Sonya Cotton

You know how, with some singers, you can pick up on speech or vocal patterns like accents or dialects really easily, while with others it's almost impossible? Think about how British Billy Bragg sounds compared to, say, Paul McCartney. Or how a lot of the Swedish and Canadian bands we've posted actually sound like generic suburban America. Research has probably already been done on the impact of mass media on localized speech patterns ever since the popularization of radio; heck, this research could probably go back to the effects of court (ruling class) language on the merchant or even lower classes. Anyway, to get to the point, I like how Sonya Cotton sings the phrase "Guard your heart, darling," in the song below with a similar title. It reminds me of Gillian Welch, and they both remind me of people singing the way they really speak. And sometimes that sounds nice.

Guard Your Heart [MP3, 4MB, 192kbps]
Desert Bloom [MP3, 4.4MB, 192kbps]

www.bloodshakerecords.com
sonyacotton.com

The Early Years

Incubating across the Atlantic in their native London The Early Years released this, their first single, almost a year ago. "All Ones & Zeros" bounces along with a cheerful Joy Division-esque bass line, then the guitars hit. And hit. And hit. Droning, reverberating, backwards, forwards, feeding back and just making wonderful noise. You get an idea of what The Early Years' first show was like, David Malkinson, on stage, alone, armed with a guitar, amp, and a plethora of effects pedals treating the small crowd to a twenty-minute long wall of sound. The vocals remind me of (brace yourselves for a really obscure reference here....) Butterfly Train, with Brett Nelson of Built To Spill on bass and vocals (In fact, the two bands have a similar vibe, but Butterfly Train had that certain Seattle-in-the-90s sound). The Early Years do a fantastic job of holding back the guitars just enough so they don't lose control of the song. Stop by the band's myspace page for a few more songs and to get an idea of their range. Expect their self-titled debut early next year on Beggars here in the U.S.

All Ones & Zeros [MP3, 5.7MB, 192kbps]

www.beggars.com
www.theearlyyears.org.uk

Henry's Dress

Slumberland Records changed my life. My first Slumberland purchase was the compilation Why Popstars Can't Dance, which introduced me to Rocketship, whose 7" "Hey, Hey Girl" I have completely worn out. My second Slumberland purchase is still the most prized piece of vinyl that I own: Henry's Dress "1620." (My failure to obtain the Henry's Dress/Rocketship split single released on Slumberland in 1996 and re-released in 1999 still haunts me.) Slumberland also introduced an entire new world of bands to me, many of whom have been my "favorite" band at particular points in time. The aformentioned Rocketship and Henry's Dress, plus Lilys, Small Factory, Velocity Girl, Honeybunch, Swirlies, The Ropers, Jane Pow, Boyracer, Beatnik Filmstars, Hood, The Aislers Set, and The How.

I've mentioned Henry's Dress several times in my last few posts, so with the rebirth of the Slumberland website, it was time to finally get my beloved Henry's Dress on 3hive. Henry's Dress is my favorite band of all time, cause I simply keep coming back to them over the years, and each time it's like discovering their feedback-drenched, bass-heavy, punk-pop songs that could rarely reach three minutes all over again for the first time. I'll spare you a long history of the band and even more of my sentimentality, other than saying that former members can be found in The Aislers Set and The How so you can get on with the downloading.

from 1620:
1620 [MP3, 4.5MB, VBR]

from Henry's Dress:
Definitely Nothing [MP3, 2.0MB, VBR]
You Killed A Boy For Me [MP3, 1.5MB, VBR]

from Bust 'Em Green:
Hey Allison [MP3, 2.3MB, VBR]
Zero Zero Zero [MP3, 1.6MB, VBR]

www.slumberlandrecords.com

The Asteroid #4

Some bands are just Clay bands, whether or not he posts them. Upon first listening to The Asteroid #4, I catch that British re-invasion vibe that make Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Brian Jonestown Massacre, and the Lilys all Clay bands as well. In fact, Lilys frontman and fellow Philly Kurt Heasley produced The Asteroid #4's first two releases. So, with all this said, I feel a little weird invoking Clay's rep without getting his take first. So, Clay, what do you say? The A4, yay or nay?

