Thursday, March 26, 2015

Typhoon - Hunger & Thirst [Folk]

If you're dying... then why aren't you scared?
I've started a new beginning suspiciously like the old one
only this time I'm ready...

The story of Typhoon is beyond tragic, a lead vocalist who never had a life, clinging onto life while on the verge of death from a disease given to him by a bug that he never saw. The complete tragedy about every little detail of Kyle Morton's life is enough to make anyone break, yet for Kyle Morton his experience only strengthened him as a person. For all the depressing subject matter that Typhoon can carry with the lack of a childhood, facing life without a clue of what to do, or living off of borrowed time, they manage to keep a positive outlook on life.

Well, maybe not positive. More like hopeful? Like a battle where your side won the war but you lost hundreds in combat. It's almost humbling to experience Hunger & Thirst, a dark and gloomy album that when all is said and done there is always a positive outlook to it. Life sucks, you live your entire life trying to impress others, get by day and day as it only gets worst, hope to find a happy home with a happy mate and start a semi-decent life, only to lose it all with age and possibly forget it and then pass on. With all this sadness that plagues life though, isn't it better to see the positives of it? That's what Kyle Morton says on this album, the complete lack of a childhood and so much time lost isn't something to worry about when you have a the beauty of a life. This write up is really overly indulgent and kind of incoherent, but that's because this album takes the words out of my mouth literally.

It's breath taking how the album travels from a jumpy and folksy introduction and only descends into complete darkness... only to come back on top with a solemn closer that looks at life in a retrospective point of view as it nears its end. Not fearing death knowing that you will be reborn, it's beautiful and poetic, and it's something that should never be forgotten or ignored. Hunger & First is a perfect album of beauty and sorrow, one that no one should brush over lightly. Take time to indulge in Morton's philosophies and enjoy the things you hear. Because we only have so much time, and we should enjoy it as much as we can. For someone who couldn't.

Eternity will smile on me...
 
You can stream, download, or buy Hunger & Thirst here. If you like what you hear consider supporting Typhoon by throwing a few coins their way or by purchasing Artifical Light located on their page. 

HELLFYRE CLUB - Dorner vs. Tookie [Hip-Hop/Rap]

Too soon...
The Hellfyre Club, a hip-hop label started by underground recording artist Nocando, has made quiet some noise in the past few years thanks to prolific artists such as milo, Budsriver, Open Mike Eagle, and Anderson Paak. It came as a pleasant surprise in late 2013 when the label dropped a compilation pack titled Droner vs. Tookie that unlike most compilations consisted of newly recorded material and collabs as opposed to single collections. 

This album is crazy on collabs, you will see almost all of the labels artists collabing with one another with a flurry of energy and tight chemistry that makes the power of Hellfyre's artists strong. The production too merges dark, heavy, quirky, light, and catchy instrumentals and productions together with each of the rappers bringing their own special traits to each tracks. Rather it's Busdriver's abstract and quirky nasally spits or KAIL's unapologetic and offensive comments there is something here for everyone. And with over 17 tracks there is a lot of good. 

You can stream, download, or buy Dorner vs. Tookie here. If you like what you hear consider supporting the artists of Hellfyre Club by throwing a few coins their way or by purchasing the official releases of the labels members located on the right of the page. You can also share this album with your friends, because they dig hip hop or something. Just remember, a little support and a little word of mouth goes a long way! <3

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

What Gives - What Gives [Pop Rock/Loud As Hell]

We don't have to be friends...
Have your ear lobes been itching for a good ol' dose of loud as hell music lately? No? Oh... wellsorryforaskingIjustwantedtohelp. What Gives is a pop rock group that goes loud with their music, loud distortion, stabbing drums, loud vocals, I think you get the idea. Of course with all of this loud stuff going on, almost to a dizzying amount, you may be thinking that it isn't good. That's where I tell you that you're wrong. Idiot. This is actually a great EP, there are plenty of insanely catchy hooks, smooth melodies, and vocals that punch you right in the face with the volume turned up ten notches. In your face and unapologetic for it, this is an EP that you need to check out if your ears can handle it. 

