Another anthropological collection that makes you wonder why Americans can't naturally produce music this great.
This album is a collection of binaural recordings made by Aaron Appleton between August 2006 and December 2006. It was recorded entirely on location in Uganda & Rwanda using churches, mud huts, bedrooms, town halls and the outdoors as the studio.
Initially the album was used as benefit and academic project through the non-profit organization Food for The Hungry/Go ED. It was replicated and distributed to the musicians in the primary villages where the recordings were made (Piswa & Bukwa Uganda). The intended purpose of the album was to bring unity and reconciliation among the divided people groups of the communities where the recordings were made, to be used as source of income for the musicians recorded, and to help to document and preserve the traditional music of Uganda & Rwanda.
100% of the profit from the digital sales of this album will go to the organization Ensigo. Ensigo collaborates with indigenous artists around the world to employ creative solutions that meet physical and spiritual needs in their communities. For more information on Ensigo please visit www.ensigo.com.
Church harmonies, percussion ensembles, acoustic folk, blues-inflected folk, all recorded in the field.
- $0.50 USD or more Minus Pilots - "We won't be here forever" - Futurerecordings 2010
"Sparse bass, delay, delay, delay, delay, delay, delay, gentle crackle...
The crackle present on our recordings is due, in the main, to the use of various analogue delay pedals, old basses, our broken four-track cassette tape recorder and most notably our incompetence.
All of our recordings are designed for listening through headphones while gazing at the stars..." minuspilots.com
The Sour Notes are a sort of avant-pop band from Austin, TX with four albums on Bandcamp, all of which are free. I'm continually amazed that solid, and at times very good, material like this is just being given away while mass quantities of utter crap are not only being sold, but sold at prices that are actually rising.... ahh, such are the times we live in, I suppose.
They'll need better cover art if they hope to compete with the likes of, well, just about anybody, but I guess it's not as big a deal as it was back in the vinyl days.
The singer reminds me a bit of Ian Masters from the Pale Saints - same basic tonality, anyway. Maybe the guy from the Ruby Suns too, though they're less electronic, less Brian Wilsonesque, and less produced than the Ruby Suns... I guess the music is borderline chamber-pop, not quite as quirky or grandiose as the Flaming Lips or Animal Collective or Yeasayer, but more grandiose (and less Americana-ish) than, say, the Fleet Foxes or Arcade Fire, bands of that nature. Whatever!
@ScissorMan: It appears to me that for a band that doesn't have a large fan base, giving music away is the best and fastest way to acquire such a fan base. That's predicated on the music being good enough that people will listen to it, of course.
@Doc M: Well, I agree for the most part... if you do most/all of your recording at home and aren't in the hole on physical costs, and especially if you don't have any more effective promotional mechanism available, then there's probably no easier/faster way these days. I just thought the Sour Notes' case was slightly unusual because they're not that obscure - they've even got their own Wikipedia article, though that's not always saying much. Nevertheless they're giving away three (sorry I said four earlier, that was incorrect) albums of fairly good material that are all at least somewhat commercial-sounding. Most bands on Bandcamp seem to prefer just giving away one or two free tracks per album, or else they'll include a free sampler among the for-pay stuff. Besides, Bandcamp discourages you from giving away your entire catalogue for free (i.e., by limiting the number of free downloads per artist), since they obviously don't make any money that way either.
The Sour Notes do have two more recent singles that they're selling (Hot Pink Flares for $2 and Never Mix, Never Worry for $3)... so they're not necessarily into the "everything must be FREE!!1!11!" ethic. Those singles are also a bit more guitar-driven and chamber-poppy, and they've got a female singer now -- not bad, but I'm not sure I like the singles as much.
As with Standing Where Our Paths Shall Meet, I don't find the opening material the strongest. That release took off for me about 3 tracks in, and this time it's the second track that has me hooked.
Free download. There are a couple of others by the same artist there too that I have not checked out yet, also free.
Landed on this via Brighternow's recent recs from the same label. Just got round to listening, and it's good post-rock, with good energy. NYOP, 4 tracks. Well worth a listen.
