Popular music site reMuxed

Muxtape, the music-playlist site that launched to general acclaim in March 2008 only to run afoul of the RIAA by September, has relaunched as "a minimalist platform for bands to promote their music and listeners to create mixes." Twelve bands have contributed tracks to kick things off.

The old Muxtape allowed anyone to upload a playlist of MP3s, sequenced and titled in the fashion of a mixtape. The site was not searchable by artist and didn't allow for downloading. It was nonetheless an Internet and social-networking sensation, with nearly 98,000 signups in just its first month, and its mid-August shutdown prompted blog posts and articles about "the gaping void in your soul where Muxtape used to be" and such.

After licensing discussions fell through, Muxtape took itself offline, promising to return as a site in support of independent artists. That seems to fit the description of CEO Justin Ouellette and CTO Luke Crawford's new version. The bands, which include the likes of of Montreal, Amanda Palmer and Girl Talk, each have an individual band with (depending on the artist) photos, bios, and concert dates; the Muxtape FAQ says that the site will add ticketing and merchandise sales options down the road.