Free Music Downloads

Seun Kuti – Think Afrika

Posted on the July 15th, 2008 under Discovery Download,Free iTunes Download,Music,Ringtones,World,iTunes Plus by Music Man

Seun Kuti is the new heir to the Afro-beat throne. His father was legendary rebel, leader, poet, and musician Fela Kuti. Seun is Fela’s youngest son and is joined on this track from his debut by his father’s band, Egypt 80. It’s a band that Seun began playing with at age 9, so it’s no surprise who adept he is at laying down his socially-minded lyrics over the group’s call-and-response funk. If you’re a stranger to the Afro-beat style laid out by Fela, there is a rich world of deep music awaiting you and this cut, with it’s hypnotic, brassy rhythms and solid groove, shows that the form is alive and well.

Holly Conlan – You Are Goodbye

Posted on the July 1st, 2008 under Folk,Music,iTunes Plus by Music Man

Holly Conlan’s songs are graceful and lyrical – her lack of pretension, blessed also with fierce confidence at the piano, makes her music easy to admire and difficult to forget. When not performing with her own band at L.A. venues such as Tangier, The Roxy and the venerable Hotel Cafe, Holly can be heard singing back up with Hollywood stalwarts Buddy, Meiko and Gary Jules. She also cut her teeth at 2007’s CMJ and 2008′s SXSW festivals. The Bird EP was produced by Al Sgro (Meiko, Buddy, Gary Jules), mixed by Bryan Cook (Inara George) and mastered by Roger Siebel (Death Cab for Cutie, Modest Mouse). Released in February of 2008, it has already been featured twice on the CW’s hit show, One Tree Hill.

Steve Reynolds – Save Your Best

Posted on the July 1st, 2008 under Discovery Download,Music,Ringtones,Rock,iTunes Plus by Music Man

Steve Reynolds is a name we’ve been hearing a bit lately. The talented guitar player/songwriter hails from Southern California (Canada, originally) and has unearthed a heavy amount of mellow gold on his new album
The Carnival Papers. “Save Your Best” shows off his stellar, finger-picking style and layers that with one of his most emotional, whispering melodies.

Hercules and Love Affair – Blind

Posted on the May 27th, 2008 under Electronic,Music,MySpace,Single of the Week,iTunes Plus by Music Man

Hercules and Love Affair is basically one Andy Butler, who has invited a variety of people aboard to vocalize his electro-pop experiments. “Blind” is an extraordinary record thanks to the inclusion of Antony (he of the Johnsons), who plays the role of melancholy, amazingly-voiced, electro ingenue like Jimmy Somerville and Alison Moyet before him. The group is signed to James Murphy’s DFA imprint, so you shouldn’t be too surprised when Hercules and Love Affair go global sometime this year.

Click here to visit Antony’s myspace page.

The Cool Kids – 88

Posted on the May 22nd, 2008 under Discovery Download,Hip-Hop/Rap,Music,iTunes Plus by Music Man

The Cool Kids flex a new rap language, inciting both new and old hip-hop heads to exclaim, “They don’t make songs like this anymore.” With all its golden age signifiers – the knocking beats, the “yes yes y’all” chants, the guitar stabs – the Cool Kids show immense affection for rap’s magical year of 1988. “88″ makes the old school futuristic with Mikey and Chuck going sick over cyborg drum breaks, which brings up the question: “Are they indeed rapping about 1988 or reporting from the future and reflecting back on 2088? Decide for yourself.

Jil Aigrot – Mon vieux Lucien

Posted on the April 22nd, 2008 under Discovery Download,Lyrics,Music,Soundtrack,iTunes Plus by Music Man

If you saw the film La Vie en Rose, then you’ve heard Jil Aigrot.  She was the singing voice of French vocal legend Edith Piaf in the film when Piaf’s original recordings weren’t used.  Award-winning actress Marion Cotillard then lip-synced to Aigrot’s renditions.  Aigrot’s uncanny approximation of Piaf’s phrasings and signature matieral is available on the album Word’s of Love, on which you’ll find this week’s free Discovery Download.

Tristan Prettyman – Madly

Posted on the April 15th, 2008 under Lyrics,Music,Pop,iTunes Plus by Music Man

Cut from the same singer-songwriter cloth as Jack Johnson and Jill Sobule, Tristan Prettyman applies a warm Carnauba wax to her acoustic California pop, then burnishes it to a deep glow. A troubadour in flip-flops, Prettyman’s sunny take on heartbreak, “Madly,” appears on her second album Hello.

Emily Jane White – Time On Your Side

Posted on the April 9th, 2008 under Discovery Download,Folk,Lyrics,Music,MySpace,Ringtones,iTunes Plus by Music Man

Emily Jane White is a twenty-something vocalist from the San Francisco Bay Area. “Time On Your Side” is from her album Dark Undercoat and it’s finger-picking folk tune underscored by White’s husky, slightly lonely vocals. It has the vibe of that “weird America” sound that many of us love here at iTunes but she trades in arcane mythical references for more concrete, lyrical poetry about life and loves.

Señor Flavio – Malito

Posted on the April 1st, 2008 under Alternative,Latino,Music,MySpace,Single of the Week,iTunes Plus by Music Man

As the bassist for Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Señor Flavio provided the bottom end to the group’s funky mash-up of ska, rock, hip-hop, and Argentinean grooves.  For this solo cut, he keeps the genre definitions at arm’s length – working in an uptempo skank while mixing up lightning-quick smooth lyrics against some gruff dancehall-like toasting.

If you like the track, click here for the album.

Madita – Better Brother

Posted on the March 11th, 2008 under Music,Pop,iTunes Plus by Music Man

Madita comes to us from the world of downtempo electronics,where she has made a name for herself as a vocalist. Her debut album has less identifiable trappings – integrating classic soul, jazz, and pop with uninhibited style. Try “Better Brother” today.

If you like the track, check out the album.  Or visit Madita’s MySpace page.