If you feel a desperate need to read poor prose about good free music, please visit Catching The Waves, the net's most amateurish and sporadically updated blog dedicated to reviewing netlabel and/or Creative Commons albums. (I don't make money from it - it's purely for fun.)
Musicians give music away for free for many reasons: some do it in the hope of building a fanbase who will pay for later work and merchandise; some in the hope that they will receive donations; some because no record label will touch them; and some because they damn well feel like it.
Creative Commons licences allow musicians to release their music for free yet still retain control over their work. Generally, listeners can download and share the albums as much as they like. In many cases, they can even remix the works and release them themselves as long as attribution is given. If you intend to use the music in a commercial situation, you must get permission from the licence holder. (Please check each album's CC licence to see what's possible.) The advent of free Creative Commons music is not meant to replace the current commercial system, nor is it meant to subvert it. Rather, it helps to create an alternative revenue stream for artists who would otherwise have to sign a not-very-helpful record contract - or not see a penny for their efforts because of low sales and high costs.
(Please note: I do not approve of piracy. CC music is legally free, given away with the full knowledge and approval of the musicians who made it.)
Besides, free music can be a lot of fun for musicians and listeners alike. Anyone can join in. Anyone can release an album in any genre because there's no record label telling them it won't sell. The rewards differ: there's the satisfaction of finishing an album and releasing it; receiving the occasional *gasp* fan email, making some beer money from the occasional donation, and even signing a contract with MTV and other channels, as Sean Fournier did recently on the back of his successful free release, Oh My.
There's no advertising, registration or hidden fees. You get the mp3, the whole mp3 and nothing but the mp3. Creative Commons music is music's best-kept secret - please help to spread the word.
Sorry about banging on for so long. Please visit Catching The Waves if you'd like some free music. At the very least, you'll discover links to better websites than mine. End of plug.
One last plea to KVR's notoriously feisty members: CTW is just a reflection of my taste in music. Please don't hit me.
(just kidding) I have a free EP released which you can review if you like. Check my sig out if you want. It's got a CC license (I also sell it online too, but it's free for anyone that wants it). 
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