Indie - Free MP3 music downloads

2006-05-17T11:00:00.000-07:00

Aussie firm in MP3 music deal with 3 UKThe Age, Australia - 12 hours agoThe MP3 music network, a division of Melbourne-based destra, launched the offer on Wednesday, giving 3 UK mobile customers access to one of the world's largest ... Britain's 3 gets Destra downloads Australian ITall 5 related »
BBC News
Women boost online music downloadsVNUNet.com, UK - May 15, 2006... the UK aged 16 to 45 now own an MP3 player or an MP3 phone, according ... and two hours of music a day, and spends approximately £10 a month on music downloads. ... It's a girl thing, not a geek thing Guardian UnlimitedFifty-quid bloke gives way to MP3 woman Guardian UnlimitedReport Says Women Driving Increase In Digital Music Sales All Headline Newsall 10 related »
The AllofMP3 music search store - MP3 crime or creativity?Pandia, Norway - 3 hours ago... Pandia takes a look, and gives away an MP3 file for free. ... how record company executives have completely failed to see the potential of online music downloads. ...
bit-tech.net
Urge Music Service from MTV NetworksTIME - 47 minutes ago... Another reason that subscription downloads didn't totally catch on ... If you have a music player such as iriver's brand ... is complete, it won't be an MP3 player that ... MTV and Microsoft Take On iTunes With 'Urge' Digital-Lifestyles.InfoMTV enters music download arena NetimperativeMicrosoft, MTV have Urge to rival iTunes Fort Wayne Journal GazettePocket-lint.co.uk - Brand Republic Bulletin - all 294 related »
Me and My iPodCoast Weekly, CA - May 11, 2006... lawsuit, a handful of sites offer music downloads for a ... Unfortunately, some music stores are only compatible with ... located in its section on MP3 players titled ...
Schultz Touts Future Starbucks MP3 Download ServiceForbes - May 16, 2006... what each of his coffee houses could offer, including in-store music downloads, DVDs of ... that the company would roll out its download service for MP3 players in ... Starbucks strategy goes beyond java Detroit Free Pressall 8 related »
France debates downloads, with teen as top expertCNET News.com, CA - May 14, 2006... the current debate over laws governing music downloads here, some ... New proposals to govern music piracy have faced a ... online services playable on any MP3 device. ...
Record Industry Sues XM For "Massive Wholesale Infringement"Billboard Radio Monitor, NY - 20 hours ago... Satellite Radio over its XM + MP3 service claiming ... store, disaggregate and library music performed over ... or licensed broadcasts -- into downloads, which require ...
Consumer Reports (subscription)
Cell phone music servicesConsumer Reports (subscription) - May 15, 2006... and your plan to begin music downloads. Only a handful of new phones work with these services, and they're mostly pricey--$180 and up. Many MP3-player cell ...
Patrons check out new library servicesLawrence Journal World, KS - May 14, 2006... can be made to personal computers, MP3 devices, pocket ... Downloads to a computer will last during the length of ... There are many music titles that won’t allow

2006-01-08T07:22:00.000-08:00

Netting some quality music
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (subscription), WI - 10 hours ago
... mp3 downloads from a popular online record store that highlights indie labels and ... Amazon.com's Free Music Downloads, www.amazon.com/music ...

People often ask us which digital music sites we think are the ...
Punk.bz - Jan 5, 2006
... dime. But, you'll have 40 free downloads from your favorite ReIgnition. ... Still, if you have an MP3 player. ... A surprisingly cool site that caters to the indie crowd ...

Malaysia Star Asserting a voice
Malaysia Star, Malaysia - Jan 4, 2006
... The existence of MP3 files free downloads has ... faced with hundreds, if not thousands, of indie acts clamouring ... to download a portion of his work for free. ...

Sony launches Blue-Ray technology
Fredericksburg.com, VA - Jan 5, 2006
... The Free Lance-Star turned reporter Mike Zitz loose in ... and Sony/BMG, as well as indie provider The ... As radios begin to converge with MP3 players, projections ...

