iTunes: Free Tuesday
Woo hoo! It's Tuesday, it's free and we're ready to select, download and rock on. Today brings us the very first iTunes game demo ever: Vortex! It's available for download, with two sample levels to play. You'll also find a free audio book of President George Bush's US State of the Union address, the Democrats' response, some great International selections, and more.
Game Demo
Vortex
Vortex is an intense, futuristic 360-degree brick-bashing arcade-style game. This demo version contains two sample levels. The full version contains an infinite number of levels and many more bonuses.
Much more after the jump...
US Music
US: Lonely By Your Side (Featuring Jonny Blake) [Radio Cut] by Azzido da Bass featuring Johnny Blake
Germany's Azzido da Bass mixes up the spirit of the clubs with ringing guitars and breathy vocals. It's a marked departure for Azzido da Bass, who's been known to for his beat-oriented cuts, namely the "Dooms Night" hit from 1999. The track here has the same sort of bass-heavy tone that made for classic records when New Order used it, but vocalist Jonny Blake (on loan from those suave U.K. synth-poppers, Zoot Woman) has a sweeter tone, one that favors a bit more expression and commercial viability.
US: Imaginate by Gallego
Alongside Don Omar and Rakim & Ken-Y, Gellego is one of the top reggaeton artists around. His last hit, "Mulata" was one of the big club tracks of 2007: a thick, bass-heavy jam with the horns and piano keys working overtime. "Imaginate" is another big track that swaggers with a slow style that plays up the reggaeton's dancehall roots. The boisterous Gallego plays it cool here, while producer Eliel makes every audio nuance count.
US: Brown Skin by Richie Spice
Richie Spice hails from the suburbs of Kingston and has spent the majority of his life in pursuit of the great reggae dream. His brother almost realized that dream (he's the Pliers part of Chaka Demus and Pliars) and now Richie Spice is finally getting his chance. Spice has a commanding voice that he uses for either crooning the reggae pop gold or for booming the dancehall style. The former is what you get on this week's Discovery Download.
US Audio Books
US: 2007 State of the Union Address
Pres. George W. Bush delivers his State of the Union address on Jan. 23, 2007. He says a troop buildup is the best available option in Iraq, and he urges Congress to "give it a chance to work". The president also asks lawmakers to work with him to face "difficult challenges and determined enemies"' at home and overseas.
US: Democrat's Response
On Jan. 23, 2007, Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) delivers the Democrats' response to Pres. Bush's 2007 State of the Union address. Webb challenges the president to redeem the nation's credibility with an immediate shift toward a diplomatic end to the conflict in Iraq. Webb, a Vietnam veteran who was Navy secretary during the Reagan administration, calls for a new direction. He was elected to the Senate in November 2006.
US TV Shows
US: Gay, Straight or Taken?, Episode 1
Ready for a new twist on the traditional dating show? After a series of dates with three different men, one woman is faced with the challenge of figuring out which one is gay, which is straight, and which is taken. If she chooses the single straight guy for another date, she lands herself a dream vacation for two – but if she picks the gay or taken guy, they're the ones who walk away with the trip!
US: Two-A-Days The Challenge (Season 2 Premiere)
Welcome back to Hoover, Alabama, where football still rules the South. This season of Two-A-Days follows the highly ranked Hoover High Buccaneers through the 2006 high school football season as they drive for their fifth state championship title. After winning four titles in five years, the whole town is expecting this team to bring home trophy number five. These athletes live with the tremendous pressure to maintain Hoover's legendary reputation – not to mention keeping their grades up, keeping their girlfriends happy, and attempting to live a relatively normal senior year. Will their relationships be able to stand the test of two-a-day practices? Will they be the team to set a new record for Hoover? Watch the second season of Two-A-Days to find out just how hard they'll work to survive both the football season and their last year of high school.
US: Dirt Red Carpet Interviews
Courteney Cox stars as Lucy Spiller, the hard-driving editor-in-chief of tabloid magazines Dirt and Now. Lucy has a maniacal dedication to finding the truth, for reasons even she has yet to fully fathom. With the help of Don Konkey (Ian Hart), a schizophrenic paparazzo blessed with a genius for getting the money shot, Lucy exposes the hidden truth behind celebrity lives – and also determines their fate.
US: The Dresden files, Episode 1
When Scott Sharp, a frightened 10-year-old boy, begs Dresden to protect him and his mother from "monsters" that are lurking in their home, Harry at first dismisses the boy's fears as the product of an overactive imagination. But when Scott is subsequently kidnapped by sinister beings, Dresden realizes that the boy is an innocent pawn in the supernatural contest between good and evil. The case triggers memories of Dresden's own childhood, when young Harry lived with his father Colm, who performed low rent stage magic in community theaters and children's parties. When Harry was Scott's age, his talent for real magic began to emerge – which caught the eye of his uncle Justin Morningway, the brother of young Harry's murdered mother. Morningway wanted to take Harry away so he could hone the boy's talents in service of Morningway's malevolent ambitions. Just as Colm had to protect young Harry from his uncle Morningway, so Dresden must now rescue Scott from those seeking to exploit him for their own nefarious purposes.
International
Australia: Me Michelle by Starky
Starky's self-titled debut is full of bright moments, but we thought "Me Michelle" summed up the group best. The guitars cut through the riff-raff and get to the point. These boys are here to be lovelorn and distraught. Their only escape? The healing power of dance-punk! Or dark, purposeful punk-glam with a 4/4 beat, to be more specific. Enjoy – it's our free Single of the Week.
New Zealand: Me Michelle by Starky
Starky's self-titled debut is full of bright moments, but we thought "Me Michelle" summed up the group best. The guitars cut through the riff-raff and get to the point. These boys are here to be lovelorn and distraught. Their only escape? The healing power of dance-punk! Or dark, purposeful punk-glam with a 4/4 beat, to be more specific. Enjoy – it's our free Single of the Week.
Canada: Luscious Life by Patrick Watson
Meet Patrick Watson. Resident of Montreal and songwriter of considerable strength. He also happens to possess a falsetto that is emotionally wrenching. On this track from Close to Paradise, Watson fuses his very Jeff Buckley-esque tone into new realms. He does this amidst a backdrop of steadfast piano lines that swell from ambience to catharsis. Nice to meet you, Patrick.
France: Crack maniac by BABX
Influencé par le piano classique, le hip-hop mais aussi par la poésie, David Babin, dit BABX, mêle dans sa musique hors du temps et fantasmagorique le flow moderne et prenant de son rap à des envolées de piano sous acide, où des guitares puissantes viennent parfois s'immiscer. Le prodigieux " Crack Maniac " de BABX est notre Single de la semaine sur iTunes.
UK: Song for the Fields (Radio Edit) by Fields
We get a lot of music coming through these parts, but Fields struck a chord with us that we wouldn't mind being struck more often. "Song for the Fields" is a traditional folk tune as it might have been if the Flaming Lips and My Bloody Valentine took the place of Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger. Boy/girl harmonies that coo and curl around each other, moody, frantic acoustic guitars – culminating in an expansive full-band, swooning blow-out at the end. Very nice and very free – it's our Single of the Week.