How to discover good music

The music industry today is in a really weird place for both professionals and fans. CD sales are down in the music business, download sales are up. Vinyl sales are even up. The production of most new music being played on radio and televsion is so overly done that all of the rawness and heart of the songs are gone. But, that doesn't mean great music still isn't being made.

In this article I'll give you some tips on how to discover good music. So, get ready for a boat load of information. And, I'll expect you to go out and discover something new.. and alternative. Anything but the new Kenny Chesney record.. or the new Britney Spears single.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• an interest in music
• good taste in music
• some level of frustration over the current state of mainstream music
• money to purchase music
• the ability to forget what is supposed to be "cool" and "good" according to your peers

1. Read some music magazines. At your local Barnes & Noble, Borders, Books a Million, or local book store you can find great magazines. It's really that simple. Sit down for 30 minutes to an hour flipping through some music magazines and you'll be very interested in what you read. Some magazines that cover all types of great music and not just one genre are: No Depression Magazine(mainly country, blues, folk, bluegrass, some jazz, soul, and rock music), Hittin the Note Magazine (blues, rock, jazz), Performing Songwriter (folk, singer-songwriter, country, rock, blues), Mojo magazine, American Songwriter, and many more.

2. Search online for great music. There are many magazines who post a lot of content online. Infact, No Depression just launched a great web site @ NoDepression.net that has a lot of news and reviews. MySpace is also a great way to listen to music and discover new music. Live365.com is a fantastic group of internet radio stations where you can hear some great new artists.

3. Listen to XM or Sirius satellite radio. On my Directtv I get XM radio for free starting at around channel 800. I'm pretty sure that on Dish Network you can get Sirius satellite radio for free. These two places are perfect for discovering new music.. the music channels are really amazing. Don't be afraid to listen to music you wouldn't normally listen to or pay much attention to. With an open mind you'll be surprised how many great songs you can hear.

4. Find out what concerts are coming to your nearest city. I live close to Nashville and there are always some great acts coming into town. In the Nashville paper and entertainment papers they always list detailed descriptions of the artists coming to town to perform. If a description seems interesting, look up the artist online and listen to tracks.. if you're still impressed, go see the show. It doesn't always have to be a huge stadium act.. the best music being made today are mainly by acts who perform in clubs.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep an open mind. Get serious about music. If you've felt burnt out on music for a long time, it's probably because you think the only music being made today is what the radio plays. Not true.
• Soul music fan? Check out the new cd by Al Green titled "Lay it Down". Do you like Sam Cooke and music of that era and wondering why "they don't make music like that anymore"..? Well, check out a new artist named James Hunter. Blues fan? Look up the Black Keys. Like up tempo rock n roll music? Check out the Subways. Country music? Check out Br549, Paul Burch, Thad Cockrell, Dave Gleason, or Justin Townes Earle. Folk music? Check out Devendra Banhart. I could go on and on. There's great music to be heard.

Resources

• No Depression Magazine
• Performing Songwriter Magazine
• Relix Magazine
• Hittin the Note Magazine
• Gary Bennett - great country artist
• Young Jazz Giants - great new jazz band
• The Black Keys - great blues/rock
• James Hunter - great new classic sounding soul artist

[UkieGirl]

on 10/22/2008 Awesome article! I love the Black Keys. I will check these out. I love hearing new sounds.

Anyone who wants to hear some other great tunes can listen to Neutral Milk Hotel, Camera Obscura or Jon Dominguez (http://www.myspace.com/jonivandominguez). Check them out, they're great!