Music

Snowstar Records Compilation

Snowstar Records is a Dutch indie label that has been releasing some of the best new bands in their part of the globe since 2003. Several bands that belong in the label's lineup include I am Oak , The Subhuman, The Secret Love Parade and Grapes of Grain, just to name a few. To celebrate their 15th release, the label decided to compile some of the best tracks from their roster into one great thank-you album for their fans and supporters. The Snowstar Records Compilation features 10 cool tracks that hint at indie, folk, rock and even instrumental music.

Sleeping Sky: Remind the Past

Acoustic folk pop duo that makes you want to grab your pillow or cuddle up to the nearest couch. Sleeping Sky is a German based folk duo comprised of Desiree on vocals and Corinna on guitars. The duo creates dreamy and relaxing acoustic pop that will surely make you melt. Remind the Past is the duo's third release.

Cloud: Elephant Era

There's not much you can find about Cloud online. The thing is, Cloud is actually the artist name for New Yorker, Tyler Taormina. He's an up and coming musician that creates wonderful and enchanting music simply by singing and playing drums & piano simultaneously. This talented, young singer may not be a big name yet, but just by listening to his debut record; he's definitely got something up his sleeve. The compilation is composed of 11 tracks that incorporate indie pop rock and a hint of 80s synth sound. The record easily captures raw emotions and fleeting circumstances. Perfect for quiet moments or times when you just want to take a breather from everything around you. This is a nice album that's worth looking into. Go ahead, take a listen and fall in love with this artists' sound.

Dilly Dilly: Of Art and Intention

The voice and face behind Dilly Dilly is actually Erin Olivia Davidson. This talented artist hails from Maine and is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist as well as vocalist. Of Art and Intention is the first full length compilation for the artist and comprises of weird instruments, indie pop beats and Dilly Dilly's ukulele. The sound is eclectic but happy; definitely perfect for a goofy and quirky day. Throughout her musical career, Erin has played in countless bands, both as a musician and collaborator. She released her EP, akidleadivy, and took up the moniker, Dilly Dilly. It was released somewhere between 2005-2006 after Erin's hiatus with her band Cerberus Shoal. Currently, Dilly Dilly has released this debut by experimenting with various instruments as well as using a MIDI. The result is a cute and fun album that's poised to be the soundtrack to plenty of happy times.

Big Blood: Dark Country Magic

Big Blood has had a rich history. They have released a total of 9 full albums in their career as a group. Their latest record, Dark Country Magic, compiles 12 amazing tracks that exude that wonderfully psychedelic yet vibrant atmosphere. The raw and DIY quality of the tracks are lovely and very engaging. It's certainly worth checking out. Big Blood is made up of Colleen Kinsella and Caleb Mulkerin, which are also from Cerberus Shoal and Fire on Fire. The duo perfectly creates tracks that exude a hauntingly folkish and ethereal vibe. It's certainly an album worthy of a place in your everyday playlist. Go ahead and help out the band by purchasing their album. It's available in CD and Vinyl formats. Alternatively, it's also offered as a free download here and FMA. Give it a go.

OpenCourseWare (OCW)

OpenCourseWare (OCW) is a term describing high quality university-level course materials in a virtual learning environment that are created and freely distributed around the world through the internet; available for use and adaptation under an open Creative Commons license. So if you want to learn something new form the best in the field but don't have the time to take classes or money for the rising tuition costs, OpenCourseWare might just be the answer.

Then: Happy Cloud

Then is a Macedonia duo that's heavily influenced by shoegaze rock greats, My Bloody Valentine, The Telescopes and The Jesus and the Mary Chain to name a few. The duo has so far, released two short compilations, 2008's Dreams, Tapes, Hopes & Razorblades and Happy Cloud. Both records are available for free download. This unique group's sound focuses on a lot of spacey sounding tracks mixed in with plenty of reverb, feedback as well as quiet, almost whispered, vocals. Happy Cloud contains 5 cuts that range from alternative rock to uptempo, almost dancy pop cuts.

International Music Score Library Project

It could just be the largest virtual library of public domain music scores, or at least the largest one I have ever stumbled upon. The International Music Score Library Project, also known as the Petrucci Music Library after Ottaviano Petrucci (credited with producing the first book of sheet music in 1501), holds over 83,000 scores with 1,500 recordings for over 33,000 works of over 4,700 composers. So if you u need some music scores, want to learn more about different time periods in music history and its composers, or simply want to download some of the greatest compositions, this site is a gem. And beginning January 22 of 2011 it also started to support video recordings.

Poppy No Good and the Phantom Band: Poppy No Good

Finding out more about this group is tough. For one, most of their descriptions are in French and I don't speak the language, but nevertheless, their music is interesting enough to merit a listen. Poppy No Good is an eclectic 5 piece crew that love to blend unusual instruments, vocal work and an overall weird alternative, pop rock vibe. This is the group's latest release and it's filled with psychedelic good vibes. The group's name was actually derived from a song by Terry Riley. This record was released back in 2008 yet it still sounds up to date, much like any current Brit indie rock group floating in Wonderland. Give these a listen.