About hellosQuare:
- is a small DIY label based in Canberra, Australia that began in 2004.
We like to release anything that takes our fancy in a whole manner of styles.
We have done these releases on CDs and CD-Rs in all shapes and sizes and will release our first piece of vinyl and cassette this year. As hellosQuare, we have also been running gigs and performance nights in our hometown over the last few years and showcased our activities in numerous cities across Australia and London too. http://hellosquare.wordpress.com/
The Juliets is an awesome record - one of my favorites from last year, and not just among free stuff (it actually wasn't free when I got it from eMu, where it was then 12 credits and is currently $5.88).
This next one is a pretty cool old-school sort of punk number, also free for an e-mail address, and I swear my posting this has nothing whatsoever to do with the fact that I paid for an album that was later given away for free:
Despite the terrible cover art, this is a fairly interesting record from a nu-gaze act in Malaysia called "Furniture" - it's streaming-only on Bandcamp, but they've put the album up on Soundcloud too, where you can download the individual tracks as uncompressed WAV files for free. (Not sure why they'd go with that strategy, but hey, maybe that's just how they like to do things in Malaysia.)
Anyway, it basically starts out as a shoegaze album and then switches to what you might call "melodic post-rock" about halfway through. The singer is a bit more upper-register than you usually hear from bands like this, which is a little jarring at first - but that and the occasional mono-synth line gives them a semi-distinctive sound, kinda-sorta.
The Inventors Of Aircraft - Lull - released 10 February 2011
The Inventors of Aircraft is a London based music project helmed by Phil Tomsett and here with 'Lull' we are proud to present three tracks of fine ambient music, themed around the sea.
With 2008 debut 'Unknown Language' out on the old Serein netlabel and then last year's follow up 'As It Is' on Resting Bell, the Inventors Of Aircfraft project is slowly gathering momentum. It is inching along further still with the inclusion of the three-track EP 'Lull', here on Audio Gourmet.
'Lull' was recorded during what turned out to be some fairly intense sessions in Phil's studio between December 2010 and January 2011. Through these sessions, around 15 pieces of music were collated at various states of completion and it then became an issue as to which he would choose to fit the bill for a fifteen minute Audio Gourmet EP.
Throughout the recording process, Phil became unintentionally aware of some kind of sea voyage theme, with flickering imagery of giant ships hauling themselves away from the quayside and powering through the water running through his imagination.
When the sessions were complete and the time came to chose the final three tracks for the EP, the sea voyage theme had remained. This prompted the overiding nautical theme to be written into the track titles and the cover artwork too.
Phil would like to extend his gratitude to Ian Hawgood who showed amazing speed and dexterity with the mastering on 'Lull'.
As with the Resting Bell album 'As It Is', Ian's mastering job really brings the EP alive...
- free. released 21 February 2001
markus reuter: touch guitars + loops
bernhard wöstheinrich: synthesizer + percussion
all tracks by reuter/wöstheinrich
performed and recorded live on 21/02/2001 at studioflokati, bielefeld
produced and mixed by centrozoon.
I wouldn't say it's clearly Jazz, more like well-arranged instrumentals with some improvisation. Chorney, by the way, was Anais Mitchell's collaborator in composing Hadestown. This is a pretty good listen--nice interplay between instruments. $1
A bit more electronic than what I usually go for (it's tagged "electro-pop"), but it's free for an e-mail address, and some of the tunes are really good - I think my favorite is "Replacing You." They remind me a lot of Stars, actually, but without the female singer.
Shoegazer/dreampop/noisepop fans who failed to obtain 800beloved's album Bouquet while it was being sold by their ex-label (Moodgadget) will be happy to learn that they can now download it from Bandcamp for free:
This album was in my SFL on eMu for quite a while before it disappeared. A fine record if I do say so myself, and less gothy than the cover art might indicate.
$5
A friend just rec'd these guys to me last night comparing them to Mogwai. I'm not sure about this album, although the Youtube videos definitely got me interested. This album is sounding a little bit GY!BE without the crescendos.
