Ben Wolman has done it yet again! The one and only member of Hello Citizen produced another album that will push Rockers to their limit. “Play This At My Funeral” is Hello Citizen’s second amazing album, packed with jaw-dropping acoustic play and Indie Rock vocals that fits the mood of every listeners. It doesn’t matter if you are in your teens or in your mid-20’s and up, Hello Citizen knows how to mesmerize fans with his very awesome musical gift.

“Play This At My Funeral” has 12 songs. Basically, the album is more of an Acoustic Rock album. Yes, you read that one right. If his first album made your head bang as if you’re in an Oasis concert, this album will not disappoint you as well. Compared from the first album, however, Hello Citizen, also known as Ben Wolman, gave listeners more pieces of his talent in guitar playing. What is amazing about this album is that Ben recorded every track in just a single take and only with his faithful guitar and powerful vocals. He also gave the listeners a true feel of how he performs when he’s on stage.

Three out of 12 songs in this album appeared in Hello Citizen (his first album) already. “The Brave Worms of The Future,” “Straws,” and “Paint By Number” were remastered to fit the album’s theme. The 12 astonishing tracks of “Play This At My Funeral” are listed below:

1. Secretions
2. Bullet Meet Brain
3. The Brave Worms of The Future
4. Eraser
5. Reign of Saturn
6. Will to Become
7. Story to Tell
8. Big Problem
9. Gentleman
10. Straws
11. Paint By Number
12. Play This At My Funeral

Licensed under Creative Commons, this album will surely open your ears to new horizons of Acoutic Rock and really great talent. Downloading “Play This At My Funeral” is going to be like a ticket to hear Ben Wolman aka Hello Citizen play live! This album is undoubtedly worth listening to.

Related Links:
Hello Citizen's Official Website
Hello Citizen on Myspace
Hello Citizen on Facebook
Follow Hello Citizen on Twitter

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License and is available as a free album download directly from the artist's website.

Calling out all rockers! Relive the era of 90's rock by listening to this modern day Indie Rock band called 9Lies – a great band with an interesting name. Their album, "Behind It All," was made available for digital download on July 23, 2007 and is licensed under Creative Commons. The album contains 3 demo songs that will surely make listeners rock like they never did before.

9Lies is a band composed of 5 talented beings, Steve Mann (vocals), Dave Kernohan (guitars), Nick Black (guitars), Chris Cardwell (bass), and Stephen McAuley (drums). The combination of strong 90’s beat and modern rock guitar riffs made this band stand out among the others. The familiarity of their sound is going to be their key to reach out to the old and new generation of rock lovers.

“Behind It All” is also the carrier single of this album. The sound of classic rock with great guitar riffs. Just like typical rock songs in our modern time, “Behind It All” album has very expressive lyrics. One thing that made this piece of art stands out among other rock albums? It’s definitely their upbeat tempo and melodic rock sound – a perfect background for anything and everything. That’s why, I’m pretty sure young and old rock fans will love this. This album also includes “Slippin Away” and “Bilnd.”

As of today, 9Lies made a lot of appearances around Europe and the continental US. You may never know, you might have listened to their songs, but just don’t know who these amazing musicians are. Thanks to their efforts of making “Behind It All” available for download, music lovers will be able to listen to them for free.

Related Links:
9Lies' Official Website
9Lies on Myspace
Follow 9Lies on Twitter

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License and is available for free download from Jamendo.com

Bring out those funky electric guitars and start the head bang, Inward Eye gives back to their fans through their debut EP. Inward Eye EP is all about rocking the house with a classic rock sound, which struck other musicians to the side. The EP consists of 4 hard rocking songs, “Shame,” “Blind Paranoia,” “You Know I Know,” and “Times They Aren’t Changing.” Inward Eye is composed of the Erickson brothers: Dave (vocals/bass), Kyle (guitar/vocals), and Anders (drums). Under the influence of several rock gods, they do know what it means to play the instruments and sing their powerful compositions enough to blow rock enthusiasts away.

The brother’s rock obsession started when they were young. They would hang-out in their house’s basement to listen to their father’s collection of vinyl – not just an ordinary collection of vinyl, but the records of The Mick, Rolling Stones, and The Kinks. From this early experience, it gave birth to their passion for high-voltage and rebellious rock style. “Shame,” the first track found in the EP, made them sound like “a bunch of veteran musicians doing songs they wrote in the Sixties.” They also have produced a music video of the said song, viewable in their YouTube account.

