 
1. Only bands with no official releases but with the intention of publishing an official release at some point shall be spotted. Once an official release is available the band shall go to the Suggest New Bands forum or to the Genre Teams evaluation depending on their quality/progginess, etc. At the time of move, an indication of which genre team should consider the band will be added to the thread title.

(For the PA definition of "Official Release" see Band Admission Policy )

 
2. Only one topic shall be started for each new band, with the thread title being the name of the act in question. Topic starter shall inform clearly: band name, nationality and indication of prog genre (CANNOT be prog-related). Also the starter must add weblink(s) and legal mp3 links, if existing. Bio, line-up, member ages, etc, may be added too. 
 
3. Posters may do reviews - which shall appear within the topic (not in PA homepage), comment on songs, define progginess (if the majority thinks the band is non-prog, the thread will be deleted or moved to non-prog music), add information, etc. The initial proposed genre may change also according to the majority of the posters' opinion.
 
4. The fact that a new band is listed in this forum has no connection with their inclusion in the ProgArchives. Any request for inclusion will not be considered and the post will be deleted.
 
5. Keep civil the discussion. The respect for the artists, their work and effort must be the first rule.
 
6. Any attempt of manipulation, fake promotion, evaluation of a non-prog band, etc, once discovered will cause the deletion of the topic. The Admin Team will oversee these issues. Members shall report any abuse found.
  
Let's remember that we are dealing with the future of our beloved genre and consequently the more positive we are, the better rewarded we'll be, which will benefit the artists even more.
 
Feel free to contact any Admin in case of doubts.
 
Thanks.
 
 
The Admin Team.
 
 


Edited by Dean - October 19 2012 at 04:40
What?
Back to Top
Dean View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Retired Admin and Amateur Layabout

Joined: May 13 2007
Location: Europe
Status: Offline
Points: 37575
Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 13 2010 at 06:49
Free-release Policy
 
The Free-release Policy is to allow artists that have released their entire discography for free-download to be considered for inclusion into the ProgArchives database. The Free-release Policy does not apply to artists who have, or have had, CDs available for sale and permit free-download of only some of their material - those artists can be submitted under the normal Band Admission Policy.
 
Free-releases can be accepted at the discretion of the appropriate Genre Team if they unanimously decide that the releases are of a professional standard and they clear it with the Admin Team first.
 
Since these albums are not available from normal retail sources, the official band website address of where the download can be obtained should be listed in the "Releases information" section of the album page. To clarify for the hard of comprehending: this should be a link to the band/artist website page that contains the link to the download location rather than the direct download link itself.
 
This is solely at the discretion of the Genre Team evaluating the artist and the Admin Team, no other opinion or influence is accepted and non-team members must abide by the decision when the artist is accepted or rejected for inclusion.
 
If a Genre Team votes that a free-release is eligible, but then votes to reject the artists because they do not fit the subgenre, then they cannot pass that band to another team unless that team also unanimously decide that the release is eligible.
 
What constitutes "Recorded and mixed in a professional manner, such that it meets commercial sound quality as found on average CDs released by commercial record companies" is subjective and difficult to define, however Genre Team members are experienced enough in listening to studio releases to be able to tell the difference and to make that judgement call.


Edited by Dean - March 30 2013 at 19:40
What?
Back to Top
Dean View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Retired Admin and Amateur Layabout

Joined: May 13 2007
Location: Europe
Status: Offline
Points: 37575
Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 13 2010 at 06:49
Controversial Bands Policy
 
Controversial band additions

In light of experience over a long period, the admin team have being giving thought on the best way to handle potentially controversial band additions.

Our objectives can be summarised as:

  • To ensure the integrity of the site and its reputation are not adversely impacted through the addition of bands and artists who are widely considered not to be prog
  • To protect our hard working specialist teams from accusations of misusing their positions or reaching unjustifiable decisions while protecting their autonomy
  • To provide a clear process which the owners, the teams, the site administrators, and the collaborators can buy into and work within

The process we have identified can be split into two distinct parts:

  • Identification of a controversial proposal
  • Reaching a decision

Identification of a controversial proposal

Bands and artists will be considered potentially controversial if they:

  • Are not generally listed by other prog sites* AND/OR
  • They have been rejected in the past on the basis of their prog credentials OR
  • Are flagged up by the team concerned as being potentially controversial OR
  • Are flagged up by the admin team as controversial

* The requirement is that at least 2 other sites dedicated to prog have identified the band/artists as being prog. New bands are excluded from this requirement.

Once a band/artist has been identified as controversial, we would recommend contacting the Admin team at this stage.
 
Reaching a decision

If a team of three or more members are unanimous in deciding that a controversial band should be added, this will be sufficient to go ahead with the addition. Note that while the team must have at least three members, all the team members must have voted yes.

