The Concept

Teenage Fanclub: The Concept

[purchase]

Announcing the Star Maker Machine concept:

The original idea behind this blog was to get the readers involved. Reader comments were supposed to drive the song selections and vice versa, but this proved to be unworkable. So we have a new idea that will really get the readers involved: We’re going to let you write the posts!

Maybe you don’t have your own music blog, but you’ve always wanted to tell the world about one special song? Now you can. Instead of going to all the trouble of starting your own blog, you can just post it here. Maybe you already have an mp3 blog, but you want to post a song that doesn’t fit in with your usual fare? You can post it here. Or maybe you just want to be part of a music-blogger community. This is the place.

The great part of about getting everyone involved will be the community atmosphere and the variety of viewpoints. More minds should result in more great music. The downside risk is that this blog will turn into a messy hodge-podge of randomness. To combat that, we’ve got a few simple rules designed to maintain a coherent and consistent presentation:

(1) If you aren't a regular author, the moderator will review your submission before posting. The main reason will be to avoid posting music that is not appropriate for an mp3 blog.

(2) To ensure a uniform look, all submitted posts will have to follow a set template that will be provided. You just have to fill in the blanks.

(3) The moderator will select weekly or monthly themes. Whatever song you pick to feature will have to fit the current theme.

(4) This is going to be a “vintage” music blog. We aren’t about the latest hot band. There are plenty of great places for that. We are looking for music from the 20th century that still sounds great today. So, please keep your submissions limited to songs recorded between 1900 and 1999. Any popular music genre is fine (rock, country, blues, jazz, r&b, etc.).

If you already have your own music blog, and would like to contribute an occasional song to Star Maker Machine, you can request to be made a direct “author.” This will allow you to directly post to this blog in your own name without using the submission form. Other regular contributors can also request to be made direct “authors.” Thanks!

I hope some of you decide to participate. Further details, including the submission template, will be ready sometime next week.

What do you think of this idea?

Star Maker Machine

Joni Mitchell: Free Man In Paris

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As part of the general overhaul of this relatively-new site, we are pleased to announce that the blog formerly known as "Six Songs" now has a new name:

Star Maker Machine

You know I'd go back there tomorrow
But for the work I've taken on
Stoking the star maker machinery
Behind the popular song

A Good Idea?

Sugar: A Good Idea (purchase)

Exciting news! We've come up with a good idea how to make this blog better and more fun for everyone. It's a new concept that will increase reader participation and improve the content. But it's going to take awhile to figure out the details. Hopefully we will be up and running with a new format (and a new name?) next week. Please stay tuned...

We're Taking A Break

Posting a new song everyday is surprisingly stressful, even with the Sunday rest. So we're off for some R&R. We may be back with a new format.

Henry Kaiser – The Fishin' Hole (mp3) (purchase).

Now it's time to go cool our toes in the dewey grass...