Any places to hear mp3s of songs?

Subject: Any places to hear mp3s of songs?
From: ffolke
Date: 05 Oct 06 - 09:33 PM

I know of places like archive.org where you can download 78 records converted to mp3s. I've gotten a lot from there. I'm not good with sheet music, and midis are too primitive to get a good feel for melodies. Mudcat is great for lyrics, but sometimes I have no clue how it's supposed to sound.

So, anybody know of LEGAL sites that have folk/traditional songs?

Subject: RE: Any places to hear mp3s of songs?
From: Bill D
Date: 05 Oct 06 - 09:55 PM

various artist often put up examples of their music, sometimes short clips, sometimes entire songs.....and occasionally entire albums. These are occasionally posted about here. I'm trying to remember a few.....

in the meantime, perhaps this thread will cause them to remind us.

Subject: RE: Any places to hear mp3s of songs?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 05 Oct 06 - 10:31 PM

Well, the Library of Congress has billions of tunes, a few of which I've learned (sprirituals). For the rest, I guess you'd have to do what the rest of us do:

1. Buy and listen to CDs (including Mudcatters' CDs which often have lots of learnable stuff, affordably)
2. Comb through old threads (by songtitle) to hear clips Mudcatters have found here and there online, and to which sound files they have cleverly provided links
3. Use libraries (3-D as well as virtual) to absorb as much free sound as possible-- a good example is the Digital Library of Appalachia
4. Carry an inexpensive MP3 recorder to concerts of artists whose repertoire you respect, as well as to Mudcat gatherings, jams, sessions, etc., to record snippets of tunes you'd like to learn (with their permision of course)
5. Play as much as you can, with other folks who like the genres you'd like to learn
6. Use and record streaming radio, links for which are also stored around this place somedamnwhar (I think there's a Permathread full of them); the US and the BBC have lots of great online music and online concerts archived

~Susan

Subject: RE: Any places to hear mp3s of songs?
From: 12-stringer
Date: 06 Oct 06 - 12:39 AM

For a great collection of downloadable mp3s, try here:

http://www.juneberry78s.com/

Especially good if you're interested in blues and gospel. You'll need to request a password for the very large B&G listening room (about 70 CDs' worth). Instructions for that are on the page. The mp3s here are 32KBS and mostly run 580-710K in size. The proprietor requests that you not download more than 30 tracks a day. Not a problem for me, since I'm on dialup. Considering that most of the tracks are from 78rpm, the sound is quite good, as good overall as the reissue LP records I stocked up on in the 70s.

Also, http://www.publicdomain4u.com/
which has some overlaps with archive.org and juneberry78s.com, but also a few nonduplicative items. Files run about the same size here as they do at archive.org, 3MB or so for a 3-min 78rpm side.

Much less "folky," but this site http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/ has a large collection of old cylinder and Edison recordings up to c1925. Files are fairly large. Contents include pop, minstrel (many of them quite objectionable to modern ears, if you're looking for repertoire -- do a keyword search for "coon," though, and see what I mean!), a bit of jazz, and even some early Hawaiian recordings, which are what first attracted me to the site. Some similar material is on archive.org.

Subject: RE: Any places to hear mp3s of songs?
From: ffolke
Date: 06 Oct 06 - 04:23 PM

Thanks 12-stringer. I have actually been to juneberry78s, but forgot about it. I've also heard of publicdomain4u, but thought everything was just a compilation of archive.org stuff. I'm having a look around the other site now. Thanks for the help

Subject: RE: Any places to hear mp3s of songs?
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Oct 06 - 04:29 PM

Well, the Library of Congress has billions of tunes

The Library of Congress has nothing like that number. It has a lot, certainly, but not 'billions'.

It would be a good thing to take some time to understand the meaning of words before using them incorrectly.

Subject: RE: Any places to hear mp3s of songs?
From: Bill D
Date: 06 Oct 06 - 06:18 PM

It would also be good to understand the common use of hyperbole before making silly criticisms.

Subject: RE: Any places to hear mp3s of songs?
From: Funny Farmer
Date: 07 Oct 06 - 06:05 AM

Try buying stuff you tight fisted scotchman!

Subject: RE: Any places to hear mp3s of songs?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 07 Oct 06 - 12:35 PM

There's also the Max Hunter Collection, the Sinner's Crossroads archived black/blues gospel radio hours and other extensive WFMU archives of other genres, the Prairie Home Companion searchable and archived programs, the Millenium Stage archives, the Woodsongs archive, Woven Wheat Whispers; does Dick Spottswood still do a weekly show that is archived for the week following.... all these can be found by searching at Mudcat or via Google.... Whatever genre is of particular interest, there will be links to archived sound files scattered all over Mudcat. I just donpt have tme to go look it all up and make them into fresh links, but it's not that hard to find.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Any places to hear mp3s of songs?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 07 Oct 06 - 12:51 PM

(PS hi Bill; you are a zillion times nicer than most folks)

~S~