Squeezing away from end of the school year capers to sneak in an entry... Hopefully I'll be able to squeeze in tons of music all next week as some kind of countdown to Christmas! YES!!!! I get to do another band that rests in my top 4 favorite bands of all time and they have a free song!
Trans-Siberian Orchestra is a great many things; a perennial holiday favorite, a radio mainstay during the winter, the most kick-ass rock rendition of Christmas tunes. Yeah, it fits those descriptions easily but most people don't realize that the radio-friendly instrumental tracks are only a fraction of what this band has to offer. The albums also contain some well-developed symphonic rock songs from covers of Christmas classics to beautiful originals. Each album also has its own full story to accompany the music (what?) often being great stories that the music only helps build into a greater symphony of sound. This past month, my family saw them in concert and it blew my mind. Best light show I've seen, best atmosphere, amazing narration of the story and a full replaying of the entire "Christmas Eve and Other Stories" albums (except "A Star to Follow..." Strange.)
The bigger surprise to a lot of people is that they don't always do Christmas music. The two non-Christmas albums are vastly different with their separate themes. The first is "Beethoven's Last Night" which tells the story of Beethoven's last night as he is dying and analyzing his life to see if anything was worth it. Great stuff. The newest album is simply called "Night Castle" a two disc medley of all kinds of music. There are a few Christmas songs but mostly original tracks. TSO held a official contest where people could use one of the new songs "Believe" in a created video medley of something you were passionate about. Winners would be chosen and the contest ended 6 months ago... But they still left the mp3 active! On the contest page both the original track and a separate radio edit are available for free download. The song is great but not a normal Christmas track that one would expect from TSO. Please download and enjoy!! Merry Week-Before-Christmas!!!
Showing posts with label free music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label free music. Show all posts
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Arbor Records (Christmas!)
December has begun and the inevitability of Christmas music has arrived. I've heard a lot of badmouthing for Christmas music among critics and intense music fans saying that it is some kind of perversion of the talent that is present in many of artists. And to that point I say that not all christmas music is shallow and hopefully all of the posts I make this month will be quality (or at least decent) Christmas music. Some of the artists I have already covered have quality free Christmas music including Jonathan Coulton ("Podsafe Christmas Song" and "Chiron Beta Prime"), The Aquabats ("Holiday Road"), He Is We ("O Holy Night" from the purevolume link), and Los Straitjackets ("I Deck The Halls.")
Okay so maybe this first example isn't the best for "quality" Christmas music but there is a lot available. Arbor Records has been holding a Christmas show with the bands in the label for the past ten years with free recordings of each show. To make that clear, 10 FULL FREE ALBUMS of Christmas music. The music can be really rough and very hit-&-miss but considering that it was a live recording and that it's all free... Not so much of a problem really. The later albums are definitely higher quality music so I would start with Year 10 and work your way back.
I could not find a video or enough songs to make a playlist so this will have to be a step of faith. Enjoy!
Okay so maybe this first example isn't the best for "quality" Christmas music but there is a lot available. Arbor Records has been holding a Christmas show with the bands in the label for the past ten years with free recordings of each show. To make that clear, 10 FULL FREE ALBUMS of Christmas music. The music can be really rough and very hit-&-miss but considering that it was a live recording and that it's all free... Not so much of a problem really. The later albums are definitely higher quality music so I would start with Year 10 and work your way back.
I could not find a video or enough songs to make a playlist so this will have to be a step of faith. Enjoy!
Saturday, November 27, 2010
I-5: FreddeGredde
Warning: Video Overload!!
Probably the first time I've ever opened an entry with a video. If you frequent the internet, then there is a good chance that you have run into the video above ^^. Watch out for some inappropriate content though.
The artist responsible is one man from Sweden who goes under the moniker of FreddeGredde and has me hooked with his versatile guitar playing and unique voice. Every time I visit youtube, I eagerly await the newest video and the eventual free download that is usually included. The videos are well put together and often very entertaining. Most of the videos are medleys like the one above but they change topics per video. For instance, a medley of all sorts of TV Theme songs...
Or a medley of Cartoon Themes... (Including some in foreign languages!)
And a couple for video games including a multiple game medley, one specifically for Mega Man 9, and one for Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker. They are all great but I chose the Zelda one for the sheer awesomeness and the use of so many instruments perfectly...
The medleys are a lot of fun (especially to try to get friends to guess the appropriate songs) but there is more. Fredde is working on a full length album currently and there are a couple of original tracks on his page as well. The Wayfarer is a short acoustic track, Vampire Bride is great (but laden with Twilight references...), and Beside Me is a truly unique rock song. These tracks do not have free mp3s but can be found on iTunes and are easily worth the 99 cents.
As I said above, most of the tracks are available for free in links in the details for the videos. Normally sites like these should be avoided but he posted them himself so no problem. There might be errors for some people but the files are there and correct, just keep trying. I-5 week has finally come to a close. What should I do next?
Probably the first time I've ever opened an entry with a video. If you frequent the internet, then there is a good chance that you have run into the video above ^^. Watch out for some inappropriate content though.
The artist responsible is one man from Sweden who goes under the moniker of FreddeGredde and has me hooked with his versatile guitar playing and unique voice. Every time I visit youtube, I eagerly await the newest video and the eventual free download that is usually included. The videos are well put together and often very entertaining. Most of the videos are medleys like the one above but they change topics per video. For instance, a medley of all sorts of TV Theme songs...
Or a medley of Cartoon Themes... (Including some in foreign languages!)
And a couple for video games including a multiple game medley, one specifically for Mega Man 9, and one for Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker. They are all great but I chose the Zelda one for the sheer awesomeness and the use of so many instruments perfectly...
The medleys are a lot of fun (especially to try to get friends to guess the appropriate songs) but there is more. Fredde is working on a full length album currently and there are a couple of original tracks on his page as well. The Wayfarer is a short acoustic track, Vampire Bride is great (but laden with Twilight references...), and Beside Me is a truly unique rock song. These tracks do not have free mp3s but can be found on iTunes and are easily worth the 99 cents.