The Age All the rage - the prognosis for 2006
The Age, Australia - Jan 6, 2006
... and a foolish professor in Nazi Germany in indie film Good ... services - email, book search, satel-lite imagery, free classified ads ... or copy a CD to your MP3 player ...

Load Up Your New MP3 Player
ABC News - Dec 23, 2005
... If you have a non-iPod MP3 player, our three ... And then there are the indie sites like Audio Lunchbox ... has plenty of independent artists and everything's DRM-free. ...

eMusic Spotlights Independent Music With a million-song library ...
Music (press release), CA - Dec 23, 2005
... Its entire catalog is in MP3 format, and selections run ... solicited with an offer of 50 free songs. ... Garage Rock, Goth, Hardcore, Indie Pop, Indie Rock, Industrial ...

Tracking down the tunes online
Charlotte Observer, NC - Dec 30, 2005
... and My So-Called Band; seven-day free trial; access ... files must be transferred to your MP3 player ... somewhat comprehensive selection of mainstream and indie artists ...

Glass Houses: Indie Bands Are Doin’ It For Themselves
EMediaLive.com, CT - Dec 26, 2005
... fact Disc Maker gives clients coupons for free album postings ... believes customer service is key for the indie artist ... It did not specify that they wanted MP3 files ...

What CityBeat’s music nerds will remember about 2005
San Diego CityBEAT, CA - Dec 28, 2005
... four weeks after its release, meaning indie record retailers ... parts of Friendster, Blogger and mp3.com, MySpace ... Its moniker “Free FM” might just mean “San

2005-12-26T04:11:00.000-08:00

Uncle Joe’s Big Ol’ Driver reunites for the city that (kinda) ...
San Diego CityBEAT, CA - Dec 7, 2005
... we weren’ta punk band—we were more of a straightforward indie rock band, sort of Lynyrd Skynyrd meets Soul Asylum—a weird cross between indie rock and Foghat ...

Prof. splits time between band, teaching
The Northeastern News (subscription), MA - Dec 8, 2005
... also includes pop hooks with lyrics drawing on musical inspiration from Bob Dylan to John Lennon to Conor Oberst (lead singer of the indie rock band Bright Eyes ...

Stripes top this list
The Daily Evergreen - Dec 6, 2005
... Hailing from Vancouver, BC, this indie rock band fills their third album with the near perfect power-pop that made their first two albums great. ...

The Like offers much to love
Bothell Herald, United States - Dec 2, 2005
... references in the songs or a few beyond-chick-band song topics that already separate The Like from the pack. Influenced by any number of indie rock groups, Z ...

Dash of boom at Bake Sale
Sun-Sentinel.com, FL - Dec 4, 2005
... sounds -- the punk-pop, nü-metal, rap-rock and indie-rock that dominate ... into their CD and iPod collections or, failing that, classic-rock band logos into ...

Everything is perfect for rockers Dave and Graham
Brock Press (subscription), Canada - Nov 28, 2005
The way your life is at this moment may not be what you really want it to be. That is the motif behind local indie rock band, Everything Was Perfect. ...

LA Weekly Class of '05 Funeral for a Friend
LA Weekly, CA - Nov 30, 2005
In late 2004, a Montreal-based band called the Arcade Fire made a very ... Régine Chassagne, the musically rich Funeral — a little box of indie-rock mini-operas ...

File under 'wit-pop'
dirt, CO - Dec 14, 2005
... A band that calls itself the Hot IQs might sound too cool for school ... graduated from college and applied their book smarts toward the betterment of indie rock. ...

