Doors open with 'new old music'

By Nate Seltenrich

Along with a new school year come many different opportunities, experiences and discoveries.

Rather than following old paths, allow this first quarter of the year to lead you in new directions. What you find might turn out to be quite valuable.

Of course, I'm talking about music. What did you expect? A lecture on study habits?

I'm talking about classic Hendrix, the fledgling years of party hip-hop and teenage Green Day.

I'm talking about music that is no longer new but hasn't lost its freshness. I'm talking about CDs and tapes in cracked and scratched cases that haven't lost their beauty.

So make use of these first 10 weeks to introduce yourself to new old music. Open yourself to many different musical opportunities, experiences and discoveries.

Look beyond the Top 40 charts and radio stations that only play current music. Overcome that urge to replace the old with the new. Forget about keeping up with the Joneses. You can go your own way.

Diamonds often exist undiscovered in the rough of obscured record store shelves, parents' dusty music collections and garage sale shoeboxes.

Bargain bins at a used record store may offer something more satisfying than anything on the New Releases shelf.

Don't overlook these avenues to musical inspiration or you are shortchanging yourself of a wide world of sound that should not go ignored.

Somewhere out there in the vast vaults of the world's music catalog assuredly lies an unexpected treat. All you have to do is find it.

As an illustration of my message, in this week's paper we've introduced a new sort of CD Review: Retro Reviews. These will appear ever so often and will feature reviews of CDs released in the past that you may have missed.

We'll be giving you a second chance to get your ears on some quality music that's just as enjoyable today as it was the day it was first written - five, 10, 15, even 20 years ago. This week's CD is Blink 182's first album, "Buddha." Flip to page 12 for the review.

The moral of the story is this: Search for the unsought, and you may be handsomely rewarded. This is true in all areas of life, but especially music.