Resolution

2017 will find us posting a great deal more frequently.

On deck:

• Several live show recaps.
• Free music links.
• The usual updated local music dates.
• And finally, a 5th Wyman's Pond Music Fest!

Time to get back to work...

New Music Bonanza

If you are looking to add a ton of new music to your device for free, check out the latest compilation from awesome music site EardrumsPop. "Between Two Waves - Second Wave" is broken up into three 'album' downloads (A, B and C), and features a wide range of emerging and smaller local music acts from around the globe.

The site also features EPs from the showcased (as well as other) bands. I've had the pleasure of listening to many of them for the last few years, so I highly recommend giving the compilations a try, and then diving deeper into the EardrumsPop catalog for the bands you've enjoyed.

What could be better than free music? GREAT free music. Try some out, you won't regret the time spent.

And keep up to date with their latest releases by following EardrumsPop on Twitter.

New Music All the Time

As you know, I am a big fan of the music site Eardrums Pop.

If you ever find yourself in need of a new musical experience, I highly recommend that you jump over there and try out a few of the artists featured. You get 3 and 4-song EPs for free, and the musicians get exposure, and (hopefully) some good word of mouth!

Big Bang for Your Buck

One of my favorite shoegaze/dreampop bands, Echodrone, has pointed out this little gem:

 

"300,000: A Compilation (Volume One)"

 



Thirty songs of the 'shoegaze slash ambient slash yadda-yadda-yadda' ilk, all for free! What a way to start the year with new music from many bands you might never have discovered separately! Click on the link in quotes above, and then do a happy dance as your music downloads. With thirty songs to choose from, there just has to be something for everyone... ♫♪♫♪

New Music on the Cheap

Here is a short list of cool new songs/EPs that are either free, or cost less than a fancy cup of coffee:

• Go get Seacoast New Hampshire resident Almanac Mountain's "The Responsible Rejection" - 2 songs for a dollar!
• Copenhagen's Cape Canaveral has a free 3-song Ep (including a cover of Galaxie 500's "Oblivious") on the always-great EardrumsPop site.
• Neptune Beach, Florida's Kids on Bikes has a fun 3-song set about (what else?) riding bicycles! Also free on EardrumsPop.
• West London's Lowpines offer three quietly awesome songs for free ("Heavy Hander" is a current favorite of this blog), including a cover of The Be Good Tanyas "It's Not Happening".
• And last but not least, check out Saitama, Japan's Kota-Hori. An array of interesting beats and tempos can be found here to blend your brain...

Natalie Royal

Natalie Royal: You need to go listen to her stuff!

If you enjoy great folk music (with a clean 'radio-friendly' sheen), check out Natalie's new album "Savor". If you prefer your songs raw and organic, then snag "Live at Club Roar, Nashville". Plus, she will be posting even more new songs (and a few covers!) on a semi-regular basis. Check out this Tennessee treasure's music, you will not be disappointed.

Robin Rütenberg - Free EP

I was looking around Kickstarter for an interesting project to back and I came across Jacksonville, Florida band Robin Rütenberg & Friends and the funding request for their upcoming EP "Sea Legs". When I followed their links I also discovered a 5-song EP of Robin's music from 2009 called "Kitten and a Ferris Wheel", which she is giving away for free.

Check them out, and if you like what you hear, help them fund their little project, and receive some cool rewards depending on how much you contribute. Either way, enjoy some cool local music, and as always, tell us what you think of it.

Laura K - Free EP

If you are a fan of: the voice of Zooey Deschanel and her duo She & Him, the sound of the ukulele, or just smart and sweet songs, then you might enjoy the music of London lass Laura K.

Rush on over to Eardrums Pop for her free 3-song EP, and check out the other bands while you are there. Laura also has a ton of other great songs on her Bandcamp page. Check her out!

Added bonus: She & Him have a Christmas album coming out on October 24th, and you can get the first song. "The Christmas Waltz" for free here!

Reload That iPod

I was doing my frequent local music search (and updating our live shows section- see top of page, as always) when I ran across a few musicians worthy of attention. They each have music available on Bandcamp.com (one for free, the others for the pittance of $5), and I decided that I will add them to my iPod in the days to come. Let's do this alphabetically (links to the music located at each band's name):

• Old favorites Dirty Dishes (I saw them live with friends awhile back) have a self-titled 5-song EP available for $5. I would categorize them as 'energetic pop shoegaze' because of their frenetic passion, cheery accessibility, and swirling guitars. Plus, Jenny's voice is hypnotic.
• I came across SARALEE on "Night of The Living Deadhead"'s Facebook page (they do a series of Monday night shows at ZuZu in Cambridge). She is giving away 7 short songs of nostalgic bliss. The music conjures up aural visions of sixties surf music mixed with very early Bangles, and each song is smartly succinct in getting its message across. Liven up that mp3 player with these fantastic free songs, and allow SARALEE to contribute to this year's summer's soundtrack.
  
