In any fair and just world Billie The Vision and The Dancers would be sitting pretty with a nice contract and adoring fans. Or maybe the Swedish band likes giving their albums away. In any case, this is the fourth free and legal online album from one of my favorite artists featured on Free Albums Galore

I Used to Wander These Streets is another excellent album of soft folk-rock tracks. It actually may be a little more mellow and wistful than their other efforts…if that is even possible. Lars Lindquist carries songwriting duties and vocals admirably on both upbeat treats like “Lily Fro m The Middleway Street” and melancholy ballads like “Relay Race”. One interesting surprise is the pretty “Liar and a Thief” that manages to throw in a nice turnabout on a Guns and Roses line. If you already checked out the other albums by this band you will want this one. If you haven’t, what are you waiting for?

The album is available in 128kbps MP3. If you enjoy the music, support the artists by going to the store and buying the better sound quality CDs or maybe a t-shirt or two.

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The Upstairs appear to be Indonesia”s answer to The B-52s. They have a similar style and the same successful mixture of punk and fun. Their EP Ku Nobatkan Jadi Fantasi is a free release from Yes No Wave to celebrate Indonesia’s Independence Day. It is a different sort of EP for Yes No Wave as it tends to be much more mainstream than the usual selection of eccentric artists on the label. The album consists of previously released material with only one new song but it’s all new to me. The title tune gets everything to a rousing start and immediately illustrates the B-52 influences. “Dansa Pekir Pekan” is the new track and it is a very melodic upbeat tune. The Upstairs are supposed to be popular with the teens of Jakarta and this is quite easy to see with such catchy tunes as “Alexander Graham Bell” and the electro-pop “Televisa”. However the two live tracks also show that this band has the kind of musicianship that is always ready to spread out and get creative. This is a nice change from the American / Euro indie bands I usually hear . Highly recommended.

The EP is available in 192kbps MP3.

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The Very Sexual’s Post-Apocalyptic Love is some of the most infectious indie-pop to blast out of my ipod in a long time. It is a tasty collection of very tight pop songs loaded with great harmonies and irresistible song-writing. My favorite tracks include “Anti-Valentine” and “Billy Idol Look Alike Contest”. Think of a mixture of Dandy Warhols, David Bowie, and The Weezers. It’s another excellent Indie-pop effort free for the taking.

The album is available in 320kbps MP3. If you enjoy the music support the artists by buying the CD.

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The Rabbits are the darlings of WM Recordings having released three free online albums in a year’s time. But I’m afraid I really didn’t quite catch onto them until the last release, That Cave of Love, part one. TheToronto band, which is actually Matthew Orzeszek plus friends, have such a casual and twisted style that it sneaked up on me. That Cave of Love seems a bit more twisted than the other album and much tighter in concept. Songs like “Chickeny Softness” may have silly lyrics (My wife is saying “They’re not silly, They’re existential!”) but they are nicely surrounded by some sharp guitar work and more than a little cleverness. There is a indie rock feel mixed with a little Beatles influence and a Bonzo Dog Band wit. The Rabbits’ music may never save the world but it will get us a reprise from the usual daily madness called life.

My surprise at loving That Cave of Love sent me back to the first two albums to see if I missed something. They are both better than I remembered although not at good as their most recent effort. I do remember liking the first track on the debut Squirrel Brain titled “Blow You Crow” and its quirky cartoon voicings. Other delights include a jazzy “Screams in Dreams” and the faux hip-hop “Tower”. There are enough nice tracks to give this a try.

Squeeze One Out is the Rabbits’ second release and again better than I remember. One of The Rabbit’s strength…and weakness… is the ability skip around genres. While it is interesting to see what they can do with a blues or a rock ballad, or a children song like “London Bridge” the lack of a center becomes a little tiresome. Still it is fun to see what Mr. Orzeszek’s brain is up to. As I said, The Cave of Love seemed to be his grand opus for now but his first two albums still have enough fun and games to recommend a listen.

The three albums are available from WM Recordings as separate tracks or album zip in VBR MP3.

