taiga blues has not been seen live yet

As an alternative route of access to music, it can deliver unsigned or unknown bands to an audience that would otherwise never hear of those bands. As such, it enriches the traditional music industry landscape. But I don't think it will replace records or CDs any time soon. It definitely adds a valuable new mechanism though, especially for those artists who are not part of the established music industry framework. And, of course, for all those music lovers who are increasingly disenchanted with the garbage they're being fed by the established music industry.

Perhaps. But it's nothing we'd strive for and as such it's not likely to ever happen ...

Although coming from an 90's alternative rock background (think Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Melvins, Tool, Helmet), the main influences that are evident in taiga blues now are more along the lines of post rock bands like Tortoise or Godspeed You Black Emperor, and electronic acts like Boards of Canada, Four Tet or To Rococo Rot. And increasingly film music and jazz, particularly late 60s and 70s stuff ...

A nice forest