Tunecore, the flat-fee digital distribution service connected to iTunes, Rhapsody, Amazon MP3, among others, has compiled a 34-song sampler that’s currently available for free. Interspersed between national notables like Public Enemy, the Dandy Warhols, and Steve Vai is a handful of Austin bands, including Brazos; Pink Nasty; Belaire; Tacks, the Boy Disaster; Peter & the Wolf; and Oh No! Oh My!
White Denim, meanwhile, has released “World as a Waiting Room,” the first track from an exclusive four-song EP, to RCRD LBL, a new ad-generated blog and affiliate of Downtown Records.
Elsewhere in cyberspace, UK producer Bullion masterfully mashes the Beach Boys with J Dilla for Pet Sounds in the Key of Dee; Saul Williams follows Radiohead’s digital distribution plan for his Trent Reznor-produced The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust; Michael W. Dean’s enlightening documentary D.I.Y. or DIE, featuring interviews from Lydia Lunch, Ian MacKaye, and J Mascis, is available for free in eight episodic chapters in the podcast section of Zune.net.
The SIMS Foundation, meanwhile, has added a new jukebox feature to its website that allows local bands to upload their music and a profile for visitors to browse. Locals Okkervil River appear on Daytrotter.com, performing covers of John Phillips’ “April Anne,” Carole King’s “No Easy Way Down,” and Jimmy Webb’s “Do What You Gotta Do,” along with a skiffle version of “You Can’t Hold the Hand of a Rock and Roll Man.” While you’re there, check the archives for sessions from Dallas’ Cartwright, Jana Hunter, and Will Johnson.
This article appears in November 30 • 2007.