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Squirrel Brain
Squeeze One Out
That Cave of Love part one

There’s something slightly annoying yet so irresistible about Shorthand Phonetics. The lyrics ramble about nothing. The sound quality brings a new lo in lo-fi. I’m not even sure if this is emo or a parody of emo. So why do I like it? Because the vocalist sings with a cleverness that shows he is in on the joke, the guys can really play their instruments, and it is…in one word…fun!The two albums tip their satirical hands in the titles, Fanfiction: From the Seriously Absurd to the Absurdly Serious and Apparently…I’m In Medicine / Love, or the Illusion of the Beginning Symptoms of It. They are meant to be a conceptual part one and two of the life of Hanabishi Hideaki, a high school senior in the first album and a first year Med student in the second album. He is self absorbed, befuddled with every day problems that won’t go away, and obsessed with girls. In other words, he sounds like me forty years ago or, for that matter, the average teenage boy today.

Of the two albums, Apparently is my favorite. The first track is a homage to insecurity and doubt. The album then shifts into high gear with an upbeat high indie rock. The band has a lot of ideas that either go by fast or are played to infinity. This weakness of structure is actually played as a strength as the listener is left waiting to see where all this energy finally ends up.

The earlier FanFiction is almost as good. The lo-fi presence is a bit more pronounced but the basic structure is all there. The members state that their music should be seen as a related collection of short stories rather than a continuing narration. I don’t know if they can really be called Emo. There’s too much self-parody here for Emo. But if they are, they have the potential to be The Weezers of Emo. Overall, this is a fascinating look as a slightly eccentric talent that shows a lot of promise. Get them a real sound studio and we may all be amazed at the result.

Both albums are available as separate tracks or full album zips in MP3 or Ogg Vorbis formats.

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Apparently…I’m In Medicine / Love, or the Illusion of the Beginning Symptoms of It
Fanfiction: From the Seriously Absurd to the Absurdly Serious

Michal Lotan is an Israeli singer/songwriter whose voice reminds me of a cross between the melodic mumbling of Rickie Lee Jones and the jazz/blues inflections of Phoebe Snow. With just her voice and guitar, she bears an course exhibiting both impressive virtuosity and high spirited exuberance.

The 30 minute demo EP Evil Side is available from The Internet Archive’s Open Source Audio. It has 9 tracks, all being very enjoyable and worth a listen. I find her voice is be quite remarkable. I don’t know if she would agree with the classification of jazz but it is no doubt to me that she is clearly influenced by other jazz singers and jazz-influenced pop vocalists. She tends to be most comfortable on upbeat tunes like “Wine” and the opening showcase “Sounds” but I really like the sexy swagger she shows on “I Feel That You need Me” and “Baby Bruised”. This is an impressive debut which I hope is followed by a full album.

Evil Side is available in 192kbps MP3.

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The Rhaaa Lovely Festival in collaboration with The Silent Ballet brings us two exceptional compilation albums featuring artists playing at the the yearly event in Cortil-Wodon, Belgium. This is an idea that I hope other festivals adopt: a free and legal souvenir of what must have been an interesting gathering of indie rock bands.

The 2007 compilation offers 14 tracks by 14 bands. Many of the artists have a cerebral sound that lends to a pleasant and relaxing day. Matt Elliot’s “Our Weight in Oil’ sways along in what sounds like a gypsy melody. The opening track by Whisper in The Noise is between introvert indie and new age. Rothko is the only one of the artists I have heard before and has alway been one of my favorite Tortoise influenced groups. But all is not calming. Hard metallic sounds comes from bands like Pentak and Pelican while We Cut the Tape and Scatter has a disquieting but attention getting style that makes them a group I would like to hear more from. This Lovely Festival isn’t afraid to take chances.

The 2008 compilation has 12 tracks from 12 other artists. Magyar Posse has an symphonic sound while Youthmovies’ “Shhh! You’ll Wake It” has full-bodied indie rock credentials. “Floodwaters” by The . J. Boyd Sexxxtet provides a odd but beautiful setting of chorus and strings. M0re traditional rock sounds can be found on tracks by Dead Meadow and Mutiny on The Bounty but my favorite track is a complex fusion number by Sleeping People. These two albums are fine samplers of music by independent musicians out of the mainstream. Those who went to the festival will have a nice reminder and those of us who didn’t will probably be clearing our calender for next March.

