Archive for December, 2008
The orchestrated syncopation that opens singer-songwriter Erin McCarley’s “Pony (It’s OK)” is simply infectious. A steady stream of piano chords and a constant offering of measured guitar riffs contrast brilliantly with an off-kilter, manual typewriter-like percussion line. But the song isn’t built on gimmicks, as heard in the Dallas area native’s soaring, sing-along chorus. At the core of it all is McCarley’s confident yet personable voice. If you like the track, check out the album.
IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date.
When he isn’t causing a ruckus with Balkan Beat Box, Israel’s Tomer Yosef is a gifted electronic artist, percussionist, and MC in his own right. “Little Man,” taken from his solo album, Laughing Underground, is the sound of worlds converging and sweating up a Mediterranean dance floor. With Tomer rapping over snatches of hip-hop, reggae, Klezmer, and Balkan sounds, “Little Man” crosses international waters with impunity, blowing headphones along the way. If you like the track, check out the album.
IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date.
Kalimba has been in the music business for nearly two decades, especially impressive when you realize that he’s still in his twenties. This track from his third solo album, Mi Otro Yo, is much more rootsy and organic than the pop material he recorded with his first group, OV7. It’s a stormy, mid-paced ballad that draws heavily on electric blues leads and the late-night atmosphere of a whirring Hammond organ. Kalimba’s searing vocals undoubtedly bring the house down. If you like the track, check out the album. For more info, visit Kalimba’s MySpace Latino page.
IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date.
This month, you’ll be noticing a particular holiday slant to our free tracks. What can we say? We’re feeling the spirit. Forgive us for being overly, well, jazzed about Stephen Colbert’s “Another Christmas Song” — the iTunes Store does get a mention in it, after all. In our defense, the big band instrumentation and Colbert’s instantly recognizable (yet impressively easy on the ears) voice help to present the set of humorous lyrics with a swingin’ effortlessness. It’s the perfect track to open the equally excellent A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All! soundtrack. If you like the track, check out the album.
IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date.
Our Discovery Download puts the focus on a different genre each week, offering up a free track we think is worth your attention. We’re anticipating the dawn of a new year this week with the ten-strong, male, a capella group Straight No Chaser. The perennial New Year’s Eve favorite, “Auld Lang Syne,” is given a bit of a soulful spin with this warm, R&B-inspired version. If you like the track, check out the album.
IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date.
This track from Draco Rosa’s latest full-length, Vino, is thick with atmosphere. Flamenco guitars and congas emerge from an ambient fog of soft pink noise and stormy sound effects. When Rosa brings his vocals to the front, it’s in more a cavernous whisper as he leads the listener down his well of inspiration and mystery. A soothing track for dark nights. If you like the track, check out the album. For more info, visit Draco Rosa’s MySpace Latino page.
IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date.
R. Kelly taps into a groundswell of emotion for “I Believe.” Opening with samples from Obama’s acceptance speech, this moving tribute to Kelly’s fellow Chicagoan-now-President-elect uses choirs, string arrangements, and a dramatic jet flyover to create his most celebratory track since “I Believe I Can Fly.” “The night Obama was elected I was inspired to write this song,” says R. Kelly. “Hopefully it touches anyone trying to accomplish something special in their life. Anything is possible if you believe.”
IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date.
This month, you’ll be noticing a particular holiday slant to our free tracks. What can we say? We’re feeling the spirit. British soprano Sarah Brightman has become one of the most popular crossover artists working today. Her new album Winter Symphony is a grandiose and spectral collection of seasonal favorites. This version of “Silent Night” allows her to sound like an an unearthly snow angel. If you like the track, check out the album.
IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date.
This week, we’re following the holiday route with a track from Celtic superstar Enya. Her soaring melodies and bewitching instrumentation has made her one of the most distinctive and beloved vocalists in the world. The award-winning, multi-million-selling singer’s new album is devoted to the imagery and sounds of winter with a Christmas slant although don’t except any covers of “Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer”. This 15th century hymn gets a distinctive, dreamy re-working here. If you like the track, check out the album.
IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date.
This Monterrey-based five piece have changed gears a bit since their 2006 debut, WOF. That album was a more rocking indie-pop record while the new one, Quiero Club, dives straight into the electro-pop club scene. The results sound glorious on this track, “The Flow” – which channels both New Order and Prince. If you like the track, check out the album. For more info, visit Quiero Club’s MySpace Latino page.
IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date.
