Have you come across bands online you thought were great, but had no following?

... but if I have time I'll explore longer...

That's mostly it...I simply don't have the time to explore Soundcloud or Bandcamp for unknown stuff.

If I hear of a more known band that someone mentions...or I'm sort of subconsciously listening to some radio stream...and my ears pick up on a cool song I'm not familiar with...I'll check who the artist is, and maybe see of any of their other stuff is as good, or if it's a "one hit wonder" (well, at least to me). So I do listen to other music and check out new stuff...but again, it tends to be more already established artists...or should I say, already vetted artists...
...but the unknown artist on the interwebs...naaa, and I'm just being honest.

I know that may sound negative, especially since we/I are also posting our stuff on those sites, and would kinda like other people to check out our music and all that...but I really do feel that other musicians who are deeply engaged in writing/recording their own music...are not always the best listeners. We are all too focused on what we are doing.
I would rather have my music heard by the average people, who will just listen to it overall, for the sound, the vibe...etc.
Other musicians tend to be too analytical...I know I am, which is why I stay out of the MP3 Clinic, as I found not too many want real analytical comments, they mostly want you to say you "like it". :D


... and maybe it will change their life forever.

I don't know about that.
I guess when I was real young, doing the "wanna be a rock star" band thing, there was a time when I might have felt like that, and music, certain music, actually still has a deep effect on me...but change my life forever...I don't think so.
Maybe I've become too jaded about the whole thing, about being just a fan that is totally taken by someone's music.
It's different when you are in your teens/twenties....but I do still get very enthusiastic about a new song that I'm working on, otherwise I wouldn't still be doing this.
I also don't much care if no one else gets as enthusiastic about my music. Sure, I would like people to check it out, but it's for me mostly now days, whereas in my twenties...it was for the following, the audience. :)
 
Well what I do on soundcloud is join a group that's related to music i'm interested in, and then when new stuff is posted I'll listen to it. It cuts down on the time searching around for things and instead brings it to you.

And real musicians are usually exposed to new music through their peers. People they have met in the real world and/or shared a stage with.

This is snobby.
 
This could become a great epic thread. As long as everyone behaves. :D
It certainly is a very relevant topc of discussion. Musicians or wanna be musicians discussing others.

All of us have a core influence or influences. Music and artists that lit the fire under our ass, and brought us to the point where we will do something that has about the same success ratio as winning the state lottery.
:D

Once those influences are deeply rooted, to some degree we won't care about other music. Sure, some of us are still fans. I know I am. But I'm not searching out the 'new thing'. I'm not a fucking A&R guy.

The majority care more about their own music, than that of others. (Unless they are trying to emulate the other artists.)

Sad to say most of us are a self absorbed bunch.

I'd be willing to bet that even in the mp3 clinic, most only comment on other's songs for two reasons.

A) it's the price of admission to get others to listen to your tunes.
B) critique and suggestions make that person feel knowledgeable and important
So.....it's all me, me, me.
:D

Sure, sometimes a fresh set of ears can be of benefit, but playing your tunes for strangers to critisize seems pretty stupid.

But hey, at least someone listens to it, right?

Thats better than nothing I guess.

:D
 
Once those influences are deeply rooted, to some degree we won't care about other music. Sure, some of us are still fans. I know I am. But I'm not searching out the 'new thing'. I'm not a fucking A&R guy.

Man, you are totally derailing the thread. Do you have any links of bands you found that you want to share?
Every thread turns into a rant about the internet and kids nowadays.

I'm not an A&R guy, either, but I'm a music fan, so it's cool to find new/good music by peers who are at home doing it.
 
Man, you are totally derailing the thread. Do you have any links of bands you found that you want to share?
Every thread turns into a rant about the internet and kids nowadays.

I'm not an A&R guy, either, but I'm a music fan, so it's cool to find new/good music by peers who are at home doing it.

You open up a topic of discussion then get butthurt when people discuss and it deviates in any way from your vision.

Also, in that post I never ranted about kids. Not once.
 
You open up a topic of discussion then get butthurt when people discuss and it deviates in any way from your vision.

Also, in that post I never ranted about kids or the internet. Not once.

I asked for links to bands who people bumped into online, who users here think are good and others should check out...not a lecture on "real musicians" and ideology/dogma nonsense. Just make a thread about soundcloud and wannabees and go off in that.
 
I'm so sincerely sorry for single handedly destroying your vision. :D
Dude, I think you just need to relax and chill out. So fucking serious!

Here's 3 relatively unknown artists I like.
3 penny needle, bb chung king, and the angels.
Cant give you links, I'm on my phone. Mobile site sucks.
 
I like plenty musics, signed and unsigned. I post plenty links too. But I also suspect I'm not who you're targeting with the question, or who you're hoping will answer..

But let's turn this around for a second: OP or anyone else, what was the last unsigned artist you spent actual money on? Either by buying their physical media, or paying for a download...?
 
