Hey guys, I'm looking for some advice - I've been lurking around the forums for a while and you seem to have a good community.

Basically, I'm doing some work redoing an artist's website (female rocker). Unfortunately, looking at other, similar websites basically leaves me with the feeling that there's a lot lacking in this area.

Basically, I'd really like to know:

1) What you guys immediately look for from an official artist's website?
2) The best, if any, examples of good musicians' sites?
3) Do any of you use RSS or mailing lists to keep up on artists?

Thanks guys!

first thing i look for in a band site is current info. press releases / tour dates / album release notification.

favorite band sites
http://www.ipecac.com/
http://www.qotsa.com/

i like ipecac's layout better myself, but i'm old school and prefer html pages over flash. pop ups are bad, that's another complaint on the qotsa page, a lot of their news articles are blocked by default in firefox.

i don't use mailing lists.

I agree with Panbient on most of this. I definitely prefer basic and easy to navigate websites compared to flash intensive, but I don't think I am a proper represent ion of the internet population (mostly because so many sites are just bells and whistles in flash). Popups should be a no brainier, noone wants that shit.

But information is the key. If it is regularly updated and easy to find then that is all I really care about.

Some good examples. I can't really think of any because I don't usually go to artists websites anymore. Myspace pages have all the information I would want on tour dates, and give the ability to hear samples of bands I have been told is good.

I am a member of two mailing lists. The Jerry Cantrell list and Rock The Bells, but the latter is just for ticket information.

Panbient, Justblaze, thanks for the info - that's good stuff. Basically, you guys want up-to-date information about tour dates and band info, as well as availability of the artist's music.

How do you feel about personal blogs on an artist's website? Is that something you're interested in reading? Or are blogs just something you'd never really be interested in checking out, regardless of how much you like the band?

If the blog is done by the members of the band then it sounds like a good idea. Radiohead has something like that and I go there to check info on the new album and possible tour dates, but I do find myself skimming the latest on their blog.

I don't know if I am alone on this, but I hate it when music just starts playing on a site; it should be a choice the person viewing the page makes.

yeah i also hate pages that autoload music. i generally have tunes playing when i'm surfing and it annoys me when they just randomly start overlapping. it's also horrendous for the load time if you ever have to go back to a dial up modem connection.

personal blogs from band members are cool though, i wouldn't have their updates on the main page but i remember reading and thoroughly enjoying flea's comments on the official RHCP page back in the day. i've always enjoyed getting a behind the scenes perspective from musicians i enjoy listening to.