Free Brazilian DJ Mixes Find a Podcast

Somewhere between digital rights management (DRM) and Creative Commons, podcasting has managed to deliver audio and video content to an appreciative global audience. Brazilian artists, musicians and DJs are joining the digerati in record numbers to promote and distribute their creations with a unique style. From London, Italy, Brasil, and practically every corner of the globe, Brasilian podcasts are available for us to sample and appreciate this very diverse culture. A random sample reveals a variety of content formats, radio style, continuous mix, audience call-in among others. Some podcasts also have website tie-ins to foster social networking, as well to search for song titles and artists information.

One of my favorites is Lounge Brasil Podcast
http://loungebrasilpodcast.podomatic.com/
for its mix of electronica and MPB artists, the included song/artist playlist and website. Podcasts are available from iTunes, Podcast Directory or the link above. RSS feeds are also available.

More Brazilian MP3s Than Expected at Russian Site

Based on appearance, my first impression of mp3lava is that I probably wouldn't use it often. 

Given the visual appeal of many mp3 download sites, mp3lava seems quite plain. But after giving it a once over the site does have a few good offerings:

• tracks starting at 15 cents, plus discount options
  
• a good selection of Brasilian artists and CD compilations
  
• rare and hard to find tracks
  

The site's design and layout are sparse. At these low prices one has to be somewhat concerned about the legality of purchases from outside the United States. However, the site's terms and conditions page doesn't t inspire much confidence. Likewise beyond the legalese sidestepping, I still felt a sense of "buyer beware".

My first pleasant surprise happened while I was searching by genre.  I was able to locate several of my favorite and popular Brazilian artists under the "Samba" "House" and "Latin" categories respectively. I'm usually disappointed by the results of this type of search on most websites, but here the results seems crossed referenced with other genres. For example, Carlinhos Brown of Timbalada fame, appeared on my list of Samba artists but was actually listed, incorrectly in my opinion, as a Reggae artists. As a former Reference Librarian, I've always felt cross referencing to be extremely helpful in locating information that can be classified almost anywhere. I wish all music download websites had the insight to include this. The impact it could have on purchasing decisions and the many ways it would improve overall user satisfaction, make it well worth the effort. The built-in Flash player with it's scrubbing feature let's you audition the full track.

When I can find Brazilian Promos, imports, remixes and vinyl tracks on a music download site, I am impressed.  Finding rare tracks in addition to standard single and double CDs are a bonus of using mp3lava. Pricing begins at 15 cents for single tracks up to about $4.00+ for a double CD (approx. 30 tracks). According to the volume plan you sign up for, the price could be even less. Sale pricing on certain tracks is also featured throughout. This pricing structure reminds me of boxmp3 and mp3aim music sites. The way search results were displayed also lead me to believe there may be some relationship between these music download sites.

To test my suspicion I signed on to mp3lava with my boxmp3 account and was greeted by my login name and current balance. I did the same at mp3aim. So, the likely conclusion is company XYZ, located somewhere in Russia, is successfully operating three (or more) mp3 music download sites. This isn't uncommon and doesn't take anything away from the user experience but is worth noting. As I mentioned in another site review, I've had technical issues with boxmp3 and their once responsive tech support seemed to have vanished. Although the pricing is similar among these sties, the catalog of contemporary Brazilian artists can vary.  That's principally one of the reasons why I've stayed with boxmp3.

Some of the surprises I found were the hard to find eletrosamba CD. I had been looking for this CD for sometime and refused to pay import prices from Amazon's music store. Also interesting was the extensive catalog of Imports, Remixes, and Limited Editions for Bebel Gilberto.

Highly recommended is Paula Morelenbaum's Berimbau CD - it's easy to think of her as just another lite vocalist placed before brazilian electronic rhythms, but if you're a rhythm junky like I am, Berimbau has a lot to offer. Standouts are, Tomara, a wonderful swinging groove. Starting with the intro with it's spatial placement of the side snare hits and 70's style keyboards, in your left ear and deep deep bass and atmospheric keyboard coloring.

Seule, is another favorite for it's breezy bossa drum 'n bass-like groove. The fresh interpretations of classics like Consolaçao and Canto de Cassnho with it's blending of 70's Bossa swing and 90's hip-hop scratching, keeps it new.

Demonstrating true vocal versatility, Paula Morelenbaum, although with her husband, Jacques and the renowned Ryuichi Sakamoto, cello and piano, respectively, can also be appreciated on the Jobim tribute albums, Casa and A Day in New York.

BraziLounge, Still a Major Force in New Music from Brazil

The BraziLounge CD series is one of the best, if not the best, compilation series of the new Brasilian sound.  Even though the hard-to-find import series was released between 2003 and 2006, it still remains an outstanding and relevant world music meets electronica collection. 

Sure, there have been others, Trip Do Brasil, Break n' Bossa, to name just two, but this is one is a real standout. What make it special is the execution and production values. These artists and DJs splice the true elemental foundation of Samba, Bossa Nova, Forro for example, with downtempo, acid Jazz, chill-out, ambient, drum n' bass, giving each track that special Brasilian flair. Sometimes it's the soft female lead vocals or the percussive force of the batucada as it drives the rhythm. 

