How are you exposed to new bands?

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Postby SarahtheBoring » Mon Jun 23, 2003 12:27 am

Rant incoming.

Uh...I think the entire point of "indie" bands is that nobody random off the street has heard of them, and so asking a public board is pretty much shooting yourself in the foot, 'cause it's not SOOPER SEKRIT anymore.

Personally, I hate the idea that "undiscovered" bands are automatically supreme over anything that has gotten attention, because... frankly, I don't think it's focusing on the right thing. Namely, this little afterthought we like to call the music. But if you'd rather care about a band's popularity... knock yourself out, many fine people have fallen into that paradoxical trap. :roll:

I hear about music on the Web these days, or in newspapers/magazines. Occasionally on the radio, though not often. A few years ago I was also exposed to different ranges of music through my housemates, who had different tastes than I.

But if you're looking for superuber1337 1nd13 cr3d, I am so not the person to ask that it's not even funny. As far as I'm concerned, once I hear about it, it's mainstream.

Oh, and by the way? Obscure band does not necessarily equal good AMV, either.

Rant over. 8)
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Postby BigshotSpike » Mon Jun 23, 2003 1:46 am

Internet magazines, web boards, and random searches on WinMX.

That's the only way I found the band Polysics, which sounds like a Japanese Flaming Lips attached with a female vocalist. Stylin'!
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Postby Kai Stromler » Mon Jun 23, 2003 7:55 am

The easiest and best way to learn about good new bands is to go to shows and take whatever they're giving away free at the distro tables. Buy the band's CD if you don't have it, but also nab a labelsampler if they've got 'em. Good CD stores occasionally give such comps away for free; when not, they're often extremely well-priced, like USD 6 for 74 minutes from 15-20 bands.

Another way to go is to hang out on discussion boards for the kind of music you listen to (Blabbermouth for metalheads, don't know where less ferior people go, but most labels have forums these days) and try out whatever people on there are talking up. If you've got a band in your area that's damn good, give back and talk 'em up.

Related is the print option: read zines and webzines and check out the interviews, reviews, and gig reports. Strike up conversations with other fans at live shows, especially if you've only heard a little about the band whose shirt they're wearing.

Most areas have a college radio station or two that plays obscure music; many of them publish their playlists on their websites, so you can go find what the band or song was that you liked, since the DJs don't talk a lot.

If all else fails, mail Tom The Fish and ask him which bands it's criminal that you're not listening to. He's a cool guy, and he 0wnzors us ALL at indier-than-thou.

And, rebutting Sarah's last point, there's a lot to be said for using music from unheard-of bands in AMV. You've got a tabula rasa with respect to your audience; nobody is taking in any preconceptions about the music, so you can shape the ideas in your video however you want. Much like using anime that other people haven't seen.

And because Flint namedropped me, here's 30 bands that you're WRONG for not listening to yet, in completely random order:
Type O Negative (mentioned, but gotta be mentioned again because _Life Is Killing Me_ is gonna be on the short list for Album of the Year)
Borknagar (post-viking post-black epic metal from Norway)
Red House Painters (depressive rock music)
Opeth (plays their instruments 10x better than your favorite band and sounds 10x less pretentious)
Arcana XXII (the best metal band in Namibia, maybe in all of Africa)
Darkest Hour (Swedish-death-influenced hardcore, on Victory)
Haste (_The Mercury Lift_ comes out 7/1. You WILL camp your record store.)
Abigail (total necro Japanese blackthrash)
Agalloch ("oak metal" where "oak metal"=="simply incredible music")
Xentrix (old British thrash -- get out the shovels, it's worth it)
Forest Stream (amazing Russian black/doom metal band)
Atoll Nerat (amazing Russian black/doom metal band)
God's Tower (amazing Russian black/doom metal band)
Rakoth (amazing Russian black/doom metal band)
Butterfly Temple (amazing Russian black/doom metal band)
Ravage (E-Mass local band; the singer probably has a good shot at the vocal slot in Iced Earth)
Cephalic Carnage (mathcore to the TOTAL EXTREME)
Death (if I keep saying GENIUS GENIUS GENIUS eventually someone will listen)
Black Hole (the biggest metal band in Korea. Not hard, but they still rock huge)
Cynic (the day they broke up was a bad day for extreme music -- death metal + jazz = mastery)
Enslaved (post-viking noise metal, too bad they're on a digital-rights-manglement label)
Sigh (Japanese masters of the bizarre)
Finntroll (everyone's favorite polka metal act)
Meridian (Swiss electro-black metal, like Emperor gone insane)
the Blacklight Braille (collaborative neo-improvisational '60s-style jam rock with medieval shadings)
the Thrones (one man, one console, one bass, no peers)
Arch Enemy (Angela Gossow looks like a supermodel and sings like Chris [Cannibal Corpse] Barnes. What's not to love?)
Bethlehem (perpetually overlooked German gothic black metallers)
Rahowa (yeah, their politics are the very definition of stupid, and their early material is even worse than the average skin band, but _Cult of the Holy War_ is just incredible. The ONLY WP album you should ever forgive someone for owning.)
Dark Tranquillity (if you don't own _Damage Done_, guess what? YOU'RE STILL WRONG!)

