It's been an interesting wee week in the Scottish music blog World, with both The Pop Cop and Peenko making a few changes top how they run. Never one to miss an opportunity, and in an attempt to make myself do at least one post a week, with Peenko's blessing I'm taking over his long running Friday Freebies feature.
He now owns a 51% controlling stake in my soul. More fool him.
So, stop by here on a Friday afternoon and I'll try to keep your ears busy with a selection of free (or sometimes "pay what you want") music. Maybe you'll even like some of it?
Father Sculptor
With the promise of a new, free song ever fortnight over the summer I'd imagine Father Sculptor might make a few appearances here. Their latest release, Frances, came out this week and can be downloaded for free here. Have a little click round their Bandcamp page while you are there and you'll find some other treats too.
Magnetic Island
This Brooklyn bunch's self titled debut album came out at the start of the year, as has been a firm favourite with me since. Nice timing then that this free download popped up in my inbox just as I inherited a feature dedicated to free downloads, so I can feature it! Magnetic Island's bare bones take on the Sleater-Kinney song Turn It On is available free from their Soundcloud page, and you can listen/download from the wee embedded player below too.
Battery Face
Battery Face released their debut album, Addams Family Values, earlier this week. Nine tracks of noisy alt rock, each taking a name from an Addams Family character. A bit experimental, a bit messy, and quite a large amount of fun. Addams Family Values is available as a name your price download, or you can buy a pretty looking CD, at Bandcamp.
The Spook School
I love The Spook School, they are fab and contain my favourite regularly shirtless drummer. They've also got a 7" coming out soon on US label Cloudberry Records. That 7" is available for pre-order now from the Cloudberry website, where you can also snag a free download of A-side Here We Go. Hop over here and scroll down a bit.
Thirty Pounds of Bone
Confession time, I mostly missed out on The Ships Log until this week. This week happened to see the final instalment of it though, so I didn't snooze too long. I've come to expect really good things from Thirty Pounds of Bone, and Mr. Lamb has yet to let me down. Download free from Bandcamp, and find out the full story behind the project there too.
Tiny Birds
How about something rather jaunty sounding? Well, here's Tiny Birds with their new single Bread and Pickle, coming along to remind me that not all a bit twee jaunty indie-folk-pop sets me teeth on edge. That's supposed to be a recommendation, by the way. Download Bread and Pickle for free here.
Relatives
More people from Brooklyn? Well, ok then. This is the kind of thing that all too often pops up in my inbox, gets listened to lots and enjoyed, but never actually makes it on the blog, so hopefully now there'll be less of that kind of thing happening now I've got the freebies to mention stuff in. Relatives have a couple of gigs in Scotland coming up in September, so I'll get back to them properly before they come to visit, but in the meantime their latest EP Tardy Mark has been floating my boat. It's a bit folky, a bit odd, and can be had for the price of your choosing on Bandcamp.
Doppelganger
When both the lovely Welsh bands that have travelled up to Glasgow for an Aye Tunes gig recommend someone at the same time, I pay attention. So it happened that Falls and Exit_International nudged me in the direction of Doppleganger. Their three track EP is a nice wee slab of rock, and free to download here. Play loud.
Scottish Fiction
Before I go it would be poor form of me not to direct you towards our blog buddies Scottish Fiction. Not only is the latest instalment of their monthly free EPs available now, but to celebrate one year of putting them together, there's a treasure hunt going on with 12 new tracks scattered across the previously released EPs. Head over to the Scottish Fiction blog to find out more, and Bandcamp to download.
Peenko's Pick
That's right, we've not gotten rid of him entirely. Peenko will be lending a hand when he feels like it with his choice of freebie of the week. To start with he's nominated Euros Childs. This double A-side was released way back at the end of May, and is a pretty ace little slice of pop, with Childs backed on the single by the gentlemen from The Wellgreen.
Spin That Girl Around/Just a Dream is available to download here. You can donate to Euros if you want there too.
Here's what Peenko has to say about it:
"So this all a bit odd, me writing about a free track on Aye Tunes?! I think it's pretty safe to say that this has been one crazy old week on the Scottish blogging scene. Personally I think it's great to see so many changes happening at once, it's always good to freshen things up a bit.
Thanks to Jim for taking over the Friday Freebies mantle, good luck that dude! Being the nice fella that he is, Jim has offered me the chance to contribute one free track every week. To start it all off I have decided to go with former Gorky's Zygotic Mynci frontman, Euros Childs and his track 'Spin That Girl Around' which is available to download from his homepage.
Although this came out a few months back, I only just started listening to it last week after he impressed the fuck (I am allowed to swear on here right?) out of me at Fence Record's Away Game Festival on Eigg. Most of the weekend is a still a bit hazy, but I can remember loving this song. It's a catchy wee bugger alright."
I don't know, you let him in and already he's swearing all over the place. Tch.