Bummed because you didn't make it to SXSW? Well, just because you missed out on the fun in Austin doesn't mean you have to miss out on some of the music that was performed during the festival with free downloads from a few of the local artists who were at SXSW and a compilation of non-locals courtesy Spin magazine.
Sportn' Life Records most animated rapper, Spaceman, released his Greetings Earthlings mixtape last week and you can get it for free by clicking here.
The mixtape features some production by Jake One and guest spots by Grynch, J Pincer, Fatal Lucciauno, Brainstorm of Dyme Def and more. To my knowledge this is the first collection of recorded Spaceman material and it is is a precursor to a full-length Spaceman record. Admittedly my knowledge of Spaceman is pretty limited so I could be wrong about Spaceman's recorded output. However, word on the street is that Spence from The Saturday Knights is working on an official Spaceman full-length album. No, literally it is the word on the street because I heard it from Spence when I ran into him on the street.
Grynch, a.k.a. the pride of Ballard, should be a familiar name to Ear Candy readers. Like most of Seattle's music community, he became a temporary Austin resident last week when he performed multiple sets, including a spot at the Billboard showcase, last week. He dropped his Rapping About Rapping mixtape last Monday.
The title is a tongue-in-cheek nod to the biggest criticism he used to receive, which is that he only raps about rapping. It includes production by some of Seattle's finest including MTK, P Smoov and Jake One. You can download it by clicking here. Oh, and on a proud and congratulatory note the album artwork is a photo shot by Ear Candy contributor Alex Crick.
This week's Music Monday brings you two free albums from local artists.
First up is a record by the biggest (literally) rapper in Seattle, Billy the Fridge.You might not have heard of Billy or ever listened to his music, but chances are once you hear the Top Pot Champion and his larger-than-life rap persona you'll likely remember Billy the Fridge for a while. You can download his album Million Dollar Fantasy Freak Show for free by clicking here. The entire record is a fun listen but I recommend checking out the Star Wars spoof "A New Hope" and "Lusty Lady," which is about Seattle's favorite peep-show spot.
The husband-wife duo of Mark and Andrea Heimer, aka No-Fi Soul Rebellion, are known for their active live shows and what better way to document their dance-friendly rock shows than with a live album? That's just what the group did in 2006 with the release of Afterglow. You can download the record here for free to whet your appetite for the excitement and spontaneity of the experience that is No-Fi in concert. Speaking of No-Fi and their "soul system," I'm pleased to report the next time the Bellingham couple will be performing in the Emerald City will be at Nectar Lounge March 14 for the second night of Ear Candy's Birthday Bash 2010. More details on that show to come soon, for now download Afterglow and start memorizing the tunes and working on your dance moves.
Everybody's favorite jokester rock trio, The Presidents of the United States of America, released a free track on their Web site today called "Rooftops in Spain." You can get the download by submitting your e-mail address to the widget below and be sure to check out their shows at Showbox at the Market Friday and Saturday nights.
Mashups have been quite the rage ever since Dangermouse got a little Jay-Z in his Beatles with the wonderful Grey Album (The White Album mixed with Jay-Z's Black Album) back in 2004. Actually, they were en vogue quite a while before that with artists like Z Trip mixing together artists and genres, but the Grey Album was definitely a landmark for the genre.
Today for Music Monday I recommend listening to another mashup involving the Beatles. This time it's the Beatles and Wu-Tang Clan that are jumbled together and the results are a bit mixed. Check out the mixing of the ODB classic "Got Your Money" with "You Never Give Me Your Money." You can download the entire Wu Tang vs The Beatles album, which is titled Enter the Magical Mystery Chambers, for free by clicking here. And while you're at it, go download the Grey album too. It's free and it's a masterpiece. Also, it's far superior to Enter the Magical Mystery Chambers.
Sportn' Life Records most animated rapper, 
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