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MPFree - June 2015

Shannon and the Clams – Corvette

Tuesday 30 June, by Frank Palmer Team Laverne

Phew! Don’t worry, guys – after a short Glasto-related break, we’re back to delivering free music directly to your virtual doorstep. Ease away the Tuesday blues with a moody slow-burner from California’s Shannon and the Clams.

Download Shannon and the Clams – Corvette

Shannon and the Clams are Oakland three-piece, Cody, Shannon, and Nate. The group are veterans of the vibrant Bay-area music scene – having released a steady stream of excellent albums, EPs, and splits on Burger Records and 1234 go! ‘Corvette’ is taken from new album, Gone by the Dawn, which sees release through the consistently ace Hardly Art in September.

Tempest – Tidal Wave

Thursday 25 June, by Team Laverne

While the whole world and their dog has gone Glastonbury crazy, we've bucked the trend for today's MPFree which comes from Australia-via-London twin brothers, Tempest, with their debut single Tidal Wave.

Download Tempest - Tidal Wave

We’ve got a debut single from antipodean twins Toma and Andy Banjanin, who hail from Queensland. A recent review compared this track to a line from the classic surf-heist film ‘Point Break’: “Everything moves in circles, so twice a century the ocean lets us know just how small we really are.” Tempest were happy with this comparison, and why wouldn’t you be, posting a link to the review and “Patrick Swayze 4eva” on their Facebook page.

Shura – White Light (Gabe Gurnsey Factory Floor Remix)

Wednesday 24 June, by Ashley Clivery Team Laverne

Having already featured on the MPFree, Moscow-born, Manchester-raised singer Shura has unleashed the powers of the remix on her new record.

Download Shura – White Light (Gabe Gurnsey Factory Floor Remix)

We previously featured the Warpaint reworking of ‘2Shy’, Jungle have also taken the controls on ‘Indecision’. And now it’s the turn of Factory Floor’s Gabe Gurnsey. We’re still feeling the shudders of their self-titled debut, released two years ago now. Later this year Shura plays her biggest UK headline tour to date, including a stop at London’s Electric Brixton. She also plays Latitude next month and Festival No. 6 in September, followed by a UK tour which takes in the likes of London, Nottingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Leeds, Birmingham, Brighton and ending up in Bristol in October.

Velvet Morning – Blue Jean Baby

Tuesday 23 June, by Frank Palmer Team Laverne

Another day, another download; this time we’re treating you to a glistening piece of psychedelia from Essex four-piece, Velvet Morning. Their hazy ‘Blue Jean Baby’ should be just the thing to soundtrack long, bleached-out summer days.

Download Velvet Morning – Blue Jean Baby

Modern-day Essex might seem an unlikely birthplace for what could pass as the work of a Jesus and Mary Chain contemporary, or even a piece of Nuggets era psych, but the world is a mysterious and rewarding place. Led by 20 year-old Samuel Jones, Velvet Morning release their debut LP, Gorilla – from which ‘Blue Jean Baby’ is taken – on the 30th of June, and it is full of the kind of casually intricate trippy jams that harken back to another period altogether. You can catch them live at the following UK dates:

Tonight – Glasgow, Nice ‘n’ Sleazy
24/06 – London, Shacklewell Arms
25/06 – Brighton, Green Door Store
26/05 – Sheffield, Red House
27/06 – Manchester, Gullivers
28/06 – Leigh Folk Festival

Tamper – Take It In

Monday 22 June, by Frank Palmer Team Laverne

We’re launching another week of free music with a crisp, soulful piece of electro from Brooklyn-based duo, Tamper. ‘Take It In’ is today’s MPFree.

Download Tamper – Take It In

Tamper is the project of Aussie/Irish duo, Aaron and John. Their self-titled debut EP is available to stream in full over at their Soundcloud, but you can download stand-out, ‘Take It In’, for free via Magnet. This short, sharp, piece of electro is a real summer jam.

swim good x Merival – since u asked

Friday 19 June, by Frank Palmer Team Laverne

Today’s MPFree was made with ‘assistance’ from The Avalanches, Air France, and Stars, then released on Ryan Hemsworth’s consistently excellent (and always free) label, Secret Songs. The result is, perhaps unsurprisingly, a masterfully kaleidoscopic tour through several genres all at once.

