How do you gather music for partys, mixcds, or dj shows?

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I GET MUSIC BY: looking at other peoples mixcds, downloading singles collections, reading top 10 lists from music reviewers/editors or reading about musicians that are similar to the ones I already like.

yet still, I never find whatever it is that I am looking for. I guess I'm looking for that one song that can fit into any mix cd ever made (highly doubtful) -- or maybe I'm looking for that one song that is soo perfect in every retrospect that I can hear it daily for a whole month without going crazy?

Is there a website where people can post (or host) songs that make up a mix cd?
(I think mixcd.org is unavailable now)

Where do you find new singles? I use soulseek and random websites like amazon and pandora etc..

― CaptainLorax, Thursday, 12 April 2007 09:03 (nineteen years ago)

Good question, I'd like to know this too. I mostly use Hype Machine but it involves wading through a lot of junk so I'm starting to make a list of the best few and checking them regularly. ILM used to be a massive help but the digitalpop side seems to have faded away (have they all gone to lick their wounds following Rachel Stevens' dismal chart failure?) so I'm always looking for new sources. I also rely on recommendations from friends and downloading mixes from the 'djs make your mixes available for download' thread and pick out tracks from them. I often find good tracks by relistening to all the stuff I liked years ago. In truth, Hype Machine provides me with enough but it means downloading around 300 songs per week with only a 1% hit rate, I really need to find somewhere more suitable, esp for pop stuff.

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― NI, Thursday, 12 April 2007 10:26 (nineteen years ago)

CL, where do you find the top 10 lists?

― NI, Thursday, 12 April 2007 10:27 (nineteen years ago)

what?

are you talking about you don't know where to get music?

― That one guy that quit, Thursday, 12 April 2007 10:29 (nineteen years ago)

it's not as if you'll be able to help nrq, it's not like you listen to the stuff!

i'd like less amazing new music please, too inundated with the stuff...

― lex pretend, Thursday, 12 April 2007 10:30 (nineteen years ago)

NI i would be quite keen on getting a collaborative blog going where loads of us can post tracks (then link to the blog posts on ILM ha ha) but it needs more thinking about...

― blueski, Thursday, 12 April 2007 10:38 (nineteen years ago)

I go to Beatport and scan the new releases in "Minimal", "Deep House", "Techno" and ugh "Tech House" for names I know or labels I know. Occasionally if it's a slow week I'll look at the sales charts and flick through.

I also read forums a lot to fill the holes in my listening, or make me listen again to stuff I've overlooked.

― Ronan, Thursday, 12 April 2007 10:44 (nineteen years ago)

Steve, I'm keen on that. I'll mail you later on today to chat about it.

― NI, Thursday, 12 April 2007 12:16 (nineteen years ago)

I go to the salvation army and buy records.

― dan selzer, Thursday, 12 April 2007 15:48 (nineteen years ago)

I know where to get music but I don't know how to find music that will become my favorite songs.

heres a couple review sites
http://www.drownedinsound.com/
http://www.stylusmagazine.com/ -I found this site yesterday. If you click on staff members some of them have top 10 lists in their articles.

I guess everyone already knows http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/

somehow I happened upon bands like Red Red Meat and Grifters in the past. I enjoy them a lot when I'm in the mood for grungy rock. The odds that I find favorite bands like these two aren't so good when there are millions of bands out there. Maybe we can all post some of our "really good" finds if we can get a thread going about it.

― CaptainLorax, Thursday, 12 April 2007 18:26 (nineteen years ago)

For old(er) music,I read a lot of books, buy records, note labels, and try to find people mentioned in thank you's in the album notes. Liner notes can really help you out, a lot of artists work with or thank like-minded people so it's a good way to branch out from stuff you've heard of. Crate digging is always great, as is allmusic.com.

Stylusmagazine.com rocks, so does Allhiphop.com

― catblender, Thursday, 12 April 2007 18:42 (nineteen years ago)

there's lots of good advice here, but I have to confess to not really understanding the original question.

doesn't having lots of good music precede the desire to make a mixtape or do a DJ set? i.e. where does the need to evangelise come from if you haven't had a revelation?

― m the g, Thursday, 12 April 2007 18:49 (nineteen years ago)

right, so, NOT visiting drownedinsound and pitchfork will free up a lot of time to look for and hear new music

i would add stylus but the singles jukebox is great

― lex pretend, Thursday, 12 April 2007 18:53 (nineteen years ago)

you have heard of this thing called myspace, right?

― lex pretend, Thursday, 12 April 2007 18:54 (nineteen years ago)

it's responsible for arctic monkeys and lily allen, so i hear.

― That one guy that quit, Thursday, 12 April 2007 19:30 (nineteen years ago)

Searching for new music on myspace? I don't often do this but.. LOL. Big lols lotsa lols.

And m to the g, that might work for a northern soul or other retro set but a good modern DJ should constantly be hunting out for new stuff.

― NI, Thursday, 12 April 2007 20:12 (nineteen years ago)

Actually no, scratch that. Even 'old music' DJs should still be a-hunting.

― NI, Thursday, 12 April 2007 20:14 (nineteen years ago)

xpost

aye, I know. furthermore, everyone who vaguely cares about music should be out there hunting for new sounds. there's always great stuff you haven't heard of.

but that wasn't really my point. the initial question can be interpreted as if the guy wants to DJ but hasn't really got anything he wants to play. which leads me to ask a theoretical question: why do people want to DJ in the first place? I would have thought that the urge comes from a foundation of having music you want to share. no?

― m the g, Thursday, 12 April 2007 20:24 (nineteen years ago)

For mobile gigs where I mainly play mainstream stuff I keep an eye on the billboard top 40 charts, XM's 20 on 20 list and talk to my co-workers, when they mention they like something I know it's safe to play at a gig. If you're looking older tunes that might get requested at a typical buffer gathering this list of the 200 most requested songs will probably have you covered.

― The Macallan 18 Year, Thursday, 12 April 2007 20:39 (nineteen years ago)

yeah, I agree my origianl question wasn't obvious. I'm just stating how hard it is to find music I like even with the entire internet at my dispoal. I'm not interested in being a dj.

Maybe I can rattle off my favorite albums and you all can suggest anything that you think might sound remotely good to me.

That wouldnt help me find "advant garde" music because I would only get suggestions of similar bands. I hate to use the term advant garde but you know what I mean (hopefully).

― CaptainLorax, Thursday, 12 April 2007 21:28 (nineteen years ago)

MAYBE YOU HATE MUSIC

― scott seward, Thursday, 12 April 2007 21:33 (nineteen years ago)

sorry, what i meant to type was: MAYBE YOU ARE REALLY LAZY AND HATE MUSIC

― scott seward, Thursday, 12 April 2007 21:35 (nineteen years ago)

It's easy to find good music on myspace. Just find ONE cool band or record label. Then look at all their friends. I've discovered tons of amazing new bands.

― dan selzer, Thursday, 12 April 2007 23:30 (nineteen years ago)

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