Remembering Myspace

I can't begin to tell you how many times I've been asked, "You still use Myspace?"

Sure, Myspace has undergone a few changes - most notably a user-unfriendly interface and Facebook design scheme - and for many people, myself included, the implementation of this Version 2.o simply seemed unnecessary. Things were so much easier to navigate on the first go-around, and now, with its advertising splatter in every direction, the intrigue of having your own profile page and background music has lost much of its grandeur. Too many updates, too many changes. The desire to compete with Facebook killed the nostalgic and working grandeur of the world's best online music site.

The thing is: even though Last.fm is giving it a run for it's money (big time), Myspace is still a powerhouse when it comes to finding and listening to new musicians. And why is this? Because Myspace is ultimately made for music.

I could give a crap about what mood person X is in (it's just going to change in an hour), personalized layouts are more of a nuisance and drag down internet performance, and the comment section has become a spam nightmare replete with penis enhancement pills and risque online dating sites. Music is where it's at, and for some odd reason, Myspace is tackling bulletin boards, a pathetic IM service, and APIs like they're actually going to take the lead in a social networking race that has been won twice over.

Using Myspace to find the next Brutal Death Metal band may not be as helpful as, say, hitting up review sites, message
boards, or various blogspots, but when you do find them, chances are pretty high that you'll be able to hear what they're all about on Myspace - the land that musicians never ignored.

"Discover and be Discovered" - yeah, it's cheesy, but it's true.