Trio Argentino de Bajos (The Argentine Bass Trio) is an unusual Latin jazz group for the fact it consists of three electric bass guitars. I expected a rather narrow sound but instead I was surprised by the range and the fluidity of the playing on their online album titled El orden de los bajos no altera el producto. “Baile del sol Mediterraneo” sounds as if it is two guitars and a bass rather than three basses. “Domino” is a nice jazz track while “Utopia” uses a string bass and relies on a more post-classical approach. My favorite track is the boogie jazz “Como Rata por Tirante”. By the time you listened to all 12 tracks you will have heard pretty much any type of bass and any possible way to play it. This is a talented trio that deserves more recognition.

The album is available in 320kbps from the Clinical Archives netlabel.

Download

The free and legal album Lost Memories is a showcase for the talents of Serbian singer / composer / guitarist Daameer Stone. I use the triple description deliberately as this talented artist is attempting to display all of these attributes in this recording. Unfortunately it ends up somewhat uneven. Hip-hop influenced pieces are paired with cinematic soundscapes. Acoustic folk music is mixed with more modern pop oriented material. While Daameer is equally adept at all, the album becomes a bit muddled and doesn’t really focus on what is his particular strength.

And that strength is found in those acoustic tracks that focus on traditional and world music influences. Songs like “Home” and “Munin’s Flight” are calming fancies between new age and folk/traditional. “Diffused Bursts” starts out voice only but melds into a successful electronic fusion hybrid. From “Runnin’ in The Wood” and on, the tracks take on a more pop music stance but Daameer’s quality songwriting and Serbian influences are still evident. Only in the last two tracks on the album do the electronic element totally take over and they seem out of place. For the most part though, Stone’s blending of folk, pop, and electronic generally work. I would love to see two albums, one of folk acoustic numbers and the other being a more world/pop fusion set. For now, the artist has given us a taste of both and that will do for now.

The album is available from the artist’s web site in 256kbps MP3.

Download

The Kyoto Connection plays chilled out electro-pop mixed with a generous amount of Japanese sounds. Their 2008 release titled The Kyoto Connection II is now free and online. While the Japanese influence was not quite as dominant as I expected it to be, their music is still full of unexpected surprises in the engaging electronic arrangements. I find “Painting With Lights” especially intriguing for its trip-hop vocals and Oriental background drones. “Voyage I - Let The Light In” is the kind of pretty new age track that is both delightful and soothing while “The Prisoner” has a dance-pop quality that is infectious. All three of the “Voyage” tracks are quite beautiful. I played this at a gathering of people who had very different tastes in music and almost everyone was asking me who it was and where they could get it. This is very engaging music that should be enjoyable to a large audience. The album is available from Jamendo in VBR MP3 format.

Their first release from 2006 titled The Kyoto Connection I is also available. In fact you can get both of these albums from their web site. They ask that you register first but you don’t have to. Just click the download button. You can also get the first album from The Internet Archive. Both of these albums are Creative Commons licensed. It’s pretty much the same formula, relaxing electronic music with a dash of world groove but it is a great formula. “Fly” and “From Earth to The Sky” are stand-out tracks. The album is available in 192 kbps MP3. If you like the music, support the artists by buying their CDs in higher quality sound .

Download
The Kyoto Connection I
The Kyoto Connection II

I’m not sure how to describe this album. Sitarist Mender Banah is an excellent musician and appears to be quite versed in Indian music. However the six tracks on Bab Rag Terra, despite the alluring sitar lines and contagiously foot-tapping tablas, sound a bit Western to me. Since I am nowhere near an authority of Indian music I may be totally off base but Mender Banah seems to be playing a Western/Eastern hybrid. But this is just an opinion and it no way diminishes the quality of this album. The catchy beat and hypnotic sitar melodies remain enjoyable throughout this 20 minutes sound fest. I especially like the upbeat tempos of “Dome” and “Baetulus”. Whether this music is traditional or global fusion, world music fans of all kinds will enjoy this album.

