Free iTunes Downloads

“My Roots Are Showing” is a rip-roaring cut from Canadian country singer Crystal Shawanda. The song is a far cry from the mannered country pop that makes headlines - this cut is a heavy rocker in the vein of Gretchen Wilson with a touch of the Charlie Daniels Band. The song is taken from Shawanda’s debut, Dawn of a New Day.

This Tennessee-based trio takes the name 33Miles out of deference for the life of Jesus, who is said to have lived just 33 years. Making the most of our time on earth is a thought the runs through this track from the group’s self-titled debut. “One Life to Love” carries a country twang underneath the gospel and classic rock aspirations.

This Australian trio play a fiery, type of blues-inspired roots music that makes the whole genre feel as lively as it did oh-so-many years ago back at the crossroads. “You Gotta Go” is a bottle-neck slide-fueld groover taken from their self-titled album. If you like this song, check out the the full-length album.

Kick back, snack on some chips, and soak in the sunny vibe. Newcomer Little Jackie plays corner reporter on “The Stoop,” relaying big-city buzz from the steps of a Brooklyn brownstone. Imani Coppola is responsible for the free-flowing pop/R&B vocals, while beatsmith Adam Pallin takes credit for the production — a bouncy Motown-style rhythm spiked with horns and keys. File somewhere between Amy Winehouse and Lauryn Hill.

Brooke Waggoner has spent most of her young life learning to compose, perform, and orchestrate classical music. This track from her debut full-length, Heal for the Honey is most definitely a pop song, but you cannot deny the influence her training has put into her ornate music. Driven by her fluttering notes, the song is flowery, but smart, expressive, and soulful.

More information for this free itunes download »

When a band lists its influences as “sun, moon, air, water,” you can be sure you’re dealing with either a group of New Age healers or heavy, heavy rockers. In this case, we’re dealing with the latter. This Connecticut trio pounds out primordial sludge of the highest order. “Slow and low, that is the tempo,” as another trio once put it. Low-slung bass dirges, grooving but barely moving Black Sabbath riffs of epic proportions, and Joey Maddalena’s wastrel-like vocals combine into one monstrous package that will make you want to get in the van, pack up your BMX bikes, and drive straight into the sun. If you like the track, check out the album.

Emmy-winning sound designer Russell Brower teams with an Australian-based symphony to create this haunting overture for video game Diablo III. The piece starts with primal, ephemeral vocals that give way to theatrical string stabs. The tension builds and dissipates throughout the overture until evaporating, leaving listeners longing for more.

Too bad that the Lost Trailers’ “Holler Back” wasn’t released a few months earlier. Otherwise, it very well could have been a strong dark horse for single of the summer. Opening with sassy fiddle and a humorous spoken word verse, this modern country gem builds up to a chorus featuring not only a tight backing vocalist but call and response shouts. So give “Holler Back” a listen and extend your summer — at least in spirit!

Carrie Rodriguez is a classically trained violinist who studied at the Berklee School of Music and made a name for herself as an earthy, passionate songwriter in the musician-friendly Austin, Texas. “Infinite Night” is a track from her second album, She Ain’t Me and it’s a murky bit of countrified, roots-y soul music with Rodriguez shining succinctly as a vocalist.

More information for this free itunes download »

Kicking off with a crystal clear piano melody and then layering that with a warm twang and a tight rock backing band, Katie Armiger’s bright-eyed vocals sound right at home on this track from her album Believe. Armiger is a teenage singer from Sugar Land, Texas, whose voice has a straightforward crossover quality that is not unlike those who have blazed this trail before, such as Shania Twain and Faith Hill.