Magnatune
I do not know if anyone else uses this service, but I have enjoyed the site and want to share my love here. The model is simple: you pay $15 a month, download as much as you want in whatever quality you want including FLAC. The artists are paid 50% of proceeds, not labels. You can give away up to three copies to friends legally and they have streaming.
The main drawback of the site is obvious, they have a limited selection and they are all artists who are releasing their music through Magnatune. You would think the result is a train-wreck of AmieStreet level garbage, but there seems to be a fairly high level of control from Magnatune to keep the riff-raff out. While a dedicated eMuser could probably get all they were going want from Magnatune in a month, there is a steady trickle of new music which keeps my interest. There are some very good world and classical genre artists, perhaps some of the electronic / ambient is worth checking out.
Here's a highlight from their classical section:
The Dufay Collective has been performing and recording its unique brand of early music since 1987. During this time the group has performed at major festivals and toured throughout the world, receiving critical acclaim from Cairo to Carlisle. The group has made a series of highly successful recordings of a wide-ranging repertoire of instrumental and vocal music from the Middle Ages and Renaissance, including the Grammy nominated 'Cancionero'.
The main drawback of the site is obvious, they have a limited selection and they are all artists who are releasing their music through Magnatune. You would think the result is a train-wreck of AmieStreet level garbage, but there seems to be a fairly high level of control from Magnatune to keep the riff-raff out. While a dedicated eMuser could probably get all they were going want from Magnatune in a month, there is a steady trickle of new music which keeps my interest. There are some very good world and classical genre artists, perhaps some of the electronic / ambient is worth checking out.
Here's a highlight from their classical section:
The Dufay Collective has been performing and recording its unique brand of early music since 1987. During this time the group has performed at major festivals and toured throughout the world, receiving critical acclaim from Cairo to Carlisle. The group has made a series of highly successful recordings of a wide-ranging repertoire of instrumental and vocal music from the Middle Ages and Renaissance, including the Grammy nominated 'Cancionero'.
Comments
Gopal "This album is the natural sound of the dilruba (an Indian instrument which is a cross of the sitar and sarangi) recorded in a temple without any processing. The only accompaniment is the occasional sounds of the morning birds. Many people listen to this music for relaxation, meditation, soft movement, healing sessions and it is also music that can be listened to while falling asleep."
"This music was recorded in an old abandoned temple near the ocean in India. Gopal played this rare multi stringed bowed instrument in that temple at sunrise, without any intention of the music becoming a solo album. There was a beautiful empty silence in the temple and a feeling of letting go and disappearing into the music."
Seems like it might be a good time to check it out soon since I won't have any other monthlies going on (after this month). That would give me more time to actually explore the site - especially if you guys dole out some more recs (hint hint).
Misericordia: "sickeningly good Medieval." Music and song from the dark and troubled fourteenth century. From the rhythmic drive of bagpipes, hurdy gurdy and percussion to haunting three part polyphony via solo voice accompanied by gothic harp, this recording includes complex instrumental istampitas, love songs by Guillaume de Machaut and music from England, France and Italy.
Kara Nomadica - Kara Nomadica is a fusion of ancient and exotic instruments from the Middle-East, North Africa, Australia and modern western music. Kara Nomadica captures a fresh new sound that is driven by traditional Arabic and Turkish rhythms and maqamat (micro-tonal scales).
Kara Nomadica on YouTube
The space in music they best explore is slightly dark ambient that prevents their new agism from dominating, but allows some terrific, thoughtful headphone music to happen. Just after one listen, I like both of these.
Jesus in Japan
Mystified
Ensemble Al-Asdeka. Another Middle Eastern artist: "Founded in 2005 by tabla-player Kathy Roberts after years of living off and on in North Africa with versatile guitarist and composer, D. Adam Estner, and Daniel Giacobazzi, a long-time artist of many instruments and genres;, the ensemble churns out hip shaking tunes that are greater Middle-Eastern in flavor, seasoned with rock and jazz influences."
Bezdin Ensemble
Adina Spire
Jesus in Japan
Gopal
Dufay Collective
Mystified (A Pale... is my only rec though)
Shira Kammen
Stellamara
Lara St. John
Diometrix (surprisingly post rock)
Vox Nostra
Misericordia
Fortune's Wheel
Musica Pacifica
Robert Rich
I downloaded I think 26 but 23 are keepers. I'll plan at some point to rejoin. Sorry for now bbcode - three year old duty.
I still use Magnatune, usually grabbing ten or twelve new albums a month. You can pay $15 a month to download all you want, or less to stream. They do about five or six new albums a week in a variety of genre. I find that the classical, new age and world material is excellent, although I stick mostly to classical. Here a couple I have enjoyed recently:
Altri Stromenti, a 17th century baroque ensemble. They have two on Magnatune, and Uccellini, a more recent Italian Music of the 17th Century. The ensemble is led by Leszek Firek, who graduated in the violin class of doc. Stefan Czermak of the Wroclaw Music Academy. He also studies baroque violin for two years at the Cracow Music Academy under the guidance of Zygmunt Kaczmarski.
Jennifer Lane, with the University of North Texas Collegium: rare cantatas and arias by Handel. This stunning new album with mezzo-soprano Jennifer Lane commemorates the 250th anniversary of George Frideric Handel's passing (1685-1759). It contains lesser known vocal and instrumental gems from throughout Handel's career.
Richard MacKenzie, Il Rosetto, Domenico Bianchini's Lute Book (1546). Solo lute, and simply lovely. "Domenico Bianchini (c1510-c1576) was born into a family of famous Venetian mosaic artists, and, judging by his nickname, 'Il Rossetto', he must have possessed a head of striking red hair, similar to the famous Venetian composer of the early 18th century, Antonio Vivaldi."
The only ones up there I recognize on sight (and would recommend) are the Eyot, Dejan Ilijic (a member of Eyot), and Park St. Trio.
Eyot and Park St Trio are both former AAJ dotds. Some of you who used Magnatune a couple years back probably already has the Eyot. I feel like I rec'd it previously in reference to Magnatune. Ilijic may not have been on Magnatune back then. Park St. Trio definitely wasn't. It's a nice trio album that would've been an eMu Jazz Pick had I been writing the column back then (as would the Eyot, actually. I haven't listened to the Ilijic yet).
Cheers.
On the other hand, they have also caught up on their subscriptions. I had not paid in a very long time, but the freebie days are over.
If you haven't, there's some excellent albums within their back catalog. I have over two hundred albums - you do have to wade through some rather trite, cliche new age, snooze rock, souless electronica.