It’s not the gift I intended at year’s end, but I thought I’d share the tracks that got me through last year. Due to no one’s fault but my own, there are simply not enough free tunes still available for download to make up my Year Two CD. (Many of the MP3s I featured were either from Mercedes-Benz Mixed Tape compilations or Beatport freebies that are no longer free.) As expected, my tastes are all over the map. So listen, discover and enjoy them as much as I have!
“To Be Loved (Toby Tobias Remix)” by Bent : A unique beat from a truly iconoclastic band. Great to hear new stuff from the duo.
“Born to Fly (Dave Warrin Fly Mix)” by Lisa Shaw : The first of two entries in this year’s iMix featuring incomparable voice of Lisa Shaw. 2006 saw the release of Lisa’s long awaited solo album, CHERRY . I don’t think it burnt up the charts but for me, she can do (almost) no wrong. She also went back in the studio with Blue Six to lend her considerable talents to their new single (out now), “Tropicalia”. Check it out.
“Desire (Christoph Kardek’s Deep Vocal mix)” by Hanna Hais : Perfect deep house au français.
“Philly” by DJ T. : One evening while down in Los Angeles for the holidays, I heard this on KCRW’s Nocturna show. I didn’t want it to end. Always a good sign.
“Magic Love (Ashley Beedle Black Magic Vocal Remix)” by Bent : The second entry by Bent. To say I was obsessed with this song throughout the year would be a gross understatement. Who else but Bent could transform Captain & Tennille’s 1979 track “Love On A Shoestring” into this? Phenomenal!
“Sean (Eric’s 2WFU Dub)” by Aya : Another track I wrote about in a previous post. This kept me going through most of the summer.
“Be Still (Jay-J’s Shifted Up Mix)” by Kaskade : Ryan Raddon (also know as Kaskade) manages to do it again. This lyrical and pulse-pounding remix by Jay-J elevates a mediocre dance number into something that just makes you move.
“Look On the Floor (Angel City Extended Remix)” by Bananarama : From the “I can’t believe it” category comes this fluffy, I-must-be-a-gay-boy ditty replete with requisite cheesy vocoder effects. Once the chorus sinks in though, it’ll stay in your head for a long, long time. So very cheesy but in a good way. It’s kinda nice to hear the Bananas again.
“Don’t You Want Me (King Britt Scuba Mix)” by Jody Watley : Ah, Miss Watley… If you weren’t featured on the first season of Bravo’s “Work Out” I wouldn’t have even known you were still alive. This smooth remix reminds me of why/how you became popular in the first place. An out-of-date track updated for today’s more sophisticated tastes.
“Jump (Extended mix)” by Madonna : Quite possibly one of her best tracks ever. Certainly in my top five of all time by Her Madgesty. And put to the best possible use in The Devil Wears Prada. (Even though this was part of CONFESSIONS… from 2005, and it made my Best of Oh-Five list as a runner-up, the single and its remixes weren’t released until mid 2006.)
“Damage (featuring Tracey Thorn)” by Tiefschwarz : Looks like there’ll be no more Everything But The Girl, sadly. This is as close to their sound as we can get until Tracey’s solo disc comes out, hopefully some time in ‘07.
“Ain’t No Other Man” by Christina Aguilera : I know, I know. You’re not used to Top 40 on my Guide but this song has “it” in spades; A great retro groove and kick ass lyrics. Its this year’s “Crazy In Love”. And that’s not a bad thing.
“Is It Any Wonder” by Keane : These guys had a great year (almost too great if you know what I mean). This song, especially the Tall Paul remix, reminded me how much I missed any new offering by Coldplay.
“He Knows The Sun” by The Legends : One of my favorite songs of late 2005/early 2006 finally arrived at the iTMS. Better late than never.
“Changes” by Tahiti 80 : Another terrific Franco offering. If you can find it, the Borderline remix is tons better.
“Different Sound” by Teddybears : Used to great effect in the Intel Core 2 Duo commercials. Appeals to me in that Goldfrapp-kinda way.
“Koop Island Blues” by Koop : Already said what I had to say about it here.
“No One Else (The Amalgamation Of Soundz Remix)” by Natalie Walker : Killer remixers grab hold of a track and milk it for all it’s worth.
“Warrior” by Andy Caldwell : Lisa Shaw strikes again as guest vocalist making a mellow, must-have track.