OP or anyone else, what was the last unsigned artist you spent actual money on? Either by buying their physical media, or paying for a download...?
Been a long time for me. I can't even remember. I think it was probably someone from here actually. Does a paid subscription to a band-unfriendly streaming service count? I got one of those. I'm one of those guys that thinks if a band gives it out for free, then that's what it's worth. If I can listen to everything someone's done for literally nothing, then why pay? I'm not one of those guys that sympathizes with the plight of struggling "artists" while they put their shit everywhere for free listening. But I'm also one of those guys mentioned earlier that gets out of the house and plays live a lot, so I have a pretty big pile of local and regional bands demos and EPs. We trade shit a lot. I give them an album, they give me one. Very little of it is worth the CD it's burned on. What I do with it is keep some of these guys in mind if we need another band to fill a bill. They call us for a gig, we call them for a gig, we help each other in that way.
 
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Been a long time for me. I can't even remember. I think it was probably someone from here actually. Does a paid subscription to a band-unfriendly streaming service count? I got one of those. I'm one of those guys that thinks if a band gives it out for free, then that's what it's worth. If I can listen to everything someone's done for literally nothing, then why pay? I'm not one of those guys that sympathizes with the plight of struggling "artists" while they put their shit everywhere for free listening. But I'm also one of those guys mentioned earlier that gets out of the house and plays live a lot, so I have a pretty big pile of local and regional bands demos and EPs. We trade shit a lot. I give them an album, they give me one. Very little of it is worth the CD it's burned on. What I do with it is keep some of these guys in mind if we need another band to fill a bill. They call us for a gig, we call them for a gig, we help each other in that way.

Yeah, I bought a download from a member here, but they also bought one from me at the exact same price so I don't think that really counts. Personally, I've never been comfortable hawking my shit on friends, family, or even folks I've talked to a couple times. I guess I was thinking of some total online music stranger where you hear their stuff and think "This is awesome, I want this". I've done it only handful of times in the past couple years. Once with this Russian electronic music composer and a couple times with a space rock band from England who, I think, actually has members/plays small clubs etc.
 
It's funny because I've actually tried to plug the Russian electronic composer guy on other boards where the members are really into similar music, and no one will touch it (I think) because he's an unknown dude on Bandcamp. Or they probably just suspect it's me and I'm plugging my own shit.
 
I guess I was thinking of some total online music stranger where you hear their stuff and think "This is awesome, I want this".

Never. I've never liked some unknown internet nobody so much that I felt compelled to buy anything from them. That's not to say I wouldn't, but I haven't yet. But again, if I found them online, then I can find them online. I don't need to actually buy anything.
 
I sometimes go on YouTube safaris. When I feel like a break, I look for a band that I have been interested in, then wander through the other links that come up. Most of the time there's not a lot that grabs my attention, but it's fun anyway.
 
...what was the last unsigned artist you spent actual money on? Either by buying their physical media, or paying for a download...?

I know it was for the OP, but I'll chime in with "I think the last artist I spent $ on was NIrvana, about 3 years ago". I'm terrible at that. I mean, I'll listen to others stuff all the time, but when it comes to supporting them with cold, hard cash, I just haven't felt so compelled in a long time to do so.

i don't listen to as much music as I did when I was in my teens mostly because, and I think lots of ppl here can see what i'm saying, it becomes too predictable. I know where the chorus is going. I know when the bridge is coming and how it'll be exited. i've just heard the same scenarios played out over and over and over again, that it's so hard to appreciate new music sometimes. that's an honest statement and I hope i don't catch some crap from it.

so, when I do find something new that I like, it's usually something with a twist (to me) that takes it somewhere or does something i'm not expecting. I think the last time I heard a group that I liked but didn't know ahead of time was My Chemical Romance. Before that, Muse. The cover ppl from my first post were to contribute toward the "online" idea, and I do like watching/hearing how people spin covers into their own thing. I believe that's a talent as well... to try and convince ppl that song is yours by playing/singing it like you wrote it.

this is a good thread. i'm going to check out RFR's bands he suggested. I haven't heard of them before. I like seeing what you guys listen to and I'll give any music a try.
 
Hmmm, I listen to music pretty much all day every day - mostly on YouTube or Spotify... so I guess Greg has been paid about $0.0001 for me listening to one of his albums a few times.

Just trying to think of "YouTube Bands". I did pay to see Rob Chapman's band live - he was playing walking distance from my week-day apartment. I wouldn't buy his album though... but then I've never listened to his album either!
 
Hmmm, I listen to music pretty much all day every day - mostly on YouTube or Spotify... so I guess Greg has been paid about $0.0001 for me listening to one of his albums a few times.

I don't keep any of the money anyway. Every penny I make from sales goes to charity.

I'd feel like a real ass if I tried to make personal money off of my solo music.
 
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