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Welcome to the first installment of BestMUSIC! We've selected four totally diverse and totally exceptional CD's to review, each with a free download for BestMUSIC readers. You'll find rock, world pop, unplugged metal and smooth jazz below. BestStuff Senior Music Editor Jonathan Todd opens this column with some albums and artists he's intimately familiar with as an executive producer (with Mick Fleetwood on SOMETHING BIG) or as a manager (for Loren Gold, Todd Smallwood and Shankar & Gingger). We hope you uncover new sounds and artists you enjoy. Don't forget to come back in a few weeks for more reviews and more free music.

July 13, 2005--Speck Products announced its latest iPod accessory, mini iGuy -- a fully functional case and toy for mini iPods. The launch of iGuy (for clickwheel iPods) in May brought on an onslaught of sales, press and publicity for Speck Products -- the initial stock of thousands was sold out within two weeks. Following the successful launch of iGuy, iGuy mini is the highly awaited 'little brother' and newest addition to the family.

JULY 13, 2005. – Digital Lifestyle Outfitters (DLO) today announced the DLO mini Fling fashion cases for iPod mini. The mini Flings, DLO’s first iPod cases designed specifically for women, embrace today’s fashion trends and styles. The mini flings’ material and color choices are a perfect match for any mini. Styles range from metallic pink, psychedelic green and even a crocodile blue. The cases also feature a removable wristlet with charm, an elastic loop for headphone or lipstick storage and even a flip-up cosmetic mirror. The DLO mini fling cases are being previewed at Macworld Expo Boston (DLO Booth #329) this week, and will begin shipping in late July.

eJamming has created a way for musicians anywhere in the world to jam with each other in real-time over the Internet. Say you live in Los Angeles and the friends you love to jam with live in Seattle, New York and Miami. Or you’re in New York, and your songwriting partner is on tour in Europe. How can you rehearse when your bandmates live in Nashville, Denver and Chicago? How can you make music together when you’re so far away?

This fashionable 20GB personal music player also doubles as a 1.22-megapixel digital camera. It stores and plays as many as 5000 digital songs, features sleek touch screen controls, has a super bright 3.7-inch VGA LCD color screen and chrome back. m:robe users can create personalized “remixes” that blend music and pictures together. The buzz is that this device will give iPod a run for its money. ($400; www.olympus.com)

June 29,2005 -- Gibson Guitar announced yesterday the production of 250 replicas of the Eric Clapton Crossroads 335 model, from which a significant portion of the proceeds will benefit the artist's "Crossroads Centre" in Antigua. "Crossroads Centre" is an internationally recognized treatment center for addiction, founded by the artist.

The String Cheese Incident just released their fifth studio album, One Step Closer, on June 28, 2005 on their own record label, SCI Fidelity Records. With the new release SCI divulge, perhaps for the first time, their genuine songwriting voice, and it’s every bit as ambitious as you’d expect.

My mother thinks Tom Cruise is acting like a clown. That may be a disservice to a rather well known jester who’s having a bit of his own midlife make-over. Ronald McDonald, the clown prince of fast food is whipping himself into shape, slimming down and toning up. It appears the host of the Happy Meal must have been upset about all the bad press recently, so it was time for some re-imaging. Now Ronnie’s juggling vegetables and sinking baskets with Yao Ming. Although Mr. McDonald’s new regimen does not seem include Mr. Cruise’s latest form of exercise – couch jumping like a maniac and verbally sparring with everyone carrying a microphone. And while the new and improved Ronnie McD is sporting a more form fitting outfit, Mr. Cruise’s wardrobe change calls for wearing a fashionable 26-year-old on his arm. It’s a toss up as to who looks more stylish; the junk food jester snowboarding in gigantic red saddle shoes or our one-time Top Gun destroying his previously super-sized Mr. Cool demeanor?

June 27 /PRNewswire/ -- MTV: Music Television today announced the launch of its newest division, "MTV Games." Dedicated to developing, producing and promoting unique and creative gaming experiences that resonate with MTV's audience, MTV Games will work in-house through its newly created interactive entertainment studio, along with industry partners, to produce and market original video game titles. MTV Games will incubate original game franchises in partnership with independent game developers. In addition, the new division will forge strategic marketing partnerships with game publishers to connect with the MTV audience across multiple platforms. MTV will work closely with publishers, leveraging its unique brand and marketing capabilities to maximize the success of each MTV Games release.

June 22, 2005--No more tangles, snags or kinks: Now music lovers can free themselves from the cords tethering them to their iPod and receive high quality sound -- wireless headphones for the iPod have arrived. Logitech, a leading provider of cordless peripherals for a variety of platforms, today introduced the Logitech Wireless Headphones for iPod. People can simply plug in the wireless adapter, set their iPod down, and move as far as 30 feet away -- without ever missing a beat.