This week in Amherst history

Through the magic of RealPlayer, DCN feeds users video footage from a vast library of bands, free of charge. Using alternative magazines from Pitchfork to Athens, GA’s Flagpole, DCN compiled rankings of 2000’s best albums. Many of these ranked bands appear in “Bands to Watch in 2001” on the main page, complete with band bios and live show selections.

Browsers have access to underexposed bands such as “The Sea and Cake,” an “indie rock supergroup” out of Chicago. And while indie rock dominates the site, ample room remains for respectable country, soul, hip-hop, jam, alternative and punk rock music libraries. The site also includes upcoming show schedules and band histories, not to mention venue information searchable by name and state. Click on over to dcn.com and hear next year’s music today.