Rae Morris

For today's feature I again have to credit the amazing UK tv series Skins for introducing me to the promising singer songwriter Rae Morris. Rae is an 19 year old singer-songwriter from Blackpool. Learning piano at an early age and forever underestimating her ability, Rae recently found a voice she didn’t know she had. Make your own comparisons, but be sure to notice a girl of maturity beyond her years. Cleverly matching her inimitable voice to songs of new experiences, those defining challenges like love and not always being able to have the answers, Rae is the epitome of raw and claims nothing else. "Morris' huge voice is accompanied by delicate piano and a subtle guitar line on this slow-burning torch ballad. Rae is definitely one to keep your eye on. She'll be big in no time, mark my words. So don't miss out and download her FREE demo EP!

@ Blackpool, UK

♫ Folk/Pop

♥ Don't Go (mp3)

▸  Official Website

▸ Facebook

+ Free EP

Free Music: Elastic Summer

Now that spring is coming closer and closer, I already cannot wait for summer to start with long days of being outside and doing nothing. If that is the same for you, then already get in the mood in the mood with the happy carefree indie pop of Elastic Summer. A friend of mine recommended Elastic Summer, and when I listened to their EP I just could not believe they're offering their EP for FREE! Elastic Summer is a pop band based in Brooklyn, New York. It was founded by Rebeca (vocals) and Michael (drums) in the Summer of 2010. They then recruited Joe (guitar) and Bryan (on the bass) with an incredibly successful Craigslist ad. Rebeca is a Brazilian from New Jersey. Michael is from California, Joe is from Texas and Bryan is from Berklee College of Music. Together they enjoy asian cuisine, tequila shots, and playing the board game taboo. The average band height is 6 feet and 1/4 inches. The average age is 22. Their first EP, “Elastic Summer,” was engineered and mixed by Rebeca at her house, and released in February of 2011. And now can be downloaded for FREE from their Bandcamp.

@ New York, USA

♫ Indie Pop

♥ Super Powers (mp3) 

▸ Official Website

+ download FREE EP

Free Music: Pearl and the Beard

"Pearl and the Beard loves you the way you’ve always been". With an opening sentence like this you can't go wrong in my book! So a few months back when I visited The Family Records website, to find some info on Wakey!Wakey!, I discovered this wonderful trio. Pearl and the Beard is three voices, one cello, one guitar, one glockenspiel, one melodica, several drums, one accordion, ninety-six teeth, and one soul. Former strangers Jocelyn Mackenzie, Emily Hope Price, and Jeremy Styles were united in the great city of New York. Each had migrated there from a far corner of the nation with naught but food in their pockets and money in their bellies. Each had the same true love. Since then, the three have nested, and their unique brand of brightly melodic songcraft continues to blossom of its own accord. When I recently found out they're now offering a free EP it seemed like the perfect opportunity to share this gem with you. So don't hesitate, and download!

@ New York, USA

♫ Alternative, Folk, Pop
♥ Black Vessel

▸ Facebook

▸ Official Website
+ Free EP

Merry Christmas [Part II]

Sorry for the delay, but here's some additional great christmas music! If I've missed some great releases, I'm sure I have, just post it in a comment!

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December 2010 EP
The Innocence Mission
♫ In the Bleak Midwinter (mp3)
+ Full EP stream

How To Throw A Christmas Party
Brown Feather Sparrow
♫ Let Us Come Together (mp3)
♫ December Radio (mp3)
+ Full Album Stream

I Do Not Care For The Winter Sun
Beach House
♫ I Do Not Care For The Winter Sun (mp3)

Snow Angels
Over the Rhine
♫ Darlin' (Christmas is Coming) (mp3)
♫ All I Ever Get For Christmas Is Blue (mp3)
+ Buy

Music For Winter: Volume 2
Dogs on Tour
♫ Jingle Bells (mp3)
♫ Santa Claus, Where Is He (mp3)
+ Free Full Album Download

Tracks in the Snow
The Civil Wars
♫ Tracks in the Snow (mp3)
+ Download Free EP

All I Want is the Truth (For Christmas)
The Mynabirds
♫ All I Want is the Truth (For Chrismas) (mp3)
+ Buy

Merry Christmas!!

