Websites for music nerds?

Cafe Society
1

I’ve always thought of myself as a music nerd, but I’m finding that the further out I get from college, the harder time I have finding out about new music, or discussing it with others. I’ve also never found very many web sites that fill my music nerd needs.

Please list your favorite music websites here, be they blogs, review sites, discussion boards, whatever you like.

A few I can list:
Pitchfork Media (The quintissential music nerd site right now, I guess, though I’ve often found them “hipper-than-thou”; I think I’m just jealous)
Nude as the News (good review site, not updated as frequently as it once was; I used to be a very infrequent contributor)

And the usual Billboard, Rolling Stone, etc.

(Note: my tastes run toward indie rock and alt.country, with some forays into “jam bands” but not much connection to that scene anymore. I’ll still listen to, and I’d like to read about, just about anything.)

2

You’d love http://www.allmusic.com/ . They have a wealth of information. Also, http://www.epitonic.com has hundreds of free, legal mp3s from lesser-known bands.

I like indie rock and alt-country too (among other things), so I’m always looking for recommendations. I’m sure other Dopers will chime in soon enough.

3

Forgot about All Music; I use it as more of a reference than anything.

I’m also a member at eMusic, which isn’t quite as good a deal as it used to be, but is still worthwhile.

4

music.download.com is a great source for free mp3s, and I’ve heard some good stuff there. Check out Unexpect if you’re interested in hearing something interesting.

I primarily use Snakenet and UltimateMetal for my hooks into what’s new and good.

5

Stylus Magazine is kind of shaping up to be the new Pitchfork. I actually find myself reading them more than Pitchfork, and they seem to have a more even spread of writers (ie. no clueless white nerd trying to review the new Nas album; no Calexico review that doesn’t realize they’re a Giant Sand side project). They also tackle film reviews with aplomb, and feature more essays and interesting articles than the P-fork.

6

http://www.musicplasma.com/
This site is moderately entertaining for a short while…Search for bands and you get a ‘chart’ (for lack of a better term) of bands that are in the same general sound. If you know a ton about music, you probably won’t find anything new, but it is cool if you don’t know a whole lot and discover a new genre/band and want to find similiar things.

7

Stylus looks great! Thanks for all suggetions thus far.

Incidentally, Pitchfork’s feature on the new REM reissues surprised me a bit, because the author’s thoughts on the albums mirrored mine just about exactly, from an inability to separate Green from my consciousness, to an inordinate love for New Adventures in Hi-Fi, to a belief that Around the Sun was their first truly bad album. It’s almost like I wrote the damn thing.

8

Not sure if it’s appropriate to plug my site here, but it’s a pretty fun place to find new music to listen to if you’re into making or listening to Mix tapes/CDs, though the discussion/content part is lacking.

9

I’ll second that.

Off to see if they’ll review my album! :stuck_out_tongue:

10

Thanks guys! If I had though of this I would have done it first. :smiley: This wiil be useful for me (biggest music nerd in the world as I know it).

P.S. Hi Lou, I’m a big BBVD fan too.

11

I suppose I might as well insert my inevitable link to KEXP.