• Só Solis a sweet blend of American folk and Brazilian (and other world) sounds. The married duo of John Garrett and Jessica DaSilva, plus multi-instrumentalist Nick Heys (mandolin, accordion, cavaquinho, etc...) set the mood with five quiet songs of mystery and exotica. English is mixed with Portuguese to set a unique mood that will transport you away from the mundane and into another place. Get their self-titled EP for just $5.
  

So do yourself a favor and check out these great bands from New England. Upgrade your summer playlist, and at the same time support local music. Plus, tell your friends! And as always, we love the feedback on the musicians we point your way....

Moby - Free EP

Who doesn't love Moby? He's had a huge impact on music for well over a decade now, with his song crafting skills and sampling acumen, and has released many great songs (especially from the iconic album "Play") such as "Bodyrock", "Porcelain", and his memorable duet with Gwen Stefani on "South Side". Now he has teamed up with National Geographic to give away a 3-song EP for free. Grab it here, add it to your MP3 player, and enjoy an international superstar's new music for the low low price of taking in a deep breath. Tell us how you like it, and let us know what cool music you've recently discovered, whether it's local, free or both!

Almanac Mountain - Free Live EP

In case you missed your chance to hear Almanac Mountain perform live on Portsmouth, NH's community radio station WSCA 106.1 on Saturday March 5th, you now have a chance to download it free for your listening convenience and enjoyment. Why not grab theses five songs in their raw 'in-the-moment' glory, ready to be loaded onto your mp3 player of choice in several formats, and spruce up your springtime playlist with some quality local music. You won't regret it! And if you get a chance, stop back again and let us know which versions of the songs you prefer (and why): the live takes, or the studio cuts from the marvelous "So Many Seas" album and the "When in Nature" EP.

Free Music - Eardrums Pop

As previously reported in "Music Free for All", the music site Eardrums Pop has many fantastic audio offerings for your listening pleasure, for the wonderful price of zero dollars. And each download contains artwork for the single or EP. How cool is that? Here are four recent standouts:

• If you enjoy the ukulele and/or dreamy female vocals then check out Early to Bed. The duo has a 3-song download featuring "Til We Arrive", a perfect little wake-up tune, as well as two addtional offerings.
• The quiet and playful song "There is Another Sky" by Olafachada suggests laying in the tall grass on a sunny day. Hailing from Portugal and Norway, the duo (Bernardo Fachada and My Little Pony's Ola Innset) are creatively goofy and a whole lot of fun, as evidenced on the other song available, "Tall With Hard Long Eyes".
• Alison Eales brings us the triad of songs "Land and Sea", "Vigils", and a cover of The Just Joans' tune "Overblown Gestures". If you enjoy the honesty of a girl, her thoughts and her guitar, then this will fit right into your collection.
• And last but not least, if your ears have an affinity for early Go-Go's or Pretenders, or current LA sensations The Like, then Koo Kooo Kitchen's 3-song EP is just the thing for you. "Sweet Caress" has the energy of frantic guitars dueling with the 2 singers' voices, and "Bedsheet" is a late night cab ride from a small club show to an afterparty in the big city.

So download away, tell your friends about the songs you enjoy, and catch the bands live if they come to a venue near you. Grassroots is where much of the best music is to be found these days, and finding it can be half the fun!

Abbie Barrett - Free Song

Somerville, MA sensation Abbie Barrett has put out a brand new song for free for all of her fans, both long-time and new. Head on over to her Reverb Nation page and grab "Marry Me (The Wedding Song)" for your computer, iPod, or other digital music player. And don't forget to check the top of our page for all of her New England shows, including this year's Wyman's Pond Music Fest. Tell your friends about the new song, and please let us know how you like it!

Music Free for All

I got an e-mail from old pals Insect Guide letting me know about their new free music release coming up on 12/20. When I went to the Eardrums Pop website to look around, I found a few other cool freebies, and immediately snagged them for my iPod.

First I came across Baffin Island, a band led by Melanie Whittle of The Hermit Crabs, and including members of The Very Most. Their sound reminds me of groups I listened to a lot back in the mid-90's when I lived in Boston (Roslindale), with my co-contributor Jay: bands like Velocity Girl, Letters to Cleo and Jale. Their 3-song offering is spunky and upbeat, and should be perfect for upcoming dreary winter days.

