Blogio Oddio

Year-End Mix Series: Open Call!

2011-12-16T08:28:00.000-07:00

Over the last two weeks of the year, the Free Music Archive blog will feature mixes highlighting the best free music of 2011.

Stream or download all the Best of 2011 mixes here!

You are invited to join the community and submit your own mix. Just be sure to tag it as bestof2011 and year-end lists. Then embed your mix in the FMA Forum.

Enjoy the new 2011 Year-End Mixes!

Punk Rock Advent Calendar

2011-12-01T01:00:00.001-07:00

Vivaldi - The Four Seasons

2011-11-03T12:14:00.013-07:00

Composed in 1723, The Four Seasons (Le quattro stagioni) is a set of four violin concerti by Antonio Vivaldi. Some of the most beautiful music ever written, The Four Seasons is Vivaldi's most famous work, and is among the most popular pieces of Baroque music.

Brilliant violinist John Harrison performs on this gorgeous performance of Vivaldi's classic now available at the Free Music Archive.

The Vivaldi episode of Classics for Kids is packed with facts about Vivaldi and The Four Seasons.

album license: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License

illustration from the 14th century masterwork Taccuinum Sanitatis

Halloween Ear Candy

2011-10-31T11:16:00.011-07:00

☠ Selections for a creepy Halloween!

	Psi Corps: Shadow Creatures Creepy Russian ambient EP based on the book CREATURES OF LIGHT AND DARKNESS by Roger Zelazny. Gloomy atmospheric soundscapes.
	Halloween 2011 Exclusive from Superchunk Superchunk likes to give seasonal treats. Get their Misfits cover for free!
	Chinstrap Music - Sounds to Come "Sounds to Come" is the second installment of a series on Chinstrap of music and sound-design cut from public-domain horror and science-fiction films from c.1930-1970...
	Parade of the Damned - WFMU's Beware of the Blog Goofy ghouly greats! Spooky Movies-Roy Clark, Lookout Mountain-Chuck Miller ,Screemin' Meemies-Merv Griffin, Soul Dracula-Hot Blood, Count Yorga Dark Shadows Midnight Monsters Hop-Jack and Jim, Beware-Bill Buchana,n Monster Man-Screaming Lord Sutch, Dinner With Drac-John Zacherle, Rockin' Zombie-Crewnecks, Bo Meets The Monster-B...
	DJ Rozz - Spooky Halloween 2011 Mix DJ Rozz presents a DUBSTEP Halloween-themed mixtape. "Stabs you in the guts and leaves you bleeding for the zombies. Good luck!"
	Tales of the Frightened Spooky! Two Boris Karlof albums shared for Halloween at Kiddie Records Weekly!
	This Plague Of Dreaming This Plague of Dreaming is perhaps the only free netlabel focused on HORROR. Give yourself the willies for free! "... a perfect agony to contend with the intellectual discipline of the awkward and alien sound. This Plague of Dreaming is the flicker of a hand-wound projector replaying last century's October winds backwards in the..."
	Haunted Arcade Mix by PP Roy new spooky Halloween mix by PP Roy at Upitup Records, "Expect a bit of electronics, vintage video games, ghouly synths, disco and even a bit of rave action!"
	Creative Commons Halloween Mix 2011 Irene Rible returns this year with more legal downloads for Halloween culled from the Free Music Archive. "This time around we've got some sinister classical favorites, 8bit Dario Argento film scores, Peter Lorre interpreted via twisted circuit benders, and some frighteningly bad tunes from America's premier mass murdering..."
	Stealing Orchestra - Bu! TAGGED AS: experimental, sampling, spoken word, hip-hop, electronica, sound collage, portugal, fun, horror, stealing orchestra, obscure, ...
	Halloween Mix \| GORILLA VS. BEAR Three years of Halloween mixes by Gorilla vs Bear
	Sonic Safari Halloween 2011 Podcast of Oddities Buck Owens & His Buckaroos - (It's A) Monster's Holiday, Rusty Diamond - Skellykins, Ray Sanders - Graveyard Dance, Billy C. Cole - Put The Hearse In Reverse, The Tarantulas - Tarantula, ...
	Dr. Frankenstein - The Cursed Tapes Horror surf! TAGGED AS: surf, rock, horror, dr frankenstein, portugal, rockabilly, ...
	Glass Candy - "Halloween" and more creepy mp3s "Glass Candy's sinister homage [VIDEO] to the John Carpenter classic. A Candy coated gift for all the Ghouls & Goblins in Candyland. Trick Or Treat.... Disorienting walls of synthesizers grasping for their last breath accompanied by Rossini's most disturbing work to date...."
	Lee Rosevere - "Trick Or Treat" "A stormy night pushes you to toward a huge and dark house belonging to the reclusive Dr. Slocum, a mysterious genius who converted a closed asylum into an evil labratory, where he hides from the world with his menage of monsters of science. But the ghosts that haunted the asylum are still there..."
	Martinibomb and the Coconut Monkeyrocket - Munster Beat! Martinibomb and The Coconut Monkeyrocket join forces this scary season to bring you their spin on the theme of the Munsters television show! Yay!
	Zacherle Singles! - WFMU's Beware of the Blog "Zacherle (aka Zacherley) had been a TV horror-film host in ghoul makeup for most of the 1950s and early 60s, and in the early days of FM's popularity he was an innovator of free-form radio...."
	Chiptune Horror compilation from True Chip Till Death True Chip Till Death is a blog showcasing hardware, software, and artists utilizing obsolete console and computer hardware. This compilation features creepy horror tracks from some of those artists.
	Various Artists - Calling All Fiends Oddio Overplay put the challenge to musical artists the world over to create Halloween music that is "frightening, damaging and disturbing." No "Monster Mash," instead creepy soundtracks to a fiendish Halloween. They succeeded with CALLING ALL FIENDS! Some of these pieces will creep you right out of your skin. [creepy soundscapes, rock and dance tunes, fiendish songs]
	Let Me Buy U, Anne Drank Vol. 2 (Halloween Edition) "Screwed, chopped, and mixed by Babe Rainbow Dayton Family - Blood Bath Tommy Wright III ..."
	Endless Hell - yk mix "The seventh installment of my annual Halloween mix is here. Going back to the first entry, Pure Terror, it's obvious that the mixes used to contain a lot more levity than they currently do. Next year I will strive to bring the `fun` back to the Halloween mix but, this year, I've compiled a batch of songs that look to create an atmosphere of doom, gloom, spookiness, terror and just downright crazed...."
	Deadboy Halloween mix 2011 "Our good mate Deadboy put a smile (or was it an evil grin?) on our faces when he sent this over this morning his brand new 2011 Halloween mixtape. If you caught the 2010 edition you'll know what to expect - pure ghoulish vibes to serve as the perfect soundtrack to your Halloween weekend."
	Clinical Archives For Halloween creepout, definitely check out the Clinical Archives. That highly respected label has many releases of dark, ambient works that can give you the shivers! "Clinical Archives is independent netlabel from Moscow (Russia) for eclectic and illogical music..."
	An Aural Halloween Trinity: Scar Stuff, Arch Oboler, Reverend Frost WMFU's Beware of the Blog shares classic kid Halloween records, old time radio horror stories, and Halloween mixes
	LibriVox - Horror Story Collection 001 "We aim to unsettle you a little, to cut through the pink cushion of illusion that shields you from the horrible realities of life. Here are the walking dead, the fetid pools of slime, the howls in the night that you thought you had confined to your more unpleasant dreams."
	Memory Tapes - Walk Me Home (Halloween Mix) The Fader writes, "...darkwave and brooding quarter-goth. On 'Walk Me Home,' a Halloween mix made for Arawa, the art of the creepy toy piano melds faces with the darkest synths, and eerily teases out the creepiness of Italo disco." (Host Arawa shares other Halloween mixes, too.)
	The Horror Compilation from WFMU's Beware of the Blog "As a special Halloween treat, here's a seventy minute long horror music mix I put together for the 2001 WFMU marathon, culled from years of Halloween specials on my Wednesday morning show...."

Demand for The Weeknd

2011-08-19T10:31:00.021-07:00

Everybody loves the weekend. Looks like everybody also loves The Weeknd, alternative R&B singer and his group. Their newest album Thursday was just released for free and already demand for it is maxxing out bandwidth limits on sites everywhere. You can get it from their official website when they recover from the stampede.

The first album blew through bandwidth, too, so give it some time, and you'll get your hands on the brand new album. Thanks to Soundcloud subscribers, you can listen to and download the tracks one at a time below. While you are at it, how about revisiting the the debut album House Of Balloons that landed in March?

Vocalist Abel Tesfaye might call to mind popular R&B artists like Justin Timberlake and Rihanna. The music and lyrics, however, are more experimental and darker, somber ballads drenched in sex and drugs. The song "Life of the Party" is already in overplay here.

Have yosef a sexy weekend wit Weeknd!

Allmusic entry The Weeknd || Pretty Much Amazing reviews for House of Balloons and Thursday || Wikipedia entry The Weeknd

Also! Live video footage of The Weeknd performing last month in hometown Otoronto

Nirvana Tribute

2011-08-14T14:10:00.001-07:00

Amanda Palmer, Meat Puppets, Vaselines, and 10 more cover Nirvana. SPIN's August issue pays tribute to the 20th anniversary of Nirvana's Nevermind, tapping some of their favorite contemporary artists to cover the influential album's 13 songs, in their original order. The download is called NEWERMIND, and it's a free gift to you.

The Misunderstood Wolf Suffers Again

2011-08-12T08:41:00.005-07:00

Despite the rush of exciting fear from folktales, there is NOT ONE single case of wolves ever attacking and killing man on the North American continent. They may kill livestock man has introduced to the wolves native home, but has never killed man. (LISTEN or download mp3)

Get more info on the misunderstood wolf. While you are there, how about joining Robert Redford in taking action?

Robert Redford has long championed the cause of the wolf. Hear him [zip file] on the first side of this record narrating "The Wolf You Never Knew" for the American Museum of Natural History in 1971 [320 kb/s, 32 Mb].

You can also click to hear the recording in lower quality [3.5 Mb].

More bad news for the wolf. Last week, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the State of Wyoming announced that they had reached an agreement over Wyoming’s long-disputed wolf management plan. It has failed to commit to maintaining at least 15 breeding pairs of wolves in Wyoming, and it has designated wolves as predators that can be killed without a license in about 90% of the state.

Please take a moment to help save the wolves throughout America. Together we might convince the administration to stop the slaughter of wolves and return our small wolf population to the status of Endangered Species. Thank you.
www.savebiogems.org/wolves

Free Music in Exchange for a Good Deed

2011-08-10T08:36:00.016-07:00

America’s unique public broadcasting system, PBS, is a collaboration of 1,300 local non-commercial radio and television stations across the nation. These stations meet the standards of and are supported by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Working together and with hundreds of national and local content producers (like PRI, Pacifica, NPR) and community partners, they ensure that Americans have universal access to high-quality, non-commercial programming.

PBS is broadcasting BY the people FOR the people without commercial backing, so Americans have their own voice.

In the United States, public broadcasting is decentralized and is not government operated, but does receive some government support. Thanks to Americans who communicated with their Congressional representatives, the majority of federal funding for public broadcasting was preserved during the 2011 budget debate.