The album is available in 128kbps MP3 through the Mastertoaster net label.

Download

Very beautiful Japanese music can be freely downloaded from the somewhat cryptic Shsk’h web site. Etsuko Chida plays koto and sings with a delicate voice that makes this traditional music quite pleasing and relaxing. There are three tracks at approximately 12 minutes each. This is a good introduction to both the koto and Japanese music in general.

The album is available in 256kbps MP3.

Download (click on “Vol. 2″)

La Nueva Guardia is from Argentina. La Nueva Guardia plays tangos. Aside from that, this fresh sounding group is exploring new territory in their chosen genre. While the artists are using traditional instruments and vocals associated with the tango, there is a fine mixing of electronica and rock elements that make this music unique. Their album, El Melancólico Sueño Del Niño is a delight from start to finish but it really gets out of the starting gate in fine form with “Milonga Triste”. “Mimi Pinson” is as wistful and romantic as you would expect a love ballad to be. “Excusa” has a nice little James Bond riff working as it interacts with Juan Pablo Jofre Romarion’s excellent work on the bandeonon. All through the album, Mariano Dalla Torre deserves special credit for his highly expressive vocals. Martín Rez Masud does an amazing job in balancing the electronic effects in this sensuous and all-so-human music. The ghost of Astor Piazzolla is highly present throughout. This is easily one of the finest net label releases in 2008.

The album is available in VBR and 320kbps MP3 or in Ogg Vorbis format from the Pueblo Nuevo net label.

Download

Urumqi, China holds the distinction as being the city that is farther from the oceans than any other settlement on Earth. The region is distinctly different in many ways from traditional China having a substantial population of Uyghur and Hui people, both cultures being Turkic and Islamic. This is certainly evident in their music which is proudly exhibited in the free online compilation Music Furthest From The Sea vol. 1. The album is presented by The Royal Occulus & Gramophone Company, whose curator resides in Urumqi. There are some fascinating podcasts and photos on the site but the album , hopefully the first of a series, is the best way for a curious internet traveler to capture the music of the region. Mostly culled from flea markets and stores, the collection is a joyous mix of both upbeat and romantic world pop music. The first track is one of my favorites. It is the kind of raucous song that defies you to remain seated while listening. The rest of the compilation is almost as good and should fulfill your quota for exotic music.

Music Furthest From The Sea is available in 192kbps MP3.

Download

I am still awaiting the WFMU Free Music Archive but my patience is wearing thin. I just noticed that the deadline has been moved from November to December. What is a poor aging music fanatic going to do? At least WFMU was kind enough to release a second volume of goodies to hold us over until the archive is unveiled.

Like Vol. 1, it is a cornucopia of sounds all freely available under a creative commons license. There is some punk and alternative rock, some world music, some indie, and a lot of music that defies simple labels. The opening track by Kurt Vile is an addictive rocker in the alternative tradition and a bit more mainstream than most of the other songs. Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti’s “Jules Lost His Jewels” is a sloppy but exhilarating bit of party rock. The Yolk’s “I Do What I Do” is so 70s garage rock I can smell the 30 weight oil. If you are looking for more experimental bits of music try the avant track by Mary Halverson & Weasel Waiter or Illusion of Safety’s shoegaze/ambient “I Could Be Wrong”. The global groove is represented by Fosboro and Getatchew Mekuria. I also like the contributions of Indian Jewelry, Ole Time Relijun, and Teeth Mountain. I am SO waiting for the archives!!!

This collection is available in 256kbps MP3.

Download

Here’s some lovely Spanish music from an acoustic trio featuring Susana Garrido Pombo on vocals, Pedro Ospina on bandola, and Jose Saura on quitar. Sonhos and its self-titled EP is a nice departure from the rock and electronic music that usually crowd the net label scene. Ms. Pombo has a sure but sensuous style that reminds me of Brazilian vocalist Luciana Souza while Ospina and Saura keeps up with her with equal virtuosity. Although the EP will mainly attract world music and jazz fans, this is a keeper in anyone’s collection.

