But that doesn’t mean they are completely useless. I suppose you could put a piece of scotch tape over the little holes at the top and record on them again, like I did with my copy of White Lion’s Pride. But one artist has found an entirely new, cooler use for them. Known on Flickr as iri5, this artist takes old cassettes (which means ‘little box’ in French) and spins the tape into these incredible works of art. No, this is not photoshop but the real deal. And it’s impressive stuff.

To the right is one of my favorites, Robert Nesta Marley. Check out iri5′s Flickr gallery for the entire collection, where you will find John Lennon, Michael Jackson, and many, many more.

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Visit the website and create an account, then click “Browse Concerts >> All Performers” and you’ll find an enormous alphabetical list – click one, scroll down, and click “play.” A pop-up window will show up, listing all the tracks, length, and giving you the option to switch between songs. You can also share concerts with friends, via email.

Concerts in Wolfgang’s Vault are usually of the highest quality, so you won’t hear intrusive background noise. However, it’s the full concert experience. For example, an Allman Brothers concert on New Year’s Eve includes the countdown to midnight. Not all concerts are full-length, but there are plenty of them. The Allman Brothers have more than a dozen concerts from 1973 all the way to 1993.

This is an excellent way to get your live music fix, and the closest you’ll ever get to experiencing historic live performances from some of rock’s biggest acts. It’s impressive and a hell of a lot of fun. Oh, and did I mention you could download these concerts? Some of them are even free.

This week, Wolfgang’s Vault added a nice Muddy Waters show. Giggity.

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As much as we love Web radio stations like those available from Pandora.com, Slacker.com and Last.fm, the one thing they all lack is total control. That’s where Grooveshark comes in handy. You can stream virtually any music you want – for free – without any advertising interruptions. Grooveshark’s catalog is huge so, while you might not find absolutely every band you want, you will come close. It’s fast, easy and almost limitless. You pick the bands and songs you want, and build playlists to listen to and share with friends.

For artists, you can set up a Grooveshark profile to help get your music discovered. There are advertising options, analytics to show how people are interacting with your music, and more.

Watch the video below. We show you how to get started streaming the music you want with Grooveshark.

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Like all other magazines in the digital age, SPIN has struggled to keep its print audience. Wisely, they have rushed full-force into the online arena and they’re doing it quite well. Not only do they offer a website loaded with great information and multimedia, but also a flip-book online magazine that can be delivered via email. More recently, they have released an updated version of their iPhone app and a brand new app, SPINearth.

First, the standard app offers an easy, quick way to see what’s new with SPIN. The app gives a one-button link to album reviews, news and photos. The reviews are up-to-date with the SPIN website and provide a quick link to iTunes where you can preview and purchase songs and albums. The news section gives quick, easy-to-read versions of the online content. And the photos are presented nicely, featuring snapshots from recent concerts and the like – turn your iPhone sideways to get a landscape view, flick the screen to see the next photo and click a button to get captions.

SPIN’s new iPhone app, SPINearth, has serious potential. Through a team of dozens of international and local correspondents, SPINearth offers live video of concerts from around the world. For example, I just finished watching a video of Pearl Jam and Chris Cornell perform “Hunger Strike” from their Temple of the Dog days at a recent concert at Gibson Amphitheater. The video itself was jumpy as hell – to be expected from user-generated videos, I guess. There are also updates from the correspondents as they travel and other interesting features.

Now the bad news. The SPINearth app crashes, and videos don’t always load. Also it’s a hog on the already-feeble iPhone battery. This app is a work in progress, so some bugs are to be expected. That said, it’s a great start.

Nice work, SPIN. Your move, Rolling Stone.

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Well, Lala.com has your back. They have more than 7 million songs in their catalog and you can stream any of them once in their entirety, for free. The same goes for albums. Yep, listen to an entire album for free before spending a dime. And that’s not all:

• Buy any song for 10 cents and stream it forever through your computer. If you want to download it for portability, it’s 79 cents more and DRM-free.
• Get picks from artists and music reviewers delivered daily, share songs with friends, listen to their playlists, and network with other music fans.
• If you want to make the switch to Lala full-time, they can import all of your music from your hard drive and get your library up and running.

No website offers a way to listen to and buy music like Lala. Where iTunes holds you hostage, Lala sets you free.

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1. Pandora.com (requires e-mail signup)

There are tons of good music recommendation sites online, but none as simple as Pandora. It works like this: Type in a band you like or even a song and Pandora will start playing that music, followed by tunes with similar qualities. That’s it. Pandora will stream music – some you will already know, some will be new to you – with limited interruption. There’s a commercial every dozen songs or so, but other than that, you can just sit back and listen.

When you’re ready for a change, type in something new and Pandora will create a new “station.” You can further customize your stations by voting thumbs up or down – a thumbs up will repeat the track later on, while a thumbs down will never play that song again on that station.

Pandora also has some other cool features if you want to interact. There are band bios while a song plays, as well as album information, lyrics, suggested similar artists and more. You can bookmark artists and buy songs too.

