free music download

Notes & Scratches “Grace Park” – newest EP from a very friendly Chicago band

Grace Notes is Notes & Scratches newest release with four sad songs about departures. Speaking of departures, the band actually departs from its usual sound - the songs don't have a "celebratory feel", which is the band's trademark. For Grace Notes, they handpicked four songs which are melancholic, pining, and lonely. The album takes its time, like footsteps dragging where they don't want to go, with trumpets and viola on the background to set the mood. For sure, it's an album to listen to on difficult goodbyes. More about the band and an interview with Joshua Dumas (vocalist) after the jump.

Nasdat “Already Late” – a fresh alternative rock album

Already Late is a 7-track album by Nasdat, a band from Monterrey, Mexico. With musical influences from bands like Papirringas and Arizona Tea, Nasdat is able to produce a unique sound along the lines of the alternative and rock music genre. This rising band has already played in many local pubs and bars in Mexico, before they finally released this debut album.

Confusion is Next “The Generation of this Order” – band’s third release under Creative Commons License

Confusion is Next is a four-person alternative rock band. The band, which takes its name from a lyric by Sonic Youth, was established in Monza, Italy in 2004, and has since created and released three albums. Their first album, "Spread the Spirit," was released in 2005, while their second album, "Lost in Dark Days" was released in 2008. Their latest release is "The Generation of This Order," which contains five new songs (in English). The album is now available for free download on the Spanish netlabel Trastienda.

Helsingfors’ “Schematics” – a free post-rock/math rock album download from UK

Helsingfors is a five-person instrumental post-rock/math rock band from London, England. The band, which includes all four members of the now-defunct instrumental band From the Sky, is composed of Daniel King, James Morris, Barry Rogers, Alan Ross, and John Spears. The band has released its debut EP entitled "Schematics," which includes four all-new songs. "Schematics" was recorded primarily as a live band, and as such, the EP pulsates with all the energy a live show brings. The album is available now as a free download from the netlabel Lost Children.

Mindburner “Your Slave” – 80’s inspired free electronica album

Mindburner, AKA Alan Watkins, was born in Belfast in 1968 and he has been producing electronic music for the past 15 years. He owns several vintage synthesizers and enjoys playing them very much. He involves various styles in his music, and incorporates influences from early 1980s electronic pioneers such as John Foxx, Gary Numan, and others. His music generally ends up being about the darker side of life: the half shadow, the unanswered question, or the hidden fear. These emotions drive him to write and produce.

Knockout – get a taste of Italian hard rock with the band’s self-titled debut album

Fans of old-school rock will appreciate Knockout's four-track demo album. Rhythm is tight, lead guitars are beautifully executed, and vocals are faithful to the 90's hard rock tradition. A song can start out slow and then build up momentum, lose it, then build it up again for an electrifying finale. Knockout's demo album is perfect for those rock-on moments when you're in the mood to do some serious head-banging.

Cakeflap “The Bakery is Open” – The Fiercest One-Track Album Ever

The album The Bakery is Open is the debut album of Cakeflap - a four-member band from UK. According to their Myspace page, the band started as just a collaboration of four 'disgruntled employees' who've had 'one too many Digestives'. They then decided to make exhaustingly long songs that run for as long as 20 minutes! The Bakery is Open is a one-track album and that single track is a medley of 18 different instrumental songs. Very understandably, cakeflap describes their music as progressive rock and jazz fusion.

Steven Dunston “Hymns about Her” – a melodic piano-filled pop album with flawless vocals

Steven Dunston originally intended his songs to be freely distributed in the Web. Thus, he joined Jamendo and released two albums in 2006, both of which have been consistently faring well among audiences in Jamendo. One of these albums, Hymns About Her, has been receiving noticeable praises from web users, calling it nothing short of a masterpiece. After listening to the songs in Steven Dunston's latest album, I couldn't deny it myself. The songs are relieving to listen to; the raw vocals of Denston is highlighted by the stripping down of the musical arrangement. Most of his songs only have the piano as accompaniment.

Jamison Young “Shifting Sands of a Blue Car” – a free alternative pop/folk rock album from Prague

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 plays 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 the 60's and the 80's and 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".