Each week we find a track from an artist or band we’ve been enjoying and bring it to you, for free, as our Single of the Week. Winner the BBC Sound of 2012 poll, Michael Kiwanuka shows what critics and industry insiders love about him on “Home Again”. The British musician is a lightly weathered soul who immediately puts listeners at ease with his storytelling and acoustic guitar licks. “Home Again” tips towards the wayward traveler style; it’s barefoot casual, with some orchestral swells added for ambiance. “Home Again” is the title track of his debut album.
IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date.
Each week we find a track from an artist or band we’ve been enjoying and bring it to you, for free, as our Single of the Week. This L.A.-based singer has proven himself a gifted songwriter, with melodies that pull at your heartstrings and push you deep into your innermost thoughts. His new album, Landline, kicks off on a strident tone with this track, "Come Back Down." Aided by Sara Bareilles, Laswell finds a more alt-rock headspace, complete with blazing synths. Yet there’s no doubt Laswell is pulling the strings here; the song hinges on his every hushed syllable.
IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date.
Each week we’ll be selecting music from an independent artist who we’re excited about and bringing it to you, for free, as our Indie Free Download. If you were one of the thousands following the events at Austin’s annual SXSW festival, you may have heard of The Lumineers. This Denver-based trio had a run of amazing performances while there and the word has been spreading fast. "Hey Ho" shows the appeal–emotional acoustic folk-pop with and indie rock grandeur–somewhere between The Civil Wars and Arcade Fire.
IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date.
Each week we select music from an independent artist we’re excited about and bring it to you, for free, as our Indie Free Download. Covington, Ky.-based singer/songwriter Jesse Thomas throws a log on the pyre with “Fire,” an acoustic song whose quiet passion is both moving and soothing. With her inclusive campfire spirit and ear for disarming melody, Thomas is one of those “moved to California with a dollar and a dream” stories. More songs like “Fire,” and she’ll be on her way to a happy ending. “Fire” appears on her debut album, War Dancer.
IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date.
Each week we select music from an independent artist we’re excited about and bring it to you, for free, as our Indie Free Download. This Southern California songwriter articulates a fair amount of longing and heartbreak in the tunes on Loomer. One of the album’s more emotional tracks is "Oh Louise," a kind of country-influenced tearjerker/sing-along. With sweet Emmylou-esque harmonies from Tess Shapiro, the song draws from the same wellspring as early efforts by Ryan Adams and Damien Rice.
IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date.
This holiday season, we find a track from an artist or a band we’ve been enjoying and bring it to you, for free, as our Holiday Single of the Week. The intimate repartee of Joy Williams and John Paul White is what makes the music of The Civil Wars resonate so deeply. With their version of the traditional Christmas hymn, the duo bring a spark of solemnity via a taut mix of vocals and acoustic guitar.
IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date.
Each week we’ll be selecting music from an independent artist who we’re excited about and bringing it to you, for free, as our Indie Free Download. Ben Cooper—a.k.a. Radical Face—is not short of ambition. “Ghost Towns” appears on The Roots, which is the first album of his Family Tree trilogy, an in-depth examination of the events and characters of his life. “Ghost Towns” leaks atmosphere and melancholy, textures of acoustic guitar, minor key piano, accordion, and handclaps appearing like sunlight through dirty blinds. Cooper tells a story of a man hopping the freight train to a new life, missing the people and things he left behind, in a song whose subject matter author Thomas Wolfe could appreciate: You can’t go home again.
IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date.