If the team does not reach a unanimous "yes" decision, the band should not be added at this stage. Instead, they should be referred to the admin team. Note that the Admin Team will not have the final say here. A panel of three collaborators with a maximum of one admin will be asked to consider the proposal, with a simple majority being required for a decision. Every effort will be made to appoint impartial collaborators for this purpose, to ensure no underlying personal issues contaminate the process. The appointed team's remit will be only to decide whether the band are prog, not which genre they should be placed in. If the decision goes against the addition, at the request of the genre team, the proposal can be passed to M@x for a final ruling.



Edited by Atkingani - January 23 2011 at 13:02
What?
Back to Top
Dean View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Retired Admin and Amateur Layabout

Joined: May 13 2007
Location: Europe
Status: Offline
Points: 37575
Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 13 2010 at 06:49
Prog Related Submissions Policy

Prog Related submissions operate under a different process to normal suggestions and submissions. The Admin team does not trawl the forum looking for suggestions in random threads - suggestions made in this way will be ignored. Only suggestions made by a Special Collaborator directly to an Admin team member (via PM only) will be accepted (see below).

While there is a clear set of definitions for what the ProgArchives will consider for inclusion under this category, not all eligible bands and artists will be accepted for addition.
 
Prog Related is not a category for "hard to place artists" ~ if it is generally accepted that an Artist has produced a Progressive Rock or Progressive Metal album but there is uncertainty to which Prog subgenre they should be placed then the respective Genre Teams must decide which subgenre is the best fit for the Artist rather than the exact fit. These Artists will not normally be accepted for Prog Related unless a very good case can be made for them.
 
Side projects and solo albums by members of Bands listed in the ProgressiveArchives will only be accepted for Prog Related if a) they cannot be placed in an wholely Prog subgenre and b) the music has some relationship to Progressive Rock/Metal.
  1. Prog Related category is under the control of the Admin Team. The Admin team only evaluates artists on their suitability for the category and the site, they do not add artists nor do they decide whether an artist is "Prog" or not.
  2. Any member can suggest a band for inclusion in the Prog Related category:
    1. Suggestions should be made in the Suggest New Bands and Artists lounge as normal.
    2. This suggestion does not mean that the artist will be proposed or added, but opens up a means of debate and discussion on the suitability of the addition.
    3. If necessary this debate will continue in the Collaborator zone in the designated Proto-Prog & Prog-Related suggestions/additions thread.
  3. Once the artist being suggested has been discussed and found suitable for possible addition to the site the artist can then be formally proposed to the Admin team for evaluation.
    1. It is assumed that any proposed band has already been discussed and found to be "Prog Related" at this stage.
    2. Only Special Collaborators can propose an artist for evaluation by the Admin Team.
    3. It would be useful if the proposing SC made a short case for the Artist's inclusion into the category - just pointing to the discussion thread may not be enough.
    4. The sponsoring Special Collaborator must undertake to add the artist if the proposal is successful.
    5. Proposals for Prog Related are by direct PM to a member of the Admin team only.

 



Edited by Dean - January 23 2011 at 05:29
What?
Back to Top
Dean View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Retired Admin and Amateur Layabout

Joined: May 13 2007
Location: Europe
Status: Offline
Points: 37575
Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 13 2010 at 06:50
Proto Prog Submissions Policy
 

Proto Prog submissions operate under a different process to normal suggestions and submissions. The Admin team does not trawl the forum looking for suggestions in random threads - suggestions made in this way will be ignored. Only suggestions made by a Special Collaborator directly to an Admin team member (via PM only) will be accepted (see below).

While there is a clear set of definitions for what the ProgArchives will consider for inclusion under this category, not all eligible bands and artists will be accepted for addition.

While the cateogry is primarily intended for those artists who where pivotal in the formation of the Progressive Rock subgenre prior to 1969, it is recognised that this date is not a fixed cut-off date. Also it is recognised that some earlier artists were creating what can now be considered to be Proto Prog in comparison to artists already listed in the Proto-Prog category, unless those artists were pivotal or influential in the formation of the genre they will not normally be considered for addition into the category. In general, if the artist is obscure and unknown then it is unlikely that they are relevant to the formation of Progressive Rock and they will not be added.
  1. The Proto Prog category is under the control of the Admin Team. The Admin team only evaluates artists on their suitability for the category and the site, they do not add artists nor do they decide whether an artist is "Proto-Prog" or not.
  2. Any member can suggest a band for inclusion in the Proto Prog category:
    1. Suggestions should be made in the Suggest New Bands and Artists lounge as normal.
    2. This suggestion does not mean that the artist will be proposed or added, but opens up a means of debate and discussion on the suitability of the addition.
    3. If necessary this debate will continue in the Collaborator zone in the designated Proto-Prog & Prog-Related suggestions/additions thread.
  3. Once the artist being suggested has been discussed and found suitable for possible addition to the site the artist can then be formally proposed to the Admin team for evaluation.
    1. It is assumed that any proposed band has already been discussed and found to be "Proto-Prog" at this stage.
    2. Only Special Collaborators can propose an artist for evaluation by the Admin Team.
    3. The sponsoring Special Collaborator must undertake to add the artist if the proposal is successful.
    4. Proposals for Proto Prog are by direct PM to a member of the Admin team only.

