Emusic

I’m a big fan of Emusic. It is sort of an indie itunes, but on a subscription basis, and with no DRM. That means that you get actual MP3 files, not the bullshit Apple audio files that you can only put on so many computers. They also allow you to redownload whatever you paid for again for free, which makes it really easy to transition between your home and work computer. I pay $14.99 a month for 50 downloads, which works out to be about four albums. They have a somewhat limited selection, in that there isn’t any major label stuff, but they have a ton of indie music, and I’ve downloaded some classic, hard to find albums like the first Freestyle Fellowship record.

I use Emusic to download stuff I’m interested in, but not necessarily enough to spend fifteen bucks a CD on, like old soul, old hardcore, or the Wild Style soundtrack. I also use it to plug in the gaps in my hip hop heavy music diet, rounding it out with other forms of music. Most importantly, I use it to download stuff onto my girlfriend’s computer that we can both agree on, no small feat considering she hates punk, hip hop, and anything noisy and angry.

This months purchases were:

She & Him “Volume One”
Normally I don’t go for actors trying to be singers, but I dig She & Him, which is Zooey Deschenal and M Ward. She’s got a great voice, and it is a lot of fun. I was sold after hearing “Why Do You Let Me Stay Here” on KEPX’s Song of the Day podcast.

Neutral Milk Hotel “On Avery Island” If you don’t own Neutral Milk Hotel’s “The Aeroplane Over the Sea,” go buy it now. If you do own it, go buy “On Avery Island.” If you own both, go listen to them. I got turned on to these guys in 1997, and I immediately made all my friends listen to them. They combine folk, psychedelic rock, indie rock, and general awesomeness. So what if singer/songwriter Jeff Magnum hasn’t done anything since. He’s done enough with these two amazing records, and has contributed much more to the musical landscape than all the Nickleback albums combined.

New Buffalo “Somewhere, Anywhere” AKA iTunes commercial/Grey's Anatomy music. This is mellow female indie pop, and I dig it.

Bratmobile “Ladies, Women, and Girls” Their first album was too primitive to be enjoyable, but their amateurish singing and playing work perfectly on this 2001 (2002?) record. It’s bratty punk meets beach rock meets girl group fantasticness. I first heard “Gimme Brains” on a comp some years ago, and fell in love with it’s combination of sass and hooks. Nothing else quite matches the level of brilliance of that track, but a lot comes close.

Now to find time to listen to all of this!