Most of my life I have strived to find new and interesting music, but I am often far too busy to really dig deep and find new artists everyday. Now that I am done with college and have a real job, I find that I have even less time to find new music or even stay up to date with all of the new bands.
I have, however, found some great resources that keep me in the loop with minimal time and effort.
Pandora is an easy to use music discovery website that has been a favorite of mine for some time. Pandora allows you to create “stations” by putting in your favorite band or bands. Then, Pandora will play songs from that artist and artists that have a similar sound to your main artist. I like Pandora for its no frills approach, as it doesn’t throw a bunch of extra stuff at you.
Last.fm
Last.fm functions much the same way as Pandora, but focuses much more on the social network side of things. Of all the websites and services on the list, I use Last.fm the most. I have found that it has a huge library of tracks that doesn’t stop at the end of mainstream. Their library has exposed me to lots of unknown and underground gems.
StumbleAudio
StumbleAudio was covered in my previous post Discover New Music with StumbleAudio. It is a great service that is easy to use, but it has a smaller library that is mainly focuses around smaller unknown artists.
The Hype Machine
The Hype Machine is a very unique website, in that, it aggregates all kinds of MP3 blogs from across the Internet into one place. This way you can find out what bands everyone else is talking about and discover them for yourself.
Musicovery
Musicovery presents a much different experience than most of the other services on this list. At Musicovery, you choose genre, mood and timeframe in order to discover new music. This is definitely a very unique way to discover new music and is worth checking out.
Skreemr
Skreemr is an MP3 search engine that returns webpages where MP3’s of the artist you searched are posted. This allows you to easily listen to your favorite song by that artist. Skreemr also gives you the option to search for similar artists.
iLike
iLike is a music social network that is similar to Last.fm, but iLike integrates with your iTunes through a sidebar. This allows you to easily get recommendations from iLike and find more people with similar tastes in order to find find new artists.
thesixtyone
thesixtyone allows its users to “bump” up tracks by different artists. It functions in a way that is very similar to Digg, but it is only for music. This way you can find great songs and great artists by using the knowledge of the other users on the site.
Amazon
Amazon is a site that just about everyone should be familiar with. Back before I knew all about the sites listed above, I would go to Amazon and see what else customers bought when they bought an album I liked. If you keep doing this, you start going down a rabbit hole and can find some great music. The little snippets that Amazon lets you listen to provide you with a great way to sample the artists as you come across them.
Blogs
What list of places to find music would be complete without blogs? There are lots of great music blogs out there that keep you up to date with current artists and events. I subscribe to Stereogum and Pitchfork in my RSS, and I highly recommend them.
Where else do you discover new music?
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Your In This Video
I got this today. Check it out and pass it on. It's great :)
Oversleeping. Getting the car fixed. Having to pick up the second-cousin's stepkids on the other side of town. These are just a few of the reasons millions of Americans won't vote on November 4th.
It's not like they hate voting. They want to do it. They know they should. And mostly, they intend to. But some of your friends won't get around to actually voting because they haven't been reminded vividly enough.
That's why we developed this funny, scary video. It shows people what it might look like if we lose the election by a single vote: theirs.
Here's a version we prepared for you. You're in it—seriously. Check it out—and if you like it, send it to your friends:
http://www.cnnbcvideo.com/taf.html?nid=xN5Ux_EI3FDb..2_HMFBpDExMzE0MjM-
Oversleeping. Getting the car fixed. Having to pick up the second-cousin's stepkids on the other side of town. These are just a few of the reasons millions of Americans won't vote on November 4th.
It's not like they hate voting. They want to do it. They know they should. And mostly, they intend to. But some of your friends won't get around to actually voting because they haven't been reminded vividly enough.
That's why we developed this funny, scary video. It shows people what it might look like if we lose the election by a single vote: theirs.
Here's a version we prepared for you. You're in it—seriously. Check it out—and if you like it, send it to your friends:
http://www.cnnbcvideo.com/taf.html?nid=xN5Ux_EI3FDb..2_HMFBpDExMzE0MjM-
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Who The Fuck Is Bill Ayers???
Wanted to keep this all about music but some stuff you just can't help but notice.
