The Score: The Best Free Downloads This Week

1. NYC Taper posted recording of a recent Tortoise performance in New York at (le) Poisson Rouge. It’s a pretty solid recording, but even the worst hiccups are worth it for what was a pretty stellar set. The set opens with “Prepare Your Coffin” from their new disc Beacons of Ancestorship, which might be my favorite post-rock song of the year thus far.

2. Not sure why I haven’t posted this yet. Stereogum collected some great artists to pay homage to Bjork’s Post. The album, titled Enjoyed, features artists such as Atlas Sound, Dirty Projectors, El Guincho, High Places, No Age, Liars, Xiu Xiu, and Pattern is Movement covering the entirety of Post. Damn good, especially Bell’s rendition of “It’s Oh So Quiet.”

3. Cymbals Eat Guitars did a set on (now) Austin’s WOXY which includes a brand new track that has yet to be released anywhere else.

4. Built to Spill has a live show up at NYC Taper. They performed at Maxwells on July 19th. This recording is straight from the sound board, so the quality is pretty damn good. Built to Spill aren’t necessarily the best live act around, but they’ve got such a great array of songs now that it’s hard not to enjoy this.

5. A band I’ve only recently heard for the first time, Miracles of Modern Science, played a set on July 16th at Pianos that is up online. The quality won’t make you poop, but it doesn’t matter. These guys are great, and have an interesting set up as a band that rocks pretty hard with cello, violin, upright bass, mandolin, and drums.

Photo of Tortoise by Nick at Live of the Mind

We hope you enjoy the free downloads as a way to get to know bands you haven’t heard before, or as some rare works by your favorites. But please support these groups by buying their albums and seeing their shows.