"Cheap Sunglasses" by RAC feat. Matthew Koma

I once had a pair of RayBan sunglasses. They were an awesome graduation gift from my dad: gunmetal aviators, fit perfectly to my face, with just enough tint. They were tucked away in my backpack when it was stolen a couple years ago. Damn, I miss those glasses. As a poor replacement, I bought a collection of cheap sunglasses from an online retailer called RedStar, and they are really cheap. Nothing like the RayBans I once had. Because of this somewhat traumatizing experience, I find myself strangely drawn to this week's free single.

André Allen Anjos has now taken over the RAC project.

RAC stands for the Remix Artist Collective, and was originally exactly what that implies: a group of artists who developed remixes of any song they saw fit, ranging from indie obscurity to pop songs by Lady Gaga and the like. Over the course of about five years, they produced more than 150 remixes (all of which are available on SoundCloud). All that remains of the original collective is André Allen Anjos, the group's founder, who has now taken over the RAC name. As he writes on his website, "RAC used to stand for Remix Artist Collective. That name doesn't make much sense anymore. Who cares?"

Anjos carries on, and has just released Strangers, a full album of original songs in collaboration with other artists that RAC worked with in the past: Tokyo Police Club, Katie Herzig, Tegan and Sara and Matthew Koma, who sings this week's free single. The result of this blessed union is a tight electronic pop song that commits to an elaborate lyrical metaphor. My favorite.

"I'm Only Joking" by KONGOS

Contrary to the title of this song, I seriously like iTunes' efforts this week. Not one, nor two, but three free singles available for download before tomorrow. Now, they're not all winners - I think I can rule out Latin heavy rock as a genre of interest - but each of this week's songs has something that makes it valuable.

iTunes is pushing out these Latin free singles, and the exposure to music that isn't in English is really cool. Thanks to De La Tierra, I'm listening to Latin rock for the first time (I don't like it, but hey, nothing ventured). Simone Felice's "Running Through My Head" is a heartfelt song that takes the latter half of a cheesy pick-up line and turns it into the lyrical basis for a beautiful chorus. The featured free single, "I'm Only Joking", is essentially an introduction to a whole new kind of rock n' roll. When you consider that the genre has been around for six decades, it's quite the accomplishment.

The band to achieve this feat is KONGOS, a group of four very talented brothers. They're the sons of one-hit wonder, John Kongos, best known for "He's Gonna Step On You Again" which reached the Top 10 in 1971. If you compare these two singles, you can hear where KONGOS gets their musical influence from.

Their music is strange for us as Americans to listen to. It sounds vaguely like Southern rock with the use of accordions and occasional fiddles, but that isn't the right label. The grim chords, reverberating vocals and distorted guitar sound like grunge music, but they're not really comparable to groups like Nirvana. If you listen to the other tracks on their album, Lunatic, you'll hear reggae, you'll hear trance rock, you'll hear alternative vibes that allude to The Killers or CAKE. All of this is to say that KONGOS barely fits within the burgeoning "alternative rock" genre, especially because of their distinctly African tribal influence.

Yep, you read that right. The brothers of KONGOS, and their father, are from Johannesburg, South Africa, and it really influences their music. One reviewer called it "rock-tribal", especially applicable to this week's single. But enough talking about the music - let's listen to it.

"Me and My Broken Heart" by Rixton

In less than 12 hours I'll be on the road to Gulf Shores, Alabama for Spring Break. Not relevant to this post, but I'm pretty excited about it, so I thought I'd share.

Now, this week's free single isn't something I'm likely to play from a boombox on the beach this week, but the group that wrote it is pretty awesome. "Me and My Broken Heart" is a trite little pop hit, but the group that put it together is a foursome of budding pop stars from the UK calling themselves Rixton. They released their first single last year, "Make Out". It's pretty standard party anthem fare - very catchy. What stands out is the music video, which parodies Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry and Robin Thicke in one fell swoop.

