If you haven't checked out the thousands of archival sound recordings in the collection of the British Library, then your ears haven't lived. Amazing field recordings; oral histories; historic debates. Massively cool stuff from a bevy of stunning collections. The rare South African material is not to be missed. Hey, if you have trouble accessing the sound files, email me for assistance.
Everything you need to know about garage rock, psyche and punk in 1960s Peru can be found at Peru y su Baul de los Recuerdos los Años '60s. Even if you don't know Spanish and can't read the dozens of band bios and copious song lyrics, the promotional photos, YouTube footage and MP3 tracks will keep you loco por el rock for hours.
Did you know that Marion Try Slaugher (a.k.a Vernon Dalhart) the "First Star of Country Music" performed under an astounding 61 different pseudonyms? This and gobs of other fascinating facts of the early years of recorded music can be found on the website of Mainspring Press. It provides free online articles and discographies for collectors of vintage records.
A feller named Matt Yanchyshyn has a mighty tasty African music blog named Benn loxo du taccu (wolof for "One hand can't clap.")
Nothing beats a monthly helping of kelp, especially in the form of Kelp! Monthly, an audio subscription service that delivers a dozen richly rewarding CDs a year to you mailbox. Concocted by Anacortes, Washington, maestro Karl Blau, each offering—homemade music, spoken word, sound collage and found audio—comes packaged in a lovingly crafted folk-art concoction as odd and endearing as the music itself.
If you can find a label putting out more compelling, entrancing, and enjoyable recordings than the discs from Sublime Frequencies, please let me know.
Maybe you've seen R. Crumb's wunnerful "Heroes of the Blues" card set, but have you read his 1984 comic book bio of the legendary Delta string bender Charlie Patton? No? Well have a looksee at Charlie Patton by R. Crumb(If you've never seen "Heroes of the Blues," it's here.)
Studying the history of black music in post-war Chicago may seem like a rather single-minded endeavor, but you'll be grateful that the historians and archivists at the Red Saunders Research Foundation have done the work for you.
Sure, we're all obsessed with old-timey, folk, blues, cajun and gospel, but the devotion German fan Stefan Wirz displays for American Music is kinda scary.
Feeling in the dark on the evolution of the jazz trombone? Let the Online Trombone Journal, um, provide you with a really really bright light. Separate articles cover Dixieland, the swing era and bebop.
FUNK45.com Serves up hundreds of steaming-hot minute-long soundclips from impossibly rare funk and soul "7's. (Most of these killer tunes are only a total of two to three minutes in length anyway!)
Hey, give most guys many thousands of hours of free time and their likely to come up with Rockin' Country Style, too. It's a monstrously comprehensive discography of "country rock & roll and related records," 1951-1964.
The newsletter Art Attack/Jazz NYC is "for and about liberation musicians in New York City."
Comprehensive fan site Nusrat Forever provides mountains of photos, videos, lyrics and audio of the great qawwali maestro Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
Rockabilly Hall of Fame Excluding the baseball shrine in Cooperstown, most halls of fame are cathedrals of commodification worth less than spit. The more than 650 pages on this overwhelming site will make your mouth water and waaaay more.
American Memory Historic audio recordings in the collection of the Library of Congress.
Miss Funkyflyy's Web Pages Wherein a 33-year-old Swedish gal produces a fab tribute site to her disco soul faves.
Finally up and running is the AACM home page: Great black music, ancient to the future.
Sonny Boy's Lonesome Cabin Stupendous tribute site for Aleck "Rice" Miller, a.k.a Willie Williams, a.k.a Little Boy Blue, a.k.a The Goat, a.k.a Sonny Boy Williamson (II).
Lord Buckley Online
Knock back a Benzedrine float and peep your lanterns here.
Lee Scratch Perry on the Wire
All aboard the black ark.
Express Yourself
The hyper-hip home page of Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band.
Official site of Mr. Zigaboo Modeliste
Electronic environs of NOLA's exalted funky drummer.
Fat Possum Records
Ground zero for today's skeeziest blues delicacies.
News you can use about the sweet old world of Lucinda Williams.
Iva Bittová's home page
Stop by and say nazdar!
Encyclopedia of Cajun Culture
From Abbeville to Zydeco, with a touch of étouffée thrown in for bon chance!
Mbira home page
Zimbabwean Music.
Looper's Delight!
Full-service sound-loopers' directory
Página Oficial do Olodum
Home page of Brazilian samba gods Olodum
Jaap Blonk
Everything you need to know about the sound/poet.
Gallery 41
Fab online Jazz mag.
...Always more to come...