Encompassing such a wide range electronic styles, this compilation could have been a very eclectic package with no direction. But the focus has always been clear, starting with BraziLounge 1 to BraziLounge 3, head to the dance floor with disc 1 (urban) and chill-out to the warm sounds of disc 2 (leisure). For reasons still unclear, BraziLounge 4, was issued as a single CD.

Several cutting edge dance/electronica artists, DJs and producers from Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Pernambuco and Salvador da Bahia are featured throughout, including Edson X, DJ Delores and Funk Como le Gusta. Its fascinating to listen to the compositions from the larger states to hear the world influences while those from smaller ones place their emphasis on traditional or local styles.  BraziLounge 3 was unique because it featured some of the best know remixes from the soundtrack of the hit movie Cidade de Deus (City of God). 

These fresh compositions keep me listening to my favorite tracks. Whether the music is blaring through my Harmon/Kardon Soundsticks II speakers attached to my iMac or through the headphones of my iPod, in each repeated listening I hear some new rhythm I didn't notice before. Sometimes its more clarity to the layered African/Latin rhythms, the light and airy synthesizer horn lines used for affect, or the beauty of the Portuguese language used as a backdrop to a tender melody of saudade.

BraziLounge 2 - disc 2 - (leisure), Renata Gebara's Meditaco - starts with a funk intro yet changes up quickly and glides into a midtempo mellow groove. Renata's vocal are so on, mellow yet expressive, this woman sings effortlessly. If you listen with a good pair of headphones you'll pick up the bossa nova guitar licks and hear the subtle waves of the Copacabana beach. 

BraziLounge 2 - disc 1 - (urban), Metro's - Mensagen De Amor (Message of Love) uses an electronica groove reminiscent of Suba's great accompaniment to Bebel Gilberto's breakthrough CD Tanto Tempo. They're never overpowering, just bubbling beneath the melody line. Another nice subtle touch in this groove is the whispered conversation of love between couples in varies languages. 

BraziLounge 4, Marco Andre's Funcao Das Coisas, is a swinging samba groove with irie atmospheric electronics but it works well, its offset by the familiar Olodum style batucada. I love to play this one loud but to appreciate the midrange harmonies, use headphones. What a funny move using the rhythm of an outboard motor to begin the groove. 

BraziLounge 3 - disc 1 - (leisure), Maracutaia's Tristeza Camará, is an easy samba groove where the melody begins with the guitar, is handed off to a clarinet, then a bass clarinet, flutes and back to the guitar. The cuica (a hollow drum that's rubbed from the inside to produce a squeaky sound) adds that Brazilian spice to the track,  but just after three minutes into the jam the splattered percussion rolls add an emotional depth making for a powerful ending . It makes a dramatic impact, but doesn't over power at all. 

BraziLounge 3 - disc 1 - (urban), I just love Stolen Beat's Going South (Glamor), this cool lounge track has all the best downtempo elements. The melody is carried by the Fender Rhodes, alternating hazy synthesizer lines against spoken Portuguese in a female voice. You can't get much more chilled out than that. 

Other BraziLounge highlights are Aleh's funk style, Dona Da Banca. Also worth checking out is his 2004 CD Mpbsoulsambagroove, a nice mixture of Samba, Soul, R&B.  Then there's Forro funk from Beto Brito on Pandeiro Sideral; or DJ Dolores on No Future Mix, a hypnotic drum and bass with a sassy hook. There's so much inventive material here is hard to select just a few. 

For those interested in a more authentic sound, don't be too put off by the heavy use of electronics here. There are several tracks on the BraziLounge series from producers just as inventive but prefer to reply of Northeastern traditions of call and response and native instrumentation. This is a highly recommended CD compilation series.

Pernambuco's Modern Sound

Whenever I discover new music, it always seems to brighten my day. It reminds me of how important it is to try and remain open to all that life can bring. The child-like quality that satisfies when the simplest needs are met.

That's how I felt this morning as I was surfing Calbash's Tune Your World and discovered Bonsuccesso Samba Clube. This five member band combines reggae & ska rhythms with Samba and other world elements. Their sound, primarily from the Northeast of Brazil, utilizes more traditional rhythms in their music than the sounds coming out of Rio or Sao Paulo. But it still has a fresh and exciting feel. I've covered some of this before looking at Forro music. Luaka Bop's Brazil Classics 7: What's Happening in Pernambuco, released just last month, is a compilation CD that surveys artists of this region, including established acts like Chico Science and Nacao Zumbi and Otto.  Bright up your day with some new-fashioned sounds from another side of Brasil.

Bonsuccesso Samba Clube

Carnival Groups Reach Proves Successful

Trios eletricos and blocos, are electric trios and blocks or groups of people that parade in the same costume. These large street bands produce a big sound from their massive speakers that can be heard from the favelas (slums) to the top of Corcovado. Many of them play samba and a mix of traditional rhythms such as coco, ciranda, and xote. 