You can stream, download, or buy What Gives here. If you like what you hear consider supporting What Gives by throwing a few coins their way. Granted you don't need the coins to pay for your ear surgery because it's LOUD!* You can also share this EP with your friends, because they need some loudness in their life. Just remember, a little support and a little word of mouth goes a long way! <3

*Please understand that just because the production volume on this EP is louder than normal, that does not mean you will be getting your ears destroyed. This is actually pretty cheer.

Friday, March 20, 2015

Anakin & Sidewave - / [Pop Rock]

They're going nowhere... and I'll be there too...
So like... imagine if Weezer went to space. That's what british pop rock band Anakin pretty much is. Now imagine if Weezer, while in space, found some aliens with guitars who wanted Weezer to download their new mixtape, and so they recorded an EP together. If none of this pleases you, then something is horribly wrong with you and you need to seek some help.
 
So Anakin and Sidewave's split EP, fittingly named / is pretty dope. Not going to lie. Anakin has a pretty cute set up, their vocalist has a very metallic feedback in his vocals and they use a lot of synths to establish the space atmosphere that they aim for. Meanwhile Soundwave are more straightforward in their pop rock sound. They also have an instrumental track that is really good... I'm not doing a good job selling this EP... honestly I thought the Weezer in Space analogy would've gotten you guys to check this out already. So I'm just going to stop while im ahead....

egh.

You can stream, download, or buy / here. If you like what you hear, consider supporting Anakin by throwing a few coins their way or by purchasing their brand new LP C.F.S here. You can support Sidewave by throwing a few coins their way or by purchasing their LP Weightless here. You can also share this EP with your friends, they will like Weezer in space! Just remember, a little support and a little word of mouth goes a long way! <3

Rozwell Kid - Good Graphics EP [Pop Rock]

Good Graphics EP cover art
I can't sleep...
Rozwell Kid, for as far as the post-90's pop rock scene goes, is probably the best that the genre has to offer. I had previously given my praise for their 2014 LP Too Shabby for being one of the most cleverly accurate depictions of depression that I've heard in a long time. And while Good Graphics doesn't exactly carry the clever song writing that Too Shabby possessed it's still an incredibly fun and well put together EP that should be given a spin.
 
Good Graphics packs a heavy punch instrumental wise, with loud, buzzing riffs and string arrangements that flow in smoothly with one another and create plenty of catchy hooks to latch onto. There are also a lot of little things that make them stand out, such as the final track's conclusion, where the lead guitar repeats the same notes over and over as it becomes quieter and quieter until eventually the guitar is unplugged and all that can be heard is the plucking of muted notes. It's little touches like that which give the EP an extra boost in musicianship that I really appreciate. While the lyrics may feel a little nonsensical, they're still fun to sing along to and catchy. Even if a little silly. There's a lot more to be said about this EP, but I just say go give it a spin, you won't regret it.
 
You can stream, download, or buy Good Graphics here. If you like what you hear consider supporting Rozwell Kid by throwing a few coins their way or by purchasing the vinyl copies of their previous album Too Shabby here. You can also share this EP with your friends! Who knows, maybe they'll love some Weezer inspired pop rock. Just remember, a little support and a little word of mouth goes a long way! <3 

Thursday, March 19, 2015

LITTLEBLUEWOLF - Teeth [Folk]

I wish that I could just switch off...
So like... imagine if Nicole Dollanganger decided to start a folk band with Ben Howard and then they had a baby. That baby then was mostly ignored because it was ugly and grew up having a lot of emotional problems and then started her own folk band. That's probably the easiest way to describe LITTLEBLUEWOLF and her music. While folk dominates this style of music, you can hear mixes of grunge, rock, and even minor shoegaze LITTLEBLUEWOLF and her music and it works. 

