iTunes: Free Tuesday
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.
US Music
US: The Bird And The Bee, Carol of the Bells
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. Before we introduce you to your newest favorite holiday song, let's tell you a little bit about the Bird and the Bee. A duo made up of Inara George and Greg Kurstin, their debut was released nearly a year ago and contained some great jazz-tinged electro-pop with George's crystalline vocals taking center stage. The group's take on "Carol of the Bells" is pristine, hip, and harmony-rich, like the Swingle Singers hanging out at American Apparel.
US: Mannheim Steamroller, It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
Our Discovery Download puts the focus on a different genre each week, offering up a free track we think is worth your attention. This week, with the holidays at arm's length, it's time reach into the holiday music reserves for a cut from the seasonal favorites, Mannheim Steamroller. This gentle version of the age-old tune plays by the rules, invoking the melody with woodwinds, chimes, and strings.
International Music
Australia: Bridezilla, Brown Paper Bag
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. Sydney's Bridezilla are a quintet who play an intriguing bit of ragged indie rock. On the one hand, the electric guitars and drumming are chunky and drip with menace. But Holiday Carmen-Sparks' vocals are practically honey-dipped while the other members of the band augment this with horns and strings. Elegant and yet wrapped in barbed-wire, Bridezilla keep things interesting.
New Zealand: Bridezilla, Brown Paper Bag
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. Sydney's Bridezilla are a quintet who play an intriguing bit of ragged indie rock. On the one hand, the electric guitars and drumming are chunky and drip with menace. But Holiday Carmen-Sparks' vocals are practically honey-dipped while the other members of the band augment this with horns and strings. Elegant and yet wrapped in barbed-wire, Bridezilla keep things interesting.
Canada: The Most Serene Republic, The Men Who Live Upstairs
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 Most Serene Republic are notable for quite a few things, but first we're going to talk about what they are not. They are not, we repeat – not, related in any way to Broken Social Scene. And yet they are on Arts & Crafts. It's true! "The Men Who Lived Upstairs," from the group's third album, Population, exhibits a grandiosity that might satisfy your need for some BSS/New Pornographers-style big-league pop. Beyond the harmonies, though, the swelling orchestration and picturesque melancholy are all the Republic's own.
Nederland: Merry Pierce, The Town Where We Used to Live
Ieder week komen wij met een track van een artiest of band waar we naar geluisterd hebben en bieden deze gratis aan als onze Single van de week. Merry Pierce is er al een tijdje. Het eerste album van de band kwam uit in 2000 en werd opgenomen in de slaapkamer van Pierce waar ze een beetje met potten en pannen speelden. De pers was laaiend enthousiast, maar daarna werd het stil. Nu zijn ze terug met een volgende release. De eerste track "The Town Where We Live" van The Warm Aquarium doet een beetje denken aan Pavement, Will Oldham en Neil Young. Luister en beleef het briljante talent van deze geweldige band.
UK: Battles, Atlas
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. Battles' full-length debut Mirrored is one of the great indie rock releases of the year. The apex of the album is possibly this track, "Atlas." It's an amalgamation of fractured electronics, manipulated vocals, hard-driving math rock and a swaggering, glammy tempo that makes you want to march on to the dance floor and break stuff.
France: The Hoosiers, Worried About Ray
Chaque semaine, nous trouvons un morceau d'un artiste ou d'un groupe que nous avons apprécié et nous vous le faisons partager.Un " Hoosier " est un habitant de l'Indiana, État du centre des États-Unis, et aussi le lieu où les membres du groupe se sont rencontrés. En creusant un peu plus, on découvre que ce terme est aussi une déformation d'un mot français signifiant " fainéants et agitateurs ", qui faisait référence à un cercle d'hommes à la morale douteuse. Voilà un groupe plein d'idées et d'énergie. Leur odd-pop unique est aussi rafraîchissante que leurs excentricités.Si vous aimez ce morceau, obtenez l'album ici.
Japan: immi, Cosmic Pink
菅野よう子やクリスタル・ケイ、"m-flo loves..."で知られるYOSHIKAなど、実力、キャラクターともに充実の歌姫たちを輩出しているレーベル Grand Trax から新人が登場!immi(イミー)はバックトラックを含めた曲作りを自身で行いつつアートディレクションも手掛けるマルチタレントのシンガーだ。12月21日(金曜日)には渋谷店にてライブ予定。今後ブレイク確実の immi を一足早くキャッチしに来て!
US Video
US: October Road, Let's Get Owen Music Video
Season 2 of ABC's acclaimed drama begins where Nick Garrett's homecoming left off. After a decade of building his career, Nick has returned to his hometown. He's at a crossroads in his life . . . and his family and friends are making the journey even tougher. While Nick gets reacquainted with his first love, sparks fly with another. Meanwhile, as his old buddies figure out their own lives, surprising revelations and secret relationships are exposed. Through it all, these friends realize that life has a way of leading you right where you belong.