No mp3 downloads this week, but we do have a bunch of FREE albums.
From NoiseTrade:
Caro Emerald: “Caro Emerald Sampler”
Her real name is Caroline Esmeralda van der Leuuw (you’d have a “stage name ” too) and she’s a Dutch jazz singer with obvious pop influences. Her debut album spent 30 weeks at number one on the Dutch album charts and has sold over a million copies worldwide. Her songs have been featured in television shows like the short-lived “Playboy Club” and “The Vampire Diaries” and a number of movies. Here’s a link to the NoiseTrade sampler and a YouTube video.
Elle Macho: “!”
A veteran Nashville trio consisting of guitarist David Mead, drummer Lindsey Jamieson and bassist Butterfly Boucher (see more from her below). They are hard to categorize; NoiseTrade says they appeal to fans of The Pretenders, XTC and P.J. Harvey. Their cover of “Click Click” from The Beat’s 1980 classic album “I Just Can’t Stop It” is not to be missed. Here’s the link to the NoiseTrade album and a YouTube video.
Fol Chen: “A Timely Introduction To The Sounds of Fol Chen”
Fol Chen is an eclectic, electronic pop band from LA that has just released their third album “The False Alarms”. The group describes their music as “beat driven electronica with grand operatic gestures and lyrically-dense storytelling”. They are signed to Asthmatic Kitty of Lander, Wyoming (home to Sufjan Stevens), so expect something different. The sampler includes songs from their first two albums, a cover of Sufjan’s “I Walked” and “200 Words” off the new album. Here’s the NoiseTrade link and a YouTube video.
Brooke Waggoner: “The NoiseTrade Sessions”
Brooke is a singer-somgwriter from Nashville with a new album “Originator” just out. Her music has drawn comparisons to Kate Bush, Cat Power, and David Bowie. Here’s the NoiseTrade link and YouTube videos of “Fresh Pair of Eyes” from her 2007 debut ep and “Ink Slinger” off the new album.
Kim Richey: “An Introduction To Kim Richey”
It’s unfortunate that Kim needs an “introduction” as she has been making great music for almost 20 years. Her music is described as “progressive country” and “alternative americana” while she draws comparisons to Joni Mitchell and Mary Chapin Carpenter. Her new album “Thorn In My Heart” comes out April 16. Here’s a link to the NoiseTrade sampler and a YouTube video of “Those Words We Said” from “The Collection” a compilation of songs from her first 4 albums……..get a copy.
Butterfly Boucher: “Butterfly Boucher”
She hails from Adelaide, Australia by way of Nashville and plays pop-rock that is at once accessible and challenging all at the same time. She’s talented enough to have played every instrument on her second album “Scary Fragile” with a voice strong enough to sustain a duet with David Bowie (“Changes”) for the soundtrack to “Shrek 2”. Here’s the Noisetrade link and a YouTube video of “5678!”.
and if you couldn’t make it to SXSW, here are links to 4 free sampler albums featuring some of the more than 1300 bands and artists that appeared at the event. By the way, my sources tell me that Prince closed the festival with an absolutely amazing performance that the L.A. Times called “a party to end all parties”.
“Don’t Mess With Texas: SXSW 2013 New Music Sampler” from Amazon.com
“HGTV/Paste SXSW 2013 Sampler” from Noisetrade
“Little Brother SXSW 2013 Sampler” from Little Brother Music
“Amazon SXSW 2013 Sampler” from Polyvinyl Records
and last but certainly not least, 3 more Amazon samplers worth a download especially if you forgot that March was Metal Madness month (it’s never too late you know). There’s also a wonderful classical sampler from Allegro that I particularly like:
Armoury Records March Metal Madness 2013 Sampler
Artery Recordings March Metal Madness ’13
Allegro Classical Winter 2013 Sampler