Shuffler.fm

SHUFFLER.FM LAUNCHES A ‘FLIPBOARD FOR MUSIC’ IPAD APP.

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Shuffler.fm for iPad creates an audio magazine powered by music blogs and sites.

November 8, 2011

Today Shuffler.fm launches a Flipboard-style iPad app which creates the world’s first audio magazine powered by music blogs. Shuffler.fm, a year old startup, began as a webapp: a blog powered version of Pandora or StumbleUpon for music, turning music blogs into radio stations.

The app creates one continuous stream straight from music blogs, creating a serendipitous experience of words, pictures, and audio. Shuffler.fm’s goal is to create a visual experience curated by music bloggers, who are today’s tastemakers and gatekeepers in filtering the music information overload and adding context to the music.

Shuffler.fm was made for tablets and today it’s finally here on the iPad. It’s the world’s first real audio magazine, one which compiles itself and changes by the hour, giving you the latest, hottest, newest music from around the globe. Sit back, relax, listen, and read.

The Shuffler.fm app is available from http://shuffler.fm or from the App Store at http://itunes.com/app/shufflerfm

Q&A: SF Critic

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 13:45:00 +0200

For the latest installment of our new Q&A series, we chatted to David Johnson-Igra of SF Critic Read on below to find out more, and see which blogs could be up next. Tune in soon for the next Q&A post.

you can play SF critic in one continuos mix here

Name
David Johnson-Igra

Blog
SF Critic

Location
San Francisco

When did you start your blog?
June 2008

First album you ever bought?
It was either Pearl Jam’s “Vs.” or MC Hammer’s “Please Hammer, Don’t Hurt ‘Em.” I’ve been all over the map, even as a little kid.

Sound of 2011?
Dubstep—I don’t listen to it much—but you can’t ignore its presence. I feel though that 90s R&B is coming back though.

Favorite record of 2010?
Toro Y Moi “Causers Of This”

Best show you’ve been to recently?
Cults was fantastic. I was impressed by Madeline Folin’s voice. The album make her seem alot more childlike, whereas in person, she hits some deep notes. But memorable, like Black Rob “Whoa!,” has to be Little Dragon. Just remembering the bizarre back drop, Yukimi Nagano singing with a scarf covering her face, and the crazy hippie dancing in front of me, makes me wonder whether there were any drugs in my whiskey and ginger.

Regular stops on the festival circuit?
SXSW, Outside Lands, but soon CMJ and Lollapolooza

Any new discoveries at SXSW this year?
I was impressed with Givers. Obviously not a new discovery, but Friendly Fires were also incredible.

What’s your experience with blog showcases? Stressful, worthwhile, (both!)?
Blog what? Too many people doing it—no thanks. I organize music industry mixers instead, so that I can hang with new, old, and potential friends in the industry.

How do you deal with the inevitable onslaught of emails? And how much of them do you actually read?
During the weekends I hide from my emails. Like literally, I put my computer in a corner of the room, and maneuver my way around the room so it doesn’t see me. It’s my way of saying, “You can’t get me!” Ultimately, this has it shortcomings. By Monday I have an onslaught of mail that slaughters my day. Do I read them all? Let me ask you this: do you listen to all the advice your mother gives you? No. I see subject headlines, names I recognize, and read those. The rest either get deleted or put into a box, which I swear, someday I’ll discover.

How much of a factor is design for music blogs?
I think it’s huge. I mean aesthetically a simple blog may work with the brand/idea of that blog. Regardless, organization and “design” become really important when you have thousands of posts.

Guilty pleasures?
Ace of Base or Soul 4 Real

Last book read?
This is going to sound ridiculous, but a debate between Foucault and Chomsky.

Are you on last.fm? Who are your most listened to artists, or best new suggestions?
At this point I imagine this question is dated. My suggestions recently? On the not so obscure end, Cults or STRFCKR. I was also obsessed for a while with The Weeknd’s album (I’m paying close attention to Illangelo) and Frank Ocean.

Craziest perk or experience you’ve had as a result of your blog?
Obviously getting the opportunity to talk to bands is an amazing perk. I got the chance to speak to my celebrity crush, Annie Clark. I asked completely unprofessional questions (in a very flirty tone which I later realized when I listened to my transcript) like “Who is your John? Do you have a John right now?”

Though at last years ACL, I attended a private house party where I watched Local Natives sound check,
while shooting the shit with Matt & Kim—that was definitely a pretty surreal moment.
Any tips for our aspiring music bloggers?
Know what you want to accomplish. I’m not one of those bloggers that will say you should ”Do it for the love it” or “Bloggers can make money if they want to.” Both are true, but make sure that when you start, you know which is most important to you, and run with it. You can do both, but I assure you, there will be times you’ll likely have to make compromises.

