Category: free downloads

The Left Behind and The Taters

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The Left Behind “Volume One: We’re Already Gone” EP
From Marshalls Creek, PA comes a musician/producer named Tim O’Grady. His new project The Left Behind will appeal to fans of The Secret Powers, especially the opening track “She’s Had Enough Of Us.” The strong vocals, hand claps and dense melody of “I Don’t Want To Go Home” is another standout, along with the follow up “Is It Because?” Each song has a solid hook, even with a catchy organ bridge (similar to Smashmouth) on “I Won’t Regret A Single Thing.” I’m not sure if it was done on purpose, but the sound compression is fairly distracting – the backing vocals and rhythm often fuzzing into oblivion, especially on the last track “There You Go.” Also not sure if the music has anything to do with the popular Apocalyptic book series, but thank the Lord – this is a FREE download on Facebook!

Bandcamp | Facebook FREE download

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The Taters “Taters Party”
The Taters are an eclectic mix of roots-rock, power-pop, with country and bluegrass tendencies. The band loves the old 60’s era pop influences and decided to get together a “live” show in the spirit of The Beach Boys Party LP. The good news is the album is an enjoyable one, boasting a colorful combination of covers and originals. “Pageboy” sets the casual tone, with guitars and bongos and the cover of Ringo’s “Photograph” is also very well arranged and performed. But the highlight of the disc came next; the catchy “New Girlfriend” and jazzy bounce of “Thingamajig.” But they get too ambitious, and Squeeze’s “Goodbye Girl” is sung like a Mariachi band. Worse, “Help Me Rhonda” makes it painfully obvious they can’t sing in perfect 4-part harmonies. Thankfully, the band gets back on track with a cool mash-up “Smoke on Route 66” and closes strong with the brilliant bluegrass styled “Titanic.” Perfect fun if you like a rockin’ Prairie Home Companion.

Amazon | CD Baby

The Krayolas and Pop Interludes

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Krayolas

The Krayolas “Canicas/Marbles”
 Once again the San Antonio power pop of Hector Saldana returns, and each time the band impresses me. Canicas starts with “Tony Tormenta” a simple guitar ballad about a drug lord no one will mourn. Both “Canicas” and “Lala la Lala” boast bright hum along melodies with organ and accordion, full of childhood nostalgia followed by a great cover of  The Ramones’ “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend.” The T-Rex bass line of  “La Inundacion de Piedras Negras” creeps along making it a cool highlight. The slow “Lazy Afternoon” sounds exactly like it’s supposed to, and best of all this album is a FREE download from Amazon. If you don’t get it, you are truly loco, mi amigo.

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Pop Interludes “Manhattan Charade”
Pop Interludes is a collaboration between songwriter/musician Dino De Angelis and lyricist Peter Morley. Simple synth keyboard pop with little melodic hooks. De Angelis is a man of many talents, a biomedical researcher, culinary teacher and talented musician – but vocally he is merely passable here, doing a flat kind of speak-singing.  The bands’ sound is not unlike Jeff Boller’s project The Simple Carnival or XTC’s Colin Moulding, with its dynamic compositions. The bouncy “It’s Over” adds a guitar as harmonies overlay with the main melody. “Talkin’ About Sunshine” has a spacey echo with its sugary lyric. Morley’s narrative fits the music well, but occasionally feels forced (“This Masquerade”). Some tunes take a few verses to build, but are worth it – recommended tracks are “Addition,”  “Invisible,” and “Transforming.”

CD Baby | Amazon

Freebie Fridays! Keith and The Dead Girls

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Keith Klingensmith and the TM Collective “Free!”
Keith runs Futureman Records, a collection of awesome power pop gems from the past, and he’s a pretty fine musician to boot. With his band the TM Collective, he will feed your need for free music. Yes this collection of covers is 100% free to download and the nineteen song run from the easily recognizable Beach Boys “Let Him Run Wild” to the more obscure “Jesus Follows Lisa Home” by the What Gives. My fave is the rarely covered Rutles tune “Cheese and Onions.” Enjoy this collection and check out all the releases Keith curates.