I, like most people, never paid much attention to politics. Never really cared. Heard things on the news, but I couldn't care less. Rush Limbaugh, Fox News and their cronies, there are a million of them on the radio and television. All sharing the same scripted opinions, trying to get you scared, afraid of a liberal. How liberals are militant, like all liberals wanna overthrow the government. Well here's the definition of liberal..
favorable to or in accord with concepts of maximum individual freedom possible, esp. as guaranteed by law and secured by governmental protection of civil liberties.
favoring or permitting freedom of action, esp. with respect to matters of personal belief or expression
of or pertaining to representational forms of government rather than aristocracies and monarchies
free from prejudice or bigotry; tolerant: a liberal attitude toward foreigners
open-minded or tolerant, esp. free of or not bound by traditional or conventional ideas, values, etc.
That's what it is???? That's what they want you to be afraid of???
Damn, I am soooooooooo liberal then. Liberals don't wanna overthrow the government. They just want someone smart for a change. Someone we can actually believe when they talk to us.
Anyway back to the point I'm trying to make. Like I said, never paid too much to politics. I heard things everyday, a lot of it pretty bizarre. Torture, the war, the interminable war I should say. The list is really kind of endless if you wanna take the time and do some research.
Was kinda like they were telling us, you guys are sooooooooooo fuckin stupid you'll believe anything we tell you. It got to the point where they beat you over the head with it so much that one day you decide to look up to see who's hitting you. (Thank you John Stewart, and Keith Olbermann for pointing them out. )
They still think people are stupid. Cuz now they are telling us Barack Obama "pals" around with Bill Ayers. Who the fuck is Bill Ayers (sorry Mr. Ayers, trying to make a point here) I'm gonna make a guess and say ninety nine per cent of the population doesn't know who he is either. A terrorist??? He's a teacher, and whatever he did was over 40 years ago and he's not in jail so I'm thinking he's not as bad as they so desperately want me to believe. Really get a kick out of watching these people that stand up at John McCain rallies and bring up his name. Like they know who the fuck he is.. That is sooo much bullshit. Another one I like is the guy that is sooo mad at McCain he stands up and berates him about getting tougher cuz he's so scared of Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama and their liberal policies. Don't they know that we have already figured out that those people are such obvious plants to ask those dumb ass questions. The RNC is pulling out every trick in its bag these last few days before the election.
Don't you know that you've lied so much that we've started to ask questions.
Now who's stupid??
I, like most people, never paid much attention to politics. Never really cared. Heard things on the news, but I couldn't care less. Rush Limbaugh, Fox News and their cronies, there are a million of them on the radio and television. All sharing the same scripted opinions, trying to get you scared, afraid of a liberal. How liberals are militant, like all liberals wanna overthrow the government. Well here's the definition of liberal..
favorable to or in accord with concepts of maximum individual freedom possible, esp. as guaranteed by law and secured by governmental protection of civil liberties.
favoring or permitting freedom of action, esp. with respect to matters of personal belief or expression
of or pertaining to representational forms of government rather than aristocracies and monarchies
free from prejudice or bigotry; tolerant: a liberal attitude toward foreigners
open-minded or tolerant, esp. free of or not bound by traditional or conventional ideas, values, etc.
That's what it is???? That's what they want you to be afraid of???
Damn, I am soooooooooo liberal then. Liberals don't wanna overthrow the government. They just want someone smart for a change. Someone we can actually believe when they talk to us.
Anyway back to the point I'm trying to make. Like I said, never paid too much to politics. I heard things everyday, a lot of it pretty bizarre. Torture, the war, the interminable war I should say. The list is really kind of endless if you wanna take the time and do some research.
Was kinda like they were telling us, you guys are sooooooooooo fuckin stupid you'll believe anything we tell you. It got to the point where they beat you over the head with it so much that one day you decide to look up to see who's hitting you. (Thank you John Stewart, and Keith Olbermann for pointing them out. )
They still think people are stupid. Cuz now they are telling us Barack Obama "pals" around with Bill Ayers. Who the fuck is Bill Ayers (sorry Mr. Ayers, trying to make a point here) I'm gonna make a guess and say ninety nine per cent of the population doesn't know who he is either. A terrorist??? He's a teacher, and whatever he did was over 40 years ago and he's not in jail so I'm thinking he's not as bad as they so desperately want me to believe. Really get a kick out of watching these people that stand up at John McCain rallies and bring up his name. Like they know who the fuck he is.. That is sooo much bullshit. Another one I like is the guy that is sooo mad at McCain he stands up and berates him about getting tougher cuz he's so scared of Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama and their liberal policies. Don't they know that we have already figured out that those people are such obvious plants to ask those dumb ass questions. The RNC is pulling out every trick in its bag these last few days before the election.
