Pitchforkmedia's Free MP3 Downloads - Aug/Sept '04

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9-9-04---

MP3: Viva Voce: "Alive with Pleasure"

"ALIVE WITH PLEASURE " is a rich stew of musical influences: soulful layered vocals, cutting rhythmic chops, striking guitar riffage and atmospheric synths; some obvious, some more obscure. All of this from The Heat Can Melt Your Brain , the new album that manages to feel shockingly original, yet the innovative also evokes the warmth and comfort of a favorite old sweater. Be sure to see this duo on tour as you'll be amazed how many instruments two people can play. . [mintyfresh.com]

MP3: Ezekiel Honig: "More Human Than Human"

Ezekiel Honig makes warm, minimal electronic music. His sound is based in techno, while incorporating ambient atmospheres, soft, colorful tones, evolving melodic passages and an affinity for breakbeat/drum and bass music (he began his career as a drum and bass DJ in his native New York City) which influences the edits and feel of the rhythms. Combining all this with his use of found sounds to construct these rhythms and odds and ends in the music, it adds up to an electronic sound which still feels organic, and is aimed less at the dance floor than the living space. [microcosm-music.com]

MP3: Andre Ethier: "Dear John"

One of the most critically acclaimed albums of 2003 was Ode To Joy, the latest album by Toronto garage rock outfit THE DEADLY SNAKES. Led by guitarist and vocalist ANDRE ETHIER, their album is one of the best Canadian rock 'n' roll albums released in a long time and is popping up on year end best of lists all over the world. The track "Dear John" is from Andre's debut solo album entitled Andre Ethier With Christopher Sandes Featuring Pickles And Price. Not entirely the same musically as the Snakes output, the album features piano, acoustic guitar, bass and drums, bringing to mind the early work of LA songsmith Randy Newman and maybe even mid-sixties Bob Dylan as well. It's not entirely folky, but it's not exactly garage rock either. What it is though, is a totally brilliant collection of songs chock full of soul. "more an unapologetic homage to Randy Newman than a "New Dylan" potshot: Sandes' piano noodling, when wed with Ethier's guttural rumbles, points directly to mid-70s Randy, matching piano balladry with misfit storytelling." 8.2/10 - Pitchforkmedia.com [sonicunyon.com]

MP3: Raising the Fawn: "The North Sea"

The epic title track from Raising The Fawn's, "The North Sea" highlights the more expansive musical side of the Toronto-based band. Starting off gently with only guitar and vocal, the introduction of bass and drums into the song redirects the song into harder hitting territory before it settles into its melodic instrumental ending. The last portion of the track, "Lost At Sea," features a guest appearance by Do Make Say Think's Charles Spearin on cornets.(Featuring John Crossingham of Broken Social Scene) "Hypnotic and enchanting rock accompanied by gentle falsetto vocals and droning atmospherics" - Alternative Press [sonicunyon.com]

---Added 9-8-04---

MP3: Argentine: "Slumberside"

From an album already heralded by LosingToday as 'a classic in waiting', Argentine's 'In Other Fictions' has been subtly sliding into this year's musical landscape with 8 hauntingly melodic tunes. Formed from the early starts of Ian Carpenter (vocals, guitars) & Nat Guy's (guitar & bass) collaborations - this Brooklyn band has grown to the addition of members - Timothy Quigley (Drummer/Percussionist), Marcus Smith (Bass, Keyboards, Guitar) and Chris Curtis (almighty viola) - incorporating all their distilled influences together and adding their own aesthetic verve. 'In Other Fictions' is now being distributed internationally thru Pehr Records Distribution and Argentine is currently supporting their new record through shows in and out of the New York City area on the wave of the great reviews [argentinetheband.com]

MP3: Sleeping at Last: "Ghosts"

MP3: Sleeping at Last: "Trees(Hallways of Leaves)"

