The Search For New Music

I'm constantly looking for new music. I get excited when i listen to something that's been recommended to me by a friend. It's almost like finding an unexpected present waiting on your front doorstep. But just like unexpected presents, those opportunities don't see to come around very often.

So in the past few months I've made a conscious effort to seek out new artists to listen to. I've started reading music blogs and listening to podcasts, then following up on artists that interest me. It's lead to a couple of good finds, but not enough to satisfy me. So I've tried searching in other places. Places where i have to do the digging instead of just reading or listening to what others have found.

For instance, from time to time I'll get on Reverb Nation and spend a couple of hours listening to music. I'll search for acts based on genre and location and just listen to whatever they have posted on their page. I've found a few acts that i really like during my latest wanderings on the site, and i plan on contacting a few of them soon in hopes of writing about them. I've done the same thing on Sonic Bids. The problem with this approach is that only a fraction of the world's acts are on those websites, so after a little while it starts to feel like your going in circles.

All of this looking and listening has lead to me to one realization. I'm not satisfied learning about emerging bands at the same time everyone else does. I don't want to find a diamond in the rough. I want to find the diamond that's still in the ground.

Let me present that idea in another way.

The music portion of South By Southwest starts today, and hundreds, maybe thousands of acts will be showcasing all over Austin. That's great, and I'm sure I'll be listening to, and even writing about more than one of those bands. But those are the people playing SXSW in 2010. I want to find the bands and songwriters who will be showcasing at SWSW in 2012. And i want to find them now.

Send Me Your Music

I would like to devote approximately 40% of the content on this blog to introducing unheard music to people who want to hear it. I'd like most of them to be album reviews, but I also plan on throwing in the occasional interview or MP3 giveaway. But in order to follow through on these plans i need some music to share with the world. That's where you guys come in. Share your music with me so i can share it with everyone else.
 
If your a musician, songwriter, etc who's making new and exciting music, please share it with me. If your a fan of an act who isn't getting any attention outside of your local scene, then please tell me about them. If your a manager or artist's representative who's seeker a larger audience for your client, then please get in touch with me.

This blog is called Next Great Song for a couple of different reasons, one of which is my desire to introduce quality, unknown music to hungry fans. Check out the new CONTACT page if you want to get in touch with me. I'm looking forward to hearing from you.

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