The song is about the problems and the injustice around us. The band even admitted this, "We're twenty-somethings being thrown into the adult world and realizing this is kind of a screwed-up place." Mixing “Shame” and the other three songs resulted to an EP that offers deep anthem, soon-to-be-rock-stars feel, and nerve racking mantra.

Inward Eye EP is a must have for all rock lovers. The band does sound better and younger than their influences, but their essence of being one with the rock genre will truly make listeners feel the best of classic and hard rock.

The 'Download Album' link above requires your email, date of birth & you country info - it's free, but they just want to gather some info about their listeners..

Related Links:
Inward Eye's Official Website
Inward Eye on Myspace
Inward Eye on Facebook
Inward Eye on YouTube

They may be from Ukraine, but that doesn’t mean they can only conquer their own country; Jabberheads are here to rule the airwaves with their album, “Stories Collection.” This album is amazingly beautiful. Packed with 10 Indie Rock tracks that you will surely love, whether or not you are a fan of the genre. Jabberheads does not only concentrate on the said genre, this album also exhibits some astonishing acoustic guitar play and body bouncing bass thud. You can say that they’re into some Acoustic and Reggae, but I think the synthesis of genres developed into only one thing, the “Jabberheads’ Rock.”

“Stories Collection” was released just this October 21, 2009. This fresh album is Jabberheads’ first. Besides from having an enchanting female vocalist, the band is very experimental with their sound. Her voice is indeed complementary with the instruments. This album is very untraditional and interesting. Who says Experimental bands don’t get noticed?

The tracks of “Stories Collection” are

1. Pa Pa Ra Pa Pa
2. About Walls
3. Love Me, Love My Umbrella
4. Pie in The Sky
5. Made in Rain
6. The Kite
7. Falling Angels
8. Years Ago
9. Once in a While
10. Lullaby

“Stories Collection” can undoubtedly bring Jabberheads to the high point success in the music industry. They are truly inimitable and definitely have established their own sound and style. Given the right break and the right exposure, this band will rise above every competition and will continue to create great songs.

Related Links:
Jabberheads' Official Website
Jabberheads on Myspace
Jabberheads' YouTube Channel

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License and is available as a free download from Jamendo.com.

Another great band is slowly making their way to create a name in the industry. During the summer heat of 2007, Earthman Embassy, a band from New Jersey, USA, started creating demo songs in a well-known school called, “Anthony Vitale’s Original Music School.” Slowly, from one song, their compositions developed to two, then to three, until they have written and composed nine great songs that comprised their soft, but rocking, first album, “Demonstrations.”

Earthman Embassy named their first album “Demonstrations” for obvious reasons - it contains their 1st nine demos. Opening the album is the modern rock song “Grumbles.” The song is very comfortable & entertaining to listen to. “Boring Like Her” has a very playful sound compared to other songs featured in this album. George Zeitler (keyboardist) gave life to the slow and very graceful “Lullabies and Gold.”The band shows their talent for modern rock in “Melody of Catastrophe.” The perfect blend of Ben Taylor’s electric guitar play and Tommy Crocker’s showcase of his drumbeat makes this song the rightful track to close “Demonstrations.”

The complete track list for “Demonstrations” can be seen below:
1. Grumbles
2. Boring Like Her
3. Rocketship
4. Lullabies and Gold
5. Live Well With Myself
6. Kingdoms of Secrecy
7. Nothing to Anyone
8. Naïve
9. Melody of Catastrophe

Earthman Embassy is continuously holding gigs around USA. Their tracks in Jamendo are still climbing the charts. If you are looking for a new laid-back Pop Rock listen, then “Demonstrations” is definitely a great addition to your album list.

Related Links:
Earthman Embassy on Myspace
Earthman Embassy on Facebook
Earthman Embassy on Jamnedo

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License and is available as a free album download from Jamendo.com

Sometimes, you find yourself thinking that most Rock-inspired artists are humorless, noisy, and full of grudge. Well, could be true sometimes, but it’s very comforting to find out that there is quite a few artists that may have attached their music to Hard Rock, but still knows how to be playful and witty.

J.E.L.L.i. released his self-titled EP last September 9, 2009. This album is packed with 5 tracks that will blow your world. Featured tracks in this EP may be inspired of Rock origins. Licensed under Creative Commons, this EP is one amazing project that can either push or pull your emotions.

