Anti-Isolation Drills

Since steve is taking the weekend to work on the intro for the in-the-editing-stage, definitive history of the band Shoes, I'll pop up here and post something from NPR this week.

Paul Collins has been doing yeoman's work using social networking tools to unite the power pop community. His Facebook group The Beat Army is more than a usual FB group: it's an advocacy organization, a coffee clatch, a band of brothers and sisters. Its goal is to make people aware of their pop opportunities, to support bands at the club level, and to bring us together. And it's starting to get some attention.

On a recent episode of Mississippi Edition, Collins speaks about his history, his current project, and why he formed the Beat Army. (There's no time code on this link, but he begins about halfway through.)

In a similar mode, Bruce Brodeen, who has long protected the power pop flame through his label, Not Lame Records, has formed his own social networking site, The Rock and Roll Tribe. The intent here, as Brodeen and his mates describe it, is to create a community for "Kick-Ass Grown-ups" and connect us nationwide. I spent more time than I should have yesterday ruminating on the discussion about how to raise kids with good taste in music, for example.

So see? There's no need to be alone in your geeky musical tastes: there's places to find your fellow geeks! Thanks to Paul & Bruce and the intertubes for these possibilities!