For all music lovers in constant search of new independent bands, the solution may be in sight: Welcome to guavagarage.com.
First-year College student Daniel Brown, one of the co-founders of guavagarage, described the Web site -- which is in developmental stages -- as "an online music community dedicated to independent bands."
Co-founder Mike Logan, a sophomore at Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania, added that guavagarage will allow music groups, recording artists and studios to form a tight-knit online community while providing music artists with a way to find venues, distribute their work and connect with fans.
Brown said he and his friend Daniel Kessler, a sophomore at Muhlenberg College, developed the idea for the Web site last summer. These two students from New Jersey sought to combine their interests and talents to create a solution to what they viewed as the disadvantages of the modern music industry. Though they were familiar with a number of other independent music sites, such as MySpace.com and Pandora.com, they ultimately wanted to "create a service that could do better," Brown said, adding that the project allows the co-founders to support their interests while pursuing their education.
"We are first and foremost fans of music," he said. "We want to be connected with these bands. We know a lot of people who are in talented bands, and we want them to get them out there to the public."
When the group of friends first developed plans for the Web site, they started by turning to what they knew about the current music industry. With most music deals nowadays, "the bands don't get much money of it," Brown said. "They don't have any control."
Though the music industry changes with time, Brown said it is important to give independent bands the same opportunities that they had in the past -- such as in the 1960s, when he felt that they had more of a chance to record a song and get it on the radio.
"Think about it," Brown said. "If the Beatles were in the world today, they would never get any of the radio playtime."
Playing something different from the normal mold of popular music is what sets great bands apart, Brown explained. As a result, "when you are willing to take chances, you get these bands," he added.
Brown said record labels in this day and age are not taking chances, which can make it difficult for independent bands to succeed in the national music industry. As a result, "there's a lot of independent and extremely talented bands that are lost," he said.
He also noted that while many music Web sites are limited by what they can post or promote because of copyright restrictions, guavagarage will have more flexibility in distributing music because most of the independent bands will be unsigned. Brown added that the Web site's services will be free for users and that the founders wanted to create a site that could be used by anyone.
"It will have many more ways for fans to find bands and bands to find fans," he said.
With guavagarage, Brown and his co-founders hope to give independent bands a chance to let their songs be heard and to make unlicensed music more accessible to the fans who want to hear it.
Users of the Web site -- which will also feature an online radio and copyright options for bands -- will have the ability to create a profile where they can list their favorite groups, playlists and upcoming music events, Brown said. There will be similar services for independent bands and other musicians as well, he noted.
What began with a simple interest in music has now expanded into a full-time undertaking. The Web site is currently being designed and developed by a company based in Pennsylvania, Brown said, adding that putting together the site and its promotions has involved a broad spectrum of people, The site is expected to launch in late spring, Logan said.
Both Logan and Brown said plans are in the works to extend the Web site's features to include independent filmmakers and comedians. At the end of the day, however, their vision is still focused on music.
"The Internet is already changing the music industry and we'd like to help push that change in the right direction," Brown said.
But why did they choose the name guavagarage to represent their work?
"It's a bit of an inside joke." Brown said, with a laugh. "It's really too complicated to explain."
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