Free & Legal Places To Download Music . . .

according to DownloadSquad.com:


01. iLike is a social music site which allows you to discover new music with a little help from your friends. Free downloads and the buddy system, what could be better?

02. Altsounds has a lot of streaming content, but there are quite a few quality mp3 downloads mixed in, including bands like Anberlin, Panic at the Disco, 10 Years, and Underoath.

03. bt.etree.org tracks live recording torrents of "bootleg friendly" bands. You'll be able to find all kinds of FLAC downloads from performers like Ben Harper, Jerry Garcia, Blues Traveler, Trey Anastasio (I smell a trend here, or at least some patchouli), Radiohead, Primus, and even Tenacious D.

04. Legaltorrents is still in its early stages, but there are still a number of music and audio books available from their site.

05. Stereogum has been offering free, legal mp3s since 2006. They're all still available, along with zip and torrent file archives of previous months. The Gum Mix streams music to you while you browse, and all the tracks it plays can be downloaded.

06. SXSW is a good news/bad news situation. The bad news is, they only have one torrent file for download. The good news? It contains over 700 mp3s of bands that performed in 2007 for a whopping total of 3.1 gigs of audio. Change the year in the subdomain to get the 2006 and 2005 downloads.

07. Unsigned Band Web is a palce for, well, unsigned bands to share their music and get noticed. Just about every genre you can imagine is offered here, and they maintain charts to show you what's hot. Apparently electronica is hot. Maybe I'll stick to genre browsing. Bottom line: tons of free mp3s to download.

08. Soundclick's music page will hook you up with a ton of downloads, including more unsigned acts - like my favorite new addiction: German hip hop. I blame my scarf-wearing co-worker.

09. Honc "if you love music. The site isn't much to look at, but there's still more undiscovered goodness to be found here.

10. Garage Band is also worth checking out for more diamonds in the rough. Rub it in your friends' faces that you "heard them first."

Click Here for sites 11 through 35 according to DownloadSquad.com

CNET's Best MP3 Players For Podcasts

I had mentioned previously how, lately I'm listening to podcast a lot more than I am music. Well, I happened to come across an Mp3 Insider article on the best mp3 players for podcasts.

The criteria? At the very least have a separate menu sort dedicated to podcasts. Other desirable features include user-friendly podcast-management software, bookmarking capability (whether active or passive), accelerated fast-forwarding, variable playback speeds, and the ability to delete podcasts on the fly once you're done listening. All of the players here offer at least two of the extra features mentioned.

1. Zune 120 GB Video MP3 Player



2. Apple iPod touch 8 GB

Did you really need a review of the ipod touch? Really?

3. Samsung P3 16GB



4. Sony Walkman X Series 16 GB Video MP3 Player



5. Cowon D2+ 16 GB MP3 Player



6. SanDisk Sansa Fuze 8GB



For MP3 Insiders comparison of all six players, click here.

Skyzoo - The Salvation (Official Track Listing & Cover Art)

I'm definitely looking forward to this. I'm a 9th Wonder stan, as well as a huge fan of Black Milk's production. I've become a fan of Best Kept Secret out of the DMV, too. I can't wait for this to drop.



Pre Order Skyzoo's Salvation

01) The Opener [Prod. by Cyrus Tha Great]
02) Return Of The Real [Prod. by Just Blaze]
03) The Beautiful Decay [Prod. by 9th Wonder]
04) My Interpretation [Prod. by Best Kept Secret]
05) Popularity [Prod. by Nottz]
06) Like A Marathon [Prod. by 9th Wonder]
07) The Shooter's Soundtrack [Prod. by Cyrus Tha Great]
08) Under Pressure [Prod. by 9th Wonder]
09) Penmanship [Prod. by Black Milk]
10) Dear Whoever [Prod. by Illmind]
11) For What It's Worth [Prod. by Eric G.]
12) The Necessary Evils [Prod. by Needlz]
13) Easy To Fly [Prod. by 9th Wonder] (Featuring Carlitta Durand)
14) Bottom Line [Prod. by Eric G.]
15) Metal Hearts [Prod. by 9th Wonder]
16) Maintain [Prod. by Nottz]

Album Drops September 29th, 2009

Zero Punctuation reviews inFamous

Sucker Punch Productions' Infamous

Slaughterhouse - Album Art & Track Listing

Order Digital Download of Slaughterhouse Album

Order Slaughterhouse CD

Mz.Mimz - Thoughts While Getting Dressed...A Mixtape

Click Here To Download

Murs' Favorite Comics

Royce Da 5'9" - The Revival

Click Here To Download

Windows + Reverb Nation + Myspace = Free Music?

Fans get free music they can’t find anywhere else
Sponsored Songs will be available for free June 24 – September 24, 2009 on www.MySpace.com/Windows, and will feature music from independent and mainstream Artists in the rock, alternative, hip hop, latin, and electronica genres. Music fans will be able to browse, sample, and discover music from established and emerging Artists that isn’t available anywhere else on the web for free. That’s music to everyone’s ears.