I could go on, but hey, you get the idea already.

--K
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Postby SarahtheBoring » Mon Jun 23, 2003 7:37 pm

Oh sure, there are advantages to using unheard-of artists. However, it's not a guaranteed, automatic one-way ticket to ultimate AMV greatness, as if all you have to do is pick an obscure song and you'll immediately have the best video ever made. That's just naive. Nothing in AMVing can be boiled down to one factor like that.
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Postby ithaqua » Mon Jun 23, 2003 10:23 pm

I'm gonna have to disagree with you on type 0's new album.

While it's good, and people should buy it, it's not their best, much less one of the best of the year. With the exception of "Nettie", none of the songs really jump out as classics, and the humor seems forced at times (the tv song wears off quickly)

Although I did laugh like hell through "I Like Goils". Gay or not, it made me smile.
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Postby Bloodyfäng » Mon Jun 23, 2003 10:56 pm

Random single word search on KaZaA.

Mostly words based on current mood/happenings in my life.

blah blah blah.......why am I wasting this post?
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Postby Rozard » Tue Jun 24, 2003 1:05 am

Bloodyfäng wrote:Random single word search on KaZaA.

Mostly words based on current mood/happenings in my life.

blah blah blah.......why am I wasting this post?

x2
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Postby Kai Stromler » Tue Jun 24, 2003 7:24 am

ithaqua wrote:While it's good, and people should buy it, it's not their best, much less one of the best of the year. With the exception of "Nettie", none of the songs really jump out as classics, and the humor seems forced at times (the tv song wears off quickly)


Yeah...it's like the commercial response to _October Rust_ soured them on writing an album full of really good songs without self-indulgent doom breaks. However, absent _Bloody Kisses Part II_ or October Rust: The Return_, this is a pretty good CD. It's the first where the music has actually substantiated Pete Steele's 'evil-Beatles' complex instead of throwing the ridiculousness of it into high relief. Just listen to "Todd's Ship Gods" or "...A Dish Best Served Coldly".

And they cover "Angry Inch"! How friggin' cool is that? (despite the self-indulgent doom break at the end)

"I Like Goils" is great, but not quite as good as it might have been. I was reading through the lyrics before listening to the CD, and I could totally picture this song done with the old Carnivore-style vocals as per "Unsuccessfully Coping..." from _Slow, Deep, and Hard_. That woulda flat rocked.

So it's a great CD, but as CDs this year go IMO the new Vital Remains smacks it around with a baseball bat. Another excellent band but probably too extreme for general recommendation.

--K
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Postby ithaqua » Tue Jun 24, 2003 9:51 pm

Umm, Type 0's two extreme for general recommendation.

Remember, the majority of people seem to think Linkin Park is metal.

Honestly though, doom breaks are what make T0N what it is. They are the only band that can make me listen to a 10 minute long dirge about wanting to die, and still leave me in a pretty good mood.

But hey, new ohGr in a week!
If nothing else, harsh noises get your attention.
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Postby zalas » Wed Jun 25, 2003 11:11 am

Unfortunately for Ko Oh Yoku, I find new bands (as in new to me, not new to everyone) from listening to their songs on AMVs -.-;;

Of course, there's the occasional radio band or something.

Personally, I think it would be neat to get in touch with a small name local band, and work out a video or something. That way you are promoting both their music (if they agree) and the anime :D
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Postby Vale » Wed Jun 25, 2003 11:23 am

In the hallway. Our school has this thing where bands can play their songs over the intercom durring passing periods.
im sorry, i retrect the last statment.
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Postby Tom the Fish » Wed Jun 25, 2003 1:04 pm

Exposing myself to new bands is what got my a restraining order from Cub.

Sorry, couldn't resist,
Tom
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Re: How are you exposed to new bands?

Postby Jace Tsunami » Thu Jun 26, 2003 6:26 am

Ko Oh Yoku wrote:I think I pretty much saturated everything from Earth Wind and Fire to Evanescence.

Plus, I wanna make an AMV to an artist that's great before it becomes played out and ultimately ignored because of it.

So anyone know a place where I can get exposed to new artists?


Yeah, your local clubs.

Go to a show, I learn about bands through tours. I ALWAYS go to see bands I like, and they never come alone. So when ever I go to see them, I learn about sometimes up to 4 other groups. I know so much no that sometimes I don't meet anyone new, and I ejoy the return of all 4bands, but generally if you go see some one you like, they're going to come with some one else.
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Postby Jace Tsunami » Thu Jun 26, 2003 6:30 am

oh, another good way is amazon.

Go to amazon.com and search bands and artists you like, then click on the links under "Cutsomers who bought this also bought...." and then sample their music.
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New music

Postby Naveed » Fri Jun 27, 2003 12:25 pm

I've heard of a lotta new bands being up at college thru radio and promotional things. Just walk into any ol' small music store and ask for promotional stuff, chances are they got loads of it to just shell out.
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