New Music?

[Shpepper]

I am looking for some good places to download music. I need some new stuff to listen to. What are your suggestions?

Also What are some suggestions for different bands. I like almost everything and I am open to new stuff too.

Right now my Ipod has:
Thryce Wyked Wenches - a capella ren faire music
BOWI - Celtic Music
Def Leppard
Chubby Checker
Bad Company
Weird AL
Charlie Daniels Band
So there's a variety.

[Eric the Grey]

I buy all my music downloads from Amazon.com. They have MP3 downloads without DRM.


Eric the Grey

[Shpepper]

What is DRM? I'm kinda new to all this downloading stuff.

[Eric the Grey]

What is DRM? I'm kinda new to all this downloading stuff.

Digital Rights Management. The purpose of it is to prevent people from copying the files and sharing them over the intenet, but in reality it tends to prevent people from using the music they purchase the way they want to.

A good example of this is iTunes. The music files you purchase from iTunes have DRM in them (or used to), which prevents you from playing them on anything except "authorized" devices (ie: ipods). If you have something except and ipod, the music is no good. The reality of DRM is that it prevents you from using the media you pay for the way you want to, and it doesn't even really prevent what it's designed to. Every form of DRM has been cracked within days or weeks of it being released. It only really irritates honest people.

If you get DRM free music, then you can do pretty much whatever you want. Play them on your computer, or your MP3 player (whatever brand) or a personal media center.

I'll step off my soapbox now.

Eric the Grey

[AdminAssistant]

I tend to still buy CD's so I can't help you much with downloads (although I agree, iTunes sucks!)

My places to just 'check out' music - youtube and myspace. On myspace music pages, artists can now download pretty much all of their music. It's a good way to give a listen to something then decide if you want to buy it.

[RetailWorkhorse]

Mod Edit: Removed link to illegal download site

Free music, LEGAL downloads. I get my music and anime there. just be sure to pick a torrent (the files) with the most Seeders and Leechers (S and L, Seeders are who you download the majority of the music from, Leechers you get smaller parts from and a Leecher will connect to your computer to get certain pieces from you from the same torrent).

It's not real fun to be downloading some music and the Seeder stops seeding at 95%. been there, done that, seeding Rozen Maiden on the Down Hill Computer (it's connected to DSL).

You can download over dial-up or while tethering your cell phone to your computer (what I do) if you don't have any sort of regular landlines or high speed internet. It just takes longer.

A good torrent downloader is Azureus 2.5 (version 3 is.....gah, a nightmare, sure it looks pretty and you can search torrents from it rather than torrent sites, but it's a pain to use).

[BookstoreEscapee]

I've plugged them before but if you like Irish rock look for the band Blaggards. They're from Houston (but the lead singer is from Ireland). And the bass player is my cousin. Can't help you with where to download...I get most of my music from iTunes and pilfering CDs from people.

[irateguy]

I like Kings Of Leon, Cream, The Doors, peter Frampton.
Last night I saw a Journey Tribute band called Frontiers they were awesome

[AdminAssistant]

My two favorite bands evar: The Dresden Dolls (punk cabaret) and The Birthday Massacre (electronica-ish) Amanda Palmer (lead singer of the Dolls) has a solo record out that is AMAZING.

[Shpepper]

Digital Rights Management.
I'll step off my soapbox now.

Eric the Grey

So can I still use the itunes that came with my ipod to manage the music if I download it from other places? Or is there something different that is better to use? All the music I have, I loaded cd's into my computer. I've been using the itunes stuff to put it on the ipod.

[Shpepper]

I tend to still buy CD's so I can't help you much with downloads (although I agree, iTunes sucks!)
My places to just 'check out' music - youtube and myspace. On myspace music pages, artists can now download pretty much all of their music. It's a good way to give a listen to something then decide if you want to buy it.

I've been doing the youtube thing. Found a bunch of stuff there that I want. But most of it is single songs. I didn't think of myspace though. I will have to look there.

irateguy-- Thanks for the ideas. They are on my list.

