One of the best things about working for a music magazine is that we are constantly introduced to new music. A lot of it's unremarkable or downright bad, but some of it is good, and a few artists are actually so great that we want to do everything in our power to help them succeed. This column is devoted to helping such bands take a big step in that direction by getting the attention of the right record labels.

Just like with personal relationships, a good, healthy relationship between an artist and a label can be hard to find. A&R reps are busy and don't have time to listen to every demo that gets sent to them. And even if an artist does catch A&R attention, if they with a label that isn't compatible with their individual style and needs, things can go badly.

Our goal with this new column is to bring the artists and labels that we love together. In that sense, we're kind of like the match.com of the music world: “The music business is complicated. Label Alert is simple.”