Some of the very popular blocos, like Monobloco, Timbalada and Olodum appeal to those looking for a hip and contemporary sound like samba-reggae, funk, hip-hop and the high energy of axé music. They're extremely popular in Salvador da Bahia and Rio de Janeiro. During Carnaval (Carnival time) it's practically impossible to travel through certain parts of the city without running up against throngs of people laughing, singing dancing, making out, drinking beer and partying themselves into a wild and joyous frenzy. Since trios electricos are on wheels the crowds literally following the bands throughout the city.

Monobloco is perhaps one of the most famous blocos at this time, their popularity is so immense the city of Rio has asked them repeatedly to hold their post carnival concerts at 9:00 am, in hopes of drawing smaller crowds. But once again it backfired when 80,000 people crowded the streets of Copacabana. The bands 2002 CD, Monobloco may not be well known in the States but this import captures the excitement, pulsating batucada and the global appeal of this exciting bloco. Monobloco has multiple lead singers and their voices complement each other as if to sound like one whether they're singing in unison or solo. These fine male vocals are allowed to shine and hold their own against the superior rhythms of the batcuda (percussion section) and strong melodies in songs like Alagados, Maracatu Embolado and the hot samba funk of Immunização Racional (Que Beleza), featured on their CD.  If you're the type that loves being part of the energy of the music, you must experience the infectious sounds of Monobloco, Timbalada and others.

Monobloco - Que Beleza

Timbalada • feat. Carlinhos Brown & Daniela Mercury - Beija Flor

Samba Funk From Brazil

About two years ago, I went to Mexico City for the first time. Where ever I travel, I usually find time to shop for new music. It was here of all places that I discovered the Brazilian artist known as Curumin.

Some described him as a modern day Jorge Ben Jorge or a Jamiquori, but only more talented. Well, neither reference though well meaning, comes close to describing his very personal sound, in my opinion. Blending his stylist approach to R&B, Hip-Hop and Jazz with Samba and Bossa Nova,  has rightfully captured much attention north of the equator. 

His debut CD, Achados E Perdidos (Lost and Found) is highly listenable, its one of those laid back and shake your head kinda grooves. I hope we hear a lot from Curumin in the years to come. He does a fairly good cover of Stevie Wonder’s You Haven’t Done Nothin, (I'm a Stevie fanatic, so I tend to be critical here), but the standouts are Solidao Gasolina, Tudo Ben Malandro and Samba Japa. You can listen to 5 of Curumin's tracks and download free Mp3s. He’s been appearing at World Music festivals and similar clubs in promotion of the CD. 

DancetracksDigital is Tops in Brazilian Dance Music.

DancetracksDigital.com is one of my favorite music download websites because it features a section specifically devoted to contemporary Brazilian music. 

Given the central theme of my blog, its obvious to see why I feel that way. This is a great place to begin a search for electro samba in its many forms. Of all the music download websites I've ever searched, dancetracksdigital makes it a breeze to find the music I love. Brazilian music isn't the site's only strength, they're actually geared to all forms of dance music. 

Dance, club and house music labels seem to have the most creative CD artwork and DancetracksDigital makes good use of it. I like the fact that they include artist and label bios. Given that so much music is now available primarily online, I miss having linear notes that are bundled with jewel cases. That may be some what "old school" but it makes for a deeper appreciation of the artist and his/her work. However, I've noticed in the past year or so, booklets are available in iTunes with an entire CD purchase. 

DancetracksDigital, like mp3sparks.com offers performance quality encoding, usually at 320 kbps, some older tracks are at 256 kbps. Tracks are compatible with all media players and come without digital rights management (DRM) encoding. The per track pricing is bit steep at $1.89, but I imagine audiophiles and music lovers won't mind paying for quality.

Mp3sparks.com, by contrast, offers a range of bitrates and prices are adjusted accordingly. One makes out much better though by purchasing entire CDs from dancetracksdigital; here pricing is well in line with other leading online music sites, like iTunes, at around $9.99. You can sample 60 seconds of any track by placing it on your playlist with its built-in music player. The site boast almost 2,000 labels and 15,000 artists to choose from. There's a news section, which is essentially a blog,  but it has some very interesting music related events like a building in Detroit that went up in flames that housed a legendary vinyl record shop or the worlds largest record collection that was up for sale. DJ competitions, artist profiles and youTube videos are also available in the news section. 

If you're looking for purchasing suggestions, dancetracksdigital's charts are kind of limited compared to other sites, most noteworthy, mp3sparks. They seem to be based solely on their popularity within the site, as opposed to industry or world-wide activity. Although of limited use for the average music download person, DancetracksDigital offers DJs live ready tracks that can be used in performance. 

Conclusion: 

I've had nothing but a good experience using this site to augment my mp3 iPod and iTunes collection. Unlike some other sites, boxmp3.com comes to mind, I've never encountered any download or encoding errors. The site is very reliable and updated frequently. There are other sites with better pricing options but the selection more than makes up for it. I'm especially excited with dancetracksDigital because I've been able to find several remixes of contemporary Brazilian artists and label samplers that prior to discovering the site, I could only find in the now vanishing brick and mortar mega stores, like Virigin records or Towers records. Does anyone remember them ?

iTunes #2 for Music Downloads in the US

NPD market research group published a study announcing that iTunes is now the number two music retailer in the US due to the amount of music it sold in 2007. This is based on a 12 track equivalent CD for music downloads. 20 million songs were sold on Christmas day 2007 alone. Beyond these amazing sales figures and other facts like 48% of US teens didn't buy any CDs in 2007. 