“More Shine” by Si*Se : From the very beginning of ‘06, this track stayed on my playlists throughout the entirety of the year, which is almost unheard of. Congrats to the ear at iTunes that brought this to our collective attention. “More” I say!
“Travel In Time” by Kate Havnevik : Sounds a lot like last year’s featured Mint Royale.
“Lazy Lover” by Brazilian Girls : An older song, but new to me, used effectively in an Axe shower gel commercial. Just proves great music can be found anywhere.
“Loosen Your Hold” by South : Nice iTunes Live session from a group of guys just waiting to break it big-time. I’ve featured them before and I’ll continue to do so until the rest of your ears catch up.
“What Now” by Aloe Blacc : Don’t let the warning label deter you. There’s nothing explicit about this song except its perfect leisurely beat. I heard this at the Virgin Megastore and just had to have it.
“Shiva (TC Remix)” by Thievery Corporation : Just lovely, as is almost everything the Thievery boys touch.
“Venice Beach Dub” by Stuph : Let the tide take you…
“Can’t Take It In” by Imogen Heap : 2006 was her breakout year. She managed to put Frou Frou behind her and crafted a unique album (SPEAK FOR YOURSELF) and image for herself. She also honed a fervent fan base. So, despite all her terrific singles this past year, why has this one stuck in my head so? If I could answer that, I’d be a millionaire.
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“.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Come on out and feel the love this Saturday (9/23) at San Francisco LoveFest, billed as the nation’s biggest FREE dance party and festival. (It’s a bit of a misnomer actually, as a $10 donation is suggested; of course, there are perks to donating though, like discount drink tickets and such.) The parade will be gliding right by my new place and I thought this would be a perfect time to take advantage of all that my new home town has to offer.
Before you get there, be sure to grab your FREE Official 2006 LoveFest Mix Compilation at upgraded BeatPort 3.0 via this link. It’s a full one hour continuous DJ mix set that’s sure to make you fall in love.
Hello, everyone. It’s been three weeks since my last post so I suppose I should let you know what’s going on. For the second time in less than a year, I’ve had a major life change and a move. I picked up stakes and moved to the city by the Bay.
I’ve also come to grips with the fact that as much as I truly love discovering new music and sharing it with people, it requires just too much time and energy to dedicate to it. Right now, my focus needs to be on other tasks, namely rebuilding my life and giving myself the space to have a fresh start in a brand new city. In the back of my mind when I started this little enterprise, I had grandiose dreams for MO’PGTMFM becoming synonymous with free & legal music. But for the Guide to have become a brand name, it would have required constant attention and a little bit of luck – both of which were in short supply during this last year. Besides, other bloggers are covering the scene way better and more consistently than I ever could.
So, sadly, I’ve closed up shop on the Guide. No more posts (at least not for the foreseeable future). The links will stay up for the time being as I think they are of some value. If you have something meaningful to say, like what your favorite discovery was… I’d love to read about it. If you’re going to make 32 posts about Cialis or other erectile disfunction medicines, please do me a favor and Fuck off. (Yeah, I’ve got the mouth of a sailor. What’s it to ya?) I know that did little good but it made me feel better!
Sincere thanks for being a Guide reader and for participating in my experiment. Like Casey Kasem is fond of saying: Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars.
I just discovered Brit pop magazine Pop!Justice’s free monthly Singles Club. While it’s not jam-packed with tons of FREE music, there are six song selections to be had along with cover artwork; the seventh song, “Theme From Popjustice” by Zenomania appear not to be working at this time.
But if you happen to be a fan of Brit pop sounds like I am (surprised?), then the six they have offered will please you mightily. I especially like this month’s select, “Cold Light” by Things We Made particularly because the two guys used to be part of the spectacular remix outfit Brothers In Rhythm.
MB’s newest offering is one of their best in a long while. It’s full of down-tempo, R&B and frothy summer numbers. Some of the highlights include “Not Important” by Jimek, “This Thing (Yam Who remix)” by D’Nell, “Influenza” by Moon, “Right” by Ira, “The Perfect One” by Mendelone (which sounds like a pop version of a Broadway showtune), “Ce Rythme” by Eg Dirt featuring Nawel Belgrich – try saying that three times fast! – which is Parisienne smooth and Esthero-esque. But my favorite out of them all has to be Vikter Duplaix’s “I See The Sun” which is nearly perfect in it’s upbeat message and chanted chorus. Get yours copy today while you can: Mercedes-Benz MixedTape 13
And if you happened to miss previous MixedTape outings, you can always grab the best-of compilations from iTMS: Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Vol. 3, Vol. 4
Design god and one of my idols, Gabriele Magurno, is superbly creative in all of his endeavors. At the bottom of his page, you’ll find 5 FREE tracks he has composed. (There’s a sixteen second TV news theme which I am not counting). Unfortunately for Mac users, they’re in .WMA format – but that’s easy enough to circumvent with this handy-dandy app, EasyWMA. Make ‘em high quality MP3s, import into iTunes and you’re set!