After catching the attention and support of former Smashing Pumpkin Billy Corgan, this young Chicago-based trio have recently released their Interscope Records debut, "Ghosts." It is an album made of bright-eyed hope and an intense passion for creating music: music that will stick with its listeners throughout their lives - music that matters. In the studio, the band worked with friends Alan Moulder (My Bloody Valentine, the Smashing Pumpkins, NIN, Depeche Mode, etc), who mixed the record and Bjorn Thorsrud (the Dandy Warhols, Zwan, etc), who co-produced with the band. As a result, Sleeping At Last have "concocted a glorious, dreamy combination of soaring guitarwork, earnest choruses, and beautiful atmospherics that both haunt and inspire," as reviewed by Relevant Magazine, who rated "Ghosts" in the top 10 debut albums of the year. This is a band to watch. [sleepingatlast.com]

---Added 9-3-04---

MP3: These Arms Are Snakes: "Big News"

Oxeneers or The Lion Sleeps When Its Antelope Go Home is, in many ways, the completion of the promise made with the potential of This is Meant to Hurt You. The hooks are thicker, the guitars bigger and the songs are a simply stunning culmination of a years hard work and dedication. The album sparkles with a tight, visceral momentum, both angular and infectious. This is the record THESE ARMS ARE SNAKES set out to make, a confident testimonial, a vicious revision, and a true confrontation in every sense of the word. [jadetree.com]

---Added 9-2-04---

MP3: Jens Lekman: "You Are The Light"

At only 23, Lekman has deservedly been the center of much hype in Scandinavia as of late. Having made a name for himself performing under the name Rocky Dennis, he recently hit #2 on the Swedish national pop charts for the title track to this EP. Most everyone who's heard him believes him to be the next great pop star emerging from the streets of the DIY underground. With an angelic voice and golden ears he seems to be drinking from the same hard waters as Harry Nilsson, the Magnetic Fields, Runt-era Todd Rundgren, Bill Callahan's Smog, the Modern Lovers, Rufus Wainwright, and Belle & Sebastian. [secretlycanadian.com]

MP3: Antony & the Johnsons: "Cripple and the Starfish"

Antony and the Johnsons present chamber cabaret in darkest blue, creating music that is highly dramatic, emotional, and lyrical. Compared to everyone from Nina Simone to Lotte Lenya, Antony's voice is hauntingly evocative. The Johnsons, an ensemble featuring a string trio, piano, bass and drums, lay a foundation of lush yet minimal orchestral arrangements. [secretlycanadian.com]

MP3: Treewave: "May Banners"

A pair from Dallas making lush pop with obsolete video game/computer junk. The debut Cabana EP+ includes 7 tracks, 2 videos, and a program for your own Commodore 64 personal computer [- available @ Darla / Tonevendor / Atariage -] // MundaneSounds.com: "...easily one of the most impressive debuts of the year from a band whose concept is one that has yet to be topped..." // AngryApe.com: "...they make remarkably sublime music...strangely beautiful, but definitely warm inside...." // ScenePointBlank.com: "...Tree Wave are a...duo that write fantastic, mind-bending songs..." // Isan: "...it isn't the bleep and bloop-fest you might expect, it is really quite lush....I'd be there like a shot if I could afford the fare to Austin, TX...." [treewave.com]

MP3: Castle Oldchair: "Swallowing Stars"

Castle Oldchair isn't your parents' folk music, but he may be one of the most engaging singer-songwriters you've heard." -- Chandler, the Free Zone, 88.7fm WICR. Coming off like a shy, slightly awkward and considerably un-curmudgeonly Neil Young, or Conor Oberst without the whining and pretension, the young man known as Castle Oldchair--the band? also Castle Oldchair--weaves quirky, touching personal narratives into engaging songs of striking variety. Up-tempo porch hops and beautiful, melancholic ballads add up to a sadly optimistic picture of his world and one can't help but just feel good along with him. But it's definitely not feel-good campfire sing-alongs. Castle sings about real life and real people, all without resorting to hackneyed tear-jerking folk clichés. Despite fitting the folk-rock description, Castle is a deceptively virtuosic guitarist with a unique approach to his instrument that is unfettered by the conventions of the genre. And what a strange sight it must be for unsuspecting club-owners and coffee-shop managers when Castle rolls in, acoustic guitar and orange Marshall half-stack in tow. Catch Castle Oldchair on Sat, Septemeber 11th at the South Park Music Festival in South Park Colorado [southparkmusic.com]