If this music video serves to do anything, it showcases how creative and unashamed Rixton is in their quest to show off their talent. And someone noticed (a very important someone at that). Scooter Braun - famous for signing Justin Bieber, Carly Rae Jepsen and others - signed Jake Roche (lead vocals), Danny Wilkin (bass guitar/keys), Charley Bagnall (lead guitarist) and Lewi Morgan(drummer), and the group changed their name from Relics to Rixton to prep them for the pop scene. They've released their first EP sharing the name of the free single, Me and My Broken Heart, and they accomplish a sound that harkens to Maroon 5, but with an English twist and a youthful abandon that you don't get out of Adam Levine anymore.

All that said about the group, the choice of free single doesn't do much for me. Let's look at why.

"Lift Your Spirit" by Aloe Blacc

Another week, another free single, another bout of mixed feelings and mild disappointment. This week's single was written by rising pop artist Egberts Nathaniel Dawkins III. Sorry, you probably know him better by his stage name, Aloe Blacc. If that doesn't ring any bells, then you probably recognize the voice of that guy that sang (and wrote) that Aviicii song.

Egbert... excuse me, Aloe Blacc has been creating music since 1995, and apparently wallowed in relative obscurity for 18 years before being instrumental in a pop hit that reached #1 in 102 different countries. Talk about perseverance. He has worked in a slew of different genres including soul, R&B, jazz, hip-hop and funk, before reaching mainstream propriety and achieving pop music status.

This week's free single is the title track for his latest album, Lift Your Spirit, Blacc's third solo album. Having listened to samples from each of his three albums I can say that Lift Your Spirit is definitely a change of artistic direction for him. And I think that, regrettably, this is his best-received album yet.

"Believer" by American Authors

This week we have another band from the east coast delivering our free music. You may recognize American Authors from their recent radio hit, "Best Day of My Life", which rose to platinum status after being featured in a handful of commercials and a summer movie trailer. That single was integrated into their first full album, Oh, What a Life, released this March.

Unlike some of the indie trash we've been listening to, the American Authors have a solid pedigree. Its members - Zac Barnett (lead vocals), James Adam Shelley (guitar, banjo), Dave Rublin (bass) and Matt Sanchez (drums) - met while studying at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston. They graduated in 2006 and went on to form a band called The Blue Pages. In 2012, the band moved to Brooklyn and reinvented itself into the group we know today, American Authors.

Their alternative rock sound is peppered with full-bodied choruses, Shelley's folksy banjo accents, and background vocal work that is infectiously easy to sing along to and provides beautiful harmonies. This first album is convincingly energetic and passionate thanks to Barnett's vocals. Either there's something in the water at Berlee, or they really are teaching them something. Our free single, "Believer", is the first track on the album, so without any further ado, we'll dive into it.

"Nothing But Trouble" by Phantogram

I tell you what, it has been a hot minute (read: a long time) since I last posted, and it's a real shame that I return to the blogging scene to review this song. We're basically two months into 2014 and iTunes has yet to really impress me. I could crack a joke about the free singles being nothing but trouble, but that would just be too easy, wouldn't it?

Before I rip into this song, a bit about the artists responsible. Phantogram is a two person outfit from New York state. Sarah Barthel and Josh Carter have been working together since 2007 and produced their first full album in 2009. The release of this single, "Nothing But Trouble", heralds their second album, Voices, released last week. They've toured with some pretty prestigious names in indie pop: Metric, Minus The Bear, Ra Ra Riot, and The Glitch Mob to name a few.

I don't care to flatter them with any further description, so we'll dive right into the song.

"Dear No One" by Tori Kelly

Dear no one,

Have you heard about the new free single on iTunes? It's by this gal named Tori Kelly out of California. She's been on three different reality TV competitions: Star Search, America's Most Talented Kids and American Idol (season 9). She actually won America's Most Talented Kids, but
only made it to Hollywood week on Idol, so she's pretty hot stuff, but not too hot, if you get my meaning.

Y'know, when we get a free single from an obscure artists on iTunes, I'm used to it being an indie artist trying to promote their new alt. genre, but Tori Kelly is immediately going down the pop track. Her style is kind of Christina Aguilera-ish (or for a more modern reference, Ariana Grande-ish), with lots of runs and trills that don't mean anything. It's pretty showy for an artist that's trying to make it big time.