Both albums are available in 192kbps MP3.

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2007 Rhaaa Lovely Festival Compilation
2008 Rhaaa Lovely Festival Compilation

Canadian singer/songwriter Allison Crowe’s latest release is titled Little Light and is in the same folk-pop mode as her other albums. Her voice can be as light as Norah Jones yet her original songs bring out a stronger and more personal character similar to Sarah McLaughlin or Joni Mitchell. Most of the album consists of original material but there are three good covers of tunes by Cyndi Lauper, Phil Ochs, and The Matthew Goode Band. However it is the originals that make this effort stand out. The first two tracks, “Northern Lights” and “Angel” are strong tunes in the folk/rock vein. “Disease” features Crowe’s tumultuous keyboard over an emotional vocal. I also greatly enjoyed the title tune, “Choose To Be”, and the excellent cover of Phil Ochs’ “When I’m Gone”. This is a good collection of songs by a talented songwriter and vocalist.

The album is available in 128kbps MP3. If enjoy the music, support the artist by buying her CDs.

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I briefly mentioned Listen when I featured Tryad’s first creative common licensed album. At the time Listen was not available except by bittorrent. Since then, Jamendo has incorporated direct downloading of its albums so it is time to feature this exceptional online release.

Listen continues Tryad’s lush mixture of trip-hop, jazz, and techno. If anything, it has a more consistent feel as the band perfects its already intriguing sound. The music is a bit more commercial and that is not meant to be a critique. In fact This is the type of high quality commercial sound you will rarely hear in the current state of top 40. Listen to “Beauty”, “Alone” or the title track to hear what I mean. I recommend this album for its lush tones and modern beauty.

The album is available in VBR MP3.

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In doing research on The Dead Bodies’ new album Cock Cock Cock Cock Xanadu Xanadu, I discovered that there appears to be more attention give to the album’s title than the music. The best explanation of the title is that it is a take off on the roman numeral CCCXX but that only makes me ask what is the significance of the number 420. It could also be a reference to the avian influences in John Hilton’s Lost Horizon. (You thought I was going to say something else, didn’t you?)

Now … about the music … I must admit I expected something totally different from a band called The Dead Bodies. The Detroit based artists have a sound that blend quirky beats with a gentle hearted lyricism. There is a slightly warped wit involved here, not that so much in the vocals but in how they mix all the elements of this music together. Spin.com’s description of “equal parts David Lynch and The Shins” seems fairly accurate. All of this comes through in a very accessible bittersweet way that is immensely likable yet still complex listening. I especially love “Deep Beauty Deep”, “Paddywagon (For Adults Only)”, and “Counting Sheep”, each following the other in a triple crown of superb songwriting. If this 18 minute EP is typical then The Dead Bodies may have a bright future ahead that will hopefully include someone who can advise them on better album titles.

The album is available in album zip either as VBR MP3 (about 252kbps) or FLAC format. If you enjoy the music, support the artists by giving a donation.

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Kansas City resident Erik Karlsson is a singer/songwriter whose music harks back to the golden era of 70s folk-rock. He is especially schooled in the storytelling tradition of modern balladeers such as Harry Chapin. Even with such a giant name looking over his shoulder, Karlsson still manages to place his individual mark of these well-crafted original songs. His album Forty-Something is freely available from his web site and is released on a creative commons license for all to enjoy.

Forty-Something has a light melodic sense throughout. Good lyrics and a joyous mid tempo beat dominate most of his songs. The title song is a nice sample of musical storytelling. The opening track “Angel” is a very likable indie rock song that sounds a little like a upbeat Counting Crows. I also like the wistful and folkish “Long Ways From Home” and a country road song titled “Reno”.

The album is available in 128kbps MP3. If you like the music, support the artist and buy the CD with better sound quality. Erik is donating all proceeds from album sales and tips to The Harvester’s Community Food Network.

