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For those about to rock, we bring you . . . the Yelling. This North Hollywood quartet have arrived packing vintage gear, from pants to amps, and make a racket like the White Stripes, MC5, Mars Volta, and any other band who are at their best when they are at their loudest. Try the track “Blood on the Steps” today.
IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date. |
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The Cypress Hill rapper known for funky Latin lingo keeps it strictly English on Fumble, a serious song about setbacks and redemption. Sen Dogs gruff flow may catch long-time listeners off guard as it bounces atop an industrial beat peppered with DJ scratches and piano, but his signature vocal back-ups punctuate the chorus and give it that Cypress Hill energy. If you like this song, be sure to check out the album.
IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date. |
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This sister duo mix up country, pop, and rock influences on their new album Habitación Doble. It’s a sweeping ballad that has a little help from singer/songwriter Brandi Carlile. Previous fans of Ha-Ash may notice a big difference here – the track is in English. The sisters have gained prominence on Mexican charts for their slick, roots-y pop but have branched out on this new album.
IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date. |
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This Mexican American sister duo mix up country, pop, and rock influences on their new album Habitación Doble. Hanna and Ashley Pérez Mosa shot up the charts in Mexico on the backs of songs like “Amor A Medias” and “Me Entrego a Ti” from their previous album, Mundos Opuestos. This new album is rich with slick, roots-y pop music, most notably on the sweeping ballad we’re featuring this week.
IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date. |
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This is one of our favorite tracks from the Black Kids’ debut, Partie Traumatic, an album overflowing with highly danceable neo-wave pop. “I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You” is an infectious, synth-covered mix of joyous indie-pop with bubbly melodies and Go! Team-inspired cheers.
IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date. |
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Too bad that the Lost Trailers’ “Holler Back” wasn’t released a few months earlier. Otherwise, it very well could have been a strong dark horse for single of the summer. Opening with sassy fiddle and a humorous spoken word verse, this modern country gem builds up to a chorus featuring not only a tight backing vocalist but call and response shouts. So give “Holler Back” a listen and extend your summer — at least in spirit!
IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date. |
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Though they’re from the West Coast, Gran Ronde sounds as if they’d fit right in playing alongside Bloc Party or Interpol. The band’s debut album, Secret Rooms, shows off a melodic, post-punk sound with 11 tightly produced songs (including bonus track “Control”). “Wisdom” is one of the more upbeat singles, with its jangly guitars, catchy hooks, and sentimental lyrics about love lost.
IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date. |
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Austin-based Latin-funk orchestra Grupo Fantasma is one of the hardest working and most exciting bands around right now. Produced by co-founder and guitarist Adrian Quesada, the band delivers a modern twist on cumbia with the track “El Sabio Soy Yo,” laced with slick horns, driving percussion and blazing guitar riffs.
IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date. |
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SLO-O skates over a classic Dr. Dre-style production with his crisp, laid-back flow. The San Francisco newcomer’s hazy tale about grinding on sleepless streets takes on added drama thanks to strings that sweep across a hypnotic keyboard riff. The song’s title references Eldridge Cleaver’s collection of essays and SLO-O proves he too has literary flare: “I walk with my soul on ice, on gasoline blocks, matchbook ready to strike, I’m trying to weave out.”
IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date. |
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Kicking off with a crystal clear piano melody and then layering that with a warm twang and a tight rock backing band, Katie Armiger’s bright-eyed vocals sound right at home on this track from her album Believe. Armiger is a teenage singer from Sugar Land, Texas, whose voice has a straightforward crossover quality that is not unlike those who have blazed this trail before, such as Shania Twain and Faith Hill.
IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date.