Summer is usually a time of bad decisions. And although I wasn’t exactly proud of everything that my summer contained, there was at least one definitive exception.

In the middle of July, I caved in and finally purchased a Daytrotter annual membership. The best decision I had made in a long, long, time.

Some of you may be asking yourselves, “What in the world is a ‘daytrotter’?!” Well, daytrotter.com is a wonderful little music blog that has slowly but surely become one of the most notable realms for artists to not only expand their influence, but also start some grassroots buzz.

I had spent years enjoying the lounge-style recordings that artists crank out every so often — appropriately deemed, “daytrotter sessions.” What was nice about the sessions was their “free-factor.” As long as I was perusing daytrotter.com I could listen endlessly to as many sessions as I wanted.

But my childhood fascination with limited freedom ran short. I needed more. I needed Bon Iver’s masterful July 21, 2008 session at my hip and in my ears. I needed the passion and drive of The Avett Brother’s July 29, 2009 session — desperately desired the ability to absorb the simple happiness that glowed from the group in their fitting illustration. All it took was an annual membership to the site. One I have certainly got my money’s worth from.

When you get down to brass tacks, a membership essentially gets you unlimited free downloads of basically every session ever recorded through daytrotter. If you think about it, that’s $24 a year ($2 a month if you’re somewhat handy with numbers) for unlimited sessions which range from 4 to 6 songs on average. Not bad, eh? I can’t remember being more content about a purchase in all my years.

If you haven’t gathered already, the sessions are to die for. Sheer perfection, note by ever loving note, from each and every artist. I’ve found sessions of long lost versions of songs by artists I’ve loved for years, and sessions of brand new artists like Michael Kiwanuka that I’ve immediately fallen in love with, ten times over.

What’s so admirable about the recordings in question is the rawness of each and every talent that is featured on the site. Just a pure, down-home, goosebump-inducing, ‘Johnny’s-playing-fiddle-on-the-porch-let’s-go-take-a-listen’ kind of sound. What’s not to like?

All sessions are accompanied by perfectly depictive illustrations (by Johnnie Cluney) and the heart-wrenching, awe-inspiring words of daytrotter founder, Sean Moeller. (In reality, I should probably turn in my resignation as a music/pop culture blogger because his hold of language over music is second to none.) Very rarely do these two products not coincide with the aura of the music to create a life changing experience with the listening of every session.

To grab an annual subscription, follow this link and also take a listen to The Lumineers’ on pointe session. (To my knowledge, if you subscribe, you’ll also recieve a free high-def download of a Counting Crows set on Sept. 4th! It’s a no brainer!) If you have any questions, comments, or concerns feel free to send them my way at [email protected] or contact me on twitter @thehippestcat.