Back when he was a crusading attorney general, Eliot Spitzer won a settlement against record companies and radio stations involved in pay-for-play arrangements. Fittingly enough, that money was used to set up the Free Music Archive. The site’s still in its beta stage, but we like what we’re seeing so far.
Visitors can browse by curator (DJs at WFMU and KEXP do much of the selecting) or genre (Rock alone has 19 subcategories, including Garage, Krautrock, and Power-Pop). Indie stalwarts like the Silver Jews, Low, and Daniel Johnston are well represented; so are up-and-comers (like the Vivian Girls) you’ll want to know about. Better yet, Creative Commons licensing lets you share or use the 5,000-plus recordings you’ll find here in any way you see fit.
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