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jason on 03/16/2011 at 05:00AM
Free MP3's from 100+ SXSW Artists
Hello from Austin in the Lone Star Beer state! SXSW Music starts today, and as I was flipping through the schedule trying to figure out what to see & hear (aside from FMA curators' happenings listed below, and the WFMU / FMA show on Friday), I realized that there are well over 100 125 SXSW artists with curated mp3s in the FMA library. So I made a couple three mixes for you...
I'm sure I missed a bunch of great FMA artists who are in town this week though, especially if you factor in all the unofficial shows -- more than anyone can keep track of (though some have tried). Many FMA curators are putting on shows or broadcasting live as well:
* The FMA is co-presenting WFMU's fourth-annual showcase at Barbarella on Friday night, with Sun Araw, The Endtables, él-g, and more (including a special guest who is one of my personal favorites but we can't announce it yet!). More details on the blog and here's a F-book event.
* KEXP is broadcasting from Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop March 16-18th with sets by The Black Angels, Steve Wynn & The Miracle Three, Yuck, Wild Flag and many more -- check the blog for details on other KEXP-related happenings, including the SxSeattle Party (info). And DJ Chilly of Mo'Glo's put together some great Latin Music Recommendations.
* dublab is broadcasting from Domy Books' 'What x Whatever' with music from Daedelus, Mount Kimbie, Asura and many more Wednesday thru Saturday.
* CBC Radio 3 is coming to Austin for BBQ and broadcasting live music by the likes of Malajube, Buck 65, and Imaginary Cities (info)
And in case you missed True Chip Til Death's feature on SXSW chip music happenings in Austin, click that link (but unfortunately one of the best was last nite!).
Hope you can tune in / swing by these events, and we'll be sure to post some highlight mp3s to the FMA. In the meantime, if you download this mix and enjoy it alongside some bbq, tacos, and/or beer, it'll be just like Austin!
jason on 10/13/2010 at 12:00PM
CBC Podcasts, Creative Commons, Defining NonCommercial
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Remember this Creative Commons playlist from CBC Radio's tech/culture program Spark? At the time (April 2010), producer Dan Misener outlined several reasons why Spark originally chose to use Creative Commons music; it wasn't just that "using music in podcasts can be tricky business," but that Spark "wanted to embrace the values of online culture" and "CC-licensed music -- collaborative, remixable, and constantly evolving -- provided the perfect soundtrack". For three seasons as a podcast and on radio airwaves throughout Canada, Spark has served as an amazing resource for the CC music community, offering a list of featured music with each episode. But in Spark's most recent episode, Creative Commons music was nowhere to be found. Listeners who'd come to rely on Spark as a resource for quality CC music asked what was up. You can follow along in the comments to see where it's eventually revealed that Spark and the many other CBC programs that previously relied on CC music or their podcasts had been told to stop. It's clear that even even the show's producers didn't understand why; at first it sounded like a deal with one of Canada's many unions -- or maybe their stock music library -- had specifically prohibited the use of Creative Commons music. |
As speculation spread to Boing Boing and Michael Geists's blog, CBC's Programming Director came forth with an official statement (emphasis mine):
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Spark on 04/21/2010 at 06:00AM
Spark: Creative Commons Playlist
The latest addition to our guest curation series comes from Spark, "a weekly audio blog of smart and unexpected trendwatching" from CBC.
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What the Web Sounds Like
A few years ago, the staff of Spark were preparing to make our very first episode of the show. We knew we wanted Spark to be more than a traditional broadcast radio program. We wanted it to be a collaboration and a conversation -- a platform for exploring the intersection of technology and culture. We wanted to embrace the values of online culture to talk about online culture. And as we worked on our first episode, one question we kept asking ourselves was, "What does the Internet sound like?" As it turns out, the Internet sounds an awful lot like the best CC-licensed music: collaborative, remixable, and constantly evolving.
Equality for podcasts and broadcasts
Here in Canada, using music in podcasts can be tricky business. Though rights and licensing agreements are in place for terrestrial broadcasts, that's not yet the case for podcasts. The result is that many over-the-air radio programs use commercial music, which must be removed or replaced for the podcast version. Usually, this means extra work, recutting a show so it's "podsafe."
When we started Spark, we were very keen to create a single, definitive version of the show for online and on-air. We didn't want our podcast to be a watered-down, "lite" version of Spark. We put a lot of time and attention into researching, writing, editing, and mixing Spark every week, and the quality of the end product shouldn't suffer because of the distribution mechanism.
Spreadability, linkability
One of the great unintended consequences of using CC music on Spark has to do with the Attribution condition. Of course, artists deserve credit for their work, and each week, we post links to the music and artists featured on the show. If listeners hear a tune they like, they can easily find out who wrote it and download their very own copy. This is a win-win-win for the listener, the show, and the artist. Listeners get pointers to great CC-licensed music, Spark gets exposure on sites like CCMixter (via trackbacks), and the artists get heard by hundreds of thousands of people on Canadian public radio.
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Dan Misener is a producer on Spark, the national technology/culture show from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
JoeMc on 02/03/2010 at 10:35AM
Neko Case, Canadian Cyclone
OK, first things first: She's not really Canadian.
She was born in Virginia and grew up in Tacoma. But she went to school in Vancouver, and that's where she got involved with Canadian cuddlecore band Cub (remember Betti-Cola?), and started making her own music. Not long afterwards, she hooked up with those New Pornographers dudes, and before you know it, indie superstardom.
But Canadians love her. CBC Radio calls her an "honourary Canadian," and that's where the track below is from, courtesy of new Free Music Archive curators CBC Radio 3.
But here's something I didn't know that I just found out: Her latest album actually debuted at #3 on Billboard's Hot 100 when it came out last March. So I guess Americans love her a lot, too.
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