In J.E.L.L.i.’s website, you will find out the paradox of this artist’s character and his songs. There’s actually only one solid person behind J.E.L.L.i. and his name is Christopher “Chris” Sauter. This fellow is influenced by different Rock artists. Chris grew up in a musical oriented family. The Beatles is just one of his influences in his music. As a result, he became a great instrumentalist. He knows how to play almost all musical instruments in a typical band setup.

“The J.E.L.L.i. EP” is comprised of 5 multi-facetted songs. This EP exemplifies Rock in its different subgenres and fusions (i.e. Electric Acoustic Rock, Alternative Punk, Hard Rock, and Alternative). The track list can be seen below:
1. Jenn
2. I Am Blank (Nothing)
3. White Lines
4. Starlight
5. New Dimensions
Catchy and expressive, “The J.E.L.L.i. EP” complements this artists’ matchless talent.

Chris named his band and projects J.E.L.L.i. , because as he explains “J.E.L.L.i. is all natural, fat free organic music... (No pesticides, producers or artificial record labels added...)” that’s the only clue he gave out as to why he named himself and his music that way. He also said that in due time, he’ll reveal the real reason, so let’s just cling to that promise because I'm pretty sure we'll see more of Christopher Sauter and of J.E.L.L.i.

Related Links:
J.E.L.L.i.'s Official Website
J.E.L.L.i. on Myspace
J.E.L.L.i. on Facebook
J.E.L.L.i.'s YouTube Channel
Follow J.E.L.L.i. on Twitter

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License and is available as a free album download from Jamendo.com.

After 7 long months of working and waiting, Ivan Chew and his ccMixter pals finally released their collaborative Creative Commons album, “2009 Twilight Under the Velveteen Skies.” Comprised of 6 extraordinary soothing tracks – five are classified under the New Age genre and one is an instrumental Rock New Age track. Listeners are not only going to be amazed with the creativity, but also with how this smooth sounding album was formed. It’s very peculiar, actually, but thanks to Creative Commons, every artist’s dream is possible.

Ivan Chew never met his ccMixter friends in person. How did they record and mix this album, you ask? Simple, it all worked thanks to the Internet. It all started when Ivan Chew made “Twilight Rock” available for digital download under CC license. His virtual pals from ccMixter did their magic by mixing sounds in his song. And voila, the album compilation was born. Cool, right?

“2009 Twilight Under the Velveteen Skies,” as said, has 6 relaxing songs. This album will simply make the listeners feel the coming of dusk. Hey, Ivan Chew and company called this album with such name for a reason – they want to epitomize the relaxing and serene feeling of twilight and how soft and smooth the “transition” of light will be at this hour.

The track list and credits can be seen below.
1. Under The Velveteen Skies (Credits: Mikael Hansson, teru, Ivan Chew, narva9. Mixed by teru.)
2. Lady of Shalott (Credits: Ivan Chew, narva9. Mixed by Ivan Chew.)
3. Twilight PeaceMix (Credits: teru, Mikael Hansson, Ivan Chew. Mixed by Ivan Chew.)
4. Twilight Falling (Credits: Ivan, Mikael. Mixed by Ivan Chew.)
5. Twilight Rock (Credits: Ivan Chew. Mixed by Ivan Chew.)
6. Twilight Myxtery (Credits: teru, narva9, Mikael Hansson, Ivan Chew. Mixed by teru.)

This album is not only beautiful, relaxing, and spiritual, it can be also said to be inspirational to artists longing to mixed and be playful with their music. “2009 Twilight Under the Velveteen Skies’” rise will mean success to Ivan, to the ccMixter who helped him, and to the artists that desire a chance to showcase their talent and great taste in music.

Related Links:
Creative Commons SG Web Page for 2009 wilight Under the Velveteen Skies
Twilight Under the Velveteen Skies on ccMixter Blog
Twilight Under the Velveteen Skies on Archive.org
Ivan Chew's Blogsite

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Singapore License and is available as a free album download from Archive.org.

Fans of Imogen Heap! Get ready to be blown away by her live performance of “Wait It Out,” from her new album “Ellipse.” After a very long while, Imogen officially released her 3rd album in the market. The album has 13 amazing tracks; “Wait It Out” is the album’s 2nd track. “Ellipse” is actually climbing not only the US and UK charts, but also in the Canadian Album Charts. Too bad the album’s not available for free digital download, but many thanks to TED, Heap fans get a taste of her music live.

