The Score: Best Free Downloads This Week

1. NYC Taper posted a recording of Iron & Wine’s May 18, 2009 set at Abrons Arts Center. It was a solo set from Sam Beam that was widely reviewed as a beautiful intimate evening. The posting of this show was delayed because Iron & Wine sold the show (at a slightly higher quality) over at Played Last Night (it’s still available, and it’s a pretty great site to pick up some live recordings at). This is a fantastic show though.

2. The Bowerbirds have just released their newest album Upper Air (which I’m officially recommending right now), but this week they released a Daytrotter Session that’s pretty fantastic. Three of the four tracks are features of Upper Air and then there is a gem from Hymns for a Dark Horse as well.

3. Brooklyn’s A Brief Smile has posted three EPs on Amie Street for free. Their music is an odd combination of rock-n-roll aesthetics, thick keys, poppy hooks, and ambient washes carrying it all. It’s some beautiful stuff.

4. Victory Rose Music posted a nice recording of some toned down sets from Sigur Ros in preparation for the release of their CD/DVD Heima. With sets this good it doesn’t matter if this was recorded in 2007…

5. This is all absolutely new, but tomorrow’s list is going to include a large smattering of free download’s from Amazon’s MP3 store, and I thought this one was particularly appropriate today. It’s the 2009 Saddle Creek Records Sampler. Lots of great stuff on this disc, which will remind you that though Saddle Creek isn’t the focus of the indie community any more, they haven’t lost their touch (you should hear the Rural Alberta Advantage album that they re-released last week). Included here: two tracks from the most recent Cursive album, Neva Dinova, Land of Talk, Son, Ambulance, Beep Beep and many more.