Free Finding Day 13

Once again tracks from the fabulous Urban Outfitters Blog. I have now just realized how odd it is that i'm blogging about tracks from another blog......

As usual its from the Free Music Mondays but this time we have a nice summer theme to keep up with the sunshine.

The one i was hooked on was Quintet Four by Bird Show Band purely because it sounds as if a robot is graphically sneezing at the very beginning. I assumed that this would lead to Techno beats and something that sounded like old MGMT but instead i got upright bass and synth that sounds like its inspired but 19th century Japan. Overall it sounds like jazz for modern day clubbing.

On the other side Able To by Eternal Summers sound like a toned down Runaways cover of Pretty Woman. The vocals are sweet and poppy and the guitar sounds like a whole bunch of power chords but in the most positive way.

After i scrolled down on the blog i noticed they had a 25 free song selection for free legal download! NOW unfortunately this is only available for US residents so i cannot tell you how it sounds but if anyone downloads it i would love to know if you found any great musical findings.

My last little find was from the free single of the week section on iTunes. It's called Bang Bang You're Dead by Hannah Georgas. The title of the song is spoken at the beginning by what i'm assuming is a 5 year old boy and progresses into hush sounds, lyrics/melody that sounds like it was borrowed from the Plasticines. Of course the song title is repeated for the chorus semi-agressively to make a stellar and catchy hook.

That's all for now since there is lots to do today and i have a meeting in less than an hour. As always if you have any ideas for free legal music or comments just let me know :)

Update

Since i have been enjoying all this blogging so much i am going to try a bit of a switch to try. From now on (although i will continue to blog here) i will also be blogging on Tumblr.

http://elysesimpson.tumblr.com/

Check whichever one works for you and i will be posting to you soon!

As always thanks to everyone for the support :)

Free Finding Day 12

Today we get a full album free legal download! How exciting :)

So after searching on the web i found news of possibly the oddest mashup that i've heard about. The result is Jaydiohead. Yes the powerhouse rapper and alternative royalty have been combined by NYC DJ and producer Max Tannone to create a mix of Radiohead's singles, albums and b-sides with a cappella tracks recorded by Jay-Z.

Track combinations include...........

"Moment of Clarity" (Jay-Z) + "Optimistic" (Radiohead) = "Optimistic Moment"

"I Pray" (Jay-Z) + "I Might Be Wrong" (Radiohead) = "Wrong Prayer"

"Roc Boys (And the Winner is.....)" (Jay-Z) + "Airbag"(Radiohead) = "Air Roc"

My favourites are No Karma, Fall in Step and Dirt off Your Android. All are based off some of my favourite Radiohead songs AND fill my guilty need for Jay-Z.

This album really is the best of both worlds. For anybody who has popped a Jay-Z album in their car and felt way too aggressive for their own good or put in a Radiohead album and immediately felt like were the awful epitome of "indie" there is now a nice in-between.

Now you can slide this album into the CD player roll down the windows and show off your metaphorical skinny jeans and brass knuckles.

Personally i'm happy i now have an album that i can take to parties that includes Radiohead but is still danceable.

SO still on the right track with the free downloads :) Not only is this a great way to remind people of 2 established artists that are around but also introduces people to a lesser known NYC DJ to look out for in the future.

Free Finding Day 11

Just a quick one tonight. I was feeling a bit stressed and blue but was all lifted when i spotted the RCRDLBL newsletter in my inbox!

The newest tracks available for free download? ELLIOT SMITH TRACKS OF COURSE!

Nothing to like Elliot Smith to help you commiserate. Since i was so excited and in love with the 2 tracks i had to post about them.

First is Twilight (Not to be confused with the strangely famed movie ). Beautiful falsetto, bittersweet lyrics and haunting understanding background vocals. To top it all one of the most incredible simple poetic line for a song...."But you're already somebody's baby"

Second and last is coincidentally called Last Call. Now like every Elliot Smith song it reminds me of Good Will Hunting. Of course thats not a big surprise considering he did most of the soundtrack for the movie. Although still in the style which is associated with Elliot Smith and apparent in songs like Between the Bars this song holds something special.

I could try to be really insightful and claim it's because of the contrast between the vocals and the instruments or the crescendo halfway through or even because of the minor chord choices but honestly i have no idea. This song has a very distinct but hard to identify it quality that makes it stick out.

So more free legal tracks availible and of course more on the way!

Free Finding Day 10

We are back in business everybody!

New tracks and new internet connection to allow me download the new tracks.....THANK GOODNESS.

So for free finding day 10 out of the 31 days to a total month we have got (you guessed it)

10 NEW FREE LEGAL TRACKS! :)

Two Mondays worth of Music Mondays from Urban Outfitters' Blog

Now out of these ten the first to catch my eye was by Nice Nice and called See Waves. The track basically sounds like the percussion section from Breaking the Girl by The Red Hot Chili Peppers if it was covered by Portugal. The Man while they experimented with Techno.

