"Color in a world of monochrome" is the tagline for the thirteenth netBloc compilation release from blocSonic, and there couldn't be a more appropriate way to describe this collection of photos, artwork, and of course fantastic free music.

A feast of visual and audio delights, there's more than enough here to keep you interested for the long haul, and to make you want more.

Much of the time I find free compilations a little boring, because they often come across like a bunch of random songs thrown together to try to draw attention to a label or a blog. But when I was introduced to the world of blocSonic's netBloc releases, I had to learn to listen and look at free compilations in a different light. These are collections that each have their own purpose, carefully assembled into packages that look as good as they sound.

It would be impossible to discuss the extraordinary nature of netBloc music without giving equal attention to the visual aspect, the virtual packaging that for me is just as interesting and engaging as the songs. It's really not enough just to download the music - you'll want to have the album booklet and the package art, as well . So much time and attention has been given to making these more than just music releases - they're multimedia packages that will keep you listening, watching, and thinking for many hours, wrapped up in a fantasy world where images and music are just two halves of the same art form.

This particular netBloc (volume 13) is of particular interest not only because the songs fit the theme of "color in a world of monochrome" (i.e. bright gems that stand out from the grey background of noise), but because this theme has a more literal meaning, as well. The PDF booklet features the innovative photography of Sergei Prokudin-Gorskii, taken from the Library of Congress' collection of his work. Gorskii was the first person to come up with a method for taking color photos, and the results, from the first decade of the 20th century, are nothing short of stunning. The photos and the accompanying graphic design within the album booklet make for great browsing while you're listening to this eclectic set of tunes - pop it on your Kindle or iPad, kick back on the sofa, and immerse yourself for an hour or so. You'll be treated to alternative pop, post-rock, electronica, and even French hip-hop, all tied together with amazingly vivid imagery.

Related Links:
netBloc 13 main page
All blocSonic netBlocs
netBloc 13 on Archive.org

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.

It's nice to see Creative Commons licenses being used for undertakings that push the limits of collaboration and remote recording technologies, and Markovich/A Music Project (A.M.P.) are doing their best to test those limits.

As the name suggests, they are a music project more than a band, and although they aim to make pretty straight-up downtempo and trip-hop, there's still enough variation in there to make for some very interesting listening.

The Emotive Force EP is a free sampler of tracks taken from the album of the same name. Markovich pride themselves on having a fluid membership, with band members in different countries, communicating and collaborating via the internet. For these particular songs, the beats and vocal choices are tremendously well-suited to all the styles that Markovich have attempted, and they've done really well creating a mood, even through the lack of a particular theme and the fact that the band members are scattered everywhere. Reggae-trip groovers like "Gone Insane" blend seamlessly with more glitch-influenced electronica like "Inner Sleep" and "Tear Drops Mix M." Round it out with a couple of trip-hoppy alternative numbers ("My Wish" and "Unkind Waters"), and you have a nice little EP going on. There's nothing tremendously wild or daring here, but at the same time these songs have a very pleasant thread connecting them.

In terms of production, you can see what they're trying to do with this collection, and clearly this is a project in constant evolution. The performances (especially from earlier recordings) can be a bit rough around the edges in places, but the talent and skill are clearly there, and that casts a very forgiving light on musicians who are doing their best to innovate and develop new styles of recording.

If you like this EP, there are more songs to be downloaded from the group's official site, but be warned - organization doesn't seem to be their forte. You'll find some songs on the EP that don't appear to be on the album, or appear to be on other albums. Some songs have more than one version, sometimes with varying qualities and bit rates, and so forth. Still, I think it's certainly worth a dig around, because the gems you'll find are worth the trouble it takes to unearth them.

Related Links:
Markovich/A.M.P. official site
Markovich/A.M.P. on MySpace
Markovich/A.M.P. on SoundClick

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 Generic License.

The musical duo Pea Sized has a long list of influences who are veterans in the Europop and Trip-Hop scenes.

