Music!
Taking a cue from interimlover, I thought it would be interesting to compile a list of all the places I scour for new/interesting music. I get this request fairly often (in real life anyway, a lot of you guys on here are just as up on shit as i am, or more so), so I thought it'd be fun, and it's something I could point people to. Deep breath...
DiscoDust: http://discodust.blogspot.com/
Genres: Disco . House . Electro
Probably the biggest blog around for this type of music. Lots of disco flavored tracks here, stuff dripping with a vintage synth sound. Also a lot of electro bangers. The guys (or guy and girl i think) over there have a lot of exclusive tracks on the blog, so you can feel cool getting stuff before anyone else, or at least right after everyone who knows the artists, lol. There's also the occasional interview on there with some pretty big names. Also of note, though this is a bit OT: their site design is done by The Zonders. Though I don't particularly like that particular design, their stuff is absolutely fantastic, check it out! Equally impressive is ---{ http://deathelectro.com/ }--- which I won't really elaborate on, since it's pretty much the same stuff posted there, and you see some overlapping. They've got some exclusive tracks as well, and the occasional remix contest, etc.
Some close relatives, also of note:
http://www.discobelle.net/
http://www.discodelicious.com/
http://www.arawa.fm/ (actually this blog specializes in mostly older stuff, actual vintage synth tracks rather than stuff that just sounds like it. check out some of Tommy's mixes, they're really pretty incredible...)
http://www.the-c-m-c.com/
http://toomanysebastians.blogspot.com/
http://www.resonatormag.com/
http://plaidmusic.blogspot.com/
http://w-ki.com/ (actually, not really a close relative. this is more straight up techno/tech house/minimal techno stuff)
Valerie: http://www.valeriecollective.com/
Genres: retro synth . disco . 80s throwback . electro
This is probably my favorite find of the past year. Based in France, this collective puts out some astonishingly good music. If you're ever curious what it felt like to live through the 80s, just put on one of their mixes. Even their name Valerie, was chosen because it was emblematic of the times. They have a really stunning roster of artists, and regularly post individual tracks and mixes from like-minded musicians. They are really much more than just a label putting out music, they've sort of carved out a whole niche for themselves, strengthened by the images accompanying every post. These are the guys who'd probably kick a girl to the curb to sleep with their favorite vintage synth. Check out their first compilation "Valerie and Friends", which can be bought directly from them, or on iTunes too i believe. (note, their design is also done by The Zonders)
IDM Trade: http://idmtrade.blogspot.com/
Genres: IDM . Net Label . Experimental . Ambient
A good source for your staple IDM. To be honest i haven't been checking this place as much recently, but they used to be really solid with their posts. If you look through the tags, you can still find some great stuff, and their are links to stuff in the comment box regularly as well.
Funky Souls: http://forum.funkysouls.com/
Genres: Everything
A russian forum. I think they have movies too, but i can't be assed to check, hehe. The site is -mostly- in russian, but registering is easy enough, which gets you access to the forums, where there is what could only be described as a wealth of music. Just hop on, search for an artist, and be delighted when you see a 20 page thread pop up! Ok, it's not always that great. For big names, expect to find anything you want pretty much. For smaller more obscure stuff... it can still be a great resource, but don't count on it. Also, links die somewhat quickly around there. people are pretty good at reposting stuff, but they're frequently on russian hosting sites like narod.ru or ifolder.ru, and if you're particularly afraid of spam, you might want to steer clear.
I am Rare: http://community.livejournal.com/i_am_rare/
Genres: Everything
Just as the name implies, you can find some rare stuff here. To music psychos like me, and maybe you who are reading this, a lot of the stuff might not seem rare, but i've found that i can pretty reliably download something i know nothing about, and end up with something good. A lot of it is in russian, but pretty frequently there will be english snippets. Enough to discern a genre, or similar artists. I've found that downloading based on album covers works well also! A good portion of my fav stuff recently have been unexpected unknown finds here.
Basic Sounds: http://basic_sounds.blogspot.com/
Genres: Techno . IDM . Ambient . Dubstep
interimlover said it better than i was going to so i'll just put what he said: "Canada's number 1 export if you ask me... no one even comes close to getting the word out about up n' coming artists and new releases in the world of non-cheesy electronic dance music. You won't find any Tiesto's or PVD's here... but you may just find your album of the year or maybe your new favorite visual artist."
