- Music
- 19 Dec 12
An early Christmas present as we bring you free sonic delights from the likes of HP 'Album Of The Year' winners Alt-j...
We’ve no idea quite how we’ve managed to get to the finish line, but what you’re about to gorge on is the, sob, last, sniff, Free Music Friday (On A Wednesday) of the year. Better make sure it’s a good ‘un, then!
Our Dutch pals kick us off in splendid style with Sufjan Stevens, Chilly Gonzales, Gharib, The Scantharies and Tone Bardo Therapy. Head on over to [link]3voor12.vpro.nl/luisterpaal/albums.html[/link] to hear it all.
Meanwhile, [link]music.aol.com/new-releases-full-cds/#/1[/link] has festive offerings from Glee, The Rat Pack and Bing Crosby and new music from Ron Pope, Picture Me Broken and Matt Duke; [link]music.aol.com/new-releases-full-cds/spinner#/1[/link] is the go-to place for the new Beach Boys Christmas Harmonies compilation and [link]www.xlr8r.com/mp3[/link] has free dancey downloads from Yayti, Alis, La Boum Fatale and a load more.
We’re very jealous of our friends at American National Public Radio who were paid a visit this week by Alt-j. The resulting session is 1. Fabulous and 2. Available for free download.
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As reported earlier this week on hotpress.com, The xx have announced a massive Dublin O2 show for June 2013.
They’ve also unveiled the John Talabot and Pional Blinded remix of ‘Chained’, which borrows a riff from The Streets’ ‘Blinded By The Lights’. Needless to say, it’s beyond gorgeous!
They also swung by BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge t’other day where they covered Wham’s ‘Last Christmas’.
Also having a crack at George and Andrew’s festive classic are the Windings boys. Our vote goes to the Limrockians!
America’s unspeakably hip Jeffery Drag Records bids farewell to 2012 with a download sampler featuring Bad Cop, Useless Eaters, Ghost Dance, Promised Land, Majestico and loats more underground types.
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Just when you think rap’s getting a bit stale along comes the awesome SpaceGhostPurrp with his B.M.W. EP mixtape. We’re guessing there are a few Massive Attack albums in his collection!
Also sounding rather fabulous and retro is T.I. who’s streaming the whole of his Trouble Man: Heavy Is The Head album ahead of its December 21 release.
[link]tomodell.com[/link] treats us to a free EP from the Lily Allen discovery who has a major Jeff Buckley thing going on; [link]www.alunageorge.com[/link] has some gratis tunes from another of our ‘Hot For 2013’ tips – see the first issue of the New Year for the complete list; former Gallows man Frank Carter goes all commercial with his new band at [link]therealpurelove.com/burymybones[/link] and [link]www.thisisfirehorse.com/fr_home.cfm[/link] offers you the fabulous ‘Our Hearts’ from Firehorse, the Brooklynite also known as Leah Siegel who took SXSW by storm earlier in the year.
[link]www.kimberlyannemusic.com[/link] has a free tune from one of the UK’s hottest singer-songwriter properties. The other streams and video underline just what a talented lady the Londoner is.
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This time last year we were bigging up Azealia Banks – now there’s another potty-mouthed NYC rapperette to drool over.
We’re talking about Angel Haze whose free [link]www.djbooth.net/index/albums/review/angel-haze-reservation[/link] mixtape is a serious statement of intent. Free Music Friday has also been comprehensively blown away by Ms. Haze’s updating of Eminem’s ‘Cleaning Out My Closet’. Uneasy listening, but it needs to be heard.
Those of a gothy disposition will love Rachel Zeffira’s The Deserters album, which is streaming in all its quasi-operatic glory at [link]soundcloud.com/rachel_zeffira/01-the-deserters[/link]; Los Campesinos get festive at [link]www.loscampesinos.com/blog[/link]; and Monarchy, Danger Mouse and Dita Von Teese cosy up together in the studio at [link]societeperrier.com/articles/download-monarchy-feat-dita-von-teese-disintegration-mighty-mouse-remix/#.UM832IUhu_F[/link];
Shane MacGowan is among those contributing to the cover of The Hollies’ ‘He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother’, which will hopefully keep James Arthur from bagging the UK Christmas number one, and highlight the ongoing struggle to get Justice For The 96.
Also lending their support to this noblest of causes are Robbie Williams, Gerry Marsden, Paul Heaton, Glen Tilbrook, John Power, Melanie C, Holly Johnson, Beverley Knight, Paloma Faith, Eliza Doolittle and Sir Paul McCartney. We don’t mind admitting the video brought a tear to our collective eye.
Our Noise Trade friends weigh in with free-but-please-tip offerings from US pop oddballs Guster, Murder Of Crows who include one of the chaps from Low and JJ Heller, a Californian songstress who should be far bigger than she is.
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Kodaline’s march towards hugeness continues with this fab video for their cover of LCD Soundsystem’s ‘All My Friends’, which drops in March as part of The High Hopes EP.
La Vida Bohème make Free Music Friday history by being the first Venezuelan band to feature on our humble page. Having conquered Latin America, they’re setting their sights on the English-speaking world in 2013. They’d be sensational at the Electric Picnic!
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And that is where we this festive Free Music Friday (On A Wednesday) must end. Thanks to all the wonderful acts who’ve gifted us music in 2012, and to all of you who peruse this page and give us your feedback. We’ll be back in early January with a serious mofo of a New Year special. Have a wondrous Christmas and send links and thoughts to @stuartclark66
Bono is among the contributors to Muscle Shoals, a documentary tribute to the legendary Sheffield, Alabama studio where the likes of Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton and loads more legendary names have recorded.
Directed by Greg “Freddy” Camalier, it also features input from Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Gregg Allman, Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Clarence Carter, Percy Sledge and Alicia Keys, and premieres next month as part of the Sundance Film Festival.
Meanwhile, U2 have produced a signature Hard Rock t-shirt available from Hard Rock, which is raising funds for Amnesty International. The 100% cotton jobbie has sold out in a week, but new supplies are on their way.