Anyhow, "Dear No One" comes off of her brand new EP, Foreword. She's released this EP, another in 2012 titled Handmade Songs and a handful of singles. Without having produced her first full album, she's actually leaving on a short tour pretty soon, staying mostly in California. Looks like she's making a push to get some fame before releasing an album. In the meantime, you should take a closer look at this single and her new EP.

"Cool Kids" by Echosmith

This week's free single, "Cool Kids", is about as uncool as the kids from your high school. I am becoming seriously jaded toward iTunes' selection of indie-pop these days. Often they find real diamonds in the rough to promote as free singles. The work of Echosmith is not amongst them.

Echosmith is a four person sibling act - three brothers and their vocalist sister put together a little family band out in LA. They are a very, very young group. The eldest brother, Jamie, is just 20 years old, while the youngest brother, Graham, is still 14. The third brother, Noah, and their sister, Sydney, are 17 and 16, respectively. 

That means all but one member is still in high school, and it shows in their music. They have just released their first album, Talking Dreams, and it sounds, appropriately, like a high schooler's attempt to produce alternative pop music. 

"Ribs" by Lorde

When I think of ribs and music, my mind goes on a number of insane little journeys. The first is a meandering stroll towards a jingle that captured the hearts and appetites of America with the help of a little group you've probably never heard of.

Further down the paths of musical association I'm drawn to a memory from a Disney movie that we all know and love. You laughed at Pumba's antics, you cried when Mufasa died (spoilers), and you hummed along when this little ditty got stuck in your head courtesy of a captive hornbill trapped within a ribcage.

It's worth noting that these songs have nothing to do with this week's free single, "Ribs" by Lorde aside from my mindless word association. If you haven't heard of Lorde, then you're living under a musical rock. As I write this, her hit single "Royals" is the number one song on iTunes and the Billboard Hot 100. Her managers must be worried that that won't prove to be enough press to promote her new album, so they've cushioned that exposure with a free single.

Despite her number one single, Lorde is still relatively unknown as a person and artist. Her real name is Ella Yelich-O'Connor, and she's a 16-year-old from New Zealand making it big early in her musical career. Her EP, The Love Club, was met with critical acclaim, and she later ushered her hit single "Royals" onto the world music scene. All of this has spiraled into a whirlwind of press and attention over the course of about five months and is culminating now in her first full album, Pure Heroine. It's electric-infused alt-pop with a musical maturity not expected out of someone her age. Compound this sound with her smooth, mezzo voice and her poetic lyrics and you've got an artist that deserves all the attention she's getting. But don't take my word for it - let's listen to this week's example.

"The Mother We Share" by CHVRCHES

Picture the Scottish. Those kilt-wearing pipers are known for shepherding their flocks through meadow and moor with a leg of mutton in one hand and a fifth of whisky in the other. For too long Scotland has played host to a one-dimensional culture whose people are only good at shearing sheep, drinking, and drunkenly shearing sheep. The narrow worldview and skill set of the Scots is being expanded to include synth pop music thanks to the hard work, diligence and musical talent of a group called CHVRCHES.

Lauren Mayberry, Martin Doherty and Iain Cook pose for

Interview Magazine.

 This Scottish electronic trio formed in 2011 and is, two years later, releasing their first full album, The Bones of What You Believe. Their wheelhouse is synthesizer work between Iain Cook and Martin Doherty, backing up frontwoman Lauren Mayberry's compelling melodies, but they don't restrict themselves. Iain plays guitar and bass, and both gents will get behind the mic to sing harmonies and occasionally lead vocals on tracks. This week's free single, "The Mother We Share", is the first track on the new album and typifies most of what you'll hear throughout.

"Pumpin Blood" by NONONO

Sometimes you take a bite of a fresh-baked cookie and the taste is so full and complete that you wonder if you'll ever taste anything so delicious ever again. This week's single is nothing like that. It's better compared to one of those green smoothie drinks filled with kale, spinach and celery. It tastes good initially, but you mull it over a bit longer and find the aftertaste doesn't sit quite right.

NONONO, rumored to be a very disagreeable band, is a trio from Sweden formed in 2012, and so is relatively new to the music scene. Chasing the coattails of Swedish pop a la Icona Pop, NONONO captures similar catchy riffs and synth pop sounds, but is less electronic/dance, more alt-pop. I really enjoy their sound, and I like the song, but I don't think I can listen to it. Play the video below and I'll explain.