Who should we interview next?
Tsururadio, the blogger’s Hefner, or Chris of Culture Bully, whose like the OG for me of blogging.

Check out SF critic here, follow them on twitter and like their facebook page

SHUFFLER.FM LAUNCHES NEW FEATURES FOR BOTH IT’S LISTENERS AND MUSIC BLOGS.

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 16:58:00 +0200

Amsterdam, August 17, 2011 - Today Shuffler.fm, an audio magazine powered by music blogs , launches new features for its webapp and announces its upcoming iPad app.

Shuffler.fm, which turns blogs into radiostations, is often breathlessly compared as a blog-powered version, of the recently gone public, Pandora or as a Stumbleupon for music, due to it’s nature to visually “shuffle” through music blogs while playing one continuous stream.

Today the site takes further steps towards its goal of becoming the best online spot for curated music. These days cutting edge new music is found on blogs. Blogs are today’s tastemakers and gatekeepers, functioning like record labels by curating the music information overload and breaking new, unknown, acts before anyone else knows about them. Shuffler.fm taps into blog-powered curation to create an audio magazine made by music blogs. It’s a great way to stay on top of what’s hot, fresh and new.

Users could already browse through music blogs by genre, but now can channel surf through the music web with additional features such as:

Play a Blog. Navigate through a directory of thousands of music blogs and play just your favourite blog in one continuous mix, a radio station made from your favourite blog. For example, play Pitchfork Radio here

Popular. Browse through the web’s most popular songs and artists. Play the chart and the blogs posting about them. Like a blog you find? Play its individual channel or subscribe to its music feed.

Search. Search the music blogosphere for your favourite artists and blogs posting about them.

Personal channel. Save your favourite tracks to your own personal audio magazine and subscribe to your favourite music blogs and receive updates from them.

Blog accounts. Music blogs can now setup their own accounts via http://shuffler.fm/blogs Bloggers get new tools and buttons for their blog, such as the Play This Blog button which launches the blog’s own channel.

Finally, Shuffler.fm will release a iPad app in the coming months and is just awaiting approval from the Apple App Store. The Shuffler.fm app is made especially for the iPad and truly creates an audio magazine made by music blogs.

lukeleighfield: teaim: A couple months ago the Trinity...

Sat, 14 May 2011 13:31:04 +0200

lukeleighfield:

teaim:

A couple months ago the Trinity Orchestra, the only fully student run orchestra in Ireland, played Daft Punk’s album ‘Discovery’ in it’s entirety. Sadly, they haven’t posted that yet, but they have posted a medley they put together of some of the best songs off the album, all strung together. via tfib

Brilliant!

Q&A: I Guess I'm Floating

Thu, 05 May 2011 18:52:33 +0200

For the latest instalment of our new Q&A series, we chatted to Nathaniel of I Guess I’m Floating. Read on below to find out more, and see which blogs could be up next. Tune in soon for the next Q&A post.

“Half a decade into the 21st century, two college students with a fierce passion for music and knack for writing were wandering around the edges of the Internet. In a fitting twist of fate, Connor McGlynn and Nathaniel Gravely first became acquainted…”

Thus begins the story of I Guess I’m Floating, one of the longest standing and most respected blogs that have been doing the rounds for-seemingly-ever. Clearly in it for the right reasons, recent years have seen continual growth both cosmetically (with a swanky new design) and at heart (with beefier showcases), despite the accolades under their belts.

Name

Nathaniel Gravely

Blog

I Guess I’m Floating

Location

Brooklyn, NY (via Kentucky)

When did you start your blog?

October 2005

First album you ever bought?

The first album I ever bought (with my own money) was, unashamedly, Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill.

Sound of 2011?

Resurgence of organics! Lots of good ole’ fashioned music with less emphasis on glitchy technology. Swelling harmonies, rich guitars, soaring vocals, and spots of lo-fi love to boot.

Favourite record of 2010?

Beach House - Teen Dream; as timeless now as it was the first time I heard it, love it.

Best show you’ve been to recently?

I saw two femme fatales last week that were equally mind blowing. I watched Sharon Van Etten perform for the first time and was blown away. I love her stuff, played her last LP Epic to the point of redundancy but had never gotten the chance to take in a live set. I’m glad I finally did, it was epic (total pun intended). Earlier in the week I saw a new artist, Angel Olson, who has a similar solo setup a la Van Etten but a totally different style of music. Her lyrics are fantastic and her voice is incredibly unique, like a new age Joni Mitchell if you can even imagine such a thing. Super stoked to see what she’s got in store this year.

Regular stops on the festival circuit?

SXSW, Bonnaroo, and Lollapalooza are staples of course. The best and my most favorite is ATP, nothing can or will ever beat it.

