Entertainment For The Braindead- "Dry Wood" (MP3)
Entertainment For The Braindead - "Pirates" (MP3)
Entertainment For The Braindead - "Roadkill" (MP3)

Julia Kotowski aka Entertainment For The Braindead got bonded by the strings of her banjo. She discovered sweet moments, beautiful melodies and that slight sad mood what shines through all her songs. We are happy to get the chance to listen to them. Just dive into her world and get carried away. I won't say no more, just listen, enjoy and get your own hand-crafted record at her website. Like always there will be only a few unique copies.

MP3 Pop Music Download

Download: Entertainment For The Braindead – "Roadkill" (ZIP-Archive)
Artist-Website: www.entertainmentforthebraindead.com
Release: Entertainment For The Braindead – “Roadkill”
Netlabel: www.aaahh-records.net

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What is truly remarkable on “Canções da Lua Nova” (in portuguese “Songs of the New Moon”) is that these eleven songs (and an outro) were in kept in a drawer for over thirty years.

Alexandre Bateiras - Porto Largo (MP3)
Alexandre Bateiras - Variações sobre um Tema Melancólico (MP3)
Alexandre Bateiras - Valsa em Fá# Menor (MP3)

Though Alexandre Bateiras has always been a portuguese-guitar player – he plays since he was 15 -, he was never concerned about releasing new songs. Well, it was only due to his son's persistence that the tracks saw daylight.

Please make notice to the fact that you're not listening to music only, you're listening to the stories that were left behind on Alentejo's plain (South of Portugal). Most of the songs names are real places names. And those that are not still have something important to remind us. For instance, “Tributo” is as tribute to a soldier who died during the portuguese colonial war back in the 60's. Alexandre Bateiras was there, whitnessed the moment and was able to show us what happened with a few chords.

This is instumental portuguese folk: real stories told and played with a portuguese guitar. Stories of a man and somehow of an old generation of people who lived in a quiet rural Portugal and stopped their adolescense to be part of a war.

Regardless the history lesson, these melodies are something that anyone hardly forgets. So take your own time to listen, discover and imagine all the tiny bits of existence that this record brings to life.

MP3 Instrumental Music Download

Download: Alexandre Bateiras - "Canções da Lua Nova" (ZIP- Archive)
Artist Website: http://www.myspace.com/bateiras
Release: Alexandre Bateiras - "Canções da Lua Nova"
Netlabel: Merzbau

Game Soundtrack

Julian Winter - "Sewer or Later" (MP3)
Julian Winter - "Godsend" (MP3)
Julian Winter - "Den" (MP3)

Alchemia is a point and click adventure in the tradition of the beautfil Samorost and Samorost 2 games. And it's the visual counter part of Julian Winter's "Rock Art EP" or the other way round. Like the game, you listen to lots of samples, which generate a dense atmosphere along with the melodies. Like the game everything is handmade, no synthies doodling around.

And where could this EP better fit than on the outstanding Pause Netlabel. Even while Pause is a netlabel for 8-Bit Culture its connection to games and the indie games scene is obvious. Often I ask myself why netlabels don't try in general more often to cooperate with indie game programmers.

MP3 Soundtrack Music Download

Download: Julian Winter - "Rock Art EP"  (ZIP-Archive)
Artist-Website: www.julianwinter.de
Release: Julian Winter - "Rock Art EP"
Netlabel: Pause Netlabel

Emilie Lund - "Childhood Friend" (MP3)
Emilie Lund - "Rewind" (MP3)

Five tiny songs, acoustic guitar, vocals, some little gimmicks every now and then. Emilie Lund's voice is slightly girlish but brings forth a certain mature timbre I enjoy a lot. I tend to say she sounds very Swedish although I can not explain what this means - maybe it's the very rolemodel Nina Persson burned into my mind. Hard to resist however.

Despite her voice and the fact Emilie writes beautiful and mesmerizing melodies, her songs are always more than just folky lullabies. There is a strong 60s feel about her selftitled EP. I can hear she is up for the likes of Vashti Bunyan, Nick Drake, Brian Wilson, Van Dyke Parks and everything in-between. Still the record does not sound dated by any chance.

Emilie Lund opens a jewel case filled with delicate Art-Pop, dreamful abstractions of US-American Folklore and these little bit of edges I called black spots in the introduction. In "Rewind", she sings "He went searching for her love as if  / his love weren't imporant / Even tried to heal her scars as if / his scars weren't important". Boy she's gorgeous.

MP3 Folk Pop Music Download

Download: "Emilie Lund EP" (ZIP-Archive)
Artist-Website: myspace.com/emilielund
Release: Emilie Lund - "Emilie Lund EP"
Netlabel: aaahh-records.net

The Black Atlantic - Dandelion (MP3)
The Black Atlantic - Heirloom (MP3)
The Black Atlantic - Old, Dim Light (MP3)

It all started with a Valentine's gift. It was back in 2006 when Geert van der Velde wrote a song for his girlfriend. She must have liked it. They married and Geert formed a band. The Black Atlantic was born. Two years, several gigs and countless jams later, the group has recorded its debut album, "Reverence for Fallen Trees". It was created over the fall of 2008 in a log cabin in the Adirondack Mountains.

It seems as if Velde and his band took a deep breath to capture the world around and inside of them - "Reverence for Fallen Trees" is the introspective and intimate outcome. For the lovers of soft tunes and sweet melodies, The Black Atlantic might be a new favorite band that it's really worth watching out for.

