Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Stereo OT: SXSW Very cool free music

I found this article from wired about how the South By South West folks offer free MP3s of the bands playing. You can get all 750 songs in one large bit-torrent file. I'll be setting this up once I get home tonight. Yeah for mixing music and technology!

Any of you in Texas going?

jr

2.6 gigs of music. Starting the download now.

SXSW is one of the hardest tickets to find in austin. you have to buy a 'tag', which then allows you to come and go at selected SXSW events. different 'tags', different prices. all the bands play at different clubs across austin, and you have to kinda pick and choose who you wanna go see. its kinda funny. one place will be totally packed, and then the next place will have like 15-20 people watching a totally awesome band, but just nobody knows them.

i used to go to SXSW back when i was in college, but its got too commercialized now.. well, so has austin for that matter. i think 96 was the last time i went, and i know it has grown leaps and bounds since then. but there is no doubt, one of the largest gathering of talented musicians in one spot for that week. very neat experience if you have never been!

bigjohn

Wristbands...they sell wristbands now...and at last count, they had sold out (of the ones they were making available) at $150.00 a pop. The wristbands are supposed to get you into everything provided you can get in...The next set made available (if any) will be more expensive than that...

I would love to go, but I would have to allow for a full week off from work (wrong time of the year) to make the expenditure worth my (and my wife's) time. We did have one guy in our group who would schedule vacation during the week of SXSW to attend...with the current state of events, I don't believe he does that anymore....

Interesting time in town though...although I'd rather attend JazzFest in New Orleans....

May have to investigate the bit torrent download though...may be worthwhile...

Live from Austin, Texas,

WhatFurrer

At last count, the Bit Torrent transfer was at 42% complete...Interested to see what is included in the file...

WhatFurrer

In reply to:

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I'd rather attend JazzFest in New Orleans

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I just got back from 4 days there, and I'd forgotten how much I like that town. JazzFest is a lot of fun, but even in April or May it can be unbearably hot. Looks like they've got a great lineup this year (as always). Brian Wilson's even scheduled to play. Checking more closely, he has a ambitious tour schedule lined up -- does anyone know what the story with Brian is these days? Last I heard, he was still heavily medicated and constantly hearing voices. And he looked pretty fragile on a TV performance I saw recently.

James_R,

You get the download complete or did it come down as two zip files you have to import into ITunes? My download got to 96.4% and then my system got hosed...Had to reset the system..

Just interested in anyone else has been able to get the download and how it sounds...

Live from Austin, Texas.

WhatFurrer

"does anyone know what the story with Brian is these days? Last I heard, he was still heavily medicated and constantly hearing voices. And he looked pretty fragile on a TV performance I saw recently."

Yeah, he does "look" pretty frail, but from what I have read, he is in a much better place mentally than he has been for quite some time.
And, if his state can be judged from the Smile CD, then I would guess that he is doing pretty well. That is one awsome disc of music. Worth the price of admission just for the new version of Good Vibrations!
The band that he used to finish Smile (after all these years) did a complete live version of the entire album in London (I think) and I am hoping that someone was rolling tape on that so that we can see the whole thing performed live!

I have not grabbed it yet. I'm going to set it up for some overnight downloading this weekend. I've been playing too much WoW and the download increases my already horrible latency and lag problems....

jr

That's good to hear. Brian's musical genius is almost impossible to dispute, and it's sad to imagine he's probably spent half his adult life thinking he's a zucchini. I'm also glad to hear a firsthand review of "Smile" -- I'll probably pick up a copy on the way home today.

"I'm also glad to hear a firsthand review of "Smile" -- I'll probably pick up a copy on the way home today."

Yeah, there are a couple of good reviews of it on the Amazon site.
And, just for the record, I am not one of those Brian Wilson nuts. I bought it mostly just to see what all the buzz was about with Smile.
But I was simply floored. Sonicly it is amazing. But the sheer volume and power of heart and soul that was poured into this piece of work has brought tears to my eyes on more than one occasion.
Very much worth owning.

Three Scotches into the evening, lights down and listening carefully -- holy smokes! This is definitely worth owning. "Erratic genius", if I had to characterize it in two words. I spent an awful lot of my twenties acquainting myself with, um...party favors most commonly associated with Pink Floyd and the Grateful Dead. This is...well...remarkable. I only wish it had come out fifteen years ago.

Based on this initial audition, I don't know that I'd call Brian all better, or normal, or even well-adjusted. But this is amazingly focused, and you're right -- the heart and soul of this work is breathtaking. No one makes albums like this any more.

Thanks for the recommendation!

...and it sounds really, really good through Axiom products!

Could someone walk me through on how to do this.
I'm running a Mac with OSX.

Instructions for Windows users would be appreciated as well.

Windows and Mac users: go here and download the BitTorrent client for your computer. It will install a helper app that will launch the .torrent files for you and start downloading the large file.

Go here to learn more about BitTorrent and why it's so cool.

I went there and downloaded it, but in the read me file it says it will only work with OSX 10.3 Panther, witch is confusing since in the faqs it says it will work with OS9 with a helper app.
I'me sure it will work with 10.2.8 but I dont know how and cant find any reference.
Any ideas?

Yeah, it's pretty amazing, isn't it?
It has probably spent more time spinning than anything else of late except maybe that Blackjack David.
Good Vibrations has become my #1 Go To to show off the Axioms to friends.
Glad you liked it.

Bad brain! Bad, bad brain!