Discoveries

I've recently discovered a lot of interesting music that I wouldn't have ever heard of before if there was no internet and no web 2.0. I'd like to introduce some of the finest resources here:
There's a wonderful blog of Seattle trumpeter Jason Parker called One Working Musician. His main theme is by what means an artist can survive best in these days. I find this topic quite interesting already, even for people like me, who are "only" consuming music. However, what makes this blog really treasurable is his weekly posting series called "Making it Happen Friday" (as you can guess: there's a new article every Friday - well, sometimes Sunday ;-)), where Parker is introducing other independent musicians, mostly those from the US west coast. Parker has a very wide interest and scope, so the musicians he's introducing are not just from the jazz scene but ranging from alternative rock to modern composition. Just recently he's been interviewing Beth Fleenor, an artist whose work I am sure I'm going to explore further in the future, just like I want to with Michael Owcharuk. But last, not least I should mention, that Jason Parker himself is playing very creative, inventive and modern jazz music with his quartet - listen to his new album "No More, No Less" and you'll see.

Another great resource for discovering most interesting sounds is the New Music Box with a collaborative blog of young artists, composers, conductors and musicians. After their review of James Mulcro Drew's "Animating Degree Zero" I must get this album. This urge is even stronger in the recent case of a review of the new album of The Dirty Projectors: "Bitte Orca".

Last for today, I want to point out to Beck's Record Club. I don't remember how I found this site, it was recommended somewhere. The famous indie musician Beck has gathered friends to re-record updated versions of "The Velvet Underground & Nico", song by song. Very much recommended.

Besides finding new and interesting music on the internet in my leisure time, I've been thinking lately of writing some theory. I thought about starting out with a discussion of the current web 2.0 and blogging business in the terminology of Karl Marx. I think, I could really get something out of it, not as a definite statement, but as a starting point for a thread of thoughts. However, I haven't started yet and I'm not sure if I ever will. The problem is: Writing such a theory would require concentrated WORK, something that I'm somethow shying away from in my leisure time...