American PBS is:

Public broadcasting is local. Stations are locally licensed and governed, locally programmed, and locally staffed. In many rural areas, public broadcasting is the only source of free local, national and international news, public affairs, and cultural programming.
Public broadcasting supports lifelong learning for all Americans. Investments in children’s educational, cultural, public affairs and news programming, digital classroom resources, teacher training, and distance learning have made public broadcasting a leader in lifelong learning.
Public broadcasting engages more than half of all Americans every month. 170 million Americans connect through 368 public television stations, 934 public radio stations, hundreds of online services, and in-person events and activities(1).
Public broadcasting is a great investment. Unlike public broadcasting systems throughout the world, America’s public broadcasters do not rely upon the government as their primary source of funding(2). On average, federal funding amounts to less than 14 percent of a station’s budget, with the remaining 86 percent coming from local sources(3).
Public broadcasting is one of the most effective public/private partnerships in America. Annual federal funding amounts to only $1.35 per American and is leveraged by local stations to raise six times that amount from other sources.
Public broadcasting reflects the values of viewers and listeners, not advertisers. America has tremendous diversity of broadcasting outlets, but only public broadcasting is commercial free. This is one reason why public broadcasting is so highly trusted by the American people.
Public broadcasting is more important than ever: The rapidly changing media environment is making public broadcasting more and more vital as a source of unbiased news, local cultural programming, and non-commercial educational programs designed to enhance the quality of life of our local communities. Public broadcasting is a source of children’s programming, public affairs, music, and culture information that is often not provided by other sources.
Public broadcasting strengthens our democratic republic. The free flow of ideas and debate helps us participate in the political process as informed citizens.
Public broadcasting provides vital programming for parents and children. While certainly there are other media options for parents and children, only public broadcasting offers children’s programming free from commercial considerations. Public broadcasting has the best interests of children as its sole objective. This is one reason why parents and teachers trust public broadcasting, and why maintaining our public broadcasting system is so important.
Public Media Embraces the Digital Future. Public broadcasting content is now available through broadcast, cable, satellite, satellite radio, the Internet, and wireless devices. Public broadcasting is committed to a multi-platform presence, to be available anywhere at anytime to the public it serves. Local stations partner with museums, libraries and other community organizations to make great content available to the public for free on mobile devices and online. They are teaming up with start-ups and innovators to break new ground in educational and informational materials.
(1) SOURCE: http://170millionamericans.org/numbers

(2) However, this federal support is critical seed money for local stations which leverage each federal dollar to raise over six more dollars from local sources in order to provide the American public with the highest quality programming and services.

(3) SOURCE: The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Public Broadcasting Revenue, September 2009

As a token of gratitude for participating in the 2011 campaign, 170 Million Americans for Public Broadcasting and Anti- Records have released RAISE YOUR VOICE!, 16 free tracks from great musicians – available only to advocates for public broadcasting for a limited time.

RAISE YOUR VOICE! features artists who love public broadcasting and want to give back, including: Tom Waits, Wilco, Neko Case, Booker T. Jones, Man Man, Frank Turner, Mavis Staples, Jolie Holland, William Elliott Whitmore, Tinariwen, Lost in the Trees, Sean Rowe, Dr. Dog, Joe Henry, Marketa Irglova and Devotchka.

PLEASE JOIN ODDIO OVERPLAY IN SUPPORTING THIS IMPORTANT CAUSE!
How to Download the Album:

Join the campaign and take action online at 170 Million Americans for Public Broadcasting.

Then visit RYVoice.org and enter your contact information – then follow the downloading instructions on your screen.

Invite your friends through Facebook and Twitter to join our campaign and download their free album as well! The 2012 budget debate in Washington will be a tough fight, and we need as many advocates to join us in support of public broadcasting.

Please take a few minutes from your day to be a part of the 170 Million Americans for Public Broadcasting campaign to support a strong public media in America. Thank you.

West Papua

2011-07-26T15:11:00.000-07:00

Papua New Guinea in Indonesia is one of the most heterogeneous nations in the world. In a population of less than seven million, there are more than 850 indigenous languages and at least as many traditional societies. The majority are from the group known as Papuans, whose ancestors arrived in the New Guinea region from the African continent tens of thousands of years ago. Many remote Papuan tribes still have only marginal contact with the outside world.

It has long been a land of mystery, as it's people were not always welcoming to foreigners. It was only in the 20th century that headhunting and cannibalism were finally outlawed. Much of the interior has never been explored by outsiders.

Infamous anthropologist Margaret Mead did extensive research on primitive societies here whose lifestyles remained largely unchanged since the Stone Age.

Michael Clark Rockefeller, youngest child of NY State Governor and US Vice President, Nelson D. Rockefeller, was lost on a Harvard expedition to study a tribe here, and is thought to have drowned or been killed by natives in West Papua.

It is around the Rockefeller mythos that the story of artist AK Rockefeller originates. The fictitious artist's story is that he and four other of Michael's children were raised in West Papua in a tree house and did little outside the village. In later years, AK studied Western cultures and attempts to reach them today to explain the plight of West Papuans through music.

Indonesia has a terrible human rights record in dealing with the native cultures of the islands. AK Rockefeller gives away his music in hopes that you will join the cause to protect tribesmen from government torture. Learn more at his website.

License for AK Rockefeller's website music: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported

This is our second post regarding Indonesian culture this month.

Are You Living Your Life to the Fullest?

2011-07-25T01:01:00.003-07:00

Live your life. Love your life. Help others. Love others.

Two years ago today, the world lost Michelle to leukemia. She was an inspiration and a fighter. Here's hoping her love of life is passed on to all who learn about Michelle.

Before she passed, Michelle's cancer coach asked her to create a video about all of the things that she loved and was proud of in her life. This video was played at the beginning of her funeral service on August 1, 2009.

Thank you to all who joined the bone marrow registry. You can still join via a link at Project Michelle.

This documentary was produced by Lauren Rudser, a graduate student at UC Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism. Lauren contacted us in September 2008 and was interested in sharing our story through a documentary. We hope it provides a glimpse into the life of patients looking for a donor for a bone marrow transplant.

Dr. Frankenstein Hits the Waves

2011-07-20T08:45:00.008-07:00

Certainly must have promoted Portuguese rockers Dr. Frankenstein before in Blogio. Summertime is such a great time for surf music, so here's a reminder of how great this instrumental surf group is!

Grab the entire album and all the other fantastic free albums from the You Are Not Stealing Records label on their blog or at the Free Music Archive.

Surf's up!

New from Axial

2011-07-12T14:48:00.002-07:00

Brand new free album from Axial (São Paulo, Brazil) just released!

Axial are long-time favorites at Oddio. Axial are Brazilian artists who blend soft vocals, organic sounds, synth beds, and electro glitches with gorgeous results.

License: Creative Commons Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike

William Blake Goes Indonesian

2011-07-11T14:57:00.001-07:00

Just in case you have forgotten your history lessions, William Blake (1757 – 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Blake is considered a seminal figure in the history of both the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age. He was a real revolutionary who lived in the time of the American and French revolutions.

Arrington de Dionyso has translated selections from Blake into Indonesian and incorporated them into his group's songs. Where else would you expect find William Blake in Indonesian but at WFMU's Free Music Archive? Enjoy!

License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License

Song for the Weekend: tUnE-yArDs - Bizness

2011-06-10T13:14:00.003-07:00

Andrew Bird, Vicki Brown, and KT Tunstall blow us away performing live with their loop pedals. This song for your weekend is "Bizness" from their fellow hero of the loop pedal, tUnE-yArDs (Merrill Garbus). She offers this mp3 on her website for free. Please do not hold Oddio responsible, when you find yourself grooving to it for weeks to come.

Official Video:

Live Video:

Carmina Burana

2011-06-03T14:00:00.006-07:00

Any fan of Hollywood soundtracks should know composer Carl Orff's Carmina Burana. Countless films and trailers employ the first movement, "O Fortuna."

The Carmina Burana, or Codex Buranus, is a medieval manuscript of 254 poems and dramatic texts dating to about 1230 AD. Several more pages were bound with it into a small folder in the Late Middle Ages.

The authors were theological students who worked within and satirized the Catholic Church. They protested through song, poetry, and performance the growing contradictions within the Church, such as financial abuses and the failure of the Crusades. Pieces also address everyday subjects such as the "fickleness of fortune and wealth, the ephemeral nature of life, the joy of the return of Spring, and the pleasures and perils of drinking, gluttony, gambling and lust."

The poems and songs were written when Latin was the lingua franca of Western Europe for traveling scholars. Not all were in Medieval Latin, however, and the appearance of regional languages in the manuscripts reflect the travels of the authors, with songs originating from Occitania, France, England, Scotland, Aragon, Castile and the Holy Roman Empire.

In 1803, the codex was discovered among the old papers of a Benedictine monastery in Bavaria. The Carmina Burana still resides in Germany today in the Bavaria State Library in Munich.

From 1935 to 1936, inspired by the ancient work, Carl Orff composed a cantata showcasing 24 of the poems. [lyrics and translations (pdf)]

The Carmina Burana composed by Carl Orff now appears in its entirety on the Free Music Archive in a performance by the MIT Concert Choir under the direction of Dr. William Cutter in 2006 at MIT. The choir is accompanied by David Collins on piano, and showcases baritones Joshua Li, Stephan Jung, David Cunningham; bass Michael Johnson; tenor Sudeep Agarwala; and soprano Elisabeth Hon.

album: MIT Concert Choir: Carmina Burana
license: Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States

The Free Music Archive is also home to an interesting interpretation by Dr. Phibes and The Ten Plagues of Egypt of several movements of Orff's Carmina Burana that leans toward heavy metal. The interpretation calls to mind '70s Italian horror movies with powerful organs and guitars. Dr. Phibes shares a member of the group Stealing Orchestra, a long-time favorite at Oddio Overplay. Both acts are on the diverse and high quality You Are Not Stealing Records free netlabel of Portugal.

album: Dr. Phibes and The Ten Plagues of Egypt: Carmina Burana
license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing)

reference: Wikipedia
cover art: I used a detail from one of the eight illustrations within the actual Carmina Burana from c. 1230AD

Martinibomb

2011-05-31T02:00:00.001-07:00

Martinibomb is sharing their catalog for free! WHAT?! I KNOW! RIGHT?

You knew you could score some of their tunes on Comfort Stand and one on Oddio Overplay. Now you have hit the mother lode!

Martinibomb (The 1998-2004 Collection)

Stealing Orchestra - Deliverance

2011-05-30T02:00:00.002-07:00

Stealing Orchestra have been amazingly generous contributors to the free music world for a decade. The orchestra has provided a prolific free netlabel (and at Free Music Archive) featuring their work and the works of fellow Portuguese bands.

DELIVERANCE is Stealing Orchestra's new album. It is a master work, a massive opus that begins with the big bang and delivers us to the present day. It is amazing. The first time I heard it I was stunned, so I am here to recommend it to you. Preview the album at Amazon or iTunes.

The goal of Oddio Overplay is to unite listeners with artists who share free music. Every once in a while, promoting a commercial album is a good reminder that artists would like to eat or to have the means to dedicate themselves to support themselves with their work.

DELIVERANCE is not an album to buy only in thanks to Stealing Orchestra for all the free music they have given us. It is also an important album you will want to hear, a vast philosophical composition able to pull you out of yourself and the present moment and into something cosmic and larger than all of us.

digital download: Amazon, iTunes || physical cd: Louie Louie

From the press release:

After seven years, Stealing Orchestra gain new life and announce their return with their third feature-length album, DELIVERANCE. The new album contains nine brand new tracks and celebrates the 10th anniversary of the band's netlabel You Are Not Stealing Records.

Stealing Orchestra are joined on the new album by Rodrigo Leão (Madredeus) and Ana Deus (Três Tristes Tigres). DELIVERANCE can be found in digital format on iTunes or Amazon and in CD in Portuguese stores, Louie Louie, or through the band....

The last release of this Portuguese band from Porto was the EP BU in 2004. Since then, the musicians have dedicated themselves to various side projects, including X-Wife, Genocide, Motornoise, GG Allin's Dick, Tres Tristes Tigres, Mécanosphère, Dr. Phibes & The Ten Plagues of Egypt, FRICS, and Two White Monsters Around the Table. Members have even collaborated with musicians like John Zorn, Damo Suzuki (Can), Steve Mackay (Stooges), Massimo Pupillo (Zu), and Pamelia Kurstin, among others.

This "liberation" is the culmination point of several years of distilling ideas, compositions, recordings, and sound research. Unlike previous albums, where manipulation and sound collage assumed a key role, DELIVERANCE celebrates a new attitude of the band, promoting a creative process involving several elements where it is impossible to distinguish between what are samples and what are the real instruments.

The result is thus a more organic and fluid composition, which must be heard as a whole: the drama in "Evitando o Cinismo (Avoiding Cynicism)," the loss in "Enquanto há Memória (While There is Living Memory)," the harsh beauty of the Tras-ss-Montes province [Americans suck at geography, so explaining it is a province here for the dummies] in "Um Reino Maravilhoso (A Wonderful Kingdom)," the popular violence in "The Glorious Moment of Popular Catharsis & Revenge," and the hope in "Earth Provides Enough to Satisfy Every Man's Need." In the last song, "Getting Him Out Of Creation," we listen to an excerpt of an interview with the philosopher Colin McGinn, on THE ATHEISM TAPES (BBC, 2004). Then back to the beginning of everything: explosions, the thunder, the violent birth of the Earth, and the first sounds of water and life, ending in Man, the Machine, and Chaos. Stealing Orchestra suggest us to forget God and see the creation of a world that was born by itself and not by Him.