Then I opted for the 4-song EP by Sometimes Always. The music reminds me of My Bloody Valentine mixed with R.E.M., way back when both bands were first starting to form their signature sounds. It's a cool blend, and I was surprised to find that the band is just one dude from Indonesia. My music catalog is generally dominated by female singers and instrumentals, so it's always nice to find acts with a decent male voice.

Next up was Tiny Fireflies. It was the first music that caught my eye (and ear) on the site, but I tried to download it twice to no avail. Luckily there was another download option (further down the page), and I was finally able to make the EP mine. Kristine's ethereal voice is right in the bullseye of my personal taste, and I was thrilled to find out she heads another pair of projects, Tiny Microphone and Very Truly Yours, both out of Chicago. These songs will fit seamlessly into any mix of Ivy, Olive, Mazzy Star, and An April March.

And last but not least, three songs by the aforementioned Insect Guide. And amazingly, track 2 features Graeme Naysmith of Pale Saints (one of my all-time favorite bands) on guitar! The band does a great job with their e-mails of keeping me up to date on great new music in the genres I am partial to, as well as giving me "blog fuel" for this music journal. Check out their earlier free songs (including cool covers of Lady Gaga and Simple Minds) that we told you about here and here! So if you want some cool music, click the link of each band above, and be swept away to their respective pages at Eardrums Pop for some free audio magic, and check out the other bands (under "Releases: singles" for the free stuff) while you're there...

Free Holiday Tunes

If you are looking for some new festive tunes to change up your holiday routine, check out Target's page here. They are giving away 13 genre-spanning 'holiday season' song downloads, all for free. You can listen to each song beforehand, pick and choose the ones you like best, or just go ahead and grab all 13 at once with one click! Let us know what your favorites are, and have a great holiday season with fresh new music!

The Science Teacher - Free EP

Ryan Coseboom of Stripmall Architecture has released a couple of songs on the side under the moniker The Science Teacher while the band works on their next full-length. If you enjoy the soundtracks to "Blade Runner" or the original "Tron", or just good indie electronic instrumentals, then go grab the 2-song freebie here.

If you like what you hear, check out SA's Kickstarter page, for info on their next project, and how they succeeded in getting it funded. Very cool stuff for fans of the shoegaze genre.

22-20s - Free Live EP

UK indie rock band 22-20s have a new album out called "shake/shiver/moan", and they are also giving away a free 4-song live EP! You can get the free EP several ways: it's included free with purchase of the high quality digital download of their new album, or just go here and snag the live EP as an appetizer for their performance September 8th at The Middle East Downstairs. They are opening for Hot Hot Heat (along with Canada's Hey Rosetta!), and it should be amazing. So check out 22-20s for some fast, fun loud music. It'll send you back to school in style.

The Tumbled Sea - Free Album

A one-man ambient project out of Boston, The Tumbled Sea has a free album available for download.

If you are a fan of Harold Budd, Brian Eno, or other ambient and/or instrumental musicians, I highly recommend snagging this album, "Melody Summer", while you can. It is a quiet collection of songs that would be great to write, wake up or draw to; or to have dancing through the back of your mind as you read a book or look out at the ocean. A soothing, creative blend of piano/organ and strings, with the occasional woodwind intertwined makes for a truly magical listening experience. And check out his other music (and the other bands) on the Future Recordings page.

Aloha Sarcophagus - Free Album

I was looking around randomly online, and I found a free album from local boys Aloha Sarcophagus. These guys hail from Somerville, and their 7-song debut is full of energy and noise. If you're looking to add some verve to your mp3 player, click on this link, and you'll be well on your way to increasing your local music catalog with these seven short, tight songs, all for free!

And if you absolutely love them, catch them tonight at 9 pm at The Milky Way Lounge at Bella Luna in Jamaica Plain. Also on tonight's $5 bill: Thief Thief and Hangman's Alphabet.

Levi's Pioneer Sessions - Free Songs

I just happen to be on Colbie Caillat's mailing list, and I got a message that her cover of Blondie's "Maria" was available for free download. Imagine my surprise when I found out that there were several other free songs at the site as well!

Go to Levi's Pioneer Sessions, and you will find free song downloads (just provide your e-mail address, like most online offers) from She & Him, Raphael Saadiq, The Swell Season, The Shins and more. It's a great way to get cool cover songs from some of your favorite artists, or to discover some musicians that are new to you.

Note: There may be an easier way, but I had to enter my info separately for each of the five songs I chose to download. Mildly annoying perhaps, but free definitely! ☺