Sick of your iTunes playlist but short on cash? How about another compilation of great listens that are totally free? That’s the proper ‘no hidden fees/strings attached’ kind of free by the way. You’re welcome.
Sure, you might be thinking ‘who needs free when I’ve got Spotify!?’ Well, we’re not gonna claim to give you 20 million songs for nothing – but we can offer you some great aural delights and hidden gems beyond the confines of your typical music streaming service, without having to do any of the leg-(mouse?)work yourselves.
Don’t fret either, the following picks are all legal, we’re not interested in sending you off to some dodgy page, just check out the first 7 albums we dug up followed by the extra 6 after that Tone Deaf could not get enough of.
Run The Jewels – Run The Jewels 2
The latest instalment in the saga of a duo who are proving themselves to be the most imaginative, tongue-in-cheek, and creatively lucrative partnership since one Clifford Smith decided to link up with fellow rhyme-slinger Reggie Noble. The difference is that while Method Man & Redman’s joint ventures have rested on soundbeds of bouncy syncopation, as the two principals engage in a playful back-and-forth, Run The Jewels 2 is hip-hop production at its most snarling and aggressive, with the teamwork between Killer Mike and El-P more akin to two thieves pulling a meticulously planned bank job.
Ryan Hemsworth – Hemsworth Country
Boy oh boy is this a massive treat.
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Canadian DJ and producer Ryan Hemsworth has released an incredible “digital box set” comprising of all of his recorded work.
The giant bundle includes 7 official album releases (including 2013’s Juno Award winning Guilt Trips), 9 singles, exclusive photos, and a handwritten note from the artist himself.
It may seem a little odd for an artist to give away all of their work, however it’s pretty considering Hemsworth drops his brand-spanking new record, Alone For The First Time on November 4, 2014. And hey, if we get hours of lush hiphop electronica for free, who the hell should care? (JH)
Willis Earl Beal – A Place That Doesn’t Exist
For those that are yet to discover this incredibly unique artists, please let us introduce Willis Earl Beal, just about the hardest man in music to categorise.
Melding a mix of low-fi, folk, experimental, soul and gospel in a haunting, bleak manner, this young man could perhaps be compared to the likes of Tom Waits, another enigma that is truly like no other.
It has been that said this 8-track EP was released by Beal as a response to a fan after he was forced to cancel a European tour. Whether this is true or not only adds to mysterious auro that surrounds this innovative artist.
From creepy carnival soundtracks like ‘Bright Copper Noon’ to the up-tempo jazz-lounge tune ‘Axeman’ to suave, soulful folk finger-pickings as ‘Babble On’, Beal’s free release is a perfect example of not only his talent, but his sheer bravery to create a plethora of sounds that a very much against the grain of popular modern music. (Joe Harris)
Raury – Indigo Child
What can one say of an artist that has collaborated with SBTRKT, swapped tracks with Kanye West and opened for OutKast, all before the age of 18 without having released a single? What the fuck, that’s probably about all one can say. Believe it or not, this is the story of the now 18-year old Raury. Unbelievable, right?
Well, it’s not that difficult to believe once you bare witness to the heart-stopping ‘God’s Whisper’, the Atlanta artists’ most popular track. The interesting song very much bridges the gap between soaring gospel vocals and soundscapes, hiphop percussions with an instant pop accessibility that’s increasingly addictive.
Left of centre think-tracks aren’t the only tricks on Indigo Child, twanging folk like ‘Cigarette Song’ see’s the artist explore further sonics and themes that extend beyond soul and RnB.
Akin to the aforementioned Willis Earl Beal, Raury is an exciting innovative artist that is only at the beginning of what we hope will be a long, ground-breaking career. If you dig this beautiful record we’ve got some very good news for you, Raury will be touring Australia nationally in 2015, apart of Laneway Festival. You’re welcome.
Cakes Da Killa – Hunger Pangs
Searching for an MC that can seriously rhyme to some intense beats? We got you covered for free this week.
Having dropped his 9-track mixtape Hunger Pangs earlier this year, Cakes Da Killa shocked the hiphop world with his ferocious release and unabashed spits.
Showing no fear, the mixtape pumps at a high octane pace as Killa rhymes about his relationships with men,showing only one sign of softening up on the slower ‘Rotation’ before diving straight back into his signature sass, rapping “I know ****** ain’t think I was getting soft, like what the fuck, I thought I was on my Drake shit?” making it clear that this man hasn’t gone weak, laughing as he tears into the next track.
If you call yourself a fan of hiphop, Hunger Pangs is a mixtape you definitely need to give multiple spins. (JH)
Childish Gambino – STN MTN
If his increasingly visionary creative bent isn’t enough to impress you, perhaps the list of production credits will. Despite its status as a mixtape, Bino has called in a few big-name favours on his latest outing -which he naturally named after his hometown – with background appearances from The Neptunes, Mike Will Made It, Lil Jon, Timbaland, and Mannie Fresh, just to name a few. Don’t let ‘Sober’ fool you, either. There’s plenty of obscure and unsettling stream-of-consciousness lyrical passages set to winding beats whose synths churn and beats boom and that allow modern polymath Donald Glover to once again blur the line that separates fantasy and artistry.
[Download here]
