How do you find out about current music?

Cafe Society
1

I used to listen to college radio but that was often intolerable even though one station, WPRB is pretty good as college stations go. Then for a while there was alternative station that listened to all of the time, but they died long ago.

I eventually settled on Last.fm as my go to place, and I still like them since they do a good job of sticking to the genres I select, but I often find a band that I like no longer exists or at least hasn’t produced anything in years. That’s fine, but can be a little disheartening if it’s someone you really like.

But if I want to listen mainly to current artists and releases, where do I go?

edit: in terms of genres, I’m talking about things that would have been considered “alternative” - not hip-hop, rap, etc. but broad spectrum is ok too.

2

I’ve got a Rhapsody account that lets me listen to all I want to as well as a subscription to AllMusic.com’s new release newsletter (email). I listen to pretty much new stuff when it comes out. Sometimes it’s just a couple songs and then I either pass or add it to my library.

3

Isn’t that overwhelming?

4

Dude. It’s a rare station that doesn’t offer internet streaming. I’d go crazy without my Current. If that doesn’t float your boat, search the internet for a radio station that does. (Part of why I like the current so much is no commercials!)

5

I listen to the stream at www.thecurrent.org quite a bit. The Chart Show is pretty good for new stuff. If I hear a song I like, I add it to my “Smorgasbord” playlist on Spotify. I also keep Shazam handy on my phone if I hear something I like when I’m out and about.

6

I really hate commercials and there are so many thousands of internet radio stations I just get lost.

However I guess I could just try to record the stream and then fast forward like I used to with regular radio. There is a station in NYC that plays the sort of stuff I like with the focus on new music but I avoid them because I can’t stand the commercials and I stopped recording radio long ago. Now I just have to dig up a proggie to record streaming media. :smack: Thanks.

7

The Current is station of Minnesota Public Radio, so like Inner Stickler said - no commercials.

8

I use Rdio. The New Releases list shows their latest additions. And Heavy Rotation shows stuff my friends are listening to often, which tends to be newer music.

To be fair though, most music made in the last 15 years is new to me.

9

[QUOTE=deltasigma]

Isn’t that overwhelming?
[/QUOTE]

Not really, here’s the list from Apr 16th’s email. Some I know I’ll want to listen to and others, I can tell by the genre that they probably won’t be my cup of tea (like Prog rock or House music, so I’ll skip those unless they’re highlighted).

Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Mosquito
Indie Rock

The Flaming Lips
The Terror
Lovely Sorts of Death Records / Warner Bros.
Alternative/Indie Rock

Fall Out Boy
Save Rock and Roll
Mercury
Emo-Pop

Major Lazer
Free the Universe
Because
Club/Dance

Kid Cudi
Indicud
Universal Republic
Rap

Iron & Wine
Ghost on Ghost
Nonesuch
Alternative Singer/Songwriter

Adrian Younge
Twelve Reasons to Die
Relativity / Soul Temple
East Coast Rap

Houses
A Quiet Darkness
Downtown
Indie Electronic

Steve Earle
The Low Highway
New West
Roots Rock

Willie Nelson
Let’s Face the Music and…
Legacy / Sony Legacy
Progressive Country

Charli XCX
True Romance
Asylum
Pop

Anika
Anika
Stones Throw
Alternative/Indie Rock

Thee Oh Sees
Floating Coffin
Castle Face
Indie Rock

The Shouting Matches
Grownass Man
BDC / Middle West
Roots Rock

Andrew Wyatt
Descender
Downtown
Indie Folk

Carla Bruni
Little French Songs
Verve
French

Ghost B.C.
Infestissumam
Island / Republic
Doom Metal

Letherette
Letherette
Ninja Tune
House

JJ Grey & Mofro
This River
Alligator Records
Contemporary Blues

Sarah Brightman
Dreamchaser
Simha
Classical Crossover

Allison Miller
No Morphine No Lilies
Foxhaven Records / Royal Potato Family Records
Progressive Jazz