Don't you know that you've lied so much that we've started to ask questions.
Now who's stupid??
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
B.B. King Performing Live in Branson, Mo.
Seeing B.B. King performing live is, to me, comparable to seeing Babe Ruth. B.B. King is a musical national treasure.
Now 83 years old and still quite the entertainer. I got to see him at The Welk Resort in Branson, Missouri on October 5, 2008.
Interacting with the crowd, talking about subjects from his beginning days in 1949, touching on his battle with diabetes, growing old and thinking of giving up his life o the road.
Backed up by the phenomenal B.B. King Blues Band, B.B. showed his skills with his guitar "Lucille". He did a little sing along with "Rock Me Baby". But the thing that impressed me most was his singing voice. Still powerful after 83 years.
I'll let the photos and videos I took do the talking.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Why you like the music that you do?
Have you ever wondered why your favorite style of music appeals to you? This Music Patterns survey is a fun way for you to learn more about why you like the music that you do.
http://www.signalpatterns.com/music_survey
http://www.signalpatterns.com/music_survey
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Saturday, September 20, 2008
What your music says about you
Classical to Rap: Music lovers have much more in common than you would think
People who listen to indie bands are miserable shaggy-haired layabouts, while fans of rap music are bold, brash and brimming with self-confidence.
Rather than mere narrow- minded stereotyping, these are the results of an extensive psychological survey of more than 36,000 music lovers, which confirms, once and for all, that our musical tastes really do reflect our personality. But the studies most remarkable discovery is that refined lovers of classical music share a high number of personality traits with those who prefer rocking out to heavy metal.
The research, by the department of psychology at Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh, asked people worldwide to describe their personality, and then to list their favourite musical genres. The results show a distinct correlation between people's personality traits and the style of music they enjoy.
Fans of indie music, for instance, were found to have low self-esteem and little motivation, but described themselves as creative. Rap enthusiasts, on the other hand, tend to think a lot of themselves and are extremely outgoing. Those who love dance music are equally extrovert but are more likely to be unfriendly and slightly self-centred.
Professor Adrian North, who led the study, said: "What this research really tries to get at is why music is such an important part of people's identity. What is it about music that helps us to define who we are?
"People often define their sense of identity through their musical taste, wearing particular clothes, going to certain pubs, and using certain types of slang. It's not so surprising that personality should also be related to musical preference."
Professor North also suggested that the results explain why so many people bond over music, and also why some of us are very protective about what we listen to, since it is likely to be profoundly linked to the person we are.
According to Professor North, both heavy metal and classical fans are united by a shared "love of the grandiose", which means that a Metallica fan is far more likely to listen to Mahler than an indie kid is to give reggae a try.
"Aside from their age difference, they're basically the same kind of person," he said. "Lots of heavy metal fans will tell you that they also like Wagner, because it's big, loud and brash. There's also a sense of theatre in both heavy rock and classical music, and I suspect that this is what they're really trying to get at when they listen."
John Gregson, 23, a classically-trained musician with a passion for heavy metal, agrees. "As an instrumentalist, out of all of the main genres of music heavy metal and classical are the ones which require the most discipline to play – they're technically very difficult and involve playing at inhumanly fast speeds," he said.
"You feel like you're in on a secret – you identify with it personally. It also feels like you know something that other people don't, because you appreciate a style of music which is often vilified."
What your music says about you
Indie: Devotees have low self-esteem and are not very hard-working, kind or generous. However, they are creative.
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Rock 'n' Roll: Fans have high self-esteem and are very creative, hard-working and at ease with themselves, but not very kind or generous.
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Blues: High self-esteem, creative, outgoing and at ease with themselves.
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Classical: Classical music lovers have high self-esteem, are creative and at ease with themselves, but not outgoing.
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Heavy metal: Very creative and at ease with themselves, but not very outgoing or hard-working.
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Reggae: High self-esteem, creative, outgoing, kind, generous and at ease with themselves, but not very hard-working.
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Country & Western: Very hard-working and outgoing.
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Dance: Creative and outgoing but not kind or generous.
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Rap: High self-esteem, outgoing.
From The Independent, London England
www.independent.co.uk
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