Free iTunes Downloads

Mayer Hawthorne’s music is a throwback to a time when sweet, sweet soul ruled the airwaves and solid backbeats were recorded without any digital enhancements. “Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out” is from the school of Impressions-era Curtis Mayfield or Miracles-era Smokey Robinson — it’s got Hawthorne’s falsetto vocals ruling over a minimal bit of funk (also provided by Hawthorne, who plays all the instruments). Did we mention he’s a 29-year-old white kid from Ann Arbor? If you like the track, check out the single.

Dublin’s Laura Izibor has a voice that sings up and out over her surroundings, bringing a little bit of sunshine wherever she goes. She represents the new sound of soul music and brings to it a touch of sass and passion that makes her particular style stand out from the pack. “Don’t Stay” is breezy, windswept funk with Izibor shining on the vocals – it’s orchestrated warmly and with the intimacy of a Sunday morning church service. If you like the track, check out the album now available for $7.99.

The second album from Foreign Exchange works as a blueprint of how R&B ought to sound in the future. The eleven tracks found on Leave It All Behind are a set of well-crafted songs that bring out the best of producers/group members Nicolay and Phonte. Dreamy folk-soul and hip-hop are mingled with West London broken beat – but it’s all within an R&B structure. “Take Off the Blues” is sound of soul music to come . . . If you like the track, check out the album.

Born in New Jersey but raised in the Dominican Republic, Daniel Santacruz brings the sounds of north and south together in the music heard on his second album, Radio Rompecorazones. Indeed, heartbreak weighs heavy on the mind of our man Daniel, as you can hear in the bachata-flavored, crooning pop gem, “If I Give You My Love.” If you like the track, check out the album.

Sharp-eared R & B fans will recognize Slim as the pleading, falsetto voice of 112 (“Only You,” “Peaches & Cream,” “Cupid”). Now a solo artist with a new album, Love’s Crazy, Slim follows the success of its first single, “So Fly,” with the propulsive title track. Slim ponders the sanity of l’amour in his distinctive voice that’s smoother than leather soles on a fresh-waxed parquet. Bonus cameo by OutKast’s Big Boi, who drops an insane 16 bars. If you like the track, check out the album.
More information for this free itunes download »