Teeth is a testament to this. Haunting and brimming in intimacy. Blue Wolf's songwriting and softly cooed words float in a sparse atmosphere that captivates and invokes sadness from listeners. Mulling about things that feel a little too personal for people subtly. Metaphors and clever songwriting get's the point across strongly without feeling like it's being bashed on your head. You can draw conclusions to what Blue Wolf is trying to say, and with how well composed and interesting this EP is you won't mind spinning it again to figure it out.

You can stream, download, or buy Teeth here. If you like what you her consider supporting LITTLEBLUEWOLF by throwing a few coins her way. I hear she was raised by wolves, she needs that money guys. You can also share this album with your friends, because this is a really beautiful EP that needs to be heard by more people. Just remember, a little support and a little word of mouth goes a long way! <3

[Noisetrade] The Afterlight - Chasing Stars [Rock/Punk]

We're chasing stars...
I adore this album, it's one that I've been wanting to share for a long time but haven't been able to because it's a Noisetrade exclusive. And since this blog is Best of Bandcamp Free and not Best of Noisetrade free I had to debate if I wanted to just ignore it or break the rules and share it. And since I haven't updated in such a long time and free music is dope. I decided to share it anyways. If this offends you, deal with it.

Anyways, Chasing Stars is a punk rock album from Arizonian group The Afterlight. While the intro may sour some out, since it's opening narrative isn't strong and a little cheesy. The eerie mixes of sci-fi inspired synths and heavy guitar droning opens up the explosive introduction track The Beginning of the End flawlessly. The album carries the same explosive energy through each track with half high octane, explosive punk rock bangers and nice, slow, and mellow ballads that strengthen the foundation of the album. Rather it be the fast tracks like G.F.Y and These Aren't The Voids You're Looking For or the ballads like Chasing Stars and End of October. This album only continues to deliver with each following track and won't disappoint anyone.

You can stream, download, or buy Chasing Stars here. If you like what you hear consider giving The Afterlight a tip by throwing a few coins their way. You can also share this album with your friends, because it's pretty dope. Just remember, a little support and a little word of mouth goes a long way! <3

***NOTE***
Because this is the first time I have linked a Noisetrade article please read this guide on how to download albums here. I will also keep instructions for download over on the "General Information" tab. I would appreciate some feedback on including other sites for free music, since I can only find so many albums on Bandcamp at a time and don't want this place to die. Thank you. 

Friday, March 13, 2015

Flanders - Holding On [Punk Rock]


Holding On cover art
Write my life away...
Naming your band after Simpson's characters seems to be a growing trend here... anywho Holding On is the debut EP by Flanders. It's pretty neat-o. Aaron DuRall delivers an interesting vocal performance with a sing/yell style and catchy backing vocals to support it. The main instrumentals are also pretty catchy in themselves, fitting comfortably in with Aaron's vocal style. This is a pretty short EP, only 5 tracks and slightly over 20 minutes. It's also interesting enough to warrant you checking it out.
 
You can stream, download, or buy Holding On here. If you like what you hear consider supporting Flanders by throwing a few coins their way. You can also share this album with your friends, because they like bands named after Simpson's characters. Just remember, a little support and a little word of mouth goes a long way! <3

Lucidalabrador - I/M/M/I/G/R/A/N/T/S [Alt Rock]

It's all for you...
I'm a sucker for many things and one of those things are falsetto vocals at random in songs. Considering that Lucidalabrador has a lot of that, I can safely recommend this EP to just about anyone. Falsetto isn't your cup of tea? That's A-OK! Because this EP also happens to offer a fine collection of solid indie rock and alt rock tunes that will get anyone spinning this record for a while.

This EP is filled with a large variation of styles. Rather it be the restrained and slow Daddy or the heavy hitting Lila with a snappy bassline and a poppy chorus, or Caroline with a laid back progressive rock feel. There is a little something here for everyone, which is what makes the EP stand out overall. While the first two tracks settle more on poppy rock sounds with more creative flairs than you can shake a stick at. The last half of the EP focuses more on laid back, experimental rock. So... yeah. Go check it out!

