Features

Studio C: Jim Lauderdale

Looks like 2008 is another banner year for Jim Lauderdale. Repeating his '06 agenda he's again released not one but two new CDs, Honey Songs and The Bluegrass Diaries. To honor his achievements, we dug into the Studio C archives and unearthed this exclusive podcast, where Jim chatted about songwriting and played four acoustic songs live in our studio.

Madonna and Justin: '4 Minutes'

Urgency is the key to most great pop songs, and this bombastic new collaboration from Madonna's new Hard Candy takes that to heart. As clocks tick and JRT desperately croons "we only got 4 minutes to save the world," the heavyweights pack their short time with slamming hip-hop beats and fiery horn leads.

Newest music and video picks

April is a strong month for music, as many major artists have released new material. For a taste of the picks we've recently posted on Download Music, scour this list of hot new songs and videos from the likes of Portishead, Ray J, Madonna, R.E.M., M83, the Breeders, and Kylie Monogue.

Free MP3 of the Day

That's right: Each day we highlight one artist from our extensive catalog who has at least one MP3 for free download. And we do mean free: No mess, no fuss, and no DRM, just download and go. (Facebook users: check out our cool new app, too.)

Danity Kane

Do you got a first aid kit handy/ Do you know how to patch up a wound, tell me? It's not a subtle image for heartbreak, but Diddy is more a man of aura than words, and his Making the Band 3 all-female group follows his lead. Danity Kane's mesh of hard club beats and R&B vocals is glossy and fun.

Amy Winehouse

The troubled singer is back in the headlines...and not for the right reasons. Of course we love Amy's music, and obviously so do you, we just keep getting distracted. Update: Maybe things'll turn now that she's gigging for Nelson Mandela.