Virtual omnipresence. The Black Atlantic do the right thing. As an indie band, the dutch four-piece has not only signed to a wonderful and dedicated netlabel (Beep! Beep!), they are also virtually omnipresent. Next to their official site, they use Twitter, Myspace, Last.fm, Hyves, Facebook, Mininova and man, they are on Wikipedia! That's how it should be! Another great thing: You can get their album on vinyl and/or cd. Even better: You can see them live on their upcoming european tour.

Free Pop MP3 Music Download

Release-Download: The Black Atlantic - "Reverence for Fallen Trees" (RAR-Archive)
Release Site: The Black Atlantic - "Reverence for Fallen Trees"
Artist Website: www.theblackatlantic.com/
Artist Myspace: www.myspace.com/theblackatlantic
Netlabel: Beep! Beep! Back Up The Truck

Oskar Hallbert - "21 (Unsent Letter)"
Oskar Hallbert - "03 (From the Stockholm Tape 2)"

Oskar Hallbert is a Swedish composer who does not only incorporate instruments like piano, guitar and woodwinds in his music but intensively focuses on blurry field recordings and the warm hiss you got from cheap microphones. Beauty, in case of Hallbert, seems to happen as in passing. Like not intended. In a sudden, harmonies cross and form melodies, then move apart again. A moiré effect.

This is wonderfully fragile- and the more you don't expect a song to touch you the more you're moved if it does, eventually. For me, Oskar Hallbert is a kindred spirit to Vienna wunderkind David Schweighart whose album is online for free with 12rec. Netlabel and worth every second as well.

Hallbert's EP "Sids Apartment" (ZIP link!) was out on Rainmusic in 2008. You easily will agree that the French label is the perfect place for music like his. "1123581321345589" was released on an US CDR label before, now luckily Zymogen re-publishes the 10 + 79 tracks (!) for free. Take your time and enjoy this tender trip into bliss and beauty!

MP3 Folk Music Download

Download: "1123581321345589" (ZIP)
Release: Oskar Hallbert - "1123581321345589"
Artist-Website: myspace.com/oskarhallbert
Netlabel: zymogen.net

Gillicuddy - "II" (MP3)

Let's start with the downer - behind the five tunes the tracklist promises, only two songs lurk actually. "I" and "II" are the same as "IV" and "V", as an interlude "III" is ten seconds silence. "The Repeating Thoughts Of Old Zinng Zanng". Got it?

Gillicuddy a.k.a. Andreas Rohden is much more subtle songwriter on his new EP than it was the case on "Shmalhans is Kuechenmeister". Both "I" and "II" are subtle and decent Folk songs that deliver a certain 60's feeling but are far to clever to be judged retro. The two-voiced vocals are very beautiful. Gillicuddys' songs float in a strange place in-between, they do not seem to serve any purpose. While "I" is a bit more traditional, say Wilco meets Sea & Cake,  "II" takes the song imperciptible into textural regions, makes it disappear somehow.

Fading in, fading out, diappearing...  after ten seconds silence, "I" and "II" repeat themselves as "IV" and "V". And although it is sad we only get these two new songs to hear, the concept makes sense. Very good.

MP3 Folk Music Download

Download: "The Repeating Thoughts Of Old Zinng Zanng" (ZIP-Archive)
Artist-Website: www.gillicuddy.de
Release: Gillicuddy - "The Repeating Thoughts Of Old Zinng Zanng"
Netlabel: www.restingbell.net

Anois - Beds And Dishes (MP3)

Anois - Waltz Of Wolfs (MP3)

Anois - Homecall (MP3)

Anois is Lars Kranholdt and Anne Baier from northern Germany. Lars is not a newbie to aerotone and the netaudioscene and neither is Anne. As This Mess Is Mine Lars already put out two bedroom folktronica EPs at aerotone. Together with his brother Daniel, he appeared on two compilations of the aerotone netlabel. As Leander they drift towards a slightly more electronica style, that can still be coined folktronica, but with less folk in it. Anne does not seem to be as busy, but hey, she doesn't have to - as long as she keeps teaming up with Lars to create such lovely songs as they do as Anois.

"Tree House Whispers" is not the first Anois-Release. They have had a few appearances at the mexican netlabel poni republic. "Tracery On A Frosted Window" was their debut and they also did a split EP with Sunday Parlours. Now, more than one year after their release at the poni republic, they are back with new material, that is a diverse mix of original folkpoptronica. Some songs sound surprisingly happy ("Beds and Dishes), while others are full of cloudy moods and melodies that offer you quite a big sip of a sweet drink called melancholy ("November").

There is one thing about this album that makes it difficult to make up an opinion. Diversity. The 13 songs on "Tree House Whispers" somehow don't seem to fit on this album. On the other hand it is the diversity that makes this album even more interesting to my ears. You get handclapping popsongs that make you sing along, folky tunes that have been added up with some electronic bits and pieces and sometimes there is a noisy atmosphere and experimental glitch hidden in between some bedroom-folk that comes along with lovely instruments like strings, trumpets, glockenspiel and other kling-klang stuff.

This is definitely an album with a lot to discover. Enjoy your journey!

If you sign up to aerotones newsletter, there is even more to discover, because every subscriber gets a second Anois release for free!

MP3 Folk Pop Music Download

Download: Anois - "Tree House Whispers" (ZIP-Archive)
Artist-Website: www.myspace.com/anois
Release: Anois - "Tree House Whispers"
Netlabel: www.aerotone.net

Free, MP3, Music, Download, Netlabel,

Telafonica - "Angels We Have Heard On High" (MP3)
Eliza Magill - "Joy To The World" (MP3)

Actually, this compilation is only four songs and one musical collective:

Sydney-based Telafonica start with their version of "Angels We Have Heard On High". Absolutely intriguing, the band contrasts their coldish Trip Hop / Electronica sound with the heavenly "Gloria, in excelsis Deo" hookline of the traditional carol. Wonderful voices (Magill/ Elmer), wonderful trumpets.

