The Great Society Media Group is a company that serves as a "promotional vehicle for local record labels in NC." CEO & Founder, Tap (Terry Perry) makes his mark by showcasing his unique blend of sound by releasing this latest effort.

Combining a variety of genres, Im Different is an interesting mix of sounds and beats. On one part it's classified as typical hip hop and r&b while on the other, you'll find electronic, acoustic and even jazz influences surrounding the record.

Tap is no newbie on the block. He's a prolific producer and rapper who has contributed to tracks/albums from artists like Asher Roth, Juelz Santanas Ripstar, Chulo and Ya Favorite Lady to name a few.

Im Different is the latest offering from the artist following a series of compilation records and singles released since 2010. Featuring a general laid-back feel; the album is contemplative and moody in places but also includes lovely upbeat sounds every now and then. When you listen, you'll get tracks like Keep Rising ft. Koury Thompson,  which is a beautiful mellow R&B single that combines gorgeous lyrics with soulful singing. Meanwhile, several standout tracks include Hair Down, Sublime ft. Deniro, Transition and the bonus cut, Tizzy Bossa Nova.

If you're looking for some chill music that's appropriate for winding down after a hectic day, this is a nice compilation to check out. Tap can easily create smooth tracks that's perfect for relaxing. From electronica, a touch of rock, and R & B; the artist covers the bases and ensures that listeners have a good time while on the ride. Grab the download.

Related Links:
Tap on BandCamp
The Great Society Media Group Blog
Tap on Facebook
Tap's Music Blog

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

Yes! The time has finally come. It was a thrilling ride all throughout 2011; a ride that led us to discover some truly amazing artists whose music made our mornings worth getting up to and turned each evening into one unforgettable party!

Today we want to celebrate all that talent and over 2.3 Million Free and Legal Downloads our promotions generated only during 2011.

We proudly present to you the Second official FrostClick/FrostWire mixtape. And just as before, all of the music in this compilation is available as a free download under Creative Commons. So get yours now and open your ears to some new great quality music!

The mixtape comes as a great way to remind you, our awesome reader, of all of the hits that were featured here on the pages of FrostClick or that were promoted on FrostWire in the past months (you haven't miss any, right?); it is also a great way to showcase the best of the best to those of you who more recently joined our community.

Unlike our first release which celebrated 1,000,000 downloads and 21 artists, this time around we decided to treat you with even more musical goodness! Alongside 18 amazing artists that were featured on FrostWire and whose work was downloaded 2,382,742 times and counting (make sure to check below for the more detailed numbers), we have included another 12 musicians we wrote about on our website that were too good not to share.

From the lush indie pop melodies, powerful electronic synths, and hip hop madness, to the more original pieces, we have it all.

FrostClick presents: FrostWire Creative Commons Mixtape 2.

What's inside?

What you get is 30 artists, 31 songs, and 1hr 57min of total bliss. The mixtape is composed of Side A, which includes a song from all the albums previously or currently promoted through FrostWire (to find out how to be promoted click here) and Side B with a selection of some of the best artists we featured here on FrostClick.com.

The compilation comes equipped with high quality mp3s and a digital booklet with the content information, licenses for each song, and links to album reviews here on FC, in case you want to see the face hiding behind the music that is blasting from your speakers.

Side A (With Download Numbers)

Side B

Ever since November of 2008 we set the goal of bringing you the world class content creators that were willing to share their work for free. We think we did pretty good (hopefully you do too), but we also know there are still many talented musicians out there we ought to find about ... if you know one of them let us know on the forum.

So if you like what you hear be sure to comment, tell us which artist stole your heart (and speakers!), and spread the word! And remember to follow us as we are coming back... with more.

ENJOY!

George Watsky is a winner of the Youth Speaks Poetry Grand Slam and the Brave New Voices National Slam championships. He has been a featured performer on Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry on HBO and one of three poets who performed live on FOX during the NAACP Image Awards, among (many, many) others. So why did it take me so long to find out about a guy who have already shared billing with icons such as Stevie Wonder, Beyonce, and Talib Kweli? Wish I knew, but I know that there is no reason why you should wait any longer to get to know him too.

Watsky is an emcee, writer, poet, performer and, as stated by popeater.com, a rapper spitting his rhymes faster than a Speed Racer drives. Born and raised in San Francisco (currently living in Los Angeles), he graduated from Boston's Emerson College and have already performed at conferences and universities in over forty U.S. states and Australia.

His latest solo debut, 'A New Kind of Sexy', is a compilation of sixteen great tracks, all with the same flavor that first brought Watsky into the public view and onto my playlist. This is why I am still a bit nostalgic about the very first songs that caught my eye; I Got This Love, with a golden-voice of yet another youtube sensation - Passion, Color Lines featuring Catch Wreck - a local Boston favorite, and Everything Turns Gold performed together with an acclaimed singer-songwriter Mieka Pauley and a hip hop legend Gift of Gab. If you want to check out these songs, also available as a free/pay-what-you-want download, head over to Bandcamp.