As I said above, most of the tracks are available for free in links in the details for the videos. Normally sites like these should be avoided but he posted them himself so no problem. There might be errors for some people but the files are there and correct, just keep trying. I-5 week has finally come to a close. What should I do next?
Thursday, November 25, 2010
I-5: Goot (again...)
Third Attempt... After trying (deleted), trying again (deleted), deleting tons of material off my hard-drive, installing a massive software update, and trying again.
So yeah, Goot, again. Unlike the rest of my I-5, I'm not really feeling the same level of excitement and passion for this musician right now. Maybe because all of the songs that he is covering right now are modern hip/pop radio hits. Tons of Katy Perry, Taio Cruz, Taylor Swift, Sarah Bareilles, Bruno Mars, etc... Sure, the quality of the music hasn't declined but his current trend towards this style of music has alienated me. I know plenty of people enjoy this but I'd love to see him go back to what I think was his gift - taking old pop songs that EVERYBODY knows and make them fun and relevant again. The video below is definitely my favorite out of the new bunch.
The other problem is that none of these songs are available for free, probably due to the popularity of the songs and original artists. I trust Goot enough that I will follow his work no matter what direction it turns but I'm hoping that he moves into a different direction.
Anyways, one more entry for I-5 week. and HAPPY BLACK FRIDAY!! it would have been Thanksgiving if not for technical issues...
So yeah, Goot, again. Unlike the rest of my I-5, I'm not really feeling the same level of excitement and passion for this musician right now. Maybe because all of the songs that he is covering right now are modern hip/pop radio hits. Tons of Katy Perry, Taio Cruz, Taylor Swift, Sarah Bareilles, Bruno Mars, etc... Sure, the quality of the music hasn't declined but his current trend towards this style of music has alienated me. I know plenty of people enjoy this but I'd love to see him go back to what I think was his gift - taking old pop songs that EVERYBODY knows and make them fun and relevant again. The video below is definitely my favorite out of the new bunch.
The other problem is that none of these songs are available for free, probably due to the popularity of the songs and original artists. I trust Goot enough that I will follow his work no matter what direction it turns but I'm hoping that he moves into a different direction.
Anyways, one more entry for I-5 week. and HAPPY BLACK FRIDAY!! it would have been Thanksgiving if not for technical issues...
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
I-5: (RE:) Songs To Wear Pants To
Once again another artist I have previously covered several months ago and another artist who continues to release more and more amazing material for free. There has been an unbelievable amount of new content over these past couple months. So much that I'm going to have to split this update into 4 parts.
1) I've mentioned his site Songs To Wear Pants To back in March and the site has been updating non-stop since then. If you haven't tried the site yet, it is made up of humorous song requests that can range through any genre or topic. There have been a couple real gems to come out in that time including "I Am Having Your Babies," "O Mustache," "Half a Swan," and "Pink Fluffy Unicorns Dancing on Rainbows." All of the tracks are worth trying, those just stood out more. Most of the back catalog is still available for free with some costing 99 cents. Seriously, just listen to "I Am Having Your Babies." Guaranteed laugh inducer.
2) Andrew has opened his youtube page into an accompaniment to STWPT with many amusing videos to go with songs and video blogs that are also very amusing. It was really really hard to narrow down the videos to post here but I finally chose "Pink Fluffy Unicorns Dancing on Rainbows"
and "Crunk Juice"
3) Andrew's real band Your Heart (that I have also featured back in April) is still in full swing as well. They released another free EP entitled Spring Fling that is available alongside the amazing Fall album. Spring Fling may not match the sheer awesomeness of Fall but it is still a worthwhile download for any music library.
4) Two of his songs are now available in Rock Band (did I mention I love Rock Band?) "Shoot the Zombies" and "Stevie" are both available on the Rock Band Network for the 360. I'm just waiting for the tracks to trickle over to the PS3 and will quickly become one of the requisite tracks for any party situation. There is also a good chance that "Never" will make its way to Rock Band...
Need I say more?
1) I've mentioned his site Songs To Wear Pants To back in March and the site has been updating non-stop since then. If you haven't tried the site yet, it is made up of humorous song requests that can range through any genre or topic. There have been a couple real gems to come out in that time including "I Am Having Your Babies," "O Mustache," "Half a Swan," and "Pink Fluffy Unicorns Dancing on Rainbows." All of the tracks are worth trying, those just stood out more. Most of the back catalog is still available for free with some costing 99 cents. Seriously, just listen to "I Am Having Your Babies." Guaranteed laugh inducer.
2) Andrew has opened his youtube page into an accompaniment to STWPT with many amusing videos to go with songs and video blogs that are also very amusing. It was really really hard to narrow down the videos to post here but I finally chose "Pink Fluffy Unicorns Dancing on Rainbows"
and "Crunk Juice"
3) Andrew's real band Your Heart (that I have also featured back in April) is still in full swing as well. They released another free EP entitled Spring Fling that is available alongside the amazing Fall album. Spring Fling may not match the sheer awesomeness of Fall but it is still a worthwhile download for any music library.
4) Two of his songs are now available in Rock Band (did I mention I love Rock Band?) "Shoot the Zombies" and "Stevie" are both available on the Rock Band Network for the 360. I'm just waiting for the tracks to trickle over to the PS3 and will quickly become one of the requisite tracks for any party situation. There is also a good chance that "Never" will make its way to Rock Band...
Need I say more?
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
I-5: Josh Woodward (Revisited)
Once again, I'm looping back to another artist I've already recommended way back in March when I started the site. I gave him a less than stellar review and to my utter amazement, he actually replied in the comments with a thank you and counter-statement (check for yourself!) After really taking his comments to heart and letting time heal that particular wound, I am back to retract my previous statement and offer my sincerest apologies to Mr. Woodward. If you find this Josh, then I'm sorry!!! I was overly critical towards your music that has really grown on me. I was too dismissive due to my attitudes at the time in looking for some positive thinking and not finding it in your music. Consider this my real review.