Brand gets reach and frequency with target audience
“Ad-supported music models have historically been unable to deliver the value required by advertisers because they focus on the point of acquisition alone - one moment with one music fan,” explains Jed Carlson, chief operating officer of ReverbNation. “Sponsored Songs aligns the interests of artists, fans, and major brands, creating a win-win-win situation where free music is a shared goal that benefits all parties.”

Artists earn money, stay in control, and receive free promotion
Sponsored Songs is an opt-in program for select Artists that use ReverbNation.com as their online marketing platform. Artists are paid for each qualified download, and are shown the exact advertisement for their approval prior to the campaign launch.

“We treat Artists like we would want to be treated,” says Lou Plaia, vice president of artist relations at ReverbNation.com. “We give them the information to determine if Sponsored Songs is a good fit for them. If it is, we equip them with turnkey tools to promote the song to their fans.”

Joe Hall, of Hammer No More The Fingers, an independent rock band from Durham, NC, is excited about the possibilities: "We're always looking for ways to reach new fans, and the team at ReverbNation is always working hard on new and creative ways to help Artists like us succeed. With Microsoft’s participation in the Sponsored Songs program, Artists earn money for their hard work and fans get free music."

“Since version 1.0 of Windows, Microsoft has focused on developing technology that helps individuals be as creative as they can be. By participating in Sponsored Songs we are supporting music artists and their fans,” said Marty Collins, group marketing manager of Windows Consumer Marketing at Microsoft Corp. “We’re excited to be a part of an effort that could transform online music distribution.” - ReverbNation

Chris Rock's Good Hair Promo

Uncharted 2: Amoung Thieves (Game Play & More)

I can't believe this is actual game play footage. This is insane!



Uncharted 2: Among Thieves drops October 13, 2009.

According to Kotaku.com:

"Sony laid out its retailer plans for a quartet of downloadable exclusives with Amazon.com, GameStop, Game Crazy and BestBuy."

Amazon.com - Exclusive UNCHARTED 2 Treasure Map
The exclusive UNCHARTED 2 Treasure Map allows players to discover hidden treasures throughout the game.

Game Crazy - Exclusive Currency Multiplier for multiplayer online use
The UNCHARTED 2 Currency Multiplier allows gamers to gain in-game currency and unlock bonuses faster than their opponents for a limited period.

GameStop - Exclusive first access to the Multiplayer Demo and the downloadable Revenge Attribute
The Revenge Attribute is one of the last boosters that you can unlock in the multiplayer campaign. This bonus allows you to unlock the "Revenge" booster right from the start of your multiplayer campaign. (Available September 9th to September 29th)

For more info on the extras: Uncharted 2 Release Date, Box Art, Pre-order Goodies Revealed

SF20: The Art of Street Fighter

To celebrate over 20 years of Street Fighter (Damn, I'm old!) Capcom will be releasing a book of Street Fighter artwork. This is not to be confused with the book, Street Fighter Tribute that was released in 2008.



This edition will feature artwork from Street Fighter IV as well.

"SF20: The Art of Street Fighter gathers over 1,500 illustrations by Capcom’s top artists over the past 20 years. Included are character designs, concept art, rough sketches, game covers, promo artwork, crossover pieces and even some never-before seen artwork from Street Fighter’s past and present. Plus Capcom artists Akiman, Kinu Nishimura, CRMK, Edayan, Dai-Chan, Ikeno, Shinkiro and others give commentary on their favorite pieces and discuss what it’s been like to help forge the Street Fighter legacy." - Udon Entertainment

SF20: The Art of Street Fighter is set for a U.S. release on October 14, 2009 but according to Amazon.com, although Udon's website says September. I'm not sure if that's the US release date or a Japan release date.

Thanks,

8

Zune HD Hands On Video

Kid Hum - Fresh Picks Mixtape Vol. 1

Click Here To Download

Pac Div - Church League Champions

Click Here To Download

Google's Making The Jump From Smartphones To OS

Earlier this month Google announced that they are throwing their hat into the operating systems ring with their Chrome Operating System.

According to another blog entry, the operating system will be free and they're looking for software engineers in certain locations.




It looks like CNET.com's Molly Wood isn't too thrilled about google's foray into the operating systems field.

Marsha Ambrosius On Floetry Break Up & Michael Jackson

Cookin' Soul - 1 A.M. & Rising

Click Here To Download

Random Geekery: NES Classics In Legos

Images courtesy of skinny coder

The '87 Stick Up Kids - Out 4 Fame

Click Here To Download

For Mor info on the 87 Stick Up Kids: The87StickUpKids.com

Random Geekery: Double Dragon In Legos

IFC's 50 Greatest Movie Trailers

The Independent Film Channel has put together an interesting list. They took the time to rank the 50 greatest movie trailers of all time. I was definitely left scratching my head with 2 of the top 5 choices, but I thought I would share some of my favorites that made the list.



48. The Watchmen

36. The Banned Spider Man Trailer

35. The Lord Of The Rings

32. The Matrix



22. Sin City



20. She's Gotta Have It

15. Pulp Fiction

09. Mission: Impossible

03. Cloverfield



Here's IFC's complet list.

