One question I’m frequently asked by co-workers and friends is - “How did you find that band?” And usually, this is after an incredible show that I’ve been to with them, or after I recommend a certain band, or burn them a mix disc.

Because I’m online entirely too much, and I love music like a fat kid loves cake, I manage to find a LOT of music for free. All the music I download is entirely legal, so I don’t have to worry about the RIA busting down my door and trying to seize my precious Macbook.

Due to my love for singer songwriters, one of the best sites out there that is finally getting the exposure it deserves is daytrotter.com. Daily, Monday through Friday, they release anywhere from 3 to 7 tracks of free folky goodness. This means that if you go every day, you get nearly 30 songs in a week. Granted, you won’t love all of it, but you’ll find some great new music that most people don’t know about. Like, did you know that Jeff Daniels (dumb and dumber) is actually a musician as well?

Many music lovers out there know that Amazon.com has released MP3 downloads, but have yet to participate. Over the past few months, Amazon has curbed my fear by allowing me to download free tracks. Follow these simple instructions to get some of your old favorites, and find new ones.

> Go to Amazon.com, and then Digital Downloads -> MP3 downloads
> Leave the Search Bar blank, and just press “GO”
> Sort the results as Price:Low to High

You’ll get a lot of music that you are unfamiliar with, but what the hell, why not try it out anyways? I mean, I’m no fan of Ted Nugent, but I’ll sure take a free song any day! You never know when you’re gonna be in a camouflage kind of mood.
I’m being very nice, and if you click on that above picture, it will take you to all the Free Downloads Amazon is offering as of June 4th.

You’re welcome.

It’s extremely hard to categorize the 28 year old Andrew Heine (pronounced ‘high-nuh’). As a San Diego resident who served in the first days of this Iraq war, you wouldn’t know it by looking at him. A Jack Daniels baseball cap, Dickie shorts, and worn out Chuck Taylors, he barely dresses the part of a soldier. And don’t ask him about it - rather, you can read an article the San Diego Union Tribune wrote a few weeks ago.

What Heine will tell you, is that he loves art. Whether it be making his own music, playing in one of 3 bands, drawing, painting, or writing, Andrew lives art. When he’s not doing these things, he actually teaches the youth of tomorrow. Maybe he just can’t stop himself from being creative - all the time.

Recently, Andrew teamed up with a few other guys to form Dogcatcher, a new jazz/acoustic/folk act, that is slowly but surely gaining some attention amongst the San Diego indies. I was given their first release ‘Feudalism’ about 6 months ago, and fell in love with it. Here are a two tracks from that album.

Dogcatcher - A Good Idea
Dogcatcher - Wish You Well

And if that isn’t enough, Heine also took some time out to record some electronica/break beat sort of tunes under the pen name ‘Fortune Cat.’ Here’s SRM - break out your dance moves.
Fortunecat - SRM

To reach Heine, you can find him on Myspace, where you can download all these tracks for free. Don’t say I never gave ya nothin.
(photo courtesy of Jim Hughes)

After the success of ‘Ghosts’ being released for free on Nine Inch Nails website in March, lead man Trent Reznor thanks his fans for their support by offering ‘The Slip’ free of charge, 2 months later. I have yet to listen to the record, but the reviews are sensational. Now if we can just get him to release Axl Roses ‘Chinese Democracy’ for nothing, the world might make complete sense again.

As an added bonus, a band you may not have heard of, The Rosebuds, have done almost the same thing. While the album content isn’t original, they’re definitely taking notes from Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails. Their 2007 release ‘Night of the Furies’ has been remixed, and their label, Merge Records is offering it on their website for nothing as well.

Now, I’m not one to complain, but what will this lead to? How many bands are going to start releasing albums for free before the music industry gets their head out of their rectum? While I am happy to download free music legally and share the love, I also know how difficult it can be as an artist to make ends meet. I wasn’t surprised at Nine Inch Nails giving their hard work away, but The Rosebuds album comes as a complete shock. If you enjoy ‘Sweet Beats, Troubled Sleep’ make sure you check out ‘Night of the Furies.’ I do own that album, and love it.

When you click on the album covers, you’ll be redirected to the respectable websites to download away. Let me know what you think about the albums, as I won’t get a chance to listen to these for a few days. I’m anxious to see which gem I should try first.

Tegan and Sara - So Jealous
As a guy, I find myself often falling in love with rock chicks. About 3 years ago, I stumbled upon Northwestern folk rock singer Brandi Carlile. I immediately bought her album, burned a few copies for friends, and actually paid their way into a show. After about 15 minutes into her set, I looked around and noticed that the normal venue clientèle was not there. In fact, the small 400 person Casbah was filled with gay women. I was smitten with a girl I could never have.

Then I discovered Tegan and Sara. Writing off their music initially because of it’s pop rock bubble gumminess, I found myself in a car with a friend rocking out to it months later. Once again, I bought the cd and headed off to a show. This time I knew about their sexual preferences, but I figured it was okay to still fall in love with them, seeing as how they couldn’t really manage to break my heart. (and still haven’t).