Free Music: Alex Winston

Just in time for Christmas, here's a little present from LMLI (in fact it's from Alex ;-) ) It's an FREE EP of Alex Winston. While it’s a great accomplishment to play a single instrument well, it’s a truly rare gift to play many perfectly. With The Basement Covers EP, singer Alex Winston proves she is one of the exceptional few. Classically trained in opera and bred on musical Americana, Winston’s truly unique and refreshing sound, comparable to innovative musicians Lykke Li and Kate Nash, thrives on her self-recorded EP. The beautiful Detroit- native remarkably played each instrument—guitar, piano, drums—on the four-song EP which she recorded in her actual home basement. But for now you can freely download the EP HERE it features versions of songs by Mumford & Sons, the Rolling Stones and Jack Peñate, as well as by Teddy Bears and Francis and the Lights.

@ Detroit, USA

♫ Indie, Pop

♥ Choice Notes (mp3)
♥ It'll Be Better (mp3)

♥ The Cave (mp3)

▸ MySpace

▸ Facebook

+ Free EP

Merry Christmas [Part I]

LMLI all wishes you a Merry Christmas, and to celebrate, today the first special post dedicated to christmas music featuring old and new christmas releases, you should check out. Additionally I've provided some christmas projects from other sites you also should not miss out on! Tomorrow I'll post part two! (I've provided as much free mp3's as possible, you can also try clicking on the album covers to listen to the full albums on Spotify!)

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Songs for Christmas
Sufjan Stevens
♫ Sister Winter (mp3)
♫ That Was the Worst Christmas Ever! (mp3)
+ Buy

Let It Snow Baby - Let It Reindeer

Relient K

▸ Merry Christmas, Here's To Many More (video)

+ Buy

By the Fire Side With You
Ellen and The Escapades
♫ By The Fire Side With You (mp3)
+ Buy

Home For Christmas

Maria Mena

♫ Home For Christmas (mp3)

+ Buy

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Stay tuned for part two, tomorrow, including (at least) two free christmas albums!

Free Music: Christine Hoberg

Christine Hoberg was recommended by Dieter, a reader and friend. Christine is a singer-songwriter originally from the Great Lakes region of the US. Her LP ‘Nice’ which she wrote, produced, & co-arranged, was released in October 2008. Christine recorded ‘Nice’ backwards according to most album standards, laying down vocals first a cappella to a click track, and later adding piano, guitar, upright bass, cello, and strings. The credits are a complete mash-up of local metro Detroit talent. ‘Nice’ mixes dreamy vocals and throwback jazz with cheeky shots at Hoberg’s exes. It has been described as ‘a mix of vivid orchestrations and gritty vocals’. Her past pieces focused on a pop-head meets the blues mentality often times focusing on intense melodic layering and extensive vocal vamping. The good news is that her album "Nice" now can be downloaded for FREE from here.

 

1. Nice

2. White Ass (mp3)

3. Nutcase

4. J'aime

5. Mon Chat Amour

6. Foolish

7. Whatever You Want Me To Be (mp3)

8. Fish Lips

9. Take Me Away

10. Weaknesses

11. Wore It Down

MYSPACE | DOWNLOAD | FACEBOOK

Free Music: Bella Ruse

Sorry for the lack of updates lately, have been hitchiking last weekend, but am back with a new "free music" post, I love to share these FREE downloads. Enjoy! In the last year, minimalist folk duo Bella Ruse have proven themselves to be a talented hardworking band, going on three national tours and recording three EPs. Their simple but engagingly intimate show has impressed festival and club audiences from their hometown of Minneapolis to Seattle to Hollywood, and their songs Push On and Dark Horse have received radio and podcast play worldwide. They have also fully funded their upcoming full length album via Kickstarter.com with the generous support of their fans all across the country. After only a year together, band members Kay and Joseph are poised to have a big impact on the national scene. You can now download their selftitled EP for FREE, click here.

1. Push On (mp3)
2. Dark Horse (mp3)
3. Remember Me
4. J' ai Presque Peur
5. Hold Me Close
6. Heart Of Everyone

MYSPACE | DOWNLOAD | FACEBOOK

Free Music: He Is We

He is We are Trevor Kelly (acoustic guitar) and Rachel Taylor (vocals). They met working at Ted Brown Music in Tacoma, WA. When you spend a lot of time with someone and you don’t end up hating them… chances are you’re going to be great pals. They both played music but different kinds. Rachel is into indie pop,melodic metal and girlie stuff. Trevor is into the hardcore metal that talks about bloody things and such. Oh the madness! But it just clicked…And they started writing songs together. The band has changed its members around a bit trying to find the ones that fit. Its all about the right combination. Everythings finally settling down now and they are currently in the process of recording and releasing their debut EP. They recently released “A Mess It Grows” on iTunes, the first single of the upcoming EP. To keep you busy till the full EP drops they decided to share all the music they’ve done up to now for FREE on their Bandcamp page. So don’t hesitate but start downloading already!