For those that didn't try his music before, the material available from Josh's website is an amazing mix of well-executed acoustic tracks and softer alterna-rock of the same vein. The fact that all of his music (9+ full albums) is absolutely free only sweetens an already overwhelming deal. The music is not afraid to reach into darker subject matter while still maintaining a lighter acoustic sound that keeps some kind of awkward balance between the two. The music is all held under the Creative Commons License meaning that it is free access for anyone for personal and public use as long as they provide appropriate attributions to the source. In simpler terms, you can use the music in films and other projects without fear of copyright as long as you mention the artist's name and website in the credits. My favorite song is still Motionless Land, a track dedicated to the tragedy in Haiti as told through the perspective of a selfish man unwilling to help due to his own struggles. My initial riled reaction only proves the power of this song as an effective message. This is also the first artist that I will ever have to go through my entire music collection of material and re-rate all of the tracks due to a tragic misunderstanding. And like the other artists in my "I-5" there is a level of dependability and the constant promise of new material in the near future.
And for those of you who did try his music already, he has posted another full album "Ashes" just last week for free. In my opinion, this is easily his best material yet with the whole album repeating on my iTunes for the past week. Seriously, download this album now and listen to songs like "Let It In," "Already There," "Infinite Horizon," "Cherubs," "Pompeii," and of course "Motionless Land." Please support this amazing acoustic artist by downloading his music, sharing it with others, and buying the CDs (if you want.) Also check both videos to get a better idea of the talent at work here... Enjoy!
PS. Hey Josh... Apology accepted?
For those that didn't try his music before, the material available from Josh's website is an amazing mix of well-executed acoustic tracks and softer alterna-rock of the same vein. The fact that all of his music (9+ full albums) is absolutely free only sweetens an already overwhelming deal. The music is not afraid to reach into darker subject matter while still maintaining a lighter acoustic sound that keeps some kind of awkward balance between the two. The music is all held under the Creative Commons License meaning that it is free access for anyone for personal and public use as long as they provide appropriate attributions to the source. In simpler terms, you can use the music in films and other projects without fear of copyright as long as you mention the artist's name and website in the credits. My favorite song is still Motionless Land, a track dedicated to the tragedy in Haiti as told through the perspective of a selfish man unwilling to help due to his own struggles. My initial riled reaction only proves the power of this song as an effective message. This is also the first artist that I will ever have to go through my entire music collection of material and re-rate all of the tracks due to a tragic misunderstanding. And like the other artists in my "I-5" there is a level of dependability and the constant promise of new material in the near future.
And for those of you who did try his music already, he has posted another full album "Ashes" just last week for free. In my opinion, this is easily his best material yet with the whole album repeating on my iTunes for the past week. Seriously, download this album now and listen to songs like "Let It In," "Already There," "Infinite Horizon," "Cherubs," "Pompeii," and of course "Motionless Land." Please support this amazing acoustic artist by downloading his music, sharing it with others, and buying the CDs (if you want.) Also check both videos to get a better idea of the talent at work here... Enjoy!
PS. Hey Josh... Apology accepted?
Monday, November 22, 2010
I-5: Pogo (Revisited)
I'm loving these themes right now and I thought I'd revisit a topic that I mentioned previously about my I-5. These five artists host most of their material online and depend on their online communities to stay afloat but also continue to provide quality material time and time again. The best example of these is Pogo. I know I've already featured this artist and showered plenty of praise here, but thankfully there is new material and a wealth of tracks that I had not found before.
To start, there have been new additions to this artist since I posted in August. The new videos include a mix made from the TV show Dexter and a track made from "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." The track for Dexter I found to be quite dry (maybe because I don't watch the show) but the Snow White track has me once again addicted to his infectious beats. I never would have thought that Snow White's voice would make an awesome melody to a techno-like song...
The Snow White track named "Wishery" is available on his site on this page with almost of his tracks available. Two problems though: all Disney tracks have been removed (due to copyright and a mutual contract) and the files are in a weird format that will not open in iTunes. Both of these problems can be solved with a little extra work. For the missing tracks, most of them are available on his last.fm page and his tracks for "Up" and "Mary Poppins" can be found on albinoblacksheep.com. Couldn't find the Toy Story tracks though... As for the iTunes compatibility, my old Garageband trick works fine (import, trim, export, rename, resize) but it should work with nearly any audio editing software. EDIT: The tracks have changed format and now work fine with iTunes.
As with the rest of my "I-5," the well of music never seems to run dry. New music is a guarantee and new tracks for Pirates of the Caribbean, Wizard of Oz, Winnie the Pooh, and The Little Mermaid have been confirmed to be on the way. I would also like to mention that Pogo was one of the 25 selected youtube artists to be featured at the Guggenheim Museum in New York for the video "Gardyn." The presentation video is absolutely amazing, seeing his work on display with some amazing accompanying visuals. Seeing creative talent like his receive the attention it deserves literally brings me to tears.
He has also started work on a new project in which he plans to travel the world creating videos and music similar to the style of "Gardyn" but representative of each culture depicted. Each track will be individually funded based on sales with a DVD and CD to round out the collection once complete. It sounds to be a beautiful project that I cannot wait to endorse further!
To start, there have been new additions to this artist since I posted in August. The new videos include a mix made from the TV show Dexter and a track made from "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." The track for Dexter I found to be quite dry (maybe because I don't watch the show) but the Snow White track has me once again addicted to his infectious beats. I never would have thought that Snow White's voice would make an awesome melody to a techno-like song...
The Snow White track named "Wishery" is available on his site on this page with almost of his tracks available. Two problems though: all Disney tracks have been removed (due to copyright and a mutual contract) and the files are in a weird format that will not open in iTunes. Both of these problems can be solved with a little extra work. For the missing tracks, most of them are available on his last.fm page and his tracks for "Up" and "Mary Poppins" can be found on albinoblacksheep.com. Couldn't find the Toy Story tracks though... As for the iTunes compatibility, my old Garageband trick works fine (import, trim, export, rename, resize) but it should work with nearly any audio editing software. EDIT: The tracks have changed format and now work fine with iTunes.