What caught my attention was a quote from an entertainment analyst who stated that the industry struggles to improve the value of each digital customer. This is something I've attempted to address in my music download reviews and commentary. There are many music websites that are basically just one-step above bare bones in ease of use, search capabilities and aesthetic value. When will they get it, strategic improvements in the user experience can generated increased traffic and loyality. 29 million people purchased online music last year. That's up from 5 million from last year. With solid branding and better music selection and the increased numbers of baby boomers and gen-xer's entering the legal mp3 music download market, there stands additional opportunities to aid lagging CD sales and put a jolt back into the music market.

Mp3 Music Downloads Under the Radar

Could it be mp3 bloggers have found a safe way to sharing their files ? I'm not suggesting others should follow suit, but some bloggers seem to have found a way to promote their favorite music that seems to be catching on. By storing the actual mp3 file on storage sites, like megashare and posting the url in their blog, they appear to be getting around some of the illegal implications of P2P sharing. After all it seems to be a similar business model used by some mega music download sites like klite-pro. By subscribing you'll have access to unlimited music downloads, the pretty girl says in the demo, when in actuality you're using their service to tap into the music collection of fellow subscribers to the service. As I understand it, the mp3 files are not on the klite-pro servers. This strategy seems to be working for individual music bloggers now with a slight twist.

When mp3 bloggers talk about a new release or their favorite artist's work, it has the potential to create a buzz about the music and for the artist. The assumption is this could lead to greater exposure. Recently this music chatter has been studied to figure out the impact of music blogging and social network on buying decisions. Music lovers are constantly in search of new music and rightfully so they want to hear what all the buzz is all about. As the technology gives us greater access, it also has a downside. A shorter attention span and instant gratification can be the by product of too many choices. So being able to audition the music can have a positive affect on a products lifecycle. This concept hasn't gone unnoticed by the RIAA. Music bloggers are offering a service not just to their readers but also providing free product promotion to the record labels, promo agencies, and an assorted list of stakeholders. I doubt this happy medium will last for long. But it does appear to signal a possible shift in the RIAA response.

Free Music Download Sites May Be on the Rise

We've all read about the struggles of the music industry for sometime now, each year there’s a steady decline in CD sales. Many believe that the technology has created the demand for instant access, increasing P2P pirating and threatening future profits for the record labels as a whole. But sympathy for the Industry wanes each year as we hear about RIAA litigation settlements targeted towards teens who either don’t know better and/or aren’t properly supervised. The need to protect creative copyrights is important but is litigation an effective deterrent ?

Today the industry consists of four international conglomerate holding companies. These music groups control 70% of the world music market and 80% of the U.S. music market. Small and specialty record labels have either been absorbed or just withered away due to staggering competition. There’s no wonder the industry remains in a slump when the landscape is in a chokehold. Consumers feel the loss too, when access to diverse artists and musical styles, that don’t necessarily fit into the mega sales model, become so far and few in between, purchasing naturally slows up.

Fortunately some artists and entrepreneurs are testing new business and distribution models. Many artists have begun selling their music directly to consumers on the internet and bypassing record labels for their own survival. It’s an attempt to align themselves with the way consumers are searching for music to download.

Apple's iTunes has sold over four billion songs since 2001, but many companies with online music models have not been as successful. It seems as one new player emerges another folds, just recently Yahoo announced it would close its subscription service and migrate its customers to Rhapsody subscription service.

With the enormous appeal of MySpace and Facebook, music lovers have gravitated to sites like Last.fm or iLike, to create communities to discuss and share their music tastes. I like the idea of discovering new music based on my collection. But it can be hit or miss. But if you enjoy the social aspect, it does have it's appeal.

Imeem and Last.fm are riding a new trend of ad-supported, online music streaming. With agreements from the record labels, users create playlists, from music already tied to the site, and share them in a community. But these site agreement may not contain the complete catalog of an artist’s work. There may only be access to certain tracks. Further investigation of some ad-sponsored sites reveals there are limits to how many times you can listen to a free track. Well I can't say I didn't see that one coming. But for a monthly fee you can avoid advertisements (which usually play at the beginning of the track), and download the track at a higher bitrate. Is it me or have we just gone 360 with this "new" business model ? This sounds like your everyday mp3 music download service.

There’s little argument that the labels have been slow to embrace the rapidly changing landscape. The technology is forcing this shift and I expect we’ll see more business models introduced and fail before someone else gets it right, like Apple does.

I don’t think I’m asking for much, just give me intuitive and elegant software (or web interface), an extensive music catalog and a good user experience. That’s what I call value and good branding. That’s what keeps this music lover in a purchase mode.

Brazil Music Download Surprises at Audio Lunchbox

If you're searching for independent artist and indie labels, Audio Lunchbox just may fit the bill. They seem to offer a  wide selection of artists as represented by the many genres listed on the homepage. The cover art in the ALB Staff Favorites and Weekly Editor's Picks makes finding your music easy. I never thought of my myself as an indie fan but a few random searches turned up several CDs already in my collection, many of them were purchased during my trips to Brazil.