I used to check this site all the time, but it was one of those things i didn't have bookmarked, and at one point or another, i lost track of it, but it is really a great site, so i have to thank you Ario for reminding me it exists, hehe.
The Quiet Sounds: http://www.asphalteden.com/
Genres: Ambient
I should state first off, that i've never downloaded anything from this site. I've stumbled across it a few times, and was reminded of it today because of interimlover. I'll admit, i've never been a huge fan of mixes. i'm too scatterbrained to listen to mixes usually, I like to micro-manage when i listen to music, so that's why i've never downloaded anything. But scrolling down the page, inspecting some of the mixes that are posted here, it looks like they'd be pretty great. Maybe it seems weird to recommend something you've never used, but this post is about exposure, so here it is!
Tsunogae: http://community.livejournal.com/tsunogae/
Genres: Asian indie + experimental
A very nice music rotation. You'll find all things Asian and indie here. Japanese, Korean, Chinese. A lot of indie rock, experimental noise/sound stuff, as well as some off-kilter pop and picopop stuff too. Short descriptions or personal musings accompany most albums. I find that her selections are really great, and have discovered quite a few really enjoyable artists through this journal.
8BitCollective: http://8bitcollective.com/
Genres: Chiptune!
Yep, it's the only thing you'll find here, so if you're not into chip music, look elsewhere! This place is a hangout for people in the scene, and they have unmoderated music submissions, so anyone can upload tracks. I find that I rarely check through unknown postings, but rather, check in occasionally to see if the people i know have uploaded anything new. If you're looking for a chiptune show to got to though, the forums here are the place to check!
8BitPeoples: http://www.8bitpeoples.com/
Genres: Chiptune!
Pretty much THE chiptune label, started by 2 giants of the scene, Nullsleep and Bitshifter, now much more than what it started as. These guys are responsible for the biggest yearly chiptune show, Blip Festival. They've got a pretty killer discography, so get over there and just start downloading, chances are you'll like it, if you're into chiptunes.
The next bunch i'm going to just lump into the general categories of niche/obscure:
http://whatfuckedyou.blogspot.com/ (obscure stuff, maybe a slight lean toward japanese stuff)
http://synopsiselektronica.blogspot.com/ (a lot of early synth stuff. one of those blogs where it seems like he's the only person left who has _____ album, and you're damn lucky he's posting it online)
http://mutant-sounds.blogspot.com/ (like interimlover said, If you want weird, experimental, bizarre, craziness, look no further)
http://differentwaters.blogspot.com/ (a lot of ethnic dance stuff)
http://community.livejournal.com/avantsoundjapan (rare or experimental stuff from japan. sort of off the radar recently. people used to post more...)
The next bunch i'm going to just lump into the general categories of Asian/Pop:
http://mullemeck.serveftp.org/jps_beta/index.php (a torrent tracker for japanese pop. pretty much what you'd expect to find)
http://community.livejournal.com/japan_uploads/
http://community.livejournal.com/k_indie/
http://community.livejournal.com/contemode/ (specifically for music relating to the label Contemode (run by the man behind Capsule, MEG, Perfume, Ami Suzuki and more)
http://community.livejournal.com/jpop_uploads/
The next bunch i'm going to just lump into the general categories of Indie:
http://www.wavesatnight.com/ (indie music with more a dance slant i guess)
http://butterxface.blogspot.com/ (punk/garage/psych stuff mostly. i can't tell if they're faking their trendyness or not, but they're amusing in any case, and there are some gems to be found here)
http://community.livejournal.com/folktronica/ (just what the name implies.... kind of. shoegaze/psych/net-label stuff)
http://www.nodata.tv/ (this place has everything really. any major indie/dance release.. it's probably here)
http://anotherneedleinthehay.blogspot.com/ (japanese indie stuff)
http://www.honeypower.net/ (indie and dance)
http://lovelifewith.us/ (more dance and disco stuff, but it's sort of a visual blog too)
http://community.livejournal.com/indie_exchange/profile (kind of an annoying community to follow, so i don't friend it, but just check in occasionally. Good if you're looking for something specific. search the tags for what you want)
I know I'm probably forgetting at least 10 other sites probably, but I like to torture myself and forget to bookmark things, so i can spend hours trying to remember where i downloaded _____ track or album. Hope this is useful to those of you looking for more places to find new music. or music that's new to you anyway!
