iTunes: Free Tuesday
Once again, it's Tuesday and 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. Pay attention UK folks: There are two free selections this week for you.
US Music
US: Metro Station, Shake It
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. This Hollywood group has been together since way back in 2005, and has generated a considerable amount of interest thanks to its online fan base. Now, the group's got an album on the way and "Shake It" is a taste of what's to come. It's sing-along emo in electro-pop clothing. It's a track that's refreshingly more aware of lust than angst with enough guitar and Robert Smith-esque vocal hiccups to satisfy the gloomy kids in the corner.
US: Carina Ricco, Yo No
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. Carino Ricco is a singer from Veracruz who has been recording her own type of flashy pop since the early '90s. This track from her latest, Viaje Personal, has a stronger alt-rock feel than before and allows Ricco to use her powerful vocals in a more expressive way while the arrangements (courtesy of Beck and Alanis Morissette producer David Campbell) showcase her new, aggressive style.
International Music
Australia: Small Mercies, Don't You Know Who I Am?
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. This Brisbane quartet comes at you full force on "Don't You Know Who I Am". The guitars ring out with fiery intent. These boys are here to rock you in the old-school way. Steve Blaik's vocals alternate a slippery whisper with a more "foot up on the monitor" style of youthful bravado. The end result rings familiar, but that doesn't take away from the thrill.
New Zealand: Small Mercies, Don't You Know Who I Am?
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. This Brisbane quartet comes at you full force on "Don't You Know Who I Am". The guitars ring out with fiery intent. These boys are here to rock you in the old-school way. Steve Blaik's vocals alternate a slippery whisper with a more "foot up on the monitor" style of youthful bravado. The end result rings familiar, but that doesn't take away from the thrill.
Canada: Lightning Dust, Wind Me Up
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. How can lightning have dust? It's just electricity. The members of Lightning Dust apparently are willing to throw out the basic laws of science in order to further their jangling pop agenda. Made up of members of Black Mountain, this is minimalist folk pop – an acoustic guitar, a sprightly little backbeat, and harmonies brimming with hope. Indie Rock: 1. Science: O.
France: Kevin Michael feat. Wyclef Jean, It Don't Make Any Difference to Me (feat. Akil Dasan) [Acoustic Version]
Chaque semaine, nous trouvons un morceau d'un artiste ou d'un groupe que nous avons apprécié et nous vous le faisons partager. Jeune chanteur à la voix mélancolique, originaire de Philadelphie, Kevin Michael fait officiellement irruption sur les devants de la scène pop avec un premier album éponyme. Il collabora auparavant avec The Roots et Lupe Fiasco, mais Michael se cherche surtout une place en solo sous les projecteurs. Né pour chanter, il écrit sa première chanson à 16 ans, sous les influences de Stevie Wonder, Prince et Michael Jackson. Pour notre Single de la semaine, il habille d'une nouvelle acoustique le morceau reggae-pop " It Don't Make Any Difference to Me ".Si vous aimez ce morceau, obtenez l'album ici.
UK: Hundred Reasons, No Way Back
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. This track from the fourth album by the Surrey-based post-hardcore rockers is another solid bit of emotional angst shaped into a digestible form thanks to some slashing guitar work. Colin Doran's lead vocal gets a nice assist from guitarist Larry Hibbitt, adding a flash of harmony to the track's earnestness.
UK: John Mayer, Belief
From time to time, iTunes will be taking a closer look at an album we are particularly fond of and offering up one of the tracks from that album for free. The thought is that, given the chance, you might discover something new. This week, we took a look at John Mayer's Continuum. In recent years, John Mayer has gone from being seen as a soulful troubadour to a blues-y renaissance man onstage and becoming one of the top draws in the U.S. Whereas the similar minded Jack Johnson has managed to crossover in the U.K., Mayer still remains one of the U.S.'s best kept secrets. Continuum should be the album to change this. It's the first album of his to merge his guitar dexterity fluidly with his keen melodic sense. "Belief" rotates upon Mayer's lyrical dissection of what that word actually means, while the bubbling, shuffling tempo and tempered guitar licks keep things lively.
US and UK Video
US: Lifetime Movies: Matters of Life and Dating: Sneak Peek
It's not always easy to look at the light side of breast cancer. But Linda Dackman (Ricki Lake) discovers that there's plenty to laugh about as she tries to reenter the dizzying world of dating post-mastectomy. Dackman's adventures in dating – and her intimate and witty insights into appearance, self-image, sex and romance – provide an irreverent and unique look at cancer survival and the ever-elusive quest to find "Mr. Right."
US: Kaya Pilot
MTV's scripted show, Kaya, is a stylized single-camera drama exposing a rock star on the brink of destruction, and the underbelly of the music industry. Watch as Kaya navigates her way through the minefield of celebrity and the pressures of superstardom in today's media-crazed society. Being a young, beautiful rock star has its perks. She's buying fancy cars, clothes, and expensive gifts for her friends; she's out clubbing where she over-indulges in the rock 'n roll buffet. But fame has its price. For every perk, there are sacrifices, and consequences. Will she survive the pressures of being in the limelight? The failed friendships? The passionate but short-lived love affairs? Most important of all, will she have the strength to be true to her art and not sell out? Stay tuned.
US: Learn Along With Sesame: The Get Healthy Now Show and Talk,Listen, Connect
Join your favorite Sesame Street characters as they learn, play, and grow. Elmo and his friends explore an exciting range of topics, from getting ready for school to discovering the wonders of learning with music. So sing, dance, and Learn Along With Sesame.
Learn Along With Sesame: Hablen, escuchen, connecten and El espectáculo ¡Seamos saludables ahora!
En 1969 Plaza Sésamo (Sesame Street) estrenó algo revolucionario: usar la televisión en la preparación de preescolares para el éxito escolar. Aprende con Sesame es un set de videos educacionales gratis, diseñados para enseñar a los niños lecciones de la vida al aprender, jugar y crecer con sus amigos de Plaza Sésamo (Sesame Street).
US Audio Books
Magic Treehouse #1: Dinosaurs Before Dark by Mary Pope Osborne
Free.