Среда 1 Авг 2007, 22:28

Going off the beaten track. Down dark alleys with just a torch and my fingers crossed, hoping I'll be ok. Being brave and trying anyway.

Trying to find out about music that the press doesn't cover, that there is no convenient MySpace page for let alone a next-to-useless artist's own website, is already proving frustrating and I've only just started. Sometimes, there's a reason why there are so few listeners, and it ain't nothing to do with quality! } I

I don't mind being challenged, that's fine, I expect that. I do mind being insulted. You can't make any old racket, slap a label on it and call it music. Sorry, it doesn't wash with me, not even if you tell me you come under some fancypants underground über-cool genre. Not impressed. Look at my face -> : / Basically, it's not enough.

I don't know what other people do, but I try to let my instincts guide me. The advantage of hearing something before everyone else is I don't feel obliged to agree/disagree with other people. (Self-esteem issues, I'm sure). It's just me and the music and I get to decide for myself. I like that.

On my list of non-mainstream sources to check out are:

* join groups that specialise in genres I'm interested in, or that focus on non-commercial/non-mainstream music

* try tag radios that people have built

* listen to 'artists similar to'

* listen to tagged genres, eg experimental

* browse Last.fm for reviews and journals

* ask people

* search the web for specialist sites, eg the latest in Bollywood, latest folk news, etc. Then read them all regularly! :s

* listen to specialist radio online, eg SOAS

One thing I'm a bit stumped on is how / where I'm going to find out about the latest news in classical and opera. I know I could read the Sunday papers, but that's not good enough because I can't hear what they're talking about. In any case, I'm not very impressed with the current stable of Russell Watson, Russell Watson, Katherine Jenkins, *cringe* Charlotte Church, and then yet more flamin' Russell Watson. I am also not keen on bratty conducters imposing their will* on classical music, so I think I might have to accept I'm a Royal Philharmonic Orchestra girl and just leave it at that. Which is rubbish because how can I call myself a music reviewer if I'm having trouble with an entire world of music?? Does opera have to stop at Maria Callas? Seems to, for me.

This new project of mine is going to be difficult because I want things now. Yesterday. But I don't want anyone else to do the filtering for me. I want to do that myself. In order to do that, I have to subject myself to stuff I don't like (and yes, utter dross). So I'd best keep some paracetamol handy, huh?

edit * ok, except for maybe Leonard Bernstein.