"Little Games," by The Colourist

I tell you what, I'm really torn over this week's free single. Normally when the folks at iTunes tap an alt pop single I expect it to be a real gem, but "Little Games" is just not doing it for me. But I digress.

The group is The Colourist, a four person act out of California releasing their first EP, Lido. They laid some groundwork before producing any tracks - they performed with indie giant Grouplove and appeared at Coachella, as well as opening for Youngblood Hawke and Atlas Genius (both groups that have featured iTunes free singles in the past year).

It's an impressive resume for a group with one EP, but I don't see The Colourist rising up to their likes anytime soon based on their published work.

"Outta Time," by Natalia Kills

Well I'm gonna keep this short, because much like the title of this week's single, I am out of time to write this post.

I'm going to be blunt here. I don't like this song. I don't like this artist. I gave Natalia Kills a fair shot, listened to her new album, Trouble, and her debut album, Perfectionist, and I came up dry.

I don't like the slightly off-pitch vocal riff at the start of this song. I don't like the boring drum beat. I don't like her voice. I don't like the chord progression. I don't like the twangy guitar chords in the background. Not even the lyrics do anything special for me. There's nothing about this song that I hate, but there's nothing I like either. It just bores me to tears.

None of her other work floats my boat either. Her most popular tracks, "Problem," "Saturday Night," and "Wonderland" have her torn between sounding like a female Kanye West and a subpar British Lady Gaga. It's not that it's bad music - it's just not special. I can't tell what she's striving towards as an artist from what I've heard, and I don't care to listen to more to find out after what I've been exposed to. "Outta Time" was an awful pick from her new album for the free track. It's not at all representative of the rest of her album, and anyone who does investigate the album after listening to it will be left very, very confused. Frankly, I'm just hoping for a better track next week. I give "Outta Time" a...

2 out of 5.

"Closed Hand, Full of Friends," by Foy Vance

They say you can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your friend's nose. That may be so, but you can grip your friends tightly and never let them go when confronted with heartbreak. I don't see that becoming a common expression, but it is the inspiration for this week's free single.

Foy Vance is an Irishman raised in the American south. Most of his childhood was spent moving throughout the south with his father, picking up musical influences along the way. He returned to Ireland years later and began writing music inspired by the likes of Bob Dylan and Van Morrison. Vance's first album, Hope, was released in 2007. Since then he has produced and toured with Bonnie Raitt, Ed Sheeran and Snow Patrol, amongst others.

"Closed Hand, Full of Friends" comes to us from Vance's second full album, Joy of Nothing, released August 27. It's been six years since the last album, but Vance recently signed with Glassnote Music, famous for their work with Mumford & Sons and Phoenix. Vance said in an interview that he considers this his first album, in a way. Like Bob Dylan, who changed styles and genres from album to album, Vance feels his songwriting has reinvented itself over time. The album is a powerful one, riddled with songs about heartbreak and love gone wrong. "Closed Hand, Full of Friends" is an anthemic call to cling to hope and find joy where you can, and is one of the more uplifting tracks on the album.

Summer Recap

Oh, my summer was great, thanks for asking! I drank, danced and sang along to some fantastic summer singles courtesy of iTunes. Yes, that's right - just because I wasn't blogging doesn't mean that I didn't keep up on my free music. I hope you all were keeping tabs as well, because I wanted to recap the summer with a highlight reel of sorts: my Top 5 iTunes Free Singles.

This summer was a veritable gold mine of alternative jams, soulful melodies and anthemic pop songs. I could attempt to drum up my usual witticisms but I'm rather out of practice and need to get back into the swing of things, so without further ado... starting at the bottom of the list.

5) "Help Me Lose My Mind" by Disclosure, feat. London Grammar

Disclosure, an English brother act producing electronic music, has really burst onto the music scene this summer with the release of their first full studio album in June. Their original tracks and remixes were featured on a number of DJ summer playlists (see Diplo's Endless Summer) and has brought the pair some deserved prominence. This track from their album Settle has the ethereal elements of trance but a drum beat worth hearing at a summer party. It was a favorite of mine this summer and starts our list at number five.