I've plugged them before but if you like Irish rock look for the band Blaggards. They're from Houston (but the lead singer is from Ireland). And the bass player is my cousin. Can't help you with where to download...I get most of my music from iTunes and pilfering CDs from people.

Irish Rock is always good. You might like BOWI as well. www.myspace.com/bowiband. I took the credited pics for them.

[CaroPhoenix]

I love the genre Doo Wop (from the late 1950's into the early 1960's - one of the most famous Doo Wop songs is "Blue Moon"). Anyway, I've DL'd The Edsels, the Persuassions, The Viscounts. I've been on a children's music kick (for Child Rum) so that's been the majority of stuff at the moment.

I downloaded Loreena McKennit, Solas, and Emilie Autumn (I especially love her song Miss Lucy had some leeches.

Mr. Rum is bugging me or I'd be giving more music recommendations.

[MadMike]

Digital Rights Management. The purpose of it is to prevent people from copying the files and sharing them over the intenet, but in reality it tends to prevent people from using the music they purchase the way they want to.

Not only that, you don't know what the DRM is going to do to your computer. The Sony Rootkit is a perfect example of why it can't be trusted.

Then there's the possibility that the company supplying the media goes out of business. Once the DRM servers are no longer accessible, your purchased music will no longer work.

DRM needs to die a slow, painful death.

[Shpepper]

Well, I will NOT be downloading music from Itunes then. If I am paying for music, I want it available just like if I had it on an LP(giving away my age here) or a CD.

I need to find a good usb turntable. I can get some fun stuff that way too.

I will go to Amazon. I actually found that Amazon has over 500 songs that can be downloaded for free. There are a bunch of musicians that I have never heard of but it's fun to listen to some of them. I found one there that I do like. Blackpool Lights is the band name.

[Eric the Grey]

So can I still use the itunes that came with my ipod to manage the music if I download it from other places? Or is there something different that is better to use? All the music I have, I loaded cd's into my computer. I've been using the itunes stuff to put it on the ipod.

Actually, unless there is something new, you have to use iTunes to manage the music on your iPod (although I suspect there is a Linux app that will work as well...). It will handle and even rip CD's into MP3 format, but will not work with Windows Media (WMA) format. That's probably a licensing issue.

Mod Edit: Removed link to illegal download site
Free music, LEGAL downloads. I get my music and anime there. just be sure to pick a torrent (the files) with the most Seeders and Leechers (S and L, Seeders are who you download the majority of the music from, Leechers you get smaller parts from and a Leecher will connect to your computer to get certain pieces from you from the same torrent).

While I'm not unfamiliar with, and do frequently use bittorrent to download videos and sometimes music (I will purchase this music if I like it), I have to contradict you here RW, anything you get on the pirate bay is most likely ILLEGAL as hell, and you should use caution when downloading from there because the RIAA and MPAA both track people and sue them for downloading.

There have been bands who have put out torrents of their own music, because they do not belong to a major label and want to get themselves recognized, but they are few and far between. If you want to ensure your music is legal, then purchase through an authorized retailer (online or otherwise).

Not only that, you don't know what the DRM is going to do to your computer. The Sony Rootkit is a perfect example of why it can't be trusted.

<...snip...>

DRM needs to die a slow, painful death.

Yea, I was trying to avoid running headlong into fratching territory. DRM is bad and while a long slow painful death might be nice to witness, I'd prefer it to go away yesterday, all at once, forever, and be out of our hair once and for all.

Well, I will NOT be downloading music from Itunes then. If I am paying for music, I want it available just like if I had it on an LP(giving away my age here) or a CD.

There are a few other sites that sell MP3's online. www.emusic.com is one of them, if I recall the right site (I cannot get to it from work because music download sites are blocked here at work).

If you are looking for more music, different artists, then I'd suggest heading over to Pandora.com. Enter in the name of an artist you like, and let Pandora will play them, and then other similar tunes. If you like them, you can search them out, or follow the links they offer.



Eric the Grey