O How the Mighty Have Fallen

I've been a fan of the Choir since 86 and out of the 18 albums I have O How the Mighty Have Fallen is one of their best.  It has their all time most sublime song: Mercy Will Prevail. It deeply embraces doubt and pain:

I wanna swear it's true but it's hard to defend it
I know it comes from You and I don't comprehend it
Love never fails
Mercy will prevail
I wanna swear it's true but it's hard to defend it

In the chill of a cruel word
In the nest of a wounded bird
In the shadow of doubt
In the smoke
In the smoke of a torch blown out

The final line of the song puts that raw pain and doubt into the context of incarnational faith in way that is simply stunning.  Best to listen to the song via the Noise Trade Widget embeded above, but reading the full lyrics works too.

I highly recommend giving them your email & postal code and downloading the album.

- Peace

Two Long Surrender Reviews with MP3s

Direct Current has an announcement/review of Over the Rhine's new album the Long Surrender with the King Knows How MP3 for download. They also have wonderful pictures of Linford and Karin. Would love to know who took the pictures.

The Ruckus has a review.  Took me moment to realize 2/8 was the official release date not their rating.  From the Ruckus you can download Oh Yeah By The Way. I just want to amen the conclusion of the review:

This is, for me, the kind of album that you'll want to just sit by yourself in a quiet room and listen to for the first time, no distractions, just absorbing the different layers of instruments and the supremely well-written lyrics. Or, you know, in a room full of people you love that love music even when it isn't coming from the newest musical act.

I fell in love with OtR after hearing Born on a Paste Sampler back in 2005. So grab the MP3s but be warned OtR is a band you can fall in love with.

- Peace

Enjoying Matthew Perryman Jones's Free Sampler Olio

Update:

You can could listen to the full Matthew Perryman Jones's sampler or download if you're were willing to give up your email and postal code. But the sampler is no longer available.

- Peace

Free New MP3 from the Decemberists

The Decemberists are giving away a copy of Down By the Water, a track from their new album, in exchange for your email address. The track is worth hearing.

- Peace

Free Music from Asthmatic Kitty

The Asthmatic Kitty Digital Sampler, October 2010 is out. You can listen online or download as a set of MP3s. Asthmatic Kitty is home to such artists as Sufjan Steven's and a bunch of really cool artists you've probably never heard of :)

- Peace

Two Free Sufjan Stevens MP3s

Sufjan Stevens is giving away to free MP3s from his upcoming album the Age of Adz.  I'm enjoying them, but doubt it will be the hit that Come On Feel the Illinoise was.  Far more experimental.  

- Peace

Hope for a Tree Cut Down

Not sure where I found it, but I'm enjoying Hope for a Tree Cut Down a free Album in MP3 format from the folks at Church of the Beloved. BTW I'm not a fan of most "worship" music. This one reminds me of The Choir and friend's excellent At the Foot of the Cross.

- Peace

Free Alt Christmas Music MP3s

Sounds Familyre a record label that includes Sufjan Stevens, Wovenhand and Half-handed Cloud released a A Familyre Christmas Vol 1 for 2007. I just found it. For 2008 they are releasing a track a day between yesterday and Christmas that will be Vol 2. Put some Alt folk in your Christmas listening this year!

- Peace

Radical Orthodoxy on Ideas Podcast

Ideas description

The modern world seems bent on its own destruction. A theological
movement called "Radical Orthodoxy" believes it has uncovered the
roots of the modern mistake. David Cayley talks to the movement's
founders and leading writers, John Milbank and Catherine Pickstock.

post cast: http://podcast.cbc.ca/mp3/ideas_20070604_2421.mp3
btw they only leave these up for four weeks so get it while its hot :)

- Peace

Great Lake Swimmers

Paste and Melissa have turned me onto Great Lake Swimmers a Canadian folk out fit. GLS is giving away two free MP3's from there new Album Ongiara. Just click download at the bottom of the player. Paste gave Ongiara 4.5/5 so you know it's good :) From the review:

Tony Dekker, Erik Arnesen and Colin Huebert create folksy compositions that will likely prompt the label “Americana,” but it seems more accurate to call this starkly evocative and melodically melancholic album “Canadiana.”

- Peace

Copy MP3s from your IPOD

You can move music onto your ipod with iTunes, but what if you want to move those files from the ipod to another PC? The easy part is well documented on the web, enable files , show hidden folders in Windows Explorer copy files from ipod/control/music to your PC. But now what? The folders have random names as do the MP3s. That's where Mp3tag comes in, you point it to the root of where you copied the files to and tell it to rename the files from the tag name and now you have meaningful file names. Use file explorer to search for all the songs by say U2 in the random file folders and copy them to one place and do what ever you'd do with them on your second PC!

- Peace

Paris Is On (Jason Forrest Remix) by Paul Brill

Paris Is On by Paul Brill was on the Paste Sampler for Issue 28,and I quite liked it. You can download the original version and two remixes from Indie Kazoo and read the Paste Review of Harpooner, Paul's latest album.

- Peace

I'll Never Understand - MP3

I'll Amen Jared - I'll Never Understand by Shad K is an Incredible song. The woman’s voice in the song is Shad’s mother, she survived the Rwandan massacre. Grace, Pain and Beauty - how could I not Amen that?

- Peace

Over the Rhine and Eugene Peterson

The December 2006 MP3 Rarity of the Month from Over the Rhine is Flown Free.

Various musicians were asked to contribute an original song to a cd based on a new translation of The Book of Psalms by Eugene H. Peterson, and Karin and Linford recorded Flown Free, their simple composition based on lines from Psalm 129 & 124. It just so happens Flown Free is their first attempt at recording a little something in their new, 170-year-old farmhouse that they now call home. This December, we thought you might enjoy this simple song. Set it free.

Get it before they update the page with the Jan 07 MP3 Rarity.

- Peace

Over the Rhine Christmas MP3s

Over the Rhine has released two full length MP3s from their next album
Snow Angles. Hauntingly beautiful.

- Peace