Any new discoveries at SXSW this year?

Not too many new discoveries, I got to see Gobble Gobble a bunch live and it was a dance party each and every time. Caveman were really stellar, look for them to make some waves in the near future and same can be said about Brooklyn’s High Highs and Guards!

What’s your experience with blog showcases? Stressful, worthwhile, (both!)?

Definitely both, although more worthwhile than stressful. At first it was a pressure cooked pain, getting venues, artists, set times, and everything else in order. It gets easier with time and seeing a ton of people rocking out to music you love is definitely worthwhile, not to mention getting some of our favorite (lesser known) acts exposure to big crowds!

How do you deal with the inevitable onslaught of emails? And how much of them do you actually read?

I read emails that are personally mailed to me. Any press blast or PR pitch most often gets a subject read and finds the trash pretty quickly. I’ve never discovered music from a blast before IGIF started and haven’t done so since.

You recently unveiled a redesign of the site. How much of a factor is design for music blogs?

Huge factor. User experience is just as important as the content of the site. You could have great content that’s a pain in the ass to access because of your layout. Having something accessible and aesthetically pleasing makes the blog experience better on both ends.

Guilty pleasures?

Musicals, running, Buffy, and coconut creme pie.

Last book read?

Lullaby by Chuck Palianuck and holy mother of God was it awesome, should totally check it out. I read The Hunger Games trilogy before that by Suzanne Collins and they were really great too. Ever since I moved up to NYC from KY, I’ve read more books on my Kindle the past 2 months than I have the past 5 years!

Are you on last.fm? Who are your most listened to artists, or best new suggestions?

Yes, username nathanielxc, and Modest Mouse are my most listened to artist. I’m pretty high on Levek, Idiot Glee, Dreamers of the Ghetto, and High Highs these days.

Craziest perk or experience you’ve had as a result of your blog?

I’m a live show fanatic so getting to go to all of these concerts and festivals across the US free of charge is about as good as it gets in my mind. Standing 5 feet away from Issac Brock was pretty much the coolest thing ever, he’s the shit.

Any tips for our aspiring music bloggers?

Keep it fresh and your ear to the ground. Make sure to establish your own voice and style, don’t just become another glorified RSS feed of a blog publishing posts in quantity versus quality. And keep going, don’t stop just bc you think no one is reading.. it’s the internet, they are!

Who should we interview next?

Justin over at Aquairum Drunkard, he’s the man.

Check out I Guess I’m Floating, like them on Facebook, and follow them on Twitter

Download: OFWGKTA Catalogue

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 15:08:09 +0200

You will have heard of OFWGKTA.

In the space of a few months, California’s hip hop collective have gone from underground revelations to big news. This week, the group’s elected leader, Tyler, The Creator, covers NME, proving that Odd Future have crossed the pond.

Aged 17-23, their output flits between social commentary and downright disturbing imagery. The group recently inked a deal with Sony/RED; alongside the deal they’ve thrown up a new website, meaning you can legally download their entire catalogue from the Odd Future website! We suggest you get on it quickly, as this is unlikely to last long.

DOWNLOAD

News Roundup: April 27th

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 15:36:57 +0200

Been out of the loop? We know the feeling. That’s why we’re highlighting some of the biggest recent news in music. Enjoy (and send your tips to will@shuffler.fm).

Poly Styrene, punk rock legend and singer of X-Ray Spex, passed away yesterday after succumbing to cancer. (via Loudersoft)

The official Lollapalooza lineup has been revealed. (via MTV)

California hip-hop collective OFWGKTA (or Odd Future) are starting their own label, Odd Future Records, with Sony’s RED imprint. The group will retain creative control, whilst the deal will cover all offshoot projects. (via Consequence Of Sound)

The Knife are preparing for a new release in 2012 (via AWMusic)

Kate Bush continues her return with the new video for the 2011 version of “Deeper Understanding”, with an appearance from Robbie Coltrain. (via Holy Moly)

Eminem’s The Marshall Mathers LP and The Eminem Show have both been certified diamond (10 million sales). (via The Boombox)

Q&A: The Recommender

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 15:43:08 +0200

For the latest instalment of our new Q&A series, we chatted to Mike of The Recommender. Read on below to find out more, and see which blogs could be up next. Tune in later this week for the next Q&A post.

Leading forward a group of emerging UK blogs, The Recommender is attempting to destroy the conception that US blogs are their UK counterparts’ bigger, better cousins. With a series of parties in Brighton, regular interviews and stalwart feature “The Recommender”, this is one blog which is always worth checking out.

Name

Mike Bradford

Blog

The Recommender

Location

Brighton, UK

When did you start your blog?

