Past the "recently on winamp" list, I rarely acknowledge when a particular piece of music is flooding through my mind as I write, despite the fact that it happens often. Tonight—an exception. You can pick up an MP3 copy of "Story of Your Bones" at jennifernettles.com (it's under 'media'). She's an independent artist based in Georgia. Might not be to your taste, but it's worth pointing out.

While you're at it, go get a copy of Vienna Teng's song "Gravity." (Insert standard disclaimers about personal taste, etc.) Her song "The Tower" is also very good, but it's not available for download.If you like what you hear in either song, consider buying the album those songs are on.

I don't go off on rants as often as I like to pretend I do, but I have serious issues with American record companies and radio stations. Call me a disgruntled customer—I download, listen, and use the mp3s to determine whether or not I want to financially support the artist in question. I freely admit that I haven't bought CDs to every mp3 I have in my possession, and my friends and I trade mp3s quite freely amongst ourselves.

However, the list is a long one: Spock's Beard, Underworld, Vienna Teng, Jeff Buckley, Cowboy Mouth, Kevin Gilbert, india.arie, Leftfield, Ashley MacIsaac, Jane Monheit, Peter Murphy, Tragically Hip, Spirit of the West, Patti Rothberg, Trout Fishing In America, John Mayer, Cassandra Wilson, and others like them can directly chalk my portion of their album sales up to my hearing mp3s of their music and deciding to put my dollars where my speakers were. Without having been introduced to their music through mp3s, I never would have ponied up the funds to buy the actual albums.

Many people like to grouse about how radio playlists suck and record companies suck and how corporate music sucks and top 40 sucks…ad infinitum. I wish half of those people would go out and research independent artists—I can guarantee you that they'd find all kinds of really interesting music, and independent artists would find it a lot easier to make a living.

There's something infinitely satisfying in knowing that your fundage isn't going to a record label, or some faceless middle-management guy in some company somewhere: your money is going to the artist, and serves as a financial reward for their time and effort. For independent artists, album, t-shirt, and ticket sales don't just pay for equipment repair and upkeep; they pay the rent, pay the phone bill, and feed the cats.

(The cats really like that part.)

I admit that my taste for independent music has me a bit spoiled. Jeff admits that he's envious of my knack for meeting the artists whose music I like. I have a Vienna Teng CD with one of the nicest inscriptions ever on it (her words would've been nice enough on a thank-you card, but to have something so nice written on a CD means she's pretty much guaranteed I'll pimp her stuff early & often here on cat.net), photos of me making silly faces with Jonatha Brooke, and memories of yapping about music with the members of Tragically Hip.

Along the way I've discovered that my musical horizons got broadened whether I liked them or not. Jeff's copy of an album by The Last Dance proved to both of us that there actually was goth music that we liked. Nickel Creek proved to me something that I never, ever expected—that I would actually consider buying a bluegrass album.

Etc.

Jennifer Nettles will be playing Crossroads in Huntsville on December 6th. Five bucks to get in—that's it? That's cheap. I'll go, buy a drink or two to reward the venue for bringing in independent music, buy a CD, and hopefully get it signed that evening. Somewhere in Georgia, it'll be a few dollars easier for her to make ends meet that month, and I get the warm and fuzzy of knowing that I'm not only getting good music, but I'm encouraging someone to make music their life's work.

Know anyone else I need to be listening to?