FREE MUSIC 12/28 [Mash-Up, Joe Pug, Klaxons, The North Country, & more]

       Free music is always awesome. I've been inspired by some blogs, namely A Truer Sound [which I am starting to really enjoy], which have been posting some free tunes today. I'll try and keep this a weekly or bi-weekly post because I know we always don't have music to spend money on. Wait, I got that wrong, it would be nice if it was that way, but then we would be listening to some pretty shitty music. I guess the music-world is more giving around the holiday season because there is a lot of good, free music out there right now.

JOE PUG
Mr. Pug is so confident his music is good [if you didn't hear his 2010 release, Messenger go check it out] that he is MAILING physical CDs out to anyone who requests them. That's right, he's sending actual compact discs out to people who request them, so you can pass them out to your friends and their friends and so on. I highly recommend that you do this.
CHECK OUT THIS DEAL HERE

THE NORTH COUNTRY
The Band's Bandcamp [link below] says that this album was written and recorded in Andrew Grossman's bedroom during 2010. This is an amazingly good album for the price and for the low remarks given on the site. It's a great acoustic album but in parts instruments are thrown that compare to the Black Keys blues side then it switches straight to a poppy Freelance Whales song. It's so diverse and so good.
CHECK OUT THIS DEAL HERE

THE BROTHERS OF CHICO DUSTY
Big Boi vs. The Black Keys
If you haven't heard of this mash-up album by now, you're living under a rock. Its a brilliant idea. Why not combine two of the best albums of the year and make something beyond imagination. Well there is only so much to work with but wick-it puts the right beats with the right lyrics on this one. It pleases Big Boi/Outkast fans and Black Keys fans alike.
CHECK OUT THIS DEAL HERE

KLAXONS
I'll have to say that I wan't a big fan of their 2010 release Surfing the Void but I sure did love the cover. Well they have released a free EP, Landmarks of Lunacy, of stuff they recorded back in 2008 but hadn't yet released. And they made it available for free.
DOWNLOAD THIS DEAL HERE







PREVIOUSLY POSTED ON YTE:

jj - KILLS Mixtape 
[YTE POST] If you haven't already got the brilliant chill-hop mixtape from the Sweedish duo, do-it now.

Yeasayer – Live at Ancienne Belgique 

[YTE POST] Yeasayer doesn't disappoint ever. This is a recording of the high-energy performance they always bring.

Ray Ban - Never Hide Noise EP2

[YTE POST] Great compilation of up-and-coming bands. The artists on this will make a name for themselves in 2011, know them before your friends.

Mike Cooley - Live at the 40 Watt 

[YTE POST]Great live recording of a solo show by the singer from Drive-By Truckers back from 2005.

Check out the tags that I have been using for a while "Free Album" and "Free" to find some more $0.00 tunes, some of it may be dated though.

[MIXTAPE] jj | KILLS [Covers of Notorious B.I.G., Kanye, Jay-Z, and more]

Just as promised, the new mixtape, KILLS, from jj has beat out Santa in getting to our houses on this Christmas Eve. Take in the soothing, mellow gangsta rap while sipping on some spiked eggnog. When do you ever hear someone say a sentence like that? jj has a way to turn gangsta rap into something more than its original intention. They make the rappers lyrics transparent, either revealing the terribly poor lyric-writing skills of a rapper or giving an insightful look at the rapper's genius. Have a look for yourself with the link below.

DOWNLOAD

[Mediafire 166mb]

X-Mas Present from jj

jj - KILLS

Sweedish ambient-electro duo jj will release a mixtape, presumably free with a bunch of rap covers. If you haven't heard their awesome cover of Lil Wayne's "Lollipop" off their debut 2009 album, check it out here. It seems that some of their best work comes when they take mainstream US rap that typically clogs the radio waves and turns them into soft ballads with ear-pleasing female vocals instead of raspy, testosteroned rappers. The mixtape is said to include "Empire State of Mind" as well as a song by The Dream. Mixtapes are typically free, but I will definitely have an update on that in 5 days when it is supposed to drop. Enjoy this awesome cover song they released earlier in the year below!

jj - CEO Birthday [Jeremiah - "Birthday Sex" Cover]

jj | "CEO Birthday" [Birthday Sex Re-work]

If today is your birthday, it's your lucky day 

jj - CEO Birthday
[via Stereogum]

jj loves to take popular rap songs and put their soft pop spin on them. This time they take on the song that has been played on the day people commemorate their birth, the infamous "Birthday Sex" by Jeremih. Due to the nature of today's date's connotations, if today is your birthday, this blend would be the perfect blend of the two days. After being less then unimpressed by jj when the played at Cat's Cradle on 3/25 with the XX, I haven't listened to a single song of their since. But this one brings me back to my appreciation for their unique Sweedish sound.

jj @ Cat's Cradle 3/25

|:|Worst Act at Concert I've Been To?|:| 

I'll have to admit, when I saw that jj was coming to Cat's Cradle, I snatched up tickets asap. I knew the XX were the headliner and I wasn't too keen to their music, but I didn't care who the headliner was, I wanted to see jj. Boy, was I let down.

There might have been some pretty interesting videos being played on that white sheet behind her, but it was just a clever ploy to distract from a most disengaging performance. Besides the fact that the chatter by the sold out crowd almost drowned out any sound that she was producing [I was on the 2nd row], she didn't even look like she was enjoying herself. She played the first song with guitar then sang over backing instrumentals for the rest of the show. Her boyfriend, the other side of jj I'm supposing, came out in [most likely] an elevated state of mind, barely able to play the guitar, even though it was already playing on the backing instrumentals, so I don't know why he was up there. Though the music is great and creative, a dismal live performance has really questioned my judgement and enjoyment I receive from their music. Saying little to the audience, she stood poised with a head full of hair, fidgeting with her Blue Moon like a child in an Elementary School play. She made her rounds through all their hits then when it came time for the final song, a guitar malfunction led to an abrupt end to the show. Luckily an astoundingly stellar performance from The XX made up for the lack of one by jj.