When I first started exploring Amie Street, I clicked, with some hesitation, on Yes and No, and album by a Lyonnais singer-songwriter with a quirky style. For a few months I played it a lot. Anyway, I found a new project from him, Reveille, a duo with a drummer. Still quirky, but more primal, chunky rock, with lots of big drums. very cool. NYOP
Arctic EP by Absent Hearts/The K. Project
Not quite top shelf, but pleasant and free; a gentle way to spend 20 minutes. Tagged post-rock, which kind of fits (some moments reminiscent of moments from Giants or God is an Astronout) - short, dreamy, melodic guitar-based tracks with some harmonious vocals here and there and the occasional (mild) crescendo. I'm enjoying track 3, which gets into a groove towards the end. The artwork and title do not feel to me as if they fit the music, which comes across to me kind of summery. Free download for an email address.
Immersia by Linda Buckley
Tagged ambient, electronic, classical, film. A little overpriced at 3 Euros for three tracks, but I am rather enjoying it. First track opens sounding as if it's a drone project, but as it unfolds there's more melody and even rhythm (second track); third track has an organ-like tone.
"melody summer" by the tumbled sea
Another future recordings release. Gentle, melancholy in a warm kind of way, piano instrumentals with touches of strings, electronics. Pleasant background music. $0.50 or more.
(Spending a relaxing hour browsing bandcamp)
Genre-wise, Kites are something of a mixed bag - I guess I'd call it "progpop" if I had to settle on one thing, but though it's not my usual thing I sort of like it anyway. The people involved are clearly very talented, especially the drummer. They remind me of Mew a little bit, though the singer operates in a lower register (which is good, actually, as the singer from Mew sings a bit too high for my tastes). Free for an e-mail address...
Kinrisu - Lucent Animal Chimes (->bandcamp) Free.
RIYL CocoRosie. Also recommend if you thought there was something going on with CR but you couldn't quite decode it and gave up in frustration. It's more approachable than CR: Sweeter, less grating, less obscure lyrics. I like this a lot.
Brandbient by Heinali
Samples from TV ads deconstructed into ambient drones/soundscapes of the ghostly voices/windstorm in a cavern variety. Actually pretty good if you like that kind of ambient.
Comments
Another anthropological collection that makes you wonder why Americans can't naturally produce music this great. Church harmonies, percussion ensembles, acoustic folk, blues-inflected folk, all recorded in the field.
NYOP
Somewhere Alan Lomax is smiling.
Minus Pilots - "We won't be here forever" - Futurerecordings 2010
They'll need better cover art if they hope to compete with the likes of, well, just about anybody, but I guess it's not as big a deal as it was back in the vinyl days.
The singer reminds me a bit of Ian Masters from the Pale Saints - same basic tonality, anyway. Maybe the guy from the Ruby Suns too, though they're less electronic, less Brian Wilsonesque, and less produced than the Ruby Suns... I guess the music is borderline chamber-pop, not quite as quirky or grandiose as the Flaming Lips or Animal Collective or Yeasayer, but more grandiose (and less Americana-ish) than, say, the Fleet Foxes or Arcade Fire, bands of that nature. Whatever!
The Sour Notes do have two more recent singles that they're selling (Hot Pink Flares for $2 and Never Mix, Never Worry for $3)... so they're not necessarily into the "everything must be FREE!!1!11!" ethic. Those singles are also a bit more guitar-driven and chamber-poppy, and they've got a female singer now -- not bad, but I'm not sure I like the singles as much.
Oathless - Lambent Amber Winds
As with Standing Where Our Paths Shall Meet, I don't find the opening material the strongest. That release took off for me about 3 tracks in, and this time it's the second track that has me hooked.
Free download. There are a couple of others by the same artist there too that I have not checked out yet, also free.
"The infinite regress" by Stubborn Tiny Lights VS Clustering Darkness Forever OK
Landed on this via Brighternow's recent recs from the same label. Just got round to listening, and it's good post-rock, with good energy. NYOP, 4 tracks. Well worth a listen.
"As 2011 begins, Ive been working to start making music again.
