Here is a page that you can bookmark, add to your list of favorites, and then email to your friends in order to share the absolute bliss that comes with finding incredible new music. Whether you are a fan of underground hip-hop, an uber-cool indie kid, a teary-eyed emo hipster, or a classic rock aficionado, at least one of these sites is sure to guide you toward a new and intriguing musical experience. Just click or copy and paste the URLs and you are on your way. (Clicking will open the sites in new browser windows.)
This is one of my new favorite websites. Pandora allows the listener to search for their favorite musical artists and find other groups/artists that have similar sonic qualities. Enter any group/artist into the station selector and use the icons to skip forward or backward. If the station begins playing songs that do not appeal to you, simply click on the "thumbs down" icon to eliminate that artist from your playlist. Listeners are only permitted six songs per hour (unless they subscribe for free) on each station, but once your six songs have expired you can log out and try again later, or you can simply search for a new artist and continue listening to music for free. This site was created by the Music Genome Project, and the range of artists may surprise you.
Synthesis.net is a multimedia website created by Synthesis magazine that allows bloggers to post their own reviews on music and the arts. It is a great place to find interesting news and opinions about artists of all genres, ranging from death metal to electronic and hip-hop.
This site offers a multitude of album and performance revues for indie and hip-hop artists. While browsing this site you are likely to find references to tons of artists you have never listened to before. You will also find all of the latest tour and album news for artists like the Thermals, Timbaland, Sebadoh, Midlake, and Rich Boy. You can also download Podcasts (in fact, hip-hop fans should check this one out right now http://www.prefixmag.com/features/P/prefix-podcast/527) and sample MP3s.
Music junkies who are thirsty for insightful commentary on just about anything music-related will enjoy Earpollution. There are hundreds of reviews with hyperlinks to just about every artist that fits within the spectrum of popular music. This site also offers columns regarding new technology and industry politics.
4AD provides one of the most interactive record label websites and features artists such as TV On The Radio, Blonde Redhead, and the Breeders. Band journals, videos, and tour dates are also available.
Billboard music charts will help you follow the latest trends in the realm of pop music. Billboard offers artist interviews, profiles, tour diaries, and album reviews so you can stay up-to-date with the undertakings of your current favorite artists and discover some new popular talent in the process.
This site is called the Hype Machine and consists of a compilation of music blogs. Each blogger contributes his/her favorite songs, which can be downloaded and listened to for free. The listener does not have any control over what songs will be posted, but these bloggers seem to be complete music junkies who offer an interesting variety of music from Top 40 pop to obscure remixes of underground artists and rare live performances.
This site offers musical artists from eighteen different genres, and allows the listener to select the decade, the mood, and the fidelity level of the music. For example, the listener might choose low-fidelity Reggae music from the 1970s that is characterized by an "energetic," "dark," "calm," or "positive" mood.
http://www.allrecordlabels.com
Here is an all-in-one search engine to help you find websites for record labels that cater to the genre of your choice. All of the record labels are listed alphabetically, with one featured label per week. As you may already know, searching your favorite artists' record labels will lead you to other artists who share a similar sound or style. This site alone could keep any person occupied for months on end.
Allmusic.com allows music fans to browse hundreds of very specific genres (Hong Kong Pop, Garage Rock Revival, Turntablism), many of which I have never even heard of. Just click on any genre to hear samples of artists who are representative of that style. This is a great way to find out what styles like "happy hardcore," "twee pop," or "neo-classical metal" sound like.
This site features a mixtape generator where you can submit your idea for a mixtape (for example: "songs to put Ikea furniture together to"). Then, a "mix tape robot" may or may not generate a mix tape based on your suggestion. Of course, there are a limited number of "mix tape robots," so do not get depressed if your request goes unanswered. You can always browse existing mixtapes whose titles seem relative to the mood you are in. After a breakup you might choose something like "after you left I had nothing to come home to anymore." Or, if you are feeling inferior to your mate, try something like "I'm a high school dropout and she's almost through her master's program."
Pitchforkmedia focuses on indie and hip-hop artists who are popular on the college radio circuit. This site offers artist reviews, tour schedules, and interviews. Click on some of the featured artists to watch videos and hear full-length samples of their music, or click on the "Forkcast" icon to gain access to a regularly-updated, seventy song playlist.
Allhiphop.com is purely dedicated to rap and hip-hop artists. You can download entire tracks by artists like Yung Joc, Lil Wayne, Currency, and Young Buck. You will also find plenty of reviews, the latest news, and gossip related to the hip-hop world.
Punknews.org is a site that allows fans of punk and all of its sub-genres to procure the latest news regarding album releases and tour dates. While browsing this website you'll find links to bands and punk record labels. Fans of hardcore punk will have to weed through quite a bit of really weak, emo-tinged power-pop, but will nevertheless find this site useful.
Lawrence.com will be especially useful for those who value live performance. This site lists upcoming shows at the Granada, Bottleneck, Jackpot, and Replay Lounge, along with profiles of local artists, reviews, and tour dates.
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