As with the rest of my "I-5," the well of music never seems to run dry. New music is a guarantee and new tracks for Pirates of the Caribbean, Wizard of Oz, Winnie the Pooh, and The Little Mermaid have been confirmed to be on the way. I would also like to mention that Pogo was one of the 25 selected youtube artists to be featured at the Guggenheim Museum in New York for the video "Gardyn." The presentation video is absolutely amazing, seeing his work on display with some amazing accompanying visuals. Seeing creative talent like his receive the attention it deserves literally brings me to tears.
He has also started work on a new project in which he plans to travel the world creating videos and music similar to the style of "Gardyn" but representative of each culture depicted. Each track will be individually funded based on sales with a DVD and CD to round out the collection once complete. It sounds to be a beautiful project that I cannot wait to endorse further!
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Parry Gripp
Midterms make updates infrequent... Anyway, for those of you wondering, I am done with punk for a good long while. I still have plenty more but even I feel a little burnt out and need some variety. I do admit that I love the use of themes and will return with a new smaller one next week with more to come in the future but it feels good to just get something random out for a change. I thought for a good long while what would be an effective counterpoint to the punk of the past month, and I couldn't think of anything quite as opposite as Parry Gripp.
If that name means nothing to you, I suggest you try a video to get an idea...
Cutest bunny ever... ^^^
This man has made a living off of seemingly random songs composed heavily with auto-tune of literally anything imaginable but mostly involving small animals, internet memes, and Apple products. It would be easy to believe that there is no talent behind a effort like this but it turns out that he is actually a real musician and was part of a relatively successful band. The tunes easily get repetitious from track to track (with many being blatant copies of past tunes) but likely there is something that will appeal to the juvenile inner child that hopefully still dwells within you. His site is packed with free music each with its own amusing image and many have linked videos as well. And for those really obsessed, he's made three songs available as multi-tracks that you could mix yourself.
Yes, the music is immensely childish but can be a lot of fun. One song in particular tones back some of the goofiness (just some) and becomes a real rock song. A song dedicated to every crush on girls who work at video game stores... The song premiered on the 1000th episode of G4's Attack of the Show and features the two hosts (Olivia Munn as the girl and Kevin Pereira as the drummer.) It is also available for download in Rock Band along with "Nom Nom Nom Nom Nom Nom Nom" and "Last Train to Awesometown." Nothing makes an awesome Rock Band party like these songs...
Other personal suggestions include "Ipad," "Hamster on a Piano (Eating Popcorn)," "I Got No IPhone," and "Discount Birthday Song Medley." Seriously, give him a try starting with the two videos. Enjoy!!
If that name means nothing to you, I suggest you try a video to get an idea...
Cutest bunny ever... ^^^
This man has made a living off of seemingly random songs composed heavily with auto-tune of literally anything imaginable but mostly involving small animals, internet memes, and Apple products. It would be easy to believe that there is no talent behind a effort like this but it turns out that he is actually a real musician and was part of a relatively successful band. The tunes easily get repetitious from track to track (with many being blatant copies of past tunes) but likely there is something that will appeal to the juvenile inner child that hopefully still dwells within you. His site is packed with free music each with its own amusing image and many have linked videos as well. And for those really obsessed, he's made three songs available as multi-tracks that you could mix yourself.
Yes, the music is immensely childish but can be a lot of fun. One song in particular tones back some of the goofiness (just some) and becomes a real rock song. A song dedicated to every crush on girls who work at video game stores... The song premiered on the 1000th episode of G4's Attack of the Show and features the two hosts (Olivia Munn as the girl and Kevin Pereira as the drummer.) It is also available for download in Rock Band along with "Nom Nom Nom Nom Nom Nom Nom" and "Last Train to Awesometown." Nothing makes an awesome Rock Band party like these songs...
Other personal suggestions include "Ipad," "Hamster on a Piano (Eating Popcorn)," "I Got No IPhone," and "Discount Birthday Song Medley." Seriously, give him a try starting with the two videos. Enjoy!!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Punk-Tober: The Aquabats
I may have said that there are only 6 sub-genres of punk but I might need to add a seventh just for these guys: Comedy Punk!
If just that video doesn't get you interested, you have lost your sense of humor. They are quite literally a ska band dressed entirely in blue spandex writing and performing nonsensical music based on fantasy themes and high school humor. It can be a little hard to consider them punk anymore as they have changed their sound quite a bit to more nerd rock (even coming really close to the sound of the song in "Revenge of the Nerds" in the song above.) These guys embrace their goofiness with such passion that you just can't help but love them. That and drawn-on mustaches are totally rad. I never latched onto the band's bandwagon (lol...) when they were more popular but I do have a great related memory. I was trapped in the Mataguay Scout Reservation when the entire area was on fire and after a long ordeal trying to leave, we were trapped in a dry field waiting to squeeze out. We all piled in one of the older scout's car (Robby Winebarger) and blasted Aquabats at full volume with the fire everywhere while watching small fires start in the field we were parked on. SO AWESOME!!
I may not have as many songs available as many of the other bands featured lately, but what is here is really good. Purevolume has two tracks including the classic "Pool Party." Nitro Records has "Fashion Zombies" available as a free download and after some real digging I found a cover of the classic "Holiday Road" but I can't find the link anymore. When I find it I will update this page...
UPDATE: Finally found the link to "Holiday Road" here. It's at the bottom of the page amid many other Christmas tracks.
I just had to post this video below of a television show based on the Aquabats that never happened but is unbelievably awesome.
Enjoy and spread the love!!
If just that video doesn't get you interested, you have lost your sense of humor. They are quite literally a ska band dressed entirely in blue spandex writing and performing nonsensical music based on fantasy themes and high school humor. It can be a little hard to consider them punk anymore as they have changed their sound quite a bit to more nerd rock (even coming really close to the sound of the song in "Revenge of the Nerds" in the song above.) These guys embrace their goofiness with such passion that you just can't help but love them. That and drawn-on mustaches are totally rad. I never latched onto the band's bandwagon (lol...) when they were more popular but I do have a great related memory. I was trapped in the Mataguay Scout Reservation when the entire area was on fire and after a long ordeal trying to leave, we were trapped in a dry field waiting to squeeze out. We all piled in one of the older scout's car (Robby Winebarger) and blasted Aquabats at full volume with the fire everywhere while watching small fires start in the field we were parked on. SO AWESOME!!