Now it may sound abrasive but all i know is after listening to it my darling kitten was totally friendly and in the best mood i've seen in him. So obviously it wasn't too abrasive for a kitten.

Next was Kind of Guy by Yawn. Contradictory to the band name the song was pretty exciting. Maybe not jump up and down party music but still exciting and great. Perfect soundtrack to listen to if somehow you managed to move your TV set and couch into the jungle while wearing a bathrobe ready to do absolutely nothing.

Now i was only going to do three favourites but there was a very distinct end tie for first place. It was between 80/20 (Arms and Sleepers Remix) by Tape Deck Mountain and Evil Lives by Bosco Delrey.

The first of the two sounds like Coldplay did an obscure remix of Talk and passed it through a synth machine.

The second is based on trance beats and may have the most bold opening line for a generally mellow song. "The devil is gonna cut you up"....... Enough said.

Well once again another successful day of searching and lots more to come! :)

Free Finding Day 9?

Unfortunately due to my neighbours stealing my internet connection

my server is incredibly slow.

Granted it's my own fault for not securing the network BUT unfortunately all the great free legal music i have been finding lately i have been unable to download!

Although i could post all the links still i feel uneasy posting tracks I haven't even listened to yet.

So in the next 1-2 days (once my network is securing and working at full speed) i should be ready to post a flood of new tracks ready for your listening pleasure.

Sorry for the inconvenience :)

Breaking News Bulletin!

We interrupt this blogging series to bring a breaking news bulletin!

Well i should say I interrupt this blogging series to share some exciting news :)

As i mentioned before i had the privilege and honour of interviewing the amazing Jeanne Beker. My article on the event and my time spent with her will be coming out shortly in Oakville Today BUT exclusively here you will able to find all the answers to questions that didn't make it into the article! SO STAY TUNED!

Secondly! Last week although being horribly sick i had a wonderful gig to play. Now i would say a lot of amazing musicians have had life changing experiences on stage. Johnny Cash proposed to June Carter on stage and even the questionable John Mayer has used live performance as an opportunity to make public apologies.

SO! I jumped on the band wagon and announced some of the biggest news i have ever received and struggled to keep private until the big performance that night........

I GOT ACCEPTED TO BERKLEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So there is my official blogging announcement

Now that is out of the way back to the blogging series!

P.S

To all you! Thank you for your support i could not have done it without you!

Free Finding Day 8

Alright! We are back in business :)

Although i'm still feeling a bit under the weather i was just was too excited about these new tracks not to post this! So here's my postings for Sunday and today.

Sunday

I think i just might have hit the mother load. After scouring Spin Magazine i landed on a site called RCRD LBL. The whole premise of the site is that it hosts artists and various labels while offering many free legal downloads and streaming to promote their careers.

I immediately assumed the downloads would be alternate versions or tracks by very lesser known bands. After spending some time looking though i was shocked!

Bon Iver, MGMT, Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeroes, Gossip, Kings of Leon, Bat For Lashes, Sufjan Stevens, tons of well known bands and my favourites!

Now some of the tracks offered were amazing remixes {Use Somebody (Andres Anjos Remix) -Kings of Leon } but many of them were tracks that i had wanted to or previously had bought already on itunes (Home-Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeroes, Blood Bank-Bon Iver)

No to mention the site asks for absolutely nothing in return! Again i only picked my favourites but you could download easily 200-300 free legal tracks from there and they are adding more every day.

Monday

Because it's the beginning of the week again i headed back to Urban Outfitters' Blog for their five track monday download.

When She Smiles by Coconuts is easily my favourite since its so unusual. It sounds like a cross between a tribal jungle ritual, a fog horn and a love sick puppy that just happens to have a great singing voice.

Have no clue what i'm talking about? Believe me you'll understand completely once you listen to the track.

Really happy with the finds over the past two days and now ready to enjoy all of them while i drift off :)

Free Finding Day 7

Quick little update! Although i found many amazing tracks for free legal download today my health decided to take a tiny bit of a dip. I was left couch ridden, asleep and unfortunately unable to blog.

In order to give my full attention to this series i'm postponing my findings till tomorrow. I will also do findings for tomorrow but will just post them all at once with the appropriate headings.

Even though i am taking a break to give you a taste of whats here store i will post my one finding. I headed to Canadian band Metric's FanPage and became a fan. Now in exchange for this act of support i got to download an acoustic version of Front Row.

Personally i like it even better than the original version on Fantasies. So check it out to tide you over until my other findings are posted tomorrow!

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE! :) Only a week through this experiment and i have already found approximately 200 free legal tracks!

Looks like this is heading on the right track!