DELIVERANCE is a deeply emotional album, full of faith and idiosyncrasy (but always without him around, of course), waiting to be discovered and rediscovered again and again.

DELIVERANCE is, at its core, an album made with love, without asking permission, and without any fear of pointing out new directions where we can hear everything we have heard before in totally different ways. DELIVERANCE will never be "World Music," but it is not afraid to admit that it is music from around the world always true to its roots.

With 13 years of existence, Stealing Orchestra edited their first demo in 1998, POSTCARD PEOPLE, which earned them the attention of critics and six awards at that year's edition of the defunct Prémios Maquete (Demo Awards). Two years later, the group launched their debut album STEREOGAMY (NorteSul / EMI-VC) which expressed the group's fascination with cinema, collages, sound manipulation, computer game soundtracks, and obsolete machinery capable of producing the most unlikely sounds.

In 2001, the album É PORTUGUÊS? NÃO GOSTO! began a new phase in the band's career. Released by the newly formed netlabel YANSR (the first Portuguese netlabel and one of world's first), this EP challenged traditional means of publishing and played with the prejudices about "what is ours" (from our country Portugal). The title speaks for itself, IS IT PORTUGUESE? I DON'T LIKE IT.

The last full-length release before hibernation, THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING BAND (Zounds / Sabotage), took their universe further and continued to celebrate music as a weapon. At this time the group had reached the status of a cult band in Portugal. A year later, they released THE HAUNTED AND ALMOST LOST SONGS 97-98 - a collection of previously unreleased lost songs recorded during 1997 and 1998 - and BU! - an exorcism in the format of an EP of their paranoias, fears, anxieties, and excitements.

Special Guests:

Ana Deus (“Enquanto Há Memória” and “Sem Tempo Para Tudo”)

Rodrigo Leão (“Finding The Right Self-Schema”)

João Filipe (“When Conspirancy Theories Become Mainstream”)

Stealing Orchestra are:

João Mascarenhas, Fernando Sousa, Gustavo Costa, Pedro Costa, Henrique Fernandes

digital download: Amazon, iTunes || physical cd: Louie Louie

'70s Power Pop Redux

2011-05-29T05:35:00.005-07:00

Ah, the late '70s were the glory days of power pop punk when bands like the Clash and 999 were kings. Power pop descended from those originals appears today in the form of The Killers, Hot Hot Heat, The Strokes, The Walkmen, Franz Ferdinand, The Hives, Interpol, and a slew of others. It's a sound that I personally am all too happy to hear again. Punk and New Wave kids in suspenders, ratty Lower East Side band shirts, or thin ties, it was fun pop with a punch.

The album PATH MASHER by My Mind turns back time to '76.

license: Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States

Instrumental Albums Licensed for Reuse in Video

2011-05-28T07:28:00.003-07:00

Filmmakers, podcasters, and music lovers, here is a real treat. This is a collection of more than 500 tracks on free albums predominantly, if not totally instrumental. All are licensed for reuse in derivative works, such as videos and podcasts. The albums are presented in no order and cover a broad spectrum of music and sound.

photo: Michael Connors

photo rights: You are allowed to copy, distribute, transmit the work and to adapt the work. Attribution is not required. You are prohibited from using this work in a stand alone manner.

Kicking It Old School

2011-05-27T19:21:00.004-07:00

Zs by Higgins and Rococo by The Paparazzi are two albums in serious overplay here at the headquarters that might just work their ways into your head and heart, too. Brace yourself for the '70s, and then relish every bit of it like spending the day in bed.

Taste for yourself

licenses: both Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0

Eargasms Eight

2011-05-25T12:41:00.009-07:00

Great news! Vertical House Record Store in Huntsville, Alabama, USA has released another fun Eargasm compilation! Eargasm Eight packs in 24 songs plus the great opening bonus track celebrating "Huntsville, My Hometown." Loving it!!

The Eargasm series is organized and designed by local homegrown Huntsville artists and features local musicians, many of whom perform at the shop. Alabama is one of the best places on Earth today for new surf, bubblegum, and rockabilly. You can hear those influences on Eargasms Eight, as well as rock, hip hop, folk, and power pop. Vertical House Record Store can hook you up with more from all these artists in their shop or by mail order, too!

Support your local independent record stores! All the best to this cool couple!

license: traditional copyrights assumed

Bjork Tribute Album

2011-05-24T17:01:00.004-07:00

Our personal favorite among Bjork's albums is the sample packed, energetic POST. Stereogum loves that one so much that they organized artists' fascinating interpretations for a tribute to POST with input from Bjork herself.

ENJOYED: A TRIBUTE TO BJORK'S POST

Music for the Earth

2011-04-21T06:29:00.004-07:00

Earth Day celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. Earth Day 2011 is Friday, April 22nd. Events in your area (worldwide) might be listed at the Earth Day Network, the official global coordinators.

Here are two programs that are probably of interest to you.

Music for the Earth

In celebration of Earth Day, the Earth Day Network, Sonicbids, Musician’s Friend and artists from around the world are giving you the gift of "green" music. All of the tracks on the Music for the Earth site have an Earth Day theme, demonstrating social responsibility, dedication to the environmental movement, and love for our planet Earth. You can freely download all the tracks submitted to the project.

The Top 20 most downloaded artists as of 11:59 pm EST on May 9 will be eligible to win a Gibson Jackson Browne Model 1 Acoustic Guitar, courtesy of Musician’s Friend as well as a feature on the Earth Day Network homepage.

A Billion Acts of Green®

From greening schools to hosting town hall discussions on clean energy investment and green jobs, Earth Day Network leads its network in thousands of Earth Day events and actions worldwide each year. To catalyze global environmental activism, Earth Day Network has chosen A Billion Acts of Green® as the theme for Earth Day 2011.

At over 40 million actions to date, A Billion Acts of Green®– the largest environmental service campaign in the world– inspires and rewards simple individual acts and larger organizational initiatives that further the goal of measurably reducing carbon emissions and supporting sustainability. The goal is to register one billion actions in advance of the global Earth Summit in Rio in 2012. For more information click here.

music license: not cited, traditional copyrights assumed

Happy Record Store Day!

2011-04-16T06:38:00.005-07:00

Happy Record Store Day! Avid free music listeners are among the best purchasers of music. Today is dedicated to keeping independent record stores alive. Please take time to support your local record store today!

Most stores have giveaways, free performances, swag, contests, and limited edition Record Store Day pressings. We have even been to some shops who celebrate the holiday with cookouts and cookie decorating. Always a lot of fun -- and Record Store Day helps keep the independent music shops going. Get out there!

Join the Party at the Juanitos' Place!

2011-04-05T16:03:00.005-07:00

Every album by the French group The Juanitos is a party. The newest release, Welcome in the House of F.U.N., lives up to the band's party standards. Welcome in the House of F.U.N. delivers a sonic soul party, a vacation in the tropics, and time travel back to the swingingest '60s hot spots! There are even tips of the hat to the Chambers Brothers and Jimi Hendrix. Enjoy!

license: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 France License

Happy Birthday, Free Music Archive!

2011-04-04T15:16:00.007-07:00

Happy Birthday to the Free Music Archive who turns two today. Spend some time there soon, because the new, free, legally shared music is added every day. See you there! (You will find me as member katya-oddio.)

50+ FMA Highlights Anniversary Mix

2011 Happy Birthday FMA Mix

Club Fonograma

2011-02-05T09:37:00.008-07:00

Club Fonograma makes free compilations of legally shared music by today's Latin artists with a focus on South America. The 11th in their "Fonogramáticos" series is available now.

Their blog showcases Latin artists worldwide, including mention of free releases, such as this compilation from Revista Plástica in Spain.

Huun Huur Tu Tour

2011-02-01T16:25:00.006-07:00

Huun Huur Tu is still on their US tour, so if you live in the North and East, do yourself the favor of an historic night out to see these Tuvan greats who are humbly playing at intimate clubs and schools.

Huun Huur Tu are a traditional Tuvan group performing ancient music on ancient instruments accompanied by khoomei throat singing. Their music is remarkable.

I've been stalling on listening to their new album, ETERNAL, because in it they are paired with electronic composer Carmen Rizzo. I didn't want to hear this group I love and respect reduced to "world electronica." Time Magazine's poetic review is enthusiastic the new CD and all I've read elsewhere are positive reviews, so I did finally listen. It works. It actually works. This new album is beautiful and ethereal. Listen to samples and free downloads for yourself. What do you think?

"Pour a glass of something, close your eyes and let your soul soar through those boundless Tuvan skies." -- Veronica Zaragovia for Time Magazine

Goodbye, Ensonic

2011-01-30T12:18:00.000-07:00

Goodbye, old friend. Sad news. On Valentine's Day, Ensonic Radio is closing up shop. If you are able to take up the enterprise, it is for sale on eBay.

The Voice and Calm Power of Dr. Martin Luther King

2011-01-17T13:02:00.011-07:00

Today the U.S. nation celebrates the life and work of prominent civil rights activist, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King. Here are three speeches by Dr. King. The first is King's infamous "I Have a Dream" speech delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. on August 28, 1963.

The second is a speech given January 14, 1968, at a demonstration supporting anti-war activitists, including singer Joan Baez, imprisoned at the Santa Rita Prison in California. The recording of Dr. King's speech was produced by Colin Edwards for KPFA radio the day after the demonstration. (BB1460 Pacifica Radio Archives)

The third of King's speeches presented here is from March 16, 1968 at the event "Men and women in the arts concerned with Vietnam" in Los Angeles, California. The speech is prefaced by a six-minute introduction by novelist, playwright, and poet James Baldwin. The recording was made in the audience and aired on KPFK on April 4, 1968. (BB4661 Pacifica Radio Archives)

His final speech, referred to as the "Mountaintop" speech was delivered in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was assassinated.

All three speeches can be found at the Free Music Archive.

Portrait of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Betsy G. Reyneau [public domain]

The Underappreciated Kinderklavier

2011-01-06T10:17:00.001-07:00

The toy piano is historically more than just a plaything. Quality toy pianos stay in tune, because they do not employ strings. Toy pianos offer a unique timbre unlike a piano and more like a celesta or a member of the harpsichord family. It is this unusual sound has been the key appeal to a small number of composers and performers through the centuries.

A German boy born into a toy-making family, Albert Schoenhut (1848-1912) created the ancestor of the modern toy piano. The hammers on his early toy pianos originally struck sounding bars made of glass, as opposed to the strings on real pianos. The glass bars proved to be too fragile for shipping, so Schoenhut soon opted for metal bars, making the instruments more durable.

In 1866, when he was 17, Schoenhut set sail across the Atlantic heading to Philadelphia where he had a job repairing toy pianos. By 1872, Schoenhut had developed his own toy manufacturing business. The Schoenhut Toy Company still makes quality toy pianos today.

Can't get your hands on a fine toy piano, but would like to play one? You are in luck! Pascal Ayerbe, a fantastic toy performer, offers an antique French Michelsonne toy piano to play online.

Modern composers and performers of music for the toy piano range from John Zorn to the Dresden Dolls [Amazon selections]. One super fun and quirky artist who is breathing life into the instrument today is Twink, billed as "the toy piano band." Since French label MonsterK7 ("Monster Cassette") sold out all copies of their toy piano compilation, Une Ode au Toy Piano, they have offered it for free download.

The Free Music Archive is also home to several works featuring the toy piano, including a full-length serious work by Aestrid Byrne titled Duff (Music for Toy Pianos) and a spoken piece by Edoheart named "Monsoon in Ibadan."

photo of toy piano by Allison Felus [license]

Most Interesting

2011-01-05T13:18:00.004-07:00

There's this algorithm running in the Free Music Archive system that generates a list of the tracks from the library of more than 30,000 mps that users find most interesting. It factors in how many times visitors listen to, download, favorite, and comment on tracks. Oddio Overplay delivered almost one-quarter of the top 45 in the Most Interesting in 2010 (22.22%). That's pretty cool! Cheers to all the artists appearing in this list and to all artists who share their music online.

Ringing in the New Year

2011-01-01T06:27:00.004-07:00

Happy New Year, music friends!

