BY MIKEY MIGO
I love finding new music, new bands on the rise, old bands I've never heard, old songs I've forgotten about, and just basically the whole overall experience of being a music lover. I don't care where it is or the means… if I hear something I like I will take notice. If all goes good for my ears, I'll support the artist, go to shows, PAY for their music, maybe get a shirt or two, and share the love with friends. That's how art should be. You should never be forced to blindly buy an album based off ONE radio single.
Yep. With a few clicks one can legally purchase music off sites like itunes. But on the flip side, illegally downloading music is just as easy. Utilizing the internet for music is much easier than putting on shoes and dealing with your local Best Buy "music guru". I don't care what the record store suggests to me. I'm jaded and I don't take that shit seriously. I just assume it's whatever is popular or whatever the label "preferred" to be pushed. It's almost insulting to my music elitist mind.
If you have functioning ears, every single day can be a music adventure. Music; new, old, or crappy; is around most of us from the time we wake up until the time we pass out. I think most of us take this for granted. I know I sure as hell do sometimes. When you really think about it, it's a great time to be a music fan. You can argue that a certain era would have been better, but I have to respectfully disagree. No longer do we need our music spoon fed to us by radio and old media. We can just wake up, turn on the television, turn on our computers, get in our cars, plug in some headphones, and basically just live our lives as normal and odds are good that you're going to hear music. And you'll most likely hear that music for FREE!
Today, I'm going to share with you some of the means of music that I hear an a daily (well, almost) basis for FREE…
YouTube
Site: youtube.com
It's YouTube. You know what powers the Tube of You contains. It's a source for many things. You can watch random clips of random people doing random things and a fair amount of embarrassing people doing embarrassing things. Just about every media outlet and entertainment avenue uses YouTube in some nature. Some television networks have official pages, production companies put up their official trailers for upcoming movies, and pretty much anyone with a reason to share a video utilizing the ‘Tube. The biggest use of YouTube for me has always been to watch music videos. Sometimes they'll be shitty VHS quality and sometimes uploaded by the label or band themselves. Regardless, you can find just about anything you'd want on YouTube. In some cases, you'll not find an artist or the copyright holder will shut it down. But if you give it a little while someone WILL upload it again. It's an ongoing battle, but the entertainment is always accessible. I enjoy the obscurity of a lot of things on YouTube. You can find live footage from concerts, sometimes even ones you have attended for the memories. Random variations always float around in terms of remixes, covers, and all that. YouTube is an infinite long buffet line. You're going to have to move past the salad and overcooked noodles to get to the meat and potatoes. There is plenty to complain about with YouTube. Videos do get taken down, misleadingly labeled, and can just flat out be trash. But it's still the odds on favorite to hear and SEE what you want on demand. I spend probably two hours on YouTube a week and I know for a fact that many spend much more time there.
Lala
Site: lala.com
I was talked into checking out lala by a friend. It turns out that lala is pretty awesome. They have a pretty decent amount of music that you can browse through. It's like a music taste test, except instead of a taste they give you a full serving. They let you listen to any and every song once all the way through. After that, you get a 30 second sample with the option for paying to hear it (think a really cheap digital jukebox) or just flat out purchase it. That's pretty fair. I enjoy the fact that I can actually listen to a whole album and get a chance to make a decision if it's something I'll want to actually buy. I've browsed and listened to artists I've never heard of, forgotten, or would normally avoid just because I had the access at my fingertips. Another cool aspect is that you can "friend" people on it and see what they listened to. Sometimes it can be invasive or embarrassing, but it's a nifty shared experience. I've been recommending this site to friends and pass it along to you.
MySpace
Site: myspace.com
MySpace was deemed "the internet's abandoned amusement park" by Seth Myers on SNL not too long ago. It's true. The once king of social networking has faded from fame and popularity. I personally prefer its layout and options more than facebook, twitter, or what have you but what do I know? (Don't answer that.) MySpace is pretty much used by most as an old email account that gets checked once every blue moon. None of this changes the fact that the MySpace music section is awesome. With the search option you can find an abundance of music. Sure there's some random odds and ends missing, but there's plenty of free music available to listen to as often as you'd like. There are some cases when you can listen to a complete album on MySpace BEFORE it's released. In this day in age, that's not super impressive but does give their catalogue a little bit more pizzazz. On top of that, you can go to any band's official page, and sometimes unofficial page, and get to hear their music. If you're a member you can set up playlists and all that good stuff. It's a pretty comprehensive collection and gives great access to music, but I think because MySpace isn't the fad anymore that it gets sleeped on. The only two downfalls is the occasional advert and the fact that it IS MySpace
Artist's Website
Site: various
This is the least likely of the bunch. Sometimes a band will put up a free download or a free stream. Thankfully, there's sites like THIS ONE (mandatory 411mania plug…check!) that will let us know when something new is posted. Just recently Stone Temple Pilots put up a single, but it's nothing new. Bands put out new music on their sites all the time. If you're in a band I think it's almost LAW now for you to put music on your website. Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails, Saul Williams, and many many others actually gave their music away for free on their official web pages. When I find out a band I like has new music out there, I'll go that extra step to hear it. Even if it is by going to their official website.
Television/Movies
Site: various
I don't watch television series or movies for music. I mean of course if it's a movie like "The Doors" or something…then I guess so. The point is that I find myself taking in the music from movies and shows pretty often. I remember watching "Rules of Attraction" and loving the soundtrack. I ended up getting my grubby hands on a good portion of the music used in the movie. Having a favorite movie soundtrack isn't anything original, but it's worth noting. The problem can sometimes arise where the film is just THAT good that it makes the music seem better than it is. It happens, but more times than not, I get to add some new tuneage to my musical lexicon. I fell in love with most of the music from the great HBO show "Six Feet Under". You're not going to find much awesome music in your typical sitcoms, but the HBO's, Showtime's, and now the AMC's rock when it comes to scoring and selecting their music. I tend to battle insomnia with an hour or two of viewing before bed most nights, so this category probably has even more influence on my widening music tastes than I give it credit for.
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