31 March 2013

Bunny Rabbits

A. Bunny Movie and Soundtrack

Big Buck Bunny tells the story of "a giant rabbit with a heart bigger than himself. When one sunny day three rodents rudely harass him, something snaps...."

This animated film was part of a very cool open film project using equally cool open source software and is shared with Creative Commons licensing.

Learn more and get a copy of the film at the official website. Get a copy of the soundtrack at the Free Music Archive.

license film: Creative Commons Attribution



B. Bunny Stories and Songs from Kiddie Records Weekly

Kiddie Records Weekly is a project dedicated to celebrating the golden age of children's records.
This period roughly spanned from the mid-forties through the early fifties and produced a wealth of all-time classics. Many of these recordings were extravagant Hollywood productions featuring big time celebrities and composers. Over time these lost treasures slipped off the radar and it has become our mission to give them a new lease on life by sharing them with today's generation of online listeners.
Along with many Bugs Bunny records, you will find these bunny selections.















C. Netherland Dwarf

The Netherland Dwarf is a particularly adorable, small, fuzzy, and popular breed of house rabbit.

Netherland Dwarf is also a recording artist in Japan who has released a free album of toy piano music titled May The Piper.

license: all rights reserved




D. Bunny Audio Story and Paper Toy

The Velveteen Rabbit: or, How Toys Become Real tells the story of a plush toy rabbit and his quest to become real through the love of a child.

The Velveteen Rabbit was first published in 1922. It was the first children's book written by English-American writer Margery Williams. The book would be her most famous. It has been enjoyed by all generations since it was published. Many movies and animated films have been made about this timeless story.

This production of the classic tale by Margery Williams is brought to you by Kazoomzoom. Janice D. Green, a.k.a. "Grandma Janice", reads it for you. The music was written and performed by zero-project.



license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike

This official toy created by gifted illustrator and animator Mr. Fantoccini accompanies the release of our production of the classic tale by Margery Williams.


30 March 2013

Prog Rock Tribute to Mike Portnoy

American drummer Mike Portnoy is best known as the former drummer, backing vocalist, and a co-founder of the progressive metal band Dream Theater. He is well-respected and highly influential in progressive circles for his technique and decades of performance.

Independent musicians, graphic artists, and a computer graphics demogroup collaborated on a grand scale multimedia tribute to Portnoy titled Honor Thy Drummer. It is available for free download from SpaceProg.com.

more info: official press release

license: assumed all rights reserved

29 March 2013

Pop from David Stewart

Dark side of Paradise is the second release by David Stewart, a young multi-instrumentalist and singer/songwriter from West London.

David spent the last few years touring the planet and playing to many thousands of people as a member of Example's live band. David built on that experience to develop his own sound and music, presented in his first full-length solo release last year Late Night Viewing. That album features appearnaces by Ed Sheeran, Wretch 32, Example, and Yasmin.

David's sound is "a cutting edge blend of R&B and future garage with a pop template" with lyrics about modern relationships.

His track "Lay on the Bonnet" (a bonnet is a car hood in Commonwealth nations), was championed by Mistajam who made it his Jam hot record of the week. It has also enjoyed play on BBC Radio 1, 1xtra, and Capital.

David offers both albums for free download on his website.




license: not stated, assumed all rights reserved

28 March 2013

Franz Danzi Wind Quintet Opus 67

Soni Ventorum Wind Quintet were recorded live in concert, February and October 1980, performing the Wind Quintet Opus 67, Nos. 2-3 of Franz Danzi and made available Pandora Records.

THE PERFORMERS

The Soni Ventorum Wind Quintet was an American wind quintet had performed together in different combinations since the 1950s. Some of them even performed together in the U.S. Army. Soni Ventorum was officially founded in 1962 when Pablo Casals asked them to become the woodwind faculty of his newly founded Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico. Members of the ensemble were on faculty at the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico and members of the Puerto Rico Symphony.

After leaving Puerto Rico, the members were reunited as faculty of and as the resident wind quintet of the University of Washington the next 30 years. Through their concerts, tours, and recordings, the Soni Ventorum Wind Quintet established an international reputation. See the group's official website for more of the history of this highly regarded quintet.

Soni Ventorum and Prof. Allen Goldstein of Pandora Records (1973 - c. 1983) provide on their website an audio archive of some of their performances. The recordings consist predominantly of unedited location recordings from concerts presented by members of the Soni Ventorum Wind Quintet and their guests.



THE COMPOSER  

Franz Ignaz Danzi (June 15, 1763 – April 13, 1826) was a German cellist, composer and conductor, the son of the noted Italian cellist Innocenz Danzi. Born in Schwetzingen, Franz Danzi worked in the royal courts of Mannheim, Munich, Stuttgart and Karlsruhe.