The Fugees, Hammersmith Apollo, London Xfm's Winter Wonderland ...
Independent, UK - Dec 17, 2005
... This is a band whose Greatest Hits, embarrassingly, only includes 13 tracks, and two of ... to pull together a state-of-the-nation who's who of indie rock 2005

Google Alert - Indie - Free MP3 music downloads

2005-12-24T13:17:00.000-08:00

Indie - Free MP3 music downloads

Syfter 1.0 Beta Released for Mac OSX Tiger
PR Web (press release) - Ferndale,WA,USA
... for Mac OSX Tiger that brings MP3 playlists, websites ... Music Store-type interface for the indie media web ... enjoyable to comb through all the free media available ...

eMusic Spotlights Independent Music With a million-song library ...
Oceania (press release) - CA,USA
... Its entire catalog is in MP3 format, and selections run ... solicited with an offer of 50 free songs. ... Garage Rock, Goth, Hardcore, Indie Pop, Indie Rock, Industrial ...

Try a jelly-filled at rock, pop jam
Salem Statesman Journal, OR - Dec 22, 2005
... The show on Dec. 16 featured the Salem ska band The Skamatiks, along with Portland indie rock comedy band 3.38 and an Eye. The Skamatiks ...

Our Critics Picks
Nashville Scene, USA - Dec 21, 2005
... band The Monorays put out a 45 on the city’s legendary Excello label in the late ’50s.) On The Sutler’s final night, languid indie rock band The Lone ...

The Juice's Top 10 Albums of 2005
Baseball Toaster, CA - Dec 22, 2005
... The precocious Obst was in a band when he was just 14. ... It seemed liked Obst greatest talent was following the indie rock PR manual to perfection. ...

Gavin Glass & The Holy Shakers
Dublinks, Ireland - Dec 19, 2005
Gavin Glass & The Holy Shakers, indie rock band, play Whelans on Friday, the 20th of January. Gavin Glass & The Holy Shakers have ...

Where to go for musical merriment
Indianapolis Star, United States - Dec 23, 2005
... city's reigning punk band, the Slurs, will be onstage. • Three critically acclaimed bands -- Brando, Gentleman Caller and Pravada -- will play indie rock at ...

The Year in Utah Arts: POP
Salt Lake Tribune, United States - 6 hours ago
... Best return to Utah after more than a decade: Indie-rock heroes Yo La Tengo, who ... concert at the Delta Center - a show marked by a stripped-down band and plenty ...

Producer watched Nirvana spread its wings
TheNewsTribune.com (subscription), WA - 3 hours ago
... As a member of the band Skin Yard, Endino was a successful musician on the burgeoning Seattle indie rock scene and fan of Crover’s monstrous drumbeats. ...

Legendary Producer JACK ENDINO Remembers First NIRVANA Recording ...
Blabbermouth.net, NY - 20 hours ago
... As a member of the band SKIN YARD, Endino was a successful musician on the burgeoning Seattle indie rock scene and fan of Crover's monstrous drumbeats. ...

Cause nighttime is the right time
San Diego CityBEAT, CA - Dec 21, 2005
... Mon: Electric Waste Band. Tue: Brain Bucket, The Lymbyc System. ... Thur: “Yeah” w/ Gabe Vega & Saul (indietronic, b-sides, electronica, indie rock). ...

NIGHTLIFE (PART 1)
Tallahassee.com, FL - Dec 23, 2005
... Indie rock. 9 pm $5 over 21; $6 under 21. All ages. ... 9 pm-1:30 am Free. WED: The Jimmy Wells Rock and Blues Band. Blues and classic rock. 9 pm-1 am Free.

2005-12-13T01:46:00.000-08:00

Game Attorney Interview
Gamecloud - Dec 5, 2005
... I continued to do commercial litigation and also began doing Intellectual Property law. ... speak at GDC and other game related conferences like the Indie Games Con ...

'Runway' rip-off?
Florida Today, FL - Dec 6, 2005
... both sides of the litigation fence, was the attorney for "The Blair Witch Project" creators Dan Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez during the indie film's phenomenal ...

Imperia Entertainment Begins Word-of-Mouth Campaign for Indie Film ...
Business Wire (press release), CA - Nov 15, 2005
... that it has begun a word-of-mouth promotional blitz for its indie feature film ... Exchange Act of 1934, as amended by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act ...

