Strummer521

Do you remember a lot of minute details often...or more often the general ideas? And another question (for everybody more than one specific person)... Do I seem like a totally clueless newbie?...because I have to admit it's a little intimidating here, in the sense that I live in a town where I know more about music than anybody else I've met...but here there are other people who have a real passion for it...so I'm knocked down a few levels. Overall though, that's a good thing of course...because I wouldn't want to go to a musicforum where nobody knew a lot about music...and there's a lot of learning to be done. And then again I've got to remind myself I've only had about 4 years experience as a serious fan of music. The summer before I entered 9th grade I got into the Beatles (through the movie I Am Sam oddly enough) and that was my launching pad. Also probably the reason I had to defend them fervently over the Stones. They're my foundation in the truest sense of the word.

P.S. Hey Urban...care to drop the names of some of the forums and blogs you visit where uploads are posted?

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cardboard adolescent

As to your question about seeming like a clueless newbie: not at all, in my opinion you and MoonPix are the only new members to come along recently to make well thought out, contributive posts that I actually enjoy reading.

(The only thing going against you is that you have a number in your user name)

Strummer521

Well thanks...and yeah, the number is from force of habit. I got used to needing to use numbers because of things like email adresses and AIM screennames, where there are so many users that unless you use a number, someone else probably has already chosen the name you want. I got used to the numbers, so I stuck with 'em

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cardboard adolescent

I don't really care I'm just used to all the regulars not having any and all the one-time posters having them (IluvMarilynManson666 or some such monstrosity)

Moon Pix

Allmusic is a very good one because of the similar artist links. I tend to read a lot of music books and watch as many documentaries as I can, even if the style doesnt particuarly appeal to me I like to see documentaries. You can learn a lot of information from a documentary in an hour or a couple of hours. Theyre usually good sources for information. Plus if you can track down any interviews on the internet of your favourite artists you might very well find references to bands in them. My record collection has been enriched no end by reading interviews with Chan Marshall and Kurt Cobain. Pay attention to what bands your favouite bands cover too, Ive bought many records based on an artist I like doing cover versions.

Other good sources are greatest album of all time lists. Regardless of who wrote it the top end is always going to be Revolver and Exhile on Main Street and stuff like that, really unimaginative and predictable. When these lists do become imaginative is at the lower end of those lists. If you look at the 500s or 100s or whatever number the list starts at you tend to find some really great obscurities, thinks like that Alexander Spence record or a Big Star album. Either that or they put in lesser regarded albums by really famous bands, something like Lifes Rich Pageant which I personally maintain is the best album REM ever did tends to get in the lower end of these lists. Check out Morning Becomes Eclectic too. Its a radio show from California that hosts sessions with bands. You can stream them from their site for free. I found it just over a year ago because of a Cat Power session they had from 2003. They have a big archive of really good free music.

Make sure to read Our Band Could Be Your Life by Michael Azerrad. He uses the stories of various American underground bands to examine the wider scene of fanzines, regional scenes, indie labels and so on. Ive had Rip It Up And Start Again by Simon Reynolds and have heard very very good things about it but I havent gotten around to reading it yet. Also make sure to read just about anything by Lester Bangs. The website Perfect Sound Forever is an interesting read too. Plus make sure to stay away from a book by Brian Hinton called South By Southwest. It references tons and tons of altenative country artists but only goes into detail with about two or three of them. Its like reading an index. Also Pierro Scaruffi's writeup on the Beatles is a must read just because its so in your face and contrary to the accepted view of the Beatles. He really sticks his neck out.

Its a helluva lot easier these days discovering music because of file sharing. When I just a 16 year old seedling getting into music I didnt have the internet so if I wanted to hear anything I had to buy it and take pot luck. Some of it was very good and some of it was a waste of money but I learnt a lot from it. With a good file sharing system like Soulseek you can hear just about anything without having to buy it first and then you can make your mind up.

Can anybody recommend a good book about jazz or krautrock? Not about specific bands but about the styles generally. I have a little knowledge about both but Id like to know more about the who's, wheres and whys.

All of this music knowledge stuff is the reason I love Peter Buck so much. As well as being a guitar player he's a total music fan and knows loads about music.

As for your question you don't sound lke a totally clueless newbie. S*** man, Ive met people my age who don't know who the Rolling Stones are so Ive come to love places like this and the people in them who actually know something.

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There’s a dream that I see, I pray it can be
Look 'cross the land, shake this land - "Maybe Not", C. Marshall

right-track

I'm amazed you think that way.
Judging by your posts, all of which I read, I happen to think your one of the better, new members here.
And going by your posts, you don't come across as seeming 'clueless', in the slightest.