You can stream, download, or buy I/M/M/I/G/R/A/N/T/S here. If you like what you hear, consider supporting the band by throwing a few coins their way or by purchasing a physical copy of their EP located on their bandcamp page. You can also share this album with your friends! Those dogs are pretty hot, I'm just saying. Just remember, a little support and a little word of mouth goes a long way! <3

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

[NO LONGER FREE] Red Giant - Drones [Trip Hop/Experimental]

Drones cover art
Into the atmosphere...

Why, hello. Where did you come from? More importantly, why didn't you arrive sooner? Red Giant, whoever they are, take the traditional roots of trip-hop and drop it on a downtempo, post-dubstep-esque base and then give us a beautifully haunting female vocalist who gives each track incredibly eerie atmospheres and personalities. Needless to say, this is probably one of the best EP's to be released in 2015. 

The tracks of this EP have plenty of life to them, with incredibly intriguing skittery beats blending in with atmospheric synths, punching drums and kicks, and unsettling vocal samples that give the album a dark and mysterious feeling that is only further exemplified by the group's vocalists. Who's mixture of soft spoken and sung lyrics with dark and poetic themes play with one another to create a chemistry that is completely unexpected from a fresh new group. This doesn't even mention the two featured vocalists, who bring their own special tricks to the table.

I don't know where Red Giant came from, but if Drones is a sneak peak of what is to come with this duo then these guys are someone that need to be on your radar. You can steam, download, or buy Drones here. If you like what you hear, consider supporting Red Giant by throwing a few coins in their way. You can also share this EP with your friends, they remember what trip-hop is, right? Just remember, a little support and a little word of mouth goes a long way! <3

Stream/Download/Buy: Bandcamp

Scattle - Scrapped EP [Electronic/French House]



Scattle, for those who aren't familiar with the name, is another artist who worked on the ever popular Hotline Miami soundtrack. Though before he made dark synthwave songs to smash heads into, he made french house. Very good french house mind you. With a repeating series of funky and groovy basslines, samples, and vocal chops this three track EP is an incredibly catchy collection of tracks that you should get down to.

Or you can bash in people's heads. I really don't care what you do in your spare time. You can stream, download, or buy Scrapped EP here. If you like what you hear consider supporting Scattle by throwing a few coins his way or by purchasing his official Hotline Miami soundtrack along with the game itself because it's still the most kick-ass game ever. You can also share this album with your friends, so you can all get funky. Just remember, a little support and a little word of mouth goes a long way! <3

This Is Me Smiling - Only Uphill [Indie Rock/Pop]

Only Uphill cover art
I just kept running...
As far as the indie pop rock genre goes, This Is Me Smiling is a band that offers a good share of creativity and an even better offering of good pop rock indie... other genre buzzwords. With a big focus on alternative styles, but with more poppy rock and indie styling for flavor Only Uphill is an album that does an awful lot for it's genre that will be sure to bring anyone who is even remotely a fan of the genres to enjoy it.
 
From opening track Hiding to closing track Manage to Manage Yourself Me Smiling bring in a load of accessible tracks with the fun riffs of electric and acoustic guitars, bouncy piano lines, a brilliant vocal performance, and a whole series of special effects and interesting melodies. Think the instrumentals of Fun. meets the quirky innocence Interpol meets the snarky writing of Fall Out Boy. If this doesn't sell you, listen to it anyways. It's good and it's free.
 
You can stream or download Only Uphill here. If you like what you consider supporting This Is Me Smiling by purchasing their debut album located... somewhere else I guess. You can also share this album with your friends, because I'm pretty sure they'll like it. This is just one of those albums that I'm pretty sure everyone will like. Just remember, a little support and a little word of mouth goes a long way! <3

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Pegboard Nerds x MisterWivers - Coffins [Electronic/Trap/Bass]

 
The thought of carrying coffins...
Hey! Do you like trap? Do you like bass? Do you even know what either of these genres are? Anyways, Coffins is a collaborative track between EDM duo Pegboard Nerds and indie-pop group MisterWives that offers an insanely energetic trap hybrid with some excellent vocals thrown in to seal the package.
 
