The Best Free Music
Jan 29 '06
The Bottom Line A list of the 20 best songs I've found that you can download legally for free
Who says nothing in life is free? Here's a list of 20 songs you can download right now for free from http://music.download.com. On this website, it's completely legal to get the music for free because the artists gave their permission to gain exposure. Of course, many of the artists are very obscure (although you'll be surprised by a few of the big names that you can find there), but that doesn't mean the quality is lacking. So check these songs out now:
20.) Rogue Wave, “Publish My Love”
From the band's 2005 album entitled "Descended Like Vultures," and characterized by http://music.download.com as "indie pop," this song is a bit generic, but it's easy to get right into and enjoy. I'm not really hearing the Elliot Smith influence that is indicated by http://music.download.com, but it's easy to see why "Death Cab for Cutie" is listed as a similar artist.
19.) Esthero, "Wicked Lil' Girls"
If you've never before heard Esthero, I can't say this is the best place to start, because it's such a radical departure from the style of her amazingly good first album, "Breath From Another," which is one of those albums that caused everyone who heard me playing it back in college to ask "hey, this is good, who is this?" The song "Wicked Lil' Girls," however, comes from Esthero's second album with the same name, and gets into more of an R&B style that I'm not as crazy about. Nevertheless, it is Esthero, and therefore I'd say worth listening to, and the clarinet hook throughout the song is pretty cool.
18.) Jamie Lizmore, "Man Cries"
The chorus on this song is astoundingly grandscale and sweeping, and might catch you by surprise after the initially bland opening. I can't think of any other song I've heard that sounds more similar to this one than "Narcolepsy" by Ben Folds Five, if you've heard it, and chances are if you liked that song, you're also going to like this one.
17.) Tunnel, "All That I Do"
I think I found this artist by looking for bands with a similar sound to U2, and I certainly hear the influence in the guitar work on this song (closest to the loose style prevalent on "The Unforgettable Fire" album), but it comes across a lot more like a jam session, and I could see it putting off some people for that reason, but that's also what makes it interesting.
16.) Tim Booth, "Down to the Sea"
This is basically the only good song from the album "Bone". Tim Booth was the lead singer of the late and underrated band James, but don't expect a sound similar to the music of James here. Unlike the rest of Tim Booth's album, this one's got some good production, with an operatic singer's voice and hip drum hook throughout, and I always enjoy Booth's Bono-ish vocals.
15.) Cryptic One, "Anti-Mobius Strip Theory"
Ok, it's time for a little underground rap, and this one makes the list because of some cool production, which shifts unexpectedly just before the last minute for the best part of the song. The rapping sounds very similar to that of Aesop Rock if you've ever heard him (and if you know anything about underground rap, then you know that's a huge compliment).
14.) Death Cab for Cutie, "For What Reason"
Here's the first of the high profile bands you can find on this website, although this is unfortunately not one of Death Cab for Cutie's strongest songs (from the 2000 album "We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes"), which is why it's not higher up on the list. The production is a little weak, with an unimpressive muffled sound throughout most of the song, but if you can look past that, it's got good vocal and guitar work consistent with much of the band's material. A good song, just not a Death Cab classic.
13.) Trashcan Sinatras, "Welcome Back"
An energetic song which jumps right in, and then builds up the intensity further with the guitar hook on the chorus. The only problem with this song is that it's just under two and a half minutes, so chances are by the time you're starting to get into it, it'll be over.
12.) A.P.D., "By the Way"
Ok, now we're going to get into a series of great bands that I can virtually guarantee you've never heard of, and which I only learned of through http://music.download.com, but which more people should know about. The interplay between the guitar part and vocals on the chorus on this song is just perfect. More importantly, this song is the first one on this list to truly build up to a climax during the last minute.
11.) Mission Mile, "Up With the Light"
If you're not a fan of radio-friendly pop music (such as Matchbox 20 or Train), then you're probably not going to be that into this one, but this is better than most of the stuff that you hear on the radio. This song is quiet in parts, but often explodes out in a burst of exhilirating vocals and guitar hook, constantly pushing up the energy level until the end.
10.) Mortimer, "Reality's Talking"
Mortimer was my first true discovery of a good band on http://music.download.com. The production is a little weak and stripped-down, and the singer's vocals are on occassion a bit nasal, but there's a lot of potential here for this to be a truly great band, as should be obvious from just the first few seconds of this song, with its delicate orchestration. There's an obvious Beatles influence here, particularly in the ending, which has the kind radical shift you normally only get in a good Radiohead song (such as the shift at the end of "Karma Police"). A few decades ago, this band could have been huge.