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The Dead Girls “Fade In/Fade Out”
I was impressed with the Dead Girls EP last year, so this full length LP builds on it. Lead singer Cameron Hawk has a sound a bit like Wire mixed with Weezer on “Never Erased.” The terrific riffs and harmonies on “Naysayer” kicks it up a notch and the band builds a good atmosphere on the slow building “Find Your Way Back To Me (Oh My Soul)”  – it will have you missing Alex Chilton all over again. No filler here, each track is quality, more highlights include “Under Siege,”  the amazing “Scare You”  and epic “I Feel You”  which is equal parts Led Zeppelin and Oasis. I hear a lot of stuff, and this is the best free album I’ve heard all year. Get it!

New Talent: Propeller, Love Messengers, Steelesque

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Propeller “Don’t be Sorry Again”
Greg Randall and Will Anderson are Propeller, born from the ashes of Varsity Drag, The Lemonheads and Unbalanced. This is the newest release full of crunchy guitars and dense rock rhythms. “Nothing” has solid hook and hand claps and it will dig its way into your brain. And each tune has the same sweet indie rock quality, so no filler here.

My only pet peeve here is the vocals are a bit buried, almost disappearing into the instrumentation. Best of all this album is a FREE download! Fans of The Replacements, Sugar, Lemonheads, Dinosaur Jr. and Teenage Fanclub will just love this. Highly recommended and you have no excuses!
FREE on Bandcamp

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Love Messengers “Dogsmile” EP
All the way from Finland comes Rock guitarist-singer Timo “Still Crazy” Pääkkö, eccentric organ-wizard Jussi Reunamäki, bassist Tarmo “Entwhistle of Eurajoki” Lehtonen and drummer Jaakko “Crazy Kid” Kotiniemi. These dudes play straight forward rock and roll with solid skills. “Dogsmile” mixes a soulful organ, guitar and heartfelt vocal. The B-side “Tarkka” has a Beatlesque beat with jangle filled Rickenbacker melody.
CD Baby | Amazon

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Steelesque “Johnny On The Spot” EP
Pittsburgh musician Rob Eldridge brought this band together, combining many varied influences. It starts rough with the tentative blues rocker “Hooker A” but doesn’t really brings the hooks till “Life Fast Wheel” with a catchy chorus and terrific rhythm work. The plodding “Raven Don’t Mind” reminds me of Blue Oyster Cult, as Eldridge’s effective vocals and lead guitar give the song real life.
Itunes | Facebook

FREE EP Downloads: Sons of Great Dane and The Susan Constant

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Sons of Great Dane “You Can’t Lose It All At Once” EP
Sons of Great Dane have been busy since the last time we reviewed them. Consisting of Brent Windler ( Guitar, Vocals), EvanJohn Nash McIntosh (Guitar), Nolle Bond (Bass) and Brendan Culp (Drums) they are producing some excellent music, showcasing both alt. country and power pop.

The opening track “To A City I Have Known” is a solid example of how they build a riff-filled, harmonic gem. Then the laid back “Love, Desire, Failure”shuffles along to the Big Star like chorus and guitar fill between each verse. “Approximately 18th St.” is a stream of consciousness rant that runs out of breath… and starts again. Look for a new full length soon, as this is an excellent appetizer to make you hungry for more.

Name your own price on Bandcamp | CD Baby

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The Susan Constant “Shapes” EP
Boston’s The Susan Constant continue to write impressive indie pop, and the new EP Shapes goes the extra mile, drawing from the live shows they are known for – it building excitement with epics like “Draw Us All” or short rocking blasts like “Locked Up.” The sounds are textbook alt. guitar led goodness similar to REM. It ends with “Midwestern You,” a U2 styled arena ballad that builds to a vocal crescendo. And you can’t beat the price.

Name your own price on Bandcamp | Artist Website