March 2008

First album you ever bought?

Copper Blue, by Sugar

Sound of 2011?

Tough question! I should probably suggest something like Odd Future, or Wu Lyf will own 2011, but personally I’d love something like Grimes, Alpines, oh and DELS has his debut album out real soon too, so it would be great for him to storm it this year.

Favourite record of 2010?

Sleigh Bells debut album, Treats, knocked me off my feet, as did Everything Everything’s Man Alive.

Best show you’ve been to recently?

Real Fur (at one of their parties inside a launderette).

What’s your view on blog record labels?

Blogs are in a great position to uncover and sign bands and act as feeder labels for the majors I guess. There’s not much money in blogs, so I guess it allows them to earn whilst still spotting and supporting new music. I treat a blog label as I do any other label when being sent their music though.

Regular stops on the festival circuit?

The UK is very good at putting on music festivals with the likes of Glastonbury being something like the Mecca of all festivals. I’ve been to 13 Reading Festivals, as I used to live near there for a period of time too. However, I find myself attending these things on a professional manner these days, so Camden Crawl and The Great Escape Festival are closest to my blog’s needs. The latter is in our home town so always turns out to be the biggest weekend of the year for us (we also try and host it’s biggest after party each year too). Lastly, I’ve not managed to reach SXSW quite yet, but we hope that’s all set to change next year.

You put on your own shows. What are the main challenges you face in bringing these together?

The time it takes up is relentless sometimes, with the bookings, the emails, the contracts, then that actual show itself, but we’ve worked in promotions for some time now, so it only gets easier with practice and experience. There’s always a feeling of achievement afterwards and getting the chance to hang out with the bands we love is also ace.

How do you deal with the inevitable onslaught of emails?

We don’t. It’s just impossible, so we scan down them and if we spot an address we know and trust then we will likely open it. If the header or the first few words, or the name of the artist they’re passing us grabs our attention then it avoids the delete button too. If they say “dear blogger”, or “hello everyone”, or something equally as impersonal then we ignore it. If they’ve sent us something that’s rubbish, or hand us the kind of music that clearly suggests they’ve never read our blog, then we will likely ignore their future emails. We have good relations with PR agents, so we will always check those we like and trust. Other music bloggers generally get our attention too, as we very much feel part of a wider global network. We also play something we call ‘Bloggers Email Lottery’, which is where we find a spare half hour in our day to can scan through the thousands of unread emails and randomly open one and listen to the suggested music. For example, we found TeV95 x Admiral Grey that way.

Guilty pleasures?

Perhaps early Madonna. Also, we don’t cover the genre of hip hop very much on our blog, but we’re partial to a lot of that too, particularly tunes from it’s origins, as well as a bit of gangsta rap. In total contrast we have a lot of Sam Cooke records.

Last book read?

Lonely Planet’s guide to Andalucia. A friend is getting married out there in September, so we are planning to visit the area for the first time.

Are you on last.fm? Who are your most listened to artists, or best new suggestions?

I am on Last.fm at OdelayBradford, although I don’t really use it that much. The most listened to artists for the last 7 days are listed as Alexander Ebert, Roxy Music and Arcade Fire, although my missus has an iPod so whenever she plugs it in it’s also scrobbled to my Last.fm account. Anyone know how to avoid that? Regarding my best new suggestions, just check out The Recommender! (oh and to help start you off I suggest you search it for Real Fur, Emika and Beat Connection)

Craziest perk or experience you’ve had as a result of your blog?

Press accreditation at all the festivals and gigs has been a handsome reward for all the hard work. Being taken out to dinner by major label A&R people has also been an unexpected perk. Regarding crazy moments, we recently previewed Real Fur’s launderette party in Brighton and as part of the post we mentioned that the show fell on The Recommender’s 3rd birthday, so we jokingly requested that we hope they sing us happy birthday and added on the bottom of the post a video showing Lesley Gore’s 60s hit, It’s My Party. To our astonishment, half way through the eventual gig, Real Fur had rehearsed the Lesley Gore song and proceeded to play it in dedication to our blog. That was a surreal ‘pinch me’ moment. In 2011 we’ve really enjoyed appearing on lots of radio shows too, from regional fm shows such as Juice or Amazing radio, to national ones like the BBC’s 6Music show on Friday nights. We’ve also had a few hand written letters from artists we’ve covered saying thank you. It’s made me think, if you really want to get through to someone that’s typically hard to reach, then perhaps hand write a letter and post it. Nobody does that anymore!

Any tips for our aspiring music bloggers?

