Something for nothing

You know, I think there's plenty that record labels do wrong these days. Like suing little kids and grandmothers for file-sharing. Like putting "anti-piracy" software on CDs that renders the CDs a pain in the ass to us law-abiding music buyers. Like signing Avril Lavigne. But every now and then, by gum, the record companies -- even the bigs! -- do something right. One shining example? Those yummy free sampler CDs they plant in record stores (usually the indie kind).

I thought when I moved to Japan, and thus had to buy most of my CDs via the Internet rather than in stores, I'd given up the joy of finding sampler CDs stacked by the counter and here and there, of pausing in my shopping to study each to find some bands I'd heard of and some I'd been wanting to check out. And a bunch whose names didn't ring a bell but held the potential to become favorites. But my boys at Horizon Records would not deny me this joy, nay. Lately when I place an order with those guys (which I do by sending an e-mail to an actual person, who actually fills up my box and takes it to the actual post office hisownself), I find little surprises tucked in. Like the gift of sampler CDs!

My last haul had not one, but two samplers that turned out really excellent. One was called "Holiday Hangover '05" from RCA Music Group. This one was chock full o' sweet tracks, like "Juicebox" from The Strokes and -- my favorite -- a B-side from Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's "Howl" called "Mercy." But it also had some good stuff from artists I'm not so familiar with, like Imogen Heap and Judd and Maggie. The other sampler I discovered with my order was the excellently named "Reverend Rico's Travelling Roadshow" from Nettwerk. I was more familiar with the bands on this one -- including The Be Good Tanyas, Erin McKeown and Old Crow Medicine Show -- but there were still some delightful discoveries to be made.

Maybe somewhere out there, on that great big thang we call the Internet, there's a directory of sampler CDs, when they come out and where to get 'em. But I ain't interested if there is. Half the fun is coming across them unexpectedly and getting the feeling -- so, so rare these days when you're talking about the music biz -- that you're guiltlessly getting something good for free. Don't you think?