4. "Beekeeper" by Aoife O'Donovan

I told you there were some soulful melodies from this summer. I am, admittedly, biased towards this song and this artist since I've had the privilege of seeing her perform live! Aoife (pronounced EEF-ah) O'Donovan toured with the Punch Brothers in the spring of 2012, and her Americana angel voice was the perfect opener for my favorite bluegrass group. This track shows her ability as a rock-oriented singer, and showcases her vocal talent and her guitar work. If you take the time to look up some of her folk music, you will not be disappointed.

3. "Un Dia de Sol" by Los Claxons

That's right - Hispanic pop. Based on my aversion to reggae, you might have assumed that I'm not open to, shall we say, "cross-cultural genres". Not so! I was pleasantly surprised by this track. The incorporation of both the English and Spanish languages is a great way of appealing to audiences. The chorus is a catchy monosyllabic riff that anyone can sing along to. If ever there were a way to get Americans to appreciate Hispanic music, songs like these are the way to do it. I can't listen to this song and not move and sing along. It's a fantastic song from this summer, and makes the middle of our list at number three.

2. "Pompeii" by Bastille

We've all heard this on pop radio by now. Released at the start of the summer on their new EP Haunt, Bastille weaseled their way into the American pop music scene. This English alternative rock band did a great job of writing a summer anthem. It's catchy, singable and bursting with summer energy, and is a great testimony to iTunes' ability to find those soon-to-be hits. It was a favorite on the Billboard charts, and a favorite in my library, landing at number two for this summer.

1. "Chocolate" by The 1975

If one of the biggest hits of the summer only landed at number two, then what could possibly hold the throne at the top of this list: diamond in the rough, a buried treasure, and one that I expect to soon be exposed. "Chocolate" by English pop rock group The 1975 was my favorite track of the summer. It made it's way on to the iTunes freebie list with the release of their EP stateside, IV. Now, I mentioned that I expect this track and this band to gain some ground soon. The 1975's first full album, self-titled, is scheduled to drop in September. This band is poised to do some great work, and is likely to permeate American pop radio just as Bastille did this summer. Look forward to that album, and enjoy this track in the meantime.

Now, these five tracks aren't the only worth listening to, by any means. Below are some honorable mentions I encourage you to give a listen to:

"The Wire" by HAIM

"You Know You Like It" by AlunaGeorge

"Second Chances" by Gregory Alan Isakov

"The Way We Touch" by WE ARE TWIN

Give them all a listen, and stay tuned week to week as I get back to reviewing the fine work of the iTunes select! If you have any other singles that are worth an honorable mention, let me know in the comments below.

"High Heel Leather Boots," by Baby Bee

I would love to say that I have a clever witticism for incorporating high heel leather boots into a personal anecdote, but I can't think of anything that wouldn't end as extremely graphic. Alas, somethings are just not meant to be. But my semester is wrapping up here quickly, I've thoroughly enjoyed this little foray into music critiquing. I fancy I may continue reviewing singles over the summer, so stick around.

This past week's single is a rocking single that comes to us from the swamps of Louisiana. Joe and David Stark formed their gritty family band, Baby Bee, in 2011, and are gearing up for the release of their first full length album later this year. To bide the time, they've produced an EP - The Shaker - to accrue a name on iTunes. They had a recent boost in popularity when one of their songs, "Love Bug," was featured on AMC's hit series, The Walking Dead. Their wailin' rock songs are infused with a distinct southern beat that would make any of their songs a pleasant fit in the zombie-infested American South. This week's single, "High Heel Leather Boots," is a great example of the style that the Stark brothers bring to their music.

"Recovery," by Frank Turner

Leaving my usual introductory witticisms at the wayside, I want to take an opportunity to wish iTunes a very happy 10th birthday! Yes, back on April 28, 2003, Apple first opened up iTunes for business - a decade later, they're giving their songs away for free. Doesn't seem like a very sound business model to me.

So happy birthday! Cakes and balloons abound! In a nontraditional birthday celebration, iTunes has given us a gift. This week's free single, "Recovery," brings us farther away from the reggae tunes that I was finally becoming accustomed to (no I wasn't) and introduces us to another English singer/songwriter that you've likely never heard of. This time, though, he's a...well, he's a "he".

