Free MP3 Album of New Latin Music: Aterciopelados, Juana Molina, and More

If you're a fan of rock en Espanol or any kind of new Latin music, you'll want to get this new free sampler from Nacional Records. For a limited time, Amazon.com is offering "Nacional Records Sampler 2009: The New Sounds Of Latin Music". It features 21 tracks by some of the foremost new Latin artists, including some of my favorites such as Aterciopelados and Hello Seahorse! Also on the album are Mexican Institute of Sound, Juana Molina (who has gotten a lot of media attention in the U.S. in 2009), Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Señor Coconut, Manu Chao, and others.

It's a nice collection that reminds me of one of my favorite podcasts, Ritmo Latino, which close up shop earlier this year. (Fortunately, the podcast's creator and host Neil Hohmann has a Ritmo Latino Facebook page that offers news and updates on Latin music, including live performances, new albums, and details on freebies (such as this sampler)).

Amazon.com doesn't say how long the Nacional Records sampler will be available for free, but I downloaded it more than a week ago and it's still free as of Saturday, November 28th.

2009 Amazon.com Black Friday Sales: Music, Movies, and More

For those of you recovering from eating massive amounts of turkey and other foods, the Amazon.com Black Friday sales offer you the chance to shop for your friends and relatives (or yourself) and get some great deals. (What's more, many of the specials will continue through Cyber Monday).

The Amazon.com Black Fridays main pagelists deals available in a number of popular categories: music, movies and TV, electronics, video games, etc. At the top of the page is a "Lightning Deals" offer. These are items available only for a limited time and in limited quantity, and below the item is a countdown timer and a progress bar showing you what percentage of the item has been claimed. If you like the pulse-pounding thrill of chasing down a hot deal and buying it at the last minute, this option is for you.

Check out the Black Friday music salefor information on sale prices running through Monday, Nov. 30 on new releases and bestsellers, boxed sets, and $5 lightning deals on CDs. You'll also see the list of timed specials available.

Amazon always offers a selection of 50 MP3 albums for $5 each month, but for Black Friday they claim to be offering 600 MP3 albums for $5 each. I didn't take the time to count them all, but go to their page to check it out. There are lists of 50 $5 albums in pop, rock, indie and alternative rock, jazz, Christian and gospel, R&B, singer-songwriters, Amazon editors' picks, and more.

Many of these albums seem to have been offered in the monthly $5 sale, but there are also some titles I haven't seen there. These specials, like many other deals, may continue through Cyber Monday.

The Amazon.com Black Friday movies & TV dealshas a bunch of timed specials available through Friday night, Nov. 27. Only a few titles are on sale in any particular time window, but if there's something you want there, you'll want to pounce.

If this all sounds like a bewildering array of products and deals, well, it is. I can only peruse the Black Friday pages at Amazon.com for a few minutes at a time without feeling bogged down with all the choices. But, an overselection of discounted music, movies, and the like to choose from is a good problem. Amazon will likely hold sales after Cyber Monday as well. Happy shopping!

Get Tickets for New Lady Gaga NYC Shows; Video of Her at AMAs and in Pre-Gaga Days

Two more shows have been added to Lady Gaga's existing two nights at New York's Radio City Music Hall. She will now be performing at the famed Rockefeller Center venue on Jan. 20-21 and 23-24, 2010. Kid Cudi and Jason Derulo will be supporting Lady Gaga at all four gigs. You can buy Lady Gaga Radio City tickets here for all four shows; this is the official Radio City online box office. Tickets for all of the Radio City shows are on sale now.

And if you're wondering who Lady Gaga was before she was running around without pants and with flashing lights in public, well, check out the video below. It's from a 2005 show at at New York University talent show and features a young singer and pianist named Stefani Germanotta. I guess that name and the female singer-songwriter motif was just too common in the NYC area, so somehow she came up with the Lady Gaga persona. Obviously a smart marketing move.

John Mayer 2nd Madison Square Garden Show - On Sale Now

The other day I noted in my post about upcoming concerts in NYC that John Mayer was playing at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 25, and that tickets were going on sale today. Well, a second show has been added for Feb. 26, and tickets for that second show also went on sale today.

You can get John Mayer Madison Square Garden tickets here for both shows, directly from the MSG online box office.

NYC Concerts On Sale This Week: John Mayer, Vampire Weekend, Cheap Trick, Yeasayer, Imogen Heap

Left: John Mayer promotes his new album Battle Studiesat Madison Square Garden on Feb. 20.

There's no off season in the New York concert scene, and there are plenty of good shows coming up later this year and early in 2010. Here are some upcoming in-demand shows that have tickets going on sale this week:

Going on sale Wednesday, November 18th:
* Imogen Heap, Music Hall of Williamsburg - show date Dec. 3

Going on sale Friday, November 20th:
* Vampire Weekend, United Palace (Upper Manhattan) - show dates Jan. 17, 18, 19

* Yeasayer - show dates Feb. 8 (Bowery Ballroom), Feb. 9 (Music Hall of Williamsburg)

* Dropkick Murphys, The Wellmont Theatre - show date Feb. 24

Going on sale Saturday, November 21st:
* John Mayer and Michael Franti & Spearhead, Madison Square Garden - show date Feb. 20
* Cheap Trick, The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza - show date Jan. 25

And if you're looking for a show to attend sooner rather than later, additional tickets have been released for Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, November 24.

Cheap Music: Discount MP3 Albums at Amazon.com - Limited Time

Amazon.com has special deals every day offering discounts on MP3 albums (as low as $1.99), and while these usually only last one day, here are a few good deals that are still valid a few days later. (Note: prices are still effective as of 1 a.m. Eastern time, Monday, Nov. 16th.)

* Document (R.E.M. No. 5), R.E.M. - Although this album doesn't get the attention of some of the band's better-known sets, it contains some classic R.E.M. tunes you'd recognize, most notably "It's the End of the World As We Know It," "The One I Love," and "Finest Worksong."

* Candy-O, The Cars, $2.99 - Ah, the second album by The Cars... I listened to this LP (yes, LP) many, many times when it came out. Includes "Let's Go," "Dangerous Type," and the title track.

And don't forget Amazon's usual 50 MP3 Albums for $5,a monthly feature on the site. The November offerings include new-music favorites from Heartless Bastards, The Gaslight Anthem, Yo Gabba Gabba, The Decemberists, The Antlers, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, and Blitzen Trapper. For hip hop fans, Jay-Z's latest, The Blueprint 3, is also available for five bucks.

There are classic rock/pop albums from Johnny Cash, Heart, The Beach Boys, The Clash, The Band, The Steve Miller Band, and and Minutemen. For jazz and blues fans, there's Nat King Cole, Art Blakey, and John Coltrane.