Imogen Heap writes songs under the genre of indie, rock, electronic, ambient, pop, and alternative. She is very much inclined to music – she plays 8 instruments and she’s not only a singer-songwriter, she’s also a visual artist. In “Wait It Out,” Imogen lyrically expressed the feeling of wait and not knowing what’s going to happen next. It’s actually a sad song. Mixed with her gentle piano-playing and lovely voice, Imogen really know how to take captive of listener’s hearts.

The featured video was shot last July 2009 in a TED Conference in Oxford, England. Compared to her studio album performance of the song, her live rendition made it more mellow and classical; it was very beautiful and full of emotion. Honestly speaking, only few artists can nail a great live performance – Imogen exceeded the expectations of everyone in the function. Non-stop applause were offered to her after her ending the song with a dramatic touch on the keys combined with her soulful voice.

Imogen Heap’s live performance of “Wait It Out” is truly something music lovers shouldn’t miss. Her spontaneity, grace, and one of a kind voice will take listeners to a different world, in her world.
The live performance download is available as a .mp4 file and it's licensed under Creative Commons.

Related Links:
Imogen Heap's Official Website
Imogen Heap on TED Talks
Imogen Heap on Myspace
Imogen Heap on Facebook
Imogen Heap's YouTube account
Follow Imogen Heap on Twitter

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License and is available as a free video download from TED.com. To download this video, click on 'Download Video' and go to File -> Save As.

Remember how The Corrs captivated our hearts with their downhome sound? I guess it’s about time for someone new to step in. Meet Jamie Rumley, a Folk Rock musician and a one woman band. Her album, “Renovations” was and still is a great hit in Jamendo’s charts. Expressive and very easy on the ear, this album is everything, but boring. Each song was carefully written so as to have easy-to-read lyrics and graceful tune. Jamie’s voice will not only make you listen to her songs, but also will make you fall in love with the Folk Rock genre.

Jamie Rumley has written a lot of songs – to date she has written more than 30 originals. She’s very busy recording her those songs today and had made appearances in several events around Canada. Her exceptional album, “Renovations,” was release back in July 2009. Tracks in this album include “Anywhere but here,” “Thank You,” “Had To Be,” “Blind,” “Lost In Myself,” and my personal pick “Don’t Know Why.” Jamie is very talented. It’s obvious, since she successfully fused the intense sound of the Rock and the lightness of Folk genre into her own. Adding her heartrending words and compelling voice, I’m telling you, the songs in this album are soundtrack-potential. This album can seriously be seen in the top charters shelf of a record bar.

Licensed under Creative Commons, “Renovations” is really something and worth to listen to. Folk Rock may not be your thing, but I’m pretty sure you’ll give this one a chance and I bet it’ll make you want to hear more from Jamie Rumley.

Related Links:
Jamie Rumley's Official Website
Jamie Rumley on Myspace
Jamie Rumley on Facebook

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License and is available as a free download from Jamendo.com.

Another powerful Alternative Rock band is going to shake your players. Hello Citizen generously released their 1st album for digital download on January 20, 2009. This self-titled album is filled with massive guitar riffs and superb, melodic reverberation. If ever you found yourself in a situation desperately looking for a refreshing, new Rock album, then this one is really worth the download. And undeniably, the tracks will soon be seen and listed in your iPod’s ‘Top 25’ playlist.

Hello Citizen does not only surprise you with this self-titled album. I mean, you will agree that the tracks in this album really do sound alike with known and professional artists. But, let me tell you, the surprise doesn’t end there. Ben Wolman is not only the vocalist of the band, he’s also the guitarist, drummer, bassists, lyricists, arranger, and everything else. YES, HELLO CITIZEN IS A ONE MAN BAND!

Hello Citizen’s self-titled album is composed of 10 adrenaline rushing songs:
1. Paint By Numbers
2. The Brave Worms of The Future
3. Sea and Sand
4. Don’t Change Anything
5. I I I
6. Remembering
7. Straws
8. Bye, Mind
9. See You Soon
10. Excursion Day

Among all the songs, See You Soon and Remembering caught my attention and, thus, my picks from this album. Besides from having an interesting guitar play and beat, the lyrics are absolutely something. Hello Citizen obviously has an advantage compared from other artists. Ben Wolman’s extraordinary talent will surely bring Hello Citizen’s name to every music page known in the World Wide Web.

Make sure to listen to this great album. Hello Citizen’s second album, “Play This At My Funeral” is also available for digital download in Hello Citizen's official website.

Related Links:
Hello Citizen's Official Website
Hello Citizen on Myspace
Hello Citizen on Facebook
Follow Hello Citizen on Twitter

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License and is available as a free download from the band's website.