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London and NYC Club and Concert Listings Download This! (June 2005) Writer: John Kelly By it's very nature, the internet is the ideal meeting place for every crazy, freak and obsessive you could ever imagine. Music fans are, of course, no exception and there are plenty of sites where even the most obscure devotee will find something of interest. Amongst this incredible catalogue of information, the rise of the MP3blog is of particular note for those of us interested in learning more about music. The introduction of MP3 files into the traditional blog format has transformed the blog from simple online journal into the virtual equivalent of one of those sessions where you have a few friends round, talk music and play some of your favourite tunes. Written largely by aficionados and music geeks the MP3blog is an incredible way to find hidden gems and learn more about music. It's like being invited into the inner sanctum of a vinyl collectors club and the mysterious world of the uber music fan. Since regularly checking out a few sites, my want lists have grown exponentially (as have my visits to gemm). Interestingly MP3blogs exist within a legal grey area, exploiting the major record labels' unwillingness to chase down every copyright infringement (they know free promotion when they see it). As a rule, the MP3s are encoded at a low rate so they are better suited as a promotional tool than a replacement for the genuine recording, and MP3s are generally only kept online for a limited period to discourage misuse. Turning a blind eye to this sort of copyright issue is a good example of the kind of promotion that will become, I believe, more and more prevalent, with forward-looking labels sending promo CDs to influential bloggers as well as magazines in an effort to reach the communities these people nurture. All of this seems part of the gradual move away from mass market to smaller and smaller niches, with weblogs and MP3blogs in particular merely representing the latest expression of lo-fi indie media making connections with precise groups of people in ways that the traditional media never can. As these communities grow and develop, eventually micro-economies will develop and it could be that it is through these kind of fan-based filters that the most and exciting new music starts to emerge. Check out four of my favourite MP3blogs below (or even better, get creative and set one up yourself): First and foremost the blog that got me really into the whole MP3blog thing and is still way ahead of the competition: soul-sides. Spanning the soul/funk/hip hop genres, the man o-dubs knows his music and has a taste eclectic enough to keep it interesting. For a more heavyweight jazz-based flavour check out the fantastically-named darkfunk.com, who have an wicked selection of rare live performances and MP3s of some killer LPs. The Broke BBoys blog is a tight mixture of UK and US hip hop, with enough classics to make a old school hip hopper like myself reminisce, and enough new stuff to keep me on my toes. Check it out. On the mashup/grimey/baile funk tip take a look at boomselection; it's got loads of exclusive remixes and mixes from DJs from around the world and is a great insight into a scene that seems to be thriving on the opportunies presented by the rise of the MP3 blogger. PUBLISHED: 3 June 2005 RELATED LINKS: Download This! May 2005 Download This! March 2005 Download This! February 2005 Download This! December 2004 Download This! November 2004 Download This! October 2004 More Features EMAIL UPDATES! Do you want to receive Know The Ledge update emails? Click here to sign up!	::: RELATED LINKS Download This! May 2005 More Features