Independence Days

Happy Independence Day!
Burundi, Rwanda, and Somalia (July 1)
Happy Canada Day, Canada (July 1)
Belarus (July 3)
USA (July 4)
Algeria, Cabo Verde, and Venezuela (July 5)
Comoros and Malawi (July 6)
Solomon Islands (July 7)
Argentina and South Sudan (July 9)
Bahamas (July 10)
 São Tomé and Príncipe (July 12)
Happy Bastille Day, France (July 14)

Sousa Marches
as composed and orchestrated
by John Philip Sousa
played by the Pride of the '48 Band

The dust has been blown away from this disk to be played every July for more than  50 years. Long associated with militaries and circuses, yuck. Instead, let's enjoy parades, marching bands, cotton candy, and smiling kids with sparklers.

This high fidelity concert of John Philip Sousa band marches represents in repertoire that which is generally considered the best of the composer's works.

As the name Strauss is synonymous with the waltz, so is the name Sousa synonymous with march music. It may even be said that Sousa is internationally accepted as the march king.

He was born in Washington, D.C. in 1856, the son of a trombonist in the U.S. Marine Corps Band. At the age of 17 he was a well-schooled musician with a thorough training in harmony and composition. He joined the U.S. Marine Corps Band in 1880 and resigned in 1892 to form a military band bearing his name. The band was a tremendous success and toured extensively in the United States and Europe. The great composer and bandmaster died in 1932 while on tour.  

-- from the sleeve notes

Oddio Overplay posted this album in 2003. In 2010, freeder1 added it to the Internet Archive, too.


Our friend Lanark (FMA, Comfort Stand Recordings) released an experimental electronic album celebrating the Independence days of both his homeland  Argentina's 1816 independence from the Spanish Empire and the United States of America's 1776 independence from England.

Lanark wrote, "4th and 9th of july are close enough. why not celebrate then, together, the independence of the united provinces of south and the united states of the north? that's what I did, in the form of a handful of patriotic marches, a little changed."

Día De La Independencia - Independence Day
Lanark

 2005

Music License: Creative Commons BY-NC-ND

You might also enjoy:

Celebrating 50 Years
The United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps 

2010

 
Music License: US Public Domain (Original work of the US Federal Government)

 

 

 Past Blogio posts of USA marches and relevant music:

• Memorial Day Offerings
• US Ceremonial Music
• U.S. Army Band Ensembles

 

Memorial Day Offerings

Tomorrow is the federal holiday Memorial Day when the USA honors the memory of those who died while serving in the US Armed Forces. Citizens are always the cost of battle.

Below are some selections of military music for Memorial Day, but first please take a moment to click against the deadly sonar and explosives tests that injure and kill 1000s of marine whales and dolphins




Memorial Day Selections

:: US Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps: Celebrating 50 Years

:: US Army Ceremonial Band and US Army Concert Band - Ceremonial Music Guide

:: US Army Band - Marches Of America (in jukebox with booklet)

:: US Marine Corps Band - Sound Off

Music License: varied

Happy Record Store Day!

Happy Record Store Day! Avid free music listeners are also among the best purchasers of music. Makes sense, because we love music! Today is dedicated to keeping independent record stores alive. Please take time to support your local record stores and favorite recording artists today!

Most participating stores have giveaways, live in-store performances, free swag, contests, and limited edition Record Store Day pressings (pdf). 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 and be part of the party today!

Official Website | Facebook | Participating Venues

Here are some of the Free Music Archive artists with recordings being offered AT RECORD STORES ONLY to celebrate Record Store Day. See the official website for the full list of Record Store Day releases. Show some love.

Download FMA Artists With Record Store Day 2013 Releases

Bunny Rabbits

A. Bunny Movie and Soundtrack

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

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

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

license film: Creative Commons Attribution

B. Bunny Stories and Songs from Kiddie Records Weekly

Kiddie Records Weekly is a project dedicated to celebrating the golden age of children's records.

This period roughly spanned from the mid-forties through the early fifties and produced a wealth of all-time classics. Many of these recordings were extravagant Hollywood productions featuring big time celebrities and composers. Over time these lost treasures slipped off the radar and it has become our mission to give them a new lease on life by sharing them with today's generation of online listeners.

Along with many Bugs Bunny records, you will find these bunny selections.

C. Netherland Dwarf

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

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

license: all rights reserved

D. Bunny Audio Story and Paper Toy

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

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

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



license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike

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

Hearing Green

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

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

Sláinte!

U.S. Army Band Ensembles

The United States Army Band has been the premier musical organization of the U.S. Army since 1922 when Army Chief of Staff General John J. “Black Jack” Pershing directed that it be formed to emulate the premier European military bands he had heard during the First World War. The Band has been known as “Pershing’s Own” ever since.

The Band provides musical support for US leadership, including all branches of government and for a spectrum of national and international events in support of public diplomacy, community and international relations, recruiting initiatives, soldiers and their families, and music education programs. The U.S. Army Band was also widely known during its early years for radio broadcasts featured on several national networks.

