191 - But First...Music: Netlabel Day 2025

 

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**SCROLL DOWN FOR THE FULL TRACK LIST**

Monday, July 14, 2025 marked my second time around hosting a takeover of the Netlabel Day Radio stream.  For two hours, I got to share a bunch of Creative Commons licensed tracks live from my living room.  I'm always thankful for opportunities like this and I gotta give a shoutout to my big brother and Netlabel Day facilitator Omar Willey for entrusting me with another 120 minutes to go live on the NLD Radio stream.  Honestly, I'm grateful to share music with any and all that are willing to take the time to listen.  I'm always amazed at what I'm able to find within the CC music virtual bins.

Among the featured netlabels are active imprints like blocSonic, Business Casual, Jumpsuit, Flowerpot, Dusted Wax Kingdom, and Monster Jinx.  Thanks to the Internet Archive, I was also able to include works from netlabels that ended their run over 5, 10, or even 15 years ago like Melodica and Subwise.  And whenever I can represent for labels that are indie staples like Stones Throw or Atjazz Record Co., I consider that a bonus.  Other cuts were discovered on Bandcamp, Free Music Archive, and Jamendo.  A little digging goes a long way, resulting in a freeform mix of hip-hop, soul, jazz, rock, and various forms of electronic music.

Some brief corrections:  "Not Myself" by Lovespirals was listed as Creative Commons (some rights reserved) at the time of the broadcast, but now is under full copyright (all rights reserved).  And I announced that "Drifting Dawn" by Abigail Press was released on Trippin' The Rift, which is incorrect.  It was actually released on Melodica, a netlabel from years past that I stumbled upon on the Internet Archive.  And about halfway through the episode, I mentioned Willam Maggos and his podcast Culture War Radio.  Unfortunately, his show is no longer producing new episodes, but I shared part of his CC music manifesto from the podcast website during the livestream as it was a sentiment that I wholeheartedly agree with.  His last post on the Democracy Of Reach website continues that line of thought and is well worth reading.

As this episode unfolds, keep your ears on the alert for verses from Chuck D of Public Enemy and Kool Keith of Ultramagnetic MCs and Dr. Octagon fame.  There's a live cut by APB recorded at the WFMU studios and even a Latin jazz joint that dates back to 1968.  A little something for many, and hopefully served up in a way that makes sonic sense.  If you need an extended session for your next road trip or just some tunes to get you through your work day, I certainly hope that this episode provides what you're looking for.

This episode's track list (title / artist / source / license):

1.  Manual Retro by Night Owl Committee [Free Music Archive] (CC-BY-NC-ND 3.0) (2013)

2.  Snakes by Rephazer [Kahvi Collective] (CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0) (2024) 

3.  Thrive, Despite by A. Billi Free & The Lasso [Mello Music Group] (CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0) (2022) 

4.  Not Myself by Lovespirals [Bandcamp] (2024)

5.  One Of These Days by Alinah Sipps [Subwise] (CC-BY-NC-ND 3.0) (2009) 

6.  Answers by mary sue [bie Records] (CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0) (2023)

7.  Three More Hours (Featuring Ketsa) by Donnie Ozone [blocSonic] (CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0) (2024) 

8.  Alright Anyway Ft. Taelor Gray by Shon Tha Phenom [Jamendo]  (CC-BY-NC-ND 3.0) (2022) 

9.  Don't Call Me by Gwen Rose [Bandcamp] (CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0) (2025)

10. Scenic Route by Jerry Paper [Stones Throw] (CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0) (2024) 

11. Mamaye by Sampology [Jus Like Music] (CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0) (2010)

12. Xamar by Dexter Story [Soundway] (CC-BY-ND 4.0) (2015)

13. How Not to Die (Featuring Chuck D) by Headsnack [blocSonic] (CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0) (2023) 

14. Electric Mind ft. Kool Keith by The Polish Ambassador [Jumpsuit] (CC-BY-NC 4.0) (2022)  

15. Greenery by DarkSunn [Monster Jinx] (CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0) (2024)

16. Untitled by Ras G [dublab] (CC-BY 4.0) (2021)  

17. The Mind Is Not Inside The Head by The Oddvisers [Discordian] (2024)

18. Remains Of The Day by Wizard Of Loneliness [Business Casual] (CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0) (2024)  

19. I Am Not What I Buy by Mr. Princess [Flowerpot] (CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0) (2024)

20. Swarm Of Bees by Dug [Flowerpot] (CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0) (2024)

21. Budding ornithologists are weary of tired analogies by milo [Bandcamp] (CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0) (2011)