And sure, Watsky might have something of a Michael Cera look but ever since the release of his music video, Pale Kid Raps Fast, he has been compared to Eminem and Busta Rhymes almost as often as Tina Fey's performance on SNL to Sarah Palin.
The video have already became an instant internet sensation being featured on Reddit's home page and getting nearly sixteen million views to date.

[shot by Jess Dunlap; audio engineered by Pete Olivo; titles by Jackson Adams; backing track- 'Break Ya Neck' - Busta Rhymes]

Most importantly, however, Watsky is a spoken-word artist with an aim to cross-pollinate the stage, screen and stereo. So it is to no surprise that his work extends way beyond recorded music and his poetic creations frequently visit the realm of a theater.

Want even more? Watsky speaks green. As a winner of the first Brave New Voices Sundance Global Warming poetry competition, he has since been invited twice by Robert Redford to perform in Sundance, Utah. He served as a host of the final concert of Powershaft 2007 in Washington, DC, and performed at Rock the Debate in Mississippi right before the 2008 Presidential debate. His involvement in the sustainability movement have also brought him to Sydney, Australia for the opening of Green Cities 2008 and to Greenbuild Chicago taking the stage right before President Bill Clinton and in 2011 he performed live as a guest on the Ellen Degeneres Show.

And if you do like what you hear remember, George Watsky travels.
He travels to wide and far places to leave his words behind just as he did at some of his highlight live performances at the San Francisco Opera House, Shrine Auditorium, Kennedy Center Concert Hall, and the famous New York's Apollo Theater. So if you want to catch his next big gig be sure to check the official website.

Related Links:
George Watsky's Official Website
George Watsky on Facebook
George Watsky on YouTube
George Watsky on MySpace

Brock Berrigan was hatched in Astoria, Queens some two and a half decades ago… since then, Berrigan has lived a life of seclusion; drunkenly wondering from town to town digging through vinyl, watching cable television, and living off of half empty packs of cigarettes and bottles of beer. Today, he makes his way the only way a creature of his design knows how; through Film Score or landing the occasional Session (Musician) gig for any of the several instruments in his well rounded and highly valued repertoire. As of recently, Brock's "Hip Hop" page was featured on SoundCloud's "Artist of the Day" capturing a quickly growing listener base and demand for more music.

The Portable Cypher Vol.1 is a collection of the year's most highly requested (for use by rappers) Berrigan instrumentals, along with 4 new tracks for Cyphers all over the world. "It seems like every time I drop a new beat dozens of emails hit my in box… 'The Portable Cypher' is an album I want to do every year, keep those cyphers going." says Berrigan, in an obviously inebriated state (but with a refreshingly sincere attitude).

Well, one definitely needs not be a rapper; or even listen to Hip Hop to enjoy Mr. Berrigan's newest edition of this diverse and ever-growing catalog-o-sound. Each beat on 'The Portable Cypher' seems to envelope the listener with an entirely new and inspiringly unique energy; until, before you know it, the album has ended and you can't help but want more. Luckily for us, Berrigan has what he refers to as "a healthy addiction to creating music"… with over 55 tracks on SoundCloud and two other solo albums on Bandcamp: '2001 Beat Tape' and 'April's Neck Brace', plus 3 New Songs on 'Brain Food LP' (available on iTunes); any new listener has a nearly one-hundred tracks to choose from.

What I enjoy most about listening to most Brock Berrigan's music, is the effect it has on my imagination. With so much humor and soul tucked into every detail, each song telling a story through sounds and styles ranging from classical baroque, to afro-jazz and obscure Japanese pop… his music manages to keep me thinking and having fun; which is a rare thing to find in the realm of modern Hip Hop production. 'The Portable Cypher' could very well be Berrigan's 'Moveable Feast', with each new Volume acting as chapter in his development within this modernized bohemian society of artists and next generation beatmakers. How this series of albums will progress and end I am obviously uncertain, but 'Vol.1'; seems off to a promising start, with Berrigan's sound in ever increasing demand, and ever-improving techniques miles beyond the pack.

Related Links:
Brock Berrigan on BandCamp
Brock Berrigan on SoundCloud
Brock Berrigan on iTunes
Brock Berrigan on Last FM
Brock Berrigan on Tumblr

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Fan Fair is truly a treat and as explained by the artist it is "really for you... the one that's stuck by me through thick and thin, and told me that I could do anything I set my heart out to do. You're the one that pushed me to create, to be inspired and to be inspiring. Therefore, my thank you comes in the form of song, and these songs are made for your pure, unadulterated enjoyment."

