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Free MP3s from Over 900 SXSW Festival Bands Available
blogcritics.org — There are 1331 acts being showcased, from nearly every musical genre. Among them are Neil Young, Ray Davies, Herbie Hancock, Morrissey and the Pretenders.
CPhillips- 854 diggs
- digg it
- LH13, on 10/12/2007, -3/+11sweet.
about 4gb worth of files
http://2006.sxsw.com/toolbox/schedules/ipod/ quick link for the lazyz
PS yay my first first comment!- SystemsGuy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7A bit over 3gb worth of common formatted (mp3), non-DRM'd music, delivered by an excellent technology, and people want to complain about the bit-rate?! Get real, this is the kind of effort we need to be supporting!
I will be the first to admit that VBR at a higher bit rate would have been "better", and sent a nice letter to the folks who organized this telling them so, while thanking them for what was available. I'd certainly suggest more people do the same.
The key here - IMHO - is to make more folks understand that non-DRM'd music is a good thing, and helps both the bands and their fans...
- SystemsGuy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7A bit over 3gb worth of common formatted (mp3), non-DRM'd music, delivered by an excellent technology, and people want to complain about the bit-rate?! Get real, this is the kind of effort we need to be supporting!
- TimmyGUNZ, on 10/12/2007, -12/+7Direct Link: http://2006.sxsw.com/toolbox/schedules/ipod/
- fudgebrown, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6Austin is a great place to live if you love music.
- Zukunft, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I lived there for 15 years, it truely is. A very eclectic city and techno savy as well. The main downside and the reason why I moved is that the traffic is awful.
- ThinkBox, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I just saw my 65th band (since the beginning of the school year) play here in dallas
- SystemsGuy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1;) Lived in Austin for 3 years myself, and yes, the traffic was pretty bad. Then I moved to London, and found out what bad traffic was all about! Of course, it was all on the wrong side of the road...
- owenkun, on 10/12/2007, -7/+2>Austin is a great place to live if you love music.
Austin is a great place to live if you love pompous, self aggrandizing people.
Fixed. - D14BL0, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2That it most certainly is.
I'm also planning on attending SXSW this year. Missed it last year due to lack of transportation. =
- anthony1124, on 10/12/2007, -5/+2SOUTHBYSOUTHWEST, yeah!
Geisha Girls.. - TheJimMorrison, on 10/12/2007, -13/+2***** ***** This Is My Kind Of....***** *****
- snowthrower, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2Awesome! Free MP3s are always good :)
- Urusai, on 10/12/2007, -17/+2My impression was that free mp3s were probably crappy quality rips of your younger brother's lousy garage band and/or GarageBand. In this case, crappy recordings of a mixed bag of has-beens and never-will-bes.
- aemaeth7, on 10/12/2007, -3/+8Did anyone seem a tad disappointed when they saw the number 1331 and hoped it was 1337?
Other than my geekyness aside, this looks very worthwhile to check out. Some very good bands are in this mix :) +dugg.- snowthrower, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1Haha, I thought the same thing.
- jasonhazel, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3quick! someone sign 6 more acts.
i'm willing to play if there is a shortage... just don't expect anything amazing - gondoi, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Shoulda just rounded up.
- PSyMastR, on 10/12/2007, -4/+2Ya. I was thinking the same thing. I was just about to post, "If only 6 more bands showed up." :D
- jujuman, on 10/12/2007, -15/+0Morrissey is gay and all Mexicans love him. Therefore, Douglas Coupland must be Mexican.
- resetpassword, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3these seem like good music. heck, it's free. i need some new music anyways.
- macslut, on 10/12/2007, -8/+4Good music, but since they're encoded as 128kbps MP3, they sound like *****. I know it's the whole gift horse/mouth thing but really, would it have killed them to post the bitrate on the site for people so they don't waste their time downloading this crap?
Since they're doing this via bittorrent, why aren't they using what has generally become the standard of 192kbps for MP3. They're doing more harm than good as I'm sure many who are clueless on bitrates will just think these SXSW bands are "too noisy".- Miyazaki, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9Man, they are providing almost 3 gigs of music free to you as a sample of all the bands playing at SXSW.
The key word in there, is free. People will complain about anything. - larryni, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Last year's torrent was almost completely random when it came to bitrates. At least this year they are all the same. And the quality is not that bad. Most people who'll discover a new band through this will hunt down a torrent with a full album in higher quality anyway.
- e144539, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3128 isn't that bad, kicks the crap out of any of the free wma's I've downloaded, and I know that storage is cheap and should buy yet another hard drive, but I'm glad I'll be saving over a gig and a half over 192kbs.
- scottauth, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2You should have someone test you with a slew of mp3s coming from different kbs levels, you will be suprised.
- Miyazaki, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9Man, they are providing almost 3 gigs of music free to you as a sample of all the bands playing at SXSW.
- kd5ftn, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Pretty sweet, I'm getting about 600KB/s down, not bad -- and legal!