Download swim good x Merival – since u asked

A collaboration between Toronto musicians, swim good and Merival, ‘since u asked’ manages to, as Hemsworth puts it, ‘walk this line between r&b, folk and indie, maintaining [its] balance with the most sentimental sounds and samples.’ The song has been on repeat over here since it first dropped on Gorilla vs. Bear a few days ago. Download it, enjoy it, savour it; ones like this don’t come around too often.

daWad feat. Dr No – Dancing Delight

Thursday 18 June, by Frank Palmer Team Laverne

From Marseille label, La Dame Noir, comes a new compilation to showcase their house style – a deep, dark, late-night twist on disco. Demonstrating their manifesto perfectly is this track from daWad and Dr No. We are thrilled to offer ‘Dancing Delight’ as today’s MPFree.

Download daWad feat. Dr No – Dancing Delight

We featured La Dame Noir’s last compilation, The Long Summer, earlier this year, and can’t wait to get our hands on its follow-up, Darker it Gets, Clearer We See. ‘Dancing Delight’ is the first we’ve heard from the mix, and it suggests the album’s title will be an apt one; the track systematically removes the lighter touches typically associated with French touch and house music, instead offering a thudding, nocturnal, borderline-industrial version of the above.

Cherry Glazerr – Sip ‘O Poison

Wednesday 17 June, by Frank Palmer Team Laverne

In the righteous quest to deliver free music directly to our listeners’ ears, the Adult Swim Singles Club has proven a valuable ally time and time again. The latest bit of excellence in the always-gratis series comes from thrash-pop trio, Cherry Glazerr.

Download Cherry Glazerr – Sip ‘O Poison

‘Sip ‘O Poison’ is the first we’ve heard from California’s Cherry Glazerr since their impressive second album, Haxel Princess, dropped on Bandcamp last year and made waves in all four corners of the blogosphere. At the centre of this short, sharp, piece of punk-pop is Clementine Creevy’s powerful shriek – a voice that commands more attention than should be possible of a nineteen year-old. You can catch them live over here for two dates in London and one in Leeds this July.

Edward R. - Wolves & The Water

Tuesday 16 June, by Ashley Clivery Team Laverne

Another day for the MPFree; where we scour everything digital to find you the greatest free music around. Today’s free track comes from Melbourne folk indie pop man Edward R.

Download Edward R. - Wolves & The Water

Having spent some time in London, before returning to Australia, Edward’s nomadic existence was beginning to take its toll. The result is Wolves & The Water, his debut single no less. Our friends Triple J have been rotating this something rotten and it seems it could be the start of something big. He’s getting some serious pick up, although it seems there are no album plans just yet. But like the track, Edward just glides along beautifully at his own pace. Perfection can’t be rushed.

Hey Elbow - Matilde

Monday 15 June, by Ashley Clivery Team Laverne

A new week dawns for the MPFree; in which we celebrate all things audio, and all things free. Today’s free download comes from Swedish Trio Hey Elbow. We’re not sure whether they’re trying to grab Guy Garvey’s attention, shouting at their own elbows, or taking a self-deprecating step into surrealism…all we know is this track is just lovely!

Download Hey Elbow - Matilde

'Matilde' is taken from the band's debut album Every Other, released back in April. They’re friends and label-mates with show-favourite Alice Bowman (the 1987 Remix of her Waiting is pure delight) and it seems that Ellen, Julia, and Liam are on the up. With live shows all across Europe, their big eccentric pop sound, interspersed with brass related nightmarish fantasy means their enthusiasm for bands such as The Knife shines through. They say: “In our music the sound is at least as important as the actual compositions. We like to add little details to the mix, and they don’t have to be notes, they can be just noises or hiss. They add just as much to the music as tonal things.” Indeed. Download now.

Ambassadeurs – My Way

Friday 12 June, by Ashley Clivery Team Laverne

It’s Friday peoples! Now, we appreciate that for some of you it may be the start of the week; in which case you need a pick-me-up. For those of you about to start your weekends, then this is definitely the tune for you.

