While we're still in a Hanukkah frame of mind, here's a free set from Los Angeles Techno DJ and producer Diwon. All three Hip Hop takes on Hanukkah favorites have their points of light, but I, personally, loved Diwon's remix of "Al Hanism". Available via Soundcloud or Bandcamp. In addition to the three tracks on "Chanukah Instrumentals", there are links to two other freebies...2011's "Gonna Light" (featuring Y-Love and Sarah Aroeste) and "Sivivon (The Dreidel Song)" (featuring Cobe and Yehuda Solomon). And, if you look to the right on Bandcamp, you'll also find a nice acoustic take on "Maoz Tzur" from Arik Gordon. It's all free or "name-your-price".
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Earlier this year, I came across a 2011 Christmas single from Scottish lass Laurie Cameron. Laurie brought out, as I've never heard before, the true heartbreak underlying "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)". Laurie is back, for 2012, breaking our hearts once again with"Merry Christmas From Scotland (Lulled With A Stiff Drink)". The more I hear from Laurie, the more I long to hear. While Laurie works on her full-length debut, enjoy this one as a "Name-Your-Price" download via Bandcamp. "This one's to you." For the last few years, the folks at the Belgian beer company, Stella Artois, have celebrated the music of the season as a means of promoting their product. Last year, they went all out with an entire free album download, "Under The Holiday Star". This year's holiday truffle is "La Chanson D'Eve" from Soundtree London. Soundtree London is a company of musicians and singers that create original music for advertising and special events. I believe they even created some music for this year's Summer Olympics. For Stella Artois' seasonal campaign this year, Soundtree London has provided a sweet, if far too short, Jazz number featuring a statuesque blonde, known only as Holiday Carole. Anybody can join the fun in a personal way via Stella Artois' Facebook page (you may have to "like" them, but...what's not to like?). Insert your name (or the name of a friend) along with an address and message, as prompted, and Holiday Carole will appear at your virtual home (or your friend's) to serenade you (and offer you a beer, of course). To download the track, free, you'll have to go the the main Stella Artois web site, enter your birthday (it is alcohol, after all) and join La Societe Stella Artois. By the way, if you missed out on "Under The Holiday Star" last year, it's been (mostly) re-issued this year by the group that provided the music, Human. "Le Jazz Holiday with Human" isn't free, but it is there for you to be had if you have a thirst for some stellar Christmas Jazz. Human did drop one track--which wasn't a Christmas song anyway--replacing it with the 2010 Stella Artois track, "The Twelve Days Of Christmas". 1. Santa's back in town 2. Sledding 3. Torgs Interlude 4. Mountain 5. Christmas Cards 6. Pet Rock Pete 7. 6/4 8. Random things to do 9. Do I really have to wear this ugly sweater? 10. Christmas on the moon NAME YOUR PRICE AT BANDCAMP It's time for our annual holiday treat from That Band From Holland. This time they have Left Handed Orchestra in tow. As with previous Christmas efforts, "How To Microwave Whole Turkey" is fun and tasty. The group experiments with a lot of different sounds here--everything from Alt Country ("Sledding") to Alt Jazz ("6/4") and they do it all very well. My favorites, here, are the 60s Psych Rock/Power Pop "Pet Rock Pete", the more straight forward Alt Rock of "Mountain" (cool lyrics on that one) and the previously mentioned "6/4" (I'm a sucker for the weird time signature stuff). And I'm sure plenty folks will find "Do I Really Have To Wear This Ugly Sweater?" and "Christmas On The Moon" thoroughly enjoyable (not to mention great mixtape fodder). "How To Microwave Whole Turkey" is a "Name-Your-Price" download at Bandcamp, as are all the band's previous holiday efforts. Why not collect the whole set? Just a postscript here. I went back and reviewed our entries on TBFH from 2010 and 2011 and, every time, I remark about the group's lyrics. Which, you know, I think is a good thing. Might want to start paying more attention to these guys between the holidays. If you've been around here