Second is Telafonica songstress Eliza Magill. Her version of "Joy to the World" is far more traditional, but nonetheless skilful and beautiful. In duet with the male vocals (Adrian Elmer), the whole version sounds like a light-hearted version of Low (who must be names when it comes to Christmas carols of course). Fully acoustic, intimate recording, a heartbreaker.

The Lessons in Time hails from New South Wales and deliver the lopsided part of this compilation. Pretentious on first listen, a revelation at repeated performance! Blake Wassell, the lad behind the moniker, delivers an emotional lo-fi version of "O Holy Night" and raises the hymnal potential of the original to higher power. The Australian Liger? Oh, he plays in Telafonica as well!

Eventually, Telafonica join for a last hymnal. "Good News (Sing for Joy)" I wasn't able to identify properly, but who cares? Trip Hop and electronic music-influenced Popmusic, only the female vocals fit the concept better.

Thank heavens to nethymnal.org for the spiritual guidance!

MP3 Pop Music Download

Download: "A Whale in a Manger" ZIP
Artist-Website: telafonica.blogspot.com
Netlabel: 4-4-2music.com

XYDZO - "A Bali Na Bega" (MP3)<
XYDZO - "Djug" (MP3)
XYDZO - "Kuhtu" (MP3)

First off, the term Folklore might be misleading. Ulmar's approach to music is fully electronic, XYDZO is not about going back to the essentials, restoration or whatever. While listening to "Y" the reference that came to me repeatedly was "My Life in Bush of Ghosts" by Eno & Byrne.

Back in 1981, Ambient music pioneer Brian Eno and Talking Heads frontman David Byrne hooked up to create a artificial documentation of tribal music, ethnic field-recordings and Avantgarde Pop. Ljekio Ulmar adopts a similar position. He takes elements from Russian and African Folklore, popular and electronic music and glues it together to something new and exiting. This is wonderfully successful due to his substantial understanding of Pop music and music in general (is the title "Y" itself a meta-reference to the Pop Group's abrasive debut from 1979?).

The album is full of hits. Some will convince on first touch, for some you might need more time. But every single tune features a fresh idea and makes sense in the dramaturgy of the album. Essential listen! Asked for my Netaudio top ten EVER, "Y" would be in.

MP3 Folklore Music Download

Download: "Y" ZIP
Artist Website: myspace.com/xydzo
Release: XYDZO - "Y"
Netlabel: pulsations-for-you.ru

No Snow - "zdb" (MP3)

No Snow is Lyon duo Gael Moissonier and François Virot, the later who was reviewed for his delightful split release with Karaocake and Marie Marie Cells a few weeks ago. However, to get an idea about the Snow music the Virot-link doesn't help an inch.

After some self-distributed CDr on Moissonier's Zero Jardins imprint and two compilation appearances, No Snow hooked up with Portuguese Merzbau Netlabel for an untitled one-track EP. This single 22-minutes song "ZDB" feels like being displaced from a bunch of savages, hidden in their wet dark cave, tortured by tribal drums and subsonic waves of bassguitar.

No Snow are a performance band and obviously not interested in writing songs. Rather Art Brut than Popmusic. They embrace the noise and chance of a live improvisation, distilling their very special Bat Cave aesthetics. On the one hand, there's a clear early 80's No Wave/ Post Punk influence. On the other, No Snow work in the tradition of recent visionaries like Black Dice or the Animal Collective. Low-down brilliant, I'm serious.

MP3 Noise Music Download

Download: "Untitled EP" ZIP
Artist-Website: myspace.com/nosnowww
Release: No Snow - "Untitled EP"
Netlabel: Merzbau

The compilation brings together three young French artist, all situated between edgy Pop- and some kind of lo-fi Folkmusic. Karaocake is the solo outlet of Paris-based Camille Chambon. With four self-published records and a lot of tourring through Europe, the US and Canada in the back, Chambon comes off quite professional. Her loose lo-fi Pop miniatures don't do fortunately. Charming introspect home recordings, and a beautiful voice.

Marie Marie Cells hit the spot more rude. Rumbling bass meets juvenile male vocals meets lurching keys that sound like 90's Shoegaze. A strange combination, but somehow this cheeky Paris boygroup has a knack as well.

François Virot finally delights us with two high quality outtakes from his recent "Yes or No" album. In brutal falsetto, only acompanied by his acoustic guitar, Virot performs his awkward Indiepop. Somewhere between Panda Bear and Stephen Malkmus, François Virot proves himself as a skilled songwriter with loads of ideas and a stunning feel for melodies.

Video "Cascade Kisses"

PS: Read about Virot's No Snow-release at Merzbau Netlabel very soon!

MP3 Pop Music Download

Download: "Release Party CD-R" ZIP
Artist-Website: Karaocake | Marie Marie Cells | Francois Virot
Release: Virot & Friends - "Release Party CD-R"
Netlabel: clappingmusic.com

The first Cantaloup EP never really got me. The sound was right, all the ideas were there. But somehow Thomas Peters didn't manage to make his melodies stick and consequently buried them in reverb. For "On A Hill Not Far Away" , Peters cleaned up sound and songwriting a lot. The reverb is still there but guitars and especially Eva Paul's vocals don't drown within it anymore. The programmed beats are crisp, glockenspiel and piano accomplish the musical line up and work fine for the songs.

