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CMJ: Not only a free CD, but some good articles and reviews.
CMJ New Music Monthly
CMJ New Music Monthly

Magazine Description Read what's happening in the exciting world of new music in every issue of CMJ New Music Monthly. You'll read about the hottest new bands and recording artists around, as well as in-depth reviews and upcoming releases. Plus, every issue of the magazine includes a CD compilation of 20 songs. It's an aural delight! (Better than a 9" dildo up your ass, anyway.)

The free CMJ CDs: Reviews
August 1999 Dreadful.  The CD starts off with a whole bunch of fans much admired by football player rapists.  Some of the songs here are OK, but most aren't worth naming.  The mellow sound of Spain is just about the only thing that got my interest, although Praga Khan's Breakfast in Vegas techo/dance stuff was fun too.  The Smoke City track from Red Hot and Lisbon is pretty.
July 1999 It's been a while since CMJ has provided an outstanding free CD, and this isn't it.  Some big-hitters (jeez, I just used a sports analogy) with Chemical Brothers, Moby, and Pavement, all doing good if predictable jobs.  I can't get that excited by the Echo and the Bunnymen track, despite the strong reviews they have got.  The highlight for me, being a sucker for minimalist synth pop with sweet female vocals, is the Kid Loco track, remixed by St. Etienne (I notice that the US EP release of this French band also includes a remix by Jim O'Rourke.)  A great version of Big Star's "September Gurls" comes from a recent previously unreleased performances, which is presumably a way of cashing in on their newfound fame due to "That 70s Show," but why not?  Juno provides some very satisfying angst-thrash, and the Donnas end the CD with good girl-pop.  Honorable mention should go to the Beta Band for their lo-tech shambolic happy song style, even if I can't work out why people have been raving about them.
June 1999 Well, I'm late with my reviews here.  This is probably a good thing, since it's given me a chance to listen to these CDs much more, and my initial boredom with the songs has dissipated, and I've grown to like them.  For instance, I first thought DJ Rap was crap, and her main selling point where her mammary glands.  But after hearing the tune "good to be alive" enough times, it grew on me.  Similarly, I thought Manic Street Preachers went downhill after their first single.  Their political sincerity and guitar/orchestra/pop managed to win me over though. Push Stars have a big Beck influence, but they are catchy more than clever.  Who would have thought I'd come to like the funky soul of Macy Gray, but that too grew on me.  The new Orbital is not very surprising, but it's reliably good.  Atari Teenage Riot has lots of energy, as ususal, but it's still tiresome.  Strange though that when I heard Joan of Arc on this CD, I completely ignored them.  It was only when I heard tracks from Live In Chicago 1999! on Spinner.com that I realized how great they were.  Very Chicago post-rock, but a little more human.  I have seen some reviews complaining about the singer's voice, but it sounded wimpy-fine to me. 
May 1999 Maybe the worst CD from CMJ so far this year.  Not anything here that I really liked.  I have started to grow a little fond of the la-la pop of Len's track "steal my sunshine," (on the Go soundtrack) and the psychedelic pop of the Lilys.  Of course it's good to hear a new track from Tom Waits, but it is very much the old Tom Waits.  The twin offerings from Guided By Voices' Robert Pollard and Tobin Sprout are passable, as is the also retro pop of Pete Krebs and the Gossmer Wings. The eastern wailing combined with orchestral backing on Prayer Cycle was interesting, like a fish on a bicycle.  But just about everything on this CD is totally forgetable.  Yawn. My favorite track was the extra mellow Brazilian guitar and voice of Vincinius Cantuaria: sweet.
April 1999 Not many great songs here this month.  Even after several listens, there are few stand-out tracks.  My favorite track is from The Latin Playboys: it's not very Latin or playboyish, to my ears, or at least, it's nothing like the sounds that I hear on the local Hispanic radio stations.  But they are spikey and dissonant in a late Tom Waits sort of way, so I want to find out more about them.  Also on the CD are Blur, in an end-of-the relationship sort of mood (Damon and Justine are no more), and Underworld, doing more of the same.  The biggest surprise was the Automator remix of Medeski Martin & Wood, sounding more like a big beat version of My Life In The Bush of Ghosts than the jazz sound I expected.
March 1999 There's a large group of songs in the second half of the CD which are worth skipping, but it starts well.  I loved hearing Built to Spill, and their new CD is now on my wish list.  Sebadoh and XTC are sounding good, I feared I am getting soft because I liked Gus, (not to be confused with Icelandic  Gus Gus), and the lounge pop of Arling & Cameron was another guilty pleasure, sounding like a lite version of St. Etienne, if you can imagine that.
February 1999 I especially liked Edith Frost's song (she's on the Drag City label--it figures), and Ani Difranco, the Hope Blister, the Boo Radleys, and AMP make it worthwhile.  Hearing Mojave 3 sound like Bob Dylan was reason enough for me to not want to hear any more of their new CD--I miss Slowdive.
January 1999 Some pretty good songs: Beth Orton, Sleater-Kinney, Vic Chesnutt and Robyn Hitchcock (a live track about how it feels like 1974 again) stood out from the pack
SPIN magazine sometimes has good articles.
    And sometimes it is crap.
Spin
Spin

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Magazine DescriptionSpin will rock your world with coverage of the progressive music scene and in-depth investigative reporting on a slew of issues, from politics to pop culture. Reviews, essays, profiles, and interviews make up a package of pure rock energy with an alternative edge.

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