When I first joined (about 2 years ago) my knowledge of music was quite specific. I had a wide knowledge of rare soul (bordering on the obsessive) that I acquired from like minded people, over a period of many years.
That knowledge would even stretch into knowing the catalogue number of any particular individual single in my collection.
This may seem ridiculous, but it's essential in the particular scene I was and still involved in.
I'm one of (if not) the oldest members on MB and the rest of my music knowledge was picked up along the way through the 70's and 80's.
Although I do have a retrospective interest in all 60's music (I happen to think it was THE most exciting period of music history ever and unlikely to be repeated.)

The major reason I come on MB is to see what's going on in the present time and to get recommendations from the members here.
And MB has provided me with some great finds. e.g; I'd never even heard of Emo before MB, although generally it's not my thing.

Tip of the iceberg...
Jaga Jazzist (amazing band)
The Shins
The White Stripes (I'd heard of them, but never really listened previously)
Bright Eyes (yes I like them...thanks Ethan)
The music of Cape Verde...Cesaria Evora. (Marijan )
Plus countless others.

Strummer...MB isn't about who knows the most.
I wouldn't worry. Everyone learns off everyone else.

That's the spirit of MusicBanter.

Merkaba

I find out quite a bit from Musicbanter. I tend to struggle a wee bit as a small hard-drive and slow internet don't make for consistantly adventurous musical experiences. I think I have done well, given when I joined up I enjoyed Disturbed and Seether, thought Black Sabbath were shit because I'd never bothered to listen to them before, and generally I had crap taste and approach to music. But I tried tobe open minded about it all, and I remember my first real inquiry here was about Kyuss, via Tool who had done a live cover of Kyuss' Demon Cleaner, which I thought was such a great song. And my tastes sort of all sprung from there, Satchmo got me into Clutch, then I found QOTSA, soon I was into doom like Electric Wizard and Cathedral, though it took me several months to work out that I loved this sort of music.

I mainly keep my input into the Rock and Metal forum ticking over via Stonerrock.com where I read many reviews and listen to a few tracks of the many bands reviewed there, deciding if I'd be keen to hunt down an album.

Also, like right-track I never knew what emo is until I came here. Didn't even know about the indie scene. Now I know about it, I can use it if I ever get bored with what I'm into. Right now I don't really like bands like the Shins or Bright Eyes but I know they're there if I ever feel like getting into them.

So yes, MB has been pretty huge for me in terms of music. Up until a couple months ago this was the only forum I visited. A few bands I've picked up on since being here

Black Flag, Wipers, Isis, Minutemen, Sleep, Dinosaur Jr. The list goes on!

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She thinks I'm a reclusive genius, she's going to be very disappointed when she finds out i'm a reclusive wanker

adidasss

I actually kinda thought you didn't much like this place. As others have already told you, you make intelligent, thought out posts, and sooner or later, that gets you noticed no matter what forum you're on.

As far as musical knowledge, many people have stated musicbanter as one of the more important sources, and I couldn't agree more. Before I joined, the hight of my musical knowledge was RATM, The Doors, The Bravery, Kings of Leon, Travis and Coldplay. My musical library was about 4GB in size. Then I came here and Stu, Big3 and Urban tore me a new one for not knowing a thing about Joy Division and all other influences on the so called "New wave", and I was compelled to learn as much as I could just so I didn't appear so dumb. Now, my library is 25GB in size, and getting larger by the minute.

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“Think of what a paradise this world would be if men were kind and wise.” - Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle.

Last.fm

Strummer521

Thanks for the detailed responses guys...Moonpix, you've made some great recommendations there. I have to ask though... Have you read Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk?

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Strummer521

I have to admit that at first I didn't...because when I joined (quite a while ago) most people seemed to be making useless, frivolous posts...such as: User One: I started this tread because I really likes Lacuna Coil.

User Two: Me two! and David Bowie. He rockzzzzzzzzzzz121zzz

And I didn't want to comb through all of that. But then I realized I hadn't given it a fair shot, because I still logged on once in a great while, and I came to realize there was a core group of really intelligent people with interesting perspectives on music. I'd given up my obsessing over music to some degree and decided to focus on film. But now I'm getting back into music heavily...so I started to visit the site in hopes of finding new stuff, and it has paid off, plus the discussion has been very worthwhile. Anyway glad to have met you all. Please continue to post good articles, book titles, blogs and documentaries in this thread when you run across them.

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