from An Amazing Dream (2006):
Here We Go [MP3, 2.2MB, 128kbps]
Ask Me About Pittsburgh [MP3, 4.4MB, 128kbps]

from Honeyspot (2004):
Honeyspot [MP3, 3.3MB, 128kbps]
California [MP3, 3.1MB, 128kbps]

from King Richard's Collectibles (2000):
Mercenary Man [MP3, 3.4MB, 128kbps]
Monday Morning Gloom [MP3, 4.8MB, 128kbps]

www.rainbowquartz.com
www.asteroid4.com

Matthew Friedberger

This one's been sitting on the back-burner for too long. An enigmatic little label releases the first solo record (a double album!) from prolific songwriter Matthew Friedberger, one half of the brother/sister duo The Fiery Furnaces. Part 1 of the album, Winter Women, as represented by the first download, is a more hooky, melodic affair with plenty of spacey textures Furnace fans will appreciate. Spontaneous speaking in foreign tongues inspired part 2 of the album, Holy Ghost Language School, and expectedly embodies the weirder, more experimental tracks such as "Do You Like Blondes?" Possessed or collected, Friedberger continues to compose songs that will both trip you out and get you singing along.

The Pennsylvania Rock Oil Company Resignation Letter [MP3, 5.2MB, 192kbps]
Do You Like Blondes [MP3, 4.0MB, 192kbps]

www.859recordings.com

First Coat

Another band from Hyde Park, Chicago, Illinois, and a member of the Mr. Hyde Records family, First Coat is a band that keeps getting better and better. This improvement could be due to maturity or significant line-up changes, but either way, their newest work is confident and well-constructed. The thick and rich 8 minutes or so of rock in "Catchy Pneumonia Pajamas," from their recent album Move Like Sparrows, is a stark contrast to the demure country strains and simple pop off Great Lakes Disorder, their first effort. Check it out for yourself. Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving!

from Move Like Sparrows:
Try Again [MP3, 3.8MB, 160kbps]
Catchy Pneumonia Pajamas [MP3, 9.3MB, 160kbps]

from Great Lakes Disorder:
Ghost Song [MP3, 3.3MB, 128kbps]
Lime [MP3, 4MB, 128kbps]
Lotto [MP3, 3.5MB, 128kbps]
Weatherman [MP3, 3.8MB, 128kbps]
George [MP3, 2.5MB, 128kbps]

from Mr. Hyde Records compilation Hyde Five:
Toothbrush [MP3, 3.6MB, 152kbps]

from Mr. Hyde Records compilation Twenty-two to Tango:
Drunk Online Shopping [MP3, 5.8MB, 160kbps]

from Mr. Hyde Records compilation Going All the Way:
Artichoke [MP3, 4.5MB, 192kbps]

www.loud-devices.com
www.mrhyderecords.com
www.firstcoat.org

The Elected

I originally wanted to make this a topical post a couple weeks ago when the Dems took the power back. Now the gag is a bit dated. It's just been that kind of month for me... But good music is good music and The Elected make good music. Their textured folk-pop stops time and encourages introspection. The Californian quartet is fronted by Rilo Kiley guitarist/songwriter and former child actor Blake Sennett. Go vote with your wallet if you like what you hear.

from Sun, Sun Sun (2006):
Not Going Home [MP3, 5.4MB, 160kbps]

from Me First (2004):
Greetings in Braille [MP3, 4.6MB, 160kbps]
Go On [MP3, 6.1MB, 160kbps]

www.subpop.com
www.theelected.com

Over The Atlantic

Today, we sail South down the Pacific Ocean to New Zealand to tune into Over The Atlantic—a couple young lads recording music that's completely unhip compared to today's standards. I mean none of the kids are doing this. As far as I can tell, most of the kids this age still style out their jet-black hair curtains and whisper/scream, wearing their bloodied emotions on their sleeves. I was never cool in school, so I'm always glad to find fellow geeks, the kind that that lock themselves in their rooms and record their own music videos. The bonus with Over The Atlantic is their skills are those of a songwriter twice their age, yet they fill their hooks with youthful exhuberance. I have a feeling their parents' record collections (which undoubtably contain the entire Church catalog) are to blame for their twenty-year old sound, which is an entirely good thing.

35 Black and White [MP3, 4.6MB, 192kbps]
Starsign [MP3, 4.2MB, 192kbps]

Buy from iTunes
www.carparkrecords.com
www.myspace.com/overtheatlanticband

The Black Antipodes

Is Denmark the new Sweden? But borders aren't important. We here at 3hive love all Scandanavians, especially the ones who have a way with a guitar. The Black Antipodes claim Sonic Youth, The Stokes, and Interpol, among others, as influences, and it's easy to hear all three in "Black Coffee and Pie." My grandmother-in-law, a full Dane, if she were still here, would be so pleased.

