Allmusic is a very good one because of the similar artist links. I tend to read a lot of music books and watch as many documentaries as I can, even if the style doesnt particuarly appeal to me I like to see documentaries. You can learn a lot of information from a documentary in an hour or a couple of hours. Theyre usually good sources for information. Plus if you can track down any interviews on the internet of your favourite artists you might very well find references to bands in them. My record collection has been enriched no end by reading interviews with Chan Marshall and Kurt Cobain. Pay attention to what bands your favouite bands cover too, Ive bought many records based on an artist I like doing cover versions.
Other good sources are greatest album of all time lists. Regardless of who wrote it the top end is always going to be
Revolver and
Exhile on Main Street and stuff like that, really unimaginative and predictable. When these lists do become imaginative is at the lower end of those lists. If you look at the 500s or 100s or whatever number the list starts at you tend to find some really great obscurities, thinks like that Alexander Spence record or a Big Star album. Either that or they put in lesser regarded albums by really famous bands, something like
Lifes Rich Pageant which I personally maintain is the best album REM ever did tends to get in the lower end of these lists. Check out
Morning Becomes Eclectic too. Its a radio show from California that hosts sessions with bands. You can stream them from their site for free. I found it just over a year ago because of a Cat Power session they had from 2003. They have a big archive of really good free music.
Make sure to read
Our Band Could Be Your Life by Michael Azerrad. He uses the stories of various American underground bands to examine the wider scene of fanzines, regional scenes, indie labels and so on. Ive had
Rip It Up And Start Again by Simon Reynolds and have heard very very good things about it but I havent gotten around to reading it yet. Also make sure to read just about anything by Lester Bangs. The website
Perfect Sound Forever is an interesting read too. Plus make sure to stay away from a book by Brian Hinton called
South By Southwest. It references tons and tons of altenative country artists but only goes into detail with about two or three of them. Its like reading an index. Also Pierro Scaruffi's
writeup on the Beatles is a must read just because its so in your face and contrary to the accepted view of the Beatles. He really sticks his neck out.
Its a helluva lot easier these days discovering music because of file sharing. When I just a 16 year old seedling getting into music I didnt have the internet so if I wanted to hear anything I had to buy it and take pot luck. Some of it was very good and some of it was a waste of money but I learnt a lot from it. With a good file sharing system like Soulseek you can hear just about anything without having to buy it first and then you can make your mind up.
Can anybody recommend a good book about jazz or krautrock? Not about specific bands but about the styles generally. I have a little knowledge about both but Id like to know more about the who's, wheres and whys.
All of this music knowledge stuff is the reason I love Peter Buck so much. As well as being a guitar player he's a total music fan and knows loads about music.
As for your question you don't sound lke a totally clueless newbie. S*** man, Ive met people my age who don't know who the Rolling Stones are so Ive come to love places like this and the people in them who actually know something.