According to its FAQ, “The Bluegrass Blog [www.thebluegrassblog.com] is designed as a news and information site with a wide array of useful data of interest to anyone who plays, studies, promotes or simply enjoys bluegrass music.” This mission is fulfilled in nearly every aspect. Visitors to the blog can generally expect to see 3 or 4 posts per day, each concerning bands, festivals, instruments, or new album releases. The posts link to their information sources, as well as illustrative photographs and videos where appropriate. On January 16, 2008, a post was created regarding the new speed record for banjo playing. The post features a Youtube video of British banjoist Johnny Button accomplishing the feat for the Guiness Records Book, quotes from Button on breaking the record, a link to the previous record holder's website, and a link to a UK bluegrass blog. One of blogging's greatest strengths is its ability to introduce its audience to an ever-lengthening chain of information, and The Bluegrass Blog is able to do this quite well.
The Bluegrass Blog sells ad space along the left border of the page, as well at the bottom of many of the posts. Despite this seemingly large number of ads, the layout does not appear cluttered or difficult to navigate. After the ads on the left side, a number of links can be found to sites that bluegrass listeners might find interesting. Also along the left side visitors can browse archived posts as far back as July 2005, and a list of categories to help them find interest-specific posts.
The fact that the site can sell such a large amount of ad space indicates that it is particularly popular. Google's Pagerank gives the site a 5/10 importance rating which seems to show that a number of websites link to The Bluegrass Blog. The site's “B” section opens participation up to the visitors themselves. This portion of the site, reminiscent of a forum, features posts from a wide variety of users. This is in contrast to many other forums and public blogs which generally feature posts from only a small number of dedicated users.
The blog acts as a one-stop-shop for information about Appalachian music. Its writers appear to funnel most of their information from other websites and magazines. Rather than subscribing to various obscure music publications, the visitor to The Bluegrass Blog can get a substantial dose of information all in one place. On January 19th, the blog ran two posts; the first was from a newspaper called The Tennessean, and the second was from a University of Illinois Press publicist. Clearly to provide fresh information on a daily basis for a popular blog, writers must look for sources in very diverse places.
The Bluegrass Blog is well written and easy to follow. I found no broken links, the articles were interesting but concise, and the photos were well placed and meshed well with the articles. It would certainly appeal to visitors with any level of interest in Bluegrass music.
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