I was surprised to find Rica Amabis' Sambadelic. This artist takes an unusual approach to rhythm, always the adventurist but sometimes it's hard to follow the melody.  Sambadelic is one of my earliest electro Samba CDs, I picked it up without knowing anything about the artist. If you're a fan of Amon Tobin, Rica Amabis may be appealing. But it's an aquired taste to be sure.  

I was pleasantly surprised to come across the always exciting BossaCucaNova and their CD, Um Batida Diferente. I first came across this group via the now classic Brasil 2Mil: The Soul of Bass-O Nova compilation, which I highly recommend. Through the use of turntables, electronica and hip-hop beatz, these guys always pay their respects to the Brazilian classics as they work the groove into a different beat.  

Other than Peter Gabriel's Real World Records, the Luaka Bop label, spearheaded by David Burne of Talking Heads fame, has to be one of the coolest labels in bringing authentic world music to a larger audience. If you've been paying attention to any of these posts by know you know I practically swear by compilations. The Brazil Classics series volumes 1-5 is an excellent series and it's available on audio lunchbox. Here you'll find original genre classics, popular artists and liner notes that read like a mini encyclopedia,  giving you the full background and history of the artists and their influences when these timeless music was created.

Tracks are .99 cents and albums are $ 9.99. Audio bitrate are 192 Kbps VBR MP3 and Q6 Ogg Vorbis. Using the shopping method purchases are finalized with credit cards, paypal or lunchbox  lunchcards.  Two interesting features of this website are the community message boards and the fact that cover art is included with your purchases.

Cheap Music Downloads of Emerging Artists at Mp3tunes

The mp3tunes music store has a very simple interface, Top Songs and Top Albums, on the right  and genre navigation on the left side of the home page.  The focus of this music collection is on emerging artists. Which makes it practically useless for my type of artist or CD searches. However I did find a few interesting tidbits based on free text and genre searches. But in fairness one would use this site to find new music not execute hard core searches for well know artists. The songs are DRM-free and playable on any iPod and mp3 music player. Two unusual but useful features are Mr. Locker, which keeps track of every song you purchase and lets you download the song again no charge.  The other is the Artist Café, which offers promotional opportunities and other tools for performers. Standard price is .88 cents per song and $8.88 per album. The audio bitrate is 192 Kbps VBR mp3.

Mp3sparks - Missing in Action, Again.

Normally by this time I would have posted sample artists searches for the website I was reviewing. It's my way of testing the site's search options, as well as highlighting their collection of Brazilian contemporary music.  It took me several days to complete the initial review because the site disappeared, then it returned for a few days. Unfortunately, now its been down all week. Once it reappears I'll post my results. Sorry for the delay.

Mp3sparks is a Feature Rich Music Download Powerhouse, Let's Hope it Stays Around

Note:
I've used mp3sparks.com in it's previous incarnation as allofmp3.com. This was before what some have reported as U.S.Congressional pressure on music download sites emanating from Russia. So it didn’t come as a complete surprise that during my review the site had become inaccessible for about 72 hours or more. It has since returned. I think the site offers good value and makes shopping for online music easy and convenient. They offer several features to personalize how information is displayed. The audio quality options are the best I’ve seen on any website. I’d hate to see a mp3 collection like this disappear permanently. However, the integrity of mp3sparks.com has again been called into question with alleged ties to a cybercrime group.

Summary

The home page of this graphic intensive website shouts we've got the goods. Obviously they understand the power that cover art plays in the buying decisions of music lovers. There’s a wealth of tools, lists and charts that offer useful information in making purchase decisions. Listening to tracks on mp3sparks offers the best user experience I've seen on music site. This is just one of the principle reasons why I’ve been a member for years. Recent addition of ratings and display enhancements, along with daily content updates, makes this site more than just a pay and go experience. However, genre searching needs an overhaul and reliability is cause for some apprehension.

Navigation and Searching

I like having quick access of the "Just Added" list right from the homepage before I do any searching. This allows me to see the site's latest CDs, by date, and flip through the cover art. You can search without registering to investigate the strength of the site's catalog. The common search methods, free text, alphabetically and by genre, are available but the real standout is the variety of bestseller lists and unique charts for purchase ideas. Practically every music site has some sort of Top Ten list, but none have the depth that mp3sparks has. Aside from National Charts by country, Greatest 500 Albums, Bestsellers of the Week, think of the value of being a search by

BBC World Music Awards
Latin Grammy Awards
NJR (French) Awards
Digital Top 10 
Indie Top 200
Top rated Albums
AllAboutJazz Picks
Billboard's European Top 100
Best sellers in Soundtracks
MTV Chart, just to name a few.

Having the ability to set preferences for My Collection is a very cool feature. All my purchases can be marked and displayed by selecting certain options. I can also vote on any CD that I like and check off if I own it or not. IT's my guess these community settings feed the site’s other suggestions list: "Customers That Bought .. " & "Similar Albums/Artists".

