How do YOU find new music?

[bsmrocks]

I've been registered here for a while now but I think this is my first post on the forum, so, er... hi!

Bit of an odd way to start so I'll just introduce myself quickly. My name's Kev, I run Big Scary Monsters Records, which is a little tiny independent label based in Oxford, England. We work with bands like This Town Needs Guns, Blakfish, Native, Anathallo and others who I think a few of you on here know of, judging by previous threads, reviews etc. The labels website is www.bsmrocks.com (http://www.bsmrocks.com) but I'm not here to whore that (for once!), I actually just wanted to ask a question I was hoping some of you might be able to help me with...

I've just written a blog post asking about how people find new music. The internet is amazing in that it's given everyone in the world the opportunity to promote their band to so many new places, but the increased competition for attention makes the lives of people like me a little bit harder. I work with quite a few bands which I think/hope(!) at least a few of you might like, but don't know the best way to tell you about them. How do you find out about new bands? Do you still rely on printed press, TV or radio? Do you check out bands top Myspace friends? Do you go by peoples suggestions on forums? What would make you stop and check out a band you've never previously heard of?

The blog post is here, incase anyone wants to read it - http://blogscarymonsters.blogspot.com/2009/04/do-you-trust-anyone.html

Thanks in advance for any comments or responses and next time I post on here I promise it'll be more exciting! Probably about Bear vs Shark, as that happens more often than it should

[sweepthenation]

Alot of times I use bands Myspace friends, its similar music alot and it has helped me find alot of bands. Genius for iTunes has actually helped as well, but sometimes they get it laughably wrong.

[thespearkid]

All my favorite bands, I found through AP. Either that or local live stuff.

[FeynmanWannabe]

95% of anything "new" (new to me, that is) I find via *rym and it's been that way about the last two years or so.

[oddwithoutend]

1. Friends
2. www.sunonthesand.net (http://www.sunonthesand.net)
3. absolutepunk.net
4. www.tastekid.com (http://www.tastekid.com) (this was fun, and worked surprisingly well)
5. www.pitchfork.com (http://www.pitchfork.com)

[UnderMyDreams]

Honestly I find out a ton of bands I listen to on this site... MySpace is also a pretty good place to find new music. I know I have found a ton of bands that way too! Also there's also hearing of bands through friends, that's another way I've found some of my favorite bands.

[IWasaCamera]

I adopt new favorites without listening based on high scores from sunonthesand.net (http://sunonthesand.net/).

[erinfxs]

I have found a lot of new music on here, and when I see a song I like on a friend's myspace profile I will generally look into the artist more.
Also, just word of mouth and last.fm has helped me sometimes, and sometimes the Introducing... page in Kerrang magazine is pretty useful.

[Nettn07]

I've found alot of new music through this site. And through it-leaked for some reason.
Other than that, I get suggestions from friends and others. Myspace and Spotify is useful too.

[SSLYBY]

This site for the most part.

[Chromefox]

1) LastFM
2) Absolutepunk.net
3) Friends
4) Sunonthesand.net
5) Pitchfork.com

[secretsociety92]

Last.fm,friends,family,on here,magazines,tv shows,movies and wikipedia.

[MADSTA]

Mostly this website, sometimes last.fm.

[mmmmmpoetry]

wikipedia, friends, shows.

[mattmatumbo]

last.fm
concerts
here
my girlfriend
my french teacher
anywhere really, except my roommates, they listen to shit.

[11:11]

Mostly AP, but sometimes if I want to hear what a band sounds like, I'll be listening on iTunes, and I then look over the "Listeners Also Bought" section.

[Liter-O-Cola]

I listen to whatever they play on One Tree Hill.

[bsmrocks]

Thanks for your replies! People who find bands on here: Is that through news, reviews, interviews, forum posts? Or a mix of all?

[oddwithoutend]

Forum posts.

[IWasaCamera]

Can't recall anything good I've found through this forum.

[oddwithoutend]

Can't recall anything good I've found through this forum.

Not even back in your younger days?

[IWasaCamera]

Nope. Most new music came from music publications both online and in print form. The rest from personal recommendations.

[thehereaway]

I love This Town Needs Guns, great band. As for finding new music i normally just scout these forums for anything interesting, if a band's name interests me, or good things are said, or they have a RIYL similar to bands i already enjoy i'll check out their myspace page. Or if something catches my eye on the news pages or the reviews of this site i'll check that out too, i check out the exclusives too - but tbh i don't think i've ever been introduced to anything good in them. Sometimes i just check last.fm recommendations too, which often provides some good results.

[flks511]

Just going to shows and watching the bands perform.....the best way to get exposed to new music.

[googirl8907]

Typically on here or my friends recommend bands to check out.

[SwiftSilentDead]

last.fm recommendations, Pandora, various forums, friend recommendations.

[SanePsychotic]

AbsolutePunk.net
LastFM
Friends & family
Random websites

[batmannj]

1) LastFM
2) Absolutepunk.net
3) Friends
4) Sunonthesand.net
5) Pitchfork.com
Pretty much how mine goes minus the LastFM. I usually check out something on ap, sunonthesand, and pitchfork for other stuff.

[AndrewIcex]

My main band discovering tool is Myspace, basically I just choose a band I enjoy and go through their top friends and so on and so fourth, its cool to see the different bands that they are friends with, even if the genre's are totally polar opposites.