Jane Monheit
The Heart of the Matter
Decca / Emarcy
Vocal Jazz

Life Coach
Alphawaves
Thrill Jockey
Art Rock

Locust
You’ll Be Safe Forever
Editions Mego
Ambient Techno

The Thermals
Desperate Ground
Saddle Creek Records
Indie Rock

Born Ruffians
Birthmarks
Yep Roc
Indie Rock

Meat Puppets
Rat Farm
Megaforce
Alternative/Indie Rock

André Previn
Change of Heart: The Songs…
Telarc
Piano Jazz

Art Brut
Top of the Pops
The End
Alternative/Indie Rock

Alexander O’Neal
Alexander O’Neal
Tabu
Contemporary R&B

Kim Richey
Thorn in My Heart
Yep Roc
Contemporary Country

Futurebirds
Baba Yaga
4L / Fat Possum / Turnstile / VL
Alternative Country-Rock

Barn Owl
V
Thrill Jockey
Alternative/Indie Rock

David Grubbs
The Plain Where the Palace…
Drag City
Alternative/Indie Rock

Rainbow Arabia
F.M. Sushi
Time No Place
Alternative/Indie Rock

Greyboy Allstars
Inland Emperor
Knowledge Room Recordings
Acid Jazz

Cyanide Pills
Still Bored
Damaged Goods
Alternative/Indie Rock

Styles P
Float
High Times Records
East Coast Rap

Tera Melos
X’ed Out
Sargent House
Experimental Rock

John Coltrane
Sun Ship: The Complete…
Verve
Avant-Garde Jazz

Shuggie Otis
Inspiration Information/Wings…
Epic/Legacy
Funk

Zomes
Time Was
Thrill Jockey
Alternative/Indie Rock

Dead Confederate
In the Marrow
Spiderbomb
Alternative/Indie Rock

Rob Mazurek Exploding Star Electro Acoustic Ensemble
The Space Between
Delmark
Jazz

Dump
I Can Hear Music
Morr
Alternative/Indie Rock

Dead Can Dance
In Concert
PIAS
Adult Alternative Pop/Rock

Pharaohs
Replicant Moods
100% Silk
Alternative Dance

Vicky Cryer
The Synthetic Love of…
Fancy Animal Records
Alternative/Indie Rock

Pacifica Quartet
The Soviet Experience,…
Cedille Records
Chamber Music

Daniel Hope
Spheres
DG Deutsche Grammophon
Concerto

Simian Mobile Disco
Live
Delicacies
House

Main
Ablation
Editions Mego
Alternative/Indie Rock

Various Artists
Arts & Crafts: 2003-2013
Arts & Crafts
Indie Rock

The Summer Set
Legendary
Fearless Records
Alternative/Indie Rock

Christina Pluhar
Mediterraneo
Virgin Classics
Vocal Music

Clavecin en Concert
Couperin: Concerts Royaux
Analekta
Keyboard

Andreas Haefliger
Schubert: Winterreise
Capriccio Records
Vocal Music

Andrew Nethsingha
Ascribe unto the Lord:…
Chandos
Choral

10

OK, I’m subscribed to allmusic and current is on the todo list. I don’t think I would use Rdio enough for it to be worthwhile and I know after awhile I’d probably end up calling my credit card company and bitch about this $4.99 charge that’s showing up every month that I never made. :smack: :slight_smile:

11

I trust to Spotify.

12

allmusic and Metal Hammer magazine. 'Nuff said.

13

Cool. Thanks for the heads up about Current guys.

For a good internet radio station (no commercials) that has a really good mix of new songs/artists + other stuff I recommend Radio Paradise. I’ve found a lot of new bands listening to it, and it’s become the default channel in my office at work, satisfying all of my coworkers. It’s not exactly what you asked for, but the Current suggestion made me decide to bring it up.

To find new stuff I check out Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, and KEXP’s ‘Best of’ lists. KEXP also has the best archive of in-studio performances I’ve ever seen. Seriously good stuff in there.

I also check Spotify’s “What’s new” section regularly. Pandora has a “College Indie” channel I listen to sometimes as well.

14

If your taste is truly eccentric, you might like The Watt From Pedro Show. It’s Mike Watt’s weekly podcast. Four hours of what Watt wants to play every week, usually split with his brother. There’s an archive back to 2001, with playlists. Any description I can give wouldn’t do it justice, and it’s turned me on to old and new acts that I’ve never heard of. My only warning is that he sometimes has more of an appetite for recordings using non-traditional definitions of music than even I do, and I can listen to a lot of noise rock.

15

I like NPR.org. They have a feature called “first listen”. You can hear the complete album of new releases. You can add them to your playlist.

16

You can try kexp.org out of Seattle - the two weekday morning shows (John Richards and Cheryl Waters) are good for indie rock and some electronic music. They have an archive of shows up to 2 weeks old that you can stream for free, in addition to the live streaming, current broadcast.