Free Music Friday: The Fat Assed, Not Hard, Pot Surviving, Explosive, Prestidigitatious, Hearing Impaired Version

Seriously, you unwashed masses better appreciate the fact that this is the umpteenth Friday in a row i've opted to stay indoors at HQ to bring you a bunch of new music freebies as opposed to hanging out at the comic book store or other nerdly pursuits. i really an a hell of a guy. You'd try to marry me if you could. You ain't gots to lie, Craig.

To kick things off, i finally got my hands on a copy of Mt. Kimbie's Crooks and Lovers. Hot damn, this thing is good. For fans of smoothly glitchy, softstep (that's right, i'm coming up with a new genre classification, bitches!!!), you are going to love this one. Plus, it's got one of my two favorite CD covers so far this year.

mp3: Field (Mt. Kimbie from Crooks and Lovers)

Proving that the 80s synth sound has not been fully exhausted, Soft Metals has this bedroom pop track that seemingly would appeal to anyone sporting a Flock of Seagulls, Wigwam slouch socks and/or fluorescent, tiger-striped bandannas. Not that i would know anything about that. Also, thank god for there not being cell phone cameras back in the 80s.

mp3: Love or Music (Soft Metals from The Cold World Melts)

Sure, this whole surf sound revivalism has been fun. Same for the girl group thing. But i can't be the only one who has been waiting for the sound to grunge itself up a tad. Enter Grass Widow. Kind of like the Raveonettes, only different. Regardless, i'm digging this track on a Friday.

mp3: Shadow (Grass Widow from Past Time)

One of my favorite folk-girl bands, The Be Good Tanyas, has their frontwoman step to the fore on her latest solo affair, Firecracker. Frazey Ford (how cool a name is that?) brings the heat banjos and ooh ooh ooh backing vocals, then turns the heat to simmer with some burbling keys, on lead single, "Firecracker."

mp3: Firecracker (Frazey Ford from Firecracker)

Well, it wouldn't be a Free Music Friday without some hip hop thrown in for good measure. Fortunately, we've got a new banger from Orland's own Prolific. i'd actually heard this one making the rounds before they reached out to us, but i like it then and am happy to share it now. Sampling one of Nina Simone's finest, "Spell on You," displays some adroit lyricism and oh so smooth flow. It's the juxtaposition of the faster drum beat and the slower strings that keeps throwing me for a loop, though.

mp3: Spell on You (Prolific from For the Ladies February Series)

And to conclude on a similar note of hip-hop-itude while throwing in a charitable component, there's a new CD out raising money to help protect and empower Congolese women called Raise Hope for Congo. Compiled by former KCRW Music Director, Nic Harcourt, the album includes the likes of Bat For Lashes, Imaad Wasif, Konono No 1, Damien Rice, Amadou & Mariam, Norah Jones and Mos Def. You can stream the whole thing here, though we've got Mos Def's track for your downloading pleasure. Or you can just go straight to the source and donate here.

mp3: Priority (A Capella) (Mos Def from Raise Hope for Congo)

FunJunkie's 2010 Summer Burn!

For the fourth or fifth year in a row now, i'm participating in FunJunkie's annual Summer Burn. Essentially, the fine chaps over at the site host an annual "mix swap" with anyone who signs up to participate. To prove you're not a wanker who just wants free CDs for nothing, you have to sign up ahead of time and even send them a postcard to prove you are for reals, but other than that, it's just putting together a mix of just about anything one that you, the sender, feel is "summer-y" music. Pretty simple, eh?

In return for your efforts, you are supposed to receive two random mixes from two random folks who also are in the mix mastering mood. Unfortunately, i think i'm batting under .500 in the receipt department over the past few years, but i do it because i love making mixes. It's called the Summer Burn as CDs are due to be sent out on the actual summer solstice, but, as usual, i'm a couple of days behind. However, my mixes officially are done, i've spent all morning working on the covers, and they'll be in the mail first thing tomorrow (still need The Missus to help a bit with the covers, what with me having sausage fingers and all). But why should the fun stop with two random strangers when i can share the fruits of my loom with literally hundreds, if not thousands, of random strangers?

Now, i'm leaving a couple of tracks off these posts (Part II to follow shortly, but blogger.com only allows for so many labels per post, so...) because A. i don't want to raise the ire of any lawyers bitching about recent releases and B. gotta have a lil' sumfin' special for the folks who actually signed up, right?

Many of these tracks already have been recommended here at LET, but when combined into one mix, well, they'll probably cause an aural orgasm the likes of which your undergarments may not survive, so consider yourself forewarned. For hot, sticky nights. Drugs not included, but certainly not discouraged, either.

Without further ado, Burn, Baby, Burn, Part the First.

mp3: When I'm With You (Best Coast from Best Coast 7" )

mp3: Blackmagic (José James from Blackmagic)

mp3: Snowflake (Malachai from Ugly Side of Love)

mp3: When I'm Small (Phantogram from Eyelid Movies)

mp3: Lovers' Carvings (Bibio from Ambivalence Avenue)

mp3: All I Want (Joni Mitchell from Blue)

mp3: Sweepstakes ft. Mos Def and Hynotic Brass Ensemble (Gorillaz from Plastic Beach)

mp3: Beautiful People (The Books from The Way Out)

mp3: Sole Brother (Born Ruffians from Say It)

mp3: Dontchusee (Chin Chin from Chin Chin)

mp3: Go Outside (The Cults from The Cults 7")

mp3: Where's Danny? (Danny! from Where's Danny? )

mp3: At Last (The Dø from A Mouthful)

mp3: We All Wanna Be Prince (Felix Da Housecat from He Was King)

mp3: Photo Shoot (Gucci Mane Remix) (Flying Lotus from Adult Swim and Beaterator present ATL RMX)

mp3: Fresh Hex (ft. Beck) (Tobacco from Maniac Meat)

mp3: We Are Water (HEALTH from Get Color)

mp3: Hurry Up and Wait (Nocando from Jimmy the Lock)

Variations on a Theme: New York is Killing Me

Sorry, kids, i've been in NYC the past few days at a conference, so i'm kind of pressed for time today (an all-too-common theme lately, it seems). i've got some work piled up from being out of the office, plus, let's be honest, the Blackhawks are playing for the Cup shortly, so this one would have been a George Clinton quickie anyway.