9.) The Southern Backtones, "Forever"
Another awesome discovery on this website which opens with a U2-ish guitar hook (reminscint of "I Will Follow"), but soon taking on a darker, less U2-ish tone as it goes into the catchy chorus with entrancing vocals. This is also one of those grandscale songs that feels meant for being played in a large stadium, even if it doubtful that this band will be playing such venues anytime soon.
8.) The Perceptionists, "Memorial Day"
Not only one of the better songs I've found on http://music.download.com, but also one of the best songs of 2005. It didn't take much to sell me on this political rap song, considering that this group includes Mr. Lif, who I consider to be the best underground rapper I've ever heard (based on his incredible album "I Phantom"). This song is a demand for answers about the state of the Iraq war, and what we're still doing there, and it's a song that needs to be heard.
7.) The Comas, "The Science of Your Mind"
Oh man, do I love this group, although their style is a bit hard to pinpoint. It starts out with a sort-of flamenco guitar style (not at all typical of their music), soon going into a kind of combination between a retro rock feel (judging from the drumming) and a modern indie rock style. Of all the unique aspects of this band, the vocals probably stand out the most. This song isn't the best example, but The Comas' vocals are often understated and subtle, while at the same time exploding with a kind of rage, which would seem like a contradictory combination until you listen to more of it. Definitely check this one out if you like good music.
6.) The Real Tuesday Weld, "The Ugly and the Beautiful"
We're definitely reaching the top of the list with another incredible artist. The Real Tuesday Weld most frequently incorporates classic jazz of days long ago with modern sampling to produce music that I would classify in a genre of its own. This song is a decent example of the feeling that The Real Tuesday Weld often provides of sitting in a smoke-filled bar in some other era, although it's not the best song off of the album "I Lucifer" (which was intended as a soundtrack to the novel of the same name oddly enough). I cannot recommend this artist highly enough, and this song is a good starting point for newcomers.
5.) Blank, "Hard"
Far and away the best of the bands I've discovered on this website that I can virtually guarantee you've never heard of. This song's got it all, a pounding and energetic intro soon accompanied by a ridiculously well-produced and rapidly-played piano part (which is unfortunately not present throughout the entire song, but comes back near the end). And just wait until you get to the chorus, with its soaring string section and rocking guitar hook, and this song really sinks its teeth into you. And the other songs you can download by this band are almost as incredible.
4.) The Postal Service, "Such Great Heights"
As we reach the top of the list, we get into the bands that are more well-known, such as The Postal Service, a side project by the lead singer from Death Cab for Cutie, involving the use of electronic music and therefore sounding nothing at all like Death Cab for Cutie. I would say The Postal Service is an electronic artist that even those who don't particularly care for this genre of music can enjoy, and I know this because I'm one of those people who usually finds electronic music repetitive. But with a catchy chorus and engaging beat, that's no problem on "Such Great Heights," which is a truly uplifting song.
3.) Bloc Party, "Banquet"
I told you that you would be surprised by some of the big name bands you can find. Assuming you haven't yet heard this song (if you've been living under a rock), it's a frantic punk-influenced tune that seems to capture the essence of a live concert when you listen to it at home. I doubt I need to sell anyone on how great this song is.
2.) Ambulance LTD, "Primitive (The Way I Treat You)"
It was love at first listen when I discovered Ambulance LTD, a band that's certainly gained plenty of critical acclaim (albeit not to the level of Bloc Party). This one's a bit more of a rocker than the typical Ambulance LTD song, but is easily one of the band's best, with such a powerful hook on the chorus that I can virtually guarantee you won't want to stop listening to it. In fact, the only song I think I enjoy more by this group is "Anectode," which you won't be able to find on http://music.download.com.
1.) The Dears, "Lost in the Plot"
Here it is, the best song you can find on this website by a group who surprisingly didn't make it quite as big as say, Bloc Party. It's dreamy, moody, and altogether beautiful, but as with much of The Dears' music, it somehow defies description, and I have never been able to review the masterpiece of an album, "No Cities Left," from which this song is taken, because it's always just too emotionally exhausting just to listen to. And how great is the part of this song that goes "our love, don't mess with our love?" If you haven't heard any of the songs on this list, start here!
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