HUPOMNEMATA

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“A couple of years back, Joseph Chellino (ex-Oval-Teen, Pets or Meat, Paper Airplane Pilots) aka Jonas Crenshaw got it into his head to write a bunch of songs and make a “country” album.
After spending months writing and recording he came up with one of the finest albums of “the genre” and not knowing what to do with the end result (not known for touring), he decided to shelve it. ”

And now, thanks to the netlabel My Mean Magpie, Jonas Crenshaw’s Colossal Failure is available to everybody. Good country music was not really something we were expecting so soon from any creative commoned netlabel. Does anybody know about other good country releases on the net? I would certainly be interested, and this could be good also for those who wouldn’t be caught dead in the country department of their local records shop.

Recommended tracks : Dumb ass heart and Lonesome, crazy, stupid and scared.

Fast becoming a huge fan of Khonnor, aka Grandma, aka I Cactus. He released many things under creative commons on various netlabels (8bit people, Monotonik, Please do something), all done with real do-it-yourself philosophy, mixing chip-tunes, drill-and-bass, lo-fi guitars and hummable melodies.
From the notes to ‘Spinach Gas Room Spaghetti Straps’:
“then, we found out that all this music was only composed with the most lo-fi of components – only one speaker, using a microphone purloined from a Japanese language-learning CD-ROM, being forced to use a single take for all the guitar and vocal elements, and, most incredible of all, that Grandma, aka Khonnor, is only 15, and this is his first widely-released music”
In the meanwhile, I think he is now 17. Go and download those great free records :
Grandma – Spinach Gas Room Spaghetti Straps EP
Grandma – For Your Broken Heart EP
Khonnor – Lost Pets
I, Cactus – I, Cactus

A brand new creative commons compilation from netlabel Comfort Stand. This time theme is porn. Given the specialization of CS in kitscho-loungistic party music, it may even be a good idea. Some great and funny tracks, among others the usual floorfiller by Martinibomb.
(this disc seems to also feature an unusually large proportion of synthetic voices).

If you download just one track, it should be Whose Fantasy Is This, Anyways? by Mr Melvis, featuring cult hero R. Stevie Moore an Ms. Demeanor.

Unfortunately, i don’t read german. For those who do, De:Bug is reviewing net releases on a very regular basis. (i’ll just trust them and go and listen anyway)
De:Bug\’s net reviews

Good rock under creative commons, not easy to find (or so you would think). Just downloaded the new Santa Inferno from Imaginary Albums and i’m shaking my head, and liking every minute of this truly bizarre LP. Here’s the promo text from Imaginary website :
“From the opening exhortation of “Let me hear those drums, motherfucker!” Santa Inferno’s sophomore release for Imaginary Albums unleashes an unrelenting torrent of teeth-achingly memorable melodies, ass-shakingly irresistable rhythms, and heart-palpitatingly wonderful weirdness. Where Wonderland of Smut was, for lack of a more evocative categorization, a pop album breathtaking in its variety, Desert Music is a rock album whose energy, exuberance, and raw beauty leave you gasping for more.
Geeks will want to sample the quirky theme song “A TV Guide Zealot’s Xmas Carol” or the deceptively effortless, Lennon-worthy “Marmalade” first. Freaks will prefer to go straight to the scalp-tingling “Flashback Track.” But (what’s the opposite of filler? emptyer?) every one of these nine tracks is glorious, indispensible emptyer. ”
Santa Inferno on Imaginary Albums

note: Imaginary has also a great FAQ called whaaaa?. It’s full of wisdom:
“Why does this site suck so much?

Because it isn’t about astounding you or seducing you with stunning graphics or breathtaking Flash animations or competent web design.
The point is functionality. The point is usability. The point is to share good music. The point is, none of us know how to code.”

For some times, Opsound was this, described below, and it contained some great music:
“Opsound is a record label and sound pool
using an open source, copyleft model,
an experiment in practical gift economics,
a laboratory for new ways of releasing
music. Visit the Opsound Open Pool for
free copyleft music downloads. Musicians
and sound artists are invited to add
their work to the pool.”
Except it was not really a record label yet as they are now throwing a party at the CBGB’s lounge in order to launch the label. It’s a bit far from here where I write. But anyway, the point is to celebrate the release of their first record, the excellent full length CD of Catalpa Catalpa. Even if Opsound just made one step in the direction of material consumerism, it’s still possible to download the album from their website, and it’s licensed under creative commons. So go there and do it, it’s very good music, experimenting the crossover between nostalgic blue sky poppy tunes and big waves of noise.

Already posted some times ago about “Down with the chairman”, the Sijis radio program broadcast by Resonance in London. They did a special issue of it in order to prove there are other things than electronic music coming from the netlabels. And it’s rather good.
details and download

Gosh, Anton, friend and collaborator and part of Martiens go home had Yi Ban released on Earlabs’ netlabel and I didn’t even know about it. Just stumbled upon the page.

Here’s an online review : “GUANXI—First approach of voices and odd talking almost reminding you of an airport? Drones, that build , higher vibrations and head rattling waveforms. Again more vox, static-murmur and clutter, light hizz and krumplez. Bubbles and lazers with crunch in my minds eye tapped with reverse loops! Whos tapping on the wall? Minimal high end clicks and cutz, low end rumbles more knocking. Birds chirping with high end shrills ear piercing madness. Anton Aeki brings some great sounds and processing to this wonderful work of art! Highly recommended for field recording buffs!”

Another radio program around free music (in the various meanings of the word free), produced in Ontario, Canada :

“Every Thursday at 10:30 EST, Marc and Chris bring you an hour of the finest music legally and freely available on the internet.”

If you don’t live in Hamilton, you can download the last two programs from their website.