Read The Recommender as often as you can! OK, more seriously, just try and be an authentic voice and be very picky about who you write up. If you post lots of songs but zero editorial, then I probably won’t visit your blog much. Originality helps, but don’t get caught up in the blog race to be first to post something - focus on your voice being original instead. If you’re a UK blog you probably won’t get as many visitors as American blogs. It shouldn’t be the case, as the Internet is global, but sadly it is. Make sure you blog because your passion for music comes bursting out of you, rather than to get free gig tickets.

Who should we interview next?

Ollie at My Bands Better Than Your Band, Anthony at The Needle Drop and Niall at Nialler9 all have very authentic voices. Carl at Illegal Tender is pretty on top of it too.

Check out The Recommender, like them on Facebook, and follow them on Twitter.

OMAs

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 16:27:00 +0200

Shuffler.fm has been nominated in the Best Music Discovery Category in the brand new OMA awards. A brand new awards ceremony curated by MTV, the “Open, Ongoing And Online Music Awards” were kind enough to include us alongside other great people including Hype Machine, Soundcloud, Pandora and RCRD LBL. Other categories include “Favourite Fuck Yeah Tumblr”, “Best Animal Performance” and “Best Music Hack”.

Vote for us and check out the OMAs here.

Official.fm Support

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 17:30:15 +0200

Yesterday we unveiled the latest release of Shuffler.fm.

And whilst improvements on the front-end and the addition of new features are a key part of our focus, we love to improve things behind the scenes as well.

Alongside our current catalogue of supported formats, we are very proud to announce that Official.fm uploads are now fully supported on Shuffler.fm.

An extremely popular destination for for artists and labels, Official.fm allows users to upload and manage their music, service promos, check statistics and much, much more.

We are extremely happy to announce our support for their players.

Shuffler.fm: User Accounts, Scrobbling and Social Integration

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 19:15:24 +0200

Hello! You might have noticed some changes around these parts.

Earlier this morning, we pulled the wraps off the latest release of Shuffler.fm.

We have been working hard to get a strong foundation in place moving forward, and this release is an extension of that. Alongside the usual features, we are introducing:

1) User accounts - create your own personal account.

Follow your favourite blogs. Your own personal RSS listener!
Star your favourite tracks so you don’t forget them.
Upload your own avatar.
Seamless integration with the player. Why interrupt your music to change your account settings?
Create your own personal channel. Customise your listening experience.

2) Last.fm scrobbling. That’s right!

3) Email subscriptions. Had a busy week? Don’t miss out on any tracks with weekly updates from your favourite blogs.

4) StumbleUpon integration. More ways to share your favourite findings.

5) A more stable back-end system. More on this in the near-future.

And that’s just the beginning. We are hard at work to introduce new features, so keep your eyes peeled. The only thing left for you to do is to check it out for yourself.

As always, feedback to we@shuffler.fm. Enjoy.

- The Shuffler.fm Team

Hey, This is Marcel from the dev team. This last Sunday was...

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 16:35:39 +0100

Hey,

This is Marcel from the dev team. This last Sunday was pretty sunny here in Amsterdam but my friend Sam Wierema (@samwierema) settled for some pancakes, closed the curtains and hacked something cool in front of the cold computer screen. Just for you :-)

He developed a small Chrome app that makes easier to find out more about the artist you are listening on shuffler.fm. It uses the Echonest’s api to get artist bios and last.fm’s api to get concerts and some other small perks.

Get it here!

And if you are into that sort of thing you can take a look at the source code here.

bonnapart: The Strokes 10 years ago… prettygoodiguess: 10...

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 11:15:37 +0100

bonnapart:

The Strokes 10 years ago…
prettygoodiguess:

10 years

Q&A: Listen Before You Buy

Sat, 12 Mar 2011 20:35:34 +0100

For the latest instalment of our new Q&A series, we chatted to Franky of Listen Before You Buy. Read on below to find out more, and see which blog is up next. Tune in this Monday for the next Q&A post.

A young entrant in the game, LBYB has already established itself as an intuitive and unique offering. With an albums club where you can preview releases in full, some Anglo-American humour, and roots in old school record collections and musical upbringing, Listen Before You Buy is here to stay.

Name:

I’d rather not give my real name, but Franky B Rockafeller works.

Blog:

For terrible music and the worst writing around: Listen Before You Buy.

Location:

The site is based York, PA but I’m from Edinburgh, Scotland.

When did you start your blog?

I started putting things into motion in mid-January 2010 and launched it on January 27th 2010. It’s still a young pup.

First album you ever bought:

I honestly can’t remember. My parents named me after Frank Zappa and so they bought me the “200 Motels” soundtrack as a “weclome to the world” kinda gift when I was born, and I remember them getting me my first CD which was Paul Weller’s Stanley Road when it came out in 1995, but the first I ever bought escapes me.