Free Finding Day 5 and 6

Silly me forgot to actually post my findings last night so today's is actually day 5 and 6 meshed into one.

My first free download i found while fuelling my addition for Starbucks. Unfortunately my lovely pick of the week card met the horrible fate of the washing machine.

With that download gone i went back to iTunes to find some free legal downloads. I went to the iTunes Canada Facebook Fan Page where i have found downloads even before i started this series. The selection available was the "House of Soul Sampler" (think Bill Withers and 60's type keyboards).

Most of the songs are instrumentals but i got into them nonetheless. More Mess on My Thing by Poets of Rhythm stuck out to me. The vibe has a definite groove to it and reminds me of a funk big band style group playing D'angelo covers.

The next downloads i found checking out my past searches. In the past i had found samplers put out by Spin Magazine and figured that it couldn't have been the only one. SO! I headed over to Spin Magazine, searched free downloads and BOOM tons to choose from.

I picked the most recent ones that included a new song by English artist Kate Nash, Man in the Sand by Gordon Gano and the Ryans, Singing to the Earth (To Thank Her for You) by Apollo Sunshine and a 29 track sampler.

I have been a Kate Nash fan for quite some time now and this song thoroughly impressed me. Being a fan of such songs as Merry Happy and We Get On i was expecting a bouncing english pop ballad about some bloke that had done her wrong. To my surprise the track started out with distorted twisting guitars that sounded like could've been sampled from a Mars Volta album and went into edgy Euro-Pop vocals. I'm a fan of both her new and old sound but am so happy that her more recent stuff shows her versatility as an artist.

I had never heard of Apollo Sunshine but was hooked when i heard the mushy title { Singing to the Earth (To Thank Her for You) }. Now although the title is endearing and cheesy the track has substantial qualities and is perfect for a lazy summer day.

Man in the Sand by Gordon Gano and the Ryans granted has a bit of a dated sound but once you get to the chorus the drum guitar combination makes you feel like you've known the song your whole life. The raw quality about them makes them seem like the garage band down the street that everyone knew and wanted to be part of in Highschool.

Finally the sampler featured some repeats from the first sampler i downloaded from Spin Magazine but also gave a lot of new great ones. The compilation is support Austin's South by South West Showcase and features ranging from pop to rap to metal. The sampler possibly features some of the best names for bands i've ever seen such as Das Racist, Anti-Pop Consortium and Everybody Was In the French Resistance…Now.

Now if that doesn't make you like the compilation already tracks like Swim Until You Can't See Land by Frightened Rabbit and And the Hazy Sea by Cymbals Eat Guitars transport you with mystical interludes and loveable vocals.

Yes, some of the tracks ask for your e-mail in exchange for the download. This i know can be annoying but most of the time it is for statistic reasons opposed to a tricky way to spam you with useless press info. I have been giving my e-mail to dozens of places like this for at least a year and have only received a handful or two of e-mails and some of them were simply for download confirmation.

In the end as i always say it's a small price to pay for great free legal music!

Free Finding Day 4

Today i found no free free legal downloads BUT for good reason! Today after having a leisurely lunch and getting my hair cut at the wonderful Raincry in downtown Oakville i saw one of my idols. At this year's Women as Career Coaches i met with ............JEANNE BEKER

Yes, the woman i spent my childhood years watching was standing in front of me. I got a chance to interview her since i work as a freelance writer for Oakville Today.

She was funny, inspiring, gorgeous and so thoughtful to all her fans. By the end of the night she must have given over 100 autographs and photos. I got a picture, questions answered and a very thoughtful note on the inside of her book i'm dying to read!

So yes i was pulled away from my duties today but again for good cause. Tomorrow it's back to more free tracks so stay tuned!

Free Finding Day 3

Day 3 so far has been crazy! I thought today might give me some trouble finding new free legal tracks since I was busier today than i had been for some of the week. True, i didn't have much time to look but somehow i have landed the most tracks since i started this series.

The source was http:///www.redflagdeals.com under the freebie section since it seemed like a logical place to start. I assumed i would find some promotional singles from upcoming albums or some sampler packages from unknown artists but i ended getting a lot more.

First on the list: Metallica. Believe it or not the well known seasoned band is giving away free tracks, or free live tracks i should say. Concert locations ranged from sunny California to dreamy Denmark and featured all the classic Metallica songs. Because there were so many i just picked out my favourites and got an absolutely amazing medley of Nothing Else Matters and Until It Sleeps. If you decide to download all of them you will probably end up with over a hundred tracks! The tracks are really if you want the live experience of people cheering and singing along.

Word of warning: The European recordings seem to be higher quality than the US ones although i'm not sure why but then again being in Europe helps everything :)

As i continued to search i found 2 tracks from a new album by Smashing Pumpkins. They have been one of top bands for years so i was thrilled not only that the downloads were free but they were amazing!