“Don’t Hold Back” is a great, pounding techno number with pretty sweet production values. “Eternally” is a lovely, latin-tinged instrumental. “I Luv This Feeling” is a terrific house anthem, on par with the best of Ben Watt’s Buzzin’ Fly series. While I really love “Don’t Hold Back” and “I Luv This Feeling”, my personal favorite of the five is “You Do“. Sometimes vocals and music align to create a vibe that is irresistible. This is one of those cases. I think if released, these five tracks would do quite well. Don’t you? Go grab some Italo-House goodness for yourself.
I’ve held off writing this post long enough. Not because I didn’t want to… but because I wanted to do this band justice, not in some rushed posting.
The J-pop group m-flo first came to my attention via a short post on arjanwrites back in late 2004 or early 2005 about the Scumfrog Space Cowboy Disco edit remix of “I Wanna Be Down” (The album version features Ryuichi Sakamoto, although I’m not sure to what extent his talents are featured in the remix). I searched high and low and was never able to find a digital file of that remix. Finally, I broke down an ordered the 12″ vinyl from Juno Records even though I don’t own a turntable. Once I got that digitized and gave the remixes a listen, well, I was hooked. Then came an even lengthier obsession.
I desperately wanted ASTROMANTIC, the album “I Wanna Be Down” was taken from. I tried the usual routes (amazon.com/co.uk) and sixty days after placing the very expensive order –it was something like $55 US– the order was cancelled inexplicably. Finally, as a last resort, I ordered it from G.E.M.M. the global music “store”. You can find practically everything there, even obscure stuff; Someone somewhere in the world most likely has it… and has it for sale.
After what seemed like forever and expending a great deal of energy and resources, I finally had ASTROMANTIC in my hot little hands. And let me tell you, it was no disappointment. In fact it was beyond genius. Amazing. Fantastic. And gorgeous. I was humbled by the sheer force of their talent and the incredible, clever songs.
Now on to the music. What’s stunning is their ability to seamlessly blend genres –hip-hop, pop, DnB, electronica/dance, even jazz– with their rapid-fire vocal style singing/rapping in Japanese, English and, on one song, in Spanish. I can’t imagine the genius it takes to write raps in multiple languages, because the words can’t just rhyme or flow, they have to make sense if translated all together. So much of their stuff is accessible and quite radio-friendly; I stunned that more people haven’t picked up on them and recognized their insane talent.
Most, if not all, of m-flo’s recent songs feature a collaborator whom they credit in their song titles as “Loves so-and-so.” (The have a thing about capitalizing their funky song names.) A vocalist named LISA was the third member of the group but she left before ASTROMANTIC was released; They seem to be doing alright without her.
Luckily for everyone, ASTROMANTIC and their latest offering, BEAT SPACE NINE is now available at the iTMS. And they’re perfect for summer. Here are my best-of picks:
WAY U MOVE / Dragon Ash - This could be a Red Hot Chili Pepper’s song… until the two-minute mark where it all shifts into high gear and becomes an altogether different/fantastic song. Fans of Daft Punk should love this. [Inexplicably one of their best cuts is not offered on iTunes.]
Get On! / Crystal Kay - A fusion of all kinds of styles is present here, including delightful whistling. Almost unclassifiable. This song just makes me giddy. (I know they’re not saying this, but I keep hearing the urban slang word for booty: bedonkadonk.)
Astrosexy / CHEMISTRY - starts off with a great Deee-Lite -like intro and morphs into something BT might produce. Bonus: can you spot the famous techno sample mixed in there?
the Luv Bug / BoA - I love this song! One of the more instantly accessible songs. Just beautiful.
I Wanna Be Down (Loves Ryuichi Sakamoto) - So glitchy and cut up yet smooth, graceful and rhythmic. m-flo is the only other band I can think of that even comes close to matching the production style of Brian Transeau.