Black Coffee and Pie [MP3, 5.1MB, 160kbps]

www.theblackantipodes.com

I Am Bones

After featuring Under Byen last month, the good folks at Morningside Records kindly left a handful of suggestions in the comments. Their roster balances between two forces of pop music: dreamy and power. I Am Bones does the power pop thing, along the lines of Figurines. I find it interesting that these two fine Danish bands draw heavily from the American indie rock sound from the 90s at a time when so many contemporary American bands lean towards the heady, arena-sized sound of Radiohead. I'm not afraid to admit my bias. Usually when I drop needle to groove, or hit play, or insert my ear-buds, I want to sing-along (dig the chorus to "The Ostrich Approach:" "I'll hook you up / with alcohol and valium..."), jump around, get the endorphins flowing...I don't want to think about music, I just want to move to it. I Am Bones will certainly get you shaking your own skeleton. If I might point out one song in particular here, "Oktoberfest Vs. Morrissey" would make a great addition to your Thanksgiving mix tape. ONLY if you're a loud and proud meat lover. Vegans beware. May I suggest a subtitle? "Turkey Vs. Tofurkey."

from Wrong Numbers are Never Busy:
The Ostrich Approach [MP3, 4.0MB, 192kbps]
Building Hospitals [MP3, 4.8MB, 256kbps]

from If You Really Love Me, Send Me More Medical Supplies:
All the Relatives Agree [MP3, 4.4MB, 224kbps]
Talk to the Hand [MP3, 3.5MB, 192kbps]
Oktoberfest Vs Morrissey [MP3, 3.9MB, 192kbps]

Buy on iTunes
www.morningsiderecords.dk
www.iambones.dk

Millimeters Mercury

"Her hips were sharp in the dark / in a park on N. Clark"
Millimeters Mercury, "Not Too Fast"

When a bunch of my old students went off to college in Chicago — hi Katherine, Jared, Mia, Jen L., Tom G., etc. — I really wanted to make them a good Chicago mix, but it just didn't work out. I had Sufjan Stevens and Ryan Adams, Liz Phair and Rhett Miller, Wilco and Soul Coughing. But I still hadn't come across Canasta or Millimeters Mercury (mmHg, for my wife and her Ph.D. science friends) — especially "Not Too Fast." What a great song! Part of the Mr. Hyde Records crew, the now-defunct Millimeters Mercury has since split into a bunch of other bands, like Cola Wars. Check out the band's website for their math rock discography, including about 30 additional free downloads.

Not Too Fast [MP3, 5.7MB, 192kbps]
I!D!M! [MP3, 5.8MB, 192kbps]
Too Close to You [MP3, 6MB, 160kbps]
Broken Typewriter [MP3, 6.6MB, 192kbps]

www.millimetersmercury.com

Kay Kay & His Weathered Underground

The first minute of "Hey Mamma" pays major homage to the Beatles of a certain era you can probably guess by looking at the photo. After the first minute, as Hunter S. Thompson might say, it gets a little strange. But strange is good, and Kay Kay manages to toss around strings, percussion, and even what sounds like a player piano to spritely effect. The songs on the band's MySpace page are equally confounding yet somehow appealing to the ears. Kay Kay will be coughing up a cassette-only EP soon, so pick it up and, hop in your 10-year-old Subaru and crank it until you can't hear the engine noise.

Hey Momma [MP3, 5.8MB, 192kbps]

www.myspace.com/kaykayunderground
www.ecarecords.com

Health & Beauty

There's something very, very good happening on Chicago's south side, and that good thing is called Mr. Hyde Records. To quote from their mission statement, Mr. Hyde is a record label that "focuses on making definitive compilations of the rock music being made in Hyde Park." When I lived in Hyde Park ten years ago, it wasn't really clear that there was much music being made in the neighborhood; it didn't help that there was only one bar, Jimmy's, and the local university is pretty geeky. Then again, as 3hive proves week in and week out, geeks rock. Based on Mr. Hyde's output, like the recent Jackson Park Express compilation, the U of C scene is rich, diverse and (surprise, surprise) notably cerebral.

So, Cola Wars was our first Mr. Hyde related post, even if I didn't really know what it meant at the time. (In true home-grown fashion, all these guys are in ten bands and running their own label.) Anyway, Health & Beauty is another band in the family; Brian J. Sulpizio even looks like my cousin's crazy ex-boyfriend. Though his music doesn't really reflect this craziness — you'll find a little noise here and there, among beautiful melodies and smart, smoothly-delivered lyrics — the Health & Beauty website itself is like a psychedelic corn maze of poetry and random association. I spent at least an hour wandering around "Eraser Metropolis", following the links and taking it all in. Over the next few weeks I'll post a few more Mr. Hyde bands; if you like what you hear, go ahead and buy a few compilations.