What Becomes an Underground Legend Most?
LA City Beat, CA - Nov 16, 2005
... Institutionalized is an indie landmark because it marks the return of an ... gold off of RasKassination alone,” says Ras Kass, who has litigation pending against ...

Music Is Listening to Him
Los Angeles Times, CA - Nov 23, 2005
... few years ago, EMI's Wilshire Boulevard headquarters housed several litigation "war rooms ... with questions about their favorite scenes from the indie sleeper hit ...

Google Alert - Indie - Free MP3 music downloads

2005-11-28T14:55:00.000-08:00

Indie - Free MP3 music downloads

Consider the alternatives to compact discs: iPods, satellite radio ...
San Francisco Chronicle - United States
... to kill, a staggering list of MP3 blogs is ... ceases to amaze, mixing everything from indie rock and ... 9. Amazon.com free music downloads: To entice people to buy ...

2005-11-28T05:35:00.000-08:00

Pod peopleSan Francisco Bay Guardian, CA - Nov 23, 2005... to PodSafe at Butler's behest, though many indie labels continue ... a veritable white pages of podcasting, music-related and ... sync with your iPod or any MP3 player ...

Notes from the underground: Weekend music picksShanghaiist, China - Nov 22, 2005... 200 people turning up to DKD wearing mp3 players and ... synthpop, disco trash, and god knows what else music”. ... s the epicenter of a new Shanghai indie DJ scene. ...
TECH COLUMNRichmond Times Dispatch, VA - Nov 5, 2005... also said the search service blocks MP3 music files, "because there has been so much litigation about music.". ... on its own label featuring major, indie-label and ...
XBOX TALESSalt Lake Tribune, United States - Nov 19, 2005... Donald calls the XBox 360 - which also plays DVDs, MP3 music and broadband video - "a ... Indie Built President Steven ZoBell relaxes in his Salt Lake City office. ...

Wanna Generate Some Buzz? Clap Your Hands!NPR (audio), D.C. - Nov 22, 2005... if they draw the attention of an mp3 blogger like ... Then the music website Pitchforkmedia.com com took notice ... Pitchfork is a dominant force in the indie-rock world ...
BitTorrent Goes HollywoodMP3 Newswire, NJ - Nov 23, 2005... its effort to close BT indexing sites, indie developers will ... net and is a regular contributer to MP3 Newswire. ... devoted to the politics of digital music and his ...
The death of the LPSpiked, UK - Nov 22, 2005... The 'digital revolution' - mp3 players, iTunes, song-swapping ... and singers to promote their music more cheaply ... Sheffield indie rockers Arctic Monkeys this year ...
Inland Southern CaliforniaPress-Enterprise (subscription), CA - Nov 23, 2005... 2004 "Barenaked for the Holidays" album, in MP3 format along ... at an artist's life from a music lover's perspective. ... signed on to star in the indie comedy "You ...
Media sharing with ccHostNewsForge - Nov 21, 2005... implies, GetID3 began as an MP3 tag extractor ... blues, folk, country, classical, Brazilian, and Japanese music. ... Creative Commons and indie record label Magnatune ...
Music For Productions Launches on WebMIX, CA - Nov 16, 2005... both a song catalogue with songs from indie artists, bands ... WAV (16-bit/44 kHz) or MP3 (320kbps) files ... Music can be licensed by completing an application on-line ...

2005-11-28T05:33:00.000-08:00

Sprint Nextel announces wireless music store with Sanyo, SamsungTG Daily - Oct 31, 2005... does not include any reference to "MP3." The $2.50 ... The Music Store will be powered by Groove Mobile ... Groove Mobile deal will make "indie" music available through ...
Sprint must convince users it's worth pricePioneer Press, MN - Nov 1, 2005... 2 million from top labels, plus 1,000 indie labels and ... The first two Sprint Music Store-compatible handsets have no ... can move up to 1 gigabyte of MP3, AAC and ...
Is your system compatible?Unison.ie (subscription), Ireland - Nov 3, 2005MP3 files will work on any system, including Apple iPods, but WMA ... Audiolunchbox.com - an independent music site, 99c ... Bleep.com - Indie/electronica, from ...
Grokster Ends FightMP3 Newswire, NJ - Nov 7, 2005... Elsewhere, iMesh, another ex-indie company, has become a full ... net and is a regular contributer to MP3 Newswire ... devoted to the politics of digital music and his ...
Xbox Takes Games Back to Their RootsTop Tech News, CA - Nov 10, 2005... They will also be able to play DVDs, CDs and standard music files, including MP3 and Windows Media Audio files, as ... "The indie game developers is one of ...