As always, I would like to thank Cameron Brown for taking some pretty awesome pictures.

[VIDEO] jj | "Let Go"

|:| Sweedish duo's strangely powerful video for 1st single |:|

I'll have to say that the video is a little bizarre. Crying blood, dripping blood, tiki torch juggling batons, and a dog. This video makes me miss my black lab Chief back home who resembles this pup and loves to drool like him too.

Don't Forget [if you have tickets]:

jj + The XX @ Cat's Cradle March 25th [SOLD OUT]

jj | n° 3

As similar as the titles between their last album (n° 2) and their newest (n° 3), the music follows right in line. Chill pop that ices over your ears and entrances you with bubbly beats, euphoric vocals. This may just be leftovers from n° 2 or just what came to them after their indie heads blew up from rave reviews from he music gods. Whatever the case may be, the material is good. They take your ears to a Las Vegas buffet using inventive instrumentation and lyrics through xylophones, African drums, referencing The Game and 90's pop group ATC in the same song, and intrinsic bass lines. Since n° 2 was so different when it came out it may have been perceived well but now that the doors have been opened to jj and this type of music, n° 3 doesn't feel as hypnotic as it's older counterpart. The Swedish duo creates a 27 minute aurora of cascading instrumentation, flighty vocals, and a sense of happiness.



Gems: "My Life," "Let Go," "Voi Parlate, lo Gioco"




*n°3 will be out March 9th via Secretly Canadian*
**SOLD OUT SHOW w/ The XX at Cat's Cradle March 25th**

jj | "My Life"

New material from jj, "My Life."

It is a very different take on The Game and Lil Wayne's version of "My Life" which is quite the rival. I love when jj produces their own version of mainstream rap. And if I'm not mistaken, is that some ATC from back in the day at the end of the song?

Remember March 9th - nº 3
&&
March 25th @ Cat's Cradle w/ the XX (got my tix already)

[RECOMMEND] Forthcoming Local Shows

Cat's Cradle  [Carrboro, NC]

2/2 & 2/3 Citizen Cope
3/18 Black Lips
3/25 The XX w/ jj
4/2 The Big Pink
4/4 Yeasayer                      *nice bday present*
4/5 Ted Leo & the Pharmacists
4/13 The Thermals
5/1 Beach House w/ Washed Out

--All tickets are on sale now, get 'em before they're gone--

Local 506    [Chapel Hill, NC]

3/7 Cymbals Eat Guitars w/ Bear In Heaven            *Spring Break*
3/22 Hockey w/ Solid Gold
3/23 The Ruby Suns w/ TORO Y MOI
3/26 Max Indian
4/16 Xiu Xiu w/ Tune Yards




Lincoln Theatre  [Raleigh, NC]

2/12 & 2/13 Drive-By Truckers

MORE jj

It just won't stop. Here is so more material from the Swedish duo. The more they put out and the more I hear, the more that I like their music. They must like Lil' Wayne because here he is again on "My Way." "My WAy" isn't going to be on N° 3 but it is still a great song, which I'm surprised they aren't putting on the album. The next "Let Go," an ambient accord, will be on N° 3, which I am very much looking forward to.

jj - Let Go

jj - My Way

Upcoming 2010 Albums

Beach House
Teen Dream
January 26

Los Campesinos!
Romance Is Boring
January 26

Yeasayer
Odd Blood
February 9

Toro Y Moi
Causers of This 
Feburary 23

Gorillaz
Plastic Beach
Before March

She & Him
Volume 2
March 2

jj
N°3
March 9

Ted Leo & The Pharmacists
The Brutalists Bricks
March 9

Drive-By Truckers
The Big To-Do
March 16

LCD Soundsystem
March

MGMT
Congratulations
Spring

Band of Horses
Night Rainbows

Dr. Dog
Shame, Shame

School of Seven Bells
Disconnect From Desire

The Hold Steady
(Craig Finn's Interesting Project)

Radiohead


The National


The Arcade Fire


The New Pornographers


Wavves


Fleet Foxes


Big Boi & Andre 3000 (Solo Albums, possible Outkast album as well)

jj

jj is a Swedish ambient/electronic band. They have an upbeat sound with an acoustic guitar sometimes and an almost eerie sound in others. jj has made a name for themselves with very soft lyrics and gained some fans by using a marijuana leaf on the cover of N°2. They are making a name for themselves taking mainstream rap songs and toning them down with a softer sound and new lyrics. The product is golden so far. They use Lil Wayne's "Lollipop" in "Ecstasy" which is off N°2 and then use Akon's "I'm So Paid" at the beginning of "5 minuter med jj". They kind of remind me of Kiss95.1 and Sigur Ros mixed together on these tracks. JJ has recently signed with Secretly Canadian records and have announced a new LP, surprisingly named N°3. It is going to drop on March  9th. The Track List goes as follows:

1. My Life
2. And Now
3. Let Go
4. Into the Light
5. Light
6. Voi Parlate, Io Gioco
7. Golden Virginia
8. You Know
9. I Know
10. No Escapin' This

They are doing a US tour with fellow 2009 break out artists The XX in the early spring and will be playing Carrboro.

Cat's Cradle, March 25.

Off N°2
jj - Ecstasy
jj - Things Will Never Be the Same Again

Recently Released
jj - 5 minuter med jj