Half Steps [MP3, 5.2MB, 128kbps]
Scratched Like Vinyl [MP3, 4.7MB, 128kbps]
Dust [MP3, 5.5MB, 155kbps]
Worthlessness [MP3, 4MB, 128kbps]

www.mrhyderecords.com
www.indiecred.com

Voxtrot

Another example of our diabolical scheme here at the 'hive. Wait for every other site in the world to talk about a band, then we swoop in, iconoclastically late. Is the Voxtrot party still on? You bet it is. And there's still plenty of time to sport Voxtrot merch and not look sooooo 2005. The Austin-based band warns there won't be a proper album for a while. So they do what any respectable band should, keep teasing their fans with EPs. "Trouble" is one third of their next installment of American-bred, Britishy smart-pop that holds up remarkably well under all the buzz.

Trouble [MP3, 6.0MB, 192kbps]
Mothers, Sisters, Daughters & Wives [MP3, 5.5MB, 196kbps]
The Start of Something [MP3, 6.2MB, 192kbps]

Buy on iTunes
www.beggars.com
www.voxtrot.net

The How

Who: Matt from the late, great Henry's Dress (seriously one of the best bands ever) and Stew from Boyracer. Also, The Who, the chief inspiration of Matt and Stew.
What: Self-described as "revved up Who-inspired mod-rock" that's "in the Spirit of '66."
Where: Not important.
When: First released "Dreaming of Lily" on a split single with The Aisler's Set back in 2000. "I Was a Boy" is from the current Happy Matt single out on Slumberland.
Why: Cause they can.
The How.

I Was a Boy [MP3, 5.5MB, VBR]

www.slumberlandrecords.com

Frida Hyvonen

As a parting gift for the last week at my job, my coworker Lisa sent me some music recommendations—and when Lisa sends recs, I tend to listen because her mad skillz at free-MP3-mining far surpass my own. Frida Hyvönen was on that list, though with the caveat that the record was released nearly a year ago in Frida's native Sweden (it's spankin' new on Secretly Canadian in the U.S.), so for you Northern European seekers, this may be old news. But for the rest of us, it's a refreshingly enigmatic gust of cool air. Hyvönen is a sort of Scandinavian Joni Mitchell, a post-feminist proto-poet with the voice of an angel and the outlook of Kierkegaard. The track here is short and bittersweet. The rest of the album multifaceted and addictive. Take Lisa's advice and pick it up.

You Never Get Me Right [MP3, 2.6MB, 192kbps]

www.fridahyvonen.com
www.myspace.com/fridahyvonen
www.secretlycanadian.com

Caural

Caural is short for Chicago's Artful Underdog Resists Abstract Labeling. Okay, I made that up. Caural is the stagename for multi-talented musician Zachary Mastoon whose off-kilter beats, found samples, and moody synths often find him compared to Four Tet, Prefuse 73, and Daedelus. Flattering company as far as I'm concerned, but not necessarily satisfying as a description. He's got a sound all his own and each track packs its own little surprises if you listen carefully.

from Mirrors for Eyes (2006):
I Won't Race You [MP3, 4.2MB, 128kbps]

from Remembering Today (2005):
Entre Chien et Loup [MP3, 4.2MB, 128kbps]

www.mushrecords.com
www.chocolateindustries.com
www.myspace.com/caural
www.caural.net

Lyrics Born

It's not quite lunchtime here on the West Coast and I'm oh, so ready to belly on up for some comfort food courtesy of El Chavito. Lyrics Born provides similar, comforting nourishment to the ears. Ain't no need to front. He let's his skills do the talking. Lyrics Born delivers rhymes all neighborly-like. His vocals have a front-porch, homegrown tone that keep me coming back for more. Just like El Chavito, nothing fancy, just pure flavor (insert El Sombrero if you're in Lyrics' neighborhood, or Cancun over on Mission Street ). You can be in the same room as Lyrics Born with his newest release, Overnight Encore: Lyrics Born Live!. It's Friday people, ease up and get down with Lyrics, his live band and a ton of hot and sweaty Aussies.
*FYI: Lyrics and Cut Chemist are playing tonight in NYC at Webster Hall.

