Music

I am a huge music fan (who isn't?) and I really enjoy finding new stuff. I have my favorite bands and songs, but I still like a little variety. Besides, I like trying to fill my 120 GB iPod. Easier said then done, right?

You could feed the addiction by illegally downloading music...but let's say you can't or don't want to do that. Well- I have a couple suggestions for you.

1. If you have similar music tastes to me: Alternative Addiction. Lots of music news about your favorite alternative artists, but they also offer a great deal of free, no strings attached music. The free music is most unsigned bands trying to get their name out there. But just because they're unsigned doesn't mean that the music isn't good. I have found lots (and I mean LOTS) of awesome bands this way. Sometimes you can track down a full CD (sometimes you can't) but you still have some good music. There are also (sometimes) bands/artists you'll recognize. Right now, for example, there's a Chris Cornell track for a free download.

2. Swap a CD. This site is awesome. I've talked about it before, but its worth mentioning again. This site is great for anyone, no matter what you're musical tastes are. You send out CD's and in return you get to request CD's from others.

A few drawbacks-You pay for postage when you send out CD's, but in turn they (the other users) cover the postage on CD's sent to you. Postage (with the new rate hikes) is only $.81 so that's not to bad. Swap a CD also charges you a $.49 fee for each transaction. No one like fees BUT this covers you if the CD gets lost in the mail, gets damaged, or shows up in unusable condition. Really- the $.49 covers your butt in case something happens so you don't lose a CD credit.

SO- a CD from Swap a CD with postage and the fee will cost you $1.30. Where else will you be able to get a CD for that? And there are lost of new and hard to find CD's on Swap a CD too.

The other draw back is time. You can get an awesome selection of CD's from Swap a CD, but you have to wait for them to become available. When I first joined in January I added 100's of CD's to my wish list. Some of those wishes were granted quickly and there are others I'm still waiting on. Not all CD's have a waiting list. I got plenty when I joined that were just waiting for me. More popular CD's have a wait list. For example, I added the Killer's Day & Age to my wish list on 1/25/09 and I am only #12 of 52, but Swap a CD is telling me I'll be #10 in 2 weeks. So I'm getting closer, but I have to wait, and I'm cool with that.

My most recent Swap a CD acquisitions are:

The Matches- Decomposer
Green River Ordinance- Out of My Hands
The Afters- Never Going to be OK
Mike Doughty- Haughty Melodic

And Soul Coughing's Best of, and Spoon's Telephono are on their way to me. So I'm getting good music. It's worth it to me, but if you can't wait for your music or you don't want to pay for it, Swap a CD might not be right for you. It is still cheaper than iTunes.