The album is available in 192kbps Mp3 from the Aregueifa net label.

Download

The Voices of Paul Bowles is a very unusual entry in the Tellus audio-cassette series of the 1980s. Born in 1910, Paul Bowles was an American composer and author. He composed film scores and incidental music until the age of 40, then redirected his rather prodigious talent to writing innovative fiction until his death in 1999. I have loved Bowles’ short fiction for quite a while but did not realize he was also a composer. This 56 minutes album of stories written and narrated by the author, plus brief examples of his musical compositions, is the perfect introduction to this important literary figure. I especially recommend listening to the short story “Allal” which, like much of his work, is an eerie psychological allegory. There are two brief instrumental compositions by Bowles. The other musical tracks are field recordings of Moroccan musicians collected by Bowles in 1959. This audio project for Tellus is one the best in the series and is clearly a labor of love.

The album is available in 192kbps MP3.

Download

By their own description, Fosforo plays “punky reggae jungle music”. Bits of reggae, dub, Latin, punk and electronica all blend together in their free online album titled “Macondo”. What is impressive is that all these elements sound unforced and authentic when you hear the final result. Even more amazing for me is the fact that the group members went to Van Nuys High School, a school that is more known for having alumni like Marilyn Monroe, Robert Redford and Paula Abdul rather than guys who play multi-cultural socio-political music. Time have changed since I used to cruise Van Nuys Boulevard on a Wednesday night. But I digress…

Macondo is six tracks and over 30 minutes of addictive foot-moving music. Fosforo has a great range of moods. They can play reggae that sounds off the streets of Kingston, deliver an sweet Afro-pop “Desconocido” that would make King Sunny Ade smile then go straight into a heart pounding global rocker like “Guerra”. This is a fine band that should do well as long as they keep to their global vision.

The EP is available from Fosboro’s web site in 128kbps MP3. If you enjoy the music support the artists by buying their CDs.

Download

Muito Prazer sounds a bit retro. It reminds me of the jazz crossover music that was quite popular in the 70s and championed by artists like Al Jarreau and Jorge Ben. Brazilian guitarist and vocalist Haroldo Torrecilha has that same light and airy pace. Some of his songs are sweetly lyrical such as “Fulindo” while the opening track is funky to the hilt. “Quando meu voo e Libre” has a smooth jazz George Benson meet Al Jarreau quality. Those who prefer more traditional Brazilian pop will like “Morena”. All tracks have some very nice guitar work which appears to be dually handled by Torrecilha and Paulo Araujo. Some listeners may criticize the very commercial feel of this music but it is hard to disagree that this is a very enjoyable and virtuoso display of Brazilian jazz and fusion.

The album is available from Jamendo in VBR MP3.

Download

The Croatian band 2227 appears to have been around for most of the 90s inhabiting their own bizarre corner of the rock n’ roll universe. They are (were?) decidedly hardcore but with more than a little sense of the artistic and outrageous. There is also bit of traditional music mixed with the punk atmosphere causing me to compare them to Ne Zhdali or, more recently, Gogol Bordello. Their web site appears to have most if not all of their music freely available. All three of their CDs are here. They are odd but occasionally brilliant bits of avant-rock and hardcore mayhem.

Stripcore appears to have been their first album and the first track exhibits their unique sound. Guitar, bass and drum is joined by violin in a neo-gypsy tune then seques straight into “Like it Like It”; a machine gun paced track with weird Zappa-styled lyrics. The band switches back and forth from metal to cabaret throughout, keeping the listener guessing.

