Truth is in Music

This is not just a blog about buying things. I promise. It's about what we find around the internet that Rex approves of (or disapproves, for that matter). So I thought that it would be fitting to share another of Rex and my loves...MUSIC! There is so much great music out there and thousands of bands that are itching to get discovered. The internet is a new way to promote (hello Youtube and myspace) and be discovered (remember Justin Bieber and Travis Garland?). Although I note that Justin Bieber and Travis Garland were discovered on the internet, their music is not my cup of tea. I love (some) folk, alternative, synth pop (or electro-pop) and straight up rock. So I wanted to share a few blogs of notability for free up and coming music in those genre.

One site that Rex and I have been into for a couple of years now is JonkMusic.com. It's run by a guy from Madison, Wisconsin who searches and shares one free song around the web daily. I have found some of the best bands on this site before they became popular. Do you like "Kiss with a Fist" by Florence and the Machine that was used in the latest True Blood HBO campaign? He had that song on his site over a year ago. How about Passion Pit? Band of Horses? Also, through his website, I've discovered some other pretty great music sharing blogs.

The next music blog that I like is Whale in a cubicle. From the initial loading of the page, I loved this blog. The intro image is a huge whale with headphones on, sitting in a sea of cubicles. I don't know that anyone would appreciate that image unless you have actually been a person sitting in a sea of cubicles playing your music just loud enough to enjoy but not loud enough to annoy your "Top 40" listening neighbors. I do have to say that the three guys that run this blog have similar tastes to jonk music. With three different "whales" they are able to post more frequently and find more "free" music.

Following the links from Whale in a cubicle there is another blog of note, I Guess I'm Floating. This blog is run by two guys (hmmmm....all of these blogs are run by guys) and I know that some of the bands I got here are going to be big...really big. I'll even think, when that happens, and here's their first album that I got the link to download for free (with artist permission) on I Guess I'm Floating. It's a little like having a club shirt from a band that everyone asks, "Where did you get that?" You get to puff up your chest and think "I knew they were good before all you knew they were good." I Guess I'm Floating also has a feature called Thursday and Covers that supplies some really great covers on songs you know and don't know. I LOVE a good cover.

Some tips for these blogs:
These are free songs around the internet and sometimes they have links for free albums. If you want to further support the artist, they recommend you buy the rest of the album on Itunes or go to their concerts. Since most of the artists are great, I don't think that will be a problem.

On most music blogs, you click a play link and listen on the site. To download, Right click the song title and select "Save link as" (or whatever your computer says to mean save this as a file). Then voila! you have a new song. Some other blogs may be a little different or not have a link at all....

Download at your own risk. One of the reasons that I go to blogs that other music blogs follow is that it's more than likely a reputable site. I also have a Mac, so I don't get all the viruses that other computers get. Follow your gut on whether you should download from the site.

Have fun music hunting! Loves, Kim and Rex