Knock Knock (live) [MP3, 5.2MB, 212kbps]
Lady Don't Tek No (live) [MP3, 10.3MB, 229kbps]
Callin' Out (album version) [MP3, 4.9MB, 188kbps]
Callin' Out (clean) [MP3, 4.8MB, 188kbps]

Buy on iTunes
www.quannum.com
www.lyricsborn.com

Great Lake Swimmers

My wife and I are lately big fans of the parenting blog Sweet Juniper! The writers are Detroiters, they're friends of 3hiver Jon, and they're just funny. I even offered Dutch a guest writing gig after checking out his post on hip urban music. Anyway, they've got a few music suggestions on the site, very indie stuff for the most part, like Great Lake Swimmers. This up-and-coming Canadian band has a mellow sound full of rootsy influences, two good albums, and handful of music awards heralding them as the next big thing. Sweet! Thanks to the Juniper crew, and hopefully we'll get them to visit here one day.

Bodies and Minds [MP3, 3.4MB, 128kbps]
Various Stages [MP3, 3.8MB, 128kbps]
I Will Never See the Sun [MP3, 3.2MB, 128kbps]
Moving Pictures Silent Films [MP3, 5MB, 128kbps]

www.weewerk.com
www.greatlakeswimmers.com

Clare Burson

Clare Burson is often compared to Lucinda Williams, so clearly she's got something good going on. The Nashville-based Burson's very personal tales, often of searching or longing, are hypnotic and gritty and completely endearing. As evidenced by the number of free downloads, she's a generous soul as well, offering up for easy access about half the body of her recorded work. My favorites are from her full-length album The In-Between, on which her country roots are most obvious. Like several other 3hive picks, Burson's music has been used in a hip TV show (Six Degrees on ABC? If it's not Dora the Explorer I don't know about it) so we wish her luck in landing a big fat record deal and implore her to remember the good old days of sharing the sharing.

from Idaho:
Love Me in the Morning [MP3, 4.2MB, 160kbps]
Take Good Care [MP3, 5.2MB, 160kbps]
Blue Pearl [MP3, 4.3MB, 160kbps]

from The In-Between:
Where You Are [MP3, 3MB, 160kbps]
Tonight [MP3, 4.6MB, 160kbps]
Another Day Down [MP3, 4.3MB, 160kbps]
Hold On [MP3, 4.8MB, 160kbps]
You Got Me [MP3, 3.3MB, 160kbps]

from Undone:
Mysteries Revealed [MP3, 4.8MB, 160kbps]

www.clareburson.com

Huma

Huma started out as a duo of New Jerseyites who wanted to counter the smothering influence of malls and suburban sprawl. Their answer: Folktronic pop blessed with a childlike innocence. Score one for the good guys.

from We Are Here for You (2006):
Feels Like I'm Walking
Waking Up

from 2003 demo EP:
Dream

www.cult-hero.com
www.humamusic.com

Roger O'Donnell

A man and his Moog. Not just any man mind you, Roger O'Donnell has tickled the ivorys for The Cure and Psychedlic Furs. However, don't expect his solo album to flash you back to the glitter and glam of the 80s, rather, The Truth in Me is an exercise in limitation. All the music here is composed using one instrument, the Moog Voyager, an analog synthesizer (a few tracks feature vocals by Erin Lang). You'll hear that what Roger O'Donnell discovers is both warm and chill, human and machine, the collision of opposites that makes truth possible.

Not Without You [MP3, 4.9MB, 192kbps]

www.worlds-fair.net
www.rogerodonnell.com

Josh Ottum

Josh Ottum's "The Easy Way Out" reminds me of the old joke about the weather in Michigan — if you don't like it, wait a minute. I lost track of the abrupt tempo changes after about 45 seconds and just let the song play on, digging the cute pop (think Ben Kweller) vibe. The remaining tracks available for free download aren't quite so schizophrenic, and for me they're actually more enjoyable. "Who Left the Lights On?" has a great groove, nice simple hooks and a thick sound, while "Freedom" sounds like a synth-ed out video game love song. With all this polished pop, all I want to know is, where are the hand claps?

It's All Right [MP3, 3.4MB, 192kbps]
The Easy Way Out [MP3, 4.3MB, 160kbps]
Who Left the Lights On? [MP3, 5.4MB, 160kbps]
Freedom [MP3, 5.2MB, 192kbps]

www.millpondrecords.com
www.joshottum.com

She, Sir

Austin-based quartet, She, Sir recently built a lovely wall-of-sound EP, stacked with layers upon layers of guitars, modal harmonies, and hushed melodies. With the subtle hooks and deep atmospherics of Who Can't Say Yes, She, Sir drop pop music to an even vaguer level than Loveless. She, Sir beautifully fractures music for the next generation of dream-pop connoisseurs.

