Goodbye Bargain Bins
What a glorious Tuesday morning! I am prepped for spring fever to start, and it looks like today could be the day. I hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend and celebrated our Risen Lord!
Most of you should know by now that music is bordering as an obsession in my life. I love all types of music - from rap to classical, I find them all intriguing and entertaining. I know my dad is to blame for this as he raised me to have an open mind and listen to new things. To say the least, I enjoyed Clapton and Neil Diamond over Sesame Street.
I have this habit... some may label this a bad habit, but I think far opposite. I love doing what I call a "blind buy." This is when I go music shopping and buy CD's I have never heard before. The best place I have found to go is Media Play. I will usualy buy according to the album cover or even an interesting group name. They have thousands of used CD's for sale and most are between $3.99 and $8.99. This is great! Since they are used, they are usually good artists. See, I used to be a bargain bin girl. I would dig through $5 CD's for hours trying to find a album to jog my memory or even a older artist I was fond of. All I ever really found were no-name artists and gutter classical. With blind buys, I think out of 20 (or so), I have come across only 2 duds. This is a awesome way to find new artists. Ones that I would probably would have never discovered. It is a great feeling and there are not many things as exciting as listening to a new CD.
After finding these wonderful "hidden" artists, the next step is to see if they are touring (or when). I much prefer a small club with an intimate setting over an arena full of 50,000 fans. Some of the magic is lost when you realize you are only a speck in a crowd in your city. Besides, since I am well versed in music, the chances of me landing on a artist as large as Bon Jovi is extremely unlikely. I like the idea of supporting smaller (and perhaps struggling) musicians. While I am on the topic, for all of you concert goers: see the warm-up bands! My parents are the type of fans that flock in at the last minute for the main squeeze. In doing so they miss the smaller bands that are starting out. Every huge band started somewhere, and someday I will be able to say I watched the start of something grow into something huge (like the Stones). I can't wait for that day! Also, when they are just starting out, it is fun to meet them and have them sign things. Their CD's are cheaper and the music is fresher (when albums go big they have so much influence from producers and labels they loose some authenticity).
I love finding music treasures and sharing them. If you can relate, here are a few you may want to check out: Course of Nature, Joe Stark, Jeff Black, and Marc Cohn. You might also want to follow up on "has-beens" like Alice Cooper and Vanilla Ice. You may be surprised at their recent music and enjoy it more than before.
So, good-bye to the bargain bins! I can't even remember a CD I love that I found in a bargain bin anyway. Also, if you are into movies, pick one of your favorites and buy the soundtrack. It will amaze you how you had grown attached to the music and not realized it.
For those of you who are unemployed and have the day off, enjoy it!
Most of you should know by now that music is bordering as an obsession in my life. I love all types of music - from rap to classical, I find them all intriguing and entertaining. I know my dad is to blame for this as he raised me to have an open mind and listen to new things. To say the least, I enjoyed Clapton and Neil Diamond over Sesame Street.
I have this habit... some may label this a bad habit, but I think far opposite. I love doing what I call a "blind buy." This is when I go music shopping and buy CD's I have never heard before. The best place I have found to go is Media Play. I will usualy buy according to the album cover or even an interesting group name. They have thousands of used CD's for sale and most are between $3.99 and $8.99. This is great! Since they are used, they are usually good artists. See, I used to be a bargain bin girl. I would dig through $5 CD's for hours trying to find a album to jog my memory or even a older artist I was fond of. All I ever really found were no-name artists and gutter classical. With blind buys, I think out of 20 (or so), I have come across only 2 duds. This is a awesome way to find new artists. Ones that I would probably would have never discovered. It is a great feeling and there are not many things as exciting as listening to a new CD.
After finding these wonderful "hidden" artists, the next step is to see if they are touring (or when). I much prefer a small club with an intimate setting over an arena full of 50,000 fans. Some of the magic is lost when you realize you are only a speck in a crowd in your city. Besides, since I am well versed in music, the chances of me landing on a artist as large as Bon Jovi is extremely unlikely. I like the idea of supporting smaller (and perhaps struggling) musicians. While I am on the topic, for all of you concert goers: see the warm-up bands! My parents are the type of fans that flock in at the last minute for the main squeeze. In doing so they miss the smaller bands that are starting out. Every huge band started somewhere, and someday I will be able to say I watched the start of something grow into something huge (like the Stones). I can't wait for that day! Also, when they are just starting out, it is fun to meet them and have them sign things. Their CD's are cheaper and the music is fresher (when albums go big they have so much influence from producers and labels they loose some authenticity).
I love finding music treasures and sharing them. If you can relate, here are a few you may want to check out: Course of Nature, Joe Stark, Jeff Black, and Marc Cohn. You might also want to follow up on "has-beens" like Alice Cooper and Vanilla Ice. You may be surprised at their recent music and enjoy it more than before.
So, good-bye to the bargain bins! I can't even remember a CD I love that I found in a bargain bin anyway. Also, if you are into movies, pick one of your favorites and buy the soundtrack. It will amaze you how you had grown attached to the music and not realized it.
For those of you who are unemployed and have the day off, enjoy it!
posted by Nic at 7:11 AM
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