MySpace

Most people in 2006 will know what MySpace is. MySpace's tagline is 'Space for Friends'. Essentially it started life as a place for people to upload profiles of themselves, with pictures, blogs and the likes. You could then build a network of 'friends' by inviting people to link to their page too. Now it is better know as a space for musicians to share their tracks with the world, and build a core of fans in a similar way.

Rich pointed me in its direction some months back. Although I already had a page I hadn't done anything serious with it - in fact I'd forgotten about it. So far, as a means of airing music and building up relationships with like minded musicians and fans its been a wonderful exercise. CD's have been swapped, remixes talked about, egos stroked with admiring comments from new listeners. If anyone would like to check out my page, and hear the four tracks currently on there, go to:

www.myspace.com/straightman1

Ego swelling aside, its also been an excellent way to discover other musicians out there, and in that regard its also been an eye opener that so much unsigned talent exists. Here are my recommendations - remember, you can listen to these musicians for free, so please give them a try (click on the names techno imbeciles):

Float Method - very spacial, very dark, very ambient

Amorphix - Dark ambience with a classical twist

Ketsad - Cutups and beats

Deaf Blind - Rich; how does one catagorise him?

Star Gazing - Check out the title track...

The Surgens - rockabilly madness from Pat and chums.

Steve Lawson - Superb bassisit, think jazz and ambient

Vacuole Eyes - More ambient beauty