As of January 1, 2011, Oddio Overplay has made 1,452 contributions to the Free Music Archive. That is the number to beat for activity in 2011. How about fulfilling a resolution right now to be a part of that most excellent free music community? As the byline reads, "It's not just free music; it's good music!"

Later this month, Oddio's netlabel for children, Kazoomzoom will relaunch with a new look and a larger catalog. This is a very exciting time for us, as I have wanted to really kickstart that slowly developing project. I'm full of enthusiasm, hope, and big plans for 2011. I hope you and your family will be a part of an exciting new year at Kazoomzoom!

Here are a quick five from the most recent additions Oddio has made to the FMA that you may have missed. Happy New Year and Happy Listening!

TAGGED AS: hard rock, spanish, metal, spain, los cuatrocientos golpes, rock, hardcore

TAGGED AS: old-time historic, cylinder, stage music, victor herbert orchestra, operetta, classical, instrumental rock, light orchestral, orchestral

TAGGED AS: latin america, pop, spanish, lido pimienta, columbia

TAGGED AS: classical, francesco lettera, instrumental, italy

TAGGED AS: modern composition, 20th Century Classical, toy instruments, ireland, aestrid byrne, toy piano

photo credit: FREE PAPERCRAFT 2011 CALENDAR by Nadja, owner of smil in Berlin
license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic

2010 Gold

2010-12-14T08:50:00.008-07:00

After repeatedly playing FMA favorites in an attempt to list the top 10 tracks among those added to the archive this year, it was clear that there is just too much music worth celebrating at the FMA. The task soon morphed into praising the best five to ten selections for many genres in 12 mixes.

These are genre specific mixes showcasing recordings added to the Free Music Archive in 2010 that have been favorites at the Oddio Overplay headquarters this year.

Choice Cuts Added to the FMA in 2010: Oddio Overplay's picks across genres

2010 Gold: Beats
2010 Gold: Classical
2010 Gold: Gentle People, Folk
2010 Gold: Jazz
2010 Gold: Old Time, Historic
2010 Gold: People's Music, International
2010 Gold: Pop
2010 Gold: Rock
2010 Gold: Soul, Rhythm and Blues
2010 Gold: Space Age Pop Styles
2010 Gold: Spoken, Poetry, Field Recordings
2010 Gold: The Avant Garde, Far-Flung Genres

image: Women musicians in a detail of a fresco in Chehel Sotoun ("Forty Columns" in Persian) Palace, Esfahan, Iran, c. 1650

You Are Not Stealing Records on FMA

2010-11-04T05:00:00.001-07:00

This week the catalog of Portugal based netlabel You Are Not Stealing Records was added to the Free Music Archive.

The following mix pulls some easy favorites from many of the YANSR albums on the FMA. You will want to jump around in the mix to find items you enjoy, because a broad spectrum of genres are covered.

These include Ambient, Ambient Electronic, Avant-Garde, Blues, Chip Music, Classical, Composed Music, Electronic, Experimental, Experimental Pop, Field Recordings, Folk, Goth, Indie-Rock, Industrial, Lounge, Metal, New Wave, Noise, Noise-Rock, Polka, Post-Rock, Punk, Reggae - Dub, Rock, Rockabilly, Sound Collage, and Surf.

That's a lot of ground for one label! Enjoy!

La Rainbow Toy Orchestra

2010-10-22T15:13:00.003-07:00

The common childhood belief that our toys come to life when we are not watching has now been proven. The toys have been recorded making their own music in the night.

La Rainbow Toy Orchestra 9-song release FAMILY ALBUM is now on the Free Music Archive.

p: detail from photo by tomboy [license]

Let's Hear Your Mix!

2010-08-06T11:23:00.014-07:00

Illustration by Taichi_Nishida. Some rights reserved.

Hurray! We are getting married 10-10-10! Here for your pleasure is one of our Free Music Archive wedding mixes.

Legends at 90

2010-07-02T08:29:00.011-07:00

Two remarkable gentleman have turned 90 this year. Both are recording artists, both are longtime radio hosts. Both are legends.

OSCAR BRAND. Folk music legend Oscar Brand turned 90 in February. He has written more than 300 songs, recorded 90 albums, composed for broadway and film, is a musicologist, playwright, best-selling author, and teacher. Brand is also a founder and curator of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Brand has hosted the "Folksong Festival" program for 65 years, an incredible run that has put him in the Guinness Book of World Records. The show has made him one of the most beloved figures in folk music in North America. February 7th, it was Oscar Brand's 90th birthday. He joined Michael Wright of the CBC Radio program "The Sunday Edition" from their New York studio.

Enjoy the interview here. Oscar Brand appears in the intro and then the interview begins at 9 minutes.

KEN NORDINE. Beat jazz voice legend Ken Nordine reached his own 90th birthday milestone on April 13th. The man behind the Word Jazz albums and radio program and countless commercials, he has an unmistakable, instantly recognizable voice. Nordine has been a radio personality since the 1940s and a recording artist and distinctive voiceover artist since the 1950s.

WBEZ’s Steve Edwards visited Ken Nordine's studio to speak with him about his life and career. Enjoy the video here and download an audio excerpt here with segments not in the video, such as how his mother's religion led him to performing in radio.

These men are actively recording and performing and have lost none of their relevance and charm. You will want to add their radio shows to your regular listening. Brand and Nordine are still at the top of their game. All the better for us!

Happy Birthday!

Disco Pirata

2010-06-21T00:00:00.006-07:00

This is a free "pirate disc" sampler from Barcelona Sonora, a group of professionals in the arts in Spain. They are graphic designers, photographers, web developers, promoters, and t-shirt designers who promote the Creative Commons "paradigm shift" parallel to their commercial work. The complete "gold box set" of the entire pirate disc series (110 tracks) is available through P2P thanks to Barcelona Sonora. Read more about their mission with this disc from the official Barcelona Sonora site (in Spanish).

The selections in this diverse yet fluid compilation can be classified as Alternative Hip-Hop, Big Band/Swing, Dance, Dub, Folk, Latin, Metal, Pop, Rock, and Synth Pop.

license: Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Spain License

Weekend Sunshine

2010-06-11T00:02:00.014-07:00

Here are five collections of free and legally shared tunes to bring sunshine to your weekend! There is something here for everyone and something for any occasion. Feast your ears!

FreeMusicArchive.org player:
Click artist name for more from this artist.
Click "i" or song title for license and song info.
Click down arrow picture to download song.
Click DOWNLOAD ALBUM to download all tracks at once in a zip.

MEU CORAÇÃO É BRASILEIRO

ABOUT: Brazilian flavors from old traditional folk songs to favela funk
TAGGED AS: funk carioca, favela funk, baile funk, pop, folk, brazil, afro-brazilian, brazilian

TOYLAND

ABOUT: Bouncy, boingy, squeaky, squirmy, twinkling, sparkling! Welcome to a wonderful world of toys, ear candy, and giggles brought to you by Thiaz Itch, El Zoologico, Gangpol & Mit, Cindy Sizer, Lawrence Power, The Bran Flakes, Christian Bjoerklund, René Vis, 8bit Betty, Valzi & Zinger, and Bubblyfish!
TAGGED AS: synth pop, novelty, pop, experimental pop, toyland, toys, chip music, children, childrens music

KAIRAKUDA: AFRICAN WATER

TAGGED AS: international, world, african, africa, north african

UPDATE 06/14/10: Just learned that Kairakuda has a second African mix that you might also enjoy.

MACEDONIA: THE HARMONIC EQUIVALENT OF RUN-ON SENTENCES...

ABOUT: "... made with a road trip mixtape aesthetic in mind, but it should work as well for office cubicle therapy. Be it hip-hop or minimal techno, be it quirky and upbeat click and glitch-laden electronics, from the smooth and introspective to the edgy and erratic"

JASON: INTERNATIONAL SOUNDS 2009

ABOUT: Argentina, Mali, Haiti, Eastern Europe, India, and performances on Transpacific Sound Paradise

Many more to come! Hopefully some by YOU.

FMA New Webjay

2010-06-11T00:01:00.001-07:00

Once upon a time, there was a website called Webjay that employed cutting edge software of the day to create playlists of music files from the web. Users were able to create, save, and share these playlists. Today, we have the Free Music Archive for making those mixes, playlists, mixtapes, or compilations.

The beauty of the remarkable music in your playlists at the Free Music Archive is that it is all free and legally shared. Copyright issues were always a problem with Webjay.

I loved Webjay. It was exciting to hear new music from people worldwide. My playlist of Brazilian music at Webjay went viral with online popularity and surprisingly landed in the New York Times in 2004. Yahoo purchased Webjay in 2006 and closed the site in 2007.

Today, the wonderful Free Music Archive offers us all a playground for creating playlists of music we enjoy for free. Those playlists can be embedded anywhere on the web. Playlists of compiled tunes are available for download with one click. That's just one of the many excellent features available at the FMA.

We all now have the power to create, share, embed, and download mixtapes and share new artists with our friends -- and all for free! Thank you, Free Music Archive! See you there!

[Fellow webjays, you can find Webjay on Facebook, and there is also a Webjay group on Facebook.]

Bach for Piano

2010-06-10T22:10:00.015-07:00

Brazillian pianist Felipe Sarro performs original works by German Baroque composer Johann Sebastian Bach, as well as nine transcriptions of Bach's work for piano by Russian composer Alexander Ilyich Siloti. Sarro performed all pieces on a Grotrian-Steinweg Concertino piano.

There are over 1,000 known compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). The Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis (Bach Works Catalogue) is a numbering system identifying his compositions. The prefix BWV, followed by the work's number is the shorthand identification for Bach's compositions. The works in the BWV are grouped thematically, not chronologically.

Sarro begins this CD of 18 pieces with one of the six suites written for the clavier (harpsichord or clavichord) between 1722 and 1725 known as "The French Suites." The suite is followed by the Sinfonia No. 11 in G minor. It is part of the "Inventions and Sinfonias," a collection of 30 short keyboard compositions composed between 1685 and 1750, consisting of fifteen inventions (two-part contrapuntal pieces) and fifteen sinfonias (three-part contrapuntal pieces). They were originally written by Bach as exercises for the musical education of his students. He titled the collection:

"Honest method, by which the amateurs of the keyboard – especially, however, those desirous of learning – are shown a clear way not only (1) to learn to play cleanly in two parts, but also, after further progress, (2) to handle three obligate parts correctly and well; and along with this not only to obtain good inventions (ideas) but to develop the same well; above all, however, to achieve a cantabile style in playing and at the same time acquire a strong foretaste of composition."

Quite the title!

Five Happy Tunes

2010-06-10T00:00:00.001-07:00

SKÅPMAT is a happy EP of instrumentals from Swedish producer Christian Björklund. It slips from dub beats into delicate minimal electronica effortlessly. Some of the tracks Björklund composed for a video game. All tracks are podsafe and are excellent radio beds.

License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License

Charlie Lewis Returns Today Only

2010-06-09T00:01:00.004-07:00

Katya here with some fun news! Charlie Lewis, one of my all-time favorite WFMU DJs, returns to WFMU for one show this morning. He is filling in for Ken from 9 AM to noon (EST). This is Charlie's first time back on the air at WFMU since leaving the NYC metro area over two and a half years ago.

You can listen live through WFMU. The show will also be archived in both Charlie's WFMU show archives and in his Being Slowly Nowhere archives. [You can bet that I'll be there chatting, so please do say hello!]

There will be no "Busy Doing Nothing" show this Thursday on his current station WVEW.

Some of you in the know will remember Charlie and pal Todd's childhood antics with a tape recorder on Comfort Stand Recordings. If you haven't heard those gems, give yourself a treat and a giggle by streaming or downloading Party Fun With Recorders. (more from Charlie at Comfort Stand)

UPDATE: THAT WAS A FUN SHOW!! Enjoy it again here:
http://wfmu.org/playlists/shows/36106

New Breed of Brazilian Artists

2010-06-08T10:45:00.006-07:00

If yesterday's post about Mombojó has piqued your interest in the new breed of Brazilian artists, you might also enjoy the free albums available from Brasil Música e Artes. They offer free compilations of new music from Brazil from the traditional to the avant garde. They also offer two great albums from forró artists Naurêa (album: SAMBAIÃO) and the legendary Gilberto Monteiro (album: GILBERTO MONTEIRO). Enjoy!