Searching by genre yields too little results, perhaps that why this option appears at the bottom of the site. It hardly seems worth the effort. Therefore my only recourse to search for Brazilian contemporary music was based on my knowledge of artists and CDs. See a future post for the results of my sample searches and recommendations.

Listening to Tracks

Once you’ve found what you’re looking for, mp3sparks makes listening to your track easy. Simply select the track and an embedded music player appears and begins to play a 30 second preview. If you’re a registered user you can listen to the entire track. There’s no scrubbing like at mp3aim.com. This site plays a mono, low quality version suitable enough to make a purchase decision. Mp3sparks has the most extensive bitrate options I have ever seen, 128 kbps to CD quality. However, ID3 track information may need clean up for downloaded tracks. I’ve noticed this with other Russian music sites as well. Especially when a track includes Latin characters like the ç (cedilla), ê (circumflex) or ã (tilde). Cover art is not download but in a pinch one could always cut and paste from the site.


Pricing

Purchasing follows the standard shoping cart method. As with other sites, you must have credits in order to make a purchase. You can refill your balance in increments from $25 to $100, using credit and debit cards as well as phone pin purchasing. In the past I’ve experience problems with this site accepting my credit card from the U.S., I believe this is due more to pressure from the credit card industry and questions about copyright issues. However, I could not locate the About US link on the site leaving these types of questions unanswered. Track pricing depends on the file size and the bit rate. For 192 kbps quality tracks are approximately .12 to .30 cents and a single CD $2.15, double CDs, $5.25. Because I purchase a lot of music there are times when it's convenient to know what I've bought from a particular online music store. Most sites offer download histories as does mp3sparks, but thirty days is inadequate. However you can request purchasing statistics beyond that period via email.

Comments

Has some of the best charts and bestseller lists I’ve ever used. I normally don’t bother with these tools on any websites because I normally access a site with titles in mind. But the variety and uniqueness of these charts are worth consulting. Without a doubt my favorite feature is being able to listen to the entire track right within the webpage. With the exception of iTunes, the leader among music download sites, mp3sparks has very good and clear cover art. The flash images on the homepage are a big draw. High points for the wide range of audio quality options. Customizing the My Collection, bookmarking and user ratings are all excellent features which create a great user experience. I’ve not had to contact tech support so I cannot comment of their responsiveness. Not withstanding the reliability issue mentioned above, this site has much to offer and is very highly recommended if you tend to browse for music suggestions. There are other sites less expensive but not with comparable features and selection.

Of the features mentioned in this review, which are more important to you when you select a music download website?

Survey Says, 49% of U.S. "tweens" buy music on iTunes

A recent report by the NPD Group called "Kids & Digital Content" surveyed tweens, ages 9 to 14, in the U.S. and uncovered interesting patterns about legal and illegal music downloading. Nearly half of all U.S. kids that engage in legal music downloads are using iTunes. This is certainly good news for Apple which prides itself on ease of use and enhancing the user experience when it comes to their products. The report also suggest more education about obtaining digital rights is needed as opposed to litigation. This could may be achieved by specific products targeted to tweens.   What caught me by surprise is the report estimates that up to 70% of tweens download music in a given month.

21 FREE Mp3s Worth Grabbing Now

Penrique - Polo

He describes his style as modern and composes using a midi keyboard and software, yet his sound has a nice layered Latin feel that percolates. Listening to Baion Media de Luna is reminisce of watching the hip swaying Brasilerias in the clubs of Sao Paulo after midnight, hypnotic !

Another track I've added to my iPod is Rencuentro. It has a haunting melody that's tender and simple but it's the percussion and keys accentuating a tight rhyhm that keeps this gem from being anything but bland.

With a nod toward the Nu Bossa sound, the track Itaparica captures the cool of Bossa yet it's steadily looking forward with an interesting musical lead voice. Is that a vocorder I hear, Penrique ? Either way, the smart intrumentation and use of counter melody play, makes this very listen-able track a standout.

I discoverred this instrumentalist last year cruising the web for free mp3s and hit a gold mine. Well, it looks like deja-vue, all over again. He's added several new tracks to Download.com, and the older ones are still available there, for a total of 21 FREE mp3s to download. Not all are brazilian-inspired but there's bound to be something for your musical taste here, techno, NuJazz, Rock, R&B, etc. Thank you, Penrique for sharing your creativity.

Forró & Mangue Beat: The Party Music of Northeast Brazil

Zabumbas (a drum), triangles and accordions, these are the instruments that make up Forró, the party music of the Northeast region of Brasil. Recife and Fortaleza are the major cities with crowded Forró clubs. The picture above is a common theme during the annual Festa Junia (June Festival), it's a time when the music can be heard for miles.

I captured this clip of a Forró band and the lively crowd enjoying the music into the wee hours of the morning. (Itacaré, Bahia).



Although not as popular outside of Brasil as Samba or Bossa Nova, Forró (pronounced fo-HO) is also the name of a dance. There are three different rhythms or paces to the dance, and it's really intriguing to watch skilled dancers. Featured in a 2006 New York Times article, with a great multimedia side piece, Forró is an infectious sounding music where the themes are often of love, passion and saudades (the Brazilian term for longing).