I find Pandora particularly useful at work. Plug in your headphones and click a button and you have your day’s soundtrack. Same goes for parties, if you’re iPod is a little stale and you have a good sound system with your computer.

2. Songza.com (no registration required)

Songza is basically the Google of music. Enter a song and you’ll see a list of choices. Through community voting, usually the best recording is at or near the top of the list. But you’ll also find live recordings and video will play, if there’s one available.

Songza can’t be beat for when you wake up with that killer tune in your head and just have to hear it. Once you find it, you have a few interactive options. You can rate the recording, to influence ranking results. You can also get a link to the song, post it to your Facebook profile it, send it as a Twitter update, or e-mail it to a friend. Like Pandora, you can also buy the song.

One nice feature for you bloggers out there, is that you can embed the song or video – like you’ll see below of “Diablo Rojo” (it’s about a roller coaster) by the amazing duo Rodrigo y Gabriela. If you haven’t seen it – watch it.

If you sign up with Songza, you can also create and save playlists. You can also listen to other users’ playlists.

Two quick tips: First, try typing in the name of an artist instead of a song. You’ll get a long list of that band’s songs. Hit “play” on the first one and they will all stream back-to-back. Second, if you have trouble finding a song (which is rare) type the song and the artist in the search box. If you absolutely can’t find the song you want, head to Grooveshark.com. They have a large library, but the site is slow and a bit cumbersome.

That’s it. Two sites that should be cemented in every music fan’s browser. Enjoy.

Have your own favorite music sites? Let us know by leaving a comment below!

Click here to view the embedded video.

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The Venues

Both festivals are located in hip music cities. Austin is known for its prolific indie music scene while Chicago, the birthplace of the blues is known for its diverse music offerings.

Lollapalooza, Grant Park, Chicago, Illinois

Chicago has some of the worst urban winters in the U.S., but come summertime, the city comes to life. Hundreds of street festivals can be found every weekend somewhere within the city limits, patio bars seem to never close and the lakefront is always buzzing. Grant Park (and neighboring Millenium Park) becomes the focus of many Chicago summer activities, including Lollapalooza.

Pros:

Getting to Grant Park is relatively easy. If you live in the city, there are plenty of options – public transportation abounds and a cab ride is fast and convenient. For those visiting Chicago for the festival, your best bet is to secure a hotel downtown. It wont’ be cheap, but walking to and from the park will provide the ultimate in convenience, as well as pleasant strolls through a beautiful city.

The park itself is situated right on the lakefront, so even in the heat of summer there’s often a nice, cool breeze. The views in and around Grant park are spectacular. Chicago’s skyline is one of the best in the world, Buckingham Fountain is a treasure and Lake Michigan provides a brilliant, sparkling contrast to the steel and concrete of the landscape to the east. Before and after the festival, there’s no shortage of things to do – world class museums and shopping are mere blocks away – and some of Chicago’s finest restaurants (not necessarily pricey) are just as close. Grant Park has some nice nooks where you can relax and catch a spot of shade.

Cons:

Grant Park is long. To get from one end of the park to the other it takes at least 10 minutes or more, depending on the crowd. This means you have to plan your shows carefully – you might have to leave one early to secure a decent view for the next.

Grant Park is narrow. It can get crowded quickly – if you’re going to wander around, it’s a good idea to have a couple friends secure a home base with a blanket and chairs. Otherwise, you’re going to have to constantly fight for a spot. It also results in some cramped conditions for the side stages. One is in a concrete-floored pavilion, another is on a street and a couple are crammed along walking routes.

Austin City Limits, Zilker Park, Austin, Texas

Austin is well-known for it’s music scene, hosting South by Southwest in addition to ACL. Stroll down Sixth Street and just about every bar will echo with quality music. Zilker Park hosts ACL, as well as an annual kite festival and is home to an expansive botanical garden.

Pros:

Zilker Park is huge. More than 351 acres huge. Of course, the festival doesn’t cover the entire park, but it sure feels that way. There’s more than enough room to set up a blanket and chairs, and wander around without bumping sweaty elbows. It also leaves room for many food and beverage stands and retail shacks, so long lines aren’t a big problem. The expanse also provides room for other extras like cooling areas and tents to play some cool guitars, or tinker with the latest gadgets from AT&T.

The stages are set far enough apart so the music does not compete, and the natural contours of the park usually means a good view is easy to find. Walking from stage to stage can take some time, but with all that room you’re not fighting crowds along the way.

Cons:

It’s hot as hell. You’re in Texas, mind you, and adding to that, there is almost no shade to be found. Make sure you bring chairs with some kind of umbrella or shade provider and drink gallons of water. Try the lemonade and iced tea, too.

There’s nearly nothing else around. Get ready for a lengthy hike back to your hotel, at least 20 minutes or more. Getting a cab or bus to get downtown after the shows has been known to include an hour wait. You can take a pedicab – for about $50. That said, there is one place on the walk back that’s worth a stop. Green Mesquite BBQ & More provides cold beer, good food and some great after-show live bluegrass.

