NOT a manifesto

It's not all about telling you what you should be listening to, but rather a friendly recommendation on what NOT to wate your time listening to. But in this process the wish on your behalf for the best music might be so great that it appears to be a request.

So why should anyone be listening to the NOT Appearing names? Well maybe because they are bands on the verge of something. Either they've been around for years, but have continued to develop and challenge the listeners, themselves and the music conventions in general or they are newcomers with a great sense of breaking the mainstream. Not doing what everybody expects all the time is what keeps music alive. Playing along is a drag.

So go out there and explore the list with an open mind. Search where you have not gone before or just keep up the good work of getting acquainted with new performers on a daily basis. Bare in mind that it's not that the NOT Appearing music is all experimental. Actually most of it is not. But it's honest. It's alive. It's bold.

Listen out for the nerve. It's that nerve you'll NOT find in the bulk of overproduced sales oriented know-what-you're-gonna-get mainstream. It flows all right. It even flows quite heavily, annihilating many things on it's way. Things of beauty, creativity and originality. It wipes out a lot of funny or touching stuff, that you'd been a lot wiser to have listened to. But that's mainstream for ya. No mercy. It's so big, there's no room for others. And if we did't do anything we'd all end up listening to the same 25 artists.

When you visit a festival, stay clear of the worst mainstream junk. Catch up on your unknown band knowledge and get unexpected but great experiences.

Of all that's NOT Appearing this year, there's a whole bunch of superp musical experiences. We'd have to wait and see if they're gonna appear in 2008. Or at another festival somewhere. Until then have a look around the Wonderful Wide Web, where they all appear.