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Sound Reviews
Totally free tunes: because you’ve spent enough on Christmas already
By Troy Farah
Published on 12/24/2009
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We all know the Internet revolutionized the music industry in ways
history hasn’t seen since the phonograph was invented. Most
consumers don’t really mind the changes—illegal downloading in
particular—because music is music, even if it’s free. For the
musician, instead of resisting the trends of a failing recording
industry, many are joining the cause by giving their albums away for
free. Radiohead made the act popular, but didn’t truly give their
music away—they just told consumers to add their own price tag.
Other acts soon found it was the perfect way to promote their art
and hundreds of acts followed suit (albeit temporarily) including Saul
Williams and the Brian Jonestown Massacre, to name just a couple.
Now free downloads are the latest trend and there isn’t likely a
band today that hasn’t done some form of it.
So without further ado, here is a small list of some great albums you
can get for no cost.
Pretty Lights (prettylightsmusic.com):
Passing By Behind Your Eyes, Filling Up Your Precious
Time
Ignoring the fruity name, Pretty Lights embodies the genre of
“braindance” music, which attempts to mix in all genres of
music, from jazz to country to rock to hip-hop to metal.
It’s like a
musical slot machine—with Pretty Lights, you never know what
you’re gonna get. Pretty Lights has generously given away all four
of his full-length albums Filling Up the City Skies (discs 1 and
2), Passing By Behind Your Eyes, and Taking Up Your
Precious Time.
Key tracks: “Sunday School,” “More Important Than Michael
Jordan,” “Finally Moving”
Pogo (www.last.fm/music/pogo):
Wonderland, Weave and Wish
Hailing from Australia, Pogo is a master of turning ordinary sounds
and recognizable sound clips into elaborate, formless songs. Pogo
most notably mashes up popular children’s films, including Disney
classics such as “Alice in Wonderland,” “Mary Poppins” and “The
Sword in the Stone.” Other ageless remixed movies include “Hook,”
“Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” and “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate
Factory.” His work isn’t technically copyright infringement—his
samples fall under “fair use” copyright law—but Pogo still can’t profit
off his songs. So he offers them for free download, although sound
quality isn’t high. On a sidenote, Pogo’s videos are also something
to behold and can be found at youtube.com/user/fagottron.
Key tracks: “Alice,” “Alohamora,” “White Magic,” “Expialidocious”
Jaydiohead (jaydiohead.com): Jay-Z x
Radiohead
While Radiohead’s In Rainbows is no longer a no-cost
download, New York DJ and producer Max Tannone went ahead
and mixed samples of classic Radiohead tunes with a cappella
tracks by Jay-Z. While it would seem disastrous to blatanly combine
opposing genres, Tannone made a perfect blend of hip-hop and
alternative rock that proves opposites attract. Songs like “99
Anthems” (a combination of Radiohead’s “National Anthem” and
Jay-Z’s “99 Problems”) still keep the integrity of the artists while
adding something fresh.
Jaydiohead became popular enough to warrant Jaydiohead:
The Encore, a five-song EP that includes samples from
Radiohead’s “Airbag,” “High and Dry” and “There, There” versus Jay-
Z’s “Roc Boys,” “Song Cry” and “Party Life.”
Key tracks: “99 Anthems,” “Optimistic Moment,” “Wrong Prayer”
Nine Inch Nails (theslip.nin.com): The Slip,
Ghosts I
Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor is probably the most famous
musician releasing no-cost albums. It began as an experiment that
ended up making Reznor more money than he ever imagined
working with a label—and he had complete artistic control.
Reznor first released four instrumental albums, Ghosts I-IV, in
2008. Ghosts I was released as a low-quality, free sampler
and The Slip soon followed. The Slip acts as a sequel
to 2007’s Year Zero and understandably, sounds the same
—a dark industrial rock album predicting a dystopian future. Reznor
wrote the album for his fans, claiming, “This one’s on me.” So, unlike
some digital albums, The Slip is and always will be free.
Key tracks: “Demon Seed,” “Discipline,” “Echoplex”
Jack Conte (myspace.com/jackconte):
Videosongs Volume 1
Multi-instrumentalist and filmmaker Jack Conte garnered fame via
YouTube for his videos and downloadable singles, which he calls
“VideoSongs.” In such a recording, there are no lip-synching or
hidden sounds—all the instruments are visible in the video. His
mashup of Aphex Twin and Bright Eyes’ “First Day of My Life” gives
the emo-folk tune an upbeat facelift, making the song much more
accessible. While most of his other free songs are also covers, his
videos are what to really look for.
Key tracks: “Aphex Twin/ Bright Eyes Mashup,” “RadioheadChopin”
Additional photos for this story:
Pogo's Weave and WIsh album cover
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