Free iTunes Downloads

Pure attitude will ooze through your earbuds or speakers from the very first unaccompanied kick and snare-drum pairing of Billy Boy On Poison’s “On My Way.” Tightly executed rhythm guitar contrasts with freely wailing lead guitar, while the primal drumbeat perfectly underscores each infectious “Hey!” in the chorus. If you need a walk-on song for your next talk-show appearance or summer softball league at-bat, the Los Angeles quartet’s “On My Way” is ready to be blasted. If you like the track, check out the album.

Fans of the North Mississippi Allstars should be familiar with the deeds of Hill Country Revue. The Revue is NMA’s Chris Chew and Cody Dickinson jamming with guests Daniel Coburn, Kirk Smithhart, Ed Cleveland, and Garry and Duwayne Burnside (sons of legendary bluesman R.L.), veering NMA’s jam-blues caravan down a more rootsy path. “You Can Make It” is a snappy country-rock number with a curling guitar hook that will check your chin; it’s taken from Hill Country Revue’s new album, Make a Move. If you like the track, check out the album.

Meese is a Denver-based group that’s ready to send its debut album, Broadcast, out into the world. We’ve got the band’s new single, “Next In Line,” available for you to check out for free. Meese has a solid, slightly synth-touched rock backbone that drives its songs forward. A mixture of soulful harmonies within rough guitars and electronic textures gives the band a distinct feel. This summer, you can catch Meese on tour with the Fray and Jack’s Mannequin. If you like the track, check out the album.

Headbangers take heed: Heavy metal vet Sacred Oath is back on the grind. The four-man Connecticut crew has been making a lot of noise since returning in 2007 from a two-decade hiatus. On “Counting Zeroes,” a sweltering guitar dissipates long enough for an impassioned Rob Thorne to sing about the shattered state of the world; then it returns for a little assault on your eardrums. If you like the track, check out the album.

Chicago rockers the Last Vegas do their best to dig up the kind of dirt that used to fly out of nightclubs on L.A.’s Sunset Strip in the late ’70s and early ’80s. Soaring, ragged vocals fly up against big, nagging riffs that preen and pose in the best way. “I’m Bad” isn’t just about the hard rock; there are insidiously catchy melodies in the chorus that show love for the great Cheap Trick.

When a band lists its influences as “sun, moon, air, water,” you can be sure you’re dealing with either a group of New Age healers or heavy, heavy rockers. In this case, we’re dealing with the latter. This Connecticut trio pounds out primordial sludge of the highest order. “Slow and low, that is the tempo,” as another trio once put it. Low-slung bass dirges, grooving but barely moving Black Sabbath riffs of epic proportions, and Joey Maddalena’s wastrel-like vocals combine into one monstrous package that will make you want to get in the van, pack up your BMX bikes, and drive straight into the sun. If you like the track, check out the album.

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.

More information for this free itunes download »

The dub-reggae-rock feel of “Give Me Love” is one of the standout tracks on the debut from the Los Angeles group Monte Negro. On an album that is such a successful melange of ideas – from Latin pop, sugary alt-rock to mature synth-pop (to name just a few of the genres they touch on), we feel that’s saying something.

Scars on Broadway is the group started up by System of a Down members Daron Malakian and John Dolmayan who insist this is more of a side-project than proof that System of a Down is no more. Either way, it’s a good thing as Scars on Broadway rule in their own particular way. “They Say” is driven by some knuckle-dragging riffs and Malakian’s sneering, Johnny Rotten-esque vocals and crazed guitar lines. It’s a blazing track and we hope you enjoy it.

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.