The sentiment changes from lovely to lugubrious, and i like the lovely songs better. The first half of the album is formidable without a doubt, most notably "When My Girl Walks Through This Garden".  The eight minute "Crooked Rain" (with buddy Hoodwink) at the end is worth a mention as well (I was excepting a Pavement cover version!). More experimental, closer to his old Postrock band Item maybe, with a impulsive bass guitar, moog flutes and chimes, this tune makes me impatiently await Cantaloup's next moves. High hopes, once again.

MP3 Pop Music Download

Download: Cantaloup - "On A Hill Not Far Away" ZIP
Release: Cantaloup - "On A Hill Not Far Away"
Netlabel: www.aerotone.de
Artist-Website: www.myspace.com/cantaloup

Gabriel Hernandez' Rain Music Netlabel is a good home for Daisuke Miyatani, but Creation Centre is no less. His loose and lo-fi Folk scribbling suit the ideals of Pop on the one hand and an approach of spontaneity and defectiveness and the other. It's a shame the EP is so damn short (just about 8 minutes) but following title and liner notes, it makes perfect sense at last:

"Daisuke's pieces are like trying to remember a dream after you wake up. Familar, but quickly fading into the noise of life. Quickly he is here to remind us of our dreams. to enjoy that we even have them to start with."

Miyatani's music is based around tiny loop-a-like melodies he improvises on his acoustic guitar. Certain field-recordings wash through his compositions, hiss and environmental noise are are important as moments of silence. Sometimes, found sounds work as percussion elements. What I like best about Miyatani is the impressive element calmness and self-absorption of his music. There are similar (Japanese) artists like Kozo Ikendo or  Yuichiro Fujimoto, but Daisuke Miyatani is my favourite.

P.S.: Watch out for his new collaboration LP with 12k's Sawako on Schole Records!

MP3 Folk Music Download

Direct Download: "Fragments EP" ZIP
Netlabel: www.creation-centre.com
Artist Website: www.myspace.com/diskm

Three rather short tracks that bring forth an atmosphere of intense melancholy (even depression), nostalgia and decent creep. First track "Loathe" starts with processed trumpet or cello, it's hard to say. Undefined field-recordings emerge into a motive of precisely distorted synthesizer which takes on the main pitch of the billowing string-arrangement.

"Doria" afterwards has a similar mood but features some more pronounced guitar play. Alongside Machados whispered vocals, the heart rendering guitar melody injects a big potion of melancholia to João Triangular's rather sober drones. The last track is "Untitled" and comes off with a fine Theremine-like synth texture and processed Moog-flutes. Quite minimal but I like it.

P.S.: The absolutely awesome artwork is crafted by João Machao as well. Triangular, no? Chapeau!

MP3 Ambient Music Download

Release Site: João Triangular - "João Triangular EP"
Direct Download: "João Triangular EP" ZIP
Netlabel: www.merzbau-label.org
Artist Website: www.myspace.com/joaotriangular

"The Western Lands" is a Folk record. Despite all the processing, Sousa's guitar-play is what makes up all songs on his album. A handful of simple melodies, some improvisation and a lot of repetition, an trashy amp and the courage to go public with it, Tiago Sousa doesn't need too much to release a cool album.

Weightlessly draped on the infinite howl of a fuzzy guitar, piano and acoustic guitar come together for a beautiful waltz at "The Roads To Western Lands". It's stunning to hear the instruments merge, interfere and ab initio build new structures. Imagine Belgian Free Folk-collective Kaboom Karavan in a slightly more traditional arrangement. Focusing on the interplay of noisy, electric guitar and fine unplugged pickings on top, "Waghdas" is another good example for Tiago Sousa's approach to experimental (Folk) music. With it's haunting distortion grim, first drone "Can Any Soul Survive (...)" is the one extreme, while calm piano/ guitar ballad "The Valley" shows Tiago from his rather dreamy side. Chapeau Tiago!

Make sure to check the excellent liner notes at Resting Bell for some infos about the concept of "The Western Lands" and take a look at the attendant photo session.

MP3 Folk Music Download

Release Site: Tiago Sousa - "The Western Lands"
Netlabel: www.restingbell.net
Artist Website: www.merzbau-label.org/tiagosousa

Visit Merzbau Netlabel as well

IOD Netlabel is run by Alexandre Navarro. He had a good time with EKO and Standard KLIK Music from 2005 to 2007 but decided to go "for real" with SEM in 2008. Up to now, SEM published two beautiful CDs (The Green Kingdom and Navarro's solo debut "Arcane" ). The tiny Netlabel IOD is used to host the free back catalogue of it's Netaudio-precursors and features fresh downloads every now and then. Alex, we'd like to see some more enthusiasm, some more promotion for IOD because EPs like "Three Feet Of" by Brometer need to be heard!

"From One Two" is a composition of subtle brilliance. Loopy guitars, organ, chimes, some dull beats and everything is filtered through omnipresent field-recordings. Like a Four Tet-remix of a Nick Drake song. Elegantly entangled, "A Trap" fuses forward- and backward guitars with tape hiss and ghostly synth beeps. A midnight walk trough the moor can be imagined at "Rotation" . A slow synth pulse, grumpy noise and a wobbling synth-line makes me think of the recent Portishead album. So much talent! Hope to hear more from Mark Sargison and Brometer soon.

MP3 Folk Music Download

Release Site: Brometer - "Three Feet Of"
Netlabel: www.semlabel.com/iod
Artist Website: www.brometer.co.uk

London-based Polymorphic Music released a nine-track album of Gareth Dickson exactly one year ago. Due to their rare promotion activities, I missed it back then but re-discovered it now. The bulky titled "Sampler" is something like a best of-compilation including exclusive tunes as well. Most songs can be found on "Solina Sea", initially released as part of the "Mineral Series" at Benbecula records, some are derived from his debut "Spruce Goose" published by vanished Sleeping Man label.

