I get a lot of unsolicited contacts from prospective clients. Normally, I am unresponsive and I rarely take on unsolicted business that’s not referred to me.

Tonight, I needed a break from the film and fashion stuff, so I returned an unsolicited music call I got this morning.

I ended up having about an hour-long conversation with a rapper who wanted to know exactly what it is I do and how I could help him. I gave him a lot of information and told him how to do a lot of stuff himself. I also sent him to cdfuse.com, of course. I have no idea whether I will work with him or not. (I’ll know once I get his package and review my calendar.)

Honestly, that’s the thing I love about music. It’s like muscle memory. I was exhausted and burned out from a long, hard month. Somehow, just going through the basics and relaying some old anecdotes completely re-energized me.

I didn’t have to really think . . . it’s just all there.

It was a perfect break from today’s irritations and frustrations.

This is where I will be tomorrow, supporting my friends (and meeting some people in between sets). Red Eyed Fly is a great venue and I expect it to be packed.

Because I know you will ask, A has been given explicit permission to skip it. Like he needed permission. I am lucky if I can get him to one showcase per year. It’s just not his thing. Plus, I think FireKills was just a little too far afield for him the last time (though he did acknowledge they were great musicians).

Way, way, way back at the beginning of February, I wrote that Gym Class Heroes should be “your new favorite hip-hop group.”

I had found them randomly on cdfuse and loved them.

Today, I was taking a palate-cleansing stroll through the Times Arts Section, when I saw Kelefa Sanneh’s music review of Gym Class Heroes: Rap Meets Rock Again, Looking for the Emo Generation.

Check them out on cdfuse, which is offering three free Gym Class Heroes downloads and buy the album while you’re over there.

I listen to a ton of new hip hop. Finding a fresh new voice that I want to keep on loop is extremely rare.

That’s Ohene, who I found on cdfuse.com. He was their top download, so I figured I would give him a listen.

Stupid Minded is my favorite track. The track opens with what sounds like an old soul vinyl record, complete with needle hiss and scratches. His flow reminds me a bit of Jay-Z (though I hate playing that game). His flow is playful dancing across the music. The track has a tinkly piano, a drum beat, and a horn section interspersed with the hissy soul sample.

cdfuse.com has two other free downloads available for 3rd Bar Invention and Hello Stranger.

Buy it on cdfuse.com or iTunes.

I get turned on to a lot of music by my friend Sal Silva at cdfuse.com. (My only gift back to him was Beirut, but that’s a fine gift.)

Some of it I will tell you about here; some of it I am going to keep close to my vest for now.

Sal and his business partner Erik run cdfuse.com, which is a distributor of independent music (through cds and iTunes) and merchandise. They run a great business and they have great taste in music.

Sal had suggested I check out some samples of a new Austin band in which he was interested. As usual, it’s a great freaking band no one is talking about. Yet.

Then I just started trolling around the site and I found Gym Class Heroes. Wow, what a great group.

I like all of their songs, which I have been listening to for the past few weeks. Apparently, I am not alone since they are currently the top download on cdfuse.

Get it. Now.

Link: Gym Class Heroes