DiscoDust: http://discodust.blogspot.com/
Genres: Disco . House . Electro
Probably the biggest blog around for this type of music. Lots of disco flavored tracks here, stuff dripping with a vintage synth sound. Also a lot of electro bangers. The guys (or guy and girl i think) over there have a lot of exclusive tracks on the blog, so you can feel cool getting stuff before anyone else, or at least right after everyone who knows the artists, lol. There's also the occasional interview on there with some pretty big names. Also of note, though this is a bit OT: their site design is done by The Zonders. Though I don't particularly like that particular design, their stuff is absolutely fantastic, check it out! Equally impressive is ---{ http://deathelectro.com/ }--- which I won't really elaborate on, since it's pretty much the same stuff posted there, and you see some overlapping. They've got some exclusive tracks as well, and the occasional remix contest, etc.
Some close relatives, also of note:
http://www.discobelle.net/
http://www.discodelicious.com/
http://www.arawa.fm/ (actually this blog specializes in mostly older stuff, actual vintage synth tracks rather than stuff that just sounds like it. check out some of Tommy's mixes, they're really pretty incredible...)
http://www.the-c-m-c.com/
http://toomanysebastians.blogspot.com/
http://www.resonatormag.com/
http://plaidmusic.blogspot.com/
http://w-ki.com/ (actually, not really a close relative. this is more straight up techno/tech house/minimal techno stuff)
Valerie: http://www.valeriecollective.com/
Genres: retro synth . disco . 80s throwback . electro
This is probably my favorite find of the past year. Based in France, this collective puts out some astonishingly good music. If you're ever curious what it felt like to live through the 80s, just put on one of their mixes. Even their name Valerie, was chosen because it was emblematic of the times. They have a really stunning roster of artists, and regularly post individual tracks and mixes from like-minded musicians. They are really much more than just a label putting out music, they've sort of carved out a whole niche for themselves, strengthened by the images accompanying every post. These are the guys who'd probably kick a girl to the curb to sleep with their favorite vintage synth. Check out their first compilation "Valerie and Friends", which can be bought directly from them, or on iTunes too i believe. (note, their design is also done by The Zonders)
IDM Trade: http://idmtrade.blogspot.com/
Genres: IDM . Net Label . Experimental . Ambient
A good source for your staple IDM. To be honest i haven't been checking this place as much recently, but they used to be really solid with their posts. If you look through the tags, you can still find some great stuff, and their are links to stuff in the comment box regularly as well.
Funky Souls: http://forum.funkysouls.com/
Genres: Everything
A russian forum. I think they have movies too, but i can't be assed to check, hehe. The site is -mostly- in russian, but registering is easy enough, which gets you access to the forums, where there is what could only be described as a wealth of music. Just hop on, search for an artist, and be delighted when you see a 20 page thread pop up! Ok, it's not always that great. For big names, expect to find anything you want pretty much. For smaller more obscure stuff... it can still be a great resource, but don't count on it. Also, links die somewhat quickly around there. people are pretty good at reposting stuff, but they're frequently on russian hosting sites like narod.ru or ifolder.ru, and if you're particularly afraid of spam, you might want to steer clear.
I am Rare: http://community.livejournal.com/i_am_rare/
Genres: Everything
Just as the name implies, you can find some rare stuff here. To music psychos like me, and maybe you who are reading this, a lot of the stuff might not seem rare, but i've found that i can pretty reliably download something i know nothing about, and end up with something good. A lot of it is in russian, but pretty frequently there will be english snippets. Enough to discern a genre, or similar artists. I've found that downloading based on album covers works well also! A good portion of my fav stuff recently have been unexpected unknown finds here.
Basic Sounds: http://basic_sounds.blogspot.com/
Genres: Techno . IDM . Ambient . Dubstep
interimlover said it better than i was going to so i'll just put what he said: "Canada's number 1 export if you ask me... no one even comes close to getting the word out about up n' coming artists and new releases in the world of non-cheesy electronic dance music. You won't find any Tiesto's or PVD's here... but you may just find your album of the year or maybe your new favorite visual artist."
