Do you actively seek out music?

[Brady]

There seems to be a focus in the forums on mainstream music, which is logical, considering it gets more coverage than anything else and you don't have to work very hard to find it. And considering the social nature of music, people you discuss it with will be more likely to have heard it to form an opinion. But I'm wondering if y'all actively seek out indie music and if you don't, why not? Lack of funds? No interest?

[Chris D]

Lack of funds, definitely. I love to use Lastfm to find artists I like, then I add them to my favorites list until I can getan album from them. I don't do it often, but I've found some people I really like, like Kim Richey.

[Trailer]

Music is so vital to my being that I've actually purchased more music this year than any time since college (when I was flush with checks from a loan I'm still paying back...grrr). I seek it out constantly on the web. Many of the country music bloggers seem to have similar tastes to me so I find a lot of new stuff here and elsewhere. I also rely on my buddies at altcountrytab.ca/forum for many of my discoveries. I'm into so many styles of music that I never grow bored of music in general. If I get sick of alt-country for a while, I may delve into metal...sometimes I'm really into commercial country, sometimes traditional... and once or twice a year, I even get a craving for rap.

[indulgedcountrymusic]

Hmm... seems a little odd, considering most of the talk on here seems to revolve around "traditional is better than mainstream"

[Occasional Hope]

I have to do some actively seeking out even for mainstream country, because I don't live in the US. Only a tiny minority of records I might be interested in are on record store shelves (and then its either the super-mainstream, the older artists who've retained a following, and the currently acclaimed oustide the genre - often the more pretentious end of alt-country). I hardly know anyone IRL who likes the same kind of music that I do, which is why I love this forum. Maybe that's partly why tend to prefer traditionally-oriented country to pop-crossover: because if I wanted to listen to pop life would be much much easier just to listen to pop readily available here. In some ways I don't really distinguish internally between mainstream and indie releases, except that the latter can be harder to get hold of.

I find out about records I'm interested in getting from:
A British-published country magazine called Country Music People, which has reasonably reliable reviews, including for imports and independent releases, plus ads from specialist dealers. When I first started listening to country in the late 80s this was my main resource, although at that time there were several radio shows I could hear stuff on (that later dried up). I did (and occasionally still do) also buy things unheard if I knew the reviewer was someone I usually agreed with. Nowadays, though, I usually check out recommended names via myspace or other online options. I actually prefer not to hear the whole album before buying, because there's something about the anticipation of listening to something for the first time. (E.g. I probably won't get the new Lee Ann Womack until Christmas, so I'm deliberately avoiding listening to individual tracks online). I occasionally hear about someone in a non-specialist publication, but I'm usually more wary there because I don't necessarily trust the review, and artists here tend to be the more "critically acclaimed", usually not that country side of alt-country.
Newsletters or websites of import dealers I use - usually only when I already know the name of an artist, though. Major label releases and the larger independent labels are easier.
Other websites - I've bought a couple of things based on recommendations/reviews/talk here. Occasionally I do a bit of myspace trawling - start with someone I like, then check out a friend, then one of their friends, and so on - usually focussing on names I vaguely recognise but perhaps haven't heard. I also occasionally check out cdbaby which has some good small-scale releases available, and lets you listen to clips.

I used to try to keep up with the US country charts more than I do now, although I do still pay some attention - it's a way to hear about new names to watch out for, and also how well an artist does commercially does affect their chances of making more music for me to enjoy, so it still maters to me.

[indulgedcountrymusic]

My mom is having a hard time seeking the final Sara Evans album I don't have -- No Place That Far -- she can't find it at any stores, but she's having trouble ordering it, whereas 3 Chords was easily ordered

I hope she figures it out, 'cuz I want it!

[Brody]

I like to actively seek out indie artists as well as old, forgotten artists. I think everyone gets caught up in finding the next big star, or someone who's still creating music, but stumbling across an artist from a bygone era that you really enjoy is just as exciting.

[Rainbow]

My mom is having a hard time seeking the final Sara Evans album I don't have -- No Place That Far -- she can't find it at any stores, but she's having trouble ordering it, whereas 3 Chords was easily ordered

I hope she figures it out, 'cuz I want it!