1. I Wouldn't Mind
2. Blame It On The Rain
3. Breathe
4. Pardon Me
5. Blame It On The Rain
6. Give It All (mp3)
7. Happily Ever After (mp3)
8. Light A Way
9. Pardon Me
10. Pour Me Out
11. Too Beautiful
12. Radio
DOWNLOAD | BUY | MYSPACE

Free Music: Stef Lang

Last year, Stephanie Lang (aka Stef Lang)was featured on here. The post ended with the promise of an upcoming EP, now almost eight months later Stephanie's debut album is about to be released. The good thing is that you can actualy download it now, for FREE!! For the ones not familiar with Stef's music yet, head over to the earlier post, or read the small biography beneath.

I'm originally from a small town (Ladysmith, BC on Vancouver Island). Most people can't figure out my ethnicity, so here's a secret...(I'm half Filipino, half Canadian). At 17, I left small town life and moved to Vancouver to pursue music. The last three years have been spent playing every pub, bar, club, cafe I could weasel my way into, writing over 250 songs to hone my craft, and building relationships with very diverse and talented people. I'm 21 now, just released my EP "Blood and Bravery" via Universal/Hipjoint Muisc, which I wrote, recorded and produced. My full length debut album "The Underdog" is set to drop June 1st 2010

1. The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
2. The Phoenix
3. The Underdog
4. Bend A Little, Bend A Lot
5. Mr. Immature
6. Slave2Love
7. Closet Freak
8. Be Gentle
9. The Other Side
10. Straitjacket
11. Foolish
12. Diamonds (mp3)
MYSPACE | BUY | DOWNLOAD

Free Music: Emily Fehler

Emily Fehler is an up and coming singer-songwriter from Boston. She is currently attending Berklee College of Music which she will be graduating from in 2012. She is signed with Act So Big Forest records and released a selftitled EP in 2008. Her so far untitled, full length debut album is being mastered and will be released somewhere in the coming months. On her free selftitled EP produced by Jonathan Alonzo and Dave Maddocks, Emily plays the guitar, keyboard and dulcimer and is supported by Jonathan Alonzo (Bass, vocals, 12-string, electric guitar, keyboard), Kay Berthoff (percussion), Rion Hover (drums), Kabir Vermouth (electric guitar, lap steel). Emily sounds like a younger mix of Maria Taylor, Feist and sometimes Joni Mitchell Some of those together with Regina Spektor, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Elliott Smith she considers as her influence when she sings about love, life, earth, travelling and everything in between.

EP
1. A Look In Your Direction
2. Your Mother's Quilt
3. Can't Get Enough
4. Man Of Constant Silence
5. Roots
6. Hold Your Fire
7. Stay
SINGLE
8. Mother (mp3)
9. People, Places, Things (mp3)

| DOWNLOAD | MYSPACE |

Free Music: My Bubba & Mi

Last night I discovered this folky trio from Denmark on the 3voor12 Luisterpaal, a great place to listen to new and upcoming albums. I was immediately attracted by their gorgeous and promising albumart, and fortunately after a first listen it seemed to definitely have fulfilled its promise with ten songs with everything that you always love in scandinavian music and that make you want summer to start even sooner.
My Bubba & Mi are three girls from Denmark, Sweden and Iceland that became room mates in an apartment in Copenhagen. My Bubba & Mi is a special female trio that reeled me in with their intriguing mix of folk, expert finger picking and vocal harmonies so warm they’ll melt the biggest glacier. They themselves are far more down-to-earth. “lullabies from the countryside”, is what the ladies call it. The latter might be a more accurate description, as the trio headed to the sunny, wide fields of southern Italy to record their début. The story goes as follows. An Italian bar-owner was cycling through the city of Copenhagen on holiday. He was taken in by hypnotising sounds seeping through the window of a small bar nearby. Overpowered by his curiosity the man entered and saw My, Bubba and Mia performing for a small audience. A fan was born. The man invited the ladies to come to Italy to perform their music. “All right”, the threesome said and they left. A second invitation followed soon afterwards, this time to record a CD. “Agreed”, the answer was yet again and they packed their bags. Yes, that’s how simple life can be. ‘How it’s done in Italy’ is the mesmerizing début of My Bubba & Mi and furthermore the first Beep! Beep! Back up the Truck release from an international artist. The album will be released on March 8th on CD and vinyl. The 1,500 covers are – believe it or not – hand-made by the band members themselves. Each cover is a unique piece of art. So don't hesitate and give these girls a listen to the full album stream and buy it on cd or vinyl.

