Hallelujah, Athens Ear Buds is back in a new online format, focusing on music videos that promote CDs and songs that Ear Bud contributors want to turn our readers on to.
A couple weeks after I decided to discontinue the weekly print edition of this local community music feature, a light bulb went off in my noggin: Restart AEB as a purely online feature, utilizing recommended videos.
Athens Ear Buds contributors, who include several dozen local folks who are involved and/or obsessed with music, will be encouraged to submit recommendations for music they've been listening to, along with directions (or the link) for how to find a recommended YouTube (or other) video of that band or performer.
As with the print version of AEB, the writer will include a very short description of him- or herself; the band or performer's name; the name of the video selection; the name of the CD where the selection came from (if that applies), with its year and label; and a short intro setting up the video.
As I receive the blurb/recommendations, I'll post them online in the Athens Ear Buds section (under Entertainment) on www.athensnews.com. This method will have an advantage over the weekly print routine, since I won't have to struggle to collect enough blurbs to have a respectable column. I'll just add them as I get them, either individually or in small batches.
Following is an example of how the online Athens Ear Buds will look, except with (hopefully) more video recommendations as we get into the swing of things:
Terry Smith, Athens NEWS editor and Athens Ear Buds progenitor: The Weakerthans, "Tournament of Hearts" (from this Winnipeg band's 2007 CD, "Reunion Tour" on Epitaph). Ever since The Weakerthans' great folk/punk/rock album, "Reconstruction Site," of 2003, every several months I've looked to see if they had issued a new CD. I guess I'd been slacking on this the last couple of years, since they released "Reunion Tour" in 2007 unbeknownst to me. Well, I've belatedly found it, and the CD is no disappointment. The song in this video celebrates the great sport of curling, which I knew absolutely nothing about, and was no further edified by watching people play the sport in this video.
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