It’s Friday, and we’re back with another installment of our regular roundup of downloadable MP3 goodness from around the web. This week there’s new work from Guided by Voices, Marissa Nadler, and 2:54, along with Pond working their magic on an old Motown track, the return of awesome Australian ambient psych duo Children of the Wave, a couple of remixes, and an entire version of Chromatics’ “Kill For Love” (sans drums). In other words, there’s plenty of interesting sounds awaiting you after the jump, and since they won’t cost a penny or land you an RIAA lawsuit, as your attorneys we advise you to start downloading immediately.
Guided by Voices — “Class Clown Spots a UFO” A new Robert Pollard song is like a sunrise — it happens regularly, and it’s not entirely unexpected, but it’s welcome nonetheless. We’re still always happy to hear something fresh from rock ‘n’ roll’s most prolific songwriter, and this is the lead track from the album of the same name, which is out next month — you can grab it for download via Prefix.
Marissa Nadler — “Apostle” If, like us, you’ve had, um, a challenging week, and you’re in the market for a bit of Friday afternoon melancholy, then this gorgeous new track from Marissa Nadler might be just the ticket. There’s a real echo of Mazzy Star about this, for some reason, perhaps because of the layers of subtle reverb on Nadler’s vocals, or perhaps just because of the abiding air of sadness that hangs over the track. Either way, get the song here.
2:54 — “The March” In a not entirely dissimilar vein is this new track from 2:54, which we’ve been cranking all afternoon. It shares a similar atmosphere to “Apostle,” although it’s definitely more upbeat and furnished with a much more fleshed-out arrangement. But again, if you’re after some reflective Friday afternoon tunes, then this is definitely worth downloading — click here to do so.
Pond — “Tears of a Clown” Tame Impala offshoots Pond bring the fuzz with this hazy, loose reinterpretation of the old Motown standard. It works a treat, as far as we’re concerned — but then again, pretty much anything Tame Impala touches turns to gold. Get it via Stereogum.
RØSENKØPF — “Light the Way” We are all for anything on most excellent NYC label Wierd, and we’ve been enjoying what we’ve heard so far of their newest signing, local trio RØSENKØPF. We are also all for tracks with long intros, which is why we’re perfectly OK with the fact that it takes three minutes of thunderous Heart of Darkness percussion for any hint of a vocal to appear. The track’s available via Pitchfork.
Saint Etienne — “I’ve Got Your Music” (Golden Filter remix) And now, a couple of remixes — this is Golden Filter’s extended take on one of the tracks from Brit indie survivors Saint Etienne’s new record Words and Music by Saint Etienne, which is out in a couple of weeks’ time. Although it’s only six minutes long, this plays out like a classic 12″ remix, separating the song into component parts and introducing them in a leisurely, unhurried manner, so that they only really all come together at the end of the track. Get it here.
The Very Best — “Yoshua Alikuti” (Nadastrom remix) Meanwhile, we loved The Very Best’s 2009 album Warm Heart of Africa, and we’re very much looking forward to hearing the trio’s follow-up to that record — it’s called MTMTMK, and features collaborations with Baaba Maal and K’naan, among others. Neither of those two feature on this song, but still, it’s interesting listening — get it from The Fader.
Children of the Wave — “I Defy” Hey, y’know what? There are other musicians in Australia apart from Gotye! Like thoroughly lovely Melbourne duo Children of the Wave, who make beautiful immersive psychedelic music that utilizes a bewildering array of instrumentation. Their debut album Carapace was one of the great pleasures of 2008, and the band are back with a new record this year. “I Defy” is the first taste — it’s available for free download via Soundcloud.
Beige — “Powerball” If you’re after something a little more… energetic, this sounds kinda like a video game soundtrack being dosed with some nasty street drugs. It’s the newest track from Brooklyn duo Beige, and it’s available via Ad Hoc, the excellent new blog from the founders of Altered Zones.
Chromatics — Kill for Love (drumless version) And finally, the ever-benevolent Johnny Jewel has been back on the web this week, posting a drum-free mix of the entire new Chromatics album for free download. Yay! Get it via this Sendspace link.