Lots of FREE dark electronic stuff. Very recommended if you like Joy Division, and really who doesn't. In fact it even has a track from the previously rec'd Christine Plays Viola, which I'm still convinced is fronted by a resurrected Ian Curtis.
Here's one for you minimalism fans, stuff like that Isbarri guy that got mentioned elsewhere...
Library Tapes...
...and, etc.
Piano is in the spotlight and constant throughout their albums. Sparse tinkering, sometimes sublimely meticulous, sometimes just happenstance, often accompanied with various strings or sound effects. A lot of their songs barely reach the two minute mark, making them expensive proposition on emusic at times (12 tracks/6 bucks/22 minutes), but they're far more reasonable on Bandcamp, usually between 4-6 Euros (which, actually, doesn't translate well for U.S. cost). I haven't gone through all the stuff they have up on BC yet, so there might be some free or bargain stuff.
I own an album called Fragments, which might not be up on BC; I purchased it on emu. Pretty stuff, for those quiet moments when the sun is beginning to rise.
Eh, my disappointment probably was more weighted towards having used up over a third of my monthly DLs on an album that was only twenty minutes long and didn't have a ton of life to it. The thing is, I think I've had that album about a year and a half now, and I still listen to it. So, I guess I've warmed to it some.
The thing is, there's albums available on Bandcamp that weren't available on emu, and I've already taken a shine to one of them. Also, I guess the Library Tapes rec wasn't one that I stand behind real strong, but having listened recently to some of the other things on this thread that others like, I thought maybe I should mention LT, just in case it's something that somebody here would really take to.
- A free single from a new artist in the Bedroom Community (Iceland) stable:
Puzzle Muteson - En Garde
"Were super excited to finally be able to shed some light and sound on our newest signing, Puzzle Muteson. Puzzle is the alter ego of an enigmatic songwriter from the Isle of Wight, rendering his music in a tremulous tenor over a finely spun web of fingerpicked guitar.
After obsessively listening to his raw tapes, Valgeir Sigurðsson and Nico Muhly nurtured the songs that now inhabit his debut recording, titled En Garde. The album will be released in Europe on June 6th 2011 and rest of world on June 7th! We know youre anxious to hear what this mysterious man sounds like, and so have decided to give you a sneak peak in the form of free download of his first single, "En Garde"!
- Bedroom.
- A supercool free new single from hellosQuarerecordings: Austin Buckett - Glass Splinters
"In the lead up to a first solo record by Austin Buckett from Pollen Trio and Kasha, hellosQuare has been allowed to make a piece from the forthcoming album 'Stuttershine' available for free download in anticipation of this beautiful and unnerving collection of work for piano, string quartet and subtle electronics."
I wonder if it's a good or a bad strategy to tag yourself on Bandcamp with the names of well-known bands you think you sound like? I don't think it is, but if people are going to show up on Bandcamp and type "The Smiths" or "Starflyer 59" into the Google search box, then it might work, unless of course everyone else is doing that too.
Anyway, this band, Map, is a bit more of a conventional indie-guitarpop affair than what I normally go for, but they're not bad, not bad at all - and this album (Pistols and Pearls) is free for an e-mail address. At least three of the songs are definite keepers.
Fans of The Pains of Being Pure At Heart and The Raveonettes should like this - it's free, and it goes beyond being not bad at all to being not at all bad.
My Little Pony plays the hits of My Little Pony: It might make twees reach for the mesh shirts and guyliner, but as happy as it is, it's not too saccharine. Free (As are many EPs on Lazy Acre Records)
This is Jetman Jet Team. They're not the best thing I've heard recently, but these are apparently just demos, more or less. The main thing is, they have the best band name I've seen in months.
Bill Mallonee - Songs of Heartland and Grieving. I have met this guy several times, a real hard-luck troubadour type. He calls this live show "folk-minimalism," but it is pretty much a man and his guitar singing some great lyrics. Give him a listen.
Here's a 4-track EP from a grungey guitar band in Spokane, WA - so far I only really like Track 3, but overall there are some nice moments. Not so sure about the cover art - they seem to be going for some sort of 1910's American silent-movie dialog-card look, which I suppose could be thought of as steampunkish, but it's not really what they need, IMO. Anyway, it's free for an e-mail address.
1. Andrea Ferraris, Matteo Uggeri with Mujika Easel & Andrea Serrapiglio: Windscreen-wiper, a walk through the snow
2. Danny Saul: Kinison (part 3)
3. Wil Bolton: Falling Away
4. Sublamp: Cut a Door where the Walls Meet
5. Hakobune: Away from the Lunar Waters
6. Relmic Statute: Water Colours
7. Ithaca Trio: Clarity
8. Listening Mirror: Outside Heaven
9. Felicia Atkinson: The Driver
10. Strom Noir: Prilis daleko do polnoci
11. Bengalfuel: Concentrate
ROODBLAUW by All shall be well (and all shall be well and all manner of things shall be well)
NYOP (Free)
An epic band name for sprawling instrumental post-rock. I found it via a tweetbot when I asked whether I should listen to House or Post-Rock at a 4:30am maintenance window for work. After streaming it I decided to pick it up for a couple of euros and received a nice email from the band and then had a nice twitter conversation with them after tweeting about it. Good folks who make great music.