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Jaimina Johnston’s two albums on Jamendo, which I previously reviewed here, are the first two parts of a trilogy The third album of the trilogy has finally been released. Test of Time is just as much a wonder as So Many Songs and So Little Time. In fact, it is a more tightly arranged and intricate presentation. This is evident from the first track, “Viva Italia” which is a five minutes showpiece of her talents in acappello singing and choral arrangements. The second track, “Ni Una Solo Palabra” is also a delight. Her 90 years plus voice sounds stronger on this album but still manages to present an air youth and innocent. I am tempted to say ‘delicate as a flower’ which may sound trite but oh so accurate. Spanning classical music, folk, and popular, this album is a treat. I especially like her take on “The Way To San Jose” which comes along two songs after she deftly tackles ” Wir setzen uns mit Tränen nieder” from J. S. Bach’s Matthew’s Passion and before she goes funky on Jamiroquai’s “Feels Just Like it Should”. Just try to find any other vocalist that will take on those three songs in their lifetime, let alone on a single album!

The album is available in VBR MP3.

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There must be something in the air of Glasgow, Scotland that fosters cheerful optimism. Although sounding nothing like that other Glasgow band, The Martial Arts still radiate a similar sense of fun and innocence. Their album, Your Sinclair is power pop mixed with some 60s British invasion styled rock. This is happy but hard rocking music that is so light-hearted you can forget how well constructed it really is. Try the opening track, “Murry and Audree” for a taste then follow it up with the infective “Don’t Want to Talk”, my favorite track on the album. “Mod Vai” is one of the more hard-driving songs while “Contemptuous Disdain” is a witty and exceptional number. If the Pop Gods are listening, this band should be going far in the future.

The album is available from Last.fm as separate tracks in 128kbps MP3. If you like the music, be sure to support the artists by buying the CD in better quality sound.

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One of my favorite record labels is Anti. The label has an impeccable ability to pick high quality artists, new and old, and place them in the perfect environment. Anti has released a new Spring, 2008 sampler of their current stable of artists and it is a doozy.

Some of my favorite musicians are on this album and, in the meticulous Anti fashion, the tracks are not fillers or throws-aways but some of the best examples of the musicians’ artistry. The album starts with “Before The Money Came” a exhilarating auto-biographical song by hard-luck soul singer Bettye LaVette backed by Drive-By Truckers. It is followed by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds in a rude and wonderful “DIG, LAZARUS, DIG!”. Michael Franti & Spearhead’s socially conscious reggae rock is always a delight to listen to. Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová’s Oscar winning “Falling Slowly” is peformed beautifully by Hansard’s band, The Frames. The mesmerizing Lyrics Born is his usual funky self on “I Like it, I Love it” and The Weakerthans give faltering Indie Rock new life in “Night Windows”.

Those are the artists I am familiar with but there are a number of fresh new voices in this collection. Galactic and Cadence Weapon play top-notch hip-hop. There’s plenty of nice singer-songwriter tracks by Billy Bragg, Joe Henry and Bob Mould. Ersi Arvizu makes some nice latin sounds. The tracks by Islands, Man Man, and DeVotchKa (who sounds like the reincarnation of It’s a Beautiful Day) don’t grab me like the others but they are certainly worth a listen. This is one of the better record label freebies you’re going to find.

The album is available in a full album zip of 128kbps MP3. I’m not sure if this will be permanently hosted so you should get it while you can, If you find an artist you like, and you will, support the artist by buying their CDs.

No longer available

Stay by Wil Deynes is close to 20 minutes of very listenable power pop and indie folk/pop. Strong songwriting and a solid voice is the main reason this brief album is recommended. Of the five tracks, I especially like the title song “Stay”. It is a singer/songwriter showcase with a melody that…Dare I say it?… “stays” with you. The light and poppist “Super Wonderful” and the rocking “Tired” are also quite good. It’s a nice debut by a talented musician.

The EP is downloadable as an album zip in either 192kbps MP3 or M4a files. If you enjoy the artist, support the artist by leaving a donation in the “tip jar”.

