Free: Things always better when they're free

This post is a partner post to the previous post discussing interesting use of web time.  You see, while I was writing the last post there were a few other websites I wanted to mention, but because I had failed to write them down, I could not remember what they were (maybe I should create some sort of innovative memo-making website). On with the websites...

I want to point out how cool it is that, for the most part, gaining information/obtaining things from the Internet is totally free!  I mean, you no longer have to go buy a dictionary, just Google the word.  You no longer have to buy a newspaper, just go to the NY Times website.  While free things are great, some of these new freebies could potentially be harmful to certain established medias as we know them, but that is a whole other topic of discussion for another post.   

Sam Wolfe Connelly's work featured
on Artist-A-Day

Therefore, in this post, let us not dwell on the future downslide of print media and rather focus on how awesome getting stuff for free is! The first interesting website is brought to you by my iGoogle homepage.  It is called "Artist-A-Day" and it features a different artist everyday of the week.  It is meant to just present a few of their works to spark interest and if the viewer feels so compelled, they can go to the artist's website for more goodies.  Now, I know that anyone can find art for free on the Internet, but I like how this website is really promoting lesser known artists and giving them a spotlight, even if just for a day.


The next website condones the free sharing of music via the web.  There have been numerous law suits over the illegal sharing of music files through websites like KaZaa and LimeWire (which I definitely DO NOT recommend).  NoiseTrade is a fair trade music website that allows artists the opportunity to have their music available online for free for people to download.  The philosophy of NoiseTrade: 


"Artists want to know, connect with, and be supported by music fans. Music fans want high-quality, free (or variably priced) music and to be rewarded, not punished, for sharing the music they love with their friends. We believe that if artists and fans work together, everyone can get what they want."


It is a great place to find new music and I have enjoyed much of what I have found there, including Katie Herzig, Derek Webb, Lovedrug, and Sleeping At Last.  But remember, just because the music can be free, be sure to tip the artist every now and then by making a donation to NoiseTrade.  

Daytrotters' depiction of
Freelance Whales

The final website I would love to share is also a free music website.  Daytrotter is a site that supports many great musicians as they tour through the Midwest.  Artists like the Local Natives, Dawes, Tegan and Sara, and Bon Iver have all stopped at The Horseshack in Rock Island, Ill., in order to record their "Daytrotter Sessions."  Basically, the guys at the The Horseshack record a few songs live and then make them available for free downloads.  It is beautiful.  "These songs are them as they are on that particular day, on that particular tour – dirty and alive," says the Daytrotter's website. 


They also promise that if you make Daytrotter your home, you will love it, and I do!  Most of the live recordings are very different than their original recordings, but that is what makes it so worth it.  It's a very raw and unplugged feeling.  And a cherry on the top: they have cartoon-style drawings of the musicians done as well, which I find super hipster/relevant. 


Well, I definitely feel better now that I have shared these free things with you.  Next time, I will remember to write these important things down so that I don't forget and leave all you Internet-users paying for things unnecessarily.   

Creating creativity

It is not very often that I have time to sit down and just browse the Internet, or "surf the web," as some old people say.  However, as of late, I think I am going to start dedicating more time to just that.  My typical Internet use looks similar to most people my age: I check my email, I check my Facebook for any action, I creep around on Facebook, I glance at Twitter, and occasionally I check my bank account (usually a depressing occasion).  Of course, my current post-college blues also has me frantically searching for jobs on the Internet as well.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images (as noted by watermark)

All of these things do not constitute simply perusing the web, and that is what I am here today to promote!  To get everyone jump started on this, I will share an interesting website I have recently stumbled upon. I am on a quest to find those websites that are educational, worth my time, creative, and entertaining (very high demands).

The eBiz website chooses the Top 10 Best Flash Websites of the year, which are judged on use of audio/visuals, accessibility, and uniqueness.  This year's top Flash website is: http://moodstream.gettyimages.com.  According to the eBiz site it is described as "a hypnotic website brought to you by the folks at Getty Images that offers a brainstorming tool designed to help get your creative juices flowing."  I think it is a pretty cool idea!  The combination of photography, cinematography, and music is intriguing.  Basically, you can decide what mood you're in, adjust sliders to match that mood, and then the website adjusts what photos, footage, music, and pacing will best get your inspiration going.  Perfect for writers and artists of all kinds.  

This American Life: The greatest podcast ever created

Hailing from WBEZ on Chicago Public Radio, "This American Life" has been the top podcast on iTunes at least since I have started listening about 2 years ago.  It has caught my attention, sucked me in, and now has changed my life.  I want to share this excitement with everyone I know! Even though I know that listening to audio podcasts does not and will not fancy everyone, I think more people should take the time to engage in a form of storytelling that has been greatly overlooked.

When I sat down to write out the best description of "This American Life," I figured their website would be a good place to get some ideas about what to tell people.  Their description of the show definitely says it better than anything I could ever come up with:


One of our problems from the start has been that when we try to describe This American Life in a sentence or two, it just sounds awful. For instance: each week we choose a theme and put together different kinds of stories on that theme. That doesn't sound like something we'd want to listen to on the radio, and it's our show.


So usually we just say what we're not. We're not a news show or a talk show or a call-in show. We're not really formatted like other radio shows at all. Instead, we do these stories that are like movies for radio. There are people in dramatic situations. Things happen to them. There are funny moments and emotional moments and—hopefully—moments where the people in the story say interesting, surprising things about it all. It has to be surprising. It has to be fun.

Besides just a radio podcast, they also had a TV show on Showtime for two seasons.  If you like documentary film, I highly recommend watching these two DVDs, which are available to buy and also to rent on Netflix.  One of the most interesting and relevant stories they shared on the TV show was an episode about an Iraqi in America on a very noble quest.



Subscribe to the podcast for free on iTunes, which will give you a new hour-long episode once a week.  Give it a try. It is very different than watching a movie or TV, and a lot like your mother (or host Ira Glass) reading you a bedtime story.  I love it.

Welcome to the World of Media

Today marks the start of my quest to become completely "linked in," (LinkedIn pun intended) meaning that I am going to start taking my social networking and Internet use seriously.  In today's world, everything is connected through the world wide web, so why shouldn't I be? There are so many outlets for me to share my thoughts, gather information, connect with anyone or everyone, communicate, be entertained, entertain others, etc.

Sometimes I get dizzy thinking about how I can link my YouTube videos on my Twitter, which then shows up on my iGoogle homepage, where I can also find my Facebook feed.  Instead of mindlessly going along with all of this media, I decided I want to be intentional about how I use it... perhaps so it doesn't use me.

What will you find in this blog? My thoughts on current topics surrounding music, film, television, art, and other media-related items.  I just want to share things that excite me with the world!