Party to Record Releases II
I'm signed up for several record label mailing lists that regularly update subscribers about forthcoming record releases. And I recently received a couple of emails from a label and a mail-order retailer worth mentioning -- and exploring:

Lookout! Records has been one of my favorite labels since 1988, and while it's moved away a little from its early Bay Area pop-punk past, it's still one of the most consistent and creative independent labels in operation. Lookout!'s newsletter, like its Web site, is a clever, catchy look inside what Lookout! -- and its roster of bands -- is up to. This edition features a personal message from Christopher, new release news and notes, special sale offers, and scads of tour dates for a bunch of bands. This is always fun to read in and of itself, and it almost always pulls me into their site to learn more.

Miles of Music is a quality mail order service that specializes in alt.country, post-rock, and related music. Their email updates feature relatively long reviews of new releases, links to MP3 files, notes on new magazines and zines such as Big Takeover, a best sellers list, and personal updates from MoM staff. Scottie adopted up a stray kitten. Stuff like that. The amount of material reviewed is extremely impressive, and the reviews are similar to those sent out by Other Music and are extremely useful. I like mail-order newsletters more than label-based newsletters because they encompass more. This is one of my favorites.