Molly O’ Poverty

KIRSTY HAWKSHAW » Slient Night

The angelic voice of the rave generation, namely Opus III’s trance classic “It’s A Fine Day” and guest vocalist extraordinare (BT, Hybrid, DJ Tiësto and Delerium), Kirsty Hawkshaw offers a FREE Xmas giftie: a nice sized MP3 rendition of “Silent Night“.

Download it here.

I wish you all the best and brightest this holiday season – and in the New Year to come.

Add comment December 25th, 2006

WIRED Magazine Creative Commons virtual CD

Okay, I admit. I blew it on this one… by a good two years. Admittedly, Molly O’Poverty wasn’t in existence in 2004 so I’ll cut myself some slack. But this virtual CD is exactly why MO’PGTMFM exists in the first place. Well-known recording artists and their labels who believe as I do: that downloading, sharing and re-purposing music isn’t inherently wrong or illegal. So enjoy the sounds of David Byrne, Spoon, Beastie Boys, Le Tigre, Paul Westerberg and Matmos -to name a few- legally.

The WIRED CD

p.s. For the record, I know the music was distributed in compact disc form with the November 2004 issue of Wired Magazine. It’s a virtual CD now.

Add comment December 8th, 2006

Bits ‘n Bobs 5

• 6 FREE Tracks at FX Networks’ “Nip/Tuck” Heineken Music Lounge

Apparently, FX Networks gives away 5 FREE tracks each week after the airing of Nip/Tuck episodes to the first 2000 visitors… but they don’t make it easy to get there. Navigation is convoluted (be sure pop-up blocker is off) and the downloads are not available to residents of California and Texas for some inexplicable reason. I’m not recommending that you lie if you live in one of those areas, but it’s easily circumvented. I guess it depends on how badly you want the tracks. The link below is the most direct link to the music I could post. Here’s my run-down:

Marz “What’s Really Going On?” fairly run-of-the-mill hip-hop.
Livstrompet “Widestreet” is mellow and smooth.
Shaper “World of Pain” is pretty good, in that dark, synth-goth style circa early Goldfrapp before they went more mainstream.
Re Dog “Force” is not bad but just another in a long line of static-y, hard thrash sounding bands who probably think their sound is somehow revolutionary. (For the record, none of these tracks breaks any new ground; Some are just more pleasing to the ear than others.)
Tom Quick “Honey Drew” is prolly the track that Guide readers will like the best. Very light and lounge-y.
Mazzini “Dubeaster” reminds me of my old favorite b e t a f i s h.

Hurry up and grab yours before they disappear like froth from a pour of good beer.

• Mercedes-Benz Mixed Tape 15

The latest edition of the Mercedes-Benz Mixed Tape series is out today. Number 15 promises another round of quality surprises from around the world. I somehow managed to miss the release of 14 until I remembered it just yesterday. Luckily, I was able to download it before it was replaced with No. 15. Whew!

• A final note: I can tell that some visitors are trolling the archives for free music still. Please feel free to drop me a note or make a comment if links are no longer functioning. I’d like to find a current/better link or strike-through it so you don’t waste your time.

Add comment December 6th, 2006

KOOP » Whenever There Is You

Those cross-dressing Swedes have done it again. The Koop boys, Oscar Simonsson and Magnus Zingmark, are back with their third release and follow-up to one of my favorite-ist albums, “WALTZ FOR KOOP” (and also the genius remixes of “WALTZ FOR KOOP - ALTERNATIVE TAKES”), called KOOP ISLAND. While their press release states there is a “Caribbean” flavor working it’s way through the tracks but I’m hard pressed to hear it. It’s decidedly Parisian sounding, straight out of the 1930s-40s. Luckily, they continue to work with the most amazing vocalists to be found anywhere. It’s also refreshing to hear a wide range of instruments (clarinet, xylophone, accordion and jazz flute) in the mix. The entire album is a true gem. And our friends at Compost Records are offering “Whenever There Is You” FREE to whet your whistle for more Koop. Sadly, the album has not been made available at the U.S. iTunes Music Store yet but you can grab it at Amazon. (Somehow I managed to download the entire album at eMusic but it has since been removed.)

Here’s my breakdown of all the stellar tracks:
Koop Island Blues (feat. Ane Brun) - A sad tale made palatable and pleasing.

Come To Me (feat. Yukumi Nagano) - An intro straight out of Glenn Miller era but completely modern at the same time.

Forces … Darling (feat. Earl Zinger) - I wonder if Woody Allen knows about this? He’s so fond of using old-timey music in the openings of his movies. I’d love for him to hear this and recognize that Koop is a musical force to be reckoned with.

I See A Different You (feat. Yukumi Nagano) - Lush orchestration, xylophone and horns make this jazzy little number sparkle.

Let’s Elope (feat. Mikael Sundin) - Features some of the best lyrics on the album, particularly: “I’ll cook the dinners if you bring the wine. Youth has gone now but we still shine.”

The Moonbounce - My favorite track on the album. Contrary to it’s nocturnal name, I find this ditty to be rather sunny, and yes, bouncy. It’s refreshing to hear jazz flute played seriously instead of for laughs, as was the case in Will Farrell’s portrayal of Ron Burgundy in “Anchorman”.

Beyond The Sun (feat. Earl Zinger) - A gorgeous spoken-word letter to a friend.

Whenever There Is You (feat. Yukumi Nagano) - A swirling torch song styled by the incomparable Yukumi, whom your ears will immediately recognize from the WALTZ FOR KOOP’s stunner, “Summer Sun” (FREE download in the link). She’s more Lena Horne than Corinne Bailey Rae. I think it’s a real shame that more people don’t know about Yukumi but laud the second-rate Corinne for her Billie Holiday/Macy Gray/Norah Jones impersonation. Frankly I think Corinne is a bland, boring sham. I guess those of us in-the-know about Yukumi can feel a little smug for not being taken in by second-rate impostors… but I digress.

Drum Rhythm A (Music For Ballet Exercises) - The one track I’m not crazy about. But whenever 99% of an album is a listen-able as this, I’m willing to overlook this one misstep.

pro: Gorgeous homage to sounds of the past, lovingly recreated and modernized. A perfect holiday music gift.
con: Too Short! Only 9 tracks averaging about three minutes apiece. Makes me wait impatiently for the remixes.

Learn more about KOOP at their official site or at Compost Records.

1 comment December 3rd, 2006

A Note From Molly

I’m working on a year-end/holiday “gifty” if you’ve been patient enough to stick around. Keep checkin’ back!

Add comment December 2nd, 2006