The Infinite Dial

Growing up as a record collector, there was one readily available consumer publication specializing in obscure '50s and '60s records (and what they were worth as collectables) and that was Goldmine. Two decades later, Goldmine -- like Oldies radio -- has evolved away from the '50s and '60s to the Classic Rock era and beyond. The lead story on its Website invites debate about the greatest Southern Rock album of all time. You have to scroll down a little to get to the older stuff.

Now, Goldmine has ventured into Web radio with the launch of Goldmine Radio, which editor Peter Lindblad describes as "the pefect avenue for [the serious record collector] to listen to their favorites without compromising the condition of their vinyl collection." (It's a little too late for much of my vinyl, unfortunately.) Down the line, he promises "interviews with artists, collectors, auction houses, music industry players, and more."

For now, it's mostly uninterrupted music with very occasional spots for Goldmine itself. The era is late '70s through today. The music is somewhere between Classic Rock, Triple-A and Americana in texture, although that's where the overlap ends with surprisingly little punk and no R&B -- at least in the segments I've heard. There have also been a number of seemingly featured artists, represented by multiple songs, albeit they're never identified as such: Carlene Carter, Billy Hancock, jazz singer Sheila Landis, Popium, the Confusions, Brian Setzer, and Donnie Iris among them.

If the promise here is discovery, Goldmine Radio certainly delivers. I never knew that Eric Carmen ever cut a disco song. (It's hidden on a 1978 album where I knew only the singles.) In fact, in my listening, I've encountered only two songs I actually knew and a few others that I had heard of but never heard. And I've actually identified a few songs I want to buy as a result of my listening. (Although, given the obscurity level, only about 65% of what I've heard is available on the iTunes Music Store.)

The challenge for Goldmine Radio is that almost every Webstream available now--save the few in major portals that cover mainstream formats -- is a record collectors' Webstream. And each is programmed by its own Jack Black and John Cusack characters from "High Infidelity," who now have a better outlet for their personal tastes than merely railing at anybody unlucky enough to ask for "I Just Called To Say I Love You."

That said, I'm looking forward to hearing the more produced version of Goldmine Radio. I'm also hoping they do well enough to spin off a Goldmine Oldies stream. (There are more places to hear obscure '50s and '60s oldies these days, too, but the brand name would still have some sway for me.) I'm still waiting for somebody to do the channel with a rock critic/music collectors' sensibility, but not necessarily the obscurity level.

Here's Goldmine Radio last night around 10:30 ET:

Haircut One Hundred, "Lemon Firebrigade" (1982)
Popium, "Suits My Soul" (2004)
Sheila Landis, "I Don't Speak Your Language" (2001)
Brian Setzer, "Haunted River" (1986)
Donnie Iris, "Sweet Merilee" (1981)
Lou Ann Barton, "Sudden Stop" (1982)
Eric Carmen, "Haven't We Come A Long Way" (1978, the aforementioned disco song)
Carlene Carter, "You Are The One" (1990)
Billy Hancock, "The Universal Soldier" (2005)
Dr. Hook, "I'm A Lamb" (1977)
The Confusions, "Trampoline" (2002)
Sheila Landis, "Summertime" (2001)
Brian Setzer, "So Young, So Bad, So What" (1988)