Not to go completely OT, and not to have my own little rant here, and not to sound like an old foggey by saying “back in my day”, BUT, back in my day record stores (yes they were called record stores back then) were locally owned. Not these but multinational chains (the HMSs, Virgins, Towers, Sam Goodies of the worlds, yuck). And I remember the local record stores carried local bands, go figure. And the sometimes you could meet these bands in there. The people that owned the shop worked in the shop and they would order really obscure stuff from some unheard of German band if you wanted. And these guys (and gals) actually LISTENED to the stuff that came in. Not just some playlist put together by the corporate heads. Then you could ask them and they would know about the music. AND they would put little notes on the dividers about each artist. So if you were looking in the section for Minisrty you would see a note that said, “if you like this band try Skinny Puppy”. A really great way to find out about new music. Do you see that now? Nope.
So my advice to you? Drive right past that big conglomerate music mega-plex and go to the local CD shop. If we all stop buying our CDs at Best Buy, the local shops will still be there for us in 10 years when we do want that obscure CD by that unheard of German band.
Sorry that got so long, I just had a bee in my bonnet. Oooh, that reminds me I haven’t listedn to TMBG in a long time, where’s that CD.
Stop buying at chain stores? But I wanna pay $20 for a CD. Really, I do.
$20? $20? Shit, I pay $35 for a new CD here. Sometimes I can get one for $25 on sale. wow…
I hate the US/Aussie exchange rate at the moment.
I hate chain stores! I have to go a couple of towns over to find a GOOD place to buy cds.
But I do love going into Sam Goody’s and asking for shit I know they don’t have to just to see the blank look on the clerk’s face.
me: Do you have the new Screeching Weasels or the new Mr T Experience?
clerk: huh?
me: How about the new Nashville Pussy?
clerk: Country music’s over there ::points::
And yes, I realize in Nirvana’s wake a lot of crap came about. Once the industry realized there was money to be made they signed anyone with a flannel shirt. Prime example-Stone Temple Pilots.
There were some good bands of the grunge era though that didn’t make it big…Mudhoney and Babes in Toyland are two good examples.
::singing Bruise Violet::
Y’know, WSBB, that’s funny. I used to think the same thing about Modest Mouse, I never got the hype. Then after hearing the “The Lonesome Crowded West” Album for the 3rd or 4th time (many of my friends were into them) That shit grew on me like a fungus. I am completely hooked now.
And Snooopy, the Trouser Press Guide is a kickass book, isn’t it? Highly recommended to anyone who’s into the indie/punk/alternative of the past 10 years.
Well, mouth, perhaps I’ll give that album a try. I’ve always felt that music that grows on you has more staying power than immediately catchy stuff. And yes, Trouser Press is definitely a good place to start - old Creem magazines from the 80s period are great for indie fans too, if you can find them.
I’ve read every entry in that book more times than I can remember – bands I like, bands I hate, bands I’ve never heard of. Doesn’t matter.
Okay, hardygrrl, I gave you a little shit earlier, so now I’m going to give you a HUGE opportunity to make fun of me:
I kind of LIKE Stone Temple Pilots.
I admit it: I’m a sucker for pop music. I like their pseudo-70’s approach. I like that they’re silly.
And I don’t think they really fit with grunge. Everyone called them a Pearl Jam ripoff because of Weilans’s singing style, but the music and the “messages” (if you can call them that) are totally different. STP is basically a pop band.
Although I think Nirvana was pretty pop.
Laugh it up.
Rest easy Gadgetgirl, locally owned music stores still exist. The one I shop at almost exclusively (sorry, but on the rare occasion when a chain store has a cd for $7…) is called Bull Moose Music. Hey, I live in NH, there supposedly moose in the North Country, so it’s not that odd a name. Anyway, they actually sell some records as well as the most obscure cds my heart could desire. They also have the main-stream stuff too. I picked up 6Gig (Maine band, gaining momentum, just you watch) and Linkin Park the morning they were released, and they even went through the new non-yet-processed stuff to find it for me. If that’s not service, I don’t know what the hell is.
Kyomara…let’s just agree to disagree…I’m not going to change your mind and you’re not going to change mine re Nirvana/STP.
Elfkin477…like I said there’s a great store in my area but since they do sell bootlegs which is probably somewhat illegal I won’t mention any names to avoid trouble. Especially since I bought a bootleg Nirvana cd from there-it had an unreleased song-I HAD to buy it. Bad bad hardygrrl I know.
Yeah Bull Moose Music!
oohhh, I’m feeling a little sleepy now…
Cheap Pop!!
http://iamspartacus.iuma.com
You want new music?
Hey Visible, thank’s for the heads up on Jets to Brazil, I’m lovin’ em.
One more tip for finding interesting, non-mainstream music:
Amazon.com has a feature which allows you to find the hottest-selling records in a particular city. Use this function to find out what is selling well in college towns known for their underground music scene. (Athens, Georgia and Chapel Hill, North Carolina are probably the big two in the Southeast.) You can find some interesting bands this way. Bands you won’t hear on your corporate-controlled pre-programmed radio station.