Independent Music

I know this gal, Dawn, from the Blogosphere who used to have a really funny blog. She shut it down and doesn't post anything anymore. She literally quit blogging.

WHY? Because she started a band, called Kittywhip. The band takes up all of her free time that she used to spend blogging. They're having some success and are playing out nearly every weekend. They've even written a song or two of their own. From what I understand, Kittywhip is doing very well. I'm sure it doesn't hurt that there are 3 totally hot babes in the band!


Kittywhip is like a lot of bands out there. Most bands have their small, local following and, while they may make very good music, they play on in relative obscurity. Back when I was a kid, bands dreamt of being "discovered" by a major record label, making an album (remember those?), going on tour and making millions of dollars. Many bands have the same dream today, but the internet has leveled the playing field.

I live in the Boston area and Boston has always had a pretty vibrant local music scene. I knew a lot of the local unsigned bands in my younger days and used to go to clubs to see the bands perform. I still go out to a local Blues club once or twice a month to hear live music. The problem is, if there was a really good band in Altoona or something, I'd never have known about them. Now, with the aid of the internet, I can "discover" those independent bands for myself.

There's a website called unsigned bands that has thousands of bands listed by musical genre. You can go there and poke around and listen to music produced by independent bands. If you like their tunes, you can send them money for their CD or download some of their songs. It takes the middleman (the record companies) right out of the picture.

I know from experience that for every crappy, "top 40" band out there, there are hundreds of better unsigned bands that will NEVER get serious airplay. Now there's a place to find them. It's a win/win. The music consumer can get access to thousands of independent bands (that they'd never hear on mainstream radio)from all over the world and the artists have their own distribution channel for their work.

This is the kind of stuff that makes the internet so cool! ROCK ON!