License: traditional copyrights

Mombojó is also offering their latest album AMIGO DO TEMPO for free at their website right now.

License for AMIGO DO TEMPO: unknown, not stated

Manguebeat from Mombojo

2010-06-07T21:16:00.002-07:00

The manguebeat movement is a cultural movement created circa 1991 in the city of Recife in Northeast Brazil as a response to the city's cultural and economical stagnation.

The original movement named itself mangue bit, "mangue" for Recife's mangroves and "bit" to the computer bit central to the movement's electronic music influences. Since then, mangue bit has been more commonly called manguebeat.

The stylistic origins of the music are in maracatu, punk rock, hip hop, samba, Brazilian folk music, and psychedelic rock. The first wave appeared in the 1990s. Mombojó is part of the second wave of the manguebeat movement. They were featured in MTV's coverage (Sintonizando Recife) of manguebeat along with fellow bands China and Maquinado.

Enjoy Mombojó's album NADADENOVO at the FMA. Here is a taste.

Nadadenovo by Mombojo is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 Brazil License.

The Kazoo Funk Orchestra

2010-06-06T00:00:00.003-07:00

Glasgow has been a center of learning since the middle ages. It was the focus of the Scottish Enlightment in the 18th century. It has been the site of major leaps in engineering. It has been a city of fearless, forward thinking people for centuries. Glasgow's Kazoo Funk Orchestra approaches pop music with the same fearless Scottish method. They are a pop band having fun and inviting you in on the joke.

Fall in love with Scottish fearlessness -- even in pop music! Enjoy the albums MIDNIGHT FINGER PAINTER and ADVENTURES IN FUZZY FELT LAND in full at the FMA. Here are a couple of tunes to get you started.

Midnight Finger Painter by Kazoo Funk Orchestra is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

Adventures in Fuzzy Felt Land by Kazoo Funk Orchestra is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

More Gifts from Digi G'Alessio

2010-06-04T00:00:00.004-07:00

Remember Love, Beats and Pina Coladas? Yeah, that is a fun album! Guess what! Here are two more free albums with a very different sound from the dancefloor packers on Love, Beats and Pina Coladas. This time it is more dub with ghetto blasting beats. It is all still free for you. What a nice guy Digi G'Alessio is!

Genres: Dance, Dubstep, Electronic, Hip-Hop, Trip-Hop

album licenses:

L'Attentato ai Mondiali by Digi G'Alessio is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 Italy License.

The Rain Book by Digi G'Alessio is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License.

Screamers, Fanfares, Overtures

2010-06-02T00:01:00.003-07:00

Breathtaking feats of agility, strength, and acrobatics! Step right up and enjoy the sounds of the circus as performed by the Bensenville Municipal Band! Maestro Fred Lewis and his band take you to the big top to show you the clowns, the gravity-defying high wire act, and the ever popular sideshows!

This set of 25 circus pieces includes fanfares, overtures, and screamers. A screamer is a circus march, particularly an upbeat march intended to excite the audience during the show. Screamers were mostly composed in a 60-year period (1895 – 1955). Circuses were in need of music that would stir the audience into a frenzy.

This album might be well-suited to your audio and video projects, as it is shared with a Creative Commons Attribution license.

Enjoy CIRCUS RING CONCERT!

album license: Creative Commons Attribution License

Jet Set Lifestyle Soundtrack

2010-05-22T00:01:00.000-07:00

Montréal artist Tortue Super Sonic (TSS) brings you his new sonic wave. This wave is generally downtempo, as you will hear on his album, NEOGROTESQUE. You can expect some variations in the mix, such as guitars, synthetic strings, and some interesting experimentation. You will hear a couple outer space themes, an Arab flavored track, a song for robots, and even some luxurious easy listening.

Overall, the vibe of this album is the airy soundtrack to a sophisticated, international, jet set lifestyle. This could easily be library music for scenes of luxury by the pool, space travel, cloak and dagger action. Tortue Super Sonic (TSS) will excite your cinematic imagination.

Enjoy the entire album, NEOGROTESQUE, on the FMA.

album license: Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 France License

Quirky Genius of Logan Whitehurst

2010-05-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

Logan Whitehurst began uploading his original songs to mp3.com back in 1997 and gained a strong online following for his music. His quirky songs were regularly played on Dr. Demento and often compared to the likes of They Might Be Giants. Whitehurst was a multi-instrumentalist and an accomplished graphic artist. Tragically, Logan passed away from a brain tumor at the age of 29.

Lee Rosevere of Happy Puppy Records worked with the Whitehurst family to provide the world a posthumous anthology of Logan's work. The 10 song collection, AN INTRODUCTION TO LOGAN WHITEHURST AND THE JR. SCIENCE CLUB, is now available on the Free Music Archive.

album license: Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Canada License
.

Shake That Little Foot

2010-05-20T00:00:00.002-07:00

SHAKE THAT LITTLE FOOT is an album of Celtic and Appalachian classics for you, including traditional Scottish, mountain, and bluegrass favorites.

This mostly instrumental album was recorded in Liverpool, England in 1993 by a group who had yet to adopt a name. Eventually, they became "Shake That Little Foot." After getting their original tracks from the recording engineer, Mike Cooper, they released this album online.

The band notes that "Sally Ann" is a composite arrangement of three different traditional versions of this tune: a frailing banjo tune (the intro), a fiddle tune (the instrumental break), and a song. Guitarist Chris Erswell also notes:

"Don't miss the comic 'Flopped-Eared Mule'. There is also a rollicking rendition of 'Bill Cheathum' which will be sure to get your feet a-dancing. Oh, and there is a banjo version of 'Scotland the Brave' to a back beat like you've never heared it before."

album license: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License
.

Lee Rosevere - Instrumental

2010-05-19T00:01:00.004-07:00

Canadian artist Lee Rosevere has been riding on the crest of the free digital music wave for about as long as the web has been able to provide music files. Rosevere is a veteran artist on many netlabels and even operates his own quality and low key free netlabel, Happy Puppy Records.

Lee works in radio, and much of his instrumental album BACKTIME was originally composed for use as radio themes, underscores, or for "backtime." The latter is a term used by in the radio industry for background music programmed to finish at a set time. The tracks are made up of beats, samples, and electronic and live instrumentation.

The entire album is available at the FMA for free download. Enjoy it as a body of work or use it in your own projects.

image: detail from cover of BACKTIME

album license: Attribution-NonCommercial License

Matheatre

2010-05-18T00:01:00.004-07:00

Move over, Tom Lehrer, with "The Elements," your periodic table classic. There is a new act on the scene. Their name is Matheatre. This time it isn't chemisty; it's mathematics. Marc Gutman and Sadie Bowman have written a touring Calculus musical, Calculus: The Musical!, and continued their clever work with C-Sections (available at the FMA) and Log, A Rhythm. A series of albums to encompass all of Pre-Calculus is in the works.

Get your nerd on now! Enjoy C-Sections in its entirety at the Free Music Archive!

album license: Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License
.

Jane Siberry Shares Discography

2010-05-17T09:16:00.014-07:00

Inimitable, complex, idiosyncratic, chanteuse Jane Siberry has chosen to make her discography available for free. Jane is offering 16 complete releases with booklets in both mp3 and aiff formats. Hopefully she will get a donation system going soon, because this is quite a large gift to offer the world.

If Jane Siberry is new to your ears, you are in for a treat. Her airy, delicate sound is singularly her own. Jane is beautiful. We can recommend our personal favorite albums as NO BORDERS HERE (1983) and SPECKLESS SKY (1985). Jane's self-titled album (1981) is similar to these two, and the only reason it is not a favorite is that we have not spent years with it as we have these two selections.

THE WALKING (1987) was critically acclaimed. You can disappear into its soundscapes. BOUND BY THE BEAUTY (1989) is a more pop, radio ready release with some catchy numbers. WHEN I WAS A BOY (1993) was co-produced by Brian Eno and Michael Brook and is considered Siberry's most eclectic work yet. Great ambient realms are created in that one.

Next came MARIA (1995) in which Jane performs with a jazz ensemble. Warm piano, bold brass, soft, then powerful. TEENAGER (1996) was Jane's first release on her own label. In this one, you can hear her freedom to do just as she pleases. She even revisits her very first songs. A DAY IN THE LIFE (1997) is an interesting sound collage wherein you actually follow Jane through a day.

NEW YORK TRILOGY (1999) is composed of three albums of material from three nights in 1996 at the Bottom Line nightclub in New York City. The last of which is songs for the Christmas season. In fact, much of Jane Siberry's more recent material reflects her faith. HUSH (2000) is made up of traditional American and Celtic selections, like "O' Shenandoah," "Old Man River," and "Streets of Laredo." SHUSHAN THE PALACE: HYMNS OF EARTH (2003) is a religious release of Christian hymns with an Early Music feeling.

After that nonsecular album, Jane Siberry gave away her possessions and changed her identity to Issa. She released DRAGON DREAMS and WITH WHAT SHALL I KEEP WARM? as Issa, as well as a third unreleased album. Among other themes, these address living with simplicity and character in nature. They flow like poetry.

Learn more about Jane at AllMusic.com and Wikipedia. Read about what she is up to now and why she has given you her music for free in recent articles at the Times Online, New York Times, and The Globe and Mail (photos).

For such an accomplished artist to give her work to the world in this way is a selfless gift. Thank you, Jane Siberry, you lovely woman.

DISCOGRAPHY

01. Jane Siberry (1981)
02. No Borders Here (1983)
03. Speckless Sky (1985)
04. The Walking (1987)
05. Bound by the Beauty (1989)
06. When I Was a Boy (1993)
07. Maria (1995)
08. Teenager (1996)
09. Day in the Life (1997)
10. New York Trilogy (1999)
New York Trilogy, 1 Tree, Music for Films and Forests
New York Trilogy, 2 Lips, Music for Saying It
New York Trilogy, 3 Child, Music for Christmas
11. Hush (2000)
12. Shushan the Palace, Hymns of Earth (2003)
13. Dragon Dreams (2008)
14. With What Shall I Keep Warm (2009)

Warm Orange

2010-05-14T17:41:00.010-07:00

Australian label Patterns Community Sound Centre may not have a website any longer, but they have left a legacy through their recordings. This debut EP by Lagos Disco Machine is testimony. With thumb pianos, effects, and found sounds, the WARM ORANGE EP entertains your ears and brain with organic and electronic sound layers. Lagos Disco Machine is a misleading name, as only one selection is a dance track. In face, track three, "Lord Pear," sounds more like a tribal field recording. For clocking in at about 20 minutes, this EP takes your ears all over the place and back again. Enjoy it here at the FMA.

album license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License

Walking On Eggshells

2010-05-12T09:47:00.000-07:00

So good! This is a stimulating 24 minute documentary in which artists from writers to musicians to painters discuss modern culture and "appropriation, creative influence, re-use and intellectual property in the remix age." (Jonathon Letham talking about culture references in Bugs Bunny cartoons will hit home with several generations.) The artists have fascinating points of view.

The filmmakers Jacob Albert, Ryan Beauchamp, and Brendan Schlagel created this film as their final project for the seminar "Intellectual Property in the Digital Age" at Yale University.

Available on YouTube in 3 parts. All worthwhile.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Arrr, Pirate Songs, Matey!

2010-05-10T15:42:00.000-07:00

Arrrr! Music makers of all ages are invited to make ocean or pirate songs for the upcoming PIRATE POP recording. If your song is popular with our listening team, your song will appear on the album. We look forward to hearing your entry, matey!

The deadline for submissions is June 15, 2010. Click here for details.

Good luck to all who participate in this contest! Thank you for sharing your work for kids!

detail of illustration "Pirates Vs. Ninjas" by Marcus Hadlock
[licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.]

Future of the Past Today

2010-05-06T15:36:00.005-07:00

Internal view of the Stanford torus space station design by Donald Davis*

In 2006 on Sascha Müller's trippy Pharmacom-rec netlabel, a serious 2-CD album appeared that excited chill out, new age, space music, and electronica fans alike. The release was the work of Frank Dorittke as "F.D. Project" and was titled MARE TRANQUILLITATIS.

It is a pure, perfect tribute to Berlin School German electronica. Fans of Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze, Ashra, Kitaro, or Mike Oldfield will discover a hidden treasure that sounds like Kosmische Musik composed and performed in the late '70s. MARE TRANQUILLITATIS delivers fresh new sounds for fans of the genre.

