As of today the Net Label Coalition's Forums are officially live! Both in content and set up they're a little minimal at the moment but improvements are pending as the Coalition starts to take shape and define what it is, as well as finding out what works and what doesn't. There's the potential for it to become an important resource for labels, artists and fans alike but only if you, the labels and the fans, get involved in promoting and supporting it. There have been enough failed attempts to create something like this within the free music community and only by bringing in as many people as possible and supporting it as much as possible will this time be any different so please, if you've got a news feed on your site, a blog or just a mailing list of your own please promote this launch as far and wide as you can.

The immediate discussions about what the Coalition can and should be are the first step to be taken and there's a lot to be done before things are truly launched but we're a community of hundreds of thousands of people; we've got the brains, the ideas and the resources to make this something good, so now we just need to do it.

The Net Label Coalition - http://www.thecreativeuncommons.com/forums/index.php

- Dylan 'YouSir' Orchard - www.TheCreativeUnCommons.com

A rather belated review of Entertainment for the Braindead's not so recent EP 'Raw Timber', just as news comes that EftB will be releasing another EP in the not too distant, yay. (READ MORE)

Over the past few days it's become increasingly common knowledge that Jamendo, the biggest and baddest player within the free music community, has become a bit financially unstuck. Jobs have been lost, 15 at the time of writing and apparently the end of February is the projected deadline for any rescue plan or merger, so just under a couple of months for something/someone to emerge and save the day. None of which makes for particularly cheerful reading I admit but there has been some community reaction to what's happening and all hope isn't lost quite yet. Already there are questions to be asked though, not just about how the sinking of this particular Titanic might be avoided but also about how it came to be sailing towards that iceberg of bankruptcy in the first place. (READ MORE)

Las Vin Up are an Argentinean all-girl pop-punk trio whose sound falls squarely into what is known as Ramones worship. The songs on this album are short, - all but one of the 14 tracks are less than two minutes long; fast- going well above mid-tempo speed the entire time; and fun – the songs range from singing about how their boyfriend is a boy scout (and how rad that is!) to… bizarre and fun times they’ve had to… well, not much else. (READ MORE)