What's this site all about?

So, why is this website necessary? Why do we need a clearinghouse for information about new music? Isn’t that what the radio is for? That’s where we used to get the word on when The Stones or Journey or R.E.M. (depending on your age) was coming to town or if the second Boston album was ever going to be completed. But now there’s no new music on the radio — at least not for us. Not this kind of music — music made to be enjoyed by people who are no longer teenagers, or even twentysomethings.

I was born at the tail end of the Baby Boom. That makes me 58 years old. If you’re a dozen or so years on either side of that, this website might be for you. Like most Baby Boomers, I have a passion (that borders on obsession) for music. But unlike many, that passion is not about nostalgia.

Don’t get me wrong; I appreciate Classic Rock as much as most people my age. My record collection includes The Beatles and the Stones. I think Who’s Next is the greatest album ever made. But I don’t think rock ’n roll died with John Bonham, or even Kurt Cobain.

At the same time, I’m not here to tell you to give the Arctic Monkeys or Vampire Weekend a listen — although if your kids have gotten you hooked, more power to you (and them).

What I’m suggesting is that there is still a lot of music being made specifically to appeal to us, or at least with sensibilities we understand. Some of it is still being made by the stars of our youth. Neil Young and even Bob Dylan have produced excellent albums (yes, I still call them that) in the last couple of years. The Rolling Stones still produce a new album every time they need an excuse to do another “final” tour. But those are the Classic Rock acts and information about them is taken care of by the Classic Rock radio stations.

What I’m fighting against is the perpetual Styx-Journey-REO Speedwagon reunion tour that has been going since 1992. There’s more out there than recycled music that was only OK the first time around.

There are acts out there that you’ve never heard of. Or you have heard of them, but you don’t know that much about them. Possibly the king of the genre is John Hiatt. He’s been putting out quality music for more than three decades. Hiatt makes great albums full of quality songs and puts on a memorable live show. But when John Hiatt releases a new album, you don’t hear about it.

When I started this website, I lived in Columbus, Ohio, the 32nd largest media market in the United States, and, with the exception of the NPR station which has a two-hour show once a week that might mention it, there isn’t a radio station in town that would let me know of Hiatt’s most recent release. It used to be that I had the option of watching David Letterman every night. Hiatt’s was a Letterman favorite, so Dave pushed the new releases. But now even Late Night television has left our generation behind.

A few years ago, I saw a show in Newark, Ohio, where Hiatt and Lyle Lovett (another favorite) played together. It was just the two of them, two chairs and two acoustic guitars on the stage. They just alternated songs and told stories for a couple of hours. It was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. And I only heard about it five days before the show. I almost missed it. Why? Because I hadn’t gone to Hiatt’s or Lovett’s website in the preceding months to see the show listed there.

There are too many artists out there too keep track of that way. I now live in Richmond, VA, and there are dozens that if they were coming to town, I’d want to be there. If they had a new album coming out, I’d want to know about it. And there are many others that I don’t know about that I’m hoping this adventure will introduce me to. I want it to be my job to keep you informed about all of this.

For some of you this will be about getting all the information together in one place and making the search process simpler. We’ll provide one site where you can get the information on the artists you are interested in. News, and in some cases reviews, when new albums are released, quick links to touring schedules as well as some entertaining blogs and features will be available in one place.

For others it will be new information. Pulling you back into new music you gave up on long ago. I’ll provide quick introductions to those dozens of artists (with more to follow). There will be links to the artists’ own websites and upcoming tour dates. “If you liked that, look into this” links on each artist’s page will direct you to others with similar sound and sensibilities. I’ll provide artists bios and lists of recordings, including an idea of where to start for beginners. Where possible, I’ll embed Spotify playlists or YouTube videos so you can see the artist in action and hear a song.

So that’s the plan here at newmusicforoldfolks.com. I’ll try to provide an information clearinghouse for those who know what their looking for and suggestions for those that don’t.