After listening to their album In My Mind, it's no surprise the likes of Portishead, PJ Harvey, Björk, Róisín Murphy and Radiohead are among the many others which inform their sound and style.

What is more interesting about Pea Sized (aside from their music), which consists of Pia Kayser (vocals), and Karsten Kayser (production, instruments) is that they are actually significant others. This is a striking resemblance to the start of Róisín Murphy’s career, one of their influences, who hit it big with her significant other Mark Brydon in the band Moloko in 1994. Their relationship ended with Moloko’s last album Statues in 2002, and Murphy decided to go solo. Judging by the quality of this album, let's hope Pea Sized does not suffer the same fate.

In addition to conventional instruments such as guitars, synthesizers, and percussion, we tend to use (or abuse, if you will) things like melodicas, children’s toys, and various other things that produce some kind of sound. Electronic and acoustic sounds fuse in many different ways.

From Pea Sized Website

The album posesses many sounds: sometimes brooding, sometimes sentimental, sometimes forlorn, and sometimes even nostalgic--as you'll hear in the track "Not The Same", which features a very French sounding accordian waltz.

This is a group that is not afraid to experiment, especially with the barest of backdrops. Some tracks are stripped down to an almost vulnerable nakedness, with only a few quiet instruments playing, as Pia sings soulfully over her accompaniment. Pia’s crooning in the opening track “At Least” will take the seasoned listener back to the very early days of Portishead, but I think Pea Sized is so much more than this opening performance. “Stop Thinking” is probably one of the best tracks on this album, and a personal favorite among newer songs I’ve heard as of recent.

This album will be loved by anyone that is interested in any music utilizing electronics and synthesizers, downtempo grooves, or the soulful crooning of a talented female vocalist.

Related Links:
Pea Sized Official Site
Pea Sized on Myspace
Pea Sized on Jamendo

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.

People often ask me how many languages I speak, simply because my music collection holds so many international artists who don't sing in English. But to tell the truth, I don't require a song to be sung in a language I understand, in order for me to be able to connect with it.

If you never thought you could get into music in any language other than English, I urge you to give Anabase's Le Bonheur Flou a try.

If you don't already speak French, Le Bonheur Flou is the sort of album that will make you want to learn, or at least have a croissant for breakfast and pretend. The reason these songs penetrate the soul so effectively: the radiant voice of lead singer Clara Scherrer.

There's not a person I share this album with who doesn't develop a crush on her, based solely on her voice (mind you, it doesn't hurt that she looks great on stage, too). When she sings, you stop caring about everything - your personal problems, your job, your rent. There's something sufficiently Cranberries about her that you can easily imagine Clara becoming the Dolores O'Riordan of her country and generation. She has that dreamy-yet-purposeful sound that is as stirring as it is soothing.

As for the music, it's a mix of styles that could be referred to as "alternative," an annoyingly vague term which happens to fit in this case. Piano-based songs open up into raunchy guitars, and then settle back down into quiet acoustic numbers. Although there's nothing particularly pop-like in the collection, the songs are well-written and interesting enough that you'll find yourself humming along, or perhaps looking up the lyrics on Google if you're feeling ambitious. The melodies are catchy without being corny, and the arrangements are smoothly produced without losing their edge or energy.

However, if you absolutely insist that you can't enjoy a song without the lyrics being in English, Anabase still have you covered - "My Castle's Down" is not the best track on the album by a long shot, but it's enough to give you taste of Clara's voice, which in turn will almost certainly be enough to make you want to listen to everything else she has ever recorded. Most of which is in French... but by that point you won't care! You'll be hooked. And if you already speak French and dig indie rock with chick singers, then Le Bonheur Flou is bound to be an instant favourite.

Related Links:
...anabase* Official Site
...anabase* on MySpace
...anabase* on Last.fm
...anabase* on Jamendo

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 France License.