2005-11-28T05:32:00.000-08:00

Consider the alternatives to compact discs: iPods, satellite radio ...San Francisco Chronicle, United States - 10 hours ago... to kill, a staggering list of MP3 blogs is ... never ceases to amaze, mixing everything from indie rock and ... 9. Amazon.com free music downloads: To entice people to ...
Consider the alternatives to compact discs: iPods, satellite radio ...San Francisco Chronicle, United States - 2 hours ago... to kill, a staggering list of MP3 blogs is ... never ceases to amaze, mixing everything from indie rock and ... 9. Amazon.com free music downloads: To entice people to ...
Pod peopleSan Francisco Bay Guardian, CA - Nov 23, 2005... at Butler's behest, though many indie labels continue ... a veritable white pages of podcasting, music-related and ... podcasts to download onto MP3 players – most ...
Ipod girds for pornInvestor's Business Daily (subscription) - Nov 3, 2005... said the search service blocks MP3 music files, "because ... its own label featuring major, indie-label and ... CD sales have been falling, music industry executives ...
The death of the LPSpiked, UK - Nov 22, 2005... The 'digital revolution' - mp3 players, iTunes, song-swapping ... and singers to promote their music more cheaply ... Sheffield indie rockers Arctic Monkeys this year ...
How to Listen to Music on the WebTheTyee.ca, Canada - Nov 11, 2005... like dating someone with a big music collection - as ... service isn't compatible with some MP3 players, including ... Song selection: Hundreds of indie-rock, hip-hop ...
Apple May Raise iTunes PricesMP3 Newswire, NJ - Nov 17, 2005... range of old and new, corporate and indie, downloads are shared ... and is a regular contributer to MP3 Newswire ... is devoted to the politics of digital music and his ...
Veronica Mars: The Complete First SeasonDVDTimes.co.uk, UK - Nov 21, 2005... her dad into starring in his indie feature but ... clear throughout, both for dialogue and background music. ... menu and then under downloads as DVD_Commentary.mp3. ...

Radio R/evolutionExclaim!, Canada - Oct 31, 2005... isn’t harbouring any kind of hidden indie hotbed of ... their programming to appeal to the MP3 set ... These are people who are “discovering Canadian music for the ...

British Accents NewsletterFilter Magazine, CA - Nov 15, 2005... Dancefloor" available on America's iTunes page for downloads, and a ... Need some holiday-themed indie music? Look no further than a new online mp3 mix provided by ...

2005-11-27T05:36:00.000-08:00

The Playlist: Great Online Sources for Finding New MusicABC News - Nov 18, 2005... "Now you click on the MP3, and it ... CD Baby's president Derek Sivers says online radio is the best way to find new music and recommends indie-flavored Whole ...
Great Online Sources for Finding New MusicPC World - Nov 18, 2005... "Now you click on the MP3, and it ... CD Baby's president Derek Sivers says online radio is the best way to find new music and recommends indie-flavored Whole ...