Starting with the few strums of a guitar, a sudden catchy kick beat complements the vocals provided by Misterwives before leading into a quick paced trap beat for it's first drop and later a very interesting glitch like breakdown in the end of the song. Fast, energetic, and fun Coffins is a great collab that should be downloaded by anyone who is a fan of electronic music.
 
You can stream or download Coffins here. If you like what you hear consider supporting Pegboard Nerds by purchasing any of their tracks from the Monstercat Media catalogue or by purchasing any of the full length compilations they're featured on. You can support Misterwives by purchasing their brand new full length LP here. You can also share this album with your friends, because the cover has boobs... oh wait, actually the music is cool. Just remember, a little support and a little word of mouth goes a long way! <3

Saturday, March 7, 2015

Best of Bandcamp Free Poll

Hello, this is the dude who writes these terrible blog posts and provides you cheap folks with some fancy free music. I wish to further improve the quality of this blog for the readers who visit this blog daily as I have gained a large amount of readers in the past month. Please take a minute or two to answer the questions on this survey that will inquire about you and your thoughts on this blog in it's current state. 

The link is here: http://goo.gl/forms/SIytv72AzE
For anyone who is going to take this poll, I wish to thank you.

Low Gravity - Incarnadine [Stoner Rock/Metal]

Archimedes! No! It's filthy in there... 
These guys seem to have a thing for naked chicks. Or at least, sexually suggestive chicks. Don't worry though, mutilated chicks is a new kink for them and isn't a common trend. Incarnadine is a stoner metal type of album and it goes pretty hard. I think. I actually don't listen to metal that much so I can't really be the proper judge of that. I do know this album is pretty dope though. The dark atmospheres mixed with the distorted yelling on the tracks create a powerful bond of sound. Each track as it progresses into insane climaxes are intriguing and keep you on the edge of your seat as they reach their destination. It's an album that is great to listen to and a good entry in the genre... I think. Again I don't listen to this genre at all so I'm just going with my gut.

Also, this is on a completely unrelated note. But I am watching my sister watch Casper's Scare School. Why is Casper so beta? You can stream, download, or buy Incarnadine here. If you like what you hear consider supporting Low Gravity by throwing a few coins their way. You can also share this album with your friends, because they have a kink for mutilated chicks. Just remember, a little support and a little word of mouth goes a long way! <3

MACINTOSH PLUS - FLORAL SHOPPE [Vaporwave]

The future of music is heeeeeere...
FLORAL SHOPPE is an albumby American producer Vektroid, which caused an immense amount of drama when the album tackled the age old question of "Is this music tho?" This album, along with the rest of the genre known as vaporwave is an incredibly odd genre to say the least. While mainly electronic, the production values and composition is completely perverted from what is usually considered the norm.

Think of it as glitch, chill, and spa music coming together to create an oddly relaxing album. You get FLORAL SHOPPE. Which while this may all sound like a major turn off, don't make the mistake of not giving this album a chance. It's reliance on samples from vocalists such as Jamie Foxx and compositions form games like Turok help get some of the more reluctant comfortable with this record. It's atmospheric sounds are catchy and the technical grooves of the album will get you hooked like cocaine. There is a lot of pretentious subjects that people attach to this album, nostalgic of old computer times, challenging the norm of music, and so many more. And I must ask, who gives a damn? This is chill as hell.