long enough, you no doubt know who all my favorite artists are. And one of my very most favorite artists is Swedish singer/songwriter Sofia Talvik. Every year, Sofia gives away a Christmas single to all her fans and 2012 is no different. Some of Sofia's more recent Christmas singles have been a little more pop oriented than the earthy Alt Folk music that originally drew me to her. Don't get me wrong, they're all wonderful--if Sofia is singing, I'm listening--but the more sparse arrangements showcase her beautiful voice so well and, I think, allow for an instant emotional connection to the music. This year, Sofia has given us the best of both worlds. "One Last Wish For Christmas" has the feel of a simple and intimate Indie Folk song while simultaneously being rich, full, and immediately pop accessible. It's sort of Hank Williams meets the Pogues "Fairytale Of New York", but much prettier. The lyrics of lifelong regret contrasted with the bright celebration surrounding are universally relatable. And the words are woven so delicately that you can actually feel yourself in that bubble...so close to something beautiful that you know you will never be able to touch..... It's just wonderful! Sofia Talvik has grown so much as an artist in the past few years. I think she's just now hitting her full stride. And, clearly, the best is yet to come. No better proof of that than "One Last Wish For Christmas". Pick it up for free on Bandcamp. Head to Sofia's web site and sign up for her Christmas calendar (this song is Day 1) and have all kinds of goodies sent directly to your Internet mail box each day from now to Christmas. (I hear there's even a Sami Sirvio Remix of "One Last Wish For Chistmas" coming later this month.) And keep your eyes and ears on this woman; she's too good to miss. You know I luvs my Blues. I found these guys when I was just stumbling around the Internets one night (it's a series of tubes, you know). Originally, I thought Blues Conscience were from Indiana. See that big "IN" on their ReverbNation web site? Ah, no, try INDIA. Yeah, they're digging the Blues in India. How cool is that? And these cats are pretty good, too. I could hear them playing a club in Wisconsin or maybe even New York. "Blues Santa" is a demo--I believe its from 2010--and it's a free download at ReverbNation. Some other cool licks free, too. Check 'em out. Pay a visit to their home site, too. 1. Silent Night 2. Three Kings 3. Amazing Grace 4. Jezus Malusienki (Polish) 5. Lulajze Jezuniu (Polish) ARTIST WEB SITE DOWNLOAD AT BANDCAMP Fulka is the stage name adopted by singer/song writer Ola Kubak, born and raised in a Polish home in South Africa. When she was quite young, Ola's grandfather taught her the old Polish folk songs and she came to love music instantly. By the age of 13, she was singing for Nelson Mandela. The word "Fulka" derives from a German word for"army" and is taken to mean "fighting for that which is true". Aided by her husband, Jacob Israel, a master of electronica and production, and assorted other very talented musicians, Ola's style is quintessential folktronica. And how you take to the music of Fulka is likely going to depend on how you feel about folk music with techno beats and electronic noises. For me, sometimes it's very very good--as on "Silent Night" and "Amazing Grace"--and sometimes s'not ("Three Kings", to me, sounds like a Martian funeral procession). Rounding out the EP are a pair of instrumental Polish folk numbers for the season, and I'm pretty much always up for exotic Christmas music from faraway lands. Fulka's debut album, from 2010, is "The Mystery Of The Seven Stars" and--maybe it's just that the music is original--that worked a lotbetter for me as folktronica. The free download from that album, "Dancing In Our Darkest Days", is truly terrific, I think. Your mileage may vary, of course. While Fulka works on a follow-up, enjoy the Christmas EP, a free download through Bandcamp. |
The FREE ListHere we hope to direct you to some of the Christmas music on the web that can be yours absolutely free. We will not direct you to mp3 or sharity sites, here, but only to artist sites, label sites, and other authorized and unquestionably legal locations. ArchivesCategories
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