27 March 2013

Erik Satie

Erik Satie was an original, a composer who pushed boundaries and influenced others to do so. Here are traditional and innovative renditions of Satie classics, as well as some readings of Satie's words.

THE TRUE MUSICIAN
by Erik Satie

He grows in wisdom...He is brilliant...He learns to do without
and is prepared to make great sacrifices...enormous sacrifices...
if I may say...His energy is tremendous...
In other words he is prepared for the struggle...and with honesty he shall fight it...

The performance of an Art demands complete self-denial...
...It was not meant as a joke what I just said...about sacrifices...
The Music makes heavy demands upon those who want to
devote themselves in it...This is what I have wanted you to call your attention to...

A true musician must subordinate himself his Art;
...he must place himself above human suffering;
...he must draw courage from within
...and only from within.


:: Various Artists - Satie In White Robes
a compilation of some versions of Satie compositions shared at the FMA

license: varies by track


:: Barbagallo - Plays Satie Barbagallo performs the classics by Erik Satie in Gymnopédies (1888) and Gnossiennes (1890). The latter are the more interesting in this set. Arranged, performed, recorded, and mixed by Carlo Barbagallo. license: Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0
:: Chad Crouch: Satie: Rearranged Furniture Music Crouch's own arrangements and performances, especially focused on the piano with some other instrumentation and field recordings. This album includes Satie's Sarabande series.  license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
:: B.L.Underwood - Tribute to Erik Satie  Underwood performs Satie classics on a Korg Wavestation and Akai S5000 sampler. His version of "Je Tu Veux" is almost ethereal. license: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 UK
:: Pierre Laniau - Erik Satie Pieces Pour Guitare Laniau performs guitar renditions of a broader scope of Satie's work. license: uncertain, assumed all rights reserved      
:: Howard Hersh - Selected Writings and Music of Erik Satie [1968] "The selections, which seem to be taken from assorted lectures, essays, and perhaps diary entries are both whimsical and enlightening. Subjects vary from his love for cabbage soup (only surpassed by his love of his mother); a schedule of activities; a list of his preferred diet (only white foods); comments on the education system of France; as well as the admission that he never married for a fear of being cuckold and the belief that no woman could understand him. In the second half of the program we hear Satie’s comments on critics and animals; ruminates on his heritage and lifestyle; as well as a description of the purpose of furniture music. Satie was known to be a bit of an eccentric and these brief insights from his own pen do nothing to disabuse the listener of that impression. The readings are interspersed with unidentified selection of piano music, also by Satie." license: Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0    
:: Anna Carol Dudley (soprano) and Nathan Schwartz (piano) - Selected Songs by Erik Satie [1969] Howard Hersh introduces this set of Satie songs "with a sprinkling of Satie’s solo piano music and a song cycle by his friend Claude Debussy included for added seasoning. Although Satie is perhaps best known for his serene works for solo piano as well as his many dramatic works, he also produced a selection of song cycles and cabaret songs. While motivated by the fees such popular songs demanded in turn of the 20th century Paris Satie did not stint on the quality, and his cabaret songs are still as delightful to the ear as when they were first performed in the cafes of the French capital. For this program the performers are Anna Carol Dudley, soprano and Nathan Schwartz, piano." license: Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0

26 March 2013

Get Your Dark Industrial Fix with Deuxvolt

After playing for years in various industrial, dark and goth projects, Olympia, Shade, and Just combined their powers to create something new, Deuxvolt, uniting gothic, techno, dance, industrial, and classical. Pounding beats drive industrial layers of sound, synthethizersclassical instruments, such as piano, violin, and harpsichord, and a variety of vocal styles, including classical voice.

Last February, the band released the album Union of Opposites following a modern model of promotion: the Social Pay model. They ask downloaders to support Deuxvolt through social networks (Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, etc.) or in any other way of spreading the word and promoting the album.

In October, the Art Director JustDeux launched his electronic album The Dance Machine with the same Social Pays stipulation. This release was hand-in-hand with his Worldwide Industrial Dance Contest in cooperation with DasKlub, the largest Industrial Dance Kommunity. The best dancers were awarded earlier this year.

Some time back, Deuxvolt also released a horror mix that is sure to get the ghouls at your next Halloween party on the dance floor.

Official Website | Facebook | SoundCloud | YouTube | ReverbNation

license: varies by album, see official website for each license



25 March 2013

United State of Pop 2012 (Shine Brighter)

"United State of Pop 2012 (Shine Brighter)" is a mashup by DJ Earworm of the 25 biggest hits of 2012 as determined by Billboard's weekly U.S. Hot 100 charts. Check out DJ Earworm's website for mashups of hits of previous years.




