It depends on the music you like. If you're into contemporary alternative pop and rock, Paste magazine and website are excellent.
Satellite and internet radio offer extensive choice by genre. KCRW in Santa Monica and KEXP are excellent stations that play many different genres, and which broadcast on the internet as well as over the air.
Find a good magazine to your taste and a radio station that's not likely to be over the air and you'll discover a lot.
Buying mainstream magazines and listening to most over the air stations will get you nowhere, except for commercial stuff that is produced for mass consumption with little regard for artistry. |
Amazon.com is a great source of discovering new music. As a bonus, one can listen to samples as well. |
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Listening with friends and my monthly audio club meeting. |
I have XM radio in may car and on some of their channels, they provide
exposure to many artists you would never hear on mainstream radio. Other
than that, go fishing on Amazon -- they let you sample 30 to 60 second
snippets of several songs from each CD. Find something you like, find out
what else people bought who purchased that album, keep fishing, keep
sampling. I have found a bunch of great stuff in these ways.
Latest finds --
Amos Lee, Amos Lee
Trouble, Ray LaMontagne |
You could always try the website set up for Audiogon members called Lugs. http://www.lugsmusicreviews.comHopefully an update soon with the first of the 2005 reviews. |
Thanks for the links. I also use Amazon and their suggested lists alot.
I have been enjoying that Amos Lee release, and LaMontagne is on the list. Recently I heard "making plans for Nigel" by Nouvelle Vague and want the LP but it's a French import and the vinyl issue does not seem to be available in the US. Look it up, it's a very nice bluesy female vocal, just what I like. |
Try www.cduniverse.com they let you listen to samples of every song on a CD,unlike amazon.
Lots of reviews etc.also
But for buying CD's and a few SACD's try www.yourmusic.com $5.99/shipped!!
I buy all my CD's there now.I 'usually' go for remasters only and just bought 4 Elton John SACD's for $5.99/shipped each!! |
If you're into jazz, this is an excellent source:
http://www.jazzwithbobparlocha.com/top40/index.html |
I get alot from cruising the used record and CD bins at my neighborhood record store. Often, I buy music that I was unaware of by musicians that have interested me elsewhere. Those I like, I keep. Those I don't like go back to the record store. |
I agree that satalite radio is a good source. As usual, my older brother pointed me in the right direction and I resisted. It is just fine for sampling music, and it has actually provoked me to buy more music. As a result, I like my stereo just a bit more than I have in the past. Downside for me is that the signal is occationally lost to god knows what, and it still seems a bit redundant and a tad ho hum. New musicians- and newer ones and more, would probably be best. |
I want to second the cdbaby website. I started shopping there about three years ago and have purchased many fusion and standard jazz cds. Their music samples are two minutes long per sampled track and they have a great return policy.
Caution - this site may be bad for your bank account because it can become very enticing.
Since I had stopped listening to all non-NPR radio in late 1999, I want to thank those who mentioned other leads too. |
I use www.allmusic.com to search for artists or to read reviews, you can also hear parts of the songs and they provide a link to the vendor.
Rgds. |
If you have satelite or digital cable, use the list of commercial free music channels,,,,,thats what I do, not all music is covered but a bunch is |
bday0000
Thank you so much for posting with cdbaby.com....Can't believe I haven't heard of this site until now, but WOW this is GREAT!
Gary Jules & Jim Bianco....Holy Wah!
Z |
it's no longer a secret: www.pitchforkmedia.com for alternative reviews/news etc. |
I hit my local library and its branches almost every week. They've got a broad selection of music types and I just grab 10 disks and give them a spin over the weekend. I often find an album or two that is worth buying. The nice thing is that I can listen to an album a couple of times over 2-3 weeks to give it a fair shot. and with no cost involved, I have no hesitation picking something based on criteria as silly as cover art. |
