Blog: Blogio Oddio

Any fan of Hollywood soundtracks should know composer Carl Orff's Carmina Burana . Countless films and trailers employ the first movement, "O Fortuna." The Carmina Burana , or Codex Buranus , is a medieval manuscript of 254 poems and dramatic texts dating to about 1230 AD. Several more pages were bound with it into a small folder in the Late Middle Ages. The authors were theological students who worked within and satirized the Catholic Church. They protested through song, poetry, and performance the growing contradictions within the Church, [...]

Martinibomb is sharing their catalog for free! WHAT?! I KNOW! RIGHT? You knew you could score some of their tunes on Comfort Stand and one on Oddio Overplay . Now you have hit the mother lode! Martinibomb (The 1998-2004 Collection)

Stealing Orchestra have been amazingly generous contributors to the free music world for a decade. The orchestra has provided a prolific free netlabel (and at Free Music Archive ) featuring their work and the works of fellow Portuguese bands. DELIVERANCE is Stealing Orchestra's new album. It is a master work, a massive opus that begins with the big bang and delivers us to the present day. It is amazing. The first time I heard it I was stunned, so I am here to recommend it to [...]

Ah, the late '70s were the glory days of power pop punk when bands like the Clash and 999 were kings. Power pop descended from those originals appears today in the form of The Killers, Hot Hot Heat, The Strokes, The Walkmen, Franz Ferdinand, The Hives, Interpol, and a slew of others. It's a sound that I personally am all too happy to hear again. Punk and New Wave kids in suspenders, ratty Lower East Side band shirts, or thin ties, it was fun pop with a punch. The album PATH MASHER by [...]

Filmmakers, podcasters, and music lovers, here is a real treat. This is a collection of more than 500 tracks on free albums predominantly, if not totally instrumental. All are licensed for reuse in derivative works, such as videos and podcasts. The albums are presented in no order and cover a broad spectrum of music and sound. photo: Michael Connors photo rights: You are allowed to copy, distribute, transmit the work and to adapt the work. [...]

Zs by Higgins and Rococo by The Paparazzi are two albums in serious overplay here at the headquarters that might just work their ways into your head and heart, too. Brace yourself for the '70s, and then relish every bit of it like spending the day in bed. Taste for yourself licenses: both Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0

Great news! Vertical House Record Store in Huntsville, Alabama, USA has released another fun Eargasm compilation! Eargasm Eight packs in 24 songs plus the great opening bonus track celebrating "Huntsville, My Hometown." Loving it!! The Eargasm series is organized and designed by local homegrown Huntsville artists and features local musicians, many of whom perform at the shop. Alabama is one of the best places on Earth today for new surf, bubblegum, and rockabilly. You can hear those influences on Eargasms Eight , as well as rock, hip hop, folk, and power pop. [...]

Our personal favorite among Bjork's albums is the sample packed, energetic POST. Stereogum loves that one so much that they organized artists' fascinating interpretations for a tribute to POST with input from Bjork herself. ENJOYED: A TRIBUTE TO BJORK'S POST

Earth Day celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. Earth Day 2011 is Friday, April 22nd. Events in your area (worldwide) might be listed at the Earth Day Network , the official global coordinators. Here are two programs that are probably of interest to you. Music for the Earth In celebration of Earth Day, the Earth Day Network, Sonicbids, Musician's Friend and artists from around the world are giving you the gift of "green" music. All of the tracks on the Music for the [...]

Happy Record Store Day ! Avid free music listeners are among the best purchasers of music. Today is dedicated to keeping independent record stores alive. Please take time to support your local record store today! Most stores have giveaways, free performances, swag, contests, and limited edition Record Store Day pressings. We have even been to some shops who celebrate the holiday with cookouts and cookie decorating. Always a lot of fun -- and [...]

Every album by the French group The Juanitos is a party. The newest release, Welcome in the House of F.U.N. , lives up to the band's party standards. Welcome in the House of F.U.N. delivers a sonic soul party, a vacation in the tropics, and time travel back to the swingingest '60s hot spots! There are even tips of the hat to the Chambers Brothers and Jimi Hendrix. Enjoy! license: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 France License

Happy Birthday to the Free Music Archive who turns two today. Spend some time there soon, because the new, free, legally shared music is added every day. See you there! (You will find me as member katya-oddio .) 50+ FMA Highlights Anniversary Mix 2011 Happy Birthday FMA Mix

Club Fonograma makes free compilations of legally shared music by today's Latin artists with a focus on South America. The 11th in their " Fonogramáticos " series is available now. Their blog showcases Latin artists worldwide, including mention of free releases, such as this compilation from Revista Plástica in Spain.

Huun Huur Tu is still on their US tour, so if you live in the North and East, do yourself the favor of an historic night out to see these Tuvan greats who are humbly playing at intimate clubs and schools. Huun Huur Tu are a traditional Tuvan group performing ancient music on ancient instruments accompanied by khoomei throat singing . Their music is remarkable. I've been stalling on listening to their new album, ETERNAL, because in it they are paired with electronic composer Carmen Rizzo. I didn't want to hear [...]

Goodbye, old friend. Sad news. On Valentine's Day, Ensonic Radio is closing up shop. If you are able to take up the enterprise, it is for sale on eBay .

Today the U.S. nation celebrates the life and work of prominent civil rights activist, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King . Here are three speeches by Dr. King. The first is King's infamous "I Have a Dream" speech delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. on August 28, 1963. The second is a speech given January 14, 1968, at a demonstration supporting anti-war activitists, including singer Joan Baez, imprisoned at the Santa Rita Prison in California. The recording of Dr. King's speech was produced by Colin Edwards for [...]

The toy piano is historically more than just a plaything. Quality toy pianos stay in tune, because they do not employ strings. Toy pianos offer a unique timbre unlike a piano and more like a celesta or a member of the harpsichord family. It is this unusual sound has been the key appeal to a small number of composers and performers through the centuries. [...]

There's this algorithm running in the Free Music Archive system that generates a list of the tracks from the library of more than 30,000 mps that users find most interesting. It factors in how many times visitors listen to, download, favorite, and comment on tracks. Oddio Overplay delivered almost one-quarter of the top 45 in the Most Interesting in 2010 (22.22%). That's pretty cool! Cheers to all the artists appearing in this list and to all artists who share their music online.

Happy New Year, music friends! As of January 1, 2011, Oddio Overplay has made 1,452 contributions to the Free Music Archive . That is the number to beat for activity in 2011. How about fulfilling a resolution right now to be a part of that most excellent free music community ? As the byline reads, " It's not just free music; it's good music! " Later this month, Oddio's netlabel for children, Kazoomzoom will relaunch with a new look and a larger catalog. This is a very [...]

After repeatedly playing FMA favorites in an attempt to list the top 10 tracks among those added to the archive this year, it was clear that there is just too much music worth celebrating at the FMA. The task soon morphed into praising the best five to ten selections for many genres in 12 mixes. These are genre specific mixes showcasing recordings added to the Free Music Archive in 2010 that have been favorites at the Oddio Overplay [...]