BEDTIMEMAGIC
SPB: How do you typically find new music?
Nicholas (bass): My favorite way to find new music is through compilations and trading tapes. The "Reality" series, and the "Cry Now, Cry Later" series were integral to my childhood. Heck, even the "Punk-O-Rama" releases were pretty rad. Now I like to check out bands by following rabbit holes on YouTube or Bandcamp. I think online groups like Noise Rock Now, where curmudgeons such as myself can discuss gross music, are a real turn on. Oh! And splits! Which is part of why Morgan and I keep doing them...to get people to know about bands we like. If it wasn't for the Stompbox / Slaughter Shack split, for instance, I probably never would have heard Slaughter Shack, and they ripped.
Honestly -- and I bet Morgan feels this way as well -- physical media is the best way to get into new stuff. It forces you to commit to it. Once you fork over $10, you're gonna wanna give that record a fair shake. Can't say the same for listening to a link for thirty seconds. Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.
Morgan (drums): I tend to find new music by following band or label family trees. Like, this dude plays guitar in a band I like, but I’ll find his old band, and check that out, then find out what the other people in those bands went on to do. Or the same with record labels: there are a few labels I always will check out new stuff they're putting out. I’ll follow bands from label to label.
If a band I like is putting out a record on a different label, I’ll check out what other bands that label is putting out. I really like how interconnected our world of weird rock and roll can be. My other favorite way to find new music is just going to record stores and digging in the crates. Flipping through and finding interesting stuff. Sometimes I’ll pick stuff out because I’m familiar with the band or label, but sometimes I’ll get stuff because something about the cover is interesting. I’ve found some great stuff by simply pulling it out of a stack on a whim.
We also have many friends that play in bands, and they also collect records or do their own labels or zines. I’m always asking people what good records they’ve found recently, or what music they’ve been into.