Although Forró has historically been tagged as music from the country side, the late Luiz Gonzaga, has been said to have expanded the form giving it a more urban context. My first exposure to Forró was the compilation, Brazil Classics: Forró, on the Luka Bop label. But I have to admit it took some time to appreciate the genre.

At times the music can be frantic and at other times very funky, yet it continued to honor the traditions of the past. Either way it kept the dancers moving and the next generation of artists, like Chico Science & Nação Zumbi combined influences of rock, funk, hip-hop and electronica created Mangue Beat (or Bit) which some suggest is based on Forró.

For more, check out this excellent audio introduction to popular Forró songs, for a steady stream of Forró music consider, WebRadio do Nordeste.

3 Nu Bossa Brasileiras Found on Mp3aim.com

This week’s artist search focuses on three top selling contemporary Brazilian artists, Rosalia de Souza, Sabrina Malheiros and Bebel Gilberto.

(want to know how mp3aim.com rates ?, see previous post)

Sabrina Malheiros CDs were filed under the Lo-Fi & Latin genres.

The daughter of Alex Malheiros of the Brazilian jazz group, Azymuth, Sabrina seems to have the vocal skills singers like Bebel Gilberto are still searching for. Her rhythms borrow from Nu Jazz no doubt given her father’s influence, but there’s shadings of hip-hop, R&B and electronica to give it that new feel. Which shows she's not content with living just off the family name. Her debut CD, Equilibria, is outstanding, favorite tracks are Love Sorte, Capoeira Vai, Saudade Rio, but the list can go on. For clubbers and house music thrill seekers the follow-up remix CD, Vibrasons (Vibrations) is simply a tour deforce. The list of remixers on this project includes some impressive new comers, Beatnix and highly respected craftsmen, Spiritual South, Kenny Dope and Nicola Conte. I really like this project. Mp3aim.com has a good selection of Sabrina’s CDs and remix singles.




Rosalia de Souza CDs were filed under the House, Samba & Lo-Fi genres.

The Modern and Different Girl
With strong songwriting skills and a top notch producer, Nicola Conte, Rosalia has made a very strong showing among the crowded field of female singers from Brasil. But judging from the rapid response to remix her debut CD, Garota Moderna (Modern Girl) and its success, it seems this attention and praise are well earned. mp3aim.com has the debut and follow up CD, Brasil Precisa Balancar, plus several of the remix singles. Unfortunately is their missing Garota Diferente (Different Girl), the real treat where the remix masters go to work on the well received debut. Notable tracks: The Rio de Janeiro remixes are excellent house standouts.




Bebel Gilberto CDs were filed under the House, Dance, Latin, Jazz, Samba, Beat & Other genres

Bebel’s Momento CD was named one of Amazon’s Best of 2007. Her first release Tanto Tempo, produced by the late DJ Suba, redefined the bossa nova sound with electronica to bring us Nu Bossa. Bebel was one of the first singers to make a big splash, although I attribute her success to the musical visionary Suba and his DJ and production skills. One need only listen to his monumental CD, Sao Paulo Confessions to see he was the creative force behind the Bebel phenomena. I’m sure many will take issue with that proposition but with the amount of success and Bebel product that has flooded the market, I would have a difficult time persuading others to my way of thinking. On mp3aim, you’ll find plenty of CDs, remixes and imports to satisfy your Bebel cravings. I enjoyed the debut CD because it was something new. The Tanto Tempo Remix CD reinvented these nice pop/electronica tunes, the standouts being Agangu (Latin Project Remix) and the hot August Day (Da Lata Remix). But was this success a fluke ? Perhaps song and production arrangements, on subsequent releases allowed the weakness in vocal clarity to dampen a strong debut.

Mp3aim, Considerable Brazil Music Download Selection

Summary

The mp3aim.com website has a simple design that's easy to navigate. Registration isn't required in order to conduct a search. This is a good thing. I like to conduct a few searches before I commit to joining a site. You can listen to a 30 second sample of a track without leaving your browser. Searching by genre has it's challenges. I found the selection for contemporary Brazilian artists and compilation CDs to be more than satisfactory, although there weren't any real surprises. Using mp3aim.com to build your Brazilian inspired music collection has its advantages and worth an investment in time.

The goal of each review is to share my experiences about using the site and to share contemporary Brazilian music suggestions that may be available on the respective music website. To gain the full impact of using the website, I've conducted several searches and share my impressions below.

Navigation and Searching

On mp3aim.com you can search the music catalogue (note: this is their spelling, RE: non-U.S. site), using standard website search features: alphabetically, free text search or by browsing the genres. Fortunately there are plenty of genres to choose from. However my experience has been, artists and music are usually never categorized where I would expect to find them. And this is certainly the case with mp3aim.com.

Focusing my search on the three artists, it didn't come as a big surprise that free text searching proved to be more efficient. Browsing by genre comes in a distance second. The problem with browsing is you have to wade through too many pages if the genre has a lot of artists. But the real issue is trying to guess how an artist or CD is categorized. On mp3aim.com, this is truly a guessing game. Below, I listed the genres for the singers profiled in this review, you can see how subjective genre placement can be. A lot has been written about the internet’s impact on reader attention span. Most times if we can’t find what we’re looking for fast, we move on. Why hasn’t someone thought about developing an interactive search feature where the user can select multiple genres ?

