The Web is a great resource for musicians — it offers opportunities for obtaining information and for contacting other music makers. Zebra Music is a site that can help you do both. Although it's not fancy from a graphics standpoint and it hits you with frequent pop-up ads, it's a site that indie musicians will definitely want to check out.

Zebra Music is divided into six different sections that you can access from the home page. The first is Record Labels, which opens up a fairly lengthy list of indie labels that, according to the site, are “looking for bands to sign.” Contact information is provided.

Then there's the section called the Gig Sharing Network. Here, you'll find a state-by-state listing of bands — covering a wide variety of musical styles — looking for gig-sharing situations. There were bands from all over the country here, even three from Alaska. (At the time I accessed it, the site claimed to have 2,018 listings). If you'd like, you can post your own free gig-sharing listing.

There's also an archive and subscription link for the Musician's Tipsheet, an e-zine that features tons of useful listings of events and opportunities for indie musicians. The Articles and Interviews section is chock-full of helpful stories, and Musician's Links can point you to a whole passel of additional music-related sites.

The Music Business FAQ provides some solid info, but its content is surprisingly brief. The site also offers a Chat section (requiring a Java-enabled browser) and a Musician's Discussion List, where you can read and post about musician-related topics.

If you can tolerate the annoying pop-up ads, Zebra Music is a site you'll want to bookmark.