The Hits:

Ten from Fifty

March 2013 was originally slated for the release of Street King Immortal album by 50 Cent. To keep fans happy, he released a free 10-track album, Murder by Numbers.

It's "Fiddy", so you know what to expect -- the N word, adult content, vulgarity. Parental advisory, y'all.

Preview the whole album on YouTube.

24 March 2013

Chilean Electronica from Namm

The Geografía album by Chilean artists Namm was released last May on the Michita Rex label, home of Fakuta, Los Embajadores, and Violetta Castillo among others.

The Namm song "Faro" appears in regular play here.



license: Creative Commons Atribución-NoComercial-CompartirIgual 3.0 Chile


player:


23 March 2013

Stellar Young - Everything At Once

A perfect serving of indie pop rock from Albany, New York band Stellar Young

Guerilla Magazine called Stellar Young a “refreshingly hard-to-categorize rock outfit… unsigned, relatively new on the music scene, but undeniably catchy.”

Download their Everything At Once album at Stereo Killer. Or better yet, help the band out by downloading a a pay-what-you-can high quality copy at Bandcamp.


license: all rights reserved

22 March 2013

10 Years of Upitup

Can you believe Upitup Records is celebrating their 10th anniversary this month? That's right, it was 10 years ago that the Rome-Stuttgart-Liverpool netlabel released Tracky Birthday's The Least Funny Easterbunny EP.

To celebrate this auspicious occasion, Upitup Records has put together an anniversary compilation for the world to enjoy and hosting a three-day party this weekend with remarkable guest performances.

Happy Birthday, Upitup Records!

21 March 2013

Ugress

Ugress is a project of prolific electronic musician Gisle Martens Meyer (GMM) of Bergen, Norway. You may also know his work as Nebular Spool, Shadow of the Beat, PixxelTyger and Ninja9000, and from scoring soundtracks for film and television. The music of Ugress might draw comparisons to Crystal Method, Chemical Brothers and Propellerheads. GGM describes the project this way, "Ugress is cinematic sci-fi electronica."

Spend some time at the Ugress site, and you will find many free releases and fall in love with this gifted and eccentric composer and musician.

Official Website | SupportYouTube | Facebook | iTunes | last.fm

Some Ugress videos:




20 March 2013

Blues From Alligator Records

Legendary Chicago-based, independent blues label Alligator Records offers free mp3 selections on the their website to showcase some of their artists. Our music library would be poorer without Alligator Records. We recommed their collections, too. In fact, 22 years later, their 1991 anniversary compilation is still in regular play here.

The label was founded by Bruce Iglauer in 1971. He was also one of the founders of Living Blues magazine. Iglauer began the label to put out a record by his favorite band, Hound Dog Taylor and the HouseRockers, just four years before Hound Dog passed away. Delmark Records, where Iglauer worked, was not interested in the project, so he funded and produced the record himself.

Within the year, Iglauer left Delmark and concentrated on Alligator Records. We all reap the benefits of that decision, because the label has recorded the best in blues. Some of their artists include Big Walter Horton, Koko Taylor, Clifton Chenier, Marcia Ball, Albert Collins, Johnny Copeland, Lonnie Brooks, Lil' Ed and The Blues Imperials, Eddy Clearwater, Sam Lay, Smokin' Joe Kubek, Roomful of Blues, Eric Lindell, JJ Grey and MOFRO, Lee Rocker, Cephas and Wiggins, Michael Burks, Charlie Musselwhite, James Cotton, Tinsley Ellis, and Robert Cray to name just a few!

Check out the Alligator Records website to see what tasty freebies are being shared now, and invest in some releases to keep this treasure of a label alive.


19 March 2013

Phonoanomalies

There is a well-known Keith Lo Bue compilation series out there that all true oddiophiles should hear. The series was called Phonoanomalies, a term coined by Lo Bue. It was shared within Exotica List and years later on WFMU.

" Most of these gems were gathered over two years living in Pittsburgh, PA. Without Jerry's Records, these comps would not have been possible, so thanks Jerry.... DO NOT SELL IN ANY FORM!!! Share freely please!!!"

1. Phonoanomalies For Hi-Fi Bugs

"... the first of three comps of completely uncatagorizeable vinyl weirdness, from Ferrante & Teicher's nutty piano antics to elk-calling records! Sure to scare those you love."
2. More Phonoanomalies For Hi-Fi Bugs

"... the second in a series of three comps of completely uncatagorizeable vinyl weirdness, from Dr. Adi Tamboli--Musician and Physician to Ella Fitzgerald freakin' it psychedelic-style and more! Sure to clear the room of the discerning."
3. Phonoanomalies: A Totally New Recording for Hi-Fi Bugs

"... the third in a series of three comps of completely uncatagorizeable vinyl weirdness, from wartime mangled-English Japanese pop to symphonies of bird-song and more! Oh, and be sure to spread the Word of Sam."