Frank Turner accrued much of his fame as the lead singer of British punk group Million Dead. The band dissolved in 2005, he dropped the punk act, and embarked on an alternative, folksy solo career. Five full studio albums later, we see the release of Tape Deck Heart. The tracks on this album capitalize on the feelings associated with the fallout from a breakup. This seems to work well for Turner - it can be a pretty gritty subject, heartbreak. It allows him to bust out some of his punk influences, while also capturing the more tender, heart-wrenching aspects of breakups with his acoustic folksy tune. After listening to a smattering of the tracks on this album, you can tell that Turner has made a go at capturing the whole spectrum of emotions after a messy relationship. And it's a pretty damn good job of it.

But, the song at hand! We delve into our free single, "Recovery," below.

"Wildest Moments," by Jessie Ware

Howdy, folks! I have returned from a blogging hiatus. Yes, yes, I'm sorry - it was very impolite of me to duck out and leave you with no knowledge of iTunes' exciting free singles. In my defense, I had Spring Break, followed shortly thereafter by my 21st birthday. And the days thereafter went something like this:

But I'm back and rip-roaring to do some obligatory bliggity-blogging. Now, ofttimes when I write these reviews, you'll hear me complain about the mix of a song. Whether it's a harmony that can scarcely be heard, an electric guitar line that's oppressively loud, or there isn't enough bass on the track there are an infinite number of ways to mix a track poorly. Fortunately, this week's track, "Wildest Moments" by Jessie Ware, has heralded my return to the blogosphere with a near perfect mix.

Jessie Ware is a south London singer-songwriter, who made her name by doing vocals for other big-name UK artists. Her debut solo album, Devotion, was released in 2012, but is coming stateside for the first time this week. iTunes calls Devotion a pop album, but its tracks feature a melting pot of musical influences - rock, R&B, soul, electronic and trance. They use the pop label as a simplifying term here, but it's wrong. It's on par with assuming that all people of Hispanic heritage are Mexicans (something that happens far too often in my home state of Texas) - it's not an appropriate label and does a huge injustice to the subject.


In this instance, Jessie Ware shouldn't be called a pop artist. She won't be coating you with musical sugar using hooks that you can't get out of your head, silly upbeat rhythms and repetitive lyrics. Instead Devotion's tracks seduce you with thick electronic sounds, beautiful R&B chords and a sultry English voice that's reminiscent of Adele's singing style. The single of the week, "Wildest Moments," is a fair example of what you can expect from the rest of the album.

Tuesday, March 19: "Blowin' Smoke" and "Money In My Pocket"

Technically, I'm on Spring Break this week. Mother Nature didn't get that memo though, and I'm snowed in. Again. Fortunately this makes for the perfect opportunity to give my belated review of this week's two free singles.

Miss Kacey Musgraves is looking to make it as a country star with her first studio album, Same Trailer Different Park. As she is still in the process of establishing her online presence, this acoustic performance of this week's free single, "Blowin' Smoke," was the best I could find for your listening pleasure.

Kacey's music embraces the traditional country western ideal of music as a means to tell a story. Her song invents a handful of imaginary nine-to-five, working women that embody the classic tale of the dead-end job in the sleepy town. Her lyrics and rhyming schemes are clever and give a twist of humor to what is, at heart, a very sad story. Kacey's voice is awful smooth, with a country twang that is more subtle than the abrasive drawls heard in much country music. It sounds familiar and sweet, and is meant for this kind of music.

Tuesday, March 12

A post long overdue is finally posted. This week there were four free tracks available on iTunes, and, frankly, none of them were terribly good. Forgive me for taking so damn long to get to reviewing them. That said, let's dive right in to the shallow end of the pool - just watch your head.

See what I did there? Because the songs don't have depth, duh.

Our first single, "Deja Vu," comes courtesy of a Disney Channel pop starlet by the name of Coco Jones. Miss Jones is just 15 years old, but has starred in a Disney Channel original movie - or "DCom" - and is releasing her first EP. Now, after finding this out, I have to admit that I'm impressed by her talent for a 15 year old. However, my admiration ends there.