They are often dreaded by critics, loved by hardcore fans and met apathetically by most, but with all this digital technology (did you hear about this iPod thingy? It's like an exilir of sound, cures carrying around CDs as well as the whooping measles!) comes a new outlet to release an old musical standard: the b-side.
Although it takes it's name from the vinyl single and often considered to be the lesser in terms of quality or popularity to side A, the b-side has made a bigger dent in music in recent years, mainly because bands can release them independently without much hassle, production costs or promotion.
British band Editors for example spent a few weeks culling through old cd-rs, cassettes and tapes to end up releasing nearly 40 b-sides under the You Are Fading title. Not to say everything on it will be great, but they are now available if fans want them.
Digital singles also now come with additional b-sides or interesting cover versions, some which have taken on a life of their own. This is in addition to bigger name acts having literally hundreds of b-sides and outtakes at their fingertips but at various ends of the spectrum in terms of releasing them: Bob Dylan eagerly tossing out everything and anything but the kitchen sink while somebody likes Springsteen writes 90 songs for a b-side, tosses those 90 away, becomes inspired by the last 32 of those 90, composes 32 more and then tosses all 128 out so he can cover Arlo Guthrie.
Regardless of where you stand, it can't hurt to have more material out there by good bands, even if they didn't quite measure up to what is deemed to be album material. Some of the best tracks don't quite fit into an album and are left on the floor. Need proof? Check the Promise from last year, that wasn't quite a bucket of elephant dung, sonically speaking....
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