18 March 2013

Lay You Down By The Fire

The softer side of Philly rapper Mac Miller as Larry Lovestein And The Velvet Revival?

Larry made all the beats on this jazzy, chill 5-song EP. You is available for free download on the official Velvet Revival site and commercial download at iTunes.

Here's a preview of the title track:




17 March 2013

Hearing Green

Sláinte (slawn-cha), Gaelic for "cheers" or "good health", was a Celtic band based out of Tacoma, Washington in the USA. The band serves as an early case study for the benefits of making music available for free online. Sláinte were one of the most downloaded artists on the original mp3.com, which wasat that time  a major site for free and legal music downloads. Their self-titled first album was available at mp3.com both for free and for sale, and they sold hundreds in a time when most did not yet trust online sales transactions. (more here)

Here are two CDs and a collection of bonus material by Sláinte, as well as an album of folk, celtic, and bluegrass from the five piece string band Shake That Little Foot and a collection of Irish works presented by miscellaniac.
Sláinte!

16 March 2013

Ashtar Command

Happy belated birthday to Chris Holmes of Ashtar Command! Perhaps his recent birthday celebration is why he is giving away the American Sunshine album to fans again?

Ashtar Command is Brian Liesegang (Nine Inch Nails, Filter) and  Chris Holmes (Yum Yum, The Smashing Pumpkins) joined by lots of friends, like Joshua Radin, Alex Ebert (Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeros), Har Mar Superstar, Rachel Yamagata, Priscilla Ahn, Z Berg, Matt Walker (Filter, The Smashing Pumpkins), Solomon Walker (Morrissey) Mike Garson (David Bowie),  Joey Waronker (Beck, R.E.M.), Oliver Kraus (Beth Orton), Stewart Cole (Edward Sharpe), Stephen Fitzpatrick (Veruca Salt), and Johnny Radtke (Kill Hannah).

If you miss the download, you can still purchase the album through Amazon, iTunes, and other standard vendors.






Excerpts from informative review at Dilettantes:
Chris released Dan Loves Patti under his Yum Yum moniker, an album that Rolling Stone said “more than holds it own in comparison with influences as the Beatles, and Beach Boys circa Pet Sounds.” He has since toured and recorded with The Smashing Pumpkins and Felix da Housecat, co-produced tracks for P. Diddy, worked on Billy Corgan’s solo album and written with Rachael Yamagata and Mandy Moore. Also a celebrated DJ, Holmes appeared on URB’s “Next 100” list and was handpicked by Sir Paul McCartney to open for him at the 2009 Coachella Music and Arts Festival.

Brian joined Nine Inch Nails, working on the multi-Platinum, GRAMMY®-winning albums Broken and The Downward Spiral. He subsequently co-founded the two-man band Filter with Richard Patrick. With hit singles like “Hey Man, Nice Shot” and “Jurrassitol,” Filter sold millions of albums, toured with The Smashing Pumpkins, Ozzie Osbourne, Korn and others and contributed to Platinum soundtracks for The X-Files, Spawn and The Cable Guy. Brian went on to produce, write and perform on Veruca Salt’s Resolver and was recruited by Billy Corgan for his Future Embrace album and world tour.

15 March 2013

808 State's O.T.E.P

808 State are a British electronic group who take their name from the Roland TR-808 drum machine. Since 1987, they have been making top-notch electronica (house, techno, electronica, rave, acid house, experimental, ambient house, New Wave, and Madchester) and are considered pioneers of the acid house sound. At Rancho Oddio, several 808 State CDs are beloved, including 90 / Utd. State 90 and Gorgeous.

At the official 808 State website, the band offer their free EP O.T.E.P. to visitors in exchange for email address.

Their first Top 10 UK single was "Pacific State," a chillout anthem and perhaps the only hit single ever featuring an electronic clarinet. Listen to travel back to 1989!



You may also remember "Cubik" which can be considered their signature song, another Top 10 UK single.



14 March 2013

Explore Opera With An Opera Singer

Opera singer Richard Scott explores opera "through the prism of various themes - politics, power, greed, the abominable, magic, lust, comedy" in the Resonance FM radio program (Thursday at 4pm, repeated Friday at 8am) and archived podcast, The Opera Hour.

Resonance104.4 FM is London, England's art radio station.
A platform for sound and radio art, experimental art practice, specialist musics, free speech and deep thought, we broadcast original content from musicians, artists, scientists, instigators, critics and thinkers from London's kaleidoscopic communities. Resonance FM is a challenging model of community media hailed as "the best radio station in the world".

Sample show (seems to be the only one hosted on SoundCloud)