In the spirit of getting this thing off the ground, post #2 is coming a bit sooner than promised. But that’s a good thing. Once I get the main sources of free music down on e-paper, I can sit back and relax.
In thinking more about the reason for the writing, just recommending a few bands doesn’t seem too productive, like giving someone a fish instead of learning how to fish. Not that I like fish, but you get the idea.
#1 is a blog: 3hive is a great source for introductions to new bands. In addition to get 2 or 3 promo tracks, some background on the band along with a hazy hipster photo is most helpful.
#2 is an e-store: The list of free MP3s on Amazon is outstanding… now. The reason is that a bunch of labels have started to put samplers up on the site to get customers to try a selection of music from bands they represent. The annoying part of this deal for Canadians is that we’re blocked off from downloading stuff. Getting around this roadblock is certainly do-able if you use a proxy program like Hotspot Shield. Amazon will think you’re surfing from the U.S.!
#3 is a label: The label with the best selection of free songs is very subjective depending on your taste in music, but Barsuk‘s site is quite good. Artists on Barsuk include Mates of State, Jim Noir, John Vanderslice, and Viva Voce.
–Rich