 



Edited by Dean - January 21 2011 at 12:26
What?
Back to Top
Dean View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Retired Admin and Amateur Layabout

Joined: May 13 2007
Location: Europe
Status: Offline
Points: 37575
Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 13 2010 at 06:52
Various Artists Policies
 
  • VA: Samplers Policy
    • Traditionally "Sampler" was a compilation album released by a record label to showcase the artists on their rosta.
    • In more recent times labels have released retrospective genre-themed collections, only albums that contain artists signed to a single label should be listed here, others should be listed under Concept Albums and Themed Compilations.
    • Only albums that contain tracks by Progressive artists listed in the Archive can be added.
    • If in doubt - consult a member of the Admin team before adding an album.
  • VA: Concept Albums and Themed Compilations Policy
    • Concept Albums are albums recorded by various artists based around a single concept or story
    • Themed compilations are collections of tracks based around a single theme, usually a genre or subgenre, such as "The Best of Progressive Rock", these differ from samplers when they contain artists from more than one record label. 
    • Only albums that contain tracks by Progressive artists listed in the Archive can be added.
    • If in doubt - consult a member of the Admin team before adding an album.
  • VA: Tribute Album Policy
    • Tribute albums must contain tracks originally recorded by Progressive artists listed in the Archive.
    • The artists who recorded the cover versions do not have to be listed in the Archive.
    • Tributes to Proto-Prog and Prog-Related artists are not normally added.
    • Non-Rock tribute albums can only be added with the approval of the Admin team. 
    • If in doubt - consult a member of the Admin team before adding an album.

 



Edited by Dean - January 03 2011 at 07:51
What?
Back to Top
Angelo View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin

Joined: May 07 2006
Location: Italy
Status: Offline
Points: 13239
Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 03 2011 at 14:26
Band Move Policy

THE BAND MOVE POLICY WAS ADDED IN OCTOBER 2011 AND IS DESCRIBED BELOW.


In every project, and every organisation, insights change and people learn over time. As a result, in the case of our site, it may happen that a band is included and after a couple of years the opinion is raised that it should be moved to another (sub)genre than where it was originally added. Causes could be simple mistakes at the time of additions, changes in definitions or unexpected events, e.g. the discovery of a whole new set of material (however unlikely that may seem).

The fact that bands are put in a certain (sub)genre with similar bands is only logical, and gives rise to one of the key strengths of ProgArchives: it enables people to easily discover bands that play a style of music similar to bands they already know and like. As such, there are two reasons to suggest and allow moving of bands to a different (sub)genre: integrity of the musical catalogue, and increasing a key strength of the site. However, in order to avoid 'band ping-pong' or moves based solely on individual opinions (which will result in simliar ping-pong as well as flame wars - neither of which benefits the site) with bands, the following policy for band moves is defined:

  1.  Moving an artist can only be proposed by a genre team, be it the team responsible for the (sub)genre in which the band is categorised, or the team that thinks the band fits better in their (sub)genre. Note that the former is likely more often the case.
  2. A majority of the members of each of the two teams (that is a majority per team, not an overall majority!) proposing the move must vote in favour of the move, after a reasonable audit of the band. The results of the audit are made available and discussed in the two team threads or a dedicated thread in the (Special) Collaborator zone.
  3. In case the two teams are unable to reach their respective majoritiesor serious objections are raised by Special Collaborators outside the two teams, a final decision will be facilitated, or in the most extreme case made, by the admin team (to make this possible, they should be notified at the time the move is proposed).
Any move will require some scrutiny, since a band was not placed where it is without preparation. Therefore, the phrase 'reasonable audit' as mentioned in guideline number two requires some clarification. A reasonable audit is one that takes into account:
  • The band's opinion about themselves
  • Information about the band on other websites and magazines
  • Information available in other media
  • Reviews in ProgArchives and elsewhere
  • Data and opinion gathered from other Collabs

 



Edited by Dean - October 12 2011 at 19:04
ISKC Rock Radio
I stopped blogging and reviewing - so won't be handling requests. Promo's for ariplay can be sent to [email protected]
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down



This page was generated in 0.150 seconds.
Donate monthly and keep PA fast-loading and ad-free forever.