Sound of 2011:

Radical Dads have an amazing album that will hopefully see the light of day this year, and even though people still give me shit for this, James Blake’s debut is immense. Oh, and OFWGKTA.

Favourite record of 2010:

Sleigh Bells’ debut album Treats.

Best show you’ve been to recently?

This draws gasps and dizzy spells whenever I say this, but I haven’t been to a show since 2002 (Coldplay when they were good) before I moved to the U.S. I was meant to see British Sea Power in Philly and got lost in the ghetto, was meant to see Arcade Fire last summer and a family member had a stroke the day before, was meant to see The Black Keys support The Kings Of Leon last year and TKOL canceled a week before. The town I live in is a complete shithole and nobody ever comes through here (unless you’re Brooks and fucking Dunn) so it’s expensive to travel to see bands. I’ll get to one eventually.

You’re a funny dude. Ever considered switching to stand-up comedy?

I actually was a stand-up comic until Mitch Hedberg pulled a Sean Parker on my ass and stole all of my jokes, got stoned, developed a drug habit and wandered up on stage mumbling.

Regular stops on the festival circuit?

See two questions above. Although when I lived back home I’d frequent T In The Park and the Reading/Leeds festivals.

How do you deal with the inevitable onslaught of emails? And how much of them do you actually read?

Honestly, I read every single email that comes through the LBYB headquarter’s doors and as of March 2011 I’m getting about 50 a day between the submissions inbox and my personal email. Most of my mail has filters that sorts it into certain folders in Gmail, the most important ones I act on first and then at night when everyone’s out at shows and tweeting about it and making me feel really sad, I go back through the rest, telling myself “they might be singing onstage with Hall and Oates right now, but at least my inbox is well-organised. Fools. I have a submissions inbox that my writers go through and add their names (labels) to music they like and if I dig it I’ll add a star to it so they know it’s good to go on the site. If I think it’s shite I’ll remove their name and add a “Rejected” label to it. It might take a few weeks or a few hours, but I write back to everyone who sends me their music, I think it’s worth it to let someone know you at least gave their music a listen whether you liked it or not.

Guilty pleasures?

Beyonce/Destiny’s Child, Justin Timberlake, Pizza Explosion flavoured Golfish crackers (an American thing….but I’m of the belief that they’re the cornerstone of any nutricsous diet), and cats. And Rainbows….that reminds me, I have to pick my cat up from the dry cleaners.

Last book read?

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, and currently making my way through Brothers Karamazov by Dostoyevsky.

Are you on last.fm? Who are your most listened to artists, or best new suggestions?

I am on Last.fm: theysayjump. My most listened to artists (in order) are The Beatles, Blur, Oasis, and Iron & Wine, and my best new suggestions would definitely be Radical Dads, Ghost Heart, and New Animal.

Craziest perk or experience you’ve had as a result of your blog?

Just the fact that people not only offer to, but follow through on sending me shit for free, mainly vinyl since it’s the only thing I want. I think in 2010 I got more vinyl for free from bands I featured on the site than I actually paid for. I did get a letter from Google a few weeks back that I thought was the buyout offer that all the tech blogs were talking about, but it just turned out to be my $10k cheque for my AdSense revenue in January. awwsadface.

Any tips for our aspiring music bloggers?

Yeah…don’t listen to people telling you not to do it or start. Just do it, and enjoy it, and don’t give a shit about traffic or stats or recognition. If you put time and effort into having really great content, everything else will follow anyway. Just don’t step on my turf, I accidentally kicked a pigeon once, I’d have no qualms with doing it to you.

Who should we interview next?

Me again, or I Guess I’m Floating, or We Listen For You if IGIF isn’t around.

Check out Listen Before You Buy, follow them on Twitter and Like them on Facebook.

Download: Dominique Young Unique - Glamorous Touch Mixtape

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 22:40:27 +0100

It seems an age since Dominique Young Unique arrived on the scene with “Hot Girl” and “Music Time” in 2009, then sealing the deal with “Show My Ass”. Next came the Domination mixtape, which illustrated her talents and was surely the last we’d be hearing prior to her debut album.

The girl loves to surprise, however, and released a new mixtape titled Glamorous Touch today, out of nowhere. It’s a characteristically diverse listen, sampling Justin Bieber, calling out Willow Smith and staking her claim as the fiercest teenager in the game.

Listen and download the whole thing below:

FULL DOWNLOAD

News Roundup: March 9th

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 00:19:40 +0100

Been out of the loop? We know the feeling. That’s why we’re highlighting some of the biggest recent news in music. Enjoy (and send your tips to will@shuffler.fm).