Many of these things are just pieces of daily life, but not always fit for
publishing on labels. However, they are important, just as anything that
happens in our daily lives. They will be posted for very inexpensive prices
in their full quality, and all proceeds go directly to me, which will help me live.
Any, and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you for your kind interest, always.
Sincerely,
Will
- This includes the release on Devin Sarno's Absence of Wax Netlabel:
- And the pleasant sounds that comes out of my speakers:
- And more . . . . .
- Free - HellosQuare Recordings 2009
And yes, the woman on the cover is very attractive, and no, I don't think she's actually in the band.
Arcade Fire-inspired spazz-out chamber rock. Free/NYOP for email.
This next one is a pretty cool old-school sort of punk number, also free for an e-mail address, and I swear my posting this has nothing whatsoever to do with the fact that I paid for an album that was later given away for free:
Anyway, it basically starts out as a shoegaze album and then switches to what you might call "melodic post-rock" about halfway through. The singer is a bit more upper-register than you usually hear from bands like this, which is a little jarring at first - but that and the occasional mono-synth line gives them a semi-distinctive sound, kinda-sorta.
The Inventors Of Aircraft - Lull - released 10 February 2011
released 21 February 2001
markus reuter: touch guitars + loops
bernhard wöstheinrich: synthesizer + percussion
all tracks by reuter/wöstheinrich
performed and recorded live on 21/02/2001 at studioflokati, bielefeld
produced and mixed by centrozoon.
- Wonderful space guitar by Markus on track 1.
Centrozoon @ eMu
" Lyrical songs for chamber jazz sextet."
I wouldn't say it's clearly Jazz, more like well-arranged instrumentals with some improvisation. Chorney, by the way, was Anais Mitchell's collaborator in composing Hadestown. This is a pretty good listen--nice interplay between instruments. $1
This album was in my SFL on eMu for quite a while before it disappeared. A fine record if I do say so myself, and less gothy than the cover art might indicate.
$5
A friend just rec'd these guys to me last night comparing them to Mogwai. I'm not sure about this album, although the Youtube videos definitely got me interested. This album is sounding a little bit GY!BE without the crescendos.
- Very good and very free and not so weird. . .
When I first started exploring Amie Street, I clicked, with some hesitation, on Yes and No, and album by a Lyonnais singer-songwriter with a quirky style. For a few months I played it a lot. Anyway, I found a new project from him, Reveille, a duo with a drummer. Still quirky, but more primal, chunky rock, with lots of big drums. very cool. NYOP
Arctic EP by Absent Hearts/The K. Project
Not quite top shelf, but pleasant and free; a gentle way to spend 20 minutes. Tagged post-rock, which kind of fits (some moments reminiscent of moments from Giants or God is an Astronout) - short, dreamy, melodic guitar-based tracks with some harmonious vocals here and there and the occasional (mild) crescendo. I'm enjoying track 3, which gets into a groove towards the end. The artwork and title do not feel to me as if they fit the music, which comes across to me kind of summery. Free download for an email address.
Immersia by Linda Buckley
Tagged ambient, electronic, classical, film. A little overpriced at 3 Euros for three tracks, but I am rather enjoying it. First track opens sounding as if it's a drone project, but as it unfolds there's more melody and even rhythm (second track); third track has an organ-like tone.
"melody summer" by the tumbled sea
Another future recordings release. Gentle, melancholy in a warm kind of way, piano instrumentals with touches of strings, electronics. Pleasant background music. $0.50 or more.
(Spending a relaxing hour browsing bandcamp)
Not to be confused with the totally awesome The Brother Kite, the somewhat less-awesome Death By Kite, or Stripmall Architecture's occasionally-awesome album We Were Flying Kites.
Kinrisu - Lucent Animal Chimes (->bandcamp) Free.
RIYL CocoRosie. Also recommend if you thought there was something going on with CR but you couldn't quite decode it and gave up in frustration. It's more approachable than CR: Sweeter, less grating, less obscure lyrics. I like this a lot.
Craig
Brandbient by Heinali
Samples from TV ads deconstructed into ambient drones/soundscapes of the ghostly voices/windstorm in a cavern variety. Actually pretty good if you like that kind of ambient.