Prepare for retro futurism. Set your dials back decades, put on your giant headphones, close your eyes and drift off into space with all the cosmic synthesizers, soaring virtuoso guitars, shifting analog sequencer bass lines, Mellotron-style samples, and spacey effects so indicative of the Berlin School.

In MARE TRANQUILLITATIS, Dorittke presents future music from the past created in the present. Just like a mission into deep space, this 2-CD release has the power to remove you from the present world and fill you with wonder.

* Artist Donald Davis' description of his painting: "The 1975 NASA Ames/Stanford University Summer Study worked out the broad engineering requirements for a toroidal shaped space colony design. This painting used the design, but I refused to fill the interior with the 'shopping mall gone mad' clutter of other drawings. Again the challenge of sustaining something like a closed ecosystem was a theme I wanted to emphasize. This design became known as the 'Stanford Torus'. Oil on board for NASA Ames."

album license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License

Love, Beats, and Pina Coladas

2010-04-30T20:06:00.008-07:00

One of the masterminds behind the Italian group A Smile for Timbuctu, master Digi G'Alessio is proving to be as prolific as a solo artist. He can pack a dance floor like nobody's business. LOVE, BEATS, AND PIÑA COLADAS is a downtempo album packed still packed with his fat beats.

album license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License

Bubbles!

2010-04-30T19:59:00.009-07:00

BUBBLES is a fun, free, compilation of previously released & unreleased material by The Bran Flakes created from 1998-2007. Fun fun fun fun!

(see this old post for more info)

album license: Attribution-NonCommercial License

Children of Ling Shan

2010-04-29T13:21:00.007-07:00

Chan Wai Fat composed this original soundtrack for the play CHILDREN OF THE SOUL MOUNTAIN (LING SHAN) inspired by the daoist pilgrimage in Gao Xingjian's Nobel winning novel SOUL MOUNTAIN (LING SHAN).

Composer Chan Wai Fat visited the minority tribes along part of the Ling Shan path, resulting a re-interpretation of two traditional folk songs and seven new compositions with a mix of native recordings. This album is a selection of songs from the play, sung by elderly blind folk singer Po Sun-yi. Sun-yi was born and raised in Guizhou. This is the same region of southwestern China where composer Fat visited the Ling Shan Path and where Shamanistic customs and traditions still flourish.

Download entire album at the WFMU Free Music Archive.

album license: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License

Fear No Love

2010-04-29T12:00:00.002-07:00

From the 1995 press release from the Avant label:

...Bob Ostertag's FEAR NO LOVE. In a radical departure for the composer, winner of a 1995 NEA Composers Fellowship for contemporary music, FEAR NO LOVE features fierce groove-based dance songs. This is funk, but warped through a sensibility honed in fifteen years at the forefront of the avant-garde.

Ostertag has assembled an unlikely and dazzling group of collaborators for FEAR NO LOVE, from rock star Mike Patton (Faith No More) to British guitar pioneer Fred Frith to underground luminaries of San Francisco's queer scene....

FEAR NO LOVE is a disc that pushes all the limits. Almost every track defines its own genre. "The Man in the Blue Slip" is a dance/industrial/gender-fuk/domination-submission love duet. "Not Your Girl" goes in a new-jack-swing/R&B/talking-blues direction. And "Positive", an HIV+/ambient/techno/soul tour de force, may be the first true love ballad of the age of AIDS.

Ostertag's previous work has ranged from All the Rage, written for the Kronos Quartet and premiered at Lincoln Center, to his ground-breaking outside jazz ensemble Say No More, to his solo recordings and collaborations with John Zorn and Fred Frith. FEAR NO LOVE explores even newer terrain. With sharp and edgy queer lyrics, a wide-ranging pop eclecticism, and fierce grooves, FEAR NO LOVE will shake up the dance floor -- and more.

Download entire album at the WFMU Free Music Archive.

album license: Attribution-NonCommercial License

Serene Serein

2010-04-28T16:42:00.009-07:00

Nest is a project of fellow pianists and record label operators Otto Totland (Deaf Center / Type Records) and Huw Roberts (Serein). They became friends when they were members of the Miasmah free netlabel. This self-titled EP is their first work publicly released. It is apparently no longer available through Serein since their 2009 rebuild, but has been remastered and incorporated into the album RETOLD. The recording is too good to fade into obscurity, so it lives again now at the WFMU Free Music Archive.

from the original release on Serein:

"Both pianists, there is little wonder that after exploring a plethora of musical styles, the two find themselves most at home writing traditionally structured pieces, with the ivories a major element throughout. The EP demonstrates clearly the innate ability the two have for song writing, borrowing from the world of film soundtracks and contemporary classical composers to craft delicate instrumental compositions.

"Alongside their favoured instrument can be variously heard the plucked strings of the Welsh harp, violins, woodwind instruments, field recordings, percussion and a heady dose of mind wobbling effects. From the time Nest began writing together, one purpose was clear; to produce beautiful music free of pretense, and they do it exceptionally well."

album license: Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.0 UK: England License

Frigiliana Free Jazz by Breuss Arrizabalaga Quintet

2010-04-21T13:28:00.007-07:00

This fantastic, energetic concert of free jazz was performed by the Breuss Arrizabalaga Quintet in Frigiliana, Málagua, Spain on 19 July 2003. (Tracks 9 and 10 were recorded in performance in Madrid.) The concert was released as an album, Nfamoudou-Boudougou, on Hazard Records.

Free jazz is an approach to jazz music that was first developed in the 1950s. The music created by free jazz pioneers varied widely, but the artists shared a dissatisfaction with the limitations of bebop, hard bop, and modal jazz, which had developed in the preceding decade.

Free jazz musicians attempt to "alter, extend, or break down the conventions of jazz, often by discarding hitherto invariable features of jazz, such as fixed chord changes or tempos. While usually considered experimental and avant-garde, free jazz has also oppositely been conceived as an attempt to return jazz to its 'primitive', often religious roots, and emphasis on collective improvisation."* (* source: Wikipedia)

album license: Public Domain License

Freebie from Marianne Dissard and Friends

2010-04-19T18:26:00.003-07:00

From the French sud-ouest to the American Southwest, from filmmaker to performance artist, lyricist to singer.. here's "PARIS ONE TAKES", the latest album by Tucson-based singer Marianne Dissard, available as a free download.

from official website:

Tucson chanteuse Marianne Dissard's 2010 "PARIS ONE TAKES" is a full-length live studio album that features 15 songs, culled from both her first award-winning "official" album, "L'Entredeux," produced by Joey Burns of Calexico, and her second, upcoming "official" album, "L'Abandon," due out in late 2010, recorded with Luke Doucet, BK-One, Thøger Lund and more stellar performers. "PARIS ONE TAKES' features songs co-written with Joey Burns of Calexico, Naïm Amor, Sergio Mendoza and Christian Ravaglioli.

"PARIS ONE TAKES" was recorded in Paris, France in December 2009, with Marianne's Tucson-based touring band of Brian Lopez and Geoff Hidalgo (both from Mostly Bears), Sergio Mendoza (Calexico, Y La Orkesta) and French violinist Olivier Samouillan. With a sound tight as can be from 30 dates in 1 month over 7 European countries, "PARIS ONE TAKES" is now available as a free download, a gift to all the fans and friends who helped make these past couple of years of touring a dream come true!

Thanks for listening!

Marianne

2010-04-15T18:24:00.000-07:00

Oddio Overplay is now on Facebook.

An Afternoon of Blossom

2010-04-14T18:14:00.005-07:00

Spent a lovely afternoon listing to Blossom Dearie. Here is Monica's tribute show to Blossom.

Wake Up

2010-04-12T14:50:00.005-07:00

The city blocks have the hypnotic power to lull you off to sleep. Don't do it. Do not slip away into the sleep. It's too dangerous. You can't sleep on the train. Wake up. Vulnerable, too vulnerable, wake up, missing your stop, wake up, traveling to unknown districts, and then the startling wake up call, el despertar.

The experimental electronic and rock album Ruptures by DIY-Note is now in the Free Music Archive.

photo by Michael Cornelius, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license

album license: Attribution-Noncommercial 2.0 France License

Charles-Valentin Alkan's Opuses 25 and 31

2010-04-10T08:41:00.004-07:00

Brazillian pianist Felipe Sarro performs Opus 25 Alleluia and Opus 31 Préludes by French Romantic composer Charles-Valentin Alkan.

Alkan, one of the greatest virtuoso pianists of his day, was a friend and contemporary of Franz Liszt and Frédéric Chopin. He was a child prodigy, entering the Paris Conservatoire at the age of six. Alkan was a favorite of his teacher, Joseph Zimmermann, who also taught fellow composers Georges Bizet, César Franck, Charles Gounod, and Ambroise Thomas. In his twenties, Alkan was a famous virtuoso and teacher in elegant social circles. Liszt once stated that Alkan had the finest piano technique of anyone he knew. This Romantic composer was a luminary of his time.

Felipe Sarro began his musical training at the age of eight and studied at Academia Musical Fátima and Santa Cecília Musical Conservatory. In this album on the FMA, Sarro performs Alkan's Opus 31 Alleluia (1844) and Opus 25 Préludes dans touts les tons majeur et mineurs (1847) in entirety.

image: Alkan's music frequently displays idiosyncratic features, including nonstandard key signature and pedal notation, as seen in the above image showing an extract from the 2nd movement of his sonata Les Quatre Âges.

album license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License

Droopy Drops In

2010-04-09T14:29:00.003-07:00

Hugo "Droopy" Contini delivers hard bop from Lorraine, France to the WFMU Free Music Archive on US National Jazz Day. Contini is part of the RawBounce Records collective and the alto sax man for The Real Dealers.

Once after rehearsal, the band had the space for a few more hours, so they recorded the album, Surpriscording. [more info]

photo: RawBounce Records

Album license: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License

Indonesian Excursion

2010-04-06T14:56:00.007-07:00

Indonesian rupiah banknotes

Fans of the ancient traditional Indonesian music form of gamelan will be pleased to find the Free Music Archive is now home to Gamelan Nyai Saraswati recordings.

album licenses: Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License

Flamenco Warmth from Andalusia

2010-03-27T06:24:00.005-07:00

The group El Niño del Parking brings you the sound of the ancient city of Jerez de la Frontera in Andalusia in southwestern Spain between the sea and the mountains. In addition to Spanish guitars, Latin rhythms, and the clapping of flamenco, this brings you the experience of the fluid poetry of the Castilian tongue, festivals, palm trees, celebrated vineyards, sunshine, Mediterranean warmth. Enjoy an entire free album to download or play at the WFMU Free Music Archive.

Photo: Alcázar de Jerez de la Frontera by El Pantera [Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 license]

Jazz from Buenos Aires

2010-02-25T06:18:00.004-07:00

Gepel brings you original jazz from Buenos Aires, Argentina. The FMA now hosts Moducué, Gepel's album recorded, mixed and mastered in Casa Frida by Hernan Caratozzolo and Mariano Cuello.

From their official website:

Gepel is a trio founded in 2006. The music is characterized by its original way of playing different popular music languages from Latin America with the traditional jazz sound texture.

Regarding this release, Gepel writes:

Moducue is the first album from Gepel ('Moducue', meaning "Thanks" in Lucumí, a Yoruba dialect). All compositions performed in the album are original and each one of them is dedicated to a singular popular music language.

Gypsy Caravan

2010-01-25T11:26:00.005-07:00

Gypsy Caravan

Sounds from the Free Music Archive to feed your wanderlust -- Balkan Brass, Roma songs, and other Eastern European delights

Join the Free Music Archive and create your own mixes of legally shared free music!

photo by Katya Oddio, 2008 [Creative Commons by-nc]

Lee Maddeford, busiest composer in Switzerland

2010-01-20T20:14:00.006-07:00

"Eros and Psyche" is one of many Maddeford compositions available at the FMA

In Switzerland there lives a very busy composer, director, performer whose talent seems boundless. That man is Lee Maddeford and he is as at home with composing orchestral works as with children's music. Mr. Maddeford is a marvel with gypsy jazz, chamber music, cabaret and choral works, brass and woodwind ensembles, piano duets, soundtracks, and theatre music. One additional remarkable thing about the man: he is kind enough to share his work with you with Creative Commons licensing.