Jamison Young is a rock live performer who for a while now has been singing and writing songs only licensed under Creative Commons. Nowadays, he enjoys playing concerts in different places across Europe, as he is based out of Prague. Last year a song from his latest album, Shifting Sands of a Blue Car, was included in the soundtrack to the The X-Files: I Want to Believe movie. Jamison Young likes to listen to songs from a few decades ago, as well as from contemporary Creative Commons artists. According to him, the songs he likes are those that he "can listen to again and again yet still stay fresh."

As an independent artist, he himself distributes his music through Jamendo, Myspace, Last.FM, Facebook, and Youtube. Aside from allowing free downloads of music, he is also open to getting them remixed--with permission and a duly important CC license, of course.

The songs in Jamison Young's albums range from pop to country songs. I personally found myself attached to songs like How Far and Crush. I initially thought his album was filled with mostly alternative pop songs--until I listened further and discovered songs like Cold World and Live on a Moon. These songs, in contrast to the first few alternative pop songs in the album, have a country genre taste about it.

Like most indie artists, the genre Jamison Young works under is difficult to categorize--which is a certainly a delight to know. This just means that listening to his 18-track album will be anything but boring and dreary.

1    How Far
2    Crush
3    Memories Child
4    Top Of The Hill
5    Carry The World
6    Soldiers Of Happiness
7    Live On A Moon
8    Cold World
9    Steps Beyond
10  Island
11  Solar System
12  Walk The Streets

From Jamison Young website:
All songs written and performed by Jamison Young
Programming/Keyboard/Bass - Peter Wells, Antonio Dixon, Tim Powles
Guitar - Jamison Young, Antonio Dixon, Mike Coen
Backing Vocals - Sandrean, Tim Powles, Peter Wells, Antonio Dixon
Trumpet - Dave Stephenson, Antonio Dixon
Scratching - DJ Crucial
Live Drums - Tim Powles
Vibes - Kim Moyes
Strings - Coda Veronique Serrét, Nick Wales, Chloe Miller
Flute - Simone Olding
Didj - Charlie McMahon

The album was produced with Peter Wells, Tim Powles & Antonio Dixon. Yet was mostly produced via the blood, sweat and tears of Jamison Young.

Related Links:
Jamison Young's Website
Jamison Young on Myspace
Jamison Young on Facebook
Jamison Young on Youtube
Jamison Young on Wordpress

The Intercontinental Music Lab (IML) is a world-wide music project whose aim is to promote musical collaboration. The core contributors, originally from Cambridge, England are now writing and recording music all over the planet - and new international collaborators are being enlisted every week. IML Collaborators submit backing-tracks to IML H.Q. where they are randomly redistributed to other collaborators who write lyrics and record vocals. The subject of IML's first album was "Superheroes of Science", second "Superheroes of Sea" and the latest ones' is "Superheroes of Space".

"Superheroes of Space" is a fun and interesting pop album and the last one in the Superheroes trilogy. It's a bit on the alternative side, but it will not disappoint even the most conventional listener.

The track listing
1. Laika
Music: Kip Loades (produced by Rob Fisher)
Lyrics and Vocals: Layla Vandenbergh
2. Droids (gonna rock this mothership)
Music: Dan Gresham
Lyrics and Vocals: Greg Dean
3. An Echo of Mimesis [subject: James Turrell]