Taste Your Stuff (loves BENNIE K) - Totally radio-friendly. Better than anything Gwen Stefani is doing. Heavier guitar and video game sounds… Why is this not a hit?
Loop In My Heart (loves EMYLI & YOSHIKA) - Couldn’t you just hear Beyoncé doing this? She should stop putting Jay-Z on her records and collaborate with them. Sadly, 95% of American’s will never even hear –or recognize for that matter– the sheer talent of the m-flo boys just because they’re primarily a Japanese language act.
SO EXCLUSIVE (love Sowelu) - My favorite track off BEAT SPACE NINE. “Oh my, if it’s alright.” Yes, it most certainly is. Better than “alright” in fact. As I said before, I can’t resist a song with hand clapping.
A.D.D.P. (loves MONDAY Michiru) - A great cut. Shows you what m-flo is capable of… all in one song. Almost entirely in English, too. Wish I knew what the title stands for; all I can glean is “analyze” and “process”.
HEY! (loves Akiko Wada) - Genius. Take well-known backbeat. Make it spacey and soulful. Rinse and repeat.
There you have it. Not all the tracks… just some of the ones that I think are especially good. You should definitely check out both their albums and the remixes available. Enjoy!
p.s. Did I say “genius” too much?? It’s the only word I can think of to describe their phenomenal talent.
After drowning in comment spam, I’ve decided to give it another shot. Comments are open again and I’m looking forward to some credible interaction with Guide readers.
Howdy, kiddies. Yes, it’s another Bits ‘n Bobs post that I’ve grown oh-so-fond of lately.
• MO’P favorite Morgan Page offers up more of his remixing genius… all for FREE. Download Morgan’s remixes of Shine’s “Ashbury“ and “One Day“. Dang it, if I haven’t learned my lesson about waiting to post about something! Someone else always beats me to it!! This time it was those no good kids at Knobtweakers. Also, Morgan has re-released his fantastic CEAST AND DESIST remix compilation in “hi-res”. Previously it was only available as 128 kbps AAC files. The bigger, the better I always say! Grab that here and hear for yourself.
• Here’s an oldie but a goody. In preparation for the release Moloko’s “best of” compilation entitled CATALOGUE, those nice people at World’s Fair are offering up full FREE MP3 of “Sing It Back“ for you to reminisce this summer. Is it any wonder why Moloko made such a huge impression awhile back?
6.29.06 UPDATE:
“Sing It Back” is streaming slow for some reason; it almost sounds as if it’s at half speed. Maybe the source file is vbr? It sounds fine when opening the link in your browser though.
• If you haven’t read all the same blogs I have, then this will be new to you: Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim continues to surprise with yet another full EP offering for FREE. Take a dip in CHOCOLATE SWIM and bask in the nougat-y goodness of Mos Def, Lady Sovereign and others artists from the Chocolate Industries roster. Get more information about it here, including a commercial about its release.
Once again (I keep trying to find a better expression than that, but it’s eluding me…) Beatport has made 10 FREE tracks available via the following link. While I recognize a few of the names listed (Isolee, Satoshi Tomiie and Audion) nothing is really grabbing my attention upon first listen. If I revisit and find something to my liking, I’ll update this post.
Normally, I don’t make posts about bands without any free content but in I’m going to make an exception today.
Listen to “Frozen Feet” by Austin, Texas-based band Tacks, The Boy Disaster at their myspace page. This is, without a doubt, the newest, freshest sound I’ve heard in a long time. Beautiful guitar and piano work plus a really catchy melody. I hope you hear what I hear. I also hope to hear more from these talents very soon.
[found via The House of Leaf and Lime blog]
6.21.06 UPDATE:
Evan from Tacks, The Boy Disaster was kind enough to write me about my nice post. In return, he’s kindly offered the MP3 of “Frozen Feet” for yours truly to host and make available to all y’all. Listen below or download it here.
AlternaRockers BNL are offering separated-out pieces of their newest track “Easy” as a 4-track download from their myspace.com page (FREE) or as an 11-track download from their label’s site (for $2.49) to promote their new album “BARENAKED LADIES ARE ME” out in mid-September. Personally, I’ve never been a huge fan of BNL’s tongue-in-cheek pop ditties but I’d be interested to hear what “Easy” might turn into in the hands of a talented amateur (or pro) remixer.