As of this posting, there are several of his releases at the Free Music Archive, including INSTRUMENTALS 1 Les Gauchers Orchestra and Les Gauchers Quintet, AN ASTRAL FABLE and THE JUGGLERS SUITE with l'Ensemble de Cuivres Valaisan, and EROS ET PSYCHE with the Choeur Calliope.

This playlist offers selections from each of those releases.

My Russian Bride, a Nutcracker Reworking

2010-01-08T20:02:00.004-07:00

Did you know that Tchaikovsky didn't like the score he composed for THE NUTCRACKER ballet? Yeah, for starters, he didn't even want the job. Evidently he made too many concessions for the ballet producers and didn't feel it was true to his original concepts and nowhere near as good as his last ballet score, THE SLEEPING BEAUTY.

Isn't that remarkable when so many movements from the composition are instantly recognizable classical masterpieces?

Now, let's say that more than 100 years later we give his score a Tim Burton - Danny Elfman - PDQ Bach treatment. Not talking HOOKED ON CLASSICS here; instead, reworking the whole composition and giving it some bounce, bleeps, bloops, and even more music box charm*. This is exactly what Lanark, our friend in Argentina, has done on MY RUSSIAN BRIDE, now available on the Free Music Archive. One can't help but wonder what the old boy Tchaikovsky would think of this reworking.

Lanark has a passion and a gift for reworking classical pieces. This is one of his earliest, if not the first, releases of his deconstruction and reconstruction of classical works. It is especially fun in winter when we are most likely to hear THE NUTCRACKER SUITE.

Here's hoping this charming little electronic music box from Lanark brings you joy this season and all year.

Download MY RUSSIAN BRIDE Here's a taste:

* The original score got its music box charm from the celesta (pronounced chelesta, ch as in cello), an idiophone that strikes metal rods via a keyboard. It is one of the most wonderfully otherworldly sounding instruments ever created. In fact, the name of this 1886 invention is derived from its "celestial" sound.

Here's a great audio piece on the celesta from NPR.

West African Bardic Tradition

2009-12-30T20:38:00.002-07:00

In most West African nations, there exists an incredible tradition of oral historians. These bards are known in various languages as jelis, griots, djeli, jali, guevel, gawlo, and igiiw. They are historians, entertainers, advisors to nobility, genealogists, praise singers, messengers, and the keepers of cultural traditions. They keep their people's history alive by passing it through the generations in the form of music, dance, and recitations.

The craft is Jaliyaa, and jeli must have the abilities to perform every traditional song, some of which are more than 1,000 years old. Jeli must know details about local history, recite long stories, and be able to extemporize on current events. It is said that a library burns down with the passing of a jeli. These storytellers are the archivists of their people's traditions. Each jeli is the culmination of their lineage as the job is passed from parent to child, adding new works with each generation.

The Free Music Archive is host to a release of an international group featuring two young men born into the jeli caste, Jalikebba and Haruna of the Toubabs. The group Jalikebba Kuyateh and the Toubabs has released the self-titled album Jalikebba and the Toubabs which is now available for download at the Free Music Archive, a wonderful project from WFMU, the world's greatest radio station.

License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License

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Roadrunner Records Annual Assault 2009

2009-12-29T20:57:00.002-07:00

Yes, it is that time again. As we wrap up 2009, you rockers and metalheads out there want to remember to grab the 2009 Roadrunner Records annual free sampler. Rock!

Brought to you by the Roadrunner Records label, home of Megadeth, Soulfly, Rob Zombie, Slipknot, Amanda Palmer, Dresden Dolls, Airbourne, DragonForce, Opeth, Trivium, and the likes.

License: traditional copyright, USA

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Good Old Neon

2009-12-27T20:44:00.003-07:00

Good Old Neon is Michael Philip Smith and Jeff Lee both formerly of Up Up Down Down. Jim Lee provides additional guitar. They are joined on some tracks by former bandmate Jen Gwiazdowski, who is especially soulful on "The Age of Mechanical Reproduction."

Apart from a Radiohead cover, all the songs on the album were composed by Michael and Jeff. Their songwriting process is created to drive them to try new things and to offer them some direction. Here verbatim are some of their composition rules for this album.

Write a song with a house beat.
Write a song in 12-bar blues.
Write a song in 5/4 meter.
Write a song using only guitar noises as percussion.
Write a song using Electroplankton as the primary instrument.
Mike must write a song using a sample provided by Jeff.
The above, but vice-versa.
Mike and Jeff must write different songs using the same sample.
Write a song based on a theme provided by the Postmodern Essay Generator.
Write a song to accompany the pre-climax work montage of an episode of The A-Team.

Here are most of the tracks from the THIS IS THE NEWS album by Good Old Neon. In keeping with the Free Music Archive policy, covers and tracks with samples have been removed. The album is available in its entirety from the band's official website.

Cover art is by Dave Merson-Hess whose music is also presented at the WFMU Free Music Archive.

License: Creative Commons Sampling Plus License

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Seasonal Sounds for 2009

2009-12-23T09:23:00.003-07:00

snowflakes by Katya Oddio

Here are some new releases that you will want to add to your holiday mix.

1. Jan Turkenburg - In de Avondspits (In the Evening Rush)
Dutch and English versions of this song for reflecting on the past year and the future

2. The Bran Flakes - 2009 Holiday Single
limited time offer on these happy beats to get you dancing

3. Various Artists - Suburban Sprawl Music's Annual Holiday Compilation
plus all the previous years, 252 songs, stream

4. Various Artists - Jitterbug and Daily Candy Holiday Compilation
limited time offer especially aimed at kids, but fun for all ages
(an email address is required for download)

5. Various Artists - Amazon.com's 25 Days of Free
limited time offer on 25 free holiday songs

6. Channelaire Chorus - Carol of the Bells
beautiful version of these classic, plus another tune

From our home to yours, all the best this season and in 2010!

Loved Like a Milkshake, Wesley Willis Tribute

2009-12-22T20:56:00.000-07:00

Wesley Willis (1963-2003) was an artist and musician from Chicago who released hundreds of songs with his own unique sense of humor. His chronic schizophrenia was reflected in his work which leaned toward the bizarre and obscene. Willis gained a cult following and major label attention.

One of his labels, the prominent independent Alternative Tentacles described Wesley's work as "simultaneously disturbing, hilarious, blunt, and intoxicating. Wesley's sheer excitement and unaffected honesty about every cultural phenomenon, defined his music as truly individual, and truly punk rock."

Sadly, in 2002 Wesley was diagnosed with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML). He underwent emergency surgery in June 2003, and passed away in August of the same year.

Hiji, a.k.a. M-Halo, soon thereafter organized a tribute album to honor Wesley Willis. Work for LOVED LIKE A MILKSHAKE: A WESLEY WILLIS TRIBUTE ALBUM began when Hiji posted a Craigslist listing suggesting a tribute of cover songs. The response was positive and the following 18 songs were selected. The final product was released for free online in November 2003 and produced by M-Halo with mastering and additional production by Tom Gordon.

Enjoy the entire album LOVED LIKE A MILKSHAKE: A WESLEY WILLIS TRIBUTE ALBUM on FMA!

2009-12-17T15:45:00.008-07:00

Congrats to the WFMU Free Music Archive on wrapping up Year One! It's been a great year for listeners. Here is the tiniest little fraction of artists I have come to love this year thanks to the Free Music Archive. Thank you to all who have participated.

If you aren't there yet, get on over to the FMA! You can download a gajillion free songs and albums, make and share playlists like Webjay, write reviews, interact with artists and fellow members. It is just all kinds of fun! Look me up when you visit!

January 6-7, 2010 update: Hey! This mix was the featured mix at the WFMU Free Music Archive!

Kazoomzoom v4

2009-11-04T07:58:00.004-07:00

Kazoomzoom.com has a new look and new content.
Please check it out and let us know what you think!

WM Recordings Celebrated by Happy Elf

2009-10-16T17:40:00.004-07:00

This one makes me dance! Here's a sneak preview of a tune for the WM Recordings 100th release. Deadline is next week, 20 October 2009. (info)

UPDATE: The 100th free release from WM Recordings was release on 7 November 2009.

LICENSE: Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Netherlands License

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Mojo Nixon Offers All His Songs for Free for Limited Time

2009-10-12T09:19:00.005-07:00

Mojo Nixon offers all his songs for free, for three weeks, USA IP addresses only.

"One of the most outsized personalities on college radio in the '80s, Mojo Nixon won a fervent cult following with his motor-mouthed redneck persona and a gonzo brand of satire with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. Nixon had a particular knack for celebrity-themed novelty hits ("Elvis Is Everywhere," "Debbie Gibson Is Pregnant With My Two-Headed Love Child," "Don Henley Must Die"), but he was prone to gleefully crass rants on a variety of social ills ("I Hate Banks," "Destroy All Lawyers," "I Ain't Gonna Piss In No Jar"), while celebrating lowbrow, blue-collar America in all its trashy, beer-soaked glory. All of it was performed in maximum overdrive on a bed of rockabilly, blues, and R&B, which earned Nixon some friends in the roots rock community but had enough punk attitude -- in its own bizarre way -- to make him a college radio staple during his heyday...." - Steve Huey, All Music Guide

Theremin of Anything

2009-09-24T10:25:00.004-07:00

This project presented at Ars Electronica 2009 uses theremin type technology to allow the user to draw music and to turn anything into an musical instrument. It was created by Jay Silver and Eric Rosenbaum at MIT Media Lab.

Official website: drawdio.com

Want one? Buy the kit or make it yourself.

Audio Letters from the Remote Operator

2009-09-15T10:38:00.005-07:00

The Remote Operator (of Shirley and Spinoza Radio, The Royal Oculus and Gramophone Company, and other mindblowers) has sent audio letters from eastern China where he has been operating for a few years. Originally returning to his location in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China in 2006, he has since moved east into China proper. His letters/ broadcasts reflect the "East Side" relocation.

As ever, his letter home broadcasts are true audio field trips. Put yourself on location, escape, let the audio take you there. Enjoy!

Highly recommended.

Project for 100th Free Album from WM Recordings!

2009-07-20T08:44:00.011-07:00

WM Recordings is about to reach their 100th free album, and YOU are invited to be a part of it! Here's info directly from WM Recordings:

Submit your cover version for our 100th free album!

The release of the 100th free album download on our label is rapidly approaching. We have lots of activities coming up to celebrate this milestone. One of the projects surrounding our 100th free album will be the release of an album of cover version of tracks from the WM Recordings catalog.

Pick your favorite WM Recordings track from www.wmrecordings.com and... cover it!

We'll post submission guidelines on our site very soon, but you're already invited to start submitting your cover versions.

The rules are simple: the track(s) must have been released by WM Recordings and your version should not be longer than 5 minutes. Also keep in mind that a remix does not count as a cover version. Mail info @ wmrecordings.com if you have any questions or if you have more great ideas to celebrate our 100th free album!

To inspire you to create a cover for WM Recordings, here are some covers collections.

	Covers Volume 2, the Song Fighters For your aural pleasure, Oddio Overplay presents some of the best amateur reinterpretations performed by Song Fighters in side projects outside of Song Fight
	The Covers Project by the Jennifers The band committed some of their favorite cover tunes to mp3 format. They emailed these out to their fan list once a month while we worked on finishing their Colors From the Future CD. Most were done using Apple's GarageBand. software.
	Nirvana Fan Club several compilations of Nirvana covers and originals inspired by the band
	Loved Like a Milkshake, A Wesley Willis tribute album Wesley Shabazz Willis (May 31, 1963 - August 21, 2003) was a busker, musician and painter from Chicago. A diagnosed schizophrenic, he gained a sizeable cult following in the 1990s after releasing several hundred songs of unique but simple music, with emphasis on his humorous, bizarre, and very obscene lyrics.
	This One's for the Fellows a young fresh collection of covers of the songs of indie pop band the Young Fresh Fellows
	Cin Cin Man Cin Cin Man is a composition created on the train in China, on a Nokia mobile phone composer tool. This is WM Recordings's contribution to the worldwide project to create 1000 covers of it.
	Vinyl Covers And here are 20 additional fun covers to bring you a smile and get those gears cranking for the cover you will add to the WM Recordings 100th free release!