Music: Joe Dean
Lyrics: Tim Donderevo
Vocals: Kelly Hoglund
4. I am the Space Hand [subject: DEXTRE]
Music: Jimmy Schmitz: First Engineer ISS (additional synth commands: Doctor 30)
Lyrics: Tim Donderevo
Vocals: Microsoft Mike
5. Russian Man Outside [subject: Alexey Leonov]
Music: Greg Dean
Lyrics and Lead Vocals: Barney Brown / Kip Loades
6. Voyager
Music: Robot Android Fisher
Lyrics and Vocals: Craig Macintosh
7. Dear Mars Rovers
Music: Craig Macintosh
Lyrics and vocals: Jules Peters
Backing Vocals: Sam Berry
8. Probe II’s Golden Message [subject: Voyager II]
Music: Dan Waldkirch
Lyrics and Vocals: Kip Loades
9. Klaatu Barada Nikto
Music: Mike Weber
Lyrics and Vocals: Joseph Ashley-Smith
10. Lonely Planets Club [subject: Pluto]
Music: Tim Marchand and Jules Peters (percussion: Julian Lambert)
Lyrics and Vocals: Dan Waldkirch
11. Dave [subject: 2001]
Music: Eric Lebofsky/Tim Donderevo
Lyrics and Vocals: Bob Rocket
12. Space Junk
Music: Barney Brown (additional drums: Jim Smith)
Lyrics and Vocals: Eric Lebofsky / Tim Donderevo
13. Step Aside Roger Moore [subject: Yuri Gagarin]
Music: Digital Midget
Lyrics and Vocals: Jimmy Binks and the Shakehorns: JuPiter (Jules Peters), Spaceman Sam (Sam Berry) Tim Martian (Tim Marchand) (additional backing vocals: Eddie "Dwiddles" Peters)
14. That’s the Worm’s Game [Subject: Wormholes]
Music: Jules Peters (drums and percussion: Julian Lambert)
Lyrics: Nick Osbourne / Richard Yates
Vocals: Nick Osbourne / Mad Sparks
15. Freeman Lowell
Music: The Incredible Flight of Birdman
Lyrics and Vocals: Tim Marchand
16. The Burning Man [subject: Gully Foyle]
Music: Joseph Ashley-Smith
Lyrics and Vocals: Dan Waldkirch

Album mastered by Tim Donderevo

Artwork by Greg Dean and Dan Gresham

Images Courtesy of NASA


Related Links:
Superheroes Of Space's Website
Intercontinental Music Lab's Website
Intercontinental Music Lab on MySpace
Intercontinental Music Lab on Facebook
Intercontinental Music Lab on Jamendo
Intercontinental Music Lab on Last.fm
Interview with founders Intercontinental Music Lab

The Intercontinental Music Lab (IML) is a world-wide music project whose aim is to promote musical collaboration. The core contributors, originally from Cambridge, England are now writing and recording music all over the planet - and new international collaborators are being enlisted every week. IML Collaborators submit backing-tracks to IML H.Q. where they are randomly redistributed to other collaborators who write lyrics and record vocals. The subject of IML's first album was "Superheroes of Science", second "Superheroes of Sea" and the third was "Superheroes of Space".

"Superheroes of Sea" is a melodic, sometimes dark sometimes upbeat alternative pop album and the second one in the Superheroes trilogy. Recorded by musicians from America, Australia, Japan and the United Kingdom, the album celebrates the denizens and heroes of the sea, both above and below.

The track listing:
1. How to Prove a Point [Thor Heyerdahl] (4:34)
Music: Tim Donderevo
Lyrics and Vocals: Jules Peters
2. Nemo of the Nautilus [Captain Nemo] (5:56)
Music: Joseph Ashley-Smith
Lyrics and Vocals: Barney Brown and Layla Vandenbergh