Gareth Dickson writes beautiful acoustic Folksongs with an idea of gentle Jazz. Decently processed by reverb and delay, Dickson "stretches" his chords to slowly evolving ambient textures that bring forth memories of Labraford, Gastr Del Sol or Berlin-based Taunus. His vocals are a obvious bow to Nick Drake, but he uses them in a distinct manner. Despite singing strophes and choruses he rather scatters fragments of text across the tracks, some songs work without vocals at all. Gareth Dickson manages to satisfy both the Folk- and the fans of experimental music. An awesome record! Don't miss it.

A sunny day in Glasgow, a man, a guitar.

Free MP3 Folk Music Download

Release Site: Gareth Dickson - "Sampler"
Netlabel: www.polymorphic-music.co.uk
Artist Website: www.myspace.com/garethdickson

Cheky and Loocila's (Jóvenes y Sexys) debut „Bruno EP“ starts with the sound of a cuckoo clock and introduces the song „El Reloj“ (The Clock). Just a few seconds later they come up with their omnipresent acoustic guitar that is the basis for all of their songs. As soon as the vocals set in, they catch you with sweet melodies that are often accentuated with suitably keyboard-sounds.

While the first two songs are in Spanish, the second half of Jóvenes y Sexys' „Bruno EP“ is in English. On „Gold Day“ they were supported by Joiejoiejoie, who is also releasing at the mexican netlabel Poni Republic. The last song of their lovely EP is called „Divine Hammer“ and is my favourite track by the mexican-venezuelan duo, because it just makes you sing along: "I'm just looking for one divine hammer. One divine hammer, one divine hammer. I'd bang it all day..." And let's be honest: aren't we all looking for a divine hammer sometimes?

MP3 lofi-folk-pop Music Download

Download: Jóvenes y Sexys - "Bruno EP" (RAR-File)
Release: Jóvenes y Sexys - "Bruno EP"
Netlabel: Poni Republic
Artist Website: www.myspace.com/jovenesysexys

Pourquoi me Reveiller was founded in 1998 and means "Why awaken" or in a broader sense "Why should I wake up". In 2005 they recorded their debut full length "They took my bed outside". Although the opener is called "bloody hours of nasty torture", recording the album must have been great fun because each song on their debut LP sounds completely different.

Besides the typical indie-setup (guitar, bass and drums), Pourquoi me Reveiller introduced piano, accordion, electronic sounds, samples and noise elements, that helped to create an eclectic indie-rock album, that ranges from experimental rock to acoustic pop. The Dutch septet is currently working on new songs, until those are put on an album, you can find "They took my bed outside" at Dying Giraffe Recordings.

MP3 Indie Rock Music Download

Release: Pourquoi me Reveiller - "They took my bed outside"
Netlabel: Dying Giraffe Recordings
Artist Website: www.pourquoimereveiller.com

The organic, sensitive and emotional sound of their homerecorded 13 track debut is highlighted through Paus and Marias voices that perfectly fit into the glockenspiel, piano, keyboard and guitar sounds. Their music is based on looped instrumental sounds that are usually slowly building up until the point where the drums or vocals start.

Although "Adéu" and "Por" are my favourite tracks, you should get the whole picture by listening from the first to the last song of their very personal and intimate album, which is "a mixture of nostalgia, nature and "home made" to them. What is also very special about U_mäs album, is their decision to sing in their native language (Catalan). For people who are interested in the meaning and lyrics of their songs, Pau and Maria have added an explanation and translation to each of their songs.

MP3 Folk/Acoustic Music Download

Website: www.umabcn.com
Download: U_mä - s/t (Error-Lofi) ZIP
Release: U_mä - s/t
Netlabel: www.error-lofi.com/

Is it indie or pop, is it folk or singer/songwriter? It doesn’t matter. Their blend of humor and sadness, darkness and light is impressive and suddenly there is no need to label their music in terms of a genre.

Susanna’s lovely voice, that doesn’t need a lot of instrumental support and Björn’s great talent to write extraordinary popsongs like “The best days of my life” formed a musical couple that fits perfectly. This is probably one reason for Björn to have Susanna with him as a constant member of his live band.

“Blood bone / Home alone 2” contains four songs by each artist and it was originally released on tape(!), which was put out by froggi records in 2007. The Scandinavian music journal it’s a trap re-released the tape as a free digital EP. One more hint for you: Björn and Susanna are on tour through Europe (mostly Germany) and you should make sure to drop by and say hello to them after you’ve seen their show at your local venue. Click here to check out the tourdates.

Free Pop MP3 Music Download

Release Site: Björn Kleinhenz & Winter Took His Life - “Blood bone / Home alone 2”
Artist Website: http://www.wintertookhislife.net/, http://www.kleinhenz.se/
Artist Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/wintertookhislife, http://www.myspace.com/bjornkleinhenz

Mark Denardo grew up with playing different traditional instruments and at a certain age he rediscovered the gameboy. Since then the New York (Brooklyn)-based musician and composer treats the nostalgic plastic machine as a valuable musical instrument and connects familiar gameboy generated 8-bit sounds with traditional blues and folk music, which is especially transparent on his “Lion, Tiger, Bear” EP (listen to the songs “Grass”, “Fare” and “Muse”).