Armchair athletesThe Age (subscription), Australia - Nov 23, 2005... MP3, WMA and WMA w/DRM music files. Compatible with Macs and PCs, the Pez dispenser comes with earbud headphones, USB cable and a selection of indie music.
Music For Productions officially launches websiteSoundtrackNet, MD - Nov 16, 2005... both a song catalogue – with songs from indie artists, bands ... 16 Bit/44Khz) or MP3 (320kbps) files ... Music can be licensed by completing a licence application on ...
Great Online Sources for Finding New MusicWashington Post, United States - Nov 18, 2005... "Now you click on the MP3, and it ... CD Baby's president Derek Sivers says online radio is the best way to find new music and recommends indie-flavored Whole ...
Apple May Raise iTunes PricesMP3 Newswire, NJ - Nov 17, 2005... range of old and new, corporate and indie, downloads are ... net and is a regular contributer to MP3 Newswire. ... is devoted to the politics of digital music and his ...
How to Listen to Music on the WebTheTyee.ca, Canada - Nov 11, 2005... like dating someone with a big music collection - as ... service isn't compatible with some MP3 players, including ... Song selection: Hundreds of indie-rock, hip-hop ...
Lennon onlineGuardian Unlimited, UK - Nov 14, 2005... t be tempted by the Mars Volta and their indie ilk if ... log on to iTunes, the biggest online music store, and ... obstacles such as "iTunes can play both MP3 and AAC ...
Revenge of the music nerdsSeattle Times, United States - Oct 31, 2005... The indie-rock surge has been ushered in by an Internet community of music connoisseurs who trade MP3 files and gather to talk music and champion favored bands ...
Reggae's Bootleg Respect and a Hit for the Text-Message SetNew York Times, United States - Nov 19, 2005... reggae remix of "Soul Survivor" preserves the music, along with ... has been playing it, and an MP3 is available ... this group, led by the riveting indie-rock singer ...

Re: Gorillaz

2005-11-13T08:56:00.000-08:00

Conceived as the first virtual hip-hop group, Gorillaz blends the musical talents of Dan "The Automator" Nakamura, Blur's Damon Albarn, Cibo Matto's Miho Hatori, and the Tom Tom Club's Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz with the arresting visuals of Jamie Hewlett, best known as the creator of the cult comic Tank Girl. Nakamura's Deltron 3030 cohorts Kid Koala and Del tha Funkee Homosapien round out the creative team behind the Gorillaz quartet, which includes 2-D, the cute but spacy singer/keyboardist, Murdoc, the spooky, possibly Satanic bassist who is the brains behind the group, drummer Russel, who is equally inspired by "Farrakhan and Chaka Khan" and is possessed by "funkyphantoms" that occasionally rise up and provide some zombie-style rapping, and last but not least, Noodle, a ten-year-old Japanese guitar virtuosa and martial arts master. The group's website, www.gorillaz.com, showcases Hewlett's visuals and the group's music in eye- and ear-catching detail. Gorillaz debuted in late 2000 with the Tomorrow Comes Today EP, which they followed early the next year with the Clint Eastwood single; their self-titled full-length debut arrived in spring 2001 in the U.K. ~ Heather Phares

, All Music Guide

Written by Heather Phares

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Google Alert - Indie - Free MP3 music downloads

2005-11-11T14:59:00.000-08:00

Google Alert for: Indie - Free MP3 music downloads

How to Listen to Music on the Web
TheTyee.ca - Vancouver,British Columbia,Canada
... Over 700,000 songs, including a decent selection of indie music. ... can transfer this music to a compatible MP3 player. ... Napster also offers a free seven-day trial ...

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Indie rock band advertising

2005-11-01T02:45:00.000-08:00

In 1988, Public Enemy released It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back and unleashed one of the biggest changes in popular music since the arrival of Bob Dylan. Its searing critique of American culture and the rhyming anthems of black nationalism, set to a sonic collage of beats and riffs borrowed from R&B, heavy metal and jazz, catapulted the CD to platinum status within a year.

The band's popularity has waxed and waned over the years, as the gangster rappers the New York-based collective helped inspire have taken over much of the spotlight. But Public Enemy hasn't lost its edge, as is clear from New Whirl Odor, its latest album, which is set for general release Tuesday. (It is currently on sale exclusively at Best Buy stores.)