The U.S. Army Band and it's smaller ensembles periodically offer selected recordings on their websites. Here are some of the releases and collections currently available.

click images to enlarge

	US Army Strings - Strings Selections Classical, Strings, Modern Composition, Peoples Music | changing selection of songs The U.S. Army Strings, a premier ensemble of the U.S. Armed Forces, provide a musical backdrop for many of the country's most notable events. Their mission is to serve as musical ambassadors for high level military and government events at home and abroad, as well as in concert for public audiences. The elite musicians that comprise this ensemble have been trained at the most prestigious music conservatories and universities in the country. This versatile ensemble performs as The U.S. Army Strolling Strings, mixed chamber ensembles, and The U.S. Army Orchestra.
	US Army Blues - Live At Blues Alley (at online jukebox) Jazz, Blues, Swing, Big Band, Brass, Percussion | 11-song album + PDF booklet The U.S. Army Blues is the premier jazz ensemble of the United States Army. After informal beginnings in 1970, this 18-piece ensemble became an official element of the Army Band in 1972. Comprised of exceptional jazz musicians from across the nation, the Army Blues strive to fulfill their mission through public concerts, educational outreach, and the preservation of the tradition of America's unique art form: jazz.
	US Army Concert Band - Marches Of America (at online jukebox) Marches, Military, Orchestra | 15 of 18-song album + PDF booklet Headquartered in Washington, DC, The U.S. Army Concert Band has performed in concert venues such as Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall, Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and Hollywood Bowl. The ensemble participates in ongoing, educational outreach and often appears at national and international music events.
	US Army Blues - Something Old, Something New: Yours to Borrow From the Blues Jazz, Blues, Swing, Big Band, Brass, Percussion | 9-song album + materials listed below "Introducing "Blues + YOU": play-along tracks available online--free of charge--so musicians can practice with mp3 downloads in a variety of configurations! Tailored to intermediate and advanced players, this unique product will become an invaluable resource for both college and high school jazz programs. The newest recording from The U.S. Army Blues, Something Old, Something New: Yours to Borrow From the Blues has tools to use and tunes to enjoy!" Materials include: Complete arrangements with score and individual parts as PDF files Separate full-band mp3 files minus lead trumpet, lead alto saxophone, lead trombone, and each rhythm instrument Mp3 files of rhythm section only for solo or full horn section practice
	US Army Chorus - Chorus Selections Male Choral, Classical, Vocal Pop, Folk, Military, Americana | changing selection of songs In 1956 The U.S. Army Chorus was established as the vocal counterpart of The United States Army Band and is one of the nation's only professional men's choruses. From its inception, The U.S. Army Chorus has established and maintained a reputation of excellence in the performance of male choral literature. Beyond the traditional military music and patriotic standards, the repertoire of the Army Chorus covers a broad spectrum which includes pop, Broadway, folk, and classical music.
	US Army Chorus - Christmas With The Chorus Male Choral, Classical, Vocal Pop, Folk, Holiday, Nonsecular, Christmas, Winter | 18-song collection

license: US Government Public Domain

Valentines

Passing out valentines for the whole class!

Oddio Overplay FMA Valentine Mix [Varied]	Wakka Chikka Wakka Chikka, Vol 1 Wakka Chikka Wakka Chikka, Vol 2 [Varied]
Alternate Root 2013 Valentine's Day Sampler [Country]	Sexy Jams on the FMA [Trip Hop, Hip Hop Beats, Electro]

 

Day of the Dead

Alphabetical playlists of artists whose songs are bringing the magic to this year's

Día de los Muertos at Rancho Oddio

Party and procession music from around the world

Vol 1  A-N  ||  Vol 2  O-Z  ||  Vol 3  Later Additions

Related Mixes: :: mezcalli: Lado/B Los Muertos -- a diverse celebratory mix (32 tracks) :: katya-oddio: Memento Mori, a remembrance soundtrack -- a somber, respectful mix (14 track)

Horror Music for Video Production

Happy Halloween 2012! Katya here with this mix just in from the Free Music Archive:

Music to Video has assembled a 13-track mix that will send shivers down your spine, make all the ghouls dance, and get grandma to climb out of her grave, just to tell you to turn down the volume.

All the tracks in this mix are licensed for reuse, such as in music accompaniment for your video productions. You might also use these tracks as you prepare your entries for the FMA video contest with the Prelinger Archives. The FMA suggests footage of a Halloween Party or Experiments in the Revival of Organisms? Deadline for this contest is creepily close: November 4th.

You can enter the contest and win prizes and prestige! I've played around making one with snippets from the social guidance films by Coronet Instructional Films. Those 1950s classroom films are a hoot!

photo: The fabulous Mantan Moreland as Jefferson Jackson in the 1941 horror flick King of the Zombies. The film is now in the public domain and available for free download from the Internet Archive. Enjoy!

Creative Commons Halloween Mix 2012

It lives! The Creative Commons Halloween Mix 2012 is here. Irene has done it again!

"This mix is full of audio treats, including some poignant advice from the Book of Matthew, H.P. Lovecraft inspired musical insanity, instructions from Eastern Europe's answer to Willard, haunted Korgs, and finally, what you would hear in hell for eternity if your call was put on hold."

52 Horror Releases

Gearing up for your Halloween soundtrack? Whether you are looking to terrify, make mischief, or fill the dance floor, the Free Music Archive has got you covered.

Here is the motherlode of 52 FMA albums and compilations for your ghoulish celebration. Boogity!

photo: Detail of haunted house scenery, Prater Parc, Vienna, Austria; by Jebulon; license: public domain

Halloween Selections 3

Yes, creatures of the night, All Hallow's Eve is fast approaching. Below is the third dozen free albums and compilations at the Free Music Archive that the Oddiobots recommend for your ghoulish event.

To make a spooky 13, we also recommend that you check out the albums of Dr. Phibes and The Ten Plagues of Egypt.

From all of us at Oddio Headquarters, we wish you a very happy Halloween!

Eraserhead Tribute Compilation	Zyzzybalubah - Halloween LP	BLOB - Halloween	Ekleipsi Halloween Compilation
I Was A Teenage Strangler soundtrack	The Itchy Creeps (2 songs)	Microhorror Compilations by Dr. Von Pnok	Occultation - live on WFMU
Pandacetamol - Mind Murder Parts I-VI	SJ Mellia - FluffSkull EP	The Soft Moon - live on WFMU	T.O.M.B. - Satan's Palace, Order of the Black Wolf