This just showed up on eMu for $5.88 USD, but you can stream the whole thing from Bandcamp (where it's $9.00 USD):
I would describe this as a very good indie-rock record in the same vein as, say, Deerhunter or Arcade Fire or maybe the Besnard Lakes (though without much harmonizing). Apparently it's one guy, with a few collaborators on individual tracks, from Hamburg, Germany.
Comments
Electronically treated cello ambient. Nice. Free.
Audiopleasures Mixtape
Lots of FREE dark electronic stuff. Very recommended if you like Joy Division, and really who doesn't. In fact it even has a track from the previously rec'd Christine Plays Viola, which I'm still convinced is fronted by a resurrected Ian Curtis.
ETA: Gets garagey as it goes on too.
Craig
Library Tapes...
...and, etc.
Piano is in the spotlight and constant throughout their albums. Sparse tinkering, sometimes sublimely meticulous, sometimes just happenstance, often accompanied with various strings or sound effects. A lot of their songs barely reach the two minute mark, making them expensive proposition on emusic at times (12 tracks/6 bucks/22 minutes), but they're far more reasonable on Bandcamp, usually between 4-6 Euros (which, actually, doesn't translate well for U.S. cost). I haven't gone through all the stuff they have up on BC yet, so there might be some free or bargain stuff.
I own an album called Fragments, which might not be up on BC; I purchased it on emu. Pretty stuff, for those quiet moments when the sun is beginning to rise.
http://librarytapes.bandcamp.com/
The thing is, there's albums available on Bandcamp that weren't available on emu, and I've already taken a shine to one of them. Also, I guess the Library Tapes rec wasn't one that I stand behind real strong, but having listened recently to some of the other things on this thread that others like, I thought maybe I should mention LT, just in case it's something that somebody here would really take to.
Puzzle Muteson - En Garde
ETA: FIXED. SORRY.
- nice jpg but where's the album ?
- A supercool free new single from hellosQuarerecordings:
Austin Buckett - Glass Splinters
Anyway, this band, Map, is a bit more of a conventional indie-guitarpop affair than what I normally go for, but they're not bad, not bad at all - and this album (Pistols and Pearls) is free for an e-mail address. At least three of the songs are definite keepers.
Metal'ish Sympho Shoegaze. . . ;-)
- Not bad, not bad at all. - Free.
Craig
Hunter's s/t: It sounded to me like minimalist garage, so I wasn't surprised to discover it was produced by Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Nick Zinner. NYOP
Chaperone's Cripple King: power chamber pop? NYOP
My Little Pony plays the hits of My Little Pony: It might make twees reach for the mesh shirts and guyliner, but as happy as it is, it's not too saccharine. Free (As are many EPs on Lazy Acre Records)
"Short stories for processed found sounds and piano."
- Released 01 April 2010 - NYP.
Szil
Derek Rogers - Bliss
- Bliss indeed ! - (free)
Stephen Molyneux - The Arbitrary State
- More bliss ! - (NYP)
Bill Mallonee - Songs of Heartland and Grieving. I have met this guy several times, a real hard-luck troubadour type. He calls this live show "folk-minimalism," but it is pretty much a man and his guitar singing some great lyrics. Give him a listen.
Hibernate Sampler Volume 3 - free.
Tracklisting:
1. Andrea Ferraris, Matteo Uggeri with Mujika Easel & Andrea Serrapiglio: Windscreen-wiper, a walk through the snow
2. Danny Saul: Kinison (part 3)
3. Wil Bolton: Falling Away
4. Sublamp: Cut a Door where the Walls Meet
5. Hakobune: Away from the Lunar Waters
6. Relmic Statute: Water Colours
7. Ithaca Trio: Clarity
8. Listening Mirror: Outside Heaven
9. Felicia Atkinson: The Driver
10. Strom Noir: Prilis daleko do polnoci
11. Bengalfuel: Concentrate
Bandcamp store for Finnish artist Uton (who records for Digitalis). 17 NYOP/Free albums. I recommend:
Archetype - A Dynamophone Compendium
- With tracks from : Disinterested, The Balustrade Ensemble, A Lily and others from the Dynamophone stable - Free.
Big krauty synths, drum machine and ambient guitars. So Bill Nelson. Free for email.
ROODBLAUW by All shall be well (and all shall be well and all manner of things shall be well)
NYOP (Free)
An epic band name for sprawling instrumental post-rock. I found it via a tweetbot when I asked whether I should listen to House or Post-Rock at a 4:30am maintenance window for work. After streaming it I decided to pick it up for a couple of euros and received a nice email from the band and then had a nice twitter conversation with them after tweeting about it. Good folks who make great music.
"13 song japan import" by We all inherit the moon
Enjoyable ambient with some post-rock-ish moments and sensibilities, I think processed-guitar-based. NYOP. Worth a listen.
I would describe this as a very good indie-rock record in the same vein as, say, Deerhunter or Arcade Fire or maybe the Besnard Lakes (though without much harmonizing). Apparently it's one guy, with a few collaborators on individual tracks, from Hamburg, Germany.