Three decades after the group formed, Public Enemy's beat and anger are as infectious and inseparable as ever. Like Indie Rock Bands, New Whirl Odor is a musically and lyrically dense album whose words and melodies take on additional weight over repeated listens. Their verbal avalanche, assailing everything from an unjust war in Iraq, poverty and the injustice in U.S. prisons, renders a potent portrait of modern American dystopia.

There aren't many musicians today who so eloquently confront us with the darkness that pervades so much of modern life -- and make us want to shake our hips in the process. New Whirl Odor finds no shortage of injustices and hypocrisies to rail against but prefers to single out the brain-dead apathy engendered by rampant consumerism and mindless escapism. In "Makes You Blind," which lifts a syncopated, electronica-shaped beat, group leader Chuck D raps:

The hard-edged tinge of the beat and the indie rock band lyrics are softened by sweet-sounding vocals, which taunt us even as they provide a backdrop of melody that dares us not to sing along.

Public Enemy remains defiantly cutting edge, not just in its music but, equally importantly, in its approach to distributing its songs to fans. Ever a proponent of self-determination, the group has done more than any band to bypass the big labels and make music as it sees fit. In the late 1990s, when fellow rapper Dr. Dre sued Napster for making his songs available for free, Public Enemy's Chuck D defended the renegade file-sharing service, arguing that the internet gives artists an unprecedented ability to subvert corporate control and connect directly with their fans.

As a jab to PolyGram, Public Enemy's distributor at the time, the group released There's a Poison Goin' On over the internet and on zip drives, until the band was finally released from its contract. Emboldened by the success, they went on to form their own record label. They created Rapstation to showcase new hip-hop talent. And they built PublicEnemy.com into a highly trafficked website, where among other things, they make a cappella versions of their songs available and encourage fans to make remixes.

Even more remarkable is the way Public Enemy has structured its distribution deals. Whereas many bands sell publishing rights to their record labels in exchange for an advance, Public Enemy grants its distributors a limited license. After a specified period, the rights revert back to the group.

Add to the mix Chuck D's weekly talk show on the Indie Rock Band network, his own channel on AOL Radio and the band's regular tours of Asia, Europe and the United States, and Public Enemy becomes a prime example of the success that follows from a properly executed do-it-yourself strategy.

"You're damn right I have more control now," Chuck D told me in a phone interview the other day. "These times are better than any times I've ever been involved in in getting what I think out to the public."

To admire Public Enemy's art and indie rock band marketing prowess isn't to say that either is beyond reproach.

For one thing, the band's definition of "escapism" has always been a little bit murky. They have plenty of scorn for the mesmerized masses watching sitcoms and playing video games, but Chuck D, who's known to profess his enjoyment of professional sports, seems to hold fans of Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association and the National Football League to a different standard. What's more, Flavor Flav, who as the group's court jester plays comic foil to Chuck D's militancy, is now the subject of a reality TV show on VH1 called Indie Rock Bands

The group's high-voltage outrage at times can border on arrogance, or defensiveness. "66.6 Strikes Again" (which is way too reminiscent of "Incident at 66.6 FM" from Fear of a Black Planet) wants us to share the band's self-absorbed indignation that a radio talk show host might find things the band says and does "controversial" and "offensive," even as they take pains to digitally excise any of the announcer's specific criticisms. A more open-minded approach would have included them, or cut the track altogether.

Similarly, Public Enemy's trademark anti-corporate stance seems at odds with its decision to grant discount giant Pixel Advertising exclusive rights to sell New Whirl Odor for the month of October. With mom-and-pop record stores on the ropes from sales lost to Best Buy, Wal-Mart and other mega chains, the exclusive arrangement leaves me feeling uncomfortable.

Ultimately, though, I've got to side with Chuck D -- even when his business instincts seem to run afoul of his artistic aesthetics. Six years ago he articulated a vision of artists using the net to take control of their music. To date, no one has done it better, and it's his pragmatism, as much as anything else, that's allowed him to pull it off.

It was Gil Scott-Heron, an important Public Enemy influence, who wrote "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised." Maybe so. But if Chuck D gets his way, it just may be available for download.