The Clandestine [MP3, 5.6MB, 224kbps]
I Love You, Blowtorch Eyes [MP3, 5.9MB, 224kbps]
It's My Way of Staying Connected [MP3, 4.0MB, 128kbps]

www.shesir.com

Muggs

I know this one's a few years old but this is such the un-Muggs album and perfect for this moody time of year. Muggs is best known for the venomous hooks behind all your favorite Cypress Hill and House of Pain joints, as well as collabos with various hip-hop all-stars under the Soul Assassins umbrella. On 2003's Dust though he pays homage to his less obvious influences such as Pink Floyd and brought in some lesser known vocalists in Amy Trujillo and Josh Todd. Dusted, natch, but broadly accessible.

Rain [MP3, 4.7MB, 128kbps]
Morta [MP3, 3MB, 128kbps]

www.anti.com
www.djmuggs.com

The Silent Years

Listening to The Silent Years takes me back to my oh-so-glorious college radio days. We were on the AM frequency and didn't have an FCC license so we couldn't broadcast off-campus, which wouldn't have been so limiting if it hadn't been a commuter campus. The quietude afforded us time and space to make mistakes, build playlists with no real agenda, and explore the piles and piles of promo CDs stacked around the studio (despite signs asking that everything go back to from whence it came). The Silent Years is like a band I may have found in a pile, an earnest young outfit with vaguely nihilistic lyrics sung, possibly ironically, with great emotion, and riffs that made me nod my head but weren't obnoxious enough to cause consternation. Coulda been Texas is the Reason, or Ash, or any of a dozen others. I would throw it in the rotation, maybe play another song at the top of each hour, and be fully obsessed before my timeslot was over. Anyhow, The Silent Years give me fond memories and have the potential to become an aural obsession that I'd like to tell the world about, or at least those of you who get the signal.

Sharks [MP3, 4.5MB, 160kbps]
No Secrets [MP3, 3.8MB, 160kbps]
Someday [MP3, 3.3MB, 160kbps]
Someone to Keep Us Warm [MP3, 3.9MB, 160kbps]

noalternativerecords.com/thesilentyears
www.thesilentyears.com
www.myspace.com/thesilentyears

The Inner Banks

I've never been to the Inner Banks...or the Outer Banks, for that matter. In fact I've never been to North Carolina. But I've wanted to go for a long time. And, I'll be hogtied if this Brooklynite composer David Gould (The Bootleg Remedy) and his partner/wife/vocalist Caroline Schutz (Folksongs for the Afterlife) don't make me want to go to North Carolina even more than ever before. Something about these songs — they're warm, resolute, timeless, pretty — and how they mirror what I imagine North Carolina will be like. Who knows? Maybe I'll hate it there. But I doubt that. So I guess I know what I need to do (book a flight). And I guess you know what you need to do (listen to The Inner Banks). Their self-titled debut comes out in December 2006.

From The Inner Banks (2006):
Glittering Sky [MP3, 4.4MB, 128kbps]
Siberia [MP3, 3.8MB, 160kbps]
Acoustic [MP3, 8MB, 160kbps]

www.theinnerbanks.net
www.dagrecords.com

Rainer Maria

I remember my friend Tim Ortopan was so excited after he bought Rainer Maria's latest (well, April '06) album Catastrophe Keeps Us Together that he had me listening to it within 24 hours of purchase. It's a shame there don't seem to be any free, legal and full-length MP3s from Catastrophe... available to post here, because they'd be a good fit at the top of our list, showing the all-important change over time ("delta" from science class, right?). If you can't hear the development and maturity of a band while working bottom-up through the selection of songs below, go get your earwax cleaned out! Obviously, I think Catastrophe... continues this trend with wonderful results. From pounding drums and entwined screaming voices back in the '90s to today's complex and melodic sounds, Rainer Maria just makes good music.

The Double Life [MP3, 3.1MB, 128kbps]
Ears Ring [MP3, 3.3MB, 128kbps]
Artificial Light [MP3, 3.3MB, 128kbps]
Breakfast of Champions [MP3, 3.3MB, 128kbps]
Tinfoil [MP3, 4.4MB, 128kbps]

www.grunionrecords.com
www.polyvinylrecords.com
www.rainermaria.com