In the spirit of saving $ now so we can spend it all on gifts for the holidays, we’ve rounded up a playlist of some of our favorite free tracks circulating around the interwebs. Get ‘em free (and legally!) on AmieStreet.com by clicking here.

Technically it’s possible for any of these bands “on hiatus” to return to the music scene. Hopefully the thought of No Doubt reuniting doesn’t keep you up at night.

Also. Fugazi album. 2010. 90% possible.

I’m a lovefool for rock in all its beautiful shapes and sizes. Here’s a slow ride through some of my favorites. No appologies.

Unless you’ve been frozen in a time capsule next to Walt Disney for the last 10 years you’re probably well aware that blogs break bands. The power of the blogosphere has now reached kryptonite-like levels of influence on music culture—both on the fan and industry side. Check out some great bands that have reaped reward from the hype machine on a blog network near you.

The male rock star has many guises to hide behind when belting out a song for a lost love or a newfound friend. But usually they come in the form of a band of boys with a soft alt-rock sound mixed with an edgy style and fronted by a singer with pipes to brag about. Led by current crooners Secondhand Serenade (pictured), the Fray and Snow Patrol, and taking a queue from vulnerable rock gods like Coldplay, Matchbox Twenty and 3 Doors Down, this is the sound of the sensitive serenade.

Time for a trip to the desert, to catch some sun, some wide open spaces, and some great live music. The Coachella Music Festival kicks off this Friday with some throwbacks–headliners Paul McCartney, Morrissey, and The Cure–along with some fresh new sounds from Lupe Fiasco, Peter Bjorn and John, and the Silversun Pickups. Three days in the hot California desert with this lineup?  We’re ready.

It takes some real cojones to cover a Beatles song, to try creating a new version of a song most of us have had long ingrained in our heads.  But everyone in this list stuck their neck out and tried to come up something truly new, a different take on a classic tune.

Soundtrack music isn’t always something to be played in the background.  We decided to pick some of our favorite songs from films, tracks that stood out as much as the movies themselves, sometimes even more.  Name the movie for extra points.

There is no shortage of rock bands in this world, but how many can you name with brothers in them? From the contentious sibling rivalries in Oasis, the Kinks, and the Kings of Leon, to the more well-adjusted brother combos in Van Halen, Radiohead and AC&DC, the tensions may run high, but the results have shown it’s been worth it.