Former Alice In Chains bassist Mike Starr passed away this week. (via NME)

The blogosphere found a new champion in the Paper Crane Collective, bringing 24 sites together under one roof. (via Tsururadio)

Childish Gambino’s EP arrived. Hot shit. (via World Of Underground Hip Hop)

Alongside firing shots regarding his latest album Lasers, Lupe Fiasco cleared up the situation regarding Child Rebel Soldier, his side project with Kanye West and Pharrell. (via Gigwise)

14 years have passed since the untimely death of Christopher George Latore Wallace, also known as Notorious B.I.G. Rest in peace. (via The Word Is Bond)

Charlie Sheen’s public meltdown continues to dominate the news, as well as even making an easy target for mashups and remixes. (via Bridging The Verse)

Q&A: Sunset In The Rearview

Mon, 07 Mar 2011 18:32:00 +0100

For the latest instalment of our new Q&A series, we chatted to Lydia of Sunset In The Rearview. Read on below to find out more, and see which blog is up next. Tune in this Friday for the next Q&A post.

Based in Durham, North Carolina, Sunset In The Rearview is the love-child of Lydia Simmons. Voted the best music blog of 2010 by its peers, it has quickly established itself as a force with live events, podcasts and personal asides thrown into the mix.

Name:

Lydia Simmons

Blog:

Sunset in the Rearview

Location:

Durham, NC

When did you start your blog?

December 2008

First album you bought:

Man, that’s a tough one. I honestly don’t remember. Maybe Destiny’s Child? TLC?

Sound of 2011:

I’m a really eclectic listener, so I’d say it’ll range from James Vincent McMorrow to Lupe Fiasco to Destroyer to Brenton Duvall.

Favourite record of 2010:

Perfume Genius, Learning.

Best show you’ve been to recently?

I’m currently in a challenge with one other blogger where we’re trying to see and review 100 bands in 1 year. Favorite of late? Probably a tie between Lissie, The Love Language, and The Walkmen.

Regular stops on the festival circuit?

Hopscotch Music Festival, ACL, Coachella.

Guilty pleasures?

Eating copious amounts of cheese. Talking to my cat. Being far too big a fan of the NBA.

Sunset In The Rearview has rapidly become one of the most popular music blogs. With the accolades, what are your bigger plans for the future?

Thank you! I’ve got a new site in development stages right now. I’m also starting to host shows - my second one is right around the corner. I’m also working on a project with another blogger that can’t be announced yet, but it’s in the mix. Lots of big things coming, let’s put it that way.

What are your main tools for discovering new music?

Blogs are the best way to find music, really. I have a list of blogs that I can count on for great new music, but it’s also fun to just dig. MySpace digs are fun, as are Bandcamp digs…and the second you strike gold, it feels like it’s your birthday and Christmas all on the same day. I also get some great email submissions.

Are you on last.fm? Who are your most listened to artists, or best new suggestions?

I am! Kid Cudi is my most listened to artist by a long shot. Best new suggestion would likely be James Vincent McMorrow.

Craziest perk or experience you’ve had as a result of your blog?

Being voted the Best Music Blog of 2010 was incredible. Other than that, I think getting to write for ACL Festival, previewing some of the bands playing and getting a full press pass to that was great. But I also never thought I’d be on the radio, and I was recently interviewed to talk about Sunset on the radio, so that was pretty nuts too!

Any tips for our aspiring music bloggers?

Put personality into your blog. People cling to that, and it’s a great way to make some new friends.

Which blog should we interview next?

Listen Before You Buy - he’s such a funny dude.

Check out Sunset In The Rearview, follow them on Twitter and Like them on Facebook.

Daily Blog Channel Recap: February 28th - March 6th

Sun, 06 Mar 2011 19:08:52 +0100

Did you miss out on our Daily Blog Channel selections this week? If so, make sure to keep up by following us on Twitter and liking our page on Facebook.

Monday - Listening To the Song In My Head

Childish Gambino - Freaks & Geeks :: http://bit.ly/gf6cdB

Donald Glover (best known as Troy from the Community) steps out with this abrasive track. Video after the jump as well.

Tuesday - Faded Glamour

King Charles - Time Of Eternity :: http://bit.ly/gHv8Sy

This comes across as basic prog-folk until a roaring guitar line kicks in. “The end of time is the start of eternity”. Deep.

Wednesday - Fishy Tunes

Lupe Fiasco - Letting Go Ft. Sarah Green :: http://bit.ly/hQ25Qx

Lasers leaked a few days ahead of its release (4th March). Lupe hates the album, but only because it’s commercial. We can deal with that.

Thursday - West La Cntrl

Kaskade vs. Dimitri Vegas, Like Mike, & Dada Life - Stars Align Tomorrow (Kaskade Mashup) :: http://bit.ly/ifXYG1

One of the tracks making up a succinct February chart.

