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Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum – The Concert: Selections, Summer 2012

For all the classical music lovers out there, Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is offering a great number of free classical compilations/podcasts for you to enjoy. The Concert series features live recordings from both young and seasoned contemporary classical artists. Their latest offering are the Selections recorded for Summer 2012. It contains 18 tracks from a host of talented musicians, playing their own versions of some of your favorite classical pieces.

Pinegrove: Meridian

Ushering a flow of smooth indie teen pop that's accompanied by syncopated guitars and sprinkled with rock elements; Meridian is a record that easily creates a good impression. The group responsible for this sweet and melodic compilation is Brooklyn-based quartet, Pinegrove. Even if you might not like it straight away, it's an album that grows on you, slowly embedding itself as it hauls along its lush sound.

Cloudkicker: Let Yourself Be Huge

Let Yourself Be Huge is an instrumental compilation that's filled with beautiful guitar picking and the occasional electro rock sound. The guy manning all of these eclectic sounds is Ben Sharp, aka Cloudkicker. The Boston, Ohio native is no stranger to creating and releasing records. He's had over 6 compilations released since 2008 and this latest effort only showcases how his sound has evolved from before.

The Ugly Club: You Belong to The Minutes

After a successful run with, Visions of a Tall Girl, which has gathered more than 100,000 downloads on the Frostclick site. Indie psych band, The Ugly Club is making sure they leave you impressed with their latest record, You Belong to the Minutes. These New Jersey natives have brewed a quiet storm in their short presence; creating two albums and going from small bars to performing the festival circuit as well as gracing national concert stages in a short time span.

Atupa: QuatribaRap

You don't really need to know a particular language in order to enjoy music. As trite as it sounds, music is a universal language. It communicates through emotions and sounds. Atupa's sound is one such example of music transcending the barriers of language. Even if you don't understand a shred of what the boys are rapping about, you're still in for a good listen. QuatribaRap was released last July 2012 and it's currently offered absolutely free over at the group's BandCamp page.

Tom Phonic: Good Luck Knowing

Filled with funky 8-bit style sounds and a host of futuristic beats, Good Luck Knowing is proving to be quite a record. Containing 8-tracks that were written and produced by Tom Phonic; most of the songs were created with friends as well as with specific inspiration in mind. The producer/DJ has been creating music for the past 12 years now. He's a St. Louis native but moved to the Big Apple in 2005. Here, he found a flourishing electronic underground scene that paved the way for his music to spring forth.

Monk Turner: Kaleidoscope

Monk Turner's name might as well be synonymous with awesome, catchy and creative music. His exciting concept albums have always garnered a positive response. This time around, with friends in tow, his latest album Kaleidoscope, is looking to live up to expectation and deliver more. This is his 23rd concept album so far. Tackling on the rather serious subject of race and color; he collaborates with fellow musicians, poets, artists from different backgrounds, beliefs and culture. Together, they peel back the many layers of the subject while fusing it with catchy rhythm, heavenly sweet vocals and gorgeous beats.

Midnight Cassette: A Hearing Gold Compilation by Hearing Gold

Midnight Cassette is the latest compilation album from Vancouver-based music blog, Hearing Gold. The on-line magazine "presents material utilizing the marriage of musical innovation and affective visual aesthetics to evoke feeling in the senses." The album is made up of music from some of the site's favorite bands, producers and artists, in general. According to the group, the concept behind the compilation was to create a set of "tracks to listen to while freely cruising the road on a long, introspective drive."

The City Streets: The Jazz Age

Don't be fooled by the album title, The Jazz Age, it isn't filled with sweet, soulful jazz music. Instead, what you'll get is a melancholic (sometimes energetic) compilation of alternative pop rock. The album is actually an open book of sorts for member, Rick Reid, as the album chronicles and narrates some of the worst times that has happened in his life. This is the third self-released album from the trio. Released under Clamour Records, it is laced with a beautiful story line about a love affair that didn't pan out and the hurt, frustration, anger and various emotions that come crashing in afterward.