No Brains No Tumor has the most punk sound of the three albums. The title tune and the cover of Tom Waits’ “Innocent When You Dream” are my two favorite tracks. Also interesting is the last track, a bonus live performance showing that 2227 must have been a very intriguing live band.

BI BI BI SABI appears to have been their last album and overall the most consistent and imaginative one. Lead songwriter and vocalist Macek seems more focused and the material seems tighter. There is also a more traditional hardcore rock trio sound on most tracks although there is some nice secondary use of violin and sax. This is the one that most punk and rock aficionados will enjoy. All three albums are a peek at a Eastern European rock scene that most of us were not familiar with until now.

All three albums are in 128kbps MP3.

Download
Stripcore
No Brains No Tumors
BI BI BI SABI

Xera’s free online album Lliendes is one of the most unique blends of Celtic and electronics I have heard. Traditional instruments such as bagpipes and violin soar over a dense electronic layer of beat and sounds. Xera manages to respect the Celtic tradition while adding a 21st century slant. I especially like “Elexia” which pits a violin against a increasingly tense percussive background. This also may be the first album on Free Albums Galore that features bagpipes but in a way that should win over ever the most fervent bagpipe hater. Also check out the epic sounding “Valdescabre” and the closing track “Trasmerna” which provides one of the few vocals on the album. This is a exhilarating effort.

The album in available from Jamendo in 192kbps MP3.

Download

Ail Fionn is a folk/traditional music duo consisting of Matthew on the saz and Inge on mandolin. For a good while Matthew and Inge were traveling musicians playing throughout Europe and The British Isles often with other local musicians or buskers. A number of their recordings documenting their in-the-field improvisations can be found at The Internet Archive’s Open Source collection. Five of the recordings span the years from 1995 to 2005. The Snailfriends albums are a collection of jams from various places and dates involving Ail Fionn and friends. These are casual on-the spot sessions. Ali Fionn plays primarily Welsh and Celtic music but all of Europe’s varied traditional musics tend to get blended in the mix. I’m not going to describe each album as they are pretty much similar except to say they are all worth a listen if you like Celtic music, instrumental traditional music, or folk. Do start with the Snailfriends collections and go from there. Ail Fionn belongs to a loose collective of musicians in Exeter, UK called Children of the Drone. So if you like the music, you might want to check out the web site and see what the other members are up to.

The albums are available in separate tracks or full album zip in either MP3 or Ogg Vorbis format.

Download
Sint-Niklaas, Samhain 1995
Cadamstown 1997
Sint-Niklaas, Spring 2001
Lodes, Autumn 2002
Les Hourquets, March 2005
Snailfriends 1
Snailfriends 2

Mike Link and Harvey Taylor have released their second album titled Beat Elementals continuing their successful blend of jazz and world music that was evidenced on their first album. Link’s keyboards and electronics still perfectly meld with Taylor’s cool trumpet style. Some of the tracks remind me a little of Bill Laswell’s world music hybrid. Aside from Link and Taylor’s usual impeccable playing they are joined by some excellent musicians, most noticeably the flute and vocals of Holly Haebig which can be heard to good effect on “Silver Swirl” and “PuraVeda”. “Room For All” has some intriguing didgeridoo work by Julio Pabon. Other fine tracks include “Angels of Mercy”, “Blue-Green Patina”, and “Sun Tour”. This is another exceptional album of jazz and world grooves from this Milwaukee-based jazz-fusion duo.

The album is available from Jamendo by the download link below in VBR MP3. If you enjoy the music support the artist by buying their CDs.

Download

The Sundayers from Madrid, Spain play reggae and ska with a decidedly Latin touch. This is good-time music best played on the beach or, at the very least, next to the pool with a sufficient supply of Red Stripe. “Eterno Domingo” is a nice track to get your feet moving while “Latin Jeta” is a sexy Spanish-Caribbean number that is custom made to suit your lazy Sunday. This six-track, 25 minute EP is a winner.

The album can be found on their Myspace page or be downloaded from Jamendo through the link below.