I may not have as many songs available as many of the other bands featured lately, but what is here is really good. Purevolume has two tracks including the classic "Pool Party." Nitro Records has "Fashion Zombies" available as a free download and after some real digging I found a cover of the classic "Holiday Road" but I can't find the link anymore. When I find it I will update this page...
UPDATE: Finally found the link to "Holiday Road" here. It's at the bottom of the page amid many other Christmas tracks.
I just had to post this video below of a television show based on the Aquabats that never happened but is unbelievably awesome.
Enjoy and spread the love!!
Punk-Tober: Dropkick Murphys
After my frustration of posting NOFX last week, it feels great to be getting back to a band that actually excites me. Two of my favorite genres colliding (punk and celtic) makes me happy once more. Dropkick Murphys has a lot of similarities to Flogging Molly as they both occupy the same sub-genre but Flogging Molly leans much farther into alternative territory while Dropkick Murphys remains grounded in punk. As much as I absolutely love Flogging Molly, I've actually grown to like Dropkick Murphys almost as much. If that praise doesn't get you interested than try them for yourself.
One of Epitaph's sub-labels, Hellcat Records, has plenty of free tracks available from what I think is all of their albums. The older the music is, the harder the punk influence is whereas the later stuff falls closer to alternative and is much more user-friendly. From oldest to newest; two tracks from Do Or Die, two tracks from The Gang's All Here, two tracks from The Singles Collection: Vol 1, two tracks from Sing Loud, Sing Proud, two tracks from Live On St. Patrick's Day, three tracks from Blackout, one track from The Singles Collection Vol 2, and two tracks from The Warrior's Code. I easily believe that Blackout and Warrior's Code are their two best albums and the free tracks are awesome. PLEASE try the music and enjoy!!!
One of Epitaph's sub-labels, Hellcat Records, has plenty of free tracks available from what I think is all of their albums. The older the music is, the harder the punk influence is whereas the later stuff falls closer to alternative and is much more user-friendly. From oldest to newest; two tracks from Do Or Die, two tracks from The Gang's All Here, two tracks from The Singles Collection: Vol 1, two tracks from Sing Loud, Sing Proud, two tracks from Live On St. Patrick's Day, three tracks from Blackout, one track from The Singles Collection Vol 2, and two tracks from The Warrior's Code. I easily believe that Blackout and Warrior's Code are their two best albums and the free tracks are awesome. PLEASE try the music and enjoy!!!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Punk-Tober: Bad Religion
I've been thinking about the different genres of punk that I've been distinguishing since the beginning of this month and think I've finally split the genre into 6 sub-genres. Just to note, many punk bands stride the line between several styles of punk. Ex: Rise Against = (Alterna + Thrash)
First is classic punk, stuff like the Ramones and the Sex Pistols, powered by a strong hard rhythm but is also the least plentiful style in this day and age.
Second is alterna-punk, a modern mainstream re-envisioning of the sounds created by the classics and often mixing influences of other genres as well. Most bands that you will have heard of like Green Day, Rise Against, Blink-182, The Bouncing Souls and even Flogging Molly fit into this category.
Third is thrash punk composed of blistering fast rhythms and usually raspy vocals and often not very good. Many bands have songs that fit into this category (Pennywise, Dropkick Murphys) but it is hard to isolate a popular band that fits here throughout their whole lifespan (seeing as how both Pennywise and Dropkick Murphys have turned to a more alternative sound recently.)
Fourth is Ska which is often separated into an entirely separate genre but does belong here as well. Mostly noted for the use of horns, bands like Reel Big Fish, Less Than Jake, Streetlight Manifesto, and Catch 22 are prime examples of this genre done right.
Fifth is skate punk which in retrospect is hardly its own genre and more of a mixture of alterna-punk and thrash but has carved out its own niche with bands like Millencolin leading the way.
And lastly in Sixth is what I call Shock Punk. Just as bands like Alice Cooper and KISS created shock rock with outrageous onstage shenanigans and somewhat disturbing lyrical content, punk has its own rendition of those themes. But unlike shock rock, it often takes a much more drastic and disturbing turn than just fake blood and facepaint. Often it involves disturbing content (whether lyrical or topical) either to prove a point or simply to be obnoxious and "edgy" (a.k.a. crude.) Many also fall into the rut of complaining simply to complain or argue over meaningless matters...
Long explanation to get to the band for today: Bad Religion. This band is a great example of how shock punk can be used properly. Nearly all of the songs have a political basis or focus on a current national or worldwide problem and do an honest job of pointing out the issue while also still making compelling music to accompany it. That and they are probably the most successful shock punk band of all time with their music used everywhere from mainstream radio to movies and videogames (Guitar Hero 1, Rock Band, many of the Tony Hawk games.) The music to most shock punk (including Bad Religion) fits its own genre with the most similarities to thrash but doesn't share many of the cornerstones of that sub-genre like the muffled and unintelligible vocals and uncompromisingly fast and complex instrumental parts. Thank Epitaph once again for pulling some choice cuts from most of their albums including two from Process of Belief, two from The Empire Strikes First, two from No Control, two from Against the Grain, one from Generator, two from How Could Hell Be Any Worse?, two from Suffer, one from Bad Religion EP, two from All Ages, two from Recipe For Hate, and one from 80-85. For those unacquainted, try Process of Belief, No Control, and The Empire Strikes First and explore the rest from there. Enjoy!!
First is classic punk, stuff like the Ramones and the Sex Pistols, powered by a strong hard rhythm but is also the least plentiful style in this day and age.
Second is alterna-punk, a modern mainstream re-envisioning of the sounds created by the classics and often mixing influences of other genres as well. Most bands that you will have heard of like Green Day, Rise Against, Blink-182, The Bouncing Souls and even Flogging Molly fit into this category.
