Finding your way with Independent Music

The beauty of the internet age is that people can publish their music from their homes, from their schools, even from the public library. This phenomenon even applies to self-publishing literary works...

The not-beauty of the internet age is that people can publish their music from their homes, from their schools, even from the public library.

Confused? Hang on a minute...

When it becomes easy for people to do something, many more people do it - but this growth in quantity doesn't mean they do it well (quality). So, it becomes a public minefield of music that ranges from the sublimely inspired to the insanely un-listenable.



How do we wade through it? How do we (as listeners) find the nuggets of music we'll enjoy?

There are at least two ways to look at the solution:
1) Look at music discovery as though you're wandering through a YouTube adventure - find some decent music sites, and start listening. Look at the other artists on the pages and listen to them, follow their links, listen to the next, etc.

Let's call it a "music safari." I think music safaris are a blast.

2) Ask friends, family members, co-workers, and people with whom you interact. Every person with whom I converse on this subject always has an opinion. It is not unusual to hear of a band/artist/type of music of which I've never heard... "Yeah, I like Mastodon - have you heard that they just released a new album?" or "I listen to pretty much anything they play on {some radio station}." or "I heard this awesome artist on internet radio last night - I'd never heard of him/her before, but I'm going to find some more! His/Her name is {some name}."

Let's call this one "pimp my ears."


Whether you love to wander through the musical landscape on safari, or if you ask other folks about what they've found, listen! There is a phenomenal amount of great indie (and indie-indie) music out there. It is very much worth panning through bags of dirt to find a ruby or diamond!