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A conversation with FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski

By the end of my interview with FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, I found myself wondering if he had any idea how important his agency's role would be in this Internet era. After all, his office now touches just about everything of interest to tech and Internet enthusiasts, from national broadband speeds to wireless exclusivity contracts to regulating video content on the Internet and on television. We spoke, in the 25 minutes or so he had available, primarily about the National Broadband Plan, which is the office's 370-page announcement that it intends to bring the American broadband infrastructure, costs, … Read more

CNET Download Music will redirect to Last.fm

Dear friends and fans of CNET Download Music,

We have some important news to share. On Wednesday, March 11, 2009, the CNET Download Music site will begin redirecting all artist pages and category doors to corresponding pages on our sister music site Last.fm.

We're extremely proud of our close association with Last.fm because, like CNET Download Music, the site shares the same spirit of independence and discovery--not to mention ease of use and a large song catalog--that we find so vital to a satisfying online music experience. … Read more

Calexico, 'Absent Afternoon': Free MP3 of the Day

Indie rock's bards of the border continue their remarkable hybrid: old Southwest dirges cross-bred with a particularly dark and brooding folk-pop. Few bands in the scene pull off such a natural dignity--or intimacy. "Absent Afternoon" is exclusive release for Threadless.com

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Sharon Little, 'Follow That Sound': Free MP3 of the Day

Sharon Little stopped wondering if she was in the right biz around the time Robert Plant and Alison Krauss picked her to open for them. The "Raising Sand" pair, Americana's reigning tastemakers, were right-on. Little's sound mixes coffeehouse intimacy with a decidedly un-latte guitar fire.

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The Avett Brothers, 'Murder In The City': Free MP3 of the Day

This is not your father's country music. With twangy arrangements and indie rock-approved vocals, the Avett Brothers inspire thoughts of a traveler who is somehow both homesick and sick of being home. If there's a future for bluegrass, this remarkable trio will lead the way.

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Last Dance: Treasure Island and Austin City Limits

There may be a chill in the air, but summer's not over yet! Two big music festivals remain this year: San Francisco's Treasure Island Music Festival (this weekend) and Austin City Limits (next weekend). There's an overlap of indie rockers at both events, such as The Raconteurs, CSS, and Jenny Lewis. But with an extra day and more stages to work with, ACL offers a wider array of acts such as Foo Fighters, Beck, Iron and Wine, and Robert Plant and Alison Krauss.

If you can't make the shows--or just want to get pumped for them--cue … Read more

Jonatha Brooke, 'There's More True Lovers Than One': Free MP3 of the Day

Brooke's new LP is required listening, and not only for folk junkies. "The Works" sets old Woody Guthrie lyrics to new Brooke tunes, a whopper of a project that the songstress proves equal to. Her bittersweet sort of melody is a great match for Guthrie's wry sensibility.

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James Jackson Toth, 'Doreen': Free MP3 of the Day

Toth's tumbledown guitars and weary vocals can suggest a '70s Rolling Stones B-Side; one of those sublime little hangover ditties, where Mick just decided to roll tape. Other appealing evocations on the Tennesseean's debut are alt-country types like Gary Louris or Tom Heyman.

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