Love Star – Felicidad

Posted on the August 10th, 2010 under Free iTunes Download,Music,Single of the Week by Music Man

Love Star – Felicidad

Each week we find a track from an artist or a band we’ve been enjoying and bring it to you, for free, as our Canción de la Semana. Love Star’s Betty Boop-like frontwoman Adriana Fernandez sings like a Spanish-speaking Tony Basil, channeling much of her early ’80s joie de vivre. The rest of the trio — Will Alves on guitar and Joe Torres on bass — work together to create a kind of retro alternative pop that refuses to be blue. “Felicidad” is about as pretty as tunes get with its peppy backbeat and perky chorus. But it’s the somber New Wave chord changes lurking in the background that suggests a deeper dimension.

IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date.
Click here to download Love Star – Felicidad Click here to visit this artists MySpace page.

Brad – Rush Hour

Posted on the August 10th, 2010 under Discovery Download,Free iTunes Download,Music by Music Man

Brad – Rush Hour

In lieu of our regular Discovery Download, we’re presenting a Rediscovery Download – in which we give an artist you may be familiar with another listen. Brad has been around since the early ‘90s, but if you’re not yet hip to the band’s rocking ways, you probably know one of its illustrious members: Pearl Jam’s Stone Gossard. Although the cohorts have shown a penchant for ‘70s-influenced hard rock throughout their careers, “Rush Hour,” is a mellower, grungy affair – a spacious, melodic jam that rides a wave of guitars until the final chord change.

IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date.
Click here to download Brad – Rush Hour Click here to visit this artists Wikipedia page.

Audrey Assad – The House You’re Building

Posted on the August 7th, 2010 under Discovery Download,Free iTunes Download,Music by Music Man

Audrey Assad – The House You’re Building

Our Discovery Download puts the focus on a different genre each week, offering up a free track we think is worth your attention. Audrey Assad, a Christian singer/songwriter from Phoenix, makes the kind of mature, achingly beautiful, acoustic folk tunes that are right at home on Lilith Fair. Set to a murmuring piano accompaniment, “The House You’re Building” shows off Assad’s ability to wax and wane from falsetto to breathy in the space of a minor note.

IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date.
Click here to download Audrey Assad – The House You’re Building Click here to visit this artists Facebook profile.

Delorean – Stay Close

Posted on the August 7th, 2010 under Free iTunes Download,Music,Single of the Week by Music Man

Delorean – Stay Close

Each week, we find a track from an artist or a band we’ve been enjoying and bring it to you, for free, as our Canción de la Semana. Named for the famed car with the gravity defying doors, Spain’s Delorean take liberally from the sounds of the same decade (the ’80s, for you youngsters). A mixture of glossy, early techno-pop fused with the hypnotic, organic swirl of Animal Collective and the hook-heavy glee of the first Avalanches record, Delorean’s “Stay Close” goes back to the future in a neon-fogged haze.

IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date.
Click here to download Delorean – Stay Close

Ryan Star – Breathe

Posted on the August 7th, 2010 under Free iTunes Download,Music,Single of the Week by Music Man

Ryan Star – Breathe

Each week we find a track from an artist or a band we’ve been enjoying and bring it to you, for free, as our Single of the Week. Long Island–born singer/songwriter Ryan Star was pegged as “the indie guy” on the reality TV show Rockstar. He didn’t win the competition, but he soon found himself signing on the dotted line with Atlantic Records. He’s got a gravelly voice that’s apt to soar over big, thundering kick drums and sensitive piano phrases. Lyrically, “Breathe” speaks to the simple act of letting go and learning to trust.

IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date.
Click here to download Ryan Star – Breathe

Gary Go – Wonderful

Posted on the August 11th, 2009 under Free iTunes Download,Music,Pop,Single of the Week by Music Man

Gary Go - Wonderful

Gary Go first gained our attention when we saw him making beautiful pop music with his iPhone. The U.K.-based son of a Muppets producer also uses the Internet to imaginatively connect with fans — including the time he posted a photo and then wrote a song about it with the help of fans who were asked to contribute lyrics. “Wonderful” is one of our favorite tracks from Go’s debut album. It’s shimmering. It’s uplifting. It’s massive contemporary pop. We’re filing it near Coldplay — thanks to the inspiring lyrics and warm, high-register cooing. If you like the track, check out the album now available for just $7.99.

IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date.
Click here to download Gary Go - Wonderful Click here to visit this artists MySpace page. Click here to visit this artists Wikipedia page. Click here to visit this artists website.

Polkastra – Apolkalypse Now

Posted on the August 11th, 2009 under Discovery Download,Free iTunes Download,Music,World by Music Man

Polkastra - Apolkalypse Now

What better way to herald the end of the world than with a jaunty polka, you might ask? Well, not with just any old polka, but one featuring a contrabassoon, electric bass, French horn, violin, percussion, and, oh yes, an accordion – played by musicians plucked from Canada, England, Israel and the American Midwest. Apolkalyptic indeed! If you like the track, check out the album.

IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date.
Click here to download Polkastra - Apolkalypse Now Click here to visit this artists Facebook profile. Click here to visit this artists MySpace page.

Quantic and His Combo Barbaro – Un Canto a Mi Tierra

Posted on the August 11th, 2009 under Free iTunes Download,Latino,Music,Single of the Week by Music Man

Quantic and His Combo Barbaro - Un Canto a Mi Tierra

Wind your hips and let you hair fall where it may – prolific alt-dance maestro Quantic teams with an eclectic group of musicians to give us “Un Canto a Mi Tierra.” The uplifiting sound fusion mixes jazzy horns; Columbia-rooted rhytms; and the rich, raw vocals of Nidai Gongora.

IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date.
Click here to download Quantic and His Combo Barbaro - Un Canto a Mi Tierra Click here to visit this artists website. Click here to visit this artists MySpace page.

Hello Seahorse! – Bestia

Posted on the August 3rd, 2009 under Free iTunes Download,Rock Latino,Single of the Week by Music Man

Hello Seahorse! - Bestia

Don’t let the stormy, haunted sound effects at the front end of Hello Seahorse’s! “Bestia” frighten you away from this charming track. The crystalline vocals of Denise (a.k.a. Vanilla Face or Lo Blondo) float over suave keyboards and a solidly drummed beat, instantly making you feel metropolitan. Her bandmates, Burgos and Bonno T, maintain a tight balance between the recording aesthetic of the garage and the bedroom, with the Mexican trio eventually fading the song out on a sparkling high. If you like the track, check out the album.

IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date.
Click here to download Hello Seahorse! - Bestia Click here to visit this artists MySpace page. Click here to visit this artists Facebook profile.

Sorcerer – Push To Freeze

Posted on the August 3rd, 2009 under Discovery Download,Electronic,Free iTunes Download,Music by Music Man

Sorcerer - Push To Freeze

Can a song be shy? With its tentative, almost hesitant opening of syncopated guitars and hypnotic, subtle changes in percussion, “Push to Freeze” takes a while to come out of its shell. Gradually adding sonic layers while maintaining a spacey, wide-open quality, Sorcerer (a.k.a. Daniel Judd) shows a great flair for creating inviting atmospheres and scintillating textures – and breaking the ice, so to speak. If you like the track, check out the album.

IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date.
Click here to download Sorcerer - Push To Freeze Click here to visit this artists MySpace page.