Download

I’m really excited about WMFU’s free music archive which will open in November. Anyone who has listened to the radio station or perused its blog has a good idea about how much great music must be hiding in their vaults. The new Selected Sounds From The Free Music Archives may be just a teaser to what we can expect. Since it is volume one, we might get a few more of these which is fine with me.

Volume one will more than do for now. The offerings are split between cuts from indie produced albums and tracks from live studio performances. The 21 tracks range from punk to experimental rock to world music. In other words, the album is as far-out as the radio station. Most of the artists are obscure so I hope the archive will provide more info on these musicians. It’s hard to pick favorites but Fursaxa’s eerie “Song of the Spindle Berry” sent shivers down my spine which continued with Nautical Almanac’s bizarre take on the children song “Rolling in The Green”. Of the live studio takes, I especially liked New Bomb Turks, Kinski and Citay’s somewhat Celtic “On The Wings”. Of the others, Lucky Dragon does a good job mixing cute with bizarre while Food For Animals w/ Faust provides the only hip-hop track of the anthology. This album will certainly hold you over until the full archive is unveiled in November. Thanks WFMU!

The album is available in separate tracks or a full album zip in varying MP3 bitrates.

Download

I’m afraid I’m going to have to plead ignorance when it comes to Russian bard music. As I understand it, Bard Music is sung poetry usually accompanied by a guitar. The lyrics are centered on Russian life or has potilical concerns. One of my readers was kind enough to point out these three free and legal albums by Ed Prizant, a young musician that stays in the tradition of this music. The web site is in Russian but with the help of the not-so-reliable Babelfish I’ve translated the album titles to Step From The Love (2007), Fire of The Large City (2004), and My Clownish Desire (2001). (Update: Mr. Prizant has replied and given me the corect title translations; One Step Away From Love, Big City Lights, and My Buffoon Majesty) These albums are difficult to review as the lyrics are so essential to this music and my Russian vocabulary is limited to “Vodka”. However I find Prizant’s voice quite expressive and have no trouble enjoying these very melodic songs despite the language barrier. Check out these three albums. You will not be disappointed.

Again we have albums available in lower than usual bitrate; 64kbps Mp3. However they still sound pretty good and shouldn’t distract too much from your enjoyment.

Download

Sea and Field is a French ensemble of six musicians specializing in Celtic music. While traditional in style there is a strong influence from the more rock-oriented purveyors of this music such as Pentangle and Fairport Convention. Nonetheless, traditional music fans will surely enjoy this self-titled album. The vocals are strong and the instrumentation of guitar, violin, accordion, bass and percussion remains enjoyable throughout. The opening “Les Livres” has a powerful vocal but I especially like “Le Phare”, the only totally instrumental track on the too brief 5-track, 19 minute EP.”Matelot” is also a favorite and shows off that strong rock influence I mentioned. “Casse Oreilles” and “Eglantine” round out this lively romp of traditional and not-so-traditional world music.

The album is available from Jamendo in VBR MP3.

Download

Jalikebba Kuyateh is a master of the kora and part of the strong tradition of Griots throughout West Africa. He currently performs at the Tanji Village Museum in Gambia where he entertains and educate visitors on the musical culture of The Gambia.

The good news is that Jalikebba & The Toubabs has a self titled album freely available on the internet that nicely displayed the various moods and colors of this exciting music. The band is an exhilarating mixture of the traditional and the contemporary. There is a tantalizing taste of Swedish folk music and Indian tablas thrown in but African traditional music is certainly the main attraction. Standout tracks include “Jaliyah”, “M.Samba”, and “Caira”. While indie rock and electronica remain the bulk of online free music, the real promise of internet music may be to introduce people to the vast variety of world music that has been out of the reach of most people until now. Jalikebba & The Toubabs is an excellent example of this.