@ Copenhagen, Denmark
♫ Indie, Folk
♥ Really Really (mp3)
♥ Gone (mp3)
▸ Myspace
▸ Official Website
+ Free "How It's Done In Italy" album

Free Music: Emilie Lund

Emilie Lund from Stockholm, Sweden. Emilie is a young and talented singer/songwriter who is inspired by musicians like Nick Drake and Coco Rosie. Listening to music of others is by far not her only inspiration: Studying theatre at daytime and taking long walks through the nightly streets of Stockholm is part of her musical recipe. But the most important ingredient for her music is a remote area, far away from the city, somewhere in the Swedish countryside. The woods around that area can be seen as one of her main sources of inspiration. She spent half of her life in a house, practically in the forest – where she used to live with her parents. Whenever she gets there, creative things happen. She doesn’t need much to sound as wonderful as she does: “I like to make music with simple tools, whatever I can find in the house, my voice and my guitar.” Emilie sees beauty in simplicity. Things, just like music, have to have a soul, she says. “The music has to come from somewhere, a feeling that you just need to express. I love simplicity and intimacy and I try not to think too much about the sound.” After Emilie recorded a handful of songs in 2007, we stumbled upon her via Myspace. We immediately fell on love with her music and asked her whether she would like to release an EP with us. We can’t tell you how glad we are she agreed. The 5 tracks of the Emilie Lund EP can be downloaded for FREE – you are also free to copy and redistribute the songs for non-commercial purposes.

@ Sweden
♫ Indie, Acoustic, Pop
♥ Childhood Friend (mp3)
▸ Myspace
+ Free Emilie Lund EP

Free Music: The Wind Whistles

Tom and Liza are the Wind Whistles and they live together in the suburbs of Vancouver, Canada. As an indie folk duo, they both sing and both play acoustic instruments (guitar,bass). Sometimes they play alone and sometimes they bring friends, more times not. They think they sound like a cross of Lemonheads and Violent Femmes while people tell them they sound like a cross of the Decemberists and the Moldy Peaches. Beginning in the spring of 2006, they’ve done the usual artist thing: demo, radio, festivals, tours, friends and lots and lots of shows. In 2007, they have released their first full length “window sills” and try to spread it around as much as they can. That’s why they have decided to re-release their 12-track LP under a creative commons license. Aaahh-records, your new favourite netlabel for absolutely charming music, is very proud to have “window sills” their first release and will do its best to promote the album. In April, Tom and Liza have quit their jobs and headed across Canada with the the Greenbelt Collective, then they will head alone to Europe in May, June, July, August, and back across North America in September and October starting from the East Coast. Annually the Wind Whistles organize the Annually the Wind Whistles organize the celebrated local Beanstalk Folk Festival; a festival in which the ‘Folk’ is a loose term for some of their favourite artists that aren’t rock or too loud. The Wind Whistles are notorious do-it-yourselfers and love to meet generous and creative people that make beautiful things happen. So, please do not hesitate to get in touch with them. Get the FREE album here.

@ Vancouver, Canada
♫ Indie, Folk, Pop
♥ Gold Fever (mp3)
♥ Communication's Dead (mp3)
▸ Myspace
+ Free album "Window Sills"

Free Music: Jodi King

In a day and age where the prevailing pop culture loves nothing more than to pit women against one another and provoke confrontation and antagonistic independence, Winnipeg born singer/songwriter Jodi King is a breath of fresh air. Non-confrontational and non-aggressive, Jodi is every girl’s best friend and every guy’s “girl-next-door”. Honest, sincere and intimate, the songs evoke KT Tunstall or Colbie Caillat. Jodi’s forthcoming LP, This Is Jodi King is a modern take on the female acoustic pop album, showcasing Jodi’s vocal and musical talents and refreshing songwriting skills. LP includes collaborations with Kyle Riabko and Colin Munroe. While playing in one of her favorite clothing stores in Toronto, the owner of Roots Clothing. Don Green, happened to be shopping and enjoying Jodi’s music. This lead to Roots offering their unflagging support to Jodi’s musical development; seeing her play in the major Roots stores and selling her CD across Canada. Music is quite simply what Jodi King was meant to do. Jodi is now offering her first EP "Street Lights" as a FREE download, get it HERE.

@ Winnipeg, Canada
♫ Acoustic, Pop
♥ Breathing In/Breathing Out (mp3)
▸ Myspace
▸ Official Website
+ Free EP