Of course, this does give me a perfect opportunity to post a couple of different variations on the Gil Scott-Heron piece, "New York is Killing Me," from his latest I'm New Here. The spoken word artist has been in and out of jail dealing with drug issues for the better part of this past decade, but the new CD is strong regardless. Clearly, i'm not the only one who thinks so, as a number of hip hop's elite have decided to spit fire of their own over the track.

mp3: New York is Killing Me (Gil Scott-Heron ft. Mos Def)

mp3: New York is Killing Me (Gil Scott-Heron ft. Nas)

Mixtape Love: The RE:Union by Reflection Eternal

By this point in the game, i think we pretty much all expect that come Christmas time, our favorite bands and artists are going to deluge the Interwebs with all sorts of holiday-time free mp3 love. But New Year's love? Not so much. So let's grant a marketing coup to those geniuses in Reflection Eternal, Talib Kweli and DJ Hi-Tek, for giving us the first goodies of this still very new year.

In anticipation of their forthcoming sophomore release due in March 2010, Revolutions Per Minute, the duo dropped The RE:Union mixtape scant days ago for all the good little indie boys and girls and hip-hop heads to enjoy. Compiled by Statik Selektah, the mixtape features some new goodies from the upcoming CD, old faves from debut Train of Thought, and a number of guest spots. Playing along we have Mos Def, Erykah Badu, Common, (vastly overrated) Jay Z, and Kool G. Rap, amongst others. (slight aside: whatever happened to DJ Polo? It does not pay to be an old skool DJ, i tell you what.) What i particularly like is their use of some classic beats for new rhymes (Is that a little of Run-DMC's "Sucka MCs" laid down on "Wishing on a Black Star?" Yes. Yes, it is.)

So while you're nursing the end of that NYE hangover and wondering what have we done for you lately, now you have an answer. We've been busy finding the finest free mp3s for our ever loving jackals.

So what, you ask? Sew buttons, i reply.

mp3: RE:Definition (Eternal Reflection ft. Mos Def from The RE:Union)

mp3: The Blast RMX (Eternal Reflection ft. Erykah Badu from The RE: Union)

Singles Club: The Swinging Singles Edition

i figured i was just going to put together some snow mix today, seeing as how the DC area got hit with around two feet worth of the powdery stuff over the weekend, but i suppose i'll reserve that for another day. When i turned on my computer this morning, i found a virtual cornucopia of free mp3 love just waiting for me to share with you. For both our protection and enjoyment, rest assured that i'm wearing a full latex bodysuit while i type this. Actually, i'm wearing nothing but hip waders right this moment, but we're clearly getting off topic here. Yipes.

If you already are on the Zero 7 email list, you'd know that the band is offering a kick-ass live session version of "Mr. McGee," the regular version of which can be found their latest, Yeah Ghost. You might think that the band is only capable of creating its sound in a studio environment, but that would simply make you wrong. Having seen these cats live a couple of times now, i can assure you that they put on a stellar show. i imagine you'll agree with me that this track goes a long way in furthering my point. In return for said sign, they'd be ever so thankful if you'd join that aforementioned email list.

mp3: Mr. McGee (Zero 7, live session)

Next up is the latest from Jason Collett from his upcoming Rat a Tat Tat CD. Due out March 9, 2010, Mr. C once again teams up with Carlin Nicholson and Michael O’Brien. If this track, Love is a Dirty Word, is any indication, we're in for another round of indie pop rock goodness. You know, for my money, those Arts & Crafts cats just can't seem to put out a bad album.

mp3: Love is a Dirty Word (Jason Collett from Rat a Tat Tat)

Still not sure whose mailing list sent me our next yum yum treat, but if you've always thought another collaboration between Danger Mouse and James Mercer would be tits, well, consider yourself amply breasted, kid. They did a fine job teaming up on "Insane Lullaby" on Dark Night of the Soul, and might just sound even better here. If nothing else, this latest track is a lot less spastic. Their new project is called Broken Bells, and ditto on that signing up for ye olde email list. Oh, and ditto on the March 9 release date, too, though an on-line version will be available tomorrow (Dec. 22).

mp3: The High Road (Broken Bells from Broken Bells)

And for a final piece of goodness, Kayne West has the latest from Mos Def up on his blog. Ski Beatz produced the track, but i have no idea what album this is from or what Kanye's role in the track might be. Oh well, it's kick ass regardless, so who's complaining? It's not like the guy hasn't provided the world with buckets of entertainment in the past.

mp3: 24 Hour Karate School (Mos Def from Kayne's website)

Regarding calling today's Single's Club the Swinging Singles edition, i really just wanted an excuse to post this.

Chrissy Snow as a boozing whore and J.J. Evans trying to avoid marriage. Now That's DYNOMITE!