Download Ambassadeurs – My Way

Ambassadeurs is a UK producer from Brighton. He doesn’t have a proper name it appears, so maybe we can help him along? Suggestions please. The excellent track My Way is taken from his forthcoming debut full length Patterns which is due out on 29th June – although you can actually stream it now. He’s also got a double AA single to look out for called Looking At You, featuring the vocal talents of one our current favourites C Duncan. Taking what the likes of Disclosure are doing to modern dance music, and just making it a little darker, taking it to places they can’t get to…because they’re too young to go clubbing. Ambassadeurs is kind of a big deal in his own right, however, having supported the likes of Odesza, and Daktyl, who’s on Diplo’s Mad Decent label. A name to keep your ears on.

Field Harmonics - Words

Thursday 11 June, by Ashley Clivery Team Laverne

Today’s MPFree comes from West Midlands duo Field Harmonics. And they’re taking us full square into late night, neon lit ambience. We don’t know what it is about this kind of music that just really hits us, lord knows we’ve featured the likes of analogue-loving Johnny Jewel and his Chromatics moniker often enough. Such a feeling of space, and wist, and reflection.

Download Field Harmonics - Words

Bryony Williams and Rob Glover have released ‘Words’ as the b-side to current single ‘Girls’. Our very own Tom Ravenscroft is a fan – a seal of goodness if ever there was one – and some of you may think you’ve heard the song before. Well, that’s because it’s a cover of a Low’s ‘I Could Live In Hope’ by Low. Low’s Alan Sparhawk has apparently been tweeting furiously about FH’s version. Download it now, and catch them at London’s Union Chapel in Islington on 20th June.

Tom Furse – 16 Rhythms

Wednesday 10 June, by Ashley Clivery Team Laverne

Today’s MPFree takes us back to the bleepy techno of yesteryear, from everybody’s favourite Horror Tom Furse.

Download Tom Furse – 16 Rhythms

Tom says that: “16 Rhythms composed on the PO-12 during the drive to Les 3 Elephants festival in Laval, France. Augmented by the OP-1 as the only other instrument upon return home.” The PO-12 is the small calculator looking thing you can see in the picture and is a really nifty piece of kit, satisfying the retro bods who prefer analogue to digital software. Tom is obviously of the latter…he plays bass and keyboards in The Horrors. The Horrors are just sooooo analogue. Check out this video demonstrating how to use it, it’s pretty interesting. Anyway, Tom has always been a dab hand with technology and his remixes are works of wonder. Following The Horror’s Luminous release last year, he’s also been busy compiling music for Tom Furse Digs, which seeks out “unearthed music forgotten by time.” That gets its release on 7th August. Tom is certainly a character you should get to know.

J Mascis x Kim Gordon – Slow Boy

Tuesday 9 June, by Ashley Clivery Team Laverne

Well it seems the idea of music-you-don’t-own is rearing its head again, what with the world’s biggest company now getting into the mix. Here at 6 Towers, we still love the music you don’t have to be plugged in to listen to. And it’s a free track from Kim Gordon and J Mascis…who wouldn’t want to own this track forever? Also handy for when Skynet takes over.

Download J Mascis x Kim Gordon – Slow Boy

“J Mascis and Kim Gordon are the best of friends”, and they’ve both been on the show this year. J was in session and Kim was talking about her autobiography. Here it’s what they do best, with J on production no less…so you know it’s going to be pretty muddy and lo-fi. ‘Slow Boy’ is a new single from a particular brand of trainer on the forthcoming CONS EP Vol. 3. It’s a pretty primal incident and feels like it could have been made in their respective underground scenes 25 years ago. If it ain’t broke…

The Earlies – Abandon

Monday 8 June, by Ashley Clivery Team Laverne

It’s that time again where you can download and keep forever a track that’s worthy of your time, attention, and emotional reactions. The free slice of audio today comes from a British-American four piece obviously obsessed with 60s pop and Italian soundtracks. This can only be very good!

