What makes you check out a new band?

I realize this is a pretty vague question because the source could come from every direction:
• social shares
• word of mouth
• streaming services
• interesting album art
• "sounds like" "for fans of..."
• some combination of all of the above
• etc

I'm curious what piques your interest with discovering new music, and giving a new artist you've never heard of, a genuine listen.

Follow up question: you find a new artist you like: do you share it or keep it to yourself? Both?

 

I almost always share immediately if I hear a new song I love. I'm not big on discovering new stuff. That all kind of went out the window with the Army. Nowadays it is mostly stuff I hear on XM, Spotify suggested artists, or live bands I enjoy. Last.fm has been kinda shitty with their recs as of late. Either stuff I already listen to or not good mainstream stuff that they try and link to artists I love.

 

Usually, I find new songs at fight club. Whatever soundtrack is playing when I try to find the last vestiges of a masculinity that has been burned away by years of coddling. So, a lot of EDM and stuff as of late, but I'm totally willing to share with others.

 

Generally speaking

Word of mouth
Opening act
If they cover a song I like

Finding new bands is so overwhelming I really don't do it that much anymore

 

Spotify playlists/radio. I feel like I'm too busy lately to listen to new bands and I know how ridiculous that sounds because I listen to new cds all the time.

 

recommendations from people
"similar artists" on last.fm and spotify

 

I get that. Do you actively share/promote artists you are passionate about? If so, what prompts you to do so?

 

Record label, band members, art (sometimes), a band name/track name that pulls me in, that all factors in, but honestly, I just blindly trust about 25 people or so on this site and then also pretty much anything Stereogum covers. That's my main method.

 

It pretty much has to be a name I've heard before. Like someone might be praising Single Mothers on Twitter (this is just a dummy example), and I think, "Oh yeah, I've heard PUP fans talk about them before," and then decide to check them out. If they're not on Spotify I probably won't go out of my way to find their music, unless I'm at a show and they're opening and I can buy their stuff immediately.

 

"Sounds like" is pretty much what gets me most of the time. I know what I like, and I don't really deviate too much.

 

I've discovered so much great shit from the members only forum on AP. Any time a user I had similar taste to posted something I'd download it.

 

Recent years I've found a ton of bands by looking up bands on festival posters that I've never heard of. Have fell in love with quite a few bands this way.

 

This is all really good feedback.

Anything additional, everyone?

 

Generally I have to hear their name a few times from different sources.

 

Honestly I get most of the new music that I listen to via the "Best of" lists on this site, both halfway through the year and at the end of the year.

Other than that sometimes I'll find stuff via MetaCritic reviews. I Used to try out a lot more music and find stuff on my own but I don't have as much time for that anymore

 

If I see people on here whose tastes generally align with mine recommend a band, I'll check them out. Similarly, if there's a band whose RIYL includes another band I like, I'll check them out too. Sometimes I just check out bands who have released albums recently or who have a release coming up.

 

Weirdly, album covers is one way. I think you can tell a surprising amount from a band's artwork and if I can see that a band has put a lot of effort into what the album cover looks like then I might well check out their music.

So yeah, I would actually recommend judging a book by its cover...

 

Like, seriously. Even if you don't agree with the album of the week choice, you cannot deny the comprehensiveness of Stereogum's weekly album roundup.
Album Of The Week: Connections Midnight Run

 

RIYLs

 

Youtube related videos of bands I already like. Background music on TV shows. The opening and closing music on the podcast Uhh Yeah Dude.

 

The biggest one for me recently is checking out bands that are on tour with bands I like, so that when I go to see them, I'm familiar with as many bands as possible at the show. Otherwise, I'll check out something if people with taste that I trust recommend them.

I share songs I like online all the time...not so much to people I know in real life or on Facebook since I don't really have friends who are interested in music I like.

 

This is pretty much it for me nowadays. I actually just came across Sorority Noise for the first time this morning because I'm going to the Bayside show in August. Really glad I listened because I like what I'm hearing.

The 'opening bands' format has caused me to find some of my favorite bands around today. I remember researching Manchester Orchestra back in 2009 when they were opening up for Brand New and then finding out about The Front Bottoms in 2012 when they were opening up for Bad Books. MO and TFB are probably 2 of my favorite 4 bands out these days. Same with Fun. I remember catching them opening up for Panic! in early 2011.

When I was in HS and College, I'd scour the internet for hours a day searching for new bands throughout various music websites but I just don't have the time or energy to do that anymore. That was a long time ago. I also used to check out the "for fans of (insert band name here)" stickers that used to be on CDs back in the early 2000s. Those stickers backfired a lot though, haha.

 

This has definitely been the biggest source of my new finds. And since most festival lineups come out late spring or early summer, those are my seasons of finding music.

Stereogum is the only music reviewing website I give any cred to these days.

 

Specific users on here bugging up an artist. Hearing them on Annie Mac or Zane Lowes radio shows. And some times I just take random punts in the new artist list on Apple Music.

 

Recommendations, word of mouth.