The bad news is that the free online version of this album is available only in 56kbps MP3 but it is exciting enough to still recommend a listen. However the download page tells you how you can support the musicians by purchasing the higher quality sound CD. Take my advice and do it!

Download

Kosta Vomvolos is a Greek composer of primarily theater music. From his discography on his web site plus the free albums he has on Jamendo, it appears that he is quite prolific. His influences are ancient and traditional Greek music, classical, jazz and electronic. The nine albums I’ve chosen give a good retrospective of this eclectic composer.

Doxombus may be a good place to start. Written as a soundtrack for the film of the same name directed by Fotos Lambrinos, it relies heavily on Greek folk music and traditional instruments, yet strings play important roles in such tracks as “The Lake” and “Tension”. A four note descending phrase acts as the theme uniting these pieces. This is an interesting example of atmospheric movie music.

A number of his albums are written to accompany ancient Greek drama. Not surprisingly, ancient Greek music is a major influence in these works. Hecuba: Music for Euripides’ Tragedy features a chorus of 16 actresses accompanied by lute, double-bass and drums. The lack of the visual and a translation hinders a full understanding of the work but the interplay between the instruments and monotonic chanting is still quite interesting. Sophocles’ Tragedy: Women From Trachis is much better. Vocalist Elsa Mouratidou and 20 actresses are accompanied by cello, violin, electric guitar and drums in a beautiful theater piece. It is a nice blend of ancient, folk and modern. Euripides ION Actors Touring Company-London is the last of the three works written for ancient Greek drama and it’s my favorite. It is an exotic instrumental piece that works well on its own. Vomvolos has a knack for blending the traditional with the experimental.

Two albums represent music written to accompany later dramas. The Deer’s Curse is a Kurdish tale presented with 30 actors who sing, chant, whisper the traditional story. Again, it is interesting but probably harmed by the fact we get only the aural experience. Kandalis’ Wife fares much better. This is an instrumental work with strong traditional influences. Alternately meditative and percussive, it hold up the best of the previously mentioned albums as a separate composition.

Fake Nightmare is a total different kind of theater music. Written for the National Theater of Northern Greece, this is very modern using elements of jazz, rock, electronic music, European cabaret and, of course, Greek folk music to make a dense and complex musical tapestry. Like the other theater works it still has a mostly dark mood. This is a piece that holds well on its own with “Saturday” and “Funky Finally” being especially compelling.

On My Birthday I Caught a Train to Thessaloniki is a dance piece. It starts out on accordion like a minimalist Reich composition but then moves into rock, jazz and at times an industrial sound. I can’t quite see this as a dance piece but it certainly kept me interested.

Finally, Vomvolos presents a short string quartet of 15 minutes duration titled …And Juliet. As Vomvolos’ other albums tend to be sonorous and dramatic, …And Juliet is light and breezy. The six piece suite is quite classical in feeling but it makes use of a tango in the second track while “Right Walk” has a jazz melody over a striding bass line. This may be the most pleasing and accessible of the albums but all nine will give you a different and worthwhile musical experience.

All nine albums are available in VBR MP3 with an average bitrate of 192kbps MP3. If you enjoy the music, support the artist by buying his CDs.

Download
…And Juliet: String Quartet
Deer’s Curse
Doxombus
Fake nightmare
Hecuba: Music For Euripides’ Tradegy
Euripes ION Actors Touring Company: London
Kandavlis’ Wife
On My Birthday I Caught a Train To Thessaloniki
Sophocles Tragedy: Women From Trachis

Nonagenarian Jaimina Johnson’s odd and beautiful albums are hard to classify. Her accappella choruses are led by her almost child-like voice and incorporates world music, classical choir music, and jazz into gentle harmonic gems.

