Hot Indie Soul Music Sites of 2008
The Internet Offers Online Hot Spots to Hear Fresh Indie Music
Dec 4, 2008
For those looking for hot spots to hit online as they deviate from their usual jaunt to MySpace, make sure the following sites are bookmarked in browser favorites. These top five picks were chosen for their accessibility, their fresh content and their visual online appeal.
Soul Commune
Soul Commune is a social network that plays indie artists on the main page and members are able to upload their own tunes to their profile pages, similar to MySpace. Almost immediately upon its birth, the Soul Commune community has swelled to over 1, 000.
Currently its membership is over 4,000 members. While indie faves such as Eric Roberson and Sy Smith are there on Soul Commune, visitors shouldn't be surprised to find unexpected celebrities such as Malcolm Jamal-Warner sporting a Soul Commune page as well. Membership is free and music is ongoing.
4DaSoul.com
This site sells and promotes soul music while writing reviews and providing opportunities for free downloads and concert tickets. Signing up for their newsletter connects readers to new information on popular artists including Jill Scott and Maxwell while introducing emerging indie artists that are new to the industry and often unsigned or on independent labels. Visit 4DaSoul.com.
Honey Soul
HoneySoul.com is an online music resource that grew from a weekly email sent with updates and news on popular and up-and-coming artists, to a full-fledged music website with interviews, a music store, links, forums and updates. The site's founder, Vonnie "Honey" Woods is a radio host of 90.1 FM in Houston, TX and a former banker who describes herself as "bridge" between new and old soul music. HoneySoul.com won the 2007 Best Black Weblog Award for Best Blog.
SoulTracks
SoulTracks is part online magazine, part soul artist agency and part online store where soul music lovers can get up-to-date info on artists who are emerging, as well as those who have long-standing reputable careers.
It is not surprising to find an article on up-and-coming artist Afi Soul beside a feature on Deborah Cox. Soul Tracks has a forum for readers to dialogue and a link to updated info on newly released music. Soul Tracks is a one stop and shop for the music lover who wants weekly updates on their favorite artists.
Nu-Soul Magazine
These top five sites are among many that are rapidly emerging as the internet makes good music easier to find. The year 2009 should promise even more choices for the indie soul music lover as more artists are using the internet to promote and sell their music.
Like Soul Tracks, Nu-Soul is a magazine with news on favorite soul artists. However, Nu-Soul hosts regular events where they invite many of the artists that they feature in their online magazine. Nu-Soul magazine is also a bit more open with their definition of what soul music is. Nu-Soul covers music as diverse as organic hip hop to electronica and house music.
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