22. Faces by Basement Skylights [Dusted Wax Kingdom] (CC-BY-NC-ND 3.0) (2012)

23. Drifting Dawn by Abigail Press [Melodica] (CC-BY-NC-ND 3.0) (2012)

24. VIBRAÇÃO by Alexander Flood [Atjazz Record Co.] (CC-BY 4.0) (2024)  

25. Welcome To The Party by Har-You Percussion Group [ESP-Disk] (CC-BY-NC-ND 3.0) (1968)

26. One Day (Live at WFMU) by APB [Free Music Archive] (CC-BY-NC-ND 3.0) (2011)

Other key info:
Macedonia on Mixcloud
Show #188 - Netlabel Day Radio Takeover (2024)
BSOTS Guest Mix For The Neighborhood Feast
Netlabel Week 2024 Panels
Four Sundays Ago (thoughts on Banjee Boombox ATL)

 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Four Sundays ago...

 

Shortly after something significant in my creative life happens, my mind has a habit of playing this dirty trick on me.  The further away that I get from a particular event, the greater my tendency to downplay its importance.  When I'm back home dealing with day job responsibilities and making the rent and paying other bills, when the daily grind and the passing of time pushes a beautiful moment further into the horizon of life's rearview mirror, quite often I'll think to myself that maybe what happened that day wasn't as significant as I originally thought.

August third was four Sundays ago, but the Banjee Boombox All Things Audio event in Atlanta will be burned in my memory for a long time.  And so many of its attendees spent the better part of this month sharing pictures, videos, and personal observations regarding the excellence of its execution and the energy of the gathering.  Every flashback to that day shared across various social media platforms was confirmation to me that it was every bit as significant to others as it was to me.

There was a tropical downpour on the day of the event that lasted from morning until early afternoon, but the skies had cleared by the time that everyone made their way to Buckhead Art & Co.  All Things Audio was only three hours from start to finish, but so much happened in that 180 minutes.  And amazingly enough, nothing felt rushed.  From the silent disco and podcast village to the music and podcast licensing panel to the live performance from Cheri Denis, not a single moment felt forced.  In some ways, it reminded me of a miniature version of the audio festivals hosted on the rooftop of Bondfire Radio, back when my sonic alma mater was still in existence and had a studio space of its own.  Being invited to speak on the panel meant everything to me, and to be reunited with a number of my Bondfire family members made it an easy decision.  In addition, some of the sponsors added another level of familiarity.  Afros & Audio founder Talib Jasir was in the place.  Black Podcasters Association founder Corey Gumbs was in the place.  A number of wonderfully creative and supportive souls that I have met through both organizations were there, including my sonic siblings Jay Ray & DJ Sir Daniel of Queue Points.  It felt like immediate and extended artistic family dominated the space that day.  The atmosphere was inviting and electric and I haven't felt anything like that in a really long time.  The power and importance of community and my place within it was a major takeaway for me.

When I got back to my hotel, I placed a printout of a PowerPoint presentation on the desk and I lined up a pair of mini-flyers from the event next to it.  I took a photo and was reminded of part of my creative journey.  Back in May of 2021, I released a podcast episode entitled "Does Music Belong In Podcasting?"  It was the only episode that Radio BSOTS released that year, but it led to me speaking at Afros & Audio in Philadelphia the following year on that same topic.  I brought the printout with me to Atlanta to brush up on a few talking points and compare them with questions that I was expecting for the panel.  Four years later its initial creation, BSOTS show number 175 has relevance.  It essentially brought me to Atlanta, but I didn't see that possibility when I created it.  I was just providing some history on the early days of incorporating music into podcasts and how much easier that was to do when there was a greater accessibility to online resources featuring pre-cleared MP3s for bloggers, podcasters, and internet radio programmers to choose and champion via their own creative outlets.  The photo is a reminder that the work I share with the world has value far beyond its immediate release date, that I shouldn't judge its importance based solely on its initial impact.  There's a long tail effect that can't be ignored and it only reveals itself with the passing of time.

In my 51 years of living on this planet so far, I have rarely taken a chance on myself.  There's still four months of 2025 left, but I can tell you what one of the best moments of this year has been for me:  the feeling I got the moment after I booked the round trip plane ticket to Atlanta.  I felt amazing.  The first weekend of August was a whirlwind for me, but there was no better place that I could have been on the 3rd of the month.  Banjee Boombox ATL was phenomenal.  And while the day job hustle is a necessary part of my existence, I'm thankful that I still have moments (no matter how brief) where I can put the act of existing to the side and truly LIVE, to show up in the world as my full self, my creative self.  

A statement that I once saw on Instagram still messes with me: "The creative adult is the child who survived."  It feels like I have to fight to keep that child alive some days, but every podcast episode released into the world, every new mix that's shared on Mixcloud, every public appearance as a sonic curator and Creative Commons advocate is another chance for the creative child to make it into adulthood.