"No Place That Far" is as far as I know out of print, so it's no wonder that you're having a hard time finding it.

[indulgedcountrymusic]

My mom is having a hard time seeking the final Sara Evans album I don't have -- No Place That Far -- she can't find it at any stores, but she's having trouble ordering it, whereas 3 Chords was easily ordered

I hope she figures it out, 'cuz I want it!

"No Place That Far" is as far as I know out of print, so it's no wonder that you're having a hard time finding it.

But why would they stop printing No Place That Far, and not Three Chords and the Truth?

[JR Journey]

http://www.amazon.com/Place-That-Far-Sara-Evans/dp/B00000DF6K/ref=pd_sim_m_2/190-8568409-8460705

Amazon has No Place That Far available right now. 7 new and 59 used ... the used CDs start at $0.54 - so that's about a nickel per track.

Hope this helps ...

[JR Journey]

Getting back on track with Brady's topic ...

I do actively seek out new music too - but usually only from an artist I already know and am anticipating their new releases. Other artists that are just bouncing on the scene, I rely on the same old tried and true methods for finding and hearing their music - such as, but not limited to, this blog (the9513 is where it's at, people), the Country Universe blog, CMT, GAC, Country Weekly, and yes, even country radio. I really love the feeling when I hear a song for the first time and have no idea who the artist or the song is, but the song just grabs you, shakes you, slams you down, and makes you listen. These occurences are coming fewer and farther between these days, but I still believe the potential for these songs is by far the greatest in county music - no matter what sub-genre I happen to be delved into at the time.

[indulgedcountrymusic]

Getting back on track with Brady's topic ...

What I was talking about was on topic

[Stormy]

I usually look up songs from House or Homicide re-runs once a week, if that counts.

[lanibug]

I think I do a little of both -- I like some mainstream artists, but then again many of the artists I like do not get the mainstream attention, so they cannot be considered mainstream. Many of the artists I now like, have come from reading this form, and free CD's, etc. I am sure that I would never have heard of Aaron Watson, but when I won the CD, I popped it, and now I really enjoy him. I read a review several months back about Cowboy Crush and then went a listened and ended up ordering some of their music - but then again, I like George Strait, etc.

I believe that 9513, CU and the other websites, have helped to improve my taste, but then again, I was drawn to the 9513 because of a review they wrote about one of my favorite artists, who is non-mainstream, Ashley Monroe --

I like to find new artists -- and I often find myself looking up artists mentioned just to find out more about them and to see if they might offer something I would like.

[Sam G]

I've really expanded my music base through forums and blogs, both music and non-music oriented. New discoveries more often than not tends to be of the "indie" variety, because the most interesting music out there tends to fall on the non-radio-friendly side of the musical landscape.

Sometimes I almost wish I didn't keep finding new music, because economically, I really shouldn't be buying more stuff. But just this weekend I was at a Fry's, and I stumble across the Shane Nicholson/Kasey Chambers CD. Thanks to some rave recommendations by Trailer and a few other people/blogs whose opinions I value, I had to get it. I really didn't need to spend that 13 bucks, but the CD is as good as advertised.

[JR Journey]

Getting back on track with Brady's topic ...

What I was talking about was on topic

Yes. Yes, it was.

[Brady]

Interesting responses. I was going to start a new topic to see if The 9513 or any of the commenters had influenced your purchasing decision, but it seems some of y'all have already answered that.

[indulgedcountrymusic]

Interesting responses. I was going to start a new topic to see if The 9513 or any of the commenters had influenced your purchasing decision, but it seems some of y'all have already answered that.

Nope, even though people <cough>Razor X<cough> have tried to influence me

[Chris D]

Interesting responses. I was going to start a new topic to see if The 9513 or any of the commenters had influenced your purchasing decision, but it seems some of y'all have already answered that.

I'm influenced a lot, I would have never started liking Kathy Mattea, Patty Loveless, or Joey + Rory without the 9513 (I'm sure there are more, those were just the first few off the top of my head).