Download The Earlies – Abandon

Invoking the ghosts of Spiritualized and Got A Girl, thrown in with a bit of Ennio Morricone via Portishead, this is The Earlies first new release for 8 years (we’re sure there’s a pun in there about The Earlies being late, but we’ll leave that one with you). Beginning life in Texas, USA, and Lancashire, UK, the quartet will be releasing their forthcoming EP Message From Home this summer, which follows LPs These Were the Earlies (2005) and The Enemy Chorus (2007). We’re not sure if there’s a new album in the offing, but we certainly hope so based on these results. You can also catch them in Glasgow on 24th July, 25th Cloudspotting Festival, Lancashire, 28th Bristol, 29th Manchester, and 31st London.

Sara Lov – Sunmore

Friday 5 June, by Frank Palmer Team Laverne

We put a full stop on another week of free music with a luscious, dreamy, piece of indie-pop. This one comes courtesy of Sara Lov, ahead of the release of new album, Some Kind of Champion.

Download Sara Lov – Sunmore*

Born in Hawaii and raised in both Southern California and Israel, singer/songwriter Sara Lov follows up I Already Love You – an album of cover versions released in 2009 – with Some Kind of Champion, set for release at the end of August. The album was funded by Lov’s fans on Pledgemusic and is overflowing with excellent and earnest pop gems – all filtered through the lens of Zac Rae’s masterful production.

*The unedited version of this song contains one instance of choice language. JSYK.

HAWK – Glass

Thursday 4 June, by Frank Palmer Team Laverne

Sometimes a song deserves your full attention. HAWK’s intricate and spiralling track, ‘Glass’, is a thing to be savoured and revisited, so it’s just as well you can download it for free and do exactly that.

Download HAWK – Glass

HAWK are a London-based four-piece. Last year they released their second EP, Clock Hands, filled with meditative, ambient, post-punk tinged songs. ‘Glass’, a stand-alone single, builds on that sound; with its interweaving, almost dissonant, guitar parts circling Julie Hawk’s powerful vocals, it is an impressive and exciting piece of music that has us keen to see what else this band is capable of.

Star Tropics - Summer Rain

Wednesday 3 June, by Ashley Clivery Team Laverne

Today’s MPFree comes from “boy/girl indiepop from Chicago”.

Download Star Tropics - Summer Rain

Unsigned, they self-released this back in February. Named after a nineties computer game (and sounding a bit like one as well), it’s late 80s-early 90s Runaways inspired Rock-with-a-catchy-hook. The band began life as a bass and guitar duo with a drum machine in the winter of 2010. They have since evolved into a four-piece band “determined to write carefree, primary-coloured pop songs”. Something they do very, very well.

Bells & Whistles – Toes (Jozif Let Her Out Remix)

Tuesday 2 June, by Frank Palmer Team Laverne

On a wet and windy Tuesday morning, a little musical escapism may be just what the doctor ordered. We suggest a brief visit to another planet altogether, like the one that today’s MPFree, a sci-fi-psych-house banger, comes from.

Download Bells & Whistles – Toes (Jozif Let Her Out Remix)

Bells & Whistles is the project of Zack Yakovlev & Yanick Rieffel. The house duo operate out of San Francisco, releasing music on Desert Hearts, but they hail from Russia and Switzerland, respectively, which might go some way to explaining their accented take on the tropes of an endlessly revisited genre. Jozif’s remix of ‘Toes’ is taken from new EP, Hands, which is available as a free download from Soundcloud.

Cairobi - Gristly Words

Monday 1 June, by Ashley Clivery Team Laverne

Today’s free download comes from a promising quintet from that there London. In all honestly, we simply can’t stop listening to it, it’s almost too short for its own good.

Download Cairobi - Gristly Words

Invoking the outlandish wonk of At The Drive-In and spacious psyche of Grizzly Bear, they’ve already been supporting the likes of Dutch Uncles and picking up a fair amount of attention online. Gristly Words sees its proper release on 6th July, which follows on from the ‘Distant Fire’ EP released back in February. There’s no sign of an album just yet, but the single / EP releases and live shows seem to be coming thick and fast, so expect something soon. You can also catch them at Field day this weekend in ol’ London town.

Everybody loves a spot of free music, so open your minds and get downloading now.