Welcome back to the Disposable Underground newsletter, featuring a roundup of what’s new at the blog since last time and some music news bites from around the web.
New at the Blog
Music-Map is an interactive browser-based map that works well at finding bands similar to the ones you like, which is good for checking out more music.
Try it out —>
Decibel Magazine carries exclusive “Decibel versions” of a bunch of albums at its online store that were originally released by the label’s favorite bands and labels. Some of those albums are ones I hold in high regard, even. I’ve made a list of them all and it might be of interest to collectors (record nerds).
Check out the list —>
Neil Young amplified a #deletespotify movement (there’s also #cancelspotify) when he went head to head with Spotify over the streaming service’s exclusive hosting of The Joe Rogan Experience. Some other bands joined in with Young or expressed their support.
I wrote a little about what’s going on here —>
Music News
Bandcamp announced yesterday that it’s “joining” Epic Games and will “expand internationally and push development forward.” One of the things users and bands liked about Bandcamp was its independence and how it was different than other streaming services. As a person who has music on Bandcamp myself, I join others in hoping that they don’t mess with the formula.
Here’s the announcement —>
Marketplace is a radio program that I’m a fan of, as it’s informative and casual. Whoever picks the bumper music on the show has taste, too, and the show is good enough to list all of the songs it uses. There’s even a Spotify playlist of that.
Browse through the bands —>
Duma is a Kenyan industrial/noise duo that has been turning heads and making ears bleed. The group is hitting the road this month in North America and says on Facebook, “Catch you in the Mosh pits at your city or a venue near you.”
Here’s the tour dates —>
Rest In Peace
Bruce E. Greig, the ex-guitarist for Misery Index, Next Step Up, and other metal and hardcore bands, and who also was behind some independent record labels, died last month. Greig was known locally in the Maryland area.
Mike Munoz of L.D.Kids, the old local hardcore band from Reston, Virginia, passed away last month. Munoz appeared in an interview with the band I placed in the first issue of my ‘zine.
Ian McDonald was a founding member of not only Foreigner but also King Crimson. He died last month. The latter group’s songs have been covered by lots of bands the kind of which I write about at the blog. Gary Graff has the story at Billboard.
Jon “Jonny Z” Zazula co-founded Megaforce Records with his wife Marsha in the 1980s and launched the careers of many metal bands who went on to become major names in that kind of music. He passed away last month.
Jem Aswad and Michele Amabile Angermiller have the story at Variety.
Thanks for reading and see you next month!
Thank you for remembering Mike Munoz.
Meant alot to see that.