So Many Songs and So Little Time are part of a trilogy of albums, the third to be released in the future. Many of the songs are in Spanish and the influence of Spanish/Latin American traditional music is quite noticeable. (While she was born in England she spent a good part of her life in Puerto Rico). On So Many Songs, the opening “Uno Queriendo Ser Dos” is a fine example of this. In all of her choruses, Ms. Johnson harmonic progressions are sometimes awkward but, like her often wavering voice, still retains a lot of charm. Her repertoire is wide, going from the folk and traditional to liturgical choir pieces such as “Bogoroditse Dievo” to “All I ask of You”from The Phantom of The Opera to “When You Get Caught” which is best known as “Arthur’s Theme” by Christopher Cross. All track are brought together by Johnson’s voice and her unique arrangements. But the most impressive turn is her solo rendition of Elton John’s “A Song For You”. I hope I can sing that well at 90. Come to think of it, I can’t sing that well now.

So Little Time continues both the variety and unique style of her first album. Of the twelve tracks, I especially am fond of the beautifully arranged “Ave Maria Immaculata” and the jazzy (and live) Strollin’. The album ends with a light and breezy cover of Gilbert O’Sullivan’s “What’s in a Kiss”. Overall the vocal arrangements are much tighter, as are Ms. Johnson vocals, making this the better of the two albums. However, both albums make for a delightfully different experience. Some people might call this outsider music but I think it’s too accomplished for that moniker, I might prefer calling it “Aural Folk Art” or perhaps just good music.

Both albums are available from Jamendo in VBR MP3, around 192kbps.

Download
So Little Time
So Many Songs

Bryn Jones aka Muslimgauze was one of the more interesting underground techno artists of the 90s. Although he had never been to the Middle East and was not Islamic, he had a life long infatuation with the area, the culture and, in particular, the plight of the Palestinians. He created instrumental music using analog electronic equipment and Middle Eastern instruments that remains innovative. His life was cut short in 1999 but he left an surprisingly large output for such a young musician.

Wish of the Flayed is from a cassette of a one day session in June of 1996. It is the only known recording of that session. The owner of the tape, with the permission of the Soleilmoon record label that handles most of Muslimgauze recorded material, has placed it on the fan site Arabbox v1.0 as a free and legal download. This is music from the later years of his life when the sound has become very percussive and post-industrial. The Middle East sounds that make most of Muslimgauze’s music so unique is more in the background than usual, often drowned out by the unrelenting beat. A delightful exception to this is “Muta Safvid” where a female voice is accompanied by a strong bass pulse. While this is far from Musilimgauze’s best, it is still an intriguing recording and recommended to those who are already into the artist and those who enjoy noise/industrial music.

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

Download

While the acoustic duo Le Flore Acoustique may be French in origin, they seem to be closer at heart to Brazil. There is a nice Bossa Nova/Latin American thing going on their two free online albums available from Jamendo.

The first album, titled simply 2005, is a bit more world oriented. The opening “Destruction” has a Middle Eastern influence and the last track has a funky blues feel. However the second song titled “Gentil” goes straight into a nice Brazilian guitar riff and stays there. Flore Dupont’s sensuous voice floats over the beautifully arranged lines of guitar, woodwinds and background vocals. Alex Alber is the other half of this duo and both parties play a barrage of instruments including guitar, keyboard, bass, and percussion. It is the delicate use of wind instruments and vocal backings that add so much to this pretty album. Make sure you check out the cool soprano sax solo on “Plus Léger”.

2006 is just as good. In fact, maybe a little better. The Brazilian influence is most prominent beginning with the jaunty “Ou Pour Prochain”. Alex Albers is also more prominent in the vocal department which is a plus. Check out his solo on “Raisons”. Good arrangements continue to raise the bar on this splendid release. The last track “Dors!” is an dream of a song with a great Dupont vocal plus nice marimba and flute accompaniment, but it has an odd conclusion with a long break of silence and then an accappela solo that tentatively ends in a giggle. It is a flawed ending to an almost perfect album.

Both albums are available as separate tracks or full album zip in VBR MP3.

Download
2005
2006