3. Sea City [Sea Cities] (3:47)
Music: Greg Dean and Rob Fisher
Lyrics: Eric Lebofsky
Vocals: Eric Lebofsky and Jenny Cohen
4. Molusco Hermoso [Hexabranchus Sanguineus (the Spanish Dancer)] (4:05)
Music: Jules Peters
Lyrics and Vocals: Kip Loades
5. Cunning Odysseus [Odysseus] (3:29)
Music: Eric Lebofsky
Lyrics and Vocals: Barney Brown, Oli Hayhurst and Tim Donderevo
6. For Fear of the Light [Abtu and Anet] (3:00)
Music: Dan Waldkirch
Lyrics and Vocals: Nick Osbourne
Backing Vocals: Madeleine Staples, Doug Stuart, Rob Fisher, Richard Yates
7. The Testimony of Oliver Deveau [The Mary Celeste] (4:27)
Music: Oli Hayhurst
Lyrics and Vocals: Joseph Ashley-Smith
8. Plankton [Plankton] (3:53)
Music: Rob Fisher
Lyrics: Tim Donderevo
Vocals: Kelly Hoglund and Tim Turton
9. King of Pirates [Edward Teach (Blackbeard)] (3:00)
Music: The Incredible Flight of Birdman
Lyrics: Dan Waldkirch
Vocals: Dan & Maria Waldkirch
10. The Love Song of the Mako Shark [The Mako Shark] (4:19)
Music: Dan Gresham
Lyrics and Vocals: Timothy S Marchand
Backing Vocals: Jules Peters
11. The Shelter of a Shanty Home [Flotsam] (3:14)
Music: Timothy S Marchand and Jules Peters
Lyrics: Rob Fisher
Vocals: Rob & Audrey Fisher
12. Oh Jeannie [Jeanne Bare] (4:47)
Music: Barney Brown
Lyrics and Vocals: Greg Dean
Glockenspiel: Don Schwartz
13. Windy Old Weather (Fish of the Sea) (4:09)
Music: Trad./Jules Peters, Greg Dean, Rob Fisher and Aya Saito
Lyrics: Trad./Kip Loades
Vocals: The IML
Produced by Barney Brown and Tim Donderevo

Mastered by Tim Donderevo


Related Links:
Superheroes Of Sea's Website
Intercontinental Music Lab's Website
Intercontinental Music Lab on MySpace
Intercontinental Music Lab on Facebook
Intercontinental Music Lab on Jamendo
Intercontinental Music Lab on Last.fm
Interview with founders Intercontinental Music Lab

The Intercontinental Music Lab (IML) is a world-wide music project whose aim is to promote musical collaboration. The core contributors, originally from Cambridge, England are now writing and recording music all over the planet - and new international collaborators are being enlisted every week. IML Collaborators submit backing-tracks to IML H.Q. where they are randomly redistributed to other collaborators who write lyrics and record vocals. The subject of IML's first album was "Superheroes of Science", second "Superheroes of Sea" and the third was "Superheroes of Space".

"Superheroes of Science" is a crazy compilation of alternative pop tracks and the first one in the Superheroes trilogy. Each song is different and unique in its own way. You will hear spoken language, beautiful female voices, some trip hop, and even touch of America! You will not be bored for sure! According to the musicians, the album explores the passions and discoveries of scientists from earth's illustrious past. The album was put together collaboratively between musicians from Japan, Australia, England and America.

The track listing:
1. Wondermachines (Scientist: Alberto Santos-Dumont)
Music by Greg Dean and Rob Fisher
Lyrics/Vocals by Barney Brown & Layla Vandenbergh
2. Call Them X (Scientist: Wilhlem Conrad Rontgen)
Music by Tim Donderevo
Lyrics/Vocals by Oli Hayhurst with Theo & Violet Hayhurst

