How do you find al***s worthy of buying?

Posted by: ErikL on 14 June 2003

With seemingly more music available than ever, it's difficult to funnel those choices down to potential purchases (for me anyway). I thought it might be fun and informative to share sources. So... where do you get ideas for new albums to buy, and whose reviews do you trust?

I've had a lot of luck listening to and checking the charts of Cal Berkeley radio, and more often U of Washington (since it's local).

[This message was edited by Ludwig on SUNDAY 15 June 2003 at 00:11.]
Posted on: 14 June 2003 by ErikL
I would also add that this forum can be helpful for spotting new stuff (then requiring listening before buying).

(As an aside, if there's one more Led Zeppelin thread my head's going to split open)
Posted on: 15 June 2003 by Minky
I read all the reviews I can get my hands on (including those on this forum), make up lists of albums that look promising and take them to my local. What they haven't got it in stock they order for me. I take everything away and listen to it and if I REALLY like it, I buy it.

Basically, there is so much great music being put out these days that if it isn't true love, I don't buy it.
Posted on: 15 June 2003 by ErikL
Minky, would you be so kind as to provide some sites where you read reviews? I try Pitchfork Media now and then, but now that they've rated the new Radiohead highly, I'm skeptical.
Posted on: 15 June 2003 by Thomas K
allmusic

Very large database with reviews for most featured albums. Good thing is extensive cross-referencing, so if you like the production or the bass playing on a particular album, just click on the producer's or bass player's name to see what other projects they've participated in. Then surf over to amazon or Tower Records and listen. I've discovered some interesting stuff this way.

Thomas
Posted on: 15 June 2003 by Not For Me
How to find new music:

get weekly e-newsletters from :

Carbondisk
Boomkat
Smallfish

have search agents running spotting new releases or old stuff becoming available for a schedule of my favoured artists on GEMM and Musicstack.

on several labels mailing lists

go into shops and trawl through the racks, and ask the moody record shop assistants what is available and 'If I like X, what else might yoiu find to recommend'

read this forum

read magazines

try something unusual now and again

Watch TOTP and other music TV sometimes

DS

OTD - Nothing - I am in the garden!
Posted on: 15 June 2003 by Minky
quote:
Originally posted by Ludwig:
Minky, would you be so kind as to provide some sites where you read reviews? I try Pitchfork Media now and then, but now that they've rated the new Radiohead highly, I'm skeptical.

Ludwig, some of the other posts are better at answering this than mine - I am still in the analogue domain when it comes to reviews. Some of these sites sound interesting though.

I get Uncut magazine and read other magazines and newspapers. For artists that you already know and love all you need to know is that the new album has been released. For new artists you have to try them out for yourself. I guess the problem is you have to find them first.

I am lucky that I have a local who is incredibly knowledegable and has very similar tastes to mine. No doubt he will be put out of business by the megastores and the internet one day and that will be a great loss. In the meantime I support him by paying a premium for his wares.

I have an alarm system built in to my brain that goes off when an artist I love hasn't done anything got a while. This worked very well the other day when I asked my local when the new Eddie Reader was due (having absolutely no knowledge that there was one) and was told that it would be in in a few days. It didn't work so well for Jennifer Warnes - I got false alarms for years.

My ears really prick up when I hear or read a really passionate recommendation. For example Ludwig, I was in two minds about "Blacklisted" but you convinced me to persist with it, and now I love it.

I intend to use this music forum a lot more in the future. Where else can I ask what the new Scofield is like and get (I hope) replies from all over the world ?
Posted on: 15 June 2003 by Twelveeyedfish
Napster originally, kazaa and it's variants and bands who I saw 5 or more years ago as supports who are making it big (greenday!)

I downloaded over 15Gb of mp3s with Napster. I delete more and more of them each month on pay day! I'm down to 7GB now!

Andrew

there are 10 types of people in this world... those who can read binary, and those who can't...
Posted on: 15 June 2003 by Tarquin Maynard - Portly
Ludwig

I posed this question back in january; here is the thread - very helpful replies

http://forums.naim-audio.com/eve/forums?a=tpc&s=67019385&f=38019385&m=3931908906

Regards

Mike

On the Yellow Brick Road and happy
Posted on: 16 June 2003 by throbnorth
I've known Nick Lees for 40 years - nuff said.

throb
Posted on: 17 June 2003 by Tarquin Maynard - Portly
Ghunter

"Legal,unlike the other options mentioned above"

Excuse me for being rude, but since when has listening to the radio, friends music or reading magazines been illegal?

Talking shite breaks no laws, though

Mike

On the Yellow Brick Road and happy
Posted on: 17 June 2003 by Pictish
One source not mentioned here is your local library. If they don't have what you want, another branch probably does and can easily be ordered through.

Mike
Posted on: 17 June 2003 by Tarquin Maynard - Portly
Dozy

Indeed. Bad day etc etc

Mike

On the Yellow Brick Road and happy
Posted on: 18 June 2003 by Not For Me
By going down Berwick Street with one item on my portable wishlist, and seeing loads of other interesting things in the racks, and asking the helpful record shop assistant what's that playing?

DS

OTD - Slide & the Cure - A New Forest