8.29.2009

The Score: Best Free Downloads This Week

1. Has to be the taper bootleg of Nine Inch Nails at Terminal 5 this past week, in what is supposedly the final NIN show ever. It's a damn good set. Peter Murphy of Bauhaus joins Reznor on stage and to end the set, and possibly the life of NIN, they cover Pere Ubu's "The Final Solution." Pretty awesome. RIP NIN.

2. South African masterminds Blk Jks did a Daytrotter session last week with a few previews of what you can expect to hear on their debut LP After Robots. It's easy to expect great things after their high-energy debut splash Mystery EP. The Daytrotter session gives some credence to my suspicions that After Robots is going to be great.

3. The Rural Alberta Advantage did a special session at Luxury Wafers, performing some slightly stripped down versions of tracks from their great new disc Hometowns. The band have endlessly been compared to Neutral Milk Hotel, a somewhat just comparison as vocalist Nils Edenloff bears some striking similarities to Jeff Magnum's nasal belt. Yet, TRAA have something special in their orchestrations, a reserved quietude, that make each song epic and enjoyable in their own way.

4. Empty's Tapes posted a recording of Vampire Hands performing at The Turf Club in St. Paul for their "Hannah in the Mansion" CD Release Show. The recording isn't crystal clear, but Vampire Hands are so great that it doesn't even bother me.

5. This past week The Antlers had a CD release event in NYC at The Mercury Lounge to celebrate the re-release of their great new disc Hospice, which was just re-released through Frenchkiss Records. Download this, then buy Hospice, and thank me later.

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