iTunes: Free, um, Friday
Once again, TUAW is pleased to present you with a selection of free songs and videos from around the world. Many of these iTMS items won't be free for long, so grab your copies before the week is up. And don't forget: If you want to buy these on your iPhone or iPod touch, make sure to sign into your account in iTunes before you sync.
By the way, I updated the URLs this week, so please make sure they work better on the iPhone and touch than the edgesuite ones did last week. Thanks.
US: Son Parranda, El Año Viejo
Each week, we find a track from an artist or a band who's on the cusp of success and bring it to you, for free, as our Canción de la Semana. Latin percussionist and producer Diego Gale, known for his work with Latin Grammy® nominees such as Richie Ray and Bobby Cruz, Marc Anthony, and Celia Cruz, brings us his latest work in the form of Son Parranda. selection of classic Latin American holiday tunes with modern production values. The result is holiday music with world music feel, leaning on Cuban and Colombian sounds. Enjoy "El Año Viejo" today.
US: The Mary Onettes, Pleasure Songs
Each week, we find a track from an artist or a band we've been enjoying and bring it to you, for free, as our Single of the Week. Did we mention that Sweden is amazing? It has to be. The amount of great music coming from this place is getting to be ridiculous. Here, we'd like to turn you on to the glory of the MaryOnettes. Their self-titled album is rapidly rising in the ranks of favorite new sounds over here. "Pleasure Songs" is the assured opening track on the album. What can we say - it's like the cosmic fortitude of bands like Doves, Snow Patrol, and early Coldplay fashioned onto the jangling framework of Teenage Fanclub. An epic, beautiful track.
US: Regina Spektor, My Dear Acquaintance (A Happy New Year) [Non-Album Track]
Each year, iTunes asks a favorite performer to record an exclusive holiday track. For 2007, we were lucky enough to have New York songstress Regina Spektor step into the studio at the Palms to record a track originally done by Peggy Lee. This sparse and spectral song features Spektor's sweet vocals and piano amidst a backdrop of more calamitous sound effects. Thought provoking and yet perfect for gathering around those dearest acquaintances and raising a glass.
International Music
Australia: Nothing
New Zealand: Nothing
Canada: Young Galaxy, Outside the City
Each week, we find a track from an artist or a band we've been enjoying and bring it to you, for free, as our Single of the Week. Young Galaxy is indie-pop duo Stephen Ramsay and Catherine McCandless. Working within that section of indie pop which finds hope in spaced-out sounds, cosmic synths, droning guitar buzz, and sweetly arranged vocals, Young Galaxy put out an olive branch to the skies, and make being earth-bound seem completely lackluster.
US: Typhoon, Drieluik
Ieder week komen wij met een track van een artiest of band en bieden deze gratis aan als onze Single van de week. Eerlijkheid is het sleutelwoord op het debuutalbum van de Nederlandse rapper, Tussen Licht en Lucht. Glen de Randamie (beter bekend als Typhoon) houdt het niet bij standaard hip-hop teksten; hij legt zijn ziel bloot in zijn tracks en gaat verder dan de gebruikelijke hip-hop. "Ik ben geen rapper, maar een echte levenskenner", zoals hij zelf zegt. Als het leven een leerproces is dan is Typhoon wel een zeer ijverige leerling. Zijn teksten zijn rauw en confronterend, zowel voor hemzelf als zijn luisteraars. Onze track deze week, "Drieluik", is hier een voorbeeld van.
UK: Palladium, Happy Hour
Each week, we find a track from an artist or a band we've been enjoying and bring it to you, for free, as our Single of the Week. The '80s revisionists would have you believe that everyone went around listening to the Fall and digging the latest New York punk-funk imports. The truth is that most people were loving the breeziest of keyboards, the most airbrushed of soul-pop, and the dodgiest of bass treatments. Palladium understand this, and on "Happy Hour" have single-handedly brought back the flute-synth and the sounds of Level 42 and Cutting Crew with eerie precision. To top it off, the song is irresistible. Bravo!
France: The Heavy, Set Me Free
Chaque semaine, nous trouvons un morceau d'un artiste ou d'un groupe que nous avons apprécié et nous vous le faisons partager.Le noyau de Heavy est constitué de Swaby et Taylor, amis depuis plus de dix ans, à l'origine en raison de leur passion commune du R&B vintage et des films de Jim Jarmusch. Swaby a lui-même grandi au rythme du reggae, du ska à deux temps et de Prince. Les deux amis ont réussi à rassembler toutes ces influences dans leur musique, avec pour résultat « Set Me Free ». Le début ressemble à un extrait des cloches de « Honky Tonk Women » des Rolling Stones, et le groupe crée un groove R&B sensuel, avec une bonne dose de funk sur un fond de soul acoustique.Si vous aimez ce morceau, obtenez l'album ici.
Japan 今週のシングル: PETSET, Friday Ferris Wheel
iTunes が注目するアーティストの楽曲を無料でお試しいただけるこのページ。PETSET は、ブリジストン"COCKPIT"CMで楽曲で注目され、渋谷界隈のクラブシーンでは1週間限定777枚のアナログ盤を完売したという、気になる噂のトリオ。ハウス/エレクトロなどダンサブルなグルーヴに、ブラジリアンを基調とした軽やかで洗練されたオーガニックビートをミックス。フレッシュで実験的なサウンドアプローチは国内外のアーティストから評価を受け、カジヒデキや Cloud Berry Jam とのコラボレーションや Capitol K (UK)らとのリミックスワークを実現させている。"観覧車の中から見える海と空の境界線に感じた黄昏と切なさ、宙に浮き、空にのみ込まれていくような非現実感"を歌ったものだという1曲をフリーダウンロード。