Starting with Take A Number (feat. Fred the Godson) the record fires off with synths and hip-hop beats that will make you ask one question only: why haven't I hear this before? Yes, the sounds come close to all of today's radio hits... with a little extra spice for added originality, that is. It's professional quality combined with Baiyu's gorgeous, piercing vocals will certainly make for a great addition to any party playlist.

There is no weak point in Fan Fair but there is certainly a personal favorite. Together combines beautifully flowing melodies, heart-felt lyrics, a little touch of R'n'B and Baiyu's playful personality taking over the music video. Shot in the streets and subways of NYC the video was quickly greeted with positive response and was even picked up by the MTV networks.

Baiyu has been fascinated with sound from the very young age; with inspiration taken directly from the most powerful ladies (Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston) exuding equally powerful vocals.

As the time passed, Baiyu has immersed herself in activities ranging from dance to theater. She has been modeling and acting, with appearances in numerous independent films and spending three years as a host of the MTVu's show "The Freshmen". And then after finishing her studies at Princeton University the first EP was released, entering the music scene with a bang.

Since you are reading this post it means that you have most likely already downloaded the album, free for all our FrostClick fans and FrostWire users, of course; so if you like what you hear and want to give something back, be sure to head to artist's official BandCamp page and give a dollar or two - as Baiyu is donating all of the proceedings from the album towards Japanese earthquake and tsunami relief.

Update: On January 2nd 2012, Baiyu:Fan Fair broke a FrostWire record with 6,219 downloads in a period of 24 hours.

Related Links:
Baiyu Official Website
Baiyu on Bandcamp
Baiyu on Twitter
Baiyu on Facebook
Baiyu on YouTube
Baiyu on MySpace

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Abel Tesfaye (born February 16, 1990), better known by his stage name The Weeknd, is an Ethiopian Canadian singer. Songs recorded under The Weeknd name first leaked in late 2010, though the identity of the individual behind the project was initially unknown. The Weeknd released a nine-song mixtape, House of Balloons, on 21 March 2011. The mixtape is a part of a trilogy which includes Thursday, released on 18 August 2011, and Echoes of Silence, released on 21 December 2011.

The song "High for This" was featured in the promo for the final season of the HBO show Entourage. On June 16, 2011, House of Balloons was named as a longlisted nominee for the 2011 Polaris Music Prize. On July 6, the album was named as one of ten shortlisted nominees but eventually lost to Arcade Fire's The Suburbs. On December 21, 2011 at 11:07 p.m. EST Tesfaye released his highly anticipated mixtape "Echoes of Silence". The Weeknd's site crashed shortly after due to the large number of downloads. The Weeknd quickly provided a Hulkshare link to keep the album available while the official site was down.

From Wikipedia

The Weeknd - Thursday by The_Weeknd

The fame of this mixtape is spreading way faster than his two previous ones. Today, the title was one of the most trending terms on Google and it appeared in news from such publications like Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post and The Billboard. He is undoubtedly being backed by major influences in the music industry (like Drake, who he worked with on the "Take Care" album - listen to "Crew Love" track!), nonetheless the mixtape is very worth the download for both the indie and the mainstream music lover. His talent was not noticed for nothing.

The Weeknd - The Knowing (Official Video) from xoxxxoooxo on Vimeo.

Related Links:
The Weeknd's Official Website
The Weeknd on Facebook
The Weeknd on SoundCloud
The Weeknd on Tumblr
The Weeknd on Twitter
The Weeknd on YouTube

This fresh five-piece band from Sydney is composed of Nishan David, Andrew West, Andrew Court, James Kelly and Ross Courtney. Produced and written by the band, their new EP offers six hip-infused hits created in only five days. It's recorded and mixed by James Kelly at IMS and mastered by Andrew Edgson at Studios 301.

Analog opens up with electro tunes, but then all of a sudden you'll hear amazingly loud drum beats that will surely wake you up from the long sleep. This pitch-perfect song sets the stage for Flagfall, establishing their music as the tunes with the huge potential.

Layman's Term is snazzy as the Red Hot Chili Peppers. This symphonic showstopper offers a refreshing blend of stingy electric guitars and well-written lyrics.

The rap content on Salute bounces between fun and philosophical, with a splash of some straightforward ideas. The band's experimentation of mixing rap and soothing vocals will surely be a strength for them in the near future.

The album takes a slower turn on Sun Goes Down. The piano plays as the fore front of this track with subtle drum strikes on the background. This track really stands out with emotionally peeling lyrics like "Oh no, we're getting old, Only getting older now".

Overall, Basement Demos is composed of cleverly-crafted tracks that reflects the band's desire for music. There is something sensational about these songs that drills your inner core. Flagfall's music could certainly be played on any rock-driven radio station.

