A comment we sometimes hear at MusicStrands from the uninitiated, is “but that mega-eRetailer already tells me people who ordered this also ordered…”. Our company anger management consultant has taught us to count 1,2,…,10, and then reply in measured tones that even though it is now common knowledge throughout the industry that we have all but eclipsed those guys as the must visit first site for all things music in the minds of discerning financial advisors and music listeners alike, we strive to provide our devotees far more useful advice: “People who listened to and liked music you like, suggest that you might also like this music”. And although we at the MusicStrands certainly hope you will click through to buy the music from one of the many fine retailer choices we provide to you so that we can fund our carefully designed “growth” plan, we get our strokes from connecting you with something that you’ll like and may have never heard otherwise.

Which gets to the real point of this post: Outlining our plan for dominating the known universe and dictating what music you will like and buy. Well, maybe not all of it, but we are sure you bow down to the majesty of our vision.

Seriously though, before the online world, music discovery pretty much was something done to most of us. In this undated interview, Island Records A&R VP John Carter describes how record companies and broadcast radio introduced us to new artists and the high cost of that music discovery model. Which goes a long way to explaining the opportunity for us in connecting you with the vast number of artists and their music that you probably wouldn’t have found in those bad ol’ days.

If you’re fortunate enough to know someone who makes music and wants to share it with the world, you probably also have learned how record companies used to develop musicians by promoting radio airplay and distributing their music, but pretty much have gotten out of that business. Filling that void and contributing what we can to the development of many more artists than would ever have been possible before is our vision statement. What’s more, while A&R execs apparently are a little stand-offish when it comes to hard-working artists just trying to get heard, we are just average working people who really want to help artists connect with their audience. (In the near future, we’ll be rolling out some new features on this front, but we can’t talk about that yet.)

As we see it, destiny lies in helping fans and artists together play the numbers game. This is the so-called “long tails” view that there is an audience out there for a large and diverse range of artists. We have the technology, we have the capability … a better … stronger … faster… (we don’t get out nearly enough) … way to bring them together than that mega-eRetailer.

Finally, this from the Knitters Exene Cervenka committing about their new The Modern Sounds of The Knitters CD, the first release in 20 years from the ex-X/ex-Blasters side project: “Folk is slow punk”.

Yesterday I eagerly twisted off the cap of my Snapple Iced Tea to reveal that, once again, I was an instant loser. No trip to Hawaii for me but as Snapple connoisseurs know, a fine consolation prized awaited:

"Real Fact" #442
Bees' wings beat 11,400 times per minute.

I have to say seeing “Real Fact” in quotes gave me pause, but only for a second. In the time it takes a bee to beat its wings 190 times, I was fully prepared to accept the oracle that is the Snapple Bottle Cap as gospel truth.

One of the perks of working at MusicStrands is that you have music on the brain 24/7, so naturally I immediately starting wondering what might be the beat of the fastest song.

Well, before we open The Envelope Please, I want to give honorable mention to Thomas Scholl, who holds the record for the Fastest Yodel at 22 tones in one second. But one second of yodeling does not a song make, so I bring your attention to the MusicStrands biography of Moby, where we see that his song Thousand was “… classified by The Guinness Book Of Records as the fastest single ever, climaxing at 1,015 beats per minute.” So there you have it: If some morning you wake up and you’re a bee, you can rock out with Moby.

No doubt the thirsty reader is still wondering about that tea. Well that’s yesterday’s news but here at MusicStrands: The Blog, we do like to bring things full circle. So if you’re anywhere near New York City you can check out Moby’s tea shop, teany cafe.

Moby: Fastest song in the tea shop

Most of the time when my TV is on, it is just as audio wallpaper. Several times in recent days, however, I have been startled by what seemed to be the distinctive and poignant music of Nick Drake. The venue notwithstanding, my first hope was that these might be fragments of newly discovered lost tracks Nick recorded before his tragic death at 26. Recalling the controversy several years ago when a car manufacturer used “Pink Moon” in a commercial, I found myself pondering “What Would Nick Do” if he knew most folks were first introduced to his incredible music this way?

Digging around the net, I quickly discovered that in fact I was hearing the music of not one, but two very much alive and very talented artists, mainly known heretofore in independent music circles. Devendra Banhart had just a few albums out before a craft brewer set the creative series of bicycle-themed spots to “At The Hop” , “Noah” , and “Little Yellow Spider” from his outstanding Nino Rojo album. Here’s hoping that his new eponymous release with Jana Hunter continues his success.

Turns out that the equally talented Sam Beam aka Iron & Wine the other artist I have been hearing in candy maker’s commercials. His song “Such Great Heights” was used previously on the Garden State soundtrack, but was eclipsed to some extent by the Shin’s track “Caring is Creepy”. This lastest exposure to an even wider audience will bring well-deserved attention to his new Woman King release.

We’ll never now what Nick would do, of course. Sadly, we lost him far too soon. But I’d like to think he would have been heartened to know how many people have come to love his music, as evidenced by sales of his re-released catalog including Pink Moon and last year’s A Treasury and Made to Love Magic compilations, even though they first discovered him through just those few seconds in the commercial.

Jazz may be the first indigenous American music form, but some recent music news items reminded us that rock owes the wild and crazy part of its soul to some real country originals.

We read with sadness earlier this year of the passing of psychobilly pioneer Hasil Adkins. Notable amongst the music he left behind with us is “Poultry In Motion”, an album entirely of chicken rock that is pure genius in that “I can’t decide if this is brilliant or not, but it is amazing” kind of way.

On a happier note, Willie Nelson continues to surprise and amuse with at least 10 (10 - that’s not a typo) releases this year. Suspecting that one standout must be lurking within while clicking through the flurry of early, mid, and late-career compilations, one first wonders if it is the strong collection of “Songs for Tsunami Victims”benefit CD. But then, in the carpal tunnel inducing equivalent of locking ‘em in a skid and throwing it in reverse, one pulls back the image of “Countryman”, a CD of reggae covers. No clips yet on the website, but who really needs clips to know they must find this CD?

Texas rocker Roky Erickson briefly re-appeared on the scene this past spring. He performed at Austin’s SXSW and released a new compilation of tracks from back in the day with The 13th Floor Elevators and The Aliens. “I Think Up Demons” made it on the CD, but you’ll still have to dig up his earlier releases for the likes of “Two-Headed Dog” and “I Walked With a Zombie”.

Finally, late last year West Virginia native but now Austin/Houston resident Daniel Johnston released the “Late Great Daniel Johnston”. Since the late 80’s, Johnston has built his reputation as a musicians’ musician. (His riveting a capella rendition of “Speeding Motorcyle” over the telephone from his then West Virginia home, and later re-released by Yo La Tengo, is musical legend.) This latest release features 18 of his songs performed by him paired with 18 covers by some of his favorite artists. It’s like getting 18 7-inches, each with two A sides, in one egg carton. What more could you ask for from the country?

Highlights from Live8: The honest passion of Sir Bob Geldof exhorting us all to peacefully petition the G8 to address African poverty in his VH1/MTV interview. The live Jay-Z and Linkin Park mash-up reprising their “Collision Course” release. Pink Floyd reuniting and performing “Wish You Were Here”.