Recession, depression, demonic possession — whatever you call it, it spells bad news for an already floundering music industry. Lucky for us, other models are starting to emerge, ones that are pretty easy on the pocket. In our inaugural Depression Special, we canvass the internet for five records that, in addition to being totally up to snuff, are available for free, legal download. Get your e-bindles ready for what we’ve found for you after the jump: downloading free music is totally the ’09 equivalent of riding the rails.
Amazing Baby – Infinite Fucking Cross Featuring ex-members of Stylophone, Lions & Tigers, Nebula, and the Heavy Hands, NYC-bred rockers Amazing Baby drench their atmospheric rockers in ’70s-style theatricality, simultaneously courting the sound of old-school sliders like Bowie and new-school no-goodniks like MGMT.Preview| Download the Record
Various Artists – Ghostly Swim In this adult Swim/ Ghostly International collab, upstart elctro-indikins School of Seven Bells drop tunes next to the likes of Matthew Dear and FLYamSAM (a collab bewteen Flying Lotus and SAMIYAM). Avant-leaning electro has never sound so damn dancable. Preview| Download the Record
Matt Pond PA – The Freeep Never the slouch, long-running indie institution Matt Pond PA ushered out 2008 with an free, album-length EP. The band’s mid-tempo output remains as endearing as ever, precious Americana-tinged pop entrenched in earnest lyrics and and even more earnest riffage. Preview | Download the Record
The Static – Audio Art Supplement 1979 In between fronting No Wave legends Theoretical Girls and composing his landmark guitar symphonies, legendary guitarist Glenn Branca clipped feedback as a member of avant-punk act the Static. This Ubuweb-unearthed in-studio session is enough to make any Sonic Youth go gaga. Preview| Download the Record
Dooey Decibel – Adult Sleepover As Dooey Decibel, illustrator/video artist/laptopper Chirs Smith mashes Casio-style electronics with bright, resonant breakbeats and toy-shop harmonics. On Adult Sleepover, the uplifting result is a series of buoyant, modestly rendered bedroom bangers. Preview| Download the Record
Know about an album we should feature in next week’s Depression Special? Send us an email here and we’ll give it a spin.