MP3: Loretta: "The Fire"

Loretta's sound is built of intricate melodies, spiring harmonies, and guitar drives. The feel of their music fuses the infectious hooks of early U2 with the swelling intensity of Sunny Day Real Estate. Presenting a cinematic scope, the band captures movement in guitar textures, vocal arrangements, and divergent time signatures. The band has had recent success with commercial specialty, cmj, and xm radio with # 1 Album FMQB (The Fire #5 and Slow Down # 24 on the Singles Chart), # 1 HITS, # 1 A&R Network, # 5 R&R, and # 1 U.N.C.L.E., #1 most added CMJ, #1 most added XM Unsigned. The new album was recorded by Ken Lewis (David Byrne, Public Enemy) at Sound Stage Studios in Nashville and mixed by Jacob Robinson at Pressure Point Studios, Chicago. Veteran producer Paul Mahern (Lisa Germano, John Mellancamp, The Pieces, John Wilkes Booze). Catch them on Sat, Septemeber 11th at the South Park Music Festival in South Park Colorado. [southparkmusic.com]

---Added 8-31-04---

MP3: The Legends: "There and Back Again"

The Legends stunning debut will appeal to those with a love of infectious, off-beat pop hooks and an ample dose of Morrissey-esque vocals that will make the indie/alt crowd remember the daring that made non-major label rock great in the first place. .[lakeshore-records.com]

MP3: Walking Concert: "What's Your New Thing?"

New York outfit Walking Concert finds leader Walter Schreifels (Gorilla Biscuits, Quicksand, Rival Schools) conitnuing his trend towards writing more melodic, pop songs as opposed to the angst-fueled alt-metal-hardcore of his earlier bands. The debut album, Run to Be Born, belongs in a pantheon with the Kinks, Donovan, Bowie, Bolan, and their generational hiers: Beck, Robert Pollard, Elliot Smith, The Flaming Lips. Its songs are tightly structured, lyrical, at turns subtle, then harder driving .[some.com]

MP3: The Exit: "Let's Go To Haiti"

Since writing and recording their debut album New Beat in 2002, an album that Kerrang! Magazine called "a heady fusion of Foo Fighters, The Clash and the classic songwriting suss of ‘80s legends The Police," New York City’s The Exit has been gradually expanding on its influences, developing an original sound that has grown through the past three years of touring. The Exit recently completed recording its second full-length, Home For an Island, produced by Ron Saint-Germain (Tool, Sonic Youth, Bad Brains, 311), which is available September 7th on Some Records. [some.com]

---Added 8-30-04---

MP3: Dreamend: "Passing"

For those who bother to read this: dreamend are a three piece from Chicago playing what reviewers call "shoegaze" or "cinematic space rock" but what we refer to as "sad bastard". For those of you thus prompted to click and play: "passing" is a 6 minute snip from the new lp "as if by ghosts..." which features 10 tracks of drum-driven melodies and comes packaged with 1 of 3000 unique and authentic black and white photos from 1880-1950. For more of this hullabaloo go to www.dreamend.com or www.graveface.com. [graveface.com]

MP3: Fiver: "They Hardly Know"

Smashing all things before it and surpassing all expectation, Fiver delivers their 4th and most definitive record to date. Utilizing an amazing amalgamation of distorted guitars, intricate rhythms and keyboard swells, Let It All Fall Down is an amazing listen from start to finish. A small cast of Los Angeles indie rock super heroes play a part in the making of this record which will aid in the consumer buzz at the get go. [devilinthewoods.com]

MP3: Workhouse: "Ice Cream Van"

Since 2002 the Workhouse has been establishing a massive UK following with a string of singles, compilation appearances and a debut full length. They have also made two “In Session” appearances for John Peel, a Radio 6 session and an XFM live session. Now up to headline status in the UK this instrumental powerhouse makes their U.S. debut on with a re-sequenced and expanded version of their UK debut “The End of the Pier”. This release received a rare 8 out of 10 from the NME (New Musical Express) and we expect the same sort of response here in the States. [devilinthewoods.com]