eMusic has launched eMusic Selects, a "curated boutique music space" on their site to showcase unsigned and underexposed new artists.
Each month, eMusic's staff will handpick up to two deserving artists for high profile visibility to eMusic's 400,000 subscribers. The acts will be featured prominently on eMusic's homepage and receive editorial coverage on the eMusic Selects page and blog and subscribers can grab free download from each act. The artists must agree to provide their 
often previously unreleased music exclusively to eMusic in the digital format for 60 days.
In an era of information overload, carefully curated choices have increasing appeal and are meaningful for the artists chosen. The effect magnified when the audience is a indie music friendly as eMusic's. But one has to wonder if highlighting just two acts monthly is enough to keep music-heads coming back for more. Almost every site offers "picks" in some form and some like Amazon offer a new free download each week without a subscription.
eMusic points to its ability to generate sales for new independent artists in the past. With only a fraction of iTunes' customers, eMusic says it was responsible for approximately 43% of SoundScan-reported digital album sales for Beirut's first release, Gulag Orkestar (Ba Da Bing Records) and, more recently for approximately 74% of Soundscan-reported digital album sales of highly regarded new artist Yeasayer's first release, All Hour Cymbals (We Are Free). No statistics were provided factoring in single song downloads on iTunes or Amazon.
eMusic Selects launched today with indie acts High Places and Breathe Owl Breathe.
According to the eMusic press release:
"The Brooklyn-based High Places are Mary Pearson and Rob Barber, and they play an original and spastic combustion of world beat, hip-hop, dream-pop and indie rock. High Places have become one of the most talked about bands in New York thanks to an overwhelming live show, and their omnipresence at underground Brooklyn concert venues. The duo has self-released three vinyl-only 7-inches, and their excellent eMusic Selects album, 03/07 - 09/07, compiles those, along with five previously unreleased songs."
"Breathe Owl Breathe are an earthy Michigan trio with roots in indie, classical and traditional music. The group employs an array of stringed instruments (most notably the cello and guitar) and vocal harmonies to craft a sound that is playful and reverent, silly and heartfelt, mysterious and familiar. Based in Ann Arbor, the band is composed of Micah Middaugh, Andréa Moreno-Beals and Trevor Hobbs. Their eMusic Selects title, the Ghost Glacier EP, contains six new recordings and two older ones highlighting their gifts of songwriting and poignancy."
