Music the Amie Street Way

The following editorial comment was submitted to Amie Street (http://amiestreet.com), January 1, 2008. I've also included some of my favorite Amie Street picks (samples only) linked to the Amie Street player below the editorial. Enjoy... And open an Amie Street account soon:

As we get ready for 2008, it seems appropriate to look back on the state of music in 2007, the shifting music purchase paradigm, and the role that Amie Street has played in the revolutionizing, both for the seller and the consumer, the music industry as we know it.

I've always searched for new and different music. For as long as I can remember, even growing up in a back-woods town in Nebraska, I've looked to discover new music. My interests are broad, so music doesn't have to be a particular genre, it just has to be good. In those early days, 1969 to 1979 or so, it was scouring the dial for an FM radio station that would play more than the "hits." That was a lot easier to find then than now. When FM gave way to MTV, MTV was radical and new. There are many groups who can thank MTV for their start; groups such as REM and U2 made the air waves, because they made the MTV circuit first. In the mid 80's, I subscribed to CD Review, a Wayne Green publication that came with a CD as part of the sub every month. When CD Review seemed poised for the cutting room floor, I came across CMJ New Music Monthly in the early 90's and was introduced to many a group from the pages of the magazine and the CD that was included with each issue. CMJ is still something that I receive every month, but it's looking like the next renewal cycle, I'll just let it expire. Why? The answer is Amie Street.

How I found Amie Street in the first place, I'm not even sure. A music blog may have pointed me there or someone may have told me about it. All I know is that since discovering Amie Street almost a year ago, I've purchased a great number of excellent MP3's-most as complete CD sets. There are broad ranges of music to choose from, so it fits my eclectic tastes nicely, and the pricing model allows great music to excel and mediocre music to languish. Combining Amie Street with Facebook's Fantasy Record label (editors note: Fantasy Record Label no longer exists), allows me to introduce music to my friends, too, while hopefully promoting an artist or two that needs the exposure. Amie Street's artist payment policy is generous, unlike major labels who keep a large percentage for marketing, packaging, inventory, add infinitum.

There is great reason to hope that 2008 will continue to provide musicians a new home while providing bargain basement pricing for music hungry consumers such as myself. Here's to you, Amie Street! I raise my glass and toast a successful 2007 and wish artists, consumers and staff alike, a very happy and successful 2008.

Recent Amie Street Favorites:
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