Tom Waits has a new live album coming out. You can get 8 full length tracks--just under 40 minutes--from the forthcoming release for free on his site. Requires you surrender a valid email address, however.
posted by You Should See the Other Guy on Oct 13, 2009 - 42 comments

Kentucky folksinger Paul K. has released his entire catalog online under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. [more inside]
posted by ford and the prefects on Jul 9, 2009 - 11 comments

Paul Ford is back with six-word reviews of SxSW 2009 music (previously in 2008). Also be sure to check out Paul's (another Paul's) SxSW Artist Catalog (previously) for further SxSW music metadata goodness.
posted by shadytrees on Mar 18, 2009 - 12 comments

If you're interested in the bands playing at SXSW this year, you have more to draw on than the blurbs in the schedule. First, the 2009 collection of mp3s from showcased bands is up - like last year, as unofficial fanmade torrents - offering samples of a thousand bands in five gigabytes. Second, there's Paul's SXSW Artist Catalog, an excellent catalog of artists. It provides links to Last.fm & Youtube for each artist, & many tags to follow sounds you like. (Previously: my 2008 post, & 2007.)
posted by Pronoiac on Feb 22, 2009 - 22 comments

CLLCT - The Collective Family An online community of indipendent musicians who have made their music free to download. No, it's not myspace. [more inside]
posted by robotot on Dec 1, 2008 - 21 comments

One of my favorite albums of recent years is now available for the first time. And, it's free. You Are Not Dead: A Guide to Modern Living by MeFi's own Fake. {embedded Flash player and link to zipped mp3s} {torrent of better quality mp3s} {via mefi projects}
posted by dobbs on Mar 20, 2008 - 38 comments

Each year since 2005, SXSW released a torrent of songs for people to sample their showcased artists. It's a terrific source of new, eclectic music. This year, a fan found out they weren't planning to do this, so he took matters into his own hands: here's the torrent, with "764 different artists... almost 3.5 GB of new music, for free." (previously in 2007)
posted by Pronoiac on Feb 22, 2008 - 30 comments

The Wu-Tang Clan presents 215 mp3s. (via)
posted by Sticherbeast on Apr 29, 2007 - 43 comments

DayTrotter is a music site I'd never heard of before today. I haven't explored all of their free mp3 offerings yet, but this 4-song set of Bonnie "Prince" Billy tracks is lovely. Three of the tracks are from the Strange Form of Life EP and the fourth, to my knowledge, is previously unreleased. If you want the missing track, emusic (my via) sells it.
posted by dobbs on Apr 8, 2007 - 10 comments

Tons of bands playing at this year's SXSW. Not going or going and don't know what to check out? They've put up a torrent of 739 MP3s by 739 artists. The organization also has plans for an upcoming torrent of trailers for scheduled films. {via waxy}
posted by dobbs on Feb 20, 2007 - 39 comments

A nice mixed bag of live mp3s.
posted by dobbs on May 9, 2006 - 18 comments

Brian Eno and David Byrne released My Life in the Bush of Ghosts in 1981. It's a great album--and now it's available with a Creative Commons License. "This is the first time complete and total access to original tracks with remix and sampling possibilities have been officially offered on line."
posted by dobbs on Mar 30, 2006 - 44 comments

He's been compared to Stephen Merritt, Jonathan Richman, Beck, and Calvin Johnston (who he's sampled). Here be Jens Lekman's Department of Forgotten Songs--a small sampling of his charming pop tunes. Not familiar with him? Try Pocketful of Money or Boisa-Bis-O-Boisa for starters. (2nd and 3rd link are mp3s)
posted by Manhasset on Jan 29, 2006 - 27 comments

You like-a da mashups? Here, I give you mashups (about 40 of them to be exact).
posted by mathowie on Jul 20, 2005 - 56 comments

Lemon-Red's Mix Series - "Each month, I ask one of my favorite DJs to contribute a 30-40 minute mix of whatever they're feeling at the time... Get yourself over to lemon-red.org/mix and download the exclusive DJ/rupture mix, Low Income Tomorrowland, in beautiful high-quality stereo mp3 format." Chris Lemon-Red starts of his new free music mix series with this 31:46 (29 mb) track.
posted by dobbs on Jun 20, 2005 - 15 comments

Something ear-y for Halloween: Oddio Overplay gives you Ghouls With Attitude 2-CD compilation by Otisfodder, plus (from Martinibomb and Coconut Monkeyrocket), the Munster Beat mp3 (click below the image to listen).
posted by taz on Oct 31, 2004 - 8 comments

2 people making noise {hover yer mouse, click blind, or check the key inside}
posted by dobbs on Sep 1, 2004 - 28 comments

Free LIARS - LIARS post MP3s of the the entirety of their most recent release, They Were Wrong So We Drowned. Of course, if you dig it, see 'em live or pick up a CD. Not for everyone, but for those with taste... they rock!
posted by dobbs on Mar 11, 2004 - 28 comments