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Mighty Shiny is a Seattle based band that combines power pop with a breezy collection of vocals and hooks. Vocalist Rhonda Pelikan has a casual sound that reminds me of a soft rock version of Chrissie Hyndes. The trio of guitar, bass and drum stays tight and supportive throughout. Their self-titled album offer 11 nice tracks, my favorites being “Tape of Birds”, “Whiskey Kills” and “Haywire”. I understand Mighty Shiny is no more but I’m sure they had fun while they were together.

The album is available through a full album zip in 192kbps MP3.

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British singer/songwriter John Zealey called his online album Notes From Number 14 a collection of demos “never meant for human consumption”. If these are his throw aways, I definitely need to check out his CD. The eleven tracks are all well structured rock songs with mature lyrics and feeling. Zealey sings in a manner that hints that his emotions are seething just below the surface. I like him best on slightly tensed up songs like “One Hell of a Time” and “Common Ground” but there are some nice ballads such as “Slide With Me” and “Wake Up”. Give this album a try. My guess is you’ll want to hear more.

The album is freely available in album zips of 128 or 160kbps MP3. You can download the zips from the link below or by separate tracks (128kbps) from John’s Last.fm page. If you enjoy the music, support the artist by buying his CDs.

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Earlier in the year I featured the first volume of a continuing series from the BlocSonic blog called NetBloc. Its purpose is to present on a regular basis a showcase of music from netlabels and independent artists. Since then there have been 10 volumes, all of high quality with a well written booklet of liner notes. It is fitting that I would feature the latest of this series at the end of this year if only to remind you that if you haven’t been regularly checking these volumes out, you are missing a awfully large amount of great music.

netBloc Volume 10: Postmodernism is dead. Postmillennialism killed it… sorry Andy :( may be the best of the lot. As usual, it is an eclectic blend of mainly hip-hop, electronica, and indie pop served by an international cast. Ghostown starts the album with a very tasty rap offering. More hip hop is imported from Spain by El Klan Delos Dedete. Singer-Songwriter DavidBowman offers a classy hybrid of folk and electro-pop. If I had to pick a favorite I would go with the great techno-pop track “Munchen” by Garmish Partenkirchen. The best music to get totally lost in is the dreamy and jazzy “Valletta 1:27 a.m.” by The Incognito Traveller. Joijoijoi is minimalist pop while Shorthand Phonetic is Emo like you won’t believe. Most regulars of Free Album Galore will already know the joys of My First Trumpet and Surbuhar (You’re welcome, Mike!). As mentioned before, if you are missing out on this series you are missing some of the best of independent and netlabel music.

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Moosefrog is a two-man musical project from Finland that plays chilled-out down-tempo nu-jazz. The artists have four free albums on the internet. You can get two fairly brief EPs off of their web site but the big finds are the two more current and longer EPs released by the Lo-Kiwi netlabel.

The Come EP achieves an interesting mix of acid jazz, Thievery Corporation styled trip hop and a somewhat dark mood. Its seven tracks lays a even but soulful mood with some tracks like “You Don’t Know it Yet’ and “Six Shooter” threatening but never quite breaking into rock and roll. My favorite track is the mellower “Coffee With Cream”.

The latest album is the 43 minute Adrift. It is still a little dark and sometimes so chilled it’s frozen. Much of this album reminds me of the equally chilled Jaga Jazzist. Perhaps I could coin the genre “Tundra Jazz”. The boys do tend to heat things up occasionally as on “Strange Tree”. I especially like the trip-hoppish “Em La Oscuridad” and “New Life” featuring the sexy vocals of Anji Bee. Adrift is the more varied of the two albums and the one I would recommend. However all of Moosefrog’s offerings are worthwhile.

Come is available in 192kbps Mp3 while Adrift in is 320kbps.

