Sunday, February 8, 2009

An Introduction

The explosion of music online in recent years has forced me into a downward spiral of despair and depravity, known as OCD. Obsessive compulsive downloading has led me to enjoy some of the greatest bands that you have and haven't heard of. One day, my number one source for discovering new music (not a blog) was shut down.

The music blog scene has grown as fast as anything new does on the internet, so I was reluctant at first to start one of my own. I thought there must already be a music blog I could rely on for great new music. Instead, I found something of a void: No one reports on only the best music, the artists and songs that almost anyone would agree are a cut above the rest, no matter the genre.

This isn't a blog for bloggers. The music blog scene is just that, a scene. For those outside of the scene, it seems like an overwhelming mess of popular and unpopular blogs, all reporting on either the same music, or music in some niche no one really cares about. The bands that blaze across the blogosphere become top sellers at major retailers, even though they know they'll never be nominated for a Grammy, because that's for mainstream artists.

Much of the general public is frustrated with the lack of selection and sub-par music that's forced upon them by the only sources they know: radio, iTunes and friends who recommend more of the same. The record industry as we know it is dying, which only makes it worse for ordinary people who don't know where to find quality independent music. I can recommend a band to a friend and know that they'll not only enjoy it, but also express their gratitude for helping them find something great that they don't hear on the radio eight times a day.

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