Thanks for stopping by,

8

Naledge - Chicago Picasso

Click Here To Download

For more on Chicago Picasso as well as Naledge check out Ms. Kyra Kyles article on the emcee.

John Mayer Covers Michael Jackson's Human Nature

Click Here To Download

Skyzoo - The Beautiful Decay (Preview)

I can't wait for him to drop The Salvation, which coincidently is the day before my birthday . . . unless it gets pushed back. :-S

Thanks for stopping by,

8

ESPN really needs to follow my blog.

This question has already been address! Dallas can be America's team, but the Steelers are North America's team. It's a statistical fact!

ESPN still has their SportsNation Poll going if you are interested in voting, but like I said . . . we were already ahead of the curve in regards to this, last year.

Thanks for stopping by,

8

It's The Real Goes In On Vlad TV

ItsTheReal.com

Vlad TV

Random Geekery: The Art Of Sami Havia

Artist Sami Havia does art pieces involving music on cassette tapes. The Public Enemy logo is my favorite, he also did pieces of Bob Marley, Michael Jackson and more.

You should be a pal and cop me that P.E. logo for my birthday. :-D

Thanks for stopping by,

8

Random Geekery: Sarah Vowell On Nerds

“Being a nerd, which is to say going to far and caring too much about a subject, is the best way to make friends I know. For me, the spark that turns an acquaintance into a friend has usually been kindled by some shared enthusiasm like detective novels or Ulysses S. Grant.” — Sarah Vowell, The Partly Cloudy Patriot

50 Cent - Forever King Mixtape

Click Here To Download

8 @ The Movies: 2 Reviews/1 Movie

A few weeks ago I went to see Away We Go, which stars SNL alum Maya Rudolph along with John Krasinski of The Office.

Here's a brief synopsis of the movie if you couldn't check the trailer I linked to:

"Longtime (and now thirtysomething) couple Burt (John Krasinski) and Verona (Maya Rudolph) are going to have a baby. The pregnancy progresses smoothly, but six months in, the pair is put off and put out by the cavalierly delivered news from Burt’s parents Jerry and Gloria (Jeff Daniels and Catherine O’Hara) that the eccentric elder Farlanders are moving out of Colorado – thereby eliminating the expectant couple’s main reason for living there." - FilmInFocus.com

The reason I titled this blog 2 Reviews/1 Movie, is because I have ambivalent feelings about this movie. I guess I should give the bad news first.

The Social Review:

I first must disclose that I have a bit of a crush on Maya Rudolph. I think it's primarily because she's funny. I tend to like funny women, so that may taint this review.

Anyway, one of the things that really irked me about this movie was the fact that conveniently her parents are both dead. I say conveniently because we've seen this same song & dance with another biracial actress recently, Rashida Jones. They killed her parents off in I Love You, Man, which is kind of a big deal in a movie about a wedding. Hell, the bride's father typically pays for the wedding, right? The Root, briefly touched on this whitewashing in their article, Rashida Jones & The Hollywood Shuffle.

I feel race shouldn't be the issue in movies, but it should exist. They conveniently killed off her family for the sake of the movie. Both Rashida & Maya's race were the giant elephant in the room to me. At least in Away We Go, they did have a character ask if the baby would be Black in passing. Also, they gave Maya's character a sister in the form of Carmen Ejogo, but she was in and out of the movie in a blink. Plus, her skin seemed to be lighter than I had ever seen it and the character was supposed to be living in Arizona.

I guess I was just hoping for a slightly more diverse cast since one of the leads happened to be biracial. Black actors need some love, too. lol

The Entertainment Review:

It was weird watching the trailers & seeing the movie posters leading up to actually watching the film. Going into it, I really wasn't sure if this thing was a comedy or drama. I know the two leads are known for comedy, but the trailers left me with the impression that the movie was a drama with funny moments. It turned out to be a pretty straightforward comedy.

I saw it as a more realistic and funny Dumb & Dumber. I compare it to that movie because both of the lead characters seemed pretty vapid to me. I know the characters of Dumb & Dumber were full of life, but they were empty headed. These two leads seemed just as empty headed. Why are they living in an shack without heat? Why are they so concerned that his parents are going on a vacation? The soon to be grandparents weren't the sharpest pencils in the box, themselves. A couple in their early to mid-thirties that's expecting their first child decides to live like this? If they have the money to zig-zag across the country, why didn't they use this money for a decent place to live? Why does Maya not want to marry John, but feel he's good enough to be the father to her child? I wanted to shake the hell out of both Maya & John's characters at times.

The road trip that you witness throughout the rest of the movie is pretty funny, but the first couple they visit kind of steals the film. I never laughed harder than when Allison Janney & Jim Gaffigan's characters were on screen. Think Al & Peg Bundy uncensored with Peg on speed & Al drunk.

Overall it was a very entertaining movie, with a pretty dumb ending. When you see the ending the first thing you will say to yourself is probably, "Why didn't they do that in the first place?"

Thanks for stopping by,

8

Movie Trailer: Couples Retreat