4AD's Best of the Year - For Free

Before the music industry's own personal credit crunch - caused, to varying degrees, by the ascent of the MP3, overpriced albums and the failing, ephemeral, television-created popstar - a good way for people to discover new bands (especially before the internet existed), was by record labels issuing cheap samplers displaying their wares.

In fact, label samplers such as Cooking Vinyl's Delicatessen, Beggars (sic)

.

Banquet's One Pound Ninety Nine and Cherry Red's Pillows And Prayers, amongst others, would all be essential purchases for the discerning music fan.

It's something that MySpace and most labels' precarious financial state has largely eroded, but all hope is not lost. 4AD - famously home to Cocteau Twins and Pixies, of course (as well as now being owned by the aforementioned Beggars Banquet group) - have just announced news of a digital label sampler. Download it, burn it to disc and it's just like the old days. You could even design and print out your own cover. The tracklisting is as follows:

TV On The Radio - Golden Age (taken from Dear Science)
Deerhunter - Nothing Ever Happened (taken from Microcastle)
Department Of Eagles - No One Does It Like You (taken from In Ear Park)
Anni Rossi - Ecology (taken from Afton EP)
Stereolab - Neon Beanbag (taken from Chemical Chords)
Atlas Sound - River Card (taken from Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel)
It Hugs Back - Work Day (taken from forthcoming album Inside Your Guitar)
Minotaur Shock - My Burr (taken from Amateur Dramatics)
Johann Johannsson - Melodia (i) (taken from Fordlandia)
Bon Iver - Skinny Love (taken from For Emma, Forever Ago)
The Breeders - Bang On (taken from Mountain Battles)
The Mountain Goats - Sax Rohmer #1 (taken from Heretic Pride)

.

Mischa Pearlman - Q Magazine