Electronic & Dance

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

Report: Daft Punk to score 'Tron 2.0'

For a certain kind of geek, there's no more important film than Disney's 1982 cult hit "Tron."

The story about a man trapped inside a computer who must continually fight for his life by riding light-bikes across a digital playground didn't do so well at the box office but gained a massive following in the years since.

Now, Disney is working on "Tron 2.0," a sequel to the original, and word is that the studio has chosen Daft Punk, the French electronica duo that is itself a cult favorite, to write the … Read more

The Golden Filter, 'Peter Bjorn and John: Lay It Down (The Golden Filter Remix)': Free MP3 of the Day

New York outfit the Golden Filter mixes retro-sexual disco-tech around undulating waves of electro-pop--revival style. With influences ranging from Soft Cell and Giorgio Moroder, the beats of GF will leave you craving their "nu-disco" sound not long after they end. Here's to a night of solid, disco-dancing!

Eliot Lipp, 'Beamrider': Free MP3 of the Day

The New York-based producer carves out his own niche in electronic music by combining electro-funk, hip-hop rhythms, and even house and techno beats. With driving synthesizer progressions and old-school arcade game sounds, Lipp creates wide-ranging digital compositions to satisfy any music lover's sonic palette.

Do you spend more on Starbucks than music?

You could down a $5 Cinnamon Dolce Frappuccino in ten minutes, and it's gone forever. How many Cafe Mochas do you buy in a week? Tasty as these frothy concoctions can be, it's a fleeting satisfaction, isn't it? An album's worth of music is a repeatable pleasure, something you may enjoy dozens of times over the years. A CD is still a lot cheaper than a week's worth of Starbucks.

Sure, it's a matter of how you want to spend your disposable income, and whatever puts a smile on your face. But when I … Read more

Dan Ackerman, 'Don't You Know Who I Am?': Free MP3 of the Day

Mixing influences from Gil Scott-Heron to Beck and Donald Fagen, Dan moves between jazzy instrumentals and singer/songwriter terrritory with ease, but has also been known to don a wig and leather pants to play the role of Teutonic bassist Klaus Shave in the heavy-metal parody band Pink Steel.

Telefon Tel Aviv, 'Helen of Troy': Free MP3 of the Day

Cohorts Joshua Eustis and Charles Cooper blend precise laptop drum programming, ambient electronic sounds, lush orchestral passages, and velvety singing with a heavy dose of live instrumentation, including a Fender Rhodes keyboard. It's the addition of organic sounds that sets Telefon Tel Aviv apart from its contemporaries; these two are masters of creating soundscapes and intricate electro-rhythms, but they can also flat out play. Editor's note: We're featuring this in memory of Charlie Cooper, who died last week at the age of 31.

Will Katy Perry kiss a Grammy and like it?

To get ready for the show, warm up to this year's top contenders in one free and continuous playlist featuring Coldplay, Katy Perry, Lil Wayne, The Jonas Brothers, Radiohead, Duffy, Brazilian Girls, and many more.

The 51st Annual Grammy Awards will air on Sunday February 8 at 8 p.m. on CBS. In the meantime, listen to this free playlist by clicking on the green button below, then visit Download Music to stream and download thousands more free songs.

Daft Punk vs. Adam Freeland, 'Aer Obama': Free MP3 of the Day

To celebrate the election of Barack Obama as the 44th president, British DJ Adam Freeland's remix of Daft Punk's adrenaline-baiting dance banger "Aerodynamic" into "Aer Obama" provides an undeniable musical power of anticipation and a tribute to history being made. Mixing vocal samples from a Speak & Spell speech emulator, complete with an imaginative mixed-media stop-motion video to go along with this celebratory moment in time, "Aer Obama" is the perfect song to commemorate the rebirth of America while on the dance floor. Now repeat after me, "O-B-A-M-A!"

Electrocute, 'On The Beat': Free MP3 of the Day

Today's answer to the Go-Gos, Electrocute are as adorable as their name, and their synth-pop songs reflect their young and sassy attitudes. Enlisting heavy-hitter producers like Junkie XL to their production mix, Electrocute is sure to be a favorite for bubble-gum smacking, pink-convertible-driving Valley girls this summer.