Third is thrash punk composed of blistering fast rhythms and usually raspy vocals and often not very good. Many bands have songs that fit into this category (Pennywise, Dropkick Murphys) but it is hard to isolate a popular band that fits here throughout their whole lifespan (seeing as how both Pennywise and Dropkick Murphys have turned to a more alternative sound recently.)
Fourth is Ska which is often separated into an entirely separate genre but does belong here as well. Mostly noted for the use of horns, bands like Reel Big Fish, Less Than Jake, Streetlight Manifesto, and Catch 22 are prime examples of this genre done right.
Fifth is skate punk which in retrospect is hardly its own genre and more of a mixture of alterna-punk and thrash but has carved out its own niche with bands like Millencolin leading the way.
And lastly in Sixth is what I call Shock Punk. Just as bands like Alice Cooper and KISS created shock rock with outrageous onstage shenanigans and somewhat disturbing lyrical content, punk has its own rendition of those themes. But unlike shock rock, it often takes a much more drastic and disturbing turn than just fake blood and facepaint. Often it involves disturbing content (whether lyrical or topical) either to prove a point or simply to be obnoxious and "edgy" (a.k.a. crude.) Many also fall into the rut of complaining simply to complain or argue over meaningless matters...
Long explanation to get to the band for today: Bad Religion. This band is a great example of how shock punk can be used properly. Nearly all of the songs have a political basis or focus on a current national or worldwide problem and do an honest job of pointing out the issue while also still making compelling music to accompany it. That and they are probably the most successful shock punk band of all time with their music used everywhere from mainstream radio to movies and videogames (Guitar Hero 1, Rock Band, many of the Tony Hawk games.) The music to most shock punk (including Bad Religion) fits its own genre with the most similarities to thrash but doesn't share many of the cornerstones of that sub-genre like the muffled and unintelligible vocals and uncompromisingly fast and complex instrumental parts. Thank Epitaph once again for pulling some choice cuts from most of their albums including two from Process of Belief, two from The Empire Strikes First, two from No Control, two from Against the Grain, one from Generator, two from How Could Hell Be Any Worse?, two from Suffer, one from Bad Religion EP, two from All Ages, two from Recipe For Hate, and one from 80-85. For those unacquainted, try Process of Belief, No Control, and The Empire Strikes First and explore the rest from there. Enjoy!!
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Punk-Tober: Millencolin
More punk!! Who would have guessed? Considering that the first two entries this month were different kinds of punk, I thought I'd keep going with another sub-genre: Skate Punk. Millencolin have been labeled as the resident kings of skate punk probably due to their fast driving rhythms, alternative sound, and somewhat goofy lyrical content. The song "No Cigar" was featured in Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 (one of my PS1 favs) and I was instantly hooked.
Thankfully, Epitaph once again comes through with plenty of free songs for punk aficionados. The albums are For Monkeys with two free tracks, Kingwood with two, Home From Home with three, The Melancholy Collection with two, Pennybridge Pioneers with two, Life on a Plate with three, Same Old Tunes with three, and one from Lozin' Must. There is a lot of great stuff here but you might want to start with Pennybrigde Pioneers and move onto Kingwood, Home From Home, and For Monkeys. The other three albums did not hold up well under the same scrutiny but might be worth checking out all the same.
Sorry for no video this time. The one downside to Epitaph is that they block the embed feature on all of their videos and digging through all the rest of the videos on Youtube isn't worth it when I have a working playlist below! Enjoy!!
Thankfully, Epitaph once again comes through with plenty of free songs for punk aficionados. The albums are For Monkeys with two free tracks, Kingwood with two, Home From Home with three, The Melancholy Collection with two, Pennybridge Pioneers with two, Life on a Plate with three, Same Old Tunes with three, and one from Lozin' Must. There is a lot of great stuff here but you might want to start with Pennybrigde Pioneers and move onto Kingwood, Home From Home, and For Monkeys. The other three albums did not hold up well under the same scrutiny but might be worth checking out all the same.
Sorry for no video this time. The one downside to Epitaph is that they block the embed feature on all of their videos and digging through all the rest of the videos on Youtube isn't worth it when I have a working playlist below! Enjoy!!
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Punk-Tober: Pennywise
Another day, another punk band. Pennywise is on a different end of the punk spectrum than Bouncing Souls. Whereas I would think that Bouncing Souls better fits into the alternative half of punk (along with Green Day, Less Than Jake, etc...), Pennywise fits more into thrash punk with fast and often unintelligible rhythms, brash and harsh sounding vocals, and a constantly fast tempo. Some of their later stuff opens up better but the roots of speed punk are still there. Normally I'd avoid this sub-genre entirely but there is good stuff in here for those interested.
Once again Epitaph Records comes to the rescue with a large spattering from most of their albums including two tracks from Full Circle, two from About Time, two from Unknown Road, two from From the Ashes, two from The Fuse, two from Straight Ahead, two from Land of the Free?, two from Pennywise, and one from Live @ the Key Club. Spinner also has one track available for download. I am quite disappointed to say that my favorite album "Reason to Believe" doesn't have any tracks available but there is some good stuff available in these links. For your first listen, try the songs from "From the Ashes" or "The Fuse" and make your way backward from there. I would also probably suggest that you avoid "Land of the Free?" and the live album but I thought I might as well put it up anyway. I mean it's free, right? Check some tracks in the playlist below and enjoy!!!
Once again Epitaph Records comes to the rescue with a large spattering from most of their albums including two tracks from Full Circle, two from About Time, two from Unknown Road, two from From the Ashes, two from The Fuse, two from Straight Ahead, two from Land of the Free?, two from Pennywise, and one from Live @ the Key Club. Spinner also has one track available for download. I am quite disappointed to say that my favorite album "Reason to Believe" doesn't have any tracks available but there is some good stuff available in these links. For your first listen, try the songs from "From the Ashes" or "The Fuse" and make your way backward from there. I would also probably suggest that you avoid "Land of the Free?" and the live album but I thought I might as well put it up anyway. I mean it's free, right? Check some tracks in the playlist below and enjoy!!!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Punk-Tober: The Bouncing Souls
You may ask why the heading reads "Punk-tober" and that is because I've got a ton of punk to drop on you and because October is the only month that a heading like that works. Although Punk-uary is sort of cool too...
