4/9/08

the hype machine

i'm fascinated by the way that "buzz" works. a band that i like, called justice became popular in no small part due to bloggers. before the advent of the internet, and smart p.r. firms, "buzz" was generated when one friend alerted another about something enjoyable or interesting and it circulated within that group, ad infinitum. buzz on the internet is now a completely different animal. the most interesting facet of this to me is aggregators like the hype machine. and what is interesting about the hype machine is that it isn't just a blog aggregator, it is a popularity contest for new bands. and it's a good one. it turns out that what a large portion of the internet finds bloggable is generally very good music. case in point: the most popular bands of 2007. here is the list of the top ten:
Arcade Fire
Radiohead
Feist
LCD Soundsystem
Spoon
Justice
The National
Of Montreal
Wilco
Klaxons

i've heard all of these bands and like all of them. except of montreal, but 9/10 is not bad considering the hype machine is completely objective, simply aggregating popularity. now, these aren't the billboard top ten, or even close to it, but just about everyone who is a part of the online music "scene" knows these bands.

i [HIGHLY REC] visiting the hype machine's popular tracks page every day

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