Where do you find new music?
Since some of us (and you know who you are) constantly lament the lack of good new music, that begs the question…
Where do you find new music?
For me, it is mostly thru Pandora.com. I’ve programmed my station at Pandora.com to be music I can listen to while working. Since I’ve been “teaching” Pandora what music I like for almost 3 years now, it really is very suited to my taste. I find new new music and old stuff I had never heard before. But obviously limited by what I have seeded the station with.
I still listen to the radio sometimes. My favorite stations are the non-commercial WPKN at the University of Bridgeport and the commercial station WEHM in Long Island which is very much an anomaly in commercial radio, just check out one of their playlists. And every once in a while, I’ll actually hear something on a TV show or movie soundtrack (Once comes to mind) that I like.
I hardly ever try artists I’ve read about or someone else has recommended. I need to hear an artist for the first time without any preconceived notions.
That’s it for me. A very small universe to find new music in…
So what am I missing? Where can you discover more new music?
April 19th, 2009 at 5:32 am
So far the only radio I’ve found worth listening to is WRXP (http://www.1019rxp.com/). They play both old and new rock, give special focus to new local (tri-state area) bands, even have one separate stream on their website exclusively for new music.
April 19th, 2009 at 7:56 am
I usually find it on street corners. In the bad parts of town. From strange looking people…
Or read. I read reviews – either online or in magazines like Songlines(for world music) or Mojo. You can tell by the way they talk about a band whether you should give them a listen or not. That is how I found the Hold Steady and dozens of other bands. And iTunes 30 second sample helps in this regard. iTunes also occassionally highlights new bands (though they usually suck). Pandora takes too much effort and I am only home from 8 to 11 each night and have other things to do. I am starting to listen to 3wk again online when I come in on the weekend. They do the whole alternative, college scene extensively.
The thing is – you have to take a chance. Sometimes I pick up a CD just because I like the cover art and I’ve had a good rate of success at that.
April 20th, 2009 at 4:05 pm
I was just about to ask this question. Given my musical tastes, in has been next to impossible to find anything new lately. It has been five months since I bought anything new, which is my longest time with new music since I left the womb. No one plays the music I like on any radio station or music video station. I used to just browse record stores and pick up things that looked good, or found compilations that had different bands on them, but those have even dried up. And other than this illustrious group, I refuse to take others word for good bands. I bought the Strokes and Artic Monkeys off this type of recommendation, and damn near puked upon listening to the first song of each CD. I really need help in this area!
April 20th, 2009 at 6:28 pm
If you haven’t heard the Constantines, the Hold Steady or the Thermals – give them a shot. I’m not fond of the Strokes or Artic Monkeys either. Look for magazines with free CDs. Stay away from the Shins or anyone who sounds like them. Get a computer.
April 20th, 2009 at 8:00 pm
I second the motion, Mike….get a computer. ;>)
April 20th, 2009 at 9:17 pm
the day Mike gets a computer…
I figured finding new music would be the hardest for Mike. I think when I was with WHUS there were decent shows for hardcore or progressive rock. Now?!? I don’t even know what radio station you could try.
Live365.com has a ton of stations but you really have to search and try them out to find ones you like. I usually enter the most obscure artist I like, then browse the stations that come up to see what else they play. Sometimes you get lucky.
April 24th, 2009 at 3:13 pm
Ok, I admit it — I’m spoiled. I have a son who knows what I like, and turns me on to artists I never would have otherwise thought to listen to (or knew who they were frankly). So, Michael, maybe you can hire Tommy to find new stuff for you. I do listen to iTunes and MySpace, which is where I heard The Hold Steady for the first time, and liked what I heard enough to buy their CD that had been at the top of a lot of year-end lists.
May 1st, 2009 at 6:29 pm
i hear new music in my head…
check out the myspace, http://www.myspace.com/twaswindmills , 2 miles south of Ranaldo, theres a song in there somewhere
May 19th, 2009 at 4:26 pm
Y’all should quit trying to find new music and begin appreciating the old…big band, swing, the 50s…fire up the flux capacitor, Marty, we’re going back to the future!
May 20th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
Not a bad idea…