Another question you're probably asking is why I have such a fascination with punk and I think you deserve an answer to that. Good punk should not be about rebellion for the sake of rebelling or just to throw together as many crazy instrumental parts that it is hardly music anymore (like most people think punk is.) Real punk should be a opening to the social aspect of music, a more everyman's ballad showcasing a different side of music and society that is not commonly showcased and the revelry in the uniqueness that accompanies it. Don't think that punk means that everything has to sound like the Ramones, the Sex Pistols, or Bad Religion. I will try to keep this theme continuing this whole month and hope that you give some of them a try even if you would normally have passed right on by.
Long intro... Anyway, The Bouncing Souls is a great place to start for those not familiar with modern punk. They do a great job at varying from harder punk to an alternative sound with most of the music being really good. As I've said before, all punk can be really hit or miss from song to song no matter how good the band is but thankfully they have a lot fewer missteps than most other mainstream punk. Epitaph Records is a godsend for punk fans considering they house nearly every major punk band of this decade and offer free music for nearly all of them. The music is split based on the albums so you would normally have to do a little digging, if I wasn't doing all the work already. From the album Anchors Aweigh comes three tracks, from The Gold Record comes another two, How I Spent My Summer Vacation has one (glitched as two), Hopeless Romantic has two, Tie One On EP has one, and "The Bouncing Souls" has two (but avoid them...) My recommendations would go for the tracks from Anchors Aweigh, Gold Record, and Hopeless Romantic. And if that wasn't enough, once again Daytrotter has a session with the band covering a few of the songs found above but in a more relaxed acoustic setting. Great stuff too...
Trying something new in playlists featuring the featured music of the week. Should be a great way to preview the music without sitting through the youtube vids. Please contact me if it isn't working or has stopped working later. Thanks and enjoy!!!
Another question you're probably asking is why I have such a fascination with punk and I think you deserve an answer to that. Good punk should not be about rebellion for the sake of rebelling or just to throw together as many crazy instrumental parts that it is hardly music anymore (like most people think punk is.) Real punk should be a opening to the social aspect of music, a more everyman's ballad showcasing a different side of music and society that is not commonly showcased and the revelry in the uniqueness that accompanies it. Don't think that punk means that everything has to sound like the Ramones, the Sex Pistols, or Bad Religion. I will try to keep this theme continuing this whole month and hope that you give some of them a try even if you would normally have passed right on by.
Long intro... Anyway, The Bouncing Souls is a great place to start for those not familiar with modern punk. They do a great job at varying from harder punk to an alternative sound with most of the music being really good. As I've said before, all punk can be really hit or miss from song to song no matter how good the band is but thankfully they have a lot fewer missteps than most other mainstream punk. Epitaph Records is a godsend for punk fans considering they house nearly every major punk band of this decade and offer free music for nearly all of them. The music is split based on the albums so you would normally have to do a little digging, if I wasn't doing all the work already. From the album Anchors Aweigh comes three tracks, from The Gold Record comes another two, How I Spent My Summer Vacation has one (glitched as two), Hopeless Romantic has two, Tie One On EP has one, and "The Bouncing Souls" has two (but avoid them...) My recommendations would go for the tracks from Anchors Aweigh, Gold Record, and Hopeless Romantic. And if that wasn't enough, once again Daytrotter has a session with the band covering a few of the songs found above but in a more relaxed acoustic setting. Great stuff too...
Trying something new in playlists featuring the featured music of the week. Should be a great way to preview the music without sitting through the youtube vids. Please contact me if it isn't working or has stopped working later. Thanks and enjoy!!!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Granville
This one's for you V...
This marks the first time that I recommend a local upstart band and hopefully it will not be the last time. Granville is made up of a bunch of guys I knew through my high school years that have really come into their own as musicians and also probably the only local artist I can think of to offer free music. The music fits into an interesting mesh of rock and ambient/trance with strong southern guitar and synth leading most tracks. Makes for some great chill music...
They've got a few tracks that are really worth checking out spread across two EPs on bandcamp. The first is their demo EP which costs $5 as a whole album but 6 of the 9 tracks are free as individual mp3s. The second EP contains remixes of a few songs on the other EP but are not a good starting place for their music. Try the other stuff first and come back if interested. And as always I hope you enjoy some great music!
This marks the first time that I recommend a local upstart band and hopefully it will not be the last time. Granville is made up of a bunch of guys I knew through my high school years that have really come into their own as musicians and also probably the only local artist I can think of to offer free music. The music fits into an interesting mesh of rock and ambient/trance with strong southern guitar and synth leading most tracks. Makes for some great chill music...
They've got a few tracks that are really worth checking out spread across two EPs on bandcamp. The first is their demo EP which costs $5 as a whole album but 6 of the 9 tracks are free as individual mp3s. The second EP contains remixes of a few songs on the other EP but are not a good starting place for their music. Try the other stuff first and come back if interested. And as always I hope you enjoy some great music!
He Is We
Hooray for two really obscure bands today!! I have said before among friends that I am not fond of female vocalists and for the most part that can be true. Too many female singers in my opinion either feel that they have to be a diva and go crazy with pitch and tone and often leave the actual melody unattended or can only sing in high pitches with little control over their voice levels or pitch. I love to be proven wrong on this front and enjoy finding great female singers both in and out of the mainstream. Singers like Sarah McLachlan, Annette Olzon and Tarja Turunen (of Nightwish), and Amy Lee (Evanescence) are great for some variety in my music but one female vocalist has really caught my attention recently.
This awesome band simply titled "HE IS WE" initially popped up in one of my internet raids for music and sadly ended up in my back catalog. After listening to the handful of free tracks available on purevolume, I went digging to find more and ended up finding a whole album available for free off of their bandcamp page. The music borders on acoustic with the strong leading vocals filling in for all the other instruments that would normally be in a band. Her voice is vulnerable yet strong and carries real weight (try a cover of "House of the Rising Sun" in the bandcamp album for a great example.) They seem to be gaining a following but are still relatively small (only one song on iTunes? Really??) Seriously, give them a try and enjoy whether or not female singers are your thing!