- GeneHACKman, on 10/12/2007, -3/+11SXSW used to be great, and a great way for unknown acts to get noticed. Now it's a 'who's who' fest of those 'in the know' that converge on Austin every year, not to see great unsigned acts, but rather for the free parties and to see the big draw acts that most certainly do NOT need a record deal. And what's worse SXSW bans any venue that does not participate that week as being an official SXSW venue. In other words, you can't just charge 5 or 10 bucks to see a great local act, but rather allow for SXSW staff to take over your venue for an entire week and instead charge the faithful that's been coming to your venue for years to now pay 30 or 40 bucks to see the same show, although they may not even be able to get in because they didn't pick up a coveted 'wristband' for a thousand bucks. Oh wait, you say you DO have a wristband? Great! Oh, by the way, you have to wait in a line while the pompous jerkoffs with badges walk right into the place. Oh yeah, those are the guys from the 'industry' who didn't pay a dime for that badge and who are now filling up the club to capacity while you wait in the rain outside.
Still can't wait for South by Southwest?- tobias1482, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3I agree with everything that you said. At least there are still the day shows...
It's going to be an interesting week. - owenkun, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3Thank god, another voice of reason.
What you'd said is exactly how I feel about the situation.
SXSW makes me embarassed to live in Austin. Positive vote for you and those that agree with you, good sir! - ,,|,_, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1$30 or $40 bucks my ass. More like $8-10 to see 5-6 bands over a six hour period (if it the venue isn't full of badges and wristbands, that is)
- GeneHACKman, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1First of all, that's if you stay in one venue all night and don't leave. Second, if you've managed to find a show that's only 10 bucks without a wristband, I'd go there every night. However, chances are you're watching local bands and not big acts. Which is okay, because even with a writstband, you're not getting in the big shows.
Which is precisely my point. They up the prices of the wristbands every year while at the same time your chances of actually seeing the shows you want to see dwindle every year.
I worked the door for a club for about 3 years (I won't say which one because the SXSW guys are Nazis) that fought them every year. They would put on what shows they wanted to and, even though the SXSW staffers would try and take over, we'd let the regulars in the back. This is something they frown on big time. But we looked at it as taking care of our regulars. My favorite part was taking bribes from idiot Europeans for entrance. Sometimes they'd pay me upwards of 100, 200 bucks just to get in, and we didn't even showcast the biggest acts. Idiots. But I'll take your money anytime. - jgeorgeson, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I tried to go see Gov't Mule a couple of years ago and that was almost as bad as what happened. Pay cover to get in the bar, then a ticket to get into the backyard stage they had, unless you had a wristband to wait in line to get in for 'free', or spent way too much on a badge. So the wife and I parked on the third floor (roof) of the parking garage next door and watched the concert from the bed of my pickup for free!
- tobias1482, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3I agree with everything that you said. At least there are still the day shows...
- Zerocool82, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1I was going to go but I have to work in the middle of the week. So I'm not just going for 2 days.
- owenkun, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1At least you're saving a considerable amount of money on their overpriced passes and wristbands. Pff, SXSW, who needs it?
- jscro, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Sure you have to have a wristband to get in to the big shows, but there's tons of great shows for free that also serve free booze/food. SxSW can be a real blast if you make the effort to have a good time. You do not need a wristband or a badge.
- Cjattwood, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Awesome, It doesn't really matter that they're 128kbp/s, because, well, they're free! :D
- tron, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Bittorrent is a great use for getting the full SXSW music package. Take a look at http://2006.sxsw.com/geekout/fest4pod/ for direct .torrent links
- mabino, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0I'm down to 850 in the random listening queue. So far I'd recommend the following tracks as keepers:
1. Is This Love - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
2. Wraith Pinned to the Mist and Other Games - Of Montreal
3. New Comes and Goes - Oranger
4. Usual Way - Super XX Man
5. Right About Now - Talib Kweli
6. Sum of Your Parts - Galactic Heroes
7. Shut Up and Kiss Me - Pony Up
8. Galaxies - Laura Veirs
9. Destroy Everything You Touch - Ladytron
10. Do You Wanna (Come Walk with Me) - Isobell Campbell
11. White Hot - Irving
12. Sister in Love - Envelopes
13. Lorge - El Ten Seven
14. In Anticipation of Your Suicide - Bedroom Walls
I think its still a worthwhile exercise to listen to the SXSW mega-collection. I was only familiar with a little over half the Bands I've listed, and I'm interested in hearing more from the others.- scottauth, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1That Of Montreal cut is one of my favorite by them / him (whatever). Easily one of the best tracks of 2005 as well.
- dj_sea2005, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1what happened top the other 6 acts? :)
- burke, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I was going to comment on how I'm glad they didn't fall to the dark side and find 6 more, but you beat me to it.
- baloniaz, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1They weren't leet enough :)
- JayA, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Seriously, they couldn't get 6 more, what is wrong with them.
- scottauth, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Lifetime...
That is all. - Zephyrspecial, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Free music? Lots of bands that play music festivals allow recording of their shows. Get whole shows through furthurnet filesharing (http://www.furthurnet.net) in mp3 or lossless compression formats. Opensource, noncommercial, free, and legal. Be sure to share!
- DNordbak, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1awesome!
i LOVED the music pack from last year, and i couldn't wait for them to release one this time around. - maddoginthefog, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Is anybody else finding that the some of these mp3's have other tracks mixed into them? For example, Band_of_Horses-na.mp3.
- ohsh1rt, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1all they needed was 6 more bands
*sigh*
-jeffrey
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