There aren't many bands about which I can say, "I knew them when…" even though I'm told that 10,000 Maniacs used to play a lot of local clubs when I was in college. In any case, I was a fan of Barenaked Ladies long before they hit it big and have remained impressed with their technology savvy. "BNL" offer MP3 downloads of their concert performances on their site, from which they also offered a flash drive album that sold out. Here's a great quote from band co-founder Steven Page's blog:

As I’ve said to friends, we can’t expect to tell our fans “see you in court” and then “see you at Massey Hall next fall” – we have to choose one, and I choose the latter.

The band's latest initiative is a $2.49 download of the 16 multitracks from "Easy," a song from a forthcoming album that will be released as a 13-song physical release, a 15-song digital release, and a 29-song online-only release. All multitracks remain copyrighted. However, the band encourages downloaders to remix extensively and as the site notes…

We plan to make available over the next few months 5 of our new songs in this manner. The band will then vote on your re-mixes and the winning 5 will comprise an EP that we plan to release and donate all proceeds to charities close to the hearts of each band member.

You'll be able to upload your re-mixes, review other mixes and vote soon! STAY TUNED!

This is a winning proposition for fans technically adept and otherwise, the band, and the nominated charities. If only all digital music endeavors were this creative…

By the way, BNLMusic.com also has a great "About" page that will warm the hearts of Brady Bunch fans.