Stars for a Day at IndieSolo.com

As Brett Dennen has discovered, TV is a boon to the modern musician. But what if you're a band without a record deal, let alone TV exposure? Or a listener who is interested in new music, not glossy drama? Enter IndieSolo.

This Canadian site is based on a simple, clever idea: showcase one band, making any type of music, from anywhere in the world, for one day. The bands must be unsigned, and have to pass an online audition to be chosen.

Once they've made the cut they get 24 hours in which up to three of their songs, their bios and any other associated material are available to all site visitors. As well as simple exposure, the acts can make money by selling CDs and ringtones and merchandise (if they're well organised). There is even a facility to make donations to them. When their centre-stage day has passed, they move to the archive section, where their music can still be heard via free downloads.

The roster is heavy on acts from Canada and the US, but there is an interesting and unpredictable presence from other countries too. Brazilian power-pop? German emo? Australian metal? French "post hard core"? It's all here. As with anything this eclectic, there'll be plenty that doesn't appeal to any given listener. But this is a lottery that costs nothing to enter and every now and then it delivers something fresh and fascinating that you would never have come across otherwise. To see who's featured today, click here.

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