I mentioned in a post yesterday that I attended my first Austin City Limits over the past weekend (Matisyahu, Tragically Hip and The Flaming Lips were my favorites). Anyway, on the way into Zilker Park people were handing out lanyards with laminants that included a redemption code for "30 free iTunes" on the back.

I thought that this was really cool until I realized that the code wasn't redeemable for any 30 iTunes, it was for "a special collection of songs from this year's artists." Ok, no such a a bad deal, I thought. Once I got home, I fired up iTunes 7, clicked on the Store, then Redeem (hint: it's a text link on the right). Here is the list of free iTunes that the redemption code gave me:

International Rock Star (Stars)
Brat Pack (The Rocket Summer)
Suspended (Matt Nathanson)
Cruel (Calexico)
When? (Demo?) (Stars)
Consolation Prizes (Phoenix)
Sweet Lady (What Made Milwaukee Famous)
See the World (Gomez)
Krush (Stars)
Time (The Greencards)
Sundress (Ben Kweller)
Magdalene (Guy Clark)
Ageless Beauty (Stars)
Stupid Love (Sarah Hickman)
Bring It Home Again (Charlie Sexton)
City Lights (Husky Rescue)
White Daisy Passing (Rocky Votolato)
Learn You Like a Book (Sarah Hickman)
Black Grease (The Black Angels)
Crosses (José Gonzalez)
The Demon of White Sadness (Marah)
New Slough (The Blue Van)
Stop, I'm Already Dead (Deadboy & the Elephantmen)
Pushover (The Long Winters)
How We Operate (Gomez)
Miniature Disasters (KT Tunstall)
(We Can) Live (BoDeans)
Originality (Thievery Corporation)
Contigo (Frederico Aubele)
According to Plan (I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness)
Helena (Nickel Creek)

It's a brilliant plan by Apple to get more people to sign up for iTunes accounts and to give some exposure to up-and-coming artists at the same time. The promotion is not unlike something similar that Apple did at Bestival in the U.K. and their offer of free album artwork in exchange for signing up for an iTunes account.

I have an extra lanyard that I don't need, so don't bother buying one on eBay. The first reader to enter the redemption code below into iTunes can download the 31 tracks above - for free.

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