Stitch in Time and Widow Make My Mind still have the classic Smashing Pumpkins sound, most obviously in the vocals but with some added new touches. The songs introduce beautiful mixing and blending in the instruments that wasn't as present on Mellon Collie and Infinite Sadness. To top it all off, there's a subtle touch of a 50s vibe that offset the lyrics perfectly.

Then came my favourite type of free music.....COMPILATION! Since i like most genres i love being forced into unfamiliar listening territory. Presented by Spin Magazine the sampler is 10 tracks from artists like Neon Indian and Final Fantasy. Now the last track is by a band i already love so i'm bias to which was my favourite. The last track is by The XX who are BRILLIANT and is so delicate it's almost intimidating.

Finally my last find of the day was a full album download by NINE INCH NAILS! The album is called The Slip. Contradictory to the title though i could find no critical mistakes or slip-ups. Great group of songs but not for everyday listen. However if you need to let off steam, pop it into your CD player, get into your beat up chevy, put on some aviators and a ripped jean jacket, drive down a dirt road and enjoy.

Today's results prove that it's not only independent artists that give away free tracks. Even the heavyweights of the industry can benefit from a little promotional tools now and then.

Free Finding Day 2

So here's my second day searching for the best free legal downloads out there!

The first download was shown on MTV ironically while i was brainstorming ways to find new tracks. The Track? Holy F**k by Latin America (Yes i had to think long and hard about whether to censor that or not)

The song feels like ambient dance music for a fight scene in a Keanu Reeves movie with pulsing electronic flourishes and a energetic drum kit. The song is great for parties and entertaining if only for the pure shock factor of the band's name.

Next i went the easy way for free music and went to the "Free" section on the itunes homepage and got If It's Me by Chris Giannini. The track starts off simple which lets the recording quality acoustic quality shine through. Eventually the song leads into what could be a Modern English cover with beautiful but brief harmonies three quarters of the way through.

Overall i deem today a success! Downloading these tracks helped me find new bands i wouldn't have heard otherwise.

On a side note before i go i was shown a great band by the name of Drapht which can be categorized as Australian rap. Strange as it sounds its by far one of my favourite new groups!

"Free Finding"

There is a constant argument in the music industry regarding illegal file sharing. Industry executives argue whether file sharing will continue into the future and fans argue whether using programs like Limewire and Napster is okay.

As an avid music listener i've never had a problem paying for music and try to convince others to do so as often as possible. Although $0.99 repeatedly can add up over time, it's a small price to pay for what we get in return and a small way to pay back the musicians, producers, labels and distributors for doing their job and doing it well.

Now don't get me wrong i like getting free things as much as the next person but I believe in doing in legally. In light of this i will be starting a new blogging series called "Free Finding"

( yes, it sounds like a bad Tom Petty reference).

For a month i will be searching for the best tracks available for free legal download, posting my findings, numbers and of course reviews of my personal favourites. Hopefully by the end at least a few more people will agree with me that there are ways to get fantastic music for free without hurting the artists financially.

To start the series off here is my first free download!! Off the fabulous Urban Outfitters Blog. The grouping is called Music Mondays and offers on average 5 free tracks available for download.

http://blog.urbanoutfitters.com/blog

My favourite of the Music Monday selection? Travelin' Girl-The Bitters

VERY reminiscent of The Clash if Debbie Harry of Blondie decided to drop in for jam session and extremely catchy.

New Website

Well it is finally up!

After taking a bit of a break for my health i started on reworking some things. The result is my new website with new photos, videos, upcoming show dates and soon new tracks!

So check it out and use the comment section on the contact page to let me know what you think.

http://www.elysesimpson.com

I have already gotten the Google Analytics report back from the first day and I'm so thrilled! To everybody that has already check it out it really means a lot to me and i can't thank you enough for the support.

To top it all off looks like my consistency with blogging has greatly improved....(knock on wood)

Long Time No See

Well here it goes again. This is the part where i apologize for being inconsistent with my blogging. Complete truth of matter is besides being terribly busy my health has also been amazingly rocky. Referring back to the name of the blog i am indeed severely anemic and apparently fainting and blogging do not go well together.

SO! To make things easy for the purpose of giving a quick update and start my blogging rituals again.

Jangle Records Launch-Went amazing everyone did a fantastic job and our independent short film "Blank" is now available! To check it out see the link for the trailer!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEFom7QxelM

November @ The Sound Academy-Tons of fun and i did my first big club performance on Be My Husband

Berklee Audition- So exciting! Unfortunately i was sick for the actual audition and did not put my absolute best foot forward HOWEVER i did make them laugh and hopefully show that i'm a hard worker and eager to learn.

Well those are the big things i'm sure i'll remember everything else once i finish this but from now on blogging will now be frequent!

New updates will be up shortly thanks for still sticking around!