Free Legal MP3(s) - Sleeping at Last

Here are not one, but two great songs from Nashville band Sleeping at Last.

"All Things Bright and Beautiful" is a live recording--although I would have never guessed that--from a Humane Association project. I'm guessing you'll soon hear this song in commercials for the association.

The second track, "Careful Hands", is from their 2006 album "Keep No Score". This one sounds ready made for a long introspective scene at the end of an episode of Grey's Anatomy.

Sleeping at Last will finish their American tour at Exit/In on November 6.

Download the songs at the band's PureVolume page.

Free Legal MP3 - Foals - "Balloons"

I saw Foals last night on Jimmy Kimmel. Man, they were great.

As always, I'd like to share the love. Here is an MP3 of "Balloons" by Foals from their album "Antidotes".

I'm going to go ahead and assume they will become indie darlings...at least in the UK.

Here is their performance of "Red Socks Pugie" from last night's show:

Free Legal MP3 - Lambchop - "National Talk Like A Pirate Day"

Arrrrrg, ye matees!!! Did ye know today be National Talk Like a Pirate Day? Check out the holiday's official site.

In honor of the holiday here's some local lightning for you:

Nashville's Lambchop with "National Talk Like A Pirate Day."

Free Legal MP3 - Sixpence None the Richer - "Angels We Have Heard on High"

Merry Christmas! More Sixpence music!

Download "Angels We Have Heard on High" from the Sixpence MySpace page.

Their Christmas album "The Dawn of Grace" will drop October 14. Not sure if it will be new recordings or songs they've released in the past on several various artist compilations.

New Sixpence EP!

Yes. And they're using a new website to release it: noisetrade.com. NoiseTrade is revolutionary in that it allows musicians to promote their music in much the same way that artists such as Radiohead, Derek Webb, and Nine Inch Nails have recently. You can pay whatever you would like for a CD or you can allow the site to email three friends about it and get it for free.

I'm quite certain KNAPSACKHEROES! will not be using that technique for our debut EP and while it still seems a risky method for more established artists who have gone independent, it is certainly one way to self promote an album without the marketing muscle major labels offer. It's also a good way for Sixpence to reintroduce themselves to an ever-changing market (their last album was released just one year after the birth of the iPod) before they release a full length album next year.

A lot of really cool artists (mostly Nashville bred) are using it. I was excited enough to find out Sixpence's EP was on the site. Imagine my excitement when I realized there was also new music from Waterdeep and Derek Webb! You can also get great music from the likes of Kate York, Jill Phillips, Andy Gullahorn, Matthew Perryman Jones, Umbrella Tree, Sandra McCracken, and others.

See for yourself:

Free Legal MP3 - Coldplay - "Death Will Never Conquer"

Free Legal MP3 of the Week - Redflecks - "Hey da da (Remix)"

I forgot to create a legal MP3 of the week last week so this week I'll do two.

I am a HUGE fan of Redflecks. Forget that I know them and consider them friends. They are just plain great.

This week they made a remix of their song "Hey da da" (one of my favorites of their catalog) on their MySpace. I can't for the life of me figure out how to link to the MP3 so just go to www.myspace.com/redflecks and download it. And while you're there sit back and enjoy the other female led-electro rock gems they stream from that page.

Stay tuned for another mp3 from some other less genius somebody or other sometime this week.

As always, if you know sources for quality free legal MP3s, comment here.

Extra - Free Legal MP3 for One Week Only - COLDPLAY

Coldplay is giving away a new single for one week only. Go ahead and give 'em your email address, the song is worth it.

It's called Violet Hill.

According to Coldplay's website, NME Magazine is also currently giving away a free 7 inch vinyl single of the song with an otherwise unreleased B-side.

Free Legal MP3 of the Week - DJ Lobsterdust - "Faith No More vs Queen vs AC/DC - Epic Black Rock" Mashup

I love me some mashups (see?) and this is one of the best I've heard. So technically mashups are not legal as they are a combination of several elements and no one is getting paid anything...but this one was too good to pass up.

DJ Lobsterdust -- I didn't bother researching the origins of his stage handle -- has crafted one of the best mashups in the history of mashups by combining Queen's "We Will Rock You" with Faith No More's "Epic" and AC/DC's "Back in Black". These songs rock on their own, but combining them is sure to melt some faces.

Enjoy the MP3.

Free Legal MP3 of the Week - Jonathan Coulton - "You Ruined Everything"

Jonathan Coulton is an interesting cat. Yes, I wrote cat as though I thought was hip enough to get away with it and no one would notice. An interesting cat is he. Much like Radiohead's recent pay-what-you-want (which means I got it for free) album "In Rainbows", Coulton puts a ton of music out for free but also offers the option of purchasing his music.

Sure, you can go to iTunes and buy his stuff. Or you can go to iTunes and look up his Thing A Week Podcast and download a lot of it for free.

You can go to his website and buy his stuff, or you can view his Thing A Week Blog and download a lot of...well, you get the point.

