Pop

Backstreet Boys, Christina Aguilera, Destiny’s Child, Elton John

Notes and Scratches: To the Other Side

Notes and Scratches is a pop (maybe even pop-rock) band from Chicago. They've been together since 2005 and to date released one other album entitled "Uh-Oh" (which is also licensed under CC and available for free download here). Now, after two years and two line-up changes, Notes and Scratches is ready to present their second record, "To the Other Side". Joshua Dumas, the principal songwriter, described this collections of pop songs as “the spaces between things: between past and present, remembering and forgetting, forever and never again.” He adds “this recording is an attempt to make sad songs feel celebratory. Regret and hindsight are often more complicated than a series of minor chords can reveal. I am hopeful these songs reflect some of that depth.”

Tiara Wiles: This is Tiara

Tiara has been singing since she was a child and it seems like she can't imagine her life any other way. She grew up in Pittsburgh, PA singing in a choir and on her own all the way up to her senior year of high school, but her career really took of when she moved to Washington D.C. to attend Howard University. She started meeting people like-minded people who loved music as much as she did, giving her the confidence to work even harder towards her dream. Not much later Tiara met her current manager, Mic Sean, at one of D.C. music venues and everything started falling into its right place.

SXSW: 2009 Compilation

The South by Southwest SXSW music festival is one of the largest and most popular in the United States. For the fifth year in a row, SXSW has released a DRM-free, RIAA-safe collection of songs totaling 6 GB, which can all be downloaded for free, thanks to BitTorrent. For some of the previous editions, SXSW itself has offered torrents showcasing the artists scheduled to perform at the festival.

Jonathan Coulton: JoCo Looks Back

At the end of 2008 Jonathan Coulton teamed up with the Creative Commons in support of their fund raising drive and created a 1gb jump drive filled with his greatest hits. If that wouldn't be enough, he has also included unmixed audio files of all the songs so CC supporters could easily remix his compositions. All song files were 320kbps MP3s and all unmixed audio tracks were 256 VBR MP3s. Now the whole compilation is available for a free downloads on legaltorrents.com.

Keyboard Rebel: Pop Grenade

Keyboard Rebel is part of a new batch of indie British pop artists surging from across the pond. This aaahh-records release is a mix of mainstream rock with creative influxes of folk, that still manages to keep its British feel.

Mobius Band: Empire of Love

Last year this indie-rock trio presented their fans with the same gift - a Free Valentine's Day covers EP. This year the Mobius Band is keeping up with what might become a great tradition! Check out their 2009 free covers EP entitled "Empire of Love".

Grace Valhalla: summerCamp

Grace Valhalla is a young French DJ & composer and "summerCamp" is her fourth album. "You'll find many analog sounds, 8bit sounds and guitars in this album. I wanted something warm, a soft music of summer", says Grace Valhalla. Download her Zipped Album or a Torrent file here.

Farkus: Thought You Should Know

Farkus is a Chicago based fresh rock band who's debut album "Thought You Should Know" is getting rave reviews and already placing on internet top albums lists. Download the Torrent and check it out yourself.

The Craft Economy: All on C

The band’s first release, the 6-song “All On C” EP was hundred per cent DIY, right down to the hand-made lino-printed covers, and quickly sold out of its limited edition run of 200. The Craft Economy's second release, "Is On Your Side" EP was released in December of 2008 and is available from the band at shows, over the internet, on iTunes and eMusic, and is distributed digitally using BitTorrent.