IS BY BUS

is a new website about music.

We have often found ourselves bored at a computer and, having read the usual foreign music websites and a few choice local ones, still hungry. What seems to us to be missing is something with the breadth and depth of our favourite music sites but more relevant to us, here, in Brisbane or at least Australia. We want news and reviews that don't just make us wish we lived in NY or London. We feel that we might better enjoy unapologetically long dissertations about music and pop culture that don't rely on references to little league, frat house keg parties or the Stone Roses at Knebworth. We want to read something - anything - about the band that blew our minds last Wednesday night but have only an enigmatic myspace page as their public face. While bad journalism is the scourge of modern music, good journalism can enrich the art experience for all involved. It's kind of tragic that there was no real discussion or analysis of, say, On/Oxx or Me Mu & Meow, and no proper record of the historic 610 Ann St milieu.

This won't be a Brisbane-only thing (Before Hollywood is the Brisbane music blog) although for obvious reasons we will pay special attention to local bands, avoiding free kicks and blind eyes.

A note about the name: "Is By Bus" is a great song by Gaslight Radio. They, like the editor of this website, were originally from the Gold Coast. The Gold Coast had a terrible bus service; anyone whingeing about Brisbane's buses really doesn't understand. But there's something romantic about them (buses), no? (If you don't agree I'll make you a mixtape - "Girl At the Bus Stop" by My Drug Hell for starters - Ed). A great proportion of our music listening has been on buses over the years. Any night out is framed by buses, for better or for worse. Anyway, maybe Gaslight Radio are an example of a band that (a) you wouldn't know if you relied solely on foreign music websites for your info and (b) demand to have more written about them. Perhaps we should do a feature...

- The Editor, Winter 2008