3. Oh My Beautiful Problem Child (Scientist: Albert Hofmann)
Music by Dan Gresham
Lyrics by Tim Donderevo, Vocals by Kelly Hoglund
4. Dr Robotnik (Scientist: Dr Robotnik)
Music by Richard Yates and Nick Osbourne
Lyrics by Julian Peters, vocals by Julian Peters and Aya Saito
5. La Ballade de Mr Matthews (Scientist: John Matthews)
Music by Juju Peters
Lyrics/vocals by Rob & Audrey Fisher
6. There Is Science In This Child (Scientist: James Chadwick)
Music by Tim Donderevo
Lyrics/Vocals by Nick Osbourne, with Elliot and Sammy Brown
7. Sailing Back To Spain (Scientist: Antonio De Ulloa)
Music by Julian Peters
Lyrics/Vocals by Greg Dean
8. Researchers of the P.I.E.R.C (Scientist: Pacific Islands Research Centre P.I.E.R.C)
Music by Barney Brown
Lyrics/Vocals by Joseph Ashley-Smith
9. Take Me Home To Orgonon (scientist: Wilhelm Reich)
Music by Joseph Ashley-Smith
Lyrics/vocals by Rob Fisher
10. John Muir (Scientist: John Muir)
Music by Rob Fisher
Lyrics/vocals by Julian Peters, backing vocals Rob Fisher
11. Agent On The Threshold (Scientist: John C Lilly)
Music by Joseph Ashley-Smith
Lyrics/Vocals by Tim Donderevo
12. Know It Now (Scientist: Galileo Galilei)
Music by Oli Hayhurst
Lyrics/Vocals by Barney Brown
13. Saviour of Mothers (Scientist: Ignaz Semmelweis)
Music by Rob Fisher
Lyrics/Vocals by Kip Loades

Related Links:
Superheroes Of Science's Website
Intercontinental Music Lab's Website
Intercontinental Music Lab on MySpace
Intercontinental Music Lab on Facebook
Intercontinental Music Lab on Jamendo
Intercontinental Music Lab on Last.fm
Interview with founders Intercontinental Music Lab

Hey,

An artist has got to make a living just like everybody else, there's no doubt about it. And these are tough times, believe me I know. The thing is though, if I were to go back in time, 10 years or so, and tell the 15-year-old version of myself that over a night, 60 000 people had heard one of my songs, the first question I'd throw back at myself wouldn't be "how much money did I make?".

Don't get me wrong, I love money and I want to make a lot of it. Bathe in it just like Uncle Scrooge. But money isn't the main reason why I write songs. First and foremost I want people to hear them.

Times are so strange at the moment and a lot of people are angry and upset. Still, for each day that goes by I get more and more convinced that we shouldn't try to fight the future, we should embrace it. Try to see opportunities instead of catastrophes.

I've written a song. I call it "We're All The Pirate Bay". It's free and nobody will ever have to pay for it, though if you insist you are welcome to make a donation.

Take care, Monty

Lyrics

Don't write songs to make money
I write them for people to sing along
(x3)

There will come a day
When our flag will sway
Everyone will say
We're all The Pirate Bay
We're all The Pirate Bay

You will never have to pay to hear this song
You will never have to pay to sing along
(x3)

Don't write songs to make money
I write them for people to sing along
(x3)

There will come a day
When our flag will sway
Everyone will say
We're all The Pirate Bay
We're all The Pirate Bay

You will never have to pay to hear this song
You will never have to pay to sing along
(x3)

We're all The Pirate Bay
We're all The Pirate Bay
We're all The Pirate Bay
We are all The Pirate Bay

Related Links
Official Web
Label
Music Video
MySpace

If you want to donate paypal money please use this address: monttmardie@hybrism.com

Steven Dunston is a musician, author, web developer and a big fan of open source software (just like us!). Back in 2006 he released two albums on Jamendo and now hopes to bring us more of his melodic songs this year. "To Get Home before Night Comes" is an extremely well written & produced album that's just easy and relaxing to listen to. Steven's clear, soft and soothing voice makes it feel like the lyrics just flow directly into your ears.

It's hard to tell which of Steven's albums on Jamendo came first. "To Get Home before Night Comes" is an electronic & "easy-listening" release with some touches of pop, ambient and even jazz. I see it as a great companion for lonely drives from work or autumn walks with your dog. It has this very groovy, safe feeling to it that I just can't get out of my mind. "Danger Girl", the first track of the album, was the most memorable to me - probably because of the lyrics, but "Alone in the Room" gave me a nice trip-hoppy surprise I was waiting for throughout the album. Give it a try.

Related Links:
Steven Dunston's Website
This Album on Jamendo
Buy Steven Dunston's music on CDBaby