Friday - Quit Mumbling

Lil Wayne - 6 Foot 7 Foot (feat Cory Gunz) :: http://bit.ly/fSiQ1S

Huge beat, bizarre video, and further proof that prison was good for Lil’ Wayne.

Saturday - One Thirty BPM

Wild Beasts - Smother :: http://bit.ly/fk8ks3

A new cut from Smother, Wild Beasts’ highly anticipated album.

Sunday - Everything All The Time

Lykke Li - I Follow Rivers (Dave Sitek Remix) :: http://bit.ly/hewR2K

Standout track from Lykke Li’s latest effort Wounded Rhymes gets remixed by TV On The Radio’s Dave Sitek. What could go wrong?

Q&A: Pigeons And Planes

Fri, 04 Mar 2011 17:51:24 +0100

For the latest instalment of our new Q&A series, we chatted to Confusion of Pigeons And Planes. Read on below to find out more, and see which blog is up next. Tune in on Monday for the next Q&A post.

Far-reaching in its influences, Pigeons And Planes has moved beyond its initial billing as one of the best urban blogs. Alongside a small and devoted team of contributors, Confusion has built Pigeons And Planes up around an avid group of fans and supporters.

Name/Codename:

Jacob/Confusion

Blog:

Pigeons and Planes

Location:

When did you start your blog?

October 2008

What’s the story behind your blog’s name?

Pigeons and Planes, a match made in heaven? From the beginning, I knew I’d want to post music from all over the spectrum, ranging from some indie garage band to mainstream hip-hop. I wanted to think of two things that had something in common (flight) but were different in every other way. Pigeons represent those indie artists struggling to get by, living off of leftovers on city streets and generally being ignored by the public. Planes represent the mainstream artists, powerful machines linked with big business. I could go on forever with this, but that’s the idea. It’s a little weird, but I like it.

xxx by day, blogger by night? What’s your day job?

Student. I’m in grad school getting my MBA in marketing. I graduate in May, so right now I’m stressing about finding a job.

First album you ever bought:

I used to steal a lot of albums from my older sister, but I think the first one I ever bought was Michael Jackson’s Dangerous.

Sound of 2011:

Fragmented. More than ever the internet is allowing for niche genres to pop up and gain an audience, so music is being taken in all kinds of crazy directions. I think we’ll see a lot of blending of genres in 2011.

Favourite record of 2010:

That’s always so hard for me, since my tastes change daily. I guess I’ll go with Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs. Best show you’ve been to recently? Lil B at Highline Ballroom in NYC. The energy in that building was unreal. Lil B’s fans are rabid.

You’re well known for your slightly off-tangent (but amazing) posts. Most recently, concerning Pigeon the goldfish. Did you expect such a good reaction?

Hahah you saw that? No, I never know what to expect. I thought I was going to get a lot of negative reactions to that because it’s so random, but I enjoy mixing things up. I think a lot of music blogs that get stuck in a cycle of same old posts, using the same old adjectives to describe songs. P&P is a blog where you can find new music and get information, but it’s also a creative outlet for me. I put a lot of myself into it, and it means a lot to get a positive reaction.

Guilty pleasures?

Reality TV, for sure. I love it. Even the worst of it. I watch Teen Mom. That’s embarrassing. Last book read? When You Are Engulfed In Flames, by David Sedaris

Are you on last.fm? Who are your most listened to artists, or best new suggestions?

I’m not on there. It’s actually on my list of things to do - join last.fm.

Craziest perk or experience you’ve had as a result of your blog?

Once during the World Cup, I mentioned in a post that I need a vuvuzela. Someone read that post and mailed me a vuvuzela. Shoutout to Ivan!

Any tips for our aspiring music bloggers?

Be unique and be passionate.

Which blog should we chat to next?

Sunset In The Rearview.

Check out Pigeons And Planes, follow them on Twitter and like them on Facebook.

DOWNLOAD New blog, new features and new music. That’s the...

Thu, 03 Mar 2011 17:37:00 +0100

DOWNLOAD

New blog, new features and new music. That’s the plan moving forward, and for our first download Gorilla Warfare Tactics have been kind enough to let us unleash their debut EP, Premier, on your waiting ears.

Originally released yesterday through sponsor blogs Pigeons And Planes and Sunset In The Rearview (collaborating as #PIGSET), we thought this was so good that it needed some more exposure! On top of this, both PIGSET blogs might be appearing on these pages in the very near future, so stay tuned…

Gorilla Warfare Tactics are a new force on the scene, emerging only a short while ago with “Temptations” (the EP opener). Three NYU students, they’ve brought together the best vintage feel with some original lyricism for this EP, and we hope you enjoy it.

Find out more on Gorilla Warfare Tactics’ Facebook.