In this day and age of sliding CD sales and easily stolen music, Jonathan is a clever innovator and I hope he does quite well because his music is great.

There are a ton of excellent songs I could list here, from his hysterical laid back acousticish version of "Baby Got Back" to "Sky Mall", his ode to those wonderfully tempting airline catalogs...From his beautiful version of The Beatles' "I Will" to his ode to Queen's "We Will Rock You" in which he used hand claps sent in by fans.

I decided to go with a sentimental selection about his newborn daughter. It's called "You Ruined Everything" and every lyric of this song rings true for me as a new father.

Read about the song here.

Jonathan hasn't released any new music since 2006. Here's hoping for more.

Free Legal MP3 of the Week - Jesca Hoop - "Intelligentactile 101"

The first Legal MP3 of 2008 is Jesca Hoop's "Intelligentactile 101". It's a great song I'm sure has been in a commercial (probably for Mac) but I can't remember which one. Comment if you remember.

I found this particular MP3 link on an excellent source for more music downloads - www.stereogum.com. I'm quite sure this won't be the last time I use that blog for Legal MP3s of the Week.

A couple interesting notes about this song from Stereogum - Stewart Copeland of The Police plays drums on this track and Jesca was at one point nanny to the children of Tom Waits!

Read more here.

Free Legal MP3 of the Week - Stephen Barnum - "Goodnight Song"

Here's a sweet lullaby from my friend, and former Knapsack Hero, Mister Stephen Barnum.

Goodnight Song makes me smile.

Free Legal MP3 - Nathan Lee - "Back to You"

I fell in love with Nathan Lee's music a few years ago in a tent at the Ichthus Festival. He's too rough around the edges and too good to be signed to a Christian record label.

I had a hard time deciding what song to list here but "Back to You" has always been a favorite. He changes up MP3s a lot on his MySpace so this link may only work a little while. You can hear and download more music at his MySpace.

Nathan will be in concert on November 1 at The Rutledge in Nashville. I do believe you will see me in the audience that night. Come say hello.

Free Legal MP3 of the Week - KNAPSACKHEROES! - "My Tubesocks"

Things are going well for my band, KNAPSACKHEROES!, and we would like to share the love with you by making "My Tubesocks" available as a free MP3 download.

Enjoy.

You can see concert dates, pictures and hear more music and at www.myspace.com/knapsackheroes.

Free Legal MP3 of the Week - children of the New - "Be New"

A quirky and fun worship song for fans of David Gray.

You can check out children of the New at MySpace.

Free Legal MP3 Download of the Moment - Derek Webb's Mockingbird

This one's a doozy (I had to look that word up too. Seems to be my theme this week).

Derek Webb has just launched freederekwebb.com, where you can download his entire new album "Mockingbird".

Formerly of Caedmon's Call, Derek is one of the few artists in contemporary Christian music who actually has something to say. He's one of my favorite artists at the moment. In the future annals of CCM history, he will surely go down in the books alongside Larry Norman, Keith Green and Rich Mullins as one of our greatest writers.

When you go to the page to download the album you will have to enter five email addresses...thus the catch, give album away for free gain five new fans per existing fan.

Free Legal MP3 Download of the Week - iPop 2006

Get an entire CCM compilation album from Inpop Records. Includes Newsboys, Mat Kearney, Shane and Shane, Superchic[k], Jimmy Needham (talented new guy who's album comes out today), Tree 63 and more.

Random Legal MP3 - Destiny McGuire

Destiny McGuire is a bit of a mystery.

www.myspace.com/destinymcguire, where you'll find more music (all downloadable) by Destiny, says her parents are Dony and Reba McGuire. It says she's in a band but doesn't say who the band is.

When you go to that URL she lists herself as Winged Watchman. When you go to www.myspace.com/wingedwatchman you find her personal MySpace where she goes by Von Bluetangles.

She is a mystery. I like her a lot. While some of the other music on her MySpace reminds me of a female Jason Upton (not a bad thing), her version of Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" (also covered quite nicely by Nichole Nordeman) really showcases her vocal prowess.

You can hear that wherever she recorded this live track she had one of the those stupid audiences that is too wrapped up in conversation to realize that the girl on stage is truly lovely. She drops the line of the song that says "Flashback warm nights almost left behind" and there are a couple almost unnoticeable bum piano notes. Still, there's something about these imperfections that makes this recording all the more perfect.

New Eric Coomer Song and MP3

I've posted a new song at MySpace I just wrote and recorded called "Nothing".

This is the first time I have written, recorded and posted a new song all in one night.

It took me all night to edit. Listen (and download) and let me know what you think.

Free Legal MP3 for Ash Wednesday - Jonathan Rundman - Ashes

Jonathan Rundman is the only Lutheran rock star I know of. I love him and this is a fun song for Ash Wednesday.

Listen and enjoy. By the way, a new podcast is coming soon. Please, if you listened to the other one go comment on it!

Check out more from Jonathan at his MySpace and jonathanrundman.com.