It is important to him to know how to use a technology to expand his horizons. So, using a gameboy is an evolution in composition to him. The way he creates his music is based on a DIY-attitude and spontaneous ideas that are being put on top of each other until there is something that can be called a song. Another fact that needs to be pointed out is that Mark Denardo joined the biggest chiptune conglomerate you can think of: 8bitpeoples. And that’s the place to be for an 8-bit-gourmet. If you want to know more about him, have a look at this short potrait or see him live and in action right here.

MP3 Chipfolk Music Download

Release Site: Mark Denardo - “Lion, Tiger, Bear”
Netlabel: www.8bitpeoples.com
Artist Website: www.markdenardo.com
Artist Myspace: www.myspace.com/markdenardo

“Sweets For The Wild 3” comes along as a double-album featuring 22 songs by 22 artists. Because most of the bands are French, you can gain a pretty interesting insight to the French indie scene. All songs are well produced and of high quality. While most of the songs are easy to follow, some of them need some time to get used to, so be patient. One thing is for sure: your patience will be rewarded, because there is a lot to discover: new and upcoming bands and more importantly, a lot of interesting approaches towards pop music.

“Sweets For The Wild 3” is freely available as MP3 and OGG and while you are surfing the Another Record Website, make sure to check out their other releases, too.

Free Indie Music MP3 Download

Release Site: V.A. - "Sweets For The Wild 3"
Direct Download: Volume I MP3, OGG, Volume II MP3, OGG
Netlabel : http://www.another-record.com

The Hypersomnia EP is a collection of 13 very intimite and warm songs that you will play again, again and again. This dreamy female voice and these wonderful lullabies on Entertainment For The Braindead’s debut consist of a creative mixture of sounds, including keys, ukulele, guitar, flute, glockenspiel and unconventional percussion (boxes, cans and clapping). And it is hard to believe, but this album was recorded on a laptop, only with a USB-microphone attached to it.

The 13 tracks from the Hypersomnia EP are available as a free download, but there is something that makes the whole EP even more valuable: there is a handmade physical edition of the album, which can be purchased on the artist’s website. Each CD is a unique, handmade product, freshly made for each order. The CD comes along with a linoleum printed cover and Julia, the woman behind Entertainment For The Braindead, doesn’t even feel like setting a price for her self released album, so it is your choice to pay whatever you think it's worth. I think you should hurry, because she might run out of paint and glue very soon.

Free MP3 Acoustic Pop Download

Release Site: Entertainment For The Braindead - Hypersomnia EP
Artist Website: http://entertainmentforthebraindead.com/
Artist Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/entertainmentforthebraindead

The four track EP is epically entitled "The World That was Surrounded by a Deep Forest and Warm Light". The artwork shows a vivid painting by Karl Bodmer, a 1809 Swiss-born artist who traveled the "new world" portraiting the North American indigines and white folks settling the west. Alongside the highly figurative title and Bodmer's moony paintings, you get a good idea of Ryonkt's music without having heard a single note.

Ambient guitar music, smooth in tone and rich in texture, this is what Ryonkt is known for. The overall warmth and sunlit harmony of his short-term meditations is striking at first try. Where "Slow Time" was lightly linked to Folk- and Pop music, "The World That was Surrounded" has a more experimental purpose; the fact that Nakata does not forget about certain harmonic and structural changes makes his music unique. Pick your favorite tune, they're all worth it.

MP3 Ambient Music Download

Release Site: Ryonkt - "The World That Was Surrounded (...)"
Direct Download: Ryonkt - "The World That Was Surrounded (...)" (ZIP)
Netlabel: www.restingbell.net
Artist Website: www.myspace.com/ryonkt

The Fiktion music is mainly based on warm guitar-chords, smooth bass-frequency synths and a handful of clicks & cuts. I hear a lot of Americana in his lugubrious slide guitar sighs, Bonnie "Prince" Billy for example, or Califone (listen to "Subjektiv" and "Mjukt, Varmt and Fiktivt"). Taken in account the harmonious luxury and sugary darkness, even Chris Isaak works for comparison.

The way Lundh uses bass guitar and synthesizers brings a cool Dub-element to his already splendid Pop-tunes. In comparison to Americana or Alt. Country, Fiktion is what UK Grime to traditional Hip Hop is: a dark twin, a hardheaded bastard, something new. Tortoise bassist Douglas McCombs (solo as Brokeback) is the only kindred spirit I have in mind. Songs "Fågelfostret" or "Coopers Dröm" will convince you to believe me. Wonderful EP!

Out in the woods with headphones on, what's up with you kids?

MP3 Pop Music Download

Direct Download: Fiktion - "Morfint" (ZIP)
Netlabel: www.fruktrecords.se
Artist Website: www.fiktion.nu

Krowley is 17-years young producer Felix Trawöger. His EP "Four Pieces" is a fresh mixture of melodic, analog instrumentation and urban beats and synths that reminds me a lot of "Eve Future"-releases by Kraftwerk-heirs Kreidler from Düsseldorf. With "I Saw My Lady Weep" Trawöger's EP starts bare naked with piano, spinet and viola. The whole song is a beautiful little piece of chamber music, it's contemporary origin only proven by minor hints. Second bassedanza "Ayre" combines Aphex Twin-style beat patterns with field-recordings and an enjoyable offbeat guitar motive.

For "Cyre", Trawöger descends even further into Pop. The dense guitar instrumentation is left as slave to the mighty LFO-groove of a synth bass-line. You can hear simple drums, somewhere in the middle a flute is introduced. It's stunning to hear how seamless Krowley's neo-Renaissance ideas accord to nowadays genres like IDM or Hip Hop. While last song "Pavane" (!) is a bit boring, "Cyre" is an awesome piece of left-field Electronica. Well done, kid.