To get an idea of what's popular on the site and what other users are searching for, mp3aim offers a variety of lists you can consult for purchase suggestions.

1. Top Downloaded tracks
2. Latest MP3 - think New Releases
3. Top MP3 - think canned top artists search, Kanye West, Madonna, 50 Cent, etc.
4. Top Charts - US & UK Top 100 Albums, and Top 75 Singles, respectively.


Listening to Tracks

I like the fact that I can listen to the tracks right in my browser via the site's built-in flash player. Some websites download a small file that plays in the music application located on your hard drive. LegalSounds.com, I site I use frequently, uses this method but I find it a design distraction. Having to delete these files from my hard drive and/or music player is just a pain. For this reason I never use LegalSounds.com to listen to tracks, I pop out to another site for that. The disadvantage for the webmaster is I may even make the purchase at the other site, simply because I'm already there.

Another benefit of the flash player is that it automatically scrubs the track so you hear more of the entire track. Although the scrubbing is audible and may be disconcerting to some, it's helpful in gaining a sense of the entire song. If you’ve ever listened to a track with an unusually long intro, you’ll know what I mean. Downloaded tracks are in the MP3 format only with a bit rate of 192kbps and the audio quality was just fine.

As a serious music lover I prefer to have the complete ID3 tag information about my music. If you're like me, practically every track in your iTunes collection is complete with artist, album, year, genre, track number, notes, lyrics and most importantly cover art. Without this information I feel cheated. Mp3aim.com, like many online music sites needs to do a much better job in this area. Perhaps I've been spoiled by iTunes, but having to add metadata information, from different sources on the web, diminishes the user experience quite a bit. I'm also highly suspicious when I come across tracks on compilation CDs that are labeled as a "mix" when I know from personal experience the released CD contained un-mixed tracks. I've witness this on mp3aim.com few times on Brazilian Dance compilations.

Finally, CD cover art is practically non-existent on the site, and it isn't downloaded with your purchase when you do find it. How the webmasters missed this obvious sales opportunity is beyond me. It's also an added value experience that would encourage repeat purchases. Because I'm committed to iTunes as my desktop music player, 9 times out of 10, I have access to the cover art from Apple’s servers, provided the ID3 tag information is correct.

Pricing and Payments

Mp3aim uses a shopping cart method and you must have credits in your account to purchase tracks. Tracks average between .11 to .15 cents and most CDs are between $2.00 to $3.00. Sale items are specially marked. You gain discounts based on the prepaid package you select. Using most credit cards you can add to your balance via a secure webpage.

Some users may feel a bit squeamish about prepaid packages. My experience at other music download sites has been generally favorable but I have had occasions where I've had to repeatedly request a credit or to have my purchased tracks reactivated due to a server issue. Usually this takes more than a few emails (and keeping good records on my part) to get it resolved. Keep in mind you may need to add additional time to get issues resolved when the site is outside the U.S.

Mp3aim pays royalties and is licensed by the Russian Multimedia and Internet Society (ROMS). The site offers 3 Free downloads of the day as an incentive to keep us coming back to the site.

Comments

Mp3aim claims that one of its distinct advantages over other music stores is that they have the largest music catalog and widest variety. I don't know about the largest but I was impressed with the CD titles I was able to locate as long as I searched across genres. I would recommend this music site to a friend. Actually it was a close friend and fellow music junkie that brought it to my attention. Navigation is intuitive, I was pleasantly surprised by the many Nu Samba titles and sale pricing. I was however disappointed with the "mix" tracks and lack of decent cover art which can be helpful in locating an elusive title.


Please feel free to share your comments. What has been your experience at this site ?

Brazil Music Download Mission

This blog is about online shopping for music downloads, with a focus on contemporary Brazilian and Brazil-inspired music.

Using a set criteria, I will conduct several searches and offer comments and opinions, as I examine the features of different pay and free music download websites. As an avid music collector, I’m always searching for websites that have an extensive selection of Brazilian music . The site should be easy to navigate, offer good pricing and purchasing should be hassle free. A good user experience is important, that's what keeps me returning to the site. Streaming and subscription based services may be mentioned, but not extensively reviewed, at this time. I hope the information in this blog will help you determine which websites best meet your music needs.

Like most people I listen to different types of music. I'm a baby-boomer that came of age listening and dancing to the music of Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross and the Supremes, essentially the whole Motown sound. My parents exposed to Jazz and the likes of Thelonious Monk, Bird, Billie, Sarah Vaughan and others. Somewhere along the line I discovered contemporary gospel, jazz fusion and world music. I'm always searching for new (and old) music to add to my iPod collection.

I fell in love with Brasil in the early 1980's when I discovered the film Black Orpheus. I found my passion in the music as I learned more about the culture. I've traveled to Brazil eleven times so far and I've lived there for the Summer of 2007. This blog gives me the opportunity to combine my interests and share it with fellow music lovers. The goal of each review is (1) to share my experience of using music download websites and (2) offer music suggestions and discuss important Brazilian contemporary music and it's availability on the respective website.