I just got to see them at Coachella for the third time, and they put on a damn good show. Make sure you check em out next time they’re around. I guarantee you that you’ll love the music, and everything in between it.

Whew. These posts have occupied most of my weekend, but listening to all this music has got me entirely juiced for Californias favorite festival. (Well, this might be debatable with SF Outside Lands first year lineup.) So, without further ado, I bring you our closing day. Brett Dennen - Grand Ole Party - Perry Farrell - Duffy - Annuals - Sia - Stars - Simian Mobile Disc - Gogol Bordello - Roger Waters - And now, I must say this. If I left out your favorite band, I apologize. There are so many acts to see at Coachella, regardless of who you see, it’s going to be spectacular. These lists are just compiled from all the data I have, and I put them up here so your experience can be diverse, and you can get to know great acts. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it.

Brett Dennen - As I write this post, I am actually missing Mr. Dennen at a free show in Golden Gate park. Since his release of ‘So Much More,’ Dennen has been on tour non-stop. He lives out of a suitcase and calls every hotel room that he visits home. His noise is reggae, rock, acoustic, and full of passion. If you’ve yet to be introduced to Dennen, this is your chance. He leads Sunday off with a bang.

Grand Ole Party - Being a once San Diegan, it’s nice that we have someone representin SoCal in this festival. I actually saw Grand Ole Party bring in my 2007, and from what I remember, they were quite impressive. Lead singer/drummer Kristin Gundred brings Janis back to life, while beating the crap out of her drums. It’s unusual to see a drummer that’s a girl, much less one that does all the singing. And it is GOOD.

Duffy - Yes, she does sound like Amy Winehouse. Yes, she is also English, and yes, she is WAY hotter than Rehab Winehouse. Any existing Duffy fan will tell you that Duffy has been conjuring the 60’s Motown sounds long before Amy was even dreaming of telling rehabilitation centers no, no, and no. I’m sure there are some better musical acts around, but I want some eye candy.

Annuals - Ambient, Rock, Alternative, Pop, Emo. The studio albums that Annuals have put out are layered with ambient noises and sounds, and I really have to understand how they do this live. I once saw Grandaddy try to pull this off, very poorly I might add. Rumor has it they’re a gnarly live show, and bring the rawk back to energy levels that of U2. Finally, someone to slap Bono off his high horse? We could only hope.

Sia - If you went into any Starbucks in the world, you saw this album placed in front of your friendly barista for weeks. I, like the sucker I can be, finally broke down and see what all the fuss was about. With her previous single Breathe all over the radio, I believed that her new disc and witty title would be a breath of fresh air. It was, and not I believe that Aussies know how to be heartfelt and honest.

Stars - Canadian indie pop band that highly resembles LA’s Shiny Toy Guns. Like the Guns, you get male and female vocals fused with some screaming guitars and synthesizers. I like them because of their ambient vibe, and I believe that all bands will be competing for our attention. With a revival in good Canadian music, this is a great place to start. Catchy enough to keep you intrigued, but not so much that you’ll hear them on your local radio station. (unless that station kicks ass)

Simian Mobile Disco - Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to attend SXSW this year, but I had a friend from Itunes that was. She raved about Cut Copy (performing friday) and continued her rants about SMD. Once again, there will be dancing. It looks like they’re slotted for a later spot, so, we might see glow sticks as well. If you’ve yet to disco, start by yourself, in your room, with ‘Hustler.’ Then share it with your friends, where you can all disco together.

Gogol Bordello - A self explanatory name for this band, as they bring the gypsy cabaret to your ears. They’re previous record is called Gypsy punk, and that’s exactly what it is. If Flogging Molly were to include bull fighting violins, mandolins, and bar-mitzvah accordions, they would be Gogol Bordello. Sure to include ridiculous costumes and exceptional crowd interaction, this is one act that shouldn’t be missed at Coachella.

Perry Farrell- I laughed out loud, I really did. This former front man for Janes Addiction, I can only assume, will come out in silver leather pants, with some short of half shirt on. His voice is undeniable, and he’s known for his eccentric live performances. Though we could all wish that he was with Navarro and friends for an Addiction reunion, the case is not so. I’m just surprised Farrell, the brains behind the Lollapalooza festivals is performing with a competitor.

Roger Waters - I can hear it now. “Play ‘Another Brick in the Wall’!” “Comfortably Numb!” As Waters is recluse, not playing many shows over the past few years, we can only hold our breaths when it comes to seeing him. Pink Floyd was known for their unique production on their albums, along with an incredible light/multimedia show to match their shows. I hope Waters brings the same.

Okay, I made it. It took a lot of research, but I really enjoyed writing all of this for you. If you liked the posts, be sure to subscribe, as I review shows, albums, and new happenings all across the music scene that you should keep posted about. I’m going to take a nap now. Oh, and click the pictures to be directed to the tunes, as always. Cheers.