I recently set a challenge to my friends on FaceBook. This was in the form of suggestions for music. Not mainstream, everyday bands or artists that fill the popular radio stations but something different and new.

The result has been fantastic. Its cool to find out what others think is good and very interesting to try out new material.

The main problem is that when listening to quite diverse tunes is it can result in some work being dismissed as not liked. However, moods can draw you towards many differing styles. I guess its like trying ale. If you try one then try another completely different one then the taste can be conceived as yucky but on another day it may be received as a lovely tipple.

So I shall be busy over the next few months doing some research and listening to all of the suggestions and will give at least six plays before dismissing anything. The beauty is that most of the songs can either be streamed through my Alexa Speaker of via YouTube. That is the astonishing convenience of the modern world and the internet.

It does make the process quite lonely and a bit sterile. It also can leave one reliant on others for inspiration. Years ago one either listened to pirate radio, went to gigs, spent hours in record shops or read music magazines. Many a mistake was made and sometimes a light bulb discovery would occur. Either way it was fun and very social. It did lead to being limited to a stereotypical style of music within a group of friends.

Today though peoples music libraries will more often than not be filled with a plethora of diverse tunes and sounds as the barriers of peer-pressure have been lowered. They have the freedom to listen to and like what they find pleasing.

A massive thank you goes out to everyone and I am open to any more suggestions folk may have.

The way chords, structure and content are put together never ceases to amaze me. You would think that every conceivable combination and slant would have been discovered and repeated. It seems not as exciting new methods are coming out all the time. The imagination of art has no bounds. Voices and singing styles can make or ruin a track but it is all personal interpretation.

I still have my favourites though but I hope to add to those with future discoveries.

Happy Hunting All. Cheers..