Related Links:
Flagfall on Bandcamp
Flagfall on Twitter
Flagfall on Facebook

Before this you might not have heard of Vanatei [Va-neeh-tee], and after, you'll either find your next favorite female rapper or move on to find somebody else. I'm not exactly big on female rappers myself, but the few that I've discovered I actually really liked. One of the latest female MCs I've come across is Vanatei.

This spunky girl from Newark, New Jersey is not just a rapper but also an advertising guru. [She set up and manages her own advertising business.] Her skills as a rapper is something to rave about as well, with her album Dis Bish Got Moola, showcasing her knack for creating catchy beats while spitting out stark lyrics and producing good rhythm. 

Vanatei has always loved rapping. In her interview over at Securitypleeze, the singer admits to creating and jotting down rhymes on paper since she was 11 or 12 and likens her style to a combo of Big Pun, M.I.A. and Kelis. Indeed, her lyrics are quite raw, focusing more on her experiences and simply being true to her "hustlin' lifestyle."

The carrier single, Dis Bish Got Moola, has a nice catchy beat and a laid-back hip hop feel. Plus, the recording quality is quite good. From the onset you'll recognize that she definitely has something to bring to the table in terms of skill and style. Her vocals are quite strong and authoritative, commanding listeners at every turn.

Meanwhile, her other track, Bitch You Ain't A Barbie, has generated quite a controversy among YouTube commenters since it first came out. Most of them think that the song is a diss to Nicki. Whatever the case may be, the song is pretty cool. It contains tight beats and comes with honest lyrics. It also features another female rapper, Semi.

There's no denying that Dis Bish Got Moola has its gems. Vanatei's talent is hard to ignore, her skills are as good as any of the mainstream female rappers out there and her attitude, personality and style, with the right management, will bring her right to the top. This alone makes her an artist worth checking out.

Related Links:
Vanatei Official Website
Vanatei on Twitter
Vanatei on Facebook
Vanatei on SoundCloud.com
Vanatei on YouTube
Vanatei on Myspace

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.

This time around BADLUCK is on his own; giving listeners a sneak peek of his upcoming solo album. Infinity is a record that showcases the artists capacity to mix old school hip-hop with modern beats; creating a seamless, catchy bunch of tracks that's easy on the ears.

The album includes 8 tracks, with about 4 original singles. The rest is comprised of remixes of one song done alongside with different artists. Opening with the title-track, Infinity; the single is also a part of the artist's upcoming album. The song has a nice old-school hip hop vibe to it, making it a fairly likable song from the onset. Badluck's skills are pretty solid and the song includes a catchy beat giving it that perfect laid back club vibe.

Meanwhile, Vanity featuring Sleep Hollows sees the rapper taking things a bit slow. Mixing R&B style melodies along with gorgeous backing vocals, the song is a smooth cut that sees several incarnations throughout the compilation. The other versions include a Raw Dog remix, an instrumental as well as an acapella version.

The album is a nice little introduction to Badluck's sound and skills. Although there's nothing inherently groundbreaking here, it's a fairly good album worth playing and downloading.

Related Links:
Badluck on blocSonic
Badluck on Internet Archive
Badluck on Myspace
Badluck on Facebook
Badluck on Free Music Archive

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

After two years since releasing their compilation, Offshore Drilling (not to the mention scores of praise and acclaim they got for it) The KhemLab is now back with their latest compilation. The Khemlab is essentially a collective of young, up-and-coming, talented MCs gathering together to create one explosive compilation.

For their first collaboration, they utilized Kid Hum's instrumental record, Fossil Fuel as the back bone. This time around, the group conjures up original beats as well as a couple of sample cuts from "Diamond District and DJ Concept & DJ Mickey Knox' BYOP EP" to create this stunning piece of hip hop album worth hearing. 

Despite the slow formation, taking almost two years to compile and gather together everything; the results is nothing short but spectacular. Those 2 years netted this 20-track album that's filled with catchy beats, great skills from various MCs and just amazing compositions throughout.

Blasting through your player with opening single, The Khemlab Anthem; the song features loops, amazing rap skills and a nice laid back feel. Much of the tracks tackle different subjects from a cut professing admiration for footwear (New Shoes) to a smooth, R&B like single about guns and violence (Gun Talk); it's a hodge of great sound wherever you listen.

Some of my other favorite tracks include the very vintage driven single, Abby Psalm from Kid Hum; the short and trippy single, Let It Out and the classic, True Schoolers.

It's certainly a record worth waiting for. Filled with solid beats and lots of amazing skills; these guys definitely know how to impress. One of those albums you shouldn't miss out.

Related Links:
The Khemlab on Rock The Dub
The Khemlab on BandCamp
The Khemlab on ProfaneBeatz
The Khemlab on Elbo.ws