I realize that this is extremely short notice, but I would like to inform you all that I will be featured in a story concerning music blogs that will air on National Public Radio's All Things Considered news program tonight (Wednesday, December 30, 2009) around 4:45 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Freelance reporter Joel Rose conducted an interview with me a few weeks ago, and I think he'll be using some soundbites from my rambling comments about reissuing rare music and how sites like this one are helping underappreciated musicians find a larger audience. Check it out.
You can read a little blurb (where I'm quoted a few times) about this story here on NPR's website.
Also, if you can't catch the story when it is originally broadcast, you can go to this page on NPR's website to stream it to your computer. Scroll down a bit until you come to the podcast with the title "Obscure Music Finds An Outlet On The Web."
I'll be honest and tell you that I had mixed feelings about providing an interview for this story. While I'm excited about the additional exposure that NPR will bring to this blog, I'm also concerned that such attention might also bring the wrong kind of visitors here. You know, the kind of visitors that cause blogs to get shut down. In the end, I decided that it was worth the risk. As much as I love doing this blog, I've always viewed it as a vehicle to help my writings get noticed. If the exposure that the NPR story will provide leads to Record Fiend getting axed but also gives me additional opportunities for professional writing gigs, then that might be a fair trade-off as far as I'm concerned. So this could be the beginning of the end or, hopefully, the beginning of bigger and better things.
As long as I'm up on my soapbox, I also wanted to take this opportunity to thank all the people who have left comments during the last few weeks as well as those who have recently become followers of Record Fiend. I really appreciate that kind of attention, and it inspires me to keep posting rare albums for your listening pleasure (and nagging my contributors to do the same).
Posts
I heard the interview on NPR on the way home tonight - that's why I'm on the site now. Really excited about the range of music you have here - although I haven't had time yet to look very deeply. But, how do you listen to or download a song/album? Been roaming around a bit but can't figure it out.
ReplyDeleteHi there and greetings and a big happy new year from Tokyo Japan.
ReplyDeleteJust heard the interview on NPR radio and tracked your wonderful blog down.
Congratulations on all your efforts in creating such a wonderful space here.
Happy I found your Blog.
All the very best for 2010.
Cheers
Jimmy
@ betsy,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your visit and kind words. If you drop me a line at recordfiend@yahoo.com, I'll be happy to let you know how to access the albums that have been posted on this blog. I'd rather not post that kind of information here.
RF
@ Vibes,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the visit and compliments. Hopefully, we'll continue to post albums that are of interest to you and get more nice comments from you. Happy New Year!
Regards,
RF
I'm hoping you can keep both of your interests running. The music you post is some of the most interesting to be found in the blogosphere and your writings are definitely among the best examples of mini essay and music review I've had the pleasure to read; always informative and refreshingly literate.
ReplyDeletePerhaps you would consider including them as text files along with the music files you post...
In any case just wanted to thank you for all your efforts and wish you the best of luck in the New Year, and in whichever direction the winds of time ferry you.
Cheers
15j
;D
I went to the site and heard the show. I think you did the right thing. The Clifford Gibson is great, BTW, and is a welcome addition to my MP3 collection. I think Sony should be ashamed at how LITTLE they have managed to digitize. Hell, they could put a lot of unemployed people to work and change the whole music business (even save it) if they would gert their priorities straight. Please keep the mailing list intact and if you have to shut this one down, please RSS us all who have come to depend on your tasty choices and what you post.
ReplyDeleteDuncanmusic
Thanks for all of great posts in the past year. I'm very glad you decided to participate in the NPR thing. It's music bloggers such as yourself who are playing a vital role in preserving music that would otherwise be lost to the four winds in this corporate minded world. Huzzah!
ReplyDeleteWasn't sure if you were going to post about this, hence the comment yesterday.
ReplyDeleteHad a music blog prior to '06 (audiohistory) and enjoyed it and meeting new folks in the UK, Ireland, France and here in the usa. Sadly, started noticing links (mine) on other blogs, as if they were their own. And like others, too many people DL without a word and then the infamous deleter showing up.
It's still a great way to hear music that no one plays (college radio maybe) and that's what I found great about CWW. Radio like it used to be back in the 60s.
It surely sells more music, if one can find it.
Cheers!
I just listened to you on NPR! You did the right thing by showing the world the genius who was Clifford Gibson!=)
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year!
@15j,
ReplyDeleteThose were some nice, thoughtful comments you left there. I'm very happy that you enjoy reading my essays. It's nice to know that my keystrokes just don't end up in lost in the void. That's a good suggestion about including the text inside the download folder. If I can remember to include that as part of my routine before zipping and uploading files, I'll try to start doing that.
Regards,
RF
Duncan,
ReplyDeleteFYI...I back up this blog religiously. So even if the Thought Police take this site down, I can easily repost everything (except comments) in a new blog. Actually, I already have a replacement blog already set up but will only launch it when I need to. For those who have been following "Record Fiend" regularly, it should be pretty easy to find my new site if things come to that. Hopefully, they won't.
RF
Johnny,
ReplyDeleteThanks for all of your comments throughout 2009. I'm glad to have you on my side. Obscure music listeners of the world, unite!
RF
Child,
ReplyDeleteA belated Happy New Year to you, too.
RF