Lots of free mp3 for your weekend

Free mp3 Friday! All of these are free and legal downloads, courtesy of Green Light Go.

Echo Orbiter, From "Euphonicmontage" Release Date: September 28, 2010
“Mouth of an Incomplete Twin”
“This Worm In Rigor Mortis”
Genre: Experimental
For fans of: Elephant 6, Elf Power

Alan Cohen Experience, From "Space & Time" due out August 31, 2010 (reviewed here).
“Arrows of Time”
“The Uncertainty Principle”
“Einstein”
Genre: Anti-folk/power pop
For fans of: Adam Green, Jeffrey Lewis

Sara Radle, From "Four" Release Date: September 14, 2010 (reviewed here)
“Song for Adam”
Genre: Powerpop
For fans of: Jenny Lewis, Regina Spektor, Dum Dum Girls

Neil Nathan, From "The Distance Calls" Release Date: August 24, 2010 (reviewed here)
“California Run” http://www.greenlightgopublicity.com/clients/content/neilnathan/audio/California_Run.mp3
“Highways” http://www.greenlightgopublicity.com/clients/content/neilnathan/audio/Highways.mp3
Genre: Powerpop
For fans of: Matthew Sweet, Cat Stevens, The Go, Marc Bolan

Neutral Uke Hotel“King of Carrot Flowers Pt. 1” (Neutral Milk Hotel Cover)
Genre: Indie rock, Cover song
For fans of: Neutral Milk Hotel

The White Ravens, From "Gargoyles and Weather Vanes" due out July 6, 2010
“Sparks”
“Tick Tock”
Genre: Garage rock
For fans of: The White Stripes, Fiery Furnaces

Gwyneth & Monko, From "Good Old Horse" due out July 20, 2010
“Good Old Horse”
“Lexington Ballad”
Genre: Americana/Folk
For fans of: Jenny Lewis, Gillian Welch

Leopold and His Fiction, From the upcoming album TBA
“Golden Friends”
Genre: Garage folk
For fans of: The Black Keys, Kings of Leon, Heartless Bastards

Review: Alan Cohen Experience "Space and Time"

If anyone can turn Stephen Hawking's bestselling book, "A Brief History of Time", into a musical opus, it is Alan Cohen. Undertaking a project as innovative as this could only be pulled off by one of pop's most offbeat artists. Each song on "Space and Time" was inspired by a chapter in Hawking's masterpiece - this even includes quotes from JFK and Hawking himself as an introduction and conclusion, respectively. Highlights include the catchy "Uncertainty Principle", the hauntingly infectious ballad "Black Hole", and the charming lullaby "Dreaming".

Alan Cohen, a genuine one-man band, is by far and away one of the most original artists out there today. And when I say out there, I mean "out there" - otherworldly! Putting on a record by the Alan Cohen Experience is always an adventure and "Space and Time" is no exception. But "Space and Time" does more, reminding us of our Physics 101 with songs revolving around Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle, Einstein's Theory of Relativity, and the complex inner-workings of the atom. You can't help but to walk away from "Space and Time" without a feeling of humility and a deeper appreciation of the vast unknown that lies beyond our naked eye universe.

Alan Cohen Experience has released a remarkably fresh album that dares to be different but strives to remain musically accessible. "Space and Time" should be adored by physicists just as quirky as Alan Cohen, but is it anything more than a space oddity to the rest of us? Only time will tell...

Alan Cohen Experience on MySpace. Official site.

Here are two free mp3s for your listening pleasure:

Review: Alan Cohen Experience "Eat the Peace" [EP]

Not long ago we reviewed the self-titled EP from notable eclectic pop artist, Alan Cohen (review here). The guy and his mighty 'Orchestra of Personality' have been busy as we've already received the new forthcoming EP, "Eat the Peace", set for release on Election Day (November 3). "Eat the Peace" includes six songs that examine the cycles between war and peace.

For the uninitiated, Alan Cohen Experience (ACE) has a reputation for recording some pretty far out and offbeat stuff, venturing into Frank Zappa territory, but sounding refreshingly unique to my ears. The bizarre lyrics and arrangements made the previous EP intriguing and, well, an 'experience' alright. Comparatively speaking, "Eat the Peace" sounds subdued and calm, almost to the point where it sounds like ACE is running out of energy. Alan Cohen Experience comes up a bit short in the hook department, but on the last EP they made up for that with providing an energetic and wildly dynamic set of tunes. I'm not feeling that on this latest effort. This time out, they use a more straight-forward Southern rock sound to tell a different story for each song.

The noteworthy track that I enjoy most is "Peace", where supporting vocals from Catherine Pierce (The Pierces) really shine (she contributes to "Ranger Stranger" and "Truck Driver" as well).

iPOD-worthy: 5

Note you can grab a couple tracks for free at their official web site - go check them out for yourself!

Alan Cohen Experience on MySpace. Official site.

Review: Alan Cohen Experience "Alan Cohen Experience" [EP]

Um, OK. I'm thrown for a loop right from the get-go: "All's quiet on the waterfront, it's just me and my elephant." I can't tell you how many times I wish I had a song to play when my elephant and I are in proximity to peaceful waters.

This is the kind of experience you are in for when you listen to this unusual EP from Alan Cohen. An eccentric collection of six intriguing tracks will grab your attention if anything else. Its unorthodox tendencies aside, the production is top-notch, brimming with lush orchestration, crisp guitars, and interesting sound effects. In addition, many of these tunes have a wonderfully infectious chorus that is centered in more familiar musical terrain. In a way, each one of these melodic choruses is like an oasis in a song that is otherwise boldly atypical.

Alan Cohen Experience is not the most common thing I'd order off my music menu, but it gets high marks for being engagingly different. This is one I'd recommend for fans of Frank Zappa, Cake, and other pioneers of eclectic pop. If you are looking for something out of the ordinary but still catchy and expertly performed, look no further than Alan Cohen Experience.

Perhaps as an extension of the track "Space Watch", Alan Cohen is currently working on his next concept album, inspired by Stephen Hawking's "A Brief History of Time". Watch this 'space' to find out if it is a big bang or black hole!

iPOD-worthy: 2, 3

Alan Cohen Experience on MySpace. Official site.