Pop

Backstreet Boys, Christina Aguilera, Destiny’s Child, Elton John

Dead Bugs: Magical Animals

This lo-fi acoustic record is a compilation of some of the best songs by Dead Bugs. Magical Animals is a dreamy, folk record that is both moody and very relaxing. The songs were carefully chosen from the artists entire musical history and compiled in one great record by Italian indie netlabel, KillMommyRecords. This New Jersey artists offers some of the most melodic, acoustic folk you'll hear. It's topped off with his really endearing vocals, making you just want to cuddle and listen. If you adore indie folk, then you'll simply have a place in your heart for this singer. Give this one a download.

Learining Music: An End Like This

Learning Music Monthly came to life three years ago as a collaboration between LA based musician John Wood and a CC-friendly label Vosotros. The premise of the project was simple, yet unlike anything else that was done previously; each month John Wood would write, record, and master an album which would be than released as a part of a subscription service, a free digital download, or a $60 package that included the handmade album (including everything from bonus albums, stickers, and personalized birthday songs) to be delivered to your door. And now, after 36 albums and the amazing third season that marked the end of the project, Vosotros released equally great and free compilation featuring some of the best songs of those past 3 years.

Las Canciones de Maru y Roman (Voy a Explotar Soundtrack)

Las Canciones de Maru y Roman is the soundtrack to the Mexican film Voy a Explotar; roughly translated as "I'm Gonna Explode!" The film tackles the story of Roman and Maru, two angry teens who decide to go on an adventure while making a pact to remain with each other at all times. The actual soundtrack which included music from the film, was initially geared for a commercial release, however, this didn't pan out. This current album is a compilation of 22 tracks handpicked by Carlos Reyes, the person behind Latin blog Club Fonograma. It is now the official soundtrack for the film and is offered absolutely free. Like the film, the record is an explosive combination of music genres, moods and instruments. Definitely a perfect accompaniment to this coming-of-age film.

Viola: Anything Can Stop Us

Viola is a Finnish electronic duo that knows how to create some fun, 80s infused dance pop electronica sound. On their website, they describe themselves as "Two guys influenced by beautiful heartfelt music, ass-shaking beats, sub-par humor and hidden messages." Indeed, they do create some fancy, danceable beats that make you want to gyrate your way down the dancefloor. There's also a nice blend of vocal work, instruments and electronic beats intertwined in this album. The record is the group's second album and the "first as an electronic duo." From the looks of things, it seems they might want to stick to this electronic sound for some time. Grab the download right now.

Sweet Mother Logic

Sweet Mother Logic is an experimental indie instrumental quartet hailing from Montreal. The crew is made up of Justin Wright, Eric Kaplin, Jack D. Kelly and Adrian Aitken. Their instrumental sound leaps across genres creating a rich combination of instruments and sounds. With this self-titled album they explore the fields generating, pop, rock, electronic, ambient (even a hint of dance) in the thick layers of their music. So far, the group has been around for four years, creating a sound that is unique, intriguing and certainly entertaining. Give their album a go and check out their previous EP as well.

Phrenia

Phrenia is a Japanese pop singer that has recently made her debut EP available for free download on Jamendo. It's under a creative commons license and one of the few compilations from a Japanese artist straight pop lovers can enjoy. The album is filled with five electronic dance pop tracks that reminds me of those wonderful Japanese anime soundtracks. Phrenia has actually released a previous single on Jamendo as well, titled Yami No Conduct. Compared to her first release, this self-titled debut features tracks with a less prominent rock flair; instead it's mostly all pop. Nevertheless, it's still very enjoyable if you adore J-pop. Grab the download.

Mercury in Summer: I Believe

Before anything else, Mercury in Summer is definitely a pop group (at least for me.) They create pop music that makes me think of The Click Five. Don't expect to hear rock and roll here. Although you might expect a mix of certain genres, they dominantly sing power pop rock tunes. Now that that's out of the way, the group's record, I Believe, is actually quite good. The production values are really professional and no doubt these guys are quite talented. Made up of Brian Jones - Bass/Vocals, Richard Wynne - Guitar/Vocals and Brendan McCusker - Drums/Vocals; these DC natives create energy filled, high quality pop music that is catchy and infused with wonderful melodies. This is the group's first compilation and it seems they found their niche. It's a cool record to check out.

Bullets In Madison – We Became Your Family When You Died

Elements of ambient, shoe gaze, post rock, and indie pop music make We Became Your Family When You Died by Chicago based dream pop/shoe gaze collective Bullets In Madison, one of the most ambitious albums your are likely to listen to. These songs are 4 to 7 minutes long but the indie pop narratives make them seem to go by much quicker.  In post rock and ambient music the emotion as all important, and this album has that in spades with a shimmering wave of strings, percussion and guitar accents that sound wistful.

TenPenny Joke: Ambush On All Sides

‘TenPenny Joke’ are a Pop Rock band from Australia and prior to their current hiatus, the band had been playing and writing for over ten years. On top of this achievement, the band has been played regularly on Australian radio and has even appeared on television a number of times. The album ‘Ambush on All Sides’ brings a quality that can be expected from 10 years of experience and its mainstream style reveals an attempt to connect with a larger audience. In regards to this album, ‘TenPenny Joke’ have promised ‘15 original, killer tracks with diverse shades and roaring guitars’ and its success on both internet polls and radio shows suggests that this is a fair call.