I used to check this site all the time, but it was one of those things i didn't have bookmarked, and at one point or another, i lost track of it, but it is really a great site, so i have to thank you Ario for reminding me it exists, hehe.
The Quiet Sounds: http://www.asphalteden.com/
Genres: Ambient
I should state first off, that i've never downloaded anything from this site. I've stumbled across it a few times, and was reminded of it today because of interimlover. I'll admit, i've never been a huge fan of mixes. i'm too scatterbrained to listen to mixes usually, I like to micro-manage when i listen to music, so that's why i've never downloaded anything. But scrolling down the page, inspecting some of the mixes that are posted here, it looks like they'd be pretty great. Maybe it seems weird to recommend something you've never used, but this post is about exposure, so here it is!
Tsunogae: http://community.livejournal.com/tsunogae/
Genres: Asian indie + experimental
A very nice music rotation. You'll find all things Asian and indie here. Japanese, Korean, Chinese. A lot of indie rock, experimental noise/sound stuff, as well as some off-kilter pop and picopop stuff too. Short descriptions or personal musings accompany most albums. I find that her selections are really great, and have discovered quite a few really enjoyable artists through this journal.
8BitCollective: http://8bitcollective.com/
Genres: Chiptune!
Yep, it's the only thing you'll find here, so if you're not into chip music, look elsewhere! This place is a hangout for people in the scene, and they have unmoderated music submissions, so anyone can upload tracks. I find that I rarely check through unknown postings, but rather, check in occasionally to see if the people i know have uploaded anything new. If you're looking for a chiptune show to got to though, the forums here are the place to check!
8BitPeoples: http://www.8bitpeoples.com/
Genres: Chiptune!
Pretty much THE chiptune label, started by 2 giants of the scene, Nullsleep and Bitshifter, now much more than what it started as. These guys are responsible for the biggest yearly chiptune show, Blip Festival. They've got a pretty killer discography, so get over there and just start downloading, chances are you'll like it, if you're into chiptunes.
The next bunch i'm going to just lump into the general categories of niche/obscure:
http://whatfuckedyou.blogspot.com/ (obscure stuff, maybe a slight lean toward japanese stuff)
http://synopsiselektronica.blogspot.com/ (a lot of early synth stuff. one of those blogs where it seems like he's the only person left who has _____ album, and you're damn lucky he's posting it online)
http://mutant-sounds.blogspot.com/ (like interimlover said, If you want weird, experimental, bizarre, craziness, look no further)
http://differentwaters.blogspot.com/ (a lot of ethnic dance stuff)
http://community.livejournal.com/avantsoundjapan (rare or experimental stuff from japan. sort of off the radar recently. people used to post more...)
The next bunch i'm going to just lump into the general categories of Asian/Pop:
http://mullemeck.serveftp.org/jps_beta/index.php (a torrent tracker for japanese pop. pretty much what you'd expect to find)
http://community.livejournal.com/japan_uploads/
http://community.livejournal.com/k_indie/
http://community.livejournal.com/contemode/ (specifically for music relating to the label Contemode (run by the man behind Capsule, MEG, Perfume, Ami Suzuki and more)
http://community.livejournal.com/jpop_uploads/
The next bunch i'm going to just lump into the general categories of Indie:
http://www.wavesatnight.com/ (indie music with more a dance slant i guess)
http://butterxface.blogspot.com/ (punk/garage/psych stuff mostly. i can't tell if they're faking their trendyness or not, but they're amusing in any case, and there are some gems to be found here)
http://community.livejournal.com/folktronica/ (just what the name implies.... kind of. shoegaze/psych/net-label stuff)
http://www.nodata.tv/ (this place has everything really. any major indie/dance release.. it's probably here)
http://anotherneedleinthehay.blogspot.com/ (japanese indie stuff)
http://www.honeypower.net/ (indie and dance)
http://lovelifewith.us/ (more dance and disco stuff, but it's sort of a visual blog too)
http://community.livejournal.com/indie_exchange/profile (kind of an annoying community to follow, so i don't friend it, but just check in occasionally. Good if you're looking for something specific. search the tags for what you want)
I know I'm probably forgetting at least 10 other sites probably, but I like to torture myself and forget to bookmark things, so i can spend hours trying to remember where i downloaded _____ track or album. Hope this is useful to those of you looking for more places to find new music. or music that's new to you anyway!