Devotion knows no bounds. The Illustrated Elton John Discography isn't a fan's obsessive tribute to all things Elton, it's simply a collection of every lyric from every album, single, and appearance Elton John has ever made. That's a lot of lyrics. If you've got a burning desire to know all of the nuances of "Daniel," then you've found your spot. There's also a collector's area to get your hands on some rare (and not so rare) pieces of the musician's vast body of work. - Katherine Clary Alward
Latin music lovers often face slim pickings in local record stores, so this fat catalog of Brazilian CDs, all available for purchase through a secure server, could be a great resource. Unfortunately, a serious technical glitch makes CD Brazil discouragingly difficult to use: When you select a category--such as featured CDs, classical music, Brazilian rock--a list appears in the right-hand frame, but you lose the table of contents, and without navigational tools it's impossible to move to another category. If you can find a CD Brazil link, it will bring the contents back, but it will also add a new frame to your screen every time you use it. The CDs here might be great, but right now, they're practically inaccessible. - Sandra Stewart
A fan site dedicated to the Ramones, Rockaway Beach has that unmistakable homemade feel--enthusiasm abounds, but the execution is a bit rough. The site's creator concedes that it's a work in progress, which may help explain oddities such as a list of Fan Clubs offering contacts only in the U.K. and Spain, and a Sound section limited to clips from the episode of The Simpsons in which the band sang for Mr. Burns's birthday. The discography, on the other hand, is as detailed as all get out--it lists not only the albums, but every song on them, with many titles linked to lyric sheets. You'll also find a few interviews and photos of the band members in all their skanky glory. - Sandra Stewart
This online music magazine gathers gossip, news, interviews, and reviews together in a hip but elegant package. Reviews of at least 12 new albums per week are accompanied by fairly substantial sound clips, as are interviews with Supergrass, Cake, Social Distortion, The Roots, and a slew of other bands. In addition to covering a range of musical styles--all in a more or less alternative vein--All Star dips into pop culture with articles on such subjects as the Xena cult, cocktails, and coming out as a gay vegetarian liberal to your Midwestern parents. The writing sometimes tries a bit too hard, but it's generally pretty good. As a bonus, All Star will e-mail daily music news to you free. - Sandra Stewart
The company history that dominates this London-based indie label's site is slightly scattered, but it makes up for any lack of coherence with an entertaining sense of humor. Titled "15 Years of What Might Loosely Be Called Business," the account recalls how, in order to make any money at all, On U Sound mixed and matched members of various groups to create "new" bands. The resulting "deranged records," the account hopefully notes, are "not exactly commercial but would be if enough people got the opportunity to hear them." To that end, On U Sound provides an online catalog and a mail-order form. You'll have to take your chances though, unless you're familiar with the label's backlist: The catalog provides no descriptions, just artist names and album titles. - Sandra Stewart
Music up the wazoo. Trolling for ambient polka surf punks? Jonesing for some Celtic-Hawaiian blues metal? While those particular combinations might not be available here, the AudioNet Jukebox has an admirably eclectic selection of more than 1000 CD titles in a wide range of musical styles, all available for purchase. Many samples are here in RealAudio format, and the selections include such non-mainstream performers as Kitaro, Sucking Chest Wound, and the Mr. T Experience alongside such over-commercialized items as The Nutty Professor soundtrack. The musical categories include jazz, big band, adult contemporary, reggae, Christmas, alternative, ska, rock, soul, rap, hip-hop, dance, and classical. - Gary Barker
Bacon Ray is an alternative band from Tallahassee, and apparently its lyrics are its claim to fame: "Some people like our lyrics. Others think we're just being difficult. You decide." One such challenging lyric goes like this: "Don't you go changing gristle. Grab some bologna and whistle at the ho walking down the street. Don't you go changing gristle. Grab some bologna and whistle. Reet petite. Greasy meat." Whew! I know I'm challenged by that one. See photos of the band, listen to audio clips, read the mysterious lyrics, peruse the ridiculous bacon links, admire the reviews, and so on. The band's just having fun. - Gary Barker
Exotica is related to a listserv of the same name for fans of such peculiar, obscure music as Esquivel, Combustible Edison, Leon Theremin, Perez Prado, and others. This page is really not much more than a series of approximately 40 links to sites of interest to Exotica's listserv subscribers. If you participated in the mini-revival a while back of Esquivel's "space-age bachelor pad" music (and didn't feel like a sucker for doing so), then you'll enjoy the listserv archive and the FAQ, which answers such burning questions as, "Who composed the original Star Trek theme song?" I'm mortified to admit I already knew the answer to that one. - Gary Barker
The Wolverine Antique Music Society (WAMS) was formed "for the promotion, preservation and proliferation of music originally recorded using analog means at 78 revolutions per minute (or there abouts)." Before the CD, there was vinyl. Before vinyl, there was shellac. The WAMS membership doesn't care much for the post-shellac musical universe. The site is very text heavy, and that text lies atop background images that impede reading. At least 40 articles are available here for devotees of the 78, and there's also a list of resources for finding and buying supplies related to the hobby. See scanned record label reproductions and album art, participate in the "orphan album exchange," or listen to sound bites of some very old music. - Gary Barker
Site of the month!!
Ironic as it may sound, legendary jazzman Duke Ellington hated the word "jazz." It seems that in the early 1900s, when the musician got his start, the term had obscene connatations that Ellington resented. What's more, he objected to the idea that one word could ever characterize all the many types of music in his repertoire. That is just one of the many biographical asides at this online tribute from The Duke Ellington Society. Attempting to describe the life and works of the famed bandleader/composer/songwriter/pianist whose career spanned half a century and included more than a thousand compositions, is no small task, but the site does an excellent job. Serving as "a red-carpet entrance way" to the maestro's works, it's full of facts, photos, and interesting trivia, with something for everyone from the longtime fan to the uninitiated ear. And, of course, the latter, after listening to audio samples from the likes of Bing Crosby, Ethel Waters, and Rosemary Clooney, will likely become Ellington enthusiasts too. The career of Edward Kennedy Ellington--who earned the nickname Duke because of his regal style--was illustrious and varied, from his early "Jungle Band" days to his 30-year collaboration with Billy Strayhorn. Among the classics he composed are such standard numbers as "Satin Doll" and "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)." Executed in a sophisticated manner well-suited to the Duke, the online tribute was arranged by the Society's New York City chapter, where Ellington used to attend meetings and play concerts. To listen to the music samples at the site you'll need to install the RealAudio Player 3.0, but don't despair: even if you're not rigged for sound, the site features plenty of fine writing and links to a number of other Ellington- and jazz-related sites, including sidebars like Lush Life devoted to Strayhorn and the whole cocktail culture that grew from the jazz lounges. It's a nice resource, finally. The Duke Ellington legacy is a part of our national heritage and thanks in part to efforts like this one, will remain so. Whether you like jazz or not, this is one to visit. - Michelle Holcenberg