Stuck to Music
PasteStore.com Goes Beyond Pop Music
by John A. Accardo
Believe it or not, some music fans believe that music should be more than just ear—and especially nowadays—eye candy.
PasteStore, for example, feels that music can be fun, intoxicating, energizing and sometimes even spirit-lifting. And that's why they go out of their way to get artists whose music they feel "awakens something deeper within us, whether it stirs us with stories of hope, despair, charity, depravity, joy, or destitution."
In a lot of ways, PasteStore takes the work out of what most of you will do anyway when trying to find new great music. Paste is as jaded as most music fans out there. They believe most of music's corporations and other cultural gatekeepers pass over some of the best art for commercialism's sake, and that is the antithesis of Paste's beliefs.
Technically and aesthetically, the website is strong. It is broken down into categories of artists, free MP3s, their radio station, their magazine, the shopping cart, Live Shows and Random Browse.
Each artist profile features a brief biography of the artist, a genre title, record titles and a link to an official website, if you have one. Of course, PasteStore has a mailing list, and you have to sign up for it if you plan on utilizing any of the premium features of the site, such as the free MP3s. Shopping for music on the site is simple and secure and they are VeriSign approved.
Another great feature of the site is the Live Shows section, which is broken down by artist, date and location. This means that if you just listened to a song by an artist on the website, you can then search for the artist online and see if they are playing anywhere that you can visit. However, even if you don't have any criteria to search for, you can find out what's playing in your area by using this feature. Once you find an artist that is either on tour or just doing a show, you get the venue address and contact information, and you're even linked to a Mapquest map.
If you're an artist that would like to have your work sold on the website, you should be aware of their standards and practices. PasteStore does not just accept anyone that's ever recorded a CD. Part of the reason why Paste is unique is because they are so discriminating. They have admitted to rejecting over half of the CDs that are usually submitted. Paste is always looking for new talent, and if you're currently hitting the live circuit, you should definitely consider them as an option to getting your name out there, especially if you feel you are a good match for their style.
To start the process, you can contact PasteStore through the phone-ordering system, but you are encouraged to try using the website first. They also accept mail orders, if that's your preferred mode of communication.
PasteStore.com also features a streaming radio station. Part of the reason that the website uses a few full songs when profiling their artists, instead of 20- or 30-second snippets, is so that they can put your music on the air as part of the radio programming. The radio station breaks music down by genre varying from Alt/Country and Roots Rock to Folk and Singer/Songwriter.
There is also a section on the site called Paste News. This is an area dedicated to spotlighting artists or detailing some achievements of Paste's artists. The articles are short and, of course, link to the artist's profile on the site.
For more information, log on to www.PasteStore.com or call 404-378-8677. You can also contact them via snail mail at Paste, P.O. Box 1606, Decatur, GA 30031. E-mail them at email@PasteStore.com.
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