Where Did You Hear That? (Or: Oh Really? I Never Guessed You Work in a Library)

The Internet has certainly made it easier to discover new (or old) music, but I still rely on traditional channels: sometimes the radio, mostly reviews in the music press (Uncut and Mojo, primarily) and more often, music reference books (latest treasure trove is "The Great Folk Discography", Volumes 1 & 2 by Martin C Strong). Also very valuable: "1000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die" by Tom Moon, the various Rough Guides {"Reggae: The Rough Guide" by Steve Barrow and Peter Dalton, and "The Rough Guide to Rock" -- though be prepared for a British bias -- they feature many third-tier Brit bands you've -- rightly -- never heard of.)
Recently, I've enjoyed "The Best Music You've Never Heard" (another Rough Guide).

Umm, I sometimes refer to both the red and blue Rolling Stone guides, and the All Music Guide -- but they're really a last resort, mostly just repeating inaccurate information and third-hand reviews.

And I don't have a book source for jazz or classical. My son gave me "The Penguin Guide to Jazz", but do you really want a Brit to tell you about jazz? And classical music I just hunt and peck my way along. More about that later.

KSER at 90.7 is a life-saver. Sundays, there's the great double bill of Bluegrass Express at 11AM, followed by String Band Theory (traditional and acoustic music) at 1PM. Saturdays, I can usually listen to Juke Joint during my lunch break (show starts at 1PM) and then Dusties (R&B from the '40s through the '70s) on the way home from 5-7. This last Saturday, I had to drive to Coupeville for a family dinner, so I listened to Dusties all the way, and now I'm on the trail of late seventies funk bands like Mandrill and Cymande. These groups fall through the cracks of most music history complilations; listening to some of these shows, it's like there's an alternate universe of music, a whole parallel dimension outside the playlists we grew up with.

KING is our best classical choice, since CBC decided that kids these days don't listen to classical music unless it "rocks their world". Really? Is your market research department that lame? I try to listen to "Deep Roots" on Friday or Saturday, but there's a LOT of repeats, and TOM POWER repeats his name 45 times each hour!! KILL ME NOW!!!

Sorry. Back to KING. Great on-air talent, essential programs ("Northwest Focus" plays music to be performed locally. My heart leaps with hopeful anticipation.)

We have access to hundreds, if not thousands, of years of music. What's the point of sticking to some current commercially-driven pink slime when there are other worlds to discover? (Wait a minute, didn't Captain Kirk already say that?) Oh hell, I admit it; my credo is also from Star Trek, courtesy Jean Luc Picard: "Let's see what's out there!"