This awesome band simply titled "HE IS WE" initially popped up in one of my internet raids for music and sadly ended up in my back catalog. After listening to the handful of free tracks available on purevolume, I went digging to find more and ended up finding a whole album available for free off of their bandcamp page. The music borders on acoustic with the strong leading vocals filling in for all the other instruments that would normally be in a band. Her voice is vulnerable yet strong and carries real weight (try a cover of "House of the Rising Sun" in the bandcamp album for a great example.) They seem to be gaining a following but are still relatively small (only one song on iTunes? Really??) Seriously, give them a try and enjoy whether or not female singers are your thing!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Plain White T's
One more big name band before I switch things up some more. Everyone knows "Hey There Delilah" but there is more to this band than just a one hit wonder. When they aren't being acoustic balladeers, they play alternative rock with Fearless Records who were kind enough to share a couple songs from their first album with the studio. The album "All That We Needed" has free mp3s for the title track and "Take Me Away." DO NOT BE FOOLED!!! Other albums from the band on the site say they have free mp3s but they are just 30 second previews. I really like the song "Take Me Away" and I would have posted the music vid but the video itself is quite tasteless in my opinion. Daytrotter also has a live EP with the band from early last year. Sorry for no vid this time but I couldn't find anything good...
Rogue Wave
In keeping with the big name bands recently, I thought I'd pull out another with a lot of songs to offer. Rogue Wave is a band that seems to keep popping up when mentioning indie rock and for good reason. The music is great, the vibe is unique, and the free music is always appreciated. Purevolume has 4 songs from various albums on their profile although not quite sure if it is really the band's... Anyway, Daytrotter on the other hand has 2 free live EPs, one recorded in early 2008 and the other in July of this year. One of the only bands to be featured on Daytrotter twice might I add... If you're new to Daytrotter, sign up is easy although downloads will take place through an odd external program that you will have to download. Enjoy!! (Sorry for the lack of things to say...)
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Thrice
Another mainstream band, another punk influenced past, and another drastic departure from older material. Thrice is a band that can be depicted as many things: a great alterna-rock band, that band with a song in Tony Hawk and Burnout, or in the case of some people I know - a band that can't put on a live show. Whether or not that be the case, they do have a great thing going right now and with songs like "Image of the Invisible" I can understand why.
Once again thanks to Vagrant Records, several tracks from the albums under that label are available as free mp3s. Unlike Alkaline Trio's tracks, these are the newest albums to be released and can be different from people's past experience with the band. The 4 disc EP entitled "The Alchemy Index" is a radical departure from Thrice's normal sound especially in the last 2 discs. I bought the second half (Disc 3 and 4) as an impulse purchase and have come to thoroughly enjoy it as one of my favorite albums of the past couple years. The music is more toned back, almost an acoustic sound for much of it, and has a specific evocative theme for each disc. Disc 3 focuses on the element of Air and an ethereal and disconnected sound while Disc 4 focuses on the element of Earth with a much harsher western sound and darker tones. A fierce departure from their normal sound and style but a beautiful experiment nonetheless. PLEASE check the video for "Come All Ye Weary" from Disc 4 of "The Alchemy Index" below!
And for those looking for a slightly more traditional Thrice sound, Daytrotter has a free four track live recording from the beginning of the year. Daytrotter is a great site featuring exclusive live recordings with indie or lesser known artists as free downloads but will require a simple registration and a small exterior program to download the music. Enjoy!!!
Once again thanks to Vagrant Records, several tracks from the albums under that label are available as free mp3s. Unlike Alkaline Trio's tracks, these are the newest albums to be released and can be different from people's past experience with the band. The 4 disc EP entitled "The Alchemy Index" is a radical departure from Thrice's normal sound especially in the last 2 discs. I bought the second half (Disc 3 and 4) as an impulse purchase and have come to thoroughly enjoy it as one of my favorite albums of the past couple years. The music is more toned back, almost an acoustic sound for much of it, and has a specific evocative theme for each disc. Disc 3 focuses on the element of Air and an ethereal and disconnected sound while Disc 4 focuses on the element of Earth with a much harsher western sound and darker tones. A fierce departure from their normal sound and style but a beautiful experiment nonetheless. PLEASE check the video for "Come All Ye Weary" from Disc 4 of "The Alchemy Index" below!
And for those looking for a slightly more traditional Thrice sound, Daytrotter has a free four track live recording from the beginning of the year. Daytrotter is a great site featuring exclusive live recordings with indie or lesser known artists as free downloads but will require a simple registration and a small exterior program to download the music. Enjoy!!!
Alkaline Trio
I realize that I've been covering a lot of indie artists when I also promised to follow mainstream bands so I'll put up a few big names over the next few weeks. Alkaline Trio has some pretty humble punk roots and have blown into a very mainstream band lately. Thankfully for those interested in free music, their older record label (Vagrant Records) has an impressive spattering of free songs from their older material. In the media page, each album listed has 1-2 free songs. As can be the case with punk, the material can be hit or miss from song to song but these are pretty good tracks with personal recommendations for "Mercy Me" and "Armageddon."
And before I finish, the title track from their newest album "This Addiction" is available for free from Spinner. The newer stuff has a heavier emo feel and sounds all too familiar to many other bands but is still good. Best of both worlds, huh? Enjoy!!
UPDATE: Turns out I forgot other sources of music. There are other record labels that have hosted Alkaline Trio but not many offer free music. This one has two free tracks from a dual album with another artist.
And before I finish, the title track from their newest album "This Addiction" is available for free from Spinner. The newer stuff has a heavier emo feel and sounds all too familiar to many other bands but is still good. Best of both worlds, huh? Enjoy!!
UPDATE: Turns out I forgot other sources of music. There are other record labels that have hosted Alkaline Trio but not many offer free music. This one has two free tracks from a dual album with another artist.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)