Quote from Jimmy McDonough’s “Shakey”:

“The eighties found the country retreating into conservatism and gripped by economic woes. Musically, it was the decade of the mega-artist – Madonna, Prince, Michael Jackson and Bruce Springsteen. Figures who, however you feel about them, seemed a little less real and a lot more media-savvy. The black hole of MTV sucked everything through its vortex, demolishing the few barriers that remained between rock and other forms of mass media and erasing whatever tiny regional identity it had left.”

Lately some media savvy artists and fans have been using good relationship building skills and pre-fab software to form new social networks. These social networks are helping to redefine the regional identity of northern California music. Bay area sites include:

Pacific Noise
Deli Magazine SF
The Bay Bridged
BAGel Radio
Cool Waves SF
Mesh Magazine SF

These sites distribute MP3′s and podcasts, they’re involved in the net radio movement, they promote shows and create original video content, they’ve accomplished a lot in a short period of time. Expect them to do a lot more.

I’m sure there are others who deserve recognition too. Let me know who they are.