Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Reader Poll: I Need Some Inspiration

Let's be honest. Lately, I've updated the look of this blog more often than the content. My post frequency has dropped recently due to a number of reasons. We won't get into why. Instead, let's get into how we go about fixing this.

Originally, I had the intention of posting multiple times every week. I learned quickly that that was a tough task. For one, my posts ending up being more thorough than I initially intended, which is okay with me. So, for a more structured posting process, I started a few 'Feature Posts' - recurring topics that songs could easily fit into to keep a sense of familiarity with the content here. Some of these were meant to be weekly updates - New Digs for one - and that may have gone smoothly for a little while. Some have shown up here and there and some have disappeared completely. So, I need your help. I wanna know what the readers want. Take some time to look back over some of these feature posts and find those that interest you most.

Here's an outline with links those older posts:

New Digs
A (sometimes) weekly post featuring the newest music to spark my interest. Sometimes showcasing a new artist I've found. Sometimes containing songs with a common thread. And sometimes just a handful of good songs.

One Liners
A two-fold intention post. 1)To get posts up quickly without much writing, and 2)To feature some of my photography (yet another hobby of mine I don't devote as much time to as I'd like. These posts are simply a picture I've taken, followed by a song that corresponds somehow with one line from the chosen song as the post title - or one liner.

Viva la Vinyl
Over a year ago, I acquired an amazing piece of technology - A USB turntable. These posts feature songs ripped from my still-growing vinyl collection. Check out a post I made back in 2008 detailing my love for that nostalgic analog sound.

Playlist Pulse
Another feature to help get some music out to you guys quickly. I simply pick one of my iTunes playlists, hit shuffle, and post the first five songs that come up. Simple and effective, yet missing from this site for quite a while.

Mailbox Music
This topic consists of music I've received as promotional material - either through the countless emails I get from music marketing folks or from that rare gem of a hard copy sent pro-bono in the mail.

In The Toolbox
A feature that desperately needs to be seen more, In The Toolbox showcases those 'essential albums'. I have a sturdy metal toolbox that perfectly fits a long row of CDs. This toolbox used to travel with me wherever I went, but has since lost out to the convenience of digital media.

Evolution of Song
This post takes a song that I happen to have multiple copies of. Ideally from the same artist, revealing the evolutionary process the song has undergone throughout the years in studio sessions and the live show.

Cover/Uncovered
Rather than the usual cover song post you might see elsewhere, this feature contains songs in which I first heard a covered version, and subsequently dis-covered the original.

Thursday One-Hitter
The newest feature post to hit the site, the Thursday One-Hitter (named so simply because I first posted one on a Thursday) takes a closer look at songwriting.

Artist Spotlights
Simply titled, my Artist Spotlights feature an in-depth look into an artist's entire catalog, particularly those artists that have greatly contributed to my love of music. Consisting mainly of Ryan Adams material - a catalog that deserves the attention - I've also given attention to Mike McClure, Kasey Chambers, Slaid Cleaves, and Max Stalling (on which Max, himself, dropped by to say thanks).
a separate link for my multiple-entry Ryan Adams Spotlight

So there's your re-cap. With the results from the poll (upper-left sidebar or below), I hope to get a better feel for what the readers want and in return, I can get more of the best material out there.


8 comments:

  1. I check every week looking for your latest installment of the Ryan Adams spotlight. It is a fantastic analysis. You've turned me on to alot of new or different music in the process. With the exception of RA--of whom I can never get enough, I think less is more-- the short posts focusing on one or two things are great. I dig your photos too. The long posts with more than two or three artists are overwhelming.

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  2. +1 to the previous
    thnx for reviews
    've made my choice - hope inspiration would come soon)))

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  3. everyone needs inspiration~~ i think only when we have dreams and inspiration can we do things well !

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