AUGUST 2011 E polyphony I Got The Top Ten Blues For this month’s column, I


went to Google and typed in “10 best music websites.” What came up was interesting, disap- pointing, and indicative of how the web is evolving. I usually provide links to most websites I discuss, but here I think I’ll skip the address unless the site is really worth a visit. If you must see one of the stinkers, Google, unfortunately, will get you there in a jiffy. With “10 best music web-


sites” typed into the search box, three pages of sites came back. The top site was Entertainment Weekly’s lazily researched list of commercial sites, although they did include archive.org. MySpace was also listed, but ET did recognize how outdated and tired the whole MySpace community has become. It was likely written by a bored intern, and except for the mention of Archive.org, not a good start. Second was a list of mu-


sic download sites, under the header “No.1 Reviews.com.” Unfortunately, this site shows


us where the web seems to be headed. Much like the cheap reality TV shows that my mass communications professor in 1981 correctly predicted we would have to tolerate in the future, these new “reference” websites are typically badly researched advertisement ve- hicles that may or may not help you with real information. Strike two. Next was a list from the UK’s


The Independent, and finally we get some robust content, with a visual list of 25 eclectic and use- ful music websites and blogs. Better than the Van is a commu- nity site that helps poor young bands find places to crash after their gigs. Citycloud, which fea- tures photography and music, is posted by users on both sides of the Pond (www.citysounds. fm). Spotify, a Swedish site soon to be available in the U.S., fea- tures free streaming of “mil- lions of tracks.” We’ll see if it really is worthwhile (www. spotify.com). Kudos to The In- dependent for a job well done.


By Steve Chase


See the article at tinyurl.com/ ykkanzc . Wired’s Listening Post came


up next, with a 2008 article on hot music sites. Three years on the internet is a proverbial eternity, and the listed sites in- cluded dead links and Pandora- like subscription sites. All in all, Listening Post needs an update on its top ten list, but unfortu- nately, they can’t, because the blog ceased to function in 2009. Remember the web never for- gets. Strike three. I dug down into the rest of


the results to find one more decent link. Many of the web- sites listed were no good, but I did come across the beta for a new web series called Top Site (www.topsite.com). The results for a music page search were all over: There were some


dead sites along with some in- teresting and obscure blogs and reference sites with names like Free Sheet Music (sheetor. com), Record Store Day (re- cordstoreday.com), and The Walrus (walrusmusicblog.com). A blog out of Philly, The Walrus gives refreshing views of the Indie rock scene, talking about obscure bands and music that I wish I knew. There are also video links, including one to a BBC documentary on Britain’s ambient music genius Brian Eno. The Walrus also asks folks to communicate their favorite tunes to him, which he prom- ises to share if he likes it. So the results were two out of


five, with many more complete throwaways, giving us an omi- nous forecast on the direction the web is heading. Instead of


providing rich content, a simple Google search today provides you with a tremendous amount of commercial, “adbot” driven garbage, with some major and minor gems scattered amongst the trash. My advice for finding your own top ten music sites for 2011 is to focus on your favorite musical niche, whether it’s in- die rock, jam bands, jazz, new grass, classical, blues, or Lady Gaga, and just dig in, using your favorite search engine. The sites and blogs are out there; you’ll just have to pull through an increasing morass of digital crap along the way. Make sure to check out the


latest Live Music schedule at the Shepherdstown Opera House at www.operahouselive.com.


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