21st Century Digital (Music) Boy

Your New Favorite Band is Just Three Clicks Away

Houston institution Cactus Music closed its doors after 30 years citing downloading as their downfall. (Photo: Flickr)

Published on August 6, 2008

Finding new tunes used to be so easy, wasn't it? All it took was a trip to the record store, a chat with the pierced dude behind the counter and you'd be set for a month. But in the digital age, things have gotten more complicated. Sure, MySpace is a godsend for every garage band looking to get signed. But the level playing field now means a hell of a lot more songs to sift through.

Looking for a nice set of cans? These retro-styled headphones feature a slim profile answer/end call button and an in-line microphone, making it easy to transfer between your music and an incoming call, or simply switching songs. Plus, they come with a 3.5mm, 1/8" and 1/4" adapter (that's right, it works with both iPhones). $52, at Urban Outfitters.

Maybe you feel like an overwhelmed music lover. Maybe you're sick of not knowing who your Pitchfork-reading friends are talking about. In any case, here's a quick three-step guide for finding your next "favorite band" online. Think of it as the modern-day equivalent to spending an afternoon thumbing through the racks of vinyl.

1) The Search

Because everyone's musical tastes don't begin and end with Martin, comma, Ricky, it's best to start broad. AllMusic.com is the big-box store of musical selection. At AllMusic, everyone from Judas Priest to Vivaldi gets the same treatment: extensive discographies, reviews, and detailed histories of the band that rival VH1's Behind the Music (minus the silhouetted drummer intro, naturally). Best of all, their "Similar Artists" rundown guarantees that all you'll need to build out your iTunes playlist is a handful of your current faves.

2) The Listen

As nice as it is of Apple to offer 30-second snippets of songs, there are better ways to hear new music online. After all, what's the hook without the bridge? Along with the aforementioned MySpace, Songza, the "internet jukebox," is another great at-home-listening site. But if you want to pack up the latest hipster anthem for a jog around the neighborhood, you'll need an Mp3. And for that, you'll need Elbows, an aggregator that allows you to search the entire blogosphere for that particular song that will complete your latest "Workout Mix."

3) The Perfect Match

The final step to online music searching gets a little personal. No, it won't require $34.95 a month and a series of soul-crushing first dates. But, in a sense, it will force you to look for someone with similar interests, although in this case we're talking more like "enjoys thrash-metal" rather than "must love dogs." The web is filled with music blogs, some of them run by hardworking tastemakers who can do the legwork for you, letting you know if that new Death Cab for Cutie album is worth your time or $9.99. To find one who fits your tastes, check out the blogroll at Stereogum, Technorati's most-read music blog. Because if you have any hope of ever running into your pierced friend again, the one whose cross-counter suggestions once gave you all the auditory delight you could ever hope for, it's bound to be online.