Google Alert - Indie - Free MP3 music downloads

2005-10-31T15:07:00.000-08:00

Google Alert for: Indie - Free MP3 music downloads

Radio R/evolution
Exclaim! - Canada
... repackaged their programming to appeal to the MP3 set. ... the drawbacks few, but the focus on indie acts isn ... And increased fear of free online downloads means that ...

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Indie rock band advertising

2005-10-31T05:37:00.000-08:00

Monkey business has lessons for all

Ken Roulston, webwatch

31 October 2005

I have to confess that until this week I had never heard of the Arctic Monkeys. You may be in the same position, wondering if this is some newly discovered species or if global warming is occurring faster than we thought.

For your information, the Arctic Monkeys are the biggest new rock band in Britain. Their second single I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor went straight to number one in the charts.

Three weeks ago, they played to a packed house in London, where tickets were changing hands for £100 each, and where fans sang along to every word of the single, even though it had not at that stage been released.

The group came to the notice of their first major record label - Domino (www.dominorecordco.com) - despite no airplay of their previous single, no advertising, no marketing, and no PR.

The editor of the music magazine NME (www.nme.com) predicts they will be "bigger than the Smiths and as big as Oasis". So how did they manage to achieve all this in such a short time? Simple: they used the internet.

While the rest of us were living in blissful ignorance of the Sheffield band's existence, thousands of people were becoming fans after visiting www.arcticmonkeys.com or hearing about the music by e-mail, instant messaging and phone texts.

It is estimated that nearly 150 of their songs have been exchanged freely as MP3 files on web forums (including the band's own). Many of these had been bootlegged, that is recorded by fans at concerts.

It is interesting to note how many aspects of the internet the group used in building up a customer base. I've mentioned e-mail and instant messaging. The next is viral marketing - news of a product being passed on by word of mouth recommendation.

Although this technique has been overplayed recently, it will still work if the product is good enough or if the campaign is interesting enough. For example, take a look at I Love Bees (www.ilovebees.com). When the page first loads it looks like a site for beekeepers. Within seconds it appears all is not what it seems. It turns out to be an alternative reality game to promote another video game, Halo 2. It spread like wildfire when it was released.

Similarly, the makers of the film Serenity (www.serenitymovie.com) made the first nine minutes available online and staged special screenings before the official release date to encourage word-of-mouth promotion.

The company also released five short videos which fans e-mailed to each other.

When the BBC remade Doctor Who it established a series of fictitious websites, including www.whoisdoctorwho.co.uk, to grab the attention of potential viewers.

The other aspect of the internet exploited by the Arctic Monkeys is the greater availability of broadband connections for spreading rich content like audio.

But the most important principle in this whole marketing exercise is the establishment of an online community. The band's website contains a forum where fans can gather to discuss and swap music.

Bringing people together with a common interest is one of the most effective ways of guaranteeing they have a reason to return to your site. Pure online communities include the likes of www.ezboard.com and www.unitedplanet.org.

The ultimate example is www.wikipedia.org - the only encyclopaedia in the world that allows people to change or edit its entries online yet manages to remain authoritative. But take a common interest and link it to your business and suddenly it takes on a whole new dynamic.

Amazon (www.amazon.com) figured that book and music lovers would welcome the opportunity to contribute reviews for the benefit of others, and it was right. It even allows authors or musicians to comment on those reviews.

The American Cancer Society, while not a commercial enterprise, has a forum for patients and families on its site at www.cancer.org.

The outdoor goods retailer REI (www.rei.com) attracts visitors with a vast range of information about climbing, walking and other activities.

But the biggest, and best, example of an online community is www.ebay.com.

While not every business is suited to establishing its own community, virtually everyone can create a sense of community by giving visitors a reason to come back.

The internet has endless opportunities for business, but it is interesting that it sometimes takes the most unlikely commercial enterprise - in this case an indie rock band - to show us the way.

Ken Roulston is managing director of Finisco Business Solutions, a leading provider of web-based and client server solutions

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