Music: Endangered 101

That's right- I said it! 'Music' and the word 'endangered' in the same sentence. Well if you judge it by what's on MTV, you definitely would think there's no music videos worth watching- outside of maybe Britney, Foo Fighters, or the latest HipHop craze.

Don't get me wrong- I like a little hiphop now and then. But come on, there's a ton of good new independent music out there that never sees the light of day- or rather, the light of your flat screen or radio transistors.

What IS endangered is.. fresh interesting music from up and coming artists breaking ground in new scenes across America. Oh the rage's happening- it just gets no coverage from major music television. Maybe the reason is that MTV no longer has a big stake in the indie scene. Their new biz plan is financed by cookie-cutter, over-produced bubble gum popstars with a big fat record deal from one of the majors recycling the same crap that's hit the scene since Nirvana died with Kurt Cobain- rest his wearied soul. One or two exceptions to the rule, but you get the point!

Come on- we want to hear some great new metal band cranking tunes so hard it vibrates the beer cans off your speakers. Enough scripted realityTV FlavaFlave Hills OC richchix nonRealWorld drama garbage.. we want our MTV back! Kill the rehashed FooFighter videos already, drop Britney for a second, and lighten up on the Rap game. Give us some downhome, hardcore born to be wild ROCK 'N frickin ROLL! Something with meat that you can stick your teeth into.

About all you have to do is search MySpace track plays on UNSIGNED bands to find some new music- it's there just open your eyes and stop hiding behind your cappuccino-frantic Santa Monica HQ. Get out of your Malibu beach bungalow comfort zone and into the street team mentality of SmallTown, USA and go grab some new talent. Spotlight new artists across this great country one nightclub at a time, and empower the real independent musician with a shot at the big time. You might be surprised at what you find hiding out in the barrios of EastLA or wooded hangouts of Portland.

Start a new cable channel if you have to, just do it. Find the hidden talent, and give the indie ones their 15 minutes in the lights. To get you started, drive down Sunset and hit any club like the Whisky, Roxy, or Viper room on almost any night to find the real hidden secrets of the LA music scene. Start there- takes some notes, hand out a few biz cards. Then get out on the American roadways to scout the greatest hangouts across this massive country. And find talent under any rock!

Here's a list of Top25 Clubs to get you going.


Peace, AudioK9

indie band/artists:

photo1: Grynch
hometown: Eugene, Oregon USA
niche: metal/experimental/alternative band

photo2: MindDelay
hometown: EastLA, Cali USA
niche: metal/rage/hiphop artist