Austin does provide a nice open atmosphere and a camping-like experience, and for travelers it’s more cost-effective. Despite what can be crowded conditions, Grant Park is beautiful and the city of Chicago offers so much outside the festival itself. Consider starting your trip a couple days early, or stay a few days late to really soak in the Chicago summer. They both offer unique experiences.

Edge: Lollapalooza – barely

The Lineups

Now to the meat of the issue, the performers. Of course, both offer an extraordinary amount of quality music but there are some key differences to explore.

The Headliners

Both Lolla and ACL will see the Beastie Boys and Kings of Leon – two bands who are sure to put on excellent performances. Lollapalooza will also feature Depeche Mode, Tool, The Killers and Jane’s Addiction to round out the top tier, while ACL will host Pearl Jam and Dave Matthews Band. Out of those differences, Pearl Jam trumps all of them. They are becoming one of rock’s legendary bands before our very eyes and ears and every opportunity should be taken to see them live.

Edge: Austin City Limits

The Supporting Cast

Several bands will be playing both festivals this year, including Ben Harper and Relentless7, Thievery Corporation, The Decemberists, Bon Iver, Andrew Bird, Dan Auerbach, The Raveonettes, Arctic Monkeys, Heartless Bastards, and Coheed and Cambria. These are all quality bands and it might make the final decision a little easier. Or at least less painful.

Then there are the bands that will only play at one or the other, and these make all the difference. Below are 10 bands who will be at Lolla and not ACL (as of this writing):

Ra Ra Riot
Band of Horses (pictured)
Silversun Pickups
Cold War Kids
Of Montreal
Animal Collective
TV on the Radio
Rise Against
Fleet Foxes
Neko Case

Now, 10 bands that will be at ACL and not Lolla (as of this writing):

The Walkmen
The Dead Weather
John Legend
Ghostland Observatory (pictured)
Lily Allen
Medeski, Martin & Wood
Dr. Dog
Todd Snider
Asleep at the Wheel
Citizen Cope

In defense of ACL, Jack White’s new band The Dead Weather is attractive, The Walkmen are solid, Ghostland Observatory puts on a show to experience and Medeski, Martin & Wood never disappoint.

In Lolla’s corner, Ra Ra Riot has a host of catchy tunes, Band of Horses can stir a soul, Silversun Pickups are gaining momentum fast and Animal Collective is getting early votes for album of the year.

Edge: Lollapalooza

So what’s it going to be? Where will I put my money (and lots of it) this year?

In the end, the pre-performance title goes to Lollapalooza in 2009. Both have very strong lineups and the shared bands are top-notch. Although I will miss Pearl Jam, I could care less about Dave Matthews Band, while at Lolla, Band of Horses and Silversun Pickups hold particular sway with me, and I’m excited to experience Ra Ra Riot, Animal Collective and TV on the Radio. Combined with the city of Chicago and all it has to offer, I’ll be at Grant Park this summer.

Agree or disagree? Leave a comment below.

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Enter the site and you’re presented with swirling guitar picks, along with another larger pick on the left side. There you find the inductees. Click on one and you’ll get more picks, like the ones shown here for Metallica. And this is where it gets cool.

Each pick contains user-submitted content – comments, photos or videos about the artist. Click on one pick and you might get a video of someone playing their favorite Metallica jam. Click on another and you could see a photo from a show, or just some fans showing their love. One of Run D.M.C.’s has a user’s cover of “Tricky” on the drums – and it’s awesome.

You could get lost in this site. In fact, you should. I’ve yet to see something so focused on the fans and their appreciation for their favorite music. It’s fun, entertaining and there’s real talent out there. Most of all, it gives you a sense of how far-reaching music can be, regardless of race, color, creed or any other factor.

Well done, Rock Hall. You’ve truly created something special.

Below is “Tricky” from JoeyJordisonGirl. To get right into it, skip ahead to the 1:20 mark.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Thanks to The MTV Vault and AT&T, you can see videos that have previously never been released online. Each day, The MTV Vault will release music videos, interviews and live performances to the public. There’s also an interactive trivia game where you answer questions to unlock more content. Don’t worry, even if you don’t know the answers, you get in eventually. And who doesn’t love some good trivia?

The videos range wildly – from the aforementioned “Good Thing” to John Lennon, All-American Rejects and an interview with Ozzy Osbourne about eating bats and doves. Nice.

Below is a sample of the trivia game.

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Kutiman becamed influenced by the likes of James Brown and Fela Kuti while listening to a college radio station at his convenience store job. He then traveled to Jamaica, eventually working with Stephen and Damien Marley to perfect his funk/afro beat sound.

Below is one of the songs and video. Also, check out Thru-You.com to see and hear the rest of the album, and Kutiman’s MySpace page to hear some of his other music.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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