Freegal: Free, Legal Music from Your Library

Have you ever tried to find "free" music online? Typically, you have to sign up for something you don't want, pirate the music from somebody, or get a bunch of free viruses instead of free music. But, I have a solution for you, as long as you have a library card =D

The solution is called Freegal, and its short for free, legal music, and that is exactly what it is.

First of all, Freegal, gives you access to the music of over 10,000 labels, most prominently Sony Music. Now, that doesn't mean it will have every song you could possibly want, but it does have a lot of them. In fact, I'm typically impressed with the amount of songs they actually do have.

Second of all, the music is completely free of cost (unless you are the library entity paying for the service which we already have) and DRM (digital rights management or that annoying thing that won't let you put YOUR music on multiple computers). Each song comes in MP3 format, and is super easy to download.

The only catch included is that each library card only gets 3 downloads a week. But, 3 free songs a week with no DRM, no cost, and no worry about spam or viruses?? Sign me up!! And actually that is the other nice thing. The only login is your library card number, and nothing else. So if you don't have a library card, get one, and if you do have one, start getting your free music.

P.S. Freegal will only work for those patrons that have a CIN (Cooperative Information Network) card, which pretty much covers the majority of Northern Idaho. There are a lot of other library systems that have Freegal, so if you aren't in North Idaho, check out your library and see if they offer the service as well.

Chopsticks: Love (F)or the Piano

Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony and Rodrigo Corral

Why did I read it?

A photo as the cover caught my attention, and then I realized that the entire novel was told in pictures and scrapbook style pages. Legit!

What happened?

Glory was always fantastic at playing the piano. Her father has been training her since she was a very little girl, and at age 15, she is already playing sold-out concerts in fancy venues. But, Glory is lonely. Her mother also died when she was very young, and music is all she has now.

That is, until Frank moves in next door. He's the bad boy; the guy who messages her late at night, the guy making her mix tapes, and the guy that brings her out of her music back into the real world.

But, Glory's Dad has other plans. He'd rather have her focus on her music instead of some guy next door. Whisking her away to Europe seems like the best way to get her back on track. But, will she ever be able to give her entire life to music again when she would rather give it to Frank?

What did I like or not like?

The idea of having an entire novel told through photographs was pretty awesome. It isn't done too often, and the photographs themselves are awesome! The entire book felt very artistic, which fit with Glory's pursuing a piano career, but it also felt homemade and down-to-earth.

The only drawback for me was that you weren't exactly sure how the story ended. I have some assumptions and I think the story leads up to what I think happened. But it is one of those ones that you can't be entirely sure about.

I think you should read it and then tell me how you think it ended =D

P.S. There is a little bit of language and nude pencil sketches.

Please Don't Stop the Music =D

Ever need a quick music fix? Ever need to hear a song that you don’t have on your iPod? Ever need an awesome playlist fast?

When music first started going digital, these things were a little harder to come by. But now, there are plenty of free online options that let you listen to almost any song you could possibly need, create playlists, and get suggestions from others. Many of these sites also have a mobile version that you can get for your tablet, smart phone, or iPod.

If I’m dying to hear a song, I normally just look up the music video on Youtube (which I find has almost any song I could possibly need). But, if you’re looking for playlists or just the song, I figured I give you a few places to check out.

1. Pandora

Plug in an artist, song, genre, or composer and Pandora will set up a radio station of songs similar to your entry. This is the most popular option at the moment.

2. Spotify

"Millions of tracks, any time you like. Just search for it in Spotify, then play it. Just help yourself to whatever you want, whenever you want it." Spotify makes it really easy to share what you are listening to on Facebook, so this is another option gaining momentum.

3. Grooveshark

"Grooveshark provides free music streaming, online radio stations, and lets you connect with artists and friends." Several of my friends use Grooveshark when there is a particular song they want to hear.

4. Songza

"Working? Throwing a party? Songza has the perfect playlists for any occasion." Although this is a pretty new website, so the selection isn’t as great as some of the other options, Songza lets you listen to music that you might not find any other way.

Extra: Moreofit

Although this isn’t a music website, I thought it was pretty cool. It lets you search for websites that are similar to each other. So, if you search for Pandora, it will give you a huge list of other websites to try out.

Obviously, these websites are pretty similar to each other. So, try some out and find which ones work best for you J

Ever Find Yourself Listening to Music Online?

Anybody use Pandora or Grooveshark when they need to hear a song or fill the room with tunes? Well, as I checked my email yesterday (seems my email is full of useful info) I came across Turntable, and I thought it was an interesting idea.
In essence, its a social media format built around listening to music. You can create a "room" or join a room where DJ avatars are mixing music. You can vote the song that is playing up or down, and you can also join the action by taking your turn as a digital DJ. While you listen, you can also chat with the other listeners in the room via a chat box.
Most of the time I don't quite have the time to listen to music online. But, I thought this idea would be super fun with a group of friends, or to connect with people that you normally wouldn't be able to listen to music with.
If you want more information on Turntable, check out this NPR article.

My Dad...The Rat

Beige by Cecil Castellucci

Why did I read it?

I'm a sucker for an interesting cover. I've wondered by this book many times on the shelves, so I figured I'd read it and see what it was about.

What happened?

Katy and her mom are a tight team. Her dad lives in Los Angeles, and hasn't been in the picture since she was a little girl. But, Katy is in for a bummer of a two weeks when her mom goes to Machu Picchu and sends her to spend the time with her dad. As if it isn't bad enough that her mom went to an archeological dig without her, Katy and her dad have absolutely nothing in common. He's a loud, ex-drug addict who is trying to make another go at being a drummer with his band Suck, and she is quiet, loves silence, and can't stand his brand of music. To add insult to injury, The Rat (her dad) has bribed an aspiring musician to "hang out" with her for the two weeks, and she and Lake (the bribee) have absolutely nothing in common either.

What did I like or not like?

As music plays a huge part in the story, each chapter has the title of a different rock song, which is pretty cool. The story and motivations also seem very realistic. The point of the book is finding your own personal voice and story, and it takes her polar-opposite dad to break that to Katy. Even though the story is not a feel-good type of story, I enjoyed it. P.S. For those who would like to know, there are some cuss words in here.