As a young lad in Upstate NY, I would listen to songs on the radio and make comments on the ones that would be in the Top 40 countdown, more to the point the top 10. 90% of the time I was right.
With my ear as a guide I would sometimes try and recreate the songs I heard on a busted key piano and an out of tune banjo I found. Lessons followed… somewhere there’s a recording of me playing “Suicide is Painless†(Props if you can actually identify the tune without looking it up.) However I lost that skill after a couple of accidents.
I never lost the ear though, and subsequently expanded my musical exposure. Rock, Pop, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Classical, Dance, House, Punk, Country, Alternative… and so on. You name it I found an appreciation for it.
Fast forward a few years, a stretch as one of The Few and The Proud, and learning a few things about some Major labels, and Cooperate owned radio stations “Clear Channelâ€, I became disheartened with the direction of music as an industry and business.
On the chance occasion listening to one of those stations, driving home from work, I discovered that they had bought themselves out and were running independent again. They had an impromptu battle of Unsigned/ Indie MySpace bands. What I heard blew me away…
I’ve since started looking for and promoting Indie artists and bands.(Cover bands, as great as some of you are need not apply.) Original material from up and coming artists/ acts, who are actively pursuing a goal to spread their message through music, is what I want to showcase here. Every year in January I pick an artist to back and support in an active roll of some kind. (Situation dictates circumstance.)
I also write reviews for Next Big Hit ( nextbighit.com ) A Podcast that only showcases Indie/ Unsigned artists. You never know what you might find???
If you are a fan of an Indie act let me know who they are and send me a friend request. You might find another artist you like, and I might find a new band to promote. If you like the artist’s you find here, tell your friends to check them, and me, out. Help me promote the Indie Scene.