You can stream, download, or buy FLORAL SHOPPE here. If you like what you hear consider supporting MACINTOSH PLUS (Vektroid) by throwing a few coins her way. You can also share this album with friends, because they totally won't thing you're an annoying hipster when you show them this music. Just remember, a little support and a little word of mouth goes a long way! <3

Estates - Gleam [Slowcore]


Forgive me if my thoughts on Gleam are a little vague, I'm not too familiarized with the "slowcore" genre of music so most of my thoughts on this album are mainly based on my not being entirely sure what exactly is actually going on here. Which just like that Kawaii album I linked the other day I actually couldn't tell you if it's good or not so don't make fun of me for having bad music tastes please.

With that disclosure out of the way, this is a pretty solid record. Gleam prides itself in calming guitar work that progresses at comfortable and calming rates. The walls of distortion plays in well with the pained vocals and it gives a good amount of depth in hand with some of the more subtly placed instruments such as the acoustic guitars in So Unsure. Something that is very reminiscent of Brand New's Deja album. Gleam is an album that should be listened to as soon as possible.

You can stream, download, or buy Gleam here. If you like what you hear consider supporting Estates by throwing a few coins their way or by purchasing the Vinyl copy of the album. You can also share this album with your friends, because they know what Slowcore... right?

Schizoid Llyod - The Last Note in God's Magnum Opus [Avant Garde/Metal]

What is even going on...
What do you expect from an album that's first track is titled Suicide Penguin. If the answer is anything normal then you are stupid. Schizoid Lloyd are a dutch progressive metal group that blends in everything but the kitchen sink for their music, creating an album filling to the brim with complete and utter chaos. Insane progressions, off color vocals and instrumentals, and a series of opera, prog metal, hard rock, and all the sort is present in this incredibly solid, if a little unfocused, record.

If you have been looking for something completely new and original, try this record. It won't be every day you listen to something so odd and different. You can stream, download, or buy The Last Note here. If you like what you hear consider supporting the album by throwing a few coins in the band's direction. You can also share this album with your friends, because... yeah. Just remember, a little support and a little word of mouth goes a long way! <3

Monday, March 2, 2015

The Grouch, Eligh, and CunninLynguists - The WinterFire EP [Hip-Hop]

The WinterFire EP cover art
100 years is worth every sentence...
Hip-hop super power the CunninLynguists team up with producer Eligh and spoken word vocalist The Grouch to bring The WinterFire another excellent entry in the CunninLynguists' discography and an incredibly solid EP worth picking up. Although The Grouch's style of presentation, a heavy spoken word blend with hip-hop flows may be a turn off to some there is plenty of amazing things to be heard in this album.
 
Kno and Eligh's joint production allows for plenty of atmospheric instrumentals and beats. Blending in spacey synths and haunting vocal cuts that spread through each piercing drum of every track. The darkness of the instrumentals on this album only further power the writing of angst, betrayal, heartbreak, and the pure evil of the world. Five tracks that put the dark side of humanity on display with mixtures of haunting production make WinterFire an EP that you can't afford to miss.
 
You can stream, download, or buy WinterFire here. If you like what you hear consider supporting CunninLynguists, Eligh, and The Grouch by throwing a few coins in their way or by purchasing their releases located on the bandcamp page. You can also share this album with your friends, they'll like this. Trust me. 

Uniform Motion - Without You [Folk Pop]

Without You cover art
There's no show without you...
I've always found folk pop to be a guilty pleasure of mine, for a genre that usually wallows in intimacy via depressing sounds and writing its always pleasing to see a group create a more up-beat pop spin on the genre in hand. Uniform Motion, a folk pop duo started in 2008 combine elements of multiple genres with a heavy emphasis on bright indie music.
 
Without You the first single from their 2011 album One Frame Per Second is a cute track with a nice range of falsetto cooing and an upbeat ukulele leading the instrumentals of the track. Short, sweet, and a joy to listen to Without You is a good showcase of the duo's talents and a fun track to listen and indulge on. 
 
You can stream or download Without You here. If you like what you hear consider supporting Uniform Motion by purchasing any of their four LP's located on their bandcamp page. You can also share this album with your friends because everyone needs a good guilty pleasure. Just remember, a little support and a little word of mouth goes a long way! <3