RCRDLBL.com offers free and legal MP3 downloads...

Launched last Friday, November 15th RCRDLBL.com is a collaborative effort between Modular Records, Dim Mak, Warp, Dirtybird, Turntable Lab, and others. It's a site that seems to have it all figured out: free and legal downloads, customizable widgets you can embed on your own site or profile, and it (kind of) functions like a social network. It's definitely missing SOMETHING, but since I can't quite put my finger on what that might be, I'll give them credit for giving it a shot (building widgets is a bitch), and I'll put one here so you can hear a remix of Battles - Leyendecker by DJ EMZ feat. Joel Ortiz. It rules. So listen, sign up, do some snooping for yourself, or don't--whatever. Don't forget to come back and tell Orphan what you think.

In the meantime, here's the rcrdlbl.com radio widget, if you're into that sort of thing:

Be sure to click the download link to score the free Grizzly Bear track--it's a terrific cover of an old Carol King/Phil Spector song.

My Hard Drive Ate My Music Collection #2: Black Kids

I've practically been obsessing over it, I know, but better to freak out over things I can fix than to go ballistic over the fact that I invited a boy to Thanksgiving dinner and he cancelled on me 3 hours before we were scheduled to make our entrance. Considering the fact that this was the first boy who I had deemed worthy enough to subject to the wrath of my entire extended family in over 3 years, I'm pissed. And rightly so.

I stayed up all night, so sue me. At least I was productive. Here's what I have for you this time:

ContraStream.com--a new social music network with a Digg-like interface that actually has GOOD music on it. Users can submit indie albums to be "hyped" or "dropped" by other users, and can also discover new music through videos and audio tracks embedded on the site. In my first 10 minutes on the site I found the Crystal Castles/HEALTH record, Iron and Wine - The Shepherd's Dog, Battles - Tonto, and this:

The band is called Black Kids, and the track is called 'I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You' off of their demo, Wizard of Ahhhs--which, according to Pitchfork, isn't available for purchase in stores but rather as a free download on their myspace page. I checked, and trust me, it isn't. All downloads on the Black Kids MySpace profile have been disabled, and as of November 14th they've been named one of Rolling Stone Magazine's Top 10 Artists to Watch.

Good news for you, though. You can download it here. Just right-click and select "Save Source As." Happy Black Friday.