The Caterpillar

2009-06-11T08:58:00.004-07:00

Ödland - The Caterpillar (aer018) 2009
delicate, French, acoustic, 19th century
piano, strings, ukulele, toys, female voice

"Ödland is a French folk band with a modern spirit, never slave of a particular style, but inspirited by the 19th Century. They are in love with classical music, american ragtime and romanticism. Ödland is an entirely acoustic project." -- official website

"Lorenzo Papace was born the 15th january 1986 in Lyon. He started to learn classical piano at the age of 4. Since 2001, he joined many musical groups, with an orchestra or with bands. At december 2008, he decided to make his own musical project, entirely acoustic. At january 2009, started the first Ödland group repetitions. Lorenzo called upon Alizée Bingöllü, actress, with whom he already realized some short movies. Alizée is the Ödland voice. Isabelle Royet-Journoud is a photographer, and wished to explore other creation territories. She is playing ukulele and creating sounds environments with toys and little things. Léa Bingöllü is a violonist, and was immediatly attracted by Ödland's world." -- Aerotone

"We called it The Caterpillar, which is the first song title, because we find it is a proclamation of our thoughts, and of our style. There are discontinuities in it, and very different environments. This song, as other coming, is inspired by Alice in Wonderland, in the Lewis Carroll original work. There is in these 5 tracks a lot a variations between romanticism and ragtime, and we are charmed to propose this diversity for a first production." -- myspace

free to download from Aerotone netlabel
or purchase beautiful CD package

preview music at myspace

Ödland website - Ödland myspace - Ödland on Aerotone

YouTube Music Mashup

2009-06-08T15:27:00.004-07:00

Oh hell yes, children! Kutiman is blowing minds with his tunes composed of audio and video samples from YouTube. He has seven built, and an eighth video where he demonstrates his method. He is calling his excellent project Thru You, and you are gonna love it!

Many thanks to Steve K in the old M-D!

Open Firing on the Misunderstood Wolf

2009-04-14T13:47:00.005-07:00

On May 4, United States government agents will be free to open fire on wolves. Not even newborn wolf pups and their nursing mothers will be spared.

Please help by sending an email to Interior Secretary Salazar through this easy contact form. While you are there, how about joining Robert Redford by becoming an NRDC BioGems Defender?

Robert Redford has long championed the cause of the wolf. Hear him on the first side of this record narrating "The Wolf You Never Knew" for the American Museum of Natural History in 1971 [320 kb/s, 32 Mb]. You can also click to hear the recording in lower quality [3.5 Mb].

Please take a moment to help save the wolves. Together we might convince the Obama administration to stop the slaughter of wolves and return our small wolf population to the status of Endangered Species. Thank you.
www.savebiogems.org/wolves/

"In 1930, a federal officer shot what was believed to be the last wolf in Yellowstone National Park. Thanks to the Endangered Species Act and an ambitious reintroduction program, some 1,500 wolves have returned to the northern Rockies, and the howling wolf is once again the icon of western wilderness.

"But recently, Interior Secretary Salazar rubber-stamped a Bush-era plan to kick the wolves of the northern Rockies off the endangered species list and leave them vulnerable to mass killing. More than 600 wolves wolves could be caught in the crossfire of state-sponsored wolf hunts. NRDC is filing suit in federal court to block this disastrous policy. It’s a fight we’ve won before. In the summer of 2008, NRDC and 11 other conservation groups compelled the Bush administration to abandon its first attempt to strip wolves of their protection when we made the case that the wolves had not fully recovered.

"Over this past year, the wolf population of Yellowstone National Park declined 27 percent -- and more than 70% of wolf pups in the park died of disease. NRDC will be fighting in federal court to compel Secretary Salazar to withdraw this disastrous plan and submit it to the kind of rigorous scientific review that the Obama administration has championed on other issues." -- NRDC website

Polar Bear S.O.S.

2009-02-04T09:37:00.001-07:00

2009-01-20T13:58:00.007-07:00

The old regime has been escorted out, and the new one is in place. An exciting, uplifting time for most of America. Good news for most of the World.

To my fellow Americans, a toast to our future! For everyone, some American "pomp and circumstance" listening!

01. The Old Fife and Gun Corps, who led the inaugural parade, shares their entire LIVING THE TRADITION
CD (sample: "Royal American Medley" mp3)

02. The U.S. National Anthem, "The Star Spangled Banner"

03. USAREUR Band and Chorus Ceremonial Music Downloads (sample: "Washington Post March" mp3)

04. Recordings of The United States Military Academy Band at West Point

05. US Air Force Band Recordings

06. US Navy Band ceremonial, classical, jazz, country and sea selections

07. US Marine Band Ceremonial Music. They also led the inaugural parade. (sample: "Hail to the Chief" mp3 -- which will never be played officially for GWB again)

08. 312th Army Band with selected Honor Band Students from Kansas and Missouri with special Guest Conductor, Dr, Kirt Saville, Recorded Live, March 2, 2003 [bottom of page] (sample: "American Pageant" mp3)

09. JOHN PHILIP SOUSA MARCHES LP shared at OddioOverplay.com

10. 399th Army Band performs ceremonial songs

11. 338th U.S. Army Band performs selections

12. US Army Field Band recordings in their entirety from their Concert Band, Soldiers' Chorus, The Volunteers and The Jazz Ambassadors

13. Entire CDs from The United States Coast Guard Band

14. Music from the US Navy Band Music Program

15. Regimental Band of the US Merchant Marine Academy

16. CDs from the U.S. Army Band "Pershing's Own"

Throcke's Sometimes Not Unpointful CD

2009-01-15T08:44:00.006-07:00

Great news! Throcke has released his much anticipated second CD, Sometimes Not Unpointful. The good news continues, you see, as he has once again made his music available to your ears for free. In further cool news, you can purchase your very own CDs from him as well.

Throcke is Christopher Carson of Brooklyn, New York. His music features delicate layers of his many instruments, clever electronic sounds, and field recordings of airplanes, water, elevators and birds. Working away in his studio, Throcke creates music that makes the world a better place.

Have you ever wondered about the name of Throcke? Here's the scoop!

"Throcke does not mean 'The Rock.' It's actually a nickname that dates back to 7th grade when my weird friends and I started a band called Jimmy and the Rotting Potatoes. No one was named Jimmy (well, there was an 'essence' we called Jimmy, who was responsible for lights flickering and doors suddenly opening). Anyway, we tried to come up with some ridiculous names for ourselves, like S.L.U.G., Turnip, Big Andy, RigorMortis, and Throckmorton S. Peagood XVII. What started as a joke somehow stuck and evolved into Throcke."

Christopher has been a drummer and songwriter for many bands, including Planet Nine, Hurka, Grasshopper Highway, Exit Ocean and UMAMI. He has also written scores for several short films. In fact, during the days, he edits film and video, mostly for television commercials.

His Throcke project gets most of his creative time these days -- to the good fortune of we the listeners! Enjoy his new Sometimes Not Unpointful CD, and drop some cash in his tipjar, won't you?

location: Brooklyn, NY USA
license: Creative Commons by-nc-sa

Op3n.net mixtapes

2009-01-15T08:09:00.005-07:00

Op3n.net is a mixtape netlabel exclusively using music published under Creative Commons or similar licenses.

Here are two Op3n mixes for streaming or downloading by netlabel operators we love.

Mix by Otis Fodder, creator of Comfort Stand

"Comfort Stand is considered one of the basic chapters in the undefined history of the blurry netaudio phenomena. This netlabel from Montreal is RIP since 2006, time enough for Otis Fodder, the big name after it, to pick his favourite 120 minutes from its huge catalogue and blend them together in another exclusive mixtape for op3n.net. "Comfort Stand was an active Net Label from 2003-2006 featuring artists from Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Russia, United Kingdom and the United States. The label's 80 albums, 16 singles, and 8 compilations remain online, with MP3s hosted by The Internet Archive."

Mix by Marco Kalnenek, creator of WM Recordings

"Squeezing almost four years of WM Recordings history into a 45 minute mix is not an easy thing to do, but hopefully this mix gives at least an impression of the broad range of releases: from weird pop tunes to electronic soundscapes, and from free improvisation to electropop. So basically, this is a rather eclectic compilation. Entertainment for the whole family!"

Roadrunner Annual Assault 2008

2008-12-30T17:01:00.004-07:00

As we wrap up 2008, you rockers and metalheads out there want to remember to grab Roadrunner Records' annual free samplers. Rock!

Oprah's Free Holiday Compilation

2008-12-18T16:35:00.005-07:00

Oprah Winfrey is on board with free and legal music sharing with her Holiday Hits 2008. Okay, it is Oprah, but this comp has big names on it like Aretha, Harry Connick Jr., Brian McKnight and Tony Bennett. C'mon, folks, that makes it worthwhile, right? Non-christian friends, there are some secular winter selections on there for you, too.

Everyone, this eight song CD complete with cover and CD artwork is available for only a couple of days. It is part of Oprah's Have a Thrifty Holiday special. Learn how to have the thriftiest holiday ever on her website.

Oddio Overplay, Jamendo, Internet Archive's Netlabels collection and Free Albums Galore are great places to find whole albums that you can burn to CDs and share with family and friends for the holidays. They are all free, legally shared selections.

While seriously pro FREE MUSIC, we ask you to remember the musical artists who made 2008 a wonderful year for you. Make a donation on their website or purchase their music, t-shirts and gear. Remember to share the love with those who have brought you so much joy. Also, you might add them to your Amazon.com wishlist. Have you seen their new UNIVERSAL WISH LIST feature? It is awesome! It lets you go to the websites selling music by the artists you love and add their CDs with just a click! How cool is that?

Here's to a new year of great music!

Tuesday's Dozen

2008-12-15T13:36:00.007-07:00

First in months, here is the freshest Tuesday dozen, straight from the oven


Lilliput Orkestra Love this French jazz quartet "who plays personal compositions between jazz, rock, electronic and popular music" (MySpace) [free jazz, post rock, prog]	Droopy Contini shares 2 delicious CDs, Surpriscording (solid, straight forward, hard bop) and Strikes Back! (swinging bop) [jazz, hard bop, swing]	DIY-note - Ruptures several tracks on this warm demo from France have been favorites in our home for years, especially "El Despertar" [post-rock, acoustic rock]

James Kochalka Superstar accomplished American comic book artist and writer who is also a rock musician shares many of his tunes and ramblings [pop, rock]	MonsterK7 in French sounds like monster cassette, "a little indie label fond of beautiful musical objects," dedicated to cassette tape preservation [varied]	Un Ode au Toy Piano MonsterK7 presents an international, 19-song comp celebrating the toy piano with some real pros, such as Twink [rock, pop, post-rock, cabaret]

20 Bands in a Box La Magic Box puts together annual comps of their favorite indie artists, most from France [pop, rock, France]	Brian Ellis Trustworthy CD (2005), myspace, official site [folk, psychedelic, acoustic, electro]	A Découvrir Absolument this magazine shares their own series of comps featuring today's French artists [France, folk, pop, post-rock, electro]

French Comps 01audio-video.com offers up their series of compilations showcasing modern French artists [France, folk, pop, post-rock, electro, chanson]	Aaahh-Records little German netlabel billing itself as offering "free and charming music," and they are right! [folk, acoustic, indie, pop]	Barbagallo busy in Sicily writing and performing "indie; acoustic; low-fi... alternative; experimental; prog; alt folk" check his rearranged Satie works

Kiddie Records Weekly Returns in 2009

2008-12-15T10:28:00.008-07:00

Some of the best news this season is that Kiddie Records Weekly (KiddieRecords.com) will be returning to share a fourth year of audio joy in 2009. The project began in 2005 with the intentions of sharing a clean rip of children's '40s-'50s 78rpm records.

That age, considered the golden age of children's recordings, was a time when major labels actually invested in records for kids with big orchestras, Hollywood productions, big name composers and celebrities. Despite the high quality, time and technology made relics of these fantastic yet forgotten recordings. Kiddie Records Weekly gives them "a new lease on life by sharing them with today's generation of online listeners."

Basic Hip Digital Oddio, the creators of Kiddie Records Weekly, initially planned to share the digital recordings of these classic 78s for one year. Much to the joy of fan and collectors, the project returned in 2006 and yet again in 2007. Now we are all fortunate once more to look forward to enjoying another year of Kiddie Records Weekly!

If the project is news to you, guess what? Congratulations! All three of the previous years are still hosted online! Whether these are a trip back to your childhood or a visit to a time before your day, you are certain to find yourself smiling as you enjoy these stories and tunes.