MP3 Electronic Music Download

Release Site: Krowley - "Four Pieces"

Direct Download: Krowley - "Four Pieces" (ZIP)

Netlabel: www.autark-net.org

Artist Website: www.myspace.com/polyc1

I was wondering how Eric might achieve the specific Biathalon-sound. All his synths and field-recordings sound a bit like wrapped in wool and the melodies shift in tone like molten cassettes. Imagine a broken tape deck under a blanket, playing Brian Eno and Cluster-tunes. And indeed: all his music is recorded on an old cassette multitracker, as he told me when I got in contact with him, asking about the music. Cool.

The EP starts with the lulling "Warm Front". Though it's very harmonic, a feeling of subtle menace remains... The song captures the feeling of "calm before the storm" quite perfect. For "Neumayer Station" and "Cloud Formation", Eric gets close to the Boards of Canada. With it's minimal oscillations, tiny pitches and overall fluctuation, particularly "Cloud Formation" is more than just copying the Boards' trademark-sound... Eric Satie comes to my mind, and again, Eno.

"Program Information" comes off with a nice set of retro-futuristic synth sounds and gently shifts the atmosphere from sky high to underwater... to bring it all down in the epic 16 minutes-track "Underwater Is A Place To Be Alone". Being the most traditional song on this EP says a lot about Biathalon herein. Pure calm, Eric skillfully combines water sounds, aquanaut breath, smooth rhodes chords and gentle guitar-improv. Music to fall asleep to, if you know what I mean ;)

MP3 Ambient Music Download

Release Site: Biathalon - "Biathalon 2"
Direct Download: Biathalon - "Biathalon 2" ZIP (FLAC ZIP)
Netlabel: www.electronicdiversity.com
Artist Website: www.myspace.com/ericadrianlee
Eric's Painting: www.ericadrianlee.com

East Frisia-born Andreas Rohden aka Gillicuddy spices his compositions with a lot of references to seafaring and life at the seaside in general. For "It This Greenland Already", Rohden sings emphatic and slightly shiftless over raw guitar-chords, shifting from bare-to-the-bone Bluesrock to Avant-Garde Pop and vice versa. Afterwards "Agrippa's Trilemma" begins quite similar but fades into field-recordings just as one would expect the chorus to pop in. Cool maneuver, made me think of Gastre del Sol. "One Day in the Life of Shmallhans" after the smooth instrumental "Hallig" is a creaking waltz and drunken shanty. Rohden layers his different vocal identities above each other and manages to create an authentic honky-tonk feel.

Gillicuddy's EP "Shmallhans is Kuechemeister" refers to an old German saying that is used if there's no food left in the kitchen and "Slender Hans is Chef". As quaint as the title, Rohden voices his grumpy Folk-tunes with a good amount of humor though his music ain't good-humored. That's a rare and dangerous move as serious listeners might feel rejected by Rohden's geek humor. For those who can imagine a mixture of Tom Waits, Jim O'Rourke and Modest Mouse this edgy EP might be suitable!

MP3 Folk Music Download

Direct Download: Gillicuddy - "Shmalhans is Kuechenmeister" ZIP
Artist Website: www.gillicuddy.net

Actually, there is a rather big amount of Westcoast-Pop within this tiny EP. "My Blue Plane", the last of the four tunes, brings forth a strong Beach Boys flavor, dressed in an introvert shoegaze outfit. Simon & Garfunkel came to my mind, too. You can't beat beauty, that's a fact, no matter how many generations passed! Make sure to catch all the little noise, flutes, guitar and vocal-layers... stunning, ethereal.

But there are three more songs to be heard. The opener "Playful Day" is a Animal Collective-style meditation on delay and reverberated clusters of guitar, just fine. "Only Star" comes off as a surprising mixture of smooth Jazz-vocals (Japanes language), chamber Pop and loose snippets of rhythm. The violin introduced here is more prominent deployed in the third tune "Orange". A sweet and innocent Pop-song with melodica, strings and fine guitars-noise in the back, super.

The haunting artwork was done by Ryoko Uchida (no infos though...).

MP3 Pop Music Download

Direct Download: Soto - "Soto EP" ZIP
Netlabel: www.creation-centre.com
Artist Website: www.otosound.net

Kaboom Karavan is mainly Bram Bosteels. For his adventurous Free Folk music, Bosteels regularly gets together with his friends, situated in "a very small town in a rather small country", like he notes on his myspace account. Sounds pretty much like a collective-thing going on, and if you take the open structure of his songs, the high amount of processing and all these jingle bells in account, a certain esoterism-charge might be appropriate.

But Kaboom Karavan have good songs. "Karavanserai", "No More Karavan" and especially "Short Walk with Olaf" are awesomely loose pieces of Blues- and Americana-influenced Post Pop, "Roadmap" is a brilliant composition of ambient and fractal Folk-pickings. After all, "Toambertree", with it's electronic basement more evident, manages to join Free Folk and aggressive Breakbeats surprisingly well. Carefully produced, this album would have been a good hit for Kranky or Constellation records. Hooray we get it for free via Umor Rex!

MP3 Experimental Folk Music Download

Release-Site: Kaboom Karavan - "Short Walk With Olaf"
Direct Download: Kaboom Karavan - "Short Walk With Olaf" ZIP
Netlabel: www.umor-rex.net
Artist Website: www.myspace.com/kaboomkaravan

In this specific context, glamour does not necessarily has to mean opulence & tinsel. Glamour means that Kitzmüller's music is strange, hard to catch and maybe a bit nasty. Will Oldham is glamorous, Mark E. Smith is, too. After all, glamour is one of the singular constants in the colourful Beat is Murder-back catalogue. Think of Liger, remember Robintone's stunning "She Ate All the Pancake"-EP. Vienna-based Werner Kitzmüller sings with his rasping gloomy voice over sparse instrumentals, sometimes distanced ("Light a Hungry"), sometimes with huge effort ("Outta Sorts"). The music is surprisingly catchy, with tight and unspent melodies. If your player can stand a bit of post-teenage drama, this EP is a must-have for you!