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Come EP
Adrift

Billie The Vision & and The Dancers completed their third album and it is as delightful as their first two. Where The Ocean Meets My Hand covers the same folk-pop territory with their bittersweet melodies and intimate lyrics. The Swedish band remains one of my favorite groups of the many I’ve featured. Their deceptively casual style reminds me of a good friend who makes you laugh but isn’t afraid to tell you the hard stuff either. Give the devastatingly sad “I Want You to Bleed” or the more upbeat “Absolutely, Salutely” a try.

The album is available in 128kbps MP3 from their Last.fm page or their web site by the download link below. If you enjoy the music, support the artists by buying their CDs.

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Asthmaboy is a soft indie rock duo consisting of Glindon Marten and John Boone of Bellingham, Washington. I have an theory that the artist’s environment places itself in the artist’s work. Bellingham is known as the city of “subdued excitement” which pretty much describes the music of Asthmaboy. Unfortunately my theory breaks down in the light of Grunge and sophisticated Seattle. I still have a few kinks to work out.

Their free online album titled Later Days is full of pastoral folk rock that is soft but with just a hint of bittersweet. The title track is representative of the combination of folksy acoustic background and the slightly nasal but thoughtful vocals of Martens. The dual songwriting of Martens and Boone contributes immensely to the suburban quality of the songs. Other favorites on the album include “Disappearing Trick” and “Do The Math”. This is a quiet album for those who prefer their pop and rock on the peaceful side.

The album is available as an album zip in VBR MP3 (around 192kbps).

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Post Human Era’s Where I’m Going Half The Time is a pleasant contradiction in net label music. While most internet projects concentrate on rave beats, drones or experimental sounds, Post Human Era has a foot firmly set in melodic pop. Whispering vocals float over easy mid-tempo beats and Tears For Fear style keyboards. To say that many of the songs would fit comfortably on FM Radio doesn’t detract from its high quality and imaginative twists and turns. “Ancestors” and “When We Are” are well crafted electro-pop songs while “Shroud of Turin” is a hard driving rock instrumental. Other tracks such as “Here Comes The Cavarly” and “I Awoke The Dreamer” are a bit more experimental but overall this is an good album of accessible but creative music.

The album is available in 320kbps MP3 from the Test Tube netlabel.

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You have to admire a band that appears to have modeled themselves after The Bee Gees in this day and age. Fortunately they took all the good qualities; precise harmonies, catchy dance beats, and arresting falsetto vocals. Under The Influence of Giants plays high quality dance pop with enough sass to capture even the most jaded rocker. The Bee Gees influence is evident from the first strains of “Against All Odds” but there is also a post-modern sense of jazz and rock that is all its own. Other noteworthy tracks include “Ha-Ha”, “Mama’s Room”, and a pretty-as-a-picture “Lay me Down”. However the real stunner is “In The Clouds”, a tension wrought dance tune that stays in your minds. In fact, you will probably be humming a number of these songs a good while after the first listen.

Their self titled album can be downloaded from their Last.fm page in 128kbps MP3. If you enjoy the music, support the artists by buying the CD.

No longer available

Michael Burgess could easily be classified in the newer category of indie pop or emo but my aged ears are attracted to influences of 60s folk rock. I am immediately drawn to the same qualities I hear in Tim Buckley (and yes, his son Jeff too). His album Paper Flowers offers poetic music that is acoustic with a little jazz feeling. “St James Hotel” is a good example as vocal and guitar dance around tabla-like percussion and a dancing flute. Burgess’ lyrics are gentle and memorable. The singer/songwriter is best experienced on the tracks that are simply guitar and vocal such as “Apple Seeds” and “Nothing’s Going My Way” but other songs are nicely if sparsely orchestrated. This is one of the finer folk-pop albums you will find on the internet.

Paper Flowers is available, along with 4 “b-sides” tracks, in 192kbps MP3.

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Lucrecia may not send out flames but there is something warm and innocent about her simple voice. In fact it is the simplicity and intimate nature of this short EP that makes its enjoyable. The five tracks offer about 20 minutes of soft pop that is gentle and irresistable. “Counting Backwards” may be the best track. Its wistful arrangement assures it gets plenty of plays from me. However the other four tracks will have you smiling too. This is a nice choice for relaxing vocal music.

The album is available in 256kbps MP3.

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