MP3 Folk Music Download

Release-Site: Werner Kitzmüller - "Proximity EP"
Direct Download: Werner Kitzmüller - "Proximity EP" ZIP
Netlabel: www.beatismurder.com
Artist Website: www.myspace.com/wernerkitzmueller

Camomille has been a long time a must for people who enjoy the worldwide demoscene and especially the music which comes along with its scene. If you compare the music of today with the beginning, Camomille evolved very much. Nearly all the productions sound professional, vivid and with an ear for details.

Interesting is also the fact, that with its 100th release Camomille makes some sort of statement. Even when the music is build and composed with the help of computers, you'l discover analog instruments like guitars and of course vocals. Also there are nearly no genre-boundries. This compilation with 44 tracks has music for everybody be it IDM, Electronica or electro-acoustic music. Next to internet-music-stars like Lackluster you find music from known artists like Vim and Papercutz who released lately on Petite&Jolie Compilation or Khonnor.

Never mind the name-dropping. I like especially the tracks with vocals composed by Bliss, Troupe and Hendrik José. Great music, with emotions and melodies and some serious infectious hooks.

MP3 IDM Ambient Music Download

Release-Download: V.A. - Cycles
Website: Camomille Netlabel

The eight songs on "Vestibule" are perfect. Really. Sebastian Krueger is a gifted songwriter, arranger and sound engineer. With Nick Drake, Van Dyke Parks and Mark Hollis at hand, he chooses the right instruments for every single tune, finds the correct intonation (delicate, yet on point) and knows about the aural space every single element needs to unfold. "Pictures of Trees" and "Decks, Up and Above" are only random examples for the grandezza, Sebastian knows to unleash.

"Under the guise of a lo-fi project out of a Brooklyn nook, he writes songs for the allergic. The nose itching from time spent sniffling at odd ball instrumental writing, Sebastian began sneezing out lyrical melody. (…) Upon his Kleenex he found traces of flesh toned watercolors and four-part harmony, drops of intimate life moments spelled wrong, and streaks of faces in profile that were unwound from guitar strings."

self-portrait taken from myspace.com/inlets

MP3 Pop Music Download

Release-Site: Inlets - Vestibule EP
Direct Download: Inlets - Vestibule EP ZIP
Netlabel: www.luvsound.org
Artist Website: www.myspace.com/inlets

The whole tour was filmed by mysterious Mike, "a regular dude who likes to film shows", as he writes on eartapes.com. On his website, Mikes provides high-quality videos by his favourite bands and musicians. When Mike heard about Panda Bear's small US tour for his recent album "Person Pitch", he got in contact with Noah, offering his idea to accompany him for three shows. The Panda Bear agreed and Mike shoulderd his digicam. He shot the shows, backstage material, sound checks and filmed an interview. Back home, Mike cut everything to reasonable length, fixed sound track and subtitles and out the whole thing on his website.

It seems like Mike does not want to earn money with his passion because everything is for free: "I am a firm believer that the greatest things in life aught to be free, music being one of those things. Because of this and my respect, appreciation, and gratitude for Panda Bear, there is no necessary charge for this DVD. It will be free." Thank you, mysterious Mike.

DVD Video Download

Release-Site: Panda Bear Live DVD
Website: www.eattapes.com
Artist-Link: Panda Bear

Japanese Ryo released his EP on the brand-new Dog Eared Netlabel. Their website is completely made of jpg-pictures, which is pretty strange in times of highly flexible Web 2.0-domains... Maybe Eduardo and Dave of Dog Eared should think about a structural update! The music they're hosting is fine nevertheless.

"Slow Time EP" by Ryonkt brings forth three tracks that can make you forget your everyday life. Take a dive into his pristine field-recording textures and explore the many atmospheric details Ryo knows to hide in his compositions. Wash away with his relaxed, unpretentious chords and follow them carefully fading-out in the distance. If you got bored by Marsen Jules esoteric meanders lately or his the early Savoy Grand, this EP might suit your interest. "Koune" in our Podcast-player is a good example.

MP3 Ambient Music Download

Release-Site: Ryonkt - Slow Time EP
Direct Download: Slow Time EP ZIP
Netlabel: www.dog-eared-records.com
Artist Website: www.myspace.com/ryonkt

Next to V.O., Pokett and Sepia Hours, Lost on Purpose has always been my favourite in the Sundays in Spring-back catalogue. Will's EP opens with "London". Acoustic guitar, harmonica, good vocal-harmonies and some sketches of piano, that's everything Will Holland needs to construct a clever indie Pop song.

"Ohio 2" afterwards is based on a wonderful piano-backing and the layered vocals that sound a bit like Minnesota's finest Low. Phew! "Lonely Road" is a up-tempo masher with tight acoustic guitar and four-to-he-floor handclaps, while “Thank you Music Guru” comes off with sugar-sweet vocal chords and intimate guitar-play. Like Yo La Tengo backing up for Elliot Smith. While everybody needs to quote influences from British bands nowadays, Will Holland’s American indie Pop-music is like a glass of aged whiskey in a display of neon-coloured alcopops

MP3 Folk/Pop Music Download

Release-Download: Lost on Purpose - Anniversary EP
Netlabel: www.sundaysinspring.net
Artist Website: www.lostonpurpose.com